Bahá'í New Zealand: Ending poverty

The gap between the rich and the poor is a major destabilizing influence in the world. It produces or worsens conflicts, causes environmental degradation, triggers crime and violence, and stimulates the increasing use of illicit drugs.

These consequences of extreme poverty affect all individuals and nations. Increasingly we are becoming aware that we are all members of a single human family. In a family the suffering of any member is felt by all, and until that suffering is alleviated, no member of the family can be fully happy or at ease. Few are able to look at starvation and extreme poverty without feeling a sense of failure.

'Abdu'l-Báhá stated in a public talk in Pittsburgh, USA, in 1912:

It is evident that under present systems and conditions of government the poor are subject to the greatest need and distress while others more fortunate live in luxury and plenty far beyond their actual necessities. This inequality of portion and privilege is one of the deep and vital problems of human society.

Since 1912, governments in many countries have established welfare programmes that have partially reduced poverty. But on a global scale, and even in wealthy countries, the problem of poverty is still severe.

The Bahá'í approach to the problem of extreme poverty is based on the belief that economic problems can be solved only through the application of spiritual principles. This approach suggests that any effort to fundamentally improve the economic relationships of society needs to go hand in hand with moral development.

Without a widespread commitment to justice, the division between the rich and the poor will continue to expand. The dream of sustainable economic growth, peace, and prosperity will remain out of reach. But when justice comes to be seen by a large proportion of people as more important than the satisfaction of greed, this will lead to a readjustment in the world's economies.

A strong effort to increase public awareness of the vital role of spirituality in solving economic problems will create a new energy for change. For example, the promotion of access to wealth and opportunity by all, on a basis of fairness and equality, will be an incentive for the masses of mankind to work together for collective economic wellbeing. Forces of self-interest will decline.

Solutions to the causes and effects of poverty will come much more readily when the subject is looked at from the point of view that we are one human family. In contrast to the conventional framework of economics, this approach offers a much wider vision. It calls on governments, businesses, and indeed everyone to work towards a global system of relationships resting on the principles of equity and justice.

Although it will be similar to the present system in many ways, the evolving economic system which Bahá'ís envision will have some distinctive differences.

For example, the Bahá'í view of income distribution would eliminate both extreme wealth and extreme poverty. The piling up of excessive fortunes by a small number of individuals, while the masses are in need, is a serious injustice. Moderation should, therefore, be established by means of laws and regulations that would hinder the accumulation of excessive fortunes by a few individuals and provide for the essential needs of the masses.

Such a system would not prevent some people from becoming better off than others through hard work and enterprise. However, it would aim to prevent the possibility for some individuals to acquire extraordinary wealth while others lack the bare necessities of life.

The Bahá'í writings anticipate the development of communities in which the well-being of every member is the concern of the community as a whole. The centre of such a community would include social service institutions which shall afford relief to the suffering, sustenance to the poor, shelter to the wayfarer, solace to the bereaved, and education to the ignorant.

In the New World Order envisaged by Bahá'u'lláh, rights are inseparable from responsibilities. A fundamental purpose of life is to contribute to the advancement of civilization. Idleness and begging are unacceptable in a well-functioning society, while work performed in the spirit of service is elevated to the station of worship.

Thus the right to work, the right to contribute to society, takes on a spiritual dimension, and the responsibility to be productive applies to everyone. This attitude toward work profoundly influences the Bahá'í approach to social and economic development. Communities are encouraged to identify their own needs and initiate their own projects, many of which focus on alleviating poverty. Such locally initiated projects often receive support from national or international Bahá'í institutions.

The above article was adapted and developed from a statement by the Bahá'í International Community to the 49th session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, 12 February 1993.

A full discussion of economic and social development, has been prepared by the Bahá'í International Community, entitled "The Prosperity of Humankind".

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