A Special Partnership: The Aga Khan and James D. Wolfensohn

A notable global figure, Prince Karim, Aga Khan IV, spiritual leader of the global Ismaili community and philanthropist, died on February 4, 2025. Many obituaries (this among them) have highlighted his remarkable life and diverse contributions, but few have focused on his keen interest and involvement in religious tolerance and interreligious cooperation. A leading partner in the early years that shaped the dialogue process was the Aga Khan, and he and Jim Wolfensohn engaged in active personal exchanges, meetings, and extensive correspondence. These shaped what became the World Faiths Development Dialogue (WFDD), a modest but bold organisation. It is based at Georgetown University and works closely with the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs. The Aga Khan’s wisdom and challenges are an important part both of his legacy and a testimony to the progress we have made in the ongoing challenges of working towards more strategic religious engagement in development and humanitarian work. The Aga Khan had many interests and a rich and busy life, so the detailed attention he gave to topics like international education and the International Baccalaureate as well as interreligious relations are particularly striking. His interest in the proposal to bridge deep divides separating development and religious approaches has a special quality as these were clearly issues that were critically important to him.