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It is well-known that Beatrice Ensor, who founded the New Education Fellowship (NEF) in 1921, was a Theosophist and that from 1915 the Theosophical Fraternity in Education she established laid the foundations for the NEF. However, little research has been performed on the Fraternity itself. The travels of Theosophists, texts, money and ideas between Auckland, India and London from the late nineteenth century offer insights into “New Education” networking in the British Commonwealth more broadly. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

This paper draws on archival documents from the Adyar Library and Research Centre, International Theosophical Society (TS) headquarters, Chennai, India; the archive at the headquarters of the New Zealand Section of the TS, Epsom, Auckland; the NEF files at the archive of the London Institute of Education; papers past digital newspaper archive.

New Zealand’s first affiliated NEF group was set up by the principal of the Vasanta Gardens Theosophical School, Epsom, in 1933. She was also involved in the New Zealand Section of the Theosophical Fraternity, which held conferences from 1917 to 1927. New Zealand’s Fraternity and Theosophical Education Trust had close links with their counterparts in England and India. The setting up of New Zealand’s first NEF group was enabled by networks created between Theosophists in New Zealand, India and England from the late nineteenth century.

The contribution of Theosophists to the new education movement has received little attention internationally. Theosophical educational theory and Theosophists’ contributions to New Zealand Education have not previously been studied. Combining transnational historiography with critical geography, this case study of networks between New Zealand, Adyar (India) and London lays groundwork for a wider “spatial history” of Theosophy and new education.

This article examines the essence of the New Age movement: its reservations about the Judaic‐Christian heritage, its pantheistic/monistic orientation, its individualism, its search for the mystical experience, its skepticism of modern science and technology, its openness to androgyny, its ecumenicalism, and its prediction of a new dispensation. The article traces the New Age predecessors and influences: gnosticism, the Catholic potpourri, romanticism, the writings of C.G. Jung, and Theosophy. It speculates that the movement’s influence – given its individualism, skepticism of structure and organization, and hostility toward modern methodology – will be implicit and indirect. Finally, it notes the ambivalence of the core ideology, lending itself to both “progressive” and “non‐progressive” interpretation.

International relations are involved in an undesirable order at the present time. It is emphatically necessary to propound firm principles to regulate the relationships among states and nations, and new laws and regulations are to be enacted at the international level. The purpose of this paper is to enumerate some of the main guide stones for development of Islamic thoughts in the fields of international humanities.

The authors enumerate the principles of Sufi foundations of international relations in Islam by introducing the theosophical standpoints of Islamic Sufism.

The paper introduces 95 principles in three categories of public international law, foreign policy, and diplomacy.

As long as the essence of all religions has a unique root which is their spiritual paths and understandings based on their mystical views. To popularize and internationalize this proposition, comparative researches in other religions' Gnosticism will be essential.

Putting several principles forward, on the next phases, they can be used as the basis for many applied debates in the field and may be ended to a new international declaration/law.

Delicateness, truthfulness, and righteousness of Islamic Sufism, which is the gist of thoughts of humankind's elites who are divine messengers/guardians during millenaries, may turn the attentions of scholars and researchers to this viewpoint, and consequently a new set of thoughts/doctrines for regulating international relations to be defined and codified.

International relations scholars have not touched the topic from a Sufi point of view. This paper brings this approach to a new challenging arena for those who are engaged in international relations related subjects of laws, politics, institutions, and organizations.

Many laws have been derived from the religions' legislations and lots of them have not the capability of uniqueness and publicity, due to variety of reasons, especially at the level of countries. But the spirit of legislations is the same and unique in all religions and it is the Tariqah (Sufi path), Sufism, mysticism and ethical beliefs that have been stable and unchangeable for millennia, and wisdom has accepted and accepts them in all times and locations. Thus, if the international public law to be defined and designed upon the base of the unique religions' spirit, we will reach to a unique law with most publicity. The purpose of this paper is to survey the subjects of Islamic public international law, and extend Islamic jurisprudence decisions from a theosophical point of view over the field of international law.

The paper explores the foundation of public international law from the theosophy approach of Islamic Sufism and mysticism.

By raising 38 principles, the author proposes basic principles of important public international law subjects to prepare a backbone for recompilation of new law in this subject matter.

Comparative researches in other religions' gnosticism will be helpful.

Delicateness, truthfulness, and righteousness of Islamic Sufism, may turn the attentions of scholars and researchers to this viewpoint, and a new set of laws to be codified.

Public international law scholars have not touched the topic from a Sufi viewpoint. This paper opens new challenging arena.

Establishing peace, security and discipline for individuals, nations and states in contemporary international order is of the highest importance at the present time. Regularization should be done through approaching natural rights of individuals and also through observing humanistic characteristics and ethics. The aim of this paper is to introduce a legal base to promote international relations.

A draft for International Relation Declaration based on Islamic Sufi teachings has been compiled, and actually it is an abstract of an extended survey on the subject and opinions in relation to the current international problems.

This draft has been codified in three main topics of public international law, foreign policy and diplomacy.

To conclude the draft, it should be scrutinized by many scholars in different disciplines, in the next step.

As the mystical characteristics of Sufism and Gnosticism of all religions (Tariqa) are all united and based upon love towards the Creator and consequently towards the creatures of God, these provisions could be agreed upon and put into practice.

Delicateness, truthfulness and righteousness of Islamic Sufism, which is the gist of all those elites’ divine messages for thousands of years, one after another, can be of a great help to regulate international relations.

International Law scholars have not looked at this subject matter from the Sufism viewpoint. This paper will shed a light on this point of view from other angles related to the international law such as politics, law and institutions.

Many laws have been derived from the religions' legislations and many of them do not have the capability of uniqueness and publicity, due to a variety of reasons, especially at the level of countries. However, the spirit of legislations is the same and unique in all religions and it is the Tariqah (Sufi path), Sufism, mysticism and ethical beliefs that have been stable and unchangeable for millenniums, and wisdom has accepted and accepts them in all times and locations. Thus, if the international public law is to be defined and designed upon the base of the unique religions' spirit, we will reach a unique law with most publicity. This paper aims to address these issues.

This paper explores the foundation of public international law from the theosophy approach of Islamic Sufism and mysticism.

By raising 38 principles, the paper proposes basic principles of important public international law subjects to prepare a backbone for recompilation of new law in this subject matter.

Comparative researches in other religions' Gnosticism will be helpful.

These principles can be used for applied debates in the field and become new international law.

Delicateness, truthfulness, and righteousness of Islamic Sufism may turn the attentions of scholars and researchers to this viewpoint, and a new set of laws to be codified.

Public international law scholars have not touched the topic from a Sufi viewpoint. This paper opens new challenging arena for those who are engaged in.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the first causes of right, law and legislation, namely, the philosophy of law. To know the principles of right, it is essential to recognise its aim. The concept of “Justicia” is in full agreement with Islamic law. The adaptation of duty to genesis and nature is crucial to distinguish the legal and illegal domains of deeds. The legislation domain is one of the subjects of this paper.

In Sufi viewpoint, justice stands for: “Putting everything in its own place that causes its utmost growth”. This definition expands the domain of legislation by focusing on ethics and humanitarian transcendence. It not only considers equal living and civil rights for all the people, but also provides more additional rights for those who are more aptitude to grow.

Determining law-making borders raises the major question that how far it should be extended, providing the acceptability and stability of laws.

People are not equal to each other, but this inequality is not to be for domination or exploitation of the others. It means that the talent and growth capability of every individual in different situations differ.

Real Islamic justice forces that everyone receives his right due to his/her growth eligibility and up to his/her level of inherent aptitude.

The depth of this approach has not been fully discussed yet.

“A Candidate, canvassing his district, met a Nurse wheeling a Baby in a carriage, and, stooping, imprinted a kiss upon the Baby's clammy muzzle. Rising, he saw a Man, who laughed.

This paper aims to propose a procedure to remove international trade barriers globally. Trade is confronting various barriers in the present world, and this is due to the policies of governments to protect interests of their own citizens. Experience shows that trade barriers end up with incurring losses for both sides (traders) in practice, but a look at history of polemics on trade barriers removal in World Trade Organization (WTO) shows that countries are unable to overcome the obstacles they have created. Trade partners understand that removal of counter barriers is advantageous for both parties. In the meantime, being concerned of other party’s response impedes the benefits of free trade for all parties.

This proposition is based upon Islamic Sufism teachings. The propounded principles and goals are in accordance with high understanding of social and economic subtleties of humankind’s life. The authors try to form and formalize Islamic Sufi teachings to establish a base for compiling new international convention that facilitates international trade in all aspects.

To facilitate and promote international trade relations in short run, interested countries may accept a convention to remove all trade barriers among themselves all at once.

The proposed convention does not go against General Agreement on Tariff and Trade and WTO, but it is complementary to both.

The proposed principles are actually shortcuts to what WTO may access in far futures.

Islamic Sufism teachings can lead us to solve current international problems.

WTO has taken important steps to facilitate international trade. To reach the main goal of trade liberalization of WTO, a shortcut solution is proposed here.

How Steiner brought to bear the role of the imagination in reconciling ideological polarities on its function in an educational setting cannot be fully understood without examining the outlook on life from whence it sprang ‐ nor without touching upon historical developments in Western education and the extraordinary life and background of Rudolf Steiner himself. This paper uses historical, biographical and autobiographical commentary to develop an interpretation of the origin of Steiner’s notion of imaginative teaching.