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A short walk will go a long way towards improving the lives
of people struggling to survive in poverty-ravaged countries,
organizers of the World Partnership Walk say. And Calgary's
Karim Abbany, E.I.T., a Calgary walk organizer, encourages
APEGGA members to help prove it's true in the annual May fundraiser
and awareness booster for the non-profit Aga Khan Foundation
Canada.
"Corporate Alberta is increasingly involved in the developing
world, and this walk offers a simple way for the people of
Calgary and Edmonton to demonstrate a commitment to alleviating
poverty," says Mr. Abbany. "APEGGA members, like
all Canadians, are increasingly concerned with global poverty
issues."
The 19th annual World Partnership Walk takes place May 25
in Calgary, Edmonton and eight other Canadian cities. Last
year, 8,000 participants in the Alberta walks raised more
than $700,000 for the foundation, part of a $2.5-million Canadian
effort.
Walk organizers seek participants, as well as awareness partnerships
with companies and other organizations. Awareness partners
build support among their people by forming teams and creating
corporate team challenges, by holding information sessions,
offering prizes, and otherwise promoting the walk and its
causes.
Says Mr. Abbany: "As Canada's only public participation
event for international development, the World Partnership
Walk offers an unparalleled opportunity for corporations to
engage themselves in today's leading edge issue, global corporate
citizenship. There's a growing recognition that local and
national issues are intricately linked to global issues. And
we all recognize, as well, that Canadian expertise and vision
can help the developing world."
Aga Khan Foundation Canada helps direct that expertise to
"where it's needed most," says Mr. Abbany.
The foundation is a non-profit international development agency
established in Canada in 1980. As part of the worldwide Aga
Khan Development Network, the foundation supports development
projects to benefit the poor in Africa and Asia, without regard
to race, religion or political affiliation.
All money raised in the World Partnership Walk goes to development
projects - none of it goes to administration. Many of the
foundation's projects are undertaken in partnership with the
Government of Canada's Canadian International Development
Agency.
The Aga Khan Development Network is a non-denominational group
of agencies established in 1967 by His Highness the Aga Khan,
the 49th Imam, or spiritual leader, of the Ismaili Muslims,
who are dedicated to improving living conditions in the developing
world.
Examples abound of the projects supported by Aga Khan Foundation
Canada, among them:
- The Gujarat Environmental Health Improvement Program,
helping rectify the loss of groundwater to drought and overuse
by agriculture in the state of Gujarat, western India.
- The Advanced Nursing Studies Initiative, enhancing managerial
and clinical practices of nurses in urban and rural East
Africa.
- The Non-Formal Primary Education Program, establishing
schools in Bangladesh.
- The Institute for Educational Development, improving teacher
training in Pakistan.
WORLD PARTNERSHIP WALK
11 a.m.
Sunday
May 25, 2003
Calgary
5 km
Prince's Island Park
Edmonton
3, 7 and 10 km
Legislature Grounds
Other Participating Cities
Victoria, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Kitchener, London, Toronto,
Ottawa and Montreal
MORE INFORMATION
Visit www.worldpartnershipwalk.com
Contact Karim Abbany, E.I.T.
kabbany@rci.rogers.com
(403) 215-6200 Ext. 657
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