Social and economic development

Group participants cooking bannock over an open fire. © Christina Cheshire North Vancouver, British Columbia, 10 October 2013 (CBNS) — A community-building initiative that started over a year ago in the Tsleil-Waututh Nation in British Columbia has helped to empower local youth to serve their Nation through a study of moral concepts and a series of service activities. Inspired by Baha’i principles, a group of 10 young people from the Nation of about 250 people regularly meets to develop a sense of moral purpose and to become conscious participants in the process of their individual growth, as well as that of their friends, families and community.

Tsleil-Waututh Nation is also known as “The People of the Inlet,” who live in the territory surrounding the Burrard Inlet, North Vancouver, British Columbia.

Official logo of the 2013 G-8 Summit in the United Kingdom. © Crown Copyright Toronto, Ontario, 5 April 2013 (CBNS) — In a letter published today in the Financial Times, the Baha’i Community has joined religious leaders from the G8 countries in calling on heads of government to follow the example of the United Kingdom in fulfilling existing commitments to spend 0.7% of national income on aid. The Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of the United Kingdom signed the letter on behalf of other Baha’i communities in the G8 countries. Over 60 religious leaders pointed out that as of 5 April, 1000 days remain to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by the 2015 deadline.

Pat Reid, a member of the Hamilton Baha’i community. © Geoffrey Cameron Hamilton, Ontario, 4 January 2013 (CBNS) — “My understanding of poverty is that it’s the pits,” says Pat Reid, a member of the Hamilton Baha’i community.

The Reverend Dr. Hamilton addressing the audience at a lecture held at the Toronto Baha’i Centre on “The Millennium Development Goals and Beyond: A Report from the UN High-Level Panel.” © Baha'i Community of Canada Toronto, Ontario, 27 December 2012 (CBNS) — “Every person on the globe is an asset to the globe.”

The members of the Baha’i International Community delegation to Rio+20. © Baha’i International Community Toronto, Ontario, 16 July 2012 (CBNS) — Extremes of wealth and poverty “are symptomatic of structural flaws in the economic system and its institutions, and need to be corrected.”