Aga Khan’s J-School Will Educate Media Owner

By KHALID MAGRAM
Aga Khan University’s new Graduate School of Media and Communications in East Africa soon will commence on a unique mission of teaching media owners about their responsibilities in a society. It will also concentrate more on training journalists from developing world on how to deliver quality analysis in wake of events such as referendum, civil conflicts and elections.

HH the Aga Khan delivering a lecture on pluralism & Journalism in front of a packed audience at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto.

“One of the things we looked at for our school of journalism is who has the ultimate responsibility for what is sold on the streets and what is shown on TV,” said His Highness the Aga Khan, during the LaFontaine-Baldwin Symposium lecture at the Royal Conservatory of Music Friday. “And I think our conclusion is been essentially that it is the owners rather than manufacturer of the product.”

His Highness said, therefore the school of journalism is going to be about educating the owners on what are their responsibilities in a society, what are their responsible to the region – because ultimately they have to decide what it is that they want to distribute within their own countries.

“Conveying quality information in developing world has been very challenging for many years for our network (the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN)).”The Aga Khan added. “For example finding a competent journalist to write on comparative government in developing world is very big problem, which mean when there is referendum on constitution the actual value of that referendum becomes subject to question.”

He was quick however to point out some exceptions efforts of journalists work in the developing world. He cited a veteran Ghanaian journalist, who recently wrote of African journalists’ contributions on number of essential events in Africa.

Kwame Karikari, executive director of Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), recently summed up the power of autonomous journalists when he wrote of their

“…remarkable contributions to peaceful and transparent elections in Benin, Cape Verde, Ghana, Mali, Namibia, South Africa and Zambia; to post-conflict transitions … in Liberia, Mozambique and Sierra Leone; and to sustaining constitutional rule … in Guinea, Kenya and Nigeria.”

Aga Khan’s host, the Institute for Canadian Citizenship’s John Ralston Saul and founder of the Symposium asked the Aga Khan how exactly the new grad school would be able to do things different from other j-schools elsewhere, which seems to be engaging more in teaching of technical stuff and not the content of what is it to be a journalist.

The Aga Khan replied that the media owners would be primary beneficiary of the graduate school – by ‘educating the media owners’. A fascinating concept Saul noted – bringing thunderous laughter from the audience that included senior Canadian journalists.

The Aga Khan once again emphasized the urgency of pluralism challenge during his speech at Royal Conservatory of Music in Downtown Toronto.

“Independent news media and journalists free from external control and constraint are key element in building stronger pluralist societies,” said Aga Khan, who is also spiritual leader of world’s 14-million Shia Ismaili Muslims

His Highness also noted that a wide-open internet allows divisive information to travel as far and as fast as reliable information. There are virtually no barriers to entry and anyone responsible or irresponsible – can play the game.
“The way we communicate with one another has been revolutionized,” he says.

“However, more communication has not meant more cooperation.” More information has also meant more mis-information – more superficial snapshots, more shards of stray information taken out of context, he said.

“We are at a particularly complex moment in human history. The challenges of diversity are frightening for many people, in societies all around the world. But diversity also has the capacity to inspire,” His Highness the Aga Khan said.

Earth Day’s Black Eye

By KHALID MAGRAM
Toronto, Canada – has been 40 years since the Earth Day became cause célèbre in North America.
Activists, educators and scientists have provided the public considerable amount of information about the environmental challenges facing our planet ever since.
“Lackin, is any sort of longer view of the decisions taken every day on the environment,” says Simran Sethi, an award-winning eco–journalist.
“The continued extraction of fossil fuel when we clearly know it is a finite resource is quiet shortsighted,” Sethi says.
Sethi cites the recent act by the Obama administration for allowing offshore drilling in the U.S. and the Alberta tar sands sites as two examples of imprudent decisions that black eye the four decades of environmental advancement.
On the offshore drilling list is the Arctic’s Chukchi and Beaufort seas which are of concern to environmentalists and others because they provide important habitat for polar bears, whales, and other marine life.
Likewise, environmental groups have for years scrutinize the tar sands in Western Canada. They say tar sands mining produces a product activists call ‘dirty oil,’ and is having a disastrous effect on the land, water, wildlife and to communities of northern Alberta.
As of late, images of oil-soaked birds from Alberta tar sands sites has become a banner for environmentalists all over North America and Europe.
As the Earth Day 2010 approaches, research shows despite the four decades of the awareness, eagerness to be environmentally friendly, North Americans are concerned yet conflicted, confused, cynical, and sometimes discouraged about going green.
According to the union of concerned scientists this is because besides recycling, no clear consent has come forth on what else North Americans should do to protect the environment.
However, environmental awareness has been making fair amount of headway with the public and some governments.
It is evident in increasing participation in Earth Hour and municipal recycling program. In some jurisdictions, green legislations on monitoring air pollution, protecting natural landscapes and on energy conservation have been enacted.
But, experts will also tell you going green is complex, much messy and friendship with the environment won’t be cemented with ’10 Easy Steps.’
“Small changes are an essential first move and I applaud all who make them. However, we don’t get to check the Earth off the list after we’ve bought the hybrid and recycled,” Sethi says., lauded by Vanity Fair as “The Green Messenger,” says the environment awareness message also has to be framed in a way so it connects with the concerns of the ordinary folks.
For example, if parents, healthcare providers and children’s advocates concerns are about the alarming rates of babies born with asthma. The environmental message should encourage these groups for lobbying governments to enact legislation not to allow car idling when picking up kids at schools.
“The shift to green economy needs a much stronger government push,” says Dr. Ijaz Rauf, a nanotechnology expert.
He says Europe, Germany and Spain took the lead at the right time to take action and many other European countries followed. Green trends like solar and wind technology for generating energy emerged there at a time when world economies were much better off.
“Unfortunately, North Americans ignored those developments when they should not have because of their economic interests in the fossil fuels,” Rauf says.
The Green Energy Act in Ontario was passed in the effort to make Ontario a leading green economy in North America.
However, Rauf says the cost of green sources is extremely high, fossil fuels prices are extremely low compared to green sources.
“People just can’t do much even if they want to take advantage of many green energy incentives, majority of people simply can’t,” he says.
The global environmental awareness day was first celebrated on April 22, 1970. It was in response to signs of widespread environmental degradation.
Ever since, environmental groups have vowed to make Earth Day into a day of action for trying to change societal behavior towards nature and provoke green legislations from governments around the world.
There’s no knowing yet whether North American society will change its course in time to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.
Sethi is cautiously optimistic.
“I really hope so,” she says.”The recent acts in particular are really step backward though.”

Israel set ablaze Gaza

By KHALID MAGRAM

Israeli government has approved mobilization of its reserve military personnel into Gaza.

Despite the  protest on the streets of  many  world’s major cities and condemnation from the Muslim world, against Israeli actions in Gaza strip.  Military jets continue the assault of the Gaza strip for second night. The latest Israeli target -  Islamic  University.

About 6,500 Israeli  reserve military personnel are now battle ready.

Israel has warned that it might send the army to Gaza, if the air strike fails to prevent Palestinian rockets penetrating Israel.

Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert said to have informed his cabinet that the Gaza operation will be long and tough.

In Gaza city, U.S. made, Israeli F-16 attacked a mosque and a police headquarter, which also house Hamas owned TV station. Palestinian doctors say about 280 have lost their lives, since Israel stood firm to put an end to the barrage of rockets fired by Hamas fighters to its territory.

At the same time, doctors in Gaza said it has exhausted all its resources and are trying desperately to treat large number of the wounded from the Israeli air strikes. A doctor told reporters that the hospital where he is working, has no medicines nor clean water and the generators are running out of fuel.

Ismaili community in Toronto prepares for arrival of spiritual leader

Article published in East-Toronto Observer on Fri Nov 21, 2008

Eco-Islam reaches Zanzibar fishermen

By KHALID MAGRAM

Religious leaders are using the texts of the Koran to promote conservation messages-An approach, which has proved a great deal more successful than government regulations.

The island of Misali is just a small dot in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Pemba in Tanzania. The coral reef surrounding it is home to a rich variety of fish and turtles.

Just a few years ago, this fragile island paradise was under serious threat. Destructive fishing methods were damaging the corals and harming species that lived there. Government bans had little impact.

The non-governmental organization Care International stepped in to persuade fishermen to take better care of their environment – through a scheme based on Islamic principles.

“People didn’t experience environmental destruction in their areas until very recently,” says Ali Thani, Care’s project director.

These fishermen have learned the benefits of fishing in a sustainable manner without harming the island’s bio-diversity.

After what they are experiencing, they feel that Islamic environmental ethics might be better to create awareness in the community to protect their environment says Thani.

Local religious leaders like Shehe Mlekwa Lissani Bambi are now highlighting Islamic teachings about conservation in their sermons.

The Koran is not widely known by many as a source of guidance on environmental and conservation. Therefore, this seem the first time the teachings of the Koran have been used in Tanzania to promote conservation.

Salum Haji has fished these waters for as long as he can remember.

“There have been a lot of bad things happening here,” he says.

“People have used dynamite and guns to fish here.” This has destroyed the coral.

“I am happy that now we have learnt that the Koran tells us to protect everything in this world, including the environment.

“I am more dedicated to protecting the environment now and a more committed Muslim as well,” says Haji.

The Indian Ocean islands of Zanzibar and Pemba lie off the east African coast.

The semi-autonomous territory maintains a political union with Tanzania, but has its own parliament and president.

A former centre of the spice and slave trades, present-day Zanzibar is infused with African, Arab, European and Indian influences.

Original SOURCE BBC

Presidency of the United States of America-Evolving or hijacked

Founding fathers would, to say the least, be surprised if they could see what has happened to the presidency. Get extensive background on the presidency and its history by clicking the link below

Chief executive office of the United States. In contrast to many countries with parliamentary forms of government, where the office of president, or head of state, is mainly ceremonial, in the United States the president is vested with great authority and is arguably the most powerful elected official in the world. The nation’s founders originally intended the presidency to be a narrowly restricted institution

Pro-U.S. ally Benazir Bhutto martyred in Pakistan

The carnage left by a suicide bomber who gun down Benazir Bhutto and then blew himself and dozens of people at a political rally in Rawalpindi Thursday.

Pakistan and its institutions are far more resilient and disciplined than many people in the West may understand says a former U.S. intelligence official knowledgeable about Pakistan. Former U.S. agent’s comment follows the assassination of Benazir Bhutto by suicide bombers.

Two-time former Pakistani Prime Minister and opposition leader Benazir Bhutto 54, Knew her life will be in danger and risked it all, for her beloved Pakistan and for democracy.

The Bush administration had worked for more than a year to orchestrate a deal between Bhutto and Musharraf that would allow her to return from exile and run for office. She returned to Pakistan on October 18 after eight-years in self-imposed exile in order to take part in general elections slated for next year. At the time Pakistani extremists including terrorist network of Al-Qaida, who also hold perception that Bhutto was darling of American government promised to welcome Mrs Bhutto with herds of suicide bombers at the airport. She ignored the threat and almost got killed when her convoy was struck by a suicide bomber soon after her arrival in Karachi.

Mrs Bhutto’s assassination stunned leaders around the world who urged calm and warned that extremists must not be allowed to destabilize the nuclear-armed nation before the January 8 parliamentary vote.

However, former U.S intelligent officer says Before jumping in and [scream that Pakistan is a failed nuclear state] and draw conclusions about collusion. He says let us never forget that at least in his lifetime two American presidents shot and one died, and a likely Democratic candidate Bobby Kennedy killed and Martin Luther King Jr., all in rapid succession. If some guy has one hand on a lanyard and the other on a gun, and he’s willing to blow himself up, whether it’s in Washington or Rawalpindi, if he gets through, he can do his dirty job. It’s a conspiracy theorists’ dream. …

My sense is that the American government can send sympathy and condolences and condemn the assassination, and then should shut up says former U.S. agent.

In any case Mrs Bhutto’s assassination is a blow and potential set back in U.S. effort in ‘war on terror’. Of late, the U.S. military has been frustrated by the inability of Pakistani military to control its borders or the tribal areas, leading to instability in those areas, the Washington Post columnist wrote in his column. After a new report suggest more U.S Special Forces are to be sent to Pakistan.