Frequently Asked Questions
Election Deepening
To all friends in Brisbane aged 18 years and older.
The Assembly asks all friends take part in the deepening sessions prior to elections. The material is provided by the National Spiritual Assembly and is available in both English and Persian.
This endeavour is a part of spiritual preparation for the forthcoming elections, where the first stage of elections is just over one week from now. The study of this material impacts how our community elects its administrative bodies.
Please consider turning all existing spaces in the coming week into deepening spaces to study the compilation (e.g., study circles, grouping of families, existing deepenings, devotional spaces) if this has not already been done. If you are not currently engaged with any grouping that gathers regularly, please contact your sector officers so that everyone can have an opportunity to study it. Or contact the election task group of the Assembly via elections@brisbane.bahai.org.au.
How long will it take and who will facilitate it?
The material is typically completed between 3-5 hours, but friends should not feel obliged to limit their exploration of this important topic. Some friends in the community were asked to begin the process of initiating sessions. In these last few days, any of the friends who have already attended a facilitated deepening session this year can facilitate with a new group or family grouping.
How do I access the compilation?
The compilation is available via the links on the right. There are printed booklets available that you may source either from your sector officers or from the BBCL. They will be placed in a box outside the BBCL doors.
When do we need to complete this by?
This compilation has particular relevance in light of the upcoming two-stage elections so it would be ideal if deepenings were held prior to the Unit Area Gatherings (11th-13th April), however the topic of Bahá’í elections is something that remains important throughout the year as we serve together to build vibrant communities and an ongoing approach to deepening our understanding of this sacred duty would be beneficial.
What do we do when we have completed the deepening?
Upon completion of the deepening, please share the names of those who have participated in your study session. Please also offer any reflections you may have via this form https://forms.office.com/r/w07r6qfpyR.
What is the expected outcome?
The material has been designed to educate the friends on the sanctity of elections and the station of the Local Spiritual Assembly, but more importantly, it is hoped that by deepening on this material, the friends will experience a profound shift in their mindset, approach to community life and their role as a protagonist in the Nine-Year Plan.
More information
This deepening focuses on the sacredness and spiritual principles underlying the Bahá’í electoral process, and the role of every individual in participating wholeheartedly in these elections. The education process is intended to stimulate further conversations with the aim of deepening the understanding of the friends about the formation of the Assembly and its purpose; what it means for someone to be called to serve on an institution; how the individual, the community and the Local Assembly and its agencies relate to one another; and how this ongoing conversation will strengthen the elected body and the dynamism of community life.
The following education materials have been developed, drawing on key concepts outlined in the Universal House of Justice letters of 30 December 2021 and 18 January 2022, as well as other resources (i.e. Book 8 Unit 2, compilation on The Sanctity and Nature of Bahá’í Elections).