Bahá’í World/Volume 14/The launching of the Nine Year Plan

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[Page 101]

III

THE LAUNCHING OF THE NINE YEAR PLAN

THE first direct reference to the Plan to begin at Riḍván 1964 was made in the message of the Universal House of Justice to National Conventions sent from London on 7 May 1963:

“The Universal House of Justice, in close consultation with the Hands of the Cause, is examining the vast range of Bahá’í activity and growth in order to prepare a detailed plan of expansion for the whole Bahá’í community, to be launched at Riḍván 1964. . .

“The plan to be embarked upon next Riḍván, the details of which will be announced during the coming year, will include such projects as the extension and embellishment of the endowments at the World Centre; collation of the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and Shoghi Effendi; continual reinforcement of the ties binding the Bahá’í world to the United Nations; formation of many more National Spiritual Assemblies, both by division of existing Regional Spiritual Assemblies and the development of new Bahá’í communities, together with the purchase of national Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds, Temple sites, and national endowments; the opening of new territories to the Faith; detailed plans for National Spiritual Assemblies involving, in some areas, consolidation goals, in others the multiplication of Bahá’í institutes and schools, in others a great enrichment of Bahá’í literature, and in all a vast increase in the number of Bahá’ís, and the holding of oceanic and intercontinental conferences.”

In its message of October, 1963, addressed to “The Followers of Bahá’u’lláh throughout the World”, the Universal House of Justice first informed the friends that the new Plan would extend over a period of nine years and announced the formation at Riḍván 1964—the opening date of the Nine Year PIan—of nineteen new National Spiritual Assemblies:

“Next Riḍván will be launched the second of those world-encircling enterprises destined in the course of time to carry the Word of God to every human soul. The Standard Bearers of this Nine Year Plan are the Hands of the Cause of

God. The responsibility for directing the work will rest upon the shoulders of the National Spiritual Assemblies, the generals of the Army of Light, under the guidance of the Universal House of Justice.

“As the first step inaugurating this great undertaking we rejoice to announce the formation next Riḍván of nineteen National Spiritual Assemblies, resulting in the dissolution of six of the existing Regional National Spiritual Assemblies, and bringing the total number of these pillars of the Universal House of Justice to sixty-nine. The National and Regional National Assemblies now to be formed are:

1.The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of North West Africa, with its seat in Tunis, comprising Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Spanish Sahara, Rio de Oro, Mauritania, the Canary Islands and Madeira.

2. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of West Africa, with its seat in Monrovia, comprising Liberia, Sénégal, Gambia, Portuguese Guinea, Guinée, Sierra Leone, Mali, Upper Volta, Ivory Coast and Cape Verde Islands.

3. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’í’s of West Central Africa, with its seat in Victoria, comprising Cameroon, Spanish Guinea, St. Thomas Island, Fernando Po Island, Corisco Island, Nigeria, Niger, Dahomey, Togo and Ghana.

4. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’í's of Uganda and Central Africa, with its seat in Kampala, comprising Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, the Republic of the Congo (ex-Belgian), the Congo Republic (ex-French), Central African Republic, Gabon and Chad.

5. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Kenya, with its seat in Nairobi.

6. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, with its seat in Dar-es-Salaam, comprising

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Tanganyika, Zanzibar, Mafia Island and Pemba Island.

7. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of South Central Africa, with its seat in Salisbury, comprising Nyasaland, Northern Rhodesia, Southern Rhodesia and Bechuanaland.

3.The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of South and West Africa, with its seat in J ohannesburg, comprising Angola, South-West Africa, South Africa, Zululand, Swaziland, Basutoland, Mozambique and St. Helena.

9. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the Indian Ocean, with its seat in Port Louis, comprising Mauritius, the Malagasy Republic, Réunion Island, Seychelles Islands, Comoro Islands and the Chagos Archipelago.

10. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the Hawaiian Islands, with its seat in Honolulu.

11.The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the South Pacific Ocean, with its seat in Suva, comprising the Gilbert and Ellice Islands, Nauru Island, Fiji, Samoa Islands, Tonga Islands and Cook Islands.

12. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the South West Pacific Ocean, with its seat in Honiara, comprising the Solomon Islands, New Hebrides Islands, New Caledonia and Loyalty Islands.

13. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of North East Asia, with its seat in T okyo, comprising J apan, Formosa, HongKong and Macao.

14. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Korea, with its seat in Seoul.

15. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Malaysia, with its seat in Kuala Lumpur, comprising Malaya, Singapore, Brunei, Sabah and Sarawak.

16. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Indonesia, with its seat in Djakarta, comprising Indonesia, the Mentawai Islands, Portuguese Timor and West Irian.

17. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Vietnam, with its seat in Saigon, and having jurisdiction over the Bahá’ís of Cambodia.

THE Bahá’í WORLD

18. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Thailand, with its seat in Bangkok, and having jurisdiction over the Bahá’ís of Laos.

19. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the Philippines, with its seat in Manila.

“The detailed goals of the Plan, which will includesixty—nine national plans, have yet to be announced, but they must be such as to develop still further the World Centre of the Faith and the work of its institutions ; to consolidate those territories which have already been opened to the Faith; to bring God’s healing Message to many more of the peoples and territories of the world including all the unopened territories of the Ten Year Crusade and all the remaining independent states of the planet; and to achieve world-wide proclamation of the Faith to mark the Centenary of Bahá’u’lláh’s Proclamation to the kings and rulers in 1867—1868.”

The Hands of the Cause of God had carefully examined the condition of the Bahá’í world and had analysed the victories of the beloved Guardian’s Ten Year World Crusade. From this study they developed a summary of goals which, in their opinion, were attainable in the years that lay immediately ahead. The results of their devoted labours were lovingly made available to the Universal House of Justice immediately after its formation, and the Hands of the Cause residing in the Holy Land continued to ofler their advice and counsel to the Universal House of Justice as it embarked upon the research, surveys and study which were the necessary prelude to the drafting of the several messages which together made up the announcement of the Nine Year Plan. The text of the general message sent to the Bahá’ís of the world at Riḍván 1964 read:

April 1964 “To the Bahá’ís of the World

“Dearly-loved Friends,

“The divinely propelled process, described in such awe—inspiring words by our beloved Guardian, which began six thousand years ago at the dawn of the Adamic cycle and which is destined to culminate in ‘the stage at which the light of God’s triumphant Faith shining in all its power and glory will have suffused and

[Page 103]THE LAUNCHING OF THE NINE YEAR PLAN

enveloped the entire planet’, is now entering its tenth and last part.

“The Ten Year Crusade, so recently consummated in a blaze of victory and rejoicing, constituted the entire ninth part of this process. It saw the Cause of God leap forward in one mighty decade-long effort to the point at which the foundations of its Administrative Order were laid throughout the world, thus preparing the way for that awakening of the masses which must characterize the future progress of the Faith.

“From the beginning of this Dispensation the most urgent summons of the Word of God, voiced successively by the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh, has been to teach the Cause. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, in His own words, ‘spent His days and nights in promoting the Cause and urging the peoples to service’. Shoghi Effendi, discharging the sacred mission laid upon him, raised the Administrative Order of the Faith, already enshrined within the Sacred Writings, and forged it into a teaching instrument to accomplish through a succession of plans, national, international and global, the entire Divine Plan of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and he clearly foresaw in the ‘tremendously long’ tenth part of the process already referred to, a series of plans to be launched by the Universal House of Justice, extending over ‘successive epochs of both the Formative and Golden Ages of the Faith’. '

“The first of these plans is now before us. Opening at Riḍván 1964, while the memories of the glorious J ubliee of 1963 still surge within our hearts, it must, during its nine year course, witness a huge expansion of the Cause of God and universal participation by all believers in the life of that Cause.

“At the World Centre of the Faith the tasks of the Plan include publication of a synopsis and codification of the Kitáb-i—Aqdas, the Most Holy Book; formulation of the Constitution of the Universal House of Justice; development of the Institution of the Hands of the Cause of God, in consultation with the body of the Hands of the Cause, with a view to the extension into the future of its appointed functions of protection and propagation; continued collation and classification of the Bahá’í Sacred Scriptures as well as of the writings of Shoghi Effendi; continued efl'orts directed towards the emancipation of the Faith from the fetters of religious orthodoxy and its recognition as an

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independent religion; the preparation of a plan for the befittin g development and beautification of the entire area of Bahá’í property surrounding the Holy Shrines; extension of the existing gardens on Mount Carmel; development of the relationship between the Bahá’í Community and the United Nations; the holding of oceanic and inter-continental conferences; the coordination of world-wide plans to commemorate, in 1967/68, the centenary of Bahá’u’lláh’s Proclamation to the kings and rulers which centred round His revelation of the Stiriy-i—Muldk in Adrianople.

“In the world community the Plan involves the opening of seventy virgin territories and the resettlement of twenty-four; the raising of the number of National Spiritual Assemblies, the pillars sustaining the Universal House of Justice, to one hundred and eight, nine times the number which embarked on the first historic World Crusade in 1953; increasing the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies to over thirteen thousand seven hundred, scattered throughout the territories and islands of the world, at least one thousand seven hundred of them to be incorporated; the raising of the number of localities where Bahá’ís reside to over fifty-four thousand; the building of two more Mashriqu’l-Adhkárs, one in Asia and one in Latin America; the acquisition of thirty-two Teaching Institutes, fifty—two national Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds, fifty—four national endowments and sites for sixty-two future Temples; wide extension of recognition by civil authorities of the Bahá’í Holy Days and Bahá’í Marriage Certificates; the translation of literature into one hundred and thirty-three more languages, and its enrichment in major languages into which translations have already been made; the establishment of four new Bahá’í Publishing Trusts, and a vast increase in the financial resources of the Faith.

“The healthy development of the Cause requires that this great expansion be accompanied by the dedicated effort of every believer in teaching, in living the Bahá’í life, in contributing to the Fund, and particularly in the persistent effort to understand more and more the significance of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation. In the words of our beloved Guardian, ‘One thing and only one thing will unfailingly and alone secure the undoubted triumph of this sacred Cause, namely, the extent to which our own

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inner life and private character mirror forth in their manifold aspects the splendour of those eternal principles proclaimed by Bahá’u’lláh’.

“Expansion and universal participation are the twin objectives of this initial phase of the second epoch of the Divine Plan, and all the goals assigned to the sixty-nine National Communities are contributory to them. The process of cooperation between National Spiritual Assemblies, already initiated by the beloved Guardian, will, during the course of this Plan, apply to over two hundred specific projects and will further strengthen this process which may well assume great importance in future stages of the Formative A ge.

“Once more, dear friends, we enter the battle but with an incomparably greater array than that which embarked upon the World Crusade in 1953. To that small force of twelve national communities, now veteran campaigners, have been added fifty-seven new legions, each under the generalship of a National Spiritual Assembly, each destined to become a veteran of this and f uture campaigns. That Crusade began with slightly more than six hundred Local Spiritual Assemblies, the greater part of which were situated in Persia, North America and Europe; the home fronts now comprise nearly four thousand six hundred Local Spiritual Assemblies scattered throughout the continents and islands of the world. We begin this Plan with a tremendous momentum, exemplified by the addition, since last Riḍván, of over four thousand new centres and thirteen National Spiritual Assemblies, and by the beginning, in several countries, of that entry by troops into

THE Bahá’í WORLD

the Cause of God prophesied by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and so eagerly anticipated by Him.

“The Standard Bearers of this Nine Year Plan are those same divinely appointed, tried and victorious souls who bore the standard of the World Crusade, the Hands of the Cause of God, whose advice and consultation have been invaluable in the working out of this Nine Year Plan. Supported by their ‘deputies, assistants and advisers’, the members of the Auxiliary Boards, they will inspire and protect the Army of God, lead through every breach to the limit of available resources and sustain those communities struggling over intractable or stony ground, so that by 1973 the celebrations befitting the centenary of the Revelation of the Most Holy Book may be undertaken by a victorious, firmly established, organically united world community, dedicated to the service of God and the final triumph of His Cause.

“Therefore let each of the sixty-nine communities seize its tasks, at once consider how best to accomplish them within the allotted span, raise its band of pioneers, consecrate itself to unremitting labour and set out on its mission. Now is the golden opportunity. For whatever convulsions the waywardness of a godless and materialistic age may yet precipitate in the world, however grievous may be the effects of the rolling up of the present order on the plans and efforts of the Community of the Most Great Name, we must seize the opportunities of the hour and go forward confident that all things are within His mighty grasp and that, if we but play our part, total and unconditional victory will inevitably be ours.”

Each of the sixty-nine National Spiritual Assemblies, as indicatedabove, received a separate message setting forth the details of their respective goals, and these, together with the World Centre goals, are summarized in the following analysis:

ANALYSIS OF THE NINE YEAR INTERNATIONAL TEACHING PLAN 1964-1973

WORLD CENTRE GOALS

1. Publication of a Synopsis and Codification of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. 2. Formulation of the Constitution of the Universal House of Justice.

3. Development of the Institution of the Hands of the Cause of God, with a view to extension into the future of its appointed functions of protection and propagation.

[Page 105]THE LAUNCHING OF THE NINE YEAR PLAN 105

4. Continued collation and classification of the Bahá’í Sacred Scriptures as well as of the writings of Shoghi Effendi.

5. Continued efforts directed towards the emancipation of the Faith from the fetters of religious orthodoxy and its recognition as an independent religion.

6. The preparation of a plan for the befitting development and beautification of the entire area of Bahá’í property surrounding the Holy Shrines.

7. The extension of existing gardens on Mount Carmel. 8. Development of the relationship between the Bahá’í community and the United Nations. 9. The holding of Oceanic and Intercontinental Conferences.

10. Coordination of world-wide plans to commemorate in 1967/68 the Centenary of Bahá’u’lláh’s Proclamation to the kings and rulers which centred around His revelation of the Su'riy-i-Mulzik in Adrianople.

GOALS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD

CITIES IN WHICH Bahá’í TEMPLES ARE TO BE CONSTRUCTED—Z Ṭihrán, Persia Panama, Republic of Panama

NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES TO BE ESTABLISHED—46 (National Assembly responsible for formation of new National Assemblies shown in brackets)

resulting in the altering of the regional areas of of one hundred and eight National Assemblies

six National Assemblies and the dissolution of by Riḍván, 1973.

seven for a net gain of thirty-nine and a net total

AFRICA—26

Algeria (North West Africa)

Basutoland (South and West Africa)

Burundi and Rwanda (Uganda and Central Africa)

Cameroon Republic (West Central Africa)

Central African and Chad Republics (Uganda and Central Africa)

Congo (Brazzaville) and Gabon Republics (Uganda and Central Africa)

Congo Republic (Leopoldville) (Uganda and Central Africa)

Dahomey and Togo (West Central Africa)

Ethiopia and Somalia (North East Africa)

Gambia, Senegal, Portuguese Guinea and Cape Verde Islands (West Africa)

Ghana (West Central Africa)

Ivory Coast, Mali and Upper Volta (West Africa)

Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea (West Africa)

Malagasy Republic, Comoro Islands and Seychelles (Indian Ocean)

Malawi (Nyasaland) (South Central Africa)

Mauritius (Indian Ocean)

Nigeria and Niger (West Central Africa)

Northern Rhodesia (South Central Africa)

Réunion Island (Indian Ocean)

Southern Rhodesia and Bechuanaland (South Central Africa)

Sudan (North East Africa)

Swaziland and Mozambique (South and West Africa)

Tanganyika (Tanganyika and Zanzibar)

Tunisia (North West Africa)

Uganda (Uganda and Central Africa)

Zanzibar (Tanganyika and Zanzibar)

AMERICA—4

Belize (Guatemala) Leeward, Windward and Virgin Islands (United States of America)

The Guianas and Surinam (British Isles) Trinidad and Tobago (Venezuela)

[Page 106]106 THE Bahá’í WORLD ASIA—8 Afghénistén (Persia) Laos (Thailand) Southern Arabia (Arabia) Cambodia (V ietnam) Near East (‘Iráq) Taiwan (North East Asia) Eastern Arabia (Arabia) Nepal (India)

AUSTRALASIA—6

Bismarck Archipelago and New Guinea

Fiji Islands (South Pacific Ocean)

(Australia) Samoa (South Pacific Ocean) Gilbert and Ellice Islands (South Pacific Solomon Islands (South West Pacific Ocean) Ocean) Tonga and Cook Islands (South Pacific Ocean) EUROPE—Z Eire (British Isles) Iceland (Canada) National Assemblies which will have Altered Regional Areas Arabia North East Asia South and West Africa North East Africa North West Africa South West Pacific Ocean National Assemblies which will be Dissolved Indian Ocean Tanganyika and Zanzibar West Central Africa South Central Africa Uganda and Central Africa South Pacific Ocean West Africa

NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES TO BE INCORPORATED—65

AFRICA—29

Algeria

Basutoland

Burundi and Rwanda

Cameroon Republic

Central African and Chad Republics Congo (Brazzaville) and Gabon Republics Congo Republic (Leopoldville) Dahomey and Togo

Ethiopia and Somalia

Gambia, Senegal, Portuguese Guinea and

Malagasy Republic, Comoro Islands and Seychelles

Malawi (Nyasaland)

Mauritius

Nigeria and Niger

North East Africa1

Northern Rhodesia

North West Africa1

Réunion Island

South and West Africa1

Cape Verde Islands Southern Rhodesia and Bechuanaland Ghana Sudan Ivory Coast, Mali and Upper Volta Swaziland and Mozambique Kenya Tanganyika Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea Tunisia Zanzibar AMERICA—7 Argentina Cuba Trinidad and Tobago Belize Leeward, Windward and Virgin Islands Chile The Guianas and Surinam

1 The incorporation should be for the proposed altered area of the National Assemblies.

[Page 107]THE LAUNCHING OF THE NINE YEAR PLAN

107

ASIA—IS Cambodia Laos Philippine Islands Ceylon Malaysia and Brunei Taiwan Indonesia Near East Thailand ‘Iráq Nepal Turkey Korea Persia Vietnam AUSTRALASIA—S Bismarck Archipelago and Gilbert and Ellice Islands Solomon Islands New Guinea Hawaiian Islands South West Pacific Ocean1 Fiji Samoa Tonga and Cook Islands EUROPE—5 Austria Iceland Portugal Eire Italy Spain

NATIONAL HAZIRATU’L—QUDS TO BE ACQUIRED—SZ (The location is indicated in brackets)

AFRICA—26

Algeria (Algiers)2

Basutoland ( Maseru)

Burundi and Rwanda (Usumbura)2

Cameroon Republic (V ictoria)2

Central African and Chad Republics (Bangui)

Congo (Brazzaville) and Gabon Republics (Brazzaville)

Congo Republic (Leopoldville) (Bakavu)

Dahomey and Togo (Cotonou)

Ethiopia and Somalia (Addis Ababa)2

Gambia, Senegal, Portuguese Guinea and Cape Verde Islands (Bathurst)2

Ghana (Accra)

Ivory Coast, Mali and Upper Volta (Abidjan)

Kenya (Nairobi)2

Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea (Monrovia)

Malagasy Republic, Comoro Islands and Seychelles (Tananarive)

Malawi (Nyasaland) (Blantyre/Limbe)

Mauntius (Port Louis)”

Nigeria and Niger (Lagos)

Northern Rhodesia (Lusaka)

North West Africa (Rabat)2

Réunion Island (St. Pierre)

Southern Rhodesia and Bechuanaland (Salisbury)

Sudan (Khartoum)

Swaziland and Mozambique (Mbabane)

Tanganyika (Dar-es-Salaam)

Zanzibar

AMERICA—4

Belize (Belize) Leeward, Windward and Virgin Islands (Charlotte Amalie, Virgin Island)

Trinidad and Tobago (Port of Spain) The Guianas and Surinam (Georgetown)

ASIA—l 3 Afghénistén (Kabul)2 Nepal (Katmandu) Arabia (Kuwait)2 Philippine Islands (Manila)“ Cambodia (Phnom Penh) Southern Arabia (Aden)2 Korea (Seoul) T aiwan (Taipeh)2 Laos (Vientiane)2 Thailand (Bangkok) Malaysia and Brunei (Kuala Lumpur) Vietnam (Saigon)“ Near East (Beirut)2

‘ The incorporation should be for the proposed altered area of the National Assemblies.

' By conversion of local Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds if feasible.

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THE Bahá’í WORLD

AUSTRALASIA—7

Gilbert and Ellice Islands (Tarawa)1

Hawaii (Honolulu)1

Bismarck Archipelago and New Guinea (Rabaul)

Samoa (Apia)l

Solomon Islands (Honiara)1

South West Pacific Ocean (Noumea) Tonga and Cook Islands (Nuku’alofa)

EUROPE—Z Eire (Dublin) Iceland (Reykjavik) NATIONAL TEMPLE SITES TO BE ACQUIRED—62 (Within a fifteen mile radius of the city named in brackets) AFRICA—27 Algeria (Algiers) Malagasy Republic, Comoro Islands and

Basutoland (Maseru)

Burundi and Rwanda (Usumbura)

Cameroon Republic (Victoria)

Central African and Chad Republics (Bangui)

Congo (Brazzaville) and Gabon Republics (Brazzaville)

Congo Republic (Leopoldville) (Bukavu)

Dahomey and Togo (Cotonou)

Ethiopia and Somalia (Addis Ababa)

Gambia, Senegal, Portuguese Guinea and Cape Verde Islands (Bathurst)

Ghana (Accra)

Ivory Coast, Mali and Upper Volta (Abidjan)

Kenya (Nairobi)

Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea (Monrovia)

Seychelles (Tananarive)

Malawi (Nyasaland) (Blantyre/Limbe)

Mauritius (Port Louis)

Nigeria and Niger (Lagos)

North East Africa (Cairo)

Northern Rhodesia (Lusaka)

North West Africa (Rabat)

Réunion Island (St. Pierre)

Southern Rhodesia and Bechuanaland (Salisbury)

Sudan (Khartoum)

Swaziland and Mozambique (Mbabane)

Tanganyika (Dar-es-Salaam)

Zanzibar (Zanzibar)

AMERICA—7

Argentina (Buenos Aires)

Belize (Belize)

Chile (Santiago)

Leeward, Windward and Virgin Islands (Charlotte Amalie, Virgin Island)

The Guianas and Surinam (Georgetown) Trinidad and Tobago (Port of Spain) Venezuela (Caracas)

ASIA—14 Afghanistan (Kébul) Near East (Beirut) Arabia (Kuwait) Nepal (Katmandu) Cambodia (Phnom Penh) Philippine Islands (Manila) Ceylon (Colombo) Southern Arabia (Aden) Korea (Seoul) Taiwan (Taipeh)

Laos (Vientiane) Malaysia and Brunei (Kuala Lumpur)

Thailand (Bangkok) Vietnam (Saigon)

AUSTRALASIA—7

Bismarck Archipelago and New Guinea (Rabaul) Gilbert and Ellice Islands (Tarawa) Hawaii (Honolulu) 1 By conversion oflocal Hagiratu’l-Quds iffeasible.

Samoa (Apia)

Solomon Islands (Honiara)

South West Pacific Ocean (Noumea) Tonga and Cook Islands (Nuku’alofa)

[Page 109]THE LAUNCHING OF THE NINE YEAR PLAN 109

EUROPE—7 Denmark (Copenhagen) Iceland (Reykjavik) Eire (Dublin) Luxembourg (Luxembourg) Finland (Helsinki) Portugal (Lisbon)

Holland (The Hague)

NATIONAL ENDOWMENTS TO BE ACQUIRED—54

AFRICA—27 Algeria Malagasy Republic, Comoro Islands and Basutoland Seychelles Burundi and Rwanda Malawi (Nyasaland) Cameroon Republic Mauritius Central African and Chad Republics Nigeria and Niger Congo (Brazzaville) and Gabon Republics Northern Rhodesia Congo Republic (Leopoldville) North West Africa1 Dahomey and Togo Réunion Island Ethiopia and Somalia South and West Africa1 Gambia, Senegal, Portuguese Guinea and Southern Rhodesia and Bechuanaland Cape Verde Islands Sudan Ghana Swaziland and Mozambique Ivory Coast, Mali and Upper Volta Tanganyika Kenya Zanzibar Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea AMERICA—4 Belize The Guianas and Surinam Leeward, Windward and Virgin Islands Trinidad and Tobago ASIA—13 Afghénistén Malaysia and Brunei Taiwan Arabia1 Near East Thailand Cambodia Nepal Vietnam Korea Philippine Islands Laos Southern Arabia

AUSTRALASIA—7

Bismarck Archipelago and Hawaiian Islands South West Pacific Ocean1 New Guinea Samoa Tonga and Cook Islands Gilbert and Ellice Islands Solomon Islands EUROPE—3 Belgium Eire Iceland

NEW TERRITORIES TO BE OPENED—70 (The National Spiritual Assembly responsible is shown in brackets)

AFRICA—Q Chad (Uganda and Central Africa) Mauritania (North West Africa) Gabon (Uganda and Central Africa) Niger (West Central Africa) Guinea (West Africa) Rodriguez Island (Indian Ocean) Ifni (North West Africa) Upper Volta (West Africa)

Mali (West Africa)

1 The endowment is to be located within the proposed altered area of jurisdiction of these National Spiritual Assemblies.

[Page 110]110 THE Bahá’í WORLD AMERICA—27

Alaska Peninsula (Alaska)

Aruba Island (Venezuela)

Barbuda (United States of America) Bonaire Island (V enezuela)

Cayman Islands (Jamaica)

Chiloé Archipelago (Chile)

Cozumel Island (Mexico)

Dominica (United States of America) Guadeloupe (United States of America) Islas de la Bahia (Honduras)

Las Muje‘res Island (Mexico) Nunivak Island (Alaska)

Pribilof Islands (Alaska)

Prince of Wales Island (Alaska)

Al-Masirah (Arabia) Bozca Ada (Turkey) Imroz Island (Turkey) Laccadive Islands (India) Marmara (Turkey)

Providencia Island (Colombia)

Quintana Roo Territory (Mexico)

Quiriquifia (Chile)

Saba (United States of America)

St. Andrés Island (Colombia)

St. Eustatius (United States of America)

St. Kitts—Nevis (United States of America)

St. Lawrence Island (Alaska)

St. Martin (United States of America)

St. Vincent (United States of America)

Tiburén Island (Mexico)

Tien'a del Fuego (Chile)

Turks and Caicos Islands (United States of America)

ASIA—9

Mongolia (Persia)

North Vietnam (V ietnam) Ryukyu Islands (North East Asia) Sakhalin Island (North East Asia)

AUSTRALASXA—6

Bathurst Island (Australia) Gmote Eylandt (Australia) Line Islands (British Isles)

Nine Island (New Zealand) Phoenix Islands (British Isles) Tokelau Islands (New Zealand)

EUROPE—19 Aeolian Islands (Italy) Ischia (Italy) Ahvenanmaa (Finland) Isle of Wight (British Isles) Albania (Germany) Latvia (Germany) Bomholm (Denmark) Lithuania (Germany) Capri (Italy) M oldavia (Germany) Cyclades Islands (Germany) Rumania (Germany) Elba (Italy) Ukraine (United States of America) Estonia (Finland) West Frisian Islands (Netherlands) Gotland (Sweden) White Russia (Germany)

Inner Hebrides (British Isles)

TERRITORIES TO BE RESETTLED (The National Spiritual Assembly responsible is shown in brackets)

AFRICA—6

Corisco Island (West Central Africa)

Mafia Island (Tanganyika and Zanzibar)

Rio do Oro (North West Africa)

550 Tomé and Principe Islands (West Central Africa)

Spanish Guinea (West Central Africa)

Spanish Sahara (North Wat Africa)

[Page 111]THE LAUNCHING OF THE NINE YEAR PLAN 111

AMERICA—4

Anticosti Island (Canada) French Guiana (France)

Antigua (United States of America) Martinique (United States of America)

ASIA—8

Ahsé (Arabia) Manchuria (Indonesia)

Hainan Island (V ietnam) Nicobar Islands (India)

Kuria Muria Islands (Arabia) Tibet (Pékistén)

Maldive Islands (Ceylon) West Irian (Indonesia)

. AUSTRALASIA—-4

Admiralty Islands (Australia) Marquesas Islands (France)

Cocos Island (Australia) Tuamotu Archipelago (France) EUROPE—Z

Isle of Man (British Isles) Liechtenstein (Switzerland)

LANGUAGES INTO WHICH Bahá’í LITERATURE IS TO BE TRANSLATED—l33 (The National Spiritual Assembly responsible is shown in brackets)

AFRICA—31

Bamfieke (West Central Africa) Makua (South and West Africa) Bantu-Kavirondo (Kenya) Mongo-Nkandu (Uganda and Central Africa) Baya (Uganda and Central Africa) Mossi (West Africa) Bushman (South and West Africa) Ndandi (Uganda and Central Africa) Chagga (Tanganyika and Zanzibar) Ngombe (Uganda and Central Africa) Chokune (U ganda and Central Africa) Nyamwezi—Kukuma (Tanganyika and Fanti (West Central Africa) Zanzibar) Fula (West Central Africa) Nyanja (South Central Africa) Galla (N orth East Africa) Rundi (Uganda and Central Africa) Gantsi (South Central Africa) Rwanda (Uganda and Central Africa) Ibibio—Efik (West Central Africa) Suk (Kenya) Kanuri (Uganda and Central Africa) Teke (Uganda and Central Africa) Kipsigis (Lumbwa) (Kenya) Umbundu (South and West Africa) Konde (Tanganyika and Zanzibar) Zande (Nyam—Nyam) Uganda and Central Kopong (South Central Africa) Africa Kunama (North East Africa) Zarawo (Tanganyika and Zanzibar) Lunda. (South and West Africa)

AMERICA—26 Aguacateca (Guatemala) Guajiro (V enezuela) Takana (Bolivia) Araucan (Colombia) J ivaro (Eduador) Tarazo (Mexico) Atacamefio (Chile) Mapucae (Chile) Thlingit (Alaska) Athabaskan (Alaska) Mataco (Argentina) Uspanteca (Guatemala) Chipaya (Bolivia) Motilones-Yukpa (Venezuela) Yanaigua (or Tapiete) (Bolivia) Chiriguano (Bolivia) Moxos (or Itenes) (Bolivia) Yaqui (Mexico) Chorti (Guatemala) Otomi (Mexico) Yamro (Venezuela) Chuj (Guatemala) Pasquense (Chile) Zapatec (Mexico)

Cora (Mexico) Siriono (Bolivia)

[Page 112]112

Aeta (Philippines) Apayao (Philippines) Arakanese (Burma) Badasch (Indonesia) Bentuni (Indonesia) Bolaang Mongondo (Indonesia) Bontoc (Philippines) Cheremiss (India) Chungchia (India) Colelari (Indonesia) Garhwali (India) Gondi (India) Jaku (Malaysia) Kado (India) Kalinga (Philippines) Kambera (Indonesia) Kazakh (Un1ted States of America)

Baining (Australia)

Bambatana (South West Pacific Ocean) Ghari (Vatoraga) (South West Pacific Ocean) Malaita (South West Pacific Ocean) Malakula (South West Pacific Ocean)

THE Bahá’í WORLD ASIA—55

Khalkha (North East Asia) Khasi (India) Kherwari (India) Kopu (India) Kuki-Chin (Burma) Kulawisch (Indonesia) Kumaoni (India) Lolodoa (Indonesia) Manchurian (Korea) Maobo (Philippines) Masareto (Indonesia) Melanan (Malaysia) Meo (Vietnam)

Mon (Burma) Morisch (Indonesia) Na—Hsi (India) Napesch (Indonesia) Negrito (Malaysia) Nhung (Vietnam)

AUSTRALASIA—l 1

Numfoor (Indonesia) Ostiak (India)

Pahari (India)

Pula (Mangyan) (Philippines) Radhe (Vietnam)

Roti (Indonesia)

Santhali (India)

Semang (Malaysia) Tabaroe (Indonesia)

Tae (Indonesia)

Temiar (Malaysia) Thaidan (Vietnam) Toblore (Indonesia) Tombulunese (Indonesia) Tontemboa (Indonesxa) Tulu (India)

Vogul (India)

Waijewa (Indonesia) Windessich (Indonesia)

Ovean (South West Pacific Ocean)

Panaras (Australia)

Tana (South West Pacific Ocean) Tokelauan (New Zealand) To’obaita (South West Pacific Ocean)

Nauruan (South Pacific Ocean)

Alsatian (France) Calé Dialect (Spain) Catalan (Spain) Frisian (Netherlands)

EUROPE—IO Greek (Germany) Norwegian Landsmél(Norway) Sursilvan Romansch Slovene (Austria) (Switzerland) White Russian (Germany) Lule Lapska (Sweden)

LANGUAGES IN WHICH Bahá’í LITERATURE IS TO BE ENRICHED—45 (The National Spiritual Assembly responsible is shown in brackets)

Chaco (Colombia) Haitian Creole (Haiti)

Assyrian (Iráq) Balfigi (Persia) Bengali (Pékistén) Cambodian (Vietnam) Cebuano (Philippines) Ilocano (Philippines) Indonesian (Indonesia) Korean (Korea)

AMERICA—S Mosquito (Honduras) Sumo (Honduras) Quechua (Bolivia)

ASIA—23

Kurdish (‘Iráq) Tagalog (Philippines) Laotian (Thailand) Tamil (Ceylon) Nepalese (India) Thai (Thailand) Niwari (India) Turkish (Turkey) Pampango (Philippines) Turkoman (Persia) Pangasinan (Philippines) UrdL’l (Pékistén)

Sindhi (Pékistén) Singhalese (Ceylon)

Vietnamese (V ietnam)

[Page 113]THE LAUNCHING OF THE NINE YEAR PLAN 113

EUROPE—-—l 7 Basque (Spain) French (Belgium) Norwegian Riksmél (Norway) Danish (Denmark) Gaelic (British Isles) Portuguese (Portugal) Dutch (Netherlands) German (Germany) Spanish (Spain) Erse (British Isles) Icelandic (Canada) Swedish (Sweden) Estonian (Finland) Italian (Italy) Welsh (British Isles) Finnish (F inland) Luxemburgish (Luxembourg)

MINORITY GROUPS AND RACES WHICH ARE TO BE INCREASINGLY TAUGHT

AND ENROLLED—SS

(The National Spiritual Assembly responsible is shown in brackets)

Barbers (North West Africa)

AFRICA—3 Pygmies (Uganda and Central Africa)

Bushmen (South and West Africa)

Chinese (United States of America)

Chocoas (Colombia) Guajiras (Colombia)

Indian Tribes (United States of America) Japanese (United States of America) Mayan Indians in Campeche (Mexico)

AMERICA—l 2

Mayan Indians in Chiapas (Mexico)

Mayan Indians in Yucatan (Mexico) Motilons (Colombia)

Negroes (United States of America)

Indians in Quintana Roo (Mexico)

Spanish Speakers (United States of America)

ASIA—29 Achinese (Indonesia) Bukits (Malaysia) Palaungs (Burma) A1as(Indonesia) Gajos (Indonesia) Qa flqé’is (Persia) Badujese (Indonesia) Illanus (Malaysia) Sennoi (Malaysia) Bafltyéris (Persia) Kachins (Burma) Shams (Burma) Balfighis (Persia) Karens (Burma) Sulukus (Malaysia) Bayaus (Malaysia) Kedayans (Malaysia) Tengerese (Indonesia) Belaits (Malaysia) Kubus (Indonesia) Turkomans (Persia) Bisayans (Malaysia) Kurds (‘Iráq and Persia) Tutongs (Malaysia) Bisayas (Malaysia) Lurs (Persia) Veddas (Ceylon)

Buginese (Indonesia)

Madurese (Indonesia)

AUSTRALASIA-—7

Aborigines (Australia) Caucasian (Hawaiian Islands) Chinese (Hawaiian Islands) Filipinos (Hawaiian Islands)

Hawaiian (Hawaiian Islands) J apanese (Hawaiian Islands) Maoris (New Zealand)

EUROPE—4

Basques (Spain) Finns (Sweden)

Gypsies (Finland and Spain) Lapps (Finland, Norway and Sweden)

LOCATIONS IN WHICH Bahá’í PUBLISHING TRUSTS ARE TO BE FOUNDED—4

Brussels, Belgium Karachi, Pékistén

Rome, Italy T unis, Tunisia

[Page 114]114 THE Bahá’í WORLD LOCATIONS OF SUMMER/WINTER SCHOOLS TO BE ESTABLISHED—4

AFRICA—3 Ethiopia North West Africa West Africa AMERICA—l Argentina TEACHING INSTITUTES TO BE ESTABLISHED—32 AFRICA—17 Basutoland Ghana South Central Africa Cameroon Republic Kenya (2) Swaziland Central African Republic Mauritius Tanganyika Congo Republic Nigeria Uganda (3) (Leopoldville) (2) South Africa AMERICA—6 Canada Guatemala Peru Colombia Mexico Venezuela ASIA—9 India (4) Korea Philippine Islands Indonesia Malaysia Thailand

COUNTRIES IN WHICH Bahá’í MARRIAGE CERTIFICATES ARE TO BE

RECOGNIZED—87 AFRICA—28 Basutoland Ethiopia Northern Rhodesia Bechuanaland Gambia Réunion Island Burundi Ghana Seychelles Cameroon Republic Ivory Coast South Africa Central African Republic Kenya Southern Rhodesia Congo Republic Liberia Swaziland (Brazzaville) Malagasy Republic Tanganyika Congo Republic Malawi (Nyasaland) Togo (Leopoldville) Mauritius Uganda Dahomey Nigeria Zanzibar AMERICA—25 Argentina El Salvador Peru Belize Guatemala Puerto Rico Bolivia Haiti Trinidad and Tobago British Guiana Honduras United States of America (each Chile Jamaica State) Colombia Key West Uruguay Costa Rica Mexico Venezuela Cuba Nicaragua Virgin Islands

Ecuador Paraguay

[Page 115]THE LAUNCHING OF THE NINE YEAR PLAN 115

Burma Cambodia Ceylon Hong Kong J apan

Bismarck Archipelago Fiji Islands

Austria Belgium British Isles Denmark France

ASLA—l 5

Korea Laos Malaysia Nepal Pékistén

AUSTRALASlA—6

New Caledonia Solomon Islands

EUROPE—l 3

Germany Iceland Luxembourg Netherlands Norway

Persia

Philippine Islands Sikkim

Taiwan

Turkey

Tonga and Cook Islands Western Samoa

Portugal Sweden Switzerland

COUNTRIES IN WHICH Bahá’í HOLY DAYS ARE TO BE RECOGNIZED—95

Algeria

Basutoland Bechuanaland Burundi

Cameroon Republic

Central African Republic

Congo Republic (Brazzaville) Congo Republic

(Leopoldville)

Argentina Belize

Bolivia

Brazil

British Guiana Chile Colombia Costa Rica Cuba Dominican Republic

Burma. Cambodia Ceylon Hong Kong ‘Iráq Jordan Korea

AFRICA—ZS

Dahomey

Ethiopia

Gambia

Ghana

Ivory Coast Liberia

Malagasy Republic Malawi (Nyasaland) Mauritius Morocco

AMERICA—27

Ecuador El Salvador Guatemala Haiti Honduras J amaica Key West Mexico Nicaragua Paraguay

ASIA—ZO

Laos

Lebanon Malaysia

Nepal

Pékistén

Persia

Philippine Islands

Nigeria

Northern Rhodesia Réunion Island Seychelles

South Africa Southern Rhodesia Swaziland

Togo

Tunisia

Zanzibar

Peru

Puerto Rico

Trinidad and Tobago

United States of America (each State)

Uruguay

Venezuela

Virgin Islands

Sikkim Syria Taiwan Thailand Turkey Vietnam

[Page 116]116 THE Bahá’í WORLD

AUSTRALASIA—7

Bismarck Archipelago Hawaiian Islands Tonga and Cook Islands Fiji Islands New Caledonia Gilbert and Ellice Islands Solomon Islands EUROPE—l 3 Austria Iceland Spain Belgium Luxembourg Sweden Denmark Netherlands Switzerland France Norway Germany Portugal

INTER-ASSEMBLY COLLABORATION PROJECTS—219

(Listing is by continent and by National Spiritual Assembly charged with giving assistance to the National Spiritual Assembly—named in brackets—responsible for the work)

AFRICA—l North East Africa—I Opening Chad (Uganda and Central Africa)

AMERICA—68 AIaska—Z

Acquiring Temple site in Monrovia, Liberia (West Africa) Acquiring Temple site in Luxembourg (Luxembourg)

Argentina—3 Acquiring Temple site in Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia (South Central Africa)

Enriching literature in Quechua (Bolivia) Opening Tierra del Fuego (Chile)

Bolivia—J Translate and publish literature in Mataco (Argentina)

Brazil—6

Acquiring Temple site in Lusaka, Northern Rhodesia (South Central Africa) Consolidating Mozambique (South and West Africa)

Establishing National Spiritual Assembly of the Guianas and Surinam (British Isles) Consolidating French Guiana (France)

Consolidating Surinam (Netherlands)

Enriching literature in Portuguese (Portugal)

Canada—9

Acquiring Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Port Louis, Mauritius (Indian Ocean) Acquiring Temple site in Port Louis, Mauritius (Indian Ocean) Consolidating St. Helena (South and West Africa)

Consolidating Central African Republic (Uganda and Central Africa) Opening and consolidating Guinea (West Africa)

Resettling Marquesas Islands (France)

Consolidating Greenland (Denmark)

Acquiring Temple site in Copenhagen, Denmark (Denmark) Acquiring Temple site in Helsinki, Finland (Finland)

[Page 117]THE LAUNCHING OF THE NINE YEAR PLAN 117

ChiIe—I Acquiring Temple site in Blantyre/Limbe, Malawi (South Central Africa)

Colombia—I Acquiring Teaching Institute in Kenya (Kenya)

Dominican Republic—I Consolidating Virgin Islands (United States of America)

Ecuador—I Acquiring Temple site in Zanzibar (Tanganyika and Zanzibar)

Guatemala—Z Consolidating Fernando Po Island (West Central Africa) Teaching Maya Indians in Chiapas, Campeche, Yucatén and Quintana Roo (Mexico)

Haiti-—2 Opening Guadeloupe (United States of America) Resettling Martinique (United States of America)

Jamaica~2 Consolidating British West Indies (United States of America) Consolidating Basutoland (South and West Africa)

Mexico—Z Acquiring Temple site in DaI—es-Salaam, Tanganyika (Tanganyika and Zanzibar) Resettling Spanish Sahara (North West Africa)

Panama—3 Acquiring Temple site in Bangui, Central African Republic (Uganda and Central Africa) Translating and publishing literature in Araucan (Colombia) Teaching Chocoa Indians (Colombia)

Paraguay—I Acquiring Summer School in Argentina (Argentina)

Peru—I Acquiring Temple site in Brazzaville, Congo Republic (Uganda and Central Africa)

United States—26 Acquiring Teaching Institute in Mauritius (Indian Ocean) Acquiring Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in St. Pierre, Réunion Island (Indian Ocean) Opening Ifni (North West Africa) Consolidating French Somaliland (North East Africa) Acquiring Teaching Institute in South Africa (South and West Africa) Acquiring Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanganyika (Tanganyika and Zanzibar) Consolidating Burundi (Uganda and Central Africa) Opening and consolidating Gabon (Uganda and Central Africa) Acquiring Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Brazzaville, Congo Republic (Uganda and Central Africa) Consolidating Senegal (West Africa) Consolidating Cape Verde Islands (West Africa) Acquiring Summer/Winter School in West Africa (West Africa) Acquiring Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Monrovia, Liberia (West Africa) Consolidating Togo (West Central Africa) Acquiring Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Accra, Ghana (West Central Africa) Acquiring Teaching Institute in Ghana (West Central Africa) Consolidating Marshall Islands (Hawaiian Islands)

[Page 118]118 THE Bahá’í WORLD

Consolidating Caroline Islands (Hawaiian Islands)

Consolidating Mariana Islands (Hawaiian Islands)

Consolidating Taiwan (N orth East Asia)

Acquiring Temple site in The Hague (Netherlands)

Acquiring Temple site in Lisbon, Portugal (Portugal)

Acquiring Temple site in Santiago, Chile (Chile)

Acquiring Temple site in Caracas, Venezuela (Venezuela)

Teaching the Mayan Indians in Chiapas, Campeche, Yucatan and Quintana Roo (Mexico) Consolidating mass conversion Areas (Bolivia)

Uruguay—I Acquiring Summer School in Argentina (Argentina)

Venezuela—3 Acquiring Temple site in Khartoum, Sudan (North East Africa) Translating and publishing Araucan (Colombia) Teaching the Guajira Indians (Colombia)

ASIA—57 Burma—I Acquiring Temple site in Bathurst, Gambia (West Africa)

India—II Consolidating Comoro Islands (Indian Ocean) Consolidating Gambia (West Africa) Acquiring Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Bathurst, Gambia (West Africa) Resettling Maldive Islands (Ceylon) Resettling Tibet (Pékistén) Mass teaching in Pékistén (Pékistén) Mass teaching in Burma (Burma) Mass teaching in Ceylon (Ceylon) Consolidating China (V ietnam) Consolidating Afghénistén and establishing National Spiritual Assembly (Persia) Consolidating Rwanda (Uganda and Central Africa)

Indonesia—I Consolidating China (V ietnam)

Korea—I Resettling Manchuria (Indonesia)

North East Asia—Z Opening Mongolia (Persia) Purchasing nine local Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds (India)

Pdkistdn—6 Acquiring Temple site in Colombo, Ceylon (Ceylon) Acquiring Temple site in Tananarive, Malagasy Republic (Indian Ocean) Acquiring Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Lusaka, Northern Rhodesia (South Central Africa) Acquiring Training Institute in Basutoland (South and West Africa) Consolidating Pemba Island (Tanganyika and Zanzibar) Consolidating Muscat and Oman (Arabia)

Vietnam—I Establishing National Assembly in Laos (Thailand)

[Page 119]THE LAUNCHING OF THE NINE YEAR PLAN 119

Arabia—4 Acquiring Temple site in Mbabane, Swaziland (South and West Africa) Acquiring Teaching Institute in Nigeria (West Central Africa) Consolidating Syria (‘Iráq) Consolidating J ordan (Iráq)

‘Ira’q—5 Acquiring Temple site in Nairobi, Kenya (Kenya) Acquiring Teaching Institute in Swaziland (South and West Africa) Acquiring Temple site in Victoria, Cameroon Republic (West Central Africa) Resettling Kuria Muria Islands (Arabia) Consolidating Hadhramaut (Arabia)

T urkey—3 Acquiring Temple site in Maseru, Basutoland (South and West Africa) Opening Mali (West Africa) Consolidating Afg‘hénistén (Persia)

Persia—22 Consolidating Chagos Archipelago (Indian Ocean) Consolidating Socotra Island (North East Africa) Acquiring Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Tananarive, Malagasy Republic (Indian Ocean) Acquiring Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia (South Central Africa) Acquiring Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Maseru, Basutoland (South and West Africa) Acquiring Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Mbabane, Swaziland (South and West Africa) Consolidating Zanzibar (Tanganyika and Zanzibar) Acquiring three Teaching Institutes in Uganda (Uganda and Central Africa) Consolidating Congo Republic (Leopoldville) (Uganda and Central Africa) Consolidating Trucial Sheikhs (Arabia) Acquiring two Teaching Institutes in Congo Republic (Leopoldville) (Uganda and Central

Africa)

Acquiring Teaching Institute in Central African Republic (Uganda and Central Africa) Consolidating Ivory Coast (West Africa) Acquiring Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Abidjan, Ivory Coast (West Africa) Opening Niger (West Central Africa) Acquiring Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Lagos, Nigeria (West Central Africa) Resettling Ahsé (Arabia) Consolidating Saudi Arabia (Arabia) Consolidating Hijéz (Arabia) Consolidating Yemen (Arabia) Enriching Bahá’í' literature in Kurdish (‘IráqJ Transfer remains of the mother of the Báb (‘Iráq)

AUSTRALASIA—l9

Australia—IO

Acquiring Temple site in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (North East Africa)

Acquiring Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Zanzibar, Zanzibar (Tanganyika and Zanzibar)

Consolidating South Pacific Ocean, including the forming of four National Assemblies (South Pacific Ocean)

Consolidating South West Pacific Ocean, including the forming of two National Assemblies (South West Pacific Ocean)

Acquiring Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Tarawa, Gilbert Islands (South Pacific Ocean)

K

[Page 120]120 THE Bahá’í WORLD

Acquiring Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Honiara, Solomon Islands (South West Pacific Ocean) Acquiring Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Nouméa, New Caledonia (South West Pacific Ocean) Acquiring Temple site in Tarawa, Gilbert Islands (South Pacific Ocean)

Acquiring Temple site in Honiara, Solomon Islands (South West Pacific Ocean) Acquiring Temple site in Nouméa, New Caledonia (South West Pacific Ocean)

Hawaiian Islands—J Enrich literature in Tagalog and Ilocano (Philippine Islands)

New Zealand——8 Acquiring Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Nuku’alofa, Tonga Islands (South Pacific Ocean) Acquiring Temple site in Nuku’alofa, Tonga Islands (South Pacific Ocean) Acquiring Temple site in Apia, Western Samoa (South Pacific Ocean) Acquiring Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Apia, Western Samoa (South Pacific Ocean) Consolidating Tonga (South Pacific Ocean) Consolidating Cook Islands (South Pacific Ocean) Consolidating Western Samoa (South Pacific Ocean) Consolidating American Samoa (South Pacific Ocean)

EUROPE—74 Austria—Z Acquiring Teaching Institute in South Central Africa (South Central Africa) Enriching literature in German (Germany)

Belgium—5 Consolidating Congo Republic (Leopoldville) (Uganda and Central Africa) Acquiring Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Usumbura, Burundi (Uganda and Central Africa) Acquiring Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Bukavu, Congo Republic (Leopoldville) (Uganda and Central Africa) Acquiring Temple site in Bukavu, Congo Republic (Leopoldville) (Uganda and Central Africa) Teaching in Luxembourg (Luxembourg)

British Isles—I 7 Opening Rodriguez Island (Indian Ocean) Acquiring Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Blantyre/Limbe, Malawi (South Central Africa) Consolidating South West Africa (South and West Africa) Consolidating Sierra Leone (West Africa) Consolidating Dahomey (West Central Africa) Acquiring Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Victoria, Cameroon Republic (West Central Africa) Opening Tokelau Islands (New Zealand) Consolidating Fiji Islands (South Pacific Ocean) Opening Cyclades Islands (Germany) Consolidating Gilbert and Ellice Islands (South Pacific Ocean) Consolidating Rhodes (Italy) Consolidating Sardinia (Italy) Consolidating Crete (Germany) Consolidating Corsica (France) Consolidating Balearic Islands (Spain) F orming National Spiritual Assembly in Belsize (Guatemala) Consolidating Hong Kong (North East Asia)

Denmark—3 Consolidating Iceland and forming National Spiritual Assembly (Canada) Consolidating Faroe Islands (British Isles) Acquiring Teaching Institute in Tanganyika (Tanganyika and Zanzibar)

[Page 121]THE LAUNCHING OF THE NINE YEAR PLAN 12]

Finland—Z Acquiring Teaching Institute in Kenya (Kenya) Consolidating Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic (Germany)

France—7 Opening Mauritania (North West Africa) Acquiring Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Bangui, Central African Republic (Uganda and Central Africa) Opening Upper Volta (West Africa) Enriching literature in French (Belgium) Consolidating Andorra (Spain) Teaching in Luxembourg (Luxembourg) Acquiring Temple site in Cotonou, Dahomey (West Central Africa)

Germany—9 Acquiring Temple site in St. Pierre, Réunion Island (Indian Ocean) Acquiring Temple site in Abidjan, Ivory Coast (West Africa) Acquiring Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Cotonou, Dahomey (West Central Africa) Teaching in Austria (Austria) Consolidating Czechoslovakia (Austria) Consolidating Hungary (Austria) Consolidating Yugoslavia (Austria) Opening Estonia (F inland) Teaching in Luxembourg (Luxembourg)

Netherlands—I Acquiring Temple site in Usumbura, Burundi (Uganda and Central Africa)

Italy——3 Consolidating Libya (North East Africa) Acquiring Temple site in Accra, Ghana (West Central Africa) Consolidating Monaco (France)

Luxembourg—5 Enriching literature in French (Belgium) Teaching in Belgium (Belgium) Teaching in France (France) Enriching literature in German (Germany) Teaching in Germany (Germany)

N0rway—3 Consolidating Faroe Islands (British Isles) Consolidating Iceland (Canada) Acquiring Summer/Winter School in Ethiopia (North East Africa)

Portugal—3 Consolidating Angola (South and West Africa) Consolidating Portuguese Guinea (West Africa) Resettling Séo Tomé and Principe Islands (West Central Africa)

Spain—4 Resettling Rio de Oro (North West Africa) Resettling Spanish Guinea (West Central Africa) Resettling Corisco Island (West Central Africa) Acquiring Teaching Institute in Cameroon Republic (West Central Africa)

[Page 122]122 THE Bahá’í WORLD

Sweden—5 Acquiring Temple site in Lagos, Nigeria (West Central Africa) Opening Estonia (F inland) Opening Ahvenanmaa (Finland) Opening Latvia (Germany) Opening Lithuania (Germany)

Switzerland—5 Consolidating Congo Republic (Brazzaville) (Uganda and Central Africa) Teaching in Austria (Austria) Enriching literature in French (Belgium) Enriching literature in German (Germany) Enriching literature in Italian (Italy)

MISCELLANEOUS UNTABULATED GOALS—104

1. Transfer ofRemains (a) Transfer the remains and construct the tomb of the wife of the Bath (Persia) (b) Identify and transfer the remains of the mother of the Báb (‘Iráqj

2. Acquisition ofHoly Sites (21) Acquire the Riḍván Garden in Baghdád (‘Iráq) (b) Acquire the site of the martyrdom of the Báb (Persia) (c) Acquire the site of the prison of Méh-Kfi (Persia)

3. Bahd’z' Literature (21) Classification and collation of Sacred Scriptures and the Guardian’s writings (Persia)

4. Expansion (See also tables which follow) (a) Establish at least two Local Spiritual Assemblies in each State or Province (Belgium) (United

States) (b) Establish at least one Local Spiritual Assembly in each major administrative sub-division of the country Cameroon Republic J amaica South Africa Congo Republic (Leopoldville) Mauritius Tanganyika Haiti New Zealand Uganda

(0) Establish Local Spiritual Assemblies along the Black Sea Coast (Turkey) (d) Establish at least one group in each major administrative sub-division (Switzerland) (e) Establish at least one locality in each major administrative sub—division (01' Island) of the

territory Argentina Dominican Republic Mexico Bolivia El Salvador Nicaragua Brazil Ecuador Peru Colombia Guatemala Uruguay Cuba Honduras South West Pacific

(f ) Establish locality in each major town and village visited by Bahá’u’lláh (Turkey)

5. Teaching (a) Greatly increase proportion of native believers Austria Italy Switzerland France Luxembourg Germany (b) Extend support and assistance to mass conversion areas in Africa, Asia and Latin America

(Persia)

[Page 123]THE LAUNCHING OF THE NINE YEAR PLAN 123

6. Publishing Trusts Develop Publishing Trusts already established in Argentina British Isles Uganda Brazil Germany

7. Bahá’í Schools Develop Bahá’í Schools (Burma) (Mentawei Islands—add twenty schools) (Uganda)

8. Local Hagiratu’l-Quds Increase number of local Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds

Bechuanaland Korea South Africa Cameroon Republic Liberia Southern Rhodesia Congo Republic (Leopoldville) Mauritius Tanganyika Gambia Nigeria Togo

Ghana Northern Rhodesia Turkey

India Pékistén Uganda

Kenya Philippine Islands

9. Local Endowments Acquire Local Endowments in well—grounded communities

Bechuanaland Northern Rhodesia Uganda Congo Republic (Leopoldville) South Central Africa Zanzibar Kenya Southern Rhodesia

Malawi Tanganyika

10. Local Incorporations Incorporate at least one Local Assembly in each State (United States)

11. Miscellaneous (a) Deepen newly enrolled believers in the Faith (in addition to Teaching Institutes) (Bolivia)

(b) Extend Bahá’í education to the largest number possible of Bahá’í youth and children, preparing them for active Bahá’í life

Bolivia Kenya Tanganyika and Zanzibar Colombia. Malaysia and Brunei Thailand

Ecuador Mexico Uganda and Central Africa India Panama Venezuela

Indian Ocean South Central Africa Vietnam

Indonesia South and West Africa Wat Central Africa

(c) Participation of Bahá’í women in Local and National Assembly membership (Arabia)

[Page 124]

124 THE Bahá’í WORLD STATISTICS 1964 GOALS BY 1973 .3 E 3 E ,3 2: {a z: a 2: s U .h s a E E E V: E I § *3 V s ,, ‘0. V ‘3. H V 3 Nationa1§piritual 'Assemblies of E E 3% :1 E g 2% E g the Bahá’í world, llsted by 'E w 3 3‘, "E Q, N; ,5 E‘ continent, with the countries, '5; § 3 E R E g '5. 8 territories, islands and depend— ‘2 a :1 R ‘2 § 5 ‘2 >5 encies at home and abroad for S g 53 § 3 g 53 g 3 which they are responsible ,3 '5 f, .5 ,3 2 E3 ,3 g AFRICA INDIAN OCEAN Mauritius . . 1 8 22 40 4O 1 3 Chagos Archipelago 1 1 1 Rodriguez I. 1G Malagasy Republic 3 9 12 10 250 3 Seychelles . 1 10 ll 5 Comoro Is. 1 1 1 Réunion I. 1 3 4 10 3 KENYA Kenya 166 5 32 698 800 3000 50 NORTH EAST AFRICA Egypt (U.A.R.) . 13 20 33 30 10 Libya 1 2 3 5 Sudan 4 9 13 15 5 Ethiopia 1 1 8 1915 5 Eritrea 2 8 10 10 r 300 5 Somalia . l 5 6 5 French Somaliland 1 1 2 Socotra I. (To be transferred to S. Arabia) . l 1 1 NORTH WEST AFRICA Tunisia 1 22 23 10 ‘ 3 Algeria 2 2 4 10 3 Morocco . 10 12 22 25 5 Mauritania 1 Rio de Oro 1 Spanish Sahara . 1 L 200 Ifni . . . . 1 Madeira (to be transferred to Portugal) . . . 1 l 2 2 (2) Canary Is. (to be transferred to Spain) . 2 1 3 5 (5)

[Page 125]THE LAUNCHING OF THE NINE YEAR PLAN

125

STATISTICS 1964 GOALS BY 1973 E v: E w E a s D .u s '5 s § E ‘1 E ' § ’3 V s a V2 3 3 a I § National Spiritual Axsemblies of E 2 :E. :1 g g 3?»: g 3 the Baha"! world, listed by E E N; a "E (D g .‘E 5 continent, with the countries, ‘5; u 8 E '54 E 8 '3 8 territories, islands and depend- (3 a j a 3 § :1 E '5 encies at home and abroad for 3 § 8 g 3 § 5’. S 3 which they are responsible :1 G fl .5 .3 E [3 ,3 53 SOUTH CENTRAL AFRICA Northern Rhodesia . 1960 79 6 60 1 12 Malawi (Nyasaland) . 1 1920 I 20 600 5 Southern Rhodesia . 13 13 26 2 50 I 10 Bechuanaland . 12 12 10 1 SOUTH & WEST AFRICA South Africa 28 83 111 100 10 South West Africa 3 3 5 Zululand 3 3 5 Angola 5 5 10 St. Helena 1 1 1 80° Basutoland l 24 25 15 3 Swaziland 8 29 37 50 5 Mozambique 10 10 10 TANGANYIKA & ZANZIBAR Tanganyika 66 172 238 2 200 30 Mafia I. . 1 800 Zanzibar 1 1 10 3 Pemba I. . 1 l 1 UGANDA & CENTRAL AFRICA Uganda . 671 655 1326 10 1500 50 Burundi . 3 3 10 3 Rwanda . . . I 1 5 Congo Republic (Léo.) 223 223 1000 _10000 40 Congo Republic (Brazza.) . 1 1 10 1 3 Gabon . . . . 1 Central African Republic . 1 1 10 3 Chad . . 1 WEST AFRICA Liberia 3 1 1 14 2 15 ‘ 5 Sierra Leone 4 4 5 Guinea 1 Gambia . 7 24 31 20 7 Senegal 1 1 5 L 250 Portuguese Guinea 1 1 1 1 Cape Verde Is. 4 4 5 Ivory Coast 1 1 2 1 10 3 Mali . 1 Upper Volta 1

[Page 126]126

THE BAHA’I’ WORLD

STATISTICS 1964

GOALS BY 1973

§ {a [a '0 E “I E 0 .w E ‘s 5 § E “I § ' § “a V 5. IQ V E. a V 8 National §piritual .Assemblies of E E g i: E E g E E the Bahá’í world, listed by E >3 i 3: E b 3 .E 5 continent, with the countries, 3 § g E '3 E g '3. 8 territories, islands and depend— '2 a :3 8. r3 § :1. E *5 encies at home and abroad for 8 § 2 § 8 E S 8 .3 which they are responsible ,3 (5 fl .5 .3 E [3‘ .3 2 WEST CENTRAL AFRICA Cameroon Republic . 63 33 96 1 200 15 Spanish Guinea 1 Fernando Po I. l 1 1 Corisco I. 1 Séo Tomé & Principe Is. 1 Nigeria 15 27 42 50 1000 10 Niger 1 Dahomey 1 2 10 3 Togo 1 1 5 1 Ghana 10 34 44 4O 10 Totals 1361 1916 3277 34 4465 17200 337 AMERICA ALASKA Alaska 13 28 41 6 25 91 12 Aleutian Is. 1 1 l 2 Baranof I. 1 1 2 2 4 Kodiak I. 1 1 2 3 Nunivak I. 1L 1 Pribilof Is. 1L 1 Prince of Wales I. 1L 1 St. Lawrence I. 1L 1 Alaska Peninsula 1L 1 ARGENTINA Argentina 6 15 21 2 18 50 6 BOLIVIA Bolivia 91 787 878 2 600 1200 9 BRAZIL Brazil 16 11 27 9 45 125 27

[Page 127]THE LAUNCHING OF THE NINE YEAR PLAN 127

National Spiritual Assemblies of the Bahá’í world, listed by continent, with the countries, territoriex, islands and dependencies at home and abroadfor which they are responsible

STATISTICS 1964

GOALS BY 1973

Local Spiritual Assemblies Groups and Isolated Centres Incorporated L.S.A.’s

Total Localities

Local Spiritual Assemblies

M inimum Groups - or Localities Local Spiritual Assemblies to be Incorporated

Total Localities

CANA DA

Canada . Anticosti I. Cape Breton I. . Franklin . Grand Manan 1. Gulf I.

Keewatin . Labrador . Mackenzie Magdalen Is, Newfoundland . Queen Charlotte Is. Yukon

Iceland .

St. Pierré & Miqueion 13'.

fl .‘ \O ‘ 255

.\O

W )_.

t—h—ABNHh—ANh—ti—h—Ir—nn—AH

_. Hr—anHb—IHv—IHHHHu—t

._. m 0

pA OHmt—IMI—Aa—th—Hr—AH

> 750 57

1G

O‘D—l

CHILE

Chile

Chiloé I.

Quiriquifia .

Chiloé Archipelago

Tierra del Fuego Easter I. . Juan Fernandez I. .

25 7

COLO MBIA

Colombia . . St. Andrés I. . Providencia I .

ll 8 19 1

27 100 ‘ 5

1L 1 1L 1

COSTA RICA Costa Rica

22 15 37 1

45

100 10

CUBA Cuba

15 4

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC Dominican Republic .

15

45 6

[Page 128]128

THE Bahá’í WORLD

STATISTICS 1964

GOALS BY 1973

S: “I E

2 § 2 *4 3

s U :o s s s E E ‘5 E) ' 5 'u V E ,, V22 V :3 a V 2 National Spiritual Assemblies of E 3 -§ 1: E 3 -§ E g the Bahá’í world, listed by E '3 '4; 3 'E 0 '-§ 'E 5 continent, with the countries, E E 8 E '13. 5 E’ '3. 8 territories, islands and depend— ‘2 a :3 R E i :1. 2 ’5 encies at home and abroad for E E 5. § 8 IE 5’. 3 .3 which they are responsible ,3 6 Q S E] E [3 .3 e ECUADOR Ecuador . 5 39 2 1 20 300 10 Galapagos Is. 1 l 2 EL SALVADOR . El Salvador 3 10 13 l 9 27 3 GUATEMALA Guatemala 8 21 29 3 27 100 12 Belize 1 l 4 8 HAITI Haiti 12 14 26 12 50 100 50 HONDURAS Honduras . 15 ll 26 6 50 150 12 Islas de la Bahia 1L 1 JAMAICA J amaica 6 8 14 1 18 45 6 Cayman Is. 1L 1 MEXICO México 10 42 52 10 50 150 Tiburén I. . 1L 1 Cozumel I. . . 1L 1 Las Mujeres I. . . 1L 1 Quintana Roo Territory 1L 1 NICARAGUA Nicaragua . 1 1 16 27 1 18 45 9 PANAMA Panamé 27 55 82 4 81 150 9 PARAGUAY Paraguay 3 3 6 1 9 15 3 PERU Peru 1 3 6 1 9 1 3 24 60 24

[Page 129]THE LAUNCHING OF THE NINE YEAR PLAN

129

STATISTICS 1964

GOALS BY 1973

S 3? s 2: ~1 2: s U ,9: s '5 S E E VI § I § n Nt‘ IS"! [A mbl' f 1:3 E a 2 1: é "3 Eg a land m an SSE 195‘ '4 "‘ '7‘ the Bahá’ífvorld, listed by a S 2.: i: g S G S S § continent, with the countries, 13 § 8 E R 5 3 '5. 3 territories, islands and depend— E a :3 g. :3. E 5. E ’5‘ encies at home and abroadfor 8 E, 5 § 8 E E 3 3 which they are responsible f} $ £ .5 >3 2 13 :1 8 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA United States (Continental) . 331 1379 1710 117 596 Key West . . l 1 1 3000 Puerto Rico 1 l 2 l 3 1 Bermuda 1 1 1 2 5 Bahama Is. . . 1 1 2 5 Turks & Caicos Is. . . 1L 1 Leeward, Windward & Virgin Is. Virgin Is. 1 1 2 ‘ Antigua 1L Barbuda 1L St. Kitts—Nevis 1L Dominica . 1L St. Vincent 1L Barbados 1 1 1 P 50 Grenada 1 1 2 St. Lucia 1 1 1 Guadeloupe 1L Martinique 1L Saba . 1L St. Eustatius 1L St. Martin . 1L 4 Falkland Is. 1 1 1 1 Ukraine 1L 1 Kazakhstan 1 l 1 1L 1 URUGUAY Uruguay . 3 4 7 1 9 20 3 VENEZUELA Venezuela 6 34 40 2 49 } 150 9 Margarita I. 1 1 l Aruba 1. 1L 1 Bonaire I . 1L 1 Curacao . . 1 1 1 5 Trinidad & Tobago 1 1 2 4 20 Totals 707 2776 3483 223 2107 6997 296

[Page 130]130

THE Bahá’í WORLD

STATISTICS 1964

GOALS BY 1973

E a E is § .8 ~“ 5 2: a r: E D J" S ‘5 E § E V. § ' § '3 ~< § a w: w :4 o, w 2 National Spiritual Assemblies of E E Q L: E g g E g the Balzd’z’ world, Iixted by E 3 ‘g 33 :5 Q: kg ‘3 5 continent, with the countries, 5. § ‘5 E '3‘ 5 8 'i 3 territdries, islands and depend- ‘2 R E g. E g :1. (2 ’5‘ encies at home and abroad for 8 § 3 § 8 E S E .3 which they are responsible .3 6 Q .5 ,3 E [3 ,3 3 ASIA ARABIA Kuwait 3 1 4 Saudi Arabia 5 5 9 1 5 Ahsé 1L Hijéz 1 1 Aden 1 1 Yemen . 1 1 Hadhramaut 1 l 9 15 Muscat & Oman 1 2 ‘3 Kuria Muria Is. 1L Al-Masirah 1G 1 Bahrayn I. 1 1 2 Qatar . . 1 1 12 20 Trucial Sheikhs 6 6 BURMA Burma 1 l 15 26 3 30 95 20 CEYLON Ceylon . 8 38 46 l 50 150 15 Maldive Is. . 1L 1 INDIA India 1064 3462 4526 26 4000 20000 200 Sikkim 6 17 23 12 50 Nepal 2 12 14 15 50 Bhutan l l 1 2 Laccadive Is. 1L 1 Nicobar Is. 1L 1 Andaman Is. 2 2 2 3 INDONESIA Indonesia 46 60 106 l 150 600 30 Mentawei Is. 16 10 26 3 30 40 9 Portuguese Timor 1 1 3 9 West Irian 1 3 Manchuria . 1L 1

[Page 131]THE LAUNCHING OF THE NINE YEAR PLAN

131

National Spiritual Assemblies of the Bahá’í world, listed by continent, with the countries, territories, islands and dependencies at home and abroadfor which they are responsible

STATISTICS 1964

GOALS BY 1973

Local Spiritual Assemblies Groups and Isolated Centres Incorporated L.S.A.'s

Total Localities

Local Spiritual Assemblies

Minimum Groups —— or Localities

Total Localities

Local Spiritual Assemblies to be Incorporated

‘IRAQ ‘Iráq . Lebanon . J ordan Syria

N HLpNOx

muons

\DWWO

KOREA Korea

12 38 50

100

300

25

MALAYSIA & BRUNEI Malaya Sarawak Sabah Singapore Brunei

26 12 38 70 20 90

N48

H I—l D—l

100 250

60

20 30

NORTH EAST ASIA

Japan

Hong Kong

Macao

Taiwan . Sakhalin I. Ryukyu Is.

1L

PAKISTAN Pékistén Balfic_histé.n

Tibet

1L

PERSIA

Persia . Afghénistén . Aflirbéyjén . Armenia Georgia Kirghizia . Tadzhikistan . Turkmenistan Uzbekistan Mongolia

530 973

H u. o w

NUIHHHNH Nui—IHHNi—Ab—I

HHHy—np—Ay—‘Hpg

1G

HNU-r—t-IHNI-Wog

[Page 132]

132 THE Bahá’í WORLD STATISTICS 1964 GOALS BY 1973 E ,0 E § 0 p ”g '5 s N n t Q) n) a 33 V, 2 ' 3’. “a V s 1 w. I § ., 3%: National Spiritual Assemblies of E 3 g g g E g g S the Bahá’í’ world, listed by -E 3 K; 33 E (D ‘g E E. continent, with the countries, E § 8 E '3, § 8 'E. 8 territories, islands and depend— E a :3 E, E E j ‘2 '5 encies at home and abroad for 3 § 5 '3: E g E B 3 which they are responsible ,3 {S Q .5 .3 E ES. 31 S PHILIPPINE IS. Philippine Is. 150 130 280 2 200 1000 18 THAILAND Thailand 22 6 28 40 200 10 Laos 1 2 3 1 6 10 2 TURKEY Turkey 12 1 3 25 25 60 5 Imroz I. . 1G 1 Bozca Ada 1G 1 Marmara 1G 1 VIETNAM Vietnam . 195 100 295 1 400 900 60 Cambodia 1 1 2 6 15 2 China . 1 1 1 1 Hainan 1. 1L 1 North Vietnam 1G 1 Totals 2234 5028 7262 61 6536 27475 518 A USTRALASIA AUSTRALIA Australia 30 88 118 1960 Tasmania . 2 7 9 } 25° } 30 Groote Eylandt 1L 1 Bathurst I.1L 1 Bismarck Archipelago 1 9 10 2 14 Admiralty Is. . 2 4 North-East New Guinea 1 1 2 4 Papua.1 l 2 4 Cocos I.1G 2 HAWAIIAN ISLANDS Hawaiian Is. 4 1 5 2 27 27 9 Marshall Is. . 1 1 1G 1 Caroline Is. . 1 1 3 5 Mariana Is. . 1 1 1 3 5 NEW ZEALAND New Zealand . 3 41 44 3 10 64 5 Tokelau Is. . 1G 1 Niue 1. 1G 1

[Page 133]THE LAUNCHING OF THE NINE YEAR PLAN

133

National Spiritual Asxemblies of the Bahá’z’ world, listed by continent, with the countries, territories, ixlands and dependencies at home and abroad for which they are responsible

STATISTICS 1964

GOALS BY 1973

Local Spiritual Assemblies Groups and Isolated Centres Incorporated L.S.A.’s

Total Localities

Local Spiritual Assemblies Minimum Groups — ar Localities Local Spiritual Assemblies

to be Incorporated

Total Localities

SOUTH PACIFIC OCEAN Fiji . . . . Gilbert & Ellioe Is. Tonga Is. .

Cook Is. Western Samoa . American Samoa

18 18

8 29 37 2

(JU-‘WOON

SOUTH WEST PACIFIC OCEAN Solomon Is. New Caledonia . New Hebrides Is. Loyalty Is.

Totals

p. NOH‘ NQN

70 10

y—tx—th—Aq

82 329 411 33

251 720

79

E UROPE AUSTRIA Austria . Czechoslovakia

Hungary Yugoslavia

n—u—n—w HHHO

F‘Hi-‘N HHflO

BELGIUM Belgium

12 50

BRITISH ISLES England Scotland . Wales .

N. Ireland Shetland Is. Orkney Is. . Outer Hebrides . Inner Hebrides . Isle of Man

Isle of Wight Channel Is.

Eire .

Line Is.

Phoenix ls. Cyprus

Malta

Farce Is. . . British Guiana .

157 1971

1’0ng t—n—H—taxloo p-n—n—Ioow:

HNF‘UI

\lb-H—H—A oo—.—N

69 10

496

HHL—AQQx

lL 1G

.pt—b-n

1L 1L

AHHN un—n—INHH-P

34

[Page 134]134

THE Bahá’í WORLD

STATISTICS 1964

GOALS BY 1973

E

3 i

E 6 3, E E1 E a E w‘ E I Eu

• 4: E H raj ‘11 a h V a

National Spiritual Assemblies of E g Q : E § 33‘ E E the Bahá’í world, listed by E 'u kg 3 E U i 'E 5' continent, with the countries, '5‘ § g E E E ‘5 '5‘ 8 territories, islands and depend— '2 a j R E E E 33 *5 encies at home and abroad for 8 § 55 § 8 E E E 3 which they are responsible E] (3 [S .5 .3 E fl ,3 e DENMARK Denmark . 5 17 22 10 } 40 4 Bornholm 1G Greenland 1 1 1G 2 FINLAND Finland 4 5 9 4 12 30 12 Ahvenanmaa l 1 Estonia 1L 1 FRANCE France 8 33 41 16 60 5 Corsica 1 1 1 1 Monaco 1 l 1 1 Marquesas Is. 1L 1 Society Is. . . 1 1 1 1 Tuamotu Archipelag 1L 1 French Guiana 1 1 GERMANY Germany . 31 141 172 20 62 500 30 N. Frisian Is. 1 1 1 1 Cyclades 15. IL 1 Latvia 1L 1 Lithuania . 1L 1 Moldavia . 1L 1 White Russia . 1L 1 Russian S.F.S.R. 1 1 1 1 Albania 1L 1 Bulgaria 1 1 1 1 Poland 1 1 l 1 Rumania . 1L 1 Greece 1 2 3 2 3 Crete 1 1 1G 1 ITALY Italy 15 12 27 Sicily 1 1 2 Sardinia 2 2 Elba 24 1G 70 10 Ischia 1G Capri 1G Aeolian Is. 1G San Marino 1 1 1 1 Rhodes . 1 1 1 1

[Page 135]THE LAUNCHING OF THE NINE YEAR PLAN

135

STATISTICS 1964

GOALS BY 1973

E '2 E g ° :13 “E 6 .a E E g m "a - m m 2 53 V. a 1 3‘; *m V s a ‘4. V 3 a V 2 National Spiritual Assemblies of E E :3 i E § g E g the Bahá’í world, listed by .2 3 "N; 5: ~22 b '1; E & continent, with the countriex, E § g E '3 § 3 '5. 8 territories, islands and depend— E a '4 g E g j E E encies at home and abroad for 3 g E § 8 IE 53 S .8 which they are responsible ,3 (3 fl .5 ,3 E [E .3 e LUXEMBOURG Luxembourg 4 3 7 1 8 20 3 NETHERLANDS Netherlands 9 18 27 l 8 49 6 W. Frisian Is. 1G 1 Surinam . 1 1 1 1 NORWAY Norway 4 15 1918 30 3 Lofoten Is. . 1 1 1 1 Spitzbergen 1 1 1G 1 PORTUGAL Portugal 8 12 20 l 5 40 5 Azores 1 1 l SPAIN Spain 1 1 13 24 20 70 7 Balearic Is. 1 1 2 Andorra . 1 1 1G 1 SWEDEN Sweden 4 23 27 1 8 1 54 4 Gotland 1G I SWITZERLAND Switzerland 12 34 46 12 24 80 24 Liechtenstein 1G 1 Totals 182 571 753 62 378 1710 156 AFRICA 1361 1916 3277 34 4465 17200 337 AMERICA 707 2776 3483 223 2107 6997 296 ASIA . . 2234 5028 7262 61 6536 27475 518 AUSTRALASIA 82 329 41 1 33 251 720 79 EUROPE 182 571 753 62 378 1710 156 Grand Totals 4566 10620 15186 413 13737 54102 1386

[Page 136]136

Supplementary goals were added during the course of the Nine Year Plan, being, for the most part, assignments to new National Spiritual Assemblies at the time of their formation.

Even before announcing the Nine Year Plan the Universal House of Justice began calling attention to several important factors which would, of necessity, affect the progress of the teaching and consolidation work. One of these factors was the Fund:

THE BAHA

Haifa 18 December 1963

“With the rapid approach of the launching of the Nine Year Plan, the Universal House of J ustice feels that it is timely to lay clearly before the Bahá’ís of all countries the needs of the Fund at all its levels: local, national, continen. tal, and international.

“The continual expansion of the Faith and the diversification of the activities of Bahá’í communities make it more and more necessary for every believer to ponder carefully his responsibilities and contribute as much and as regularly as he or she can. Contributing to the Fund is a service that every believer can render, be he poor or wealthy; for this is a spiritual responsibility in which the amount given is not important. It is the degree of the sacrifice of the giver, the love with which he makes his gift, and the unity of all the friends in this service which bring spiritual confirmations. As the beloved Guardian wrote in August 1957: ‘All, no matter how modest their resources, must participate. Upon the degree of self—sacrifice involved in these individual contributions will directly depend the efficacy and the spiritual influence which these nascent administrative institutions, called into being through the power of Bahá’u’lláh, and by virtue of the design conceived by the Centre of His Covenant, will exert.’

“Not only the individual’s responsibility to contribute is important at this time, but also the uses to which the Fund is put and the areas in which it is expended.

“Much of the present rapid expansion of the Faith is taking place in areas of great poverty where the believers, however much they sacrifice, cannot produce sufficient funds to sustain the work. It is these very areas which are the most fruitful in teaching, and a sum of money spent here will produce ten times—even

’ ,

i WORLD

a hundred times—the results obtainable in other parts of the world. Yet in the past months the Universal House of J ustice has had to refuse a number of appeals for assistance from such areas because there just was not enough money in the International Fund.

“It should therefore be the aim of every local and national community to become not only self-supporting, but to expend its funds with such wisdom and economy as to be able to contribute substantially to the Bahá’í International Fund, thus enabling the House of Justice to aid the work in fruitful but impoverished areas, to assist new National Assemblies to start their work, to contribute to major international undertakings of the Nine Year Plan such as oceanic conferences, and to carry forward the work of beautifying the land surrounding the Holy Shrines at the World Centre of the Faith.

“Nor should the believers, individually or in their assemblies, forget the vitally important continental funds which provide for the work of the Hands of the Cause of God and their Auxiliary Boards. This divine institution, so assiduously fostered by the Guardian, and which has already played a unique role in the history of the Faith, is destined to render increasingly important services in the years to come.

“In the midst of a civilization torn by strifes and enfeebled by materialism, the people of Bahá are building a new world. We face at this time opportunities and responsibilities of vast magnitude and great urgency. Let each believer in his inmost heart resolve not to be seduced by the ephemeral allurements of the society around him, nor to be drawn into its feuds and short-lived enthusiasms, but instead to transfer all he can from the old world to that new one which is the vision of his longing and will be the fruit of his labours.”

Shortly after the Plan was inaugurated the Universal House of J ustice, conscious of a new dimension in teaching, dispatched a list of suggestions to National Spiritual Assemblies on the important subject of teaching the masses, and accompanied it with the following message:

“When the masses of mankind are awakened and enter the Faith of God, a new process is set in motion and the growth of a new civilization begins. Witness the emergence of Christianity

[Page 137]THE LAUNCHING OF THE NINE YEAR PLAN

and of Islam. These masses are the rank and file, steeped in traditions of their own, but receptive to the new Word of God, by which, when they truly respond to it, they become so influenced as to transform those who come in contact with them.

“God’s standards are difl‘erent from those of men. According to men’s standards, the acceptance of any cause by people of distinction, of recognized fame and status, determines the value and greatness of that cause. But, in the words of Bahá’u’lláh: ‘T he summons and Message which We gave were never intended to reach or to benefit one land or one people only. Mankind in its entirety must firmly adhere to whatsoever has been revealed and vouchsafed unto it.’ Or again, ‘He has endowed every soul with the capacity to recognize the signs of God. How could He, otherwise, have fulfilled His testimony unto men, i f ye be Ofthem that ponder H is Cause in their hearts.’ In countries where teaching the masses has succeeded, the Bahá’ís have poured out their time and effort in village areas to the same extent as they had formerly done in cities and towns. The results indicate how unwise it is to concentrate solely on one section of the population. Each National Assembly therefore should so balance its resources and harmonize its efforts that the Faith of God is taught not only to those who are readily accessible but to all sections of society, however remote they may be.

“The unsophisticated people of the worldand they form the large majority of its population~have the same right to know of the Cause of God as others. When the friends are teaching the Word of God they should be careful to give the Message in the same simplicity as it is enunciated in our teachings. In their contacts they must show genuine and divine love. The heart of an unlettered soul is extremely sensitive; any trace of prejudice on the part of the pioneer or teacher is immediately sensed.

“When teaching among the masses, the friends should be careful not to emphasize the charitable and humanitarian aspects of the Faith as a means to win recruits. Experience has shown that when facilities such as schools, dispensaries, hospitals, or even clothes and food are offered to the people being taught, many complications arise. The prime motive should always be the response of man to God’s

137

Message, and the recognition of His Messenger. Those who declare themselves as Bahá’ís should become enchanted with the beauty of the teachings, and touched by the love of Bahá’u’lláh. The declarants need not know all the proofs, history, laws, and principles of the Faith, but in the process of declaring themselves they must, in addition to catching the spark of faith, become basically informed about the Central Figures of the Faith, as well as the existence of laws they must follow and an administration they must obey.

“After declaration, the new believers must not be left to their own devices. Through correspondence and dispatch of visitors, through conferences and training courses, these friends must be patiently strengthened and lovingly helped to develop into full Bahá’í maturity. The beloved Guardian, referring to the duties of Bahá’í assemblies in assisting the newly declared believer, has written: ‘. . . the members of each and every assembly should endeavour, by their patience, their love, their tact and wisdom, to nurse, subsequent to his admission, the newcomer into Bahá’í maturity, and win him over gradually to the unreserved acceptance of whatever has been ordained in the teachings.’

“Expansion and consolidation are twin processes that must go hand in hand. The friends must not stop expansion in the name of consolidation. Deepening the newly enrolled believers generates tremendous stimulus which results in further expansion. The enrollment of new believers, on the other hand, creates a new spirit in the community and provides additional potential manpower that will reinforce the consolidation work. . .

“We are fervently praying that all National and Local Spiritual Assemblies, supported by the individual believers, will achieve outstanding success in the fulfilment of this glorious objective.”

The principle of universal participation, first alluded to by the Universal House of J ustice in its message of 7 May 1963, was another important factor affecting the progress of the Cause which was made the subject of a special appeal:

Haifa September, 1964

“In our message to you of April 1964, announcing the Nine Year Plan, we called attention to two major themes of that Plan, namely

[Page 138]138

‘. . . a huge expansion of the Cause of God and universal participation by all believers in the life of that Cause.’

“The enthusiastic vigour with which the believers throughout the world, under the devoted guidance of their National Spiritual Assemblies, have arisen to meet the challenge of the Plan, augurs well for the huge expansion called for. We now ask you to bend your efforts and thoughts, with equal enthusiasm, to the requirements of universal participation.

“In that same message we indicated the meaning of universal participation: ‘. . . the dedicated effort of every believer in teaching, in living the Bahá’í life, in contributing to the Fund, and particularly in the persistent effort to understand more and more the significance of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation. In the words of our beloved Guardian, “One thing and only one thing will unfailingly and alone secure the undoubted triumph of this sacred Cause, namely, the extent to which our own inner life and private character mirror forth in their manifold aspects the splendour of those eternal principles proclaimed by Bahá’u’lláh.” ’

“ ‘Regard the world as the human body,’ wrote Bahá’u’lláh to Queen Victoria. We can surely regard the Bahá’í world, the Army of God, in the same way. In the human body, every cell, every organ, every nerve has its part to play. When all do so the body is healthy, vigorous, radiant, ready for every call made upon it. No cell, however humble, lives apart from the body, whether in serving it or receivin g from it. This is true of the body of mankind in which God ‘has endowed each humble being with ability and talent,’ and is supremely true of the body of the Bahá’í world community, for this body is already an organism, united in its aspirations, unified in its methods, seeking assistance and confirmation from the same Source, and illumined with the conscious knowledge of its unity. Therefore, in this organic, divinely guided, blessed, and illumined body the participation of every believer is of the utmost importance, and is a source of power and vitality as yet unknown to us. For extensive and deep as has been the sharing in the glorious work of the Cause, who would claim that every single believer has succeeded in finding his or her fullest satisfaction in the life of the Cause? The Bahá’í world community, growing like a healthy new body, develops new cells, new

THE Bahá’í WORLD

organs, new functions and powers as it presses on to its maturity, when every soul, living for the Cause of God, will receive from that Cause, health, assurance, and the overflowing bounties of Bahá’u’lláh which are diflused through His divinely ordained Order.

“In addition to teaching, every believer can pray. Every believer can strive to make his ‘own inner life and private character mirror forth in their manifold aspects the splendour of those eternal principles proclaimed by Bahá’u’lláh.’ Every believer can contribute to the Fund. Not all believers can give public talks, not all are called upon to serve on administrative institutions. But all can pray, fight their own spiritual battles, and contribute to the Fund. If every believer will carry out these sacred duties, we shall be astonished at the accession of power which will result to the whole body, and which in its turn will give rise to further growth and the showering of greater blessings on all of us.

“The real secret of universal participation lies in the Master’s oft-expressed wish that the friends should love each other, constantly encourage each other, work together, be as one soul in one body, and in so doing become a true, organic, healthy body animated and illumined by the spirit. In such a body all will receive spiritual health and vitality from the organism itself, and the most perfect flowers and fruits will be brought forth.

“Our prayers for the happiness and success of the friends everywhere are constantly offered at the Holy Shrines.”

Of supreme importance to the winning of the teaching goals was the raising and settling of hundreds of pioneers in the far-flung goal areas of the world. During the period covered by this report (1964—1968) three calls for pioneers were made. The first was at Riḍván 1965:

“Four challenging and immediate tasks present themselves. The first is to raise and dispatch, during the coming year, no less than four hundred and sixty pioneers who will open the fifty-four remaining virgin territories of the Plan, resettle the eighteen unoccupied ones, reinforce areas where the numbers and cohesion of the Bahá’í communities are at present inadequate to launch effective teaching plans, and support and extend the work in the areas of mass teaching. Let every believer consider this challenge, be he, in the words of the beloved Guardian, ‘in active service or not, of either

[Page 139]THE LAUNCHING OF THE NINE YEAR PLAN

sex, young as well as old, rich or poor, whether veteran or newly enrolled. . .’

“. . . A careful estimate has been made of the pioneer needs of every area during the next twelve months and the result, including those for the seventy-two areas mentioned above, is a call for four hundred and sixty-one pioneers; eighty-six for Africa, ninety—six for the Americas, one hundred and ninety—one for Asia, twenty-nine for Australasia, and fifty-nine for Europe. Each National Spiritual Assembly has been consulted as to its pioneer needs and these have been made known to all National Spiritual Assemblies. . . The friends, therefore, are urged to consult their National Spiritual Assemblies for information about pioneer needs and responsibilities both of their own communities and in general.”

The second call for pioneers, reinforcing and supplementing the first, was in the form of a cablegram on 11 December 1965:

“Announce all believers rejoice response Bahá’í world pioneer call raised Rigivén message requiring four hundred sixty pioneers course current year. T hus far ninety—three settled posts including fifteen virgin territories: St. Andres Island, Providencia Island, Marmara Island, Chad, Niger, Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos, Ischia, Gotland, Alaska Peninsula, Barbuda, St. Kitts-Nevis, Inner Hebrides, Bornholm, Capri. Thirty—five additional settled same goals. One hundred sixtyseven more arisen and in process settling. Total two hundred ninety-five souls responded call. Further two hundred believers needed next f our swiftly passing months fill remaining goals. Fate pioneer plan hanging balance, praying fervently Holy Shrines required number heroic souls arise meet challenge critical hour. Uige promptly Assemblies needing funds execute assignments apply immediately International Deputization Fund. Imperative settle all territories announced Riḍván except those dependent favourable circumstances. Virgin and resettlement territories priority. Confident spirit devotion friends glorious Faith ensure brilliant victory this primary objective so vital Nine Year Plan.”

The third call for pioneers was raised at Riḍván 1967:

“The brilliant pioneering feat of the second year of the Plan is beginning to reveal its beneficent effects, but pioneers are still urgently

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needed and will continue to be needed in all parts of the world for consolidation and development of the Faith in the newly won territories as well as for those resettled during the opening years of the Plan. The immediate requirement is for 209 pioneers to settle in eighty-seven territories named on the attached list, and the call is now raised for the speedy achievement of this task. Service in this highly meritorious field is open to every believer and all those who are moved to respond to this particular call are asked to consult the list of territories and to make their offers to their own National Spiritual Assembly.”

Two new developments in connection with the settling of pioneers were announced at Riḍván 1965 viz., the appointment of Continental Pioneer Committees and the inauguration of an International Deputization Fund:

“To assist the pioneer efforts of the friends and their transfer to their posts during the next twelve months we announce the formation of five Continental Pioneer Committees, namely: Pioneer Committee for Africa.1 appointed by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the British Isles; Pioneer Committee for the Americas appointed by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States; Pioneer Committee for Asia appointed by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Persia; Pioneer Committee for Australasia appointed by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Australia; Pioneer Committee for Europe appointed by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Germany.

“These committees will in no way infringe upon the responsibilities of other pioneer committees, or of National Spiritual Assemblies, who are in charge of the teaching work, and under whose jurisdiction they will function. They are established to facilitate and assist the work of these national bodies by providing effective exchange of vital information, both continentally and intercontinentally, by assisting in the routeing of pioneer offers, and in the transfer of pioneers to their posts. . .

“For the first time in Bahá’í history, an International Deputization Fund has been established at the World Centre under the administration of the Universal House of J ustice. ‘ Responsibility for appointing the Pioneer Committee for

Africa was subsequently transferred to the National Spiritual

Assembly of Uganda and Central Africa and all National Assemblies were advised by letter dated 18 March 1966.

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From it supplementary support will be given to specific pioneering projects when other funds are not available. All friends, and particularly those who are unable to respond to the pioneer call, are invited to support this Fund, mindful of the injunction of Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Centre your energies in the propagation of the Faith of God. Whoso is worthy of so high a calling, let him arise and promote it. Whoso is unable, it is his duty to appoint him who will, in his stead, proclaim this Revelation, Whose power hath caused the foundation of the mightiest structures to quake, every mountain to be crushed into dust, and every soul to be dumbfounded.’ ”

A call for travelling teachers was made at Riḍván 1966:

“The Universal House of Justice attaches such importance to this principle of travelling teaching that it has decided to develop it internationally, and now calls for volunteers to offer their services in this field. By their visits to lands other than their own, these friends will lend a tremendous stimulus to the proclamation and teaching of the Cause in all continents. It is hoped that such projects will be self-supporting, since the International Deputization Fund will still be needed for pioneering. However, when a. proposal which is considered to be of special benefit to the Faith cannot be financed by the individual or the receiving National Assemblies, the House of Justice will consider a request for assistance from the Deputization Fund. Offers, which may be for any period, should be made to one’s own National Spiritual Assembly or to the Continental Pioneer Committees, which have been given the additional task of assisting National Assemblies to implement and coordinate this new enterprise. Let those who arise recall the Master’s injunction to ‘travel like ‘Abdu’l—Bahd . . . sanctified and free from every attachment and in the utmost severance.’ ”

In that same message the Universal House of Justice called the attention of all the friends to their individual responsibilities toward the advancement of the Cause:

“The challenge to the individual Bahá’í in every field of service, but above all in teaching the Cause of God, is never-ending. With every fresh affliction visited upon mankind our inescapable duty becomes more apparent, nor should we ever forget that if we neglect this

THE Bahá’í WORLD

duty, ‘others’, in the words of Shoghi Effendi, ‘will be called upon to take up our task as ministers to the crying needs of this afflicted world.’ Now, it seems, we may well be entering an era of the longed-for expansion of our beloved Faith. Mankind’s growing hunger for spiritual truth is our opportunity. While reaching forth to grasp it, we would do well to ponder the following words of Bahá’u’lláh:

‘ Your behaviour towards your neighbour should be such as to manifest clearly the signs of the one true God, for ye are the first among men to be recreated by His Spirit, the first to adore and bow the knee before Him, the first to circle round His throne of Glory.’

“As humanity plunges deeper into that condition of which Bahá’u’lláh wrote, ‘to disclose it now would not be meet and seemly,’ so must the believers increasingly stand out as assured, orientated, and fundamentally happy beings, conforming to a standard which, in direct contrast to the ignoble and amoral attitudes of modern society, is the source of their honour, strength, and maturity. It is this marked contrast between the vigour, unity, and discipline of the Bahá’í community on the one hand, and the increasing confusion, despair, and feverish tempo of a doomed society on the other, which during the turbulent years ahead, will draw the eyes of humanity to the sanctuary of Bahá’u’lláh’s world-redeeming Faith.

“The constant progress of the Cause of God is a source of joy to us all and a stimulus to further action. But not ordinary action. Heroic deeds are now called for such as are performed only by divinely sustained and detached souls. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the Commander of the hosts of the Lord, in one of the Tablets of the Divine Plan, uttered this cry: ‘Oh! that I could travel, even though on foot and in the utmost poverty, to these regions and, raising the call of Yd Bahd’u’lAbhá’ in cities, villages, mountains, deserts, and oceans, promote the Divine T eachings. This, alas, I cannot do. How intensely I deplore it.’ And He concluded with this heart-shaking appeal, ‘Please God, ye may achieve it.’ ”

The Nine Year Plan was effectively launched. There follows in the next section a statistical summary of the accomplishments of the Bahá’í world in the course of the first four years of that Plan.