This is a great aid available to help us initiate and inform such conversations. It’s in the form of a flipbook called “Service To Humanity”. Themes like “Pathway of Service”, “Twofold Moral Purpose”, “Constructive and Destructive Forces of Society”, “Educating Younger Generations”, etc. provide compelling launch pads for rich, meaningful conversations with both youth and adults.

1. TO SERVE HUMANITY

2. Walking a Path of Service
All of us feel a desire to help one another and to see the society around us advance and prosper. We all
look forward to a future where peace and harmony have been established and the people of the world
live in unity. Such a world is not a utopian dream and can be built through human effort that seeks to
uplift hearts and minds and to transform the structures of society. This effort can grow and bear fruit as
more and more of us unite in service to humanity. Deep in our hearts each of us has the desire to serve
our communities. What we need are opportunities to develop our capacity to undertake acts of service
selflessly and purely for the good of others.
One way we can think about our service to humanity is to imagine a path of service along which we
walk together. This path is open to all and invites all to participate. Each individual makes the choice to
enter it and walk it according to his or her own pace. We do not walk this path alone; we support and
help one another. We learn together as we serve together. The effort we exert as we walk a path of
service generates joy and assurance. In walking a path of service we gain knowledge and develop skills
and praiseworthy qualities; we grow ourselves and contribute to the progress of our communities.

3. WALKING A PATH OF SERVICE
“To every generation of young believers comes an opportunity to make a contribution to the
fortunes of humanity.”

4. Period of Youth
Young people have a strong desire to contribute to the progress of humanity and have a significant role
to play in the transformation of society. It is important, then, for each generation of youth to reflect on
how to walk the path of service. How can the unique powers possessed by this generation be used for the
common good? During the period of youth we have the ability to adapt to different situations, we have
energy and are filled with enthusiasm. This energy and enthusiasm needs to be channeled towards
sustained service to the community. How is this to be done?
The challenges before a young person are many. One has to think about education, work and family.
There are so many matters that compete for one’s time and energy. There is continuous change to be
dealt with. The demands and the expectations one faces are overwhelming. All of this creates a great
deal of anxiety. The commitment to walk a path of service helps to resolve much of this anxiety. We
should not think of service to the community as another series of activities to be added to an already
demanding life, but as a way of bringing meaning to everything we do. For example, service can help us
understand better the purpose of our education. It can assist us in clarifying the kind of occupation we
want to choose for ourselves. It can help develop the qualities we need to contribute to the well-being of
our families. When service is given its proper place in the life of a young person then the energies and
powers that characterize the period of youth are not dissipated but directed towards acts that contribute
to individual and social transformation.

5. THE PERIOD OF YOUTH
“Man’s life has its springtime and is endowed with marvelous glory. The period of youth is
characterized by strength and vigor and stands out as the choicest time in human life.”

6. Twofold Moral Purpose
To fully manifest the powers that characterize the period of youth, a young person must come to possess
a strong twofold purpose: to take charge of his or her own intellectual and spiritual growth and to
contribute to the transformation of society. There is a reciprocal relationship between the two aspects of
this purpose. As we develop our own skills and abilities, we are better able to serve others, and in
helping one another, we grow as individuals and strengthen the qualities we possess.
We live in a society in which people are struggling to see an overall purpose in the many activities that
occupy their time. Youth are particularly affected by this condition of society. Developing an
understanding of our twofold purpose gives direction to our efforts. When we act on our true purpose,
we find meaning in our lives and joy in our interactions with our fellow human beings.

7. TWOFOLD MORAL PURPOSE
“All men have been created to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization.”

8. The Constructive and Destructive Forces of Society
As we strive to fulfill our twofold purpose, we encounter many forces that influence us. These forces
have a tremendous impact on the way we think and act. Some of the forces direct us towards progress
and growth. The forces of knowledge, of justice, and of love are good examples. There are also forces,
such as those of materialism and self-centeredness, that work in the opposite direction. These distort
people’s view of the world and prevent individual and collective growth. In serving our communities,
we need to align ourselves with the constructive forces.
To align ourselves with the constructive forces and resist the effects of the negative ones is a challenge
we have throughout our lives, but the capacity to do so should be developed during the period of youth.
To develop this capacity we need faith in the potential of people, hope for a better future, reliance on the
confirmations of God, a longing to achieve excellence, and a deep understanding of the power of
cooperation and solidarity. With these attributes we can focus on our purpose to tend to our intellectual
and spiritual growth and to contribute to the transformation of society.

9. THE CONSTRUCTIVE AND DESTRUCTIVE
FORCES OF SOCIETY
“The world is at present in an exceedingly dark condition spiritually; hatred and prejudice of
every sort are literally tearing it to pieces. We, on the other hand, are the custodians of the
opposite forces, the forces of love, of unity, of peace and integration…we must beware lest the
darkness of society become reflected in our acts and attitudes, perhaps all unconsciously.”

10. Material and Spiritual Progress
The transformation we are seeking is from a world of violence, poverty, and suffering to a world of
peace, prosperity, and harmony. Such a transformation requires that we think of progress in a particular
way, as both material and spiritual. To advance materially, we should improve our agriculture, take
better care of our health, enhance the quality of education, and be active in business and industry. With
the fruit of our labors, we should turn our homes, our neighborhood and our surroundings into places of
beauty and harmony.
Material progress for all people is not attainable if we do not achieve spiritual progress.
Without cultivating spirituality, a few become wealthy while the majority live in poverty. To achieve
progress in our community we should be united, act with justice, cooperate, be generous, honest and
trustworthy. Justice, generosity, love and kindness, honesty and trustworthiness are spiritual qualities
that are indispensable for both spiritual and material progress. Only if these two go hand in hand, then
the transformation we seek is possible.

11. MATERIAL AND SPIRITUAL PROGRESS
“Material civilization is like unto the lamp, while spiritual civilization is the light in that
lamp. If the material and spiritual civilizations become united, then we will have the light and
the lamp together, and the outcome will be perfect.”

12. Individual and Collective Transformation
The world in which we live is not merely comprised of individuals. There are agencies and
organizations that operate in society, and laws and institutions that sustain collective life. Just like
individuals, institutions are also influenced by constructive and destructive forces. For example, greed
affects both the life of the individual and the way society is organized. Therefore our efforts to create a
better world cannot focus simply on ourselves as individuals. We also need to pay attention to the
improvement of our neighborhoods, schools, businesses, and cultural life.
When we think of walking a path of service to the community, we need to work with individuals,
particularly children and youth, helping them to acquire knowledge, skills, and spiritual qualities. At the
same time, we need to be conscious that as the size of our endeavor grows, we will gradually be able to
contribute to the improvement of the various aspects of our collective life.

13. INDIVIDUAL AND COLLECTIVE
TRANSFORMATION
“We cannot segregate the human heart from the environment outside us and say that once
one of these is reformed everything will be improved. Man is organic with the world. His
inner life moulds the environment and is itself also deeply affected by it. The one acts upon
the other and every abiding change in the life of man is the result of these mutual reactions.”

14. A United Community
The transformation of the collective life of humanity can begin with efforts to establish united
communities. The individuals, the families, and the organizations that wish to contribute to the progress
of a community have to work together in harmony. They need to build a shared vision and purpose and
leave behind the ways of conflict. To do so they need to learn to listen to one another, to investigate
reality together and come to common decisions.
Building unity is the greatest challenge for all of us who walk a path of service in our community. To
begin we have to pay a great deal of attention to our own interactions. We need to be friends:
accompanying one another in the work we do, accepting each other's contributions, encouraging and
supporting one another, seeing each other’s strengths, seeking and giving advice to each other, and
taking joy in the accomplishments of one another.

15. A UNITED COMMUNITY
“The supreme need of humanity is cooperation and reciprocity… The stronger the ties of
fellowship and solidarity amongst men, the greater will be the power of constructiveness and
accomplishment in all the planes of human activity.”

16. Community Building
To advance towards this vision of a unified community, we must think and act in a certain way. What is
required of us is to walk the path of service with clarity and continuity. If our actions are haphazard then
our efforts to improve our collective life will not bring lasting results. To help us maintain continuity
and build on accomplishments, we must act, reflect on our actions, consult and study together. When we
do so, we are able to generate insight into how to build strong communities.
Acting, reflecting, consulting, and studying enable us to learn together. Study gives us access to
scientific and spiritual knowledge. Open and sincere consultation helps us investigate reality. Reflection
on experience allows us to adjust our steps as we strive to contribute to the material and spiritual
transformation of our community. In following this approach we need to be humble and have an attitude
of learning. We must acknowledge that we do not have all the answers, and that opens the door for
others to join us on the path of service.

17. COMMUNITY BUILDING
“... in the final analysis, it is not technique but unity of thought, consistent action, and
dedication to learning which will bring about progress.”

18. Service to the Community
We all have a desire to serve our communities. But what kind of service contributes to material and
spiritual transformation? Obviously we need to be mindful of other people’s needs and help them, yet
that will not be enough to achieve our goal. We need to build capacity in ourselves and everyone else,
young and old, and in the organizations functioning in the community so that we can all together act as
protagonists of change.
To be a protagonist means to have the will to act, to act thoughtfully, to persevere and to gain and apply
knowledge at every step. A protagonist is not a mere passive receiver of benefits, but an active
contributor to progress. To be a protagonist one must learn to exercise creative and disciplined initiative.
To build capacity in such protagonists in the community, we need a proven educational process for
children, adolescents, youth and adults.

19. SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY
"Is there any deed in the world that would be nobler than service to the common good? Is
there any greater blessing conceivable for a man, than that he should become the cause of the
education, the development, the prosperity and honor of his fellow-creatures?”

20. Early Adolescence
When thinking about building capacity to bring about spiritual and material transformation, we should
remember the important role that the younger generations play in a community. Specifically, those
between the ages of 12 and 15, whom we refer to as “junior youth”, have tremendous potential to grow
up to become protagonists of change. They are no longer children but not yet adults. The habits
developed during this period persist throughout one's life. Unfortunately this is recognized by those who
wish to take advantage of people to increase their own power and wealth. Through different means they
influence junior youth negatively, who are vulnerable without proper education.
People often think of junior youth as rebellious, rambunctious, and superficial. But that is far from the
truth. A proper educational process brings out their inherent altruism, sense of justice, eagerness to
learn, and desire to contribute to the construction of a better world.

21. EARLY ADOLESCENCE
“After a time he enters the period of youth, in which his former conditions and needs are
superseded by new requirements applicable to the advance in his degree. His faculties of
observation are broadened and deepened; his intelligent capacities are trained and
awakened; the limitations and environment of childhood no longer restrict his energies and
accomplishments.”

22. Educating Younger Generations
To help junior youth release their true potential, we need a proven educational process that enables them
to combat the forces intent on robbing them of their true identity as noble beings. The Junior Youth
Spiritual Empowerment program assists those between the ages of 12 and 15 to develop their powers of
expression, to acquire the ability to make sound choices in their lives, and to become protagonists of
constructive social change. This is achieved through a curriculum comprised of stories that explore
fundamental concepts such as hope, faith, excellence, and progress.
Junior youth meet regularly as a group of friends in a supportive environment. They apply what they
learn from their studies in acts of service in the community. Each group is guided by an animator, an
older youth who is a true friend to the junior youth and helps them express their talents in meaningful
ways. The progress made by these groups affects both the junior youth and those who dedicate their time
and energy to nurturing them. Youth who have acted as animators have experienced the rapid
development of their own capacity to serve, and found that their sense of purpose has been sharpened.

23. EDUCATING YOUNGER GENERATIONS
“It is extremely difficult to teach the individual and refine his character once puberty is
passed. By then, as experience hath shown, even if every effort be exerted to modify some
tendency of his, it all availeth nothing. He may, perhaps, improve somewhat today; but let a
few days pass and he forgetteth, and turneth backward to his habitual condition and
accustomed ways.”

24. Institute Process
We need to acquire knowledge and develop certain qualities, attitudes, skills and abilities if we are to
help junior youth release their true potential. The Ruhi Institute conducts courses that enhance our
capacity to serve the community. By studying them we gain the spiritual insights and the practical skills
needed to walk the path of service together. Many youth have been introduced to this path through the
courses of the Ruhi Institute, beginning with the two that prepare them to act as animators of junior
youth groups.
In the courses of the institute, study and service are joined and undertaken with the help and support of
friends. As we advance through these courses, our capacity to carry out more and more complex acts of
service increases. All along, we are accompanied by those who are more experienced than us and, in
time, we naturally come to accompany friends with less experience. From the start, we are all
protagonists of personal and social transformation, eagerly assuming responsibility for our own learning
and for service to the community.

25. THE INSTITUTE PROCESS
“Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause it to
reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom.”

26. The Bahá’í Faith
The Bahá’í Faith is a world religion the purpose of which is to unite all the races and peoples of the
planet. The traditions of almost every people include the promise of a future when peace and harmony
will be established on earth and humanity will live in prosperity. Bahá’ís believe that the time for
realizing this vision has come. More than one and half centuries ago, Baha’u’llah brought humanity
Teachings that give us unique insights into the vision of the oneness of humankind and how to achieve
it.
The texts studied in the Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment program are inspired by Bahá’u’lláh’s
Teachings, but they are not material for religious instruction. Those who act as animators of junior youth
groups are not required to be Bahá'ís. However, in preparing themselves for this act of service, they need
to study the courses of the Ruhi Institute that make explicit reference to the Bahá'í Faith. This is
necessary if they are to gain a full understanding of the vital concepts that shape the content of the
program and its approach.

27. THE BAHÁ’Í FAITH
“That which the Lord hath ordained as the sovereign remedy and mightiest instrument for
the healing of all the world is the union of all its peoples in one universal Cause, one common
Faith.”