THE BAHA'I INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY ISSUED A STATEMENT, "RELIGION AND DEVELOPMENT AT THE CROSSROADS: CONVERGENCE OR DIVERGENCE?," TO THE WORLD SUMMIT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, A UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE HELD IN JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA. THIS IS AN ABRIDGED VERSION OF THE STATEMENT.

Over the course of the 20th century, ethnic, racial and national prejudices have increasingly given way to the recognition that humankind is a single family and the earth its common homeland.

The United Nations has worked tirelessly to create a world where all peoples can live together in peace. It has crafted a remarkable framework of international institutions and conventions to help prevent conflict and warfare, protect human rights and the equality between women and men, and to uplift the material conditions of countless.

However, the UN has yet to grasp fully both the constructive role that religion can play in creating a peaceful and prosperous global order, and the destructive impact that religious fanaticism can have on the stability and progress of the world.

Religious communities have tended to be viewed merely as channels for the delivery of goods and services, and as mechanisms to carry out development policies and programmes. Moreover, while the United Nations' human rights machinery has been used to condemn religious intolerance and persecution, UN development policies and programs have hardly begun to address religious bigotry as a major obstacle to peace.

Development work, and conflict resolution, cannot be accomplished in a spiritual vacuum. Bahá'u'lláh writes that religion is “the cause of development and the animating impulse of all human advancement", and "has been the basis of all civilisation and progress in the history of mankind."

It is the source of meaning and hope for the vast majority of the planet's inhabitants, and it has a limitless power to inspire sacrifice, change and long-term commitment in its followers. It is inconceivable that a peaceful and diverse global can be established and sustained without directly and substantively involving the world's great religions in its design and support.

At the same time, it cannot be denied that the power of religion has also been perverted to turn neighbour against neighbour. The Baha'i Scriptures state that "religion must be the source of fellowship, the cause of unity and the nearness of God to man. If it rouses hatred and strife, it is evident that absence of religion is preferable”

Given the record of religious fanaticism, it is understandable that the UN has been hesitant to invite religion into its negotiations. However, the will only succeed in establishing global order if it taps into the power and vision of religion, and accepting faith communities as active partner in the design and implementation of global policies and programmes.

The real onus, however, is on the religions themselves. Faith communities and their leaders must demonstrate that they are worthy partners in building a sustainable world civilisation. This requires the removal of bigotry and superstition from within their faith traditions. They must also renounce claims to exclusivity and finality.

For its part, the United Nations might begin the process of substantively involving religion in deliberations on humankind's future by hosting an initial gathering of religious leaders convened, perhaps, by the Secretary-General.

As a first priority, the leaders might call for a convention on freedom of religion and belief to be drafted and ratified with the assistance of religious communities. The gathering might also discuss the foundation within the UN system of a permanent religious forum, patterned initially perhaps on the UN's recently founded Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.

Responsibility for the plight of humanity rests, in large part, with the world's religious leaders. It is they who must raise their voices to end the hatred, exclusivity, oppression of conscience, violations of human rights, denial of equality, opposition to science, and glorification of materialism, violence and terrorism, which are perpetrated in the name of religious truth.

In so doing, they will demonstrate their communities are worthy partners with the UN in the establishment of a peaceful, prosperous world.  BWNS