Bahá’í World/Volume 25/Bahá’ís at Habitat II

Bahá’í World/Volume 25 Bahá’ís at Habitat II

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[Page 137]Some 150 Bahá’ís, including representatives of the Bahá’í International Community, gathered in Istanbul, Turkey, to participate in activities associated with Habitat II.

BAHÁ’ÍS AT HABITAT II

The United Nations Conference on Human Settlements and NGO Forum

As a full moon rose over the Acik Hava Tiyatrosu open-air theater in Istanbul, Turkey, on 29 May 1996, a moving musical and dance production was presented to the diverse audience assembled for the opening ceremonies of Habitat II, the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements. It portrayed Turkey, and Istanbul in particular, as a place "striving for unity with the world, with the other, with God...where opposites meet: the East and the West, the old and the new." "Do they meet to clash and destroy?" it asked, "Or do they clash to be reborn in harmony yet unseen?" The finale asserted, to the stirring melody of Beethoven's Ode to Joy, that "Uniting what custom divides, they make the city Love's home." Inspiring delegates with spirit and vision, the ceremonies set the tone for a conference aimed at further developing a conceptual and programmatic framework for peace, harmony, and justice in the world's myriad communities.

Habitat II, which took place in Istanbul from 30 May to 14 June 1996, along with the parallel NGO Forum (for non-governmental organizations) from 3 June to 14 June, brought together thousands [Page 138]of government representatives and members of civil society to discuss issues central to the well-being of the world community. Indeed, a banner displayed in the main conference building, which read, "Respecting Human Rights-Men and Women Working Together as Equal Partners Becoming Citizens of the World," challenged delegates to consider the idea of "community" in a new light.

The Bahá’í International Community was represented at both Habitat II and the NGO Forum, having the largest delegation of any of the NGOs at the official conference and quite possibly the largest contingent of representatives of a non-governmental organization at the Forum. For Bahá’ís, the venue was particularly significant because Bahá’u’lláh, the Founder of the Bahá’í Faith, spent over five years in Turkey during His long exile at the hands of the Persian and Ottoman authorities. During those years, He wrote many Tablets-some addressed to the leaders of the world. He said that in this land He had "deposited beneath every tree and every stone a trust, which God," He promised, would "erelong bring forth through the power of Truth."

Bahá’ís, then, saw Habitat II as a fitting venue for the global community to gather to discuss ways in which humanity can build prosperous, just, and united communities. They also used the occasion to bring Bahá’u’lláh’s message to the attention of the peoples of Turkey and of the world, distributing over 50,000 copies of Bahá’í statements and other materials in over a dozen languages both at the conference and the NGO Forum, including The Prosperity of Humankind; World Citizenship: A Global Ethic for Sustainable Development; Turning Point for All Nations; and Sustainable Communities in an Integrating World, the statement written for the conference.

A campaign to promote the concept of world citizenship, sponsored by the Turkish Bahá’í community, attracted much interest, and thousands of NGO representatives, UN and government officials, conference volunteers, and others—including the Secretary-General of Habitat II, Wally N'Dow, and the President of the Turkish Republic, Suleyman Demirel-sported world citizenship buttons distributed by the Bahá’ís, which read, "The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens; I am a world citizen; Habitat II-Istanbul "96" and "One World, One Home; Habitat II, Istanbul '96; Bahá’í." [Page 139]

Habitat II

As at previous United Nations conferences held this decade, the Bahá’í International Community sponsored several cultural events during the evenings, which proved very popular.

At least 15,000 people took part in Habitat II, including government officials, representatives of intergovernmental organizations, parliamentarians and local authorities, NGO representatives, members of the media, staff, and other participants. Some twenty heads of state or government, numerous deputy prime ministers and vice-presidents, and scores of ministers also attended. The very strong interconnection between Habitat II and the NGO and other Forums was evident in the number of NGO representatives who were involved in Habitat and in the large number of UN and government officials who took some part in or visited the NGO Forum.

The Bahá’í International Community as a whole was represented at the conference, as were components of it, including the European Bahá’í Youth Council; the National Spiritual Assemblies of Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States; the European Bahá’í Business Forum; l'Association bahá’íe de l'Architecture et de l'Urbanisme; and Health for Humanity. A business founded on Bahá’í principles was also accredited, and Bahá’ís served as official representatives on two government delegations and for various organizations. In all, some 50 Bahá’ís were present during the conference.

Bahá’í representatives distributed materials to most government delegations, gave press kits to journalists, and advocated text changes to draft documents so as to have Bahá’í concepts included in the final draft of the Habitat Agenda, the global action plan for human settlements that was negotiated by Habitat II. They also made contact with their national NGO and government representatives, met their national media, and discussed issues with many people. On several occasions, Wally N'Dow publicly acknowledged the contributions made by Bahá’ís to the Habitat process, especially the Bahá’í position that spiritual principles and priorities must drive community development processes-a position that Dr. N'Dow himself advocated vigorously. [Page 140]In the formulation of the Habitat documents, text was offered by Bahá’í representatives from the floor as part of the official intergovernmental negotiating process, and the Bahá’í International Community was one of ten organizations to provide text revisions to the Habitat Agenda, resulting in a composite NGO document that was taken by the UN Secretariat and made into an official UN negotiating document-the first time in UN history that this has happened. Bahá’í representatives also served as "floor managers" for NGOs wishing to comment on paragraphs of text as they were being negotiated by the governments. By the end of the conference, it was widely evident that the Bahá’í efforts towards this unprecedented process had been constructive and unifying.

On the fifth day of the conference, the Bahá’í International Community was one of five NGOs to read a statement to the Plenary. A shortened adaptation of the statement Sustainable Communities in an Integrating World¹ was read by a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Turkey, after which over 300 copies were given directly by the UN Secretariat to government and UN officials and press.

A reception hosted by the Bahá’í International Community and the National Spiritual Assembly of Turkey was held toward the end of the conference for UN and government officials, NGO and press representatives, and others.

NGO Forum

The NGO Forum began four days before Habitat II and lasted sixteen days, attracting representatives from over 2,400 NGOs, thousands of government and UN officials, a large press contingent, and "day pass" visitors exceeding 22,000. Over 150 Bahá’ís from some thirty countries participated in many of the 2,500 workshops, meetings, symposia, and cultural events.

The official opening ceremonies commenced with a Bahá’í singing a verse in English about the contribution of women to peace, which was then sung in turn in various languages by several women. At the end of those same ceremonies, a youth addressed the gathering on behalf of the Youth Caucus, reading a vision statement

1. For the full text of this statement, see pp. 275-81 of this volume. [Page 141]

HABITAT II

Some of the Bahá’ís attending Habitat II at the Bahá’í International Community’s booth at the NGO Forum.

that two of the Bahá’í youth present had helped to draft. The statement said, in part, that to build “our global home,” we will need “values common to all humanity: truth, justice, equity, understanding and cooperation...inclusion, unity, a sense of belonging and collective responsibility...economic and social justice... racial and gender equality...world citizenship...and a sense of belonging, of community and security.” The speaker’s words were met with a standing ovation.

Bahá’í institutions and agencies, including the Bahá’í International Community, the National Spiritual Assemblies of Turkey and the United States of America, the European Bahá’í Family Task Force, the European Bahá’í Business Forum, the European Bahá’í Youth Council, Health for Humanity, and the Bahá’í Institute for the Built Environment, held more than 35 workshops and symposia, with topics as varied as “Shelter: Individual Rights or Community Responsibility,” “Service-Oriented Leadership,” “Encouraging Entrepreneurship in Women,” “Youth and Global Governance,” “Tomorrow Belongs to the Children,” and “Community Relations and Conflict Resolution.”

Individual Bahá’ís held numerous workshops in their professional capacities, and others were invited as speakers, panelists, and presenters at several dozen workshops, symposia, and other events held by organizations including UNESCO, Peace Child International, and GROOTS. Bahá’ís also participated in a number of Issue Caucuses, often introducing Bahá’í principles into their discussions and influencing the language of the Caucuses’ final [Page 142]declarations and statements. Bahá’í women were, as with almost all the other major UN conference processes of this decade, at the forefront of Bahá’í activities. And as with previous conferences, the Bahá’í participants became known for their ability to chair meetings in a manner that would foster a consultative, unifying spirit, resulting in greater cooperation and understanding. Attractive exhibitions, sponsored by the Bahá’í International Community, the National Spiritual Assembly of Turkey, the European Bahá’í Youth Council, and the European Bahá’í Business Forum, were visited by thousands. For those who wished to learn more about the Bahá’í Faith itself, evening meetings were held throughout the course of Habitat.

The World Business Forum

The World Business Forum, which was part of the overall activities associated with Habitat II, brought together over 320 leaders of corporations, networks, and NGOs to discuss the responsibilities and contributions of the private sector to the goals of Habitat II. The European Bahá’í Business Forum (EBBF) was a cosponsor and active participant in the World Business Forum, held from 29 May to 2 June in Istanbul. Fifteen members of the EBBF, which was recognized as one of the leading networks of progressive business leaders, attended, chairing or serving as panelists at a number of events.

The EBBF's intensive involvement in the Forum was a result of the organization's relationship with the World Business Forum's Chairman, Marcello Palazzi, who had met Bahá’ís at a number of previous conferences and was so impressed with the EBBF's aims that he became an honorary member. The Secretary-General of the EBBF participated in drafting the final document produced by the World Business Forum and was one of the six presenters of the conclusions of the Forum to the United Nations Habitat II Partnership Committee, composed of governmental delegates to the UN system; he also chaired the closing Plenary Session of the World Business Forum, on the theme "The Leaders' Panel-Governance, Leadership, and Participation."

Youth Activities

Youth for Habitat II, an informal coalition of youth and youth-serving organizations working at all levels on human settlement [Page 143]

HABITAT II

issues, served as the umbrella group for youth organizations and activities at the event; a Bahá’í youth was one of the coalition's founders. Other Bahá’í youth involvement, spearheaded by the youth of Turkey and supported by volunteers and the European Bahá’í Youth Council, resulted in Bahá’í youth acting as principal players in numerous activities, including workshops, consultations and the Youth Roundtable, the Youth Caucus, the Youth Cafe, and the drafting of the Youth Vision Statement, "Building Our Global Home."

The European Bahá’í Youth Council was officially accredited to the conference, and, as an international NGO, it was able to send five representatives, although most of the Bahá’í youth's efforts were focussed on the NGO Forum. The Council sponsored a well-attended workshop on "Youth and Global Citizenship" at the Forum, addressing such issues as global consciousness and unity and diversity from a Bahá’í perspective.

The Youth Caucus, which was considered by many to be the most active, energetic, and visible section of the NGO community participating in Habitat II, met daily and was open to all youth NGO representatives and individuals interested in youth issues.

The final text of the Youth Vision Statement, adopted by the entire Youth Caucus, incorporated many Bahá’í ideals and concepts and was presented at the opening plenary of the NGO Forum, where, as previously mentioned, it received the only standing ovation of the session.

The European Bahá’í Youth Council also played a leadership role in the International Youth Consultation on Habitat II, a smaller,

On Youth Day, these youth—some of them Bahá’ís carried this banner to the pavilion where they presented the youth vision statement in dramatic form and then gave the document to Habitat II Secretary-General Wally N'Dow. [Page 144]more formal event initiated by the World Assembly of Youth, with which the Council had previously collaborated in organizing the International Youth Consultation on Social Development at the World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen in March 1995. The event at Habitat II, held from 3 to 6 June, brought together some fifty representatives of international youth NGO’s and national youth councils.

Throughout all of the youth activities at Habitat II, the Bahá’í youth demonstrated their readiness to serve and facilitate for others, and to bring to the proceedings vision and a spirit of unity and cooperation.

Other Activities

Wisdom Keepers II, which met from 5 to 7 June as an official concurrent event of Habitat II, brought together spiritual leaders, indigenous peoples, scientists, youth, and activists "with decades of experience in grassroots organizing based on mobilizing human spirit." Convened to consider "the moral, ethical, and spiritual aspects of Habitat," the gathering addressed themes complementary to those of the main conference. A Turkish member of the Continental Board of Counsellors for Europe represented the Bahá’í Faith at the sessions.

Habitat II Secretary-General Wally N'Dow, left, with United Kingdom National Spiritual Assembly member Hugh Adamson at a reception in London, 20 May 1996.

Bahá’ís attended and contributed to other activities, including the Forum on Human Solidarity and the series of daylong "Dialogues," focusing on issues such as citizenship and democracy in the twenty-first century, communications and the media, health, finance, energy, transport, and employment.

Press coverage at both the NGO Forum and Habitat II was coordinated by the Bahá’í International Community’s Office of Public Information.

Prior to Habitat II, a dinner reception was organized in honor [Page 145]

HABITAT II

of the conference's Secretary-General, Wally N'Dow. Held at the National Bahá’í Center in London, England, on 20 May, the event was attended by some thirty dignitaries. A press conference facilitated by the Bahá’í community was held the following day.

The Lead-up Process

The Bahá’í International Community participated in the first Habitat conference, held in 1976 in Vancouver, Canada, at which a Bahá’í statement, Building a Unified Community, was issued. While the first Habitat conference was mostly technical in its focus, Habitat II was more "people-centered," like the other major UN conferences held recently, and had as a central theme the promotion of equality between women and men in human settlements. It concentrated on social and economic issues.

The Bahá’í community was involved at the local, national, and international levels in the lead-up process to Habitat II. Throughout the year prior to the conference, the National Spiritual Assembly of Turkey worked closely with the Bahá’í International Community's United Nations and Public Information Offices with a shared vision and common goals. Several national Bahá’í communities also participated in their national and local Habitat consultations, which involved government agencies, NGOs, and NGO networks and coalitions, and they worked at drafting national statements and reports.

The Bahá’í International Community offices sent representatives to the three UN PrepCom sessions, the third of which was also attended by several National Spiritual Assemblies and Bahá’í agencies. There, the Bahá’í International Community offices presented to NGOs and governments a paper entitled Recommended Changes to the Draft Habitat Agenda. In several instances, text supplied by the Bahá’í International Community's offices was debated among NGOs and government representatives, and, in several places, Bahá’í recommendations (phrases) were incorporated into the final Habitat Agenda through contributions made at this PrepCom and at the conference itself.

Important Themes

During the course of Habitat II, the NGO Forum, and related activities in Istanbul, several important themes and ideas arose: [Page 146]recognition that spiritual values must be at the heart of and must drive the community-building process; that prosperity for communities and nations will not come by withdrawing from the world community but by becoming actively engaged in it; that interdependence is a reality; and that the rights and responsibilities of citizenship must be extended to all of the earth's inhabitants.

Many calls were heard for conferences, gatherings, and other initiatives around the year 2000 to chart a new direction for humanity towards an age of peace, justice, and prosperity. There was much discussion about the nature of NGOs—who they represent, their accountability and transparency, and whether they are democratic. NGOs consulted about the next step in civil society's participation in the UN system, whether taken through a UN Assembly of civil society representatives or the establishment of something more far-reaching and more representative of the peoples of the world.

In all of these themes, ideas, and discussions, the Bahá’ís saw reflected Bahá’u’lláh’s assertion that "consorting with people hath promoted and will continue to promote unity and concord, which in turn are conducive to the maintenance of order in the world and to the regeneration of nations" and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s promise that "when the pure intentions and the justice of the ruler, the wisdom and consummate skill and statecraft of the governing authorities, and the determination and unstinted efforts of the people, are all combined; then day by day the effects of the advancement, of the far-reaching reforms, of the pride and prosperity of government and people alike, will become clearly manifest."