NAINConnect 2015- Tuesday

Reports from ICP Executive Director Linda Crawford, who is attending the North American Interfaith Network (NAIN) gathering in Canada, July 19-22.
Tuesday, July 21, 2015


Restoring Spirit Through Sacred Listening
The agenda today included many presentations, workshops and outings centered on indigenous people and issues concerning them. I would have loved to have participated in all of them, but there were other equally interesting sessions to attend.
Last month, the Marin Interfaith Council presented the film To Light a Candle, which I had been unable to attend. I was therefore pleased to find that the Baha’i community of Regina showed it at NAIN. The film tells the story of the extreme persecution of Baha’is in Iran and the courage of that community to provide education and support to their community. Several universities in the U.S. provide courses and curricula over the Internet to them.
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ICP’s long-time friend, Rachel Watcher presented a workshop titled “Comparing the Styles of Communication by which We Meet, Share Information, and Come to Decisions.” We participated in indigenous, consensus, and Robert’s Rules of Order styles of decision-making.  A teachable moment; a Sikh (from India?) had no idea what Robert’s Rules of Order are. Oops. Great discussion around the pros & cons of each. Rachel is a proponent and practitioner of consensus.


The plenary session at the end of the day was “Community Conversations: NAIN Young Adult Scholars.” The four young people connected with the audience by referring to their notes, whether on paper or smart phone, and then speaking from their hearts. These impressive young adults are doing amazing work in their universities around North America. It was very inspiring.

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