Bahá’í World/Volume 17/Eight International Teaching Conferences

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EIGHT INTERNATHNYALTEACHING CONFERENCES 1. ARISE!—A PICTORIAL REPORT1

The urgent need for Bahá’ís to arise to teach the Cause of Baha’u’llah was the theme of the eight international teaching conferences called

by the Universal House of Justice. The acrostic ‘Arise—Reach-Individual-Souls Everywhere’ provides the title 0 f this report.

More than 14,500 Bahá’ís from all parts of the world attended the conferences.

Eight Hands of the Cause were chosen to represent the Universal House 0 f Justice at these conferences. In view of the association 0 f her distinguished mother, May Maxwell, with the very early history of the Faith in Paris, it was particularly fitting that Amatu’l—Baha Rziljzz’yyih Khánum was the representative at the conference in that city.

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The purposes of the conferences, as stated by the Universal House of Justice, were to familiarize the Bahá’ís with the general progress ofthe Five Year Plan, to bring to their attention what remained to be achieved and to present the Bahá’í world community with opportunities for proclamation and teaching which would lend impetus to the progress of the Plan.

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Dr. Ugo Giachery was the representative in Helsinki.

‘ Adapted from a programme for slides and filmstrip prepared under the direction of the Audio-Visual Department of the Bahá’í World Centre and released through the International Bahá’í Audio-Visual Centre, Victor, New York. Copyright © 1977 National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States.

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At Hong Kong the representative was ‘Alf-Akbar Furútan.

Paul Haney and Enoch Olinga attended the Bahia and Mérida conferences. Mr. Haney was the representative at Mérida and Mr. Olinga at Bahia.

William Sears represented the Universal House of Justice at the conference held in Nairobi.

Collis Featherstone was the representative at Anchorage. . .

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. . . and at Auckland, Abdu’l—Qa’sim Faizi, seen here with some of the youth, was the representative of the Universal House of Justice.

Most members of the Continental Boards of Counsellors attended one or more of the conferences. Seen here is Yan Kee Leong, a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors in South-east Asia, who was present at the Hong Kong conference.

There were many long-time pioneers at the various conferences, including Zylpha Mapp and Claire Gang, shown here at Nairobi.

There were also young pioneers including Hakan and Mas Britt Cullsberg, who pioneered from Sweden to Chad.

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There were distinguished Bahd [5 who have achieved world recognition in their chosen fields, including ‘the man of the trees’, Dr. Richard St. Barbe Baker, seen here in attendance at the Nairobi conference . . .

. . . and the renowned artist John Birks ‘Dizzy’ Gillespie who performed at the Helsinki conference and made a video tape which was played later on Finnish television.

Representatives of many races and tribes came from all over the world to attend these great assemblages. Seen here are Navajo and Oneida Indians from North America who attended the Helsinki conference.

To the various conferences were drawn Maya Indians from the Yucatdn . . .

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. . . Indians from the Altiplano of Bolivia . . .

. tribesmen fiom Swaziland . . .

. . . Chinese believers from South-east Asia.

. and Eskimo Bahá’í’s from Alaska.

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Large numbers 0 f those attending the conferences came from Tran, the cradle of the Bahá’í Faith. The Paris conference held during the first week of August 1976 attracted an attendance of 6,230 Bahá’í’s and was the largest international conference since the World Congress held in 1963 in London to commemorate the formal assumption by Baha’u’llah oins Prophetic Office one hundred years earlier and the victorious consummation of the Ten Year Crusade.

The Hand Ofthe Cause Dr. Ugo Giachery presented Mayor Teuvo Aura ofHelsinki with an inscribed copy of The Bahá’í World.

Mayor Aura cordially welcomed the Baha Is to Helsinki.

THE Bahá’í WORLD

During the first week ofjuly 1976 Bahá’í’s from many nations gathered in Finlandia Hall in Helsinki for the first oftwo Arctic co nfererz ces.

Dr. Giachery was interviewed by a radio reporter and the programme was aired throughout Finland. The conference was reported and publicized, as well, in the press and national magazines. Shown here are some Ofthe Bahá’í’s who were present at the conference.

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0n the morning Of6 July the conference was formally opened and Dr. Giachery read the message Ofthe Universal House of Justice in which the Baha't’s were reminded that the northern regions Ofthe world had been alluded to by Bahd‘u’lltih in the Kitáb-i—Aqdas, the ‘mother book’ Ofthe Bahá’í revelation . . .

The first ofmany speakers was Adib Taherzadeh Of the Continental Board of Counsellors in Europe who spoke about the devotion and self-sacrifice of some of the early teachers Ofthe Faith. The faith that animated these heroes animates the present—day followers ofBahd’u’l/dh who truly love Him, he said.

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. . . and their names recorded in the Tablets Ofthe Divine Plan by ‘Abdu’l—Bahti, Who, in one oins other Tablets, supplicated God to raise up sanctified, pure and spiritual souls in the countries of the West and the territories of the North, and make them signs of (Divine) guidance. . .

Dr. and Mrs. Giachery paid a visit to the children’s classes during the conference. The visit was a source 0 f immense mutual happiness. A concert was provided by Rouhanieh Golmohammadi, a soprano of exquisite voice, who presented prayers of Bahá’u’lláh set to music by her gifted accompanist, Mr. Lasse Thoresen. On another occasion the North Star singing group performed.

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Three weeks later more than 1,000 Bahá’í’s assembled in the second Arctic conference which was held in Anchorage, Alaska situated almost directly across the North Pole from Helsinki.

The Hand of the Cause Collis Featherstone read the message of the Universal House of Justice which reminded the assembled Bahá’í’s that sixty years earlier ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had summoned the North American believers to open the remote and inhospitable regions which form the climatic frontiers of the Arctic and the sub-Arctic.

THE BAHA’I WORLD

The symbol adopted for the conference, consisting of the words ‘Alaska Bahd’z” superimposed on a map ofAlaska backed by a nine-pointed star, served as the backdrop and also appeared on programmes, posters, folios and flight bags. The theme 0 f the conference was ‘From Strength t0 Strength’.

The Hand Ofthe Cause William Sears made it clear that divine bounties and bestowals are the reward Ofthose who arise to serve. Other speakers included the Hand Ofthe Cause John Robarts; Edna True and Velma Sherrill Ofthe Continental Board of Counsellors in North America; and Hideya Suzuki aflapan, a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors in North-east Asia.

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On the lighter side there was an abundance 0 f good entertainment including native Indian and Eskimo dancing and songs by the Windflower group and the Jin-ai singers.

England Dan and John Ford Coley, internationally known popular entertainers, also performed and lovely songs were presented by the fltraz group.

A fierwards, native believers, filled with the happy spirit generated by the conference, convened as the Bahá’í Native Council and expressed their wish to assume responsibility for teaching their own peoples, the Indians and Eskimos.

Paris, a city thrice visited by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’, and one rich in memories Ofthe early days of the Faith in the West, was the venue for the third conference.

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Early in August 1976 Bahá’í’s from all o‘ver the world gathered at the official headquarters across the street from the Palais de Congrés where the conference sessions were held.

The main auditorium proved not large enough to accommodate the Bahá’ís who attended the conference. Arrangements had been made, however, for the believers who could not find seating in the main hall to watch the proceedings over closed-circuit television in adjacent rooms.

Amatu’l—Bahá Ruhz’yyih flla’num held a press conference at Hotel Meridien. Representatives ofseveral newspapers and news services were

present.

The conference officially opened on 4 August with the reading, by Amatu’l-Bahá Rzihz’yyih K_hdnum, of the message of the Universal House oflustice. The message recalled the visits of‘Abdu’l—Bahd which ‘alone outshine in historical importance anything in the long history of France'. The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Kurt Waldheim, sent a special message ofgreeting t0 the Bahá’í’s assembled in Paris.1

‘ See p. 140 for text.

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At one session members 0 f the National Spiritual Assemblies represented at the conference were asked to come to the platform. A total of fifty-five National Spiritual Assemblies—almost hal f the world total—«were represented.

Classes were held each morning for children between the ages ofsix and twelve and a nursery was provided for younger children.

The Kenyatta Centre in Nairobi was the site of the fourth of the eight conferences; it was held in October 1976.

As the friends assembled they were informed by the Hand Ofthe Cause William Sears that at that very moment the Universal House of Justice was linked with them in prayer at the Holy Shrines.

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Mr. Sears then read the message of the Universal House Oflustice which reminded the friends that the privileged continent of A frica, ‘rich in cherished associations, has reached its present stage 0 f growth through countless feats ofheroism and dedication’.

The Hand Ofthe Cause John Robarts, who returned to A frican soil to travel and teach a fier many years of service in the western hemisphere, 3poke Of the need to develop Bahá’í characteristics in our lives and to demonstrate unity in our communities.

The Hand of the Cause Enoch Oligna and Mrs. 01inga are seen talking with Mrs. Valerie Allen and Miss Loava Carter during an intermission.

As in all conferences, entertainment was provided in abundance. A singing group from S waziland is seen here.

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There are many different colours in Bahá’u’lláh’s human flower garden as this view 0 f the friends illustrates.

The Hand of the Cause ‘Alz’-Akbar Furútan read the message of the Universal House of Justice: ‘What an imperishable glory has been bestowed upon the people ofAsia, the first to be illumined by the rays of God’s Faith, the first recipients oins Call and the first promoters oins Cause . . .

Thefifih conference was held in October 1976 in Hong Kong. Present were Bahá’ís from thirty-m'ne countries. Among those in attendance were three Hands 0 f the Cause and representatives 0 f twenty-one National Spiritual Assemblies.

. . . This great continent contains within its boundaries the heart Ofthe Faith and its Cradle, the lands wherein its Founders toiled and suffered, and not only the great majority of the human race, but the great majority of the followers of Bahá’u’lláh . . .’

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The Hand Ofthe Cause Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir pointed out that it was especially fitting that this meeting be held in Hong Kong; approximately a century ago Mt’rza Muhammad ‘Alt’ A fitan, a cousin of the blessed Báb, arrived in Hong Kong, the first Bahá’í to reside in China.

Children’s classes were held each day and the children presented a programme at one of the conference sessions.

Although it was a relatively small conference it was truly, as one delegate described it, ‘a spiritual banquet’.

Prior to the opening Ofthe conference in Auckland in January 1977 the Bahá’í’s were given a tradional Maori welcome at the Orakei Mame. The Maoris paid homage to God and expressed the belief that the rain which commenced half—way through the ceremony was a good omen, assuring all of

God’s presence.

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The conference was held in the Auckland Town Hall. Between four andfive hundred guests attended the public meeting at which the guest speaker was Dr. Peter Khan Of the Continental Board of Counsellors in Australasia.

The Prime Minister ofNew Zealand, the Hon. Robert D. Muldoon (left), welcomed the Bahá’í’s [0 his country and expressed his appreciation and respect for the principles of the Faith.

A choir, sixty-strong, charmed the audience with a presentation ofexcerpts fiom The Seven Valleys which had been set to music by Mr. Russ Garcia.

The Hand Ofthe Cause Abu’l—Qa’sim Faizi, as the representative of the Universal House 0 f Justice, read its message which was addressed to the ‘spiritual heirs’ Ofthe Hands Ofthe Cause Hyde and Clara Dunn ‘who in direct response to the Tablets Of the Divine Plan forsook their home and went to pioneer in Australia . . 4’

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The Hand of the Cause Collis Featherstone made a stirring call for pioneers. By the end 0 f the conference forty-nine pioneers and fifty—six

travelling teachers had arisen.

The first session was opened by the Governor 0 f the State of Bahia, Professor Roberto Santos (right), shown here with a delegation of Bahá’í’s: Mrs. Margot Worley, Counsellor Mas’zid K_hamsz’, the Hand of the Cause Enoch Olinga, Mrs. Olinga and Mr. Enayatollah Vahdat.

THE BAHA't WORLD

Teatro Castro Alves was the scene 0 f the seventh conference; it was held in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil during the last week of January I 977. In attendance were 1,300 Bahá’í’s representing five continents, thirty-seven countries and seventeen indigenous tribes.

Mr. Olinga read the message of the Universal House of Justice: ‘How truly fitting . . . that this auspicious conference have its venue in the city of Bahia, singled out for special mention by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in His Tablets Ofthe Divine Plan. . .’

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The assembled friends were reminded that Leonora Holsapple Armstrong Of the Continental Board 0 f Counsellors in South America had settled in Bahia just two years after the indomitable Martha Root visited many important centres in South America in I 91 9.

Mr. Haney and Mr. Olinga participated in the news conference together with Dr. Victor de Araujo, representative 0 f the Bahá’í’ International Community at the United Nations. Excellent publicity was obtained, with coverage by nine television and seven radio programmes in addition to articles in the press.

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One 0 f the highlights 0 f the conference was the address by the Hand of the Cause Paul Haney who spoke about the spiritual meaning 0 f the erection of the Seat 0 f the Universal House Oflustice. Mr. Habib Taherzadeh described the progress made toward its construction.

The Bahia conference which brought together in unity people 0 f many nations and races will surely exert a beneficial effect upon the Bahá’í’s 0 f the great continent 0 f South America.

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The conference held in February 1977 in Mérida, Yucatan. Mexico was held in an outdoor setting under a canopy in Carta Clara gardens. It was the second largest conference of the series with more than 2,000 in attendance.

Bahá’ís from forty-four countries assembled under the canopy for the opening of the programme.

Among those in attendance were representatives of thirty-two indigenous tribes of North, South and Central America and the Caribbean.

The Hon. Dr. Francisco Luna Kan, Governor 0 f Yucatan, was introduced to the conference by the Hand of the Cause Paul Haney. Dr. Kan, a Mayan, welcomed the Bahá’ís to Mérida.

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Mr. Haney then read the message 0 f the Universal House of Justice. It said, in part: ‘The convening of this conference . . . in the capital city of a state that was once an important part of a great Indian empire, provides a unique opportunity to initiate what may well become the widespread reawakening of a people whose ancestors more than 1,200 years ago developed one of the most brilliant pre-Columbian civilizations known to modern man. . .

The Hands of the Cause Enoch Olinga and Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir addressed the conference as did Mrs. Florence V. Mayberry, a member of the International Teaching Centre,

Close by, in a thatched pavilion, a book and audio-visual display was maintained throughout the conference.

More than two hundred Bahá’í’s arose to pioneer and to travel and to teach.

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Helsinki, Anchorage, Paris, Nairobi, Hong Kong, Auckland, Bahia, Mérida—names, places and associations to be cherished in the memories of the thousands who attended these con ferences.

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How vast is the tabernacle of the Cause of God! Bahá’u’lláh has revealed. It hath overshadowed all the peoples and kindreds of the earth, and will, erelong, gather together the whole of mankind beneath its shelter . . .

. . . Thy day of service is now come. Countless Tablets bear the testimony of the bounties vouchsafed unto thee . . .

. . . Arise for the triumph of My Cause, and, through the power of thine utterance, subdue the hearts of men.

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2. MESSAGES OF THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE TO THE EIGHT INTERNATIONAL TEACHING CONFERENCES

A. TO THE INTERNATIONAL TEACHING CONFERENCE IN HELSINKI, FINLAND 5—8 July 1976

WITH eager hearts we hail the convocation of this first of the twin Arctic conferences inaugurating the series of eight international Bahá’í conferences to be held during the middle part of the Five Year Plan. The northern regions of the world were alluded to by Bahá’u’lláh in the Kittib-i-Aqdas, the Mother Book of this Revelation. Their names were recorded in the Tablets of the Divine Plan by the pen of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Who, in one of His other Tablets, suppliCated God to ‘raise up sanctified, pure and spiritual souls in the countries 0 f the West and the territories Ofthe North, and make them signs 0 f His guidance, ensigns Of the Concourse on High and angels of the Abhd Kingdom.’ These lands received the constant attention of Shoghi Effendi, who repeatedly urged the friends to carry the Faith to their uttermost inhabited areas, and who joyfully announced every advance of the Bahá’ís that established a centre closer to the North Pole.

Already touched by the morning light of God’s Cause by the nineteen-twenties, the lands of the North were blessed by visits from the indomitable Martha Root, whose love warmed and encouraged the hearts of the handful of believers then labouring in a few scattered centres in Scandinavia and illumined the soul of Holmfribur Arnadéttir, Iceland’s first Bahá’í. Bursting into blossom under the impact of the rays of the second Seven Year Plan, these communities received a major impetus from the Ten Year Crusade, of which the European campaign was launched at the never-to—be—forgotten conference in Stockholm in 1953, and which established centres as far north as Thule in Greenland and Sassen in the islands of Spitzbergen. Yet another stage of

growth was reached with the Nine Year Plan and the convocation of the North Atlantic conference in Reykjavik, which marked the opening of a new phase in the collaboration between the northern communities on both sides of that ocean.

Only thirty-eight years have passed since Viiné‘) Rissanen, the first Bahá’í in Finland, accepted with radiant heart the life-giving message brought to him by Josephine Kruka, the ‘Mother of Finland’, in July 1938, and now the city of Helsinki, the seat of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Finland, is the scene of an international Bahá’í conference whose deliberations are focused on the diffusion of the light of God’s Faith throughout the entire Arctic and sub-Arctic regions of the world.

Mr. Vt'z'iné Rissanen (1909—1973), the first in Finland to become a Bahá’í.

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The followers of the Blessed Perfection gathered in Helsinki must direct their attention to the urgent tasks of the second half of the Five Year Plan: to the re—opening of Spitzbergen; the winning of the thirty-four Local Spiritual Assemblies still to be formed in Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland; the acceleration of the translation and publication of Bahá’í literature; the forging of still closer links of collaboration with the Bahá’í communities of Alaska, Canada and in the continent of Europe; the enlistment under the banner of

THE Bahá’í WORLD

Baha’u’llah of increasing numbers of the Eskimo, Lapp and Gipsy peoples; and the pursuit of the vital and challenging objectives of the Plan beyond the frontiers of their homelands.

It is our fervent prayer at the Threshold of Bahá’u’lláh that this conference will produce an upsurge of Bahá’í activity throughout the northern lands and in the islands of the North Sea and the Baltic that will outshine every achievement made in those promising regions, and be an inspiration to your fellow-believers in every country of the world.

B. TO THE INTERNATIONAL TEACHING CONFERENCE IN ANCHORAGE, ALASKA 23—25 July 1976

Sixty years ago ‘Abdu’l-Bahá summoned the valiant North American believers to open the remote and inhospitable regions which form the climatic frontiers of the Arctic and the sub—Arctic. The full implementation of His wish had to be postponed for some years, until, under the leadership of His beloved grandson, well—grounded administrative bases were established from which Bahá’í crusaders could set out in conquest of these prized and virgin lands.

As early as 1915, however, we see a first wave of itinerant teachers and short-time settlers directing their steps towards Alaska in an attempt to open it to the light of Baha’u’llah. This was followed by a second wave of determined pioneers and spiritual conquerors who, ever since the first Seven Year Plan, demonstrated their exemplary enthusiasm and caused ‘the breezes Ofthe love of Goa” to ‘perfume the nostrils of the inhabitants’ of that ‘vast country’. In Canada, in response to the Master’s call, a succession of homefront pioneers settled and opened the length and breadth of their land, so rich in promise ‘whether from a material or spiritual standpoint’, and whose destiny is to ‘become the object 0 fthe glance o f Providence’. To the fringes of Greenland North American and European pioneers brought the light of God’s Faith, and provided the means for the fire of His love to be kindled in that land, in anticipation of the day when it will become ‘a

divine rose garden and a heavenly paradise’. Iceland, specifically mentioned by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in the Tablets of the Divine Plan, was opened and consolidated, and has, through the warm response of its inhabitants to the Call of God, undoubtedly become one of the shining beacons of the ‘lights Ofthe Most Great Guidance’ in the North.

As a result of these movements and organized activities, the call of the Kingdom reached ‘the ears Ofthe Eskimos’, and the divine spark was struck in their lands. Praise be to God, today there are many who justly belong to the rank of heroes from among that noble race, and whose hearts are burning with His love. Upon the zeal and endurance of these enkindled believers will depend the early fulfilment of the Master’s glowing promises. The teaching work among the Indians of the northern lands of the Western Hemisphere has likewise borne rich fruit, as tribe upon tribe has been enlisted under the banner of Baha’u’llah. Whether in Alaska’s south-eastern islands and rugged mountains, or in Canada’s huge Indian reserves from the west to the east, many Amerindian believers have arisen to serve the Cause, and through their joint efforts, their sacrificial endeavours and distinctive talents they bid fair to accelerate the dawn of the day when they will be so ‘enlightened that the whole earth will be illumined’.

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Many are the goals which now challenge the peoples of the North under the Five Year Plan: encouraging and educating the children and stimulating and guiding the youth; a wider participation of women in Bahá’í services; a greater assumption by the indigenous inhabitants of these regions of responsibilities in the leadership and administration of the community; a bolder proclamation of the Faith by radio and television; and a more far-flung and intensified campaign of teaching, audaciously conceived by National Spiritual Assemblies and their agencies and vigorously executed by Local Spiritual Assemblies and individual believers, aiming at a vast increase in the number of adherents to the Faith from every segment of society, a multiplication of Bahá’í administrative instututions, and a richer and more diverse range of publications in all media. What will set the seal on the success of the Plan and pave the way for the long—awaited and divinely 131

promised glories of the future, is a mightier effort by every supporter of the Most Great Name in those climes to increasingly deepen themselves in the teachings, to pour forth their substance in the path of His love, to resolve to conform their personal lives to the high standards set in His teachings, and to undertake more daring tasks however great the sacrifice, and more extensive travels howeverlarduous the voyage. In this wise will they draw nearer to the Spirit of Bahá’u’lláh and become true and radiant signs of His Most Great Guidance. These are the tasks! This is the work!

We pray at the Sacred Threshold that the Bahá’ís of the North may in the not-too—distant future transform the Arctic into that spiritual rose garden and heavenly paradise longed and yearned for by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and that its peoples may be bountifully blessed and lovingly guided in their selfless services to promote the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh.

C. TO THE INTERNATIONAL TEACHING CONFERENCE IN PARIS 3—6 August I 976

The brilliance of Paris in the story of European civilization bids fair to be renewed with even greater splendour during the Day of the Lord of Hosts and the establishment of God’s Kingdom on earth. The annals of Paris in this Day have already acquired eternal lustre from events of mightier import, of greater universal significance and more sacred character than any which its past history has witnessed. The visits of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the Centre of God’s inviolable Covenant, alone outshine in historical importance anything in the long history of France, and are immortalized in the greatlyloved collection of His discourses given in that capital city. Beyond this, we recall with awe and pride that it was at ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s instruction that the illustrious May Maxwell succeeded in establishing in Paris the first Bahá’í centre on the European continent, a continent described by Shoghi Effendi as ‘the cradle of a civilization to some of whose beneficent features the Pen of Bahá’u’lláh has paid significant tribute; on whose soil both the Greek and Roman civilizations were born and flourished;

which has contributed so richly to the unfoldment of American civilization; the fountainhead of American culture; the mother of Christendom, and the scene of the greatest exploits of the followers of Jesus Christ’, and experiencing ‘the first stirrings of that spiritual revolution’ which must culminate in the permanent establishment throughout its diversified lands of the divinely ordained Order of Baha’u’llah. This first centre was rapidly reinforced by the conversion of the first English believer and of the first Frenchman to accept the Faith—the distinguished Hippolyte Dreyfus, whose ‘preeminent role’ it was to kindle ‘the torch which is destined to shed eternal illumination upon his native land and its people’—and by Laura Barney, whose ‘imperishable service’ was to transmit to posterity Some Answered Questions. The steadfastness and devotion of the Paris Bahá’í community during the dark and sombre days of the Second World War earned great praise from the beloved Guardian of the Faith, while the recent signs of widespread and effective teaching work throughout France

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The first Bahá’í group 0 f Paris, circa 1902. Standing, left to right: Mlle. Bignardi, Herbert W. Hooper, Florence Robinson, Hippolyte Drefus, Berthalin Luxow, C. M. Remey, an unidentified believer, Mme. MacKaye, Mme. Bahá’í, Mlle. Stephanie Hanvais, Sydney Sprague. Seated, left to right: Miss Edith MacKaye, Miss Holzbecker, Miss Edith Sanderson, Sigurd Russell, Thomas Breakwell, May Ellis Bolles, Mme. Hanet, Miss Marie Watson.

lend wings to the hope that this veteran, sorely-tested and steadfast community is about to gather the harvest of those potent seeds sown and nourished so lovingly by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

It is highly propitious that this city, thrice blessed by the presence of the Master, should be the scene of the first international Bahá’í conference in France and one of the eight international conferences to be held around the world during the Five Year Plan. You are gathered in this historic spot to deliberate 0n the fortunes of that Plan, to derive inspiration from the deeds performed there in the heroic age of our Faith and from your association together, to rededicate yourselves to the service of Baha’u’llah and to determine each and every one, how best you can promote the victory of the Five Year Plan. We call to your attention ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s words:

‘The call of Yd Bahd’u’l-Abhá’ can be heard

far and wide. It is my hope that this soul-stirring melody of the Abhá Kingdom may also be raised high in Paris, for Paris is tumultuous in all things. [pray the Almighty that the music and singing of the beloved of God will be so loud that the vibrations thereofmay cause the limbs of Paris to quake. I await very joyfitl tidings from the friends in Paris. Unquestionably the divine melody will in the fitture be raised in that city, but 1 long that this may happen in these days of the Covenant, and that you will be the enchanting songsters and the sweet-singing nightingales Ofthat land.’

Our hopes are high and we pray at the Sacred Threshold that from this conference will surge throughout Europe a wave of such sacrificial teaching as will impel large numbers of its diverse and highly-talented peoples to embrace the Faith of God and dedicate themselves to the redemption of mankind under the glorious banner of the Prince of Peace.

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D. TO THE INTERNATIONAL TEACHING CONFERENCE IN NAIROBI, KENYA 15—17 October 1976

The flames of enthusiasm which ignited the hearts of the followers and lovers of the Most Great Name in Helsinki, in Anchorage and in Paris are now being kindled in a city which occupies a central and envied position at the very cross-roads of the vast African mainland and are destined to illumine its horizons. This conference marking the imminent approach of the mid—way point of the Five Year Plan which coincides with the anniversary of the birth of the Blessed Bab, will no doubt go down in Bahá’í history as a further landmark in the irresistible march of events which have characterized the impact of the Faith of God upon that continent.

We recall that in addition to Quddt’is the only other companion of the Báb on His pilgrimage to Mecca was an Ethiopian, and that he and his wife were intimately associated with Him and His household in ihiraz. During the Ministry of Baha’u’llah a few of His stalwart disciples reached the north-eastern shores of Africa, and under His direct guidance, announced the glad tidings of the New Day to the people of the Nile, thus opening to the Faith two countries of the African mainland. Soon afterwards, His blessed person approached those shores in the course of His exile to the Holy Land. Still later He voiced His significant utterance in which He_‘compared the coloured people to the black pupil Ofthe eye’, through which ‘the light Ofthe spirit shineth forth. ’ Just over six years after His ascension, the first member of the black race to embrace His Cause in the West, who was destined to become a disciple of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, a herald of the Kingdom, and the door through which numberless members of his race were to enter that Kingdom, came on pilgrimage to the Holy Land with the first group of Western friends who arrived in ‘Akká to visit the Centre of the Covenant. This was followed by a steady extension of the teaching work among the black people of North America, and the opening to the Faith, by the end of the Heroic Age, of two more countries in Africa, under the watchful care of the Master, Whose three Visits to Egypt have blessed the soil of that continent.

Mr. Robert Turner, ‘disciple of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’, the first member of the black race in the West to embrace the Bahá’í Faith.

Prior to the conclusion of the first Bahá’í century the number of countries opened to the Faith had been raised to seven, and the teaching work among the black race in North America had entered a new phase of development through the continuous guidance flowing from the pen of Shoghi Effendi, who himself traversed the African continent twice from south to north, and who, in the course of his ministry, elevated two members of the black race to the rank of Hand of the Cause, appointed three more believers residing in Africa to that high office, and there raised up four National Spiritual Assemblies.

At the beginning of the Ten Year Crusade the number of countries opened to the Faith had reached twenty—four, including those opened under the aegis of the Two Year African Campaign co-ordinated by the British National Spiritual Assembly. The Ten Year Plan opened the rest of Africa to the light of

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God’s Faith, and today we see with joy and pride in that vast continent and its neighbouring islands the establishment of four Boards of Counsellors, thirty-four National Spiritual Assemblies—firm pillars of God’s Administrative Order—and over 2,800 Local Spiritual Assemblies, nuclei of a growing Bahá’í society.

Africa, a privileged continent with a past rich in cherished associations, has reached its present stage of growth through countless feats of heroism and dedication. Before us unfolds the vision of the future. ‘Africa’, the beloved Guardian assures us in one of the letters written on his behalf, ‘is truly awakening and finding herself, and she undoubtedly has a great message to give, and a great contribution to make to the advancement of world civilization. To the degree to which her peoples accept Bahá’u’lláh will they be blessed. strengthened and protected.’

The realization of this glorious destiny requires that the immediate tasks be worthily discharged, and the pressing challenges and urgent requirements of the Five Year Plan be wholeheartedly and effectively met and satisfied. As the forces of darkness in that part of the world wax fiercer, and the problems facing its peoples and tribes become more critical, the believers in that continent must evince greater cohesion, scale loftier heights of heroism and self—sacrifice and demonstrate higher standards of concerted effort and harmonious development.

During the brief thirty months separating us from the end of the Plan, Africa must once again distinguish itself among its sister continents through a vast increase in the number of its believers, its Local Spiritual Assemblies and its localities opened to the Faith, and by accelerating the process of entry by troops throughout its length and breadth. The deepening of the faith, of the understanding

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and of the spiritual life of its individual believers must gather greater momentum; the foundations of its existing Local Spiritual Assemblies must be more speedily consolidated; the number of local Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds and of local endowments called for in the Plan must be soon acquired; the Bahá’í activities of women and of youth must be systematically stimulated; the Bahá’í education of the children of the believers must continuously be encouraged; the basis of the recognition that the institutions of the Faith have succeeded in obtaining from the authorities must steadily be broadened; mass communication facilities must be used far more frequently to teach and proclaim the Faith; and the publication and dissemination of the essential literature of the Faith must be given much greater importance. Above all it is imperative that in ever greater measure each individual believer should realize the vital need to subordinate his personal advantages to the over-all welfare of the Cause, to awaken and reinforce his sense of responsibility before God to promote and protect its vital interests at all costs, and to renew his total consecration and dedication to His glorious Faith, so that, himself enkindled with the flames of its holy fire, he may, in concert with his fellow-believers, ignite the light of faith and certitude in the hearts of his family, his tribe, his countrymen and all the peoples of that mighty continent, in preparation for the day when Africa’s major contribution to world civilization will become fully consummated.

We fervently pray at the Holy Shrines that these hopes and aspirations may soon come true, and that the ‘pure-hearted’ and ‘spiritually receptive’ people of Africa may draw ever nearer to the spirit of Baha’u’llah, and may become shining examples of self—abnegation, of courage and of love to the supporters of the Most Great Name in every land.

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E. TO THE INTERNATIONAL TEACHING CONFERENCE IN HONG KONG 27—30 November 1976

With grateful and joyous hearts we extend our warmest greetings and express our highest hopes to the followers of Bahá’u’lláh gathered, at this critical point of the Five Year Plan, in this conference on Asia’s eastern shore. This great continent has nourished mighty civilizations; above its horizons the suns of major Revelations of God have risen; on its soil many of the heroes of this New Age have shed their blood and offered their lives in token of their love for Him Who is the Beloved of the World and the Desire of the Nations.

What an imperishable glory has been bestowed upon the people of Asia, the first to be illumined by the rays of God’s Faith, the first recipients of His Call and the first promoters of His Cause. Their spiritual capacity is extolled and the great role they are destined to play in the strengthening of the foundation of the New World Order of Baha’u’llah unhesitatingly affirmed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in His Tablets of the Divine Plan.

This great continent contains within its boundaries the heart of the Faith and its Cradle, the lands wherein its Founders toiled and suffered, and not only the great majority of the human race but the great majority of the followers of Baha’u’llah. The potentiality of such a situation cannot be underestimated, nor must the great force latent within so large a proportion of the Army of Light be neglected. They must be mobilized to accelerate the expansion of the beloved Cause, to consolidate its victories, to enhance its prestige and to augment its influence. We appeal to every participant in this historic conference to become conscious of these tremendous but hidden potentialities which, if properly tapped and directed, can hasten the process of the spiritualization of the nations of Asia, the influence of which will extend far beyond the confines of that continent—even to the entire planet.

We eagerly await news that from this conference will surge throughout Asia a wave of vigorous activity devoted to the execution on the individual, local and national levels of systematic plans designed to attract the great masses of

that continent to the life-giving, all-embracing Message of Bahá’u’lláh. Such plans must provide opportunities for those thousands who in recent years have swelled the rank and file, as well as for those veterans who have, for so many years, striven in the path of service to the Cause. It is through active participation of more and more new believers in both teaching and administration that the consolidation of the Bahá’í community can best be achieved.

In a continent so richly endowed, so greatly blessed, new generations of Bahá’í’s must continually be raised up, trained from childhood in the school of the love of God, and nurtured under the shadow of His Cause. Bahá’x’s in every country must be constantly urged and, wherever necessary, assisted to pass on to their children as their most cherished legacy, the precious Faith they themselves have embraced. Those new generations of Bahá’ís will have a vital role in consolidating the Cause of God on a firm foundation.

The establishment of Local Assemblies as the basic administrative unit of the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh and as rallying points for the Bahá’ís of every community should, in accordance with the objectives of the Five Year Plan, be multiplied no matter at what cost of effort and endurance. The process of invigorating the Local Assemblies requires, during the Five Year Plan, the consultation of all the institutions of the Cause.

Publication of literature in many languages as part of a determined campaign to win thousands upon thousands of diverse peoples in all spheres of life must be vigorously pursued. Participation of all believers in supporting the Bahá’í funds. the Iife-blood Of the Cause, must be given adequate attention, and the blessings which reward the act of voluntary giving for the promotion of the Faith, no matter how small the amount may he, must be lovingly and wisely explained.

May this conference become a landmark in the process of attracting vast numbers of the great Chinese race scattered throughout the world. May it be a prelude to the unpre [Page 136]136

cedented expansion of the Faith in all the countries of Asia. May it become a source of strength to the supporters of the Most Great Name so that despite the rising tide of trials and upheavals afflicting the world, and whatever forces of opposition may be mounted against

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the Cause of God itself, the believers will not waver or become diverted from their course, but be ever more confirmed in their determination to raise the edifice of the Faith of God as the last bastion of hope to a lost and wayward humanity.

F. TO THE INTERNATIONAL TEACHING CONFERENCE IN AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND 19—22 January 1977

With hearts full of love and admiration for the followers of the Most Great Name in Australasia we send our warmest greetings to all assembled in this historic gathering in the heart of the Antipodes.

How great is your place in Bahá’í history! How bright are the prospects for the future of the Cause so lovingly nurtured for more than half a century by hundreds of stalwart steadfast believers, spiritual heirs of Hyde and Clara Dunn, who in direct response to the Tablets of the Divine Plan forsook their home and went to pioneer in Australia, and whose names Shoghi Effendi wrote, were ‘graven in letters of gold’ upon his heart. In March 1951, when in the entire Pacific area there was but one National Spiritual Assembly, the beloved Guardian predicted that ‘The prizes destined for the heroic warriors, battling for the Cause of Baha’u’llah throughout the Southern Hemisphere, and particularly Australasia, are glorious beyond compare. The assistance to be vouchsafed to them from on high in their struggle for its establishment, its recognition and triumph is ready to be poured forth in astonishing abundance.’

Now, twenty-five years later, the achievements are truly astounding. Beginning with the establishment of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of New Zealand at Riḍván 1957, the number of National Assemblies has increased elevenfold; the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár of the Antipodes has been erected near Sydney; His Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II of Western Samoa has become the first reigning monarch to embrace the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh; the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies now stands at over 360;

’3’

and the number of localities where Bahals reside in this vast oceanic area covering wellnigh one-eighth of the earth’s surface is more than 1,800. These accomplishments doubtless have been a source of great joy to the immortal soul of Shoghi Effendi, whose esteem and affection for the followers of Bahá’u’lláh labouring for His Cause in the Antipodes was frequently expressed in glowing terms in his letters to the Assemblies and friends in Australasia.

Dear friends, we have now passed the midpoint of the Five Year Plan. You are met in the beautiful city of Auckland to take stock and to make plans for attaining the victories which will surely be yours.

The National Spiritual Assemblies of the New Hebrides and of the Marshall Islands are to be raised up next Ricjvan; plans for the soon-to-be-erected Mashriqu’l-Adhkár Of Samoa are in process; but although the goal of establishing Bahá’í centres totalling 2,188 is within easy reach, the Local Assembly goals assigned to each national community, totalling 613, need prompt and decisive attention. The divine assistance spoken of by the beloved Guardian in 1951 has ever been available, and is still ‘ready to be poured forth in astonishing abundance’. It is within your power during the coming year to win all assigned teaching goals, leaving the final year of the Plan for consolidation and the winning of supplementary victories.

This will be achieved, not by resting on laurels, but by manifesting those qualities of faith, judgment, vision, loyalty, courage and self—sacrifice which earned the Guardian’s praise so frequently in past decades. Let the

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/=,

John Henry Hyde Dunn and Clara Dunn who established the Bahá’í Faith in Australia in 1920. Mr. and Mrs. Dunn were appointed Hands Ofthe Cause in 1952.

valiant Australasian Bahá’í communities vie once more with their sister communities throughout the world for the palm of victory and maintain their position in the vanguard of the Army of Light.

Pioneers, travelling teachers and a fresh outpouring of funds are essential ingredients to the onward march of the Cause throughout Australia, New Zealand and the islands of the

South Pacific. Let those who can offer their valued services to the teaching work arise without delay; let those who cannot travel or pioneer deputize those who can go in their stead.

We cherish the highest hopes for the success of your endeavours and it is our constant prayer that Baha’u’llah will shower His richest blessings and confirmations upon you.

G. TO THE INTERNATIONAL TEACHING CONFERENCE IN BAHIA, BRAZIL 27—30 January 1977

With joyous hearts we hail the convocation of this first of the twin Latin American conferences closing the series of eight international Bahá’í conferences held during the midway period of the Five Year Plan.

The ringing call of Bahá’u’lláh in His Most Holy Book to the Rulers of America and the Presidents of the Republics therein was followed after an interval of more than four decades by the revelation of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Tablets of the Divine Plan in which the beloved Master stressed the importance of the Republics of the South American Continent.

The first believer to respond to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s divine call was that star-servant Of the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh, valiant, indomitable Martha Root, who in 1919 visited many impor tant cities in South America. Two years later Leonora Holsapple Armstrong, mother of the Bahá’ís of Brazil, settled in Bahia. The teaching work in the continent progressed steadily to the point where, in 1937, the beloved Guardian launched his first Seven Year Plan paving the way for the raising in subsequent Plans of the institutions of Baha’u’llah’s Administrative Order in every one of its republics and in its islands. It was in the course of that first Seven Year Plan that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s beloved handmaid, May Maxwell, in 1940 won a martyr’s crown when she laid down her life in Argentina, thereby adding further lustre to the spiritual history of South America.

How truly fitting, then, that this auspicious conference have its venue in the city of Bahia,

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Mrs. Leonora Holsapple Armstrong, mother of the teaching work in South America.

singled out for special mention by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in His Tablets of the Divine Plan. And how timely it is at this crucial point in the Five Year Plan that the friends gathered in Bahia from many lands prayerfully consider, and arise to prosecute expeditiously, all measures aimed at achieving glorious Victory in all goals of the Plan.

Noteworthy progress has been achieved in many fields of service throughout the South American Bahá’í community, particularly in attracting to the Cause large numbers of its indigenous peoples. But myriads of purehearted souls have not yet heard the clarion call of Baha’u’llah and hungrily await the spiritual nourishment that only His followers can give them.

Steps must be taken to attract members of every stratum of society to the divine circle of the Faith through effective proclamation and teaching. Greater utilization of radio broadcasts is necessary, not only to reach all levels of society but also to deepen the believers themselves. The valuable and dynamic services of Bahá’í youth must be multiplied in the fields of pioneering and travel teaching. A far wider dissemination of Bahá’í literature must be

accompanied by a continuous programme of translation of the Sacred Text into the major indigenous languages of the continent.

The continental goals for South America of 8,670 centres and 2,293 Local Spiritual Assemblies must be won, and may even be surpassed, for every country must achieve the goals assigned to it. This calls for the dedicated effort of every National Spiritual Assembly, every Local Spiritual Assembly and indeed every believer. All the divinely ordained instruments of the Administrative Order of Baha’u’llah must now unite in executing a symphony of victory in all the unfinished goals of the Five Year Plan, winning thereby the good-pleasure of the Blessed Beauty.

Beloved friends, go forward with complete assurance that a continent so rich in spiritual promise, so diverse in its peoples and races, so fertile for the planting of the seeds of Baha’u’llah’s Faith will yield a brilliant harvest for all who labour in that Divine Vineyard.

It is our fervent loving prayer at the Sacred Threshold that Baha’u’llah’s bountiful confirmations and richest blessings may be showered upon you.

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H. TO THE INTERNATTONAL TEACHING CONFERENCE IN MERIDA, MEXICO 4—6 February 1977

With joyous hearts and eager anticipation we send warmest greetings to you the participants in the last of the eight great international teaching conferences marking the half—way point of the Five Year Plan‘

The convening of this conference in the Republic of Mexico, in the capital city ofa state that was once an important part of a great Indian empire, provides a unique opportunity to initiate what may well become the widespread reawakening of a people whose ancestors more than 1,200 years ago developed one of the most brilliant pre-Columbian civilizations known to modern man. These presentday descendants, many of whom have already embraced the Faith of Baha’u’llah and who consider the Yucatan Peninsula and the seacoast lowlands and rugged spine of mountains joining North and South America to be their homeland, are among the very people mentioned by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in His Tablets of the Divine Plan as having a great destiny once they have accepted His Father’s Cause. Here too, and throughout Middle America, are those whose forefathers came from the Iberian Peninsula, Africa and the Far East linking the Old with the New World.

Conscious of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s impassioned plea to promulgate the oneness of mankind to a spiritually impoverished humanity, a handful of itinerant Bahá’í teachers set forth four decades ago, traversed the land bridge connecting the two continents of the Western Hemisphere and carried the healing Message of Baha’u’llah to the Spanish American Republics. Their dedicated efforts were rewarded when, in 1938, the first Local Spiritual Assembly in Latin America was formed in Mexico City. This initial triumph at the inception of the first of the teaching plans formulated by Shoghi Effendi spearheaded other victories leading to the formation of two, then of four, Regional Spiritual Assemblies; and ultimately to the establishment of National Spiritual Assemblies in each of the republics of Latin America and in the islands of the Caribbean.

Praiseworthy indeed were these achievements but the Bahá’í communities of Central America and the West Indies must not be content to rest on these laurels. The beloved Guardian during the last months of his precious life continually urged the friends of Latin America to pursue what he described as ‘the paramount task’, the teaching work. How much more does that injunction apply today! In less than thirty months, approximately 900 groups and isolated centres and over 400 Local Spiritual Assemblies must be added to those already existing in the mainland and island nations of Middle America!

To accomplish this Challenging task, intensive effort to attract new believers, be they black, brown, red or white, from all strata of society, must be exerted. Hand in hand with this endeavour, particularly in local communities, goes the development of the distinctive character of Bahá’í life. Prompt attention must also be given to the acquisition of local Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds and endowments; and the translation and publication of Bahá’í literature, especially in indigenous languages, must be accelerated.

Dear friends, if at the close of the Five Year Plan we are to witness the ensigns of victory lifted high, the wholehearted support of the followers of Bahá’u’lláh must be enlisted now and their energies systematically channelled into areas most in need. We cherish the hope that at this final conference the friends will arise with enthusiasm and determination not only to win the remaining goals of the Plan but to carry out Shoghi Effendi’s injunction to win the allegiance of members of the various tribes of American Indians to the Cause, thereby hastening the period prophesied by the Master when the Indian peoples of America would become a source of spiritual illumination to the world.

Our hearts, our hopes and our prayers will be with you during all the days of your deliberations. May Baha’u’llah inspire each and every one of you.

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3. MESSAGE1 OF MR. KURT WALDHEIM, SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS, TO THE INTERNATIONAL Bahá’í CONFERENCE, PARIS,

3—6 AUGUST 1976

I AM pleased to have this opportunity to wish the International Bahá’í Conference and all those participating in it every success in their work. Non-governmental organizations such as yours, by dealing comprehensively with the major problems confronting the international community and striving to find solutions which will serve the interests of all nations, make a very substantial and most important contribution to the United Nations and its work.

We live in a world which is undergoing a transformation in its attitude towards finding solutions to the great global challenges of the day. We must strive to ensure, therefore, that effective solutions come about, not in anger and anarchy, but through the reasoned and concerted determination of all. Whether the object is to complete the great task of development, to secure respect for the rights and dignity of all men, to halt the disastrous arms race, to solve such diverse and complex problems as those of food, population, the

‘ The message was read in English and in French by Mri Luc Van Bellinghen, Director of the United Nations Information Centre in Paris, at the opening session on August 4.

a pa, ‘

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environment and employment, the United Nations must be able to rely on the support of the peoples of the world, who are the cornerstone of its Charter. This implies an important responsibility for those organizations who, like you, work hard to support the United Nations and the principles and objectives laid down in the Charter.

In recent years the United Nations has embarked upon an unprecedented collective endeavour to create global strategies to meet problems that are beyond the power of any single nation to resolve. Our task is now to implement the decisions taken at the sixth and seventh special sessions of the General Assembly on the establishment of a new international economic order, as well as at the world conferences on trade and development, environment, population, food, the role of women in society, industrialization and human settlements. In this respect, your own contribution as a non-governmental organization, in consultative status with ECOSOC, is important and I wish you every success in your deliberations.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá n Paris; 1912.