In Conversation: Exploring contributions of the Bahá’í International Community to the betterment of the world

Podcast explores the history and evolution of the BIC and its contributions to discourses pertaining to the future and wellbeing of humanity.

Subscribe to the BWNS podcast for additional audio content.

RSS  |  Spotify  |  Apple Podcasts  |  SoundCloud  |  Tunein  |  iHeart  |  Stitcher

BAHÁ’Í WORLD CENTRE — This podcast episode from the Bahá’í World News Service explores the history and evolution of the Bahá’í International Community (BIC) over several decades, as well as its present work and contributions to discourses about the future and wellbeing of humanity.

Guests of the episode include representatives of some of the BIC’s offices, including in Addis Ababa, Brussels, Cairo, Geneva, and New York. Their accounts highlight the BIC’s commitment to promoting the principle of the oneness of humanity in diverse international forums.

The podcast explores some of the BIC’s contributions to significant global conferences and its collaboration with various United Nations agencies over the past decades to contribute to the advancement of thought in many areas including social development, the advancement of women, climate change, governance and UN reform, as well as human rights.

The BIC representatives describe how the contributions of the BIC to discussions at international forums draw on the experience gained by the worldwide Bahá’í community in contributing to fostering peaceful, vibrant communities. They discuss grassroots initiatives, such as programs for moral education that are fostering a new generation that is attuned to the needs of their society and empowered to take constructive action for the common good.

In discussing the interconnectedness of global challenges, such as climate change and the necessity for a unified approach to peace and security, the podcast underscores the urgency of collective action. The discussion points toward future directions, including the UN’s upcoming 2024 Summit of the Future where participants will reflect on the role of international structures in addressing contemporary challenges.

In the concluding comments of the episode, Bani Dugal, BIC’s Principal Representative to the United Nations, says: “We can continue with these unimaginable horrors of war and conflict, or we can, by an act of consultative will, sit down together and decide we want peace. We need that political will, and we need for humanity to stand up and say, ‘we want peace now.’”