Training Institutes:
Attaining a Higher Level of
Functioning
A document
prepared by
The International Teaching Centre
BAHÁ’Í
WORLD CENTRE JANUARY
2017
TRAINING INSTITUTES:
ATTAINING A HIGHER LEVEL OF FUNCTIONING
INTRODUCTION
1.
THE MAIN
SEQUENCE OF COURSES
1.1
Raising the Number and Enhancing the Capacity of Tutors
1.2
Ensuring a Steady Flow
of Participants through
the Sequence of Courses
1.3
Coordination of the Main Sequence of Courses
2.
THE JUNIOR YOUTH SPIRITUAL EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMME
2.1
Clusters Where the Friends
are Establishing an Intensive Programme of Growth
2.2
Clusters Where the Friends are Learning
to Embrace Large Numbers
2.3
Coordination of Junior Youth Groups
3.
THE PROGRAMME FOR THE SPIRITUAL
EDUCATION OF CHILDREN
3.1
Clusters Where the Friends
are Establishing an Intensive Programme of Growth
3.2
Clusters Where the Friends are Learning
to Embrace Large Numbers
3.3
Coordination of Children’s Classes
4.
INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY
4.1
Formulating a Vision
4.2
Learning and the Ability to Disseminate the Accruing
Knowledge
4.3
The Evolution of
Organizational Schemes
4.4
Enhancing the Capacity of the Institute Itself
4.5
Managing Effectively the Financial and Material Resources
4.6
Some Administrative Aspects
4.7
The Training Institute Board
TRAINING INSTITUTES:
ATTAINING A HIGHER
LEVEL OF FUNCTIONING
In its message dated 29 December
2015 to the Conference of the Continental
Boards of Counsellors, the Universal
House of Justice
stated that attaining a higher level of functioning is a
pressing concern of training
institutes. This concern
comes into sharp
focus when viewed in
the context of the goals
before the Bahá’í
world during this Five Year Plan:
to “seek to raise the number of clusters where
a programme of growth has become intensive to 5,000 by Riḍván 2021”1 and to add “several
hundred more”2 to some two hundred
clusters that have
already advanced beyond the third milestone. As stated by the House of Justice:
The community’s efforts
to fortify programmes of growth in thousands of clusters and sustain their intensification will place heavy demands on these agencies.
Their focus, of course, is the unfoldment
of the three stages of the educational process
they oversee and the strengthening of the process
of learning associated
with each, so that both the
quality of the institute’s activities and the capacity
to extend them to ever-growing numbers are constantly
rising.3
In the institutional meetings held across the
world to prepare
for the beginning of the
current Five Year Plan,
the friends benefited from viewing what was happening in each cluster
from two perspectives. The first, engaging in three-monthly cycles of activity
through which the community grows,
with attention to teaching
the Faith and conversation with those from the wider
society, and, the second,
the unfoldment of the three educational imperatives overseen by the training institute. Regarding the latter,
the House of Justice has stated the following:
In this context, one speaks of three educational imperatives, each distinguished by its
own methods and materials,
each claiming a share of resources,
and each served by mechanisms to systematize
experience and to generate
knowledge based on insights gained in the field.
Quite naturally, then,
three discussions
take shape around the implementation
of the programme for the spiritual education of children, the
junior youth spiritual empowerment programme, and the main sequence
of courses.4
To help the friends
managing the operations of training institutes to respond to current
exigencies, this document shares
some insights from the body
of experience that
has accrued in the
Bahá’í world about implementing the main sequence
of courses, the junior youth
spiritual empowerment programme, and
the programme for the spiritual education of children. The document also addresses matters related
to the institutional capacity of training
institutes. It is hoped that in each region or country the friends responsible for the institute’s endeavours will, taking their particular circumstances and experience into
consideration, use
these insights to further systematize their efforts.
1.
THE MAIN SEQUENCE OF
COURSES
As is generally understood, the
study of institute courses in a given
cluster often starts with only a small group
of participants who then begin to offer one
or another of the acts of service the courses recommend. For the process
of growth to advance meaningfully, the number
of people studying institute courses must
continue to rise. The principal issues that lie at the heart
of this objective include raising
the number and enhancing the capacity of those serving
as tutors, sustaining a steady flow of participants through the sequence
of courses, and coordinating the institute’s efforts through effective mechanisms.
Raising the Number and
Enhancing the Capacity of Tutors
Fundamental to strengthening the educational programmes of the training
institute is a steadily increasing number of capable tutors
who, over time,
are assisted to grow in effectiveness.
1.1.1 The initial cadre
of tutors
Institutes face a number of questions with regard to clusters where a programme
of growth is nascent, among them: how to meaningfully extend the reach of the study of institute
courses to each cluster, and how to ensure
that “within a reasonable period,
some among those residing in a cluster are enabled to serve as tutors”.5
Local friends in clusters
with new programmes of growth have initially relied on participating in the study of the courses offered
by experienced tutors
in more advanced
clusters nearby or farther
afield. They have
also benefited from the services of one or two carefully selected and prepared visiting tutors drawn from the strong clusters who
in some instances also serve as homefront
pioneers for a short
or long term. In either case, the tutors involved
are most effective when
they appreciate that
they are promoting a process with far-reaching implications
for the spiritual and material life of a population.
Besides assisting the first
batch of friends to arise and serve,
through the courses they offer
the tutors help build a strong foundation of understanding and experience on which the
institute process is gradually erected.
Yet, it is not until
some of the local friends
begin serving as tutors that the
institute truly takes root
in a cluster and
the number of those
studying institute courses
increases significantly. The first
steps in this regard
may be to encourage a few friends
from among those who have
studied the early courses and gained some experience
with the related activities
to begin helping others study the courses. Visiting tutors
may begin by calling on these friends
to help in leading discussions of sections of the materials and
organizing the related practices.
They might also delve with them deeper into challenging
aspects of the study
and practice under way. In this manner, some local friends are carefully
enabled to start offering others at least the first two courses of the sequence. An in-depth
review of these courses, carried out together
with a study of portions of Ruhi
Institute Book 7 and the continued
aid of an experienced tutor,
may further prepare the local friends for this task.
As they serve in this manner and progress in their own
study
of the courses, their capacity to help others who desire to serve grows.
Where this approach is wisely applied, it sets a number of people
on the path
of learning how to facilitate a process through
which the capacity
of individuals eager
to contribute to intensifying the community-building process
is raised. Further, by helping
larger numbers of
people to study institute courses, it provides
as early as possible a growing base of participation
by the local friends in the related
activities. But a word of caution is in order. The desired outcomes are less
likely to occur if the process of raising tutors becomes
one in which everyone
is asked to form
a study group the moment he or she finishes
one or two courses. In such
instances, great effort may be expended
and large numbers
briefly obtained, but the result
sought of enabling ever more people
to promote the community-building process
remains elusive.
1.1.2
An expanding body
of tutors
When the services
of one or two visiting tutors
are reinforced by a few local friends who are
learning to offer institute courses, this team of five
or so individuals makes it possible to expand the number of people studying the
courses and initiating activities, thus intensifying the work under way and propelling
the cluster on its
path of progress to move beyond the second milestone.
Yet, the cluster requires
an expanding body of tutors
if it is to continue to advance.
If in each cluster the number of those
capable of serving
as tutors is to rise, more people
from among those promoting
teaching and community-building activities have to keep advancing
along the sequence of courses. For it is only when ever-growing contingents are immersed
in concurrent and sustained study
and service that the body of effective tutors meaningfully expands. This underscores the cumulative character of the capacity-building
process engendered by the sequence
of courses. With each course studied,
knowledge of the Faith increases, insights into spiritual matters deepen, spiritual susceptibilities expand,
requisite qualities and attitudes develop, and skills and abilities
sharpen. Individuals grow in the ability to investigate the Sacred Writings, to understand the reality of their
community, and to engage in conversations of significance. They become better
able to consult on their needs, to collaborate
with others, and to reflect
on and improve their
efforts. As they
become ever more
conscious of the divine
assistance surrounding them, they grow in confidence. When such an experience embraces more and more people, and many of them after
studying Book 7 are assisted to form a study circle and serve as tutors, they apply all these abilities in efforts to accompany others
on the path of service. In this manner,
a cluster eventually comes to be served by a score or more local friends capable of acting as tutors. Through their efforts the number of individuals
who are enabled to start and sustain core
activities and other
acts of service
in the cluster steadily grows.
1.1.3
Raising the effectiveness of those serving
as tutors
In its Riḍván 2010 message,
the Universal House of Justice observed that
the worldwide Bahá’í community
has “succeeded in developing
a culture which promotes a way of thinking,
studying, and acting, in which all consider
themselves as treading
a common path of service”, and has “acquired the capacity
to enable thousands,
nay millions, to study the writings in small
groups with the
explicit purpose
of translating the Bahá’í teachings
into reality”.6 Within this lie the dynamics
of an irrepressible movement that
can be fostered in local
populations, and “much will fall on those
who serve as tutors in this respect”.7 The House of Justice further
explained:
Theirs will be the challenge
to provide the environment that is envisioned in the
institute courses, an environment conducive to the spiritual empowerment of individuals, who will come to see themselves
as active agents of their own learning, as protagonists of a constant effort
to apply knowledge
to effect individual and
collective transformation. Failing this,
no matter how many study
circles are formed in a cluster, the force
necessary to propel change will
not be generated.8
Those responsible for overseeing
the work of each
institute are charged
with learning how tutors can become increasingly effective in helping
individuals release
their potential to
contribute to progress within
the clusters they serve. In this regard,
there are some specific
concerns for each institute to address.
Friends who
serve as tutors are
most effective when
they understand well
the institute’s purpose to raise human resources that are capable of fostering the process of community
building through the application of
Bahá’í teachings. These friends need
to appreciate the nature of the institute process and “the dynamics that underlie it—the spirit
of fellowship it creates, the participatory approach it adopts, the depth of understanding it fosters, the acts of
service it recommends, and, above
all, its reliance on the Word of God”.9 They must become increasingly familiar
with how the process
enhances capabilities for serving the Cause
by integrating study, practice, and service. As the tutors gain experience, they acquire deeper
insights into how each institute book builds on the previous ones to empower
individuals.
They grasp the spiritual qualities each course elicits, the attitudes
it promotes, the knowledge
it imparts, the skills
it endows, the act of service it introduces,
and the interactions it fosters.
Ultimately, tutors grow
to be capable of facilitating the study of the
books in a way that enhances understanding and shapes attitudes, and of organizing the practical
components in a
manner that builds confidence. When tutors help participants to begin applying, first
in the context
of the study
circle and then in the community, what they are learning, everyone—the
tutors included—appreciates better the nature of the unfolding community-building process. Further, tutors promote a spiritually
empowering environment and profound friendship among those studying
together. They link budding efforts
of these friends
to the process of community building under way and
to the institutions and agencies of the Faith
that stand ready to support
all those studying institute courses.
Of course,
“the capabilities of a tutor develop progressively as an individual enters the field of action and assists
others in contributing to the aim of the present
series of global
Plans”.10 The coordinators of the training
institute ensure that
those acting as tutors are
properly supported by, among other means, promoting mutual support
and assistance among the tutors, working alongside them in the field, and gathering them in meetings for reflection.
Mutual support
and assistance
Coordinators strive
to create in a cluster an atmosphere in which those serving as tutors—
new and veteran alike—assist one
another in their
service. Experienced
tutors make themselves
available to those
taking their initial
steps by either offering together with
them some of the
courses or sharing with them their insights. However,
irrespective of the experience of the individuals involved, carrying out activities together in the field
and drawing on one another’s knowledge serves not only to strengthen
abilities but also
to deepen commitment.
Working
alongside tutors and organizing gatherings for reflection
Coordinators “bring both
practical experience
and dynamism”11 to their efforts
to work in the field with
those serving as tutors. The concrete questions that confront the tutors are
many. For instance, they seek to learn about the nature
and content of a conversation effective at
inviting someone to study
Book 1, how to organize
the first meeting of a study
circle, how to articulate well the aim of the sequence
of courses and purpose of each book,
and how to keep
the discussion of the themes in the course focused and advancing. Many of these questions
are answered
in the field
as the tutors labour together with
others and are accompanied
by a coordinator or a more experienced
colleague.
Such interactions are
complemented by regular gatherings of tutors for reflection and for
further study of the courses.
In these occasions, tutors review relevant
materials to deepen
their understanding of concepts underlying the institute process and the Plans of the Faith, reflect
on the efforts under way,
articulate their evolving
experience, and examine further
the books they are offering. Depending on the number of tutors, these
meetings happen at different levels
of the community—a village
or neighbourhood, a cluster or a number of adjoining
clusters, and even a region or a country. Some gatherings involve all
the tutors and address
matters of general interest; others focus on specific groups, for instance, new tutors, those
facilitating a specific course, or those working with
a segment of a population,
such as youth
or women. These occasions are most effective when the consultations of the friends
are organized around
a set
of questions about which they are learning.
Ensuring a Steady Flow
of Participants through the Sequence of Courses
Capacity to sustain
a steady flow of people through
the institute courses expands
as the friends in a cluster learn
to engage increasing
numbers in conversations on the teachings
of the Faith, nurture the participation of youth, manage a growing stream of young people
from junior youth groups into the
main sequence, and use
in a complementary manner study circles and institute campaigns as modes of course delivery.
1.2.1 Fostering conversations on the teachings of the Faith
The capacity to involve growing
numbers in the study of institute courses advances along with the ability
to foster increasingly rich
conversations about the Bahá’í teachings within a population. The sequence
of courses itself lends some structure to how these conversations
unfold. In its message dated
29 December 2015, the Universal House of Justice stated:
From the beginning
of the sequence of courses,
a participant encounters Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation in considering such weighty themes as worship, service to humanity, the life of the soul, and the education
of children and youth. As a person cultivates
the habit of study and deep reflection
upon the Creative Word, this process of
transformation reveals itself in an
ability to express one’s understanding of profound concepts and to explore spiritual reality in conversations of significance. These capacities are visible not only in the elevated
discussions that increasingly
characterize interactions within the community, but in the ongoing conversations that reach well
beyond—not least
between the Bahá’í youth
and their peers— extending to include
parents whose daughters and sons are
benefiting from
the community’s programmes of
education. Through exchanges of this
kind, consciousness of spiritual forces
is raised, apparent dichotomies yield to unexpected
insights, a sense
of unity and common calling is fortified, confidence that
a better world can be created is strengthened, and a commitment to action becomes
manifest. Such distinctive conversations gradually attract
ever-larger numbers to take part in a range of community activities.12
The pattern and quality of the movement
of people through
the sequence of courses greatly impacts how conversations on the teachings advance in a population. The description that follows,
although generalized, will help to illustrate this point.
In a village or neighbourhood where
a small group
begins to study
Book 1, the participants
naturally converse on such spiritual matters as the Word of God, prayer, and the life of the soul.
Praying, reading the writings, and bringing oneself to account
begin to take root among them as a daily
discipline. Possibility for exploring
together other themes from the writings of the Faith grows when these
friends are offered
and begin reading the Hidden Words, as recommended
in the first unit of Book 1. The reach of this conversation expands when they initiate visits to the homes of their friends
and neighbours to share prayers.
The introduction of a few devotional
meetings provides a space where
more people, Bahá’í or not, gather to pray and reflect on
the implications of the Writings for their individual and collective lives.
This seemingly simple
advance becomes a means for inviting to the study
of institute courses
those who show receptivity, leading to an increase in people entering the path of service.
When some among those who have completed Book 1 come to study Book 2, the themes and concepts on which they deliberate
with others broaden
to include, for example, the eternal Covenant, unity in the community, Bahá’í principles relating to various social
teachings, and others that arise as the friends learn
to respond to the needs of the hearer.
The homes they visit
in this connection become additional venues for profound
conversations. Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings on the spiritual instruction of children—and on the part individuals, families,
and the community play in this regard—begin to be considered as some study Book 3 and a few children’s classes
are formed. Even a simple event
convened with some regularity for families
and neighbours to find
out what the children are learning
elevates discussion on the meaning
and implication of a
community nurturing its children
spiritually.
When some people study Book 4, the conversations begin to touch more deeply on the
Persons of Bahá’u’lláh
and the Báb and on the interplay between crisis and victory that Their noble lives
illustrate. The study of Book 5 fuels
exchanges on Bahá’í teachings
relating to spiritually empowering the junior youth,
which, given the societal forces assailing this age group, resonate with youth, parents, and community leaders. The study of Book 6 fosters the
capacity to engage in “a conversation between two souls”13—a direct
teaching effort that “can become a catalyst
for an enduring process of spiritual transformation”.14
Thus, each
course studied assists in enabling
an expanding number of friends
to express their “understanding of profound
concepts and to explore
spiritual reality in conversations of significance”.15 In this way, a village
or a neighbourhood is gradually
suffused with discussions
founded on the teachings of the Faith
and on the emerging experience in applying
them to creating a new pattern
of collective life. With
the range of possible conversations, and “as experience grows, the friends become more adept
at discerning when they have found
a hearing ear, at deciding when to be more direct
in sharing the message, at removing
obstacles to understanding, and at helping seekers to embrace the Cause”.16
The manner in which
this capacity to engage a population in conversations on the teachings is further systematized is described in the following statement of the Universal House
of Justice:
As progress
continues, the rising capacity for
meaningful conversation is harnessed in the
plans of the institutions. By the time cycles of activity have formally emerged, this capacity is being further
stimulated through the expansion phase
that does so much to determine
the outcome of each
cycle. The precise objectives of each expansion phase
vary, of course, depending on conditions
in the cluster
and the circumstances of the Bahá’í community. In some instances, its main aim is to increase participation in the core activities; in others, readiness to enrol in the Faith is
discovered. Conversations about
the Person of Bahá’u’lláh
and the purpose of
His
mission occur in a variety of settings,
including firesides and visits to homes.17
Besides portraying how the sequence
of courses gives
shape to the unfolding of meaningful
conversations on the teachings of the Faith
in a population, what
the description above seeks to show
is how the reach, depth, and coherence
of these conversations, on the one hand,
and the increase in the number of people
studying institute courses,
on the other,
fuel each other.
1.2.2 Learning to nurture
the participation of youth in institute courses
It is clear from
the foregoing that much of the progress of a cluster depends on the ability of the friends to engage a population in diverse and weighty conversations on the Bahá’í
teachings and then to draw its members into an educational
process that multiplies their powers to contribute to the building of a new society. It is natural, then, that at any point in this process
the
friends would encounter
certain particularly receptive segments of that population.
As the House of Justice has stated,
the youth represent “a most responsive element of every receptive population to which the
friends have sought to reach out”.18
Initial endeavours to open a particular channel for the entry of youth
into the sequence
of courses in a cluster are necessarily
modest. Effort is made—sometimes through specially
organized gatherings—to reach out to a group
of youth, engage them in discussions
that open before
their eyes “a compelling
vision of how they can contribute to building
a new world”,19 invite
them to study the institute courses, and then assist
them to move swiftly into
the arena of service. Often
this involves the intensive study of a set of courses such as Books 1, 3, and 5, since the acts of service to which they are
first introduced are usually
teaching children’s classes and helping groups of junior youth.
As the
process of growth advances,
the manner in which the young
people study institute courses
gradually comes to conform for the most
part to the sequence
in which the courses are arranged.
The institute might, however, from time to time offer some youth
a selected number of courses
in order to accelerate the multiplication of activities.
1.2.3 A flow from junior youth groups into the main sequence
Another channel opens up as more and more of those in the junior youth
groups turn
15 years old
and are assisted to begin studying
institute courses. Early in the process of growth a cluster may experience entry into the main sequence
by a few such young people. The first
noticeable flow from the groups might, however, occur only after the first three
or so years of offering the programme. Even then it might be quite
modest. Only when capacity to sustain
large numbers of junior youth
in stable groups is present in a cluster does
an appreciable flow happen.
To ensure
the smooth transition of young people
from the groups
into institute courses,
the agencies gradually
learn to track the progression
of cohorts of junior youth
through the texts; to
help them see, as they near the completion of the programme or the age of 15, the prospects
for further
study and service
that await them; to organize formal
events to welcome them as
individuals or as groups into the main sequence;
and to prepare the
tutors, who, in some cases, may be the same friends who accompanied
them as animators,
to work well with them. While the young people “represent a vast reservoir of energy and talent that can be devoted to the advancement of spiritual and material civilization”20 and they can do much to boost the efforts in a cluster, expectations of how fast
they can advance need to remain reasonable.
Rushing them through the sequence for
the sole purpose of increasing
one activity or another might in the long term prove counterproductive.
It would be best for them to advance along the sequence of courses at a natural pace.
1.2.4
Progression along the sequence
of courses
In its message dated 12 December
2011 to all National Spiritual Assemblies, the Universal House of Justice stated
the following:
The main sequence
of courses is organized so as to set the individual,
whether Bahá’í or not, on a path being
defined by the accumulating experience of the community in its endeavour to open before
humanity the vision
of Bahá’u’lláh’s World Order.
The very notion of a path is, itself, indicative
of the nature and purpose of the courses,
for a path invites
participation, it beckons
to new horizons, it demands effort
and movement, it accommodates different paces and strides, it is structured
and defined. A path can be experienced and known, not only by one or
two but by scores upon scores; it belongs to the community.21
In this light,
to raise more and more human resources in each cluster,
“an increasing number of friends
are recruited to enter the first basic course, and relatively significant
percentages are then helped to reach higher and higher courses,
acquiring thereby the needed capabilities of service”.22 If only a small fraction of those who have studied
the first course advance to the second one,
and another small fraction
of these friends advance to the third course, and so on, the work of the institute and ultimately
the process of growth itself are
robbed of the required dynamism.
Progress of many people through
the sequence of courses
is more likely to occur
when the friends are
able to associate their studies to specific action. They are eager to study the next
course in the
sequence when they understand that
moving together along a path of service
enables them to contribute to the advancement
of their community. Such progress may be impeded when the courses are inadvertently presented as an end in themselves or as a mere deepening, when the pace of study is too slow
or too fast, when deliberations on concepts
are not associated
with experience, or when
the practical components
of the courses are
neglected.
To ensure that the number of those proceeding
along the sequence is substantial, institute coordinators, often
with other agencies
in the cluster, meet periodically to review the flow
of participants from
one book to the next. To determine when
undue lag in the progression of many friends has occurred and what its causes may be, they rely on accurate
information about participation in the courses. On the basis of a sound
analysis, the institute may introduce
measures—such as discussions with
the friends, well-timed institute campaigns,
and the assistance of
visiting tutors—to remove obstacles standing in
the way of the continued participation of many people.
1.2.5 The delivery of institute courses
In most clusters worldwide, study circles
remain the predominant
mode of delivering institute courses. In a cluster with
a nascent programme
of growth, the first
study circles are usually formed by visiting tutors or a homefront pioneer.
As the number of local friends who can act as tutors grows, the capacity to establish study circles
necessarily increases. Apart from helping growing numbers to arise and serve,
well-functioning study circles foster among the friends and between them and the institutions loving and mutually supportive interactions that bind these protagonists of the Plan together
in unified action.
Study circles derive much of their
effectiveness from the fact that they each constitute a small group of friends who study the courses together
in a local setting with the explicit
purpose of learning to apply Bahá’í teachings
to their personal
and collective lives and to thus contribute to a profound
process of change. In an environment
marked by sincere
friendship and common
purpose, the members study the institute courses, engage in service and
extracurricular activities, and promote this mode of learning
to others. As more and more friends serve as tutors, various segments of a community’s inhabitants—youth, women, mothers, couples, young professionals, and families—come to be accommodated in the study of the courses
and to play a part
in efforts to promote spiritual and material well-being. The study circles become
distinct features of the life of the community
when they operate
with a measure of formality,
incorporating elements such as a formal beginning
and ending, a certain
membership, and a defined schedule.
Also, diverse and expanding numbers of the friends
progress along the sequence of courses when a degree of flexibility is allowed—the
members, for instance,
adjust as needed the pace
at which they perform
the various activities, and while some
of them may leave when a particular course concludes, others might join as the study of
a new one commences. To ensure that
the study of any particular course is not overly prolonged, the friends might complement regular study
with occasions for intensive
study that might last
a weekend or a few days. When they have
a healthy rhythm of progress, study circles
do much to invigorate
programmes of growth.
In order to accelerate the
flow of large
numbers of friends along the sequence of courses, study circles usually operate alongside institute campaigns. In clusters where there is great receptivity, campaigns might for
a while even be the main mode of course delivery. Involving
the intensive study of two or more
institute courses over a relatively short time, institute campaigns are held at all levels of the community—local, cluster or group of clusters, regional,
or national. The institutions and friends of the locality where the campaign
is held are often involved in planning and providing
resources, and the campaigns are most effective when they are scheduled during
times of the year when
many people can participate. A team of tutors— some perhaps drawn from
other communities
or clusters—may be tasked with implementing the campaign; these friends are required
to give creative thought to carrying
out the practical components
and accompanying the participants to initiate or extend their acts of service. When offered in a locality, campaigns not only increase
a community’s human resources within
a short period but
also raise local
capacity to support institute activities and invigorate
the work of teaching and consolidation through the practice and service activities of the participants.
For the agencies in a cluster,
having a record of all study circles and institute campaigns helps them to draw on the participants for the tasks
of teaching, consolidation, and community
building. Occasionally, the agencies
might gather all those studying
institute courses
to reflect with them on their studies
and services, to nurture
their commitment, and to help them integrate into the life of the community. As for the
training institute, its responsibility is to design,
based on local circumstances, an approach
to course delivery that coherently combines study circles
and institute campaigns so that capacity
to enable ever-larger numbers of people to progress
along the sequence of courses can continue
to grow and become manifest
in an increasingly vibrant
process of community building.
Coordination of the
Main Sequence of Courses
The efficacy of the training
institute depends largely
on there being
at every point as a cluster advances an effective arrangement for supporting
the tutors, visiting or local. When a programme of growth is still nascent, support might come from a homefront
pioneer, a veteran
tutor or a coordinator
from a nearby cluster,
an Auxiliary Board member or an assistant, or a
regional or national coordinator. As more
local friends begin serving as
tutors, the most experienced among them complement such external assistance by beginning to help others. Often, after a cluster has passed the second milestone, the number of local tutors begins to notably increase and a local coordinator is named from among the tutors most willing
to assist others in their services. In his or her efforts
to accompany the tutors, such a coordinator might continue to benefit, on the one hand, from the support
of a more experienced
colleague from an
advanced cluster or a regional or national coordinator, and, on
the other hand, from the assistance of capable local tutors with
whom he or she collaborates. In a cluster that
has passed the third
milestone, in which the number of tutors grows even larger, an additional coordinator
or two for the main sequence may be named from among the collaborators. It is, however, unreasonable to expect
that, as a cluster progresses
further, “capacity
would be built by simply
assigning more and more coordinators”23 to it. Strengthening mutual support
and assistance among the tutors guarantees
that each of them is always adequately
supported.
Irrespective of the scope of the community-building
process in a cluster and the arrangements in place to support the tutors,
the concerns that shape the endeavours of the
coordinators are mostly the same. In general, they ensure that the number of those
acting as tutors rises and capacity among them to offer the full range
of institute courses advances. They pay special attention to promoting
the study of Book 7, help tutors to form study circles, and aid them to learn to facilitate effectively the study of the courses and the implementation of the practical components.
New tutors especially require help inviting
people to study the institute courses and enabling
the participants to grasp
the purpose and workings
of a study circle.
They often also benefit from
receiving assistance in facilitating the first few sections
of whatever course they are offering. Through such
support, the tutors come to appreciate
that individuals persist in their studies
when they see themselves growing in understanding, enhancing their capabilities for service, and engaging in spiritually
enriching interactions. To help
the tutors foster such conditions in their study circles,
coordinators, as stated earlier,
cultivate loving collaboration among the tutors, labour alongside them in the field, and gather them in meetings for reflection.
Depending on the circumstances on the ground,
any one of the coordinators of the three educational imperatives—the main sequence of courses,
the junior youth
programme, and the
programme for spiritual education of children—might be named first. Initially he or she
might also follow
the other activities until other coordinators emerge. And when all are in place, they learn to complement
one another and to periodically “examine together the strength
of the educational process as a whole”.24 In collaborating with members of the Area Teaching Committee and with the Auxiliary
Board members and their assistants, coordinators—whether
there is one or several—contribute to assessing
the progress of the community-building process
and ensuring that the activities in the cluster advance coherently. When, for instance, the Area
Teaching Committee promotes
during each cycle
a wide range of conversations on the teachings, the number of people beginning to study the courses can be expected
to rise. Equally,
when the coordinator
for the main sequence
keeps the Committee
informed of all the study circles
and institute campaigns occurring, the Committee can draw
on the participants to advance
the teaching work.
At the regional or national
level, coordinators for the main sequence
of courses ensure that
for each cluster there
is an arrangement for supporting
the tutors and that this arrangement is not only effective but
also adapts and expands in response
to growth. In this light,
they ensure the timely appointment of cluster coordinators. By working together with the cluster
coordinators in the field
and bringing them together in reflection
meetings, they help
these friends continue to grow in their capacity to support the tutors. Appreciating the need for
all coordinators at the cluster level
to benefit from
what is being learned across the region or country, the coordinators organize interactions among cluster coordinators that often
involve visits to clusters
where relevant experience is being generated. For a small
region or country, one coordinator may be sufficient. For a larger
one, two or more
are needed over time and each may be assigned to a part
of the region
or country. As is the case at the cluster level, regional or national coordinators of the main sequence also work closely with
the coordinators for the
junior youth programme and the programme for the spiritual education of children
while also collaborating with the Regional Bahá’í
Council, if one exists, and the Auxiliary Board members. Furthermore, they play
a critical part in regional or national consultative and planning processes.
2.
THE JUNIOR YOUTH SPIRITUAL EMPOWERMENT
PROGRAMME
When in its message dated
27 December 2005 the Universal
House of Justice urged all National Spiritual Assemblies to “consider
the junior youth
groups formed through programmes
implemented by their training institutes a fourth
core activity in its own right”,25 further impetus was given to the expansion
of this vital educational imperative. The progress
made since then has been impressive. Training institutes in
almost all national Bahá’í communities worldwide are now implementing the programme,
albeit at varying levels of quantitative and qualitative development. Globally, over
550,000 young people have already studied at least the
first text of the programme. Those currently engaged
exceed 150,000 in more than 17,000 groups.
Thousands of youth, who find in the junior youth programme “an ideal arena in which to assist
those younger than themselves to withstand
the corrosive forces that especially
target them”,26 are serving as animators
of the groups, and hundreds of them as coordinators or assistants
to coordinators.
Although the expansion has been more remarkable in some parts of the world than in others, junior youth
groups have generally
found fertile soil
across a range
of social realities—from small villages
to the neighbourhoods of large metropolitan cities.
More than 2,600 clusters with
a programme of growth
have at least
one junior youth group,
and some
70 have 30 or more groups, with 300 or more
participants.
Notwithstanding the progress
made, the capacity
to offer the
programme in cluster after cluster has to grow
further. Two broad realities are apparent in this regard: clusters
where the friends are striving to establish
an intensive programme
of growth, where the
junior youth programme may be in its early stages; and clusters
where the friends
are labouring to embrace
large numbers,
where some basic capacity is present on which
the friends are
building.
Clusters Where the
Friends are Establishing an Intensive Programme of Growth
The knowledge
garnered from efforts
around the world makes it possible to visualize
with greater clarity the path of progress
of the junior
youth programme
in a cluster. Institutes now have to apply the available
understanding in endeavours
to firmly establish junior youth groups in all clusters with
a programme of growth. Whether the initial efforts
start with young people from
Bahá’í families or those
drawn from the wider community, what needs to be
achieved in such clusters may be conceived
as helping the local friends develop the basic capacity required to establish the programme
on a sound foundation
upon which it can grow to edify hundreds of junior youth and invigorate
whole communities. This is no easy task.
Numerically, it often involves engaging and sustaining some 50 to 100 junior youth in about 5 to 10 groups, a capacity
that is currently present
in some 600 clusters
worldwide.
Experience
indicates that there are several dimensions to the requisite capacity.
Principally, there emerges in each cluster a growing cadre of friends dedicated to the spiritual empowerment of junior youth.
The growth of the programme is greatly
facilitated when these
friends, however few they may be, learn to read accurately
the reality of their
community and to identify local factors that might
propel the programme or curtail
its progress. The friends become increasingly capable of conversing
with the community on the empowerment of the junior youth,
a conversation that draws primarily
on the teachings of the Faith
about this age
group, most of which is clearly articulated in Book 5 of the sequence of courses. This
conversation also provides opportunity to reflect on certain elements of the culture of the population that are conducive or contrary
to the spiritual empowerment of young people.
Noteworthy too is engaging
ever-growing numbers of youth in systematic conversations on “the
contribution they can make to the improvement of their society”27 and on “providing
for the needs of others,
particularly for younger generations”.28 Inviting
the youth to study institute
courses is an essential aspect that is fostered
from the very
start, and this is only possible when capable tutors of Book 5, whether visiting or local, are available to each cluster.
The study of that course is most effective when, in determining how
to offer it, the conditions of the youth and their experience are taken into account.
Once a few groups are formed, sustaining them depends on how the
animators are accompanied
to learn to facilitate effectively the study of the junior youth texts and
to complement it with artistic
activities, social interaction, and service
projects. Pairing them with experienced animators when possible, gathering them in periodic meetings to review the texts, enabling them to learn from others more experienced, bringing them together in occasions
to study the institute courses and the junior youth texts
have all proved to be effective ways in which they can be supported.
If animators are to grow in capacity
to not just help junior youth but also contribute in various
ways to bettering their communities, they gradually have
to be assisted to appreciate the full extent of the community-building process unfolding locally and the context
within which the junior youth programme is unfolding.
Helping more and more youth
to serve as animators
contributes both to an increase
in the number of groups
and to the stability and resilience of the programme. With more trained
animators, those that leave can be more
easily replaced, and if one animator is unable to
facilitate the study of a particular text,
an experienced colleague
steps in. When
the junior youth in the groups functioning in a village
or neighbourhood, or even in a cluster, are seen as enrolled into one
educational system
and their animators
as collaborators in supporting all
of them, occasions for coming together
to study some of the texts in camps or to implement service projects together become a more pronounced
feature of the
programme in a cluster.
The programme is strengthened when those overseeing it in a cluster
have explicit and reasonable expectations of what can be accomplished over the course of a year. Currently
nine texts are available to the junior youth. While
it is at present anticipated that the junior youth
will go through
at least three
texts in the first year,
establishing a rhythm
of study that guarantees
such progress sometimes
proves difficult. This challenge is best met when the way in which the programme is implemented takes into account the circumstances of the young
people—both junior youth
and youth—in the community, the various
activities in which they are engaged at school and at home, the general pattern
of life of their community, and the
periods during the year of intense and of relaxed
activity. Such understanding sets the stage
for how in a cluster
the junior youth
will proceed through the texts during a year—when,
for instance, they will
study
at a regular pace
in their groups and when they will
all be brought
together in camps for
intensive study and service.
Yet another aspect
of capacity to establish a sound and steadily expanding programme in a
cluster is the involvement
of the parents
and the entire
community. The conversations that occur as a group
is formed and
continue throughout its life help
to build unity
of vision, thought, and action. Occasions when
the parents meet and the community
gathers to reflect on the progress and efforts of the junior youth both extend this conversation and inject into the programme the necessary
vitality. When they consult,
the parents and the animators
explore together the programme’s underlying
concepts, efforts to promote junior
youth groups in the community and with
other families, ways
to acquire the essential materials, and means to mobilize resources for camps and other collective
endeavours.
As each cluster moves towards the second milestone and beyond, training institutes
everywhere will focus on building
the capacity to raise the junior youth programme to this basic
level. To assist them in this regard, the Office of Social and Economic Development at the
Bahá’í World Centre has captured the knowledge
and insights thus far
generated in a document
titled “Developing
the capacity to engage 50 to 100 participants in the junior youth
spiritual empowerment programme”. The remarks
above summarize some of the document’s contents. It is hoped that it will be studied by all the
friends promoting
the programme at the
national, regional, and cluster levels.
Clusters Where the
Friends are Learning to Embrace Large Numbers
In all clusters
where the capacity
described above is present, the
friends are now striving to cultivate further
the associated interrelated abilities. They are enhancing capacity to engage at least
a few hundred junior youth
in tens of groups, reaching in this regard some 300 junior youth in about 30 or so groups. One question
before them in this connection is how to increase capacity to raise
growing numbers of animators
in neighbourhoods and villages that
are becoming centres of intense activity, some of which may be ripe
for enlisting in the groups the majority, if not all, of the local
junior youth. Earlier in the cluster’s development, one
or two tutors of Book 5 may have sufficed
to raise the initial cohort of animators. At this point,
more of such tutors are required if growing
numbers of youth, and beyond them parents and members of local institutions, are to study the
course. Attention to the quality of the junior youth
groups also becomes more pronounced. Animators are closely accompanied to learn how to consciously help the junior youth enhance the power of their expression, the acuity of their perception, and the depth of their interaction. Ongoing and creative
thought is given
to service projects
initiated by the groups. By drawing other members of the community into
these projects, those initiatives showing great
promise are sustained
over longer periods. With such
progress, the
junior youth programme
attracts the support
of many of the local people
and leaders who
lend a hand through
several means. Additionally, opportunities to form junior
youth groups in other settings such
as schools and community centres arise
over time. In these
various ways every aspect of the learning experience in which the young people
are immersed comes to impact markedly
their life and that of the community in general.
Besides being accompanied in their service,
youth serving as animators are supported in other ways as well. In the context
of their service
to the Faith and the community, they are,
for instance, encouraged in their formal education and assisted to think about the prospects
for tertiary training
and for career development
before them. During reflection
gatherings,
animators deliberate also on such
matters and on other noble
aspirations. In this they receive the
aid of not only the institute coordinators but also other
institutions and agencies
of the Faith, such as Auxiliary
Board members and Local Spiritual Assemblies.
In a community where the programme has reached such a level of quantitative and qualitative progress, rich conversations on the moral and intellectual well-being of young
people proliferate. These conversations take
place in the homes and during
occasions such
as devotional gatherings,
community meetings, and institutional conferences. They also
become a feature of the expansion phase of the cycle of activities. Gradually, the programme’s fundamental concepts, aims, and objectives come to be expressed through other
means of communication, for
instance, drama, music, or film. Where
the programme is operating
at this level, large
numbers of animators
are sustaining their efforts
from year to year and progressively more youngsters are continuing
in the groups
for the programme’s three-year
duration. A growing
number of them are beginning to enter the main sequence of courses
and to offer acts of service.
As has been mentioned, there
are about 70 clusters
worldwide where the
programme is reaching this level of development and the friends are involving more than 300 junior youth in the
groups. In some of these
clusters the number
of participants even
exceeds 1,000. Achieving the progress described above
in several hundred more clusters where the friends are learning
to embrace large numbers is an important aspect of the current Plan.
The part to be played
by learning sites in this regard is critical, for they ensure that the process
of learning associated with each further stage of the programme’s growth is effectively extended and systematized
in the clusters with
which they are associated.
According to the capacity that exists, they collaborate with training institutes to carry the work
to other advanced clusters.
Coordination of Junior
Youth Groups
All of these efforts depend on there being
at every point in the programme’s advance a scheme for
accompanying animators that
matches the need. As the groups multiply and
become more established, the organizational scheme in place evolves in complexity. In the
early stages, the support
of an experienced individual from
a cluster close by may be adequate. This is soon supplemented by animators working in teams and the assistance
of the more experienced among them. Eventually one or more coordinators are named from among the
local animators. As they take on their responsibilities they learn
from veteran coordinators in more advanced
clusters and collaborate closely with the cluster coordinator of the main
sequence and of children’s classes, if and when they are in place.
At the regional
or national level, a coordinator is named usually from among the most
experienced cluster coordinators. As the number of junior youth
groups increases across
the region or country,
an additional coordinator or two is named.
The regional or national coordinators
work with the cluster
coordinators in the field and bring
them together in meetings of
reflection. Capacity to support the programme advances greatly when a team emerges at the
regional or national level composed of the coordinators and other
experienced individuals who, in collaboration with the Auxiliary Board members, have
a clear vision
of the growth of the programme
across the entire region or
country. As is the case at the cluster level,
close collaboration with the coordinators of the main sequence and the children’s education
programme is an important
aspect of the mode of operation
at the regional or national
level.
Further, for capacity to grow, the institute and the learning site, where one is in place, foster a dynamic collaboration. The regional or national coordinators and the
resource persons work together in the field
and, through such spaces as learning
site seminars and institute gatherings, learn from
one another. The knowledge
and experience that emerge from
the network of clusters associated
with a learning site is transferred
to the training institute, and the insights
generated by the training
institute in further
extending the reach of the programme is shared
with the learning sites.
3.
THE PROGRAMME FOR THE SPIRITUAL EDUCATION OF CHILDREN
As the Universal House of Justice has stated, “concern for
the spiritual education
of children has long been an element of the culture
of the Bahá’í community”.29 Over the last Plan, the number of children participating in the classes expanded significantly, reaching over 210,000 globally. The growing capacities of institutes
to train teachers
and assist them to form
classes, and the expanding
mechanisms to support their
service and progress,
are among the factors
that have contributed
to such growth.
Fundamentally, however, it is the mounting
dedication of individuals
and institutions—indeed of the community
as a whole—to nurturing
and empowering spiritually
its young members that
has provided the primary
impetus. This is evident in the fact
that the number of children’s classes has increased
most in clusters where junior
youth groups have also steadily
multiplied.
The current Plan’s
objective of intensifying further the community-building process in 5,000
clusters worldwide calls for marked development of the capacity to spiritually educate children. Some of the particular demands in this regard relate to clusters
where the friends
are striving to establish an intensive
programme of growth. In most
of these clusters,
experience with children’s classes remains largely
rudimentary. Other demands are associated
with those clusters where the friends are learning
to embrace large numbers, where most children’s classes are currently
found.
Clusters Where the
Friends are Establishing an Intensive Programme of Growth
In clusters
where the experience of the friends
with children’s classes is in its initial
stages, a principal need is establishing a few classes by building organically on whatever
activities are present. From among those
engaged in the core activities and the conversations under way, a few who show interest in teaching
children are trained
as teachers and assisted
to form the first two or three classes.
In each cluster with a few classes, a small team of teachers
is learning how to offer,
lesson after lesson, the first
grade, often to children
of varying ages. Much more is happening, however. A conversation on “the value of Bahá’í education and of a proper spiritual upbringing”30 is being set in motion; the
parents and teachers
are establishing a collaborative
relationship; and the classes
themselves are becoming
a means to inspiring other
people in the community
who are inclined to this area of service.
Further, a team of friends who over time might assume various duties related to promoting
children’s classes is emerging from
among the teachers, the parents, and others.
As the classes
grow in both quantity
and quality, the institute strengthens its capacity to train ever-growing numbers of teachers
and to help them learn
to teach grade after
grade.
A basic organizational scheme is gradually
built, and a pattern
of collaboration among the
teachers, parents, and institutions is progressively put in place.
3.1.1 Raising the first contingent of teachers
Initial efforts
to increase the number of friends teaching children include raising tutors in a country or region
who are capable of facilitating
effectively the study of Book
3 of the sequence of courses. Initially most
of such individuals are drawn from
among the experienced
teachers and tutors in the more advanced
clusters. When they learn
to offer Book 3 in a manner that
raises the understanding of the participants, enhances their
commitment to the education
of children, and sharpens
their skills and abilities, the spiritual education of children
is established on a strong
footing.
Although the first
teachers in a cluster may come from
any segment of the population,
young
mothers and youth—both boys and girls—tend
to be the first
to respond. Mothers bring
to the effort
their experience of parenting
and more readily
engage other parents
in related conversations. As for the youth, when they are involved in deep discussions on their responsibility
to the community, they respond
especially well when invited to work with children and junior youth. Building
a team of a few mothers and youth
who collaborate to teach the first few
classes should be a possibility within the
reach of every cluster.
Regarding the training, it is, of course,
envisioned that
those teaching
children would need to have studied at least the
first three courses of the sequence. All the qualities and abilities treated in
these three courses, among them
developing spiritual identity and habits,
engaging in systematic
conversations, and teaching a simple class of children,
are relevant to a children’s class teacher.
Nevertheless, some
flexibility in how individuals
proceed through these courses is often
necessary in the early stages.
Friends interested in teaching
children have sometimes
studied the first
and third courses, formed classes,
and then proceeded to study the second
and other courses. In some instances, forming children’s classes
is integrated into
the study of Book
3, so that by the time the teachers
finish the course
some classes have
already begun. Whatever approach
is initially adopted depends
on the experience and circumstances
of the people involved, and the support available.
3.1.2 Operation of the
classes
At an early stage, the main issues pertaining
to the operation
of children’s classes include
helping the teachers learn
to hold the classes with increasing regularity, become adept
at handling the various
components of the lessons
in the first
grade, and strengthen
relationships with parents.
In this regard, the teachers
meet often to review the lessons, explore their principal spiritual objectives, share
experiences, and determine how to assist
one another. To continue to grow in capacity, the teachers
persist in their
study of institute courses. As relevant
experience accrues,
the teachers’
commitment to spiritually educating
children strengthens, and so does that of the parents and the
community in general. This enables a community to sustain
the initial classes established.
The teachers’
ability to collaborate with parents
is another pertinent issue
at this initial stage. Teachers
learn to periodically visit
parents in their homes to acquaint
them with the progress being made and to elicit whatever assistance is necessary. Efforts
to enhance this vital
relationship are seamlessly integrated into
the various activities associated with
implementing the programme. For instance, teachers
and parents study
or review segments of Book 3 together,
and parents occasionally join the teachers when
they come together for reflection. The teachers and parents are,
as a result, increasingly engaged in a conversation that nurtures
among them a deep sense of
solidarity. This conversation is gradually extended within the community, fostering friendship
among the families and interactions in various spaces,
including devotional
meetings, that
serve to attract
the hearts of both
children and parents to Bahá’u’lláh.
Clusters Where the
Friends are Learning to Embrace Large Numbers
In advanced clusters, institutes are building
on the capacities so far developed in order to increase significantly the number of children receiving spiritual education and to organize
them in a systematic
programme. The training
of teachers is being
further augmented;
the teachers are learning
to offer the first
three grades and higher,
as they become available;
and the classes are
becoming more formalized. Further,
a pattern of coordination is emerging
through which steadily expanding numbers of teachers
in neighbourhoods and villages
can be accompanied.
The development
of children’s classes
in these contexts is contributing notably
to the community-building process.
3.2.1
The training
of teachers and progression of children from grade to grade
Children’s classes multiply significantly as the number of people advancing through the
sequence of courses grows and some
among them join the initial
group of teachers in spiritually educating more and more children. This is especially
the case in clusters where the friends
are able to engage growing numbers of youth in meaningful
conversations and assist
them to study institute courses.
As the teachers
learn to organize
Grade 1 classes,
they continue to advance
along the main sequence
of courses. At the same time, they are
assisted to study the
branch courses of Book 3 that prepare
them to offer the subsequent
grades of the classes for which materials are currently available. The qualities, skills,
and abilities of the teachers
sharpen further as they are brought together periodically in reflection
gatherings.
The experience
acquired from teaching the classes
week after week and the understanding obtained from participating with others in gatherings for reflection
enable the teachers to appreciate
even further the special nature of the service
they are rendering.
Their relationship with the parents of the children
grows stronger as they interact
with them more regularly, whether through home visits,
special consultative meetings, or reflection
gatherings. In addition, their ability
to contribute to the community-building process under way advances
meaningfully when they play
a part in various gatherings
where the community
consults, reflects, and plans. All these factors combine to strengthen
the teachers’ dedication
to the programme’s objectives,
sharpen their vision of its development, and consolidate their
resolve to sustain their
efforts from year to year.
3.2.2
Further
formalization of the classes
Growth in the number of children receiving spiritual education necessitates more formalization of the classes. Organizing the children into age-based classes, outlining an annual schedule,
and convening special events,
such as children’s festivals, are among some
elements of a formal system that receive
due attention. While previously the classes may have
included children of different ages, classes for distinct age groups are formed as more teachers become available within the locality.
An annual calendar
that is consistent with the pattern
of
life
of the population is established detailing when during a year the classes generally commence, when they take a break, and when they close,
even as arrangements are made to
accommodate new classes forming at any time during the year.
The calendar might also include
dates for reflection gatherings of teachers
and other cluster
events that require the participation of teachers and children.
Certain formal meetings
are held at particular points during the year
involving teachers, children and their
families, members
of the institutions, and other interested
individuals in the community. What the children are accomplishing is
shared with those present, the efforts of both the children and teachers are
acknowledged, and as the children and teachers move from one grade
to the next, some recognition of this achievement
is made.
Further, as the
children advance through
the classes, those
turning 12 are welcomed into the junior youth programme.
Coordination of
Children’s Classes
During
the early stages of the
programme’s development, teachers, however
few they may be, learn
to function as a team that meets regularly. The meetings
of the team might initially be spearheaded
by the most experienced among them. Sometimes regional institutes
have assigned to each
cluster a veteran teacher or a coordinator
from an advanced cluster, or the Auxiliary
Board member might designate a capable
assistant, to visit
the teachers regularly
and accompany them
in their efforts. Dedication mounts among the teachers
when they are enabled to
interact with a larger body of their colleagues
through gatherings hosted
in more advanced clusters nearby.
As the number of teachers grows
and their experience
deepens, one among them who has
demonstrated capacity
to help others
is formally designated
as coordinator. Such an individual
might, of course, continue to receive assistance
from an experienced coordinator from another cluster as he or she assumes more formally the tasks of supporting
others.
The continued multiplication of the classes in clusters
in which the friends are learning
to embrace large
numbers in the community-building process places increasing demands on the
system of coordination. Here, the ability
of teachers to work in teams requires
continued strengthening, as does the ability
of experienced teachers
to help new teachers
or those starting to
teach a new grade. While one
coordinator, perhaps working with a
small team of collaborators, can support 10 to 15 teachers, an additional
coordinator is often required as the number
of classes expands further. In any case, an organizational scheme emerges over
time in an advanced cluster which will
accommodate teams of collaborating teachers; experienced teachers that
help the coordinators support others; and a number of coordinators that
ensure the classes are
being sustained, the teachers
are growing in capacity, and the families and
the entire community are appropriately engaged.
At the regional or national
level, the major concern is,
of course, ensuring
that the friends in
each cluster are supported so that, whatever the cluster’s stage
of development, children’s
classes increase in both
number and effectiveness. Raising tutors of Book 3 and ensuring
that they are available
to all clusters
is, as demonstrated, an indispensable aspect of the support provided. Making certain that
each cluster is served by some organizational scheme, including
drawing on coordinators and experienced individuals from
other clusters as needed, is another. As coordinators emerge
in cluster after cluster,
those serving at the regional
or national level assist them in the field and bring them together in reflection gatherings that address questions relevant to the stage
of development of the children’s classes in their cluster. All materials
in sufficient quantities and appropriate
languages are provided
to the teachers
and children at all
ages. Careful
attention to the flow of knowledge
from advanced clusters,
where a greater
range of experience
is being generated, makes it possible for other clusters to benefit and advance
expeditiously.
And, as is the
case with the main sequence
of courses and the junior
youth programme, over
time a team emerges
at the regional or national
level composed of the coordinators and other experienced
individuals who, in collaboration with the Auxiliary
Board members, grow in capacity to follow
the development of the programme.
4.
INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY
The progress
of each and all of the institute’s programmes ultimately depends on the
strength of the institute as an agency of the Faith
operating at the level
of a country or region. There are currently
over 300 training institutes worldwide, which range in scope from those
in small countries
with a handful of clusters with a programme of growth to those
in large regions
where the number of such
clusters might exceed 100. In all but a few
cases, these institutes
operate under a board
of directors. Although
in general all
boards bear the same responsibilities, their particular operations vary
depending on the range of the institute’s work.
At any rate, it is
vital that members
of a board, national
or regional coordinators, Auxiliary Board members, and a
cadre of believers
with the relevant
experience learn to collaborate effectively in supporting the institute’s various responsibilities.
Irrespective of the scope of the work
of the institute, the board and those with
whom it closely collaborates in a region or country
strive to enhance a number of related
institutional capacities.
They endeavour to formulate
a clear vision
of the progress of the educational processes,
foster capacity to learn systematically
and to disseminate the accruing knowledge, and support a healthy
evolution of the institute’s organizational schemes at the cluster and regional levels.
They also labour to raise
capable human resources for
the institute’s various purposes, manage effectively financial and material resources, and address pertinent administrative concerns, especially in relation
to institute staff
and statistics. The complexity
of each of these issues naturally grows
as the community-building process advances in an
increasing number of clusters across a region.
Formulating a Vision
Guidance to foster the growth of the Faith
at its current stage of development is,
of course, provided
in the messages
of the Universal House of Justice. As the friends
study the guidance, read the reality
of their country or region, and reflect
on their experience,
they are able to formulate a vision
centred on advancing
the two essential movements at the heart
of the process
of growth: the steady flow of individuals through the sequence
of courses offered by the training institute and the movement of clusters
along a continuum
of development. In the context of this general vision for the country or region,
the institute articulates its own particular vision for the spiritual education of the friends
for the duration of the Plan.
This might involve
not only what is possible to accomplish
in each cluster
with regard to the three educational imperatives but also the
main strategies and approaches to be pursued. The institute then formulates annually a plan and
budget, and every cycle an operational plan. Where capacity
for such methodical
planning is well developed, the work of the institute is characterized by clarity
of thought and systematic
action. Its lines of action are well-defined, and the deliberations
among the friends
at the forefront of its operations
are both practical and far-sighted.
Learning and the
Ability to Disseminate the Accruing Knowledge
The members of the institute board collaborate
with the coordinators, the Auxiliary
Board members, and other experienced individuals in “a systematic and concentrated effort
… to gather and apply insights
emerging from the grassroots
regarding the promotion of children’s
classes, junior youth
groups, and study
circles”.31 On their
part, regional or national coordinators labour in the field
together with cluster coordinators, converse with them on their
experiences, and observe first
hand the emerging strengths and challenges. Regular reflection gatherings that are
informed by what
is happening at the
grassroots allow
for a deep exploration
of the unfolding experience in the region or country. The deliberations and
endeavours of coordinators might for a period
of time concentrate on particular sets of questions that are critical
to achieving continued progress. The insights obtained from such focused efforts are then appropriately analysed and shared with
others. A cluster in which significant experience is gained may in this regard
be used to host gatherings
of coordinators from other
clusters and dispatch experienced
individuals to other clusters to work with local friends in
the field. This is an approach to disseminating learning
that has worked well with
learning sites for the junior youth spiritual empowerment programme, and it is now being applied in some form in the context
of groups of adjoining
clusters that are organized around one or more clusters which can offer
“a valuable source of knowledge and experience and represent a reservoir
of human resources”.32 Further, some institutes are also capturing lessons learned by creating documents that serve
as dynamic records of efforts to address a few key questions.
With some of the knowledge generated
globally about learning
as a mode of operation
now presented in Book 10, it is hoped that
the study of that course will help
training institutes themselves achieve
even more notable
advances in this capacity.
The Evolution of
Organizational Schemes
Those overseeing the work of the institute in a country or region gradually
grow in their understanding of how organizational schemes emerge
and evolve as a cluster advances.
The overriding concern, of course,
is ensuring that at every stage, a cluster is served by an appropriate arrangement and that capacity for coordination keeps pace with growth in activity.
This
requires that there is at the regional
or national level
“an acute awareness
of circumstances on the ground”,33 the basis upon
which decisions with regard to coordination are then made.
In some clusters, an
experienced person from another cluster is assigned to assist the friends.
In others, a few local friends
who are showing capacity to assist are accompanying those who have initiated core activities.
In still others,
coordinators are formally
named, while eventually, multiple coordinators working in teams, each with a few collaborators, are raised. A regular
review of the organizational arrangements in clusters
and groups of clusters across the country
or region,
and of the mechanisms
in place to provide the necessary
support, is an essential
aspect of the responsibilities borne at the national or regional
level.
Structures at the national or regional
level evolve to attend
to these organizational needs of
clusters. Periodic
assessment should help
those overseeing the institute’s work to determine in a timely
manner when to reinforce or adjust whatever
arrangement is in place. When to
name a regional
or national coordinator for each of the three educational activities; when, as activity increases, to appoint
additional ones from among those gaining experience in clusters;
how to build teams of friends
at the regional
level to help
follow each programme; when to assign coordinators to work in parts of the region—are all matters that are progressively addressed. The latter point requires an additional
comment. In large regions where
regional coordinators are assigned
to follow a number of clusters or even groups of adjoining clusters,
they are increasingly operating at the level
of a sub-region. As a consequence, a distinct
administrative role at the
regional level is emerging,
and in some cases an individual
is engaged to support
the coordinators operating
at the sub-regional level
by managing funds,
distributing materials, collating statistics, and organizing reflection gatherings.
Enhancing the Capacity
of the Institute Itself
As more and
more clusters advance and the work of the institute
increases in complexity,
well-defined measures are introduced
to help cluster and regional
or national coordinators to grow in capability, heightening their knowledge of the Faith,
their understanding of the Plan’s overarching
conceptual framework, and their appreciation of the nature and purpose of
the institute process.
Their ability to explore the reality of
their region or country, to assess progress, and to plan effectively can be enhanced,
and certain practical abilities such as using
statistical information
in reflection and
planning and managing
judiciously the funds
of the Faith can be developed.
Capacities such as building
environments of cooperation
and unity are also cultivated. Some of these
capacities are acquired naturally through
experience as coordinators are assisted to carry out their work. Institutes
identify other practical means to help coordinators develop necessary abilities. For instance, individuals with relevant experience can help others;
at times the institute can draw on other educational
programmes of the Faith such as those offered
by Bahá’í-inspired agencies; and, in some cases, coordinators and
others serving the institute full time have been
supported to attend
relevant training
programmes offered by various institutions of learning.
In addition, an institute can benefit from the
contributions of other individuals with
specialized skills who are involved in the general community-building work of the Faith. Examples of such skills include
translating educational materials, managing finances, and documenting learning. Through ongoing assessment of the institute’s evolving human resource needs and review of the measures in place to raise
the capacity of the friends serving as staff or as
volunteers, those overseeing the institute’s work determine ways of drawing
on the friends with
such abilities.
Managing Effectively
the Financial and Material Resources
Managing with care the financial resources pertains to all aspects
and levels of the
institute’s operations. When they are planning
and budgeting, the friends
consider not only what
comes from the Funds of the Faith but also what the local friends and community can offer through whatever means available to them. On their part,
institute boards, in collaboration with coordinators and Auxiliary Board members, ensure that each activity at the grassroots has the required resources. In that light,
effective channels
for the flow of funds from
the national or regional
to the cluster level are put in place and simple and straightforward arrangements for maintaining accurate accounts are made. Awareness that the resources of the friends
and the funds of the Faith
are precious and not unlimited generates commitment to efficiency. Financial management itself is approached with
an attitude of learning, and practices such
as periodic budget monitoring
and annual financial reporting and auditing are
established.
An effective system for the production
and distribution of institute materials is, of course,
vital. Sometimes
lack of such a system has disrupted the progress
of the three educational
imperatives and the vitality of the
community-building process itself.
Careful thought is to be given to how the materials
are stored and how they are provided to each individual
studying the courses so that unnecessary waste
does not occur.
Some institutes utilize
various approaches in
this regard. They ensure that cluster coordinators have access to basic
storage space and that when participants can afford to purchase the texts they are encouraged
to do so.
Some Administrative
Aspects
4.6.1
Remuneration of
institute staff
An important
aspect of the management of financial
resources is the remuneration of institute staff. As the
number of study circles, children’s classes, and junior youth groups expands in a country or region, more and more people deepen their sense
of ownership and desire to contribute to the betterment
of society, and some among them dedicate a substantial
amount of their time
to the work of the institute. From among those serving as coordinators, some might require
financial assistance
for a period of time. There are a number of principles to be considered
by institutes in this regard. Of course, capacity for coordination cannot be built by simply multiplying the
number of coordinators serving full
time and receiving remuneration. At the cluster level, the remuneration offered to some coordinators is essentially a short-term arrangement
that is arrived at through conversation with each individual
being invited to serve
in this manner and requiring
such assistance. Based on determined needs, factors that could be taken
into consideration include “whether the person resides in a rural
or urban area, is required to change residence, has a family, or intends
to pursue further education”.34 While decisions
made will differ from
one person to another, the system
will reflect an overall consistency. Additional considerations may be necessary
at the regional or national level. Some of the friends
serving full time and receiving
remuneration might, for instance, need to continue
receiving such assistance for
an extended period in order to ensure
that the learning processes across the entire
region or country
are sustained. In any case, it can be expected
that whether at the cluster,
regional, or national level, the
needs of some
individuals might sometimes
“exceed what can reasonably
be met by the funds
of the Faith”.35 A realistic
range of remuneration can be established. In creating
a framework for offering remuneration to the
friends, a National
Spiritual Assembly, in consultation with the Counsellors and the institute
board, determines
what would, in general, constitute a reasonable period
during which an
individual serving as a cluster coordinator or as a regional
or national coordinator may be provided
with remuneration.
4.6.2 Managing statistics
The availability of accurate
and up-to-date statistical information helps
the friends overseeing the work of the training
institute to “remain fully
acquainted with developments at the grassroots
and what is being learned in the clusters
whose progress they oversee”.36 The information is, of course, essential in the institute’s planning and
decision-making processes.
A proper system for gathering and analysing statistical information requires that
effective instruments are put in place for this purpose,
and the Statistical Report
Program (SRP) is helpful in this regard. A new version of this tool—combining its earlier versions and
the Cluster Growth Profile—is
already being used in many regions and clusters. Ultimately, effective management and use of statistics depends on close collaboration between cluster
coordinators and Area
Teaching Committees, as well as between national or regional coordinators and Regional Bahá’í Councils.
The Training Institute
Board
As institutes advance as organizational structures, the role of
institute boards assumes ever-greater importance.
The members of an institute board
are appointed by the National
Spiritual Assembly
or Regional Bahá’í
Council, in consultation with
the Counsellors, usually
for a term of two to three
years. Through various means, including
meetings and special occasions for consultation,
boards watch over the work of
the institutes. They follow the unfoldment of the learning
processes associated with
study circles, children’s classes, and junior
youth groups, facilitate the formulation of vision, pay attention to the administrative matters of institutes, and liaise closely with
the Counsellors and with National Assemblies or Regional Councils, as the case may be. When they are composed
of individuals with the requisite
experience and who are personally involved in the community-building process, and when they are
able to foster
effective consultative relationships with others, appreciable progress can be made in a relatively
short period of time. Although all
do not function in the same way and the issues they face
vary in complexity, growing demands on institutes
to continue attaining
higher and higher levels of functioning require that boards too
become increasingly capable of carrying out their responsibilities.
REFERENCES
1 Message dated 29 December 2015 written by the
Universal House of Justice to the Conference of the Continental Boards of Counsellors.
2 Ibid.
3 Ibid.
4 Message dated 12 December 2011
written by the
Universal
House of Justice to all National Spiritual Assemblies.
5 Message dated 29 December
2015.
6 Riḍván 2010 message written by the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá’ís
of the world.
7 Ibid.
8 Ibid.
9 Message dated 28 December 2010 written by the
Universal House of Justice to the Conference of the Continental Boards of Counsellors.
10 Riḍván 2010 message.
11 Ibid.
12 Message dated 29 December
2015.
13 Riḍván 2010 message.
14 Ibid.
15 Message dated 29 December
2015.
16 Ibid.
17 Ibid.
18 Ibid.
19 Ibid.
20 Message dated 27 December
2005 written by the Universal House of Justice to the
Conference of the Continental Boards of Counsellors.
21 Message dated 12 December
2011.
22 Letter
dated 24 December 1997 written on
behalf of the Universal House of Justice to a National Spiritual Assembly. (Also quoted in “Training Institutes”, a document
prepared for and approved
by the Universal House of Justice,
April 1998.)
23 Letter dated 24 December
2014 written on behalf of the Universal
House of Justice to a
National Spiritual Assembly.
24 Message dated 12 December 2011.
25 Message dated 27 December 2005.
26 Message dated 29 December 2015.
27 Ibid.
28 Ibid.
29 Riḍván 2010 message.
30 Riḍván 1996 message written by
the Universal House of Justice to the followers of Bahá’u’lláh
in Western and Central Asia.
31 Message dated 29 December
2015.
32 Ibid.
33 Message dated 28 December
2010.
34 Letter dated 24 December
2014.
35 Ibid.
36 Message dated 29 December
2015.