Universal Participation
A civilization befitting a humanity which, having passed through earlier stages of social evolution, is coming of age will not emerge through the efforts exerted by a select group of nations or even a network of national and international agencies. Rather, the challenge must be faced by all of humanity. Every member of the human family has not only the right to benefit from a materially and spiritually prosperous civilization but also an obligation to contribute toward its construction. Social action should operate, then, on the principle of universal participation.
Issues related to participation have been discussed at length in development literature. Yet, in both theory and practice, this vital principle has often been approached at the level of technique—for example, through the utilization of surveys and focus groups. Such tools, of course, have their merits, as do more ambitious efforts intended to increase participation in political processes or to offer training to the beneficiaries of services delivered by one or another governmental or non-governmental agency. Still, these measures seem to fall short of the kind of participation envisioned above. What appears to be called for in any given region is the involvement of a growing number of people and institutions in a collective process of learning, one which is focused on the nature and dynamics of a path that conduces to the material and spiritual progress of their villages or neighborhoods.
It is important to note here that Bahá’í endeavors of social and economic development are intended to serve people of all beliefs, and they strive to elicit the widest possible participation. In the Bahá’í Faith, proselytizing is prohibited, and development projects are not conducted for the purpose of public relations or as a means of converting people. Often, projects are undertaken in collaboration with government agencies and organizations of civil society that share similar aims. In the appropriate context, funding for projects of a humanitarian nature can be accepted from government and donor agencies, but Bahá’ís do not accept or use funds from outside sources for the progress of their internal community affairs. There are, of course, opportunities for people to learn about the precepts of the Faith and to join it if they wish; so, too, there are a range of community activities, including those for worship and for education, in which all are welcome to take part irrespective of religious belief. Development activities are, however, intended to involve Bahá’ís and their collaborators in disinterested service to humanity.
Because the Bahá’í community is global in scope, it transcends divisions prevalent in society today, such as urban and rural and “developed” and “developing.” In whatever country Bahá’ís reside, whether in their native lands or elsewhere, they participate in the process of learning about development and contribute their talents as members of that national community. Bonds of collaboration extend across national boundaries, and resources flow from more materially prosperous countries to those with less. In doing so, Bahá’ís believe that it is the right of every people to trace its own path of development and direct its own affairs, and the Bahá’í global administrative structure safeguards this right. Thus, while outside support and resources may be readily available to a project, it is left to those directing it to determine whether the capacity exists to utilize such support constructively.
