Seminars

Reflections on the Advancement of Technology and Society

What does it mean to articulate a Bahá'í perspective on technology? How can our conceptual framework (as it relates to technology) be progressively shaped by the principles of the Bahá'í Faith and the experience of our community? The purpose of this seminar will be to examine some central concepts related to technology and the advancement of civilization. Participants will be able to articulate how elements of the conceptual framework apply to questions surrounding technology during humanity’s passage to maturity.

We will cultivate the essential capability to evaluate the intellectual foundations of discourses about technology and society. Our exploration will assist us to move beyond a view of technology as “a neutral means to freely-chosen ends” by appreciating the power of technology to shape thought and action. We will critically examine prevalent notions about the proliferation of technology and its relationship to social transformation. This space is offered to participants, regardless of their occupation or educational status, to further integrate Bahá'í principles into their conceptual framework as it relates to technology. Experience has shown that commitment to participate fully in the seminar is critical to the success of the seminar. This is a two-day in-person seminar: participants must commit to attending for both days and completing a set of pre-readings prior to the seminar.

Facilitators: The Technology Working Group and its collaborators

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Framework for Professional Identity and Implications for Collaborative Practice in the Health Field

The concepts of oneness and unity are fundamental within the Bahá’í Faith and have tremendous implications for a society plagued by a crisis of identity. In the health field, numerous professionals trained in various disciplines and domains exist, and while the underlying goal of most professionals is to improve the health and wellbeing of people and communities, immense challenges around professional identity inhibit many from engaging in this noble aspiration. Polarizing identities furthered by lack of trust between professional bodies, artificial power dynamics, and dissonance between capacity to serve and politically defined domains of practice are among some of the challenges that health professionals experience. These challenges can hinder willingness to engage in multiple disciplinary work, despite how necessary it has become. In this thematic seminar, we will explore the following two questions: (1) What would a definition for professional identity look like, when informed by the Bahá’í approach to oneness and unity?; and (2) How would this definition guide the development of a practical framework for collaborative practice in the health field?

Facilitators: Anish Arora, Shawheen James, Maryam Gilpatrick

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The Role of Libraries in Community Building

What commonalities do the community building goals of the Faith and public libraries share?  How does librarianship conceive of human nature, and in what ways do these conceptions align with or pull away from conceptions found in the Writings? How does an historical view of librarianship evolve to meet the current needs of the Faith’s work in building community? How might access to information in a public library play a role in community building? 

This seminar will explore the library as a social institution, its varied structures and functions, as well as its interaction with the community and with other institutions. Using conceptions of the library found in the writings of the Guardian, and comparing these conceptions to recent literature in librarianship and information studies, participants will elaborate a vision of the role of libraries in community building. 

Community building is a core value of librarianship and of the Bahá’í Faith. The library is a space where this value can be expressed both through direct Bahá’í educational activities and through contributing to conversations within the profession. Identifying connections between conceptions of community building drawn from librarianship and drawn from the conceptual framework of the Faith will strengthen our ability to make these contributions. Librarians have an opportunity to learn how insights from the Bahá’í Writings and the framework for action can be expressed in the many social spaces afforded through the profession of librarianship. The library is one among many institutions that make up the fabric of a society. Learning to analyze and imagine new directions for these institutions is one aspect of how we can contribute to the transformation of society in a more coherent way. 

This seminar is for librarians, those in the field of library and information science studies, and anyone interested in libraries as a social space.

Facilitators: Maureen Quinlan, Lev Rickards

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Reflecting on the Mental Health of Vibrant Communities

This seminar is designed for participants engaged directly within the field of mental health or education. Mental health challenges at any stage of life carry with them not only personal suffering and collective grief, but they may also keep hidden the society-building capabilities latent within each person. In North America we are seeing growing rates of depression, self-harm, anxiety, substance use, and other mental health challenges. In a continuation from the last several thematic seminars we will consider: What current conceptual models are used to understand mental health and illness and to inform treatment approaches, and what are their limitations and assumptions? What constitutes a vibrant community with respect to emotional and psychological well-being? What supports do communities need to better foster the emotional and psychological well-being of individuals and groups? What current barriers exist to accessing mental health resources in our communities? Who are our vulnerable and historically underserved demographics within our communities? What support would institutions such as Local Spiritual Assemblies need to better address complex mental health challenges within our communities? Please note that pre-readings will be sent out prior to the seminar. Participants are encouraged to reflect on their practical experience in light of the readings to prepare for the consultations during this two day seminar. 

Facilitators: Christian Smith, Yalda Ravanbakhsh

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Advancing Organizations

As organizations struggle to adapt to ever-changing conditions in an era of relentless change, social turmoil and economic uncertainty, it is becoming clearer that an organization’s underlying structures, processes and culture play a crucial role in its ability to serve its stakeholders. What are the key factors that either enable or inhibit an organization to rise to the challenges of this unique time in human history? What animating principles should guide the structure, processes and culture of organizations that are equipped both to fulfill their mission and purpose and create an environment where the capacities of its members are more fully cultivated?

In this seminar, which is open to anyone who has experience in one or more organizations (which is everyone), we will explore some of the theories and practices that are reshaping organizations today, and how these approaches can be enriched and expanded by the spiritual principles of the Bahá’í Faith. Participants will engage in thought-provoking discussions, hands-on workshops, and collaborative projects designed to foster a deeper understanding of how to create organizations that are resilient, inclusive, and aligned with higher values. Join us to discover how to advance organizations in ways that honor both human potential and spiritual principles, in service of progressing humanity toward solutions for the vexing problems that face the world today. There will be no required pre-readings for this seminar.

Guiding Questions

Reading our current reality

• How are current social and economic challenges impacting organizations?
• What are the most pressing issues facing organizations today, and how do they vary across sectors and geographies?

Enablers and inhibitors

• What are common barriers that inhibit organizations from responding to these issues and challenges?
• What behavioral patterns in organizations reflect a distortion of the human spirit? What reflects its essential nature?

Characteristics of ‘advancing organizations’

• Using the lenses of science and religion, what conceptions need to change as humanity matures to enable more coherent and spiritual organizations? What sources of knowledge and practice – both secular and religious – might inform efforts to cultivate such organizations?

The path forward

• What actions can we take now to encourage learning and transform processes within organizations to which we belong?
• What lines of inquiry should we continue to pursue? 

Facilitators: Eric Berger, Heeten Choxi

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Scientific in its Method: Invoking the Coherence of Science, Scholarship, and Spirituality in Contributing to Discourse

What are the implications for discourse that the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh is “scientific in its method”? To promote discourse, can we draw on the concept of an evolving conceptual framework in a mode of learning? What role might spiritual virtues play in doing science? How do we engage our academic and professional peers in meaningful discourse on the ‘problems afflicting humanity’?  

In this seminar we will explore these questions by studying selected passages from the Bahá’í writings on the harmony of science and religion and the concept of the Revelation being ‘scientific in its method’, the need for ‘a humble posture of learning’, and the concept of an evolving conceptual framework for action and scholarship. Participants will be sent material in advance which they will be expected to have read before the start of the seminar.  

The objective of this seminar is to explore the coherence between science and religion, which provides a counter-balance to materialism and reductionism within academic discourse, within the professions, and in the wider world of thought. The primary intended audience is Bahá’í students and early career professionals in the physical and social sciences. However, all interested in this topic are welcome to apply. 

In the workshops and consultation arising from these readings we will engage in an examination of the forces operating in society. Specifically, we will look at: 

• Implications that the teachings hold for various fields of human endeavour
• The discourses prevalent in society
• Relevant aspects of the teachings that can be introduced within these discourses.

Participants will then make tentative plans of action, either on an individual basis or in collaboration with others.

Facilitators: Stephen Friberg, Whitney White Kazemipour, Robert Sarracino

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Next Economic Systems: Pursuing Coherence

What is an economic system meant to solve for? What would spiritually rooted economic frameworks (for production, commerce, consumption, etc.) look like? What are the guiding principles on which it would be based? How does learning within and beyond the Bahá’í community advance our understanding of the roles of the three protagonists–the individual, the community and institutions–in an economy that serves the needs of humanity in the process of advancing civilization? In what ways does this learning help us redefine concepts of power and justice? For example, how might it be helpful to think of power in terms of collective action, or sacrificial effort? Or to think in terms of contributive justice?

Although the Bahá’í teachings do not prescribe an economic system for the future, it is clear that the current system is lamentably defective and will need to evolve in order to better serve the needs of humanity. New patterns of economic life will emerge through processes of learning in action, in which spiritual principle is applied to meet the needs of communities and populations. This seminar aims to reflect on the experience and thought of the cooperative movement and broader endeavors to reshape economic institutions, systems, relationships and processes, and to correlate these with insights from the teachings of the Faith and the experiences of the Bahá’í community. Pre-readings will be sent out in advance of the seminar, and participants are asked to read them before coming. Participants are also asked to commit to attending the full two days of the seminar. If interest in the seminar exceeds capacity, preference will be given to those who have some prior experience or interest in or exposure to cooperatives or alternative economic systems, or the needs arising within the community building process for economic innovation. 

Facilitators: Soha Eshraghi, Aref Kashani Nejad, Selvi Adaikkalam Zabihi, Claire Adair

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Examining Underlying Assumptions in Health and Healthcare

This seminar aims to bring together students and those in the first several years of work in the field of healthcare to examine some underlying assumptions shaping contemporary approaches to health and health care systems. How do these assumptions affect our attitudes and approaches to wellbeing? What insights from the framework of the nine year plan can assist us in re-examining some of these assumptions? Particular topics of focus may include defining health, the role of illness and the human condition, and manifestations of illness at the level of the individual and society. We hope this space will provide an opportunity for reflection as we take our next steps into the field of health care and align our patterns of thought and action with the Revelation. This seminar is intended for undergraduate students, graduate students and those in professional health training (medicine, dentistry, etc), as well as those in the first few years of practice. This seminar will not have any required pre-readings.

Facilitators: Andrea Robinson, Nura Mazloom, Rohan Jalalizadeh

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Art and Community Life: Art as a Catalyst for Healing Society

This seminar will focus on gaining a greater appreciation of the incredible healing power of the arts, including art forms traditionally viewed as “crafts,” and gracefully integrating them into joyful community activities and celebrations. Current art criticism is increasingly focusing on diverse narratives, inclusivity and accessibility, globalization, and the use of social media. We will touch on some of these currents and, by blending scholarly analysis with hands-on creative activities, we will foster a space to reflect on the arts' role “as an important means of generating joy, strengthening bonds of unity, disseminating knowledge and consolidating understanding” (Universal House of Justice). 

We will tackle questions such as: What is the difference between arts and crafts, and how can they both be vehicles for social change? How does art offer a distinctive way of healing? How can we become empowered as resources for our communities and increasingly make use of the arts to attract the public to the Faith generally and to core activities specifically?

Readings will be drawn from “Tapping into the Spiritual Powers of the Arts,” a deepening compilation by Ludwig Tuman, and quotations from the Writings related to the arts. 

These are some of our goals: 

• Obtain “a more adequate understanding of the significance of Bahá’u’lláh’s stupendous Revelation”  
• Incorporate the arts “as an important means of generating joy, strengthening bonds of unity, disseminating knowledge and consolidating understanding”
• Focus “on transcending differences, harmonizing perspectives, and promoting the use of consultation”
• Advocate “tolerance and understanding” and view “everyone as a potential partner with whom to collaborate”

Facilitators: Anne Perry, Polly Malby, Marilyn Sargent, Beth Yazhari

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Our Role in the Change Process Toward a Future Just and Sustainable World

The environment is among Nine Year Plan concerns identified by the House of Justice. This seminar includes a day in nature, led by a retired environmental officer, and a day of study and discussion. 

We’ll share highlights from several years of reading groups. Together, we’ll consult about present and future learning and action with many potential allies. Advance readings will help us look at what is currently known, likely projections and what they mean for our lives. Questions to discuss include: what will the change process look like in 2030, 2050 and later; what will the world be like? What kinds of institutions, community life, and individual qualities are needed to manage these challenges? How can we infuse Bahá’í principles of unity, love, justice and moderation into discourses? What process do we use to assess new phenomena and avoid falling prey to misinformation and disinformation?

Facilitators: Nancy Dinnigan-Prashad, Leslie Cole, Darren Hedley

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Evolution and Consciousness

This seminar is intended for current undergraduate or graduate students and practitioners or researchers working in the biological sciences. Most biology curricula purport to be focused on biological mechanisms. Yet these mechanisms are often interpreted within a materialistic framework, the implications of which are not always apparent to students. Such materialistic interpretations can unfortunately lead students down a line of thought which seems to imply the non-existence of spiritual reality. Two major themes that are often taught this way are evolution and consciousness. These topics are also referenced in the Bahá’í Writings in ways that must be carefully correlated with prevailing scientific findings. This seminar will therefore explore the following questions: What is the relationship between evolutionary biology and the Bahá’í teachings on evolution? What is the relationship between findings from neuroscience and the Bahá’í teachings on the mind and soul? How do social forces influence biological phenomena as well as the study of those phenomena? What qualities, attitudes, skills, and habits of mind can we develop in order to find coherence between scientific findings and insights from the Revelation? While the seminar is broadly intended for undergraduate and graduate students interested in the biological sciences, and examines themes common in the biological sciences, students need not be biology majors in order to participate. Preference will be given to those who are currently students or active researchers in biological sciences, can attend the entirety of the seminar, and can commit to completing a set of required pre-readings.

Facilitators: Tara Raam, Yasmine Ayman, Jasmine Miller-Kleinhenz, Bayan Toloubadei, Sujay Neupane

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An Exploration of Participatory Action Research in Theory and Practice

Participatory action research (PAR) is a methodology gaining traction for its collaborative and emancipatory approach. Rooted in social justice movements, PAR emphasizes involving those most affected by research in knowledge production and action to challenge inequalities. It recognizes the agency and expertise of communities, contesting traditional notions of objectivity and offering pathways for systematic inquiry and action for justice. This seminar explores how PAR principles can cohere with Bahá'í community actions and how both can learn from each other, fostering dialogue between students, scholars, and community members. Pre-readings are required. Participants are asked to commit to attending the full two days of the seminar. 

Facilitators: Valentina Muraleedharan, Cameron Rishworth

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Systems Science and Community Development

How does thinking of the whole community enable grass-roots efforts to be more effective? How can learning be more efficiently shared across seemingly different communities? How can teams use systems tools to improve the quality of consultation as we work towards a shared understanding of our reality? Systems science, the “science of the whole”, has a rich history in fields as diverse as public health, organizational management, and supply chains. The history of the Bahá’í faith is full of examples of systems science concepts being used in the worldwide teaching plans. This seminar will explore systems concepts and tools, especially causal loop diagrams, in an interactive manner. Throughout, we will be applying these methods and approaches to the context of the 9-year plan. Pre-readings will be provided. Anyone with experience or interest in the elements of the 9-year plan is most welcome to join!

Facilitators: Kurt Kreuger, Farnaz Bassiri, Daniel Shown

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Releasing the Power of Expression through Diversity and Universal Participation

This thematic seminar is dedicated to exploring the role of diversity and universal participation in releasing the power of expression in light of the Bahá’í Writings. Communication and expression across modalities, purposes, and peoples will be analyzed. Types of diversity explored will include linguistic, neurological, disability/ability, racial, gender, and types of artistic and cultural diversity. Some perspectives from the field of speech-language pathology will be given in this seminar. However, professionals from all fields are encouraged to participate.

The seminar will explore such questions as:

What role does the power of expression play in releasing the society building powers of the Faith?

How does the standard for “acceptable” expression within a given group become established? What would the ideal process look like for communities striving to honor diversity and universal participation?

How might every individual, community, and institution’s power of expression be released justly, and what might it look like?

Registering for this seminar indicates a commitment to participate in its entirety. If interest exceeds capacity, priority will be given to those who meet certain criteria.

Facilitator: May Derry, Will Derry

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Exploring Reconciliation through Bahá'í Consultation and Indigenous Wisdom: Observing the Sacred in Creation

In this enquiry-based, participatory, arts and science-centered seminar, participants will explore paths to reconciliation using Bahá'í consultation and Indigenous wisdom. It will build on the learning of previous reading groups and last year's seminar in a cooperative setting in a humble posture of learning and mutual respect. Reconciliation is a process rather than an event, a marathon rather than a sprint. Our consultation will center around Bahá'u'lláh's pivotal principle of the oneness of humanity, the nobility of the human soul, unity in diversity, love, and service to humanity following the guidance and goals of the global Nine Year Plan to release the Faith's society-building powers. Participants may send their questions, art contributions, relevant quotes, and topics for consideration. There are required preparatory materials as well as recommended materials for this seminar. Participant registration signifies a commitment to participating for both days of the seminar.

Facilitators: Farzaneh Peterson, Sheila Hardy, Martha Washington, Dina Sandgreen

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Engaging Introductory Economics from a Bahá’í Perspective

This seminar is primarily meant for undergraduate students (in any discipline) who have taken at least one introductory economics course. It may also be of interest to graduate students or others that work with discourses about economic life. It invites participants into a conversation in which the content of introductory economics courses are considered in light of the Bahá’í teachings and learning of the community in its efforts for social transformation. The aim is to encourage coherent thinking as students encounter ideas that are less than fully aligned with the Revelation and with the needs of the age.

Facilitators: Sébastien Box-Couillard, Stefan Faridani

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Collective Capacity for Technological Choice

The discourse on technology and society points to an urgent need for communities to strengthen their capacity to make wise choices about technology. Building on concepts from Reflections on the Advancement of Technology and Society, this seminar will examine some requisite capabilities and institutional arrangements that facilitate this strengthening. Drawing on insights and case studies from the discourse, participants will be challenged to apply the framework for action to questions such as: what social forces reduce technological choice to either personal preference or institutional imposition? How can communities evaluate choices about technology? What institutional arrangements make such choices more or less amenable to revision in light of learning processes at the level of the community? Grappling with these issues in a focused environment will prepare participants to elevate conversations about technology in their home communities and begin a process of building the capacities examined throughout the seminar.

This is a two-day in-person seminar. Preference will be given to applicants who have completed at least one of the following:

• Collective study of the ABS Technology Working Group seminar entitled Reflections on the Advancement of Technology and Society or 
• ISGP Undergraduate Seminar: Year 4 or 
• ISGP Graduate Seminar

Applicants that have not completed one of the above studies are encouraged to apply to the Reflections on the Advancement of Technology and Society seminar being offered concurrently.

Registrants must commit to:

• Attending for both days from 9:00AM to 5:00PM local time;
• Completing a series of pre-readings prior to the seminar.

Facilitators: The Technology Working Group and its collaborators

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