GA Governor presents Aga Khan with Proclamation

Upon the invitation of the Governor of Georgia, His Highness the Aga Khan arrived in Atlanta on Tuesday. Governor Nathan Deal today presented His Highness the Aga Khan with a State Proclamation recognizing his 60 years of dedication and inspiration towards improving human condition around the world.

The visit of His Highness to the United States is part of a year-long celebration to commemorate his Diamond Jubilee (60^th Anniversary) as Imam of Shia Ismaili Muslims. The visit commemorates 60 years of his leadership and commitment to faith, pluralism and improved quality of life.  The Ismaili Muslims are a global, multi-ethnic community whose members, comprising a wide diversity of cultures, languages and nationalities, live in Central Asia, the Middle East, South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Europe, and North America.

The presentation was made at a meeting held at the Georgia State Capitol attended by Chief of Staff Chris Riley and Abby Turano, Deputy Commissioner for International Relations, Georgia Department of Economic Development. Upon his arrival, His Highness was received by the Honorable Brian Kemp, Secretary of State for State of Georgia. Also Read: Aga Khan Celebrates 60 years as Spiritual Leader 

The Governor congratulated His Highness for his profound vision and leadership over the past sixty years. They discussed a shared vision of improving the quality of life for all people by promoting early childhood development, planning for the future, and creating opportunities for economic growth. They also discussed areas of partnership around research in vocational education, healthcare and agriculture as well as best practices in student and faculty exchange.

In the context of his hereditary responsibilities, His Highness has been deeply engaged with the development of countries around the world through the work of the Aga Khan Development Network.

His Highness has, over the last six decades, received numerous decorations, honorary degrees, and awards from institutions and nations across the world. Most recently, in 2017, the Aga Khan received four prestigious honors in the United States: the Foreign Policy Association Medal; the President’s Medal by the Architectural League of New York; the Champion for Global Change Award by United Nations Foundation; and the Asia Society. 

In the context of his hereditary responsibilities, His Highness has been deeply engaged with the development of countries around the world for over 60 years through the work of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN). In Islam’s ethical tradition, religious leaders not only interpret the faith but also have a responsibility to help improve the quality of life of their community and the societies among which they live. For the Aga Khan, this has meant a deep engagement with the concerns of the developing world and efforts to improve living conditions and opportunities through the agencies of the AKDN.

The AKDN is a group of private, international, non-denominational agencies working to improve living conditions and opportunities for people in specific regions of the developing world. The Network’s organizations have individual mandates that range from the fields of health and education to architecture, rural development, and the promotion of private-sector enterprise. AKDN spends US$ 925 million dollars annually on non-profit social and cultural development activities and employs 80,000 people.

The Network works in partnership with international and multilateral organizations (including the World Bank and agencies of the UN), development agencies of governments globally (including Canada, Europe and the U.S.), leading universities and private development organizations around the world, and local, state and national governments as well as the spectrum of civil society in each country where the AKDN is active.

– All images courtesy AKDN, Aga Khan Foundation & The Ismaili.