Learning During the Covid-19 Pandemic – Professor Hoda Mahmoudi

This has been a sorrowful moment. Racial unrest. Economic dislocation. The ravages of Covid-19. There has been death, and there will be more. All of us have somehow been shaped by this ‘Year of Covid’.  Even those not directly touched – that is to say, from a personal encounter of the disease or by a loved one’s personal encounter – have seen fundamental changes in our way of life. We all bear witness to the sorrow that comes as we witness the end of an age, the closing of a well-known world. We have missed new opportunities, new chances of recognition and acceptance. We have all lost something, whether big or small. All should craft a small space to grieve, to process, and to consider. Continue reading

Statement on Policing and Racism in America – Professor Hoda Mahmoudi

Policing and Racism

On June 8, 2020, Hoda Mahmoudi, Research Professor and Chair, The Bahá’ì Chair for World Peace gave a statement at the opening of the town hall meeting on Policing and Racism in America.  The town hall was sponsored by the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park. Continue reading

Learning During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Reflection Series From The Bahá’í Chair for World Peace

Once again, we find ourselves in a crisis that is global in nature.

The Coronavirus outbreak is the great tragedy of our era. The pandemic has disrupted virtually every aspect of the systems that hold up our global and local society. Sadly, we do not seem to have in place what could help us to overcome this crisis. Continue reading

The Bahá’í Chair for World Peace hosts successful virtual conference Global Climate Crisis: Seeking Solutions

 

The world was a different place a number of months ago when the Baha’i Chair began the process of organizing our recent virtual conference. Long before the advent of the Covid-19, we planned to offer our conference virtually – the better to highlight the global, diffuse nature of environmental challenges. Sadly, these same challenges are paralleled in our coronavirus crisis – offering both hope for what we can accomplish and warnings of our essential unpreparedness. Continue reading

Supporting Our Communities

boutWe at the Baha’i Chair for World Peace are deeply concerned about the evolving global health crisis and its impact on people everywhere. We mourn the loss of so many lives and our hearts go out to those who have lost loved ones. 

This crisis is a reminder that our compassion, good will, and endurance are the characteristics that help us to pull through the most difficult of circumstances. It is also a reminder of how we as a people are closely interconnected with others in every corner of the world. Continue reading

Belonging and its Implications for Diversity and Inclusion

This is a transcript of a talk given by Professor Hoda Mahmoudi at the opening of the 2019 Diversity and Inclusion Retreat on Belonging: Connections and Challenges. The retreat was hosted by the Office of Undergraduate Studies at the University of Maryland on January 24, 2019 in the Colony Ballroom, Stamp Student Union.  Continue reading

Reflection: Solving Racism Through Dialogue

The Problem of Prejudice 

Once again the stubborn scourge of racial prejudice and structural racism is tearing apart the American society. For almost four-hundred years since slavery was first introduced to the American continent, the pseudo-scientific doctrine of racial superiority, and the structural arrangements that promote the systematic support of racism, continue to persist. Continue reading

Values and Moral Principles – Our Road to Peace

Rather than make assumptions about other people that are not based on facts, try to get out of your comfort zone and try to talk to people you would not normally talk to. ~ Professor Hoda Mahmoudi.

Professor Hoda Mahmoudi discusses the Baha’i Chair’s views on peace in this video by the College of Behavioral & Social Sciences, University of Maryland.

Reflection: International Day for Peace 2016

When you ask most people about world peace, they tell you that peace is among the most important matters on their mind and that we should all be concerned about it. But longing for peace is only the first step on the path toward making the world a better place for all people.

If we really wish to work toward achieving world peace we will first have to start with expanding our worldview about what peace requires from individuals, communities, and leaders of nations.

If we really desire a better more peaceful world, then we can start by accepting the fact that there are many barriers to peace. Through our actions every person has the power remove the road blocks to peace. Continue reading