Youth Engagement
Interning at AKDN: A student’s story
28 June 2021
University of Central Asia student Payrov Dehqonov interned at the Aga Khan Agency for Habitat, and helped to analyse data in order to better prepare communities in Tajikistan that are at high-risk of being impacted by natural disasters.
Ismaili youth on the Covid frontline
31 May 2021
As the Covid-19 pandemic continues through 2021, Ismaili youth from around the world have been playing their part on the frontline. From travelling to remote areas to provide healthcare access, to stepping in at short-staffed hospitals, to holding down the fort in Covid wards, young members of the Jamat have stepped up to support citizens and families impacted by the pandemic.
NASA and Ismaili Jamat in the US partner for a live event from the International Space Station
12 May 2021
In today’s global environment, engineers, scientists, and inventors from different backgrounds collaborate on a global scale to create the technologies that impact human life on a daily basis. Against this backdrop, the Ismaili Council for the Southwestern US is collaborating with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to host an In-flight Education Downlink live from the International Space Station with Expedition 65 astronaut Megan McArthur on 17 May 2021.
Ismaili youth changing the practice of healthcare
28 April 2021
With technology advancing and the world becoming increasingly globalised, the very nature of healthcare provision is changing. Young Ismailis around the world are at the forefront of this transition, pursuing diverse interests to help health workers around the world provide equitable, compassionate, and quality care.
Young Ismailis embrace the arts
27 March 2021
In his remarks at the inaugural Aga Khan Music Awards in 2019, Mawlana Hazar Imam said, “after all, art is a matter of humanity just as much as it is a matter of identity.” Ismaili youth across the globe have been embracing art in this very spirit, to express, appreciate, and propel their emotions, thoughts, and passions in an outstanding way.
Young Ismailis prepare for a future economy
27 February 2021
The complex challenges facing our increasingly volatile world — from climate change to rural development to security — are also a source of opportunity for the next generation of leaders and changemakers. Around the world, young Ismailis like Rufayda Dhamani, Nurmuhammad Butabekov, and Aleem Rehmtulla are taking creative approaches to address these issues and prepare for the future of the global economy.
Pandemic perseverance: Pursuing your dreams during Covid-19
26 February 2021
I always saw the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) as a daunting exam; nevertheless, the fact that so many students would be taking it with me physically gave me some sense of moral support, even if that support was coming from strangers.
International students helping others achieve their dreams
29 January 2021
Take any highly successful person and chances are that person had a mentor to guide his or her journey, but when Kenyan-born Azan Virji set out to obtain a world-class medical education in the United States, he didn’t know whose path he could follow.
Building a knowledge-sharing bridge between the USA and Tajikistan during the pandemic
29 January 2021
As the global community faced unforeseen challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic, schools and universities were required to quickly implement remote learning in order to maintain social distancing and other Covid-19 safety protocols.
Reflecting on our times by writing about the world
11 January 2021
Since the beginning of time, people have handed down knowledge and lessons from one generation to the next in the form of stories. The novelist Haruki Murakami once said that “Stories lie deep in our souls. Stories lie so deep at the bottom of our hearts that they can bring people together at the deepest level.” For one young member of the Jamat in the Far East, continuing this centuries-old tradition is of crucial importance.
UK volunteer team innovates to turn obstacles into opportunity
7 January 2021
Sensitive to the needs of our young Jamat in a time of uncertainty, and in the absence of regular in-person camp offerings, the virtual Mosaic camp was an example of innovation and dedication from a small group of volunteers in the UK, looking to inspire and educate leaders of the future.
Global youth volunteerism: Our community’s pioneering leaders
20 December 2020
Whether you define it as seva, khidmat, or serviço, the ethic of offering service has been at the foundation of many selfless institutions and individuals around the world. This ethic is seen within our community and beyond, which can help to foster an active and healthy civil society. Youth leaders from around the world have adapted this very mindset: enabling communities through ‘building bridges.’ This phrase of Mawlana Hazar Imam’s is vital to forming a knowledge society, in which best practices — such as the ones used by Shagufta, Aly, and Sara — are shared and implemented worldwide.
