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Home
Welcome, Vision, & Mission
About Us
Objectives, Chair & Staff
News & Events
Stories,Broadcasts Videos etc
Semester on Peace
Contact Us
Address, Phone & E-mail
THE CHAIR’S ACTIVITIES
Research
Orientation & Focus
Foundations Principles
Publications
The Humanity of Diplomacyured
Other Selections
Teaching
Courses & Syllabi
Outreach & Services
Speaking, Facilitating, Analysis
Conscience Based Reflection
Programs & Projects
Focus on Real-World Issues
Dialogues & Reflections
Exchanges & Commentaries
Archives:
Past Events
COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS
Opportunities to Engage
The Semester on Peace
Foundational Principles Network
Associations & Partnerships
Ways to Give
Needs & Contributions
Programs and Projects
In the Chair’s usage - a program as a collection of strategically grouped activities that center on a common theme or purpose;- a project is an activity characterized by a more sharply defined intellectual focus, a specified time frame, and an expected product, such as a publication, the establishment or advancement of a collaborative venture inline with its mandate, or an on-the-ground improvement of a specific social condition.
AREAS of PARTICULAR CONCERN:
Situating Pragmatic Actions Within the Context of Higher Principles: Unity of Conscience
Transforming conflict into accords that reflect a unity of purpose and intention can be a key to the transformation of discordant and conflictive situations into mutually supportive circumstances. Creating effective enduring postive responses to deeply felt concerns and imperatives needs requires a solid foundation fo harmonious deeper beliefs and harmonious motivations.
Prevailing models of interpersonal and inter-group conflict resolution generally stress the existence of divergent and often competing interests. These models seek agreement and cooperation through negotiated processes that ”adjust” conflicting concerns. In contrast, Baha’i models stress a process of consultation that promotes shared understandings and cooperative undertakings based on a convergence of commitment and the harmonization of interests without sacrificing individual or group integrity. Ultimately, accord is achieved through the development of a harmonization of beliefs regarding foundational principles for action and fundamental moral and ethic standards expressed through just and equitable policies and actions. The Chair describes the resulting state of affairs as a ”unity of conscience.
Pasted Graphic 7Pasted Graphic 8Pasted Graphic 14
The Chair seeks to advance understandings of the role this concept can play within and between groups in a variety of forums, including facilitating the efforts of citizens, businesses, and communities, who seeks to work together for the achievement of mutual benefits through the exercise of joint effort and shared responsibilities.
Moral Education and Youth Socialization
The Right to Learn the Exercise of Moral Responsibilities The Chair has among its priority activities research and engagement focused on the critical role of education and socialization of youth. This includes the inculcation and exercise of positive moral character and the development in each individual of appropriate skills and capacities to exercise moral behavior in their daily life.
The Chair’s activities have a strong international focus because of the particular crisis that faces the conflict and poverty ridden nations of the world. In many of these societies traditional institutions for socialization and for the establishment of moral character have been shattered. Present circumstances inhibit the full development of acceptable alternatives. Social and scientific research has amply demonstrated how and why the years of early adolescence are particularly critical for forming adult character. Unfortunately, most formal education fails in its obligation to fully address this need. Too often responsible parties and institutions cede this vital task to other groups who are motivated by interests other than the those of the healthy development of youth or the proper functioning of society.
Sovereignty and Foundational Principles of Global Governance:
The Chair is initiating a new activity focused on fostering a more dynamic consideration and greater recognition of the role foundational principles play in explaining present expressions of peace and conflict and particularly the necessity of a their more serious direct inclusion in the the discussion and development of new institutions of direct relation to evolving global governance.
A beginning point for this effort is a strong focus on two key concepts: “sovereignty” and “human security”.
The traditional concept of state sovereignty that claims an exclusive right within established boundaries to exercise final responsibility and authority over various domains, is facing increasingly challenge. Today sovereign states have roles that are international as well as national; groups within sovereign states and across the boundaries of nations are increasingly making claims for shared sovereignty over situations that affect their lives; and the failure to exercise responsible sovereign powers is actually being used as a justification for intervention during humanitarian crisis.
A separate web site the ‘Foundational Principles Monitor” is being developed for this activity at: www. foundationalprinciplesmonitor.com. This effort includes: 1) monitoring the evolving situation regarding key foundational principles in global governance; 2) analyzing how a deeper understanding of differences in foundation principles, and the accepted authority behind them, can play in explaining and assisting resolution of conflict and success in cross-cultural and cross-national collaboration for peace; 3) advocating increased reflection and actions towards the creation of new pragmatically implementable global principles, (such as "standards of sovereignty") to achieve more efficacy governance in a global age; and 4) evolving and applying methodologies for dialogue, consultation and concurrence on the role of foundational principles in collaborative peace efforts at all levels of society in ways relevant to an evolving a just and equatable global civilization.
Spiritual Indicators and Intergenerational Cooperation for Education, Peace and Development:
By spirituality is meant the belief that humankind and each human exists not just for the moment but as part of a larger purpose, the understanding of which should have direct bearing on the conduct of individuals, institutions, nations and as they engage in reconstituting our societies in pursuit of a just world.
Today there is pervasive modern skepticism as to the above assertion from many quarters, and often specifically a direct hostility to their expression in the form of formal religion. Such skepticism often stems from the way some religious dogmas have been misappropriated and applied in intolerant and nefarious ways. However, spiritual and religious beliefs play a critical role in motivating much of humanity and in the structuring many societies. The failure or inability to engage those who so believe, diminishes the possibility to arrive at shared understandings, harmonious relationships and successful collaborations. Too often, in the quest for material and technological solutions, indispensable spiritual needs are neglected and potential spiritual contributions left unexplored.
For spiritual aspects to take their proper place at the table of academia and development understandings, there must be credible demonstrations of how they truly manifest themselves in positive ways for the achievement of desired ends, viable explanations of the process by which this is occurring, and confidence in a capacity to replicate results. The Chair seeks, in collaboration with others, to develop, in the course of actual problem solving, methodologies for creating sets of spiritual indicators that assists positive behavioral and social outcomes.
The Chair believes that a particularly promising and needed arena for introducing processes for developing, applying and assessing spiritual aspects of practical problem solving can be found in intergenerational cooperative efforts for education, peace and development. The increasing global sustainable environmental movement and other efforts towards responsible social stewardship provide emerging examples of this phenomenon. Such an effort is the: SemesterOnPeace
activity at the University of Maryland. This can be viewed at: www.peace.umd.edu
In the Chair’s usage - a program as a collection of strategically grouped activities that center on a common theme or purpose;- a project is an activity characterized by a more sharply defined intellectual focus, a specified time frame, and an expected product, such as a publication, the establishment or advancement of a collaborative venture inline with its mandate, or an on-the-ground improvement of a specific social condition.
AREAS of PARTICULAR CONCERN:
Situating Pragmatic Actions Within the Context of Higher Principles: Unity of Conscience
Transforming conflict into accords that reflect a unity of purpose and intention can be a key to the transformation of discordant and conflictive situations into mutually supportive circumstances. Creating effective enduring postive responses to deeply felt concerns and imperatives needs requires a solid foundation fo harmonious deeper beliefs and harmonious motivations.
Prevailing models of interpersonal and inter-group conflict resolution generally stress the existence of divergent and often competing interests. These models seek agreement and cooperation through negotiated processes that ”adjust” conflicting concerns. In contrast, Baha’i models stress a process of consultation that promotes shared understandings and cooperative undertakings based on a convergence of commitment and the harmonization of interests without sacrificing individual or group integrity. Ultimately, accord is achieved through the development of a harmonization of beliefs regarding foundational principles for action and fundamental moral and ethic standards expressed through just and equitable policies and actions. The Chair describes the resulting state of affairs as a ”unity of conscience.
Pasted Graphic 7Pasted Graphic 8Pasted Graphic 14
The Chair seeks to advance understandings of the role this concept can play within and between groups in a variety of forums, including facilitating the efforts of citizens, businesses, and communities, who seeks to work together for the achievement of mutual benefits through the exercise of joint effort and shared responsibilities.
Moral Education and Youth Socialization
The Right to Learn the Exercise of Moral Responsibilities The Chair has among its priority activities research and engagement focused on the critical role of education and socialization of youth. This includes the inculcation and exercise of positive moral character and the development in each individual of appropriate skills and capacities to exercise moral behavior in their daily life.
The Chair’s activities have a strong international focus because of the particular crisis that faces the conflict and poverty ridden nations of the world. In many of these societies traditional institutions for socialization and for the establishment of moral character have been shattered. Present circumstances inhibit the full development of acceptable alternatives. Social and scientific research has amply demonstrated how and why the years of early adolescence are particularly critical for forming adult character. Unfortunately, most formal education fails in its obligation to fully address this need. Too often responsible parties and institutions cede this vital task to other groups who are motivated by interests other than the those of the healthy development of youth or the proper functioning of society.Sovereignty and Foundational Principles of Global Governance:
The Chair is initiating a new activity focused on fostering a more dynamic consideration and greater recognition of the role foundational principles play in explaining present expressions of peace and conflict and particularly the necessity of a their more serious direct inclusion in the the discussion and development of new institutions of direct relation to evolving global governance.
A beginning point for this effort is a strong focus on two key concepts: “sovereignty” and “human security”.
The traditional concept of state sovereignty that claims an exclusive right within established boundaries to exercise final responsibility and authority over various domains, is facing increasingly challenge. Today sovereign states have roles that are international as well as national; groups within sovereign states and across the boundaries of nations are increasingly making claims for shared sovereignty over situations that affect their lives; and the failure to exercise responsible sovereign powers is actually being used as a justification for intervention during humanitarian crisis.
A separate web site the ‘Foundational Principles Monitor” is being developed for this activity at: www. foundationalprinciplesmonitor.com. This effort includes: 1) monitoring the evolving situation regarding key foundational principles in global governance; 2) analyzing how a deeper understanding of differences in foundation principles, and the accepted authority behind them, can play in explaining and assisting resolution of conflict and success in cross-cultural and cross-national collaboration for peace; 3) advocating increased reflection and actions towards the creation of new pragmatically implementable global principles, (such as "standards of sovereignty") to achieve more efficacy governance in a global age; and 4) evolving and applying methodologies for dialogue, consultation and concurrence on the role of foundational principles in collaborative peace efforts at all levels of society in ways relevant to an evolving a just and equatable global civilization.
Spiritual Indicators and Intergenerational Cooperation for Education, Peace and Development:
By spirituality is meant the belief that humankind and each human exists not just for the moment but as part of a larger purpose, the understanding of which should have direct bearing on the conduct of individuals, institutions, nations and as they engage in reconstituting our societies in pursuit of a just world.
Today there is pervasive modern skepticism as to the above assertion from many quarters, and often specifically a direct hostility to their expression in the form of formal religion. Such skepticism often stems from the way some religious dogmas have been misappropriated and applied in intolerant and nefarious ways. However, spiritual and religious beliefs play a critical role in motivating much of humanity and in the structuring many societies. The failure or inability to engage those who so believe, diminishes the possibility to arrive at shared understandings, harmonious relationships and successful collaborations. Too often, in the quest for material and technological solutions, indispensable spiritual needs are neglected and potential spiritual contributions left unexplored.
For spiritual aspects to take their proper place at the table of academia and development understandings, there must be credible demonstrations of how they truly manifest themselves in positive ways for the achievement of desired ends, viable explanations of the process by which this is occurring, and confidence in a capacity to replicate results. The Chair seeks, in collaboration with others, to develop, in the course of actual problem solving, methodologies for creating sets of spiritual indicators that assists positive behavioral and social outcomes.
The Chair believes that a particularly promising and needed arena for introducing processes for developing, applying and assessing spiritual aspects of practical problem solving can be found in intergenerational cooperative efforts for education, peace and development. The increasing global sustainable environmental movement and other efforts towards responsible social stewardship provide emerging examples of this phenomenon. Such an effort is the: SemesterOnPeace
activity at the University of Maryland. This can be viewed at: www.peace.umd.edu
©2009 - The Baha'i Chair for World Peace
0145 Tydings Hall • University of Maryland • College Park, MD 20742
+1.301.405.7714 (phone) • +1.301.314.9256 (fax) • www.bahaipeacechair.org