Title: Baha'is elect national governing body
Subtitle: None
Date: April 25, 2010
Source: Australian Bahá’í News
Baha’is from throughout Australia have gathered in Hobart to elect the members of the Faith’s national governing body.
All adult Baha’is in Australia, men and women, are eligible to be elected to the nine-member National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Australia. The Faith has no clergy but is governed by elected councils at national, State and local levels.
Conducted by secret ballot in a prayerful atmosphere with no nominations or electioneering, the election was the central focus of the National Baha’i Convention, held from 24-25 April at the Baha’i Centre of Learning for Tasmania.
Those elected to the National Spiritual Assembly were Bijan Samali, Vahid Saberi, Tessa Scrine, Fariborz Moshirian, Arini Beaumaris, Fiona McDonald, Kathryn Podger, John Walker and Golshah Naghdy.
Speaking on behalf of the incoming National Assembly, Professor Bijan Samali said that although the members elected were the same as the previous year, the Assembly would approach its tasks with “new vision, new vigour and new energy.”
Consultation
As well as participating in the election of the National Spiritual Assembly, the convention delegates, representing electoral units in all parts of Australia, discussed issues of concern to the Australian Baha’i Community.
These included discussions on fostering spiritual life, running programs for children and young teenagers, and working with other Australians to transform the neighbourhoods in which we live.
Tranquil
The Tasmanian Baha’i Centre of Learning, officially opened by Tasmanian State Governor Peter Underwood last year, provided a beautiful and tranquil setting for the Convention.
Constructed to high standards of environmental sustainability, the Centre of Learning is an educational institution established for the benefit of the people of Tasmania.
