"Recognition"
 
This past weekend, I had the privilege of being invited to attend the Ceremony organised by the Ismaili community to recognise the outstanding achievements and successes of their young people over this past year.  It was an impressive event which emphasised not only the achievements and successes of these young people but also the dedication and commitment of their parents and teachers who have played such an integral role in shaping the young leaders who were being recognised that night.  The collective engagement of all members of the community in recognising successes and the obvious pride in their achievements clearly creates a most positive and supportive learning environment for Ismaili youth and the community as a whole.
 
The theme for this year's awards was "Preparing for the Knowledge Society" and, in the words of Malik Talib, the President of the Ismaili Council for British Columbia, "The theme is aimed to spark interest, understanding and motivation among youth for the importance of higher learning and lifelong learning."  From what I witnessed at their ceremony last Saturday night, their programme is most effective.
 
The printed programme for the evening included the text of part of a speech made by His Highness The Aga Khan which he made when opening a school in the Krygyz Republic and I want to share it with you today: 

“There are two more dimensions for the modern world about which I would like to make a few remarks.  The first relates to inquisitiveness, critical thinking and problem solving.  What students know is no longer the most important measure of the quality of education.  The true test is the ability to engage with what they do not know, and to work out a solution.  The second dimension involves the ability to reach conclusions that constitutes the basis for informed judgments.  The ability to make judgments that are grounded in solid information, and employ careful analysis should be one of the most important goals for any educational endeavor.  As students develop this capacity, they can begin to grapple with the most important and difficult step: to learn to place such judgments in an ethical framework.  Therein lies the formation of the kind of social consciousness that our world so desperately needs.

I hasten to add that these qualities cannot be developed quickly, nor can they be mastered at the high school level.  But a beginning must be made, and starting this process should be part of the mission of this institution.”  
 
His Highness concluded by saying, "In this era, the predominant source of influence (in this Knowledge Society) will stem from information, intelligence and insight rather than physical power and natural resources."
 
Here are words we all need to take note of as we prepare our young people for the 21st Century.
 
It was indeed a privilege to be allowed to be part of that ceremony and to experience the pride of the Ismaili community in their youth.
 
Sincerely,

Tony Macoun
tmacoun@mulgrave.com