Children’s festivals and junior youth camps key to growth process 

The hosting of children’s festivals and junior youth camps are acting as a catalyst in the growth process across South Eastern Australia (SEA), with this approach to community-building taking root in almost all clusters across the region. 

The advancements made in the arenas of children’s education and junior youth were highlighted at the recent SEA regional planning and budgeting meeting, where it was shared that in the past year, more than 830 children had participated in 51 festivals and 225 junior youth had attended 23 camps. 

Insights from the region also showcased how groups of families were coming together to respond to the material, social and spiritual aspirations of families to whom they were naturally connected, leading to a profound impact on people’s lives and the wider community.  

The three-day planning and budgeting meeting is held by the Baha’i Council for South Eastern Australia in consultation with the Institution of the Counsellors. It is a space to review the progress made across all the region’s 21 clusters, evaluate the effectiveness of approaches, and explore new opportunities for growth. 

More than 190 friends attended this year’s gathering, including cluster agencies and some friends from the grassroots, Auxiliary Board members and their assistants, regional agencies, and for the first time, Secretaries of Local Spiritual Assemblies from clusters that are at the third milestone. As the Universal House of Justice states:

The space was infused with study of the guidance from the Universal House of Justice, various artistic expressions, panel presentations, consultations and planning for the year to come. 

Participants were able to gain insights from several settings across the region where the institute is becoming more formalised – characterised by offering the educational process in a centralised and permanent setting, allowing locals to view it as an educational centre. 

In such spaces, multiple grades of children’s classes, junior youth groups and study circles are often being offered concurrently and individuals are being drawn further into the life of their communities, feeling impelled to contribute towards its advancement and creating conditions that see a rise in social action endeavours. 

All these developments highlight a growing community that is committed to bringing into reality the vision of Baha’u’llah’s Revelation.