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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

In Islamic belief, humans are entrusted with the responsibility to care for our worldly environment. In order to combat the threat of climate change, greater focus needs to be placed on finding renewable energy sources. His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV addressed the relationship between environmental goals and development goals in this speech at the foundation ceremony of the Bujagali hydropower project in Jinja, Uganda on 21 August 2007.

Click here to read the speech.

The Madrasa Early Childhood Programme is a partnership between the Aga Khan Foundation and local Muslim organisations, through which over 200 preschools have been established in communities in East Africa. His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV discussed the importance of early childhood development, a period in which the human brain develops most quickly, in this speech at the 25th anniversary of the Madrasa programme, made in Mombasa, Kenya on 14 August 2007.

In previous episodes, we have heard His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV speak about the role of education in strengthening developing societies. He had also discussed the important role that universities and other educational institutions can play in areas relevant to the field of international development, such as government, civil society, ethical literacy, and pluralism. He addressed these issues in this speech at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada on 9 June 2009.