Contribution to Decision Change

Tremendous efforts have been expended at the Climate COPs to slow and limit the steady warming of the Earth caused by human activities, mainly by the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation. The progress made must be acknowledged because mitigating climate change is a very complex issue, and finding global consensus is very difficult. However, the progress made is far from being commensurate with the scope of the climate crisis and with the far-reaching actions required to prevent a climate catastrophe.

Arnold Bomans and Peter Roessingh have tried to address this problem by looking “for a way, for a procedure, of creating a new design for decision-making”, thinking that a more appropriate and efficient decision-making system could lead to more effective actions. They wrote a paper about Decision Change which is available here: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/6/2372 . A brief summarizing video is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eVmEKOS3XI 

In their quest, the authors invited others to share their thoughts and ideas about their proposal. So, in the spirit of supporting their efforts, I am sharing here my personal thoughts about the Baha’i method of decision-making, generally called consultation. This method of decision-making is already being used in cities and villages around the world. It is practiced by Baha’is in local and national Baha’i institutions and even in their international institution.

Baha’i consultation includes many aspects contained in the paper Decision Change, such as the importance of participation by all stakeholders including minorities, women, and Indigenous peoples for the widest diversity of perspectives. With the intention of contributing new ideas, some features of Baha’i consultation are presented below that are different and new and might therefore contribute to the discourse on designing a new system for decision-making.

The concern for Decision Change is that even the best method and structure for decision-making, designed by the best experts, will ultimately not work if it does not include a fundamental shift in consciousness among the participants. Einstein said that “You cannot solve a problem at the same level of consciousness that created it.” The teachings of the Baha’i Faith fundamentally change our view of the world and of ourselves and can perhaps best be conveyed in a brief form by these words of Baha’u’llah: “Let your vision be world-embracing, rather than confined to your own self.” 

So, how does such a change in consciousness practically help decision-making?

First stands the essential concept of the oneness of humankind. Embracing this concept of oneness means that all decisions taken must consider their impact on the welfare of all of humanity which includes future generations and the Earth that provides sustenance for all life. It also means overcoming narrow nationalistic thinking and working toward a world federal system of governance.

This concept is well explained in the statement One Planet One Habitation, A Bahá’í Perspective on Recasting Humanity's Relationship with the Natural World: "From a perspective wide enough to encompass the planet in its entirety, humanity can be seen in no other light than as one people living in one global homeland. Consciousness of this oneness, expressed through relationships of justice, constitutes the only foundation on which sustainable societies can be raised."

It is interesting to note that the concept of the oneness of humankind constitutes both an ultimate goal as well as a spiritual foundation for meaningful actions toward reaching that goal, including in decision-making. Just imagine a group of policymakers that are not focused on the next election nor on the sole interests of their countries but driven by the vision of oneness! Their decisions will aim to be equally beneficial to their constituents as to people around the world who may be affected by them.

Overcoming the ego seems to be the other essential prerequisite for decision-making. The ego is inherent in all humans and manifests itself in materialism, greed, power seeking, and competing to win. The ego is also responsible for giving in to vested interests and nationalistic thinking that prevent effective global action.

So, let’s look at these words again: “Let your vision be world-embracing, rather than confined to your own self.” It constitutes one holistic change in consciousness. Focusing on the welfare of others, of the world, helps to turn away from the ego. This is often called “spiritual development”. A world-embracing vision is therefore not only beneficial for building a just, peaceful, and environmentally sustainable world, but also for individuals to attain their ultimate purpose of life.

So, what are the practical implications of individuals focusing on the welfare of society and not on their narrow self-interests? 
Have you ever been in a group consultation where one or two people dominated the conversation, or where some people insisted on their views because they were honestly convinced that theirs was the best solution to the issue discussed? This problem is compounded in international climate negotiations when the leaders of the world’s nations insist on the short-term economic interest of their countries at the expense of the global interest. A humble attitude and a world-embracing vision can turn that around.

The objective of Baha’i consultation is not to negotiate and compromise, but to collectively find the best way of action in any situation. All the members in an institution or all participants in a group are encouraged to freely and frankly voice their views without any consideration of how their view may be received by others. However, after sharing one’s view, it does not belong to that individual anymore!

You can visualize the consultative process with the following metaphorical activity where a specific view or suggestion for action is symbolized by a wooden block: The goal is to collectively build a house with blocks of different shapes, sizes and colors. Taking turns, each participant puts several wooden blocks on the table. The group will then move the blocks around and may even eliminate some of them, all in the interest of building the best house envisioned. Similarly, participants should not be offended when their view is amended or not even picked up because once their idea is presented, it does not belong to them anymore.

Another feature of consultation is the attempt to reach consensus. When this is not possible, then the minority who did not agree with the decision is called to whole-heartedly support the decision and to help implement it. Such unified action is much more effective than when there is a minority that works – or even just talks – against it. Progress is much better and faster in this manner. If the decision was wrong, it will also become clear much more quickly that it needs to be revised.

All this calls for humility and detachment from the ego—in other words, spiritual development. For this reason, the practical method of Bahá’í consultation rests on a spiritual foundation. It is important to clarify that “spiritual” should not be understood in a dogmatic or fundamentalistic sense. Rather, it refers to the inherent relationships of love and respect human beings have with the Creative Force of the universe—often called God or the Great Spirit—and with one another.

At the same time, Bahá’í consultation is fully aligned with the Decision Change paper’s emphasis on decision-making grounded in knowledge and reason. Bahá’í teachings explicitly call on individuals to free themselves “from idle fancy and imitation,” to “look into all things with a searching eye,” and to investigate reality using reason and science. Agreeing on the facts is an important foundation. Yet these teachings also recognize that science alone cannot solve the world’s problems. An ethical framework is also required—one that religion seeks to provide.

In conclusion it needs be stated that Baha’is have by far not mastered the art of consultation. Its standards are high and require advanced spiritual development which happens gradually over time by practice and patience with oneself and others. However, even in its embryonic form, the method of consultation has proven to result in better decisions and more unified and meaningful actions in communities around the world.

Imagine if the Conference of the Parties (COPs) embraced just the one idea of a world-embracing vision, grounded in the understanding that “The welfare of any segment of society is intricately bound up with the welfare of the whole”! The countries’ leaders may then be less constrained by vested interests and narrow nationalism and moved to seek the well-being of all of humanity and of the planet. They may come together for unified and decisive global actions to quickly reduce greenhouse gas emissions to save the climate.