The leaders of the world bear an unenviable burden. They must provide for the well-being of their citizenries, preferring these over themselves, rejecting outdated models that emphasize self and promote imbalances of power. They must ask, and crucially begin answering, the right questions. For instance: What are the elements of our economic system that make it deeply dysfunctional? Why are women largely excluded from meaningful decision-making when their participation benefits everyone? How can we stem the tide of growing inequality threatening the stability of nations? How can we invest in the well-being of rising generations, giving them every opportunity to walk a path far more meaningful and far less treacherous than the one we have tread?

Women and men are equal, and always have been. This is a spiritual truth whose expression in the world has been suppressed throughout most of history, owing in part to imbalanced systems and structures that have long favoured men’s progress and participation over women’s. While the equality of women and men is being increasingly acknowledged, this does not automatically eliminate the impediments that can obstruct its expression in every dimension of life. On this occasion, as Member States gather to consult about the economic empowerment of women in the changing world of work, we would like to offer some comments on the nature of prosperity itself, taking for granted that it is at once the goal of economic activity and the outcome of genuine progress.

Significant advances have been made in terms of educational access and the creation of environments for women to thrive alongside men; nevertheless, far more remains to be accomplished. Systemic and structural injustice continues to suppress women’s potential, plunging humanity into crisis after crisis. Until these inequalities are thoroughly uprooted from the fabric of society, humanity will remain mired in the conflict, despair, confusion, and imbalance that have come to define much of modern life. While the path towards prosperity has many obstacles, it is also paved with hope.

The world civilization to which humanity aspires is one where the material and spiritual dimensions of life are in harmony, and the material aspects of civilization, such as commerce and governance, are suffused with spiritual principles, such as equity and justice. Naturally, the potency and vigour of a civilization is contingent upon the strength of its component parts. In this regard there is much to say about the qualities governing the relationships among the individuals, institutions, and other constituents that comprise society.

The prevailing economic and geopolitical orders are characterized by conflict and aggression to such an extent that many have succumbed to the view that these qualities represent inescapable features of human nature. While humans are capable of violence, selfishness, cowardice, and competition, they have also repeatedly demonstrated their ability to be kind, to prefer others over themselves, to carry out acts of valour at immense personal cost, and to cooperate when competition is the norm. How much more would these noble tendencies prevail if governments allocated substantial resources to cultivating the higher nature of their citizens, focusing vigorous learning processes around how the latent spiritual and moral powers of their inhabitants can be developed and released? What is more, the dynamics that have come to define relationships of power must be reimagined in the light of a genuine understanding of the oneness of humanity in order for all people to have an opportunity to lead meaningful lives. Understandably, changes of this magnitude will be hard won, requiring vision and sacrifice, and the long-term commitment of the leaders and citizens of the world.

A flourishing world civilization will draw on the participation of all people, whose skills and talents should be harmonized with the needs of the greater good. This will increasingly become possible as all children are given access to a quality education that helps them develop their intellectual and moral capabilities. Moreover, as women are the first educators of rising generations, their educational opportunity should be given emphasis in all communities. The caring, conciliatory qualities that women can bring to the workforce, indeed, to every sphere of life, have long been undervalued, and humanity has subsequently suffered. Can we foresee the fruits that will grow when true partnerships between men and women emerge in all dimensions of life? Humanity can be likened to a bird with two wings, the male and the female, that has struggled to take flight because the female wing has been suppressed for so long. Who can fully envision the great heights to which humanity will soar when both wings are coordinated and strong?

The period of youth is one of immense significance in the life of any human being. This time of life represents a period with special possibilities. It is a time of preparation and action, when the young can develop an orientation to service and a sense of social responsibility that they will carry with them their entire lives. Neither is likely without a special kind of education. Education can be the difference between a young man who respects his female counterparts and one who brutalizes them. Education around such attitudes unfolds at home, in schools, in communities, and the myriad social environments where life plays out.

The family is a crucial social environment within which formative education takes place. In this regard, there is much to be learned about organizing societies in a way that does not exclude women from meaningful participation in work should they decide to dedicate a focused period of their lives to the rearing of children. Conversely, it is important to recognize the significant role of fathers in their families’ lives; their ability for substantial engagement in this arena deserves special consideration.

The discipline that governs our relationships with the world is largely formed within the family. The tendencies to be unjust or just, to act violently or with kindness, to be dishonest or trustworthy, are usually developed at home. These habits are then taken into every instance of social interaction, becoming either obstacles or stepping stones to progress, tearing apart or weaving together the very fabric of society. If brothers are allowed to dominate their sisters, for instance, a habit is formed that will be carried from the living room to the classroom, the workplace and finally, the international arena. Conversely, when daughters are included in decision-making processes, when sons are encouraged to care for the household, characters are being developed. Children learn that the intellectual powers of both boys and girls are vital, that the nurturing qualities for which women are known are equally praiseworthy when demonstrated by men.

With respect to more formal educational programs, the significance of this stage of life must be borne in mind. Young people are beginning to understand their role in society, in all dimensions of life, including the economic life of their communities. If the rising generations are not merely to labour within an ailing system, but are to gradually contribute to the creation of a flourishing one, key capabilities must be cultivated early.

First, their education must be comprehensive, addressing their burgeoning spiritual, physical, and intellectual powers. A key principle that must be taught from an early age is the oneness of humanity. Within this, the equality of women and men should be emphasized. Young people see the contradictions in the world. Words and concepts alone cannot erase the often harmful messaging assailing them from all quarters. The inclusion of practical components in which boys and girls work shoulder to shoulder to identify challenges in their social environments, and consult on plans to address these, can benefit the entire community. Likewise, if they are accompanied by more experienced, trusted members of their communities to carry out acts of service while given the leeway to identify needs and design progressively more complex plans over time, the rising generations are assisted to develop new, healthy patterns of thought and action. From a young age, youth will learn that true leadership is characterized by selfless service, is borne by boys and girls equally, and is achieved through consultation, cooperation, and commitment to long-term action.

It is the hope of the Bahá’í International Community that world leaders will give serious thought not only to how the current economic system can receive more meaningful contributions from women, but also to how the rising generations can be assisted in building a new one.

 

“People may individually be poor, but collectively we see a wealth of capacity in the community.”  

~ an individual assisting communities in Central Africa to establish locally supported schools

Poverty eradication has been a goal of the United Nations for decades, yet lasting solutions have proved elusive. As representatives gather to seek “strategies for the eradication of poverty to achieve sustainable development for all,” we must ask ourselves, frankly and honestly, why sizable segments of the global population still lack basic material necessities.

The range of deeply rooted challenges seen today testifies to an economic order growing increasingly dysfunctional. Ills such as extremes of wealth and poverty, growing inequality, and systemic corruption are destabilizing societies and tearing at the fabric of far too many communities. And these challenges highlight, in turn, the scarcity of any true social consensus about fundamental aspects of contemporary economic arrangements, such as the nature of work, the purpose of wealth, and one’s duties to others and to the community. It is only natural, for example, for a society which aggressively lauds material wealth to become grossly unequal, or for moneyed interests, unmoored from a compelling sense of social responsibility, to shape laws in ways that perpetuate intractable forms of inequality.

Addressing structural issues such as these will require innovative approaches from quarters that have not traditionally been seen as sources of answers. In this regard, the Bahá’í International Community suggests that it will be vital for the United Nations system to develop its ability to see capacity and strength in populations that, at times, may have been given labels such as “marginalized.” Put more simply, lasting progress toward the eradication of poverty will require moving from a deficit mentality to a mentality of abundance.

* * *

Movement in this direction has already begun, at least at the level of discourse. Discussions in the development arena increasingly affirm that communities with limited financial resources are not silent and devoid of activity until international actors arrive. At the same time, interaction with such populations is frequently framed in terms of needs, challenges, shortcomings, and shortages. The agency of low-income communities is acknowledged at the level of concept. But functionally, they are often approached primarily as recipients of services and assistance – consulted to a degree about their views and preferences, but rarely embraced as capable and equal partners in a collaborative enterprise.

This dichotomy hamstrings efforts to address the roots of poverty. Assumptions, biases, and prejudices result in productive capacity being squandered and steps forward being overlooked or dismissed. The application of low-tech innovation provides one example. Notable advances in energy efficiency and the production of renewable power are arising in the context of rural patterns of life. These developments are universally significant, as energy consumption will need to become more sustainable in countries at all levels of income. Yet such innovations are often seen as relevant only to the kinds of places in which they appear – suitable, perhaps, for “south-south cooperation,” but irrelevant to the needs and realities of industrialized societies. 

Beyond their capacity for technological innovation, low-income populations hold potential for social innovation as well. Ultimately, the eradication of poverty will not be an exercise in the distribution of material resources alone, a matter of mere accounting. To address poverty in real and lasting ways will be to build new patterns of society itself, reflecting moral and spiritual principles such as equity, solidarity, justice, and compassion. It will involve the construction of new ways of being together, new ways of relating to one another, new ways of organizing our individual and collective affairs.  And in this, high-income areas have no more knowledge or expertise than low-income ones. The village in the highland steppes is every bit as capable of building cohesive and vibrant patterns of social life as the apartment complex in the metropolis.  

The challenges facing those with few material resources are significant. Such populations will need support, education, training, and assistance, the same as any other. What must be plainly acknowledged, however, is that no group or region has the capacity to eradicate global poverty on its own, according to its particular views and guided by its understanding alone. From a practical standpoint, the magnitude of transformation required is simply far too great. But a moral reality comes into play as well – that the advancement of all humanity requires the efforts of all humanity. Just as every member of the human family has the right to benefit from a materially, socially, and spiritually prospering civilization, every member has the capacity to contribute towards its construction.

To embrace the implications of this overarching principle is to acknowledge that no group already has what is needed to bring about the world we collectively desire for ourselves and our children. In this, the financially wealthy are as dependent on the underprivileged as is the reverse. Similarly, the “developed” world will have as much to learn from the “developing” world as vice-versa in the coming years. This might be challenging to some, and runs counter to ideologies of exceptionality or uniqueness. But dependence of this kind, expressed through relationships of mutual support and assistance, is a source of great strength, not weakness. Through it, expression is given to the fundamental principle that social action should operate on the ideal of universal participation. And on its foundation, areas that have long been excluded or discounted can come to be embraced as vibrant sources of ideas, tools, resources, and approaches every bit as effective – and needed – in high-income areas as low ones.

* * *

Translating these ideals into practical realities will involve challenges to be sure, not least for multilateral bodies such as the Commission for Social Development. But Agenda 2030 is a universal process, and that very universality provides a powerful means for reconceptualizing the role that various actors – particularly less affluent populations themselves – play in the eradication of poverty.

Embracing the constructive potential of thousands of grassroots communities, each with its own circumstances and realities, will be an intensely local process. As such, progress will come less from finding the “right” policy intervention and applying it everywhere, than by coming to a deeper understanding of the process by which effective approaches are determined, implemented, and modified.

What might this look like in practice? Steps that might help the United Nations and the Commission identify and embrace capacity wherever it is found include:

• Expand conceptions of expertise and sources of solutions. International fora often seek solutions from a relatively narrow set of sources. Research academics and policy specialists offer contributions that are valuable indeed. But over-reliance on such resources can impoverish a discourse, leading to fixation on technical recipes and policy fixes. Insight is generated also by communities working to nurture more humane patterns of social interaction, by individuals striving to build capacity in others, by institutions seeking to apply traditional knowledge to contemporary challenges. Expertise of these kinds must be consciously sought and included in global discourse.    
     
• Seek knowledge from those experiencing policy. Representatives of communities who will be affected by policies need to be included in the formulation of those policies, as a matter of justice. Yet “a place at the table” can easily devolve into tokenism and optics. Decision-makers must therefore be prepared – indeed, eager – to learn meaningful lessons from partners on the ground. Only to the degree that they embrace grassroots collaborators in this way can it be said that their initiatives truly seek insight wherever it can be found.
   
• Seek universal solutions from low-income populations. Gone are the days when high-income areas were openly exalted as the model of what society should be. No longer, then, can the achievements of some be dismissed as applicable only to those with limited financial resources. If the international community is to sincerely recognize the capacity of low-income areas, it must be ready to acknowledge those areas’ advantages, embrace their accomplishments, and learn from their experience.
   
• Capture narratives behind successful approaches. Collecting numerical data is important, but 50 people actively contributing ideas and asking questions is much different than 50 passive bystanders. In addition to detailing policies that achieved results, it will be important to capture and tell the story behind successes – how the initiative was developed, how it evolved over time, how objections were resolved, how features were communicated. Qualitative analysis of this kind helps frame thinking in terms of lessons learned and allows insights to be extracted, aggregated, and applied to future action.

Mr. President,

It has been three years since President Rouhani came to power in Iran. Sadly, during this period we have seen a stark contradiction between his promise of “creating justice for all Iranians equally” and the continuation of an unjustifiable oppression imposed upon the Bahá’í community in Iran. In fact, the government has proven time and time again, through official documents and oppressive measures orchestrated at the highest levels, that this harsh treatment is deliberate government policy. Strategies have shifted over the years and become more sophisticated and covert, but the aim remains the same: to destroy the Bahá’í community as a viable entity, “to block the progress and development” of the Baha’is, as one official document states. A prominent strategy is now economic strangulation.

And the results are clear: thousands upon thousands of Baha’is have been expelled from their jobs, their pensions have been terminated, they have been banned from employment in the public sector and severely limited in the private sector, at times on the discriminatory and offensive pretext of being “religiously unclean”. Companies are pressured to dismiss Bahá’í employees, banks are forced to block Bahá’í clients’ accounts and business licenses are either not issued, not extended, or are deliberately delayed. And thousands of students have been cruelly banned from entering university, forced to choose between recanting their Faith or being debarred from education.

Before his election, President Rouhani made promises of “promoting job creation and reducing unemployment” as well as increasing cooperation with the international community. Now, consider the stark contradiction between rhetoric and reality. Frankly, it is astonishing. Some of the authorities in Iran are actually working purposefully, day in day out, to drive a segment of their own population into poverty and to stifle their economic participation. 

Mr. President,

The international community must give a strong signal to Iran that its actions do not go unnoticed and that unless it treats all its citizens equally, it will remain under international scrutiny.

“Now our [local governing body] will meet and lead the reconstruction process for the community to follow. We know that we should not depend on aid donors, but that we should take charge of our own development. For the reconstruction process, we will use the same tools and instruments that we used for the [advancement] of our community.”

~ member of a village struck by a cyclone in the Pacific Islands

 

The human family is one. Sharing a common heritage received from those who have come before, as well as a joint legacy to bequeath to those who will follow, the peoples of the world are connected in ways that can no longer be denied or ignored. The great masses of humanity also represent a vast reservoir of capacity for the advancement of civilization – not merely in the abstract but in countless cities, towns, and villages where society unfolds and daily life is lived. This is a reality that humanitarian agencies are witnessing the world over. For their part, Bahá'í communities around the globe are seeing growing numbers of individuals taking charge of their own spiritual, social, and material development, building new patterns of collective life, and viewing themselves as protagonists in the development of society. And when natural disasters strike, communities such as these are more capable of taking meaningful and effective steps to respond and recover. Indeed, experience has shown that people can exhibit remarkable resilience, selflessness, resourcefulness, and creativity in such times.

 

Appreciation for the importance of human capacity in disaster situations is not absent from contemporary discourse. It can be seen in the increasing prominence of notions like participation, empowerment, and subsidiarity in humanitarian and development circles. “People are the central agents of their lives and are the first and last responders to any crisis,” declares the Secretary General of the United Nations in his report to the World Humanitarian Summit.  Yet translating such ideals into tangible, on-the-ground realities remains a formidable challenge. A central question therefore faces those who seek to “do better to … alleviate suffering, and reduce risk and vulnerability.”[1] Namely, what capacities and qualities help a local population take the lead in its own response, recovery, and development efforts?

Natural disasters do much to drive the attention of the international community. But for local populations, such events, however destructive in their immediate effects, represent just one period in a vast sweep of collective life that stretches long into the past and will continue indefinitely into the future. An area’s ability to respond therefore has much to do with the capacities, attitudes, and qualities of community that characterized it long before the rivers rose or the cyclone made landfall.

Culture and patterns of community life

Bahá'í experience with disaster situations suggests that patterns of community life and qualities of culture are of particular importance. Communities that have been especially effective in responding have – prior to the disaster – been consciously working to create distinctive and beneficial patterns of collective life. Building consensus and unity of vision over time, they make intentional and purposeful choices about the kinds of interaction found in the community, about how people relate to one another in various spaces, and about the kinds of relationships found between community members, between different groups or sub-populations, and between institutions of governance.

Taking steps in this direction requires the development of capacities in a range of areas. Some will pertain primarily to intellectual, technical, and scientific pursuits. Others will be more social in nature, focused on strengthening and refining patterns of interaction, association, and relationship among inhabitants. Still others will focus on the moral and normative aspects of collective life, drawing on the religious heritage of humankind to address foundational issues of meaning, higher motivation, and moral purpose. Due attention must be given to the development of all these capacities, if progress is to continue apace and pitfalls such as narrow materialism, social fragmentation, selfishness, and passivity are to be avoided.

Given these realities, Bahá'í communities have devoted particular attention to learning how religion can serve as a means to awaken and cultivate, at the practical and grassroots level, the high-minded and noble attributes latent in every soul. Within such an environment, religious communities come to function as communities of practice where spiritual principles and teachings are applied thoughtfully to the life of society, for the benefit of all. Within them, a process of capacity building that enables increasing numbers to participate in the transformation of society – and protects and nurtures them – can be set in motion. The innate human attraction to that which is good and beautiful is channeled into tangible patterns of behavior. Moral foundations of integrity and generosity, nobility and compassion are reinforced. And growing numbers work together to learn about patterns of relationship and corresponding social structures that reflect the fundamental oneness of the human family.

Efforts of the Bahá'í community

What might such a process look like in practice? Bahá'í communities, initial as their efforts are, offer one example that can be considered. Over the past two decades Bahá'ís and likeminded collaborators have worked to establish a worldwide process of spiritual and moral education, open to all. Structured in stages to meet the developmental needs of differing ages, this system tends to the moral education of children, facilitates the spiritual empowerment of young adolescents, and allows increasing numbers of youth and adults to explore the application of spiritual teachings to daily life and to the challenges facing society.    

Unfolding in rural and urban settings, across neighborhoods and villages, the system as a whole seeks to build capacity within a population to trace its own path of development and contribute to the common good. Those sustaining its efforts at the grassroots strive to create an environment in which growing numbers of their friends, family members, neighbors, and acquaintances come to see themselves as active agents of their own development and protagonists of a constant effort to apply knowledge toward individual and collective progress.

Crucially, the central organizing principle of this process is the development of capabilities for service to the community and society. Assisted to undertake increasingly complex acts of service, participants gradually gain the vision, confidence, and skills necessary to begin offering activities and programs to others with less experience than themselves. In this way, a good portion of those who enter the process simply as participants go on to shoulder increasing responsibility for its perpetuation and expansion. Serving in voluntary roles such as teachers of classes or facilitators of study groups, they become key contributors and vital resources. And as their capacity and experience expands still further, a percentage begin to coordinate and support the efforts of other collaborators, at levels ranging from the neighborhood to the national.  

Community building capacities in times of disaster

Though such efforts are not focused on response or recovery per se, the abilities they strengthen and patterns of behavior they foster have a profound impact in times of natural disaster. The capacity to organize large numbers into coordinated action provides one clear example. As community building efforts grow to the point where hundreds of inhabitants are supporting the participation of thousands of their fellow residents, increasingly sophisticated systems of support and communication emerge to manage the growing complexity. Such structures greatly enhance a community’s ability to undertake large-scale response and reconstruction efforts. Organizational skills such as the ability to maintain basic statistics, to plan based on resources, and to operate in a mode of learning – characterized by regular and ongoing reflection on efforts undertaken, results seen, and adjustments needed  – similarly allow efforts to expand as needed in scale and scope. And experience collaborating with institutions of government – which arises naturally as community-building efforts exert growing influence in an area – can be invaluable in deploying external resources efficiently and effectively.  

Fostering cooperation and a sense of shared endeavor across a diverse populace is another crucial capacity that is developed. As effort is made to welcome increasing numbers into thoughtful discussion on the direction of their collective development, decision-making processes become more consultative and participatory. Perspectives of young and old, women and men, and backgrounds of all kinds are sought out and taken into account, which in turn attracts others to participate. And as such dynamics advance in a locality, leaders are enabled to better analyze specific problems, attain deeper understanding of complex issues, and evaluate courses of action with clarity and impartiality. The aspirations and ideas of local inhabitants are continually considered and consciously incorporated into plans and projects. And as unity of thought and action grows over time, the community strengthens its capacity to draw on shared resources in times of need.

Around the world, individuals are also working to strengthen the devotional character of their communities. Reaching out to neighbors of all backgrounds, they are creating, in the intimate setting of the home, spaces for shared worship, exploration of the deeper meaning of life, and purposeful discussion of issues of common concern. Such explicitly spiritual objectives might seem tangential to traditional humanitarian concerns. Yet in times of natural disaster, people the world over grapple with existential questions at the most fundamental levels. And communities where people worship together in a variety of settings, make a habit of visiting one another in their homes, and regularly engage in conversations of significance are far better equipped to remain hopeful, to see meaning, and to persevere and recover when disasters occur. Communities in which social ties are strong and spiritual roots run deep are more resilient in the face of disaster.

Resilient in times of disaster, vibrant in times of calm

A growing body of experience demonstrates that the qualities and capacities that make a community resilient in times of disaster also make it strong and vibrant in times of calm. This is of critical importance to the international community, as it seeks to “transcend the humanitarian-development divide” and “set aside artificial institutional labels of “development” or “humanitarian.””[2] Being of tangible service to others, working in collaboration toward worthy ends, exercising personal abilities in pursuit of the common good – factors such as these are intrinsic sources of human upliftment and satisfaction. They need no justification beyond themselves. But when adopted as shared elements of culture at the local level, they greatly bolster a population’s ability to respond effectively to a range of challenging situations. It is not that the community becomes self-sufficient, for natural disasters are, by definition, events that strain local capacity for response. But the sense of collective vision and volition inhabitants are developing gives them greater capacity to absorb external assistance in ways that strengthen local ownership and agency, rather than undermining or replacing them.

“One Humanity: Shared Responsibility” is what the Secretary-General chose to title his report for the World Humanitarian Summit. In light of this affirmation of the oneness of humankind, it is worth noting that the process of building new models of collective life can be advanced by all segments of humanity, regardless of location, nationality, race, formal education, or other characteristics. Communities in low-income areas are, for example, every bit as capable of building cohesive and vibrant patterns of social life as those in high-income areas. It therefore seems likely that the “developed” world will have as much to learn from the “developing” world, as vice-versa in the coming years. Such reciprocal support and assistance is a source of great strength, and through it, expression is given to the fundamental principle that social action should operate on the ideal of universal participation. Every member of the human family has not only the right to benefit from a materially and spiritually prosperous civilization but also the capacity to contribute towards its construction through the fundamentally humanitarian idea of committed and selfless service to others.

 

“As we were approaching the village, we saw three … youth walking in the opposite direction under strong sun. We asked where they were going, and they said they were going to a nearby village to conduct their children’s classes and junior youth groups. Later, in the village, we saw that their houses were destroyed and still unbuilt.”

~ member of a response team assessing damage from a cyclone in the Pacific Islands