• Project Evaluation

  While concrete action is directed towards visible improvement of some aspect of life, success will be measured by the impact these actions have on the capacity of the community and its institutions to address development issues at increasingly higher levels of complexity and effectiveness.

• Communication

  Individuals, communities and institutions can seek advice from the BFT on how to design, implement, and promote social and economic development projects. Based on the knowledge generated through the analysis of reports, and the documentation of systematic advances in the Baha'i experience of development, the BFT will offer these individuals and institutions guidance, and share with them the results of the learning occurring in the Baha'i community.

• Major Area of Action

  The major area of action that the BFT is pursuing at present is education. As education is expected to be the greatest concern of Baha'i social and economic development throughout Thailand in the foreseeable future, the three inter-related areas, which will receive special attention, are Baha'i schools, special programs for junior youth, and moral education.

• Current Major Projects

  1. Santitham School
  This school is owned by the BFT. The school provides nursery, kindergarten and primary education in the town of Yasothon in Northeast Thailand. The School Administrator in consultation with a local administrative board manages the day-to-day operations.

  2. Omgoi Development Project
  This is a project of the BFT. It provides residential and non-residential junior youth training programmes to the local community in Omgoi, North Thailand, with special emphasis given to the local tribes. The BFT oversees the Omgoi Development Project, while the Project Coordinator in consultation with a local administrative board manages the day-to-day operation.

• Operating Policies
  1. The National Spiritual Assembly appoints the members of the BFT.
  2. The BFT shall appoint a Project Administrator for each project in consultation with the National Spiritual Assembly.
  3. The BFT and the Project Administrator shall ensure that each major project carried out under the BFT has:
     • a clear vision, role, and purpose, which are re-examined, modified and restated periodically in keeping with the progress of the Baha'i Faith in Thailand.
     • a set of objectives, which are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time framed.
     • well-defined strategies that are devised and adjusted regularly to accomplish the objectives.
     • clear lines of action that are monitored closely to achieve the strategies.
     • appropriate proposals, which are developed and presented properly to various agencies for financing and other assistance.
  4. In consultation with the Project Administrator, the BFT shall appoint other key personnel for each project.
  5. The Project Administrator will manage the day-to-day operations of the project, and will be accountable to the BFT. The Project Administrator shall have a suitable designation, such as School Administrator, Project Coordinator, Director, etc.
  6. The BFT shall send copies of its minutes and reports, including finances, to the National Spiritual Assembly, O.S.E.D., and the collaborator, and seek their advice and guidance whenever it is needed.
  7. The Project Administrator shall send copies of reports, including finances, to the BFT and the National Spiritual Assembly on a monthly basis.
  8. The BFT shall evaluate the performance of the Project Administrator on a regular basis.

The Baha'i Faith - an independent world religion - was born in Persia in 1844. Since the dawn of humanity, God has guided and uplifted us through His Revelations. Bah?'u'llah - the Prophet-Founder of the Faith - is the latest of those Divine Revelations. Bah?'u'llah is the Lord of Age, the long-awaited Promised One of all religions, nations and races.

Baha'u'llah teaches that all world religions are born of God and should not be a source of discord and conflict. There is one God Who progressively reveals His will to humanity. Each of the great religions brought by the Messengers of God - Moses, Krishna, Buddha, Zoroaster, Jesus, Muhammad - represents a successive stage in the spiritual development of civilization. Bah?'u'll?h, the most recent Messenger in this line, has brought teachings that address the moral and spiritual challenges of the modern world.

• Oneness of God
• Common foundation of all religions
• Individual search for truth
• Oneness of humankind
• Elimination of prejudice of all kinds
• Protection of cultural diversity
• Equality of women and men
• Universal education
• Harmony between science and religion
• Elimination of extreme wealth and poverty
• Universal peace

For more than a century, Baha'i communities around the globe have been working to break down barriers of prejudice between peoples and have collaborated with other like-minded groups to promote the model of a global society. At the heart of our belief is the conviction that humanity is a single people with a common destiny. In the words of Baha'u'llah, "The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens."

The Baha'i Faith, the second most widespread of the world's independent religions, is established in 235 countries and territories throughout the world. The Baha'is come from over 2,100 ethnic, racial, and tribal groups and number some 5 million worldwide.