By Roshan Gandhi

The prevalence of corruption at all levels of society is widely acknowledged and self-evident. Statistics are readily available, but for illustrative purposes they are hardly necessary: one need only open one’s eyes to see the widespread effects of the moral gaps in public policy and working life.

Among certain parts of society, there is a growing realisation that these issues will never be resolved through policy alone. ‘Top-down’ change must be accompanied by ‘bottom-up’ initiatives that consist of working closely with people at the level of their communities. Such grassroots work is demonstrably most impactful when it takes the form of building the capacities of individuals, so that they are empowered to lead positive change in accordance with the specific, contextual needs of their own localities. Over time, this kind of work enables real progress at the ground level, which ultimately pervades through to all levels of society – resulting in sustainable, meaningful development.

In October this year, followers of the Bahá’í Faith around the world are celebrating the 200th anniversary of the birth of their religion’s founder, Bahá’u’lláh. He taught many principles which are very relevant today – including the oneness of mankind across national borders; the fundamental unity of all religions, as they are all sourced from the same, single God; and the essential equality of women and men. However, considering the nature of the particular problems faced by Indian society, one part of his enduring legacy worthy of particular attention is the grassroots-level work of Bahá’í followers in local communities.

This capacity-building work is carried out in a number of ways. Great emphasis is placed on the role of young people as future leaders of social change and development. Bahá’ís work with small groups of children with the aim of consolidating their moral character, and with young teenagers to help them realise their potential for leadership and empower them as agents of positive change in society. Neither of these programmes are explicitly ‘religious’ in nature: they are focused on the moral and social empowerment of children and ‘junior youth’ on the basis of spiritual principles, but are strictly disconnected from the promotion of the Bahá’í Faith or any one religion.

A series of study materials have also been developed by the international Bahá’í community, with the intention of helping adults understand their higher moral purpose. They are designed to inculcate an outward-looking attitude towards other people, to create a conscious basis for a life of service to humanity, and to help people find practical applications of spiritual and moral principles. ‘Study circles’ on these materials are usually conducted in small groups, with one tutor facilitating learning through open and inclusive discussion and dialogue.

Not just the Bahá’í community; good work of a similar nature is carried out by many groups in society, including representatives of different faiths. When religious followers spread the good teachings of their religion with detachment from a tribal tendency to promote membership of the religion itself, the results can be overwhelmingly beneficial. The principles taught by religion can be channelled into empowerment of individuals at the community level, leading to an enhancement of the underlying moral fabric of the society. This kind of capacity-building at the grassroots, ultimately, will form the basis of meaningful progress and development.

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