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| Bahá’í News | June 1987 | Bahá’í Year 144 |
New spirit in Korea
On the cover: The newly renovated Bahá’í Center in Seoul, Korea. The Bahá’ís of Korea are engaged with renewed efforts in winning the goals of the Six Year Plan. The Center, situated in the central section of the nation’s capital, reflects the new spirit of activity and dedication growing among the Bahá’ís of Korea.
Bahá’í News[edit]
Panama’s Guaymi Cultural Center holds second dedication ceremony | 1 |
June 1912: ‘Abdu’l-Bahá hosts a ‘feast of unity’ in Teaneck, New Jersey | 4 |
The new Bahá’í Temple has tremendous impact on the people of India | 7 |
Bahá’ís of Iran set early example in social and economic development | 8 |
Update from World Centre on translations of ‘Promise of World Peace’ | 12 |
Bahá’ís hold medical camp, train health workers in Panchgani, India | 13 |
Around the world: News from Bahá’í communities all over the globe | 14 |
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 the U.S.: one year, $12; two years, $20. Outside the U.S.: one year, $14; two years, 24$. Foreign air mail: one year, $20; two years, $40. Payment must accompany the order and must be in U.S. dollars. Second class postage paid at Wilmette, IL 60091. Copyright © 1987, National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. World rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.
Panama[edit]
Guaymi Cultural Center opens[edit]
On February 24-28, the greatest spiritual event in Panama since the dedication in 1972 of the Bahá’í House of Worship took place at the Guaymi Indian village of Boca de Soloy, Chiriqui Province.
As many as 2,500 Guaymi Indians from 32 communities in Panama and visitors from a number of countries including Alaska, Costa Rica, Mexico, the United States and Venezuela gathered that week for the dedication of the Guaymi Cultural Center. Also held in connection with the formal dedication ceremony were a women’s conference, a music and dance festival, a children’s and youth festival, and a Native Council.
The Guaymi Cultural Center facilities consist of the nine-sided Rahmatu’lláh Muhájir Institute (dedicated in 1979 by the Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum); the multi-purpose classroom, dining hall and dormitory building for about 70 students, officially designated “Ju Ngobere” (Guaymi House) in the Guaymi language and “Centro de Cultura Guaymi” in Spanish; the Bahá’í Radio Station Transmitter Link (STL) building; the caretakers’ cottage (all of these are situated on a windy hilltop above the Soloy River); and the Bahá’í radio station itself, with its 180-foot antenna towering above the town of Boca del Monte. The station broadcasts educational, cultural and spiritual programs in Guaymi and Spanish 12 hours each day to the Guaymies and Latins in three provinces.
Most of the visitors from the cities and foreign countries passed through Boca del Monte in four-wheel drive vehicles en route to Soloy, an hour and a half’s drive up a winding, rocky, dusty road, at times impassable during the rainy season, past grazing white Cebu cows, while many Guaymies walked or rode on horseback up steep mountain trails for one to three days to reach their new Cultural Center.
The Guaymi Cultural Center’s multipurpose building at Boca de Soloy, Panama. In the center of the photo is the dining hall.
The preparatory work for the dedication of the Center, including construction, and the radio station, which broadcast the ceremony live on the new STL, was performed largely by the Guaymies with technical help mainly from skilled U.S. and Persian pioneers and communications technicians from the Panamanian government. Many consultative sessions were held by the Guaymi Cultural Center Commission and the Spiritual Assembly of Soloy to develop a program of activities to proclaim and demonstrate the purpose of the Center to offer educational and cultural opportunities in material, human and spiritual aspects to the Guaymi people and other indigenous tribes according to their interests without regard to sex, age or religious belief.
With two exceptions the daily sessions at the dedication were conducted only by the Guaymies or other Indians. The first to speak on inauguration day was a retired black Methodist minister who had spent 37 years working with the Guaymies of Boca del Toro Province on the Atlantic side of Panama. He spoke in Guaymi about his Guaymi-Spanish grammar and dictionary book in which he has standardized and reduced the various spoken Guaymi dialects into one written Guaymi language.
The second exception was a talk by the national sub-director of social communications of the Ministry of Government and Justice, which had ap-
The photographs for this article were taken by Jane Jensen.
[Page 2]
proved the licensing of the Bahá’í radio
station. Significant also was the participation of four Guaymi chiefs and
one Guaymi national legislator, representing all three provinces of the
Guaymi areas.
A representative of “Light of the North,” a private enterprise of Bahá’ís from Alaska, and his crew video taped for an eventual one-hour film the varied dedication-related activities in Soloy and Boca del Monte in addition to local “color” background in Panama City and the nearby Panama Canal locks. Among the sights and sounds recorded on film were the well-executed traditional Guaymi dances; the bright twirls of the dancing Kuna partners; the animal and bird imitations of the Choco dance group; the enchanting flute music, twang of the jew’s harp, rattle of the maracas, cheerful colors of the dresses, and delightful dances of the children, their faces painted to resemble raccoons; the superb hoop dances of Kevin Locke, a Lakota Indian from South Dakota; and the enthusiastic drama and musical talent show directed by a Kuna Bahá’í who had pioneered to Venezuela.
Kevin Locke, a Lakota Indian from South Dakota, performs a traditional Sioux hoop dance during dedication ceremonies last February for the Guaymi Cultural Center in Boca de Soloy, Panama.
Consultation is held during the Native Council for Indians only (February 27) in the Guaymi Cultural Center’s Rahmatu’lláh Muhájir Institute at Boca de Soloy, Panama.
At night, under the diesel-powered electric lights, there often were two large simultaneous gatherings flowing into each other—one in the Muhájir Institute for Bahá’í movies and slide shows, the other in the dining hall of the Cultural Center to view the raw video film footage taken that day.
Also, there were those little signs of the coming of age of the Guaymi people—such as the women holding a conference on marriage and education of children in the Institute while their husbands held their own conference on the same themes in a classroom in the Center.
A Guaymi tutorial school teacher gave a demonstration class in a model thatched-hut tutorial school, nine of which are functioning in the Guaymi area of Chiriqui and one in the Choco area of Darien Province, all in communities in which government schools are not available. During the daily sessions of the dedication, the women and children often translated their own talks from Guaymi into Spanish, and the children often coordinated their own presentations.
There was ample food in the Cultural Center kitchen, cooked on a large commercial gas stove for city and foreign visitors under the direction of the Guaymi caretaker’s wife, and there
[Page 3]
A young Guaymi girl cuts the ribbon to
signal the official opening of the Guaymi Cultural Center in Boca de Soloy, Panama. About 2,500 people including many government dignitaries attended the ceremony which was held on February 28.
were about 28 Guaymi community kitchens set up around the site for the others. Abundant cool, potable water was available on tap, piped from a mountain spring to the kitchen, the shower house, and the enclosed toilets. Most of the Guaymies bathed in the nearby Soloy River, where temporary dressing rooms were erected.
The visiting government officials, interviewed on video tape at the ceremonial ribbon-cutting for the Cultural Center, performed by a little Guaymi girl, were especially impressed by the development of Bahá’í Radio, operated mainly by the Guaymies with some technical help; the orderly and well-scheduled official dedication program; and the love, unity, harmony and spirit of service among the various tribes and races present.
To most of us who were fortunate enough to be there, what was most memorable was the happy glow on the faces of the Guaymies—visible evidence of their self-realization and the ultimate high destiny, promised by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in the Tablets of the Divine Plan, that “should these Indians ... be educated and obtain guidance, there is no doubt that through the divine teachings, they will become so enlightened as in turn to shed light to all regions.”—Arthur L. Krummell
It’s meal time for visitors from Panama and other countries, mostly non-Indians, in the Guaymi Cultural Center’s dining hall (with kitchen on the left) during the Center’s dedication ceremonies last February.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá in America[edit]
The Master hosts ‘feast of unity’[edit]
On June 20, 1912, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá told the friends who had come to see Him in New York City that He was about to leave the city for a few days’ rest in Montclair, New Jersey.
“When I return,” he said, “it is my wish to give a large feast of unity. A place for it has not yet been found. It must be outdoors under the trees, in some location away from the city noise; like a Persian garden. The food will be Persian food. When the place is arranged all will be informed and we will have a general meeting in which hearts will be bound together, spirits blended and a new foundation for unity established. All the friends will come. They will be my guests. They will be as the parts and members of one body. The spirit of life manifest in that body will be one spirit. The foundation of that temple of unity will be one foundation. Each will be a stone in that foundation, solid and interdependent. Each will be as a leaf, blossom or fruit upon one tree. For the sake of fellowship and unity I desire this feast and spiritual gathering....”
The Unity Feast was held Saturday, June 29, at West Englewood, New Jersey. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, already tired from a trip in which He had to change trains four times, arrived at noon and rested for a short while at the home of Roy Wilhelm, a devoted Bahá’í who gave nearly four decades of service to the Cause and was elevated by the Guardian to the rank of a Hand of the Cause of God following his death in 1951.
Later, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá walked to the grove of trees where tables were being laid for the feast. After serving many of the guests with His own hands, He addressed them in these words:
“This is a delightful gathering; you have come here with sincere intentions, and the purpose of all present is the attainment of the virtues of God. The motive is attraction to the divine Kingdom. Since the desire of all is unity and agreement, it is certain that this meeting will be productive of great results. It will be the cause of attracting a new bounty, for we are turning to the Kingdom of Abhá, seeking the infinite bestowals of the Lord. This is a new Day, and this hour is a new Hour in which we have come together. Surely the Sun of Reality with its full effulgence will illumine us, and the darkness of disagreements will disappear. The utmost love and unity will result; the favors of God will encompass us; the pathway of the Kingdom will be made easy. Like candles these souls will become ignited and made radiant through the lights of supreme guidance. Such gatherings as this have no equal or likeness in the world of mankind, where people are drawn together by physical motives or in furtherance of material interests, for this meeting is a prototype of that inner and complete spiritual association in the eternal world of being.
“True Bahá’í meetings are the mirrors of the Kingdom wherein images of the Supreme Concourse are reflected. In them the lights of the most great guidance are visible. They voice the summons of the heavenly Kingdom and echo the call of the angelic hosts to every listening ear. The efficacy of such meetings as these is permament throughout the ages. This assembly has a name and significance which will last forever. Hundreds of thousands of meetings shall be held to commemorate
‘Abdu’l-Bahá strolls among the friends at the ‘feast of unity’ held Saturday, June 29, 1912, in West Englewood New Jersey.
[Page 5]
A group photograph of those who were fortunate enough to be with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (at far left) for the first ‘feast of unity’ in West Englewood (Teaneck), New Jersey.
this occasion, and the very words I
speak to you today shall be repeated in
them for ages to come. Therefore, be
ye rejoiced, for ye are sheltered beneath the providence of God. Be happy
and joyous because the bestowals of
God are intended for you and the life
of the Holy Spirit is breathing upon
you.
“Rejoice, for the heavenly table is prepared for you.
“Rejoice, for the angels of heaven are your assistants and helpers.
“Rejoice, for the glance of the Blessed Beauty, Bahá’u’lláh, is directed upon you.
“Rejoice, for Bahá’u’lláh is your Protector.
“Rejoice, for the everlasting glory is destined for you.
“Rejoice, for the eternal life is awaiting you.
“How many blessed souls have longed for this radiant century, their utmost hopes and desires centered upon the happiness and joy of one such day as this. Many the nights they passed sleepless and lamenting until the very morn in longing anticipation of this age, yearning to realize even an hour of this time. God has favored you in this century and has specialized you for the realization of its blessings. Therefore, you must praise and thank God with heart and soul in appreciation of this great opportunity and the attainment of this infinite bestowal—that such doors have been opened before your faces, that such abundance is pouring down from the cloud of mercy and that these refreshing breezes from the paradise of Abhá are resuscitating you. You must become of one heart, one spirit and one susceptibility. May you become as the waves of one sea, stars of the same heaven, fruits adorning the same tree, roses of one garden in order that through you the oneness of humanity may establish its temple in the world of mankind, for you are the ones who are called to uplift the cause of unity among the nations of the earth.
“First, you must become united and agreed among yourselves. You must be exceedingly kind and loving toward each other, willing to forfeit life in the pathway of another’s happiness. You must be ready to sacrifice your possessions in another’s behalf. The rich among you must show compassion toward the poor, and the well-to-do must look after those in distress. In Persia the friends offer their lives for each other, striving to assist and advance the interests and welfare of all the rest. They live in a perfect state of unity and agreement. Like the Persian friends you must be perfectly agreed and
‘Hundreds of thousands of meetings shall be held to commemorate this occasion ...’
[Page 6]
The home of Roy Wilhelm in Teaneck, New Jersey, where ‘Abdu’l-Bahá spent the night of June 29, 1912.
united to the extent and limit of sacrificing life. Your utmost desire must be to confer happiness upon each other. Each one must be the servant of the others, thoughtful of their comfort and welfare. In the path of God one must forget himself entirely. He must not consider his own pleasure but seek the pleasure of others. He must not desire glory nor gifts of bounty for himself but seek these gifts and blessings for his brothers and sisters. It is my hope that you may become like this, that you may attain to the supreme bestowal and be imbued with such spiritual qualities as to forget yourselves entirely and with heart and soul offer yourselves as sacrifices for the Blessed Perfection. You should have neither will nor desire of your own but seek everything for the beloved of God and live together in complete love and fellowship. May the favors of Bahá’u’lláh surround you from all directions. This is the greatest bestowal and supreme bounty. These are the infinite favors of God.”
As night fell, Juliet Thompson recorded in her diary the magic of a summer evening spent with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá:
“Later as we sat at the tables, he anointed us with rose-water. I was not at a table, but sitting on the ground beneath a tree, with one or two believers.
“ ‘Friends here!’ smiled ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. In his voice was a deep and thrilling joy, the union of hearts gives him such rest.
“But the wonderful, the indescribably wonderful time came later. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá went out alone and remained for hours. When he returned it was dark. A few of us were sitting on the porch. Below us on the grass sat the people, that is, those who had lingered. Their white clothes in the dusk were as soft as moth wings. In their hands they held burning tapers, really to keep off the mosquitos! but the effect was of tiny wands tipped with red stars and the incense was like some Eastern temple. It was a fairy-like picture.
“ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá took a chair in the center of the step, and delicately holding a taper himself, he spoke in words of flame. I can see it all vividly still—and shall through my life—those trembling red stars among the dim white figures on the grass, behind them a wonderful tall tree, luxuriant with rolling outlines, now a great black cloud against the silver stars.”
A view of some of those who attended the 60th anniversary of the ‘Souvenir of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Teaneck, New Jersey, in June 1972.
India[edit]
House of Worship’s impact stunning[edit]
The following report from the Bahá’í World Centre was received March 13:
The impact of the newly dedicated House of Worship in New Delhi has far exceeded our brightest hopes since it was opened to public worship January 1.
Each day that has passed has seen several thousand visitors, a record of 20,000 persons having toured the Temple on a single Sunday. As many as a quarter of a million people may already have seen the building.
The demand for literature quickly exhausted the generous supply that had been prepared.
Even more striking is the importance the House of Worship is achieving as an attraction for government delegations visiting New Delhi from abroad. This has been especially true of diplomats from Eastern European countries and from China.
This month, a 50-person delegation from the Soviet Union, led by the deputy Minister of Defense, arranged through their Embassy that the Temple would be the first place visited after they had paid their respects at the memorial to the late prime minister of India, Mrs. Indira Gandhi.
In addition to the cordiality that has marked them, these diplomatic visits have led to animated and searching discussions of Bahá’í teachings, especially of the principles set forth in the peace statement. A great many of the visitors have asked for literature.
Most gratifying, too, has been the response of the architectural world. The friends will be pleased to know that three of the 10 top architectural publications in the world are carrying major stories: (a) “Architecture” (the journal of the American Institute of Architects) in September; (b) “Building” (one of the two leading publica-
... the press conference held on December 10 brought together 50 representatives of Hindi, English and other language publications from many parts of India including the Indian edition of the ‘Reader’s Digest’ and the TASS news service of the USSR.
tions in the field in Britain) in its most recent issue; and (c) “Progressive Architecture” (the second-ranking journal in the U.S.) in April.
A similar response has come from engineering publications. The current issue of “Concrete Quarterly,” a top British publication in the field, has used the story as its feature article and carries a photograph of the Temple on the cover.
The photographs that are being used by the professional press have been taken, for the most part, from the work of Norman McGrath, one of America’s best-known architectural photographers.
When he saw the first preliminary pictures of the House of Worship last November, Mr. McGrath spontaneously expressed his desire to undertake a study of the building, waiving his $1,000-a-day fee and receiving only his travel expenses.
The resulting photos are stunningly beautiful and have further enhanced professional interest in the Temple as an architectural masterpiece.
In addition, scores of articles illustrated with striking photographs of the Temple have appeared in Indian media. A partial report from a member of the committee in charge of publicity for the dedication points out that the press conference held on December 10 brought together 50 representatives of Hindi, English and other language publications from many parts of India including the Indian edition of the “Reader’s Digest” and the TASS news service of the USSR.
This was the largest press gathering of its kind ever held by Bahá’ís in India, and it generated much of the initial coverage of the Temple’s dedication.
Arthur Ericson, one of America’s leading architects and an influential figure in the architectural community, recently paid an extraordinary tribute to the Temple, saying after a visit to New Delhi that it represents “one of the remarkable achievements of our time, proving that the drive and vision of the spirit can truly achieve miracles.”
As this report was being prepared, the news arrived that two well-known Japanese architectural journals, “Architecture and Urbanism” and “Process: Architecture,” had commissioned articles on the House of Worship.
Plans are under way to assure that the House of Worship also receives appropriate recognition at competitions in a number of major centers.
When the new academic year opens in September, the Office of Public Information at the World Centre will distribute to schools of architecture throughout the world video cassettes of a special architectural film on the Temple.
Development[edit]
Shining example in Cradle of Faith[edit]
In its message to the Bahá’í world dated October 20, 1983, the Universal House of Justice cited the social and economic progress made by the Bahá’ís of Iran as an example of the efficacy of the Bahá’í teachings in the affairs of the world. The essential aspects of Bahá’í social and economic development are found in the history of the Persian Bahá’í community during the early years of the Faith.
Love and devotion to Bahá’u’lláh motivated the believers to improve their own lives and to serve mankind; cooperative efforts on the local and national levels enabled the Bahá’ís to establish a broad network of schools and other service institutions; and adherence to Bahá’í principles and standards of conduct caused the Bahá’í community to stand out, despite official repression and widespread prejudice against it, as manifestly more progressive than the rest of that society.
The profound and transforming effect of the Cause in the lives of the believers and their communities was an accepted facet of life in Iran. Bahá’u’lláh had proclaimed “that which will serve as the key for unlocking the doors of science, of arts, of knowledge, of well-being, prosperity, and wealth,”1 and his followers, using those “keys,” became different from other people. As Bahá’ís, they wanted to educate their children, to uplift themselves, to serve their communities.
| This is the second of two articles on Bahá’í development activities by Holly Vick, a former pioneer to Kenya and Nigeria who now works at the Office of Social and Economic Development at the Bahá’í World Centre in Haifa, Israel. Mrs. Vick, who has a degree in African languages, literature and history, is writing a book on Bahá’í social and economic development that is scheduled for publication this year. |
Pictured as they appeared in The Bahá’í World (Vol. X) are the members in 1945 of the Youth Education Committee of Kirmán, Iran.
In his autobiography, the Hand of the Cause of God ‘Ali-Akbar Furútan describes this deliberate transition: “When my mother and grandmother declared their belief in the Cause, they conscientiously began to think in terms of the education of their children and promptly sent me and my brother, who was then nine, to the ‘school.’ ”2 The distinction achieved by the Bahá’ís was so pervasive that Persian believers take it for granted and others find it hard to comprehend: the Bahá’í child among a group of children playing could be identified by his neatness and his manners; the Bahá’í home in a village stood out because of its orderliness and its light; and the Bahá’í students were usually at the top of their class.
The relentless persecution suffered by the Bahá’ís in Iran over the past eight years is the consummate and tragic proof of this distinction. The fanatical elements in Iranian society, fueled by their envy of the Bahá’ís’ prosperity and unable to accept that it is the consequence of putting the Bahá’í teachings into practice, have tried to destroy the Faith and all the evidences of its vitality.
The inner transformation of the community, which is the essence of Bahá’í development, was complemented by activities organized by the National and local Spiritual Assemblies. The Bahá’í schools and the Missaghieh Hospital attained great prestige, and the program of spiritual education for children and adults was comprehensive and effective. In the few areas in which Bahá’ís formed a majority of the population, they were able to carry out many more activities.
The Persian Bahá’í emigrants to Ishqabad in Russian Turkmenistan creat-
[Page 9]
ed the first example of a community
organizing its life according to the
teachings and laws of Bahá’u’lláh. Encouraged by Bahá’u’lláh Himself and
by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, almost 4,000 believers left Iran between 1880 and 1920 to
practice their new religion freely in Ishqabad, a fast-growing outpost of the
Russian nation.3 They built a lovely
and imposing House of Worship,
where community members would
gather each morning to listen to dawn
prayers.
Four dependencies were built on the grounds of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár: two elementary schools, a medical clinic, and a pilgrims’ hospice. The community also established schools in two nearby communities, Merv and Qah Qahih, and opened two kindergartens in Ishqabad.4 The Bahá’ís published a magazine and opened a library and public reading room.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá encouraged them to build on this foundation, writing, “Now ye must widen the scope of your endeavours, and draw up plans to establish schools for higher education, so that the City of Love will become the Bahá’í focal centre for sciences and arts.”5 Since the development of the Bahá’í community of Ishqabad was disrupted by opposition to the Faith in the 1920s, no other community has yet advanced to that same degree.
The schools established by Persian Bahá’ís were the first Bahá’í development activities. At a time when secular education was almost non-existent and religious education was circumscribed and rudimentary, the Bahá’ís in Iran built an educational apparatus that was widespread, open to everyone, and distinguished in every way. The premier Bahá’í school in Iran, the Tárbiyat School in Tehran, was officially opened in 1899, although it had already been in operation for two years.6 The Tárbiyat Girls’ School opened in 1911.7 The example of the Tárbiyat School was emulated in the Ta’yíd and Mawhibat schools in Hamadán, the Vahdat-i-Bashar School in Káshán, and similar schools in Bárfurúsh and Qazvín.8 These schools offered six primary and six secondary grade classes, were recognized by the government, and followed the official curriculum when it was introduced in 1925.
Many other Bahá’í communities organized educational facilities according to their ability; some had a staff of teachers and hundreds of students, while in others one or two teachers taught the children of a particular village. Inquiries reveal that more than 40 schools of all sizes were operated at various times by the Bahá’ís of Iran.
Each one of these schools came into being as a response to Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings on education: that “the greatest means” to “the advancement of the world of being” is “education of
At a time when secular education was almost non-existent and religious education was circumscribed and rudimentary, the Bahá’ís in Iran built an educational apparatus that was widespread, open to everyone, and distinguished in every way.
the child”9; that education is “the indispensable foundation of all human excellence”10 and the source of “honour, prosperity, independence and freedom for a nation.”11
Individual Bahá’ís, inspired by the spirit of the Faith, founded the first schools; as local Spiritual Assemblies were formed they took the responsibility for education. Assemblies organized and administered schools, and ascertained that all children were able to attend, whatever their financial resources. Bahá’í funds supported those children whose parents could not pay. Many of the village Bahá’í schools were operated by local Spiritual Assemblies whose members were themselves illiterate; they knew Bahá’u’lláh had made education obligatory, so they asked the Assembly in Tehran to send them a teacher.
The Bahá’í schools achieved a high standard of excellence and gained a reputation, despite the strong prejudice against the Faith in Iran, of being the best schools in the country. Many notable people sent their children to the Tárbiyat schools, and they trained a generation of leaders in every field. The standard for Bahá’í schools was clearly established by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in an early letter to the Tárbiyat School: “... it must become evident that it is the first school of Persia and its graduates are the most successful. Otherwise its non-being is better than its being.”12
The international cooperation which characterized the schools from their inception was one reason for their success: the teachers who came from the American Bahá’í community introduced modern educational methods. In 1906 the Tárbiyat Boys’ School was the only one in Tehran where mathematics was studied every day and children were separated into classes according to their ability. The Tárbiyat Girls’ School had recess and gymnastics classes more than 15 years before government schools allowed physical education for girls. Through the American connection, Bahá’í schools were the first to have laboratory equipment for science classes, and former Tárbiyat students still remember the excitement of watching educational films—at that time their school was the only one in Iran with a film projector.
The fundamental distinction of the Bahá’í schools, however, lay in the Bahá’í concept of education, which defines moral and spiritual training to be the foundation of all learning. From 1925 all schools in Iran were required to follow a standard curriculum issued by the government, and no mention of the Faith was possible, but the Bahá’í schools were still unique. Former Tárbiyat students recall the effect of the prayer of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá that was chanted every morning while each class stood in line, and the atmosphere of love and trust that pervaded the school. Teachers and students shared a mutual respect and dedication to learning.
The Bahá’í students had been trained from infancy to be well-mannered, obedient and conscientious, and their refinement of character raised the level of their academic education. Members of other religious groups sent their children to the Bahá’í schools because they wanted them to act like the Bahá’í children. The monthly evaluations of each child included not only a report to parents of his progress in academic subjects, but also a report from parents about the child’s behavior at home.
A careful effort was made to involve parents in school activities, because in the Bahá’í context, the school is a center for the education of the whole community. The Tárbiyat Girls’ School held monthly conferences for mothers
[Page 10]
and other women, who had no other
opportunity for education, no organized activities, and no life outside the
home. At each conference, students
presented talks, plays and demonstrations to illustrate a theme, such as the
value of subjects learned in the secondary school or modern home management, which would interest and inform
the women. These conferences were
immensely popular; 300 to 400 people
attended each conference when they
were started in the early 1920s.13
Teachers tried to show parents how to
apply Bahá’í principles in child-rearing, and, because they were well-educated and dedicated believers, the
teachers became models for all the Bahá’ís.
Especially in the villages, the Bahá’í teachers were the hub of Bahá’í community life. They taught Bahá’í classes and adult education as well as the children, and through their example created a momentum for self-improvement and development. The Bahá’í youth of the 1920s and 1930s who left Tehran to teach school in the villages set the example for the Bahá’í youth volunteers of the present; through their love and respect for their host communities, their willingness to sacrifice their modern customs and habits, and their reliance on Bahá’u’lláh, they gained the confidence of the villagers and helped them to realize the progressive qualities that characterized Bahá’í communities in Iran.
A group picture from the first Bahá’í Summer School in Iran, held in Tehran n 1939.
The first stage of Bahá’í educational activity in Iran came to an end in 1934 when the government closed all Bahá’í-operated schools because they refused to stay open on Bahá’í Holy Days. The schools in Russian Turkmenistan had been closed by the government four years earlier. Non-formal educational activity continued within the Bahá’í community; thousands of Bahá’í children attended character training classes every week, and national committees were organized to meet the needs of other groups. In 1973 it was announced that the Bahá’ís had achieved a literacy rate of 100 per cent among women under the age of 40, despite the national literacy rate of 15 per cent.14
The progress made by women was a remarkable aspect of the Bahá’í community. The Bahá’í teachings created a consciousness and self-image for women that was wholly new. At a time when the woman’s world was confined entirely to the home, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá instructed the Bahá’í women to direct their minds to science, industry and other subjects that would improve the human condition. He constantly encouraged the Bahá’í communities to establish schools for girls, emphasizing that this was more important than their other efforts.15 Some of the graduates of these girls’ schools became the first generation of professional women in Iranian society, and the example set by Bahá’í women had an impact on the whole society.
The Nawnahalan Society was organized by the Bahá’í community around the turn of the century to encourage savings by children and to provide funds for community development. The original plan, which was curtailed by the restrictions placed on Bahá’í activity, was that projects to benefit the whole community would be funded by
Pictured are girl students at Iran’s Tarbiyat Bahá’í School which was opened in 1911. A similar school for boys dates to 1899.
[Page 11]
loans from the accumulated capital.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá encouraged the Nawnahalan Society and subscribed to it Himself; when it was confiscated a few
years ago by the Revolutionary Government, it held the life savings of
more than 15,000 Bahá’ís.
The Persian Bahá’í communities also organized health care facilities. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá encouraged Dr. Susan Moody, Dr. Sarah Clock, and Elizabeth Stewart, a trained nurse, to settle in Tehran. These noble women, constrained by social conditions from establishing a nursing school as they had hoped, provided primary health care, held classes for mothers, and quietly demonstrated the capacity of women. Both doctors died in Tehran after years of selfless service to the Bahá’ís and the general public.
Before 1910, the Missaghieh Hospital was started in Tehran through the generosity and initiative of one individual. Bahá’ís who were nurses and doctors volunteered to staff the hospital in addition to their regular work; other Bahá’ís helped with administration and other tasks. The hospital grew in size and prestige, and was one of the most respected medical institutions in Tehran when it was shut down by the government in 1979.
The high standard of personal hygiene and its emphasis on education both contributed to the health of the Bahá’í community. In 1930, a number of Bahá’í communities were reported to be establishing modern public baths.16 Many individual health professionals donated their time and skills to facilities sponsored by the Bahá’í community: one example is the Takur Clinic.
The Persian believers who participated in Bahá’í community life when it was not thoroughly constrained by repression, who taught or attended Bahá’í schools, who saw the distinction achieved by the Iranian Bahá’ís in their society, have a perspective that is quite relevant to the current development activities of Bahá’ís around the world.17 Their experiences of the Bahá’í teachings in action; in the excellence of the Bahá’í schools; the well-being of Bahá’í villagers; and the success of Bahá’í women can help us understand the statement of the Universal House of Justice that development activities “will ensure a deeper consolidation of the community at all levels.”18 Because the Persian friends accepted Bahá’u’lláh, read His writings, tried to obey His laws, and followed the guidance of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and the Guardian, they achieved a remarkable degree of social and economic progress. The transforming power of the Cause of God gave them a motivation to change their lives, an ability to work together, and a vision of their own capacity.
- Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 96.
- The Story of My Heart, p. 3.
- A.A. Lee, “The Rise of the Bahá’í Community of Ishqabad,” in Bahá’í Studies, Vol. 5, January 1979.
- “A Survey of Current Bahá’í Activities,” The Bahá’í World, Vol. 5 (1932-34), p. 38.
- Bahá’í Education: A Compilation, p. 35.
- Bahá’í News, June 9, 1910, pp. 4-7.
- Lillian Kappes, “The Orient-Occident Unity Bulletin,” No. 6 (March-April 1912), pp. 6-7.
- Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 299.
- Bahá’u’lláh, quoted in Bahá’í Education: A Compilation, p. 4.
- Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 129.
- ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Secret of Divine Civilization, p. 111.
- Star of the West, Vol. 1, No. 5 (June 1910), pp. 2-7.
- Genevieve L. Coy, “Educating the Women of Persia,” in Star of the West, Vol. 17 (1926-27), pp. 50-55.
- “A Current Survey of Bahá’í Activities,” The Bahá’í World, Vol. 15, p. 248.
- Bahá’í Education: A Compilation, p. 46.
- “A Survey of Current Bahá’í Activities,” The Bahá’í World, Vol. 3 (1928-30), p. 33.
- The worldwide dispersion of the Iranian Bahá’ís will allow many communities to hear the stories of the earliest Bahá’í development activities. In preparing this article, the author interviewed eight individuals who had taught in or administered Bahá’í schools in Iran.
- Message to the Bahá’ís of the world, October 20, 1983.
Students at the first Bahá’í school in Ishqabad, Russia, one of four dependencies built on the grounds of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár there. The photograph is from Vol. IV of The Bahá’í World.
World Centre[edit]
‘The Promise of World Peace’[edit]
The following information is provided by the Department of Statistics.
The following is a list, in alphabetical order, of the 60 languages into which the full text of “The Promise of World Peace” has been translated, published, and copies received at the World Centre. Corresponding to each language group are listed National Spiritual Assemblies, Bahá’í Publishing Trusts (BPT) or other agencies which have published the peace statement.
Afrikaans (South and West Africa). Amharic (Ethiopia).
Arabic (Lebanon; United Kingdom). Bengali (Bangladesh;
Bengal). Bislama (Vanuatu). Catalan (Spain). Cebuano
(Philippines).
Chinese (Hong Kong; Malaysia; Taiwan). Croatian (Austria). Danish (Denmark). Dutch (BPT Belgium; BPT Netherlands). English (Australia; Association for Bahá’í Studies Canada; Belize; Hong Kong; India; Ireland; Kenya; Lebanon; Lesotho; Malaysia; New Zealand; Pakistan; Philippines; Samoa; South and West Africa; Sri Lanka; Transkei; Trinidad & Tobago; United Kingdom; United States).
Esperanto (Australia; Bahaa Esperanto-Ligo). Faroese (Faroe Islands). French (BPT Belgium; Central African Republic; France; Guadeloupe; Ivory Coast; New Caledonia & the Loyalty Islands; Réunion; Switzerland; Zaire, Central South).
Gaelic, Irish (Ireland). German (BPT Belgium; BPT Germany; Suriname; Switzerland). Gilbertese (Kiribati). Greek (BPT Greece). Gujurati (India). Hebrew (Bahá’í World Centre). Hindi (BPT India).
Icelandic (Iceland). Inuit: Greenlandic (Denmark). Italian (Italy). Japanese (Japan). Kannada (India). Kinyarwanda (Rwanda). Korean (Korea). Lao (Laos). Malay (Malaysia). Maori: Cook Is. (Cook Islands).
Maori: New Zealand (New Zealand). Marathi (India). Motu (Papua New Guinea). Norwegian (Norway). Oriya (BPT India). Persian (Australia; Austria; India; Pakistan; United Kingdom; United States).
Pidgin English (Papua New Guinea; Solomon Islands). Polish (BPT Germany). Portuguese (Brazil, Editora Bahá’í; Portugal). Punjabi (India). Russian (BPT Germany). Samoan (New Zealand; Samoa).
Sindhi (Pakistan). Sinhalese (Sri Lanka). Spanish (BPT Argentina; Chile; Colombia; Costa Rica; Dominican Republic; Ecuador; El Salvador; Honduras; Mexico; Nicaragua; Panama; Peru; Puerto Rico; Spain; Uruguay; Venezuela).
Swahili (Kenya; Zaire, Central South). Swati (Swaziland). Swedish (Sweden). Tamil (Malaysia; Sri Lanka; Tamil Bahá’í Publications). Telugu (India). Thai (Thailand). Togo (Togo). Tongan (New Zealand).
Tswana (Botswana). Turkish (Turkey). Tuvaluan (BPT Fiji Islands). Vietnamese (BPT Australia). Welsh (United Kingdom). Xhosa (Transkei).
[Page 13]
For the past few months a team of Bahá’ís with backgrounds in medicine has
treated patients at a medical camp and
conducted a course for health workers
at Chickhly Village near Panchgani,
India. The medical camp, coordinated
by Govind Kasurde, was held last September 21 at the Bahá’í Centre in
Chickhly. One hundred sixty-three patients from Chickhly and 15 nearby villages were seen and treated, while
training in health/nutrition education
was given to adult literacy workers
from 17 villages and 30 adult literacy
programs. On November 30, Mr. Kasurde was joined by Drs. Tim and
Radha Rost, Dr. H.M. Munje and
Mrs. Zylpha Mapp-Robinson to open
the health workers course, designed to
train workers to treat simple illnesses
and injuries, use local medicinal plants
and foods to improve health, and to
know which cases should be referred to
a hospital or doctor. Another goal is to
unify the villagers through spiritual,
physical and mental health. The first
classes were held December 1-14. In
these pictures (clockwise from upper
left), Dr. Radha Rost shows how to
make a cough syrup from eucalyptus
leaves; a villager arrives on foot for
class; Mrs. Mapp-Robinson (left) and
Dr. Radha Rost show off one of their
nutritious meals; and Yasmin Raswallah, Mrs. Mapp-Robinson and Ruhiyyih Hakim present a puppet show on
how to prevent dental caries.
The world[edit]
World Religion Day in Guadeloupe[edit]
Five widely publicized events were held January 15-23 to celebrate World Religion Day in Guadeloupe.
The principal meeting, held January 18 in Pointe-a-Pitre, included presentations by a Christian, a Hindu, a Muslim and a Bahá’í on “Education for Peace.” A Bahá’í children’s choir sang for the more than 100 people present.
Dr. Kamran, a visiting Bahá’í from Belgium, was the featured speaker, and his appearance drew the attention of journalists. Articles with photos appeared in France-Antilles both before and after the event.
News was broadcast daily on local radio stations. RCI, the most popular commercial station in Guadeloupe, interviewed Dr. Kamran twice and broadcast a two-hour call-in show in which Dr. Kamran answered questions about the Faith from listeners.
A well-known radio personality on Radio France Outre-Mer (RFO) gave a 10-minute report one day and broadcast a 40-minute tape of the World Religion Day program on another.
A program broadcast January 29 included the reading of the Bahá’í statement on “Education for Peace,” music, readings from The Hidden Words, and chanting by Mrs. Kamran.
Besides the World Religion Day events, the Kamrans’ two-week stay in Guadeloupe included public talks, firesides, speeches to university and secondary school students, audiences with prominent persons, luncheons, and many other meetings with individual Bahá’ís and their friends.
“The Bahá’í Point of View on Apartheid,” an article submitted by the Public Relations Committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of Guadeloupe, was published last July by the newspaper France Antilles.
Trinidad/Tobago[edit]
Edna Ruth Caverly (standing) of the Bahá’í community of Port of Spain, Trinidad, presents a copy of ‘The Promise of World Peace’ to Mrs. Ermine Bailey, principal of St. James Government Secondary School in Port of Spain. In the near future, the peace statement will either be delivered to or posted for all the principals of government schools in Trinidad and Tobago.
Chile[edit]
An especially gratifying appreciation for the peace statement was received by the local Spiritual Assembly of Punta Arenas, Chile, from the rector of the University of Magallanes in Chile’s southernmost city.
The rector, Yerko Torrejon Koscina, wished the Bahá’ís “great success in the spreading and materialization of an ideology with such a noble objective ... genuine peace among one people called Planet Earth.”
Speaking of the Bahá’ís’ visit to his office, and their invitation to him to express an opinion of the statement, he wrote, “I believe that ‘The Promise of World Peace’ contains a modern concept, both broad and deep, of religion and its relationship to the achievements of mankind. The approach, which is delicate and tolerant, has, however, the realism, clarity, and firmness required of views on peace, if they are to be seriously considered as viable. Even without being a Bahá’í, it is easy to concur in the fundamental ideas on the World Order that is proposed....”
Germany[edit]
Final statistics reflecting the success of the Bahá’í community of Germany during the International Year of Peace were reported last February by the Committee for the Year of Peace of the National Spiritual Assembly of Germany.
During the year, 706 public meetings were held to discuss peace-related issues; they were organized and sponsored by some 86 Bahá’í communities, 60 Bahá’í Groups and 15 national committees.
In addition, 10,788 guests and 8,801 Bahá’ís attended Bahá’í-sponsored peace events at which 16,261 items of information were given out including posters and stickers.
Some 24,098 copies of the Universal House of Justice’s peace statement were distributed throughout the country, while 6,200 pamphlets on peace were presented at or included with invitations to Bahá’í events.
One hundred-seventy reports of Bahá’í-sponsored peace events appeared in newspapers, 14 were broadcast on radio, and in April 1986, a 95-minute program on the Faith was carried on cable television.
At least 61 follow-up activities were planned this year.
India[edit]
More than 500 copies of the Universal House of Justice’s peace statement were distributed last August 18-20 during the 11th World Congress of Sociology in New Delhi, India.
Many of the papers presented at the Congress reflected topics dealt with in the peace statement.
The Bahá’í delegate, Nejhat Haghigat, called the Congress a “God-sent opportunity to reach delegates” some of whom were from East European countries.
The Christ Church School in Bombay, India, announced in a letter from its principal that, in response to requests from five Bahá’í students and their families, all nine Bahá’í Holy Days would be listed in future as excused absences from school.
Australia[edit]
Pictured are members of a teaching team organized last year in Victoria, Australia, in memory of Ashraf Saffar, the mother of Auxiliary Board member Mahvash Master. From left to right are Ms. Master, Steven Johns, Mossy Jones, and Ms. Master’s nephew, Farid Saffar.
Shown during a recent visit by Auxiliary Board member Mahvash Master
are members of the Spiritual Assembly
of Mornington Island, Australia. Ms.
Master met with the Assembly during its election of officers. All of those
elected as officers are Aborigines except for one who is a pioneer to the island.
El Salvador[edit]
El Mundo, a daily newspaper in the capital city of El Salvador, has published a number of articles about the Faith beginning in October 1985 and continuing through June 1986.
They include the complete text of “The Promise of World Peace,” a half-page interview with Counsellor Hooper Dunbar of the International Teaching Centre, and a series of articles on the peace statement taken from a commentary by Quentin Farrand, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of El Salvador.
Malaysia[edit]
After taking part in the dedication of the Bahá’í House of Worship in New Delhi last December, the Hand of the Cause of God Collis Featherstone, accompanied by his wife, Madge, traveled to Malaysia.
Between December 30 and January 8 he spoke to several communities in the Kuala Lumpur area, in Selangor, and in Negri Sembilan. Mrs. Featherstone also spoke to several communities.
The Hand of the Cause met with Counsellor Chellie Sundram and five members of the National Spiritual Assembly while visiting the capital city, and on another occasion met with 70 members of the Auxiliary Boards and national and state Teaching Committees.
On January 9, a proclamation event was held at the Pure Life Society at which nearly 100 teachers and students were shown a video tape of a special “peace service” held last October at the Bahá’í House of Worship in Sydney, Australia.
After a stop in Singapore, the Featherstones continued to Adelaide and Melbourne where Mr. Featherstone addressed the Australian National Youth Conference.
Correction[edit]
In November 1986, Bahá’í News printed two articles about the passing of Counsellor Yan Kee Leong, in one of which he was described as “Malaysia’s first Bahá’í,” as he was in a headline above one article, in the cable from the National Spiritual Assembly of Malaysia to the Universal House of Justice and in its reply to that Assembly.
It has since been brought to our attention that while Mr. Leong was indeed the first to enroll in the Faith in what was then Malaya (as stated in the article by Shantha Sundram in the Malaysian Bahá’í News, December 1973-July 1974), there were already at that time a number of Bahá’ís in Kuching, Sarawak, which was then known as British Borneo and later became a part of Eastern Malaysia.
On April 21, 1953—some nine months before Mr. Leong was enrolled—those friends had formed the first Spiritual Assembly of Kuching, and the first in any of those areas that would later be joined to form what is now known as Malaysia.
We hope that this explanation clears any misunderstanding about the chronology of Counsellor Leong’s enrollment in the Faith, and apologize for the inadvertent factual errors in the articles and headline.
South and West Africa[edit]
A Bahá’í newspaper created by the Public Relations Committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of South and West Africa has been distributed to 1,000 influential people in the area.
The paper is also being used to present to local officials and others with copies of the peace statement, “The Promise of World Peace.”
Samoa[edit]
A special service for peace was held last October 19 at the Bahá’í House of Worship in Samoa to mark the culmination of a year of activities in support of the United Nations International Year of Peace.
About 400 people attended the event including His Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II and members of his family; the prime minister and his wife; the Speaker of the House; members of Parliament and of the diplomatic corps including those from the Peoples Republic of China; officials of UNDP and UNESCO; and most of the UN personnel serving in Samoa.
A program at the House of Worship’s ancillary building followed the service, at which a member of the National Spiritual Assembly spoke, thanking all who attended and addressing the topic of peace.
The Speaker of the House responded, thanking the Bahá’í community of Samoa for its efforts to promote peace. Members of the Bahá’í community, including Counsellor Suhayl ‘Ala’í, were deeply touched by the response and by the attendance at the peace service.
A delegation composed of seven members of the National Spiritual Assembly of Samoa met last September 30 with Afioga Vaai Kolone, the prime minister of Western Samoa, at his office.
The National Assembly presented the peace statement to the prime minister who accepted the document with his heartfelt thanks.
Tupuola Malifa, speaking for the Bahá’ís, described to the prime minister the Bahá’í principle of loyalty to government and informed him of the National Assembly’s desire to sponsor a service at the Bahá’í House of Worship in June 1987 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Western Samoa’s independence.
Two hundred people, mostly youth, attended a National Youth Conference last October 24-26 in Apia, Samoa, whose theme was “Youth for Peace.”
The assistant secretary of the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture of the government of Western Samoa spoke on family welfare and home management, while Bahá’ís presented several talks on peace.
In conjunction with the conference, a special devotional service for youth was held October 26 at the Bahá’í House of Worship.
Cyprus[edit]
Last September, a week-long Bahá’í Summer School in North Cyprus opened in “an adventurous spirit” at a campground and later moved to a hotel some 15 miles from Famagusta. Twenty-three adult Bahá’ís including six from overseas, four youth and 16 children attended.
Also present were Counsellors Ilhan Sezgin of Asia and Polin Rafat of Europe who “supplied an abundant source of encouragement and inspiration, and enriched and spiritualized the study sessions,” according to a report by the school committee.
A local newspaper’s extensive coverage included photographs, Bahá’í quotations, and an interview with Mrs. Rafat.
Dominica[edit]
Bahá’ís were invited to take part last September 14 in an ecumenical service at the Roman Catholic church in Portsmouth, Dominica, as part of an observance of the International Day of Peace.
It marked the first time that the Bahá’ís of Dominica had been asked to join the church service of another religion. After talks on peace by a Catholic priest and Methodist minister, a Bahá’í prayer for mankind was read. The audience applauded, after which the moderator commented that this was their way of saying “amen.”
Other Bahá’í participation in Peace Day events included that of a Bahá’í singer and guitarist from the United Kingdom who sang peace songs for a festival held by UNESCO clubs.
Sir Clarence Seignoret (second from right), President of the Commonwealth of Dominica, is pictured as he received a copy of the peace statement, ‘The Promise of World Peace,’ from a delegation of Bahá’ís.
Guatemala[edit]
The new president of Guatemala, Marco Vicinio Cerezo Arevalo, received a copy of the peace statement last September 11 from a delegation of four Bahá’ís representing the National Spiritual Assembly.
The president welcomed the Bahá’ís cordially, expressing his appreciation at receiving the document at such an urgent and appropriate moment in history.
The following day, Prensa Libre, the most widely circulated newspaper in the country, carried an article on the presentation with a photograph of Mr. Arevalo receiving the statement from Mrs. Parisa Nabili, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly.
Two nationally popular radio stations also reported the event.
Last September, the state television station of Guatemala invited Mrs. Parisa Nabili, a member of that country’s National Spiritual Assembly, and Auxiliary Board member Soheil Shahidinijad to give a presentation on peace. In the last 14 months, the Bahá’ís have presented five one-hour programs.
The Lions Club in Quiche, Guatemala, recently invited a Bahá’í to take part in a symposium on “Peace Is Inevitable,” speaking as part of a panel with a Catholic priest and a lawyer.
Three hundred people attended the symposium. The formal presentations were followed by a question-and-answer period during which most of the questions were directed to the Bahá’í speaker.
Bangladesh[edit]
Bahá’í women in Bangladesh are competing in a project sponsored by the National Bahá’í Women’s Committee to embroider the “Greatest Name” on fabric.
Those which are the most beautifully executed may be sent to Bahá’í communities in other countries for sale to benefit the National Fund. All who are able are being asked to take part in the project; materials are supplied for those who are unable to provide their own.
Haiti[edit]
Haitian youth reached eight of the country’s nine departments during a recent nine-week teaching campaign involving 47 Bahá’ís. They reached 1,117 people, 376 of whom declared their belief in Bahá’u’lláh.
Lesotho[edit]
A forum entitled “Is World Peace Possible?” was sponsored last October 24 by the United Nations Information Centre and the National University of Lesotho in Maseru.
Mrs. Lucretia Mancho Warren, listed on the program as a Counsellor of the Bahá’í Faith in Africa, took part on a panel with two academics from the university’s departments of political studies and economics and a representative of the UN Secretary-General in Lesotho.
Mrs. Warren’s topic was “The Promise of World Peace,” while other panelists dealt with the economics of peace and the UN as peacekeeper.
United Kingdom[edit]
A Persian Bahá’í youth from Chigwell, Essex, England, has been placed first in the year’s A-level examinations at his high school. The young man plans to study medicine at Edinburgh University.
On taking leave of his headmaster, the youth presented him a Peace Pack from the United Nations (the headmaster had already received the peace statement from the local Spiritual Assembly of Epping Forest). He also distributed nine copies of the peace statement among his teachers.
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