Gems of Wisdom

Gems of Wisdom will be drawing to a close with three special episodes. In this third last episode, we will hear the Aga Khan’s final public speech made during his lifetime, which also marked an important milestone event. Amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, the Aga Khan gave a virtual address in this speech to the first Convocation ceremony of the University of Central Asia in Naryn, Kyrgyz Republic on 19 June 2021.    Click here to read the speech.

After Uganda’s President Idi Amin expelled all South Asians from the country in 1972, thousands of Ugandan Ismaili refugees ended up rebuilding their lives and community institutions in Canada and the United Kingdom. The Aga Khan discussed the spirit of resilience that inspired the architecture of the Ismaili Centres and other buildings in this speech to the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada on 27 November 2013 in Ottawa, Canada. Please note that although the majority of this speech is in English, it does begin in French. A translation is available in the podcast’s transcript and on the Aga Khan Development Network website.   Click here to read the speech.

In a merit-based world, one important factor in helping children progress in developing societies is the quality of teaching they receive. The Aga Khan spoke about the need to strengthen teaching capacity in this speech at the inauguration of the Professional Development Centre in the Northern Areas of Pakistan on 19 October 2000. Click here to read the speech.

In recent years, a number of democracies have been failing around the world, contributing to global instability and conflict. The Aga Khan discussed the ways in which democracy can be strengthened in this speech at the Governor General’s Canadian Leadership Conference on 19 May 2004 in Gatineau, Canada. Click here to read the speech.

The island of Zanzibar on East Africa’s Swahili coast has been a cultural and economic crossroad for centuries. The Aga Khan discussed the history and future of Zanzibar as a place of pluralistic exchange in this speech at the inauguration of the revitalised Forodhani Park on 30 July 2009 in Zanzibar, Tanzania. Click here to read the speech.