Relativism and the Baha'i Writings
Exported from Holy-Writings.com on 2026-07-04 - 1 clipping

Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Ian Kluge, Relativism and the Baha'i Writings, bahai-library.com.
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Association for Bahá’í Studies–North America
31st Annual Conference
“Scholarship and Community Building”
16–19 August 2007
Delta Meadowvale Resort and Conference Centre
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

Thursday. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     3
Friday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
Saturday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .      8
Sunday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .      11
Abstracts and biographical notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                   12
Artists performing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .           39

Important Information

Conference Badge. Your conference badge is your “ticket of admission” to all sessions. You must wear it
to attend conference sessions. The security personnel will not allow admittance to anyone without a badge.

Security. The security personnel are there to assist you. Please follow their instructions at all times. They
can be identified by red ribbons on their badges.

Promptness. The schedule of sessions is very full. To give equal time to the speakers, the sessions must
begin on time. We request your cooperation in arriving promptly.

Cell Phones. The ringing of mobile telephones in the audience is very disruptive to a presentation. Please
turn off your cell phone or put it in “silent” mode while you are in the conference sessions.

The Children’s and Junior Youth Program. (Children must be preregistered to attend.) The
Children’s Program, for ages 5 to 15, is being held in the Featherstone and Wentworth rooms in the
North Tower (Lower Level). For pre-youth in the Indian Trail room (Lower Lobby Level) from Friday
onwards and in Bridgewater (North Tower/Main Floor) on Thursday. Parents may drop off children at
their program 15 minutes before the adult session starting time. Parents are asked to pick up their children
promptly at the close of each session and for the lunch breaks. (Meals are not included in the children’s
program.) The times for Children/Junior Youth sessions are

Thursday 16 August                              10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Friday 17 August                                9:00 a.m.– 5:30 p.m.
Saturday 18 August                              9:00 a.m.– 6:30 p.m.
Sunday, 19 August                               9:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

The program of children’s activities is available at the Conference Registration Table. Parents are required
to sign a Medical Information and Emergency Health Care Release form and return it to the Children’s
Program coordinators.

The Conference Bookstore is operated by the Bahá’í Distribution Service in Canada. The bookstore is
located in the Britannia room and offers a wide selection of books and materials, including books and CDs
by authors and artists presenting at the conference, and Bahá’í jewellery. Hours of operation are

Thursday 16 August             2:00 p.m.– 7:00 p.m.
Friday 17 August               9:00 a.m.– 7:00 p.m.
Saturday 18 August             9:00 a.m.– 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, 19 August              9:00 a.m.– 2:00 p.m.

Evaluation Forms. The ABS Executive Committee asks for your assistance and cooperation in filling out
the conference evaluation forms provided in your conference kit. We will be having a draw and will pick
out 5 names from the box for each one to receive a one year free membership in the Association. Just
fill out the bottom portion of the form, tear off and place it the box provided at the Conference
Registration Table. Your feedback is very valuable to us in our continuing efforts to improve the
Conference.

Membership. In support of the Association’s membership drive, we ask you to encourage your friends and
Spiritual Assemblies to join the Association. Please use the membership form enclosed in your conference
kit. More forms are available at the Conference Information Table.

Audio Recordings. Conference plenary sessions will be recorded and will be available for purchase on
audio CD. An order form is included in your conference kit and additional forms are available at the
Conference Information Desk. Please fill out the form with your credit card number and the CDs will be
mailed to you after the conference.

Lost and Found. Lost and found articles should be reported to the Conference Registration Table. After the
close of the conference, any items not picked up will be turned over to the hotel.

Prayer Room. The Silverthorn Room, on the North Tower-Main floor of the hotel, has been set aside for
prayer and meditation from Thursday to Sunday, 8:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m.

SPECIAL FEATURES AT THE CONFERENCE THIS YEAR

Evening Coffeehouse. After each evening’s program there will be a coffeehouse held in the Hazel
McCallion Ballroom where conference attendees can socialize and enjoy listening to live music until
midnight. Performing artists at the conference are encouraged to sign up to perform at these events. A sign-up
sheet will be available near the Conference Registration Table.

Networking Lunches— Check the information board for time, topics, and locations.

Thursday, 16 August 2007

10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Simultaneous Sessions

Special Development Program for Faculty and Students
Streetsville        Joint Session for Faculty and Students
Convener: Association for Bahá’í Studies Executive Committee
Chair: MICHAEL KARLBERG
10:00           Devotions
Welcome and Opening Remarks MICHAEL KARLBERG
Introduction DAN SCOTT, Member, Continental Board of Counsellors for the
Americas
11:00           Introduction to and Consultation on Scholarship, Service, and Social Action
Workbook

Indian Trail        Faculty Development Session
Chair: MICHAEL KARLBERG
11:30 - 12:30   Introduction of participants and consultation

12:30 - 2:00    Lunch Break

2:00            Consultative Forum

3:30            Break

Springfield         Student Development Session
Chair: ROSHAN DANESH

11:30 - 12:30   Small Group Sessions with Workbook

12:30 - 2:00    Lunch Break

2:00 - 3:30     Introductions and Consultation

3:30            Break

Streetsville        Joint Session for Faculty and Students
Chair: MICHAEL KARLBERG
3:45            Panel Presentations of simultaneous sessions, followed by discussion

DAN SCOTT Summary Remarks
MICHAEL KARLBERG Closing Remarks

5:00            Dinner Break

Special Session for In-Depth Study of the Theme
Hazel McCallion Ballroom
Convener: ASSOCIATION FOR BAHÁ’Í STUDIES EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Chair: KIM NAQVI
10:00          Devotions
Welcome KIM NAQVI
Introductory Remarks ANN BOYLES, Member, Continental Board of Counsellors
for the Americas
10:15          The History and Role of Scholarship in the Iranian Bahá’í Community
MINA YAZDANI
11:00          Steering a Course Beyond Rugged Individualism: A Workshop HOLLY HANSON

12:30 - 2:00   Lunch Break

Simultaneous Breakout Sessions on Scholarship and Community-Building

Hazel McCallion Ballroom AB
2:00 - 3:15    The Philosopher in the Bahá’í Community IAN KLUGE
3:30 - 4:45    Scholarship and Covenant in the Bahá’í Community
ABDU’L-MISSAGH GHADIRIAN

Hazel McCallion Ballroom CD
2:00 - 3:15    ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on Leadership: The Spiritually Learned KURT HEIN (paper
presentation and discussion moderated by HOLLY HANSON)
3:30 - 4:45    Toward the Unity of Science and Religion: A Personal Journey STEPHEN FRIBERG

5:00           Dinner Break

Thursday Evening
Graydon Ballroom
7:30          Plenary Session
Chair: MARTHA SCHWEITZ

Devotions

Official Conference Welcome

The Generation of Knowledge and the Advancement of Civilization
HALEH ARBAB

8:30           Break

Hazel McCallion Ballroom
9:00           Coffee House
Friday, 17 August 2007

Graydon Ballroom
9:00          Plenary Session
Chair: ANDY TAMAS

Devotions

Coping with the Challenges of Globalization AUGUSTO LOPEZ-CLAROS

Musical interlude

Scholarship and Community-Building DEBORAH VAN DEN HOONAARD (chair),
CHERYL FENNELL, MARIE GERVAIS, LISA-JO VAN DEN SCOTT, and ÉLIZABETH
WRIGHT

12:00           Lunch Break

2:00 - 5:30 p.m. Simultaneous Breakout Sessions

Proudfoot Hollow Architecture and the Built Environment
Convener: DOUGLAS RAYNOR (acting convener, programme chairs)
3:15 - 4:15   The Ringstone Symbol: Concept for a Bahá’í Centre SAMAN AHMADI
4:30 - 5:30   Passion as an Engine to Creation NOUSHIN EHSAN

Great White Pines Arts I
Convener: ANNE GORDON PERRY
2:00 - 2:30    Creative Devotions
2:30 - 3:30    Reflection on History Through the Arts with a Special Focus on Drama
GLORIA SHAHZADEH
3:45 - 4:15    The Matrix: Themes of After-Life LAHEEB QUDDUSI

Springfield        Bahá’í History and Biography
Convener: SUSAN MANECK
2:00 - 3:00     Abiding Faith: The Toronto Bahá’í Community from 1919 to 1938
MARLENE MACKE
3:15 - 4:15     A Century of Progress Toward Community Building in Topeka, Kansas:
Some Observations about Researching a Community DUANE L. HERRMANN

Comfort Mill       Bahá’í Language Educators
Convener: JOY ALLCHIN and DARA SHAW
2:00 - 2:30     Community Building through the Virtual University (paper presentation)
JEFF WILLIAMS
2:30 - 3:00     Five Research Based Issues in International Distance Education and their
Application to Teaching EFL MARK H. ROSSMAN
3:15 - 3:45     Online Oral English: An Exploratory Qualitative Study of Teaching Language
Skills Using “1 to 1” Voice over Internet (Skype) JAMES COBURN
4:00 - 5:30     Session on Volunteering and Bahá’í Language Educators Special Interest
Group Business Meeting

Hazel McCallion   Business Ethics and Management Science
Ballroom A        Convener: NOUSHA ETEMAD
3:15 - 4:15    Capitalism and Community: The New Reality that Unites Wealth, Social
and Spiritual Development LAWRENCE M. MILLER
4:30 - 5:30   Shadow Boxing - Developing Ethical Organisations GORDON J. KERR
5:30 - 6:30   Business Ethics and Management Science Special Interest Group
Business Meeting

Streetsville      Gender Equality Studies I
Convener: ÉLIZABETH WRIGHT
2:00 - 2:30   The 2007 UN Commission on the Status of Women: Elimination of All
Forms of Discrimination and Violence against the Girl Child
ÉLIZABETH WRIGHT
2:30 - 3:00   Missing Daughters in Québec: A Silent Form of Gender Inequity
NATHALIE AUGER
3:15 - 4:15   Closing the Gender Gap AUGUSTO LOPEZ-CLAROS
4:30 - 5:30   Literacy and Community-Building in Africa GERALDINE GRABER
5:30 - 6:00   Gender Equality Studies Special Interest Group Business Meeting

Hazel McCallion   Intercultural Issues/Indigenous Studies
Ballroom D        Convener: PROGRAMME CHAIR
4:00 - 4:30    Literary Voices in First Nation Francophone Literature (some portions will
be in French) MARYANNE DEWOLF
4:30 - 5:30   Concepts of Oppression in Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Writings
MARIE GERVAIS and TIM HEINS

Springfield       Law and Governance
Convener: NEYSAN MAHBOUBI (acting convener, programme chairs)
4:30 - 5:30   How Bahá’í Voters Should Vote ARASH ABIZADEH

Hazel McCallion   Marriage and Family I
Ballroom A        Convener: HEATHER CARDIN (acting convener, programme chairs)
2:00 - 3:00    The Status and Attitudes of Singles in the North American Bahá’í
Community KAMILLA BAHBAHANI

Hazel McCallion   Peace and Conflict Studies
Ballroom B        Convener: KIMBERLY SYPHRETT (chair, HOSSAIN DANESH)
2:00 - 2:30    Bahá’í Consultation: Toward a New Paradigm of Power HELEN CHENG
2:30 - 3:30    Myers-Briggs Personality Typology and Religious Prejudice: Preserving
Unity and Analyzing Conflict in Progressive Revelation JOHN RICHARD DAVIDSON
3:45 - 5:15   Unique Dimensions of the Bahá’í Concept of Peace HOSSAIN DANESH
5:30 - 6:30   Peace and Conflict Studies Special Interest Group Business Meeting

Hazel McCallion   Psychology
Ballroom C        Convener: ELENA MUSTAKOVA-POSSARDT (acting convener, JASON IGHANI)
2:00 - 3:00    The Heart and the Art of Community Building: A View of Recent
Psychological Research Relating to Community Development A. JANE FAILY
3:15 - 4:15   The “Breakthrough” Moment in Psychotherapy, Is It Really a Moment of

Spiritual Transformation? PATRICIA ROMANO MCGRAW
4:30 - 5:00     Religion and Psychology: Combining Potent Forces KAREN P. WILLIAMS
5:00 - 6:00     Psychology Special Interest Group Business Meeting

William Lyon       Scholarship and Bahá’í External Affairs Work
MacKenzie          Convener: JEFFREY HUFFINES (acting Convener, JULIA BERGER)
2:00 - 3:00     Evolving Relationships: Communities of Scholars and External Affairs Work
GERALD FILSON
3:15 - 4:45     The Bahá’í International Community at the United Nations: From Principles
to Problem Solving JULIA BERGER and TAHIRIH NAYLOR

Hazel McCallion    Science and Religion I – General
Ballroom D         Convener: STEPHEN FRIBERG
2:00 - 2:30     The Role of Intuition and Logic in Science Research AMANDA HENCK and
FRANK FAHDAD FANI
2:30 - 3:00     The Role of Science in an Ideal Community TIMOTHY KRAFT
3:15 - 3:45     Mind and Matter: Why Both Are Necessary to Explain the Universe STEPHEN R.
FRIBERG

Proudfoot Hollow Science and Religion II - Engineering
Conveners: SABA MAHANIAN and FARJAM MAJD
2:00 - 2:30   Manifestations of Unity in Order and Chaos: Correlating System
Engineering with Bahá’í Principles SABA MAHANIAN and FARJAM MAJD
2:30 - 3:00   The Shrine of the Báb: Bahá’í Identity through Architecture FARIS BADI’I

Credit Valley      Study of Religion I
Convener: PETER TERRY (chair, PAULA DREWEK and DONNA PICKEL)
2:00 - 3:00     The Greatest Pilgrimage: The Bahá’í as Hospital Chaplain PATRICK MARSHALL
3:15 - 4:15     The Long Obligatory Prayer and Mirror Neurons, A Recent Finding in
Neuroscience KEYVAN GEULA
4:30 - 5:00     The Miracle of Suffering ROBERT MICHELL
5:00 - 5:30     Divine English: The Guardian and the King James Bible GEZA FARKAS

5:30 - 7:30     Supper Break

Friday Arts Evening
Graydon Ballroom

7:30           Plenary Session
Presentation of the Association for Bahá’í Studies Award of Excellence to
TODD LAWSON
Special Award Presentation

Arts Gala

M.C., GLORIA SHAHZADEH
Why Art at ABS?
Bring Chocolate: Remembering Roger White ANNE GORDON PERRY
Songs inspired by the Bahá’í Writings SUSAN LEWIS WRIGHT & FRIENDS
“The Sword Is Pen”: A Tribute in poetry and prose to Shoghi Effendi on
the 50th Anniversary of his Passing. ROBERT MICHELL AND ANNE GORDON PERRY
Uplifting the Souls: Original jazz arrangements SHIRLENE ZARINTAJ BROWN -
accompanied by JOHN EBATA
Music about heroes and heroines from the early history of the Bahá’í Faith
SMITH & DRAGOMAN

Hazel McCallion Ballroom
9:30           Coffee House

Saturday August 18, 2007
Graydon Ballroom
9:00          Plenary Session
Chair: CHESHMAK FARHOUMAND-SIMS

The Garments of Learning and Knowledge: Reflections on the Protection
and Refinement of the Human Spirit MICHAEL L. PENN

Musical Interlude

The Up Side of Down: Catastrophe, Creativity and the Renewal of Civilization
THOMAS HOMER-DIXON

11:30          Lunch Break

Great White Pines Annual General Meeting of the Association for Bahá’í Studies–
North America

12:45 - 2:15   All are invited to attend, to meet the Executive Committee, and to consult
about the activities and future directions of the Association

2:30 - 6:30 p.m. Simultaneous Breakout Sessions

Great White Pines Arts II

Convener: ANNE GORDON PERRY
2:30 - 3:30   Yours, Roger: Letters to and from Roger White ANNE GORDON PERRY
3:45 - 4:15   Undiscovered Geniuses: Can a Song Build a Community? MARTIN KERR
4:30 - 6:00   Artist of Service: Appreciated, Integrated, and Supported JEAN TSCHOHL QUINN

Springfield       Bahá’í History and Biography II
Convener: SUSAN MANECK
2:30 - 3:00   Anti-Bahá’í Polemics and Historiography MINA YAZDANI
3:00 - 3:30   The Báb’s Encounter with the Promised Qa’im OMID GHAEMMAGHAMI
3:45 - 4:45   The Dasatir and the Tabernacle of Unity SUSAN MANECK
5:00 - 6:00   Bahá’í History and Biography Special Interest Group Business Meeting

Streetsville      Bioethics and Health Sciences
Convener: ELIZABETH BOWEN
2:30 - 3:00   Exploring the Role of Faith-Based Organizations in Addressing HIV/AIDS
ASHLEY ROBERTS
3:00 - 4:00   A Novel Approach to Depression PHILIP SQUIRES
4:15 - 5:15   Health, Healing, Personal Responsibility and the Bahá’í Faith LISA MOLIN
5:30 - 6:30   Can Science Unravel the Mystery of Prayer’s Effect in Medicine?
ABDU’L-MISSAGH GHADIRIAN
6:30 - 7:30   Bioethics and Health Sciences Special Interest Group Business Meeting

William Lyon      Communication
MacKenzie         Convener: Programme Chairs
2:30 - 3:00    The Press as a Consultative Public Forum MICHAEL KARLBERG
3:00 - 4:00    Sanctifying the Hearts for His Descent: Communion with God as an
Ontological Condition of Community JASON COMBS
4:15 - 5:45   For a Postcolonial and Post-Diasporic World: The Progressive yet Ancient
Heuristic of the Conversive SUSAN BRILL DE RAMIREZ

Comfort Mill      Ecology and Sustainable Development
Convener: PAUL HANLEY
2:30 - 3:30   A New Model of Human-Nature Relationships PAUL HANLEY
3:45 - 4:45   ‘Abdu’l-Bahá the Environmentalist SAMUEL BENOIT
5:00 - 6:00   Ecology and Sustainable Development Special Interest Group Business Meeting

Hazel McCallion   Education
Ballroom A        Conveners: KAMILLA BAHBAHANI and MARIE GERVAIS
2:30 - 3:30    Games and Activities for Developing Vibrant Bahá’í Communities
KATHY MADJIDI
3:45 - 4:45   Changing Worldviews and Paradigm Shifts in the 20th Century in
Disciplines of Scientific Inquiry: Impact on Scholarship and Community Building
PATTABI S. RAMAN
5:00 - 6:30   Approaching Spiritual Education within the Context of Secular Institutions
MARIE GERVAIS, STEPHANIE AFAGANIS, LOIE GERVAIS and EMILY HERMAN
6:30 - 7:30   Education Special Interest Group Business Meeting

Hazel McCallion   External Affairs Information Session

Ballroom C         Open Discussion on Faculty and Student Initiatives to Address the Denial of
6:00 - 6:30     Post Secondary Education to the Bahá’ís of Iran
EXTERNAL AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT, BAHÁ’Í COMMUNITY OF CANADA

Hazel McCallion    Gender Equality Studies II
Ballroom C         Convener: ÉLIZABETH WRIGHT
2:30 - 3:30     Faith and Football: Junior Youth Study Circles in Kenyan Slums
CLARE JAMAL O’BRIEN
3:45 - 5:15     New Perspectives on Gender and the Bahá’í Revelation JOELL ANN VANDERWAGEN

Hazel McCallion    Marriage II
Ballroom B         Searching for Methods to Strengthen Bahá’í Marriage
4:15 - 6:00     DANIEL LORD, KEYVAN GEULA, and RON SHIGETA

Proudfoot Hollow Philosophy
Convener: IAN KLUGE
2:30 - 3:30   Dialectics, Materialism and Religion: Bahá’í Faith and the Advancement of
Civilization ARVIND AULUCK-WILSON
3:45 - 4:45   Relativism and the Bahá’í Writings IAN KLUGE
5:00 - 6:00   A Chalice of Pure Light: A Vision of Divine Symmetry in the Sacred
Reality of Creation BONITA MILBY
6:00 - 7:00   Philosophy Special Interest Group Business Meeting

Hazel McCallion    Science and Religion III – Neuroscience
Ballroom B         Convener: SAMIR KOIRALA
2:30 - 4:00     Autism and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: Scientific and Spiritual
Challenges of Mis-Wired Minds SAMIR KOIRALA, FARANEH VARGHA-KHADEM
(paper read by Samir Koirala) and DAVID WELLMAN

Credit Valley      Science and Religion IV: Information Technology and Society
Convener: MITRA SOLOMON
2:30 - 4:00     Bahainine Project: Bahá’í Inspired Blogs, Podcasts, and Videos
MITRA SOLOMON, KEVIN TROTTER, and DAVID DIEHL
4:15 - 5:15     Planet Bahá’í: Reflections on an Online Community DALE E. LEHMAN and
KATHLEEN KETTLER LEHMAN
5:30 - 6:00     Developing WikiText Books on Bahá’í Topics RODNEY H. CLARKEN

Hazel McCallion    Study of Religion II
Ballroom D         Convener: PETER TERRY (chairs, PAULA DREWEK and DONNA PICKEL)
2:30 - 3:30     The Concept of Civilization in Bahá’í Writings and Cyclical Theory of
Pitirim A. Sorokin BEHROOZ SABET
3:45 - 4:45     Memory of the Future: A New Form of Use of Persecution Memory and Its
Relationship to the Resolution of Conflicts (question and answer session
will be in both French and English) JOUBIN ESLAHPAZIR
5:00 - 5:30     Why Become a Bahá’í Scholar? ALEXANDER KOLODNER, SHIRIN MAJIDI,
TALEL AISSI, and MUNIB LOHRASBI
5:30 - 6:30     “An Excellent and Priceless Heritage”: The Scholarship of Bahá’u’lláh’s
Life and His Revelation SHAHROKH MONJAZEB

Mullet Creek     Special Open Session for Potential Contributors to Journal of Bahá’í Studies
5:00 - 6:00   Convener: ROSHAN DANESH

6:30 - 8:00   Dinner Break

Saturday Evening
Graydon Ballroom
8:00          Plenary Session

The 25th Hasan M. Balyuzi Memorial Lecture

Musical Performance
Emerging From Obscurity: The Journey of Sociology in the Bahá’í Community
WILL VAN DEN HOONAARD

Hazel McCallion Ballroom
9:30           Coffee House

Sunday August 19, 2007
9:00          Plenary Session

Devotions

An Interview with Ross Woodman, ROSS WOODMAN and ANN BOYLES

Young Scholars Panel LISA DUFRAIMONT (chair)
Scholarship and Social Justice: The Bahá’í International Community
TAHIRIH NAYLOR
Ethical Questions and Answers in Epigenetics LAYLA PARKER-KATIRAEE
The Spiritual in the Material: Studying Society as a Bahá’í NADIM SOBHANI

Closing Remarks
12:15         Closing Musical Presentation

Abstracts and Autobiographical Notes
Arash Abizadeh •How Baha'i Voters Should Vote

There are four distinct types of criteria that voters should consider when voting in Bahá’í elections: criteria
1) concerning the qualifications of individual assembly members, 2) concerning the collective makeup of
the assembly as a whole, 3) concerning changes in the individual makeup of the assembly, and 4)
concerning changes in the collective makeup of the assembly over time.

ARASH ABIZADEH teaches political philosophy at McGill. He received his MPhil from Oxford as a Rhodes
Scholar and Ph.D. from Harvard. His publications appear in journals including Philosophical Studies,
Review of Metaphysics, Journal of Political Philosophy, and Political Theory.

Saman Ahmadi • The Ringstone Symbol: Concept for a Bahá’í Centre

The Bahá’í Centre is the first Bahá’í City; it is where Bahá’ís gather – for prayer, for consultation, for
fellowship and for learning. It is the Seat of the Spiritual Assembly, the embryonic Haziratu’l-Quds, the
Sacred Fold – but is this Institution currently seen and treated as a Sacred space? This paper will present a
general introduction to Architecture, suggest ideas on what makes a space Sacred, and discuss a
hypothetical scheme for a Bahá’í Centre in Houston, Texas, based on the Ringstone Symbol.

SAMAN AHMADI received his Bachelors in Civil Engineering and his Masters in Environmental Engineering
from Texas A&M University. He completed his Master of Architecture degree at the University of Houston
and currently works for the firm of Kendall/Heaton Associates.

Stephanie Afaganis • Approaching Spiritual Education within the Context of Secular Institutions
(Panel, see Gervais for abstract)

STEPHANIE AFAGANIS is a fourth year student of the Bachelor of Secondary Education at the University of
Alberta. She enjoys studying world history and languages, specifically French and Spanish. Stephanie
works part time as a legal assistant and currently serves as area coordinator for children’s classes in
Edmonton.

Talel Aissi • Why become a Bahá’í Scholar? (See Kolodner for abstract)

TALEL AISSI is a High School junior and Eagle Scout. He is a regular volunteer for a local food bank and
soup kitchen, teaches a weekly children’s “Virtues Class,” and will be volunteering as a youth conflict
resolution mediator. He is planning on pursuing a degree in Business and Finance.

Haleh Arbab • The Generation of Knowledge and the Advancement of Civilization

Bahá'ís engage in the generation and application of knowledge, a pursuit that grows in vigour and scope as
the community’s resources multiply. Knowledge generation occurs at different levels and degrees of
formality. A culture of learning and attendant structures is promoted for community expansion and
consolidation; Bahá'í-inspired organizations combine advances in diverse fields with insights from the
Writings to empower people to become protagonists of material and spiritual progress; and individual

Bahá'ís participate in structured academic research in disciplines crucial to advancing civilization.
Understanding how these efforts reinforce one another in a coherent process is one challenge of Bahá'í
scholarly activity.

HALEH ARBAB, Doctor of Education and Development, University of Massachusetts, worked with the
Foundation for the Application and Teaching of the Sciences (FUNDAEC), was Rector of Centro
Universitario de Bienestar Rural, a Colombian university, and is currently Director of the Institute for
Studies in Global Prosperity in Haifa, Israel.

Nathalie Auger • Missing Daughters in Québec: A Silent Form of Gender Inequity

Gender inequality is increasingly taking on new forms. Recently, a preference for male infants has
manifested itself as an increase in male relative to female births, particularly in East Asian nations. This
increase in male births has been attributed to selective abortion of female fetuses during pregnancy. While
sex selection is known to occur in developing nations, we do not know whether this silent form of gender
inequality might be occurring in nations such as Canada. Our objective is to determine whether the ratio of
male to female births varies in Canada based on a mother’s ethnicity.

NATHALIE AUGER is a community medicine physician with a specialization in epidemiology and
biostatistics. She is involved in population health surveillance in Québec, and pays particular attention to
social determinants of health in relation to newborn health.

Arvind Auluck-Wilson • Dialectics, Materialism and Religion: Bahá’í Faith and the Advancement of
Civilization

This presentation seeks to demonstrate how the Bahá’í Writings conceptualize the phenomenon of religion
as dialectical in its essence, its historical manifestation and its impact on humanity in all its dimensions. It
explains how ‘Abdu’l-Bahá resolves the long standing philosophical dichotomy between materialism and
idealism using the schematic of the spirit. It further explores the practical implications of this unifying
world-view by exposing a dynamic of the advancement of civilization through combined spiritual and
material processes. This model of advancement is then validated using the global historical events and
trends witnessed in modern times and currently under way.

ARVIND AULUCK-WILSON has been a Bahá’í since 1979. Originally from India, he has lived in the US for
17 years with his wife and daughter. He trained as a physicist at the Indian Institutes of Technology in
Mumbai and Kharagpur, and is a consultant in holistic health, sustainable development and appropriate
technologies.

Faris Badi’i • Shrine of the Báb: Bahá’í Identity through Architecture

Shoghi Effendi’s passion in creating a Bahá’í identity through an architectural design that would recount
the story of the Báb for generations to come is discussed. Intrinsic characteristics of each of the five
sections of the shrine, and the four parts of the superstructure are examined. The selection of colours, the
symbolism of eight pointed stars alluding to Qur’anic prophecies, the involvement of the institution of the
Hands of the Cause, the fundamental respect for that which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had accomplished to the point of
not moving a single stone, are intrinsic to the Shrine’s meaning and it’s purpose.

FARIS BADI’I, Ph.D. was born in Iran. He earned his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the Southern
Methodist University of Texas. He has wide-ranging interests including science, business, education,
religion, and history.

Kamilla Bahbahani • The Status and Attitudes of Singles in the North American Bahá’í Community

This paper presents preliminary research results on unmarried Bahá’ís in the US and Canadian communities
based on data collected in spring 2007. An online survey instrument was validated through expert review for
content and construct validity, and pilot testing with singles. The survey items covered general
characteristics of the responding singles; beliefs and expectations about being single and married; past
relationship experiences; perceived obstacles to marriage; courtship behaviours; and experiences with
parental consent. Conclusions cover the characteristics of these Bahá’í singles with recommendations for
meeting their needs.

KAMILLA BAHBAHANI works as a research assistant and independent writer in the areas of education,
environmental issues and qualitative research. She completed her Ph.D. in Education in 2004 at Old
Dominion University.

Samuel Benoit • ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the Environmentalist

Multiple environmental crises has brought about a re-evaluation of every aspect of society, including
religion and its figures. This presentation will review a comparison study of the teachings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
to a number of philosophies in contemporary environmental ethics by a process of labelling, where some of
the labels or terms such as ecofeminist, scientist, vegetarian and environmentalist that are prominent in
contemporary environmental ethics will be explained and applied to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Cosmology and the
dialog between religion and the environmental movement will also be discussed.

SAMUEL BENOIT, a 22 year old Environmental Studies student from Chelsea, Quebec, chaired Carleton
University’s ABS from 2005 to 2007, worked at the Olinga Foundation in Ghana, the School of the Nations
in Macau and Santitham Vidhayakhom School in Thailand, and the Bahá’í National Centre of Canada.

Julia Berger and Tahirih Naylor • The Bahá’í International Community at the United Nations: From
Principles to Problem Solving

This presentation will give an overview of the representational, thematic, and research work of the Bahá’í
International Community’s United Nations Office. Participants will be asked to examine their area of
scholarship in light of pressing global issues and consider how their areas of interest and expertise may
contribute to the Office’s policy recommendations and to external affairs work at the national and
international levels.

JULIA BERGER is the Senior Researcher and Writer at the Bahá’í International Community’s United Nations
Office in New York. Prior to this, she was a Research Associate at Harvard’s Program on Religion and
Public Life. She holds a Master’s degree in Comparative International Development.

Ann Boyles • An Interview with Ross Woodman (see Woodman for abstract)

ANN BOYLES has a Ph.D. in modern American poetry, teaches part-time at the University of Prince Edward
Island, and writes poetry, short fiction, drama, and nonfiction. She serves as member of the Continental
Board of Counsellors for the Americas.

Susan Brill de Ramirez • For a Postcolonial and Post-Diasporic World: The Progressive yet Ancient
Heuristic of the Conversive

Bahá’í scripture advocates a progressive yet ancient heuristic that is fundamentally rooted in interpersonal
communications that are intersubjective and conversive and whose explicit purpose is the strengthening of
“the bonds of affection and unity between the sons of men.” Coming into global community is now far
from a luxury or choice but a crucial necessity for the well-being of all. Language is an essential means for
the coming together of peoples (in families, communities, tribes, nations, regions, and globally), but such
communications must needs take the form of conversive relations centred in heartfelt, spiritualized
interpersonal interactions.

SUSAN BRILL DE RAMIREZ, Professor of English at Bradley University, teaches literary criticism and theory,
environmental literatures, Native American literatures, and folklore. Widely published, she recently
completed Native American Life History Narratives: Colonial & Postcolonial Navajo Ethnography.

Helen Cheng • Bahá’í Consultation: Toward a New Paradigm of Power

One common critique against voluntary decision making processes such as mediation or negotiation is that
these processes tend to serve the interest of the more powerful and work to perpetuate existing social
inequalities. Bahá’í consultation is a decision making process which Bahá’u’lláh urged his followers to
engage in when dealing with all matters. How does Bahá’í consultation compare with other voluntary
processes? Does it offer any response to the concern of power imbalance articulated by the critics of those
processes?

HELEN CHENG practices law in Toronto. She obtained her LL.B. from the University of Victoria and
completed her LL.M. from Harvard Law School. She is also the mother of two young children.

Rodney H. Clarken • Developing WikiText Books on Bahá’í Topics

Almost everyone is aware of the influence of Wikipedia. A relatively new technology started in 2005,
WikiTextbooks offer further opportunities to develop, expand and share Bahá’í scholarship. A
WikiTextbook can be used as a resource for encouraging research and collaboration among Bahá’ís
throughout the world. Though anyone can contribute to a WikiTextbook, some editorial control could be
held by a party. This session would explore the value and logistics of creating various WikiTextbooks on
topics related to the Bahá’í Faith. Maybe some first attempts could be launched from the attendees.

RODNEY CLARKEN, www-instruct.nmu.edu/~rclarken, is Director, School of Education, Northern Michigan
University, has his Ph.D. in Administration and Supervision; MA in General/Experimental Psychology; MST
in Elementary Education and taught and lived in Africa, Asia, America, Caribbean and Europe on all levels and
in diverse settings.

James Coburn • Online Oral English: An Exploratory Qualitative Study of Teaching Language
Skills Using “1 to 1” Voice over Internet (Skype)

This presentation is based on semi-structured interviews with conversation teachers on the EFL programme.
A short summary of the circumstances of the conversations will be followed by a brief description of the
teachers’ backgrounds and education. The main focus will be on comparing and analysing the results with
reference to 1) how and when correction and feedback is provided, 2) how skype “chat” is used, 3) how non-
comprehension is dealt with, 4) how new vocabulary is introduced, 5) how critical thinking is stimulated, and
6) differences noted between Skype and face to face teaching.

JAMES COBURN spent 25 years in UK, and 25 in Norway, has a BSc in Management (Warwick), PGCE,
three years of English/TEFL courses, and is presently doing a TEFL Masters. He has ten years experience
teaching high school English, including management of International student exchange projects.

Jason Combs • Sanctifying the Hearts for His Descent: Communion with God as an Ontological
Condition of Community

This presentation explores communion with God as a requisite condition in the development of community.
Definitions of community current in academe tend not to consider reliance upon God as a foundation for
community. This presentation offers insights regarding community in which communion with God is
understood as its most basic ground. It examines the role of the heart in establishing communion and
concrete practices that prepare one’s heart for entering that communion. Such insights suggest an alternate
view of human relationships as greater or lesser reflections of the Unity of God.

JASON COMBS, Ph.D., lives with his wife Laura and six children in Dayton, Ohio, USA, where he works as a
lecturer at the University of Dayton. His academic interests focus on consultation as a paradigmatic form of
communication and building spiritual community in institutions and relationships.

Hossain Danesh • Unique Dimensions of the Bahá’í Concept of Peace

This presentation/workshop explores the Bahá’í Peace Program and its twin fundamental features – the
Bahá’í Peace concept and the peace-based foundations of the Bahá’í community. The specific role of
individual Bahá’ís in peace-building, as outlined by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, will be also explored.

HOSSAIN DANESH is the Founder and President of the International Education for Peace Institute, retired
professor of Psychiatry (University of Ottawa) and Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution (Landegg
International University), and author of many articles and 11 books in his fields of specialization.

John Richard Davidson • Myers-Briggs Personality Typology and Religious Prejudice: Preserving
Unity and Analyzing Conflict in Progressive Revelation

Examples among Occidental and Oriental religions will be viewed through the lens of personality. People
differ according to their preferred energy source, information input, decision-making strategy, and
management of their environment. Dispensations have favoured one type only to exclude another and open
the door for schism. Manifestations of God are perfectly balanced with every type actualized. False
prophets and their followers are characterized by rigidity and limitation. Conflict resolution can be realized
and unity preserved by providing for personality preferences and development.

JOHN RICHARD DAVIDSON is working toward a Master’s degree in English Language and Literature at
Central Michigan University. He plans to specialize in the Romantic Era and American Transcendentalism
as well as religions and mythology in literature. John works at the University’s Writing Centre as a
consultant.

David Diehl • Bahainine Project: Bahá’í Inspired Blogs, Podcasts, and Videos (see Solomon for
abstract)

DAVID DIEHL is a doctoral student at Stanford University studying, among other things, social networks.
He lives in San Francisco, California.

MaryAnne DeWolf • Literary Voices in First Nation Francophone Literature (some portions will be in
French)

‘Abdu’l-Bahá tells us that “through the Divine teachings [the original inhabitants of America] will become
so enlightened that the whole earth will be illumined.” These words have inspired much interest in First
Nation cultures, and for me, a particular fascination with First Nation Francophone literature, now the focus
of my graduate research. This paper will discuss some exciting parallels between the Bahá’í teachings and
one particularly salient thematic philosophy – variously described as the “Sacred Circle of Life”, “circular
perception”, “organicist principles”, or “cosmocentricity” – as revealed in the poetic texts of Eleonore
Sioui.

MARYANNE DEWOLF, is doctoral candidate in French literature at University of Wisconsin, Madison. Her
dissertation topic reflects her passions for First Nations cultures, arising from twelve years in the Canadian
Northwest Territories, and for French literature. She has a son in undergraduate studies, and another
starting graduate work.

Lisa Dufraimont (chair) Tahirih Naylor, Layla Parker-Katiraee, Nadim Sobhani • Young Scholars
Panel (see Naylor, Parker-Katiraee, and Sobhani for individual abstracts)

LISA DUFRAIMONT is Assistant Professor at Queen’s University, Faculty of Law, where she teaches
criminal law and evidence. She holds a doctorate in law from Yale University. Before studying at Yale,
Lisa completed law school at the University of Toronto and served as law clerk to the Ontario Court of
Appeal.

Noushin Ehsan • Passion as an Engine to Creation

The focus of this talk is the phenomena that have channelled the passions of architects to creations that
have uplifted the human spirit. The passion which is imbued in an everlasting edifice is not inherent in its
physical form. It is intrinsic in the context of belief, culture, and lifestyle of its creator. The purpose arising
from concise efforts to serve humanity and preserve cultural values are tools for the creation of those
soulful designs. Spirituality of an individual can transform the negative and violent side of passion to the
creative side, acting as the force for the design of an inspiring edifice.

NOUSHIN EHSAN, AIA, is the president of Accessible Architecture and serves national and international
clients on “Second Opinion in Design”. She lectures on “The Spirit of Space” in universities and

conferences. She was professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
and Northeast London Polytechnic.

Joubin Eslahpazir • Memory of the Future: A New Form of Use of Persecution Memory and Its
Relationship to the Resolution of Conflicts (question and answer session will be in both French and
English)

The memory and awareness of persecutions of their co-religionists in Iran is a special type hitherto unseen
in the history of religions. In effect, the co-existence of private and public space and understanding their
role in accomplishing mankind’s final destiny permits Bahá’ís to leap over two dangers facing persecuted
communities: a retrograde memory centred on itself and the building of an insular communatarism. Thus,
Bahá’ís have created a new form of memory which can be called Memory of the Future, which can serve as
a model for conflict resolution at all levels of modern society.

JOUBIN ESLAHPAZIR is a scholar, primarily in Bahá’í studies, who is currently pursuing a doctorate degree
at the Centre d’Anthropologie Religieuse Européenne. His main interest is the reactions of the Bahá’ís to
persecution in Iran and their consequences. He is currently living in Montreal.

External Affairs Department, Bahá’í Community of Canada • Open Discussion on Faculty and Student
Initiatives to Address the Denial of Post Secondary Education to the Bahá’ís of Iran

This open session is designed to provide the latest update and to go over the essential features of the
campaign to publicize the denial of education to Bahá’í students in Iran, and to answer any questions. It
also will allow reports on any new achievements in raising awareness of the unacceptable human rights
violations visited upon Bahá’í university students in Iran. All are welcome, and special information will be
provided for both Canadian and US students.

A. Jane Faily • The Heart and the Art of Community Building: A View of Recent Psychological
Research Relating to Community Development

The work of Daniel Siegel, MD, and Marshall Rosenberg, Ph.D., which demonstrate how individuals can
build healing communities, will be described. Recent findings in neurophysiology and interpersonal
communications models will be examined. Their application to building Bahá’í community life will be
examined. The role of the Bahá’í scholar in bringing relevant knowledge from his/her domain of expertise to
the community will be considered.

A. JANE FAILY, BA University of Michigan, Cours de la civilization Francaise Sorbonne, MAT Harvard
University; MA, Atlanta University; Ph.D., University of Georgia; Assistant Clinical Professor, University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Senior Psychologist Royal Ottawa Hospital; Psychotherapist, Cobb
Mental Health Center Georgia; has been a Bahá’í since childhood.

Frank Fahdad Fani • The Role of Intuition and Logic in Science Research (see Henck for abstract)

FRANK FAHDAD FANI recently completed a BS in Physics from the University of Washington. His academic
interests are in the field of renewable energy, which led to an interest in the study of thin films and other
phenomena at scales less than a micron.

Geza Farkas • Divine English: The Guardian and the King James Bible

This session explores the drama of the production of the King James Bible, and its relation to and
ramifications upon both consultation and the Bahá’í Writings in English, including a look at the translation
policies and procedures of the Translation Department at the Bahá’í World Centre, its criteria and methods,
as well as the Beloved Guardian’s impeccable English and his relationship to the style and mode of the
King James version. This exposition will include a liberal sprinkling of examples, anecdotes, linguistic
comparisons and conundrums.

GEZA FARKAS is a musician, teacher, and author from the Toronto area who has recently moved to Chicago.
He is experienced as a Ruhi tutor, and speaker at firesides, public talks, media interviews and was secretary
for the Markham, Ontario Spiritual Assembly. He has a lifelong love of language and world scripture.

Cheryl Fennell • Scholarship and Community-Building (plenary panel, see Deborah van den Hoonaard
for abstract)

CHERYL FENNELL is from northern Canada. She is a Policy Advisor specializing in aboriginal self
government. Her MA in Conflict Analysis and Management focussed on collaborative mechanisms in tri-
party organizations. An Auxiliary Board Member until 2006, she is now a Huqúq’u’lláh representative and
is working on a film about Greenland.

Gerald Filson • Evolving Relationships: Communities of Scholars and External Affairs Work

As an individual initiative, scholarship can work together, for mutual advantage, with the institutions’
external affairs programs. The latter aim to influence government policy, leaders of thought, civil society
and business. Helpful Bahá’í scholarship will require systematic and coherent efforts, correlated with other
contemporary research programs. Examples include 1) research on the core activities related to policy
research on social cohesion, social capital and well-being, 2) Bahá’í research programs on moral
development correlated with ongoing work in this area, and 3) contemporary work on justice and the
liberal/pluralism debate correlated with Bahá’í concepts.

GERALD FILSON, Ph.D., is Director of External Affairs, Bahá’í Community of Canada, taught school in
Quebec, college in Ontario, did research for TVOntario, produced the Bahá’í program on VisionTV,
chaired VisionTV’s Mosaic Program Group, chaired Canada’s Network on International Human Rights,
and is the current Chair of the Couchiching Conference.

Stephen Friberg • Toward the Unity of Science and Religion: A Personal Journey (Thursday
Programme)

When I was a little boy, I believed in science. But as I grew up, I realized that science failed to capture the
reality I experienced – my mind, other people, the interrelatedness of things, and purpose and reason. But
still, I believed first and foremost in science. When I embraced the Bahá'í Faith as an adult, I had to validate
my faith in God in light of my belief in science. I briefly describe how I did so, outlining and simplifying
the argument and engaging participants in discussion about spiritual and scientific search as both a social
and individual process.

Stephen Friberg • Mind and Matter: Why Both Are Necessary to Explain the Universe

Which is first, mind or matter? Many say that matter is first. Science, they say, shows mind to have evolved
from matter. Not so, say others. God created the universe and all that is in it, including matter. And God is
best understood as mind. To resolve this and other clashes between science and religion, we propose that
mind and matter both be taken as fundamental, an idea grounded in the Bahá’í Writings. We use this
proposal to formulate a proof for the existence of God.

STEPHEN FRIBERG has done pioneering experiments in quantum mechanics and photonics. A Bahá’í since
1973, he pioneered in Japan and helped start ABS Japan. He lives in Mountain View, CA and serves on the
ABS California Area Committee and the ABS Science and Religion SIG.

Loie Gervais • Approaching Spiritual Education within the Context of Secular Institutions (see Marie
Gervais for abstract)

LOIE GERVAIS is a recent high school graduate where she completed the final three of her eight years in the
International Baccalaureate program. She is travelling to the Czech Republic in August for a year of service
in Brno. Loie enjoys writing, music and art and hopes to pursue a career in journalism.

Marie Gervais • Scholarship and Community-Building (plenary panel, see Deborah van den Hoonaard
for abstract)

Marie Gervais, Stephanie Afaganis, Loie Gervais and Emily Herman • Approaching Spiritual
Education within the Context of Secular Institutions

In this panel presentation, three educators at different stages of their profession will speak to spaces in
secular contexts where spiritual education can be prominent. Stephanie Afaganis, an undergraduate student
in Education, will address issues of student motivation, Loie Gervais and Emily Herman will speak to the
spiritual framework of the International Baccalaureate program, and Marie Gervais will address issues of
spiritual mentorship for student teachers, in-service teachers, university colleagues and graduate students.
All three themes will use quotes and insights from the Bahá’í Writings as well as recent pertinent research
from secular academic sources.

Marie Gervais and Tim Heins • Concepts of Oppression in Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Writings

The theme of oppression is a continuous thread in both Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Writings. In this
presentation, themes on this subject that identify Bahá’í positions on individual and societal oppressions
will be outlined. Following will be a Bahá’í contribution to social theory’s understanding of the roles of
structure and agency in society via analysis of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Writings on oppression.

MARIE GERVAIS received her Doctorate in Secondary Education at the University of Alberta, Canada,
focusing on minority teacher cultural identity and practice. She works as Educational Coordinator for the
Northern Alberta Alliance on Race Relations, and is a practising visual artist, choir and theatre director and
writer.

Keyvan Geula • Searching for Methods to Strengthen Bahá’í Marriage (see Lord for abstract)

Keyvan Geula • The Long Obligatory Prayer and Mirror Neurons, A Recent Finding in
Neuroscience

Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation, includes prayers in various categories that are unprecedented in previous
religions, both in volume and in variety of purpose and character. The Bahá’í Sacred Writings are a unique
instrument rich in metaphors and imageries training the believer’s mind as how to commune with one’s
Creator in a befitting and spiritual manner and thereby elevating human perception and character. Recent
discoveries in neuroscience about mirror neurons and metaphors plus the presenters clinical observations
are used to explore the transforming powers of regular and daily recital of the Bahá’í obligatory prayers. A
15 minute documentary on mirror neurons is included.

KEYVAN GEULA, MFT, is a listed Marriage, Family, and Child Counsellor in private practice, specializing
in the application of integration of psychotherapy and spirituality from a Bahá’í Perspective. She is the
founder and president of Centre for Global Integrated Education. She serves on South Western Regional
Bahá’í Council.

Abdu’l-Missagh Ghadirian • Scholarship and Covenant in the Bahá’í Community (special Thursday
programme)

In the Bahá’í Revelation, scholarship and Covenant are interrelated. Knowledge should be a path to
demonstrate the truth of the Revelation and service to humanity. Bahá’í scholarship is characterized with
knowledge as well as virtues: humility, steadfastness, tolerance, sincerity, defence of the Cause. Acquisition of
knowledge combined with ambition for power leads to self-centeredness, egotism and feelings of superiority.
How does egotism align itself with knowledge and eclipse the true self? How can we develop an attitude of
humility in our pursuit of academic excellence?

Abdu’l-Missagh Ghadirian • Can Science Unravel the Mystery of Prayer’s Effect in Medicine?

There has been a growing volume of research literature concerning the effect of spirituality and prayer on
health and healing. While some research findings suggest beneficial effects of prayer on illness, these
results are contradicted by other studies. While researchers focus on alternatives to medical models of
treatment, the applied methodology is flawed by a materialistic concept of investigation. There is no
consensus over the definition of spirituality or the nature, origin and frequency of prayer. Often prayer is
viewed as another form of relaxation and not as the language of the soul longing to commune with God.

ABDU’L-MISSAGH GHADIRIAN, Professor, McGill University Faculty of Medicine and Emeritus Physician,
McGill University Health Centre, teaches spirituality and ethics in medicine and his research is well
published in Bahá’í and scientific journals. He is on the Board of Trustees of Huqúq’u’lláh, and currently
researches the application of Bahá’í principles to current issues.

Omid Ghaemmaghami • The Báb’s Encounter with the Promised Qá’im

This presentation will look closely at an episode recounted in one of the Báb’s lengthiest Qur’an
commentaries, the Tafsir Surat al-Kawthar. In this narrative, the Báb describes a brief encounter He
experienced in the city of Mecca with a comely and radiant youth whose face was “as luminous as the
moon.” In recounting this captivating story, the Báb states that the youth He encountered near the Ka’bih
may have been the Hidden Imam. The current study will present a preliminary translation and gloss of the
entire narrative and its implications.

OMID GHAEMMAGHAMI is currently a second year doctoral student at the University of Toronto in the
Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations. His research interests include topics in Shí’ih
Messianism, Imamology and Arabic language pedagogy.

Geraldine Graber • Literacy and Community-Building in Africa

From its beginning in 2002, NGO Willing Hearts International Society Canada (WHISCA) has adopted a
family of seven orphans and offered 60 scholarships in Chad, Cameroon, and Haiti. Its village school, once
held under the trees, enjoys the reputation of being the first village school in the canton to be housed in a
building and the first to offer literacy and trade training to women as part of its education programme. A
ten-minute DVD clip, “Under the Bushy Trees”, illustrates some of the work. Discussion will focus on
solutions to the problems of funding, management, and empowerment of the village women.

GERALDINE GRABER pioneered to Africa after retirement from Eastern WA University’s Education
Department. A former nun, Geraldine fulfilled her dream of serving humanity by founding an NGO
dedicated to assisting orphans, disadvantaged youth, and women, which resulted in a community school in
Manda.

Paul Hanley • A New Model of Human-Nature Relationships
A new model for understanding the human-nature relationship is key to the transformation of human behaviour
with regard to the environment. This presentation presents a model based on the Bahá’í writings, those of other
faiths, and secular perspectives. In this model, nature is encompassed by the human reality, in contrast to the
dominant and competing views that man is entitled to control nature or that man is merely one species
encompassed by the natural world. The presentation will show how this new model would support a
sustainable, just, and peaceful civilization.

PAUL HANLEY is a writer by profession, and specializes in research and writing on agriculture,
environment and science for lay audiences. He has published a number of books including Earthcare -
Ecological Agriculture in Saskatchewan and The Spirit of Agriculture.

Holly Hanson • Steering a Course Beyond Rugged Individualism: A Workshop (Thursday programme)

Using the quotations from the conference theme statement, and some others, we will set up our problem:
what is the new course in social evolution that Bahá’í community creates? What would its characteristics
be? How is it different? Why do we need it? What are the consequences of this difference? What facilitates
the creation of this new kind of community? What impedes it? These questions will be addressed through
study of the quotations, small group discussion, and a final interactive session.

HOLLY HANSON is associate professor of history and teaches African History at Mount Holyoke College in
South Hadley Massachusetts. The author of books and articles on both African history and Bahá’í
perspectives on social change, she is currently researching the social history of economic exchange in
Kampala, Uganda.

Kurt Hein • ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on Leadership: the Spiritually Learned

Contemporary leadership is often defined in material terms, such as individual economic and political
power, which don’t easily accommodate spiritual concepts. Perhaps nowhere are the Bahá’í concepts of
leadership more clearly articulated than in Secret of Divine Civilization. In it, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá extols
Europe’s material progress and decries the insularity of Persia’s leaders, but also strongly condemns
European civilization. One reason people experience oppression, injustice and suffering, He states, is lack
of those spiritual virtues acquired through religious faith and education. Primary responsibility for saving
people from extinction therefore falls upon “the learned”, whom he proceeds to define by spiritual
attributes.

KURT HEIN worked as a consultant, professor, and contractor in 25 countries, for Bahá’í institutions in the
US, Ecuador, and Canada, and as consultant for the Office of Social and Economic Development at the
Bahá’í World Centre. He is married to Delane Hein, has two children devoted to the Faith, and three
grandchildren.

Tim Heins • Concepts of Oppression in Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Writings (see Marie Gervais
for abstract)

TIM HEINS spent twenty years in a cross-cultural context in Aboriginal communities of the Canadian Arctic.
He served as a General Manager of community-cooperatives, Economic Development Officer and
Executive Director of an Aboriginal Land Claim organization. He presently works in client/Aboriginal
community relations in the oil and gas services industry.

Amanda Henck and Frank Fahdad Fani • The Role of Intuition and Logic in Science Research

When science is taught in schools, the scientific method and logical, rational thought are emphasized as the
basis for acquiring scientific knowledge. The role of intuition and relational thinking are generally
overlooked or brushed aside as being unimportant to the process of studying science. Although scientists
are shy about admitting the role of intuition in their research, some have acknowledged its importance and
how it can be developed. We will discuss the role of intuition and reason in science research and explore
the relationships among intuition, reason, and our spiritual nature.

AMANDA HENCK, a Ph.D. student studying erosion in SW China, is interested in the relationship between
tectonics and erosion on a geologic time scale as well as human impacts on erosion. She is also part of an
interdisciplinary, international graduate program working on environmental issues around the world.

Emily Herman • Approaching Spiritual Education within the Context of Secular Institutions (see
Marie Gervais for abstract)

EMILY HERMAN is a new Bahá’í, and recent high school graduate with both honours and an International
Baccalaureate diploma. She plans to study Immunology and Infection at the University of Alberta before
attending law school. She enjoys reading, travelling, playing the piano, attending plays and operas, skiing,
and swimming.

Duane L. Herrmann • A Century of Progress Toward Community Building in Topeka, Kansas:
Some Observations about Researching a Community

The history of a Bahá’í community can be hidden in many unlikely places. This paper explores some of those
found in the process of researching and writing By Thy Strengthening Grace: One Hundred Years of the
Bahá’í Faith in Topeka (1906-2006). This may be the first century-long history of a local Bahá’í community
in the west. Many surprises were found about the individual believers and their lives that may have been
known at the time, but were never written down. This presentation will explore some of them and the process
of finding them. What can be assembled, re-created or concluded from the evidences left behind? That is one
challenge of the historian.

DUANE HERRMANN has degrees in History and Education and has been researching the Bahá’í history of
Kansas and Topeka since 1974. Results of this research has appeared in various publications in the U.S.,
Australia, India, New Zealand, and Switzerland. He has four children and three grandchildren, all active
Bahá’ís.

Thomas Homer-Dixon •The Up Side of Down: Catastrophe, Creativity and the Renewal of
Civilization

The converging stresses of energy scarcity, economic inequality, rapid and diverging demographic change,
environmental damage, and climate change are multiplied by rising connectivity and speed and the ability of
small groups to cause great disruption. Together, these stresses and their multipliers greatly increase the risk
of “synchronous failure”, a cascading collapse of systems vital to our well-being. After considering a general
theory of the growth, breakdown, and renewal of societies, I propose that, if people are well-prepared, they
may be able to exploit less severe types of breakdown to open up extraordinary opportunities for creative,
bold social reform.

THOMAS HOMER-DIXON is George Ignatieff Chair of Peace and Conflict Studies, Trudeau Centre for Peace
and Conflict Studies, University of Toronto, and received his Ph.D. in international relations and defence
and arms control from MIT. His previous books include The Ingenuity Gap and Environment, Scarcity, and
Violence.

Michael Karlberg • The Press as a Consultative Public Forum

The press has evolved into a discursive battlefield, with public discourse transformed into a war of words
and images. News outlets capitalize on the spectacle while citizens grow more divided and cynical. Against
this backdrop, Bahá’ís have been summoned, by the Universal House of Justice, to implement a model of
journalistic practice rooted in the principles and objectives of consultation. The purpose of this paper is to
explore salient features of this model and then situate it within the broader literature on press theory in
order to discuss its implications for community building.

MICHAEL KARLBERG is Associate Professor in the Department of Communication at Western Washington
University. He has published numerous articles in the field of peace and conflict studies, as well as a book
entitled Beyond the Culture of Contest (George Ronald, 2004).

Gordon J. Kerr • Shadow Boxing - Developing Ethical Organisations

This workshop/discussion focuses on the importance of developing organisations, especially Bahá’í
inspired ones such as schools and non-governmental organisations, which facilitate and promote ethical
behaviour and practice. The discussion will include issues of management style, employee relations,
organisational change and culture, marketing and communications.

GORDON J. KERR is originally from UK, and worked as manager and chief editor of the Bahá’í Publishing
Trust (UK) for 19 years. His academic background is in Social Sciences and communications philosophy.
He trained in international marketing and currently teaches Business Ethics and communication at the
University of Macau.

Martin Kerr • Undiscovered Geniuses: Can a Song Build a Community?

Martin will share two of his most popular songs, explaining the social and philosophical ideas behind them.
He will demonstrate how his approach to song writing and performance encourages listeners to challenge
their assumptions, to seek out hidden talents in themselves and in their neighbours. Finally, in the belief that
singing together builds unity and hope like no other activity, he will teach the audience to sing a new Bahá’í
gospel song, set to the words of ‘Abdul-Bahá.

MARTIN KERR is a singer and songwriter of acoustic rock and folk songs. His innovative, touching and
occasionally laugh-out-loud lyrics are inspired by his travels to 30 countries (and counting) and his belief in
the Bahá’í Faith. He has made six albums, including sacred music and songs for children.

Kathleen Kettler Lehman • Planet Bahá’í: Reflections on an Online Community (see Lehman for
abstract)

KATHLEEN KETTLER LEHMAN has a background in library sciences and retail book sales. She is co-
publisher of Planet Bahá’í (http://www.planetbahai.org) and co-author of Spiritual Telemetry: Readings
from the First Five Years of Planet Bahá’í. Her interests include textile arts and historical research.

Ian Kluge • The Philosopher in the Bahá’í Community (special Thursday session)

Philosophers can make five contributions to the Bahá’í community. They can use their knowledge and
skills to help others develop their own understanding of the Writings, can help with understanding those
Writings of a technical philosophic nature, encourage growth in intellectual capacity, help others in
explication of the Writings and apologetics, and help understanding of oneness of mankind by fostering
rational inter-faith dialogue. To make these contributions, the philosopher will need guidance from “the
spirit of faith” as well as a “kindly tongue.”

Ian Kluge • Relativism and the Bahá’í Writings

According to Shoghi Effendi, the teachings of the Bahá’í Faith “revolve around the fundamental principle
that religious truth is not absolute but relative.” (The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh 58) This paper provides
the necessary conceptual tools for Bahá’ís to clarify their understanding of relativism and the Writings, and
argues that any description of the Writings as relativist must be carefully nuanced and precisely qualified. It
explores several kinds of relativism and relates them to Bahá’í authors as well as to various modern and
postmodern philosophers.

IAN KLUGE is poet, playwright and philosophical scholar who lives with his wife, Kirsti in Prince George,
B.C. He has published numerous philosophical studies of the Bahá’í Faith as well as the philosophical poet
Conrad Aiken. He presents frequently at Irfan Colloquia.

Samir Koirala, Faraneh Vargha-Khadem and Dave Wellman • Autism and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum
Disorders: Scientific and Spiritual Challenges of Mis-Wired Minds

The developing brain is an instrument of vast potential but also a vulnerable one. In this session we will
discuss disorders caused by problems in brain wiring. In “Autism – A New Epidemic?” The panel
considers our communities’ alarming surge in autism. What are the causes? What is different about autistic
brains? What about the spiritual dimensions of this condition? In “The Cruelest Legacy: Fetal Alcohol
Spectrum Disorder” the science and the human costs of alcohol use’s devastating damage to the developing
brains of fetuses is explored.

SAMIR KOIRALA, Ph.D., is a neuroscientist at the Children’s Hospital at Harvard Medical School.
Originally from Nepal, he did his Ph.D. research on nerve regeneration at USC in Los Angeles. His current
research is identifying new genes that control the process of brain development.

Alexander Kolodner, Shirin Majidi, Talel Aissi and Munib Lohrasbi • Why Become a Bahá’í Scholar

Why would a teenager want to become a Bahá’í scholar? Although many people our age say religion is a
boring topic, for people who are not “cool,” we are four high school students who see great purpose to our
lives through studying the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh. Our knowledge of the past and its potential to change
the future has led us to share our stories in the hopes of inspiring others to join our study. Our diverse
ethnic and religious backgrounds, Swiss, Algerian, Persian, English and Russian; Judaism, Christianity and
Islam, provide a variety of different perspectives.

ALEX KOLODNER is fifteen years old and teaches weekly virtues classes to neighbourhood children. After
receiving Mediation training this summer he will become the youngest mediator in Howard County,
Maryland. He studies Arabic at the local college and is ranked third in the State for BCFL Debate.

Timothy Kraft • The Role of Science in an Ideal Community

Communities now struggle to understand what is theory and what is truth as different groups attempt use
science to dictate our diets and medicines, our environment and social order. The question is how has this
occurred and what should be the appropriate relationship of science to the community. This will present a
sociological model that defines appropriate relationship of arts, science, religion and politics to the
community. This will also give a perspective to understanding the appropriate role of science and scientist
within the community.

TIMOTHY KRAFT currently is Director of Technology for Business Development at Yahoo! Inc. in
Sunnyvale, CA. He holds an advanced degree in Astrophysics from the University of Arizona and BS
degree in Physics and Mathematics from Alma College. He lives with his wife Kathy in Del Mar, CA.

Dale E. Lehman and Kathleen Kettler Lehman • Planet Bahá’í: Reflections on an Online Community

Now in its eighth year, Planet Bahá’í has 100 active forum members and 1,000 newsletter subscribers, and its
articles have been widely reprinted both electronically and in print. The full extent of its community cannot
be accurately estimated, but it displays great diversity in age, race, gender, nationality, ethnicity, religious
background, interests, and personality. In this presentation, Planet Bahá’í’s owners offer insights on building
and managing a diverse online community. We also share thoughts from Planet Bahá’í members on its value

to their lives and to the Bahá’í community at large, and consider the implications for the future of online
communities.

DALE E. LEHMAN is a software developer with 27 years experience in financial, government, and health
care. He is co-publisher of Planet Bahá’í (http://www.planetbahai.org) and co-author of Spiritual
Telemetry: Readings from the First Five Years of Planet Bahá’í. He serves on the ABS Science and
Religion special interest group’s web-site committee.

Munib Lohrasbi • Why Become a Bahá’í Scholar (see Kolodner for abstract)

MUNIB LOHRASBI is a 14 year old freshman in Ellicott City, Maryland where he is an active participant in
the Bahá’í community. He likes sports and plays football for his school. When he was four, his family
moved to Haifa to serve the Universal House of Justice for five years.

Augusto Lopez-Claros • Closing the Gender Gap

No contemporary society has managed to achieve full gender equality, a concept not synonymous with
women, and not a zero-sum game implying loss for men, but a socio-cultural variable referring to a state of
human development where being born female or male does not determine one’s rights, or opportunities.
However, the cause of gender equality has fared much better in some societies. What do recently published
data say about the progress in closing the gender gap and, from a Bahá’í perspective, what are the
ingredients that will be necessary to bring this noble ideal into concrete reality?

Augusto Lopez-Claros • Coping with the Challenges of Globalization

Increasingly, the focus of the debate on the benefits and costs of globalization is centred on finding
efficient ways to better “manage” it. What does this mean in practice? What are the respective roles in this
process of government, business, civil society and world institutions? To what extent are the potential gains
of globalization being hampered by the absence of a suitable international institutional framework that will
help mitigate its undesirable features? These issues will be discussed using many practical examples and
against the background of the Bahá’í writings on global governance and the emergence of global
institutions.

AUGUSTO LOPEZ-CLAROS, Ph.D. Duke University, was Chief Economist at the World Economic Forum in
Switzerland from 2004-2007, and edited its Global Competitiveness Report. He was previously an
Executive Director with Lehman Brothers, London and is currently a Geneva-based international
consultant in economic, financial and development issues.

Daniel Lord, Keyvan Geula and Ron Shigeta • Searching for Methods to Strengthen Bahá’í
Marriage

This panel brings together for the first time Bahá’ís in North America conducting programs on Bahá’í
marriage. Panel members will describe their programs, demonstrate a skill acquired by participants, and explain
why it is a form of Bahá’í scholarship, how it contributes to Bahá’í community development, and what lessons
are being learned. Programs differ in emphasis, with one focussed on developing behaviour patterns for
avoiding marital conflict; one on communication skills and character; one on the Bahá’í laws and a new order
in relationships; and one on the Bahá’í principles of equality and consultation. Each is offered in a spirit of
humble service.
DANIEL B. LORD, Ph.D. is assistant psychology at University of Alaska Southeast, Sitka campus, as well as
an attorney with the public defender agency in Kenai, Alaska. He holds graduate degrees in education and
psychology from Michigan, and law degrees from Iowa.

Marlene Macke • Abiding Faith: The Toronto Bahá’í Community from 1919 to 1938

The founding of the Toronto Bahá’í community stretches over a nineteen year period. This paper addresses
three aspects of its development: the critical role played by American believers such as Martha Root and
Agnes Alexander in bringing the Faith to Toronto; Dr. Albert Durrant Watson’s involvement with
spiritualism; and the surge in momentum once the Seven Year Plan gave the Bahá’ís the specific goal of
electing a local Assembly. Archival material written between 1919 and 1938 uncovers these stories and
more.

MARLENE MACKE has moved from a career in business consulting to working in theatre and writing. Her
biography, Take My Love to the Friends: The Story of Laura R. Davis, will be published in 2007.

Kathy Madjidi • Games and Activities for Developing Vibrant Bahá’í Communities

This interactive “playshop” will help participants learn how to think and act creatively in building vibrant
Bahá’í activities and community life. We will focus on skill-building, drawing on games, community
development activities, the arts, and Indigenous traditions that could enhance and enrich our community
life. We will also consider the Bahá’í Writings and community development literature, which challenge us
to think about how to intentionally build a new, model community. Come prepared to share, dialogue,
interact, and have lots of fun!

KATHY MADJIDI, Ph.D. student in Comparative, International, and Development Education at the Ontario
Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto, has over 10 years experience in
international community development, focussed on international youth leadership in Latin America and the
Caribbean and Indigenous ways of knowing and learning.

Shirin Majidi • Why become a Bahá’í Scholar? (See Kolodner for abstract)

SHIRIN MAJIDI is a sophomore at Catonsville High School in Baltimore. Both of her parents are Iranian
Bahá’ís and she has been raised as a Bahá’í. In addition to participating in Bahá’í youth activities, Shirin
enjoys playing violin, spending time with her family and working hard in school.

Saba Mahanian and Farjam Majd • Manifestations of Unity in Order and Chaos: Correlating
System Engineering with Bahá’í Principles

Unity, as taught in the Bahá’í Faith, is a universal framework for both the study of complexity as well as a
framework for its orderly implementation and management. The Bahá’í teachings on conceptual and
practical implementation of unity can be correlated with general findings of complex systems.

SABA MAHANIAN obtained his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University and has been a
practicing engineer for 26 years. He particularly enjoys history and Philosophy of Religion and Science.

Farjam Majd • Manifestations of Unity in Order and Chaos: Correlating System Engineering with
Bahá’í Principles (see Mahanian for abstract)

FARJAM MAJD is an attorney in the area of intellectual property. Prior to that, Farjam was a professional
engineer for 19 years in the fields of Electrical, Mechanical and Software Engineering at Intel, Microsoft
and Sequent Computers.

Susan Maneck • The Dasatir and the Tabernacle of Unity

This presentation will examine the correspondence between Bahá’u’lláh and Manakji Limji Hataria as
found in the Tabernacle of Unity. It is the thesis of this presentation that Manakji’s questions were largely
formulated, not against the background of mainstream Zoroastrian beliefs, but that of a peculiar school of
Zoroastrianism founded by Azar Kaivan which was heavily influenced by Ishraqi philosophy.
Notwithstanding the rather peculiar background to Manakji’s questions, Bahá’u’lláh is able to utilize them
to articulate some of the more universal aspects to his religion.

SUSAN MANECK is an Associate Professor in the Department of History and Philosophy at Jackson State
University. She has numerous publication on both Zoroastrianism and the Bahá’í Faith.

Patrick Marshall • The Greatest Pilgrimage: The Bahá’í as Hospital Chaplain

The Universal House of Justice has recently approved Bahá’ís to undertake spiritual care in hospitals as
long as this does not involve religious duties typically assigned to clergy. The presenter will propose a
Bahá’í framework for spiritual care within the hospital setting, and present his own experiences in the field
and those leading to develop a career in this domain. I will affirm that the care of the spirit is in keeping
with certain principles of the Bahá’í Faith and that these principles inform the practitioner of a universality
of spiritual life.

PATRICK MARSHALL is a career counsellor and recently entered a Chaplaincy internship. Warmly received
as a Bahá’í, he is required by the Association of Pastoral Care Practitioners to further his knowledge of the
Faith in order to inform his perspective and practice in spiritual care.

Patricia Romano McGraw • The “Breakthrough” Moment in Psychotherapy, Is It Really a Moment
of Spiritual Transformation?

Facing one’s personal truth is traditionally understood as a key to psychological health. It is also the
foundation of spiritual advancement. The presenter will offer a number of psychotherapeutic case studies in
which the “breakthrough” occurred by directing the therapeutic work to a spiritual dimension.

PATRICIA ROMANO MCGRAW is a forensic psychologist in private practice in Baltimore, author of It’s Not
Your Fault: How Healing Relationships Change Your Brain and Can Help You Overcome a Painful Past,
and Seeking the Wisdom of the Heart: Reflections on Seven Stages of Spiritual Development.

Robert Michell • The Miracle of Suffering

The old dichotomy of good versus evil (with resultant suffering) which for so long has dominated Western
thought has been recast by Bahá’u’lláh. Suffering, in whichever form it appears, self-willed or God-given,
is there for our spiritual training. It is absolutely indispensable for the education of souls. It is a sign of
immaturity in those who seek to avoid it, whereas it is the hallmark of spiritual maturity in those who
embrace it. To all sojourners aboard the coach called “the Lyrical Ride of Reason”, we are bound for the
mystical land of suffering.

ROBERT MICHELL is a poet-philosopher-teacher based in Montreal. His passions, besides his lovely wife
and four exuberant boys, is writing lyrical-profound, and quixotic poetry, exploring the interface between
Complexity Theory and the Bahá’í teachings, and deep-dish apple pie.

Bonita M. Milby • A Chalice of Pure Light: A Vision of Divine Symmetry in the Sacred Reality of
Creation

The three aspects of solar emanation and specular reflection belong to a physical geometric continuum that
is both directional and symmetrical. We can use these aspects to visualize a divine geometric continuum.
Three different, symmetrical perspectives are explored: the criteria for Truth identified by J. A. McLean in
Dimensions of Spirituality, the onenesses revealed by Bahá’u’lláh in the Valley of Unity, and two examples
of natural specular reflection. The physical qualities of natural mirror surfaces can help us to identify the
spiritual qualities associated with divine revelation and our nearness to God.

BONITA MILBY’s presentation reflects her life-long interest in metaphysics and religion. As a member of the
Stillwater, Oklahoma, Bahá’í Community, she serves on the Spiritual Assembly and as Ruhi facilitator. A
former fourth-grade teacher and English lecturer, she is currently employed as an office assistant at
Oklahoma State University.

Lawrence M. Miller • Capitalism and Community: The New Reality that Unites Wealth, Social and
Spiritual Development

The form of capitalism practiced throughout the world is in transformation, as suggested in the teachings of
the Bahá’í Faith. The reality of commerce today is that financial capital, once dominant, is becoming
secondary to social, spiritual, human and process or technology capital. The five forms of capital required
and created by enterprise today will be presented, along with a new model of wealth, more consistent with
current day reality and with the teachings of the Bahá’í Faith.

LAWRENCE MILLER has been a Bahá’í since 1968 and in management consulting for over 30 years. He has
written seven books on management and leadership including the recent Competing in the New Capitalism
and Spiritual Enterprise: Building Your Business in the Spirit of Service forthcoming in February with
George Ronald.

Lisa Molin • Health, Healing, Personal Responsibility and the Bahá’í Faith

This presentation attempts to examine current medical problems and trends in Western society as it relates
to an ever pervading lack of personal responsibility. It examines how these attitudes affect the individual
and ultimately society as a whole. These attitudes are then contrasted with an ever increasing interest in
spiritual healing and its effects on physical health with supporting evidence from the medical literature.
Finally, these examples are examined in light of the Bahá’í Writings on health and healing, personal
responsibility, trust, and ultimately one’s relationship with God.

LISA MOLIN, M.D. Practices Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery in San Luis Obispo, CA. She has
pioneered in West Africa, served at the Bahá’í World Centre, currently travels abroad to treat children with
cleft lips and palates, recently started lecturing on the Bahá’í Faith at California Polytechnic University,
and enjoys outdoor activities.

Shahrokh Monjazeb • “An Excellent and Priceless Heritage”: The Scholarship of Bahá’u’lláh’s Life
and His Revelation

The presentation will examine and attempt to define the role of a “Bahá’u’lláh-scholar” as a defender,
educator and promoter of Bahá’u’lláh and His Writing both within the Bahá’í community and the outside
world. It will also provide a retrospective look at a select group of such scholars from the time of
Bahá’u’lláh to the present day.

SHAHROKH MONJAZEB has been a presenter at the ABS Conference for over fifteen years. His writings and
presentations focus primarily on Bahá’í Sacred Text and their literary and historical significance in the
context of socio-spiritual conditions of human society.

Tahirih Naylor • The Bahá’í International Community at the United Nations: From Principles to
Problem Solving (see Berger for abstract)

Tahirih Naylor • Scholarship and Social Justice: The Bahá’í International Community, (panelist,
Young Scholars Panel)

This presentation will explore the coordinated external affairs work of the Bahá’í community at the local,
national and international levels. The characteristics necessary for such coherence of action will be
examined. Specific examples of the Bahá’í International Community’s active participation in the areas of
human rights and global prosperity through its work with civil society, governments, and the United
Nations will be presented. The efforts of Bahá’ís in these areas provides an example of a principle based
community building process which is both locally rooted and world-embracing.

TAHIRIH NAYLOR is a Bahá’í International Community representative to the United Nations and was
previously an external affairs representative in the Office of Governmental Relations for the Bahá’í
Community of Canada. She holds a law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School, and has served on
volunteer projects in over twenty-five countries.

Clare Jamal O’Brien • Faith and Football: Junior Youth Study Circles in Kenyan Slums

Faced with the appalling socio-economic conditions in Nairobi slums this research looks at the
effectiveness of Bahá'í inspired curricula, Breezes of Confirmation, in effecting the behaviour of female
junior youth in football teams. Football offers them socio-economic support as well as enhanced social
capital. This paper will discuss the use of a “Study Circle football” in improving acts of service rendered by
the participants. It will also explore possible effects of the intervention on mental health outcomes such as
anxiety, depression and high risk sexual behaviour.

CLARE JAMAL O’BRIEN was raised in Alaska, pioneered to Africa at 17 where she became the first
foreigner at Tuamiani University in Semtema, Tanzania, completed an MSc in African Studies at Oxford
University. She is now is working on her Ph.D., testing the social effectiveness of a Bahá’í inspired
curriculum.
Layla Parker-Katiraee • Ethical Questions and Answers in Epigenetics, (panelist, Young Scholar
Panel)

Genomic imprinting is a biological phenomenon which causes the expression of genes from only one
parental chromosome. Imprinted genes underlie various developmental disorders, stressing the importance
of their characterization and study. However, the field is fraught with social and ethical implications, as
diverse as the collection of early embryonic human specimens and the possibility of parthenogenetic
humans (an individual with no father). Here, I explore difficulties and answers found in genomic
imprinting, as well as personal challenges that I have encountered in my studies.

LAYLA PARKER-KATIRAEE is completing a doctoral degree in Medical Genetics & Microbiology at the
University of Toronto. Her thesis investigates the unequal expression of genes on human chromosome 7.
She is currently living in Toronto with her husband of four years and hopes to obtain a post-doctoral degree
in England.

Michael L. Penn • The Garments of Learning and Knowledge: Reflections on the Protection and
Refinement of the Human Spirit

A Bahá’í-inspired approach to social and economic development seeks to extend the reach and application
of spiritual learning and knowledge. In these remarks we suggest that if this effort is to meet with success it
must not only be promoted in villages, cities and towns, but must be embraced by significant numbers of
students and scholars at institutions of higher learning. We thus invite reflection on why current academic
trends render this a particularly propitious time to share with colleagues and students the garments of
spiritual learning and knowledge and to promote a consciousness of that which is sacred.

MICHAEL L. PENN, Ph.D.(Michael.Penn at fandm.edu), is associate professor of psychology at Franklin and
Marshall College. His publications include works in adolescent psychopathology, the relationship between
culture and psychopathology, and the epidemiology of gender-based violence. He is the author of
Overcoming Violence against Women and Girls (Rowman & Littlefield, 2003).

Anne Gordon Perry • Yours, Roger: Letters to and from Roger White

Canadian poet Roger White distinguished himself by writing poetry reflecting the history, themes, and
early believers of the Bahá’í Faith. But he was also “muse” to creative artists in several genres, many of
whom wrote to him from various parts of the world. This presentation highlights some of the facets of
Roger’s life and influence and draws from examples of the vast correspondence he maintained.

ANNE GORDON PERRY, Ph.D. Aesthetic Studies, teaches English and Humanities at the Art Institute of
Dallas, is co-organizer of the Arts special interest group, edits its journal, ORISON. Her dissertation was
on the intersection of art and religion, and she is working on a book about poet Roger White.

Laheeb Quddusi • The Matrix: Themes of After-Life

The Matrix film trilogy is introduced with an overview of its religious allusions and references, and the
term “matrix” explored from the perspective of the film, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s writings, and general language.
Themes of embryonic life, the womb, imprisonment and self-imprisonment, and reincarnation are explored
from various perspectives.

LAHEEB QUDDUSI is pioneering in a small town outside of Edmonton with his family while attending
university. Currently, he is finishing his second year of biological sciences. Serving on CABS has provided
the means to elevate academic discourse, although he finds it a challenge to correlate the sciences to the
Writings.

Jean Tschohl Quinn • The Artist of Service: Appreciated, Integrated, and Supported

Being an artist in the Bahá’í community that is appreciated, integrated, and supported is a goal which needs
to be more reachable. Here are practical tips on what the artist can do and what the community must do, all
based on reassuring guidance from Bahá’í Scripture. Jean Tschohl Quinn provides a multimedia
presentation regarding the fun and excitement of overcoming the lumps and bumps along the road to
serving the Bahá’u’lláh as an artist through technology, song, storytelling, and audience participation.

JEAN TSCHOHL QUINN, mathematician by degree, musician by choice, mom by ... (well you know how
someone becomes a mom), prefers to serve the world as an artist, although she wears many hats as most
people do. She combines comedy and musicianship to serve the Bahá’í community and teach spiritual
concepts.

Pattabi S. Raman • Changing Worldviews and Paradigm Shifts in the 20th Century in Disciplines of
Scientific Inquiry: Impact on Scholarship and Community Building

The Century of Light has seen an irreversible shift in contemporary metaphysical and scientific thinking,
presenting a new worldview. This has in turn ushered a new epistemology, stimulating new knowledge,
new models of sharing and practising that knowledge. The presentation will provide a succinct review of
the salient aspects in the shift of traditionally held paradigms in four major disciplines of inquiry:
metaphysics, psychology, healing arts, and education. A discussion will follow of the myriad implications
of this shift on the respective professional practices, their effects on community building and in charting a
new course in social responsibility.

PATTABI S. RAMAN, Ph.D., EdD. a native of India, has post-graduate training and professional preparation
in two fields, medicinal chemistry and education. Currently he holds senior faculty positions at Capella
University, in their human services division, and at Antioch University Seattle, as its program director in
special education.

Ashley Roberts • Exploring the Role of Faith-based Organizations in Addressing HIV/AIDS
There is great variety in approaches to HIV prevention in adolescents. The organizations that are creating
and implementing interventions include faith-based communities, governmental agencies, non-
governmental organizations, etc. Some argue that interventions initiated by faith-based communities
generally achieve better outcomes when compared to non-faith based initiatives. In the course of this
workshop, I plan to further explore this argument by first discussing issues around the evaluation of the
effectiveness HIV prevention programs; second, examining and comparing the outcomes of faith-based and
non-faith based interventions published in the literature; and third, exploring possible explanations for the
differences in outcomes.

ASHLEY ROBERTS, BA in History, University of British Columbia; Master’s of Education, Harvard
University; a Doctor of Medicine (MD), McMaster University, has her diploma in Tropical Medicine from
the Gorgas Institute and is finishing her fellowship in Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the University of
Toronto.
Mark H. Rossman • Five Research Based Issues in International Distance Education and their
Application to Teaching EFL

As Guest Faculty at the University of Salzburg for three months, the author co-facilitated the International
Distance Education Faculty Forum (IDEFF), an asynchronous discussion learning network of 68 faculty
members experienced in distance education delivery methods from 17 universities in 13 countries. A
content analysis of the IDEFF yielded five main issues, 1) faculty power and stature, 2) faculty
participation in online courses, 3) barriers to implementing distance education, 4) motivating learners in
online classes, and 5) impact of distance education on global access to education. These issues and their
relevance to teaching EFL is presented.

MARK H. ROSSMAN is Professor Emeritus at Capella University. He has authored, co-authored or produced
nine books, and many chapters, articles, evaluative reports, and media publications. His areas of interest
are: adult learning and program development, post-secondary education, distance learning and education,
and international education.

Behrooz Sabet • The Concept of Civilization in Bahá’í Writings and Cyclical Theory of Pitirim A.
Sorokin

This presentation has two purposes: the first is to examine the dynamics of civilization as they are unravelled in
the Bahá’í Writings, the second is to compare Bahá’í perspectives with the prodigious works of the renowned
social scientist Pitirim Alexandrovich Sorokin. The critical consideration of this presentation is to argue that
Bahá’í perspectives combine Sorokin’s cyclical theory with progressive evolutionary views of civilization.
Bahá’í Writings point to the reality of recurrent rhythms in civilizations. They also characterize a spiral curve
of ordered patterns of evolution.

BEHROOZ SABET EdD 1987, has studied philosophy and economics, been a university professor,
international lecturer and education consultant, written extensively on educational, philosophical, and
social themes, worked with Iranian Bahá’í higher education initiatives, and has contributed to Payam-e-
Doost radio for four years. He was Academic Dean of Landegg International University.

Gloria Shahzadeh • Reflection on History through the Arts with a Special Focus on Drama

This presentation examines drama and its place in history, the terminologies associated with this art form,
and its role as an expressive form of reflecting on a community’s history and identity. Certain rites and
rituals associated with various cultures and religions are explored to demonstrate the use of dramatic art
forms by members of clergy to teach or deepen their congregations. A comparison is then made to the
Bahá’í Faith and the absence of clergy and sermons therein; and how then this art form could help bring the
spirit of the Holy Writings and details of historical events to life!

GLORIA SHAHZADEH lives in Dubai (United Arab Emirates) with her family. She has an extensive
background in dance and theatre and has produced, directed, and acted in more than fifteen full-length
plays at the Bahá’í World Centre (1990 - 1999).

Ron Shigeta • Searching for Methods to Strengthen Bahá’í Marriage (see Lord for abstract)

RON SHIGETA is a chemist, structural biologist, and biotechnologist. He is researching the marriage
curriculum of the Marriage Transformation Project and presents workshops on marriage-related topics.
Nadim Sobhani •The Spiritual in the Material: Studying Society as a Bahá’í (panellist, Young
Scholars Panel)

When studying society and the ills found within it, the average undergraduate student in North America is
faced with a multitude of intellectual tensions, where an indiscriminating academic institution will no doubt
challenge the very core of their belief system. This presentation will explore the relatively nascent fields of
Equity Studies and Social Justice, as well as some of the opportunities and challenges I have experienced as
a Bahá’í in these fields. Further discussions will revolve around the benefits of a Bahá’í Youth Year of
Service as well as thoughts on the role of a university student in the core activities.

NADIM SOBHANI is an undergraduate student in the Department of Equity Studies at the University of
Toronto. Nadim hopes to pursue a career in the field of public health, with special emphasis on studying the
social determinants of health and the barriers that prevent equal access to health care.

Mitra Solomon, Kevin Trotter and David Diehl • Bahainine Project: Bahá’í Inspired Blogs, Podcasts,
and Videos

Bahainine project is aggregating Bahá’í user generated content across the globe. Its goal is to increase
awareness of the Bahá’í blogs and to facilitate creation and discovery of Bahá’í inspired user generated
content. This presentation is an overview of our efforts and findings. We also cover what is social
networking, give a strong picture of how the web can help with community building, how to start your own
blog with helpful guidelines and learnings on the factors and steps that contribute to a successful blog and
content, some web2.0 concepts and principals and guidelines on blogging, podcasting, social networking,
etc.

MITRA SOLOMON is a Bahá’í and a high tech professional, delivering technology at the world’s largest
internet companies for the last 12 years. Most recently, she led the development and launch of the new
search advertising platform for Yahoo. She resides in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family.

Philip Squires • A Novel Approach to Depression

Starting with the DSM-IV definition of depression, a developmental model for determining the purpose of
life is used to look at childhood depression in a new way, which leads to effective intervention. The
conclusions will be related to the Bahá’í Faith and the core activities. Using the work of late Dr. William
Hatcher, it takes secular insights and marries them with spiritual concepts of reality, spirituality and
religion. Its focus audience is medical students, but is useful for all. There are model dependant suggestions
for raising children and for our education system.

PHILIP SQUIRES has been a general paediatrician for 30 years, is board certified in the US and Canada, and
is a clinical teacher and Associate Professor at the University of Western Ontario. He has a diploma in
tropical medicine, worked five years in Africa, and is currently interested in behavioural problems in
children.

Kevin Trotter • Bahainine Project: Bahá’í Inspired Blogs, Podcasts, and Videos (see Solomon for
abstract)

KEVIN TROTTER is a software developer mainly focussed on the development of web applications and is
currently employed by Oracle Corporation. He currently lives in Burlingame, CA.
Deborah van den Hoonaard (chair), Cheryl Fennell, Marie Gervais, Lisa-Jo van den Scott, and
Élizabeth Wright • Scholarship and Community-Building (plenary panel)

This session addresses how different people and groups understand and define scholarship and the role it
plays in community development processes, and in particular in relation to the Bahá’í community. The
focus is on how research can educate us about how different people and groups experience community life,
in particular in the Bahá’í community, and how we can use what we learn to improve our understanding
and success at implementing the Bahá’í teachings. Panellists will address the theme both generally and in
the context of different communities and populations, including French Canadian/Quebecois, Aboriginal,
and Inuit communities and by gender and age.

DEBORAH VAN DEN HOONAARD holds a Canada Research Chair at St. Thomas University, New Brunswick.
Her work is in developing qualitative analysis methods, which she also applies to understand what it means
to be a member of a marginal population, specifically older widows and widowers, and immigrants of non-
European descent.

Will van den Hoonaard • Emerging From Obscurity: The Journey of Sociology in the Bahá’í
Community

I try to exercise the “sociological imagination” where I connect my personal scholarly journey to the larger
social and historical forces that have shaped Bahá’í scholarship and the Bahá’í community. Sociology and
the Bahá’í Faith share important principles and both critically challenge widely-held beliefs. Yet there is
wall of relative silence separating them. Recent developments in both the Bahá’í community and sociology
have made the wall more permeable, but what about the Bahá’í scholars themselves? How has the Bahá’í
Faith shaped their approach to sociology? The answer has surprised me as I discovered that their Bahá’í
contributions to sociology are less explicit than implicit.

WILL VAN DEN HOONAARD, Ph.D., Sociology, researches qualitative and ethnographic research, research
ethics, the Bahá’í community of Canada, and the world of mapmakers. His books include The Origins of
the Bahá’í Community of Canada, 1898-1948, and The Equality of Women and Men: The Experience of the
Bahá’í Community of Canada.

Lisa-Jo van den Scott • Scholarship and Community-Building (plenary panel, see Deborah van den
Hoonaard for abstract)

LISA-JO VAN DEN SCOTT obtained her Masters in Ancient Greek in Newfoundland where she served as
Assistant for Young Bahá’í Academics. For the past three years she has served as a pioneer in Arviat,
Nunavut where she maintains a regional newsletter and developed an after school program for pre-youth
girls.

Joell Ann Vanderwagen • New Perspectives on Gender and the Bahá’í Revelation

Providing a new philosophical framework for gender issues, this workshop will contrast old Western
classical notions of masculine and feminine as dualities on a vertical scale (strong-weak), with the Bahá’í
understanding of them as polarities, groups of complementary, positive qualities on a horizontal scale
(strong-gentle). We will re-examine the old notion of spirit as male and matter as female (duality), looking
instead at abstract (scripture) and concrete (personal experience) as two modes in which the Divine Spirit
relates to us.
JOELL ANN VANDERWAGEN had a spiritual experience shortly after becoming a Bahá’í in 1995, which
focussed her attention on gender issues. She has a BA in Philosophy and Literature and a Master of Science
in Urban Planning and has worked as a teacher, mother, planning consultant, and writer.

Faraneh Vargha-Khadem • Autism and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: Scientific and Spiritual
Challenges of Mis-Wired Minds (see Koirala for abstract)

FARANEH VARGHA-KHADEM, Ph.D. is Head of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience at University
College London. Her groundbreaking research has explored the cognitive deficits of brain-injured children
as well as the development of language and memory. She is the recipient of prestigious research awards.

Dave Wellman • Autism and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: Scientific and Spiritual Challenges
of Mis-Wired Minds (see Koirala for abstract)

DAVE WELLMAN is retired from high school science teaching in rural Alaska. Reflection on evocative
implications of the principle of the harmony of science and religion has been inspired by the Bahá’í
Writings, the concept of scientific integrity, and encounters with young minds.

Jeff Williams • Community Building through the Virtual University

This presentation examines how a virtual university can assist in global community building. Focus is
given to the de-centralized global infrastructure and the efforts towards building a global community
between the instructors and administrators, among the students and between the students and staff.
Additional information is presented on the type of instruction and tools. The university utilizes the Moodle
platform and Skype for conversation classes. There is also an emphasis on education as a means for service
to humanity and each unit focuses on such topics as virtue development, global issues, the importance of art
and the sciences.

JEFF WILLIAMS has a Ph.D. in literature from Texas Tech University and Masters degrees from Northern
Arizona University. He presents conference papers on technology/education and popular culture, publishes
articles on popular culture and teaches Semantics and Literature at the National University of La Rioja.

Karen P. Williams • Religion and Psychology: Combining Potent Forces
Religion and psychology have traditionally been depicted as antithetical forces whose goals are similar, but
whose strategies and underlying philosophies are inimical to each other. This presentation explores the
commonalities between the two forces, and suggests that the combi-nation of the two forces is a potent
formula for healing and establishing direction in one’s life.

KAREN WILLIAMS, Ph.D. , is a licensed bilingual psychologist living and practising in California. She is
currently employed in a public health clinic as well as in a private practice office, which allows her a
breadth of experience which enhance her Bahá’í lifestyle.

Ross Woodman and Ann Boyles • An Interview with Ross Woodman
Ross Woodman and Ann Boyles explore the intricacies of addressing Bahá’í ideas in academic scholarship
in Woodman’s upcoming book Revelation and Knowledge, and reflect on his life of long-time service to
the university Bahá’í communities.

ROSS WOODMAN, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, University of Western Ontario, served on the first Canadian
National Spiritual Assembly elected in 1948. His works include Sanity, Madness, Transformation: The
Role of the Psyche in Romanticism, The Apocalyptic Vision in the Poetry of Shelley, and numerous articles
on the English Romantics, religion, poetry, and modern art.

Élizabeth Wright • Scholarship and Community-Building (plenary panel, see Deborah van den
Hoonaard for abstract)

Élizabeth Wright • The 2007 UN Commission on the Status of Women: “Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination and Violence against the Girl Child”

ÉLIZABETH WRIGHT, MA Sociology, Université Laval, researches gender studies, specifically men and
masculinities and the social and family impact of changing parental functions. She is Director of the Bahá’í
Community of Canada’s Office for the Advancement of Women, and president elect of the Canadian
Research Institute for the Advancement of Women.

Mina Yazdani • Anti-Bahá’í Polemics and Historiography

This presentation examines anti-Bahá’í polemics produced as works of historiography in twentieth century
Iran. It advances the thesis that anti-Bahá’í polemics have constructed a version of Bahá’í history that,
while not only radically different from the Bahá’í narrative, has 1) been exploited in the service of
justifying the ongoing persecution of Iranian Bahá’ís; 2) penetrated Iranian popular culture; and 3) been
uncritically arrogated by the Iranian intellectual elite as the “real” image of Iran’s largest religious
minority. Taking up the depiction of three prominent individuals in scholarly and Bahá’í works as case
studies, we juxtapose this with their portrayal in anti-Bahá’í polemical works.

Mina Yazdani • The History and Role of Scholarship in the Iranian Bahá’í Community (special
Thursday session)

This presentation will provide a historical survey of the role of Bahá’í scholars in Iran from the time of
Bahá’u’lláh to the present day. It will explore the ways in which Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá drew on
Bahá’í scholars in community building, and will briefly investigate the services offered to the Cause of
God by such prominent scholars as Abu’l-Fadá’il Gulpaygáni, Nabíl-Akbar, Fádil-i Mázandarání, Abdu’l-
Hamíd Ishráqkhávarí, ‘Azizu’lláh Sulaymání, ‘Alí Murád Davúdí and their spiritual heirs in contemporary
Iran. The relationship between these scholars, the Bahá’í community, and the Institutions of the Cause will
also be addressed.

MINA YAZDANI is pursuing a Ph.D. at the University of Toronto Department of Near and Middle Eastern
Civilizations. Her recent publications include the monograph, Iran at the Time of the Qájár Dynasty: A
Perspective from the Bahá’í Sacred Writings, and articles in Khushihá’í az Kharman-i Adab va Hunar and
Payám-i Bahá’í.

Artists Performing
SHIRLENE ZARIN-TAJ BROWN started out her career as first lady radio announcer for Radio Bahá’í, WLGI
for 10 years. She later continued her aspirations in studying and obtaining her B.A. in music performance,
all the while traveling the world over and becoming of her own as a professional singer/entertainer in the
artistry of jazz.

JOHN EBATA’s talents run deep in the music world as musician, song writer, arranger, producer and
recording engineer. Award winning pianist-keyboardist, his discography includes recordings
with renowned Bahá'í artists and much sought after accompanist to singer-songwriters including Buffy
Sainte Marie and Morris Albert. He currently resides in King City Canada working from his home studio
and as a sales-management consultant.

ROBERT MICHELL is a poet-writer-teacher based in Montreal. His interests are in the confluence between
mysticism and science, a new model of spirituality, and writing poetry that combines craftsmanship and
accessibly.

ANNE PERRY is a writer, teacher and performer. who has presented numerous times in various formats at
past conferences. Her dramatic presentations of Sarah Farmer are well known and well-received.

SMITH & DRAGOMAN - The music of Smith & Dragoman is inspired by the incredible stories of the early
history of the Bahá’í Faith; stories of heroes and heroines from mid 19th century Persia who chose to lead a
life in accordance with their Beliefs. They have released two CDs, Open the Gates and Under the Lote-
Tree and are currently in production working on their first live concert DVD release.
www.smithanddragoman.com

SUSAN LEWIS WRIGHT is a professional singer-songwriter, classical and jazz musician, speaker and author;
chair—Global Visions Arts Alliance; producer—Women of One World show. PR, advertising marketing,
journalism professional, former National Information officer for the U.S. N.S.A. Three albums: Down In
Mexico, Bird and Days of Beauty. Song, “Calling All Colors” was sung on program with President Clinton.

Conference Organization

Conference Task Force Roshan Danesh, Mehran Kiai, Kim Naqvi, Parvin Rowhani
Conference Coordinator Parvin Rowhani
Arts Program John Ebata and Viktoria Yazdani
Children’s and Junior Youth Program Brenda Alizadeh and Ted Draack
Devotions Anne Perry
Hospitality Ramin Modir
Logistics Tymon Hsieh
Photography Vic Voytek
Program Kim Naqvi and Roshan Danesh
Public Relations/Publicity Ashkan Vahman
Registration Nilufar Gordon, Solange Jabbary

Security/Ushers Afshin Modir
Stage Decoration Houmed Arjomand
Stage Manager Jolene Nichols
Technical Director Geoff Cohen
Treasurer Mehran Kiai
Volunteers Ramzi Shams

The ABS Executive Committee extends its deep appreciation to all those who have assisted in the preparation and
running of this conference. Our heartfelt thanks are also due to the many volunteers who contributed their service
and have worked so hard to make this conference a success.

With special thanks to The Spiritual Assemblies of the Bahá’ís of Mississauga and Toronto
-- Relativism and the Baha'i Writings (Used by permission of the curator)