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| Bahá’í News | May 1985 | Bahá’í Year 142 |
Stamp of approval
Bahá’í News[edit]
Riḍván message to Bahá’í world from the Universal House of Justice | 1 |
New postage stamp commemorates World Religion Day in Sri Lanka | 2 |
Excerpts from World Religion Day talk by Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister | 7 |
Sierra Leone holds widespread ‘Project Olinga’ teaching campaign | 9 |
Anís Zunúzí Bahá’í School aids rural development project in Haiti | 10 |
Around the world: News from Bahá’í communities all over the globe | 12 |
Bahá’í News is published monthly 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 the Periodicals Office, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091, U.S.A. Changes of address should be reported to the Office of Membership and Records, Bahá’í National Center. Please attach mailing label. Subscription rates within U.S.: one year, $12; two years, $20. Outside U.S.: one year, $14; two years, $24. Foreign air mail: one year, $20; two years, $40. Payment must accompany order and must be in U.S. dollars. Second class postage paid at Wilmette, IL 60091. Copyright © 1985, National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. World rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.
World Centre[edit]
‘Victory in Plan is now within sight’[edit]
To the Bahá’ís of the World
Dearly-loved Friends,
As we enter the final year of the Seven Year Plan, confidence of victory and a growing sense of the opening of a new stage in the onward march of the Faith must arouse in every Bahá’í heart feelings of gratitude and eager expectation. Victory in the Plan is now within sight and at its completion the summation of its achievements may well astonish us all.
But the great, the historic feature of this period is the emergence of the Faith from obscurity, promoted by the steadfast heroism of the renowned, the indefatigable, dearly-loved Bahá’í community of Bahá’u’lláh’s and the Báb’s native land.
This dramatic change in the status of the Faith of God, occurring at so chaotic a moment in the world’s history when statesmen and leaders and governors of human institutions are witnessing, with increasing despair, the bankruptcy and utter ineffectiveness of their best efforts to stay the tide of disruption, forces upon us, the Bahá’ís, the obligation to consider anew and ponder deeply the beloved Guardian’s statement that “The principle of the Oneness of mankind—the pivot round which all the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh revolve—... implies an organic change in the structure of present day society, a change such as the world has not yet experienced.”
Intimations in the non-Bahá’í world of a rapidly growing realization that mankind is indeed entering a new stage in its evolution present us with unprecedented opportunities to show that the Bahá’í world community is “not only the nucleus but the very pattern” of that world society which it is the purpose of Bahá’u’lláh to establish and toward which a harassed humanity, albeit largely unconsciously, is striving.
The time has come for the Bahá’í community to become more involved in the life of the society around it, without in the least supporting any of the world’s moribund and divisive concepts, or slackening its direct teaching efforts, but rather, by association, exerting its influence toward unity, demonstrating its ability to settle differences by consultation rather than by confrontation, violence or schism, and declaring its faith in the divine purpose of human existence.
Bahá’í youth are taking advantage of the United Nations’ designation of 1985 as the Year of Youth to launch their own campaign of active co-operation with other youth groups, sharing with them Bahá’í ideals and a vision of what they intend to make of the world.
The Bahá’í community will be strongly represented at the culminating event of the United Nations’ Decade of Women in this same year. 1986 has been named the Year of Peace and the Faith will be far from silent or obscure on that issue. Even now the House of Justice is making plans for the presentation of the Bahá’í concepts on peace to the governments and leaders of the world and, through the Bahá’í world community, to its national and local authorities and to all sections of the variegated world society.
But it is in the local Bahá’í communities that the most widespread presentation of the Faith can take place. It is here that the real pattern of Bahá’í life can be seen. It is here that the power of Bahá’u’lláh to organize human affairs on a basis of spiritual unity can be most apparent.
Every Local Spiritual Assembly which unitedly strives to grow in maturity and efficiency and encourages its community to fulfill its destiny as a foundation stone of Bahá’u’lláh’s World Order can add to a growing groundswell of interest in and eventual recognition of the Cause of God as the sole hope for mankind.
Such considerations as these are now occupying the earnest attention of the Universal House of Justice. Their specific implementation will form a large part of the next Plan which will follow immediately on the completion of the present one and will be of six years’ duration.
By winning the Seven Year Plan, by consolidating our local communities, and above all by strengthening and deepening our understanding of the purpose of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation we shall be preparing ourselves to play our part in bringing about that transformation of human life on this planet which must take place ere it becomes fit to receive the bounties and blessings of God’s own Kingdom.
With loving Bahá’í greetings,
Riḍván 1985
Sri Lanka[edit]
New stamp, proclamation mark victory[edit]
On November 21, 1984, Prime Minister Ranasinghe Premadasa of Sri Lanka, acting on a request from a number of high-ranking religious dignitaries, declared the third Sunday in January as World Religion Day in that country and approved a commemorative postage stamp to be issued January 20, 1985, which coincided with the fifth annual observance in Sri Lanka of World Religion Day. The symbols of the various faiths appear as a beautiful bouquet of varying hues emphasizing the oneness of religion and of mankind.
The following background report on World Religion Day in Sri Lanka and how the commemorative stamp came to be authorized by the government was written by Jamshed K. Fozdar, vice-chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of Sri Lanka. Mr. Fozdar, who was one of the speakers at this year’s event, is a consulting engineer and the author of several books on Buddhism and comparative religion including The God of Buddha and Buddha Maitrya-Amitabha Has Appeared.
World Religion Day was observed for the first time in Sri Lanka on January 18, 1981. Two pioneers from the United States, Mr. and Mrs. Jamshed Fozdar, who had arrived in mid-1979 to help fulfill a goal of the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada, decided to begin an observance of this special day which was initiated more than 40 years ago by the beloved Guardian as a means for the Faith to be recognized as a religion among religions by bringing together leaders and peoples of various faiths to emphasize their common denominators by addressing common themes from different perspectives, thus stressing the eternal truths underlying all of our beliefs.
The themes used for World Religion Day since its inception in Sri Lanka have been:
- 1981—The Oneness of Humanity
- 1982—The Foundation of All Religion Is One
- 1983—Religion Should Be the Cause of Unity
- 1984—Society’s Challenge to Religion
- 1985—Spiritual Standards for a Peaceful Society
Through his having authored books on Buddhism and comparative religion and his friendship with many of the leaders of thought in Sri Lanka, Mr. Fozdar was able to obtain the cooperation of some of the country’s most eminent religious figures in planning the World Religion Day observances. Moreover, in keeping with the dignity of the Faith, these observances have from the start been held in the best and most prominent venue, namely, the S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike Memorial Hall whose grandeur is unexcelled by any other conference meeting place in
The Hon. S. Sharvananda, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka and chairman of this year’s observance of World Religion Day in that country, lights the ceremonial lamp to begin the program. To his left is the Hon. Ranasinghe Premadasa, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka; to his right is Mazzahim Mohideen, the coordinator of this year’s fifth annual observance. The government of Sri Lanka this year declared the third Sunday in January as World Religion Day and issued a commemorative postage stamp to mark the occasion.
[Page 3]
South Asia.
Owing to the generous coverage given to them by the mass media, these World Religion Day observances steadily gained prominence in the eyes of residents of Sri Lanka’s capital city, Colombo, as well as among those in other areas of the country. With such press coverage, the name “Bahá’í” also assumed greater stature since, in all World Religion Day programs and invitations, the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Sri Lanka was listed as the sponsor.
One of the first goals envisioned for the Faith in its effort to make World Religion Day the most important annually observed interfaith event in the country was the recognition of the Faith as a religion among religions. Since the Faith in Sri Lanka is small in numbers and until recently relatively obscure (being described in most instances as a Persian or Afghan sect), the status it has now achieved in Sri Lanka, that of a recognized independent religion, might be difficult for the friends in other lands to fully appreciate—in fact, it is difficult even for the friends in Sri Lanka to appreciate, except for those few who reside in the capital city. The fact is that the years of work and planning which led to the government’s recognition of the third Sunday in January as World Religion Day and the issuance of a commemorative stamp marking that recognition has been the privileged experience of a very few Bahá’ís, fewer than the fingers on one hand. These historic achievements have demonstrated clearly to those persevering souls and to their fellow believers Bahá’u’lláh’s power to bestow miracles upon those who work tirelessly for the glory of His matchless Cause. The full story of His irresistible power in guiding every step of this endeavor cannot yet be related in all its details.
The first mention of the idea that the government of Sri Lanka should declare the third Sunday in January as World Religion Day and issue a commemorative stamp bearing the symbols of all the world’s great faiths to mark the occasion was made at the second observance of World Religion Day on January 19, 1982, when Mr. Fozdar suggested in his closing remarks that the government be presented with such a request. More than 18 months later,
The Bandaranaike Memorial Hall in Colombo, Sri Lanka, at which the first five annual observances of World Religion Day in that country have been held. The annual observances are sponsored by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Sri Lanka.
A view of the capacity audience of 1,700 at the fifth annual World Religion Day observance held last January 20 in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
at a special World Religion Day commemorative dinner, it was agreed by members of the National Spiritual Assembly of Sri Lanka and of the World Religion Day Committee (by then a loosely knit group of Bahá’ís and non-Bahá’ís) that Mr. Fozdar should serve as secretary and draft a petition to the President, to be signed by as many participants and well-wishers as possible, asking that the government recognize World Religion Day and issue a stamp to mark its recognition. On June 26, 1983, 14 prominent religious leaders signed the petition to the President at a special meeting for that purpose held at the headquarters of the Sarvodaya Movement and chaired by the Movement’s president, Dr. A.T. Ariyaratne. But because the petition lacked the en-
[Page 4]
Standing under the World Religion Day banner as the national anthem of Sri Lanka is played to open the fifth annual observance of the event in that country are (left to right) Jamshed K.
Fozdar, vice-chairman of the National
Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Sri Lanka; Mrs. Jezima Ismail, president of the Sri Lanka Muslim Women’s Conference and principal of the Muslim Ladies College; Mazzahim
Mohideen, J.P., vice-chairman of the
Board of Trustees of Moors Islamic
Cultural Home and coordinator of the
observance; the Hon. S. Sharvananda,
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
and chairman of the observance; and
the Hon. Ranasinghe Premadasa,
Prime Minister of Sri Lanka and Chief
Guest at the observance.
dorsement of any representatives of the Buddhist clergy, the leaders of the religion espoused by nearly 80 percent of the people of Sri Lanka, the President merely acknowledged its receipt and took no further action.
On January 15, 1984, the fourth annual World Religion Day observance was held in Colombo. Once again, there was a great deal of media publicity about the event as well as about the teachings of the Bahá’í Faith which had initiated and sponsored it. And once again, Mr. Fozdar expressed on behalf of the National Spiritual Assembly the hope that, in view of the importance of the event, the government would recognize the third Sunday in January as World Religion Day and issue a commemorative stamp to mark the occasion. The statement was reported in the press, and as the observance had already gained a good deal of media support, and messages from the President and Prime Minister had acclaimed the goals of World Religion Day, those whose responsibility it was to achieve these great proclamation goals redoubled their efforts with renewed hope.
As another step toward these goals, the National Spiritual Assembly, in a letter of June 23, 1984, to Prime Minister Ranasinghe Premadasa wishing him well on the occasion of his birthday, expressed its gratitude for his previous messages of encouragement and invited him to be the Chief Guest at the fifth World Religion Day observance on January 20, 1985. On July 18 the Prime Minister, through his coordinating secretary, informed the Assembly that he would be pleased to attend the event. His acceptance was both an opportunity and a challenge for the Bahá’ís who were told that while the Prime Minister would be the best person to accomplish the goals of recognition of World Religion Day and the issuance of a commemorative stamp, he would require that the petition be signed by some of the most eminent members of the Buddhist clergy as well as by Hindu, Christian and Muslim leaders.
The power vouchsafed by Bahá’u’lláh to His servants then began to function as two members of the World Religion Day committee, Neil Dharmawansa and D.C. Perera, carried two separate petitions prepared by Mr. Fozdar for the signatures of the four highest and most powerful Buddhist clergymen and were able to persuade all of them to endorse on the letterhead of the committee the petitions addressed to the Prime Minister. These historic petitions, signed by the leaders of the country’s four separate Buddhist denominations together with leaders of the other major faiths, Hinduism, Christianity and Islam, are, as pointed out by S. Sivasupramaniam, former Justice of the Supreme Court and president of the All Ceylon Hindu Congress, who was himself a signatory, unique documents. Many are the eminent names that are affixed, and each of them has a unique significance to impart to the timeliness and importance of the petitions. The documents were completed on September 16 and received on October 26 in the Prime Minister’s office by his coordinating secretary who promised to submit them to the Prime Minister for early consideration.
On Wednesday evening, November 21, the regular day for weekly government cabinet meetings, Bahá’ís and non-Bahá’ís in Sri Lanka heard on radio and television the following cabinet decision: “On a proposal by the Honorable Prime Minister on behalf of a number of religious dignitaries, including several Maha Nayake Theras, the Cabinet of Ministers declared the third Sunday in January as World Religion Day and agreed to the issuance of a commemorative postage stamp to mark this day.” The following day the newspapers carried on their front pages the news of the cabinet decision.
Two weeks later, the Prime Minister’s secretary sent a circular letter to all Ministries and District Development Councils to arrange to observe World Religion Day this year in a befitting manner and to contact the World Religion Day Committee for directions. For the first time in its history the National Bahá’í Centre, from whose precincts the committee was operating, became the focus of assistant ministerial secretaries and defense officials, all coming to seek guidance and information on observing World Religion Day. The committee, with Mrs. Norma Dharmawansa serving as its chief rep-
[Page 5]
resentative, ably assisted by S. Chandrakanthan, administrative officer of
the National Bahá’í Centre, acquitted
itself admirably. The committee quickly prepared its own circulars, one for
the various ministries providing background on World Religion Day and
asking them to encourage their personnel to attend the observance in Colombo, and another for the District
Development Councils showing them
how each could observe World Religion Day in its own district by getting
an eminent person to chair the proceedings and speakers of various faiths
to discuss this year’s theme, “Spiritual
Standards for a Peaceful Society.”
Reports received after January 20 indicated that the day was observed by
prayers, processions or other means in
several of the provinces.
The observance in Colombo had by now become a state function with invitations sent to the more than 1,700 people who attended both by its sponsor, the National Spiritual Assembly of Sri Lanka, and the government’s Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications. The government’s news releases about the occasion point to the Bahá’í Faith as the inaugurator of World Religion Day more than 40 years ago and emphasize that its goal is that people everywhere may come to regard the earth as a single country and mankind as its citizens.
At precisely 4:25 p.m. on January 20, Prime Minister and Mrs. Premadasa arrived at Bandaranaike Memorial Hall and were received by Neil Dharmawansa, secretary of the World Religion Day Committee, who introduced them to the committee chairman, Mr. Fozdar (who also was the Bahá’í speaker on the program); committee member Mazzahim Mohideen, one of the leaders of the Muslim community and coordinator of the observance; and M.L.C. Chandrasekara, secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Sri Lanka.
At the entrance to the main hall, the Prime Minister and his wife were greeted by S. Sharvananda, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and chairman of this year’s observance, who escorted them to the stage. While religious observances such as this are generally noted for poor attendance, and the highest number to attend any previous World Religion Day program was 800, this time the hall was filled to capacity with more than 1,700 in the audience including more than 200 who were standing. Television cameras whirred to record the highlights as the function opened with the traditional blowing of the horn and beating of drums while the lamp-lighting ceremony, participated in by the Prime Minister, Chief Justice and other distinguished speakers and members of the clergy on the podium, was taking place.
After the coordinator called the meeting to order with a few words of welcome, he invited the Honorable Abdul Majeed, deputy minister of Posts and Telecommunications, to come to the stage and commence the formal issuance of the first day covers and the stamp commemorating World Religion Day. Those who knew that even though it was Sunday, post offices across the country had opened for one hour to issue the special stamp, were thrilled by what was taking place. The government had already printed one million World Religion Day stamps.
The ceremony of the first day covers was impressive and colorful as the red-uniformed postal staff began placing the covers on a special table set up for the purpose and handed them to the deputy minister who handed them, one by one, to each of the distinguished guests beginning with the Prime Minister and Chief Justice. One can imagine the elation felt by the Bahá’ís on the dais, Mr. Fozdar and Mrs. Lily Ayman (representing the Bahá’í International Community), as they received their first day covers of this historic stamp which would show people all over the world the recognition of the Faith by the government of Sri Lanka as a religion among religions, the very goal set for World Religion Day by the genius of its inaugurator, the beloved Guardian, Shoghi Effendi.
At the close of the stamp ceremony it was announced that after the observance a special counter would be opened
The Hon. Ranasinghe Premadasa (right), Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, arrives at the fifth annual World Religion Day observance January 20 at the Bandaranaike Memorial Hall in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and is greeted by N.J.H. Dharmawansa, secretary of the World Religion Day Committee which planned the event. Also extending the traditional greeting to the Prime Minister is Jamshed K. Fozdar (left), vice-chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of Sri Lanka who was the Bahá’í speaker on the World Religion Day program.
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at the entrance to the main hall at
which members of the audience would
be able to purchase the first day covers
and World Religion Day stamp.
After welcoming the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice in his opening address expressed his appreciation, on behalf of the assemblage, to the National Spiritual Assembly and the World Religion Day Committee as sponsors and organizers of the interfaith event and for having persevered in holding it for the past five years.
The Prime Minister spoke next, first in Sinhalese and then in English. At the conclusion of his address, nearly 50 senior girl guides who served as ushers and helpers distributed printed copies of the Prime Minister’s speech to members of the audience.
Others who followed the Prime Minister to the podium, some of whose names and achievements have made them nationally and even internationally renowned spokesmen for their faiths, expressed in turn their appreciation to the sponsors and organizers of the World Religion Day observance and stressed that the concept of world religion must move from being simply an annual event to secure for itself a dynamic role in the everyday life of the country—from the grassroots up to the top decision-makers.
In addition to Mr. Fozdar, these speakers were the Hon. V. Siva Supramaniam, former Justice of the Supreme Court and chairman of the All-Ceylon Hindu Congress; Dr. Ariyaratne; the Rev. Father Marcelline Jayekody of St. Anne’s Church, Pilapitiya, Kelaniya; and Mrs. Jezima Ismail, principal of the Muslim Ladies College of Colombo and president of the Sri Lanka Muslim Women’s Conference.
Later, Mrs. Ayman was called upon to make a few remarks, after which she presented to each of the participants gift copies of the books A Crown of Beauty and Let All Rejoice and a souvenir medallion of the U.S. Bahá’í House of Worship.
The Prime Minister spoke next, first in Sinhalese and then in English. At the conclusion of his address, nearly 50 senior girl guides ... distributed printed copies of the Prime Minister’s speech to members of the audience.
The coordinator then called upon Mrs. Dharmawansa of the World Religion Day Committee to accompany Mrs. Sharvananda, the wife of the Chief Justice, to the stage where Mrs. Sharvananda distributed the prizes to children who had won the arts and essay contests on the World Religion Day theme.
Next, the coordinator announced that the nationally famous composer and conductor P.V. Nandasiri, who had written a special theme song in honor of World Religion Day, would conduct its premiere performance with a troupe of 23 musicians and singers. The song, with its lyrical beauty and ecumenical content, stole the hearts of the audience and may well become the theme song of World Religion Day in Sri Lanka.
As the song was completed the fifth and historically unique observance of World Religion Day in Sri Lanka had ended, having in five short years become the most important interfaith event in the country and having received the full recognition of the government which had declared the third Sunday in January to be World Religion Day and commemorated that decision by issuing a postage stamp symbolic of interfaith harmony. In doing so, the government also recognized the Bahá’í Faith as a religion among religions, and its name on the stamp is now there for all the world to see.
Publicity for this year’s event, in the press and on radio and television, far exceeded that of all past years combined. On January 19, the day before the event, the National Radio broadcast panel discussions in three languages with the Prime Minister’s secretary, K.H.J. Wijayadasa, as moderator. While these historic achievements should greatly encourage all of us, we must now press forward to make the Faith a dynamic and ever-present factor throughout Sri Lanka and the rest of the world so that it can be called upon to administer its life-giving elixir to a thirsty humanity. The channels are available, the task is clear, the aid vouchsafed by Bahá’u’lláh to His sincere servants is assured. The friends must now arise and plant the banner of the Faith firmly upon new heights before others close the way and delay the victory.
| ‘I can visualize the spirit of brotherhood that will emerge ...’
I am extremely happy to be present at the fifth observance of World Religion Day in Sri Lanka which also marks the recognition of World Religion Day by the government. I must congratulate the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’í faith in Sri Lanka not only for sponsoring World Religion Day annually but also for the very important role played by them in getting the government to recognize World Religion Day. This is indeed an occasion which I will remember for many years to come. Firstly because I was personally involved in getting the government to designate the third Sunday of every January as World Religion Day. Secondly, I can visualize the spirit of brotherhood that will emerge amongst Sri Lankans belonging to the great religions of the world through the new bonds of friendship and unity that have been established. “Man does not live by bread alone” is a statement full of meaning. Among the many needs of a human being to lead a full and meaningful life, a set of beliefs and practices of a spiritual nature is as important and indispensable as basic essentials of food, clothing and shelter. That is why even in the most primitive societies in the world both past and present there is strong and well-defined religious tradition. That is also why, in every culture, the greatest heights of human creativity, whether in art or literature, music or dance, logic or philosophy have been reached for and on account of religion. Our religious policy is unique in many ways. Ours is a secular government; but we believe that the promotion of religious development is not contradictory to secular principles of legislation and administration. On the other hand, we have, by word and deed, upheld that every religion should be provided all the freedom and facilities that it needs to develop according to the needs and aspirations of its adherents. We do not merely guarantee the freedom of worship. We promote religion and we do it in a spirit of tolerance. In fact, in what I should call a spirit of active tolerance and impartial patronage. The spirit of religious tolerance is an integral part of the national life of our country. It is the very cornerstone of our culture. It has come down to us with the message of Buddhism which we received from the great Indian Emperor Asoka through no less a person than his own son, Mahinda. Emperor Asoka’s Rock Edict No. 12 is rightly called the magna carta on religious tolerance. In this he says: “There should be no extolment of one’s own religion or disparagement of other religions on inappropriate occasions and that it should be moderate in every case even on appropriate occasions .... If a person extols his own religion and disparages other religions with a view to glorifying his own religion because of his attachment to it, he injures his own religion very severely by acting in this way. Therefore, restraint in speech is to be commended because people should learn and respect the fundamentals of one another’s religion.” The Hon. Ranasinghe Premadasa, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, receives a first day cover of the historic World Religion Day commemorative stamp from Abdul Majeed, deputy minister of Posts and Telecommunications, during the fifth annual World Religion Day observance last January 20 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Seated to the Prime Minister’s left are the speaker for Christianity, the Rev. Father Marcelline Jayakody, and the speaker for Buddhism, Dr. A.T. Ariyaratne, president and founder of the Sarvodaya Movement in Sri Lanka. We in Sri Lanka have been the fortunate inheritors of this spirit of tolerance and inter-religious understanding. Our country has received and nurtured religious traditions of a highly diversified nature. Right through history, men of religion have received asylum and succor in our midst. Buddhism mingled with Hinduism in such perfection that from time immemorial we have worshipped in each other’s temples. Buddhists accord to Hindu gods the highest position of sanctity as Bodhisatvas aspiring to Buddhahood. Hindus have likewise accorded to the Buddha an equally sanctified place in their conception by recognizing him as an incarnation of Vishnu. What is significant is that there has been a conscious and willful approach toward unity and unification. It is equally significant that Muslims not only found in Sri Lanka a haven for their secure development but, when persecuted by the Portuguese, were given shelter and protection by the Buddhist kings of Kandy. Similarly, when the Dutch persecuted Roman Catholics, it was in the kingdom of Kandy that they found asylum and perfect freedom of worship. In our sacred shrines like Sri Pada, Kataragama and Madhu, people of all religions seek their own spiritual ends with never a question of their individual religious affiliations. It is due to the same degree of religious tol- |
| erance and understanding that Parsees, Bahá’ís, Subuds and various other religious groups have found in Sri Lanka a fitting environment for them to flourish in, away from their homes of origin.
It is only when faith was appropriately governed by reason that the highest achievements in thought and action were reached. The success of Buddhism as a religion depended to no small measure on the Buddha’s appeal to reason and logic. He wanted his disciples not to accept even his own teachings without subjecting them to critical scrutiny. In a practical demonstration of the Buddha’s concept of religious tolerance, he extracted a promise from one of his new converts—Upali by name—that he would continue to support his erstwhile religious teachers. There is no need for conflict as regards the basic good which every religion expounds. In formulating the essential elements of an universal religion, the Buddha presented the following as the teachings of all Buddhas:
How very close is this statement of the Buddha to the Koranic saying, “Enjoin good and forbid evil so that there is no mischief and corruption on earth.” I have also found a similar correspondence with the Buddha’s teaching that action but not birth determines whether a person is high-born or low-born with the Prophet Muhammad’s famous farewell pilgrimage address in which he said, “All men are equal and their only distinction is based on piety and good acts.” Christ’s Sermon on the Mount with its underlying theme of loving one’s neighbor as one’s self corresponds with the Buddhist teachings of the four Brahmaviharas— the four sublime states of compassion, pity, sympathetic joy (that is, the absence of jealousy and envy) and equanimity. It is love, harmony, concord, peace, confession, non-violence and equanimity that all religious teachers have stressed through precept and example. The need of the hour not only for us in Sri Lanka but for the entire humanity is to mobilize these noble principles to solve the pressing problems of discord and violence, hatred and insecurity. Could we all strive together to reach that perfect level of a purposeful human being whose qualities the Buddha has so succinctly and eloquently described in the opening verses of the Karaniya Metta Sutta in which the Buddha said: “He who is skilled in his own good and who wishes to attain the state of calm, should be efficient, upright, perfectly honest, obedient, gentle, humble, contented, easily supportable, with few obligations, of simple livelihood, controlled in senses, discreet, not impudent and not overly attached to worldly life. He should not commit the slightest wrong which the wise would censure. (He wishes:) ‘May all beings be happy and secure; may their minds be wholesome.’ Let not one deceive another nor despise any person anywhere. In anger or ill-will let him not wish any harm to another. Just as a mother would protect her only child even at the risk of her own life, let him cultivate a boundless affection to all beings. Let his thoughts of boundless love pervade the whole world, without obstruction, without any hatred, without any enmity.” The world today needs this kind of man and it is the duty of all of us dedicated to religion to produce him. There are some basic truths about all religions which have enabled the forging of the unity amongst them. All the great religions have been founded for the redemption of mankind irrespective of race and other considerations, but unfortunately each religion tries to proclaim its superiority over others. Instead of stressing what unites and harmonizes, we tend to emphasize what divides and separates. Why have the various individual religions been unable to unite us? The fault lies not in the religions themselves or in their founders; the fault really lies with us. We have tried to introduce and emphasize the unimportant aspects of religion as against the more important ones. After all, it is the one truth that all the religious leaders have proclaimed. Therefore all religions should unite mankind rather than divide them. The great faiths of the world can no longer continue to be sectarian or national or racial in their outlook or emphasis. They must transform themselves into one universal faith. What is urgently needed is a new spiritual approach which will reconcile the beliefs of the various faiths consistent with modern scientific and rational principles and offer all people a set of values and a meaning to life that they can accept and apply. In conclusion, let me express the hope that in the future the spirit of interfaith understanding and appreciation will find root in all the communities—large and small—across our land and throughout the world. Let such organizations which claim the oneness of religion grow. Let everyone realize that there is one Dharma—one truth. After all, we are a single humanity and this small planet is our single home. Let us sacrifice and work toward peace, good-will and brotherhood amongst all people who inhabit this earth. Let me wish the organizers and participants every success in the promotion of the objectives of World Religion Day. I thank you. |
Sierra Leone[edit]
‘Project Olinga’ paves way for ‘troops’[edit]
After the selection of five areas of concentration in Sierra Leone and an intensive five-day training institute, the stage was set and the “spiritual battalion” moved into the battlefield.
The emphasis in the campaign has been on developing functioning communities that will yield more teachers, more new Assemblies, more localities. The teachers, who were assigned to special areas, had two major goals: to raise up a prescribed number of functioning Assemblies (that is, functioning according to the guidelines from the Universal House of Justice), and to raise up new Assemblies and open new localities to the Faith.
Deepening or “activating” materials were prepared in written form and on cassette recordings. The topics included history, administration, Bahá’í laws and principles, Feasts and Holy Days, the Fund, and teaching. Prayers, especially, were recorded in the two dominant local languages. The teachers visited Assembly areas, systematically teaching this material.
Many Bahá’ís, for the first time, were so happy to feel the power of the prayers of Bahá’u’lláh as they memorized them in their own language. The deepening sheets were also available to be left behind for any literate Bahá’í in the village to carry on the deepening.
The enthusiasm of the trained teachers attracted other friends who joined them in this joyous and challenging work. The importance of contributing to the Fund and holding the Nineteen Day Feasts was stressed. Also, in areas that were sufficiently grounded in the Faith, the idea of a socio-economic project was introduced. In all these areas,
| This article about the recent “Project Olinga” teaching campaign in Sierra Leone was written by Auxiliary Board member Charles Bullock. |
there has been wonderful success. The number of communities having a local Fund, contributing to the National Fund, and holding the Nineteen Day Feast has increased more than 100 per cent.
One friend, a school teacher, moved to a new area and was not heard from for five months. When he was at last visited, he spoke of his teaching activities. As it turned out, he had six communities up to Assembly status; the one in which he lived had more than 80 Bahá’ís. He said the first thing he taught was setting up a local Fund.
Another community, Vaama, has a rice farm and a boat. Once a week they go fishing. The funds collected from the sale of the fish are divided into three parts: one for the local Fund, one for the construction of a Bahá’í Center, and one for a new tutorial school building.
The Bahá’í tutorial school at Yikandor is in full operation with an enrollment of 25 students. The teacher, Mary Sam—who was one of the participants in the Olinga Project—has recently written a school song. At the regional conference in Pujehun, the children from the Bahá’í school came and recited prayers and sang songs in English and their local language.
The four regional teaching conferences held recently in Sierra Leone displayed the fruits of the efforts of so many friends during the past few months. Moyamba, which has had an Assembly for only four months, planned a program that ran from Friday evening until Sunday afternoon. The District Officer and High Executive Officer opened the conference, praising the goals and ideals of the Faith and assuring the cooperation and full protection of their offices. The conference included a public meeting with more than 50 attending.
At a meeting with the Spiritual Assembly of Moyamba, 12 communities were chosen in which to try and raise Assemblies by Riḍván. Two new Assemblies already have been formed.
In the Lungi area, friends came from 14 communities to a conference at Tadie whose program was organized and arranged by local believers. The topics discussed during the day-long conference were chosen to further deepen the friends’ understanding. The number of local Assemblies in the Lungi area continues to grow.
In Makeni, Bahá’ís from about 10 communities gathered for a conference that also was organized, and most classes taught, by local believers. The opportunity to ask questions greatly increased the understanding of the friends, many of whom were attending a large Bahá’í gathering for the first time. Pledges for future activities were made, as well as a contribution to the Fund.
At Pujehun, 12 communities were represented. To arrive on time, some of the friends had to leave their village two to three hours before the conference began. Again, topics to deepen the understanding of the friends were presented including many questions about the laws and teachings.
Although 20 new Assemblies have been formed (bringing the total to 95), new localities opened and many new believers enrolled, the fact that the base of deepened believers who are memorizing prayers, teaching and participating in community programs has grown by more than 100 per cent is preparing the stage for “entry by troops” in Sierra Leone—which we feel confident will soon happen. May the Concourse on high assist us in every endeavor.
Haiti[edit]
Zunúzí School aids development project[edit]
The first official Bahá’í-administered rural development project in Haiti was a pilot project that lasted from January to June 1983 and was funded by an $8,500 grant from the Canadian Embassy in Haiti.
During the project, 20 volunteers from the Zunúzí Bahá’í School were trained in various subjects useful in community development work. Four village early childhood education centers were built, with teachers being partially supported by the parents in those villages.
The current project began on July 15, 1983, and is scheduled to end on July 14, 1985. Of the $82,000 required for the project, two-thirds was contributed by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), while the Universal House of Justice provided the rest.
The purpose of the project is to engage in a process of community consultation leading to identification of local needs and interests. Two or three non-formal education or self-help projects are then to be chosen for implementation.
To determine and verify the needs and interests of the villagers, a survey was conducted with local people in mini-cooperative groups and on women’s committees formed through the project. Good relationships with local people through the presence of the Bahá’í school, coupled with availability of two gifted community workers facilitated this investigative process and overcame typical problems of poor communication and inaccurate information which often
| This article on the Bahá’í rural development project in Haiti is reprinted from the Winter/Spring 1984-85 issue of Timoun, the newsletter of the Anís Zunúzí Bahá’í School in Lilavois, Haiti. |
result from mistrust and resentment of outside researchers.
No maps or census lists were available for the area, so local youth made their own; counted every fourth house; and divided into teams to conduct interviews with use of questionnaires developed by the staff. The survey encompassed 98 households and 216 individuals in Lilavois, Depio, Savane, Blonde, Segur and Celeste.
The basic trends indicated the lack of water, tools, storage, sources of credit, community organization and adult literacy.
Through activities of the mini-cooperatives and women’s committees, the local people began to consider actions they might themselves take to introduce new profit-making services to their areas. The immediate interest was to build up capital through small cooperative commercial undertakings, with the long-range goal of agricultural and animal-raising projects. These women’s committees of Lilavois (site of the Anís Zunúzí Bahá’í School in southwestern Haiti) and Liancourt (in central Haiti) were interested in crafts, cooking, sewing and, to some extent, literacy and upgrading of those skills. The interests thus expressed gave direction to the documentation-gathering undertaken by the project.
This delicate process of awakening people to their own value and the ability to change their situation is a key element often missing in development projects. Encouraged by the villagers’ positive response, the Development Committee and staff decided to create a course during the second year (July 1984-July 1985) drawing from the Holy Writings and “animation” techniques to try to define this process. Its purpose is to train instructors, and possibly to orient Spiritual Assemblies in future projects.
In the Lilavois area and in Artibonite (a region in central Haiti), the project is promoting the formation of mini-cooperatives composed of friends who invest in commercial or agricultural projects with their own money. Largely through the skills of one development worker, there are 17 such groups. Members are developing new attitudes through practical experience about cooperation and change, and the importance of learning, to control finances, understand the market systems and contribute to their community’s development.
At monthly day-long sessions, mini-cooperative members are oriented toward development concepts. Each seminar includes a demonstration or explanation of agricultural techniques, using the experimental plot behind the Anís Zunúzí School. In this plot, 16 varieties of beans and other vegetables are planted including the little-used soya bean. The villagers learn methods of multiple planting, corn and seed selection, and the use of chemical fertilizers and insecticides.
In the area of literacy training, 25 trainees (including four from the Artibonite area and two from other agencies) learned a method which first removes people’s fears and shyness, then simplifies writing by reducing all letters to a few basic strokes.
A UNICEF seminar held last year showed the potential value of the Anís Zunúzí School as a training center for other agencies, and has greatly enhanced the prestige of the Faith.
In the field of agriculture, the project administrators perceive the need to reach farmers with an organized, scientific program of joint research, and to locate someone who is capable of setting up an irrigation system on the school’s experimental plot.
[Page 11]
One objective of the project is to
train local people to help with the identification, planning and operation of
educational programs, and to aid local
organizers and facilitators of such programs. On this count, an all-Haitian
team including local youth learned to
plan and execute a survey. Of 30 youth
trained in the pilot project, 14 actively
participate in the project as instructors
and assistant instructors. Ten out of 19
trained at the UNICEF Center work as
instructors in Bahá’í-operated early
childhood centers. Under the supervision of the Spiritual Assembly of Liancourt, a core of motivated people now actively plans and carries out these activities, with minimal support from the
project.
Characteristic of a new breed emerging from individuals involved in the project is Alix Breau, a 28-year-old Bahá’í who had been working closely with Francisque Francois and who finally joined the project staff. He remarked how he was impressed by the fact that Francisque had left his own region to help in the project—a gesture of love and fraternity; and how the training he received helped him greatly to make contact with people in his own area. The Development Committee found it amazing to find, in the hand-out mentality where aid is perceived almost solely in passive material terms, people such as Mr. Breau commenting on non-material benefits of the project activities.
| The Development Committee appointed by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Haiti is responsible for implementation of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) project, and other such projects. Its members are Stuart North, chairman; Hans J. Thimm, secretary; Francisque Francois and Georges Marcellus. Linda Gershuny and René Jean-Baptiste serve as advisers.
Field personnel who are key to the execution of the project are members of the Rural Development staff. They are: Linda Gershuny, coordinator; Susan Walsh, assistant administrator and pre-school supervisor; and community development workers Francisque Francois, Desanges Exama, Alix Breau and Rose Gabrielle Seraphin. Sherif Rushdy is the Development Project director in Canada. |
Women’s activities at the Anís Zunúzí Bahá’í School in Lilavois, Haiti, include weekly sessions on nutrition and cooking.
Another objective of the project is to serve as a center for the delivery and coordination of appropriate programs of other agencies. To this end, there has been interaction between the Bahá’í rural development project and such agencies as the Department of Public Health/Bon Repos Health Complex; the Department of Rural Development and Natural Resources; a Bahá’í project which set up the connection for redistribution of pigs in the area; UNICEF-Centre d’Education Spéciale; Gros Morne Development Project (Catholic Relief Service); Seventh Day Adventist World Service; Haitian-German Development Foundation; Centre Haitien de Recherche pour la Promotion Feminine (International Women’s Organization); and Scheut Fathers: Literacy Seminar.
As part of an ongoing initiative among Bahá’í agencies involved in development work, one of the project goals is to gather information about, and develop liaison with, other projects of a similar nature, especially in neighboring Caribbean and Latin American countries, which would lead to exchanges of students and staff, and sharing of results. Before the beginning of the project, Linda Gershuny (one of its advisers), gained insights from a visit to the FUNDEAC Development Project (Rockefeller Foundation) in Calí, Colombia.
Dr. Farzam Arbáb, a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors for the Americas and liaison Counsellor for Haiti, has given unstintingly of his time and knowledge in the field of social and economic development in the course of the creation and unfoldment of the project.
The world[edit]
Singapore Bahá’í on BBC World Service[edit]
After submitting a written question about the role of religion in bringing peace to the world, Freddy Tan, a Bahá’í from Singapore, was chosen to be connected by telephone to the London studios of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) so he could put his question directly to the Catholic Primate of England during a live broadcast last October 29 of a program called “It’s Your World.”
On the air, the program moderator said to the cardinal: “Mr. Tan, a follower of the Bahá’í Faith, which believes in the ultimate unity of God, mankind and religion, wants to know what part world religions can play in bringing unity.”
The cardinal’s general answer included a statement about the important contribution that all religions can make.
When Mr. Tan suggested that there should be a controlling world body owing allegiance to God so that the rights of people could be safeguarded, the cardinal showed sympathy for the concept, giving a generally positive answer.
One hundred persons including visitors from six Asian countries attended a Bahá’í Winter School last December 14-16 in Singapore.
Seychelles[edit]
Ninety-five people including several non-Bahá’í guests attended the dedication last November 11 of a recently completed regional Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Anse Etoile, Seychelles, that will serve five Bahá’í communities in the country’s northern region.
The building, the first of its kind to be acquired in the Seychelles, completes a goal of the Seven Year Plan.
Its completion was made possible by contributions from the National Spiritual Assembly of the Seychelles, a “sister” National Assembly, and two Spiritual Assemblies in the area served by the new structure.
Uganda[edit]
Seven hundred people in Uganda embraced the Faith during the first month of a three-month teaching campaign that began last October 15.
A group of 21 Bahá’ís working under a liaison committee to the National Spiritual Assembly of Uganda divided their efforts in the districts of Arua, Bundibugyo and Nebbi. Five bicycles were purchased for the teachers to use in carrying literature and other materials.
The entire village of Bundingoma accepted the Faith, while enrollments in Kabale reached 175. There were 400 new believers in Nebbi, where two teachers remained to help elect local Spiritual Assemblies. In the Arua District, the enrollment of 80 new believers was reported.
These early victories were achieved in spite of a long-lasting drought that has left many communities in each of the three districts without adequate food.
World Centre[edit]
Official and semi-official visits by distinguished visitors to the Bahá’í World Centre and its Holy Places have increased at an amazing rate since the completion of the permanent Seat of the Universal House of Justice.
Among the high-ranking public officials and other dignitaries visiting last November and December were the prime minister of Israel; the ambassadors from South Africa, Costa Rica, Peru and Canada; the captain of the U.S. Navy missile cruiser “Mississippi”; the director-general of Israel’s Ministry of the Interior; the rector of Haifa University, and several scholars and journalists.
India[edit]
Pictured with their teachers are participants in a recent deepening institute in Bhind, north Madhya Pradesh, India, where it is reported that more than 100,000 people have recently become Bahá’ís as a result of many years of devoted teaching in that area.
Seventy-seven new local Spiritual Assemblies were formed and 9,113 people became Bahá’ís last September and October as a result of the Gudalur and Yelagiri Hills teaching campaigns in India.
Teachers were prepared for the successful and ongoing projects by attending the Gudalur Bahá’í Institute held during the first week in September.
As the campaigns got under way, teaching teams visited outlying villages during one half of each day.
Their efforts proved so successful that they soon ran out of enrollment cards, but the problem was solved by pasting one card in a new notebook. Then, after each person was convinced that Bahá’u’lláh is the Manifestation of God for this age, he or she would read the unused enrollment card and sign his or her name in the notebook.
One hundred ninety-six students from six of India’s northern states are presently attending the Bahá’í-owned Rabbani School in Gwalior.
A year-end report from the school for 1984 shows that it has a faculty of 15 who offer instruction in Hindi with English and Sanskrit being taught as second languages.
The school maintains a 74-acre farm and poultry operation where the boys at the school work and receive training.
Associated with the school are the Rabbani Community Development Project, which operates eight tutorial schools, and the Rabbani Rural Health Project, which is designed to offer service to nearby villages while providing useful experience for students.
Three of the eight tutorial schools are fully self-supporting. In three villages, students pay fees to cover their teachers’ salaries.
Every Saturday morning, all Rabbani School faculty and students travel in teams to 12 nearby villages to teach children, plant trees, or perform dramas on social or health-related topics. Many help in the publicity for immunization campaigns carried out in some of the villages.
More than 400 delegates from 15 countries including England, the United States, New Zealand, West Germany, Iran, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Canada, Nepal, the Maldives, several Middle Eastern countries and 18 states in India attended an historic two-day Bahá’í Temple Conference last October 19-20 in the ancillary building of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár of the Indian Subcontinent.
The guest speaker on this occasion of the first use of the new and still uncompleted building was the Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum who was accompanied by Violette Nakhjavání and three members of the National Spiritual Assembly of India when, on the first day of the gathering, they called on the late prime minister of India, Indira Gandhi.
On the second day, Faríburz Sahbá, the architect of the new Temple, gave an update on construction work.
Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum then spoke about the significance of the institution of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, comparing it to the hub of Bahá’í life in every village, town and city, and noting that Bahá’u’lláh has said that in the future there will be a House of Worship in every Bahá’í center.
United States[edit]
Bahá’ís from the Concord, California, area participated last September 22 in a “Cross-Cultural Understanding Conference” arranged by the Center for New Americans, a service organization founded by a Bahá’í, with the cooperation and help of the Mount Diablo Unified School District.
The purpose of the conference was to educate the community and to demonstrate the importance of effective communication in understanding and relating to other cultures.
It provided an opportunity for community leaders and educators to recognize and appreciate cultural diversity in a unifying and dynamic atmosphere.
Participants represented a variety of ethnic and national origins including Afghans, blacks, American Indians, Filipinos, Japanese, Jews, Laotians, Mexicans, Nicaraguans, Poles and Vietnamese.
The Center for New Americans was founded in October 1983 by Guity Kiani, a Bahá’í from Clayton, California, who was helped by a group of citizens who were interested in facilitating the integration of immigrants into American society.
The center opened its doors with no funding but thanks to the efforts of many professionals who volunteer their time, it has helped a few hundred families in the area.
The Center lists as its purposes:
- To assist refugees and immigrants of all nationalities to adjust to the American culture.
- To provide long-term support and services so that foreign-born Americans can become valuable contributing citizens.
- To facilitate the involvement of counselors and volunteers who wish to contribute to the integration into society of new Americans.
Its emphasis is on fostering independence, self-sufficiency and personal development among these newcomers while enriching the community at large through sharing this diversity.
The cross-cultural conference included presentations on cross-cultural communication and the impact of prejudice.
In addition, the emotional, financial, employment and language problems experienced by immigrants were discussed by a panel composed of a psychologist, a social worker, and a language specialist.
Also included was a presentation by Dr. Dean Barnlund, a professor of intercultural and interpersonal communication at San Francisco State University, on the nature of conscious and unconscious culture and its effect on our behavior.
Dr. Richard Heggie, president of the International Visitors Center and past president of the World Affairs Council, spoke about how to get along with people of other cultural backgrounds.
Twelve Bahá’ís participated last December 8-11 in the annual meeting and 75th anniversary observance of the American Academy of Religion and Society for Biblical Literature held in Chicago.
The U.S. Bahá’í Publishing Trust and World Order magazine were represented by Larry Bucknell, Dr. Betty J. Fisher, Anne Atkinson, Robert Atkinson and Candace Moore.
A display booth sponsored by the Publishing Trust and World Order magazine attracted more than 80 browsers, 55 people who accepted free hand-outs or copies of World Order, and 52 who asked questions, purchased books or expressed some knowledge of or interest in the Faith.
Those who visited the booth included other publishers, professors, and scholars of religion from all over the US:
A panel on “The Diffusion of the Bahá’í Faith and Its Encounter with Other Religions” was part of the four-day conference program. The two and one-half hour session was attended by 14 people, several of whom asked thoughtful questions.
Susan Stiles, who chaired the panel, spoke on “Zoroastrian Conversions to the Bahá’í Faith in Yazd, Iran.”
Anthony Lee spoke on “The Bahá’í Faith in West Africa, 1950-1963,” while Robert Stockman, author of the forthcoming book The Bahá’í Faith in America: Origins, 1892-1900, spoke on “The Bahá’í Faith and the Bible in the United States, 1892-1912.”
William Hatcher, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada and the executive committee of the Association for Bahá’í Studies, attended the conference to promote the new book, The Bahá’í Faith: Emergence of a Global Religion, to be published by Harper and Row.
Dr. Hatcher and his co-author, Douglas Martin, prepared the book as a project of the Association for Bahá’í Studies.
Other Bahá’ís at the conference included Dr. Ann Schoonmaker, Dr. Heshmat Moayyad, and Janet Bucknell. Dr. Schoonmaker, a long-time member of the AAR, has single-handedly represented the Faith at past conferences.
A number of the Bahá’ís attended receptions sponsored by various publishers and universities and the 75th anniversary banquet of the AAR which honored Mircea Eliade, known for his work at the University of Chicago in the history of religion and mythology.
Italy[edit]
Augusto Robiati, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Italy, was presented with two literary prizes last November 24 in Rome.
He was awarded the international peace prize “Pace nel Mondo” (Peace in the World) “in recognition of (his) constant efforts to strengthen the bonds of peace and brotherhood among peoples.”
The second award, an international literary prize, “Valle del Sagittario,” was presented for the prose and narrative quality of Mr. Robiati’s two Bahá’í works: Uomo Svegliati (1973) and Gli Otto Veli (1981), which are published by Casa Editrice Bahá’í, the Bahá’í Publishing Trust of Italy.
The National Spiritual Assembly of Italy reports the establishment of 55 local Spiritual Assemblies, five more than the number called for in the Seven Year Plan goals for Italy.
The announcement followed the election of the first Spiritual Assembly of Campobasso last October 11 and the formation last December of another new Assembly in San Pietro, near Verona.
Nigeria[edit]
Counsellor Friday Ekpe joined representatives of the Spiritual Assembly of Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria, for an audience with the governor that was a part of proclamation activities planned by the Jos Bahá’í community to fulfill the goals of the last phase of the Seven Year Plan.
It was reported that the governor was impressed by what he heard from the Bahá’ís and pledged his government’s help in social and economic development projects. The commissioner of police encouraged the believers to make more people aware of the Faith and to increase their numbers.
As a follow-up to letters written by the Bahá’ís to these officials and to the traditional ruler, the friends also met with the traditional ruler who thanked them for books they had given him and offered his help in the future.
Participants in a Regional Teaching Conference held last February 9-10 in Ogharefe, Bendel State, Nigeria, are pictured in front of the nearly completed National Teaching Institute building. The conference was one of six held across Nigeria the same weekend to stimulate teaching activities.
Dr. Marco Kappenberger, a Bahá’í from Berne, Switzerland, who is a representative of the Bahá’í International Community to the United Nations in Geneva and is in charge of media planning for the National Spiritual Assembly of Switzerland, made a proclamation visit February 16-22 to Nigeria.
Dr. Marco Kappenberger (second from right), a Bahá’í from Berne, Switzerland, who is a representative of the Bahá’í International Community to the United Nations in Geneva, is shown during a visit last February to Spectrum Books Ltd. in Ibadan, Nigeria. With Dr. Kappenberger are (left to right) Tunde Dada, a Bahá’í from Lagos who accompanied him; Mr. Adegbola, an assistant manager of Spectrum Books; and Mr. Igbinosum, the company’s distribution manager.
While there, Dr. Kappenberger met with three federal ministers, two secretaries of the Nigerian government, and various UN officials. He also addressed a group of 30 students and 10 faculty members at the University of Lagos and met with the vice-chancellor of the University of Ibadan.
Dr. Kappenberger visited broadcast officials and newspaper editors, and was interviewed on three television programs and one radio program.
France[edit]
A 15-minute television program produced by the Public Relations Committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of France which was telecast nationally last September 29 marked an important first for the Bahá’ís of France.
The program, which used the talents of Bahá’í narrators and struck a very professional tone, included parts of previously produced Bahá’í films from several sources.
It was one of five segments that made up an over-all 75-minute program entitled “Liberté 3.”
A video tape of the program was viewed last December at the Bahá’í World Centre in Haifa.
Cameroon[edit]
Pictured are participants in the 6th Bahá’í Summer School last December 22-29 in Yaoundé, Cameroon. Among those present were five members of the National Spiritual Assembly of Cameroon and three Auxiliary Board members, all of whom served as teachers and administrators. Attendees came from 18 localities in the country’s French-speaking region. Nineteen of them pledged to fill Seven Year Plan goals in various localities.
Shown are participants in the 6th Bahá’í Summer School last December
22-30 in Limbe, Cameroon. The program included separate classes for the
16 children who attended. Two traveling teachers from Germany were
among those attending the session,
which closed with a Bahá’í wedding
that drew an audience of about 150 Bahá’ís and their guests.
Senegal[edit]
Seventy-nine Bahá’ís from five localities in Senegal attended a conference and inauguration ceremony at the new Bahá’í Center in Koundhioughor that took place recently during a visit by two traveling Bahá’í teachers.
During their month-long trip, these two Bahá’ís helped form seven new Assemblies and visited 27 other established Assemblies in the Kolda and Ziguinchor regions of Senegal.
The Gambia[edit]
Twenty-five children from ages three to six are attending a nursery school at the Bahá’í National Center in The Gambia.
Only three of the youngsters are from Bahá’í families. Classes, divided into two levels, are taught by Bahá’ís; the curriculum is planned by the Spiritual Assembly of Banjul.
West Germany[edit]
More than 120 people, most of them non-Bahá’ís, filled a public school auditorium in Dieburg, a small town near Frankfurt, West Germany, for the 1984 Human Rights Day observance organized by the Bahá’ís of Dieburg.
Speaking were two members of Parliament, the Deutsche Bundestag; the mayor of Dieburg; and Dr. Udo Schaefer, a well-known Bahá’í author. Among those in the audience were several local and regional officials.
The mayor warmly expressed his thanks to the Bahá’ís for being the first in the community to celebrate Human Rights Day, and encouraged them to continue to do so, offering the use of the recently restored hall of Dieburg castle as the site for next year’s program.
The two members of Parliament spoke about the historical roots of human rights around the world. One of them, Dr. Alexander Warrikoff, said the invitation to speak had stimulated his interest in the human rights issue.
He drew a parallel between the suppression of Bahá’ís by the Third Reich and their present situation in Iran, both of which, he said, are marked by the Bahá’ís’ loyalty to government.
Pictured are some of the 120 people who attended the first Human Rights Day observance held late last year at a school auditorium in Dieburg, West Germany, and organized by the Bahá’í community of Dieburg. The speakers (seated left to right in front row) were Auxiliary Board member Dr. Ingo Hofmann; H. Aelken, the mayor of Dieburg; Dr. Alexander Warrikoff, a member of Parliament; Dr. Udo Schaefer, a well-known Bahá’í author; and Heinrich Klein, a member of Parliament.
Dr. Schaefer, who is a judge, presented an analysis of the persecution of Bahá’ís in Iran from a theological and judicial point of view.
After the talks, flowers were presented to Mrs. Vajdieh Najy, whose husband, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Iran, was imprisoned in 1980 and has not been heard from since.
The flowers, it was said, were a sign of solidarity with all those who suffer human rights abuses worldwide.
The evening program was closed with the recitation of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s prayer for unity. One of the non-Bahá’í guests said later that the prayer had given him new hope, and he offered to help in whatever way he could.
Taiwan[edit]
Three members of the National Spiritual Assembly of Taiwan are shown with two award recipients at the fifth annual Bahá’í Humanitarian Awards dinner last November 24 in Taipei. From left to right are Mrs. O.Q. Buehrer, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly; Sun Yueh, a well-known actor who has been involved in many charitable activities including providing help for refugees in northern Thailand; Saeid Khadivian, chairman of the National Assembly; Yueh Chai-Jun, a newspaper columnist honored for her guidance and help to youth; and John Cheng, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly.
Zimbabwe[edit]
One hundred women attended a National Bahá’í Women’s Conference last January 19-20 in Zimbabwe.
The deputy secretary of women’s affairs, attending on behalf of the government’s minister of community development and women’s affairs, presented an eloquent speech praising the Faith.
The extraordinary story of how the Bahá’í Faith was brought to North America and how the early Western Bahá’ís survived the disaffection of their first teacher and became firmly grounded in the Covenant
IN AMERICA Origins |
| Secret meetings, inaccurate explanations, the seeking of personal gain through the promulgation of half-understood teachings—these are some of the factors that lead to the conversion before 1900 of almost 1,500 North Americans from 25 U.S. states and at least one Canadian province. Many fell away when their leader broke the Covenant. But the strong and dedicated group of Bahá’ís who remained steadfast would build Bahá’í institutions that would become models for Bahá’ís everywhere. Read about such early Bahá’ís as the wealthy PHOEBE HEARST (mother of William Randolf Hearst); ROBERT B. TURNER (the first black Bahá’í in North America); Canadian-born PAUL DEALY (who was appointed Chicago’s first Bahá’í “teacher”); EDWARD GETSINGER (one of the many persons from the medical field attracted to the Bahá’í Faith); LUA GETSINGER (destined to become one of the greatest teachers of the Faith); and THORNTON CHASE (an insurance executive designated by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as “the first American believer.”) |
| ROBERT H. STOCKMAN, who became a Bahá’í in 1973, holds a bachelor’s degree in geology and archaeology from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut; a master’s degree in planetary geology from Brown University; and a master of theological studies degree from the Harvard Divinity School. At the present time he is teaching astronomy at Bentley College, in Waltham, Massachusetts, while he is pursuing a doctorate of theology in the history of religion in America at the Harvard Divinity School. |
| xxix + 277 pages, including appendix, notes, annotated bibliography, indexes 23 photographs |
$1995* |
*Available from Bahá’í Distribution Service
Wilmette, IL, U.S.A., at prices listed plus 10% for
postage and handling.
- Available from
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