Recently, a recording of an online Parish Council meeting in Cheshire (England) went viral. At least five million people have watched it, as this unfortunate example of local government in action has become a source of amusement. There must have already been some disunity on the council, as some councillors had called in a representative of the Local Association of Cheshire Councils to provide support for the meeting. The meeting became infamous because of the apparently disorderly way in which it was conducted, and with the authority of several members openly disputed during the session.
This
is a sad state of affairs and not conducive to making good decisions. It has to
be said, of course, that consultation is more difficult online than in person,
but it seems that there must have been a history of serious disunity to bring
the meeting to such a pass. The subsequent meeting (attended this time by many
spectators) was not much of an improvement.
Bahá’ís
see unity as the necessary basis for any kind of consultation. Bahá’ís use a
special method of consultation for their deliberations, with principles and
procedures set out in writing as goals and ideals, rather than as clauses and
sub-paragraphs. I have described before the method by which Bahá’ís elect their
representatives at various levels, which means that the community should end up
with relatively selfless individuals on their decision-making bodies (see below
for a link to a previous blog explaining this). The main principles of Bahá’í consultation
are described below. A chairperson will have been elected, by secret ballot, to
ensure the smooth running of the meetings.
The
goal of Bahá’í consultation at every level is to discover the best course of
action to take for the well-being of all. This means everyone, not just those immediately
affected or within the particular area. Those who are consulting together need
to be open-minded in order to be able to assess the facts properly and make the
right decision. If they have any private goals of their own these will only get
in the way and the consultation will not be successful in achieving its objective.
Above all, those who consult must be united in their desire to make the best
decision for all concerned.
Before
starting the consultation the group members will begin with prayers. This helps
to promote a spiritual and positive frame of mind, for “True consultation is spiritual conference in the attitude and
atmosphere of love.” The first step of Bahá’í consultation is then to
establish the facts, and the second step is to decide on the principles to be
applied to the situation. This will include deciding on the goal of the
consultation and the considerations which need to be taken into account.
Bahá’í
consultation calls for unity of purpose, rather than unity of opinion, and it
states in the Bahá’í writings that, “The
shining spark of truth cometh forth only after the clash of differing
opinions.” It is important to note that it is the opinions which clash and
not the people! Everyone should express his or her opinion with the conviction
that it will contribute in some way to the discussion. No-one should be too shy
to offer an idea. Even if it is not adopted, it may inspire a better idea in
someone else.
Each
person should speak frankly, but with courtesy and moderation. After a point of
view has been stated, it should not need to be repeated: “They must in every matter search out the truth and not insist upon
their own opinion, for stubbornness and persistence in one’s views will lead
ultimately to discord and wrangling and the truth will remain hidden.” All
opinions must be listened to with respect and judged fairly. Any kind of
conflict will only obscure the truth and make proper consultation impossible. The
chairperson has the responsibility to ensure that everyone participates, that
each opinion is listened to carefully and courteously and considered on its
merits and that no-one is allowed to dominate or divert the discussion.
Each
idea should be offered to the group as a gift: it should not be identified in
anyone’s mind with the person who first suggested it. This means that the idea
can be changed and developed, or even rejected, without anyone feeling hurt. If
the participants are adopting the right approach, they will be able to see the
best course of action to be taken, whatever their own original opinions might
have been. It sometimes happens in Bahá’í consultation that a person will
change his or her mind completely during the course of the consultation and
even argue against an idea which he or she originally suggested!
If
the consultation has gone successfully through these steps, making a decision
will probably prove to be the easiest part. It is likely also that it will be a
unanimous decision. But if efforts to reach unanimity are not successful, a
majority decision will have to be adopted. Most importantly, each member should
respect the consulting body enough to carry out its decision confidently - even
if he or she did not vote in favour of it. This unity brings immense benefits,
because with everybody actively supporting the decision, it will be much more
likely to achieve a positive result. On the other hand, if it turns out to have
been a mistake, that will more rapidly become obvious!
Most
people feel instinctively that we should, as human beings, discuss things and
come to a collective decision, but personality often gets in the way. Jesus
said: “Blessed are the meek, for
they will inherit the earth.” This has been a cherished quotation ever since –
during centuries of rule by people intent on wielding power - but it has never
been made clear how, or when, the meek would inherit the earth. The Bahá’í method
of elections and of consultation seem to offer some suggestions which may allow
the meek to take their rightful place in the governance of society.
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This is a link to one of the blog posts (July, 2016) which explains how Bahá’í
Assemblies are elected. It is called “For many are called, but few are chosen”:
https://paddyvickers.blogspot.com/2016/07/for-many-are-called-but-few-are-chosen.html
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Recently, this item turned up on YouTube, in which a writer and journalist explained some of what she had researched about Bahá'í consultation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bkhXxd2yI8
