The Association for Baha’i Studies–North America warmly invites attendees to its 35^th Annual Conference, to be held at the San Francisco Airport Marriott Hotel in Burlingame, CA, over the weekend of 11–14 August 2011.

This year’s Annual Conference theme is “Transforming Habits of Thought.” Presenters will explore the imperative and the challenges of changing deeply ingrained habits of thought, as highlighted by the Universal House of Justice in its December 28 2010 letter to the Conference of the Continental Boards of Counsellors.

All are invited to consider this question from multiple perspectives through a series of plenary talks, and by participating in smaller simultaneous breakout sessions designed for learning through consultation. In addition to theme-related sessions, the conference breakout sessions always include a diverse and engaging range of topics including the mystical, the historical, the philosophical, the practical, the creative arts, and the unexpected. (Read the full Theme Statement at www.bahaistudies.ca/statement and see the full description of the program at http://www.bahai-studies.ca/files/conferences/2011-06ConferenceNews.pdf.)

Confirmed plenary speakers include:

• Mr. Kenneth Bowers, Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of the United States, speaking on “Building Administrative Capacity”
• Dr. Hoda Mahmoudi, Director of the Research Department at the Baha’i World Center, on “Human Knowledge and the Emancipation of Humankind”
• Dr. Billie Mayo, educator and specialist in cross-cultural and race issues, addressing “The Ubuntu Programme: Changing Habits of Thought and Practice around Race in the American Mid-West”
• Mr. Matt Weinberg, Program Director of the Baha’i Internet Agency of the Baha’i World Centre, presenting on “Identity, Discourse and Policy: Reconstructing the Public Sphere”
• Mr. Ludwig Tuman, composer, pianist and author, speaking on “How the Arts can Contribute to Community Building”
• Mr. Fariborz Sahba, architect of the famed “Lotus Temple” Baha’i House of Worship in India, on “The Loving Interpretation of Space”
• Mr. Rainn Wilson, actor and humanitarian, sharing his experiences in the arts in his talk entitled, “Soulpancake: The Intersection of Art and Faith”

The 29th Hasan M. Balyuzi Memorial Lecture will be delivered by Dr. Nader Saiedi on the topic, “The Birth of the Human Being: Beyond Religious Traditionalism and Materialistic Modernity.” Dr. Saiedi is the author of Logos and Civilization: Spirit, History, and Order in the Writings of Baha’u'llah and Gate of the Heart: Understanding the Writings of the Bab.

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