Conversations, Interviews & Speeches
Nurjehan Mawani is the former chair and CEO of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada and her daughter, Her Excellency Aliya Mawani, is the Ambassador of Canada to the state of Kuwait. In a unique interview together, they share their professional journeys and discuss the importance of representation, equity, and inclusion.
Dr. Samantha Green, Afzal Sovani, Jon Lomow, and Rehana Rajabali discuss the impact of climate change as seen from the lens of health, agriculture, and infrastructure. This program was held on April 26, 2023, at the Ismaili Centre Toronto and was presented in partnership with the Aga Khan Museum and Aga Khan Park.
In the first installment of a five-part series, Onstage Conversations 2022, Dr. Amyn B. Sajoo talks with Dr. Ulrike al-Khamis, Director & CEO of the Aga Khan Museum. The conversation focuses on the role of art in bridging divides as societies become more polarized by words and images. The series is presented by Simon Fraser University in partnership with the Ismaili Centres.
The Ismaili Jamatkhana and Center USA together with the Ismaili Centre Toronto present a discussion in recognition of the International Day of Tolerance. In a discussion with three representatives of the Aga Khan Development Network, Dr. Mahmoud Eboo, Diplomatic Representative to Canada, Sheherezade Hirji, Diplomatic Representative to Afghanistan, and Munir Merali, Diplomatic Representative to the People's Republic of Bangladesh, illustrate how local contexts shape the work of the AKDN and provide an understanding of the broader connection between the global projects.
Dr. Ulrike Al-Khamis, CEO of the Aga Khan Museum, speaks with Christopher Wilton-Steer, photographer of The Silk Road: A Living History exhibition about his 40,000 km journey across the historic silk route and his experiences witnessing the intricate connections between distant cultures. Created in collaboration with the Aga Khan Foundation, the exhibition features photographs from Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, India, and China.
Moiz Lakhani has competed at the national level in judo, kickboxing, and wrestling and at the international level in Jiu-Jitsu. He shares his journey and experiences in sports, academics, social entrepreneurship, and international development. SPO-011
Milad-un-Nabi, the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), is commemorated as a joyous occasion by almost two billion followers around the world. During his lifetime, the Holy Prophet established a paradigm of life for Muslims, embracing a harmony between spiritual and material, respect for the dignity of all human life, and equitable social order. His model of leadership, rooted in honesty, integrity, and trustworthiness, serves as an exemplar to this day, for millions.
On Sunday, October 17, we commemorate this historic occasion with inspiring remarks from special guests Dr. Aman Haji and Professor Adel Iskandar, as well as poetry and visuals to lift the spirit as we honour the Prophet's legacy.
Photographer Gary Otte has taken many thousands of photos of Mawlana Hazar Imam’s visits to his Jamats, his meetings with world leaders, and AKDN projects across the world. In this exclusive interview, Mr. Otte describes his motivation to compile a visual record of Hazar Imam’s life and work, centered around photos taken by him and other photographers over the course of eight decades. The book, entitled Depth of Field, is now available to pre-order from The Ismaili Shop.
Panelists from diverse industries, and at varying stages in their careers, share their experiences of career pivots highlighting the importance of adaptability, resilience, and lifelong learning.
In a conversation with Zahra Jivan, city builder and civic leader Zahra Ebrahim share stories from her projects to show the link between design and justice, and especially how we can frame problems in a people-centered manner to enable individuals to design their own solutions.
In this episode of Visionary Voices, Khalil Shariff, CEO of Aga Khan Foundation, Canada explores the topic of resilience in the face of crisis.
The pandemic has forced institutions of higher learning to re-think their future by challenging the suitability, viability, and sustainability of university-operating models. Institutions must reassess and adapt their strategies if they are to survive and thrive after the pandemic. Farah Nasser moderates a discussion between Dr. Jay Johnson, President of Simon Fraser University; Dr. Mohamed Lachemi, President of Ryerson University; Dr. Graham Carr, President of Concordia University and Dr. Deborah MacLatchy, President of Wilfrid Laurier University.
We are joined by Latif Nasser, the host and executive producer of the Netflix documentary series ‘Connected: The Hidden Science of Everything’, host at ‘RadioLab’ and host of ‘The Other Latif’ mini-podcast series. Receiving a Ph.D. in the history of science from Harvard University, Latif is the recipient of the 2021 Dupont Columbia Award for his series ‘The Other Latif’. In this episode, he is interviewed by his sister, Farah Nasser, a news anchor for Global News. The siblings explore their childhood, share stories about their upbringing and how their parents enabled them to develop a constantly curious attitude towards the world. “This idea, ask questions until their head hurt. That was a thing that our dad would say, there are always more questions, there are always more things you can learn from everybody and not just fancy scientists, everybody. TRA-003
Ismaili Centre Toronto: Frontiers of Science and Innovation Public Lecture Series Seeing the unseeable by Professor Avery Broderick, Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy, recounts how the Event Horizon Telescope generates images, why scientists think they have finally seen a black hole, and what it all means. He tells the incredible tale of how a global collaboration of astronomers, physicists, and engineers literally traveled to the ends of the Earth to synthesize a telescope the size of the Earth, the only instrument capable of probing the staggeringly small scales presented by black holes.
Ismaili Centre Conversations Canada: Yawm-e-Ali Commemorating the Birthday of Hazrat Ali (A.S.) by Dr. Hadi Enyat.
Trailblazers Premiere! A new original series, exclusively on Ismaili TV showcasing Ismailis around the globe who have demonstrated excellence in their fields. In our very first episode, we are joined by The Honourable Salma Lakhani, the 19th Lieutenant Governor of Alberta.
Born in Kampala, Uganda, and expelled in 1972, her Honour gives us insight into her installation ceremony and what it felt like to swear the oath on the Qu’ran. She discusses how the promise of hope for a better future for everyone motivates her to serve her community. Join us as Her Honour kicks off our series in hopes of inspiring other Trailblazers. TRA-001
A dialogue between the mayors of Calgary, Toronto, and Vancouver on the way that the ongoing pandemic has shaped the way that they understand civic life.
Farhan Lalji, sports reporter for TSN's SportsCentre, and Nabil Karim, sports anchor for ESPN's SportsCentre share their experiences of their careers in sports media. SPO-006
13th January 2012, Mawlana Hazar Imam received an Honorary Doctorate at the University of Ottawa.
We journey into the Ismaili Centre, Vancouver, where we explore the space through the lens of the architect Bruno Freschi.
Through a virtual tour, and in conversation with CBC's Zahra Premji, Mr. Freschi shares his personal insights on how he brought to life Mawlana Hazar Imam's vision for the Centre, and what truly inspired him when he was designing this magnificent space. From the smallest details to the grandest idea, take a glimpse into the creative process that led to the design of the Ismaili Centre, Vancouver.
Salimah Mussani graduated from Stanford University and played on several Tours, where she won several prestigious titles including the only Major on the Symetra Tour, a Canadian PGA title, and several wins on the Canadian Tour. SPO-003