The Public Discourse Office of Public Affairs, Baha'i Community of Canada

We talk with Hossein Amanat, Siamak Hariri, and Prof. Brigitte Shim about how a building or a place can help to illuminate the inner life of a person, and what role architecture can play in the spiritual upliftment of society. Amanat, Hariri, and Prof. Shim are principals at their respective Canadian architecture firms.

We talk with Anne Snyder and Eric Farr about the nature of an educational process that can empower people to contribute to social progress. Snyder is Editor-in-Chief of Comment Magazine and Farr is a PhD student at the University of Toronto.

We talk with Shain Jackson and Dr. Roshan Danesh about the work of transforming society to reflect the principles of justice and oneness, with a focus on Indigenous peoples. Jackson is Coast Salish from the community of Sechelt, and President of Spirit Works Limited. Dr. Danesh is a lawyer, conflict resolution innovator, and educator.

This is an edited conversation among panelists who spoke about the role of religion in eradicating violence against women, hosted by the Bahá’í Community of Canada’s Office of Public Affairs in partnership with the Southern Chiefs’ Organization, the Stop Violence Against Women coordinating committee of Perth County, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, and the Canadian Council of Muslim Women.

We talk with Mohammed Hashim and Jelana Bighorn about how we can confront the problem of hatred and prejudice in our society and promote the oneness of humanity. Hashim is executive director of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, and Bighorn is an educator.

We talk with Sabreena Delhon, Michael Sabet, and Dr. Jennifer Wolowic about how we can strengthen processes of dialogue, deliberation, and consultation in our culture and society. Delhon is executive director of the Samara Centre for Democracy, Sabet is a PhD student at the University of Toronto, and Dr. Wolowic is program manager at the SFU Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue.