Pakistan gets ready to welcome Rays of Light
The Rays of Light exhibition is set to open in Pakistan shortly, with the Jamat eager to view the acclaimed audio-visual depiction of the work of the Imamat over the last 60 years. This interactive exhibition features over 250 rare photographs along with engaging videos and multimedia clips, all of which provide extensive insights about the Ismaili community’s history and the work of the Aga Khan Development Network, which has always been particularly active in Pakistan. The exhibition highlights the tireless commitment of Mawlana Hazar Imam to encourage development through institutional action that embodies the social conscience of Islam.
“The exhibition is an opportunity for the Jamat and for the wider community within which it lives in Pakistan to learn about the work of the Imamat; the Islamic ethics, the principles and foundations upon which the Imamat and its institutions work. This exhibition demonstrates the work that the Imamat and the Ismaili community does both in Pakistan and around the world,” said Hafiz Sherali, President, Ismaili Council for Pakistan.
As one of the objectives of Rays of Light is to showcase the impact the Ismaili community has had within local communities, the launch of the exhibition will be hosted at the Aga Khan University (AKU), a befitting location given that AKU was a project that was announced as part of Mawlana Hazar Imam's Silver Jubilee. In the 35 years since, it has transformed the landscape of healthcare and medical education in Pakistan and beyond.
The work of the Imamat in Pakistan has encompassed healthcare, education, heritage preservation, rural development and more. Diverse initiatives such as the restoration of the Altit and Baltit forts, the Water and Sanitation Project and Aga Khan Schools have had lasting impact, improving the quality of life for communities across Pakistan.
The exhibition will begin in Karachi and then tour other parts of the country, allowing the Jamat and communities in different regions to experience this unique audio-visual journey.
Photos at:
https://the.ismaili/pakistan/pakistan-g ... rce=Direct
PAKISTAN INSTITUTIONAL ACTIVITIES
Video: Rays of Light - An overwhelming experience for the Jamat
A unique international exhibition "Rays of Light" was successfully launched in Pakistan on 23 November 2018. The exhibition is a collection of exclusive images and presentations that gave Jamat a spell bound experience of the work done by Mawlana Hazar Imam for the Jamat and the Ummah over the years.
As wished by Mawlana Hazar Imam, the Jamat from Southern region visited the exhibition with their families. Around 59,000 Jamati members registered for the exhibition in less than a month. Out of which, 6,800 Jamati members have experienced this inspirational exhibition that celebrates the Imamat of Mawlana Hazar Imam and his untiring efforts.
More than 2000 volunteers continue to serve day and night at the exhibition. The International team of Rays of Light visited Pakistan and trained the volunteers about the exhibition. “I can proudly say that our volunteers not only adopted the skills but also performed beyond our expectations”, Saleem Zaveri, National Lead, Rays of Light, Pakistan.
Mawlana Hazar Imam, accompanied by the Noorani family, first inaugurated this groundbreaking photographic and multimedia exhibition in 2008. In July 2018, it was an integral part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations in Lisbon.
The exhibition will tour other parts of the country, allowing the Jamat and communities in different regions to experience this unique audio-visual journey.
https://the.ismaili/pakistan/rays-light ... rce=Direct
A unique international exhibition "Rays of Light" was successfully launched in Pakistan on 23 November 2018. The exhibition is a collection of exclusive images and presentations that gave Jamat a spell bound experience of the work done by Mawlana Hazar Imam for the Jamat and the Ummah over the years.
As wished by Mawlana Hazar Imam, the Jamat from Southern region visited the exhibition with their families. Around 59,000 Jamati members registered for the exhibition in less than a month. Out of which, 6,800 Jamati members have experienced this inspirational exhibition that celebrates the Imamat of Mawlana Hazar Imam and his untiring efforts.
More than 2000 volunteers continue to serve day and night at the exhibition. The International team of Rays of Light visited Pakistan and trained the volunteers about the exhibition. “I can proudly say that our volunteers not only adopted the skills but also performed beyond our expectations”, Saleem Zaveri, National Lead, Rays of Light, Pakistan.
Mawlana Hazar Imam, accompanied by the Noorani family, first inaugurated this groundbreaking photographic and multimedia exhibition in 2008. In July 2018, it was an integral part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations in Lisbon.
The exhibition will tour other parts of the country, allowing the Jamat and communities in different regions to experience this unique audio-visual journey.
https://the.ismaili/pakistan/rays-light ... rce=Direct
Sufi night at Fort celebrates works of Bulleh Shah
–WCLA director general says authority trying its best to revive lost culture, promote country’s positive image in world
LAHORE: The Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) on Friday held Sufi night “Bulleh Shah” at the newly-restored Royal Kitchen of the Lahore Fort to pay tribute to the Sufi Punjabi Poet Bulleh Shah, which was attended by hundreds of people from different walks of life.
The Royal Kitchen, built during the reign of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, was converted into a food godown and stable during the Sikh rule and later into a jail during the British colonial era. It remained a prison after Partition, but in 1988, the cells were removed and the building was abandoned.
With the passage of time, most parts of the historic structure collapsed and the remaining were covered in waist-high shrubs. In 2015, WCLA took up its conservation and was assisted by Aga Khan Trust for Culture Services Pakistan as a technical partner.
After successful restoration, WCLA revived the culture of storytelling at the site and another lost art of folklore and folktales was revived at the Royal Kitchen on Friday.
The participants of the Sufi night were given a guided tour of the illuminated Huzoori Bagh along with a rickshaw ride whereas Sayein Zahoor, Fazal Jutt, Wahab Shah and Ajoka Theatre performed at the historic site.
More...
https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2018/1 ... lleh-shah/
–WCLA director general says authority trying its best to revive lost culture, promote country’s positive image in world
LAHORE: The Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) on Friday held Sufi night “Bulleh Shah” at the newly-restored Royal Kitchen of the Lahore Fort to pay tribute to the Sufi Punjabi Poet Bulleh Shah, which was attended by hundreds of people from different walks of life.
The Royal Kitchen, built during the reign of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, was converted into a food godown and stable during the Sikh rule and later into a jail during the British colonial era. It remained a prison after Partition, but in 1988, the cells were removed and the building was abandoned.
With the passage of time, most parts of the historic structure collapsed and the remaining were covered in waist-high shrubs. In 2015, WCLA took up its conservation and was assisted by Aga Khan Trust for Culture Services Pakistan as a technical partner.
After successful restoration, WCLA revived the culture of storytelling at the site and another lost art of folklore and folktales was revived at the Royal Kitchen on Friday.
The participants of the Sufi night were given a guided tour of the illuminated Huzoori Bagh along with a rickshaw ride whereas Sayein Zahoor, Fazal Jutt, Wahab Shah and Ajoka Theatre performed at the historic site.
More...
https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2018/1 ... lleh-shah/
Aga Khan Youth and Sports Board Organises 6th Camporee that Brings Together Scouts and Girl Guides from All Over Pakistan
Unity in Diversity – Let’s Embrace Our Differences’ was the theme of the sixth boy scouts and girl guides camporee organised by the Aga Khan Youth and Sports Board, Pakistan. The camp was held at Pakistan Boys Scouts Association headquarters, Sumbal Park, Islamabad. An astounding 255 boy scouts and 286 girl guides from all over the country attended the camp.
The camp was arranged in partnership with the Emergency Department of Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH), the Ismaili Tariqah and Religious Education Board (ITREB), the Aga Khan Health Board (AKHB), the Aga Khan Education Board (AKEB), the Pakistan Boy Scouts Association, and Accelerate Prosperity - a new Aga Khan Development Network initiative to promote entrepreneurship in rural and semi-rural areas.
“If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you. The camporee was the most memorable and unique experience of my life,” said Silmi Sultaan, a senior guide from the Southern Region.
The four-day camp, comprising different activities and events, provided a holistic experience to its participants. Some examples of these activities included first aid training, gadget making workshops, a talent show, adventure trails, clay work by National College of Arts alums, photography workshop, and a simulation activity on the Sustainable Development Goals. A campfire night was also held with theater and cultural performances.
The participants also went on a cultural excursion trip in Islamabad. They hiked at the Rawal Lake, visited the Shah Faisal Mosque, the Pakistan Monument, and played a scavenger hunt at the Lok Virsa.
The camporee also marked 71 years of the investiture ceremony of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammed Ali Jinnah as the first chief scout of Pakistan, as well as the centenary celebration of Rovers. The event was celebrated with a cake-cutting ceremony, speeches, and a cleanliness drive by the Boy Scouts Association of Pakistan.
Several Jamati institutions held an information session for the young participants. The Aga Khan Education Service, Pakistan conducted a career session and the Aga Khan Health Board Pakistan provided tips on stress management. The Emergency Department of AKAH organised a session on disaster preparedness. Rizwan Kareem from ITREBP gave a session on ethics and faith. Accelerate Prosperity presented a session on the topic, ‘What is the Business Model of Your Life?’
The participants garnered a lot of inspiration from the camporee events. Moiz Majeed, a boy scout from Multan, enthused, “Attending the camporee was like a dream come true for me. It was a lot of fun spending time with a completely diverse group and learning about the different forms of survival tips. I also enjoyed learning about clay art, first aid, and gadgets made up of solar energy. I have learned a lot from this camp which will stay fresh in my mind.”
A first-time camporee participant, Ahsun Ranais from the Ishkomen Puniyal region, said, “I arrived at the camp not quite knowing what to expect and it was definitely a new experience for me. I learned a lot from the different sessions. I developed a meaningful relationship with the camp staff and my fellow campers.”
The camporee manifested the unity of the Ismaili Jamat under the banner of community service, which is a salient trait of the community. It is a commendable effort on AKYSB’s part to inculcate the celebration and continuation of service amongst young Jamati members through well-organized events like the camporee.
https://the.ismaili/pakistan/aga-khan-y ... h-camporee
Unity in Diversity – Let’s Embrace Our Differences’ was the theme of the sixth boy scouts and girl guides camporee organised by the Aga Khan Youth and Sports Board, Pakistan. The camp was held at Pakistan Boys Scouts Association headquarters, Sumbal Park, Islamabad. An astounding 255 boy scouts and 286 girl guides from all over the country attended the camp.
The camp was arranged in partnership with the Emergency Department of Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH), the Ismaili Tariqah and Religious Education Board (ITREB), the Aga Khan Health Board (AKHB), the Aga Khan Education Board (AKEB), the Pakistan Boy Scouts Association, and Accelerate Prosperity - a new Aga Khan Development Network initiative to promote entrepreneurship in rural and semi-rural areas.
“If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you. The camporee was the most memorable and unique experience of my life,” said Silmi Sultaan, a senior guide from the Southern Region.
The four-day camp, comprising different activities and events, provided a holistic experience to its participants. Some examples of these activities included first aid training, gadget making workshops, a talent show, adventure trails, clay work by National College of Arts alums, photography workshop, and a simulation activity on the Sustainable Development Goals. A campfire night was also held with theater and cultural performances.
The participants also went on a cultural excursion trip in Islamabad. They hiked at the Rawal Lake, visited the Shah Faisal Mosque, the Pakistan Monument, and played a scavenger hunt at the Lok Virsa.
The camporee also marked 71 years of the investiture ceremony of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammed Ali Jinnah as the first chief scout of Pakistan, as well as the centenary celebration of Rovers. The event was celebrated with a cake-cutting ceremony, speeches, and a cleanliness drive by the Boy Scouts Association of Pakistan.
Several Jamati institutions held an information session for the young participants. The Aga Khan Education Service, Pakistan conducted a career session and the Aga Khan Health Board Pakistan provided tips on stress management. The Emergency Department of AKAH organised a session on disaster preparedness. Rizwan Kareem from ITREBP gave a session on ethics and faith. Accelerate Prosperity presented a session on the topic, ‘What is the Business Model of Your Life?’
The participants garnered a lot of inspiration from the camporee events. Moiz Majeed, a boy scout from Multan, enthused, “Attending the camporee was like a dream come true for me. It was a lot of fun spending time with a completely diverse group and learning about the different forms of survival tips. I also enjoyed learning about clay art, first aid, and gadgets made up of solar energy. I have learned a lot from this camp which will stay fresh in my mind.”
A first-time camporee participant, Ahsun Ranais from the Ishkomen Puniyal region, said, “I arrived at the camp not quite knowing what to expect and it was definitely a new experience for me. I learned a lot from the different sessions. I developed a meaningful relationship with the camp staff and my fellow campers.”
The camporee manifested the unity of the Ismaili Jamat under the banner of community service, which is a salient trait of the community. It is a commendable effort on AKYSB’s part to inculcate the celebration and continuation of service amongst young Jamati members through well-organized events like the camporee.
https://the.ismaili/pakistan/aga-khan-y ... h-camporee
AGA KHAN CULTURAL SERVICE PAKISTAN: RESTORING HERITAGE
When asked to write a piece on my work at Aga Khan Cultural Service Pakistan (AKCSP), and their conservation work at the Lahore Fort, I was riddled with anxiety. What was there to say that hadn’t already been said before? And that too by individuals whose credentials far outweighed mine. As an intern at Aga Khan Cultural Service Pakistan, my doubts about my own insights had me perturbed. What contribution would my observations constitute in the grander scheme of things?
It didn’t help that during the process of recording a history of interventions at the Fort, I was reminded by my dad of an ancestor of ours whose legendary plundering of the Fort had been immortalized on one of the boards at the entrance gate. For the purpose of maintaining some limited sense of credibility, I won’t name them.
But I digress. For readers who aren’t aware of their work, Aga Khan Cultural Service Pakistan has been at the head of most major conservation efforts within Pakistan. Their work ranges from restoration of the Baltit and Khaplu Forts in Gilgit-Baltistan to renovation of the Shahi Hamam and Wazir Khan Mosque in Lahore. The essence of this conservation is a regeneration of historic sites in ways that spur social, economic and cultural development. It aims to sustainably conserve them through involving the local community. This entails not just a preservation of the monuments but also the crafts and craftways of a historic city. Currently, the Aga Khan Cultural Service Pakistan team is situated at the Lahore Fort, where they plan to conserve various monuments, piece by piece.
More....
https://www.charcoalgravel.com/aga-khan ... servation/
When asked to write a piece on my work at Aga Khan Cultural Service Pakistan (AKCSP), and their conservation work at the Lahore Fort, I was riddled with anxiety. What was there to say that hadn’t already been said before? And that too by individuals whose credentials far outweighed mine. As an intern at Aga Khan Cultural Service Pakistan, my doubts about my own insights had me perturbed. What contribution would my observations constitute in the grander scheme of things?
It didn’t help that during the process of recording a history of interventions at the Fort, I was reminded by my dad of an ancestor of ours whose legendary plundering of the Fort had been immortalized on one of the boards at the entrance gate. For the purpose of maintaining some limited sense of credibility, I won’t name them.
But I digress. For readers who aren’t aware of their work, Aga Khan Cultural Service Pakistan has been at the head of most major conservation efforts within Pakistan. Their work ranges from restoration of the Baltit and Khaplu Forts in Gilgit-Baltistan to renovation of the Shahi Hamam and Wazir Khan Mosque in Lahore. The essence of this conservation is a regeneration of historic sites in ways that spur social, economic and cultural development. It aims to sustainably conserve them through involving the local community. This entails not just a preservation of the monuments but also the crafts and craftways of a historic city. Currently, the Aga Khan Cultural Service Pakistan team is situated at the Lahore Fort, where they plan to conserve various monuments, piece by piece.
More....
https://www.charcoalgravel.com/aga-khan ... servation/
Farida Imitiaz : Building self-reliance through microfinance
Before 2005, Farida Imitiaz and her husband were struggling to make ends meet for their family, due to extensive medical bills. That year, Farida took out what became the first in a series of loans from the First MicroFinance Bank (FMFB) Ltd Pakistan. Over time, these loans have enabled her to build a beekeeping and honey production business that has significantly increased her household income, and allowed her and her husband to renovate their house and put their children through higher secondary school and college. She is one of 150 women entrepreneurs in her village who have started successful businesses with the help of FMFB loans, and have as a result become more self-reliant.
Video at:
https://www.akdn.org/our-stories/farida ... crofinance
Before 2005, Farida Imitiaz and her husband were struggling to make ends meet for their family, due to extensive medical bills. That year, Farida took out what became the first in a series of loans from the First MicroFinance Bank (FMFB) Ltd Pakistan. Over time, these loans have enabled her to build a beekeeping and honey production business that has significantly increased her household income, and allowed her and her husband to renovate their house and put their children through higher secondary school and college. She is one of 150 women entrepreneurs in her village who have started successful businesses with the help of FMFB loans, and have as a result become more self-reliant.
Video at:
https://www.akdn.org/our-stories/farida ... crofinance
English Language Enhancement Programme in Pakistan
The English Language Enhancement Programme (ELEP) is an 8-level English Language Diploma Programme that is adopted from Pakistan American Cultural Centre (PACC) to provide English Language teaching to the Jamat.
The Educators certified by PACC are utilized to offer English Language Courses in the Jamat across Pakistan. The programme is delivered through a Foundation course (first three levels) and a Diploma Programme (last five levels). The individuals are allotted respective levels based on their placement test results. The aims at enabling the students, professionals and other members of the Jamat gain access to potential opportunities for their personal, academic and professional growth.
This video is dedicated to the hundreds of volunteers working tirelessly for the programme and also to the Jamat for making ELEP successful.
Video at:
https://the.ismaili/pakistan/english-la ... rce=Direct
The English Language Enhancement Programme (ELEP) is an 8-level English Language Diploma Programme that is adopted from Pakistan American Cultural Centre (PACC) to provide English Language teaching to the Jamat.
The Educators certified by PACC are utilized to offer English Language Courses in the Jamat across Pakistan. The programme is delivered through a Foundation course (first three levels) and a Diploma Programme (last five levels). The individuals are allotted respective levels based on their placement test results. The aims at enabling the students, professionals and other members of the Jamat gain access to potential opportunities for their personal, academic and professional growth.
This video is dedicated to the hundreds of volunteers working tirelessly for the programme and also to the Jamat for making ELEP successful.
Video at:
https://the.ismaili/pakistan/english-la ... rce=Direct
Anila Anjum: From water fetching to higher education
Anila Anjum is a student studying Health Policies and Management Systems at the Aga Khan University in Karachi. Anila grew up in the rugged mountains of Gilgit-Baltistan, where she saw many women like her mother, starting from a young age, spending more than half their lives “walking miles on end” – trekking back and forth through dangerous paths and harsh weather conditions – to fetch clean water for their homes and families. This chore left them no time to complete a proper education.
The AKDN Water and Sanitation Extension Programme (WASEP) provides clean drinking water to 500,000 people and has given safer sanitation to 600 villages in Pakistan. In Gilgit-Baltistan, where the AKDN has been working with communities to help improve their quality of life for over 30 years, the percentage of the population with access to safe water has risen from 5% in 1986 to 72% in 2014.
Today, Anila is able to fulfil her mother’s dream of getting an education: “Without WASEP, I probably would have also been fetching water today.” She tells her story in this video “Water for Life…”
Video at:
https://www.akdn.org/our-stories/anila- ... -education
Anila Anjum is a student studying Health Policies and Management Systems at the Aga Khan University in Karachi. Anila grew up in the rugged mountains of Gilgit-Baltistan, where she saw many women like her mother, starting from a young age, spending more than half their lives “walking miles on end” – trekking back and forth through dangerous paths and harsh weather conditions – to fetch clean water for their homes and families. This chore left them no time to complete a proper education.
The AKDN Water and Sanitation Extension Programme (WASEP) provides clean drinking water to 500,000 people and has given safer sanitation to 600 villages in Pakistan. In Gilgit-Baltistan, where the AKDN has been working with communities to help improve their quality of life for over 30 years, the percentage of the population with access to safe water has risen from 5% in 1986 to 72% in 2014.
Today, Anila is able to fulfil her mother’s dream of getting an education: “Without WASEP, I probably would have also been fetching water today.” She tells her story in this video “Water for Life…”
Video at:
https://www.akdn.org/our-stories/anila- ... -education
Rays of Light, a global exhibition comes to Islamabad
Pakistan’s Federal Minister for National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination, the Honorable Makhdum Aamir Mehmood Kiani, was the chief guest at the inaugural viewing and dinner on 2 April. In his address, the Minister lauded the longstanding partnership between the Government of Pakistan and the Aga Khan Development Network.
Foreign diplomats, business leaders and members of civil society were among the distinguished guests who attended the event.
In his remarks, Iqbal Walji, Chairman, Aga Khan Foundation, Pakistan, spoke about the positive impact of the AKDN’s strong partnership with the government of Pakistan, which shows “important complementarity between the long-term vision of the government of Pakistan and of His Highness. Both acknowledge that meaningful change takes time, patience, and investment.”
Over the past six decades, Mawlana Hazar Imam has transformed the quality of life for millions of people around the world. In the areas of health, education, cultural revitalisation, and economic empowerment, he has worked to inspire excellence and improve living conditions and opportunities in some of the world’s most remote and troubled regions.
Hafiz Sherali, President, Ismaili Council for Pakistan, speaking at the event, highlighted, “Mawlana Hazar Imam’s emphasis on Islam as a thinking, spiritual faith that teaches compassion and tolerance and upholds the dignity of mankind. Rejecting the notion of an inevitable conflict between peoples, Hazar Imam has called this a ‘clash of ignorance’ rather than one of civilisations."
The exhibition, which has been viewed to-date by over 100,000 people around the world, features over 250 powerful visuals in an immersive, multi-media interactive format using technology such as virtual reality and other forms.
Photos at:
https://the.ismaili/pakistan/rays-light ... rce=Direct
Pakistan’s Federal Minister for National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination, the Honorable Makhdum Aamir Mehmood Kiani, was the chief guest at the inaugural viewing and dinner on 2 April. In his address, the Minister lauded the longstanding partnership between the Government of Pakistan and the Aga Khan Development Network.
Foreign diplomats, business leaders and members of civil society were among the distinguished guests who attended the event.
In his remarks, Iqbal Walji, Chairman, Aga Khan Foundation, Pakistan, spoke about the positive impact of the AKDN’s strong partnership with the government of Pakistan, which shows “important complementarity between the long-term vision of the government of Pakistan and of His Highness. Both acknowledge that meaningful change takes time, patience, and investment.”
Over the past six decades, Mawlana Hazar Imam has transformed the quality of life for millions of people around the world. In the areas of health, education, cultural revitalisation, and economic empowerment, he has worked to inspire excellence and improve living conditions and opportunities in some of the world’s most remote and troubled regions.
Hafiz Sherali, President, Ismaili Council for Pakistan, speaking at the event, highlighted, “Mawlana Hazar Imam’s emphasis on Islam as a thinking, spiritual faith that teaches compassion and tolerance and upholds the dignity of mankind. Rejecting the notion of an inevitable conflict between peoples, Hazar Imam has called this a ‘clash of ignorance’ rather than one of civilisations."
The exhibition, which has been viewed to-date by over 100,000 people around the world, features over 250 powerful visuals in an immersive, multi-media interactive format using technology such as virtual reality and other forms.
Photos at:
https://the.ismaili/pakistan/rays-light ... rce=Direct
Awaken the Entrepreneur in You
The Aga Khan Economic Planning Board for Pakistan, in collaboration with Accelerate Prosperity Pakistan (APP), an initiative of the Aga Khan Development Network, held an entrepreneurship development seminar for the Southern, Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral regions at the Karachi School of Business and Leadership (KSBL) auditorium.
145 aspiring entrepreneurs took part in the event. The goals of the programme were to spread awareness amongst the youth of the Jamat regarding entrepreneurship, funding opportunities by APP, and emerging business opportunities in Pakistan.
Beginning with a welcome note, the event was taken forward with a series of sessions led by experienced individuals in the field. The first session on emerging business opportunities in Pakistan was led by Mr. Mohammad Ejaz, CEO - Arif Habib REIT Management Trust, who shed light on current and upcoming trends of investment in the country and the increasing importance of entrepreneurship in current times. Following his session, Dr. Shoaib ul Haq, Professor of Digital Economy at KSBL, gave a discourse on the basics of entrepreneurship, the changing trends of technology-based entrepreneurship and creative ways of handling business. The last session was led by Mr. Imran Shams, Country Manager of APP, who explained the workings and benefits of opting for funding and support from Accelerate Prosperity Pakistan. The event was brought to a close with a thank you note to all the speakers and participants.
Throughout the event, the focus remained on the increasing importance of entrepreneurship in Pakistan and emerging trends in the field. There was a particular emphasis on how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can contribute in improving the economic condition of the country and how they can be assisted by APP’s programs.
One of the participants mentioned, “These kinds of initiatives are necessary for our Jamat to prosper, especially the youth.”
In the words of Mr. Qizil Madad, Chairman PHGSWO, “The programme was a success and I commend the response of the Jamat in such a short time.” Mr. Imran Shams, Country Head of APP, thanked the Aga Khan Economic Planning Board saying, “We thank the AKEPB and other partners for their support in hosting such programmes in Karachi. This shows the outreach and strength of our institutions.”
Photos and more...
https://the.ismaili/pakistan/awaken-entrepreneur-you
The Aga Khan Economic Planning Board for Pakistan, in collaboration with Accelerate Prosperity Pakistan (APP), an initiative of the Aga Khan Development Network, held an entrepreneurship development seminar for the Southern, Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral regions at the Karachi School of Business and Leadership (KSBL) auditorium.
145 aspiring entrepreneurs took part in the event. The goals of the programme were to spread awareness amongst the youth of the Jamat regarding entrepreneurship, funding opportunities by APP, and emerging business opportunities in Pakistan.
Beginning with a welcome note, the event was taken forward with a series of sessions led by experienced individuals in the field. The first session on emerging business opportunities in Pakistan was led by Mr. Mohammad Ejaz, CEO - Arif Habib REIT Management Trust, who shed light on current and upcoming trends of investment in the country and the increasing importance of entrepreneurship in current times. Following his session, Dr. Shoaib ul Haq, Professor of Digital Economy at KSBL, gave a discourse on the basics of entrepreneurship, the changing trends of technology-based entrepreneurship and creative ways of handling business. The last session was led by Mr. Imran Shams, Country Manager of APP, who explained the workings and benefits of opting for funding and support from Accelerate Prosperity Pakistan. The event was brought to a close with a thank you note to all the speakers and participants.
Throughout the event, the focus remained on the increasing importance of entrepreneurship in Pakistan and emerging trends in the field. There was a particular emphasis on how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can contribute in improving the economic condition of the country and how they can be assisted by APP’s programs.
One of the participants mentioned, “These kinds of initiatives are necessary for our Jamat to prosper, especially the youth.”
In the words of Mr. Qizil Madad, Chairman PHGSWO, “The programme was a success and I commend the response of the Jamat in such a short time.” Mr. Imran Shams, Country Head of APP, thanked the Aga Khan Economic Planning Board saying, “We thank the AKEPB and other partners for their support in hosting such programmes in Karachi. This shows the outreach and strength of our institutions.”
Photos and more...
https://the.ismaili/pakistan/awaken-entrepreneur-you
Prime Minister, Imran Khan inaugurates the 400 year old historic “Picture Wall” of Lahore Fort
Lahore, Pakistan, 4 May 2019 - Imran Khan, Prime Minister, Islamic Republic of Pakistan inaugurated the restoration of the 400-year-old “Picture Wall” of Lahore Fort. The Picture Wall is one of the principal features of the Lahore Fort UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The conservation of the 240-foot-long western façade has been carried out by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), and its country affiliate, the Aga Khan Cultural Service-Pakistan (AKCS-P), in collaboration with the Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA).
Speaking on the occasion, Imran Khan, Prime Minister, Islamic Republic of Pakistan emphasised the need for educational institutions to develop archaeology as a subject and the importance of preserving heritage sites in Pakistan. Citing sustainable conservation models from other countries where heritage sites are made economically viable by converting to hotels, the Prime Minister applauded how this model has been successfully implemented by the Aga Khan Development network in the Northern areas of Pakistan.
Together with the Shah Burj Gate (Hathi Pol), the Picture Wall forms the original private entrance to the Fort. The wall is exquisitely decorated with imagery of hunting, battle scenes, angels and demons, human figures, animals, birds, as well as geometric and floral patterns. Built approximately 400 years ago during the Mughal era, it is one of the largest murals in the world. It is embellished in cut glazed tile mosaic work, filigree work, fresco, painted lime plaster and cut brickwork.
Photos and more....
https://www.akdn.org/press-release/prim ... ahore-fort
Lahore, Pakistan, 4 May 2019 - Imran Khan, Prime Minister, Islamic Republic of Pakistan inaugurated the restoration of the 400-year-old “Picture Wall” of Lahore Fort. The Picture Wall is one of the principal features of the Lahore Fort UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The conservation of the 240-foot-long western façade has been carried out by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), and its country affiliate, the Aga Khan Cultural Service-Pakistan (AKCS-P), in collaboration with the Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA).
Speaking on the occasion, Imran Khan, Prime Minister, Islamic Republic of Pakistan emphasised the need for educational institutions to develop archaeology as a subject and the importance of preserving heritage sites in Pakistan. Citing sustainable conservation models from other countries where heritage sites are made economically viable by converting to hotels, the Prime Minister applauded how this model has been successfully implemented by the Aga Khan Development network in the Northern areas of Pakistan.
Together with the Shah Burj Gate (Hathi Pol), the Picture Wall forms the original private entrance to the Fort. The wall is exquisitely decorated with imagery of hunting, battle scenes, angels and demons, human figures, animals, birds, as well as geometric and floral patterns. Built approximately 400 years ago during the Mughal era, it is one of the largest murals in the world. It is embellished in cut glazed tile mosaic work, filigree work, fresco, painted lime plaster and cut brickwork.
Photos and more....
https://www.akdn.org/press-release/prim ... ahore-fort
http://allegralaboratory.net/at-odds-wi ... lse-muslim
July 10, 2019
At Odds with the Impulse: Muslim Humanitarianism and its Exclusions in Northern Pakistan #MUHUM
Drawing on fieldwork undertaken between 2004 and 2013 in Gilgit Town, the multi-sectarian capital of the Gilgit-Baltistan region of northern Pakistan, this brief explores how, even while they work under the aegis of a “avowedly nondenominational” (Miller 2015: 4; see Khan 2010: 66), “non-communal” (AKRSP 1990: 3) Muslim humanitarianism that professes to uplift and protect insaaniyat – or, humanity itself – philanthropic actors can sometimes engage instead in practices that differentiate and exclude prospective beneficiaries on the basis of sect.
Since 1982, Muslim humanitarianism in Gilgit-Baltistan has taken the principle form of the Aga Khan Development Network – or, AKDN – and its multiple agency auspices. Helmed programmatically, politically, and spiritually from its Swiss and later French His Highness Prince Aga Khan – or, the Hazir Imam as he is known to his followers, members of the Nizari Isma’ili Shi’i branch of Islam – the AKDN’s track record in Gilgit-Baltistan is one of incredible initial fortunes, though these gave way to a more diminished project by the mid-2000s.
Through the medium of microfinance and agriculture entities such as the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP), the Aga Khan Education Services’ (AKES) schools and teacher training, and the Aga Khan Health Services’ (AKHS) clinics, hospitals, and health outreach, AKDN implemented a broad-array of infrastructural and community-based development projects. The story of its agencies’ prodigious outputs in Gilgit-Baltistan serves as a commendable and much-touted example of the power of Aga Khan and his Imamat, or community of believers, to harness Ismaili faith and sociality as a means to spark and sustain change, and re-craft local communities in ways that were recognizably more “modern” and “civilized”: literate, economically productive, and socially and politically empowered.
From their outset, AKDN agencies capitalized on and scripted into their humanitarian operations a broad array of the uniquely Ismaili “moral, meanings, obligations and sentiments” (Miller 2015: 34) cherished by its Ismaili beneficiaries, including a sect-specific communitarian ethos. These gestures helped AKDN’s agencies to localize and render familiar the otherwise-global humanitarian principles and ethics imagined to more closely hold local-level development actors’ and beneficiaries’ to their mandates, and better actualize Gilgit-Baltistan’s Ismailis’ simultaneously-“spiritual and material development” (Miller 2015: 34).
In the interests of ensuring equity and peace between Ismailis, Shias, and Sunnis, and fulfilling the AKDN’s secular and pluralistic mandate, its operational boundaries were early on expanded to include non-Ismailis as development partners.
However, informed as its agencies were first with Ismaili and only then more “generally Islamic concepts” (Miller 2015: 4), AKDN’s humanitarianism was experienced by enrolled and prospective beneficiaries as “inseparably entwined with [Ismailis’] spiritual and moral aspirations” (Ibid), and “explicitly” rather than implicitly religious (see Miller 2015: 4). Rather than acknowledge the distinctively Ismaili “moral logics” inherent to its interventions, or the “real and potential exclusions” these and the singularly “special relationship between Isma’ilis and the AKDN” (Miller 2015: 4-5) gave rise, many AKDN employees, the majority of whom were Ismailis, affirmed “pluralism [as] a central pillar of AKDN’s ethical framework” (AKDN 2014a in Mostowlansky 2016: 233).
In Gilgit-Baltistan, though, pluralism was not necessarily reflected by the social and spatial distribution of AKDN agencies’ initiatives, with Ismaili communities’ boundaries repeated in and reflected by, interventions’ contouring and emplacement (Manetta and Steinberg n.d.: 21; World Bank 2002, Wood 2006). Nor was pluralism always reflected by the content and tenor of its inter-sectarian humanitarian engagements. Sunnis especially were rarely included as administrators and decision-makers, and AKDN’s programmatic consultations with Sunni and Shia Village Organization (VO) members were infrequent, when Shia and especially Sunni VOs existed at all. External evaluations found AKDN mobilization drives focused less on Shia and Sunni communities, meaning their specific and sometimes uniquely different development needs and ambitions often went unaddressed (see McGuinness et al, 2010).
Agencies’ employees explained Shias and Sunnis’ comparatively diminished presence as being because they were “poorly receptive” and even “antagonistic” to AKDN’s developmentalist and humanitarian outreach. Having witnessed such realities during my employment with AKRSP in 1998, I knew these claims held true, but only to a degree. Indeed, in my subsequent research, AKDN’s assertions were contested by the majority of my Sunni and Shia interlocutors, who self-described as “eager” and even “desperate” for the chance to participate in and avail themselves of the benefits of, AKDN interventions, and contradicted by Sunnis and Shias’ community-based efforts to petition its agencies for coverage, some of which I had been party to.
My ethnography found Sunnis and Shias’ estrangements not simply yielded by community-side “suspicion”, “rejection” (Settle 2012: 392), or “hostility”. Nor were they only the result of organizational “blind spots” (2014), as Salmaan Keshavjee qualifies the Aga Khan Foundation’s operational oversights and community-level inattentions in other parts of Central Asia.
Sunni and Shia interlocutors described their under-inclusion or bypassing by AKDN agencies as evidence, too, of something more deliberate: of ‘biases’ (see Settle 2012: 394) and neglect (see Settle 2010: 25) that, when put into practice and exchange, were at-distinct odds with AKDN’s professed humanitarian impulse. Their claims were corroborated by the fact that, in my interviews with them, a number of AKDN personnel’s initial declarations that their work was fuelled by an apolitical, secular, and non-sectarian altruism (Settle 2010: 23, 32) gave way to sectarian, political, and sometimes-wholly prejudicial assessments of the Shia and Sunni ‘others’ in their midst, and, as my brief explores, Sunnis perhaps most of all (see Ali and Akhunzada 2015: 15, Hunzai 2013:
.
The distance between Sunnis and Ismailis was attributed as much to cultural and ethnic as religious differences, with Sunnis sharing far less Islamic doctrinal interpretation, systems of leadership, and ritual practices in common with Ismailis than Shias. Moreover, AKDN personnel worked, then as now, against the backdrop of internecine discord and violence. While Shia-Sunnis enmities have been significantly greater, many Ismailis described also experiencing discrimination and sometimes violence, which informed some of their concerns for and less laudatory opinions about Sunnis, even if Shias could be equivalently responsible for such acts. My brief seeks not to negate AKDN agencies’ innumerable strengths and achievements, but unsettle their claims concerning the persons theorized as being their prospective beneficiaries, yet who appeared infrequently if at all as part of their operations.
Image by lukexmartin (flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Gilgit Medical Center
By way of a focus on the Aga Khan Health Services, my brief offers vignettes of the ways ‘at-odds’ impulses were structurally embedded, affective, and quotidian; swept into humanitarian exchanges, and helping to explain agencies’ results. In discussing the ways that sectarianism could be imbricated with AKHS’s on-the-ground workings, I foreground the ways that many Sunnis, on whom the majority of my research since 2004 has focused, came to be estranged from the low-to medium-cost Gilgit Medical Center, the 50-bed facility that until 2014 served as AKHS’s regional headquarters and its flagship hospital. My work at the hospital was the result of a larger ethnographic project, which explored how Shia‐Sunni hostilities contributed to Sunnis’ marginalization from Gilgit Town’s government hospitals, located as they were in Shia enclaves, and led to the worsening of their already-high morbidity and mortality ratios (see Varley 2010, 2016). Unable to safely access public sector facilities during Shia-Sunni strife, the Gilgit Medical Center was a clinically more effective and imaginably more ‘neutral alternative’.
By contrast to its proponents’ claims that the hospital was universally accessible, and posted notifications at the facility that “political talk” was proscribed, a considerable number of Sunni interlocutors’ relayed how, in the course of seeking and receiving care, they felt they had been discriminated against by Ismaili staff, as it took the form of comments intended to earmark Sunnis’ less desirable differences from Ismailis, and not-always subtle forms of maltreatment meted out by Ismaili patients and attendants; with some abuses witnessed but not also intervened upon by attending staff. In sharing the stories of their time at the hospital, maternity patients spoke of the ways that the care they had received often compared unfavorably against the attention shown to Ismailis; in so doing, Sunnis confirmed the power of poor handling, perceived or actual, to drive them away from the hospital and its services. Sunnis’ sometimes-strident or disruptive efforts to protest or pushback against what they felt were the prejudicial conditions of care risked being recast as evidence of their “difficult nature”. (To this end, many Sunni interlocutors admitted that, worried for the possibility of mistreatment, they could be over-reactive, defensive, and unduly provocative.) One nurse relayed how, “Sunnis are more closed-minded, and they are ‘pushier’. They ask a lot of questions and interfere.”
In ways that inadvertently corroborated Sunnis’ claims of differential treatment, a number of AKHS interlocutors shared their concerns for the “challenges” posed by Sunni patients on the one hand, and the Sunni community’s “incapacity” and “extremism” on the other.
Common to many accounts were assertions that Sunnis were inherently “backwards”. In my work in the Outpatient Ward, poorer women’s bodily condition, and impaired obstetric health especially, were often conveyed as being metaphoric for the Sunni body politic overall. One administrator went further; proposing that Sunnis’ “incivility” and “wickedness” could be chalked up to “genetic” causes and was, therefore, unmanageable and inescapable. They argued that these more ‘intractable’ qualities confirmed Sunnis’ poor suitability both as development partners and recipients of its largesse, insofar as it had been theoretically extended to them. In advancing these claims, many personnel raised the specter of ‘tribal violence’ in neighbouring Diamer District and Khyber-Pakthunkhwa Province, and the sometimes spectacular acts of violence Sunni militants in these areas had inflicted, including the mass killings in 2011 and 2012 of Shias traveling south to Islamabad. When pressed, some eventually acknowledged that their broad-brush approaches invoked extremisms that had little to no bearing on the behaviour of Sunni patients coming from within Gilgit Town, the vast majority of whom shared Ismailis’ concerns for the dangers posed by tribalism and fanaticism in other regions of Gilgit-Baltistan, or themselves had fled radicalism and strife in those districts, and were socially and economically more alike the hospital’s Ismaili employees and patients than different.
When asked why Sunnis comprised the smallest percentage of the hospital’s in‐town patients, a number of employees denied the possibility that sectarianism at the facility contributed to Sunni patients’ choosing other hospitals. Instead, Sunnis’ under‐use of the hospital was attributed to their “lack of awareness” about its services. However, Sunni interlocutors were universally knowledgeable about the Gilgit Medical Center, and many expressed a deep appreciation for its healthcare providers’ expertise, and safer, higher quality treatments they provided. Personnel also referred to Sunnis’ “religious zealotry”, and their animosities for Ismailis and the Aga Khan in particular, about which they were not far wrong. However, theirs was a disdain expressed less for Ismailis’ religious beliefs and practices than the instrumentalization of AKDN agencies for “political” rather than only philanthropic purposes, and their discontent with an Ismaili-identified humanitarianism that professed care for all, yet under-engaged Sunnis, who were already poorly supported at governmental and non-governmental levels. AKHS’s operations across Gilgit-Baltistan, for instance, served a predominantly Ismaili and Shia patient base.
In making sense of their marginalization, Sunni interlocutors hypothesized that AKDN and its agents were able to preserve humanitarianism’s symbolic capital and material largesse for ‘their own’, and, in so doing, facilitate Ismailis’ collective uplift in socio-economic and political terms all. They pointed out how the “advancement” and “progress” engendered by nearly forty years of concentrated humanitarianism yielded definitively political advantages and capital.
A more educated, prosperous, and healthier Ismaili body politic was not only better positioned to emplace its agents and advocates in more political terrain, including in the region’s public sector. It was also better equipped to pursue and defend its own interests. Humanitarian exclusions were also broadly understood – not only by Sunnis, but also a number of Shia and Ismaili interlocutors – as enabling Ismailis to distinguish themselves from and compete against, their Sunni and Shia “sister communities”, and gain leverage over Gilgit-Baltistan’s key resources. With their efforts concentrated in Ismaili communities, AKDN agencies achieved a dramatic but also selective uplift that was left largely unchallenged by its donors, and significant upticks in its beneficiaries’ social welfare and health indicators. The AKHS’s successes in Ismaili communities, though, have yielded health disparities and, by relation, resentments of such a magnitude that many interlocutors hypothesized they may have helped fuel inter-sectarian enmities and conflict.
In reporting to donors and stakeholders, AKDN agencies typically emphasized either the success of their pluralistic efforts, or, in explaining and legitimating uneven inclusion, relied on explanations that foregrounded Sunnis and Shias’ disinterest or intransigence. In such tellings, it was not that that Sunnis and Shias were discouraged or denied, but, rather, that they themselves rejected the development equation. No matter the rhetoric, disconnect between what AKDN’s agencies reported, and what the communities within their operational reach experienced, was not entirely unnoticed. Several external evaluations, including two by the World Bank (1995, 2002; McGuinness et al, 2010; see also Miller 2015), confirmed the challenges AKDN faced initially establishing traction with more conservative Sunni and Shia communities. Conversely, they also established Shias and Sunnis’ willingness and ability to join interventions, and, in so doing, generated evidences that destabilized AKDN narratives and helped fill in their gaps.
Conclusion
Even though AKDN agencies such as AKHS were configured and publicly relayed as projects intended for and available to all, a substantial number of Sunni interlocutors characterized their operations as sources and mechanisms of tacit sectarian distancing and exclusion. As I found, not all exclusions were achieved through inequitable distributions or denials; at the Gilgit Medical Center, they were made possible, too, through the affective quality of care. Rather than sectarian preferences and prejudices being separable from the humanitarian project, my interlocutors revealed them as entangled with the formulation and execution of humanitarianism itself, with Sunnis’ marginalization revealing AKDN as an undeniably utopic but also sect-specific visioning of regional development and community welfare.
It wasn’t entirely surprising, then, that so many Sunni interlocutors experienced AKDN agencies’ day-to-day operations and outreach to non-Ismailis in particular, as politically fraught and morally bifurcated; marked by the tension between the universalizing and inclusive nature of its humanitarian mandate, and the particularizing and exclusionary goals of the persons tasked with seeing it through. For them, humanitarianism emerged as internally animated by inconsistencies in its agents’ pursuit of orthodoxy and orthopraxy – or, right belief versus right practice (Goguen and Bolten 2017) – such as it took the form of discrepancies between humanitarian actors’ professed goal to support all irrespective of sect, and their sometimes more restrained or limited commitment to fulfill the same.
Through ethnography that attends to those at humanitarianism’s distal edges, we gain insights into the ways that interventions can be experienced not as uniformly benevolent, but prejudicial and neglectful. Such a focus helps us better apprehend humanitarianism’s inconsistencies, insofar as on-the-ground practices can deviate from institutional ethics, and its incoherence from the perspective of those who believe in pluralistic mandates, but find themselves rebuffed or sidelined because of their difference. Nested within ostensibly ethical humanitarian projects, other kinds of impulses may be at-work; in exploring them, anthropologists encounter humanitarianism’ alter ego, such as it can consist of less humane and less reported – or, easily reportable – engagements. In using ethnography to counter and unsettle organizational scripts, we bring light to humanitarianism’s shadowside, insofar as every humanitarian agency possesses one, and as it is experienced by the persons technically within its reach, yet who remain worlds away from its benefits.
References
AKRSP. (1990). The Aga Khan Rural Support Programme: Briefing Notes. Gilgit, Northern Areas: 30 pages.
Ali, Syed Waqas and Taqi Akhunzada. (2015). Unheard voices: engaging youth of Gilgit-Baltistan. London, UK: Conciliation Resources, 24 pages.
Goguen, Adam and Catherin Bolten. (2017). “Ebola Through a Glass, Darkly: Ways of Knowing the State and Each Other.” Anthropological Quarterly, 90 (2): 429-456.
Hunzai, Izhar. (2013). Conflict Dynamics in Gilgit-Baltistan. Washington, D.C.: United States Institute of Peace Special Report, 16 pages.
Keshavjee, Salmaan. (2014). Blind Spot: How Neoliberalism Infiltrated Global Health. Berkeley, California: University of California Press.
Khan, Feisel. (2010). “The limits of success? NGOs, microfinance and economic development in Pakistan’s Northern Areas.” Journal of Asian Public Policy, 3 (1): 53-70.
Manetta, Emily and Jonah Steinberg. (n.d.) “Localizing modernity: The Aga Khan Foundation and the global dissemination of the Village Organization.” University of Vermont, 40 pages: http://www.uvm.edu/~emanetta/LocalizingModernity.pdf; accessed April 3, 2019.
McGuinness, Elizabeth and Jennifer Mandel, Holly Korda, Ayesha Tayyab. (2010). Assessment of Health Microinsurance Outcomes in the Northern Areas, Pakistan – Baseline Report. IRIS Financial Services Assessment Project, University of Maryland: http://www.fsassessment.umd.edu/.
Miller, Katherine J. (2015). A Spiritual Development: Islam, Volunteerism and International Development in the Hunza Valley, Northern Pakistan. University of California, San Diego: PhD Thesis, 206 pages.
Mostowlansky, Till. (2016). “Humanitarianism Across Mountain Valleys: ‘Shia Aid’ and Development Encounters in Northern Pakistan and Eastern Tajikistan.” Mapping Transition in the Pamirs: Advances in Asian Human-Environmental Research. (Editors: H. Kreutzmann and T. Watanabe.) Switzerland: Springer International Publishing, pp. 229-244.
Settle, Antonia. (2010). Contested Aims, Contested Strategies: New Development Paradigm through the lens of the AKRSP. Islamabad, Pakistan: Sustainable Development Policy Institute, 45 pages.
(2012). “The new development paradigm through the lens of the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme: legitimacy, accountability and the political sphere.” Community Development Journal, 47 (3): 386–404.
Varley, Emma. (2010). “Targeted doctors, missing patients: Obstetric health services and sectarian conflict in Northern Pakistan.” Social Science & Medicine, 70: 61-70.
(2016). “Abandonments, Solidarities and Logics of Care: Hospitals as Sites of Sectarian Conflict in Gilgit-Baltistan.” Special Issue “The Clinic in Crisis”: Culture, Medicine, and Psychiatry, 40 (2): 159-180.
Wood, Geof. (2006). “Introduction: The Mutuality of Initiative.” Valleys in Transition: Twenty Years of AKRSP’s Experience in Northern Pakistan. (Editors: G. Wood, A. Malik and S. Sagheer.) Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
World Bank. (1995). Report No. 15157 – PAK Pakistan The Aga Khan Rural Support Program: A Third Evaluation. Washington, D.C.: World Bank Operations Evaluation Department, http://documents.banquemondiale.org/cur ... i0page.txt; accessed April 10, 2019.
(2002). The Next Ascent: An Evaluation of the Aga Khan Rural Support Program. Washington, D.C.: World Bank Operations Evaluation Department.
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Emma Varley
Emma Varley is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Brandon University. Her medical anthropological and ethnographic research explores the interconnections between women's health, development and sectarian conflict in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of northern Pakistan, with particular attention paid to the cultural, ethical, and experiential texture of medicine, and the political etiologies underlying women’s health outcomes during times of instability and crisis.
July 10, 2019
At Odds with the Impulse: Muslim Humanitarianism and its Exclusions in Northern Pakistan #MUHUM
Drawing on fieldwork undertaken between 2004 and 2013 in Gilgit Town, the multi-sectarian capital of the Gilgit-Baltistan region of northern Pakistan, this brief explores how, even while they work under the aegis of a “avowedly nondenominational” (Miller 2015: 4; see Khan 2010: 66), “non-communal” (AKRSP 1990: 3) Muslim humanitarianism that professes to uplift and protect insaaniyat – or, humanity itself – philanthropic actors can sometimes engage instead in practices that differentiate and exclude prospective beneficiaries on the basis of sect.
Since 1982, Muslim humanitarianism in Gilgit-Baltistan has taken the principle form of the Aga Khan Development Network – or, AKDN – and its multiple agency auspices. Helmed programmatically, politically, and spiritually from its Swiss and later French His Highness Prince Aga Khan – or, the Hazir Imam as he is known to his followers, members of the Nizari Isma’ili Shi’i branch of Islam – the AKDN’s track record in Gilgit-Baltistan is one of incredible initial fortunes, though these gave way to a more diminished project by the mid-2000s.
Through the medium of microfinance and agriculture entities such as the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP), the Aga Khan Education Services’ (AKES) schools and teacher training, and the Aga Khan Health Services’ (AKHS) clinics, hospitals, and health outreach, AKDN implemented a broad-array of infrastructural and community-based development projects. The story of its agencies’ prodigious outputs in Gilgit-Baltistan serves as a commendable and much-touted example of the power of Aga Khan and his Imamat, or community of believers, to harness Ismaili faith and sociality as a means to spark and sustain change, and re-craft local communities in ways that were recognizably more “modern” and “civilized”: literate, economically productive, and socially and politically empowered.
From their outset, AKDN agencies capitalized on and scripted into their humanitarian operations a broad array of the uniquely Ismaili “moral, meanings, obligations and sentiments” (Miller 2015: 34) cherished by its Ismaili beneficiaries, including a sect-specific communitarian ethos. These gestures helped AKDN’s agencies to localize and render familiar the otherwise-global humanitarian principles and ethics imagined to more closely hold local-level development actors’ and beneficiaries’ to their mandates, and better actualize Gilgit-Baltistan’s Ismailis’ simultaneously-“spiritual and material development” (Miller 2015: 34).
In the interests of ensuring equity and peace between Ismailis, Shias, and Sunnis, and fulfilling the AKDN’s secular and pluralistic mandate, its operational boundaries were early on expanded to include non-Ismailis as development partners.
However, informed as its agencies were first with Ismaili and only then more “generally Islamic concepts” (Miller 2015: 4), AKDN’s humanitarianism was experienced by enrolled and prospective beneficiaries as “inseparably entwined with [Ismailis’] spiritual and moral aspirations” (Ibid), and “explicitly” rather than implicitly religious (see Miller 2015: 4). Rather than acknowledge the distinctively Ismaili “moral logics” inherent to its interventions, or the “real and potential exclusions” these and the singularly “special relationship between Isma’ilis and the AKDN” (Miller 2015: 4-5) gave rise, many AKDN employees, the majority of whom were Ismailis, affirmed “pluralism [as] a central pillar of AKDN’s ethical framework” (AKDN 2014a in Mostowlansky 2016: 233).
In Gilgit-Baltistan, though, pluralism was not necessarily reflected by the social and spatial distribution of AKDN agencies’ initiatives, with Ismaili communities’ boundaries repeated in and reflected by, interventions’ contouring and emplacement (Manetta and Steinberg n.d.: 21; World Bank 2002, Wood 2006). Nor was pluralism always reflected by the content and tenor of its inter-sectarian humanitarian engagements. Sunnis especially were rarely included as administrators and decision-makers, and AKDN’s programmatic consultations with Sunni and Shia Village Organization (VO) members were infrequent, when Shia and especially Sunni VOs existed at all. External evaluations found AKDN mobilization drives focused less on Shia and Sunni communities, meaning their specific and sometimes uniquely different development needs and ambitions often went unaddressed (see McGuinness et al, 2010).
Agencies’ employees explained Shias and Sunnis’ comparatively diminished presence as being because they were “poorly receptive” and even “antagonistic” to AKDN’s developmentalist and humanitarian outreach. Having witnessed such realities during my employment with AKRSP in 1998, I knew these claims held true, but only to a degree. Indeed, in my subsequent research, AKDN’s assertions were contested by the majority of my Sunni and Shia interlocutors, who self-described as “eager” and even “desperate” for the chance to participate in and avail themselves of the benefits of, AKDN interventions, and contradicted by Sunnis and Shias’ community-based efforts to petition its agencies for coverage, some of which I had been party to.
My ethnography found Sunnis and Shias’ estrangements not simply yielded by community-side “suspicion”, “rejection” (Settle 2012: 392), or “hostility”. Nor were they only the result of organizational “blind spots” (2014), as Salmaan Keshavjee qualifies the Aga Khan Foundation’s operational oversights and community-level inattentions in other parts of Central Asia.
Sunni and Shia interlocutors described their under-inclusion or bypassing by AKDN agencies as evidence, too, of something more deliberate: of ‘biases’ (see Settle 2012: 394) and neglect (see Settle 2010: 25) that, when put into practice and exchange, were at-distinct odds with AKDN’s professed humanitarian impulse. Their claims were corroborated by the fact that, in my interviews with them, a number of AKDN personnel’s initial declarations that their work was fuelled by an apolitical, secular, and non-sectarian altruism (Settle 2010: 23, 32) gave way to sectarian, political, and sometimes-wholly prejudicial assessments of the Shia and Sunni ‘others’ in their midst, and, as my brief explores, Sunnis perhaps most of all (see Ali and Akhunzada 2015: 15, Hunzai 2013:
.The distance between Sunnis and Ismailis was attributed as much to cultural and ethnic as religious differences, with Sunnis sharing far less Islamic doctrinal interpretation, systems of leadership, and ritual practices in common with Ismailis than Shias. Moreover, AKDN personnel worked, then as now, against the backdrop of internecine discord and violence. While Shia-Sunnis enmities have been significantly greater, many Ismailis described also experiencing discrimination and sometimes violence, which informed some of their concerns for and less laudatory opinions about Sunnis, even if Shias could be equivalently responsible for such acts. My brief seeks not to negate AKDN agencies’ innumerable strengths and achievements, but unsettle their claims concerning the persons theorized as being their prospective beneficiaries, yet who appeared infrequently if at all as part of their operations.
Image by lukexmartin (flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Gilgit Medical Center
By way of a focus on the Aga Khan Health Services, my brief offers vignettes of the ways ‘at-odds’ impulses were structurally embedded, affective, and quotidian; swept into humanitarian exchanges, and helping to explain agencies’ results. In discussing the ways that sectarianism could be imbricated with AKHS’s on-the-ground workings, I foreground the ways that many Sunnis, on whom the majority of my research since 2004 has focused, came to be estranged from the low-to medium-cost Gilgit Medical Center, the 50-bed facility that until 2014 served as AKHS’s regional headquarters and its flagship hospital. My work at the hospital was the result of a larger ethnographic project, which explored how Shia‐Sunni hostilities contributed to Sunnis’ marginalization from Gilgit Town’s government hospitals, located as they were in Shia enclaves, and led to the worsening of their already-high morbidity and mortality ratios (see Varley 2010, 2016). Unable to safely access public sector facilities during Shia-Sunni strife, the Gilgit Medical Center was a clinically more effective and imaginably more ‘neutral alternative’.
By contrast to its proponents’ claims that the hospital was universally accessible, and posted notifications at the facility that “political talk” was proscribed, a considerable number of Sunni interlocutors’ relayed how, in the course of seeking and receiving care, they felt they had been discriminated against by Ismaili staff, as it took the form of comments intended to earmark Sunnis’ less desirable differences from Ismailis, and not-always subtle forms of maltreatment meted out by Ismaili patients and attendants; with some abuses witnessed but not also intervened upon by attending staff. In sharing the stories of their time at the hospital, maternity patients spoke of the ways that the care they had received often compared unfavorably against the attention shown to Ismailis; in so doing, Sunnis confirmed the power of poor handling, perceived or actual, to drive them away from the hospital and its services. Sunnis’ sometimes-strident or disruptive efforts to protest or pushback against what they felt were the prejudicial conditions of care risked being recast as evidence of their “difficult nature”. (To this end, many Sunni interlocutors admitted that, worried for the possibility of mistreatment, they could be over-reactive, defensive, and unduly provocative.) One nurse relayed how, “Sunnis are more closed-minded, and they are ‘pushier’. They ask a lot of questions and interfere.”
In ways that inadvertently corroborated Sunnis’ claims of differential treatment, a number of AKHS interlocutors shared their concerns for the “challenges” posed by Sunni patients on the one hand, and the Sunni community’s “incapacity” and “extremism” on the other.
Common to many accounts were assertions that Sunnis were inherently “backwards”. In my work in the Outpatient Ward, poorer women’s bodily condition, and impaired obstetric health especially, were often conveyed as being metaphoric for the Sunni body politic overall. One administrator went further; proposing that Sunnis’ “incivility” and “wickedness” could be chalked up to “genetic” causes and was, therefore, unmanageable and inescapable. They argued that these more ‘intractable’ qualities confirmed Sunnis’ poor suitability both as development partners and recipients of its largesse, insofar as it had been theoretically extended to them. In advancing these claims, many personnel raised the specter of ‘tribal violence’ in neighbouring Diamer District and Khyber-Pakthunkhwa Province, and the sometimes spectacular acts of violence Sunni militants in these areas had inflicted, including the mass killings in 2011 and 2012 of Shias traveling south to Islamabad. When pressed, some eventually acknowledged that their broad-brush approaches invoked extremisms that had little to no bearing on the behaviour of Sunni patients coming from within Gilgit Town, the vast majority of whom shared Ismailis’ concerns for the dangers posed by tribalism and fanaticism in other regions of Gilgit-Baltistan, or themselves had fled radicalism and strife in those districts, and were socially and economically more alike the hospital’s Ismaili employees and patients than different.
When asked why Sunnis comprised the smallest percentage of the hospital’s in‐town patients, a number of employees denied the possibility that sectarianism at the facility contributed to Sunni patients’ choosing other hospitals. Instead, Sunnis’ under‐use of the hospital was attributed to their “lack of awareness” about its services. However, Sunni interlocutors were universally knowledgeable about the Gilgit Medical Center, and many expressed a deep appreciation for its healthcare providers’ expertise, and safer, higher quality treatments they provided. Personnel also referred to Sunnis’ “religious zealotry”, and their animosities for Ismailis and the Aga Khan in particular, about which they were not far wrong. However, theirs was a disdain expressed less for Ismailis’ religious beliefs and practices than the instrumentalization of AKDN agencies for “political” rather than only philanthropic purposes, and their discontent with an Ismaili-identified humanitarianism that professed care for all, yet under-engaged Sunnis, who were already poorly supported at governmental and non-governmental levels. AKHS’s operations across Gilgit-Baltistan, for instance, served a predominantly Ismaili and Shia patient base.
In making sense of their marginalization, Sunni interlocutors hypothesized that AKDN and its agents were able to preserve humanitarianism’s symbolic capital and material largesse for ‘their own’, and, in so doing, facilitate Ismailis’ collective uplift in socio-economic and political terms all. They pointed out how the “advancement” and “progress” engendered by nearly forty years of concentrated humanitarianism yielded definitively political advantages and capital.
A more educated, prosperous, and healthier Ismaili body politic was not only better positioned to emplace its agents and advocates in more political terrain, including in the region’s public sector. It was also better equipped to pursue and defend its own interests. Humanitarian exclusions were also broadly understood – not only by Sunnis, but also a number of Shia and Ismaili interlocutors – as enabling Ismailis to distinguish themselves from and compete against, their Sunni and Shia “sister communities”, and gain leverage over Gilgit-Baltistan’s key resources. With their efforts concentrated in Ismaili communities, AKDN agencies achieved a dramatic but also selective uplift that was left largely unchallenged by its donors, and significant upticks in its beneficiaries’ social welfare and health indicators. The AKHS’s successes in Ismaili communities, though, have yielded health disparities and, by relation, resentments of such a magnitude that many interlocutors hypothesized they may have helped fuel inter-sectarian enmities and conflict.
In reporting to donors and stakeholders, AKDN agencies typically emphasized either the success of their pluralistic efforts, or, in explaining and legitimating uneven inclusion, relied on explanations that foregrounded Sunnis and Shias’ disinterest or intransigence. In such tellings, it was not that that Sunnis and Shias were discouraged or denied, but, rather, that they themselves rejected the development equation. No matter the rhetoric, disconnect between what AKDN’s agencies reported, and what the communities within their operational reach experienced, was not entirely unnoticed. Several external evaluations, including two by the World Bank (1995, 2002; McGuinness et al, 2010; see also Miller 2015), confirmed the challenges AKDN faced initially establishing traction with more conservative Sunni and Shia communities. Conversely, they also established Shias and Sunnis’ willingness and ability to join interventions, and, in so doing, generated evidences that destabilized AKDN narratives and helped fill in their gaps.
Conclusion
Even though AKDN agencies such as AKHS were configured and publicly relayed as projects intended for and available to all, a substantial number of Sunni interlocutors characterized their operations as sources and mechanisms of tacit sectarian distancing and exclusion. As I found, not all exclusions were achieved through inequitable distributions or denials; at the Gilgit Medical Center, they were made possible, too, through the affective quality of care. Rather than sectarian preferences and prejudices being separable from the humanitarian project, my interlocutors revealed them as entangled with the formulation and execution of humanitarianism itself, with Sunnis’ marginalization revealing AKDN as an undeniably utopic but also sect-specific visioning of regional development and community welfare.
It wasn’t entirely surprising, then, that so many Sunni interlocutors experienced AKDN agencies’ day-to-day operations and outreach to non-Ismailis in particular, as politically fraught and morally bifurcated; marked by the tension between the universalizing and inclusive nature of its humanitarian mandate, and the particularizing and exclusionary goals of the persons tasked with seeing it through. For them, humanitarianism emerged as internally animated by inconsistencies in its agents’ pursuit of orthodoxy and orthopraxy – or, right belief versus right practice (Goguen and Bolten 2017) – such as it took the form of discrepancies between humanitarian actors’ professed goal to support all irrespective of sect, and their sometimes more restrained or limited commitment to fulfill the same.
Through ethnography that attends to those at humanitarianism’s distal edges, we gain insights into the ways that interventions can be experienced not as uniformly benevolent, but prejudicial and neglectful. Such a focus helps us better apprehend humanitarianism’s inconsistencies, insofar as on-the-ground practices can deviate from institutional ethics, and its incoherence from the perspective of those who believe in pluralistic mandates, but find themselves rebuffed or sidelined because of their difference. Nested within ostensibly ethical humanitarian projects, other kinds of impulses may be at-work; in exploring them, anthropologists encounter humanitarianism’ alter ego, such as it can consist of less humane and less reported – or, easily reportable – engagements. In using ethnography to counter and unsettle organizational scripts, we bring light to humanitarianism’s shadowside, insofar as every humanitarian agency possesses one, and as it is experienced by the persons technically within its reach, yet who remain worlds away from its benefits.
References
AKRSP. (1990). The Aga Khan Rural Support Programme: Briefing Notes. Gilgit, Northern Areas: 30 pages.
Ali, Syed Waqas and Taqi Akhunzada. (2015). Unheard voices: engaging youth of Gilgit-Baltistan. London, UK: Conciliation Resources, 24 pages.
Goguen, Adam and Catherin Bolten. (2017). “Ebola Through a Glass, Darkly: Ways of Knowing the State and Each Other.” Anthropological Quarterly, 90 (2): 429-456.
Hunzai, Izhar. (2013). Conflict Dynamics in Gilgit-Baltistan. Washington, D.C.: United States Institute of Peace Special Report, 16 pages.
Keshavjee, Salmaan. (2014). Blind Spot: How Neoliberalism Infiltrated Global Health. Berkeley, California: University of California Press.
Khan, Feisel. (2010). “The limits of success? NGOs, microfinance and economic development in Pakistan’s Northern Areas.” Journal of Asian Public Policy, 3 (1): 53-70.
Manetta, Emily and Jonah Steinberg. (n.d.) “Localizing modernity: The Aga Khan Foundation and the global dissemination of the Village Organization.” University of Vermont, 40 pages: http://www.uvm.edu/~emanetta/LocalizingModernity.pdf; accessed April 3, 2019.
McGuinness, Elizabeth and Jennifer Mandel, Holly Korda, Ayesha Tayyab. (2010). Assessment of Health Microinsurance Outcomes in the Northern Areas, Pakistan – Baseline Report. IRIS Financial Services Assessment Project, University of Maryland: http://www.fsassessment.umd.edu/.
Miller, Katherine J. (2015). A Spiritual Development: Islam, Volunteerism and International Development in the Hunza Valley, Northern Pakistan. University of California, San Diego: PhD Thesis, 206 pages.
Mostowlansky, Till. (2016). “Humanitarianism Across Mountain Valleys: ‘Shia Aid’ and Development Encounters in Northern Pakistan and Eastern Tajikistan.” Mapping Transition in the Pamirs: Advances in Asian Human-Environmental Research. (Editors: H. Kreutzmann and T. Watanabe.) Switzerland: Springer International Publishing, pp. 229-244.
Settle, Antonia. (2010). Contested Aims, Contested Strategies: New Development Paradigm through the lens of the AKRSP. Islamabad, Pakistan: Sustainable Development Policy Institute, 45 pages.
(2012). “The new development paradigm through the lens of the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme: legitimacy, accountability and the political sphere.” Community Development Journal, 47 (3): 386–404.
Varley, Emma. (2010). “Targeted doctors, missing patients: Obstetric health services and sectarian conflict in Northern Pakistan.” Social Science & Medicine, 70: 61-70.
(2016). “Abandonments, Solidarities and Logics of Care: Hospitals as Sites of Sectarian Conflict in Gilgit-Baltistan.” Special Issue “The Clinic in Crisis”: Culture, Medicine, and Psychiatry, 40 (2): 159-180.
Wood, Geof. (2006). “Introduction: The Mutuality of Initiative.” Valleys in Transition: Twenty Years of AKRSP’s Experience in Northern Pakistan. (Editors: G. Wood, A. Malik and S. Sagheer.) Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
World Bank. (1995). Report No. 15157 – PAK Pakistan The Aga Khan Rural Support Program: A Third Evaluation. Washington, D.C.: World Bank Operations Evaluation Department, http://documents.banquemondiale.org/cur ... i0page.txt; accessed April 10, 2019.
(2002). The Next Ascent: An Evaluation of the Aga Khan Rural Support Program. Washington, D.C.: World Bank Operations Evaluation Department.
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Emma Varley
Emma Varley is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Brandon University. Her medical anthropological and ethnographic research explores the interconnections between women's health, development and sectarian conflict in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of northern Pakistan, with particular attention paid to the cultural, ethical, and experiential texture of medicine, and the political etiologies underlying women’s health outcomes during times of instability and crisis.
AKPBS, NDRMF ink deal
ISLAMABAD: National Disaster Risk Management Fund (NDRMF) signed Grant Implementation Agreement with a joint venture of Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) Pakistan and Aga Khan Planning and Building Services (AKPBS), for providing grant financing up to Rs579.621 million for the project titled “Promoting Integrated Mountain Safety in Northern Pakistan (PIMSNP)”.
NDRMF Programme and Operation Group General Manager Khurram Khaliq Khan and Civil Society & Habitat Rural Development Director Irshad Khan Abbasi signed the contract designed to protect and enhance resilience of communities vulnerable to the negative impacts of multiple natural hazards.
The agreed project cost is Rs834.606 million, with NDRMF share of 70% (amounting to Rs579.621 million) and AKF share of 30% (amounting to Rs254.985 million).
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2020788/1- ... 25c8c5fc8d
ISLAMABAD: National Disaster Risk Management Fund (NDRMF) signed Grant Implementation Agreement with a joint venture of Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) Pakistan and Aga Khan Planning and Building Services (AKPBS), for providing grant financing up to Rs579.621 million for the project titled “Promoting Integrated Mountain Safety in Northern Pakistan (PIMSNP)”.
NDRMF Programme and Operation Group General Manager Khurram Khaliq Khan and Civil Society & Habitat Rural Development Director Irshad Khan Abbasi signed the contract designed to protect and enhance resilience of communities vulnerable to the negative impacts of multiple natural hazards.
The agreed project cost is Rs834.606 million, with NDRMF share of 70% (amounting to Rs579.621 million) and AKF share of 30% (amounting to Rs254.985 million).
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2020788/1- ... 25c8c5fc8d
Lahore Fort Picture Wall Prototype Project (Pakistan)
The Picture Wall at Lahore Fort, with all its extensive embellishments with tile mosaic and fresco panels, brick imitation and filigree work, represents the exceptional craftsmanship of the Mughal period. In 1981, Lahore Fort was therefore inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The tile mosaics and frescoes have been severely damaged by disruptions to the original water drainage system and by exposure of the exterior facade to extreme weather conditions.
by Wajahat Ali (Manager Lahore Fort Conservation Project) and Zeina Naseer (Conservation Chemist, Picture Wall Project)
Since September 2015, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC)/Aga Khan Cultural Service Pakistan (AKCSP) has been in partnership with the Government of Punjab’s Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) for the documentation/conservation of the Picture Wall. The completion of documentation work led to the selection of an 11m wide and 16m high segment of the western wall for prototype restoration. This prototype project was mainly funded within the context of the Cultural Preservation Programme of the Federal Foreign Office.
Images and more....
https://www.culthernews.de/lahore-fort- ... -pakistan/
The Picture Wall at Lahore Fort, with all its extensive embellishments with tile mosaic and fresco panels, brick imitation and filigree work, represents the exceptional craftsmanship of the Mughal period. In 1981, Lahore Fort was therefore inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The tile mosaics and frescoes have been severely damaged by disruptions to the original water drainage system and by exposure of the exterior facade to extreme weather conditions.
by Wajahat Ali (Manager Lahore Fort Conservation Project) and Zeina Naseer (Conservation Chemist, Picture Wall Project)
Since September 2015, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC)/Aga Khan Cultural Service Pakistan (AKCSP) has been in partnership with the Government of Punjab’s Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) for the documentation/conservation of the Picture Wall. The completion of documentation work led to the selection of an 11m wide and 16m high segment of the western wall for prototype restoration. This prototype project was mainly funded within the context of the Cultural Preservation Programme of the Federal Foreign Office.
Images and more....
https://www.culthernews.de/lahore-fort- ... -pakistan/
Rays of Light Exhibition in Hunza
The Rays of Light exhibition showcases Mawlana Hazar Imam’s life, vision and contributions towards uplifting the quality of life for individuals around the world. Members of the Pakistan Jamat and community were able to gain insight into the initiatives of the Imamat and its global impact during this unique, experiential journey.
After the successful exhibition in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, the Rays of Light Exhibition travelled all the way to the land of the centuries-old fort, fortified by the mountain ranges of Karakorum, the Himalayas, Hindu-Kush, Pamir and the legendary land of the Silk Route - Hunza. Despite the weather and infrastructure challenges, the exhibition was successfully viewed at the Deedargah, which is now known as “Aga Khanabad.”
Surrounded by rich greenery, the exhibition was skillfully assembled in early July, after being transported in trucks through the adventurous roads of the Karakoram Highway. The volunteers of the Jamat rose to the occasion and shouldered every aspect of the exhibition’s planning, preparation and operation with fervour and dedication. Hundreds of volunteers were involved in making the event a memorable experience for the Jamat.
Traveling from Gilgit and far North, Jamati members, including the youth, adolescents, adults, and elders, as well as AKDN and non-community members, embraced the exhibition warm-heartedly. Expressing her views, a participant mentioned, “When I visited Islamabad, I went to see the exhibition as a participant. It has now come to Hunza and I am lucky to serve at the exhibition. Volunteering for the exhibition is a different experience altogether.”
Inaugurated in 2008, the exhibition, which has been viewed to-date by over 100,000 people around the world, features over 250 powerful visuals in an immersive, interactive multimedia format using technology such as virtual reality and other forms.
The exhibition has now opened in Taus, Ghizer in its last phase in Pakistan during the month of August and will remain open for viewing till September 29, 2019.
Video at:
https://the.ismaili/pakistan/rays-light ... tion-hunza
The Rays of Light exhibition showcases Mawlana Hazar Imam’s life, vision and contributions towards uplifting the quality of life for individuals around the world. Members of the Pakistan Jamat and community were able to gain insight into the initiatives of the Imamat and its global impact during this unique, experiential journey.
After the successful exhibition in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, the Rays of Light Exhibition travelled all the way to the land of the centuries-old fort, fortified by the mountain ranges of Karakorum, the Himalayas, Hindu-Kush, Pamir and the legendary land of the Silk Route - Hunza. Despite the weather and infrastructure challenges, the exhibition was successfully viewed at the Deedargah, which is now known as “Aga Khanabad.”
Surrounded by rich greenery, the exhibition was skillfully assembled in early July, after being transported in trucks through the adventurous roads of the Karakoram Highway. The volunteers of the Jamat rose to the occasion and shouldered every aspect of the exhibition’s planning, preparation and operation with fervour and dedication. Hundreds of volunteers were involved in making the event a memorable experience for the Jamat.
Traveling from Gilgit and far North, Jamati members, including the youth, adolescents, adults, and elders, as well as AKDN and non-community members, embraced the exhibition warm-heartedly. Expressing her views, a participant mentioned, “When I visited Islamabad, I went to see the exhibition as a participant. It has now come to Hunza and I am lucky to serve at the exhibition. Volunteering for the exhibition is a different experience altogether.”
Inaugurated in 2008, the exhibition, which has been viewed to-date by over 100,000 people around the world, features over 250 powerful visuals in an immersive, interactive multimedia format using technology such as virtual reality and other forms.
The exhibition has now opened in Taus, Ghizer in its last phase in Pakistan during the month of August and will remain open for viewing till September 29, 2019.
Video at:
https://the.ismaili/pakistan/rays-light ... tion-hunza
The Aga Khan Development Network in Pakistan
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaA1mHN ... 25c8c5fc8d
2019 - The Aga Khan Development Network in Pakistan, operating for over 110 years in education, healthcare, early childhood development, habitat, livelihoods, agriculture, microfinance, culture and economic development.
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaA1mHN ... 25c8c5fc8d
2019 - The Aga Khan Development Network in Pakistan, operating for over 110 years in education, healthcare, early childhood development, habitat, livelihoods, agriculture, microfinance, culture and economic development.
Royal couple visit AKDN sites in Pakistan to see impact of climate change
Known for their efforts to raise awareness of climate change, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited sites in Chitral and Bumburet where they spoke to local people about the impact of climate change and the work that is being done to build resilience amongst communities.
More...
https://nation.com.pk/17-Oct-2019/royal ... 25c8c5fc8d
Known for their efforts to raise awareness of climate change, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited sites in Chitral and Bumburet where they spoke to local people about the impact of climate change and the work that is being done to build resilience amongst communities.
More...
https://nation.com.pk/17-Oct-2019/royal ... 25c8c5fc8d
6th Guides Commissioner’s Conference
The Aga Khan Youth and Sports Board for Pakistan (AKYSBP) held the 6th Guides Commissioner’s Conference from the 18th to 20th of October 2019, primarily aiming to discuss the milestones achieved in the past year. Catering to 42 Ismaili Guide Commissioners from Pakistan, the annual conference not only established the leaders’ strategic direction but also conducted various capacity-building sessions to help them translate their vision to every area and process.
Over the three days, participants highlighted objectives such as maximising involvement of young girls in the World Association for Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) and the Pakistan Girl Guides Association (PGGA). Apart from developing camp curriculum, they established policies to facilitate the needs of the people with disability.
Furthermore, participants engaged in activities from the World Thinking Day pack 2020 - is an International Pack by World Association for Girl Guides and Girl Scouts - as they delved into conversations around the themes of the conference: diversity, inclusion and equity. Professionals from around the world conducted sessions on emerging notions like service learning, performance assessment tools, menstrual hygiene and civil society. The participants were urged to aim high, work earnestly, embrace challenges and commit whole-heartedly to all the tasks they undertake.
Hasan Somani, Chairman, AKYSBP, hoped that the attendees would learn about the intricacies of leadership skills from one another and remarked, “It was a very well-organised event; leaders from across Pakistan were learning from the best practices of each other, sharing innovative ideas and reviewing future plans to spread the guiding movement and attract the youth towards healthy activities and civic services.”
The conference was also attended by the National Commissioner of PGGA, Senator Nuzhat Aamir Sadiq, who appreciated the work done by Guides and the growth they have attained in the past few years. “It was a pleasure to attend the 6th Guides Commissioner’s Conference, which gave me an opportunity to see how well the Guides work by the open companies of Pakistan. I am keen to learn how they are involving professionals for assessment and review of programmatic activities and in what way progress in different regions is overseen. I am confident that the work of the Guides and their dedication will open new horizons of empowerment for the girls of Pakistan.”
Munira Shah, the District Commissioner for Lower Chitral, shared that the experience she gained from this conference was beyond her imagination and expectations. “My mind is refreshed, my skills are polished and I’m ready to initiate new projects within Girl Guides,” she further added.
Rendering service and helping the community is an integral part of Girl Guiding. Ismaili Guides have always contributed to the development of the country and made a significant impact by serving the communities at large.
Photos at:
https://the.ismaili/pakistan/6th-guides ... conference
The Aga Khan Youth and Sports Board for Pakistan (AKYSBP) held the 6th Guides Commissioner’s Conference from the 18th to 20th of October 2019, primarily aiming to discuss the milestones achieved in the past year. Catering to 42 Ismaili Guide Commissioners from Pakistan, the annual conference not only established the leaders’ strategic direction but also conducted various capacity-building sessions to help them translate their vision to every area and process.
Over the three days, participants highlighted objectives such as maximising involvement of young girls in the World Association for Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) and the Pakistan Girl Guides Association (PGGA). Apart from developing camp curriculum, they established policies to facilitate the needs of the people with disability.
Furthermore, participants engaged in activities from the World Thinking Day pack 2020 - is an International Pack by World Association for Girl Guides and Girl Scouts - as they delved into conversations around the themes of the conference: diversity, inclusion and equity. Professionals from around the world conducted sessions on emerging notions like service learning, performance assessment tools, menstrual hygiene and civil society. The participants were urged to aim high, work earnestly, embrace challenges and commit whole-heartedly to all the tasks they undertake.
Hasan Somani, Chairman, AKYSBP, hoped that the attendees would learn about the intricacies of leadership skills from one another and remarked, “It was a very well-organised event; leaders from across Pakistan were learning from the best practices of each other, sharing innovative ideas and reviewing future plans to spread the guiding movement and attract the youth towards healthy activities and civic services.”
The conference was also attended by the National Commissioner of PGGA, Senator Nuzhat Aamir Sadiq, who appreciated the work done by Guides and the growth they have attained in the past few years. “It was a pleasure to attend the 6th Guides Commissioner’s Conference, which gave me an opportunity to see how well the Guides work by the open companies of Pakistan. I am keen to learn how they are involving professionals for assessment and review of programmatic activities and in what way progress in different regions is overseen. I am confident that the work of the Guides and their dedication will open new horizons of empowerment for the girls of Pakistan.”
Munira Shah, the District Commissioner for Lower Chitral, shared that the experience she gained from this conference was beyond her imagination and expectations. “My mind is refreshed, my skills are polished and I’m ready to initiate new projects within Girl Guides,” she further added.
Rendering service and helping the community is an integral part of Girl Guiding. Ismaili Guides have always contributed to the development of the country and made a significant impact by serving the communities at large.
Photos at:
https://the.ismaili/pakistan/6th-guides ... conference
Transforming Lives - Story of Azeem Khan
“I have a firm belief that my business will grow. I want to earn enough so I can support the educational aspirations of the less-privileged children from my village.” - Azeem Khan
24-year-old Azeem Khan was born in Immit, Gilgit-Baltistan with a disabled limb. This, unfortunately, restricted him from daily activities. Furthermore, due to financial constraints, his father could not get him the treatment he needed. As a result of his challenges, he became totally bedridden for the majority of the day and night and spent most of his time using his mobile phone or watching television, feeling unworthy and uninspired.
Talking about his ordeal he mentioned, “When I couldn’t do anything at home and was dependent on my family members, I felt very weak and depressed.”
The Social Economic Development Programme (SEDP) - an intervention of the Ismaili Council for Pakistan, that works alongside the Aga Khan Development Network, to empower families by enhancing their earning capacities - identified Azeem and the challenges he had faced. However, they also revealed deep within his unrelenting potential and an optimistic attitude when discussing entrepreneurship. By providing him with a wheelchair, the SEDP gave him not only the ability to move but to be motivated and to accomplish something in life. He was no longer dependent on others. A ray of hope sparked within him; Azeem decided to start his own business.
“My family members were not happy with my decision but my cousin supported me and helped me find a retail shop on rent. I received financial support through SEDP and started my business in 2017.” Azeem, after setting up his shop, is now earning a satisfactory profit per day. He happily contributes financially at home as well as supports his siblings in their educational pursuit. After two years, he is now able to construct his own retail shop and wishes to grow his business tenfold.
He is thankful to the Jamati institutions who gave him the opportunity to earn and lead an exemplary life. He reminds his community to remember that those who are physically sound but not participating in income-generating activities, never give up. “Courage, enthusiasm and inner strength defeat physical disabilities every time. I am living proof!”
Video at:
https://the.ismaili/our-stories/transfo ... rce=Direct
“I have a firm belief that my business will grow. I want to earn enough so I can support the educational aspirations of the less-privileged children from my village.” - Azeem Khan
24-year-old Azeem Khan was born in Immit, Gilgit-Baltistan with a disabled limb. This, unfortunately, restricted him from daily activities. Furthermore, due to financial constraints, his father could not get him the treatment he needed. As a result of his challenges, he became totally bedridden for the majority of the day and night and spent most of his time using his mobile phone or watching television, feeling unworthy and uninspired.
Talking about his ordeal he mentioned, “When I couldn’t do anything at home and was dependent on my family members, I felt very weak and depressed.”
The Social Economic Development Programme (SEDP) - an intervention of the Ismaili Council for Pakistan, that works alongside the Aga Khan Development Network, to empower families by enhancing their earning capacities - identified Azeem and the challenges he had faced. However, they also revealed deep within his unrelenting potential and an optimistic attitude when discussing entrepreneurship. By providing him with a wheelchair, the SEDP gave him not only the ability to move but to be motivated and to accomplish something in life. He was no longer dependent on others. A ray of hope sparked within him; Azeem decided to start his own business.
“My family members were not happy with my decision but my cousin supported me and helped me find a retail shop on rent. I received financial support through SEDP and started my business in 2017.” Azeem, after setting up his shop, is now earning a satisfactory profit per day. He happily contributes financially at home as well as supports his siblings in their educational pursuit. After two years, he is now able to construct his own retail shop and wishes to grow his business tenfold.
He is thankful to the Jamati institutions who gave him the opportunity to earn and lead an exemplary life. He reminds his community to remember that those who are physically sound but not participating in income-generating activities, never give up. “Courage, enthusiasm and inner strength defeat physical disabilities every time. I am living proof!”
Video at:
https://the.ismaili/our-stories/transfo ... rce=Direct
The Rays of Light Exhibition at the Shah Karim Hostel in Gilgit
The Ismaili Council for Gilgit hosted the Rays of Light exhibition that showcases Mawlana Hazar Imam’s life, vision and contributions towards uplifting the quality of life for individuals around the world.
Hafiz Hafeezur Rehman, Chief Minister Gilgit-Baltistan, graced the exhibition with his presence at the Shah Karim Hostel in Gilgit where he stated, “This exhibition has helped me understand and learn about the history of the development work done by Prince Karim Aga Khan. He has not only served the people living in this region but Muslims at-large. I congratulate the Ismaili Council in Gilgit-Baltistan for organising an informative exhibition.”
Traveling to Gilgit and far North, the exhibition was attended by government officials, the leadership of sister communities, media personalities and members of civil society who embraced the exhibition warm-heartedly.
Despite the weather conditions, with the temperature as low as zero degrees, the volunteers worked day and night to set up the exhibition for the Jamat. Salman Ayub, ROL lead for the Gilgit region, applauded the dedication of the volunteers by mentioning, “The volunteers collectively came together to set up the exhibition. Despite the rainfall, the exhibition was set up very quickly. The construction and transportation of thousands of artefacts in this weather was a challenge, but the volunteers worked tirelessly to make this event a success.”
Driven by the ethics of his faith and the Imam’s hereditary responsibility to improve the quality of life for his community, as well as for those amongst the wider community, the Aga Khan has been at the forefront of innovation in development for over 60 years. He is the Founder and Chairperson of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), one of the most comprehensive development networks in the world today. The AKDN operates in over 30 countries principally in Central and South Asia, Eastern and Western Africa and the Middle East.
Inaugurated in 2008, the exhibition, which has been viewed by over 300,000 people from around the world, features over 250 powerful visuals in an immersive, interactive multimedia format.
After a successful display in Hunza, the exhibition is now opened for the Jamat in the region of Gilgit. The exhibition will remain available till the 13th of December 2019.
Photos at:
https://the.ismaili/pakistan/rays-light ... tel-gilgit
The Ismaili Council for Gilgit hosted the Rays of Light exhibition that showcases Mawlana Hazar Imam’s life, vision and contributions towards uplifting the quality of life for individuals around the world.
Hafiz Hafeezur Rehman, Chief Minister Gilgit-Baltistan, graced the exhibition with his presence at the Shah Karim Hostel in Gilgit where he stated, “This exhibition has helped me understand and learn about the history of the development work done by Prince Karim Aga Khan. He has not only served the people living in this region but Muslims at-large. I congratulate the Ismaili Council in Gilgit-Baltistan for organising an informative exhibition.”
Traveling to Gilgit and far North, the exhibition was attended by government officials, the leadership of sister communities, media personalities and members of civil society who embraced the exhibition warm-heartedly.
Despite the weather conditions, with the temperature as low as zero degrees, the volunteers worked day and night to set up the exhibition for the Jamat. Salman Ayub, ROL lead for the Gilgit region, applauded the dedication of the volunteers by mentioning, “The volunteers collectively came together to set up the exhibition. Despite the rainfall, the exhibition was set up very quickly. The construction and transportation of thousands of artefacts in this weather was a challenge, but the volunteers worked tirelessly to make this event a success.”
Driven by the ethics of his faith and the Imam’s hereditary responsibility to improve the quality of life for his community, as well as for those amongst the wider community, the Aga Khan has been at the forefront of innovation in development for over 60 years. He is the Founder and Chairperson of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), one of the most comprehensive development networks in the world today. The AKDN operates in over 30 countries principally in Central and South Asia, Eastern and Western Africa and the Middle East.
Inaugurated in 2008, the exhibition, which has been viewed by over 300,000 people from around the world, features over 250 powerful visuals in an immersive, interactive multimedia format.
After a successful display in Hunza, the exhibition is now opened for the Jamat in the region of Gilgit. The exhibition will remain available till the 13th of December 2019.
Photos at:
https://the.ismaili/pakistan/rays-light ... tel-gilgit
The Aga Khan Trust for Culture in Pakistan
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IulV5rp7y_U
The projects of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture in Pakistan include landmark buildings that have stimulated economic development through tourism and training.
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IulV5rp7y_U
The projects of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture in Pakistan include landmark buildings that have stimulated economic development through tourism and training.
Meet the young Pakistani’s conserving Mughal heritage in Lahore
Architects, art historians, engineers, fine artists, chemists, conservators, and ceramists make up the constellation of skilled young people working for the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) on one of the largest restoration projects in Pakistan.
The 17th century Mughal-era Picture Wall in Lahore’s Walled City has been in a state of decay for over 100 years but thanks to the efforts of the Walled City of Lahore Authority, international donors and the infectious energy of this young team of conservators, the wall is being brought back from the brink.
The first phase of restoration of this UNESCO world heritage site - some 50 metres - was completed at the end of March 2019 and was inaugurated by Prime Minister Imran Khan. The remaining 400 metres of this awe-inspiring structure will take a further decade.
In this gallery, we meet the young Pakistanis who are conserving Mughal heritage in Lahore, and hear why they think this work is important.
Gallery at:
https://www.akdn.org/gallery/meet-young ... age-lahore
Architects, art historians, engineers, fine artists, chemists, conservators, and ceramists make up the constellation of skilled young people working for the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) on one of the largest restoration projects in Pakistan.
The 17th century Mughal-era Picture Wall in Lahore’s Walled City has been in a state of decay for over 100 years but thanks to the efforts of the Walled City of Lahore Authority, international donors and the infectious energy of this young team of conservators, the wall is being brought back from the brink.
The first phase of restoration of this UNESCO world heritage site - some 50 metres - was completed at the end of March 2019 and was inaugurated by Prime Minister Imran Khan. The remaining 400 metres of this awe-inspiring structure will take a further decade.
In this gallery, we meet the young Pakistanis who are conserving Mughal heritage in Lahore, and hear why they think this work is important.
Gallery at:
https://www.akdn.org/gallery/meet-young ... age-lahore
Clean water for Pakistan
Over half the population of Pakistan lack access to safe and clean water and have no choice but to consume water from whatever source exists in their villages, regardless of quality. The Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH) -- with the help of communities -- identifies water sources in the village, tests the water quality using its technical expertise, develops water infrastructure, constructs water reservoirs, and provides each family with a water tap in their home. More than 500,000 people across Pakistan now have access to safe drinking water in their homes through AKAH’s efforts.
This photo gallery depicts the existing infrastructure, which is largely based on a canal system that provides water from streams for cooking, household needs and irrigation, and AKAH’s work to improve the quality of life for villagers accustomed to unclean water sources.
AKAH’s flagship programme, the Water and Sanitation Extension Programme (WASEP), was initiated in 1997 with the aims of providing integrated water supply infrastructure services to local communities while helping prevent water-related diseases though improved hygiene and sanitation practices. The development of community capacity in the design and maintenance of these services is a key element of WASEP’s integrated approach. Communities also take the responsibility of the operation and maintenance of the scheme, and contribute to a fund for salaries of community scheme-based operators, health monitors, and spare parts.
AKAH’s WASEP model has won a number of prizes, including the DIABP Best Practices Transfers award, which was given for "tangible impact resulting from the transfer of one or more of the following: ideas, skills, processes, knowledge or expertise, and technology; changes in policies or practices and sustainability of the transfer as part of a continuous process of learning and change".
Gallery at:
https://www.akdn.org/gallery/use-water- ... een-spaces
*****
Water for well-being in the Broghil Valley, Pakistan
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcTfAigJUik
Over half the population of Pakistan lack access to safe and clean water and have no choice but to consume water from whatever source exists in their villages, regardless of quality. The Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH) -- with the help of communities -- identifies water sources in the village, tests the water quality using its technical expertise, develops water infrastructure, constructs water reservoirs, and provides each family with a water tap in their home. More than 500,000 people across Pakistan now have access to safe drinking water in their homes through AKAH’s efforts.
This photo gallery depicts the existing infrastructure, which is largely based on a canal system that provides water from streams for cooking, household needs and irrigation, and AKAH’s work to improve the quality of life for villagers accustomed to unclean water sources.
AKAH’s flagship programme, the Water and Sanitation Extension Programme (WASEP), was initiated in 1997 with the aims of providing integrated water supply infrastructure services to local communities while helping prevent water-related diseases though improved hygiene and sanitation practices. The development of community capacity in the design and maintenance of these services is a key element of WASEP’s integrated approach. Communities also take the responsibility of the operation and maintenance of the scheme, and contribute to a fund for salaries of community scheme-based operators, health monitors, and spare parts.
AKAH’s WASEP model has won a number of prizes, including the DIABP Best Practices Transfers award, which was given for "tangible impact resulting from the transfer of one or more of the following: ideas, skills, processes, knowledge or expertise, and technology; changes in policies or practices and sustainability of the transfer as part of a continuous process of learning and change".
Gallery at:
https://www.akdn.org/gallery/use-water- ... een-spaces
*****
Water for well-being in the Broghil Valley, Pakistan
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcTfAigJUik
Restoration of the Shah Burj Gate at Lahore Fort
The video outlines the painstaking steps taken to restore the Shah Burj Gate in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Lahore Fort, in Pakistan. The Gate, which forms part of the famous Picture Wall, was constructed by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in 1041 A.H. (1631-32) under the supervision of architect Abdul Karim Mamur Khan.
The Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) began the restoration of the Shah Burj Gate in June 2019, focusing on consolidating and enhancing the Kashikari work and the iconic Muqarnas located inside the deep-vaulted gateway. After the completion of a detailed documentation of existing conditions, the gate’s entire surface was cleaned. Restoration activities were prioritised to address issues such as structural consolidation, detachment of tile mosaics and loss of glaze. The work was completed in March 2020 by AKTC with the support of the Royal Norwegian Embassy and the Walled City of Lahore Authority. At the end of the video, the viewer will see a side by side “before and after” view of the restoration.
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAQCeABINYA
The video outlines the painstaking steps taken to restore the Shah Burj Gate in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Lahore Fort, in Pakistan. The Gate, which forms part of the famous Picture Wall, was constructed by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in 1041 A.H. (1631-32) under the supervision of architect Abdul Karim Mamur Khan.
The Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) began the restoration of the Shah Burj Gate in June 2019, focusing on consolidating and enhancing the Kashikari work and the iconic Muqarnas located inside the deep-vaulted gateway. After the completion of a detailed documentation of existing conditions, the gate’s entire surface was cleaned. Restoration activities were prioritised to address issues such as structural consolidation, detachment of tile mosaics and loss of glaze. The work was completed in March 2020 by AKTC with the support of the Royal Norwegian Embassy and the Walled City of Lahore Authority. At the end of the video, the viewer will see a side by side “before and after” view of the restoration.
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAQCeABINYA
Restoration of the Walled City of Lahore, Punjab (Pakistan)
As a masterpiece from the time of the brilliant Mughal civilization, which reached its height during the reign of the Emperor Shah Jahan, the Picture Wall is partly responsible for the Lahore Fort's UNESCO World Heritage listing in 1981.
However, the Picture Wall has suffered long periods of abandonment, improper use, and neglect, and past conservation efforts have left behind a host of problems and issues.
In 2017, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture's current conservation intervention on the Picture Wall started as a pioneering intervention. Due to the sensitivity of a World Heritage-listed site and the level of deterioration of the structures and decoration, it became evident that a set of criteria was necessary to maintain the site's authenticity. The proposed conservation methodologies involved minimal intervention.
Current conservation work employs a series of artisans specialized in traditional construction methods and introduces modern conservation practice to Pakistani conservators through training and capacity building by international experts.
Photos at:
https://the.ismaili/portugal/restoratio ... b-pakistan
As a masterpiece from the time of the brilliant Mughal civilization, which reached its height during the reign of the Emperor Shah Jahan, the Picture Wall is partly responsible for the Lahore Fort's UNESCO World Heritage listing in 1981.
However, the Picture Wall has suffered long periods of abandonment, improper use, and neglect, and past conservation efforts have left behind a host of problems and issues.
In 2017, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture's current conservation intervention on the Picture Wall started as a pioneering intervention. Due to the sensitivity of a World Heritage-listed site and the level of deterioration of the structures and decoration, it became evident that a set of criteria was necessary to maintain the site's authenticity. The proposed conservation methodologies involved minimal intervention.
Current conservation work employs a series of artisans specialized in traditional construction methods and introduces modern conservation practice to Pakistani conservators through training and capacity building by international experts.
Photos at:
https://the.ismaili/portugal/restoratio ... b-pakistan
Pursuing dreams on the roof of the world
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEtPXIF1ivg
Sadaqat aspires to become a writer. Although he suffers from a childhood impairment and the distance from his village to school is two kilometres, he does not allow his condition or the stretch of road to hinder him on the path to achieving his dream.
*****
Offering opportunities and transforming lives
The Ismaili Council for Pakistan's Socio-Economic Development Programme supports access to quality education, so that children like Sadaqat can achieve their dreams and empower their families.
“I want to be an author, so people can enjoy reading my stories,” said Sadaqat.
A resident of Reshit, Chipurson, 13-year-old Sadaqat studies at the Diamond Jubilee (DJ) School established in 1946. The school now teaches students from pre-primary to secondary school in English. About 150 students attend the school and almost half are girls. The building has a total of 11 classrooms and offers facilities including a library and a multi-purpose hall.
“Sadaqat is very competent compared to other children. He is consistent in his studies and never takes leave from school,” said Deedar Hussain, Head of the DJ School in Reshit.
sadaqat
Sadaqat studies at the Diamond Jubilee School established in 1946.
Reshit, situated in the Hunza District of Gilgit-Baltistan, is the oldest village of Chipurson, and known as the central village of Chipursan Valley. Occupying the area comprising the Northernmost part of Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan and China in the Wakhan corridor, the Chipurson Valley hosts over 500 households with an approximate population of 3,000.
Many of Reshit’s Wakhi-speaking residents rely on flocks of sheep, as well as herds of goats and yak, for sustenance. Due to extreme cold and heavy snowfall during the winter season, residents of the village stock up on household goods when life comes to a standstill.
However, as a farming community, and the only source of income for Sadaqat’s family, it was challenging for his parents to provide necessities and afford quality education for their children.
The Socio-Economic Development Programme (SEDP) is an initiative of the Ismaili Council for Pakistan, with a primary goal to improve the quality of life of remote communities in the mountainous regions of Pakistan. The aim is to uplift marginalised communities from the vicious, generational cycle of poverty and improve their overall socio-economic status by addressing issues like food and nutrition, health, education, youth development, income, and habitat.
One of the major components of SEDP is to support access to quality education, so that children like Sadaqat can achieve their dreams and empower their families. These programmes support children’s educational endeavours in public and private schools alike.
Furthermore, the sustenance support programme of the SEDP, caters to the basic requirements of marginalised families and provides them with the opportunities and prospects for a respectable life with confidence and dignity.
https://the.ismaili/global/news/communi ... ming-lives
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEtPXIF1ivg
Sadaqat aspires to become a writer. Although he suffers from a childhood impairment and the distance from his village to school is two kilometres, he does not allow his condition or the stretch of road to hinder him on the path to achieving his dream.
*****
Offering opportunities and transforming lives
The Ismaili Council for Pakistan's Socio-Economic Development Programme supports access to quality education, so that children like Sadaqat can achieve their dreams and empower their families.
“I want to be an author, so people can enjoy reading my stories,” said Sadaqat.
A resident of Reshit, Chipurson, 13-year-old Sadaqat studies at the Diamond Jubilee (DJ) School established in 1946. The school now teaches students from pre-primary to secondary school in English. About 150 students attend the school and almost half are girls. The building has a total of 11 classrooms and offers facilities including a library and a multi-purpose hall.
“Sadaqat is very competent compared to other children. He is consistent in his studies and never takes leave from school,” said Deedar Hussain, Head of the DJ School in Reshit.
sadaqat
Sadaqat studies at the Diamond Jubilee School established in 1946.
Reshit, situated in the Hunza District of Gilgit-Baltistan, is the oldest village of Chipurson, and known as the central village of Chipursan Valley. Occupying the area comprising the Northernmost part of Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan and China in the Wakhan corridor, the Chipurson Valley hosts over 500 households with an approximate population of 3,000.
Many of Reshit’s Wakhi-speaking residents rely on flocks of sheep, as well as herds of goats and yak, for sustenance. Due to extreme cold and heavy snowfall during the winter season, residents of the village stock up on household goods when life comes to a standstill.
However, as a farming community, and the only source of income for Sadaqat’s family, it was challenging for his parents to provide necessities and afford quality education for their children.
The Socio-Economic Development Programme (SEDP) is an initiative of the Ismaili Council for Pakistan, with a primary goal to improve the quality of life of remote communities in the mountainous regions of Pakistan. The aim is to uplift marginalised communities from the vicious, generational cycle of poverty and improve their overall socio-economic status by addressing issues like food and nutrition, health, education, youth development, income, and habitat.
One of the major components of SEDP is to support access to quality education, so that children like Sadaqat can achieve their dreams and empower their families. These programmes support children’s educational endeavours in public and private schools alike.
Furthermore, the sustenance support programme of the SEDP, caters to the basic requirements of marginalised families and provides them with the opportunities and prospects for a respectable life with confidence and dignity.
https://the.ismaili/global/news/communi ... ming-lives
Saving for generations to come
SEDP is an initiative of the Ismaili Council for Pakistan, with a primary goal to improve the quality of life of remote communities in the mountainous regions of Pakistan.
Sharifullah, of Immit in Ishkoman Valley, Gilgit-Baltistan, believes prosperity lies in saving for future generations. While working as a farmer, he barely earned enough to feed his family. With some assistance, Sharifullah and his family are now on a path to progress.
Immit, a picturesque valley in Gilgit-Baltistan is home to many ethnic groups living together peacefully. The snow capped mountains of Immit are known as the gateway to Yarkhun Valley of Chitral, where Rajahs once travelled on their journeys across Asia.
Due to the harsh climate, the local soils require labour-intensive work to become suitable for cultivation, and the low income earned from farming leaves little to no money to save, so Sharifullah began to look elsewhere for his livelihood.
Passionate about his dream, and with the help of the Socio Economic Development Programme (SEDP), Sharifullah received training in vehicle repair in Gilgit.
“With the support of SEDP, I purchased tools and built a bike repair workshop. They showed me the way and then I worked hard to achieve my goals,” he said.
Sharifullah
SEDP is an initiative of the Ismaili Council for Pakistan, with a primary goal to improve the quality of life of remote communities in the mountainous regions of Pakistan. The aim is to uplift marginalised communities from the vicious, generational cycle of poverty and improve their overall socio-economic status by addressing issues like food and nutrition, health, education, youth development, income, and habitat.
Skills development is a major component of SEDP to aid beneficiaries with marketable skills. SEDP provides formal and informal vocational training opportunities that include areas such as automotive and bike repair, cosmetology, carpentry, electrical training, hospitality/hotel management, midwifery, health, plumbing, and furniture making. The programme has an extensive impact not only on an individual’s income level, but also helps to increase access to quality education and health as well as an improved social status in society.
“Even if I can save 10 or 20 rupees a day, I will save it. I want my children and their children to have a bright future,” shared Sharifullah.
The sustenance support programme of the SEDP caters to the basic requirements of marginalised families and provides them with the opportunities and prospects for a respectable life with confidence and dignity.
Sharifullah can now earn enough to continue his mission of saving not only for himself but for future generations to come.
https://the.ismaili/global/news/communi ... tions-come
*********
Transforming Lives: Sharifullah - Saving for Generations to Come
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FO9k8vwGb4
SEDP is an initiative of the Ismaili Council for Pakistan, with a primary goal to improve the quality of life of remote communities in the mountainous regions of Pakistan.
Sharifullah, of Immit in Ishkoman Valley, Gilgit-Baltistan, believes prosperity lies in saving for future generations. While working as a farmer, he barely earned enough to feed his family. With some assistance, Sharifullah and his family are now on a path to progress.
Immit, a picturesque valley in Gilgit-Baltistan is home to many ethnic groups living together peacefully. The snow capped mountains of Immit are known as the gateway to Yarkhun Valley of Chitral, where Rajahs once travelled on their journeys across Asia.
Due to the harsh climate, the local soils require labour-intensive work to become suitable for cultivation, and the low income earned from farming leaves little to no money to save, so Sharifullah began to look elsewhere for his livelihood.
Passionate about his dream, and with the help of the Socio Economic Development Programme (SEDP), Sharifullah received training in vehicle repair in Gilgit.
“With the support of SEDP, I purchased tools and built a bike repair workshop. They showed me the way and then I worked hard to achieve my goals,” he said.
Sharifullah
SEDP is an initiative of the Ismaili Council for Pakistan, with a primary goal to improve the quality of life of remote communities in the mountainous regions of Pakistan. The aim is to uplift marginalised communities from the vicious, generational cycle of poverty and improve their overall socio-economic status by addressing issues like food and nutrition, health, education, youth development, income, and habitat.
Skills development is a major component of SEDP to aid beneficiaries with marketable skills. SEDP provides formal and informal vocational training opportunities that include areas such as automotive and bike repair, cosmetology, carpentry, electrical training, hospitality/hotel management, midwifery, health, plumbing, and furniture making. The programme has an extensive impact not only on an individual’s income level, but also helps to increase access to quality education and health as well as an improved social status in society.
“Even if I can save 10 or 20 rupees a day, I will save it. I want my children and their children to have a bright future,” shared Sharifullah.
The sustenance support programme of the SEDP caters to the basic requirements of marginalised families and provides them with the opportunities and prospects for a respectable life with confidence and dignity.
Sharifullah can now earn enough to continue his mission of saving not only for himself but for future generations to come.
https://the.ismaili/global/news/communi ... tions-come
*********
Transforming Lives: Sharifullah - Saving for Generations to Come
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FO9k8vwGb4
Evaluation & Feedback | Farhad Karamally
Video;
https://the.ismaili/pakistan/learning-r ... -karamally
Presented by Volunteer's Capacity Building Portfolio, Council for Pakistan
Video;
https://the.ismaili/pakistan/learning-r ... -karamally
Presented by Volunteer's Capacity Building Portfolio, Council for Pakistan
Harnessing and celebrating cultural heritage
Institutional initiatives in Pakistan are assisting the Jamat and the community to take pride in their shared legacy, while a focus on arts and culture is contributing towards improving quality of life.
“It is important that we commit ourselves ever more ardently to the essential work of cultural heritage as a powerful contributor to improving the quality of life for the entire human community,” stated Mawlana Hazar Imam in a speech at the 50th anniversary of ICOMOS, also known as the International Council on Monuments and Sites, in London in 2015.
In a world threatened by socioeconomic disparities, unprecedented disruptions, and conflicts, investments in the preservation of diverse traditions and cultural heritage can provide a prosperous and hopeful path towards progress. In the Islamic tradition, preserving cultural heritage is not perceived as a burden. Rather, it is cherished as a communal asset which allows us to adapt to modern trends while staying rooted in shared values.
Mawlana Hazar Imam has often presented cultural heritage as a developmental priority and therefore, it is reflected in the institutional initiatives of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) and Jamati institutions. The Aga Khan Music Programme for example, promotes talented musicians and music educators who strive to preserve, transmit, and further develop their musical heritage in contemporary forms.
The Leif Larsen Music Centre, located in Altit of the Gilgit Baltistan region in Pakistan, is a premier music centre where the Aga Khan Music Programme is working on the preservation, promotion, and reinvigoration of Central Asian music. Recently, the Leif Larsen Music Centre invited Mr Zia ul Karim, an expert in folk music, with strong national and international experience, to be a master musician and trainer. Mr Karim, who also performed at the reputable Coke Studio, is working in collaboration with other musicians to train 20 pupils, both girls and boys, to play various local instruments like the rubab, sitar, charda, xhighini, and percussion.
The Aga Khan Youth and Sports Board (AKYSB), through its local, regional, and national initiatives, is also providing a platform for the youth, particularly those from the remote areas of Pakistan, to develop empathy for local cultures. For instance, AKYSB recently led a heritage mapping exercise in Hunza to document the cultural heritage of the region and to identify new sacred and historical sites. Led by a diverse group of youth, all alumni of AKYSB’s programmes, the project not only enhanced the cultural sensitivity of participants, but also contributed towards promoting tourism in the region by celebrating local traditions.
Similarly, AKYSB Garden organised a virtual camp titled “Arte Para Todos – Art for Everyone” in August 2020. Engaging with 60 young participants, the camp explored diverse forms of art and music and encouraged Jamati youth to experience and appreciate the cultural diversity around them. The camp also focused on using art as a means to reflect and generate positivity, particularly during Covid-19. One of the participants explained, “This is the best thing that happened in lockdown, as the camp was full of learning experiences. It helped me understand how I can contribute to society with the help of art.”
The success of AKYSB’s programmes depend on regional and local teams that include youth who possess a strong civic sense and eagerness to contribute towards community initiatives on arts and culture. One example is Aisar Ahmad from Gurunjur, a remote valley in Ishkoman Puniyal of Gilgit Baltistan, who was shortlisted as a Jubilee Arts national finalist in 2018. Benefitting from the knowledge acquired during that time, Aisar initiated a local group titled “Mountain Art” which works closely with the local AKYSB to arrange art camps and inspire the youth in his region to pursue their passion in various art forms.
Muhammad Arif from Gilgit Baltistan, has an ardour for music that led him to pursue a three-year diploma in vocals from the National Academy of Performing Arts in Karachi. He later went on to receive an undergraduate degree in music from the National College of Arts in Lahore.
Leveraging his professional expertise, Muhammad has led several sessions and music camps on the importance of music and arts in the Ishkoman Puniyal and Gupis Yasin regions. He shared that, “My musical journey so far has made me believe that if we love what we do and share it with others, it will create a circle of inspiration that positively affects people around us, irrespective of their caste, colour, religion, and beliefs.”
https://the.ismaili/global/news/communi ... l-heritage
Institutional initiatives in Pakistan are assisting the Jamat and the community to take pride in their shared legacy, while a focus on arts and culture is contributing towards improving quality of life.
“It is important that we commit ourselves ever more ardently to the essential work of cultural heritage as a powerful contributor to improving the quality of life for the entire human community,” stated Mawlana Hazar Imam in a speech at the 50th anniversary of ICOMOS, also known as the International Council on Monuments and Sites, in London in 2015.
In a world threatened by socioeconomic disparities, unprecedented disruptions, and conflicts, investments in the preservation of diverse traditions and cultural heritage can provide a prosperous and hopeful path towards progress. In the Islamic tradition, preserving cultural heritage is not perceived as a burden. Rather, it is cherished as a communal asset which allows us to adapt to modern trends while staying rooted in shared values.
Mawlana Hazar Imam has often presented cultural heritage as a developmental priority and therefore, it is reflected in the institutional initiatives of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) and Jamati institutions. The Aga Khan Music Programme for example, promotes talented musicians and music educators who strive to preserve, transmit, and further develop their musical heritage in contemporary forms.
The Leif Larsen Music Centre, located in Altit of the Gilgit Baltistan region in Pakistan, is a premier music centre where the Aga Khan Music Programme is working on the preservation, promotion, and reinvigoration of Central Asian music. Recently, the Leif Larsen Music Centre invited Mr Zia ul Karim, an expert in folk music, with strong national and international experience, to be a master musician and trainer. Mr Karim, who also performed at the reputable Coke Studio, is working in collaboration with other musicians to train 20 pupils, both girls and boys, to play various local instruments like the rubab, sitar, charda, xhighini, and percussion.
The Aga Khan Youth and Sports Board (AKYSB), through its local, regional, and national initiatives, is also providing a platform for the youth, particularly those from the remote areas of Pakistan, to develop empathy for local cultures. For instance, AKYSB recently led a heritage mapping exercise in Hunza to document the cultural heritage of the region and to identify new sacred and historical sites. Led by a diverse group of youth, all alumni of AKYSB’s programmes, the project not only enhanced the cultural sensitivity of participants, but also contributed towards promoting tourism in the region by celebrating local traditions.
Similarly, AKYSB Garden organised a virtual camp titled “Arte Para Todos – Art for Everyone” in August 2020. Engaging with 60 young participants, the camp explored diverse forms of art and music and encouraged Jamati youth to experience and appreciate the cultural diversity around them. The camp also focused on using art as a means to reflect and generate positivity, particularly during Covid-19. One of the participants explained, “This is the best thing that happened in lockdown, as the camp was full of learning experiences. It helped me understand how I can contribute to society with the help of art.”
The success of AKYSB’s programmes depend on regional and local teams that include youth who possess a strong civic sense and eagerness to contribute towards community initiatives on arts and culture. One example is Aisar Ahmad from Gurunjur, a remote valley in Ishkoman Puniyal of Gilgit Baltistan, who was shortlisted as a Jubilee Arts national finalist in 2018. Benefitting from the knowledge acquired during that time, Aisar initiated a local group titled “Mountain Art” which works closely with the local AKYSB to arrange art camps and inspire the youth in his region to pursue their passion in various art forms.
Muhammad Arif from Gilgit Baltistan, has an ardour for music that led him to pursue a three-year diploma in vocals from the National Academy of Performing Arts in Karachi. He later went on to receive an undergraduate degree in music from the National College of Arts in Lahore.
Leveraging his professional expertise, Muhammad has led several sessions and music camps on the importance of music and arts in the Ishkoman Puniyal and Gupis Yasin regions. He shared that, “My musical journey so far has made me believe that if we love what we do and share it with others, it will create a circle of inspiration that positively affects people around us, irrespective of their caste, colour, religion, and beliefs.”
https://the.ismaili/global/news/communi ... l-heritage