“The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens” – Bahá’u’lláh INSIDE In Russia, teachers embrace new ideas Newsletter of the Bahá’í International Community about moral education July-September 2003 Volume 15, Issue 2 Authors Maria Skrebtsova and Alesia Lopatina, drawing on Bahá’í principles, develop a series of primary school workbooks that are filling a critical need for moral education in former Soviet states. 2 Perspective: The Family and Development – Observing the 10th anniversary of the IYF. 4 Suheil Bushrui, holder of the Bahá’í Chair for World Peace, is honored for his global vision. Alesia Lopatina leads a workshop on moral education, attended by some 50 teachers, in Penza. 11 ENZA, Russian Federation — In United States dollars, the books don’t cost very much: Pabout $2 each. But on a teacher’s salary in contemporary Russia, it is a considerable sum, In Africa, four Bahá’í and the decision to buy requires a bit of sacrifice. communities celebrate “I had the choice to buy some clothing or the books,” said Irina Melnikova, a 35-year- their golden jubilees. old pre-school teacher at Public School No. 48 in this medium-sized industrial city on the Sura River. “But I decided that to grow as a professional, I need the books more than other material things.” Ms. Melnikova is not alone. Since the first edition of The World of Love and Unity was published in 1996, it and subsequent titles in a series of books by Maria Skrebtsova and Alesia Lopatina have sold more than 120,000 copies in Russia and other CIS-member states. 16 The books, which offer step-by-step classroom lessons in moral education and other topics, have been purchased mostly by primary school teachers, who nearly always pay for Review: Critical them out of their own pockets. Consciousness — Elena Teachers and school officials who have begun to use the books say nothing else com- Mustakova-Possardt pares to them in Russia. “These books are very much needed by Russian society,” said takes our understand- Tamara Tkatchova, director of the Ozarenie School (Reflections School), a public school in ing to the next level. Kazan, Russia, with about 250 students in grades 1 through 11. “They stand in contrast to everything else like them.” Russia, continued on page 8 PERSPECTIVE is published quarterly by the Office of Public Information of the Bahá’í International Community, an international non-governmental organiza- tion which encompasses and The Family and Development represents the worldwide membership of the Bahá’í Faith. hroughout recorded history, in every cul- made specific references to family-sensitive For more information on the Tture, the family has been the fundamen- policies and family support systems, such as stories in this newsletter, or tal building block of society. And through- flexible working hours, part-time employ- any aspect of the Bahá’í out history, the main factor in the cohesion ment, work sharing, public or publicly sub- International Community and its work, please contact: of the family has been religion. sidized child care, parental leave, social se- Today, by many yardsticks, the family is curity, disability benefits and assistance to ONE COUNTRY in crisis. families to care for dependents, and family Bahá’í International In industrialized countries, changing welfare. Community - Suite 120 economic conditions and new patterns of Strong families are indeed central to the 866 United Nations Plaza New York, New York 10017 consumption have increased the number of overall effort to improve social and economic U.S.A. families where both parents work, leaving development, create sustainable communi- less time for children and family life. High ties, and increase global prosperity. E-mail: [email protected] divorce rates have created a culture of mari- For the individual, of course, strong http://www.onecountry.org tal insecurity. Other social forces have served families have many benefits. The family is a Executive Editor: to decrease support for families from ex- bulwark against hard times, the most basic Ann Boyles tended kin, the workplace, neighbors, and of support systems for its members. People society at large. in strong families are healthier, happier, and Editor: In the developing world, such trends are better adjusted. Brad Pokorny compounded by overarching problems of pov- In terms of social development in gen- Associate Editors: erty, environmental degradation, inequalities eral and the overall advancement of civili- Galina Tumurova (Moscow) between women and men, and the rise of glo- zation, the family is likewise of primary im- Christine Samandari-Hakim bal pandemics, in particular HIV/AIDS. portance. For it is in the family that basic (Paris) During 2004, the United Nations will com- values and morality are formed. It is in the Kong Siew Huat (Macau) memorate the 10th anniversary of the 1994 In- family that the essential capacities for learn- Guilda Walker (London) ternational Year of the Family (IYF). The UN, ing, self-confidence, and positive social in- Editorial Assistant: its specialized agencies, governments, and non- teraction are acquired. And it is from the base Veronica Shoffstall governmental organizations will hold confer- of a strong family that individuals are best ences, promote activities, and undertake stud- able to contribute to society as a whole. Design: ies in an effort to strengthen planning and poli- As noted, religion has historically been Mann & Mann cies in support of strong families. among the most important factors in family Subscription inquiries During the great global conferences of cohesion. Laws about marriage, divorce, the should be directed to the the 1990s, the family emerged as a major rearing of children, the values to be trans- above address. All material theme — even though it was not central to mitted — all have traditionally come from is copyrighted by the Bahá’í any one of those conferences in particular. religion. International Community and subject to all applicable While each conference had a distinct focus, Today, however, the connection between international copyright laws. such as sustainable development, human religion and the family is under assault. First Stories from this newsletter rights, women, social development, or hab- and foremost, the male-dominated, authori- may be republished by any itable cities, all emphasized the importance tarian model for the family structure has be- organization provided that of the human person as the agent and ben- come widely discredited — and rightly so. they are attributed as follows: “Reprinted from eficiary of development, stressing the impor- Associated with the oppression of women, ONE COUNTRY, the tance of empowerment, participation, and inflexible child-rearing practices, and the newsletter of the Bahá’í inclusiveness. preservation of masculine power, this model International Community.” Central to this new concept of develop- of family life is now seen as unhealthy and ment is an understanding that the family is unjust. © 2003 by The Bahá’í International Community the basic unit of society — and that its Yet many religious traditionalists believe strength is integral to development. that the male-dominated, authoritarian fam- ISSN 1018-9300 All of these conferences, for example, ily model is mandated by their sacred scrip- stressed the need for intra-familial as well as ture. And, indeed, some feminists see reli- Printed on recycled paper public family support systems. They also gion as against the family, inasmuch as men 2 ONE COUNTRY / July-September 2003 in many cultures and places have used reli- combines a progressive social outlook with a gious arguments to maintain a status quo that strong sense of individual morality. The Bahá’í is based on the subordination of women. teachings, for example, stress the equality of The failure of the male-dominated, au- all races and ethnic groups and the importance thoritarian model has given rise to an alter- of justice in the distribution of wealth. They native in many Western countries. More lib- also firmly uphold the need for absolute hon- eral — and secular — in its orientation, it esty, complete trustworthiness, and the high- wisely gives women a more equal role in fam- est standards of personal conduct. ily decisions. At the same time, however, this Of overwhelming importance in this dis- model has largely discarded the firm sense cussion is the principle of equality between of morality offered by religious teachings, women and men. Alone among the inde- opening the door to a kind of permissive- pendent world religions, the Bahá’í Faith ness in child-rearing that all too often leaves explicitly calls for the equality of women and The male- children with no firm sense of values or ethi- men in its sacred scripture — a fact that ne- dominated, cal construct — other than self-gratification. gates any claim to exclusive or superior power authoritarian Psychiatrist Hossain Danesh has de- for men within the family structure (and scribed the consequences in a book entitled society at large). model for the The Violence-Free Family: Building Block of “And among the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh family structure a Peaceful Civilization. Such permissive fami- is the equality of women and men,” wrote has become lies “give primacy to gratification of personal ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. “The world of humanity has widely discredited needs and desires over all other issues,” he two wings — one is women and the other — and rightly so. writes. “In such families pursuit of knowl- men. Not until both wings are equally de- Associated with edge and truth do not have relevance except veloped can the bird fly. Should one wing for personal gain. Love in indulgence-based remain weak, flight is impossible. Not until the oppression of families is viewed as identical to gratifica- the world of women becomes equal to the women, inflexible tion; the powers of human will are expressed world of men in the acquisition of virtues child-rearing in promiscuous and anarchic ways.