NanoWisdoms

There is a tendency to separate the profit sector from the voluntary. But the potential for close and effective links must be enhanced. The business sector has much to offer, especially in terms of management and technology. The majority of the scarce managerial talent in the Third World lies in private business. How can we apply some of that talent to ...

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The only answer for the Third World, in my view, is for it to become more productive -- and the way to achieve that is by encouraging both local and international investment, especially in rural development. State-owned enterprises can seldom be a total substitute for private sector initiative in building the infrastructure of a nation's economy. A developing country cannot afford ...

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His Highness the Aga Khan met Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, Finance Minister and Planning Minister separately. In the evening the Aga Khan hosted a banquet in honour of President of Bangladesh at Sonargaon Hotel which was attended by the Prime Minister, Ministers, ambassadors, elite of the city and the leaders of the Ismaili community. SOURCESHidayatismaili.net POSSIBLY RELATED READINGS (GENERATED AUTOMATICALLY) ...

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His Highness the Aga Khan, in his speech, held out the assurance that the Aga Khan Network of institutions and programmes in the economic, social and cultural fields will seek to continue to play their role in Bangladesh as elsewhere in South Asia. He observed that only a quarter of a century ago, experts on world development problems predicted that much ...

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God has favoured me with the blessing of Islam. I think that many religions find it difficult to adapt to or to live in an evolving world. Not so with a Muslim who believes in the omnipresence of God. In Islam, there is no dichotomy between the spiritual and the temporal. I have endeavoured all my life to live and work ...

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I think that in the Islamic world today, those who live within it and those who care about it, Muslims or otherwise, must be careful not to seek to live within the terminology of the absolute. Muslims do not believe in the absolute other than in God Himself. I think that this is an important concept to keep in mind. Because, ...

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November 25, 1986: Dinner hosted by King Hassan of Morocco (Rabat, Morocco)November 25, 1986: Award Ceremony for the Le Grand Cordon de l'Order du Trone Cherifien (Grand Cordon of Ouissam-al Arch). His Highness the Aga Khan IV SOURCESismaili.net POSSIBLY RELATED READINGS (GENERATED AUTOMATICALLY) ...

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A culture reaches an optimum level of efficiency, of brilliance, of productivity in the midst of the existence of those who live and make it, when all the activities which it consists of confront each other, inter-penetrate and converge towards the general integration of that society.... Architecture must integrate cultural wealth and creative spirit, I would even venture to say the ...

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There is a very current expression in English which is to behave like an ostrich. So I don't know why the English seem to think that the ostriches, when they have problems, bury their heads in the sand. I have never seen them do that but any how, well, this is apparently what London believes happens. In any event, this is ...

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[W]e must determine for ourselves, in our own special circumstances, how our doctors should be trained, how they should be utilized and motivated once they qualify, how they can be provided a structured career development which extracts the maximum national value from a scarce and precious human resource: that is the crux of the problem as I see it. His Highness ...

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Among the ways the Aga Khan said the leather project was significant, were that it is situated away from the country's main industrial centres, thereby supporting the government's policy of decentralization and relies largely on local raw materials and manpower and will employ some 400 people when in full production. At the same time many more people will benefit indirectly from ...

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One challenge facing you as participants in this conference is to find specific ways to nurture, and to draw lessons from, these private experiments with quality and efficient management. In particular, I think there are four questions that deserve your attention: First, how can the voluntary sector itself find ways to increase its management capabilities? ... Secondly, we need to strive ...

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One of the most difficult questions I ask and, and I've asked it I don't know how many times, is simply "What is the definition of happiness for a peasant in Asia or Africa?" If we can't answer that question we don't know what are the elements that contribute and the priorities of those elements, we certainly will never be able ...

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From the presentations of the delegates during the last four days, it is evident that professors and educators in the architectural field do have a number of very fundamental concerns about the way in which their faculties [of architecture] are functioning ... I hope that the reasons underlying the more general difficulties experienced by universities in the developing world in their ...

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The starting point for the Aga Khan Award for Architecture was a realisation that changing social and economic conditions, coupled with the accelerating pace of technological development, were inflicting upon the world's 800 million Muslims an environment which often did not reflect their culture, their life-styles, their faith and hopes or even the demands of the climates in which they live. ...

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The role of our volunteers in keeping that spirit of service alive, and in materially enabling our institutions to maintain their fabric and improve their facilities is beyond praise. His Highness the Aga Khan was Chief Guest at the 60th anniversary of the Aga Khan Maternity Home (Janbai), Kharadhar, Karachi. He presented a special award for the longest service at leadership ...

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I think in terms of, let us say, the philosophical environment in which an individual lives, there is no doubt that the faith of Islam places the individual in society in the world in which he lives, in a position where he is not in conflict with his time and he is not in conflict with science and technology of his ...

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The relationship between the intellect of man and faith has always been of fundamental importance to Muslims. How can a modern university respect and re-enforce that relationship? The Divine Intellect Akl-i-kul', both transcends and informs the human intellect. It is this intellect which enables man to strive towards two aims dedicated by the faith: that he should reflect upon the environment ...

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The Ismaili community has sought to create a building here which is both Islamic in its architectural inspiration and of a quality to enhance the overall distinction of Burnaby. The Jamatkhana is designed to be a social and cultural centre, as well as a place of congregation. It expresses the Ismailis' desire to give of their best to the cultural and ...

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In a number of Islamic languages, the word 'Zamana' means both the 'age' or the 'epoch.' It thus reflects the reasons for my founding this Gallery -- to try to improve understanding in the West for the art and culture of the Third world and to do this, not simply in terms of historical achievements, but in the present day context ...

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[O]ne of the questions to which I don't have an answer, but I would like to find one, is, what is happiness -- for rural population in the developing world? And unless the definition of happiness, the definition of a sense of purpose is clear to planners in the developing world, they are never going to be able to address the ...

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If we could turn to the wider Muslim world, it's a world with a lot of conflict in it now. What's your feeling about what is going on in the Middle East between Muslims in Iraq, Iran, in the Lebanon, in Afghanistan? I think what has happened is that, perhaps more than ever before in the history of the Islamic world, ...

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I am often struck by the imbalance of comprehension between the Christian and Islamic cultures. Of course, in government and well-informed specialised institutions -- universities for example -- the perception is accurate. But the general public in the West is too often shown the Ummah -- the worldwide community of 800 million Muslims -- as a monolithic block of believers whose ...

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His Highness the Aga Khan said that these two institutions today constitute the single largest resource base for Islamic Architecture in the world. Referring to the next phase of the expanded programme, the Aga Khan said: "In addition to the newly established Masters Degree Program in Design for Islamic Cultures, the programme will also encompass an outreach dimension directed at selected ...

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The key objective for the remaining decade of the twentieth century in the developing countries, should be the creation of an environment in which every resourceful, hardworking person or entity will be able to function in a context that encourages and rewards initiative. Speaking to an audience of 200 business leaders in Zurich, His Highness the Aga Khan called on industrialised ...

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[In India] the track record of an urban housing finance institution has been so good that the creation of a specialised agency for the financing of rural housing is being envisaged. We all know the problems which Indian agriculture has had to face. If it is realistic to envisage institutional private sector financing for rural housing there, then three conclusions are ...

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[T]he poor can display considerable ingenuity in improving their own environment and in utilising locally available materials. I was delighted when Hassan Fathy's work of a lifetime in this direction, reflecting his profound understanding of the virtues and possibilities of vernacular architecture, was recognised by the Chairman's Award in 1980. People are the Islamic world's greatest single resource. If we are ...

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In the Third World ... the great majority of the people are rural, and about eighty per cent of the population construct their own housing. The self-built house is a permanent phenomenon and is certain to continue so, because the cost of employing contractors and architects is totally beyond the means of the ordinary people. At the same time, the vernacular ...

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How far is it justifiable to draw on a developing nations' limited resources for the expensive research and educational effort involved in restoring a building tradition? However, the central question is cultural. We have to maintain our cultural heritage and one of the continuing aims of the Award must be to help discover acceptable mechanisms for eliciting valid responses to problems ...

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The Islamic world, as we all know, is being compelled to face two challenges at the same time. That of dealing with the Islamic countries' own indigenous problems, and that of adapting to twentieth century Western technology to those countries' development needs. How we meet these challenges will condition our ability to make progress both within our own context and in ...

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Generally speaking, there is a very deep communication gap between decision makers and populations, rural or urban. The reports from the workshops were also unanimous in stating that unless the people were genuinely and continuously involved in the restoration of these beautiful parts of Yemeni cities, there would be very little chance of restoration being successful. In my mind this is ...

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Above all we need to learn from experience, discovering how both ancient and modern forms have evolved so that we can succeed in our task of creating an environment for the Islamic world which is both appropriate to its traditions and relevant to its future. The architectural environment of man is both a master and a servant. Because it is financially ...

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You have heard that the Medical Centre has a maternity wing and a child care centre, with a doctor and excellent staff. Children need to be cared for from the time they are conceived until they reach maturity and I strongly advise expectant mothers to come here regularly.... We are also helping pregnant women and young children by distributing three kinds ...

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The Aga Khan Foundation and the Aga Khan Education and Housing Services have extensive plans for the future in this region, which they are coordinating fully with the government. Of the tens of millions of rupees which the Aga Khan Services devote to Pakistan, no less than 80% is being spent in the Northern Areas. No one would wish to deny ...

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The Aga Khan Academy here at Karimabad will be our first high school and hostel for girls in the Northern Areas and a landmark in our progress in Pakistan.... Obviously the girls with the best potential will not only come from this district. They may come from anywhere in the Northern Areas and I hope that the Academy will be open ...

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Unless a continuous, problem-oriented discussion about the practical issues of development of the Third World continues and unless good, effective solutions are found, the majority of the world in the next 10 to 25 years is going to be increasingly instable and demanding. Interviewer: Michael McDowell 28 April 1983: The Aga Khan's Mission His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV, who ...

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No matter how intellectually compelling we find such international objectives as "Health for all by the year 2000" or the International year of Shelter scheduled for 1987, or the concept of universal primary education, these worthy objectives will not be achieved -- not even be approached -- if the world's rural populations do not participate in them. Equally, the objectives will ...

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April 26, 1983: Agreement signed with McMaster University and C.I.D.A.April ??, 1983: Other functions and events His Highness the Aga Khan attended in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, Toronto and other cities, where speeches may have been made, during the Silver Jubilee visit are unknown. SOURCESismaili.net POSSIBLY RELATED READINGS (GENERATED AUTOMATICALLY) ...

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I have not had previous occasion to publicly express my gratitude to Canada and Quebec for having welcomed Ismailis at a particularly difficult time in the history of the Third World when they had to be moved and had to leave Uganda during a period of serious crisis. This hospitality, in my opinion, has gone beyond the understanding of the Western, ...

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I do want to take this occasion, to say here this evening -- because it's the first occasion I have had to say this publicly -- how deeply grateful I am to the government, the people of Canada, for the most generous, kind, and warm welcome that they have received my wife, my brother and me on the occasion of my ...

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