In London, the seminar started with introductory remarks from Laurence Newey, Vice-President of the Lucis Trust, who offered participants a question: given that Divine Purpose can only achieve its aims on Earth through the agency of humanity wielding a great “moral power” in all areas of life, how can humanity awaken to the vision of world unity?
Dr. Debidatta Aurobinda Mahapatra, Professor of Political Science at the Florida State College at Jacksonville, started the exploration by focussing on the ideas of Indian philosopher Sri Aurobindo, for whom Human Unity is the outcome of the evolutionary dynamic of Divine Consciousness. According to Sri Aurobindo, all nations have a Soul that embodies this consciousness and that feels an “inherent craving to seek the highest unity”. The “national ego”, however, is driven by aggression and domination. The “politicians’ mind”, in service of this ego, can only achieve a kind of “mechanical unity”, not a Soul unity. Dr. Mahapatra suggested that as the old order experiences a “moral collapse”, the new order will flourish, thus continuing the evolutionary dynamic.
In response to this input, a panel of World Goodwill co-workers explored some of the ideals this new order would need, starting with a definition of Peace as a quality of the Soul, because of Its drive toward the will-to-good. The panel explored the cyclical nature of spiritual events and how humanity´s experience of Religions needs to be grounded again in the embracing of a Divine Consciousness, allowing us to invoke the highest within ourselves. A participant suggested that perhaps the widespread nihilism in the world today might be the force of opposition that this evolutionary dynamic needs.
Daniel Wheatly, Adjunct Professor of International Relations at the London program of several American universities, and a Senior Diplomatic Officer to the Baha’i Community of the UK, continued the round of offerings by suggesting that we are living through a “geopolitical winter” in which the world is reaping the fruits of economic globalisation and experiencing the failure of the “materialist and ego-driven forces”. International relations need to embrace a new moral dimension that could help humanity build consensus through humility, hope, and resilience. Baha'i writings offer a map for that journey by calling on “a global convocation as a path to a just world order, a gathering of the views and the wisdom of humanity… reaching into all (its) traditions and beliefs”. Quoting Dutch lawyer Maya Grof, Mr. Wheatley encouraged us all to embrace “the need for hope; and with hope, ambition; and with ambition, action”. He called on us to “lift ourselves and go to the fields and toil together” as “an act of faith”, for it is “in joining people of goodwill… through action and Service that we will receive the fruits of that harvest".
The panel reflected on how a move toward internationalism, if driven by liberal democracy, runs the risk of turning into another stage of imperialism. Spirituality, focusing on Goodwill as Love in action, can counteract the “spiritual impoverishment” of societies by offering a view of the “larger picture”,. This might move us toward a “contributive justice” in which we can all identify with the whole and thus value what everybody can offer to enrich society and public life.
A participant asked the panel for a “motto” that would describe the deep spiritual and evolutionary dynamic underlying humanity’s progress toward unity. And while speakers and panelists were thinking about it, and participants were writing their contributions in the chat, we listened to an address by Ms. Mia Mottley, PM of Barbados, in which, in an act of synchronicity, she answered the plea by giving us the most synthetic and powerful of all thoughtforms: Ubuntu, I am because you are – an invitation for us all to embrace our “shared destiny”.
Being moved by this powerful speech, and with a “motto” in hand, speakers, panelists and participants joined forces for the creation of a roadmap for the West to move out of its normative, unilateral and coercive project and into a new project driven by multilateralism, inclusivity, deep listening, trust, true consensus, sovereign equality and dialogue. The latter was specially emphasised, for it is the field in which a “creative tension” may be possible, a tension from which we might be able to invoke the highest in us.
Simon Marlow closed the webinar reminding us all that human unity does not mean uniformity but an “enjoyed diversity”; that we are not alone in our search for Light to reveal darkness, for we have the power of the group; and that we ground the Soul in Service. Thus to “help fire the world with the spirit of relationship” and “to infuse human consciousness with the light and love and power that it needs”, he guided us all in a Goodwill meditation.
