The sudden and dramatic collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 saw the emergence of the independent states of Central Asia. For a landlocked and historically interconnected region, the formalising and hardening of new national borders – once open and…
Last month, I spoke at the launch of The Council of Europe Development Bank’s Award for Social Cohesion*. The award recognises outstanding organisations and projects contributing to social cohesion in Europe. The topic could not be more important, as events…
Taking place on 23 and 24 November 2020, the 2020 Afghanistan Conference is a ministerial pledging conference, co-hosted by the Governments of Afghanistan and Finland with the United Nations. The quadrennial pledging conference is an important opportunity for Afghanistan and…
Taking place between 9-12 November 2020 during the Paris Peace Forum, the Finance in Common Summit is a global meeting of all public developments banks. The Summit stressed the crucial role of Public Development Banks in reconciling short-term countercyclical responses…
In 2019, working alongside a variety of government and foundation partners, the Aga Khan Foundation launched a large-scale, multi-country educational research initiative called Schools2030. Its vision is simple – to improve education equity and quality for all. To be conducted…
Morogoro, Tanzania, is a bustling rice hub, exporting to the rest of the country. But smallholder rice farmers there can lose a lot of their yields. AKF (UK)’s Patrick Sayer travelled to the region to explore what AKF and the…
In Patna, Bihar’s capital, street rubbish has reached unprecedented levels. AKF (UK)’s Patrick Sayer meets the unsung heroes who are working to turn this around. Slipping into the traffic for even a short journey through Patna redefines the meaning of…
Jurjen van der Tas describes the history of Islamic gardens, how they are being adapted for modern use, and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture’s 20-year journey of creating and restoring paradise gardens across the Islamic world. Gardens of Paradise take their…
Community owned centres provide safe, healthy and joyful environments to ensure hopeful futures for pre-primary children. Shubhi Vijay & Lukhimai Linnebank report from Bihar. The early childhood years between 0 and 6 are critical for the physical, social, emotional, cognitive and…
In 2017, the Aga Khan Foundation’s farm livelihoods and natural resources management interventions benefitted over one million people worldwide. AKF’s Aditya Rau meets one of those farmers to learn how he is working with local smallholder farmers to create an…