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August 12, 2020 UNIVERSITY STUDENTS REFLECT ON BUILDING A BETTER WORLD - ISGP In late June 2020, a group of 12 university students met with the Local Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Ottawa to reflect on their experiences participating in ISGP (Institute for Studies in Global Prosperity) programs over the last year. Established almost twenty years ago, ISGP is a non-profit research and educational organization inspired by the Bahá'í teachings, and which offers a series of programs worldwide. In Canada, ISGP offers a series of annual seminars for university students. These seminars help participants see their university education as a tool that enables them to contribute in building a better world, one which is built on the foundations of justice and unity. The seminars provide a space where young adults reflect on the practical nature of change needed in society in order to bring about this vision of a glorious future society that we all dream about – one in which prejudice, economic disparity, war and injustice have no place. Participants also discuss the capacity that needs to be built in order to transform the world – i.e. both spiritual and practical capacity. The programs are guided by facilitators who help the group consult. There are no experts: the group learns through their guided discussions. Usually held as a one-week offsite seminar, the Covid pandemic meant that this year's seminar was held virtually. From May 8 to 11 this year, 13 young adults from Ottawa were among the participants who met online over Zoom for a streamlined version of the ISGP seminar. Speaking about her experience, Anisa Soucy, who finished her third year at the University of Ottawa last year, said "ISGP gave me the tools to help me read the real world and figure out how to make the community better as well as how to assist junior youth in the neighbourhood to build strong communities. I feel that it's a powerful force when a group of people come together, work together and consult together and share their thoughts on how to apply the concepts we learn in order to build stronger communities."
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