The Exigencies of Our Time Good Global Governance from a Bahá’í Perspective

The objective of governance should be to provide for the well-being, progress and peaceful living conditions of society. Contemporary problems, such as extreme poverty, environmental pollution and ethnic conflicts, demonstrate vividly that governance at the global level is deficient. The state of the art perspective of the Bahá’í Faith can give valuable insight into the causes for present day challenges. Namely, state-centric policies, a lack of cooperation and of a unified vision to work for the good of all mankind on the part of individual governments and intergovernmental organizations. Consequently, the Bahá’í literature proposes a model for world order that shall create universal peace and prosperity for all regions. This model involves the establishment of a sovereign world commonwealth, consisting of the equitable union of all nation-states in a global federal system. Underlying principles of good governance are justice, democracy, an attitude of service, and the belief in the inherent unity of mankind. The proposed model will be examined through the course of the dissertation and appropriate suggestions for the adaptation of the present system towards functioning global governance shall be given.