This post was written by Kun Huang, and originally appeared on Positions Politics episteme issue 6 – in the wake of the atlanta shooting: non/citizens’ perspectives on anti-asian racism and sinophobia. Continue reading
This blogpost by Dr. Tiffani Betts Razavi was first published on The International Educator. The original post can be viewed here.
COVID-19 caused 2 million deaths in 2020 – an increase of almost 4% in the worldwide annual death rates – and left the living with “greater economic insecurity, anxiety, disruption of every aspect of life, and, for many people, stress and challenges to mental and physical health.” In the midst of these extraordinary conditions, what happened to happiness? Continue reading
This summer we are catching up with former volunteers and interns of the Bahá’í Chair. Our fifth post comes from Emily Gorey who graduated in 2019.
This summer we are catching up with former volunteers and interns of the Bahá’í Chair. Our fourth post comes from Vicky Yu who graduated in 2018. Continue reading
This summer we are catching up with former volunteers and interns of the Bahá’í Chair. Our third post comes from Ashli Taylor who graduated in 2018.
This summer we are catching up with former volunteers and interns of the Bahá’í Chair. Our second post comes from Alawi Masud who graduated in 2020. Continue reading
This summer we are catching up with former volunteers and interns of the Bahá’í Chair. Our first post comes from Julia Thomas, who graduated in May 2019.
Hi everyone!
My name is Julia Thomas and I am a former volunteer for the Bahá’í Chair for World Peace. I started volunteering with the Bahá’í Chair through another volunteer organization, the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences (BSOS) Ambassadors. As a BSOS Ambassador, one of the organizations we worked most closely with was the Bahá’í Chair. I loved the events and the Chair for their focus on humanitarianism for all humans and emphasis of critical thought and discussion on several key tenets. After the first couple of lectures I attended as a BSOS Ambassador, I became one of the volunteer writers for the Bahá’í Chair for World Peace Blog so I could contribute more to the program. Continue reading
I grew up in a household where my father was a doctor and my mother coordinated volunteers for a non-profit for families experiencing homelessness. Giving back to others was not only encouraged in my household but expected. We were always taught that everyone, no matter their situation, was equal to us. Continue reading
A Black female surgeon feels invisible, and wishes to be seen for who she is (1). A Black male physician wishes he were invisible, instead of fielding the constant assumptions that he is a threat (2). When patients went to the emergency department of an academic medical center in Philadelphia complaining of chest pain, it took the staff significantly longer to order EKGs for Black patients than for white patients (3). Time matters when treating a heart attack, and an EKG is a readily available and standard test ordered for chest pain, so why the delay if you were Black? When outside examiners scored math tests of elementary school children without the benefit of knowing their names/gender, girls scored higher than when they were scored by their own teachers who knew the students’ gender (4). More female musicians are hired when they audition behind a curtain, than during open auditions (5). Continue reading
If you are not a young black man and you listened to the recent lecture for the Bahá’í Chair for World Peace given by Professor Joseph Richardson Jr., you may have felt, like I did, that a window was opened to another world. It was a moving and deeply thought-provoking experience, both difficult and heart-warming. I realized each time one of the young men interviewed for the digital storytelling project said, “you know what I’m saying?” that I really don’t. Continue reading
There are certain words one simply does not expect to use when reflecting on violence and atrocity. Encouraging is one of them.
And yet, from the personal stories of reentry and reintegration of people convicted of genocide in Rwanda, the efforts to structure society to rebuild after traumatic rupture, and the learning generated by communities actively seeking to promote healing shared through the research of Dr. Hollie Nyseth Brehm in her recent lecture, emerged an encouraging narrative of overcoming adversity. Continue reading
History furnishes no shortage of examples of the suffering of one group of people at the hands of another, even as news headlines daily document ongoing conflict and oppression. Some stories are well known, others obscure or lost, and none are as well understood as they need to be to overcome the barrier posed by the “us and them” attitude that is at their root. Continue reading
This is a reflection written by Dr. Tiffani Betts Razavi on the recent Bahá’í Chair for World Peace Annual Lecture, a Conversation on Climate Science, Policy & Justice with Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson held on September 17, 2020.
Is there an equivalent to emasculate for women? As I am getting to know the default male, I am finding him everywhere. Why is it that there is a word to describe the removal of maleness from a man, but the closest word in structural terms, effeminate, mostly also is used with reference to men? I am a middle- aged woman who grew up in the era of third wave feminism and I find it bewildering. Apparently, I am not alone. Continue reading
She was only five, but she spoke in a metered and matter-of-fact tone, stating plainly that she no longer wanted to play with boys because she had observed that boys on the playground were rough and used harsh words and tone. Bias or astute observation? By age six, she shared that it appeared that girls were valued less than boys by society, and by age seven she proclaims she would like to move to a country with a female leader because she feels life during a pandemic would be better there, as women make better leaders. You might think my daughter was fed these thoughts, that I sit to brainwash my child, or get into lengthy political commentary with her – but I don’t – I truly don’t, although I have lied to her on one occasion, but more on that later. The scientist in me was fascinated that to a young child growing up in the Midwestern United States, gendered stereotypes and the implications of gender inequalities were already clear and causing concern. Continue reading
This reflection written by Vafa Ghazavi is included in the new series from The Bahá’í Chair for World Peace on Learning During the Covid-19 Pandemic.
It was previously published in Public Seminar, an independent project of The New School Publishing Initiative. Continue reading
Reactionary Democracy in the United States: How Racism and the Populist Far Right Became Mainstream
September 3, 2020
2PM
You can register to attend the event at:
Dr. Aurelien Mondon, Senior Lecturer in Politics, University of Bath
Dr. Aaron Winter, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, University of East London Continue reading
This is a reflection written by Professor Simon Dalby for the new series from The Bahá’í Chair for World Peace on Learning During the Covid-19 Pandemic.
This post was originally published by the Balsillie School of International Affairs and the original post can be viewed here.
This is a reflection written by Professor Rashawn Ray, David M. Rubenstein Fellow in Governance Studies at Brookings, and Professor of Sociology and Executive Director of the Lab for Applied Social Science Research (LASSR) at the University of Maryland, College Park. The blogpost is included in the series from The Bahá’í Chair for World Peace on Learning During the Covid-19 Pandemic and was originally published on the Fixgov blog of Brookings.
This is a reflection written by Professor Orna Blumen, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, Department of Human Services, University of Haifa, Israel, and Naama Bar-on Shmilovitch, a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Social Welfare & Health Sciences and the manager of the Center for the Study of Organizations & Human Resource Management at the University of Haifa, for the new series from The Bahá’í Chair for World Peace on Learning During the Covid-19 Pandemic.
This is a reflection written by Dr. Audra Buck-Coleman, Dr. Cheryl Fogle-Hatch and Robin Marquis. Buck-Coleman is an Associate Professor and director of the Graphic Design program at the University of Maryland, College Park. Fogle-Hatch is the founder of MuseumSenses, a Baltimore-based advocacy studio that researches and develops multisensory experiences for galleries, museums and other cultural organizations. Marquis is a Baltimore-based artist, facilitator, disability activist and accessibility consultant. They currently serve as the Community Outreach Coordinator for Access Smithsonian, the central accessibility office for the Smithsonian Institution.
During the Fall 2019 and Spring 2020 semesters, Buck-Coleman’s students worked with Fogle-Hatch, Marquis and others from the disability community to create an exhibit entitled Redefine/ABLE: Challenging Inaccessibility. The following is an asynchronous conversation about society’s treatment of those with disabilities during the pandemic written for the series from The Bahá’í Chair for World Peace on Learning During the Covid-19 Pandemic.
A World Without War: A Conversation with Authors Drs. Hoda Mahmoudi & Janet Khan
Moderator: Mr. Vafa Valapour
July 25, 2020
7:00 – 8:30 AM EDT
3:00 – 4:30 PM United Arab Emirates Standard Time
9:00 – 10:30 PM Australian Eastern Standard Time.
This is a reflection written by Professor Rashawn Ray, David M. Rubenstein Fellow in Governance Studies at Brookings, and Professor of Sociology and Executive Director of the Lab for Applied Social Science Research (LASSR) at the University of Maryland, College Park. The blogpost is included in the series from The Bahá’í Chair for World Peace on Learning During the Covid-19 Pandemic and was originally published on the Fixgov blog of Brookings.
This is a reflection written by Derek Caelin, Innovation and Data Senior Specialist at Counterpart International, for the new series from The Bahá’í Chair for World Peace on Learning During the Covid-19 Pandemic. Continue reading
This is a reflection written by Professor Dafna Lemish, Professor and Associate Dean at the School of Communication and Information at Rutgers University, for the new series from The Bahá’í Chair for World Peace on Learning During the Covid-19 Pandemic.
This is a reflection written by Professor Joseph L. Graves Jr. Professor of Biological Sciences at North Carolina A&T State University and UNC Greensboro, for the new series from The Bahá’í Chair for World Peace on Learning During the Covid-19 Pandemic. Continue reading
This is a reflection written by Caroline Corbett, Program Manager at Chemonics International, for the new series from The Bahá’í Chair for World Peace on Learning During the Covid-19 Pandemic.
Continue reading
This is a reflection written by Esther Kaufman, Masters Student in Economics at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, for the new series from The Bahá’í Chair for World Peace on Learning During the Covid-19 Pandemic. Continue reading
This is a reflection written by Professor Alison Brysk, Duncan and Suzanne Mellichamp Professor of Global Governance at the University of California, Santa Barbara, for the new series from The Bahá’í Chair for World Peace on Learning During the Covid-19 Pandemic.
Upcoming Virtual Event: Policing and Racism in America
Monday, June 8, 2020
4:00 pm – 5:30 pm
ZOOM link will be provided after registration – you can register using the link at the bottom of this page. Continue reading
This is a reflection written by Dr. Melissa Nursey Bray, Associate Professor at the Department of Geography, Environment and Population, Faculty of Arts, University of Adelaide, South Australia, for the new series from The Bahá’í Chair for World Peace on Learning During the Covid-19 Pandemic.
This is a reflection written by Mahvash Sabet, poet poet, psychology teacher, and member of the Baha’i Yaran for the new series from The Bahá’í Chair for World Peace on Learning During the Covid-19 Pandemic.
For Mahvash Sabet – poet, psychology teacher, and member of the Baha’i Yaran – who experienced severe solitary confinement during a ten year sentence in the prisons of Iran, there is a certain irony in now being confined with all her compatriots, outside their walls as a result of the current epidemic. But although the two experiences can hardly be compared, her insights might resonate with readers at this time.
This piece has been adapted and shortened from the original Persian, courtesy of the on-line magazine “aaSoo” (https://www.aasoo.org.)
This is a reflection written by Professor Simon Dalby for the new series from The Bahá’í Chair for World Peace on Learning During the Covid-19 Pandemic.
This post was originally published by the Balsillie School of International Affairs and the original post can be viewed here. Continue reading
This is a reflection written by Dr. Nasim Ahmadiyeh M.D., Ph.D for the new series from The Bahá’í Chair for World Peace on Learning During the Covid-19 Pandemic.
There is no cure for one infected with the 2019 novel coronavirus which can cause the disease commonly known as COVID-19. All we can do is wait it out, support the body and hope the immune system can fight the virus and survive its scourge. Ironically, or perhaps poetically, what is needed to fight the virus in one body, can lend insight into what is needed to fight the virus globally.
Below is an article written by Dr. Tiffani Razavi, Visiting Research Professor at The Bahá’ì Chair for World Peace.
This article first appeared in The International Educator, Vol. 34 No. 4 April 2020.
This is a reflection written by Professor Peter N. Stearns for the new series from The Bahá’í Chair for World Peace on Learning During the Covid-19 Pandemic.
The suffering and dislocation caused by the recent pandemic legitimately provoke all sorts of thoughts, including many constructive suggestions about how we can build on short term response to construct a better society and, more specifically, seek to prepare better for similar crises in the future. I certainly hope some good can indeed emerge. Continue reading
This is an insight written by Dr. Tiffani Razavi on the recent Bahá’ì Chair for World Peace Virtual Conference – Global Climate Crisis: Seeking Solutions – held on April 14, 2020.
This is an insight written by Molly Rogers on the recent Bahá’í Chair for World Peace conference on Infrastructure and Happiness, co-sponsored with United World Infrastructure and the College of Behavioral and Social Science on April 4-5, 2019.
This is an insight written by Jack Schurman on the recent Bahá’í Chair for World Peace lecture by Dr. Catherine Knight Steele, Black Girl Labor as Magic: Toward an Understanding of Digital Black Feminism, co-sponsored with The Critical Race Initiative, the College of Arts and Humanities, and the College of Behavioral and Social Science on March 12, 2019. Continue reading
This is an insight written by Angela Yang on the recent Bahá’í Chair for World Peace lecture by Dr. Catherine Knight Steele, Black Girl Labor as Magic: Toward an Understanding of Digital Black Feminism, co-sponsored with The Critical Race Initiative, the College of Arts and Humanities, and the College of Behavioral and Social Science on March 12, 2019.
This is an insight written by Molly Rogers on the recent Bahá’í Chair for World Peace Symposium, Pursuing Equity in Prince George’s County, co-sponsored with The Critical Race Initiative, on February 12, 2019. Continue reading
This is a reflection by Heather DeMocker on the shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh and the importance of community action for not normalizing hate in America. Continue reading
This is an insight written by Heather DeMocker on the Bahá’í Chair for World Peace 2018 Annual Lecture: Deconstructing Race/Reconstructing Difference presented by Professor Jabari Mahiri, University of California Berkeley, on September 20, 2018. Continue reading
This is an insight written by Julia Thomas on the Bahá’í Chair for World Peace 2018 Annual Lecture: Deconstructing Race/Reconstructing Difference presented by Professor Jabari Mahiri, University of California Berkeley, on September 20, 2018. Continue reading
This is a blog post written by Sharath Patil examining the policies of austerity. Continue reading
This is an insight written by Alawi Masud on The Ethical Foundations of Human Rights Conference, hosted by the Bahá’í Chair for World Peace on March 28, 2018. Continue reading
This is an insight written by Grace Russell on a lecture given by Audra Buck-Coleman as part of the Bahá’í Chair series on human nature. Continue reading
This is an insight written by Alawi Masud on a lecture given by Dr. Gregory F. Ball as part of the Bahá’í Chair series on human nature. Continue reading
International Women’s Day has been observed since the early 1900’s and is a day for celebrating the achievements of women across the globe. To mark the day we asked some of our students to write about women who have inspired them.
This is an insight written by Esther Kaufman on the recent 1oth UN Session of the Forum on Minorities.
Is the cost of globalization the extinction of ancestral identities?
The UN held the 10th session of the Forum on Minorities from the 28th of November to the 1st of December 2017. This conference welcomed organizations from across the world to speak as representatives of their respective minority nations, and to air their concerns to the International community. Continue reading
This is an insight written by Margo Shear on a lecture given by Dr. Mehnaz Afridi as part of the Bahá’í Chair series on human nature.
Perspective on History
The Bahá’í Chair for World Peace recently hosted Dr. Mehnaz Afridi, associate professor of religious studies and director of the Holocaust, Genocide, and Interfaith Education Center at Manhattan College. The subject of her lecture, “Muslims and the Holocaust: Reconciliation and Hope,” drew interest from guests in the hopes of exploring a dark part of history – from a different perspective. Continue reading
The turn-out to the Baha’i Chair of World Peace’s First Annual Lecture on Thursday, September 21st was impressive. The audience included University of Maryland students, teachers and deans, as well as amazing visitors from all over the world. There could not have been a better topic addressed in the presence of some of the most significant minds involved with the promotion of international peace.
Professor Hoda Mahmoudi and Professor Valerie Hudson at the Annual Lecture, September 21st 2017.
The Bahá’í Chair Fall Lecture
Nicole Hirschfelder, Associate Professor for American Culture and Literature, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Germany
Tuesday September, 26th, 2017
3:00PM
Special Events Room, 6th Floor, McKeldin Library, University of Maryland, College Park
Is capitalism the best ideology for society? As the income gap between the rich and poor grows nationally and global inequality persists, it would be beneficial to reflect on what values drive the system.
Both critiques and advocates of the capitalist system—an economic model driven by the free market and operates outside of state control— rely on the field of economics to shape their arguments. This field of study has always played an important role in understanding human behavior and specifically the interaction between humans and their society. Continue reading
The Bahá’í Chair for World Peace is very excited to welcome all of the new, and returning students, back to campus for the start of the fall semester! We hope everyone is settling in and enjoying the first day of classes.
We look forward to seeing many of you at our upcoming fall lecture series. All the lectures are open to the campus community and the public and are free to attend. These events bring leading thinkers to campus to examine obstacles to global peace, and solutions for overcoming those obstacles. Continue reading
Yuval Noah Harari’s, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, is an exceedingly unique and captivating read primarily because of its brevity. In a mere 400 pages, Israeli historian Harari presents and analyzes over 50,000 years of human history. Continue reading
It’s hard to remember that our lives are such a short time. It’s hard to remember when it takes such a long time.” – Isaac Brock
The Future of Virtual Reality
This is an insight written by Esther Kaufman on an event cosponsored by The Bahá’í Chair for World Peace and organized by the Future of Information Alliance on June 6, 2017 at the Phillips Collection. Continue reading
This is an insight written by Esther Kaufman on a lecture given by Professor Cass Sunstein, at the American Enterprise Institute on April 14th 2017. Professor Sunstein is a scholar of law and behavioral economics, and he spoke about his new book #Republic: Divided Democracy in the Age of Social Media.
Eleanor Roosevelt encouraged people to hold elevated conversations. She once said that “great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; and small minds discuss people.” I have not heard a more elevated conversation than the week-long discussion between the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu documented in vivid detail in The Book of Joy by Douglas Abrams. Continue reading
This is an insight written by Julia Thomas on the symposium given by Dr. Matthew Hughey and Dr. Paula Ioanide as part of the Bahá’í Chair for World Peace series on Structural Racism. Continue reading
In this conversation, Professor Mahmoudi and a wonderful group of students discuss the challenge of gender equality on campus. Continue reading
In recognition and celebration of International Women’s Day, March 8th 2017, we asked some of our student contributors what feminism means to them. Continue reading
This is an insight written by Esther Kaufman on the lecture given by Dr. Valerie Maholmes and Dr. Lauren Abramson as part of the Bahá’í Chair for World Peace series on Structural Racism.
Dr. Valerie Maholmes, NICHD
Dr Lauren Abramson, Community Conferencing Center
Symposium on Structural Racism and Youth Violence
March 1st 2017, 4pm – 6pm, Atrium 1107, Stamp Student Union
Co-sponsored by the Critical Race Initiative Continue reading
This is an insight written by Esther Kaufman on the lecture given by Professor Kathleen Cunningham as part of the Bahá’í Chair for World Peace series on Leadership and Global Governance.
Professor Kathleen Gallagher’s lecture on self-determination of nationalistic organizations offers insightful and relevant evidence on moving towards a peaceful society. Groups seeking self-determination have been known to have high internal fragmentation that is associated with the use of violence in pursuit of political recognition. Continue reading
As students are returning for the spring semester, we at the Bahá’í Chair would like to warmly welcome you back to campus. Continue reading
The white working class – this demographic group claimed center stage in American political discourse over the past year. I often see them dismissed as backwards, uneducated conservatives. Alternatively, we offer trite solutions for their plight without fully comprehending the problem. Continue reading
Dr. Kathleen Cunningham, Department of Government and Politics, University of Maryland College Park
Secessionism, Violence and Nonviolence
February 15th, 2017, Special Events Room, McKeldin Library, University of Maryland, College Park Continue reading
Reflection: “The Poorest Country in the Western Hemisphere”
Proud Beginnings
In many ways, the new world’s first free country was not the United States, where much of the population was enslaved. The first free country was Haiti, roughly the size of Maryland and located in the Caribbean, at its peak Haiti was the most prosperous colony in the world which enabled France, and other Western nations, to acquire wealth at the expense of its own development. Continue reading
Can Women Think?
When Dr. des Bouvrie prefaced her lecture with the question, “Can women think?” the entire audience looked around with faces of confusion and some with disdain. It seemed rather preposterous that a woman would be questioning if she or any other woman has the ability to think. Continue reading
This is a reflection written by Esther Kaufman on the lecture given by Dr. Nicole des Bouvrie on the 30th of November 2016.
Why We Should Search for the Impossible
What if the question, “Can Women Think?” is not an absurd question? Dr. des Bouvrie began her lecture by introducing historic western philosophers whose ideas have established the foundation of Western thinking. From ancient times, white male philosophers have built identities based on differences. Following their philosophies women cannot think, or at least, not as men do. Continue reading
Book Review: The Risks of Righteous Fury
This is a book review of The Righteous Mind by Jonathan Haidt. The review was written by Vicky Yu.
Morality and common sense suffer from the same underlying assumptions; we believe that people all abide by the same principles. Experience teaches us that common sense is not universal, but accepting the same verdict on morality is more difficult. Acknowledging differences in how we determine right versus wrong fundamentally alters perceptions of who we are and our place in the world. Continue reading
This is an insight written by Esther Kaufman on the lecture given by Mrs. May Rihani as part of the Bahá’í Chair for World Peace series on Women and Peace.
The Impact of Examples
Mrs. May Rihani’s lecture, “Sexism, Gender Roles and Their Intersection with Power”, shed light on the broad range of issues surrounding sexism and gender bias around the world. Continue reading
This is a reflection written by Esther Kaufman on the lecture given by Dr. Rashawn Ray as part of the Bahá’ì Chair for World Peace series on Structural Racism.
Racism as a Barrier to Justice
Dr. Rashawn Ray’s emotional presentation on “Why Police Compliance Does Not Save Black Lives” left me feeling a deep sense of disappointment in our society’s failure to recognize and deal with racism. He began his lecture with the juxtaposition of videos and statistics that emphasized the differences between races in police compliance and non-compliance. Continue reading
This is a book review of Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. The review was written by Esther Kaufman.
“Mercy is most empowering, liberating and transformative when it is directed at the undeserving,” writes author Bryan Stevenson in his book, Just Mercy. This is a concept that is difficult but perhaps essential to embrace as the media constantly divides people and societies into heroes and villains. I was born to immigrant parents who fled anti-Semitism and praise America as the land that gave their families mercy when no other state could. Yet, Bryan Stevenson’s portrayal of the American criminal justice system revealed injustices that disrupted all of my preconceived notions regarding America’s inherit goodness. Continue reading
This is a reflection written by Vicky Yu on the lecture by Professor Orna Blumen at the recent Learning Outside the Lines Conference.
My initial reaction to the topic of this talk, was a visceral sense of discomfort. “Orthodox” religious communities conjure up stereotypes of intense social conservatism: traditional, nuclear families, dogmatic leaders and a disdain for the evolution of an increasing secular and liberal youth. “Ultra-Orthodox” (U-O) could only be worse. Continue reading
This is a reflection written by Esther Kaufman on the lecture by Professor Cindi Katz at the recent Learning Outside the Lines Conference.
By juxtaposing childhood in Sudan and New York City, Professor Cindi Katz successfully brings to attention alarming issues impeding social childhood development in her lecture “Good Childhood, Social Childhood”. Continue reading
