AssociationforBahá’íStudies–NorthAmerica 35thAnnualConference “TransformingHabitsofThought” 11–14August2011 SanFranciscoAirportMarriott SanFrancisco,California,USA ConferenceThemeStatement......................................................3 Thursday....................................................................... 4 Friday.......................................................................... 5 Saturday....................................................................... 8 Sunday......................................................................... 11 Abstractsandbiographicalnotes.................................................... 12 Artistsperforming................................................................. 37 ImportantInformation ConferenceBadgeYourconferencebadgeisyour“ticketofadmission”toallsessions.Youmustwear ittoattendconferencesessions.Thesecuritypersonnelwillnotallowadmittancetoanyonewithouta badge. SecurityThehost/hostessvolunteersattheconferencearetheretoassistyou.Pleasefollowtheir instructionsatalltimes.Theycanbeidentifiedbyredribbonsontheirbadges. PromptnessThescheduleofsessionsisveryfull.Togiveequaltimetothespeakers,thesessions mustbeginontime.Werequestyourcooperationinarrivingpromptly. CellPhonesTheringingofmobiletelephonesintheaudienceisverydisruptivetoapresentation. Pleaseturnoffyourcellphoneorputitin“silent”modewhileyouareintheconferencesessions. TheChildren’sandJuniorYouthProgram.(Childrenmustbepreregisteredtoattend.) TheChildrenandJuniorYouthProgramforages5to15,isbeingheldintheMarinaDelRey, Monterey,andSantaBarbararoomsonthe2ndfloor.Parentsmaydropoffchildrenattheirprogram 15minutesbeforetheadultsessionstartingtime.Parentsareaskedtopickuptheirchildrenpromptly atthecloseofeachsessionandforthelunchbreaks.(Mealsarenotincludedinthechildren’s program.)ThetimesforChildren/JuniorYouthsessionsare Thursday,11August10:00a.m.5:00p.m. Friday,12August9:00a.m.5:30p.m. Saturday,13August9:00a.m.5:30p.m. Sunday,14August9:00a.m.12:30p.m. Theprogramofchildren’sactivitiesisavailableattheConferenceRegistrationTable.Parentsare requiredtosignaMedicalInformationandEmergencyHealthCareReleaseformandreturnittothe Children’sProgramcoordinators. 1 TheConferenceBookstoreisoperatedbytheBahá’íDistributionServiceintheUnitedStates.The bookstoreislocatedintheSanRamonRoomonthe2ndfloorandoffersawideselectionofbooks andmaterials,includingbooksandCDsbyauthorsandartistspresentingattheconference,and Bahá’íjewellery.Hoursofoperationare Thursday,11August2:00p.m.7:00p.m. Friday,12August9:00a.m.7:00p.m. Saturday,13August9:00a.m.7:00p.m. Sunday,14August9:00a.m.1:00p.m. EvaluationFormsTheABSExecutiveCommitteeasksforyourassistanceandcooperationinfilling outtheconferenceevaluationformsprovidedinyourconferencekit.Yourfeedbackisveryvaluable tousinourcontinuingeffortstoimprovetheConference. AudioRecordingsConferenceplenarysessionswillberecordedandwillbeavailableforpurchaseon audioCD.Anorderformisincludedinyourconferencekitandadditionalformsareavailableatthe ConferenceInformationDesk.PleasefillouttheformwithyourcreditcardnumberandtheCDswill bemailedtoyouaftertheconference. LostandFoundLostandfoundarticlesshouldbereportedtotheConferenceRegistrationTable. Afterthecloseoftheconference,anyitemsnotpickedupwillbeturnedovertothehotel. PrayerRoomThe8042roomonthe8thfloorhasbeensetasideforprayerandmeditationfrom ThursdaytoSaturday,8:00a.m.–10:00p.m. EveningArtsAftertheFridayandSaturdayeveningprogrammetherewillbeanextendedarts programmeheldintheGrandBallroomwhereconferenceattendeescansocializeandenjoylisteningto livemusicuntilmidnight.Performingartistsattheconferenceareencouragedtosignuptoperformat theseevents.AsignupsheetwillbeavailableneartheConferenceRegistrationTable. NetworkingSession:AnetworkingsessionhasbeenorganizedoverlunchonFriday,August12th from12:00–1:45pmintheGrandBallroom,SalonE.(Pickupyourlunchatthecashsalessetup outsidetheBallroomandjointhegroup.)Informationtableswillbesetupwhereconference participantsareinvitedtovisitandconnectwithothersintheirfieldofinterest,exchangecontact informationandshareresearchintereststoexploreopportunitiesforcollaborationandnetworking. TablesaresetupbytopicsforthevariousSpecialInterestGroupsoftheAssociationaswellasothers whomayhavewanttonetworkontopicsotherthanthespecificSIGthemes. PosterSessions:PostersessionswillbeheldonSaturdayafternoon,August13inthefoyeroutside theballroom.Presenterswilldiscusstheirworkbetween12:00–1:00pm.Theposterswillremainup allafternoon. AssociationEndowmentFunds:Thesefundsareestablishedbyindividualstosupportandencourage Bahá’íScholarshipinitiatives.Ifyouwishtoexploreopportunitiestocontributetothesefundsand supportthegoalsoftheAssociation,pleasefeelfreetoconsultwiththetreasureroftheExecutive Committee,Dr.MehranKiaiattheconferenceorcontactbyemail:[email protected] 2 “TransformingHabitsofThought” ThemeStatement Inits28December2010messagetotheConferenceoftheContinentalBoardsofCounsellors,the UniversalHouseofJusticedrewattentiontohabitsofthoughtwhichmustbedevelopedandthose whichmustbeovercomefortheBahá’ícommunitytorealiseitsvision.TheAssociationforBahá’í Studiesinvitesparticipantstocontributetotheexplorationofthesehabitsofthoughtatits35th annualconference. TheHouseofJusticewrote: ApartfromthespiritualrequisitesofasanctifiedBahá’ílife,therearehabitsofthought thataffecttheunfoldmentoftheglobalPlan,andtheirdevelopmenthastobe encouragedatthelevelofculture.Therearetendencies,aswell,thatneedtobe graduallyovercome.Manyofthesetendenciesarereinforcedbyapproachesprevalent insocietyatlarge,which,notaltogetherunreasonably,enterintoBahá’íactivity.The magnitudeofthechallengefacingthefriendsinthisrespectisnotlostonus.Theyare calledupontobecomeincreasinglyinvolvedinthelifeofsociety,benefitingfromits educationalprogrammes,excellinginitstradesandprofessions,learningtoemploy wellitstools,andapplyingthemselvestotheadvancementofitsartsandsciences.At thesametime,theyarenevertolosesightoftheaimoftheFaithtoeffecta transformationofsociety,remouldingitsinstitutionsandprocesses,onascalenever beforewitnessed.Tothisend,theymustremainacutelyawareoftheinadequaciesof currentmodesofthinkinganddoing—this,withoutfeelingtheleastdegreeof superiority,withoutassuminganairofsecrecyoraloofness,andwithoutadoptingan unnecessarilycriticalstancetowardssociety. TheHouseofJusticedrawsparticularattentiontothegeneralsocialtrendsofreducingcomplex conceptionsofsocialrealityandsocialchangetosimpleslogans,ofimposingfalsedichotomiesovera cohesivewhole,andoffavouringisolatedeventsandprojectsoverbroadprocessesandlongterm action.Itthenfocusesonthecomplexrelationshipbetweenthreeinteractingagentsofsociety, namelytheindividual,thecommunity,andinstitutions.Thistroubledrelationship,whichhasledto adangerousconcurrenceofacrisisofauthoritywithaweakeningofcommunityties,iscontrasted withthepotentialreleasedbyaspiritualrevisioning. Conferenceparticipantsareinvitedtoexplorehabitsofthoughtfromavarietyofperspectives.In manysocialarenasanddisciplines,crisesofthoughtandvisionarealreadyacknowledgedtoa greaterorlesserdegree.Whatnewapproachesandconceptionsaredevelopingthere,andhowdo theycorrelatewithBahá’íteachings?Wheredoideasandpracticesoriginate?Howdohabitsof thoughtchange–individuallyandcollectively,whetherthroughdeliberateeffortorsubconsciously, throughstudy,spiritualpractice,orexperience?Howcanincreasingawarenessofourownand others’habitsofthought,andtheprocessofchangingthesehabits,strengthenourcapacitytoengage intheprevalentdiscoursesofsocietyinanysocialspaceavailabletous–inourwork,ourfieldof study,withlocalcivicgroups,oncampus,etc.? 3 Thursday,11August2011 9:00a.m.5:00p.m.SpecialSimultaneousSessions Bayside1 9:00–12:00 FacultyandStudentWorkshop:EngaginginScholarshipintheContextofthePlans– ContextandInspirationforScholarshipinAction Convener:PIERREYVESMOCQUAIS,AcademicDirector,AssociationforBahá’íStudies Bayside2&3 10:00–12:00 ConversationsthatRedefineReligionUsingLanguagefromRecentLettersofthe UniversalHouseofJustice Facilitator:HOLLYHANSON Irvine 10:00–12:00 LoveLiftMeHigher Facilitator:DOROTHYMARCIC 12:00–2:00 LunchBreak Irvine 2:00–3:30 TheMissingLinkinRelationshipTheoriesandMarriageOutcomePredictions KEYVANGEULA 3:45–5:00 TransformationOnPurposeROXANNEHAI Anaheim 2:00–4:00 UsingAppreciativeInquiryforExploringtheCorrelationbetweenCurrentPublic EducationandtheBahá’íTeachingsELLENDODSON Bayside2&3 3:00–5:00 ConversationsthatRedefineReligionbyUsingLanguagefromRecentLettersofthe UniversalHouseofJustice(Repeatofmorningsession) Facilitator:HOLLYHANSON Bayside1 3:30–5:00 CooperatingtoRenewResourcesInsteadofFightingoverDwindlingResources JANET,EDWARDandALANCUNDALL 5:007:00 DinnerBreak 4 ThursdayEvening GrandBallroom 7:00 PlenarySession Chair:MARTHASCHWEITZ Devotions OfficialConferenceWelcome RepresentativesoftheNationalSpiritualAssembliesoftheUnitedStatesandCanada BuildingAdministrativeCapacityKENNETHBOWERS Friday,12August2011 GrandBallroom 9:00 PlenarySession Chair:JUDYFILSON Devotions Identity,Discourse,andPolicy:ReconstructingthePublicSphereMATTWEINBERG TheUbuntuProgramme:ChangingHabitsofThoughtandPracticearoundRacein theAmericanMidWestBILLIEMAYO 11:302:00 LunchBreak Pleasenotethatthereisanetworkingsessionfrom12:00–1:45pmintheGrandBallroom, SalonE.ThoseinterestedcanpurchaselunchatthecashsalesoutsidetheBallroomandjointhe group. 2:005:30p.m.SimultaneousBreakoutSessions Bayside1 ArtsI ConvenerandChair:ANNEGORDONPERRY 2:003:00 JourneyofLight:Documenting‘Abdu’lBahá’sVisittoAmericaANNEGORDONPERRY 3:154:15 MultimediaMentalHealthTools:ChallengingPatternsofAddiction EDWARDEPPandLEANNEBOSCHMAN