Over the past three decades, the Khalili Foundation has been a global leader in promoting interfaith and intercultural relations. The Foundation has supported and driven a number of internationally recognised projects that use the power of art, culture and education to bring people together. Our partners include UNESCO, the Commonwealth and the Prince’s Trust.
Over the course of five decades, Professor Sir Nasser D. Khalili has assembled eight of the world’s finest art collections – each on its own merit being the largest and most comprehensive of its kind. Together, the Eight Collections comprise some 35,000 magnificent works, many of which have been exhibited at prestigious institutions worldwide.
Wikipedia is the dominant reference site on the internet, providing educational material freely and without adverts, in hundreds of different languages. As part of its cultural philanthropy, the Khalili Foundation promotes the diversity of visual culture on Wikipedia and the other Wikimedia sites by sharing images and research, by employing a Wikimedian In Residence, and by helping students, researchers, and institutions share their knowledge.
The Khalili Foundation collaborates with UNESCO to promote cultural diversity globally. Key initiatives include university endowments funding diversity projects, the World Festival of Cultural Diversity, which is an international celebration supported by UNESCO, and the Interfaith Explorers programme. This programme equips educators with resources to teach students about different cultures and faiths, fostering understanding and respect.
Tensions existing in the world today are largely the result of ignorance and lack of understanding. If ignorance is the problem, then education must be the answer. With this premise, the Maimonides Interfaith Initiative launched Interfaith Explorers – a free, UNESCO supported, online learning resource designed to support the delivery of RE, PSHE and citizenship education in schools, alongside effective SMSC development.
Being often hailed as one of the most culturally diverse collections in the world, we had chosen to focus our efforts on using our objects to curate stories about cross-cultural exchanges in the history of art and to show the interconnectedness of the human family. Some of these efforts had been shared and enjoyed by many online via our partners Google Art & Culture and Europeana, amongst others.
On February 2024, amidst esteemed guests including Commonwealth High Commissioners, religious leaders, academics, and youth ambassadors, the 2024 Commonwealth Faith Festival was inaugurated by the Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, alongside our Founder, Sir David Khalili. The festival, themed ‘Peacebuilding through Faith,’ featured roundtable discussions aimed at identifying key focus areas and brainstorming solutions to today’s most urgent challenges.
Special Festival section on GA&C spotlighting various technological features and digital exhibits that showcase the world’s cultural expressions.
A campaign to tackle the cultural bias on Wikipedia including the engagement of non-Western cultural institutions to digitize and release more content on open access.
Six stellar panel discussions (webinars) over 12 months exploring how cross-cultural dialogue can be fostered through communities,
Special event on the World Day of Cultural Diversity (May 21st 2023) at the UNESCO HQ in Paris. This will include talks, performances, film screenings, a reception and fundraising dinner.
A Festival of ideas with the theme of “thinking through music” drawing from world music, dnace, film and visual arts.
Special Festival section on the Europeana platform, bringing together stories of European culture in all its diversity.
A series of lectures that explore the story and evolution of science throughout history and in different cultural contexts.
An architectural design competition for resilient and adaptable houses that advance, adapt and update specific local building traditions to meet 21st century needs.
An intercultural research project looking at how deliberate spaces can be created for greater cross-cultural dialogue and peacebuilding
A short film to show how young people in the UK are using global citizenship to advance their career and learning opportunities.
For the first time, Sir David shares his extraordinary journey: one that has taken him through the souks of North Africa, the auction houses of Europe and the United States, the bazaars of South Asia, and far beyond. Through a riveting collection of real-life adventures, he reveals his collecting strategy, business ethics and what motivates him to continuously collect, conserve, research, publish and exhibit the treasures in his collections.
The Khalili Foundation has conceived, funded and driven a number of projects that promote cultural diversity worldwide. Among these are a campaign to promote the World Day for Cultural Diversity and the production of a milestone publication to mark the 20th Anniversary of the UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity.
As one of the great preservers of Islamic cultural heritage, Professor Sir Nasser D. Khalili has always considered it a responsibility to showcase the contribution of Islamic art and culture to the world. So in 2005, the Khalili Foundation published Visions of Splendour: The Timeline History of Islamic Art and Architecture – a book written by Sir David that tells the story of Islamic civilisation through the art it produced.
With over one hundred and twenty publications, each work of art in the Khalili Collections has been meticulously conserved, researched, catalogued and as part of what is considered to be one of the most ambitious art scholarship projects in modern history. Over eighty eight volumes have already been published, personally edited by Professor Sir Nasser D. Khalili and with contributions from the world’s leading experts in each respective field.
Over the last three decades, the Khalili Foundation has given a number of substantial grants and gifts to various international organisations, educational establishments and charities. These serve to encourage the excellent work being done by the respective organisations – both at the research and practitioner levels – and to mark occasions of cultural significance.
The Khalili Foundation has made numerous cultural heritage donations to prestigious institutions globally. These contributions reflect the foundation’s dedication to preserving and sharing world heritage, fostering cross-cultural appreciation, and supporting academic and cultural institutions. Through these gifts, the foundation aims to strengthen global cultural understanding and ensure that significant cultural artefacts are accessible to a wider audience.
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