Abdu'l-Bah�'s counsels about teaching with wisdom.
"It is known and clear that today the unseen divine assistance
encompasseth those who deliver the Message. And if the work of delivering
the Message be neglected, the assistance shall be entirely cut off, for it
is impossible that the friends of God could receive assistance unless they
be engaged in delivering the Message. Under all conditions the Message
must be delivered, but with wisdom. If it be not possible openly, it must
be done quietly. The friends should be engaged in educating the souls and
should become instruments in aiding the world of humanity to acquire
spiritual joy and fragrance. For example: If every one of the friends
(believers) were to establish relations of friendship and right dealings
with one of the negligent souls, associate and live with him with perfect
kindliness, and meanwhile through good conduct and moral behavior lead him
to divine instruction, to heavenly advice and teachings, surely he would
gradually arouse that negligent person and would change his ignorance into
knowledge.
"Souls are liable to estrangement. Such methods should be adopted that the
estrangement should be first removed, then the Word will have effect.
"If one of the believers be kind to one of the negligent ones and with
perfect love should gradually make him understand the reality of the Cause
of God in such a way that the latter should know in what manner the
Religion of God hath been founded and what its object is, doubtless he
will become changed; excepting abnormal souls who are reduced to the state
of ashes and whose hearts are like stones, yea, even harder.
"If by this method every one of the friends of God were to try to lead one
soul to the right path, the number of the believers would be doubled every
year. But this should be carried out with perfect wisdom and in such a
manner that no harm would ever result therefrom."
(Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith - Abdu'l-Baha Section, p. 385)
In the context of working with marginalized people, I apply these
principles in educating the people who are marginalizing them.
----
A. Ideas for visions
B. Ideas for goals
1. Practice love, fellowship, friendliness, charity, and hospitality.
2. Befriend the friendless and love the unlovable.
3. Promote free flow of information and ideas.
4. Encourage and support individual initiative.
5. Help people come out of their closets.
6. Promote social justice.
7. Avoid confusing, distressing, and distracting other people.
C. Ideas for strategies
1. Abdu'l-Bah�'s counsels about teaching with wisdom.
2. Learning not to bully and not to be bullied.
3. Learning not to be distracted by alarming ideas and behavior.
4. Providing comfort and reassurance to people who feel threatened.
5. Learning to walk with people wherever they are.
6. Mentoring training.
7. Inconspicuous visibility.
8. Humor and clowning.
9. Encouragement training.
10. Appealing to people's own values and best interests.
11. Working with institutions.
12. Consideration of boundaries.
13. Coming out.
14. Showing counter-examples to stereotypes.
15. Finding healthy ways for people to occupy themselves.
16. Cultural competence training.
17. Finding other ways of doing things.
18. Ignoring barriers.
19. Embracing paradoxes.
20. Zero self-tolerance for antipathy.
D. Stories
E. Techniques
1. Tetris transformation.
2. Map projections, coordinate systems, and views.
3. Recognizing boundaries.
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