As a scientist and a Bahá'í, I have always been interested in the harmony of the two great knowledge systems that are science and religion, so complementary yet too often antagonistic. I have tried to show the value of science to religious groups and the importance of values to scientists. This has included over thirty year's experience in inter-religious dialogue, particularly in the area of environment and sustainable development. Some highlights have been participating for the UN in the World Summit on Religions and Conservation at Windsor Castle in 1995, acting as a rapporteur for the Orthodox Church's Conference on Religion, Science and the Environment: The Black Sea in Crisis in 1997, contributing to the series of Klingenthal Symposia on Ecology, Ethics and Spiritualities, speaking on a panel on ecology and religion at the Parliament of the World's Religions in Barcelona in 2004, and organizing the International Environment Forum, a Bahá'í-inspired organization for environment and sustainable development. One special interest has been the relationship of traditional cultures and belief systems to sustainable environmental management. I have also lectured and written widely on these topics.

Five years scientific research and curatorial experience, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., USA, with special interests in coral reef ecology, marine algae, and island environments, and continuing activity on various international scientific committees.

Eleven years residence in the South Pacific as adviser to governments and international organizations in ecology, conservation and environmental management, with extensive field experience, including at the grass-roots level. Three years residence in Africa and twenty years in Europe. Wide knowledge of the Asia-Pacific region and of small island developing States, particularly the developing countries and territories of the Pacific Islands, complemented by experience in the Caribbean and Africa, and visits to many other areas.

Thirty-five years programme management and administrative experience in the planning, organization and evaluation of international multi-disciplinary programmes of research, observation, and environmental assessment and management, including liaison with governments, organization of cooperation among international agencies, directing intergovernmental meetings, scientific symposia and training courses, and implementing the results of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Rio de Janeiro, 1992).

Producer of training and audio-visual materials, lecturer and writer (in English and French) for scientific audiences and the general public on ecology, conservation, religion, environment and sustainable development.

Consultant to many international organizations and government agencies, with special emphasis on coral reef and coastal zone management, conservation of nature and biodiversity, environment and management of islands, environmental education and training, indicators of environment and sustainability, rural social and economic development, and applications of science in developing countries.

Academic experience including organizing curriculum development and teaching graduate level courses in social and economic development, coordinator of UNEP/University of Geneva Environmental Diplomacy Programme, member of scientific committee for University of Geneva Continuing Education Certificate in Sustainable Development, and occasional lecturer for other university courses.

Recent substantive interests have focussed on coral reef protection and management, information for environmental decision-making, indicators of sustainable development, organization of observations and assessments of the global environment, public participation in environmental observations, new economic paradigms, and the special problems of small island developing States.

POSITIONS:
Retired from the United Nations, August 2002.
Director, Coral Reef Unit, Division of Environmental Conventions, United Nations Environment Programme, Geneva, Switzerland, 2000-2002.
Coordinator, UN System-wide Earthwatch, United Nations Environment Programme, Geneva, Switzerland, 1992-2000.
Deputy Assistant Executive Director, Division of Environment Information and Assessment, United Nations Environment Programme, Geneva, Switzerland, 1996-1998.
Deputy to the Director, Oceans and Coastal Areas Programme Activity Centre, United Nations Environment Programme, Nairobi, Kenya, 1989-1992.
Consulting ecologist to governments and international organizations, 1982-1989, including: Government of New Caledonia; South Pacific Regional Environment Programme; Kanak Cultural, Scientific and Technical Office (New Caledonia); Office of Technology Assessment, United States Congress; World Conservation Union (IUCN); Oceans and Coastal Areas Programme Activity Centre, United Nations Environment Programme; Institut Francais de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER); Environment and Policy Institute, East-West Center; UNESCO.
Regional Ecological Adviser, South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia, 1974-1982 (organized South Pacific Regional Environment Programme).
Associate Curator (Algae), Department of Botany, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., 1970-1974, and Research Associate, 1974-1982.
Visiting Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Botany, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., U.S.A., 1969-1970.
Teaching Assistant, Department of Biological Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, 1965-1966.

MEETINGS AND FIELD EXPERIENCE relevant to science and religion:
1972
- Accredited observer for the Bahá'í International Community to United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Lecture tour on coral reef ecology to fishermen and secondary schools organized by the Bahá'í community, Belize.
1984
- Organized scientific symposia associated with 4th Festival of Pacific Arts, New Caledonia, including traditional knowledge (cancelled at last minute due to political unrest).
1987
- Bahá'í-sponsored lecture tours for European Environment Year in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
1990
- Lecturer at Environmental Symposium, Landegg, Switzerland.
1994
- Invited by Institute for Spiritual Foundations of World Civilization to present series of seminars at Academy of Sciences for National Progress, Kiev, Ukraine.
1995
- Invited speaker at World Summit on Religions and Conservation, Windsor Castle, UK.
- Invited speaker at Colloquy on Ecology, Ethics and Spiritualities, Klingenthal, France.
1996
- Lecturer in Hungary and Turkey for the Bahá'í community.
- Invited speaker on spirituality and sustainable development at high-level Workshop on Sustainable Development and International Cooperation, Bucharest, Romania.
1997
- Keynote speaker at International Ecological Congress, Almaty, Kazakstan, in collaboration with Bahá'í community of Kazakstan.
- Invited speaker at WWF Pre-Earth Summit Forestry Gathering, Athens, Greece.
- Organized Ethics Forum on the Environment, Landegg Academy, Switzerland.
- Participant and rapporteur at Conference on Religion, Science and the Environment: The Black Sea in Crisis, on the Black Sea (Turkey, Georgia, Russia, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece) organized by the Orthodox Church.
- Organized International Baha'i Conference on the Environment, de Poort, the Netherlands.
- Invited speaker at Second Klingenthal Symposium "L'Eau", Klingenthal, France.
1998
- Member of official working group on the creation, Pax Christi France, for the Social Council of Bishops, Paris, France.
- Invited speaker, Third Klingenthal Symposium "La terre - les sols", Klingenthal, France.
- Invited keynote speaker at International Seminar "Globalization: a challenge for peace; solidarity or exclusion", International Jacques Maritain Institute, Milan, Italy
- Organizer and keynote speaker at second International Conference of the Environment Forum, de Poort, the Netherlands.
- Invited featured speaker at Beas Foundation Seminar on "The Eco Principle: Ecology and Economics in Symbiosis", Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, USA.
1999
- Adjunct appointment to the faculty of Landegg Academy, Weinacht, Switzerland.
- Named to Commission on Peace, Ecology and Sustainable Development, in the Centre for Research on Peace, Institut Catholique de Paris, France.
- Organizer and keynote speaker at third Conference of the International Environment Forum, Sidcot, England.
- Keynote speaker, AIESEC Planet Club Conference, Hungary, for European Bahá'í Business Forum.
- Invited speaker, Fourth Klingenthal Symposium "L'Arbre - le foret", Klingenthal, France.
- Invited speaker at Bahá'í Seminar and Conference on Social and Economic Development in the Americas, Orlando, Florida.
2000
- Invited speaker at International Conference on Human Habitat and Environment, Landegg Academy, Switzerland.
- Keynote speaker at Second AIESEC Planet Club Conference, Veroce-Kismaros, Hungary, for European Bahá'í Business Forum.
- Keynote Speaker, Fourth Conference of International Environment Forum, and Bahá'í Seminar-Conference on Social and Economic Development in the Americas, Orlando, Florida.
2001
- Invited speaker, Fifth Klingenthal Symposium: l'animal et la faune, Klingenthal, France.
- Organizer and keynote speaker, Fifth Conference of International Environment Forum, Czech Republic.
- Invited lecturer, Royal Commonwealth Society and London School of Economics, London, England.
- Keynote speaker, European Baha'i Business Forum Annual Conference, Netherlands.
2002
- Commencement Speaker, Landegg International University, Switzerland
- Invited speaker, World Civil Society Forum, Geneva.
- Represented International Environment Forum (IEF) at World Summit on Sustainable Development, Johannesburg, South Africa, organized and spoke at Dialogue on Indicators of Sustainability at WSSD Science Forum, at panel on Multiple Dimensions of Globalization at IUCN Environment Centre, and at panel on Science at the Local Level at the University of Witwatersrand.
- Speaker at European Bahá'í Business Forum annual conference, the Netherlands, and EBBF national conference in Sofia, Bulgaria, with lectures at various universities in Bulgaria.
2003
- Participant in WWF Seminar on Religion and Conservation, Mont Saint-Michel, France.
- Lectures at Ministry of Foreign Affairs and various universities in Madagascar co-sponsored by the Bahá'í community of Madagascar.
- Lectures for ten different universities in Adana, Ankara, Ismir and Istanbul, Turkey, organized by the European Bahá'í Business Forum and the Bahá'í Community of Turkey.
- Lectures in Brussels, London, Wiesbaden, Budapest, Poitiers, Chambery, Luxemburg for Bahá'í communities
- Keynote speaker, Festival de l'Avenir au Naturel, l'Albenc, France.
- Panelist, European Bahá'í Business Forum Annual Conference, The Netherlands.
- Speaker, European Bahá'í Business Forum Workshop at World Summit on the Information Society, Geneva.
- Co-organizer and speaker, 7th Annual Conference of the International Environment Forum and Bahá'í Conference on Social and Economic Development in the Americas, Orlando, Florida, USA.
2004
- Invited workshop speaker and representative of International Environment Forum at First International Conference of the Consumer Citizenship Network, UNESCO, Paris.
- Observer for International Environment Forum at 12th Commission on Sustainable Development, New York.
- Invited lecturer at AIESEC National Conference on Ethical Leadership, London, UK.
- Invited panelist at World Parliament of Religions, Barcelona, Spain.
- Panelist, European Bahá'í Business Forum Annual Conference, The Netherlands.
- Led consultation on environmental governance, Pacific Institute for Advanced Studies in Development and Governance, University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji.
- Co-organizer and keynote speaker, 8th Annual Conference of the International Environment Forum, Thessaloniki, Greece.
- Lectures in Locarno (Switzerland), Bastia (Corsica) for Bahá'í communities.
2005
-  Represented CSD Education Caucus at the Mauritius International Meeting on further implementation of the Programme of Action for Small Island Developing States, and chaired parallel event for Education Caucus co-sponsored by International Environment Forum.

- President, Governing Board, International Environment Forum, a Bahá'í-inspired organization for environment and sustainable development, 1997-present. (http://www.bcca.org/ief)
- Global faculty member, Landegg International University, 1998-2004.
- Member, Governing Board, European Bahá'í Business Forum, 2001-present. (http://www.ebbf.org)
- Member of steering committee, Department of Economic and Social Development, Landegg International University, Switzerland, helped to develop Master of Arts in International and Community Development (2002-2003).
- Taught graduate courses on Sustainable Development, and International Institutional Framework for Development, at Landegg International University, Switzerland (2003).
- Editorial board, Bahá'í Studies Review (England), 2003-present.

Traditional environmental management in New Caledonia: a review of existing knowledge. South Pacific Regional Environment Programme, Topic Review 18. South Pacific Commission, Noumea. 17 p. (1985). [Review of the aspects of traditional island culture concerned with resource management and the environment].

Unless and until: a Baha'i focus on the environment. Baha'i Publishing Trust, London. 96 p. (1990). [Relates environmental issues to future development of human society].

The ECO Principle: Ecology and Economics in Symbiosis. Zed Books Ltd, London and New Jersey, and George Ronald, Oxford. 174 p. (1996). [Systems analysis of economics from an ecological perspective, with proposals for new economic and social paradigms].

The Challenge of Sustainable Development and Prosperity. Paris, European Baha'i Business Forum, 2002. [relates sustainable development to economics in a business perspective]. http://www.ebbf.org/publications/english/publications013.html

1969
The ocean - our last resource. World Order 3(2):15:21. Winter 1969.
1972
Ecological consequences of immoderation (book review). World Order 6(4):61-62.
1979
The fragrance of spirituality: an appreciation of the art of Mark Tobey. In The Baha'i World 16:638-645. 1973-1976. Reprinted with revisions, p. 32-40, in Arthur L. Dahl et al., Mark Tobey/ Art and Belief. George Ronald, Oxford, 1984.
1982
Gestion traditionnelle et moderne de l'environnement insulaire oceanien. In Proceedings SEPANRIT Conference, Noumea, New Caledonia.
1985
Traditional environmental management in New Caledonia: a review of existing knowledge. South Pacific Regional Environment Programme, Topic Review 18. South Pacific Commission, Noumea. 17 p.
Training materials for rural environmental management (48 units and supporting audio-visual materials). South Pacific Regional Environment Programme, South Pacific Commission, Noumea (unpublished).
1988.
Les perspectives baha'ies sur la nature et l'environnement. La Pensée Baha'ie, 103:9-18, Eté 1988.
1989
Traditional environmental knowledge and resource management in New Caledonia. In R.E. Johannes (ed.), Traditional Ecological Knowledge: a Collection of Essays. IUCN, Gland and Cambridge. 64 p. http://islands.unep.ch/dtradknc.htm
1990
Unless and Until: a Baha'i focus on the environment. Baha'i Publishing Trust, London. 96 p. (also published in Russian and Italian)
1991
The world order of nature, p. 161-174. In Charles Lerche (ed.), Emergence: Dimensions of a New World Order. Baha'i Publishing Trust, London.
1993
Les valeurs écologiques, p. 61-66. In La société a-t-elle besoin des valeurs éthiques, morales, spirituelles? Recueil des conférences, Association d'Etudes Baha'ies - Europe Francophone, Neuvième rencontre les 27 et 28 mars 1993 à l'Institut universitaire de hautes études internationales, Genève, Suisse.
Environnment: Patrimoine de l'Humanite [book review]. The Journal of Baha'i Studies 5(4):77-82. December 1993-March 1994.
Planting seeds: personal reflections on the importance of small beginnings. Herald of the South 37:42-43. October-December 1993.
1994
Social crises and their connections to global environmental problems. Seminars at Ukranian Academy of Sciences for National Progress, Institute for Spiritual Foundations of World Civilization, Kiev, 16-19 May 1994. http://www.bcca.org/ief/ddahl94a.htm
Ecological models of social organization: a Baha'i perspective. In Irena Hanousková, Miloslav Lapka and Eva Cudlínová (eds.), Ecology and Democracy: The Challenge of the 21st Century. Proceedings of the First International Conference, 6-9 September 1994, Ceske Budejowice, Full Abstracts. Ceske Budejowice, Czech Republic, NEBE s.r.o., 1994. http://www.bcca.org/ief/ddahl94b.htm
1995
The moral dimension of sustainable consumption, p. 59-61. In Report of UNEP-ROE Roundtable Discussions on Sustainable Production and Consumption in Europe, Geneva, 22-23 November 1995. UNEP Regional Office for Europe, Geneva.
The Bahá'í approach: moderation in civilization. Paper presented at Colloquium on Ecology, Ethics, Spiritualities. Klingenthal, France, 27-29 October 1995. (published in French in 1997) http://www.bcca.org/ief/ddahl95a.htm
1996
The ECO Principle: Ecology and Economics in Symbiosis. Zed Books Ltd, London and New Jersey, and George Ronald, Oxford. 174 p. (also published in Portuguese)
Spiritual Dimensions of Sustainable Development. Paper presented at Workshop on Sustainable Development and International Cooperation, Bucharest, Romania, 22-23 March 1996. http://www.bcca.org/ief/ddahl96a.htm
1997
L'Approche baha'i: Moderation dans la civilisation, p. 74-75. In Jean-Pierre Ribaut and Marie-José Del Rey (eds), L'Usufruit de la Terre: Courants spirituels et culturels face aux défis de la sauvegarde de la planète. Proceedings of Colloquy on Ecology, Ethics, Spiritualities (Klingenthal, 25-27 October 1995). Dossier 73, Fondation Charles Léopold Mayer pour le progrès de l'Homme, Paris. http://www.bcca.org/ief/ddahl95a.htm
The Bahá'í Perspective. Naturopa 83: 14. (English, French, German) http://www.bcca.org/ief/ddahl97c.htm
The Baha'i Faith: a future oriented religion. Future Generations Journal 22(1): 15-17. http://www.bcca.org/ief/ddahl97b.htm
Sustainable development and the environment of the world: an overview. Paper presented at the International Baha'i Environment Conference, de Poort, Netherlands, 24-26 October 1997. http://www.bcca.org/ief/ddahl97d.htm
1998
Spiritual dimensions of sustainable development. Global Dialogue on Microfinance and Human Development, Stockholm, Sweden, 2-3 April 1998, European Baha'i Business Forum.
Small Island Environmental Management Training Course. http://islands.unep.ch/siem.htm
Civilization Under Threat. Herald of the South 49(3): 4-9. July-September 1998.
Sustainable consumption and true prosperity. Paper presented at the 2nd International Conference of the Environment Forum, 6-8 November, 1998, De Poort, The Netherlands. http://www.bcca.org/ief/ddahl98c.htm
1999
When is enough, enough? Sustainable Consumption and True Prosperity. Herald of the South 50(3): 22-23.
La vision baha'i de l'eau (The Baha'i perspective on water), p. 55-57. In Marie-France Caïs, Marie-José Del Rey and Jean-Pierre Ribaut (eds.), L'eau et la vie: enjeux, perspectives et visions interculturelles. Proceedings of the Second Klingenthal Symposium: Water (Klingenthal, France, 26-30 November 1997). Éditions Charles Léopold Mayer, Paris, Dossier pour un débat no. 97. http://www.bcca.org/ief/ddahl97e.htm
Les nouvelles valeurs des approches socio-économiques (New Orientations in socio-economic approaches to water), p. 89-91. In Marie-France Caïs, Marie-José Del Rey and Jean-Pierre Ribaut (eds.), L'eau et la vie: enjeux, perspectives et visions interculturelles. Proceedings of the Second Klingenthal Symposium: Water (Klingenthal, France, 26-30 November 1997). Éditions Charles Léopold Mayer, Paris, Dossier pour un débat no. 97. http://www.bcca.org/ief/ddahl97f.htm
Living within environmental limits: implications of Baha'i principles for sustainable development. Paper presented at the 3rd Conference of the International Environment Forum cosponsored by the Bahá'í Agency for Social and Economic Development - United Kingdom (BASED-UK), 15-18 August 1999, Sidcot, United Kingdom. http://www.bcca.org/ief/ddahl99a.htm
Community-based environmental management: empowering people with environmental understanding. Paper presented at the 3rd Conference of the International Environment Forum cosponsored by the Bahá'í Agency for Social and Economic Development - United Kingdom (BASED-UK), 15-18 August 1999, Sidcot, United Kingdom. http://www.bcca.org/ief/ddahl99b.htm
The Baha'i approach to trees and forest. Paper presented at Klingenthal IV: Trees and Forest - L'Arbre et la Forêt, Klingenthal, Alsace, France, 22-26 September 1999. http://www.bcca.org/ief/ddahl99c.htm
2000
"Baha'isme", p. 47-49. In Élisabeth Bourguinat and Jean-Pierre Ribaut, L'arbre et la forêt: du symbolisme culturel à... l'agonie programmée. Proceedings of the Fourth Klingenthal Symposium (Klingenthal, France, 22-26 September 1999). Éditions Charles Léopold Mayer, Paris, Dossier pour un débat no. 111.
Applying the Baha'i Teachings to the environmental challenges facing the world. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the International Environment Forum, organized jointly with the Social and Economic Development Seminar for the Americas, 12-14 December 2000, Orlando, Florida, USA . http://www.bcca.org/ief/ddahl00a.htm
2001
"Globalization and the Environment". In Proceedings of the International Seminar of the International Jacques Maritain Institute, "Globalization: a Challenge for Peace - Solidarity or Exclusion?", Milan, 29-31 October 1998. Roberto Papini, ed., Naples, Edizioni Scientifiche Italiane, 2001. http://www.bcca.org/ief/ddahl98b.htm
Le sol dans le bahaïsme (Soil in the Baha'i Faith), p. 151-156. In Rabah Lahmar and Jean-Pierre Ribaut (eds.), Sols et sociétés: regards pluriculturels. Proceedings of the Third Klingenthal Symposium: Soil, Cultures and Spiritualities (Klingenthal, France, 6-10 May 1998). Éditions Charles Léopold Mayer, Paris, Dossier pour un débat no. 116. http://www.bcca.org/ief/ddahl98a.htm
The Baha'i attitude towards animals. Paper presented at Klingenthal V: Animals and Fauna, Klingenthal, France, 4-8 July 2001. http://www.bcca.org/ief/ddahl01a.htm
Values as the foundation for sustainable behaviour. Paper presented at the 5th Annual Conference of the International Environment Forum, 19-21 October 2001, Hluboka nad Vltavou, Czech Republic. http://www.bcca.org/ief/ddahl01b.htm
From Stockholm via Rio to Johannesburg: Thirty years of international action on environment and sustainable development. Paper presented at the 5th Annual Conference of the International Environment Forum, 19-21 October 2001, Hluboka nad Vltavou, Czech Republic. http://www.bcca.org/ief/ddahl01c.htm
2002
The Challenge of Sustainable Development and Prosperity. Paris, European Baha'i Business Forum, 2002. http://www.ebbf.org/publications/english/publications013.html
Usefulness of Indicators for Sustainability. Paper presented at the Dialogue on Indicators for Sustainability, Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for Sustainable Development, World Summit on Sustainable Development, Johannesburg, 27 August 2002. http://www.bcca.org/ief/ddahl02a.htm
Linking science and indigenous knowledge for community environmental management. Paper presented at the Seminar on Integrating Science in Local Communities, World Summit on Sustainable Development, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2 September 2002. http://www.bcca.org/ief/ddahl02b.htm
2003
The Environment and the Lesser Peace, p. 79-106. In Babak Bahador and Nazila Ghanea, eds., Processes of the Lesser Peace. Oxford, George Ronald.
Spiritualité et écologie, unité dans la diversité, p. 45-55. In Frédéric Paul Piguet (ed.), Approches Spirituelles de l'Écologie. Editions Charles Léopold Mayer, Paris, DD 134.