Global Prosperity
Stories on global prosperity and interdependence

 

Review: Can corporations possess spiritual qualities?

Lawrence Miller’s client list reads like a page from the Fortune 500 directory. In 30 years of management consulting, Mr. Miller has worked with companies like Exxon USA, MetLife, Coca-Cola, American Express, Honeywell, Eastman Kodak, and McDonald’s. What makes Mr. Miller’s latest work so significant is the degree to which he has directly connected his personal religious beliefs to his insights about the corporate world. (October-December 2007)

First Bahá'í Chair for World Peace changes hands at University of Maryland

A former senior official with the United States Agency for International Development, John Grayzel, has been appointed to the Bahá'í Chair for World Peace at the University of Maryland in the United States. (January-March 2006)

Religions ponder new efforts to “educate” for sustainable development

Faith groups gear up for the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development; how a seminar in Florida reflects the Bahá'í community's global approach. (October-December 2005)

In Israel, an historic renovation touches two communities deeply

The re-opening of an historic fortress on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea marks a significant event for Bahá'ís around the world, while the research, careful thinking, and delicate negotiations behind the citadel's restoration offer insight as to the historical and scientific outlook of the Bahá'í Faith as a independent world religion in modern times.

In the United Kingdom, Bahá'ís promote a dialogue on diversity

Against a backdrop of national concern, the Bahá'í community of the United Kingdom has taken a leading role in promoting a wider discussion of how to heal the divisions that have arisen as Great Britain has grown more diverse.

"Spirit and Intellect" the theme of annual Bahá'í studies conference

Spiritual ideas are an essential component in solving the world’s complex problems, according to the opening speaker at the annual conference of the Association for Bahá'í Studies-North America, held here 3-6 September 2004.

In South Africa, filmmakers draw on social action for their on-screen vision

Work on Bahá'í service projects here gave screenwriters Mark Bamford and Suzanne Kay the idea for a movie that has recently won international attention.

In Australia, a look at “bioprospecting” and the knowledge of indigenous people

The search for new plant and animal substances with medicinal or other useful properties often deeply affects indigenous people.

From literature to peace: a scholar who strives to be a bridge between cultures

Selected for the 2003 Juliet Hollister Award in recognition of "exceptional service to interfaith understanding," Suheil Bushrui joins the ranks of Nelson Mandela, Queen Noor, and Mary Robinson, among other recipients.

In Vanuatu, a proving ground for coconut oil as an alternative fuel x

Entrepreneur Tony Deamer shows that pure coconut oil can be used as an alternative to petroleum in automotive diesel engines. The result is an environmentally friendly fuel that might also help the local economy. (April-June 2003)

In Europe, businesspeople apply spiritual insights to economic problems

Restructuring often means laying off workers in the search for greater efficiency. Since 2000, the European Bahá'í Business Forum (EBBF) and the International Labour Organization have produced a joint paper and sponsored a series of workshops, all on the topic of "socially responsible enterprise restructuring," which among other things, consider the application of spiritual principles to economic problems. (January-March 2003)

Worldwide, the Baha'i community issues an appeal for religious tolerance

In a letter to "the world's religious leaders," the Universal House of Justice warns of the danger posed by "the rising fires of religious prejudice" and calls for decisive action against fanaticism and intolerance.

Nur University: training a new generation of leaders

SANTA CRUZ, Bolivia - Since its founding in 1982, Nur University has broken much new ground in Bolivia. It was among the first in a new wave of private universities to be founded in Bolivia in modern times and the first to be established by a presidential decree.

In London, a ground-breaking exploration into the science of morality

LONDON - Is there a scientific basis for morality? Is there a place in the brain where the capacity for morality resides? These were just two of many thought-provoking questions posed at a ground-breaking conference on the "Science of Morality" here on 8 and 9 February 2002.

Around the world, Bahá'í communities promote tolerance and racial harmony

Worldwide, Bahá'ís have sought first and foremost to build a model of racial integration within their own communities, embracing people from all races, backgrounds and classes of society. (July-September 2001 /OC 13.2)

On Mount Carmel, newly completed garden terraces are officially opened

HAIFA, Israel -- In a ceremony broadcast live around the world by satellite and Internet webcast, some 3,000 Bahá'ís from 180 countries celebrate as a majestic symbol of "unity and peace" is offered to the world. (April-June 2001 /OC 13.1)

Institute for Studies in Global Prosperity launched

NEW YORK - Simultaneous with its sponsorship of the "Colloquium on Science, Religion and Development" in New Delhi, the Bahá'í International Community formally launched its newest agency, the Institute for Studies in Global Prosperity. (OC12.3 / October-December 2000)

In New Delhi, a search for the missing ingredient in international development

At a ground-breaking "Colloquium on Science, Religion and Development," specialists from all three fields gather to consider how better to integrate efforts to eliminate poverty and achieve social justice. (OC12.3 / October-December 2000)

xReshaping "God's holy mountain" to create a vision of peace and beauty for all humanity

After sacrificially contributing some $250 million over a decade, the worldwide Bahá'í community is set to open in May 2001 a series of monumental garden terraces that some are calling the "eighth wonder" of the world.

At the UN, civil society representatives gather for the Millennium Forum

Issuing a lengthy Declaration to world leaders at the Millennium Summit, participants find they have much to say about globalization - even if they don't always agree about its impact.

In Geneva, globalization debate dominates Copenhagen Plus Five

GENEVA - The topic of globalization dominated the discussion at the "Copenhagen Plus Five" UN General Assembly Special Session, held here in June to assess progress in fighting poverty and achieving social integration since the 1995 World Summit on Social Development.

In South Africa, the world's religions gather for dialogue and actionx

Building on the ethical framework established at the1993 Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago, the 1999 Parliament seeks to translate interreligious dialogue into joint intercommunal activities.

Annual UN DPI Conference becoming an important venue for NGO networking

UNITED NATIONS - Despite the disruptions globalization causes, it can potentially provide great benefits to all humanity - and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have a critical role in ensuring that such positive outcomes are reached.

Riding the new wave of economic globalization

Thomas L. Friedman writes in The Lexus and the Olive Tree that globalization has become "the dominant international system at the end of the twentieth century - replacing the Cold War system… it now shapes virtually everyone's domestic politics and international relations." (April-June 1999 / OC 11.1)

Dialogue between World Bank and world faiths sparks new approaches to poverty

Discussions in South Africa on the 2000/20001 World Development Report are made richer and more comprehensive because of the participation of representatives of the world's religions. (January-March 1999 / OC 10.4)

Perspective: One world, one currency

A single currency would in some respects be like a world language, improving communications around the globe. It would eliminate the present problems of speculation, instability and uncertainty and would provide a strong foundation for the growing world economy. It would reduce a significant cost and risk of doing business internationally. (January-March 1999 / OC 10.4)

In southeastern Europe, an innovative approach to public dialogue

Under the framework of an international diplomatic initiative known as the Royaumont Process, a series of workshops in southeastern Europe is seeking to promote “a new public mechanism” for social healing and interethnic communication.(October-December 1998 / OC 10.3)

Perspective: New Age, New Morals, New Leaders

The new paradigm for leadership means that leaders today must be chiefly concerned with giving service to their community -- rather than advancing their own ideas, careers or sense of privilege. (July-September 1998 / OC 10.2)

In Stockholm, a global dialogue on microcredit focuses on social impact

Some 80 leading specialists on microfinance, gathered for a face-to-face exchange, warn of new challenges as large financial institutions and other major players increasingly turn to small-scale lending. (April-June 1998 / OC 10.1)

In Thailand, a provincial school paves the way for education in a global society

A learning environment that encourages a global vision and moral action. (April-June 1998 / OC 10.1)

Eighth International Convention a showcase for diversity

An electoral process that stands as a "functioning model of global governance." (April-June 1998 / OC 10.1)

An unusual meeting of bankers and believers

High-level representatives from nine major world religions meet with the president of the World Bank to discuss religion and development; a new factor in project assessment. (January-March 1998 / OC 9.4)

x What is real development? Buses, cars and tractors or cooperation and unity?

In striving to illuminate what it means to integrate spiritual principles with economic development, the New Era Development Institute (NEDI) has hit upon a simple but revealing exercise that can be used almost anywhere in the world. (October-December 1997 / OC 9.3)

The Exigences of Globalization

Currently in international circles there is a great debate over globalization and whether it is a force for good or bad. That statement oversimplifies the matter, of course. But the issue of globalization and our collective response to it promises to define who prospers and who does not well into the 21st century. (July-September 1997 / OC 9.2)

How prophets lead to profits

Managing with the Wisdom of Love: Uncovering Virtue in People and Organizations -- By Dorothy Marcic -- Between increasing global competition for market share, growing pressure from stockholders for profits, and expanding expectations for greater quality from customers, the business world has become vastly more complex in recent years (April-June 1997 / OC 9.1)

The Microcredit Summit: NGOs host a world-class meeting

Overlooked by the big international agencies, microcredit is an economic innovation that can greatly help to alleviate global poverty, say NGOs who recently held a Summit-level meeting on the issue. (January-March 1997 / OC 8.4)

Microfinance: a powerful tool for social transformation

In the search for practical measures to alleviate poverty and its debilitating impact on humanity and the planet, the microfinance movement offers a set of powerful tools in the service of social and economic development. (October-December 1996 / OC 8.3)

Hoop dancing and world citizenship: meet Kevin Locke

Known for his revival of the Lakota courting flute and the hoop dance, Kevin Locke, a tireless promoter of indigenous arts and human oneness, takes his art beyond traditional boundaries. (July-September 1996 / OC 8.2)

Women from China and the West find common challenges

A conference on "Women and the Welfare of Humanity" seeks to discuss how women might play an increasingly influential role in their careers and in their families to improve the well-being of humankind -- especially in the face of the vast changes going on in modern society. (April-June 1996 / OC 8.1)

In Colombia, a microcredit project aims to re-awaken community solidarity

A program that has granted small loans to more than a thousand rural farmers is unique for its emphasis on training which seeks to promote cooperation and a sense of service to the community at large.(April-June 1996 / OC 8.1)

Preparing for the next evolutionary leap

Fourth International Dialogue on the Transition to a Global Society, meeting outside of Washington, D.C., considers how to smooth the path to a peaceful future. (October-December 1995 / OC 7.3)

Science, religion and the strategy for global development

The tasks entailed in the development of a global society call for levels of capacity far beyond anything the human race has so far been able to muster. Reaching these levels will require an enormous expansion in access to knowledge, on the part of individuals and social organizations alike.(October-December 1995 / OC 7.3)

A Call to Reconsider the New World Order

On the 50th anniversary of the UN, the Bahá'í International community urges world leaders to hold a summit on global governance. (July-September 1995 / OC 7.2)

x Women and Peace

When the history of how humanity finally achieved lasting peace and global prosperity is ultimately written, it is quite likely that scholars will pinpoint the decade of the 1990s as among the most fruitful periods in laying the foundations for such a new world. (April-June 1995 / OC 7.1)