A Baha'i View of Consultation

This is only the fourth week of my internship here at the BIC, and my experience so far has already been wonderful. I am a 20 year-old student at Columbia College, Columbia University, studying East Asian Languages and Cultures. Already living in New York City, I thought I wouldn’t have a better occasion to apply as an intern to this wonderful NGO. What made me so excited to come to the BIC was the chance to see first-hand how Bahá'í ideals and perspectives are contributed to the wider dialogue at the UN. It really is amazing to have the opportunity to witness the practicality of the Bahá'í  teachings at an international level. Also having the opportunity to do my part to help with the work already being done is just icing on the cake. My tasks so far have allowed me to see how the BIC applies some of the principles of the Bahá'í  Faith to the world’s current problems. These principles, which include—among others—the oneness of mankind, the equality of men and women, and the elimination of all prejudice, are extremely relevant to issues the UN grapples with. I must say, the work is immensely gratifying, and I can’t help but be excited to be here.

At the moment, the BIC is working on a document that describes the role of consultation in facilitating participation. Consultation, from a Bahá'í standpoint, is integral to solving any kind of problem; it is a process that implicitly requires a number of people who will bring their understanding to a situation. The matter is then to be discussed with a “purity of motive” that can stem from being mindful that the purpose of consultation is to arrive at the truth. In this way, everyone has the same intentions. No one looks to promote personal interests, as all ideas become a collective resource. There are no hidden agendas that anyone seeks to push; the one unified agenda is to find the truth.

With this in mind, I was asked to help do some research on approaches to participation by looking at both Bahá'í -related content and papers from the UN and other large organizations. What manifested itself so quickly was how complementary the two are. It seems that the world is working toward what it called ‘participatory decision-making’, whereby a number of people, including those most affected by the upcoming change or decision, gather to deliberate on an issue of common concern and to decide on the best course of action. Such inclusive dialogue is, as mentioned, central to the Baha’i view of consultation. Abdu’l-Baha, the son of the Founder of the Bahá'í  Faith, wrote “the views of several individuals are assuredly preferable to one man", and that “the shining spark of truth cometh forth only after the clash of differing opinions” . The way the Bahá'í  Writings relate directly to contemporary problems is very exciting to me. It allows for a smooth integration of moral and spiritual perspectives into present-day issues.

I’ve also been helping put together the 2009 Year in Review for the BIC—a report that documents the work being done by this Office over the past year. The BIC is involved in so many different councils, commissions, and committees; its presence and participation extend to many different facets of the UN and NGO community. Being an intern the BIC is such an amazing experience and opportunity; it’s definitely not worth missing.