50th ABS Annual Conference: Full Schedule

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9:00am EDT

Surfacing Assumptions in Public Health: A Concept Note Emerging from Collective Study, Writing, and Consultation

Saturday August 8, 2026 9:00am - 10:15am EDT

Limited Capacity seats available

We present a draft Public Health Concept Note designed for early-year university students to help clarify foundational concepts, surface tacit assumptions in the field, and support principled participation in public health discourses. The concept note synthesizes learning from five years of a public health reading group and a recent qualitative study, alongside insights from and consultations with the Bahá’í International Development Organization. The session will: (1) trace how the concept note was developed through collective study and consultation; (2) share its structure and pedagogical uses; and (3) include breakout groups to examine selected sections and explore diverse applications.

Speakers

Yovania Dechtiar

Yovania Dechitiar is a public health professional whose research interests include exploring the intersection of religion and public health, emphasizing the application of spiritual principles like the oneness of humanity to health policies and practices.

Gavin Grant

Applied researcher and analyst at the accelerated Disease Control and Surveillance Branch, Global Immunization Division, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States

Andrew Hatala

Andrew R. Hatala, PhD., is an Associate Professor in the College of Community and Global Health, University of Manitoba. Dr. Hatala conducts qualitative and community-based research in the areas of Psychological Anthropology, Medical Anthropology, Indigenous Health, and Community... Read More →

Anish Arora

Dr. Anish K. Arora is an Assistant Professor in the Community Population Public Health stream within the Department of Health Sciences at Wilfrid Laurier University.

Saturday August 8, 2026 9:00am - 10:15am EDT
208

Health, Breakout

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10:30am EDT

Cultivating Virtues at Work: A Collaborative Approach to Strengthening Connection, Meaning, and Communication

LIMITED

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

208

Limited Capacity seats available

In response to rising workplace stress and disengagement, a virtue-centered initiative was launched in January 2025 in a large state health department of over 2,000 employees. Developed with university researchers, the project explored whether intentionally naming, practicing, and affirming virtues could strengthen communication and morale.
This presentation situates and examines the project within the context of contemporary psychological and organizational research as well as spiritual perspectives on human development, drawing inspiration from the Bahá’í teaching that “the betterment of the world can be accomplished through pure and goodly deeds, through commendable and seemly conduct” (Bahá’u’lláh).

Speakers

Namvar Zohoori

Namvar Zohoori, MD, MPH, PhD is a retired professor of epidemiology, and former Chief Science Officer and Deputy State Health Officer at Arkansas Department of Health (ADH). He currently serves as Senior Public Health Advisor to the ADH. His professional work has focused on public... Read More →

Julien Mirivel

Ryan Fuller

Saturday August 8, 2026 10:30am - 11:45am EDT
208

Health, Breakout

2:00pm EDT

Towards a Provisional Hermeneutics of the Qayyúm al-Asmáʾ: Reflections on a Systematic Study of the Qayyúm al-Asmáʾ

LIMITED

Saturday August 8, 2026 2:00pm - 3:15pm EDT

208

Limited Capacity seats available

This presentation reflects on an eight-session seminar devoted to a systematic survey of the Báb's Qayyúm al-Asmá, described by Bahá’u’lláh as “the First, the Greatest and Mightiest of all books.” Through systematic study of a provisional compilation of all available English translations, participants engaged the historical and theological significance of this seminal text and the hermeneutical challenges it poses. This presentation will introduce hermeneutical insights drawn from a systematic survey of the text, historical contours situating the text within 19th century religious ferment, and methodological reflections on engaging profound and intricate sacred texts.

Speakers

Aaron Ferguson

Aaron JR Ferguson is a lifelong Baha'i and avid student of history, philosophy, and religion. He has completed a Bachelor's in Anthropology and History and a Master of Science in Epidemiology. He has spent much of the last three years engaged in systematic study and compilation of... Read More →

Saturday August 8, 2026 2:00pm - 3:15pm EDT
208

Study of the Writings, Breakout

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3:30pm EDT

Healing the Body Politic: Addressing Healthcare Inequities through a Bahá'í Lens

LIMITED

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

208

Limited Capacity seats available

The challenges our healthcare system both faces and poses extend beyond surface-level discussions of funding, staffing, and policy. Looking deeper, we find that questions of human worth, injustice, and a lack of unity lie at the foundation of the inequities faced by the people these systems serve. This presentation examines two specific expressions of structural disparity in Canadian healthcare — those faced by First Nations populations and women, reflecting race- and gender-related inequities respectively — as viewed through a Bahá'í lens. We explore how justice, elimination of prejudice, oneness of humanity, and consultation can help reorient these broken systems and advance us toward a divine civilization in which material and spiritual progress are inseparable.

Speakers

Soha Sabeti

Soha Sabeti is an Epidemiologist, and is currently serving as the Manager of Health Surveillance at the First Nations Health Authority. Through her work, she has been able to marry her passions for public health, human rights, and the restoration of Indigenous health and wellness... Read More →

Saama Sabeti

Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology, University of Ottawa Eye Institute

Dr. Saama Sabeti is an ophthalmologist with a specialization in corneal transplant surgery and a Master of Public Health. Complementing her surgical practice, she has served as Quality Improvement Lead for the Department of Ophthalmology at The Ottawa Hospital for the past five years... Read More →

Saturday August 8, 2026 3:30pm - 4:45pm EDT
208

Health, Breakout

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9:00am EDT

10:30am EDT

2:00pm EDT

3:30pm EDT

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