Exploring importance of social action and elevated discourse 

Some 450 Baha’is and their friends of all ages from Brisbane and nearby communities came together at the University of Queensland last month to participate in the New Horizons Conference and deepen their understanding of three main areas of activity: community-building, social action and engaging in the prevalent discourses of society. 

The conference was hosted by the cluster agencies of the Brisbane Bayside Cluster, which coordinate and oversee the growth of community-building efforts within the Brisbane region, and drew on the support of some 92 volunteers who served as organisers, facilitators, ushers and more.

According to the Brisbane Bayside Area Teaching Committee, the aim of the conference was to learn about how these three different elements of the Baha’i community’s framework for action complement each other, and how social action and engagement in the prevalent discourses of society can enable us to widen our networks and explore the implications of the Baha’i teachings on matters of importance. 

The term social action denotes endeavours where Baha’is and their friends aim to apply the teachings of the Faith in a practical manner to address the material and spiritual needs of their communities. Examples of Baha’i-inspired social action projects currently taking place in Brisbane and surrounding areas include literacy programs for mothers from refugee backgrounds, community garden projects, tree planting activities, community cleanup projects and more.

Engaging in the prevalent discourses of society refers to efforts to infuse concepts from the Baha’i writings and experiences from various Baha’i activities and initiatives into conversations about current social issues taking place at all levels of society. Examples of such initiatives include discussion groups about mental health, screen addiction and media use amongst children and youth as well as arts spaces where participants engage in artistic activities while consulting about the role of the arts in society. Following the conference, some participants were inspired to initiate additional activities of this nature including discourse groups about the important role played by women as well as grandparents in our communities.

The conference was participatory in nature and included workshops in smaller groups and a panel conversation where panellists shared their experiences in initiating and sustaining various activities. Many conference attendees reflected that this panel conversation was particularly helpful in providing concrete examples and ideas of how to initiate conversations that can result in new social action or discourse initiatives. The arts were also a prominent feature of many parts of the conference program. 

Attendees were encouraged to come together in teams and groups of families shortly after the conference to consult on how to put the insights they gained into action.