From: aull@ll.mit.edu (Brian Aull)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.bahai
Subject: The Process of Social Change - Part 3 of 5
Date: 30 Jul 92 06:01:41 GMT
Organization: <none>

Unique Features of the Baha'i Model of Change.

The Baha'i model of change differs, however, from that of other world
religions in that its sacred writings address conditions unique to the
modern world; it provides a blueprint for a new social order.  The
spiritual assemblies that govern the affairs of Baha'i communities are
not just democratically elected bodies that fulfill the administrative
and pastoral functions that would otherwise be the domain of clergy
They are the "nucleus" and "pattern" of a new world order "destined to
embrace in the fullness of time the whole of mankind."[13] The Baha'i
Nineteen Day Feast is not merely the equivalent of a Sunday worship
service.  It is an "arena of democracy at the very root of society"
that integrates the spiritual, administrative and social processes of
life" and "canalizes human expression in its varied forms toward the
construction of a new civilization." [14]

Because of its focus on a new social order, the Baha'i Faith places 
particular emphasis on the development of personal qualities that 
foster unity in diversity needed for a global civilization.  For 
example, it stresses the elimination of racial prejudice through 
genuine, spontaneous, and informal fellowship among people of all 
races.  The development of such moral qualities on the part of the 
individual is a key ingredient in the successful functioning of 
spiritual assemblies, and, conversely, these institutions channel the 
energy and the moral strength of individuals in order to promote 
constructive social processes.

Another unique feature of the Baha'i model of change is that it 
provides principles that govern the functioning of spiritual 
assemblies and of social institutions in general.  One of the most 
important of these is consultation, a term Baha'is use for the 
decision-making process used by assemblies, committees, or other 
groups that must solve problems.  The principles of consultation 
relate not so much to the technical aspects of the decision-making 
process as to the attitudes and motivations of the participants and 
the spirit that prevails in the process.  The following are seven 
characteristics of a consultative decision-making process distilled 
>from the Baha'i writings:

1.	It is a principled process.  The group reaches decisions by 
consciously applying spiritual and ethical principles to the issue at 
hand.
2.	It is an investigative or truth-seeking process rather than an 
adversarial process.  The goal is to ascertain the facts, identify the 
issues, clarify the relevant principles, and find the best solutions.
3.	It is a service-oriented process rather than a power-seeking 
process.  An individual opinion or idea is a contribution to the groups 
investigation and is the property of the group, not the originator.  
Each participant must be open to changing his or her opinions based 
on the discussion.
4.	It is a communicative process.  The frank expression of views 
is important.  Listening and learning are equally important.
5.	It is a synthesizing rather than a compromising process.  It 
takes advantage of the diverse concerns and ideas of the 
participants to reach decisions that reflect a richer understanding 
of the issues than the individuals would achieve working separately.
6.	It is an inclusive process.  Diversity is valued.  Everyone works 
to overcome prejudice.  Everyone is listened to and taken seriously 
as a contributor.
7.	It is a community-building process.  The group is an organism 
whose whole is more than a sum of its parts.  Primary value is, 
therefore, placed on its harmony and cohesiveness.  Squabbling and 
factionalism are guarded against; friendship and love are promoted.  
Unanimous decisions are preferable, but even when a decision must 
be made by majority vote, its implementation is supported by 
everyone.

The process of consultation is not perfected easily or quickly.  It 
demands effort.  It requires that the participants be actively 
developing the qualities that enable the principles of consultation to 
work: purity of motive, radiance of spirit, detachment, humility, 
patience, and a spirit of unselfish service.  To Baha'is consultation 
is a spiritual act, expressing on the collective level a spiritual view 
of life.  One of the conditions for successful consultation is 
communion with God; hence Baha'is begin the process with prayers.  
This reflects a broader principle that social, administrative, and 
governmental processes should be as much an expression of 
spirituality as is the conduct of an individual.  The concept is a 
profound, not to say startling, aspect of the Baha'i model of social 
change.

There is a great contrast between the Baha'i consultative process 
and the political processes of society at large.  The latter are often 
corrupted by the influence of special interests, an atmosphere of 
bigoted partisanship, a petty adversarialism, a spirit of elitism and 
exclusiveness, and the primacy of expediency and power-seeking 
over service and truth-seeking.  Such conditions are not conducive to 
principled, conscientious, and intelligent policy making, and until 
they are changed, it is unlikely that government will be a truly 
effective mechanism through which social problems can be 
addressed.  The same criticism applies, to a greater or lesser 
extent, to other institutions that guide the affairs of society.
The reason the development of the skills of consultation is so 
central to the Baha'i model of social change is that a primary 
purpose of the Baha'i Faith is to "incubate" a new kind of political 
culture, one that is conducive to the emergence of a mature global 
civilization.  The effectiveness and practicality of this new model is 
demonstrated by the successes of Baha'i communities all over the 
world in projects of grass-roots social and economic development. 
[15]
--
Brian Aull						aull@ll.mit.edu