Conference inspires Brisbane youth into arena of service
Young people from Brisbane and surrounding areas have come together over the summer period to continue exploring how to contribute to the spiritual and material progress of their communities and society at large.
The gathering was part of the Brisbane Youth Conference and was held over two days at the University of Queensland. It included large group workshops and small group sessions, with discussions also drawing on the use of the arts.
Throughout the conference, participants engaged with materials developed specifically for the gathering with a strong emphasis on inclusivity, accessibility, and the use of the arts.
Small-group sessions were organised based on geographic areas, fostering a sense of connection and shared purpose. Participants explored a series of interconnected themes reflecting on the role of youth as agents of change and the forces that impact their lives. They examined the influence of social media and considered their their responsibility in guiding the next generation. They explored what it means to live a coherent life by aligning values with action.
Participants also heard firsthand from youth across Brisbane about how they are responding to the negative influences in their neighbourhoods through involvement in community-building activities. The conference concluded by supporting participants to identify practical steps forward in their paths of service.
According to one participant, the highlight of the conference was being able to see and meet many different people, “working together to create a plan as to how we as youth will be at the forefront of helping our community and continuing to expand our service capacities.”
“I really enjoyed this conference and look forward to the next one along with the change we planned to create,” they said.
The conference is part of a broader process of community-building unfolding in Brisbane and beyond that aims to inspire young people to take charge of the transformation of their own lives and, in turn, the society around them.
The local youth movement has been growing from strength to strength since 2024, as young people from all walks of life have been coming together in purposeful settings and solidifying their shared vision about contributing to the betterment of the world.
Beginning with youth-initiated spaces for prayer and spiritual conversations, the youth movement is now embracing more and more young people into an expanding process that aims to address the spiritual, material and intellectual education of all people.
According to the Guardian of the Baha’i Faith, Shoghi Effendi, it is on young people that the future progress and expansion of the community-building work depends:
It is on their shoulders that [the Guardian] lays all the responsibility for the upkeep of the spirit of selfless service … Without that spirit, no work can be successfully achieved. With it triumph, though hardly-won, is but inevitable. You should, therefore, try all your best to carry aflame within you the torch of faith, for through it you will surely find guidance, strength and eventual success.
Shoghi Effendi
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Brisbane
In neighborhoods across Brisbane, Baha’is and their friends are engaged in a community-building process that cultivates love and translates it into action.
Published in April, 2026, in Community Stories > Events
Available online at: horizons.bahai.org.au/community-stories/conference-inspires-brisbane-youth-into-arena-of-service/
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