His Highness the Aga Khan has decried the rising levels of poverty in Africa and the rest of the developing world. Speaking in Amsterdam, Netherlands, during a Culture and Development Conference, the Aga Khan said immediate action had to be taken to alleviate poverty which he observed could lead to serious socio-economic conditions.
He explained the need for urgent humanitarian assistance which could be used as a long-term strategy to help recipient communities develop their resources. The Aga Khan also urged people to forge peace among themselves, urging them to shun civil strife that not only brings chaos but is also the highest contributor to the rising poverty levels experienced. "Attempts by communal groups, be they cultural, ethnic or religious, to impose themselves on others, aim at eradicating the cultural basis of group identity which gradually dissolves social cohesion," he said.