Community development requires active participation – not hand-outs from one group to another. The growth of the Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Programme relies on the commitment of parents, community leaders, school staff, and especially older youth trained to serve as mentor animators.

The programme is organized globally through a network of regional training institutes, all connected to the Ruhi training institute in Colombia – an agency of the Baha’i community concerned with developing educational material for the training of human resources engaged in community development. The Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Programme is one programme offered by the Ruhi institute as a contribution to the discourse on the moral empowerment of young people. Prosperity Foundation is systematizing learning about the delivery of the junior youth programme in collaboration with schools in New Zealand.

While society often views junior youth as problematic and self-absorbed, the programme recognizes their altruism, sense of justice, and eagerness to learn and contribute. Testimonies from participants worldwide affirm its impact, engaging youth in analyzing societal forces, refining their spiritual perception, enhancing their powers of expression, and strengthening moral foundations. At a pivotal age, they gain tools to resist negative influences, embrace their noble identity, and work for the common good.