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May 2017 eNewsletterNews about Upcoming Courses, Webinars, Web Talks,Conferences, Learners' Actions, and Much MoreNews, Webinars,Conferences,Learners inActionLetter from the UniversalHouse of JusticeThe Ridvan 2017Letter from theUniversal House ofJusticeOn the two hundredthanniversary of the birthof Blessed Beauty, theUniversal House ofJustice in its 2017 Ridvan letter tells usthat during this year we have "the singlegreatest worldwide opportunity there hasever been for connecting hearts toBaha'u'llah." Our task is simple: tell"another soul of the dawning of the Dayof God."Bicentenary of the Birth ofBaha'u'llahA Moving Tributefrom the Presidentof India on theBicentenary of theBirth of Baha'u'llahCourses for Next ThreeMonthsMay - July 2017NEWA Register-When-You-Need-It Course. Sign upanytime. Work at your own pace.Engaging in Parental Consentfor MarriageFaculty Mentors: Susanne Alexander, Leslie Asplund, AlexBlakeson, Hoda Kemp, Wendi Momen, Riaz Mostaghim, FaribaVahdatDuration of course: Register when you need to 24/7/365. Opento individuals, couples, families, and community groups. Study isself-guided. Faculty-mentors available as needed for help.
Local and NationalBaha'i communitiesaround the world arearranging celebrationsto commemorate thetwo hundredthanniversary of the birthof Baha'u'llah in 1817.The President of India,His Excellency PranabMukherjee, has honored the Baha'icommunity of India with a movingtribute.Wilmette Institute NewsMay Web Talk: "Zikrullah Khadem,The Itinerant Hand of the Cause ofGod" As Told By One of HisDaughters, JenaKhadem KhodadadDr. Jena KhademKhodadad, a daughterof the Hand of theCause of God ZikrullahKhadem, will sharefamily stories aboutand her memories ofher father in a WebTalk on May 14. Take part in a rarechance to hear about the passionatedevotion of a Hand of the Cause andlearn stories that will aid your ownspiritual life. READ Engaging in Parental Consent forMarriage is a four-unit course centeredin the Baha'i belief that marriage isintended to be a unifying experience fora family. It explores the knowledge andskills needed during courtship as well asthose that help build family unitythroughout the process leading up to amarriage. The course covers thepurpose and process of parentalconsent, a requirement for Baha'imarriages; the couple's responsibilitiesduring courtship and before askingparents for consent to marry; parentalresponsibilities during courtship,consent, and engagement; and building a united family.Course Description FeesCourseSchedule RegisterFinancial AidExplore the roles of continental, national, and localHouses of WorshipThe Mashriqu'l-Adhkar: TheDawning Place of the Mentionof GodOne in a series on Baha'i communities and administrationLead Faculty: Candace HillFaculty: William CollinsDuration of course: Seven weeks (May 1 - June 18, 2017)Deepen! Web Video: The Hand of theCause of GodZikrullah Khadem-An InterviewAdded to theDeepen! Web Videocollection is arecording of part ofan interview aboutthe Hand of theCause of GodZikrullah Khadem,turned into a videowith photographs.Also available is a four-part SoundCloudrecording of the entire interview.READ New to the Wilmette Institute:Register-When-You-Need-It CoursesIf you have ever thought, "I would liketo take that course next month, but . . .," you wish is being granted, at leastpartially. Beginning on May 1, theWilmette Institute is offering the first inBaha'u'llah, in His Kitabi-Aqdas, instructedBaha'is to build Housesof Worship, which arededicated to the praiseof God: "The House ofWorship forms thecentral edifice of theMashriqu'l-Adhkar (theDawning-place of thePraise of God), acomplex which, as itunfolds in the future, will comprise in addition to the House ofWorship a number of dependencies dedicated to social,humanitarian, educational, and scientific pursuits." This course willexamine the institution of the Mashriqu'l-Ashkar; exploreauthoritative texts by Baha'u'llah, 'Abdu'l-Baha, Shoghi Effendi,and the Universal House of Justice about the institution; review thecompletion of continental Houses of Worship in Turkmenistan, theUnited States, Uganda, Australia, Germany, Panama, India,Samoa, and Chile and the development of the next seven local andnational Houses of Worship now being planned; and explore howthe devotional character of a future Mashriqu'l-Adhkar in yourcommunity can evolve and flourish.
a series called "Register-When-YouNeed-It"--that means 24/7/365. The firstcourse is on parental consent formarriage. READ Watch the videoKevin Locke on "Colonization andDecolonization: A LakotaPerspective": Another New Deepen!Web VideoKevin Lockeapproachescolonization anddecolonization from aspiritual perspective,universalizing the topicto include all who needto divorce themselvesfrom materialism,listen to a DivineEducator, and embrace the diversity ofhumankind. The Q/A session has anilluminating discussion of how tounderstand 'savage' in the Baha'iwritings. READ NEW COURSEExplore early tablets in which Baha'u'llah addressesmystics and divinesDr. Todd Lawson's Three Web Talkson the Qur'an: Excellent forInterfaith Dialogue and SignificantConversations, Essential for Bahá'ísLearning to DefendIslamFor a mind-expandingoverview of the rolethe Qur'an and Islamplay in the Baha'irevelation, and whyShoghi Effendi askedthe American Baha'isto study its history andteachings, you mustlisten (with your friends) to the threeWeb Talks by Dr. Todd Lawson. READ Duration of course: Seven weeks (May 10 - June 27, 2017)Do You Have All the 2017 Web Talkson Your Calendar?To update your list of Web Talks for Maythrough December 2017, you will wantto check the updated list for theremaining eight talks. You will also findlinks for the six Web Talks already givenand available on the Wilmette Institute'sYouTube channel. READ Presenting Baha'u'llah's UnifyingTeachings: Use Web Talks as aResourceWith the continuing emphasis on havingmeaningful conversations on relevanttopics, the Wilmette Institute's growinglist of Web Talks continues to be anexcellent resource. Pick your category.Course Description FeesCourseSchedule RegisterFinancial AidFrom Mysticism to Prophecy:Gems of Divine Mysteries andOther Early (Baghdad Period)Tablets by Baha'u'llahA revised and expanded course in a series on the revelation ofBaha'u'llahLead Faculty: Christopher BuckFaculty: Necati Alkan, Susan ManeckFrom Mysticism to Prophecy:Gems of Divine Mysteries andOther Early (Baghdad Period)Tablets by Baha'u'llahcompletes the study ofBaha'u'llah's early tablets thatbegins in the course onBaha'u'llah's Early MysticWritings. In this course we willfocus on Gems of Divine Mysteries,a treatise that Baha'u'llah tells ushe wrote "in reply to a seeker whohad asked how the promised Mihdicould have become transformedinto 'Ali-Muhammad (the Bab)."Part of Gems of Divine Mysteries issimilar to the mystical SevenValleys, while other parts aresimilar to the later-revealed Kitab-i-Iqan. Consequently, Gems ofDivine Mysteries can be said to mark the transition of theproclamation of Baha'u'llah's mission from mystics (mysticism) todivines (prophecy). We will also study other tablets, usually inprovisional translations, including: the Sura of Counsel (Surah-iNush); the City of Divine Unity (Madinat al-Tawḥid); the Sufferingof the Exalted Letters; the Tablet of Liberation (in whichBaha'u'llah frees a slave); and the Sura of Patience (also known asthe Tablet of Job), revealed on April 22, 1863, on the first day ofRidvan.Watch the videoCourse Description FeesCourseSchedule RegisterFinancial Aid
Then pick your talk. Getting started canbe that easy. READ Use Deepen! Web Videos forFiresides and Personal DeepeningsSee how you can use the new Deepen!Web Videos for firesides and personaldeepening sessions on a variety oftopics. And then let us know about thecreative uses you are making of thevideos so that we can share them withothers. READ Fundraising Goal Exceeded!May brings great news! As of April 21,the amount of money donated to theWilmette Institute reached 69,730.00(our goal was 55,000, which wereached in February). The Institute isoverjoyed that it can offer morescholarships to students around theworld. And it can fund new initiativesthat have only been dreams. You canstill be part of our fundraising. Click herefor a Contribution Form and instructionsfor U.S. Baha'is about making onlinecontributions.Contributions to SocialAction and Public DiscourseABS Religion and Society DiscourseSeminar at Louhelen: A ResoundingSuccessAn ABS seminar on "Religion and SocietyDiscourse" brought together 17attendees--seasoned scholars, recentgraduates, and PhD candidates in fieldsrelated to religious studies--to discussaspects of religious discourse. READ Living ResponsiblyMaking Your Daily Life a BeautifulPrayer: Ethical and Easy Lawns"Therefore strive that your actions dayby day may be beautiful prayers."-'Abdu'l-BahaWith Spring more andmore in the air, weturn our attention toour lawns, includingour front lawns thatare our public "faces"to our neighborhoods.See what ChristineMuller suggests thatwill ensure beauty andcolor and also makeyou a good steward of the environment.Learn how to dialogue and serve with HindusHinduism for Deepening andDialogueAnother in a series on an integrated approach to world religionsLead Faculty: Anne PearsonFaculty: Robert StockmanDuration of course: Seven weeks (May 15 - July 2, 2017)In Hinduism for Deepening andDialogue, we will examine thecomplex of beliefs and practicesthat constitute "Hinduism,"numerically the world's thirdlargest religion, and one of theoldest. We will begin with anoverview of Hinduism, includingthe problem of defining what it is.After reviewing its history andsources of authority, we willexplore central Hindu concepts(the nature of the divine, the self,and the soul; Krishna and the "avatara" doctrine; concepts ofkarma and rebirth); Hindu ethics and social structures; and Hindupractices (yoga, meditation, laws, worship, festivals and holy days,diet). A comparison with Baha'i views will be threaded throughout.Last, we will examine Hinduism in the modern world, its spreadfrom the place of its birth in the Indian subcontinent, and thegrowth of the Baha'i Faith in India. We will be studying for twopurposes: deepening in the basics of Hinduism as a divinelyordained religion and its relationship to the Baha'i Faith andpreparing for dialogue and service with adherents of Hinduism.Watch the videoCourse Description FeesCourseSchedule RegisterFinancial AidUpdate your understanding of Baha'i history, andlearn about important changes in the Baha'icommunity since 1996Baha'i History, 1863-2017A course in a series on the history of the Baha'i FaithLead Faculty: Moojan MomenFaculty: Peter SmithDuration of course: Seven weeks (May 22 - July 9, 2017)
READ "Mistaken Identities": KwameAnthony Appiah on Color, Country,Creed, and CultureHow do we identifyourselves? Anyone whohas ever tried toanswer that questionwill be interested in arecent series of Leithlectures by a renownedcontemporaryphilosopher talking onthe topic of "MistakenIdentities." Professor Kwame AnthonyAppiah goes through four standardcategories of identity: creed, country,color, and culture to show how much ofwhat they stand for is imaginary andhow, at bottom, we are one human race.Listen to the podcasts, or print them outand read them in hard copy.Bahá'í History, 1863-2017, willexplore the major themes ofBaha'i history from Baha'u'llah'sexile from Baghdad to the seconddecade of the twenty-first century,emphasizing the development ofthe Baha'i Faith over the lastcentury and a half. We will coverthe period from 1863 to the end ofBaha'u'llah's life in 1892; theministry of 'Abdu'l-Baha (18921921); the ministry of ShoghiEffendi (1921-57); the ministry of the custodians (1957-63); theperiod from the election of the Universal House of Justice to theend of the twentieth century (1963-96); and the period marking anew direction in the teaching work and outreach to the public(1996-2017). In each unit we will be reading from God Passes Byand/or Century of Light, supplementing the books with essays andarticles on themes such as the development of the community,attracting minorities, the worldwide spread of the Faith,persecution, and more. The course will also look at the changes inthe Baha'i community since 1996, and in particular the changesbrought about by the processes of the Five Year Plans.Watch the videoThe Journal of Baha'i Studies (Vol.26, No. 4) NowAvailableThe latest issue ofThe Journal of Baha'iStudies is nowavailable for free inelectronic form andfor 20 in paperform. Contentsinclude FarzamArbab, "TheIntellectual Life of theBaha'i Community";Paul Lample, "In Pursuit of Harmonybetween Science and Religion"; SonaFarid-Arbab, "Advancing in Baha'iInspired Education"; Rhett Diessner,"The Beauty of the Human Psyche"; andAnne Gordon Perry, "Anne GouldHauberg and Mark Tobey: Lives Lived forArt, Cultivated by Spirit."ABS March 2017 Bulletin No. 138Now AvailableThe Association for Baha'i StudiesBulletin No. 138 (March 2017) is nowavailable on the ABS website. It featuresthe plenary speakers for and informationabout the 41st the Annual Conference.Rethinking Religion in Germany andElsewhereGermany's taking in refugees from theMiddle East and North Africa over thepast several years, according to aGerman Baha'i, has led "Thought leadersCourse Description FeesCourseSchedule RegisterFinancial AidLearn how you can contribute to discussions aboutthe important topic of governanceApplying Baha'i Principles toDiscourses on Governance inthe United StatesAnother in a series on global civilizationLead Faculty: Brian AullDuration of course: Seven weeks (May 25 - July 19, 2017)The Universal House of Justicehas commented on thebreakdown of trust andcollaboration between theindividual and institutions ofgovernance because of thecorrupt practices of partisanpolitics. This "broken" state ofAmerican democracy is thesubject of numerous books andarticles. Baha'is have something to contribute to this discussion,for the Baha'i electoral process with its consultative approach todecision-making and Baha'i efforts in developing human resourcesand building communities constitute a living model of democraticlife. In Applying Baha'i Principles to Discourses onGovernance in the United States we will explore how Baha'ismight contribute to discourses on governance in a way that speaks
in Germany" to ask "foundationalquestions, especially about religion andits expression in public life." Thusconversations are moving "beyondinterreligious dialogue . . . to allow for amore rich discourse on religion'scontribution to the betterment of societyand the common good." A must-read forunderstanding changing thoughts on therole of religion in society. READ UN Recognizes Role of Religion inProtecting Human RightsThis is another must-read: An articleabout a range of religious communitiesand faith-based organizations, includinga substantial number from the MiddleEast, coming together in Beirut for the"Faith for Rights" meeting organized bythe Office of the UN High Commissionerfor Human Rights. The results: TheBeirut Declaration on "Faith for Rights"and 18 Commitments on "Faith forRights," both containing quotations fromthe world's religions, including the Baha'iFaith. READ the language and engages the concerns of scholars, activists, andother people of good will working for civic renewal in the UnitedStates.Watch the videoCourse Description FeesCourseScheduleRegisterFinancial AidFind peace, encouragement, and joy by tapping intoyour spiritual resourcesBaha'i Spirituality: Pathwayto Mental Clarity, Inner Calm,Awareness of God, andPhysical HealthOne in a series on the individual, marriage and family developmentLead Faculty: Christopher WhiteDuration of course: Eight weeks (June 7 - August 1, 2017)Baha'i-Inspired SAT ProgramCatalyzes an Education RevolutionThe Brookings Institute (a U.S. thinktank), in its "Millions Learning" report,highlighted the Baha'i-inspired Sistemade Aprendizaje Tutorial (SAT, or inEnglish Tutorial Learning System) as"cutting edge" since the 1970s.Characterized by academic skills, moraland character development, practicalprojects, guiding and facilitating tutors,and no hierarchy, SAT promotes socialjustice, empowerment, and studentcentered engines of sustainabledevelopment in communities. Listen tothe podcast at the end of the article.READ Learners in ActionCreating Unity with Friendship, Fun,Social Vitality, and Laughter: OneCouple's SpecialFeastShari and JerryMeyer, a couple whotook Creating Unitytogether, describehow the courseprepared them forhosting what theycall the "best Feast"they have ever, one full of fun andHow does Baha'i spiritualityhelp us develop mentalclarity, spiritual awareness,inner calm, and evenphysical health? In Baha'iSpirituality we will beginwith a discussion of prayerand meditation incomparative perspective.Then we will consider thedistinctive elements ofBaha'i prayer andmeditation; the artistry of bodily postures and divine versesblended in the obligatory prayers; the history and significance ofthe Greatest Name and its use in prayers and meditations; thespiritual and physiological benefits of fasting; and how fastingmight promote self-control and restraint. We will read and discussinsights from recent studies in medicine, psychology, and otherscholarly fields to aid us in understanding how Baha'i spiritualitycan lead to profound experiences of peace, encouragement, andjoy.Watch the videoCourse Description FeesCourseScheduleRegisterFinancial AidA QUICK REPEAT OF A POPULARCOURSEPrepare for the 2017 and 2019 anniversaries of thebirths of the Bab and Baha'u'llah
laughter. See what made it so special.READ How Ordinary People Have DoneExtraordinary Things: Two StudentsLearn Skills in "Writing Biographiesand Histories2016"Read about how aCanadian Baha'i iswriting about heraunt, perhaps the100th Baha'i inCanada and a U.S.Baha'i is writingabout her family'shealth issues-and what they learnedabout writing biographies. READ NewsThe Battambang, Cambodia, LocalHouse of Worship Nears Completion:A Time-Lapse UpdateThe Greatest Name has been raised tothe roof in the world's first local House ofWorship in Battambang, Cambodia.Auxiliary buildings are completed.Hundreds of shrubs and flowers are inplace. Watch a time-lapse video (2:25)of the House of Worship nearingcompletion. READ BWNS Launches Android App andOtherFeaturesGood newsfor Androidusers. TheBaha'i WorldNewsService haslaunched the Android mobile application;download at https://goo.gl/G8S0RY.Other features include: (1) a mobileapplication for iOS:https://goo.gl/X0oHoy; (2) audiorecordings of some articles accessiblefrom the home page; (3) Podcastepisodes: https://goo.gl/HT064G; and(4) a Twitter feed for BWNS at@bahainews.Web Talks/Webinars on theItinerant Hand of the Causeof God; Relationships;Emerging GlobalInstitutions; Zoroastrianism;The Bab and Baha'u'llah: TwoLives, One StoryAnother in a series of courses on history and biographyLead Faculty: Druzelle CederquistFaculty: Ed DiLibertoDuration of course: Seven weeks (June 15 - August 2, 2017)In The Bab and Baha'u'llah:Two Lives, One Story, we willdelve into the dramatic story atthe heart of the Holy Anniversaryyears 2017 and 2019 as theBaha'i world prepares tocelebrate the births of Baha'u'llahand the Bab. From Shiraz toTabriz, from the affluentcourtyards of Tehran to theprison-city of Acre, The Story ofBaha'u'llah: Promised One of AllReligions, the text for the course,brings to life the story of theTwin Manifestations at the originof the Baha'i Faith: the Bab ("theGate") and Baha'u'llah ("the Glory of God"), each with a distinctbut connected mission. Together their revelations are intended fora humanity about to enter a new evolutionary stage--the maturityof the human race. The story unfolds in two parts. Part One: TheDawn introduces Baha'u'llah in Tehran and interweaves events inthe life of the Bab and His principal disciples, basic facts aboutIslam, and millennial expectations of Christians. Part Two: The Sunin Its Splendor recounts the dramatic events of life in exile forBaha'u'llah and His family, together with highlights of His writingsand the emerging significance of 'Abdu'l-Baha. Throughout ourstudy, references to world events and well-known American figuresadd context. We will also discuss some basic guidance aboutstorytelling so that in a supportive environment you can exploreand practice sharing these stories yourself, whether in aconversation with a friend or in a more formal setting. There areno hard storytelling requirements; the joy is in learning how simpleit can be.Watch the videoCourse Description Fees CourseSchedule RegisterFinancial AidUnderstanding the "root decay" of the world and ourrole in the working out of God's planThe Promised Day Is ComeOne in a series on the ministry and writings of Shoghi EffendiLead Faculty: Betty J. FisherFaculty: Sherna Deamer, Robert Wilson
and MoreWilmette Institute Web Talk / May14, 2017Jena Khodadad"Zikrullah Khadem: Itinerant Hand of theCause of God"Association for Baha'i Studies / May16, 2017Emily Lample"Learning to Draw on the Revelation inContributing to a Discourse on ScienceEducation"Wilmette Institute Web Talk / June11, 2017Michael Penn"A Philosophy of Mind Grounded inRelationships: A Baha'i-InspiredPerspective"Wilmette Institute Web Talk / Jul. 16,2017Augusto Lopez-Claros"The Emergence of Global Institutions"Wilmette Institute Web Talk / Aug.20, 2017Susan Maneck"Time and the Containment of Evil: TheZoroastrian Cosmology"Wilmette Institute Web Talk / Sept.17, 2017Louise Profeit-LeBlanc"Seven Caribou Spirit Bowls: SevenValleys toward Reconciliation"Wilmette Institute Web Talk / Oct.29, 2017Paul Hanley"Eleven"Wilmette Institute Web Talk / Dec. 3,2017Elena Mustakova-Possardt"A Psychology That Responds to OurTimes: Transforming Inner Oppressioninto Awakened, Aligned, and LiberatedSpirit"Wilmette Institute Web Talks / Jan.14, 2018JoAnn Borovicka"Ten Plagues of the Exodus in the LightDuration of course: Six weeks (June 20- July 31, 2017)Shoghi Effendi's dramatic letter, ThePromised Day Is Come, was written in theearly months of 1941, while the vastmajority of the world's countries werebeing drawn into the deadliest conflict inhuman history. The horrors of World WarII could have been averted if humanityhad accepted the teachings ofBaha'u'llah. However, the Prescription bythe Divine Physician had been met with"cold indifference," and the CentralFigures of the Faith had been cruellypersecuted. The World War, then, wasboth a retributory calamity, punishing theperversity of the human race, and a"cleansing process," welding the peoples and nations into a single,world-embracing community, and preparing humanity for thefuture "Most Great Peace." In this course we will studyBaha'u'llah's proclamations to the world's rulers and theirresponses, the recipients of His message and their ensuinghumiliation, and how "This process of deterioration . . . is stilloperating with undiminished force." Finally, we will reflect on therole each of us must play during the current Five Year Plan in"leading humanity out of the valley of misery and shame to theloftiest summits of power and glory."Course Description FeesCourseScheduleRegisterFinancial AidUpdate your knowledge of the Baha'i Faith inpreparation for conversations leading up to the TwinBirthdays in OctoberThe Baha'i Faith: AComprehensive IntroductionAnother in a series on the world's religionsLead Faculty: Robert StockmanFaculty: Bill Collins, Daniel GebhardtDuration of course: Sevenweeks (June 25 - August 19,2017)The Baha'i Faith: AComprehensiveIntroduction offers athorough and systematicstudy of the Baha'i religion.We will start with a reviewof the vastness of the Baha'iFaith's authoritative texts,which sets it apart fromother religions. In subsequent units we will examine the
of the Baha'i Writings"Conferences/Colloquia onDiversity in Business; the200th Anniversary of theBirth of Baha'u'llah; The Lifeand Legacy of Dan Jordan;Religionsebbf (Ethical Business Building theFuture) /May 4-7, 2017ebbf's 27th International Learning Event"Understanding and HarnessingDiversity"Geneva, SwitzerlandBaha'i Chair for World Peace / May 9,2017Youk Chhang"Finding Justice in the CambodianGenocide: Mistakes, Consequences andQuestionable Ethics"Association for Baha'i StudiesWorking Group Seminar / May 11-14,2017"Law Discourse Seminar"Bosch Baha'i School, Santa Cruz, CA,USA'Irfan Colloquia /May 25-28, 2017"Bicentennial Celebration of the Birth ofBaha'u'llah" (English & Persian)Bosch Baha'i School, Santa Cruz, CA,USADesert Rose Baha'i Institute / May27-28, 2017"Memorials of the Faithful: The Life andLegacy of Dan Jordan" Irfan Colloquia / June 28-July 4, 2017"Bicentennial Celebration of the Birth ofBaha'u'llah" (Persian)Centre for Baha'i Studies, Acuto, Italy Irfan Colloquia / July 5-9, 2017"Bicentennial Celebration of the Birth ofBaha'u'llah" (English)Centre for Baha'i Studies, Acuto, Italy Irfan Colloquia / July 20-23, 2017"Bicentennial Celebration of the Birth ofBaha'u'llah" (German)fundamental concept of unity and its implications for creatingcommunity, reforming the world, and reconceptualizing suchsubjects as leadership, politics, and conflict; the nature of God,revelation, Manifestation, humanity, creation, religion, and theBaha'i Faith's relationship to other faiths; the nature and spiritualdevelopment of human beings and the role of marriage and familylife; and the Baha'i approach to reorganizing the social life andcivilization of the human species. In the historical section of thecourse we will examine the development of the Baha'i communityfrom the time of the Bab (1844) to the present, considering thedevelopment of new Baha'i institutions and the Faith's focus onseveral important priorities: diversity, geographical spread, andempowerment of the membership. The course is suitable forinquirers wishing a basic overview, new Baha'is desiring a chanceto explore the religion they have accepted, and veteran Baha'iswishing to refresh and deepen their understanding.Course Description FeesCourseScheduleRegisterFinancial AidLearn how to talk about the importance of agricultureand sustainable development and how to incorporateagriculture into your lifeBaha'i Perspectives onAgriculture and FoodAnother course in a series on aspects of global civilizationLead Faculty: Paul HanleyFaculty: Arthur Lyon Dahl, Kim Naqvi, Neil Whatley, Robert WhiteDuration of course: Sevenweeks (July 10 - August 27,2017)Baha'u'llah describedagriculture as "a vital andimportant matter" that wasforemost among theprinciples "conducive to theadvancement of mankindand to the reconstruction ofthe world" (Tablets ofBaha'u'llah Revealed Afterthe Kitab-i-Aqdas 90, 89). Yet current agricultural policy oftenprioritizes yield and profit over health, sustainability, andsociocultural features of rural communities, while the poor struggleto even feed themselves, and climate change makes farmingincreasingly unpredictable. These and other factors threaten foodsecurity. In Baha'i Perspectives on Agriculture and Food, wewill examine the teachings of the Baha'i Faith on agriculture, food,and rural development; relate these teachings to contemporarypublic discourse on these issues; and suggest ways in whichagricultural activities can be incorporated into core activities,community-building, and emerging social action.Watch the videoCourse DescriptionFeesCourse
Tambach Seminar Center, Tambach,GermanyAssociation for Baha'i Studies / Aug.10-13, 2017See website for reservations, hotel &travel information, and registration.Hyatt Regency Orange County, CaliforniaUSA Irfan Colloquia / October 5-8, 2017"Bicentennial Celebration of the Birth ofBaha'u'llah" (English & Persian)Louhelen Baha'i School, Davison MI, USAAmerican Academy of Religions /Nov. 18-21, 2017Boston , Massachusetts, USAWILMETTE INSTITUTELINKS, SOCIAL MEDIALINKS, AND OTHER LINKSWilmette Institute eInstitute Public WebsiteInstitute Course DeliveryInstitute: Student ProjectsInstitute: Reference MaterialsInstitute: Web TalksSocial Media LinksFollow the Wilmette Institute onFacebook and Twitter! Doing so couldget you a discount on your nextWilmette Institute course. The Instituteis offering discount codes for 10 or even20 percent for selected courses via thosetwo social ute:Institute:YouTube ChannelFacebook PageTwitterPinterestGoogle SoundCloudOther LinksAssociation for Baha'i Studies, NorthAmericaBaha'i Chair for World PeaceBaha'i International CommunityBosch Baha'i Schoolebbf (Ethical Business for a BetterFuture)Green Acre Baha'i SchoolInstitute for Studies in Global ProsperityScheduleRegisterFinancial AidDiscover the art and skill of divine, dynamicconsultationDynamic ConsultationOne in a series on skills developmentLead Faculty: Trip BarthelFaculty: Shamil FattakhovDuration of course: Sevenweeks (July 15 - September7, 2017)In Dynamic Consultationwe will bring together theprinciples of Baha'iconsultation with thepractices of mediation andfacilitation. The course isdesigned to promote unityand action in the communitythrough teaching the artand science of consultation in practical skill-based exercises. Inseven units we will discuss (1) engaging by meeting and greeting;(2) empathizing by feeling and connecting, and exploring bylearning and knowing; (3) envisioning by framing and focusing; (4)expanding with creativity and diversity; (5) elucidating virtues andprinciples; (6) evaluating options and criteria, and executing viaaction and unity; and (7) examining with reflection and growth.The course's aim is to enable learners to apply the skills at Feasts,in Spiritual Assembly and committee meetings, in reflectiongatherings, as well as in family or work
the devotional character of a future Mashriqu'l-Adhkar in your . Making Your Daily Life a Beautiful Prayer: Ethical and Easy Lawns . Seven weeks (May 22 - July 9, 2017) READ Bahá'í History, 1863 Baha'i history from Baha'u'llah's "Mistaken Identities": Kwame Anthony Appiah on Color, Country,
