In-depth focus on ANZ training institutes as educational organisations
With the aim of assisting institutes to develop their capacity to advance their learning processes, including for
expanding their system for delivery of courses,
strengthening the institute as a regional educational organisation, and
to assist tutors, animators and teachers, as well as those who support them, to gain a better understanding of the content and approaches associated with each of the institute’s programmes
a gathering took place 15-18 May 2025 at Mount Morton Bahá'í Centre of Learning, in Melbourne, Australia. This was the third annual occasion known as the ‘Australia-Aotearoa/New Zealand Network of Institutes Gathering’.
Participating institutes (two from New Zealand and four from Australia) were:
From New Zealand: Te Ika-Māui/North Island, Te Waipounamu/South Island
From Australia: New South Wales-Australian Capital Territory, North-Eastern Australia, Victoria-Tasmania, Western and Central Australia
The opening address mentioned that at the heart of what the educational system is building is unleashing a sense of agency, empowerment and capacity in populations. We must raise our vision towards building a new social order, not just having a few scattered neighbourhoods. We can think of this vision in three broad overlapping spheres:
New social norms, cultural patterns, social structures founded on new enkindled souls
Population to address their own social and economic needs
Active engagement and participation in discourse in light of the Revelation
Every human being needs to be seen as having agency as a protagonist. The role of the Training Institute is to develop this agency in populations. Transformation requires resilience. Resilience comes from the connection to the Covenant. We want an ever-expanding number of individuals to be involved, and it has to be voluntary because sacrifice is essential. The process of transformation is a long process. It is measured in centuries.
There is a reciprocal relationship between the kind of society we wish to build and the education that will get us there. In this sense we think beyond just training human resources to do this or that, but rather we are raising the capacity of people who can apply the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh to their lives and to the life of the community, raising populations that value the kind of spiritual education we are learning about and who are able to contribute to the development of generations younger than themselves. This kind of education we have never seen before in the history of humanity. We need to have in mind that we are creating something new, something the world has never seen — an educational pedagogy and system that reconceptualises the relationships in society. We must transform the relationships in order to change the structures of society.
The New Zealand National Spiritual Assembly’s Learning Desk was represented at the gathering, along with twenty other friends from New Zealand. Three of the four Continental Counsellors who work closely with Australia and New Zealand were there to guide the proceedings (Dr Vahid Saberi, Mr Taraj Nadarajah and Mr Daniel Pierce who all live in Australia). New Zealand’s liaison Counsellor, Ms Tessa Scrine who also lives in Australia, was unable to be present for health reasons.
Ten case studies were presented at the gathering, three of which were from New Zealand:
a case study from the South Island region (which has seen three clusters advance to the next stage of their development in the past year) looked at how this involved collaboration between clusters and a burgeoning youth movement;
a case study from Hawke’s Bay cluster, which has traversed the third milestone, looked at how cluster coordinators and their collaborators in this cluster utilised statistical profiles to strengthen their ability to read reality and plan accordingly;
a case study from Auckland cluster, which implemented a ‘Youth must soar’ intensive capacity-building programme for a group of youth as a pilot programme.
One reflection documented by the North Island participants was “Our response to the guidance of the House of Justice to develop a more expansive view of the institute process and a deeper understanding of pedagogical principles is creating new opportunities for increasing both the scale of the educational process and also the impact. … As more and more friends develop a deeper understanding of and familiarity with the full range of content of the institute, we can become more and more flexible in our approach to conversations and content delivery, training and accompaniment, while still adhering firmly to pedagogical principles that ensure the integrity of the institute process. … For example, when someone has a desire to serve, they should be immediately accompanied to act - to begin teaching, animating or tutoring. When there is someone alongside them who has studied the main sequence and branch courses so they have a deep understanding of educational content they can, in conversation or through the use of select segments of the institute material, help the new friend to develop an understanding of important pedagogical principles that enable them to serve effectively and which are central to the process of spiritual empowerment. For example, a youth arising to serve as an animator can, in conversation with an experienced animator, be helped to understand that junior youth are no longer children and that an animator must be free from paternalism. This is a fundamental pedagogical principle that someone doesn't necessarily have to study all of book 5 in order to learn and apply…”
This is just a small sample from the insights gained by our New Zealand cohort. The rich learning brought back by those representing the two training institutes from Aotearoa in the gathering will inject thoughtful impetus into strengthening the capacities of these fledgling educational organisations, that hold so much promise for the benefit of our country.
NZ participants at ANZ institute gathering 15-18 May 2025 in Melbourne
New Zealanders presenting at the gathering
A candid image of the three Counsellors at work during the gathering
Feature Photo: Participants from Australia and New Zealand gathered for this official photo. Sadly, friends from the South Island of New Zealand were not present for this photograph.
The gathering in the hall at Mt Morton Bahá'í Centre of Learning, Melbourne
