Bahá’í World/Volume 15/Youth activity

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YOUTH ACTIVITY

1.1NTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF YOUTH ACTIVITY

“IN country after country the achievements of Bahá’í youth are increasingly advancing the work of the Nine Year Plan and arousing the admiration of their fellow believers,” wrote the Universal House of Justice on June 10, 1966, in a letter addressed “To the Bahá’í Youth in Every Land”. “Those who now are in their teens and twenties are faced with a special challenge and can seize an opportunity that is unique in human history. . . Now, firmly established in the world, the Cause . . . is perceptibly emerging from the obscurity that has, for the most part, shrouded it since its inception and is arising to challenge the outworn concepts of a corrupt society and proclaim the solution for the agonizing problems of a disordered humanity. During the lifetime ofthose who are now young the condition of the world, and the place of the Bahá’í Cause in it, will change immeasurably, for we are entering a highly critical phase in this era of transition. . . The Nine Year Plan has just entered its third year. The youth have already played a vital part in winning its goals. We now call upon them, with great love and highest hopes and the assurance of our fervent prayers, to consider, individually and in consultation, wherever they live and whatever their circumstances, those steps which they should now take to deepen themselves in their knowledge of the Divine Message, to develop their characters after the pattern of the Master, to acquire those skills, trades, and professions in which they can best serve God and man, to intensify their service to the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh, and to radiate its Message to the seekers among their contemporaries.” .

On October 9, 1968, the Universal House of Justice again addressed a general letter to the Bahá’í youth:

“In the two years since we last addressed the youth of the Bahá’í world many remarkable advances have been made in the fortunes of the Faith. Not the least of these is the enrollment

under the banner of Bahá’u’lláh of a growing army of young men and women eager to serve His Cause. The zeal, the enthusiasm, the steadfastness and the devotion of the youth in every land has brought great joy and assurance to our hearts.

“During the last days of August and the first days of September, when nearly two thousand believers from all over the world gathered in the Holy Land to commemorate the Centenary of Bahá’u’lláh’s arrival on these sacred shores,1 we had an opportunity to observe at first hand those qualities of good character, selfless ser-vice and determined effort exemplified in the. youth who served as volunteer helpers, and we wish to express our gratitude for their loving assistance and for their example.

“Many of them offered to pioneer, but one perplexing question recurred: Shall I continue my education, or should I pioneer now'.’ Undoubtedly this same question is in the mind of every young Bahá’í wishing to dedicate his life to the advancement of the Faith. There is no stock answer which applies to all situations: the beloved Guardian gave different answers to different individuals on this question. Obviously circumstances vary with each individual case. Each individual must decide how he can best serve the Cause. In making this decision. it will be helpful to weigh the following factors:

“Upon becoming a Bahá’í one’s whole life is. or should become, devoted to the progress of the Cause of God, and every talent or faculty he possesses is ultimately committed to this overriding life objective. Within this frame“ work he must consider, among other things. whether by continuing his education now he can be a more effective pioneer later, or alter-natively whether the urgent need for pioneers, while possibilities for teaching are still open, outweighs an anticipated increase in ‘ See p. 8] for a report on the commemoration at thc:

World Centre of the centenary of the arrival of Bahá’u’lláh in the Holy Land.

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First National Youth Conference of the Bahá’ís of the United States; Wilmette, Illinois, June, 1968.

effectiveness. This is not an easy decision, since oftentimes the spirit which prompts the pioneering offer is more important than one’s academic attainments.

“One’s liability for military service may be a factor in timing the offer of pioneer service. “One may have outstanding obligations to others, including those who may be dependent on him for support.

“It may be possible to combine a pioneer project with a continuing educational program. Consideration may also be given to the possibility that a pioneering experience, even though it interrupts the formal educational program, may prove beneficial in the long run in that studies would later be resumed with a more mature outlook.

“The urgency of a particular goal which one is especially qualified to fill and for which there are no other offers.

“The fact that the need for pioneers will undoubtedly be with us for many generations to come, and that therefore there will be many calls in future for pioneering service. “The principle of consultation also applies. One may have the obligation to consult others, such as one’s parents, one’s Local and National Assemblies, and the pioneering committees.

“Finally, bearing in mind the principle of sacrificial service and the unfailing promises Baha’u’llah ordained for those who arise to serve His Cause, one should pray and meditate on what his course of action will be. Indeed, it often happens that the answer will be found in no other way.

“We assure the youth that we are mindful of the many important decisions they must make as they tread the path of service to Baha’u’llah. We will offer our ardent supplications at the Holy Threshold that all will be divinely guided and that they will attract the blessings of the All-Merciful.”

The magnificent response of the Bahá’í youth to the challenges set before them in these communications enabled the Universal House of Justice, in its message at Riḍván, 1973, to describe as one of the three “highly portentous developments” to have taken place during the Nine Year Plan “the advance of youth to the forefront of the teaching work.” That same message contained this shining tribute to the prodigious accomplishment of the youth:

“. . . the heartwarming upsurge of Bahá’í youth, has changed the face of the teaching work; impenetrable barriers have been broken or overpassed by eager teams of young Bahá’í's, dedicated and prayerful, presenting the Divine

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Message in ways acceptable to their own generation from which it has spread and is spreading throughout the social structure. The entire Bahá’í world has been thrilled by this development. Having rejected the values and standards of the old world, Bahá’í youth are eager to learn and adapt themselves to the standards of Baha’u’llah and so to offer the Divine Program to fill the gap left by the abandonment of the old order.” .

So interwoven were the activities of Bahá’ís of every age that it becomes an impossible task to separate the accomplishments of youth and adults. It perhaps suffices to state that the youth contributed in every area of service, both in the teaching and administrative fields. The greater percentage of them were themselves “children” of the Nine Year Plan. Large numbers of them settled in pioneer posts on the homefront or abroad. Indeed, the greater percentage of the 3,553 Bahá’ís who served as international pioneers during the Nine Year Plan were youth. Many became international travelling teachers, individually or as part of teams. Some lost their lives in the course of their service. All participated to a degree that resulted in the plenteous fulfillment of the hopes expressed by Shoghi Effendi as

Regional Bahá’í Youth C onference, Seoul, Korea; December, 1968. The Hand of the Cause

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early as 1938 when he wrote: “No greater demonstration can be given . . . of the youthful vitality and the vibrant power animating the life, and the institutions of the nascent Faith of Bahá’u’lláh than an intelligent, persistent, and effective participation of the Bahá’í youth, of every race, nationality, and class, in both the teaching and administrative spheres of Bahá’í activity. Through such a participation the critics and enemies of the Faith, watching with varying degrees of skepticism and resentment, the evolutionary processes of the Cause of God and its institutions, can best be convinced of the indubitable truth that such a Cause is intensely alive, is sound to its very core, and its destinies in safe keeping. I hope, and indeed pray, that such a participation may not only redound to the glory, the power, and the prestige of the Faith, but may also react so powerfully on the spiritual lives, and galvanize to such an extent the energies of the youthful members of the Bahá’í community, as to empower them to display, in a fuller measure, their inherent capacities, and to unfold a further stage in their spiritual evolution under the shadow of the Faith of Bahál’u’llah.”1

1 Shoghi Effendi, The Advent of Divine Justice, Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, 1963 ed., p. 58.

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Rahmatu’lláh Muha'jir is seen on the far left. Mr. R. Mumtdzz' Of the Continental Board of Counsellors for North-eastem Asia appears near the centre of the second row.

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YOUTH VOLUNTEERS AT THE WORLD CENTRE

The first Oceanic Conference was held in Palermo, Sicily, in August, 1968, marking the centenary of Baha’u’llah’s crossing the Mediterranean sea proceeding to His incarceration in the Most Great Prison of ‘Akká. Approximately two thousand believers from the conference gathered in Haifa to commemorate the centenary of the arrival of Bahá’u’lláh in the Holy Land} Almost a week before the influx of believers from Palermo a group of sixty youth volunteers arrived at the World Centre at the invitation of the Universal House of Justice to act as guides and helpers. Most of them came from European and African countriesEthiopia, Angola, Italy, France, Luxembourg, Denmark, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, England, Eire and Turkey—but there were also contingents from Persia and the United States.

Shortly after their arrival the youth were taken on a brief visit to the Holy Places, ending with a visit to Bahjí where they met the Universal House of Justice. They then joined the Universal House of Justice at the Most Holy Shrine for prayers for the success of the Mediterranean Conference. Simultaneously, youth at the Green Acre Summer School, Eliot, Maine spontaneously planned a commemorative memorial, a two—day prayer vigil in the room occupied by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on His visit to Green Acre. For forty-eight hours, f1 om Friday evening to Sunday evening, voices were continuously raised in grateful prayer. Day and night during this period the believers supplicated the aid of the Blessed Beauty from the very room in which the Centre of His Covenant had once slept.

The youth helpers at the World Centre were divided into teams having responsibility for activities such as registration and guiding on pilgrimage buses and at the Holy Shrines. Each team was divided into shifts so that the various posts would be covered from 8 am. to 8 pm.

The loving spirit, the energetic enthusiasm and the poise of these young people were apparent and made a favourable impression on all with whom they came in contact. The helpers themselves were greatly impressed by their visits to the Holy Places, and were deeply con 1 .See pp. 73—86 for a report of the Oceanic Conference 161 Palermo and the commemoration at the World entre.

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scious of the great bounty of being able to serve, even for a brief time, at the World Centre of their Faith. It was a particular delight for them to receive from the Hand of the Cause Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum an invitation to spend an evening with her in the Master’s house.

TEACHING CONFERENCES

The rapid growth of the Faith among young people, a process which commenced early in the Nine Year Plan and was sustained and gained momentum throughout the period under review, led inevitably to a demand for teaching conferences designed as a forum in which the youth could discuss their role in furthering the interests of the Cause of Baha’u’llah. Excerpts from published reports of a few of the more significant youth gatherings that were convened in this period, and reports of some of the activities spearheaded by young Bahá’ís, are set out below:

1968

United States: “On June 22—23, 1968, in overwhelming response to the call of the National Spiritual Assembly, more than 500 Bahá’í youth from thirty-four States, the District of Columbia and Canada streamed into Wilmette, Illinois, for the first National Bahá’í Youth Conference ever held in the United States. They were there for joy and service and to be directed to such participation in the expansion and consolidation of our beloved Faith as would, in the words of Shoghi Effendi, ‘empower them to display, in a fuller measure, their inherent capacities, and to unfold a further stage in their spiritual evolution under the shadow of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh.’

“The National Spiritual Assembly itself was present at the opening of the conference as a demonstration to the entire American Bahá’í community of the importance it places on the role of the Bahá’í youth.

“Spurred on by the many challenges facing them, the youth led and participated in seminars on topics including: Teaching the Minorities, Service by Bahá’ís in the Armed Forces, Bahá’í Standards of Behaviour, Responsibilities of Youth to the Bahá’í Community, and Deepening our Knowledge of the Cause of God.

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“The youth offered their recommendations to the National Spiritual Assembly, recalling the summons of Shoghi Effendi: ‘. . . the condition of the world is steadily growing worse, and your generation must provide the saints, heroes, martyrs and administrators of future years. With dedication and will power you can rise to great heights.’

“The National Spiritual Assembly was so impressed with one recommendation that, unwilling to wait, they reconvened on the lawn of the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds under the mid-day sun and voted to accept the suggestion of a five—year program for youth to aid in the achievement of the goals of the Nine Year Plan. Enthusiastic and sustained applause greeted this welcome announcement.”

In August, 1968, “on the joyous occasion of the centenary of the arrival of the Lord of Hosts in the Holy Land”, the National Spiritual Assembly announced the goals of the five—year youth program. The American Bahá’í youth were called upon to:

Deploy 500 from their ranks to fill homefront and foreign goals;

Settle 350 of these in teams throughout the southern states of America;

Send at least five pioneers to Africa and twenty to Latin America;

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Double the number of Bahá’í College Clubs from sixty-one to 122, with at least one in every state;

Establish twenty High School clubs; Inaugurate a traveling-teacher program, to include circuit teaching by teams and musical groups;

Increase their contributions to the National Bahá’í Fund by sustained regular giving, and assume responsibility for producing $100,000 of the 1968—69 national budget;

Establish special service projects directed toward minority teaching;

Engage in a systematic deepening program based on the instructions for deepening enunciated in the Riḍván, 1967, message of the Universal House of Justice; and Improve their personal conduct through self-examination, daily prayer and constant study of the life-giving Word.

Honduras: In the summer of 1968 two Bahá’í youth from Persia and three from America settled at their pioneering post in Honduras as a result of which steps were taken to convene the first National Youth Conference of Honduras. On July 27—28, fifty persons—fifteen of whom were not Bahá’ís—attended this gathering which was held in Santa Rosa de Copén

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First National Youth Conference of the Bahá’ís of Australia; April, 1969.

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situated in Indian country near the Mayan ruins.

1969

Spain: The first European Youth Conference was held in Madrid, April 3—6, 1969. Over thirty enthusiastic young Bahá’ís attended, representing Austria, England, France, Italy, Morocco, Portugal, Switzerland and Spain. Written reports on youth activities were received from Denmark, Finland and the Netherlands. “Every day was full of constructive consultation,” one observer reported. “The mornings were devoted to reading and discussion of the written reports. A need was expressed for more coordination of exchange students, with lists of universities and goal cities in each country available to youth in Europe, and possibly the United States and Iran, who are planning to study abroad. It was determined to hold conferences annually in the future, as well as an international youth summer school.”

Australia: Almost simultaneously, from April 4 through April 6, 1969, the Australian youth held their first National Youth Conference at Bolton Place Bahá’í Summer School. The youth not only recommended to the National Spiritual Assembly the formation of a National Youth Committee, but drew up a plan calling for youth pioneers, travel teachers especially to minority groups, regular and sustained contributions to the Fund and an intensive programme to introduce the Faith into educational establishments. The plan was wholeheartedly accepted by the National Assembly.

The Hand of the Cause H. Collis Featherstone, the honoured guest of the conference, reported: “The first youth convention in Australia was attended by eighty youth representing all Australian states except Northern Territory. It was opened with all nine members of the National Spiritual Assembly present and right from the beginning there was a tremendous spirit such as I have not seen in Australia before except perhaps at Intercontinental Conferences.”

Japan: The first Bahá’í Youth Conference of Japan was held on May 24—25, 1969, at a youth hostel on Jogashima Island, near Tokyo, with twenty-two young people attending. In attendance were Mr. Ruhu’lláh Mumtází of the Continental Board of Counsellors for North 329

eastern Asia, Dr. Toshio Suzuki and Mrs. Barbara Sims representing the National Spiritual Assembly, and Mr. Charles Duncan, a member of the Auxiliary Board. “There was a stimulating panel discussion and many suggestions for the future,” it was reported. “The first evening, about thirty youth staying at the hostel joined with the Bahá’ís in a social programe which broke up into small groups to discuss the Faith. The decision was taken to hold conferences in other areas of Japan to give impetus to the teaching work among youth.”

1970

Botswana: “Some of the Bahá’í youth travelled on foot for long distances to attend the first National Youth School in Botswana,” states a report from one of the many African countries where youth gatherings were held in the period under review. “Over thirty youth, adults and teachers attended. Following the classes, the youth visited three villages to teach the Faith. Arrangements had previously been made by the National Assembly and in each of the villages the friends had been invited by the Chief who had announced their coming to the inhabitants. A message especially prepared by the Spiritual Assembly was delivered by the youth who answered the questions of interested enquirers and distributed Bahá’í literature. More than 300 people were told of the Message of Bahá’u’lláh in one morning. At Gabane there were 140 people present and the Chief altered scheduled court proceedings so that the Message could be given. Within a ten day period following the Youth Institute, further meetings were held in six villages. A total of nine villages gathered for mass meetings and a total ofalmost 700 people heard of Bahá’u’lláh. In approximately the same period the enrollments of the first Shua Bushwoman Bahá’í, and the first believers of the Kgalagadi people of the desert area of Akin Tswana, were announced. In addition, the Botswana radio broadcast news of the Faith.”

Samoa: The first International Bahá’í Youth Conference of the South Pacific Islands was held at Apia, Western Samoa, from December 29, 1969, to January 2, 1970. Youth from many parts of the South Pacific were attracted to the week-long gathering. Considering the distances involved there was a remarkable attendance. The ninety registrants came from

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American Samoa, Australia, Fiji, Hawaii, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Tonga, Western Samoa and the United States. Nearly a third of the Bahá’í youth in New Zealand attended and many of the islanders spent a week travelling by boat each way. Some of the youth arrived in advance of the conference or remained afterwards and participated in the teaching work. One group spent a day in a village on the neighbouring island of Savai’i where the local chiefs honoured them with a ceremonial banquet and entertainment.

The Hand of the Cause Abu’l-Qásim Faizi was the guest of honour at the conference where, in addition to the splendid classes he taught, he addressed a public meeting in Apia attended by more than 150 enquirers. Also present were representatives of the Continental Board of Counsellors and of several National Spiritual Assemblies, and members of the Auxiliary Board.

Guatemala: In Guatemala the loving cooperation of the National Spiritual Assembly and the Continental Board of Counsellors resulted in a significant conference held on July 18—19, devoted to the interests of youth. Each

First Pacific Area Bahá’í Youth C onference, Apia, Western Samoa; December 29, 1969 January 2, 1970.

National Spiritual Assembly in Central America was invited to send representatives and to encourage the attendance of youth.

“The conference was successful far beyond our fondest hopes,” the National Assembly of Guatemala reported. “More than one hundred attended, the majority coming from outside Guatemala. The United States and Puerto Rico were also represented. Pre-conference activities included an interview between the members of the Board of Counsellors and the Minister of Education and a public lecture attended by thirty people. Both events were arranged by the Guatemalan youth as was most of the extensive publicity achieved. Six youth participated in a televised interview about the Faith. One major decision arising from the conference was that each National Spiritual Assembly resolved to appoint a National Youth Committee which will be urged to maintain contact with other youth committees of the area and to promote exchanges of youth teachers between the various countries. It was noted that since plans for the conference were first conceived there had been a mysterious and sudden wave of youth enrollments and activities in many countries in the Central American zone.”

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United States: On June 19—21, 1970, more than 2,000 Bahá’í youth from every state, and from some twenty foreign nations, attended the three-day National Youth Conference held at Evanston, Illinois, in one of the largest High Schools in the country.

The conference was opened by the National Spiritual Assembly and the following cablegram of welcome from the Universal House of Justice was read:

GREET REPRESENTATIVES VIBRANT ARMY BAHAI YOUTH UNITED STATES GATHERED NATIONAL CONFERENCE BLESSED INSPIRING PRESENCE PARTICIPATION BELOVED AMATULBAHA STOP GROWING EFFECTIVENESS BAHAI YOUTH EVIDENCED RISING TIDE ENROLLMENTS AND EAGERNESS STUDY EXEMPLIFY TEACHINGS FAITH EVERY ASPECT LIVES SHOULDER RESPONSIBILITIES PLAN HOME ABROAD SOURCE JOY HOUSE JUSTICE AND INSPlRATION FOLLOWERS BAHAULLAH THROUGHOUT WORLD srop FERVENTLY PRAYING LORD HOSTS WILL BOUNTIFULLY REINFORCE EVERY EFFORT AMERICAN BAHAI YOUTH ACHIEVE GLORIOUS VICTORIES FIVE YEAR PLAN so AUDACIOUSLY ADOPTED 1968 SETTING SHINING EXAMPLE MAKING OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION COMPLETION WORLDWIDE NINE YEAR PLAN PROCLAIM CAUSE GOD DEEPLY SUFFERING MANKIND.

The Hand of the Cause Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum spoke on “The Role of Bahá’í Youth in Today’s World” and “The Call to Pioneer”. The youth were deeply impressed by her keen insight into the problems besetting the world and encouraged by her sincere sympathy for the youth as they struggle with the terrible pressures of a crumbling world order. Amatu’l-Bahá opened her remarks by extending to the youth the love of the Universal House of Justice and of the many people she had met in her world-wide travels for the Faith. She spoke of the qualities that should distinguish a Bahá’í—among them, thrift, courtesy and reverence—and defined a “pioneer” as one who regards every foreign land as a homeland, one whose commitment to the people of the land is complete; one who enters his new surroundings desiring to know the language and customs, equipped with a useful occupation, and eager to create a spirit of love, unity and harmony. At the conclusion of her presen 331

tation she shared tender memories of Shoghi Effendi.

The conference was further enriched by the participation of the Hands of the Cause mikru’llah @51de and John Robarts. Also present were members of the Continental Board of Counsellors, the entire body of the National Spiritual Assembly, and members of the Auxiliary Board.

The central focus of the conference was the five-year youth programme under which signicant victories had been won. Of the twentyfive foreign pioneer goals assigned to youth, all had been filled by March, 1970. Instead of 122 college clubs, 134 had been formed and only seven states were without a Bahá’í club. Already the youth had participated in fifteen projects among minority groups in the south, south-west and north-west, in addition to numerous projects of a similar type executed on the local level. The youth were challenged by the National Assembly to attain yet higher levels of service, including sending an additional twenty-five youth to foreign goals.

The Bahá’ís of Wilmette sponsored a music festival which provided a joyous culmination for the conference. Many talented Bahá’í performers including Seals and Crofts, and “Wednesday’s Children”—recording artists from California—participated in a program attended by an estimated 1,100 guests and enquirers which precipitated a wave of enthusiastic interest.

The conference was also filmed by Kiva Films of New York city, as part of a youth proclamation film entitled “It’s Just the Beginning”, commissioned by the National Spiritual Assembly.

At the conclusion of the conference, the National Assembly cabled:

ANNALS CAUSE AMERICA ESPECIALLY ILLUMINED EXTRAORDINARY SUCCESS SECOND NATIONAL YOUTH CONFERENCE INDELIBLY ETCHED MEMORIES TWO THOUSAND ATTENDANTS UNIQUELY BLESSED RADIANT GALVANIC PARTICIPATION AMATULBAHA STOP SALUTARY EFFECTS CHICAGO AREA LOVING UNIFYING UPLIFTING BEHAVIOUR PARTICIPANTS ALREADY OBVIOUS AS ATTESTED SIGNIFICANT NUMBER NEW ENROLLMENTS ENTHUSIASTIC EXPRESSIONS ADMIRATION ONLOOKING PUBLIC STOP SUPPLEMENTARY GOALS FIVE YEAR PROGRAM

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European Bahá’í Youth C onference, Salzburg, Austria;

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?‘a i x . l . fl ‘5 . ‘; A“ , December 25, 1971—January 3, 1972.

Seen seated on the right are Hands of the C ause and members of the European Board ofCounsellors.

WHOLEHEARTEDLY ADOPTED INCLUDE DEPLOYING TWENTYFIVE FOREIGN PIONEERS OPENING ONE HUNDRED LOCALITIES IN STATES SMALLEST BAHAI POPULATION INCREASING NUMBER COLLEGE CLUBS T0 TWO HUNDRED UNDERTAKING INDIVIDUAL STUDY EPISTLE SON WOLF THIS YEAR . . .

Following the conference, Amatu’l—Baha Rflhiyyih Khánum proceeded to Vancouver, Canada, where she participated in a conference attended by 800 believers, the majority of them youth, who travelled from such far points as Alaska and the Northwest Territories in the north, and Hawaii and Samoa in the south, in order to be present. The ramifications of this conference would have effect in points as far distant as Iceland.

Austria: Six hundred people from twenty-five countries of the five continents attended the first International Bahá’í Youth Winter School, held between December 25, 1970, and January 3, 1971, at Salzburg. The attendants were stimulated by the presence of the Hands of the Cause Adelbert Mfihlschlegel and John Robarts. Also in attendance was Mr. Erik Blumenthal, a member of the European Board of Counsellors, as well as Mrs. Mfihlschlegel and Mr. Goltenboth, members of the Auxiliary

Board in Europe. “A wonderful spirit prevailed at the school,” one account stated, “and nineteen enquirers accepted the Faith.” In addition to symposiums and discussions on youthoriented themes, representatives of various National Youth Committees reported on the part that the youth are playing in the achievement of the goals of the Nine Year Plan. Out of the consultations within the conference arose a call to all the participants which was met with the following responses: three pioneers, thirtytwo travelling teachers, and the establishment of twenty-four new fireside programmes. A highlight of the conference was the public appearance of the European “Dawn-Breakers” group—whose activities are reported elsewhere in this survey—at the Salzburg Kangresshaus, Visited by an estimated 1,000 people. Excellent newspaper and radio publicity resulted from the activities of the school.

1971

Burma: The youth of Burma arose to achieve the goals following a conference attended by forty youth and ten adults at which a ninemonth teaching plan was formulated and adopted. The plan, to end at Riḍván, 1972, called for youth volunteers to take the Message to 113 localities and to form seventy-nine additional

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Local Spiritual Assemblies. All the major localities were marked on the map and the names of volunteers were assigned to their respective locations. The plan was submitted to the National Assembly and it was immediately adopted. The next day the volunteers began to execute the plan.

Discussion at the conference was spearheaded by Auxiliary Board member Firaydun Mimaqiyén who, before the conference began, visited Rangoon as well as Daidanaw (Kunjangun)—traditionally known as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s village—accompanied by members of the National Assembly. They also visited two other locations, holding meetings and teaching the Cause.

Belgium: A conference which was to have farreaching results destined to affect the progress of the Faith throughout Europe was held at Oteppe-Namur in April, 1971. In response to the message of the Universal House of Justice, set out below, a two year youth campaign for Europe was launched:

‘ ‘The rapidly growing range and effectiveness of the services of the Bahá’í youth in Europe over the course of the past few years have given us

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great encouragement and have raised high our hopes for the progress of the Cause of God on that continent. The two year youth teaching campaign on which you are now embarking has within it such potential for the winning of the goals of the Nine Year Plan that we attach to it the greatest importance.

“You who are now gathered in Namur in response to the call sent out by the Continental Board of Counsellors have been made responsible for working out the next stages of this audacious campaign, within the framework already agreed between the Counsellors and the National Spiritual Assemblies, and you may be sure that our prayers will surround you as we supplicate the Blessed Beauty to inspire your deliberations, unite your hearts and fire your enthusiasm, so that there may go out from this conference a ringing call, carefully conceived plans and clearly stated objectives, that will not only galvanize the youth of the continent but, through them, impart a mighty surge forward to the teaching work of the entire European Bahá’í Community.

“It is our earnest hope that the outriders of this youthful army of Bahá’u’lláh will win such victories by the time of the Conference in Fiesch

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International Bahá’í Youth C onference, Oteppe—Namur, Belgium; April, 1971.

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as will so inspire the far larger band of young Bahá’ís who will be gathered there that a wave of achievement, which will already have started to roll, will at that Conference gain speed and magnitude and revolutionize the progress of the Cause in Europe.

“Let those who set their hand to this vital enterprise press confidently forward, undeterred by any obstacles which may stand in their way, joyously assured of the unfailing assistance of the conquering power of Baha’u’llah, Whom we will supplicate to guide and reinforce every step you take for the promotion of His Cause.”

Arising jubilantly from their deliberations, the youth cabled the Universal House of Justice:

OVER ONE HUNDRED FIFTY YOUTH ALL EUROPEAN COUNTRIES GATHERED NAMUR STOP GREATLY INSPIRED MESSAGE STOP AWARE IMMINENCE MASS CONVERSION STOP PLEDGE SUPPORT TWO YEAR YOUTH CAMPAIGN STOP

. . YOUTH GALVANIZED WIN VICTORIES PREPARATION FIESCH STOP CONFIDENT ACHIEVING GOALS . . .

Italy: The National Bahá’í Youth School was held in Pisa from April 9—1 1. The programme

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Bahá’í Youth Conference, Da-nang, Vietnam; August, 1971.

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consisted of study groups, round-table discussion and a day spent in teaching. “The Dawn-Breakers” performed in the square facing the Leaning Tower, having first obtained official permission. Eight people accepted the Faith as a result of a public meeting which was advertised by posters placed in various parts of the city. Three pioneer offers were extended by believers during the sessions of the school. The singing group, “The Dawn-Breakers” spent the weekend of May 1—2 in a goal area of the Nine Year Plan, Ischia Island, where the Faith was publicly proclaimed for the first time and. some local young people enrolled. “A new spiritual consciousness is stirring in Italy,” the National Assembly reported.

In June, Bahá’í youth held a National Youth Symposium in San Marino to discuss plans; for the European School to be held in Switzerland in August. A public meeting was attended by leading personalities of the Republic. The spirit of the symposium attracted four new believers to the Faith.

Vietnam: A most successful Youth Conference was held in Da-Nang on August 9~10, 197], attended by more than one hundred youth of that province. Their programme attracted five hundred people, spread great enthusiasm and brought more people into the Faith.

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Germany: The Hand of the Cause William Sears, members of the European Board of Counsellors, the National Spiritual Assembly and members of the Auxiliary Board gathered with more than one hundred Bahá’í youth at the Youth Symposium in the vicinity of the Mother Temple of Europe at Langenhain. “A new spirit was born at this gathering,” one reporter related. “Nine new believers accepted the Cause and twenty-six teaching teams arose. Out of it came the birth of the German ‘Dawn-Breakers’ chorus—radiant youth determined to spread the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh through songs of the heart. During one discussion session a group of about seventy-five hikers came to the House of Worship. We went to greet them and give them the Message of the New Day—we never returned to the discussion 1”

India: New Delhi was the venue for the first Bahá’í Youth Conference for Western Asia, held on August 27—30, 1971, to which had been invited youth from Tran, Pakistan, Ceylon, Malaysia, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, Arabia, Turkey, Burma, Afghanistan and India. A total of nearly 350 youth gathered to consult on their role in furthering the work of the Cause. The Hand of the Cause Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir keynoted the theme of the conference: “Pioneering—Challenge to Bahá’í Youth”. He assisted the youth in formulating a nineteenmonth teaching plan the chief goals of which were the proclamation of the Faith in universities and colleges, the opening of new districts, the enrolment of new tribes, a campaign for the distribution of Bahá’í literature, increased use of newspaper advertisements and the involvement of youth in preparing translations of literature into additional languages.

Mr. S. Vasudevan of the Board of Counsellors in Western Asia presented the message of the Universal House of Justice:

“We send our heartfelt greetings to all the young champions of Baha’u’llah who have assembled in New Delhi on this auspicious occasion. You have met to consider what you can do to give further impetus to the great youth movement presently flourishing throughout the Bahá’í world.

“You and your contemporaries in other lands have seized the banner of Baha’u’llah and are raising it high in the vanguard of the Army of Light now advancing toward a victorious con 335

clusion of the Nine Year Plan. The time and circumstances cry out for the Message you have to offer. Praise God that the Bahá’í youth are arising to the challenge of the hour.

“As you deliberate on the needs and the opportunities in your areas you will be in our thoughts and in our prayers at the Holy Shrines. May the Almighty shower His blessings and confirmations on the youth of Western Asia and give them the resources, the enthusiasm and the guidance to attain their hearts’ desire in service to the Cause.”

Dr. Chellie Sundram of the Continental Board of Counsellors in South-eastern Asia was also present and participated actively.

When the call for pioneers was made, fortythree youth responded and others pledged to go at a later period.

Groups of Bahá’ís Visited various colleges where they were warmly received. Many principals of the colleges expressed delight that Bahá’í youth would come to the campus to spread the message of love and unity. In most instances, the youth were invited to address the students in their classrooms.

A number of youth stayed on for a week after the conference ended. “At last count, 2,000 people embraced the Cause in the conference period and the days following it,” one report stated.

Iceland: Creative decisions taken by the National Assembly of Canada which was responsible for preparing its “daughter” community, Iceland, to achieve Assembly status at Riḍván, 1972, resulted in extraordinary developments in that country. “The opening phase of proclama- , tion was launched at a Victory Conference in December, 1970,” the Canadian Assembly reported. “The youth themselves took a leading role in the planning and teaching that resulted in the declaration of thirty new Icelandic believers in January, 1971, thus doubling the number of Bahá’ís in Iceland.” As a result, the Canadian Assembly reorganized the membership of all Bahá’í committees in Iceland so that youth were fully represented at the decisionmaking level, provided a subsidy so that at least five Icelandic believers, three of them youth, could attend the Canadian Convention at Riḍván and invited the Icelandic community to organize a team to undertake a summer teaching project in the Faroes Islands, in

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cooperation with the National Spiritual Assembly of the United Kingdom.

Switzerland: Approximately 1,200 youth from fifty countries gathered from J uly 31 to August 11, 1971, for the European Youth Conference at Fiesch, in the mountain valley of the River Rhone in the heart of Europe. The location, near the source of rivers which flow down in all directions to the seas, seemed to symbolize the work of the conference, the objective of which was to channel the teaching effort towards all countries of the Continent and bring about the entry by troops into the Faith of Baha’u’llah.

In January, 1971, the Universal House of Justice requested the Hand of the Cause Rahmatu’lláh Muhájir to visit Europe and establish a two-year youth teaching plan to be coordinated by the Continental Board of Counsellors under whose aegis the Fiesch Conference was held, organized by the Bahá’í youth of Switzerland and Italy. An immediate goal of the two-year teaching plan was the launching of a Vigorous campaign by the youth and the convocation of the Fiesch Conference, with semi-annual meetings scheduled in other European countries.

The Swiss Conference was preceded during June and July of 1971 by the visit ofa team of thirty youth from the United States. An international team of young believers contributed know-how, enthusiasm and momentum, notably Linda Marshall, Shanta Murday, Robert Phillips, Jeremy Phillips and others. Successes registered in this preliminary period gave proof that a new receptivity existed in Europe.

Special guests at the conference included the Hands of the Cause Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum—who attended at the request of the Universal House of Justice—and Adelbert Mühlschlegel. Other speakers were Betty Reed, Erik Blumenthal and Anneliese Bopp of the European Board of Counsellors, Donald Witzel of the South American Board, and Dr. B. Himmati who represented the National Spiritual Assembly of Germany. A particularly cherished visitor was Mr. Saichiro Fujita who embraced the Cause as a youth in 1905 and who has spent long years in the Holy Land in the service of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi.

A beautiful letter of greeting from the Universal House of Justice was read:

THEBAHA’iWORLD

“The course of history has brought to your generation an unprecedented opportunity and challenge. The rejection of the old world by youth, in all countries, is shared by Bahá’ís and, non-Bahá’ís alike. Unlike your non-Bahá’í contemporaries, however, you have something to put in its place—the World Order of Baha’u’llah.

“That Bahá’í youth are fully capable of meeting the challenge which evolution has placed before them has already been demon“ strated. Now, in this conference at Fiesch, as. you gird yourselves to launch a campaign ir. Europe—a continent which has ‘entered upon what may well be regarded as the opening; phase of a great spiritual revival that bids fair to eclipse any period in its spiritual history’ —we urge you to consider that the more you understand the purpose of Baha’u’llah and the method by which He will achieve that purpose, the greater will be your success.

“Our hopes for your two—year campaign are boundless, and visualize nothing less than a tremendous forward surge in the spiritual revival referred to by our beloved Guardian. Our confidence in your ability to perform the task is unshakeable, and we assure you of our firrn conviction that your efforts will be assisted by God to the degree to which your supplications and sacrifices are poured forth in His path.

“Dear friends, we delight in your enthusiasm, admire your accomplishments, give thanks for your dedication and pray that an ever-increasing outpouring of divine bounties and confirmations may reward your efforts in tle service of the Blessed Beauty.”

A moment of excitement was provided when Amatu’l—Baha Rúḥíyyih Khánum joined the youth in the launching of 1,200 balloons, to each of which was attached a message from the conference with a reply card. The “Glad Tidings” floated across several ranges of the Alps and replies were returned from countries as far away as Austria, Italy and Yugoslavia. Literature was sent to 400 enquirers who replied, and visits were made to those nearby who requested further information.

The climax of the conference was a pub'ic meeting in the village of Fiesch attended by 1,500 enquirers of various backgrounds. An estimated 200 accepted the Cause during the conference.

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European Bahá’í Youlh Conference, Fiesch, Switzerland; July 31 August 11, 197]. The Hand of the Cause Amatu’l—Baha’ Ru’hiyyih K_hdnum (right) is seen assisting in the launching of 1,200 balloons to each of which was attached

Bahá’í literature.

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Excellent publicity was obtained. International news agencies sent releases and photographs abroad. Prepared news items and edited interviews were broadcast in five languages to several continents. Amatu’l-Bahá was interviewed by radio reporters and journalists. One press correspondent, after meeting Rúḥíyyih Khánum and several youth wrote: “It is a Youth without barrier we met in Fiesch, a Youth illumined with an inner joy, a communicative joy, in love with truth, seeking mutual comprehension and peace.” As a further testimonial, he left his young daughter to attend the conference.

After the conference the youth travelled in teams teaching throughout Europe.

1972

Swaziland: During the first week of January, the first Bahá’í Youth Summer School in Southern Africa, was called by the Continental Board of Counsellors for that region, all members of the Board participating. Approximately seventy youth attended from Botswana, Malawi, Rhodesia, Zambia, Swaziland, Lesotho, South West Africa and the Republic of South Africa. Workshops and study classes were held and teams of youth engaged in teaching in nearby areas, welcoming thirtyseven new believers. Having sent greetings to the Holy Land, the youth were thrilled to receive a cabled reply from the Universal House of Justice. The youth also exchanged cables with the Salzburg conference where the Hand of the Cause Enoch Olinga was present linking the hearts of the youth of both continents in their common purpose of spreading the Message of Bahá’u’lláh.

Austria: The Hand of the Cause Adelbert Mühlschlegel, as well as Mr. Enoch Olinga, were with the 634 youth from various European countries who met in Salzburg during the first week of January to review the goals of the two year youth campaign and to discuss priorities and goals for the following summer when 150 youth from the United States would join with the youth of Europe in operation “Handin-Hand”. The Hand of the Cause Enoch Olinga, known as “The Father of Victories” (Abu’l-Futuh), delighted the youth by singing songs composed by Bahá’ís of Africa, and read the message of the Universal House of J ustice:

THEBAHA’I'WORLD

“It is now almost nine months since the representatives of European Bahá’í Youth gathered in Belgium to consult on the launching of the Two Year Youth Campaign. What were then ideals and hopes you now see as concrete accomplishments. You have with your own eyes seen what can be achieved when the believers enthusiastically and confidently set out to obey the divine summons to teach the Cause and are reinforced by the hosts of the Supreme Concourse—indeed many of you gathered in Salzburg are no doubt Bahá’ís now as a result of these stirring achievements.

“The great task has been well begun, but what has happened so far is but a foretaste of what is yet to come. Our thoughts are centred upon you and our prayers are with you. May Baha’u’llah inspire your deliberations, aid you to exemplify His Teachings in your lives and unloose your tongues to proclaim His Cause and teach His healing Message to all who have ears to hear.”

The youth divided into teaching teams whose activities resulted in more than one hundred people embracing the Cause.

The related conferences held at Pado va. Italy, from August 1—7 and at Plon, Germa ny. from August 12—17, were the last of the series of follow-up conferences which stemmed from the Namur conference held the previous years The Hands of the Cause Adelbert Mfihlschlegel. Enoch Olinga and Abu’l-Qasim Faizi were the inspiring forces of these final conferences. which were attended by more than 1,600 yo 1th from more than forty countries who primarily devoted their discussion to the need for consolidating the exciting victories that had been recorded during the two year youth campaign.

India: The second Western Asia Youth C onference attracted 400 youth to Bangalore in July, 1972, where the Hand of the Cause Jalal Kházeh was an inspirational force. An important guest was the Governor of Mysore who spoke appreciatively of the Bahá’í Teachings and, expressing his good wishes for the success of the gathering, urged the participants to “carry this noble Message to the hearts of your countrymen.” The growing popularity of the successful youth magazine Glory, published by the Bahá’í youth of India, was noted. and the first Asian youth musical “road-show" which had completed its first triumphant tr ave]

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European Bahá’í Youth Conference, Padova, Italy; August, 1972. In the left foreground are seen Hands of the C ause and members of the European Continental Board of Counsellors.

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Dortmund, Germany; November, 1971.

[Page 340]a

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340 THE BAHA

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First Bahá’í Youth Summer School of Southern Afiica,‘ Swaziland, January, 1972.

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circuit aided in winning more hearts to the Faith during the course of the conference. Teams of youth, after leaving the conference, visited high schools, colleges and universities, one group alone receiving invitations to address twelve institutions of learning and having the opportunity to present Bahá’í literature to officials at an additional eight schools.

Having surpassed all the goals they had set for themselves in their previous conference, the youth pledged to open to the Faith 260 colleges and 560 localities, construct seven local Hazira’tu’l-Quds, consolidate the work in 238 villages which have Bahá’í residents, help develop model all-Bahá’í villages, send representatives to neighbouring countries to travel teach, and enrol 17,000 new believers during the final months of the Nine Year Plan.

Surinam: The first International Youth Conference held in Paramaribo, Surinam in December, 1972, was a joyous gathering for Bahá’í youth from Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Guyana, Surinam and French Guiana. The first activity was a courtesy call on His Excellency J ohan Ferrier, Governor of Surinam, who was presented with a copy of The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh, and who remembered the Visit he received three years

341

earlier from the Hand of the Cause Amatu’l-Bahá Rahiyyih lghénurn. The Governor was reported as saying that it was always a pleasure for him to meet Bahá’ís and that he hoped the Faith would make progress in Surinam the varied population of which, he said, matched Baha’u’llah’s description of the human race as resembling the fruits of one tree and the leaves of one branch. Later the youth paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Justice, Mr. Jan H. Adhin.

Sessions during the three-day conference were tri-lingual (Taki-Taki, Dutch and English) and keynote speakers included youth from various areas, members of the Board of Counsellors, and Auxiliary Board members. Those assembled at the school also joumied to Cole Kreek where they taught the Faith among the Bush Negroes.

Ecuador: The National Teaching Committee conceived the ambitious plan of holding a national school for children and invitations were sent to communities throughout the country. On March 19, approximately one thousand children between the ages of 8 and 12 gathered in Esmeraldas, up to that time perhaps one of the largest gatherings of Bahá’í children in the history of the Faith. This was accomplished in

First National Youth Conference of'the Bahá’ís ofPakistan; 1972.

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International Bahá’í Youth Conference, Cali, Colombia; January, 1973.

an area with extremes of climate and altitude change, primitive transportation, unpaved roads and for many of the participants involved a difficult journey across the snowcovered Andes. A joyful programme held the young ones in rapt attention. The children wore colourful native dress and each had pinned to his chest a large circular badge depicting the unity of the human race. One observer commented, “Each child wore his pin with undisguised pride, as if he had just received the highest honour as the most distinguished citizen of the world.” It was felt that the conference and the follow-up material designed for the participants would prepare the children admirably for their future role as Bahá’í youth.

1973

Colombia: An International Youth Conference in Cali in January was combined with proclamation activities as a result of which thousands heard the Bahá’í Message. A Bahá’í exhibit in a park attracted approximately 800 people daily to receive information and literature. The second largest radio station presented

six daily announcements in prime time and Bahá’í slides were shown for a month in two of the town’s most popular movie houses. Thirty-two government leaders, including the mayor, were visited and presented with Bahá’í books, and 20,000 flowers, each with a Bahá’í quotation attached, were distributed to the public.

Argentina: The trio of conferences sponsored by the Continental Board of Counsellors in South America in Surinam, Colombia and Argentina was climaxed in February, 1973, by the gathering of approximately one hundred youth who met at Rosario del Tala, following the Summer School, to hold an international music festival designed to encourage the creation of original compositions by Bahá’í musicians. The outstanding entries were recorded and a cassette tape recording was distributed by the Board of Counsellors to youth committees in all the countries of South America. Public programmes held during the conference attracted other youth a number of whom embraced the Cause. Workshop sessions were

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held on topics of particular interest to young people. Two members of the Auxiliary Board, both of whom are youth, from Brazil and Bolivia respectively, taught classes and participated in the activities of the conference. An American youth who attended stayed on as a pioneer. A number of the youth in attendance had played a leading role as travelling teachers, some of them internationally.

Mexico: The first International Youth Conference of Mexico brought together youth from El Salvador, Guatemala, Ecuador, Mexico and the United States—two hundred in total. Mrs. Carmen de Burafato of the Continental Board of Counsellors and Mr. Paul Lucas of the Auxiliary Board lent stimulus through their keynoting of the role of youth in building the New World Order. The conference which was held in Puebla City and in the institute at Acatepec—an institute named after the Hand of the Cause Amelia Collinsaroused widespread interest among visiting students who were attracted to the meetings by the Bahá’ís they met.

The conferences typified by those described above—numbers of which on a smaller scale were held in countries throughout the five continents—and the Oceanic and Intercontinental Conferences described elsewhere in this volume,

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which were well attended by youth, stimulated and reinforced the youth as they advanced “to the forefront” and “changed the face” of the teaching work.

PROCLAMATION THROUGH MUSIC

Interwoven with the conferences and the activities generating therefrom were the unnumbered teams of “musical ambassadors” of the Faith who served as travelling teachers and attracted thousands to investigate the Message of Bahá’u’lláh. Sometimes a youth would travel singly, equipped only with a guitar, a repertoire of songs with Bahá’í themes, and a desire to share the Bahá’í Teachings, financing his own national or international travels during vacation periods. Notable journeys were made by Phil Lucas extending from Alaska to Mexico, by Fiona Dunn of England who spent many months in Europe performing and training youth singers, and by May Hofman also of England, who spent eight months visiting seven African countries. Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Dreyer of El Salvador visited twelve countries throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.

Oftentimes musicians would form groups and make extended trips to distant points. Some groups whose activities were reported

at

International Bahá’í Youth Conference, Argentina; February, 1973.

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THE Bahá’í WORLD

“Great Day”, the first Baha"! Youth singing group of the Netherlands, 1972.

are “The Dawn-Breakers” of Australia and their European counterpart; the “New—Era Trio” who travelled throughout Central America and the Caribbean; the “Hand-inHand” music teams called “New Garden, South” and “New Garden, North” and others who participated in the work in Europe including “Talisman”, “The Reli-Pops” and “Windflower”, a multi-racia] chorus from Alaska. In the United States, “The Jin-ai Singers” who formed in 1964, and the “Victory Chorus” of California, trained by Russ Garcia in 1966, made valuable contributions wherever they appeared. “The Crimson Ark” group were active in Uruguay and typical of the many groups formed in South America. “Jalél”, one of the earliest groups in Canada, were acclaimed for their performance with the Saskatoon Symphony when they premiered their original composition “Love is the Mystery of Divine Revelation”. “Collage” and “Geyser” were later Canadian groups. Before the conclusion of the Nine Year Plan, counterparts of these music groups had been formed in almost every country.

Great impetus was given the teaching work through established Bahá’í recording artists who brought the name of the Faith to the atten tion of vast radio and concert audiences, who composed music inspired by the Bahá’í Teachings and spoke of the Faith during interviews and performances. “Seals and Crofts” brought the Faith to the attention of a whole generation of those interested in contemporary music. On one engagement alone, in Japan, “England Dan and John Ford Coley”, through their references to the Faith, brought it to the notice of an estimated three million people, the National Assembly reported. In his world travels, the distinguished “giant of jazz”, John Birks “Dizzy” Gillespie—a youthful spirit—publicly proclaimed his affiliation with the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh, as did the American singer, Vic Damone, and the Italian pianisg Alfredo Speranza.

THE DAWN-BREAKERS OF EUROPE

The European Dawn-Breakers’ roadshow, “A Plea for One World”, was conceived over a cup of coffee at the Swiss winter school 211 Fiesch in December, 1968, by a group of Bahá’í youth from four countries: Charles Hamburger (Holland), Reza Reyhani (Germany), Dolores Eichenberger Woodtli (Switzerland) and May Hofman (England). In the

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EEG:

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“The Dawn-Breakers of Europe” whose road show A Plea for One World widely proclaimed the Bahá’í Faith throughout Europe commencing in 1969.

spring of 1969 the team met for three days at the Frankfurt Temple with the distinguished arranger and composer, Russ Garcia, who lent encouragement and gave permission for use of the name “Dawn-Breakers”, the name of his sailing craft which carried him on his teaching tour of the South Pacific islands and one already adopted by the youth chorus of Australia. With Reza managing, a script was designed by May, Barney Leith and Eddie Kollaart, staff was recruited and the show, produced by Mark Hofman, was launched at the Dutch summer school that year, by a troupe consisting of twenty—nine youth from Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, Holland, Great Britain, the United States and Canada. The success of this medium for presenting the Faith became immediately obvious at the first public performance in Arnhem and as resistance to this innovative teaching format melted, a tour of fifteen cities in Holland, Germany and Belgium was launched, the troubadours transporting themselves at their own expense in a 40—seater coach bearing the legend: “Bahá’í Singing Group—Dawn-Breakers of Europe”. A second Dawn-Breakers group formed in 1970 participated in by youth from thirteen countries, spent five weeks touring nine Euro pean nations. Some financial aid was provided and the team was preceded on its tour by an advance publicity group led by Linda Marshall.

In a letter received by the troupe the Universal House of J ustice commended them, noting that their initial tour in 1969 was “entirely spontaneous and organized by the youth themselves who paid their own expenses.” Stating that it was fully aware “of the difficulties and even privations” experienced by the members of the cast, the Universal House of J ustice encouraged the creation of national “Dawn-Breakers” groups in 1971 to be financially assisted by National Assemblies.

By the end of the Nine Year Plan a large number of European countries had achieved this, and through these teams the Faith was brought to the attention of countless thousands on the Continent.

A published report of the “mother” group who pioneered the roadshow reads:

“The purpose of the group was to present the Faith in a manner which would be easy to understand, calling attention to the fact that the Bahá’í Faith offers the solution to the problems with which the world is now faced. The language problem was solved by the use of a narrator, with action done in mime. In that

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THE Bahá’í WORLD

«tum rt;

“Windflower”, a muIti-racial Balzd’z’ Youth vocal group formed in Alaska, photographed

following a perfbrmance in Germany; February, 1973.

way, the narrator’s script could be translated and adapted to the situation without unduly involving the cast.

“The theme of the show was one of search, centred on an ‘Everyman’ character who witnessed famine, greed, hatred, prejudice, despair and futility in a materialistic society in which he had gained success. The object of his search became apparent when, at last, he turned his attention to ‘The Nightingale of Paradise’ Whose divine call had been summoning him all along.”

Widespread newspaper publicity was obtained wherever the teams performed—in parks, public squares and, when available, in more formal settings. “Glowing reports” received of their activities led the Universal House of Justice to write expressing “keen admiration for the wonderful service which the youth have rendered in Europe through this medium” and stating that the result has been “a turning point in the work of the Bahá’í youth” on the Continent.

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American Bahá’í Youth team in Norway, 1972. This is one of many similar groups which participated in the “Hand-in-hand” teaching project throughout Europe.

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THE Bahá’í WORLD

2. THE LAWS GOVERNING THE SPIRITUAL LIFE

( The following excerpts from a letter written to an individual Bahá’í by the Universal House of Justice on February 6, 1973, were later sent to all National Spiritual Assemblies)

J UST as there are laws governing our physical lives, requiring that we must supply our bodies with certain foods, maintain them within a certain range of temperatures, and so forth, if we wish to avoid physical disabilities, so also there are laws governing our spiritual lives. These laws are revealed to mankind in each age by the Manifestation of God, and obedience to them is of vital importance if each human being, and mankind in general, is to develop properly and harmoniously. Moreover, these various aspects are interdependent. If an individual violates the spiritual laws for his own development he will cause injury not only to himself but to the society in which he lives. Similarly, the condition of society has a direct effect on the individuals who must live within it.

“As you point out, it is particularly difficult to follow the laws of Baha’u’llah in present-day society whose accepted practice is so at variance with the standards of the Faith. However, there are certain laws that are so fundamental to the healthy functioning of human society that they must be upheld whatever the circumstances. Realizing the degree of human frailty, Baha’u’llah has provided that other laws are to be applied only gradually, but these too, once they are applied, must be followed, or else society will not be reformed but will sink into an everworsening condition. It is the challenging task of the Bahá’ís to obey the law of God in their own lives, and gradually to win the rest of mankind to its acceptance

“In considering the effect of obedience to the laws on individual lives, one must remember that the purpose of this life is to prepare the soul for the next. Here one must learn to control and direct one’s animal impulses, not to be a slave to them. Life in this world is a succession of tests and achievements, of falling short and of making new spiritual advances.

Sometimes the course may seem very hard, but one can witness, again and again, that the soul who steadfastly obeys the law of Baha’u’llah, however hard it may seem, grows spiritually, while the one who compromises with the law

for the sake of his own apparent happiness is seen to have been following a chimera; he does not attain the happiness he sought, he retards his spiritual advance and often brings new problems upon himself.

“To give one very obvious example: the Bahá’í law requiring consent of parents to marriage. All too often nowadays such consent is withheld by non-Bahá’í parents for reasons of bigotry or racial prejudice; yet we have seen again and again the profound effect on those very parents of the firmness of the children in the Bahá’í law, to the extent that not only is the consent ultimately given in many cases, but the character of the parents can be affected and their relationship with their child greatly strengthened.

“Thus, by upholding Bahá’í law in the face of all difficulties we not only strengthen our own characters but influence those around us.

“The Bahá’í teaching on sexual intercourse is very clear. It is permissible only between a man and the woman who is his wife. In this connection we share with you extracts from four letters written on behalf of the Guardian which throw light on various aspects of the matter. One of them contains the paragraph that you quote in your letter.

‘With reference to the question you have asked concerning the Bahá’í attitude towards the problem of sex and its relation to marriage.

‘The Bahá’í Teachings on this matter, which is of such vital concern and about which there is such a wide divergency of views, are very clear and emphatic. Briefly stated the Bahá’í conception of sex is based on the belief that chastity should be strictly practised by both sexes, not only because it is in itself highly commendable ethically, but also due to its being the only way to a happy and successful marital life. Sex relationships of any form, outside marriage, are not permissible therefore, and whose violates this rule will not only be responsible to God,

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but will incur the necessary punishment from society.

‘The Bahá’í Faith recognizes the value of the sex impulse, but condemns its illegitimate and improper expressions such as free love, companionate marriage and others, all of which it considers positively harmful to man and to the society in which he lives. The proper use of the sex instinct is the natural right of every individual, and it is precisely for this very purpose that the institution of marriage has been established. The Bahá’ís do not believe in the suppression of the sex impulse but in its regulation and control.’

(From a letter dazed September 5, 1938, to an individual believer)

‘The question you raise as to the place in one’s life that a deep bond of love with someone we meet other than our husband or wife can have is easily defined in view of the teachings. Chastity implies both before and after marriage an unsullied, chaste sex life. Before marriage absolutely chaste, after marriage absolutely faithful to one’s chosen companion. Faithful in all sexual acts, faithful in word and in deed.

‘The world today is submerged, amongst other things, in an over-exaggeration of the importance of physical love, and a dearth of spiritual values. In as far as possible the believers should try to realize this and rise above the level of their fellow-men who are, typical of all decadent periods in history, placing so much over-emphasis on the purely physical side of mating. Outside of their normal, legitimate married life they should seek to establish bonds of comradeship and love which are eternal and founded on the spiritual life of man, not on his physical life. This is one of the many fields in which it is incumbent on the Bahá’ís to set the example and lead the way to a true human standard of life, when the soul of man is exalted and his body but the tool for his enlightened spirit. Needless to say this does not preclude the living of a perfectly normal sex life in its legitimate channel of marriage.’

(From a letter dated September 28, 1941, to an individual believer)

‘Concerning your question whether there are any legitimate forms of expression of the

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sex instinct outside of marriage; according to the Bahá’í Teachings no sexual act can be considered lawful unless performed between lawfully married persons. Outside of marital life there can be no lawful or healthy use of the sex impulse. The Bahá’í youth should, on the one hand, be taught the lesson of self-control which, when exercised, undoubtedly has a salutary effect on the development of character and of personality in general, and on the other should be advised, nay even encouraged, to contract marriage while still young and in full possession of their physical vigour. Economic factors, no doubt, are often a serious hindrance to early marriage but in most cases are only an excuse, and as such should not be over stressed.’

(From a letter dated December 13, 1940, to an individual believer)

‘As regards your question whether it would be advisable and useful for you to marry again; he feels unable to give you any definite answer on that point, as this is essentially a private affair about which you, and the friends around you or your local assembly are in a much better position to judge. Of course, under normal circumstances, every person should consider it his moral duty to marry. And this is what Bahá’u’lláh has encouraged the believers to do. But marriage is by no means an obligation. In the last resort it is for the individual to decide whether he wishes to lead a family life or live in a state ofcelibacy.’

(Franz a letter dated May 3, 1936, to an individual believer)

“You express surprise at the Guardian’s reference to ‘the necessary punishment from society’. In the Kitáb-i-Aqdas Baha’u’llah prohibits sexual immorality and in the Annexe to that Book states that the various degrees of sexual offences and the punishments for them are to be decided by the Universal House of Justice. In this connection it should be realized that there is a distinction drawn in the Faith between the attitudes which should characterize individuals in their relationships to other people, namely loving forgiveness, forbearance, and concern with one’s own sins, not the sins of others, and those attitudes which should

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Bahá’í youth who participated in the Inter—Faith Youth Devotional Service sponsored by the United Nations Association ofAustralia at Sydney Town Hall; October, 1972.

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be shown by the Spiritual Assemblies, whose duty is to administer the law of God with justice.

“A number of sexual problems, such as homosexuality and trans-sexuality can well have medical aspects, and in such cases recourse should certainly be had to the best medical assistance. But it is clear from the teaching of Bahá’u’lláh that homosexuality is not a condition to which a person should be reconciled, but is a distortion of his or her nature which should be controlled and overcome. This may require a hard struggle, but so also can be the struggle of a heterosexual person to control his or her desires. The exercise of self-control in this, as in so very many other aspects of life, has a beneficial effect on the progress of the soul. It should, moreover, be borne in mind that although to be married is highly desirable, and Bahá’u’lláh has strongly recommended it, it is not the central purpose of life. If a person has to wait a considerable period before finding a spouse, or if ultimately, he or she must remain single, it does not mean that he or she is thereby unable to fulfil his or her life’s purpose.

“In all this we have been speaking about the attitude that Bahá’ís should have towards the law of Baha’u’llah. You, however, as a doctor working mainly as a counsellor in family and sexual problems, will mostly be concerned with advising non-Bahá’ís who do not accept, and see no reason to follow, the laws of Bahá’u’lláh. You are already a qualified practitioner in your field, and no doubt you give advice on

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the basis of what you have learned from study and experience—a whole fabric of concepts about the human mind, its growth, development and proper functioning, which you have learned and evolved without reference to the teachings of Baha’u’llah. Now, as a Bahá’í, you know that what Bahá’u’lláh teaches about the purpose of human life, the nature of the human being and the proper conduct of human lives, is divinely revealed and therefore true. However, it will inevitably take time for you not only to study the Bahá’í teachings so that you clearly understand them, but also to work out how they modify your professional concepts. This is, of course, not an unusual predicament for a scientist. How of ten in the course of research is a factor discovered which requires a revolution in thinking over a wide field of human endeavour. You must be guided in each case by your own professional knowledge and judgement as illuminated by your growing knowledge of the Bahá’í teachings; undoubtedly you will find that your own understanding of the human problems dealt with in your work will change and develop and you will see new and improved ways of helping the people who come to you. Psychology is still a very young and inexact science, and as the years go by Bahá’í psychologists, who know from the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh the true pattern of human life, will be able to make great strides in the development of this science, and will help profoundly in the alleviation of human suffering.”

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3. IMPRESSIONS OF A Bahá’í YOUTH FROM AJOURNEY ROUND THE WORLD

By GREGORY C. DAHL

MANY experiences of life defy verbal expression, reaching as they do beyond the limits of thought and conception to deeper worlds of meaning and feeling. Perhaps the spiritual world will always be just beyond the full grasp of man. Certainly in this imperfect time, when our understanding of spiritual forces is so limited, if a Bahá’í is granted a close view of the power and enthralling beauty of his Faith—albeit only a momentary view as on pilgrimage or during some especially significant Bahá’í event—the experience is such as to strike wonder and amazement into‘ the heart. It is as though we were riding with ease upon the sea, and only occasionally were immersed to feel the power of the deep currents and witness the beauty of the fish and coral which all the while exist beneath us. A journey round the world visiting Bahá’ís is this type of experience—a momentary glimpse of tremendous forces at work, an enthralling romance with the true significance of the age in which we live, and an influence on one’s own soul which cannot be compared to other experiences of life.

It was my great privilege to be able to experience this type of service to the Faith in 1972 and 1973. Taking advantage of the international air travel rule allowing unlimited stops on a given ticket between distant cities without additional charge, and having saved my funds and planned my trip assiduously during two years in the military service, I was able to travel for a year and visit Bahá’ís in over fifty countries in the Pacific, Asia, Africa and Europe. It was a rapid journey, with too little time in each place to do much more than meet the friends, encourage them, bring news and pictures of Bahá’ís in other places, share some songs, and take pictures. In fact for me it was rather like an audio-visual show, with scenes of tremendous drama and significance appearing briefly before me, only to be flashed away and to be replaced by others. But how can one express the preciousness of those brief moments, those vanishing experiences ? Somehow Bahá’ís

have a way of establishing themselves in one’s heart and soul after only a few minutes or hours of friendship. And after all, many of the Bahá’ís that a travelling Bahá’í meets, stays with and gets to know, will be remembered by history as the great souls of the age—far more distinguished than the statesmen, industrial leaders and famous personalities of a dying order! The experiences of pioneering and sacrifice in the path of God have purified and spiritualized many a Bahá’í hero in the field, bringing forth some of the jewels of our time. How often was I reminded of Baha’u’llah’s words: “ . . .fellowship with the righteous cleanseth the rust from ofl [he heart”!

Several general impressions remain with me from that trip, which I would like to try to express here. One is the tremendous growth and maturity of the Faith in recent years. We are all familiar with the statistics of the rapid expansion of our Faith; but what these statistics really mean is generally beyond our range of experience. Thus, to see the Faith functioning and growing in country after country, in islands and continents, in regions at war and those in peace, in democracies and kingdomsliterally every place that airplanes fly (and of course many others besides!)~—was indeed breathtaking. It used to be that when international travellers set out to spread the Word of God for this age, they felt like lonely lights, in dark regions, breaking new paths where no fellow—believers had trod before.For Americans and Persians this experience has become especially deep-rooted in our attitudes and expectations, since we sent out so many pioneers during the years of geographical expansion of our Faith. Now, however, one can travel tc what seem the remotest parts of the earth. and find oneself welcomed at the airport or station by a representative of the national or local Assembly, and put immediately under their care and supervision. No longer is there an area of the world accessible to westerners; that is not under the jurisdiction of properly

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Suhs, a Ponapean Bahá’í youth (left) with visiting Bahá’í teacher, Greg Dahl (right) on their return from a teaching trip to villages in Ponape, Micronesia.

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A Bahá’í teacher training institute held in a public school building in a village in southern Korea.

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Bahá’í youth at the National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds, Singapore. Govindan, a Malaysian youth pioneer, is seen second from the left.

constituted Bahá’í administrative bodies, and the Bahá’í traveler is no longer an agent acting alone, but rather a part of a vast system of administration and teaching that girdles the globe. Indeed, these relatively new developments pose an interesting and vital challenge to the Bahá’í traveler, since he must continually find the balance between seeking the advice and guidance of local administrative bodies, which often requires considerable patience from hurried westerners, and independently offering suggestions and examples of successes in other places, which sometimes are timely and of great value, and at other times are ill—conceived and poorly suited to the local circumstances in a new place. Naturally a visitor has much to offer in perspective, diverse experience and enthusiasm which is of great value to Bahá’í communities he visits; but since these communities are now maturing in their own right, he must adjust his approach to harmonize with local efforts, and his plans must be screened and modified by administrative institutions more familiar than he is with local needs and problems. Bahá’í administration is beginning to come of age around the globe.

Oftentimes, as I observed this phenomenon in operation, I thought that Baha’u’llah’s Teachings and especially His administrative order were like a vast sketch of a magnificent scene which He had left us—but without the colors filled in. Slowly, as various nationalities entered the Faith in force, we acquired new colors to fill in parts of the painting. For a long time only two or three colors were available, and so the painting was necessarily spotty and incomplete. Now, however, most of mankind is substantially represented in Bahá’í administration, and the richness and fullness of the painting in full color are beginning to be apparent. In time the splendor and completeness of this painting of Baha’u’llah’s will astonish mankind.

Indeed, the achievement of the Faith in reaching all the various races and peoples of the earth is no accident; and watching this process has been for me a vivid and instructive contrast to the processes of division and polarization so evident in the world. The general law of human behaviour has always been that those who once get ahead have the power and resources to get farther ahead, so that enormous

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Humd Subhdnz’ of Persia (left) and Parvz’n Bihi oflndia (right) with homefront teacher Samuel

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Akale, in Yaoundé, Cameroon, preparing to depart on a teaching journey ofseveral weeks to northern Cameroon and Chad.

disparities of opportunity and well-being are created between men. For an American accustomed to afliuence and easy living, to see the world and the incredible lack of opportunity facing most of mankind is a tremendous lesson in the absurd inequities of our time. This is especially so for the Bahá’í traveler, who frequently stays (if he wishes) with his Bahá’í hosts, sharing the living conditions of the people of the place he is visiting. How does one explain to one’s Bahá’í brother and close friend in India or Fiji that an American youth can save from his military pay in two years enough to finance

a year’s world tour? It seems impossible to them! Indeed, it seems impossible that such differences can continue in the world. And yet, the Bahá’í system works on opposite principles. The Bahá’í community or individual who gets ahead is immediately expected to share its success with others through the sending of pioneers, circulation of travel teachers, or contribution of funds. For example, Malaysia was still stunned, at the time of my visit, by the fact that they had achieved such a sudden and unexpected expansion during the Nine Year Plan that they had been quickly asked to pro [Page 356]356

vide pioneers and assistance to nearby Asian countries and to Africa. They were still accustomed to thinking in terms of receiving assistance rather than giving it! It is in this way that the natural tendency toward inequalities that is inherent in the human condition has been moderated among Bahá’ís with a process of sharing, producing a sense of harmony, cooperation and family feeling that is in stark contrast to the animosities and distrust of nations and peoples. I was repeatedly astounded at how well and naturally my Bahá’í hosts in foreign lands, including villagers and struggling but impoverished families, accepted and welcomed me as their brother and Bahá’í comrade, despite my cameras, tape recorder, pictures, guitar, self—ironing shirts and other Western paraphernalia. Theirs was the much greater “culture shock”, I’m sure!

Another aspect of the international development of the Faith which impressed me deeply was the interconnectedness and global scope of the Bahá’í administrative institutions I worked with so closely during my travels. My

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very first experience on the trip will illustrate the marvelous workings of this system. Shortly before I was due to depart from California for the South Pacific, word was received from the Continental Pioneer Committee in Australia, whose area extended over the Pacific, that a routing through Tahiti rather than through Hawaii would cost me no more and would be of greater value for the Faith. Unfortunately, however, an address for Bahá’ís in Tahiti was not available in the US. So an air letter was sent back to the Committee in Australia, with only a few days notice. This committee cabled the appropriate National Assembly, in New Caledonia (3,000 miles distant from Tahiti), who in turn cabled Bahá’ís in Tahiti, and these: Bahá’ís met me at the airport! Meanwhile the: World Centre was informed and a cable leached me in California with an address in case other efforts should fail. Thus the cable had circled the globe and the visitor was able to connect with Bahá’ís in a small island in the South Pacific. Indeed, we Bahá’ís often think of ourselves as inefficient because our standards are

Partial view of the audience at the Bahá’í Youth Conference, Padova, Italy; summer, 1972.

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so high, but my experience has been that the international operation of the Faith is such as to rival the largest and best organized organizations on the face of the globe. Indeed, what other organization could summon the resources and personnel to arrange to have a visitor met and welcomed by a native in virtually any airport of the world (as I was welcomed in the first fourteen countries I visited), including, for example, Funafuti Atoll in the middle of the Pacific which has a population of perhaps 500. And our Bahá’í administrative personnel are not highly paid, well-trained employees, like those of governments and corporations. Their only reward is the privilege of service.

I cannot leave this subject without paying a tribute to the Institution of the Continental Boards of Counsellors, with whom I had the privilege of working closely. This Institution is yet another sign of the maturation and growing strength of the Cause. Travelling widely, each intimately familiar, from years of experience with the peoples, cultures, and Bahá’í history of their areas, the Counsellors are in perfect touch with the needs and problems of the Faith, and offer unparalleled and invaluable

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guidance and advice to the Bahá’í travelling teacher. Well I remember the problems of communication and planning that had to be surmounted when I visited Bolivia in 1967, before there were Counsellors. Today those difficulties are no longer, and indeed there is no obscure or forgotten region of the world for Bahá’ís!

Naturally Bahá’ís still struggle in many parts of the world for basic freedom of worship, for recognition of the Faith as an independent religion, for property rights, or for acceptance among a particular people or group not yet represented. But discouraging and insurmountable as these difficulties may seem to the Bahá’ís immediately involved, it is clear to the Bahá’í fortunate enough to travel that the world community of Bahá’ís is immensely strong and resourceful, with firm bonds of unity and communication linking the tens of thousands of Bahá’í centers that cover the globe, and that increasingly the local communities will benefit and draw strength and support from this diverse world-wide community that Baha’u’llah, with His unerring vision, knew would be the necessary instrument for the redemption of the world.