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Speakers
Ms. Nirmala Nancy Hanke, MD is President of the Lighthouse Center, Inc., an interfaith organization that acts as a bridge between the East and West, supporting people in their spiritual philosophies and journeys, while being mindful of Divine Order. Nirmala is a practicing psychiatrist and psychotherapist. She is a Medical Director at Monroe Community Mental Health Authority, and has a private practice in Whitmore Lake, MI, for psychopharmacology, meditative psychotherapy and Reiki healing. The Lighthouse Center was founded in 1979 by Chetana Catherine Florida, and is much influenced by Jain Philosophy and the message of peace, well-being and healing preached by Gurudev Chitrabhanu and Pramodaben. The Center embraces the Jain philosophy and promotes a vegan lifestyle.
Dr. Charles Mabee is the founder and president of the Hospitality Initiative in Southeast Michigan, and a professor of religion at Oakland University. He is an ordained Presbyterian minister; and professor of biblical studies and interreligious dialogue at the Ecumenical Theological Seminary, and visiting lecturer in religious studies at Oakland University. He holds a doctorate from Claremont Graduate School, CA, in religion, and a Master of Divinity from Dubuque Theological Seminary, IA. He is author of two books and cofounded the Colloquium on Violence and Religion; an international organization founded on the study of the mimetic theory of social interaction based on the thought of Rene Girard. He is currently working on a book exploring the topic of "Reclaiming Hospitality in a Culture of War."
Mr. John Suggs is a retired quality engineer from Chrysler, and has been a member of the Baha'i Faith for forty-five years. He holds a bachelor's degree from Eastern Michigan University and a Masters of Business Administration Degree from Central Michigan University. Although the Baha'i Faith has no clergy, he served for many years on the elected Local Spiritual Assembly of Detroit and now is a member of the Registered Baha'i Group in Washington Twp., Michigan. He had the bounty of twice serving as the elected representative of his Baha'i Region to the Annual National Baha'i Convention, where the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States is elected.
Ms. Padma Kuppa is a member of the Board of Directors of Hindu American Foundation in Michigan, where she focuses on inter-religious cooperation. She is an IT professional in the US automotive industry, with a bachelor's degree from REC, Warangal, India. An activist involved in community service locally and regionally, Padma is a co-founder of the Troy, MI, area Interfaith Group, Advisory Board Member of WISDOM, a metro Detroit women's interfaith organization, and a columnist for Patheos.com.
JAINA Convention 2013
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