As the twentieth
century draws to a close, the world community is experiencing startling
changes that are profoundly altering the character of society. These
processes of change presage a fundamental turning point in the history
of the human race. Unparalleled scientific and technological advances
have contracted the world into a mere neighborhood in which people are
instantly aware of each other's affairs. Although these advances
portend a great surge forward in the social evolution of the planet,
humanity is now confronted with a series of interrelated problems that
threaten both the fabric of civilized life and the natural world
itself.
The resolution
of these problems--crushing poverty amidst vast sections of the
developing world, oppression of women and minority groups, intractable
political, religious, and ethnic conflicts, and disruption of global
ecosystems, among others--will require unprecedented levels of
cooperation and coordination that surpass anything in humanity's
collective experience.
The UNCED
process marked the beginning of a vital enterprise of partnership among
governments, international organizations, and ordinary citizens. Both
the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development and Agenda 21
acknowledge the indispensable role of open dialogue, and "broad public
participation in decision-making."1 Indeed,
the challenging objectives associated with sustainable development
cannot conceivably be met without the involvement of representatives
from all segments of the human family and all departments of human
life--political, social, scientific, economic, and religious. It is
through the interaction of people from all cultures, races,
socioeconomic and educational backgrounds that creative approaches to
sustainable development will be found. And it is only through such
interaction that the prejudices, misconceptions, and suspicions that
currently govern human relationships can be overcome.
Patterns of
sustainable development, however, will not emerge without systematic
changes in the underlying ethos of societal institutions, and this in
turn requires changes in the values and attitudes of individuals.
Recognition of the fundamental interdependence between human life and
the biosphere is only the first step toward creating this new
consciousness. An ecologically sustainable civilization must cover the
full range of human activities, from the social and political realm to
the everyday relationships in our cultural, spiritual, economic, and
community lives. It involves both an internal and external reordering,
and such a reordering can only occur when the human heart is
transformed.
The path toward
sustainable development can only be built upon the deep comprehension
of humanity's spiritual reality--a reality that lies at the very
essence of human beings. It is our spiritual nature that is the source
of human qualities that engender unity and harmony, that lead to
insight and understanding, and that make possible collaborative
undertakings. Such qualities--compassion, forbearance, trustworthiness,
courage, humility, cooperation and willingness to sacrifice for the
common good--form the invisible yet essential foundations of human
society.
In considering
the connection between the spiritual dimension of human existence and
sustainable development, it is helpful to recall how the world's great
religious systems have guided humanity in the past. The moral code of
the Ten Commandments and the Golden Rule (that we should treat others
as we ourselves wish to be treated)--both of which find their
expression in nearly every religious tradition--serve both as ethical
guidelines and a summons to spiritual achievement. They have permeated
human consciousness and regenerated cultures everywhere. Even for the
non-believer, the value of such teachings is evident.
Today, our
understanding of spirituality must embrace not only personal
development and growth, but also the collective progress of humanity as
a whole. More than a century ago, Bahá'u'llah, Founder of the
Bahá'í Faith, declared, "The well-being of mankind, its
peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is
firmly established." So long as disunity, antagonism and provincialism
characterize the social, political and economic relations within and
among nations, sustainable development will remain an unachievable
goal. Only upon a foundation of genuine unity, harmony and
understanding among the diverse peoples and nations of the world, can a
sustainable global society be erected.
The chief
vehicle for bringing about such unity is the principle of the oneness
of humankind. In appealing to humanity to accept the central truth of
its oneness, Bahá'u'llah urges, "...regard ye not one another as
strangers. Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one
branch." "The earth is but one country," he proclaims, "and mankind its
citizens." Although this principle of the oneness of the human family
certainly implies a reawakening of the spirit of brotherhood and
goodwill among all peoples, it suggests something much deeper: "...an
organic change in the structure of present-day society, a change such
as the world has not yet experienced."2
The concept of
unity that underpins the Bahá'í vision of a peaceful and
sustainable world is not a unity based on uniformity, but rather a
unity which embraces diversity. Unity is the instrument whereby true
justice can be established, whereby equality of opportunity and
privilege can exist for women and men throughout the planet. The
concept of the oneness of humankind is thus a statement of principle,
and a basis for social organization. It implies the abandonment of
prejudices--whether racial, ethnic, national, or religious--and the
establishment of institutions and policies that safeguard the dignity
and well-being of all peoples.
The acceptance
of this principle will provide the ethical and motivational imperative
for each and every member of the human race to assume responsibility
for the fate of the planet. Without such a universal ethical
imperative, without touching the human spirit, the peoples of the world
are unlikely to become active, constructive participants in the global
process of sustainable development. The enormous financial, technical,
human, and moral resources necessary for creating a sustainable society
will only be released when this ethic of our fundamental oneness is
fully embraced. Accordingly, the concept of world citizenship, with its
implications of brotherhood and true creative fellowship among the
peoples of the earth, should be universally proclaimed, taught in
schools, and constantly asserted in every part of the globe.
A key challenge
raised by the UNCED process is the development of new collaborative
efforts among government institutions, business associations,
non-governmental organizations, and citizens groups representing the
perspectives of women, indigenous peoples, and youth.3
Because environmental and development problems scale from the local to
the global level, such partnerships are essential if innovative
technical and social approaches to sustainable development are to
emerge. New patterns of interaction and participation, especially among
individuals and groups that have been historically excluded from
decision-making, can open the door to new possibilities and novel
solutions. Moreover, the creation of new patterns of participation can
fundamentally alter the way power flows within and among communities,
and thus can be an effective means for devolving authority to the most
appropriate level of society.
To ensure that
these collaborative undertakings are successful, however, new
modalities of decision-making will be needed. Given the extraordinary
challenges and complexities associated with sustainable development, it
is unlikely that traditional adversarial approaches to decision-making
will be adequate to the task. Even the most mature democratic systems
suffer from political paralysis, with competing parties or groups
claiming that they can solve the difficult problems of the day better
than their opponents. Clearly, cooperative and fully inclusive
approaches to decision-making must become an integral feature of the
sustainable development process.
In this regard,
the Bahá'í community offers its own administrative system
as a model for study. Bahá'ís attach great importance to
cooperative action and assign organizational responsibility for
community affairs to freely elected councils at the local, national,
and international levels. This hierarchy devolves decision-making to
the lowest level practicable--thereby providing a unique vehicle for
grassroots democracy--while at the same time providing a mechanism of
coordination and authority that makes cooperation possible on a global
scale.
The
administrative bodies of the Bahá'í Faith at all levels
use a distinctive method of non-adversarial decision-making, known as
"consultation." The principles of consultation were laid down in
Bahá'u'llah's writings, and as a procedure for building
consensus, have the potential for wide application. Indeed,
Bahá'ís have found them to be useful in virtually any
arena where group decision-making and cooperation is required. In
essence, consultation seeks to build consensus in a manner that unites
various constituencies instead of dividing them. It encourages
diversity of opinion and acts to control the struggle for power that is
otherwise so common in traditional decision-making systems.
Bahá'u'llah states that consultation is a "lamp of guidance"
that "bestows greater awareness and transmutes conjecture into
certitude."
Bahá'í consultation is based on the following principles:
Information
should be gathered from the widest possible range of sources, seeking a
diversity of points of view. This may involve seeking the views of
technical specialists or making a special effort to consider the views
of community members from disparate backgrounds.
During discussion, participants must make every effort to be as frank
and candid as possible, while maintaining a courteous interest in the
views of others. Confrontation, blanket ultimatums and prejudicial
statements are to be avoided. Indeed, an atmosphere that cultivates
openness, objectivity, and humility is viewed as a prerequisite for
successful consultation.
When an idea is put forth, it becomes at once the property of the
group. Although this notion sounds simple, it is perhaps the most
profound principle of consultation. For in this rule, all ideas cease
to be the property of any individual, sub-group, or constituency. When
followed, this principle encourages those ideas that spring forth from
a sincere desire to serve, as opposed to ideas that emanate from a
desire for personal aggrandizement or constituency building.
The group strives for unanimity, but a majority vote can be taken to
bring about a conclusion and make the decision. An important aspect of
this principle is the understanding that once a decision is made, it is
incumbent on the entire group to act on it with unity--regardless of
how many supported the measure.
In this sense,
there can be no "minority" report or "position of the opposition" in
consultation. Rather, Bahá'ís believe that if a decision
is wrong, it will become evident in its implementation--but only if the
decision-making group and, indeed, the community at large, support it
wholeheartedly. This commitment to unity ensures that if a decision or
a project fails, the problem lies in the idea itself, and not in the
lack of support from the community or the obstinate actions of
opponents.
These
consultative principles have been an integral component of
Bahá'í social and economic development activities
throughout the world. Consultation has been both a vehicle for
empowering women and minorities in their local communities, and for
conceiving and implementing creative solutions to difficult problems.
It is an indispensable tool for effecting meaningful change where
unproductive habits have impeded progress. In essence, consultation
involves a set of "process skills" that improve the quality and impact
of group decision-making.
As governments,
NGOs, grassroots organizations, and individual citizens explore new
ways to work together and develop new strategies for promoting
sustainable development, the Bahá'í community would be
pleased to share its experiences and engage in further dialogue. As a
global community encompassing the diversity of the human race, the
Bahá'í community is deeply committed to the vision of a
sustainable world--"a world organically unified in all the essential
aspects of its life."4
National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States, 1994
Footnotes
1 Agenda 21, Chapter 23.
2 Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahá'u'llah, 2nd ed. (Willmette, Illinois: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, 1974), p. 43.
3 See Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, Principles 19-22.
4 Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahá'u'llah, p. 43.
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