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Community and humanitarian works carried out by the Ismaili community were highlighted at a high-profile gathering which saw the attendance of many diplomats and senior community members at the Ismaili Centre in Dubai on Thursday.
Aziz Merchant, president of His Highness Aga Khan Shia Imami Ismaili Council for UAE; Tracy Reynolds, consul general of Canada in Dubai; Nicoleta Teodorovici, consul general of Romania in Dubai, and many other diplomats and senior Ismaili community members attended the gathering.
Akbar Verjee, head of diplomatic relations at the Ismaili Centre, Dubai, delivered the welcome note and Aziz Merchant gave the keynote address. Tracy Reynolds and Nicoleta Teodorovici also addressed the attendees and highlighted the key role played by the Ismaili community in their respective countries.
Aziz Merchant also highlighted the role played by Aga Khan Development Network, a non-profit organisation, in various fields across many countries over many decades.
“We work very closely with the members of the various diplomatic missions here because Aga Khan Development Network has a presence in over 30 countries. So it makes sense to maintain relations with the representatives of the countries here. The Ismaili Centre, Dubai, can also host events through joint programming with no commercial element to it. We work together wherever the DNA matches – whether it is cultural, educational or any other field,” Merchant told Khaleej Times in an interview on Thursday.
Aga Khan Development Network, which employs over 90,000 people and has over 200,000 volunteers across the globe, runs hospitals, schools, and early childhood centres as well as helps improve the quality of life of people in remote and mountainous areas.
It is estimated that approximately 5,000 Ismaili community members have made the UAE their home and work in high-profile professions and businesses.
Corinne Glauser, manager of Aga Khan Early Learning Centre, Dubai, which is adjacent to the Ismaili Centre briefed the audience about the non-profit nursery which teaches the British curriculum and has won numerous awards. The nursery, equipped with a big library, and indoor gym among other amenities, houses 45 children and is open to all nationalities and communities.
Tracy Reynolds also highlighted the important role played in Canada through its multiple community centres over the decades. There are approximately 80,000-plus Ismaili community members who call Canada their home.
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