Dr. Brian O’Toole, one of the Directors of the School of the Nations and Nations University, passed away on Saturday night. An outstanding educator, Dr. O’Toole was the recipient of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2018, awarded by the British Government for his exceptional contributions to education.
Dr. O’Toole and his wife, Pamela, left the United Kingdom over 40 years ago to serve the Baha’i community in Guyana. Before founding the School of the Nations, the couple led several developmental initiatives through the Varqa Foundation, a Baha’i-inspired development agency. Among their early projects was the Bahai Community Health Partnership in the Rupununi, developed in collaboration with the Guyana Office of Social and Economic Development and spearheaded by Dr. Jamshid Aidun, who served the region’s health needs at a time when there were no doctors in the area.
Dr. O’Toole also co-pioneered the Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) programme with Geraldine Maison-Halls, supporting thousands of persons with disabilities across Guyana. The initiative attracted international recognition, including over 30 journal articles, two books, and video programmes translated into multiple languages. From this work, the literacy programme On the Wings of Words was developed, training facilitators across seven regions with support from CIDA, the British Embassy, Luxembourg, the Guyana Book Foundation, and UNICEF.
