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| Bahá’í News | April 1989 | Bahá’í Year 146 |
The UN World Decade
for Cultural Development
Bahá’í News[edit]
A report of Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum’s recent visit to Taiwan | 1 |
India’s House of Worship greets more than 200,000 visitors in January | 2 |
Council of Women honors Dr. Wilma Ellis as ‘Woman of Conscience’ | 3 |
Macau’s growing ‘School of Nations’ celebrates its first anniversary | 4 |
Bahá’í who was doctor in Vietnam returns to help train child survival | 5 |
Afnan Trust moves steadily forward, appeals again to friends for help | 6 |
United Nations looks forward to Decade for Cultural Development | 7 |
A graphic look at teaching projects completed or under way in India | 8 |
Dr. Peter Khan shares some insights on nature of Covenant-breaking | 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 Management Information Systems, 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 in U.S. dollars must accompany the order. Second class postage paid at Wilmette, IL 60091. Copyright © 1989, National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. World rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.
Taiwan[edit]
Visit brings ‘abundant blessings’[edit]
The following E-mail was sent to the Universal House of Justice on September 24, 1988, by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Taiwan:
Abundant blessings showered upon our community. Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum’s visit continues to enrich every aspect of our community life. All nine members National Assembly greeted beloved Khánum upon arrival evening September 7. Beloved Khánum was given VIP treatment at the airport courtesy of Foreign Minister’s high office. On September 8, 40-minute meeting with His Excellency Foreign Minister Mr. Lien at his office greatly enhanced prestige Faith eyes of high official. Mr. Lien said how “privileged” he was that Amatu’l-Bahá had given him this “audience.” He was presented a copy of The Hidden Words and was genuinely impressed.
That same evening Rúhíyyih Khánum met with more than 120 Bahá’ís from Taipei and surrounding community and was a tremendous source of inspiration to all attending. September 9 interview with the second most popular radio station on Taiwan, at Khánum’s hotel. The 30-minute interview will be aired September 26; more than four million listeners expected. Khánum’s invitation for lunch with a number of Bahá’ís whose services to the Faith had temporarily been lessened inspired each of them such that all have committed to go on pilgrimage in February 1989. The evening of September 9 marked Amatu’l-Bahá’s historic visit to Keelung, one of the newly established communities with more than 100 new believers. This meeting will never be forgotten!
The newly formed Spiritual Assembly planned and executed all activities for Khánum’s visit. She was received with a colorful banner with her name on it. A traditional firecracker welcoming ceremony was followed by many of the new believers with the entire membership of that Assembly respectfully presenting themselves to Amatu’l-Bahá. A traditional Chinese banquet was prepared by Bahá’í women and donated by the members of the Keelung Bahá’í community. Following dinner, Khánum was greeted by nearly 100 friends, and there was once again a traditional welcoming ceremony at the place she was to speak. More than 40 percent of the new believers attended that meeting. The mayor of Keelung, a large metropolitan city, opened the meeting, welcoming Amatu’l-Bahá with highly complimentary remarks. He said the Bahá’ís of Keelung are among the best citizens of that city. Wife of the senator from Keelung was present to welcome Khánum, as the senator was out of the country. All of the above arrangements were prepared by the new local Spiritual Assembly of Keelung.
On September 10, the National Spiritual Assembly was blessed with meeting with Rúhíyyih Khánum and sharing of her words of wisdom and inspiration. Counsellor Momtazi and Mrs. Nakhjavání graced the meeting with their presence as well. Afternoon and evening, Amatu’l-Bahá addressed the Auxiliary Board member conference with three Counsellors, all members of the National Assembly and Auxiliary Board members from Asia. September 11, Rúhíyyih Khánum met with the Bahá’ís of Chiayi and surrounding community. Chiayi is an “entry by troops” area in southern Taiwan. More than 100 attended, about half of whom were new believers from the area. Upon arriving at her hotel after a four-hour drive, she was met by more than 50 Bahá’ís. Again she was received with a firecracker welcoming ceremony. On September 12, Amatu’l-Bahá, after a four-hour drive back to Taipei, flew to Taitung, another “entry by troops” area. At a meeting with some 80 Bahá’ís, the Magistrate of Taitung County welcomed Khánum and expressed his happiness to have had a chance to welcome her. A press conference was attended by nine reporters representing all the newspapers of the county. Eight members of the National Assembly gathered to bid farewell to Amatu’l-Bahá and Mrs. Nakhjavání. Foreign Minister’s office provided VIP room reserved for high-ranking diplomats, as well as sending its representative to assist through visa and customs section.
Only four days after Amatu’l-Bahá’s departure, the National Assembly met in a joint session with all members of National Teaching Committee and National Youth Committee, with two Auxiliary Board members present, sharing with them its decision, namely: We now confidently embark on teaching the masses with a minimum goal of 1 percent of the population (200,000) to have entered the Faith by Riḍván 1992, and that the thrust of the campaign is to be reliance upon the power of the Holy Spirit and the Covenant. This determination is a small token of our gratitude to Bahá’u’lláh for having blessed us with the presence of Rúhíyyih Khánum. We are determined. We beseech your prayers.
With loving Bahá’í greetings,
of the Bahá’ís of Taiwan
India[edit]
Temple has another busy month[edit]
1989 at the Bahá’í House of Worship in New Delhi began with a special prayer program on New Year’s day in memory of H. Borrah Kavelin, a former member of the Universal House of Justice who died in December. Ten days later, another occasion for such prayers arose when the sad news of the passing of Auxiliary Board member Meheraban Javanmardi from Panchgani was received. A memorial service was held on January 11.
Saturday mornings at the House of Worship belong to school children, with thousands in their varied and colorful uniforms visiting the Temple. With this in mind, a suggestion from the Spiritual Assembly of Delhi to organize a special prayer program for the children was taken up, and the first such program was held on January 7. Due to inclement weather that day, no school groups arrived, but the prayer program, comprised of songs by a choir and prayer readings by the Bahá’í children, was enthralling.
On January 21, about a thousand students were present for another program, during which another thousand or so arrived, and the 15- to 20-minute program was extended to 40 minutes, during which time the students sat in absolute silence savoring the words of the prayers revealed by Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. The number of students visiting the Temple in January was 17,149. Each one of them was given a prayer card.
During January many foreign tourists visited the House of Worship. A group of 50 Russians comprising eminent film personalities, poets and intellectuals greatly appreciated the principle of the oneness of humankind. One of them suggested that we send Bahá’í literature through the Indian Embassy in Moscow so that Russians might acquire more information on the Bahá’í Faith.
Pictured during a visit in January to the Bahá’í House of Worship near New Delhi, India, is a delegation of Chinese film artists accompanied by officials from the Cultural Department of the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi.
Visitors from various states in India also came to the Temple in great numbers. In particular, groups of youth who were in Delhi to take part in India’s Republic Day celebrations were able to visit, carrying back with them information leaflets in their regional language. On Republic Day itself, January 26, a crowd of more than 31,000 visited the Temple. The total number of visitors in January was 212,237.
Among the dignitaries from India and abroad who came to the Temple in January were the Home Minister of the State of Uttar Pradesh; the Patriarch of the Orthodox Church of Rumania; the Primate of the Armenian Church of Australia; the Deputy Minister of Aviation of the USSR; the Soviet Minister of the Coal Industry; a delegation of officers of the armed forces of Yugoslavia; high officials of the Royal Bhutan Army, and film personalities from Russia and China.
United States[edit]
Women’s Council honors Dr. Ellis[edit]
Dr. Wilma Ellis, administrator general of the Bahá’í International Community, was one of several honorees when the National Council of Women held its annual Woman of Conscience award dinner February 16 at United Nations headquarters in New York.
The event, attended by more than 200 guests, also celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The honorary chairman was Mrs. Desmond Tutu, wife of the Nobel laureate.
Winner of the 1988 Woman of Conscience Award was Margaret C. Snyder, director for the past 10 years of UNIFEM, the UN Development Fund for Women.
During the 1970s Mrs. Snyder worked as a consultant and regional adviser for social affairs for the UN Economic Commission in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Her earlier career was spent in the academic field, during which she was for eight years dean of women at Lemoyne College in Syracuse. She has been tireless in her pursuit of women’s development.
Dr. Ellis was one of three other women, all of whom belong to membership organizations of the National Council of Women, who were honored as Women of Conscience for outstanding achievement in their respective fields.
The other honorees were Dr. Marcella Maxwell, chairman of the New York City Commission on the Status of Women, and Frances C. Sawyer, president of Women United for the United Nations.
Dr. Ellis, a featured speaker at the dinner, urged NCW members to “look past current particularisms and focus your conscious concern on the challenges of this day.”
Noting that many social problems demand solutions, she encouraged women to “learn peace” so that they can “teach peace.”
Pictured (left to right) at the annual meeting February 16 in New York City of the U.S. National Council of Women are Mary S. Power, delegate to the United Nations for the Bahá’í International Community, and honorees Dr. Wilma Ellis, administrator general of the Bahá’í International Community; Margaret C. Snyder, 1988 ‘Woman of Conscience’; Frances C. Sawyer, president of Women United for the United Nations; and Dr. Marcella Maxwell, chairman of the New York City Commission on Human Rights.
“Our job,” she said, “is to carry on the fine tradition of women like Mary McLeod Bethune and Eleanor Roosevelt, women who worked for peace and demanded equality.”
Preceding the dinner was a seminar on “Changing Attitudes Toward Women for the Year 2000.” Topics discussed were racism, economics and education relating to minorities, and women and the aging.
The Bahá’í National Committee on Women was one of five co-sponsors of the event, and Mary S. Power, representative of the Bahá’í International Community to the UN and a member of the executive committee of the NCW, served as program coordinator for the dinner.
Macau[edit]
School of Nations ends first year[edit]
As we mark the first anniversary of the opening of School of the Nations, we continue to be very much aware of how much there is yet to be accomplished. The further development of the specialized curriculum that must necessarily address our unique bi-lingual, multi-cultural situation; the acquisition of sorely needed resource materials and educational equipment; the ongoing effort to obtain another facility in order to cope with our expansion and to provide for the physical education of the children; the lack of adequate financial resources—all serve as constant reminders of the tremendous amount of work to be done.
Yet we cannot help but be pleased and grateful for the large strides that have been taken toward the accomplishment of the school’s most fundamental goal: to create a learning environment in which children from various national, ethnic and cultural backgrounds can work and play together—and in the process realize that they are truly “world citizens” in a global community.
The school was opened in January 1988 as a kindergarten with five students—two of whom were the children of Bahá’ís who were involved in the establishment of the school. We have since expanded through the Primary Six level, and at this writing we have 28 students. Applications and queries already received for future enrollment (after Chinese New Year) push the expected total enrollment for the second term to around 80. Besides children from Macau and Hong Kong, School of the Nations has accepted students from Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Korea, Madagascar, Pakistan, the Philippines, Portugal, Singapore, Taiwan, Tonga, the United Kingdom and the United States. This cultural diversity is coupled with the fact that our students come from a wide range of economic and social backgrounds; their parents, who include those with relatively little means, established professionals, university faculty, local residents and expatriates, have found the school to be a welcome and long-awaited educational alternative for their children.
School of the Nations has also managed to maintain the diversity of its staff, which includes educators from Canada, China, Finland, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Since last September, five teachers and the school secretary have declared their faith in Bahá’u’lláh. Now, all of the teachers in the school are Bahá’ís.
In addition to the kindergarten and primary school, School of the Nations has established the “Centre for Continuing Education”—an auxiliary institution which offers language and computer training courses for adults. Since its opening in May 1988, the Centre has provided a series of specialized courses in English and Mandarin, and the more recent opening of the Centre’s fully equipped computer training facility has allowed the school to provide excellent courses in a comprehensive range of computer skills for personal and business application.
Indeed, many positive developments have come about in recent months, developments that were no doubt sparked by the special blessing that was received when the Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum officially inaugurated the school during a ceremony held in September 1988. That event, attended by a host of prominent community leaders including one of Macau’s most distinguished and revered Catholic priests, received extensive press coverage and did much to establish the public’s recognition of School of the Nations as an educational institution that warrants the community’s attention.
Another noteworthy event took place a month later, in October, when the staff and students of School of the Nations visited a kindergarten in Zhu Hai, China, on the official invitation of the Zhu Hai Department of Cultural Affairs. Zhu Hai television and the Macau press recorded the event as an example of the way in which the school fosters the students’ awareness of their identity as world citizens.
One year ago, when so few parents were willing to take the risk associated with enrolling their children in a new, unproven school, we were very much aware that one of our greatest challenges would be that of gaining the confidence of the local community—establishing ourselves in the eyes of the people of Macau as a reputable, viable educational institution. An indication of how far the school has come was given in January when a group of Form Two students from Sacred Heart, a Catholic girls’ school which ranks as one of the most prestigious schools in Macau, paid a formal visit to School of the Nations. The students were doing a research project on “the economics of international education,” and had been advised to study School of the Nations since our school is known as Macau’s “international school.” These students were struck, they said, by the diversity, and were clearly excited by the idea of having children from so many backgrounds come together under one roof. If they take that excitement back to their school, we will have made the sort of contribution that everyone associated with School of the Nations was determined to make from the beginning.
United States[edit]
Bahá’í physician returns to Vietnam[edit]
Dr. Jim Turpin, a Bahá’í from Asheville, North Carolina, who spent seven years as a physician in Vietnam, was recently invited back by the present Communist government to train local health workers in the techniques of child survival.
Dr. Turpin, who founded the non-profit medical organization Project Concern after working with the poor in Mexico in 1959, gave up a family practice in San Diego in 1960 and went to Hong Kong to practice medicine.
While there he met a young doctor from New Zealand who told him about large numbers of starving children in Vietnam.
Within weeks, Dr. Turpin was on a plane to Saigon.
He and other American doctors and nurses stayed until 1972, when conditions became too dangerous and they were forced to leave.
“We left reluctantly,” Dr. Turpin said in a front-page article last November 28 in The Asheville Citizen. “We had been secure because everyone knew we were non-political. We treated anyone who came in, no questions asked.”
Dr. Turpin, who is an occupational medicine consultant for several hospitals, learned last year that one of two hospitals established’ in Vietnam by Project Concern was still operating.
He also learned that the hospital was run by a villager who had trained under him in his Village Medical Assistance program in the ’60s.
“It was time to go back to Vietnam,” said Dr. Turpin, who became a Bahá’í in 1974 and has written two books about his experiences overseas, Vietnam Doctor and A Faraway Country.
“As bad as the situation was during the war, the Vietnamese government is willing to admit now that it’s worse. They’re willing to say they need our help.”
DR. JIM TURPIN
Dr. Turpin’s goal is to train local workers in the latest techniques in child survival including ORT—oral rehydration therapy— which is used to treat children who are badly dehydrated.
“We built up a lot of trust during seven years (in Vietnam),” he said. “They (the government) know we don’t spend government money and that we’re a non-political organization with a multi-racial and international staff.”
United Kingdom[edit]
Afnan Trust takes strides forward[edit]
The Afnan Trust was set up in response to instructions left by the late Hand of the Cause of God Hasan Balyuzi, the purpose of which was to preserve and maintain his collection of books and manuscripts and, in his words, to make them available “to all who seek knowledge.”
The legal process necessary to establish the Trust and to get it registered as a charity was long and difficult. During this time the Trustees consulted with the Universal House of Justice and the National Spiritual Assembly of the United Kingdom, making every effort to ensure that the final Trust document would allow them as much scope as possible to widen the activities of the Trust as it grew and developed.
The charity was at last registered on June 20, 1985, with its purposes defined in its governing instrument as being:
“The furtherance of the Bahá’í Faith in preserving and developing the collection which includes books, tablets, documents, material from diaries and books, manuscripts, photographs and newspaper cuttings; and which relate to the Bahá’í Faith, European and world history, Middle Eastern studies in general and to comparative religion formed by the deceased in his lifetime, and generally to promote for the public benefit the study of the Bahá’í Faith.”
The Trustees have met regularly since the inception of the Trust, and have from the outset identified their first two targets as being the cataloguing of the collection and the necessity of finding suitable premises in which it could be housed and where scholars would be able to have access to it. However, as is the case with most charities in their early stages, the first and overriding consideration has been to try to raise funds with which to achieve these goals.
... the Trustees received an enormous boost, both spiritually and financially, when in November 1985 they received a donation from the Universal House of Justice of 5,000 pounds ...
To this end, the Trustees received an enormous boost, both spiritually and financially, when in November 1985 they received a donation from the Universal House of Justice of 5,000 pounds, followed by a letter in July 1986 giving the Trustees permission to make known to the National Spiritual Assemblies of the United States, Canada, Germany, Italy and Australia that the House of Justice attaches such importance to the Library that it had made the contribution to help promote its interests. The House of Justice expressed the hope that by reporting this fact to the friends they would be encouraged to lend their support to the project.
The Trustees’ subsequent approach to these National Assemblies brought donations from almost all of them, with the largest contribution coming from Germany. Also received were a most generous donation from the local Spiritual Assembly of Hunter’s Hill in Sydney, Australia, and individual donations from Bahá’ís in Australia, Japan and the U.S.
At the beginning of 1987 the Trust received a further boost, and a most important one, when the British National Spiritual Assembly generously offered the use of two of the rooms in its newly acquired administrative headquarters in Uckfield, Sussex, as a home for the library.
The rooms were made ready for occupancy in October 1987, and arrangements were made to transport the collection from the late Mr. Balyuzi’s house to its new home. A van was hired, and on the Sunday chosen to make the move the house at Hampstead positively swarmed with cheerful and eager young people who, in seemingly next to no time, had the books packed away and the van loaded literally to its roof. Nor did their good humor and enthusiasm desert them when it was found that the van was lopsided and top-heavy, and all had to be removed and reloaded.
So the Library has a new home, and the Trustees have started to address the problems of cataloguing and providing suitable shelving for the books to be stored and displayed. Much valuable work has already been done by Mr. Balyuzi’s widow, who, with the help of Mrs. Irma Forbes, has listed all of the English-language books; but a great part of the collection is comprised of material in Persian, and this still has to be catalogued. Much valuable preparatory work has been carried out by Abu’l Quasim Afnan, and more recently the Trustees have been helped by a professional librarian, J.T. Jasion.
It is hoped, therefore, that it will not be many more months before the Library has been so organized as to make it possible for the Trustees to “open its doors,” and thus to fulfill Mr. Balyuzi’s wish that it be made available “to all who seek knowledge.”
Meanwhile, we cannot allow this opportunity to pass without appealing again to all Bahá’ís to lend their support to the Trust, in whatever way they can; and should anyone be interested, a brochure describing the aims of the Library Trust will be sent on request. Write to 3 Lyndhurst Road, Hampstead, London NW3 5PX, England.
August 1, 1988
United Nations[edit]
World Decade for Culture[edit]
The experience of the last two decades has shown that culture cannot be dissociated from development in any society, whatever its level of economic growth or its political and economic orientation.
Culture is an intrinsic part of the life and awareness—conscious and unconscious—of individuals and communities. It is a living fund of the creative activity, past and present, which has shaped over the centuries the system of values, traditions and tastes which defines the distinctive genius of a people. Thus culture is bound to make an imprint on economic activity and define the strengths and weaknesses of a society’s productive processes.
These conclusions emerge from the experience, both positive and negative, of all countries. Whenever a country has set itself the target of economic growth without reference to its cultural environment, grave economic and cultural imbalances have resulted, and its creative potential has been seriously weakened. Genuine development must be based on the best possible use of the human resources and material wealth of the community. Thus in the final analysis the priorities, motivations and objectives of development must be found in culture. But in the past this has been conspicuously ignored.
From now on culture should be regarded as a direct source of inspiration for development, and in return, development should assign culture a central role as a social regulator.
| This article on the World Decade for Cultural Development was written by Federico Mayor, director-general of UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Social and Cultural Organization) and first appeared in the November 1988 issue of UNESCO’s monthly publication, The Courier. |
This imperative applies not only to developing countries, where economic extraversion and cultural alienation have clearly and sometimes dramatically widened the gap between the creative and productive processes. It is also increasingly vital for the industrialized countries, where the headlong race for growth in material wealth is detrimental to the spiritual, ethical and esthetic aspects of life, and creates much disharmony between man and the natural environment.
The same imperative applies to the relations between nations and between regions, at a time when the processes of social change are rapidly becoming worldwide in scope—a phenomenon which is encouraging a growing exchange of ideas, individuals and goods and is bringing people and nations closer together, but which is also leading to a dangerous uniformity of cultural values, and increasing the inequality of opportunities for progress at world level. As a consequence, human creative diversity may be impoverished and the domination of those who define these values may increase.
A skillfully managed linkage between culture and development can make it possible to strengthen creative identities, to inhibit standardization, and to encourage greater equality of opportunity for self-expression for different cultures, thereby promoting increasingly fruitful exchanges among them. Such a linkage must be based on the rejection of any discrimination, either between nations or between individuals, and on the assertion of the universal humanist values of democracy, justice and solidarity, without which no dialogue is possible. It must be based on the encouragement of freedom of research, invention and innovation which is the prime condition for any cultural life.
The logo of the World Decade for Cultural Development.
Thus every effort must be made to allow creative diversity to prevail over the dead hand of standardization, the basic aspirations of mankind to prevail over the conflicts of interest groups, and human solidarity to prevail through the free self-expression of the individual.
As I remarked at the ceremony held to launch the World Decade for Development on January 21, 1988, the aim of the Decade is to promote awareness of the cultural imperative and to foster a new state of mind that will lead to the emergence of a variety of proposals devoted to “a diversity which unites, a creativity which brings together, and a solidarity which liberates.”
The four major goals of the Decade constitute guidelines rather than a rigid framework:
- Acknowledgment of the cultural dimension of development: ways must be found in which production and creativity can be linked, and economics can be rooted in culture.
- Affirmation and enrichment of cultural identities: the encouragement of all individual and collective talents and initiatives.
- Broadening participation in cultural life: mobilizing the forces of freedom of expression and creativity in the individual and the community, in the name of human rights, free will and independence of mind.
- Promotion of international cultural cooperation: seeking, increasing and strengthening the means whereby a culture freely draws sustenance from others and in turn nourishes them, while respecting a nucleus of universally accepted truths.
India[edit]
HARYANA
- Mona Teaching Project, Jind
- Date: 1st Sept to 15th Nov. 1988.
- 110 new declarations.
- 3 new LSAs formed.
- Book Exhibition at Rajoind held.
- 2 Book Depots established.
- Deepenings for 5 LSAs arranged.
- Message was given to 400 people.
- Contribution amounted to Rs. 302 received for Temple, State and Local fund.
- Total expenses of the project Rs. 140.
- 12 localities visited during the project.
- Dr. Mohajir Mass Teaching Project, Faridabad.
- Date: 1st Oct to 30th Nov. 1988.
- 86 friends declared.
- 9 localities visited.
- Book Exhibition held at Faridabad.
- Mrs Nalini Munje Teaching Project, Bhiwani.
- Date: 10th Oct to 10th Nov 1988.
- 36 new declarations received.
- Opened Bahá’í Centre at Bhiwani.
KARNATAKA
- Dr. Mohajir Mass Teaching Project, Tumkur.
- N.D.F. commenced at 3 places.
- Moral classes started at 3 places.
- 276 friends accepted the Faith.
- 15 leading newspapers covered the news.
- One free dental camp held.
- Teachers training institute was held. Representatives of 250 schools participated.
- 19 Educational Institutions and 5 Clubs visited.
- Deepening activities held for new believers.
- 2 Medical Camps held.
- Dr. Mohajir Mass Teaching Project, Belgaum.
- 47 friends declared.
- Firesides initiated at 4 places.
- All leading newspapers covered news in English, Marathi and Kannad.
- Local Women Committee arranged Book Exhibition for 3 days.
- Similar projects are planned for Dharwad and Hubli as per the minutes of Council. However information has yet to be received.
RAJASTHAN
- Teaching Project at Bhilwara, Udaipur and Ajmer,
- Date: 19th Oct. to 23rd Oct. 1988.
- 120 new friends declared.
- 7 new localities opened to the Faith.
- 4 new LSAs formed.
- Bhilwara Dist. opened the e Faith.
- Proclamation in Dist. H.Q., Nagaur.
- Message was given to 70 people.
- 2 declarations received.
GUJARAT
- Late Miss Godavari Mass Teaching Project presently underway.
- Location: Valsad, Surat and Dadra & Nagar Haveli,
- Date: 15th Oct to 15th Jan 1989.
- a. 1083 new friends declared their Faith.
- b. The Bansad Taluka of Valsad Dist. was covered during the project.
- c. 31 new localities opened to the Faith.
- d. Public meeting arranged in several schools.
- Dang Teaching Project in memory of late Mr. Misaqi planned for 3 months
MAHARASHTRA
- Nisha Motiwala Mass Teaching Project, Nasik
- 537 new believers.
- 23 new LSAs formed.
- 5 Deepening conferences held.
- Victory Conference held on 4th Sept. ’88. 30 participated and Rs. 518 collected for fund.
- Dhulia Teaching Project Dhulia.
- Date: 8th Oct to 15th Oct 1988.
- Book Exhibition held.
- several Public meetings held.
- Late Mr. Ishraqi Mass Teaching Project, Satara.
- Date: 23rd Oct to 6th Nov. 1988.
- 400 new believers enrolled.
- 6 New LSA formed.
- 2 new talukas opened to the Faith.
- 3 Book Exhibitions held
- Bahá’í literature distributed to 5000 people.
KERALA
- Calicut Teaching Project,
- Date: 28th Aug to 3rd Sept 1988.
- 150 adults including 70 women and 54 Youth including 27 girls declared from Muslim, Christian and Hindu Background.
- Cannanore Teaching Project.
- Date: 24th Aug to 28th Aug 1988.
- 88 new believers.
- 3 new localities opened to the Faith.
- 7 artists from Lakshadweep Islands accepted the Faith who came to perform in festival at Cannanore.
[Page 9]
JAMMU & KASHMIR
- Mr. Faizi Teaching Project, Jammu, ended on 13th December
- 85 new declarations.
- 21 new localities opened to the Faith
- 3 new LSAs formed.
PUNJAB
- Mass Teaching Project Chandigarh Dist.
- Visited 11 Locations.
- Peace Conferences held at 4 places.
- 47 declared their Faith.
- Faith introduced to 1000 people.
- 4 Firesides held.
- 2 Book Exhibitions held.
- Follow up program chalked out.
BIHAR
- Mona Teaching Project started and called off due to lack of manpower
UTTAR PRADESH
- Mohit Mass Teaching Project, Etawah,
- Enrolled 31339 men, 14442 Women, 20537 youths and 33564 children.
- Mrs Nalini Munje Mass Teaching Project, Farrukhabad,
- Enrolled 36440 men, 24242 women, 15412 youths and 43774 children.
- Dr. Barni Mass Teaching Project, Kanpur.
- Enrolled 35554 men, 26322 women, 14425 youths and 50801 children.
TRIPURA
- Mass Teaching Project, South Tripura Dist.
- Date: 19th Sept. to 18th Nov. 1988.
- 316 new declaration.
- 17 new localities opened.
- 2 days Victory Conference held, 400 friends participated.
WEST BENGAL
- Mrs. Koirala Mass Teaching Project, Darjeeling.
- 605 new declarations.
- Visited 3 Govt. Hostels.
- Project started on 9th Sept ’88 in 3 areas i.e. Darjeeling Town, Tindharia and Mungpoo.
- Presented Faith to the dignitories.
- 9 Localities opened to the Faith.
- Several Public meetings arranged.
- Late Mr. J.C. Das Mass Teaching Project, Khatra
- Duration: Sept-Dec 1988.
- Approximately 600 friends accepted the Faith.
- 1000 people received the message.
- 3 Tribes named Sanal, Maji and Khara brought into the Faith with 50 declarations.
- 10 new families enrolled.
- Dr. Mohajir Mass Teaching Project (Mobile Teaching)
- Deepenings held at several places.
MADHYA PRADESH
- Mass Teaching.
- Location: Morena, Bhind and Shivpuri.
- 70696 accepted the Faith.
- 50 libraries and 5 Book Depots established.
- Deepening classes have been held for new believers and some of them have enrolled for correspondence Course.
ORISSA
- Mr. Tabyanian Teaching Project, Bolangir,
- 6 New LSAs formed
- 108 new believers enrolled.
- Amatul Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum Teaching Project, Koraput.
- Date: October 1988
- 2424 including 60 dignitories accepted the Faith.
- Birth Anniversary of Bahá’u’lláh celebrated by several LSAs.
- Women gatherings held at villages.
- New tribe JHANA brought into the Faith.
- Mr. Nikoi Teaching Project at Cuttack and Puri.
- Date: November 1988.
- 2726 new believers enrolled.
- 15 new LSAs formed.
- 400 Women enrolled.
- Several women gatherings held.
- Birth anniversary of Bahá’u’lláh celebrated by new LSAs.
TAMILNADU
- Teaching Projects:
- A. Kanyakumari: 22 including 3 families declared.
- B. Dharsapuri: 11 friends accepted the Faith.
- C. South Arcot Dist.: 22 including 3 families accepted the Faith.
- D. Khodarahm Moradian Memorial Teaching project, Ooty. 30 accepted this Faith.
- E. Nilgiri: 800 including 100 women declared.
- F. 15 LSAs identified for initiating mass teaching in their respective areas.
- Enrolled 507 new believers through Regular Teaching activities by identified LSAs. These teaching & consolidation activities are underway.
ANDHRA PRADESH
- Guntur and Vijaywada Teaching Project, 130 new declarations.
- Nizamabad teaching project. Faith introduced first time. 40 new believers.
- Nalgonda Teaching Project, 39 declared in Boyinanally and 16 declared in Suranam.
- Ramaachodavaram Tribal Teaching Project.
- — 109 declared their faith representing 3 tribes.
- — 150 people visited Book Exhibition.
- — 19 new localities opened to the Faith.
Essay[edit]
Probing nature of Covenant-breaking[edit]
Recent events make it appropriate to set down some aspects of the Teachings pertaining to Covenant-breaking. This article aims to provide a brief summary on this subject, with a more comprehensive account to be found in the booklet “The Power of the Covenant: Part Two” published by the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada.
The key to fulfillment of the promises in the Bahá’í Holy Writings, foreshadowing the establishment of world unity and world peace, with the consequent growth of world civilization, lies in the fact that the Bahá’í Revelation is unique in religious history.
Part of its uniqueness is that the fundamental provisions for the organization, authority and administration of the Bahá’í community have been specified clearly and explicitly in writing by Bahá’u’lláh Himself, through provision of a Covenant. The existence of this Covenant protects the Bahá’í Faith from the schism and division which has been so destructive to religion in past ages, and preserves its unity; through this unity, based on adherence to the provisions laid down by Bahá’u’lláh, the Faith retains its power to change the world and to unify mankind.
One of the essential features of the Bahá’í Administrative Order is that no individual can claim authoritative leadership over other Bahá’ís. The Administrative Order rests on the bedrock of the oneness of mankind; authority is vested in institutions elected by the believers, while institutions composed of appointed individuals exercise a counseling or advisory role.
The Administrative Order rests on the bedrock of the oneness of mankind; authority is vested in institutions elected by the believers, while institutions composed of appointed individuals exercise a counseling or advisory role.
The history of the Bahá’í Faith shows that, on several occasions, individuals have tried to take control of the Faith or to set themselves up as its authoritative leaders; this process involves attacking the central institution of the Faith, since the aim is to seize the authority of that institution. In some instances they were Bahá’ís who had been well-known or well-respected for their knowledge and service. History also shows that they failed to divide the Bahá’í community, succeeding only in causing a temporary breach through attracting a few followers for a limited period.
The prophecies of the ancient scriptures are that we are now living in the Day that shall not be followed by Night; our Teachings explain that this prophecy refers to the fact that the Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh will protect the Bahá’í community from division.
When an individual who is a member of the Faith attacks its central institution, he is violating the Covenant; should he persist in doing this, despite all efforts to help him through education and counsel (sometimes over a long period of time), he is declared a Covenant-breaker and the believers are called upon to have no contact or association with him.
Why does an individual, who may be a knowledgeable Bahá’í with a record of service to the Faith, embark upon an attack on the central institution of the Faith? The Teachings clearly indicate that it is due to a consuming desire for leadership and power. This desire, born from egotism, is so great that the individual violates principles he knows to be true. It is incorrect to regard Covenant-breaking as being due to ignorance of the Teachings; on the contrary, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá tells us that Covenant-breakers “are perfectly aware and still they exhibit opposition.”
One can well understand the emphasis in the Bahá’í Teachings on humility, self-abnegation, and spiritual development when one sees the extreme condition to which unrestrained egotism can lead—a condition in which a Bahá’í who is well-informed of the Teachings will deliberately and willfully attack the institutions of the Faith, because the passionate desire for authoritative leadership has overcome all restraint.
| This article, “The Nature of Covenant-breaking,” by Dr. Peter Khan, a member of the Universal House of Justice, is reprinted from the September 1982 issue of the Australian Bahá’í Bulletin. |
A Covenant-breaker, seeking this authority and power, will naturally try to attract followers. Quite often, this is done through misrepresentation, taking advantage of the fact that some Bahá’ís are so trusting as to become naïve and vulnerable. For example, a Covenant-breaker might represent himself as having suffered a great injustice, thus appealing to a Bahá’í who has an emotional commitment to the support of the oppressed. He may represent himself as the possessor of secret knowledge about the Administrative Order, thus appealing to those who love secrets and are flattered at being able to share in them.
He might adopt the guise of being in need of discussing Covenant issues with a knowledgeable believer as a prelude to re-entering the Faith, thus flattering the believer and tantalizing him with the prospect of being the means of restoring a Covenant-breaker to the
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Faith. He may represent himself to a
believer as being an heroic individual
contesting valiantly with a faceless bureaucracy bent upon his suppression;
this would aim to appeal to those who
harbor a suppressed suspicion and resentment of all authority and who
yearn for the simple life free from restrictions and social organization.
He may dazzle the believer with extensive quotations from authentic Bahá’í texts, skillfully taken out of context and juxtaposed to support the assumptions and unwarranted inferences he wishes to make. He may wrap himself in the garment of piety, expressing noble words and inspiring sentiments which are contradicted by his actions of attempting to subvert the authority of institutions ordained by Bahá’u’lláh Himself.
These are but a few examples of means used in an attempt to ensnare a Bahá’í, through the approach of feeding the ego of the believer or taking advantage of the believer’s desire to help someone whom he perceives to be in need.
There are certain basic facts that clarify this issue. The first is the fact that anyone who has been a Covenant-breaker can approach the head of the Faith, now the Universal House of Justice, at any time by letter with a request for clarification of issues of the Covenant or for re-admission to the Faith; if the Universal House of Justice deems that the person making the approach is sincere, it acts accordingly and directs the institutions of the Faith appropriately.
Second, Bahá’í Teachings clearly and unequivocally warn the believers of the dangers of associating with Covenant-breakers or of reading anything written by them, since their appeal to the material within all of us is so insidious and subtle. No believer who has a humble assessment of his own spiritual development would claim to have so totally subjugated his material nature as to be immune to the harmful effects of association with Covenant-breakers.
Third, Bahá’ís are encouraged to pray for Covenant-breakers, that they might return to the path of God, and thus find inner peace and happiness. Our compassion encompasses all mankind, irrespective of their spiritual condition. However, we must beware lest this compassion lead us into actions, such as contact with Covenant-breakers, which would only make a situation worse, and which would expose us to the danger of being infected with the spirit of Covenant-breaking. Remember, a Covenant-breaker who sincerely wants help can always write to the Universal House of Justice.
The best protection for any Bahá’í is to deepen himself, as fully as possible, in the Teachings on the Covenant. Through this deepening he will find growing within himself a great love for the Covenant, and a deep realization of its power to preserve the Faith in a pure and uncorrupted form, unified through the provisions laid down by Bahá’u’lláh, and free from the contamination of usurped leadership and self-appointed authority.
Covenant-breaking, as is evident from reading the history of the Bahá’í Faith, is a rare and unusual occurrence. The institutions of the Faith, functioning under the direction of the Universal House of Justice, are fully capable of protecting the Faith. The believers need have no fear that the Covenant-breakers will succeed in dividing the Bahá’í community. Promise upon promise, from the Central Figures of the Faith, as well as the authentic prophecies of all the major world religions, assure us that the Faith will proceed, united and indivisible, from victory to victory, until it succeeds in establishing a world civilization in which the generations to come will find contentment and fulfillment.
Papua New Guinea[edit]
Pictured are some of the children and their teacher at a Bahá’í Sunday school class at Kareeba Village in Papua New Guinea’s East New Britain Province.
Thanks to the initiative of a friend of the Faith in Kareeba Village, near Keravat in Papua New Guinea’s East New Britain Province, an empty classroom is being used each Sunday for Bahá’í children’s classes.
Forty-eight children ages 3-18 now attend, with the older ones helping the younger learn to print letters, paste, cut, draw, etc. Bahá’í teachers travel 40 km (25 miles) each week from Rabaul to ensure that lessons are held.
One recent activity was to make mobiles in the shape of hearts with the word “peace” on one side and “malmal” (the Kuanua word for peace) on the other.
The world[edit]
Peace Research conference in Rio[edit]
The National Spiritual Assembly of Brazil, which is a member of the International Peace Research Association, took part last August in that organization’s 12th International Conference in Rio de Janeiro.
Copies of the peace statement were given to visitors and participants at a booth set up by the Bahá’ís at the cultural fair adjoining the conference.
Also, the Bahá’í Publishing Trust of Brazil displayed literature for adults and children on peace and the principles of the Faith.
More than 60 people from 14 countries asked for literature and more information about the Faith and its views on world peace.
Helped by the local Youth Committee of Manaus, the Linda Tanure Home, a Bahá’í-sponsored orphanage in Brazil, organized a major celebration last October 12 for Children’s Day.
With the cooperation of the Amazon Television station and the announcer on Rede Globo (local television), the event was publicized throughout the city. A report also appeared in A Critica, one of the most widely read newspapers in the area.
Through the efforts of several Bahá’í communities, two slide programs about peace are being distributed throughout Brazil.
One of them, directed toward adult audiences and based on the peace statement, is entitled “From War to Peace.” Recent estimates indicate that more than 100,000 people have seen the show.
The second show, entitled “The Peace Pigeon,” was produced for children. Since its release last September, it has been shown at more than 20 schools.
The country’s Ministry of Justice, through the Federal Council on Human Rights, has officially expressed its interest in supporting the “Peace Pigeon” program, opening ways to have it shown in all states in Brazil.
To commemorate Teachers’ Day last October, the Bahá’í community of Brazil distributed to teachers all over the country 5,000 copies of a compilation of the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on education and extracts from the Universal House of Justice’s peace statement.
Shown are some of the children who are studying the violin at Escola das Nacoes (School of the Nations) in Brasilia, Brazil. The school, which has been in operation since September 1980, has received praise for its contributions to education, both in Brazil and worldwide.
Leeward Islands[edit]
Fifty young Bahá’ís from 19 islands took part in the second Inter-Caribbean youth event, the Mona Teaching Project, last July 17-August 14, traveling throughout the Caribbean area to teach the Faith.
The project, sponsored by the Bahá’ís of the Leeward Islands, began in Antigua with a week-long institute which included study of the Writings, the demonstration of techniques for “direct teaching” using a teaching book, and preparation for teaching through use of songs, sketches, games and performing arts.
Martinique and Guadeloupe each welcomed a new believer during the project, which ended at a Caribbean Youth Conference held August 12-14 in Grenada.
Afterward, a delegation of Bahá’í youth presented a copy of the peace statement to the Governor-General of Grenada.
Transkei[edit]
More than 50 people attended a women’s conference last October 29 sponsored by the Bahá’ís of Umtata, Transkei, whose purpose was to discuss “The Role of Women in the New Age.”
A featured speaker was the Minister of Health, Dr. M.N. Xaba-Mokoena, the highest-ranking woman in the government of Transkei. In addressing the morning session, she quoted from the Bahá’í writings while speaking about the role of women in promoting health in the family and in society.
Other speakers were the president of the Transkei Association of University Women and Yvonne Fitzpatrick, a Bahá’í pioneer to Venda who gave a presentation of the equality of men and women.
Radio Transkei broadcast Dr. Xaba-Mokoena’s speech (in English and Xhosa), while an article including quotes from Mrs. Fitzpatrick’s talk appeared in a widely read regional news paper.
Transkei’s Minister of Health, Dr. M.N. Xaba-Mokoena, addresses a Bahá’í-sponsored women’s conference in Umtata last October 29. Also pictured is Mrs. Jan Bassari, a member of the Bahá’í community of Umtata, who chaired the conference.
Chile[edit]
Francisco Amenábar, a well-known media personality who is a member of the Bahá’í community of Santiago, Chile, has created a radio program which has, over the past six months, resulted in unprecedented radio proclamation of the Faith there.
The program, which is broadcast from 10 p.m. to midnight Monday through Friday, is designed to accompany one’s meditative time late in the evening with selected poems, stories, legends and writings from various sacred scriptures including the Bahá’í writings, along with specially chosen music to complement the over-all tone of peace and tranquillity.
As the program has progressed, Sr. Amenábar has been increasing the use of Bahá’í literature, always mentioning the source of the work and creating a wide public awareness of the Faith. Many people who are now attending local firesides and public talks first became aware of the Faith through the program, which has become quite popular with an audience each evening estimated at 10,000 to 15,000 listeners.
Tribute to its positive effects was paid by the Ministry of Telecommunications when it awarded the owner of the station a free frequency in the Valparaiso area “in recognition of the special program dedicated to peace and unity.”
Two Mapuche Indian Bahá’ís, with members of other non-governmental organizations (NGOs), took part last November 3 in a Symposium on Rural Development at the United Nations national headquarters in Santiago, Chile.
The symposium, sponsored by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), focused on education, radio and health. It was the first time that representatives of the Mapuche people had attended a symposium of that nature.
Korea[edit]
Following a teacher training institute last July 2-10 in Pusan, South Korea, three of the 20 participants arose to take on full-time teaching.
Within three weeks, their efforts had led to the enrollment of 84 people in Korea.
India[edit]
The Continental Board of Counsellors in Asia reports the enrollment of 1,100 new believers including 250 families; the opening of 70 new localities; and preparation for the formation of 35 local Spiritual Assemblies as the result of a recent teaching campaign in the State of Gujarat, India.
The Bahá’ís of Darjeeling, India, proclaimed the Faith to 15,000 people last September during a special project that opened 35 new areas and reached many high-ranking officials with the Message of Bahá’u’lláh.
Of the 330 people who were enrolled, most are students.
The Faizí Teaching Project in Jammu Kashmir State, India, reports the fulfillment of its goals. Three new local Spiritual Assemblies were formed, 21 new localities opened, and 85 new believers embraced the Faith.
As of the end of last December, a teaching campaign sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Madras, India, which began on November 21, had led to the enrollment of 76 new believers.
Mariana Islands[edit]
Last September, six delegates from the Mariana Islands including one Bahá’í, Annette Donner Baumunk, attended the fourth South Pacific Commission’s Regional Women’s Affairs Conference in Suva, Fiji.
Ms. Baumunk, who represented the National Spiritual Assembly of the Mariana Islands, was official reporter for the Bahá’í International Community.
To promote the work of the conference, the Bahá’í Public Affairs Committee sponsored a post-conference forum at the Guam Hilton Hotel.
The forum was covered by the Pacific Daily News and Pacific Sunday News.
In February, two successful Chinese new year celebrations were sponsored by the National Chinese Teaching Committee of the Marianas.
On Guam, about 70 people attended an afternoon program of traditional and modern Chinese songs performed by two professional musicians, Duke Tang and Christine Chen.
Meanwhile, on Tinian, about 80 people including the mayor and director of the Airport Authority attended a program that included a clown, music, a magic show and grand fiesta.
Many non-Bahá’í guests attended both events.
Dr. William Zucker, a pioneer to Guam in the Mariana Islands, has received the prestigious Presidential Award for Excellence in Science and Mathematics.
The award is given annually to one teacher from each state and territory of the United States.
Teaching successes continue in Saipan, an island in the Marianas in the western Pacific. Since a teaching campaign was begun last July, 91 new believers have been enrolled.
Panama[edit]
This group of Guaymi Indian women is learning to make puppets at the Guaymi Cultural Center in Panama. The puppets will be used in teaching the Faith. An attractive stage has been constructed on which to present the shows.
Eighty people attended a Bahá’í-sponsored seminar on “World Unity for the Conservation of Nature” last August 15 in Santiago de Veruguas, Panama.
A second topic, “New Era Religious Architecture,” drew 200 people for a showing of the video “Ark of Destiny,” about the Seat of the Universal House of Justice.
South Africa[edit]
Two traveling teachers from Mauritius recently spent three weeks visiting the Hindu people of Natal, South Africa, telling them about the Bahá’í Faith.
At least five Hindu schools welcomed the visitors, Vassu and Aboojam Mooten, as well as Hindu temples at which groups of up to 70 people were addressed.
As a result, several people invited the visitors to their homes to present firesides, among them a well-known philanthropist, Rauea-Chandra Govender. They attended a service at Mr. Govender’s Temple, where they spoke to an audience of about 25.
Their talks generally were about the education of children and achieving world unity through recognition of the oneness of God, religion and mankind.
Venezuela[edit]
Four hundred seventy-seven new believers were enrolled in the Faith during an intensive teaching campaign last August in Coro, Venezuela.
Consolidation activities have included four children’s classes, a youth project called “Fuerza Juvenil” (Youth Power), and a deepening institute.
The National Spiritual Assembly of Venezuela has declared its amazement at the accomplishments of the Bahá’í community of Coro, as well as its confidence that other communities soon will be “ignited by this flame.”
Belize[edit]
Activities are being rekindled and regular programs initiated throughout Belize as the teaching campaign begun last July continues.
In Belmopan, monthly public meetings, firesides and television programs are advertised in the local newspaper.
In other areas, activities for youth and children are being held regularly. In one area, all new Bahá’ís receive a correspondence course on the Faith.
One of the new believers has offered to leave his job for a year to devote his full time to service to the Cause.
A full-time teaching team continues the expansion and consolidation work, which includes training new Bahá’í teachers to pave the way for entry by troops.
Chad[edit]
Students at the Covenant School in Negonkira, a sub-prefecture of Maro, Moyen-Chari, Chad, gather for a group photograph. The school is supervised by CBHSD (Bahá’í Committee of Humanitarian Service for Development).
Bolivia[edit]
More than 1,000 new believers were enrolled last November 26-December 4 during a special teaching project designed and implemented by the National Teaching Committee of Bolivia in collaboration with Counsellor Eloy Anello and the National Spiritual Assembly of Bolivia.
The project began with a two-day “spiritualization and training course” at the Firdawsí Institute.
Forty of the institute’s 60 participants volunteered to visit communities within the listening range of Bolivia’s Radio Bahá’í.
Also in Bolivia, the Samandari Project has brought more than 650 people into the Faith and opened more than 35 new localities.
The campaign, dedicated to the memory of Bahá’í martyr Faramarz Samandari, is an ongoing project initiated in November 1987.
Thailand[edit]
Kasinee Chiwapreecha, a Bahá’í from Aranyaprathet, Thailand, was given two awards for outstanding teaching by the Government District School Inspector at a ceremony last November.
She was honored for excellence in teaching mathematics and for materials preparation.
During his address, the inspector referred to Miss Chiwapreecha’s involvement in Bahá’í activities. As a result, much positive interest in the Faith was displayed during a reception which followed the ceremony.
A Youth Camp held last October 21-23 in Thailand attracted 90 adults, youth and children including a number of Bahá’ís from Malaysia.
Inspired by the participation of Counsellor S. Nagaratnam of India, those at the Camp developed a six-month plan to teach in four areas of Thailand.
Three teams set out immediately for the Trad, Phanat Nikhom and Samut Songkram areas. By the end of October they had brought five new believers into the Faith.
The Bahá’ís of Aranyaprathet, Thailand, took part last November in a parade of floats celebrating “Loy Kratong,” a traditional Thai festival.
The Bahá’í float, depicting the theme of peace with a central revolving globe, moved through the streets accompanied by Bahá’ís dressed in various national costumes. An estimated 20,000 people saw the float, for which the Bahá’ís were awarded third prize.
Taiwan[edit]
Accelerated efforts in both teaching and consolidation are following in the wake of victories in Taiwan’s Muhájir Project.
Since Riḍván 1988 more than 2,000 new believers have been enrolled, 800 of whom declared their belief last November and December.
Well-attended gatherings for deepening and fellowship are being held in many places, and many of the new believers are actively involved in the project itself, which now boasts 25 full-time teachers.
One result of the teaching efforts has been a quadrupling in only six months of the Bahá’í National Center staff. Also, the National Office has been almost completely redecorated, thanks to contributions from local Assemblies and individual Bahá’ís.
Contributions to the National Fund doubled during the first six months of this Bahá’í year.
Southwest Africa/Namibia[edit]
David Shipanga, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of South West Africa/Namibia, amplifies a point on chastity made by pioneer Sincere Razavi during the 1988 Owamboland Bahá’í summer school held last October 1-3. Nearly 100 men, women, youth and children attended the school, which was held at the Regional Bahá’í Center in Ekolyanaambo.
Ivory Coast[edit]
A teaching campaign begun last summer in the village of Yaounde, between Duekoue and Guiglo in the western part of Ivory Coast, included a meeting with the chief and about 20 villagers who were invited by the chief to listen to the Bahá’í teachers.
Following a presentation on the principles of the Faith and a question-and-answer session, the group of villagers all embraced the Faith.
The chief then strongly affirmed his wish that the whole village would become Bahá’í.
The chiefs of 10 other villages in the southwestern area of Ivory Coast have shown great interest in the Faith. Four new local Spiritual Assemblies have been formed in that area, bringing to 71 the total number of Assemblies in Ivory Coast.
Among the 60 people who attended the inauguration last July 17 of the local Bahá’í Center in Agboville, Ivory Coast, were three local dignitaries: the chief of Agboville, a representative of the police, and another from the hospital, each of whom was given a cassette tape of the peace statement recorded in the local dialect.
The ceremony included a brief history of the Faith in Agboville and of the building that now serves as the Bahá’í Center.
Togo[edit]
The recently formed Spiritual Assembly of Houngveke (Yoto), Togo, has organized a number of activities for the community.
Besides teaching events, deepenings are held once each week, land has been cleared to prepare for the building of a local Bahá’í Center, regular classes for children are being held, and literacy classes for adults have begun and are proving to be quite popular.
St. Vincent/Grenadines[edit]
The Bahá’í community of St. Vincent and the Grenadines recently received a visit from the Garifuna/Carib “Trail of Light” teaching team from Central America.
The visit marked a homecoming for the team, which is composed of four Bahá’ís, two from Belize and two from Honduras, all of whom are descendants of the Carib Indians who were exiled by the British from St. Vincent to Central America almost 200 years ago.
The visit was welcomed by those on St. Vincent because, while the Carib people who remained in St. Vincent lost their cultural identity over the years, those in Central America, who are now known as Garifuna, preserved it (and still consider St. Vincent to be their homeland). Thus the team’s visit did much to help the people of St. Vincent appreciate their cultural heritage.
The Trail of Light, which visited Antigua, Dominica and St. Lucia as well, was a collaborative effort between the Continental Board of Counsellors and the participating National Spiritual Assemblies.
Two members of the four-person ‘Trail of Light’ teaching team from Central America perform at the Red Cross Building in Roseau, Dominica. Their visit resulted in extensive media coverage, introduced the Faith to a cross-section of the public, and helped form many friendships among the Carib (Garifuna) people and the Bahá’ís.
Dominica[edit]
Pictured are members of the ‘Trail of Light’ teaching team from Belize and Honduras who traveled last September to Dominica. They spent a week there visiting their fellow Carib people, exchanging aspects of their cultures, sharing the Bahá’í message, and developing friendships.
Philippines[edit]
In Quirino province, north Luzon, in the Philippines, 501 new believers have recently been enrolled, 18 of whom are heads of local government in Barangay. Eighteen new local Spiritual Assemblies have been formed.
Meanwhile, in Ecija province, central Luzon, 711 have embraced the Faith and there are seven new local Assemblies.
In Isavela, Luzon, more than 500 have been enrolled and five new Assemblies have formed, bringing the totals to 1,963 new believers and 33 new Assemblies in one month.
In addition, a presentation of “The Promise of World Peace” to congressman Conrado Estrella of Pangasinan, Luzon, resulted in his offering a weekly 30-minute radio slot to the Bahá’ís, free of charge for an indefinite period until the peace statement has been disseminated throughout the province.
Significance of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation |
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| • The Day of God | • The Responses to His Call |
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| • The Nature of the Bahá’í Revelation | |
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