I am currently undertaking a Graduate Diploma in Business, a research project as a prerequisite to undertaking a Doctorate by research as the NTU has no 'Honours' year.

I am examining the cultural values of both indigenous and non-indigenous students and comparing them to the cultural values inherent in the accounting methodology used in Australia. If it can be shown that the values held by Indigenous students relating to concepts such as wealth, ownership, knowledge etc are sufficiently divergent to non indigenous students, it will then be possible to examine the implications this has for teaching Accounting (in particular) and for the community (in general). I would love to be there at the Institute but instead will be undertaking research with a group of students at Gapuwiyak and Millingimbi! (way out bush in Arnhemland)

regards

Jane

Faculty of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies

Northern Territory University

Darwin NT AUSTRALIA 0909

My research and writing interests continue to center around three main topics: spiritual education as a socially transforming process; the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh as a new epistemology and the integrator of the academic curriculum; and the sociological development, both historically and at present, of the Bahá'í community at every level, but especially within the region of the Spiritual Axis. In the practical sphere where I can test these ideas, I remain principal of Daystar International School; a member of the Board of Directors of International Educational Initiatives, a resource company whose aim is to develop educational materials and guidelines for spiritual and global education; and a member of the Association of Bahá'í Studies. IEI will be putting out its fifth publication soon, and I am now writing papers for some upcoming conferences this summer and winter.

William Barnes

DaystarJpn@aol.com

Right now, I am researching into the progress of the soul in the Chinese religion to see whether there are correlations with the Bahai Faith. Other on-going projects include collecting any materials which comment on the history of the Bahais in southeast Asia and on the "the pioneer as missionary"; methodology in the field; and differences between a pioneer and missionary.

Phyllis Chew

I have completed a 4-year writing project to turn my Master's thesis into a full-length book. The 410-pages manuscript, presently undergoing Bahá'í peer review, is tentatively titled: "The Final Consummation: The Millerites and Biblical Time Prophecy in the American Bahá'í Community." A lengthy article extracted from the manuscript is being considered for two upcoming issues of "World Order." The article is entitled: "Millennialism and Millerites: The Bahá'í Adaptation of Historicism to the Interpretation of Biblical Time Prophecy." For the past three years, has been coordinating a loose-knot network of Bahá'í librarians, archivists, and information professionals. The newsletter, "Scriptum", is available on the web at http://www.bcca.org/~glittle/scriptum. Contributions to the newsletter are welcome.

Bill Collins

6819 Stoneybrooke Lane

Alexandria, VA 22306

USA

Proposal for a Needs Assessment: Bahá'í Teachers of Multifaith or Bahá'í Classes in Primary Schools

There is a significant unmet demand for Bahá'í teachers of multifaith classes in several regions and local government areas in Australia. This shortage is exacerbated by the rapid turnover of volunteers. Current trends suggest that the demand for multifaith and/or Bahá'í classes in schools will increase over time as more schools express an interest in offering such classes as an alternative to traditional Christian religious education. The proposed study will attempt to clarify training and resource needs of existing and prospective volunteers. The outcome will be a report which should assist in the retention and expansion of the pool of volunteers, and contribute to their knowledge and skill base.

Method

The study will employ a needs assessment approach (see Queeney, S. 1995. Assessing Needs in Continuing Education: An Essential Tool for Quality Improvement. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers). Needs assessment is a systematic approach to the determination of the actual needs of a group, as opposed to (e.g.) wants and demands. In a needs assessment, needs are also elaborated while taking due account of resource constraints (the "art of the possible", or "real", rather than "ideal"). The researcher has wide experience in conducting needs assessments in formal and non-formal educational contexts in Australia and overseas.

The study will involve three main data-gathering phases, and the outcome will be a report with recommendations for training and resource provision.

Phase 1 (April-May 1998): Group discussions with an intact group of volunteer teachers of multifaith classes in the Brisbane area. These discussions will be non-directive and will serve to map out possibilities for further investigation and analysis. No assumption will be made that the issues which emerge from this group will be fully representative of multifaith teachers Australia-wide.

Phase 2 (June-July 1998): Interviews with multifaith teachers, students in multifaith classes, and parents of students attending classes in the S.E Qld region. Initial interviews will be non-directive, and follow-up interviews will investigate emerging issues. Although no assumption will be made that the issues which emerge from interviewees will be fully representative of multifaith teachers Australia-wide, the results will be sufficiently representative to serve as a foundation for a survey questionnaire.

Phase 3 (August-September 1998): Survey questionnaire. This will be mailed to registered teachers of Multifaith and/or Bahá'í classes in schools Australia-wide. The content and structure of the survey will be determined through qualitative analysis of the data from phases 1 and 2. The assistance of the National Bahá'í Education Committee for Children will be sought (mailing list, postage) for this phase

Jef Clark

School of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning,

Faculty of Education, Griffith University Nathan Q 4111

I am involved with a Bahá'í-Christian Dialogue Interest Group (under the ABS umbrella). The group has about 40 members and has functioned enthusiastically but intermittently for two years, mainly by e-mail discussions. Our mission statement says "The Bahá'í/Christian Dialogue interest group exists to promote cordial and productive dialogue between Christians and Bahá'ís. The group will: 1) try to discover and practice the skills and attitudes of successful dialogue, 2) engage in actual dialogue as well as reflecting on the process, and 3) encourage group members to produce scholarly work which will contribute to better understanding between Bahá'ís and Christians." The group has a web site at

www.ozemail.com.au/~cdibdin/index.htm. Discussions are held on the 'Bahai-dialogue' e-mail list, and there is an occasional newsletter.

My personal interests in this subject are 1) finding a Bahá'í view of the Bible which is consistent with both religious and scientific perspectives, and 2) learning the 'skills' of dialogue which enable all participants to learn and grow, rather than to just teach. Bahá'í books and journals are providing a steady stream of valuable contributions to this exciting field, which can only grow in relevance as the Faith expands.

warmest regards,

Colin

For a Bahá'í contribution to an Oxford (UK)-based collection on spiritual experience in different religions, I am seeking stories which illustrate this aspect of the Faith. If you would like to share specific instances of 'spiritual experiences' you have had, or would like to make comment/share insights into the more general area of spiritual experience (Bahá'í beliefs about, etc), I would welcome your input.

Your name will not be published in relation to any specific experiences. Please write to:

Dr Bronwyn Elsmore

Religious Studies

Massey University

Palmerston North

New Zealand

E-mail: B.M.Elsmore@massey.ac.nz

Areas of research have included -MSc thesis: The psychological, cultural and spiritual dimensions of Reconciliation. Other research areas: the role of myth, memory and identity in ethnonationalism; the foundations for peaceful vs. violent cultures; the conflict in Cyprus; the spiritual dimension of conflict resolution; the role of consultation and prayer in conflict resolution; Bahá'í perspective on peace and world order. New area of research: human rights (universalism vs cultural relativism), global governance, and the role of non-state actors in the new world order; the United Nations; religion and conflict; religion and conflict resolution. I am in the process of writing a paper on Western vs. Islamic notions on Human Rights and the Plight of the Bahá'ís in Iran.

Cheshmak A. Farhoumand

B.A. Peace and Conflict Studies

M.Sc. Conflict Analysis and Resolution

Ph.d candidate, International Relations

Department of Political Science

York University

I am delighted to have a chance to describe what we are calling a "new paradigm" for scholarship: we are getting more and more excited about it. Of course, the source of this "new paradigm" is the UHJ's statements about scholarship, and more specifically, their guidance to ABS-Japan. A lot of the current excitement in Japan is tied to the powerful effect of the ABS-Japan conference in December 1997. Sandra Fotos, one of our executive committee members, just got back from Haifa from a three day visit, having met with both Peter Khan and the ITC. Basically, they were delighted with us, in large part because of the very strong Japanese component to our conference. They are strongly, strongly encouraging us: I think we are doing something that is very much in keeping with their vision of what Bahá'í studies can be. And, here in Japan, we are having confirmation after confirmation as we are starting to see the great potential of a Bahá'í Studies "liberated" from the confines of other models.

Basically, I think what happened is that our conference finally broke away from the old model and started firmly in a new direction. By our avoiding highly academic approaches, ordinary Japanese believers were able to understand very much of what was being said, and felt very much it was for them. And by featuring talks on Japanese aesthetics and spiritualization, we strongly "validated" and "endorsed" the ways of our Japanese friends. I don't think that I can over-emphasize how important I think this to be. [Of course, a warm and relaxed atmosphere helped very much, as did the Japanese folk songs and the powerful, evocative performance of koto music.]

And the response has been enthusiasm, increased confidence, increased activity, spontaneous endorsement of ABS activities, and much more important in this country where basically the administration is only slowly developing: a method and means that allows people to get together to understand and apply the Bahá'í teachings for the very practical activities of community development and teaching.

Let me comment on what the role of the traditional academics, scholars, and professionals seems to be in our "new paradigm." It is very, very important, a far cry from the usual things that causes worries about anti-intellectualism and academics. As I see it, the professionals and scholars play the extremely important role of validating, supporting, backing up with specific expertise, providing a broad vision, and being a "treasure" of knowledge that can be drawn on. In playing these diverse roles, which can be done in such a natural and easy way that the whole intellectual/anti-intellectual thing can be forgotten, a strong sense of unity develops - a lack of feeling separated and apart. It is only natural that this should happen when knowledge is put to fruitful use.

Obviously, I am enthused. Saturday, we spent the afternoon with some of the friends talking about how to translate Mohan Narula's good but complicated community development strategies into simple plans, and the group, instead of seeing it merely as an intellectual exercise [I was trying to prepare a well-stated suggestion to submit to the NSA at the national convention], decided they would set a goal (energize the Tokyo LSA, which has been in the doldrums lately), make plans, and start a new Special Interest Group on Community Development. Not only that, but we clearly saw the way to take it national. Simply amazing!

In short, we are being filled with a vision of ABS and Bahá'í Studies as a practical, dynamic, community-oriented organization that can bring knowledge and expertise together with people in a focused, consultative manner that provide a powerful way to address problems and provide ways to find solutions, while at the same time fostering and enhancing an appreciation of the skills and knowledge capabilities needed by the community. And without a doubt, it demands and fosters "local" knowledge skills! Very powerful indeed, and perhaps Bahá'í Studies can even be a crucial component in the growth of the Bahá'í community, one that can play an important role in breaking the logjam that seems to have arisen at the current stage of development of the administrative order in various places around the world.

Yours sincerely,

Stephen Friberg

Bahá’i Consultation as a model of Alternate Dispute Resolution

Very little is known of the Bahá’i Faith as a religion, let alone one of its principal institutions, Bahá’i Consultation, which acts in the Bahá’i Faith as a kind of ADR. But Consultation is much more than a mechanism of ADR. The purpose of this Dissertation is to explain what Bahá’i Consultation is; to propose Bahá’i Consultation as a model of ADR; and to study the proposed Model from different angles. It will have 13 Chapters, following a natural progression of ideas from the history of the Bahá’i Faith to the nuts and bolts of Bahá’i Consultation and its role in the modern secular world.

Chapter 1 (Introduction - Consultation as a model of alternate dispute resolution) will discuss briefly the characteristics of the various existing methods of ADR. It would then introduce the Bahá’i Consultation; and set out its basic characteristics, and briefly state the intrinsic differences Consultation has existing methods. In essence it is a process for grappling with issues, out of which emerge solutions.

Chapter 2 (Brief introduction of Bahá'u'lláh and the Bahá’i Faith) will introduce the Bahá’i Faith and its fundamental verities. There will be a brief historical tour of the Faith. Chapter 2 will also introduce the basic building blocks in reference material; i.e. the ranks of different kinds of Bahá’i writings, the importance and weight attached to each; and in an apparent conflict between the one and the other, which ought to prevail. Central figures in the Faith and the Station of their persons and their writings will be examined.

The unique position of the writings of Shoghi Effendi the Guardian of the Faith will also be discussed. Next the function, role and the relative importance of the writing s of the Universal House of Justice will be set forth. This will be to assist the reader understand the relative importance of each of their views as compared to the other. Some discussions of the Bahá’i concept of justice will also be discussed, followed by Bahá’i jurisprudence and relevant juridical institutions as propounded by the Faith.

Chapter 3: (Station of Consultation in the Bahá’i Faith) will discuss the position Bahá’i Consultation occupies as an "institution" in the Bahá’i faith and its role. One of the purposes of this chapter would be to examine the religious basis of Bahá’i Consultation.

Chapter 4: (The Nature of Bahá’i consultation): Bahá’i consultation is both a means of jointly considering something, and a means of allowing an idea to grow; it is an organic process, used for organic beings, for organic purposes. This would be a continuation and expansion of Chapter 1; going deeper into the characteristics of Bahá’i consultation.

Chapter 5: (The pre-requisites of consultation: its nuts and bolts): will discuss the actual technicalities and the conditions under which Bahá’i Consultation will work.

Chapter 6: (Use of consultation as an institution in the institutions of the Bahá’i Faith) will discuss the role Consultation plays in Bahá’i institutions.

Chapter 7: (Comparative analysis of the basis of consultation and traditional methods of dispute resolution mechanisms and ADR mechanisms) will be a comparative Analysis of the basis of Bahá’i consultation and traditional methods of dispute resolutions and other ADR mechanisms will be examined.

Chapter 8. (A Comparative analysis of the Islamic "Muzawarah/Meshuwarah" and consultation) will be a study of Consultation and the Islamic method of "discussion".

Chapter 9: (Use of the "Consultation Model" in various conflict situations:) will examine the use of Consultation in various conflict situations, including Family, Corporate, Industrial, Public-related conflicts and in Criminal Law.

Chapter 10: (Present institutions that utilise the Consultation Model) will discuss present institutions, both Bahá’i and non-Bahá’i that utilise the Consultation Model. There will be a discussion of the American judges, Nelson’s institution which have proposed a system of mediation mechanism; as well as Consultation-like systems used by other religions, particularly Islam. This Chapter would also examine any existing system of conflict resolution in other religions.

Chapter 11: (Recorded examples of the use of the Consultation Model in dispute resolution) will discuss various recorded examples when this system has been used; with an analysis of the structure used and a study of the results achieved.

Chapter 12 (Non- usable areas) will discuss certain areas where the idea of consultation will not work.

Chapter 13 (The future role of Consultation as an ADR method) will discuss the future role of Consultation as a dispute resolution mechanism.

GK Ganesan

Here in Spain, the Bahá'í Studies Association went through a period of latency for several years, despite some very promising beginnings. Support for Bahá'í Studies has been quite considerable in terms of affiliation. More than two hundred people pay regularly a yearly sum of about 30 Australian dollars in order to finance the main activities of the Association. Four years ago the NSA of Spain made a move to give new impetus to the Association, and as a result activities have sprung in a healthy manner. For the past four consecutive years both the Bulletin and the periodical "Revista de Apuntes Bahá'ís" have been coming out without considerable delays, and contributions on the part of Spanish authors have become a regular if not dominant feature. Efforts to consolidate various interest groups have met with a mediocre response, but this does not seem to deter the Executive Board from its resolve to persevere.

Actually, the current Executive Board has managed to implement a serious 2 year program aimed at training young Bahá'í researchers. This program consists of materials covering a wide range of topics, with a somewhat philosophical bent, and a combination of follow up correspondence activities and tutorials for those living in the same region. The response has been very positive bearing in mind the difficulties involved. More than ten young Bahá'ís are taking up this program and are working towards its completion quite satisfactorily. Unfortunately, distances and the lack of tutors is becoming a hindrance to extend the benefits of this initiative to distant regions such as Andalucía. By the way, one of the reference books they are using is my work "Hacia un discurso bahá'í" (Working out Bahá'í Discourse).

Just three weeks ago the Association for Bahá'í Studies of Spain celebrated its tenth Anniversary with a two day series of talks focusing on various aspects of World Citizenship. Two relevant academic figures in the world of ethics accepted to give key addresses. One of them was a former independent Senator, Professor Victoria Camps, and a prestigious Senior Lecturer Norbert Bilbeny, both from Barcelona's Autonoma University. I had a talk on "World Citizenship as an Ethical Concept", which was further subdivided into three main sections: a historical outline; a series of considerations on the semantics surrounding words such as "citizenship", "society", "community", "globality" and the like; and thirdly, some conclusions from the ethical standpoint. To give you an idea I will summarise the first part of it.

My main contention is a truism, namely that the idea of "citizenship" is closely linked to the development of cities and civilization as a whole. In this process of integration we have come to see how a citizen is someone who is freed from elementary needs and therefore is able to influence and contribute positively to the common weal. At first, this capacity was the preserve of just a few. In Ancient Greece, women, children, slaves, foreigners and the infirm were simply beyond the pale. But throughout the past two millennia we have come to witness a process whereby all the excluded categories of people become part of the very definition of able humankind. After the French Revolution, the traditional division into states is thrown out and differences ascribed to inherent privileges abolished. The idea of the common "people" becomes all-inclusive, so much so that everyone is equalized, at least from that point of view. There are no longer vassals. All are part and parcel of a "society" or "fatherland" which acknowledges some basic political rights to all its members, regardless of their condition. All become united through the bond of a new social contract. Of course, this new era is not free from important flaws. Although citizens are allotted an equal share of rights, so to speak, differences tend to solidify along supposedly non-discriminatory lines. Citizens become different not because they are given privileges, but because differences are natural or simply because excellence is attributable to personal merit.

I tried to explain that in this process we have tended to develop two different approaches that, if carried to its extreme, are utterly incompatible and equally detrimental to humankind. One approach tends to view humankind as a mere aggregate of individuals. It is centered on the individual and looks with suspicion at society and the State. The other is basically society-centered, and tends to see the individual as a mere projection or expression of societal forces. In this approach the individual is given shape basically through institutional means. My own contention is that the idea of community, as envisaged in the Ridván message 153, establishes a third element where both levels encounter creatively and in a way in which neither of the two actors becomes exclusive. Furthermore, I contend that apart from the expansion of human rights, which now include rights of the second and third generation and provide a language which is of universal value, there is an element of voluntariness which must be added to the exercise of human rights and its natural counterpart: duties and responsibilities.

I hold the view that one of the greatest features of this century lies precisely in the formidable expansion of "human resources" and correspondingly in the strengthening of civil society, understood not so much as a counterbalancing power, but as the responsible use of the capacities developed by conscientious people who are able to see with their own eyes. In "Working out Bahá'í discourse" I proposed the following definition of civil society: "Civil society means citizenship consciously exerted and aimed at individual and collective empowerment". The idea is an enlargement of Kant's definition of Enlightenment as "freedom from culpable incapacity".

In general, much of my work has been undertaken under much pressure and has been largely made possible by taking advantage of odd moments taken from here and there. "Working Bahá'´i Discourse" and the small booklet "On poverty" were responses to petitions made by some Bahá'ís. My book on religious dialogue was practically concluded in Australia and hopefully will come out soon. During the last five years, through the piecemeal work I have mentioned, I have been able to write other works:

1) "Children of Utterance". This work looks at the importance of the written Word in our world and the difficulties we encounter to understand each other in the process. In the first chapter I describe some basic questions concerning orality versus literacy, and the expansion of consciousness which is associated to the spread of writing in our modern world. I also take some pains at describing the side effects of a literary culture (the excesses of civilization), basically the tendency to despise memory and anything with a smack of learning by rote. Later, I have discovered that there is a considerable number of works by authors such as Chadler, Olson, Goody, Bottero and Havelock very much in the same line. In the second and third chapters I deal with the importance of the word in the Bahá'í writings, the question of interpretation, the role of Bahá'í scholarship and the etiquette which should be applied to interaction between Bahá'í scholars. Other chapters offer a critical view of the abuse of images in our society, both in a literal and figurative sense. I illustrate my views with two commentaries, one devoted to an article by Vargas Llosa on TV, and another criticising the use of images ad metaphors as a rhetoric device to make palatable things which are false.

2) "The Wealth of Humankind". A series of essays on questions related to economics. I begin with a commentary on Jesus statement "you will always have poor amongst you". Here my purpose is to show how a statement is taken out of context and made into a sort of lasting sociological factual statement. To prove my point I go into some detail discussing the other key points surrounding Jesus discussion with Judas on account of the annointment with the expensive parfume. Judas seems to represent a sort of materialist spirituality. His intentions are good, but they are based on an economy of salvation which values means and logical reasoning above love and community links. In subsequent chapters I try to explore at some length the importance of charity as generous love. I criticise the somewhat irresponsible criticism which underlies much of the negative publicity carried out by model NGOs: we do not want your charity, we want your money, and the like. If you want to kill the goose that lays the golden egg, you only have but to abhor from charity. I illustrate this with some of the Enlightened paradoxes still active in our contemporary imagery: the invisible hand, the idea that self-interest may redound into social goodness as if by magic, the receding importance of charity versus utilitarian arguments, and so on. I also discuss the "cake" metaphor as a basic part of economic thinking. In another section I deal with some of the "undervalues" current in Market current thinking. For instance the idea that "risk" and "uncertainty" must take some sort of prominence in business ethics. I provide an in-depth analysis of a talk given by a very well-known Spanish banker and show the obvious contradictions and begging questions which are characteristic of this rhetoric. In a final chapter I attempt to provide some basic references concerning business ethics.

3) "Essays on the Translation of Bahá'í Writings".

4) "A guide of Academic Writing for Thinking Students". This book is divided into two sections. The first part deals with university studies in general. It shows the importance of language in creating an academic culture and discusses the role of scholars or intellectuals in modern society. This part aims at becoming a readable approach to academic work. I try to show the specifics of an academic environment, the difficulties involved in characterising "culture", and the complexities surrounding the use of words such as "objectivity", "science", "structure" and the like. In the second part I describe the elements of writing, stressing the importance of "essay writing" and "argumentation".

During this period I have also made some progress on my PhD thesis on "An Analysis of the Concept of Peace in the Bahá'í Religion", but I have been unable to find quality time and the much need peace of mind to complete it. God willing, this may happen in the not so distant future.

Right now I am devoting most of my time to prepare translations of some books in order to establish an independent Bahá'í publishing firm. I have already translated "Asking Questions, A Challenge to Fundamentalism", and currently I am working on the translation of Mírzá Haydar's Alí's Memories from the Delights of Hearts" and "The Psychology of Spirituality" by Hossain Danesh. I obviously entertain some doubts as to the financial feasibility of this venture, but if it proves successful I would love to branch off into more community-oriented works. I believe that there is a potentially huge area of works tapping into the Bahá'í writings aimed at empowering Bahá'í communities with practical tools for self-development. Conflict resolution and consultation are evidently some of them; but there is much that can be done in personal growth, community skills and the like. We'll see about it and what is in store for us.

I am always tempted by the idea of exploring the language of the Bahá'í Scriptures and identify its main themes in the broadest context offered by Persian and Arabic literature. In all probability I will have to settle for something less ambitious; but whether there is a will (...) I suppose this has become too much of a letter. I wish you all the best in your endeavours, and I would love to hear from you and the results of your Scholarship Institute.

Lots of love,

Miguel

mgilsant@arrakis.es

I have begun, spasmodically over the last two years, some research on how the fragrances of the Writings of the Faith effect the "harmony" and "wellbeing" of the body when one is afflicted with a chronic illness. I have Multiple Sclerosis, and have noticed that I am at my "best" state of health, when I feel in spiritual harmony. How when I am involved in a teaching project or other field of service, my state of health leaps by comparison to when I am not. By researching it I am hoping to be of assistance to myself and others who have chronic illnesses, so we can best utilize our lives in service to humanity.

Kathy Gilbert

kathyg@xtra.co.nz

I.

Bahá'í history and biography. Recently completed projects include publication of letters from Shoghi Effendi to the Bahá'í Communities of Australasia (Messages to the Antipodes: BPA 1997), and "Pacific Bahá'í Communities: issues and prospects’, Bahá'í Studies Review (6, 1996). In 1998 I have hopes of completing a biography of Effie Baker. Ongoing projects include collection of materials for a biography of Clara and Hyde Dunn, and for an introductory history of the Bahá'í Faith in Australia; as well as collection, in collaboration with Babak Mohajerin, of Shoghi Effendi’s letters to North and Southeast Asia. Through teaching a course on Shoghi Effendi’s work Promised Day is Come as part of the Certificate in Bahá'í Studies program at Yerrinbool I have realised the need for much greater knowledge of the lives and times of the monarchs addressed by Baha’u’llah, and have commenced reading, principally at this stage the life of Napoleon III.

II.

Approaches to social theory. I am interested in themes that overlap with my work at the Centre for Comparative Constitutional Studies. In general, this means an interest in theories of state and civil society, and the various components of their structure (parliaments, courts, systems of executive operation) and means of interaction (theoretic: notions of authority, democracy, legitimacy, law, constitutionalism; and actual: media, electoral systems, etc). Focus on the concepts of unity and pluralism requires consideration of conflict resolution. I am attempting to write a chapter on ‘governance and conflict’ for a book being edited by Charles Lerche as part of the Emergence series.

Each of the themes mentioned above relates to inquiry into how Bahá'í communities understand and practice governance. To aid this inquiry, I am reading on two themes: Habermas’ theory of communicative action (especially Between Facts and Norms), and ‘learning community’. The latter topic, about which much appears on the internet, is expressed in my involvement in the Regional Teaching Committee for Victoria. This committee takes a ‘learning organisation’ approach to its activities in the region, manifest in such innovations as the "Victorian Bahá'í Community Expo", the monthly "Community Forum", the establishment of offices of Human Resources, Education, Youth, and Communications – and the development by this last office of a communicative capacity by website (FLAME Online), internet (FLAME Express) and traditional print media (which I guess can be called the ‘old flame’).

III.

Information Collection. I am hoping to make increasing use of the internet for these and other scholarship projects. For instance, I am interested in identifying the most relevant bibliographic and full-text databases that can be searched on the internet, or through such other means as cd rom. These can be newspaper databases, but also discipline and area specific databases. A second goal is to identify useful ‘push browsers’ that systematically collect and refer relevant material. A third goal is to increase interaction on internet discussion groups, for directed scholarship ends. For instance, I participate on the list "Bahai-outposts" – a list of interest to pioneers and others interested in ‘remote’ Bahá'í Communities – by periodically posting information on the Knights of Baha’u’llah, and inviting elaborations, corrections and clarifications, from other list participants. All this work is, alas, hindered by a lack of knowledge of how computers work.

Hassall@law.unimelb.edu.au

Chief among my thoughts at present, is the observation of examples in Australian society of the evolution of Bahá'í principles in chronological correspondence to the unfolding of Bahá'u'lláh's Revelation. For example, Rose Scott, feminist, and campaigner for women's suffrage in New South Wales, turns out, on reading her private papers, much more spiritual in nature than her biographer, Judith Allen, would have us believe. In her papers, Rose Scott espoused numerous principles now taken for granted by Bahá'ís, and explained them in spiritual terms. She argued that men and women displayed spiritual qualities that could be used in a complementary manner, that science and religion were also complementary, and that independence should attend the pursuit of knowledge by men and women. She outlined a Bahá'í-like formula for consultation and problem solving, and a non-party approach to the democratic process. Further, in an unfinished partly autobiographical novel she also recorded her own prayer, made on the morning her sixteenth birthday, that she could dedicate her life to the service of others, and that she could speak to Jesus himself and learn what he would want her to do. She turned sixteen in 1863. This is but one example of what may be interpreted as an early response to the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh. My reading of the biographies and private papers of other Australian women suggests that they too may have responded unconsciously to the spirit of the age. This accumulation of evidence of the emergence of the spirit of a new era in Australia, even before the actual arrival of the Faith, is an interesting and illuminating project. It is also one that my own work seems to inevitably complement, hence my growing interest.

Jane Hunt

My Bahá'í Studies agenda has always been fairly straightforward. I became convinced a long time ago that the Teachings of the Faith, and the world view of a committed Bahá'í, could very usefully be brought to bear on a wide spectrum of practical problems in society and epistemological problems in the social sciences. Both the New World Order series and other articles I have written, have been efforts in this direction. I have found this a very exciting intellectual experience since there is great creative energy in the Faith, and an ever-widening pool of scholars working along these lines. My current project is the 3rd volume of the New World Order series, which focuses on Conflict Resolution. I am pleased to report that there will be both theoretical and practical work applying the Bahá'í Teachings to a variety of issues in this vast field which extends from the inner workings of the psyche to the macro-level of international relations.

Charles Lerche

The fact is, I'm currently accomplishing my Obligatory National Service as a conscientious objector, so my work is somewhat frustrated for the time being. **********

I am just finishing a book to be published by Oneworld Publishers called "The Phenomenon of Religion" - on the study of religion. Out recently, edited by myself, a collection of papers: Scripture and Revelation. Bahá'í Studies vol. 3. Oxford: George Ronald, 1997.

Moojan

momen@momen.org

http://www.momen.org/

Presently June is undertaking a doctorate at the University of Sydney researching the negotiation of social change through the indigenous drama of the Pacific and Australia, by focusing on four major case studies drawn from the region. Among them are a Kiribati Video/Film unit, with Bahá'ís involved in its work, and a highly successful non-Bahá'í dance group based in Sydney which tours world wide, Bangarra. Since embarking on this research she has also begun writing plays and working on collaborative drama productions with women and youth. Currently she is researching and writing a play about the life of Fred Murray, an early IndigenousAustralian Bahá'í. She is working towards workshopping the play for production with a group of Bahá'í's and non-Bahá'ís of both indigenous and non-indigenous background in a practical demonstration of unity in diversity and to interest Australian Bahá'ís in looking at the history of Aboriginal people entering the Bahá'í Faith. She is also working on her first collection of poems which will cover themes of motherhood, unity in diversity and social change.

June Kathleen Paisa Perkins, Bachelor of Arts (hons) University of Melbourne, Graduate Certificate of Education (Tertiary Teaching) James Cook University, currently undertaking PhD supervised by English Department and Centre for Performing Arts, University of Sydney - mother. Background Bahá'í/Mekeo/English/Australian

Currently the topic of my research is: Achieving inner and outer balance: an exploratory study of the role of the school in the child's acquisition of wisdom. As a first step, this thesis proposes to integrate ideas from four perspectives, those of philosophy, psychology, cultural studies and comparative religious studies, in order to define wisdom. The second step will be to look at the possibilities and processes of the acquisition of wisdom by children, and its facilitation by teachers and care-givers. The primary reason for this research is what Sternberg (1990:332) lucidly describes in his paper:

Delors (1996:14), chairperson of the UNESCO International Commission on Education for the Twenty-first Century, states that the reawakening of the moral and cultural dimensions of education would need to begin "with self-understanding through an inner voyage", whose aim is not only to foster the development of the full range of human capacities, but also "to grasp the individuality of other people and to understand the world's erratic progression towards a certain unity". As an appropriate example, exploring the above mentioned ideologies within its universal principles, the Bahá'í world community will be studied - Bahá'í schools around the

world.

Best regards,

Tahereh

Tahere.Pourshafie@flinders.edu.au

Outline of doctoral thesis currently in progress at the Institute of Education, University of London

Title: Globalisation, Curricula and International Student Communities: A Case Study of the United World College of the Atlantic

The thesis explores micro-level effects of globalisation in the domain of education. Specifically, it explores the role of curricula in assisting young people to contribute as members of an international community, to constructive social change. A case study design has been adopted to investigate whether certain curricular and pedagogical interventions are effective tools for the development of globally oriented student communities. The United World College of the Atlantic, in Wales, is the case study institution for this enquiry.

The thesis, which is informed by theories of globalisation and social evolution, explores a range of innovative approaches and strategies and assesses their impact on student behaviour and attitudes. It aims to lay foundations for new theoretical paradigms by providing fresh insights into the dynamics between international education and human behaviour.

The Institute is an exciting initiative. Perhaps I will be able to attend in 1999! Wishing you all the best for the Institute, kind regards,

Felicity Rawlings

Many thanks for your forwarded message, and all good wishes for your upcoming conference. As you know, my main research interest is trying to survive bus journeys in Bangkok traffic. Apart from that, I would like to be working on a book on Shoghi Effendi's writings in English. All I need is another lifetime!!

Peter

peter@maia.cl.au.ac.th

As you can well appreciate we had a very busy year over here in Canada with Bahá'í Studies. Before I present the report I should emphasize that Bahá'í research in Canada has picked up immensely in the past few years, but because I am not always aware of all these developments, my report is of necessity quite limited. I apologize for this shortcoming.

We suddenly seem to be making great strides in Bahá'í scholarship. In May 1996, Paula Drewek completed her PhD thesis at the U. of Ottawa, entitled, "Cross-Cultural Testing of Fowler's Model of Faith Development: the Bahá'ís of Canada and India." We have another PhD thesis along the way and that one is by Lynn Echevarria-Howe who is in the midst of completing her work, "Seeing Through the Vision: Life Narrative Analysis of Canadian Bahá'í Women." Her supervisor is Paul Thompson of Essex University (England) who is the leading authority in such analysis. She is poised to complete her work this year. Her PhD work is supported by a Doctoral Fellowship from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the first dissertation research to have received this honour.

Chris Buck completed in dissertation at the U. of Toronto, "Paradise and Paradigm: Key Symbols in `Persian' Christianity and the Bahá'í Faith" in 1996. We are very proud of his exceptional accomplishment which received wonderful reviews from a number of non-Bahá'í scholars.

University Bahá'ís in Canada have also been experimenting with a new format of presenting the Faith in university settings. They invite non-Bahá'í scholars to research the Bahá'í Writings and offer their views along the lines of their topic of research. This has been successfully done at McMaster University and the University of New Brunswick. Jonah Winters, a PhD candidate in Middle-Eastern Studies, has set up his by now well-known website that contains not only many, many unpublished and published papers on the Bahá'í Faith and the Bahá'í community, but has also organized a sound list of Bahá'í scholars. Todd Lawson continues to render substantial scholarly work in the field of Islamic Studies.

Further to Bahá'í research in Canada, we were fortunate that Wilfrid Laurier University Press published _The Origins of the Bahá'í Community of Canada, 1898-1948_ which was peer reviewed by a panel of Canadian scholars, as a result of which the Canadian Government through the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada gave a publication subvention. The book is receiving favourable reviews in non-Bahá'í and Bahá'í journals.

Currently, there are two other research projects involving the Bahá'í communities in Canada; both have been commissioned by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís in Canada. The first, commissioned in 1996, was completed last week (end January 1998): it is an empirical study of how the Bahá'ís are implementing the equality of women and men. Drs Deborah and Will van den Hoonaard (both sociologists) undertook this study, involving focus groups across Canada, consisting of youth, Persians, village, town, and city focus groups, francophones, and aboriginals. The research has already been presented in several academic circles and warmly received at the U. of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, the 1997 Qualitative Analysis Conference, and the Departments of Sociology and Psychology at the University of New Brunswick.

The final research activity will, hopefully, expand even more our horizons in terms of Bahá'í research. The National Spiritual Assembly of Canada submitted a major grant proposal to the Canadian Federal Department of Canadian Heritage to study how Bahá'í communities in Canada are overcoming racial/ethnic segregation and social isolation of minorities. Drs. van den Hoonaard are making arrangements to have their respective universities set up the infra-structure for the research. The arrangements are complicated, but the funding will place Bahá'í research on a more solid foundation in Canadian academic life---we hope!!--along with many of the other initiatives mentioned above. We look forward to another tremendous year in 1998. We have some 70 Bahá'ís who are either doctoral students or faculty in 30 of Canada's 70 universities.

Warmest regards, Will

A Resource Guide for the Scholarly Study of the Bahá'í Faith is edition seven of what was previously titled A Curriculum Guide for the Bahá'í Faith. Editions one through five consisted primarily of the Curriculum Guides section (section one in current edition) with a limited annotated bibliography and only one appendix. In editions six and seven the scholarly bibliography and its annotations grew in size and the appendices in number, such that the Guide became far more than simply one for curricula. Its new title reflects its broader content.

The purpose of the Resource Guide is to provide information about how to include the Bahá'í Faith in college and university courses, to give an annotated bibliography of reliable scholarship for the student or researcher, and to provide him or her with a selection of helpful resources. It was written with four audiences in mind: (1) university instructors in Religious Studies, Sociology, Middle East Studies, and other disciplines, who usually do not know much about the Bahá'í religion and may want to include it in their existing courses; (2) instructors at colleges and universities who are Bahá'ís and would like to offer courses on the Bahá'í religion, but who do not have training in Religious Studies, and thus do not know what educational standards exist in that field; (3) Bahá'í students at colleges and universities who would like to propose a course to the university administration or its Religious Studies department; (4) those who wish to do research on the Bahá'í Faith and need an annotated bibliography and resource manual to guide them.

In order to fill the needs of these four very different audiences, the Resource Guide has four main parts: the Curriculum Guides, the Annotated Bibliography, Assorted Resource Tools, and Indices.

1) Curriculum Guides for Teaching the Bahá'í Faith

The curriculum guide segment provides some possible outlines for academic presentations of the Bahá'í Faith. Course outlines include: (1) an introductory article about the Bahá'í Faith, entitled "The Bahá'í Faith: A Short Introduction"; (2), a three-hour section on the Bahá'í Faith designed for inclusion in a course on Comparative Religion, which lists relevant paragraphs from Section Two, "Annotated Bibliography of Scholarship on the Bahá'í Faith"; (3) outlines of four complete one-semester courses on the Bahá'í Faith, with numerous references to the annotated topical bibliography, including "A Comparative Religion Approach," "A Sociological Study of the Bahá'í Community," "The Bahá'í Faith

in Historical and Comparative Perspectives," and "A Traditional Bahá'í Approach to the Bahá'í Faith."

These outlines are designed to offer assistance for many of the different ways of approaching the Bahá'í Faith. First, there is the "comparative religion" approach. Here we intentionally favor the term "comparative religion" over "history of religions" because we do not choose to emphasize history as much as an examination of the Bahá'í religion from the point of view of the major themes found in most religions: prophecy, doctrine, scripture, community life, ethics, ritual, pilgrimage, mysticism, and others. Second, there is the "sociological" approach, which emphasizes the members of the religion themselves: what they believe and why, how they have come to believe it, how they organized themselves into a community, and what that community means to them. Third, there is what might be called a traditional Bahá'í approach, which emphasizes the founders of the Bahá'í Faith, their writings and teachings, and the Bahá'í organizational system.

In a sense, the three approaches can be epitomized by considering three terms: Bahá'í religion, Bahá'í community, and Bahá'í Faith. "Bahá'í religion" is a neutral term and carries the overtones of impartial scholarly study. "Bahá'í community" focuses on the members, individually or collectively, and de-emphasizes the doctrinal and leadership aspects of the tradition. "Bahá'í Faith" is the traditional term that Bahá'ís use for their religion and therefore conveys overtones of piety or sympathetic appreciation for the tradition.[1] In the appropriate sphere for each--the comparative-religious, the sociological, and the traditionally Bahá'í--each term claims primacy for expressing the essence of the Bahá'í phenomenon.

2) Annotated Bibliography of Scholarship on the Bahá'í Faith

The annotated topical bibliography, comprising the bulk of the Resource Guide, consists of definitions of most major aspects of Bahá'í history and belief and corresponding references. The contents of this bibliography are not intended to be exhaustive. Indeed, we have only listed a fraction of the available scholarship. In choosing what to list, we considered: (1) whether the source is too dated; (2) whether the source is academic enough to be useful in a university setting; and (3) whether the source presents enough information to be useful. For the most part, then, we have left out: (1) old scholarship, of which there is very little, anyway; (2) apologetic and "popular" works; and (3) sources with less than a few pages of applicable information. Exceptions to the above include: (1) dated works that are still useful or that have not yet been replaced by newer scholarship on the same topic; (2) popular works that yet provide useful information or, indeed, the only published information on a topic; and (3) sources that, though being short, represent the only available information on a subject.

3) Assorted Resource Tools

The Resource Guide includes a variety of appendices and indices of possible value to the researcher. First are bibliographies: writings of Bahá'u'lláh and the "Leiden List" of the major tablets of Bahá'u'lláh--which manuscripts contain them in their original language, their place of revelation, and their translation history--followed by lists of the major published works of the Báb, 'Abdu'l-Bahá, and Shoghi Effendi, respectively; the citations of the Bábí and Bahá'í religions found in some of the more common humanities indices, such as the Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature and a table presenting the treatment of the Bahá'í Faith in religion textbooks, dictionaries, and Encyclopedias. Second are two essays: a brief article which clarifies the common misunderstanding that the Bahá'í Faith is a syncretism, and an explanation of the many Bahá'í resources available on the internet. Third are various listings: Bahá'í videos suitable for classroom use; a glossary of common Bahá'í terms, including pronunciation notes; and names and addresses of the major Bahá'í publishers and journals, both independent and official.

4) Indices

Finally, a comprehensive bibliography and two indices complete the Guide. The bibliography lists every work cited in the Resource Guide. The two indices are one listing all journals and encyclopedias cited, and then one of all authors, titles, and subjects mentioned.

The Resource Guide is not a completed product, but will undergo expansion, modification, and updating as new materials are published and as feedback leads to improvements. We encourage comments and criticisms. As well, we would like to know of any useful and scholarly books or articles that we have not cited.

How to order copies of A Resource Guide for the Scholarly Study of the Bahá'í Faith: The on-line version of the Resource Guide closely approximates the printed edition, but suffers from a certain lack of formatting and the loss of many diacritics. Contact Jonah Winters, winters@interlog.com, for information on ordering a hard copy.

For Further information contact: Dr Anjam Khursheed at Blk. B, #09--02, Kent Vale, 105 Clementi Road, Singapore 129789, Tel. 779 8415 or Dr Phyllis Chew at Tel. 766 3504 or 460 5118.

The Colloquia are for paper presentation and the Seminars are for the study of the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh. All inquires could be addressed to: Iraj Ayman, Coordinator, Irfan Colloquia, Bahá'í national Center, 1233 central Street, Evanston, IL 60201-1611. E-Mial:iayman@usbnc.org