1,721,084 research outputs found
AKDN - Overview of the Aga Khan Development Network
Get PDFThe Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) is a group of private, international, non-denominational agencies working to improve living conditions and opportunities for people in some of the poorest parts of the developing world.https://ecommons.aku.edu/arch_research_publications_secondary-sources/1000/thumbnail.jp
Aga Khan Development Network Autumn Newsletter: Pakistan edition
Get PDFFocus Provides Flood Relief In Chitral - 2,200 Chitral Households Get Electricity - Ak School: 50 Years Of Excellence - Bacip Shortlisted For Ethical Awardhttps://ecommons.aku.edu/arch_research_publications_secondary-sources/1017/thumbnail.jp
Aga Khan Development Network Spring Newsletter: Pakistan edition
Get PDFThis update highlights four AKDN initiatives in Pakistan: the documentation of the Lahore Fort’s Picture Wall—the world’s largest mural; eye health research among fishing communities in Karachi; climate resilience efforts in rural Sindh; and a meeting between Queen Máxima of the Netherlands and AKDN teams to discuss financial inclusion and development.https://ecommons.aku.edu/arch_research_publications_secondary-sources/1016/thumbnail.jp
Overview of the AKDN and its Agencies
Get PDFA brochure-style document providing a concise overview of the Aga Khan Development Network, its mission, structure, and major agencies across sectors including health, education, culture, and economic development. It outlines AKDN’s contributions, guiding principles, and institutional reach.https://ecommons.aku.edu/arch_research_publications_secondary-sources/1006/thumbnail.jp
The metamorphosis of authority: a case study of the Aga Khan Development Network and the Ismaili Imamate
No full textThis research is a study of modern developments of the institutions of the Nizārī Ismaili imamate during the time of the present Ismaili Imam, Shāh Karīm al-Ḥusaynī, Aga Khan IV, as the 49th hereditary living Imam of Shiʿi Nizārī Ismaili Muslims, particularly addressing the formation of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) and the functions of the Community institutions.
Using the case study of the Aga Khan Development Network and the Nizārī Ismaili imamate, this research demonstrates that the three ideal types of authority as proposed by Weber, namely the traditional, charismatic and legal-bureaucratic types, are not sufficient to explain the dynamics of authority among Muslims. This is partly due to Weber’s belief in the uniqueness of Western civilisation, which is a product of his thesis on Protestant Ethics and partly because his ideal typical system does not work in the case of the Muslim societies. The Ismaili imamate with its multifarious institutions in contemporary times is the most suitable counter-example by which to powerfully demonstrate that Weberian models of authority fail to explain this phenomenon and it would indeed appear as a paradoxical institution if viewed with Weberian theses.
The Ismaili imamate in contemporary times represents a paradigm shift and a transmutation not only as regards the Weberian models but also when viewed from inside the tradition of Shiʿi Muslim history. This evolutionary leap forward, which has been crystallised over the course of the past half a century, in the Ismaili imamate suggests the development of a new form of authority which is unprecedented. There are clearly various elements in this form of authority which could be discerned as rooted in tradition and history; however the distinctive elements of this new form of authority give it a defining and exciting dimension.
There are several qualities which are peculiar to the contemporary condition of the Ismaili imamate and its style of leadership which are distinctive. Most importantly, while some central features, like succession by way of designation (naṣṣ) has not changed, there is one overarching quality which can best capture all these elements and that is the transmutation of the Ismaili imamate from the person of the Imam into the office of imamate and thus we are now facing the institutionalisation of the imamate and the office being the embodiment of the authority of the Imam. I have described this new development as a metamorphosis of the authority because it gives an entirely new form and content to the previously familiar concept of authority in the Shiʿi Ismaili Muslim tradition
Present and future distribution of Faidherbia albida in Cabo Verde as revealed by climatic modelling and LULC analysis
Get PDFFunding Information: Special thanks to Silvia Catarino and Lara Dutra Silva for all their support in modelling. The authors thank the herbarium curator (Maria Cristina Duarte, FCUL) of the LISC Herbarium (IICT/ULisboa). We thank to Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) and Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) under the project CVAgrobiodiversity. Also to the research unit UID/AGR/04129/2020 (LEAF) and CIBIO-Açores funded by Portuguese National Funds through FCT, Portugal. Funding Information: Special thanks to Silvia Catarino and Lara Dutra Silva for all their support in modelling. The authors thank the herbarium curator (Maria Cristina Duarte, FCUL) of the LISC Herbarium (IICT/ULisboa). We thank to Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) and Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) under the project CVAgrobiodiversity. Also to the research unit UID/AGR/04129/2020 (LEAF) and CIBIO-Açores funded by Portuguese National Funds through FCT, Portugal. Funding Information: This research was funded by the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) and Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) through the project CVAgrobiodiversity/333111699. DV was supported by FCT grant (SFRH/BD/135354/2017). Publisher Copyright: Copyright © 2023 Varela, Romeiras and Silva.Climate change poses one of the most significant challenges to conserve biodiversity, especially in tropical dry islands, as is the case of Cabo Verde (northeast Atlantic Ocean). This archipelago has a low percentage of forest cover and hosts only seven native tree species, among them, Faidherbia albida (Delile) A.Chev. (Fabaceae). Therefore, protective afforestation is extremely important in Cabo Verde, one of the most vulnerable West African countries to climate change. With this work, we aimed to estimate the current distribution and potential shifts in suitable areas for F. albida under climate change, using species distribution models (i.e., random forest, generalized linear and additive models), covering its distribution range in Cabo Verde and mainland Africa. The best model was then projected for the studied area, at two different slice times, using Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 4.5 and 8.5 scenarios. Based on current bioclimatic variables, we estimated that almost two thirds of Cabo Verde’s territory is highly suitable for F. albida, which contrasts with its current occurrence. By overlaying the present habitat suitability with land use and land cover data, we concluded that habitat availability and suitability could be constrained by that factor. On average, the predicted suitable habitat for future distributions gradually decreases by 2080 under both scenarios compared with the current, with a smaller effect of RCP4.5 than of RCP8.5. Local authorities can benefit from this research and develop actions to promote sustainable reforestation in Cabo Verde, which should include native tree species that are best adapted to the local climate and could thus contribute to mitigate the effects of climate change.publishe
Promoting Pluralism through Development: Transnational Initiatives of the Aga Khan Development Network
No full textTransnational civil society organizations (TCSOs) have generated substantial interest and scrutiny from both scholars and national governments for their extensive engagement with national and local level activist groups. The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), which is a leading TCSO, is inspired by the ethics of Islam, and is guided by the core principle of pluralism whereby people from diverse backgrounds regardless of religion, ethnicity, gender and other differences are included in its programs. This chapter focuses upon the developmental initiatives of one of AKDN’s agencies, namely, the Aga Khan Rural Support Program (AKRSP), which has been active in the remote, mountainous regions of northern Pakistan. It examines how pluralism is promoted through the activities of AKRSP in a region characterized by ethnic diversity and some of the challenges it faces. The discussion also reveals the impact of AKRSP on the growth of local civil society groups and its influence at different levels of government in Pakistan.There is extensive literature on AKRSP in Pakistan but most studies do not examine AKRSP’s activities with specific reference to pluralism
1,000 Years After Al- Azhar - A Historic Achievement
Get PDFThis commemorative publication celebrates the founding of The Aga Khan University (AKU) in 1983, positioning it as a historic continuation of a thousand-year-old tradition of Muslim institutions of higher learning, beginning with Al-Azhar University. The publication features excerpts from Mowlana Hazar Imam’s speech during the Charter Presentation Ceremony, details AKU\u27s mission and vision, outlines early plans for its academic and health sciences components, and includes remarks from President Zia-ul-Haq. It emphasizes AKU’s role as a “Centre of Excellence” and “Muslim international university,” open to all, rooted in Islamic tradition, and committed to innovation in service of the Muslim world and developing nations.https://ecommons.aku.edu/arch_research_publications_secondary-sources/1002/thumbnail.jp
Central Asian Vector of Non-State Actors’ Socio-Humanitarian Activities: The Case of Aga Khan Development Network
No full textРукопись поступила в редакцию 13 февраля 2019 г.В настоящей статье автор на примере деятельности Организации Ага Хана по развитию рассматривает социально-гуманитарную деятельность негосударственных акторов в постсоветской Центральной Азии. Утверждается, что, несмотря на возросшую роль негосударственных акторов в социально-гуманитарном измерении мировой политики, их деятельность не всегда воспринимается позитивно. Сложным регионом в этом отношении для работы негосударственных акторов является и Центральная Азия, хотя социально-экономические проблемы государств на ее территории генерируют значительный запрос на участие в их решении международных негосударственных акторов. На малоизученном кейсе — примере результатов деятельности Организации Ага Хана по развитию (в области гуманитарной помощи, образования, культуры и здравоохранения) — демонстрируется позитивное влияние государственно-частного партнерства в решении насущных социально-гуманитарных проблем государств Центральной Азии.The article examines the socio-humanitarian activities of non-state actors (NSAs) in post-Soviet Central Asia focusing on the Aga Khan Development Network activities (AKDN). It is argued that despite increasing role of non-state actors in the socio-humanitarian dimension of world politics, their work is not always perceived positively. In this context, Central Asia also presents challenges for the work of the NSAs, although dealing with social and economic problems of the region’s states generates signifi cant demand for the involvement of international non-state actors. Based on the evaluation of the results of the activities (in the sphere of humanitarian assistance, education, culture and health) of AKDN, it is demonstrated that the public-private partnership in solving the pressing social and humanitarian problems of Central Asian states has positive infl uence
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