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Bahá'í International Community

BIC

The Baha’i International Community (BIC) is an international non-governmental organization with affiliates in over 180 countries and territories that seeks to contribute to the betterment of society by engaging and collaborating with other like minded actors and organizations.

Lobbying Activity

Meeting with Lukas Mandl (Member of the European Parliament)

8 Oct 2025 · Freedom of religion

Meeting with Michalis Hadjipantela (Member of the European Parliament) and European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO)

2 Oct 2025 · Introductory Meeting

Meeting with Cecilia Strada (Member of the European Parliament) and Amnesty International Limited and

25 Sept 2025 · Exchange of views on human rights of minorities in Egypt and general overview of the country situation in terms of democracy, rule of law and protection of fundamental rights

Response to EU Civil Society Strategy

5 Sept 2025

The Baháí International Community (BIC) Brussels Office welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the development of the European Unions Civil Society Strategy, and to offer some reflections on the nature of the engagement between institutions and civil society in contributing meaningfully to the common good. The relationship between institutions and civil society is marked by the uniqueness and complementarity role each one plays. Addressing the multiple challenges faced by different societies requires not only the unwavering commitment of every institution and structure, but also the active and wholehearted engagement of individuals and communities alike. Civil society can serve as a channel through which the understanding, aspirations, and experiences of a wide range of individuals, communities, and organizations can be articulated. To allow for meaningful engagement, both institutions and civil society will need to see one another as trusted partners. Divisions defining civil society or institutional actors as informed or uninformed, with us or against us, must give way to a more mature environment of interaction that allows for a wider circle of participation in the long term. This engagement can be understood as a process of consultation, characterized by the following elements: - The purpose and form of engagement between institutions and civil society is grounded in a shared pursuit of solutions that place the advancement of societys well-being at the centera process that represents, in essence, a collective search for truth around the best course of action, rather than an attempt to assert influence or advance narrow interests. - In an inclusive consultative space, every participant feels that their contribution is not only welcome but valued. This recognizes that the complexity of todays challenges demands the wisdom and insight of diverse actors. - Genuine and meaningful consultation also implies that diverse knowledge systems are valued, including those rooted in experiences and insights that emerge from the grassroots, which civil society can gather and articulate. - The engagement between civil society and institutions is ongoing and systematic, rather than ad hoc. The regularity of such interaction can allow for the systematization of learning and creates the possibility to jointly plan, implement, and reflect on different lines of action. - It requires intentional effort for a conversation to be characterized by honesty, mutual respect, and a sense of collective purpose. Interactions encourage a spirit of inclusivity, an atmosphere of openness, collaborative learning, and are free from any form of prejudice. While the issues under discussion may be serious and complex, cultivating a positive attitude within decision-making spaces can shift the dynamics of engagement to encompass the above-mentioned characteristics.
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Meeting with Alice Kuhnke (Member of the European Parliament)

14 Jul 2025 · Anti-Racism Strategy

Meeting with Erik Marquardt (Member of the European Parliament)

5 Jun 2025 · ARDI engagement/ situation of Baha'i community in Turkey

Meeting with Deša Srsen (Cabinet of Commissioner Glenn Micallef)

3 Jun 2025 · The priorities of Mr. Micallef's mandate in this area of work

Response to Anti-racism Strategy

6 May 2025

A long term process that requires transformative policies The deep-rooted affliction of prejudice that permeates our society, and the comprehensive steps required to eradicate it, demand a sobering realization: this is a long-term endeavor, yet one that requires immediate action. It is a process that must be sustained and intentional, ensuring that every individual and every segment of society is nurtured with a profound understanding of our shared humanity. Measures that are purely punitive, though necessary, will not address the root cause of racism unless they also foster a deeper understanding of our collective identity. Moreover, we should not be content with reducing the work ahead to a mere set of words or quotas. Vigilance must be maintained to prevent the promotion of oversimplified narratives and actions that may inadvertently deepen existing divisions. Efforts aimed at eradicating racism must be transformative, fostering a new understanding of who we are.
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Meeting with Francisco Assis (Member of the European Parliament)

23 Apr 2025 · Interreligious dialogue and cooperation

Meeting with Ana Vasconcelos (Member of the European Parliament)

22 Apr 2025 · LIBE

Meeting with Cecilia Strada (Member of the European Parliament)

10 Apr 2025 · the situation in Egypt, in particular related to the violations of minority rights such as the bahá’í community

Meeting with Lukas Mandl (Member of the European Parliament)

26 Feb 2025 · Freedom of religion

Meeting with Jan-Christoph Oetjen (Member of the European Parliament)

16 Jan 2025 · Exchange on the situation of Baha'i women in Iran

Meeting with Per Clausen (Member of the European Parliament)

26 Nov 2024 · Human rights of Bahais in Egypt, Qatar, and Yemen

Meeting with Sabrina Repp (Member of the European Parliament)

13 Nov 2024 · EU regional development, cultural dialogue

Meeting with Udo Bullmann (Member of the European Parliament)

10 Oct 2024 · Exchange of views on situation of Bahá’i, especially women (APA meeting)

Meeting with Marc Angel (Member of the European Parliament)

2 Oct 2024 · Situation of Bahá'ì

Meeting with Brando Benifei (Member of the European Parliament)

10 Apr 2024 · Bahà'ì Community's initiatives in Italy

Response to Implementation of the EU anti-racism action plan

31 May 2023

The recent policy initiatives launched by the European Union towards this, such as the EU Anti-Racism Action Plan (2020-25) are a significant step to guide endeavours to make Europe a place where populations of various backgrounds feel they belong and have a role to play in contributing to its progress. As the action plan points out, deep-seated prejudices cannot be unrooted from the hearts and minds of individualsmuch less from the structures that underpin society and the institutions that serve itthrough anti-racism legislation alone. In that regard, the action plan outlines several crucial elements in section 2.2 Beyond EU legislation - doing more to tackle racism in everyday life and in section 3 Structural racism - tackling the underlying problem. With regard to the heading Mobilising the regional and local levels for meaningful impact on the ground in section 3.2, the Baháí International Community would like to share additional considerations, which relate to fostering social cohesion at the grassroots. Racism is perpetuated and thrives when populations operate in social contexts in which they merely live side by side without opportunities for meaningful interaction, as is often the case in European cities or towns. An irreplaceable component of any strategy to overcome racism requires giving attention to the broader dynamics of community life in neighbourhoods. Within neighbourhoods, individuals from various backgrounds need opportunities to come together to define and engage in shared projects that contribute to its moral, intellectual and material wellbeing. In sum, residents of a neighbourhood or village nurture a sense of belonging and build up the resolve to eradicate prejudice when they are able to cooperate, contribute and become protagonists in their local reality. It is through such co-participation that diverse perspectives are encountered, meaningful bonds are forged, and the dignity and capabilities inherent to all are made manifest. In parallel, residents become more conscious of the lived experiences of discrimination that their neighbours face. Although European and national institutions do not directly interact with the grassroots, they have a fundamental role in encouraging and shaping interactions at that level, for instance by working closely with municipal authorities. At the same time, they would want to learn from the grassroots and ensure that relevant insights inform national or European policy. Among the numerous considerations that could be highlighted, we would like to mention a few. At the most fundamental level, institutions need to see the populations they serve as people endowed with capacity and as protagonists of change. Diverse perspectives, practices, languages and cultures should be considered a source of strength that a community can learn to harness, rather than a deficit that needs to be addressed or a challenge to be managed from above. One practical implication is that local populations would naturally be included in the planning and policymaking processes of their municipalities. Plans would be co-created with the population, ensuring such plans respond to the actual needs of the community while fostering a sense of ownership and commitment among its members. To facilitate this, there is a need for consultative spaces, regular rather than one off meetings, where a continued conversation between local authorities and the population can unfold. Care ought to be given as to how these spaces can elicit participation, foster listening and build trust. A cross-section of the population should feel welcome in these spaces and be actively encouraged to attend. Attention ought to be paid to whose voices are being heard and that interventions are not weighed against preconceived judgments, but on the extent to which they provide constructive insights.
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Meeting with Alviina Alametsä (Member of the European Parliament)

6 Oct 2022 · Exchange of views

Response to Resilience as a strategic priority of the external action of the EU

30 Mar 2017

Peace and Resilience: Engaging Effectively at the Local Level The concept of resilience has in recent years become increasingly important in the discourse on peace, featuring prominently in the recent EU Global Strategy on Foreign and Security Policy. One of the defining characteristics that has emerged in the conversation on resilience is the attempt to look for existing sources of strength and capacity at the local level within conflict-affected societies and seek to build on these as a vehicle for lasting transformation. In doing so, the focus on resilience captures an important insight: conflict-affected communities should be looked at through the lens of strength and potentiality, not fragility. This shift in focus has practical implications. While insights and resources from international actors are essential, a strength-based framework will recognize that peace is not transposed from outside, but must be driven by constructive sources within. To effectively promote resilience, then, international practitioners will need to think further about how to engage with local actors, including at the grassroots level, in ways that allow and encourage local capacities to emerge. One way in which local capacity can be cultivated is by adopting a posture which does not assume a fixed conception of the destiny of a particular community nor advocates for preconceived solutions. In this respect, it is important that engagement with local populations does not turn into a symbolic listening exercise; on the contrary, local actors, from the earliest stages, should be seen as the drivers of the peace-building process. This is not to assume that struggling communities have all the resources they need to overcome conflict. Nor is it to trivialize the challenge of bringing together antagonistic and disillusioned actors in order to transform hostility and apathy into commitment to long-term collaboration. The point, rather, is that the particular posture adopted is instrumental in creating a climate in which local skills, knowledge and capacities can develop and find full expression. A truly participatory form of engagement allows peace-building processes to draw on the understanding of those who have insights into their immediate social reality, appreciate cultural dynamics and concerns, are able to identify and navigate existing local networks, and can discern needs and opportunities. For such local participation in the peace process to be sustained in the long-term and hence be truly transformative, care must be exercised to not pit, however subtly, one group against another in struggles for political power, or treat the peace-building process as a transactional bargaining endeavour. Such approaches would fail to address the underlying conditions that caused the conflict in the first place. For, ultimately, the sustainability of peace-building endeavours depends on the different segments of society recognizing that they are interdependent rather than incompatible, and that diversity is an opportunity, not a threat. One of the ways in which the EU can effectively engage at the local level, while drawing on its own experience and giving due consideration to the above points, is by strengthening, and where appropriate initiating, spaces in which a rich conversation about what it means to build a peaceful and resilient society can unfold. Such spaces will need to go beyond bringing together state-level actors and focus also on gathering actors at the grassroots. Experience must also be gathered in creating spaces that allow grassroots actors to interact with their institutions at various levels in order to build a climate of trust and collaboration. Such spaces might initially begin as an informal conversation among a few grassroots actors, including women and youth. These conversations could begin by jointly analysing reality in order to better understand the challenges and opportunities that the community currently faces.
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Meeting with Patricia Reilly (Cabinet of Commissioner Tibor Navracsics)

6 Apr 2016 · The visit of Commissioner Navracsics to Iran