Social transformation efforts and the building of capacity

In this personal reflection, Dellaram Vreeland reflects on the nature of Baha’i-inspired social action efforts, and what makes them distinct from community endeavours facilitated through other organisations.

Recently, I’ve had a few people inquire as to the nature of the various activities held through the Baha’i community which aim to effect some sort of transformation in society. 

It could be a fundraiser, a tutoring program, a playgroup, or a community dinner – efforts that are seeking to enrich the spiritual and material well-being of individuals from all walks of life and, in turn, have an impact on the community. 

What makes these any different from the tens and thousands, nay millions, of efforts taking place across the globe through charities, not-for-profits, religious institutions and other organisations? What is the point in exerting all this energy, often voluntarily, when there are so many other groups, with much more funding and resources, that are seemingly doing the exact same things? 

To me, the answer lies in the building of capacity. 

Not merely offered as a service to the community, these efforts are viewed as an exercise in building capacity. It’s one thing to provide people with money and food and play, and quite another to empower them to contribute to the transformation of society and subsequently bring more people along for the ride. As the age old proverb goes: 

Just recently, a team of youth in our community of Ballarat launched a tutoring program at the local library. They came together, consulted on the best approach/location/subjects, and were then spurred into the arena of action. For the past month they have been assisting those younger than themselves with reading, maths and basic guitar. Every two weeks, they meet, reflect on what they have learned and where they are headed. This constant rhythm of reflection, study, consultation and, most importantly, action – enforced from the get-go – sets them up for a mode of operation that is effective, characterised by learning, and that is inspired by moral qualities and the building of capacity.

Soon, some of these youth will go through a training program based on the Ruhi Training Institute, aimed at furthering their skills and exploring the spiritual qualities required as they continue on this path of service. It’s an ongoing educational process. It’s alive. 

But it’s not only the youth themselves that are building their capacity to contribute to their community. Through this tutoring program, they are building capacities in those younger than themselves, and the families connected to the program are also being encouraged to contribute – through the provision of food, assisting with tutoring, offering their homes for reflection, the transport of students, through conversations about building community. The view, from the start, is that this effort becomes much more than a service that starts and stops on a Monday afternoon. It is an effort that connects people from a diversity of backgrounds together, that celebrates community and unity, that builds confidence and collaboration, that empowers more individuals to feel they can contribute to the advancement of their neighbourhood. 

From the start, it invites all those connected to the initiative to be agents of change. 

The plan now, instigated by the youth themselves, is to have a community gathering every three months. We already see the glimpses of how one effort, when viewed through the lens of community-building, can lead to transformation at the local level. 

And this is with little to no funding.

Another example of this capacity-building exercise – albeit fledgling – lies in a local playgroup we have recently initiated. Not just a space where parents come and babies play, initial conversations with mothers have been centred on “how would you like to contribute to this space”, “what would you like to see more of” and “this space is just as much for us as mothers to connect”. We already have mothers who have volunteered to facilitate sessions – harnessing their creativity and unique capacities. The vision is for this to be a space for women to connect, to collaborate, and to contribute to the education of their children. It isn’t a playgroup offered by a service provider, but a living and breathing organism growing thanks to the contributions of all its members. 

Humanity itself should be likened to the cells and organs of the human body. If one organ isn’t properly functioning, then the entire body suffers. The conversations we have can shed light on how each individual’s contribution has an impact on the collective. If we operate through this lens, then every effort takes on a new level of meaning and our efforts will be more than simply isolated activities. They will expand to embrace more and more people into an ever-advancing process that awakens “the energies latent in the human soul” and channels them “towards the betterment of society”.¹

1. Message dated 30 December 2021 to the Conference of the Continental Boards of Counsellors, The Universal House of Justice[↩]