Tag: society-building

Daily Frameworks for 25 June 2026

Istijlál, 02 Raḥmat (Mercy), 183 B.E.

Quotes for Reflection

The nature of the flourishing communities that the Bahá’í world is striving to raise has profound implications for the family. It is within the family that the individual is born and nurtured, and within the family that individuals begin to learn how to live together with others. The family unit is the basic building block of community, and beyond, of the entire social order. Therefore, a society fashioned to meet the requirements of the age of the maturity of the human race requires both a mature conception of family and an ability to extend the insights derived from that conception to the relationships that shape the nation and the world. “A family is a nation in miniature”, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá explains. “The conditions surrounding the family surround the nation.” Learning about a new pattern of family life is, therefore, an integral part of the effort to learn about the release of the society-building power of the Faith. — 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

Conclusion

The Bahá’í vision for eldercare is neither a niche social service program nor a simple act of charity. It is an expression of the community’s deepest convictions: that every soul possesses eternal dignity; that the aging are “treasuries of wise counsel” whose gifts the community cannot afford to lose; and that true service builds society rather than merely managing need. Placing eldercare within the framework of the global plans — as one expression of “the society-building power of the Faith” — elevates it from a welfare concern to a civilizational project: the construction, neighborhood by neighborhood, of a community life in which no one, at any age, is rendered invisible, expendable, or merely a burden. [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]

Footnotes

[1] Universal House of Justice. “19 March 2025 – To the Bahá’ís of the World.” Bahá’í Reference Library. https://www.bahai.org/r/010142019

[2] Perplexity Computer. “Rendering Service to Humanity Through Bahá’í-Oriented Eldercare.” Edited by Steve Bosserman. June 23, 2026. https://www.perplexity.ai/computer/a/7136fb50-4676-4fcd-8695-c2ee4ec4d94f

[3] O’Connor, Patricia. “The Nine Year Plan: What Do Baha’is Want for the World?” BahaiTeachings.org. https://bahaiteachings.org/nine-year-plan-what-do-bahais-want-world/

[4] Schellberg, Donald. “The Influence of the Baha’i Faith on the Aging.” reddit-r/bahai, February 2026. https://www.reddit.com/r/bahai/comments/1rkiqir/the_influence_of_the_bahai_faith_on_the_aging/

[5] Bahá’í Quotes. “Aging.” https://bahaiquotes.com/subject/aging

[6] Baha’i International Community Brussels Staff. “A European strategy for the elderly: The irreplaceable role of community life.” Bahá’í International Community, November 29, 2023. https://www.bic.org/statements/european-strategy-elderly-irreplaceable-role-community-life

[7] Randolph, Terry (Editor). “The Nine Year Plan 2022-2031.” ObeisanceBaba. https://www.obeisancebaha.org/the-nine-year-plan-2022-2031/

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.

Daily Frameworks for 12 June 2026

Istiqlál, 08 Núr (Light), 183 B.E.

Quotes for Reflection

And thus when contemplating the human world thou beholdest this wondrous phenomenon shining resplendent from all sides with the utmost perfection, inasmuch as in this station acts of cooperation, mutual assistance and reciprocity are not confined to the body and to things that pertain to the material world, but for all conditions, whether physical or spiritual, such as those related to minds, thoughts, opinions, manners, customs, attitudes, understandings, feelings or other human susceptibilities. In all these thou shouldst find these binding relationships securely established. The more this interrelationship is strengthened and expanded, the more will human society advance in progress and prosperity. Indeed without these vital ties it would be wholly impossible for the world of humanity to attain true felicity and success. — ‘Abdu’l-Bahá [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

The Series of Global Plans and Their Single Aim

Beginning with the Nine Year Plan (2022–2031), the Universal House of Justice launched “a series of Plans [over a 25-year period] that will carry it into the third century of the Bahá’í Era and significantly strengthen the Bahá’í community’s capacity for realising the society-building powers of the Faith”. [3] The single stated aim of these plans is “the release of the society-building power of the Faith in ever-greater measures”. [4] This framing is significant for eldercare: it means the goal is not simply charitable outreach but the construction of new patterns of collective life — new norms, new relationships, new institutional habits — within which elders are fully embedded rather than managed at the margins. [5] [6] [7]

Footnotes

[1] Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. BAHÁ’Í SACRED WRITINGS. Bahá’í Reference Library. https://www.bahai.org/r/396539248

[2] Perplexity Computer. “The Society-Building Framework: Where Eldercare Fits” Edited by Steve Bosserman. June 7, 2026. https://www.perplexity.ai/computer/a/7136fb50-4676-4fcd-8695-c2ee4ec4d94f

[3] Universal House of Justice. “25 November 2020 – To the Bahá’ís of the World.” Bahá’í Reference Library. https://www.bahai.org/r/300076435

[4] 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/758524476

[5] Randolph, Terry (Editor). “The Nine Year Plan 2022-2031.” ObeisanceBaba. https://www.obeisancebaha.org/the-nine-year-plan-2022-2031/

[6] O’Connor, Patricia. “The Nine Year Plan: What Do Baha’is Want for the World?” BahaiTeachings.org. https://bahaiteachings.org/nine-year-plan-what-do-bahais-want-world/

[7] Baha’is of the United States Staff. “Building Community: Love in Action.” Baha’is of the United States. https://www.bahai.us/beliefs/building-community/

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.

Daily Frameworks for 07 June 2026

Jamál, 03 Núr (Light), 183 B.E.

Quotes for Reflection

Oh, you of the Western nations, be kind to those who come from the Eastern world to sojourn among you. Forget your conventionality when you speak with them; they are not accustomed to it. To Eastern peoples this demeanor seems cold, unfriendly. Rather let your manner be sympathetic. Let it be seen that you are filled with universal love. When you meet a Persian or any other stranger, speak to him as to a friend; if he seems to be lonely try to help him, give him of your willing service; if he be sad console him, if poor succor him, if oppressed rescue him, if in misery comfort him. In so doing you will manifest that not in words only, but in deed and in truth, you think of all men as your brothers.
What profit is there in agreeing that universal friendship is good, and talking of the solidarity of the human race as a grand ideal? Unless these thoughts are translated into the world of action, they are useless.
The wrong in the world continues to exist just because people talk only of their ideals, and do not strive to put them into practice. If actions took the place of words, the world’s misery would very soon be changed into comfort.
A man who does great good, and talks not of it, is on the way to perfection.
The man who has accomplished a small good and magnifies it in his speech is worth very little. — ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’ [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

Executive Summary

The Bahá’í call to “render service to the world of humanity” and the ongoing series of global plans focused on “the release of the society-building power of the Faith in ever-greater measures” converge powerfully in the domain of eldercare. Far from being a peripheral social concern, work with aging populations sits at the heart of what the Bahá’í teachings envision for a just, flourishing society: one that integrates every soul as both contributor and recipient, where the material and spiritual dimensions of life achieve dynamic coherence. This report maps that convergence — exploring Bahá’í principles relevant to aging, the framework for social action within the global plans, and concrete pathways for applying both to eldercare endeavors at every level of complexity. [3] [4] [5] [6]

Footnotes

[1] ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. PARIS TALKS. Bahá’i Reference Library. https://www.bahai.org/r/033644530

[2] Perplexity Computer. “Rendering Service to Humanity Through Bahá’í-Oriented Eldercare: Executive Summary.” Edited by Steve Bosserman. June 6, 2026. https://www.perplexity.ai/computer/a/7136fb50-4676-4fcd-8695-c2ee4ec4d94f

[3] O’Connor, Patricia. “The Nine Year Plan: What Do Baha’is Want for the World?” BahaiTeachings.org. https://bahaiteachings.org/nine-year-plan-what-do-bahais-want-world/

[4] Bahá’í Quotes. “Aging.” https://bahaiquotes.com/subject/aging

[5] Randolph, Terry (Editor). “The Nine Year Plan 2022-2031.” ObeisanceBaba. https://www.obeisancebaha.org/the-nine-year-plan-2022-2031/

[6] International Environment Forum Staff. “Community Social Action.” International Environment Forum. https://iefworld.org/cmpcommunityaction

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.

Daily Frameworks for 06 June 2026

Jalál, 02 Núr (Light), 183 B.E.

Quotes for Reflection

The relationships of the nuclear family are embedded in ever-wider circles of relationships, beginning with the extended family. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins extend care and support that help to fulfil the purpose and responsibilities of the family. The characteristics of such familial relationships also extend to fellow Bahá’ís and other friends, who can assist a family in various ways. In the close social network forged in a vibrant community, elders offer deepening, wise counsel, and distinctive example. Others step in as spiritual aunts and uncles to share affection and concern for the progress of young people and provide support that reinforces the labours and lofty aspirations of parents. Youth act as older brothers and sisters who, in numerous ways, assist and inspire those younger than themselves. In this way, the sense of oneness, of love, care, trust, and solidarity that are initially cultivated in the family begin to be woven into the fabric of relationships in the community. — 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 Pro Response

This is the first in a series of posts on applying the Bahá’í call to service and the society-building aims of the global plans to eldercare work. Collectively, they will cover the theological grounding (the soul’s independence from physical decline; elders as “treasuries of wise counsel”); the framework from the Universal House of Justice’s social action guidance (the spectrum from informal to formal, learning in action, spiritual-material coherence); and a tiered set of practical pathways — from integrating elders into devotional meetings and children’s classes at the grassroots, through caregiver support circles and neighborhood accompaniment networks, to the possibility of pioneering a Bahá’í-inspired organization formally dedicated to eldercare.

A few highlights worth noting directly:

  • The Bahá’í International Community has already engaged this discourse at the EU level, arguing for elders as protagonists of community life rather than managed recipients of care — a framing directly applicable to local organizing. [3]
  • As of 2022, there are 170 Bahá’í-inspired development organizations worldwide, but none appear to focus specifically on eldercare, making this a genuinely open field for pioneering work under the Nine Year Plan. [4]
  • The caution against “paternalism” in the Shared Decision-Making (SDM) [5] [6] framework is especially important in this domain: the goal is mutual, intergenerational community, not a youth-driven service program aimed at elders. [7]

Footnotes

[1] Universal House of Justice. “19 March 2025 – To the Bahá’ís of the World.” Bahá’i Reference Library. https://www.bahai.org/r/203576507

[2] Perplexity Pro. “Applying the Bahá’í Call to Service and the Society-Building Aims of the Global Plans to Eldercare Work: Introduction.” Edited by Steve Bosserman. June 5, 2026. https://www.perplexity.ai/search/4828eb75-6fa5-4633-a0d7-f37dc341700d?preview=1

[3] Bahá’í International Community News 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

[4] Bahaipedia. “List of Bahá’í-inspired development organizations.” https://bahaipedia.org/List_of_Bah%C3%A1%E2%80%99%C3%AD-inspired_development_organizations

[5] Vogel, Amyn and Daniel Fürstenau. “Shared decision-making: A vehicle for participation and individualized clinical care pathways? A Scoping review on patients’ and physicians’ perceived facilitators and barriers for shared decision-making for frail and elderly patients in the clinical setting.” International Journal of Integrated Care, Nov 4, 2022. https://ijic.org/articles/10.5334/ijic.ICIC22012

[6] Cribb, Alan and Vikki A Entwistle. “Shared decision making: trade‐offs between narrower and broader conceptions.” National Library of Medicine, May 19, 2011. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5060567/

[7] Shams, Badi. “Building Communities that Encompass Everyone.” BahaiTeachings.org. https://bahaiteachings.org/building-communities-encompass-everyone/

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.