Gems of Wisdom

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“A strategic investment which many private investors might be reluctant to make” - Kampala, Uganda, 10 November 2006 Aug 13, 2025

Show notes

Tourism is one way to help spark investment in developing societies. His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV spoke about the role that luxury hotels, tourism, and for-profit ventures play in the development work of the AKDN in this speech at the opening of the Serena Hotel in Kampala, Uganda on 10 November 2006.
Click here to read the speech.

“Critical components of any global development policy” - Berlin, Germany, 6 September 2004 Aug 06, 2025

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In order for developing countries to be transformed into peaceful and productive modern societies, certain components need to be in place. His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV discussed the preconditions for uplifting developing societies, including democracy, pluralism, and civil society, in this speech to the annual Conference of German Ambassadors on 6 September 2004 in Berlin, Germany.
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“Reap the benefits of new technology” - Washington, D.C., USA, 10 November 1999 Jul 30, 2025

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The development of the Internet has caused massive changes in global communications and the proliferation of knowledge, particularly since its rapid rise in the 1990s. His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV discussed the AKDN’s pioneering uses of information technologies to enhance their development work in the areas of culture, health care, and education in this speech at the World Bank InfoDev Conference on 10 November 1999 in Washington, D.C., USA.
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“Complex problems confronting sustainable development in mountain areas” - Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic, 31 October 2002 Jul 23, 2025

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Mountain societies face several unique development challenges, including many countries in Central Asia where the AKDN is active. His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV discussed the problems and potentials of mountain communities in this speech at the Global Mountain Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic on 31 October 2002.
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“Encounters of people and cultures” - Cambridge, Massachusetts, 27 May 1994 Jul 16, 2025

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The 1990s were a time of dynamic change in the world. The collapse of the Soviet Union brought about the end of the Cold War, the creation of many newly independent states, and the rapid increase in encounters between cultures. His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV addressed these cultural encounters, particularly between the Muslim world and Western societies, in this speech at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on 27 May 1994 in Cambridge, USA.
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“A new Seat of the Ismaili Imamat” - Lisbon, Portugal, 10 July 2018 Jul 09, 2025

Show notes

Over several decades, the Ismaili Imamat developed a close relationship with the government of Portugal, which culminated in an agreement in 2015 to establish a Seat of the Ismaili Imamat there. The Aga Khan spoke about this relationship and the significance of the Seat in this speech to the Portuguese Parliament on 10 July 2018 in Lisbon, Portugal.
Click here to read the speech.

“The best of charity, in Islamic terms, can go beyond material support alone” - Islamabad, Pakistan, 17 October 2000 Jul 02, 2025

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Charitable giving is closely linked with religions, and can take on many forms, including gifts of time, talent, and funds. His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV discussed Islam’s traditions of giving in this speech at the Conference of Indigenous Philanthropy on 17 October 2000 in Islamabad, Pakistan.
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“Caricatures which have brought such pain to Islamic peoples” - Evora, Portugal, 12 February 2006 Jun 25, 2025

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In 2006, a Danish newspaper sparked a global controversy by publishing a series of offensive drawings of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him and his progeny. Protests and violence erupted around the world, amidst a vigorous debate about freedom and responsibility. His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV spoke about the need for more pluralistic societies in the following excerpts of this speech at the University of Evora in Portugal on 12 February 2006.
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“Milestone moment in the early history of the University of Central Asia” - Naryn, Kyrgyz Republic, 19 October 2016 Jun 18, 2025

Show notes

To address the unique challenges faced by people living in mountain societies, particularly in Central Asia in the post-Cold War period, His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV worked with the governments of the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan to establish the University of Central Asia, or UCA. He spoke about the vision for the university in this speech at the inauguration of the first UCA campus in Naryn, Kyrgyz Republic on 19 October 2016.
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“Increasing frustration concerning the pluralism story” - Toronto, Canada, 21 September 2016 Jun 11, 2025

Show notes

Global citizenship refers to the idea that all people are connected not just with one country but with a broader global community, and requires a steadfast commitment to the ideals of belonging and inclusion. His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV discussed the importance of global citizenship in the face of growing challenges to pluralism in this speech, made upon receiving the inaugural Adrienne Clarkson Prize for Global Citizenship in Toronto, Canada on 21 September 2016. Please note that although the majority of this speech is in English, it does contain a short section 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.

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