“How do we ensure that these future strategies actually contribute to poverty eradication, and pay attention to the needs of the local communities, so that policy decisions that are passed at the international level also translate to concrete actions at the local level?”
“How do you make sure that everyone is on board and can contribute?” asked the Mayor of the city of Leuven, Mohamed Ridouani, in a video addressed to the event “Social Cohesion and Climate-Neutral Cities'' hosted by the Baha’i International Community Brussels Office. The event, attended by city representatives, city networks, climate think tanks, and civil society members, was the first in a series to explore the links between social cohesion in cities and effective climate action.
Delegates of the Baha’i International Community (BIC) joined wide-ranging consultations last week on links between decent employment, social inequalities, and ecological sustainability, at the 61st session of the United Nations’ Commission for Social Development.
Integrity is the foundation on which sustainable governmental policy must be built. This is a truth that has been borne out many times in real-world experience. The international community promotes this principle in various ways, from SDG 16 on peace and justice, to efforts like those of Integrity Initiatives International, to organizations such as Transparency International (TI) which track ways in which integrity is undermined in public policy.
A profound, but mindful, shift in global culture is needed. Within the rich diversity of the human family, this shift requires an increasingly shared vision, together with convictions around critical values such as world citizenship, equality, justice, cooperation, the elimination of prejudice, and the promotion of integration. It calls for a process-driven approach involving new practices and the development of tools and technology that allow a systematic mode of functioning.
“What ethical values do you center in your climate work?”
The Baha’i International Community United Nations Office posed this question to hundreds of participants at the COP27 climate change conference earlier this month. We hoped for reflections not just on technical approaches and policy positions, but on the ideals and vision of the future that sustain us in committed action over time. And the results were telling.
“There is a need to rethink policy making mechanisms and ensure that migration and agricultural policies are able to adequately answer the needs of social and economic landscapes which have been significantly reshaped by migratory movements” said Representative of the Brussels Office of the Baha’i International Community (BIC), Ms. Rachel Bayani, at an event organized on the occasion of the culmination of the AGRUMIG research project on “Migration governance and agricultural & rural change in ‘home’ communities”. Ms.
To the 11th AU-EU Commission-to-Commission meeting
The Addis Ababa and Brussels Offices of the Bahá’í International Community (BIC) have the pleasure of sharing with you some reflections in light of the 11th AU-EU Commission-to-Commission meeting taking place in Brussels today. These reflections concern more specifically the framework of engagement between the two continents.
Acknowledging the history of the partnership: The ability of the partnership to break away from unfitting models of engagement and to offer solutions to the challenges faced by both continents will partly depend on the extent to which the historical context of the partnership is acknowledged and acted upon. The value of doing so goes beyond the important and necessary relational repair. It provides a deeper understanding of the current reality and allows for lessons to be incorporated in the development of new models of engagement.
Building a common vision: It is not uncommon that in a partnership various parties and stakeholders have different understandings as to its purpose and objectives. They may even have diverging or conflicting motivations for engagement. This is true for any type of relationship, but even more so when two entire continents are concerned. Reconciling competing interests by elaborating a common vision of the long term and mutually beneficial objectives of the partnership is crucial. Otherwise, the partnership will remain limited in its efficiency or worse, benefit some at the expense of others.
Creating ongoing mechanisms for engagement, including with local communities at the grassroots: The formulation of a common vision will depend on the willingness of all parties to learn from and with each other. A joint process of learning will need to be put into place and incorporate insights generated in both continents - from the highest levels of government to the grassroots, and in particular from young people. We therefore warmly welcome the efforts that are being made to ensure that the partnership is characterized by a format that allows for a more open engagement between both continents and with civil society. The participation of a variety of grassroots actors ensures that policy and strategy made at the intercontinental level is increasingly consonant with the reality of communities and societies on the ground. Identifying which mechanisms and spaces allow for meaningful and ongoing engagement of all levels will require continuous creativity and an in-depth consideration of the role each actor plays in identifying the priorities and thematic areas of the partnership.
Broadening the sources of contributions: A related element needed to enable joint learning is broadening the sources of knowledge required to address the challenges of both continents. While technical expertise, research and quantitative data are critical in finding solutions, other sources of knowledge, such as those from the lived experience, capacities and strengths of communities, must feed into the partnership.
The stage of social development humanity finds itself in requires reshaping our current governance models, so that common challenges can be addressed jointly by all parts of the world. We wish you a successful AU-EU Commission-to-Commission meeting.
The Addis Ababa and Brussels Offices of the Baha’i International Community (BIC) addressed a letter to this year’s African Union (AU) and European Union (EU) 11th annual Commissions’ meeting held in Brussels. The meeting was jointly chaired by Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat and President Ursula von der Leyen and Commissioners from both continents took part in the meeting.
