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| The Aga Khan: “There are powerful chords of memory – from four decades ago, 4 yrs ago, and even 4 months ago, that tie me closely to Canada.” | His Highness the Aga Khan: “My lifelong interest in development has focused my attention on the challenge of social diversity.” |
| The Aga Khan: “My interest in launching the Global Centre for Pluralism reflected that there is no institution dedicated to diversity” | “Pluralism is as old as human civilization. History is filled w/ instructive models of success & failure in coping w/ human diversity” |
| “Success of pluralism in Cairo, founded by my ancestors, the Fatimid Caliphs, 1000 yrs ago. They were Shia in a dominant Sunni culture.” | “For nearly 2 centuries they led a strong pluralistic society; a variety of Islamic interpretations as well as Christians, Jews & others.” |
| The Aga Khan: “Iberian Peninsula between 8-16 Centuries, Muslim, Christian & Jewish cultures interacted creatively in al-Andalus.” | After al-Andalus, “where local and tribal loyalties once dominated, national identifications came to flourish.” |
| “Emergence of EU a response to history, as regional groups in SE Asia, C Asia, Latin America and E Africa, testing pan-national cooperation” | Aga Khan: “This brings me to the story of Canada – shaped so fundamentally by two European cultures.” |
| Aga Khan: “The challenge of diversity is now a global challenge – and how we address it will have global consequences.” | Aga Khan: “And it has also meant more willful DIS-information – not only differences of opinion, but distortions of fact.” |
| Aga Khan: “New digital technologies mean more access, but less accountability.” | Aga Khan: “Technologies can be used for good or ill. How we use them will depend on what is in our heads – and in our hearts.” |
| Aga Khan: Social institutions & cultural habits – 1 concerns the hardware and 1 concerns the software of the pluralism experience. | Aga Khan: The high count of failed democracies is evidence that democracy alone will not lead to pluralism |
| Aga Khan: We must go beyond the simple word “democracy” if we are to build a framework for effective pluralism. | Aga Khan: It will mean separating & balancing powers, structuring multi-tiered systems of federalism, & defining rights & freedoms. |
| Aga Khan: Healthy institutions will optimize each society’s meritocratic potential, so that opportunity will reward competence. | Aga Khan: A relationship between institutional & cultural variables. How we think shapes our institutions. Our institutions shape us. |
| Aga Khan: Canadian experience suggests to me that identity itself can be pluralistic. Honoring one’s own identity need not mean rejecting others. | Aga Khan: I believe one can live creatively and purposefully as both a devoted Muslim and a committed European |
| Aga Khan: Surely, 1 of most important tests of moral leadership is whether our leaders are working to widen divisions – or to bridge them. | Aga Khan: I believe that the challenge of pluralism is never completely met. Pluralism is a process and not a product. |
| Aga Khan: A pluralistic environment is a kaleidoscope that history shakes every day. | Aga Khan: As we think about pluralism, there may be a variety of ‘best practices,’ ‘diversity of diversities,’ & ‘pluralism of pluralisms.’ |
| Aga Khan: The amazing diversity of Creation itself can be seen as a great gift to us – not a cause for anxiety but a source of delight. | Aga Khan: “the other” is both present & different. We can appreciate this presence and this difference as gifts that enrich our lives. |
| Aga Khan: Challenges of diversity are frightening for many, in societies around the world. But diversity also has the capacity to inspire. | Aga Khan: The world we seek is not a world where difference is erased, but where difference can be a powerful force for good. |
| Standing ovation for His Highness the Aga Khan as he finishes his speech | JRS: love your phrase ‘pluralism not a cause for anxiety but a source for delight.’ Aga Khan: U show it in Canada; that’s why the Centre is here. |
Ismailimail 
Will the Q and A session after the lecture be published here?? Thanks.
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