Bahá’í World/Volume 15/International Survey of Current Bahá’í Activities

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[Page 164]

[Page 165]PART THREE

INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT Bahá’í ACTIVITIES

1968—1973

[Page 166]

[Page 167]I

INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA’l ACTIVITIES

1968—1973

“This flow [ofreinforcements], moreover, will presage and hasten the advent of the day which, as prophesied by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, will witness the Entry by troops ofpeoples of divers nations and races into the Bahá’í world—a day which, viewed in its proper perspective, will be the prelude to that long-awaited hour when a mass conversion on

the part of these same nations and races, and as a direct result of a chain of events, momentous and possibly catastrophic in nature, and which cannot as yet be even dimly visualized, will suddenly revolutionize the fortunes of the Faith, derange the equilibrium of the world, and reinforce a thousandfold the numerical strength as well as the material power and the spiritual authority of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh.”

THE last five years of the Nine Year Plan were characterized by unprecedented proclamation of the Faith, a tremendous increase in the activities of Bahá’í youth, the horizontal expansion of the world-wide Bahá’í community to the remotest parts of the earth, and the beginnings of the vertical expansion (i.e. a vast increase in numbers) of that same community alluded to by Shoghi Effendi in his letter to the American believers dated July 18, 1953.1

Mass teaching and “entry by troops”, witnessed earlier in such places as India, Indonesia, the Philippines and Bolivia, were now spreading to many other parts of the world, resulting in a more than six-fold increase in the number of Bahá’í centres, trebling the number

1 Cited above. Shoghi Effendi, Citadel ome'I/I, p. 117.

Shoghi Effendi

of Local Spiritual Assemblies and nearly doubling the number of National Assemblies during the course of the Nine Year Plan. The Bahá’í world was poised for a hard won victory celebration as it observed the one hundredth anniversary of the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh’s Most Holy Book (Kitdb-i—Aqdas) during the closing days of the Nine Year Plan.

Two significant events further highlighted the importance of this five year period in the annals of Bahá’í history: the dedication of the Panama House of Worship, the Mother Temple of Latin America, and the public declaration of the first reigning monarch to embrace the Teachings of Bahe'l’u’lláh.2

2H. H. Malietoa Tanumafili 11, Head of State of Western Samoa. See p. 180.

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[Page 168]THE Bahá’í WORLD

70 68507 60 GROWTH OF THE BAHA’I FAITH 4:5: 5 4o 3 31572 2 E5 2:22? GEN"? “071 13955 10 L.S.A’.S

1953 1963 1968 1973

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3

iACTIVITIES 169

I. THE WORLD CENTRE

The growth of the Faith throughout the world must necessarily be reflected at its World C entre—a “Centre” which may be regarded as the very heart of the planet itself. Thus when, on June 7, 1972, the Universal House Q/‘Justice announced that a building for its permanent seat would saon be erected above the Are on the slopes of Mount Carmel a further evidence Ofthe world—wide development of the Faith was at hand. At Riḍván, 1973, on the occasion oj'the third International C 0n ventian, the delegatesfrom the fbur corners of the planet would stand on this sacred ground and rededicate it to its ha] y purpose.

THREE historic cables announcing important World Centre victories were sent to the Bahá’í world during the closing five months of the Nine Year Plan:

WITH GRATEFUL JOYOUS HEARTS ANNOUNCE ENTIRE BAHAI WORLD ADOPTION PROFOUNDLY SIGNIFICANT STEP IN UNFOLDMENT MISSION SUPREME ORGAN BAHAI WORLD COMMONWEALTH THROUGH FORMULATION CONSTITUTION UNIVERSAL HOUSE JUSTICE STOP AFTER OFFERING HUMBLE PRAYERS GRATITUDE ON DAY COVENANT AT THREE SACRED THRESHOLDS BAHJI HAIFA MEMBERS GATHERED COUNCIL CHAMBER PRECINCTS HOUSE BLESSED MASTER APPENDED THEIR SIGNATURES FIXED SEAL ON INSTRUMENT ENVISAGED WRITINGS BELOVED GUARDIAN HAILED BY HIM AS MOST GREAT LAW FAITH BAHAULLAH STOP FULLY ASSURED MEASURE JUST TAKEN WILL FURTHER REINFORCE TIES BINDING WORLD CENTRE TO NATIONAL LOCAL COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT WORLD RELEASE FRESH ENERGIES INCREASE ENTHUSIASM CONFIDENCE VALIANT WORKERS HIS DIVINE VINEYARD LABOURING ASSIDUOUSLY BRING MANKIND UNDER SHELTER HIS ALL GLORIOUS COVENANT.1

26 November 1972

JOYFULLY ANNOUNCE COMPLETION SYNOPSIS CODIFICATION KITABIAQDAS FOR PUBLICATION RIDVAN SYNCHRONIZING CELEBRATION HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY REVELATION MOST HOLY BOOK FULFILLING WORLD CENTRE GOAL NINE YEAR PLAN STOP CONFIDENT RELEASE THIS PUBLICATION ENVISAGED BY BELOVED GUARDIAN AND WHOSE MAIN FEATURES HE OUTLINED WILL CONSTITUTE ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT STEP PATH LEADING BAHAI COMMUNITY

1 See'p. 555 for full text of the Constitution of the Umversal House of Justice.

FULL MATURITY ESTABLISHMENT WORLD ORDER BAHAULLAH.2 19 January 1973

OCCASION NAWRUZ 130 JOYOUSLY ANNOUNCE BAHAI WORLD ACQUISITION BY PURCHASE MANSION MAZRAIH RESULT SEVERAL YEARS PATIENT PERSISTENT DETERMINED NEGOTIATIONS THEREBY ADDING TO BAHAI ENDOWMENTS HOLY LAND FIRST RESIDENCE BAHAULLAH AFTER NINE YEARS SPENT WALLED PRISON CITY AKKA STOP CONTROL THIS HOLY SITE REACQUIRED BY BELOVED GUARDIAN AFTER LAPSE MORE THAN FIFTY YEARS WHEN HE SECURED LEASE MANSION 1950 EXTENDED TO PRESENT TIME STOP PURCHASE INCLUDES LAND AREA APPROXIMATING TWENTYFOUR THOUSAND SQUARE METRES HIGHLY SUITABLE EXTENSION GARDENS CULTIVATION STOP OFFERING PRAYER THANKSGIVING SACRED THRESHOLD THIS GREATLY CHERISHED

3 BOUNTY- 15 March 1973

The first two of these cables announced the completion of two important World Centre goals; the third recorded one of the many supplementary achievements of the Plan. A summary of other World Centre achievements follows:

DEVELOPMENT OF THE INSTITUTION OF THE HANDS OF THE CAUSE OF GOD At the end of October and early in November, 1964, the, Universal House of Justice consulted with the Body of the Hands of the Cause of God and, after considering their views

2 See p. 7 for text of passages translated by Shoghi Effendi. 3 See p 170 for photograph.

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r,r

THE BAHA IWORLD

A view of the Mansion Of Mazra‘ih where Bahá’u’lláh spent approximately 2 years (circa 1877—1879) after leaving the prison city of‘Akká. Seen in the background is part of'theproperty surrounding the mansion. This extension was acquired in March, 1973.

and recommendations, and studying the Sacred Texts, concluded that under the circumstances there is no way to appoint, or to legislate to make it possible to appoint Hands of the Cause of God. Accordingly, interim arrangements were made for the Hands of the Cause, with the assistance of their Auxiliary Boards, to carry out their functions of protection and propagation pending future developments.

Following the second International Convention in 1968 the Universal House of Justice consulted further with the Body of the Hands of the Cause of God and, after carefully considering their Views and the relevant Texts, decided in June, 1968, to appoint eleven Continental Boards of Counsellors, three each for Africa, the Americas and Asia and one each for Australasia and Europe, to ensure the extension into the future of the functions of protection and propagation conferred upon the Hands of the Cause in the Sacred Texts,l The Hands of the Cause of God, freed from administrative

1 See p. 6! 1.for texts of communieations announcing the establishment of the Continental Boards of Counsellors.

duties in relation to the Auxiliary Boards, were thus enabled to discharge their appointed functions on a world scale and to operate individually in direct relationship to the Universal House of Justice.

The Hands of the Cause Residing in the Holy Land, in addition to serving as liaison between the Continental Boards of Counsellors and the Universal House of J ustice, were asked to assist the Universal House of Justice in the establishment of the International Teaching Centre in the Holy Land foreshadowed in the writings of the beloved Guardian.

The Continental Boards of Counsellors were instructed to operate in a manner similar to that set forth by Shoghi Effendi for the Hands of the Cause, and their particular attention was drawn to the Guardian’s letter of 4 June 1957. They were charged to work in close collaboration with the Hands of the Cause, to welcome them to their meetings and to share information with the Hands of the Cause residing in, or visiting, their respective areas. Authority for expulsion and reinstatement continued to be exercised by the Hands of the Cause, subject in

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each instance to the approval of the Universal House of Justice.

In addition to appointing and directing the members of their respective Auxiliary Boards, the Continental Boards of Counsellors were authorized to administer their respective Continental Funds, and a member of each Board was appointed Trustee. In 1969 the number of Counsellors was raised from thirty—six to thirtyeight and in 1970 to forty-one.

The number of Auxiliary Board members was increased from seventy-two to 135 in 1964, and by a further forty-five at Riḍván, 1970, bringing the total number of members of Auxiliary Boards to fifty-four for protection and 126 for propagation.

The members of the eleven Continental Boards of Counsellors have served the Faith with distinction, devotion and in a spirit of loving self—sacrifice. They have ably assisted in bearing the responsibilities resting on the Hands of the Cause of God in the fields of protection and propagation and have demonstrated by their labours that the objective envisioned in this goal of the Nine Year Plan has been attained.

The contribution of the Hands of the Cause themselves has been greatly enlarged. Many embarked on extensive journeys to remote parts of the world, lending their distinguished services to struggling national Bahá’í communities labouring to win their respective goals. They have undertaken special missions for the Universal House of Justice, including serving as its official respresentatives at conferences and on other occasions. Some have been able to devote more of their time to literary pursuits and to other important works on behalf of the Faith. A deep debt of gratitude is owed the Standard Bearers of the Nine Year Plan for their wise counsel, their untiring devotion and their selfless labours.1

COLLATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF THE BAHA’l SACRED SCRIPTURES

Thanks to the valued collaboration of the National Spiritual Assemblies, particularly of Persia and the United States, and the response of the friends throughout the world, remark 1 See pp. 577—587, ”The Work and Travels of the Hands of the Cause of God”.

171

able progress in fulfilling this goal has been achieved.

The original Tablets of Baha’u’llah and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, together with the original letters of Shoghi Effendi so far received, number some 10,900, of which nearly 2,600 are Tablets of Baha’u’llah, six thousand of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and 2,300 are letters of Shoghi Effendi. Moreover, from both East and West there have been received authenticated copies of some 1,780 Tablets of Baha’u’llah, 4,690 Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and 12,130 letters of Shoghi Effendi, totalling some 18,600 documents.

All these documents have been studied, important passages from them excerpted and classified, and the subject matter indexed for ready reference under four hundred titles. The work in the Holy Land has been supported and enriched by the labours of a special committee appointed by the Persian National Spiritual Assembly which has been assiduously engaged in classifying the Holy Texts in fulfilment of the goal assigned to that National Spiritual Assembly.

During the period of the Plan, 15 compilations from the Writings on various subjects have been prepared and all these have been shared either with all National Spiritual Assemblies or with National Assemblies in specific areas. Another important step undertaken has been the sorting into chronological order and classification according to subject matter of Shoghi Effendi’s voluminous incoming mail. Among the various items are the specific letters to which he replied. These number some 26,000 letters: six thousand from the East and twenty thousand from the West. It has been found that a comparison of the texts of his answers with the original questions or reports presented to him results in a fuller understanding and deeper appreciation of the manifold implications of his replies. It is of profound interest to note that a large proportion of the letters Shoghi Effendi received from the East and answered, bear pencil notes written in his own hand on the margins of the letters, instructing his secretary how to phrase the answers. These marginal notes have been typed and added to the body of extracts from his writings.

Shoghi Effendi also kept copies of all the telegrams he sent during his ministry which constitute another source of guidance for the Universal House of Justice.

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EFFORTS TOWARD THE EMANCIPATION OF THE FAITH

The Writings of the Faith clearly indicate that the full emancipation of the Faith from the fetters of religious orthodoxy is an objective to be pursued over a prolonged period and to culminate in the universal recognition of the Faith and the emergence ofits World Order. In the course of this and subsequent plans throughout the Formative Age, this goal will have to be progressively pursued. The countries where the Faith has been persecuted or has suffered proscription are noted below, and the steps taken towards attaining this essential objective are set forth.

MOROC C 0

One of the Moroccan believers was arrested and brought before the court on January 26, 1968 on the charges of having abused the sacredness of Islam and using deceptive methods in converting the people to another religion. He was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment. The appeal which was entered on October 24, 1968 resulted in the extension of his imprisonment to four years.

Another Moroccan Bahá’í imprisoned was a widowed mother of seven children. Her deceased Bahá’í husband had been buried in the Bahá’í cemetery and she duly applied for a certificate to confirm her legal custodianship of her Children. When asked to give her religion she stated that she was a Bahá’í, and when she refused to deny her faith, a court case was initiated against her. On October 9, 1969 she was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment.

Certain selected National Spiritual Assemblies were asked to send cables to the King of Morocco, and in countries where there were Moroccan Embassies Bahá’í delegations called at the Embassies to explain the Bahá’í position and to appeal for justice. Nevertheless, the two victims of this wave of persecution in Morocco were not released until they had each served their full terms of imprisonment. Both are now free. At this time the friends in Morocco are quietly pursuing their Bahá’í activities, fully confident that the authorities will increasingly appreciate the Bahá’í position on respect for Islam, on loyalty to government and on noninterference in political affairs.

THE Bahá’í WORLD

ALGERIA

After the Palermo Conference1 and the enthusiastic participation of a number of the new Algerian believers at that Conference, 3. wave of interrogation was initiated by the Algerian authorities. Sixteen of the Persian believers were subsequently expelled from Algeria and their properties and Bahá’í holdings confiscated. Some three months later, one of the Persian believers working for the Algerian Government was arrested and beaten but was released. This was followed by the arrest of five local Algerian believers who were banished to towns in the interior but were allowed to meet with the members of their immediate families.

Following several petitions presented to the government, both on behalfofthe pioneers and the Bahá’í community, the confiscated properties were returned, including the release of balances held in their banking accounts, but while the national Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds was not returned, the local Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Algiers was leased by the authorities to one of the Bahá’í families, enabling it to stay on the premises. The order of banishment affecting the five local believers was gradually relaxed and recently completely repealed, enabling these friends to reside wherever they wish.

The spirit of the Algerian believers has been high and their devotion and fortitude exemplary. While the ban on organized Bahá’í activities and the functioning of Bahá’í institutions is still effective, these devoted friends are confident that the false allegation brought against them of meddling in political affairs“ an unfortunate misinterpretation of the operation of the Bahá’í World Centre in the Holy Land—will be eventually cleared up and their services to the Holy Threshold of Baha’u’llah will be resumed individually and collectively.

EGYPT

Ever since the Decree of the former President of the United Arab Republic in 1960 banning all Bahá’í activities, the friends in Egypt have been subjected to a series of interrogations, arrests, imprisonments and fines, as well as abuse in the mass media of the country. At the present time five cases are pending before the local courts and although some ten score of the local believers have already been fined, im 1See p. 73 for full report.

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prisoned and subsequently released, the final verdicts by these courts have not yet been rendered, and at every appointed date the hearing has been postponed.

The friends in Egypt submitted a petition on October 13, 1971 to the Supreme Constitutional Court asking for redress and for justice to be upheld. Although on several occasions that Court met to consider the Bahá’í petition, every time it chose to postpone its final verdict. The views of eminent French lawyers and professors have been sought and sent to the non-Bahá’í lawyers who are presenting the Bahá’í case. A recent significant development has been the publication of the opinion given by the Mandatory of the government who had been asked to study the Bahá’í file. This commissioner stated that the 1960 Decree was unconstitutional.

The final outcome of the various cases against the Egyptian Bahá’ís, and particularly the decision of the Supreme Constitutional Court will have considerable repercussions in all Arab countries, since Egypt is regarded as a centre for both the Arab and Muslim worlds.

NEAR EAS T

In Lebanon, although for many years the Bahá’ís have owned a Bahá’í cemetery, the Faith was not officially recognized. In August, 1969, upon application by the Local Spiritual Assembly of Beirut, its By-Laws were accepted by the authorities and the Assembly was legally incorporated. This was the first time that any Arab government had granted the Faith this kind of recognition. However, soon afterwards one of the departments in the government queried this recognition and although further study of the Bahá’í file has been commissioned, no decision has yet been made whether to uphold or repeal the incorporation of the Assembly. In the meantime, the Assembly’s legal status continues to be effective.

In Jordan, where the local friends also had their own Bahá’í cemeteries, a new piece of land was officially set aside in September, 1969 by the Prime Minister of the country to serve as the cemetery of the Bahá’í community of Irbid.

‘IRA'Q .

In May, 1970, the ‘Iraqi’ government issued a decree disbanding all Bahá’í institutions and banning all Bahá’í activities. The local friends tried to explain the Bahá’í position to the

173

authorities to no avail. Although the government took no repressive measures physically against the Bahá’ís themselves, Bahá’í books belonging to the friends throughout the country were confiscated, the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Baghdad and in one of the villages were requisitioned, and in certain outlying villages the local friends were threatened and forced in several instances to deny their faith.

A selected number of National Spiritual Assemblies were called upon by the Universal House of Justice to present petitions to ‘Iraqi Embassies and Consulates throughout the world. Although contacts with ‘Iraqi officialdom abroad was usually cordial and promises were made to submit the Bahá’í petition to the central authorities in Baghdad, unfortunately there has been no favourable decision to remove the ban. As law-abiding citizens, the friends in ‘Iráq are patiently expectant that the authorities will appreciate the Bahá’í attitude and grant them freedom to pursue their Bahá’í services and activities.

PERSIA

The National Spiritual Assembly of Persia on several occasions made representations to the flah and high authorities in Persia about the discrimination practised against the Bahá’ís of that land. There has been some improvement recently in some of the government offices towards relaxing employment restrictions affecting Bahá’ís. At the United Nations a number of officials have been briefed on the conditions in Persia affecting the Bahá’í community. Discussions with the authorities in Persia are being pursued at the highest level in connection with confiscatory taxes on the Bahá’í properties in that country.

T URKE Y

For the registration of property and Holy Places in Turkey, a Bahá’í endowment was proposed. After a very lengthy procedure, the civil court, on the grounds that the Bahá’í Faith is a separate religion and not a sect of Islam, gave its verdict that the Bahá’í endowment is constitutionally permissible in Turkey. However, the Endowment Department of the Turkish government rejected the verdict of the court and appealed to the High Court on the grounds that the Bahá’í Faith is not an independent religion. The High Court ruled that

[Page 174]174

since the file did not include expert opinion on whether the Bahá’í Faith is an independent religion or a sect of Islam, the case was to be referred back to the same court for re-adjudication. That court obtained the opinion of three university professors who unanimously stated that the Bahá’í Faith is an independent religion. On the basis of this opinion, and after reexamining the previous verdict, the civil court confirmed the legality of the establishment of the Bahá’í endowment and requested the Endowment Department to register it. This department again appealed to the High Court which, this time, without ruling on the nature of the Faith, raised the technical objection that the purpose of —the endowment was to legalize the Bahá’í administration which, according to the court, was not possible under Turkish law. The interesting point is that the Chief Justice of the High Court ruled in favour of the Bahá’í case, but was overruled by the other two judges. At present the Bahá’í case is under consideration of the Assembly of High Court Judges. Meanwhile, the Bahá’ís of Turkey are taking other steps for the recognition of the Faith as an independent religion, and actions have also been taken to safeguard the Bahá’í properties in Turkey.

A number of Bahá’ís have been successful in obtaining court rulings permitting them to change the designation on their birth certificates from “Muslim” t0 “Bahá’í”.

INDONESIA

The National and Local Spiritual Assemblies were forbidden to conduct any administrative activities under a ban imposed by former President Sukarno in 1964. This ban included a number of international organizations. Measures, both within and outside the country, were taken to clarify the position of the Faith and to remove all misunderstandings as to its true character. These measures were successful for a brief time, and the friends resumed their activities. However, although most of the high authorities in the Government are in favour of removing the ban against the Faith, one minister is vehemently against it, and he has so far been successful in thwarting the attempts of the friends to have the ban removed. A number of actions have been initiated internationally in the hope of persuading the government of Indonesia to consider favourably the Bahá’í case.

THE Bahá’í WORLD

In conclusion, as will be noted in the reports on incorporation, the institutions of the Faith have been given legal standing in a number of countries where a single religion predominates.

EXTENSION AND BEAUTIFICATION OF THE GARDENS AT THE WORLD CENTRE

Plans for the development and beautification of the entire area of Bahá’í property surrounding the Holy Shrines have been approved by the Universal House of Justice, and the gardens on Mount Carmel in the vicinity of the Shrine of the Báb and on the Temple land have been extended.

As those who have visited the Holy Shrines in Bahjí and on Mount Carmel know, the Bahá’í properties in those areas are very extensive, approximating 550,000 square metres. Less than half this total area has been developed into gardens. It must be realized that the full extension of the gardens and the beautification Of the surroundings of the Shrines will call for vast financial resources and take many years.

Developments at Bahjí

The closing of the sand road which ran close by the Mansion of Bahá’u’lláh and the acquisition of a small strip of land to the northeast made further developments possible. To the east of the Mansion two new quadrants and a rectangle between have been developed and planted. To the south the gardens have been extended to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Tea House, with plantings and paths under the old olive trees. A new entrance path, some 400 metres in length, has been built from a gate on the northern boundary to the Collins Gate, and has been lined with shrubs, trees and lampposts, providing a majestic approach to the Ḥaram-i-Aqdas. A new western gate has also been built, leading to a car park outside the Ḥaram-i-Aqdas, to serve a greatly increased number of pilgrims. Altogether more than 125,000 square metres have been developed.

Developments on Mount Carmel

The main lines of development of the land on Mount Carmel had long been laid down by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi: that there should be nine terraces below the Shrine of the Bab and nine terraces above it; that the world administrative centre of the Faith should be

[Page 175]9

INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF BAHA i ACTIVITIES 175

Aerial view showing the extension of the gardens surrounding the Shrine ofBahd’u’Iléh and the Mansion ofBahjí',‘ May, 1972.

A new garden in the vicinity of the Shrine of the Báb, Mt. C armel; July, 1971.

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THE BAHA’I’ WORLD

fur appra.\'imulr:ly 2 ymrs before

going 10 Bahá’í.

Bahá’í HOL Y PLA CES IN ‘A KKA’ AND HA Ij-TA'

l/I the AIa/m’on Of Buhjl' Bahd'u‘l/a'h ‘

lira! approximately [2 years. His Shrine nearby is (he Qihlih of the

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On His arrival in ‘Akká Bnhd‘u‘llu'h was imprisoned in tho Burmrks for 2 years, 2 monlhs, mu] 5 (lays. II was towards the Pill, afrhis period Ihal Ihc Pure“ Branch sarrlficezl hix life. 0" leaving the Barracks Bahd‘u‘lláh, after living for a show lime in various houses. moved eventually to rim House af'Abhml in which HL’ 5pm! apprvxiumlely 7 years, during which lime the K iIdb-i " The Most Aqdux was revealed.

Bahd'u‘lláh I'I'xired Haifa an 4 accasions, pitching Hi5 Izm 0/: Mom” Carmel. 0!! (me oflhese’ visits He revealed the Table! 0/ C armel' and OH (molher Hy designated My site jbr Ihe Shrine of the Báb.

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[Page 177]INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF Bahá’í ACTIVITIES

Obelisk marking the site of the future Mashriqu’l-Adhkár on Mt. Carmel, erected in August,

1971. The obelisk is 10.856 metres in height and contains more than 20 tons ofmarble. Inside

the southfacing at the base is an inscription prepared by Shoghi Effendi stating that the stone is

placed in dedication of the site. A smallformal garden has been developed around the base of the structure.

constructed around the far-flung arc centering on the resting places of the illustrious members of the Holy Family ; and that this centre should include, in addition to the International Archives Building, buildings for the Universal House of Justice, for the Study of the Texts, for the Teaching of the Faith, and for a Library. For a number of years a distinguished Bahá’í architect has, at the request of the Universal House of Justice, been working on a detailed plan to realize this concept. This plan has now been adopted, and is being used as the basis of a Town Planning Scheme which is to be submitted to the Municipality of Haifa. Impelled by the rapid progress of the Faith around the world and its World Centre, the Universal House of Justice has also taken the initial steps to obtain a design for the building which will serve as its Seat on Mount Carmel.

Along the southern side of UNO Avenue, between the Archives Building and the boundary of Bahá’í property, a wall and a sidewalk

have been constructed, and the hillside immediately above this wall has been covered with an informal rock—garden, pending the construction of the first terrace in this area. The Guardian’s plan for floodlighting the Archives Building has been implemented, and the floodlighting of the Shrine of the Báb has been extended. Owing to the steady increase in the number of visitors to the Shrine, the main gate has been closed to vehicles, and a small car park for Bahá’í visitors has been constructed behind the Pilgrim House. A new garden in the immediate vicinity and to the south-west of the Shrine of the Báb was completed in 1971, opening a new and beautiful view of the Shrine from UNO Avenue. At the same time a wrought iron gate was erected at the entrance to the path by which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, at one time, used to approach the Shrine.

An obelisk which had been fabricated in Italy on the instructions of Shoghi Effendi has been erected on the Temple land at the head of

[Page 178]

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New gate erected in April, 1973, at the western approach to the Mansion ofBahjí'.

Mount Carmel. A small garden has been made around it.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE Bahá’í COMMUNITY AND THE

UNITED NATIONS

During the past decade we have witnessed a significant development in the relationship of the Bahá’í International Community with the United Nations, the most important step being the obtaining of Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council on May 27, 1970.1

THE HOLDING OF OCEANIC, CONTINENTAL AND INTERCONTINENTAL CONFERENCES

As reported in The Bahá’í World, vol. XIV,2 six Intercontinental Conferences were held in October 1967.

1 See p. 366, “The Bahá’í International Community and the United Nations", for a complete report. 2 The Bahá’í World, vol. XIV, pp. 22| ff.

In August 1968, in commemoration of tlre one hundredth anniversary of the journey of Bahá’u’lláh on the Mediterranean Sea, the first Oceanic3 Conference was held in Palermo, Sicily. Afterwards, those who had attended the Conference were invited to journey to the Holy Land where, in the precincts of the Most Holy Shrine, the arrival of Bahá’u’lláh on the shores of the Holy Land was commemorated by over 2,000 believers.

Finally, a series of eight Oceanic and Continental Conferences was calledz“

La Paz, Bolivia and Rose Hill, Mauritius Monrovia, Liberia and

—A ugust, 1970

Singapore —January, 1971 Suva, Fiji and Kingston, Jamaica ——May, 197]

Reykjavik, Iceland and

Sapporo, Japan —September, I 9 71 A total of nearly 17,000 believers from all parts of the world attended the fifteen Continental, Intercontinental and Oceanic Conferences.

3 For complete report see p. 73. 4 For complete report see p. 296.

[Page 179]INTERNATIONALSURVEY 0F BAHA’iACTIVITIEs 179

New gate erected in 1971 at the south- western approach to the Shrine of the Báb, at the entrance to the path by which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’, at one time, used to approach the Shrine.

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THE Bahá’í WORLD

2. FIRST HEAD OF STATE EMBRACES THE CAUSE OF BAHA’U’LLAH

How great the blessedness that awaiteth the king who will arise to aid My Cause in My Kingdom, who will detach himselffrom all else but Me!

THAT His Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II, the first reigning monarch to embrace the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh, should do so during the year marking the centenary of the revelation of the Su’riy-i-Mulu’k and that he should openly declare his faith to his fellow believers during the days marking the one hundredth anniversary of the revelation of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas must surely be recognized as one of the most significant events in the evolution of the Formative Age. It is also most interesting that his country, Western Samoa, is located in the middle of the vast Pacific Ocean bringing to mind the prophecy of Bahá’u’lláh about His revelation that should they attempt to conceal its lighten the continent, i 1‘ will assuredly rearits head in the midmost heart of the ocean, and, raising its voice, proclaim; ‘I am the life-giver of the world!’

The events leading up to the acceptance of the Faith by His Highness began with the decision of the Universal House of Justice to present a deluxe edition of The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh to today’s reigning monarchs and heads of state. The Malietoa was one of the one hundred and forty—one to receive this book, re-stating Baha’u’llah’s Own announcement to the kings and rulers of His day.

The Hand of the Cause Dr. Ugo Giachery, who was in Samoa on his return from the Intercontinental Conference in Sydney in October, 1967, was requested by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the South Pacific Ocean to present The Proclamation of Balzd’u’Ildh to the head of state of Western Samoa, which he was glad to do. An appointment was made, and in the late afternoon of October 27, 1967, His Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II received Dr. Giachery and the National Spiritual Assembly representative, Mr. Virgil Wilson, at a newly built Samoan fale on a tiny off—shore island at Letulatala Lefata. It was at this spot that His Highness had some years before been invested with the title “Malietoa”.

Bahá’u’lláh, Kitdb—i—Aqdas

His Highness offered Dr. Giachery his chair and after exchanging courtesies the book was presented on behalf of the Universal House of Justice. The Malietoa was greatly pleased to receive it and thoughtfully leafed through it; pages. The Hand of the Cause explained what the volume contained and drew attention to the list of kings and rulers to whom the original Tablets had been addressed. Throughout the conversation which lasted for almost ninety minutes many questions about the Faith were answered and His Highness expressed great interest in the Bahá’í Teachings. As Dr. Giachery prepared to take his leave, the Malietoa grasped his hands and expressed the hope that he would return some time for another visit. No one knew at that time how soon this hope was to be realized.

In early December, 1967, Dr. Giachery reported that he had recently received two letters from the American pioneer, Mr. Virgil Wilson, in which he stated that on more than one occasion the Malietoa had stated his desire to join the Faith. Because of the importance of the possibility that one of so high a rank and occupying a station which had been so greatly exalted by Baha’u’llah would embrace tte Cause, the Universal House of Justice asked the Hand of the Cause Dr. Ugo Giachery to return to Western Samoa to discuss this matter with His Highness.

The first historic meeting with the Malietoa took place at his official residence in Vailirra on Monday, January 16, 1968. Dr. Giachery reported, “On arrival at the main entrance a triumphal chant was heard and His Highness rushed in person to the automobile with outstretched hands bidding us welcome. After the exchange of greetings, he led us along the ma n staircase to the large reception hall where we were seated. . .” During the course of the conversation which followed, the Malietoa declared, “I am a Bahá’í . . . I believe in Bahá’L’llah.”

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His Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II 0/ Western Samoa (centre, with lei) with Bahd’ at 'fri nds attending the Annual Convention of Samoa, held at the National Balid’ 1 Teaching Institute, Lelata, Apia, Western Samoa.

Afterward the Hand of the Cause cabled the Universal House of Justice:

“HEARTY WELCOME JOYFUL CONVERSATION CONFIRM CONVICTION. . .”

It is noteworthy that it was this Malietoa’s great-great-grandfather, Malietoa Tavita, who accepted Christianity in 1830 in response to the teaching work of J ohn Williams of the London Missionary Society.

On February 11, 1968, another meeting took place at the private residence of the Malietoa. His Highness showed keen interest and asked many questions as Dr. Giachery reviewed with him the principles of the Faith and its administration. Again he stated that he believed in Bahá’u’lláh and His Revelation. Within the hour, Dr. Giachery cabled the Universal House of Justice:

“TODAYS INTERVIEW CONFIRMS HEARTFELT ACCEPTANCE. . .”

Later, on February 19, 1968, the Malietoa wrote the Universal House of J ustice expressing appreciation for “the beautiful and precious volume containing some letters addressed by

Baha " u’llah, the exalted Founder of the Bahá’í Faith, to the rulers of His time. . .”, and added: “This gift is immensely appreciated because it has assisted me in better understanding . . . the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh, which I have fully and wholeheartedly accepted. I do consider myself a member of the Bahá’í Faith, even if at this time I do not deem it necessary to make a public declaration, but I do hope that your prayers at the Holy place of our Faith will attract upon me the divine assistance needed to carry on my duties and to increase my spiritual powers which will make of me a just and honored ruler. . .” The Universal House of J ustice replied:

“That the first ruling monarch should declare his wholehearted acceptance of Bahá’u’lláh during the centenary of Bahá’u’lláh’s p1oclamation brought great happiness to our hearts. Our souls are filled with feelings of awe and wonderment as we contemplate the fulfilment, in this day, of some of the prophecies of Bahá’u’lláh regarding the kings and rulers of the world. . .

“The historic significance of your membership in the Bahá’í Faith has been recorded in

[Page 182]r,;

THE BAHA I WORLD

<1 r \

SAVAI'I

WESTERN\

f

7 .,\ , .

/\. H”? x

Western Samoa is an independent sovereign State within the British C anmtonwealth consisting oj‘two main islands and several smaller ones in the South Pacific Ocean. (See map above.)

The chief town and administrative centre is Apia 0n the islandofUpolu. The house built there by the famous English author, Robert Louis

Stevenson, at Vailima in Apia now serves as the official residence of His Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II.

The tiny island, Letulatala Lefata, where His Highness first met the Hand of the Cause Dr. Ugo Giachery, is located of the north shore of Upolu west of Apia.

[Page 183]INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF BAHA I ACTIVITIES

our annals. We fully appreciate your feeling not to make a public declaration at the present time. We shall await word from you before informing the Bahá’ís of the world of this momentous event in the history of our Faith, which will fire their hearts with new zeal and

GOVERNMENT OF THE INDEPENDENT STATE U! ‘3'

1,;

183

enthusiasm enabling them to rise to new heights of endeavour in their God-given role in the quickening of mankind.”

Five years and one month later, His Highness made known to his fellow believers his faith in Bahá’u’lláh. His letter is reproduced below.

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March 31,1973

Greatly esteemed members of the Universal House of Justice, much admired Hands of the Cause of God, respected Counsellors and honoured delegates attending the Third International Convention

’3' spiritual Brethren:

It is a joy for me and for my fellow Baha'ie of the Samoan Islands in the heart of the Pacific, to be with you in spirit and with the friends of God throughout the world, in celebrating this most significant first century of the revelation of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas,

the I-ioet Holy Book of Baha'u'vllah.

We pray for the success of the historic convention now being held

in the shadow of the Mountain of God in the Holy Land.

Although

we are unable to be with you in person on this memorable occasion, our_ hearts share with you these never to be forgotten days and the knowledge of the tremendous victories won for the Faith of God.

To the north, to the south, to the east and to the west, to the most populous and to the most remote places, we send our fond greetings

and cheriéed love .

May the spirit created by your gathering at the

Holy Shrines pave the way for the rapid establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth and the unity of all the peoples of the world.

Alofe tele atu lava matou Luna 1 Samoa nei.

.' ’ —-r 71/1 W 56% . .‘1 Malietoa Tanumafili II

[Page 184]184

I, THE BAHA IWORLD

3. SURVEY BY CONTINENTS A. AFRICA

OF the total increase of fifty—seven National Spiritual Assemblies in the world during the course of the Nine Year Plan, the continent of Africa provided twenty-six. Starting in 1963 with the four Regional National Assemblies outlined on the accompanying map, the regions were subdivided at Riḍván, 1964, and again at Riḍván, 1967, so that at the beginning of the period covered by this volume the following National Spiritual Assemblies had been established:

. Cameroon Republic

. Indian Ocean

Kenya

. North Africa

. North East Africa

. North West Africa

. South Central Africa

. South and West Africa

. Swaziland, Lesotho and Mozambique . Tanzania

11. Uganda and Central Africa 12. West Africa

13. West Central Africa

14. Zambia

t... 0

Africa, long dormant, was beginning to emerge into a period of great political, social and economic development. Clearly this was a time when the peoples of Africa, especially those south of the Sahara, would be searching for new thoughts and ideas—a time when more and more of them would be receptive to the Teachings of Baha’u’llah. Taking advantage of this great opportunity to spread the Faith 239 pioneers from all over the world settled in African countries during the Nine Year Plan, the majority during its final five years, and scores of travelling teachers journeyed to that continent. The outstanding contribution in this field was that of the Hand of the Cause Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum who spent nearly four years criss-crossing the African continent by Land Rover.1 The services of the Hands of the

1 See “The Travels ofAmatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum During the Nine Year Plan : The Great Safari”, p. 594.

Cause throughout the world are dealt with elsewhere in this volume and the following report does not represent a comprehensive survey of the activities of the Hands of the Cause who made their services available in Africa. The role played by the Continental Boards of Counsellors, acting in close collaboration with the African National Spiritual Assemblies, contributed effectively to the successful achievement of the goals of the Nine Year Plan.

Tribute must be paid to the host of Bahá’í youth from many countries whose travels in Africa hastened and ensured the success of the Nine Year Plan in that continent, and in particular to the international “rescue squad” of youth from Persia, India, the Philippines, Malaysia and other countries who in the closing hours of the Plan sealed its triumphant conclusion in Africa.

As a result of consultations with the Universal House of Justice early in 1972, the Hand of the Cause Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir visited Persia, India, Malaysia and the Philippine Islands raising a call for believers who could rush to the assistance of the hard-pressed believers in the three East African countries, as well as Swaziland, Chad and the Cameroon Republic.

The response was immediate: forty teachers —largely youth—arose in Persia volunteering to serve wherever needed in Africa. India, Malaysia and the Philippines—where the youth had already achieved such signal victoriescontributed eleven, six and four teachers respectively. Three of those from Malaysia were members of the National Spiritual Assembly of their home country. The delegation from the Philippines included a member of the National Spiritual Assembly and a member of the Auxiliary Board. Although not called upon to send teachers, the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States in that very hour wrote expressing its intention to send a contingent of volunteers, and other volunteers came from Canada.

Mr. Sankaran-Nair Vasudevan, a member of the Board of Counsellors in Western Asia, arose and led the way, blazing an exemplary path, and the friends in Africa were later

[Page 185]INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF Bahá’í ACTIVITIES

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joined by the Hand of the Cause Rahmatu’lláh Muhájir. Spurred on by their example, the visiting teachers and those in the African countries—so many of them youth—worked shoulder to shoulder and established a dazzling record of service.

The friends in several countries of Africa are also indebted to the outstanding services of Dr. ‘Azfz Navidi, an international lawyer and Bahá’í International Community Representative for Africa, who assisted the Bahá’í communities in these countries in obtaining official

[Page 186]186

recognition and performed other valuable services.

Two of the eight Oceanic and Continental Conferencesl were held in Africa, one in Rose

1 See “Unity in Diversity”, p. 296.

I, THE BAHA I WORLD

Hill, Mauritius (August, 1970) and the other in Monrovia, Liberia (January, 1971).

A review of the development of the Faith in each of the four great regions of Africa in the quinquennium under consideration follows.

North East A frica

) I Libya | l l

Sudan

Socotra lslandafi Aicrs8|ssu " Fr.TeSir. I\ \\~‘ Ethiopia "7 / I .‘17 I \\ / r17 —-’ 6\ I "9°

Although a number of countries are included in this region, because of certain difficulties and unfavourable circumstances in most of them the major share of the accomplishments was achieved in Ethiopia where a greater degree of religious freedom existed. While the goals assigned to the region may not have seemed large when compared with those given to other parts of the world, when one considers that for many years the opening of new centres in all countries, including Ethiopia, had almost reached stagnation, the fulfilment of the Nine Year Plan goals is a tremendous achievement.

In 1968, in Ethiopia, a most unexpected and providential wave of events began. For example, in a small town some two hundred kilometres from the capital city, six Bahá’í university students camped for ten days and taught the Faith to people living there and in the surrounding villages. Later an international Bahá’í teacher and two believers from Addis Ababa went to these same villages and were bountifully rewarded by enroling twentyfive new believers. During the next year when the Hand of the Cause Amatu’l-Bahá. Rúḥíyyih @énum visited Ethiopia over a thousand new

[Page 187]INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF Bahá’í ACTIVITIES

Bahá’í Teaching Conference, Addis Ababa,‘ June, 1971. Seen in the second row, centre, is Mr.

-5 at, ,, <_

‘Aziz Yazdt' of the Continental Board of Counsellors in C entral and East Africa. Mr. Belcte Worku, Auxiliary Board member, is seen fourth from the right, standing.

Bahá’ís joined the ranks, and by 1971 the goal of twenty-five Local Spiritual Assemblies in Ethiopia had been attained. But this did not satisfy the friends; they went on, and by the end of the Plan they had exceeded that goal by 150 per cent.

As the Nine Year Plan approached its close, this region also witnessed an unprecedented upsurge of teaching activities in the territories of Afars and Issas, and Somalia. In these areas, which had been almost unpenetrated and where conditions suggested that the friends should not actively engage in teaching activities, the Faith has now gained strongholds. The site for a National Haziratu’I-Quds has been acquired in Somalia where, in the last part of the Plan, the designated number of Local Spiritual Assemblies has been surpassed. A temple site was acquired in Addis Ababa, on a hill overlooking the city.

The Sudan, formerly administered by the Regional National Spiritual Assembly of North East Africa, formed its own National Spiritual Assembly in 1971.

A challenging project engaged the attention of Bahá’ís throughout North East Africa—the

construction of a National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in a beautiful and rapidly developing residential section of Addis Ababa, the location of many Embassies. The one-storey building is of modern design, simple and tasteful, and permits of expansion when needed in the future. The land for the building was donated by one of the friends and at the annual convention in 1970 the attendants pledged the cost of every item of construction and furnishing.

In the first half of the Plan one of the believers contributed a large plot of land consisting of two million square meters in the southern part of Ethiopia, an area abounding in natural beauty—greenery, forests, and natural water falls. A Bahá’í Winter and Summer School was established here and named “Banéni House” to perpetuate the memory of the Hand of the Cause Mt’isé Bana’tni1 whose passing in 1971 deprived the Bahá’ís of Africa of their “spiritual father”.

Mention must be made of the long established communities of Egypt and Libya which, although still experiencing recurrent periods of persecution and having been hindered in func ‘ See “In Memoriam”, p. 421.

[Page 188]188

tioning as normal Bahá’í communities in their teaching work, have been a great example and inspiration to the entire region of North East Africa due to their perseverance, staunchness of belief and their steadfast ability to withstand

r,r

THE BAHA I WORLD

the devitalizing onslaughts inflicted upon them. Such is their example that their sister communities in Africa and throughout the world marvel at them.

North West A frica

‘ Spanish Sahara

Rio de Oro

Mauritania

Principe Island '

and

$60 Tome. Island

At Riḍván, 1968, the National Spiritual Assemblies in North West Africa and the territories comprising them were as follows:

The Cameroon Republic (with its seat in

Victoria)

North West Africa (with its seat in Tunis 1963—1967; Rabat 1967—1974) Morocco Mauritania Rio de Oro Spanish Sahara

Ifni Madeira Canary Islands

West A frica (with its seat in Monrovia) Liberia Sierra Leone Guinea Gambia Sénégal Portuguese Guinea Cape Verde Islands

[Page 189]INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF BAHA’I’ ACTIVITIES

Ivory Coast Mali Upper Volta

West C entrul A fried1 (with its seat in Victoria 1964—1967; Lagos 1967—1970) Spanish Guinea Fernando Pc’) Island Corisco Island Séo Tomé and Principe Islands Nigeria Niger Dahomey Togo Ghana

These areas were scenes of intense teaching activityandthefollowingindependentcountries were to have their own National Spiritual Assemblies by the end of the Plan:

Algeria2 Ghana The Central African Republic Nigeria Chad Tunisia Congo (Brazzaville) Za‘t‘re

Added to these were the Regional National Spiritual Assemblies of :

Dahomey, Togo and Niger

Ivory Coast, Mali and Upper Volta Upper West Africa

West Africa

CAMEROON REPUBLIC

In its message to this national community at Riḍván, 1967, the Universal House of Justice called upon the believers in the United Republic of Cameroon to accomplish nineteen specific goals in the remaining years of the Nine Year Plan.

Among the most significant achievements of this young community during this period must

1The National Spiritual Assembly of West Central Africa existed between 1964—1970 and during part of that period had within its jurisdiction the Cameroon Republic, Spanish Guinea, Corisco Island, 8510 Tome and Principe Island, Fernando P6 Island, Nigeria, Dahomey, Niger, Ghana and Togo. In 1967 the entity became known as the National Spiritual Assembly of the Cameroon Republic and the realigned Regional National Spiritual Assembly of West Central Africa, with its seat in Lagos, had wtthm ltsjurisdiction Nigeria, Dahomey, Togo, Niger and Ghana. In 1970 it was dissolved with the formation of the three independent National Spiritual Assemblies of Nigeria; of Ghana; and of Dahomey, Togo and Niger. 2This National Spiritual Assembly with its seat in Algiers, came into existence for a brief period, and cqmprised both Algeria and Tunisia. It had to be disbanded owing to unfavourablelocal circumstances.

189

be listed the establishment of 179 Local Spiritual Assemblies in the Cameroon Republic, including at least one in each major administrative subdivision of the country and nineteen of which were incorporated; the establishment of three Local Spiritual Assemblies in Fernando Po and one in Rio Muni; the acquisition of fourteen Local Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds; an increase to 640 in the number of localities where Bahá’ís resided, being forty in excess of the goal established; the acquisition by donation oftwo plots of land as national endowments, being situated respectively at Ebeagwa and Atebong Wire; the enrichment of Bahá’í literature in the Douala, Basa, Ewondu and Kenyang languages, indigenous to the area; and the enrollment of three thousand new believers during the last year of the Plan alone.

In the final years of the Plan a successful beginning was made in the important areas of stimulating activity among Bahá’í youth and the adoption of means to ensure the education of Bahá’í children. In addition, considerable strides were made in deepening the knowledge of believers throughout the country through institutes, classes and conferences.

DAHOMEY, TOGO AND NIGER

The final five years of the Nine Year Plan saw an influx of Hands of the Cause, travelling teachers and pioneers into Dahomey, Togo and Niger, and a subsequent burst of growth in all three countries. On January 1, 1968, the Ofi‘icial Journal of Dahomey published the recognition of the Faith by the Government, granted on November 24, 1967.

Early in 1969 an intensive two-weeks teaching project resulted in the Dahomey Bahá’ís being granted audiences with the principal Dahomean authorities each of whom was presented with The Proclamation ofBahd’u’lld/I and other Bahá’í books.

The Universal House of Justice authorized the formation of the National Spiritual Assembly of Dahomey, Togo and Niger at Riḍván, 1970, with its seat in Cotonou. The Hand Ofthe Cause Jalal Lhazeh represented the Universal House of Justice on this occasion. The visits of the Hands of the Cause lent impetus to the teaching work and the guidance and encouragement of the Continental Board of Counsellors greatly assisted.

[Page 190]190

’1?“ i f n 1’: 1’ \i‘.

THE Bahá’í WORLD

I 2’5" ‘

T he President of Dahomey, H is Excellency Sourau M igan Apithy, (Presidential C ouncil, Porto Nova) receiving Bahá’í literature at his residence in Dahomey from Mrs. Meherangiz Munsifi; Bahá’í travelling teacher, who visitedfburteen A frican countries in 1972.

In September, 1971, a Bahá’í delegation met With General Etienne Eyadema, President of the Republic of Togo where the Faith was officially recognized in February, 1973, largely due to the efforts of Dr. ‘Aziz Navidi. Recognition of the Faith was obtained in Niger in April, 1972.

Their Excellencies Sorou Migan Apithy and Justin Tometin Ahomadegbe of the Dahomean Presidential Council received Amatu’l-Bahá Rahiyyih Khánum during her visit in 1971.

His Excellency Mathieu Kérékou, President of Dahomey, in June, 1973, received a delegation of Bahá’ís who presented him with The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh, an event which was broadcast on the national radio network. Later in the year the Minister of Justice of Dahomey met with members of the National Spiritual Assembly and gave permission to the Attorney-General, Mr. Alexandre Durand, to speak at the Bahá’í commemoration of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the declaration of Human Rights.

Dahomey exceeded by five its goal of estab blishing twenty Local Spiritual Assemblies. The Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds was completed in 19711972. A Teaching Institute was erected in Avarankou in 1972 and inaugurated on February 25, 1973, with the Prefect, Under-Prefect and Village Chief and over one hundred Bahá’ís in attendance. In 1972 a Temple site was purchased near Cotonou. A school was begun by the local believers in Tchedegbé in 1970 with the assistance of the National Spiritual Assembly. Bahá’í literature was published in French, Goun, Fon and Mina.

Thirteen Local Spiritual Assemblies were formed in Togo, exceeding the goal by three. A local centre was erected in Agouévé in 1972. In 1972 a Temple site was acquired. Bahá’í literature was enriched through the publication of a pamphlet in Ewe.

Niger, assigned the task of forming five Local Spiritual Assemblies, established seven and acquired a teaching institute and an endowment, the latter a plot ofland a few kilometres from Niamey. Bahá’í literature was published in three indigenous languages. The National

[Page 191]INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF BAHA’iACTIVITIEs 19]

His Excellency General Etienne Eyadema, President of Togo, receiving Bahá’í literature from Mr. G. Ferdows, Bahá’í’ travelling teacher; October, 1971.

H is Excellency Hamani Diori, President of Niger, (centre) photographed with Dr. ‘Aziz Navidt’ (left) and Mr. Léopold Kaziende, a cabinet minister, or: the occasion of the signing by the President of'the official decree granting recognition to the Baird’t' Faith in Niger; April, 1972.

[Page 192]192

Youth Committee published a journal Badi‘ which has maintained a vital link among the believers and established a high standard of quality.

In all three countries a total of 133 localities were opened, surpassing the goal of one hundred. Children’s classes were established in all three countries. The believers have been active in composing poems and songs with Bahá’í themes in the languages of their countries.

GHANA

The National Spiritual Assembly of Ghana was formed in 1970 with its seat in Accra, its community having formerly been under the Regional National Spiritual Assemblies of North West Africa from 1956 to 1964, and of West Central Africa from 1964 to 1970. The Universal House of Justice was represented at the inaugural Convention by the Hand of the Cause Jalal Qazeh.

At the time the National Assembly was formed there were thirteen Local Spiritual Assemblies in Ghana and the Faith was established in forty-nine localities. The believers numbered approximately four hundred.

The first wide scale proclamation of the Faith occurred in 1971 when the Bahá’ís participated in the second Ghana International Trade Fair, where literature was distributed. During this same period at least fifty per cent of the population of two villages, Domiabra and Amanfro, became Bahá’ís, it was reported.

The National Spiritual Assembly achieved incorporation, as did five Local Spiritual Assemblies; a Temple site was acquired near Aburi, approximately twenty—five miles from Accra; governmental recognition was accorded Bahá’í marriage and Bahá’í Holy Days, the latter exempting Bahá’ís and their children from attending business or school on these days, and a quantity of Bahá’í literature was translated and produced in a variety of local languages including Fante, Twi, Hausa, Dagbani, Ga and Ewe.

Village teaching was accelerated by the visits of Hands of the Cause. During her visit Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum was received by His Excellency Acting Prime Minister .1. Kwesi Lamptey and His Highness the Asantehene, Otumfuo Opoku Ware II, to each

THE Bahá’í WORLD

of whom she presented The Proclamation of Balzd’u’lla’h.

The education of Bahá’í children commenced in 1969 and is actively pursued in a number of localities.

At Riḍván, 1973, Ghana reported that fortyone Local Spiritual Assemblies had been formed and Bahá’ís resided in 157 localities. The number of Bahá’ís had increased to 1,721.

NIGERIA

The Bahá’í community administered by the National Spiritual Assembly of Nigeria was formerly under the jurisdiction of the Regional National Spiritual Assemblies of North West Africa from 1956 to 1964 and of West Central Africa from 1964 to 1967. In 1968 the affairs of the Cause in Nigeria were administered by an emergency committee. The present National Spiritual Assembly describes the Cause as being in its infancy in Nigeria in this period, and there were only a few isolated believers scattered throughout the country. In 1969, due to civil war, activity was still restricted, but some work was done in the Calabar area in the southeastern region, and the believers were eager to expand their activities.

The inaugural Convention cabled from Calabar on May 4, 1970 that twenty-four delegates and many observers were in attendance. Dr. William Maxwell of the Continental Board of Counsellors in North-western Africa represented the Universal House of Justice on this occasion. The Convention reported that five new Local Spiritual Assemblies had been formed and an entire village had accepted the Faith.

The year 1971 was marked by a rapid increase in the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies and a growing interest in the Cause among the Nigerian public. At Riḍván, 1972, it was reported that a National Haziratu’I-Quds had been acquired and a year later the Nine Year Plan was triumphantly concluded when it was reported that the National Assembly was incorporated, one Teaching Institute had been established, one National and three Local Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds had been obtained, and that the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies had been raised to eighty-eight, surpassing the goal of fifty, and the number of localities where Bahá’ís reside increased to 208, surpassing the

[Page 193]INTERNATIOPJAL SURVEY or Bahá’í ACTIVITIES

goal of 180. In addition, Bahá’í literature had been translated and/or published in a number of African languages indigenous to the area.

IVORY COAST, MALI AND UPPER VOLTA

Formerly under the jurisdiction of the Regional National Spiritual Assemblies of North West Africa, from 1956 to 1964, and of West Africa from 1964 to 1971 the Bahá’í community of Ivory Coast, Mali and Upper Volta elected its National Spiritual Assembly at Riḍván, 1971, with its seat in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Representing the Universal House of Justice on this occasion was the Hand of the Cause Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum. At this time it was reported that there was one Local Spiritual Assembly in Mali, one in Upper Volta, twelve in the Ivory Coast, and that Bahá’ís resided in twenty—three localities in the last named country. The National Spiritual Assembly was assigned the tasks, among others, of raising the number of localities on the homefront to at least sixty—five and increasing the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies to ten in the Ivory Coast, three in Mali and three in Upper Volta.

By the end of the Nine Year Plan, at Riḍván, 1973, the community had achieved an impressive record, having doubled the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies, and having almost trebled the number of localities. The property goals were achieved and Bahá’í literature was produced in several local languages.

UPPER WEST AFRICA

The formation of the National Spiritual Assembly of Upper West Africa took place at Riḍván, 1970, when the Hand of the Cause Enoch Olinga represented the Universal House of Justice. The inaugural Convention was held in Banjul, Gambia, where the Faith was first introduced in 1954 by the Knight of Baha’u’Ilah, Fariburz Rt'tzbihyan.

The community launched a vigorous attack on the goals assigned to it in the Nine Year Plan and their efforts were supported by the visits of a number of Hands of the Cause, and pioneers and travelling teachers. A signal event was the rapid growth of the Faith among the Jola tribe in the Fonyi districts of the Gambia. By the end

193

of the Plan the majority of the Local Assemblies in the Gambia were J 01a settlements. The culmination of teaching and proclamation was the West African Bahá’í Youth Conference held in December, 1972, under the sponsorship of the Continental Board of Counsellors, with youth from nine West African countries participating, and climaxed with a public meeting attended by more than a hundred people including several dignitaries,

In 1968, Bahá’í localities totalled only twenty; by 1973, this increased to 117, only three short of the goal. There were less than four hundred believers in 1968 and more than 1,800 in 1973. Eight Local Assemblies were reported in 1968. There were eleven by 1970 and thirtysix by 1973; both Senegal and Mauritania surpassed their goals.

In January, 1973, a letter from the SecretaryGeneral of the Gambian Government advised the National Assembly that the Bahá’ís were “permitted freedom ofworship in the Gambia”. Literature in the indigenous languages was enriched during the Plan and commencing in 1971 an informative bilingual newsletter was published. In 1973 the National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds, purchased in 1970, was exempted from taxation. The National Assembly feels that the period 1968—1973 marked considerable progress in the expansion of the Faith in its area and paved the way for greater consolidation.

WEST AFRICA

The National Spiritual Assembly of West Africa was established in 1964 with its seat in Monrovia, Liberia. The five years under review were marked by vigorous efforts to proclaim the Cause throughout this area. In June, 1968, The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh was presented to His Excellency W. V. S. Tubman, President of Liberia. After the passing of President Tubman, a similar presentation was made to his successor, His Excellency William R. Tolbert, Jr.; to His Excellency Sekou Toure, President of Guinea; and to The Hon. S. I. Koroma, Vice-President of Sierra Leone.

Visits from various Hands of the Cause, members of the Continental Board of Counsellors and outstanding travelling teachers were a source of inspiration and their suggestions about teaching methods were of great help. Mid-way through the Plan, weekend Schools,

[Page 194]194 THE BAHA’iWORLD

During the C antinental C onference held in Monrovia, Liberia, in January, 1971, His Excellency

Dr. William R. Talbert, Jr., Vice-President of Liberia, (second from right) was photographed

with the Hands of the Cause Amaru’l—Bahd Ru'hl'yyih Khdnum and Dr. Rahmatu’lláh Muha’jir.

Dr. William Maxwell and Mr. Kolonario Oule Of the C antinental Board of Counsellors in Africa are seen at the far left and fourth from the left respectively.

._ ",1. . -, ,

The National Ḥaẓíratu’l— Quds, Monrovia, dedicated December 28, 1968.

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Teaching Institutes and Conferences it was reported increased the capacity and understanding of the friends and heightened their determination to win the goals of the Plan.

The West Africa Summer School building located at Bomi Hills, Liberia, was successfully completed in December, 1970, and as time went on attracted international teachers and students.

The 1971 Continental Conference of Africa, called by the Universal House of Justice, was held in Monrovia January 1-3, 1971 and exerted an incalculable influence on communities throughout West Africa. A special bounty was having present the Hands of the Cause Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum and Dr. Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir, the official representative of the Universal House of Justice.

A rapid increase in enrolments among youth was characteristic of this period. In 1972 enthusiastically mounted and well organized youth projects, entirely planned by the Bahá’í Youth Club, often including non-Bahá’í participation, were conducted; one which achieved national attention was the “World Peace Essay Contest” held in both Liberia and Sierra Leone. The topic “The Role of Individual Youth in Achieving World Peace” attracted entries from youth of numerous high schools and various religious denominations. This event served to proclaim the Faith widely and was given unprecedented news coverage.

While concentrating primarily on deepening and consolidation, West African communities took advantage of every opportunity to collaborate with the United Nations Association by sponsoring or participating in programmes. As

195

many as two thousand persons including officials of the Government and many youth attended one such programme in 1971, which was broadcast live over the national radio network, and the masses heard the introductory remarks of the Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly speaking about the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh relating to world peace.

In addition to participating in a number of public meetings in observance of United Nations Day the community, in 1972, through association with the mass media, was able to take part in the production of a seventy-minute video-tape on the United Nations. Of this time, thirty-five minutes were allotted to the Bahá’ís. Mention was made of the Bahá’í principles in relation to world problems, and the important contribution of the Bahá’í International Community to the aims and programmes of the United Nations.

On December 31, 1971, the Ministry of Education of Liberia gave official recognition to Bahá’í Holy Days.

By Riḍván, 1972, thirteen new Local Spiritual Assemblies had been formed in Liberia, and four new ones in Sierra Leone. The goal of building two more Local Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Liberia was accomplished by Riḍván, 1973. In March of 1973 the Liberian community achieved the incorporation of the Local Spiritual Assemblies of Gboweta, Mano River and Yekepa. At the conclusion of the Plan there were twenty—five Local Spiritual Assemblies and ninety localities where Bahá’ís resided in the territories under the jurisdiction of this national community.

S oath and West Africa

Before the Nine Year Plan this region was divided into three National Spiritual Assembly areas:

The Indian Ocean South C entral A frica South and West A frica

In 1964 a further division was made resulting in the formation of the following National Spiritual Assemblies and areas of jurisdiction as at Riḍván, 1968:

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Indian Ocean with its seat in Port Louis (Mauritius)

Mauritius

Chagos Archipelago

Rodriguez Island

Malagasy Republic (formerly Madagascar; name changed in 1958)

Seychelles Islands

Comoro Islands

Réunion Island

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196

Cabindu

° St. Helena

0 o (a 7 7,

THE Bahá’í WORLD

2

< u.) U 0

Maurltluso

Réumon° Island

«- Swazaland ?‘\ zyumfi OLesot ho Y‘ \ $9 X

The National Spiritual Assembly of South Central Africa1 with its seat in Salisbury (Rhodesia)

Malawi (formerly changed in 1964)

Southern Rhodesia

Botswana (formerly Bechuanaland; name changed in 1966)

Nyasaland; name

The National Spiritual Assembly of South and West A frica with its seat in Johannesburg (Republic of South Africa)

South Africa

South West Africa

Zululand

Angola

St. Helena Island

Lesotho (formerly Basutoland; changed in 1966)

name

The National Spiritual Assembly of Swaziland, Lesotho and Mozambique with its seat in Mbabane (Swaziland)

The National Spiritual Assembly onambia (known as Northern Rhodesia until 1964) with its seat in Lusaka

1Formerly under the jurisdiction of the Regional National Spiritual Assembly of South and West Africa (1956—1964) this community in 1964 elected its National Spiritual Assembly which existed with various territorial changes until its dissolution in 1970 with the formation of the National Spiritual Assemblies of Botswana, of Malawi and of Rhodesia.

By the end of the Plan, the following independent countries were to have their own National Spiritual Assemblies:

Botswana

Malawi

Rhodesia

Lesotho

Mauritius Seychelles Malagasy Republic

The Regional National Spiritual Assembly ('tf Swaziland and Mozambique remained as did the Regional National Spiritual Assembly of South and West Africa, the latter with an altered area of jurisdiction comprising South Africa, South West Africa, Zululand, Angoa and St. Helena. The National Spiritual Assentbly of the Malagasy Republic was given juri;diction over the Comoro Islands and the National Spiritual Assembly of the Seychelles had jurisdiction over the Chagos Archipelago and Agalega Island.

SOUTH AND WEST AFRICA

The National Spiritual Assembly of SOU'Ch and West Africa came into being in 1956 wi:h its seat in Johannesburg and has existed sinse then, with various territorial changes. With the formation in 1967 of the National Spiritual

[Page 197]INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF Bahá’í ACTIVITIES

Assembly of Swaziland, Lesotho and Mozambique the jurisdiction of the National Spiritual Assembly of South and West Africa included South Africa, South West Africa, Angola, St. Helena and Zululand.

Despite seemingly overwhelming obstacles the hard-pressed believers of this area recorded statistical gains in the period under review and a qualitative, subtle but impressive strengthening of the foundations of the Cause in the regions within the jurisdiction of this National Assembly. At Riḍván, 1968, approximately fifty Local Spiritual Assemblies were in existence, scattered throughout South Africa and Zululand. By the end of the Plan the number had more than doubled, distributed throughout all areas of jurisdiction including Angola and St. Helena, and Bahá’ís resided in approximately five hundred localities throughout the region. Bahá’í literature was enriched through material translated and/or published in Afrikaans, Zulu, Tswana and Xosa and a newsletter was published in South West Africa to meet the needs of the Ovambo believers. The community was further diversified through the

197

enrolment of representatives of the Herero tribe, in 1970, and of Shua Bushmen in 1971.

THE INDIAN OCEAN

To the east of the great African continent and south of the equator lie a number of islands which were the scenes of exciting Bahá’í activity during the closing years of the Nine Year Plan. When one realizes that only two of them, Madagascar and Zanzibar, had been opened before the beloved Guardian’s Ten Year Crusade, and that at the beginning of the Nine Year Plan most of these islands were included in the area of one Regional Spiritual Assembly, the achievement of establishing four National Spiritual Assemblies by Riḍván, 1972, stands out as truly remarkable. During the last five years of the Plan the Indian Ocean area more than doubled the number of localities where Bahá’ís resided (from 113 to 288) and more than trebled the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies (from twenty-seven to eighty-nine).

The tempo of teaching activity was heightened by the visits of Hands of the Cause and a

The Hands of the C ause (left to right) Jalcil Kha’zeh, William Sears, representative of the Universal House of Justice, and Dr. Rahmatu’lláh Muhd/ir, photographed during the Oceanic Conference, Rose Hill, Mauritius; August, 1970. Seen standing 1‘0 the right is Mr. Roddy Lutchmaya, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’í's 0/" the Indian Ocean.

[Page 198]198

number of travelling teachers who visited these islands. Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum visited all the major islands and the Hands of the Cause Jala’lflazeh, Rahmatu’lláh Muhájir, Adelbert Mflhlschlegel and William Sears all visited the Indian Ocean during this periodsome of them more than once.

But the outstanding event was the Oceanic Conference at Rose Hill, Mauritius, in August, 1970. More than one thousand believers attended representing twenty-seven countries, some coming from as far away as the United States, France, Italy, England, Japan and Australia. The Hand of the Cause William Sears who represented the Universal House of Justice at the Conference paid courtesy calls on the Governor—General and the Prime Minister, and many government officials and members of the diplomatic corps attended the official reception at the Conference. The press, radio and television provided much publicity for the Faith. But above all the inspiration and enthusiasm generated among the believers attending the Conference provided a springboard for the increased teaching activity necessary to win and, in many cases, surpass the goals of the Nine Year Plan. Many believers from different

THE Bahá’í WORLD

countries remained behind to participate in the teaching work.

It should be mentioned that two National Spiritual Assemblies in the Indian Ocean (Mauritius and Seychelles) achieved their incorporations by Acts of the legislature.

SEYCHELLES

The friends in Seychelles were unusually successful in the field of radio. In early 1969 their efforts to obtain regular time on the local radio station met with success when the Broadcasting Manager agreed to allow fifteen minutes of time on ten different occasions, mostly on Bahá’í Holy Days. Thus the Message of Baha’u’llah reached not only the people of the main island of Mahé, but also those on other islands of the Seychelles Archipelago. It was reported that everywhere people spoke of the Faith and that the children took up the singing of Bahá’í songs which they heard on the radio.

Not only was Seychelles the recipient of pioneers and teachers; this rapidly growing Bahá’í community sent pioneers to Chagos, to Agalega Island and to Réunion. There was a great awakening among the youth of the

V . '}';|.t.n2m" ,

_.. . imug».

The first Annual C onvention for the election of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís Of the Malagasy Republic (Madagascar); April, 1972. The Hand of the C ause Dr. Rahmatu’lla’h Muhájir is seen seated in the centre of the second row.

[Page 199]INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF BAHA’I’ ACTIVITIES

Seychelles who played a significant role in many teaching activities. Some of the songs composed by Bahá’í singing groups found their way to Mauritius and the mainland of Africa.

MALAGASY REPUBLIC

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Malagasy Republic was formed at Riḍván, 1972, with its seat in Tananarivei The Hand of the Cause Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir represented the Universal House of Justice on this occasion. The homefront territory consisted of the Malagasy Republic and Comoro Islands and at that time thirty-two localities had been opened to the Faith. There were eight Local Spiritual Assemblies in Malagasy and one in Comoro Islands. One of the Local Assemblies in Malagasy had achieved incorporation. A National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds had been acquired in November, 1970, a Temple site in January, 1971, and a national endowment in April, 1972. Representatives of the Antaimoro, Antaifasy, Antambahoaka and Antaisaka tribes were enrolled enriching the membership of the community which already consisted of representatives of the Hova and Betsileo tribes and Comorians. By Riḍván, 1973, among the victories recorded in this national community, was the establishment of twenty-seven Local Spiritual Assemblies in the Malagasy Republic and two in the Comoro Islands, with a total of eighty-three localities where Bahá’ís resided.

REUNION

The Hand of the Cause Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir was the representative of the Universal House of Justice when the believers of Réunion formed their National Spiritual Assembly at Riḍván, 1972, with its seat in St. Pierre.

At Riḍván, 1968, there was only one pioneer residing in Réunion and three Local Spiritual Assemblies had been established. In April of that year recognition of the Spiritual Assembly of St. Pierre was published in the State official Gazette. Additional pioneers settled and assistance was received from travelling teachers. In November, 1968, the Local Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds of St. Pierre was acquired. A Summer School was held in that same year.

The flow ofvisiting teachers increased in 1969 and subsequent years, and considerable assist I99

ance was received from the Continental Board of Counsellors and members of the Auxiliary Board. A youth meeting in 1969, held in Plaine des Cafres, sparked interest among young people. An active Regional Youth Committee was formed which held regular meetings. The Faith was proclaimed through a three-day exhibit in St. Pierre.

In 1970 The Proclamation ofBaltd’u’lla’h was presented to the Prefect of Réunion. Five Local Spiritual Assemblies existed at that time. The following year a series of successful public meetings was conducted and the Bahá’í teachings were presented to several Mayors.

At Riḍván, 1972, eight Local Spiritual Assemblies were formed. A visiting Bahá’í teacher was interviewed by the press and appeared on radio and television, the first time these media devoted attention to the Faith. In November, 21 special programme was devoted to children. The State authorities of Réunion accorded official recognition to the National Spiritual Assembly in June, 1972.

In January, 1973, an endowment was acquired in Bras-Creux and in March a Temple site was obtained. There were thirteen Local Spiritual Assemblies in existence by Riḍván, 1973. Five Bahá’í marriages were conducted in the period under review and a number of classes for Children were established.

BOTSWANA

The Hand of the Cause Paul Haney represented the Universal House of Justice at the inaugural Convention at Riḍván, 1970. The formation of this National Assembly, with its seat in Gaborone, was an achievement beyond the original goals set for the Nine Year Plan and was made possible by an increase in the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies and localities, as well as by the settlement of a small number of active pioneers, during the years immediately before 1970. The number of Local Assemblies grew from six, in 1968, to twelve in 1970. These communities were sustained by regular visits from members of Continental Board of Counsellors and the concerted efforts of the resident pioneers.

The first year of the existence of the Botswana national Bahá’í community saw extensive proclamation and teaching throughout the country in the form of public meetings in the villages,

[Page 200]200

often called by village Chiefs themselves. Local believers, travelling teachers and pioneers were used in this massive effort, resulting in open meetings in over eighty villages, contact with more than fifty chiefs, and distribution of Bahá’í literature to more than five thousand people. The National Spiritual Assembly’s own goal to achieve an all-Bahá’í village was accomplished in Bonwapitse. During a proclamation meeting several people became Bahá’ís in Bonwapitse and after the village Chief, who had already embraced the Faith, attended a Conference at Gaborone and returned home fully confirmed in his belief, almost the entire population of one hundred at Bonwapitse accepted the Cause.

During the following two years the specific goals of the Plan were focused upon and often surpassed. The goal of establishing twenty Local Spiritual Assemblies was exceeded by four; and instead of fifty localities, eighty-eight were recorded. All the property goals were accomplished, including acquisition of a Temple site, and a Teaching Institute at Mahalapye. The goal of acquiring one Local Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds was met when local believers built one at Thamaga, and exceeded when another was built at Selebi—Pikwe. The legal incorporation of the National Spiritual Assembly was achieved as well as that of eight Local Assemblies, three more than called for in the Plan.

Contact with the nomadic Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert was a goal of the Ten Year Crusade. This goal was inherited from the region of South and West Africa. A few individuals had been successfully contacted during the Crusade, but in terms of definite localities the goal was finally achieved in 1971.

Followingthevisit ofAmatu’l-BaháRúḥíyyih Khánum1 to the Bushmen in June, 1972, a singularly inspiring conference was held at the National Centre in Gaborone attended by nine Bushmen representing three distinct language groups. Soon thereafter eighty Bushmen entered the Faith in about fifteen localities, two of which, at Tshasane and Mathibatsela, have all-Bushmen Assemblies. Translation of Bahá’í literature, including the creative Word, was accomplished in four of the Bushman “click” languages, requiring special phonetic notation. This was particularly significant in that the

1 See “TheTravels ofAmatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum Duringthe Nine Year Plan : The Great Safari", p. 594.

THE Bahá’í WORLD

Bahá’í Writings are the first words ever to have been written or put into print in these languages.

MALAWI

The National Spiritual Assembly was established with its seat in Limbe at Riḍván, 1970, when the Hand of the Cause Paul Haney represented the Universal House of Justice. At that time there were nine Local Spiritual Assemblies established, eight ofthem in the southern region and one in the northern, (one of them having achieved incorporation), and Bahá’ís resided in eighty-nine localities, a figure which was revised within a few months to one hundred. In April, 1970, a Teaching Institute had been acquired at Amalika, near Blantyre.

In 1971 Bahá’í literature was enriched through the translation and/or publication ofa number of titles in Cicewa and Tumbuka and by 1972 representatives of all the tribes of Malawi were enrolled in the Faith.

In the six months before the conclusion of the Nine Year Plan, spectacular victories were recorded: four new Local Spiritual Assemblies were established, bringing the total at Riḍván to twenty-seven; approximately two hundred new believers enrolled; and twenty—three additional localities were opened to the Faith bringing the total to a figure in excess of 225.

In 1971 the Hand of the Cause Enoch Olinga paid a visit to Malawi where he was accorded gracious interviews by the Life President of Malawi, His Excellency Dr. Kamuzu Banda, and Mr. Albert Muwalo, Minister of State.

RHODESIA

In 1970, with the dissolution of the National Spiritual Assembly of South Central Africa and the formation of three independent National Spiritual Assemblies in Botswana, Mali and Rhodesia, the newly-formed Rhodesian National Spiritual Assembly was designated as the “mother” Assembly. The Nine Year Plan goals were divided among the three Assemblies and their accomplishment was the primary concern of the Rhodesian National Assembly

The most significant innovations in the teaching work within Rhodesia were the increased participation by the African believers and the shift of emphasis from urban to village teaching, innovations which originated from suggestions made by the Universal House 01'

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Justice. The wisdom ofthis course soon became apparent when the first Rhodesian travelling teacher, Pande Sibanda, enrolled dozens of new believers, including Paramount Chiefs Chiweshe and Chaona. Encouraged by these initial successes, teacher training institutes were held for training additional teachers so that by the time the Hand of the Cause Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir first visited Rhodesia, urging the acceleration of the process of mass teaching, a group of five trained teachers was available. All five of these teachers were sent to the Gokwe area where five hundred new Bahá’ís were enrolled, including Paramount Chief Nemangwe. Teachers based in this area also established contact with the remote Batonga tribes and soon established a Local Spiritual Assembly among them. Subsequent mass teaching efforts resulted in large scale enrolments in the Mtoko and Mrewa areas and even spilled over into the adjoining areas in Mozambique where four new Local Assemblies were formed in time to help the National Spiritual Assembly of Swaziland, Lesotho and Mozambique achieve their Nine Year Plan goals. Another major accomplishment was when Rhodesia sent its first pioneer to another country: Dennis Makiwa, school teacher, and Chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly, pioneered to Botswana.

Two donations of land in memory of outstanding believers enabled Rhodesia to achieve its goals of acquiring a national endowment, several local endowments and a Temple site. Official recognition of the Faith was furthered by the incorporation of nine additional Local Spiritual Assemblies, and by the first officially registered Bahá’í marriage in Rhodesia.

The mass media devoted newspaper articles to the Faith and considerable publicity resulted from the memorable visit of the Hand of the Cause Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum, reported elsewhere in this volume.

By Riḍván, 1973, the Bahá’ís of Rhodesia had accomplished the goals of the Nine Year Plan and ended the period with a community numbering close to five thousand Bahá’ís and fifty—seven Local Spiritual Assemblies.

SWAZILAND, LESOTHO AND MOZAMBIQUE This National Spiritual Assembly was established in 1967 with its seat in Mbabane, Swazi 201

land. In 1968 there were twelve Local Spiritual Assemblies and eight hundred believers in Swaziland, six Local Spiritual Assemblies and three hundred believers in Lesotho, and one Local Spiritual Assembly and less than 250 believers in Mozambique. The Nine Year Plan called for the establishment offifty Local Spiritual Assemblies and 150 localities in Swaziland; fifty—seven Assemblies and 280 localities were recorded at Riḍván, 1973. Mozambique exceeded the Local Assembly goal by two, with twelve established, four of them in the Tete area which were assisted by travelling teachers from Rhodesia, and the balance in the southern part of Mozambique.

After much work and many disappointments a lovely property was acquired near Mbabane. The property includes a Temple site, endowment land, a Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds, and a Teacher Training Institute named after the Hand of the Cause Leroy Ioas. The dedication of the Institute was attended by a representative of His Majesty King Sobhuza II and by Her Royal Highness Princess Gcinaphi who planted a tree in honour of the occasion. The incorporation of the National Spiritual Assembly on July 14, 1969, Was an outstanding victory and subsequently five Local Spiritual Assemblies obtained incorporation. Absence from school and work is permitted on Bahá’í Holy Days and the Government confirmed and gazetted the appointment of a marriage officer, allowing him to conduct Bahá’í weddings at the National Centre.

A further goal of the Nine Year Plan was accomplished with the construction of a Local Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds at Mncitsini.

A highlight of 1972 was the visit of the Hand of the Cause Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum who was received by His Majesty King Sobhuza II and was a guest at the Ceremonial Reed Dance of the Maidens (Umhlanga) and at the Independence Celebrations.

Some excellent work was done among children and the youth work was outstanding. Three youth pioneers spearheaded proclamation meetings and assisted with many institutes at the National Bahá’í Centre and in rural areas. On one occasion they addressed a meeting at a high school where three hundred people learned about the Faith.

The translation and publication of Bahá’í literature in Zulu, Siswati, Shimakhuwa and

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[,1

THE BAHA [WORLD

Her Royal Highness Princess Gcinaphi of S waziland planted a tree at the dedication ceremony

marking the opening of the Leroy Ioas Bahá’í Teacher Training Institute, Mbabane, Swaziland;

December, 1970. Also seen are (left to right) Mrs. Helen Wilks, Auxiliary Board member;

Mr. Mm‘si, representative of His Majesty King Sobhuza 11; Mr. S. Appa, Of the Continental Board of C ounsellors.

Shimakhonde was achieved, the last mentioned being an accomplishment in excess of the goals of the Plan.

LESOTHO

The trials and difficulties of this young community, whose National Spiritual Assembly was elected at Riḍván, 1971, with its seat in Maseru, were rapidly overcome through mature and loving cooperation with the Continental Board of Counsellors. The combined efforts of the two institutions led to victories at Riḍván, 1973, when thirty-three Local Spiritual Assemblies were established, the Faith was reported to be rooted in 171 localities, a National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds was acquired as well as a local one at Liphaleng, and the National Spiritual Assembly and five Local Spiritual Assemblies achieved incorporation.

Bahá’í literature was enriched and several conferences and training courses were held to deepen the knowledge and understanding of the friends in the divine teachings.

ZAMBIA

The Bahá’í community which elected, in 1967, the National Spiritual Assembly of Zambia with its seat in Lusaka, had been under the jurisdiction of the Regional National Spiritual Assembly of South and West Africa (19561964), and of South Central Africa (19641967). The area known as Zambia was called Northern Rhodesia until 1964.

The Zambian Bahá’í community entered the last half of the Nine Year Plan with sixteen Local Spiritual Assemblies, believers residing in 251 localities, close to two thousand believers and one Local Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds. Through diligent effort they reported at Riḍván, 1973, the formation of seventy-two Local Spiritual Assemblies, the establishment of 581 localities where Bahá’ís reside, a community numbering in excess of 3,800, the incorporation of the National Spiritual Assembly, the acquisition of a National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds, a Temple site, and a national endowment and recognition by the authorities of Bahá’í marriage.

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203

Central or‘ Republic C

‘\ w

Seychelles; ‘1.

Islands'°' ‘

Camera 0 Islands '4

I

C antral and East A frica

At Riḍván, 1964, the Regional National Spiritual Assembly of Central and East Africa was dissolved in order to form three new National Assemblies. Two countries, Kenya and Tanzania (the area known as Tanganyika prior to 1964, and Zanzibar) elected their own National Spiritual Assemblies. The rest of the region was under the jurisdiction of the newly created Regional National Spiritual Assembly of Uganda and Central Africa, comprising the following countries:

Uganda

Burundi

Rwanda

Congo Republic (Leopoldville)—(name changed to Za‘ire in 1971)

Congo Republic (Brazzaville)

Gabon

Central African Republic

Chad

By the end of the Nine Year Plan National Spiritual Assemblies had been formed in each of these countries with the sole exception of Burundi where, because of local conditions, the administrative institutions had to be dissolved. The name of the Congo Republic, the capital of which was Leopoldville, became known as Za'ire in 1971, and the name of Leopoldville was changed to Kinshasa.

Three elements characterized most of the reports of the areas composing Central and East Africa in the period covered by this review:

(a) They still had most of their teaching goals to complete, and were very apprehensive about their ability to achieve victory.

(b) All were elated to be included in the Great Safari of the Hand of the Cause Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum, and were thankful for the unique and valuable contribution she was able to make.

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(c) Unanimously they voiced high praise and grateful thanks for the assistance rendered by youthful pioneers from a number of countries including Persia, India, Malaysia, the Philippines, the United States, Canada, and various countries of Europe during the last year of the Plan and whose services are described in the opening passages of this survey.

UGANDA

In addition to achieving the establishment of the independent National Spiritual Assemblies which came into existence in the latter half of the Plan in the areas under itsjurisdiction, three Teacher Training Institutes were established, at Mbale, in the eastern region, at Gulu, in the northern region and in Kampala within the shadow of the Mother Temple of Africa.

Throughout the period two Bahá’í schools, at Tilling and Odusai, both named in memory of the Hand of the Cause Louis Gregory, functioned and were further developed. Each includes classrooms for primary students through Grade VII, staff houses, administration buildings, gardens and playing fields.

A number of significant proclamation programmes advanced recognition of the Faith throughout the country. By Riḍván, 1970, the Faith was established in all districts except Madi and the Bahá’í community of Uganda included representatives of all major tribes of the country including the Pygmies in the western region, some of whom were present at the National Convention that year. In 1971 youth activities gained prominence and a series of three seminars was conducted at Makerere University, with moderate success, followed by intensive youth activity. Participating in the seminars were the Hand of the Cause Enoch Olinga, Mrs. Isobel Sabri of the Board of Counsellors, Mrs. Zylpha Mapp and a panel of Bahá’í youth. A regular newsletter came into being in 1971 which served as a vital link among the Ugandan Bahá’ís.

The Bahá’í relationship with the Government was enhanced through invitations extended to the Bahá’ís by His Excellency, General Idi Amin Dada, President, to participate in various religious conferences aimed at establishing a greater basis of religious unity in the country, and the Faith thus became more widely known as an independent universal religion. In Novem THE Bahá’í WORLD

ber, 1971, the President accepted an invitation to attend a special service at the Bahá’í House of Worship in Kampala commemorating the birthday of Baha’u’llah and in his address on that occasion warmly praised the Bahá’ís for their admirable principles and for upholding the tenets oftheir Faith, including noninterference in politics. Later the President was presented with The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh.

A conference held in Nairobi in June, 1972, under the aegis of the Continental Board of Counsellors, was attended by more than 250 Bahá’ís from Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda who considered what action was necessary to complete the remaining goals of the Plan. A Victory Conference held the following month in Uganda reinforced the spirit and dedication generated at the earlier gathering and led to the formulation by the National Youth Committee of Uganda of a ten-month plan under which more than one thousand youth were enrolled, proclamation programmes were conducted at secondary schools throughout the country, assistance was given to struggling or weakened Local Assemblies, teaching trips to the Ssese Islands and Seychelles were undertaken and projects with village youth were initiated. A popular youth newsletter The Trumpet was published, follow-up visits were made to schools and colleges, Bahá’í clubs were established on campuses and Bahá’í books were presented to school libraries. The Ugandan “Dawn-Breakers”, a multi-racial music group, was formed, travelled many miles teaching the Faith through music and song in villages and schools and on several occasions performed and were interviewed about the Faith on television.

An all-women’s institute, held in Mbale in October, 1970, the first of its kind in Uganda, tapped yet another potential source for spreading the Faith. An active women’s group, the Kobwin Bahá’í Women’s Union, formed as a result of the Institute, redoubled its numbers within a short time and with the constant encouragement and guidance of Mrs. Elizabeth Olinga and Mrs. Lois Isimai held weekly meetings at the Louis Gregory Memorial Bahá’í School at Tilling for prayers, handiwork and discussions about the Faith. Other women’s classes were held sporadically and weekly discussion groups at Kalemen included many women. Mrs. Katherine Kabali and Mrs. Edith

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Senoga devoted much of their time to teaching, visiting outlying districts, committee service and to increasing the enrolment and participation of women.

Teaching among children, apart from the work being done in the Bahá’í schools, was reported as showing some progress in a few villages, and some youth were trained to assist in this programme.

Shortly before Riḍván, 1973, the goals of recognition of Bahá’í marriage and incorporation of the National Spiritual Assembly were reported achieved, thus preparing the way for the incorporation of the Local Assemblies called for in the Plan.

The expansion of the Bahá’í Publishing Trust, including the enrichment of Bahá’í literature, was undertaken, and under the able direction of Mrs. Maurine Kraus an impressive list of titles now exists.

BURUNDI AND RWANDA

Known until 1962 as Ruanda-Urundi, the countries separated in 1962 at which time their names were changed to Rwanda and Burundi. They were formerly part of the area administered by the Regional National Spiritual Assembly of Central and East Africa (19561964), of Uganda and Central Africa (19641969) and in the latter year the National Spiritual Assembly of Burundi and Rwanda was formed. In 1972, when there were approximately forty Local Spiritual Assemblies in Burundi and the Faith was established in approximately fifty localities, independent National Assemblies were created in Burundi and Rwanda, the former with its seat in Bujumbura, but in that same year because of disturbances in the country the Spiritual Assembly of Burundi was dissolved and the affairs of the Faith placed under an administrative committee.

At Riḍván, 1968, two Local Spiritual Assemblies existed in Rwanda; forty-seven were recognized at Riḍván, 1973, by which time Bahá’ís resided in a total of 191 localities. By 1971 , even before the formation of the National Spiritual Assembly, literature had been translated and published in the Kinyarwanda language, and a monthly newsletter designed to inform and deepen the friends commenced publication in 1972. Excellent progress was made

with children’s classes, open to the children of non-Bahá’ís as well as of believers, which resulted in awakening the interest of many parents. The children assisted in teaching and were enthusiastic in learning prayers and the principles and history of the Faith. Ninety students aged from five to fourteen attended. Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum visited many centres during her Great Safari and was interviewed in French on radio, an event which broadly proclaimed the Cause. Progress was recorded in enrolling Pygmy Bahá’ís.

A series of events early in 1973 brought the Plan to fulfilment: the acquisiton of national and local endowments and a Temple site; the acquisition of a Teaching Institute and the National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds; and governmental recognition of the Faith achieved in part through the assistance of Dr. ‘Aziz Navidi. Significantly, local believers serving as chairman and secretary of each Local Spiritual Assembly attended classes on Bahá’í administration early in April and played a key role in the formation of Local Spiritual Assemblies which marked the triumphant conclusion of the Plan at Riḍván, 1973.

ZAiRE

Known as the Belgian Congo until 1960 and as Congo (Kinshasa) during the period 19601971, this country became known as Zaire in the latter year. The National Spiritual Assembly was formed in 1970 with its seat in Kinshasa, formerly Leopoldville, at which time the Hand of the Cause Abu’l-Qasim Faizi represented the Universal House of Justice.

The majority of the Bahá’ís were resident in the eastern provinces of the country and it was important to broaden the base of the national community and develop the teaching work, particularly in the capital, Kinshasa, so that effective representation could be made to the authorities to obtain official recognition of the Faith. It soon became evident that no Bahá’í activity could be conducted without this recognition. Dr. ‘Aziz Navidi was summoned to the scene and with his characteristic determination and unique expertise in such matters and with the valuable support of the resident pioneers it was possible to explain and establish the true stature of the Faith and obtain recognition for its institutions.

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As Soon as this prize was won, the National Spiritual Assembly undertook the task of achieving, in the nine remaining months of the Nine Year Plan, the goals it had been assigned since 1963. The accomplishments were truly remarkable.

At Riḍván, 1973, the National Spiritual Assembly reported a membership of 19,800 with 490 Local Spiritual Assemblies and 557 localities where Bahá’ís resided. In addition, the National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds, the Temple site and a Teaching Institute were acquired. Nearly two hundred Local Spiritual Assemblies had either acquired local endowments or built their own local centres.

CONGO REPUBLIC (AND GABON)

The National Spiritual Assembly of Congo came into being in 1972 with its seat in Brazzaville. A part of French Equatorial Africa, the Bahá’í community had been under the Regional National Spiritual Assemblies of Central and East Africa from 1956 to 1964, of Uganda and Central Africa from 1964 to 1970, of Central Africa from 1970 to 1971 and was under the jurisdiction of the National Spiritual Assembly of Congo and Gabon during 1971—1972 until, in the latter year, Gabon had to be separated from that region, leaving the National Spiritual Assembly of Congo as an independent entity.

The semi-annual statistical report of the “mother” National Assembly, that of Uganda and Central Africa, indicates that at Riḍván, 1968, there were two Local Spiritual Assemblies in Congo (Brazzaville). With the settlement of dedicated pioneers, the administrative foundations of the Cause were strengthened and by Riḍván, 1970, seven Local Spiritual Assemblies had been securely established. When the Congo Republic was dissociated from Gabon and the National Spiritual Assembly of Congo (Brazzaville) came into being, there were sixteen Local Spiritual Assemblies, six more than called for in the Nine Year Plan. The number of localities increased and also surpassed the assigned goal.

The goal of achieving recognition of the Faith encountered many difficulties but due to devoted and untiring efforts over a protracted period by Dr. ‘Aziz Navidi the Faith was recognized in March, 1972, by the Congolese State as an independent world religion whose aims

THEBAHA’I’WORLD

are unity and brotherhood. The official recognition that was granted extended to all Local Spiritual Assemblies. In December, 1972, the property goals were realized—acquisition of a Temple site, a site for a National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds and national and local endowments.

At Riḍván the Congolese community triumphantly recorded that all goals of the Plan were not only achieved but amply exceeded. The Faith was established in more than eighty localities, twenty Local Spiritual Assemblies had been formed, and the number of Bahá’ís had increased more than twenty-five times. Meritorious undertakings since Riḍván, 1971 , included the publication of a Nineteen Day Feast Newsletter and the publication, commencing in January, 1973, ofa correspondence course for broadening the foundation of the knowledge of the Congolese believers.

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

At Riḍván, 1968, the situation in the Central African Republic was very little different from what it had been at the end of the Ten Year Crusade in 1963; there was one Local Spiritual Assembly, situated in Bangui, devotedly maintained over the intervening years by a handful of believers. Late in 1968 teaching work was undertaken in communities contiguous to Bangui and in the central part of the country with the result that by Riḍván, 1969, four Local Spiritual Assemblies were established and there was recorded an increase in the number of believers and localities opened to the Faith.

On instructions from the Universal House of Justice a Regional Administrative Committee was appointed in September, 1969, and Charged with responsibility for governing the affairs of the Faith in the territories of Chad, Gabon, Congo (Brazzaville) and the Central African Republic, in preparation for the election, at Riḍván, 1970, of the first National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Central Africa with its seat in Bangui. During her ten day visit to the Bangui area in January, 1970, Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum did much to encourage and deepen the Bahá’ís in the several communities she visited, including a Pygmy village in the forest area. The inaugural Convention at Riḍván, 1970, blessed by the presence of the Hand of the Cause Abu'l-Qasim Faizi, was a happy event. Delegates and friends from all

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four countries converged on Bangui and a special bus brought more friends from Chad than had ever been welcomed at one time. The main goal of the year ahead was to prepare, in turn, for the division of the region into three new National Spiritual Assembly areasChad, the Central African Republic, and Congo (Brazzaville)/Gabon. To this end the work of expansion and consolidation was continued. The encouragement provided by a visit of the Hand of the Cause Rahmatu’lláh Muhájir led to the purchase at Naw-RL’Iz (New Year), 1971, of the National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds. Because of misrepresentations made to it about the true nature and purpose of the Faith the Government imposed a temporary ban on the activities of the believers extending from November, 1970, to February, 1971. F ollowing a visit by Dr. ‘Aziz Navidi, a special meeting of the Council of Ministers was called to study documents prepared in application for recognition and registration of the Faith. The application was granted on February 13 and that day, and for the next twenty-four hours, a special radio announcement was broadcast with each news bulletin, the first public proclamation of the Faith by radio in the country. Hindrances removed, the activities of the Bahá’ís increased and the Faith surged forward. At Riḍván, 1971, in the presence of the Hand of the Cause ‘Ali—Muhammad Varqé, and Counsellor Oloro Epyeru, the first Annual Convention of the Central African Republic elected its first National Spiritual Assembly. A Victory Conference led by Counsellor Isobel Sabri in October, 1971, focused on the outstanding goals of the Plan confronting the believers. In March of 1972 a Temple site of over five hectares was acquired on the outskirts of Bangui and at Riḍván, 1972, the friends gathered at the second National Convention geared themselves for total victory. In September, 1972, a national endowment of more than eleven hectares was acquired in the vicinity of Bambari and in February, 1973, a two-hectare plot of land situated forty-seven kilometres from Bangui was acquired for a teaching institute. A further application for land for a local endowment was made for two hectares in the west of the country, near Baoro. By January, 1973, the Faith was established in 101 localities and there were more than nine hundred believers in the country. Most of

207

the expansion goals had been surpassed. On April 1 the Bahá’ís obtained permission to present a regular weekly radio programme on the national broadcasting network. The programmes covered subjects including the history of the Faith, the lives of its Founders, Bahá’í administrative principles, social teachings and ordinances, and Christian subjects, and served the dual purpose of acquainting the public with the Faith and broadening the knowledge of the believers. The enrolment Of Bahá’ís accelerated and many youth embraced the Cause. Local believers translated Bahá’í literature into Sango, the national language, and a small leaflet was published in Baya, another indigenous tongue.

Riḍván, 1973, dawned on a Victorious community. There were twenty-two Local Spiritual Assemblies established and Bahá’ís resided in 11510calities scattered throughout twelve of the fourteen administrative divisions of the country. More than one thousand believers, many of them youth, were ready to carry forward the Faith which was now not only recognized by the authorities but had achieved equality of standing with other religions in the country. Most of the important property goals had been achieved and the remainder were well on the way to completion. Through the bounties of Baha’u’llah, the small sapling had grown, in five short years, from a tender shoot to a sturdy young tree producing its first fruits.

CHAD

This national community was administered by the Regional National Spiritual Assemblies of Central and East Africa from 1956 to 1964, of Uganda and Central Africa from 1964 to 1970, of Central Africa from 1970 to 1971, and at Riḍván, 1971, in a shelter of poles and straw matting constructed on land donated to the Faith by the Bahá’ís of the village of Gassi, the first National Spiritual Assembly ofChad came into being with its seat in Fort Lamy (known since 1973 as N’Djamena). Representing the Universal House of Justice was the Hand of the Cause Enoch Olinga.

At Riḍván, 1968, only three months after the settlement in Chad of two pioneers, there was but one Bahá’í community, in the capital city of N’Djamena. Immediately after Riḍván of that year the Faith began to expand rapidly.

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r,,

THE BAHA I WORLD

T he fourth Annual C onvention for the election of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Tanzania held at the National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds, Dar-es-Salaam; May 25—26, 1968. The Hand of'the C ause Enoch 01inga is seen lhird from the left, standing.

Small rooms were rented in various areas of N’Djamena, focal points from which the Message could be broadcast and the knowledge of the believers deepened. From among the Bahá’ís who attended study classes in these centres arose local teachers eager to carry the Faith into the villages to the south and east of the city. At Riḍván, 1969, thirteen Local Spiritual Assemblies had been established, twentyone localities had been opened, and more than one thousand Bahá’ís enrolled.

Aided by the visits of Hands of the Cause, Counsellors and international travelling teachers the Faith continued to spread. Chadian teachers and pioneers established the Faith in three more areas of the country, Moundou, Bongor and Sarh. Local Spiritual Assemblies increased to twenty-seven and the goal of seventyfive localities was surpassed. Through the indefatigable assistance of Dr.‘Aziz Navidi the Chad Government officially recognized the Bahá’í Faith as an independent religion and granted it full authority to function throughout Chad.

With the establishment of the National

Spiritual Assembly of Chad at Riḍván, 1971, new Nine Year Plan goals were assigned by the Universal House of J ustice, with only two years of the Plan left in which to achieve them. Again there was an influx of Hands of the Cause, Counsellors, travelling teachers and pioneers.

Chad also cooperated with its sister Assemblies. In 1970, two African believers from Chad went as pioneers to the Republic of Congo. In December, 1972, six members of the Chad community participated in the first regional Youth Conference for the Central and East Africa zone held at Yaoundé, Cameroon. On their return from the conference, they taught and deepened in the French-speaking villages all the way to the Chad frontier. Thus the youth began to make a vital contribution to the teaching work.

At Riḍván, 1973, Chad was able to report victory in almost all its obtainable assignec. goals under the Nine Year Plan. The number 01’ Local Spiritual Assemblies had been increased from twenty—seven to fifty-two; 273 localities: had been opened to the Faith; the community

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numbered more than 3,500; seventy-five children had been instructed in the Bahá’í principles at the school conducted by the National Spiritual Assembly at Gassi; and children’s classes had been held in the Bahá’í Centres at Moundou and Sarh. A Teaching Institute, National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds, a national and five local endowments had been secured, the latter five through the generosity of village believers in

J

Semi-amzual C onference Of the C antinemal Board ofCounsellors and Auxiliary Board members,

209

Toukoura, Kalem—Kalem, Balimba, Banda I and Manda. Translation of Bahá’í literature was made in the Kanouri language.

“Only the confirmations of the Blessed Beauty showered upon all those who arose to spread His world healingAMessage in Chad could have brought about such victories in the short space of five years,” the National Spiritual Assembly reported.

Bangui, C entral African Republic; March, 1972. Dr. Mihdi Samandari offhe Western A frica Board of C ounsellors is seen on the far right.

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THE Bahá’í WORLD

160°

EV”

120° \ 80°

40°

The Americas

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211

B. THE AMERICAS

C antral America and the C aribbean

With the formation in 1957 of two regional National Spiritual Assemblies in Central America and two in South America, the scope of the Ten Year World Crusade took on new dimensions. In both Central and South America emphasis was placed upon establishing a National Spiritual Assembly in each of the Republics. By 1961 this objective was largely achieved and in 1964 seven fledgling National Spiritual Assemblies in the Central region of the Americas joined forces with forty-nine sister National Spiritual Assemblies to meet the challenging tasks of the Nine Year Plan.

Originally, Central America and the islands of the Caribbean were administratively joined together in a sprawling great Regional National Spiritual Assembly of Central America and the Antilles, formed in 1951. As a result of the establishment of various Regional National Spiritual Assemblies, the far-flung islands of the Caribbean have reached a level of administrative independence which offers a firm base for healthy growth.

The Caribbean Bahá’í communities, with their multiple languages (Spanish, English, French and Dutch), their small and unusually mountainous topography set in a vast sea area, their comparative underdevelopment as economic and social entities, have posed very special challenges for the settlement of pioneers, the circulation of travelling teachers, and the

establishment of firmly rooted Bahá’í communities. Great credit is due the few who have pioneered this scattered sea—girt world of beautiful tropical islands inhabited by blacks and whites, Amerindians, East Indians and Chinese.

Central America

BELIZE

The National Spiritual Assembly of Belize, with its seat in Belize city, came into being in 1967 and at Riḍván, 1968, the community comprised thirteen Local Spiritual Assemblies and Bahá’ís resided in eighty-one localities. The rapid growth of the Faith in this area, the National Spiritual Assembly commented, is attributable in part to a steady stream ofvisiting Bahá’í teachers including American Bahá’í youth who participated in projects in two successive years and who “together with native youth and pioneers conducted energetic campaigns which resulted in numbers of new believers”. Particularly appreciated were the visits of Dr. Arthur Dahl whose professional commitments brought him to the area on a number of occasions at which time he made his services available to the Bahá’í friends.

Noteworthy accomplishments of the Belize Bahá’ís in the period being surveyed are' incorporation of the National Assembly by a

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special Bill; the incorporation of four Local Assemblies; exemption from school attendance on Bahá’í Holy Days; construction of a Teaching Institute named in honour of the Hand of the Cause Enoch Olinga; acquisition of a National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds; compilation and broadcasting ofa regular series of weekly radio programmes; establishment of a correspondence course and the compilation and publication oflessons for Bahá’í children’s classes.

COSTA RICA

A part of the area administered by the Regional National Spiritual Assemblies of Central America and the Antilles (1951—1957) and of Central America, from 1957, Costa Rica elected its first National Spiritual Assembly in 1961 with its seat in San José.

Resounding success marked the efforts of the Costa Rican community in dealing with the goals of the Nine Year Plan: all the civil divisions of the country were opened to the Faith; Local Assembly goals were exceeded by thirteen; groups were exceeded by five; and by Riḍván, 1973, fifty-one localities in excess of the goal of one hundred had Bahá’ís residing therein. The Guanacaste Bahá’ís completed their goal of establishing twenty-nine new Local Spiritual Assemblies within a two-year period. The believers of Talamanca, a mountainous area sparsely populated by various indigenous tribes, the National Spiritual Assembly reported, “are self-sufficient, responsible, devoted and engaged in active service to the Faith . . . two Bahá’í Centres were constructed with their own materials and labour.” The Minister of Education authorized the Costa Rican school system to recognize Bahá’í Holy Days and students are excused from classes with the written consent oftheir parents.

Although Bahá’í education for women has not commenced on a formal or regular basis there are outstanding women Bahá’ís active in various communities and some children’s Classes are already in operation using materials prepared for this purpose. The National Youth Committee, the National Assembly commented, “is extremely active, dedicated and of unusual capacity and activities have been initiated in the University.” An international Youth Conference in December, 1972, sponsored by the Continental Board of

THE Bahá’í WORLD

Counsellors was an outstanding success, as were two intensive teaching projects. The first of these, he1d in 1971, resulted in one hundred new believers accepting the Faith and six new towns were opened in a short time. The seconc, spearheaded by Auxiliary Board member Rut 1 Pringle of Panama in January, 1972, and supported by devoted and gifted youth, attracted new believers of capacity who greatly reinforced the teaching efforts in Costa Rica.

EL SALVADOR

Like its neighbour, Costa Rica, El Salvador was part of the area of two successive Regional National Assemblies before establishing it; own National Spiritual Assembly in 1961, with its seat in San Salvador. The early years of the Nine Year Plan, the National Spiritual Assembly reported, were a period when the “enrolling of one new believer was an occasion for considerable celebration . . . a handful of believers struggled against despair and worked to the. point of exhaustion; there were many tests, much anguish and desperate prayer. . . the nine localities and three Local Assemblies that were the frail pillars of the National Spiritual Assem b1y had not grown appreciably since 1961 and these had been sustained with so much self-sacrifice and effort that even modest goal", appeared beyond reach.”

In 1968 these struggles and prayers began to bear wondrous fruits. “A new spirit was born in the community,” the National Assembly commented, “which manifested itself particularly in the enrolment of new believers, especially among the youth. These, working side by side with members of the existing community and newly arrived pioneers of outstanding calibre led to victories on a scale not anticipated.”

In 1968, coinciding with a visit of the Hand of the Cause Ugo Giachery, the Bahá’ís prepared an exhibit for the El Salvador International Fair which was the occasion for the dissemination of 37,000 specially printed pamphlets. Similar participation was arranged in 1970 and 1972 when 71,000 and 108,000 pieces of informative 1iterature were distributed at the International Fair and 490 specially prepared radio announcements were broadcast. Much free: press coverage accompanied the most recent 0 ’ these exhibitions.

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213

Dr. Rahmatu’lláh Muhájir is seen standing in [he centre.

Proclamation commenced in the villages making use of the considerable musical talents of a pioneer couple and many embraced the Cause. A crash programme of consolidation produced a series of quarter-yearly conferences. Regional youth institutes were also conducted and a correspondence course was launched with over four thousand subscribers. Weekend teaching trips using newly designed deepening material sustained and strengthened the faith of the new believers. More than one hundred participated in these trips in one year alone and in one three-month period more than ninety such weekend trips were reported. Two books, five pamphlets and various other teaching aids were produced and distributed to other Spanish speaking countries. Eight Salvadorean believers served as international travelling teachers and two pioneered abroad. The Proclamation of Bahd’u’lla’lz was presented to the President of the Republic. Many special projects were undertaken including one where thirty-six believers visited a mountain village, remained four days and enrolled ninety per cent of the population.

In the five year period under discussion the Salvadorean Bahá’í community grew twenty times in number and its teaching goals were

far surpassed. Asked to establish one locality in each of the fourteen Departments of the country, the friends established two or more Local Spiritual Assemblies in all Departments but one; the goal of establishing nine Local Assemblies was far outdistanced through the establishment by Riḍván, 1973, of fifty-five Local Assemblies; and 231 localities were opened to the Faith outstripping the goal of twenty-seven.

GUATEMALA

With the disbanding of the Regional National Spiritual Assembly ofCentral America in 1961, the National Spiritual Assembly of Guatemala was established with its seat in Guatemala City. By Riḍván, 1968, there were nine Local Assemblies and the Faith was established in seventy-seven localities.

The Teaching Institute in Chichicastenango, named after the Hand of the Cause Dorothy Baker, was the venue of a series of conferences, summer and winter schools and other activities designed to pave the way for community-wide participation in teaching. A youth group from the United States visited in June, 1969, were housed at the Institute, and intensified the involvement of local Bahá’í youth. A series of

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international teaching conferences for youth reinforced this effort and in the summer of 1972 a youth project group from the United States spent some time in Guatemala.

An important development of the period under scrutiny was the teaching and enthusiastic reception of the Faith by the black minority of Guatemala concentrated on the east coast, in Livingston where the local believers, using native materials, constructed a Bahá’í Centre, permission for the use of the land and construction having been granted by the municipal authorities. The building was dedicated in February, 1972, named after the Hand of the Cause Enoch Olinga, and has served both as a Bahá’í Centre and kindergarten. Literature was translated and published in four indigenous languages.

In 1971 Bahá’í children were exempted from attending school on Bahá’í Holy Days. Concentrated teaching among youth in 1972 in Barberena, Ciudad Vieja, Esquintla and Asuncion Mita proved rewarding and at the conclusion of the Plan, twenty-two per cent of the Bahá’ís of Guatemala were youth. Resounding successes were registered at Riḍván, 1973 : total Bahá’í membership had almost quadrupled between 1968—1973; believers resided in 264 localities, with at least one locality in each Department; and the number of Local Assemblies had grown to twenty—seven. At least six communities were holding regular children’s classes. Typical of Bahá’í community life in Guatemala, the National Spiritual Assembly stated, is Palmira Vieja, a mountainous pueblo bordering Mexico, where the Faith flourishes without a resident pioneer and where the believers hold regular meetings, deepening sessions, children’s classes and are in regular communication with the National Spiritual Assembly.

HONDURAS

In 1961 the National Spiritual Assembly of Honduras was formed, with its seat in Tegucigalpa, and its jurisdiction embracing Islas de Bahia.

A greater receptivity to and acceptance of the Faith was noted by the National Spiritual Assembly in the five year period included in this survey. Institutes and proclamation projects were held in a number of centres throughout the country and two significant youth confer THE BAHA’I'WORLD

ences, one in La Ceiba and one in Karbilát.l The Bahá’ís participated in radio and television programmes and in the villages were able to present the Faith through slides, musical presentations and visual aids. Mr. and Mrs. M. Dreyer and “The New Era Trio” made valuable contributions and four youth projects involving American Bahá’í youth resulted in opening new areas to the Faith and carrying the Teachings to the masses. Children’s classes were established in a number of centres. A National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds was constructed in Tegucigalpa, and some endowments were acquired.

Surveying their progress at Riḍván, 1973, the National Spiritual Assembly reported that six additional Local Assemblies achieved incorporation making a total of twelve; fifty Local Assemblies were formed, surpassing the goal by ten; and the goal of establishing the Faith in 150 localities was outdistanced by the winning of 212. Bahá’í literature was produced for use in teaching and deepening and the Argentinian Bahá’í correspondence course was adopted for local use.

MEXICO

With the dissolution of the former Regional NationalSpiritualAssemblyofCentralAmerica in 1961, the National Spiritual Assembly of Mexico was elected, with its seat in Mexico City and its territory embracing Cozumel Island, Las Mujeres Island, Quintana Roo Territory and Seri Reservation. Although prevented by circumstances beyond their control from achieving all their goals, the believers of Mexico more than doubled the goal of establishing fifty Local Assemblies by raising the total to 104 and the goal of establishing the Faith in 150 new localities was exceeded by more than thirty.

An important step forward in the Bahá’í education of children in this period was made in the villages where mothers and youth gave weekly classes using material provided by the National Committee dedicated to that service. A large number of youth entered the Faith and with enthusiasm and spirit initiated their own conferences and deepening classes through their National Youth Committee and individual enterprise; they took an increasingly large

1 See Marcia Steward de Matamoros, “In Memoriam”, The Bahd‘z’ World, vol. XIV, p. 304.

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The first Bahá’í College C lub of Latin A merica, University of the Americas,

4 I ‘4 1 t? t = M (4

Puebla, Mexico; 1971.

1, part in regional teaching activities and Baha 1 administration. The Faith was carried to the Universities of Nomclova, Coahuila, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon and the University of the Americas, Cholula, Puebla, where a Bahá’í Club was formed. The Faith was proclaimed in the University of Mexico and books were placed in its library and in the Faculty of Investigation of Philosophy. Bahá’í students at the National Polytechnic Institute placed Bahá’í books in the library there.

On three occasions in Mexico City and one in Merida, Yucatan, the Bahá’í Message was given on television. A series of radio announcements was broadcast by four radio stations in Mexico City and in Oaxaca a weekly radio programme using quotations from the Writings was broadcast over a period of several months. Extensive proclamation and teaching trips carried the Faith throughout Mexico and a veritable “army” of thirty—five regional teachers constantly visited and encouraged communities in their respective areas. Enrolments were recorded among the Seri Indians and the Tarahumaras of Chihuahua and a number of pioneers, some of them Mayan, served on the homefront or as international pioneers.

Outstanding characteristics of the period,

reported by the National Assembly, were a heightened sense of unity of purpose in the community and the acceptance of the Faith by numbers of dedicated youth who immediately arose to serve the Cause in many capacities.

NICARAGUA

Like its sister communities in Central America, the Nicaraguan community had been administered by two successive Regional National Assemblies until 1961 when the National Spiritual Assembly of Nicaragua was established with its seat in Managua.

The early and mid years of the Nine Year Plan were a period of testing of the community and were characterized by a slow but steady progress. Between Riḍván, 1968, and Riḍván, 1973, the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies increased from thirteen to nineteen; the number of localities where Bahá’ís reside grew from forty-seven to sixty-nine; and membership of the community more than trebled. Bahá’ís were resident in all Departments of the country by the end of the Plan. In a six—months period alone, toward the end of the Plan, almost two hundred new believers accepted the Faith and thirteen localities were opened to the Cause.

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The activities of the Board of Counsellors and visiting Bahá’í youth were extremely valuable in achieving progress towards the goals established for Nicaragua.

The Bahá’í world was keenly distressed by the earthquake which, in December, 1972, virtually destroyed the city of Managua. Although damaged, the Managuan Bahá’í Centre was reported still standing with the Greatest Name in place on the wall. “There are no known killed or badly wounded Bahá’ís,” a report to the World Centre stated, “which is in itself a miracle as many had their houses collapse over them . . . there are still three valiant pioneers at their posts, Cynthia Lucas in Bluefields, Cecelia King in Rivas and Rose Mangapis in Granada . . . a meeting was held with the seven National Spiritual Assembly members still in Nicaragua.” It was reported that plans were laid for active teaching in large centres of population which were flooded with refugees.

PANAMA

The National Spiritual Assembly of Panama came into existence in 1961 with its seat in Panama City, following. dissolution of the Regional National Spiritual Assembly which had directed the affairs of the Faith in Central America.

Even at the beginning of the five year period being reviewed many Bahá’í youth were among the most active teachers and were particularly successful in maintaining contact with believers in the most inaccessible areas of the country and some had pioneered to the interior spending up to a year or more establishing Bahá’í communities and travelling into the surrounding countryside. However the role of youth becameincreasinglysignificantandtheNational Youth Committee became more dynamic and creative. A youth bulletin of high quality was produced, a Bahá’í Club was formed at the University of Panama which held institutes throughout the country for the purpose of stimulating and deepening the knowledge of new Bahá’í youth and there was an increase in youth membership from 296 in 1968 to 1,245 at Riḍván, 1973. “Their assistance has been vital," the National Spiritual Assembly reported, “and they constitute the backbone of the teaching force.”

Considerable success was met in attempts to

THE Bahá’í WORLD

establish children’s classes throughout Panama and an imaginative and hardworking committee produced a wide range of teaching material in Spanish, the lack of which had previousl) handicapped this effort. In addition to lessons the children were provided with art materials as well as illustrated cards on subjects related tc the Faith. An increasing number of indigenout believers responded to the encouragement tc become involved in teaching these classes.

Effective changes in the structure of tht National Teaching Committee hastened completion of homefront goals and pioneer place“ ments. Travelling teachers from many areas. visited Panama and the country was blessec with many visits from some of the Hands of the Cause, Continental Counsellors and members. of the Auxiliary Board. The dedication of the: Mother Temple of Latin America1 brought: many teachers to the country and gave an additional impetus to the teaching work that resulted in more than two thousand conversions to the Faith.

The efforts put forth and the sacrifices made resulted in the meeting or surpassing of all Panamanian goals in the Nine Year Plan. The number of Local Assemblies increased from forty-four to eighty-nine and the number of localities where Bahá’ís reside grew from 241-1 to 334. Bahá’í Writings were translated and published in three indigenous dialects, Cuna, Guaymi and Choco.

The C aribbean

CUBA

The National Spiritual Assembly of Cuba was established in 1961 with its seat in Havana. Although in the period under review the believers there were restrained by local circumstances from participating in the activities of the Faith to a full extent, nevertheless they did maintain their association, their administration and, in full measure, demonstrated their loyalty and steadfastness.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC In 1961 the Dominican Republic formed its own National Spiritual Assembly with its seat in Santo Domingo.

1 See p. 633 for a report on the dedication of the Mother Temple of Latin America.

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“All but one of the goals of the Nine Year Plan were achieved in the last three years of the Plan,” the National Spiritual Assembly reported. “Credit for the conception and inspiration of the massive teaching plan must go to the Hand of the Cause Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir who in his visit in January, 1972, encouraged us to think in terms of mass teaching . . . the support of this endeavour by the Bahá’í community enabled large gains to be made; the community grew from only a few hundred to over three thousand believers.” Even at Riḍván, 1971, the goal of achieving fifteen Local Assemblies was met and by Riḍván, 1973, twenty—seven had been established. Bahá’ís resided in almost one hundred localities by the end of the Plan, far surpassing the goal of forty—five. Exemption of children from school on Bahá’í Holy Days was obtained from the National Secretary of Education in 1972 and in the following year five Local Assemblies achieved incorporation.

In 1968 The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh was presented to the President of the Dominican Republic, Jaoquin Balaguer, and the programme of acquainting officials of the government with the Faith was continued in 19721973 when similar presentations were made to many Provincial Governors.

Although no formal programme ofeducating Bahá’í children was accomplished on a national level in the period under review, several Local Assemblies held regular children’s classes, and Bahá’í youth were active in many areas of service. The first Bahá’í Youth Conference of the Antilles was sponsored by the Continental Board of Counsellors in November, 1971.

“Many took part in the 1972 teaching project which carried the Faith to the masses in six chosen areas and resulted in the enrolment of 1,700 new believers,” the National Spiritual Assembly stated, “but the heroic and continuous effort of the young pioneers, Frank and Agnes Sheffey, was outstanding.”

HAITI

The National Spiritual Assembly of Haiti was formed in 1961 with its seat in Port-auPrince. Although for a brief time in the period under review the Bahá’í community of Haiti functioned under an Administrative Committee appointed by the Universal House of Justice, the National Spiritual Assembly was reconsti 217

tuted in 1971 and, strengthened by the tests and trials experienced in its early development, the administrative institutions matured and the teaching work progressed.

The teaching goals assigned to the Haitian community were completed during the first seven years of the Nine Year Plan and by Riḍván, 1973, sixty-nine Local Spiritual Assemblies had been established (nineteen in excess of the goal) and Bahá’ís resided in 105 localities (surpassing the goal by five). Pioneers from Haiti settled in the Central African Republic, Dahomey and Guadeloupe.

Construction was commenced in Pétionville of a Bahá’í Institute named after the late Hand of the Cause Leroy Ioas.‘ Three Bahá’í schools functioned during the period being surveyed: The Amelia Collins School in Liancourt, founded in 1962; Mt. Carmel School, PontBenoit, founded in 1965, and l’Institution mixte baha’ie de Léogane, founded in 1969. In addition, four other schools were founded by Bahá’ís and operated for varying periods of time.

JAMAICA

In 1961 the National Spiritual Assembly of Jamaica was established with its seat in Kingston. At the mid point of the Nine Year Plan the National Spiritual Assembly described itself as emerging from a period of severe trials and discouragement. The visits of the Hands of the Cause Ugo Giachery in 1968, and Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir in 1969, the National Spiritual Assembly commented, resulted in an awakening of the Bahá’í community to the challenges of the Nine Year Plan and a fresh infusion of inspiration and determination. A constant flow of pioneers, travelling teachers, members of the Board of Counsellors and its Auxiliary Board, youthful singing groups—these assisted in turning the tide. The National Assembly achieved its goal of incorporation at Riḍván, 1970, and in a jubilant mood received a welcome visit from the Hand of the Cause Enoch Olinga in August of that year.

Early in 1971 a mass teaching project in which visiting Bahá’ís from the deep south of the United States worked closely with local native teachers resulted in the enrolment of approximately one thousand new believers and

1 See “In Memoriam", The Balm"! World, vol. xrv, p. 291.

[Page 218]218

an increase in the number of Local Assemblies from six to fifteen. Old and new believers collaborated to prepare for the Caribbean Conference held in Kingston in May, 1971. The Conference, the National Assembly reported, had a “brilliant effect” upon the people of Jamaica, resulted in widespread publicity and carried the Message of Baha’u’llah throughout the island.

The first Summer School of Jamaica was held in 1972 and the majority of Nine Year Plan goals were accomplished within the year. Recognition of Bahá’í Holy Days was obtained; steps were taken toward recognition of Bahá’í marriage; four additional Local Assemblies were incorporated and a triumphant community, by Riḍván, 1973, registered the establishment of twenty-two Local Assemblies plus one in Grand Cayman Island. In addition, it was reported that the Faith was established in 120 localities.

THE LEEWARD AND VIRGIN ISLANDS

The Regional National Spiritual Assembly of the Leeward, Windward and Virgin Islands came into being in 1967 with its seat in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. At Riḍván, 1972, the area was split and two National Assemblies were established, the National Spiritual Assembly of the Leeward and Virgin Islands the seat of which remained in St. Thomas and the jurisdiction of which extended to Anguilla, Antigua, Barbuda, Guadeloupe, ile des Saintes, Marie Gaiante Island, Martinique, Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Kitts-Nevis, Montserrat, St. Barthélemy, the Virgin Islands and St. Martin Island; and the National Spiritual Assembly of Barbados and the Windward Islands with its seat in St. Lawrence, Barbados and comprising within its jurisdiction Barbados, Grenada, the Grenadines, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and Dominica.

The chartered ship bearing Bahá’ís to and from the Caribbean Conference stopped in St. Thomas on its return voyage to the United States, and the teaching efforts of the passengers resulted in a number of people embracing the Faith. A delegation of Bahá’ís called upon the Governor of the Virgin Islands. Teaching teams, both local and from the United States and Canada, as well as travelling teachers of international reputation, visited various islands and assisted with the work of consolidation.

THE Bahá’í WORLD

There was considerable teaching activity among the French-speaking population of the islands and the administrative foundation of the Faith was strengthened.

Recognition of Bahá’í marriage was achieved in 1970 through an enactment by the Legislature of the Virgin Islands amending the Virgin Islands Code and the amendment was signed into law by the Governor. A Temple site and Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds were acquired in or near Charlotte Amalie and a national endowment was secured on Montserrat Island.

PUERTO RICO

Puerto Rico, mentioned by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in His Tablets Of the Divine Plan, comprised, at Riḍván, 1968, one Local Spiritual Assembly (San Juan, established in 1944) and two groups. From 1925 until 1972 it was under thejurisdiction of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States. At Riḍván, 1972, the National Spiritual Assembly of Puerto Rico was elected with its seat in San Juan.

The establishment in 1968 of a Goals Committee based on the island and fluent in Spanish heartened the Puerto Rican believers, resulted in the intensification of the teaching effort, enlargement of their newsletter, translations of deepening materials and presaged the enrolment of fifteen youth at a Mayaguez meeting in 1969. “As a result of these first fifteen,” the National Assembly reported, “over three hundred enrolments followed within the next year, thus setting in motion a new phase in the annals of the North American Bahá’í community.” The subsequent visits of the Hands of the Cause and talented resource people assisted in broadening the foundation of the faith of the new believers. Enrolments continued and many new centres were opened. Assessing this period the National Spiritual Assembly stated, “Believers, particularly youth, travelled to the beautiful mountainous inner areas of the island telling the story ofBaha’u’llah to men on horseback and families living on mountain tops whose houses could be reached only by agilefooted lovers of Baha’u’llah longing to share His Message. Proclamation meetings were held in many areas in the city square and much teaching was done through means of person-to’ person encounters and presentations of slides and films about the Faith.”

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219

”3 ‘1 .;

‘1; 7‘ K“

‘7,:.J. .r’

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A group of Bahd’z's at the Regional Bahá’í C onfererzce, Port-au-Prilzce, Haiti; July, 1969. The Hands of the Cause thkru’lla’h K_ha'dem and Dr. Rahmatu’lltih Muha'jir are seen in the back row, third and fifth from the right, respectively.

Encouraged by the record of achievement of the Puerto Rican community the Universal House of Justice in 1971 called for the formation of the National Spiritual Assembly at Ridvp’m, 1972, and increased the number of goels assigned to the believers. Originally requested to raise the number of Local Assemblies to three, the National Assembly reported that eight had been established at Riḍván, 1973, and one had achieved incorporation. In addition, Bahá’ís resided in thirty-five localities; the islands of Culebra and Vieques were opened; the community had witnessed the departure of the first Puerto Rican pioneer to settle in another country (Peru), had the joy of seeing the first Puerto Rican visit the Holy Land as a pilgrim and rejoiced that five members of the first National Spiritual Assembly attended the International Convention in Haifa for the third election of the Universal House of Justice.

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO The National Spiritual Assembly of Trinidad and Tobago, with its seat in Port-of-Spain, was established in 1971, another pillar of the Bahá’í administrative order erected in the Caribbean

area during the Nine Year Plan. Representing the Universal House of Justice on this occasion was the Hand of the Cause _D_hikru’112'1h madem.

The Faith in these islands grew at a dramatic pace throughout the five year period under scrutiny. Between 1968 and 1973 the number of Local Assemblies increased from one to seventy—two; the number of localities where Bahá’ís reside from one to two hundred; and there was a hundredfold increase in the size of the Bahá’í community.

The work in this area was greatly enhanced through a series of visits from some of the Hands of the Cause, members of the Continental Board of Counsellors and Auxiliary Board members, and through a number of conferences sponsored by the Counsellors, the National Teaching Committee and the National Youth Committee.

To a remarkable degree the community enjoyed cordial relations with outstanding figures in the islands and achieved a vast amount of publicity through the friendly interest of sympathetic members of the press, radio and television. Commencing in December, 197], the National Spiritual Assembly reported, a free

[Page 220]220

five—minute weekly radio programme has been carried over Radio Trinidad which has served to “carry the message of the Bahá’í Faith to the entire population.” Bahá’í books have been presented to a number of dignitaries and placed in libraries throughout the islands. The presentation of literature to schools resulted in permission being obtained for the Bahá’ís to present lectures and slide programmes on progressive revelation to students and teachers, followed by lively debates.

In addition to numerical growth, the National Assembly reported the following achievements: exemption from attendance at school on Bahá’í Holy Days and recognition of Bahá’í marriage, in 1970; acquisition of a Temple site and endowment land, in 1972; and in the same year, by Act of Parliament, incorporation of the National Spiritual Assembly.

WINDWARD ISLAN DS

The Windward Islands and Barbados, visited as early as 1927 by the Hand of the Cause Keith Ransom-Kehler, are part of the Lesser Antilles to which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá directed attention in His Tablets ofrhe Divine Plan. In the early years the development of the Faith in the Lesser Antilles was under the direction of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States. At Riḍván, 1967, the National Spiritual Assembly of the Leeward, Windward and Virgin Islands was established under whose jurisdiction the

THE Bahá’í WORLD

Windward Islands remained until Riḍván, 1972, when an independent National Spiritual Assembly was formed in the Windward Islands with its seat in St. Lawrence, Barbados.

The geographic location of these islands in the southern Caribbean; together comprising an area of one thousand square miles including four large and ten smaller islands, presented many challenges to travelling teachers and pioneers alike. “That the Faith grew from two believers in 1953 to more than 2,500 believers with a National Spiritual Assembly and twentyseven Local Assemblies by the end of the Nine Year Plan is testimony to the Divine Grace of Bahá’u’lláh and the persistent efforts of stalwart pioneers, travelling teachers and new friends,” the National Assembly reported.

In this period the first indigenous believers arose as pioneers to establish the Faith in other islands; mass teaching projects were inaugurated; the first Teaching Institute was held; the enrolment of the first Carib Indian indigenous to St. Vincent was recorded; widespread newspaper, radio and television publicity was achieved; and The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh was presented to the Governor-General, His Excellency Sir Winston Scott, who accorded cordial audiences to the Hands of the Cause Amatu’l—Baha Rúḥíyyih Khánum (who represented the Universal House of Justice when the National Spiritual Assembly was formed at the inaugural Convention in 1972) and Enoch Olinga.

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a

iACTIVITIES 221

{ 10 00* N|CARAGUA % y. . EL SM“

BR.HONDURAS

DURAS GuA‘EMALA HON

North America

Twenty years after the Tablets of the Divine Plan were revealed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to the handful of believers in North America, Shoghi Effendi cabled the friends assembled at the 1936 Convention of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada:

WOULD TO GOD EVERY STATE WITHIN AMERICAN REPUBLIC AND EVERY REPUBLIC IN AMERICAN CONTINENT MIGHT ERE TERMINATION OF THIS GLORIOUS CENTURY1 EMBRACE THE LIGHT OF THE FAITH OF BAHAULLAH AND

1 Thf4first Century of the Bahá’í era, ending May 22, 19 .

ESTABLISH STRUCTURAL BASIS OF HIS WORLD ORDER.2

This cable initiated the spread of the Cause throughout the Western Hemisphere.

The successive teaching plans, beginning in 1937 with the first Seven Year Plan, saw the establishment in 1948 of a separate National Spiritual Assembly in Canada. Nine years later, the Alaskan Bahá’í community elected its first National Spiritual Assembly. With the inception of the Nine Year Plan in 1964, the youthful

2 Messages to America, p. 6.

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Alaskan community and the zealous Canadians assumed responsibilities, comparable to those borne by the veteran United States community, for spreading the Message of Bahá’u’lláh throughout North America.

ALASKA

The first National Spiritual Assembly of Alaska was formed in 1957 with its seat in Anchorage.

Alaska witnessed remarkable activity during the closing half—decade of the Nine Year Plan. Of the five virgin goals, two remained to be filled. Residents of the Pribilofi" Islands enrolled and returned home, filling that goal. St. Lawrence Island, forty miles from Siberia, was resettled by heroic pioneering, with the sacrificial assistance of Bahá’ís of Kodiak, Juneau and Seattle. Formation of a Local Spiritual Assembly in 1973 crowned these valiant eflbrts.

A thrilling thrust forward occurred in relation to the international goals. A number of pioneers departed for overseas areas and some settled in territories not assigned to Alaska. 111 the final year of the Plan alone, sixty-three Alaskans made more than eighty teaching trips to twenty-six different countries.

Within Alaska the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies more than doubled, from seventeen to thirty-eight, exceeding the goal by eight. The number of localities where Bahá’ís reside increased nearly threefold from fifty—three to 158, exceeding the goal by fifty per cent. There was nearly an eightfold increase in the number of Alaskan believers and a heightened degree of maturity was reflected in increased contributions to the Fund.

Early in 1969 the Continental Board of Counsellors met with the National Assembly and inspired the creation of a new Local Assembly through the settlement of pioneers in a hitherto “impossible” community. The Counsellors sponsored a conference with the Hand of the Cause ‘Ali-Akbar Furútan in Juneau in 1969, and in 1970 a minorities conference was held in Petersburg with the Hand of the Cause Enoch Olinga as honoured guest.

Proclamation activities continued as presentations were made to public officials, both local and national. Up to the middle of 1970 most of the accomplishments had been the result of herculean efforts on the part of individual

THE BAHA’J’ WORLD

Bahá’ís. Victories, while thrilling and dramatic, lagged behind the goals assigned. Early in 1970 the National Spiritual Assembly reported that Alaska had sufficient resources but the rate of development would have to be increased to ensure victory.

A dramatic remobilization of resources was inaugurated in consultation between the National Spiritual Assembly and Mr. Jenabe Caldwell, a member of the Auxiliary Board, who conceived a series of bold teaching innovations which were directed by the National Spiritual Assembly. The first, called “Proclamation” mobilized teaching teams which travelled from town to town presenting programmes of Indian and/or Eskimo dancing, Bahá’í films, music and the Bahá’í Messagesimple and direct. Enthusiasm mounted and enrolments accelerated.

A new spirit was sparked at the 1971 National Convention when the community pledged to conquer Alaska spiritually and to bring to fruition the hope expressed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in His Tablets of the Divine Plan that Perchance, God willing, the lights of the most great guidance may illumine that country and the breezes Of the rose garden of the love ofGoa' may perfume the nostrils of the inhabitants ofAlaska. Immediately after the Convention, the National Spiritual Assembly launched “Massive Encounter”, designed to carry the Message of Baha’u’llah throughout the country. With permission Ofthe Board of Counsellors, Mr. Caldwell was designated “Field Commander” and directed the day to day operations of the project under the supervision of the National Spiritual Assembly. Galvanized as never before, the body of believers became the “Army of Light” and all could serve through contributing the three resources of prayer, time or financial assistance. Nine-day Institutes prepared the field force through immersion in the Writings and “more than any other single factor,” the National Assembly stated, “created the necessary spiritual orientation, zeal and moral courage.” When willing listeners were found the essential features of the Faith were presented in a direct manner and hundreds upon hundreds embraced the Cause through this approach. A work force was created. Dedicated believers worked at any available job—usually cannery work—and contributed their entire earnings to the Fund for the teaching work. A twenty-four

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223

Members of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís ofAIaska, April, 1973, with the

Hand of the Cause Jala’l K_hcizeh (flont row, third from the left) and Mr. Jenabe Caldwell and

Mr. Howard Brown, North American Auxiliary Board members (second and fourth from the left respectively).

hour “prayer watch” assured constant supplication for the success of these ventures. When prayer was suspended, the National Spiritual Assembly noted, morale deteriorated and problems developed. While the majority of the full—time participants were youth—many from the United States, Hawaii or Canada—Bahá’ís of all ages (including children), races, levels of education and material means gave exemplary service.

The National Spiritual Assembly divided Alaska into sixteen regions for this systematic “spiritual conquest”. By the end of the Plan the project had been more than ninety per cent completed; that is, the Faith had been proclaimed to ninety per cent of the villages, towns or cities in the area. Whereas in 1970 Alaska was behind schedule, two years later all the assigned goals had been completed and, through “Massive Encounter”, Alaska completed its goals second only to Fiji.

“It is a significant tribute to the sleadfastness of the believers and the strength of the Covenant that unity was maintained”, the National Spiritual Assembly reported, “for nothing be fore had so tested the believers or posed such a challenge to internal unity as the radical departures which tested the very foundations of established teaching methods and swept up veteran believers in a whirlwind of unfamiliar activities.”

Throughout the exciting five years Alaska received many inspirational visits. In addition to those mentioned there were six visits from Mrs. Florence Mayberry of the Board of Counsellors and generous contributions of time by Auxiliary Board members Mrs. Peggy Ross, Mr. Ted Anderson, Mr. Howard Brown and Mr. Paul Pettit, the last two mentioned spending two months directing “Massive Encounter” in urban areas. Others far too numerous to mention gave greatly appreciated assistance, but tribute must be paid to the multi-racial musical team of Bahá’í Youth, “Windflower”, who gave sacrificially of their time and talent and made a vital contribution not only on the homefront but internationally.

The half-decade ended with new challenges, as victories edged Alaska closer to the plea penned by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá that the breezes of'the

[Page 224]22,4

rose garden of the love of God may perfume the nostrils Of the inhabitants ofA laska.

CANADA

“The last five years of the Nine Year Plan were memorable,” the National Spiritual Assembly reported, “and Canadian Bahá’ís successfully fulfilled the share of the great trust assigned to them, the victory far exceeding anything we dared imagine at the midway point of the Plan in 1968.”

Apart from the statistical victories, the National Spiritual Assembly commented, “something happened to the believers themselves as they made the efibrt which the Plan required—the emergence in Canada of a real sense of being a Bahá’í community. During these recent years especially this community, conceived over sixty years ago by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in references in the T ablets Of the Divine Plan and born twenty-five years ago at Canada’s first National Convention in 1948, has now begun to emerge in the consciousness of its members as an embryonic society with its own unique identity, but with the primary mission of serving and becoming part of the unification of mankind. Its shape and quality can be detected in the achievements of the five year period just ended, and particularly in three main areas of effort: homefront expansion, homefront consolidation and overseas service.”

The most dramatic and readily grasped fact is the sheer extent of the expansion of the community. At the midway point in the Plan there were seventy Local Spiritual Assemblies in Canada; the Plan ended with 201 Assemblies, forty-seven more than required. In the same period, the number of localities where Bahá’ís reside grew from 350 to approximately one thousand, a threefold increase. By 1971 the number of incorporated Assemblies had grown from twenty-six to fifty-seven, the established goal, and during the last year of the Plan in response to a supplementary appeal from the Universal House of Justice an additional thirty incorporations were added, thus gaining civil recognition for almost one half of Canada’s local administrative bodies. The Canadian believers demonstrated their maturity through dramatic and sustained increases in contributions to the Fund.

“But the expansion has been more than

THE BAHA’I’ WORLD

quantitative,” the National Spiritual Assembly noted. “Following the 1967 proclamation by the Universal House of Justice to the Heads of State around the world, the Canadian community eagerly launched itself on the ‘unknown sea’ of proclamation, in a series of announcements to leaders of thought and various sectors of the population. Through delegations, the preparation of briefs, pamphlets, and other publications, the intensive use of the mass communication media, and public events of every kind, an unprecedented degree of free publicity and goodwill were won for the Faith. The two main groups of the population to respond in large number to these teaching and proclamation efforts were the youth and the people of French Canada. At the height of the proclamation to youth, in 1971, the annual increase in membership reached fifty per cent. This response has greatly enriched the community’s life, and enormously increased its attractiveness, as well as equipping it for a far more ambitious role abroad.”

The five years from 1968 to 1973 witnessed an equally great advance in the consolidation of the Cause in Canada. Among the milestones in this development were the acquisition of a magnificent seventeen acre site for a Temple and National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds, together with a large building that presently houses the various departments of the National Office; and the rapid emergence from its former obscurity of‘ the Institution of the National Shrine in Montreal, the Maxwell home visited by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in 1912, culminating in the formal recognition of the building by the civil authorities as a sanctuaire.

In 1968 the goal of creating a Nationa. Teaching Institute was realized with the erect tion of a large two—storey building on a property previously acquired in the Fort Qu’Appellt: valley, Saskatchewan. Here, too, the goal wa~; surpassed by the subsequent establishment 0'? Institutes in the far north, at Baker Lake and Frobisher Bay in the Arctic, and at Yellowknife in the District of Mackenzie, as support for the work of the Spiritual Assemblies established in those centres. A new summer school was established at Bowser, British Columbia, on Vancouver Island.

Other significant developments in the field of consolidation included the rapid increase in the maturity of Local Spiritual Assemblies

[Page 225]INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF Bahá’í ACTIVITIES 225

A.

which began to recruit overseas and homefront pioneers, mobilize and deputize teaching teams, assume direct responsibility for the national Fund, initiate imaginative proclamation programmes and demonstrate a new capacity to solve burdensome counselling problems, as an aid to which process the National Spiritual Assembly in 1971 established “Assembly Resource Teams” to provide the Local Assemlies with teaching ideas, guidance on administrative principles and consultation on national programmes; the transformation of Canadian Bahá’í News from a modest bulletin to a vital, creative and bilingual organ of communication; the reorganization of the committee charged with the responsibility for sale and distribution of Bahá’í literature through its establishment as a department of the National Office with its own full-time staff.

During the concluding five years of the Plan the Canadian community was able to finance wholly or in part the acquisition of Temple or Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds sites _in Iceland, Mauritius, Denmark, Trinidad and Venezuela, as well as contribute to the erection of the Temple at Panama; it settled 536 pioneers overseas or in other centres specified by the Universal House of Justice. Parallel with this effort, a wave of Canadians arose as travelling teachers and

National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds of C anada, Willowdale, Ontario; acquired in 1969.

teaching teams, often in cooperative ventures with other national communities, to every continent and oceanic region of the globe.

The objective of the establishment of the National Spiritual Assembly of Iceland was achieved at Riḍván, 1972; Bahá’í literature in Icelandic was increased; and almost total civil recognition for the institutions of the Cause in Iceland was obtained. In September, 1971, the Canadian believers had the bounty of organizing in Iceland the last of the great Oceanic Conferences called by the Universal House of Justice.

“Two aspects of Canadian activity overseas which were not specific responsibilities of the Plan but which have been very gratifying,” the National Assembly reported, “were the opportunity given to a number of Canadian believers to serve at the World Centre and the major role Canada had assumed in meeting the urgent needs of the francophone world, in pioneer and teaching assistance, large-scale subsidy of French—language literature, and collaboration in audio-visual and translation projects.”

Assessing the half—decade under review, the National Spiritual Assembly commented: “There is no significant victory which the Canadian community won during the Nine

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Year Plan which was not the product of the close collaboration with the Hands of the Cause of God, with the newly—created Institution of the Continental Board of Counsellors and their Auxiliary Board members. The love and encouragement which they poured out flowed like oil through the entire machinery of the Cause. The followers of Bahá’u’lláh in Canada have a growing awareness that they are a community but ahead lies the challenge set before them by the Universal House of

Justice at the inception of the Plan—‘. . . this community now enters a new era in its history when it must raise in its great homeland . . . a

mighty structure representing all (its) many races, religious and cultural backgrounds . . . a religious community so unified, so dedicated to the oneness of mankind and the oneness of religion as to astonish and attract the mass of its fellow countrymen.m

THE UNITED STATES

The majority of the extensive goals assigned to the American community in the Nine Year Plan were accomplished during the period from 1968 to 1973, and in several instances the accomplishments surpassed the objectives. For example, at Riḍván, 1973, the National Spiritual Assembly recognized 824 Local Spiritual Assemblies, exceeding the goal by 224; there were 4,809 localities where Bahá’ís resided, 1,809 in excess of the goal; and 238 Local Spiritual Assemblies had been incorporated, 121 more than at the beginning of the Plan which required the incorporation of one in each State. These statistics reflect a surge of energy and enthusiasm in the Bahá’í community which had its genesis in the call of the Universal House of Justice at Riḍván, 1967, for worldwide proclamation of the Faith. “This call galvanized the American community to its roots,” the National Spiritual Assembly reported, and assisted the community to embark “upon a simultaneous series of multifarious activities designed at once to call the attention of the non—Bahá’í public to the Faith and to further expand and consolidate the community. Among the most outstanding of these activities were those which constituted: (l) the proclamation projects which took the Message of Bahá’u’lláh to various strata of American society; (2) the Five Year Youth Program,

THE Bahá’í WORLD

which resulted in an unprecedented expansion of the Faith among young people and their pervasive participation in the administration of the community; and (3) the concerted teaching campaign in the Southern States designed to bring into the Bahá’í community large numbers of black people.”

Proclamation activities, the National Assembly noted, “developed into forms of assertiveness heretofore largely untried by the believers," and resulted in an exploitation of “every likely national and special occasion, social condition. mass medium of communication as well as every possibility created by the commemorative publication of TheProcIamation ofBalzd’u’Ildh.“ The overwhelming nationwide publicity which the Faith received as a result of the activities; associated with the centenary of Bahá’u’lláh’s proclamation to the kings (1967) signified a breakthrough which, the National Spiritual Assembly commented, “emboldened the initiatives of local communities and the National Bahá’í Public Information Office in their use of mass media on awider scale. Several films were subsequently produced, notably A New Wind and It ’3 Just the Beginning which were seen by millions on television; a series of spot announcements for radio and film clips for television were developed and disseminated throughout the country with impressive results; the heightened visibility of the community brought requests from radio and television stations for more and more Bahá’í programs; and newpapers and magazines also began carrying irfinitely more feature stories and new iterrs about the Faith.”

Detailing some of the most outstanding prc clamation activities, the National Spiritual Assembly stated: “The observance of International Human Rights Year in 1968 and of International Education Year in 1970 provided rich possibilities for Bahá’í functions, by which means the community combined its intention to strengthen its relationship with the United Nations and its proclamation objectives. Under the aegis of the North American Bahá’í Office of Human Rights (NABOHR), which had been created both as a Bahá’í response to the human rights problems in the United States and a special proclamation agency, International Human Rights Year was observed nationally by the holding of ten regional Bahá’í conferences, one national conference in

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..,-zfi-§ier¢‘m

en :3}! xx:

WM: V

0n behalfof the North American Bahá’í’ Office for Human Rights (NABOHR), Mrs. Juliette

227

B. Buford (right), Director ofNABOHR, accepts from Dr. C arl F. Hawver, Chairman of the

Silver Anvil A wards Committee, a Silver Anvil Trophy presented by the Public Relations

Society ofAmerica for outstanding performance in special events. With Mrs. Buford is Mrs.

Natalie M . DiBuono, Assistant Director of the NationalBahá’í Public Information Department. May 15, 1969.

Chicago, and an awards banquet in Washington, DC, on Human Rights Day. International Education Year was similarly observed by holding one national conference in Wilmette, three regional educational conferences and a culminating awards luncheon in New York.

“In conjunction with these Observances, the widely acclaimed statement embodying the Bahá’í position ‘Human Rights are God—Given Rights’ was published and the Louis G. Gregory1 award, ‘for service to humanity’, was created. The unique design of the award was conceived by the noted American sculptor Vernon Voelz and executed in stone and bronze. Recipients were: Mr. Clark M. Eichel 1 The Hand of the Cause Louis G. Gregory, “nobleminded, gold-hearted. . . pride (and) example (to the) Negro adherents (of the) Faith . . . loved, admired (and) trusted (by) ‘Abdu’l-Bahá." Deceased 1951. See 6%2 6rsiilgmoriam", The Bahá’í World, vol. XII, pp.

berger for his work with the United Nations and particularly as chairman of the Commission to Study the Organization of Peace; the Xerox Corporation for its educational television projects on the history and contributions of black Americans (1968); Dr. James L. Olivero, executive director of Southwestern Cooperative Educational Laboratory, for his work among children of minorities; the Children’s Television Workshop for producing the educational program “Sesame Street” (1970); Mr. Roy Wilkins, executive director of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, for his extensive work in the field of human rights (1972). The net efiect of these special activities was the increased recognition the Faith received in ever-widening circles. The coveted Silver Anvil Award given by the Public Relations Society of America, Inc., for excellence in public relations programs, was presented to NABOHR (1968); and

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the President’s Commission for Observance of Human Rights Year (1968) cited the activities of the Bahá’í community. The presentation of The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh to government officials and prominent persons continued throughout the entire period and was largely responsible for the immeasurable increase in publicity given the Faith.”

The Five Year Youth Program, described elsewhere in this volume, the National Spiritual Assembly said, “tremendously boosted the varied youth activities and reinforced the proclamation programs” and its goals, established in 1968 and developed within the framework of the Nine Year Plan were so successfully met by June, 1970, when the second national youth conference was held in Evanston, Illinois, that the National Spiritual Assembly was compelled to supplement the objectives of the program. From the proceedings of the second conference, attended by two thousand youth, the film It’s Just the Beginning was produced. The highlight of the conference was the participation of the Hand of the Cause Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum who had temporarily interrupted her African teaching circuit to attend.

“Gaining impetus from the youth program,” the National Assembly observed, “the summer youth projects which had succeeded on the homefront in previous years in employing the teaching ability of youth were expanded to the international sphere and in 1973, alone, 143 young people served in summer projects in Europe and Latin America, projects which, especially in Europe, had a signal effect upon the accomplishment there of the Nine Year Plan goals. The use of youth teaching teams became a regular part of the expansion work on the homefront.”

International assistance was not confined to youth projects. Hundreds of believers set out for pioneer posts in the Far East, Africa, Europe, Latin America and islands in the vast Pacific Ocean. Another important facet of international aid was the underwriting of property acquisitions to help a number of National Spiritual Assemblies meet their goals. To accomplish these tasks, the annual budget of the National Assembly has had to be increased each year.

An extraordinary development in the American Bahá’í community prompted the Universal

THE Bahá’í WORLD

House of Justice on January 30, 1971, to cable the Bahá’í world:

JOYFULLY ANNOUNCE BAHAI WORLD PROCESS ENTRY BY TROOPS RAPIDLY ACCELERATING UNITED STATES EVIDENCED BY ENROLLMENT 8000 NEW BELIEVERS SOUTH CAROLINA COURSE SIX WEEKS . . .

“The beginning of that process,” it was re-ported by the National Assembly, “can be traced to the Southern Teaching Conference which was held in Chattanooga, Tennessee. on September 12—14, 1969. A Deep Soutt. Committee was formed as a direct consequence and within six months its activities, encouragec by a number of scattered individual teaching: successes, spearheaded large-scale enrollment of believers in the Southern States, particularly Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, Soutl" Carolina and Texas. The most spectacular results were experienced in South Carolina. which had two Local Spiritual Assemblies ir. 1968 and fifty-five by Riḍván, 1973. An important outcome of this rapid expansion was the establishment of the first permanent teaching institute in the United States, which was named in memory of the Hand of the Cause Louis G Gregory and is situated in Hemingway, South Carolina.

“In overview,” the National Assembly reflected, “the celebrated development in the South had the effect of demonstrating the ripeness of the American Bahá’í community for expansion; it freed the teaching spirit of the> believers throughout the nation and encouraged them to teach among other minorities, princi-r pally those people of Indian and Spanishspeaking background, resulting in an increase to 119 of the number of Indian tribes represented in the American Bahá’í community; the translation of Bahá’í literature into twelve additional Indian languages within one year alone (1972—1973); and the inauguration of a sustained program of teaching among Spanishspeaking people in Arizona, California and Texas. The pervasiveness of this effect is attested by the fact that expansion accelerated in every region of the country and that Locai Spiritual Assemblies were established outside the deep South in sufficient numbers to fulfill the Nine Year Plan goal of six hundred. It is noteworthy that over fifty per cent of the enrollments in these latter years occurred

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m: LDUIS R m m m SERVE l0 HUMAN"

Bahá’í exhibit at annual convention of the National Association of Human Rights Workers, Tulsa, Oklahoma; October, 1970. Similar exhibits arranged by the Uniled States Bahá’í Public Information Office were seen throughout the country during October.

among people between the ages of fifteen and thirty.

“This unprecedented expansion was also due in part to the direct or indirect influences of such developments, in particular, as the impact of the newly-established Continental Board of Counsellors and the stimulus produced by the several series of regional conferences which they held at different periods between 19701973; and the enthusiasm which American participants brought back from oceanic and continental conferences, notably the one held in Reykjavik, Iceland, to which two hundred of them went, and the one held in Kingston, Jamaica, for which a ship was chartered to transport the six hundred American Bahá’ís who attended.”

Among the measures adoped by the National Spiritual Assembly to meet the challenges and complexities created by such rapid expansion were: the strengthening of Local Spiritual Assemblies through a series of training programs, forty seminars for Local Spiritual

Assembly members being conducted between 1972 and 1973 alone; the publication of a Comprehensive Deepening Program in which all members of the community could participate; the promotion of the House of Worship as a centre of attraction to both the believers and the public; the increase and enrichment of Bahá’í Summer/Winter School programs; the systematic use of weekend institutes for training in the principles of Bahá’í administration and deepening the knowledge of the believers; the publication, in tabloid format, beginning in 1969, of two national internal bulletins The National Review and The American Bahá’í, to facilitate the communication of news and special information; and the enlarging of the Publishing Trust facilities to enable it to produce and distribute audio-visual materials as well as literature for the community.

“Only time will demonstrate the full results of these measures,” the National Assembly stated, “but signs of success are already apparent at Riḍván, 1973.”

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Equator

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URUGUAY

South America

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231

South America

As early as 1936 the Guardian wrote expressing the hope that by the close of the first Bahá’í century, May, 1944, the banner of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh might be planted in “every state within the American Republic and every Republic in the American continent”. So urgent was this need that he asked the delegates to the Annual Convention of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada in 1937 to prolong their sessions and come forth with a Seven Year Plan one of the objectives of which was to achieve establishment of a centre in each Latin American Republic and the Caribbean.The work in Latin America thus developed under the first Seven Year Plan (1937—1944), the second Seven Year Plan (1946—1953) and by 1951 the Regional National Spiritual Assembly of South America had been formed including in its jurisdiction all South America except the Guianas.

In 1957, with the dissolution of this Regional Assembly, two Regional National Spiritual Assemblies came into being: The National Spiritual Assembly of Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia; and the National Spiritual Assembly of Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela. In 1961 independent National Spiritual Assemblies were formed in each of the above countries with seats in Buenos Aires (Argentina), Santiago (Chile), Montevideo (Uruguay), Asuncién (Paraguay), La Paz (Bolivia), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Lima (Peru), Bogota (Colombia), Quito (Ecuador) and Caracas (Venezuela).

In the Nine Year Plan the Guianas were the objects of special attention by the National Spiritual Assemblies of the United Kingdom (British Guiana), France (French Guiana) and the Netherlands (Surinam) until the establishment of the National Spiritual Assembly of Guyana, Surinam and French Guiana in 1970 with its seat in Georgetown, Guyana.

ARGENTINA

The first four years of the Nine Year Plan was a period of consolidation and strengthening of the administrative framework and the development of individual initiative within the community which geared itself to carry the Faith throughout the length and breadth of the

vast territory of Argentina extending from the inhospitable desert wastes of the Chaco area in the north to the rugged regions within the shadow of the great glaciers of the Andes in the far south. By the midway point in the Plan no significant numerical gains had been registered although it was reported that the total number of localities required in the Plan had been opened and there had been a slow but progressive increase in the number of believers.

In July, 1968, challenged by the Universal House of Justice to intensify their efforts, the believers in Argentina adopted the goal of establishing the Faith in an additional forty localities.

An outstanding characteristic of the period was the close cooperation which was developed and maintained between the Continental Board of Counsellors in South America and their Auxiliary Board, and the National Spiritual Assembly. As a result of this auspicious relationship the National Spiritual Assembly was able to initiate, launch and spearhead through the Counsellors a number of mass teaching projects in both rural and urban zones which met with remarkable success, especially those conducted in village areas among the Toba Indians, as a result of which enrollments dramatically increased and the Faith became established in every province of the country including the virgin territory of the Argentinian Tierra del Fuego. These projects soon won the wholehearted support and active participation of both veteran and new believers, and their acceleration, particularly from 1971 onward, ensured the victory for Argentina.

By Riḍván, 1973, the community had witnessed successive triumphs including a more than fourfold increase in the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies; a threefold increase in the number of localities where Bahá’ís reside; a more than ninefold increase in the number of believers in the country; the further diversification of community membership, which already included Mataco and Chiriguano Indians, through the enrollment of representatives of a number of additional Indian tribes including Toba, Tewelche and Mapuche; the translation and publication of Bahá’í literature in Mataco; the expansion of the facilities of the Spanish [Page 232]232

language Publishing Trust, Editorial Bahá’í Indo-Latinoamericana, an increase in its titles including both introductory and deepening literature, some of prestige quality, and the extension of its services to more than twentyfive countries; the increased involvement of Bahá’í youth in the work of the Faith and the assumption by them of a leading role in teaching teams; a widespread use of original musical compositions on Bahá’í themes and the holding of an International Music Festival described more fully elsewhere in this volume; the establishment and continued functioning of an International Summer School with a high level of courses, the activities of the School being both a source of stimulation to the believers and a means of proclaiming the Faith through public programmes; the inauguration of student teaching at both universities and high schools; the development of extremely cordial relationships with local authorities who extended cooperation during the mass teaching projects; the arising of native believers, including Indians, to serve as homefront and international travelling teachers; the further development of classes for Bahá’í children and the unprecedented use of radio, television and newspaper publicity as a means of proclaiming the Faith.

These were among the great gains achieved by the Argentine community near whose capital city lie the remains of May Ellis Maxwell, described by the Guardian as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s beloved handmaid and distinguished disciple, whose spirit of devotion continues to sustain the believers of Argentina in their efforts to serve the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh.

BOLIVIA

“The progress of the teaching work within the five years under review has been very significant,” the National Spiritual Assembly reported, “and although mass conversion continued on a reduced scale nevertheless between April and August, 1970, alone, the Faith was embraced by more than six thousand persons. By Ridv-an, 1973, more than seven hundred Local Spiritual Assemblies were established (more than one hundred in excess of the goal) and the number of localities where Bahá’ís reside had risen to =3;761, almost triple the total required in the Planl’

THE Bahá’í WORLD

Other signal victories included the incorporation of a Local Assembly in each of the nine Departments of the country; the publication 0" a resolution by the Ministry of Education re-cognizing the Bahá’í Holy Days and granting permission to Bahá’í teachers and students to absent themselves on these days with full remunerative privileges; the extension and consolidation of the Faith in the highlands 0" Bolivia and the Departments of Tarija, Pando. Beni and Santa Cruz, in the last two of which hundreds of persons accepted the Faith; tht: establishment of a National Child Education Committee which prepared teaching materials. for children and youth, conducted training; courses, sponsored Bahá’í youth programmes: and encouraged weekly classes for Bahá’í children in rural areas; the enrichment ot’ Bahá’í literature through the translation and/or publication into a number of languages indigenous to the area including Siriono, Yanaigua, Bauré, Trinitario, Tacana, Pukina, Chahuanco and Quechua; the holding of a training course for Bahá’í women in La Paz, in 1969, as well as a Summer School in the Department of Santa Cruz and a Deepening Conference in Sucre in 1971 which attracted almost three hundred believers including a group of children who walked for three days to attend and present a group of songs they had learned in one of the twenty literacy centres conducted by Bahá’íé; throughout the country; and the sponsoring o? a series of Bahá’í exhibits including one held in the municipal building in Sucre during which eight thousand pieces of Bahá’í literature were distributed and twenty—five youth spontaneously embraced the Faith.

Elsewhere in this volume is described the: Intercontinental Conference held in August, 1970, an outstanding event of which was the audience granted to the Hand of the Cause Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum by His Excellency General Ovando Candia, President of the Republic of Bolivia, to whom she presented The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh. A report published by Bahá’í International New; Service describing the event stated: “On the day after the closing of the Conference word was received through the Minister of Education that the President of the Republic would receive all the Bahá’ís in the Presidential Palace. About 350 believers, led by the beloved Hand of the Cause, met with the President for a televised

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233

The Hand of the Cause Amam’l—Ba/zd RLilziyyi/r K_/m'num presenting a copy of'The Proclamation

of Bahá’u’lláh to His Excellency General Alfredo Ovando C antlia, President of'Bolivia; August, 1970.

interview. The President said that he had been in Haifa and knew the Bahá’í Holy Places and knew the objectives of the Bahá’ís. He expressed the hope that the Bahá’ís would continue working for the welfare of all the peoples of the world. He requested the delegates to take back his personal greetings to each oftheir own countries. A touching incident at that interview was the impulsive gesture ofa Bolivian Quechua believer who took off a long woven scarf and put it around the President‘s neck saying: ‘This is a remembrance of love from the Bolivian Bahá’ís and from all of us.’ The President accepted it with appreciation, giving Julian Ugarte, the believer, a big embrace as photographs were taken of the two ofthem together.”

BRAZIL

Examining the last half-decade, the National Spiritual Assembly reported: “Although our ranks had been strengthened and our few Local Assemblies fortified by the arrival of veteran Bahá’í pioneers from the United States and Persia, and although many lofty plans had been made during the first years of the Nine

Year Plan, at Riḍván, 1968, we found ourselves in practically the same situation as that in which we had started the Plan in 1964 and our anxiety was mounting. Our hopes were born anew in 1968 as a result of the stimulating visit of the Hand of the Cause Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir who encouraged us to make bold new teaching plans. Those hopes became assurance in 1970, following the Intercontinental Conference in La Paz, Bolivia, when Mr. Donald Witzel and Mr. Hooper Dunbar of the Continental Board of Counsellors in South America led two teaching teams across our great northeast and gave clear proof that the masses were indeed thirsting for the Bahá’í message. As we developed experience in mass teaching more and more believers arose enthusiastically to teach with rewarding results. When we gathered in Salvador, Bahia, in February, 1971, to pay tribute to our beloved ‘spiritual mother’, Mrs. Leonora Armstrong, and to celebrate with her the completion offiftyyears ofselfless service to the Faith as a pioneer in Brazil, our membership had increased to approximately five thousand, concentrated in the north-eastern states and largely in the Bahia area, the number

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Commemorative Congress held in observance of the fiftieth anniversary of the establishment

of the Bahá’í Faith in Brazil; February, 1971. More than 300 Bahá’ís gathered to honour

the first pioneer to Brazil, Mrs. Leonora Armstrong, who arrived there in February, 1921. Mrs.

Armstrong, wearing a white dress, is seen in the centre of the photograph. At her left is Mr. Hooper Dunbar Of the South American Board of C aunsellors.

of Local Assemblies had surpassed by fifteen our goal of forty—five, and we had long since exceeded the required number of localities where Bahá’ís reside. Our international goals were accomplished . . . and we were awarded two additional foreign goals . . . From 1971 on, our efforts were principally concentrated in winning our few remaining homefront goals, in expanding and consolidating the Faith in all regions, and in attempting to proclaim the Faith to all strata of society . . . Proclamation has been more local and regional than national . . . such occasions as the visit of the Hand of the Cause Enoch Olinga, with resultant television and newspaper coverage and increasingly cordial relations with these news media, have been of untold benefit.”

Other significant developments in the period under review include an increased number of Brazilian Bahá’ís who served as international travelling teachers; increased recognition of the Faith through the recognition of Bahá’í Holy Days by the authorities of Porto Alegre in relation to Bahá’í children attending the Bahá’í Institute in Gravatai; the reorganization and revitalization of the administrative and teaching structure and the resultant assault upon the gigantic twin tasks of further extension of the Faith into all states and territories and the consolidation of existing communities; extremely

fruitful and cooperative relationships with the Continental Board of Counsellors and members of the Auxiliary Board, the latter being a particularly effective force in working with local communities and offering inspiration at conferences and institutes throughout the country; the publication and widespread dissemination of a national Bahá’í bulletin and a Nineteen Day Feast letter; the inauguration of a well—designed correspondence course; the development of audio-visual materials including slides, tapes, literature and locally-composed songs with Bahá’í themes and the holding of regular Summer Schools, Institutes, conferences and national and regional youth gatherings.

“In addition to the faithful day-to-day teaching of a few permanent instructors and the increased travel teaching of many Bahá’ís,” the National Spiritual Assembly report concluded, “the youth must be mentioned. Their activities have included inter—community meetings and public gatherings, youth panels and other programmes. They are helping open up the field of teaching among university students.”

CHILE Summarizing the development of the Faith in Chile during the second half of the Nine Year Plan, the National Spiritual Assembly reported:

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“By 1968 the Bahá’í community in Chile had already fulfilled some of the goals of the Plan. The National Assembly had achieved incorporation and twenty-one of the required twentyfive Local Assemblies had been established. Teaching among the Mapuche—the name applied generally to the more than 200,000 Araucanian Indians who inhabit the Andean highlands of central Chile and Argentinahad been successfully launched. The year 1968 was marked by the initiation of a proclamation programme which was one of the outstanding features of the activities of the Cause in Chile. It started with a poster contest sponsored by the National Assembly, a project which gave broad publicity to the Faith. The winner was a non-Bahá’í and the subject he chose was ‘The Unity of Mankind’.

“In 1969 another important goal was accomplished through the purchase of a twenty-acre Temple site overlooking the capital, Santiago. Another significant event of that year was the settlement of the first pioneer in the Mapuche area which brought in its wake the enrollment of a vast number of indigenous believers who now constitute the majority of the Bahá’í’s in Chile and actively participate in the National Convention, conferences and the work of the

235

Cause. In addition, prayers were published in the Mapuche language thus partially fulfilling the goal of enriching literature in indigenous languages.

“In the following years a threefold goal of the Plan was accomplished through the opening to the Faith of Chiloé Archipelago, Mocha Island and the Chilean part of Tierra del F uego. The establishing of three localities on Chiloé Island surpassed by one the number required. By Riḍván, 1973, there were more than 180 localities where Bahá’ís reside, considerably exceeding the seventy-nine required under the Plan, and there were fifty—one Local Spiritual Assemblies formed, being double the number required.

“The increased participation of Bahá’í youth in all activities of the Faith was a distinguishing hallmark of the last half decade. Young Bahá’ís settled as pioneers in various homefront goals and played an outstanding role in the development of the Faith in Chile during the period.”

COLOMBIA Reporting succinctly on the development of the Faith in Colombia during the last half of the Nine Year Plan, the National Spiritual

Some C olombian Bahá’ís with the Hand of't/te C ause Enoch Olinga 0n flu) occasion of his visit to Bogotti, C010mbia;.lune, 1970.

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Some of the estimated one thousand Bahá’í children who attended Bahá’í Children’s School, Esmeraldas, Ecuador; March, 1972.

Assembly commented: “The first part of the Nine Year Plan saw all of Colombia opened to the Faith. A few devoted believers travelled and taught throughout the country. The only area in which mass conversion occured was the Guajira, a narrow peninsula about eighty miles long between the Gulf of Venezuela and the Caribbean.

“During the years 1968—1973 mass teaching methods met with success in many rural areas and even the cities. The entry by troops began in the Chocé region with its largely black population and soon spread to Tumaco and then to Valle del Cauca. Mass teaching was successful in cities such as Barranquilla where there are presently more than two thousand Bahá’ís. As a result of this process Colombia was able to attain her supplementary goal of establishing a Local Spiritual Assembly in every Department (State). This was made possible through the appointment of regional committees which during the two year period of 1970—1971 reached and even surpassed the goals. With the tremendous increase in the number of believers the national conferences attracted larger numbers of believers. Two important international conferences were held in the period being dis cussed. The first, held in Bogota after the dedication of the Panama House of Worship in 1972, was attended by three hundred friends including the Hand of the Cause Ugo Giachery and the South American Counsellors; the other, an international youth conference held in Cali in January, 1973, under the sponsorship of the Continental Board of Counsellors in South America, attracted a large attendance and combined its programme with proclamation activities as a result of which thousands of people heard the Bahá’í Message. Bahá’í International News Service, reporting on the youth conference, stated that ‘the second largest radio station presented six daily announcements in prime time; two stunning slides were made and shown for a month in two of the busiest movie houses and thirty-two Government leaders, including the Mayor, were visited and presented with The Renewal of Civilization and The Proclamation qf'Bahá’u’lláh.

“The creation of an Audio-Visual Centre gave a new impetus to the teaching work. Through this agency materials were produced which brought us closer to the goal of simultaneous teaching and deepening.

“During the period 1968—1973 the number

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of Bahá’í properties increased as a result of two generous contributions. There is now a Bahá’í Institute in Valle de Cauca and land on which an Institute is to be built in the Choco.”

ECUADOR

“It has been a sweet task to review the development of the Faith in Ecuador over the period 1968—1973,” the National Spiritual Assembly reported, “for it enabled us to re-live heroic moments that reflect the loving labours of the Bahá’ís of this country who, by one means or another, have made the Name of Baha’u’llah resound by proclaiming His Message from the Pacific Coast to the mountain range and, beyond that, to the Amazon Valley.”

Significant statistical gains were reported from Ecuador: by Riḍván, 1973, the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies had grown to 207, surpassing the goal by eighty-seven; Bahá’ís resided in 531 localities, surpassing the goal by 231 ; the number of incorporated Local Assemblies grew from one to twelve, surpassing the goal by one; and the Bahá’í community which at Riḍván, 1968, had numbered approximately six thousand had grown by 1973 to approximately 28,000 the majority of these believers being Indians and Negroes. There were largescale enrollments among both rural and urban dwellers. Two Bahá’í groups were established in the Galapagos Islands, teaching among Children and youth was actively pursued and Bahá’í literature was made available in both Shuara and Cayapa, languages indigenous to the country, the latter being a supplementary accomplishment. The first Bahá’í cemetery was acquired in Ecuador, at Cu‘enca. Assistance was rendered Argentina by translating into Quechua excerpts from The Dawn-Breakers by Nabil-i-Zarandi. Prayers were also translated into this tongue and a number of original songs with Bahá’í themes were written in Quechua. The overseas goals assigned to Ecuador were also accomplished.

In March, 1972, an estimated one thousand children attended a Bahá’í school in Esmeraldas, perhaps one of the largest gatherings of Bahá’í children in the history of the Faith, details of which are set out elsewhere in this volume. Ecuadorian Bahá’í youth established a Bahá’í Club at the University in Quito, the

237

capital, a project so well received that the Dean responsible for student activities at this Catholic institution requested the Bahá’í Club to take charge of all social and cultural programmes of the student body.

Commenting upon the remarkable success experienced in the last half of the Plan the National Spiritual Assembly stated: “The spirit of mass conversion was felt in all parts of the country and the very Andes mountains seemed to be moved. It was as though the voice of the Master sounded on all sides with its redemptive call, and its echo became mingled with the blood in our veins and gave us the courage to raise aloud the call of the Kingdom throughout the length and breadth of the land.” Much assistance was rendered, the report continued, by the inspiring visits of a number of the Hands of the Cause including Dr. Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir whose suggestion, made at the International Teaching Conference in Quito, in August, 1969, led to Ecuador adopting the goal of increasing the number of Bahá’ís in the country by nine thousand in one year. This was accomplished, thus bringing the number of Ecuadorian believers to fifteen thousand. Valuable assistance was also rendered by the South American Continental Board of Counsellors, members of the Auxiliary Board, and international travelling teachers.

“Proclamation of the Faith,” the report stated, “was carried out in accordance with the request of the Universal House of Justice. The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh was presented to the President of the Republic and then to several regional authorities. The Faith was made known through radio, television and the press. The need to sustain our achievements and deepen the newly enrolled believers led us to present radio programmes commencing in March, 1973, which, at first, were sporadic and later were placed on a regular basis.”

In April, 1973, the National Assembly wrote: “At present we broadcast from 5.30 am. to 8.00 am. on Radio Turismo in Otavalo with twenty five—minute spot announcements throughout the day giving quotations from the Bahá’í Writings and calling attention to the early morning programmes. On Radio Otavalo, we broadcast a one-half hour programme daily from 6.30 am. to 7.00 am. and thirty spot announcements throughout the day. Radio Nacional in Quito, owned by the State, has

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offered us twenty to thirty minutes free time every fifteen days, and the ProgrammeDirector himself participated in and helped tape the last programme broadcast.” It was reported that the programmes—in both Spanish and Quechua ——were enthusiastically received and led to many enquiries about the Faith, and plans were laid for a series of broadcasts “of a general nature covering the cultural and historical background of the Indian peoples.” And again: “It is exciting to pass through the market place where the Indians sell their hand-woven fabrics and to see them listening to the Bahá’í programme ‘At the Hour of Dawn’. Some of them have written expressing appreciation, extending congratulations and commenting ‘At last we hear the Name of Baha’u’llah over the radio 1’”

GUYANA, SURINAM AND FRENCH GUIANA

Reporting on the work of the Faith in this area between 1968 and 1973 the National Spiritual Assembly which came into being at Riḍván, 1970, with its seat in Georgetown, Guyana, stated: “The exciting news of the formation of the first Local Spiritual Assembly of Cayenne, French Guiana,—a prerequisite to the establishment of the National Assembly ——lifted our spirits at Riḍván, 1968, disappointed as we were at our failure to increase the number of Local Assemblies in Guyana from two to four as called for in the Nine Year Plan. The Hand of the Cause Jalal Qazeh visited Guyana in J uly of that year and greatly inspired us to greater teaching efforts. The village of McDoom was opened later that year and early in 1969 Mr. Hooper Dunbar of the South American Board of Counsellors encouraged and assisted the friends to concentrate on this village with the result that nine believers were enrolled and a Local Assembly assured. Through the settlement of pioneers in 1969 and a particularly helpful visit from Mrs. Margot Worley, a member of the Auxiliary Board, Local Assemblies were formed in Kitty and Campbellville, Guyana, thus ensuring the erection at Riḍván, 1970, of another pillar of the Universal House of Justice, on which occasion the House of Justice was represented by the Hand of the Cause Amatu’I-Bahá Rflhiyyih Khánum who also participated in a two—day teaching conference and addressed 21

THE Bahá’í WORLD

public meeting. The first National Convention was a moving experience.”

During the subsequent three years the fledgling national community of Guyana, Surinam and French Guiana achieved a number of goals assigned to it under the Nine Year Plan including incorporation of the National Spiritual Assembly and one Local Assembly, and the acquisition of a Temple site and of an endowment property near Georgetown. In this period the community was enriched and diversified through the enrollment of Bush Negroes in Surinam and Galibi Indians in French Guiana; the foundation of the Faith was broadened and strengthened through the expansion of the teaching work into Northwestern Guyana, a project warmly encouraged by the Hand of the Cause Amatu’l-Bahá Rt’ihiyyih Khánum; and the beginning of entry by troops was witnessed as a result of teaching trips undertaken by visiting teachers including youth. By Riḍván, 1973, thirty-eight Local Assemblies had been established, the number of localities where Bahá’ís reside had increased to seventy-four and the membership of the community had more than doubled.

PARAGUAY

Assessing its position at Riḍván, 1968, the National Spiritual Assembly commented that the prospect was disheartening, but the following five years was a period of rededication and a sacrificial outpouring of the resources of the entire community with the result that “many ‘firsts’ were achieved on all fronts and the administrative bodies matured greatly.” Paraguay was among the first to fulfill all goals of the Nine Year Plan and at Riḍván, 1973, triumphantly recorded the establishment of twice the number of Local Assemblies called for in the Plan; that Bahá’ís resided in thirty-seven localities, surpassing the goal by twenty-two; four Local Assemblies were incorporated; and national recognition had been obtained of" Bahá’í Holy Days in relation to the attendance of Bahá’í children in primary schools.

Significant among the trends noted in the period being surveyed were the marked in crease in enrollments among Indian believers and their increased participation in the teaching work; the involvement of youth who “are playing a major role in travel teaching, service

[Page 239]INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF BAHA

"”1er . ‘ ., ??:"fb‘

on local and national administrative bodies, and in proclamation programmes”; a surge of enrollments among youth many of whom compose and perform songs with Bahá’í themes, a development which was internationally recognized when Paraguay won over fifty per cent of the awards at the International Bahá’í Youth Musical Festival in Argentina; a greater access to mass communications media resulting in many references to the Faith on television, radio and in the press; the use of a tri-weekly Bahá’í radio programme in Villarrica; the presentation of Bahá’í books and other literature to leading figures throughout the country; and an active and continuing cooperation with the United Nations and support of its programmes; and cordial relationships with the South American Board of Counsellors and members of the Auxiliary Board whose assistance and support is gratefully acknowledged. What the National Assembly described as “the first bilingual Convention ever to be held in Paraguay where Spanish and Guarani are the predominant languages” took place in 1970 and was attended by representatives of three Indian tribes—Yanaigua, Chulupi and Maka.

9

iACTiVITIEs 239

A group of Bahá’ís at the Bahá’í Teaching Institute held in the C haco, Paraguay; July, 1970.

“A great percentage of all teaching effort was directed towards the Indian population and Institutes especially for Indian believers commenced in 1969 and have been repeated periodically ever since. The spirit of these noble people is reflected in the fact that a group of eight who longed to attend the Intercontinental Conference in Bolivia in August, 1970, was forced to turn back at the Bolivian border after five days of arduous travel in intense heat, along dusty roads, sometimes without food and water, because their funds were used up in meeting various crises encountered along the way. They prayed, consulted and tearfully decided to turn back. On their return journey they stopped at the Bahá’í Institute at Chaco, conducted study classes from 8.00 am. until 10.00 pm. and employed their rest periods for teaching trips into the nearby area. May this spirit of dedication always be our example!”

PERU At Riḍván, 1968, the midway point in the Nine Year Plan, twenty Local Assemblies had been formed in Peru and Bahá’ís resided in

[Page 240]1,;

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lesson; September, 1970.

sixty-nine localities throughout the country. Having exceeded the goals of the Plan as early as 1970, additional goals were set and in most instances surpassed. By Riḍván, 1973, impressive statistical gains had been recorded. There were 103 Local Assemblies formed that year, more than quadruple the original number required, and Bahá’ís resided in 380 localities, more than six times the minimum number originally assigned as the goal.

During the last half of the Plan mass enrollments, particularly among the Quechua Indians in the Cuzco area, resulted in the enrichment of Bahá’í community life and the growth in size of the Bahá’í community many times over. A typical report of the latter development, written in 1969, states in part: “. . . adults, youth, and even children, are now travelling to other Departments from Lima to teach the Faith, visiting numerous centres and expending their own funds for this purpose . . . a remarkable expansion of the Faith has occurred among the Quechua Indians in Cuzco . . . following the Summer School in January, a group of youth between the ages of thirteen and twenty—eight undertook a fifteen-day teaching trip to the

high mountain region of Cuzco, visiting the Indian believers and opening several new villages to the Faith.”

By the end of the Nine Year Plan every Department of Peru had been opened, including the Amazonas, and contact had been established with the Machiguenga Indians in the northern part of Cuzco. The publication of some literature was undertaken and material translated into the Quechua language gave the newa-enrolled believers fuller access to the Bahá’í Writings. The National Teaching Institute in Cuzco acquired in November, 1969, was a valuable aid in deepening the knowledge of the friends. A total of twenty-four Local Assemblies had achieved incorporation by Riḍván, 1973. Summer Schools, youth conferences and general teaching conferences were regular features of the half—decade under review and a characteristic trend of the period was a heightened degree of universal participation in the work of the Faith. An increased measure of publicity was obtained on television, radio and in the press, particularly in relation to the visits of the Hands of the Cause Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum and Enoch

[Page 241]INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OFBAHA’iACTIVITIEs 241

Olinga, in 1970. As a result of the visit of Dr. Victor de Araujo, accredited representative of the Bahá’í International Community at the United Nations, cordial contact was established with the United Nations office in Lima.

URUGUAY

At Riḍván, 1968, there were seven Local Assemblies in Uruguay and Bahá’ís resided in twenty-three localities. The goals of the Nine Year Plan included the establishment of nine Local Assemblies and raising the number of localities where Bahá’ís reside to twenty, including one in each Department. By Riḍván, 1973, twenty-four Local Assemblies had been formed, nearly triple the original goal, and Bahá’ís resided in a total of forty-eight centres, more than double the number called for. In addition, the community almost tripled in size,

Reporting on its growth, the National Spiritual Assembly paid tribute to the devoted efforts of local and pioneer teachers, including Mr. Jerry Bagley whose contribution to the work in a number of Latin American countries was of great value, and expressed appreciation for the frequent visits of the members of the South American Board of Counsellors, and “particularly Mr. Athos Costas whose frequent presence and loving and wise counsel, were invaluable to the administrative and teaching activities in the country. Several conferences sponsored by the Counsellors were also of assistance in deepening the knowledge of the friends. The Auxiliary Board member, Ramén Moreira, was an example of dedication.”

Music was an important means of proclaiming the Faith in Uruguay during the latter half of the Plan. Commenting on this, the National Assembly stated: “The noted pianist, Alfredo Speranza, visited the country in 1971 for the purpose of proclaiming the Faith through his compositions inspired by the Bahá’í Teachings. While in Uruguay he gave a total of eleven concerts during which he played his original compositions with Bahá’í themes, in various cities and towns, accompanied by Mr. Athos Costas, Mr. Ramén Moreira or Mrs. Maralynn Dunbar, Auxiliary Board member, who would give a short talk about the Faith at each performance. Mr. Speranza also appeared on television several times . . . In 1972 a Bahá’í music

group A rca C armesz' (Crimson Ark) was formed in Montevideo, participated in many local, national and some international events, proclaimed the Faith on radio and television in both Argentina and Uruguay, and won the grand prize at the February, 1973, International Bahá’í Youth Conference in Argentina.”

As was the case in many areas of the world, youth activity “markedly increased in the five year period and culminated in a very successful youth conference held in Montevideo in December, 1972, attended by young believers from Uruguay and Argentina.”

Only a few days before the Annual Convention at Riḍván, 1973, the victories achieved by Uruguay were crowned by the achievementafter years of persistent effort—of yet another goal, the incorporation of the National Spiritual Assembly. “The achievement of this important goal at the eleventh hour of the Plan,” the National Assembly commented, “brought great joy to the Assembly and the entire community.”

VENEZUELA

As the half—way point in the Nine Year Plan was reached and the Venezuelan Bahá’ís gathered for their Annual Convention, it was reported that thirty-six Local Assemblies had been established and Bahá’ís resided in 203 localities including Trinidad and Tobago where three centres had been opened. Steady increases in the number of believers presaged continued progress throughout Venezuela and the teaching work in Curacao and Bonaire Island had witnessed a good beginning. Children’s classes had been inaugurated and there were some active youth teachers. By December, 1969, an additional Bahá’í property was acquired at Paraguaipoa for use as a Teaching Institute and a significant number of new Negro believers had embraced the Cause in the Barlovento area. Progress continued to be reported in the important work of teaching among the indigenous people and in May, 1970, alone, more than one thousand Guajiro Indians enrolled in the Faith. A typical report written during the period described the first all—Guajiro conference as “a tremendous success”. In attendance were more than two hundred Guajiro Indians as well as a Guajibo Indian teacher from the Amazon territory. “Men and women

[Page 242]242

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A group of Bahá’ís at the Bahá’í T eaching Institute held in the Guajira, Venezuela; November, 1970. T 0 the right, back row, is seen Mr. Donald R. Witzel of the Continental Board of Counsellors in South America.

alike,” the report stated, “pledged themselves to undertake expansion teaching projects in both Venezuela and Colombia. The conference site was the model community of Los Mochos where the newly finished Local Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds was dedicated and inaugurated. A visit was paid to the first Venezuelan Bahá’í cemetery at Los Mochos and to the Teaching Institute.” It was noted that there were 1 10 Local Assemblies in the Guajira area many of which were functioning in an exemplary fashion.

At Riḍván, 1971, the labours of the Venezuelan community were rewarded as they saw their “daughter” community come into being with the establishment of the National Spiritual Assembly of Trinidad and Tobago.

In December, 1972, a Temple site was acquired in Caracas, and an additional goal was achieved through the publication of Bahá’í' prayers in the Yaruro language. Significant gains were reported among the Carina Indians some of whom were actively teaching among their own people.

At Riḍván, 1973, a highly meritorious record of achievements had been established. Having commenced the Nine Year Plan with only six Local Assemblies and only forty-two localities opened to the Faith, the community more than tripled the numbers called for in the Nine Year Plan—167 Local Assemblies were formedt Bahá’ís resided in 464 localities, and the number of Bahá’ís had increased eight times.

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243

C. ASIA

Asia, that massive giant of continents, comprises 17,000,000 square miles stretching from polar wastes to regions of tropical abundance and is the home of more than fifty-six per cent of the world’s population. In this great continent the Bahá’í Revelation was born; its soil was drenched with the blood of thousands of martyrs and upon it were enacted scenes of the most bitter persecution, violent oppression and sublime heroism the infant Cause has experienced. Within Asia’s great land mass lie countries which were the first to hear of the Teachings of Baha’u’llah and on its western boundary lies the Holy Land where, at Bahjí, is found “the heart and Qiblih Of the Bahá’í world.” Asia was the first continent to see a Mashriqu’l-Ad_hk2’1r,1 “symbol and precursor of a future world civilization,” raised to the glory of God at ‘Iflqabéd, Turkistan, a centre founded in the days of Baha’u’llah. This structure, initiated circa 1902 by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and fostered by Him at every stage of its development, described by Shoghi Effendi as one of “the outstanding achievements” associated with His ministry, was, tragically, expropriated in 1938, sustained eathquake damage a decade later,

underwent subsequent deterioration and was razed in 1963.

Despite the disabilities which have affected the Cause in Asia the Nine Year Plan witnessed an efl‘ioresence the result of which has been that today more than one-half of the Bahá’ís of the world are found here, more than one-half of the localities where Bahá’ís reside are situated in Asia and nearly one-half of the existing Local Spiritual Assemblies are located there.2

Nowhere in Asia does the star of the Cause shine more brightly than in India, a country whose teeming masses have demonstrated a receptivity to the Bahá’í Teachings which justifies the spiritual distinctions showered upon it through it having been the host of distinguished teachers sent there during the ministries, and at the behest of, the Báb, Baha’u’llah and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. The tree of the Cause in India, so attentively nurtured, suddenly burst into bloom just before 1963 and now shelters one-quarter of the Bahá’í centres in the world.

There follows a report ofdevelopments in the Asian countries in the period under review.

Western Asia

AFGHANISTAN

The goal assigned to the National Spiritual Assembly of Persia—that of establishing an independent National Assembly in Afghanistan—was successfully achieved at Riḍván, 1972. Mr. Hadi Rahmani of the Continental Board of Counsellors in Western Asia represented the Universal House of Justice on this occasion. The seat of the newly-formed National Assembly is Kabul; its homefront consists of Afghanistan only.

The goals given to the community ofAfghanistan included the formation of four Local Spiritual Assemblies and increasing the number of localities where Bahá’ís reside to nine. At Riḍván, 1973, the National Spiritual Assembly reported that four Local Assemblies had been established and the goal of increasing localities

1 See “The Razing of the Mashriqu’l-Adllkar of ‘ngabad", The Bahá’í World, vol. XIV, pp. 479—481.

was exceeded by four, making a total of thirteen centres opened to the Faith in Afghanistan.

BANGLADESH

Formerly known as East Pakistan, the Bahá’í community in this land developed under the aegis of various Regional National Spiritual Assemblies from 1923 until its emergence as an independent national Bahá’í community at Riḍván, 1972, with its seat in Dacca. Mrs. Shirin Boman of the Continental Board of Counsellors in South Central Asia represented the Universal House of J ustice at the inaugural Convention.

Beginning in 1968 pioneer families settled in Bangladesh and travelling teachers from Paki 2See “Expansion and Consolidation of the Bahá’í Faith—Information Statistical and Comparative, Riḍván, 1973", p. 291.

[Page 244]l7]SV uxaxsa/M

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245

The Vice-President of India, His Excellency G. S. Pathak, received the Hands of the Cause

‘Ali-Akbar Furu’tan and Dr. Rahmatu’lláh Muhájir (far left and right respectively) during their visit to India in 1969. Also seen are Auxiliary Board member Dr. Perin Olyai and Dr. K . K. Bhargava, Chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of India.

stan and elsewhere assisted the development of the teaching work which gained in momentum with particularly exciting responses in the rural areas, the Hill Tracts and among the Tipura people. In 1972 there were eleven Local Spiritual Assemblies. This number doubled within a year. During the months of political unrest, the National Spiritual Assembly reported, “conditions were abnormal and it was difficult to continue regular activities and the only instrument in the hands of the friends was prayer; but during these times many souls embraced the Cause and the believers stood like firm rocks, exhibited exemplary conduct and fully demonstrated the non-prejudicial character of the Faith.” When conditions made it possible, Bahá’í literature was presented to the President and Prime Minister and to various government officials. The first broadcast took place at Riḍván, 1972, when Radio Bangladesh carried a talk on the Faith in Bengali. The National Spiritual Assembly achieved incorporation and thirteen Local Assemblies were registered. Recognition of Bahá’í marriage was also achieved in 1972.

“Like their fellow youth in other lands,” the

National Spiritual Assembly commented, “the Bahá’í youth in Bangladesh were very active in this period, travelling far and wide throughout the country, in groups and alone, proclaiming the Faith in educational institutions, to dignitaries and among various ethnic groups and minorities. The youth are the main organizers, participants and even teachers in every teaching and deepening programme of the National Assembly. The National Youth Committee organized the first Winter School in Bangladesh in December, 1972. In some areas special classes and activities have been arranged for women and children.”

In addition to achieving its property goals the Bangladesh community considerably enriched Bahá’í literature in Bengali.

INDIA Even in the lifetime of Baha’u’llz'lh, the Faith was established in India, and the work there developed under various Regional National Assemblies from 1923 until the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of India was formed in 1959 with its seat in New Delhi.

[Page 246]

The Hand of the Cause Dr. Adelbert Miihlsc

hlegel (centre), Mrs. Mühlschlegel, and other

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Bahá’í'friends attending a teaching conference in a village ofAndhra Pradesh, India; 1969.

The veteran community of India, in the Nine Year Plan, successfully met its international goals of assisting in the establishment of National Spiritual Assemblies in Nepal and Sikkim; assisting in the acquisition of National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Nepal, Sikkim and the Gambia; establishing one Local Assembly and opening two localities in Bhutan. An impressive number of pioneers settled in posts in nine countries abroad and thirteen travelling teachers undertook circuits for three to six months in Africa in response to the call of the Universal House of Justice.

Within India, a national endowment was acquired; the number of localities where Bahá’ís reside was raised to 22,283 (being 2,283 in excess of the goal); Local Assemblies were increased to 4,404 (surpassing the goal by 404); more than ten thousand new believers were provided an opportunity to deepen their knowledge of the Faith through their attendance at four Teaching Institutes; Bahá’í literature was translated into eleven major indigenous languages, and Bahá’í education was made available to hundreds of children and youth through attendance at New Era High School, the Rabbani School and forty-five village schools.

The teaching successes in India, which in an earlier period astonished the entire Bahá’í world, continued at an impressive pace.

“During the period covered by this survey," the National Spiritual Assembly reported, “though the attention was mainly concentrated on consolidating the goals achieved and strengthening of the administrative founda-‘ tion, the teaching work continued with the: cooperation of a large number of student pioneers and travelling teachers from other countries and mainly from Persia and Malaysia. Local teachers and friends were trained and teamed up with the pioneers from abroad and many new localities in various parts of the country were opened to the Faith. Approximately 157,000 persons were enrolled as believers and thousands deepened their knowledge of the Faith through a correspondence course introduced for this purpose.”

Under the auspices of the National Youth Committee, national youth conferences were held and the youth periodical Glory was estabblished and is growing in popularity within India and among Bahá’í youth abroad. Deepening classes, firesides, proclamation programmes, exhibits, Summer/Winter schools were some of the main features of youth activity during the period. A large number of local youth committees began functioning. The Western Asia Youth Conference described elsewhere in this volume1 attracted the attendance of more than three hundred youth from

1 See p. 335.

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The Hand of the C ause William Sears (standing left) addressing the Bahá’í Summer School of Persia;.luly, 1970.

ten countries, infused a fresh impetus into the young Indian Bahá’ís to teach their contemporaries in universities and colleges and led to the establishment of a successful, sustained and systematic teaching project aimed at this purpose.

Through various media of publicity and proclamation, thousands throughout India 1eceived the Message and a planned follow-up programme was undertaken through correspondence. The Proclamation ofBa/ui’u’lláh was presented to a very large number of officials in Central and State Governments, including Ministers and Governors. Radio, television and the press publicized the Faith in sympathetic interviews, articles and feature stories.

In its assessment of the period under review the National Spiritual Assembly stated that “characteristic trends were the strengthening of the functioning of the administrative order and especially the Regional Teaching Committees, the bringing to maturity of Local Spiritual Assemblies and the organizing of student teaching and deepening projects.”

IRAN Prior to 1934 Bahá’í affairs in the cradle of the Faith were directed by the Local (Central)

Spiritual Assembly of Ṭihrán because conditions were not propitious for the election of the Bahá’í community’s national governing body. In 1934, restrictions having been relaxed to some degree, the first elected National Spiritual Assembly was formed with its seat in Ṭihrán.

Despite the difficulties that still obtain in Iran on account of the persecution of the Bahá’ís and the lack of recognition of the Cause as an independent world religion, the Persian believers registered impressive achievements during the Nine Year Plan and successfully fulfilled their goals both at home and abroad. In compensation for the disabilities under which they function the Persian community, in the period under review, sent out some 3,500 pioneers to fill both domestic and international goals, and some five thousand travelling teachers. More than 1,300 gatherings were held for Bahá’ís and selected friends, and approximately seven hundred teacher training classes were sponsored. Concerted efforts were made to reach minority groups within the country, as a result of which a few hundred became Bahá’ís, and approximately 2,300 people embraced the Faith as a result of private inquiry and attendance at fireside meetings.

[Page 248]248

Although prohibited to print books, 184 titles, as well as regular Bahá’í periodicals and newsbulletins, were produced by mimeography and other means.

During the period the Persian community continued to exercise its blessed responsibility to acquire, maintain and safeguard historic sites and holy places associated with the birth and rise of the Bahá’í dispensation. These precious sites are visited by an ever-growing flow of pilgrims from around the world as circumstances permit.

The vital task of indexing the Bahá’í Writings was pursued actively by a committee appointed for this purpose. It was reported that in the last half—decade 1,801 Tablets Of Bahá’u’lláh, 5,675 Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and 1,206 letters of Shoghi Effendi were listed and their contents classified.

Among the significant developments witnessed during the period under review was a considerable advance in the progress of Bahá’í women. As a result of intensified activities the special Committee charged with this responsibility held special training classes ; extracts from the Writings were compiled relating to such subjects as family life and the status of women;

THE Bahá’í WORLD

a highly popular magazine for Bahá’í women was produced regularly; circuit tours were made throughout the country to assist with women’s programmes in various areas; allwomen’s conferences were held; and women were increasingly encouraged to play important roles as teachers, pioneers and administrators. It was reported that by Riḍván, 1973, the efforts of the Committee had to all intents and purposes effectively eradicated illiteracy among Bahá’í women under the age of forty throughout iran.

The Bahá’í Children’s Education Committee continued its programme on an ever—expanding scale, maintaining regular classes, preparing special materials for use in training children, and, in the period under discussion, establishing a monthly Bahá’í magazine for children the standard of which won it wide popularity in the Bahá’í community and a growing demand on the part of non—Bahá’í ' parents.

Bahá’í youth were very active. More than 120 programmes for Bahá’í youth were arranged; classes, Summer Schools and conferences were held; two specially organized groups of youth visited the Holy Land on pilgrimage; Persian

The Hand of the Cause ‘Ali Akbar Furu’tan (second row centre) with delegates and friends

attending the first Annual C onvention for the election of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Nepal; April, 1972.

[Page 249]INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF Bahá’í ACTIVITIES

Bahá’í youth made generous financial contributions to the National Fund as well as to youth programmes in other countries, and in the past five years sent out more than 1,500 homefront pioneers and more than one hundred pioneers to foreign goals. With the approval of the National Spiritual Assembly an agency was created to provide scholarships for deserving Bahá’í youth to enable them to pursue their education.

NEPAL

Between 1923 and 1972, the Faith in Nepal developed under various Regional National Spiritual Assemblies and, under the guidance of its “mother” community, India, it emerged as an independent National Spiritual Assembly in 1972 with its seat in Katmandu. The Hand of the Cause ‘Ali-Akbar Furiitan was the representative of the Universal House of Justice at the inaugural Convention.

Teaching work developed slowly in Nepal, the National Spiritual Assembly reported. Travelling teachers visited in 1945 and in subsequent years but the Faith “slumbered in the hearts of those who loved it until pioneers settled in the late sixties”. Warm appreciation is expressed to the Hands of the CauseAdelbert Mühlschlegel, Collis Featherstone and Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir—who visited Nepal in the period under review, to the Continental Board of Counsellors, the pioneers and travelling teachers whose visits, the National Assembly stated, “gave the Cause a great impetus”. Youth took an active part in the teaching work and were encouraged in this activity by the National Teaching Committee. By 1972, Nepal was able to fulfil] the minimum conditions set by the Universal House of Justice for the formation of the National Spiritual Assembly. It was reported that nineteen Local Spiritual Assemblies existed including those of Katmandu, Bhaktapur, Biratnagar and Birganj.

Indicative of the progress of the Faith in Nepal is the fact that at Riḍván, 1973, the National Assembly reported that forty-one Local Assemblies had been formed, Bahá’ís resided in forty-four localities, and the membership of the Bahá’í community had more than doubled. The National Spiritual Assembly’s review concluded: “The progress of the Faith at this time is growing apace both in the rural and urban areas of Nepal.”

249

PAKISTAN

After developing under various Regional National Assemblies the Bahá’í community of Pakistan elected its National Spiritual Assembly in 1957, its jurisdiction embracing West Pakistan and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). Bangladesh became an independent community in 1972 leaving the National Spiritual Assembly of Pakistan, with its seat in Karachi.

The last five years of the Nine Year Plan witnessed dramatic progress of the Faith in Pakistan. At Riḍván, 1968, there were twentythree Local Spiritual Assemblies and Bahá’ís resided in sixty-eight localities. Important statistical gains were recorded at Riḍván, 1973, by which time 112 Local Spiritual Assemblies were established, four of them in Baluchistan, and Bahá’ís resided in 228 homefront localities and eleven localities in Baluchistan. In addition, twenty-four Local Assemblies had achieved incorporation. Bahá’í literature was increased in Urdu and Sindhi, teaching among minorities was actively pursued and representatives of the Surabi tribe of Baluchistan embraced the Cause. The Bahá’í youth of Pakistan were encouraged to arise and take their full part in the work of the Cause and their efforts yielded rich rewards. The members of the National Spiritual Assembly displayed leadership by actively participating in the teaching programmes and reports received in the period under review indicated that throughout the community there was reflected a growing awareness of the golden opportunities open before the believers to teach the Cause.

SIKKIM

The inaugual Convention for the election of the National Spiritual Assembly of Sikkim was held in 1967. Its seat is in Gangtok. The Faith developed in Sikkim under a succession of Regional National Spiritual Assemblies until its emergence as an independent community.

At the time of its formation, the National Spiritual Assembly reported that there were forty-three Local Spiritual Assemblies and the Faith had been established in 112 localities. At Riḍván, 1973, it was stated that eighty Local Assemblies existed and the number of localities where Bahá’ís reside had grown to more than four hundred.

The five years under review were character [Page 250]THE Bahá’í WORLD

Some Bahá’ís of C eylon gathered at the site of the future Mashriqu’l-Aflkdr of C eylon;

.- ‘ .. ' a

Naw-Rtiz, 1973.

ized by a strengthening of the foundation of the Bahá’í administrative order in Sikkim, a process in which the Continental Board of Counsellors played a vital role particularly through the visits of Mrs. Shirin Boman. It was noted that there exists in Sikkim a remarkable degree of receptivity to the Faith and that the use of Bahá’í youth teachers was a significant factor in the accomplishment of the goals of the Plan in that country.

SRI LANKA

Known as Ceylon until 1972, the work in this area developed under various Regional National Spiritual Assemblies from 1923 until an independent National Spiritual Assembly was established in 1962 with its seat in Colombo. Included in itsjurisdiction are the Maldive Islands.

“The period from 1968 to 1973 marked a steady progress in teaching and proclaiming the Faith in Sri Lanka,” the National Spiritual Assembly reported, “as a result of which approximately two thousand people accepted the Bahá’í Faith.” Achievements under the Nine Year Plan included the incorporation of the National Spiritual Assembly and acquisition ofa Temple site in 1972; the enrichment of

Bahá’í literature in Sinhalese and Tamil; establishment and publication of a monthly Bahá’í newsletter; the extension of teaching work among minority groups including the Veddhas; intensification of mass teaching programmes particularly in rural areas; an increase in the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies and localities where Bahá’ís reside and the sending of travelling teachers to the Maldive Islands.

Bahá’í youth were reported to be very active in Sri Lanka and a number of significant conferences were organized by the National Youth Committee. General teaching conferences were also held resulting in an increased participation by local believers in teaching programmes. Members of the community enthusiastically supported Summer and Winter Schools.

“The visits of several Hands of the Cause, Counsellors and visiting Bahá’í teachers”, the National Spiritual Assembly said, “were of great assistance in propagating the Faith in Sri Lanka. Many distinguished citizens attended Bahá’í public lectures and cordial relations with the news media resulted in publicity through the local press and Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation.”

The Bahá’ís of Sri Lanka actively participated in Observances of United Nations Day

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Bahá’í Summer School of'Turkey; 1968. The Hand of the C ause Tardzu’lláh Samandari is seen seated in the centre.

and Human Rights Day and representatives of the United Nations took part in Bahá’í sponsored events.

Classes for children were established in the period under review and a special programme for “Children’s Day”, held at the National Centre, attracted the attendance of children from various parts of Sri Lanka.

“In addition to the blessings of Bahá’u’llz’th and the prayers and guidance of the Universal House of Justice,” the National Spiritual Assembly concluded, “the cooperation extended to the National Assembly by the believers in Sri Lanka enabled our community to make rapid progress in the last half-decade.”

TURKEY

The National Spiritual Assembly of Turkey was established at Riḍván, 1959, with its seat in

Istanbul. lts jurisdiction extends to Imroz Is'land, Bozca Ada and Marmara.

During the Nine Year Plan the Bahá’ís of Turkey succeeded in achieving their homefront goals including the acquisition of three local Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds, one of which is situated in a village which Bahá’u’lláh passed through on His way to exile in ‘Akká. They also acquired a Bahá’í cemetery.

Youth and children’s classes were held regularly during the last half of the Plan and teaching activity proceeded with particularly successful results among the ‘Alaviyyih, a religious minority.

The process of obtaining recognition of the Faith as an independent religion was taken a step further through the Bahá’ís successfully appealing to the court for the right to change the designation on their identity cards from “Muslim” to “Bahá’í”.

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[Page 253]INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF Bahá’í ACTIVITIES

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South East Asia

BURMA

Burma was opened to the Faith during the time of Bahá’u’lláh. Three early believers, Hájí Siyyid Mihdi, Jamél Effendi and Siyyid Mustafa Rfimi, were the first to arrive, circa 1878.1 The Bahá’í community there was under the jurisdiction of various Regional National Spiritual Assemblies until the emergence in 1959 of the independent National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Burma with its seat in Rangoon.

Asked to raise in the Nine Year Plan the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies to thirty and the localities where Bahá’ís reside to ninetyfive, the National Spiritual Assembly reported at Riḍván, 1973, that these objectives had been surpassed through the formation of eightyeight Local Assemblies and the opening of 245 localities. Other accomplishments included the erection of a Local Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds at Layde through the labours of the community and members of the National Spiritual Assembly; the maintenance of regular classes for women,

1 See ”An Account of the Services of Siyyid Mustafé Rflmi”, The Bahá’í World, V01. x, p. 5I7.

youth and children; the enrollment of representatives of the Chin, Karen and Shan tribes; enrichment of the literature of the Faith through translation into Burmese and the mobilization of Bahá’í youth as a highly efiective teaching force participating fully in the winning of the goals. In 1971, for instance, the National Spiritual Assembly reported, “more than forty youth visited fifty villages in the thirty mile distance between Rangoon and Daidanaw en route to the National Convention, teaching and distributing literature, and on their return visit enrolled new believers in the Faith.”

EASTERN MALAYSIA AND BRUNEI

The National Spiritual Assembly was established in 1972 with its seat in Kuching, Sarawak. The Hand of the Cause Jalél Lhézeh represented the Universal House of Justice on this occasion.

“The last five years of the global Plan saw an unprecedented expansion in the number of Local Assemblies and localities opened to the

Mr. Yan. Kee Leong of the C onlinental Board of Counsellors in South-eastern Asia with the first two C hinese to accept the Bahá’í Faith in Burma.

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Faith in East Malaysia, mainly in Sarawak,” the National Spiritual Assembly commented. “In 1968 the number of Local Assemblies stood at twenty-five and there were 139 groups. In the next half—decade and especially during the last twenty-four months of the Plan these figures multiplied with a spurt to stand at 136 and 506 respectively.

“The Cause has gained a fair amount of recognition in Sarawak where the Government has formally granted permission for Bahá’í children to absent themselves from school on Bahá’í Holy Days. The Government calendar lists the Holy Days and tourist brochures mention the Cause in Sarawak. The Faith is listed in publicity material distributed by the Government and we have been allowed Bahá’í broadcasts over Radio Malaysia (Sarawak) since 1969. In Brunei State, however, the Cause is discouraged or under ban and in Sabah there is no move towards recognition.”

Discussing the teaching work the National Spiritual Assembly related that “the most inspiring development has been the gradual assumption by the native believers of Sarawak of the work of teaching and assisting to develop the institutions of the Faith. A handful of devoted believers from West Malaysia have helped lay the foundation but these friends are

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MALAYSIA BAHAI CONVNE AUM| PI'N-M‘W Ila yin A‘VSIA TIIIL P

THE Bahá’í WORLD

too few to serve the vast number of believers scattered over hundreds of localities. In many divisions of Sarawak, local believers, Ibans mainly, are responsible f01 teaching. These men and women travelled long distances, in most instances at their own expense and under difficult circumstances, to ensure Local Assembly elections and to encourage the friends who now live in 712 localities. Youth are the mainstay of the corps of teachers. In addition to travelling to near and distant communities they helped to conduct classes for adults and children, their services often being requested by the Local Spiritual Assembly. Toward the end of the Plan some youth worked on farms owned by Local Spiritual Assemblies and deputized others to travel teach.”

The National Spiritual Assembly reported a growing awareness on the part of the believers of their separate identity as members of the Bahá’í community and an increased effort to bring their lives into conformity with Bahá’í teachings.

LAOS

The National Spiritual Assembly of Laos marked the second year of its existence at Riḍván, 1968, its community having been, since 1957, part of various regional communi rigs;

"I'll iii III

The Hand of the C ause Jaldl K_hdze/1 (centre, holding the Greatest Name) with delegates and friends attending the first Annual C onvention fbr the election of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Eastern Malaysia and Brunei; April, 1972.

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255

The Hand of the Cause H. C ollis Featherstone (centre rear) with same Bahá’ís Of Vientiane,

Laos; October, 1970.

ties until its emergence in 1967 as an independent Bahá’í community with its seat in Vientiane. In describing the development of the Faith in Laos the National Spiritual Assembly commented that “the teaching work was exceedingly slow and was confined to some tribal areas, a few villages and some towns until 1968 which marked a turning point . . . the years of patience were rewarded when war refugees proved receptive and accepted the Faith in large numbers. Teaching progress continued to accelerate towards the end of the Nine Year Plan leading to the challenges confronting every community which experiences mass conversion.” At the suggestion of the Government ministry dealing with religious affairs within the country, the Spiritual Assembly presented Bahá’í literature to a number of high-ranking government officials. The Bahá’ís of Laos have enjoyed very cordial relations with the Government and travellingteachers have been provided with identity cards to facilitate their journeys. In addition to creating a publishing committee, enriching Bahá’í literature in Lao and achieving the goals relating to acquisition of properties, the community exceeded its objective of forming thirty-six Local Spiritual Assemblies through the establishment of 105, at

Riḍván, 1973, at which time Bahá’ís resided in 601 localities throughout the country. In January, 1969, the National Spiritual Assembly was incorporated under the name “Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Laos”; in 1973 the civil authorities granted recognition of Bahá’í marriage and Bahá’í Holy Days; and two additional Local Assemblies were incorporated, Savannakhet in 1970 and Luang Prabang in 1973.

Assessing the period being surveyed the Spiritual Assembly of Laos commented: “Although there have been few youth activities, and programmes for the Bahá’í education of children were hampered by lack of capable teachers, in the last year of the Plan children’s classes were established with great success, primarily among children in refugee Villages. How gratifying to have these children greet you warmly with ‘Alláh-u—Abhá’, recite Bahá’í prayers by heart, confidently repeat the English alphabet or produce a simple art work!”

MALAYSIA The original goals given to Malaysia in 1964, at the opening of the Nine Year Plan, as well as the supplementary goals assigned by the

[Page 256]256

Universal House of Justice were all accomplished and many—such as raising the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies, increasing the number of localities where Bahá’ís reside, providing pioneers, acquiring property and producing translations and publications—were exceeded. Although no Malaysian pioneers were called for at the outset of the Plan, in response to later appeals from the Universal House of J ustice pioneers were sent to a number of countries abroad and Malaysian students have taken an active part in Bahá’í communities in countries where they are studying. The objective of publishing Bahá’í literature in five indigenous languages was surpassed with the translation of the Bahá’í Writings into Semelai and Temuan. In addition to acquiring a National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds and a Teaching Institute, three other Local Bahá’í Centres were obtained and numerous Local Centres were built by the jungle-dwelling Orang Asli (or “original people”), the Aboriginals of Malaysia.

Although a vigorous programme of teaching was conducted in urban centres, among Tamilspeaking people employed on estates 0r plantations, and among the Chinese, the National Spiritual Assembly reported that “perhaps the area of greatest success has been among the Asli. Regular contributions to the National Assembly come from many of these communities. A newsletter in Malay is sent to all Asli communities each Bahá’í month and a recent major achievement was the registration of two Local Assemblies in Asli areas, under the Societies Act—the first official recognition accorded the Asli Bahá’ís. Success in teaching during the five years under review has been primarily due to systematic short-term plans of two or three months’ duration. The participation of youth was also an important factor in the achievement of the goals. They played a predominant role in all activities, especially since 1967 when their activities began to be directed by the effective leadership of the National Bahá’í Youth Committee whose monthly newsletter helps establish their identity in the Malaysian Bahá’í community. The youth have been most successful in teaching their own age groups in schools, colleges and universities and a number of Campus Bahá’í Societies have been formed including one in the University of Singapore largely through the efforts of a Malaysian pioneer. Children’s

THEBAHA’I’WORLD

classes were conducted in many urban and 21 few estate communities and experiments with classes for older children approaching the age when their declaration of faith would be registered proved very successful.

“Although entry by troops had already been experienced,” the Malaysian report continued, “acceptance of the Faith by the masses really got underway in Malaysia in December, 197] . The first wave of mass teaching moved into Singapore and the large increase in the number of believers assisted the National Assembly of that country to achieve legal recognition of Bahá’í marriage. In many ways, 1972 was a significant year. At Riḍván of that year Malay sia achieved the important task of assisting the Republic of Singapore and the territories of East Malaysia and Brunei to achieve National Assembly status. Malaysia continued its responsibility for the fulfilment of the original goals of the Plan. A milestone in the maturity and progress of the Malaysian community was marked, it is felt, by the participation of six of our community, three of them members of the National Assembly, in the African pioneering programme in September, 1972.”

In an effort to meet the challenge of consolidating the rapid progress of the last half-decade the National Assembly inaugurated institute; designed to provide opportunities for deep study of the Writings, increased literature in the vernacular languages and established a correspondence course. Malaysian Bahá’í News has become an imaginative and effective means of communicating with the community and a growing number of newsletters have been published in various languages at the local level. The National Spiritual Assembly noted that teaching and consolidation work at the local, state and national levels is increasingly undertaken in a spirit of service and sacrifice often without financial assistance from the national body and the community has recognized the: growing need to assist the neighbouring Bahá’í communities of Thailand, Singapore antl Eastern Malaysia.

Concluding its report of the period the National Spiritual Assembly stated: “The most significant trend has been the increasing participation by youth in all fields of activity at the local, regional and national levels, and their enthusiasm has served as an inspiration to the entire community.”

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THE PHILIPPINES

The Bahá’í community of the Philippines, administered by the Regional National Spiritual Assembly of South East Asia from 1957 until 1964, in the latter year elected its independent National Spiritual Assembly with its seat in Manila.

“The years 1968—1973 saw the extension of the Faith into an additional 1,868 localities, the opening of twenty-three cities, twenty-one provinces and twelve islands,” the National Assembly reported. In the same period a new National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds was constructed and Local Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds were acquired in each of the eight major islands. In addition, smaller centres were built by Bahá’ís in the villages. Recognition of Bahá’í marriage was obtained in 1968 and seven universities exempted Bahá’í students from attendance on Bahá’í Holy Days.

The National Spiritual Assembly recorded warm appreciation of the visits of a number of the Hands of the Cause and paid tribute to a programme “initiated by the Hand of the Cause Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir under which sixty-four young Iranians came to the Philippines to enrol in university, thus combining pioneering with further study. The first to come arrived in 1967; three of those who graduated have since settled in other pioneering posts in Asia.” Assuming an increasingly mature role in the development of the Cause, the Philippines sent out a number of pioneers to foreign posts and for seven months Auxiliary Board member Alfredo Ramirez assisted in East and West Africa.

At the suggestion of the Hand of the Cause Collis Featherstone information about the Faith was provided to all high-ranking leaders of the Government. As a direct result, a very cordial letter was received from the office of the Chief of the National Constabulary.

“In 1972,” the National Spiritual Assembly commented, “by what could only have been a mysterious working of Providence, the Philippine community was stirred to profound depths of grief and renewed dedication by the sacrifice of three Persian youthsl who gave their lives while teaching the Faith.

“The second half of the Nine Year Plan witnessed the beginning ofa new phenomenon, the mass enrollment of youth. In August, 1970,

1See “In Memoriam”, Parvíz Sadiqi, Faramarz

Vujdání, Parvíz Furtighi, p. 514.

257

the first youth teaching team was organized, Bahá’í students leaving their own schools to teach among fellow students. Within six months the astounding number of 3,100 students in five universities had accepted the Faith. The susceptibility of youth to the Bahá’í teachings is being discovered in all strata. Bahá’í youth began to assume positions of responsibility on National Committees and in the administrative work, evincing a growing sense of self—reliance and the desire to serve.”

A notable event of the period was the preparation of a series of one-minute radio dramas as a means of proclaiming the Faith and requests for the scripts of these were received from nineteen National Spiritual Assemblies. In 1968, approximately two thousand persons had enrolled in the correspondence course offered in English and three local languages; by 1973, the number of subscribers had increased to more than four thousand, a factor which the National Spiritual Assembly feels assisted in deepening the knowledge of the masses of new believers. It was reported that Bahá’í courses (for credits) were given in three high schools and that at least ten Local Spiritual Assemblies formed and conducted children’s classes.

Bahá’í literature in languages indigenous to the Philippines was considerably enriched in the period through the translation and/or publication of material in Ilocano, Tagalog, Cebuano, Waray, l-liligaynon, Bicol, KalingaApayao, Bilaan, Ata and Manobo. “Increasingly,” the National Spiritual Assembly concluded, “we are becoming aware of the need to deepen individually, to make singular efforts to serve the Cause and to develop strong Local Spiritual Assemblies.”

SINGAPORE

Formerly under the jurisdiction of the Regional National Spiritual Assemblies of South East Asia (19574964) and of Malaysia (1964—1972) the Bahá’í community of Singapore elected its own National Spiritual Assembly in 1972, with its seat in Singapore. The Hand of the Cause Jalal Qazeh represented the Universal House of Justice at the inaugural Convention. Four women were elected to this first national body. At Riḍván, 1968, two Local Spiritual Assemblies had been estab [Page 258]258

lished, at Queenstown and Serangoon. In the following years a steady expansion of the administrative foundation of the Cause was experienced and by Riḍván, 1972, the number of Local Assemblies had increased to seven. As a result of a plan of reorganization of the administrative units in Singapore, suggested by the Universal House of Justice in August, 1972, the number of Spiritual Assemblies was reduced to five.

As early as 1969 the expansion of the Faith among youth gave rise to the holding of the South East Asia Bahá’í Youth Conference in Singapore. The following year a Bahá’í Society was formed at Singapore University.

The year 1971 was marked by island-wide proclamation related to the Oceanic Conference held in Singapore in January.1 In December of that year the first Bahá’í Winter School was held.

Among the objectives achieved in the Nine Year Plan were the acquisition of a National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds, recognition of Bahá’í Holy Days (published in the official Government Gazette), and translation and /or publication of Bahá’í literature in Chinese.

THAILAND

Under the aegis of the Regional National Spiritual Assembly of South East Asia since 1957, Thailand elected its independent National Spiritual Assembly in 1964 with its seat in Bangkok.

Among the significant achievements in the last five years of the Nine Year Plan were the incorporation of the National Spiritual Assembly; the acquisition of a National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds and endowment; obtaining recognition of Bahá’í Holy Days in relation to students attending the Bahá’í school in Yasothon; enhanced diversity of the Bahá’í community through the enrollment of representatives of the Yao, Mauser, Yaw and Khon Muang tribes; an increase in participation of Bahá’í youth in the activities of the community and the enrichment of Bahá’í literature in Thai.

The period was marked by a high degree of cooperation with the Continental Board of Counsellors in South-eastern Asia.

1 See “Unity in Diversity", p. 296.

THEBAHA’i WORLD

VIETNAM

The Faith in Vietnam had developed under the Regional National Spiritual Assembly of South East Asia between 1957 and 1964 and in the last year the National Assembly of Vietnam came into being with its seat in Saigon. A reallocation of territory took place in 1969 since which time its jurisdiction has comprised on y Vietnam.

At the midway point in the Plan there were 176 Local Spiritual Assemblies and the Faith had been established in 720 localities in Vietnam; the National Spiritual Assembly ha (1 achieved incorporation as had sixty Loc 1] Assemblies; a National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds and endowment had been acquired; Bahá’í literature had been enriched through the translati( n and/or publication of material in a number of indigenous languages including Nhung, Rhad e, Meo and Thaidam; recognition of Bahá’í Ho 3/ Days and Bahá’í marriage had been obtained from the civil authorities; and there had been vigorously pursued a programme for the 6(tension of Bahá’í education to youth and children through the establishment of village schools and the translation and publication of special materials for children.

The Faith continued to expand at a remarkable pace in the years under review and increasingly the Bahá’í youth of Vietnam arose to play their part. A number of the Vietname~;e Bahá’ís attended, at their own expense, the Singapore Conference in January, 1971, ard the Assembly noted this as an indication of a maturing community.

At Riḍván, 1972, the National Spiritu 31 Assembly cabled:

DUE BAD COMMUNICATION UNDER SERIOUS WAR REQUEST CONSIDER ALL LOCAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES LOCALITIES REMAIN SAME TOTAL SIX HUNDRED TWENTY SEVEN LOCAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES AND NINE HUNDRED SEVENTY TWO LOCALITIES STOP . . . SUPPLICATE PRAYERS . . .

At the subsequent Riḍván the National Spiritual Assembly reported that all goals h;..d been achieved except, due to circumstances beyond their control, the acquisition of a Temple site, and that 687 Local Spiritual Assemblies had been formed and the Faith was established in 1,685 localities.

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259

‘HONG KONG

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KOREA

Korea was opened to the Faith during the ministry of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá by Agnes Baldwin Alexander1 and was administered by the Regional National Spiritual Assembly of North East Asia from 1957 until 1964 when the National Assembly of Korea was established with its seat in Seoul.

All the goals of the Nine Year Plan relating to expanding the Faith to three hundred localities and the establishing of one hundred Local Assemblies were accomplished. By Riḍván, 1973, the number of localities where Bahá’ís reside was 557, more than five times the number 1 See “In Memoriam”, p. 423.

at the beginning of the Plan and more than twice the number at Riḍván, 1968. The goal of opening localities was exceeded by five. The objective of teaching ethnic groups was accomplished by the conversion of Chinese—the only major ethnic group in Korea—in three cities. The number of believers in Korea more than doubled between 1968 and 1973 and represented a seven-fold increase from the beginning of the Plan. Whereas in 1968 Local Assemblies had been established in five Provinces of the country, all nine Provinces were covered at the end of the Plan.

Noteworthy strides towards the goal of universal participation were taken through an

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increased participation of youth and women in the affairs of the Cause. “The women believers, comprising only about thirty per cent of the community, began to evince their potential by participating in travel teaching which resulted in their gaining in knowledge and enthusiasm and youth became some of the key teachers,” the National Spiritual Assembly commented. The goal of world-wide proclamation was actively pursued through a series of public meetings in urban and rural areas, through distribution of approximately 120,000 pieces of Bahá’í literature and through introducing the Faith by means of mass media. Talks were given by prominent Bahá’ís throughout the country in universities, schools, and women’s organizations resulting in television interviews and newspaper publicity.

Among the most significant events were the Asian Youth Conference in December, 1968; the first teaching conference held under the joint auspices of the Continental Board of Counsellors and the National Assembly; the formation of the Bahá’í Club in Pusan City composed of 150 college students and organized by Auxiliary Board member Charles Duncan in 1970; and the four-day Post Oceanic Conference held in Seoul in September, 1971, which was attended by the Hand of the Cause Collis Featherstone, representing the Universal House of Justice, Counsellors from a number of zones and Bahá’ís from thirteen countries including 150 believers from Persia and three hundred Korean Bahá’ís. The conference commemorated the fiftieth anniversary of the revelation shortly before His passing in 1921 of the sole Tablet ‘Abdu’l-Bahá directed to Korea. Considerable publicity resulted from the conference.

Bahá’í literature in Korean was enriched through the translation and/or publication of a number of titles including a correspondence course; the property goals were achieved; and the National Spiritual Assembly obtained incorporation and recognition of Bahá’í Holy Days and Bahá’í marriage. One evidence of increased recognition was the fact that the National Spiritual Assembly was asked to participate in the United Nations Day reception by the United Nations Commission for the Unification and Reconstruction of Korea. At the village level the exemplary community development of Dukpyong—ri, a farming village

THE BAHA’I’ WORLD

in Chungchong Namdo Province, was designated as “Radiant Village” by the Provincial Governor. The National Spiritual Assembly commented, “When the Bahá’í representatixe was asked at an official ceremony to explain the secret of the village he replied: ‘it’s very simple; we just try to follow the Teachings of Baha’u’llah and lead a Bahá’í life, that’s all.’ "

In 1970 The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh was presented to President Park Chung Hee who, in a cordial letter of acknowledgement, statec: “. . . at this moment when the existence of ma: 1kind itself is being menaced by thermonuclear weapons . . . we found a greatconsolation in this great teaching that foretold clearly . . . tle necessity of unity and friendship,”

In its report of activities in the period under review the National Spiritual Assembly paid tribute to the Hands of the Cause who visited Korea and expressed deep appreciation in particular to Dr. Rahmatu’lláh Muhájir “who visited at least six times and through his helpful advice inspired the friends to make more effective teaching plans and rise to higher levels of service.”

NORTH EAST ASIA

The National Spiritual Assembly of North East Asia came into being in 1957 with its sent in Tokyo and has experienced several changes of jurisdiction. In 1974 it will be dissolved with the formation of two National Spiritual Assemlies, Japan and Hong Kong.

Reviewing the last half of the Nine Year Plan, the National Spiritual Assembly stated: “Local Spiritual Assemblies, groups and isolated centres increased approximately threefold :n Japan and Hong Kong. The goals of the Nine Year Plan were accomplished, among them that of raising the number of Local Assemblies to sixty; opening the Ryukyu Islands to 1:116 Faith; translating and printing Bahá’í literature in Khalka Mongolian (official language of the People’s Republic of Mongolia); assisting with the acquisition of nine Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds 11 India and incorporating the National Spiritu 31 Assembly of Hong Kong.”

The property goals of the National Assemb ly were surpassed through the acquisition of an endowment and an additional local Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds. The first youth conference was held :n 1969 and periodic teaching conferences held .n different areas, and yearly two-day Summer

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fish

The Hand of the C ause Enoch Olinga (standing, third from the right) with some of the believers ofJapan. Shiradi, Hokkaido; December, 1970.

Schools reinforced enthusiasm in the teaching work.

“Group teaching, consolidation and proclamation activities were developed greatly. Teaching and consolidation teams travelled at intervals throughout Japan and Hong Kong with local believers participating actively.” In 1970 a concerted proclamation programme was launched under which half a million informative brochures were distributed in conjunction with “Expo ’70”, the six-month-long international exhibit organized by the Government of Japan. “Subsequently,” the report continued, “information centres were established in a few cities, several new pamphlets were printed and systematic mailing was done. The J apanese translation of The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh was presented to more than forty—five Prefectural Governors. Introductory material was sent to many leaders of thought throughout the country and press kits were provided to hundreds of newspapers and people in the communications media. There were presentations of books to libraries and information about the Faith was brought to the attention of school principals, students and people in various professions.”

261

i, ‘w? ‘5‘ MI? W 3 ‘ - u n. .L 't )

In the period covered by this survey Bahá’í literature in Japanese was considerably enriched and material designed to broaden the believers’ knowledge of the Faith was prepared and distributed to all Bahá’ís.

“The greatest single event to take place in this area during these years was the North Pacific Oceanic Conference1 held in September, 1971,” the National Assembly concluded. “In the wonderful spirit generated one could see the early glimmerings of the prophecies of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá concerning the great spiritual future of Japan.”

TAIWAN

The National Spiritual Assembly of Taiwan was formed in 1967 with its seat in Taipei. Formerly known as Formosa, the work in this area developed under the Regional National Spiritual Assembly of North East Asia from 1957 until 1967.

Assessing the period under scrutiny, the National Spiritual Assembly commented that the early difficulties experienced by this young community “served to deepen and broaden our

1 See “Unity in Diversity”, p. 296, for a report of this conference.

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THE BAHA’iWORLD

The Hand of the Cause H . Collis Featherstone presenting Bahd’z' literature to Mr. Henry Kao, Mayor of Taipei, Taiwan; May, 1972.

understanding of the spiritual verities of the Faith and led to a strengthening of the administrative foundation of the Cause.” Achievements recorded during the latter half of the Nine Year Plan included incorporation of the National Spiritual Assembly in 1970, a process in which the Hand of the Cause Collis Featherstone and representatives of the Counsellors and the Auxiliary Board were extremely helpful through their representations to the Ministry of the Interior about the appropriate translation of the name of the Assembly from

the Chinese; an increase in the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies; official recognition of Bahá’í marriage, in 1973; a marked acceleration of the teaching programme; and the establishment and registration in September, 1972!, of a Bahá’í Publishing Trust which produced a number of impressive pieces of Bahá’í literature in Chinese.

In 1971 the Bahá’ís cordially welcomed as a guest speaker at their Annual Convention a representative of the Taipei Special Municipality, Mr. Lee.

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263

D. AUSTRALASIA AND THE PACIFIC ISLANDS

Australasia

To adequately appreciate the miracles associated with the growth of the Faith of Bahá.’ ’lláh in this area one must have some concept of the vastness and character of the region. Lying wholly within the area referred to by geographers as the water hemisphere, that half of the globe which is less than twelve per cent land, it is bounded on the east by the Marquesas Islands and on the west by Western Australia; on the north by the Mariana Islands and the Hawaiian Islands and on the south by the South Island of New Zealand. The only large land mass is Australia which has an area roughly equivalent to that of the continental United States, but with only a fraction of its

population. Except for Papua/New Guinea and New Zealand, the other localities in the Pacific are, for the most part, relatively small islands with vast distances separating the various island groups.

At the beginning of the Nine Year Plan only five National Spiritual Assemblies had been formed: Australia, the Hawaiian Islands, New Zealand, the South Pacific Ocean and the South West Pacific Ocean, and two of these (the Hawaiian Islands and the South West Pacific Ocean) had just been elected. By the end of the Plan, in 1973, eleven National Spiritual Assemblies had been formed, the largest percentage of increase of any part of the world except

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[Page 264]264

Africa. When one realizes that Christianity did not come to the Pacific until the 18305, the growth of the Cause of Baha’u’llah here in the latter part of the twentieth century is all the more amazing.

The Pacific boasts at least two “firsts": the first reigning monarch to embrace the Faith1 and the first national community to win all the goals assigned to it under the Nine Year Plan.’2

AUSTRALIA

The contribution of Australia to the advancement of the Faith in the Pacific was very great. Pioneers and travelling teachers arose in greater and greater numbers throughout the Nine Year Plan, going to Papua/New Guinea, Fiji, the Solomons, Tonga, the Cook Islands, the Gilberts and Samoa. Without the manpower and funds supplied by the Australian Bahá’í community-it would not have been possible to win the goals in these islands.

However, the Australian homefront was lagging far behind its goals at Riḍván, 1968. The first four years of the Nine Year Plan had witnessed a net gain of one Local Spiritual Assembly. There were then thirty—one; the goal was sixty. But by Riḍván, 1973, Australia had its sixty Local Assemblies with one to spare; and the goal of 250 localities was also won.

It was during this period that Australia celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Australian continent to the Faith of Baha’u’llah with the arrival on April 18, 1920, ofJohn Henry and Clara Hyde Dunn. “Father" and “Mother” Dunn were later elevated to the rank of Hand of the Cause by Shoghi Effendi.3 The National Spiritual Assembly of Australia and New Zealand came into being in 1934 with its seat in Sydney and in 1957 New Zealand separated with the formation ofan independent National Spiritual Assembly.

The Australian Bahá’í youth were especially active during the latter part of the Nine Year Plan and contributed much to the achievement of the teaching goals. The first National Youth Conference was held at Yerrinbool School on April 4—6, 1969, and other conferences followed. One significant contribution of the youth was the teaching project in Portuguese

1 His Highness Malietoa Tanumafili ll of Western Samoa. See p. 180.

2 Fiji. See p. 270.

3 See The Balm"! World, vol. XIV, pp. 449, 453.

THE BAHA’I’ WORLD

Timor which resulted in the formation of two Local Spiritual Assemblies there, winning that important overseas goal.

The first moves towards the transfer of the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds from Sydney to the Temple area took place in 1972 with the sale of the former administrative building at Centennial Park and the setting up of temporary national headquarters at Mona Vale.

N EW ZEALAND

The National Spiritual Assembly of Austraha and New Zealand was formed in 1934. In 1957 an independent National Spiritual Assembly was established in New Zealand with its seat in Auckland.

By Riḍván, 1968, the National Assembly reported that the immediate prospect ofachieving its Nine Year Plan goals appeared bleak; with two—thirds of the Plan elapsed only one-thircl of the goals had been accomplished. Theni dramatically, the tide turned. At a memorablc conference sponsored by the Continental Board ofCounsellors to which great inspiration was contributed by the Hand of the Cause Abu’l—Qasim Faizi the believers in New Zealand resolved to win the victory. Commenting on the results which flowed from that resolve. the National Spiritual Assembly stated: “11 was a moment of destiny. Spearheaded b) newly-declared youth, strengthened by the invaluable aid of friends from overseas, supported by a handful of adult pioneers frorr the homefront, the Bahá’í ‘Army of Light’ was on the march. Naw-RL'IZ, 1970, saw the pioneer:. at their posts, new teaching methods developed and expansion became inevitable”

By Riḍván, 1973, New Zealand reportet having surpassed a number of the goals set for them through almost doubling the require(, number of Local Assemblies and localitier. where Bahá’ís reside and doubling the goal for the incorporation of Local Assemblies.

A vigorous campaign of proclamation was; pursued on both the national and local levelr; under which literature and information abou the Faith were presented to leading governmen' officials, members ofthejudiciary, those in tht communications media, national organizations and societies, church dignitaries and public ant: school libraries. A special brochure, designet. to proclaim the Faith to all strata of society

[Page 265]INTERNATIONALSURVEY or BAHA’iACTIVITIEs 265

inspired by a suggestion made by the Hand of the Cause Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir and eagerly adopted by the National Assembly, was produced and widely distributed. Other introductory materials were printed including Te Marama, a booklet designed for the Maori people.

A special proclamation project marking the completion of the Nine Year Plan was launched throughout the country. This project employed the use of radio, the press and the display of slides on theatre screens of posters created for the occasion. In some areas information centres were set up in leased empty shops and in one community the civic authorities permitted the erection of a large street banner in conjunction with the information centre, newspaper interviews and press releases.

PAPUA/NEW GUINEA

The years 1968 to 1973 witnessed many wonderful teaching experiences, triumphs and resounding victories in Papua/New Guinea, not the least of which were the formation of its own National Spiritual Assembly at Riḍván, 1969, and its incorporation the following year. The year 1968 began on a high note of enthusiasm as wave after wave of enrolments was recorded, particularly among the people of the Gulf District of Papua, the Eastern Highlands

Dedication of the Bahá’í Teaching Institute, Madina, New Guinea; January, 1972. Seen standing in the jbreground is Mr. Rodney Hancock, A uxiliary Board member.

of New Guinea and amongst the Talasea people of New Britain.

The majority of the people in Papua/New Guinea live on a subsistence basis, adhering to the customs and traditions of the past. These customs were to some extent affected by the arrival of Christian missionaries in the previous century, the administration of the Territory by several overseas nations and the war in the Pacific. Most of the people hold to pagan beliefs and have no knowledge of the religious history of other parts of the world. However, the response to the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh has been, in many cases, immediate. Although the hundreds of separate tribal communities were until quite recently isolated in small geographical pockets amid rugged mountains and streams, many recognized the need for a unifying belief and recognized the validity of the principle of the oneness of mankind.

By Riḍván, 1973, the enrolment had topped three thousand and there were 246 localities where Bahá’ís resided. Sixty-seven Local Spiritual Assemblies had been formed, three of which were incorporated. Other accomplishments included the purchase of a National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Lae in June, 1972; the acquisition of a Temple site near Lae; the acquisition of Teaching Institutes in Sogeri and Arufa; and the recognition of Bahá’í marriage and Bahá’í Holy Days.

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267

The Pacific Islands

TH E HAWAIIAN ISLANDS

In its message to the Bahá’ís of Hawaii on the occasion of the community’s first Convention in 1964, the Universal House of Justice stated:

“Immensely blessed by being the restingplace of the mortal remains of the unique and saintly Martha Root; highly honoured as the birthplace of yet another heroic Hand of the Cause of God1 who was among the earliest believers to respond to the call of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and, with sublime faith, carried the Message to the nations of the Far East; enriched by a population drawn from many different races; favoured by material well-being; and boasting a united and vigorous Bahá’í community, these Islands are surely destined to play a prominent role in the awakening of the entire Pacific area.”

The accomplishments of the Hawaiian Bahá’í community during the succeeding nine years, and particularly in the last five years of the Plan, amply justified the expectations voiced in 1964. The number of believers in these islands increased more than seven-fold between 1968 and 1973, and the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies increased from ten to twenty-eight, the maximum number obtainable since the total ofcivil areas ofjurisdiction in the Hawaiian Islands is also twenty-eight. Ten of these Assemblies were incorporated.

There were many outstanding proclamation and teaching projects. A Bahá’í float was entered annually in the Aloha Week parade in Honolulu, winning awards and resulting in wide radio, television and newspaper coverage. The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh was presented to the Governor, the four congressmen who represent Hawaii, and heads of local governments in the Hawaiian Islands. Throughout the years under review the Governor and Mayors ofseveral islands signed proclamations relating to special Bahá’í events; public meetings were held; library and store window displays were placed at appropriate spots for special events; Bahá’í booths were regularly set up on neighbouring islands for their respective County fairs and on some occasions in Honolulu at the State Fair; Unity Feasts, coffee hours, partici 1Agnes Baldwin Alexander. See “In Memoriam”, p. 423.

pation in school carnivals and Sea Sprees, sponsoring displays of the work of Bahá’í artists, and addresses given by Bahá’ís at colleges, high schools and civic clubs are examples of some of the teaching events that took place during this period. Summer and Winter Schools were held regularly, rotating sites on five different islands. In the five years under review there was an eleven—fold increase in the number of youth in the community and an active programme of Bahá’í child education was pursued, approximately fifty per cent of the Local Assemblies holding regular classes for Bahá’í children.

Beyond the homefront the contribution of the Hawaiian Bahá’ís was no less spectacular. In addition to supplying pioneers to Samoa, the Philippines, New Zealand, the Solomons, the Gilbert and Ellice Islands, Japan, the Marianas and the Carolines, this national community, in collaboration with the Bahá’ís of the United States was able to consolidate the Bahá’í community in Micronesia and increase its strength sufficiently so that a National Spiritual Assembly could be established there at Riḍván, 1972, (the National Spiritual Assembly of the North West Pacific Ocean), a supplementary achievement of the Nine Year Plan.

Always financially independent, the Hawaiian Bahá’í community gave generously of its funds, not only to support pioneers and travelling teachers abroad, but to assist in the purchase of National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Trinidad and Tobago and in New Caledonia, and also to assist with pioneer budgets in such goals as Tahiti and Portugal. Thousands of dollars were also spent in the translation and printing of literature for use in the Philippines and in Micronesia. In 1972 the National Spiritual Assembly produced a Bahá’í film It’s a New Day using local talent. The film has been viewed on television many times and copies were purchased by individuals and National Assemblies in various parts of the world. In that same year a tragic fire destroyed the entire second floor of the National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds. One year later the building was rededicated, having been rebuilt and refurbished, much of the labour being contributed by local believers.

[Page 268]

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NORTH WEST PACIFIC OCEAN

The area under the jurisdiction of this National Spiritual Assembly, one of the last to be formed during the Nine Year Plan, is, in terms of distances involved, one of the largest of any in the world. Yet in terms of land area and population, it is one of the smallest. Composed of Guam and the islands of the United States Trust Territory of Micronesia, it consists of over two thousand individual islands with a combined area of 893 square miles spread out over 3 million square miles of ocean. Total population is estimated at 150,000.

Such geographical considerations impose a variety of problems in communication, teaching and administration, but in spite of these difficulties the North West Pacific area, with assistance from the Hawaiian and United States communities, blossomed during the latter years of the Nine Year Plan. Whereas in 1968 there were only two local Spiritual Assemblies, one in Guam and one in Majuro, Marshall Islands, this number rapidly increased in succeeding years so that by February, 1971, the Universal House of Justice was able to announce that a new National Spiritual Assembly was to be formed the following year. The rapid increase in the number of believers was due largely to the work of a few travelling teachers and teaching teams from the Hawaiian Islands and the United States. One team attracted over two thousand islanders to the Faith.

The establishment of the National Spiritual Assembly with its seat in Ponape at Riḍván, 1972, then, was a supplementary achievement of the Plan. Their Convention cable said:

BAHAIS NWPACIFIC OVERWHELMED FLOOD VICTORIES MARK ELECTION FIRST NSA HONORED PRESENCE BLESSED WISE COUNSEL HAN!) FEATHERSTONE COUNSELLOR HARWOOD R.EPRESENTATIVE HAWAIIAN NSA TWO AUXILIARY BOARD NINETEEN NEW LSAS ASSURED BRING TOTAL TWENTY SIX FIRST BAHAI CENTER DEDI CATED SOKEHS PONAPE ACHIEVEMENTS ESTABBLISH NSA FIRM FOUNDATION . . .

Additional supplementary achievements included the incorporation of the National Spiritual Assembly and the recognition of the Bahá’í marriage ceremony as legal by the Trust Territory Government.

By the end of the Plan the banner of the Faith had been raised in over 150 localities in these widely separated islands of the North Pacific.

THE SOLOMON ISLANDS

This group of islands lying east of PapuaI New Guinea and between the 7th and 11th south parallels had, a quarter of a century earlier, been the scene of war and carnage. Some of the most famous battles of World War II, notably that of Guadalcanal, had been waged here. Now the islands were witnessing;

[Page 269]INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF Bahá’í ACTIVITIES

an invasion of another kind—a spiritual invasion. The Knights of Bahá’u’lláh Alvin and Gertrude Blum opened the Solomons in March, 1954. Seventeen years later, on May 1, 1971, Mrs. Blum (who remained at her post after the passing of her husband in 1968) witnessed the fulfilment of a cherished dream with the formation of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Solomon Islands, with its seat in Honiara.

In the period under review the teaching work in the islands was reinforced through the efforts of pioneers and travelling teachers, some of them youth. Teaching teams were established with success on several extended programmes which resulted in opening to the Faith the Western Solomons and Gela Island. On two occasions youth teaching teams went to the north and south areas of Malaita with good results.

Among the achievements of the Solomons Bahá’í community were the acquisition of a

269

National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds two miles east of the heart of Honiara; the acquisition in July, 1969, of a four—acre Temple site near Honiara; authorization for Bahá’í marriage by public announcement in the Government Gazette on September 24, 1971 ; recognition of Bahá’í Holy Days under which the children of Bahá’í parents may absent themselves from school attendance on those days; incorporation of the National Spiritual Assembly on July 26, 1971 ; incorporation of seven Local Spiritual Assemblies; acquisition of a national endowment in Auki 0n the island of Malaita.

The Solomons Bahá’í community very early joined the ranks of those who had completed all the goals assigned under the Nine Year Plan.

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The Hand of the C ause Enoch 01inga visiting the

Solomon Islands: December, 1970.

National Spiritual Assemblies of the South Pacific. All other national groupings of these islands had their own National Spiritual Assembly by the end of the Nine Year Plan. In 1968 this area, together with the Solomon Islands, had its seat in Honiara, Guadalcanal, but in 1971 when the Solomons elected a separate National Spiritual Assembly the seat was transferred to Noumea, New Caledonia.

The history of the Faith in New Caledonia goes back to 1952 when, as a result of a teaching visit of Mrs. Mariette Bolton, an individual declared his faith; and to October, 1953, when the Knight of Baha’u’llah Mrs. Bertha Dobbins settled in Port-Vila, New Hebrides.

At the beginning of the period under review there were but three Local Spiritual Assemblies, two on Efate in the New Hebrides and one in Noumea, New Caledonia. There were also groups on Efate and Tanna in the New Hebrides as well as isolated believers on four other islands of this group and two in the Loyalty

Islands. By the end of the Nine Year Plan the number of Assemblies had increased to eight and the number of Bahá’í centres had grown to nineteen.

The teaching work in Tuamotu Archipelago, the Marquesas Islands and the Society Islands was placed under the jurisdiction of the National Spiritual Assembly of the South WesPacific Ocean at Riḍván, 1971. A Local Spiritual Assembly was established in Tahiti. In a 1 there was a total of three Bahá’í centres in these islands by Riḍván, 1973.

Other goals accomplished included the acquisition of a National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Noumea; the purchase of a Temple site fifty kilometres from Noumea; and the incorporattion of the National Spiritual Assembly.

FIJI

These islands lying about 1,700 miles northeast of Sydney, Australia, are often referred to

[Page 271]INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF BAHA’T ACTIVITIES

Bahá’í Teaching C onference, Port- Vila, New Hebrides; May, 1971. The Knight of Bahd’u’llzih,

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Mrs. Bertha Dobbins, is seen in the centre of the group.

as “the eross-roads of the South Pacific”. Suva, on the big island of Viti Levu was the administrative centre of the original National Spiritual Assembly of the South Pacific Islands formed at Riḍván, 1959. When the South Pacific region was divided in 1964, Suva became the seat of the newly created National Spiritual Assembly of the South Pacific Ocean. Six years later, Riḍván, 1970, Fiji formed its own National Spiritual Assembly and the Bahá’í Centre in Suva, which had served for so many years as the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds of the Regional South Pacific Assemblies and had been the focal point of so much of the work in that region, then became the National Haziratu’I-Quds for Fiji.

To this fledgling National Spiritual Assembly was given the task of organizing one of the eight Oceanic Conferences held during this period. More than four hundred believers from all over the Pacific area, and some from as far away as Europe, Persia and the United States, gathered in Suva in May, 1971, to attend the historic first Pacific Oceanic Conference.

The Fijian Bahá’í community lost no time in setting to work on the goals of the Nine Year Plan, and with the recognition of Bahá’í Holy

Days by the Department of Education in February, 1972, Fiji became the first country in all the world to have won all its goals. This achievement was later officially commemorated by plantin g a tree in the Suva Botanical Gardens. Among the achievements of the Fijian Bahá’í community in the last half of the Nine Year Plan were the incorporation of the National Spiritual Assembly in 1970; the registration of a Bahá’í marriage officer in October, 1968, the first Bahá’í marriage taking place on Rabi Island in February the following year; raising the number of Bahá’í centres from fourteen in 1968 to eighty in 1973; raising the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies from three to seventeen of which three were incorporated. In the same period the membership of the community experienced a nine-fold increase.

THE GILBERT AND ELLICE ISLANDS

The Faith in these islands developed under the aegis of various Regional National Spiritual Assemblies until 1967 when the National Spiritual Assembly of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands came into being with its seat in Tarawa.

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[Page 273]INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF BAHA’I’ ACTIVITIES

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The National Hagimfu’l— Quds (left) and Baha 1 Teaching Institute (right), Tarawa, Gilbert and

273

Ellice Islands; January, 1971.

Lying athwart the Equator and just west of the International Date Line, the Gilbert and Ellice Islands extend in a north-westerly direction from 105" south latitude to 4° north latitude. The total land area is approximately 125 square miles stretched out over a distance of almost one thousand miles of ocean. Of the total population of approximately 43,000, it was reported that 2,460 were Bahá’ís by the end of the Nine Year Plan, an increase of 150 per cent over the 1968 enrolment. Relatively few people in the colony had not heard the name of Baha’u’llah.

Over the same period, the number of Bahá’í centres increased from sixty-eight to 151 and the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies from eight to fifty-seven. Of these, nine were registered with the Colonial Government, as was the National Spiritual Assembly. In 1972 the Bahá’ís obtained recognition of Bahá’í Holy Days.

The scarcity of available land on these tiny islands made the task of acquiring a Temple site and other properties extremely difficult. Nevertheless an endowment of approximately two acres was acquired in 1969 near the village of Eita, Tarawa, a small section of land was

leased at Funafuti, Ellice Islands, for ninetynine years and a Temple site was acquired in 1972 on Tarawa. A Teaching Institute building was constructed in 1969 and the Bahá’ís of the village of Tewai, Tabiteuea South, built a new Bahá’í Centre of local materials in the same year.

Although it was often difficult for pioneers to obtain visas because of local regulations, many pioneers and travelling teachers did go to the Gilberts to assist with the teaching and consolidation work. Among them were Gina and Russ Garcia who, in their trimaran, had sailed through the islands of the South Pacific to bring the teachings to the native populations through their music. One result of the Visit of Mr. and Mrs. Garcia was that free broadcasting time was obtained on the local radio station, and the Bahá’ís of the area were able to maintain these programmes throughout the remainder of the Nine Year Plan.

SAMOA

Reviewing the development of the Faith in Samoa in the period from 1968 to 1973, the National Spiritual Assembly stated: “The

[Page 274]THE BAHA’I’ WORLD

Float entered by the Samoan Bahd’z's in the parade marking the tenth anniversary of the independence. of Western Samoa; 1972.

Bahá’í community of the Samoan Islands was and continues to be deeply overwhelmed and touched by the signal honour conferred upon it through the acceptance of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh by His Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II, Head of State of Western Samoa . . . and his announcement in this respect to the Bahá’í world at the victorious close of the Plan . . .”

The Samoan Islands, Western and American, lie at the heart of the Pacific Ocean. Opened to the Faith in January, 1954, by the Knight of Bahá’u’lláh Lilian Wyss (‘Alá’í), these islands were under the jurisdiction of the Regional National Spiritual Assemblies of the South Pacific Islands (1959—1964) and the South Pacific Ocean (1964—1970). At Riḍván, 1970, the first National Convention of the Samoan Islands elected its own National Spiritual Assembly. The Hand of the Cause H. Collis Featherstone represented the Universal House of Justice on this occasion.

In the ensuing years, through the constant labour of the friends, the goals of the Nine Year Plan were achieved or exceeded. Contri buting to the success of their teaching efforts, the National Spiritual Assembly reported, was the visit of an American teaching team whc-se direct methods of presenting the Message of Bahá’u’lláh had brought dramatic results in t he United States. Projects undertaken on Saval’i, Upolu and Tutuila using this direct presentation assisted greatly in raising the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies. Mass teaching efforts were complemented by a flow of local travelling teachers, consolidation teams, conferences, teacher training and deepening institutes, Summer Schools and seminars. The expansion of the teaching work led to the necessity of a Teaching Institute and through the gift of a believer and as a result of labour on the part of the friends a building suited to this purpose was erected on the Summer School property adjoining the National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Apia.

A number of proclamation events were held and some use was made of press, radio and television to inform the public of the Cause. A float entered in the parade commemorating the tenth anniversary of Western Samoa’s incle [Page 275]INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF BAHA’I' ACTIVITIES

pendence attracted favourable comment. In this connection a Bahá’í information booth was established, a window display arranged and, as a public service, free programmes of events were printed and distributed, these containing a quotation from the Writings. Many Bahá’í children participated in proclamation and teaching activities and their spontaneous and happy efforts attracted waiting souls and made the word “Bahá’í” known.

Bahá’í literature in Samoan was enriched in this period largely through the efforts of Mr. Niuoleava Tuataga, a member of the Auxiliary Board, who translated a volume of Bahá’í prayers and several items from the Writings of Baha’u’llah.

Significant achievements in the Nine Year Plan included the incorporation of the National Spiritual Assembly in 1971; the recognition by the Samoan authorities of Bahá’í Holy Days and Bahá’í marriage; an increase in the number of localities where Bahá’ís reside from twenty-one in 1968, to 129 in 1973; an increase in the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies from three in 1968, to twenty-eight in 1973, five of these being incorporated; and the establishment of Bahá’í centres on three atolls of the remote Tokelau Islands.

This latter achievement during the Closing months of the Nine Year Plan was the result of the devoted efforts of a Samoan travelling teacher, Mr. Tumanuvao White, who brought to fruition the seed that had been planted there many years before by Mr. Toma Aviata, for many years the only Tokelau islander to have embraced the Faith.

One of the most outstanding events of the period under review was the first International Youth Conference of the South Pacific, held in Apia, from December 29, 1969, to January 2, 1970. Some ninety youth from Australia, Fiji, Hawaii, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Tonga and the United States joined the youth of Samoa in stimulating and exciting consultation on the teaching work.

275

TONGA AND THE COOK ISLANDS

The National Spiritual Assembly of Tonga and the Cook Islands was formed at Riḍván, 1970, with its seat in Nuku’alofa, Tonga. Its jurisdiction extends to Niue Island. Previously Tonga and the Cook Islands had been administered by the Regional National Spiritual Assemblies of South Pacific Islands (19591964) and the South Pacific Ocean (1964—1970).

At Riḍván, 1970, there were sixteen Local Spiritual Assemblies in Tonga and the Cook Islands, five of which were incorporated, and the Faith was established in thirty-eight localities.

Within a year a number of the goals assigned in the Plan were accomplished. A National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds was acquired in Nuku’alofa, recognition of Bahá’í marriage was obtained from the civil authorities, and Bahá’í literature which already existed in Tongan and Ramtongan Maori was further enriched through the publication of a selection of Bahá’í prayers in the Niue language. In March, 1973, accomplishment of another goal was achieved when it was reported that recognition of Bahá’í Holy Days had been obtained.

At Riḍván, 1973, the National Spiritual Assembly reported that nineteen Local Assemblies had been formed in the Tonga Islands, exceeding the goal by four, and the number of localities where Bahá’ís reside in Tonga was raised to sixty-eight, surpassing the goal by eighteen. The three Local Assemblies required to be established in the Cook Islands were brought into being—in part through the assistance of the National Spiritual Assemblies of New Zealand, Australia and the United States —and the goal of establishing the Faith in six localities in the Cook Islands was exceeded by two. One of the Cook Island Assemblies achieved incorporation, and the goal of consolidating the Faith in Niue Island was accomplished through the establishment of three localities where Bahá’ís reside.

[Page 276]276 THE Bahá’í WORLD

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[Page 277]INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF BAHA’I’ACTIVITIES 277

E. EUROPE

Youth! Youth! Youth! References to youth appearing in almost every report of National Spiritual Assemblies throughout the world were especially prominent in the European reports. In most countries of that continent it was the activity of the youth which transformed steadily plodding Bahá’í communities into lively and exciting ones; which heightened the resolution of all the friends to get on with the work and challenged them to win the goals of the Nine Year Plan. In one community a pioneer was heard to say, “We can probably hold our National Convention in a telephone booth”—so small was the community. Within months scores of youth were enrolled, and the pace of teaching increased, enabling that community—the Republic of Ireland—to form its National Spiritual Assembly.

The Bahd’z community ofMalta; December, 1972. The Hand of the Cause Dr. Ugo Giachery is

Oteppe-Namur, Padov, Fiesch, Salzburg, Dortmund, Padua, Plon . . . these cities where important European Youth Conferences were held will, together with the Dawn-Breakers troupe of eager young Bahá’ís who spent two summers travelling and teaching throughout the continent, forever be associated with the renaissance of the teaching work in Europe.

One of the highlights of the last five years was the holding of the Oceanic Conference in Reykjavik, Iceland, in September, 1971, a few months after the formation of the National Spiritual Assembly in that country. It was the young believers in Iceland, too, who were largely responsible for the rapid growth of that community.

A country by country survey of the development of the Faith in Europe follows.

seen in the centre of the back row. Mrs. Giachery appears in the right foreground and Mrs. Katherine McLaughlin, a member of the North American Auxiliary Board, is seen in the back row, secondfiom the left.

[Page 278]278

AUSTRIA

Formerly part of the area of the National Spiritual Assembly of Germany and Austria, the Austrian Bahá’í community elected its own National Spiritual Assembly for the first time in 1959 when eleven per cent of the believers in that country were native Austrians. One of the most dramatic developments in the course of the Nine Year Plan is reflected in the proportion of native believers which had risen to seventeen per cent by Riḍván, 1964, to twentyfive per cent by Riḍván, 1968, and in the period under review, grew to sixty per cent, the majority of them youth.

In addition to the awakening of youth to the beauty of the Bahá’í Message, the years 1968 to 1973 were characterized by activities designed to proclaim the Faith to all strata of society and by an increased use of direct teaching methods.

In the realm of proclamation two teaching instruments of particular importance were a Bahá’í exhibition, designed and built by the Austrian friends which, beginning in October, 1967, was shown in twenty-two cities throughout the country, in some centres on more than one occasion, and attracted thousands of visitors; and the Austrian Dawn-Breakers singing group,1 which performed in various centres between 1970 and 1973 to more than two thousand people, appeared thrice on television, obtained excellent press publicity and whose songs were often played on the radio. Direct teaching and proclamation activities, the National Spiritual Assembly reported, were spearheaded by “unselfish and dedicated Bahá’í youth who increasingly developed their special talents and potential and whose services were decisive in the fulfilment of the goals of the Plan in Austria; newly—declared youth grew to become independent and responsible supporters of the Faith and enthusiastically took the load of Assembly and Committee work upon their shoulders.”

The National Spiritual Assembly also reported a growth in the degree of universal participation in the work of the Faith by the Austrian believers, an expansion of the Faith to all provinces of the country, a strengthening of the foundation of the Cause through the

1 For a report on the development of the Dawn Breakers Singing groups, see Youth Activity section, p. 343.

THE Bahá’í WORLD

election of new Local Spiritual Assemblies, and a corresponding internal spiritual growth and heightened maturity as the Bahá’ís strove to become, to a fuller extent, “shining examples of the grandeur of Baha’u’llah’s Teachings.”

BELGIUM

F orming part of the area administered by the Regional National Spiritual Assembly of the Benelux countries, which had its seat in Brusse] s, from 1957 until 1962, the Bahá’í community of Belgium became an independent entity in the last year of that period. At the midway point of the Nine Year Plan Local Spiritual Assemblies had been established in seven centres ard Bahá’ís resided in thirty localities. Between 1968 and 1973 the number of Local Assemblies increased to twelve and the number of localities to sixty-six. Other significant advances made by the Belgian community in the period under review include the establishment of a Publishing Trust (Maison d’Editions Bahá’íes) for the publication of French literature; the obtaining of legal recognition for four Local Spiritual Assemblies; the granting of permission to Bahá’ís to request noncombatant service in the armed forces, even in the case of the recall of servicemen who in previous years had served in combatant units, and the sending of pioneers to Luxembourg and Zaire.

The Faith was widely proclaimed througho it the country. His Majesty King Baudouin twice within four years graciously received gifts of Bahá’í books. In 1968 a Bahá’í exhibition was held in the Maison de la Presse in Brussels and was followed by other exhibitions in the pro vinces; these were successful in making the Fai :h known to a large number of people, and SLlltable literature was presented to authorities throughout the country. The Bahá’í Publishing Trust of Belgium participated in the importa at international book fair held in Brussels in 1972 (in observance of International Book Year) and displayed Bahá’í literature in many languages and dialects, thus bringing the Faith to public attention to a remarkable degree.

The youth campaign organized in Belgium (Oteppe-Namur)2 in March, 1971, by the European Youth Conference was intensively pursued in the subsequent years througho ut Belgium, and international teaching teams of

2 See Youth Activity section, p. 324.

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young people joined with Belgian youth in crossing and recrossing the country proclaiming Bahá’u’lláh’s Teachings with resultant widespread newspaper and radio publicity and increased enrolments among youth.

DENMARK

The National Spiritual Assembly of Denmark was established in 1962 with its seat in Copenhagen. The first half of the Nine Year Plan was devoted to strengthening the five Local Spiritual Assemblies in the country and increasing the number of localities where Bahá’ís resided throughout Denmark and in Greenland.

In the second half of the Plan teaching and proclamation activities were extended and in 1969 a nation-wide advertising programme commenced. In February, 1969, The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh was presented to His Majesty King Frederik IX, and between 1971 and 1973 approximately twenty-five Mayors received this volume, often with attendant publicity. Approximately thirty libraries accepted Bahá’í literature ; lectures were given in schools; and radio and television studios interviewed Bahá’ís. Invaluable assistance and stimulation resulted from the visits of the Hands of the Cause, members of the Continental Board of Counsellors, musical groups such as The Dawn-Breakers and a Canadian—Icelandic youth team and many outstanding youth teachers including Miss Linda Marshall, Miss Mona Yazdi and Miss Fiona Dunn. Literature in Danish was considerably enriched in this period and in the spring of 1972 a Temple site was acquired north of Copenhagen. At the end of the Plan there were ten Local Spiritual Assemblies, four of which were incorporated, and the Faith was established in forty localities.

FINLAND

The Finnish Bahá’í community was under the jurisdiction of the Regional National Spiritual Assembly of Scandinavia and Finland from 1957 until 1962 when the National Spiritual Assembly of Finland was established with its seat in Helsinki, and the following year achieved its incorporation.

The first half of the Nine Year Plan was a period of consolidation and testing within the

279

community. The many Finnish Bahá’ís who attended the Palermo Conference in 1968 and made the associated visit to the Holy Land returned with a new enthusiasm and courage, infused their zeal and insights into their home community, and launched a vigorous assault on the teaching work. The Bahá’í youth of Finland played a significant part in the expansion of the Faith from 1968 to 1973. Enrollments among minorities and particularly among the Gypsies and Lapps were due, in large measure, to youth activities. Increasingly, opportunities arose to proclaim the Faith through the press and on radio and television.

In the period under review the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies in Finland trebled, the total membership of the Bahá’í community more than doubled, and the community was enriched and diversified through the enrollment of Gypsies, Lapps and Swedish—speaking Finns. Bahá’í literature was translated and published in a number of languages indigenous to the region as well as in Estonian. With the assistance of the Bahá’ís of Sweden a Local Spiritual Assembly was formed in Mariehamn, capital of the Aaland Islands, and Finnish travelling teachers achieved the goal of teaching and establishing the Faith in areas beyond the borders of Finland.

FRANCE

Paris had been one of the earliest and most important centres of Bahá’í activities in Europe from the time of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and in 1958 the National Spiritual Assembly of France was established with its seat in that city. In commenting on developments within the community in the period under review the National Spiritual Assembly stated, “The single most important development of this period has been the preeminent role played by Bahá’í youth in teaching, proclamation and deepening activities. Summer proclamation campaigns, regular weekend proclamation activities and public meetings in youth, worker and university centres were possible because of their initiative and active participation. Their untiring work made possible the inauguration of new teaching methods and was largely responsible for achieving the goals of the Plan.”

In addition to contributing French-speaking pioneers and travelling teachers to various

[Page 280]280

[35

THE Bahá’í WORLD

HA ’1';

Mel ' hale,

Bahá’í Summer School, Orleans, France; August, 1971.

parts of Africa the homefront goals of the French community were met and in some cases exceeded. Asked to increase the localities where Bahá’ís reside to sixty, the French community achieved a total of 116 localities. The goal of establishing sixteen Local Spiritual Assemblies was surpassed by two, including Metz and Bastia. Significantly, two-thirds of those who became Bahá’ís in France in 1973 were French, and one-half were under twentyone years of age.

Particularly since 1971 a number of deepening workbooks, brochures and other materials were produced by the National Teaching Committee for Northern France. This Committee also dubbed into French the sound track of the film It’s Just the Beginning, more than eighty copies of which have been distributed in French-speaking countries; improved arrangements were made for the distribution of French literature, only one phase of the increased degree of cooperation and information exchange which has developed among francophone Bahá’í communities.

Although the National Spiritual Assembly noted that such rapid acceleration of the growth of the Faith as was witnessed in the last half of the Plan provided new challenges to the French community, an unprecedented atmosphere of love and unity enveloped the friends, attributable, the National Assembly com mented, to the degree of active and intense participation of the Bahá’ís of France.

GERMANY

One of the earliest Bahá’í communities in Europe, its National Spiritual Assembly had, until 1959, jurisdiction over the Bahá’ís in both Germany and Austria. In that year Austria achieved its own independent National Assembly.

At Riḍván, 1963, there were thirty Local Spiritual Assemblies in Germany and Bahá’ís resided in 131 centres. Mid-way in the Plan, two Local Assemblies had fallen below strength and 228 localities had been opened. At Riḍván, 1973, the German community jubilantly recorded that Bahá’ís resided in more than five hundred centres and more than sixty Local Assemblies had been established, including one in the North Frisian Islands and one in Trier; groups had been established in Crete and in the East Frisian Islands; assistance had been rendered to the work of the Faith in Greece and in other areas beyond the borders of Germany.

With the passing, in July, 1968, of the Hand of the Cause Hermann Grossmann,1 the German community sustained the loss of one of its most outstanding members. Its other

1 See “In Memoriam”, p. 416.

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Hand, Dr. Adelbert Mijhlschlegel, continued throughout the Plan to render indefatigable services to the Cause in Europe and farther afield. In 1968 and 1970 respectively, Erik Blumenthal and Anneliese Bopp, distinguished German believers, were appointed to the European Board of Counsellors.

The progress of the Cause in Germany in the period being discussed, the National Spiritual Assembly reported, was due in large measure to the visits of the Hands of the Cause and to an awakening among the youth. The formation in 1969 of the first European Dawn Breakers singing group, the Assembly commented, representing the first major youth project on a continental scale “restored the faith and hope of many believers and reactivated them as well.” The second Dawn-Breakers group organized in the summer of 1970 started its itinerary with a well-received performance in Bad Godesberg. The groups which evolved from the two original groups “each played a significant role in reaching the masses during the final years of the Plan.” The untimely passing, in 1972, of Dr. Buzurgmihr Himmati (Bozorg Hemmati),1 the ceaselessly-labouring and much loved youthful chairman of the National Assembly dealt another blow to the community and galvanized the efforts of the

1 See “In Memoriam”, p. 513.

The Hand of the C ause John Robarts with one of the Icelan

281

German youth and the visiting American young people serving in the “Hand-in-Hand” teaching project.

A half-hour film made of a youthful teaching team was shown on German television and constituted a valuable audio-visual teaching aid. Another brief film of the German House of Worship was shown in more than one thousand movie theatres throughout the country and was seen by approximately 4 million viewers; it was also shown outside Germany.

With the sale of the former Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds, in 1970, a beginning was made on the construction of a new National Centre in Langenhain, adjacent to the Mother Temple of Europe.

Bahá’í literature in German was considerably enriched in the period under scrutiny and the German Bahá’í periodical, Bahá’í Briefe, continued publication.

ICELAND

The National Spiritual Assembly of Iceland was elected in 1972, with its seat in Reykjavik, in the presence of the Hand of the Cause Enoch Olinga representing the Universal House of Justice.

When the Nine Year Plan was launched in 1964 there were but seven Bahá’ís in Iceland, a country which had first been briefly visited by

v

dic Bahá’íyouth at the North Atlantic

Oceanic Conference, Reykjavik; September, 1971.

[Page 282]282

the late Hand of the Cause Amelia E. Collins1 in 1924. In 1965 the first Local Spiritual Assembly was established in the capital, and the Faith was established in four centres. Progress was slow, despite assistance from the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada which had responsibility for the goals in Iceland, but translation and publication of Bahá’í literature in Icelandic continued.

In 1970, with the establishment of a National Teaching Committee, teaching work developed at an increased pace. A conference inspired by a member of the European Board of Counsellors in January, 1971, resulted in an overnight doubling of the number of believers in Iceland. These new Bahá’ís were, for the most part, youth. The trend continued and at Riḍván, 1973, there were 370 Bahá’ís in Iceland, mostly youth.

Preparatory to the formation of the National Spiritual Assembly, four Local Spiritual Assemblies had been established by Riḍván, 1971. At the invitation of the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada, six Icelandic believers attended the National Convention in Canada that year. In September, 1971, the North Atlantic Oceanic Conference2 was held in Reykjavik, the largest international Bahá’í gathering yet held in Iceland.

In 1972 another Nine Year Plan goal was achieved through the purchase of a Temple site at Nénhaeb (Noonhill) in Képavogur, near Reykjavik, and at Riḍván of that year a fifth Local Spiritual Assembly was established.

After the establishment of the National Spiritual Assembly the remaining goals of the Plan were quickly accomplished, including official recognition of Bahá’í marriage, of Bahá’í Holy Days, and the incorporation of the National Spiritual Assembly due in part, the Assembly feels, to a growing awareness of the international significance of the Faith on the part of Icelandic government officials and a desire to see Iceland play its part in encouraging a movement which has as its central aim the establishment of world peace.

The entire membership of the National Spiritual Assembly attended the International Convention in Haifa at Riḍván, 1973, and participated in the election of the Universal House of Justice.

1 See “In Memoriam", The Bahá’í World, vol. X)",

p. . . 2 See p. 296 for report of this Conference.

THE BAHA’I’ WORLD

IRELAND

At Riḍván, 1968, the Faith in the Republic of Ireland, comprising a Local Spiritual Assembly in Dublin and a number of pioneers elsewhere, was administered by the British National Spiritual Assembly. In preparation for its establishment as an independent entity at Riḍván, 1972, three additional Local Spiritual Assemblies were to be established, in Cork, Dun Laoghaire and Limerick, where groups had already been formed. A National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds and a site for a future House of Worship had been purchased by 1968, but it remained for a national endowment to be acquired and Bahá’í literature in Erse to be enriched. The first Summer School was held on the soil of theIrish Republic that year, attended by approximately ninety friends, mostly from the United Kingdom, and graced by the presence of the Hand of the Cause Jalél _K_hézeh. A number of Irish believers attended the Palermo Conference and made the subsequent pilgrimage to the Holy Land following which came a new wave of pioneer settlers for the Republic’s goal towns and a gathering spiritual impetus which was accelerated by visits from the Hands of the Cause William Sears, John Robarts and Ugo Giachery.

Following the European Youth Conference in Fiesch3 in the summer of 1971 a teaching

3 See Youth Activity section, p. 336 for a report ofthis Conference.

His Excellency Eamon De Valera, President of

the Republic oflreland, receiving Bahá’í litera ture from the Hand of the Cause William Sears (left); October, 1969.

[Page 283]INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF BAHA’I’ ACTIVITIES

283

The Annual Convention for the election of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Italy. Rome; April, 1970.

project was held in four Irish centres resulting in the enrollment in the Faith of the first native Cork believers and as many as nineteen new believers in Limerick, the great majority being youth of Catholic background. In December, 1971, the first Irish Teaching Conference was held.

A year of unparalleled activity commenced at Riḍván, 1972, when the National Spiritual Assembly of the Republic of Ireland was established. The Hand of the Cause William Sears represented the Universal House of Justice on this occasion. Within the year the Assembly achieved incorporation, acquired a national endowment and succeeded in enriching Bahá’í literature in Erse. Through sacrificial pioneer moves, Local Spiritual Assemblies were formed in Galway and Bray, thus raising the number of Local Assemblies to six, two in excess of the Plan goal. A national Bahá’í publication, New Day, was established, the goal towns of Waterford and Kilkenny were opened to the Faith and pioneers were dispatched to British and European goals. On the crest of this wave of victory the nine members of the National Assembly paid tributes of gratitude at the Holy Shrines and participated in the third International Convention in the Holy Land at Riḍván, 1973.

ITALY

The Bahá’í communities of Italy and Switzerland were united from 1953 until 1962 under one National Spiritual Assembly but at Riḍván, 1962, they became independent. The National Spiritual Assembly of Italy was formed with its seat in Rome.

The characteristic trends of the period under review, the National Spiritual Assembly reported, were a steady increase in the number of native Italian believers, a growth in the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies and localities where Bahá’ís resided and a diversification of activities and projects in the fields of proclamation and teaching. Statistically, at the end of the Plan, the proportion of Italian believers in the community had risen to eighty per cent; between 1968 and 1973 the number of Local Assemblies increased from thirteen to twentysix, and the number of centres from forty-six to 157. In addition, one Local Assembly was established in San Marino, one in Rhodes, one in Sardinia, one in Capri and three in Sicily. Both in the number of Spiritual Assemblies established and the number of localities opened to the Faith, Italy exceeded its Nine 'Year Plan goals. An additional victory was achievement of the goal to have the Bahá’í certification of marriage recognized.

[Page 284]284

The Bahá’í Publishing Trust of Italy (Casa Editrice Bahá’í) reprinted existing titles and produced new editions in Italian of important Bahá’í literature and made available approximately 120,000 copies of introductory leaflets for immediate use in teaching.

The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh was presented by a Bahá’í delegation to a representative of Pope Paul VI, to a representative of the President of the Italian Republic and to the Capitani Reggenti of the Republic of San Marino who received it in person. The book was also presented to Civic leaders in various cities.

Although large conferences were held in all the important centres of Italy, as a result of which the Faith was widely proclaimed, it was considered a signal honour that the first Bahá’í Oceanic Conference was held in Palermo, in August, 1968, in observance of the centenary of Baha’u’llah’s crossing the Mediterranean sea on His way to exile in the Holy Land. It was attended by approximately four thousand Bahá’ís from around the world. This event was given widespread attention by the Italian press, radio and television.

National Youth Symposia were held each year and the European Youth Conference held in Padua in August, 1972, attracted an attendance of 1,500 youth of forty nationalities. Tribute is paid to Mr. Jerry Bagley for his work in Sicily, Sardinia and Piedmont and t0 the Dawn-Breakers singing group whose tour resulted in the opening of many new localities and increased enrolments.

LUXEMBOURG

The Faith in Luxembourg showed a dramatic growth during the period under consideration. The numbers of believers and localities increased threefold, (exceeding by five the number of localities required), and the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies grew from three to eight.

Early in 1969 a Temple site was acquired approximately seven kilometres south of Luxembourg-Ville on a main national highway. Two international goals were achieved at Riḍván, 1972, with the establishment of Local Assemblies in Trier, Germany and Metz, France; the establishment of a Spiritual Assembly in Arlon, Belgium was achieved

1,;

THE BAHA I WORLD

primarily through regular and sustained assistance from Luxembourg Bahá’í youth.

The Dawn-Breakers successfully toured Luxembourg in 1970, attracting large audiences and obtaining excellent publicity including a sympathetic article in the Letzeburg Revue, a weekly news magazine with wide circulation. This was followed in August, 1971, with a teaching campaign involving twenty youth from various countries who had attended the Fiesch Conference and whose activity stimulated the Bahá’í young people of Luxembourg to undertake special teaching projects in various goal cities. “These activities,” the National Spiritual Assembly commented, “in no small measure, assisted in the fulfilment of all the teaching goals of the Nine Year Plan.” A Spanish musical Bahá’í team, Pancho and Kama], performed in several centres in Luxembourg in February, 1973, obtained good publicity and appeared on television.

Two particularly significant accomplishments should also be noted. In the last three years of the Plan successful teaching developed among the large Portuguese minority in Luxembourg; and, at Riḍván, 1972, the Local Assembly of Esch-sur-Alzette was elected consisting of nine Luxembourg citizens, the first local community to achieve this distinction.

The first Luxembourg Winter School was held in Pétange in 1972. This and the regularly held Summer Schools and special one-day and weekend institutes contributed greatly to the work of consolidating the Faith in Luxembourg.

THE NETHERLANDS

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Netherlands was established in 1962, with its seat in The Hague. At Riḍván, 1968, the community comprised eight Local Assemblies, eleven groups and eleven isolated centres; there were very few youth in the community. Although their number was small the Dutch Bahá’í youth were hosts at the first International Bahá’í Summer School to be held in the Netherlands. The National Spiritual Assembly reported that this school, greatly encouraged by the attendance of the Hand of the Cause Jalal Qézeh and a large attendance of youth from other European countries, and inspired by a stirring message from the Univer [Page 285]INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF BAHA’iACTIVITIEs 285

image religie brengt bet universele plan voor ecu betere wereld

AHA’I

rlnflchtingen: Bahá’í Ccntrum, Riouwstraai 27, Den Haag

The first of a series ofproclamation posters produced by the Bahá’ís Of the Netherlands and posted in public transport centres throughout the country during the period 1968 to 1973.

sal House of Justice, “marked the beginning of community comprised sixteen Local Spiritual a steady growth in the number of believers, Assemblies, twenty-six groups, thirty isolated particularly among youth.” When Riḍván 1973 centres and the total membership of the comarrived, seventy per cent of the Dutch com- munity had more than doubled since1968.

munity were under thirty years of age, and the Bahá’í youth, seeking new ways of teaching

[Page 286]286

THE Bahá’í WORLD

Bahá’í Summer School of Norway; 1972. The Hand of the C ause Enoch Olinga is seen seated in the centre of the front row.

their contemporaries, responded to initiatives of communities abroad and developed a vocal group to spread the Bahá’í Faith by music and song. After participating in the international Dawn-Breakers group, an all-Dutch vocal group “Great Day” was formed and presented a well conducted programme available at all times for proclamation and teaching events at the local and national level.

The growing number of young Bahá’í families in the community sparked a heightened interest in establishing classes for children and special attention was paid to this need in Summer Schools and at seminars.

In 1968 the secretariat of the National Spiritual Assembly was moved from the private address of the secretary to its official seat in the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds and alterations to the National Centre created an auditorium capable of holding eighty people; space for the National Bahá’í Library was found in a smaller room.

A major goal of the Plan was the purchase of a Temple site in the vicinity of The Hague and this was accomplished in the closing months of the Nine Year Plan. The site is approximately 150 metres from a large lake and comprises eight acres.

NORWAY Formerly under the jurisdiction of the Regional National Spiritual Assembly of

Scandinavia and Finland from 1957 until 1962,

the Norwegian Bahá’í community, at Riḍván, 1962, elected its own National Spiritual Assembly with its seat in Oslo.

At Riḍván, 1968, the achievement of the goals of the Nine Year Plan in Norway showed only slight progress, and the numerically small community was confronted with the tasks, among others, of increasing the number of Local Assemblies and localities where Bahá’ís reside, acquiring a Temple site and establishing a group in Spitzbergen.

During the first years of the Plan the press accorded the Faith a growing amount of publicity, and in 1968 the magazine section of a leading newspaper carried a four-page report of an interview with a member of the National Spiritual Assembly.

Proclamation activities included the presentation of The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh to Crown Prince Harald on the occasion of his marriage and a specially designed brochure was distributed to eight hundred outstanding Norwegian leaders.

Intensified teaching activity and visits of travelling teachers led to the establishment of the Spiritual Assembly of Trondheim in 1969. The faublication of a Norwegian translation of Cleanings from the Writings ofBahd’u’Ildh, the National Assembly reported, “confirmed and accelerated the teaching work.” In 1970 a Norwegian couple settled in Spitzbergen. A year later through the enactment of new legis [Page 287]INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF BAHA’I ACTIVITIES

‘>/ V}; ‘ ' ~ 1 I

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís ofPortugal; June, 1968. The Hand of the Cause

‘4‘

Dr. Ugo Giachery is seen sixth from the left.

lation the Faith was registered with the civil authorities, thus achieving the goal of obtaining recognition of the Faith, an event which resulted in publicity in the press. Recognition of Bahá’í marriage soon followed, also as a result of the new law.

In 1972 a Temple site was acquired near Oslo and the Faith was given much publicity as a result of a half-hour television programme explaining its tenets. In the summer of that year a group of young American Bahá’ís devoted their vacation time to working with the Scandinavian youth in a well planned teaching project throughout Norway. “The significance of their work cannot be overestimated,” the National Spiritual Assembly reported.

At the conclusion of the Plan Norway had established the Faith in thirty-one localities including the Lofoten Islands and Spitzbergen, brought into being a Local Assembly in Lofoten and eight in other parts of Norway.

PORTUGAL From 1957 until 1962, the Bahá’í community in Portugal was administered by the Regional National Spiritual Assembly of the Iberian Peninsula. It became an independent entity in

1962 when it elected its National Spiritual Assembly, with its seat in Lisbon and its jurisdiction including the Azores. In 1967 Madeira was added to its jurisdiction.

The Portuguese community entered the last half of the Nine Year Plan with only six Local Spiritual Assemblies, five in Portugal and one in the Azores, and Bahá’ís resided in twenty-six centres in the three areas of jurisdiction.

Through the visits of Hands of the Cause and European Counsellors, a series of conferences devoted to the interests of believers in the Iberian Peninsula, and the sacrificial services of pioneers and travelling teachers who worked hand in hand with the Portuguese community, what was described as “a new spirit of energy and hopefulness” was noted in 1970 which led, by Riḍván, 1973, to phenomenal growth being recorded: there were fourteen Local Assemblies established in Portugal and two in Madeira; the Faith was established in seventy-one localities throughout Portugal, the Azores and Madeira, and the membership of the community had more than quadrupled.

In the period under review a national endowment and a National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds were acquired, a Temple site having been secured earlier in the Plan.

[Page 288]288

SPAIN

From 1957 to 1962 there was one National Spiritual Assembly for the Iberian peninsula, with its seat in Madrid. In 1962 the Bahá’í communities of Portugal and Spain elected their own separate National Spiritual Assemblies, that of Spain having jurisdiction over the Balearic Islands, and Andorra. In 1967 the Canary Islands were added to its area, and in 1974 the Spanish Sahara.

At the midway point in the Nine Year Plan there were sixteen Local Spiritual Assemblies and Bahá’ís resided in twenty-five localities. At the conclusion of the Plan, at Riḍván, 1973, these figures had grown to twenty-seven and sixty-seven, respectively.

In 1968 the National Spiritual Assembly achieved recognition as did, not long thereafter, sixteen Local Assemblies. A year later the National Haziratu’I-Quds was registered as a place for the holding of Bahá’í gatherings under the law of religious freedom and all Local Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds and Bahá’í Centres received equivalent recognition. The Publishing Trust of Spain (Editorial Bahá’í) was officially registered in 1969 and the National Spiritual Assembly obtained permission to publish its news journal, BolleIin de in/brmacion Bahá’í. In October, 1969, The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh was presented to His Excellency Francisco Franco Bahamonde and to the Bishop of Urge], co-prince of Andorra. A similar presentation

THE BAHA’I’ WORLD

was made to the civil Governors of Seville, Murcia and Guadalajara.

Nine books published in Spain in this period under non-Bahá’í auspices made mention of the Bahá’í Faith and the National Spiritual Assembly reported that 136 newspapers are known to have made reference to the Faith either through the intervention of Bahá’ís or on the initiative of local journalists.

In the period being surveyed Bahá’í literature in Spanish was considerably enriched through the publication by EBILA,‘ ofadditional title“; in this language.

SWEDEN

Administered from 1957 to 1962 by the Regional National Spiritual Assembly of Seandinavia and Finland which had its seat in Stockholm, the Swedish Bahá’í community elected its own National Spiritual Assembly at Riḍván, 1962. By Riḍván, 1968, the community had evolved to what was described by the Nationa‘. Spiritual Assembly as “a period of conscious responsibilities and loving labour” which wit-i nessed in the next five years a harvest of “heartwarming fruitfulness”. Significant develop ments included recognition of Bahá’í marriage in 1972; the recognition of Bahá’í Holy Days ir more than twenty schools, state and private

1 Editorial Bahá’í Indo-Latinoamericana. See “Bahá’ Publishing Trusts”, Directory section, p 703 ant

Major Works and Partial List of Languages in whict

c1! 7 g.) #8. . I

they are Available", p.751

National Bahá’í Teaching Conference, Uppsala, S weden; Ocrober, 1971.

[Page 289]INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF Bahá’í ACTIVITIES

Bahd’z' exhibition and literature display, Basel, Switzerland; May, 1969. Mr. Mark Tobey, the

289

noted American painter (centre), a member of the Local Spiritual Assembly of Basel, assisted the friends in mounting the exhibition.

concerns and companies; the translation and publication of Bahá’í literature in Lule Samish (one of the three principal Samish languages) as well as the publication of the first Bahá’í book ever written by a native Nordic author, Mr. Sverre Holmsen, of Sweden, copies of which were distributed to four hundred libraries; the establishment of the Bahá’í Publishing Trust of Sweden and the general enrichment of Bahá’í literature in the Swedish tongue; the appearance of more than four hundred articles on the Faith in the Swedish press and its mention and the presentation of its verities on radio and television; the presentation of The Proclamation of Bahd’u’lhih to the late King of Sweden, Gustav VI Adolf, as well as to a number of Provincial Governors and thirteen Bishops; the distribution of Bahá’í literature to two thousand church dignitaries attending the World Council of Churches in Uppsala in 1968 and the presentation of a specially designed brochure on the Faith to 2,500 clergymen of the Swedish Lutheran Church; the sending of pioneers abroad and participation by the Swedish community in inter-assembly collaboration projects and the marked expansion of the role played by youth in teaching and pioneering and their spearheading of travel teaching

activities throughout Scandinavia on a scale never before attained.

At Riḍván, 1973, the community triumphantly recorded that all the goals assigned to it had been accomplished, and in some instances surpassed.

SWITZERLAND

From 1953 until 1962 a part of the community administered by the National Spiritual Assembly of Italy and Switzerland which had its seat in Rome, the Bahá’í community of Switzerland elected its own National Spiritual Assembly in 1962, with its seat in Berne.

Important developments were witnessed during the last five years of the Nine Year Plan, the National Spiritual Assembly reported. Traditional teaching methods led to the opening of the Principality of Liechtenstein and a few additional cantons but the need was felt for reaching seekers on a wider scale. The use of an audio-visual approach, notably in an exhibition mounted in 1970, excited enthusiastic support in the community and proved to be among the most powerful instruments in winning the goals of the Plan. In 1970 Switzerland benefited from participation in the European Dawn Breakers group and later developed a Swiss

[Page 290]290

counterpart of young Bahá’í musicians. That same year a conference for Bahá’í parents and children was held as a result of which regional conferences were spontaneously held and regular children’s classes were established in some centres.

In 1971 a group of American Bahá’í youth joined with the young people of Switzerland in a concerted teaching effort effectively led by Linda Marshall and Shanta Murday, a project assessed by the National Spiritual Assembly as being “very rewarding and deeply encouraging”. The European Youth Conference at Fiesch in the summer of 1971 attracted 1,500 youthful participants from fifty nations and resulted in proclamation activities on an unprecedented scale. Surging to the forefront, the Swiss youth in the last years of the Plan estabb1ished a University Club in Lausanne. Invitations came from schools requesting Bahá’í speakers to address classes on religion. “New horizons opened,” the Assembly commented. “Old teaching methods and religious concepts were swept away . . . we became more aware of thejoy, hope and grandeur of the Cause . . . we gained a fuller understanding of the value of prayer and the need to put our trust in Baha’u’llah . . . we gained confidence . . . the Message was taken to people in all walks of life.”

At Riḍván, 1973, all teaching goals were won and in some cases surpassed. Although recognition of Bahá’í marriage and Holy Days was not fully achieved, with permission obtained for Bahá’í children in two centres to commemorate Bahá’í Holy Days the National Assembly felt that a good beginning had been made.

UNITED KINGDOM

The venerable Bahá’í community of the British Isles, one of the oldest in the Bahá’í world, has had a National Spiritual Assembly since 1923. In 1972 with the establishment ofa separate National Spiritual Assembly for the Republic of Ireland it became known as the National Spiritual Assembly of the United Kingdom.

At Riḍván, 1968, with almost half the Nine Year Plan behind it, the British community faced a serious situation, having registered a net gain on the homefront in five and a halfyears of only six Local Spiritual Assemblies, achieved not through teaching but by the division of the

THE Bahá’í WORLD

former community administered by the Local Spiritual Assembly of London into communities in the various boroughs which comprised London, resulting in the formation of ten Local Spiritual Assemblies in place of the one. The overseas picture, the National Assemb‘y reported, was “equally distressing”. The following year was marked by the development of a new spirit of vitality, attributable the National Assembly felt, to a series of challenging messages from the Universal House of Justice, the visits of a number of the Hands of the Cause, the formation of and initial consultation with the European Board of Counsellor ;, the attendance of two hundred British friencs at the Palermo Conference,1 an energetic homefront teaching campaign, internal administrative improvements and a gradual but marked upsurge of youth activity, the young people playing a leading role in teaching at home and abroad and in the universities, and in various proclamation activities, many of which resulted in increased publicity and requests fcr Bahá’í speakers at clubs, schools and societies. The tide turned and victories were recorded both in overseas goals and on the homefronz. At Riḍván, 1972, the National Spiritual Assembly reported that the number of new Bahá’ís enrolled was “three times as many as any previously recorded in one year,” anal ninety-seven Local Spiritual Assemblies were established. Large numbers of pioneers continued to arise; youth activity continued unabated. At the conclusion of the Nine Year Plan, 106 Local Assemblies had been formed on the homefront and the required number of Assemblies had been established in Malta, Cyprus and the Faeroes.

The Bahá’í Publishing Trust of the United Kingdom, in the period under review, expanded its facilities, witnessed a considerable increase in sales and extended the range of its publications.

The Faith gained increased recognition in many spheres, through proclamation nationally and locally; through teaching in schools, colleges and universities; through a growing amount of newspaper, radio and television publicity; and by the growing prestige of some British believers in the fields of music, art and literature, including the award of a Companion of Honour to Bernard Leach.

1 For a report of the Palermo Conference, see p. 73.

[Page 291]INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF BAHA’I’ ACTIVITIES

4. EXPANSION AND CONSOLIDATION OF THE Bahá’í FAITH IN THE NINE YEAR PLAN

INFORMATION STATISTICAL AND COMPARATIVE

Riḍván 1964 Riḍván 1973

Countries, significant territories and islands where the

Bahá’í Faith is established. . . . . . ...... 240 335 National Sp1r1tual Assembhes1 . . . . . . . . 56 113 IncorporatedNat1onalSp1r1tua1Assemblies . . . . 38 90 National Ḥaẓíratu’l- Quds (headquarters of national

Bahá’íadministrative activity) . . . . . ..... 56 112 Nat1onal Endowments . . . . . . . . . . 56 104 Bahá’íTemples(Mashriqu’l-Adhkár) . . ..... 4 5 Sites for future Bahá’íTemples. . . . . . . . . . 46 98 Bahá’íPublishing Trusts2 . . . 8 15 Languages into which Baha” 1 literature has been trans 1ated3.. . . . 321 587* Indigenous tribes, races and ”ethnic groups represented

in the Bahá’íFaith . . . . . . . . . . 518(estimated) 1,607 Countries recognizing Bahá’íHoly Days. . . . . . 20 64 Countries recognizing Bahaimarriage . . . . . . 26 40 Localities where Bahá’ís reside. . . . . . . . . . 15,186 69,541 Isolated centres or groups . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,620 52,133 Local Sp1r1tua1Assemb11es . . . . . . . . . 4,566 17,037 IncorporatedLocalSp1r1tua1Assemblies . . . . . 413 1,556

A. AFRICA

Riḍván I 964

Countries, significant territories and islands where the

Riḍván 1973

Bahá’í Faith is established. . . ...... . . . 51 66 National Sp1r1tua1 Assemblies . . . . 30 Incorporated National Spiritual Assemblies . . . . 3 25 National Ḥaẓíratu’l- Quds (headquarters of national

Bahá’íadministrative activity) ..... . . . . . 4 31 National Endowments . . . . . . . . . . 4 29 Baha” 1 Temples (Mashriqu’ 1- -A_d_hkér) . . . . . . 1T 1 Sites for future Bahá’íTemples . . . . . . 26 Bahá’íPublishing Trusts . . . II 1 Languages into which Baha" 1 literature has been trans lated . . . . 115 186 Indigenous tribes, races and ethnic groups represented

in the Bahá’íFaith . . . . . . . . . . 348 1,012 Countries recognizing BahaiHoly Days. . . . . . 7 11

1 A list of the 113 National Spiritual Assemblies established at Riḍván, 1973, appears in the Bahá" 1

Directory, p. 702, and on p. 294 2 See Baha” 1 Directory, p. 701. 3 See Bibliography, p. 705.

• Excluding Esperanto and Interlingua, not reflected in the breakdown by continents in the follow

ing pages. T Kampala, Uganda; dedicated, 1961. x Kampala, Uganda.

291

[Page 292]292 THE Bahá’í WORLD

R idva’n 1964 Riḍván 1973

Countries recognizing Bahá’ímarriage . . . . . . 5 7 Localities where Bahá’ís reside . ...... . . . 3,277 15,245 Isolated centres or groups . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,916 10,047 Local Sp1r1tual Assemb11es . . . . . . . . . 1,361 4,990 IncorporatedLocalSp1r1tualAssemb11es. . . . . 34 142

B. THE AMERICAS

Riḍván 1964 Riḍván 1973 Countries, significant territories and islands where the

Bahá’íFaithisestablished. . . . . . . . . . . . 58 97 Nat1onal Sp1r1tua1 Assemblies . . . . . . 24 30 IncorporatedNational Sp1r1tualAssemblies . . . . 1928 National Hazlratu’l- Quds (headquarters of national

Bahá’íadministrative activity) . . . . . . . . . . 24 29 NationalEndowments . . . . . . . . . . 24 28 Baha1Temples(Mashriqu’l-Adhkár) . . . . . . . 1 2* Sites for future BahaiTemples. . . . . . . . . . 22 26 Baha1Publishing Trusts . . . . 3 31‘ Languages into which Baha" 1 literature has been trans lated . . . . . 37 100 Indigenous tribes, races ahd ethriic groups represented

intheBahá’íFaith . . . . . . . . . . 83 234 Countries recognizing Bahá’íHoly Days. . . . . . 5 23 Countries recognizing Baha’ 1 marriage ..... . 8 10 Localities where Bahá’ís reside. . . . . . . . . . 3,483 15,860 Isolated centres or groups . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,776 12,548 LocalSp1r1tualAssemblies . . . . . . . . . . 707 3,234 Incorporated Local Sp1r1tua1 Assemb11es . . . . . 223 522

c. ASIA

. Riḍván 1964 Ridva’rz [973 Countries, significant territories and islands where the

Bahá’íFaithisestablished. . . . . . . . . . . . 56 70 Nat1onalSp1r1tua1Assemb11es . . . . . . . . 10 25 Incorporated Nat1onal Sp1r1tual Assembhes . . . . 3 13

National Ḥaẓíratu’l- Quds (headquarters of national

Bahá’í administrative activity) 9 25 National Endowments . 9 22 Baha” 1 Temples (Mashriqu 1- Adhkár) 1:

Sites for future Baha” 1 Temples . . 8 21 Baha” 1 Publishing Trusts . 2 5§ Languages into which Baha” 1 literature has been translated.................... 99 , 179

• Wilmette, Illinois, U.S.A.; dedicated, 1953; Panama City, Panama. dedicated, 1972.

1 Buenos Aires, Argentina; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil;Wi1mette,Illinois, U.S.A.

‘Ishqábád, Turkisu’m; demolished in 1963 following earthquake damage. See “The Razing of the

Mashriqu’l-Adhkár of‘Ishqábád", The Baha'? World, vol.x1v, p. 479.

§New—Delhi, Ifiia; Beirut_, Lebanon; Karachi, Pakistan; Ṭihrán, lrz'm; Taipei, Taiwan.

[Page 293]INTERNATIONALSURVEY OF BAHA’iACTIVITIEs 293

Riḍván 1964 Riḍván 1973 Indigenous tribes, races and ethnic groups represented

in theBahá’íFaith . . . . . . . . . . . 73 261 Countries recognizing Bahá’íHoly Days . . . . . 4 10 Countries recognizing Bahá’ímarriage . . . . . . 7 9 Localities where Bahá’ís reside . . . . . . . . . . 7,262 34,892 Isolated centres or groups . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,028 26,816 Local Sp1r1tualAssemb11es . . . . . . . . . 2,234 8,029 IncorporatedLocalSp1r11ualAssemblies . . . . . 61 689

D. AUSTRALASIA

Riḍván 1964 Ridvrin 1973 Countries, significant territories and islands where the

Bahá’íFaithisestablished. . . . . . . ..... 21 33 National Spiritual Assemblies .......... 3 11 Incorporated NationalSpiritualAssemblies . . . . 3 9 National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds (headquarters of national

Bahá’íadministrativeactivity) . . . . . . . . . . 3 10 Nat1onal Endowments . . . . . . . . . . 3 8 Bahá’íTemples (Mashriqu’l-Adhkár) . . . . . . . 1* 1 Sites for future Bahá’íTemples. . . . . . . . . . 3 9

Baha” 1 Publishing Trusts . . . . — Languages into which Baha” 1 literature has been trans lated . . . . . 28 68 Indigenous tribes, races and ethriic groups represented

intheBahá’íFaith . . . . .. ..... 14 78 Countries recognizing Bahá’íHoly Days. . . . . . 3 10 Countries recognizing Bahá’ímarriage . 1 . . . . 3 10 Localities where Bahá’ís reside. . . . . . . . . . 411 1,456 Isolated centres or groups . . . . . . . . . . . . 329 1,049 LocalSp1r1tualAssemblies . . . . . . . . 82 379 IncorporatedLocaISp1ritualAssembhes . . . . . 33 76

E. EUROPE

Riḍván 1964 Riḍván 1973 Countries, significant territories and islands where the

Bahá’í Faith is established. . . . . . . . . . . . 54 69 National Spiritual Assemblies . . . . . . . . 15 17 Incorporated National Spiritual Assemblies . . . . 10 .15 National Haziratu 1- Quds (headquarters of national

Bahá’í administrative activity) . . . . . . . . . . 15 17 National Endowments . . . . . . . . . . 15 17 Baha’ 1 Temples (Mashriqu 1— Adhkár) . . . . . . . 1T 1 Sites for future Baha” 1 Temples . . . . . . . . . . 8 16 Bahá” 1 Publishing Trusts . . . . . 2 6: Languages into which Baha 1 literature has been translated..................... 42 54

• Sydney, Australia;dedicated,1961. TFrankfurt,Germany; dedicated, 1964.

Brussels Belgium; Frankfurt, Germany; Rome,lta1y; Madrid Spain: Stockholm, Sweden;

London, United Kingdom.

[Page 294]294

THE Bahá’í WORLD

Riḍván 1964 Ridvdrz 1973

Indigenous tribes, races and ethnic groups represented

in the Bahá’í Faith ............... * 22 Countries recognizing Bahá’í Holy Days ...... 1 10 Countries recognizing Bahá’í marriage ...... 2 4 Localities where Bahá’ís reside .......... 753 2,088 Isolated centres or groups ............ 571 1,673 Local Spiritual Assemblies ............ 182 405 Incorporated Local Spiritual Assemblies ...... 62 127

• Information not available.

F. Bahá’í NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES Riḍván1973

When the Nine Year Plan was launched at Riḍván, 1964, there were sixty-nine Bahá’í National. Spiritual Assemblies throughout the world. At the end of the Nine Year Plan at Riḍván, 1973, the: following one hundred and thirteen were elected. The list names the seat of each National Spiritual Assembly, and shows, in brackets, the year in which it was first elected:

WNOMAWNH

h—ll—ll—ll—lh—lb—lL—l @MAWNHOW

17. l8. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23.

24. 25.

26.

27.

. AFG_HANISTAN, Kabul (1972)

. ALASKA, Anchorage (1957)

. ARABIAN PENINSULA, Bahrayn (1957)1 . ARGENTINA, Buenos Aires (1957)

. AUSTRALIA, Sydney (1934)

. AUSTRIA, Vienna (1959)

. BANGLADESH, Dacca (1972)

. BELGIUM, Brussels (1962)

. BELIZE, Belize (1967)

. BOLIVIA, La Paz (1961)

. BOTSWANA, Gaborone (1970)2

. BRAZIL, Rio de Janeiro (1957)

. BURMA, Rangoon (1959)

. CAMEROON REPUBLIC, Victoria (1967) . CANADA, Toronto (1948)

. CENTRAL AFRICAN

REPUBLIC, Bangui (1971)3

CHAD, Fort Lamy (197l)‘

CHILE, Santiago (1961)

COLOMBIA, Bogoté (1961)

CONGO REPUBLIC, Brazzaville (1972) COSTA RICA, San José (1961)

CUBA, Havana (1961)

DAHOMEY, TOGO AND NIGER, Cotonou (Dahomey) (1970)

DENMARK, Copenhagen ( 1962)

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, Santo Domingo (1961)

EASTERN ARABIA, (1972)

EASTERN MALAYSIA AND BRUNEI, Sarawak (Malaysia) (1972)

Manama (Bahrayn)

28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35.

36. 37.

38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47.

48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53.

54. 55.

ECUADOR, Quito (1961)

EL SALVADOR, San Salvador (1961)

FIJI ISLANDS, Suva (1970)

FINLAND, Helsinki (1962)

FRANCE, Paris (1958)

GERMANY, Frankfurt (1923)

GHANA, Accra (1970)

GILBERT AND ELLICE ISLANDS, Tarawa (1967)

GUATEMALA, Guatemala City (1961) GUYANA, SURINAM AND FRENCH GUIANA, Georgetown (Guyana) (1970)

HAITI, Port-au-Prince (1961)

HAWAIIAN ISLANDS, Honolulu (1964) HONDURAS, Tegucigalpa (1961)

ICELAND, Reykjavik (1972)

INDIA, New Delhi (1923)

INDONESIA, Djakarta (1964)

km, Ṭihrán (1934)

IRELAND, REPUBLIC OF, Dublin (1972) ITALY, Rome (1953)

IVORY COAST, MALI AND UPPER VOLTA, Abidjan (Ivory Coast) (1971)

JAMAICA, Kingston (1961)

KENYA, Nairobi (1964)

KOREA, Seoul (1964)

KUWAIT, Kuwait (1972)

LAOS, Vientiane (1967)

LEEWARD AND VIRGIN ISLANDS, Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas (Virgin Islands) (1967) LESOTHO, Maseru (1971)‘5

LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg (1962)

[Page 295]INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF Bahá’í ACTIVITIES 295

56. MALAGASY REPUBLIC, Tananarive (1972)°

57. MALAWI, Limbe (1970)7

58. MALAYSIA, Kuala Lumpur (1972)”

59. MAURITIUS, Port Louis (1972)

60. MEXICO, Mexico City (1961)

61. NEAR EAST, Beirut (Lebanon) (1970)

62. NEPAL, Katmandu (1972)

63. NETHERLANDS, The Hague (1962)

64. NEW ZEALAND, Auckland (1957)

65. NICARAGUA, Managua (1961)

66. NIGERIA, Lagos (1970)

67. NORTH EAST AFRICA, (Ethiopia) (1956)

68. NORTH EAST ASIA, Tokyo (Japan) (1957)

69. NORTH WEST AFRICA, Rabat (Morocco) (1956)

70. NORTH WEST PACIFIC OCEAN, Ponape (Caroline Islands) (1972)

71. NORWAY, Oslo (1962)

72. PAKISTAN, Karachi (1957)

73. PANAMA, Panama City (1961)

74. PAPUA AND NEW GUINEA, Lae (New Guinea) (1969)

75. PARAGUAY, Asuncién (1961)

76. PERU, Lima (1961)

77. PHILIPPINE ISLANDS, Manila (1964)

78. PORTUGAL, Lisbon (1962)

79. PUERTO RICO, Santurce (1972)0

80, REUNION, Saint Pierre (1972)

81. RHODESIA, Salisbury (1970)

82. RWANDA, Kigali (1972)”

83. SAMOA, Apia (Western Samoa) (1970)

84. SEYCHELLES, Victoria (Mahé Island) (1972)

85. SIKKIM, Gangtok (1967)

86. SINGAPORE, Singapore (1972)

Addis Ababa,

87. SOLOMON ISLANDS, Honiara (1971) 88. SOUTH AND WEST AFRICA, Johannesburg (South Africa) (1956) 89. SOUTH WEST PACIFIC OCEAN, Noumea (New Caledonia) (1964) 90. SPAIN, Madrid (1962) 91. SRI LANKA, Colombo (1962) 92. SUDAN, Khartoum (1971) 93. SWAZILAND AND MOZAMBIQUE, Mbabane (Swaziland) (1971) 94. SWEDEN, Stockholm (1962) 95. SWITZERLAND, Bern (1962) 96. TAIWAN, Taipei (1967) 97. TANZANIA, Dar-es-Salaam (1964) 98. THAILAND, Bangkok (1964) 99. TONGA AND THE COOK ISLANDS, Nuku’alofa (Tonga) (1970) 100. TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, Port-of-Spain (Trinidad) (1971) 101. TUNISIA, Tunis (1972) 102. TURKEY, Istanbul (1959) 103. UGANDA, Kampala (1971) 104. UNITED KINGDOM, London (1923)11 105. UNITED STATES, Wilmette (1925) 106. UPPER WEST AFRICA, Bathurst (The Gambia) (1970) 107. URUGUAY, Montevideo (1961) 108. VENEZUELA, Caracas (1961) 109. VIETNAM, Saigon (1964) 110. WEST AFRICA, Monrovia (Liberia) (1964) 111. WINDWARD ISLANDS, Bridgetown (Barbados) (1972) 112. ZA'I'RE, Kinshasa (1970)12 113. ZAMBIA, Lusaka (1967)”

Notes

lArea} altered in 1972 with the formation of two National Spiritual Assemblies, Eastern Arabia and Kuwait.

2 Formerly Bechuanaland, until 1966.

3 Formerly Central Africa, 1970—1971; then Central African Republic.

4 In 1973 Fort Lamy became known as N’Djaména.

5 Formerly Basutoland, until 1966. Part of the area under the jurisdiction of the National Spiritual Assembly of Swaziland, Lesotho and Mozambique, 1967—197].

6 Formerly Madagascar, until 1958.

7 Formerly Nyasaland, until 1964.

3 Area altered in 1972;former1y Malaya.

9 Seat: Rio Piedras, 1972—1974; then Santurce.

1° Formerly a part of Ruanda—Urundi; name changed to Rwanda in 1962. The National Spiritual Assembly of Burundi and Rwanda existed, 1969—1972, at which time Rwanda formed its own National Spiritual Assembly.

1‘ Formerly the British Isles, until 1972. .

12 Formerly Belgian Congo until 1960; then Republic of Congo (Kinshasa) until name changed to Zairein 1971. Kinshasa was formerly called Leopoldville.

13 Formerly Northern Rhodesia, until 1964.