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Conference Announcement "Education to Globalize the Human Mind" International Workshop Spiritual Heritage Education Network University of Waterloo Waterloo, ON (Canada) 20-22 August 2010 __________________________________________________ The conference deals with the necessary educational curricula required in order to increase inter-religious and cross-cultural understanding through an examination of the underlying unities found in humanity's spiritual heritage. With speakers discussing Mysticism from Vedic, Islamic, and Catholic traditions, as well as Religion and Peace Building, practical exercises for spiritual journeys, understanding humanity's place in the cosmos, amongst others, this conference promises to offer insight and education for all those interested in our collective spiritual heritage. The Focus The mission of SHEN is to promote the thinking and findings of those enlightened beings (prophets, sages and seers), who have spent their lives studying the nature of humankind and its relationships in the universe. They are called mystics in English, although their tireless search for spiritual secrets are no more mystical than scientific pursuits. SHEN considers them as spiritual scientists. The peak spiritual experiences of these noble exemplars comprise the core spirituality of all religions and is totally unifying. By its very nature, it is inclusive of all beings and it is meaningful to all human beings, irrespective of faith or the lack of it. In keeping with the mission of SHEN, this workshop will focus on mystics from different traditions. Reflection on their insights will set the stage for consideration of spiritual education curricula with a view to seeking solutions to the grave human and environmental problems of global proportions facing humanity today. Nature of the Spiritual Education Core spirituality of religion is totally unifying. It proclaims the underlying oneness of all beings. Disciplines such as natural sciences, life sciences, social sciences, and humanities also affirm our underlying oneness. The post-secondary curricula for teacher education at the post-secondary level therefore, are expected to integrate multi-religious and multi-disciplinary content. All forms of knowledge that affirm unity in diversity are relevant in this context. Intellectual concepts can teach spirituality. They cannot transform people by making them spiritual. Being spiritual requires setting one’s narrow selfishness aside for the common good. Being spiritual requires overcoming our fears, our likes and wants, our dislikes and aversions, our sense of limited identities and our feelings of isolation. When we learn and practice contemplation and meditation, we assimilate spiritual wisdom deep into our consciousness and transcend our limitations. Thus, curricula for spiritual education are both theoretical and practical in nature. The Purpose The workshop aims to reach beyond a mere spiritual dialog in setting the stage to seek educational solutions for the grave human and environmental crises of global proportions facing humanity today. The specific purpose is to develop ideas for inclusive spiritual education in general and for post-secondary curricula in particular for the education of a large number of teachers required to teach it at the secondary and the primary levels. Expected Outcomes 1. Understand how religions are simultaneously unifying as well as divisive, 2. Build a better understanding of core spirituality, 3. Understand the commonality of core spirituality across religions, 4. Explore together how the unifying core spirituality can be harnessed for better education, 5. Build a network of like-minded people, 6. Grow spiritually, 7. Be inspired, and 8. Make a difference by cooperating in related research and curriculum development. For more detailed information about speakers, and registration info, please visit the conference website: http://www.spiritualeducation.org/Events/Info/Meet2010/Frame.htm Contact: Dr. Shiv Talwar Spiritual Heritage Education Network 408 Tamarack Drive Waterloo, ON N2L 4G6 Canada Tel +1 (519) 884-2351 Email: [email protected] Web: http://www.spiritualeducation.org __________________________________________________ InterPhil List Administration: http://interphil.polylog.org Intercultural Philosophy Calendar: http://cal.polylog.org __________________________________________________
