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Medal Recipient: His Highness, the Aga Khan His Highness the Aga Khan became Imam (spiritual leader) of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims on July 11, 1957 at the age of 20, succeeding his grandfather, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan. He is the 49th hereditary Imam of the Ismaili Community and a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) through his cousin and son-in-law, Ali, the first Imam, and his wife Fatima, the Prophet’s daughter. In the late-nineteenth century, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah created a number of agencies to meet the social and economic needs of the Community in South Asia and East Africa. Over the last four and a half decades, the present Aga Khan has expanded the scope and geographical reach of these agencies and brought them together as the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN). The AKDN works for the common good of all citizens regardless of their origin, gender or religious affiliation. It has become one of the largest private development organisations in the world. The AKDN’s mission is to improve living conditions and opportunities in poor regions of the developing world, specifically in sub-Saharan Africa, South and Central Asia and the Middle East. Its approach is multi-faceted, encompassing economic, social and cultural initiatives, and includes the mobilisation and participation of volunteers. Its efforts may include education and skills training, health and public services, conservation and revitalisation of cultural heritage, infrastructure development, urban planning and rehabilitation, rural development, water and energy management and environmental control. AKDN’s approach also features a long-term engagement with programmes in ways that allow local organisations to gain the experience and confidence they need to become self-reliant. Many of these efforts attempt to address the feelings of subordination and vulnerability among people in the developing world – a sense that they are victims of an economic and cultural globalisation in which they cannot be full partners but from which they cannot remain apart. Development efforts as varied as microfinance and the restoration of cultural landmarks therefore work to restore hope and dignity in communities where decline was once considered inevitable. The promotion of pluralism and the strengthening of civil society are two other critical aspects of the Aga Khan’s work. He has often spoken of the need for pluralism as both a precondition for successful development and a way of building trust between communities that are ignorant of each other. A new initiative to establish a Global Centre for Pluralism is an attempt to ameliorate this dangerous “clash of ignorance”. He has also expressed his hope that in the near future, new or expanded civil society organisations ranging from universities to village organisations will assist the developing world build confident, self-reliant societies. Philanthropy can play an important part in assisting these nations, and the Muslim ummah in particular, establish a new era of flourishing economies, progressive legal and political systems and institutions of higher education that are on the frontiers of research and knowledge. Press Contact: Semin Abdulla |
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