Mirrored from www.bahai-library.org
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THE IMAGE USED BY 'ABDU'L-BAHÁ to capture for His hearers the
comingtransformation of society was that of light. Unity, He declared, is
thepower that illuminates and advances all forms of human endeavour. The
agethat was opening would come in the future to be regarded as "the
century oflight", because in it universal recognition of the oneness of
humankindwould be achieved. With this foundation in place, the process of
building aglobal society embodying principles of justice will begin.
The vision was enunciated by the Master in several Tablets and addresses.Its
fullest expression occurs in a Tablet addressed by 'Abdu'l-Baháto Jane
Elizabeth Whyte, wife of the former Moderator of the Free Church ofScotland.
Mrs. Whyte was an ardent sympathizer of the Bahá'íteachings, had visited the
Master in 'Akká and would later makearrangements for the particularly warm
reception that met Him in Edinburgh.Using the familiar metaphor of
"candles", 'Abdu'l-Bahá wrote to Mrs.Whyte:
O honored lady!... Behold how its [unity's] light is now dawningupon the world's darkened horizon. The first candle is unity in thepolitical realm, the early glimmerings of which can now be discerned. Thesecond candle is unity of thought in world undertakings, the
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consummation of which willerelong be witnessed. The third candle is unity in
freedom which will surelycome to pass. The fourth candle is unity in religion
which is thecorner-stone of the foundation itself, and which, by the power of
God, willbe revealed in all its splendor. The fifth candle is the unity of
nations— a unity which in this century will be securely established, causingall
the peoples of the world to regard themselves as citizens of one
commonfatherland. The sixth candle is unity of races, making of all that dwell
onearth peoples and kindreds of one race. The seventh candle is unity
oflanguage, i.e., the choice of a universal tongue in which all peoples willbe
instructed and converse. Each and every one of these will inevitably cometo
pass, inasmuch as the power of the Kingdom of God will aid and assist intheir
realization.[144]
While it will be decades — or perhaps a great deal longer — beforethe vision
contained in this remarkable document is fully realized, theessential features
of what it promised are now established facts throughoutthe world. In several
of the great changes envisioned — unity of raceand unity of religion — the intent
of the Master's words is clear andthe processes involved are far advanced,
however great may be the resistancein some quarters. To a large extent this is
also true of unity of language.The need for it is now recognized on all sides,
as reflected in thecircumstances that have compelled the United Nations and
much of thenon-governmental community to adopt several "official
languages". Until adecision is taken by international agreement, the
effect of suchdevelopments as the Internet, the management of air traffic, the
developmentof technological vocabularies of various kinds, and universal
educationitself, has been to make it possible, to some extent, for English to
fillthe gap.
"Unity of thought in world undertakings", a concept for which the
mostidealistic aspirations at the opening of the twentieth century lacked
evenreference points, is also in large measure everywhere apparent in
vastprogrammes of social and economic development, humanitarian aid and
concernfor protection of the environment of the planet and its oceans. As to
"unityin the political realm", Shoghi Effendi has explained that the
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reference is to unity whichsovereign states achieve among themselves, a
developing process the presentstage of which is the establishment of the United
Nations. The Master'spromise of "unity of nations", on the other
hand, looked forward to today'swidespread acceptance among the peoples of the
world of the fact that,however great the differences among them may be, they
are the inhabitants ofa single global homeland.
"Unity in freedom" has today, of course, become a universal
aspiration ofthe Earth's inhabitants. Among the chief developments giving
substance toit, the Master may well have had in mind the dramatic extinction
ofcolonialism and the consequent rise of self-determination as a
dominantfeature of national identity at century's end.
Whatever threats still hang over humanity's future, the world has
beentransformed by the events of the twentieth century. That the features of
theprocess should also have been described by the Voice that predicted it
withsuch confidence ought to command earnest reflection on the part of
seriousminds everywhere.
The changes wrought in humanity's social and moral life received
powerfulendorsement at a series of international gatherings called under the
UnitedNations' authority to mark the approaching end of one
"millennium" and thebeginning of a new one. On 22-26 May 2000,
representatives of over onethousand non-governmental organizations assembled in
New York at theinvitation of Kofi Annan, the United Nations Secretary-General.
In thestatement that emerged from this meeting, spokespersons of civil
societycommitted their organizations to the ideal that: "...we are one
humanfamily, in all our diversity, living on one common homeland and sharing
ajust, sustainable and peaceful world, guided by universal principles
ofdemocracy...."[145]
Shortly afterwards, from 28-31 August 2000, a second gathering broughttogether
leaders of most of the world's religious communities, likewiseassembled at the
United Nations Headquarters. The Bahá'íInternational Community was represented
by its Secretary-General, who
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addressed one of the plenarysessions. No observer could fail to be struck by
the call of the world'sreligious leaders, formally, for their communities
"to respect the right tofreedom of religion, to seek reconciliation, and
to engage in mutualforgiveness and healing...."[146]
These two preliminary events prepared the way for what had been designatedas
the Millennium Summit itself, meeting at the United Nations Headquartersfrom
6-8 September 2000. Bringing together 149 heads of state andgovernment, the
consultation sought to give hope and assurance to thepopulations of the nations
represented. The Summit took the welcome step ofinviting a spokesman for the
Forum of non-governmental organizations toshare the concerns that had been
identified at that preparatory gathering.It seemed to Bahá'ís as significant as
it was gratifying thatthe individual accorded this high honour was the
Bahá'íInternational Community's Principal Representative to the United Nations,
inhis capacity as Co-Chairman of the Forum. Nothing so dramaticallyillustrates
the difference between the world of 1900 and that of 2000 thanthe text of the
Summit Resolution, signed by all the participants, andreferred by them to the
United Nations General Assembly:
We solemnly reaffirm, on this historic occasion, that the UnitedNations is the indispensable common house of the entire human family,through which we will seek to realize our universal aspirations for peace,cooperation and development. We therefore pledge our unstinting support forthese common objectives, and our determination to achieve them.[147]
In concluding this sequence of historic meetings, Mr. Annan addressedhimself to
the assembled world leaders in surprisingly candid terms —terms that, for many
Bahá'ís, carried echoes ofBahá'u'lláh's stern admonition to the now vanished
kings andemperors who had been these leaders' predecessors: "It lies in yourpower,
and therefore it is your responsibility, to reach the goals that youhave
defined. Only you can determine whether the United Nations risesto the
challenge."[148]
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Despite the historic importance of the meetings and the fact that thegreater
portion of humanity's political, civil and religious leadership tookpart, the
Millennium Summit made little impression on the public mind inmost countries.
Generous media attention was given to certain of the events,but few readers or
listeners could fail to note the expression of scepticismthat characterized
editorial treatment of the subject or the air of doubt— even of cynicism — that
crept into many of the news storiesthemselves. This sharp disjunction between
an event that could legitimatelyclaim to mark a major turning-point in human
history, on the one hand, andthe lack of enthusiasm or even interest it aroused
among populations whowere its supposed beneficiaries, on the other, was perhaps
the most strikingfeature of the millennium observations. It exposed the depth
of the crisisthe world is experiencing at century's end, in which the processes
of bothintegration and disintegration that had gathered momentum during the
pasthundred years seem to accelerate with each passing day.
Those who long to believe the visionary statements of world leaders struggleat
the same time in the grip of two phenomena that undermine suchconfidence. The
first has already been considered at some length in thesepages. The collapse of
society's moral foundations has left the greater partof humankind floundering
without reference points in a world that growsdaily more threatening and
unpredictable. To suggest that the process hasnearly reached its end would be
merely to raise false hopes. One mayappreciate that intense political efforts
are being made, that impressivescientific advances continue or that economic
conditions improve for aportion of humankind — all without seeing in such
developments anythingresembling hope of a secure life for oneself, or more
importantly, for one'schildren. The sense of disillusionment which, as Shoghi
Effendi warned, thespread of political corruption would create in the minds of
the mass ofhumankind is now widespread. Outbreaks of lawlessness have become
pandemicin both urban and rural life in many lands. The failure of social
controls,the effort to justify the most extreme forms of aberrant behaviour
asprimarily civil rights issues, and an almost
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universal celebration in the arts and media ofdegeneracy and violence — these
and similar manifestations of acondition approaching moral anarchy suggest a
future that paralyzes theimagination. Against the background of this desolate
landscape theintellectual vogue of the age, seeking to make a virtue out of
grimnecessity, has adopted for itself the appellation and mission
of"deconstructionism".
The second of the two developments undermining faith in the future was thefocus
of some of the Millennium Summit's most anguished debates. Theinformation
revolution set off in the closing decade of the century by theinvention of the
World Wide Web transformed irreversibly much of humanactivity. The process of
"globalization" that had been following a longrising curve over a
period of several centuries was galvanized by new powersbeyond the imaginations
of most people. Economic forces, breaking free oftraditional restraints,
brought into being during the closing decade of thecentury a new global order
in the designing, generation and distribution ofwealth. Knowledge itself became
a significantly more valuable commodity thaneven financial capital and material
resources. In a breathtakingly shortspace of time, national borders, already
under assault, became permeable,with the result that vast sums now pass
instantly through them at thecommand of a computer signal. Complex production
operations are soreconfigured as to integrate and maximize the economies
available from thecontributions of a range of specializing participants,
without regard totheir national locations. If one were to lower one's horizon
to purelymaterial considerations, the earth has already taken on something of
thecharacter of "one country" and the inhabitants of various lands
the statusof its consumer "citizens".
Nor is the transformation merely economic. Increasingly, globalizationassumes
political, social and cultural dimensions. It has become clear thatthe powers
of the institution of the nation-state, once the arbiter andprotector of
humanity's fortunes, have been drastically eroded. Whilenational governments
continue to play a crucial role, they must now makeroom for such rising centres
of power as multinational corporations, UnitedNations agencies, non-governmental
organizations of every kind, and hugemedia conglomerates, the cooperation of
all of which is
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vital to the success of mostprogrammes aimed at achieving significant economic
or social ends. Just asthe migration of money or corporations encounters little
hindrance fromnational borders, neither can the latter any longer exercise
effectivecontrol over the dissemination of knowledge. Internet communication,
whichhas the ability to transmit in seconds the entire contents of libraries
thattook centuries of study to amass, vastly enriches the intellectual life
ofanyone able to use it, as well as providing sophisticated training in abroad
range of professional fields. The system, so prophetically foreseensixty years
ago by Shoghi Effendi, builds a sense of shared community amongits users that
is impatient of either geographic or culturaldistances.
The benefits to many millions of persons are obvious and impressive.
Costeffectiveness resulting from the coordination of formerly
competingoperations tends to bring goods and services within the reach of
populationswho could not previously have hoped to enjoy them. Enormous
increases in thefunds available for research and development expand the variety
and qualityof such benefits. Something of a levelling effect in the
distribution ofemployment opportunities can be seen in the ease with which
businessoperations can shift their base from one part of the world to another.
Theabandonment of barriers to transnational trade reduces still further thecost
of goods to consumers. It is not difficult to appreciate, from aBahá'í
perspective, the potentiality of such transformationsfor laying the foundations
of the global society envisioned inBahá'u'lláh's Writings.
Far from inspiring optimism about the future, however, globalization is seenby
large and growing numbers of people around the world as the principalthreat to
that future. The violence of the riots set off by the meetings ofthe World
Trade Organization, the World Bank and the International MonetaryFund during the
last two years testifies to the depth of the fear andresentment that the rise
of globalization has provoked. Media coverage ofthese unexpected outbursts
focused public attention on protests againstgross disparities in the
distribution of benefits and opportunities, whichglobalization is seen as only
increasing, and on warnings that, if effectivecontrols are not speedily
imposed, the consequences will be catastrophic insocial and political, as well
as in
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economic and environmental, terms.
Such concerns appear well-founded. Economic statistics alone reveal apicture of
current global conditions that is profoundly disturbing. Theever-widening gulf
between the one fifth of the world's population living inthe highest income
countries and the one fifth living in the lowest incomecountries tells a grim
story. According to the 1999 Human Development Reportpublished by the United
Nations Development Programme, this gap represented,in 1990, a ratio of sixty
to one. That is to say, one segment of humankindwas enjoying access to sixty
percent of the world's wealth, while another,equally large, population
struggled merely to survive on barely one percentof that wealth. By 1997, in
the wake of globalization's rapid advance, thegulf had widened in only seven
years to a ratio of seventy-four to one. Eventhis appalling fact does not take
into account the steady impoverishment ofthe majority of the remaining billions
of human beings trapped in therelentlessly narrowing isthmus between these two
extremes. Far from beingbrought under control, the crisis is clearly
accelerating. The implicationsfor humanity's future, in terms of privation and
despair engulfing more thantwo thirds of the Earth's population, helped to
account for the apathy thatmet the Millennium Summit's celebration of
achievements that were, by allreasonable criteria, truly historic.
Globalization itself is an intrinsic feature of the evolution of humansociety.
It has brought into existence a socio-economic culture that, at thepractical
level, constitutes the world in which the aspirations of the humanrace will be
pursued in the century now opening. No objective observer, ifhe is fair-minded
in his judgement, will deny that both of the twocontradictory reactions it is
arousing are, in large measure, welljustified. The unification of human
society, forged by the fires of thetwentieth century, is a reality that with
every passing day opensbreath-taking new possibilities. A reality also being
forced on seriousminds everywhere, is the claim of justice to be the one means
capable ofharnessing these great potentialities to the advancement of
civilization. Itno longer requires the gift of prophecy to realize that the
fate of humanityin the century now opening will be determined by the
relationshipestab-
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lished between these twofundamental forces of the historical process, the
inseparable principles ofunity and justice.
In the perspective of Bahá'u'lláh's teachings, the greatestdanger of both the
moral crisis and the inequities associated withglobalization in its current
form is an entrenched philosophical attitudethat seeks to justify and excuse
these failures. The overthrow of thetwentieth century's totalitarian systems
has not meant the end of ideology.On the contrary. There has not been a society
in the history of the world,no matter how pragmatic, experimentalist and
multiform it may have been,that did not derive its thrust from some
foundational interpretation ofreality. Such a system of thought reigns today
virtually unchallenged acrossthe planet, under the nominal designation
"Western civilization".Philosophically and politically, it presents
itself as a kind of liberalrelativism; economically and socially, as capitalism
— two valuesystems that have now so adjusted to each other and become so
mutuallyreinforcing as to constitute virtually a single,
comprehensiveworld-view.
Appreciation of the benefits — in terms of the personal freedom,
socialprosperity and scientific progress enjoyed by a significant minority of
theEarth's people — cannot withhold a thinking person from recognizingthat the
system is morally and intellectually bankrupt. It has contributedits best to
the advancement of civilization, as did all its predecessors,and, like them, is
impotent to deal with the needs of a world never imaginedby the eighteenth
century prophets who conceived most of its componentelements. Shoghi Effendi
did not limit his attention to divine rightmonarchies, established churches or
totalitarian ideologies when he posedthe searching question: "Why should
these, in a world subject to theimmutable law of change and decay, be exempt
from the deterioration thatmust needs overtake every human institution?"[149]
Bahá'u'lláh urges those who believe in Him to "see with thineown eyes and
not through the eyes of others", to "know of thine own
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knowledge and not through theknowledge of thy neighbour". Tragically, what
Bahá'ís see inpresent-day society is unbridled exploitation of the masses of
humanity bygreed that excuses itself as the operation of "impersonal
market forces".What meets their eyes everywhere is the destruction of
moral foundationsvital to humanity's future, through gross self-indulgence
masquerading as"freedom of speech". What they find themselves struggling
against daily isthe pressure of a dogmatic materialism, claiming to be the
voice of"science", that seeks systematically to exclude from
intellectual life allimpulses arising from the spiritual level of human
consciousness.
And for a Bahá'í the ultimate issues are spiritual. TheCause is not a
political party nor an ideology, much less an engine forpolitical agitation
against this or that social wrong. The process oftransformation it has set in
motion advances by inducing a fundamentalchange of consciousness, and the
challenge it poses to everyone who wouldserve it is to free oneself from
attachment to inherited assumptions andpreferences that are irreconcilable with
the Will of God for humanity'scoming of age. Paradoxically, even the distress
caused by prevailingconditions that violate one's conscience aids in this
process of spiritualliberation. In the final analysis, such disillusionment
drives aBahá'í to confront a truth emphasized over and over again inthe
Writings of the Faith:
He hath chosen out of the whole world the hearts of Hisservants, and made them each a seat for the revelation of His glory.Wherefore, sanctify them from every defilement, that the things for whichthey were created may be engraven upon them.[150]
NOTES
[144] Selections
from the Writings of'Abdu'l-Bahá, op. cit., pp. 34-36, (section 15).
[145]
United Nations General Assembly,Fifty-Fourth Session, Agenda Item 49 (b)
United Nations Reform Measures andProposals: the Millennium Assembly of the
United Nations, 8 August 2000,(Document no. A/54/959), p. 2.
[146]
See Commitment to Global Peace,declaration of the Millennium World Peace
Summit of Religious and SpiritualLeaders, presented to UN Secretary-General
Kofi Annan on 29 August 2000during a summit session at the UN General Assembly.
[147]
United Nations General Assembly,Fifty-Fourth Session, Agenda Item 61 (b) The
Millennium Assembly of theUnited Nations, 8 September 2000, (Document no.
A/55/L.2), section32.
[148]
The respective purposes of the threeMillennium gatherings, as well as the
involvement of theBahá'í community in these meetings, were summarized in
aletter from the Universal House of Justice to all National SpiritualAssemblies
dated 24 September 2000.
[149]
Shoghi Effendi, The World Order ofBahá'u'lláh, op. cit., p. 42.
[150] Gleanings
from the Writings ofBahá'u'lláh, op. cit., p. 297, (section CXXXVI).