Almost forty youth spent part of their winter school break, from 1 to 5 January, reflecting on spiritual concepts during an intensive training session organized by the Quebec Baha’i Institute and held at the Baha’i Centre in Québec. They pondered questions such as our spiritual nature, the concept of prayer, and the role of religion in society. Another aim of the session was to develop a spirit of service, so the participants not only studied the various lessons, they also engaged in action.
The youngest among them, those aged from 11 to 13, went to visit two young families of the Baha’i community of Québec to teach the children songs they had created. Another group, of those aged 14 to 16, organized a neighbourhood class for children aged 5 to 10. In the same neighbourhood, the teenagers had a discussion on spiritual concepts with other youth of the same age. A third group, of those aged 17 to 20, organized two evenings of prayers and workshops, during which they studied the vision of society offered by the Universal House of Justice, the world governing body of the Baha’i community, and discussed ways in which the youth can contribute to social progress in their own neighbourhoods.
Sophie Turbide, the session coordinator, who is in her early twenties, was moved by “the very high level of the conversation among the youth, whether during or between the courses, as well as by the spirit of friendship that prevailed among all participants.” She said that the session gave the young participants and animators an opportunity to “strengthen their moral character and their friendships.” They had come from all over the province — from the Abitibi and Saguenay regions, as well as Rimouski, Montréal and Québec.
At the end of the session, a presentation was made for the parents and members of the Baha’i community of Québec, many of whose members had provided help with transportation, accommodation, food, and prayers, all of which, the coordinator stated, were essential to the success of the project.
During their presentation, the youth sang songs they had written and showed artistic creations they had made during the session. One group had made Chinese lanterns to illustrate the true nature of human beings, which can be compared to lamps shining with God’s light. Another group, after studying the Baha’i concept that there is one common source for all of the major religions, showed a large poster illustrating the influence of religion through the ages.
The Quebec Baha’i Institute holds this type of session twice a year — once in the winter and once in the summer. Ms. Turbide explained that these activities are part of a process used to enable the youth from the various regions of Quebec to discover together how they can contribute to the social advancement of their own neighbourhoods. The friendships they develop enable them to support each other during the rest of the year in the various projects they undertake.