It\u2019s hard to escape or be unaffected by the constant conflict and polarizing effects of a partisan political system.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We often think of the adversarial nature of partisan politics as an integral part of democracy, although that isn\u2019t the case. Interestingly, the American founding fathers purposely avoided all mention of political parties in the United States constitution, fearing the divisiveness of the partisan factions that had torn England apart. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
RELATED: Conceiving a World Commonwealth \u2014 With the Politics of Love<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In the words of George Washington:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n John Adams and Alexander Hamilton were of the same mind, respectively referring to political parties as \u201cthe great political evil\u201d and \u201cthe most fatal disease.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, actively upholding justice often involves opposing points of view. \u201cIf you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor,\u201d <\/em>Desmond Tutu said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Working for peace and fairness in the world doesn\u2019t mean neutrality. Instead, it means seeing all things with our own eyes and acting to find just solutions that respect all perspectives without adopting an \u201cus vs. them\u201d mindset. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We can fight injustice without fighting each other. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Baha\u2019i teachings point out that such injustices often come from our prejudices, including political bias. In a speech he gave in Sacramento, California in 1912, Abdu\u2019l-Baha<\/a> said<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2026 so long as prejudice \u2014 whether religious, racial, patriotic, political or sectarian \u2014 continues to exist among mankind, universal peace cannot become a reality in the world. From the earliest history of man down to the present time all the wars and bloodshed which have taken place were caused either by religious, racial, political or sectarian bias. Therefore, it is evident that so long as these prejudices continue, the world of humanity cannot attain peace and composure.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n The Universal House of Justice, the democratically-elected international governing body of the Baha\u2019i Faith<\/a>, used an interesting phrase in a May 2024 letter<\/a> about the world\u2019s current situation. It asked the world\u2019s Baha\u2019i youth to be \u201cpractitioners of peace:\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n You are among the most active and earnest of humanity\u2019s well-wishers. But, whether through deeds or words, the merit of your every contribution to social well-being lies, first, in your resolute commitment to discover that precious point of unity where contrasting perspectives overlap and around which contending peoples can coalesce.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n This is not easy. Adversarial political structures breed polarization and cynicism. Both social media and traditional media often instigate outrage and profit from doing so. The constant cycle of parties in power and out of power can brew alienation, discord, and extremism. How many times have we groaned at the complete lack of governmental efficiency and long-term planning as the inevitable swings of political power from one side to the other constantly overturn previous policies?<\/p>\n\n\n\n It doesn\u2019t have to be this way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, the consensus-style Government of Nunavut<\/a> and also the Northwest Territories<\/a> that currently exist in northern Canada more closely resemble traditional Inuit decision-making. In these Indigenous governance systems, there are no parties, no partisan platforms, and no official opposition. Those elected consult together to find policies and solutions that the majority can support. Unanimity isn\u2019t required but is often achieved. MLAs (Members of the Legislative Assembly) are elected as independent members and, in turn, elect the Speaker, Premier, and Ministers. Ministers voice their views freely during deliberations, but once a decision is reached, all Ministers publicly support it. A separation of executive, legislative, and judicial powers, as well as other protocols, promote accountability and prevent corruption. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Baha\u2019is recognize many of the features mentioned above as being either the same or compatible with the spiritual system of governance revealed by Baha\u2019u\u2019llah<\/a>. That administrative order has now spread around the entire world \u2014 with elected local, regional, national, and international bodies functioning today as a harmonious whole, guiding diverse Baha\u2019i communities made up of people from every class, culture, and color.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That Baha\u2019i system has many advantages, including frank and honest consultation, non-partisan democratic elections with universal suffrage, and unified decision-making. Taken together, these essentially spiritual characteristics provide robust protections against extremism, which crops up too often in adversarial systems across the world. They mirror and encourage peaceful relations, providing a governance model that heals our social ills rather than creating more of them. They\u2019re conducive to the type of selfless, altruistic leadership that causes communities to thrive: collaborative, moderate, and concerned with the welfare of all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n How do we get there from here? Thus far, attempts at reforming democratic political systems have at most tweaked the edges without fixing the structural flaws causing their inherent disunity and combativeness. From winner-take-all systems to various types of proportional representation, almost all are based on partisan politics and the desire for power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What about systems that avoid parties altogether? In addition to the largely Indigenous northern Canadian systems mentioned above, the Baha\u2019i community continues to govern effectively \u2014 and does so globally. From their inception, Baha\u2019i communities have relied on a consultative, consensual system of governance that has sought to consider all sides, cultivate unity, and build capacity within the community. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead of professional clergy, Baha\u2019i governing bodies composed of nine community members are elected by secret ballot on the basis of character and capacity, without nominations or campaigning, and with the understanding that they will serve the entire community to the best of their ability. The governance and decision-making processes of Baha\u2019i communities are based on the rules and techniques of a form of consensus-seeking consultation well described in the Baha\u2019i writings. They are designed to include all voices, particularly those of women, minorities, and youth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Our world needs this kind of unifying, peaceful, and deliberative system of governance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n All around the planet, experiments in democracy are beginning to move us closer to this model. Citizen Assemblies represent a ground-breaking innovation where groups, chosen to demographically mirror the larger population, are asked to deliberate on specific issues and propose solutions that all can support. Ireland, for example, used a Citizens Assembly to successfully propose legislation on abortion that everyone could live with. In Taiwan, the Minister of Digital Affairs is encouraging participatory democracy through a system of online decision-making. Participants in Taiwan\u2019s vTaiwan<\/a> platforms can disagree with each other but must build on each other\u2019s ideas by framing their contributions as positive proposals rather than rebuttals or attacks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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