Reading Groups

Technology and Social Action in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

Texts: 

• Ruhi Book 13: Engaging in Social Action (selected excerpts)

• Bahá’í International Community statement: Reflections on Our Values: Digital Technologies and a Just Transition

• Bahá’í International Community statement to the 59th Commission for Social Development

• Melvin Kranzberg, Kranzberg’s Laws of Technology

• The Illusion of Thinking: Understanding the Strengths and Limitations of Reasoning Models  

• Additional readings on technology, history, and social action

This 9-week reading group explores technology and social action in the age of artificial intelligence. Drawing on selected excerpts from Ruhi Book 13, participants will examine frameworks for meaningful social action grounded in spiritual principles. These readings will be paired with statements from the Bahá’í International Community that explore how digital technologies can contribute to justice, equity, and collective well-being.

To deepen the conversation, the group will engage with foundational ideas from the history of technology, including Kranzberg’s Laws, alongside contemporary research such as The Illusion of Thinking. This paper critically examines the limits of modern AI reasoning systems, showing that while they perform well on some tasks, their capabilities can collapse as complexity increases. These insights invite reflection on how we understand intelligence, knowledge, and the role of technology in shaping society.

Participants will explore questions such as: What are the limits of artificial intelligence? How should communities responsibly engage with emerging technologies? And how can principles of social action guide our use of digital tools?

The group emphasizes reflective discussion, collaborative learning, and practical application.

Expectations for Participants

• Complete assigned readings prior to each session

• Consult thoughtfully and reflect on applications to social action in their communities

• Attend sessions consistently

Facilitators: Adib Shafipour, Neyssan Gnampa
Schedule: Weekly (Monday) 4 May – 29 Jun, 9:30 to 11:00 PM Eastern Time

The Role of Public Health in Promoting Peace

This five-session reading group invites participants to explore the vital and evolving role of public health in promoting peace—ranging from mitigating the impacts of war and conflict to fostering social cohesion, justice, and equity. As the World Health Organization affirms, “there cannot be health without peace, and there cannot be peace without health.” This series will examine the deep interconnections between health systems strengthening and peace-building efforts. 

Drawing on both scientific literature and insights from the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh—particularly the Bahá’í principles related to peace, justice, and social action—participants will be invited to reflect on how individuals, communities, and institutions (the three key protagonists) can collectively contribute to building more peaceful and equitable societies. Each session will include conceptual exploration, case studies, guided reflection, and a practical activity designed to help participants apply key insights to real-world contexts. 

Participants are encouraged to attend the full 90-minute sessions and complete the assigned readings in advance to contribute meaningfully to the discussion.

Facilitators: Roksana Mirkasemi, Didar Ouladi, Bahie Rassekh, Gabriela Rawhani, Guitelle Sabeti
Schedule: Weekly (Sunday) 3 May – 28 June, 10:00 to 11:30 AM Eastern Time

The Advent of Divine Justice and Race in North America

Text: The Advent of Divine Justice by Shoghi Effendi 

This reading group continues a series dedicated to exploring the nature of education and race in light of the Bahá’í writings. This installment turns more directly to the Bahá’í perspective on the moral and spiritual foundations of a just society through reading Shoghi Effendi’s The Advent of  Divine Justice. 

At the heart of this exploration is The Advent of Divine Justice by Shoghi Effendi. Written in 1938 to the Bahá’ís of North America, this work speaks with particular urgency to the issue of race unity in the United States, identifying it as a central challenge facing the nation and a decisive test for the advancement of civilization. 

The group will focus on how this text addresses the “most vital and challenging issue” of racial prejudice, examining the spiritual principles and patterns of conduct required to overcome it. In doing so, participants will consider how the elimination of racism, the cultivation of justice, and the building of genuine unity are essential not only to the health of the public sphere, but to the realization of a truly democratic society. 

Together, we will reflect on how these teachings illuminate contemporary discourse on race in the United States and explore their implications for individual transformation, community building, and constructive participation in society. Connections will also be drawn, where helpful, to themes raised by modern social and political thinkers, enriching our collective understanding. Participants are encouraged to complete the assigned readings prior to each session and to come prepared to share insights, questions, and reflections. 

Facilitators: Glenda Battle, Ben Wilson
Schedule: Weekly (Tuesday) 5 May – 23 June, 6:30 to 8:00 PM Eastern Time

Indigenous Studies

Text: One Native Life by Richard Wagamese

Reconciliation between Indigenous peoples and non-Indigenous people is the focus of this participatory and consultative reading group. In the previous nine reading groups, we have studied Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: 94 Calls to Action, Look to the Mountain: an Ecology of Indigenous Education by Gregory Cajete, two research papers by Dr. John Hodson on Indigenous education, True Reconciliation: How to Be a Force for Change by Jody Wilson-Raybould, Indigenous Relations: Insights, Tips and Suggestions to Make Reconciliation a Reality by Bob Joseph with Cynthia F. Joseph, Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults, study of Bahá’í Consultation and some papers on problem solving through consultation, Our Story: Aboriginal Voices on Canada’s Past by Thomas King, Tantoo Cardinal, Tomson Highway, and others, as well as Five Little Indians by Michele Good.

The Indigenous Studies group will be reading a book of memoirs by beloved Ojibway author, Richard Wagemese. One Native Life is "a book about roots: uncovering them, tending them, watching life spring up all around you. We are neighbours on this earth, Wagamese has come to realize." This collection of vignettes, in "the language of trauma and its miraculous recovery", provides an uplifting and spiritually engaged transition from the recent past (still present for many) into the world we live in today. It is positive in outlook, mature and connected, through both First Nation perceptions and one individual's spiritual journey.  "For Wagamese the land is sacred, and his passion for its healing powers is [...] contagious." When I finished it, I felt like I had made a friend.

Facilitators: Farzaneh Peterson, MaryAnne DeWolf, Suzanne Maloney, Ray Hudson, Cheri King
Schedule: Introductory session: 14 April from 7:00 to 8:30 PM Eastern Time; Main sessions: Weekly (Tuesday) 28 April – 14 July, from 7:00 to 8:30 PM Eastern Time

International Relations Through the Lens of Bahá’í Writings

Text: Toward a Paradigm Shift in International Relations Studies: (Re)Claiming World Peace by Navid Pourmokhtari

Participants will be introduced to the core ideas, practices, and policy debates that shape contemporary International Relations and global affairs. Together we will explore themes such as diplomacy, foreign policy, international security, nuclear and conventional arms dynamics, and global governance. These subjects will be examined through a unique lens that draws on insights from the Bahá’í writings, especially their vision of global harmony, human unity, and the conditions necessary for lasting peace.

Texts, materials and consultations will be accessible and enriching for people from all backgrounds, whether participants come from a particular religious tradition, from a secular worldview, or simply from a general curiosity about global issues. Throughout our sessions, we will consider both the strengths and limitations of the current international system and reflect on constructive ways humanity might move toward a more peaceful and just world order.

Participants can expect to: (a) deepen their understanding of historic and contemporary global challenges; (b) reflect on how peace, as viewed from the Bahá’í teachings, can lead to greater stability among nations and lasting peace for the human family; and (c) enhance their capacity and ability to engage in meaningful, informed conversations about today’s international turmoil and humanity’s broader transition toward more mature, balanced, and harmonious forms of global governance.

Participation is not limited to academics, or those studying international relations. Participants will be expected to watch the movie Blood Diamond, read a chapter for each session, complete all texts and review materials before each session and be prepared to take an active part in the consultations.

Facilitators: Navid Pourmokhtari, Alan Smith
Schedule: Biweekly (Saturday) 2 May – 22 August, 3:30 to 5:00 PM Eastern Time

Team of Teams: A Discourse on Teamwork in Complex Organizations

Text: Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World by Gen. Stanley McChrystal

General McChrystal’s book is a direct offshoot of his experience commanding military forces in Iraq. The book, however, covers various other types of organizations, analyzing the paradigm changes that they were faced with and the shared principles they can all benefit from. Among the themes to be explored, we are expecting to touch on the following: Organizational Design, Organizational change, Administration, Hierarchy, Leadership, Participation, Interdependence, Collaboration, and Consultation. 

Our goal will be to explore the discourse offered by the author, identifying its sources when possible, and drawing a comparison with “the guiding principles underlying the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh” (bearing in mind that “All we can reasonably venture to attempt is to strive to obtain a glimpse of the first streaks of the promised Dawn”).

This reading group is part of the Advancing Organizations Special Interest Group work.

Participants are expected to:

• Read the assigned text every week, seeking to identify key aspects of the discourse proposed in the text, and seeking similarities and distinctions between the Teachings and what is proposed by the authors. 
• Share their reflections on the concepts that were read.
• Identify relevant quotations from the Writings, and contrast what the authors propose to the conceptual framework the Bahá’í community has been working with in the past two decades.
• Propose ways to present Bahá’í-inspired ideas that respond to the text and that could be shared with audiences outside the Bahá’í community.

Facilitators: Vahid Masrour, Heeten Choxi
Schedule: Weekly (Thursday) 7 May – 25 June, 8:00 to 9:30 PM Eastern Time

A More Superb Mission: Exploring a Framework for the Elimination of Racial Prejudice in America

Text: In Pursuit of a More Superb Mission: Exploring a Framework for the Elimination of Racial Prejudice in America by Paul Lample

The American Bahá’í community affirms the oneness of humanity, but are we fully living it? Have we truly understood what it means to serve that oneness, especially through the lens of racial justice? We are a collaborative fellowship formed to study Paul Lample’s monograph In Pursuit of a More Superb Mission: Exploring a Framework for the Elimination of Racial Prejudice in America. Building on capacities generated in the first quarter century of guidance from the Universal House of Justice, this work explores the next step forward: a realistic framework for eliminating racial prejudice in America. It charts a much-needed path through the morass of confusion, sporadic efforts, and lack of awareness prevalent in America today. Our goal is active and systematic participation in the day to day requirements of a transcendent oneness, bypassing obstacles that have stymied efforts so far. 

Through our alumni group, “MVCI (Most Vital and Challenging Issue) Thought Partners”, whose meeting follows the reading group, those with an interest endeavor to bring what is learned into action. We have found that Mr. Lample’s work helps us navigate stumbling blocks to find solutions in an atmosphere of loving friendship and meaningful conversations it sparks. On many occasions we have experienced the power of diversity in oneness that emerges during those discussions. We embrace anyone who wishes to listen and/or participate. The only requirement for this group is to be in the process of, or to have completed, a reading of Mr. Lample’s book in any context. 

We invite you to a space for study, reflection, honest conversation, and loving exploration of how to better embody Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings in addressing racial prejudice. Ultimately, this is about transformation through love—not blame or shame—and making oneness a reality. 

Participants are expected to attend sessions, and it helps to read individually before group sessions. We also read together during the sessions, but those who have read ahead find their understanding that much richer. 

Facilitator: Catherine Donaldson

Schedule: Weekly (Sunday) 3 May – 26 July, 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM Eastern Time

THE SERVICEBERRY: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World

Text: The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer

The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer “is a bold and inspiring vision for how to orient our lives around gratitude, reciprocity, and community, based on the lessons of the natural world.” Robin Wall Kimmerer is a Mother, Associate Professor of Environmental and Forest Biology at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF), and a Member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. Her blessed, loving message is “All Flourishing Is Mutual”!

Robin’s Gift for ALL is, as Elizabeth Gilbert so vibrantly shares, “a great teacher, and her words are a hymn of love to the world.”

Question? “If our first response to the receipt of gifts is gratitude, then our second is reciprocity: to give a gift back in return. What would I give the plants in return for their generosity? I could return the gift with a direct response, like weeding or bringing water or offering a song of thanks that sends appreciation out on the wind. I could make habitat for the solitary bees that fertilized those fruits. Or maybe I could take indirect action, like donating to my local land trust so that more habitat for the gift givers will be saved, speaking at a public hearing on land use, or making art that invites others into the web of reciprocity. I could reduce my carbon footprint, vote on the side of healthy land, advocate for farmland preservation, change my diet, hang my laundry in the sunshine. We live in a time when every choice matters.

Gratitude and reciprocity are the currency of the gift economy, and they have the remarkable property of multiplying with every exchange, their energy concentrating as they pass from hand to hand, a truly renewable resource.”

Facilitators: Gil Muro, Pattie Lacefield
Schedule: Weekly (Wednesday) 6 May – 10 June, 7:00 to 8:30 PM Eastern Time

Leadership on Strong Ground: A Dialogue Between Contemporary Thought and Bahá’í Principles

Text: Strong Ground by Brené Brown

The human body needs a strong core for stability. Similarly, as suggested by Brené Brown in Strong Ground, individuals and organisations need inner grounding before they can perform effectively. Adding complexity to a weak system intensifies and augments existing problems and deficiencies. Accordingly, courageous leadership and meaningful change require inner stability, emotional depth, and the ability to navigate complexity in addition to technical skills or external solutions. Leadership should first build such foundations before the full potential of others is brought out.

The book introduces the concept of “grounded confidence” that is different from arrogance or surface-level confidence. This is a self-assurance that is rooted in self-awareness, emotional regulation, courage and vulnerability, and connection with others. Achieving such confidence requires a holistic approach to collectively building multiple capacities of thinking, emotion, relation, and strategy rather than developing them in isolation.

The reading group will study Strong Ground, analyse its content, and correlate the concepts articulated by Brown with the conceptual frameworks of the Faith on leadership, power, personal transformation, and collective transformation.

The group will read and discuss the book over eight weekly sessions. Participants are expected to complete the reading for each week in advance and are encouraged to actively engage in the discussions, with cameras on if possible. Participants can also share their learnings, questions, and comments online in a forum that will be available to the members of the reading group. 

Facilitators: Fazel Naghdy, Heeten Choxi
Schedule: Weekly (Friday) 8 May – 26 June, 2:00 to 3:30 PM Eastern Time

The Arts: A Key to Spiritual Transformation

Text: The Arts: A Key to Spiritual Transformation by Jaine Ellen Toth 

The text is described as “A call to individuals and communities, based in part on the Bahá'í Writings, to understand the imperative of weaving the arts into the tapestry of our lives. Exercises are included to stimulate the creativity within each reader.” Through reading, discussion, and artmaking, we hope the participant will better understand the spiritual nature and powers of the arts and gain basic skills in channeling their vitality into the activities of Bahá’í community life. Such activities include teaching and social outreach, study circles, devotional programs, children’s classes, youth activities, Nineteen-Day Feasts, and Holy Days and the use of creativity in general. 

Participants are encouraged to complete all the readings prior to each session, participate in discussions, work on goal setting and reflection, and create small, short art projects based on some of the exercises in the book. During the reading group meetings, we will discuss the text for 30–45 minutes, then reflect on how it felt to be doing art and share work for 30–45 mins.

Facilitators: Polly Malby, Anne Perry, Kristine Young  
Schedule: Weekly (Tuesday) 5 May – 23 June, 8:00 to 10:00 PM Eastern Time

Unlocking Human Capacity: The Unity of Science and Art

Text: Science and Art of Being Human: Questioning Accepted Understandings by Margaret Appa

“Access to knowledge is the right of every human being, and participation in its generation, application and diffusion a responsibility that all must shoulder...” (The Universal House of Justice, To the Bahá’ís of the World, Ridván 2010)

How do we view human capacity? Margaret Appa’s Science and Art of Being Human challenges the modern dichotomy that separates “science” (intelligence) from “art” (talent). Drawing on Bahá’í teachings, Appa reframes science as “any system of knowledge” and art as “any form of skill” that allows us to apply that knowledge.

In this reading group, we will explore these concepts to redefine how we see ourselves and others. Together we will ask: How can we overcome the limiting labels of “capable” or “incapable” that society imposes? How do we foster organizations where every person is empowered to engage in the generation and application of knowledge?

Facilitators: Leigh Muro, Pattie Lacefield, Gil Muro
Schedule: Weekly (Sunday) 3 May – 14 June, 7:00 to 8:30 PM Eastern Time

The World Garden of Villages

Texts: Extracts from Bahá’í Sacred Writings and reference to various indigenous authors

Individuals, families and villages (or neighbourhoods around large urban centres) are inseparable intelligible realities, whose development, such as appearing in nature, depends on the quality of relationships. Each village is a foundational organic entity, with its own particular characteristics and culture which contribute to the beauty and diversity of world community; each is the primary site of interaction between families; each is the first stage in the development of the individual beyond the limits of the family. By considering our personal and family development within the context of a village, strongly influenced by both external and internal forces, this group will seek a vision of the revitalization of the village, as the fundamental expression of community life, and of the reconciliation of those forces. 

The perspective of Indigenous people is of great importance in developing that vision. History, disruption and adaptation are significant factors in the cohesiveness or dispersal of a community. While materialist ideologies form the dominant structure of modern society, indigenous peoples, by virtue of their resistance to, and the process of overcoming, the oppression caused by the disruptive force aimed to exclude their historical communities from that society, and the equally powerful demand for adaptation, have a special capacity, based on the divine teachings - which are in essence one and differing only in outward expression - to illuminate a path freed from those ideologies.

Participants will be asked to share stories from their life, as well as personal experience related to the text. A Google Doc will be set up for the sharing of writings, poetry, or other artistic expression.

Facilitator: Garnet Robbie

Schedule (please note two sessions on offer): 

• Weekly (Wednesday) 6 May - 24 June, 6:30 to 8:00 pm Pacific Time
• Weekly (Thursday) 7 May - 25 June, 7:00 to 8:30 WGST (Greenland)

Seven Valleys and Yogic Chakras

Text: The Seven Valleys by Bahá’u’lláh; Eastern Body, Western Mind by Anodea Judith

This reading group explores two frameworks of inner transformation: the spiritual journey described in The Seven Valleys and the psychological and embodied model of the chakra system presented in Eastern Body, Western Mind. Participants will read selections from both texts in advance of each session and come together to engage in thoughtful and consultative discussion. The readings will be explored progressively in a chapter-by-chapter format over the course of 10 weeks. The group will examine points of resonance and distinction between the two works, considering how each approaches themes such as human development, identity, and the path of transformation. The aim of the group is to create a space for collective inquiry, where participants can deepen their understanding through reading and dialogue in a supportive environment.

Participants are encouraged to complete the readings prior to each session and to actively contribute to the consultation during group discussions.

Facilitator: Nahal Haghbin
Schedule: Weekly (Tuesday) 5 May – 7 July, 9:30 to 11:30 PM Eastern Time

Scientifically Empowering the Grassroots of Humanity Using a Participatory Methodology

Text: The Single Science, Leonardo Duque (2023)

This quote will be the guiding principle for our reading group: “The perpetuation of ignorance”, the House of Justice has stated, “is a most grievous form of oppression; it reinforces the many walls of prejudice that stand as barriers to the realization of the oneness of humankind…. Access to knowledge is the right of every human being, and participation in its generation, application and diffusion a responsibility that all must shoulder in the great enterprise of building a prosperous world civilization—each individual according to his or her talents and abilities” (The Universal House of Justice to an individual, 27 December 2017. Emphasis added).  

I have made a recent discovery, based on "There are two Books: One is the Book of Creation and the other is the written Book” (‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Additional Tablets, Extracts, and Talks). Both of them are Sacred; native indigenous populations consider nature as Sacred too. Science and religion are "joined and welded in reality” (‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace). And because of it, all humans have the capability to learn how they are "joined and welded”. Participatory research (PR) involves community members or stakeholders throughout the research process—from defining questions to interpreting results. They are encouraged to bring to the reading group a problem they want to address or relevant knowledge from native indigenous tribes to be examined using a scientific approach.

What I would be sharing is a scientific strategy for examining a problem from different perspectives. Using a participatory research methodology, individuals or small groups (3 to 4 participants max) are encouraged to identify a problematic situation of interest to them and to start practicing each method they will study. They should summarize the advances found during the next session using the previously studied research method.

I will provide all participants with a copy of The Single Science for the indicated chapter for the session, along with a few very short documents or PowerPoints and some slides to peruse before our next meeting.

Facilitator: Leonardo Duque
Schedule: Weekly (Monday) 4 May – 21 July, 7:00 to 9:00 PM Eastern Time

Thinking in the Age of AI: A Course in Mutual Inquiry

Text: There will be readings, videos or exercises provided or available free online.

Texts or relevant excerpts that will be provided:

• Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet (Letter 4 only)
• Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World (Chapter 12 only)
• Plato, Meno (first third)
• Warren Berger, A More Beautiful Question (Chapter 1)
• Shunryu Suzuki, Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind (Introduction)
• Nassim Nicholas Taleb, The Black Swan (Chapters 1–2)
• Martin Buber, I and Thou (Part 1, selected excerpts)
• Introduction to Bahá’í consultation principles (provided)
• Parker Palmer, Let Your Life Speak (Chapters 1–2)
• James Baldwin, Notes of a Native Son (Essay 1)

A new tool has appeared that makes more knowledge available to more people than ever in history. We want to viscerally understand its benefits in light of Bahá’u’lláh’s vision for humanity and our framework for action.

This is not a lecture, not a multimedia content creation primer. It is a hands-on inquiry into what it means to think well and act volitionally in a world where information is abundant and good questions are rare. Each week, participants will use AI directly as a thinking partner — exploring when to trust it, when to challenge it, and what we must bring ourselves that it cannot provide.

We’ll each identify a genuine personal question — something that actually matters to us — and pursue it throughout the series, strengthening skills and deepening our inquiry. We will develop our capacity to ask better questions, evaluate answers critically, follow a thread wherever it leads, and think on unfamiliar ground.

Before the first session, ask an AI model something you’ve been carrying around—a question, a dilemma, or something you haven’t quite been able to articulate from any part of your life. Don’t worry about how to phrase it; just start. Then, continue your chat with follow-up questions until you find the answer truly helpful or you feel grateful for the exchange. Along the way, find at least two reasons to ask the AI to clarify its response. Bring your reflections to the session!

Access to an AI language model (Claude, ChatGPT, or equivalent) is required throughout the course; free (or premium) versions are available online. Around the skills building, we’ll consider how AI can help humanity become its envisioned self, and how we can help train AI for this work. No technical or previous AI background required. Only humility, awe and the desire to sharpen your thinking. Come not for answers. Come to share the exploration.

Expectations:

• Participants are not expected to be AI experts or philosophers. They are expected to bring a posture of humility, curiosity, and a desire to sharpen their own thinking. This is not a lecture series, but a commitment to accompany one another in understanding a new era of human intelligence.
• Participants are encouraged to complete the assigned readings, exercises or videos before each session and to attend each 90-minute session in full.
• Participants will be asked to, well, participate in the discussions. Although each of us will be exploring with AI something of genuine personal importance, there is no expectation of anyone sharing more of that in meetings than you are comfortable sharing.
  

Facilitators: Peter J. Hammond, Gary Guanpeng Xu, Bill Ahlhauser 

Schedule: Weekly (Thursday) 14 May – 16 July, 8:00 to 9:30 PM Eastern Time

Decline of Faith and Religion and the Positive Effects of Community-Building on the Trend (Part 3 of 4)

Text: The Nones, Second Edition: Where They Came From, Who They Are, and Where They Are Going, by Ryan Burge

Will wrap up this book from the last session:

Goodbye Religion: The Causes and Consequences of Secularization, by Ryan T. Cragun and Jesse M. Smith

The group will explore and discuss the prevalent causes of the decline of church attendance, the parental transition of faith associated with the risk of decline of faith education for children and youth. We will discuss the reality facing all faiths in and around the world, and the changes needed to bring believers back into faith-related activities, such as community-building endeavors to slow the process of religious decline and support the resurgence of faith and belief at community grassroots. The book provides both subjective and objective statistical analysis of the religious decline in the US, and the consequences of secularization if the trend does not slow down and fails to reverse itself, and the recognition that religion as a force is essential to unity and revitalization of faith in individuals and communities.  This series is open to individuals from all faith groups, so please feel free to invite others to join. The group will read approximately two chapters per week.

Facilitators: Shamil Erfanian, Alex Gottdank

Schedule: First meeting: (Tuesday) 5 May, 8:30 to 10:00 PM Eastern Time. Weekly schedule will be determined by the group during the first meeting.