The Heritage Timeline 2002


Hazar Imam Portrait





MUSEVENI, AGA KHAN IN TALKS

2002, December 11: New Vision, Uganda: "PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni yesterday held talks with His Highness, the Aga Khan, who paid a courtesy call on him at the Imperial Botanical Beach Hotel in Entebbe. [More w/photo]


TERRORISM, DRUG THREAT TO BE DISCUSSED IN FRANCE, TAJIK PRESIDENT SAYS.

2002, December 4: Asia-Plus news agency, Dushanbe: "We commend the level of cooperation with France, but I think that it is time to give our relations a new impetus," Tajik President Emomali Rahmonov said in an interview with an Asia-Plus correspondent aboard the aircraft on the way to France yesterday... The Asia-Plus correspondent says that an hour after his arrival in Paris, Emomali Rahmonov flew to the town of Aiglemont to meet Prince Aga Khan IV. [More]


LE DEVELOPPEMENT DURABLE, UNE NOTION PERVERTIE.

2002, December: Le monde diplomatique - Le Sommet mondial sur le développement durable, organisé par les Nations unies à Johannesburg (Afrique du Sud) fin août 2002, a mis en lumière les limites de ce concept. [More]


PAKISTAN: WATER CHANNEL GIVES NEW LIFE TO BUNJI VILLAGERS

2002, November 29: IRIN News - PAKISTAN: Water channel gives new life to Bunji villagers.Hundreds of villagers in a remote part of Pakistan's Northern Areas will soon be self-sufficient thanks to an irrigation project by the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP). "The government tried to build a water channel there, but it didn't last, and we were desperate to build another one," father-of-six Salahuddin told IRIN in Bunji, located in the Astor Valley, some 55 km south of Gilgit, the administrative capital of the Northern Areas. "There are very little jobs here, so this will be good for me and my family," he said. "The channel will give these people a new lease of life," the AKRSP manager of the Astor Valley, Raja Safdar Khan, told IRIN in Bunji. [More]


UPE DEPENDS ON TEACHING SKILLS

2002, November 25: Kampala, Uganda. Learning never ends. Those Universal Primary Education (UPE) teachers who thought they had reached that stage where nobody will ever instruct them in class again must now be cursing their days. According to Dr. Stephen Anderson, UPE's destiny depends on the teachers' ability to acquire new skills. The academic who is an education consultant with the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) says the teachers need to continue learning and improving. [New Vision]


AKDN INITIATES US$25 MILLION KABUL HOTEL PROJECT

2002, November 20: Kabul, Afghanistan - Prince Amyn Aga Khan, younger brother of His Highness the Aga Khan, today announced a substantial investment by the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED) to initiate tourism, commercial and urban redevelopment in the capital of Afghanistan through the establishment of a world-class hotel in the centre of Kabul. [Press Release] [The Nation] [Daily Times]


FOR THE AGA KHAN, BUILDINGS ARE BRIDGES

2002, November 18: Dana Micucci write: "The instability that we see around the world, from Afghanistan to Central Europe, is a consequence of the rejection of cultural pluralism," said the Aga Khan, a man who knows a great deal about cultural pluralism. He blames that rejection on the enormous gulf of knowledge between the Islamic and the non-Islamic world, a situation that, he said, leaves him deeply saddened. [New York Times]


IMPROVING SCHOOLS THROUGH TEACHER DEVELOPMENT

2002, November 15:Kampala - New Vision: EXAMPLES of excellent students, excellent teachers, and excellent schools can be found worldwide. The challenge for public education, however, is to create school systems where all children experience success; where all teachers have the capacity for excellence and where the evidence of school-wide effectiveness is not limited to a few exemplary schools. To make this happen, educators, policy makers, researchers, and others with a keen interest in improving the quality of education need to pay attention to what can be learned from past experiences about effective ways to organise and deliver high quality teaching and learning. This is the intention of a newly published book about the Aga Khan Foundation-sponsored school improvement projects in East Africa. The book, entitled Improving Schools Through Teacher Development: Case Studies of the Aga Khan Foundation Projects in East Africa (Swets & Zeitlinger Publishers, 2002) is edited by Dr. Stephen Anderson of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto.. [New Vision]


AKU ALLOWED TO ESTABLISHED EXAMINATION BOARD

2002, November 8: ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - President Pervez Musharraf on Friday promulgated Aga Khan University Examination Board Ordinance 2002 to establish an examination board under government's policy to encourage public-private partnership... The ordinance said that it was desirable in the national interest to aspire to standards of excellence in the field of education, and the government considers important to offer the people of Pakistan more educational options and to improve school examinations. It said that the Agha Khan university was committed to the improvement of education in Pakistan and abroad, and has already established a medical college, school of nursing, and an institute of educational development in Pakistan, an institute of the study of Muslim civilizations in the UK. Also, it is in the process of establishing a faculty of arts and science in Karachi as well as medical, nursing, and education programmes in East Africa, Afghanistan, Syria, and Central Asia. Therefore, it has requisite, insight, and experience in the provision of education, the ordinance said. . [DAWN]


AGA KHAN WANTS TO REACTIVATE TEXLOM

2002, November 8: Maputo, Mozambique - The Paris-based Aga Khan Network is considering reviving the giant Mozambican textile company Texlom, in the southern city of Matola.Texlom, which once employed 3,000 workers, has been paralysed for the past four years, and was declared bankrupt in 2001. A Mozambican government source told AIM that an Aga-Khan mission, headed by Nazim Ahmad, visited Maputo in October to contact the Mozambican authorities and study the possibility of rehabilitating the factory. Accompanied by Trade and Industry Minister Carlos Morgado, the delegation visited the factory, where it held a meeting with officials from various sectors of the Mozambican economy, including the Investment Promotion Centre (CPI), the Mozambique Cotton Institute (IAM), the Customs Services, and the factory's management commission. [AIM]


WORLD ISMAILI LEADER IN KABUL

2002, November 4: Kabul, Afghanistan. H.H. The Aga Khan arrived on November 3rd late afternoon at Kabul Airport where he was welcomed by officials, including Mir Wais Zahir, the son of the King Mohammad Zahir Shah. Mukhi-Kamadia and various Ismaili institutional leaders also were present at the arrival. The Jamat was waiting on the sidewalk of the road leading from the airport to the city, and the Imam was very happy. Chairman Hamed Karzai met Prince Karim Aga Khan IV in Golkhana Palace [Photo] this afternoon when the independent commission for drafting the constitution was officially inaugurated by His Majesty Mohammad Zaher Shah, father of the nation. November 4th The Imam gave a Mulakat of an hour to an Ismaili delegation of about 500 people of his community in Kabul. His Farman was translated simultaneously in Dari. "The Imamat will work closely with you," the Aga Khan told community leaders, "to establish high quality schools and healthcare facilities for all Afghans, whatever their religious tradition or ethnic background, and to create strong institutional capacity to enable the rebuilding of a peaceful and united Afghanistan." [Afghan Radio] [More BBC Monitoring] [Bakhtar News Agency] [Daily Nation] [The Dawn] [The Dawn] [The News]


TAJIK-AFGHAN BRIDGE GIVES KABUL NEW TRADE ROUTE

2002, November 3: DUSHANBE, Nov 3 (Reuters) - The Central Asian state of Tajikistan opened a bridge on Sunday that provides a new route for vehicles carrying humanitarian aid and goods in and out of war-ravaged Afghanistan. The bridge, opened by Tajik President Imomali Rakhmonov and Prince Aga Khan IV, leader of Shi'ite Ismaili Muslims, is the first vehicle bridge spanning the Pyandzh river between the countries. Vehicles can now be driven from the Afghan capital Kabul through north-eastern Afghanistan to Khorog in Tajikistan, then on to Kyrgyzstan and Russia. "The opening of this new bridge is a significant step forward," the prince, who represents more than 20 million Ismailis around the world, told Reuters in Dushanbe on Saturday, before leaving for the bridge. [Reuters] [Testimony] [Tajik Television] [BBC] [BBC2] [AKDN] [IRIN] [Tajik TV] [Jang]
Photo Tajik Bridge: [Large photo 452k] [Smaller different Photo 116k] [Opening photos]


WORLD ISMAILI LEADER TO ARRIVE IN TAJIKISTAN, OPEN BRIDGE ON AFGHAN BORDER

2002, November 1: Asia-Plus news agency, Dushanbe. Prince Aga Khan, Rahmonov and members of an Afghan delegation led by the special envoy of the chairman of the transitional government, Public Works Minister Dr Abdollah Ali, will attend the opening ceremony of a bridge across the River Panj in Tem village in the region's Shughnon District on 3 November. [More] [BBC Monitoring] [AFP]


BISHKEK WRAP-UP

2002, November 1: Bishkek, Kirgystan. The meeting of Kyrgyz President Askar Akaev with Prince Aga Khan was held in the Government House. The Aga Khan Trust for Culture launched the Music Initiative in Central Asia. Inauguration of the Aga Khan School was held in southern capital of Kyrgyzstan. H.H. The Aga Khan said that Kyrgyzstan might be unique in the sphere of tourism in Central Asia. According to Prince Aga Khan, his organization intends to start implementation of a programme in Alai and Chon-Alai regions of Osh province. [More from Kabar News] [BBC Monitoring] [Photo] [The News Nov.3] [IRINN 5 Nov.] [More photos]


H.H. THE AGA KHAN MEETS PRESIDENT NAZARBAEV OF KAZAKHSTAN

2002, November 1: Bishkek, November 1. (KABAR). President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbaev arrived in Kyrggyzstan to participate in the work of the Bishkek Global Mountain Summit. According to the press service of the Kyrgyz Government, the leader of Kazakhstan intends to have dinner with President of the Kyrgyz Republic Askar Akaev and to meet with His Highness Aga Khan. [More w/photo]


KEYNOTE SPEECH AT THE BISHKEK GLOBAL MOUNTAIN SUMMIT

2002, October 31: Bishkek - at 10 AM a Keynote Speech was given by H.H. The Aga Khan on "Building partnerships for sustainable mountain development. According to Kabar News, "The work of the Bishkek Global Mountain Summit is continued at the plenary meeting in the Government House. After the speech of His Highness Aga Khan, Chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network, many participants of the programme “International Partnership for Sustainable Development of Mountain Regions” expressed their opinions on significance of partnership for mountain regions in the modern world. Representatives of UNESCO, UNEP, FAO, ICIMOD touched upon various aspects for necessary partnership." [More] [Speech]


COOPERATION AGREEMENT

2002, October 31: Bishkek, October 31. (KABAR). The meeting of Kyrgyz President Askar Akaev with Prince Aga Khan was held in the Government House. In the course of the meeting, an Agreement on Economic Development between the Kyrgyz Republic and Aga Khan Fund is signed by Finance Minister of Kyrgyzstan Bolot Abildaev and Director of the Aga Khan Fund Yen Chein. In words of A. Akaev, this agreement is a fundamental for further cooperation between Kyrgyzstan and Aga Khan Fund. [More] [AKDN]


KYRGYZ OFFICIALS MEET GUESTS OF THE MOUNTAIN SUMMIT

2002, October30: Eurasianet: Speaker of the lower parliamentary chamber, the Legislative Assembly, Abdygany Erkebaev received in Bishkek on 30 October Prince Agha-Khan the Fourth, leader of the world Ismailits, discussing possible help from the Agha Khan Foundation to mountainous regions of Kyrgyzstan. [More Eurasianet] [Kabar News1] [Kabar News 2] [Update]


JAPAN TO GRANT Rs4.5m FOR WATER CHANNEL

2002, Ocobre 25: Japan to grant Rs4.5m for water channel: GILGIT, Oct 25: The Japanese government will grant Rs4.5m for construction of a water channel at Khudabad, upper Hunza. The channel, after its completion, will irrigate over 1500 kanals of barren land. This was announced by a 4-member Japanese delegation that visited Khudabad and Nagar areas to examine various ongoing development projects undertaken by the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP), the other day in Hunza. The funding for this project would be made through AKRSP, which would supervise the work on channel in collaboration with the community leaders, Dr Farman Ali, the regional program manager of AKRSP for Gilgit region said. The Japanese delegation also lauded the development schemes executed by the AKRSP in Hunza, Nagar and Gojal valleys. [Dawn: http://www.dawn.com/2002/10/26/nat27.htm]


AFGHANISTAN BRIDGE

2002, October 23: Relief Web: Construction of the first motor bridge across the Pyanj River, which will connect Tajik and Afghan Badakhshan in the point Tem in Khorog town, is under its way. Its completion is scheduled for 28 of October 2002. Parallel construction of the premises for border guard, custom and veterinary services is being conducted. This operation is financed by MSDSP/AKF and is aimed at facilitating the transportation of humanitarian cargoes and materials to Afghanistan.


AKHS TO PROVIDE HEALTH SERVICES

2002, October 14: Nairobi (The East African) : AGA KHAN Health Services, Tanzania, has started to provide high quality healthcare services to the members of the newly formed Tanzania National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) in an agreement reached in Dar es Salaam last month. The move will see NHIF members receiving high standards of care from AKHS health facilities in six centres where the AKHS runs hospitals. [More]


AFGHANISTAN: 16th CENTURY HISTORICAL SITE UNDER REHABILITATION

2002, October 14:Kabul (IRIN) : Work has begun to rehabilitate and preserve one of Afghanistan's most historical sites to its original splendour. The tomb of the 16th century Mogul emperor, Babur, and the grounds surrounding it in the Afghan capital Kabul, are to be restored to their former glory by Afghans themselves, with help from the Aga Khan Foundation and the United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP) Recovery and Employment Afghanistan Programme (REAP), funded by the Japanese government. [More from IRIN]


AGA KHAN PROPOSAL A BOON FOR TORONTO

2002, October 10: In what something of a major coup, Toronto has landed an exciting cultural and intellectual investment — what has been called an educational and cultural complex "of international pre-eminence" in the Western world. This is the plan by the Aga Khan Development Network to build a concentration of resources in humanities and human development, incorporating education and medicine, in Toronto, on a 7-hectare site adjacent to the proposed Ismaili Centre, which is to be the largest such centre in the English-speaking world. [The Toronto Star] [Globe And Mail] [The Independant: The Aga Khan - A near Myth] [Ottawa Citizen 10 Oct.] [Ottawa Citizen 12 Oct.]


Rs. 8.5m FOR WATER CHANNEL APPROVED [AKRSP]

2002, October 9: SKARDU (APP): October 9, 2002: A sum of Rs. 8.5 million has been provided to set up a water channel in order to supply contamination-free water to the residents of Saksa, a locality in Skardu district by Aga Khan Rulal support programme (AKRSP), AKRSP sources told APP here. The sources said the scheme was launched some twenty years back which was stopped due to some political wrangling and now all the bottlenecks have been removed. The water channel has the potential to irrigate thousands of barren land. The work on this project has been started and hoped that it would be completed within stipulated time, the sources said. [The Frontier Post, Pakistan]


AGA KHAN PLANS ISLAMIC ART MUSEUM IN TORONTO

2002, October 9: TORONTO (Reuters) - The Aga Khan, the billionaire spiritual leader of the world's 15 million Ismaili Muslims, will build the English-speaking world's biggest Islamic art museum and cultural center in Toronto after plans to buy a site in London failed, a spokesman said on Tuesday. The Aga Khan Development Network, one of the charitable institutions and businesses headed by the Aga Khan, said the museum would house artifacts from renowned private collections including those of the Aga Khan and of the Institute of Ismaili Studies in London. [More Reuters] [Canada Newswire] [Times] [Independent UK] [China Daily] [National Post] [AKDN Press Release] [Globe And Mail] [CNW]


WORLD BANK TO FUND ENERGY INDUSTRY IN TAJIK MOUNTAINS

2002, October 8: Washington, 8 October: The World Bank has decided to support the development of power engineering in one of the world's regions most difficult of access, Tajikistan's Mountainous Badakhshon Autonomous Region. The World Bank daughter organization, International Financial Corporation, and the Aga Khan Foundation have agreed to invest about 8m dollars each in the new Pamir Energy Company, which will control the power stations and distribution networks that exist in the region. It will also complete the construction of the Pamir-1 hydropower station near Khorugh and double its capacity from 14 to 28 MW. [More Itarr/Tass] [AKDN] [Daily Nation]


AFGHANISTAN LICENSES SECOND GSM NETWORK

2002, October 5: KABUL (Reuters) - Afghanistan ( news - web sites) has licensed an international consortium led by the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED) to set up its second mobile phone network, the fund said in a statement on Saturday. The Geneva-based AKFED said it had a 51 percent stake in the project, while Monaco Telecom International (MTI) will hold 35 percent of the equity, U.S.-based MCT Corp nine percent and French telecoms giant Alcatel five percent. [More Reuters] [AFP] [Press Release]


AGA KHAN PROJECT DONATES Sh4m TO MOMBASA PROJECTS

2002, October 3: The Daily Nation (Nairobi). Thirteen selected projects in Mombasa yesterday benefited from a Sh4 million community relations programme launched by the Tsavo Power Company. Beneficiaries included the Bombolulu Centre for the Physically Handicapped, which received Sh488,000, Ziwani School for the Deaf and the Likoni School for the Blind (Sh468,000 each). The Nuru Community Based Rehabilitation School in Changamwe, the Bamako, Initiative Project in Chaani, the Likoni Aids Orphanage, the Noor Islamic Orphanage, Kenya Sickle Cell Foundation and the Coast People Living with Aids Association, which received Sh234,000 each. [More]


H.H. THE AGA KHAN IN TORONTO

2002, September 29: Mowlana Shah Karim attended the Canadian International at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Canada. His horse Alasha trained by Sir Michael Stoute and jockey Johnny Murtagh raced at 2:26 PM and came in second in the Taylor Stakes. At the finish of the mile and one-quarter classic, contested over a turf course listed as yielding, Fraulein and red-hot jockey Kevin Darley prevailed by one length over a closing Alasha. From Woodbine, Mowlana Shah Karim went to visit the site of the proposed high profile Jamatkhana. [Photos]


A MUGHAL SPLENDOR REGAINED

2002, September 29: New York Time. n packed, polluted and noisy New Delhi, the tranquil, sweet-scented oasis of Humayun's tomb is still remarkably empty, even desolate at times. "For reasons I don't understand, Humayun's tomb has always been overlooked", said Tom Kessinger, general manager of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, which funded the garden's $650,000 restoration. "It's the insiders' best-kept secret in historical and architectural terms". That may soon change. The restoration of the garden, itself a monumental task, will be completed by year's end. Summer monsoon rains will drench the spindly, newly planted lemon and mango saplings, the hibiscus and the jasmine cuttings, and make them grow. By December, for the first time in four centuries, water will again flow at a stately pace through a system of hand-chiseled sandstone channels and gurgle from fountains at the center of the garden's square pools. The flowing water seems certain to bring not just life to the garden, but people, too. [More]


ISLAMIC SPIRITUAL LEADER VISIT MIT TO LAUNCH WEB SITE

2002, September 28:Boston Globe. The Aga Khan, spiritual leader of the Ismaili Muslims, spoke at MIT's Media Laboratory with the presidents of Harvard and MIT at the debut of ArchNet. With just a personal computer and Internet connection, scholars, students and professionals in the developing world will have access to a Web site with more than 600,000 images, and 6,000 members in 110 countries. ''Historically, the Islamic world has stood out in the area of design, but if you look at higher education in the Islamic world,'' there are problems, the Aga Khan said. ''This is a historically powerful tool usable on a global scale, a living encyclopedia of knowledge and ideas, of peoples and cultures.'' . [PR News] [Boston Globe] [MIT NEWS] [Harvard Crimson w/photo] [AKDN Press release] [More Photos] [Dawn - Pakistan] [Coasweek - Kenya] [Harvard Gazette w/photo]


AGA KHAN, MIT, HARVARD TO LAUNCH ARCHITECTURAL WEB SITE

2002, September 25:Boston Globe. An Islamic spiritual leader has united with Harvard, MIT and six Middle Eastern universities to create a Web site its creators hope will advance architecture throughout the Islamic world. The Aga Khan, spiritual leader of the Ismaili Muslims, also hopes to link war-torn places such as Sarajevo and Kabul to the Web, empower women and foster East-West dialogue through the site, which took four years to create. The site, Archnet.org, includes 600,000 archived images, counts 6,000 members in 110 countries and links architecture schools around the world, eliminating the need for education centers in the developing world to build big libraries. The site officially will be debuted Friday at a ceremony with the Aga Khan and the presidents of Harvard and MIT. [More AP] [Borneo Bulletin]


SUPPORTING INNOVATION IN AFGHANISTAN - THE EXPERIENCE OF THE AKDN

2002, September: Synergos.org. The fall of the Taliban in Afghanistan opened up myriad opportunities to redevelop the social and physical infrastructure of this devastated country. A major player in its rehabilitation is the Aga Khan Development Network, an entity so large, multifaceted and influential that in some countries it has its own embassy and diplomatic status. Its mission is straightforward: "To develop and promote creative solutions to problems that impede social development, primarily in Asia and East Africa." Headquartered in Gouvieux, France, and comprising a set of specialized developmental agencies, the AKDN has branches and independent affiliates in 12 countries. AKDN is headed byPrince Karim Aga Khan, one of the world's most prominent philanthropists. In 1956, when he was just 20, he became the leader of the 15 million Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims who live in 25 countries in East Africa and Central and South Asia. [More]


NEW UNIVERSITY HOLDS GRADUATION

2002, September 21: The Saturday Nation (Nairobi). The Aga Khan University in Uganda held its first graduation ceremony in Kampala yesterday. Fifty seven nurses, teachers and school administrators received certificates and diplomas, including two Master of Education degrees after completing special studies at The Aga Khan University in Pakistan. Addressing the graduates and guests, Uganda's Minister in Charge of the Presidency, Prof Gilbert Bukenya, said the graduation was an important milestone in the government’s efforts to upgrade the quality of health care and education. Prof Bukenya, who was the chief guest, said: "The future growth of our country is linked to the development of our human resources. Uganda needs educated, committed and caring nurses and teachers to ensure healthy bodies and healthy minds in all our citizens." Aga Khan University President Shamsh Kassim-Lakha said nurse and teacher education programmes established in Uganda last year were regional initiatives aimed at developing skills and career advancement opportunities for professionals in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. [More w/photo] [New Vision] [AKU w/speech by Dr Shams Lakha]


THE AGA KHAN UNIVERSITY IN UGANDA YESTERDAY HELD ITS FIRST GRADUATION CEREMONY

2002, September 19: The Monitor (Kampala). Margaret Mukobe and Samuel Musoke were awarded Masters degrees in education from Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan. Three nurses were awarded diplomas for an advanced nursing studies programme while 52 others received certificates in education for enhancement of Universal Primary Education and education management. Minister for the presidency Gilbert Bukenya who was the guest of honour hailed the university for the nursing programme. [More]


PRINZESSIN MIT HERZ FUR DIE WAISENKINDER DER WELT

2002, September 18: Berliner Morgenpost. Als sie im Berufsausbildungszentrum der SOS-Kinderdörfer in den Osramhöfen (Wedding) hinter das Rednerpult trat, sprach sie nur wenige Sätze. Dann konnte sie die Tränen schon kaum noch zurückhalten. «Es ist außerordentlich wichtig, den traumatisierten Kindern dieser Welt eine Dorfgemeinschaft, Brüder und Schwestern zu geben», sagte Prinzessin Salimah Aga Khan, Ex-Frau des Aga Khan, des Oberhaupts der schiitischen Glaubensgemeinschaft der Ismailiten. [More]


PLURALISM KEY TO PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT

2002, September 10: The Nation - Nairobi. Addressing an international gathering of some 1,800 in the presence of Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands, he (The Aga Khan) sounded caution about the consequences of "the present level of global cultural ignorance – particularly so in the number of functioning democracies where an informed public plays a central role." [The Nation] [Speech] [AKDN Press release] [East African Standard]


AGA KHAN TO SPEND Sh2.46b IN PROJECT

2002, September 7: The Nation, Nairobi - Aga Khan to spend Sh2.46b in project / The Aga Khan Health Services will spend Sh2.46 billion in the next three years to upgrade its hospitals in Nairobi, Mombasa and Dar es Salaam. The $33 million investment in infrastructure and technology development aims at improving professional and academic activities. It had earlier been erroneously reported that Sh264 million would be spent in the project instead of Sh2.46 billion. [source: http://www.nationaudio.com/News/ DailyNation/Today/News/News70.html]


ELECTRICITY GENERATION PLANT MEETS OUTPUT TARGET

2002, September 5: Daily Nation (Nairobi) - The Tsavo project was the single largest foreign direct investment in the country in the recent past and was completed ahead of schedule. It was the first open bid project-financed Independent Power Producer (IPP). Industrial Promotion Services (Kenya) Ltd (IPS), an affiliate of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED) and Cinergy Global Power Inc of US are the largest investors through a joint venture in the Tsavo Power Company at 49.9 per cent. [More]


THE LAST WORD: SADRUDDIN AGA KHAN

2002, September 2: Newsweek International - Calling for Conservation — Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan doesn’t look much like a fire-breathing ecowarrior. With an Iranian passport, an American education, a Geneva address and a long career as a U.N. diplomat, he’s not the sort of man one expects to rage about man’s inhumanity, the spooky power of multinational corporations or the toothlessness of many U.N. institutions. But he does. [Interview by Carla Power]


LA BIBLIOTHEQUE ASSASSINÉE

2002, Septembre 1: L'Actualité - Article de Yves Starvridès - En détruisant au lance-roquettes la bibliothèque Nasser Khosrow, les talibans ont effacé des pans entiers de la culture persane. Pour la reconstruire, son directeur compte sur les intellectuels occidentaux. C'était une des plus belles bibliothèques publiques d'Afghanistan. Peut-être même la plus belle. Avec ses 55 000 volumes, elle était le joyau de la Fondation Nasser Khosrow: des manuscrits vieux de 10 siècles y côtoyaient Kant. En août 1998, les talibans ont brûlé la totalité du fonds. About the Taliban burning in 1998 one of the most beautiful library of Afghanistan and its 55,000 volumes including oldest and most precious Ismaili and Quran manuscripts [Article]


CHANGE IN ATTITUDE TOWARDS WOMEN'S EDUCATION WELCOMED

2002, August 28: Dawn - Peshawar. NWFP Governor Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah on Tuesday welcomed a change in the behaviour of people who are demanding education for their daughters. "The story in the NWFP is similar to that of the other provinces where social taboos confined women to their traditional roles. We are enlightened people, but how many of us allow our womenfolk to participate in decision-making other than bringing up children. Now, the winds of change are blowing across the NWFP, people are demanding education for their children," he said at a reception. The function was organized to mark the preview screening of a documentary on mountain women Taller than the Mountains arranged by the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme at a hotel here. [More]


CENTRAL ASIA GETS LIBERAL ARTS SCHOOL

2002, August 27: The Moscow Times - In Central Asia, where authoritarian leaders thwart democracy and Islamic militancy is a threat, a group of international scholars are creating a regional university to bring secular education to people in some of the remotest, most forbidding and poverty-stricken regions. "We want to give them the opportunity to be modern and remain where their forefathers have lived," said S. Frederick Starr, the chairman of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Washington and a member of the team devising the new institution, the University of Central Asia. [More]


CENTRAL ASIA

2002, August 23: : Aga Khan Foundation extended its work in neighbouring Tajikistan by starting a new initiative for raising domestic food production. Through its Mountain Societies Development Support Programme, the foundation will develop local farms and bring more farmland under cultivation. At least 80 percent of the population of seven million in Tajikistan lives in poverty, and a third of the children are malnourished. [More]


ISLAMIC CAIRO REBIRTH

2002, August 22 - 28: AL-AHRAM WEEKLY ONLINE : The programme to preserve and restore Egypt's Islamic heritage is in full swing, reports Nevine El-Aref. One of the important components of the city's architectural and social history is the eastern wall, built in the late 12th century by Salaheddin El-Ayyubi (Saladin), founder of the Ayyubid Empire. Six years ago the Ministry, in collaboration with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, launched a programme to preserve part of Cairo's Islamic heritage and save this distinguished Ayyubid architecture from destruction. The project also includes a study of the extent of excavation still required and the protection of the historic gate, as well as the upgrading of the whole Al-Azhar area which will be laid out as a park of which the wall will be part... [More].


MINISTER BUKENYA COMMENDS AGA KHAN MEMBERS

2002, August 19: : (New Vision/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) -- PROF. Gilbert Bukenya, the Minister for the Presidency, has hailed members of the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) for their contribution towards developing Uganda's education and economy, reports Geresom Musamali... Bukenya said the Aga Khan is a kingdom without political boundaries that has been associated with the highest quality of education worldwide. [More]


AGA KHAN STUDS LAUNCHES WEB SITE

2002, August 15: : Thoroughbred Times (USA) - Aga Khan Studs has recently launched a Web site that provides comprehensive information on the stallions standing at the stud in Ireland and France as well as the latest developments of the horses owned and bred by the Aga Khan. The site's stallion section features progeny details, pedigree information, race records, and other information, including on-line nomination requests. The site also includes a section that chronicles the history of the Aga Khan family's involvement in Thoroughbred racing and breeding for the last 80 years. [More]


PRINCESSE ZAHRA AGA KHAN - UNE MAMAN EN VACANCE

2002, Août 13: - Point De Vue - "Comme chaque année au mois d'août, la station chic de Porto Cervo, au nord-est de la Sardaigne, accueille les membres les plus éminents de la jet-set et plusieurs têtes couronnées . La plus discrète d'entre elles est peut-être la princesse Zahra, fille de l'Aga Khan IV et de son ex-épouse la princesse Salimah. Mariée depuis cinq ans à l'homme d'affaires britannique Mark Boyden. Zahra est l'heureuse maman d'une jolie Sara, née le 13 novembre 2000, et d'un petit Iliyan, venu agrandir la famille, le 8 mai dernier." [Article et photos]


AFGHANISTAN SCHOOLS GET A BOOST FROM NETAID

2002, August 9: NetAid, in partnership with the Aga Khan Foundation, recently announced a new Afghanistan initiative that will help reconstruct that country’s ailing educational system. The Aga Khan Foundation U.S.A., with the support of The Rob Lloyd Family and Cisco Systems, works with Afghan communities to train teachers, rehabilitate schools, and put children in school. These services are vital in Afghanistan, where years of war and hardship have deprived most children of access to basic education. [More


SARDINIA: COSTA STILL CLEAR FOR THE JET-SET

2002, August 9: - Financial Times: "Had it not been for the Aga Khan, the chances are that no one would have heard of the Costa Smeralda. He had the idea, back in the 1960s, of finding a Mediterranean island as close to perfection as possible, bagging its best stretch of coastline and building stylish hotels, marinas and nightclubs. He then invited all his rich and famous friends to come and stay and, just for good measure, started his own airline to transport them." [More].


AGA KHAN SEEKS FORMER STUDENTS

2002, August 6: - The Monitor - Kampala: "The Aga Khan schools, once some of the best in Uganda, have moved to rebuild their history. The Aga Khan Educational Service (AKES) in Uganda has set aside Aug. 16-18 for 'homecoming' activities to bring together former students of its 15 schools. AKES chairman Amin Shivji said yesterday that the homecoming is meant to inspire the current students of the Aga Khan schools in Uganda, through interaction with successful alumni." [More].


A LEARNING EXPERIENCE

2002, August 4: Canadian-backed grassroots program in Pakistan puts village girls in school and helps women help themselves wrote Martin Regg Cohn in the Toronto Star. "Backed by Canadian government aid, the Aga Khan Foundation helps villagers overcome formidable obstacles - natural and man-made - by bringing education and electricity to these former backwaters. Isolated by both geography and conservative local customs, women here have long borne the brunt of rural Pakistan's backwardness. The legacy of purdah - the covering up and confinement of women - has been poverty, disease and illiteracy. Now, with neighbouring Afghanistan facing similar obstacles - rugged geography, rigid gender traditions and ethnic rivalries - Pakistani aid workers believe they can replicate their success on the other side of the Hindu Kush mountains and help women emerge from the shadows. "There is the same isolation," says Munir Merali, a Torontonian who moved here in 2000 to take over the Aga Khan Foundation's operations in Pakistan. "There is a lack of human capital, a lack of institutions in mountainous areas that are cut off." [More].


AKRSP FACES EXTREMISTS' IRE

2002, August 4: Since the mid-1980s, the Aga Khan Rural Support Program (AKRSP) had steadily expanded its development projects in the region, winning strong grassroots support. But over the last three years, the group has often been on the defensive. After several bomb threats and acts of sabotage, a powerful explosion in late 2000 prompted the AKRSP to shutter its offices here. The closing was only temporary, but it came as a blow to aid workers who thought they had made progress in overcoming years of sectarian strife. In fact, the growing success of the AKRSP - which has long received Canadian government funding - turned it into even more of a target for extremist religious leaders who felt their own influence waning. Now, the aid group is back at work in the region, but it remains on guard. [More].


AFGHAN WARLORDS SETTLE OLD SCORES

2002, August 3: According to Charles Clover of the Financial Times Ethnic Tajiks fought a pitched battle against Pashtuns in Afghanistan's western province of Herat this week, killing dozens, according to local news agencies. It was the second big clash in the west in the past few weeks, signalling that violence among warlords is spreading from the north to the west. "Old scores are getting settled in the north. And the west and south are next," said Jolyon Leslie, former humanitarian co-ordinator for the United Nations in Afghanistan, currently a consultant to the Aga Khan Trust for Culture in Kabul. Charles Clover, Kabul


THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: IF ONLY THE QUEEN HAD ASKED HIM [IDI AMIN] FOR TEA.

2002, August 2: In Amin's dream, God told the general to nationalise all of the houses and flats owned by Uganda's 80,000-strong Indian community, made up of Hindis, Muslims and members of the Aga Khan's small but wealthy sect, the Ismailis. The Ugandan Life President gave non-citizens just 90 days to leave the country. That same day, 18 leaders of the Indian community - wealthy, usually optimistic men - were summoned into Amin's awe-inspiring presence. They shook their heads in disbelief when they heard what he had to say. They had all "milked the Ugandan cow without feeding it", and had ripped off the economy by sending millions of Ugandan shillings to relatives in Britain. They should make plans to get all the members of their universally detested community out of the country by November 9. "If you don't go by then," Amin told them, "I will make you feel as if you are sitting on fire." [More].


IS SUSTAINABLE SUSTAINABLE?

2002, August 1 - 7 - Al-Ahram Weekly, Egypt - Issue No. 597 - Opinion: Ahead of the UN Summit on Sustainable Development, to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, later this month, Sadruddin Aga Khan questions the very notion of sustainable development. The following is the text of a recent speech he delivered: It will be my thesis today that the dogma of "sustainable development" is inherently misleading, and is now deluding our mindsets in much the same way as the flat earth theory once did -- but with implications which are infinitely more dangerous to our future survival. Accordingly, I will refrain from the politically correct -- and attempt to highlight how the once noble notion of "sustainable development" has been diverted. Despite all the rhetoric about basic needs and poverty alleviation -- and despite several decades officially dedicated to development -- the number of people in extreme or absolute poverty continues to increase. [More]


NGOs, MADARIS GET MOST OF FUNDS LOCALLY

2002, July 29: PESHAWAR: The country's non-profit sector - social work organizations, non-governmental organizations and religious education institutions, including a large number of Madaris - are receiving 87 per cent of their over Rs16bn annual revenue through indigenous resources. The preliminary estimates of a foreign-funded study, titled 'Dimensions of the non-profit sector in Pakistan', rejected the notion that the non-profit sector was thriving on funds generated or raised by foreign agencies or donors. Of the Rs16.4bn annual cash revenues poured into the country's non-profit sector, well over 87 per cent are raised by the indigenous private philanthropy from within the country. The study has been carried out by the Social Policy and Development Centre (SPDC) in collaboration with the Aga Khan Foundation (Pakistan) and Centre for Civil Society, Johns Hopkins University, USA. [More].


DEVELOPMENT CREDIT BANK MULLS HIKE IN FDI TO 49%

2002, July 29: NEW DELHI : As part of its plan to reorient its business, Development Credit Bank Ltd (DCB) is considering hiking the foreign direct investment (FDI) in the bank to 49 per cent from the present 37.5 per cent held by the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED). The Aga Khan Foundation of France, supports economic development in developing countries. "With the FDI norms having been relaxed we are considering a possible hike in the overseas holding to 49 per cent," Mr Sandeep Mookerjee, Head, Personal Finance Services, DCB, told Business Line. DCB has a paid-up capital of Rs 23 crore and reserves and surpluses of Rs 301 crore at the end of March 31, 2002. Mr Mookerjee said that the bank which has been operating on the fringes primarily relying on community banking has now decided to transform itself into a "mainstream, modern private sector bank." In the past the bank has been catering mainly to the Ismaili community, which considers Aga Khan as their spiritual leader. [More].


AGA KHAN FOUNDATION CLARIFIES REPORT

2002, July 28: The Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) has clarified an article that appeared in the East African Standard newspaper on Thursday, July 25, 2002 titled "NGOs fail to account for grants." AKF said the article that stated: It has been "revealed that NGOs affiliated to Aga Khan Foundation Early Childhood Development Project (ECD) have failed to account for funds awarded to them," was incorrect. The Foundation would like to inform the public that: First, there are no NGO's affiliated to AKF in Tana River District. The Foundation has been directly implementing the Early Childhood Development (ECD) programme in the district and second, the AKF has submitted all financial reports due to the Ministry of Education, accounting for all the relevant funds received. [More].


AFGHAN MINISTER VISITS RECONSTRUCTION WORK ON KABUL'S BABOR'S GARDEN

2002, July 26: BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom - The minister of information and culture, Dr Sayd Makhdum Rahin, has visited the current reconstruction work on the Babor Garden [in the Afghan capital, Kabul]. During the visit, he recalled that the Babor's Garden is one of the pleasantest places for the people of Kabul, and said that the garden contains the mausoleum of Babor Shah and Queen Qamar, as well as other monuments. Unfortunately, these have been damaged by the passage of time, carelessness and continuous wars. Dr Rahin said that the Agha Khan institution, the friendly country of Germany and some American organizations have taken an interest and begun large-scale activities to reconstruct Babor's Garden. [Source: Radio Voice of Mojahed web site in Pashto 1630 gmt 26 Jul 02 - BBC Monitoring]


AFGHANISTAN: NEW BRIDGES TO PROVIDE VITAL FOOD ACCESS

2002, July 25: IRINnews Asia: ISLAMABAD - The construction of five new bridges by the Aga Khan Foundation between the remote northeastern Afghan province of Badakhshan and the southeastern Badakhshoni Khui province in Tajikistan, will help improve the food situation in extremely vulnerable areas, aid workers told IRIN on Thursday. Both provinces are very mountainous, difficult to reach and are geographically isolated in economic terms. "The people are isolated in these areas and the bridges will give them access to much needed markets for access to basic supplies," country director for the Aga Khan Development Network in Afghanistan, Najmi Kamji, in the Afghan capital, Kabul, told IRIN. "The intention was to bring both countries closer together," he added [More].


USA PLEDGES 4m DOLLARS FOR JOB CREATION IN TAJIKISTAN

2002, July 25: BBC Monitoring Service - The US embassy in Tajikistan and the regional mission of the USAID presented a new three-year development programme via public cooperation in Central Asia in Dushanbe on 23 July. The programme is aimed at stepping up the participation of members of the community in planning and adopting decisions as well as at increasingemployment opportunities for women and young people. The programme will be carried out in Tajikistan by the Mercy Corps, the UNDP and the Aga Khan Foundation. [More].


WHITE DEATH' ENDURES IN THE LANDS OF CENTRAL ASIA

2002, July 20Dawn/Gemini News Service: Locals say an intervention by the Aga Khan, leader of the Ismaili community, helped halt the downward spiral. The billionaire, who has been channelling aid to the region since the fall of the Soviet Union, made his help dependent on the halt of drug cultivation and trafficking. "And we know for a fact now that none of our farmers grow poppy," said Mirza Jahani, chief executive officer of the Aga Khan Foundation in Tajikistan. "We are involved in every community and we know what is going on." In exchange for turning their back on the lucrative drug trade, the Aga Khan promised to increase the number of development projects in the area and started sending humanitarian help to the Afghan communities settled across the Panj River. Within a few years, the level of drug consumption and trafficking plunged dramatically in Khorog and its surrounding areas... [More].


AGA KHAN AND ZANZIBAR GOVERNMENT AGREE SEAFRONT INITIATIVE

2002, July 19: Zanzibar, Tanzania - His Highness the Aga Khan, Imam (spiritual leader) of the Ismaili Muslims and Zanzibar's Chief Minister Shamsi Vuai Nahodha today signed an Agreement of Co-operation to initiate a comprehensive urban rehabilitation proposal for the Seafront Area of Zanzibar's Stone Town, after a private meeting with President Amani Abeid Karume. The Seafront Area, characterised by many historic buildings and public open spaces, is one of the most culturally and economically significant parts of the Stone Town, itself recently recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Under the landmark initiative, the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) envisages an important contribution to improving maintenance of urban heritage that has suffered considerable decay as well as to bettering the quality of life for the inhabitants of the Stone Town and the island as a whole. [AKDN Press Release].


AGA KHAN VISITS DAR ES SALAAM

2002, July 18 - H.H. the Aga Khan met with around 10,000 of his followers at the Diamond Jubilee Complex in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania at 2:30 P.M.. Talking about the wonderful tradition of volunteering services and of volunteers, he said "..there are some that I see with my eyes and some that I feel with my heart". . The Daily Nation (Nairobi - Kenya) on 19 July 2002 also mentions the presence of H.H. The Aga Khan at the International Investment Round table meeting in Dar es Salaam on previous day with a photo of both the Aga Khan and World Bank President James Wolfensohn. [Updated Photos].


AGA KHAN PLANS VARSITY IN KAMPALA (UGANDA)

2002, July 17 - The Monitor - A new university should bring smiles on the faces of Uganda's doctors, nurses and teachers. His Highness the Aga Khan yesterday named these professions as the main focus of a proposed Aga Khan University in East Africa campus in Kampala. The Aga Khan was jointly with President Yoweri Museveni addressing a press conference at State House, Nakasero, in Kampala. The two leaders signed a supplementary protocol of co-operation for development between Uganda and the Aga Khan Development Network. [The Monitor] [New Vision]


NEW YORK YATCH CLUB AND AGA KHAN JOIN SAILING FORCES

2002, July 6 - PORTO CERVO, Sardinia - headed by the Aga Khan and the playground of the international jet set — signed an agreement Saturday to team up with the ritzy New York Yacht Club for joint regattas, training and other activities... Prince Karim Aga Khan told The Associated Press that cooperation might even extend to team racing and joint financing of a vessel for a challenge race. [More]


HUMANITARIAN AID TO AFGHANISTAN TO RESUME IN AUTUMN

2002, July 4 - Vecherniy Bishkek - Ahe third stage of the action by the international humanitarian coalition (IHC) to give food aid to Northern Afghanistan is being postponed until the autumn.The chief engineer of the Badakhshonnakliyet (the main freight company) joint-stock company, Kudrat Davlyatenov, told a Vecherniy Bishkek correspondent this, quoting the organizers of the operation. He said that the drivers of the Osh [Kyrgyzstan] and Mountainous Badakhshon [Autonomous Region] (Tajikistan) transport enterprises that are involved in the delivery of humanitarian aid have been sent off on unpaid leave. [More]


HOW ONE MAN'S LABOUR OF LOVE TRANSFORMING HIS NIGHTMARE INTO A NEW LIFE

2002, July 6 - Globe and Mail: KAMPALA -- Amin Shivji never intended to stay. On a hot day in 1990, he stepped onto the 600-hectare Ugandan sugar-cane plantation he and his family had fled 20 years before, and surveyed the chaos. Bush had reclaimed the farmland; the house was a shambles, and what equipment remained littered about was rusted and ruined. As he had expected, it looked quite hopeless; his family's fortunes in Uganda were lost. There was nothing for him, and he prepared to return to the comfortable life he had built in Vancouver. [More]


FOREIGN LOANS PROVIDED FOR TAJIK POWER PROJECT

2002, July 6 - Dushanbe [BBC]: The World Bank will give Tajikistan three credits worth a total of 32.5m dollars. Agreements on these credits were signed in Almaty on 3 July. longside the World Bank, two separate lenders, namely the Swiss government and the Aga Khan Fund for economic development, are taking part in implementing a project to complete the construction of the Pomir-1 hydro-electric power station and to put it into operation. They allocated 5m dollars and 7.5m dollars respectively. [More]


ANCIENT PLEASURE GARDEN TO BE RESTORED

2002, July 6 - Times Online - The re-creation of a Moghul park in Kabul is seen as a potent symbol of regeneration: A GARDEN for courting couples from 500 years ago is to be re-created in Kabul as a potent symbol of the end of Taleban’s austere rule in Afghanistan. The Aga Khan has pledged millions for the restoration of the 16th-century Paradise Garden, with its lakes, woods and love pavilions, which was orginally designed for the founder of the Moghul dynasty. [More]


PRINCESS SALIMAH AGA KHAN IN THE AFGHAN REFUGEE CAMPS IN PAKISTAN

2002, July 2 - SOS has opened playgrounds for the children in the camps. Initially, the youngsters were bemused by the activities on offer and some even went as far as trying to break them up. But once they were taught how to use swings and slides, they had a whale of a time, and Salimah now reckons the play areas have been one of the Pakistani project's biggest successes. [Hello Interview]


H.H. THE AGA KHAN VISITS THE USA

2002, June 22 - Mowlana Shah Karim arrived in Houston late afternoon with Begum Inaara and Prince Rahim. The live simulcast of the opening ceremony of the new Jamatkhana started in 11 US cities and in Houston at the Reliant Center on 23rd June from 1:45 to 4:30p.m. The Imam met with his Jamat at 9:30a.m. at Reliant Center on June 24th. Later that day, Mowlana Shah Karim went to Austin where he was invited at a reception by Governor Perry. Audio of some speeches is available now. On June 26th, H.H. The Aga Khan performed with Colin Powel the opening of the Silk Road Festival in Washington. [Complete Coverage here] [Speech at opening of Houston JK] [Speech at Banquet]


AGA KHAN NETWORK PLEDGES TO SUPPORT LOCAL PROJECTS

2002, June 22 - Sunday Nation - The Aga Khan Development Network has pledged continued investment in the country's social and economic projects. The network's resident representative, Mr Anil Ishani, said the support would not be affected by the political or economic situation as the organisation was confident that the people of Kenya would manage their affairs well. [More]


MUSLIM CENTER OPENS SOON IN SUGAR LAND

2002, June 19 - Houston Chroniclet - The Aga Khan, philanthropist and spiritual leader of a branch of Islam, will open a Muslim house of worship and community center Sunday in Sugar Land. The $10 million Ismaili Jamatkhana and Center in Sugar Land will sit on 11.5 acres of property on First Colony Boulevard. It will house a collection of Ismaili art, a cultural center, and conference and prayer rooms. [More] [October 2000 coverage of the inauguration]


SPEAKERS STRESS REVIVAL OF TRADITIONAL FARMING METHODS

2002, June 19 - Frontier Post - PESHAWAR: Speakers at a workshop on Tuesday stressed that revival of traditional farming methods and knowledge is inevitable for the protection of environment in highlands. The three-day workshop entitled 'Agro-pastoralism in the Hindukush belt of Northern Pakistan’ was held in connection with the International Year of the Mountains (IYM), which concluded here at a local hotel. The event was jointly sponsored by IUCN, Chitral Conservation Strategy (CCS), Mountain Area Conservancy Project (MACP) and Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP). [More]


LA BEGUM INAARA ET SA MERE: DEUX ELEGANTES PARMIS LES ELEGANTES AU PRIX DIANE-HERMES

2002, Juin 11 - Chantilly, France: Le Prix Diane-Hermès qui se dispute chaque année à Chantilly constitue non seulement un événement hippique mais aussi mondain. A l’instar des célèbres courses d’Ascot en Angleterre, cette compétition attire en effet les élégantes qui rivalisent d’audace et se chapeautent des plus originaux couvre-chefs. Sobres mais très raffinées dans le choix de leur toilette, l’épouse de l’Aga Khan, la bégum Inaara, et sa mère, qui paraissaient deux soeurs dans leurs tenues printanières, ont assisté à la victoire de Dominique Bœuf (triple cravache d’or), qui l’a emporté avec sa partenaire Bright Sky. [Oh La! Photo] [More photos & article]


THE LONG AND WINDING SILK ROAD

2002, June 17 - Washington Post Staff Write - Folklife Festival on the Mall: The Smithsonian badly wanted Indian woodworker Aash Mohammed. His skill with bamboo was exactly what was needed for the elegant towers, arches and plazas at the heart of the festival. When reached at his shop in Ghaziabad, he immediately said yes. But there was a problem. The 22-year-old artisan was born at home; he had no birth certificate. That meant it would take two months to get a passport and visa, even after he had documentation of his birth. The festival organizers couldn't wait that long.. [More]


THE GREEN PATRIACH

2002, June 12 - BBC News, June 12 - ...During the Adriatic symposium the (Prince Sadruddin) Aga Khan called on other religious leaders to follow the Patriarch 's lead on environmental issues. "I think (religion) can play a crucially important role to propagate and encourage the dialogue generally, not only on what the general values are at a high level but also the priests, the imams to use their sermons to be able to preach to their flock. [More BBC] [The Guardian]


MINISTER OF CULTURE ROSETA AND FIRST LADY MARIA JOSE RITTA JOIN BEGUM AGA KHAN AT CONCERT AND EXHIBITION EXPRESSIONS OF THE PAMIR

2002, June 5 - Lisbon, Portugal: The Minister of Culture, Dr. Pedro Roseta and the First Lady, Maria Jose Ritta were amongst the distinguished guests who last night joined Her Highness Begum Inaara Aga Khan at a concert and exhibition from Tajikistan at the Ismaili Centre, Lisbon. Expressions of the Pamir includes a performance by twenty-five professional artistes of music, song and dance reflecting traditions of mountain peoples of Central Asia presented for the first time ever in Portugal. It also includes an exhibition of artefacts highlighting various aspects of the region's material culture ranging from art, textiles, costumes, photographs and even a traditional "yurt" (tent). [AKDN Press Release] [Photo]


BEGUM AGA KHAN MEETS FOREIGN MINISTER MARTINS DA CRUZ

2002, June 5 - Lisbon, Portugal: Discussions on Afghanistan and development potential in Angola. Her Highness Begum Inaara Aga Khan, Honorary President of Focus Humanitarian Assistance (FOCUS), an international emergency relief agency yesterday evening met with Portugal’s Foreign Minister Antonio Martins da Cruz. Begum Inaara Aga Khan briefed the Foreign Minister on the implementation by FOCUS of the 700,000€ (Euros) grant made by the Portuguese Institute of Co-operation last October to enable displaced persons in Afghanistan survive the past harsh winter. She also discussed the potential for collaboration on the transition to long-term development activities in Angola, a country where the Aga Khan Development Network’s experience of post-conflict rehabilitation and development could be useful. [AKDN Press Release] [Photo] [Dawn]


SPECIALISTS PLEDGE $7M TO HELP AFGHANS RECOVER LOST HERITAGE

2002, May 31 - FINANCIAL TIMES - ...Many hope that by returning Afghanistan to its multi-cultural roots, they may build a bulwark against the return of Islamic extremism. "Having a living culture in a country is a way to support cultural pluralism rather than sectarianism," said Stefano Bianca of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, which pledged $5m. [More]


H.H. THE AGA KHAN IN KENYA

2002, May 28 - The Nation - The Aga Khan, Imam (spiritual leader) of the Ismaili Muslims, arrived in Kenya yesterday for a short visit. He flew in from Kampala, Uganda, where he held discussions with President Yoweri Museveni and other senior government officials. While in Nairobi, he is expected to hold talks with President Moi and senior government officials. He is also expected to meet members of the Ismaili community. His last official visit to Kenya was in 1997. [More from Nation 28 may] [East African Standard 28 May] [Photo Kenya 28 May] [East African Standard 29 May] [Daily Nation 30 May] [East African Standard 30 May] [Daily Nation 31 May w/photo]


H.H. THE AGA KHAN IN UGANDA

2002, May 27 - His Highness is expected to meet President Yoweri Museveni and other senior government officials to discuss and review the activities of the Aga Khan development network in Uganda, a statement from his office says. His Highness will meet his followers in Kampala Monday 27th and in Nairobi on Wednesday 29th. His Highness the Aga Khan was welcomed upon arrival at Entebbe Airport Saturday by The Minister of state for International Affairs Tom Butime and Dr Martin Aliker a presidential advisor . [Photo by John Nsimbe scanned from newspaper The Monitor.] [The Nation] [The New Vision 27 May] [The Monitor 28 May] [The New Vision 28 May w/photo] [The New Vision 29 May] [akdn.org Press Release]


CANADIANS TAKING STEPS TO IMPROVE THE GLOBAL VILLAGE

2002, May 24 - The Globe and Mail - Thousands to join 10-city walk on Sunday to further Aga Khan Foundation's work. Karim Mamdani remembers well the smiling face of a woman he met cooking food on her new chula in a village in India. "I wondered how come she had a big smile on her face. She just got her appliance," said Mr. Mamdani, the Toronto-area convener for this Sunday's annual World Partnership Walk, organized to raise money for the Aga Khan Foundation Canada. [More] [CNW press release] [Globe and Mail]


HOSPITAL TO TRAIN SURGEONS IN NEW TECHNIC

2002, May 23 - Horizon - The Aga Khan Hospital, Nairobi, has started training doctors in a new surgical technology. The hospital has set up a regional training centre at which surgeons will be trained in minimum access surgery also known as laparoscopic surgery. This technic was introduced at the hospital two years ago and doctors have successfully performed close to 500 operations using it. The training, the fifth to be held, starts today and will last for two days. The 14 participants are doctors and nurses from the east and central African region. [The Nation]


THE AGA KHAN BACKS NAIROBI AT ROYAL SHOW

2002, May 20 - The Aga Khan and the Begum Aga Khan joined the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, members of the Royal Family and ambassadors of participating foreign and Commonwealth countries that included, besides Kenya, the United States, Canada, France, Pakistan and India to view the presentation as part of an event entitled "All the Queen's Horses." "This event serves to acknowledge the Commonwealth's importance in maintaining relations among countries through both good and less good times in their shared history," said the Aga Khan. [The Nation] [East African Standard] [The News] [Photo 324k] [Weekly Voice w/photo]


AGA KHAN SCHOOLS HAVE A VERY INTERESTING AND BUSY OPEN DAY

2002, May 19 - Coastweek - The Aga Khan Junior Academy and The Aga Khan Kenya Secondary School had a very busy Open Day recently. The students and teachers had worked very hard to produce some truly amazing and beautiful projects and displays related to the academic work that goes on at the school. There were projects on a wide range of subjects such as Science, Literature, Geography, History, Art and French. [More]


ISMAILIS BUILD A CARING COMMUNITY

2002, May 13: North Shore News - Vancouver. "Volunteerism. Compassion and consideration. Friendship. The value of prayer and spirituality. The importance of being a part of a global community. Before an audience of 200 community and business leaders, members of her jamat (mosque) and invited guests, 12-year-old Zahra Amarshi spoke eloquently of these and other tenets of her faith. Amarshi is a Shia Imami Ismaili Muslim. Like other girls her age, she's a Pathfinder, likes shopping, listens to pop music and is a huge Canucks fan (Todd Bertuzzi is her favourite player). She also attends Saturday morning religious education classes and is a Young Volunteer in the Ismaili Volunteer Corps." [More]


CHITRAL: BODY SET UP TO ENSURE SECTARIAN HARMONY

2002, May 10 - Chitral -The district government has constituted a coordination committee to monitor the development activities of the NGOs aimed at arresting the mounting sectarian tension in the area. The committee, to be headed by the district Nazim, comprises the district heads of all the political parties. Also, two representatives of the Ismaili community have been included in the committee. Shuaib Sultan, chairman of the National Rural Support Programme (SRSP), and Walji, chairman of the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme, had come to Chitral to attend the meeting. [More]


PRINCESS ZAHRA AGA KHAN AND MARK BOYDEN

2002, May 10 - Aiglemont, Gouvieux. (Press Release) Princess Zahra Aga Khan, the eldest child and only daughter of His Highness the Aga Khan, and her husband Mr. Mark Boyden announce the birth on the 8th of May 2002 in Geneva, of their second child, a son, Iliyan. Their first child, Sara, was born in November 2000. Married in France in June 1997, the couple hold senior positions in the Aga Khan Development Network. Princess Zahra has a BA (Hons.) from Harvard University in Development Studies and Mark Boyden holds an MBA from Oxford-Brookes University.


TEXTILE FIRM TO BE SET UP IN EPZ

2002, May 7 - The Nation - Alltex's foundation stone was laid by Prince Rahim Aga Khan, a director of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED) recently and will start operations in July. The firm is a joint-venture between AKFED affiliate, Industrial Promotion Services (Kenya) (IPS) and Global Readymade Garments Industry LLC of Qatar. [More]


AGA KHAN ORGANIZATION TO OPEN MICRO- FINANCE BANK IN TAJIKISTAN

2002, May 7:Tajik Television - A microfinance bank will be opened with the financial support of the Aga Khan Development Network in the country this year, an expert on microfinance of the Aga Khan Development Network, said during a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Qozimdavlat Qoimdodov. The bank will deal in savings and granting credits to individuals, financial groups and especially needy families and other sections of the population. The bank's headquarters will be situated in Dushanbe. [More]


AGA KHAN HOSPITAL OPENS

2002, May 5: Khaleej Times (UAE) - THE Aga Khan University Hospital, the leading arm of Pakistani development sector giants, the Aga Khan Development Network, finally made their Middle East move yesterday by establishing a representative office in Dubai which will also act as the liaison and specimen collection centre for UAE patients. The office was inaugurated by Shaikh Mohammed bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Director Sharjah Medical District in the presence of AKUH team headed by Dr Shamsh Kassim Lakha, president of university hospital and CEO Nadeem Mustafa Khan. Pakistan Consul-General Amanullah Larik was also present at the ceremony. Addressing a select gathering, Shaikh Mohammed bin Saqr appreciated the efforts of the AKUH for providing an opportunity for cost-effective healthcare options to the UAE population. [More] [Gulf News] [AKU Press release]


AGA KHAN TO HELP REVITALIZE KABUL AREA

2002, April 30: KABUL: Aga Khan Cultural Services (Afghanistan), a newly established affiliate of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), will lead the revitalisation of a significant but currently degraded urban area in central Kabul around the historic Timur Shah Mausoleum. [More from Dawn] [AKDN Press Release]


PUTIN, MUSLIM SPIRITUAL LEADER DISCUSS AFGHAN SETTLEMENT

2002, April 30: Interfax News Agency - Moscow, 30 April: Russian President Vladimir Putin and [spiritual] leader of the Shiite Muslim [Ismaili] community Prince Karim Aga Khan IV discussed peace settlement in Afghanistan. [More] [Press Release] [Photo] [BBC Monitoring]


KARACHI VARSITY HOSPITAL TO OPEN OFFICE

2002, April 29 - GULF NEWS, Dubai: The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, is to open its first representative office here on May 4. The new office is located at the Oud Metha Office complex and will be opened by Sheikh Mohammed bin Saqr Al Qassimi, Assistant Under- secretary at the Ministry of Health and Director of the Sharjah Medical District. [More]


KARACHI: NGO HELPS IMPROVE LIVING CONDITIONS OF RURAL COMMUNITIES

2002, April 26 - Dawn, Karachi, Pakistan: The Aga Khan Planning and Building Service, Pakistan (AKPBS, P) the other day organized a daylong workshop on "Improving the Living Conditions of Rural Communities in Sindh" at Ali Mohammed Ismail village, Khyber, Hyderabad District. Javed Shah, Professor of NED University and Consultant for Building and Construction Improvement Programme (BACIP) said that the BACIP, recently introduced in rural Sindh, had been very effective in the Northern Areas where it had developed over 40 home-improvement products, over a period of five years, which were now being replicated throughout Pakistan. [More]


INNOVATIVE URBAN REVITALISATION FOR HISTORIC KABUL

2002, April2 6: Kabul, Afghanistan : Aga Khan Cultural Services (Afghanistan), a newly established affiliate of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, will lead the revitalisation of a significant but currently degraded urban area in central Kabul around the historic Timur Shah Mausoleum. Under an agreement signed in Kabul today with the Government of Afghanistan and the Municipality of Kabul, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) will help provide area planning, conduct physical and social surveys, mobilise technical and financial support and undertake conservation work on the historic urban fabric of the City of Kabul in District 1, as well as landscaping and environmental improvement. The Agreement also foresees the provision of micro-credit to the population of the designated preservation zone by a national micro-finance institution being considered by the Aga Khan Development Network. [AKDN Press Release]


ISMAILIS' TRADITION OF CHARITY

2002, April2 6: The Times (UK) : "The Ismailis have a tradition of philanthropy. The Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development is one of the richest Muslim charities. A centre was opened recently in Lisbon. In February the Aga Khan paid $300,000 (£207,000) to set up a nurses' university in Uganda. Two years ago he proposed buying the former Royal Army Medical College site next to Tate Britain to create cultural and educational centres; but he was in competition with the Chelsea College of Art, which eventually acquired the building. The site opposite Parliament, which would be even better placed, would have been used to display manuscripts, ceramics, metalwork and paintings covering all periods of Muslim history from the private collection of Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, who was to become the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. [More] [What the two sides promise] [Article of Daniel McGrory on same subject] [Dawn article on April 27] [The Independant 28 May


ISLAMIC WORLD'S MOST FORWARD-THINKING ARCHITECTURE

2002, April 6: Vancouver Sun: "Cutting through the sectarian, cultural and linguistic divisions within the Islamic world, the Aga Khan Architecture Awards promote dialogue and co-operation between groups and countries that are otherwise hostile. The Aga Khan-spiritual head of the world's 17 million Ismaili Muslims (including a thriving Canadian community, largely arriving as refugees under threat from East African despots) -- describes the evolution of contemporary Islamic societies as "pluralist and humanist," two descriptors that seldom appear in western press accounts." writes Trevor Boddy in the Vancouver Sun [More]


THE SILK ROAD COMES TO TOWN

2002, April 2: Washington Post. For the first time in its 36 years, the Smithsonian Folklife festival will be dedicated to a single subject: an exploration of the ancient Silk Road, the trade route that linked Asia and Europe, and its influence of its cultures on American life today... The event has attracted three principal sponsors, which are also underwriting Ma's project: the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, Ford Motor Co. and Siemens, the German conglomerate... The festival will spotlight about 350 artists, another record for the event. [More]


FOCUS MOVES TO ASSIST QUAKE VICTIMES

April 1, 2002 - The East African (Nairobi). SERIOUS CHALLENGES continue to face outlying populations of quake-hit Nahrin District in Afghanistan as aid agencies consider downscaling relief efforts around Nahrin City. Inaccessible populations, landmines, water and sanitation, and changing weather remain major problems. After discussions with various agencies in Nahrin last Friday, Focus Humanitarian Assistance (FOCUS), an international emergency response agency affiliated with the Aga Khan Development Network, is supplementing its relief distribution with an urgent programme to address water and sanitation needs. It is also looking to collaborate with the United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Assistance (UNOCHA) and the Afghan government in reaching by helicopter people affected by last Monday's earthquake who remain inaccessible. [More] [Business Recorder April 1] [BBC Monitoring April 4] [Business Recorder April 5]


LIVING WITH FAITH: CANADIANS WHO PUT THEIR BELIEFS INTO ACTION

April 1, 2002 - Maclean's. "With her Ismaili Muslim parents, Samira has "vacationed" in Tanzania and Pakistan, helping people see life more clearly -- literally. The trips are a project of her ophthalmologist dad and optometrist mom, who work with local agencies to give free eye clinics. Samira contributes by holding eye charts, taking histories or reassuring the fearful. You're expected to help others, she says of her faith." [More]


TAJIKISTAN STARTS FLIGHTS TO KABUL

March 28, 2002 - DUSHANBE, Tajikistan - (AP) Tajikistan's national airline on Thursday began passenger service to Afghanistan and officials announced plans to build five bridges connecting the countries... The Tajikistan Airlines decision to open service between Dushanbe and Kabul, the Afghan capital, was largely in response to demand by businessmen, airline officials said. The flights are expected to go once a week. [More]


TIBETAN SCRIPT MAKES A COMEBACK IN PAK

March 28 2002 - Times of India - : The Baltistan region — centred around Skardu — is home to some 300,000 people whose mother tongue is Balti, a language of the Tibetan-Ladakhi family. ‘‘We are the only people in this region to have had our own script since the 6th century AD,’’ says Syed Abbas Kazmi of the Baltistan Cultural Foundation (BCF). Together with the Aga Khan Cultural Services Pakistan and the London-based Tibet Foundation, Kazmi has been working since 1999 to reintroduce the Tibetan script. [More]


AGA KHAN AND KARZAI SIGN AGREEMENT IN KABUL

March 23, 2002 - Kabul, Afghanistan - His Highness the Aga Khan, Imam (spiritual leader) of the Shia Ismaili Muslims and Mr. Hamid Karzai, Chairman of the Interim Authority of the Government of Afghanistan today signed an Agreement of Cooperation for Development that establishes an operating framework for the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) in Afghanistan. The Agreement, the first of its kind signed by the Interim Authority, enables the Network to move from the provision of humanitarian assistance to the establishment of long-term development programmes similar to those that have been successfully implemented in India, Pakistan, Tajikistan and other countries in Asia and Africa. In view of the importance of the Loya Jirga Commission's mandate in helping to create a future representative government for Afghanistan, the Aga Khan also announced a grant of US$2 million to enable the Commission to complete its work. [Press Release]


AFGHAN GIRLS RETURN TO SCHOOL AFTER FIVE YEARS

March 23, 2002 - AFT. - KABUL: Afghan girls went back to school for the first time in five years Saturday, elated and emotional at the end of the draconian ban on female education imposed by the now ousted Taliban regime. Interim Afghan leader Hamid Karzai and the UN's special envoy for Afghanistan Lakhdar Brahimi led a ceremony to celebrate the start of the new school year at the capital's Amani High School. Some 500 officials and pupils attended the ceremony, including Interior Minister Yunus Qanooni, Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah, the Agha Khan and UNICEF chief executive Carol Bellamy. [The Times of India] [Photo AP] [Iranian News] [Dawn] [LA Times] [Gulf News] [BBC] [Southam News] [Photo US Dept]


AGA KHAN, ALABAMA UNIVERSITIES CO-DEVELOP RESEARCH TRAINING COURSES

March 20, 2002 - Business Recorder - KARACHI : The Aga Khan University (AKU) in collaboration with the University of Alabama (UAB) at Birmingham, USA, has been awarded a grant from the Fogarty International Centre of the United States National Institute of Health, to co-develop research training courses in Karachi and abroad for Pakistani health professionals wishing to advance their expertise in occupational and environmental health. [More]


GOVERNMENT FORMS STEERING COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION

March 18, 2002 - Karachi: President Gen Pervez Musharraf has appointed Dr Shamsh Kassim Lakha, President, Aga Khan University, as chairman of the Steering Committee on Higher Education. As Chairman, Dr Kassim Lakha will have the status of a Minister of State and will report directly to the President of Pakistan on matters relating to the working of the committee, according to a press release issued by the Aga Khan University here on Monday. The key functions of the committee included development of a plan to restructure the governance and management of public universities and improvement of the operations of universities, their financial management and information systems, as well as the development of systemic linkages with other institutions including industry in the private sector. [More] [AKU Press Release]


ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK GRANTS 2.9M DOLLARS TO TAJIKISTAN

March 18, 2002 - Asia Intelligence Wire -The Asian Development Bank has reached an agreement with the government of Tajikistan on the ADB's providing a grant worth 2.9m dollars for a poverty reduction project in rural areas of Tajikistan. The grant will be financed by Japan's poverty reduction fund. A letter of understanding on the project was also signed. [More]


US $85m PLANT TO BOOST NATIONAL POWER SUPPLY

March 15, 2002 - The Nation (Nairobi) - By Njuguna Mutonya: President Moi yesterday made a pitch to local businessmen to lead the way in investment, saying they had to show their confidence in the economy first before foreigners did so. The President, accompanied by Prince Rahim Aga Khan, was officially inaugurating the Sh6.8 billion Kipevu II power generation plant in Mombasa. He said donors and equity holders in the project had shown confidence in the government's policies. "I do not believe that Kenya is a high risk investment area like some people try to make it," he said. "In fact, the policies of Kenya are good policies." [More] [Agence France Press]


TAJIKISTAN BUILDING BRIDGE ACROSS RIVER TO AFGHANISTAN

March 15, 2002 - Tajik news agency Asia-Plus - Dushanbe, Tajikistan: The construction of a bridge across the river Panj to Afghanistan has been started in the Tem microdistrict in Khorugh [in Tajikistan's eastern Mountainous Badakhshon Autonomous Region, MBAR]. The head of road building department No 8, Usmon Yormamadov, told Asia-Plus that the construction project had been submitted by the Rahkinkraft [transliterated] production association. The project costs 385,000 dollars, which have been allocated by the AgaKhan foundation's MSDSP [the Mountain Societies Development and Support Programme]. The bridge will be 135 metres long, 3.5 metres wide and have a load-bearing capacity of 25 tonnes. [More] [InfoTaj.com]


AGA KHAN SEES BETTER ECONOMIC INDICATORS

March 15, 2002 - The News, Islamabad: The Aga Khan has said that economic indicators in Pakistan look significantly better. "My belief is that they will continue to improve," he said while speaking on PTV programme 'News Night' late on Wednesday night. [More]


GETTING THE BEST OUT OF PRIMARY EDUCATION

March 14, 2002 - New Vision (Kampala) : The private and non-government sector are well placed to come up with well focused, creative, time-bound and efficient implementation and monitoring capacities. This is the niche that the Aga Khan Education Service Uganda has identified and come in to fill for government-aided schools within Kampala City Council under the Enhancement of Universal Primary Education in Kampala (EUPEK) project. [More]


INTERVIEW OF HIS HIGHNESS THE AGA KHAN

March 13, 2002 Pakistan Television - By Talat Hussain For News Night : We are delighted and honoured to have as our guest tonight, His Highness the Aga Khan, spiritual leader of the Ismaili Muslims, who is currently visiting Pakistan. Thank you for joining us... [More]


AGA KHAN LAMENTS WEST'S BIAIS AGAINST ISLAM

March 13, 2002 - The Nation, Karachi: Aga Khan deliberated upon the various facets of US' understanding of Islam and lamented the bias against Islam in the West. Commenting on the post-Sept 11 developments, he emphasised the need for a better understanding of Islam and the issues perturbing the Muslim mind around the world by the West. He said the West needs to realise that the majority of the Muslim Ummah was never in favour of the policies of the Taliban. [More] [PTV Interview]


INVESTORS IN TOURISM TO GET INCENTIVES: PRESIDENT

March 12, 2002 -The Dawn News from Karachi writes: "Speaking on the occasion, Prince Karim Aga Khan said the tourism was a different industry which easily shied away when it perceived threats to security, to health, or from inequitable business practices." [More] [The News] [The News on Serena] [The Nation (Pakistan)] [PNS News] [Business Recorder 1] [Pakistan News] [Pakistan Observer] [AKDN Press Release] [Serena Speech]


AGA KHAN TO SETUP BANK IN AFGHANISTAN

March 12, 2002: The Dawn News from Karachi writes: "Prince Karim Aga Khan has said he was considering to open a micro finance bank, and take part in other welfare activities in Afghanistan to help alleviate poverty from that country. Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of first Micro Finance Bank, set up by the Aga Khan foundation in Pakistan, he said here on Monday that a similar bank would be established in Afghanistan owing to growing poverty and other economic problems being faced by the Afghan government. [More of this] [Pakistan Observer] [Second article in Dawn] [Business Recorder 2] [Press Release] [more Press Release] [Hono News Agency] [Micro Credit Bank Speech]


SPEECH AT THE OPENING OF THE ISLAMABAD SERENA HOTEL

March 11, 2002 - ISLAMABAD - I should like to begin by expressing to President and Begum Musharraf the gratitude of everyone connected with this endeavour, including myself, for accepting our invitation to be present on this happy day. My respectful admiration and warm gratitude go to those who have made this ambitious undertaking come to fruition. Sadly, I cannot name everyone who deserves to be recognised today. But special mention must go Prince Amyn - my brother [More]


MUSHARRAF PRAISES AGA KHAN FOR HIS SERVICES

March 11, 2002 - Islamabad - Pakistan Observer : The Spritual leader of the Ismaili Community, His Highness The Aga Khan held a detailed meeting with President General Pervez Musharraf in Rawalpindi Sunday evening. The President thanked the Aga Khan for his invitation to inaugurate the First Micro-Finance Vabk and the Serena Hotel, Islamabad. President Musharraf lauded the tremendous contribution to various philanthropic and social development programmes being undertaken by the Aga Khan worldwide, particularly in Pakistan. He said that in addition to these projects, the Firat Micro-Finance Bank and Serena Hotel were a symbol of the Aga Khan’s continued commitment to Pakistan and its people. [Pakistan Observer] [Dawn article] [PBC article] [PakNews article] [Hi Pakistan article]


SPEECH AT THE INAUGURATION OF THE FIRST MICROFINANCE BANK LTD.

March 11, 2002 - Islamabad - ... It is, as I would like publicly to acknowledge today, yet another sign of the steadfast support and encouragement that you have given to our initiative to establish The First MicroFinanceBank. Above all, it evidences Your Excellency's commitment... [More]


AGA KHAN DUE TODAY

March 9, 2002 - ISLAMABAD - (Dawn) : The Aga Khan, Imam of the Ismaili Muslims, arrives here on Sunday for a short visit to Pakistan. The Aga Khan will meet with President Pervez Musharraf as well as senior government officials. During this visit, he will attend the inauguration of the First Micro-Finance Bank, sponsored by the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme and the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED). The Aga Khan is also expected to be present at a ceremony to formally inaugurate the Islamabad Serena Hotel, developed and operated by Tourism Promotion Services, an affiliate of the AKFED. Amongst the objectives of this visit are a review by the Aga Khan of the progress and future directions of programmes being undertaken by the Aga Khan Development Network in the region. [president to inaugurate bank - previous article on same subject]


AGA KHAN UNIVERSITY WOULD BE BUILT IN NARYN

March 01, 2002 - Kyrgyztan Daily Digest: Representatives of the International Agha-Khan Foundation visited on 1 March the mountainous Naryn Province. They chose together with the local authorities a place in the center of Naryn town to build a branch of the Agha-Khan University. The university would have its branches in the several Central Asian states. Compiled and translated by Naryn Idinov in Prague.


AGA KHAN FUND ACQUIRES POLANA HOTEL IN MOZAMBIQUE

March 01, 2002 - 11:32AM: MAPUTO, Mac 1 (SNNi/AIM) - The Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED) has purchased 100 per cent of the shares in Maputo's best known hotel, the Polana. the hotel is just the first step of a tourist development programme in Mozambique, which is to focus on the northern province of Cabo Delgado. [More] [More from Business recorder]


REGION'S NURSES TO TRAIN AT AGA KHAN KAMPALA CAMPUS

February 25, 2002 - The East African (Nairobi): By Dagi Kimani. The Aga Khan University, which commissioned its Kampala campus last week, will soon start admitting Tanzanian and Kenyan nurses to its Advanced Nursing Studies programme. The first Ugandan students in an 18-month Enrolled Nurse-to-Registered Nurse conversion course at the university will complete their studies in July this year, while those on a 30-month Post-Registered Nurse, Bachelor of Science in Nursing programme are expected to graduate in 2003. [More] [AKDN Press Release]


BOOST FOR HEALTH STAFF TRAINING

February 20, 2002 - Kampala - The Nation (Nairobi) -. Training for health workers in the East African region got a major boost with the commissioning of the first international campus of the Aga Khan University (AKU) in Kampala last week. The Advanced Nursing Studies Programme of Aga Khan University (East Africa), developed in response to requests from governments and nursing leaders of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, is fully accredited in Uganda and underway in a newly-equipped campus in Kampala. Preparations for implementation of the programmes in Kenya and Tanzania are in advanced stages. [More] [AKU website's news]


AN INTERVIEW WITH THE AGA KHAN

February 19, 2002 : On the occasion of the 2001 Aga Khan Award for Architecture, Robert Ivy talked with His Highness the Aga Khan about the architectural, social, and environmental issues facing Islam today. The following interview was conducted at Aiglemont, France, on August 31. Due to the events of September 11, the interview has recently been updated. An abbreviated version of this interview appears in the February, 2002 issue of RECORD. [More]

AGA KHAN SINKS Sh522m FOR NURSES UNIVERSITY

February 16, 2002 - New Vision (Kampala). By John Eremu: " The Aga Khan Foundation has sunk US$300,000 (sh522m) into the establishment of a university of nursing in Uganda. The East African regional director for Aga Khan Universities, Dr. Grace Miller, told The New Vision in an interview that the money was spent on renovation and equipping the university premises on Makerere Road in Old Kampala. Speaking at the university's open day on Wednesday, the state minister for trade, Dr. Abel Rwendeire, hailed the Aga Khan development network for providing an opportunity for nurses to upgrade. Rwendeire, who played a crucial role in accrediting the university in Uganda, was mesmerised by the facilities. "The equipment here is fantastic. Wherever I have gone, I have not found facilities as good as these, not even in New Zealand where I did my Masters. So you are going to be our yardstick," he said. [From:http://allafrica.com/stories/200202160188.html]

AGA KHAN UNIVERSITY OPENS

February 13, 2002 - The Monitor (Kampala). Onyango Patrick's article says: "The Aga Khan University (Uganda) of Nursing will be opened today. This was disclosed by the Academic Head, Imelda Bagambaki. The university is situated along Makerere Hill Road opposite Aga Khan Primary School." [More]


DEUTCH WEDDING

February 2, 2002 - Prince Aga Khan, and Begum Inaara attended the civil wedding ceremony of Dutch Crown Prince Willem-Alexander and Maxima Zorreguieta in Amsterdam, Saturday Feb. 2, 2002. Most of the European papers covered the story, Paris Match, Point de Vue, Hello etc. [AP Photo /Laurent Rebours]


CAMPAIGN FOR MUMBAI CIVIC POLLS HOTS UP

February 9, 2002 - Gulf News - The European Commission has approved a grant of Rs1.1 billion (Euro 25.5 million) to the Aga Khan Foundation in India to support community based rural development. The grant will contribute towards a long-term programme to enhance and protect livelihoods of disadvantaged rural populations in resource-poor areas of central-west India, where nearly 100 million people depend on a rapidly degrading natural resource base for their livelihoods. [More]


PARTNERSHIP WORTH EMULATING

February 5, 2002 - Business Recorder - ... It is noteworthy also that prior to his Canada visit, the Aga Khan had a meeting with Hamid Karzai, head of the Afghan interim administration, stressing respect for the rights of each ethnic and religious group in the emerging new Afghanistan. Earlier, at the Tokyo Pledging Conference he had committed $75 million to the reconstruction effort in the war-devastated country. An idea of how Canada values his contribution to balanced, purposeful, development in a fast changing world may be had fom the Prime Minister's laudatory remarks on his arrival in Ottawa. This should be evident from reference to his contribution, among other things, to the advancement and stability in Asia and Africa while promoting Islam as a thinking, spiritual faith that teaches [More]

JUDY WOODRUFF INTERVIEWS THE AGA KHAN

January 28, 2002 - (CNN) -- Prince Karim Aga Khan is considered one of the most influential voices in the Muslim world. The 65-year-old spiritual head of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims is a direct descendant of the prophet Mohammed and one of the world's wealthiest men. His foundation, the Aga Khan Development Network, has been working to raise money to help in the reconstruction of Afghanistan. Judy Woodruff sat down for an interview with the Aga Khan last week. [More]


CANADA: 'A MODEL FOR THE WORLD'

February 2, 2002 - The Globe and Mail. The wealthy Muslim leader and philanthropist was in Ottawa this week to discover the secret of the nation's multicultural success. But he was critical of the U.S. for its simplistic views of good and evil. 'I will not stigmatize a whole population as being evil, whether they are Muslim, Christian, Jew, Hindu. I can't do that,' he told JOHN STACKHOUSE and PATRICK MARTIN. After a 90-minute lunch with Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, the Aga Khan sat down for a rare and long interview in which he urged Canada to hold itself up to the developing world as a model for the 21st century. [Interview published in Globe and Mail] [Complete Transcript]


THE WORLD OF THE AGA KHAN

February 2, 2002 - The Globe and Mail. Michael Valpy writes: Canada's 45,000 Muslim Ismailis, for whom the Aga Khan is spiritual leader, are a close-knit community centred in Toronto and Vancouver known for their business acumen, educational attainments and philanthropy. Prime Minister Jean Chrétien once joked that what his hometown of Shawinigan, Que., lacked was a dozen Ismaili entrepreneurs. [More]


CANADA'S PRIME MINISTER CHRETIEN AND AGA KHAN DISCUSS CENTRAL ASIA, PLURALISM AND DEVELOPMENT

January 30, 2002 - OTTAWA - CNW: Canada's Prime Minister Jean Chretien and His Highness the Aga Khan, Imam (spiritual leader) of the Shia Ismaili Muslims today together called for an increased commitment to fostering pluralism in societies across both the developing and developed worlds. The Aga Khan was concluding a two day official visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister and the Government of Canada. During the course of the visit Prime Minister Chretien and the Aga Khan reviewed the extensive collaboration between the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) and the Government of Canada over the past two decades. [Press Release] [Ismaili flag and Canadian flag side by side on governor's house in ottawa] [Aga Khan welcomed at Parliament] [Photos Album]

AGA KHAN VISITS CANADA FROM 28 TO 30 JANUARY

January 29, 2002 - Ottawa, Ontario - (CPM): Prime Minister Jean Chrétien today announced that His Highness the Aga Khan, the 49th Hereditary Imam of Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims, will visit Canada from January 28 to 30, 2002. "It is an honour to welcome His Highness the Aga Khan to Canada," said the Prime Minister. "In his capacity as a religious leader and through the Development Network that bears his name, the Aga Khan has contributed significantly to advancement and stability in Asia and Africa while promoting Islam as a thinking, spiritual faith that teaches compassion." [Press release French] [Press release English] [The Nation article]


AGA KHAN HOSPITAL EXTENDS SERVICES

January 28, 2002 - The Nation/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX -- The Aga Khan Hospitals in Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu will extend their laboratory services to reach surrounding areas through satellite laboratories. [More]


AGA KHAN ANNOUNCES US$75 MILLION FOR AFGHANISTAN

January 21, 2002 - Tokyo, Japan: His Highness the Aga Khan, Imam (spiritual leader) of the Shia Ismaili Muslims today announced, at the International Conference on Reconstruction Assistance to Afghanistan, a multiyear commitment of US$75 million by the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) to help re-build Afghanistan [Press-release] [Statement by the Aga Khan]


AGA KHAN HOSPITAL GETS EQUIPMENT WORTH Sh4m

January 1, 2002 - The East African Standard (Nairobi): The Aga Khan Hospital-Nairobi has received laparascopic (minimal invasive) surgery equipment worth Sh4 million from Johnson and Johnson through Philips Pharmaceuticals Limited. The donation consisted of two imaging systems, two laparascopic abdominal training devices and surgical instruments. [More]





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