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Society builders pave the way, to a better
world to a better day. A united approach to

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building a new society. Join the conversation
for social transformation. Society Builders.

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Society builders with your host, Duane Varan.

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Welcome to Society Builders and thanks for
joining the conversation for social transformation.

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We ve talked a lot in these first few years
about the process of social transformation.

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And at the center of this discussion stands
two key pillars: engaging with public discourse

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- and social action. Today, we re going to
tackle one of these two key pillars - we re

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going to explore what DISCOURSE really means
and how we should engage with such discourse,

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as Baha is, eager to apply our principles
to the challenges of our day.

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Now I want to emphasize the word explore . We
re TOGETHER - EXPLORING - all of this because

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I think you re going to see enormous growth
and command over what this all means over

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the course of the next two and a half decades.
We still have a lot of learn about this. So

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I think our understanding of this all today
is still relatively nascent. That s why it

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s going to be a journey of discovery.

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And as I hope you ll recognize today, engaging
EFFECTIVELY with such discourse, from a Baha

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i perspective, is actually a lot harder than
it first sounds. But by grappling with its

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challenges, hopefully, we ll all be more aware
and sensitive to its demands further empowering

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us to engage in such discourse with confidence.

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So today we explore the art of engaging with
the discourses prevalent in society and we

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start with the question: What is discourse?

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Now I start today s episode with a massive
disclaimer. I continue reminding you that

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I represent no Baha i agency. This podcast
series is an individual initiative and I share

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views here that are no more or less important
than your own. It s important to remember

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this at all times as you listen to these podcasts
so you can frame them as what they really

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are: Ideas stimulating your OWN thinking.

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And that s why I say that we are together
exploring these themes. You shouldn t take

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anything I say as Gospel. This isn t a Vulcan
Mind Meld. I m not transferring knowledge

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to you here. I m simply floating ideas that
you should weigh and consider for yourself

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ideas that MIGHT contribute to your OWN study
and consultations, if you so choose.

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Some topics, like today s, are a little more
fluid and nascent than others so you should

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be even more diligent in weighing up these
ideas in this context. There s a lot that

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we still have to discover, collectively, about
how to best engage with public discourse.

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It s a lot more challenging than it first
seems. And this is why it s so important for

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you to always remember that the views we explore
in these podcasts together, are not authoritative.

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Engaging with public discourse, of course,
is easy. Doing it well is a massive challenge.

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But doing it in a manner that is BOTH effective
and consistent with our principles well it

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s a lot harder threading that needle.

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And I say this because it is easy to get sucked
in by the discourses of our day often for

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the best of reasons but it s easy to unconsciously
adopt approaches that might not, in truth,

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reflect our principles that become political
or otherwise disunifying. Figuring out how

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to ELEVATE discourse well that s no easy task.
And that s what we re going to try to grapple

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with in today s episode.

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So with that disclaimer and those guard rails
in place, let s get on with today s episode.

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Now the focus of today s episode is to tease
out what we mean by engaging with public discourse.

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What is discourse?

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I want to start here by sharing a word of
caution. What WE mean by discourse and what

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OTHERS in society mean by discourse are not
necessarily one and the same thing.

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Now there s no one definition of discourse
in fact, different academic disciplines define

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discourse in VERY different ways. For example,
from a post-modern sociological perspective,

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which is one of the fields which most actively
dedicates itself specifically to the study

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of discourse, from this perspective there
is a clear power dimension to discourse. From

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this perspective how you frame conversations
in itself becomes the BASIS for power structures.

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Power is constructed through command in the
very framing of the conversation. So discourse,

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in this context, is largely about liberation
about deconstructing and reconstructing meaning.

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Far from working to discover a single unified
truth, it works to create many different relativistic

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truths. It s about creating your own truth.
But fundamentally, at its core, it s about

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power it s about prevailing.

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In other words, in these contexts, discourse
is a tool a tool in a quest for power. And

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we enter into discourse to seize power for
OUR ideas to prevail.

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Now by way of contrast, however, the discourse
construct in science is very different. There,

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discourse is about a community of researchers,
collaborating, sharing, exchanging, reviewing

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and scrutinizing evidence replicating studies
together being part of a larger process of

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DISCOVERY. It s a quest to unveil and build
upon fundamental truths.

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It s the same word DISCOURSE but it means
entirely different things here. It has entirely

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different implications different understandings
of truth - different goals different methods

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different outcomes.

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So when we use the term discourse, what do
WE mean by it?

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And it s not even about whether we re talking
about something which is more like political

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discourse or something more like scientific
discourse we actually have an entirely unique

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and fresh approach to discourse. And our challenge
is in better understanding and applying THIS

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kind of Baha i paradigm to the discourses
of society.

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So what we mean by discourse is something
entirely different than what others mean.

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And our challenge is to align ourselves with
this reality. But before we can do that, we

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have to first understand what that reality
is.

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So let s give this some thought because how
we frame it will be critical to our subsequent

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engagement with such discourses.

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Now, the answer to this question of how we
understand discourse - is not immediately

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apparent. As a community, I think, we don
t yet have a unity of thought on what our

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participation in such discourse really looks
or feels like. We don t have sufficient experience

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and reflection on such experience. We may
mean very different things which, of course,

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is a recipe for us making lots of mistakes.
And perhaps even more important it s a recipe

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for the risk of us getting sucked into the
ways that society defines discourse rather

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than working to elevate society s understanding
of discourse by aligning it with approaches

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more consistent with our Faith.

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And if I m being honest, I think many of us
engage and interact with discourses today

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by coming into them - yeah - equipped with
our Baha i principles and that s good but

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I think our approach is largely framed by
society s paradigms. So while we bring Baha

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i ideas into these discourses I m not sure
that our approach is entirely consistent with

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how we SHOULD be approaching such discourse,
from a Baha i perspective, despite our best

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intentions. Because we just haven t reflected
enough on what Baha i engagement with the

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prevalent discourses of our day SHOULD look
like.

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And by the way I m being self-reflexive here.

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So our safeguard here, really, is to study
the messages of the Universal House of Justice

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to see how THEY describe discourse and to
then align our approaches within this framework.

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THAT s how we can be more confident that we
re approaching our engagement appropriately.

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And this process of studying the messages
is exactly what I did as part of the research

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in preparing for this episode. I tracked down
a little over 70 references from the Universal

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House of Justice where they describe the discourse
construct and I studied these references to

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try, however imperfectly, to grapple with
what discourse, from a Baha i perspective,

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really should and what it shouldn t be. This
included whole letters from the Universal

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House of Justice to individual believers who
were specifically struggling with how to best

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engage with discourses on specific issues
casting new light on the construct, at least

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for me.

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Now, don t rely on my study here. You should
study this all for yourself. That s the beauty

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of our Faith, right!

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But in my own research, I see five different
characteristics which prevail as themes across

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these messages. I believe these five largely
define what a Baha i approach to discourse

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should look and feel like.

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These five features which should define Baha
i approaches to discourse, I believe, are:

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1. It should be unifying.
2. It should be consultative.

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3. It should be uplifting.
4. It should be principled.

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5. And it should be constructive.

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Now we re going to need to discuss each of
these features specifically, because each

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has a lot that it entails. And in this context,
we re going to together study some of the

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guidance from the Universal House of Justice
that speaks to these.

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One small footnote though before we dive into
that all.

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Now, I ve referred to this guidance as the
way I think, based on the guidance, we SHOULD

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approach discourse. But to be clear we ll
usually be entering into existing discourses

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in society and we can t define how those discourses
are constructed. So while our approach is

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an aspiration it s an approach nested within
other approaches approaches which we don t

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control and this adds considerably to the
challenge. We can t define how others approach

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discourse we re guests in their homes so to
speak. But we can govern our OWN approach

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and that s what we re speaking to today. How
WE should approach discourse.

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So with that thought, let s dive in on the
first of these features its unifying focus.

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So the first feature we identified earlier
is that our approach to discourse should be

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unifying in its focus. Now, I m going to refer
to this as our supreme imperative it s the

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one thing, above all, I think, which differentiates
us and which society will increasingly demand

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of us. In a polarized, divided world where
people are grappling with all kinds of problems

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I think they will increasingly learn that
Baha is are experts in the art of finding

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unifying paths going forward in their attempts
to address their problems it will largely

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define how society views us and our approach
to discourse in the same way that you associate

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minimalism, for example, with Zen Budhist
philosophy. And, I believe, it will be this

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unifying approach which will prove to be our
greatest point of contrast with other approaches

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to discourse which will remain, I believe,
largely divisive and polarizing.

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If you only remember one thought from today
s episode I hope it will be this idea that

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our approach needs to be unifying. If you
get this one idea right, most of the rest

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of the features that we re going to discuss
will probably fall in place. So this is the

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one thing, above all, I think that we should
strive to bring to our approaches to discourse.

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Now there are numerous references in the messages
from the Universal House of Justice that I

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studied to this idea, including this one:

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The distinctive nature of their approach is
to avoid conflict and the contest for power

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while striving to unite people in the search
for underlying moral and spiritual principles

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and for practical measures that can lead to
the just resolution of the problems afflicting

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society. Bah Ւs perceive humanity as a single
body. All are inseparably bound to one another.

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A social order structured to meet the needs
of one group at the expense of another results

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in injustice and oppression. Instead, the
best interest of each component part is achieved

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by considering its needs in the context of
the well-being of the whole.

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Now this is an incredibly profound understanding
of reality that we really need to come to

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terms with. Society reduces conflicts to binaries
to good guys and bad guys to us vs. them.

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And we have been raised in those societies
we have world views deeply woven into the

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very fabric of how we think that reflects
this paradigm. And that s something we re

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going to have to work to reprogram because
it s a view that is simply not in alignment

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with the fundamental truth that Baha u llah
reveals that we are all part of one human

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family one organic whole.

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Consider these words from the Universal House
of Justice:

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In choosing areas of collaboration, Bah Ւs
are to bear in mind the principle, enshrined

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in their teachings, that means should be consistent
with ends; noble goals cannot be achieved

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through unworthy means. Specifically, it is
not possible to build enduring unity through

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endeavours that require contention or assume
that an inherent conflict of interests underlies

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all human interactions, however subtly.

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So however tempting it is, however justified
it may feel we have to avoid reducing the

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problem to the binary to feed the conflict.
We have to work and it s hard work but we

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have to work to find and build unifying frameworks.

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Now now this hard in practical and pragmatic
terms, but it s even harder on an emotional

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level. And I don t pretend for a second that
this is easy to practice. It s hard to resist

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taking a side particularly where sides are
so well-defined and where it feels natural

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to want to support a side. But we have a higher
goal and that is unified thought and unified

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action. And that often requires us to bridge
competing interests.

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I d like to illustrate this by drawing your
attention to what I think is the best example

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of this. As you all know, for over 40 years,
we have been victims of an active campaign

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of genocide in Iran. There can be no question
that our oppression in Iran is entirely unjustified

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I mean, even in oppression we continue to
be model citizens. We re even obedient to

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the government that oppresses us. We are oppressed
on every level, we re jailed, our homes are

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confiscated, we re denied opportunities for
access to education to jobs. We pay even with

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our very lives. And all of this simply because
we choose to align ourselves with our Faith

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a Faith which is entirely peace loving, socially
positive and which poses absolutely no threat,

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in any way, to anyone, anywhere.

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Now how do we frame our oppressor? You ll
find no vilification in any of our words.

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No hatred. No calls for punishment. While
we do draw attention to their actions to the

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injustices themselves seeking to stop them
we don t paint our oppressors as evil. We

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still recognize them as part of the same human
family and we call on them to rise to a higher

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version of themselves.

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And tomorrow, if, for example, there was a
change in regimes do you think it would be

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Baha is calling for them to be punished? For
their factions to be ostracized? For retribution?

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Absolutely not. Even in that scenario Baha
is would still remain focused on what we can

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all do, collectively, to build a better society.

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Our beliefs are not hollow it s not mere lip
service. Our beliefs have been tested and

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we ve demonstrated our authenticity. And THIS
is why we are such credible ambassadors for

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this unified approach because we practice
what we preach. We don t vilify even our oppressor.

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Now I should also comment a bit on the path
to getting to unified thought and action.

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Such unity does not require or entail uniformity.
It s not that we all have to sing to the same

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hymn sheet. We want a diversity of views we
want to explore problems from all of their

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potential angles. That s a critical part of
the path to discovering a truth. As Abdul-Baha

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reminds us, He says:

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Should anyone oppose, he must on no account
feel hurt for not until matters are fully

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discussed can the right way be revealed. The
shining spark of truth cometh forth only after

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the clash of differing opinions.

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And similarly, the Beloved Guardian, Shoghi
Effendi explains this:

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Truth may, in covering different subjects,
appear to be contradictory, and yet it is

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all one if you carry the thought through to
the end.

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And the Universal House of Justice explains
how while initial difference of opinion is

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the starting point for examining an issue
in order to reach greater understanding and

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consensus; it should not become a cause of
rancor, aversion, or estrangement.

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So the path to getting to unity of thought
and action NECESSARILY requires us to weigh

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different ideas but those differences are
part of the journey not the destination. And

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HOW we get to that destination how we maximize
our capacity to get to that unified end THAT

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is a big part of what we re going to continue
exploring today.

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So remember, your one takeaway from today
s episode is that above all, our approaches

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to discourse must be centered in our quest
to find a unified way going forward.

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Now if being unifying is our goal here, a
consultative approach is our means and method.

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It s the primary tool which empowers us in
our unifying approach.

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It s clear that in the messages I studied,
the Universal House of Justice clearly frames

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discourse as consultation. In fact, elevating
it to becoming more consultative is a large

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part of the potential contribution which Baha
is bring to the table here.

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Here, for example, is guidance on this theme
written on behalf of the Universal House of

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Justice:

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Concepts and principles associated with Bah
Ւ consultation inform how the friends should

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interact among themselves and how they participate
in social discourses and social action. Consultation

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provides a means by which common understanding
can be reached and a collective course of

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action defined. It involves a free, respectful,
dignified, and fair-minded effort on the part

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of a group of people to exchange views, seek
truth, and attempt to reach consensus.

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And later in this same message, they quote
from Baha u llah:

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Say: no man can attain his true station except
through his justice. No power can exist except

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through unity. No welfare and no well-being
can be attained except through consultation.

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So consultation is at the core of our approach
it s the method by which we get to unified

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thought and action. And here, all of our principles
about what consultation is suddenly come into

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the mix around discourse. So let s explore
some of these principles:

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First, we share ideas but we don t own them.
We re detached from our views. They belong

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to the group. It s not a contest of ideas
or a contest of personalities it s a quest

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of discovery a journey to find the best solutions
to the problems we re hoping to address.

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Second, we listen actively listen - to all
views. Here I m reminded of the practices

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of the Maori in New Zealand. When they have
a community problem, they gather together

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in their Marae their sacred community meeting
hall. And they come prepared for a consultation

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that may last many days and nights. But the
most important thing is that they believe

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the solution to their problem will be shared
with them through their ancestors and it is

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the ancestors who will choose WHO to speak
their wisdom through. So whenever a person

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speaks, they listen intently because THIS
might be the channel that their ancestors

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chose to speak their wisdom. You might not
like the guy they chose but you listen all

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the same because you just don t know who the
ancestors will choose. I love this practice

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I think it really illustrates the spirit of
how we should be listening.

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Third, we don t know the outcome in advance.
Now this is very different from the kind of

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political discourse that happens in larger
society where people come to the discussion

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with the outcome already baked in. And we
have to be on guard that we don t come into

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the discourse with similar assumptions even
to the extent that we shouldn t come to it

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so that our views can triumph. We have to
be genuinely open to allowing the power of

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the consultation itself to guide the discourse.
We re participating in a quest a journey open

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to where the consultation ultimately takes
us.

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Fourth, consultation is participatory. We
all have equal voice at the table. We have

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no greater right to define the outcome than
anyone else. Everyone s interests must be

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protected. We don t approach the consultation
assuming we re standing in a superior position.

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It s a collective enterprise.

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Fifth, our goal is consensus. We re not trying
to see an idea prevail with a simple majority

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we re working towards a goal of unified thought
and unified action we want as many people

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as possible to share in the outcome. Now that
might not always be possible but we have to

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be clear to our aspiration here. Our aspiration
is for the widest and deepest agreement not

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the simple adoption or prevalence of our ideas.

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Sixth, we approach our consultation in a spirit
that is respectful, moderate, humble and courteous

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we ll talk more about that one a little later
today.

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And finally, and perhaps most importantly,
we seek Divine Guidance. We re seeking spiritual

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guidance to help find a path forward both
in terms of applying our teachings but also

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in terms of attracting Divine Confirmations.
So we recognize that the process is sacred.

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So for us discourse is an extension of our
principles of consultation. It is not about

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power it s not even about us working for the
triumph of our views it s not even about us

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winning over converts to our Cause. It s about
us interacting with the world around us in

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a spirit of service - as equal partners exploring
and addressing the problems of our day - through

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constructive and unifying consultation. It
s not about getting to a preordained outcome.

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It s about an authentic and participatory
journey of discovery.

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Now if unity is our goal and consultation
our method being uplifting is our style. It

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s a reflection of how, ideally, we should
engage in our consultative methods.

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On a number of occasions, the Universal House
of Justice has called on us to elevate the

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very atmosphere in which we move . Any time
I see a reference like this, I m immediately

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inspired and deeply moved. It s such a powerful
idea. But what does it really mean? What does

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it mean to elevate the atmosphere?

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I once had an employee at my company who had
this kind of effect. This is a shout out to

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you Anna Kemp. I can t tell you exactly what
she did I can t think of one specific quality

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that she exemplified I mean she was always
eager to help others to collaborate I don

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t know what it was about her but when she
left to go to a better job, the next day you

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could physically feel her absence. Our whole
work culture suddenly felt her loss. She had

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an effect on us that we weren t even aware
of until she was gone.

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If we exemplify our teachings we ll be like
the Anna Kemps of the world. We ll have a

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deep and profound impact in the discourses
we engage in not just because of the content

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of our ideas but also because of the manner
in which we engage with them.

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The messages from the Universal House of Justice
that address discourse frequently call on

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us to exemplify such conduct. To become a
radiant source of wisdom to which people can

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turn for illumination, reflecting a humble
posture of learning, a source for harmonizing

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views and shaping collective action, rising
above self-interest, charactized by moderation

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in our deliberations, with humility as our
watchword, enthusiastically offering an open

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heart and an open hand, and championing a
spirit of collaboration and service. Such

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discourse should be a free, respectful, dignified,
and fair-minded effort on the part of a group

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of people to exchange views, seek truth, and
attempt to reach consensus.

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And the Universal House of Justice gives us
a gift the example of Abdul-Baha. Here, they

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remind us:

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Under all conditions, the Master is your solace
and support. For those who aspire to lasting

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change, His example guides the way tactful
and wise in His approach, penetrating in utterance,

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indiscriminating in fellowship, unfailing
in sympathy for the downtrodden, courageous

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in conduct, persevering in action, imperturbable
in the face of tests, unwavering in His keen

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sense of justice.

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Wow! How inspiring!

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Now, this idea of the example of Abdul-Baha,
I think, is our emergency short circuit solution

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to guide us whenever we re uncertain about
something. This is that break glass in case

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of emergency device, available to us.

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I remember Ruhiyeh Khanoom once used this
example. She said: You know, imagine that

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you re not certain whether or not it would
be appropriate for you to go to the cinema

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to watch a particular movie. And you re grappling
with this. Well the test is simple. Just imagine

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that when you walk out of the theater, you
bump into Abdul-Baha. Now if you re ashamed

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at that moment then it s probably not the
right movie.

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Now I love this example and I think it s the
perfect tool for us evaluating and reflecting

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on our own approaches to discourse. Just imagine
that Abdul-Baha is sitting by your side as

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you comment. THAT will be your guiding light.
Do that and I guarantee you re going to elevate

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every discourse you engage with.

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So unity is our goal consultation our method
elevating our style but where do we get the

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substance of our potential contributions?

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Here, of course, what it is that we REALLY
have to offer is the Baha i teachings. This

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is the substance of our contribution. I mean,
I know you have a brilliant mind and all but,

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you know, there are a lot of brilliant minds
out there in the world. What REALLY makes

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00:34:23,780 --> 00:34:29,350
you different is that you re equipped with
the Baha i teachings and THAT s what will

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00:34:29,350 --> 00:34:36,240
really make the difference in the discourse
you re engaging with. So that s your goal

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00:34:36,240 --> 00:34:42,280
to connect people to the truths reflected
in the Baha i teachings.

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Now let s explore this idea with an example.

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Imagine, if you will, that somehow, through
some kind of time machine, you got transported

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into the past into, say the year 1920. Now
what makes you truly different to everyone

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else alive in 1920 is that you know truths
about their future truths they can t yet see.

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So imagine that you enter into a discourse
about the future of kitchens. Well, as it

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happens, you know a lot about that because
you ve seen the future of kitchens at least

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relative to those living in 1920. It s not
an idea you re advocating for it s a truth.

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And it s a truth you may not fully grasp.

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So you start describing for people, for example,
the future of ovens and you explain that there

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s a thing called a microwave oven that almost
instantly cooks your food. You can describe

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00:35:48,140 --> 00:35:53,810
how you put the food in this metal box. How
you push buttons on a console. Maybe the time

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it takes to cook. But your knowledge is probably
limited. You may not know how it works, for

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example only that it does.

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You are equipped with a truth but your knowledge
is imperfect. But despite your limited understanding

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what an incredible contribution to that discourse
this would be, right.

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So we re in the same boat. We don t fully
understand the implications of our principles

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00:36:25,240 --> 00:36:31,400
but we know that they are the very salvation
for a tottering civilization. It s in those

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principles that we will ultimately find the
cure for every social disease and malady.

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And this also speaks to the challenge. Connecting
people to our principles requires that we

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understand THEIR needs before we try to administer
our remedy. Baha i scholarship isn t about

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00:36:53,700 --> 00:37:00,000
command over our Writings it s about our ability
to APPLY our teachings to the problems of

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individuals and society. And THAT requires
us to understand the need before we attempt

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to connect it to the remedy. It requires command
over both THEIR needs and OUR Divine teachings.

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In other words, like that skilled physician
that Baha u llah tells us about, we have to

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first diagnose the disease before we turn
to seeing which remedies best apply. And this

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as the Universal House of Justice tells us
is a skill. It s a skill we have to work on

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improving both by becoming more conversant
in the discourses of society and being better

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able to understand and apply our teachings.

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And finally, it s critical that our approaches
be constructive in their focus. We need to

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focus on the solutions and not the problems.
Here, the Universal House of Justice frames

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discourse as a search for viable solutions
to humanity s problems, centered on constructive

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processes aimed at the betterment of the world
and the progress of respective nations.

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Now, this is another big idea that plays a
critical role, I think, in working towards

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UNIFIED thought and action. Focus on the solution.

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00:38:32,780 --> 00:38:39,130
Often, discourse is centered on feeding discontent.
On the problem. On an injustice. On a transgression.

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But clearly, we have to go beyond the problem
to find fertile ground where we can build

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towards solutions.

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00:38:48,390 --> 00:38:53,050
Now in the Baha i context, I think, this means
that we focus on the world we re trying to

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create and not the one we know is disintegrating
all around us.

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So, for example, as Baha is we should focus
on race unity and not on racism. I know they

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sound similar but they are very different
things. Racism is the problem. Race unity

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00:39:15,760 --> 00:39:22,830
is the solution. And it is this focus on race
unity on what we can do that is ultimately

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unifying.

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So where can we find a step forward even if
it s a modest step? Because a modest step

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reflecting unified thought and unified action
is better than a more dramatic step that lacks

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that.

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And this speaks to something else. Often constructive
processes take time. They are built on modest

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00:39:49,580 --> 00:39:56,180
gains. But what we often want is something
dramatic attention worthy spectacular solutions

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that will immediately remedy our problems.

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Building in a framework of united thought
of united action often requires that we focus

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on more modest gains where such unity can
best be achieved. And that s part of the solution.

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And so our goal should be to focus on constructive
processes centered on finding solutions rather

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than just further fanning the flames of our
discontent.

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So we ve now discussed the five characteristics
that I think describe what we should aspire

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to in our engagement with the prevalent discourses
of society. But I think we should also give

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some attention to what we should try to AVOID
what our engagement should NOT look like.

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And here, too, we have guidance from the Universal
House of Justice:

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First and foremost, our engagement should
not be partisan. This is crystal clear. We

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don t engage in partisan politics. The beloved
Guardian cautions us against doing or saying

378
00:41:14,430 --> 00:41:21,619
things that can be seen as evidence of support
or criticism of a partisan political stance

379
00:41:21,619 --> 00:41:27,880
he even cautions us against making references
to political figures to help safeguard us

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00:41:27,880 --> 00:41:29,920
from this.

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This doesn t mean that we don t engage in
fully participating in the search for solutions

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only that we avoid engaging either in support
or refutation of any partisan interests. Our

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goal is to help elevate the discourse beyond
partisan concerns and interests.

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Here we should reflect on this guidance from
the Universal House of Justice:

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Bah Ւs have to avoid being drawn into the
all too common tendencies evident in contemporary

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00:42:02,380 --> 00:42:09,461
discourse to delineate sharp dichotomies,
become ensnared in contests for power, and

387
00:42:09,461 --> 00:42:16,160
engage in intractable debate that obstructs
the search for viable solutions to the world

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00:42:16,160 --> 00:42:24,839
s problems. Humanity would be best and most
effectively served by setting aside partisan

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00:42:24,839 --> 00:42:32,170
disputation, pursuing united action that is
informed by the best available scientific

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00:42:32,170 --> 00:42:40,079
evidence and grounded in spiritual principles,
and thoughtfully revising action in the light

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of experience. The incessant focus on generating
and magnifying points of difference rather

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than building upon points of agreement leads
to exaggeration that fuels anger and confusion,

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00:42:56,829 --> 00:43:04,510
thereby diminishing the will and capacity
to act on matters of vital concern.

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OK. Second, we don t resort to humiliation,
ridicule, insult or any approaches which attempt

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to degrade others. Just as one can elevate
a conversation, so too can we degrade it.

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00:43:24,600 --> 00:43:31,369
No matter the passions that a discourse excites,
we must always refrain from allowing ourselves

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00:43:31,369 --> 00:43:34,900
to become a degrading influence.

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00:43:34,900 --> 00:43:42,700
Third, we should never engage in discourse
with an ulterior motive. This is not a vehicle

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00:43:42,700 --> 00:43:50,569
for us to teach or seek enrollments in our
Faith. Our motivation must always stay centered

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00:43:50,569 --> 00:43:57,880
on our desire to be of service. Yes we are
applying our principles but we re not doing

401
00:43:57,880 --> 00:44:04,120
so to win over converts. That might prove
to be a natural consequence that follows,

402
00:44:04,120 --> 00:44:10,300
but it should never be our motive. We must
always guard to make sure that we are being

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00:44:10,300 --> 00:44:16,730
sincere and authentic to our motive for being
of service.

404
00:44:16,730 --> 00:44:23,810
And finally, we have to avoid the incessant
focus on generating and magnifying points

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of difference and instead, we have to build
upon points of agreement.

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00:44:31,470 --> 00:44:44,970
So, as a final reminder, today we explored
five characteristics that should, as I understand

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it, characterize Baha i engagement with the
prevalent discourses of our day:

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1. It should be unifying.
2. It should be consultative.

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00:44:55,570 --> 00:45:00,510
3. It should be uplifting.
4. It should be principled.

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00:45:00,510 --> 00:45:05,150
5. And it should be constructive.

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00:45:05,150 --> 00:45:10,660
And remember, if you only walk away with one
of these today, it should be the idea that

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we should approach discourse with a view to
being a unifying influence.

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00:45:17,130 --> 00:45:22,280
Thanks again for your patience today as we
together explored these ideas. Again, we have

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a long way to go in our understanding and
command of discourse. This is an area we re

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00:45:28,329 --> 00:45:33,569
going to learn a great deal about over the
course of the next 25 years and my own understanding

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00:45:33,569 --> 00:45:38,250
is imperfect even though I tried today to
ground it in the guidance of the Universal

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00:45:38,250 --> 00:45:40,400
House of Justice.

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00:45:40,400 --> 00:45:47,900
So weigh my arguments but study the guidance
for yourself so you can come to your own conclusions.

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00:45:47,900 --> 00:45:54,309
My point in sharing this all with you is to
help sensitize you to the question what does

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00:45:54,309 --> 00:46:01,119
engaging with the prevalent discourses of
society look like from a Baha i perspective?

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00:46:01,119 --> 00:46:05,040
If you re not asking that question, there
s a good risk that you ll simply adopt the

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00:46:05,040 --> 00:46:11,849
contemporary paradigms of the day paradigms
which may not properly reflect our REAL potential

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00:46:11,849 --> 00:46:14,050
contributions here.

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00:46:14,050 --> 00:46:21,090
Now in our next episode we continue exploring
this art of discourse. Now that we have a

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00:46:21,090 --> 00:46:26,430
better sense of what it is or what it should
be we can start to explore how to best APPLY

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00:46:26,430 --> 00:46:31,290
what we ve learned in better engaging with
society.

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00:46:31,290 --> 00:46:37,369
So thanks again for your company today and
thanks, once again, for joining the conversation

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00:46:37,369 --> 00:46:38,940
for social transformation.

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00:46:38,940 --> 00:46:47,240
I look forward to continuing our conversation
- next time on Society Builders.

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00:46:47,240 --> 00:46:52,420
Society builders pave the way
To a better world to a better day

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00:46:52,420 --> 00:46:56,859
A united approach to building a new society

432
00:46:56,859 --> 00:47:02,090
There s a crisis facing humanity
People suffer from a lack of unity

433
00:47:02,090 --> 00:47:06,480
It s time for a better path to a new society

434
00:47:06,480 --> 00:47:22,460
Join our conversation For social transformation

435
00:47:22,460 --> 00:47:27,789
Society builders

436
00:47:27,789 --> 00:47:33,069
So engage with your local communities
And explore all the exciting possibilities

437
00:47:33,069 --> 00:47:37,809
We can elevate the atmosphere in which we
move

438
00:47:37,809 --> 00:47:41,950
The paradigm is shifting
It is so very uplifting

439
00:47:41,950 --> 00:47:47,470
It s a new beat, a new song, a brand new groove

440
00:47:47,470 --> 00:48:01,800
Join our conversation For social transformation

441
00:48:01,800 --> 00:48:04,589
Society builders

442
00:48:04,589 --> 00:48:13,220
The Baha i Faith has a lot to say
Helping people to discover a better way

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00:48:13,220 --> 00:48:18,220
With discourse and social action framed by
unity

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00:48:18,220 --> 00:48:23,440
Now the time has come to lift our game
And apply the teachings of the Greatest Name

445
00:48:23,440 --> 00:48:28,050
And rise to meet the glory of our destiny

446
00:48:28,050 --> 00:48:35,010
Join our conversation For social transformation

447
00:48:35,010 --> 00:48:37,319
Society builders

448
00:48:37,319 --> 00:48:44,280
Join our conversation For social transformation

449
00:48:44,280 --> 00:48:46,599
Society builders