In the 1970s in Colombia, South America, a
systematic and sustained programme of education based on the writings of the
Bahá'í Faith was devised. The goal of this programme was to raise up the human
resources needed for the social advancement of humanity by training
participants in the spiritual, moral, and social teachings of the Faith.
The Colombian method proved a shining
example and a source of great inspiration to Bahá'í communities throughout the
world and was soon adopted by neighbouring countries. Influenced by the
Colombian community's parallel efforts in the field of social and economic
development, the programme was all the more impressive for the fact that it was
accomplished despite the violence and lawlessness that was deranging life in
the surrounding society.
In a period of little more than two
decades, significant advances in the development of this programme were made.
More than 300 training institutes were established around the world, reaching
into the very fabric of Bahá'í community life through a decentralized system of
tutors, study circles, and sequences of courses based on the Bahá'í sacred
writings. Today, hundreds of thousands of believers worldwide, along with their
friends and neighbours, are involved in the training institutes.
In New Zealand, a national institute, known
as the Aotearoa Institute, coordinates the growing networks of people who are
moving through the sequence of courses. Tutors are trained at the local and
regional levels and then open study circles in homes or public facilities.
Rather than passively receiving information from teachers, participants learn
through active, cooperative learning methods. These study circles are open to
everyone who wishes to join, not just Bahá'ís.
The course content of the first book of the
curriculum currently being used in New Zealand, titled Reflections on the
Life of the Spirit, is divided into three units: "Understanding the
Bahá'í Writings," "Prayer," and "Life and Death."
These units examine, among other things, the reality of life, the purpose of
life, and the relationship we have with the spiritual world and our Creator.
To find out about joining a study
circle, email the Bahá'í National Centre.
Source
This article is adapted from the Canadian Bahá'í website.
