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| Bahá’í News | June 1978 | Bahá’í Year 135 |
A series of special reports
The Peoples of God
Part 1: Brazil
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NEWLY ELECTED MEMBERS UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE ‘ALÍ NAKHJAVÁNÍ ḤUSHMAND FATHEAZAM AMOZ GIBSON IAN SEMPLE DAVID RUHE CHARLES WOLCOTT DAVID HOFMAN HUGH CHANCE BORRAH KAVELIN. NEARLY 500 DELEGATES PRESENT FROM 107 NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES. APPROXIMATELY 33 MEETINGS BETWEEN NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES HAVING COOPERATIVE PROJECTS. LATEST STATISTICS: MORE THAN 19,000 LOCAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES. OVER 83,000 LOCALITIES. 50 NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES HAVE ACHIEVED OR NEARLY ACHIEVED THEIR TEACHING GOALS OF THE FIVE YEAR PLAN. UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
April 30, 1978
ANNOUNCE APPOINTMENT HUSAYN AMANAT ARCHITECT FOR MASHRIQU’L-ADHKÁR SAMOA. UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
May 4, 1978 |
| Contents |
A Bahá’í teacher on teaching |
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Says Counsellor Shirin Boman: ‘India is on the move!’ | 2 |
India’s remarkable Bahá’í women |
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Their exploits shine brightly in the annals of the Faith | 4 |
A special report from Brazil |
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Notable progress reported in teaching among Indians | 6 |
Seat of the Universal House of Justice |
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A pictorial display of progress on construction | 8 |
Teaching the Faith in Papua New Guinea |
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A Bahá’í music group delivers the Message in song | 10 |
A Hand of the Cause visits Cameroon |
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Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir receives warm welcome from friends | 11 |
Around the world |
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News from Bahá’í communities in every corner of the globe | 12 |
Cover
We begin this month a series of articles on indigenous believers in many countries around the world with a report on teaching among Indians in Brazil written by that country’s National Spiritual Assembly. The series continues next month with a report from Alaska.
Change of address should be reported directly to Office of Membership and Records, Bahá’í National Center, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091, U.S.A. Please attach mailing label. Subscription rates: one year, U.S. $8; two years, U.S, $15. Second class postage paid at Wilmette, IL 60091. Copyright ©1978, National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. World Rights Reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.
Bahá’í News is published monthly for circulation among Bahá’ís only by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States, as a news organ reporting current activities of the Bahá’í world community. Manuscripts submitted should be typewritten and double spaced throughout; any footnotes should appear at the end. The contributor should keep a carbon copy. Send materials to: Bahá’í News Editorial Office, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091, U.S.A.
Counsellor Shirin Boman has but one purpose in life: teaching the Cause of God[edit]
(Shirin Boman, a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors for South Central Asia, was interviewed in April during a visit she made to the Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois, while en route to the Bahá’í International Convention in Haifa. Mrs. Boman gave a public talk at the House of Worship the evening of April 2.—Ed.)
Teaching the Faith is as much a part of Shirin Boman’s life as breathing.
“When I can no longer teach,” she says, “I will be ready to die. What purpose would there be in living if one cannot teach?”
She has known the Faith all her life, having been born to Persian Bahá’í parents in Bombay, India, more than half a century ago.
“Victory is in movement,” says Mrs. Boman, “and the Bahá’ís in India are moving. Old and young, men and women ... all are concentrating on teaching the Cause.”
In February 1978 alone, 168 new Local Spiritual Assemblies were formed and 5,681 people enrolled in the Faith in India.
“We are going into the interior of the country, to the tribes and villages,” she continues. “We tell the villagers about the Central Figures of the Faith and its history. Once they accept Bahá’u’lláh as the return of Krishna, we do not hesitate to enroll them.
“We do not expect these new Bahá’ís to know everything. The Bahá’í Faith is knowledge given by God to humanity, and we believe knowledge is something that must be acquired. For this reason, we tell the new Bahá’ís that Bahá’u’lláh has written many books containing vast knowledge, and that they should study the Writings.
“To deepen the communities as a whole, we find the best approach is to invite one or two community members to a three- to five-day deepening institute. Through mock Local Spiritual Assembly elections and meetings, and mock Nineteen Day Feasts, they learn. At the Institute, we tell them also about Bahá’í laws, the Administrative Order and the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh.
“We aren’t at the institute to be their bosses.
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‘I think the whole world is ready for entry by troops. Why discriminate? The Sun is shining on Asia, America, Europe...’ |
and tell them everything, with them docilely nodding their heads. We want them to ask questions, so we all can learn.
“After all, we are all Bahá’ís in the making. In the Bahá’í Faith, nobody graduates.”
She smiles, recalling earlier days: “When I was a youth, we were not given a teaching plan to follow, as are the youth of today. We never discovered that we could have gone out and taught on our own. We thought the Bahá’í Faith was our father’s property.
“It was so precious to us, so dear to us. We used to greet one another—‘Alláh-u-Abhá—on our festival days. We would have good Feasts and enjoy each other’s company. We were happy to be Bahá’ís. But now we understand that the Faith does not belong to us, it belongs to humanity as a whole.
“Our duty as Bahá’ís is to convey the Message to everyone and let the power of God work.
“In India, we are doing this. We are telling farmers, doctors, professors, lawyers, dignitaries ... everyone!
“One question we continually have to answer is why, if the Faith is 135 years old, we waited so long to spread the good news. Our only reply is one of apology, and a suggestion that the new believers not make the same mistake we did, but that they teach everyone right away.”
She reflects, “Teaching the Faith now is different than when I pioneered in 1942 at the behest of the Guardian with my husband and three small children, one of them only two months old.
“We went to Madhya Pradesh, a state in India, where there was not one other Bahá’í. God tested our Faith and we suffered. But praise be to God, there are now more than 1,000 Local Spiritual Assemblies in that state!
“In teaching, we used to come across an educated man, get hold of him and tell him about Bahá’u’lláh. Sometimes a person would say he wanted to become a Bahá’í, and we would test him well, sometimes too well.
“He had to know the Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh, this and that. We were good judges. We judged people to find out if they really were Bahá’ís, but never looked at ourselves, as Bahá’u’lláh tells us to do, to see if we were living properly.
“Then, in the early 1960’s, the Hand of the Cause Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir visited us, and told us we should teach in the villages, because India lives in its villages. The Hand of the Cause Dorothy Baker tried to tell us the same thing earlier, but we didn’t understand.
“So we began teaching in the villages, and found that many people wanted to become Bahá’ís. In the early ’60’s we were not experienced in deepening large numbers of illiterate believers, but we soon found ways to do so.
“We used picture books to explain ideas such as work being worship and prayer being good for the soul, and used thumbprints on Bahá’í forms to enroll the new believers.
“They learned to say the prayers from memory. We gave literature to the village children, who were usually able to read.
“We felt we should educate the illiterate Bahá’ís, in keeping with the Bahá’í principle of compulsory education, but didn’t know how we could. But God assisted us, and now we have tutorial schools.
“The first schools were begun after villagers became Bahá’ís, so they could learn to read prayers and study the Writings. We were careful not to entice villagers to become Bahá’ís by promising them schools. That is why we waited until after the villagers were Bahá’ís to offer them schools.
“We worked up to about 40 rural schools, and had evening classes for adults.
“Now, many of our Bahá’í teachers come from among the children who went to those schools.
“But India’s population is very large, and whatever we do is only like a drop of water in the ocean.
“We pray and we hope that the cooperation of the Bahá’ís around the world, guided by the Universal House of Justice, will help us to do better.”
She speaks about the strength of the Local Spiritual Assemblies in India: “We are trying our best to make them function. We don’t say that in a day’s time we can have a full-fledged Spiritual Assembly. In Asia and India the administration lags behind Bahá’í administration in the West. We have to learn from you.
“But that doesn’t mean we have forgotten our duty. We send notices to all Local Spiritual Assemblies a few days before each Feast, reminding them that Feast should be held. We ask them for reports. We do other things.
“My hope is that in the future the friends from the West will send us more materials, try to educate us. Let us share with one another. Then we will be in one world.
“Bahá’u’lláh said the world is one country and mankind its citizens. So you see,” she says, smiling, “here in Wilmette I am in my own country. I am not a foreigner!”
When asked if she thinks India is ready for entry by troops, Counsellor Boman replies, “I think the whole world is ready for entry by troops! Why discriminate? The Sun is shining on Asia, Africa, America, Europe ....
“There are waiting souls everywhere ready for Bahá’u’lláh. If we don’t tell them about the Faith, how will they find out? We are responsible to tell them. God will ask us if we did.
“We just have to make an effort to teach and God helps. The Bahá’í Faith is not from you or from me, after all. It is from God!”
As she walks outside for a photograph, Counsellor Boman stops four visitors to the House of Worship and asks them if they have heard the Message of Bahá’u’lláh.
India’s wondrous women[edit]
A long and remarkable record of service and devotion
(EDITOR’S NOTE: The following article on outstanding Bahá’í women in India was written by Dipchand Khianra, a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors for South Central Asia, and is reprinted from Glory, the Bahá’í youth magazine of India.)
Aside from the Cradle of the Faith itself, perhaps no country has a record of service to the Cause more glorious than India.
From the time of the Báb, some people in India have been active in the Faith. One of the “Letters of the Living” appointed by the Báb was Sa’id-i-Hindi, from India, who traveled to neighboring Irán on foot when he became convinced in his heart that the new Manifestation of God would arise in that country.
Some scholars have speculated that had the Báb continued to assist His maternal uncle in his business in Búshihr, He would in all likelihood have visited India, and perhaps even lived there for several years, as His uncle also had a business on Apollo Street in Bombay, where goods from Iran and India could be shipped efficiently.
One of the teachings brought by the Báb, the equality of the sexes, was exemplified by the Bábi heroine Ṭáhirih who, against all tradition, removed her veil at the conference at Badasht, thereby announcing the end of the suppression of womankind.
Since that day, Bahá’í women, particularly in India, have maintained a high standard of service and spiritual leadership.
In attending Bahá’í gatherings, public meetings, marriages and funerals, by serving as members of Local Spiritual Assemblies, by pioneering and by teaching, the Bahá’í women of India have left a great and enduring mark on the history of the Faith.
The earliest Bahá’ís in India were from Irán, and most of them had previously been members of the Zoroastrian religion. As many were not well-educated, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá took special care to encourage them in many ways.
He summoned many of them to the Holy Land to serve in husbandry and gardening. He sent many of the women to His sister, the Greatest Holy Leaf, to memorize prayers and tablets and to learn to write. The Master invited them to listen to His discourses.
Those who know the history of the Zoroastrians in Irán know how they were ill-treated by the general populace; however, they were respected by the Bahá’ís. Entire families would visit the Holy Land, staying for extended periods of time.
They were the honored guests of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. The Master revealed extremely sweet Tablets in His love for them, and prayed for their well-being and welfare. They in turn took upon their shoulders the task of teaching the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh.
In teaching, the women of India often have played an even more positive role than the men in being the life-blood of the community and the standard-bearers of the Cause.
It is worth recalling some of the women who have served the Faith so well.
The first name that comes to mind is Doulat Khánum Mehraban Bahjat, commonly called Doulat-Iran. (“Iran” was her mother’s name.)
Although not highly educated, she was the interpreter for great Persian scholars and Bahá’í teachers who were sent to India by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. She translated for the Hand of the Cause Lua Getsinger, and for Mírzá Mahram, Mishkin-Qalam, Mírzá Munir Nabilzadeh, Mírzá Mahmood-i-Zarqani, and others.
She often was the speaker at public meetings. When other Bahá’í women fell ill, Doulat-Iran would stay with them, sometimes for a fortnight. She was usually the first to reach the docks or railway station when Bahá’í guests were to be met.
Doulat-Iran lived above the Bahá’í Hall in Bombay, and visitors to Bahá’í meetings would usually visit in her home. This meant extensive entertaining, as many of the Bahá’í visitors also were her guests for the duration of their stay in Bombay.
Prosperity and adversity go hand in hand, and Doulat-Iran had her share of difficult times, but she remained a firm believer, and her home was always open.
Doulat-Iran’s daughter, Shirin Fozdar, needs no introduction to the Bahá’í community. She has traveled around the world to teach the Cause.
While living, Doulat-Iran would help her daughter by caring for Shirin’s children while Shirin was away on teaching trips. Doulat-Iran did her utmost so that Shirin could fulfill her spiritual obligations.
One small incident in Doulat-Iran’s life always comes to mind: I cannot forget it. She was bedridden for a number of years, and sometimes I would visit her. On one such occasion my wife and I were accompanied by another couple.
When the time came for us to leave, one of our friends said, “Doulat-Khánum, do you need something? I would be happy to render any service for you.”
Doulat-Iran could not speak, but raised a finger toward a picture of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, meaning, “Give me ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.” She died 20 years ago at the age of 80, one of the truly remarkable Bahá’í women in the annals of the Faith in India.
Another Bahá’í woman from India, Gowhar Hakimian, served the Faith for more than six decades. Her husband, the late Jamshid Hakimian, enjoyed the love and trust of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, was a Trustee of the Funds in India, a devoted follower of Bahá’u’lláh, and a scholar of the Faith.
Gowhar was the working spouse of this devoted man. Their home was the guest quarters for Iranian scholars who visited Bombay: Munir Nabilzadeh, Mishkin-Qalam, and many others stayed there for long periods of time, receiving continuous hospitality.
In the evening of her life, Gowhar pioneered to Miraj and was there for some years. She visited the sick in hospitals and stayed with them, and nursed Bahá’í patients.
Doulat Vajdi was another staunch champion of the Faith in India. She lived to be more than 100 years old, and spent her life in the service of the Cause. Her husband, Behmand Vajdi, was one of the first Bahá’ís in India, and was the first to translate Bahá’í books into the Gujarati language.
Doulat conducted children’s study classes. She was punctual
[Page 5]
and regular, and was known as a taskmaster who meant business. She also taught sewing to Bahá’í girls.
Doulat was avid in her devotion to the Master, and spent the last decade of her life as a pioneer in Ujjain, where she is buried.
Another Bahá’í woman whose many services should not be forgotten is Gulistan Khánum Ma’navi, who with her husband and children pioneered to Devlali, then to Sholapur where they lived for more than 10 years, and where her mortal remains are laid to rest.
When the New Era Bahá’í School was founded at Panchgani, and a cook was needed, Gulistan volunteered, and served in that capacity with hospitality and enthusiasm, to the satisfaction of everyone.
Another woman who must be mentioned is Meerabai Munje (Miriam-Bai Manji) who must have been at least 90 years old when she died. She was at one time a respected preacher of the Agha Khani Khojas, and was taught the Faith by Meherali Manji, who became her husband, and Mírzá Mehram.
Meerabai was a great exponent of the Cause of God. She often conducted deepening classes, and Bahá’í women would crowd around her, drawn by her charm and knowledge. She spent 20 years as a pioneer to Ujjain and Kanpur.
Thinking of other Bahá’ís, I am inspired by the fearless Shyam Dulari Bhargava, the wife of Dr. Kaushal Kishor Bhargava, a staunch Bahá’í.
Shyam did not accept the Faith through her husband, as some women were wont to do. She investigated it until she was convinced of its truth, then declared her belief.
The Bhargava home was always open to Bahá’ís and others. Many traveling teachers spent months with the Bhargavas in Jaipur, Gorakhpur, Delhi and Calcutta.
Shyam died at a relatively young age, stating in her will that she wished to be buried according to Bahá’í law. Her wish was respected and she was laid to rest in Delhi, the first Indian woman to be buried in the Bahá’í manner.
Many outstanding Bahá’í women have lived and served in India; all cannot be mentioned in this brief article. It is my fervent hope that others may conduct research and shed more light on these devoted servants.
There are many Bahá’í women still living who continue to leave an indelible impression on the history of the Faith in India. They are working with a spirit and zeal that even the youth find hard to equal.
The first name that comes to mind is that of Shirin Fozdar, who at age 73 continues to teach around the world.
She gave her first public lecture in 1923 in Karachi, full of the shyness and trepidation of a young and inexperienced speaker. Since that day, she has set a unique record in the Bahá’í annals of traveling teachers.
In India, her unceasing efforts have helped to bring numerous believers into the Faith and many Local Spiritual Assemblies into being. She has given the Bahá’í Message to thousands, including Maharajas and Maharanis, vice-chancellors and famous public figures such as Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Radhakrishna, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, and Shankaracharya.
In 1951 Shirin pioneered to Singapore, and was distressed to see the miserable condition of the women there. A man could marry any number of women, force them to earn a living for him, divorce them at will, and spend his days drunk or asleep at home.
Shirin established a Women’s Association that waged a crusade to ameliorate the conditions under which women in Singapore lived. Its slogan was “One Man, One Woman.” It had such an impact that a political party used it in its election platform. In time, the slogan became a living truth in Singapore.
Age hasn’t dimmed Shirin Fozdar’s fire or slowed her movements. She remains as active and as agile as ever. She was the first woman ever to serve on the National Spiritual Assembly of India. Her youngest daughter, Zena Sorabjee, is a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors.
Shirin Boman, no less than Shirin Fozdar, is living history. She has been an active Bahá’í since her youth, pioneering to an unopened state in India in 1942.
She went to Palgarh near Bombay, then to Nadia, to Ujjain, to Indore, and finally to Gwalior, her present home when she is not traveling in her capacity as member of the Continental Board of Counsellors for South Central Asia.
The author of Mass Teaching in India, she has not only given the Message of Bahá’u’lláh to thousands, but to tens of thousands, contributing greatly to the large increases in the number of believers and Local Spiritual Assemblies in India.
When the Continental Board of Counsellors was created in 1968 by the Universal House of Justice, Shirin Boman was among the first of those appointed to it.
Another outstanding Bahá’í woman from India is Salisa Kermani, who was a member of the Local Spiritual Assembly in Bombay at the age of 22. She was among the first of those appointed by the Guardian as Auxiliary members to the Hands of the Cause.
Salisa pioneered to the French colony of Karailkal in South India, becoming a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh. She has attended countless Bahá’í international conferences, and had the privilege of attaining the presence of the Guardian and of attending his funeral in London in 1957.
Salisa was a newly-wed when volunteers were asked in 1945 to assist with the newly-established Bahá’í school at Panchgani. With another recently-married Bahá’í, Rezwan Khánum Mobedzadeh, she worked at the school for some time before pioneering.
Rezwan Mobedzadeh has continued working at the New Era School, having an unbroken record of 32 years of service there. The Universal House of Justice has referred to her as “the Mother of the New Era School.”
These remarkable Bahá’í women began serving the Cause of God under trying conditions and with untold handicaps. Now, with the light of Bahá’u’lláh shining brilliantly in India, and the path to service made smoother by their heroic efforts, the way is ready for future Bahá’í women to arise and work diligently and successfully for the Cause.
The Peoples of God: Brazil[edit]
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Some time ago it was decided to devote an issue of Bahá’í News to indigenous believers around the world; that is, to those people native to a country who have made significant contributions to the advancement of the Faith in their homeland. National Spiritual Assemblies were asked to supply articles about indigenous believers in their countries, and the response has been so outstanding that it would be impossible to include the information in a single issue of the magazine. Therefore, the decision has been made to publish articles on a monthly basis, beginning tis month with a report from Brazil. In future months, we’ll be sharing with you articles from Alaska, Benin, Canada, Guyana, Lesotho, Norway, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Sierra Leone, Zambia and other countries.)
We have collected a few stories about the Indian population who live in the four corners of this country, Brazil, and while we have no absolute statistics on them, we can say there are several such Bahá’í communities, some entirely Indian, and others with a mixture of African and Portuguese ancestry. Our Indian Bahá’ís all speak Portuguese.
In the state of Bahia, there are many all-Indian or mixed-blood communities; in the states of Sergipe and Alagoas, there are two communities, one all-Indian; in the state of São Paulo, there is one isolated Indian family, and in the area of Roraima in the far north, an Indian declared last December, opening up an entirely new possibility of growth for the Faith, as these Indians live in or near the city of Boa Vista, the capital, and are said to be interested in the Faith. Curiously, the new Indian believer speaks English, which indicates that the tribe might be from Guyana, where English is the official language.
1962: The first Indian believers
Inspired by the writings of the beloved Guardian, two youth from Salvador, Bahia, made preparations in 1962 to carry the Message of Bahá’u’lláh to the Indians in Brazil.
The youth, Sergio Couto and Anthony Worley, investigated the whereabouts of Indians in their region, and set out by bus to the northeastern state of Pernambuco.
In Recife, they sought information at the office of the Regional Inspector of the Indian Protective Agency about how to contact the Indians. They were directed to an Indian settlement 18 kilometers (11 miles) from the city of Petrolina in Pernambuco state.
After a truck ride along a bumpy and potted country road, the youth came upon the village, nestled in a valley and surrounded on three sides by mountains. The Indians warmly welcomed their visitors, one of them placing a conch shell to his lips and calling to the others with it, as if to say, “Come, we have visitors!”
The Indians took the Bahá’ís with them to see their homes and lands and to talk with their families about the Faith.
The youth spoke first of the promise of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá that the Indians, when they received the Message of Bahá’u’lláh, would become like the Arabs who had scattered the message of Muhammad far and wide.
They explained the concept of progressive revelation, and the relationship of Bahá’u’lláh to the Messengers of the past, and told how Bahá’u’lláh, born wealthy and noble, was stripped of His possessions, thrown into prison, and exiled from His homeland. Even under these conditions, they said, Bahá’u’lláh was able to spread His Message throughout the world.
That afternoon, the youth were privileged to attend a demonstration of a dance, the “tore,” presented by the Indians in celebration of the harvest. Afterward, the youth took photographs and started to leave. They were told that if ever they should return, they would be welcomed with open arms. One Indian illustrated this by opening his arms in a wide embrace.
On later visits some of these villagers became Bahá’ís, thus opening the Chukuru tribe to the Faith.
Teaching among the Kiriris
The following day, Sergio and Anthony learned of another tribe, this one much closer to their home state of Bahia in the north. Buoyed by their successful visit to the Chukurus, they decided to stop and visit these other Indians, descendants of the Tapula nation who are known as Kiriris.
The youth quickly gained the friendship of these Indians, and took photos of them, including one of the “cacique” (chief) and his son. In the afternoon they were invited to visit a cave seldom seen by outsiders.
[Page 7]
Left, the Kiriri Bahá’ís of Lagoa Grande, Brazil, depend on a spring-fed lake for their water needs. Here three women carry water from the lake to the village.
By the early 1960’s members of the Kiriri tribe in Lagoa Grande, Brazil, had become Bahá’ís. Some of them, as shown here on the right, use music as a means of delivering the Bahá’í Message.
The cave is high on the side of a steep hill, and the climb was difficult, up a narrow path bordered by tangled vines and under a broiling hot sun. But the climb was well worth the effort, since once at the cave Sergio and Anthony were able to tell their new friends about the Faith.
The Kiriris depend upon a spring-fed lake for their water, and were concerned because the hot summer had left the lake nearly dry; their crops were dying, and they were anxiously waiting for rain.
The first question they asked the Bahá’í youth was whether there really had been a flood. Starting at that point, the Bahá’ís explained progressive revelation and told the story of the Faith.
When Anthony and Sergio asked what prayer the Indians wished them to say, the Kiriris asked for a prayer for rain. The Bahá’ís prayed, then got up to leave. As they made their way down the hill toward the village, the sky darkened; there was thunder and lightning, followed by a downpour that seemed to come in answer to their prayers.
The youth returned several times to Lagoa Grande, the Indian settlement, sometimes in the company of other Bahá’ís; today there is a strong Bahá’í community there.
The present chief of the village is a devoted Bahá’í. At the All-South American Conference at La Paz, Bolivia, he delighted everyone present when, asked to speak, he recited from memory an entire Bahá’í pamphlet, even including the words, “If you wish more information ...”!
These villagers have become effective teachers, spreading the Faith to other settlements within the larger Kiriri tribe.
They have used the village school not only to educate their children, but also as a meeting place for Bahá’ís from other communities and even for National Spiritual Assembly members. They have plans to build their own Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds.
When a member of the Kiriri tribe declares, he or she is given the booklet, “What It Means to Be a Bahá’í,” and the family receives a large picture of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and a Bahá’í calendar, on the back of which is the short obligatory prayer. The Indians place these on the walls of their homes.
The new believers also receive a copy of the letter from the Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum to the Indians and Eskimos, Bahá’ís of the Western Hemisphere.
The Guarani-Tupis of São Paulo State
Inspired by these early successes, young people in other parts of Brazil began to seek out their Indian neighbors and deliver the Message to them.
One group of Bahá’ís near São Paulo went to the beach beyond Santos, climbed a high and treacherous hill, and found at its top a lone Indian family—not only the immediate family, but several relatives as well.
The family had migrated from the state of Paraná in search of a better life and was supporting itself by selling bows, arrows and other small items.
This entire family soon became Bahá’í. Through the years they received the Bahá’í Bulletin, were visited by the friends, and even attended a Bahá’í National Convention. Their numbers decreased, however, as they set out to find better living conditions, and today there remains only a small number of these dear Bahá’í friends of the Guarani-Tupi tribe.
The first Macuxi believer
Because it is so difficult to teach new tribes, the National Spiritual Assembly was delighted to hear in December 1977 of a declaration in the northern state of Roraima. The new believer said there are many of his tribe, the Macuxi, living in Boa Vista, the capital city of Roraima, who would be interested to hear about the Faith.
The future of the Brazilian Indians
We are trying to establish ever better relations with FUNAI, the Indian Protective Agency, working under the federal government. They have been impressed with our work among the Kiriris.
With the beginning of our radio transmissions for the extension and consolidation of our teaching activities, we are hoping to reach many more Indians who will voluntarily seek the folds of the Bahá’í community. Also, with the possibility of sending Indian pioneers to other tribes, we are hoping to reach Indian settlements in many parts of Brazil.
of the Bahá’ís of Brazil
Progress Report: Seat of the Universal House of Justice[edit]
1 Construction of the building for the Seat of the Universal House of Justice is shown in this photo taken April 12, looking in a northerly direction toward the Bay of Haifa.
2 A photo taken March 26, 1978, showing the building for the permanent Seat of the Universal House of Justice in Haifa with forms in place for the pouring of concrete on the top floor at the eastern end of the building.
3 Construction of the Seat of the Universal House of Justice is seen from the ground level on the northern side, where the main entrance of the building will be, in this photo taken in March. Above, forms are being erected to begin the fifth level of the building.
4 A completed ornamentation for the Seat of the Universal House of Justice is displayed for inspection at the Italian studio that is doing the carving.
5 At the left of this photo taken in March is a portion of the entablature that will be erected atop the columns of the Seat of the Universal House of Justice in Haifa. At the right can be seen the capital for the columns, and portions of the columns themselves are in the background. The work is proceeding on schedule.
6 This photo of the permanent Seat of the Universal House of Justice, taken April 12, shows the rapid progress being made in its construction. The photo was taken looking in a southwesterly direction.
7 A photo taken March 26, 1978, shows workmen pouring concrete for the ceiling of the top floor of the building for the permanent Seat of the Universal House of Justice in Haifa. The view is looking in a northwesterly direction.
With the Madina Dawnbreakers[edit]
A teaching trip in Papua New Guinea[edit]
(EDITOR’S NOTE: The following account of a recent teaching trip in Papua New Guinea by the Madina Dawnbreakers was forwarded to Bahá’í News by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Papua and New Guinea.)
The journey began at Lae. The Madina Dawnbreakers arrived there February 2 for meetings with Counsellor Peter Khan, the National Spiritual Assembly, and the Lae community.
The members of the Madina group are Michael Homerang, its leader; Jennifer Lundeng, Josephine Homerang, and Wilson Elias.
The first stop after Lae was the nearby village of Naromail where the residents erected a special canopy house for the Dawnbreakers to play under and prepared a muu muu feast for their guests.
Afterward, the Dawnbreakers, accompanied by National Spiritual Assembly member Gaibiri Sisia, flew to Popondetta in the Northern Province of Papua.
During their three-day stay at Popondetta the group held several meetings and was interviewed on Radio Popondetta. Michael Homerang spoke about their trip and the Teachings of the Faith, and the group performed 11 songs written by Bahá’ís.
On February 10, the group went by plane to Afore. They received a warm welcome in the village of Manusi where they sang many songs, then continued on the next morning to the village of Bua where they met with the friends.
The Dawnbreakers then walked to the village of Butamo where everyone is a Bahá’í and the people have built a large Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds of bush material. A large gathering was held that night to celebrate their arrival; the feasting and dancing lasted until dawn.
At a meeting later that day Michael Homerang answered questions about the Feast, elections, and the Bahá’í Fund. Further questions dealt with Bahá’í schools and pioneering.
Back at Bua, the group met again with the friends and talked with them about the education of children. Mr. Homerang suggested that the friends there use the Bahá’í Center for a school, but the problem of teachers and books was unresolved.
More meetings followed at Manusi, after which the Dawnbreakers visited the village of Tambupari where the friends had prepared a large feast at the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds.
Mr. Homerang and the others offered encouragement to the believers in Tambupari and tried to help the community recover from the tragic loss of one of its strongest members, Counsellor Daia, who was killed last year. It was suggested that a Center be built in his memory and used to teach and deepen the believers.
From Tambupari the group returned to Popondetta. While waiting 10 days to secure seats on a flight to Moresby, meetings were held at which four people became Bahá’ís.
On February 24, the Dawnbreakers arrived at Port Moresby where they visited Auxiliary Board member Dr. Sirus Naraqi and the friends in Sogeri.
After three days the group traveled to Kwikila. Calling at the home of pioneers Dinyar and Mehru Mirshahi, they were told the Mirshahis had gone to visit a nearby village.
The Dawnbreakers found the Mirshahis there and helped with the teaching by singing Bahá’í songs. After supper, Dinyar made a tape recording of the Dawnbreakers singing. Next morning the group set out for a Medene village.
There they found only the women at home, as the men were away working on a forestry project. They waited at the home of the chairman of the Local Spiritual Assembly until his return. He was surprised to see them, but quickly arranged a large meeting that evening at his home. Mr. Homerang said Medene would be an excellent site for a Summer School, as it is on the edge of a National Park and is quite beautiful.
Next morning the group walked to Gegofi, accompanied by some of the believers from Medene. A large meeting was held that night in the Gegofi Bahá’í Center.
Visits to two more villages, Gegofi No. 2 and Eho, followed, after which believers from each of the villages came to say
The Madina Dawnbreakers with some of the friends at the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Lae, Papua New Guinea. Standing (left to right) are Josephine Homerang, Ho San Leong, Jennifer Lundeng, Ann Hall, David Hall, Anna Lisa Bluett, Sharon Bluett, Paul Lupai. Seated (left to right) are Wilson Elias, Michael Homerang.
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goodbye and showed the Dawnbreakers to a river where they could find a motorboat in which to return to Kwikila, which was much faster and easier than walking.
In Kwikila the group stayed at the home of the Mirshahis, then met with the friends to tell them of their journey before returning to Port Moresby for more meetings and stories about the trip.
On March 3, Dr. Naraqi escorted the group to a settlement near Kilakil school. The believers there requested a cassette recording of the Dawnbreakers to play at their meetings.
Then it was back to Lae, where on March 7 the Dawnbreakers met with the community and shared news of their travels. Next day the group was interviewed on Radio Morobe and made a recording that was played on March 21 to celebrate the Naw-Rúz festival.
The visit was highly successful, especially the radio publicity, the teaching work in Popondetta, and the deepening work among the believers in villages who seldom receive visits from Bahá’ís in other provinces.
New Bahá’ís in the village of Losaka, Cameroon. Continental Counsellor Mihdí Samandarí is at the left.
Dr. Muḥájir in Cameroon[edit]
The Hand of the Cause of God Rahmatu’lláh Muḥájir arrived January 9 at Douala, Republic of Cameroon. After two nights there, he departed for Yaounde where he met with the friends at the district Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds, stressing the importance of child education and women’s activities.
The following day Dr. Muḥájir was interviewed on radio, met with the believers and seekers, and, in the evening, was introduced to some distinguished friends of the Faith. He spoke to about 60 people at the university in Yaounde, after which a student declared her belief in Bahá’u’lláh.
Although very tired, Dr. Muḥájir traveled to Buea to address a meeting at the National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Victoria that was attended by a number of newly-declared youth from the nearby Comprehensive School and other friends.
Dr. Muḥájir spoke of the importance of educating one’s children, and suggested a way that parents could finance higher education. He encouraged them to plant a fruit or nut tree for each child born, and to save the proceeds from the sale of the fruits or nuts for the child’s education. He also suggested buying a pig or goat and selling the piglets or kids.
Another recent visitor to Cameroon was Amir Farhang-Imani from France, who arrived near the end of December.
Mr. Imani’s visits to the Assemblies and Groups brought new life and enthusiasm for teaching. After three visits to Lisoka, it was possible to form a Local Spiritual Assembly there.
In January, Mr. Imani traveled from Buea to Bafoussam and then to Bamenda where he visited 24 towns and six villages, opening some, helping to form six new Local Spiritual Assemblies, and preparing three more for their election. Altogether, Mr. Imani was instrumental in helping to enroll 355 new believers in English-speaking Cameroon before ending his visit on February 25.
Following Mr. Imani’s visit, Mr. and Mrs. Taghavi arrived in Cameroon and spent a month deepening and consolidating the communities visited by Mr. Imani.
Also spending time in Cameroon before taking a pioneering post in South America are Mr. and Mrs. Hemmat who are helping to prepare teachers for children’s classes. Already, those who have attended their courses in Victoria, Kumba, and Kurume are holding such classes.
Around the World[edit]
India[edit]
Teaching accelerates[edit]
A cablegram from the National Spiritual Assembly of India, received March 5 at the Bahá’í World Centre in Haifa, Israel, included the following news:
“During February 5,681 declarations, 168 Assemblies plus 116 (new) localities; South India Project extended Kerala. Forty-one Assemblies incorporated. First Teacher Training Institute held in New Delhi ...”
Dangs host meeting[edit]
A milestone in the development of the Faith in the Dang region of India was marked January 27-29 when its first Bahá’í conference was held in the village of Ahwa in Gujarat State north of Bombay.
The Dangs, one of India’s aboriginal peoples, now have more than 200 Local Spiritual Assemblies in their tribal district that includes only 313 localities in all.
The teaching work there has been planned, financed and carried out largely by the Bahá’í community of Bombay. Its goal is to establish Local Assemblies in all 313 localities in the Dang region.
To help work toward that end, a special Regional Teaching Committee of Dang has been appointed by the National Spiritual Assembly. The committee publishes a regular newsletter.
The Dang conference, attended by some 150-200 believers, was noteworthy in that the women present were as active and vocal as the men.
Many of the Dangs, male and female, are “natural speakers,” even though they are mostly illiterate and speak a dialect, Dangi, that has no written form.
“The Bahá’í community in Dang is rising out of its downtrodden position,” says Dipchand Khianra, a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors. “People are realizing what a great privilege it is to be a Bahá’í ... The future of the community is very bright.”
Norway[edit]
‘Hidden Words’ published[edit]
For the first time in Europe, a commercial publishing firm has printed Bahá’u’lláh’s own texts, The Hidden Words.
In December 1977 the Norwegian firm, Gyldendal Norsk Forlag, in cooperation with the National Spiritual Assembly of Norway, printed, distributed and advertised The Hidden Words for bookstores and the reading public throughout the country. The National Assembly arranged for translation of the text into Norwegian.
Reviews of the book have appeared in national and local newspapers...
Norway’s Permanent Inter-Assembly Travel Teaching Team, composed of Norwegian, Persian, Swedish and English Bahá’ís from 17-73 years of age, has been going strong since its inception in the summer of 1977.
The teaching project, organized in several European countries under the guidance of the International Teaching Centre, the Continental Board of Counsellors and National Spiritual Assemblies, is among the strategies devised to help win the goals of the Five Year Plan in Europe.
After traveling the first few months to various goal areas, the Norwegian team settled in a goal town, As, where members dedicate their waking hours to teaching the Cause.
The most successful teaching method found has been to sit in cafes talking to people. Once the cafes close in the evenings, the team continues teaching with firesides, meetings, parties and other activities...
In the fall of 1977, Norway’s Bahá’í community enthusiastically undertook a nationwide prayer program to commemorate the 20 anniversary of the ascension of the Guardian.
The prayer vigil was begun in communities and by isolated believers throughout the country the weekend of November 5-6 while communities and individuals undertook trips to other localities to proclaim and teach the Faith. From each place that was visited the friends sent greetings via postcard to the National Teaching Conference held the following weekend.
The feeling of unity and cooperation was intense, especially when one considers that Norway’s long distances and high mountains make it difficult for the friends to come together physically.
Taiwan[edit]
The Bahá’ís of Taiwan took part in a national book exhibition held December 18-January 8 at International House in Taipei. The sign above the booth reads ‘Bahá’í Publishing Trust’ in Chinese.
Réunion[edit]
Teaching campaign[edit]
In a cablegram received January 30 at the Bahá’í World Centre from the National Spiritual Assembly of Reunion, it was reported:
“First five weeks intensive teaching
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Chile
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gained five localities, 25 believers Bahá’u’lláh. Prayers, classes, firesides creating exceptional attraction. Regional Conference gathered teams, Auxiliary Board members, friends from seven localities; spirits high. Renewed dedication fulfillment Plan. Asking prayers confirmation.”
Bangladesh[edit]
Winter School held[edit]
About 300 Bahá’ís from 39 communities attended the National Winter School held February 3-5 in Bangladesh.
Among those present were seven members of the National Spiritual Assembly, two Auxiliary Board members, three youth from the Chakma tribe and a guest from the Garo tribe.
Most of the participants were from new localities and showed great interest in deepening their knowledge of the Faith.
Topics covered at the school included Bahá’í history, administration, living the life, teaching, and the Fund. Talks were followed by seminars and workshops on administration, living the life, and teaching.
Evening programs featured Bahá’í songs, games, and question-and-answer sessions on material covered at the school, with prizes for the best answers.
One area of great interest was the participation of a good number of newly-enrolled women, many of whom came a long way to attend the school. There was a special workshop for women that was quite successful.
The more than 30 youth among the participants promised to arise and teach the Faith in their own and surrounding areas, and to establish around 50 new Local Spiritual Assemblies in the coming months.
Although only around 200 were expected to attend the school, and some 300 showed up, causing some inconvenience in food and housing, it was overcome by the warm spirit of love and friendship that prevailed throughout the sessions.
Samoa[edit]
Declaration spreads[edit]
Grass Roots, a publication of the Continental Board of Counsellors for Australasia, reports that “one day Auxiliary Board member William White was passing the village of Avao in Samoa when he was stopped by an elderly man who wanted to know what the Bahá’í Faith was all about.
“William was in a hurry, but the man repeated his question, so William started to give him a brief outline and drew freely on Biblical prophecies. The man was impatient and stopped him, saying, ‘I don’t want to know what it says in the Bible. I want to know what Bahá’ís teach and believe.’
“So William sat down with his new
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friend and gave him the story of Bahá’u’lláh and His Teachings for unity, and Fili (that was the name of the inquirer) could find no argument with what he heard. He became a Bahá’í.
“Now the village of Avao, where Fili holds a respected position, has a Local Spiritual Assembly and its Bahá’í Center was dedicated during the Savai’i Summer School on the Birthday of Bahá’u’lláh. There are those pure-hearted people just waiting to be found.”
South West Africa[edit]
Namibia hosts school[edit]
The new Windhoek Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds was the site January 8-15 of the first Bahá’í Summer School in South West Africa (Namibia). Official dedication of the Center was held during the school session.
Declarations were received from seven of the 80 persons who attended the school, three of whom are members of the Herero tribe, the first from that tribe to enter the Faith in the region.
Earlier, the second National Summer School in South Africa was held (December 26-January 1) at the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Cape Town. The attendance was 156, the majority youth.
As a result of teaching activities of the participants, 35 people in the area declared their belief in Bahá’u’lláh.
Swaziland[edit]
Children’s school held[edit]
The National Women’s and Children’s Committee of Swaziland held a children’s school at the National Center December 9-11.
More than 130 children ages four to 16 attended.
Nationally, the committee has helped establish children’s classes in 22 communities. Its magazine, Bomake Nebantfwana, is issued every two months.
The Philippines[edit]
Teaching conference[edit]
More than 500 Bahá’ís from 74 communities in 18 provinces attended the fourth annual National Teaching Conference in the Philippines.
The conference was held at Solano, in Nueva Vizcaya Province in North Central Luzon, the historic site of the first Local Spiritual Assembly in the Philippines, the home of the first Filipino Bahá’í, and the location of the first Bahá’í Center.
During the conference the friends were divided into 12 groups where they adopted individual goals. The sessions served also as deepening sessions in which participants discussed the Five Year Plan goals that have yet to be filled in the Philippines.
Vicente Samaniego, a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors for Southeast Asia, attended the conference with 13 Auxiliary Board members, 76 pioneers currently residing in the country, and five traveling teachers who have been working there.
After the conference, the traveling teachers joined a local teaching team in Nueva Vizcaya and helped to establish two new Local Spiritual Assemblies in two days.
Mauritius[edit]
The Hand of the Cause of God H. Collis Featherstone (second from right) presents a copy of the Bahá’í World to His Excellency the Governor General of Mauritius. Others present (left to right) are Roddy Lutchmaya, secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly; Continental Counsellor S. Appa, and Mrs. Featherstone.
Hand of Cause Featherstone visits Mauritius[edit]
The Hand of the Cause of God and Mrs. H. Collis Featherstone visited Mauritius from February 11-15.
The Featherstones met with Continental Counsellor S. Appa, Auxiliary Board members and the National Spiritual Assembly, and more than 100 of the friends gathered to hear them speak of the important role of the Bahá’ís at the present critical stage in the evolution of mankind, and the necessity of winning the goals of the Five Year Plan.
On Monday, February 13, the Featherstones, Counsellor Appa and a representative of the National Assembly held a 35-minute meeting with the Governor General of Mauritius. The Bahá’ís presented the Governor General with the latest issue of the Bahá’í World, and told him of the aims and Teachings of the Faith including loyalty to government.
The following day, the same delegation called on the minister of Youth and Sports. The visit lasted for half an hour.
The editor of a daily newspaper and the director of the State Security Service were among the prominent persons who attended an evening tea on February 14 in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Featherstone.
On February 15, the Ombudsman was visited and presented with a copy of the Bahá’í World. The cordial meeting lasted about 45 minutes.
That night, Mr. and Mrs. Featherstone spoke at a fireside. And on Sunday, February 19, during an eight-hour stopover in Mauritius on their flight from Reunion Island to South Africa, they spoke at a Youth Camp near the airport. About 40 of the friends attended.
Portugal[edit]
Volunteers arise[edit]
More than half of the 130 Bahá’ís at the third National Teaching Conference to be held in Portugal within the past year volunteered to go pioneering or traveling teaching when the Hand of the Cause of God Ugo Giachery urged them to “sacrifice to win the Five Year Plan goals before the end of the Plan.”
Dr. Giachery issued the challenge as the conference was reviewing the progress of teaching work in Portugal to decide what must be done to win the goals.
Of the volunteers, eight offered to pioneer outside Portugal, 10 offered to pioneer on the homefront, and 70 offered weekends, vacations or other free time for traveling in Portugal to teach.
The 15 children at the conference attended classes arranged by the National Children’s Committee.
Upper West Africa[edit]
Teaching goals won[edit]
The National Spiritual Assembly of West Africa reports the exciting news that its Five Year Plan teaching goals have been achieved and five village chiefs have recently become Bahá’ís.
Five Local Spiritual Assemblies have been established and 12 localities opened in Mauritania, and 30 Local Assemblies established and 76 localities opened in Senegal.
Papua New Guinea[edit]
Summer School success[edit]
A successful Bahá’í Summer School has been held at Medina, Papua New Guinea. The National Spiritual Assembly reported in a cablegram received January 31 at the Bahá’í World Centre:
“Many visitors from Solomons, New Zealand. Traveling teachers visited Sepik, Manus, Highlands; 27 declarations Siane, 2 Manus. Medina Project commenced; team visited village near Lae yesterday, warmly received. Team leaving tomorrow for Afore. NSA met, consulted with Counsellor Khan, fruitful meeting. Local teacher training projects aimed at deepening Local Assemblies commencing this month.”
Canada[edit]
Family Festival held[edit]
Close to 40 adults and 20 children from Bahá’í families in Saskatchewan, Canada, spent the weekend of November 26-27 at Fort San at a Family Enrichment Festival, organized by the North and South Saskatchewan Regional Goals Committees.
The weekend’s events encouraged parents to explore their own roles, helped children gain a firmer Bahá’í identity, and offered families an opportunity to share the experience of attending a Bahá’í conference together.
Indian Bahá’í honored[edit]
The government of Canada has honored Dorothy Francis, a Saulteaux Indian and a Bahá’í since 1960, for her outstanding services to Canadian Indians in her home province of British Columbia and in the Prairie Provinces as well.
Mrs. Francis will receive the Order of Canada, awarded each year by the government to a few Canadians who have distinguished themselves through outstanding achievements or service.
Mrs. Francis is particularly respected in Canada for founding several Indian Friendship Centers, which assist Indians to adapt to urban life and employment, and Indian Cultural Clubs, which seek to preserve and enrich Indian culture and tradition in Canada.
She also helped create the Winnipeg Arts and Crafts Center through which many native Canadians market arts and crafts. In 1975 she was elected president of the National Arts and Crafts Advisory Council.
Always an active Bahá’í, Mrs. Francis has served on four Local Spiritual Assemblies in Canada and currently serves as an Indian Teaching Coordinator for the National Spiritual Assembly.
Colombia[edit]
When the Bahá’í Center was dedicated November 19 in Leticia, Colombia, these Bahá’í children entertained the 30 people present with music and dancing. The Bahá’ís in Leticia contributed both materials and funds for the construction of the Bahá’í Center, which is six by eight meters (19.5 feet by 26 feet) in size and is located on Bahá’í-owned property.
Finland[edit]
Teaching among Lapps[edit]
Teaching among the Same (Lapp) people in Finland is one of the goals of the Five Year Plan for the National Spiritual Assembly of Finland.
The National Assembly has designated the town of Kemi, in northern Finland, as a goal for the establishment of a Local Spiritual Assembly. The majority of Kemi’s population is Finnish, but a few of
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the people there are Same. It is in the county of Lapland, and two Bahá’ís now live there.
Kemi is also one of the three goal towns chosen by the Inter-Assembly Teaching Project for Bahá’í activities.
Finnish and German Bahá’í youth have planned a teaching trip to Lapland for this summer in which they will hike in the Arctic mountains and teach the Cause whenever possible.
One Bahá’í pamphlet in the Same language has been prepared by the National Spiritual Assembly of Finland.
Hawaii[edit]
Diane Smith, a member of the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Honolulu, opens the Hawaii State Senate session March 21 with a Bahá’í prayer. It has become traditional for the State Senate to have a Bahá’í open its March 21 session or the session closest to it when March 21 falls on a weekend. The day has been officially designated Bahá’í New Year’s Day by Hawaii state law.
United States[edit]
Victory Campaign launched[edit]
Teaching activity in California, one of the three specially designated goal states of the Five Year Plan, gathered momentum March 18 with the inauguration of a two-month-long campaign at El Centro, a small farming community in Southern California’s lush Imperial Valley.
The California Victory Campaign is to spread throughout the state this summer. Teaching teams, coordinated by three Bahá’í youth acting under the direction of the California Regional Teaching Committee, will travel the length of California to open goal localities and help bring Groups to Assembly status.
In the first two weeks of the El Centro campaign, a total of 197 Bahá’ís from 67 communities in nine states and Mexico participated in the teaching. As of March 30, half of the 50 declarants resulting from the project had been enrolled; the jeopardized Assembly at El Centro had been saved, with community membership raised from seven to 18, and some 172 people had signed cards either asking for more information about the Faith, for a visit by a Bahá’í, or for information about how to become a Bahá’í.
The campaign was greatly aided in its initial stages by large numbers of Bahá’í youth who came to El Centro to teach during their spring break from school. At Naw-Rúz, some of the youth visited Mexicali, Mexico, where there were four declarations.
Proclamations in El Centro and the surrounding area made good use of Bahá’í entertainers such as England Dan and John Ford Coley, Walter Heath, Leslie and Kelly, Stu Gilliam, and Red Grammer.
Lesotho[edit]
Special deepenings[edit]
The National Spiritual Assembly of Lesotho reports that “the National Teaching Committee has held several deepening institutes with small but enthusiastic attendance ...”
The National Teaching Committee has “selected about 60 persons from representative areas for special deepening; these individuals are receiving personal invitations to the conferences. They receive deepening materials each month and are enrolled in a correspondence course. Some have been asked to go on small teaching projects ...
“Several successful trips have been made to the mountains recently. Three trips in December and January have resulted in one new Assembly, several new communities opened, study materials distributed, etc.
“Both the Women’s and Children’s committees and the Youth Committee have recently sponsored institutes ...
“Several new correspondence courses are planned for the next few months, based on three of the Star Study booklets ...
“We are especially happy to have the three obligatory prayers now in duplicated form and available for the believers ...
“Several communities now report holding dawn prayers (at least one day a week) and children’s classes.”
Sweden[edit]
National Conference[edit]
A recent National Conference in Stockholm, Sweden, was attended by 72 believers including two Auxiliary Board members, and was addressed by Continental Counsellor Adib Taherzadeh.
The friends, realizing the urgent need to win Sweden’s Five Year Plan goals, resolved to rededicate themselves to teaching, based on a deeper love and devotion for Bahá’u’lláh. They decided “to make joyous teaching life’s dominating purpose.”
Zaire[edit]
Fishing village opened[edit]
Three Bahá’ís from Banalia, Zaire, trying to determine how they could help win the goals of the Five Year Plan in their area, decided to leave their homes, cross the Aruwime River, and set out by pirogue—a type of boat—to open localities.
They reached a village of fishermen, taught the Faith, and received declarations from many of its residents.
The three Bahá’ís plan to return soon to the village to help deepen the new believers.
The Netherlands[edit]
Localities Plan target[edit]
The National Spiritual Assembly of The Netherlands has launched a teaching campaign designed to open 77 new localities to the Faith and reach the Five Year Plan goal of 130 new localities.
Each of the 26 existing Local Spiritual Assemblies as well as the Bahá’í Groups have adopted localities goals. Their efforts to win them are being coordinated by the Regional Teaching Committees.
Meanwhile, the National Consolidation Committee has begun a circuit teaching program whereby courses on a variety of topics are being offered to each Local Assembly and Group. Topics are selected from a list of available Bahá’í subjects, and a teacher is sent to conduct classes in the local community.
Peru[edit]
117 enrolled in Amazon[edit]
Bahá’ís who attended a three-day institute in Peru early this year brought 117 people in the country’s far northeastern Amazon region into the Faith. New Local Spiritual Assemblies were formed in two areas, and the teaching work is continuing.
The institute was conducted by Sergio Couto of Brazil, who trained the believers in the teaching methods used successfully in Bahía at the time of the International Teaching Conference there in 1977.
Following the institute, a team of teachers set out in a new boat dubbed the “Luz Verde Maiden” (Green Light Maiden). They are teaching in the Amazon area, concentrating on villages along the river system.
Meanwhile, four pioneer families have arranged to settle in Iquitos, two pioneers have moved to Leticia and Maraco, three families and a single believer have moved to Manaus, and a family is settling in Belem.
Surinam/Fr. Guiana[edit]
Film introduces Faith[edit]
The Bahá’ís of Surinam have been using the motion picture The Green Light Expedition to introduce the Faith systematically to every Amerindian and Bush Negro tribe in the country.
The film was made three years ago during a teaching trip made by the Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum that included voyages on many South American rivers. Many of the indigenous peoples of the region appear in the film.
A pioneer reporting on showings of the film in the village of Kamaloea said that after the first of them “the captain of the village, whose noble countenance appears in the film, asked for another showing. So our little house was promptly darkened and soon was filled with another eager audience. Both showings were received with vast joy and excitement.
“Kamaloea has blossomed into a Bahá’í paradise. Alibé Afoisa Mimba, who accompanied Rúḥíyyih Khánum on one of her voyages, and is one of Kamaloea’s most distinguished citizens, is now the first Bush Negro to serve on the National Spiritual Assembly of Surinam.”
To use the film, Bahá’ís had to repair an ancient gasoline-powered generator that hadn’t been run for years. Now, an additional generator has been purchased to power a second projector.
The Gambia[edit]
About 70 Bahá’ís from the Foni and Kombo regions in the Republic of The Gambia met November 27 at the Bulenghat Bahá’í Center for a National Teaching Conference.
Nepal[edit]
Following the All-Asia Women’s Conference at New Delhi, India, last October, the Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum traveled to Nepal where she addressed some 700 students at the Padma Kanya Women’s College in Kathmandu. Seated behind her is Shailendra Singh, a Bahá’í from Kathmandu who is a lecturer at the college and who arranged for Rúḥíyyih Khánum’s visit. To Mr. Singh’s left are the campus chief and the assistant campus chief.
