In Part I of Healing the World, I wrote of the need for
self-care and using the spiritual practices of prayer and meditation to stay
grounded in turbulent times, and in Part II, the theme was collaborating with
others and the efforts the Baha’is are making to reach out to the wider
community.
In this final installation, I want to share some of the
things the Baha’i community does internally and how, perhaps, we can offer a
model for others.
Three days from now, the local Baha’is, as well as thousands
of Baha’i communities across the globe, will be electing their local governing
bodies, or Assemblies. These administrative bodies are composed of nine adults
of at least 21 years of age. At no level -local, national, or international – does
authority rest in a single individual; it’s always in the group. Local and national assemblies are elected
yearly and the international governing body, known as the Universal House of
Justice, is elected every five years.
Baha’i government, like that of our country, is a democracy.
But there the similarity stops. In the Baha’i community, no one is nominated,
no one runs for office, there is no electioneering and none of those irritating
political ads! Very simply, if you are a Baha’i at least 21 years old, your
name is on the ballot for your locality. The electorate consists of all those
in the community who are 18 years or older. In the case of National Assemblies,
the electorate consists of delegates elected from each electoral district, and
in the case of the Universal House of Justice, the members of the National
Assemblies are the electors.
It is no accident that Baha’i elections are held at the
start of the holiest time of the Baha’i year: the twelve day period called
Ridvan (REZ-vahn) which marks Baha’u’llah’s sojourn in the Ridvan Garden before
His final banishment to the Holy Land.
Ridvan means “Paradise,” by the way. Elections are held at this time to
emphasize their sacred nature. Indeed, Baha’i voters are told to approach this
sacred duty with a prayerful attitude. They should “turn completely to God and
with a purity of motive, a freedom of spirit and a sanctity of heart,
participate in the elections.” Further,
they are directed to vote for those who exhibit “. . . selfless devotion, a
well-trained mind, recognized ability and mature experience.” These elected
members hold no special rank or privilege in the community and they only
function as the governing body when they are actually meeting as such. They
should consider themselves as humble servants of their community.
One of the basic processes by which these elected assemblies
function is called consultation. Baha’i consultation, however, is not just
discussion. It is freely offering one’s opinion to the group, at which point it
belongs to the group and not to the one who has offered it. Thus, once an
opinion is offered by someone, there is no need for that person to defend it. The
ego must be put aside and all must search diligently for the right
decision. After “dispassionate, anxious
and cordial” consultation, and after to turning to God in prayer, the Assembly
arrives at a decision. A unanimous decision is, of course, preferable but if
that doesn’t happen, the majority decision prevails and all must abide by it. That
way, if the decision turns out to be faulty, it will become apparent and can be
revised.
The Baha’i administrative system is still in its early
stages and Assemblies are learning how to function effectively. They are
destined to evolve into Local and National Houses of Justice, though, and to
help user in the age of world unity.
Nancy Flood-Golembeck is a retired teacher and longtime
member of the Baha’i Faith. In addition to serving on the local Baha’i
governing body, she is currently writing a memoir.
This article appears in Home and Garden.
