quired for
effecting this momentous step towards peace are focused on the will to
act. And it is towards arousing the necessary volition that earnest
consideration must be given to the reality of man, namely, his thought. To
understand the relevance of this potent reality is also to appreciate the
social necessity of actualizing its unique value through candid,
dispassionate and cordial consultation, and of acting upon the results of
this process. Baha'u'llah insistently drew attention to the virtues and
indispensability of consultation for ordering human affairs. He said:
"Consultation bestows greater awareness and transmutes conjecture into
certitude. It is a shining light which, in a dark world, leads the way and
guides. For everything there is and will continue to be a station of
perfection and maturity. The maturity of the gift of understanding is made
manifest through consultation." The very attempt to achieve peace through
the consultative action he proposed can release such a salutary spirit
among the peoples of the earth that no power could resist the final,
triumphal outcome.

Concerning the proceedings for this world gathering, 'Abdu'l-Baha, the son
of Baha'u'llah and authorized interpreter of his teachings, offered these
insights: "They must make the Cause of Peace the object of general
consultation, and seek by every means in their power to establish a Union
of the nations of the world. They must conclude a binding treaty and
establish a covenant, the provisions of which shall be sound, inviolable
and definite. They must proclaim it to all the world and obtain for it the
sanction of all the human race. This supreme and noble undertaking--the
real source of the peace and well-being of all the world--should be
regarded as sacred by all that dwell on earth. All the forces of humanity
must be mobilized to ensure the stability and permanence of this Most
Great Covenant. In this all-embracing Pact the limits and frontiers of
each and every nation should be clearly fixed, the principles underlying
the relations of governments towards one another definitely laid down, and
all international agreements and obligations ascertained. In like manner,
the size of the armaments of every government should be strictly limited,
for if the preparations for war and the military forces of any nation
should be allowed to increase, they will arouse the suspicion of others.
The fundamental principle underlying this solemn Pact shoul