• Bahá’u’lláh on Human Rights

    Abdu’l Baha would, in his talks in 1911 and 1912 introducing Bahá’u’lláh’s teaching, identify a list of principles drawn from the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh. The list was not always exactly the same – and Abdu’l Baha would often introduce them with words such as “and among the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh”. We have already explored some of these topics, for example the oneness of humanity, the oneness of religion, the harmony of science and religion, equality of men and women, the balancing of material and spiritual in society. Abdu’l Baha also included human rights in that list. We should note that when he did so, there was no worldwide consensus around…

  • Human footprint in sand

    What does it mean to be human?

    The Prem Rawat Foundation asks this question in its video release to mark the 2014 International Day of Peace. It’s just there in the flow of the narrative.  What does it mean to be human? Sometimes, the questions we ask, are the most significant thing.  Some questions create new realities.  They lead to discoveries we didn’t imagine before.  So, what does it mean to be human? If we look back into the history of human rights, we find similar transformative questions asked which opened a new future.  For example, what does it mean to be a woman? was a question repeatedly asked throughout the struggle to achieve gender equality.  In the…