We are living today in a unique period in history. As humanity emerges from childhood and approaches its collective maturity, the need for a new understanding of the relationships between the individual, the community, and the institutions of society becomes ever more pressing.

The conviction that we belong to one human family is at the heart of the Bahá’í Faith. The principle of the oneness of humankind is “the pivot round which the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh revolve…”

The affairs of the Bahá’í community are administered through a system of institutions, each with its defined sphere of action. The origins of this system, known as the Administrative Order, as well as the principles that guide its operation are found in the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh.