Toronto, Canada, 25 November 2013 - Trinity College at the University of Toronto held a special convocation today to confer an honorary degree upon His Highness the Aga Khan in recognition of his work to improve the quality of life for some of the poorest people in the world through the work of the Aga Khan Development Network.

“I am deeply honoured to present today, for the degree of Doctor of Sacred Letters, His Highness the Aga Khan, the Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims,” said the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson before the Chancellor of Trinity College, the Honorable William C. Graham. “In this College the ideal and the beliefs we hold dear are held within the same ethical framework as that of His Highness.”

“The Aga Khan Development Network is His Highness’ way of bringing together the faith and the action of the Ismaili beliefs,” continued Madame Clarkson, an alumna and Honorary Fellow of the College. “It is grounded in the ethics of Islam, in which economic, cultural and social matters all come together to determine the quality of life for human beings.”

Founded in 1851 by John Strachan, the first Anglican Bishop of Toronto, Trinity College quickly established itself in the humanities, granting degrees in Arts, Divinity, Law, Medicine, and Music, and was an early advocate of higher education for women. The College retained its distinctive character even after joining the University of Toronto in 1904. Today it is well known for its interdisciplinary programmes in International Relations, Ethics and Society and Law.

The Aga Khan was admitted Doctor of Sacred Letters, honoris causa, by Chancellor Graham and hooded by former Trinity College Provost, Professor Andrew Orchard. The ceremony took place in the presence of a distinguished gathering that included the Anglican Archbishop of Toronto, the Most Reverend Colin Johnson, the Interim Provost and Vice Chancellor of Trinity College, Professor Michael Ratcliffe, the Vice-President and Provost of the University of Toronto, Professor Cheryl Regehr, and President of the Aga Khan University, Firoz Rasul.

The Chancellor noted that Trinity College was honouring the Aga Khan “in recognition of his contribution to peace, security and the well being of millions of people throughout the world.” Referring to the event as an extraordinarily special occasion, Chancellor Graham drew a parallel with the Anglican tradition of bringing faiths together and remarked “ we are honouring a man who as a leader of the Ismaili community, and a globally accepted statesman we all happen to respect immensely. ”

Madame Clarkson, who serves on the Board of Directors of the Global Centre for Pluralism, recalled a trip she had taken to Cairo, during which she visited Al-Azhar Park, a project of the Historic Cities Programme of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture. In her remarks, she described to the gathering how the Trust had transformed “medieval rubble and garbage” into “an exquisite place of gardens, trees, plants, and picnic grounds for the people of Cairo.”

“To me this garden is a metaphor for what the Aga Khan Development Network does: the creation of beauty, utility and inclusiveness out of garbage, desecration and indifference.”

The gathering enjoyed a performance of the opening movement of Creeds from Constantinople, a multimedia theatrical work that celebrates cultural diversity, spirituality and pluralism, performed by Maryem Tollar, Patricia O’Callaghan and the Gryphon Trio.

NOTES

His Highness the Aga Khan, the founder and chairman of the AKDN, is the 49th hereditary Imam (Spiritual Leader) of the Shia Ismaili Muslims. In Islam’s ethical tradition, religious leaders not only interpret the faith but also have a responsibility to help improve the quality of life in their community and in the societies amongst which they live. For His Highness the Aga Khan, this has meant a deep engagement with development for over 50 years through the agencies of the AKDN.

The agencies of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) are private, international, non-denominational development organisations. They work to improve the welfare and prospects of people in 30 countries in the developing world, particularly in Asia and Africa. Some programmes, such as specific research, education and cultural programmes, span both the developed and developing worlds. AKDN employs approximately 80,000 people, the majority of whom are based in developing countries. The AKDN’s annual budget for non-profit development activities is approximately US$ 600 million. The project companies of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED) generate revenues of US$ 2.3 billion (all surpluses are reinvested in further development activities). While each agency pursues its own mandate, all of them work together within the overarching framework of the Network so that their different pursuits interact and reinforce one another.

For more information about His Highness the Aga Khan, please see: https://www.akdn.org/about-us/his-highness-aga-khan