International auxiliary language

International auxiliary language

The day is approaching when all the peoples of the world will have adopted one universal language 250 and one common script. When this is achieved, to whatsoever city a man may journey, it shall be as if he were entering his own home. These things are obligatory and absolutely essential. It is incumbent upon every man of insight and understanding to strive to translate that which hath been written into reality and action…. That one indeed is a man who, today, dedicateth himself to the service of the entire human race. The Great Being saith: Blessed and happy is he that ariseth to promote the best interests of the peoples and kindreds of the earth. In another passage He hath proclaimed: It is not for him to pride himself who loveth his own country, but rather for him who loveth the whole world. The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens. Baha’u’llah Gleanings

From wikipedia

The teachings of the Bahá’í Faith have a strong focus on the unity of humankind. The Bahá’í teachings see improved communication between peoples throughout the world as a vital part of world unity and peace. The Bahá’í teachings see the current multiplicity of languages as a major impediment to unity, since the existence of so many languages cuts the free flow of information and makes it difficult for the average individual to obtain a universal perspective on world events.

Bahá’u’lláh, the founder of the Bahá’í Faith, writing in the Tablet of Ishráqát and Tablet of Maqsúd, taught that the lack of a common language is a major barrier to world unity since the lack of communication between peoples of different languages undermines efforts toward world peace due to misunderstandings of language; he urged that humanity should choose an auxiliary language that would be taught in schools in addition to one’s own native language, so that people could understand one another. He stated that until an auxiliary language is adopted, complete unity between the various parts of the world would continue to be unrealized. `Abdu’l-Bahá, the son of the founder of the religion, called the promotion of the principle of the international auxiliary language “the very first service to the world of man” and its realization as “the greatest achievement of the age in conferring profit and pleasure on mankind.”

Bahá’u’lláh stressed, however, that the auxiliary language should not suppress existing natural languages, and that the concept of unity in diversity must be applied to languages. The Bahá’í teachings state that cultural heterogeneity is compatible with unity, and that the Bahá’í teaching of unity requires the embracing of cultural diversity since humanity is enriched by the various cultures throughout the world. The Bahá’í teachings state that having an international auxiliary language would remove the pressure from the natural aggrandizement of majority language groups and thus preserve minority languages, since each person would keep their own mother-tongue, and thus minority cultures.

The sixth Ishráq is union and concord amongst the children of men. From the beginning of time the light of unity hath shed its divine radiance upon the world, and the greatest means for the promotion of that unity is for the peoples of the world to understand one another’s writing and speech. In former Epistles We have enjoined upon the Trustees of the House of Justice either to choose one language from among those now existing or to adopt a new one, and in like manner to select a common script, both of which should be taught in all the schools of the world. Thus will the earth be regarded as one country and one home. The most glorious fruit of the tree of knowledge is this exalted word: Of one tree are all ye the fruit, and of one bough the leaves. Let not man glory in this that he loveth his country, let him rather glory 128 in this that he loveth his kind. Concerning this We have previously revealed that which is the means of the reconstruction of the world and the unity of nations. Blessed are they that attain thereunto. Blessed are they that act accordingly. Baha’u’llah ISHRÁQÁT (Splendours) in Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh Revealed After the Kitáb-i-Aqdas