 | The text below this notice was generated by a computer, it still needs to be checked for errors and corrected. If you would like to help, view the original document by clicking the PDF scans along the right side of the page. Click the edit button at the top of this page (notepad and pencil icon) or press Alt+Shift+E to begin making changes. When you are done press "Save changes" at the bottom of the page. |
UNITY, EQUALITY, SPIRITUALITY;
Bahá’í Contributions to the International Year oi Jthe Family
“ 11 the Virtues must be taught the family,” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá stated during one of His many talks delivered in the United States in 1912. “The integrity of the family bond must be constantly considered, and the rights of the individual members must not be transgressed.... Just as the son has certain obligations to his father, the father, likewise, has certain obligations to his son. The mother, the sister and other members of the household have their certain prerogatives. All these rights and prerogatives must be conserved, yet the unity of the family must be sustained. The injury of one shall be considered the injury of all; the comfort of each, the comfort of all; the honor of one, the honor of all.”1 These fundamental truths about the nature and importance of the family formed the basis of the Bahá’í community’s efforts to
1. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks delivered by ‘Abdu’l—Bahd during His visit to the United States and Canada in 1912. Compiled by Howard MacNutt. (Wilmette: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1982), p. 168.
47
irrig]3A&L&ixxn3RLD
commemorate the United Nations International Year of the Family (IYF) in 1994. At a time When the institution of the family is being severely challenged by the upheavals Of the modern age and, in some quarters, by opposition to its very existence, Bahá’ís asserted the critical importance of the family to civilization While urging its remolding according to principles appropriate to humanity’s age of maturity. As ‘Abdu’l-Bahá stated more than 80 years ago, family unity does not mean conformity or oppression of individuals. At the same time, the family is an organic entity which each member must nurture if the whole is to prosper. As the most basic unit of society, the crucible in Which human beings develop their fundamental attitudes, the family has the potential to bring forth the best in each of its members if the power of its unity is truly harnessed. Conversely, the devastating results of disunity within families are painfully obvious.
In addition to understanding the concept of unity and its profound transformative effects, families must grasp and practice a number of other principles to achieve their potential. Only When families use the tool of consultation, embrace the reality of the equality between men and women, and come to View marriage as a fundamentally spiritual institution Will they attain the tranquillity and prosperity that might be theirs. Conviction Of the need for humanity to practice these principles motivated Bahá’ís to organize a variety of events in honor of IYF to educate, inspire, and assist both their fellow believers and the general public.
A World Non-Governmental Organization Forum held in Malta in December 1993 launched 1994 as the United Nations International Year of the Family With the theme, “Family: resources and responsibilities in a changing world.” The Bahá’í International Community sent representatives on behalf of its Office for the Advancement of Women and Office of Public Information Who contributed to the event by presenting a workshop entitled “Breaking the Equality Barrier: Emerging Roles of Men and Women in Families”; constructing a display featuring the Bahá’í approach to family unity; distributing a new brochure explaining Bahá’í teachings on the subjectz; and
2. “The Family in a World Community” is reprinted in The Bahá’í World 1993—94,pp.305—309.
48
YEAQ CE THE FAMILY
hosting a reception for various participants in the forum. It was the beginning of extensive Bahá’í involvement in a wide range of activities undertaken by local and national communities around the world to observe this important year.
Unity
As stated by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the concept of unity—with its implications of harmony, cooperation, and love—lies at the core of Bahá’í teachings about the family. One of the most extreme manifestations of disunity, domestic Violence, was addressed by Bahá’ís in several forums during the year. In May 1994, the Bahá’í International Community helped to bring together 40 experts from all over the world and from a diversity of professional disciplines to begin developing an action plan that would
A Bahá’í' leads a symposium in Heredia, Costa Rica, entitled ”The Family: Source of WellBeing, ” in June 1994.
help provide concrete and global methods for addressing family Violence. Entitled “Strategies for Creating a Violence—Free Family,” the two—day symposium in New York City was jointly sponsored with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM). The participants—from seventeen countries—ineluded representatives from more than 30 NGOs and officials, consultants, and specialists from UNICEF and UNIFEM.
In the keynote address, Canadian psychiatrist H.B. Danesh, who is himself a Bahá’í, examined the causes of Violence, describing the “power—based family,” which relies heavily on conformity, obedience, and inequality, and the “indulgence-based family,” where there is no authority and the individual learns no limits. He then offered the alternative paradigm of the “unitybased family,” which is built on conditions of justice for all its
49
T @ BAHA’l WORLD
members, is marked by cooperation and unselfish love, and by its very nature is Violence-free.
The consultation at the symposium produced a number of insights about the relationship of family Violence to society as a whole, and this served to stimulate approaches to action. Participants came to the View that family Violence cannot be considered a private matter because its effects have a deep impact on society at large; Violence in society and family violence are interrelated; and family Violence has deep roots in gender bias. Thus efforts to create Violence-free families require the active participation of all social sectors and partnership between men and women.
“What clearly emerged was the importance of looking at the topic not just in a sectorial manner,” said Hlengiwe Mkhize, director of the Children and Violence Proj ect at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. “Usually, psychologists will just talk about trauma, lawyers will talk about human rights, and so forth. But here the consultations emerged from different disciplines and perspectives. And in this there is a new way to look at the phenomenon—an integrated and interdisciplinary way.”
Conclusions and recommendations from the symposium were widely distributed at national and international conferences, such as the International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo, regional preparatory meetings for the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Argentina, J ordan, and Austria, and a maj or international conference on family Violence held in the Netherlands (see below). The report, translated into French and Spanish, was also shared with the 172 Bahá’í National Spiritual Assemblies throughout the world.
Dr. Danesh continued to speak about spousal Violence during a series of public talks, workshops, and meetings with various organizations in Singapore in October. Among his activities were meetings with high—level government officials acting on committees responsible for family issues. Also in October, Bahá’ís participated in a conference in the Netherlands entitled “Violence in the Family” sponsored by the International Council of Women. Among the conclusions reached was that the prevention of family Violence requires wider social change,
50
YEAR O_F THE FAMILY
particularly through education in the principle of gender equality.
The Spiritual Assembly of Vancouver, Canada, also addressed family Violence. In June, 50 Bahá’í human services professionals gathered to study the Bahá’í writings on human nature and the healing process and to compare this understanding to maj or therapeutic models. The gathering was intended to begin an ongoing exploration of the topic and to help build a network of Bahá’í professionals involved with the issue. In August, Bahá’ís in Vanuatu addressed a seminar on “Violence and the Family” held at the University of the South Pacific Center. They were invited by the organizers, the Vanuatu Women’s Centre, to give the closing speech following a successful seminar on the International Year of the Family offered by the Bahá’ís in May.
Baha’u’llah teaches that human beings possess the capacity to transcend the limitations of their own conditioning, to manifest the essential nobility of their spiritual nature, and to contribute to family unity by encouraging each member to develop the Virtues which lie within like undiscovered gems. These were some of the truths asserted during a Bahá’í celebration of the human family attended by 175 people on Saltspring Island, British Columbia, Canada, during a weekend in August 1994. Through talks, stories, and a game about expressing emotions within the family, the participants elevated their Vision of family unity.
One of the speakers at the Saltspring Island gathering encouraged parents to recognize each other and their children as sacred, spiritual beings. She introduced conference participants to the “Sad, Mad, Glad, Scared” game, in which each family sits in a circle and gives each member a chance to talk uninterrupted. The person talking chooses a card which says either “sad,” “mad,” “glad,” or “scared” and then recounts to the others what experiences in the family bring out such emotions. At the end of the exercise, family members tell each other which Virtues they have witnessed being demonstrated.
The Bahá’í Vision of the family was explained to more than 200 people gathered in Paris, for the conference “Family: Fortress or Distress?” organized by l’Association baha’ie de Femmes, l’Association medicale baha’ie, and the Office of Public Information of the Bahá’í International Community. The event was
51
[Page 52]
T fig Bahá’í WORLD
Bahd ’z's gathered for the International Year of the F amily Regional Conference held in Albany, Auckland, New Zealand, in
F ebruary I 995.
held in the National Senate chambers in the Luxembourg Palace in November and included presentations by the president of the permanent committee of non-governmental organizations at the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the president of the League Of Family Associations of Greece, and the president of the United Nations Information Center. Like the family symposium in New York, the gathering in France provided an opportunity for integration of the scientific, humanitarian, and religious domains.
In addition to exploring the importance of unity to the healthy functioning of families, Bahá’í communities created opportunities for families to spend time together celebrating the resources they have in each other. In Australia, the Bahá’í community worked together with the Gold Coast City Council to organize a weekend Family Expo which drew 4,000 people. The November event included entertainment, information stalls, seminars, and international food. “Since the family is the smallest unit in society, our belief is that if we do it right there, we have the energy to face the challenges of the outside world,” said Sheri Masroori, one of the organizers. A similar family exposition and picnic was hosted by the Spiritual Assembly of Auckland, New Zealand, in cooperation with the Auckland City Council. More than 2,000 people participated.
Another such festival took place in Macau, where family activities such as story-telling, singing, and games were offered by Bahá’ís in a large park on two consecutive Sundays. In the United Kingdom, the Bahá’ís of North London organized a
52
YEAQ g THE FAMILY
public festival which focused on the importance of unity within the family. During the festival, awards were presented for winners of an essay contest on “What is an ideal family and what makes it possible?” Also in the United Kingdom, a family festival was held for Bahá’ís to study family issues and consult to gether in an enVironment which welcomed all ages.
The largest of the family festivals took place in Toronto, Canada, in December 1994. More than 10,000 people gathered resources from the 50 display booths, sampled workshops and seminars from among 60 options, and enjoyed entertainment at this multifaith festival organized to celebrate families from a variety of religious and cultural perspectives. The National Spiritual Assembly was one of 20 cosponsors of the event. Two workshops on conflict resolution within the family were offered by a member of the Bahá’í Family Institute Committee.
Of course, agreeing with the concept of family unity that was celebrated and promoted through the events mentioned is not enough to create or maintain it. A number of other concepts must be understood and principles practiced to create a unified, nurturing family environment. Among these are consultation, the equality of the sexes, and marriage as a fundamentally spiritual institution.
C onsultation
True consultation, in which all members of a group are allowed to honestly state their Views and all listen with an ear seeking out the truth, is indispensable to family harmony. It fosters unity and is a sign of it. Consultation in the family was the topic of one public meeting held in Zimbabwe in August which was attended by 75 people. Participants included ministry officials who had taken part in a Bahá’í—sponsored seminar called “Revitalizing the Family” earlier in the day. The importance of consultation to family life and the necessary attitudes of patience, respect, and humility which make it successful were also addressed during an observance of United Nations Human Rights Day in Port of Spain, Trinidad. Organized by the Bahá’ís, the event included talks on good family relations and the needs of children, and participants discussed parents’ and children’s rights and responsibilities.
53
[Page 54]
TH_E Bahá’í WORLD
In the Netherlands, during a Bahá’í summer school that revolved around the theme of family, an afternoon was spent on an exercise intended to engender a better understanding of the dynamic process of consultation. Real families and “mock families” (assembled for the exercise) were assigned tasks ranging from furnishng a living room to establishing a neighborhood project. Using as guidelines the steps of consultation, the families worked their way through the tasks. After successfully achieving their goals, families were able to assess the qualities of each individual that contributed to good communication.
Equality
Although parents and children obviously play different roles in family decision making, the rights of each member to be treated with respect must not be transgressed. In addition, it is imperative that husbands and wives participate on an equal basis in consultation. In fact, all Bahá’í teachings on the family must be Viewed within the context of the principle of equality between men and women. Many women who see the family as a repressive institution are actually reacting to a broader system of inequality which forces women to relinquish many aspects of their independence and individuality in order to marry. The family can, and should, be a place where women and men can both freely share their Views and can both develop spiritually, intellectually, and socially. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá counsels husbands and wives to “abide with each other in the closest companionship, and to be even as a single soul.”3 They should View each other as helpmates, as intimate friends concerned about the welfare of each other.
Bahá’ís organized numerous activities to promote the principle of equality and the advancement of women (see “Year in Review,” pp. 75—132), but at least one conference in particular focused on the reciprocal relationship between the advancement of women and the health of families. “Family in Transition,”
3. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (Haifa: Bahá’í World Centre, 1982), p. 122.
54
YEAR (X THE FAMILY
held in Tirana, Albania, in October, brought together approximately 200 women from ten countries who listened to talks and participated in workshops. “Now I realize,” one woman commented at the end of the gathering, “that I continually encouraged my son and told him how much I love him, but with my daughter I only taught her how to work and never told her I loved her.”
Marriage as a spiritual institution
Marriage and family life within the context of the practice of equality has the potential to be radically transformed, but only if the purpose for marriage itself is also looked at in a new light. A union between equals who freely choose each other will not bring happiness unless the partners View each other as spiritual beings whose growth will be forever enhanced by the union. Imperfect human beings will always disappoint each other, so a love based solely on appreciation of attractive qualities is bound to dissolve. But individuals who View marriage as a spiritual institution into which they enter with reverence and through whose challenges they may develop as human beings are much more likely to experience love that endures. Marriage is intended to unite husband and wife “both physically and spiritually, that they may ever improve the spiritual life of each other. . .”4
The different stages of love’s development, the institution of marriage, the dimensions of love in marriage, and unity in the family were the themes of an institute on family life held in Cameroon in September. Officials from the Ministry of Social and Women’s Affairs, who also serve as directors of the Office for the Protection and Advancement of Women and Family, attended the gathering and lauded the initiative of the Bahá’í community. Marriage was also discussed during the first family seminar organized by the Bahá’ís of Bulgaria in June. A press conference held to share results of the conference was attended by 25 journalists. Preparation for marriage and maintaining a strong marriage were topics explored at the Pesnica (Slovenia) autumn Bahá’í school in October 1994.
4. Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu 'Z-Bahd, p. 118.
55
T PE Bahá’í WORLD
F amilies and Society
Happy families not only conduce t0 the happiness of their members but also have a profound impact on the wider society. “The conditions surrounding the family surround the nation,” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said. “The happenings in the family are the happenings in the life of a nation.”5 If families are not manifestations of harmony, love, communication, and justice, then how can nations hope to achieve these ideals? Conversely, “when relations within the family are conducted with due regard for justice, it will be an important factor in bringing about peace in the world.”6
This connection between the strength of families and the development of society was explored in a number of settings. “Unity in the Family as a Source Of Universal Development,” a conference organized by El Salvador’s National Bahá’í Committee for Family Development, was held in November. Among the topics discussed were education, the rights of Children, elimination of Violence, equality of the sexes, and the responsibility of family to society. A conference called “World Peace and the Role of the Family,” held in J ammu, India, drew 130 people and was covered by All India Radio of J ammu. A seminar in Tonga entitled “The Importance of Family as the Nucleus of Society” was addressed by Her Royal Highness Princess Nanasipau’u.
“The Family, the World’s Most Valuable Resource” was the theme of Finland’s Bahá’í summer school in 1994. Presentations focused on various resources within the family, and special aspects of the multicultural family were discussed. A public seminar entitled “The Family, the Cornerstone of Society” was presented by Bahá’í professionals in the fields of psychology and education, a representative from the Consultative Commission on Romany Affairs, and the secretary general of the Finnish Peace Education Institute.
Public conferences on the theme “The Family is a Nation in
5. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Foundations of World Unity (Wilmette: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1979), p. 100.
6. Bahá’í International Community, The Family in a World Community, 1993, reprinted in The Bahá’í World 1993—94, pp. 308.
56
YEA_R O_F THE FAMILY
Miniature” were held in the Seychelles (April 1994) and in Malaysia (September 1994). The former was attended by the President of the Republic, four ministers, and other prominent leaders, and was addressed by the First Lady.
The importance of strong families will become even more critical the closer we get to the year 2000, asserted one of the key speakers at the second annual North American Bahá’í Conference on Social and Economic Development held in Orlando, Florida, USA, in December 1994. In workshops on topics such
Bahá’í youth in Macau dance during an activity organized in August 1994 to celebrate the International Year offhe F amily.
as marriage, parenting, spiritualizing the household, and raising prejudice-free children, partici ants in “The Bahá’í Family for the Time of the Lesser Peace” worked to prepare themselves for the increasingly intense social upheavals destined to accompany humanity’s transition to a fundamentally new stage in its development. In an age when the abilities to function harmoniously in groups and to build relationships marked by service, interdependence, and reciprocity are essential, the family must provide the kind of environment in which such capacities are developed.
Other parts of the world where Bahá’ís explored the relationship between families and society included Sri Lanka, where a public meeting commemorating the IYF focused on this theme; the Netherlands, where the Táhirih Institute cooperated with the Utrecht UN-City Foundation to organize a day of the family called “The Family, Cradle of Democracy?”; Uruguay, where a
7. The “Lesser Peace” is a political peace to be established by the nations of the world in order to bring about an end to war.
57
TE Bahá’í WORLD
representative of the National Spiritual Assembly spoke on “The Family: Microcosm of Humanity” during a regional gathering organized by Calidad de Vida (Quality of Life); and Hungary, where the Budapest Symposium on Families as Educators for Global Citizenship was attended by a representative of the Bahá’í International Community Office for the Advancement of Women.
A range ofactivities
Bahá’í communities on every continent arranged gatherings to examine the interrelated issues that bear on family life. Some brought together Bahá’ís to study and improve their own understanding of the subject in light of Bahá’í teachings, some provided opportunities for Bahá’ís to explore the issues with members of the wider community, and some were organized to inform the public about Bahá’í teachings on the family.
Bahá’í conferences on family life were held in Bolivia, Botswana, Colombia, the Philippines, Spain, and Sri Lanka. “The Family: Our Hopes and Challenges” was the theme of the national conference of the Association for Bahá’í StudiesAustralia held in July, and “The Family: A Bahá’í Perspective” was the theme of the Association for Bahá’í Studies—Russia conference in October. More than 50 diverse Bahá’í families from seventeen communities in New Zealand came together in November for a regional conference in honor of the IYF.
Public events such as conferences, seminars, meetings, and panel discussions were organized by Bahá’ís in Cape Verde, Costa Rica, El Salvador, India, and Trinidad and Tobago. Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l—Baha Rúḥíyyih Khanum attended a conference in Turkey in April 1994 which drew 350 people. Portions of the conference were aired on television, and supportive telegrams congratulating the Bahá’í efforts were received from the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister, and five other government ministers.
An International Year of the Family conference sponsored by the Bahá’í community of Ireland in J anuary 1994 attraCted 200 people representing 30 different organizations. Dr. Agnes GhaznaVi, a Bahá’í of Switzerland, was the main speaker at a national
58
[Page 59]
YEAQ O_F THE FAMILY
conference in Mauritius attended by 400 people. During her Visit to that country, Dr. Ghaznavi presented books on the family to the President of the Republic and the Minister of Education, and she was interviewed for a two-hour television program. State and local government dignitaries in Australia were among those attending an open meeting on the theme of the family held during Australia’s National Bahá’í Convention in May. Monthly talks at a library in France and a series of presentations at schools in Gambia also helped keep the subj eet in the public eye.
The National Spiritual Assembly of Equatorial Guinea organized five-day seminars in Bata and Malabo, both of which were covered on television. Bahá’ís spoke about family as the basis of society, the importance of education in the family, and the equality of men and women, while a representative of UNICEF spoke about preschool education, and a representative of the United Nations Fund for Population Activities addressed family planning. Summaries of the talks were published in a book produced by the National Spiritual Assembly.
A banner across Independence
Avenue in
Vdehoek, Namibia, announces Bahd ’t' observance of the Year of the F amily.
Counsellor Lally Warren addresses a gathering of dignitaries at the Namibia National Theater 15 June 1994. The event was hosted by the Local Spiritual Assembly Of Windhoek to celebrate the Year of the F amily.
59
TIE Bahá’í WORLD
In addition to Bahá’í teachings on the family being shared through these various forums for discussion, a statement on the subject was prepared on behalf of the National Spiritual Assembly of New Zealand and distributed to community leaders; quotations were distributed to the media in Greece on International Day of the Family; and a public eXhibition displayed in four cities in Mauritius attracted 1,000 Visitors. Hand of the Cause of God ‘Ali-Akbar F urfitan, author of the book Mothers, Fathers, and Children, received numerous letters from Russia attesting to the usefulness of the Russian edition of his book, which addresses the spiritual education of children.
A fifteen—minute weekly radio program called “Consejos para la Familia” [Family Counsels] began broadcasting in Equatorial Guinea in July 1994. Produced, directed, and conducted by Bahá’ís, the program covers issues such as health, interpersonal relationships, consultation, equality of the sexes, and children’s education.
Bahá’í communities around the world also cooperated with other agencies to cosponsor International Year of the Family events and were invited to participate in activities organized by other groups.
In September, the Regional Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Russia, Georgia, and Armenia cosponsored an international symposium called “Family Beyond the Year 2000” along with the Russian Ministry of Health, the Russian Association for Humanistic Psychology, the International Center for Positive Psychotherapy and Transeultural Family Therapy, Moscow State University, the Russian Academy of Education, the Russian Orthodox Church, and the International Association for Ontopsychology. The symposium examined topics such as the elements
'1‘ 'I' Iwwsa
Members ofAustralia is ONE. Dance
T heater prepare to perform at a Year of the
Family event.
60
YEAQ O_F THE FAMILY
of a family-friendly society, the rights and responsibilities of family members, and the relationship between families and larger networks.
The Bahá’ís of Mauritius worked with eight other religious groups to mount a travelling exhibition on the family that was Visited by several thousand people. The exhibit was inaugurated by the Prime Minister, the Minister for Women, and other government officials. The project was one of several initiated by the “Committee of the Wise,” a group of 35 representatives of religious organizations—inoluding the Association of Bahá’í Womenappointed by the Ministry of Women to coordinate activities to ‘ improve the quality of Mauritian family life.
A Bahá’í exhibit called “The Family in a World Community,” which conveyed the principle of unity in diversity in relation to family life, was developed in the Mariana Islands to accompany a travelling exhibit from the Smithsonian Institution. The display included a quilt entitled “Family Reunion” made by the Guam Bahá’í Women’s Association from fabric contributed from 50 countries, with all pieces Chosen as representative of various indigenous cultures. A “Universal Family Tree” sculpture was created by the Bahá’í children’s class of the Village of Chalan Pago. Constructed from plaster casting, with masks depicting many different races hanging on the tree, it portrays the diversity of the human family. The unity of the human family was represented through a large book containing family pictures from around the world and quotations from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, such as this statement: “Simply enlarge the circle of the household and you have the nation. Enlarge the circle of nations and you have all humanity.”8
The Ministry of Community Development of Singapore invited the Bahá’ís to participate in a family day exhibition with a booth, and two Bahá’í quotations were selected for printing on the posters in the Ministry’s own display. The Bahá’í community of Omagh, in Northern Ireland, responded to the request by the Omagh District Council that its members create a display to be mounted in the Omagh Leisure Center in honor of IYF. The
8. Foundations of World Unity, p. 100.
61
[Page 62]
TH_E BAHM WORLD
Participants in a ‘ class held during the . Rabbam‘ Trust social and economic devel opment conference , 0n thefamily, held December 1994 in Orlando, Florida,
USA.
Ministry of Social and Women’s Affairs in Cameroon also invited the Bahá’í community to display books, photographs and artwork as part of a government—sponsored exhibition on the family.
Bahá’ís provided guest speakers and panel participants for family conferences in the Cook Islands, New Zealand, and Zambia. They participated in events such as the National Forum for Family Support held in The Hague and attended by 600 people; a workshop on “Family: the Future of Humanity” held during the Academy for the Study of World Religions seminar in Romania; a forum on the family and human rights organized in Spain by the Federation of Associations of Defence and Promotion of Human Rights; and the government launch of IYF in Zambia. In Ethiopia, Bahá’í youth sang before government officials, ambassadors, and NGO representatives on the occasion of the Day for the International Year of the Family.
' Bahá’í presentations about the issues facing families all approached the topic with the perspective that Baha’u’llah’s Revelation has transformed all social institutions. With His advent, humanity entered a new stage and became both capable of, and responsible for, reevaluating existing systems in light of the concept of oneness. The family will prosper and produce healthy individuals to the extent that we also learn to orient the larger system—of education, employment, recreation, information—toward this goal. This context, which is essential for understanding Bahá’í teachings on the family, was spoken of during 1994 in such diverse locations as Namibia and Sweden.
62
YEA€ CE THE FAMILY
In Namibia, a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors in Africa, Lally Warren, addressed a public meeting on the significance of Baha’u’llah’s Revelation and its solution to the varied problems confronting humanity, including the importance of the family. Thousands of miles to the north, the participants at a Bahá’í summer school in Sweden studied the broader meaning of the word “family” by looking at “the seven families of human experience: the interior family, the daily family, the family of friendships, the national family, the international family, the global family, and the Bahá’í family.”
Looking ahead
In 1933, in a letter written on behalf of the Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith, Shoghi Effendi, by his secretary, the following was stated: “We cannot segregate the human heart from the environment outside us and say that once one of these is reformed everything Will be improved. Man is Organic with the world. His inner life moulds the environment and is itself also deeply affected by it. The one acts upon the other and every abiding change in the life of man is the result of these mutual reactions.”9 Possibly no institution exemplifies this truth more than the family. The more individuals understand the elements of healthy family life, the more they Will be equipped to create healthy families that will benefit entire communities. These communities will, in turn, support families in their efforts to embody unity, consultation, equality, and spirituality.
Given the pivotal role played by families in society, the Bahá’í community Will certainly continue its efforts to promote family development long past 1994. Bahá’ís will continue to share Baha’u’llah’s Vision of unity and work with others to make this Vision take shape in the world.
9. From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual dated 17 February 1933, cited in Conservation of the Earths Resources (London: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1990), p. 15.
63
TH_E Bahá’í WORLD
V em . t M 43x5"??
Against the backdrop of the Shrine of the Báb and the International Bahá’í'
Archives, the service tunnel which will link the buildings on the Arc can be
seen under construction.
64
