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Montreal, June 19, 2012 – Some 357 participants as well as 89 friends via videoconference, from multiple background and nationality attended a weekend long conference, the third in Montreal area, in large auditorium of Dawson College. They came from all over the city including Montgérégie-Ouest area - Bahá’ís with their friends, neighbours and work colleagues, in order to be an active partner in “Bahá’u’lláh’s Vision for Humanity”.

Visionaries such as Alan DeSousa; who is a City Councillor from Montreal and the Borough Mayor of Saint-Laurent as well as currently vice-chairman in charge of Sustainable Development, the Environment, Parks and green spaces, took an active part in the workshops and plenary sessions of the conference.

Called by the Universal House of Justice, these conferences will give the participants an opportunity to gain greater insight into the nature of the spiritual enterprise in which they are engaged, a sense of the distance traversed thus far, and a deeper understanding of the exigencies of the current stage in the unfoldment of the Divine Plan. They will strive to enhance appreciation of the privilege of being part of a community that has set its gaze upon the spiritual and material transformation of society, and of the bounty of being connected by bonds of love and camaraderie with brothers and sisters in a global effort, each one labouring within the same framework for action, all united under the sheltering shadow of the Covenant.

The first of three Conferences being organized in our cluster of Greater Montreal, especially prepared for Chinese friends, was of great significance. There were 136 participants, the vast majority from the community at large.

It was held at the Sarto-Desnoyers Community Centre in Dorval on May 14th—entirely in Mandarin!

As far as we know, writes Montreal Assembly in a letter addressed to the Community, it’s the first time in Canada that a Bahá’í gathering has taken place in one of the languages of China without translation. Added to the plenary and small group discussions, a lively children’s program made it possible for many families to attend.

Feedback was very good and plans have been made for a variety of activities over the course of the summer with families, youth and junior youth to build on friendships and conversations began at the Conference.

On May 21-22, the Conference for three neighbourhoods of Côte-des-Neiges, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce and Parc Extension began at Collège Bréboeuf with 250 participants, only 50 of which were Bahá’ís and the rest from the wider community. Whole families came, along with 90 Junior Youths. Its plenary and small group discussions were equally accompanied by a well-planned children's and junior youth program.

The Montreal Conference, included friends from Montgérégie-Ouest and all over the island, was held at Dawson College. The program included some 20 workshops with specific themes such as Building Vibrant Communities, Contributing to Social Transformation and Educational Endeavours and Training Institute, were a part of consultation. The youths and children also had their own workshops and themes to work on! They used art as medium par excellence to express their views on How to Make a Better World!

Of the thousand conferences being held worldwide during the next few months, over 80 conferences are being held in Canada. The conferences’ themes are based on Inspiring individuals and communities to release the potential that lies within.

 

Bahá'í Center

 

177, av des Pins E
Montréal, QC H2W 1N9
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Phone: 514-849-0753

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Montreal Shrine

 

1548, av des Pins O, Montreal
Phone: 514-568-2104

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