Since 1993, the Rabbani Charitable Trust, a Baha'i-inspired nonprofit, public charity, has sponsored an annual international Baha'i Conference on Social and Economic Development in Orlando every December. All are welcome to attend.  

A process of learning we can all emulate marked workshops offered at the Baha’i Conference on Social and Economic Development. They covered such topics as community health; taking moral leadership to neighborhoods; educating school teachers about the oneness of humankind; service through the arts; providing legal assistance to the poor; spiritual parenting; and spreading prosperity.

Carol Curtis served for more than 30 years as an international pioneer serving the Baha’i Faith outside her homeland. Her experiences abroad plus insights gained at the recent Baha’i Conference on Social and Economic Development prompted her to share these thoughts.

Intersections. Of our social and economic development knowledge base built over the years and the emerging social action in neighborhoods. Of inner (personal) and outer (societal) transformation. They appeared at virtually every juncture of the Baha’i Social and Economic Development Conference held in December 2010 in Orlando, Florida.

Seeking an arena of service? Keynote talks at the Baha’i Conference on Social and Economic Development would seem at first glance to spotlight action at the national level and beyond. But look closer and you could see inklings of how we at the grass roots can identify similar needs and pursue similar objectives.

dy·nam·ic – adjective – Constantly active or changing; characterized by action or forcefulness; not static; vital, energetic, vigorous, robust

co·her·ence – noun – the state of cohering or sticking together; logical and orderly and consistent relation of parts; balance, harmony, symmetry, unity

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in the United States, roughly 13 to 17% of Americans (approximately 35.9 million adults and 12.9 million children) are living below the federal poverty line at any given point in time, and roughly 40% fall below the poverty line at some point within a 10-year time span.

Baha'i pioneer to Fiji, Austin Bowden-Kerby, is one of 12 finalists selected out of 250 applicants for a prestigious international award through National Geographic's Changemakers, for his innovative social and economic development project Coral Gardens - Living Reefs, a project that is helping transform tourism, increasing fish stocks, alleviating poverty, and conserving coral reefs.

When Parisa’s boss encouraged her to take this weeklong trip, she probably never imagined Haiti would steal Parisa’s heart. Upon her return to California, Parisa quit her job and committed herself to finding her way back to the global arena.

For the first time, Baha’is were among more than 80 representatives of the world’s major faith traditions participating in the World Religions Summit held this week at the University of Winnipeg, just ahead of the G8 and G20 summits in Toronto.