Conference Personnel
Master of Ceremonies
Fred Lawlor, Director Spiritual Heritage Education Network Inc.
Contemplative Process Directors
| The role of the the contempative process directors is to (1) guide the participants into contemplative sessions to deeply internalize what they heard in the presentations and develop their own feelings, insights and considered thoughts on them, and (2) to preside over a period of mindful sharing of individual feelings, insights and thoughts by the participants. |
Dr. Darrol Bryant, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Renison University College, University of Waterloo and Director Spiritual Heritage Education Network Inc.
Dr. Colleen Mac Dougall, global psychologist and founder of Soul of Peace Institute, continues her grassroots Work to: 1) listen deeply for what restorative aim could be moving through our global disturbances; 2) articulate a path toward deep peace that is rooted in soul sensibilities; and 3) answer the question: What are the psychospiritual roots of deep fear and deep peace? Weaving in wisdoms from 32 years of private work, university teaching, and, more recently, global partnerships, she creates space in her life for these aims and questions to touch her.
Mindful Sharing Facilitators
| The role of the mindful sharing facilitators is to skillfully ensure a smooth flow of the session of mindful sharing without long periods of cold silence. Sharing of individual feelings, insights and thoughts by participants shall be in a spirit of oneness, collegiality, and non-competitiveness. |
Dr. Sami Rafiq is a professor of English at Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India. She is a translator, writer, poet and novelist who celebrates human values. Sami Rafiq had her education from St. Mary's Convent Naini Tal and Scindia Kanya Vidyalaya, Gwalior. Her undergraduate and graduate studies are from Aligarh Muslim University in India.She is the founding editor of Cloverleaf: Journal of Education in Evolvement and All Encompassing Spirituality, http://cloverleaf.spiritualeducation.org/.
Christine completed a Master of Science degree in Human Biology and Nutritional Science and a post-graduate Certificate in Adult Learning from the University of Guelph and has spent her entire career in adult education and training. She's been a spiritual seeker for the past 20 years and continues to be a fervent student of life. She's a mother, an editor, a writer, a speaker, a life coach, a yogi, a runner, a renovator and a corporate nine-to-fiver. She completed Reiki Certification, Energy Codes training in Bioenergetic Medicine, Breathing for Better Health and Wellness training, and an intensive Spiritual Life Coach Certification program. Through extreme life challenges and her self-discovery and training, Christine has realized the essence of her True Being. Regardless of external conditions, she now lives each day with joy, vitality, unconditional happiness and love, and she is an unstoppable force in helping others to experience the same in their lives.
Guides for Centering Meditation
| The role of meditation guides is to faciliatate an inward journey by the participants to calm, silence and center the mind in preparation for attentive and thoghtful listening to the prsentations that immediiately follow. |
Amir Bagheri, 4th year student at the University of Waterloo studying Kinesiology.
Simran Parmar is studying Biomedical Science with a minor in Psychology at the University of Waterloo. He is an executive team member on the University of Waterloo Meditation Explorers Club.
Vlad Bularca, a 4th year student at the University of Waterloo studying Science and Business specializing in Biology.
Anne Quinn Wallace teaches at Regis College in the Spiritual Direction program. She is an active member of Interfaith Grand River and of St Jerome’s University Community and she offers spiritual direction to people in the Kitchener Waterloo region.
Besides caring and nurturing her growing family, Vickyʼs spiritual interest started in 2010 , which led her to pursue a certification as a primordial sound meditation Instructor from Chopra Center University, Carlsbad, California in 2012. Her passion and enthusiasm continued to expand as she went on to receive her certification as a SUCCESS Coach from psychologist Robert Holden,PhD., best known as the director of the Happiness Project in the UK. She is also a member of and a certified Coach Practitioner with the Certified Coaches Federation.