Can I have your permission to share this posting with my friends? Thank you.
----- Original Message ----- From: "Jim Habegger" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Baha'i Studies" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, September 29, 2003 9:12 AM Subject: Re: Ideas for working with marginalized people > 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. > > ---------- > You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > ---------- You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Baha'i Studies is available through the following: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://list.jccc.net/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?enter=bahai-st news://list.jccc.net/bahai-st http://www.escribe.com/religion/bahaist (public) http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] (public)
