Message from the National Spiritual Assembly regarding the annual conference of the Association for Bahá’í Studies

30 June 2022 / 7 Mercy 179

All Local Spiritual Assemblies
All Regional Bahá’í Councils
All Registered Groups

Dear Bahá’í Friends,

The National Spiritual Assembly is delighted to advise that registration is open for the annual conference of the Association for Bahá’í Studies–North America (ABS), which will take place online beginning on Friday 29 July and concluding on Sunday 31 July.

The overarching objective of the conference is to serve as an uplifting, welcoming space to explore an individual’s contribution to the discourses in which they are engaged in their professions or academic pursuits.  It also seeks to foster an animated conversation among diverse participants about how, in the words of the Universal House of Justice, “to provide, in the world of ideas, the intellectual rigour and clarity of thought to match their commitment to spiritual and material progress in the world of deeds.” [1]  The full conference vision statement can be found on the ABS website, https://www.bahaistudies.ca/event/2022

Registration fees are set at a minimum of US $10, but friends are encouraged to contribute as they can to support the conference.  If this minimal fee is a financial burden, please feel free to contact the ABS and request a scholarship.  Updates about the program will appear on its website, as they become available, and will be shared on social media channels (https://www.facebook.com/bahaistudies, https://www.instagram.com/bahaistudies/, and https://twitter.com/bahaistudies.  You can also contact ABS to join their electronic mailing list.

This year, to allow for some dynamic personal exchange in the absence of a large in-person conference, individuals, groups, and/or local institutions are encouraged to organize small gatherings, or pods, centered around one or more presentations offered at the conference.  Such a gathering could be organized during the conference dates and would provide space for watching the presentation together and exploring the supplementary readings and deepening questions provided by the presenters.  If you are interested in organizing such a pod, please contact the Executive Committee for materials and ideas (abs-na@bahaistudies.ca, 613-233-1903)

Throughout the year, other activities of the Association include reading groups, seminars, workshops, and publications, as well as the annual conference during which insights from ongoing processes can be disseminated throughout the community.  We ask you to distribute this letter as widely and quickly as possible, and hope that the friends will avail themselves of this exciting opportunity.

With loving Bahá’í greetings,
Karen McKye, Secretary