Association for Baha’i Studies – Southern Africa

Two-fold moral purpose –the principles of Baha’i curriculum development which aims to foster peaceful communities

Charmaine January2013Dedicated to the Baha’is of Iran who suffer intense persecution based on religious prejudice

ContentsPreface........................................................................................................................2

Introduction.................................................................................................................3

1. True nature and will..............................................................................................3

2. Coherence between religion and science.............................................................4

3. The coherence between material and spiritual development................................6

4. A vision of interconnectedness.............................................................................8

5. A comprehensive approach to education.............................................................8

6. Current areas of enquiry in peace building education..........................................9

7. Schools as microcosms of the community..........................................................10

8. Schools as contested terrains.............................................................................11

9. A conducive learning environment......................................................................12

Conclusion................................................................................................................13

References................................................................................................................15

Further reading..........................................................................................................16

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Preface

A comprehensive education which encompasses both the spiritual and material dimensions of reality serves as a catalyst for enduring change in society. In conceptualising the powerful, dynamic interplay between the individual and society in the change process, one of the Central Figures of the Baha’i Faith, Shoghi Effendi penned the following: “Man is organic with the world. His inner life moulds the environment and is itself also deeply affected by it.” It is within this framework that it is possible to conceive of an educational process that is transformative at two levels, the individual and the society. This presentation will seek to explore the underlying principles of the Baha’i educational process in tandem with elucidating some of its key concepts. Spiritual education fundamentally seeks to re-orient and challenge common assumptions underlying approaches to education by examining education in the context of the totality of human nature. The outcome of education being promoted is one that fosters the development of the individual and society simultaneously. Such an education organically would give rise to community building processes which seek to actively overcome moral decay and instead instil a culture of service and upliftment. In assessing current approaches to stave off the endemic culture of school violence, it is evident that while practical measures are essential to safeguard learners, it is in itself limited in its effect to bring about the necessary environmental changes required. Optimal cognitive and affective functioning which allows the realisation of the potential of each individual entrusted to society can only be realised in a milieu of service and upliftment.

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Introduction

This paper will seek to explore the principles and concepts informing spiritual education as promoted from the perspective of the teachings of the Baha’i Faith. Spiritual education is understood in this context as a process engaged with by the individual to adjust thinking and behaviour to bring about the betterment of the world. By this is meant that as the individual transforms spiritually, consequently the impact of thought and behaviour transforms the environment and vice versa. For such a process to come into being an educational process needs to be developed that engaged the full capacities of those involved. By such a comprehensive approach to education is meant that both the spiritual and material dimensions of human potential are harnessed for the process of personal and social transformation. A key link between the individual and the environment is the notion of service. Service is on the opposite of the spectrum of human behaviour to violence. While the former is essentially constructive in terms of thought and behaviour the latter is on the other hand essentially destructive. This implication being thus that the more one is developed, both spiritually and materially according to ones God given capacities, the more able one is to make ones particular contribution in terms of service. Consequently the less developed one is spiritually and materially the less prepared one is of being of service and hence this human condition potentially gives rise to destruction yielding to construction in varying degrees. Educators thus have both the privilege and obligation of developing both the material and spiritual dimension of human nature and in so doing seek to create a renewed understanding of the relationship between human potential and the possibilities for such an educational process to bring about the highest degrees of civilisation imaginable.

1. True nature and will

In witnessing the destructive occupations of human beings it is not unfathomable to consider, on that basis alone, that humans are one and the same as animals. It is therefore note surprising that Social Darwinists amongst others refer to man as a beast and human society as the jungle. Yet others such as Watson in his book, The idea of Man, thinks of man as a biochemical machine, sinful and as a free agent”

“If it is true, in general, that ‘ideas have consequences,’ then man’s ideas about man have the most far reaching consequences of all. Upon them may depend the structure of government, the patterns of culture, the purpose of education, the design of the future and the human or inhuman uses of human beings.” (1)

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Moralisation, judgementalism and self righteousness and authoritarians aside refers to two opposing natures co-existing in human nature.

“In man there are two natures; his spiritual or higher nature and his material or lower nature. In one he approaches God, in the other he lives for the world. Signs of both these natures are to be found in men. In his material aspect he expresses untruth, cruelty and injustice; all these are the outcome of his lower nature. The attributes of his divine nature are shown forth in love, mercy, kindness, truth and justice…” (2)

The will (volition) or spiritual discipline of the individual inspired by study, meditating on sacred scriptures and service, all of which shapes the thoughts and actions of individuals. In this context the root cause of violence is understood as the absence of the purposeful cultivation of a peaceful nature. All virtues are latent within human beings meaning that these are present ‘in potential’. Through a comprehensive education and the will to develop both materially and spiritually the full range of human potential and capacities become manifested. The lack of belief in the nobility of human beings resulted in the proliferation of educational, cultural, social and political systems which primarily focusses on the material aspects of human nature.

2. Coherence between religion and science

It should be stated from the outset that an examination of the concepts and underlying principles of Baha’i education proffered not be viewed in the least and by any means as standing in contention or juxtaposition to any other system of belief but rather from the viewpoint of seeing all religious teachings as forming a whole and continuous knowledge system, which together with scientific investigation, forms two powerful forces for advancing civilisation.

The concept of the two fold moral purpose is crucial to Baha’i belief which purports that human beings are created to carry forward an ever advancing civilization. The purpose of religion is to develop the spiritual and intellectual capacities latent in human beings to achieve this purpose. To this end science and religion, the two primary knowledge systems in the world, ought to work in harmony toward the progress of civilization.

“We cannot segregate the human heart from the environment outside us and say that once one of these is reformed everything will be improved. Man is organic with the world. His inner life moulds the environment and is itself deeply affected by it. The one acts upon the other and every abiding change in the life of man is the result of these mutual reactions.”(3)

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It is essential for the student to engage with this particular concept in the light of a more fundamental concept which is common to all religious teachings namely the dual nature of man.

Overcoming violence requires the introduction of a coherent approach to education that addresses both the material (delivered through a scientific mode of investigation) and spiritual (delivered through religious teachings) needs of mankind. To this end these two knowledge systems need to find harmony if it shares the aim of contributing each in its unique but complementary manner toward the betterment of society. A greater harmony exists between the spiritual and material dimensions then education becomes conducive to the full development of human potential for the betterment of society. A challenge humanity is currently confronted with is the dichotomised and almost atomised state of education whereby knowledge for the purpose of learning and teaching is often segmented and at times presented as opposing realities.

Knowledge is understood in terms of the Baha’i Faith as having one source, one origin and truth as being one reality. Science and religion are thus viewed as two knowledge systems that ought to be integrated in order for progress to occur. One of the key objectives of science is to prove reality through the process of systematic inquiry into the reality of things and the purpose of religion on the other hand is to promote the acquisition of God-like qualities in human beings. The purpose of outlining those broad stroke purposes would not be to assess whether the validity of the one above the other but rather to concede that on the subject of peace education it is not a matter of divided thinking but rather that of seeking greater coherence.

Haavelsrud, M. (2012) in his key note address at this conference aptly stated that due to its complexity the solutions for violence seeks an alternative to an atomised dissection of the issue:

“This task is an invitation to academic disciplines to assist in meeting the need for transdisciplinary cooperation in analyzing this complexity.” (4)

Given this complexity and the multiplicity of responses it would stand to reason then that the individual and society’s definition and response to peace and the emerging strategies for peace education will have both a subjective and objective element attached to it. Continued discourse and dialogue will be necessary to establish greater harmony and coherence between and within these two systems.

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The spirit of coherence sought in Bahai’ peace education is well encapsulated in the following scholarly achievement of note. The inauguration of the Baha’i Chair for World Peace at the University of Maryland, USA in 1995, was responsible for creating a course for Honors students entitled “The Spiritual Heritage of the Human Race.” This course examines world religions from the perspective of their common heritage, in pursuit of a global spiritual ethic. The Baha’i Chair established a global network for scholarship on peace and conflict resolution, and continues to promote diversity and intercultural understanding, the advancement of women, and excellence in teaching. At the 10th annual lecture (University of Maryland, 2004), Chancellor Kirwan stated:

“What the Baha’i Chair is all about is the elevation of the common good. It seeks this higher ground by focusing not on what divides people, but rather on what unites them...we must ensure that throughout their higher education journey, our students travel with an open mind while exposed to the widest variety of ethical, spiritual and philosophical thought .” (5)

3. The coherence between material and spiritual development

Attaining spiritual growth is deemed to be a lifelong process. The conscious effort (will) undertaken to acquire human perfections requires daily struggle and vigilance. Developing a peaceful disposition requires effort which some individuals will exercise more successfully than others. For the well-being and protection for society at large institutions exist to ensure that peaceful behaviour is maintained and if needed force is exercise to restrain violent behaviour. For the highest degree of peacefulness to be attained Is it would be essential for individuals to understand the powers latent within their souls, the existence of God and life after death and exercise behaviour which is in accordance with attaining their higher nature.

“But if the community would endeavor to educate the masses, day by day knowledge and sciences would increase, the understanding would be broadened, the sensibilities developed, customs would become good, and morals normal; in one word, in all these classes of perfections there would be progress, and there would be fewer crimes.” (6)

One of the opportunities afforded with working with like-minded individuals and organisations is to have the opportunity to appraise main stream curriculum gaps and pro-actively work toward crafting a more comprehensive educational framework

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that addresses the real needs of the community. For example when examining some of the educational imperatives of ICON, one can see the emerging trends in educational curriculum development when it becomes responsive to building capacities (actualising latent capacities) suitable to meet the needs of the times. The following has been identified by ICON as key elements of a reconstructed curriculum aimed at teaching non-violence:

A willingness to learn as much as to teach A pervasive sense of hope Respect for the intellect of people Recognising people as whole beings Valuing diversity A focus on the present Creating a positive climate for learning A sense of responsibility and not blame A non-punitive recognition of our violence A critical awareness of the context (7)

Elements such as collaborative learning, values driven approach, recognition of the gifts of each individual irrespective of background are all critical elements of a sustainable educational model.

Service and the recognition of the value of others have been presented earlier as the antithesis of violence. The more an individual is skilled to make a meaningful contribution the life of others the more self-worth is raised and the individual develops affirming relationships with others. In such a milieu the possibility of violence diminishes considerably. Instead the desire to attain human perfections, skills and the fulfilment of service dominates individual aspiration.

Character development occurs throughout the life of a human being. The Baha’i curriculum presupposes that since violence is learnt behaviour, it could be unlearnt and the underlying prejudices which determine the norms with respect to attitude and behaviour will require careful re-examination and alternatives modes of thinking be developed to elicit a positive, affirming response to replaces violence. The exercise of individual will (choice) for non-violence opens up pathways and avenues for new constructive possibilities to emerge, be considered and acted upon consciously.

Is it possible to speak of a true education without a practical expression of service? Is it possible to conceive of a comprehensive education which does not incorporate both scientific knowledge and religious knowledge?

4. A vision of interconnectedness

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It is thus necessary to change violence through the provision of a comprehensive education that is founded on the mutual inter dependence and inter connected of one and all. This principle of oneness fosters an acute understanding and heightened perception in the individual that his or her well-being is inextricably linked that of others hence service to others is viewed as an essential quality requiring careful consideration as a key element of the learning process. From such an understanding and training the individual realises his or her potential to contribute wholeheartedly to societal transformation and takes joy acts inspired by a desire to serve others. It is from such a standpoint that abstract concepts such as equity and justice will be practically applied in that the vision for transformation is recognised as starting with individual transformation. An emerging discourse in the field of Baha’i scholarship congruently relates the concept of oneness to the root of transforming cultural, social, political and other structural and systemic phenomena. Its power lies in the re-examination of human nature as well as the necessary ways in which relationships need to be re-casted as an expression of the principle of the oneness of mankind. It avers that peace (by implication non-violence or other forms of threat) cannot be attained unless and until unity is firmly established. Violence is but one response to a lack of unity which adheres to the principle of the oneness of mankind.

5. A comprehensive approach to education

Violence, like all behaviour, is learnt and often simply justified by some form of unexamined prejudice. Injustice toward the victim aside, the perpetrator’s character becomes further corrupted in that the recognition of the fundamental human rights of the victims is dimmed completely. Thus when examining the underlying norms and values informing the behaviour of perpetrators it is evidentially at odds with the appreciation of the principle of oneness of mankind. According to the Universal House of Justice, the international governing body of the Baha’i Faith, it argued that war can be traced to prejudice, the oppression of women, inordinate extremes of wealth and poverty, excessive nationalism, religious strife and education that re-enforces prejudices and condones violence by negating the spiritual nature of man leads to a paralysis of will.

Hence a comprehensive approach to education will in principle promote the oneness of mankind which underscores our spiritual nature and hence the need for the individual member to be regarded as a trust of the whole. Some of the principles promoted in the moral educational programmes proffered by the Baha’i community at grassroots community level embrace the following principles: unity in diversity, equity, justice, gender equality, moral leadership and freedom of thought. Specific references to numerous documentation outlining in significant detail the approaches and methodologies employed are listed in this paper under the section entitled “further reading”.

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This comprehensive approach to education which is being promoted falls within a broader change process relating to the operating principle of the oneness of mankind. The goal of the Baha’i teachings is the attainment of a peaceful global community hence universal standards for human rights and responsibilities, economic justice and co-operation to regulate inordinate disparities between rich and poor, universal access to education that includes human, material an spiritual components and stresses the harmony between science and religion, and the adoption of a universal language and script taught in addition to mother tongue literacy for the purpose of international communication.(8)

This principle of oneness, if understood in its fullest sense, will address both the personal and structural causes of violence. This is referred to by leaders of thoughts as ‘structural violence which is often portrayed as unintentional and inherent but never the less destructive.

“If infant mortality is caused by a structure in which the value of property (ownership of food) is rated higher than the value of life, one may conceive of a potential structure in which the value of life would be given priority to the value of property. A potential structure might have built-in mechanisms for making food available to those who need it, regardless of the recipients’ buying power.” (9)

Belief in the oneness of mankind is thus a fundamental principle of spiritual education and is considered the operating principle of all Baha’i teachings which calls for mechanisms to be considered to bring about the necessary structural changes to achieve sustainable and just systemic outcomes.

6. Current areas of enquiry in peace building education

The notion of seeking a more comprehensive approach to education is emerging in the area of peace studies and the promotion of non-violence. The current dialogues in South Africa revolve around a set of meta-questions which educators are striving to define in a cohesive manner:

What role does education have in peace-building? What are the roles of curriculum development, teaching/learning methods and

the school environment in building peace? How can educators be trained so as to provide not only knowledge but also

peaceful attitudes and practices? How can cost effective peace education be best planned and implemented?

(10)

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From the above shift of focus it is evident that educationalists have reached a critical juncture in understanding the role of education for transformation. Principles, such as the teaching of the oneness of mankind, will thus be essential for peace building. While this principle expresses a unity on a global scale it is inseparable from all manner of interaction and relationship at individual, community and institutional spaces. Such that one can realistically conceive of societal change at neighbourhood and family level which relates to the question at hand – staving off violence in schools such as within the South African context. The abovementioned questions are thus critical to frame this dialogue which essentially calls for a fundamental re-orientation eliciting a sea change of ideas of unfathomed magnitude.

7. Schools as microcosms of the community

Service, the antithesis of violence, is the connector between people, in communities and within institutions. The relationship between the individual and the community requires careful examination. If schools are to serve for the advancement of society its environments would need to reflect the ideal.

“The community is the medium in which violence manifests itself. Any propensities which an individual may have towards violence or peacefulness as a result of his beliefs, attitudes or experiences ultimately originate in and are strengthened by the community in which he lives.” (11)

Referring to Fromm, E.’s anlaysis of various societies in his book: The anatomy of human destructiveness, Danesh concludes from a review of various cultures that there were primarily three types of societies. A life affirming culture was characterised by low levels of competition and individualisation. In non-destructive aggressive societies characterised by war elements of competition, hierarchical and accomplishment-orientated behaviour is re-inforced. In destructive societies members display pleasure in warfare, cruelty, mistrust and fear. Referring to studies conducted by Gorney including citations from Benedict, the above notions are re-infoced. The conclusion being those social structures and its re-inforcing culture, values and re-inforced normative behaviour which promotes mutual co-operation and collaboration toward common goals for advancement, reduces the incidence of violence. Are communities merely passive by standers to school violence? Do communities have a role in fostering a conducive learning environment?

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8. Schools as contested terrains

Schools and the communities supporting learners ought to seek all manners of promoting education which will uplift the community and empower it to break cycles of violence. This vision is for schools to consider it as part of the core curriculum to find ways of developing in children and youth the capacity to “break patterns of violence” as outline by Marta Santos Pais, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General on Violence against Children.

“From children’s early years, schools are well placed to break patterns of violence and provide skills to communicate, to negotiate and support peaceful solutions to conflicts. “ (12)

From the perspective of a rights based culture, it would be considered a high imperative that all impediments to the full involvement in a productive education, such as violence in schools, be addressed in order for this right to be realised effectively.

Having an appreciation for the societal structures and processes impacting schools as institutions, it would be useful to narrow the lens to see specifically how schools can nurture and harness a perspective toward bringing about positive change. The term school is loose broadly to refer to all places of learning where affective and cognitive factors and also spiritual factors in the environment contribute to success. Access, retention and throughput at all levels of the educational system are critical for the success of the individual and community. In areas where there are high levels of access, retention and throughput the levels of crime is drastically reduced.

In order to achieve such an optimal environment all forms of threat must be replaced by forms of love and encouragement. The question arises as to whether teaching a rights based or democratic education is sufficient to change attitude and behaviour. Does it in itself change human intention? The World Health Organisation’s 2002 report on violence and health describes violence as :

“The intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, (against oneself), another person, or against a group or community that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment or deprivation.” (13)

School communities ought to consider whether their current strategies are comprehensive in creating an optimal learning environment. What is the emotional, psychological and physical impact of the current environment? How can the acquisition of spiritual capacities serve to enhance the consciousness of the rights of self and others to develop their full intellectual and moral capacities?

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Schools have a critical role to play in safeguarding young people and nurturing human potential to address the needs of society. It is therefore a contradiction in terms that it renders people fearful and vulnerable in the face of violence. By the same token it presents the very opportunity required to stave off such future behaviour. The will to change will need to come from the rising generation who are cognisant of the crushing difficulties under which their communities labour.

It is thus contested that the violence strikes at the root of change in that its very presence in the midst of learning endeavour potentially undermines any positive outcome. By addressing violence in schools through the educational system it gives credibility and integrity to the learning endeavour and acknowledges the injustices created in the system of and by itself. For many school is thus a contradiction of terms and the very sites where violence is nurtured and perpetuated.

The study sample comprised 5,939 learners, 121 principals and 239 educators. In total, more than a fifth of learners had experienced violence at school. To summarise:

12.2% had been threatened with violence by someone at school 6.3% had been assaulted 4.7% had been sexually assaulted or raped 4.5% had been robbed at school. (14)

Communities in the grip of violence consist of individuals who live under constant threat. Individuals in these daily situations naturally either escape or attack a real or perceived sense of danger which is driven by two instinctive emotions – fear and anger. Each individual will choose to respond uniquely to these sets of circumstances either becoming apathetic or aggressive.

9. A conducive learning environment

Danesh (1979) postulates that love and encouragement are conducive to creating environments that are beneficial to the growth and development of children. An environment is perceived to be either life threatening or live giving (availability of opportunities to develop). How can the individual be nurtured and developed to such an extent that responses to life threats are transformed into life opportunities – is a comprehensive education the catalyst? Can an education conceivably empower the individual to deal with life threats constructively and proactively seek life affirming opportunities for themselves and others?

“Creativity is the other opportunity through which the uniqueness of every human being and his approach to life is expressed. While growth enables the individual to mature, creativity provides him with feelings of

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fulfilment. The fuel for growth and creativity is encouragement and love. Without these, the human child grows up unhealthy, troubled and self-centred. As an adult he becomes bored and finds himself immature and inadequately prepared to face the responsibilities of life. This in turn results in further inability to deal with threats and a vicious cycle is created.” (15)

Conclusion

Programmes aimed to eradicate violence aims to provide protective measures for members of society through the rule of law and the punishment of the criminals. This is proving to be necessary but insufficient. The physical restraint of violence is straightforward, however much is yet to be learnt about how a set of moral educational teachings that appeal to the nobility of the human soul, belief in the oneness of mankind and the centrality of how personal development is inter-connected to societal development. The solutions are not simple and the discourse on comprehensive education is formative. At its current stage of discourse development it would demand that more questions is raised about our assumptions than the postulation of authoritative study. Current theories are yet to provide an unfailing framework in itself. What is commonly agreed is that in one sense violence is behaviour driven by anger and fear and untenable. Environmental factors that stimulate such a response pertain to a real or perceived threat. Like all behaviour it is a learnt response. The challenge before those who seek to eradicate violence and promote peace building processes is to view the two behaviours as opposite sides of a spectrum or continuum. That is the more peace building activities and individual engages with the less inclined the individual is to engage in acts of aggression as these two behaviours is mutually exclusive. An alternative to non-violence is sought with the possibility of service offered as its anti-thesis. The motivation for learning either (violence or service) is to a large extent the doing of the conscious choice and exercise of will on the part of the individual on the one hand and the behaviour and attitudes re-inforced by the society on the other. In carefully examining the root causes of behaviour it becomes apparent that individual and societies perceptions about the nature of human beings are fundamental to eradicating violence. If the predominant view of individual is that humans are no different to animals, then the treatment of criminals will be designed to support such a theory. However if the understanding of human nature is confirmed as encapsulating both a materialist (ego) and spiritual (divine) capacities then both will be viewed in life affirming ways whereby aggression will give way to peace building, competition to co-operation, destruction to construction, prejudice to acceptance and so forth.

Like-minded individuals working within the framework of peace-building need to arrive at these points of convergence on how the various dimensions of the solution can be integrated into a meaningful and plausible whole.

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References

1. Danesh, H. 1979, The Violence-Free Society: “A gift for our children. In Journal of the Association of Baha’i Studies, Canada, Volume 6, October.

2. Ibid. p.43. Mc Laughlin, l.,Hanson,H. and Lample, P., 1992, Exploring a framework for

Moral Education, Palabra Publications, Florida, USA.4. Haavelsrud, M. 2012. Mentaility and participation in transformation –

Keynote address: Roots to Fruits: Non-violence in Action. Presented at the ICON conference, South Africa. September.

5. Gervais, M. Baha’i Faith and Peace education; University of Alberta, Canada viewed, 25 August 2013, from http//www.pdfarticles/GervaisBahaiFaith-22Feb08.pdf.p.5

6. Ibid7. International Centre for Non Violence. Viewed on 7 September 2013,

http://www.icon.org.za/current/8. Gervais, M. Baha’i Faith and Peace education; University of Alberta, Canada

viewed, 25 August 2013, from http//www.pdfarticles/GervaisBahaiFaith-22Feb08.pdf

9. Haavelsrud, Magnus, Institute of Educational Research, University of Tromso,Tromso, Norway. Peace Education: Keynote Address at the Plenary Session, "Population and Education viewed on 7 September 2013, http://www.here-now4u.de/eng/peace_education.htm

10.Third Annual Peacebuilding Conference, June 10, 2012. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban viewed on 7 September 2013, from https://notices.ukzn.ac.za/content/GetFile.aspx?id=2332

11.Danesh, H. 1979, The Violence-Free Society: “A gift for our children. In

Journal of the Association of Baha’i Studies, Canada, Volume 6, October.12.Burton,P. and Leoschut, L.(2012). School Violence in South Africa – Results

of the 2012 National School Violence study, viewed on 8 September 2013, fromhttp://cjcp.skinthecat.co.za/articlesPDF/65/Monograph12-School-violence-in-South%20Africa.pdf, p.xii

13. Ibid14. Ibid15.Danesh, H. 1979, The Violence-Free Society: “A gift for our children. In

Journal of the Association of Baha’i Studies, Canada, Volume 6, October.

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Further reading

Baha’i statements library

http://www.bic.org/statements-and-reports/statements

Information on the Baha’i Faith

http://info.bahai.org/article-1-6-6-1.html

library with statements included

http://bahai-library.com/BIC

Lazlos learning site – on line courses

http://www.lazoslearning.org/

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