BIC NEW YORK — A new statement released by the New York Office of the Bahá’í International Community (BIC) explores the profound potential of young people in fostering societal transformation and contributing to an ever-advancing global society.

Titled “In the Vanguard: The Role of Youth in an Ever-Advancing Global Society,” the statement calls for a rethinking of how youth are perceived and engaged by communities and institutions with the aim of creating conditions that allow their capacities to flourish.

“In the youth of the world lies a vast reservoir of capacity to advance the constructive transformation of society,” remarked Cecilia Schirmeister, a BIC representative from the New York Office.

Drawing on experience from Bahá’í community-building endeavors across the globe, Ms. Schirmeister added: “Young people possess this potential irrespective of background or personal circumstance. The desire to bring about positive change and the ability to render meaningful service to the common good are characteristic of youth everywhere.”

When this potential is recognized and nurtured, new patterns of interaction emerge between generations, allowing youth to take their rightful place in continuing the efforts of those before them and assisting those younger than themselves who seek to contribute to social progress.

The statement highlights how Bahá’í moral and spiritual education programs foster young people’s conviction “that a peaceful and just world is possible, …that deep change for the betterment of society can be consciously advanced, that the capacity for nobility is inherent in the human spirit.”

Participation in these programs has assisted youth to protect themselves against forces that would, the statement reads, “manipulate their sense of identity according to the vested interests of others: for example, those that would define them primarily as consumers to be satiated, voters to be persuaded, or viewers to be entertained.”

Liliane Nkunzimana, another representative from the New York Office, elaborated that when youth are assisted in exploring issues of moral purpose deeply through Bahá’í educational programs, they “show a remarkable ability to overcome setbacks, remain free from cynicism and bitterness during difficult times, and maintain hope and joy even in adversity.”

Ms. Nkunzimana added: “These qualities enable young people to pursue efforts toward social change not just for a few years, but throughout their lives.”

In its statement, the BIC quotes several people engaged in community-building endeavors, including a youth from Zambia who reflected on the broader implications of societal attitudes towards young people: “The way that a community views youth is a reflection of the community itself.

“If the community has no vision of itself, no sense of direction, then youth will be seen as a menace, a source of crime, and so on. But if there is a sense of future in the community, a sense of direction and progress, then young people are seen as resources. They are seen as the energy that is going to move the community toward its destination.”

The BIC statement can be viewed here.