Dear Commissioner Lahbib,

The Bahá’í International Community’s Brussels office offers its sincere congratulations on your appointment as European Union (EU) Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management. We look forward to seeing your work unfold in the coming mandate and wish to take this opportunity to share with you some considerations in relation to equality policies and the future Anti-Racism Strategy.

The Bahá’í International Community is a global non-governmental organization with representative offices at the United Nations and regional organizations, including the EU. Its work focuses on addressing prejudice in all its forms. The Brussels office engages with EU institutions and serves as an umbrella organization for national Bahá’í offices and related grassroots initiatives across all 27 EU Member States. In recent years, we have actively engaged with the Commission’s valuable work on Anti-Racism, by attending events, welcoming its staff to our meetings, and contributing to policy discussions.

We wholeheartedly thank you for the comments you shared during the European Parliament hearing on 6 November. Your recognition of the importance of addressing the persistent barriers created by racism deeply resonates with us. 

Racism is one of Europe’s—and indeed, the world’s—greatest challenges. Until we address this issue, our global society will struggle to make lasting progress on any front. Overcoming Europe’s various challenges demands the unique contributions and talents of every individual and community. As you beautifully pointed out, unless each one of us is able to "express our full potential," society as a whole cannot move forward.

The advancement of society depends on everyone, with the full range of their talents and capacities, working together. The magnitude of humanity's challenges calls for an unprecedented level of collaboration that taps into the richness of diverse cultures, customs and experiences. It also demands a reimagining of every facet of societal life.  A Union which values “unity in diversity” as you highlighted, is then not about mere coexistence, nor is it about some groups being asked to fit into an existing framework. Rather, it is about harnessing diverse contributions, learning from one another, and shaping something entirely new.

While many important issues need to be addressed, we would like to offer a few initial considerations. Regardless of whether all aspects fall strictly within the EU’s competencies, we believe the Union has a key role to play in addressing racism—beyond its legal frameworks and policies. Whether by establishing a moral standard, adopting a particular narrative, or encouraging specific practices, the Union can help set the course for meaningful change.

Racism can only be addressed through the understanding of the oneness of humanity

Racism, rooted in ignorance and perpetuated by division, can ultimately only be overcome through a profound understanding of the inherent oneness of humanity. This understanding transcends the mere acknowledgment of our equal rights—it calls for a recognition that, regardless of our diverse origins, backgrounds, traditions, beliefs, or lived experiences, we are all members of a singular, interconnected family. It is precisely this diversity that enriches and beautifies the fabric of humanity.

Without a wholehearted embrace of the principle that humanity is indivisible, the perpetuation of arbitrary and imaginary divisions—of “us” versus “them”—will continue to deepen the fragmentation of society. The creation of an “other” fosters the dangerous inclination to view this or that group as inferior or threatening. Only by recognizing that there is only an “us,” can we dismantle the forces that sustain prejudice.

A long term process that requires transformative policies

The deep-rooted affliction of prejudice that permeates our society, and the comprehensive steps required to eradicate it, demand a sobering realization: this is a long-term endeavor, yet one that requires immediate action. It is a process that must be sustained and intentional, ensuring that every individual and every segment of society is nurtured with a profound understanding of our shared humanity.

Measures that are purely punitive, though necessary, will not address the root cause of racism unless they also foster a deeper understanding of our collective identity. Moreover, we should not be content with reducing the work ahead to a mere set of words or quotas. Vigilance must be maintained to prevent the promotion of oversimplified narratives and actions that may inadvertently deepen existing divisions. Efforts aimed at eradicating racism must be transformative, fostering a new understanding of who we are.

A collective endeavor calling for universal participation

Addressing the root causes of racism also calls for a multifaceted intervention that extends across all levels of society. It requires not only the unwavering commitment of every institution and structure, from municipalities to sports organisations, but also the active and wholehearted engagement of individuals and communities alike. 

It must not just include all, but also be accessible to all. Care must be taken to avoid dividing people into categories such as informed or uninformed, “with us” or “against us”. The predominant concern must be to gradually widen the circle of participation in the long-term, patient work of transforming society. 

Communities must collaborate, not occasionally interact

Racism persists and thrives when diverse populations exist in social contexts where they merely live side by side, without meaningful opportunities for interaction, as is often the case in many European cities, towns, and villages. An essential element of any strategy to combat racism is, therefore, addressing the broader dynamics of community life within neighborhoods.

It is within neighborhoods that individuals from diverse backgrounds have daily opportunities to engage with one another. When these interactions are genuine and purposeful, rather than incidental, people can encounter different perspectives, forge connections, and gain a deeper understanding of one another’s lived experiences. For such engagement to be lasting, it often needs to center around a shared initiative that addresses the community’s needs and contributes to its moral, intellectual, and material well-being.

Institutions play a crucial role in fostering and shaping interactions at that level and at the same time must ensure that grassroots perspectives inform their policies.

Education must foster commitment towards all of humanity

The character of a society is largely shaped by how its young members are taught to perceive the world and one another. If children and youth are educated in ways that, even subtly, reinforce the concept of an illusory "other," or fail to actively challenge and reshape this notion, eradicating prejudice will become an insurmountable challenge.

Thus, educational systems must foster the understanding of the inherent oneness of humanity, while also highlighting the unique and invaluable contributions that the diversity of individuals and communities bring to the advancement of society.

This should not be seen as a one-off initiative or occasional project within schools and universities or a mere course designed to convey facts. Rather, promoting this awareness should be viewed as one of the core responsibilities of education. Educational philosophy and curricula must therefore be reimagined with this principle at the forefront.

A commitment to recognizing humanity’s oneness naturally leads to the responsibility of each student to identify and confront prejudice in all its forms, whether overt or subtle. Educational systems must equip students with the ability to critically assess their society—its flaws and opportunities for progress—and instill in them a sense of moral duty to act.

The distinct role of youth

The unique role of youth in efforts to combat racism must be particularly emphasized. Their innate ability to be active agents of change and to lead these efforts should be fully nurtured and encouraged. Youth engagement in this context is boundless, but we would like to mention two key aspects here.

First, no effort should be spared to involve diverse young people in spaces where significant decisions are made, ensuring that Europe becomes a place where youth, regardless of their background, feel they belong and can actively contribute to shaping its future.

Secondly, as outlined in the previous section, youth must be at the forefront of initiatives to foster new relationships among diverse populations at the grassroots level. When adequately supported, youth have a remarkable capacity to bring people together, organizing and engaging in activities that enhance the well-being of entire communities.

A foreign policy embedded in humanity’s oneness and interconnectedness

Racism not only shapes how we perceive individuals and communities, but also influences how we view and engage with other continents. This calls for European institutions to critically examine the underlying assumptions and attitudes that inform their foreign policy, ensuring that international affairs are carried out with a full awareness of the oneness of humanity.

Viewing another continent through the lens of oneness means acknowledging that every part of the world offers valuable insights and plays an irreplaceable role in advancing humanity as a whole. It suggests that patterns of engagement are grounded in humility, recognizing that no region has perfected a model for others to follow. It also means ensuring that every part of the world does its utmost to enable all continents to advance.

This perspective has numerous concrete policy implications. For instance, it demands that development is seen not as a process carried out by one group or continent for the benefit of another, but as a collective endeavor grounded in the recognition that all regions are part of a shared journey of mutual learning. It requires that policies in areas such as agriculture, migration, development, trade, and finance aim at genuinely advancing global well-being, rather than benefiting one part of the world at the expense of another. It generally calls for moving away from paternalistic policies and language.

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What the above demands is a reimagining of the social fabric and relations at the heart of European society, along with a collective process of learning to overcome its fragmentation. We are confident that through your efforts, significant progress can be made in this direction.

Sincerely,

Rachel Bayani

Representative

The end of the twentieth century was momentous in humanity’s collective history. After centuries of effort, women’s rights were recognized as human rights. Significant strides were also made to translate political agreement into laws and practices. Together, these advances culminated in the landmark Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing—an occasion we honor thirty years on. 

Notably, the Conference signaled widespread commitment to the foundational principle of gender equality, drawing some 50,000 delegates from governments, United Nations agencies, and civil society. Representatives of the Bahá’í International Community (BIC) collaborated alongside these actors at that seminal moment—as they had at the preceding conferences in Mexico City, Copenhagen, and Nairobi. BIC representatives have since witnessed the international landscape of women’s advancement evolve, and continue to work closely with those actively pursuing the Conference’s desired outcomes.

The advancement of women is a prerequisite for peaceful and prosperous societies. It is an objective that must be embraced if we are to bring about a harmonious future that goes beyond the cessation of violence. Yet, the 12 critical areas of concern articulated in Beijing, devised to support women’s full development and equality with men, are still to be adequately addressed. Hard-won gains are eroding as patriarchal norms embedded in the systems and structures of societies resurge with harmful effects for women and men alike. Indeed, history has demonstrated that institutional reforms remain tenuous and vulnerable to shifts in power and priorities if they are not accompanied by a more enduring transformation within individual mindsets and social norms. 

This anniversary, then, provides an opportunity to derive insights from communities learning to cultivate healthier and more inclusive dynamics, beginning within the home—where many societal beliefs and attitudes often originate—extending into neighborhoods and villages, and eventually leading to the emergence of just systems and practices. The knowledge generated by these experiences offer valuable lessons, which will also need to be applied at the international level. For, ultimately, the realization of gender equality requires universal participation. It necessitates the proactive involvement of every segment of every population, working shoulder to shoulder, in full partnership. 

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Gender equality is not only a goal which humanity aspires to achieve, but a necessary condition for peace and prosperity. Societies with higher levels of equality between the sexes tend to have lower levels of violent conflict. Likewise, it is widely accepted that peace processes that engage more women tend to last longer. 

Failure to recognize that women are equal to men ultimately impedes the material, social, and spiritual flourishing of every individual. Yet, women, who are more likely to experience abuse, bias, and discrimination, are also more likely to be excluded from spaces designed to address these violations. If humanity is to fully understand and overcome the systemic nature of these challenges, the rich diversity of human experience must be drawn upon in its entirety. Barriers that prevent women from contributing knowledge to the search for effective solutions must therefore be removed.

Diverse perspectives must be reflected in decision-making spaces, but care must be given to guard against tokenistic representation. Prejudicial attitudes can be held by women and men alike; normative change is therefore necessary. Patriarchal tendencies and self-serving ambition will need to be replaced with qualities like collaboration, reciprocity, compassion, and a humble posture of learning in all settings. Until transformation takes root within mindsets and finds expression in culture, the underlying causes of prejudice and discrimination, embedded in the systems and structures of societies, will remain unquestioned and will continue to perpetuate injustice.

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What might it look like in practice for populations to commit to the principle of gender equality as a foundation for peaceful societies? Bahá’í communities, for their part, are working to address long-standing beliefs and practices that run counter to the principle of equality. In areas where their efforts have become more systematic, these communities are observing dramatic and profound shifts in the way women are viewed in their societies. These changing perceptions are leading to greater degrees of inclusivity and equity, allowing more opportunities for women to serve in leadership roles and contribute to social change.

Of course these communities still grapple with age-old systems and customs that have historically maintained an unjust status quo. But what is distinctive about their experience is the approach to social transformation: the means for constructive social change must be coherent with its ends. This approach has involved a range of educational initiatives designed to develop capacity within individuals to learn—with their family members, neighbors, friends, and co-workers—to apply moral and spiritual qualities such as unity, justice, equality, and trustworthiness in their personal lives and social settings. This educational process, offered throughout the individual’s life cycle, is guided and reinforced by a global system of coordination, and is implemented by local populations according to their specific circumstances and resources. 

In the state of Bihar, India, for instance, these educational programs led groups to reflect on the spiritual principle that every individual is inherently noble, irrespective of sex. As they continued to engage in these programs, it became increasingly difficult to overlook social practices that contradicted this principle. Participants—both women and men—began to identify harmful trends within their villages, and considered how to respond to the fact that women were held back in many areas such as advancing in their education and contributing to decision-making. 

The Bahá’í community decided to convene consultative spaces for families to explore the underlying causes of such challenges and to devise potential pathways forward. Participants  shared experiences, and through courageous deliberation, explored the uncomfortable truth that girls and women were not viewed as inherently equal within their societies, and thus did not share the same opportunities as boys and men. 

It became clear that this unjust reality was reinforced by numerous expectations, assumptions, and fears—for example, that the destiny of a daughter was to be married off, that women were considered “unclean” during menstruation, or that it was unsafe for girls to travel far distances to school. These attitudes found expression in many harmful ways. Boys were often prioritized when deciding which child to send to school, financial resources were directed toward a dowry rather than a daughter’s professional development, and women who were viewed as “unclean” were not permitted to enter certain settings, thus preventing their participation in decision-making spaces or leadership roles. 

The enhanced capacity to analyze the manifestations of inequality was an important driver for cultural transformation within the community. Many boys and men began to openly interrogate long-held beliefs and examine the ways their mothers, sisters, wives, and daughters were impacted. It became clear that this was not just a challenge for women alone; the whole community was impacted and this demanded universal action. 

Participants have since been working collectively to remove the obstacles they identified. Together, they have been creating new educational opportunities that emphasize the moral and intellectual development of every child, and have been laboring to improve the safety of their villages. They have been reflecting on how individuals’ mindsets can continue to align with the principle of gender equality and, in doing so, have been contributing to the evolution of a new culture. Many participants have commented on how these consultative spaces, combined with the community’s educational efforts described above, have contributed to a rise in mutual respect between women and men in their villages. Many have perceived a greater sense of trust, common cause, understanding, and ultimately unity—within the home and extending into the community. All these are indicators of movement toward greater levels of peace. 

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Grassroots initiatives provide a vital source of insight into the lived experiences of communities learning to effect social transformation. The UN is well-suited—through the mandate of and networks available to UN Women, among others—to distill, analyze, and share experiences that promote women’s advancement at the local, regional, and national levels, and to identify methodologies that can be implemented by national governments. The UN’s role will continue to be critical in raising awareness of, and advocating for, the principle of gender equality as a fundamental prerequisite for peace on the international stage, as well as in shaping relevant international policy frameworks. The UN is also uniquely positioned to model, within its own internal structures and operations, a culture that dismantles patriarchal norms and centers approaches that are inclusive and collaborative. 

A future where women can meaningfully engage as equal protagonists in all fields of human endeavor—and where every individual, irrespective of sex, is able to flourish as a co-creator of society—is the destination toward which humanity must now advance. Far more than simply an aspiration, the principle of gender equality needs to now be embraced by growing populations, young and old alike in every country around the globe, if we are to usher in a future of lasting peace and prosperity. 

The 1995 World Summit for Social Development reflected a powerful sense of optimism that the international community could come together to address the deepest needs and aspirations of the peoples of the world—to advance “human prosperity in the fullest sense of the term,” as described in a statement released by the Bahá’í International Community on that occasion.

The Summit’s outcome document highlighted the critical importance of social integration, alongside poverty eradication and productive employment, in fostering social development. In doing so, it drew attention to a key reality of the contemporary world: that the roots of numerous global challenges lie in how human beings view, value, respond to, and relate to one another. The Bahá’í International Community therefore welcomes the priority theme of this year’s Commission for Social Development, including its focus on “strengthening solidarity, social inclusion and social cohesion.” 

Vital as it is, social inclusion has long been recognized as one of the less clearly defined elements of the social development agenda. An essential need before the international community, then, is to deepen understanding of the process by which the relationships underlying the social fabric can be strengthened—and how such strengthening can assist a community to measurably improve its material and economic circumstances. 

Deteriorating conditions across the world today are, in many ways, a testament to the fact that the international community has yet to fully implement the commitments articulated in 1995. As the Second World Summit for Social Development approaches, the international community would therefore do well to look to localities where communities are becoming more resilient, safer, more cohesive, and healthier, to draw lessons about how such conditions can be fostered. Some thoughts on such a process of social transformation are offered below, drawing from experiences of Bahá’í communities around the world. 

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Communities can and do, through their own efforts, grow more cohesive and inclusive. But the types of societies we seek do not come about merely as a natural consequence of expanded access to material resources. Were this the case, the world’s wealthiest nations would be models of equality, justice, sustainability, and social cohesion. Rather, such qualities must, themselves, be actively nurtured and prioritized. This has been consistently made evident in the grassroots experiences of the worldwide Bahá’í community. Experience also bears out the assertion of the Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development, made some 30 years ago, that “our societies must respond more effectively to … material and spiritual needs.” 

Bahá’í communities around the world are striving to learn about how these two needs—one more concrete, the other less tangible—can be addressed in tandem and in support of one another. The experience of one grassroots Bahá’í-inspired development organization is illustrative in this regard. Devoted to the advancement of rural women, this organization initially provided a variety of services that might be described as relatively conventional in development circles: arts and handicraft training, instruction in environmental and agricultural skills, literacy and numeracy education, and technical training in solar-powered cooking, food dehydration, and water purification. 

The training equipped participants with skills that were undeniably helpful. When participants returned to their home villages, however, an unforeseen tendency emerged. When not understood within a wider context of contribution to the common good, the acquisition of such technical skills and resources often fomented competition—among participants of the program themselves, and between those participants and others in the village. Disagreements and hard feelings arose over who had access to which new technologies, whose handicrafts were more or less sophisticated, who was more or less confident in reading and arithmetic. 

Training offered through a skills-only approach proved prone to inadvertently fostering resentment, division, and assumptions of superiority, instead of solidarity, inclusion, and cohesion. Realizing this, organizers adjusted the program to augment technical and academic training with a robust exploration of spiritual and moral principles: for example, that truthfulness is a vital foundation for healthy social interaction; that collective prosperity can be advanced through justice and generosity, collaboration and mutual assistance; and that prejudice of any kind blights the progress of humankind. Experience has repeatedly shown that as such principles increasingly permeate interactions among individuals, communities not only become more integrated, they also enjoy greater and greater capacity to advance their own social and economic development aims. 

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Linkages between the moral principles mentioned above and the aims of social development become clearer as larger proportions of a population begin working to apply such ideals through practical acts of service to others and to society. Bahá’í efforts in this regard have focused on a decentralized, worldwide process of training, education, and empowerment that tends to the moral development of children and young adolescents, and allows increasing numbers of youth and adults to explore the application of ethical and spiritual principles to daily life and to the challenges facing society. 

This process has assisted hundreds of thousands of individuals to form and sustain a variety of community-building efforts in their local settings, welcoming the participation, at any given time, of some two million of their neighbors, friends, family members, and co-workers. The scale of this pattern of activity, as expressed at the local level, naturally varies from location to location. But a few areas have developed the capacity to sustain over 5,000 of these community-building activities in a relatively small geographic area, touching the lives of over 20,000 of their fellow community members. Places that can maintain such a pattern of activity offer a window into the many ways that solidarity, inclusion, and cohesion can find tangible expression within a given community.

Youth and older generations, for example, develop new and more collaborative patterns of interaction. Capacity for constructive dialogue grows and new spaces for purposeful consultation emerge. Lively conversations proliferate among parents regarding aspirations for their children. Expressions of the equality of women and men become more pronounced. A sense of duty toward the physical environment becomes prevalent. Even the numerous forms of prejudice that plague every society begin to give way to growing bonds of unity. 

These are not mere hopes or ideals, but concrete outcomes being documented in a growing number of neighborhoods and villages, in virtually every country of the world. Their emergence serves as an assurance that meaningful transformation is possible and can be consciously advanced. It also stands as a summons for the work of advancing solidarity, inclusion, and cohesion to be furthered in many more places. This includes through the efforts of those at the national and international levels, who can play important roles in removing obstacles and establishing policies and conditions conducive to social development of this kind. 

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As preparations for the Second World Summit for Social Development accelerate, it is increasingly recognized that human prosperity is determined as much by social, moral, and relational factors as by technological, material, and financial ones. Growing numbers look to their societies and, in addition to material hardships, they see standards of basic decency waning and capacity for good-faith dialogue ebbing. They see leaders and institutions of all kinds discredited by corruption and inadequacy. They see standards of right and wrong, truth and falsehood increasingly dismissed as irrelevant in favor of the pursuit of self-interest and the struggle for power. And, consequently, many are coming to feel that meaningful social development is ultimately impossible without the cultivation of trustworthiness and honesty, generosity and camaraderie, cooperation and a sense of responsibility for the collective well-being. 

Qualities such as these are building blocks of a stable and flourishing social order. They have proven vital to the task of creating vibrant communities that can more effectively deliver on the high promises of social development. How new patterns of interaction that reflect these qualities can be built—in the family, the neighborhood, the village, the school, the workplace, the municipality—must therefore become a key focus of development actors at all levels in the coming years. For when we see communities beginning to exhibit the patterns of collective life outlined above, we see communities on the path toward achieving the highest aims of the social development agenda.

1.  The Prosperity of Humankind, https://www.bahai.org/library/other-literature/official-statements-comme...

2. Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development, https://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/migration/generalassem....

3. See For the Betterment of the World: The Worldwide Bahá’í Community’s Approach to Social and Economic Development, https://dl.bahai.org/bahai.org/betterment-world-standard-quality.pdf.

Today the Baha'i International Community (BIC) takes the significant step of publicly expressing concern about the intensification of the persecution of Egypt’s Baha'i community by Egyptian authorities.

In 1960, President Gamal Abdel Nasser issued a decree banning all Baha'i activities, dissolving Baha'i institutions, and confiscating all Baha'i properties, including their cemeteries. This decree officially institutionalized the state-sponsored discrimination of Baha'is, denying them basic rights and recognition.

For more than six decades, thousands of Egyptian Baha'is, who are loyal citizens of their country, have endured extensive state-sponsored discrimination and persecution. The policies and practices of these Egyptian institutions deny Baha'is their basic civil rights and national ID cards, disrupt family integrity, including by separating married couples and barring family members from living in the country, deny them burial rights and access to cemeteries, and subjects individuals and communities to invasive surveillance.

The BIC believes these policies are intensifying and that there has been no indication from the Egyptian authorities of any intention to change their deplorable approach—even as the Baha'i community has repeatedly sought agreeable resolutions of these issues.

The policies and practices that Egyptian authorities are pursuing against the Baha’i community have caused great suffering to many Baha'is throughout the country, with the apparent aim of suppressing Baha’i identity and the ability of Baha’is to enjoy basic civil rights.  They are denying the Baha'i community its fundamental rights to the freedom of religion and the practice of their peaceful Faith, and hindering their right to live normal, dignified lives with family, and to earn livelihoods.

The changes required to eliminate the negative implications of the 1960 decree are fully within the power of executive Government, as they only involve executive decrees and do not require any legislative or constitutional amendments.

Ahead of Egypt’s next Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the United Nations, a human rights process designed to offer the Egyptian Government recommendations to improve the human rights of all its citizens, the BIC calls on UN member-states to urge Egypt to end its discrimination and persecution of the Baha'i community.

We encourage member-states of the UN Human Rights Council to make five specific recommendations to Egypt at the January 2025 UPR session which will assist in alleviating the suffering of the Egyptian Baha’is.

1. Allocate land for Baha'i burial in various regions of Egypt.

2. Appoint a government liaison for Egypt’s Baha'i community to address their concerns.

3. Establish an official entity to oversee marriage, divorce, and inheritance matters for individuals whose national ID cards show generic religious identifiers.

4. Uphold the right of Baha'is to freely practice their faith.

5. Remove the names of Baha'i individuals from airport arrivals watch lists, whether Egyptian or foreign nationals.