"The Oneness of Humankind: What is it and Why Should We Care?" a Talk by Payam Akhavan

In this talk titled 'The Oneness of Humankind: What Is It and Why Should We Care?', International Law Professor and former United Nations prosecutor, Dr. Payam Akhavan, reflects on how the oneness of humankind, one of the central principles of the Baha'i Faith, is more than simply a lofty idea, but rather is a matter of existential necessity for our survival as a species.
Payam Akhavan PhD (Harvard) is a Professor of International Law at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. He is a Member of the International Court of Arbitration and a former UN prosecutor at The Hague. His prior academic appointments were at Yale, Oxford, Paris, and Florence, and he has served with the United Nations in Bosnia, Cambodia, Guatemala, Rwanda, and other conflict zones. He is a founder of the ‘Iran Human Rights Documentation Center (www.iranhrdc.org/english/), and he has also produced and contributed to several notable documentary films on Human Rights. His global career has been featured in the New York Times, BBC World's HardTalk, Maclean's magazine, Toronto Star, and Brazil's TV Globo. In 2005, he was selected by the World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader. In October 2017, he delivered the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's Massey Lectures. The companion book, a memoir entitled 'In Search of a Better World: A Human Rights Odyssey' (amzn.to/2CAPwQF), became the #1 bestseller (non-fiction) in Canada.
This talk was given at the Grand Canyon Baha'i Conference, 24 December 2017.
You can listen to the audio recording of this talk here on Baha'i Blog's Soundcloud pagel: / the-oneness-of-humanki...
You may also enjoy Dr. Payam Akhavan's keynote presentation given at the same conference called 'What are We Waiting For? Serving Humanity in a World of Extremes’, which you can watch here: • "What are We Waiting F...
For more Baha’i-inspired talks, you can visit Baha’i Blog’s Soundcloud page: / bahai-talks .

[@Leonitus333]

Thank You 🙏🏽

[@Leonitus333]

I cannot thank you more for drawing the connection between real life and the spiritual path and application of spiritual principles. You took it from fairy tale to the reality of every day life. Also, by humanizing the people involved you validated the importance of the boring, mundane importance of connecting with people on all levels despite power, position and authority.

[@koamagregoire-vp1iv]

Good one I believe in the oness of humanity. Thank you 🙏

[@hansfrankfurter2903]

Very incisive and informative talk.

[@deannaway8499]

Wow..what a brilliant talk. Thankyou Mr Akhavan - illuminating on so very many levels. Thankyou also for the reminder that spirituality is about sacrifice. The Q and As were fantastic...the story of Rwanda a wonderful example of forgiveness and unity. Thankyou again, so very much!

[@SK-rc7zd]

Your opinion is right, we have to be careful in our talk , the quote of the guardian is as clear as evident , this friend in his talk describes the situation in different part of the world and nobody can deny , what he points out . From my point of view the way of his presentation is right and it isn’t in contradiction with the Bahai spirit.

[@kalavathyram8521]

instead of being couch commentators, it's commendable for one to get into the thick of the world's woes and be a hero of justice. I am so proud of your achievements Dr. Akhvan . A Baha'i in the World Tribunal is a the highest service in the path of JUSTICE we always talk about. I have shared this clip with hundreds of friends .... they go into your other video clips on their own to learn about the reality of the world today and what they can do to help the oppressed. To be affirmative is a virtue in our Faith.

[@francismausley7239]

"Those who are working alone are like ants, but when they are united they will become as eagles. Those who work singly are as drops, but, when united, they will become a vast river carrying the cleansing water of life into the barren desert places of the world. Before the power of its rushing flood, neither misery, nor sorrow, nor any grief will be able to stand." ~ Abdul-Baha, Baha'i Faith

[@tinadrake8902]

THOSE WHO ARE WORKING ALONE ARE LIkE ANTS, BUT WHEN THEY ARE UNITED THEY WILL BECOME AS EAGLES! THOSE WHO WORK SINGLY, ARE AS DROPS, BUT, WHEN UNITED, THEY WILL BECOME A VAST RIVER, CARRYING THE CLEANSING WATER of LIFE INTO THE BARREN DESERT PLACES of THE WORLD. BEFORE the POWER of It's RUSHING FLOOD, NEITHER MISERY, NOR SORROW, NOR ANY GRIEF WILL BE ABLE TO STAND. Abdul-Baha

[@matutina33bing]

However frustrating we should never lose hope...knowing its hopeless.

[@drndomomelinguitherese]

Thank you for sharing with everyone this graceful truth of Mankind. I hope to meet you. Happy New Year 2021 !

[@Worldembracingvision]

Thanks be to God for the dear scholars who share their knowledge with us. Karin Ferguson. Quebec, Canada.

[@mansoursadigi443]

❤️🙏🏿❤️

[@Unidad19]

Inspirador, para mirar más arriba, actuar con mayor conciencia en lo que la Bendita Belleza nos pide servir, ser y profundizar. Muchas Gracias

[@kalavathyram8521]

We do believe in the legal system don't we? Well he is in that system and doing his job. The oppressors did their jobs themselves ...Dr.Akhvan is not writing their history but he certainly is serving justice. Their names and the governments they represented is known to the whole world. He is a law lecturer, he will certainly be teaching the students the history of these incidences. So i don't understand your fear over this SK. All i can say is, he is outstanding. Justice is served. Our prayers go with you....march on.

[@Leonitus333]

I have been thinking that God has given us all that we need and wondering for many many years where the luminaries are that sit outside of the political systems that can speak to all of these leaders and systems to apply moral and spiritual medicine and head off all of this suffering and imbalance. “Where are the ensigns”?

[@judithn687]

Thank you

[@shadbakht]

Please let’s not make statements that give the impression that we are anti-Iranian government. Bahá’í Faith isn’t. always remember, ours is a spiritual enterprise: "... pronouncement on any current system of politics connected with any government must be shunned... refuse to commit ourselves to any statement which may be interpreted as being sympathetic or antagonistic to any existing political organization or philosophy. -Shoghi Effendi

[@HVAC356]

You are right but i think this man has responsibilities working for the united nations, he is bahaii too, the things he says about countries falls on his work side not his religion side, i think, i may be wrong, regardless, what u saying or shoghi says is absolutely true

[@Etrielle]

Did Payam Akhavan give 2 talks at the Grand Canyon Baha'i Conference?

[@BahaiBlog]

He gave three talks.

[@sankaranpillai1176]

Interesting...but human beings as usual are a loving lot but careless when comes to actions when their lives are in danger

[@sukumarannair6471]

…*# போர் டீட் ப்ரெண் ஈஸ்வர்டி பசுகன கீமா அம்மன் சரேவாக் போர்பீஸ் கீப்புங் MADANI UN Forces

[@Me-on1tq]

R u related to dariush akhavan?

[@kalavathyram8521]

instead