Index for the January-June 2009 issue of ONE COUNTRY (Volume 20, Issue 2)
(Click here for a PDF file of the printed issue)

Historic series of conferences aims at stirring the grassroots

Located on the northern shore of Lake Tanganyika in the war-torn province of Sud-Kivu, this small and underdeveloped African city might seem an unlikely place to start building a new global civilization.

Perspective: "Animal spirits," spirituality, and the economic crisis

Events over the course of the last year have made economics a prime topic everywhere, from the global commons to the village square.

Young people give input to UN Sustainable Development session

As one of the youngest representatives from a non-governmental organization to attend this year's UN Commission on Sustainable Development, it was natural that 19-year-old Alicia Cundall would participate in the Youth caucus.

"Learning to be a Girl" strikes a chord at UN women's conference

Addressing the main theme of this year's Commission on the Status of Women, the workshop "Learning to be a Girl" focused on how cultural norms, social roles, and the gender stereotypes associated with them determine household roles for women and men and girls and boys - especially in relation to the worldwide HIV/AIDS crisis.

UN conference on racism overcomes controversy with concrete suggestions for change

A United Nations conference held here in April strongly reaffirmed the world's commitment to "prevent, combat and eradicate racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance."

Egyptian court removes barriers to ID documents for Bahá'ís and others

In a ruling that opens the door to a new level of respect for religious privacy in Egypt, a court here has removed all grounds for preventing Bahá'ís from receiving proper official identity documents.

Bahá'ís express concern over turmoil in Iran as their co-religionists remain in prison

Against the backdrop of growing turmoil in Iran since the disputed national elections there in June, Bahá'ís around the world have sought to express their concern over reports of increasing human rights violations in that country.

Bridging the gap between traditionalist Islam and the modern world

Gate of the Heart: Understanding the Writings of the Báb
By Nader Saiedi
Wilfrid Laurier University Press
Canada

For Bahá'ís, the story of the Báb is well known. The forerunner of their Faith, the Báb appeared in Iran in 1844 - and within six years he had established a new religion, attracted thousands of followers, and incurred the intense persecution of religious authorities. His mission was marked by heroic deeds, the revelation of scriptures that his followers believe fulfills and supersedes the Qu'ran, and his dramatic death by firing squad in 1850.