The Association for Bahá’í Studies in Southern Africa

Email: abs@bahai.org.za
website: www.bahaistudies.org.za

Postal address: P.O. Box 2142, Houghton, 2041

South Africa

Tel: +27 11-487-2099/487-2077

October 2003

Call for Papers - Fifth Annual Conference 2004

The 5th Annual Conference of the Association for Bahá'í Studies in Southern Africa (ABS-SA) will take place in Johannesburg on the weekend of 30 January to 1 February, 2004. Further details regarding venue and other relevant information will be sent in November.

The theme of this year's conference is:

A MULTIRELIGIOUS DISCOURSE:

Sub-themes are:

* the future of humankind

* development of community

* fostering multi-religious collaboration

* developing a culture of learning

Submissions for papers or presentations, including presentations involving drama, poetry, music or the visual arts, are invited. Kindly indicate which of the above sub-themes of your presentation falls under. We encourage submissions from youth. People of all religious backgrounds are welcome.

Please send your proposals to: abs@bahai.org.za; and do feel free to ask for clarification or assistance.

This will be the first stand-alone conference sponsored by the Association, previous conferences having been linked with International Bahá’í Summer Schools in southern African countries. Consequently there will be more time for presentations, consultations, formal and informal discussions, and socialization with fellow ABS members and conference participants.

The ABS-SA Executive is looking forward to an exciting and fruitful weekend. Additional information about the ABS-SA is on the following addendum.

Yours truly,

Dr. Sylvia Kaye, Secretary

Association for Bahá’ís Studies in Southern Africa

Addendum:

Association for Bahá’í Studies in Southern Africa

A Southern African volunteer association, one of several similar associations
throughout the world.

Email: abs@bahai.org.za

Websites:

Regional:

www.bahaistudies.org.za (ABS-SA website)

www.bahai.org.za (South African Bahá’í website)

International:

www.bahai.org (international Bahá’í website)

Relevant Statements and Documents (available on the websites or in electronic format)

Statement to the Religious Leaders of the World (2002)

The Promise of World Peace

Who is Writing the Future?

The Prosperity of Humankind

The purpose of the Association is four-fold as follows:

1. Study of the Bahá’í Faith: To promote the study of the Bahá’í Faith, its history, teachings, beliefs and practices.

2. Scholarship: To promote research and scholarship in subject areas of interest and relevance to the Bahá’í community.

3. Teaching: To promote teaching of the Bahá’í Faith, its principles and practices, to leaders of thought, prominent people, people of capacity, and more generally the public.

4. Collaboration: To cooperate and collaborate with like-minded groups and societies in the promotion of world unity.