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THE AGA KHAN DEVELOPMENT NETWORK: AN ETHICAL AND SPIRITUAL IMPERATIVE MOHIB EBRAHIM

EDITOR & PUBLISHER, NANOWISDOMS ARCHIVE OF IMAMAT SPEECHES, INTERVIEWS & WRITINGS

WHAT IS THE AGA KHAN DEVELOPMENT NETWORK?

• An umbrella organisation which coordinates the activities of over 200 agencies and institutions, 70,000 paid staff and 100,000 volunteers.

• Largest private development agency in the world.

• Annual budget of over $600 million.

• Operates in 35 of the poorest countries. Statutorily secular.

• Aim: Create or strengthen civil society in developing countries. This single goal, when it is achieved, is in fact necessary and sufficient to ensure peaceful and stable development over the long term, even when governance is problematic.

• Strategy: Civil society obviously cannot exist without apolitical and secular civil institutions, in particular social, cultural and economic ones. The essence of AKDN development strategy is to create these where they are lacking or need to be reinforced.

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WHERE DOES AKDN OPERATE?

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WHY IS A SPIRITUAL LEADER INVOLVED IN DEVELOPMENT?

INTERVIEWER: Some people are surprised that, as a spiritual leader, you are also involved in material and mundane matters of the world. What would you say?

AGA KHAN: .... The division between the spiritual and the material is a concept which I consider essentially of the Western World .... [Islam] is a total faith, it does not only govern the way a man or a woman of the Muslim faith practises faith but it governs his relations with his family and with society. It has an all enveloping sense of direction.

It does not tell him you cannot have wealth but it does tell him you cannot be greedy. It does not tell him you cannot be active in business but it tells him to be ethical in business and, therefore, it has an extremely strong moral involvement in every aspect of man's life. I think it would be completely wrong for me or frankly for any other Muslim leader, to restrict his effort and his endeavour simply to the spiritual aspects. -- 1983, Pakistan, Pakistan and Gulf Economist Interview (http://www.nanowisdoms.org/nwblog/2799/ )

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IT'S NOT PHILANTHROPY. IT'S AN ETHICAL IMPERATIVE.

"It's part of the ethic of Islam. It's not philanthropy. It's that you have a duty to share what you do not need yourself. If Allah has given you the wherewithal to share, you share. And you don't share on the basis of hand outs. The best of giving is what enables people to become independent. That is, you don't give philanthropy on an ongoing basis, if you can give philanthropy, it's to make people capable of managing their own destinies." -- Aga Khan, 2007, AKDN documentary "Let the Beauty We Love Be What We Do: A Profile of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture" (http://www.nanowisdoms.org/nwblog/9734/ )

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IT'S NOT PHILANTHROPY. IT'S A SPIRITUAL MANDATE.

"As Imam of the Ismaili Muslims, I am to be concerned with the quality of life of the Community and those amongst whom it lives.... To the Imamat, the meaning of “quality of life” extends to the entire ethical and social context in which people live, and not only to their material well-being measured over generation after generation. Consequently, the Imamat’s is a holistic vision of development, as is prescribed by the faith of Islam.

"It is about investing in people, in their pluralism, in their intellectual pursuit, and search for new and useful knowledge, just as much as in material resources. But it is also about investing with a social conscience inspired by the ethics of Islam. It is work that benefits all, regardless of gender, ethnicity, religion, nationality or background." -- Aga Khan, 2003, Kenya, Alltex EPZ Limited Opening Ceremony (http://www.nanowisdoms.org/nwblog/6843/ )

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THE SPECIFIC ETHICS WHICH DRIVE AKDN

• Inclusiveness Islam's is an inclusive vision of society. The divine spark that bestows individuality also bonds individuals in a common humanity.

• Education and research The key to the nature of society that Islam espouses is an enlightened mind, symbolised in the Quran's metaphor of creation, including one's self, as an object of rational quest.

• Compassion and Sharing A truly enlightened society urges the care of the weak and restraint in their sway by the rich and powerful.

• Self-reliance The poor, the deprived and those at the margin of existence have a moral right to society's compassion, the tradition reminds frequently. But Muslim ethic discourages a culture of dependency since it undermines one's dignity, preservation of which is emphatically urged in Muslim scripture.

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THE SPECIFIC ETHICS WHICH DRIVE AKDN

• Respect for Life and Health Care Good health, like knowledge, is a divine gift, says the Quran, which forcefully urges the sanctity of human life, equating the saving of one life to the saving of the entirety of humanity.

• Sound Mind An equal, if not greater, emphasis was placed on mental heath since preservation of sound mind is among the foundational principles of Islam's ethical code.

• Sustainable Environment: Physical, Social and Cultural Care of the environment, in its comprehensive meaning, is a duty of trusteeship which humankind owes by virtue of its vicegerency over creation.

• Governance Those who control and administer resources for the benefit of others are bound by the duty of trusteeship.

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WHAT DOES THE 'HOLISTIC VISION' ENTAIL? EVERYTHING!

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WHY IS AKDN DIFFERENT FROM NGOS? TIME FRAME

INTERVIEWER: Would you consider your network to be a non-governmental organisation?

AGA KHAN: No, we function very differently! We [are in it for the long run], whereas it is not rare to see an NGO start-up in a country and leave five days later.

Second difference, we work in the frame of a complete network, theoretically capable of bringing about appropriate responses in the majority of situations.

Finally, we have placed culture at the heart of the development puzzle. Not long ago this idea might have sounded eccentric. In reality, culture is a remarkable engine for development, which we have already experimented with in Kabul, Cairo, Zanzibar and Delhi. -- 2007, France, L’Express Interview (http://www.nanowisdoms.org/nwblog/8106/ )

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WHY IS AKDN DIFFERENT FROM NGOS? BREADTH

"While humanitarian assistance is indispensable, it should be conceived as part of a long-term strategy of helping the recipient community develop its own resources. Experience has taught us that any notion of alleviation must begin with an in-depth analysis of the multiple causes that require responses. We have also learned that micro-responses are often fragile and short-lived; hence responses must achieve a certain scale to achieve longevity. Where possible, these responses should be simultaneous rather than sequential. Hence, much of AKDN’s work is built around the concept of MIAD: Multi-Input Area Development.

"Development initiatives cannot be contemplated exclusively in terms of economics, but rather as an integrated programme that encompasses variables such as education and skills training, health and public services, conservation of cultural heritage, infrastructure development, urban planning and rehabilitation, water an energy management, environmental control, and even policy an legislative development." -- Aga Khan, 2011, France, ‘A Life in the Service of Development’ published in Politique Internationale (http://www.nanowisdoms.org/nwblog/10062/ )

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WHY IS AKDN DIFFERENT FROM NGOS? BREADTH

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WHY IS AKDN DIFFERENT FROM NGOS? PROFITS

[Our] criteria are far different from those of a straightforward commercial investor…. For us, responding appropriately to economic opportunity means finding ways of positively impacting people’s lives…. AKFED does seek to generate profits, but they are entirely reinvested in future development initiatives. -- Aga Khan, 2003, Kenya, Opening of Alltex EPZ Limited

The focus is not on profit, but on people. … All AKFED strategic investments are made in close consultation with the government, focusing on the key sectors of industry, infrastructure, media, financial services, air transport and the leisure industry. …We seek ways to transfer knowledge and technical capacity to local citizens and to the national economy to generate an economic ripple effect. -- Aga Khan, 2005, Afghanistan, Opening of the Kabul Serena Hotel

AKFED is ready to take justified investment risks — to a greater extent than many other investors. We are ready to be patient investors, with a far-ranging vision. We are long-term players, maintaining our presence even during periods of economic or political turbulence. -- Aga Khan, 2006, Uganda, Opening of Serena Hotel

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DEVELOPMENT WITH PROFIT? YES AND RECOGNIZED

"Economic developments experts say the Aga Khan's activities offer a useful template for others -- including philanthropists like Bill Gates and George Soros -- who are trying to assist the world's poorest by marrying business practices to social goals, but whose foundation work usually stops short of owning businesses outright in poor countries.

"Paul Collier, an economist at Oxford University who specialises in the problems of poor countries, says he believes that aid agencies could benefit from operating more like venture capitalists -- and more like the Aga Khan. 'He gets a multiplier effect from his investments that's really lacking in foreign aid,' Mr. Collier says. 'I'm impressed with his way of accepting risk and thinking long term.' ...

"Mixing business and charity, while long at odds with mainstream capitalist practice, is growing in prominence, making the Aga Khan an unlikely innovator."

-- 'Do Business and Islam Mix? Ask Him' New York Times, 2007

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AN EXAMPLE: AZHAR PARK, CAIRO

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AN EXAMPLE: AZHAR PARK, CAIRO

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AN EXAMPLE: AZHAR PARK, CAIRO

• Adjoining the 78 acre park was one of Cairo’s poorest neighbourhoods, Darb al Ahmar. Some 200,000 inhabitants had been living there for centuries amid the ruins of Cairo’s oldest buildings.

• The project developed an archaeological facet, uncovering and restoring ancient walls and gates, six historic mosques, and dozens of houses and palaces.

• Local residents were trained in restoration skills and some 200 are now permanently employed at the site.

• The work expanded into social dimensions, providing neighbourhood education and health services, and a supportive micro-credit program.

• The approach from the outset was that each reconstruction project should include a broad plan for social development.

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AN EXAMPLE: AZHAR PARK, CAIRO

• Today the entire area, once one of the most dense and impoverished urban agglomerations on the planet, has become a remarkable residential and cultural cityscape.

• In 2001, most inhabitants were squatters, with no title to their property. Today, 24 percent have a legal title.

• Over the last decade, family earnings increased one-third faster than in the whole of Old Cairo.

• Literacy rates climbed by one-fourth.

• The very nature of society has been transformed, in an area where evil social habits had been perpetuated for generations.

• Al Azhar Park, has attracted more than 13 million visitors -- including thousands of tourists and the economic gains they bring.

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THE AGA KHAN'S ETHICAL VISION EARNS GLOBAL AWARDS

• Awards from 36 countries

• Titles and state honours: 35

• Professional awards: 20

• Honorary doctorates: 22

• Civic honours: 26

• Other honours: 21

• Some highlights

• First Muslim to address Brown University in its then 232 year history.

• First Muslim to address MIT.

• First Muslim to be awarded Honorary Doctorate of Divinity by the University of Cambridge in it's 800 year history.

• First Leader of Faith to address both Houses of the Parliament of Canada

• One of only five to have received Honorary Citizenship to Canada.

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GLOBAL PRAISE FOR THE AGA KHAN'S ETHICAL VISION

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"PERHAPS THE ONLY PERSON IN THE WORLD TO WHOM EVERYONE LISTENS"

"[I]t is deeply moving and appropriate for us to welcome as an honorary graduate a man who is perhaps the only person in the world to whom everyone listens."

-- The Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, 2013, Trinity College, Toronto, Canada

"We honour an exceptional man, we honour a huge friend of humankind, we honour a courageous visionary and we honour a person building bridges between societies [who is a] fortress for democratic progress, as someone wishing to bring about sustainable, pluralistic, civil societies....

A man who shows us a face of Islam that many of us do not know and sadly all too often we do not want to know: an Islam that is open, tolerant and willing to engage in dialogue. An Islam that is not in conflict with free, democratic and pluralistic societies."

-- German Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, 2006 at the Tolerance Award from the Evangelical Academy of Tutzing

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