Features
Based in Geneva, Dr Walraven has direct management responsibility for the Aga Khan Health Service Companies, located in South and Central Asia, East Africa, and the Middle East. In this interview, he explains the value and importance of wearing a face mask in our continued fight against Covid-19.
The current healthcare crisis is accelerating the pace of change, and new innovations that were expected to take a decade to develop are now being tested and marketed at a dizzying rate, which has consequences for almost all organisations and employees.
The playing out of events over recent months has caused many of us to experience a rollercoaster of emotions. Some of us may have felt distress, perhaps taking it out on others around us, some will have felt curious to learn new skills, while others may have felt like curling up into an anxious ball, worrying about what this means for the future.
According to the American Psychiatric Association, 36 per cent of Americans say coronavirus is having a serious impact on their mental health. This means that in every group of three friends, at least one could be at risk of developing a mental health condition.
The future is here. Once a remote possibility, working from home has become commonplace and more accepted, much sooner than anticipated. While most employers have in the past resisted the idea of their workforces performing their duties from home, necessity is the mother of invention, and the current coronavirus crisis has left many employers with no other option.
The world is made up of different races, nations, languages, and opinions, but we all share one thing in common: the Earth we inhabit. We depend on the planet’s resources to live our lives. The faith of Islam teaches followers to care for Allah’s creation, as part of our values of ethical behaviour and good character.
If you’re finding yourself with some extra time in lockdown, don't give in to boredom. Instead, see if you can give yourself some space and time to think about where you are in life — and where you'd like to be.
Paintings, literature, and films, amongst other forms of art, are repositories of a society’s collective memory. They have much to tell us about prior pandemics, their impact, and what we can learn from these impressions today.
When Lebanese landscape architect Vladimir Djurovic was commissioned to design the Aga Khan Park in Toronto in 2005, Mawlana Hazar Imam suggested he take a tour of Islamic gardens and architecture around the world, ranging from Fatehpur Sikri in India to Alhambra in Spain. In this interview, he explains how the research trip helped his design of the Aga Khan Park to capture the essence of the Islamic garden.
How does one define their role and value in society, or one’s purpose in life? Are we atomised beings moving through life in a random fashion or connected and “born of a single soul,” as the Qur’an informs us? How are we connected, and what is an individual without a community?
As we navigate through this uncertain time, it is important to acknowledge the changes that we are going through. It can be helpful for students to seek support and engage in activities that will encourage us to stay rational, kind, and compassionate to ourselves and towards others.
Screening exclusively on The Ismaili TV, this three-part documentary series features the transformational work of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture in the cities of Kabul, Lahore, and Delhi. Look out for all three parts at the.ismaili/tv.