Nowhere is this more visible than in the work of Bahá’ís to promote and support the welfare of children. Investing in the education and spiritual nurturing of children is an investment in the future progress of the whole planet. Here is a selection of thought-provoking passages from the international Bahá’í governing body which have inspired the work of Bahá’ís all over the world.

”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.  An all-embracing love of children, the manner of treating them, the quality of the attention shown them, the spirit of adult behaviour toward them - these are all among the vital aspects of the requisite attitude. An atmosphere needs to be maintained in which children feel that they belong to the community and share in its purpose.”

“In the current state of society, children face a cruel fate. Millions and millions in country after country are dislocated socially. Children find themselves alienated by parents and other adults whether they live in conditions of wealth or poverty. This alienation has its roots in a selfishness that is born of materialism that is at the core of the godlessness seizing the hearts of people everywhere. The social dislocation of children in our time is a sure mark of a society in decline; this condition is not, however, confined to any race, class, nation or economic condition - it cuts across them all.

It grieves our hearts to realise that in so many parts of the world children are employed as soldiers, exploited as labourers, sold into virtual slavery, forced into prostitution, made the  objects of pornography, abandoned by parents centred on their own desires, and subjected to other forms of victimisation too numerous to mention. Many such horrors are inflicted by the parents themselves upon their own children. The spiritual and psychological damage defies estimation.

Our worldwide community cannot escape the consequences of these conditions. This realisation should spur us all to urgent and sustained effort in the interests of children and the future.”      

”Although providing spiritual and academic education for children is essential, this represents only a part of what must go into developing their characters and shaping their personalities. The necessity exists, too, for individuals and the institutions at all levels, which is to say the community as a whole, to show a proper attitude towards children and to take a general interest in their welfare.”

“Independent of the level of their education, parents are in a critical position to shape the spiritual development of their children. They should not ever underestimate their capacity to mold their children's moral character.”

RW