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Search for tag "Action"

from the chronology

date event locations tags see also
1929 16 Mar In December of 1925 the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of United States and Canada adopted the "Unified Plan of Action" and among the resolutions was to raise some $400,000 over the following three years to construct the first unit of the superstructure of the Temple. By the end of 1926 only $51,000 had been collected and the following year was just as disappointing. At the National Convention in 1928 Fred Schopflocher's donation of $25,000 inspired contributions and the Fund rose to about $87,000 by March 1929. On this day Fred and Lorol Schopflocher contributed a further $100,000. [LoF388-389, SETPE1p162-163]
  • See May 1937 for another contribution of $100,000 from the Schopflochers.
    		•  Montreal; Canada; Wilmette; United States Mashriqul-Adhkar, Wilmette; Fred Schopflocher; Lorol Schopflocher; Unified Plan of Action; Funds
    1983. Jul 1983 The Office of Social and Economic Development was opened at the Bahá’í World Centre. [AWH8; BBD70; BBRSM154; BW19:58; VV78]
  • See BW19:351–5 for a survey of Bahá’í social and economic projects.
    		•  BWC Office of Social and Economic Development; Social and economic development; Social action
    1983 20 Oct The establishment of the Office of Social and Economic Development.

     In a message to the Bahá'í world the Universal House of Justice called on individuals and Bahá'í communities to apply the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh systematically to the problems of their societies. This seminal statement pointed to the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh as a source of order in the world, asserted the coherence of the spiritual and the material dimensions of human life, praised the social and economic progress achieved by the Bahá'í community of Iran, announced the establishment of the Office of Social and Economic Development at the World Centre and defined the role of various Bahá'í agencies in fostering development. [Message from the Universal House of Justice dated 20 October, 1983, Mess63-86p602-603,AWH6–10; BW19:153, BW92-93pg229-245]

  • For the response of the Bahá’í world to the letter see BW19:112–13.
  • See also Social and Economic Development: The Bahá'í Contribution, a paper prepared for the United Nations Department of Public Information Annual Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations (“New Approaches to Development: Building a Just World”) held in New York 5 September 1984.
  • The document Bahá’í Social and Economic Development: Prospects for the Future, prepared at the World Centre was approved for publication by the Universal House of Justice on the 16th of September 1993, for use by the Office of Social and Economic Development (OSED) in orienting and guiding the work in this area. Most central to this vision was the question of capacity building. That activity should start on a modest scale and only grow in complexity in keeping with available human resources was a concept that gradually came to influence development thought and practice. [Message from the Universal House of Justice dated 26 November, 2012]
  • See also The Evolution of Institutional Capacity for Social and Economic Development by the Office of Social and Economic Development dated 28 August, 1994. It described two types of organizational arrangements that emerged in the Bahá'í world capable of undertaking increasingly complex development efforts - training institutes and Bahá'í-inspired agencies.
  • A related document, The Prosperity of Humankind, was issued by the Bahá'í International Community's Office of Public Information and disseminated at the United Nations' 1995 World Summit for Social Development held in Copenhagen, Denmark. It offered a vision of social and economic development based on Bahá'í concepts. The document was first released on 23 January 1995.
  • A Clarification of Some Issues Concerning Social and Economic Development in Local and National Communities was prepared by the Office of Social and Economic Development in November of 1999 to respond to a number of questions that had arisen over the previous few years. It touched on such issues as degrees of complexity in development activity, the relationship between teaching and development, and participation in development projects.
  • See also Social Action by Office of Social and Economic Development dated 26 November, 2012.
  • See also For the Betterment of the World:The Worldwide Bahá'í Community's Approach to Social and Economic Development by Office of Social and Economic Development released on the 27th of April, 2018, updating publications of 2003 and 2008.
  • See also Vick, Social and Economic Development: A Bahá’í Approach.
  • The Office of Social and Economic Development was succeeded by the Bahá’í International Development Organization on 9 November 2018.
    		•  BWC Social and economic development; Social action; Office of Social and Economic Development; Bahai International Development Organization; Bahai International Community; BIC statements
    1993 16 Sep The document Bahá’í Social and Economic Development: Prospects for the Future, prepared at the World Centre, was approved for publication by the Universal House of Justice for use by the Office of Social and Economic Development (OSED) in orienting and guiding the work in this area. Most central to this vision was the question of capacity building. That activities should start on a modest scale and only grow in complexity in keeping with available human resources was a concept that gradually came to influence development thought and practice. [Message from the Universal House of Justice dated 26 November, 2012] BWC; Haifa Social and economic development; Capacity building; Publications; Growth; Bahai Faith, Evolutionary nature of; Social action; Office of Social and Economic Development
    1995 23 Jan To respond to the increased attention given to the issues of social and economic development following the Earth Summit in Rio in 1992, the Universal House of Justice asked the Bahá'í International Community's Office of Public Information to prepare a statement on the concept of global prosperity in the context of the Bahá'í teachings. The statement is entitled The Prosperity of Humankind. [Mess86-01p417-8]

    Humanity has done well to articulate material indicators of development, and even to achieve a number of them. But focusing only on that which is quantifiable has obscured the critical importance of factors related to higher aspects of the human spirit, such as the value of relationships, the quality of one’s character, and the coherence between principles and deeds. The need to bring such factors to the centre of the development discourse was outlined in The Prosperity of Humankind, which made clear that ideals require the force of spiritual commitment to cement them. The statement laid out an ambitious vision of humanity’s capacity to take charge of the course of its development, and addressed a set of principles and concepts indispensable to the task, from reimagining collective decision-making to rearranging economic priorities. It called for “unconditioned recognition of the oneness of humankind” and “a commitment to the establishment of justice as the organizing principle of society”. [BIC 3 March 2020]

    		BWC Prosperity of Humankind (statement); Social and economic development; Social action; Bahai International Community; BIC statements; Statements; Publications; - Basic timeline, Expanded
    2000 1 Jan The publication of The Lab, the Temple, and the Market: Reflections at the Intersection of Science, Religion, and Development by IDRC (International Development Research Centre) edited by Sharon Harper with essays about development issues and process from the perspectives of four different religious beliefs, Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, and the Bahá'i Faith. The authors — each a scientist as well as a person of faith — show how religious belief and personal faith can be deeply motivational and strikingly fruitful in scientific pursuits. Further, they emphasize how their faith has brought them a profound understanding of interconnectedness and compassion, and thus a wider perspective and loaded from the IDRC site. Science; IDRC; Institute for Studies in Global Prosperity (ISGP); Hinduism; Christianity; Islam; Interfaith dialogue; Social and economic development; Sustainable development; Social action
    2008 Apr The publication of For the Betterment of the World: The Worldwide Bahá'í Community's Approach to Social and Economic Development by Office of Social and Economic Development. It contained essays, photographs, and overviews of local projects around the world illustrating how Bahá'í principles of social and economic development were being carried out in practice.
  • See 2018-04-27 for an updated version.
    		•  BWC * Institute process; Social and economic development; Social action; For the Betterment of the World (document)
    2009. 24 Nov In a message the Universal House of Justice called on the Bahá'ís in Iran to active participation in the affairs of Iran, its reconstruction, and in the improvement of its social conditions notwithstanding the current threatening conditions facing them and to collaborate actively with other Iranians who are active in the areas of social development without taking part in any of the many Iranian political groups. The Universal House of Justice asked the Bahá'ís of Iran to search for the foundations of sustainable social and cultural advancement in their consultation at the family and community level, through an emphasis on the role of the family in children’s education, through a true understanding of justice and service to mankind. The message included a translation of the compilation on Family Life originally included with an English message from the Universal House of Justice. Iran Compilations; Family (general); Social action; Universal House of Justice, Letters and messages
    2011 Ridván The Preparation for Social Action programme was implemented under the Five Year Plan.

    The programme drew on the learning of three decades of experience of FUNDAEC (Fundación para la Aplicación y Enseñanza de las Ciencias), in Columbia. It was an approach to social and economic development that addressed both the material and the spiritual dimensions of human existence. The programme aimed at assisting youth to understand certain concepts, learn a range of relevant facts, and acquire certain qualities, attitudes and skills that would enable them to promote the well-being of their people in fields as diverse as health, education, the environment, secondary production and community organization.

  • At the beginning of the Plan, the programme was being implemented in nine countries, Cameroon, Colombia, Costa Rica, India, Kenya, Papua New Guinea, Uganda and Zambia and involved some 1,500 to 3,000 participants. [5YPSumPage94-95]
  • For further information see video entitled 2017 Teach For All Global Conference - Grassroots Stirrings in the Preparation for Social Action Program, Colombia
  • See the thesis Knowledge Sharing for Community Developement: Educational Benefits at the Community Level through Networks of Knowledge Flow and Communities of Practice by Emily Lample.
    		• BWC; Cameroon; Colombia; Costa Rica; India; Kenya; Papua New Guinea; Uganda; Zambia Five Year Plan (2011-2016); Teaching Plans; Preparation for Social Action
    2012 26 Nov The Universal House of Justice shared, in a message to all National Assemblies, a statement prepared by the Office of Social and Economic Development at the Bahá’í World Centre, a statement on the subject of and with the title of, Social Action. The statement offered a brief overview of the involvement of the Bahá’í community in the area of social and economic development, placing it in the context of current activity at the level of the cluster. In this connection, the House of Justice requested the Bahá'í Community to make clear that the distribution of the document should not be seen as a call for widespread action in this area; it was intended as an instrument to further raise consciousness about the nature of social action and some of the methods it employed. [Message from the Universal House of Justice dated 26 November, 2012] BWC * Institute process; Social action; Social and economic development
    2016 (End of the Five Year Plan) The Preparation for Social Action programme that was implemented at the beginning of the Five Year Plan was expanded to seven additional countries: Cambodia, Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ecuador, Panama, the Philippines and Vanuatu.
  • Over 10,000 had participated in the programme with about 1,800 among these who had studied all of the texts available.
  • In addition some 1,700 individuals serving institutions and agencies of the Fatih in 25 countries had studied a selection the the materials in a seminar setting. [5YPSumPage94-95]
  • Preparation for Social Action was implemented as a course of study at the New Era High School and Senior Secondary in Panchgani.
    		• Cambodia; Central African Republic; Congo, Democratic Republic of (DRC); Ecuador; Panama; Philippines; Vanuatu Five Year Plan (2011-2016); Teaching Plans; Preparation for Social Action
    2018. 27 Apr The publication of the booklet entitled For the Betterment of the World by the Office of Social and Economic Development to be made available to the more than 1,300 delegates at the International Bahá'í Convention. As with the editions published in 2003 and 2008, it provided an illustration of the Bahá'í community’s ongoing process of learning and action in the field of social and economic development. [BWNS1255] BWC * Institute process; Social and economic development; Social action; For the Betterment of the World (document); - Basic timeline, Expanded
    2018 30 Apr The announcement of the election of the 12th Universal House of Justice. Those elected were Paul Lample, Chuungu Malitonga, Payman Mohajer, Shahriar Razavi, Stephen Hall, Ayman Rouhani, Stephen Birkland, Juan Francisco Mora, and Praveen Mallik. [BWNS1258]
  • The Twelfth International Bahá'í Convention was held from the 29th of April until the 2nd of May. In the election of the Universal House of Justice over 1,300 ballots were cast by representatives of 160 national communities. [BWNS1256, BWNS1257, BWNS1259, BWNS1261]
  • See Vimeo for a short film of the International Convention by Farideh Baki-Nasseri.
  • The film A Widening Embrace was screened at the Convention, enriching the consultations of the delegates. It is a documentary film about the community-building efforts of the Bahá'í world. Many of the themes discussed over the days of the Convention were highlighted in the practical examples presented in the documentary which tells the story of the transformation of communities unfolding throughout the world by featuring the process in 24 communities representing different realities and contexts. The 77-minute film, which was commissioned by the Universal House of Justice, was made available in English, Spanish, French, Russian, Arabic, and Persian. [BWNS1260] .
    		•  BWC; Haifa Paul Lample; Chuungu Malitonga; Payman Mohajer; Shahriar Razavi; Stephen Hall; Ayman Rouhani; Stephen Birkland; Juan Francisco Mora; Praveen Mallik; Universal House of Justice, Election of; Universal House of Justice, Members of; Conventions, International; BWNS; Widening Embrace, A (film); Documentaries; Documentaries, BWC; * Institute process; Social action; Social and economic development; Farideh Baki-Nasseri
    2018 9 Nov The Universal House of Justice announced that the Office of Social and Economic Development would be succeeded by the Bahá’í International Development Organization with a five-member board of directors to serve a five year term of service with appointment to be made on the Day of the Covenant.
  • In addition a new fund, the Bahá'í Development Fund, was inaugurated which will be supported by the Universal House of Justice, individuals and institutions. [Message from the Universal House of Justice dated 9 November, 2018]
  • Three days later the Universal House of Justice announced the appointment of the members of the Board of Directors for the Bahá'í International Development Organization for the five-year term beginning 26 November 2018: Elisa Caney, Maame Brodwemaba Nketsiah, Lori McLaughlin Noguchi, Sina Rahmanian, and George Soraya.
  • See also BWNS1308.
    		•  BWC Social and Economic Development; Social action; Bahai International Development Organization; Funds; Bahai Development Fund; BWNS

    from the chronology of Canada

    date event locations tags see also
    1941. 8 Apr The passing of Urbain Joseph Ledoux (b. August 13, 1874 in Ste Hélène de Bagot, Quebec). He was buried in Saint Joseph's Cemetery Biddeford, Maine.
  • He is believed to be the third French-Canadian to become a Bahá'í outside of Canada. [OCBB94]
  • He gave an address to the National Convention at the Hotel McAlpine on the 28th of April, 1919 entitled The Oneness of the World of Humanity. [SoW Vol 10 May 17, 1919 No 4 p58] "This talk 'sounded so French-Canadian' that later francophone believers could still be moved to tears in reading its text." [OCBB94]
  • He received widespread publicity for his opening of bread lines in New York (The Stepping Stone) and for “auctions” of the jobless to employers in New York and Boston during the Depression of 1921. He was received by President Warren Harding shortly after arriving in Washington, D.C. in September 1921. Ledoux spent a little over three months in Washington, D.C. 1921-22 campaigning for a public works program funded by a tax on companies that made excessive war profits during World War I. His tactics included setting up a hotel housing the unemployed on Pennsylvania Avenue, an auction of the jobless, speaking before the unemployment conference, calling for the arrest of international arms conference delegates. He walked around the city carrying a white umbrella, a lighted lantern and a Bible or a copy of the Sermon on the Mount saying he was like Diogenes searching for an honest man.
  • Urbain Ledoux is shown in Boston in 1921 auctioning off an unemployed man. He conducted these auctions in New York and Boston in order to garner publicity for the plight of the unemployed and to find work for the jobless. He called himself “Mr. Zero” because he said he didn’t want any publicity for himself.
  • “Mr. Zero” returned to Washington in 1932 with the Bonus Expeditionary Force, leading an unauthorized march on the White House July 16, 1932 that resulted in his arrest along with two others. The march frightened President Herbert Hoover who set in motion the eviction of the bonus marchers from the city—a move that backfired on Hoover and helped to cement his reputation as someone uncaring about the plight of the nation’s unemployed. Photos.
  • Find a grave.
  • His obituary in the New York Times April 10th 1941.
  • He is reported to have "rescued" 85 year-old Sarah Farmer in Portsmouth where she was being held in a sanatorium against her will. [Boston Post 4 August 1916]
  • See a story from Ephemeral New York.
  • There is a short description of Urbain LeDoux in He Loved and Served: The Story of Curtis Kelsey p 33-34.
    		•  Ste Hélène de Bagot, QC; New York; Boston; Washington DC Urbain Ladoux; Mr Zero; Social Action
    1983 21 - 23 Nov A brief entitled The Future of Canada: A Bahá’í Perspective was presented to The Royal Commission on the Economic Union and Development Prospects of Canada on behalf of the Canadian Bahá’í Community through the National Spiritual Assembly in Saskatoon. [The Future of Canada: A Bahá’í Perspective]
  • Photographs in this publication were contributed by Elizabeth Martin. [HNWE44]
    		•  Saskatoon, SK Social action; Ethics; Economics; Consultation; Agriculture; Women; Native Americans; Elderly; Education

    from the main catalogue

    1. ?'о имя улучшения мира: Подход мирового сообщества ?'ахаи к социально-экономическому развитию, by Международное Сообщество Бахаи (n.d.). Несмотря на десятилетия серьезных усилий и огромные финансовые вложения, не появилось ни одной ясной стратегии развития, но лишь общее чувство отчаяния от неудач в достижении высоких целей развития. [about]
    2. Action Research, by Rhett Diessner, in Converging Realities, 1:1 (2000). The purpose of action research is "transformative action," action that makes a difference in the life-worlds of both the researcher and the researched. [about]
    3. Arising to Act, by Bahá'u'lláh and Abdu'l-Bahá (2002). [about]
    4. Bahá'í: Religion and Diet, by Paul Fieldhouse, in Encyclopedia of Food and Culture (2003). Short overview of fasting, feast, and diet. [about]
    5. Bahá'í: History, Beliefs, Practices, Theological Exchanges, and Current Issues, by Christopher Buck, in Handbook of Religion: A Christian Engagement with Traditions, Teachings, and Practices (2014). Brief overviews of Bahá'í history and thought. [about]
    6. Baha'i Faith and Social Action, by Christopher Buck, in Encyclopedia of Activism and Social Justice, ed. Gary L. Anderson and Kathryn Herr (2007). [about]
    7. Bahá'í Faith, The, by Christopher Buck, in The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Religion and Social Justice, ed. Michael D. Palmer and Stanley M. Burgess (2012). [about]
    8. Baha'i Faith: The Basics by Christopher Buck: Review, by Jack McLean (2020). [about]
    9. Bahá'í Focus on Development, by Moojan Momen: Review, by Kurt Hein, in Journal of Bahá'í Studies, 2:3 (1990). [about]
    10. Bahá'í Health Initiatives in Iran: A preliminary survey, by Seena Fazel and Minou Foadi, in The Bahá'ís of Iran: Socio-historical Studies, ed. Dominic Parviz Brookshaw & Seena B. Fazel (2008). Bahá'í-related initiatives in Iran in the 19th-20th centuries: Bahá'ís made important contributions to public health such as introducing showers in public baths, school vaccinations, women's health, and privately-financed clinics open to all Iranians. [about]
    11. Bahá'í Village Granary, The: Spiritual Underpinnings and Applications to North America, by Peter Calkins and Benoit Girard, in Journal of Bahá'í Studies, 8:3 (1998). A village granary helps lay the systemic foundations of Bahá’u’lláh’s spiritualized new world economic order for both rural and urban society, the capstone of God’s progressive revelation of rural institutions for the sustainable use of natural resources. [about]
    12. Bahá'u'lláh and Liberation Theology, by Juan Cole, in Revisioning the Sacred: New Perspectives on a Bahá'í Theology, Studies in the Bábí and Bahá'í Religions vol. 8 (1997). The idea of liberation and equality is central to Bahá'í theology; the poor in the 19th century Middle East; Bahá'u'lláh and the poor; Tablet to the Kings on wealth and peace; laws of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas and Huququ'lláh; state social welfare. [about]
    13. Bahai Movement, The: A paper read by Shoghi Effendi at Oxford, by Shoghi Effendi, in The Dawn, 1:1-8 (1923). Text of an address given to the Oxford University Asiatic Society, February 1921, before the passing of 'Abdu'l-Bahá and before Shoghi Effendi was appointed the "Guardian." [about]
    14. Begin with the Village: The Bahá'í Approach to Rural Development, by Paul Hanley, in Bahá'í World (2019). About the focus on rural areas, the role of farmers and villages in achieving sustainable development, establishing community institutions, social action and public discourse. [about]
    15. Bonds that Sustain: Bahá'í Community-Building Efforts Through the Lens of Disaster Response, by Bani Dugal, in Bahá'í World (2019). On disaster response in the Bahá'í community, systems of human resource development, community-building capacity, coordination, communication, collective action, and spiritual needs. [about]
    16. Centers of Learning for Social and Economic Development, by Paul Lample (1995). On the birth and efflorescence of a new civilization; a new age of maturity in humanity's development; the conceptual basis for development strategies; development projects as centers of learning; the Office of Social and Economic Development at the BWC. [about]
    17. Changement du climat, by Universal House of Justice (2020). Traduction provisoire. [about]
    18. Climate Change: Policies and Political Discourse, by Universal House of Justice (2017). Letter "to three individuals" on the science behind anthropogenic (human-caused) global warming, and how Bahá'ís might participate in activism and raising awareness of the issue while avoiding political divisiveness. [about]
    19. Communal Harmony: India's Greatest Challenge, by National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of India (1993). A formal statement from the NSA of the Bahá'ís of India on the need to overcome religious, linguistic and caste-based tensions. [about]
    20. Community and Collective Action, by Gustavo Correa, in Bahá'í World (2015). On the hopeful efforts of groups of people around the world to build a new kind of community based on the oneness of humankind, and the vision and process guiding these efforts. [about]
    21. Compilation "L'état actuel de désordre et de confusion du monde," Centre International d'Enseignement, by Bahá'u'lláh and Abdu'l-Bahá (2020). Compilation du Centre International d'Enseignement. [about]
    22. Creating an Inclusive Narrative, by Australian Bahá'í Community (2020). Culmination of a series of nationwide round tables, conveying the vision of Australians to foster a socially cohesive society. [about]
    23. De l'action sociale, by Bahá'u'lláh and Abdu'l-Bahá (2020). Concepts de développement dans les enseignements baha'is, dimensions matérielles et dimensions spirituelles de l'existence, problèmes communautaires, thèmes spécifiques de l'éducation, de l'agriculture, de l'économie, de la santé, des arts et technologie. [about]
    24. Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Nine Year Plan, by Universal House of Justice (2022). Matters relating to the Nine Year Plan (2022-2031), ethnic and cultural diversity, the human family's crisis of identity, prejudice, Africa, and economic injustice. [about]
    25. Discussion with Farida Vahedi, Executive Director of the Department of External Affairs, National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of India, A, by Michael Bodakowski and Katherine Marshall (2011). Overview of Vahedi's life and work, history of the Faith in India and development projects, the Institute for Studies in Global Prosperity, and issues regarding migration and protection of women and girls. [about]
    26. "Double Crusade" and the American Baha'i Community, The, by Universal House of Justice (2018). Comments on what the double crusade means, how it relates to the current series of Plans of the Faith, what should be done to carry it out, and the Advent of Divine Justice. [about]
    27. Dynamics of Prayer, by Ruhaniyyih Ruth Moffett (1973). Pilgrims note from the words of Shoghi Effendi about "five steps" for prayer and action (from 1954), followed by explanatory notes from the Universal House of Justice (from 1978). [about]
    28. Evolution of Institutional Capacity for Social and Economic Development, The, by Office of Social and Economic Development (1994). Bahá'í principles of development and guidelines for individual initiative. [about]
    29. Five Year Plan, The: 2006-2011: Messages of the Universal House of Justice, by Universal House of Justice (2006). Five Ridvan messages, one message to the Counsellors, and three other letters. [about]
    30. For the Betterment of the World: The Worldwide Bahá'í Community's Approach to Social and Economic Development, by Office of Social and Economic Development (2018). Essays, photographs, and overviews of local projects around the world, illustrating how Bahá'í principles are being carried out in practice, prepared by the Office of Social and Economic Development of the Bahá'í International Community. [about]
    31. Framework for Action: 2006-2016, Selected Messages of the Universal House of Justice and Supplementary Material, by Universal House of Justice (2017). 58 letters from the House; "Social Action," by the Office of Social and Economic Development; "Insights from the Frontiers of Learning" and "Training Institutes: Attaining a Higher Level of Functioning," prepared by the International Teaching Centre. [about]
    32. Global Scholars as Ambassadors of Knowledge, by Boris Handal, in Academic Migration, Discipline Knowledge and Pedagogical Practice: Voices from the Asia Pacific, eds. F. Rawling and C. Mason (2013). Global scholars can face challenges interacting with peers and with the community of their destination cultures, but can become agents of social change due to their unique overseas positions, and teach global citizenship, moral leadership, and unity. [about]
    33. Guidelines for Economic Living: Messages from the Universal House of Justice Related to Economics, by Universal House of Justice (2017). Compilation by an author of books on, and degrees in, economics. [about]
    34. Heart of the Gospel: The Bible and the Bahá'í Faith, by George Townshend (1939). Using only the text of the Bible, Townshend provides a new reading of Scripture as a guidebook for those who seek a universal view of religion and the contemporary world. [about]
    35. Human Knowledge and the Advancement of Society, by Hoda Mahmoudi, in Journal of Bahá'í Studies, 22:1-4 (2012). Knowledge is the means toward realizing a global civilization. The current Five Year Plan focuses the Bahá'í community’s consultation, reflection, and global growth, and the individual’s applying spiritual and secular knowledge to help this process. [about]
    36. Human Rights and the Rights of the Child: Implications for Children's Participation in the Bahá'í Community, by Greg Duly, in Bahá'í-Inspired Perspectives on Human Rights (2001). Are human rights universal? Do rights have spiritual or religious influences? What is the relevance of child rights and prospects of children’s participation in the Bahá’í community? [about]
    37. Ideas, Religion, and Social Change, by Julia Berger, in Rethinking Religion and Politics in a Plural World: The Bahá'í International Community and the United Nations (2021). Links to a book chapter and video presentation and presentation notes (offsite) presented for the Joint Learning Initiative on Faith & Local Communities, on meaning-making processes driving NGO behavior and the Bahá'í Faith's pursuit of social change. [about]
    38. Knowledge into Action: The Bahá'í Imperative to Serve Humanity, by Layli Miller-Muro, in Journal of Bahá'í Studies, 24:1-2 (2014). On the history of experience and evolution in thinking regarding social action in the Bahá’í community; the Tahirih Justice Center’s experience as one example of such learning; the culture of service we must embody. [about]
    39. Lessons in Leadership, by May Khadem, in Journal of Bahá'í Studies, 28:4 (2018). A personal journey of learning about leadership; widely shared false assumptions have led many off-course in addressing the challenges in the fight against blindness, and other public health concerns. [about]
    40. Letter on Racism in the United States, by Universal House of Justice (2020). Letter on need for American people to grasp the moment to create a reform of its social order related to racial prejudice, and the Bahá’í community’s distinctive contribution to the eradication of racism. [about]
    41. Liberation Theology and its Potential for Guidance Towards Peace on Earth: A Bahá'í Perspective, by Fleur Fallon, in 75 Years of the Bahá'í Faith in Australasia (1996). Bahá'u'lláh prescribed both a moral code for individuals based on knowing God and a design for a system of world government. These offer the most holistic answer for liberation theologians today. [about]
    42. Lo sviluppo socio-economico della comunità bahá'í, by Luca Forconi (2022). Panoramica sull’azione sociale baha’i con gran parte dei contenuti estratti e tradotti dal documento "For the Betterment of the World" (OSED / BIC, 2018), integrati da alcuni cenni alla letteratura in ambito economico. [about]
    43. Message to the Conference of the Continental Boards of Counsellors on the Nine Year Plan, by Universal House of Justice (2021). Features of the new 9-Year Plan, "the first major undertaking in a sacred twenty-five-year venture, generational in its scope and significance," to be implemented Ridvan 2022. [about]
    44. Nine Year Plan, The: 2022-2031, by Universal House of Justice (2021). 9 letters from November 2021 to January 2022, addressed to the Bahá'í world, Continental Counsellors, Auxiliary Board members, and National Spiritual Assemblies. Link to free download of book (offsite). [about]
    45. Non-Involvement in Partisan Politics, by Universal House of Justice (2013). Lengthy letter to the Bahá'ís of Iran, and copied to all NSAs, about how Bahá'ís can contribute to global civilization-building partly through the community's own growth and development, and through non-political involvement in society at large. [about]
    46. On the Betterment of the World and the Countering of Negative and Disunifying Forces, by Universal House of Justice (2020). On how individuals can contribute to the betterment of society in view of the present state of the world. [about]
    47. On the Calamitous State of World Affairs and the Material Sustainability of Communities, by Universal House of Justice (2020). On concerns about the affairs of the world and catastrophic events, and whether the global Bahá’í community should undertake projects to address the material sustainability of communities. [about]
    48. One Year Plan, The: 2021-2022, by Universal House of Justice (2021). Letter "To the Bahá’ís of the World" (5 November 2020), Ridvan message (20 April 2021), and a chart "Unfoldment of the Divine Plan" (2021). Link to free download of book (offsite). [about]
    49. Participation in Politics and Social Activities, by Universal House of Justice (2013). Collaboration with political parties that are in opposition to a government is considered a form of involvement in politics. Bahá'ís must learn how to participate in civil activities while abstaining from partisanship. [about]
    50. Paying Special Regard to Agriculture: Collective Action-Research in Africa, by Sanem Kavrul, in Bahá'í World (2021). On Bahá’í-inspired agricultural social action initiatives in Africa. Includes photo gallery of development and agricultural projects. [about]
    51. Political Activity, Social Change, and Public Policy, by Universal House of Justice (2008). Letter to an individual Bahá’í regarding political activity, social change, and public policy. [about]
    52. Potential of the Bahá'í Faith to Grow in Scope and Influence, The, by Annette Prosterman, in Journal of Bahá'í Studies, 4:3 (1992). A sociological perspective says that, to grow and develop, a religion must have ideological and structural elements that foster its effective growth, maintain its cohesion as a collective unit, and enable it to mobilize its members toward social change. [about]
    53. Power and the Bahá'í community, by Moojan Momen, in Lights of Irfan, 19 (2018). While Bahá'í social teachings may have sounded new and exciting a century ago, that is no longer the case today. The problem the world faces is not in the principles that would lead to a better society, but in their application. [about]
    54. Power of Reflection, The: Advancing Governance and Dispute Resolution Systems through Devolved Reflection and Shared Knowledge Generation, by Shahla Ali, in Journal of Bahá'í Studies, 28:4 (2018). Reflection is the "source of crafts, sciences and arts," 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." It can improve institutions and community governance. [about]
    55. Proselytizing, Development, and the Covenant, by Universal House of Justice, in Messages from the Universal House of Justice: 1963-1986, The Third Epoch of the Formative Age (1996). Teaching vs. proselytization; applying Bahá'í social teachings without becoming ensnared in prevailing cultural mores; and the uniqueness of the Bahá'í covenant. [about]
    56. Qualities and Attributes of the Spiritually Learned: Excerpts from The Secret of Divine Civilization, by Thomas R. Wilson (1987). [about]
    57. Reading Reality in Times of Crisis: 'Abdu'l-Bahá and the Great War, by Amin Egea, in Bahá'í World (2021). How ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s analysis of the crises of His time was profoundly distinct from contemporaneous “progressive” movements and thinkers. [about]
    58. Reflections on the Spiritual Dynamics of the Bahá'í Faith, by Alessandro Bausani, in Journal of Bahá'í Studies, 1:1 (1988). The spiritual force released by Bahá’u’lláh has the power to change the entire world; he has given us the power both to understand human problems and to correct them; the gathering together of Bahá’ís in prayer will augment these spiritual forces. [about]
    59. Revelation and Social Reality: Learning to Translate What Is Written into Reality, by Paul Lample (2009). The nature of change in social reality, Bahá’í understanding and practice, learning and growth, participating in the advancement of society, and problems of knowledge and power. [about]
    60. Ridván 2021: Bahá'í Era 178 (2021). Annual message to the Bahá'ís of the world. [about]
    61. Simla, a Tale of Love, by Stanwood Cobb (1919). A Hindu legend retold in poetic form: a story of love and devotion that reconciles flesh and spirit, love and life, the world and the soul. [about]
    62. Social Action, by Office of Social and Economic Development (2012). A paper sent to all LSAs, and the subject of the plenary talk by Valerie Dana at the 2012 SED conference (Orlando, FL). Prepared by the Office of Social and Economic Development of the Bahá'í World Centre. [about]
    63. Social Action, by Bahá'u'lláh and Abdu'l-Bahá (2020). Concepts of social and economic development in the Bahá'í teachings; material vs spiritual dimensions of existence; community issues; specific themes of education, agriculture, economics, health, arts, and technology. [about]
    64. Social Action, Public Discourse, and Non-involvement in Political Affairs, by Universal House of Justice (2017). Alternative courses of action to civil disobedience, circumscribed roles for protest, and the freedom that Bahá’ís have to engage in social action and public discourse, particularly in relation to the principle of non-involvement in political affairs. [about]
    65. Social and Economic Development, by Bahá'u'lláh and Abdu'l-Bahá, in Compilation of Compilations, Volume 3 (2000). [about]
    66. Some Reflections on Bahá'í Approaches to Social Change, by Roshan Danesh and Lex Musta (2012). The Bahá’í writings foresee social change happening both through engagement in society at large and through the work of building patterns and structures within Bahá’í community life. There should be less emphasis on limiting political participation. [about]
    67. Spatial Strategies for Racial Unity, by June Manning Thomas, in Bahá'í World (2020). On the nature and approaches of Bahá’í educational programs and community building efforts which seek, in the context of neighborhoods and villages, to raise capacity for service to humanity. [about]
    68. Spiritual Citizenship: Putting Faith into Practice (2017). Lengthy compilation on promoting the betterment of the world, addressing cruelty and negativity, avoiding harmful actions, acquiring and promoting knowledge, work, and acquiring virtues. [about]
    69. The Pursuit of Social Justice, by Michael Karlberg, in Bahá'í World (2022). An interdisciplinary examination of prevailing conceptions of human nature, power, social organization, and social change, and their implications for the pursuit of peace and justice. [about]
    70. Transformative Leadership: Its Evolution and Impact, by Joan Barstow Hernandez, in Journal of Bahá'í Studies, 28:3 (2018). The ideas behind the conceptual framework and capabilities of Núr University’s "Transformative Leadership Program," developed as a Bahá’í-inspired approach to leadership in academic settings or in projects of social action. [about]
    71. Unlocking the Power of Action, by Bahá'u'lláh and Abdu'l-Bahá (1994). [about]
    72. Vision of Race Unity: America's Most Challenging Issue, by National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States (1991). A formal statement from the US NSA on "the most challenging issue confronting America." [about]
    73. Way Out of No Way, A: Harlem Prep: Transforming Dropouts into Scholars, 1967-1977, by Hussein Ahdieh and Hillary Chapman (2016). History of Harlem preparatory school, one of the earliest alternative schools in the country, as told by its former assistant headmaster. [about]
    74. Working for Betterment of Society, by Gustavo Correa (2008). [about]
    75. World's Current State of Disorder and Confusion, The, by Bahá'u'lláh and Abdu'l-Bahá (2020). Compilation of passages relevant to contemporary issues of 2020, and the appropriate disposition of the Bahá'ís. [about]
     
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