1. A New World Order Within the Bahai Faith there are three levels of institutions organising and guiding the community. Local National International It is known as the Bahai administrative order, sometimes referred to as The World order of Bahaullah

2. All these institutions local, national and international are similar in form. All are elected by a totally secret ballot. There is no canvassing for votes, there are no manifestos and no pressure on the electorate. Nine members are elected to each of these institutions.

3. The Local Spiritual Assembly. The community elect nine members to serve on the Local Spiritual Assembly for one year. At the local level all Bahais aged over twenty one can vote. All Bahais aged over twenty one are also eligible for election. Each individual votes for nine people that they think are most suitable to serve on the institution.

4. The National Spiritual Assembly The National Spiritual Assembly is also elected annually. Delegates who have been elected locally, later meet together at a national convention to cast their votes in order to choose the new National Assembly. Members of the 2008 National Spiritual Assembly of the UK.

5. The Universal House of Justice The Universal House of Justice is elected once every five years at an International Convention held in Haifa, Israel. All the National Spiritual Assemblies of the world take part in the election of the Universal House of Justice.

6. How Bahais Vote. Bahais are encouraged to pray and meditate before voting. Bahais are encouraged to get to know as many of the members of their community as possible, only by doing this will they know something of the abilities and capacities of those individuals. After this they should then consider what nine people would be best able to serve together on an elected Institution.

7. All the votes cast are then counted and those with the highest number of votes go on to form the Institution, either, local, national or international. Local National International

8. A New World Order The Bahai administration is superbly flexible, it works all over the world in places wherever there are nine or more adult Bahais. Places as diverse as Los Angeles in California, Lerwick in the Shetland Islands, and villages in Botswana. All have working Bahai institutions.

9. Bahais meet locally every 19 days. This is the first level of Bahai administration. Everyone, no matter what age has the opportunity to consult about local, national and international issues and bring their own ideas to these meetings. These ideas can then, if required be passed on through all the administrative structures from local to international. It is not unusual for replies to come from the Universal House of Justice to a local community.

10. The Local Spiritual Assembly The individual The National Spiritual Assembly The Universal House of Justice The National Spiritual Assembly The Local Spiritual Assembly The individual This illustration shows how the individual can send their ideas and suggestions throughout the Bahai administrative structure and receive answers.

11. A New World Order The Bahai Faith is organised in a new way. There is no clergy that can preach to or tell the individual what to do. This is especially important when you consider the Bahai idea of the individual investigating truth for themselves. The Administrative Order is there to serve the community. A group of young Baháís

12. Bahaullahs New World Order The founder of the Bahai Faith, Bahaullah, compared himself to a divine physician and spoke about two great changes that had to take place to heal the illnesses of the human race. 1.A revolution in our systems of government. 2.A revolution in the spiritual lives of individuals.

13. For just over a hundred years Bahais have been putting in place this New World Order. Bahais believe that this is incredibly important for the future of all humanity. It is a whole new way of running affairs. It is unlike any form of government that has ever existed. To date there are over 170 National Spiritual Assemblies and over 17,000 Local Spiritual Assemblies on the planet.