Nationalism

“The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.” (Tablets of Baha’u’llah, p. 250)

Baha’u’llah taught that overt nationalism is one form of prejudice which divides mankind, and is often the source of war and strife. Where once transportation and communications were so limited that cultures could not mingle readily, with today’s modern technology we can travel to any part of the world in a day and talk to any part of the world in an instant. People and nations are no longer isolated by geography and boundaries. In fact the world has become a small neighborhood in which most of us mingle with people of different nations and cultures every day.

Peace

“Universal Peace is assured by Baha’u’llah as a fundamental accomplishment of the religion of God.” (Baha’i World Faith, p. 247)

The ultimate goal of Baha’i concepts regarding world government is the creation of a world civilization and world peace. All the Prophets of past religions have foretold the coming of a day when the “Kingdom of God” would be established on earth, when there would be peace on earth, good will toward men. Baha’is believe that this promised day is now dawning. In the past this goal was clearly unattainable because of cultural and technological limitations, but today universal peace is not only possible but imperative for the survival of human civilization.

Many of the concepts and institutions advocated by Baha’u’llah have already appeared, at least in embryonic form, during this century. The United Nations, the International Court of Justice at the Hague, the metric system, growing support for disarmament, and the European Common Market are steps toward a future of universal peace.

Government

“All men have been created to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization.” (Gleanings, p. 215)

In the mid l8OO’s, when the last empires were declining and new nations were emerging, Baha’u’llah called for the creation of an international federation of nations, a world government. He declared that it is time for all of the nations on earth to give up some aspects of national sovereignty for the greater good of world solidarity and stability.

To some extent, the United States of America represents a model of this principle, in that the original colonies were independent states which gave up some of their colonial sovereignty for the greater good and security of a federal union. It took the Continental Congress years to hammer out the details of that union, but the results have clearly produced one of the most prosperous and productive nations in recorded history.

Baha’u’llah went even further and urged that the fundamental principles underlying the agreement creating an international federation be so fixed that, if any government later violates any of its provisions, all the governments on earth should arise to enforce the agreement and, if necessary, subdue the offending government.

Similarly, Baha’u’llah declared it essential that all the governments of the world disarm simultaneously. He likewise advocated the establishment of an international court of arbitration, an international system of weights and measures, an international monetary system, and an international auxiliary language.