The Baha’i community making is the main keyword of the Baha’ism plan in order to change the target communities into Baha’i one which will eventually end in a kind of dominance of organization ion the community. In previous issues, four parts which were related to Rouhi plan were investigated. In the following text, the rest two lines; that is, “the social debates” and “the social-economic growth” will be investigated. Two important and relevant parts will be beneficial in this grave period of time of plan implementation which are relevant to each other; that is, taking social measures and taking part at the current debates in the society.[1]
Generally speaking, all these three lines; that is Rouhi plan, the social debate and the social –economic growth are similar to different parts of a trap acting as means for afflicting human being continually. Holding classes, the organization leads minds towards its favorite direction and establishes its social-economic plan in the region by various social debates.
The social debates
In its lowest and the most primitive level, the social debates is focused on the verbal proselytizing of Baha’is among people of all walks of life and their associates which have been ingrained with its since the cult appearance. However, the central establishment goes back its more guidance and including in the extensive program of the social development in 2010 when the center of organization started the plan in specialized manner using the keyword “the purposeful conversations”.
The purposeful conversations included intentions, activity explanations and its results based on the organization intentions in a non-Baha’i gathering. Its creation necessity is creating on atmosphere for so-called consultation and debate. Exactly speaking, sharing views and the Baha’i measures are done for affecting on non-Baha’is.
Creating this so-called consultative atmosphere has created the possibility of the Baha’ism presence at various communities and will end in the organization interaction with various organizations. For instance, the biological and environmental issues or sanitation in the world have assigned debates to themselves. Misusing the situation, Baha’ism has found an opportunity to express itself with the excuse of sharing the worldwide experiences and its superior aims.
Sharing the social debates in a limited geographic level can be consisted of a simple action such as adducing the principles of the Baha’i faith in a form of a daily speech to more disciplined activities such as providing articles and participating at meetings regarding several issues: changing climate and environments or human rights. These sharing need purposeful and beneficial interaction with the civil group and local organizations in the village and locality.[2]
As mentioned in the first line of the4 message, the aims of the debates is to make Baha’ism be identified and invite towards it. Because it is said in the message that: “Proselytizing must be in the highest priority for each disciples.[3]” also, “the continuous main period have been organized so that it directs a person, whether Baha’i or not, in a way determined based on the community experiences to present the universal disciple view of the Excellency Bahaullah to human kind.[4]”
In 2013 when the plan developed, the general debate office in the occupied Palestine was founded to guide the member regarding the issue. It has taken on the managing the social debate directly. Establishing the outstanding networks of the special offices nationally is one of the Baha’i gifts of Baha’ism given to the Baha’i community. It has had social contacts with governments and the civil community organizations systematically. Along with the development of these offices, the continual plan processes has increased the community abilities for participating in the privilege debates in various situations from the personal conversations to the international gatherings
In order to investigate the Baha’i debates separately, two general levels must be considered for it:
Democratic level
International level
The first level in the dialogues used by the Baha’is every day to communicate and influence personally. “Some visit people in their daily interactions who are prone to search the spiritual materials various situations. Some people can answer the spiritual readiness of people in villages or localities and may travel there.[5]” also, many Baha’is participate at the social measures and the general debates through their occupations.[6]”
The social and economic growth
The Baha’ism program for making community includes two main domains: community and gathering. Community is a group of people who are living in a same land. Its members are familiar and intimate with each other.
Gathering is a big population such as the residents of a city or a country.
Kid classes, teenager groups, study gatherings and the prayer meetings are related to community and have their own complexities.
Of course, the organization doesn’t consider these measures separated from each other. In fact, the Rouhi institute is the base of all these plans. The Rouhi classes and books cause the programs to be performed via a Baha’i insight and it is the forerunner of the Baha’ism dominance: “The task which is developing across the world indicates the recent stage of the continuous attempts of the Baha’i community to create a splendid civilization.[7]”
As definition, the social measure is the attempt, short-termed and relatively informal one, done by people or small groups of disciples and also is developed and complicated programs which are social and economic in the organizations which are inspired by the Baha’i teachings. Regardless of its scope and scale, each social measure is an attempt for applying the teachings and principles of the divine faith in order to reform one or some aspects of the social or economic lives of a group of people.[8]”
All of the Baha’i activities which are done all over the world have been directed and supervised by the universal center of the organization in Heyfa. On October, 1983, a message concerning the systematic attention to the activities of the economic and social growth was issued for the organization members.
In order to achieve this aim and to preach the Baha’i activities in this regard, the organization established a center called “the office for social and economic growth” in the occupied Palestine. The office focused on the development of the Baha’i concepts in various regions. Achieving this aim was accompanied by the Baha’is influence on various companies or establishing the independent Baha’i companies. After ten years in 1993, Baha’ism offered a new program in this regard. In assigned the next ten years to the issue of making capability in the communities; that is, the activities was started in a relatively small phase and became complicated.[9] Thus, in order to be accurate in its subgroups in various regions, the organization created a concept called “cluster” or “the geographic limit” which was divided into two civil and rural clusters.
The activities of these limits is designed based on the talents, requirements and the interests of the residents. In addition to the economic and social growth, a new type of interaction and the practical behavior was posed by the Baha’is holding periods and defining various group activities in order for the Baha’i programs to be imposed to society in an insensible manner; because according to them themselves “the necessary relationships for the continuity of society must be planned newly under the emergence of the Excellency Bahaullah.[10]”
The Baha’ism strategies in this regard are as follows:
- Making capability
The organization itself explains this case exactly: “The influence and effects of the educational institute is crucial. Equipping people with the spiritual [Baha’i] knowledge, the institute creates a treasury of the human resources for the social and economic growth by specifications, insights, skills and capabilities necessary for serving as a crucial portion and part of the existence of the Baha’i community.[11]
- Coordination between the mundane activities and the Baha’i beliefs.
- Starting with simple and small measures
- Insisting on unsensible continuation under the supervision of the local spiritual assembly
- Directing the financial resources towards the UHJ management with the excuse of balancing resources.
[۱] The Universal House of Justice message for the Baha’is, Redhvan 2010.
[۲] The Universal House of Justice message for the Baha’is, Redhvan 2010.
[۳] The Universal House of Justice message for the Baha’is, Redhvan 2010.
[۴] The Universal House of Justice to the national spiritual assemblies, December, 12, 2011.
[۵] The Universal House of Justice message to the Baha’is of the world, Redhvan 2013.
[۶] The Universal House of Justice message to the Baha’is of the world, Redhvan 2010.
[۷] The Universal House of Justice message to the Baha’is of the world, Redhvan 2010.
[۸] A writing from the office for the social and economic growth in the Baha’i universal center, November, 26, 2012.
[۹] A writing from the office for the social and economic growth in the Baha’i universal center, November, 26, 2012.
[۱۰] A writing from the office for the social and economic growth in the Baha’i universal center, November, 26, 2012.
[۱۱] A writing from the office for the social and economic growth in the Baha’i universal center, November, 26, 2012.
