Values

WHAT ARE VALUES

Valuing is determining what is desirable or useful, which means choosing what is good for us and others, implying moral or ethical choices and actions. A sustainable society and planet require choices for the common good, now and for future generations.

Sources of values include Indigenous cultures that have learned over many generations to be socially cohesive and environmentally sustainable, religions that have periodically brought teachings and principles for the refinement of human character and the advancement of civilisation, and other forms of spirituality developing higher human qualities. The IEF, as a Bahá’í-inspired organisation, draws principally on the values and teachings of the Bahá’í Faith while accepting all the great religious traditions as progressive contributions to our collective social evolution.

Values are the most powerful lever for change in a system. The IEF brings science and religion together as two complementary realities in our society. Science without religious values falls into materialism, while religion without science tends to superstition. Values, both religious and secular, are essential to achieve balance in our society, and to set a clear direction for the future. The resources here contribute to that process.

Talanoa Interfaith Call to Action, Interfaith Liaison Committee to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, May 2025

UNOC3 Multi-faith Declaration, UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3), Nice, France, June 2025

Second Letter from COP30 Presidency, 8 May 2025

Ethics and Climate Change, Letter from COP30 President-Designate 10 March 2025

To be continued

In pursuit of hope, blog by Arthur Lyon Dahl for UN high-level General Assembly week, 16-22 September 2023

Call for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, Multi-faith Letter, 19 August 2023

DRC House of Worship: Peaceful environs inspire thoughtful discussion on the environment, Bahá'í World News Service, 17 August 2023

Spirited Seas: Science and Spirituality, an Interfaith Exploration of the Environmental Consequences of Deep Seabed Mining, webinar, G20 Interfaith Forum, 30 May 2023

Complements to GDP: What Values Guide Development?, Baha'i International Community, 15 June 2023

Social Change toward Universal Solidarity with a System of Accountability, Christine Muller, 2 June 2023

Safe and just Earth system boundaries, Earth Commission Report, 31 May 2023

Caring for the Earth, Transforming Lives: Linking Faith and Natural Regeneration, World Council of Churches, Geneva, 12 May 2023

UN Common Principles on Future Generations, 4 May 2023

Community building and social action, Universal House of Justice, 30 April 2023

Accountability, 16 April 2023

Climate Change and Its Ethical Challenges, Arthur Dahl, The Bahá'í World, 16 March 2023

Chile Temple: Promoting a harmonious relationship with the natural world, 11 January 2023

One Planet, One Habitation: A Bahá’í Perspective on Recasting Humanity's Relationship with the Natural World, 16 December 2022

Ethical responses to climate change, November 2022

Delegates explore solidarity and justice at COP 27, November 2022

Christian churches call for a New International Financial and Economic Architecture, 7 November 2022

Love, Peace and Sustainability, Arthur Dahl for Triglav Circle, 5 November 2022

Keynes on the real values of life, blog by Arthur Dahl, 3 November 2022

Green nature is good for you, blue is better, blog by Arthur Dahl, 15 August 2022

GA approves Human Right to a Clean, Healthy and Sustainable Environment, 28 July 2022

IPBES Values Assessment: Multiple values of nature and its benefits, 11 July 2022

Interfaith Prayers for the success of Stockholm+50, 1 June 2022

Stockholm+50 Interfaith Statement, 24 May 2022

Human Right to a Clean, Healthy and Sustainable Environment, David Boyd, UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment, 8 April 2022

Rural Social Action on Agriculture and Food in Uganda, Masaidio Kalenga, 2 March 2022

Bahá’í-inspired perspective on global justice, blog by Arthur Dahl, 20 February 2022

Ecological Racism and Deep-Sea Mining in the Pacific, G20 Interfaith Forum Webinar, 16-17 February 2022

Reporting to G20 Interfaith Forum on COP26, 8 November 2021

Parliament of the World's Religions, 17-18 October 2021

Human Right to a Healthy Environment, adopted by Human Rights Council, 8 October 2021

Faith Plans for People and Planet, 5 October 2021

Coral Reefs as a Model for Humanity, IEF Presentation at the Parliament of the World's Religions, 17 October 2021

Interfaith Indicators to Respond to COP26, blog by Arthur Dahl for G20 Interfaith Forum, 21 July 2021

Environmentally Sustainable Bahá'í Properties, Christine Muller, IEF, 8 July 2021

Letter to G20 Finance Ministers on Taxation, from World Council of Churches and other Christian organizations, 5 July 2021

The poison of materialism and the elixir of spirituality, blog by Arthur Dahl, 21 May 2021

Educating for the Future We Want, Arthur Dahl to the Great Transition Network, 29 March 2021

G20 Interfaith Forum, For Nature's Sake: A Moral Compass for the SDGs, blog by Arthur Dahl, 19 March 2021

Science, Truth and Expert Advice, Universal House of Justice, Department of the Secretariat, to an individual, 11 February 2021

Reflections of Our Values: Digital Technologies and a Just Transition, Baha’i International Community statement, Commission for Social Development, 8 February 2021

Turning Point in the Great Transition?, blog by Arthur Dahl, 11 April 2020

Reweaving the Ecological Mat, Report of a Pacific Islands Indigenous webinar, 4 February 2021, by Arthur Dahl

Thank God for Science, webinar by IEF member Dr. Ashiyan Rahmani, 25 October 2020

Faith for Nature, Conference in Iceland,
5-8 October 2020

Bahá'í Faith and Biodiversity, BIC contribution to UNEP, 28 September 2020

2020 Faith Call to Action for UN Biodiversity Summit, 9 September 2020

Inclusive Development and its Spiritual Indicators, Arthur Dahl at International Conference on Education for Social Cohesion, IEF 24th Conference, 11-12 July 2020

Unity: Indicator of True Success, Arthur Dahl for ebbf International Conference, 14-17 May 2020

Human Rights and Environment, Arthur Dahl, March 2019

A New Concept of Human Security, ECPD International Conference, Belgrade, Serbia, 26 October 2018

Science, Technology and the Human Spirit, Triglav Circle, Chateau de Poussignol, France, 29 June-1 July 2018

World Conference on Religions, Creeds and Value Systems, Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland, 25 June 2018

Reflections on Science, Technology and the Human Spirit, Arthur Dahl for Triglav Circle, July 2018

Migration and Religion, Arthur Dahl blog, June 2018

Information: private property or public good?, Arthur Dahl, April 2018

Millennium Alliance for Humanity and Biosphere, 12 February 2018

The end of Western civilization?, Arthur Dahl, 12 February 2018

Towards a Just Economic Order: Conceptual Foundations and Moral Prerequisites, BIC Statement, 29 January 2018

UN Environment and Faith-Based Organizations, Nairobi, 30 November 2017

Bicentenary of Baha'u'llah, 22 October 2017

Challenges of Rural Sustainability in France, Triglav Circle, 7-9 July 2017

Social Conditions and Economics, summary and commentary by Arthur Dahl on 1 March 2017 Message from Universal House of Justice

Why should the UN and in particular UN Environment Engage More with Faith-based Organizations?, Arthur Dahl for UNEP Perspectives, February 2017

Corruption, Morality and Religion, Arthur Dahl, November 2016

UNEP Executive Director speaks at Baha'i House of Worship in India, on "Faith and Environment", 5 October 2016

International Symposium on Ethics of Environmental Health, Ceské Budejovice, Czech Republic, 28-31 August 2016

Spiritual Approach to Ecology - Approche spirituelle de l'écologie, Arthur Dahl, May 2016

Review of the Islamic Declaration on Climate Change, Arthur Dahl, 29 August 2015

Global Ethics Forum 2015, 25-27 June 2015

Summary and Commentary on Laudato Si': the Pope's encyclical on the environment and poverty, June 2015

World Happiness Report 2015, April 2015

Responsible Living: Concepts, Education and Future Perspectives, March 2015

Values-based indicators for education 2014

UN Independent Expert on Human Rights and the Environment, July 2014

Report on Triglav Circle, Role of Nature, Montézillon, Switzerland, 14-15 June 2014

Videos showcase Baha’i approaches to sustainable development in USA, April 2014

Testimony at U.S. EPA, moral implications of carbon pollution, 12 February 2014

Club of Rome and ARC ValuesQuest

Seminar on Human Rights and the Environment, November 2013

World Happiness Report 2013

IEF members publish paper on moral leadership, August 2013

ECPD Conference on the New Balkans, October 2012

Power of interfaith collaboration, Peter Adriance, September 2012

Global Ethics Forum, 28-29 June 2012