The Power of Reflection:
Advancing Governance and Dispute Resolution Systems through Devolved Reflection and Shared Knowledge Generation

by Shahla Ali

About: The “power of reflection” has been described by Bahá’u’lláh as “the source of crafts, sciences and arts” and an “ideal mine” with the capacity to produce “pearls of wisdom and utterance as will promote the well-being and harmony of all the kindreds of the earth” (Bahá’u’lláh, Tablets 72). This power to reflect as individuals and communities has increasingly been tapped into within institutions of governance as well. This paper begins with an exploration of what may be described as an emerging approach to “devolved reflection” in which local communities engage in earnest deliberation to arrive at a greater understanding of existing circumstances, celebrate accomplishments, analyze challenges, learn from experience, and plan next steps.