Governance
Effective governance is a prerequisite for human prosperity and well-being. While the concept of governance includes the formal institutions of government, it also encompasses other formal and informal processes of community and organizational decision making and administration; the collective management of human and material resources; the resolution of conflicts and the construction of unifying modes of human interaction; the coordination of collective actions and initiatives; and the meaningful inclusion – within any given practice or process of governance – of those segments of the population who are affected by them. The Institute therefore seeks to develop understanding around a number of questions:
How can effective governance be fostered in ways that advance collective human prosperity and well-being?
How can spiritual principles and scientific knowledge inform these processes?
How can principles and insights drawn from science and religion inform the structure and selection of leadership and legitimate authority?
How can principles and insights drawn from science and religion inform processes of collective decision making, implementation, and reflective learning?
How can principles and insights drawn from science and religion inform training and education for effective governance?
Where can practical examples of these processes be found and what can be learned from them?
How can aspects of effective governance be modeled so that this learning can be shared with, applied within, and adapted to, the developmental processes of diverse communities, in an inclusive and participatory manner?
As a first step to advance knowledge and insight around these questions, the Institute has articulated elements of an evolving conceptual framework on governance that is derived in part from the worldwide Bahá’í community’s experience with the development of a non-partisan system of democratic community governance that is now operational in over ten thousand localities around the globe. As a next step the Institute is inviting interested individuals and organizations to study, reflect on, and contribute to this conceptual framework document by drawing on their own experiences with formal or informal processes of governance.
