baha'i

David is an educator and author of the book href="https://www.bahaibookstore.com/Search.aspx?k=David+Douglas" target="_blank"Marriage Beyond Black and White: An Interracial Family Portrait. The book is about David's parents' interracial marriage. David explains how, after his father died, his mother began writing this book. After about six months of writing, she passed away, and so David took up the mantle to complete the book. He reads two excerpts from the book: one from the pen of his mother, and the second, his telling of an episode in their lives.

Joan has spent most of her adult life in Guatemala and Bolivia . She has written several books, the most recent of which is href="https://www.bahaibookstore.com/Bahai-Response-to-the-Crisis-of-Our-Time-The-P8816.aspx" target="_blank"The Baha'i Response to the Crisis of our Time: What Each of Us Can Do to Create a Better World. We discuss the book in the interview as well has having Joan read an excerpt.

Michael is the author of the book href="https://www.michaelvday.com/"Journey To A Mountain (The Story of the Shrine of the Bab). It is an incredible story of the efforts to hide the remains of the martyred messenger of God, the Bab, for over 50 years, so that it could be entombed in a gold-domed shrine in the bosom of Mt. Carmel in Haifa, Israel. The story of the Bab itself is an incredibly parallel one to the life and crusifiction of Jesus.

Kathleen is the author of the book " href="https://www.amazon.com/Persian-Historical-Victorian-England-Persia-ebook/dp/B00JVE7OLO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8amp;qid=1511913287amp;sr=8-1amp;keywords=Kathleen+Babb+The+Persian" target="_blank"The Persian". A novel that takes place during the 19th century about a European professor and his experience in Persia and his fascination with the prophetic missions of the Bab and Baha'u'llah. Kathleen reads an excerpt from her novel in the interview.

David is a singer songwriter with two published albums. His first album is called The Earth and the Eagle, and his second album is called Live at Erica's. We feature selections from both albums in the interview, plus one piece yet to be published. You can find his music at href="https://david-hunt-music.com/music" target="_blank"David-Hunt-Music.com.

href="http://wilmetteinstitute.org/robert-white/" target="_blank"Bob completed his undergraduate education in Agriculture at the University of Saskatchewan in 1972 but the orientation to controlling nature for economic ends was dissonant with his own life experience of relating to the natural world. In response, he traveled around the world for two years searching to develop his own understanding of humanity#39;s relationship to nature. During his travels, he met Richard St Barbe Baker (who was known as the Man of the Trees) and Bob felt an inner calling to understand St Barbe Baker's grand vision of a cooperative relationship with the earth. His intellectual inquiry and the St Barbe Baker influence led him to embrace the Baha#39;i Faith in 1982.

As a young man Badi left his home in Iran and pursued is higher education in India as a way to provide service to the Baha'i Faith there. He found himself a refugee when the Iranian Revolutionary government refused to renew his passport because he was a Baha'i. He thus had to leave India and take refuge in Canada. Just before leaving India he started an elementary school there called the Martha Root school, named after a famous Baha'i who traveled all over the world promoting the Baha'i teachings in the early part of the 20th century. Badi's field of interest is economics and he has published a compilation " href="https://www.amazon.com/Economics-of-the-Future/dp/8185091323" target="_blank"Economics of the Future" and also recently the book " href="http://www.bahaibookstore.com/Economics-of-the-Future-Begins-Today-P8756.aspx" target="_blank"Economics of the Future Begins Today". He is retired from the education system and lives with his wife on Vancouver Island where he tends his many varieties of fruit trees.

Joany is a classically trained musician and was attending Mills College when she was introduced to the Baha'i Faith. After becoming a Baha'i she aspired to travel about the world promoting the teachings of the Baha'i Faith. She explains how she had to transform her music abilities to more informal genres like singer-songer writer and jazz as she was living abroad . We play her music that she had written during her life time traveling for the Baha'i Faith.

Ramona is the cofounder of Townsend International School in the Czech Republic and is the author of "Simply Noble: A step-by-step guide to cultivating the best in your child". (To get the book, email at href="mailto:simplynoble@access-productions.eu"simplynoble@access-productions.eu). We talk about the genesis of Townsend International School and her book.

Martin is a singer songwriter that has produced a number of albums which you can find on his website href="https://martinkerrmusic.com" target="_blank"MartinKerrMusic.com. We feature six songs from his various albums in the interview.

Arthur worked in the field of sustainable development for over 50 years. He worked for many years for the href="http://web.unep.org/" target="_blank"United Nations Environment Programme, and a consultant to international organizations and research programmes on environmental assessment, coral reefs, biodiversity, environmental education, and social and economic development. During the interview, we talk about his work at UNEP, his early work in his career his involvment in two Baha'i inspired organizations, the International Environment Forum and the organization Ethical Business Building the Future, and his books, href="https://www.amazon.com/Unless-Until-BahaI-Focus-Environment/dp/1870989090/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8amp;qid=1487530060amp;sr=8-1amp;keywords=Unless+and+Until+Arthur+Dahl" target="_blank"Unless and Until: A Baha'i Focus on the Environment and href="https://www.amazon.com/Eco-Principle-Ecology-Economics-Symbiosis/dp/1856494349/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8amp;qid=1487530169amp;sr=8-1amp;keywords=The+Eco+Principle+Arthur+Dahl" target="_blank"The Eco Principle: Ecology and Economics in Symbiosis.

Hoda has held a number of positions in academia including Dean of the College of Arts amp; Sciences at Northeaster Illinois University and Vice President and Dean of Olivet College. She href="http://www.nytimes.com/1992/04/13/us/racial-tension-erupts-tearing-a-college-apart.html?pagewanted=all" target="_blank"describes her work in the aftermath of the racial incident at Olivet that hit the news in 1992 to help avoid such an incident occurring again. Hoda is now head of the href="http://www.bahaichair.umd.edu/" target="_blank"Baha'i Chair for World Peace at the University of MD. She describes for us what a university chair is and what is the mission of the Baha'i Chair for World Peace.

A group of four dedicated calendar lovers in Portland, OR are combining their talents to teach how the Baha#39;i 19-day calendar can be used to develop a process for spiritual growth and awareness. Using art, scripture and mathematics, Cora and her husband Michael Palazzolo have created 19-Day Cards, a daily method for tracking and practicing with the spiritual qualities in the Baha#39;i calendar. ldquo;Heartistrdquo; Tammy Hill and her husband, Mark as marketing manager/videographer, make up the fun group who call themselves: Team 19. You can find their work at href="http://www.19daycards.com/" target="_blank"19daycards.com. In this interview, Cora shares her story and how she came to create 19-Day Cards.

Beth is a physician, educator, writer and world traveler. In 1992 she was elected national President of Physicians for Social Responsibility, and since 2001 has represented the organization, International Society of Doctors for the Environment. As a result, she describes herself as an activist physician. She is currently developing a biography of Dr. Magdalene Carney, an African-American educator that had profound impact in her field. Beth explains in the interview how she used target="_top" href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/MagCarneyBiography"Facebook to gather stories and photos for the biography.

Shadi is a Baha'i musician that has produced three CDs: Leather Bound Book, Verdant Isle, and her latest release Daughters of the Kingdom. I asked Shadi to pick five songs from her latest CD to showcase for this interview. You can find her music at her website href="http://www.shaditolouiwallace.com/" target="_blank"http://www.shaditolouiwallace.com/

Zinnia is a singer song writer and we feature her songs in the interview. Zinnia's mother is Phillipino and her father is Iranian. They came to Canada as religious refugees and had to start their life over. Zinnia was very much aware of this as she grew up and the experience is reflected in her music. You can find her music on iTunes under the name Zinnia.

Brian is the author of the book " href="http://www.awakendemocracy.com/" target="_blank" spfieldtype="null"The Triad: Three Civic Virtues That Could Save American Democracy". In the book, Brian offers solutions to the problems of partisan gridlock, money in politics, and growing economic inequality in the United States from a Baha'i perspective. He advocates three civic virtues: service, learning, and community building. He calls for civic engagement based on these virtues to create a culture of collaboration. The Triad focuses on what each and every American can do to bring about a better American democracy. The proceeds from the eBook will support the work of the href="http://ncra.wheelock.edu/" target="_blank" spfieldtype="null"National Center for Race Amity.

Ian describes his growing up as a precocious kid who read the World Book Encyclopedia when he was young. Ian describes in the interview that his parents were devout Marxists and when he was 12, he disavowed his parents ideology and pursued a spiritual direction. Ian has written many articles which you can find on a website called href="http://bahai-library.com/series/Irfan" target="_blank"Lights of Irfan and he has written book reviews which you can find on another website called href="http://www.commongroundgroup.net/?s=Ian+kluge" target="_blank"Common Ground. He has also written books on href="https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dapsfield-keywords=Ian+Kluge+Conrad+Aiken+Books" target="_blank"Conrad Aiken. Ian is a philosopher by nature and he explains in the interview the importance of understanding philosophical fundamentals when reading religious scripture, including the Baha'i sacred literature. He also outlines his observation on the similarities between Catholicism and the Baha'i Faith.

Richard is an archivist and historian who has conducted research on the history of the Baha'i Faith in North America and the Middle East. His recent publications include: 1) An Iranian Enclave in Lebanon: Baha'i Students in Beirut, 1906-40; 2) Distant Relations: Iran and Lebanon in the Last 500 Years; and 3) Wonderful and True Visions: Magic, Mysticism and Millennialism in the Making of the American Baha'i Community. His most recent research has been on Baha'i history in regards to the promotion of race unity in America. He is also on the faculty for the Wilmette Institute. We discuss his new research in the interview and the Willmette Institute.

Phyllis is President and creator of Skylark Publishing Company ( href="http://www.skylarkpubl.com/"www.skylarkpubl.com), which has offered materials to Family Violence Shelters across the United States since 1989. Phyllis has conducted workshops internationally on Anger Alternatives, Protective Behaviors for Children, Stories of Women and Girls as Heroes, and How Acknowledgement Heals Families. She is also an illustrator and author of several books including: ldquo; href="http://www.amazon.com/Assisting-Traumatized-Soul-Healing-Talisman/dp/0877432740/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8amp;qid=1419093615amp;sr=8-1-fkmr0amp;keywords=Assisting+the+Traumatized+Soul+Phyllis+Petereson"Assisting the Traumatized Soulrdquo; and ldquo; href="http://www.amazon.com/Healing-Wounded-Soul-Phyllis-Peterson/dp/1931847258/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8amp;qid=1419093659amp;sr=8-1amp;keywords=healing+the+wounded+soul+phyllis+peterson"Healing the Wounded Soulrdquo;, ldquo; href="http://www.amazon.com/Heroic-Female-Spirit-Collection-Tales/dp/1931847290/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8amp;qid=1419093695amp;sr=8-1-fkmr0amp;keywords=The+Heroic+Female+Spirit%3A+A+Collection+of+9+Tales+phyllis+peterson"The Heroic Female Spirit: A Collection of 9 Tales, and rdquo; href="http://www.amazon.com/Remaining-Faithful-Meditations-Relationships-Principles/dp/1888547502/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8amp;qid=1419093747amp;sr=8-1amp;keywords=Remaining+Faithful+phyllis+peterson"Remaining Faithful. We talk about these works in the interview.