Confidence placed in young people’s ability to soar: A personal vignette

A youth from the Baha’i community of Brisbane has witnessed firsthand the level of trust and confidence placed in young people to contribute to the betterment of the world following a year of dedicated service at the Baha’i World Centre. 

Baha’i youth Kymia Darab recently returned from 12 months of service in Haifa, Israel, and reflected that despite the young age of many youth serving in various capacities, the governing body of the Faith, the Universal House of Justice, as well as those serving and living in Haifa, had faith they would be able to fulfil their duties to the highest standard. 

In its Ridvan 2024 message, the Universal House of Justice states that: 

Serving at the Baha’i World Centre had always been on Kymia’s mind, nurtured by a deep love for the centre of her Faith, and by warm memories of two pilgrimages undertaken in her childhood years. 

From an early age, Kymia had been actively engaged in serving as a children’s class teacher and later as a tutor of Ruhi study circles. As she approached adulthood, her vision of service expanded, and she considered both pioneering and moving to another location, as well as devoting some time to serving in the Holy Land.  

But when a plan for pioneering did not materialise, Kymia was ready to take the next step and applied for a service at the World Centre. After several months of uncertainty due to the conflict, the confirmation arrived and in March 2024 she commenced her service. After the initial training, the first three months of her service consisted of duties such as patrolling the grounds around the sacred shrines in Haifa, interactions with visitors to the grounds, and maintaining a dignified presence. After three months, Kymia was asked to train as a dispatcher, and her duties shifted to coordination and communication of the control centre. 

During her time in Haifa, Kymia shared that one of her strongest impressions was the high level of trust placed on the youth serving in the Holy Land. Despite their young age and often a lack of practical experience pertaining to their duties, the youth felt the confidence and trust by others that they have the capacity to fulfil their roles to the highest standard. This trust, coupled with a close and loving accompaniment, was immensely empowering and enabled them to develop capacities and grow at an accelerated pace. 

She reflected on the precious connections developed with those with whom they served and prayed and observed that bonds of friendships created with others in the field of service are of a special kind. 

While service at the Baha’i World Centre is different from service unfolding at the grassroots in communities across the world, some aspects are common to both: being in a mode of learning, regular reflections with team members, flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances without losing sight of the overall goal, discipline, working closely with others in a spirit of love and mutual support, having meaningful conversations, and reliance on God and the power of prayer.  

Kymia observed that during her stay, she developed a deeper understanding and appreciation for the power of prayer—something she has continued to cultivate and draw on since her return. 

Returning home, Kymia reflects that while she may not immediately realise all she learned and developed while serving in the Holy Land, she now has a clearer vision of how to work towards the goals of the Nine Year Plan. Always keen to serve, she has come back recharged and ready to serve her family and her community with higher intensity and renewed purpose. Yearning to translate her renewed spiritual charge into action, she also wishes for those around her to feel all the love for the Faith and for each other. While the exact steps to be taken are still emerging, the direction of the path itself is clear: service, work, and continuing her studies in the field of education. 

Kymia’s reflections are infused with a profound sense of love and gratitude – gratitude for the bounty of serving at the Baha’i World Centre, gratitude for having spent precious time in the holy shrines, but also gratitude to her parents who brought her up in a way that made it easy to fall in love with the Faith and with the Holy Land.