adminFlora Teckie Baha’i Faith
As we celebrated the International Day of Peace on September 21, let us reflect on the role of family in bringing about peace. The family lays the foundation for the individual’s development and happiness as well as society’s cohesion and advancement. As a microcosm of the human race, the family is a key instrument for establishing peace through the encouragement of such virtues as love, unity, compassion, justice, respect and loyalty.
Attitudes and behaviours learnt in the home have a direct bearing on the order, prosperity and peace in our communities as well as the world at large.
According to a message from the Universal House of Justice, the governing council of the Bahá’í international community, “The family unit, the nucleus of human society, constitutes a space within which praiseworthy morals and essential capacities must be developed.
“For the habits and patterns of conduct nurtured in the home are carried into the workplace, into the social and political life of the country, and finally into the arena of international relations.”
In a world suffering from social and moral crisis, societies often overlook the importance of balancing individual and societal needs as well as reconciling the individual interest with the common good.
It is within the family that character is developed, moral and spiritual attitudes are formed and one learns to serve the common good.
And it is within the family where the values of tolerance, peace and social responsibility can be initiated and taught.
The governing council of the Bahá’í International Community states that, “It is the duty of all parents to exert their utmost to ensure the spiritual education of their children and to provide them with the training needed to live a fruitful life of service to their country and indeed to all of humanity.
“Success in this crucial matter requires fostering a loving and constructive environment at home, based on the love of God and adherence to His laws. This entails abandoning all forms of prejudice, rejecting entirely the odious habit of back-biting, stressing the vital importance of the oneness of mankind and inculcating the spirit of selfless service.”
Education required for promoting peace must begin in the family where children from the earliest age learn about the fundamental oneness of humanity and overcoming prejudices that divide us whether based on race, religion, gender, class, or nationality.
It is within the family that children can be encouraged to associate with people of all races and religions.
They also learn to appreciate the different cultures and the contributions different people have to make.
It is within their families that they can be taught the concept of oneness of humanity.
We have to be mindful, however, that excessive attention to family interests would not lead to a narrow social outlook which could be harmful to the broader community.
Today, many stable and united families – because of intolerance towards one or another segment of society – instil in their children prejudices that stifle their love for humanity and hamper their sense of justice.
Through such upbringing, our children can become indifferent to the suffering of others or to regard violence and oppression as justified even to contribute towards it.
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Online Reporter