The Soviet Union fell in 1991, ending a decades-long ideological conflict with the United States known as the Cold War. The years that followed saw considerable change around the world, including growing perceptions of a so-called Clash of Civilisations between the Muslim world and the West. His Highness the Aga Khan addressed this changing landscape and the gulf of knowledge between the West and the Islamic world in these excerpts of his commencement speech at Brown University on 26 May 1996.

His Highness the Aga Khan established the Nation Media Group in 1960 to be a fair-minded, independent media voice to assist in East Africa’s peaceful transition to democracy. To mark the Nation Media Group’s 50th anniversary, the Aga Khan reflected on the role of media in Africa’s development in this speech on 18 March 2010 in Nairobi, Kenya.

Many modern leaders and thinkers have been trying to determine how the Muslim world can reclaim the position of intellectual and cultural leadership in the world that it once held. His Highness the Aga Khan reflected on this question in this speech at the 25th anniversary graduation of The Institute of Ismaili Studies, held in London on 19 October 2003.

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Civil society is that part of society, distinct from the state, government and business, in which citizens create organisations that are private and motivated to enhance the public good. His Highness the Aga Khan spoke about the important role of a strong civil society in this speech to the Parliament of Canada on 27 February 2014. It was the first time in Canadian history that a faith leader had been invited to address Parliament. Please note that although the majority of this speech is in English, it does contain some portions in French. A translation is available in the podcast’s transcript and on the Aga Khan Development Network website.

In 2015, His Highness the Aga Khan was invited to deliver the prestigious Jodidi lecture at Harvard University, the university that he graduated from in 1959. In this speech, made on 12 November 2015, he addressed the topic of “The Cosmopolitan Ethic in a fragmented world.”

To assist the development of several former Soviet republics in Central Asia as they transitioned into independent nations, the Aga Khan Development Network began to establish various institutions, particularly in education. His Highness the Aga Khan spoke about what constitutes a successful education in the modern world in this speech at the opening of the Aga Khan School in Osh in the Kyrgyz Republic on 30 October 2002.

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The Aga Khan Trust for Culture converted a centuries-old rubbish dump in historic Cairo into the spectacular Al-Azhar Park. This was the first of several parks and gardens that have become catalysts for change in many ways - environmental, social, economic, and educational. His Highness the Aga Khan addressed the evolution of the Al-Azhar Park project in this speech at the inauguration ceremony on 25 March 2005.

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The 9/11 terrorist attacks that took place in the United States in 2001 have had a profound impact on the relationship between Western societies and Muslim-majority societies. His Highness the Aga Khan visited the United States the following year and made this speech in Houston on 23 June 2002, at a banquet attended by the Governor of Texas, other government officials, and civil society leaders.

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Centuries ago, Muslim societies were among the leading civilisations in the world, driven by and building upon the discovery of new knowledge. His Highness the Aga Khan raised the question of how modern Muslim societies can strengthen themselves by becoming leading participants in today’s knowledge society in this speech at the Aga Khan University’s convocation in Karachi, Pakistan on 6 December 2006.

As a strong proponent of pluralism, His Highness the Aga Khan has often emphasised its spiritual roots, in various world religions. He was presented with the Tolerance Award by the Tutzing Evangelical Academy in Germany, where he delivered this speech on 12 February 2006.