The Five Year Plan 2011-2016 (Summary)/Participating in the Discourses of Society

The Five Year Plan 2011-2016 (Summary) by Bahá’í World Centre

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[Page 106]

Participating in the Discourses of Society

Individuals and groups from around the world participating in prevalent discourses at various levels. [Page 107] The period from 2011 to 2016 witnessed significant developments in the Bahá’í community’s participation in the prevalent discourses of society. This area of activity came to form the centrepiece of the work of external affairs on national and international stages, opening a range of new opportunities for the Bahá’í community to collaborate with others towards the progress of those discourses concerned with the betterment of society.

In its Riḍván 2008 message, the Universal House of Justice observed that the Bahá’í community would “be drawn further and further into the life of the society” and that it would “be challenged to extend the process of systematic learning ... to encompass a growing range of human endeavours”. Two years later it wrote: “At this crucial point in the unfoldment of the Plan ... it seems appropriate that the friends everywhere would reflect on the nature of the contributions which their growing, vibrant communities will make to the material and spiritual progress of society. In this regard, it will prove fruitful to think in terms of two interconnected, mutually reinforcing areas of activity: involvement in social action and participation in the prevalent discourses of society.”⁵⁸ Since that time, the guidance of the House of Justice has gradually opened the way for the Bahá’í community to see the coherence between its own growth and evolution and its involvement in the life of the wider society.

The capacity of the Bahá’í community to participate effectively in prevalent discourses strengthened markedly during the Five Year Plan. The House of Justice noted in its Riḍván 2013 message that “an especially notable feature of the last twelve months has been the frequency with which the Bahá’í community is being identified, in a wide variety of contexts, with efforts to bring about the betterment of society in collaboration with like-minded people.” It went on to explain that “from the international arena to the grassroots of village life, leaders of thought in all kinds of settings have expressed their awareness that not only do Bahá’ís have the welfare of humanity at heart, but they possess a cogent conception of what needs to be accomplished and effective means for realizing their aspirations.”

Efforts to contribute to discourses occurred at many levels of society. Individual Bahá’ís, for instance, continued to offer relevant insights from the Teachings in the course of the practice of their professions and in the diverse social settings in which they were naturally present. Those engaged in community-building activities in neighbourhoods and villages found themselves drawn into discussions of issues relevant to the lives of their fellow inhabitants. Furthermore, some Bahá’í-inspired agencies participated in discourses relevant to their fields, at times bringing them into contact with civil society organizations and government institutions. This overview, however, concerns itself with the Bahá’í community’s efforts at the national and international levels, which are pursued respectively by National Spiritual Assemblies’ Offices of External Affairs and the Bahá’í International Community (BIC).

During the past five years, the House of Justice encouraged National Assemblies to view external affairs endeavours as a way to contribute to critical discourses in society. At the national level, a number of external affairs offices energetically pursued their work with this heightened consciousness, and new experience started to accumulate. In 2013, the House of Justice announced the establishment of the Office of Public Discourse at the Bahá’í World Centre, [Page 108]

The Bahá’í World News Service

Since the early twentieth century, a number of Bahá’í publications have provided news at the national and international levels, Star of the West, Bahá’í News, The Bahá’í World, and the Bahá’í International News Service being notable examples.

The Bahá’í World News Service was established in 2000 as an official, online source of newsworthy developments in the international Bahá’í community.

Over the past several years, the News Service has covered a number of themes aligned with discourses in which national and international external affairs agencies, as well as Bahá’í-inspired organizations and academic chairs, have been participating.

Themes explored in news stories include: the role of religion in society, the role of youth in society, migration and integration, the environment, development, gender equality, governance, processes leading towards peace, and Houses of Worship. In addition, the Bahá’í World News Service published stories related to the arts, media, and culture; the persecution of Bahá’ís in Iran and other countries; and major developments in the Bahá’í community.

Spanish publication explores dimensions of governance

MADRID—The Trst of a series of conferences on governance, inated by the Bahá’í community of Spain, has led to a new publication entitled La gobemanza y sus enfoques (Approaches to givemance) The book, which contains the...

In rural Colombia, seeds of transformation take root

AGUA AZUL Colombia—In Norte del Cauca, the land is olanketed by sugar cane plantations They run for miles, under the watchful gaze of the Andes monoculture Seids villages and small tums dot the terrain in recent decades these trade Semangkish greency of the remen have been metaan hy vast wids of sin cane.

Migration and role of religion discussed at major European gathering

8 October 2015

WARSAW, Poland—The Brussels Office of the Bahá’í International Community (BIC) recently participated in Europe's largest annual human rights and democracy conference—the Human Dimension Implementation Meeting (HDIM).

The Five Year Plan 2011–2016: Summary of Achievements and Learning

[Page 109] charged with assisting national communities to build capacity for the external affairs work and systematizing the growing body of experience in this area.

In addition to participation in the discourses of society, several interrelated areas of action constituting the work of external affairs came into sharper focus and were refined in recent years. These include relationships with civil society and government, such as the specialized work of defence of the Bahá’í community from persecution, relations with the media, and strengthening the official Bahá’í presence on the Web. A new framework governing external affairs activities gradually crystallized and was articulated in a document dated 20 October 2014. Referring to that document, the House of Justice wrote in its Ridván 2015 message: "External affairs work at the national level has gained markedly in effectiveness and become increasingly systematic, further stimulated by the release of a document, sent to National Spiritual Assemblies six months ago, which draws on the considerable experience generated over the last two decades and provides an expanded framework for developing these endeavours in the future."

In that same Ridván message, the House of Justice announced the establishment of two new Offices of the Bahá’í International Community, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and Jakarta, Indonesia. It wrote that this major development served to broaden "the opportunities for the perspectives of the Cause to be offered at the international level in Africa and Southeast Asia".

Participation in Discourses at the National and International Levels

As participation of the Bahá’í community in the prevalent discourses of society came to form the principal work of external affairs, a global process of systematic learning was set in motion that was further enhanced with the establishment of the Office of Public Discourse. Throughout the history of the Cause, individual Bahá’ís as well as the institutions and agencies of the Faith had participated in discourses, at times having a palpable effect. Yet in many respects, recent efforts reflected new patterns of thought and action that had emerged out of the Bahá’í community's endeavours in the current series of global Plans.

While the steps taken to advance participation in discourses were for the most part nascent and modest in the past five years, initial stirrings were non theless promising. Offices of the Bahá’í International Community and national external affairs agencies increasingly operated in a methodical and systematic fashion. A mode of learning came to characterize the efforts of more and more Offices, informed by an appreciation of the organic nature of the work. Attention was given to the ability of national communities to understand and analyse the forces and processes shaping their societies. This capacity proved especially important in the context of a rapidly shifting social, political, and economic landscape. Some Offices began to familiarize themselves with the arenas in which public opinion and policy are shaped as well as with the various actors influencing the evolution of thought. Furthermore, Offices refined their ability to introduce the Faith in a wide range of settings and describe the community and its activities in an accessible manner and with ever greater clarity. While the [Page 110]

Rising Together: Building the Capacity to Recover from Within

A statement by the Bahá’í International Community, titled "Rising Together: Building the Capacity to Recover from Within", was published for the United Nations' first World Humanitarian Summit held on 23 and 24 May 2016 in Istanbul, Turkey. This publication represented a substantial development in the Bahá’í community's efforts to offer contributions that articulate the growing insights from decades of work in its distinctive community-building activities unfolding around the world.

The document highlights how Bahá’í endeavours at the grassroots aimed at raising capacity within populations to take charge of their own development have endowed communities with greater resilience in the face of natural disasters. This rising capacity has allowed them to recover from crises and continue to contribute to the collective progress of their people.

The statement introduced relevant Bahá’í principles, drew on various national communities' experiences recovering from natural disasters among which were Haiti, India, Myanmar, Nepal, the Philippines, and Togo- and integrated specialized knowledge of Bahá’ís involved in international relief work. It highlighted lessons learned and key capacities that can enhance a community's resilience in times of natural disaster, which include:

A local coffee farmer in Tanna, Vanuatu, in a newly established nursery after Cyclone Pam destroyed most of the coffee farms on the island.

• Bahá’í communities around the globe are seeing growing numbers of people taking charge of their own spiritual, social, and material development, building new patterns of collective life, and viewing themselves as protagonists in the development of society.

RISING TOGETHER: Building the Capacity to Recover from Within A Statens of the Bahá’í Con

And when natural disasters strike, communities such as these are more capable of taking meaningful and effective steps to respond and recover. Indeed, experience has shown that people can exhibit remarkable resilience, selflessness, resourcefulness, and creativity in such times. Taking steps in this direction requires the development of capacities in a range of [Page 111]

Participating in the Discourses of Society

areas. Some will pertain primarily to intellectual, technical, and scientific pursuits. Others will be more social in nature, focused on strengthening and refining patterns of interaction, association, and relationship among inhabitants. Still others will focus on the moral and normative aspects of collective life, drawing on the religious heritage of humankind to address foundational issues of meaning, higher motivation, and moral purpose. Due attention must be given to the development of all these capacities, if progress is to continue apace and pitfalls such as narrow materialism, social fragmentation, selfishness, and passivity are to be avoided.

Although the above efforts are not focused on response or recovery per se, the abilities they strengthen and patterns of behaviour they foster have a profound impact in times of natural disaster. The capacity to organize large numbers into coordinated action provides one clear example. As community-building efforts grow to the point where hundreds of inhabitants are supporting the participation of thousands of their fellow residents, increasingly sophisticated systems of support and communication emerge to manage the growing complexity. Such structures greatly enhance a community’s ability to undertake large-scale response and reconstruction efforts. Organizational skills such as the ability to maintain basic statistics, to plan based on resources, and to operate in a mode of learning—characterized by regular and ongoing reflection on efforts undertaken, results seen, and adjustments needed—similarly allow efforts to expand as needed in scale and scope. And experience collaborating with institutions of government—which arises naturally as community-building efforts exert growing influence in an area—can be invaluable in deploying external resources efficiently and effectively.

Around the world, individuals are also working to strengthen the devotional character of their communities. Reaching out to neighbours of all backgrounds, they are creating, in the intimate setting of the home, spaces for shared worship, exploration of the deeper meaning of life, and purposeful discussion of issues of common concern. Such explicitly spiritual objectives might seem tangential to traditional humanitarian concerns. Yet in times of natural disaster, people the world over grapple with existential questions at the most fundamental levels. And communities where people worship together in a variety of settings, make a habit of visiting one another in their homes, and regularly engage in conversations of significance are far better equipped to remain hopeful, to see meaning, and to persevere and recover when disasters occur. In short, communities in which social ties are strong and spiritual roots run deep are more resilient in the face of disaster.

A growing body of experience demonstrates that the qualities and capacities that make a community resilient in times of disaster also make it strong and vibrant in times of calm. This is critically important to the international community, as it seeks to “transcend the humanitarian-development divide” and “set aside such artificial institutional labels as ‘development’ or ‘humanitarian’”. 59 Being of tangible service to others, working in collaboration towards worthy ends, exercising personal abilities in pursuit of the common good—factors such as these are intrinsic sources of human upliftment and satisfaction. [Page 112]

The Five Year Plan 2011-2016: Summary of Achievements and Learning

Bahá’í International Community Office at the United Nations and some national communities had been participating in discourses for decades, other Bahá’í International Community Offices and national external affairs agencies also found themselves ready to engage in one or more discourses.

The guidance of the Universal House of Justice and the accumulating experience at the national and international levels enhanced the understanding of those involved about the nature and purpose of participation in discourses. It became clear that these efforts should not be regarded as opportunities to teach the Faith nor as public relations or academic exercises. Another lesson was to avoid transient issues and discussions that are so polarized and divisive as to preclude the possibility of consensus. Instead, emphasis was placed on seeking out those broad themes which have a profound bearing on human well-being. Energies were directed towards engaging in genuine conversations in a widening range of social arenas and working shoulder to shoulder with like-minded organizations and individuals. Where possible, the friends sought to stimulate consultative processes and to draw out underlying principles around which agreement and mutual understanding could be built. Especially promising were initiatives by the Bahá’í community to create new social spaces characterized by substantive conversations and a cooperative, collaborative spirit.

The Office of Public Discourse closely followed some thirty national communities as they systematically engaged in the discourses of their societies. These efforts often began with external affairs offices surveying the landscape of their respective countries and learning to enter the various forums on the national stage where important issues were being discussed. Simultaneously, attention was given to nurturing relationships with a range of social actors, from civil servants to representatives of non-governmental and faith-based organizations. Over the course of several years, a body of knowledge began to accrue across the Bahá’í world about a number of critical themes: migration and integration in Germany, religious co-existence in Tunisia, peace and justice in societies in transition in Colombia, the environment and climate change in the United States, governance in Spain, the equality of women and men in Australia and Kazakhstan, the role of religion in the public sphere in Canada, social and economic development in Brazil, and youth in Malaysia, among many others. As efforts advanced, the Bahá’í World News Service proved a valuable instrument for sharing developments with the world and capturing some of the emerging contributions of the Bahá’í community to contemporary thought.

At the international level, the Bahá’í International Community witnessed significant strides in its efforts to contribute to discourses within the UN system and forums associated with the African Union, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the European Union, the Council of Europe, and other supranational groupings. The Bahá’í International Community participated in a wide range of important discourses, among which were the equality of women and men, peace and security, migration, humanitarian relief, the role of religion in society, development, and global citizenship education. Notably, its contributions were both at the level of ideas and in terms of process. With respect to the latter, the Bahá’í International Community, through the various meetings and seminars it convened and facilitated, was able to consolidate its reputation as an organization that creates environments and promotes attitudes. [Page 113]

The Institute for Studies in Global Prosperity

Students from Kazakhstan (left) and Azerbaijan (right) at university seminars offered by the Institute for Studies in Global Prosperity.

Seminars for Undergraduate Students, Graduate Students, and Young Professionals

The seminars for undergraduate students offered by the Institute for Studies in Global Prosperity aim to prepare and accompany young Bahá’ís to assume ownership of their education and acquire the kind of knowledge that will help them live fruitful and productive lives of service.

During the period in review, the annual number of seminars rose from 21 in 2011 to 39 in 2016, serving youth from more than 60 countries. Over 4,000 young adults have participated in at least the first year of the seminars, where they have had an opportunity to review together the efforts being undertaken by the Bahá’í community, explore the fundamental concepts and principles that sustain its work, and reflect on ways to raise their own capacity to contribute to the advancement of civilization.

The seminar for university graduates and young professionals, first offered in North America in 2008, has been extended over the past five years to Australasia, Europe, Latin America, and South and Southeast Asia. To date, over 700 individuals have taken part. The seminar allows for a profound exploration of the Bahá’í community's approach to participating in the discourses of society and of the core concepts that inform its efforts to make a constructive contribution in a range of areas.

Areas of Inquiry

Parallel to its efforts to build capacity in younger generations to participate effectively in the discourses of society, and as a continuation of its earlier work to explore how to contribute to contemporary discourses, in 2013 the Institute for Studies in Global Prosperity initiated a line of action conceived of as 'areas of inquiry'. Through this initiative, the Institute aims to develop capacity to describe and examine in the light of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation-social phenomena that are pressing and crucial to the life of humanity.

It has been working with small groups of collaborators over the past several years to begin to analyse the evolution of thought around themes relevant to the global movement of populations and peace and justice in societies in transition. In areas where the work has advanced, the Institute has sought to collaborate with like-minded individuals and institutions in the exploration of themes such as the role of religion in migration. [Page 114] and approaches that are conducive to constructive dialogue.

The endeavours of the Institute for Studies in Global Prosperity resulted in still other noteworthy advancements. The Institute is dedicated to learning about enhancing the capacity of individuals and groups to contribute to discourses in society concerned with the betterment of humanity. It offers undergraduate and graduate seminars in a growing number of countries around the world and seeks to learn about methods, approaches, and instruments which can best be employed to contribute to a range of contemporary discourses.

The seminars of the Institute for Studies in Global Prosperity had a notable impact on the young people who participated in them. The rise in understanding about the profound aims of the Faith among these youth and young adults found expression in their commitment to the community-building activities unfolding at the grassroots as well as efforts to participate in the discourses they encountered in various settings.

A BIC representative at a panel on community resilience in the face of climate-driven extreme events.

Strengthening the Official Bahá’í Presence on the Web

From the launch of a number of international websites to the efflorescence across the globe of national websites, the Bahá’í community witnessed a leap forward in its capacity to articulate its identity, aims, and purpose to the public. Perhaps even more significant than the launching of new official websites, however, was the advance in understanding that they reflected.

At the international level, the development of a new version of the Bahai.org website provided the world with a greatly expanded authoritative presentation of the Faith in English. The website strives to convey the breadth and vision of the Cause, its nature and aims, and the growing range of endeavours of the Bahá’í community across the planet, allowing for a profound exploration of Bahá’í concepts.

Subsequently, the new site was made available in several other major languages covering a substantial portion of the world's population, namely Arabic, Chinese, French, Persian, Russian, and Spanish, and work also began on Hindi and Portuguese translations.

A significantly revised presentation of the Bahá’í Reference Library—the authoritative online source of Bahá’í writings was launched, including a new section containing messages of the Universal House of Justice. Further, the website universalhouseofjustice.bahai.org was launched in 2014 as the official source of information regarding the House of Justice for the public. With the establishment of the additional Offices in Ethiopia and Indonesia, the Bahá’í International Community also released a new website that captures the scope of its presence on the international and continental stages as well as the range of its contributions to some of the most critical themes with which humanity is grappling. [Page 115] Developments at the international level were complemented by efforts by many national communities to strengthen their official presence on the Web, resulting in over 40 new national websites. At the heart of these efforts was a desire to establish an online presence coherent with the broad endeavours unfolding in the Bahá’í world. The increasing number of sites, drawing on and complementing Bahai.org, allowed for the united, purposeful, and diverse nature of Bahá’í communities around the world to be reflected through the medium of the Web. In some areas of the world, such as the Arab region, the establishment of national websites marked the first public presentation of the Cause.

The development of national websites came to be regarded as an ongoing endeavour and an important step in the Bahá’í community’s evolving conversation with its fellow citizens about the betterment of the world. These efforts also strengthened the capacity in national communities to undertake the work of external affairs by enhancing the ability to read society and explain to the general public, in accessible and dignified language, relevant concepts from the Teachings. [Page 116]

Relationships with Civil Society, Government, and the Media

A fundamental principle of the Faith is for Bahá’ís to "obey and be the well-wishers of the governments of the land".60 Building relationships with governments and with prominent groups and individuals in society has been an important area of action to which the Head of the Faith has historically given particular attention. This work has also allowed for the light of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation to be cast into those settings where decisions about the well-being of whole populations are made. It has furthermore enabled the Bahá’í community to familiarize authorities at different levels with the nature and purpose of the Cause, dispel possible misperceptions and, when circumstances have demanded it, to defend the community from persecution.

The past five years witnessed a continuation of efforts to establish and strengthen relationships with civil society and government. Such exertions in diverse settings contributed to and benefited from the growing experience with participation in the discourses of society. An increasing number of external affairs agencies, therefore, began to cultivate relationships not only to make known the identity and noble aims of the Faith but also to better position the community to lend impetus to the constructive processes unfolding in their societies. The relationships that were forged through collaborative endeavours also assisted Bahá’í communities to gain a richer and more accurate reading of their respective societies, learning from those with whom they interacted and engaging in dialogue with them.

The continuing persecution of the Bahá’ís in Iran where state-sponsored, systematic repression aimed at eradicating the Bahá’í community as a viable entity in that country has persisted as an official policy of the government for nearly four decades called for systematic action in their defence principally on the part of the Bahá’í International Community and external affairs agencies of selected National Assemblies. This work was focused on bringing their ongoing plight, in its manifold dimensions, to the attention of the international community, national governments, a broad range of organizations of civil society, and the media. In the course of the period under review, despite the sustained and at times intensified persecution of the Bahá’í community, a remarkable shift became discernible in the attitudes and understanding of a number of prominent Iranian figures, including intellectuals, journalists, activists, filmmakers, artists, and even a few clerics. Increasing numbers came to appreciate that the situation of the Bahá’ís in Iran represents a litmus test of the condition of that society and its ability to safeguard the rights of every citizen. Some among these [Page 117] individuals produced documentary films, made public statements, wrote articles, or created works of art in support of the Bahá’ís in their country and in solidarity with their extraordinary courage.

With respect to interactions with journalists and the media, the activities of the Faith continued to have widespread coverage on a range of themes, such as celebrations, the construction of Houses of Worship, and the persecution of the Bahá’í community in Iran. Noteworthy was the process of learning set in motion in some national communities to identify sections of the media which share a common concern for the well-being of humanity. In Tunisia, for example, representatives of the Bahá’í community participated, on more than one occasion, in a major national television programme on the future of Tunisian society. Indeed, a number of Offices of External Affairs, such as in Germany and the United Kingdom, began to gain insights about cultivating relations with journalists and others in the media landscape through an ongoing exploration of themes of mutual interest. Especially promising were initial efforts to explore with some journalists how communications media can contribute to the enrichment of human understanding and the betterment of society.

EM TV "this is what my people need. Something to unite them"

Participating in the Discourses of Society

In its 2 March 2013 letter to the Bahá’ís of Iran, the Universal House of Justice wrote that “Bahá’ís do not believe the transformation ... envisioned will come about exclusively through their own efforts.” It went on to state that “every nation and every group—indeed, every individual—will, to a greater or lesser degree, contribute to the emergence of the world civilization towards which humanity is irresistibly moving.” Conscious of this reality, the Bahá’í International Community and National Assemblies’ Offices of External Affairs conceptualized their work principally in terms of participation in the prevalent discourses of society to lend impetus to constructive processes in the world and the movement towards peace.

From this viewpoint, the period between 2011 and 2016 was marked by substantial developments in the external affairs work: a framework for external affairs endeavours was crystallized, new organizational arrangements emerged, and a rich body of experience continued to accrue. The capacity developed as a result better equips the Bahá’í community for the increasing complexity and growing challenges that confront humanity in the years ahead.

A national television channel in Papua New Guinea airing a special episode on the Bahá’í Faith, its arrival to the country, and the persecution of Bahá’ís in Iran.

A representative of the Tunisian Bahá’í community on a panel discussing the future of the country in a national television show.