Forums
High-Level Structure:
IEF -> IEF: what can the IEF do to improve itself?
IEF -> wider society: what can the IEF do to contribute to the wider society?
IEF -> Bahá'Ãs: what can the IEF do to contribute to Bahá'Ãs?
Example objectives / activities for each area:
IEF -> IEF: what can the IEF do to improve itself?
- Promote and develop Systems Thinking (read reality; enable deeper understanding of Bahá'u'lláhs world view and revelation)
- Develop deeper understanding of how climate- and environmental degradation and overall social / societal degradation are interrelated, and of the forces driving this degradation. (read reality; protect ourselves and our community building process from such forces)
IEF -> wider society: what can the IEF do to contribute to the wider society?
- Inspire climate- and environment-based activities for community building. (community building; public discourse)
- Develop an approach for discourse with people in the climate and environment domain outside the Bahá'à community. (public discourse)
IEF -> Bahá'Ãs: what can the IEF do to contribute to Bahá'Ãs?
- Develop understanding of why protecting the environment is not an individual and interest-based option but belongs to the core of everybody's responsibilities as a Bahá'Ã. (enable deeper understanding of Bahá'u'lláhs world view and revelation)
- Identify and develop a more complete idea of the capabilities and knowledge needed to build genuinely healthy communities (this may sound rather ambitious, but many points mentioned in Monica's concept and also here are already contributing in that direction)
Some detailed thoughts regarding some of above suggestions:
Develop understanding of why protecting the environment is not an interest-based option for Bahá'Ãs:
As Bahá'Ãs we are aware of the social relationships with our fellow human beings around us - and that we should treat all people with respect, kindness, and love. In addition, we also need awareness of all the other relationships through which we are interconnected, e.g. on the material and environmental level - and how our material life impacts countless people around the globe: the material and financial flows around the globe and their impact, the conditions and impact for environment and people related to these flows, etc. We need to understand that not only when we interact with fellow human beings on a social level our actions should be guided by virtues like justice and love, but that all dimensions of our life need to be guided by these virtues.
The Power of Environment- and Climate-Change related activities for community building:
Environmental degradation and climate change are symptoms of the overall social and societal degradation - and have a visible impact on many communities around the globe. The relationship between these seemingly different spheres of degradation can easily be traced and understood - and inspire a host of community-building activities: to improve resilience, to empower and heal, to improve autonomy and independence, and ultimately create awareness that only God can guide humankind toward viability.
Promote Systems Thinking:
At the core of Bahá'u'lláh's world view and revelation is the perspective that the world is one - i.e. that everything is directly or indirectly related in a "web of everything", together emerging our one world and all it's phenomena. This is nothing else than what Systems Thinking / Systems Sciences teaches us. Systems Thinking helps better understand both: the world and Bahá'u'lláh's revelation. And Bahá'u'lláh's revelation implies & confirms that Systems Thinking is a foundational capability that all human beings need to develop.