Bahá'í International Development Organization

Bahá'í International Development Organization (BIDO) is an institution that was established in 2018 by the Universal House of Justice—the supreme governing body of the worldwide Bahá’í community—at the headquarters of the Baháʼí Faith in Haifa, Israel.[1][2] Its primary role is to facilitate learning about social and economic development efforts unfolding across the worldwide Bahá'í community.[3][4] It is overseen by a board of directors whose members are appointed for terms of five years.[1][2]

History

BIDO was established as the successor to the Office of Social and Economic Development (OSED), which supported Bahá'í development activities from its founding by the House of Justice in October 1983 to November 2018.[1][2][5] It was then that BIDO was formed—after more than three decades of expanding experience in social action, during which Bahá'í-inspired initiatives developed in fields such as education, health, agriculture, women's advancement, and community development.[3][2][6]

Approach

The Bahá'í approach emphasizes that development efforts belong to local populations themselves, who have both the right and responsibility to determine the course of their own advancement.[3][7] Rather than implementing projects on behalf of others, Bahá'í development initiatives seek to build capacity so that people become protagonists of their own development.[3][7]

Within this context, the Bahá’í International Development Organization encourages the generation, application, and sharing of knowledge, helping individuals, communities, and institutions learn from experience and adapt insights gained in one setting to others.[3][8][9] BIDO does not direct local development efforts but rather supports the exchange of ideas and experience among development organizations, community-based projects, and other social action initiatives, contributing to an evolving body of knowledge about social and economic development informed by Bahá'í principles.[3][2][7] This emphasis on collective learning and capacity building has been identified by scholars as a distinguishing feature of Bahá'í development practice.[10][11][7][8]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Universal House of Justice (9 November 2018). "To the Bahá'ís of the World". Bahá’í Reference Library. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Smith, Todd (2022). "The Bahá'í Administrative Order". In Stockman, Robert H. (ed.). The World of the Bahá'í Faith. Routledge. pp. 436–437. doi:10.4324/9780429027772-41. ISBN 9780429027772.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Bahá'í International Development Organization (2023). For the Betterment of the World: The Worldwide Bahá'í Community's Approach to Social and Economic Development (PDF). Haifa, Israel: Bahá'í International Development Organization. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  4. ↑ Council for International Development Aotearoa New Zealand (5 December 2024). "Empowering Communities and Local Partners". Council for International Development. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  5. ↑ Bahá'í World News Service (25 January 2019). "Bahá'í International Development Organization Board of Directors Meets". Bahá'í World News Service. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  6. ↑ Razavi, Tiffani Betts (2025). "Elements of a Culture of Peace: A Bahá'í Perspective". Religions. 16 (8): 1073. doi:10.3390/rel16081073.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Kavelin, Nava; Berger, Julia (2020). "From Principles to Praxis: The Worldwide Bahá'í Community's Approach to Social and Economic Development". In Kraft, Kathryn; Wilkinson, Olivia J. (eds.). International Development and Local Faith Actors: Ideological and Cultural Encounters. Abingdon, UK: Routledge. pp. 31–44.
  8. 1 2 Karlberg, Michael; Smith, Todd (2022). "A Culture of Learning". In Stockman, Robert H. (ed.). The World of the Bahá'í Faith. Routledge. pp. 474–475. doi:10.4324/9780429027772-44. ISBN 9780429027772.
  9. ↑ Bahá'í World News Service (1 May 2023). ""For the Betterment of the World": Publication sees release of new edition at International Convention". Bahá'í World News Service. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  10. ↑ Hanson, Holly E. (1992–1993). "An Overview of Bahá'í Social and Economic Development". The Bahá'í World. 21: 229–245.
  11. ↑ Murphy-Graham, Erin; Lample, Joseph; Kabay, Sarah; Nourani, Vesall (2026). "Transformative Teacher Professional Development: A Qualitative Case Study of a Metacognitive Approach to Teacher Training in Uganda". Teaching and Teacher Education. 172 105329. doi:10.1016/j.tate.2025.105329.
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