The 2018 Parliament of the World’s Religions, held in Toronto, Ontario, included a panel of women who addressed “The Sustainability of Women’s Spiritual Leadership — Stable Wisdom and Simple Clarity in Volatile Times.” Silvana Padrone, the Relief Society president of the Brampton Ontario Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was invited to participate.
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Other panellists included Dr. Jaspreet Bal (Sikhism), a professor and practitioner in the Child and Youth Care program at Humber College in Toronto; Behije Noka (Islam), an educator and co-ordinator for refugee women in Ontario; and Valeriane Bernard (Brahma Kumaris), representative for the Brahma Kumaris to the United Nations in Geneva. The panel was moderated by Dr. Debbie Castle (Brahma Kumaris), an educator and learning organization specialist.
The panel discussed values universal to effective leaders: selflessness, humility, courage, the ability to counsel with others, empathy and honesty.
Padrone remarked, “A great leader needs to be a great follower first, just as a great teacher needs to be a great learner first. … We are always leading someone.”