INTERESTS

Bahá'í Faith

For general information on the Bahá'í Faith and Bahá'u'lláh, go to the Bahá'í page. I often give talks in Bahá'í communities, and attend Bahá'í summer and winter schools.

On 3 May 2020 the French Bahá'í community asked me to give a webinar on Un tournant dans la grande transition ?, and on 4 May I spoke on "La crise sanitaire, une opportunité écologique" for a Bahá'í teaching project in Luxembourg.

In February 2020 while in the Netherlands, I helped with gardening at the Bahá'í temple site.

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Gardening on Bahá'í temple land

December 2019 was again time for the Swiss Bahá'í Winter School in Leysin.

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Winter school music; games with my daughter Agnés and grandson Luca; our workshop in English

In November 2019 I went to a five-day seminar at Walenstadt, Switzerland, for the commemoration of the bicentenary of the Birth of the Báb, and went to Paris to speaking at a Bahá'í exposition for the bicentenary.

Paris Baha'i exposition

In mid-October 2019 I was invited to Malta by the Bahá'í community to contribute to their activities, including university lectures, TV and press interviews, a commemoration of the bicentenary of the Birth of the Báb, and a public forum on the Sustainable Development Goals.

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Valletta, Malta; Forum on Sustainable Development Goals

August 2019 was again time for the French Bahá'í Summer School near Angers.

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In July 2019 I took the train to Durbuy, Belgium, for the Baha'i Summer School where I gave a talk.

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Summer School group photo; me in a discussion group

I made a long Bahá'í teaching trip to Scotland from 20 May-12 June 2019 that took me to 22 communities in 22 days from Dumfries in the South to the Shetlands in the North, and from Aberdeen in the East to Isle of Skye in the West. I spoke mostly on global challenges for the 21st Century to all kinds of groups from churches and schools to the Scottish Parliament. This video is available at the Scottish Parliament web site.

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Aberfeldy, Scotland; Shetland Islands: Orkney Islands

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Meetings in Dumfries, Stirling, Kirkwall (Orkney) and Lerwick (Shetland)
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In January 2019 I gave a talk for World Religion Day in Thonon-les-Bains, France.

I went in December 2018 to the Swiss Baha'i Winter School in the alpine village of Leysin.

In mid-August 2018 I went to Angers, France, for the French Baha'i Summer School in a vacation village designed by Le Corbusier's studio.

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My class; evening music; Le Jardin de l'Anjou where the summer school was held

In December 2017, I participated in the Swiss Baha'i Winter School in the beautiful Alpine village of Leysin, with over 280 participants of all ages from many countries.

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Mountains around Leysin, in Valais; Swiss Baha'i Winter School; youth performance

October 2017 was a special month, with the celebration of the bicentenary of the birth of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith. In Geneva, the commemoration was held at the University of Geneva, with representatives of many faiths, and personal reflections on the impact of Bahá'u'lláh on individuals' lives.

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Representatives of many faiths praised Bahá'u'lláh; personal reflections on Bahá'u'lláh; reading from Bahá'u'lláh by my daughter Agnès (granddaugher Laleh watching)

The celebration continued on 8 November 2017, when the Geneva group of ebbf - Ethical Business Building the Future organized its own commemoration of the Bicentenary of the birth of Bahá'u'lláh at the historic Athenée with five participants in their activities who are not Bahá'ís sharing their reflections on the message of Bahá'u'lláh.

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In September 2017, I went again to the Domaine de la Garde near Bourg-en-Bresse, France, for a gathering on art and spirituality.

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Chateau de la Garde; discussing art and spirituality; me with our hosts

In August 2017 I spent a week at the French Bahá'í Summer School south of Angers.

French Baha'i Summer School

On 26-30 December 2016, I attended the Swiss Baha'i Winter School, held a short distance from Geneva.

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Swiss Baha'i Winter School at Chavannes-de-Bogis with 200 of all ages attending

In mid-October 2016, I was one of 5,000 to attend the dedication of the Baha'i House of Worshop in Santiago, Chile, where I made a short presentation for the Swiss Baha'i Community. This was the fourth such dedication that I have attended, after Wilmette (1953), Panama (1972), and Samoa (1984).

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The new Baha'i House of Worship for South America; part of the audience at the conference; finding old friends from New Caledonia

Then I participated in the Baha'i Autumn Camp in La Chapelle d'Abondance in the French Alps for the fourth time, and gave a presentation on the artist Mark Tobey and the Santiago dedication, since a painting by Tobey inspired the architect to create a temple of light.

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The Baha'i autumn camp; my presentation

In early September 2016, I participated in an interfaith retreat on everyday spirituality at the Chateau de La Garde, near Bourg-en-Bresse, France.

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The interfaith retreat in France; meeting in the garden of the chateau

In July 2016, I attended the French Baha'i Summer School near Angers in mid-July, and was involved in a Baha'i-sponsored campaign looking for youth motivated to contribute to community-building activities (when they weren't immersed in Pokemon Go).

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Baha'i Summer School near Angers, France; preparing for youth encounters in Geneva

During the Paris Climate Change Conference in December 2015, I was able to visit the apartment where 'Abdu'l-Baha, the son of the founder of the Baha'i Faith, stayed when he first went to Paris in 1911 (see separate page).
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Apartment near the Eiffel Tower; me in the apartment; first floor apartment

At the end of December 2015, I participated in the Swiss Baha'i Winter School in Leysan in the Alps.
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The village of Laysan; out for a walk with friends; some of the 215 participants

The second week of October 2015, I went to Frankfurt at the invitation of Baha'is to give a talk on the implications of climate change for society and the economy.

The first week of August 2015, I went to the German Baha'i Summer School in Tambach, where I helped to teach, and had a chance to get to know the German Baha'i community, as well as some of the surrounding area of Thüringen.

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Martin Luther's spring in Tambach; Schmalkalden; Wilhelmsburg Castle in Schmalkalden

I had one week in mid-July 2015 at the French Baha'i Summer School near Angers, with 400 participants including 40 from Suisse Romande (French-speaking Switzerland).

In June 2015, I spent a week at the Domaine de la Garde near Bourg-en-Bresse, France, on nature and spirituality, with representatives of various religions.

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Chateau de la Garde, where the group gathered for a week on nature and spirituality; one of the sessions

Then I left immediately for Haifa, Israel, for consultations and an opportunity to visit the Baha'i Shrines and gardens at the Baha'i World Centre.

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In February 2015 I spent a week at the French Baha'i Winter Camp in La Chapelle d'Abondance in the French Alps (see separate page), where I gave two courses.

French Baha'i Winter Camp, La Chapelle d'Abondance

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Chalet Olinga; view down into the valley; lecturing at the Winter Camp

Also in February, I went to Madrid for lectures at the Nehal Foundation and the Baha'i community of Madrid on "Ecological and Economic Principles for a New World Order".

Lecturing in Madrid

At the end of December 2014, I helped to organize and attended the Swiss Baha'i Winter School in Einsiedeln, Schwyz (see separate page)

While in Canada in August 2014, I participated in the Quebec Baha'i Summer School.

Quebec Baha'i Summer School

In July 2014, I gave a paper on "Healing our relationship with nature" at the International Peace Seminar in Walenstadt, Switzerland.
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International Peace Seminar; Walenstadt

Family

There is a separate photo album for my family.

In June 2019 I went to the Czech Republic and Bulgaria for my brother Greg's family reunion at the Townshend International School graduation of his youngest daughter, and a visit to the Vitosha Nature Park above Sofia.

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Greg Dahl's family at Townshend School; my nephews and families in Vitosha Nature Park

In April 2018 I was able to visit Montreal and Quebec to see my son Alex and his family and meet my first great-grandson.

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With my son and grandchildren by the river; family in Quebec

In August 2017, I visited my brother and his family in Bulgaria.

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Dahl family in Krupnik; Bulgarian countryside

In July 2017, my son and grandchildren from Quebec came to France, and we visited the Puy de Fou park in the Vendée region of western France, and spend a day in Paris, after which I visited the Louvre museum.

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Puy de Fou park with historical spectacles

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Paris and the Louvre

On 4 March 2017, my daughter Agnès gave birth in Geneva to my grandson Luca Arthur Keyhan Farhoumand, my sixth grandchild.

The last two weeks of August 2016, I visited my brother Greg and his family in Hluboka, Czech Republic, where he moved so his children could go to school there. We visited Hluboka Castle, and also went to nearby Ceské Budejovice to give papers at the 3rd International Symposium on Ethics of Environmental Health.

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My brother Greg and I; Hluboka Castle; the symposium

The first of May 2015, my mother-in-law Francine Caillard passed away at her home in Brittany, so the extended family gathered for the funeral and to share memories of a wonderful woman who had raised 8 children, with many grandchildren, great-grandchildren and even great-great-grandchildren.

Francine de Moor, épouse de Claude Caillard
3 December 1919 - 1 May 2015

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Family and friends gathered at the Caillard home to share memories of Francine

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My wife Martine (left, centre) at the gathering of family and friends

In November 2014 I spent 10 days in Bulgaria over Thanksgiving visiting my brother and his family and celebrating the twins' sixteenth birthday.
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Joyce, Emi, Gregory and Mina Dahl; my brother Greg and family; the twins Joyce and Gregory at sixteen

I went to Canada in August 2014 to visit my son Alex and his family in Quebec, including participating in the Quebec Baha'i Summer School.
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The Gagnon-Dahl family in Quebec

Quebec Baha'i Summer School

At the end of August, my brother Greg and his family from Bulgaria visited Geneva. They came for lunch and a walk at my chalet in nearby France, and breakfasted with my daugher Agnes and family.
 
The Greg Dahl family at my chalet

In July 2014 I flew to California to join my brother Greg and his family for two weeks on the Monterey Peninsula where we grew up, hiking in some of the beautiful natural areas.
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Greg Dahl family in California; at Point Lobos; in Carmel Valley

My chalet in the forest

There is a whole section of this site on my chalet. Here I only describe some activities.

The autumn colours in October 2017 were a delight around my chalet in the forest, and even the chalet was decked in gold.

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In May 2017, I built a new trail along the upper boundary of the western end of my property, which I had previously not been able to reach.

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At my chalet in the forest in January 2016, I completed building a trail down to the lower western corner of my property.

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In October 2015 the forest put on its autumn colours around my chalet.

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Spring 2015 was a wonderful time to enjoy the wildflowers in my forest.
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In March 2015 I completed the final sections of the trail at the bottom of my ravine to make a complete circuit (see life at Brameloup and activity pages).
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Looking down on the trail along the ravine bottom; trail up the ravine; me on the trail with remaining horizontal tree trunks

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The last 15 meters of trail along the steep slope were the most difficult to construct with treetrunks anchored to the slope

In January 2015 I continued the construction of new trails in my steep ravine despite the cold weather, and finally reached the bottom of the ravine (more details at trail making).

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Trail construction down the steep ravine near my chalet on a 45° slope, with 7 switchbacks to the bottom

Trail construction in my ravine continued in December 2014, reaching more than half way down the steep slope by the end of the month.
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Carving a trail down a 45° slope taking advantage of trees and other natural features is an interesting challenge

As the fine weather continued in October 2014, so did my trail building down the ravine next to my chalet.
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Trails down the ravine at my chalet; under construction on a steep slope with tree trunks for support; autumn colours in front of my chalet

The nice weather in September 2014 encouraged me to start building another trail through the forest near my chalet, along the side of a steep ravine. Trail making has always been on of my favourite activities.
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Geneva and my local community

Descriptions of where I live are on the Geneva and Vernier pages.

The week of climate strikes 20-27 September 2019 saw me participating in three events, a demonstration at the Place des Nations in Geneva on Friday 20 September, a march through the center of Geneva on Friday 27 September, and a national climate march in the Swiss capital Bern on 28 September which drew 100,000 people.

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Geneva

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Bern, Swiss capital

On 15 March 2019 I joined over 5,000 others for the student march for climate action in Geneva.

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On Earth Day, 22 April 2017, I joined hundreds of scientists and supporters of science who gathered on the lakeside in Geneva to March for Science.
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Marching for science on the Geneva lakefront

In July 2016, I participated in a Geneva workshop on implementing the Sustainable Development Goals.

Speaking at the SDG workshop

On 27 April 2016 I spoke at a high-level workshop in Geneva on Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals with experts from academia, international agencies and civil society organizations that an IEF member organized.

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IEF member Joachim Monkelbaan opening the workshop; part of the audience

At the end of November 2015, I took part in a second Peoples' Climate March in Geneva with about 5,000 others calling for action at the Paris Climate Change conference.

Geneva Peoples' Climate March

The University of Geneva Global Environmental Policy Programme held its Executive Summer School the first two weeks of September 2015. I was one of three panelists for a public Policy Dialogue on implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (video on https://vimeo.com/138195156), gave two morning lectures on ethics and environmental policy, and chaired the final discussion on the science-policy interface.

On 21 September 2014 I took part in the People's Climate March in Geneva, in support of the big march of 400,000 in New York.
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The front of the Geneva People's Climate march in the city centre, along the lakeside, and at the Palais des Nations

Professional

In retirement, I still have occasional consultancies and participate in international conferences. Most of my professional activities relateed to global governance or research projects are described in the chronological activities section above. I still occasionally collaborate with my former employer UN Environment Programme (UNEP) as described below.

International Environment Forum

I helped to found, and serve as President of, this Bahá'í-inspired professional organization, which has its own complete web site.

For 2020, the International Environment Forum held its 24th Annual Conference as a virtual event in partnership with the Bahá'í Academy in Panchgani, India, on 11-12 July on the theme Education for Social Cohesion in which I gave a presentation on Inclusive Development and Spiritual Indicators of Development (from 3:07:20 to 3:21:15). You can read the paper here. For the O.Z. Whitehead Fireside in England, I spoke on 19 July on The pandemic as an environmental turning point.

I was at UN Environment headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, on 30 November 2017 where IEF was invited to participate in a UN Environment Consultation meeting on engaging with Faith-Based Organizations, representing the Bahá'í Faith.

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UN Office in Nairobi; some participants in the consultation

In April 2017, I spent a week in the Netherlands to attend the Justice Conference/21st IEF Conference and to give several other talks, including one at Wageningen University (see also IEF conference report).
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Conference group photo; the IEF panel; lunch with friends

On 7-9 October 2016, I organized the 20th International Environment Forum annual conference at Nur University in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, on the topic "Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals as communities and individuals". See the report on the IEF web site.

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Part of the audience at the IEF Conference at Nur University; panel session; central plaza in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia

On 27 April 2016 I spoke at a high-level workshop in Geneva on Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals with experts from academia, international agencies and civil society organizations that an IEF member organized.

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IEF member Joachim Monkelbaan opening the workshop; part of the audience

In January 2016, I represented the International Environment Forum at the Geneva Engage conference about using the Internet to increase participation in international meetings.

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December 2015 was a busy month, starting with the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris, where I led an International Environment Forum delegation of 11 and spoke in 3 side events in the Climate Generations area and one at the intergovernmental conference. The IEF report is at https://iefworld.org/cop21, and more photos in my photo album. I have written up one paper on "Personal and professional accountability: an ethical challenge".

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Part of the IEF team; an IEF panel and part of the audience; another IEF co-sponsored event at the Netherlands Pavilion

I also caught up with old colleagues with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) that I founded 35 years ago.
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Three heads of SPREP, outgoing Director-General David Sheppard, incoming Director-General Kosi Latu, founding Coordinator Arthur Dahl; dinner with Baha'i friends; IEF team

Shortly after my return from Paris, I was off to Fudan University in Shanghai to join a group of Baha'i researchers in various fields to plan future research strategies (see separate page).
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Our group of researchers from the Netherlands, Norway, Germany, Switzerland, England and New Zealand; at Fudan University; the Shanghai waterfront

In late November 2015, I made a short trip to Vienna for a research meeting on education for sustainable living with PERL and other partners.

The Vienna workshop on education for sustainable living

On 6 September 2015, I gave a Wilmette Institute webinar on "The Transition to Sustainability". The University of Geneva Global Environmental Policy Programme held its Executive Summer School the first two weeks of September. I was one of three panelists for a public Policy Dialogue on implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (video on https://vimeo.com/138195156), gave two morning lectures on ethics and environmental policy, and chaired the final discussion on the science-policy interface. At the end of the month I was busy initiating the organization of three events for the International Environment Forum as part of the December UN Climate Change Conference in Paris, after approval was received from the secretariat.

The Global Ethics Forum was held in Geneva in June 2015, where I represented the International Environment Forum.

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Prof. Christoph Stückelberger, founder of GEF; part of the audience; address by the Mayor of Geneva, Madame Esther Alder

In March 2015, I spent 5 days in Paris at the PERL International Conference and 19th IEF Annual Conference, where I organized a symposium and gave a paper on "A Multi-level Approach to Ethics, Service and Responsible Living" (see separate page). We also visited the French Senate.
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Paris as seen from UNESCO; the French Senate salle des conférences

My paper "Ethics in Sustainability Education", was published in Responsible Living: Concepts, Education and Future Perspectives, edited by Victoria W. Thoresen, Robert J. Didham, Jorgen Klein and Declan Doyle, Springer, Switzerland, 2015. pp. 27-40. The PERL values-based learning toolkits for secondary schools prepared by a workgroup that I chaired were also published and launched at the PERL conference.

I went to Canada in August 2014 to give three papers at the Association for Baha'i Studies - North America and International Environment Forum Conference in Toronto, on "Natural sciences and society", "Addressing sustainability challenges: a framework for material and spiritual transformation", and "Introducing Baha'i principles to United Nations dialogues and conferences".

ABS plenary

In June 2014, I went to China for the first time to give a paper on "The ethics of hope: values as positive drivers for a sustainable future" at the Global Research Forum on Sustainable Production and Consumption at Fudan University in Shanghai.
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Global Research Forum on Sustainable Production and Consumption; Fudan University

ebbf - Ethical Business Building the Future

After 22 years on the Governing Board of this Bahá'í-inspired organization bringing values into business and the workplace, I was not re-elected in 2023, and became a member of its Advisory Council. See also its web site.

For the ebbf virtual international conference on 14-17 May 2020 on Rethinking Success, I gave the opening keynote on Unity: Indicator of True Success (starts at 21:15) and another keynote (twice) on Rethinking what will create successful global governance (1:05:00, starts at 7:30).

The October 2019 ebbf retreat was again held at Acuto, Italy.

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ebbf retreat at Acuto; filming an interview with Augusto Lopez-Claros for a film on global governance

In May 2019 I participated in the ebbf annual conference in Geneva, Switzerland.

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The September 2018 ebbf fall gathering in Acuto, Italy, was focussed on considering future activities.

Acuto group

In mid-May 2018 I gave the closing keynote at the ebbf-Ethical Business Building the Future annual conference near Geneva

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My final keynote; reelected to the ebbf Governing Board

On 8 November 2017, the Geneva group of ebbf - Ethical Business Building the Future organized its own commemoration of the Bicentenary of the birth of Bahá'u'lláh at the historic Athenée with five participants in their activities who are not Bahá'ís sharing their reflections on the message of Bahá'u'lláh.

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In October 2017 I went to Bucharest, Romania, for the ebbf event on "spirituality in business".

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ebbf event; one of the presentations; me with Marika and Mika Korhonen from Finland

May 2017 saw the ebbf - Ethical Business Building the Future spring event and AGM near Geneva, where I gave the opening keynote.

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Part of the audience; giving my keynote; the newly elected ebbf Governing Board

In May 2016, I went to Milan for the Spring event and Annual General Meeting of ebbf - Ethical Business Building the Future, on the theme "Consultation, beyond decision-making, a tool for learning". I was again elected to the ebbf Governing Board.

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Plenaries and workshops at the ebbf learning event

At the end of May I flew to Kuwait for the Vision Gulf Business Conference at a luxurious beach hotel, where I gave two keynotes on "The future of business in a world with a changing climate" and "The UN 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals: challenges and opportunities".

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Vision Gulf Business Conference; my first keynote; the closing panel with fellow ebbf members Wendi Momen and Bayan Salmanpour

In mid-February 2016 I was invited by the international student organization AIESEC to participate in their International Presidents Meeting in Marrakech, Morocco, and to give the opening keynote in their Global YouthSpeak Forum on the Sustainable Development Goals. ebbf - Ethical Business Building the Future was featured as a global Partner.
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October 2015 was again time for the ebbf - Ethical Business Building the Future annual conference in Barcelona.

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Keynoting at the ebbf annual conference in Barcelona; the ebbf Governing Board; informal discussions

At the end of May 2015, I attended the ebbf - Ethical Business Building the Future spring event near Lisbon, Portugal.

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Pre-event consultation; one of the sessions at the ebbf event

On 10 February 2015, I was invited to lecture to the Geneva CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) Meetup at one of the more prestigious Geneva hotels. The topic was "The impact of climate change on the global economy" and led to a stimulating discussion, before going at the end of the month to Madrid for lectures at the EOI Business School on "40 Years of International Sustainability Governance", the Nehal Foundation, and the Baha'i community of Madrid on "Ecological and Economic Principles for a New World Order".

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Lecturing to the CSR Meetup in Geneva; part of the audience; lecturing in Madrid

In January 2015, we had a meeting of the ebbf (Ethical Business Building the Future) governing board, and a successful one-day event on gender diversity in Geneva.

In October 2014 as usual, the month opened with the ebbf - Ethical Business Building the Future annual conference in Barcelona.

I was reelected to the ebbf Governing Board

In June 2014 I was the closing speaker on "Ethics for a sustainable economy" at an Ethics Expo in Mantua, Italy.

Mantua, Italy

UN Environment

I have been involved with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), now UN Environment, since the Stockholm Conference in 1972 where it was founded, and spent the last part of my career there, so they still call on me from time to time.

I was in Nairobi, Kenya, on 30 November 2017 to participate in a UN Environment Consultation meeting on engaging with Faith-Based Organizations.

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UN Office in Nairobi; some participants in the consultation

UN Environment invited me to prepare a paper on Why should the UN and in particular UN Environment Engage More with Faith-based Organizations which they published in UN Environment Perspectives, No. 23. February 2017.

In April 2016, I had a week in Arendal, Norway, for a UNEP writers' sprint to draft new guidelines for Integrated Environmental Assessments.

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IEA workshop; Arendal, Norway

In mid-November 2015 I went to Brussels for a EESC/UNEP/EEB Conference on the Sustainable Development Goals, giving a presentation on Europe and the 2030 Agenda: Regional Assessment. I also prepared a paper for UNEP on values and sustainability education.

Speaking in Brussels on the SDGs

In October 2015, I went to Davos, Switzerland, for the World Resources Forum and a meeting of the UNEP International Resources Panel where I was an invited consultant.

In September 2015, I went to UNEP headquarters in Nairobi for the GEO6 authors' "book sprint" to write the regional Global Environment Outlook assessments in a week. I was coordinating lead author for part of the European GEO.

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The United Nations Office in Nairobi campus where I used to work is set in extensive gardens, with buildings separated by lawns and trees

June 2015 started with a UNEP workshop in Baku, Azerbaijan, that I facilitated.
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In mid-April 2015, I went to Paris for an expert meeting on marine and coastal resources at UNEP's Paris office to scope out emerging issues for the International Resource Panel. We also had dinner at a lovely Art Nouveau restaurant near the Saint Lazare train station.

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Paris; Art Nouveau interior of the restaurant; the expert meeting at UNEP

In January 2015, the University of Geneva/UNEP MOOC (massive open online course) on Climate Change Adaptation for Small Island Developing States, to which I contributed 8 lectures on the special problems of SIDS, started on Coursera on 26 January with 8,000 participants.

In December 2014 I prepared a report for UNEP on integrating the Sustainable Development Goals into their European work programme, which you can download at http://yabaha.net/dahl/papers/Dahl2015a_UNEP_ROE.pdf.

In July 2014 I took part in a week-long UNEP author's meeting in Geneva to prepare the Global Environment Outlook (GEO) for Small Island Developing States, which was launched at the UN Conference for SIDS in Apia, Samoa, in September.

European Center for Peace and Development - ECPD

It has been a decade that I have participated in the conferences of ECPD, associated with the UN-authorized University for Peace, and working on reconciliation, religious tolerance and human security in the Western Balkans.

For 2020, the ECPD asked me to prepare concept notes for their conference and Youth Forum, until the conference was cancelled and the Youth Forum moved online, on the theme “Acting on the Earth Charter”. They asked me to preside the Youth Forum, and then put me in charge of its organization with a team of youth volunteers. The forum met on 24-25 October, starting with keynotes by Federico Mayor, former Director-General of UNESCO, Francisco Rojas, Rector of the University for Peace in Costa Rica, Nobel Peace Prize laureat Ouided Bouchamaoui of Tunisia, and myself. I then led a workshop on “Living the values of the Earth Charter”. Other workshops and presentations followed over the two days. There were participants from all over the world including Costa Rica, India, Nigeria, Finland and Australia. It was exciting to see such talent and interest among young people.

The 2019 ECPD Conference in Belgrade again kept me busy. I prepared the concept note, was rapporteur, and chaired the Youth Forum. The ECPD named me Visiting Professor.

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EPCD Conference keynoters; conference participants; me as rapporteur

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ECPD Youth Forum; me named Visiting Professor

For the 2018 ECPD Conference on "A New Concept of Human Security" in Belgrade, Serbia, on 27-29 October, I was asked to prepare the concept note, serve as rapporteur, and chair a two-day youth forum immediately after.

The October 2017 annual European Center for Peace and Development conference and Global Youth Forum was in Belgrade, where I chaired a couple of sessions and gave a paper.

ECPD Conference in Belgrade City Hall; me as co-chair at the conference

ECPD Global Youth Forum; keynote speakers 2015 Nobel Peace Prize Dr. Ouided Bouchamaoui, youth co-chair, Dr. Federico Mayor, former DG UNESCO

In October 2016 I went to Belgrade for the annual conference of the European Center on Peace and Development, where I gave a paper.

Frederico Mayor speaking at the ECPD conference

At the end of October 2015, I went again to Belgrade for the annual conference of the European Center for Peace and Development and presented a paper on "The Sustainable Development Goals and their implications for the Western Balkans".

October 2014 ended with the European Center for Peace and Development international conference in Belgrade.
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Downtown Belgrade; the Danube and Sava Rivers from Belgrade Fortress

Association for Bahá'í Studies - North America

As a long-time member of ABS, I occasionally manage to attend one of their conferences.

On 27 September 2020, the Agriculture Working Group of the Association for Baha’i Studies – North America, asked me to speak on The Global Sustainability Challenge: A Systems View of Agriculture.

I went to Canada in August 2014, giving three papers at the Association for Baha'i Studies - North America and International Environment Forum Conference in Toronto, on "Natural sciences and society", "Addressing sustainability challenges: a framework for material and spiritual transformation", and "Introducing Baha'i principles to United Nations dialogues and conferences".

ABS plenary

The Justice Conference

This Bahá'í-inspired conference has drawn me several times to the Netherlands.

The 2020 Justice Conference had to be cancelled because of the pandemic. Instead, on 6 June 2020, I gave a webinar for the (virtual) Justice Conference on the processes of disintegration and integration, Turning Point in the Transition, (1 hour).

The April 2019 Justice Conference was on issues of racial justice, truth, migration and governance (see report on IEF web site).

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In late March 2018 I again went to the Netherlands to give a keynote talk at the 2018 Justice Conference at de Poort Conference Centre.

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In April 2017, I spent a week in the Netherlands to attend the Justice Conference/21st IEF Conference and to give several other talks, including one at Wageningen University (see also IEF conference report).
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Justice Conference group photo; the IEF panel; lunch with friends

In mid-March 2016, I traveled to the Netherlands for a week for lectures and participation in the Baha'i-inspired Justice Conference.

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A gathering before one of my lectures; the Justice Conference; giving my keynote

Triglav Circle

A few years ago, I was invited to join the Triglav Circle, a small group created after the 1995 UN Social Summit to look at the role of religion and spirituality in social issues.

June 2019 I took part in a Triglav Circle meeting at the Chateau d'Ettevaux in the centre of France.

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Chateau d'Ettevaux; Triglav Circle meeting

In June 2018 the Triglav Circle met again in central France on Science, Technology and the Human Spirit.

In July 2017, I joined the Triglav Circle in the Nievre in central France to discuss rurality and agriculture. We met in one chateau and visited another.

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Chateau de Poussignol; Triglav Circle; Chateau de Quincize

In June 2014 I gave a paper on "Humanity and nature" at a small Triglav Circle meeting near Neuchatel, Switzerland.

Triglav Circle

The Triglav Circle met online in October-November 2020, discussing Harmony with Nature, where I presented on “Religion and environment versus nature”.