"Values and Leadership in Society"

A STATEMENT BY THE BAHÁ'Í COMMUNITY
ISSUED FOR THE ISLE OF WIGHT MILLENNIUM 2000
SPRING FESTIVAL OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Like other religious and socially-aware groups, the Bahá'í Community has been concerned at recent problems involving young people in our society, problems showing a lack of moral guidance and leadership. Many groups have been blamed for this lack - the media, politicians, clergy, teachers, young people, and so on. The call has gone up to re-establish family values, and some have taken this to mean going back to an older way of doing things which, we are told, will solve the problems. Those who try to give a lead are, however, often pilloried by the same groups who call for it. If they say nothing they are criticised for failing to speak out, if they do speak they are attacked for meddling in things they do not understand.

We believe that this is because two important elements are often left out of the debate - the fact that what is happening in our society is part of a world-wide process of change, and the acceptance that if rights are not balanced by responsibilities then society is failing all its members.

Children and young people, for instance, are among the most vulnerable groups in society, and, at the same time, the most important. They have no voice in the government, and society has the responsibility to safeguard the well-being of children and the obligation to promote the full development of their physical, mental, and moral capacities. To neglect this responsibility is to court the destruction of the foundations of society itself, for the destiny of all future generations depends on the attention given to children now. However this attention must include a recognition that children are not merely miniature adults, that they should be guided in their development, and that society has a responsibility to protect them from the consequences of a self destructive "freedom" from control which will blight their own lives and those of others.

All developed nations pay at least lip service to the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child, but one of the most important rights of that Convention is often overlooked - the right to moral education. The sad results of the current lack of moral education and its essential corollary of spiritual development, are evident everywhere. Many of today's children and youth are understandably restless and aimless. They are inhabitants of a rapidly changing world in which old systems and assumptions have fallen by the wayside, but have yet to be replaced by new paradigms and values. In such a morally vacant environment, children can easily be lured by the superficial attractions of materialism on the one hand, or succumb to old racial, national, or religious prejudices on the other. Only moral education based on the oneness of humanity can give children and youth a vision of a better future and inspire them to build it; a vision that can provide a socially productive channel for their unbounded energies.

Article 29 of the Convention calls for educating children to respect the rights of others and to appreciate their own cultural identity. Those who learn to accept themselves and others will be able to envision a world in which diversity need not be a source of conflict. Respect for human rights creates the possibility for peace and provides a realistic foundation for an all-embracing, co-operative social order based on justice. Those who will translate the possibility for peace into the reality of a just society must possess such essential virtues as truthfulness, compassion, fair-mindedness, humility, and kindness to all people. These fundamental human values are not the exclusive possession of any particular religion or set of beliefs. They are the moral foundation for all societies everywhere. This moral attitude must be extended now to include the entire human family: so that children see themselves as members of one human family, in which they have both rights and responsibilities, and conversely, that they have the responsibility to grant and uphold the rights of others.

Moral education in classes or schools is most likely to take effect if the environment reflects and reinforces moral values and encourages children to apply these values in their daily personal and collective lives. Children have the right to be taught in an environment that respects and promotes their human dignity. Young people who respect their own nobility will easily learn to regard all others as deserving of the same. Creating a moral environment for children is critical to their development because children are deeply affected by their surroundings. New to the world, children are particularly susceptible to the diseases of materialism, prejudice, and extreme nationalism that have infected our present-day society. Yet, on the positive side, having been born without prejudices, they are receptive to learning about different peoples and cultures, finding in their hearts a place for the love of all people.

The mass media, a significant part of a child's environment, must share responsibility for providing moral education. Too often the mass media provide negative information to children - perpetuating negative stereotypes or encouraging violence and cruelty. Yet these same media, if they resolve to carry out their missions within a moral framework, can have a powerful impact on the moral and spiritual development of children, and ultimately of the whole of society.

We applaud the efforts of many schools and educational bodies to develop curricula and other materials aimed at fostering respect for human rights and a sense of global solidarity. Governments should encourage schools and the media to make use of these materials and to produce their own educational materials which foster knowledge and understanding of other cultures; highlight the lives of individuals who have promoted inter-cultural understanding and exemplified high moral standards; and debunk negative racial and ethnic stereotypes. Moreover, games and toys should be developed which encourage co-operation as well as competition.

All adults and social institutions, including governments, are called upon by the Convention to help create a morally healthy environment in which children can be nurtured and educated. Article 17 calls on the mass media to disseminate information to children that is consistent with moral well-being, that promotes understanding among peoples, that respects the child's cultural background, and that does children no harm. Articles 28 and 29 speak to the providers of education at every level. Article 28 asserts every child's right to learn in an environment that respects his or her human dignity. Article 29 states that education should develop the child's personality and talents, prepare the child for responsible life as an adult, foster respect for basic human rights, and develop respect for the child's own cultural and national values and those of others.

We feel that the Convention on the Rights of the Child provides a basis for meaningful debate and action to try to restore the sense of social and family solidarity which, as recent events have shown, is so badly lacking today.

Click here to contact the Bahá'ís of the Isle of Wight

NB. The on-site introductory material was written by Andrew Gash . Please contact him if you wish to reproduce it elsewhere.
This page is technically maintained by Ian Digby. Please advise if any links fail. Email to: iansdigby@tiscali.co.uk