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Roshan Receives Comms MEA Award Posted: 26 Feb 2009 06:22 PM PST Kabul, Afghanistan - February 18, 2009 – Roshan, Afghanistan’s leading telecommunications operator announced today it received a Comms MEA Award for Most Innovative Non-Voice Service for M-Paisa, Afghanistan’s first and only mobile money transfer product. M-Paisa enables the transfer of funds through a mobile phone in a quick, easy, safe, and cost effective manner for peer-to-peer transfer, repayment of microfinance loans, purchase of airtime and salary disbursement. The Comms MEA Awards, hosted by Comms MEA magazine annually, set out to celebrate and pay tribute to the telecoms industry professionals and operators that have shown outstanding performance and results in key market segments. Judges were particularly impressed with Roshan’s dedication to provide vital mobile service in a market more challenging than most. http://www.roshan.af/web/?p=655        |
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Rossbina Nathoo - Finalist in the Top 25 Canadian Immigrants Awards Posted: 26 Feb 2009 04:01 PM PST Volunteer Rossbina Nathoo, has been selected as a Finalist for the “Top 25 Canadian Immigrants Awards,” sponsored by Canadian Immigrant Magazine.
Rossbina’s outstanding contribution to the Calgary community, particularly in her full-time volunteer capacity working with seniors though “F.O.C.U.S. on Seniors” has garnered Rossbina a much-coveted finalist designation from the many hundreds of nominations that were submitted. She is in the same esteemed company as Adrienne Clarkson and Michaelle Jean, and is one of only three Finalists from Calgary. The 25 recipients of the award will be chosen by Canadians through online voting. Click on http://www.canadianimmigrant.ca/top25 to cast your vote (only open to residents of Canada). The 25 individuals with the most votes by March 31st will be honoured with the designation of “Top 25 Canadian Immigrants.”        |
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Agha Khan Jamatkhana - Kampala on Flickr - Photo Sharing! Posted: 26 Feb 2009 04:00 PM PST |
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Technology reporter Paul Brent talks about ISTAR program in Ottawa Posted: 26 Feb 2009 03:59 PM PST Tech Now by Paul Brent
Complete at http://www.metronews.ca/ottawa/comment/article/187963        |
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Posted: 26 Feb 2009 08:23 AM PST
His family website speaks for itself. Please visit and watch his talents, singing classical and Sufi songs at the age of 7 is one among them.        |
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Alnasir Samji elected to the Board of Torstar Corp Posted: 26 Feb 2009 07:20 AM PST
TORONTO, ONTARIO – 6:30 a.m., Thursday, February 26, 2009 - Torstar Corporation announces today the following Board and management changes that will take effect in connection with Torstar’s Annual Meeting on May 6, 2009 –snip– Alnasir Samji: Mr. Samji is a business and community leader. He was most recently a Principal of Towers Perrin and currently manages his own consulting practice, Alderidge Consulting Inc. He has served in numerous voluntary positions, including as President of the Aga Khan Council for Ontario. He is in-coming Chair of the United Way of Greater Toronto and currently serves as the organization’s Vice Chair and Treasurer. Mr. Samji is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries and the Canadian Institute of Actuaries, with more than 30 years of experience in pension consulting. He holds a B.Sc. Mathematics, Computing Science, Operations Research and Statistics from Thames Polytechnic in the U.K. http://www.torstar.com/releases_detail.php?page=992        |
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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Ismaili Mail in conversation with Filmmaker Meena Nanji Posted: 27 Feb 2009 07:57 AM PST
Director Meena Nanji has been working in film/video for the last ten years. She is known for her experimental film work, which has been recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts, Rockefeller Foundation, Center for Asian American Media, Women in Film Foundation, the American Film Institute and others. Her work has won numerous awards and has screened at film/video festivals internationally as well as broadcast on television.
IM: Why did you make View From a Grain of Sand? MN: I had been appalled by reports of what the Taliban were doing to women in the name of religion. Especially that they were denied health care because they weren’t allowed to be treated by male doctors, and no female doctors were allowed to work. So women were dying or suffering from easily curable illnesses, just because they were not allowed to get treatment. When two members of RAWA, the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan, came to Los Angeles to speak about the conditions of women in Afghanistan, I saw how passionate and strong they were and how they were doing so much with so few resources. I really wanted to contribute somehow to that cause. So I invited myself to see RAWA’s work in the refugee camps in NWFP Pakistan, and they agreed that I should come. I first visited RAWA and the area in November 2000. They showed me around their camps, schools, orphanages. At that time I thought I would just be making a simple piece about the Taliban, women and Rawa’s work. RAWA also encouraged me to go and speak with other people, not connected with the group, so I met other women’s groups, journalists, politicians, even a prostitute. It became very clear that the situation was far more complex than just the Taliban: many people felt the Taliban were an anomaly; that they would implode soon enough as they had no popular support: they had only people they paid who were ‘loyal’ to them. Most people were afraid of the return of the ‘warlords’: Massoud, Rabbani, Sayyaf, Hekmatyar, Dostum, – these were the people most feared. So that was when I decided to do a film that would encompass the history of the last thirty years, and focus on the rights of women. IM: What challenges did you face as a female? in general? MN: I don’t think I encountered many specific challenges as a female. In a way, I think it might have helped, as I gained access to women’s lives, that would have been difficult, if not impossible, for a man. The biggest challenge was probably ‘mobility’ – I am used to being able to travel anywhere by myself, but in Pakistan, I HAD to have a male escort, so RAWA provided me with some fake ‘husbands’. Also, having to wear a headscarf was quite a challenge, as I am completely unused to this! People in general were very protective of my camerawoman and myself as we were pretty much traveling ‘alone’, and this surprised people. In NWFP and Islamabad, if people assumed I was Pakistani, I did have a much harder time getting anything done – ie logistical things, like getting permits, tickets to travel, etc, but as soon as they knew I was not Pakistani, things became much easier. In general, language was a big challenge for me. I was working with translators who did not speak English very well, (and my Dari is pretty much nil), and often my questions or the answers would be translated incorrectly, so I had to come back to LA and have everything re-translated. Communication in Kabul was also difficult as the phone system was not set up and it was very hard to find anyone. Also the lack of street addresses in Kabul (!) was difficult. Generally, people were very helpful though, and for the most part, we felt safe. IM: How did your understanding of your faith inform your perspective? MN: I guess I have faith in the here and now and in the ‘innate goodness’ of most people, no matter where they are from or where they live: I don’t see the world in “us and them” terms – now it’s only ‘us’. So I guess that leads me to look for commonalities, for shared visions and that’s really what I found in Afghanistan for the most part. IM: What are your thoughts around the value put on documentary films versus traditional Hollywood movies. MN: Well, I think documentary is unfortunately the ‘poor cousin’ of fiction, the world over. For the most part, documentaries remain second tier – perhaps because they are seen as providing fodder for television – and so people think they don’t need to go to the theater to see them – they can see them for free on TV. Yet, I do think there are so many excellent documentaries being made these days: their sophistication in production terms and in content is really great and they are not getting their due – in my view. There does seem to be a growth in documentary film festivals around the world, but I’m not sure this will translate into documentaries entering ‘the mainstream’ – which I think is a loss. IM: Who is your documentary film making idol and why? MN: For documentaries, a British group in the 1980’s really inspired me. They were called the Black Audio Film Collective, and made many films about race and representation in Britain at that time. There are tons of documentarians that I love, including Werner Herzog, and Isaac Julien. I just saw a brilliant film by Ellen Kuras that took her 25 years to shoot, called “Betrayal”, which has been nominated for an Oscar this year. I like films that take creative risks and present material in surprising or unusual ways, and I love solid, traditional documentaries too. IM: What are the best parts of your career, and to what type of people would you suggest documentary film making to? MN: The best parts are actually making the film and then seeing/experiencing/talking about the film with others. I would suggest documentary filmmaking to anyone who is really curious about things and who is perseverant on many levels! IM: Noting that your work would have exposed you to many places, peoples and ways of living, what do you plan far into the future when you are retired? MN: I hope to be still making films when ‘retired!’. I would also love to keep traveling – to me, this is one of the most wonderful things one can do. IM: What do you feel are the primary short-term and long-term needs of a country like Afghanistan? MN: In the short term, the US and international community needs to de-emphasise the military and pour money and resources into seriously rebuilding the infrastructure they have destroyed. They need to build dams, power plants, schools, the legal system, the police force. They need to support Afghan institutions so that the Afghan Constitution can be implemented and enforced. So far none of this has been done seriously or with real commitment. There is no military solution to the problems Afghanistan faces, so this needs to stop now. If the civic rebuilding was real and sincere, the hearts and minds of Afghans would be won, and the resistance, including the Taliban would have no popular support. Right now all we are contributing to is more deaths of civilians, and this is why so many Afghans oppose the US being there. IM: There must have been people whom you met during your work - people in Afghanistan and other areas - that were inspiring. Tell us about one. MN: There were so many people who were so inspiring, I can’t just pick one. So many women, who lived on practically nothing but still managed to bring up their kids to have decent humanistic values – this was amazing to me. Kids were incredible – so eager and hungry to learn about the world and try and improve their lives – again they had practically nothing offered to them, but grabbed whatever opportunities existed. Some NGO people were also amazing – one woman who was trying to provide psychological treatment to war victims, another who was opening a school to teach girls how to drive, another man who had a ‘mini-mobile circus’ for kids - the kids could participate in creating shows and then travel around the country performing - all this was amazing. IM: What are you doing next? MN: I hope to be doing a documentary about the rise of Hindu nationalism in India. IM: How long did it take you to make this documentary? MN: It took 5 years IM: Thank you. Movie Website: http://www.viewgrainofsand.com/ |
She talks with Ismaili Mail.      |
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Egypt: restoring old Cairo with green Posted: 27 Feb 2009 07:42 AM PST
The creation of Cairo’s largest open green space out of a former rubbish dump is paving the way for a wider regeneration programme. As well restoring the run-down, adjoining neighborhood, ancient buildings are being put to new use. The project has created jobs, and is also enhancing international cultural collaboration between Egypt and European governments. –snip– For centuries this area was used to dump unwanted rubbish. Then the Aga Khan’s Historic Cities Support Programme came up with the idea of offering the people of Cairo a place with trees, plants and shrubs in abundance. |
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Aga Khan Hospital Mombasa Opens Out Patient And Emergency Center Posted: 27 Feb 2009 07:42 AM PST Patients can now receive timely, efficient and superior services Coastweek - - This new facility the first of its kind in coast region is centrally air-conditioned and boosts an airy, comfortable ambience. Apart from the physical environment the triaging of the patients has also been revisited with the patients now being received by clinical as opposed to administrative staff, this ensures that emergencies are quickly identified and fast tracked. In the new doctor’s rooms the patients can now expect to be visited by doctors and considering that the clinical support departments; Pharmacy and laboratory are within the same premises, the patients’ waiting times have been reduced to an average 2hrs. With increased doctors coverage patients at the outpatients department can now expect to receive timely, efficient and superior services. |
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Book about the funeral ceremony of Ismaili Muslims in Gorno-Badakhsan brought out in Dushanbe Posted: 28 Feb 2009 07:52 AM PST 24 February 2009 Asia-PLUS Daily Blitz KHOROG, February 24, 2009, Asia-Plus /Iftikhor Mirshakar/ — 1,000 copies of a book entitled “Sources of the “Charoghravshan” Ritual” have been delivered to Gorno Badakhshan. The book about the most important ceremony for Ismaili Muslims in Gorno Badakhshan is authored by Umed Mamadsherzodshoyev, the director of the branch of the Association for the Study of Persianate Societies (ASPS) in Khorog, has been published in Dushanbe. Charoghravshan (Chirag Rawshan), the funeral ceremony, is followed by Ismaili Muslims in Afghan Badakhshan and northern Pakistan as well, and book contains many written sources about this ceremony, the charoghravshan text, and views of Ismaili Imams, thinkers and poets of this ceremony. Charoghravshan is one of the most important ceremonies for today’s Ismaili Muslims in Gorno Badakhshan. The ceremony is strictly followed and people clearly enjoy today’s freedom of practice. Maddohs, the songs of praise, are performed during the charoghravshan ceremony. These songs consist of different kinds of religious poetry, mostly written in the Tajik or Persian language. The poetry can be either of classical Persian mystic poetry (often related to the poetry of Rumi and Hafiz) or of modern poetry devoted to the veneration of the Ismaili Imams. Another important element of charoghravshan is the use of candle made from cotton stripes during the ceremony. |
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March 26: Cultural Conservation and Rehabilitation in Post-Conflict Afghanistan Posted: 28 Feb 2009 07:47 AM PST
Exhibition Lecture Click on the photograph for more details. |
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Defining Without Confining: reflections on a prophetic usage of sacred space Posted: 01 Mar 2009 10:05 AM PST By Reza Shah-Kazemi In this article I intend to show that, in traditional Islamic consciousness, to define the space of the sacred (the mosque, the qibla, etc.) does not confine the sacred (wherever ye turn there is the face of God), and thus that the space of the sacred cannot be subject to what we might call ‘religious nationalism’. The sacred is both transcendent and immanent, combining both poles of tanzīh (incomparability), and tashbīh (similarity). At the heart of the sacred lies the paradox that its divine essence is absolutely unknowable; but there is nothing that does not, in its own way, manifest the sacred. complete at Inter-religious Insight. |
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Virtual Walking Tour of Al-Haram Al-Sharif Posted: 01 Mar 2009 10:04 AM PST |
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Posted: 01 Mar 2009 10:03 AM PST Excerpt: The mid – 20th century blossoming of archaeological research in Afghanistan uncovered treasures of unimaginable value: carved ivories, Greek statues and Buddhist icons that mesmerized the world. Those findings also ignited gold fever in the country, inspiring hundreds of freelance “archaeologists” to dig for treasures of their own, with a black-market value that far exceeded a farmer’s annual earnings. Then, starting in 1979, war uprooted whatever fragile government protections had been put in place and thousands of priceless artifacts, some even looted from the national museum in Kabul, were spirited out of the country. But it was the fall of the Taliban in December 2001, and the subsequent power vacuum, that unleashed the most devastating rape of Afghanistan’s heritage to date. “Ironically, poverty and war are what kept these sites safe,” says Jolyon Leslie, head of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, which promotes the rehabilitation of Afghanistan’s cultural heritage. In times of conflict, civilians were afraid to leave home, he says, and the fear of land mines kept many from digging. Now that a nationwide campaign to clear the mines is bearing fruit, looters are returning to sites that have been untouched for years, and are even discovering new ones. “Given the price land mines exact, you don’t exactly want to promote them,” muses Leslie. “But it is tempting to put up warnings just for preservation.” via Treasure Hunt. |
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Eboo Patel (US) and Salima Ebrahim (Canada) on World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders 2009 list Posted: 02 Mar 2009 11:58 AM PST 230 leaders from business, government, academia, media, non-profit organizations and arts chosen from around the world Geneva, Switzerland, 25 February 2009 – The World Economic Forum has announced the Young Global Leaders (YGL) 2009. The honour, bestowed each year by the Forum, recognizes and acknowledges between 200 and 300 outstanding young leaders from around the world for their professional accomplishments, commitment to society and potential to contribute to shaping the future of the world. http://www.weforum.org/en/media/Latest%20Press%20Releases/PR_YGL2009 Eboo Patel (USA) List - http://www.weforum.org/docs/ygl/YGL_Honorees_2009.pdf |
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Posted: 02 Mar 2009 11:52 AM PST
Business booming for thrift stores Updated: Fri Feb. 27 2009 17:04:25 ctvcalgary.ca Thrift stores are having a hard time keeping up with demand for inexpensive goods. Last year, most stores and charities were refusing to take donations because of a glut in supply.But this year, demand is stripping the shelves almost as quickly as staff and volunteers can stock them. Video report at the source. |
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Dubai’s renowned Art Space Gallery presents Pakistani Artist Amin Gulgee Posted: 02 Mar 2009 07:55 AM PST
Amin Gulgee‘s works use traditional forms, drawn from Islamic art, to create thoroughly modern sculptural works in metal. Inspired by the varied and rich spiritual history of his native Pakistan, his work ranges from the purely abstract to creations inspired by Hindu mythology, Buddhist civilisation and Islamic calligraphy. Although diverse, these directions influence and nourish one another for they all attempt to depict the spirituality of man. |
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Jambo Grill: Good morning to you Posted: 02 Mar 2009 07:46 AM PST
There are scores of humble mom and pop restaurants around Metro Vancouver and the interesting ones don’t always declare themselves. Several readers pointed this one out when I made a call for your favourite global restaurant. You liked the food at Jambo Grill and you also liked the friendly owner. Jambo means “hello” in Swahili, a tipoff that there’s some African influence here. The food is so Vancouver - a fusion of Indian, East African, a few gulps of Iranian flavours, as well as Indian-style homage to North American fries and pizza on lovely naan. Owner Nash Mawani has a selection of his own African/Indian creations, like deep-fried Cornish hen with Nairobi-style sauce, Masai ribs, jungle ribs. Complete at the source: Vancouver Sun |
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Surrey SFU hosts Women’s Day event Posted: 02 Mar 2009 07:45 AM PST 
Senator Mobina Jaffer will be the keynote speaker at a Women`s Day event at Surrey SFU on March 8. March 8 will mark a major day of international celebration for the economic, political, and social achievements of women. A local group – the South Asian Family Association (SAFA) – is preparing for their first annual International Women’s Day Celebration at Surrey’s SFU campus. Senator Mobina Jaffer and former British Columbia Teachers Federation (BCTF) president Jinny Sims are two of women who will be joining SAFA in the marking of this global celebration. Jaffer was the first African and Muslim woman of South Asian descent appointed to the Senate in 2001. She was born in Uganda and holds a bachelor of laws degree from London University in England and completed the Executive Development Program at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby. She was the first South Asian lawyer in B.C. She has also been appointed to the Chair of the Canadian Committee of Women Peace and Security. Jaffer has been noted for her work in the areas of equality and justice for women of colour and the struggle to end violence against all women. Jaffer will be taking to the stage at 12:30 p.m. to deliver the keynote speaker address. “Change is taking place, we are moving forward,” Jaffer said. “Our efforts are paying off so please stay strong. The work of one woman is like a stone dropped into the water. The ripples cast go on and on.” Complete at the source: Surrey Leader |
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Mossadiq Umedaly awarded the Entrepreneur of the Year award Posted: 02 Mar 2009 07:43 AM PST MOSSADIQ UMEDALY, STANFORD OVSHINSKY AND ENER-G-ROTORS RECEIVE
CLEANTECH AWARDS IN SAN FRANCISCO (WORLD-WIRE) SAN FRANCISCO, February 26, 2009 /PRNewswire/ — The Cleantech Group, LLC, founders of the cleantech investment category, today named the winners of its Cleantech Awards in the categories of Entrepreneur of the Year, Cleantech Pioneer and Most Promising Technology in front of an audience of 900 industry influencers at Cleantech Forum XXI in San Francisco. Mossadiq Umedaly, chairman of BC Hydro was awarded the Entrepreneur of the Year award for his serial entrepreneurial leadership and taking numerous clean tech companies public. Umedaly has enjoyed a long prestigious career in the energy sector and continues to shape the way the industry is evolving today. Prior to BC Hydro, Umedaly was chairman of Xantrex Technology Inc., a world leading advanced power electronics company, and previously was vice president and CFO of fuel cell pioneer Ballard Power Systems. via Mossadiq Umedaly, Stanford Ovshinsky and Ener-G-Rotors Receive Cleantech Awards in San Francisco. |
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Ventures West to Launch $158M Clean Energy Fund With Mossadiq Umedaly « Earth2Tech Posted: 02 Mar 2009 07:42 AM PST Mossadiq Umedaly, chairman of Canadian utility BC Hydro, will join the Vancouver, Canada-based venture firm Ventures West to help the company raise and invest its first clean energy fund… —snip— Umedaly, who was named Entrepreneur of the Year at the event this week, will keep his position at BC Hydro and said he plans to remain fully committed to his duties there. Umedaly previously served as CEO of Xantrex Technology, which makes electrical inverters and chargers, and chief financial officer of fuel cell company Ballard Power Systems. He also helped to develop a medical university and teaching hospital in Pakistan as part of his work with Aga Khan Development Network, a nonprofit, and started his career at accounting firm Price Waterhouse —snip— In spite of the recession, Umedaly said he’s “never seen a better time” to invest in cleantech. Public awareness of environmental and energy security issues, as well as the political will to support clean energy solutions, is at an all-time high, he said. “My feeling is when you have a confluence like this, you need to take action,” he said. via Ventures West to Launch $158M Clean Energy Fund With BC Hydro Chairman « Earth2Tech. |
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Aga Khan Foundation to open kindergartens in Kyrgyzstan Posted: 02 Mar 2009 07:41 AM PST 26 February 2009 AKIpress Vice Prime Minister Uktomkhan Abdullaeva today met with Nurjehan Mawani, Head of Aga Khan Development Network in Kyrgyzstan, reported prime minister’s press office. Uktomkhan Abdullaeva thanked AKDN for the projects run in Kyrgyzstan. Nurjehan Mawani in turn said AKDN lays its emphasis on development of mountainous areas that need assistance most of all. AKDN is working on set up of modern kindergartens now, where children will receive preschool education by a completely new methodology, Nurjehan Mawani said. 65 kindergartens were repaired, 25 titles of instructional guides were published and 11 libraries were opened with AKDN support, she added. The Vice Prime Minister said the government of Kyrgyzstan would provide all possible support to AKDN’s activities in Kyrgyzstan, including support of mountainous community development, micro-financing, mortgage lending, education projects and others. Construction of the main building of the University of Central Asia and development of the required infrastructure in Naryn, cooperation between AKDN and local governments were addressed during this meeting. Also, Nurjehan Mawani told about progress of rehabilitation of the small regional airport in the town of Naryn. On the whole, 600 people, largely Kyrgyz citizens, are employment in AKDN agencies. |
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Passage to India - Canadian writer Vassanji rediscovers his homeland Posted: 02 Mar 2009 07:40 AM PST By NANCY SCHIEFER, SPECIAL TO SUN MEDIA The experience of India is an overwhelming one, novelist M. G. Vassanji noted in a recent interview. There exists a widespread need to record one’s impressions of life, Vassanji pointed out, and he has done so in his latest book, A Place Within, a collection of journal entries winnowed and compiled into a single volume. In deciding to write A Place Within, on the advice of his literary agent, Vassanji faced two problems. He did not want to publish what might be considered a banal screed celebrating the recognition of “roots,” nor did he wish to write a travel book. Instead, he wished his memoir to combine the personal with the historical, the present with the past, and to capture in print both the spiritual and the sordid dimensions of his ancestral homeland. Complete at the source: Edmonton Sun |
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Salimah Y. Ebrahim - Journalist, Environmentalist, Producer Posted: 03 Mar 2009 12:31 PM PST
Update: Salimah spent past year covering (as a journalist for various Canadian media outlets including “The Globe & Mail” and “The Walrus” Magazine) the 2008 US Presidential Campaign/elections. Traveling across the states covering Hillary Clinton, McCain, and ultimately Obama, from beginning to end - from the early primaries across South Carolina, Texas etc, last January through to election night in Grant Park, Chicago and finally ending up on the steps of the Capitol building in Washington DC just recently to cover the historic inauguration.
Salimah Ebrahim, born in East Africa and raised along the West Coast of Canada, has traveled around the world to cover some of the most engaging and important stories of her generation. Based between North America and the Middle East, her work, for major international news outlets – including CBC Television, The Globe and Mail, The Cairo Times and A & E’s Biography Channel – documenting global politics, youth movements, environmental security challenges in Africa, international G8 & G20 summitry in Italy, Canada, France & Russia and most recently the war in Iraq, has afforded Salimah a unique view of international affairs – landing her a seat across from presidents, prime ministers and world leaders since the age of 17. Combining her journalism and diverse background, at 26, Salimah is also an accomplished global humanitarian and environmentalist having for the past decade been working for the protection of Canada’s white Spirit Bear and its remarkable habitat in the Great Bear Rainforest – one of the most ecologically sensitive and diverse areas of our planet. Salimah knew from an early age that she wanted to promote environmental sustainability, and established the Spirit Bear Youth Coalition– what has today become the largest youth led environmental organization in the world. With a membership of over 6 million members in 60 countries, Salimah and the Youth Coalition have enjoyed the support and mentorship from many high profile figures – ranging from Dr. Jane Goodall to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Backstreet Boys As Co-Executive Producer for the groundbreaking The Spirit Bear – the first major Hollywood animated movie with a mission to protect its namesake - Salimah is dedicated to a new approach to environmentalism where global social and economic bottom lines finally allow for the establishment of a new paradigm of social entrepreneurship – one that constructively engages young people and adults alike in tackling global issues. Holding a joint honors degree in Middle Eastern & Islamic History and International Relations from the prestigious Trinity College, Salimah has been awarded and recognized for her work as both journalist and environmentalist – recently having been chosen and profiled by CBC Television as one of 25 Canadians who are changing the world. Most recently, Chatelaine magazine declared her one of its “80 amazing Canadian women to watch.” |
SALIMAH Y. EBRAHIM | JOURNALIST | ENVIRONMENTALIST |
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On the Road Again: Highlights from my Speaking Tour | Making Change Now Posted: 03 Mar 2009 06:12 AM PST Blog post by Bilaal Rajan.
Complete at Making Change Now » On the Road Again: Highlights from my Speaking Tour. |
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AKU Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations’ First Graduation Ceremony in UK Posted: 03 Mar 2009 06:09 AM PST Aga Khan University Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations in the United Kingdom held its first graduation ceremony on 28 February 2009 at the Royal Institute of British Architects, where graduates received their MA in Muslim Cultures. The chief guest was Dr Nouzha Guessous-Idrissi. Dr Nouzha Guessous-Idrissi is the chair of the International Bioethics Committee (IBC) and is a biochemist, former professor and head of parasitology at the Faculty of Medicine and the Casablanca University Hospital . The ceremony was attended by senior officials of AKU, faculty and staff, as well as invited guests from the academic, government and diplomatic communities in London. Graduating Students Abbas Ali |
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Restaurant at Al-Azhar Park | Flickr - Photo Sharing! Posted: 03 Mar 2009 06:06 AM PST
This shot goes back to 2006, in Cairo biggest garden El Azhar Park www.alazharpark.com The park located in the center of cairo over a 80 acres, as a community development project funded by the Agha Khan foundation www.akdn.org/egypt This shot is the interior space of one of the park restaurants, located over a hill facing the Cairo citadel and a complex of minarets forming the spine of Islamic architecture in Egypt. |
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A Park in Cairo Leads to Renewal & Development | City Parks Blog Posted: 03 Mar 2009 06:03 AM PST
The story of Al-Azhar Park in Cairo, Egypt offers an interesting case study into how improving quality of life through parks and green spaces can lead to positive impacts in cultural and community development. Back in the 1980s, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture took to turning a derelict space in the middle of one of the densest and most open space deprived cities in the world into a central public space. via City Parks Blog. |
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Weekly Headlines - March 1, 2009 Posted: 03 Mar 2009 06:00 AM PST IM Exclusive |
Institutional/Community News and updates |
All previously archived sumaries are available here. |
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AKTC Event in Dallas - Saving a Garden in the Midst of War Posted: 04 Mar 2009 01:59 PM PST Presented in Partnership with His Highness Prince Aga Khan Shia Imami
Ismaili Council for Northern Texas Ajmal Maiwandi, Deputy Programme Manager for the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, discusses the restoration of some of Afghanistan’s most important historic sites. http://www.artandseek.org Free and open to public
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1st Annual Interfaith Youth Festival of Calgary Posted: 04 Mar 2009 08:38 AM PST
This will be an interfaith celebration of food, art and faith. We will have an exhibition on the shared value of compassion. Come to be inspired and learn from the next generation. Where: Kahanoff Centre, 200-1202 Centre Street SE, Calgary |
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The Astute Investor - Muizz Kheraj Posted: 04 Mar 2009 08:34 AM PST From http://astuteinvestor.blogspot.com/
via The Astute Investor. |
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Article about the experience of Canadian AKDN interns in Tajikistan Posted: 04 Mar 2009 08:29 AM PST Living in another world Posted By TYLER KULA, THE OBSERVER Two Sarnia-Lambton women have spent the past eight months fighting poverty in central Asia. Aga Khan Fellowship recipients Heidi Carrubba, 26, and Holly Shrumm, 22, are working to improve the living conditions in Tajikistan, a central Asian country north of Afghanistan. Shrumm is working in agricultural development with the Mountain Societies Development Support Programme. “I grew up reading National Geographics and idolizing scientists like Jane Goodall,” said Shrumm, an arts and sciences graduate from the University of Guelph. “I always wanted to work primarily with animals but when I started realizing that you can’t help the animals without helping the people, my attention turned to development.” Development, she said, a holistic approach that teaches people to help themselves. “‘Development is not instant coffee,’ so said one of our trainers in Ottawa before departure,” Shrumm said. Both women finish their internships Saturday and are in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan. complete at Living in another world - The Sarnia Observer - Ontario, CA. |
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The Settler’s Cookbook: A Memoir of Love, Migration and Food - Yasmin Alibhai-Brown Posted: 05 Mar 2009 03:00 PM PST
Book Description About the Author |
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Girls’ Education Support Program Posted: 05 Mar 2009 12:45 PM PST Implemented by Aga Khan Foundation Canada, the Girls’ Education Support Program (GESP) will support the enhancement of girls’ education through activities that aim to increase access to quality learning opportunities and promote secure and supportive learning environments for girls. Key activities under the program will include: * Establishing early childhood development classes with teacher
training packages; GESP will work closely with the Ministry of Education in an effort to build capacity at the provincial and national levels to replicate GESP approaches, to develop common curricula, and to influence education policies and planning. GESP is expected to benefit more than 100,000 girls and 4,600 teachers in close to 350 schools in Bamyan, Baghlan and Badakshan provinces. |
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Canadian Ismaili Muslim Youth Choir Posted: 05 Mar 2009 07:57 AM PST by Irfan Kherani - theIsmaili.org
Complete at
the source. |
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The forgotten Heroes, the pioneer teachers of Diamond Jubilee School in Hunza Posted: 05 Mar 2009 07:48 AM PST By Karim Imamdad Hunzai (Paris France)
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World Kidney Day 2009 at Aga Khan University Karachi Posted: 05 Mar 2009 07:33 AM PST
Aga Khan University Hospital , Karachi invites you to celebrate World Kidney Day 2009 on Thursday, March 12, 2008 . Time and Venue Admission is Free |
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Government of Kyrgyzstan to provide all possible support to Aga Khan Development Network Posted: 05 Mar 2009 07:29 AM PST 4 March 2009 AKIpress First Vice Prime Minister Omurbek Babanov today met with Nurjehan Mawani, Aga Khan Development Network Representative in Kyrgyzstan, reported the press service of the prime minister’s press office. Omurbek Babanov thanked AKDN for its support in resolution of social and economic problems in Kyrgyzstan, as well as improvement of living standards of the population in mountainous parts of the republic. The First Vice Prime Minister underlined that the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic highly values activities of AKDN. “Your organization is distinguished by practical work targeted at resolution of concrete problems in rural areas and as such is respected to a great extent,” Omurbek Babanov went on. Nurjehan Mawani told about activities of the Aga Khan Development Network in the Kyrgyz Republic. Then cooperation in development of telecommunications, education, small aviation. “The Government of Kyrgyzstan is always ready to provide all necessary support to the Aga Khan Development Network in all its endeavors,” the First Vice Prime Minister concluded.AKIpress |
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Pakistan: NOWPDP organises art competition Posted: 05 Mar 2009 07:27 AM PST 5 March 2009 Business Recorder The Network of Organisations Working for People with Disabilities Pakistan (NOWPDP) held recently an art competition, here. Themed ‘Meri Duniya Ke Rang’, the competition was held at the Aga Khan University Football ground, and was the first of three nation-wide art competitions organised by NOWPDP. The competition will be held in Lahore and Islamabad at later dates. Prior to this, NOWPDP celebrated the International Day for Persons with Disabilities (December 3rd) with a series of capacity development workshops, followed by an open forum session for its member organisations. The activities culminated in a seminar on ‘Access and Employment,’ attended by civil society, corporate executives and the media. Welcoming participants and guests to the event, Amin Hashwani, President NOWPDP explained that the purpose of the Art Competition was to address the marginalization of children with disabilities. “The idea is to involve children with disabilities in a social activity while providing them with an opportunity to exhibit their innate creative talents on a public platform,” he said. The competition helped create awareness of the issue and provided networking opportunity to schools and organisations working for people with disabilities.
Organisations and schools for children with disabilities across Karachi and interior Sindh were invited to participate. Over 120 students competed in the categories of Calligraphy and Painting, using pencils, crayons and water colours. At the end of the competition, art works were displayed in an exhibition attended by families of the participants, government officials and prominent members of civil society. A small concert was also organised where talented blind singer Bilal Patel entertained the participants and guests. Addressing the audience at the prize distribution ceremony, the chief guest, Minister for Irrigation and Power, Murad Ali Shah said that, “People with disabilities are not ‘disabled’; they have special abilities.” He also made a commitment to personally devote his time and support to the cause of people with disabilities and NOWPDP. Reputed Karachi-based artists, Jabbar Gul, Mitra Birdie and Amin Gulgee, judged submissions on concept and medium of expression used. Winners in both categories were awarded art kits and trophies. T-shirts and gifts were also distributed among all participants. NOWPDP intends to feature winning artworks in their 2010 calendar. NOWPDP, an initiative of the Aga Khan Council for Pakistan, works in collaboration with key stakeholders toward the improvement of the quality of life of people with disabilities in Pakistan, by facilitating socio-economic change and promoting complete inclusion and fulfilment of their rights.-PR |
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World Partnership Walk turns 25! Posted: 06 Mar 2009 01:56 PM PST
Aga Khan Foundation Canada and its National Network of Volunteers Confident in the Continued Generosity of Canadians OTTAWA, March 6 /CNW Telbec/ - Today, Aga Khan Foundation Canada (AKFC) and its national team of volunteers launched the 2009 World Partnership Walk campaign to raise funds to address the root causes of poverty in some of the world’s most isolated and impoverished regions. The campaign culminates in the annual World Partnership Walk - the largest event of its kind in Canada - held in nine cities over three weekends beginning on Sunday, May 31st. In light of the tough economic situation, the Foundation is urging its supporters to invite Canadians from all walks of life to join in a vital partnership with communities in the developing world. “Canadians have a tradition of caring about the world beyond our borders that has found expression in the World Partnership Walk,” said Khalil Z. Shariff, Chief Executive Officer of AKFC. “For a quarter century, we have counted on the support of our volunteers and the generosity of Canadians to help AKFC bridge the gaps that deny opportunities to the poor,” he said. This year marks the 25th edition of the popular event which has generated an impressive $45.5 million and attracted tens of thousands of Canadians in support of the cause. The Walk’s success is a tangible sign of the commitment of individual Canadians to the cause of global poverty alleviation. All of the funds raised by participants (100%) go directly to international development programs, including health, education, rural development, as well as support for community-based organizations in Asia and Africa. Not a cent is spent on administration. Support for the Walk also helps AKFC leverage additional contributions from major donors like the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). An initiative of Aga Khan Foundation Canada (AKFC), a registered Canadian charity, the Walk is organized every year by hundreds of dedicated volunteers. The 2009 Walk will take place in Victoria, Vancouver, Edmonton, Toronto, London, Kitchener and Montreal on May 31st, followed by Ottawa on June 7th and Calgary on June 14th. Participants can register online, quickly and easily, at: World Partnership Walk history: Twenty-five years ago a group of Ismaili women from Vancouver came together to walk and support the poorest of the poor. It was a gesture of gratitude for what they had gained in coming to Canada from troubled parts of East Africa. Since then, the World Partnership Walk, fueled by the energy and
dedication of committed volunteers, has engaged tens of thousands of
Canadians in a vital partnership with Aga Khan Foundation Canada -
transforming millions |
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Posted: 06 Mar 2009 07:34 AM PST
Flick to CNN at any point in the day, and you’re bound to come across Velshi, 39, recognizable in his trademark three-piece suit, distinctive glasses and bald pate, dissecting the latest market fiasco and explaining how to interpret the news. But with the increased gravity of the times comes heightened responsibility for the man to whom many turn for advice. “We’ve learned in the last four months here at CNN how seriously people take our reporting, how much they depend on it and how much they act on it,” he says. Because many viewers don’t fully understand the intricacies of the financial system, Velshi says a vital part of his job is converting econobabble into a more digestible form. That’s no small task. |
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Posted: 06 Mar 2009 07:25 AM PST March 28, 3 p.m. Fullerton Hall
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Obstetrics; Studies from Aga Khan University have provided new information about obstetrics Posted: 06 Mar 2009 07:24 AM PST 5 March 2009 Women’s Health Weekly
2009 MAR 5 - (NewsRx.com) — In this recently published study, investigators in Karachi, Pakistan conducted a study “To determine the reasons underlying the refusals to participate and drop outs from a follow up study involving primigravidae. A descriptive study. Aga Khan University and Aga Khan Hospital for Women, Karachi, jointly initiated a nested case-control study on primigravidae for determining the predictability of preeclampsia using various biochemical markers in blood.”
“The protocol-eligible study subjects were counseled along with their accompanying family members to participate in the study. All women recruited in this study were followed up throughout their pregnancy till delivery. One thousand six hundred and sixty-five primigravidae were identified as the potential study subjects. Out of which, 1,307 (78.5%) consented and 358 (21.5%) refused to participate in the study. The most common reason underlying the refusal was inability to get permission from the family members (n=84; 34.4%) followed by fear of prick (n=51; 20.9%). For 114 refusals, either the reason was not mentioned by the counseled women (n=60) or the data was missing (n=54). Out of 1,307 women recruited in the research, only 611 (46.7%) women completed the study according to the prescribed protocol. Among the rest, 102 (7.8%) subsequently withdrew from the research, 503 (38.5%) were dropped out, and 91 (7.0%) were lost to follow up. Refusal to participate and drop out from the research program are two significant factors hindering the smooth flow of a study,” wrote D.K. Rohra and colleagues, Aga Khan University. The researchers concluded: “In Pakistan, the major reason for the refusal by the protocol-eligible pregnant women for participating in a research program is the unwillingness of the family members.” Rohra and colleagues published their study in Acta Obstetricia Et Gynecologica Scandinavica (Reasons of refusal and drop out in a follow up study involving primigravidae in Pakistan. Acta Obstetricia Et Gynecologica Scandinavica, 2009;88(2):178-182). For additional information, contact D.K. Rohra, Aga Khan University, Dept. of Biology & Biomedical Science, Stadium Rd., POB 3500, Karachi 74800, Pakistan. The publisher of the journal Acta Obstetricia Et Gynecologica Scandinavica can be contacted at: Taylor & Francis as, Karl Johans Gate 5, NO-0154 Oslo, Norway. This article was prepared by Women’s Health Weekly editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2009, Women’s Health Weekly via NewsRx.com. |
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