“China is the country of the future!…China has most great capability. The Chinese people are most simple-hearted and truth-seeking…He must entertain no thought of his own, but ever think of their spiritual welfare…each one of whom may become a bright candle of the world of humanity. Truly, I say they are free from any deceit and hypocrisies and are prompted with ideal motives.”

~Abdu’l-Baha, China Tablet, The Baha’i Faith

I love China. I mean, I’ve fallen head over heels….over head over heels……in love with China. I’ve spent some time thinking about why this is; why a Persian kid from Philly feels something so penetrating in the Far East. It’s not the economic prowess, political intrigue, or social change that draw me to this beautiful country, although they are all fascinating to follow. It’s something much more subtle and powerful than those external trends. In fact, it is the source from which I believe those other things emanate.

What connects me to China is nothing less than the pervasive spiritual maturity of the Chinese people that Abdu’l-Baha speaks about in the above quoted passage from His China Tablet.

In reference to the passage, it might be easy to confuse “simple-hearted” with simple-minded but this could not be further from the reality of the Chinese. Never before have I come across such an insightful, ingenuitive, and naturally united people as those I interact with on a daily basis. They have the natural “truth-seeking” quality that has served them so well and are proactively developing their capacity to become “bright candle[s] in the world of humanity”. The simple-heartedness that I have seen in the people here is a beautiful willingness to learn without attachment to ego. It’s a somewhat lost art in the West as we have been taught that an opinionated mind and clash of egos are the mark of the educated man. I think we pursue this path of thinking to our own detriment.

Being here fills me with so much joy. In a given day the energy I receive from just waking up and interacting with the people animates me to live, learn, and laugh in an entirely new way. The first time I came to China was during the Olympics, and the moment I arrived at Pu Dong International Airport in Shanghai it felt like I was coming home for the first time. I later described to my parents that it felt like the last piece of a puzzle had clicked into place to illuminate the sense of completeness I felt. I will spend the rest of my life learning from and serving these magnificent people. What a bounty I have been given.

Bobak is a junior in the Elliott School of International Affairs, majoring in International Affairs with concentrations in International Economics and East Asia. In addition to being passionate about world unity and the Baha’i Faith, Bobak’s Persian heritage, American upbringing, and obsession with the People’s Republic of China lend him a unique perspective on what is unfolding around us. Duck and dumplings are currently on the menu as Bobak is in the midst of spending a full year in Beijing, China studying Mandarin and working for a Chinese environmental NGO.

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“Wealth is praiseworthy in the highest degree, if it is acquired by an individual’s own efforts and the grace of God, in commerce, agriculture, art and industry, and if it be expended for philanthropic purposes. Above all, if a judicious and resourceful individual should initiate measures which would universally enrich the masses of the people, there could be no undertaking greater than this, and it would rank in the sight of God as the supreme achievement, for such a benefactor would supply the needs and insure the comfort and well-being of a great multitude.”

~Abdu’l-Bahá, The Secret of Divine Civilization, The Baha’i Faith

In light of a variety of factors–the undeniable truth of the above quotation, a new book I’m reading called The Blue Sweater, a global financial crisis whose most dire implications seem to somehow trickle down to our impoverished brothers and sisters around the world, and my own musings and observations here in Beijing–I have decided on what I need to dedicate myself towards: rewiring the global economy for inclusion and true prosperity. The means? For-profit models of investment. The end? The complete eradication of poverty world wide. I’m sick and tired of NGO’s being run by a few underpaid visionaries to benefit only a few of the billions who yearn for real economic equity. And as for governments: human beings want dignity, not hand-outs in the form of “aid”. I think it’s time the world made a real effort to make this ‘end’ a reality. This realization I’ve had has been a long time coming but trust me folks, it’s here to stay.

I want to create the next bubble. We just saw several pop (real estate, finance, the MBA degree etc.) but I don’t think a bubble is necessarily a bad thing if created in the right sectors. One example that quickly comes to mind is clean tech./alternative energy. Would it be so bad if we inflated this underdeveloped but arguably critical area of industry? Would it be so wrong to provide financial incentives, hundreds of billions of dollars in investment, and tens of thousands of jobs for the sake of reconstructing the foundation of the global economy? Such a ‘bubble’ would inflate supply of capital/labor and demand for the application of green technology while pushing down costs of production and attracting intelligent competition to the market. A regulated bubble could quickly gains its own momentum. I say yes, and I think we can do the same for poverty eradication.

It should start with the simple premise that all human beings are intricately connected and that not only do we harm ourselves when large portions of the population are stuck in poverty but we will exponential increase our potential as a world to learn, provide, create, thrive, and endure when all are extended the gift of opportunity. In short, I know that we (humanity) are capable of so much more but we aren’t giving ourselves the chance.

How should this be done: retool for-profit models of investment (VC/PE) for large scale involvement in the developing world (i.e. invest in sustainable solutions to chronic problems–education, energy, housing, access to clean water, basic health care, universal Internet connectivity and access to technology). At this point in time there is only one power in the world seeking out this opportunity: the government of the People’s Republic of China. In the West we choose to antagonize them for this but I maintain that it only lays bare our own insecurity at their effectiveness and our lack thereof (this topic deserves its own post…). There are several existing groups like Acumen Fund and Relief Development Consulting that have just begun to scratch the surface but I know it will take more than isolated and uncoordinated efforts by a few brilliant individuals. It will take government. If there is one thing that I’ve learned while here in China it’s the immense potential of government–to build, to improve, to adapt, to protect. To transform the lives of 1.4 billion people.

This post doesn’t have a happy ending but I’m thinking that’s a good thing. In the words of John Legend: “This ain’t a movie, no. No fairytale conclusion y’all–it gets more confusing everyday…” More thinking on this topic to come.

Bobak is a junior in the Elliott School of International Affairs, majoring in International Affairs with concentrations in International Economics and East Asia. In addition to being passionate about world unity and the Baha’i Faith, Bobak’s Persian heritage, American upbringing, and obsession with the People’s Republic of China lend him a unique perspective on what is unfolding around us. Duck and dumplings are currently on the menu as Bobak is in the midst of spending a full year in Beijing, China studying Mandarin and working for a Chinese environmental NGO.

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“The endowments which distinguish the human race from all other forms of life are summed up in what is known as the human spirit; the mind is its essential quality. These endowments have enabled humanity to build civilizations and to prosper materially. But such accomplishments alone have never satisfied the human spirit, whose mysterious nature inclines it towards transcendence…”

–The Promise of World Peace, Universal House of Justice, The Baha’i Faith

Walking the streets of Beijing, China. Photo: Bobak Tavangar

I’ve been thinking a lot about human potential. Who? How much? How do we know? Where does it come from? How can it be unlocked?

Here in Beijing I see so much potential inherent not just in the individual but in Chinese society as a whole. History has shown us how capable the Chinese are with significant contributions to science, governance, commerce, and social theory and it is proving no different now. This country is rediscovering what it means to harness the world around them for the sake of progress.

But is this all that matters? Is it sustainable? Does it necessarily lead to a society of rational and socially conscious citizens or could it possible widen the abyss between wealthy and poor while leaving both no better prepared to make moral decisions for themselves, their children, their countrymen, and ultimately their fellow world citizens?

I ran into a good friend last night in the Sanlitun area of Beijing while deciding which crepe I wanted to order. We got to talking and to my great joy the conversation quickly turned substantive. We found a couple of chairs and vented. Both she and I have been taking careful note of what we see around us here in the hub of China: the alarming social trends, the blistering pace of development, the stark difference between newly wealthy Chinese millionaires and the mud-soaked migrant laborers who build their movie theaters, apartments, and mega malls. Our conversation spanned energy, religion, governance, and numerous other topics relevant to this beautiful country’s emergence. Ultimately we decided this: material development alone will not lead to a happy China. I’m guessing we’re not alone.

I like to reference the sad case of Japan to underscore the importance of our conclusion. Japan is, without a doubt, one of the remarkable economic miracles in human history. In just short of a century the country achieved near universal poverty eradication and material success but has been left a mere shell of its former glory–mired in incipient political, economic, and social turmoil. Left to its own devices–in this case blind greed and an ego-driven desire to develop–Japan was able to recreate its reality as a nation but without the comprehensive sense of prosperity that we have been taught should come with increased access to material goods. Today it is the high suicide rate that most often comes up in a conversation about Japan, not the brilliance of their engineers or greatness of their achievements. I fear the same fate awaits China if they don’t learn from their neighbor.

The quote above was taken from a document prepared by the highest elected body of the Baha’i Faith, The Universal House of Justice. It contains stunningly poignant analysis of the ills afflicting the globe and the remedy needed not just to allay the pain it is currently feeling but also to usher in a new era of well being. There is indeed something very mystical about the human soul (I would argue the core of our being) and its need for more than raw material consumption; an activity also pursued incessantly by members of the animal kingdom. I think that humanity is quickly waking up to the reality that our true nature as human souls is not just characterized by the need to consume, but more importantly by the need to give. To give of our knowledge, our time, our love, our inspiration, our very being–it’s something profoundly different from the way we have been wired to think about our reality on this earthly plane but is, in my opinion, a necessary change in mindset if we envision an advanced global community united behind genuine feelings of equality and brotherhood.

This brings me back to China. I am of the opinion that the “post-unipolar” world will not be another jostling between a few great powers that leaves most of the population disenfranchised. It will be a system of great powers who will be forced to choose between collaboration to correct the chronic mismanagement of the world or crumble where they stand. China will be one of those great powers and in order to ensure that it chooses the former and not the latter, the Chinese people themselves will need to be guided by the same global consciousness I mentioned above. I make this specific to China not just because I am based in Beijing, but because I see limitless potential in the Chinese people themselves to realize the importance of this shift in mentality. As a people they have never shied away from a seemingly insurmountable challenge and I have no reason to view this time as being any different.

Bobak is a junior in the Elliott School of International Affairs, majoring in International Affairs with concentrations in International Economics and East Asia. In addition to being passionate about world unity and the Baha’i Faith, Bobak’s Persian heritage, American upbringing, and obsession with the People’s Republic of China lend him a unique perspective on what is unfolding around us. Duck and dumplings are currently on the menu as Bobak is in the midst of spending a full year in Beijing, China studying Mandarin and working for a Chinese environmental NGO.

“The earth is but one country and mankind its citizens.”
–Baha’u’llah, Prophet-Founder of the Bahá’í­ Faith

This is only my first post as a writer for the E Street Beat but I feel obligated to cut through the fluff and get right to what I think we should be talking about. We live in a new world, one inextricably connected not just along external political and economic lines but internally enmeshed along social and spiritual undercurrents as well. It’s too easy to highlight what is being destroyed all around us but it’s when we dig through the ashes and find beauty reborn that we can begin to understand the reality of the words above: “the earth is but one country…”

This year alone I have seen the privileged and powerful fall to bankruptcy and hopelessness. I have seen people across the globe breathe the sweet scent of self-determination for the first time. I have seen leaders in Iran, France, Burma, and Honduras react to bloggers in Moscow, Sacramento, Shenzhen, and Cape Town. I have even seen the first African-American president of the United States proclaim to a packed audience in Ghana that Africa’s present and future is for and will be shaped by Africans themselves. I can’t help but notice that almost everything testifies to our being in the midst of a global rewiring–physically, technologically, mentally, spiritually…

All of this has caused me to smile a lot recently. In less than two years I have witnessed the utter destruction of a global order I had previously thought unquestionable and the steady creation of a world that views all of mankind as fellow citizens instead of subjects. All that I had been studying–religion, economics, biology, politics, business, philosophy, chemistry, law–has been turned on its head. The world has become accessible in a new way. Our time as 20-something year-olds to reconstruct the world has arrived.

What will your impact be tomorrow? Fifty years from tomorrow? I’m still pondering mine here in Beijing.

Bobak is a junior in the Elliott School of International Affairs, majoring in International Affairs with concentrations in International Economics and East Asia. In addition to being passionate about world unity and the Baha’i Faith, Bobak’s Persian heritage, American upbringing, and obsession with the People’s Republic of China lend him a unique perspective on what is unfolding around us. Duck and dumplings are currently on the menu as Bobak is in the midst of spending a full year in Beijing, China studying Mandarin and working for a Chinese environmental NGO.