Our Contributors

Azeemi, Aneela is the Executive Director of a non-profit organization in Islamabad, Pakistan called “Sufi Awakening” rendering services to humanity by spreading the message of universal peace and love through spiritual education and meditative practices. In the last 12 years she has hosted weekly and monthly meditative gatherings including class room lectures for different groups to foster healthy and positive communities.

Aneela’s focus is to help humanity through self-awareness and values based education centered on love and compassion affirming the principle of unity in diversity, the only antidote to the evil of hate and terror.

Aneela’s educational background includes degrees and diplomas in psychology, law, social studies, gender studies, public administration, local government and leadership management.

Bedford, Barbara has been a meditator for over 30 years starting with Transcendental Meditation and then a student of an intense Buddhist meditation practice since 2001. She has been actively teaching courses on Spiritual Living and Living in Oneness throughout the KW community. Currently, she is also the founder of Spirit Quest Café on Meetup offering both the Beginner and the Adept a space to share with like-minded Spiritual Seekers utilizing the practice of meditation to experience Oneness and Insight. In addition, Barb is on the Board of Directors for the organization Humanity’s Team Canada which promotes Oneness.

Rabbi Hillel, a renowned Babylonian Jewish scholar, philosopher and teacher asked, “ If I am not for myself, then who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, then what am I?” These words of profound wisdom have become Barb’s personal mantra giving her strength and courage to be a Light for others to become aware of their own power and Oneness.

Best, Danny is a popular poet and artist. He has written widely for different readers especially for children. He has received numerous awards and medals for his poetry such as the Editor’s Choice Awards from the International Library of Poetry. He has also given public performances and readings of his poetry. sandmanthedreamer@yahoo.com

Bryant, M. Darrol  is the founder & director of the Centre for Dialogue & Spirituality in the World Religions at Renison University College in the University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada.  He was educated at Concordia College (BA in Philosophy & Political Science), Harvard Divinity School (S.T.B. in Theology), and the Institute of Christian Thought at St. Michael's in Toronto (PhD).  He was the first Protestant graduate of this Catholic institution.  He began teaching in 1967 and retired in 2007.  He has been engaged in the inter-religious encounter  since the late 1970s.  A sabbatical in India in 1986-87 profoundly altered my own approach to the study of religion.  My Religion in a New Key outlines that approach I have edited & written more that 25 volumes in the study of religion including God:The Contemporary Discussion, Muslim-Christian Dialogue., Mahayana Buddhism, and, most recently, 3 volumes entitled Ways of the Spirit: Celebrating Dialogue, Diversity, & Spirituality, Ways of the Spirit: Voices of Women, and Ways of the Spirit: Persons, Communities & Spiritualities.

He recently led a India Mystic Express that encountered Bahai, Sikh, Tibetan Buddhist, Hindu, and Sufi communities in New Delhi, Vrindaban, and Rishikesh and concluded with a wild ride down the Ganga to Rishikesh.

Dubey, Rajendra Narain. (b.1938) Educated in mathematics and civil engineering. With early education in Bihar, India, he was awarded a Ph.D. in civil engineering by the University of Waterloo in Canada. Dr. Dubey's interest in spirituality and Indian Philosophy began in 1977 under the guidance of his guru, Brahmarishi Vishwatma Bawra. He translated two of his guru’s books from Hindi into English and is a founding member of Spiritual Heritage Education Network Inc.

Haskell, Dennis is the author of 8 collections of poetry, the most recent Ahead of Us (Fremantle Press, 2016) and What Are You Doing Here? (University of The Philippines Press, 2015) plus 14 volumes of literary scholarship and criticism. He is the recipient of the Western Australia Premier’s Prize for Poetry, the A A Phillips Prize for a distinguished contribution to Australian literature (from the Association for the Study of Australian Literature), and of an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from The University of Western Australia. In 2015 he was made a Member of the Order of Australia for “services to literature, particularly poetry, to education and to intercultural understanding”. He is currently Chair of the Board of writingWA. His website is dennishaskell.com.au

Dr. Atif Khalil is an Associate Professor at the University of Lethbridge's Department of Religious Studies where he teaches courses on Islamic theology, mysticism, art and world religions. His main area of research lies in Sufi thought, with secondary interests in comparative mysticism, inter-religious relations and medieval philosophy. His articles have appeared in Studies in Religion, the Journal of Islam & Christian-Muslim Relations, Sacred Web, the Oxford Journal of Islamic Studies, Philosophy East and West, and the Muslim World. He is also the author of the forthcoming book, Repentance and the Return to God in Early Sufism. In the summer of 2016, he is scheduled to hold the Ken'an Rifai Distinguished Professorship of Islamic Studies at the Institute for Advanced Humanistic Studies at Peking University in China.

Lawlor, Fred is a seasoned hotel industry professional with a background and experience in all aspects of the business. A charismatic leader with over 30 years of results and relationships built from progressive leadership roles in the hospitality industry, active academic and community board memberships.

He presently sits on the advisory committee for Ryerson University Hospitality and Tourism Program and is a member of innovation committee for George Brown College’ hospitality management Chef’s school. He is a board member and passed executive on the board of the Ontario Restaurant Hotel and Motel Association. Fred is presently part of a North America hotel advisory group member called G7 Hospitality Inc.

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/.

Talwar, Shiv. Received his undergraduate degree in civil engineering from the Punjab University, India and his graduate degrees from Lehigh University, USA and the University of Waterloo, Canada. He retired from his career in 1996 and established Spiritual Heritage Education Network Inc. in 2000. He has been serving as its President since its inception. He owes his spiritual education to his parents, his school teachers in India and his mentor, Swami Vishwatma Bawra to whom he is eternally indebted.