Baha'i Perspectives » 41 conferences http://www.bahaiperspectives.com A Perceptive Eye on News, Life & Society. Tue, 25 May 2010 16:59:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 Arising… Beyond… http://www.bahaiperspectives.com/general-interest/2010/01/08/arising-beyond/ http://www.bahaiperspectives.com/general-interest/2010/01/08/arising-beyond/#comments Fri, 08 Jan 2010 14:01:37 +0000 Baha'i Perspectives http://www.bahaiperspectives.com/?p=2872 Two new audiovisual pieces have recently become available for viewing and download.

First, Arising to Serve: Glimpses from 41 Regional Conferences is a DVD capturing the highlights of the regional conferences that took place between November 2008 and March 2009. The scenes are vibrant and inspirational; check it out at www.bahai.org/arising. You can watch the DVD in parts online or download it in it’s entirety.

“Beyond our culture of contest lies a different kind of democracy: gentle, just and… inevitable”. This is the tagline from the recently released documentary entitled Beyond King of the Mountain produced by DoubleTake.tv. The best way to describe it would be to say that it will leave you begging for more! And here is the film below… enjoy it.




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]]> http://www.bahaiperspectives.com/general-interest/2010/01/08/arising-beyond/feed/ 1 Crowdsourcing for Change: A Structural Revolution Before Our Eyes http://www.bahaiperspectives.com/current-affairs/2009/01/09/crowdsourcing-for-change-a-structural-revolution-before-our-eyes/ http://www.bahaiperspectives.com/current-affairs/2009/01/09/crowdsourcing-for-change-a-structural-revolution-before-our-eyes/#comments Fri, 09 Jan 2009 16:02:19 +0000 nadim http://www.bahaiperspectives.com/?p=1631 Crowdsourcing is the act of taking a job traditionally performed by a designated agent (usually an employee) and outsourcing it to an undefined, generally large group of people in the form of an open call.

Among the big Internet breakthroughs of 2007/08 (although in truth signs appeared well before this) was the emergence of a new breed of websites which utilized crowdsourcing, defined above, to generate new knowledge across a variety of disciplines. Here’s an interesting video by Jeff Howe describing this phenomenon:

We’ve all used these sites before — the most well-known of which is probably Wikipedia — and are certainly grateful for having them around (particularly the night before an essay deadline)! With the glut of encyclopedic knowledge literally a click away on sites such as Wikipedia, it seems unthinkable that just a few years ago we relied so heavily on that set of dusty old books tucked away in grandpa’s wooden book cabinet. Trouble was, even if the encyclopedia had the entry we were looking for, the date of publication could still have rendered the information useless, which meant forking out a chunk of money to get the latest set of “certified” knowledge. Sounds a little ridiculous doesn’t it?

The early attempts at digitizing encyclopedias, in products such as Microsoft Encarta, still followed this centralized model. “Here’s a CD with this year’s knowledge, and the good news is that we are working on next year’s version. Just $xx.99 for the upgrade!” Thankfully, the emergence of Web 2.0 technologies, which allow formerly passive consumers of information to become active contributors, broke this trend. And the result is as we see it today. A huge spiderweb of information, built up strand by strand, in which the tiny data banks once locked in our heads have been woven into a seamless whole: free, accessible to all and always up-to-date.

This same “Wisdom of Crowds” idea that resulted in Wikipedia has found more specialized applications too. One that I find exciting due to its potential contribution to curing diseases is called FoldIt (www.fold.it). Without going into too much detail, the makers of this site have turned a daunting scientific problem into a computer game that can be enjoyed by anyone! To quote the site:

The number of different ways even a small protein can fold is astronomical because there are so many degrees of freedom. Figuring out which of the many, many possible structures is the best one is regarded as one of the hardest problems in biology today and current methods take a lot of money and time, even for computers. Foldit attempts to predict the structure of a protein by taking advantage of humans’ puzzle-solving intuitions and having people play competitively to fold the best proteins… The more we know about how certain proteins fold, the better new proteins we can design to combat the disease-related proteins and cure the diseases.

Who would have thought? Play an online game, fold some proteins, and just maybe, cure cancer in the meantime.

Back in the 19th century, Baha’u'llah, the great spiritual Educator of this age, undertook a mission to revolutionize the outdated structures of religion (which, much like our dusty encyclopedias, had worn out with age). Faced with an entrenched religious orthodoxy that had become absorbed with greed and lust for power, and had long-ceased to satisfy the spiritual needs of an advancing human race, He swept away the influence they had enjoyed for so long. No longer would they control empires and hold sway over the masses. He called on them to reform their ways, rebuked them for the arrogance of their response and warned them of their imminent demise.

But that’s just one part of the story, for in its place Baha’u'llah planted the seeds of a totally new system. This new system, He said, would be participatory instead of passive. Each and every follower, far from being content with listening to a weekly sermon while simultaneously watching society spiral towards seeming doom, would be an active builder of a new spiritually-founded civilization. Knowledge discovery and decision-making would no longer be the domain of a privileged few, but would instead be “crowdsourced” to the masses.

Baha’i administrative institutions (usually comprising of nine adults) would reach their decisions through a process of open consultation, where each individual’s ideas would be given expression and discussed in an honest, frank way by the group. Once a thought is expressed, it would no longer belong to the individual but to the entire group (similar to a Wikipedia entry you might say). In so doing, the harm caused by individual egos would be negated and ideas would always be subject to the scrutiny of peers. Membership on these institutions would be characterized by a spirit of humility and service, entirely far removed from the power games so pervasive in every sphere of society. No attention would paid to the level of formal education of the members – “Not infrequently, nay oftentimes, the most lowly, untutored, and inexperienced among the Friends will, by the sheer inspiring force of selfless and ardent devotion, contribute a distinct and memorable share to a highly involved discussion in any given Assembly.” The inspired consultations during the current series of 41 conferences, held by Baha’is across the globe, have borne testament to this spirit of inclusivity. People of all backgrounds – whether rich or poor, young or old, light-skinned or dark-skinned, educated or uneducated – have been directly engaged in charting the course of their activities over the next few years. Unlike in the past, now every single individual has a voice.

The parallels between the online crowdsourcing phenomenon and elements of the Baha’i administrative order are certainly worthy of note. No one doubts that Wikipedia/FoldIt-style applications will continue to develop organically into the future, at the expense of centralized, proprietary data sources. So too it seems, as Baha’i institutions continue to advance towards the ideals described in the Baha’i Writings, will humanity become more keenly aware of a breakthrough model of social organization, sitting in its midst, that caters for the realities of this day and age.

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]]> http://www.bahaiperspectives.com/current-affairs/2009/01/09/crowdsourcing-for-change-a-structural-revolution-before-our-eyes/feed/ 7 Undeflected by Distractions: Part II http://www.bahaiperspectives.com/principles-in-action/2008/12/26/undeflected-by-distractions-part-ii/ http://www.bahaiperspectives.com/principles-in-action/2008/12/26/undeflected-by-distractions-part-ii/#comments Fri, 26 Dec 2008 20:48:15 +0000 leila http://www.bahaiperspectives.com/?p=1585 In my last post, I introduced a topic that had been gnawing at me for some time: those distractions and turmoil that lie within us, namely, feelings of inadequacy.

In my quest to understand the nature of feeling inadequate, I derived some inspiration from a talk given a couple of weeks ago at the Regional Conference held for the Southeastern United States in Atlanta, Georgia.  What I learned shifted my perspective considerably:

There can be a wisdom in feeling inadequate.  But it can also potentially be destructive.  From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, dated 13 October 1947, to an individual Bahá’í, we see why:

Each one of us, if we look into our failures, is sure to feel unworthy and despondent, and this feeling only frustrates our constructive efforts and wastes time. The thing for us to focus on is the glory of the Cause and the Power of Bahá’u'lláh which can make of a mere drop a surging sea!

We should also bear in mind that a few titles attributed to our Creator by Bahá’u'lláh, in some of the many prayers He has revealed, are: “the All-Merciful,” “the Most Compassionate,” and “the Ever-Forgiving.”  If that’s the case, then it follows that all we need to do is to call upon Him for assistance.  It’s a comforting thought: we can’t do it by ourselves!

Feelings of inadequacy and inner turmoil that stem from the demands and distractions of an increasingly busy, overly-committed lives, seem very 21st century.  But it is an emotion that has transcended time and place.  A story of a young man in 19th century Iran exemplifies this.

The young man’s name was Hájí Muhammad-Sádiq Khán, and he embraced the Faith of Bahá’u'lláh after attending gatherings held by his friend, a young poet who would recite his works at these meetings.  One evening, the young poet recited a poem depicting the cruel martyrdom of an early believer named Vahíd.  As the poem progressed, Hájí Muhammad-Sádiq realized with horror that the commander of regiment that killed Vahíd was his own father.  Filled with shame and remorse, he began to withdraw from the Bahá’í community.  Concerned for their friend, the young poet wrote to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, explaining the situation.  ‘Abdu’l-Bahá wrote a Tablet to Hájí Muhammad-Sádiq in response, in which He wrote:

The true morn dawneth from the depths of a darksome night, and the world-illuminating light of day poureth forth from the canopy of a night of gloom. The enchanting flower bloometh on a branch of thorns, and multitudinous plants grow out of the sad, sodden earth. The delightful fruit sprouteth upon a piece of wood…. be not saddened.

He continued:

Pray thou and supplicate at the threshold of the One True God, begging forgiveness for thine earthly father. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá will also, with utmost lowliness, implore at the threshold of God that perchance the musk-laden breeze of His forgiveness may waft over [him] and from the billowing sea of His grace a wave may pass over him and cleanse him of the defilement of sin and transgression. This is not far removed from the ocean of the grace of Bahá, His mercy, and His pardon.

(H.M. Balyuzi, Eminent Baha’is in the Time of Baha’u'llah, p. 27)

What I gathered from these thoughts is this: we can oftentimes be harder on ourselves than our own Creator is.  But this shouldn’t lull us into complacency.  We should act, of course, and reflect upon our actions.  We learn from our successes and shortcomings, and we make changes accordingly. And crucially, there is a spiritual component: study, prayer, and meditation upon the Divine Word, which in this day, is reflected in the Writings of Bahá’u'lláh.  A letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi sums this up succinctly:

Study of the Word, Meditation on its divine import, prayer, and then action are necessary. And then, perseverance in action. If these steps are followed, one will develop spiritually, and be victorious in service to the Cause of God.

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]]> http://www.bahaiperspectives.com/principles-in-action/2008/12/26/undeflected-by-distractions-part-ii/feed/ 4 Undeflected by Distractions: Part I http://www.bahaiperspectives.com/principles-in-action/2008/12/18/undeflected-by-distractions-part-i/ http://www.bahaiperspectives.com/principles-in-action/2008/12/18/undeflected-by-distractions-part-i/#comments Wed, 17 Dec 2008 23:17:35 +0000 leila http://www.bahaiperspectives.com/?p=1569 I woke up feeling sick this morning.

My tongue parched, stomach growling; my body as if it had been mowed by a steamroller; I could hardly lift myself up from the living room couch, as Natalya sat across from me, sipping her tea quietly.

(Natalya was staying the night, en route back home to Singapore after an autumn internship in D.C.; my Kiwi friend Kat occupied my bedroom; and Wendy, a scientist by day who moonlights as a cellist, pianist, vocalist, journalist, and HIV/AIDS patient mentor, had already shuffled out the door.)

The inevitable had dawned: I was sick.

The early mornings and late nights didn’t help: getting up early to go to work after an evening of meaningful conversation with my friend in town from New Zealand, lasting until 1:00 a.m., left me invigorated but sleep deprived.

And the commitments: the days at work of course, and evenings and weekends, always doing something.  And while it was fulfilling, I somehow felt like I wasn’t doing enough.  We all feel that anxiety, at some point: about our jobs (that others are getting ahead, or that we’re not satisfied with our work); about friendships or relationships; about a society that is seemingly crumbling around us, and we feel powerless to fix it.  And, when we come in contact with the words of Bahá’u'lláh, we’ve been given the medicine to treat an ailing world — but we may sometimes feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of the task at hand.  Whether it’s the spiritual education of children, the moral empowerment of young adolescents, or study of and sharing the Creative Word with others, we feel pulled in many directions and struggle to work actively toward the betterment of the world.

Examining my course of action and the outcomes, then, I’d become increasingly frustrated with the fact that things weren’t “clicking” the way I expected them to.  It left me with a nervous knot in my stomach, sleeping little, eating less.  In short, I felt I was falling far short of my goals and expectations.

The stress culminated in my bulldozed, sick state this morning.

Unable to stomach the toast and honey that Kat had prepared for me, and sipping slowly on chamomile tea, I crawled back onto the living room couch, curling underneath the down comforter.

It’s now late evening, and as I chew on a vitamin C tablet, I mull over a letter written by the Universal House of Justice to those gathered at the six Regional Conferences held in the United States, of 41 held worldwide.  One statement in particular stands out:

Undeflected by the turmoil and distractions of the world around you, direct your energies to the task at hand with expanded vision and renewed consecration.

The turmoil and distractions of the world around us are self-evident: rampant materialism; a severe financial crisis; corrupt governance; to name only a few.  These are external distractions that often cause our actions to stray from that which we believe.

But, what about the distractions and turmoil that lie within us: those feelings of inadequacy?  Is there a wisdom behind it, or does it deflect us from accomplishing what we need to?

I derived some inspiration from a talk given last week at the Regional Conference held for the Southeastern United States in Atlanta, Georgia.  Stay tuned for Part II to find out what I learned.

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]]> http://www.bahaiperspectives.com/principles-in-action/2008/12/18/undeflected-by-distractions-part-i/feed/ 2 Glimpses Into 41 Conferences http://www.bahaiperspectives.com/events/2008/11/13/glimpses-into-41-conferences/ http://www.bahaiperspectives.com/events/2008/11/13/glimpses-into-41-conferences/#comments Thu, 13 Nov 2008 11:08:02 +0000 Baha'i Perspectives http://www.bahaiperspectives.com/?p=1157

Ended:
Lusaka, Johannesburg, Nakuru, Bangui, Bangalore, Uvira, Quito, New Delhi, Kolkata, Lubumbashi, Antofagasta, Manila, Yaoundé, Portland, Chicago, Atlanta, Almaty, Stamford, Dallas, Los Angeles, Kuching, São Paolo, Kuala Lumpur, London, Abidjan,Toronto, Guadalajara, Lae, Vancouver, Managua, Ulaanbaatar, Sydney, Madrid, Auckland, Battambang, Frankfurt, Padua, Istanbul, Baku, Accra, Kiev

Still to come:

What is this?

If you’ve attended a conference, we’d love to read your experiences!

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