Photo Flashback: His Highness the Aga Khan at NATO Headquarters in January 2007
The website for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) reported as follows on January 22, 2007:
The Aga Khan visited NATO Headquarters on 22 January 2007 to meet with NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer [who held the position from 2004 until 2009 – ed.]. They discussed ways of stepping up support to the Afghanistan government.
The Aga Khan is the hereditary title of the Imam (spiritual and general leader) of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims. The Aga Khan is also founder and chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network, one of the largest private development networks in the world and one of the largest private donors in Afghanistan.
NATO is a key component of the international community’s engagement in Afghanistan, assisting the Afghan authorities in providing security and stability, paving the way for reconstruction and effective governance.
NATO Secretary General, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, whose term of office was from 2004 until 2009, welcomes His Highness the Aga Khan upon his arrival at NATO headquarters. Photo credit: NATO photos
His Highness the Aga Khan (left) and NATO Secretary General, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer. Photo credit: NATO photos.
Much focus over the years has centred heavily on the capital, Kabul, and the central government. Insufficient attention has been paid to the real impact of the generous investments made by donor countries. Do enough Afghans perceive these investments as improving their quality of their life. It is vitally important to demonstrate that local governments and local actors working together with local communities can meet pressing needs…His Highness the Aga Khan, London, January 28, 2010. Link to full statement below.
His Highness the Aga Khan meets with Hendrik Schuwer, Director of the NATO Private Office. Photo credit: NATO photos.
His Highness the Aga Khan meets with Joseph Manso, Deputy Director of the NATO Private Office. Photo credit: NATO photos.
Community elected councils are not only driving processes that improve the quality of life but are playing an integral role in the birth and evolution of grass-roots civil society institutions that are able to govern themselves. Investing in the creation of such civil society institutions, and in their capacity to deliver services, deserves much greater attention, support and resources than has hitherto been the case, even as investments in rebuilding the state institutions continue….His Highness the Aga Khan, London, January 28, 2010. Link to full statement below.
His Highness the Aga Khan in a bilateral meeting with NATO Secretary General, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer. Photo credit: NATO photos.
His Highness the Aga Khan at NATO Headquarters in Brussels. Photo credit: NATO photos.
Overall we would emphasise four fundamental building blocks necessary to achieve a minimum critical mass of interventions that would improve Afghans’ quality of life and opportunities: security; participation; ownership (both of assets and the development process); and institution building of the state and civil society. If resources allocated to each of these elements were better balanced, much more would be achieved by development efforts across the country….His Highness the Aga Khan, London, January 28, 2010. Link to full statement below.
Date posted: Wednesday, January 16, 2013.
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For His Highness the Aga Khan’s statement at the 2010 London Conference on Afghanistan, please click http://www.akdn.org/Content/955
Watch news clips including The Long Road to Development in Badakshan at NATO TV. Please click http://www.natochannel.tv/
Photos on this page from: http://www.nato.int/multi/photos/2007/m070122b.html
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Whatever the Aga Khan does for world peace, poverty, building parks and other things for a good environment – concentrating more on 3rd world countries where hospitals, schools, education for the poor all has a great meaning behind it. He is the only person I know who not only shoulders the responsibility of his 12 million followers and guides them from time to time as the world changes but now is responsible for all the projects he has started and a lot more projects still to come.
I think it is imperative that all human beings should follow his example
and do whatever little we can for the poor, homeless, hungry and try to care for each other as often as we can and save the environment in whichever way we can.