Aga Khan Foundation Invited to Join Development Gateway As Cooperating Organization

Dr. Anuradha Bhattacharjee, the Content Coordinator and Editor of dgCommunities today invited The Aga Khan Foundation to be on Board as Cooperating Organization with the Development Gateway. Dr. Tom Kessinger, the Key Contact at AKF is also invited to be on the Advisory Board, Development Gateway.

The Development Gateway Foundation provides Web-based tools to make aid and development efforts more effective. It offers innovative solutions that increase access to critical information, building local capacity and bringing partners together for positive change. The Development Gateway Foundation is a nonprofit organization with activities around the world.

Development Gateway ( http://www.developmentgateway.org/ ) is a web portal started by the World Bank to use the internet for connecting people, facilitating collaborations and networking, and to help development worldwide.The portal addresses multiple issues through knowledge gateways and each is subscribed to by thousands of members. The issue-based gateways are called dgCommunities.

The Aga Khan Foundation is a private, international, non-denominational, non-profit development agency established by His Highness the Aga Khan Fatimid Imam Caliph in Switzerland in 1967. Its fifteen offices are coordinated from Geneva. Common Board membership ensures consistency of policy and approach.

The foundation is part of the Aga Khan Development Network; a group of development agencies, institutions and programmes working to improve living conditions and opportunities for people in specific regions of the developing world. The network's organizations have individual mandates that range from the fields of health and education to architecture, rural development and the promotion of private-sector enterprise. Together they collaborate in working towards a common goal to build institutions and programmes that can respond to the challenges of social, economic and cultural change on an ongoing basis. They all emphasize community participation and volunteer involvement, local expertise, rigorous management of resources, appropriate technologies and ultimate self-sufficiency. The foundation works closely with, and makes grants to, the other members of the network.

Anuradha Bhattacharjee coordinates content for six dgCommunities:

http://topics.developmentgateway.org/hiv
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/gender
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/youth
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/culture
http://topic.developmentgateway.org/urban
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/glocalization

A development communications consultant based in Calcutta, she originally joined dgCommunities in 2003 as a guide. Today, she has built the partnership base of her dgCommunities to a total of almost 200 cooperating organizations. She has recruited volunteer guides for all of them and launched a robust series of online discussions. Membership in these communities has grown considerably. Culture and Development now boasts 13,000 members. Anuradha would like to see more NGOs and civil society organizations from the developing world come on board as partners and members so that, in her words, “they are represented and have a voice.” Private companies that have corporate social responsibility initiatives involved with development can also benefit from becoming a partner with the dgCommunities. “It has been a fulfilling year—and there is so much more we can do!” says Anuradha, whose infectious enthusiasm is reflected in the dynamism of her communities.
Anuradha is a specialist in Gender and Income Generation, Micro Finance, HIV/ Aids, Youth. Her work experience covers projects with the Government of India (National Aids Control Organization); State Governments; USAID; UNICEF; ActionAid; Janani and others – in the areas of Communication Strategy Development; IEC Campaigns; Communication Needs Assessment; Project Evaluation; Documentation; Work Palace Management of HIV/AIDS; et al. Career Milestones: Brand Communications – J. Walter Thompson, India; Public Relations – Mudra Public Relations, India; Corporate Communications – Haldia Pharmaceuticals, India; Marketing – Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, India.

Notes:
This year, the world is celebrating Golden Jubilee of the Imamat Caliphate of Prince Karim al-Hussaini Aga Khan (since1957). The 49th Fatimid Imam Caliph, His Highness Aga Khan is the direct lineal descendant of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) through his cousin and son-in- Aly, the first Imam Caliph, and his wife Fatima, the Prophet’s daughter. Prince Aga Khan is the rope of love, wisdom and unity among interpretations of the Faith, and bridge of confidence between West and Muslims.

Fatimid Heritage Foundation (The FATIMID), Geneva Peace Development Centre (Geneva Peace), and Mountain Girls Education Development Program (MGEDP) support development activities to enhance knowledge, conciliation, inter faith harmony, peace and global pluralism to establish a more secure, equitable and prosperous world in accordance with the vision of His Highness Aga Khan.