Serving Communities Together
Our South African Bahá’í community, like many other communities across the world, is diverse, bringing together people of different ages and experiences, cultures and religions, various family backgrounds, living in villages and urban centres. Regardless of our varied circumstances, we aspire in collaboration with our like-minded friends and neighbours, to contribute to a materially and spiritually prosperous community, based on principles such as justice and the oneness of mankind.
Every South African has both the right and duty to contribute to the progress of our society. By selflessly helping others we realise the possibility for both personal growth and the development of our community.
"Service to humanity is service to God"
Infusing a spirit of service in our education, work, family, leisure and spiritual life, allows us to avoid a fragmented approach to living, and helps us work towards a life in which these aspects complement one another.
We recognise that our efforts in transforming our community are influenced by various social forces. Some cause the destruction of society, while others contribute towards building it.
Negative forces such as racial prejudice and discrimination and social class hinder individual and collective growth, while positive forces such as the desire for knowledge, aspiring for change, and strong belief in the importance of family, significantly advance our community.
Education and Community Building
Bahá’ís and their friends in every corner of the country, inspired by the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh, engage in an educational process that is proving to be a powerful tool for building vibrant and prosperous communities around the world.
As South Africans, we place significant value on the importance of education as the means for growth and prosperity. Each of us is like “a mine rich in gems of inestimable value” and to reveal our unique treasures, we need to acquire three types of education: material, human and spiritual education.
Material education is concerned with our physical development and human education is about civilisation and progress. These have predominantly received attention in our society. Essential to our progress is giving more focus to our spiritual education that helps us attain divine perfections and fully contribute to shaping the fortunes of our community.
"The primary, the most urgent requirement is the promotion of education. It is inconceivable that any nation should achieve prosperity and success unless this paramount, this fundamental concern is carried forward."
"Material civilization is like unto a lamp, while the spiritual civilization is the light in that lamp. If the spiritual and material civilizations become united, then we will have the light and the lamp together, and the outcome will be perfect."
Engage
Bahá’ís along with their friends are engaging in a community building process that aims to contribute to the wellbeing of the nation
Facilitate Classes for Early Adolescents
that channel their energies towards participating meaningfully in the affairs of our community
Join Study Cirles
that enable people from varied backgrounds to advance on equal footing and explore the implications of the Holy Writings in our lives
Participate in Youth Gatherings
which awaken within participants the desire to serve within their communities
Stories
Examples of actions that the Baha’is of South Africa have taken in their homes, neighbourhoods and community spaces, together with their friends and neighbours, are shared in the stories titled:
