Summer school resources now available
Thanks to the active efforts of speakers and the video production team, the 2022 summer school presentations will soon be available for viewing on this web page:
The videos are currently being edited and will be posted one by one this week, as they are completed.
Already available are workshop materials provided by the speakers, on this page:
Support materials for children’s classes and junior youth activities are posted on these pages:
These resources will help local summer school organisers to prepare for their gatherings, which are to be held from 27–30 December.
Promotional resources
A summer school flyer in editable MS Word format may be useful to groups of families who are organising their own gatherings. Local details can be inserted, such as the venue, and other information displayed on the flyer can readily be changed — for example, to suit a two-day event instead of a four-day event.
A poster presents the programme in a handy format for distribution to friends and acquaintances who may be interested. Several other promotional resources are posted on the summer school site, such as other poster versions, a presentation screen, and animated versions of the summer school logo. Go to Promotional items (on the Resources page).
Video presentation details
Plenary video presentations will highlight key aspects of the society-building power of the Faith and how communities can draw on this power in ever greater measure in the years ahead. The videos are intended as openers for further exploration and reflection by summer school participants, in workshop and reflection sessions arranged locally. Everyone’s contributions to discussions will be encouraged and welcomed.
The following is an outline of main topics that will be presented in the videos. (In a few cases, local summer school gatherings may run over a shorter or longer period of days, rather than the four days indicated.)
Day One | The Evolution of a New Society
(Presented by Sholeh Rowhani Ashraf, Sana Lavai Motlagh, and Richard and Sarah Donovan)
Insights into a New World
Trajectory of the last two centuries
Current state of humanity
Pathway to reconciliation
Role of the Bahá’ís
Day Two | Widening the Circle of Participation
(Presented by Tessa Scrine)
The vision of Bahá’u’lláh
Historical context
How groups of families widen the circle of participation
A significant shift has begun
Day Three | Contributing to Social Transformation
(Presented by Geeti Faramarzi)
What we are learning about social action and participation in societal discourses
How these endeavours have emerged under the guidance of the Universal House of Justice
Further advances envisaged
Characteristics of the Bahá’í approach
For Day Three, an additional video will be provided, featuring a group discussion relating to the plenary topic. This may be screened in another session after the main video.
Day Four | Expansive Prospects for Educational Initiatives
(Presented by Jeff Sabour)
The importance of education through the lens of the Bahá’í Writings
Describing the efforts of the community
Elements of an emerging Bahá’í pedagogy
An expansive view of the training institute in the current series of Plans
Regional Bahá’í Councils presentation
There is an additional video presentation from the Regional Bahá’í Councils. It may be screened any day (or evening) of the summer school. It will cover two main topics: the dissemination of learning, and learning that has emerged after the World Conferences in Aotearoa. For the first topic, examples will be shared from Manurewa (in Auckland), and Flaxmere (in Hawkes Bay). For the second topic, examples will be shared from Queenstown and Dunedin.
