As summer approaches in Europe, a number of national Baha’i communities are preparing for their annual youth conferences and summer schools, many of which will have special guest speakers in attendance.

At www.europeanbahai.org, you can find information on how to register as well as links to event-specific web sites. All are invited to attend.

Former member of the Universal House of Justice, Hushmand Fatheazam

Hushmand Fatheazam will be the 26th Balyuzi Lecturer at this year’s Association for Baha'i Studies Conference, taking place in San Diego, California from 29 August to 1 September 2008. The Memorial Lecture is named in honour of Hasan M. Balyuzi, a distinguished historian of the Baha'i Faith.

Mr. Fatheazam served on the Universal House of Justice, the international governing body of the Baha'i world community, from its inception in 1963, until 2003. He was born in Tehran, Iran and holds two masters degrees in arts, one from Tehran University, where he also worked as a curator at the library of the Faculty of Arts, and the other from Wiswa Bharati University in India.

DAVISON, MICHIGAN -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 02/06/08 -- The Louhelen Baha'i School will host and Clark Donnelly, the executive producers of the international award winning hit Canadian television series, Little Mosque on the Prairie.

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The Sooke junior youth group gathers round a map to locate their pen-pals in other countries.

Sooke, British Columbia, 26 February 2008 (CBNS) — On Wednesday afternoons, when most older kids in Sooke have already gone home, a number of their 11 year old peers are staying after school to nourish their spirits. About ten students of Sooke’s Journey Middle School are now a part of the recently instituted Junior Youth Empowerment Program, a group intended to give youth a safe space to express themselves, help them build healthy relationships, and connect them with youth around the world.

LOS ANGELES, 26 February 2008 (BWNS) -- Baha'is around the world will arise for prayers before sunup on March 2 as they begin their yearly fasting period - "an annual renewal of faith," says Emerson Boergadine, a young photographer in Los Angeles.

"It's an invigoration, an annual cleansing," he said of the fast, which is a special time for prayer and also involves abstaining from food and drink between sunrise and sundown for 19 straight days.

SOLANO, 25 February 2008 (BWNS) -- Baha'i children love Ayyam-i-Ha because it's a special period of the year devoted to charity, hospitality, social events, and the giving of gifts.

Because of the leap year, they have an extra day this year. Ayyam-i-Ha extends from Feb.

The weekend conference for Baha'is of African Descent with the mysterious name "DayFinders" has come and gone. On Friday evening a large number of the participants arrived from far and near even as far away as Mexico.

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Throughout the United States Baha’is are inviting spiritual seekers to enrich their spiritual and community life through such activities as prayer gatherings, weekly study of the Baha'i scriptures and classes for the spiritual education and training of children.

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On Friday I'll be headed out to Michigan to participate in a local Black Men's Gathering. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Black Men's Gathering, it simply refers to groups of men of African descent who come together throughout the year to learn how to apply the teachings of the Baha'i Faith to the moral and spiritual transformation of themselves and the world. The Universal House of Justice, the International Governing Council of the Baha'i described the purpose of the Black Men's Gathering in this way:

Co-chair of the Interfaith Breakfast, MP David Sweet, visits with attendees

Ottawa, Ontario, 28 December 2007 (CBNS) — Last month witnessed the first annual Interfaith Breakfast on Parliament Hill. Inspired by the long standing Christian Prayer Breakfast, the Interfaith Prayer Breakfast was sponsored by the All Party Interfaith Parliamentary Friendship Group (APIF), co-chaired by MP David Sweet and Rabbi Reuven Bulka.

This historic interfaith event brought together 90 faith leaders and representatives from different religions, 19 Ambassadors, 11 diplomats, 19 MPs, and 5 Senators.