Manitoba and Saskatchewan seasonal schools

Based on recent guidance from the National Spiritual Assembly and the Universal House of Justice, and a desire to become better equipped at having meaningful conversations with youth and adults about the powerful concepts in Ruhi Book 5, the theme adopted for the Manitoba and Saskatchewan summer schools was “Our two-fold moral purpose: From historical to contemporary perspectives.”

Approximately 50 people attended the Manitoba school, which was held at the Wilderness Edge Resort in Pinawa in early August. The keynote speaker was unexpectedly called away for a family emergency, but others stepped in to help facilitate discussion on the materials. One highlight of the school was an eight-member panel of youth, who described the experience of attending the youth conference in Toronto and their subsequent efforts to establish and expand core activities in neighbourhoods in the province. The junior youth at the school helped teach parts of the children’s program.

Music was a vibrant and important feature of the school. In addition to enjoying the talents of local community members, participants were treated to the unifying and joyful drumbeats of the Young Villagers, a multicultural drum group from Winnipeg. A sale of used Bahá’í books was also held, as in previous years.

Participants said that they planned to apply what they had learned at the school by building stronger friendships, studying the messages from the Universal House of Justice, consulting as a family, planning and taking action, sharing their knowledge with people who had not attended the school, supporting youth in their plans, and beginning junior youth groups, among other things.

–Manitoba Bahá’í Schools Taskforce