my care2
make a difference

community & fun

groups

get together & make a difference

 
 
 A Century of Growth and Expansion February 09, 2005 11:11 AM

Maintaining the unity of the Bahб'н Faith after Bahб'u'llбh The question of religious succession has been crucial to all faiths. Failure to resolve this question has inevitably led to schisms. Alone among world religions, the Bahб'н Faith has resisted any fragmentation. At the time of the passing of Bahб'u'llбh a century ago in 1892, there were perhaps 50,000 Bahб'нs in the world. The Faith had spread to most of the countries and territories in the Middle East and to the Indian-subcontinent. In Europe, the Americas, sub-Saharan Africa, Australasia, and most of Asia, however, Bahб'u'llбh and His teachings were known. Today, the Bahб'н Faith is the most geographically widespread independent religion after Christianity, with communities in at least 205 countries and major dependent territories. There are more than five million Bahб'нs in the world, an increase of a hundredfold in 100 years. The story of this growth and expansion is intimately tied to two major figures in the Bahб'н Faith: `Abdu'l-Bahб and Shoghi Effendi, who headed the Faith successively after the passing of Bahб'u'llбh in 1892. As noted in the last section, the governance of the Bahб'н Faith is in the hands of democratically elected bodies. The achievement of Bahб'u'llбh's purpose in the regard was the work of these two hereditary leaders. The role they played in maintaining the essential unity of the Bahб'н Faith is without parallel in religious history. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "My object is none other than the betterment of the world and the tranquillity of its peoples." -- Bahб'u'llбh -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The question of religious succession has been crucial to all Faiths. Failure to resolve this question has inevitably led to enduring schisms. Today, there are more than 2,000 sects of Christianity, 1,000 or more in Islam, and comparable divisions in Hinduism, Buddhism and Judaism. Many of these sects emerged because of disagreements over who had final authority over the interpretation of sacred scripture. Bahб'u'llбh prevented schism in the Bahб'н Faith through a seemingly simple device: a will and testament. In that will, Bahб'u'llбh not only appointed His oldest son to succeed him but passed to Him. clear-cut authority to interpret His writings and to be the focal point for unifying the community.  [ send green star]
 
 February 09, 2005 11:13 AM

Abdu'l-Bahб: The Master In retrospect, it became clear that from the start Bahб'u'llбh had carefully prepared `Abdu'l-Bahб to succeed Him. He was born on May 23, 1844, the very night of the Bбb's declaration. As a child, He suffered along with His Father during the first round of persecutions against the Bбbis. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "The religion of God is for love and unity; make it not the cause of enmity and dissension." -- Bahб'u'llбh -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- `Abdu'l-Bahб was eight when Bahб'u'llбh was thrown into prison. He visited Him there and saw the iron collar and chains around His Father's neck. As He grew older, `Abdu'l-Bahб became His Father's closest companion and carried out for Him many important at tasks. He interviewed in advance, for example, the numerous visitors who came to see His Father and protected Him from frivolous or ill-intentioned impositions on His work. In Acre, when nearly the entire group of Bahб'нs there became ill with typhoid fever, malaria and dysentery, `Abdu'l-Bahб washed, nursed and fed the patients, taking no rest for Himself. Finally, exhausted, He took ill Himself, suffering in critical condition for nearly a month. These qualities of selflessness, erudition and great humility, along with Bahб'u'llбh's own obvious admiration, soon won for `Abdu'l-Bahб the title of "the Master." It is a term still used today by Bahб'нs in referring to `Abdu'l-Bahб. Despite the explicit terms of Bahб'u'llбh's will and testament, some envious relatives attempted to usurp `Abdu'l-Bahб's position after Bahб'u'llбh's passing. Repeated attempts were made by these ambitious individuals to create followings of their own. It is significant, in view of the swift emergence of schisms in the world's other religions, that none of the resulting dissident groups were able to maintain themselves or create a division of the Bahб'н Faith. Ultimately, each group disintegrated with the death of the leader who had tried to establish it and no sects or denominations have endured. Bahб'нs attribute this unity to the power of the "Covenant." [See page 49.] `Abdu'l-Baha also played a key role in explaining the world-embracing vision of His Father in terms that the Western world could understand, an accomplishment that greatly accelerated the transformation of the Bahб'н Faith from a small, Middle Eastern movement into the worldwide religion it is today. Following the passing of His Father, `Abdu'l-Bahб remained a prisoner of the Ottoman Empire. Via letters and through direct contact with early Western believers who traveled to Palestine, He guided the Faith's spread outside the Middle East. After the revolution of the Young Turks, `Abdu'l-Bahб became free to travel. In August 1911, He left the Holy Land on a four-month visit to the Western world, stopping in London and Paris. There He met with early Western believers and gave daily talks on the Bahб'н Faith and its principles. The following spring, `Abdu'l-Bahб embarked on a year-long tour, again to Europe, and then to the United States and Canada. The visit greatly stimulated the spread of the Bahб'н Faith in those two countries. During visits to more than 40 cities in North America, He was greeted with respect and acclaim, by both the believers and non-believers alike. In city after city, He was invited to speak at churches and synagogues, and before distinguished groups and organizations. The net effect was to establish the Bahб'н Faith as a major new force for social reform and religious renewal. The message of Bahб'u'llбh--with its great call for a new and peaceful human society--had been proclaimed in the industrialized world and a new generation of firm believers had been enlisted. `Abdu'l-Bahб established an on-going plan for the internationalization of the Faith. In a series of letters to believers in North America, He asked them to spread out around the world to promulgate the Bahб'н Faith and its principles. By the outbreak of World War I, `Abdu'l-Bahб was back in the Holy Land. In His addresses in the West, He had warned about the coming conflagration, and He had spoken unceasingly about the need to establish some form of world commonwealth which might forestall such a war. During the war, `Abdu'l-Bahб spent His time acting on the principles that He and His father had preached. He personally organized, for example, an extensive agricultural project near Tiberias, which provided an important source of wheat to the region and helped to avert a famine in the area. `Abdu'l-Bahб was knighted by the British Government after the war  [ send green star]
 
 February 09, 2005 11:17 AM

The Era of the Guardian: The Work of Shoghi Effendi On 28 November 1921, `Abdu'l-Bahб passed away peacefully in His sleep. Like His father, `Abdu'l-Bahб was concerned with the potential for religious schism after His passing. So He, too, left a clear and explicit will and testament--an extension of the Covenant established by Bahб'u'llбh. In that document, `Abdu'l-Bahб appointed His oldest grandson, Shoghi Effendi Rabbani, to succeed Him as Guardian of the Bahб'н Faith. The Guardianship was an institution anticipated by Bahб'u'llбh. In this office, Shoghi Effendi was the authoritative interpreter of the Bahб'н teachings. Born in Acre on 1 March 1897, Shoghi Effendi spent much of his early childhood at `Abdu'l-Bahб's knee. He attended the American See page 44.] As the supreme institution of the Bahб'н Faith, the Universal House of Justice took on the task of directing the growth and development of the worldwide Bahб'н community. This was accomplished through a series of plans; each plan ran for from five to nine years and outlined a series of goals for expansion and recognition. In 1963, worldwide Bahб'н membership had reached 400,000. Bahб'нs lived in 11,000 localities and were organized into 56 national and regional communities. By 1992, there were some 5,000,000 Bahб'нs, residing in more than 116,000 localities, and organized into 165 national communities. 1 March 1897 Birth of Shoghi Effendi in Acre. 1902 Commencement of the construction of the first Bahб'н House of Worship in Ashkhabad, Central Asia. 11 August 1911 'Abdu'l-Bahб leaves the Middle East for a three-and-a-half month visit to London and Paris. 4 September 1911 'Abdu'l-Bahб arrives in London 11 April 1912 'Abdu'l-Bahб arrives in New York, beginning an eight-month visit to the United States and Canada. 27 April 1920 'Abdu'l-Bahб is knighted by the British Government. 28 November 1921 'Abdu'l-Bahб passes away and his grandson, Shoghi Effendi, becomes the Guardian of the Faith. 10 May 1925 An Islamic court in Egypt declares that the Bahб'н Faith is an indendent religion  [ send green star]
 
 February 09, 2005 11:19 AM

The Covenant Bahб'нs believe that the distinctive unity of the Bahб'н Faith stems from a promise from God to humanity that assures His continuing guidance after the passing of Bahб'u'llбh. This promise is referred to as the Covenant. The idea of a covenant between man and God is, of course, familiar to the followers of many religions. Many Jews understand that God entered into a covenant with them, promising to guide them as long as they obeyed His laws. Many Christians, too, understand that Jesus entered into a new covenant with His followers. For Bahб'нs, the Covenant made by Bahб'u'llбh is both a renewal of the promise of Divine guidance and a system that ensures its continuance. Specifically, the Covenant can be understood to be synonymous with the line of succession described in the Will and Testament of Bahб'u'llбh. This line goes from Bahб'u'llбh to His son, `Abdu'l-Bahб, and then from `Abdu'l-Bahб to His grandson, Shoghi Effendi, and to the Universal House of Justice. To be faithful to the Covenant of Bahб'u'llбh is to be obedient to Him as God's Messenger. This means to accept the authority of His appointed successors and to adhere to the arrangements He made for the advancement of His Faith. To break the Covenant is to reject or deliberately attempt to usurp or undermine the authority Bahб'u'llбh has established, while still claiming to be a Bahб'н. Such an action constitutes an attack on the unity which is the Faith's distinguishing characteristic. Anyone who persistently engages in such behavior becomes known as a Covenant-breaker and is therefore denied access to the Bahб'н community. Such a person can gain re-admittance through genuine repentance. Moral shortcomings, such as a failure to conform to Bahб'н standards, are not a breach of the Covenant.  [ send green star]
 
 February 09, 2005 11:21 AM

A description of `Abdu'l-Bahб "Seldom have I seen one whose appearance impressed me more. A tall strongly-built man holding himself straight as an arrow, with white turban and raiment, long black locks reaching almost to the shoulder, broad powerful forehead indicating a strong intellect combined with an unswerving will, eyes keen as a hawk's, and strongly-marked but pleasing features--such was my first impression of 'Abbas Effendi, "the master" as he par excellence is called.... One more eloquent of speech, more ready of argument, more apt of illustration, more intimately acquainted with the sacred books of the Jews, the Christians, the Muhammadans, could, I should think, scarcely be found even amongst the eloquent, ready, and subtle race to which he belongs. These qualities, combined with a bearing at once majestic and genial, made me cease to wonder at the influence and esteem which he enjoyed even beyond the circle of his father's followers. About the greatness of this man and his power no one who had seen him could entertain a doubt." -- Edward G. Browne, a Cambridge scholar who initially met `Abdu'l-Bahб in 1890, and came to know Him well.  [ send green star]
 
 February 09, 2005 11:23 AM

A description of `Abdu'l-Bahб "Seldom have I seen one whose appearance impressed me more. A tall strongly-built man holding himself straight as an arrow, with white turban and raiment, long black locks reaching almost to the shoulder, broad powerful forehead indicating a strong intellect combined with an unswerving will, eyes keen as a hawk's, and strongly-marked but pleasing features--such was my first impression of 'Abbas Effendi, "the master" as he par excellence is called.... One more eloquent of speech, more ready of argument, more apt of illustration, more intimately acquainted with the sacred books of the Jews, the Christians, the Muhammadans, could, I should think, scarcely be found even amongst the eloquent, ready, and subtle race to which he belongs. These qualities, combined with a bearing at once majestic and genial, made me cease to wonder at the influence and esteem which he enjoyed even beyond the circle of his father's followers. About the greatness of this man and his power no one who had seen him could entertain a doubt." -- Edward G. Browne, a Cambridge scholar who initially met `Abdu'l-Bahб in 1890, and came to know Him well.  [ send green star]
 
 February 09, 2005 11:24 AM

`Abdu'l-Bahб on racism According to the words of the Old Testament God has said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." This indicates that man is of the image and likeness of God -- that is to say, the perfections of God, the divine virtues, are reflected or revealed in the human reality. Just as the light and effulgence of the sun when cast upon a polished mirror are reflected fully, gloriously, so, likewise, the qualities and attributes of Divinity are radiated from the depths of a pure human heart. This is an evidence that man is the most noble of God's creatures... Let us now discover more specifically how he is the image and likeness of God and what is the standard or criterion by which he can be measured and estimated. This standard can be no other that the devine virtures which are revealed in him. Therefore, every man imbued with divine qualities, who reflects heavenly moralities and perfections, who is the expression of ideal and praiseworthy attributes, is, verily, in the image and likeness of God. If a man possesses wealth, can we call him an image and likeness of God? Or is human honor and notoriety the criterion of divine nearness? Can we apply the test of racial color and say that man of a certain hue -- white, black, brown, yellow, red -- is the true image of his Creator? We must conclude that color is not the standard and estimate of judgement and that it is of no importance, for color is accidental in nature. The spirit and intelligence of man is essential.... Therefore, be it known that color or race is of no importance. He who is the image and likeness of God, who is the manifestation of the bestowals of God, is acceptable at the threshold of God -- whether his color be white, black or brown; it matters not. Man is not man simply because of bodily attributes. The standard of divine measure and judgement is his intelligence and spirit.... A man's heart may be pure and white though his outer skin be black; or his heart be dark and sinful though his racial color is white. The character and purity of the heart is of all importance. -- Excerpts from a talk given by `Abdu'l-Bahб at the Fourth Annual Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, 30 April 1912, Handel Hall, Chicago, Illinois  [ send green star]
 
 February 09, 2005 11:28 AM

The nine-pointed star A simple nine-pointed star is generally used by Bahб'нs as a symbol of their Faith. The number nine has significance in the Bahб'н Revelation. Nine years after the announcement of the Bбb in Shiraz, Bahб'u'llбh received the intimation of His mission in the dungeon in Teheran. Nine, as the highest single-digit number, symbolizes completeness. Since the Bahб'н Faith claims to be the fulfillment of the expectations of all prior religions, this symbol, as used for example in nine-sided Bahб'н temples, reflects that sense of fulfillment and completeness. Of particular sacred significance to Bahб'нs are calligraphic forms of the word Bahб (Arabic for "Glory"), known as the Greatest Name, a reference to Bahб'u'llбh. In this categroy is the above symbol [see the star on the 'home page' image in the upper left corner of this www page] which is engraved on personal rings and on buildings to establish their Bahб'н identity. Another calligraphic form of the Greatest Name involves an invocation in Arabic Yб Bahб'u'l-Abhб, which says: "O Glory of the All Glorious." It is displayed in Bahб'н homes and places of Bahб'н activity.  [ send green star]
 
 February 09, 2005 11:30 AM

Shoghi Effendi's letters to the Bahб'н world reflected a statesmanship far ahead of his time "Unification of the whole of mankind is the hall-mark of the stage which human society is now approaching," he wrote in 1936. "Unity of family, of tribe, of city-state, and nation have been successively attempted and fully established. World unity is the goal towards which a harassed humanity is striving. Nation building has come to an end. The anarchy inherent in state sovereignty is moving towards a climax. A world, growing to maturity, must abandon this fetish, recognize the oneness and wholeness of human relationships, and establish once for all the machinery that can best incarnate this fundamental principle of its life." -- Shoghi Effendi  [ send green star]
 
 February 09, 2005 11:31 AM

The Persecution of Bahб'нs in Iran -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SUFFERING FOR THEIR COMMITMENT TO AN INTERNATIONAL VISION, BAHБ'НS DEMONSTRATE THE COURAGE OF THEIR CONVICTIONS Throughout the past century, the Bahб'нs of Iran have been persecuted. With the triumph of the Islamic revolution in 1979, this persecution has been systematized. More than 200 Bahб'нs have been executed or killed, hundreds more have been imprisoned, and tens of thousands have been deprived of jobs, pensions, businesses, and educational opportunities. All national Bahб'н administrative structures have been banned by the Government, and holy places, shrines and cemeteries have been confiscated, vandalized, or destroyed. The 350,000-member Bahб'н community comprises the largest religious minority in that country, and Bahб'нs have been oppressed solely because of religious hatred. Islamic fundamentalists in Iran and elsewhere have long viewed the Bahб'н Faith as a threat to Islam and have branded the Bahб'нs as heretics. The progressive stands of the Faith on women's rights, independent investigation of truth, and education have particularly rankled Muslim clerics. In June 1983, for example, the Iranian authorities arrested ten Bahб'н women and girls. The charge against them: teaching children's classes on the Bahб'н Faith--the equivalent of Sunday school in the West. The women were subjected to intense physical and mental abuse in an effort to coerce them to recant their Faith--an option that is always pressed on Bahб'н prisoners. Yet, like most Bahб'нs who were arrested in Iran, they refused to deny their beliefs. As a result, they were executed. International protest against the persecution has been widespread. Thousands of newspaper articles about the situation of the Bahб'нs in Iran have appeared around the world. Prominent international organizations, including the European Parliament and several national legislatures, have passed resolutions condemning or expressing concern about the Bahб'нs of Iran. Most important, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights and the General Assembly have pressed the Iranian regime to observe international human rights covenants with yearly resolutions--resolutions that have paid specific attention to the Bahб'н situation. In response to this international outcry, the most violent aspects of this persecution had abated by the early 1990s--although at least one Bahб'н, a 50-year old Teheran businessman, was killed by the Government in 1992. However, the Bahб'нs of Iran remain without any fundamental guarantee of their right to practice their religion freely, and international efforts to win their emancipation continue. The number of Bahб'нs killed in Iran each year dropped sharply after the United Nations General Assembly began in 1985 expressing concern in a series of resolutions.  [ send green star]
 
 February 09, 2005 11:32 AM

The Bahб'н International Community and the United Nations The worldwide Bahб'н community manages its relations with the outside world through the offices of the Bahб'н International Community. Since 1948, the Baha l International Community has enjoyed recognition as an international non-governmental organization at the United Nations. Since 1970, it has held consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). It also has working relations with the World Health Organization (WHO), and is associated with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The work of the Bahб'н International Community is handled by several specialized offices. These include a Secretariat, a United Nations Office, an Office of Public Information, an Office of the Environment, and an Office for the Advancement of Women. Through representatives based at the Bahб'н World Centre in Haifa and in New York, Geneva, Paris, Hong Kong, London, Jerusalem, and Fiji, these offices are involved in a wide range of activities, including efforts in peace-building, human rights, education, health, environmental conservation and sustainable development, and the promotion of women's equality. Many of these activities are undertaken in collaboration with national Bahб'н communities. An international newsletter, ONE COUNTRY, reports on these activities. The Bahб'н International Community also collaborates with many international non-governmental organizations. It is, for example, a member of the World Wide Fund for Nature's Network on Conservation and Religion, the Center for Our Common Future, the Education for All Network, the World Conference on Religion and Peace, and the Advocates for African Food Security.  [ send green star]
 
 February 09, 2005 11:32 AM

The Fast Virtually all of the world's religions emphasize fasting as a means of spiritual purification. Each year, for example, Muslims abstain from food and drink between sunrise and sunset for twenty-eight days in a row. Christ's reference to the importance of fasting is recorded in Chapters six and nine of the Gospel of Matthew. Bahб'u'llбh called on Bahб'нs to refrain from eating or drinking from sunrise to sunset for nineteen consecutive days each year from 2 March to 20 March. This period, known simply as "the Fast," is considered a time for deep reflection on one's own spiritual progress. Efforts are made to detach oneself from material desires. Bahб'нs rise before dawn to eat breakfast and to pray. Those who are ill are exempt from fasting, as are pregnant and nursing women, people under 15 or over 70 years old, travelers, and those engaged in arduous physical labor. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Whatever duty Thou hast prescribed unto Thy servants... is but a token of Thy grace unto them, that they may be enabled to ascend unto the station conferred upon their own inmost being, the station of the knowledge of their own selves." -- Bahб'u'llбh  [ send green star]
 
 February 09, 2005 11:33 AM

THE BAHБ'Н CALENDAR -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Gregorian date is given first, followed by the day's appelation, and a description of the day's significance. After all is the date according to the Badн calendar (the calendar that first the Bбbнs and now the Bahб'нs followed). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 21: Naw-Ruz; the first day of the Bahб'н year; 1 Bahб April 9: Month of Jalбl; 1 Jalбl April 13: The first day of Ridvбn; Declaration of Bahб'u'llбh; 13 Jalбl April 28: Month of Jamбl; 1 Jamбl April 29: The ninth day of Ridvбn; 2 Jamбl May 2: The twelth day of Ridvбn; this is the final day of the period of Ridvбn; 5 Jamбl May 17: Month of 'Azamбt; 1 'Azamбt May 23: Declaration of the Bбb; 7 'Azamбt May 29: Ascension of Bahб'u'llбh; 13 'Azamбt June 5: Month of Nъr; 1 Nъr June 24: Month of Rahmat; 1 Rahmat July 9: Martyrdom of the Bбb; 16 Rahmat July 13: Month of Kalimбt; 1 Kalimбt August 1: Month of Kamбl; 1 Kamбl August 20: Month of Asmб'; 1 Asmб' September 8: Month of 'Izzat; 1 'Izzat September 27: Moht of Mashнyyat; 1 Mashнyyat October 16: Month of 'Ilm; 1 'Ilm October 20: Birth of the Bбb; 5 'Ilm November 4: Month of Qudrat; 1 Qudrat November 12: Birth of Bahб'u'llбh; 9 Qudrat November 23: Month of Qawl; 1 Qawl November 26: The Day of the Covenant; 4 Qawl November 28: The ascension of 'Abdu'l-Bahб; 6 Qawl December 12: Month of Masб'il; 1 Masб'il December 31: Month of Shara;, 1 Sharaf January 19: Month of Sultбn; 1 Sultбn February 7: Month of Mulk; 1 Mulk February 26-28(29): Intercalary Days; 1-3(4) Intercalary Day March 1: Intercalary Day; 4(5) Intercalary Day March 2: Month of 'Alб; the first day of hte Bahб'н Fast; 1 'Alб March 20: The final day of the Bahб'н Fast;19 'Alб  [ send green star]
 
 February 09, 2005 11:34 AM

New Approaches to Old Problems -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BAHБ'Н EFFORTS IN EDUCATION, ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Historically, religion has been among the most powerful agents for changing human attitudes and behavior. Bahб'н efforts to address the wide-ranging social ills facing humanity, therefore, draw on God's message for today, offering new and hopeful models for social action and transformation. Although its numbers and resources are still limited when compared with those at the disposal of some of the much older religious bodies--not to mention governments and international agencies--the worldwide Bahб'н community has in recent years launched what amounts to a comprehensive effort to address the problems of underdevelopment and environmental degradation around the world. This effort is significant not for its size or scale, but rather for the fresh and hopeful model it offers to the world. According to the most recent count, Bahб'н communities operate more than 1,300 local development projects around the world. These efforts range from simple literacy centers to reforestation efforts, from health clinics to environmental research centers. The largest share of these projects is in the developing world. What sets the Bahб'н approach apart is its integration of the distinctive spiritual, social and administrative principles outlined a century ago by Bahб'u'llбh. In each separate sphere covered by these principles--whether in terms of spiritual understanding, social ideals, or administrative procedure--the teachings of Bahб'u'llбh offer fresh approaches and insights. When taken as an integrated whole, the impact is multiplied: Bahб'нs believe that the teachings of Bahб'u'llбh provide a set of comprehensive tools for the type of collective social action necessary for humanity to survive and prosper in this new age. The spiritual teachings of Bahб'u'llбh emphasize self-reliance and self-sufficiency, and they promote a holistic and world-embracing approach in understanding social problems and their underlying causes. Perhaps more important, Bahб'u'llбh's teachings connect with the deepest elements of human nature elements which are inherently spiritual--and in doing so tap into the motivational powers of the human spirit. The social teachings of Bahб'u'llбh provide a standard for progressive action and moral conduct that is not only consistent with the highest ideals of modern society, but conforms to its innermost aspirations. They are the embodiment of justice, and have direct and practical applications in efforts to solve social problems. For example, efforts to alleviate poverty cannot be divorced from activities that promote full equality for women. The vast majority of the world's poor are women and children. In many developing countries, especially in Africa, women farmers grow much of the food. Bahб'нs believe that efforts to ensure food security in these regions depend largely on improvements to the status of women. Issues of development and environment are equally dependent on finding solutions to problems of racism, under-education, and religious strife. The administrative order created by Bahб'u'llбh, likewise, represents a new approach to social action. The structure of the worldwide See page 43 on Consultation.] Religion and Social Change Historically, religion has been among the most powerful agents for changing human attitudes and behavior. Religion has traditionally defined what it means to be human, and it has defined the nature of our goals and relationships. And it is on this point--the struggle to change human attitudes and behavior--that the Bahб'н approach to the problems of education, development and environmental conservation offers perhaps the most hope. Because the material means of the Bahб'н community are limited, most of these efforts are small in scale, serving their immediate locality. Nevertheless, the approach to creating and operating these projects is distinctively Bahб'н. Directly or indirectly, nearly all promote the oneness of humanity. Many incorporate an emphasis on uplifting the status of women. Many seek to serve minority populations that have been discriminated against. Most make extensive use of the principle of consultation in an effort to seek input from--and empower--those whom the projects attempt to serve. The aggregate result is the emergence of a new model for integrated and comprehensive social and economic development.  [ send green star]
 
 February 09, 2005 11:36 AM

The Indore Vocational Institute for Rural Women In India, for example, the national Bahб'н community has started a wide range of schools and development projects. Among these projects is the Bahб'н Vocational Institute for Rural Women in Indore in the state of Madhya Pradesh, which offers free literacy and vocational training for underprivileged young women in the region. The Institute, which reaches out to impoverished villages in a wide area, emphasizes training in locally useful and marketable skills. Like most Bahб'н-sponsored projects, however, it also incorporates elements of spiritual and moral education--a focus which contributes greatly to the institute's overall effectiveness. "Although literacy, vocational and health training are essential, we believe that one of the most important things we do at the Institute is to help these young women recognize their full potential as human beings," said Janak Palta McGilligan, the Institute's director. "This is where the element of moral education comes into play." The Institute's curriculum of spiritual and moral education, for example, emphasizes the equality of women and men, the oneness of humanity, and the importance of having a pure heart and selfless motives. These principles, in turn, provide an underlying motivation for transformation and self-development. "We try to imbue them with self-confidence, so that they know they are very important as individuals, and that they can play an important role in improving their own homes and helping their villages to grow and develop," said Dr. Tahirih K. Vajdi, who helped to found the Institute and who also serves on the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahб'нs of India, which sponsors the project. "We have found that, indeed, when these women return to their villages, they affect their entire communities. They bring back new ideas about health and hygiene. They promote the importance of educating children." The Institute was recognized in June 1992 with a Global 500 Award from the United Nations Environmental Programme. The award citation read in part: "Since 1987, the Bahб'н Vocational Institute for Rural Women has conducted three environmental programmes to educate villagers on the prevention and eradication of Guinea worms caused by contaminated water in 302 villages in central India... When the program began 752 people were infected and 211,813 were at risk. Today, the district is completely free of Guinea Worms." The Chaco Project In Bolivia, Bahб'нs operate or sponsor several distinctive projects, such as the Dorothy Baker See pages 12-13.] In the lowlands of southeastern Bolivia, a region known as the Chaco, Bahб'нs collaborate in a project to uplift and empower a long-ignored population of impoverished farmers through an integrated program of technical training, community organization, and the infusion of spiritual ideals. Known simply as The Chaco Project, the effort draws on Bahб'н principles to encourage a process of self-development. Although much of the training provided by the project is technical--such as how to grow fungus-resistant citrus trees, plant high-protein corn, or vaccinate livestock--a special effort is made to provide supplementary training in community organization and grassroots decision-making techniques, such as consultation. The goal is to create a level of self-sufficiency, through community awareness, that will reduce dependency on outside aid and advice. A critical component of this approach is the introduction of moral principles into the training programs offered by the project. "If people are dishonest, training in bookkeeping will only allow them to practice their dishonesty more effectively," said Garth Pollack, who directed the project from 1988 to 1990. "So we talk about honesty, about service, and about the unity of the community in our classes." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Every man of discernment, while walking upon the earth, feeleth indeed abashed, inasmuch as he is fully aware that the thing which is the source of his prosperity, his wealth, his might, his exaltation, his advancement and power is, as ordained by God, the very earth which is trodden beneath the feet of all men." -- Bahб'u'llбh -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A special focus of the project is the promotion of a new ideal of leadership--an ideal that is based largely on Bahб'н concepts. "Our approach is rooted in the notion that we are all part of one human family," said Ken Roedell, the project's director. "We're trying to stimulate local people to arise as servants of their own communities. This is our definition of a community leader: one who serves, rather than one who is served."  [ send green star]
 
 February 09, 2005 11:38 AM

A village-level health care network in Africa In Chad, Bahб'нs have established a primary health care network that extends to some of that country's most remote villages. Based in Sarh, the network is composed of indigenous villagers who have been trained in simple primary health care techniques: how to give inoculations, basic first aid, how to stem deadly infantile diarrhea, and what to do when malaria flares up. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Judge thou fairly, I adjure thee by God.... If thou deniest Me, by what proof canst thou vindicate the truth of that which thou dost possess" -- Bahб'u'llбh -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The project relies on the relatively large number of Bahб'нs in the region; working through their local Spiritual Assemblies, they provide the communications network and sense of commitment necessary to make the project work. The Bahб'н village health workers themselves serve on a voluntary basis, having been selected by their local communities. In addition to the basics of health care, the training that they receive emphasizes service to humanity as a form of worship. Consultation with the local Spiritual Assembly tends to reinforce the volunteer's desire to serve and stimulates the community to improve health conditions. As a result of this distinctive combination of factors, the drop-out rates among Bahб'н community health workers in Chad and several other African countries are very low in comparison with other community health programs. "In some African countries, the drop-out rate in government-run programs is anywhere from 40 to 70 percent," said Dr. Ethel Martens, a Canadian health care specialist and a Bahб'н who has worked with some national and local Bahб'н communities in Africa and Asia. "In Bahб'н projects, the comparable rate over two years has been from two to five percent. In one project in Kenya, for example, two out of 40 workers dropped out. In Zambia, one is inactive out of 19. One important difference in Bahб'н projects has been the use of participatory, workshop-based training methods." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Do not busy yourselves with your own concerns, let your thoughts be fixed upon that which will rehabilitate the fortunes of mankind and sanctify the hearts and souls of men." -- Bahб'u'llбh -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bahб'u'llбh gave clear guidelines about how to work for social change and advancement. He stressed especially the importance of deeds over words. "Do not busy yourselves in your own concerns; let your thoughts be fixed upon that which will rehabilitate the fortunes of mankind and sanctify the hearts and souls of men," wrote Bahб'u'llбh. "This can best be achieved through pure and holy deeds, through a virtuous life and a goodly behavior." When this idea of selfless service is combined with Bahб'н social ideals and administrative principles, what emerges is a new model for social action and development. That model includes the use of consultation to build community consensus and unity, emphasizes self-reliance and self-sufficiency where possible, and urges a holistic and "globally minded" approach in understanding a problem and its roots. In addition to addressing directly the major issues of our day, such as the environment, education, and health, Bahб'н development efforts seek above all else to revitalize the human spirit and to break down the barriers that limit fruitful and harmonious cooperation among men and women, whatever their religious, national, or racial background.  [ send green star]
 
 February 09, 2005 11:39 AM

A global campaign for peace In 1985, Bahб'нs around the world launched an effort to help eradicate from human consciousness the old world attitudes and behaviors that have for so long presented seemingly insurmountable barriers to the achievement of world peace. This campaign began with a letter, entitled The Promise of World Peace, and addressed to "The Peoples of the World." It called on world leaders to gather and discuss the ways and means by which world peace may be established. More than simply a demand for action by the world's political leaders, however, the document analyzed the reasons that world peace had for so long been considered unattainable--citing the barriers of nationalism, racism, poverty, and religious strife--and outlined new approaches for the demolition of those barriers. Written by the Univeral House of Justice, the document also indicated that because of humanity's new stage of maturity, these barriers could at last be overcome and that peace was now inevitable although whether it would be achieved through intelligent collaboration or after disastrous conflicts remained to be seen. Galvanized by this message, the world-wide Bahб'н community began a systematic campaign to diffuse these ideas around the world. Within a few years, more than one million copies of this treatise had been disseminated, many to individuals in the highest ranks of government and academia. Indeed, copies were presented to virtually all of the world's heads of state. It has also been published whole or in part in magazines and newspapers around the world. In conjunction with this distribution, Bahб'н communities around the world organized thousands of local, regional, and national peace conferences, lectures, concerts, dramas, exhibitions and fairs. In 1987, the Bahб'н International Community and five national Bahб'н communities were recognized by the United Nations with the "Peace Messenger" award, a  [ send green star]
 
 February 09, 2005 11:40 AM

Toward the New World Order -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BAHБ'U'LLБH'S VISION OF THE FUTURE -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bahб'нs understand that the dramatic changes and transformations we have witnessed over the last centuly and which we are continuing to see--have been initiated by the coming of a new Messenger of God and influenced by the breaking light of a new Revelation. A few years ago, the phrase "new world order" suddenly and dramatically re-entered the world's popular vocabulary. In 1988, Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev spoke at the United Nations of a need to search for "universal human consensus" as humanity moves toward a "new world order." In 1990, United States President George Bush seized on the term to describe the new level of post-cold war cooperation among nations--and especially to the United Nations action against aggression in the Persian Gulf. Since then, the phrase has gained currency as academics, journalists and world leaders have taken it up. The term has come to frame the discussion over how the next stage of our planet's social and political life might best be organized. Yet for all of the discussion, the new world order remains without real definition. Its dawn is apparent; its details, however, are only guessed at. For Bahб'нs, the term "new world order" has a special and clear-cut meaning. More than 100 years ago, Bahб'u'llбh invoked the phrase to categorize a future series of momentous changes in the political, social and religious life of the world. "The signs of impending convulsions and chaos can now be discerned, inasmuch as the prevailing Order appeareth to be lamentably defective," He wrote. "Soon will the present-day order be rolled up and a new one spread out in its stead." Bahб'нs understand that the dramatic changes and transformations we have witnessed over the last century--and which we are continuing to see--have been initiated by the coming of a new Messenger of God and influenced by the breaking light of a new Revelation. That may seem a dramatic leap of faith. Yet, if God exists and His representative walked the earth a century ago, the effect would obviously have extended far beyond the horizon of His immediate presence. Thus, for Bahб'нs, the idea of a new world order encompasses something far more than a mere political reorganization, the visionary proclamation of a few world leaders, or the legalistic construct of a few academics. Instead, it is that "wondrous System" outlined by Bahб'u'llбh that represents the full implementation of His principles and teachings. The new world order, like the Bahб'н Faith itself, covers the full range of human activities, from the social and political realm to the everyday relationships in our cultural, spiritual, economic and community lives. It is both an internal and an external re-ordering. This grand vision is what Bahб'нs both work for and see as imminent. It is, in essence, the fulfillment of the vision set down by Isaiah in the Bible, of the time when the nations "shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruninghooks..., nor shall they learn war any more." It is what Christians have prayed for throughout the centuries when they recite the Lord's Prayer, testifying to the coming of God's Kingdom: "Thy will be done on earth as in heaven." It is the intent of the Islamic promise that the light of God's justice will one day break over the entire earth and "Thou shall see in it no hollows or rising hills." The seeds of this historic transition can be seen today in the changes and transformation that portend this new world order. The emergence of this order can be seen in thousands of ways: the century-long trend toward greater equality for women and minorities; in the century-long trend toward greater economic justice and the elimination of the traditionally vast differences over wealth and class; and in the century-long trend toward global interdependence. Bahб'u'llбh foresaw all of these trends. He spoke of humanity's impending transformation and promulgated a framework of principles and ordinances that could promote social progress in this new age. Many visionaries today promote similar principles and ideas; indeed, as noted earlier, Bahб'u'llбh's social teachings have in many ways become synonymous with the modern definition of a progressive society. Yet the promulgation of a new social ideology alone is not enough to transform the world and bring about the new world order--as the collapse of communism has shown. The new world order can only be built upon the deep comprehension of humanity's spiritual reality--a reality that lies at the very essence of our beings. It is the spiritual world that is the source of those human qualities that engender unity and harmony, that lead to insight and understanding, and that make possible cooperative undertakings. Among such qualities are love, courage, vision, self-sacrifice, and humility. Essentially spiritual in nature, these qualities form the invisible yet essential foundation of human society. In considering the connection between spiritual qualities and social development it is helpful to recall how the world's previous great religious teachers have guided humanity in the past. The moral code of the Ten Commandments and the Golden Rule--both of which find their expression in nearly every religious tradition exemplify those religious teachings and serve both as ethical guidelines and a summons to spiritual achievement. They have permeated human consciousness and re-structured cultures everywhere. Even for the non-believer, the value of such teachings is evident. In the past, such spiritual teachings have been concerned primarily w  [ send green star]
 
 February 09, 2005 11:42 AM

In the past, such spiritual teachings have been concerned primarily with individual actions--or with the harmony of relatively small groups of people. Moral concern has likewise focused mostly on individual behavior: do not steal; do not lie; love your neighbor. Today, our understanding of spirituality must embrace not only personal and group life, but also the collective progress of humanity as a whole. Indeed, it is only because the human race has at last entered on its age of maturity that the age-old prophecies of an era of peace and justice can now be fulfilled. The essential message of Bahб'u'llбh is the call to unity; its audience, the entire world: "Let your vision be world-embracing, rather than confined to your own selves." A century after His passing, this summons has begun to take visible shape in a community that represents a microcosm of the human race itself, and that is established in every corner of the globe. The emergence of the Bahб'н community offers persuasive evidence that humanity, in all its diversity, can learn to live and work as a single people in a global homeland. It represents, as well, a compelling argument for earnest and dispassionate examination of the claims of the extraordinary Figure whose spirit created and sustains it.  [ send green star]
 
 February 09, 2005 11:43 AM

"National rivalries, hatreds, and intrigues will cease..." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IN THE 1930S, BAHБ'U'LLБH'S VISION OF A NEW WORLD ORDER WAS SUMMARIZED BY SHOGHI EFFENDI IN AN OFTEN-QUOTED LETTER WRITTEN TO THE BAHБ'НS OF THE WEST -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The unity of the human race, as envisaged by Bahб'u'llбh, implies the establishment of a world commonwealth in which all nations, races, creeds and classes are closely and permanently united, and in which the autonomy of its state members and the personal freedom and initiative of the individuals that compose them are definitely and completely safeguarded. This world commonwealth must, as far as we can visualize it, consist of a world legislature, whose members will, as the trustees of the whole of mankind, ultimately control the entire resources of all the component nations, and will enact such laws as shall be required to regulate the life, satisfy the needs and adjust the relationships of all races and peoples. A world executive, backed by an international Force, will carry out the decisions arrived at, and apply the laws enacted by, this world legislature, and will safeguard the organic unity of the whole commonwealth. A world tribunal will adjudicate and deliver its compulsory and final verdict in all and any disputes that may arise between the various elements constituting this universal system. A mechanism of world inter-communication will be devised, embracing the whole planet, freed from national hindrances and restrictions, and functioning with marvellous swiftness and perfect regularity. A world metropolis will act as the nerve center of a world civilization, the focus towards which the unifying forces of life will converge and from which its energizing influences will radiate. A world language will either be invented or chosen from among the existing languages and will be taught in the schools of all the federated nations as an auxiliary language to their mother tongue. A world script, a world literature, a uniform and universal system of currency, of weights and measures, will simplify and facilitate intercourse and understanding among the nations and races of mankind. In such a world society, science and religion, the two most potent forces in human life, will be reconciled, will cooperate, and will harmoniously develop. The press will, under such a system, while giving full scope to the expression of the diversified views and convictions of mankind, cease to be mischievously manipulated by vested interests, whether private or public, and will be liberated from the influence of contending governments and peoples. The economic resources of the world will be tapped and fully utilized, its markets will be coordinated and developed, and the distribution of its products will be equitably regulated. National rivalries, hatreds, and intrigues will cease, and racial animosity and prejudice will be replaced by racial amity, understanding and cooperation. The causes of religious strife will be permanently removed, economic barriers and restrictions will be completely abolished, and the inordinate distinction between classes will be obliterated. Destitution on the one hand, and gross accumulation of ownership on the other, will disappear. The enormous energy dissipated and wasted on war, whether economic or political, will be consecrated to such ends as will extend the range of human inventions and technical development, to the increase of the productivity of mankind, to the extermination of disease, to the extension of scientific research, to the raising of the standard of physical health, to the sharpening and refinement of the human brain, to the exploitation of the unused and unsuspected resources of the planet, to the prolongation of human life, and to the furtherance of any other agency that can stimulate the intellectual, the moral, and spiritual life of the entire human race. A world federal system, ruling the whole earth and exercising unchallengeable authority over its unimaginably vast resources, blending and embodying the ideals of both the East and the West, liberated from the curse of war and its miseries, and bent on the exploitation of all the available sources of energy on the surface of the planet, a system in which Force is made the servant of Justice, whose life is sustained by its universal recognition of one God and by its allegiance to one common Revelation--such is the goal towards which humanity, impelled by the unifying forces of life, is moving. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Compose your differences, and reduce your armaments, that the burden of your expenditures may be lightened, and thatyour minds and hearts may be tranquiUized. Heal the dissentions that divide you, and ye will no longer be in need of any armaments except what the protection of your cities and territories demandeth." -- Bahб'u'llбh --------------------------------------------------------------------------------  [ send green star]
 
 February 09, 2005 11:44 AM

Elements for a world commonwealth As forecast by Bahб'u'llбh more than 100 years ago, the new world order must be based on the following elements if a lasting world peace is to be established: Recognized and secure borders for all nations Freedom of travel and thought for all peoples A general disarmament The establishment of a world federation of nations The establishment of a world tribunal for the adjudication of international disputes The creation of an international military force capable of enforcing the peace through the principles of collective security A commitment to the protection of cultural diversity The worldwide Bahб'н community has long supported the United Nations, an institution which many Bahб'нs see as a precursor to the New World Order called for by Bahб'u'llбh  [ send green star]
 
 October 20, 2005 2:58 PM


 [ send green star]
 
  New Topic              Back To Topics Read Code of Conduct

 

This group:
Baha'i
122 Members

View All Topics
New Topic

Track Topic
Mail Preferences


Copyright © 2009 Care2.com, inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved