building a World civilisation Capacity Building Study

building a World civilisation: Capacity Building & Study Circles Scottish Summer School 2009

Guiding a Community [The House of Justice] guides a community engaged in a dialogical process of learning to translate the teachings into action over time to create a new social order manifested in the lives of individual believers, the creation of a distinctive Bahá’í community, and the advancement of civilisation. (Paul Lample: Revelation & Social Reality page 57)

From Statement on Bahá’u’lláh [T]he most challenging feature of Bahá’u’lláh’s exposition of the function of the Manifestation of God: Divine Revelation is, He says, the motive power of civilisation. When it occurs, its transforming effect on the minds and souls of those who respond to it is replicated in the new society that slowly takes shape around their experience.

The Greatest Gift to a People The greatest gift to a people is to assist them in developing the capacity to apply Bahá'u'lláh’s Revelation, chart a proper path for their own progress and contribute to the progress of humanity. (International Teaching Centre 22 nd November 1992: para. 45)

Capacity for Community Building The challenges of growth will test and develop the capacities of our institutions at all levels, but ultimately these bodies were designed to serve large numbers of people. Indeed, “so much of the ability of the Faith to develop capacity for community building depends upon the size of our membership. ” (Building Momentum: page 17)

What Is a Community? A community is …a comprehensive unit of civilisation composed of individuals, families and institutions that are originators and encouragers of systems, agencies and organisations working together with a common purpose for the welfare of people both within and beyond its own borders; it is a composition of diverse, interacting participants that are achieving unity in an unremitting quest for spiritual and social progress. (Universal House of Justice: Ridván 1996)

Growth is the Answer Shoghi Effendi has assured us that growth is the answer to fulfilling the potentialities of our Administrative Order: The problems which confront the believers at the present time, whether social, spiritual, economic or administrative, will be gradually solved as the number and the resources of the friends multiply and their capacity for service … develops. (Ibid. )

. . . the Universal House of Justice states: A massive expansion of the Bahá’í community must be achieved far beyond all past records…. The need for this is critical, for without it the laboriously erected agencies of the Administrative Order will not be provided the scope to be able to develop and adequately demonstrate their inherent capacity to minister to the crying needs of humanity in its hour of deepening despair. (Building Momentum: page 17) Capacity to Minister

Out-ward Looking Orientation What has helped clusters with a strong institute process move toward the next stage of development has been the efforts of Bahá’ís to open their communities to the public at large and guide ready souls to the Cause in progressively increasing numbers. In some of these advanced clusters, most of the participants in the first course of the institute have been seekers. It is evident, then, that a systematic approach to training has created a way for Bahá’ís to reach out to the surrounding society, share Bahá’u’lláh’s message with friends, family, neighbours and coworkers, and expose them to the richness of His teachings. This outward-looking orientation is one of the finest fruits of the grassroots learning taking place. (Building Momentum: page 9)

We Are All Living in the Same World Having an ‘outward-looking orientation’ also suggests that it is important for Bahá’ís to understand more deeply the forces operating on the world stage and the solutions offered by the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh. Our task is to convey to seekers that we are all living in the same world, facing common trials, and striving to fulfil similar, long-held aspirations for the human race. Our expressions of solidarity with our fellow human beings must be sincerely voiced and genuinely felt. (Building Momentum: page 19)

The Signs of Oneness O CHILDREN OF MEN! Know ye not why We created you all from the same dust? That no one should exalt himself over the other. Ponder at all times in your hearts how ye were created. Since We have created you all from one same substance it is incumbent on you to be even as one soul, to walk with the same feet, eat with the same mouth and dwell in the same land, that from your inmost being, by your deeds and actions, the signs of oneness and the essence of detachment may be made manifest. Such is My counsel to you, O concourse of light! Heed ye this counsel that ye may obtain the fruit of holiness from the tree of wondrous glory. (AHW: 68)

Open-to-All How open to all can we get?

Not a Congregation To mistakenly identify Bahá’í community life with the mode of religious activity that characterises the general society-in which the believer is a member of a congregation, leadership comes from an individual or individuals presumed to be qualified for the purpose, and personal participation is fitted into a schedule dominated by concerns of a very different nature --can only have the effect of marginalising the Faith and robbing the community of the spiritual vitality available to it. Universal House of Justice, 22 August 2002.

Chief Propellant of Change Referred to as the “chief propellant” of the change in culture, the training institutes, with their ability to produce an expanding number of human resources, have fundamentally altered the approach of the Bahá’í community to the tasks at hand. More than ever the rank and file of the believers are involved in meaningful and vital service to the Cause. Whether by holding devotional meetings, facilitating study circles, or teaching children’s classes, a greater number of friends have found paths of service that do not depend on publicspeaking prowess. The training institutes have imparted the necessary “spiritual insights, ” “knowledge, ” and “skills” that have enabled the believers to “facilitate the process of entry by troops with efficiency and love. ” (Building Momentum: pages 18 -19)

High Degree of Participation The House of Justice has remarked on this accomplishment: It is especially gratifying to note the high degree of participation of believers in the various aspects of the growth process. In cluster after cluster, the number of those shouldering the responsibilities of expansion and consolidation is steadily increasing. (Building Momentum: pages 18 -19)

The Organising Principle From among the various possibilities, the Ruhi institute has chosen ‘service to the Cause’ as the organising principle of its educational activities. (Learning about Growth: page 50) The purpose of our courses is to empower the friends spiritually and morally to serve the Faith. . . (Book Seven: page 102)

Mistakes Were Made Out of a desire to apply the guidance ‘correctly, ’ there was a tendency in isolated cases to go to extremes: Either everyone was to be a tutor or restrictions were imposed. People who had taught children for years were told they couldn’t continue unless they did Book Three. Firesides were abandoned in place of study circles. People were rushed through the courses without doing the practice. (Paul Lample: Revelation and Social Reality pages 64 and 92.

Points from the London Conference No clear line between Bahá’ís and non. Bahá’ís. We are striving to connect the hearts of the world to the Word of God. Growth is not only to do with enrolments There are many ways in which we can support the Plan. Methods of teaching can’t be governed by hard and fast rules.

Spirit & Process The most [the teachers and administrators] could expect from themselves was to engage wholeheartedly in an intensive plan of action and an accompanying process of reflection and consultation. This reflection and consultation had to be carried out in unshakeable unity and with a spirit of utmost humility. The main thrust of the consultation had to be the objective analysis of possibly courses of action and the evaluation of methods and results, all carried out in the light of the Writings of the Faith. (Learning About Growth: page 10)

Relating to the Writings. . . to reach true understanding. . . one must think deeply about the meaning of each statement and its applications in one’s own life and in the life of society. Three levels of comprehension are: basic understanding of the meaning of words and sentences applying some of the concepts to one’s daily life, and thinking about the implications of a quotation for situations having no apparent or immediate connection with its theme. (Learning about Growth: pages 30 -31)

The Study Circle Process Book One (page 9): ‘The betterment of the world can be accomplished through pure and goodly deeds, through commendable and seemly conduct. ’ (The Advent of Divine Justice: pages 24 -25) Book Two (page 46): ‘The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh encompasses all units of human society; integrates the spiritual, administrative and social processes of life; and canalises human expression in its various forms towards the construction of a new civilisation. ’ (Universal House of Justice: 1989) Book Three (page 9): ‘Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education, alone, can cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom. ’ (Gleanings: CXXIII) Book Four (page 8): ‘It is incumbent upon all the peoples of the world to reconcile their differences, and with perfect unity and peace, abide beneath the shadow of the Tree of His care and loving-kindness. ’ (Gleanings: IV)

The Study Circle Process Book Six (page 11): ‘The world is in great turmoil, and its problems seem to become daily more acute. We should, therefore, not sit idle. . . Bahá’u’lláh has not given us His Teachings to treasure them and hide them for our personal delight and pleasure. He gave them to us that we may pass them from mouth to mouth, until all the world. . enjoys their blessings and uplifting influence. ’ (The Guardian: 27 March 1933) Book Seven (page 67): ‘Children are the most precious treasure a community can possess, for in them are the promise and guarantee of the future. They bear the seeds of the character of future society which is largely shaped by what the adults constituting the community do or fail to do with respect to children. ’ (Universal House of Justice: Ridván 2000)

From Statement on Bahá’u’lláh A new centre of loyalty emerges that can win the commitment of peoples from the widest range of cultures; music and the arts seize on symbols that mediate far richer and more mature inspirations; a radical redefinition of concepts of right and wrong makes possible the formulation of new codes of civil law and conduct; new institutions are conceived in order to give expression to impulses of moral responsibility previously ignored or unknown. .

From Statement on Bahá’u’lláh As the new culture evolves into a civilisation, it assimilates achievements and insights of past eras in a multitude of fresh permutations. Features of past cultures that cannot be incorporated atrophy or are taken up by marginal elements among the population. The Word of God creates new possibilities within both the individual consciousness and human relationships.