"Children are the most precious treasure a community can possess, for in them are the promise and guarantee of the future. They bear the seeds of the character of future society which is largely shaped by what the adults constituting the community do or fail to do with respect to children. They are a trust no community can neglect with impunity. " - Ridvan 2000
Responding to the aspiration of the young is in itself a sacred charge of the community and the friends national-wide are learning and building the necessary capacity to cater for this tender component of the community.The community has adopted the Ruhi Institute curriculum that systematizes the activities in a way that children from age 5 to 10 are helped to learn to reflect and apply spiritual principles such as cooperation, love, unity, patience, justice as they relate with their community and in their own lives. The lessons, inspired by the Writings of Bahá’u’llah, also introduce the children to other Religious Teachings and the lives of others Messengers of God all aiming at inspiring the love of God in the hearts of the youngsters. These moral classes that nurture the hearts and minds of the young, it should be noted, are open to both Baha’is and their friends from the wider society irrespective of creed.
Read More“Thousands upon thousands, embracing the diversity of the entire human family, are engaged in systematic study of the Creative Word in an environment that is at once serious and uplifting.” — 21 April 2008 message from The Universal House of Justice
Throughout human history junior youth –those 11 to 15 years- have been tagged with images that show a chaotic impudence, irresponsibility, as being enwrapped in tumultuous emotional and physical change, self-centeredness, and poor decision-making, yet the Bahá'í community is having a different conviction about this special group. We see those with a high sense of justice, young minds inquisitive and eager to understand the working of the universe and the world around them, selfless spirits with a high marginal propensity for service. Designated as a reservoir for energy and capacity, junior youth need to be assisted to sail through this crucial stage of life, and must be helped to understand and realize their role in the advancement of civilization. The community through the junior youth spiritual empowerment programme (JYSEP) is also building capacity to increasingly assist those in the prime of their life to channel their untapped potential into the field of service. In junior youth groups in different localities, the youth study a sequence of materials that explorer themes such as the twofold moral purpose and its implications for individual and societal transformation, the period of adolescence while analyzing different social theories about this period, the forces of integration and disintegration at work in society today and which to align oneself with, media, art and culture. Junior youth are assisted to develop their power of expression and learn to speak about the processes unfolding in their community with increasing articulation.
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“Thousands upon thousands, embracing the diversity of the entire human family, are engaged in systematic study of the Creative Word in an environment that is at once serious and uplifting.” — 21 April 2008 message from The Universal House of Justice
Study Materials
