Community: A Baha'i Blueprint Part 1/4

As an intern at the BIC, opportunities often come about to undertake research and analysis projects. Increasingly there have been opportunities to study one particular area which pertains to the interests of the BIC UNO as well as the intern’s own focus of study.

During my time here at the BIC, I have attended many meetings, commissions and events, both at the UN and hosted by Civil Society. While the themes which have been dealt with have varied; social development, sustainable development, the advancement of women, indigenous rights etc, all have had a common thread through them which is very significant to the future of these issues in international discourse and that thread is the importance of the community. It is unequivocal and impossible to deny, that community building and development are essential to the eventual solution of the overwhelming number of issues faced by humanity today.

This led me to the project which I have recently completed; a research piece on the Baha’i perspective on community and its role in the development of society. Below I have summarized some of the main points which came about during my research.

Introduction

Community; as a theme, a concept, a vision, is something which pervades many aspects of our society. The term community in conventional societal idiom can relate to a number of situations in which a group of people share something in common. This means community can be applied to a wide range of groups, such as neighborhoods, religious organizations, social movements, or simply people who share the same or a similar lifestyle.

The realistic definition of what a community is however, has changed greatly in recent years. The levels of commonalities have decreased and people have become far less connected to one another. The community is no longer something which is nurtured or encouraged but rather is something which people shut themselves away from more than in the past.

Community is no longer necessarily perceived as a positive aspect of life but as something which hinders individual development and success. The individual’s pursuit of happiness has overtaken most wishes for collective gain and community as it was once known has morphed into something almost unrecognizable and nearly a burden of tradition in most people’s minds.

However the word community is gradually being used and explored once more in international discourse. It is being seen, tentatively, as something which could potentially aid mankind’s ills such as, poverty, hunger, environmental degradation, developmental issues, economic failures etc.  This has opened the door to expanding the discourse about community and put it back on the table as a more legitimate platform of discussion.

A Baha’i Community

With this in mind; the Baha’i view of the community; brings vibrancy and a renewal to the preconceived perceptions of what community means in the language used by decision makers. Community; within Baha’i parameters, is viewed as and can become a source of all three; economic, social and environmental development as well as a protection mechanism. Grassroots initiatives and a change in fundamental thought processes can bridge the gap between governing bodies and the citizens who they govern. The use of consultation as a mode of decision making and the fostering of community building activities; demonstrate the potential within the international community to once again build community ties at regional, national and international levels.

It is also crucial to note that within the Baha’i teachings, a community does not solely mean your parochial community but rather the entire world community. This view necessitates a reconceptualization of what a community is. The Baha’i  teachings instill within Baha’is an acceptance of mankind as one global community, every strand of which is interconnected; regardless of race, color, creed or gender. And every thread and inter-linkage of which is crucial to the collective, unified whole; which lives and breathes together as one organism.

“Unification of the whole of mankind is the hall-mark of the stage which human society is now approaching. Unity of family, of tribe, of city-state, and nation has 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; The World Order of Baha’u’llah; pg 102

Purpose of Community

Within the Baha’i framework, a community can be described as the following:

It is a comprehensive unit of civilization composed of individuals, families and institutions that are

originators and encouragers of systems, agencies and organizations working together with a common purpose for the welfare of people both within and beyond its borders; it is a composition of diverse, interacting participants that are achieving unity in an unremitting quest for spiritual and social progress.

On rereading this quote, it appeared to me that there was far more in it than it originally seemed. This led me to examine this quote into smaller segments which helped to increase my understanding of the statement as a whole.

The community:

• Is a comprehensive unit of civilization

-          (which is) composed of individuals, families and institutions

-          (who are) originators and encouragers of systems, agencies and organization

-          (and who are) working together with a common purpose

• For the welfare of people both within and beyond its borders

-          (with a) composition of diverse, interacting participants

-          (with the goal of) achieving unity in an unremitting quest for spiritual and social progress

This definition shows that the community is not the passive institution, which is often perceived today, it is much more than that. It is the catalyst of civilization, the building blocks of humanity, without which development will always be hindered. It also shows that it is without a doubt inclusive and by necessity must embrace unity between all mankind.

continued in part 2