Asking Questions about Income Inequality and the Aspirations of Ordinary People – A Talk by Holly Hanson

In this talk, Holly Hanson looks at the way in which rapidly growing extremes of wealth and poverty continue to shape the lives of every person on the planet. She looks at the big questions surrounding economic justice, such as: Can ordinary people make choices that take apart economic and social structures that have been intensifying inequality for several hundred years? And can we create economic structures that build reciprocity and solidarity? These questions are then explored by looking at communities that organized economic activities in the past that benefited the whole as well as the individual. She explores how they did it, why it worked, and whether their efforts are relevant now. She believes we can also look to the future to ask how people can learn systematically about making economic choices that lead to dynamic, united, and prosperous communities.

Holly Hanson is a professor of history at Mount Holyoke College, where she teaches African history, the history of global inequality, and history of small-scale agriculture. Her publications include A Path of Justice: Building Communities with the Power to Shape the World, Landed Obligation: The Practice of Power in Buganda, and Social and Economic Development: A Baha’i Approach.

This talk, along with others, was captured at the Association for Baha’i Studies conference in Orange County, California in August 2017

The Association for Baha’i Studies (ABS) promotes the advanced study of the Baha’i Faith and its application to the needs of humanity. It holds an annual conference and sponsors seminars and symposia, engaging participants from all over North America. It publishes a peer-reviewed journal, ‘The Journal of Baha’i Studies’, occasional books and monographs, as well as other publications. It is also engaged in a number of initiatives to advance Baha’i studies among students and young adults and to stimulate broader interest in Baha’i studies.

You may also enjoy this Baha’i Blog video about the ABS conference: Baha’i Blog Attends the Association for Baha’i Studies Conference

For more Baha’i-inspired talks you can check out our Soundcloud playlist, and our Youtube channel.

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Naysan Naraqi

Naysan is passionate about using the arts and media to explore the teachings of the Baha’i Faith. Back in 2011, Naysan started up the Baha’i Blog project, channeling his experiences in both media and technology companies to help create a hub for Baha’i-inspired content online.