The Rise of Popular Discontent and What We Can Do About It
Liberal democracies are being rocked by popular movements that challenge previously accepted values and institutions. How can the West, and other regions, respond to the forces of populist grievance in ways that foster and strengthen pluralism ─ addressing legitimate concerns while combatting efforts to sow division?
Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xgW1hxD_wg
Aga Khan's Global Centre for Pluralism
Leaving No One Behind – Amina Mohammed to Address Inclusion and the SDGs
LIVE WEBCAST -- CENTRE FOR PLURALISM -- DATE: TUESDAY 11 JUNE 2019: 11:00am Vancouver (PDT) ~ 12:00noon Calgary (MDT) ~ 1:00pm Chicago/Houston (CDT) ~ 2:00pm New York/Toronto (EDT) ~ 7:00pm Lisbon/London (WEST/BST) ~ 8:00pm Paris (CEST) ~ 9:00pm Nairobi (EAT) ~ 10:00pm Dubai (GST) ~ 11:00pm Karachi (PKT)/Dushanbe (TJT) ~ 11:30pm Mumbai (IST) ~ WED 12 JUN: 2:00am Singapore (SGT) ~ 4:00am Sydney (AEST).
Ottawa, June 7 - As governments around the world prepare for the first global
review of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, UN Deputy
Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed will deliver the 2019 Annual Pluralism Lecture on June 11 in Lisbon, Portugal. Ms. Mohammed will highlight how inaction on inequality and exclusion threatens to undermine achievement of
the 17 Goals agreed to by 193 nations in 2015.
According to Ms. Mohammed, both action and investment are needed if nations are to meet their development targets: “Let’s be frank: inequality is growing both within and between countries.Youth unemployment is at alarming levels, and intolerance, extremism, nationalism and xenophobia are on the rise.”Even as some progress is being made in tackling poverty and improving maternal health, growing inequalities are rolling back gains in other areas, and in the worst cases, fueling conflict and forced migration.
More...
https://www.pluralism.ca/wp-content/upl ... 19-ENG.pdf
LIVE WEBCAST -- CENTRE FOR PLURALISM -- DATE: TUESDAY 11 JUNE 2019: 11:00am Vancouver (PDT) ~ 12:00noon Calgary (MDT) ~ 1:00pm Chicago/Houston (CDT) ~ 2:00pm New York/Toronto (EDT) ~ 7:00pm Lisbon/London (WEST/BST) ~ 8:00pm Paris (CEST) ~ 9:00pm Nairobi (EAT) ~ 10:00pm Dubai (GST) ~ 11:00pm Karachi (PKT)/Dushanbe (TJT) ~ 11:30pm Mumbai (IST) ~ WED 12 JUN: 2:00am Singapore (SGT) ~ 4:00am Sydney (AEST).
Ottawa, June 7 - As governments around the world prepare for the first global
review of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, UN Deputy
Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed will deliver the 2019 Annual Pluralism Lecture on June 11 in Lisbon, Portugal. Ms. Mohammed will highlight how inaction on inequality and exclusion threatens to undermine achievement of
the 17 Goals agreed to by 193 nations in 2015.
According to Ms. Mohammed, both action and investment are needed if nations are to meet their development targets: “Let’s be frank: inequality is growing both within and between countries.Youth unemployment is at alarming levels, and intolerance, extremism, nationalism and xenophobia are on the rise.”Even as some progress is being made in tackling poverty and improving maternal health, growing inequalities are rolling back gains in other areas, and in the worst cases, fueling conflict and forced migration.
More...
https://www.pluralism.ca/wp-content/upl ... 19-ENG.pdf
Webcast: Annual Pluralism Lecture 2019
https://the.ismaili/news/webcast-annual ... cture-2019
The Annual Pluralism Lecture 2019 will take place on 11 June in Lisbon, where Mawlana Hazar Imam is expected to introduce this year’s speaker, Amina J. Mohammed. The event is anticipated to begin at 7:00 PM UTC+1, and will be webcast at the.ismaili/live.
Hosted by the Global Centre for Pluralism, the Annual Pluralism Lecture provides an opportunity to learn from individuals whose work has made a practical difference in the world. The 2019 lecture will explore the connections between pluralism and global efforts to advance peace, justice, and sustainable development.
This year’s speaker, Amina J. Mohammed, currently serves as the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN). During her time at the UN, she has played an instrumental role in bringing about the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These goals are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.
Ms Mohammed has also served on numerous boards and panels working in the fields of education, women’s empowerment, the environment, and international development. She is also an Adjunct Professor in Development Practice at Columbia University.
The Global Centre for Pluralism was created to advance global understanding of pluralism and positive responses to the challenge of living peacefully and productively together in diverse societies. Previous Annual Pluralism Lectures have been held in Ottawa, Toronto, and London; and past speakers have included Roza Otunbayeva, Kofi Annan, António Guterres, Beverley McLachlin, Justice Albie Sachs, and Karen Armstrong.
Annual Pluralism Lecture 2019:
San Francisco 11:00 AM 11 June
Ottawa 2:00 PM 11 June
London 7:00 PM 11 June
Nairobi 9:00 PM 11 June
Dushanbe 11:00 PM 11 June
Mumbai 11:30 PM 11 June
Sydney 4:00 AM 12 June
https://the.ismaili/news/webcast-annual ... cture-2019
The Annual Pluralism Lecture 2019 will take place on 11 June in Lisbon, where Mawlana Hazar Imam is expected to introduce this year’s speaker, Amina J. Mohammed. The event is anticipated to begin at 7:00 PM UTC+1, and will be webcast at the.ismaili/live.
Hosted by the Global Centre for Pluralism, the Annual Pluralism Lecture provides an opportunity to learn from individuals whose work has made a practical difference in the world. The 2019 lecture will explore the connections between pluralism and global efforts to advance peace, justice, and sustainable development.
This year’s speaker, Amina J. Mohammed, currently serves as the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN). During her time at the UN, she has played an instrumental role in bringing about the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These goals are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.
Ms Mohammed has also served on numerous boards and panels working in the fields of education, women’s empowerment, the environment, and international development. She is also an Adjunct Professor in Development Practice at Columbia University.
The Global Centre for Pluralism was created to advance global understanding of pluralism and positive responses to the challenge of living peacefully and productively together in diverse societies. Previous Annual Pluralism Lectures have been held in Ottawa, Toronto, and London; and past speakers have included Roza Otunbayeva, Kofi Annan, António Guterres, Beverley McLachlin, Justice Albie Sachs, and Karen Armstrong.
Annual Pluralism Lecture 2019:
San Francisco 11:00 AM 11 June
Ottawa 2:00 PM 11 June
London 7:00 PM 11 June
Nairobi 9:00 PM 11 June
Dushanbe 11:00 PM 11 June
Mumbai 11:30 PM 11 June
Sydney 4:00 AM 12 June
https://www.pluralism.ca/event/un-deput ... -the-sdgs/
The Lecture will take place on June 11 in Lisbon, Portugal. The livestream will begin at 7pm GMT+1. Please stayed tuned for details to follow.
UN Deputy Secretary-General to address pluralism and the SDGs
11 Jun 2019
Amina J. Mohammed to deliver 2019 Annual Pluralism Lecture
The Centre is pleased to announce that Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, will deliver the 2019 Annual Pluralism Lecture, addressing the theme of pluralism and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Ms. Mohammed, formerly the Minister of Environment for Nigeria, was instrumental in bringing about the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including the SDGs, in her role as Special Adviser to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Post-2015 Development Planning.
She has served on numerous other international boards and panels, including the Independent Expert Advisory Group on the Data Revolution for Sustainable Development, the Global Development Program of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the International Development Research Centre, the African Women’s Millennium Initiative, Girl Effect, 2016 African Union Reform and the ActionAid International Right to Education Project. Ms. Mohammed is also an Adjunct Professor in Development Practice at Columbia University.
The Lecture will take place on June 11 in Lisbon, Portugal. The livestream will begin at 7pm GMT+1. Please stayed tuned for details to follow.
The Lecture will take place on June 11 in Lisbon, Portugal. The livestream will begin at 7pm GMT+1. Please stayed tuned for details to follow.
UN Deputy Secretary-General to address pluralism and the SDGs
11 Jun 2019
Amina J. Mohammed to deliver 2019 Annual Pluralism Lecture
The Centre is pleased to announce that Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, will deliver the 2019 Annual Pluralism Lecture, addressing the theme of pluralism and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Ms. Mohammed, formerly the Minister of Environment for Nigeria, was instrumental in bringing about the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including the SDGs, in her role as Special Adviser to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Post-2015 Development Planning.
She has served on numerous other international boards and panels, including the Independent Expert Advisory Group on the Data Revolution for Sustainable Development, the Global Development Program of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the International Development Research Centre, the African Women’s Millennium Initiative, Girl Effect, 2016 African Union Reform and the ActionAid International Right to Education Project. Ms. Mohammed is also an Adjunct Professor in Development Practice at Columbia University.
The Lecture will take place on June 11 in Lisbon, Portugal. The livestream will begin at 7pm GMT+1. Please stayed tuned for details to follow.
Last edited by Admin on Sat Jun 08, 2019 11:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.
H.H. The Aga Khan, Mowlana Hazar Imam is expected to introduce this years' lecturer.Admin wrote:https://www.pluralism.ca/event/un-deput ... -the-sdgs/
The Lecture will take place on June 11 in Lisbon, Portugal. The livestream will begin at 7pm GMT+1. Please stayed tuned for details to follow.
Justice for All: Canadian Launch of the Report of the Task Force on Justice
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VRbV0n-cUE
On May 30th, 2019 the Centre, in partnership with the Taskforce on Justice, and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), will be hosting the Canadian launch of the Taskforce’s latest report, Justice for All. Drawing on research by the world’s leading justice organizations and experts, this report provides a first estimate of the global justice gap. It makes the case for shifting from a model that provides justice only for the few, to one that delivers measurable improvements in justice for all.
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VRbV0n-cUE
On May 30th, 2019 the Centre, in partnership with the Taskforce on Justice, and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), will be hosting the Canadian launch of the Taskforce’s latest report, Justice for All. Drawing on research by the world’s leading justice organizations and experts, this report provides a first estimate of the global justice gap. It makes the case for shifting from a model that provides justice only for the few, to one that delivers measurable improvements in justice for all.
2019, June 11: Ms Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, delivered the 2019 Annual Pluralism Lecture, addressing the theme of pluralism and the Sustainable Development Goals. She was introduced by H.H. The Aga Khan. Mowlana Hazar Imam attended the lecture accompanied by Princess Zahra and Prince Aly Muhammad.
Ms. Mohammed, formerly the Minister of Environment for Nigeria, was instrumental in bringing about the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including the SDGs, in her role as Special Adviser to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Post-2015 Development Planning.
Ms. Mohammed, formerly the Minister of Environment for Nigeria, was instrumental in bringing about the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including the SDGs, in her role as Special Adviser to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Post-2015 Development Planning.
Last edited by Admin on Tue Jun 11, 2019 4:30 pm, edited 2 times in total.
2019, June 11: Ms Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, delivered the 2019 Annual Pluralism Lecture, addressing the theme of pluralism and the Sustainable Development Goals. She was introduced by H.H. The Aga Khan. Mowlana Hazar Imam attended the lecture accompanied by Princess Zahra and Prince Aly Muhammad.
Ms. Mohammed, formerly the Minister of Environment for Nigeria, was instrumental in bringing about the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including the SDGs, in her role as Special Adviser to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Post-2015 Development Planning.
Ms. Mohammed, formerly the Minister of Environment for Nigeria, was instrumental in bringing about the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including the SDGs, in her role as Special Adviser to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Post-2015 Development Planning.
2019, June 11, from Tweet by Amina J Mohammed; @AminaJMohammed with a link to the video of the 2019 Pluralism Lecture:
Link to watch my pluralism lecture: https://youtu.be/fa93qFqLhs8
Link to watch my pluralism lecture: https://youtu.be/fa93qFqLhs8
2019, June 11: Introduction by H.H. The Aga Khan of the Pluralism 2019 Lecturer, Ms Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations addressing the theme of pluralism and the Sustainable Development Goals
VIDEO: http://ismaili.net/timeline/2019/2019-06-11-speech.mp4
PHOTO FROM THE.ISMAILI
VIDEO: http://ismaili.net/timeline/2019/2019-06-11-speech.mp4
PHOTO FROM THE.ISMAILI
Amina J. Mohammed urges support for inclusion and respect for diversity at Annual Pluralism Lecture
Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General at the United Nations, delivered the Global Centre for Pluralism’s 2019 Annual Pluralism Lecture at the Ismaili Centre in Lisbon, in the presence of Mawlana Hazar Imam, Princess Zahra, and Prince Aly Muhammad.
This year’s lecture was held at the Ismaili Centre in Lisbon, where John McNee, Secretary-General of the Global Centre for Pluralism, welcomed guests, calling Lisbon “a cosmopolitan city that illustrates in many ways what a pluralistic society looks like.”
In his introductory remarks, Mawlana Hazar Imam also spoke about the pluralism inherent within Portugal, and expressed delight that this year’s lecture was being hosted in Lisbon.
“This country is blessed with a long history of productive co-existence among Christians, Jews, and Muslims… This blending of cultures, religions, and languages brought innovations in architecture, agriculture, medicine, and even cuisine that are woven now into the very fabric of modern Portugal.”
Hazar Imam went on to introduce Amina Mohammed as the 2019 Lecturer, saying she “has had an extraordinary life journey, and we are all privileged to be able to benefit from her insights.”
Drawing on her experiences at the UN, as a former government minister, in the private sector, and as a mother and grandmother, Ms Mohammed offered ways to bridge the gap between words and actions. Her remarks aimed to provide leaders and policymakers tangible steps to address today’s complex global challenges.
Ms Mohammed began her lecture by outlining some of the most intractable problems that global society faces in the 21st century — economic disparity, cultural intolerance, gender inequality, and environmental crisis — all largely caused by various forms of exclusion. She suggested that societies are more peaceful and prosperous when they are diverse and inclusive.
“We have growing evidence that greater diversity and inclusion, particularly in relation to the inclusion of women, is correlated with higher GDP, more responsive governments, better bottom lines, greater stability, and more sustainable peace and development.”
As Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed has played an instrumental role in bringing about the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These goals, which are strongly influenced by the principle of inclusion, are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that all people can enjoy dignity, wellbeing, and greater opportunity.
“Pluralism is in the DNA of the United Nations,” she said. “The Charter, our founding document, refers to ‘We the peoples’ of the United Nations, who are ‘determined to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours’.”
Ms Mohammed called upon individuals, communities, and institutions — large and small — to become more involved in creating a better world for themselves and others, urging that major shifts toward positive change can be achieved only if all sections of society participate.
“While the 2030 Agenda is global and all-encompassing, it will require action at every level. It particularly needs the leadership and guidance of faith-based and philanthropic institutions working at the local, national, regional and international levels, who can re-instil a sense of our common humanity.”
Following the lecture, Ricardo Costa, journalist and News Director at Portugal’s Impresa Media Group, moderated a conversation with Ms Mohammed, giving audience members an opportunity to participate. She responded to questions on the themes of human rights, inclusion, and respect for diversity, before GCP board member, The Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson delivered closing remarks.
Ms Clarkson expressed gratitude and paid tribute to Amina Mohammed, calling her “an example of something so shining, and so bright, and so beautiful. The encapsulation of two worlds, of two races… She is somebody that we have to listen to.”
Addressing Mawlana Hazar Imam at the conclusion of her lecture, Ms Mohammed said, “You have been a consistent voice promoting pluralism, inclusion, and respect for diversity over decades. We need you now more than ever.”
Photos and more...
https://the.ismaili/news/amina-j-mohamm ... sm-lecture
Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General at the United Nations, delivered the Global Centre for Pluralism’s 2019 Annual Pluralism Lecture at the Ismaili Centre in Lisbon, in the presence of Mawlana Hazar Imam, Princess Zahra, and Prince Aly Muhammad.
This year’s lecture was held at the Ismaili Centre in Lisbon, where John McNee, Secretary-General of the Global Centre for Pluralism, welcomed guests, calling Lisbon “a cosmopolitan city that illustrates in many ways what a pluralistic society looks like.”
In his introductory remarks, Mawlana Hazar Imam also spoke about the pluralism inherent within Portugal, and expressed delight that this year’s lecture was being hosted in Lisbon.
“This country is blessed with a long history of productive co-existence among Christians, Jews, and Muslims… This blending of cultures, religions, and languages brought innovations in architecture, agriculture, medicine, and even cuisine that are woven now into the very fabric of modern Portugal.”
Hazar Imam went on to introduce Amina Mohammed as the 2019 Lecturer, saying she “has had an extraordinary life journey, and we are all privileged to be able to benefit from her insights.”
Drawing on her experiences at the UN, as a former government minister, in the private sector, and as a mother and grandmother, Ms Mohammed offered ways to bridge the gap between words and actions. Her remarks aimed to provide leaders and policymakers tangible steps to address today’s complex global challenges.
Ms Mohammed began her lecture by outlining some of the most intractable problems that global society faces in the 21st century — economic disparity, cultural intolerance, gender inequality, and environmental crisis — all largely caused by various forms of exclusion. She suggested that societies are more peaceful and prosperous when they are diverse and inclusive.
“We have growing evidence that greater diversity and inclusion, particularly in relation to the inclusion of women, is correlated with higher GDP, more responsive governments, better bottom lines, greater stability, and more sustainable peace and development.”
As Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed has played an instrumental role in bringing about the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These goals, which are strongly influenced by the principle of inclusion, are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that all people can enjoy dignity, wellbeing, and greater opportunity.
“Pluralism is in the DNA of the United Nations,” she said. “The Charter, our founding document, refers to ‘We the peoples’ of the United Nations, who are ‘determined to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours’.”
Ms Mohammed called upon individuals, communities, and institutions — large and small — to become more involved in creating a better world for themselves and others, urging that major shifts toward positive change can be achieved only if all sections of society participate.
“While the 2030 Agenda is global and all-encompassing, it will require action at every level. It particularly needs the leadership and guidance of faith-based and philanthropic institutions working at the local, national, regional and international levels, who can re-instil a sense of our common humanity.”
Following the lecture, Ricardo Costa, journalist and News Director at Portugal’s Impresa Media Group, moderated a conversation with Ms Mohammed, giving audience members an opportunity to participate. She responded to questions on the themes of human rights, inclusion, and respect for diversity, before GCP board member, The Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson delivered closing remarks.
Ms Clarkson expressed gratitude and paid tribute to Amina Mohammed, calling her “an example of something so shining, and so bright, and so beautiful. The encapsulation of two worlds, of two races… She is somebody that we have to listen to.”
Addressing Mawlana Hazar Imam at the conclusion of her lecture, Ms Mohammed said, “You have been a consistent voice promoting pluralism, inclusion, and respect for diversity over decades. We need you now more than ever.”
Photos and more...
https://the.ismaili/news/amina-j-mohamm ... sm-lecture
Pluralism Lecture 2019
2019, June 11: Lisbon, Portugal - Introduction by H.H. The Aga Khan
SPEECH DELIVERED BY His Highness the Aga Khan
Lisbon, Portugal (11 June 2019)
Lecture by Ms. Amina J. Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General
Global Centre for Pluralism
Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim
Ms. Mohammed,
Your Excellency, the President of the Assembly,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is my great pleasure to welcome you, on behalf of the Board of the Global Centre for Pluralism, to the 2019 Pluralism Lecture here at the Ismaili Centre in Lisbon.
I am delighted that this seventh annual Lecture is being delivered in Portugal. And I say that not only because this beautiful country is steeped in global history and culture, and usually drenched in sunshine. For those of us who believe in the bridge-building work of pluralism, Portugal has much to teach, even as it confronts its own challenges.
This country is blessed with a long history of productive co-existence among Christians, Jews, and Muslims. The History of Al-Andalus was written here, on the Iberian Peninsula, between the 8thand 16thcenturies. This blending of cultures, religions and languages brought innovations in architecture, agriculture, medicine and even cuisine that are woven now into the very fabric of modern Portugal.
In July last year, the Global Peace Index ranked Portugal amongst the five most peaceful nations in the world. And for good reason. At a time of rising intolerance, this country has established some of the most welcoming policies for migrants in Europe. As populations in many Western countries are aging, and even dwindling, Portugal is among the few that recognise that newcomers are essential to secure the country’s future.
This welcoming attitude is one of the most strongly associated with pluralism, which is the core mission of the Global Centre for Pluralism. As a beacon of research, education and dialogue, the Centre is drawing lessons from the political, social and cultural dynamics in diverse and divided societies around the world. I encourage all of you to explore what the Centre has to offer. By learning from others’ successes, we may help our own societies to “inoculate” themselves against the temptation to set various people against one another – including the temptation to exclude marginalised populations.
Tonight’s speaker, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, has had an extraordinary life journey, and we are all privileged to be able to benefit from her insights. Thank you.
Ms. Mohammed’s active involvement with global development, and her passionate commitment to girls’ education – both go back almost twenty years, when she coordinated the Task Force on Gender and Education for the United Nations Millennium Project. In 2005, as Senior Special Assistant to the President of Nigeria on the Millennium Development Goals, she was charged with steering Nigeria’s debt relief funds toward achieving those Goals. The MDGs, in shorthand, refer to the eight Goals that gave the world a blueprint for tackling its greatest social and economic challenges from 2000 to 2015.
Ms. Mohammed at first described herself as something of a sceptic about that project – how could one possibly reduce the world’s challenges to eight goals? – she asked. Nonetheless, she embraced the cause. With dogged persistence, she helped to ensure that some one billion dollars a year went where it was needed and intended − to reducing maternal mortality, giving communities safe water access, and providing good schools and teachers for Nigerian students.
In 2012, Amina Mohammed took on another global role as Special Adviser to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the next stage of the United Nations Development Planning – the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Her new challenge was to work with, a small number, 193 nations to replace the MDGs with a new overarching framework for global development up to 2030.
In characterising this new framework era, Ms. Mohammed has said and I quote: “Development is no longer an issue of the Global South. It is an issue of the Global North, South, East and West.” Indeed, all member nations of the United Nations − including Canada, Portugal and Nigeria − and 190 other countries, have accepted the Goals as their own national objectives. Agenda 2030 calls for action by all countries for all people.
Ms. Mohammed then stepped from the conceptual stage at the United Nations back into the implementation area at home. As Federal Minister of Environment, she steered Nigeria’s action on climate change and resource conservation for sustainable development.
Ms. Mohammed is an outspoken advocate for global action on climate change, for children’s education, and for the protection of human rights. Above all, she has described gender equality − Sustainable Development Goal number 5 − as the quote “docking station” for all the other Goals, an essential conduit for their achievement.
She has served as Director, Governor or Advisor on numerous Boards, including the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data, Canada’s International Development Research Centre, and the Global Development Program of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. And she has received too many honours and awards for me to name, for I fear I will leave no time for her lecture.
Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my very great privilege to welcome our annual Pluralism Lecturer for 2019, Ms. Amina Mohammed.
Thank you.
2019, June 11: Lisbon, Portugal - Introduction by H.H. The Aga Khan
SPEECH DELIVERED BY His Highness the Aga Khan
Lisbon, Portugal (11 June 2019)
Lecture by Ms. Amina J. Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General
Global Centre for Pluralism
Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim
Ms. Mohammed,
Your Excellency, the President of the Assembly,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is my great pleasure to welcome you, on behalf of the Board of the Global Centre for Pluralism, to the 2019 Pluralism Lecture here at the Ismaili Centre in Lisbon.
I am delighted that this seventh annual Lecture is being delivered in Portugal. And I say that not only because this beautiful country is steeped in global history and culture, and usually drenched in sunshine. For those of us who believe in the bridge-building work of pluralism, Portugal has much to teach, even as it confronts its own challenges.
This country is blessed with a long history of productive co-existence among Christians, Jews, and Muslims. The History of Al-Andalus was written here, on the Iberian Peninsula, between the 8thand 16thcenturies. This blending of cultures, religions and languages brought innovations in architecture, agriculture, medicine and even cuisine that are woven now into the very fabric of modern Portugal.
In July last year, the Global Peace Index ranked Portugal amongst the five most peaceful nations in the world. And for good reason. At a time of rising intolerance, this country has established some of the most welcoming policies for migrants in Europe. As populations in many Western countries are aging, and even dwindling, Portugal is among the few that recognise that newcomers are essential to secure the country’s future.
This welcoming attitude is one of the most strongly associated with pluralism, which is the core mission of the Global Centre for Pluralism. As a beacon of research, education and dialogue, the Centre is drawing lessons from the political, social and cultural dynamics in diverse and divided societies around the world. I encourage all of you to explore what the Centre has to offer. By learning from others’ successes, we may help our own societies to “inoculate” themselves against the temptation to set various people against one another – including the temptation to exclude marginalised populations.
Tonight’s speaker, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, has had an extraordinary life journey, and we are all privileged to be able to benefit from her insights. Thank you.
Ms. Mohammed’s active involvement with global development, and her passionate commitment to girls’ education – both go back almost twenty years, when she coordinated the Task Force on Gender and Education for the United Nations Millennium Project. In 2005, as Senior Special Assistant to the President of Nigeria on the Millennium Development Goals, she was charged with steering Nigeria’s debt relief funds toward achieving those Goals. The MDGs, in shorthand, refer to the eight Goals that gave the world a blueprint for tackling its greatest social and economic challenges from 2000 to 2015.
Ms. Mohammed at first described herself as something of a sceptic about that project – how could one possibly reduce the world’s challenges to eight goals? – she asked. Nonetheless, she embraced the cause. With dogged persistence, she helped to ensure that some one billion dollars a year went where it was needed and intended − to reducing maternal mortality, giving communities safe water access, and providing good schools and teachers for Nigerian students.
In 2012, Amina Mohammed took on another global role as Special Adviser to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the next stage of the United Nations Development Planning – the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Her new challenge was to work with, a small number, 193 nations to replace the MDGs with a new overarching framework for global development up to 2030.
In characterising this new framework era, Ms. Mohammed has said and I quote: “Development is no longer an issue of the Global South. It is an issue of the Global North, South, East and West.” Indeed, all member nations of the United Nations − including Canada, Portugal and Nigeria − and 190 other countries, have accepted the Goals as their own national objectives. Agenda 2030 calls for action by all countries for all people.
Ms. Mohammed then stepped from the conceptual stage at the United Nations back into the implementation area at home. As Federal Minister of Environment, she steered Nigeria’s action on climate change and resource conservation for sustainable development.
Ms. Mohammed is an outspoken advocate for global action on climate change, for children’s education, and for the protection of human rights. Above all, she has described gender equality − Sustainable Development Goal number 5 − as the quote “docking station” for all the other Goals, an essential conduit for their achievement.
She has served as Director, Governor or Advisor on numerous Boards, including the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data, Canada’s International Development Research Centre, and the Global Development Program of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. And she has received too many honours and awards for me to name, for I fear I will leave no time for her lecture.
Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my very great privilege to welcome our annual Pluralism Lecturer for 2019, Ms. Amina Mohammed.
Thank you.
Last edited by Admin on Wed Jun 12, 2019 2:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
1 June 2019
Deputy Secretary-General’s Lecture at the Global Center for Pluralism [as prepared for delivery]
Your Highness the Aga Khan,
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is a great pleasure and a privilege to be here with you to talk about pluralism and its central place in the work of the United Nations and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It is wonderful to be in this beautiful building with its gardens, courtyards and the two research institutions that are helping to bridge the gulf between Islam and western cultures. I thank the Global Centre for Pluralism, and the Ismaili Imamat, for this opportunity, and for all your work to promote pluralism, diversity, inclusion, and a better and more peaceful world for all.
The tension between unity and pluralism, between the whole and its constituent parts, has been debated by thinkers and philosophers for thousands of years.
Two millennia ago, the Indian emperor Ashoka the Great called for harmonious relations between people of all religions and respect for each other’s scriptures.
And at the United Nations in New York is a magnificent carpet, a gift from the people of Iran, inscribed with the poem known as Bani Adam, the Children of Adam, by the great Persian poet Sa’adi. Part of it reads:
“If you have no sympathy for the troubles of others,
You are unworthy to be called by the name of ‘a Human’.”
At this gathering last year, the religious scholar Karen Armstrong said that the first thing that appealed to her about Islam was its pluralism and the fact that the Koran not only praises all the great prophets of the Abrahamic religions, but accepts them as prophets of Islam. Indeed, pluralism, respect for difference and the ethics of a shared common humanity are features of many different cultures and religions.
My own continent of Africa includes some of the most pluralist societies in the world, with a diversity of tribal, ethnic, cultural and religious groups, different traditions, and people divided along urban and rural lines.
Pluralism is in the DNA of the United Nations. The Charter, our founding document, refers to “We the peoples” of the United Nations, who are “determined to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours”.
Today, I won’t add to the philosophical debate around pluralism. I believe the argument has been fought, and largely won – although we must always remain vigilant.
But while the theoretical argument may be over, we still have a long way to go before we can say that our world is living up to this promise. In some cases, there are historical and cultural obstacles or a lack of knowledge or understanding; in others, it is a question of political will.
What I would like to talk about today is the gap between words and actions; between the ideal of pluralism, and the policies and strategies that will enable us to reap its benefits in our daily lives.
I would like to link pluralism to the work of the United Nations on the ground, around the world, to promote human rights, inclusion and respect for diversity – the only way we can effectively address the global challenges we face and further peace and prosperity for all.
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
In the framework of the United Nations, and our current Global Agenda – the Sustainable Development Goals - we have embedded the principle of inclusion, a word that is largely synonymous with pluralism. In fact one of the 17 goals is dedicated to building peaceful and inclusive societies. I would say that the two are not separate goals, but that societies are more peaceful because they are inclusive. We have growing evidence that greater diversity and inclusion, particular in relation to the inclusion of women, is correlated with higher GDP, more responsive governments, better bottom lines, greater stability, and more sustainable peace and development. But if the business case for inclusion is clear, our actions fail to reflect this.
While many leaders may pay lip service to inclusion, the fact is that we are living the consequences of exclusion. Intolerance, exclusion, the need to dominate, and a lack of respect for difference are deeply rooted in many of our policies and systems – political, economic and social.
We have created a world in which, according to recent analysis, by 2030, the richest one percent of people could control two-thirds of the planet’s wealth. Economic and, in many cases, political power is concentrated in the hands of the few. The rights of women and girls, and of minorities and marginalized people of all kinds, are routinely disregarded. In many cases those in power hang on by any means possible, often out of fear of themselves being excluded.
Inequality is at extraordinary levels and is growing, both within and between countries. After a decade of decline, the number of chronically hungry people in our world recently began to rise again – despite there being abundant food for everyone.
We have created a world in which we define security as the enforcement of borders, exclusion of others, and amassing of weapons. We see this in the estimated $1.8 trillion in military spending last year, a fraction of which would provide dignity and opportunity for the most vulnerable.
We have created a world in which there is growing ethno-nationalism, intolerance, discrimination and violence targeting women, minorities, migrants, refugees and anyone perceived to be different or “other”. Civic space is shrinking; basic rights are under attack; activists and journalists are targeted; misinformation campaigns and hate speech spread like wildfire on social media.
Hate is moving into the mainstream in many countries and regions – liberal democracies and authoritarian states alike. Constitutions founded on pluralism and respect for difference are undermined as different groups and minorities are attacked.
Access to information is curated individually, so that we are living atomized lives, in our own echo chambers, where news and advertising reflect and reinforce our presumed perspective on the world. Unless we ourselves choose to seek out others, we may not be exposed to alternative viewpoints and arguments that challenge our beliefs.
Attacks on places of worship are some of the most egregious examples of a lack of respect for each other and for our common humanity, and they are rising. In the past few months alone, we have seen horrific attacks on mosques in New Zealand, on churches in Sri Lanka and on synagogues in the United States.
Record numbers of people are on the move around the world, fleeing conflict, drought, poverty and lack of opportunity. At the same time, refugees and migrants are attacked both physically, and rhetorically, with false narratives that link them with terrorism and scapegoat them for many of society’s ills.
Millions of women and girls face insecurity and violations of their human rights every day. Violence is used to enforce patriarchy and gender inequality and police women’s role in society. Excluding half our population not only affects our mothers, daughters, and sisters; it affects every one of us and distorts our societies and economic systems.
We have created economies that value sometimes dubious or even destructive activities, but place zero monetary value on the daily work that happens in our homes – where the very production and reproduction of our societies occurs.
We see the same devaluing of the foundations of society in our longstanding treatment of our natural environment. Trees are worth more as construction materials than they are standing in the forest. Deforestation, overfishing, climate change and pollution are causing unprecedented damage to our natural safety net, but they are driven by the logic of economic models and incentives. As a result, we now face an existential crisis as a species, and are directly responsible for the threat to one million other species who may be pushed to extinction in the next few years.
The climate crisis is wreaking havoc on some of the most vulnerable countries and regions, while others continue to burn fossil fuels and add to greenhouse gas emissions. No one would light a cigarette in a room where a child is struggling to breathe, but developed countries are contributing to conditions that are causing droughts and floods halfway around the world, with complete disregard for the rights of others. We have lost sight of our common humanity and interdependence – on each other, and on the planet that gives us life.
I want to stress: none of this is an accident. It is the end result of systems built by men, largely on the basis of exclusion, marginalization and discrimination; and of the prioritization of short-term profits for a few over the long-term rights and interests of all.
It is clear that we need a fundamental reordering of our priorities, and a reorganization of our economic, political and social systems, if we are to reap the benefits of inclusion and save ourselves and our planet from further inhumanity and degradation.
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
While we are living in troubled times, the news is not all bad. There is plenty of evidence that global efforts work, and that further damage to societies and our planet can be prevented and reversed.
As Stephen Pinker has argued, our world is getting better – but not as quickly as we might hope. Violence has steadily declined over time; life expectancy is up, extreme poverty is declining, literacy is at historically high levels. There is greater awareness of human rights, and in some countries at least, minorities of all kinds enjoy greater legal protection than ever before.
Take the Montreal Protocol on the ozone layer. This international treaty entered into force in 1989, after climatologists discovered a hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica. Since then, the hole has gradually started recovering and projections indicate that the ozone layer will return to 1980 levels between 2050 and 2070.
The Millennium Development Goals, agreed by all countries in the year 2000, created the most successful anti-poverty movement in history. They helped to lift more than a billion people out of extreme poverty, to make inroads against hunger, to enable more girls to attend school than ever before, and to protect our planet. The MDGs generated new partnerships and galvanized public opinion, reshaping decision-making in developed and developing countries alike.
Global pluralism, in the form of multilateralism, achieved these things. And it can achieve much more.
Since the founding of the United Nations, there has been wide and growing recognition that major challenges cannot be solved by countries acting alone. As we face a growing number of issues that do not respect national borders, from climate change to spreading conflict and outbreaks of disease, we need regional and global institutions more than ever, to strengthen our collective response.
But multilateralism may be a victim of its own success. We have stopped seeing it as a priority and an evolving challenge that we need to tend, promote and reinvigorate. We have started taking it for granted. We see this in societies and communities that are turning inward, forgetting the lessons of the past. Global institutions must hold the line for global values. And to do so these institutions, as well as our partners, must transform.
His Holiness the Pope has spoken of the globalization of indifference. I believe we must replace that with the globalization of solidarity.
Four years ago in 2015, as we reached the deadline for the Millennium Development Goals, the United Nations initiated and coordinated a global conversation about our priorities. All countries agreed that we needed to do better.
This resulted in the agreement by all 193 Member States of the United Nations on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – our transformational roadmap for people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnerships over the next 15 years.
This shared agenda reflects an important paradigm shift. The Sustainable Development Goals are human-centred, interconnected, universal, integrated, inclusive and mutually reinforcing. No goal stands alone; each goal is inextricably linked with the rest for its full implementation.
This reflects the reality of development challenges on the ground, where people living in poverty and hunger are also the most likely to suffer from poor access to quality housing, education and healthcare. A girl is less likely to attend school, for example, if her parents cannot afford to pay for school supplies, or if she does not have secure housing.
The 2030 Agenda addresses these issues together, tackling their root causes in a holistic way. The Sustainable Development Goals were prepared by all countries, require contributions from all – including developed and developing countries – and will improve the lives of all, so that no one is left behind.
The emphasis in the 2030 Agenda on inclusion and interdependence, as well as a moral obligation to the most vulnerable members of society through the principle of ‘leaving no one behind’ offers a counterweight to the forces that are leading to increased polarization, tribalism and social fragmentation. They are a conscious effort to build and replenish the world’s democratic infrastructure, our relationship and obligation to each other, and social capital.
The ultimate ambition of the 2030 Agenda is a world that provides dignity, well-being and opportunity for all – qualities that do not come under Gross Domestic Product, but that are finally being recognized as critical measures of successful governance. The introduction of quality of life and wellbeing considerations into budget discussions in several countries and regions of the world is an encouraging sign.
The 2030 Agenda will require a shift in mindsets, to go beyond GDP to how we also measure our wellbeing. It will require a reprioritization of economic systems so that they improve lives and make them more meaningful. The main requirement is the political will to push through changes in the governance of economic and trade systems to make them more inclusive and equitable.
While the SDGs are global, they reflect both universal values and local and traditional cultural traditions. To take one example, we can see the values of the Islamic faith, my own faith, reflected in many of the goals which stress environmental justice, nature and the interdependence of all things.
The United Nations itself is changing to support countries as they undertake this ambitious global project. We have reformed the UN Development System so that we are better-placed to help governments deliver on the 17 transformational goals and targets. From providing access to technical expertise to reaching global agreement on the financing arrangements that will be critical to success, the United Nations is at the heart of delivering on the 2030 Agenda.
And we are reforming to ensure more diverse representation, with a new gender parity strategy for recruiting and retaining women staff at all levels, and greater efforts to ensure more equitable geographic representation. We are just months away from achieving parity in our senior leadership for the first time in seven decades. We need to lead by example and demonstrate the importance of diversity and inclusion that reflect the reality of our world.
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
That is the big picture. But it will only succeed if each of us is part of this effort.
Delivering the Sustainable Development Goals must start from every space in which people connect: the community, the workplace, schools and medical clinics, small businesses and the media.
It is here that we will need to make the radical shift needed to achieve the 2030 Agenda – a shift in mindsets away from accumulation by a few and exclusion of the many, to a paradigm based in interdependence with each other, and with our environment. A shift in policy solutions that are based on mutual gains rather than zero-sum thinking, and from a definition of security that is based on an ever-increasing stock of weapons and stronger borders, to one based on resilient societies and mutual respect for each other and our planet.
This shift needs to start from our education systems. We continue to build schools of bricks and mortar and teach rote learning uncritically from outdated textbooks. We are preparing our young people for a world that has passed, rather than the use of technology, critical thinking skills, well-being, and ethic of shared responsibility needed for the world of today and tomorrow.
While the 2030 Agenda is global and all-encompassing, it will require action at every level. It particularly needs the leadership and guidance of faith-based and philanthropic institutions working at the local, national, regional and international levels, who can re-instill a sense of our common humanity.
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, the philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah has written of membership of “a family, a neighbourhood, a plurality of overlapping identity groups, spiraling out to encompass all humanity.” This concept asks us to be many things, he says, because we are many things.
I am very familiar with these ideas. My personal story is one of multiple identities, from Nigeria to the United Kingdom and back again, from work in the private sector to the Nigerian government and the United Nations.
I am an African mother and grandmother, a former government minister, a survivor of gender-based violence, a faithful Muslim, the granddaughter of a Presbyterian minister; and the second-highest international civil servant in the world. I received an education in a country where today Boko Haram thrives.
While Anthony Appiah and I may be poster children for pluralism, we all embody many different identities. The growth of DNA-testing services proves this in the most literal way, but it is also true socially and culturally. There is no homogenous culture in our world; there are simply those that are more and less honest about their history. I am happy to say that our hosts today, Portugal and Canada, are among the most honest.
Portugal, the seat of the Ismaili Imamat, has made many significant contributions to openness, diversity and pluralism in our world. Portugal’s history of discovery, of reaching out and connecting, has a central place in its culture. The Iberian peninsula was for many centuries a battleground between two of the world’s three major religions, and this has left a legacy of interdependence and respect for cultural difference.
I cannot talk about Portugal without referencing our Secretary-General, my colleague and friend Antonio Guterres, a proud Portuguese citizen who never fails to remind us of your country’s special and unique qualities, and particularly its food!
I would also like to mention Canada, host of the Global Centre for Pluralism, and a leader in respect for diversity, honoring the values of pluralism in its institutions and across the entire fabric of its culture. Canada’s pluralist national identity is reflected in its approach to welcoming refugees and is fundamental to the relationship between Canada and the Aga Khan Foundation. No society is perfect. Most, if not all, nations have forged their borders through war or conquer, leaving a set of historical injustices that challenge their identity. It is how these challenges are confronted that makes clear its values.
Canada’s efforts to address their own relationship with the indigenous First Nations people in a spirit of honesty and reconciliation, difficult as this can be, is one example of this leadership.
Finally, I would like to acknowledge the Aga Khan Development Network and institutions for its work on behalf of some of the poorest and most marginalized communities in the world. You combine a strong ethical foundation with respect for the environment and a commitment to supporting societies in which every citizen, regardless of cultural, religious or ethnic differences, can reach his or her full potential.
The approach to supporting all members of a community so that everyone is stronger as a result, exemplifies the words of His Highness the Aga Khan, who once said that pluralism is not simply an asset, or a prerequisite for development, but a vital necessity for our existence. I agree wholeheartedly. You have been a consistent voice promoting pluralism, inclusion and respect for diversity over decades. We need you now more than ever.
I thank you all for your commitment and look forward to working with you, the Aga Khan Foundation, and the Global Centre for Pluralism, for many years to come.
Thank you.
Deputy Secretary-General’s Lecture at the Global Center for Pluralism [as prepared for delivery]
Your Highness the Aga Khan,
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is a great pleasure and a privilege to be here with you to talk about pluralism and its central place in the work of the United Nations and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It is wonderful to be in this beautiful building with its gardens, courtyards and the two research institutions that are helping to bridge the gulf between Islam and western cultures. I thank the Global Centre for Pluralism, and the Ismaili Imamat, for this opportunity, and for all your work to promote pluralism, diversity, inclusion, and a better and more peaceful world for all.
The tension between unity and pluralism, between the whole and its constituent parts, has been debated by thinkers and philosophers for thousands of years.
Two millennia ago, the Indian emperor Ashoka the Great called for harmonious relations between people of all religions and respect for each other’s scriptures.
And at the United Nations in New York is a magnificent carpet, a gift from the people of Iran, inscribed with the poem known as Bani Adam, the Children of Adam, by the great Persian poet Sa’adi. Part of it reads:
“If you have no sympathy for the troubles of others,
You are unworthy to be called by the name of ‘a Human’.”
At this gathering last year, the religious scholar Karen Armstrong said that the first thing that appealed to her about Islam was its pluralism and the fact that the Koran not only praises all the great prophets of the Abrahamic religions, but accepts them as prophets of Islam. Indeed, pluralism, respect for difference and the ethics of a shared common humanity are features of many different cultures and religions.
My own continent of Africa includes some of the most pluralist societies in the world, with a diversity of tribal, ethnic, cultural and religious groups, different traditions, and people divided along urban and rural lines.
Pluralism is in the DNA of the United Nations. The Charter, our founding document, refers to “We the peoples” of the United Nations, who are “determined to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours”.
Today, I won’t add to the philosophical debate around pluralism. I believe the argument has been fought, and largely won – although we must always remain vigilant.
But while the theoretical argument may be over, we still have a long way to go before we can say that our world is living up to this promise. In some cases, there are historical and cultural obstacles or a lack of knowledge or understanding; in others, it is a question of political will.
What I would like to talk about today is the gap between words and actions; between the ideal of pluralism, and the policies and strategies that will enable us to reap its benefits in our daily lives.
I would like to link pluralism to the work of the United Nations on the ground, around the world, to promote human rights, inclusion and respect for diversity – the only way we can effectively address the global challenges we face and further peace and prosperity for all.
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
In the framework of the United Nations, and our current Global Agenda – the Sustainable Development Goals - we have embedded the principle of inclusion, a word that is largely synonymous with pluralism. In fact one of the 17 goals is dedicated to building peaceful and inclusive societies. I would say that the two are not separate goals, but that societies are more peaceful because they are inclusive. We have growing evidence that greater diversity and inclusion, particular in relation to the inclusion of women, is correlated with higher GDP, more responsive governments, better bottom lines, greater stability, and more sustainable peace and development. But if the business case for inclusion is clear, our actions fail to reflect this.
While many leaders may pay lip service to inclusion, the fact is that we are living the consequences of exclusion. Intolerance, exclusion, the need to dominate, and a lack of respect for difference are deeply rooted in many of our policies and systems – political, economic and social.
We have created a world in which, according to recent analysis, by 2030, the richest one percent of people could control two-thirds of the planet’s wealth. Economic and, in many cases, political power is concentrated in the hands of the few. The rights of women and girls, and of minorities and marginalized people of all kinds, are routinely disregarded. In many cases those in power hang on by any means possible, often out of fear of themselves being excluded.
Inequality is at extraordinary levels and is growing, both within and between countries. After a decade of decline, the number of chronically hungry people in our world recently began to rise again – despite there being abundant food for everyone.
We have created a world in which we define security as the enforcement of borders, exclusion of others, and amassing of weapons. We see this in the estimated $1.8 trillion in military spending last year, a fraction of which would provide dignity and opportunity for the most vulnerable.
We have created a world in which there is growing ethno-nationalism, intolerance, discrimination and violence targeting women, minorities, migrants, refugees and anyone perceived to be different or “other”. Civic space is shrinking; basic rights are under attack; activists and journalists are targeted; misinformation campaigns and hate speech spread like wildfire on social media.
Hate is moving into the mainstream in many countries and regions – liberal democracies and authoritarian states alike. Constitutions founded on pluralism and respect for difference are undermined as different groups and minorities are attacked.
Access to information is curated individually, so that we are living atomized lives, in our own echo chambers, where news and advertising reflect and reinforce our presumed perspective on the world. Unless we ourselves choose to seek out others, we may not be exposed to alternative viewpoints and arguments that challenge our beliefs.
Attacks on places of worship are some of the most egregious examples of a lack of respect for each other and for our common humanity, and they are rising. In the past few months alone, we have seen horrific attacks on mosques in New Zealand, on churches in Sri Lanka and on synagogues in the United States.
Record numbers of people are on the move around the world, fleeing conflict, drought, poverty and lack of opportunity. At the same time, refugees and migrants are attacked both physically, and rhetorically, with false narratives that link them with terrorism and scapegoat them for many of society’s ills.
Millions of women and girls face insecurity and violations of their human rights every day. Violence is used to enforce patriarchy and gender inequality and police women’s role in society. Excluding half our population not only affects our mothers, daughters, and sisters; it affects every one of us and distorts our societies and economic systems.
We have created economies that value sometimes dubious or even destructive activities, but place zero monetary value on the daily work that happens in our homes – where the very production and reproduction of our societies occurs.
We see the same devaluing of the foundations of society in our longstanding treatment of our natural environment. Trees are worth more as construction materials than they are standing in the forest. Deforestation, overfishing, climate change and pollution are causing unprecedented damage to our natural safety net, but they are driven by the logic of economic models and incentives. As a result, we now face an existential crisis as a species, and are directly responsible for the threat to one million other species who may be pushed to extinction in the next few years.
The climate crisis is wreaking havoc on some of the most vulnerable countries and regions, while others continue to burn fossil fuels and add to greenhouse gas emissions. No one would light a cigarette in a room where a child is struggling to breathe, but developed countries are contributing to conditions that are causing droughts and floods halfway around the world, with complete disregard for the rights of others. We have lost sight of our common humanity and interdependence – on each other, and on the planet that gives us life.
I want to stress: none of this is an accident. It is the end result of systems built by men, largely on the basis of exclusion, marginalization and discrimination; and of the prioritization of short-term profits for a few over the long-term rights and interests of all.
It is clear that we need a fundamental reordering of our priorities, and a reorganization of our economic, political and social systems, if we are to reap the benefits of inclusion and save ourselves and our planet from further inhumanity and degradation.
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
While we are living in troubled times, the news is not all bad. There is plenty of evidence that global efforts work, and that further damage to societies and our planet can be prevented and reversed.
As Stephen Pinker has argued, our world is getting better – but not as quickly as we might hope. Violence has steadily declined over time; life expectancy is up, extreme poverty is declining, literacy is at historically high levels. There is greater awareness of human rights, and in some countries at least, minorities of all kinds enjoy greater legal protection than ever before.
Take the Montreal Protocol on the ozone layer. This international treaty entered into force in 1989, after climatologists discovered a hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica. Since then, the hole has gradually started recovering and projections indicate that the ozone layer will return to 1980 levels between 2050 and 2070.
The Millennium Development Goals, agreed by all countries in the year 2000, created the most successful anti-poverty movement in history. They helped to lift more than a billion people out of extreme poverty, to make inroads against hunger, to enable more girls to attend school than ever before, and to protect our planet. The MDGs generated new partnerships and galvanized public opinion, reshaping decision-making in developed and developing countries alike.
Global pluralism, in the form of multilateralism, achieved these things. And it can achieve much more.
Since the founding of the United Nations, there has been wide and growing recognition that major challenges cannot be solved by countries acting alone. As we face a growing number of issues that do not respect national borders, from climate change to spreading conflict and outbreaks of disease, we need regional and global institutions more than ever, to strengthen our collective response.
But multilateralism may be a victim of its own success. We have stopped seeing it as a priority and an evolving challenge that we need to tend, promote and reinvigorate. We have started taking it for granted. We see this in societies and communities that are turning inward, forgetting the lessons of the past. Global institutions must hold the line for global values. And to do so these institutions, as well as our partners, must transform.
His Holiness the Pope has spoken of the globalization of indifference. I believe we must replace that with the globalization of solidarity.
Four years ago in 2015, as we reached the deadline for the Millennium Development Goals, the United Nations initiated and coordinated a global conversation about our priorities. All countries agreed that we needed to do better.
This resulted in the agreement by all 193 Member States of the United Nations on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – our transformational roadmap for people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnerships over the next 15 years.
This shared agenda reflects an important paradigm shift. The Sustainable Development Goals are human-centred, interconnected, universal, integrated, inclusive and mutually reinforcing. No goal stands alone; each goal is inextricably linked with the rest for its full implementation.
This reflects the reality of development challenges on the ground, where people living in poverty and hunger are also the most likely to suffer from poor access to quality housing, education and healthcare. A girl is less likely to attend school, for example, if her parents cannot afford to pay for school supplies, or if she does not have secure housing.
The 2030 Agenda addresses these issues together, tackling their root causes in a holistic way. The Sustainable Development Goals were prepared by all countries, require contributions from all – including developed and developing countries – and will improve the lives of all, so that no one is left behind.
The emphasis in the 2030 Agenda on inclusion and interdependence, as well as a moral obligation to the most vulnerable members of society through the principle of ‘leaving no one behind’ offers a counterweight to the forces that are leading to increased polarization, tribalism and social fragmentation. They are a conscious effort to build and replenish the world’s democratic infrastructure, our relationship and obligation to each other, and social capital.
The ultimate ambition of the 2030 Agenda is a world that provides dignity, well-being and opportunity for all – qualities that do not come under Gross Domestic Product, but that are finally being recognized as critical measures of successful governance. The introduction of quality of life and wellbeing considerations into budget discussions in several countries and regions of the world is an encouraging sign.
The 2030 Agenda will require a shift in mindsets, to go beyond GDP to how we also measure our wellbeing. It will require a reprioritization of economic systems so that they improve lives and make them more meaningful. The main requirement is the political will to push through changes in the governance of economic and trade systems to make them more inclusive and equitable.
While the SDGs are global, they reflect both universal values and local and traditional cultural traditions. To take one example, we can see the values of the Islamic faith, my own faith, reflected in many of the goals which stress environmental justice, nature and the interdependence of all things.
The United Nations itself is changing to support countries as they undertake this ambitious global project. We have reformed the UN Development System so that we are better-placed to help governments deliver on the 17 transformational goals and targets. From providing access to technical expertise to reaching global agreement on the financing arrangements that will be critical to success, the United Nations is at the heart of delivering on the 2030 Agenda.
And we are reforming to ensure more diverse representation, with a new gender parity strategy for recruiting and retaining women staff at all levels, and greater efforts to ensure more equitable geographic representation. We are just months away from achieving parity in our senior leadership for the first time in seven decades. We need to lead by example and demonstrate the importance of diversity and inclusion that reflect the reality of our world.
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
That is the big picture. But it will only succeed if each of us is part of this effort.
Delivering the Sustainable Development Goals must start from every space in which people connect: the community, the workplace, schools and medical clinics, small businesses and the media.
It is here that we will need to make the radical shift needed to achieve the 2030 Agenda – a shift in mindsets away from accumulation by a few and exclusion of the many, to a paradigm based in interdependence with each other, and with our environment. A shift in policy solutions that are based on mutual gains rather than zero-sum thinking, and from a definition of security that is based on an ever-increasing stock of weapons and stronger borders, to one based on resilient societies and mutual respect for each other and our planet.
This shift needs to start from our education systems. We continue to build schools of bricks and mortar and teach rote learning uncritically from outdated textbooks. We are preparing our young people for a world that has passed, rather than the use of technology, critical thinking skills, well-being, and ethic of shared responsibility needed for the world of today and tomorrow.
While the 2030 Agenda is global and all-encompassing, it will require action at every level. It particularly needs the leadership and guidance of faith-based and philanthropic institutions working at the local, national, regional and international levels, who can re-instill a sense of our common humanity.
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, the philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah has written of membership of “a family, a neighbourhood, a plurality of overlapping identity groups, spiraling out to encompass all humanity.” This concept asks us to be many things, he says, because we are many things.
I am very familiar with these ideas. My personal story is one of multiple identities, from Nigeria to the United Kingdom and back again, from work in the private sector to the Nigerian government and the United Nations.
I am an African mother and grandmother, a former government minister, a survivor of gender-based violence, a faithful Muslim, the granddaughter of a Presbyterian minister; and the second-highest international civil servant in the world. I received an education in a country where today Boko Haram thrives.
While Anthony Appiah and I may be poster children for pluralism, we all embody many different identities. The growth of DNA-testing services proves this in the most literal way, but it is also true socially and culturally. There is no homogenous culture in our world; there are simply those that are more and less honest about their history. I am happy to say that our hosts today, Portugal and Canada, are among the most honest.
Portugal, the seat of the Ismaili Imamat, has made many significant contributions to openness, diversity and pluralism in our world. Portugal’s history of discovery, of reaching out and connecting, has a central place in its culture. The Iberian peninsula was for many centuries a battleground between two of the world’s three major religions, and this has left a legacy of interdependence and respect for cultural difference.
I cannot talk about Portugal without referencing our Secretary-General, my colleague and friend Antonio Guterres, a proud Portuguese citizen who never fails to remind us of your country’s special and unique qualities, and particularly its food!
I would also like to mention Canada, host of the Global Centre for Pluralism, and a leader in respect for diversity, honoring the values of pluralism in its institutions and across the entire fabric of its culture. Canada’s pluralist national identity is reflected in its approach to welcoming refugees and is fundamental to the relationship between Canada and the Aga Khan Foundation. No society is perfect. Most, if not all, nations have forged their borders through war or conquer, leaving a set of historical injustices that challenge their identity. It is how these challenges are confronted that makes clear its values.
Canada’s efforts to address their own relationship with the indigenous First Nations people in a spirit of honesty and reconciliation, difficult as this can be, is one example of this leadership.
Finally, I would like to acknowledge the Aga Khan Development Network and institutions for its work on behalf of some of the poorest and most marginalized communities in the world. You combine a strong ethical foundation with respect for the environment and a commitment to supporting societies in which every citizen, regardless of cultural, religious or ethnic differences, can reach his or her full potential.
The approach to supporting all members of a community so that everyone is stronger as a result, exemplifies the words of His Highness the Aga Khan, who once said that pluralism is not simply an asset, or a prerequisite for development, but a vital necessity for our existence. I agree wholeheartedly. You have been a consistent voice promoting pluralism, inclusion and respect for diversity over decades. We need you now more than ever.
I thank you all for your commitment and look forward to working with you, the Aga Khan Foundation, and the Global Centre for Pluralism, for many years to come.
Thank you.
UN Deputy Secretary-General calls for global action to address inequality in the 2019 Pluralism Lecture
Lisbon, Portugal, 11 June 2019 - In delivering the seventh Annual Pluralism Lecture, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed addressed the links between pluralism and development, highlighting the dangers posed by growing inequalities.
“Inequality is at extraordinary levels and is growing, both within and between our countries. After a decade of decline, the number of chronically hungry people in our world recently began to rise again – despite there being abundant food for everyone.”
Ms. Mohammed was one of the architects of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, an ambitious set of 17 development goals adopted unanimously by members of the United Nations in 2015. While underscoring the interconnected nature of the goals, and their intention of benefitting all members of society, she called on leaders to address “the gap between the words and the actions; between the ideal of pluralism, and the policies and strategies that will enable us to reap its benefits in our daily lives.”
“We have growing evidence that greater diversity and inclusion, particular in relation to the inclusion of women, is correlated with higher GDP, more responsive governments, better bottom lines, greater stability, and more sustainable peace and development. But if the business case for inclusion is clear […] our actions fail to reflect this.”
In introducing the UN Deputy Secretary-General, His Highness the Aga Khan foregrounded her long- standing commitment to gender equality and girls’ education; her instrumental role in post-2015 development planning as Special Adviser to former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon; and her passionate advocacy on the threat of climate change, including as a former Nigerian Environment Minister.
His Highness cited Portugal as an example of a country that is embracing pluralism, even as it addresses its many challenges: “As populations in many Western countries are aging, and even dwindling, Portugal is among the few that recognize that newcomers are essential to secure the country’s future.”
Hosted by the Global Centre for Pluralism, an Ottawa-based charitable organisation founded by His Highness the Aga Khan in partnership with the Government of Canada, the Annual Pluralism Lecture provides an opportunity to learn from individuals whose work has made a practical difference in the world.
https://www.akdn.org/press-release/un-d ... -pluralism
Lisbon, Portugal, 11 June 2019 - In delivering the seventh Annual Pluralism Lecture, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed addressed the links between pluralism and development, highlighting the dangers posed by growing inequalities.
“Inequality is at extraordinary levels and is growing, both within and between our countries. After a decade of decline, the number of chronically hungry people in our world recently began to rise again – despite there being abundant food for everyone.”
Ms. Mohammed was one of the architects of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, an ambitious set of 17 development goals adopted unanimously by members of the United Nations in 2015. While underscoring the interconnected nature of the goals, and their intention of benefitting all members of society, she called on leaders to address “the gap between the words and the actions; between the ideal of pluralism, and the policies and strategies that will enable us to reap its benefits in our daily lives.”
“We have growing evidence that greater diversity and inclusion, particular in relation to the inclusion of women, is correlated with higher GDP, more responsive governments, better bottom lines, greater stability, and more sustainable peace and development. But if the business case for inclusion is clear […] our actions fail to reflect this.”
In introducing the UN Deputy Secretary-General, His Highness the Aga Khan foregrounded her long- standing commitment to gender equality and girls’ education; her instrumental role in post-2015 development planning as Special Adviser to former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon; and her passionate advocacy on the threat of climate change, including as a former Nigerian Environment Minister.
His Highness cited Portugal as an example of a country that is embracing pluralism, even as it addresses its many challenges: “As populations in many Western countries are aging, and even dwindling, Portugal is among the few that recognize that newcomers are essential to secure the country’s future.”
Hosted by the Global Centre for Pluralism, an Ottawa-based charitable organisation founded by His Highness the Aga Khan in partnership with the Government of Canada, the Annual Pluralism Lecture provides an opportunity to learn from individuals whose work has made a practical difference in the world.
https://www.akdn.org/press-release/un-d ... -pluralism
Video: Annual Pluralism Lecture 2019
Video:
https://the.ismaili/news/video-annual-p ... rce=Direct
This year’s Annual Pluralism Lecture was held on 11 June at the Ismaili Centre, Lisbon, where Amina J. Mohammed spoke about the connections between pluralism and sustainable development. In his introductory remarks, Mawlana Hazar Imam said that Ms Mohammed “has had an extraordinary life journey, and we are all privileged to be able to benefit from her insights.”
Video:
https://the.ismaili/news/video-annual-p ... rce=Direct
This year’s Annual Pluralism Lecture was held on 11 June at the Ismaili Centre, Lisbon, where Amina J. Mohammed spoke about the connections between pluralism and sustainable development. In his introductory remarks, Mawlana Hazar Imam said that Ms Mohammed “has had an extraordinary life journey, and we are all privileged to be able to benefit from her insights.”
Hugh Carnegy - Pluralism Forum April 30, 2019
Hugh Carnegy, senior editor at the Financial Times, sat down with us to discuss how to respond to the forces of populist grievance in ways that foster and strengthen pluralism.
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3CBWw8 ... rce=Direct
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The Rise of Popular Discontent and What We Can Do
Liberal democracies are being rocked by popular movements that challenge previously accepted values and institutions. How can the West, and other regions, respond to the forces of populist grievance in ways that foster and strengthen pluralism ─ addressing legitimate concerns while combatting efforts to sow division?
On April 30th, 2019, the Global Centre for Pluralism hosted a conversation with Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland and Financial Times senior editor Hugh Carnegy on the theme of "The Rise of Popular Discontent and What We Can Do".
Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4h8QaUfUVnQ
Hugh Carnegy, senior editor at the Financial Times, sat down with us to discuss how to respond to the forces of populist grievance in ways that foster and strengthen pluralism.
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3CBWw8 ... rce=Direct
******
The Rise of Popular Discontent and What We Can Do
Liberal democracies are being rocked by popular movements that challenge previously accepted values and institutions. How can the West, and other regions, respond to the forces of populist grievance in ways that foster and strengthen pluralism ─ addressing legitimate concerns while combatting efforts to sow division?
On April 30th, 2019, the Global Centre for Pluralism hosted a conversation with Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland and Financial Times senior editor Hugh Carnegy on the theme of "The Rise of Popular Discontent and What We Can Do".
Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4h8QaUfUVnQ
Greece Is the Good News Story in Europe
Greek resilience through crisis demonstrates that reports of democracy’s demise are exaggerated.
ATHENS — If you’re looking for an optimistic story in Europe, try Greece. Yes, you read that right. Having lost a quarter of its economy in a devastating recession, Greece has turned the corner, its democracy intact, its extremist temptations defeated and its anti-Americanism defunct.
The landslide election on Sunday of Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the dynamic leader of the center-right New Democracy party, marked the end of a chapter. Greece rejected Alexis Tsipras, the leftist leader who took the country to the brink of ruin in 2015 before discovering a pragmatic streak. It also voted the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn out of Parliament. At the height of the crisis, Golden Dawn had become the country’s third-largest party.
First into populism, Greece is now first out. For a country in free fall, the anchors of the European Union and NATO are not so negligible after all. Europe is not simply a story of growing nationalism and xenophobia. It’s a continent in violent flux, torn between liberal democratic and nativist currents.
Despite unemployment that reached almost 30 percent, a chaotic near-exit from the euro, huge bailouts to save it from bankruptcy, mandated austerity programs and a wave of desperate refugees from Syria, Greece stabilized itself. It’s a reminder that reports of democracy’s demise are exaggerated.
More...
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/08/opin ... y_20190709
Greek resilience through crisis demonstrates that reports of democracy’s demise are exaggerated.
ATHENS — If you’re looking for an optimistic story in Europe, try Greece. Yes, you read that right. Having lost a quarter of its economy in a devastating recession, Greece has turned the corner, its democracy intact, its extremist temptations defeated and its anti-Americanism defunct.
The landslide election on Sunday of Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the dynamic leader of the center-right New Democracy party, marked the end of a chapter. Greece rejected Alexis Tsipras, the leftist leader who took the country to the brink of ruin in 2015 before discovering a pragmatic streak. It also voted the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn out of Parliament. At the height of the crisis, Golden Dawn had become the country’s third-largest party.
First into populism, Greece is now first out. For a country in free fall, the anchors of the European Union and NATO are not so negligible after all. Europe is not simply a story of growing nationalism and xenophobia. It’s a continent in violent flux, torn between liberal democratic and nativist currents.
Despite unemployment that reached almost 30 percent, a chaotic near-exit from the euro, huge bailouts to save it from bankruptcy, mandated austerity programs and a wave of desperate refugees from Syria, Greece stabilized itself. It’s a reminder that reports of democracy’s demise are exaggerated.
More...
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/08/opin ... y_20190709
Is a Tide Turning Against Populism?
In Central Europe, people are protesting or electing as if they were sick of rule by corrupt demagogic authoritarians. Perhaps it’s contagious.
While most eyes are fixed on Iran and China, the competition between the liberal international order and the populist demagogues who threaten it has taken an unexpected turn. In a seemingly unlikely region, a rear-guard action has quietly begun to challenge the “populist surge.”
With Britain seemingly on the verge of Brexit and Donald Trump something of a global albatross, some analysts have written off liberalism. But others have kept faith that liberalism remains strong, and that they still expect a “backlash to the backlash” to emerge in Western Europe.
They may be right. Intriguing developments are taking place, but not necessarily in the West. Instead — surprisingly — they are to be found in Central and Eastern Europe.
The region’s countries became part of the liberal order only after the dissolution of the Soviet bloc in 1989; they have been generally considered to be partial to Russia, with a strong propensity for incubating populism that undermines democracy.
But in recent months they have become ground zero for what is beginning to look like a comeback for liberal forces, at least within the region. More than 10 different countries have voted out populists, undergone serious protests, or taken strong stands against Russia.
More...
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/10/opin ... y_20190711
In Central Europe, people are protesting or electing as if they were sick of rule by corrupt demagogic authoritarians. Perhaps it’s contagious.
While most eyes are fixed on Iran and China, the competition between the liberal international order and the populist demagogues who threaten it has taken an unexpected turn. In a seemingly unlikely region, a rear-guard action has quietly begun to challenge the “populist surge.”
With Britain seemingly on the verge of Brexit and Donald Trump something of a global albatross, some analysts have written off liberalism. But others have kept faith that liberalism remains strong, and that they still expect a “backlash to the backlash” to emerge in Western Europe.
They may be right. Intriguing developments are taking place, but not necessarily in the West. Instead — surprisingly — they are to be found in Central and Eastern Europe.
The region’s countries became part of the liberal order only after the dissolution of the Soviet bloc in 1989; they have been generally considered to be partial to Russia, with a strong propensity for incubating populism that undermines democracy.
But in recent months they have become ground zero for what is beginning to look like a comeback for liberal forces, at least within the region. More than 10 different countries have voted out populists, undergone serious protests, or taken strong stands against Russia.
More...
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/10/opin ... y_20190711
Summer newsletter from the Global Centre for Pluralism
Delivering the seventh Annual Pluralism Lecture on June 11th, Amina J. Mohammed underscored pluralism’s role in advancing meaningful progress on the Sustainable Development Goals. More than 200 people attended the Lecture, which took place in Lisbon, Portugal, while more than 5,500 watched live via web stream.
Read more highlights
https://www.pluralism.ca/event/un-deput ... -the-sdgs/
from Ms. Mohammed’s lecture on our website.
Watch this year's lecture here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0iH1uY4a6s
*******
Ten finalists announced for the Global Pluralism Award
A shortlist of ten finalists for the second Global Pluralism Award was recently announced. Congratulations to all! Their dedicated work illustrates pluralism in action, in some of the most challenging corners of the Earth. To read more about each finalist, click here. https://award.pluralism.ca/
Three final winners will be awarded $50,000 CAD to further their work. Stay tuned!
******
Centre releases 2018 Annual Report
Read our 2018 Annual Report for a look at GCP results over a busy year. In addition to reporting on Centre programming and finances, Shining a Light on Pluralism in Action highlights what our inaugural Global Pluralism Award winners achieved post-award.
Access the report here. https://www.pluralism.ca/who-we-are/ann ... ate-plans/
******
Canadian launch of Justice for All
On May 30th, the Centre partnered with the Task Force on Justice and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) to host the Canadian launch of the Task Force report Justice for All, which provides a first estimate of the global justice gap. Speakers, which included former President of Ireland Mary Robinson and Canada’s Deputy Minister of Justice Nathalie Drouin, discussed the implications and steps needed to give life to the report’s recommendations. Read more about their discussion here. https://www.pluralism.ca/event/justice- ... n-justice/
Link to the report here.https: //cic.nyu.edu/sites/default/files/task_force_on_justice_report_conf_version_29apr19_1_1_1_compressed.pdf
*******
Convening dialogue on migration at the International Metropolis Conference
The 2019 International Metropolis Conference drew an international gathering of advocates and experts in migration, integration and diversity to Ottawa, Canada, from June 24 to 28. Over the course of the week, the Centre hosted a study tour on pluralism at our headquarters, moderated a workshop on framing discourse around migration, and convened a panel on measuring pluralism and integration.
Read more about what we learned and how these discussions inform our current projects. https://www.pluralism.ca/event/centre-c ... migration/
*******
Job Posting: Manager, Partnerships and Development (Ottawa, Canada)
The Centre is hiring a Manager, Partnerships and Development to support the expansion of its global programming and impact. The successful candidate will bring significant resource development experience. They will be entrepreneurial and strategic with demonstrable fundraising success in an international organization or policy research context. Candidates must be eligible to work in Canada. The Centre is committed to equity in its mandate and its staff. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted
Closing date: applications accepted on a rolling basis.
Full Description
https://www.pluralism.ca/wp-content/upl ... -Final.pdf
Delivering the seventh Annual Pluralism Lecture on June 11th, Amina J. Mohammed underscored pluralism’s role in advancing meaningful progress on the Sustainable Development Goals. More than 200 people attended the Lecture, which took place in Lisbon, Portugal, while more than 5,500 watched live via web stream.
Read more highlights
https://www.pluralism.ca/event/un-deput ... -the-sdgs/
from Ms. Mohammed’s lecture on our website.
Watch this year's lecture here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0iH1uY4a6s
*******
Ten finalists announced for the Global Pluralism Award
A shortlist of ten finalists for the second Global Pluralism Award was recently announced. Congratulations to all! Their dedicated work illustrates pluralism in action, in some of the most challenging corners of the Earth. To read more about each finalist, click here. https://award.pluralism.ca/
Three final winners will be awarded $50,000 CAD to further their work. Stay tuned!
******
Centre releases 2018 Annual Report
Read our 2018 Annual Report for a look at GCP results over a busy year. In addition to reporting on Centre programming and finances, Shining a Light on Pluralism in Action highlights what our inaugural Global Pluralism Award winners achieved post-award.
Access the report here. https://www.pluralism.ca/who-we-are/ann ... ate-plans/
******
Canadian launch of Justice for All
On May 30th, the Centre partnered with the Task Force on Justice and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) to host the Canadian launch of the Task Force report Justice for All, which provides a first estimate of the global justice gap. Speakers, which included former President of Ireland Mary Robinson and Canada’s Deputy Minister of Justice Nathalie Drouin, discussed the implications and steps needed to give life to the report’s recommendations. Read more about their discussion here. https://www.pluralism.ca/event/justice- ... n-justice/
Link to the report here.https: //cic.nyu.edu/sites/default/files/task_force_on_justice_report_conf_version_29apr19_1_1_1_compressed.pdf
*******
Convening dialogue on migration at the International Metropolis Conference
The 2019 International Metropolis Conference drew an international gathering of advocates and experts in migration, integration and diversity to Ottawa, Canada, from June 24 to 28. Over the course of the week, the Centre hosted a study tour on pluralism at our headquarters, moderated a workshop on framing discourse around migration, and convened a panel on measuring pluralism and integration.
Read more about what we learned and how these discussions inform our current projects. https://www.pluralism.ca/event/centre-c ... migration/
*******
Job Posting: Manager, Partnerships and Development (Ottawa, Canada)
The Centre is hiring a Manager, Partnerships and Development to support the expansion of its global programming and impact. The successful candidate will bring significant resource development experience. They will be entrepreneurial and strategic with demonstrable fundraising success in an international organization or policy research context. Candidates must be eligible to work in Canada. The Centre is committed to equity in its mandate and its staff. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted
Closing date: applications accepted on a rolling basis.
Full Description
https://www.pluralism.ca/wp-content/upl ... -Final.pdf
Will Matteo Salvini wreck the euro?
The most powerful man in Italy is perhaps the most dangerous in Europe
Excerpt:
The problem is that Mr Salvini has not risen to pre-eminence by solving or showing how he might solve any of Italy’s obvious malaises. Its economy is stagnant. Between 2008 and 2018 Italy’s gdp fell by 3% in total, compared with a 13% rise in Germany, a 10% rise in France and a 4% rise in Spain, the three other big euro-zone economies. It has stubbornly high unemployment, at around 10%. He has won support, rather, by the well-tested populists’ method of finding others to blame. And that carries big risks, for Italy and for Europe.
There are two favourite enemies: migrants and Brussels. As he revs up the crowd in Orvieto (the local candidate he was there to back last month went on to win the mayoralty easily in what has traditionally been Italy’s central left-dominated “red belt”), Mr Salvini takes swipes at both. He tells listeners that he respects the right of people to believe in other gods, “Just so long as that God does not come and tell me that women are worth less than men and that they must go around in a burqa.” Vast applause ensues. “More carabinieri! Fewer irregular aliens!” he cries. Loud cheers.
More...
https://www.economist.com/europe/2019/0 ... k-the-euro
The most powerful man in Italy is perhaps the most dangerous in Europe
Excerpt:
The problem is that Mr Salvini has not risen to pre-eminence by solving or showing how he might solve any of Italy’s obvious malaises. Its economy is stagnant. Between 2008 and 2018 Italy’s gdp fell by 3% in total, compared with a 13% rise in Germany, a 10% rise in France and a 4% rise in Spain, the three other big euro-zone economies. It has stubbornly high unemployment, at around 10%. He has won support, rather, by the well-tested populists’ method of finding others to blame. And that carries big risks, for Italy and for Europe.
There are two favourite enemies: migrants and Brussels. As he revs up the crowd in Orvieto (the local candidate he was there to back last month went on to win the mayoralty easily in what has traditionally been Italy’s central left-dominated “red belt”), Mr Salvini takes swipes at both. He tells listeners that he respects the right of people to believe in other gods, “Just so long as that God does not come and tell me that women are worth less than men and that they must go around in a burqa.” Vast applause ensues. “More carabinieri! Fewer irregular aliens!” he cries. Loud cheers.
More...
https://www.economist.com/europe/2019/0 ... k-the-euro
The Nordic Model May Be the Best Cushion Against Capitalism. Can It Survive Immigration?
Swedes have long been willing to pay high taxes for a generous social safety net. But that willingness is being tested by an influx of refugees.
FILIPSTAD, Sweden — At first, local leaders were inclined to see the refugees as an opportunity. The iron ore mines had shut down. So had a factory that made machinery for the logging industry. The town had been abandoned, its population cut in half. A shot at replenishment appeared at hand.
It was the summer of 2015, and people were arriving from some of the most troubled places on earth — Syria, Somalia, Iraq. They would fill vacant homes, learn Swedish, and take jobs caring for older Swedes. They would pay taxes, helping finance the extensive social welfare programs that have made Sweden a rarity in the world, a country seemingly at peace in an age of tempestuous global capitalism.
But four years after the influx, growing numbers of native-born Swedes have come to see the refugees as a drain on public finances. Some decry an assault on “Swedish heritage,” or “Swedish culture,” or other words that mean white, Christian and familiar. Antipathy for immigrants now threatens to erode support for Sweden’s social welfare state.
“People don’t want to pay taxes to support people who don’t work,” says Urban Pettersson, 62, a member of the local council here in Filipstad, a town set in lake country west of Stockholm. “Ninety percent of the refugees don’t contribute to society. These people are going to have a lifelong dependence on social welfare. This is a huge problem.”
More...
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/11/busi ... 3053090714
Swedes have long been willing to pay high taxes for a generous social safety net. But that willingness is being tested by an influx of refugees.
FILIPSTAD, Sweden — At first, local leaders were inclined to see the refugees as an opportunity. The iron ore mines had shut down. So had a factory that made machinery for the logging industry. The town had been abandoned, its population cut in half. A shot at replenishment appeared at hand.
It was the summer of 2015, and people were arriving from some of the most troubled places on earth — Syria, Somalia, Iraq. They would fill vacant homes, learn Swedish, and take jobs caring for older Swedes. They would pay taxes, helping finance the extensive social welfare programs that have made Sweden a rarity in the world, a country seemingly at peace in an age of tempestuous global capitalism.
But four years after the influx, growing numbers of native-born Swedes have come to see the refugees as a drain on public finances. Some decry an assault on “Swedish heritage,” or “Swedish culture,” or other words that mean white, Christian and familiar. Antipathy for immigrants now threatens to erode support for Sweden’s social welfare state.
“People don’t want to pay taxes to support people who don’t work,” says Urban Pettersson, 62, a member of the local council here in Filipstad, a town set in lake country west of Stockholm. “Ninety percent of the refugees don’t contribute to society. These people are going to have a lifelong dependence on social welfare. This is a huge problem.”
More...
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/11/busi ... 3053090714
You Can’t Force People to Assimilate. So Why Is China at It Again?
The Communist Party’s past efforts to coerce minorities failed. Repression in Xinjiang will too.
Excerpt:
Still, the C.C.P.’s campaign of assimilation today continues to target religion, because, in the party’s eyes, religion, which tends to represent a person’s deepest allegiance, competes with loyalty to the state and undercuts the party’s ideological foundation: materialism.
China’s spiritual revival has thoroughly confounded the core Marxist assumption that economic development would naturally extinguish religious beliefs; in fact, it has occurred even as the country has been lifted out of poverty. Increasing wealth also seems to have fueled corruption, including within the C.C.P. — undermining the party’s legitimacy and moral standing. The C.C.P. is now doubly on the ideological defensive.
The government, beyond targeting religion, has also tried to promote ethno-linguistic assimilation — again, through material incentives. Some minorities have pursued a Chinese language education in order to achieve upward social mobility. But many more have only become more entrenched in their distinct ethnic and religious identity.
Earlier this year, Tibetan nomads were told they could obtain state subsidies only if they replaced their altars devoted to Buddhist deities with images of Chinese political leaders. Likewise, Christian villagers in southeast China had previously been told to replace depictions of Jesus with portraits of President Xi if they wanted to continue to receive poverty-alleviation subsidies. Local officials then reportedly claimed, according to social media, that the initiative had successfully “melted the hard ice” in Christians’ “hearts” and “transformed them from believing in religion to believing in the party.”
Had it, though? My research among Sinicized Tibetans, conducted between 2006 and 2008 in Qinghai Province, showed that even the more assimilated members of the group could become champions of the very ethnic identity they supposedly had renounced. A similar phenomenon seems to be occurring among Uighurs now.
To take one example: Mihrigul Tursun, a Uighur, told the United States Congress last year of her time in detention and compulsory Chinese-language education, “My experience in this state program actually made me more conscious of my ethnic identity.” She has since become an outspoken activist.
An acquaintance of mine also said some Han Chinese in Xinjiang have told him that they believed the government was turning harmless minority citizens into hateful opponents — who will retaliate if they are ever released.
More....
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/16/opin ... y_20190716
*******
The razing of mosques is the next step in China’s crackdown on Uyghur culture
Last week a joint report by the Guardian and Bellingcat revealed that since 2016 more than two dozen Islamic religious sites have been partially or totally demolished in Xinjiang, a western region in China whose largest ethnic group, the Uyghurs, are predominantly Muslim. Analysis of satellite imagery, corroborated by reports from local residents, shows that many mosques have had domes, minarets and gatehouses removed, while others have been razed completely. Several religious shrines, such as the one devoted to Imam Asim, which for centuries has attracted thousands of pilgrims, have also been demolished. It’s likely that many more religious sites have already met the same fate – this is a widespread state-directed campaign against any visible manifestation of Islamic belief in Xinjiang.
More...
https://www.apollo-magazine.com/razing- ... r-culture/
The Communist Party’s past efforts to coerce minorities failed. Repression in Xinjiang will too.
Excerpt:
Still, the C.C.P.’s campaign of assimilation today continues to target religion, because, in the party’s eyes, religion, which tends to represent a person’s deepest allegiance, competes with loyalty to the state and undercuts the party’s ideological foundation: materialism.
China’s spiritual revival has thoroughly confounded the core Marxist assumption that economic development would naturally extinguish religious beliefs; in fact, it has occurred even as the country has been lifted out of poverty. Increasing wealth also seems to have fueled corruption, including within the C.C.P. — undermining the party’s legitimacy and moral standing. The C.C.P. is now doubly on the ideological defensive.
The government, beyond targeting religion, has also tried to promote ethno-linguistic assimilation — again, through material incentives. Some minorities have pursued a Chinese language education in order to achieve upward social mobility. But many more have only become more entrenched in their distinct ethnic and religious identity.
Earlier this year, Tibetan nomads were told they could obtain state subsidies only if they replaced their altars devoted to Buddhist deities with images of Chinese political leaders. Likewise, Christian villagers in southeast China had previously been told to replace depictions of Jesus with portraits of President Xi if they wanted to continue to receive poverty-alleviation subsidies. Local officials then reportedly claimed, according to social media, that the initiative had successfully “melted the hard ice” in Christians’ “hearts” and “transformed them from believing in religion to believing in the party.”
Had it, though? My research among Sinicized Tibetans, conducted between 2006 and 2008 in Qinghai Province, showed that even the more assimilated members of the group could become champions of the very ethnic identity they supposedly had renounced. A similar phenomenon seems to be occurring among Uighurs now.
To take one example: Mihrigul Tursun, a Uighur, told the United States Congress last year of her time in detention and compulsory Chinese-language education, “My experience in this state program actually made me more conscious of my ethnic identity.” She has since become an outspoken activist.
An acquaintance of mine also said some Han Chinese in Xinjiang have told him that they believed the government was turning harmless minority citizens into hateful opponents — who will retaliate if they are ever released.
More....
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/16/opin ... y_20190716
*******
The razing of mosques is the next step in China’s crackdown on Uyghur culture
Last week a joint report by the Guardian and Bellingcat revealed that since 2016 more than two dozen Islamic religious sites have been partially or totally demolished in Xinjiang, a western region in China whose largest ethnic group, the Uyghurs, are predominantly Muslim. Analysis of satellite imagery, corroborated by reports from local residents, shows that many mosques have had domes, minarets and gatehouses removed, while others have been razed completely. Several religious shrines, such as the one devoted to Imam Asim, which for centuries has attracted thousands of pilgrims, have also been demolished. It’s likely that many more religious sites have already met the same fate – this is a widespread state-directed campaign against any visible manifestation of Islamic belief in Xinjiang.
More...
https://www.apollo-magazine.com/razing- ... r-culture/
Harnessing The Power of Diversity Through Pluralism
Diversity is asking someone to a party; inclusion is about inviting them to dance–the often-repeated statement reminds us of the essential nuances in bringing together individuals with different skills and experiences. What if there is a third step? Rather than working hard to incorporate the various groups into mainstream culture, what if all the groups had the opportunity to learn from each, in other words, each group learned everyone’s dancing? In essence, we are talking about pluralism. This approach may sound great in theory, but how realistic is this approach?
The Global Centre for Pluralism, based in Ottawa, Canada, has taken up the mantle to provide thought-leadership, and an evidence-based approach in helping organizations understand how to harness the best in diversity through pluralism. The Centre has a clean and transparent approach in explaining pluralism; it is respect for diversity. Building a compelling agenda for pluralism requires a focus on the hardware and software; the hardware focuses on rules and regulations, including legal frameworks that protect or can suppress the rights of minorities groups. The software focuses on the cultural norms and values pervading organizations.
More...
https://www.forbes.com/sites/shaheenaja ... b2422729be
Diversity is asking someone to a party; inclusion is about inviting them to dance–the often-repeated statement reminds us of the essential nuances in bringing together individuals with different skills and experiences. What if there is a third step? Rather than working hard to incorporate the various groups into mainstream culture, what if all the groups had the opportunity to learn from each, in other words, each group learned everyone’s dancing? In essence, we are talking about pluralism. This approach may sound great in theory, but how realistic is this approach?
The Global Centre for Pluralism, based in Ottawa, Canada, has taken up the mantle to provide thought-leadership, and an evidence-based approach in helping organizations understand how to harness the best in diversity through pluralism. The Centre has a clean and transparent approach in explaining pluralism; it is respect for diversity. Building a compelling agenda for pluralism requires a focus on the hardware and software; the hardware focuses on rules and regulations, including legal frameworks that protect or can suppress the rights of minorities groups. The software focuses on the cultural norms and values pervading organizations.
More...
https://www.forbes.com/sites/shaheenaja ... b2422729be
Ten finalists selected for 2019 Global Pluralism Award
The Global Centre for Pluralism (GCP) has announced 10 finalists for the 2019 Global Pluralism Award. The Award recognises the extraordinary achievements of organisations, individuals, and governments around the world who exemplify living peacefully and productively with diversity.
From the 10 nominees, three winners will be announced in the autumn and honoured at a ceremony in Ottawa on 20 November this year.
“At a time of heightened hatred and escalating tensions in communities around the globe, these winners embody the best of humanity,” said the Right Honourable Joe Clark, former Prime Minister of Canada and Jury Chair. “The emphasis on pluralism is much more important now than ever. In only a few years, we have moved from a time in which there was, at least, a general acceptance of difference, to a time where there is fear about it, and very often a contesting of it.”
The 2019 finalists — from Canada, the United States, Lebanon, Hungary, Ghana, France, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Myanmar and several countries of the former Yugoslavia — are making vital contributions to pluralism, mainly through peacebuilding, the arts, education, social cohesion and integration of refugees and migrants.
This year, the Global Centre for Pluralism received over 500 applications spanning 74 countries for the 2019 Global Pluralism Awards — more than double the submissions to the inaugural awards in 2017. All nominees undergo a rigorous review and jury selection process. The field of finalists will be narrowed down to three winners, to be announced in the autumn, following in-country visits and consultations with key partners on the ground. These three winners will each be granted a monetary prize to advance their work in promoting pluralism.
More information on each of the nominees, can be found on the AKDN website.
https://www.akdn.org/press-release/10-f ... lism-award
The Global Centre for Pluralism (GCP) has announced 10 finalists for the 2019 Global Pluralism Award. The Award recognises the extraordinary achievements of organisations, individuals, and governments around the world who exemplify living peacefully and productively with diversity.
From the 10 nominees, three winners will be announced in the autumn and honoured at a ceremony in Ottawa on 20 November this year.
“At a time of heightened hatred and escalating tensions in communities around the globe, these winners embody the best of humanity,” said the Right Honourable Joe Clark, former Prime Minister of Canada and Jury Chair. “The emphasis on pluralism is much more important now than ever. In only a few years, we have moved from a time in which there was, at least, a general acceptance of difference, to a time where there is fear about it, and very often a contesting of it.”
The 2019 finalists — from Canada, the United States, Lebanon, Hungary, Ghana, France, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Myanmar and several countries of the former Yugoslavia — are making vital contributions to pluralism, mainly through peacebuilding, the arts, education, social cohesion and integration of refugees and migrants.
This year, the Global Centre for Pluralism received over 500 applications spanning 74 countries for the 2019 Global Pluralism Awards — more than double the submissions to the inaugural awards in 2017. All nominees undergo a rigorous review and jury selection process. The field of finalists will be narrowed down to three winners, to be announced in the autumn, following in-country visits and consultations with key partners on the ground. These three winners will each be granted a monetary prize to advance their work in promoting pluralism.
More information on each of the nominees, can be found on the AKDN website.
https://www.akdn.org/press-release/10-f ... lism-award
John McNee: Why we need to celebrate pluralism in action
By John McNee, Secretary General of the Global Centre for Pluralism
Diversity is a fact of modern life for most of us. When celebrated and supported, it can be a foundation for innovation, peace and prosperity.
More than ever, as inequality, social exclusion and a growing chorus of populist leaders pit groups against one another, we need constructive responses to diversity. We need both the institutions and the popular will to embrace difference as a force for good, rather than something to fear. These are what we at the Global Centre for Pluralism (GCP) define as the “hardware” and “software” of pluralism.
Pluralism is a challenging idea to explain: It may be best understood when we see it in action. That is why GCP launched the Global Pluralism Award − presented very two years − which recognises individuals and organisations whose work breaks ground for more inclusive societies. In addition to granting CAD 50,000 (US$ 38, 310) to each winner, the Centre works with them to increase their visibility and expand their networks.
In 2017, the inaugural Award recognised three winners and seven others worthy of honourable mention. Through their ongoing efforts, and with funding and recognition conferred by the Award, these three winners made a tangible difference over the past year.
In Colombia, victims-rights advocate Leyner Palacios Asprilla showed us that pluralism means ensuring that all victims of war, including marginalised ethnic groups, enjoy peace and reparations. Leyner worked with his community to rebuild the decimated Bella Vista Church − where the infamous massacre of Bojayá took place − as a community training centre dedicated to peace and pluralism. Leyner was appointed to the Secretariat of Colombia’s Inter-Ethnic Truth Commission of the Pacific, which represents more than 100 ethnic communities.
In Australia, Daniel Webb and colleagues at the Human Rights Law Centre (HRLC) demonstrated that pluralism means the rights and dignity of asylum seekers must be upheld. In 2018, their campaign against the inhumane offshore detention of refugees on Manus and Nauru islands focused on the separation of families, reaching national and global audiences through media outreach. In The Washington Post, Daniel called attention to “resignation syndrome” among child detainees, a coma-like condition linked to trauma. Legal cases brought before the Federal Court in September 2018 secured medical evacuations for 160 people, including 43 children. Separated families have since been reunited in Australia.
In African countries riven by conflict, Alice Wairimu Nderitu taught us pluralism means women play a meaningful role as mediators, and all local ethnicities must be welcomed in the peace process. Over 2018, she developed a manual for women community mediators that helps conflicting parties respect their differences as a crucial step towards peace. With Centre support, 20 women from six African countries joined with international experts and academics to provide feedback on the draft manual. Taking her message on inclusive peacemaking to wider audiences, we hosted the Canadian launch of Alice’s book, Bridging Ethnic Divides and Building Peace: A Commissioner's Experience on Cohesion and Integration. Last July, she briefed heads of state at the 31st African Union Summit on pluralism as a response to ethnicism.
The Centre looks forward to presenting a second round of Global Pluralism Awards this November. Our call for applicants in March 2018 drew an astonishing 538 entries from 74 countries ─ more than a twofold increase from the inaugural Award cycle. After many rounds of due diligence and jury deliberation, 10 finalists were announced in June.
The Awards are just one factor sustaining the tireless efforts of these inspiring individuals and organisations. But with walls and prisons increasingly offered as solutions to the complex problems facing humanity, we need to stop and celebrate the work of those who show us a better way is possible.
John McNee, GCP Secretary General since 2011, served as Canada’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York from 2006 to 2011. A career diplomat, he earlier served as Canadian Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg, Syria and Lebanon and as Canada’s representative to the Council of Europe.
Founded in Ottawa by His Highness the Aga Khan in partnership with the Government of Canada, the Global Centre for Pluralism is an independent, charitable organisation that advances positive responses to the challenge of living peacefully and productively together in diverse societies.
https://www.akdn.org/our-stories/john-m ... ism-action
By John McNee, Secretary General of the Global Centre for Pluralism
Diversity is a fact of modern life for most of us. When celebrated and supported, it can be a foundation for innovation, peace and prosperity.
More than ever, as inequality, social exclusion and a growing chorus of populist leaders pit groups against one another, we need constructive responses to diversity. We need both the institutions and the popular will to embrace difference as a force for good, rather than something to fear. These are what we at the Global Centre for Pluralism (GCP) define as the “hardware” and “software” of pluralism.
Pluralism is a challenging idea to explain: It may be best understood when we see it in action. That is why GCP launched the Global Pluralism Award − presented very two years − which recognises individuals and organisations whose work breaks ground for more inclusive societies. In addition to granting CAD 50,000 (US$ 38, 310) to each winner, the Centre works with them to increase their visibility and expand their networks.
In 2017, the inaugural Award recognised three winners and seven others worthy of honourable mention. Through their ongoing efforts, and with funding and recognition conferred by the Award, these three winners made a tangible difference over the past year.
In Colombia, victims-rights advocate Leyner Palacios Asprilla showed us that pluralism means ensuring that all victims of war, including marginalised ethnic groups, enjoy peace and reparations. Leyner worked with his community to rebuild the decimated Bella Vista Church − where the infamous massacre of Bojayá took place − as a community training centre dedicated to peace and pluralism. Leyner was appointed to the Secretariat of Colombia’s Inter-Ethnic Truth Commission of the Pacific, which represents more than 100 ethnic communities.
In Australia, Daniel Webb and colleagues at the Human Rights Law Centre (HRLC) demonstrated that pluralism means the rights and dignity of asylum seekers must be upheld. In 2018, their campaign against the inhumane offshore detention of refugees on Manus and Nauru islands focused on the separation of families, reaching national and global audiences through media outreach. In The Washington Post, Daniel called attention to “resignation syndrome” among child detainees, a coma-like condition linked to trauma. Legal cases brought before the Federal Court in September 2018 secured medical evacuations for 160 people, including 43 children. Separated families have since been reunited in Australia.
In African countries riven by conflict, Alice Wairimu Nderitu taught us pluralism means women play a meaningful role as mediators, and all local ethnicities must be welcomed in the peace process. Over 2018, she developed a manual for women community mediators that helps conflicting parties respect their differences as a crucial step towards peace. With Centre support, 20 women from six African countries joined with international experts and academics to provide feedback on the draft manual. Taking her message on inclusive peacemaking to wider audiences, we hosted the Canadian launch of Alice’s book, Bridging Ethnic Divides and Building Peace: A Commissioner's Experience on Cohesion and Integration. Last July, she briefed heads of state at the 31st African Union Summit on pluralism as a response to ethnicism.
The Centre looks forward to presenting a second round of Global Pluralism Awards this November. Our call for applicants in March 2018 drew an astonishing 538 entries from 74 countries ─ more than a twofold increase from the inaugural Award cycle. After many rounds of due diligence and jury deliberation, 10 finalists were announced in June.
The Awards are just one factor sustaining the tireless efforts of these inspiring individuals and organisations. But with walls and prisons increasingly offered as solutions to the complex problems facing humanity, we need to stop and celebrate the work of those who show us a better way is possible.
John McNee, GCP Secretary General since 2011, served as Canada’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York from 2006 to 2011. A career diplomat, he earlier served as Canadian Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg, Syria and Lebanon and as Canada’s representative to the Council of Europe.
Founded in Ottawa by His Highness the Aga Khan in partnership with the Government of Canada, the Global Centre for Pluralism is an independent, charitable organisation that advances positive responses to the challenge of living peacefully and productively together in diverse societies.
https://www.akdn.org/our-stories/john-m ... ism-action
In June 2019, the Global Center for Pluralism announced that 10 finalists have been chosen for the 2019 Global Pluralism Award
https://award.pluralism.ca/10-finalists ... ism-award/
From the 10 nominees, three winners will be announced in the autumn and honoured at a ceremony in Ottawa on 20 November this year.
Mowlana Hazar Imam is expected to attend but it is too early to confirm.
https://award.pluralism.ca/10-finalists ... ism-award/
From the 10 nominees, three winners will be announced in the autumn and honoured at a ceremony in Ottawa on 20 November this year.
Mowlana Hazar Imam is expected to attend but it is too early to confirm.
The Stories That Divide Us
How seeing the other side’s narrative can de-polarize your mind.
Excerpt:
By this I mean the heart of polarization is often not a disagreement about the facts of a particular narrative, but about whether that story is somehow representative — or whether it’s just one tale among many in our teeming society, and doesn’t stand for anything larger than itself.
When conservatives talk about liberal media bias, for instance, their complaint isn’t necessarily that mainstream outlets fail to report stories that might confirm a conservative worldview. Rather, it’s that they report on them in ways that make them sound dry and dull or just random and unrepresentative, without ever acknowledging their wider interest or significance.
Likewise, when liberals damn conservative megaphones for reporting “alternative facts” instead of real ones, what they often really mean is that the right-wing media reports on real facts and real stories — crimes committed by illegal immigrants, say, or the violent edge to the Antifa protests — but then overstates or misreads their significance.
All this suggests that breaking out of polarization, thinking for yourself instead of as a partisan, is ultimately more about imagination than information, and not something achieved by becoming better educated in the facts of issue X or Y or Z. (Indeed, studies suggest that the most factually informed voters are also reliably the most partisan.)
If I were trying to de-polarize someone, in the way that you de-program members of cults or revolutionary cells, I might hand them a copy of their favorite magazine or newspaper, and ask them to construct a version in which the exact same set of stories were edited and headlined and prioritized by an editor from the opposite political persuasion. (I promise you my own guest-editing stint at New York would be fantastic.) Or to program an opinion show for Rachel Maddow using only stories that Chris Wallace and Bret Baier report, or a show for Laura Ingraham using only the stories that lead MSNBC.
It’s not that full de-polarization is ever possible; basic moral and philosophical commitments inevitably divide us. But seeing our disagreements through the lens of narrative might get us closer to a crucial insight — which is that in a big, diverse and complicated society, multiple narratives can all be true at once.
Maybe Bruce Hay’s strange odyssey isn’t actually a heightened example of what’s gone wrong with academic liberalism or the sexual revolution as a whole. But it could be such an example, and the mistreatment of a particular migrant family at the border could also be a heightened example of what’s gone wrong with Trumpian conservatism … because choosing a side, as we all tend to do, doesn’t have to mean taking only that side’s narratives as truth.
And nothing should temper partisanship more than an awareness that somewhere, on some issue, people with whom you disagree are telling a story that you really need to hear.
More...
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/27/opin ... ogin-email
How seeing the other side’s narrative can de-polarize your mind.
Excerpt:
By this I mean the heart of polarization is often not a disagreement about the facts of a particular narrative, but about whether that story is somehow representative — or whether it’s just one tale among many in our teeming society, and doesn’t stand for anything larger than itself.
When conservatives talk about liberal media bias, for instance, their complaint isn’t necessarily that mainstream outlets fail to report stories that might confirm a conservative worldview. Rather, it’s that they report on them in ways that make them sound dry and dull or just random and unrepresentative, without ever acknowledging their wider interest or significance.
Likewise, when liberals damn conservative megaphones for reporting “alternative facts” instead of real ones, what they often really mean is that the right-wing media reports on real facts and real stories — crimes committed by illegal immigrants, say, or the violent edge to the Antifa protests — but then overstates or misreads their significance.
All this suggests that breaking out of polarization, thinking for yourself instead of as a partisan, is ultimately more about imagination than information, and not something achieved by becoming better educated in the facts of issue X or Y or Z. (Indeed, studies suggest that the most factually informed voters are also reliably the most partisan.)
If I were trying to de-polarize someone, in the way that you de-program members of cults or revolutionary cells, I might hand them a copy of their favorite magazine or newspaper, and ask them to construct a version in which the exact same set of stories were edited and headlined and prioritized by an editor from the opposite political persuasion. (I promise you my own guest-editing stint at New York would be fantastic.) Or to program an opinion show for Rachel Maddow using only stories that Chris Wallace and Bret Baier report, or a show for Laura Ingraham using only the stories that lead MSNBC.
It’s not that full de-polarization is ever possible; basic moral and philosophical commitments inevitably divide us. But seeing our disagreements through the lens of narrative might get us closer to a crucial insight — which is that in a big, diverse and complicated society, multiple narratives can all be true at once.
Maybe Bruce Hay’s strange odyssey isn’t actually a heightened example of what’s gone wrong with academic liberalism or the sexual revolution as a whole. But it could be such an example, and the mistreatment of a particular migrant family at the border could also be a heightened example of what’s gone wrong with Trumpian conservatism … because choosing a side, as we all tend to do, doesn’t have to mean taking only that side’s narratives as truth.
And nothing should temper partisanship more than an awareness that somewhere, on some issue, people with whom you disagree are telling a story that you really need to hear.
More...
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/27/opin ... ogin-email
Videos:Aga Khan Quotes on Pluralism
30 July 2019 - Quote of the week - Speech by His Highness the Aga Khan after receiving the inaugural Adrienne Clarkson Prize for Global Citizen, Toronto, Canada, 21 September 2016. Read more:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yo7CuXIPl3c
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Speech by His Highness the Aga Khan at the Global Centre for Pluralism Annual Lecture, Ottawa, Canada, 19 May 2016. Read more:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ms16m6WAl54
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Speech by His Highness the Aga Khan, North-South Prize ceremony, Lisbon, Portugal, 12 June 2014. Read more
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2X3O5aK8nI
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Speech by His Highness the Aga Khan at the 10th Annual LaFontaine-Baldwin Lecture, Toronto, Canada, 15 October 2010. Read more
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QY9hY9fEza0
30 July 2019 - Quote of the week - Speech by His Highness the Aga Khan after receiving the inaugural Adrienne Clarkson Prize for Global Citizen, Toronto, Canada, 21 September 2016. Read more:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yo7CuXIPl3c
******
Speech by His Highness the Aga Khan at the Global Centre for Pluralism Annual Lecture, Ottawa, Canada, 19 May 2016. Read more:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ms16m6WAl54
*****
Speech by His Highness the Aga Khan, North-South Prize ceremony, Lisbon, Portugal, 12 June 2014. Read more
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2X3O5aK8nI
******
Speech by His Highness the Aga Khan at the 10th Annual LaFontaine-Baldwin Lecture, Toronto, Canada, 15 October 2010. Read more
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QY9hY9fEza0
Announcing New Leadership for the Global Centre for Pluralism
Meredith Preston McGhie to assume role of Secretary General
The Board of Directors of the Global Centre for Pluralism is pleased to confirm that Meredith Preston McGhie will take over as Secretary General, replacing John McNee on his retirement from the position. She will assume her new role on October 1st.
In announcing the selection, The Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, Chair of the Search Committee, cited Ms. Preston McGhie’s frontline negotiating efforts towards building peace and good governance in diverse societies.
“Meredith stood out for the depth of her lived experience in parts of the world where conflict and exclusions are widespread,” said Madame Clarkson.
More....
https://www.pluralism.ca/wp-content/upl ... ership.pdf
Meredith Preston McGhie to assume role of Secretary General
The Board of Directors of the Global Centre for Pluralism is pleased to confirm that Meredith Preston McGhie will take over as Secretary General, replacing John McNee on his retirement from the position. She will assume her new role on October 1st.
In announcing the selection, The Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, Chair of the Search Committee, cited Ms. Preston McGhie’s frontline negotiating efforts towards building peace and good governance in diverse societies.
“Meredith stood out for the depth of her lived experience in parts of the world where conflict and exclusions are widespread,” said Madame Clarkson.
More....
https://www.pluralism.ca/wp-content/upl ... ership.pdf
The Ideology of Hate and How to Fight It
The battle for the soul of our culture.
Excerpt:
This ideology is an extreme form of a broader movement — antipluralism — that now comes in many shapes. Trumpian nationalists, authoritarian populists and Islamic jihadists are different versions of antipluralism.
These movements are reactions against the diversity, fluidity and interdependent nature of modern life. Antipluralists yearn for a return to clear borders, settled truths and stable identities. They kill for a fantasy, a world that shines in their imaginations but never existed in real life.
The struggle between pluralism and antipluralism is one of the great death struggles of our time, and it is being fought on every front.
We pluralists do not believe that human beings can be reduced to a single racial label. Each person is a symphony of identities. Our lives are rich because each of us contains multitudes.
Pluralists believe in integration, not separation. We treasure precisely the integration that sends the antipluralists into panic fits. A half century ago, few marriages crossed a color line. Now, 17 percent of American marriages are interracial.
Pluralists are always expanding the definition of “us,” not constricting it. Eighty years ago, Protestants, Catholics and Jews did not get along, so a new category was created, Judeo-Christian, which brought formerly feuding people into a new “us.” Thirty years ago, rivalries were developing between blacks and Hispanics, and so the category “people of color” was used to create a wider “us.”
Pluralists believe that culture mixing has always been and should be the human condition. All cultures define and renew themselves through encounter. A pure culture is a dead culture while an amalgam culture is a creative culture. The very civilization the white separatists seek to preserve was itself a product of earlier immigration waves.
Finally, pluralism is the adventure of life. Pluralism is not just having diverse people coexist in one place. It’s going out and getting into each other’s lives. It’s a constant dialogue that has no end because there is no single answer to how we should live.
Life in a pluralistic society is an ever-moving spiral. There are the enemies of pluralism ripping it apart and the weavers of community binding it together. There is no resting spot. It’s change, fluidity and movement all the way down.
The terrorists dream of a pure, static world. But the only thing that’s static is death, which is why they are so pathologically drawn to death. Pluralism is about movement, interdependence and life. The struggle ahead is about competing values as much as it is about controlling guns and healing damaged psyches. Pluralism thrives when we name what the terrorists hate about us, and live it out.
More....
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/05/opin ... y_20190806
The battle for the soul of our culture.
Excerpt:
This ideology is an extreme form of a broader movement — antipluralism — that now comes in many shapes. Trumpian nationalists, authoritarian populists and Islamic jihadists are different versions of antipluralism.
These movements are reactions against the diversity, fluidity and interdependent nature of modern life. Antipluralists yearn for a return to clear borders, settled truths and stable identities. They kill for a fantasy, a world that shines in their imaginations but never existed in real life.
The struggle between pluralism and antipluralism is one of the great death struggles of our time, and it is being fought on every front.
We pluralists do not believe that human beings can be reduced to a single racial label. Each person is a symphony of identities. Our lives are rich because each of us contains multitudes.
Pluralists believe in integration, not separation. We treasure precisely the integration that sends the antipluralists into panic fits. A half century ago, few marriages crossed a color line. Now, 17 percent of American marriages are interracial.
Pluralists are always expanding the definition of “us,” not constricting it. Eighty years ago, Protestants, Catholics and Jews did not get along, so a new category was created, Judeo-Christian, which brought formerly feuding people into a new “us.” Thirty years ago, rivalries were developing between blacks and Hispanics, and so the category “people of color” was used to create a wider “us.”
Pluralists believe that culture mixing has always been and should be the human condition. All cultures define and renew themselves through encounter. A pure culture is a dead culture while an amalgam culture is a creative culture. The very civilization the white separatists seek to preserve was itself a product of earlier immigration waves.
Finally, pluralism is the adventure of life. Pluralism is not just having diverse people coexist in one place. It’s going out and getting into each other’s lives. It’s a constant dialogue that has no end because there is no single answer to how we should live.
Life in a pluralistic society is an ever-moving spiral. There are the enemies of pluralism ripping it apart and the weavers of community binding it together. There is no resting spot. It’s change, fluidity and movement all the way down.
The terrorists dream of a pure, static world. But the only thing that’s static is death, which is why they are so pathologically drawn to death. Pluralism is about movement, interdependence and life. The struggle ahead is about competing values as much as it is about controlling guns and healing damaged psyches. Pluralism thrives when we name what the terrorists hate about us, and live it out.
More....
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/05/opin ... y_20190806