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Development Organizations
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Development Organizations
Among the range of Bahá’í endeavors that are contributing to the field of development are formal development organizations. While generally overseeing one or more sophisticated development programs, such initiatives also grow organically in scale and complexity, depending on circumstances. Some of these organizations have gained the capacity to engage in relatively complex areas of activity and to establish working relations with agencies of government and civil society.
As projects of social action grow and diversify, organizational structures evolve to ensure their long-term viability and to meet expanding needs. At present, Bahá’í development organizations fall into one of two categories. Some are agencies of Bahá’í governing councils, while others are initiatives undertaken by groups of individual Bahá’ís—often with like-minded colleagues—as nonprofit, nongovernmental organizations operating under the laws of their respective countries. Both types of organizations have as their aim the application of the Faith’s teachings to one or more areas of social concern.
“We should continually be establishing new bases for human happiness and creating and promoting new instrumentalities toward this end.”
—‘Abdu’l-Bahá
Typically brought into being by a small group of individuals, such an agency begins its work on a small scale and increases the range of its activities as resources and learning permit. Over time, it may develop the capacity to pursue a number of lines of action to address challenges of local communities and entire regions in a coordinated fashion. To this end, it systematically raises human resources and promotes the generation, application, and diffusion of knowledge about one or another aspect of development. By fostering action and reflection in diverse fields and systematizing the knowledge being gained, such an organization supports the efforts of individuals, communities, and institutions to learn about and contribute to the transformation of society.
When a Bahá’í-inspired development organization is established, emphasis is naturally placed on the quality of its activities; clarity about an optimal size is gradually achieved as the notion that “bigger is better” is set aside. An organization operating in a region derives meaning, in part, from its relationship to other efforts; it is one of several interacting endeavors through which consistent progress is achieved. Local Bahá’í institutions typically provide advice and encouragement to such agencies as they learn to maintain coherence between the interacting processes within a community. As an organization grows in its capacity and its work becomes more defined, it is able to establish increasingly effective and meaningful working relations with agencies of government and civil society.
Today, there are over 170 Bahá’í-inspired development organizations worldwide with relatively complex programmatic structures and significant spheres of influence, each at a different stage of evolution. The section below provides a glimpse into the work of some of these agencies.
Emergence Foundation
Emergence Foundation for Education and Development was established in 2003 in Cameroon to contribute to the moral empowerment of young people in the country. Its efforts are focused on implementing the Preparation for Social Action program and on conducting action research in the area of agriculture.
Graine d’Espoir
Graine d’Espoir in the Democratic Republic of the Congo emerged in 2013 as a response to health needs in the Kivu region of the country. It has been involved in training teachers to promote health among school students and their families and has been learning to work with community health workers to offer holistic forms of healthcare.
Ootan Marawa Educational Institute
The Ootan Marawa Educational Institute began in the 1990s with the aim of supporting teachers in Kiribati in building capacity in their students for service to society. Over time, the organization extended its educational efforts by offering the junior youth spiritual empowerment program in public schools and supporting the emergence of community schools. As of 2022, around 900 youth were participating in the program, and OMEI provided technical support to 17 kindergartens serving over 200 students.
Colibri Learning Foundation
Colibri Learning Foundation, based in British Columbia, Canada, was established in 2012 to help raise the capacity of groups of newcomers in the country to contribute to the development of inclusive, welcoming, and mutually supportive communities in urban environments. In recent years, Colibri has begun to accompany youth at different stages of their lives to identify and pursue appropriate academic and professional opportunities as they strive to contribute to the betterment of society.
FUNDAEC
Fundacion para la Aplicacion y Ensenanza de las Ciencias (FUNDAEC) was established in 1974 to engage in research and action to address the needs of rural populations in Colombia. After having developed a secondary education program known as Sistema de Aprendizaje Tutorial (SAT), which generated much interest among other Bahá’í-inspired organizations, it developed the Preparation for Social Action program, and has since been learning about its implementation. FUNDAEC’s other lines of action include the Supporting Community Leaders program, which assists young people to pursue a path of study and work, and the Leadership and Community Development program, which aims to learn alongside local leaders and organizations how to resolve challenges facing their communities.
Beyond e.V., Germany
Beyond e.V. is an agency operating in Germany that was established in 2012 and is focused primarily on raising funds for educational programs offered by Bahá’í-inspired organizations. The agency serves as a channel of funds for projects in Africa, Asia, and the Pacific, and engages in conversations with individuals and institutions in Germany about the spiritual principles that underlie the social progress of all nations.
Foundation for the Advancement of Science
Foundation for the Advancement of Science in Uttar Pradesh, India, has been engaged since 1996 in training teachers from schools in rural communities. Since 2020, in response to the closure of schools as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, it has been learning about helping youth to offer tutorial assistance in their communities. The Foundation has also been learning how to promote health through the training of young mothers as well as the creation of awareness-raising materials on the subject for use in local gatherings.
Rays of Light Foundation
The Rays of Light Foundation was established in 2007 to help address educational needs in Papua New Guinea, where access to education is limited. The Foundation offers the Preparation for Social Action program to assist youth and adults to build capacity to promote the well-being of their communities, and conducts a teacher-training program for individuals who wish to work with their communities to establish nursery and primary schools.
Yayasan Bhinneka Tunggal Ika Universal
Yayasan Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity Foundation) was established in Indonesia in 1996 with the aim of contributing to the advancement of remote communities in the country by improving educational opportunities for children. In 2011, the organization began promoting the establishment of local schools in the Mentawai Islands and North Sumatra. By late 2022, it was supporting 31 early childhood development centers and offering ongoing training for 41 teachers.
Mwelekeo Organization
Mwelekeo Organization was established in Kenya in 2007 to work with young people in rural areas to promote the material and spiritual well-being of their communities. It engages several hundred young people, primarily in Western Kenya, in an educational program that develops their capabilities for social action, including in the areas of agriculture, environment, and early childhood education.
Inshindo Foundation
With a conviction that knowledge lies at the heart of social progress, the Inshindo Foundation was formed in 2006 in Zambia to learn about how young people can build their scientific capabilities in order to promote the well-being of their communities. Over the years, its efforts have also led to the establishment of community schools and centers for community agriculture, which strive to generate knowledge about sustainable food production.
