Thank you for recently reporting on the annual Bahá’í Convention of the Virgin Islands, at which delegates elected the nine-member body that guides the affairs of the Bahá’í community throughout the U.S. and British Virgin Islands. Having participated in these elections for 50 years, I continue to be amazed at how this process unfolds.
There are no campaigns, no nominations, no political parties, and no efforts to persuade others to cast his or her ballot for a particular individual or slate. Delegates gather in a spirit of prayer, reflection, and consultation, mindful of the responsibilities entrusted to those elected. Delegates consider without the least trace of passion and prejudice, and irrespective of any material consideration, the names of only those who can best combine the necessary qualities of unquestioned loyalty, of selfless devotion, of a well-trained mind, of recognized ability and mature experience.
Once elected, the members of the body consult together collectively. No single individual holds authority over the others. The members make decisions through a process of consultation that encourages frank discussion, detachment from personal agendas, and a sincere search for truth and unity.
After five decades of participating in this process, what continues to impress me most is not perfection — human beings remain human — but the atmosphere they create. The absence of campaigning and partisanship changes the spirit of the election itself. The process encourages participants to think less about personalities, ambition, or victory, and more about service, trust, and the well-being of the community.
At a time when so many people feel exhausted by increasingly fractured public life, I sometimes wonder whether broader society might benefit from reflecting more deeply on the role that consultation, humility, and nonpartisanship could play in strengthening civic culture.
Politics is inherent in organized society. Differences of opinion are natural and necessary. But there are ways of engaging in collective decision-making that generate greater trust and unity rather than deepening division.
Here in the Virgin Islands, we know from experience that communities are strongest when people work together across differences, especially during times of challenge. That spirit of cooperation has long been one of our greatest strengths.
As our territory moves toward another election season, I find myself reflecting once again on lessons drawn from a different kind of electoral process. A process that continues to demonstrate that leaders can be elected through a process designed to foster unity rather than ensure victory over opponents.
— Alan D. Smith, St. John
Editor’s Note: Opinion articles do not represent the views of the Virgin Islands Source newsroom and are the sole expressed opinion of the writer. Submissions can be made to visource@gmail.com.
