Individuals across Victoria and Tasmania gather in first regional meeting to explore growth process 

Earlier this year, the Regional Baha’i Council for Victoria and Tasmania, a body of nine individuals overseeing the development of the community-building efforts in the region, hosted a gathering with more than 160 individuals in order to gain insights, share learning and make plans for the upcoming year. 

The Regional Institutional Meeting welcomed individuals working at the grassroots level in cities, towns and neighbourhoods across the region. Members of the Auxiliary Board, Local Spiritual Assemblies and the National Spiritual Assembly and Continental Board of Counsellors were also present. 

The two-day event explored themes including pioneering, insights from advanced neighbourhoods, the growth of the training institute, and efforts aimed at social transformation.  

Participants from neighbourhoods including Tarneit, Hampton Park, Cranbourne and Whitehorse shared narratives in a panel-like setting, their insights into the process of capacity-building providing a glimpse into the profound and diverse ways in which efforts are unfolding across the region.

Friends from Hampton Park shared that their environment had a sense of vibrancy in terms of the different areas and neighborhoods that collaborated with one another, and that unity and consultation uplifted the spirit of their spaces. “It was as if, even though we were strangers from foreign hoods, we were united in duty to Baha’u’llah’s Cause. Consultation served as the main driver of growth,” they shared. 

In Werribee River, new plans are now emerging from a growing sense of potential, especially around engaging more deeply with families of children and junior youth. For years, efforts have focused on educational spaces for young people, aligned with the area’s reality of many young families. As activities become stable, the next step to strengthen relationships with families has been identified.

For the friends in Tasmania, the Regional Institutional Meeting was a meaningful space for connection, learning, and forward planning. The emphasis on maintaining an outward-focused approach resonated deeply, and the gathering was a wonderful reminder about flexibility in the institute process.  

The Regional Institutional Meeting was the first to occur since the formation of the new Regional Baha’i Council for Victoria and Tasmania. Previously, the work being undertaken in these two states was overseen by the Council for South-Eastern Australia. In 2024, the South-Eastern region was divided into two councils – Victoria and Tasmania, and New South Wales and ACT.