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- to a better day
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Society Builders
Society Builders,

with your host Duane Varan
Welcome to 
another exciting episode of Society Builders,

and thanks for joining the conversation for 
social transformation.
In our last three

episodes we ve been exploring four of five of the 
key principles associated with Baha i approaches

to social action. So, so far we ve explored the 
need for organic growth for our initiatives;

the need for coherence getting our beliefs and 
practices in alignment; that our initiatives

should be participatory, giving agency to all; 
that our initiatives should build capacity; and

so finally today, we re going to explore the fifth 
and final principle here:
That our initiatives

should reflect an approach characterized by 
learning in action
And after our next episode,

which will explore the upcoming Ridvan message, 
we ll start a sequence of episodes providing case

studies where we can see how these principles 
for social action all come into action.
I mean

exciting stuff!
So, let s get started today as 
we explore how our initiatives should reflect an

approach characterized by learning in action.
 
Now, as we discussed in previous episodes,

the organic nature of our journeys require us to 
continuously adjust our approaches along the way

similar to the story I was sharing in our last 
episode about how my college club back at the

University of Texas had to adapt its approach to 
marketing discovering this new amazing strategy

of using bookmarks to advertise our seminars. 
We discovered a better way of communicating and

we adjusted our approach with great results 
instead of just continuing on with more of

the same.
We DON T know, up front, what the 
best path forward is. We have to try things,

reflect, consult, study and adjust our path 
continuously. We need consistent systematic

action and reflection operating in a true learning 
mode.
So let s explore what this kind of learning

mode SHOULD look like.
So the Universal House 
of Justice highlights four stages to this kind

of learning mode and they frame this within a very 
specific paradigm. They say:
the Bah Ւ community

has adopted a mode of operation characterized by 
action, reflection, consultation and study study

which involves not only constant reference to 
the writings of the Faith but also the scientific

analysis of patterns unfolding.
First, and it s 
interesting that we start with this but first is

action. This is a huge contrast to how we normally 
think about learning. Normally, we theorize first.

In fact, we often theorize in great, great depth 
projecting years into the future because we want

to chart the perfect path. We want to operate like 
a Fortune 500 company, with a detailed plan laying

everything out for us. But here, the Universal 
House of Justice is telling us don t worry about

getting it all perfect just act. Act and learn and 
adjust and then act again. It s a path grounded in

this kind of action learning.
As we act, there 
ll be things that work and there ll be things

that don t obstacles that we face recognition of 
new resources we need. But the key is for us to

be able to learn and adjust
So that sets the 
scene for the second stage which is reflection.

We need to act but then we need to reflect on our 
actions so that we can learn from them.
Now stop

for a second and think about what reflection looks 
like. As we all know, Baha u llah admonishes us to

bring ourselves to account each day . So this is 
reflection. What does that look like. Do we focus

only on the good things we ve done? NO! We also 
look at our shortcomings? Not to beat ourselves

up or to feel guilty. No it s so that we can 
figure out how to avoid making the same mistake

again.
?We don't dwell on our shortcomings, 
but we don't ignore them either. We focus on

the path moving forward.
So reflection is 
about looking at what worked but it also about

looking at what didn t work. And obviously, that 
means that we need to be objective here.
OK so we

reflect then comes the next stage we consult. 
?You have your views, other people have their

views. Let's learn collectively together. And for 
us to really consult, we need access to the data

associated with our initiatives because good data 
really good data helps inform our consultation.

Let me give you a quick example here.
Let s 
say that we re exploring whether to have our

cluster reflection meetings on Saturdays or on 
Sundays. Now we can limit our consultation to

our opinions and our views and our anecdotal top 
of mind kind of observations . That s certainly

one level we can experience. Or we can try it 
both ways for a couple of occasions and count

the number of people attending. When we have it 
on Saturdays, we tend to get 50 people coming.

When we have it on Sundays it s more like 75. 
Now that data doesn t automatically have to

decide the question but it should certainly 
inform our consultation and we re in a better

position to consult when we have access to that 
evidence.
So to get to this kind of contribution,

we obviously need to collect data. But we also 
need to make the data accessible to all and this

is what we mean by transparency. And, of course, 
we need to analyze the data and this is also

important. You don t need a stats degree for this. 
It doesn t require regression analysis. All of us

can and should participate in analysis. All of us 
can and should participate in the analysis.
Now

a trained analyst can help identify nuances 
like looking at interaction effects between

variables like it looks like younger people are 
less likely to come on a Saturday, and how ?that

might relate to their participation in some other 
kind of event, for example. So those are kinds of

analysis can certainly inform our consultation but 
we shouldn t defer analysis to the expert alone.

?We should have the kind of culture where we 
all feel that we can participate in the analysis

and in interpreting the trends and exploring what 
the data really means.
OK. And finally, we study.

Now, in all honesty, and I reflected on this a 
lot, I m not sure how this stage of study differs

from reflection. So this is a question I think we 
should all reflect further on but one possibility

is that reflection is more tactical like what 
happened with this initiative while study is

deeper like working towards bigger insights. 
With deeper analysis. It s like our goal with

reflection is to gather our facts our goal with 
study is to develop our insights. But certainly,

I think this is something we should reflect 
on what does study look like? And how does it

differ from reflection that earlier stage?
And 
here, the Universal House of Justice gives us an

incredibly powerful tool: They encourage us rely 
on the Creative Word but they also encourage us to

look to the example of the methods of science 
in pursuing our analysis of the patterns that

unfold.
Now science has a great track record 
in this business of learning and adjusting. It

s the very reason that we have the ability to 
defy nature it s the reason we can fly build

crazy tall buildings remedy countless diseases 
even the reason you can heat your meal in less

than a minute. I mean almost all of the wonders 
of the modern world are made possible by these

scientific methods. They re truly powerful.
And 
there are key features of this kind of scientific

method. For example, we don t look to our results 
with a predetermine outcome we allow the data to

guide us to our conclusions. We approach the 
research from a truly objective perspective.

Our findings are falsifiable which means we might 
not get the answer we were hoping for or expecting

and in fact, we often learn more from failure than 
from success. Our approaches are replicable which

means that if others do the same thing, we expect 
similar results. We are transparent everything is

out in the open. And the most obvious is, of 
course, you need data good data. Without data,

you have nothing to properly reflect with. These 
are the kinds of qualities we need to bring to

our approach to study. Aspiring to the kind 
of reflection grounded in science.
And the

Universal House of Justice helps clarify 
some of the conditions we need here:
That

our investigation is undertaken in an atmosphere 
which encourages detachment from personal views,

that such an ongoing investigation should give 
due importance to valid empirical information,

that mere opinion should not be raised to the 
status of fact, that conclusions should correspond

to the complexity of the issues at hand and not be 
broken up into a series of simplistic points, that

the articulation of observations and consultations 
should be presented in precise and dispassionate

language, that progress in every area of endeavor 
is contingent upon the creation of an environment

where powers are multiplied and manifest 
themselves in unified action.
We ll talk a

bit more about this all later in our episode.
And 
the point of all of this is that we are working

to allow the voice of truth to guide us. We don 
t know in advance what the best path forward is

at any point in time but we also don t allow that 
to immobilize us so we act, reflect, consult and

study guided by both our Writings and by good 
science.
Now just like my last episode I want

to engage in just a little bit of editorializing 
here. Again, I remind you that I m just sharing a

personal opinion here and my opinions are no more 
or less valid than yours. I speak with absolutely

no authority.
But, personally, I think of the 
five principles that we ve discussed across these

episodes, this final principle is the one where 
we need to make the most corrective work because,

I think we continue making the same mistakes 
over and over again. I think we ve made great

strides in the other four areas but on this 
issue I think there is still a lot of legacy

culture at work which acts as an obstacle to us 
putting this into proper practice. And I share

my concerns here so that if you agree with me 
here, we can work to change our own approaches to

bring them into better alignment with our Divine 
guidance.
So we talked earlier, for example,

about how we should learn from the methods 
of science and the qualities this reflects:

that we are dispassionate and objective, that we 
are guided by the data and don t shape this to

a predetermined outcome, that our initiatives 
are replicable, that our data is falsifiable,

that we are transparent with our data. I mean, I 
could continue on and on here but being scientific

in our approach has a clear look and feel to it.
 
And there ARE things that we re doing that I think

are consistent with this goal. So one big change 
that has become a part of our new culture, for

example, is that most communities now collect data 
on their initiatives. And that s great obviously,

science is fueled by data. So that s clearly 
a step in the right direction.
But what do

we then do with that data? Does it really inform 
our reflection, our next initiatives? And again,

in many cases it might, but in many cases I think 
that s questionable.
So here, I d like you to

explore what you and your community do with that 
data and how it informs your reflection, study and

subsequent action.
Now maybe you are fortunate 
enough to live in a community that does all of the

things that we ve been talking about here. Where 
that data is analyzed in a truly scientific

manner.
Or maybe you live in a community where 
the data is collected, but then simply ignored

altogether. We collect data, but we just send on 
the data hoping it will find its way to the World

Center and come back to us as guidance from 
above.
So just ignoring the data altogether

in this way is also common response.
But I 
want to focus on what I believe to be another

response that clearly, I believe, conflicts with 
the methods of science and which, I believe, may

be common in many communities.
In my experience, 
in such communities, the outcome to our reflection

is prebaked. We turn to data not to learn but 
to support a predetermined decision. It s less

science and more marketing. We mistakenly think 
the role of the data is to make our community

feel good it s a cheerleading function its goal is 
motivational instead of being the voice of truth

that guides us.
Remember the whole point 
of a scientific approach is to allow the data

to guide us. It s about discovering the best path 
forward. It s not about making us just feel good.

It s not about trying to persuade others that OUR 
path is the best path.
So in such communities,

the keepers of the data champion the data that 
supports their worldview, but hide anything that

conflicts with that narrative. They don t make 
the data available for others to see. ?Potentially

compromising the consultation that then 
ensues.
Now, in my opinion, this isn't ideal.

Again, it s another one of those mistakes that we 
ve been talking about legacy culture issues. ?But

what makes this a little different, I think, is 
that where so many of the other mistakes are now

largely historic. This one I think continues in 
many communities. So it's something we haven't yet

learned from. It s one which many communities 
don t yet recognize as a mistake. And again,

this is just my opinion.
So let me give you 
an example to illustrate my point here.
Now,

I m encroaching on some very sensitive terrain 
here and I honestly don t want to offend anyone.

So rather than talk about a real case study, I m 
instead going to create an absolutely ridiculous

hypothetical because hopefully that will create 
a thought space where we can all come together to

explore this issue dispassionately.
So my totally 
absurd and ridiculous example here is this:

Let s say that there had been some success in 
different parts of the world with what we ll call

Drone Teaching for this example where people 
used drones to deliver invitations to people

s homes promoting our events. Now obviously I 
m being ridiculous with this example so please

don t try this at home.
But let s say that this 
was a successful method in certain places like in

Wyoming let s say where the distances are vast 
so where it was much more convenient to deliver

an invite like this via drone.
And let s say that 
in your cluster, there is enthusiasm for this idea

?maybe by an institution, maybe by some believers 
- and there s an appeal to start doing drone

teaching in your neighborhoods.
Now immediately 
we can see that there are different potential

responses that might emerge in your community.
In 
one scenario there might be a lot of concern and

resistance to the idea because some of your fellow 
community members, for example, feel that this

crosses a line and constitutes proselytizing . And 
let s even imagine that a lot of people in your

community feel this way maybe even a majority. 
So what do you do? ?Do you Sally forth with drone

teaching as the main thrust of your subsequent 
teaching campaigns - or not?
Well I m sorry

to tell you that if this is the case and this is 
purely my opinion here with no weight greater than

yours but in my opinion, if you have this kind 
of resistance, then this idea is dead on arrival.

Because it s unlikely that this initiative 
will be pursued with unified action so it s

ultimately doomed to failure.
Now I appreciate 
that not everyone can be on board with every idea

I appreciate that it s easier to be unified 
in inaction than it is to be unified in action

but if there s that kind of resistance, you re 
simply going to be spinning your wheels. You won

t attract the Divine Confirmations necessary you 
need unified action and certainly not this kind of

division. At best, you ll find yourself alienating 
members of your own community from participating

in the teaching capaigns altogether at worst, it 
ll might even divide your community.
OK so that

s one scenario - but let s look at a more positive 
scenario now let s say that there IS enthusiasm in

your community to adopt the approach. OK what 
next?
Again let s pause here to apply what we

ve learned here from the guidance we ve been 
studying thus far. If there IS this enthusiasm

then we should start small and grow the approach 
organically. Let s test the waters let s do some

pilots and gauge how the wider community responds 
to this approach. Is it effective? Does it have

adverse consequences? And what is it doing for us 
in the community? Is it motivating our community?

Is it building momentum?
So this is where our 
scientific analysis comes in. As we venture into

testing our new approach let s collect data 
and analyze it. Dispassionately. In fact,

we can even construct our initiatives to test 
different approaches we can promote one event with

our new drone method another event with Facebook 
ads targeted in our neighborhood another with

stalls that we set up. And we do a few events with 
each of these different methods so we get data

across initiatives. The point is though that we re 
looking for evidence evidence that supports that

one approach is better or worse than others.
 
?And if there's evidence that supports that it's

effective, that might act as a catalyst to helping 
build unified action.
But if the data comes back

telling us that our approach isn t successful, 
then we need to have to be detached enough to

move on to testing other approaches no matter how 
much we might love drones.
Now again, my example

here was intentionally ridiculous. But if you 
reflect you might be able to think of initiatives

in your own communities. Was there resistance and 
how was that resistance met? Did you try to grow

your initiative organically or did you go all in 
straight off the bat, making it the centerpiece of

your campaigns? Did you collect data and analyze 
it impartially to weigh the relative success

or failure of the initiative? And if it wasn t 
right, if the data showed you that the approach

wasn t effective, did you walk away or did you 
continue clinging on to it for cycle after cycle,

year after year?
So there s lots to reflect on 
in terms of what we can do to learn from our past

but the point of this discussion is not to look 
at the past but to look to your future and how

you can bring the methods of science to our party 
here. How can you frame your initiatives so that

they lend themselves to proper analysis and not 
by just analysis by a data officer ?but with an

approach to analysis that is accessible by all.
 
So this is all something we definitely reflect on,

re-examining our current practices to bring them 
into better alignment with what the Universal

House of Justice is calling for when they summon 
us to study using the methods of scientific

analysis.
Now my apologies if I ve offended 
you in this last segment. ?Once again, remember,

my views are no more or less valid than yours. I'm 
just sharing my opinion here. I hope you will look

to your own community and experience to draw your 
own conclusions here. I m simply raising a concern

which you might want to reflect on.
OK. Now we ve 
covered five key principles for effective social

action:
That our initiatives reflect organic 
growth;
The need for coherence getting our

beliefs and practices in alignment, addressing 
both the material and spiritual needs associated

with our progress;
that our initiatives should 
be participatory, giving agency to all;
That our

initiatives should build capacity; and finally
 
That they should reflect an approach characterized

by learning in action.
Now one final point I d 
like to make today.
The reason we discuss these

five principles is that we should work to make 
our approach distinctive to reflect a unique

approach to social action.
I ve seen community 
consultation where the focus is on the action

like let s collect canned food for the homeless. 
And that s great. But what is it that makes our

initiatives different to those of the world around 
us? What makes it truly distinctive?
This is why

far more important than WHAT we do is HOW we do 
it. And HOW we do it is to work to pursue our

initiatives trying to put these five principles in 
action. In other words, we need to try our best to

pursue social action within the framework of the 
guidance provided to us by the Universal House of

Justice.
That s a truly exciting opportunity 
and it s reflective of the approach which will

most likely see us ultimately succeed.
So that 
was a lot of ground to cover today.
Now our

next episode will focus on the Ridvan message 
I can t wait for that one but then after that,

we ll continue exploring social action but this 
time, with case studies where we can learn from

actual experience and see how these principles are 
brought into the arena of action.
So we ve got

some really exciting journeys in store for us.
 
And, as I mentioned in our last episode, we now

conclude every episode with a custom-created song 
summarizing the themes of that episode. I m able

to do this, once again, through the power of AI 
where while I generate much of the lyrics all of

the voices, instruments and music composition come 
to us courtesy of AI.
So this episode s song is

called Learning Together in Action and it focuses 
on the four stages of learning in action: action,

reflection, consultation and study. So stick 
around for our song today.
Thanks again for

joining me today in our conversation for social 
transformation.
See you again next time on

Society Builders.
We start with action bold and 
strong
Dive right in where we belong
With hearts

on fire we make a change
In this world we're 
gonna rearrange
Next comes reflection deep and

true
We learn from what we did and do
Learn from 
mistakes as we advance
Adjust and adapt our every

stance
Capacity Building and Action Learning
 
For positive Social Action always yearning
Our

quest is guided by the methods of science
 
Our path to truth is through data reliance

Consultation is the third stage
An opportunity 
for all to engage
Where experience and data align

As we all seek to discover God's design
 
And finally, we embrace true study
Gaining

insights true and steady
Lighting our path as we 
move ahead
Learning from what is done and said

Capacity Building and Action Learning
For 
positive Social Action always yearning

Our quest is guided by the methods of science
 
Our path to truth is through data reliance

Capacity Building and Action Learning
For 
positive Social Action always yearning

Our quest is guided by the methods of science
 
Our path to truth is through data reliance