Baháí World News Service (bwns)

During a recent visit to the Bahá’í World Centre, Bhavna Anbarasan, member of the Continental Board of Counsellors for Asia, spoke with the Bahá’í World News Service about how Bahá’í community-building endeavors in the villages of Bihar, India, are giving rise to a new culture of equality. Mrs. Anbarasan explained that the movement toward greater equality in Bihar has gained momentum as growing numbers of families participate in consultative spaces that welcome both women and men to contribute to discussions concerning social betterment. The consultative spaces are enabling people of all ages to re-examine some long-held perceptions that tend to inhibit women and young girls’ ability to advance in their education or to contribute to decision-making in different spheres of life. Full story: https://news.bahai.org/story/1714/

How do we ensure that our values, our aspirations, and our needs are integrated into the design, development, and use of technology? This was among the questions explored by Matt Weinberg, a technologist from the United States, in this podcast episode recorded during a recent gathering at the Bahá’í World Centre on the development of communities. Full story: news.bahai.org/story/1705/

In this podcast episode from the News Service, we hear from Kessia Ruh, member of the Continental Board of Counsellors for Australasia, sharing stories about some of the efforts of the Bahá’ís of Papua New Guinea (PNG) to contribute to the wellbeing of their society. Mrs. Ruh’s accounts highlight a key principle at the core of Bahá’í social action initiatives: faith in the ability of a population to take charge of its own material and spiritual prosperity. Full story: news.bahai.org/story/1700/

A new podcast episode from the News Service explores how the Preparation for Social Action (PSA) program, a Bahá’í-inspired educational endeavor, is raising capacity in people to apply scientific knowledge together with spiritual principles for the development of their communities. In this episode, Elisa Cooper, who works closely with a network of Bahá’í-inspired organizations around the world, joins two young people serving at the Bahá’í World Centre, Karishma Nair from India and Alex Kalumba from Zambia, to discuss how the PSA program is contributing to various aspects of community life, including education, environmental conservation, agriculture, and health.

In the latest podcast episode from the News Service, a group of young people serving at the Bahá’í World Centre explore the impact of Bahá’í Houses of Worship on community life, sharing their experiences of living near a Bahá’í temple in their local communities. In this episode we hear from Deeba Behrouzi from Canada, Leili Zapata Caldas from Colombia, Pacifique Lolonga from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Aharna Shoghi from India. They discuss how Bahá'í temples give expression to the interplay between service and worship, while inspiring people to contribute to the material and social progress of their society.

During recent consultations at the Bahá’í World Centre on the development of Bahá’í communities, a few attendees who work closely with the Bahá’í Houses of Worship in Uganda and Kenya sat down with the News Service for a podcast episode to explore insights about how these temples are enriching community life. The podcast features Samuel Mwangi, an Auxiliary Board member from Kenya; Patricia Senoga, an Auxiliary Board member from Uganda; and Charles Anglin, the Director of the House of Worship in Uganda. To watch the podcast visit: https://youtu.be/QQlmfdNxAdg

In the latest podcast episode from the News Service, two representatives of the Bahá’í International Community (BIC) discuss contributions of Bahá’í communities in the Arab region to the discourse on coexistence—a topic that has come to the forefront of public consciousness in recent years. Saba Haddad and Hatem El-Hady, representatives of the Geneva and Cairo Offices of the BIC respectively, explored several concepts and ideas relevant to conversations on fostering coexistence, including the constructive role of religion in contemporary society, the equality of women and men, and the inherent oneness of humanity. To watch the podcast visit: https://youtu.be/ALP7c1XzZ30

In this podcast episode, Leslie Stewart, Executive Director of FUNDAEC, sat with the News Service to discuss insights about some of that organization’s initiatives, particularly focusing on the areas of agriculture, food production, and distribution. Ms. Stewart provided a glimpse into ways that the Bahá’í principles of the harmony of science and religion, the oneness of humanity, and selfless service to society can inspire a population to take charge of its own progress and prosperity. To watch the podcast visit: https://youtu.be/2bRcPyUTonw

The latest podcast episode features Counsellors exploring the impact of educational initiatives in Bahá’í communities across the world. To watch the podcast visit: https://youtu.be/mEzWRHLpD1o

In this episode, Counsellors discuss efforts in communities around the world to foster a culture of equality among women and men. To watch the podcast visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6w8dB2o4DuY

Counsellors explore the ways youth engaged in Bahá’í educational initiatives are contributing to social transformation in their communities. To watch the podcast visit: https://youtu.be/5oNESSsc_bc

The centenary of the first race amity conference held by the American Bahá’í community was marked by a three-day symposium exploring racial unity and social change. Read more at https://news.bahai.org/story/1514/

Australian Bahá’ís launch publication on social cohesion after two years of conversations among officials, academics, social actors, and people throughout the country.

An interview with representatives of a community in Uganda explores how collective prayer is influencing society at large. Read more at news.bahai.org/story/1344/.

The latest Baha’i World News Service podcast episode features insights emerging from some of the Baha’i Temples around the world. Read more at news.bahai.org/story/1339/. Part one of their discussion can be heard here: news.bahai.org/story/1334/

The Baha’i World News Service interviewed representatives of Houses of Worship in Chile, India, and Uganda, which can be heard in a two-part podcast. Part one of the podcast, which focuses on the spiritual experiences people are having at Temples, is being published with this article. Part two will be made available in the coming weeks. Read more at news.bahai.org/story/1334/.

The latest BWNS podcast episode explores how a group of young women helped their community to shed superstitious attitudes that have ostracized women for generations. Read more at news.bahai.org/story/1332/.

The latest episode of the Baha’i World News Service podcast focuses on the historic declaration of the Bab. Read more at https://news.bahai.org/story/1328/.

This podcast episode highlights how Baha’is in Australia are employing the power of consultation in advancing discourses on the national stage. Read more on https://news.bahai.org/story/1312/.

May Lample and P.J. Andrews of the U.S. Baha’i Office of Public Affairs talk about the Faith and Race Dialogues, a series of discussions about how religion can contribute to achieving race unity. Music from the podcast is by Lee Rosevere, used under the following Creative Commons license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/. Read more at https://news.bahai.org/story/1310.