A selection of testimonials and tributes to 'Abdu'l-Bahá 'Abdu'l-Bahá (1844-1921) was a friend, guide and confidant to all humanity. Those who encountered Him recognized a character of matchless virtue, an all-embracing love and altruism, extraordinary spiritual acuity, and super-human knowledge. Through His personal care for the poor and vulnerable in society, His participation in the discourses of the age, His Writings and His promotion of the Bahá'í Teachings, 'Abdu'l-Bahá was the living embodiment of the Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh, tasked with propagating and preserving the unity of an emerging global religion. As people around the world mark the centenary of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's passing and the completion of the first century of the Formative Age of the Bahá'í Faith, this anthology is designed to increase devotion to 'Abdu'l-Bahá and aid profound reflection on His life, His mission and His unique qualities. Preserved in the testimonials and tributes collected here are the exemplary actions of that single soul out of all humankind who offered a pattern of right living to all people, for all time.
Distinguished diplomat Ambassador Wendy Sherman brings readers inside the negotiating room to show how to put diplomatic values like courage, power, and persistence to work in their own lives. Few people have sat across from the Iranians and the North Koreans at the negotiating table. Wendy Sherman has done both. During her time as the lead US negotiator of the historic Iran nuclear deal and throughout her distinguished career, Wendy Sherman has amassed tremendous expertise in the most pressing foreign policy issues of our time. Throughout her life -- from growing up in civil-rights-era Baltimore, to stints as a social worker, campaign manager, and business owner, to advising multiple presidents -- she has relied on values that have shaped her approach to work and leadership: authenticity, effective use of power and persistence, acceptance of change, and commitment to the team. Not for the Faint of Heart takes readers inside the world of international diplomacy and into the mind of one of our most effective negotiators -- often the only woman in the room. She shows why good work in her field is so hard to do, and how we can learn to apply core skills of diplomacy to the challenges in our own lives.
“Well-developed characters, an intriguing plot and a clear-eyed view of the double-edged sword called change make [AMBASSADOR OF PROGRESS] an engrossing book...” LIBRARY JOURNAL “Williams has an above-average knack for fast pacing, gritty realism, and high-tech details.” BOOKLIST An interstellar catastrophe has left humanity scattered on dozens of primitive worlds. Fiona is an emissary to one such world, charged with helping the inhabitants of Echidne rise from barbarism. But once she’s arrived on the planet, she finds herself in the middle of a war... the Brodaini, the world’s most ferocious warriors, have risen in revolt against their overlords. The combat soon threatens to become a war of extermination. Fiona is a neutral. But Echidne is proving a perilous place for neutrals...
This title is Scheffer's account of the international gamble to prosecute those responsible for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, and to redress some of the bloodiest human rights atrocities in our time.
Called "the world's conscience" and one of the 100 most influential people of our time by Time magazine, Jan Egeland has been the public face of the United Nations. As Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, he was in charge of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) for three and a half years. One of the bravest and most adventuresome figures on the international scene, Egeland takes us to the frontlines of war and chaos in Iraq, to scenes of ethnic cleansing in Darfur, to the ground zeroes of famine, earthquakes, and tsunamis. He challenges the first world to act. A Billion Lives is his on-the-ground account of his work in the most dangerous places in the world, where he has led relief efforts, negotiated truces with warlords, and intervened in what many had thought to be hopeless situations. As one of Secretary-General Kofi Annan's closest advisers, Jan Egeland was at the heart of crises during a difficult period in UN history, when the organization was plagued by the divisive aftermath of the Iraq war, the Oil-for-Food scandal, and terror attacks against UN workers. On the day Egeland came to New York to take up his job, the UN building in Baghdad was destroyed by a huge bomb, killing one of his predecessors, Sergio de Mello. Two months later Annan sent Egeland to Iraq to judge whether the UN could keep a presence there. Since that first mission to Baghdad, Egeland has been envoy to such places as Darfur, Eastern Congo, Lebanon, Gaza, Northern Israel, Northern Uganda, and Colombia. He coordinated the massive international relief efforts after the Indian Ocean tsunami and South Asian earthquake. As a negotiator and activist, Egeland is famous for direct language, whether he's addressing warlords, guerrilla leaders, generals, or heads of state. A Billion Lives is his passionate, adventure-filled eyewitness account of the catastrophes the world faces. And so Egeland writes that he has met the best and worst among us, has "confronted warlords, mass murderers, and tyrants, but [has] met many more peacemakers, relief workers, and human rights activists who risk their lives at humanity's first line of defense." In spite of the desperate need of so many, Egeland is convinced that, "For the vast majority of people, the world is getting better, that there is more peace, more people fed and educated, and fewer forced to become refugees than a generation ago. So there is reason for optimism," he concludes in this groundbreaking book that does not flinch but holds out reasons for hope.
"If the believers . . . establish, in a befitting manner, union and harmony with spirit, tongue, heart and body, suddenly they shall find 'Abdu'l-Bahá in their midst. 'Abdu'l-Bahá 'Abdu'l-Bahá in Their Midst is the story of the journeys of 'Abdu'l-Bahá to Europe and North America over the period 1911 to 1913. Rather than focusing on the public talks he gave, inspiring though these were, it narrates how 'Abdu'l-Bahá affected and transformed the lives of those he met, described in their own words. A revealing and heartwarming book."--Publisher's website.
b>"Bryan Hurt's stories are like no one else's. They are by turns hilarious, whimsical, arresting, and heartbreaking, but what makes them such a delight is the sly simplicity and off-handed charm of their telling."--T.C. BOYLE
