Faith and Religion: This is a portal directed to Bahá'í Fireside content. Our purpose is to gradually build a resident source of material addressing many subjects and diverse audiences.
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Visit our Specific Pages with Firesides in Four Languages
PRESENTED BY Dr. GERALD FILSON on MAY 02, 2021
THE CONCEPTUAL NATURE OF HUMAN BEINGS: The Rational Soul According to Baha’u’llah
Mr. Filson will explore this challenging and interesting theme inspired by passages from ‘Abdu’l-Baha that contrasts our human rationality with animal intelligence, helping in distinguishing the nature of human reasoning from animal intelligence. He also rely on the following passages from Baha’u’llah:
Consider the rational faculty with which God hath endowed the essence of man. Examine thine own self, and behold how thy motion and stillness, thy will and purpose, thy sight and hearing, thy sense of smell and power of speech, and whatever else is related to, or transcendeth, thy physical senses or spiritual perceptions, all proceed from, and owe their existence to, this same faculty. (Baha’u’llah, Gleanings, p. 164)
To whatever heights the mind of the most exalted of men may soar, however great the depths which the detached and understanding heart can penetrate, such mind and heart can never transcend that which is the creature of their own conceptions and the product of their own thoughts.
(Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, Wilmette, Ill.: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1954, 317.
Dr. Gerald Filson
Gerald Filson served as the Director of Public Affairs of the Bahá'í Community of Canada from 1993 until he retired from this servive in 2017. He is currently a member of the National Spiritual Assembly, the national governing body of the Baha’is of Canada. His education includes a Ph.D. (Toronto), M.A. (Concordia) and B.A (Saskatchewan). Born and raised in Saskatchewan, Dr. Filson taught school on les Iles de la Madeleine, Quebec from 1972-79. During the 1980s he taught at Sheridan College and George Brown College, and worked for TVOntario while completing his doctorate at the University of Toronto. He served as Chair of the Canadian Network on International Human Rights, a coalition of more than 30 Canadian human rights organizations, from 1999-2002, and was a member from 1993 to 2002, of the Mosaic Management Group of VisionTV. He served two terms on the Board of Directors of the Couchiching Institute on Public Affairs and was the Chair of its National Conference in 2006 and 2007. He has recently served as the Chair of the Canadian Interfaith Conversation, a national interfaith coalition of 40 organizations. Over the years, Dr. Filson has travelled widely for his work in South America and the Caribbean with repeated visits to India from 1996 to 2010, leading a project involving video and village development.
BY SHAFIGHEH FATHEAZAM (Grand Daughter of Ibn-i-Asdaq)
Family stories about “Ismu'llahu'l-Asdaq” and his son “Ibn-i-Asdaq”... “through whom the light of fortitude hath shone forth”.
Join Mrs. Shafigheh Fatheazam in a touching fireside about the life of two Hands of the Cause, whose long life of services to their Beloved was a tribute “…to diffuse the Divine Fragrances, to edify the souls of men, to promote learning, and to improve the character of all men.”
Mrs. Fatheazam is the wife of the late Mr. Hushmand Fatheazam, former member of the first Universal House of Justice, established in the 1963. He served the Supreme Body until 2003. In the course of her life, Mrs. Fatheazam has been witness to some of the most historic episodes of the first one hundred years of the Formative Age and the unfoldment of the Administrative Order in her native Iran, in her pioneering post in India and, for forty years, in service at the World Centre of the Bahá’í Faith in Israel.
She presently resides in West Vancouver, BC, Canadá. As a direct descendent of a distinguished family and granddaughter of Ibn-i-Asdaq, she will be able to share intimate glimpses on the life of her illustrious grandfather, Hand of the Cause of God appointed by Bahá’u’lláh, and himself the son of Hand of the Cause of God, Ism’u’lláh Asdaq, posthumously nominated as such by ‘Abdú’l Bahá, both devout and loyal servants to the Covenant and whose lives are inextricably bound to the Heroic Age of our Faith.
DR. MUIN AFNANI.
PRESENTED ON JANUARY 14th, 2021.
The 19th century is known for a number of major events and processes including social, industrial, economic, and religious changes in the world. It also witnessed progressive enlightenment movements in many fields of thought and knowledge. The traditional perception of concepts such as reality, knowledge, and truth were redefined. Religious communities, expecting fulfilment of the age old prophecies in their respective faiths, also experienced significant transformation. One such transformation occurred in the middle of the century in Iran with the appearance of the Babi Faith which offered new perspective on a host of fundamental concepts such as religious truth, the purpose of religion, the role of religion in the life of human being and society, and so forth. From the beginning of that century there were calls in Iran for reforms in various fields including the military complex and security apparatus, economic infrastructure, judicial system, political system and the form of governance, the Persian language and its association with Arabic and Islamic terms, literature, and the educational system.
During that same period the disciples of the Babi Faith, founded in 1844, saw the fulfilment of many such reforms in the establishment of the teachings of the new Faith. A handful of early believers in the Babi Faith played critical role in the establishment and spread of the Babi Faith (and later the Baha’i Faith). Considered to be one of a half a dozen foremost apostles among the contingent of early Babi/Baha’i believers, Mulla Sadiq Mugaddas Khurasani was an erudite, scrupulously pious, and remarkable man who performed unparalleled acts of service that immortalized him in the annals of the Babi and Baha’i history. His role in the spread of the new Faith is no less significant than those played by the few Disciples of Christ in the spread of Christianity. He was referred to by Baha’u’llah, the Founder of the Baha’i Faith, as “[the embodiment of] My Name, the Truthful, the Most Holy.”
Dr. Muin Afnani was host of the Bahá'í Persian TV program Aeine-Bahá'í. Dr. Afnani lives with his wife Soheila and their children in northern California, USA.
A Short Memorial Film by Whashington Araújo
November 15, 2018
BAHA'I WORLD CENTRE — Shapoor Monadjem, a former Counsellor member of the International Teaching Centre, passed away on Thursday in Maringá, Brazil. He was 85 years old.
The Universal House of Justice sent the following message to all National Spiritual Assemblies on Friday.
* * *
The passing of Shapoor Monadjem, distinguished and greatly loved servant of the Blessed Beauty, has brought much sadness to our hearts. We call to mind, at this moment, his immense dedication to the teaching work, knowledge of the Faith, and insight into the application of its principles. These qualities were much in evidence when he was a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Brazil and during the decade he served as a Continental Counsellor in the Americas. As a member of the International Teaching Centre, his talents and energies were determinedly focused upon the worldwide propagation and protection of the Faith. The wide-ranging services he undertook in his lifetime also included the promotion of the Right of God as a Deputy Trustee of Ḥuqúqu’lláh. A kindly and gentle soul, good-humoured and brimming with creative inspiration, he was also blessed with considerable administrative abilities, honed in many different settings, which he deployed with great effect in service to the Cause of God.
To his dear wife, Bahereh, and to his children and grandchildren we extend our condolences and an assurance of our supplications in the Holy Shrines for his soul’s blissful passage into the realms of the eternal. We also ask that memorial gatherings be convened in his honour in all Houses of Worship and in Bahá’í communities across the world.
The Universal House of Justice
APRESENTADO POR GABRIEL MARQUES EM 21 de FEVEREIRO de 2021
Os esforços empreendidos por pessoas e organizações de direitos civis e sociais, embora tenham alcançado relevantes avanços no campo das políticas públicas, sobretudo aquelas visando eliminar o racismo e promover uma inclusão social cada vez mais ampla, não tem sido suficientes e as populações afetadas continuam a enfrentar a discriminação no seu dia a dia. Diante de um quadro social dramático com evidentes injustiças, vozes cada vez mais veementes tem se levantado em tons que demonstram menos e menos paciência e prontas ao enfrentamento nas ruas. Evidentes tem sido os flagrantes de agressões perpetradas seja por forças policiais, seja por seguranças em shoppings centers e supermercados contra a população negra.
A lei pode punir os agressores e se ajustar à realidade para tentar prevenir tais repetidas violações, mas não pode mudar os corações, onde há muito se encontra enraizado alguns destes preconceitos centenários. É aqui neste recôndito mais profundo onde as raízes da motivação precisam ser tocadas e as principais mudanças devam ocorrer, apoiadas por uma visão clara da unicidade de todo o gênero humano e sustentadas por princípios que valorizem esta compreensão de pertencimento a uma única família global e que promovam, ao mesmo tempo, a beleza da diversidade humana e cultural.
E desde que violência e civilização são valores incompatíveis, não é possível se alcançar a civilização almejada utilizando-se de meios violentos. Assim, enquanto – de um lado - se trabalha para o estabelecimento de uma legislação que garanta direitos igualitários e promova a justiça e a equidade, resguardando os interesses de populações historicamente excluídas do acesso aos benefícios disponíveis à sociedade em geral, torna-se urgente a construção de novas bases para a renovação dos marcos civilizatórios, sobretudo no âmbito do coração humano.
Uma análise dos marcos da atual série de Planos Globais empreendidos pela comunidade Bahá’í ao redor do mundo irá revelar o estabelecimento gradual das bases para a superação não apenas do problema do racismo, da discriminação das mulheres e outros, mas aquelas que visam o desenvolvimento junto às raízes da população de valores e atitudes de apoio mútuo e de empoderamento das massas da humanidade, através do aumento de seu poder de expressão e de atividades de inclusão e participação comum nos destinos e construção de comunidade. Em um mundo onde a cada momento evidencia-se a desintegração moral e social, também é possível ver sinais claros de integração e construção. Alinhar-se aos esforços deste último processo, de modo consciente, torna-se tarefa urgente!
Gabriel Marques
Gabriel é publicitário e bacharel em direito, autor de livros na área racial e de vários artigos sobre o tema. É autor do livro: “Da Senzala à Unidade Racial: Uma Abordagem da Realidade Racial no Brasil”, Brasília: Planeta Paz, 1996.
Na área de desenvolvimento social, Gabriel coordenou o Projeto Casa Brasil -- projeto do Gov. Federal/CNPq (2005-2008), um projeto de inclusão social e digital, com ciência e tecnologia, foi também Coordenador pedagógico do Projeto “Trabalho Doméstico Cidadão”, vinculado SEPPIR – Sec. Esp. Promoção Políticas da Igualdade Racial. Iniciou e coordenou ao longo de 12 anos [1988-2001] Encontros Bahá’ís de Afrodescendentes: ambiente de estudo e reflexão sobre conceitos para o avanço da unidade racial; participou do processo brasileiro e sul-americano preparatório à Conferência Mundial contra o Racismo – África do Sul/ 2001, e na própria Conferência Mundial contra o Racismo, Xenofobia e temas correlatos (Durban, Africa do Sul, 2001), assim como do processo inicial de construção do Estatuto da Igualdade Racial.
Gabriel também serviu ao longo de 12 anos como membro do Corpo Continental de Conselheiros para as Américas, órgão da comunidade bahá’í; em trabalho de apoio as Assembleias Nacionais do continente, incluindo Conselhos Regionais e projetos de desenvolvimento social e econômico;
Desde 2011 tem servido na Assembleia Espiritual Nacional dos Bahá’ís do Brasil, órgão superior de governança da Comunidade Bahá’í no Brasil.
APRESENTADO POR MEHRANOOSH AKHBARI, em 11 de ABRIL 2021
Mehranoosh Akhbari (Anvari), é nascida em Teerã no Irã em uma família Bahá’í, que por parte da mãe abraçou esta nova Revelação desde o tempo do Báb. Por parte de seu pai, seu avô Mirzá Muhammad Ali tornou Bahá’í no tempo de ‘Abdu’l-Bahá e foi motivo de perseguição. Depois de várias vezes ameaçado de morte por sua fé, finalmente seguiu o caminho do martírio pela Causa em que dedicou sua vida. O relato deste martírio foi publicado e noticiado pela revista bahá’í “Star of the West” 24 de junho de 1913 junto com uma epístola de ‘Abdu’l-Bahá revelada em sua honra e também uma Epístola de Visitação a ser recitada no seu local de descanso.
Ela cresceu em Teerã e em 1952, quando tinha 8 anos seus pais decidiram atender ao chamado de pioneirismo e foram morar em uma pequena vila à 30km da capital para ajudar a formar uma Assembleia Espiritual Local. Esta foi sua primeira experiência de pioneirismo. Em 1960, decidiram sair como pioneiros para a América Latina. Assim, Dna. Meri (como é carinhosamente chamada pelos amigos de sua comunidade), uma jovem de 15 anos, seus pais, a irmã mais velha e o marido chegaram a cidade de Encarnación, no Paraguai, sem nenhum conhecimento local e sem saber nenhuma palavra em espanhol a família foi residir nesta cidade e assim se formou a segunda Assembléia Espiritual Local do país, logo após a formação da mesma organização Bahá’i (as Assembléias Locais são os órgãos de jurisdição local da comunidade) na capital do país, em Asunción. Com o senso de missão cumprida a família se muda para o Brasil em 1963 estabelecendo-se na cidade de Santos que precisava formar AEL.
Em 1965 devido a necessidade de aposentadoria de seu pai, a família volta ao Irã. Nesta época a jovem Mehranoosh tinha 18 anos. Completa seus estudos na faculdade de engenharia elétrica em Tehrã já planejando que com tal formação poderia voltar ao Brasil, servir como pioneira e trabalhar nesta área. Nesta fase de estudos na faculdade conhece seu futuro marido Sr. Rouhollah Anvari, que estudava engenharia mecânica na mesma faculdade e decidem juntos vir para o Brasil como pioneiros em 1977 estabelecendo-se na cidade de Mogi Guaçu, no estado de São Paulo. Através do trabalho conjunto do casal e de amigos que chegaram nesta cidade as portas do ensino se abriram e em poucos anos uma comunidade vibrante surge em Mogi Guaçu. Em 1991 haviam mais de trinta bahá’ís adultos sendo a maioria de Brasileiros nativos. Esta foi a quarta experiência com pioneirismo de Dna. Meri.
Por fim, em agosto de 1991 decidem que o casal e duas filhas, Mariam de 10 anos e Marzieh de 6 anos poderiam escolher um novo posto para servir. A cidade de Valinhos, foi a escolhida, pois era meta e ainda não tinha nenhum Bahá’í residente. Desde então Mehranoosh e seu marido e uma filha residem e servem intensamente a comunidade de Valinhos e região do interior de São Paulo.
Hoje, aos 77 anos Mehranoosh é uma pessoa especial, criando projetos sistemáticos, próprios de sua formação de engenheira, e sempre imbuída de um senso de missão gigantesco, constantemente disseminando entre seus muitos amigos uma fé contagiante. Ela se sente abençoada por ter passado 69 anos de sua vida como membra de uma família pioneira e por isso o Fireside Bahá’í pediu que compartilhasse um pouco de sua trajetória com todos nós nesse domingo dia 11, às 21:00 horas.
A selection of lifetime moving talks and conversations prepared and presented by outstanding individuals, more than scholars, these are leaders of thought that will redefine your relation to the Creator.
Live streaming content provided by the best in their field. Thoughtful insights on "what's faith" produced by people with the most qualified view on many subject matters and with a spiritual connection to the source of your inspiration
Our stored data provides an extensive content in various subjects that you can use to organize your own online or home presentation. For small and large audiences, our goal is selecting the best presentation, a speech that blends with balance, the depth in the subject and the capacity to move the audience closer to God, combining science and religion.
This is a revised new edition a Bahá'í Fireside presented on December 06, 2020. Many people appreciate the clarity of the Bahá’í teachings and are touched by the genuine warmth and diversity of the community. Puzzled by the difficulty of obtaining a clear explanation of what they are actually doing to bring about the changes they talk about at the societal level, some may conclude that Bahá’ís are quietists or starry-eyed utopians, which is far from the truth. While Bahá’ís avoid partisan politics and abstain from taking public positions on the contentious social issues of the day, many thousands of local communities, both urban and rural and on every continent, are working quietly but systematically (and successfully) to bring about fundamental change at the level of culture, while learning to function under a new kind of institutional structure based on spiritual principles. The main instrument used in this process is a decentralized system of distance learning based on volunteer service by members of the population concerned. This educational process reaches every age-group, from children to seniors, providing life-changing spiritual insights, imparting knowledge and understanding, and developing motivation and skills for service to the community.
While Bahá’ís avoid partisan politics and abstain from taking public positions on the contentious social issues of the day, many thousands of local communities, both urban and rural and on every continent, are working quietly but systematically (and successfully) to bring about fundamental change at the level of culture, while learning to function under a new kind of institutional structure based on spiritual principles. The main instrument used in this process is a decentralized system of distance learning based on volunteer service by members of the population concerned. This educational process reaches every age-group, from children to seniors, providing life-changing spiritual insights, imparting knowledge and understanding, and developing motivation and skills for service to the community.
We are just starting to offer regularly produced fireside content. Presently running in a "beta" stage, www.firesidebahai.org already has a small library of resident content (at the banner above you may click: "more" and choose "Download Presentations" or go directly to our multiple language options). Initially we are working as a generic portal, quickly directing you to renowned external quality content. In our present phase we operate exclusively in English, but already offer content in English, Spanish, Portuguese and French. In the next phase we will offer selections by topics and language and offer calendars of next firesides and new content in different timezones and weekdays, in English, French, Spanish, Italian, Farsi, Portuguese and Russian. All services will be always available with no subscription fee. Meanwhile you can start using "FiresideBahai" as a Hub or a root channel to direct you to selected content from diverse highly acclaimed speakers, talking on a multitude of topics. Some of them offer a vast array of deepening videos and audios on the Bahá'i Faith originally presented to members of the Bahá'í community and others have excellent videos for new friends to the community, beginners or seekers starting a journey in their spiritual discovery path: for these new friends of the Faith, we have selected short conversation starters and interesting Firesides on actual themes and Global issues. Enjoy and participate!
HARMONY AND ARTS IN THE UNIVERSE AND IN GOD's REVELATION:
A perspective of arts & beauty according to the Bahá’í Faith.A Fireside by www.firesidebahai.org presented on November 15, 2020.
Hooper Dunbar: After 50 years serving the Bahá'i Faith, many years in the Holy Land first as an International Counsellor, member of the International Teaching Centre, and later as a member of the Universal House of Justice, Southern California-born painter Hooper C Dunbar has resettled in Granite Bay, California. His extensive range of work is represented in numerous private collections, principally in New York, London, Hong Kong, Verona and Sydney His paintings have been exhibited by Ethan Cohen Fine Arts, Manhattan, the United Nations Offices of the Baha'i International Community, NY the executive offices of SOHO China in Beijing and ART Silicon Valley. He divides his time between private studios in both California and Spain.
Mr. Dunbar was born in Los Angeles, California, United States. He worked as an actor on stage and screen, making films with Columbia, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Twentieth Century-Fox studios, and was a member of the Screen Actors' Guild of America. In 1958, he left Hollywood to take up residence in Central and South America, where he taught arts and English as a second language and set up a graphic design business. However, his primary interest during those years was volunteer work as a teacher and lecturer for the Bahá’í Faith.Mr. Dunbar served as a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Nicaragua from its inception in 1961 to 1963 when he represented that Assembly at the first International Convention in Haifa, Israel. Subsequently, he was appointed as an Auxiliary Board for the Protection of the Faith in the Americas and served from 1963 to 1968, and then as a Counsellor for the Protection and Propagation of the Faith from 1968 1973, also for the Americas.
He took up residence in Israel in 1973 when he was named as one of the founding members of the International Teaching Centre. Mr. Dunbar served as a member of that institution for fifteen years, until he was elected to the Universal House of Justice in 1988. On January 6th, 2010 it was announced that he would retire following a by-election to replace him. He retired along with Dr. Peter Khan.
The 19th century is known for a number of major events and processes including social, industrial, economic, and religious changes in the world. It also witnessed progressive enlightenment movements in many fields of thought and knowledge. The traditional perception of concepts such as reality, knowledge, and truth were redefined. Religious communities, expecting fulfilment of the age old prophecies in their respective faiths, also experienced significant transformation. One such transformation occurred in the middle of the century in Iran with the appearance of the Babi Faith which offered new perspective on a host of fundamental concepts such as religious truth, the purpose of religion, the role of religion in the life of human being and society, and so forth. From the beginning of that century there were calls in Iran for reforms in various fields including the military complex and security apparatus, economic infrastructure, judicial system, political system and the form of governance, the Persian language and its association with Arabic and Islamic terms, literature, and the educational system.
During that same period the disciples of the Babi Faith, founded in 1844, saw the fulfilment of many such reforms in the establishment of the teachings of the new Faith. A handful of early believers in the Babi Faith played critical role in the establishment and spread of the Babi Faith (and later the Baha’i Faith). Considered to be one of a half a dozen foremost apostles among the contingent of early Babi/Baha’i believers, Mulla Sadiq Mugaddas Khurasani was an erudite, scrupulously pious, and remarkable man who performed unparalleled acts of service that immortalized him in the annals of the Babi and Baha’i history. His role in the spread of the new Faith is no less significant than those played by the few Disciples of Christ in the spread of Christianity. He was referred to by Baha’u’llah, the Founder of the Baha’i Faith, as “[the embodiment of] My Name, the Truthful, the Most Holy.”
Dr. Muin Afnani works as manger of technology development in a semiconductor firm, having worked in the field of semiconductor development since 1984. He lives with his wife Soheila and their children in northern California.
ABSTRACT:
1- Comment une religion sans clergé se répand dans le monde entier en un peu plus d’un siècle ?
2-Que peut apprendre un individu quand il quitte sa maison et sa culture en tant que pionnier et se lance dans une telle aventure ?
3-Si une jeune personne est pionnier dans une région lointaine du monde et quitte après une ou deux décennies, quel type de résultats pourrait-il voir au cours des décennies successives ?
4-A-t-on toujours besoin de pionniers aujourd’hui? Le cas échéant, quels seraient les avantages de relever un tel défi? Quelles pensées ou idées pourraient dissuader de partir?
5-Que font les Bahá’ís dans le monde, en plus de faire preuve de gentillesse?
6-Quelle est la relation entre le rôle d’un pionnier et le processus mondial de bâtir la communauté depuis la base, dans lequel les Bahá’ís sont maintenant engagés à travers la planète?
SHAHBAZ FATHEAZAM
Applying a process akin to the clinical laboratory, we seek patterns of human activity that sustain the elementary goals of life among mankind.
What do we mean by ‘Humanity Restored’: is it to re-establish a former condition, or a normal one, or is it to bring us back to being everlasting man? The remedy used to restore health can only be effective if the illness is detected early. The diagnosis and cure to any illness will be more difficult the more we delay in identifying the sickness. The pandemic has very clearly showed us this pathological truth and similarly the steps needed to rectify the coronavirus assault provide a relevant analogy in our attempts to end the different crises in our world and which are no longer discrete events but highly inter-related and which also now require urgent re-examination.
Shahbaz Fatheazam holds honors degrees from the University of London and the London School of Economics and Political Science and has worked in the field of health and diagnostic medicine for the last 30 years. Guest lecturer at several universities in Brazil he is currently country manager for a major US Laboratory Information System developer. He has also published a book in 2015 entitled The Last Refuge: Fifty Years of the Universal House of Justice. His varied life experience in six countries provides an excellent backdrop to a keen world vision.
Presented in English in June 14, 2020
PRESENTED BY Dr. ALBERT LINCOLN in a Fireside held on August 16 2020.
This question is often posed in the context of the complex territorial and religious conflicts that have plagued the Middle East for over a century. The simple answer is that the Prophet-Founder of the Bahá’í Faith, Bahá'u'lláh, born in Iran, was banished in stages from his homeland to what was then Ottoman Palestine, a territory under Islamic rule, by the decrees of two hostile Muslim sovereigns, which He recognized as a fulfillment of destiny. The last 24 years of Bahá'u'lláh’s life were spent in Haifa and the Western Galilee, His final resting place is in Akká, and He left clear instructions that the spiritual and administrative center of the Faith He had founded would be permanently situated in the metropolitan area formed by the adjacent cities of Haifa and Akká.
Going deeper, this presentation aims to explore the historical, geographical and religious dimensions of this event.
DR. ALBERT LINCOLN
As Secretary-General of the Bahá’í International Community from 1994-2013, Dr. Albert Lincoln represented the elected international governing body of the Bahá’í Faith in international forums and interactions with Heads of State and Government, diplomats, high officials and leaders of thought from many parts of the world. Based at the Bahá’í World Centre in Haifa, Israel, he was also responsible for the management of its host country relations, including dealings with national and municipal authorities, Jewish and Arab community leaders, and organizations of civil society. His efforts to foster harmony and mutual understanding among the various religious communities were recognized by an honorary doctorate conferred by the University of Haifa in 2010 and an Award of Merit from the City of Haifa in 2013.
Humanity is facing one of the greatest global challenges in recent memory – the worldwide pandemic of COVID-19. The phenomenon has enveloped virtually every part of the planet and has left no one unaffected. In an unintended fashion, it has united humanity to pause, ponder and reflect on our common destiny on this planet and our assumptions and institutions built under the current world order.
More than 100 years ago, Baha’u’llah, the prophet-founder of the Baha’i Faith, observing the plight of humanity said: “The signs of impending convulsions and chaos can now be discerned, inasmuch as the prevailing order appears to be lamentably defective.” His vision for humanity, however, is a positive one in which he sees the present world order will need to be “rolled up, and a new one spread out in its stead.”
The present crisis give new impetus to these remarkable words. What are the parameters and dimensions of the new world order? What framework and principles should guide the rebuilding of our society and our institutions guided by the concept of Oneness of Mankind?
Join us for a fireside chat facilitated by Shane Tedjarati.
Douglas Martin was a member of the Universal House of Justice from 1993 to 2005. He lives in Toronto, Canada. As a member of the highest governing body of the Bahá'í Faith he has a place in the history of this emergent religion for centuries to come, but it is his personal perspective of the evolution of Religious History that is brought to us in this series of YouTube films. His vision is also very much impacted by his experience in Canada and particularly in Israel dealing with government authorities and ecclesiastic leaders of many diverse religious traditions. As a historian, he can bring to you a very unique perspective of what Bahá'ís call PROGRESSIVE REVELATION. In this sequence of 8 videos he takes the audience on a 6 thousand year journey, describing the evolution of religion in a format and eloquence that is a master class ,
This audio refers to the time for entry by troops as 2021, after a global calamity (who knows, perhaps COVID-19 ?). Mr. Hartmut Grossmann starts the audio recounting a visit of a Gestapo agent to a Bahá'i family during the challenging years of Nazi Germany's persecution of the Bahá'i community, and then evolves into governance and politics. Mr. Grossman was a keynote speaker at a Baha'i Summer School in New Zealand in December 2013, This is an audio of one of the talks he presented: "Politics and Governance". Mr. Grossmann was a former member of the Universal House of Justice. It is from this Institution that he served until 2008, the following description about him:"He combined immense personal warmth, generosity of spirit, and serene humility with utter consecration, unwavering obedience, firmness in the Covenant, and vigilance in the protection of the Faith."
Rob Cacchioni uses various religious Sacred Scriptures and texts, philosophical and secular works, and with his personal commentary to build a vision of harmony and unity among the disparate worldviews. Choose from a group videos (or in audio format) with topics presented in a short presentation length. Themes as "Why we Pray?" or "Why Study Religion" are presented in a friendly and objective casual note but with lots of knowledge.
Choose from a wide selection of films of various presentations either to Bahá'i audiences or the public in general, presented by one of the most gifted and acknowledged Bahá'i speakers, Mr. Hooper Dunbar. A Bahá'i scholar and prolific writer, as well as former member of the Universal House of Justice, Mr. Hooper Dunbar combines a deep knowledge of the Faith with a unique talent to convey personable and elevated talks.
Choose from a group of films and audio presentations in Farsi (Modern Persian language). Catered for the Farsi speaking public in general, by one of the most brilliant Bahá'i writers. A person whose knowledge, spirituality and sense of humor was a source of inspiration and encouragement for Bahá'ís in many parts of the world, particularly in Iran, a country whose government still persecutes the members of the Bahá'í community. A gifted poet and former member of the Universal House of Justice, Mr. Hoshmand Fatheazam was described in these words by the Universal House of Justice, the Institution he served for 40 years: "Gifted with a unique eloquence in Persian prose and verse, he leaves a remarkable legacy of deploying the power of that language in service to the Cause".
A selection of one of the most acclaimed and inspired Baháí scholars of our time and a true visionary. The prolific generation of presentations he has offered in all continents throughout a life time of service can be only partially found in one single site. You will have contact with the unique perspective of someone that was part of the early years of the formative age of this global community. These are talks presented in a deep and yet approachable language. The presentations are fitting either for a Bahá'i audience or friends in general. Developed and presented by the most gifted and prominent Bahá'i speaker, former member of the Universal House of Justice, Mr. Ali Nakhjavání. In a message from October 11, 2019, The Universal House of Justice wrote about him: "He brought to his decades of monumental service absolute fidelity to his beloved Guardian, an exceptional depth of knowledge of the Cause, leonine commitment to the defence of the Covenant, intense ardour for the teaching work, rare spiritual acuity, and a radiant heart brimming with love for everyone who crossed his path".
Promoting the unity of religion, spreading the knowledge of progressive revelation under the combined light of science and religion
“Know thou assuredly that the essence of all the Prophets of God is one and the same. Their unity is absolute. God, the Creator, saith: There is no distinction whatsoever among the Bearers of My Message. They all have but one purpose; their secret is the same secret. To prefer one in honor to another, to exalt certain ones above the rest,
“Know thou assuredly that the essence of all the Prophets of God is one and the same. Their unity is absolute. God, the Creator, saith: There is no distinction whatsoever among the Bearers of My Message. They all have but one purpose; their secret is the same secret. To prefer one in honor to another, to exalt certain ones above the rest, is in no wise to be permitted. Every true Prophet hath regarded His Message as fundamentally the same as the
Revelation of every other Prophet gone before Him […] It is clear and evident, therefore, that any apparent variation in the intensity of their light is not inherent in the light itself, but should rather be attributed to the varying receptivity of an ever-changing world. – Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh XXXIV.
“All the divine Manifestations have proclaimed the oneness of God and the unity of mankind. They have taught that men should love and mutually help each other in order that they might progress. Now if this conception of religion be true, its essential principle is the oneness of humanity. The fundamental truth of the Manifestations is pea
“All the divine Manifestations have proclaimed the oneness of God and the unity of mankind. They have taught that men should love and mutually help each other in order that they might progress. Now if this conception of religion be true, its essential principle is the oneness of humanity. The fundamental truth of the Manifestations is peace. This underlies all religion, all justice “ 'Abdu'l-Bahá 19 April 1912
