16 June- International day of Family Remittances

Over 200 million migrant workers sent US$554 billion back to their families in remittance-reliant countries in 2019. PHOTO:© IFAD

FAMILY LIFE AND CHILDREN
The family unit is the nucleus of human society. It provides a vital setting for the development of praiseworthy qualities and capacities. Through its harmonious functioning and the development and maintenance of the bonds of love that join together its members, it gives constant expression to the truth that the well-being of the individual is inextricably bound to the progress and well-being of others.

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If love and agreement are manifest in a single family, that family will advance, become illumined and spiritual… — ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ

​The family unit is the nucleus of human society. It provides a vital setting for the development of praiseworthy qualities and capacities. Through its harmonious functioning and the development and maintenance of the bonds of love that join together its members, it gives constant expression to the truth that the well-being of the individual is inextricably bound to the progress and well-being of others.
A fundamental role of the family is to raise children who can assume responsibility for both their own spiritual growth and their participation in the advancement of civilization. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá states that the mother and father of a child should “as a duty…strive with all effort to train the daughter and the son”, and Bahá’í parents, who bear the primary responsibility for the upbringing of their children, are to be ever mindful of their duty in this connection. But the education of children is not only the responsibility of the parents. The community also has an important role to play and the Bahá’í community gives considerable attention to the subject. Indeed, classes, open to all, for the spiritual and moral education of children are typically among the first activities to be pursued by Bahá’ís in a locality.
Bahá’ís see the young as the most precious treasure a community can possess. In them are the promise and guarantee of the future. Yet, in order for this promise to be realised, children need to receive spiritual nourishment. In a world where the joy and innocence of childhood can be so easily overwhelmed by the aggressive pursuit of materialistic ends, the moral and spiritual education of children assumes vital importance.
The Bahá’í community at every level is highly sensitised to the need to respond to the spiritual aspirations of the young, and older youth are typically anxious to take responsibility for the development of those around them younger than themselves.

​FAMILY LIFE

​Any observer of the Bahá’í community would quickly come to appreciate the emphasis it places on family life and the education of children. The Bahá’í community sees the family unit as the nucleus of human society—a space within which praiseworthy morals and capacities essential to the betterment of society are to be developed. It recognizes that the habits and patterns of conduct nurtured within the family are carried into the workplace, into the local community, into the social and political life of the country, and into the arena of international relations.
Bahá’ís strive, therefore, to continually strengthen the spiritual ties that bind together the family. Each member of the Bahá’í community undertakes to contribute to the maintenance of a dynamic of family life that acknowledges the equality of the sexes, cultivates a loving and respectful relationship between parents and children, and promotes the principles of consultation and harmony in decision-making.
Bahá’í families strive to nurture love for all people, tolerance of differences, an acute sense of justice, and empathy for others. Great efforts are made to raise children who understand the oneness of humanity and so view every soul, irrespective of religion, ethnicity, or any other affiliation, as a fellow human being, and to give expression to Bahá’u’lláh’s invocation to regard one another as “the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch.” The emergence of an “us and them” mentality—a damaging attitude that can emerge when excessive and narrow-minded emphasis is placed on the wellbeing of one’s own family, and the needs and interests of others are ignored—is to be assiduously avoided. For, in the final analysis, devotion to family interests cannot be permitted to diminish one’s commitment to justice and compassion for all.

He Who is your Lord, the All-Merciful, cherisheth in His heart the desire of beholding the entire human race as one soul and one body. — BAHÁ’U’LLÁH

​At a time when one of the most obvious signs of moral decay is the deterioration of family ties, it is no small task to nurture the kind of family life envisaged in the Bahá’í teachings within the many cultures and traditions represented in the Bahá’í community. Throughout the world, in urban and rural settings alike, Bahá’í institutions use every means at their disposal—arranging courses and conferences, organizing summer and winter schools, offering counsel and advice when difficulties arise—to assist in strengthening family life.

International Day of Family Remittances
16 June

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