CANBERRA, Australia — As Bahá’ís worldwide commemorated the births of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh, several communities took the opportunity this year to host special gatherings at the national level to explore how spiritual principles brought by these Twin Luminaries illuminate paths toward societal harmony.

These gatherings brought together government officials, religious leaders, representatives of Bahá’í institutions, and other people from across the country to explore how Bahá’u’lláh’s vision of unity transcends mere tolerance, calling for genuine appreciation of human diversity as a source of its collective strength.

In Australia, a reception was held at the Federal Parliament House in Canberra on the theme of “weaving together diverse perspectives to bring about unity and harmony.”

Sophie Scamps, Member of Parliament who co-hosted the gathering, reflected on humanity’s shared identity. “There’s so much more that we have in common than what divides us, and that message is always an extremely powerful one,” she said.

Dr. MP Scamps referred to the Bahá’í House of Worship in Sydney as a symbol of oneness, which she described as “a beacon on the hill for all of us. … It is a place of worship open to people of all beliefs, …a symbol of unity. It is a beautiful reflection of the gentle but strong tenets of the Bahá’í Faith—one that is committed to social cohesion and harmony.”

Honorable Julian Hill, MP and Assistant Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, reflected on how every member of society has a part to play in nurturing a more peaceful society. “Social cohesion is not an end state...it’s a process and… it takes all voices and all parts of the community to contribute to it...”

He added: “The Bahá’í perspective... of fusing the material aspects of life and the spiritual…provides a really valuable contribution to the process of social cohesion.”

The Hon Julian Hill continued, “It is 104 years since the first Bahá’í arrived [in Australia] spreading this message of unity, peace and hope across our nation. But those values—equality of men and women, eliminating prejudice, eliminating poverty, equality of all people, human rights, harmonizing science and religion—are things that are timeless.”

Meanwhile in the United Kingdom, a reception in the Churchill Room of the House of Commons brought together government officials, including the Rt Hon Alistair Carmichael, Member of Parliament.

MP Carmichael expressed his appreciation for the artistic performances made by youth that are engaged in Bahá’í community-building initiatives. “The energetic and hopeful presentation of the young people from Sheffield was very representative of the Bahá’í community’s commitment to unity and social progress,” he said.

Reflecting on the gathering’s theme of harmony and collective progress, Lord Khan of Burnley, Minister for Faith, stated: “We are a better society when we are as one.”

On the other side of the world at a gathering in Malaysia, a reception at the Bahá’í Centre in Kuala Lumpur brought together government officials, ambassadors, and religious leaders from various faith communities, as well as representatives of civil society organizations. In her remarks, a member of the Bahá’í Spiritual Assembly of that country, Geethanjali Gopal, highlighted the principle of unity in diversity, quoting a passage from Baháʼu’lláh’s writings:

“...associate with all the peoples and kindreds of the earth with joy and radiance, inasmuch as consorting with people hath promoted and will continue to promote unity and concord, which in turn are conducive to the maintenance of order in the world and to the regeneration of nations.”

The images below provide a view of just a few gatherings marking the births of the Báb and Baháʼu’lláh and exploring humanity’s shared spiritual heritage.

Speakers at the Parliamentary Reception in Australia, top row, from left to right: Sophie Scamps, MP; the Hon Julian Hill; Natalie Mobini-Kesheh, Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Australia. The program included songs performed by participants in Bahá’í community-building initiatives. Over the past several years, the Australia Bahá’í Office of External Affairs has been contributing to a discourse on social cohesion. As part of this ongoing effort, the Office released a publication titled “Creating an Inclusive Narrative.”

Participants at the reception in the Churchill Room of the UK House of Commons, including the Rt Hon Alistair Carmichael (top row, right), MP; Lord Khan of Burnley (middle row, left image, right), Minister for Faith; and Shirin Fozdar-Foroudi (middle row, right), member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United Kingdom. The program included discussion of efforts of Bahá’í communities throughout the UK on contributing to social progress and insights from efforts of the Bahá’í Office of Public Affairs to contribute to discourses related to societal harmony.

A national gathering at the Bahá’í Center in Kuwait City explored how spiritual principles—such as the harmony of science and religion, justice, and universal participation—are essential to fostering a more peaceful society. The gathering was part of the country’s Bahá’í Office of External Affairs’ efforts to contribute to national conversations on religious coexistence. Attendees express their appreciation for the gathering, highlighting the spirit of unity and fellowship.

In India, a gathering organized by that country’s Bahá’í Office of Public Affairs, in collaboration with the National Commission for Minorities, brought together officials and representatives of diverse faith communities to explore the part that religion can play in contributing to societal progress. Seen above are some of the attendees of the forum. Top, left to right: Madhu Khanna, Professor of Indic Religion; Iqbal Singh Lalpura, Chairman of the National Commission for Minorities, Government of India; Shernaz Cama, representative of the Parsi Zoroastrian community; and Salim Engineer, Vice-President of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind.

Seen in the above image are Lim Soon Kam (top row, left), member of the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Malaysia and, Geethanjali Gopal (middle row, right), another member of the National Assembly. Others in attendance including: Reverend Julian Leow Beng Kim, Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur; Datuk Seri Thiru, representative from Sri Maha Mariamman Temple Dhevasthanam; Thai Ming Yeow, representative from the Buddhist Missionary Society of Malaysia; Choela Tenzin Dadon, Vajrayana Buddhist Council of Malaysia; and Huladawe Hemaloka, Ti-Ratana Welfare Society Malaysia.