The core principles of the ebbf4youth mentoring program.
Taking ownership
What is
your calling?
What
defines you?
What
motivates you?
What rights
do you have?
Which rewards
do you expect?
What are your
strengths?
What is
your purpose in life?
Why are you
doing what you do?
Everyone has a share in this enterprise; the contribution of each serves to enrich the whole. The most dynamic clusters are those in which, irrespective of the resources the community possesses or the number of activities being undertaken, the friends appreciate that their task is to identify what is required for progress to occur – the nascent capacity that must be nurtured, the new skill that must be acquired, the initiators of a fledgling effort who must be accompanied, the space for reflection that must be cultivated, the collective endeavour that must be coordinated – and then find creative ways in which the necessary time and resources can be made available to achieve it.
- The Universal House of Justice, to the Baha’is of the World, April, 2014.
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Building capacity
Where are
you now?
Are there obstacles
to overcome?
Are you satisfied
where you are?
Are you facilitating
your growth?
Are you feeling
fulfilled?
What
holds you back?
Where do you see
yourself going?
How do you
overcome obstacles?
Efforts to build capacity fall short if arrangements are not swiftly made to accompany individuals into the arena of service. An adequate level of support extends far beyond encouraging words. When preparing to take on an unfamiliar task, working alongside a person with some experience increases consciousness of what is possible. An assurance of practical help can give a tentative venturer the courage to initiate an activity for the first time. Souls then advance their understanding together, humbly sharing the insights each possesses at a given moment and eagerly seeking to learn from fellow wayfarers on the path of service. Hesitation recedes and capacity develops to the point where an individual can carry out activities independently and, in turn, accompany others on the same path.
- Universal House of Justice, Letter to the Continental Board of Counsellors, 29 Dec. 2015
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Serving Humanity
How do you assess
what is needed?
Do you need
support?
Do you want to
make a difference?
How do you impact
those around you?
Are you aspiring
for more?
What are
the difficulties?
Are you actively
engaged in change?
How does
success look like?
​
Love and serve mankind just for the sake of God and not for anything else. The foundation of your love toward humanity must be spiritual faith and Divine assurance.
- ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Lights of Guidance, p. 213
O my God! I ask Thee, by Thy most glorious Name, to aid me in that which will cause the affairs of Thy servants to prosper, and Thy cities to flourish. Thou, indeed, hast power over all things.
- Bahá’u’lláh - Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 61
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Scaling up
What have you
achieved?
What resources
do you need?
What insights
do you have gained?
How does the
mentorship help?
Have you mapped
new goals?
How to make a
lasting impact?
Have you envisioned
the future?
Has your vision
changed?
​
The days pass swiftly as the twinkle of a star. Make your mark now, at this crucial turning point of a juncture, the like of which shall never return. Make that mark in deeds that will ensure for you celestial blessings-guarantee for you, for the entire race, a future beyond any earthly reckoning.
​- The Universal House of Justice, Ridván 156, 1999, p. 4
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