REQUEST FOR SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS

 

You are invited to submit a proposal for the…

 

2010 Bahá’í Conference on Social and Economic Development

 

“Deeds, Not Words: Uniting the Spiritual and the Practical”

 

Orlando, Florida, USA

Saturday, Dec. 18 – Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2010

 

“O SON OF DUST! Verily I say unto thee: Of all men the most negligent is he that disputeth idly and seeketh to advance himself over his brother. Say, O brethren! Let deeds, not words, be your adorning.”   (The Hidden Words of Baha’u’llah)

 

“The East and the West must unite to give to each other what is lacking. This union will bring about a true civilization, where the spiritual is expressed and carried out in the material.” (Abdu’l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 9)

 

“People have grown weary and impatient of rhetoric and discourse, of preaching and sermonizing. In this day, the one thing that can deliver the world from its travail and attract the hearts of its peoples is deeds, not words; example, not precept; saintly virtues, not statements and charters issued by governments and nations on socio-political affairs. In all matters, great or small, word must be the complement of deed, and deed the companion of word: each must supplement, support and reinforce the other. It is in this respect that the Bahá'ís must seek distinction....”   (From a letter dated 8 December 1923, written by Shoghi Effendi to the Bahá'ís in Bombay -- translated from the Persian)

 

“At whatever level they operate, the central theme of all Bahá’í development efforts is learning. As members of a religious community, Bahá’ís hold to a common set of beliefs and fundamental principles. Yet the wise application of these principles to social transformation is something that must be learned through experience. At the heart of all collective action, therefore, is a concern for the application of spiritual principles. Not only do such principles point the way to practical solutions, but they also induce the attitudes, the will, and the dynamics that facilitate implementation.”   (For the Betterment of the World)

 

“At the heart of all Bahá'í development undertakings is the recognition of a deep and inseparable connection between the practical and spiritual aspects of daily life. Creating a desire for social change and instilling confidence that it can be achieved must ultimately come from an awakening of the human spirit. While pragmatic approaches to problem solving play a key role in development initiatives, tapping the spiritual roots of human motivation provides the essential impulse that ensures genuine social advancement…. Individual and community development, Bahá'ís believe, require both the ‘light’ of spiritual awareness and the ‘lamp’ of material resources.”   (Bahá’í Topic on Social and Economic Development: http://info.bahai.org/article-1-8-0-1.html)

 

The spiritual and the practical must be harmonized in order for lasting societal transformation to take place.

 

Please share with us your efforts to transform your community. The scope of your work can be anywhere from small class or project, to a large school, clinic, or foundation. We welcome initiatives at any stage of organic development – from fledgling to a “well-oiled machine”. You are also welcome to share information or principles relevant to Bahá'í-inspired development.

 

THE ONLY CRITERION: YOUR EFFORT SEEKS TO PROMOTE THE SPIRITUAL AND SOCIAL WELL BEING OF THE COMMUNITY THROUGH THE APPLICATION OF BAHÁ’Í PRINCIPLES.

 

We welcome proposals for ADULT and for YOUTH workshops. (Please consider designing a workshop that can be adapted for presentation to each.)

 

Workshop lengths are 1.25 or 2.25 hours.

 

Here’s what we want from you. Your workshop must be:

·       Dynamic

·       *Interactive & Participatory*

·       Practical

 

People who attend your workshop want to know:

·       The need(s) or problem(s) addressed by the project, initiative, or information;

·       Applicable Bahá'í principles and Writings, with references;

·       If a project, a short description of the project’s history;

·       Challenges you have encountered, with concrete and practical steps to overcoming them. Lessons you have learned;

·       Your vision of the effort’s future; and MOST IMPORTANT,

·       Participants want an opportunity to consult on and process what they have learned, and apply it to their own efforts.

 

Guidelines:  For guidelines on preparing and submitting a proposal, click here.

 

Deadline:  The initial deadline for receiving proposals is May 15, 2010.  Proposals meeting this deadline will have the best chance of acceptance in the 2010 program.  (However, proposals are very welcome beyond this deadline and will be carefully considered.)

                          

Please submit proposals to: Proposals@rabbanitrust.org

 

Also, PLEASE CIRCULATE this announcement to those you know who may have experience, insights and wisdom to offer.  Thank you in advance for your inspired efforts!

 

The Rabbani Charitable Trust