Summer initiatives solidify young people’s desire to contribute towards betterment of society

Initiatives held throughout the summer months in Victoria are inspiring youth to reflect deeply on their personal contributions to society while also empowering them to contribute towards the strengthening of their communities. 

The annual Melbourne youth conference, held in November, aimed to serve as an uplifting space where people from diverse backgrounds came together to reflect on the world’s challenges and their role in shaping a better future.

With more than 100 young people in attendance, the conference provided a space to discuss today’s most pressing issues including environmental degradation, economic inequality, and political polarisation, while also exploring constructive social forces that could foster unity and justice.  

Organisers said the conference emphasised the importance of recognising the influences shaping society, both destructive and integrative, and empowering youth to actively engage in promoting positive change. 

The conference featured sessions devoted to discussion and exploration, as well as time dedicated to contemplating practical steps to contribute towards community-building efforts. Organisers reflected that through forging connections in the conference space, participants could engage meaningfully in ongoing community initiatives such as junior youth programs, children’s classes, and devotional gatherings.

“A youth conference plays a pivotal role in supporting community-building efforts, empowering young people to actively engage in the development of their communities,” organisers reflected. 

“Through the exploration of profound themes such as social cohesion, spiritual growth, and the spirit of service, the conference inspires youth to reflect deeply on their personal contributions to addressing local challenges. It also provides a unique opportunity to forge lasting friendships with like-minded individuals, united by a common purpose.  

“By meeting other inspired youth and learning about the diverse activities unfolding across the cluster, they come to feel a deep sense of belonging to a larger collective, bound by a shared vision of unity and progress.” 

As well as the youth conference, young people in Melbourne have had the opportunity to participate in the annual summer initiative – a vibrant space for friends to complete selected books from the Ruhi institute and carry out practical acts of service, the aim being to increase the number of settings in Melbourne where the community-building activities are advancing.

Lasting up to 18 days, participants studied various Ruhi books before being given the chance to put what they are learning into action, visiting friends and neighbours in the community, hosting their own devotional gatherings, and even instigating core activities. Participants from the institute camp are now set to start new junior youth groups in the neighbourhoods of Knox, Maroondah and Monash. 

Taking place over the summer and winter holiday periods, these initiatives allow more young people to enhance their capacity to serve their communities. Similar initiatives are unfolding in different localities across the country over the summer months.

The Baha’i community’s Ruhi institute process comprises of educational programs carefully designed to address the moral, intellectual and material education of each individual and empower them to contribute towards the society around them.  

Welcoming individuals from all walks of life, the institute aims to build more vibrant and prosperous communities with activities such as children’s classes, junior youth groups, study circles and prayer gatherings acting as the foundation to each community’s spiritual development.