IEF 11th Annual Conference resources

Bahá'í Website Resources

On Environment And Sustainable Development

Bahá’í International Community Statements:

 The Ethical Dimensions of Climate Change: A Perspective from the Bahá'í International Community (2007)  http://www.bcca.org/ief/bic/bicclim.htm

The following statements are all available at the Bahá'í International Community UN Statement Library www.bic-un.bahai.org

• “Religion and Development at the Crossroads: Convergence or Divergence?” (2002) http://www.bic-un.bahai.org/02-0826.htm

• “Sustainable Development: the Spiritual Dimension” (2001) http://www.bic-un.bahai.org/01-0430.htm

• "Valuing Spirituality in Development: Initial Considerations Regarding the Creation of Spiritually Based Indicators for Development" (1998) http://www.bic-un.bahai.org/98-0218.htm

• “Sustainable Communities in an Integrating World” (1996) http://www.bic-un.bahai.org/96-0607.htm

• “Conservation and Sustainable Development in the Bahá'í Faith ” (1995) http://www.bic-un.bahai.org/95-0406.htm

• “The Prosperity of Humankind” (1995) http://www.bic-un.bahai.org/95-0303.htm

• “World Citizenship: Global Ethic for Sustainable Development” (1993) http://www.bic-un.bahai.org/93-0614.htm

• “Sustainable Development and the Human Spirit” (1992) http://www.bic-un.bahai.org/92-0604.htm

• “Earth Charter” (1991) http://www.bic-un.bahai.org/91-0405.htm

• “International Legislation for Environment and Development” (1991) http://www.bic-un.bahai.org/91-0813.htm

• “Women and Men: Partnership for a Healthy Planet” (1991) http://www.bic-un.bahai.org/91-1108.htm

• “World Conservation Strategy for the 1990's” (1990) http://www.bic-un.bahai.org/90-1128.htm

• “The Bahá’í Statement on Nature”, (Assisi, 1987) BIC/OPI http://bahai-library.org/published.uhj/statement.nature.bic.html

U.S. National Spiritual Assembly’s Statement:

• "Unity and Consultation: Foundations of Sustainable Development" (1994) http://www.bcca.org/services/lists/noble-creation/bic-5.html

Papers and book chapters:

• “Environmental Ethics: A Bahá’í Perspective,” Suheil Bushrui, (Bahá'í Chair for World Peace, University of Maryland), (2002), a chapter in A Sacred Trust: Ecology and Spiritual Vision, Temenos Academy and the Prince’s Foundation, pp.77-102. The book is reviewed in One Country, Volume 14, Issue 2, July-September 2002, at: http://www.onecountry.org/e142/e14216as_Sacred_Trust_review.htm

• “The Challenge of Sustainable Development and Prosperity,” Arthur Dahl (2002), published on the European Bahá'í Business Forum website at: http://www.ebbf.org/publications/english/publications013.html.

• “Promoting a Discourse on Science, Religion, and Development,” by Farzam Arbab (2000), Chapter 6 in The Lab, the Temple and the Market - Reflections on the Intersection of Science, Religion and Development (pp. 149-210, see also Introduction, pp. 1-7 by Arbab), International Development Research Center (Canada) and Kumarian Press (U.S.) The book is reviewed in One Country, Vol. 12, Issue 3 / October-December 2000, at: http://www.onecountry.org/e123/e12316as_Lab_Temple_Review.htm)

• “Spiritual Foundations for an Ecologically Sustainable Society,” by Robert White (1998). See http://www.bcca.org/ief/dwhite98.htm

• “Unity in Diversity – A Conceptual Framework for a Global Ethic of Environmental Sustainability”, by Roxanne Lalonde in The Journal of Bahá’í Studies, vol. 6, no. 3 (1994) *

Useful Web Sites:

• The site for the Bahá’í International Community Statement Library contains many of the Baha'i statements issued at the UN: www.bic-un.bahai.org

• "One Country", the newsletter of the Bahá’í International Community is also an interesting site with many articles on environment and development: www.onecountry.org or specifically on environment/sustainable development: http://www.onecountry.org/listenv.html

• The Bahá’í World website, with sections on social and economic development and Bahá’í perspectives on current global trends and movements of social change: www.bahai.org

• The International Environment Forum (IEF) is a Bahá’í-inspired organization addressing the environment and sustainable development with more than 130 members residing in 46 countries. The web site (http://iefworld.org) contains a number of useful papers and other resources as well as references supporting the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (http://www.bcca.org/ief/desd.htm) and a new E-learning Center on sustainable development (http://www.bcca.org/ief/elcentre.htm). Articles on Science, Faith and Global warming: Arising to the Challenge are available at http://www.bcca.org/ief/conf10prg.htm.

• Bahá’í Community of Canada http://www.ca.bahai.org

• Canadian Bahá’í News Service http://www.bahainews.ca

• Canadian Bahá’í International Development Agency www.cbida.ca

• The European Bahá'í Business Forum (EBBF) a network of nearly 300 business people residing in 50 countries. EBBF is drawing increasing attention in Europe through its promotion of responsible and ethical business practices, its collaboration with other networks with similar values and with various United Nations agencies, and its promotion of entrepreneurship and ethics in many Eastern and Central European countries. http://www.ebbf.org/ A section of the website is devoted to resources on sustainable development: http://www.ebbf.org/know-sustdev.html

Compilations:

• Conservation of the Earth’s Resources, a compilation by the research office of the Universal House of Justice (1989), “was assembled, primarily, to deepen the believers' appreciation of the Baha'i concept of nature and to enhance their understanding of both man's relationship to nature and his responsibility to preserve the world's ecological balance” (from introductory letter) available at http://bahai-library.org/compilations/conservation.resources.html#3

• A Special Regard for Agriculture, (1998) compilation http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Vines/3827/agcomfn8.html

Books and other Publications:

• Spirit of Agriculture, Paul Hanley, editor (2006), George Ronald, Publisher, 226 pages. An excellent compilation of chapters by different authors, offering a fresh perspective on the importance of agriculture in religion and particularly the Bahá'í Faith. Includes several examples of applied projects and a strong rationale for sustainable agriculture.

• For the Betterment of the World -- The worldwide Bahá'í community’s approach to social and economic development, Bahá'í International Community (2002), originally distributed at the World Summit on Sustainable Development, 31 pages.

• The Fruits of One Tree: Environmental Education for Children – a Teacher’s Guide, New Era Development Institute, Panchgani, India (2002) - environmental education lesson plans and associated activities for 5-8 year olds.

• The Eco Principle: Ecology and Economics in Symbiosis, a book by Arthur Dahl, George Ronald/Zed Books Ltd. Oxford/London, (1996). Reviewed by Brad Pokorny in One Country 8:3 (October-December 1996) as cited at http://bahai-library.org/reviews/dahl.eco.html

• Unless and Until: a Baha'i Focus on the Environment, a book by Arthur Dahl, Bahá'í Publishing Trust, UK (1990) - A consideration of the relation between ecological practices and spiritual values. Explains what Bahá’ís are doing about environmental issues. Sets forth a practical agenda for change while looking beyond the present crisis toward the vision of a world at one with nature.

• Man of the Trees, Selected writings of Richard St. Barbe Baker, (1989) a book edited by Karen Gridley *

• Social and Economic Development: A Bahá'í Approach, Holly Hanson Vick (1989), George Ronald, Publisher, Oxford, UK.