50th ABS Annual Conference: Full Schedule

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10:30am EDT

The Elimination of Prejudice of all Kinds: Engaging with Social Discourse Related to Aging and Ageism

Saturday August 8, 2026 10:30am - 11:45am EDT

Limited Capacity seats available

Ageism is one of the most widespread and unacknowledged prejudices that permeates life in the 21st century. This presentation will look at how we can use the Baha’i Writings to address ageism using the lens of the oneness of humanity to understand how social institutions, such as nursing homes and segregated living environments, continue to reinforce prejudice against people based on their age. It will engage with sociological research as well as the experience of the presenter based on decades of public talks on ageism.

Speakers

Deborah van den Hoonaard

Deborah van den Hoonaard is professor emerita of Gerontology. Her research focuses on transitions associated with aging and the social meaning of being old. She has written books on widowhood, and published a number of papers, given numerous talks as well as media interviews on a... Read More →

Saturday August 8, 2026 10:30am - 11:45am EDT
215

Community, Breakout

3:30pm EDT

Community Building: Striving for Synergies in Approaches and Outcomes

LIMITED

Saturday August 8, 2026 3:30pm - 4:45pm EDT

211

Limited Capacity seats available

Bahá’ís are at the very beginning of the process of community building. While valuable experience has been gained over the past 30 years by drawing on the society-building power of the Revelation, there are also rich insights to be gleaned from community development thinking and practice in the wider society. The goal of this presentation is to correlate these insights with the guidance of the Universal House of Justice about the salient features of community building in the Divine Plan, and to explore practical considerations for synthesizing the two, informed by experience leading a community health agency in urban Toronto.

Speakers

Payam Pakravan

Payam Pakravan has over twenty years of experience in strategy, policy, and program delivery across provincial and community-based healthcare organizations in Ontario, Canada. He holds graduate degrees in Economics from the University of Toronto and the University of Melbourne, and... Read More →

Saturday August 8, 2026 3:30pm - 4:45pm EDT
211

Community, Breakout

3:30pm EDT

Diversity, Equity and Protagonism: Promoting a Discourse

LIMITED

Saturday August 8, 2026 3:30pm - 4:45pm EDT

213

Limited Capacity seats available

Equity work in American schools is in crisis. Undue reliance on institutional support has left the field at the mercy of partisan interests. Beyond a mere critique of top down DEI, the presentation offers a path forward by introducing the concept of protagonism alongside insights from the field of organizational development. Emphasis is placed on recasting the relationships among the three protagonists to foster individual initiative, consultation, and organizational learning. After considering how the presentation has been offered to different audiences, participants will suggest other communities of practice where promoting a discourse on protagonism can help advance thought and action.

Speakers

Niaz Khadem

Niaz Khadem serves as secretary for the Regional Baha’i Council of Appalachia. His research and action focus on promoting solidarity and protagonism among groups of families and individuals. He is interested in language education, capacity building, social action and transformative... Read More →

Saturday August 8, 2026 3:30pm - 4:45pm EDT
213

Community, Breakout

50th ABS Annual Conference

10:30am EDT

Deborah van den Hoonaard

3:30pm EDT

Payam Pakravan

3:30pm EDT

Niaz Khadem

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