BAHÁ’Í WORLD CENTRE — The conference of the Continental Boards of Counsellors, which commenced on Thursday, came to a conclusion today with the reading of a message of the Universal House of Justice addressed to the Bahá’ís of the world.

The message states: “The global challenges now facing humanity are a severe test of its willingness to put aside short-term self-interest and come to terms with this stark spiritual and moral reality: there is but one, interconnected human family and it shares one precious homeland.”

The discussions of the Counsellors over the past six days explored how the worldwide Bahá’í community can intensify its efforts to contribute to social progress predicated on the spiritual principle of oneness.

In their analysis, the Counsellors concluded that achieving this aim is dependent on significantly extending the reach of Bahá’í educational programs that build capacity for service, at the heart of which is faith in the ability of a population to become the protagonists of its own development.

Following the closing of the conference, the Counsellors visited the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh in procession to pray for the well-being of humanity and to spiritually prepare themselves for the consultations that will follow among geographic groups over the coming days.

The great majority of the Counsellors were present in the Holy Land, while some who could not travel joined remotely. The consultations were translated into 6 languages simultaneously throughout the meeting.