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UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief speaks at special event on Parliament Hill

<div>Over 30 people including parliamentarians, senators, academics, civil servants, and representatives of human rights organizations attended a breakfast briefing on Parliament Hill with Professor Nazila Ghanea, the United Nations’ Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief on Thursday, February 15. The event, titled "From Iran to the World: What changing tactics in the persecution of Baha’is in Iran reveal about global trends in freedom of religion or belief", was organized by the Baha’i community of Canada’s Office of Public Affairs and co-sponsored by Senator Marilou McPhedran, Senator Mobina Jaffer, and Parliamentarians Elizabeth May, Garnett Genuis and Terry Duguid.</div>

Baha’i Communities of Canada and Australia co-host panel on institutional transformation at 68th UN Commission on the Status of Women

<div>The Offices of Public Affairs for the Baha’i Communities of Canada and Australia co-organized a parallel event at the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) on March 14. The hybrid panel titled “From Conflict to Collaboration: Transforming Institutions to Promote Gender Equality,” was held at the New York offices of the Baha’i International Community (BIC) and engaged 40 participants in a discussion on this year’s CSW themes of reforming institutions and addressing poverty.</div>

Faith communities across Canada release statement against hate based on religious identity

<div>The Canadian Interfaith Conversation (CIC), an organization that promotes dialogue between Parliamentarians and representatives and members of Canada’s religious communities on matters of shared interest and concern, released a statement against hate based on religious identity on June 18.</div>

Bahá’í Community of Canada co-sponsors parallel event at 67th Commission on the Status of Women

<div>On March 9th, the Bahá’í Community of Canada’s Office of Public Affairs, alongside the Bahá’í International Community organized a parallel event at the 67th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York City, co-sponsored by the Permanent Mission of Canada to the United Nations.</div>

Twitter Spaces discussion explores polarization in Canada

<div>The Bahá’í Community of Canada’s Office of Public Affairs co-sponsored a live-audio discussion, on Twitter Spaces, on April 20th. The online discussion brought together the Hon. Irwin Cotler, Canada’s Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism, and Amira Elghawaby, Canada’s recently appointed Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia to discuss their mandates and explore how democratic societies can remain both pluralistic and united in an age of political and social polarisation.</div>

All-Party Parliamentary Interfaith Caucus fosters dialogue on polarization in Canada

<div>Members of Parliament, representatives from diverse faith communities and members of the wider public gathered to discuss polarization in Canada at a breakfast event on Parliament Hill on June 8th, 2023. Titled The Threat of Polarization in Canada, the discussion breakfast was hosted by the All-Party Parliamentary Interfaith Caucus and the Canadian Interfaith Conversation. The event followed the national Our Whole Society conference, held at Laurier University in May, which also explored the prevalent challenge of finding common ground in a time of deepening social divisions in Canadian society.</div>

A year in review 2022: Office of Public Affairs reflects on a year of transition

<div>For the Bahá’í Community of Canada’s Office of Public Affairs, 2022 was a year of transition. Across the country, digital spaces for dialogue gradually became hybrid and many collaborative projects and events tentatively resumed, in-person, for the first time in years. As the forums for conversations of national import shifted in response to changing public health directives, the sustained dynamism of the many like-minded individuals and groups with whom the Office had the opportunity to collaborate throughout the year continued to be source of energy and inspiration.</div>

10 Bahá’í women of Shiraz honoured at special ceremony and art exhibit at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights

<div>Over 200 people gathered at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights on the evening of October 13 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of 10 Bahá’í women who were tragically executed by Iranian authorities in the city of Shiraz, Iran for refusing to renounce their faith. One woman was only 17 years old; most were in their 20s. The evening reception and accompanying art exhibit was part of the global #OurStoryIsOne campaign which honours the memory of the ten women and the ongoing struggle for gender equality lived by women of all faiths and backgrounds in Iran today.</div>

Traditional Cree Elders share an evening of Indigenous teachings and dialogue

<div>On March 30th, 2023, over forty people, including children and adults, gathered at the Toronto Baháʼí Centre for an evening of Indigenous teachings and dialogue. The event, a partnership between the Baháʼí Community of Canada’s Office of Public Affairs, the Toronto Baháʼí Centre and Neenahnew Oskapewasik, offered an opportunity to learn from visiting Cree Elders Frances Whiskeychan and Patrick Etherington.</div>

Our Whole Society Conference explores polarization in Canadian Society

<div>Over 120 people gathered at Martin Luther College in Waterloo, Ontario on May 7-9 for the 8th iteration of the Our Whole Society Conference. Organized by the Canadian Interfaith Conversation, and sponsored by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, the bi-annual conference focuses on themes related to religion and public life in Canada. It has been actively supported by the Bahá'í Community of Canada’s Office of Public Affairs since its inception in 2013.</div>

Delegates gather in Toronto to elect National Spiritual Assembly

<div>The 74th annual Bahá’í National Convention was held at the Toronto Bahá'í Centre from April 25 – April 28, 2024. The Convention brings together 171 elected delegates from across the country to consult on community affairs and make recommendations to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Canada, the national governing council of the Bahá’í community.</div>

Hommage à la liberté: Montreal concert honours global struggle for gender equality

The concert, titled Hommage à la Liberté [Hommage to Freedom], was a collaborative contribution to the global #OurStoryisOne campaign that honours the struggle of Iranian women for gender equality and marks the anniversary of the ten Baha’i women who, forty-one years ago were tragically executed by Iranian authorities in the city of Shiraz, Iran for refusing to renounce their faith. The event brought together forty-three professional and amateur musicians, singers, and actors from diverse bac

Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, issues public statement on Ridván

<div>Canada's Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, released a public statement recognizing the significance of Ridván, a twelve-day festival observed by members of the Bahá’í faith from April 21 to May 2, 2023.</div>

Delegates cast ballots to elect nine-member National Spiritual Assembly

<div>The annual Bahá’í National Convention was held at the Toronto Bahá'í Centre from May 19 – May 22, 2023. This year’s Convention followed the Bahá’í International Convention, April 29 – May 2, which takes place every five years.</div>

Association for Baháʼí Studies increases consultative learning spaces at annual conference

<div>Over 1900 participants from across the United States and Canada gathered for the 48th annual North American Association for Baháʼí Studies (ABS) conference in Atlanta, Georgia on August 1-4th, 2024. The conference, held in Atlanta for the second consecutive year, offered attendees an opportunity to explore thought in their field or profession in light of Baháʼí teachings.</div>

Prime Minister remembers Bahá’ís facing persecution in Iran in Ridván statement

<div>Canada's Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, released a public statement on the occasion of Ridván, a twelve-day festival observed by members of the Bahá’í Faith from April 20 to May 1, 2024.</div>

Regional Ontario Youth Conference gathers over 700 youth to explore themes of peace and social transformation

<div>Waterloo, Ontario was the site of a two-day youth conference on peace and social transformation on June 29-30. The conference, which was held at Wilfrid Laurier University, brought together over 700 participants from 92 localities across Ontario to reflect on the social issues facing their neighbourhoods and to make plans to foster peace locally.</div>

Short film explores harmony between National Bahá’í Temple for Canada and nature

<div>Following the announcement that a national Bahá’í House of Worship, or Temple, will be built in Canada, short films exploring the significance of a Baha’i Temple and processes around its construction, were commissioned by the National Spiritual Assembly, the governing council of the Baha’is of Canada.</div>

New Website Launches For National Bahá’í Temple

<div>Following the announcement in April 2023, that a national Bahá’í House of Worship, or Temple, will be built in Canada, a new website dedicated to its development is now online.</div>

"We Are from God" by Skye-Marie

Baha’i Blog Studio Sessions is an initiative where we invite Baha’is and their friends from around the world to come into a studio and share the Baha’i Writings put to music. In this Baha’i Blog Studio Session, we’re in Cairns, Australia with Skye-Marie who sings “We Are from God” based on the Writings of Baha’u’llah. This song was filmed and recorded in Cairns, Australia in December 2023. LYRICS: If thou be a man of communion and prayer, raise up on the wings of communion with holy souls,