Turning Point For All Nations: Part II
D. Emphasizing Moral Development
The process of integrating human beings into larger and larger groups, although influenced by culture and geography, has been driven largely by religion, the most powerful agent for changing human attitudes and behavior. By religion, however, we mean the essential foundation or reality of religion, not the dogmas and blind imitations which have gradually encrusted it and which are the cause of its decline and effacement.
In the words of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, "Material civilization is like the body. No matter how infinitely graceful, elegant and beautiful it may be, it is dead. Divine civilization is like the spirit, and the body gets its life from the spirit. . . . Without the spirit the world of mankind is lifeless."43
The concept of promoting specific morals or values may be controversial, especially in this age of humanistic relativism. Nevertheless, we firmly believe there exists a common set of values that have been obscured from recognition by those who exaggerate minor differences in religious or cultural practice for political purposes.44 These foundation virtues, taught by all spiritual communities, constitute a basic framework for moral development.
Reflection on the commonalties inherent in the great religious and moral systems of the world reveals that each one espouses unity, cooperation and harmony among people, establishes guidelines for responsible behavior and supports the development of virtues which are the foundation for trust-based and principled interactions.45
1. Promoting the development of curricula for moral education in schools
We advocate a universal campaign to promote moral development. Simply put, this campaign should encourage and assist local initiatives all over the world to incorporate a moral dimension into the education of children. It may necessitate the holding of conferences, the publication of relevant materials and many other supportive activities, all of which represent a solid investment in a future generation.
This campaign for moral development may begin with a few simple precepts. For example, rectitude of conduct, trustworthiness, and honesty are the foundation for stability and progress; altruism should guide all human endeavor, such that sincerity and respect for the rights of others become an integral part of every individual's actions; service to humanity is the true source of happiness, honor and meaning in life.
We also believe the campaign will be successful only to the extent that the force of religion is relied upon in the effort. The doctrine of the separation of church and state should not be used as a shield to block this salutary influence. Specifically, religious communities will have to be drawn in as collaborative partners in this important initiative.
As it proceeds, this campaign will accelerate a process of individual empowerment that will transform the way in which people, regardless of economic class, social standing, or ethnic, racial or religious background, interact with their society.
V. A Turning Point for All Nations: A Call to World Leaders
We have reached a turning point in the progress of nations.
"Unification of the whole of mankind is the hall-mark of the stage which human society is now approaching. Unity of family, of tribe, of city-state, and nation have been successively attempted and fully established. World unity is the goal towards which a harassed humanity is striving. Nation-building has come to an end. The anarchy inherent in state sovereignty is moving towards a climax. A world, growing to maturity, must abandon this fetish, recognize the oneness and wholeness of human relationships, and establish once for all the machinery that can best incarnate this fundamental principle of its life."46 Over a century ago, Bahá'u'lláh taught that there is but one God, that there is only one human race, and that all the world's religions represent stages in the revelation of God's will and purpose for humanity. Bahá'u'lláh announced the arrival of the time, foretold in all of the world's scriptures, when humanity would at last witness the uniting of all peoples into a peaceful and integrated society.
He said that human destiny lies not merely in the creation of a materially prosperous society, but also in the construction of a global civilization where individuals are encouraged to act as moral beings who understand their true nature and are able to progress toward a greater fulfillment that no degree of material bounty alone can provide.
Bahá'u'lláh was also among the first to invoke the phrase "new world order" to describe the momentous changes in the political, social and religious life of the world. "The signs of impending convulsions and chaos can now be discerned, inasmuch as the prevailing Order appeareth to be lamentably defective," He wrote. "Soon will the present-day order be rolled up and a new one spread out in its stead." 47 To this end, He laid a charge on the leaders and members of society alike. "It is not for him to pride himself who loveth his own country, but rather for him who loveth the whole world. The earth is but one country and mankind its citizens."48 Above all else, leaders for the next generation must be motivated by a sincere desire to serve the entire community and must understand that leadership is a responsibility; not a path to privilege. For too long, leadership has been understood, by both leaders and followers, as the assertion of control over others. Indeed, this age demands a new definition of leadership and a new type of leader. 49 This is especially true in the international arena. In order to establish a sense of trust, win the confidence, and inculcate a fond affinity in the hearts of the world's people for institutions of the international order, these leaders will have to reflect on their own actions.
Through an unblemished record of personal integrity, they must help restore confidence and trust in government. They must embody the characteristics of honesty, humility and sincerity of purpose in seeking the truth of a situation. They must be committed to and guided by principles, thereby acting in the best long-term interests of humanity as a whole.
"Let your vision be world-embracing, rather than confined to your own selves," Bahá'u'lláh wrote. "Do not busy yourselves in your own concerns; let your thoughts be fixed upon that which will rehabilitate the fortunes of mankind and sanctify the hearts and souls of men."50
- A Statement of the Bahá'í International Community on the Occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the United Nations, Bahá'í International Community, United Nations Office, New York, October 1995
- Boutros-Ghali, Boutros. 1992. An Agenda for Peace: Peace-making and Peace-Keeping. (Report of the Secretary-General Pursuant to the Statement Adopted by the Summit Meeting of the Security Council, January 31, New York: United Nations.)
- Surely the preamble to the charter of the United Nations is among
the most inspired passages in the history of human governance:
"WE THE PEOPLES OF THE UNITED NATIONS DETERMINED
"to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and
"to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and
"to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and
"to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,
"AND FOR THESE ENDS
"to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbors, and
"to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security, and
"to ensure, by the acceptance of principles and the institutions of methods, that armed force shall not be used, save in the common interest, and
"to employ international machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all peoples,
"HAVE RESOLVED TO COMBINE OUR EFFORTS TO ACCOMPLISH THESE AIMS.
"Accordingly, our respective Governments, through representatives assembled in the city of San Francisco, who have exhibited their full powers found to be in good and due form, have agreed to the present Charter of the United Nations and do hereby establish an international organization to be known as the United Nations."
United Nations. 1994. Charter of the United Nations and Statute of the International Court of Justice. United Nations Department of Public Information. DPI/511 - 93243 - April 1994 - 40M. - The World Bank. 1994. World Development Report. (Oxford: Oxford University Press.) pp. 162 - 163.
- There have been a number of recent proposals which discuss the need
for reforms in the United Nations system within a particular issue area. Our Common Future, the report of The World Commission on
Environment and Development, for example, suggested a number of changes,
such as the creation of a special UN "Board for Sustainable Development"
to coordinate UN action in promoting development while protecting the
environment.
The World Commission on Environment and Development, Our Common Future. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1987.)Likewise, the report of The Brandt Commission, Common Crisis North-South: Co-operation for World Recovery, makes suggestions for reform in the critical area of finance, trade and energy, as they affect North-South imbalances.
The Brandt Commission, Common Crisis North-South: Co-operation for World Recovery. (London: Pan Books, 1983.)The literature proposing widespread changes in the United Nations is also voluminous and continues to grow, especially in anticipation of the 50th anniversary of the United Nations. The first major and serious reassessments of the United Nations began in the 1950s, in anticipation of the 10th anniversary of the Charter. In this regard the publication in 1958 of World Peace Through World Law by Louis B. Sohn and Grenville Clark, which was among the first solid proposals to suggest eliminating the veto power, must be considered a milestone.
Grenville Clark, and Louis B. Sohn, World Peace Through World Law. (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1966.)More recent proposals range from The Stockholm Initiative, which offers a generalist vision of what might be done to strengthen the United Nations, to Harold Stassen's recent United Nations: a Working Paper for Restructuring, which gives an article-by-article proposal for rewriting the UN Charter. Benjamin Ferencz's latest book, New Legal Foundations for Global Survival, offers a series of hard-headed and legal-minded suggestions for reform based on the premise that nations, peoples and individuals must be free to pursue their destinies in whatever way they may see fit - providing it does not jeopardize or destroy the fundamental human rights of others to live in peace and dignity.
The Stockholm Initiative on Global Security and Governance 1991. Common Responsibility in the 1990's. (Stockholm: Prime Minister's Office, Stockholm, Sweden.)
Harold Stassen, United Nations: A Working Paper for Restructuring. (Minneapolis: Learner Publications Company, 1994.)
Benjamin Ferencz, New Legal Foundations for Global Survival. (Oceana Publications, 1994) - The Commission on Global Governance, Our Global Neighborhood. (New York: Oxford University Press, 1995.)
- Many thinkers have recognized the reality of oneness and understood
its implications for the development of human society, including
paleontologist Richard Leaky: "We are one species, one people. Every
individual on this earth is a member of 'homo sapiens sapiens', and the
geographical variations we see among peoples are simply biological nuances
on the basic theme. The human capacity for culture permits its
elaboration in widely different and colorful ways. The often very deep
differences between those cultures should not be seen as divisions between
people. Instead, cultures should be interpreted for what they really are:
the ultimate declaration of belonging to the human species."
Richard E. Leakey, and Rodger Lewin, Origins: What new discoveries reveal about the emergence of our species and its possible future. (New York: Dutton, 1977.)In general terms, the writings of Shoghi Effendi offer a thorough and extended exposition on the concept of the oneness of humanity. A brief summary of the concept, as Bahá'ís view it, can be found in The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh.
Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh. (Wilmette, Ill.: Bahá'í Publishing Trust. 1938.) pp. 42-43. - We are not alone in making this proposal. The Commission on Global
Governance writes in Our Global Neighborhood: "Our recommendation
is that the General Assembly should agree to hold a World Conference on
Governance in 1998, with its decisions to be ratified and put into effect
by 2000."
The Report of the Commission on Global Governance, Our Global Neighborhood. (New York: Oxford University Press. 1995.) p.351. - Two commonly used maxims illustrate this principle. "Small is
beautiful," a maxim coined in the early '70s as an economic principle,
applies equally to governance. Schumacher explains: "In the affairs of
men, there always appears to be a need for at least two things
simultaneously, which, on the face of it, seem to be incompatible and to
exclude one another. We always need both freedom and order. We need the
freedom of lots and lots of small, autonomous unities, and, at the same
time, the orderliness of large-scale, possibly global, unity and
coordination."
E. F. Schumacher, Small is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered. (New York: Harper and Row, 1973.) p. 65."Think globally, act locally," a slogan promoted by environmental and community development activists, captures a perspective in which the need for overall global coordination is carefully balanced against the need for local and national autonomy.
- "Far from aiming at the subversion of the existing foundations of
society... [a system of world governance] seeks to broaden its basis, to
remold its institutions in a manner consonant with the needs of an
ever-changing world. It can conflict with no legitimate allegiances, nor
can it undermine essential loyalties. Its purpose is neither to stifle
the flame of a sane and intelligent patriotism in men's hearts, nor to
abolish the system of national autonomy so essential if the evils of
excessive centralization are to be avoided. It does not ignore, nor does
it attempt to suppress, the diversity of ethnical origins, of climate, of
history, of language and tradition, of thought and habit, that
differentiate the peoples and nations of the world. It calls for a wider
loyalty, for a larger aspiration than any that has animated the human
race. It insists upon the subordination of national impulses and
interests to the imperative claims of a unified world. It repudiates
excessive centralization on one hand, and disclaims all attempts at
uniformity on the other."
Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh. (Wilmette, Ill.: Bahá'í Publishing Trust. 1974.) pp. 41-42. - Writing in the 1930s, Shoghi Effendi, who then led the worldwide
Bahá'í community, sketched out some of the functions and
responsibilities for a future world legislature. Among other things, he
wrote: "a world legislature, whose members will, as trustees of the whole
of mankind... enact such laws as shall be required to regulate the life,
satisfy the needs and adjust the relationships of all races and
peoples."
Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh. (Wilmette, Ill.: Bahá'í Publishing Trust. 1974.) p. 203.This view is shared by such scholars as Jan Tinbergen, winner of the 1969 Nobel prize for Economics, who stated, "Mankind's problems can no longer be solved by national governments. What is needed is a World Government. This can best be achieved by strengthening the United Nations system."
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Human Development Report 1994. Global Governance for the 21st Century. (New York: Oxford University Press.) p.88. - Bahá'í International Community. Proposals to the United Nations for Charter Revision. May 23, 1955.
- Throughout His writings, Bahá'u'lláh consistently
uses the terms "order", "world order" and "new world order" to describe
the ongoing and momentous series of changes in the political, social and
religious life of the world. In the late 1860s, He wrote: "The world's
equilibrium hath been upset through the vibrating influence of this most
great, this new World Order. Mankind's ordered life hath been
revolutionized through the agency of this unique, this wondrous System -
the like of which mortal eyes have never witnessed."
Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitab-i-Aqdas. Translated by Shoghi Effendi and a Committee at the Bahá'í World Centre. (Haifa: Bahá'í World Centre, 1992.) - 'Abdu'l-Bahá, The Secret of Divine Civilization. Trans. Marzieh Gail. (Wilmette, Ill.: Bahá'í Publishing Trust. 1957.) p. 24.
- United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD), States of Disarray: The Social Effects of Globalization. (London: KPC Group. 1995) pp. 106-109.
- There are many ways that such a Commission, or even the World
Legislature itself, might go about determining fair and just borders for
all nations. But as daunting as the task may seem, it is an important part
of the process of building a new order. Wrote 'Abdu'l-Bahá "True
civilization will unfurl its banner in the midmost heart of the world
whenever a certain number of its distinguished and high-minded sovereigns
-- the shining exemplars of devotion and determination -- shall, for the
good and happiness of all mankind, arise, with firm resolve and clear
vision, to establish the Cause of Universal Peace. They must make the
Cause of Peace the object of general consultation, and seek by every means
in their power to establish a Union of the nations of the world. They
must conclude a binding treaty and establish a covenant, the provisions of
which shall be sound, inviolable and definite. They must proclaim it to
all the world and obtain for it the sanction of all the human race. This
supreme and noble undertaking -- the real source of the peace and
well-being of all the world -- should be regarded as sacred by all that
dwell on earth. All the forces of humanity must be mobilized to ensure
the stability and permanence of this Most Great Covenant. In this
all-embracing Pact the limits and frontiers of each and every nation
should be clearly fixed, the principles underlying the relations of
governments towards one another definitely laid down, and all
international agreements and obligations ascertained. In like manner, the
size of the armaments of every government should be strictly limited, for
if the preparations for war and the military forces of any nation should
be allowed to increase, they will arouse the suspicion of others. The
fundamental principle underlying this solemn Pact should be so fixed that
if any government later violate any one of its provisions, all the
governments on earth should arise to reduce it to utter submission, nay
the human race as a whole should resolve, with every power at its
disposal, to destroy that government. Should this greatest of all
remedies be applied to the sick body of the world, it will assuredly
recover from its ills and will remain eternally safe and secure."
'Abdu'l-Bahá, The Secret of Divine Civilization. Trans. Marzieh Gail. (Wilmette, Ill.: Bahá'í Publishing Trust. 1957.) pp. 64-65. - According to a recent article in The New York Times,
charitable giving in the United States in 1994 rose by 3.6 percent to $130
billion.
Karen W. Arenson, "Charitable Giving Rose 3.6% in 1994, Philanthropy Trust Says," The New York Times, Thursday, 25 May 1995, sec. A, p.22. - "Regarding the whole question of an International Language.... We,
as Bahá'ís, are very anxious to see a universal auxiliary
tongue adopted as soon as possible; we are not the protagonists of any one
language to fill this post. If the governments of the world agree on an
existing language, or a constructed, new tongue, to be used
internationally, we would heartily support it because we desire to see
this step in the unification of the human race take place as soon as
possible."
Shoghi Effendi, Directives of the Guardian. (Wilmette, Ill.: Bahá'í Publishing Trust.) p.39.In making this proposal, we wish to call attention to the term "auxiliary." The Bahá'í teachings value and promote cultural diversity, not uniformity. At this point in history, then, we do not envision imposing a single language worldwide. Rather, what we imagine is that peoples and nations would keep their own local and national languages -- while at the same time be encouraged to learn a universal language. Certainly such a universal language should ultimately be taught, as a required subject, in all of the world's schools. But this should in no way detract from legitimate expressions of national and local linguistic and cultural diversity.
- "The day is approaching when all the peoples of the world will
have adopted one universal language and one common script," wrote
Bahá'u'lláh in the late-1800s. "When this is achieved, to
whatsoever city a man may journey, it shall be as if he were entering his
own home."
Shoghi Effendi, trans., Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh. (Wilmette, Ill.: Bahá'í Publishing Trust. 1983.) p.250. - In a "special contribution" to the 1994 Human Development Report,
James Tobin, winner of the 1981 Nobel Prize for Economics, observes that
"a permanent single currency" would eliminate much if not all of the
turbulence currently associated with the huge amount of currency
speculation on world markets today. Observing that such a single world
currency is probably a long way off, he proposes as an interim measure an
"international uniform tax" on spot transactions in foreign exchange.
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Human Development Report 1994. A Tax on International Currency Transactions. (New York: Oxford University Press.) p.70. - The principle of collective security was put forth by
Bahá'u'lláh over a century ago in letters to the kings and
rulers of the world: "Be united, O kings of the earth, for thereby will
the tempest of discord be stilled amongst you, and your peoples find rest,
if ye be of them that comprehend. Should anyone among you take up arms
against another, rise ye all against him, for this is naught but manifest
justice."
Shoghi Effendi, trans. Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh. (Wilmette, Ill.: Bahá'í Publishing Trust. 1976.) p.254. - The Report of the Independent Working Group on the Future of the United Nations. The United Nations in its Second Half-Century. (Yale University Press Service, 1995.) p. 16.
- Glenview Foundation, The Stassen Draft Charter for a New
United Nations to Emerge from the Original, to Serve World Peace and
Progress for the Next Forty Years. (Philadelphia: Glenview
Foundation. 1985.)
Grenville Clark and Louis B. Sohn, World Peace Through World Law. (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1966.)
Keith Hindell, "Reform of the United Nations?" in The World Today: Journal of the Royal Institute of International Affairs. (United Kingdom, Feb. 1992.) Vol. 48, No. 2. pp. 30-33.
John Logue, "New World Order Means Reformed UN", World Federalist News, July 1992.
Benjamin B. Ferencz and Ken Keyes Jr., Planethood: The Key to Your Future. (Coos Bay, Oregon: Love Line Books. 1991.)
Boutros-Ghali, Boutros. 1992. An Agenda for Peace: Peace-making and Peace-Keeping. Report of the Secretary-General Pursuant to the Statement Adopted by the Summit Meeting of the Security Council, January 31, New York: United Nations. - This is not to say that steps to ban such weapons should await the full development and deployment of such a Force. We wholeheartedly support current steps to renew the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons and to firmly establish a comprehensive test ban, as well as any further efforts to eliminate nuclear, chemical and/or biological weapons. Likewise, stronger efforts must be made to restrict and control conventional weapons such as land mines, which kill indiscriminately.
- Mahbub ul Haq, 1994. Senior Advisor to UNDP Administrator. Team Leader of the Group that prepares the UNDP annual Human Development Reports which have brought, in recent years, fresh insights to development theory and practice, including a new concept on human security.
- Erskine Childers, ed. Challenges to the United Nations: Building a Safer World. (New York: St. Martin's Press. 1994.) pp. 21-25.
- John Huddleston, The Search for a Just Society. (Kidlington, Oxford: George Ronald. 1989.)
- About 75 years ago 'Abdu'l-Bahá offered the following
suggestions for a future world court: "the national assemblies of each
country and nation -- that is to say parliaments -- should elect two or
three persons who are the choicest of that nation, and are well informed
concerning international laws and the relations between governments and
aware of the essential needs of the world of humanity in this day. The
number of these representatives should be in proportion to the number of
inhabitants of that country. The election of these souls who are chosen by
the national assembly, that is, the parliament, must be confirmed by the
upper house, the congress and the cabinet and also by the president or
monarch so these persons may be the elected ones of all the nation and the
government. The Supreme Tribunal will be composed of these people, and all
mankind will thus have a share therein, for every one of these delegates
is fully representative of his nation. When the Supreme Tribunal gives a
ruling on any international question, either unanimously or by majority
rule, there will no longer be any pretext for the plaintiff or ground of
objection for the defendant. In case any of the governments or nations, in
the execution of the irrefutable decision of the Supreme Tribunal, be
negligent or dilatory, the rest of the nations will rise up against it,
because all the governments and nations of the world are the supporters of
this Supreme Tribunal. Consider what a firm foundation this is! But by a
limited and restricted League the purpose will not be realized as it ought
and should."
Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. Compiled by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice. Translated by a Committee at the Bahá'í World Centre and by Marzieh Gail. (Great Britain: W & J Mackay Ltd. 1978.) pp. 306-307. - At the present time, for example, the Court's jurisdiction is
limited to 1) cases which the parties refer to it jointly by special
agreement, 2) matters concerning a treaty or convention in force which
provides for reference to the Court, and 3) specified classes of legal
disputes between States for which they have recognized the jurisdiction of
the Court as compulsory.
Europa World Year Book 1994. Vol. I. International Court of Justice. p.22. - Shoghi Effendi, trans. Gleanings from the Writings of
Bahá'u'lláh. (Wilmette, Ill.: Bahá'í
Publishing Trust. 1983.) p.260.
"The primary most urgent requirement is the promotion of education. It is inconceivable that any nation should achieve prosperity and success unless this paramount, this fundamental concern is carried forward. The principal reason for the decline and fall of peoples is ignorance. Today the mass of the people are uninformed even as to ordinary affairs, how much less do they grasp the core of the important problems and complex needs of the time."
'Abdu'l-Bahá. The Secret of Divine Civilization. Trans. Marzieh Gail. (Wilmette, Ill.: Bahá'í Publishing Trust. 1957.) p.109."This same difference is noticeable among animals; some have been domesticated, educated, others left wild. The proof is clear that the world of nature is imperfect, the world of education perfect. That is to say, man is rescued from the exigencies of nature by training and culture; consequently, education is necessary, obligatory. But education is of various kinds. There is a training and development of the physical body which ensures strength and growth. There is intellectual education or mental training for which schools and colleges are founded. The third kind of education is that of the spirit. Through the breaths of the Holy Spirit man is uplifted into the world of moralities and illumined by the lights of divine bestowals. The moral world is only attained through the effulgence of the Sun of Reality and the quickening life of the divine spirit."
'Abdu'l-Bahá, in a Talk delivered in St. Paul on 20 September 1912. The Promulgation of Universal Peace. p.329-330. - Governments and their partners must bear in mind that material equality is neither achievable nor desirable. Absolute equality is a chimera. At various points along the way, there will nevertheless be the necessity for the redistribution of some of the world's wealth. For, indeed, it is becoming increasingly obvious that unbridled capitalism does not provide the answer either. Some regulation and redistribution is necessary to promote material justice. In this regard, a tax on income is, in principle, one of the fairest and most equitable means. There must also be a role for the voluntary sharing of wealth -- both at an individual and an institutional level. Equal opportunities for economic advancement and progress, however, must be woven into the very fabric of the new order. Ultimately, the most important regulation on any economic system is the moral regulation that begins in the hearts and minds of people.
- The establishment of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) is a commendable first step in the right direction and may be useful in the long run, as one of the tools that could be the basis for funding Agenda 21, if its operational scale is enlarged and its mandate redefined.
- World Conference on Human Rights. Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action. 14-25 June 1993. Vienna-Austria.
- A further elaboration of this concept can be found in The
Prosperity of Humankind, a statement of the Bahá'í
International Community, Office of Public Information, published in
February 1995: "The activity most intimately linked to the consciousness
that distinguishes human nature is the individual's exploration of reality
for himself or herself. The freedom to investigate the purpose of
existence and to develop the endowments of human nature that make it
achievable requires protection. Human beings must be free to know. That
such freedom is often abused and such abuse grossly encouraged by features
of contemporary society does not detract in any degree from the validity
of the impulse itself.
"It is this distinguishing impulse of human consciousness that provides the moral imperative for the enunciation of many of the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration and the related Covenants. Universal education, freedom of movement, access to information, and the opportunity to participate in political life are all aspects of its operation that require explicit guarantee by the international community. The same is true of freedom of thought and belief, including religious liberty, along with the right to hold opinions and express these opinions appropriately.
"Since the body of humankind is one and indivisible, each member of the race is born into the world as a trust of the whole. This trusteeship constitutes the moral foundation of most of the other rights -- principally economic and social -- which the instruments of the United Nations are attempting similarly to define. The security of the family and the home, the ownership of property, and the right to privacy are all implied in such a trusteeship. The obligations on the part of the community extend to the provision of employment, mental and physical health care, social security, fair wages, rest and recreation, and a host of other reasonable expectations on the part of the individual members of society.
"The principle of collective trusteeship creates also the right of every person to expect that those cultural conditions essential to his or her identity enjoy the protection of national and international law. Much like the role played by the gene pool in the biological life of humankind and its environment, the immense wealth of cultural diversity achieved over thousands of years is vital to the social and economic development of a human race experiencing its collective coming-of-age. It represents a heritage that must be permitted to bear its fruit in a global civilization. On the one hand, cultural expressions need to be protected from suffocation by the materialistic influences currently holding sway. On the other, cultures must be enabled to interact with one another in ever-changing patterns of civilization, free of manipulation for partisan political ends."
Bahá'í International Community, Office of Public Information, The Prosperity of Humankind. (Haifa: Bahá'í World Centre. 1995.) - Ultimately, respect for human rights must begin in the family:
"Compare the nations of the world to the members of a family. A family is
a nation in miniature. Simply enlarge the circle of the household, and you
have the nation. Enlarge the circle of nations, and you have all humanity.
The conditions surrounding the family surround the nation. The happenings
in the family are the happenings in the life of the nation. Would it add
to the progress and advancement of a family if dissensions should arise
among its members, all fighting, pillaging each other, jealous and
revengeful of injury, seeking selfish advantage? Nay, this would be the
cause of the effacement of progress and advancement. So it is in the great
family of nations, for nations are but an aggregate of families.
Therefore, as strife and dissension destroy a family and prevent its
progress, so nations are destroyed and advancement hindered."
'Abdu'l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá during His Visit to the United States and Canada in 1912. Comp. Howard MacNutt. (Wilmette, Ill.: Bahá'í Publishing Trust. 1982.) p.157. - "When all mankind shall receive the same opportunity of education
and the equality of men and women be realized, the foundations of war will
be utterly destroyed. Without equality this will be impossible because
all differences and distinction are conducive to discord and strife.
Equality between men and women is conducive to the abolition of warfare
for the reason that women will never be willing to sanction it. Mothers
will not give their sons as sacrifices upon the battlefield after twenty
years of anxiety and loving devotion in rearing them from infancy, no
matter what cause they are called upon to defend. There is no doubt that
when women obtain equality of rights, war will entirely cease among
mankind."
'Abdu'l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace. Comp. Howard MacNutt. (Wilmette, Ill.: Bahá'í Publishing Trust. 1982.) pp. 174-175. - "Let it be known once more that until woman and man recognize and
realize equality, social and political progress here or anywhere will not
be possible. For the world of humanity consists of two parts or members:
one is woman; the other is man. Until these two members are equal in
strength, the oneness of humanity cannot be established, and the happiness
and felicity of mankind will not be a reality. God willing, this is to be
so." From a Talk by 'Abdu'l-Bahá to Federation of Women's Clubs,
Chicago, Illinois on 2 May 1912.
'Abdu'l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace. (Wilmette, Ill.: Bahá'í Publishing Trust. 1982.) p.77. - "The world in the past has been ruled by force, and man has
dominated over woman by reason of his more forceful and aggressive
qualities both of body and mind. But the balance is already shifting --
force is losing its weight and mental alertness, intuition, and the
spiritual qualities of love and service, in which woman is strong, are
gaining ascendancy. Hence the new age will be an age less masculine, and
more permeated with the feminine ideals -- or, to speak more exactly, will
be an age in which the masculine and feminine elements of civilization
will be more evenly balanced."
'Abdu'l-Bahá, quoted in John E. Esslemont, Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era, p. 156., 4th rev. ed., 1976, Wilmette: Bahá'í Books, published by Pyramid Publications for Bahá'í Publishing Trust. - This principle, that women and girls should receive priority over
men and boys in access to education, has been a long-standing principle in
the Bahá'í teachings. Speaking in 1912, 'Abdu'l-Bahá
said: "In proclaiming the oneness of mankind [Bahá'u'lláh]
taught that men and women are equal in the sight of God and that there is
no distinction to be made between them. The only difference between them
now is due to lack of education and training. If woman is given equal
opportunity of education, distinction and estimate of inferiority will
disappear.... Furthermore, the education of women is of greater importance
than the education of men, for they are the mothers of the race, and
mothers rear the children. The first teachers of children are the
mothers. Therefore, they must be capably trained in order to educate both
sons and daughters. There are many provisions in the words of
Bahá'u'lláh in regard to this.
"He promulgated the adoption of the same course of education for man and woman. Daughters and sons must follow the same curriculum of study, thereby promoting unity of the sexes."
'Abdu'l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace. Comp. Howard MacNutt. (Wilmette, Ill.: Bahá'í Publishing Trust. 1982.) pp. 174-175. - Lawrence H. Summers, Vice President & Chief Economist for the World Bank, Investing in All the People. 1992. Also, USAID. 1989. Technical Reports in Gender and Development. Making the Case for the Gender Variable: Women and the Wealth and Well-being of Nations. Office of Women in Development.
- Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. Compiled by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice. Translated by a Committee at the Bahá'í World Centre and by Marzieh Gail. (Great Britain: W & J. Mackay Ltd. 1978.) p.302.
- The Nairobi Forward-Looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women. As adopted by the World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements of the United Nations Decade for Women: Equality, Development and Peace, Nairobi, Kenya, 15-26 July 1985.
- Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. Compiled by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice. Translated by a Committee at the Bahá'í World Centre and by Marzieh Gail. (Great Britain: W & J. Mackay Ltd. 1978.) p.303.
- The interfaith declaration entitled "Towards a Global Ethic," which was produced by an assembly of religious and spiritual leaders from virtually every major world religion and spiritual movement at the 1993 Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago, suggests that it is indeed possible for the world's religions to find much common ground in this regard. The declaration states: "We affirm that a common set of core values is found in the teachings of the religions, and that these form the basis of a global ethic... There already exist ancient guidelines for human behavior which are found in the teachings of the religions of the world and which are the condition for a sustainable world order."
- The Golden Rule, the teaching that we should treat others as we
ourselves would wish to be treated, is an ethic variously repeated in all
the great religions:
Buddhism: "Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful." Udana-Varqa, 5:18.
Zoroastrianism: "That nature only is good when it shall not do unto another whatever is not good for its own self." Dadistan-i Dinik, 94:5.
Judaism: "What is hateful to you, do not to your fellow men. That is the entire Law, all the rest is commentary." The Talmud, Shabbat, 31a.
Hinduism: "This is the sum of all true righteousness: deal with others as thou wouldst thyself be dealt by. Do nothing to thy neighbour which thou wouldst not have him do to thee after." The Mahabharata.
Christianity: "As ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise." Luke 6:31.
Islam: "No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself." Sunnah.
Taoism: The good man "ought to pity the malignant tendencies of others; to regard their gains as if they were his own, and their losses in the same way." The Thai-Shang.
Confucianism: "Surely it is the maxim of loving-kindness: Do not unto others that you would not have them do unto you." Analects, XV, 23
Bahá'í Faith: "He should not wish for others that which he doth not wish for himself, nor promise that which he doth not fulfill." Gleanings.
- Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh. (Wilmette, Ill.: Bahá'í Publishing Trust. 1938.) p. 202.
- Bahá'u'lláh. The Proclamation of Bahá'u'lláh. (Haifa: Bahá'í World Centre. 1978.) p.113.
- Bahá'u'lláh, Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh. Compiled by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice. Translated by Habib Taherzadeh with the assistance of a Committee at the Bahá'í World Centre. (Haifa: Bahá'í World Centre. 1982.) p.167.
- The Commission on Global Governance writes: "As the world faces
the need for enlightened responses to the challenges that arise on the eve
of the new century, we are concerned at the lack of leadership over a wide
spectrum of human affairs. At national, regional, and international
levels, within communities and in international organizations, in
governments and in non-governmental bodies, the world needs credible and
sustained leadership.
"It needs leadership that is proactive, not simply reactive, that is inspired, not simply functional, that looks to the longer term and future generations for whom the present is held in trust. It needs leaders made strong by vision, sustained by ethics, and revealed by political courage that looks beyond the next election.
"This cannot be leadership confined within domestic walls. It must reach beyond country, race, religion, culture, language, life-style. It must embrace a wider human constituency, be infused with a sense of caring for others, a sense of responsibility to the global neighborhood."
Report of the Commission on Global Governance, Our Global Neighborhood. (New York: Oxford University Press. 1995.) p.353. - Gleanings from the Writings of
Bahá'u'lláh. Translated by Shoghi Effendi. (Wilmette,
Ill.: Bahá'í Publishing Trust. 1976.) p. 7.