Minutes

The Annual General Meeting of the ABS was held on 1 February 2004, following the Annual Conference. Members of the Executive Committee in attendance were: Dr. Robert Sarracino (Chair); Ms. Fereshteh Samadi (Treasurer); Dr. Sylvia Kaye (Secretary); Professor Farhad Aghdasi; Ms. Abdia Naidoo.

1. Annual Report

The Annual Report was shared with the friends. The main points of the report were:

· University Seminars: Plans underway at University of KwaZulu-Natal, Swaziland, University of Cape Town. Seminar at the National University of Lesotho held in February 2003.

· Distance Education Course: Century of Light was conducted based on materials from the Wilmette Institute in the United States. The ABS has entered into an agreement with the Wilmette Institute – they have given us permission to use the course contents at no charge.

· Presentation at Conferences: Dr. Robert Sarracino presented a paper at the South African Academy of Religion.

· South African Academy of Religion: ABS is investigating membership.

· Youth Seminars: second seminar being planned.

· Conference Proceedings (2000 – 2002) published, cost is R20.00.

· Web Site: still being maintained by Farzin Aghdasi.

· Membership: approximately 50 registered members.

2. Suggestions

The following suggestions were made:

Direction for ABS:

· Evaluate effectiveness at the end of the year (5 years)

· Seek wider audiences and membership, especially the youth, avoiding the appearance of elitism.

· Encourage members to give talks

· Suggest that the NSA commission ABS to conduct research – i.e. gender.

· Encourage Bahá’ís in a community to participate in university activities (integrating ‘town’ and ‘gown’)

· Include more arts

· Involve and develop youth, for example, dedicate sections of the Conference to youth

· Encourage collaboration between the Institute Board and other educational boards and the ABS, aim of encouraging scholarship. For example, the ABS can help tutors in developing the understanding of Bahá’í scholarship and practice in researching and writing papers, offering guidance on how papers can be presented.

· Encourage formation and use of Bahá’í libraries in the local communities, encourage reading, book reports.

· Inform membership of new books, new events, etc..

· Foster dialogues of how to bring Faith into professional life.

· Encourage cooperation between the ABS and the university societies.

· Establish 2-year plan for encouraging youth.

· Consider chapters of the ABS (or branches).

· Offer assistance to the Bahá’í Academy.

Next conference:

· Include more visual arts, music.

· Devotions to be more musical, etc.

· Continue to have the Conference to be independent from summer schools.

· Make topics challenging to all groups, youth.

· Encourage greater participation from youth.

· Allow more time to discuss

· Include youth in chairing sessions

Distance Education Course:

· Next course: consider the Secret of Divine Civilization

Collaborations

· Collaboration with like-minded organisations.

· Collaboration with other ABS.