Kamál, 18 Núr (Light), 183 B.E.
Quotes for Reflection
The initial stirrings of grassroots social action begin to be seen in a cluster as the availability of human resources increases and capacity for a wider range of tasks develops. Villages have proven to be notably fertile ground from which social action initiatives have emerged and been sustained, but in urban settings too, friends living there have succeeded in carrying out activities and projects suited to the social environment, at times by working with local schools, agencies of civil society, or even government bodies. Social action is being undertaken in a number of important fields, including the environment, agriculture, health, the arts, and particularly education. Over the course of the Nine Year Plan, and especially as the study of specific institute courses stimulates greater activity in this area, we expect to see a proliferation of formal and informal efforts to promote the social and economic development of a people. Some of these community-based initiatives will require basic administrative structures to sustain their work. Where conditions are propitious, Local Spiritual Assemblies will need to be encouraged to learn how best to cultivate new, fledgling initiatives and to foster efforts that show promise. In some cases, the needs associated with a particular field of endeavour will warrant the establishment of a Bahá’í-inspired organization, and we anticipate the appearance of more such organizations during the coming Plan. For their part, National Spiritual Assemblies will have to find ways in which they can stay well informed about what is being learned at the grassroots of their communities and analyse the experience being gained; in some places this will call for the creation of an entity dedicated to following social action. Looking across the Bahá’í world, we are delighted to see how much momentum has already been generated in this area of endeavour through the encouragement and support of the Bahá’í International Development Organization. — Universal House of Justice [1]
Question for Consideration
How can one apply the general call for Bahá’í s to “render service to the world of humanity” while focusing on the aim of an ongoing series of global plans for “the release of the society-building power of the Faith in ever-greater measures” to social endeavors in eldercare? [2]
Perplexity Computer Response
Advanced: Bahá’í-Inspired Organizations
Where communities have developed sufficient human capacity and organizational experience, more formal structures can emerge — always organically, never through the imposition of an external blueprint. [3] A Bahá’í-inspired organization focused on eldercare might:
- Operate an adult day program or residential facility grounded in the principle of full integration rather than age-segregated isolation.
- Develop and disseminate educational curricula for family caregivers that integrate spiritual and scientific knowledge.
- Engage at the policy level — as the BIC has done in Brussels — to shape national and regional eldercare strategies in ways consistent with Bahá’í principles of community, dignity, and intergenerational solidarity. [4]
As of 2022, there were 170 Bahá’í-inspired development organizations worldwide, compared to 39 in 1996 — a significant growth in the community’s organizational capacity for sustained social action. None currently appear to focus specifically on eldercare, suggesting a significant opportunity for pioneering work. [5]
Footnotes
[1] Universal House of Justice. “30 December 2021 – To the Conference of the Continental Boards of Counsellors.” Bahá’í Reference Library. https://www.bahai.org/r/758524494
[2] Perplexity Computer. “Practical Pathways: A Spectrum of Eldercare Engagement.” Edited by Steve Bosserman. June 21, 2026. https://www.perplexity.ai/computer/a/7136fb50-4676-4fcd-8695-c2ee4ec4d94f
[3] Research Department of the Universal House of Justice. SOCIAL ACTION. August 2020. Bahá’í Reference Library. https://universalhouseofjustice.bahai.org/involvement-life-society/osed-2012-social-action
[4] Bahaipedia. “List of Bahá’í-inspired development organizations.” Bahaipedia.org. https://bahaipedia.org/List_of_Bah%C3%A1%E2%80%99%C3%AD-inspired_development_organizations
[5] Bahá’í International Community Brussels Staff. “BIC Brussels: Reimagining the elderly’s role in society.” Bahá’í International Community, December 6, 2023. https://www.bic.org/news/bic-brussels-reimagining-elderlys-role-society
Be the Voice of…
Therefore, all souls should consider it incumbent upon them to investigate reality. Reality is one; and when found, it will unify all mankind. Reality is the love of God. Reality is the knowledge of God. Reality is justice. Reality is the oneness or solidarity of mankind. Reality is international peace. Reality is the knowledge of verities. Reality unifies humanity. — ‘Abdu’l-Bahá The Promulgation of Universal Peace | Bahá’í Reference Library.
Frameworks for Understanding the World 