“Transforming Habits of Thought”
In its 28 December 2010 message to the Conference of the Continental Boards of Counsellors, the Universal House of Justice drew attention to habits of thought which must be developed and those which must be overcome for the Bahá’í community to realise its vision. The Association for Bahá’í Studies invites participants to contribute to the exploration of these habits of thought at its 35th annual conference.
The House of Justice wrote:
Apart from the spiritual requisites of a sanctified Bahá’í life, there are habits of thought that affect the unfoldment of the global Plan, and their development has to be encouraged at the level of culture. There are tendencies, as well, that need to be gradually overcome. Many of these tendencies are reinforced by approaches prevalent in society at large, which, not altogether unreasonably, enter into Bahá’í activity. The magnitude of the challenge facing the friends in this respect is not lost on us. They are called upon to become increasingly involved in the life of society, benefiting from its educational programmes, excelling in its trades and professions, learning to employ well its tools, and applying themselves to the advancement of its arts and sciences. At the same time, they are never to lose sight of the aim of the Faith to effect a transformation of society, remoulding its institutions and processes, on a scale never before witnessed. To this end, they must remain acutely aware of the inadequacies of current modes of thinking and doing—this, without feeling the least degree of superiority, without assuming an air of secrecy or aloofness, and without adopting an unnecessarily critical stance towards society.
The House of Justice draws particular attention to the general social trends of reducing complex conceptions of social reality and social change to simple slogans, of imposing false dichotomies over a cohesive whole, and of favouring isolated events and projects over broad processes and long term action. It then focuses on the complex relationship between three interacting agents of society, namely the individual, the community, and institutions. This troubled relationship, which has led to a dangerous concurrence of a crisis of authority with a weakening of community ties, is contrasted with the potential released by a spiritual re-visioning.
Conference participants are invited to explore habits of thought from a variety of perspectives. In many social arenas and disciplines, crises of thought and vision are already acknowledged to a greater or lesser degree. What new approaches and conceptions are developing there, and how do they correlate with Bahá’í teachings? Where do ideas and practices originate? How do habits of thought change – individually and collectively, whether through deliberate effort or subconsciously, through study, spiritual practice, or experience? How can increasing awareness of our own and others’ habits of thought, and the process of changing these habits, strengthen our capacity to engage in the prevalent discourses of society in any social space available to us – in our work, our field of study, with local civic groups, on campus, etc.?
Call for Presentations
Proposals are invited for presentations on (but not limited to) the above themes, as well as themes pertaining to creative processes and concepts within the performing arts, visual arts, and other modes of artistic expression.
Presentations must explore an original question or proposition through a clearly described method or approach. Proposals must outline the presentation in detail and provide sufficient background on the topic and on the presenter’s qualifications for the review panel to assess the value of the contribution. A broad range of qualifications is recognized, beyond purely academic and/or professional. Proposals must be for substantially original work, unpublished and not previously presented.
While many presentations are in the style of talks, the use of the arts and other diverse approaches is also encouraged. Presentations should be seen as a collaborative process, where the speaker engages conference participants in discussion on new work, which further advances that work. Papers will be considered for publication in The Journal of Bahá’í Studies. Proposals are especially welcome from youth and first-time ABS presenters. Guidelines for submissions are available on the ABS website, and you can also contact the ABS if you would like further assistance with preparing a proposal.
This year, the Association is placing special emphasis on interaction and collaboration
among people working in similar or diverse but potentially overlapping fields. Therefore, there will be new opportunities to collaborate in presentations in addition to panel proposals from existing groups. Those submitting proposals will be asked to choose either:
• a stand-alone presentation by a single or multiple presenters, scheduled for 60
minutes including time for discussion;
• a panel presentation of two or more people who would collaborate from the outset,
offering different perspectives on a common theme
• an individual submission with a special request to be placed (if possible) in a
collaborative panel with presenters on related themes, for later discussion and
interaction
Whether arranged from the outset by the collaborators or facilitated by the conference organizers, panel presentations will be scheduled for between 90 to 120 minutes, depending on number of participants and scheduling constraints.
Proposals must be submitted on-line (go to www.bahai-studies.ca). Potential presenters unable to submit on-line may contact the address below for further information on alternate means of submission.
The deadline for submitting proposals is 15 April 2011.
Association for Bahá’í Studies
34 Copernicus St., Ottawa, ON Canada K1N 7K4
Tel.: (613) 233-1903; fax: (613) 233-3644
or email: [email protected]
Registration and Hotel Information
Conference registration and hotel information are available on the ABS web site:
http://www.bahai-studies.ca/.
For further inquiries, please contact the Association for Bahá’í Studies, 34 Copernicus St., Ottawa, ON, Canada K1N 7K4
tel.: 613-233-1903;
fax: 613-233-3644;
e-mail: [email protected].
Hotel reservations must be made directly with the conference hotel, the San Francisco Airport Marriott, 1800 Bayshore Drive, Burlingame, CA 94010; Tel.: 650-692-9100; toll-free reservation number: 800-228-9290. Mention the Association for Bahá’í Studies conference to receive the special conference rate. Room rates: $99 single/double/triple/quad. These rates are guaranteed only until Wednesday, July 27, 2011. Reservations made after the cut-off dates will be based on availability at the Hotel’s prevailing rates. The conference rates are extended to four days before and after the conference dates.