What Bahá’ís Do

Involvement in the Life of Society

“It is with such thoughts in mind that Bahá’ís enter into collaboration, as their resources permit, with an increasing number of movements, organizations, groups and individuals, establishing partnerships that strive to transform society and further the cause of unity, promote human welfare, and contribute to world solidarity.”
— The Universal House of Justice

Bahá’u’lláh counselled His followers: “Be anxiously concerned with the needs of the age ye live in, and centre your deliberations on its exigencies and requirements.”

As such, Bahá’ís throughout the world—both individually and collectively—strive to become involved in the life of society, working shoulder to shoulder with divers groups to contribute to the advancement of material and spiritual civilization.

Two complementary areas of endeavour are explored here. Social action describes a spectrum of activities, often undertaken at the grassroots, the purpose of which is to contribute to the material and social wellbeing of the wider community. Closely related are the efforts of Bahá’ís to contribute to the public welfare at the level of thought through participation in the discourses of society. Among individual members of the Bahá’í community this typically entails sharing ideas inspired by the Bahá’í teachings in a variety of social spaces. National Spiritual Assemblies coordinate Bahá’í efforts to contribute to discussions focussed on various aspects of social progress, while on the international stage, the Bahá’í International Community is present in a range of global networks concerned with issues such as the equality of men and women and sustainable development.