Bahá’í Faith

Consultation is a distinctive, non-adversarial method of decision-making whose principles were laid out by the founder of the Baha’i Faith, Baha’u’llah. The goal of consultation is to investigate truth and to build consensus among groups of any size and composition.

The way in which people with a variety of opinions and background are able to agree is if every member of the group follows these five simple, yet powerful, instructions:

1. Ascertain the facts. The widest possible range of sources and variety of perspectives should be included in information gathering.

2. Identify fundamental spiritual principles that may apply to the problem or issue. For Baha’is, these underlying principles may include such concepts as the equality of men and women, the harmony of science and religion, and the elimination of all forms of prejudice.

3. Be as candid and frank as possible during discussion of the topic at hand, while maintaining a courteous interest in the views and ideas of others. Anything that could sabotage this principle – such as personal attacks, blanket ultimatums or prejudicial statements – should be avoided.

4. Be detached. The moment an idea is put forth – it belongs to the group. This profound principle encourages ideas that are born from a sincere desire to serve, as opposed to ideas that come from a desire for recognition or to build constituency.

5. Make a decision. Unanimity in a decision is desired, but a majority vote can be taken to bring about conclusion. It’s crucial that once a decision has been made, the entire group acts on it with unity, regardless of who or how many supported the measure. In this way there can be no “minority” report or “position of the opposition” in consultation. Rather, Bahá’ís believe that if a decision is a wrong one, it will become evident in its implementation—but only if the decision-making group and, indeed, the community at large, support it wholeheartedly. This commitment to unity ensures that if a decision or a project fails, the problem lies in the idea itself, and not in lack of support from the community or the obstinate actions of opponents.