The right to development is an essential recognition of an age-old attempt to fulfill the uniqueness in man. It is a formal realization of the fact that if mankind is to abide by the conventions that guarantee a safe existence it must be given the opportunity to develop within itself the characteristics that will ensure the upholding of these commitments. Man must be allowed to foster the part of him that transcends race, religion, language and gender, and so to focus on his essence. It is, thus, a call to the spiritual.

In this sense, the Convention on the Right to Development represents a much-needed attempt to restore to large sections of the world's population the dignity that is their birthright. We should recall to mind the sentiments espoused by the Convention on the Rights of the Child that the right-to development should not be granted at a price, that a child must have the right to grow and develop "in conditions of freedom and dignity." In light of this, the Baha'i International Community fully concurs with the conclusions presented in the Report of the "Global Consultation on the Realization of the Right to Development" (E/CN.4/1990/9) and commends the excellent work it has done.

For those in a position to effect such a recognition of the freedoms and rights of oppressed minorities and maltreated citizens, the challenge is largely to raise the consciousness of the equality of all mankind to the level of principle. It is to ensure that the standard of human rights, including as an essential prerequisite the right to development, will not suffer at the hands of compromise and self-interest. It is not sufficient merely to accept the contraction of the world into an interdependent entity; it should be our foremost consideration, when dealing with the issues raised by the right to development, to commit ourselves to the fundamental belief that humanity must be united in its consciousness of a global society and to remain steadfast in this belief.

If this belief is to be the lodestone of our thinking, then we must, of course, consider the right to development as a freedom that is as much a gift to future generations as it is a cause in ours. If this eternal sense of human rights is to remain free from the manipulation of expediency and parochial attitudes, it must assume an origin beyond and above political or economic ideologies. For Baha'is, the right to development is a spiritual bounty and, in this sense, is not a man-made convention that has arisen from circumstance.

With this backbone of belief, we may call to mind a few of the problems that beset human progress and, thus, the cause of development. Let us consider one such shameful state of affairs: the role of women. It is something of an axiom to say that the emancipation of women is vital to the full realization of the universal right to development. As one Baha'i text puts it:

"The denial of such equality perpetrates an injustice against one half of the world's population and promotes in men harmful attitudes and habits that are carried from the family to the workplace, to political life, and ultimately to international relations."

In developing countries, but, of course, not in these countries alone, women remain the beasts of burden. It is they who must bear the children, grow the food, care for the home, travel to the market, obtain the fuel, carry the water, and then serve their men. This hugely unjust expectation of the female population also denies them the right of participating at the decision-making level and so in promoting actively the cause of human rights in their locality, for they have neither the time nor the energy. What we must attempt is a conversion of this source of inequality into a spring of positive energy. One way of approaching this is to recognize the rootedness of women in the basic survival processes of society and to channel such experience into the development of rural, and urban, societies. This implies female participation at all levels of development, whether it be in the home, at work, in administration, or in leisure. Moreover, if the benefits of such knowledge are to be most effectively diffused throughout society, then the appropriate authorities would do well to consider giving first priority to the education of women and girls, not just as a priority over the education of men, but as a priority among the general concerns of their domestic policy.

The field of education itself should give reason to pause for thought. The ideal to which we must aspire is surely a level of universal education -- as advocated in Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights -- for, as one Baha'i text puts it:

"... ignorance is indisputably the principal reason for the decline and fall of peoples and the perpetuation of prejudice."

Indeed, childhood represents a period of man's greatest malleability, a time when values can be discovered and instilled. And it is thus towards education that resources must be directed. It is often in education that the diseases of racism, of unbridled nationalism, of unjustifiable sexual inequality find their parent and their legitimacy. Thus, we must urge any country that will be the recipient of international aid derived from arms reductions to channel this resource into a proper elementary and secondary system of education.

Its working curriculum must surely involve at every level the consciousness of a global civilization. Only then is a child enlightened on the duty that is his as part of the world's population. As the Convention on the Rights of the Child concludes: "... his energy and talents should be devoted to the service of his fellow men." Knowledge is not enough. Deeds must articulate our belief in development, otherwise this culture of human rights, so often referred to, will remain a mere symbol of our age and not present itself as a process of change. But knowledge has its place. Indeed, it is equally important that children be made aware that they possess a right to development. Only through such self-knowledge may a child be guided to the path of self-development and aspire to the nobility that is the distinction of his race.

It is a good thing that many schools do provide the study of the contemporary world, including the various cultures, religions, and racial backgrounds that populate the earth. However, this may only feed the mind, when it is the human spirit that must be fulfilled. Our attachment to the world beyond our country's borders should not be an academic one, but should reveal to us the common bounty we share as the inheritors of a global civilization. Geography must no longer be the study of division but of diversity. History should be witnessed as the heritage of humanity and not the legacy of heroes. It is, very simply, a question of attitude. With this in mind can we offer our children the freedom to investigate the world and, more importantly perhaps, encourage the will to do so. Let us hope that this will to investigate might forge the will to action in service to humanity.

An integral part of the development process, as recognized by the Convention on the Right to Development, is for the human being to be at the center of this process. This being our standard, we should make efforts to emphasize the attributes of the human being rather than the attributes of the office held within the decision-making agencies. This is vital to the creation of a culture of compassion and consultation, of developing the immanent human capacities needed for the respectful exchange of ideas. This is what Baha'is regard as the new culture of human rights. Indeed, that what is meant by man being the center of development is the development of the center of what makes man: that is, his virtues. In this process, full and impartial consultation is a system of discussion that engenders feelings of the unity of human association through the very act of participation and so is vital at all levels of decision-making.

Thus, development means developing together. In fact it implies that development cannot be anything other than a reciprocal responsibility: that to allow development in the world around us we must first develop the world within us, but by the same token, development implies harnessing the best in the self by harnessing the best in others. This is not the simple call of ethics, but the lasting proof of the essential oneness of humankind.

The Baha'i International Community commends the activities of the United Nations during the period 1985-1989 with respect to the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Second Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination, and expresses its earnest support for the activities planned for the biennium 1990-1991. It notes in particular the outstanding study on the achievements made and obstacles encountered during the Decades to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (E/CN.4/Sub.2/1989/8 and Add.1 and 2) submitted by the Special Rapporteur of the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, Mr. Asbjorn Eide.

Racism is a pernicious and persistent evil. It represents a major blight on human progress. The Baha'i International Community believes that this invidious practice can be effectively countered only through an unshakable and universal consciousness of the fundamental oneness of humankind, implemented by appropriate and universally upheld legal measures. Accordingly, it offers the following observations to the Commission with respect to practical measures which can further the objectives of the Programme of Action.

First, it addresses the issue of fostering a universal consciousness of the oneness of the human race. In the Baha'i view, the oneness of humankind represents an organic interdependence within a corporeal social entity. This implies that the welfare of the constituent components of this body is inextricably interwoven with that of the whole. Moreover, the essential oneness of the human race is not restricted to the physical dimension; it extends to the social and spiritual aspects of human life. Through the nurturing and unfolding of man's transcendental potential, cultural diversity can begin to be viewed as the expression of this universal and basic truth. Only then can perceived racial barriers be overcome. In this regard, education is of paramount importance.

The Special Rapporteur states that the theories of racial superiority predicated on biological grounds have been "utterly discredited,"for "they fly in the face of scientific evidence" (E/CN.4/Sub.2/1989/8 and Add.1 and 2, para. 437). However, he acknowledges that, despitethe significant contribution of biologists to the elimination of "the fallacious mythology of racial superiority,"social scientists should be encouraged "to explore the hidden and subconscious elements of racism and ways in which it manifests itself" (ibid., para. 445, recommendation 5). The battle against pseudo-scientific racism having been largely won, emphasis on this element of racism is now imperative if greater recognition of the social and spiritual dimensions of humanity's fundamental unity is to occur. The Baha'i International Community fully concurs with the recommendation of the report that this task be undertaken by UNESCO in co-operation with the Centre for Human Rights and that attempts to introduce these insights into the world's education system at all levels be intensified (ibid.). Moreover, efforts should be made to expedite the preparation by UNESCO of teaching materials and aids for the promotion of human rights education, with particular emphasis on the primary and secondary levels of education.

In addition to such measures, a more far-reaching effort may be necessary in order to provide the proper pedagogical tools for combating racism. The Baha'i International Community therefore recommends, as indeed it has in the past, the development and implementation in individual countries of a universal, yet culturally adaptable, curriculum for teaching the organic oneness of humankind. Once again, UNESCO may be the appropriate agency to facilitate the development of such a curriculum. In this connection, the Baha'i International Community welcomes the decision of the General Assembly to convene, during the biennium 1992-1993, a round table of experts to discuss the preparation of teaching materials to combat racism and racial discrimination.

With respect to the adoption of appropriate legal measures aimed at the elimination of racism and racial discrimination, the Baha'i International Community commends the many significant activities of the United Nations and its agencies in the past year. In particular, the new ILO Convention 169 on Tribal and Indigenous Peoples in Independent Countries, the efforts of the working group of the Sub-Commission in the preparation of the declaration of the rights of indigenous peoples and the convention on migrant workers and their families, now under negotiation, have all contributed to filling lacunae in international law with respect to the foregoing social groups. In this respect, as suggested in the report, an examination by the United Nations of the legal problems confronting minorities would also contribute significantly in the resolution of this highly controversial issue. Other important legal activities include Mr. Eide's recommendation that "the Centre for Human Rights should accelerate its efforts to develop model laws for the prevention of racial discrimination" (ibid., recommendation 39). Such laws would provide States with voluntary standards with which national legislation could be harmonized.

Such a process at the national level, supplemented by a more widespread ratification of international instruments, most notably the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, would provide a comprehensive legal regime for combating racism and racial discrimination. It should also be noted that declarations in accordance with article 14 of the foregoing Convention, on communications from individuals and groups of individuals, would also serve to enhance significantly the development and efficacy of the international human rights instruments and engender greater international co-operation.

The Baha'i International Community has participated extensively in activities aimed at the eradication of racism and racial discrimination. It welcomed the proclamation of the Second Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination through, inter alia, the distribution of the text of the Programme of Action for the Second Decade to all its 148 national affiliates. In the intervening years, many of these communities have sponsored public meetings, conferences, summer schools, newspaper articles, radio programmes and exhibits in support of the objectives of the Second Decade. Moreover, drawing on the creative spirit of grassroots participation, Baha'is in a number of countries have established race unity committees, with multiracial membership, which have developed programmes to combat racial prejudice and to create bonds of mutual respect among peoples of different races in their local communities. These committees have attempted to assist Baha'is to free themselves of their own racial prejudices and, beyond that, to contribute to the elimination of racial prejudice in society at large through extensive collaboration with leaders in government, education and religion. Despite the inevitable obstacles encountered by the Baha'is in their ongoing process of eradicating racism from their communities, their experience has been a positive and unifying one.

The Baha'i International Community holds firmly that the constructive forces present at this stage in the social evolution of humankind are manifesting themselves with increasing intensity. It is its earnest hope that the international community will seize upon these forces and take advantage of the opportunities afforded by them: thus to realize, in the second half of the Second Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination, unprecedented victories in the face of new challenges.

UN Document #E/CN.4/1990/NGO/7

The Baha'i­ International Community regards the emancipation of women as one of the most important, though less acknowledged, prerequisites of world peace. Consequently, for over a century, Baha'i­ communities have been making a steady contribution in fostering the principle of equality. In addition, since 1970, when it gained consultative status with ECOSOC (United Nations Economic and Social Council), the Baha'i­ International Community has welcomed and consistently supported the efforts of the United Nations to improve the status of women throughout the world, participating fully in the activities of the UN Decade for Women, including representation at the world conferences as well as the regional preparatory meetings, such as those held by the Economic Commission for Africa.

Baha'i­s have also initiated a wide range of activities in Africa to enhance the status, involvement and responsibility of women in development. They choose development goals that advance the entire community. Consequently, Baha'i­ development efforts most often focus on education, primary health care and hygiene, and improving food production. All of these areas require the full participation of women. Since Baha'i­s consider education essential for human progress, Baha'i­ communities without schools often establish schools for children and literacy programs for adults, particularly women. At the end of 1987, there were 139 tutorial schools, 4 formal schools, and 25 preschools in Baha'i­ communities in Africa. The education of girls is given the highest priority. In Kenya, a set of illustrated books to educate mothers has been developed and translated into French and Swahili for widespread use on the continent. The Baha'i­ commitment to education often benefits the larger community. In Swaziland, the National Baha'i­ Child Education Committee developed a successful training program for Baha'i­ preschool teachers. The program was adapted for nationwide use, and it is now being offered by the government under the administration of the Baha'i­ committee.

Health education benefits everyone. Baha'i­s in Zambia, Chad, Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zaire, and Kenya have organized programs to train villagers to serve their communities as volunteer primary health educators, emphasizing child survival, growth and development, oral rehydration, immunization, diet, sanitation, water quality, and first aid. Most courses train 10 to 30 villagers at a time, with about a third being women. Most of the educators are recommended for the primary health training by the Baha'i­ council in each village. Often, the council appoints a health committee to assist the educator in her/his work. The Baha'i­ International Community is supporting these efforts by distributing to interested communities in Africa "Facts For Life,"the health education materials developed by WHO (World Health Organization), UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) and UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization).

Improving food production is a major concern of Baha'i­ communities in Africa. Women are urged in the Baha'i­ Writings to study "the industrial and agricultural sciences, seeking to assist mankind in that which is most needful." In many African nations, Baha'i­ women are taking the initiative to educate themselves and to work with other African women to improve their ability to provide for their families. Baha'i­ women of Zaire, including women of several Bayanda (Pygmy) tribes, have sponsored women's institutes for this purpose. In Cameroon, women are improving their skills at two regional women's centres. In Togo, regular conferences have brought women together for consultation on family, health and agricultural issues. In Kenya. at least 44 active local Baha'i­ women's groups and 6 regional women's committees have been involved in such projects as tree planting and water catchment.

Underlying all these activities in Africa are two main principles on which Baha'i­ social and economic development efforts rest, and from which Baha'i­ communities benefit directly: (a) Spiritual principles are the most beneficial and practical basis for community action, since a community's advancement ultimately depends on the pure motives and good deeds of its members. (b) Communities can unify and make fundamental changes in their social and economic conditions by practicing the art of consultation.

Applying the first principle means encouraging individuals to put into practice the ethical and moral teachings promulgated by religion. Thus, pure intentions, an attitude of loving service toward all people, and rectitude of conduct in dealing with others are important goals of Baha'i­ development. This is development in which every woman can participate, from which every family will benefit, and by which every community will be strengthened.

Applying the second principle means learning to work together by relying on the art of consultation. As practiced in Baha'i­ communities, consultation is a method of discussion whereby all members of a group are encouraged to give their views dispassionately and to listen to all other views in the same manner. Decisions are arrived at through unanimous or majority view. Often the result is something entirely new, grown from the seeds of the differing opinions. When, through this process, the group achieves unity of thought and purpose, the community is able to make fundamental changes in social and economic conditions. Because of its power to unite and develop communities, consultation is a valuable tool for promoting popular participation. In light of the forthcoming Conference on Popular Participation -- Putting People First -- to be held in Africa in 1990, we are pleased to share our experience in the use of this skill.

At the United Nations, the Baha'i­ International Community is presently serving as convenor for the Advocates for African Food Security: Lessening the Burden for Women. The Advocates is a unique umbrella organization of NGOs (non-governmental organizations), intergovernmental organizations, and UN agencies which formed in 1986 to aid in Africa's economic recovery and development. The Advocates seek to promote, particularly at national and international levels, greater awareness of the critical role played by women farmers in securing food for Africa and actions by governments and NGOs to support and assist them. The October 1989 Advocates Symposium, held at United Nations Headquarters in New York City and attended by over 200 people -- including many United Nations and government officials, addressed the issue of "Women's Participation: The Critical Element in Food Security."

The Baha'i­ International Community is convinced that broad participation combined with frank and open consultation are as useful internationally as they are locally. At the local level, the efforts of Baha'i­ communities to engage women and men, young and old, in loving and frank consultation about shared concerns could suggest a way to unify and empower African communities. At the international level, the initiative of the Advocates for African Food Security to link NGOs together with various sectors of the UN system on the basis of a shared concern could suggest a pattern of cooperation applicable to many issues. The Baha'i­ International Community and its Baha'i­ communities of Africa are committed to the full economic recovery and development of Africa. We welcome opportunities to work together in appropriate ways with other agencies to that end.

In the last ten years, Baha'i International Community economic development projects on several continents have experienced success in areas of interest to this Commission: improving the material well-being of women, their families and their communities; winning the support of men for the principle of equality and the development of women; generating and sustaining grassroots participation; and educating women to a new sense of their own capacities and worth.

We would like to share briefly the principles and strategies that are proving effective in one such project, the Faizi Vocational Institute for Rural Women in India, in the hope that the experience of this project will assist the commission in its efforts to promote effective implementation of the Nairobi Forward-Looking Strategies and bring about lasting improvement in the situation of women.

The Faizi Vocational Institute for Rural Women promotes positive social change while teaching income-generating skills to women of the tribal areas of southwestern Madhya Pradesh state. Guided and supported by the national Baha'i council of India, and funded partially by the State of Madhya Pradesh and the Government of India, the Institute provides residential study followed by marketing assistance. At the institute, rural women can develop their intellectual capacities, strengthen their commitment to their families and communities, and learn useful crafts. Back in the village, follow-up support ensures that the benefits of the training are sustainable.

The basic concepts of education and social change that guide Baha'i development projects, the Faizi Institute included, are that the world is in transition to a more stable, cooperative, and mature condition; that development happens through both individual transformation and the creation of new social structures; and that participation and service, as expressions of the inherent nobility of human nature, constitute both goals and strategies for development.

The advancement of women is, in the Baha'i view, essential for social progress. The Faizi Institute, therefore, encourages women to develop the full range of their capacities -- economic, intellectual and moral. Women trainees are assisted to see themselves as equal in capacity to men, to discover their innate abilities, and to see new ways of contributing to the welfare of the community. As educated mothers, they also gain a new sense of the importance of their role in re-shaping tribal societies. This holistic approach to the education of rural women takes several forms.

Daily informal discussions among the women stimulate self-expression, sharpen thinking skills, and awaken an awareness of both problems and possibilities. These discussions may on one day address problems such as caste prejudice or alcoholism and on the next address the contributions women are making to world development, the establishment of peace, and scientific thought. Classes offer skills and information of benefit to the women and their families. Literate women trainees tutor the illiterate ones; health and hygiene information are included with discussions of the spiritual and moral education of children; and useful village technologies, such as a fuel-efficient, smokeless stove, are introduced.

In Baha'i communities, promoting the equality of the sexes is considered to be the task of both men and women, and one that can be achieved fully only if the goal is shared by everyone. Thus, one aspect of the Institute's programme is an effort to foster in male family members a desire for women's advancement. Baha'i institutions lend crucial support. Members of the national Baha'i council of India and other respected Baha'i consultants speak to the men of the village about the principle of equality, and they urge husbands to take pride in their wives' accomplishments. Moreover, they discuss with the men how they, as husbands and fathers, should vigorously defend women's rights, protect women's interests, and promote the development of women's capacities. Local Baha'i councils, composed of both women and men, also lend their support by helping select the trainees, monitoring the institute's programs, and offering suggestions for improvement.

Economic development and ethical development are viewed as complementary and highly integrated activities. Income-generating skills can best be learned and used in a context of human dignity and honor, of trustworthiness and mutual support; hence, these values are emphasized in the Institute's programme. The conscious integration of economic development with the promotion of civic values is especially critical in a crafts training programme, as economic ventures may be crippled by corruption or lack of trust. The Institute values the influence of personal morality and seeks consciously to cultivate it in both staff and trainees.

The director of the project is an impressive role model, especially since she, too, grew up in an Indian village. Having embraced the vision of a world of cooperation and equality, she set about bringing that vision to life. Her wisdom, determination and energy have been responsible for much of the success of the project. When the trainees see her example, they become aware of new possibilities within themselves. In the same way, the trainees, having gained a new sense of optimism and a consciousness of unity and human solidarity, become catalysts for change in their own villages.

Baha'is are convinced through faith and experience that spiritual principles are truly practical. By using consultation, the local council, the women trainees, and the staff work together to determine, often through trial and error, how to apply the relevant spiritual principles. Patience is indispensable. In the early days, the program faltered for lack of assistance in marketing. Consultation led to the addition of extensive follow-up with graduates in their villages. Now the Institute, often in conjunction with various private and state agencies, continues to assist the village women to acquire sewing and knitting machines, looms and other tools needed for their new activities; to secure contracts for production of finished products; and to receive raw materials for their work.

The consultative process itself promotes personal growth and collective solidarity. Women and men together learn to gather facts, to identify the relevant principles, to express ideas clearly, to listen respectfully to the opinions of others, and to arrive at a decision that everyone can support. Because this approach to consultation is at the core of any Baha'i project, the process is as important as the achievements; the changes in attitudes as important as the development of skills; the intellectual, spiritual and emotional growth of the trainees as important as the economic growth of the community.