Bahá’í World/Volume 17/The Five Year International Teaching Plan 1974-1979

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[Page 71]

1. THE COMPLETION OF THE FIVE YEAR INTERNATIONAL TEACHING PLAN

IN its Naw-Rúz message to the Bahá’ís of the world the Universal House of Justice stated: "The teaching victories in that Plan have been truly prodigious; the points of light, those localities where the Promised One is recognized, have increased from sixty-nine thousand five hundred to over ninety-six thousand; the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies has grown from seventeen thousand to over twenty-five thousand;" eighteen new National Spiritual Assemblies have been formed.

'Beyond the expansion of the community, vital as it is, the Five Year Plan witnessed great progress in the spiritual development of the friends, the growing maturity and wisdom of Local and National Assemblies, and in the degree to which Bahá’í communities embody the distinguishing characteristics of Bahá’í life and attract, by their unity, their steadfastness, their radiance and good reputation, the interest and eventual wholehearted support of their fellow citizens. This is the magnet which will attract the masses to the Cause of God, and the leaven that will transform human society."

In that same message the House of Justice pointed out that during the first two years of the newly-launched Seven Year Plan efforts should be exerted by National Spiritual Assemblies 'to attain, where circumstances permit, any goals that may have had to remain unaccomplished at the end of the Five Year Plan."

This report of the achievements of the Five Year Plan, both at the World Centre and throughout the Bahá’í world, has been compiled by the Department of Statistics at the World Centre.

1. Continued Collation and Classification of the Sacred Texts

The original Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, together with the original letters of Shoghi Effendi, now at the World Centre number some 13,629, of which nearly 3,335 are Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, 7,198 Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and 3,096 letters of Shoghi

Moreover, authenticated copies available at the World Centre, for which no originals have yet been received, number 6,390 Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, 16,632 Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and 12,076 letters of Shoghi Effendi, totalling some 48,727 documents.

These documents have been studied and important passages from them have been extracted and classified.

During the period under review, nine major compilations from the Writings of the Faith have been prepared and circulated to National Spiritual Assemblies.

At 20 April 1979, the total number of localities is 103,323 and the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies is 25,511. [Page 72]

2. The Preparation and Publication of Authorized Translations of Three Compilations of Scripture:

(a) Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas (b) Prayers and extracts from the Writings of the Báb (c) Selections from the works of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas was published in June 1978. The Universal House of Justice appointed its Research Department to prepare the compilation, and Mr. Habib Taherzadeh, with the assistance of a committee at the World Centre, was responsible for the translation of those Tablets and passages from Tablets not translated by Shoghi Effendi.

Selections from the Writings of the Báb, the most comprehensive selection of His Writings yet produced in English, was also compiled by the Research Department and translated by Mr. Habib Taherzadeh with the assistance of a committee at the World Centre. A number of passages translated by Shoghi Effendi and quoted in his various works are included in the compilation which was published in December 1976.

Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, published in December 1978 in both cased and paper editions, contains passages translated by the Guardian and translations or retranslations made by Marzieh Gail or a committee at the World Centre appointed by the House of Justice.

In 1977 the Universal House of Justice felt moved to call for the production of a compilation of the writings of Shoghi Effendi. Published under the title Call to the Nations, the compilation was available for distribution in August of that year, in cased and paper editions.

Three volumes of the international record, The Bahá’í World, published under the supervision of the Universal House of Justice, were produced in the period under review, vol. XIV (1963-1968) in February 1975, vol. XV (1968-1973) in August 1976 and vol. XVI (1973-1976) in February 1979.

SELECTIONS FROM THE WRITINGS OF THE BAB WRITINGS ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ TABLETS OF BAHÁ’U’LLÁH DARRY WOULD

Three volumes of Sacred Text produced under the supervision of the Universal House of Justice during the Five Year Plan.

A selection of the writings of Shoghi Effendi was also published under the title Call to the Nations.

Three volumes of The Bahá’í World (XIV, XV and XVI) produced under the supervision of the Universal House of Justice during the Five Year Plan. [Page 73]Arrival of first shipment of marble at the site of the Permanent Seat of the Universal House of Justice; 28 December 1976. Commencement of the excavation was announced on 17 June 1975.

3. Initiation of the Construction of the Building on Mount Carmel to Serve as the Seat of the Universal House of Justice

This project, which ranks as the greatest single undertaking of the Five Year Plan, was initiated in February 1974 with the acceptance of the design conceived by Husayn Amánat, who was named as architect for the building. A site office was established in the old Archives Building, and a Bahá’í resident engineer was chosen by the architect to supervise on his behalf the construction of the building. Excavation of earth and stone amounting to over 65,000 cubic metres began in June 1975. In April 1976 a contract was signed with a firm in Italy, for the supply of over 3.000 tons of Pentelicon marble from Greece, to be carved and dressed in Italy at a cost of approximately six million dollars. This includes facing material for the exterior of the building and fifty-eight fluted columns with Corinthian capitals.

In December 1976 the first shipment of finished marble was delivered to the building site. The major plans of the building were supplied by the architect in October 1976, and were submitted with specifications to a number of local contracting firms for bids. A general contractor residing in Haifa was chosen in January 1977, and he entered into a contract to be responsible for the reinforced concrete construction as well as to do the general supervision and coordination of the sub-contractors for the mechanical, electrical and finishing works. Excavations for the foundations commenced immediately thereafter.

At March 1978 construction had reached the level of the floor immediately above the council chamber, with related mechanical, electrical and finishing work well under way. Over 2,200 tons of finished carved marble had already been delivered to the site. A contract had been signed with a French firm to install the marble on the building after the completion of the concrete shell.

Participants in the International Convention at Ridván 1978 assembled at the construction site for a ceremony in which a casket containing Dust from the Shrines of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh was placed by Amatu’l-Bahá Rúbiyyih Khánum in a small niche which had been prepared in the building, high above the main entrance.

At April 1979 exterior concrete construction had been completed except for the entablature, main staircase, and the annex to the lower basement. The placing of all marble cladding on the main structure and erection of [Page 74]all columns and capitals has been completed and the placing of the entablature marble has commenced. Interior finishing work has begun and fabrication of doors and windows in Italian walnut as well as the plaster elements for cornices, mouldings and domed ceilings is proceeding at suppliers’ factories in Italy.

Retaining walls for the terraces behind the main building have been designed and drilling for, and placing, rock anchors to retain the upper terraces has begun. It is foreseen that these terraces will be landscaped as a fitting background for the Seat of the Universal House of Justice. Plans for a separate building which will house the air-conditioning and heating equipment, the electrical transformers and main control panels, as well as a parking garage for 44 cars, both to be built into the slope of Mount Carmel, earth-covered and landscaped, have now been finalized and work on these auxiliary buildings should commence shortly. It is intended that the utilities building mentioned above will also service the other buildings to be built on the Arc.

It is hoped that the interior finishing of the Seat, the terrace walls and the auxiliary buildings will all be completed by Ridván 1980.

Gardens and Lands Surrounding the Holy Places

The extension and beautification of the gardens surrounding the Holy Places has been one of the World Centre goals in both the Nine and Five Year Plans, and it has been constantly pursued.

Two new gardens outside the Haram-i-Aqdas and north of the Collins gate are in the initial stages of development: one immediately adjacent to the little house of the beloved Guardian which he used when planning and creating the gardens of the Haram-i-Aqdas, and the other on the opposite side of the path leading to the northern gate of the property.

In Haifa, the informal gardens on the upper slopes of the mountain facing the Shrine of the Báb have been further extended and beautified.

The pastoral setting of Mazra’ih has been beautified through the planting of a flower garden on the eastern side of the Mansion and the creation of an extensive orchard of various kinds of citrus trees, an avocado grove and other decorative fruit trees. A pathway divid-

Aerial view of the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh at Bahjí illustrating the development of the gardens surrounding it. In the foreground may be seen the new plantings in the areas on either side of the long drive from the northern entrance to the Collins gate; April 1979. [Page 75]

INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHÁ’Í ACTIVITIES

View of the garden at Mazra’ih. [Page 76]ing the orchard has been bordered with araucaria trees, and the fences defining the land blaze with plantings of colourful bougainvillaea.

5. Continued Strengthening of the Relationship between the Bahá’í International Community and the United Nations

The Bahá’í International Community has continued to furnish pertinent information on the Bahá’í Faith to various permanent delegations to the United Nations, particularly to those of countries in which official recognition of the Faith was being sought, and found many opportunities to explain to the delegates, as well as to members of the United Nations Secretariat, how its interest in the goals of the United Nations Charter was rooted in the Bahá’í teachings, principles and laws, and how these present a lasting solution of the world’s problems. In fact, through a series of public meetings and mailings of key statements, in addition to a widely circulated article on the Bahá’í Faith and its activities at the United Nations appearing in the United Nations Secretariat News, some 10,000 members of the United Nations Secretariat, the United Nations Missions, and non-governmental organizations associated with the United Nations heard directly about the Faith. Increasingly the Bahá’í International Community was able to point to the way of life evolving in Bahá’í communities around the world as an embodiment of the Bahá’í teachings.

Since 1974 the Bahá’í International Community added to its existing consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), and its association with the United Nations Department of Public Information, two new relationships—an association with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), with headquarters in Nairobi, begun in 1974 which resulted in the appointment of an accredited representative in Nairobi to serve as liaison with UNEP; and, on 8 March 1976, consultative status with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), an affiliation which promises to offer many opportunities for closer ties between the Bahá’í world community and the United Nations.

The Bahá’í International Community participated in thirty-four United Nations conferences, congresses, and seminars, in seventy-two regular sessions of the Economic and Social Council or its commissions, committees and other associated or related bodies, and in the special session of the United Nations General Assembly devoted to disarmament. About fifty statements, pamphlets, or reports were prepared and presented to the United Nations between 1974 and 1979. The following are some of the conferences and other meetings sponsored by the United Nations in which the Bahá’í International Community participated:

• Regional Consultation for Asia and the Far East on the Integration of Women in Development with Special Reference to Population Factors; Bangkok, Thailand; 13–17 May 1974.
• Regional Seminar for Africa on the Integration of Women in Development with Special Reference to Population Factors; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; 3–7 June 1974.
• Seminar on the Promotion and Protection of the Human Rights of National, Ethnic and Other Minorities; Ohrid, Yugoslavia; 25 June–8 July 1974.
• World Population Conference; Bucharest, Rumania; 19–30 August 1974.
• Interregional Seminar on National Machinery to Accelerate the Integration of Women in Development and to Eliminate Discrimination on Grounds of Sex; Ottawa, Canada; 4–17 September 1974.
• World Food Conference; Rome, Italy; 6–16 November 1974.
• Regional Seminar for Latin America on the Integration of Women in Development with Special Reference to Population Factors; Caracas, Venezuela; 28 April–2 May 1975.
• Regional Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations organized by the Office of Public Information of the United Nations in Cooperation with the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific; Bangkok, Thailand; 27–29 May 1975.
• Regional Preparatory Conference on Human Settlements for Asia, the Pacific, and Western Asia; Ţihrán, Írán; 14–19 June 1975.
• World Conference of the International Women’s Year; Mexico City, Mexico; 19 June–2 July 1975.
• Regional Preparatory Conference on

[Page 77]

Bahá’í International Community

United Nations Seminar on Participation of Women in Development, Kathmandu, Nepal; 15-22 February 1977. Counsellor Zena Sorabjee (centre), and Dr. Penelope Walker (right), represented the Bahá’í International Community.

-Human Settlements for Africa; Cairo, Egypt; 21-26 June 1975.

-Latin American Regional Preparatory Conference for Habitat: the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements; Caracas, Venezuela; 30 June-4 July 1975.

-Fifth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and Treatment of Offenders; Geneva, Switzerland; 1-15 September 1975.

-Seminar on the Participation of Women in Economic, Social and Political Development: Obstacles that Hinder their Integration; Buenos Aires, Argentina; 22-30 March 1976.

-Third Conference of the Economic Commission for Europe on Urban and Regional Research; Warsaw, Poland; 5-13 May 1976.

-Habitat: United Nations Conference on Human Settlements; Vancouver, Canada; 31 May-11 June 1976.

-Regional Seminar on Participation of Women in Political, Economic, and Social Development with Special Emphasis on Machinery to Accelerate the Integration of Women in Development; Kathmandu, Nepal; 15-22 February 1977.

-United Nations Water Conference; Mar del Plata, Argentina; 14-25 March 1977.

-United Nations Conference on Desertification; Nairobi, Kenya; 29 August-9 September 1977.

-Regional Conference on the Implementation of National, Regional, and World Plans of Action for the Integration of Women in Development; Nouakchott, Mauritania; 27 September-2 October 1977.

-World Conference to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination; Geneva, Switzerland; 14-25 August 1978.

-United Nations Conference on Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries; Buenos Aires, Argentina; 30 August-12 September 1978.

-International Conference on Primary Health Care; Alma Ata, U.S.S.R.; 6-12 September 1978.

-Seminar on National and Local Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights; Geneva, Switzerland; 18-29 September 1978.

A detailed report of the activities of the Bahá’í International Community appears in Part Three, section V, subsections 1 and 2 of this volume. [Page 78]

Arab Boycott

Early in February 1975, through a misunderstanding as to the true nature and purpose of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, the Arab Boycott Office at its meeting in Cairo announced that the Bahá’í Faith had been placed on its black list. The decision of the Arab Boycott Office was subsequently modified to state that only the businesses of individual Bahá’ís and companies owned by them would be boycotted.

A statement was immediately released during the same month, through the Bahá’í International Community in New York, explaining the position of the Faith on politics and the historical reasons why the World Centre of the Faith is in the Holy Land. It is hoped that these explanations have been helpful, and that the authorities in all Arab lands will increasingly appreciate the Teachings of our Faith which lay such stress on non-involvement in subversive activities and on loyalty and obedience to government.

Algeria

The Faith remains banned in Algeria, and no Bahá’í institutions exist there.

Burundi

The Faith was recognized in Burundi in the concluding months of the Nine Year Plan. In 1974 a reversal was experienced in the fortunes of the Faith in that country when the Egyptian chargé d'affaires made inaccurate statements about the Faith to the newly-appointed Minister of Justice of Burundi, recommending that he seek authority from the President to repeal the former decree. This was obtained, and the new decision was announced on the radio and released as a news item in a semi-official bulletin. The same bulletin also published a harshly abusive article vilifying the Faith as a dangerous political movement, the text of the article being provided by the staff of the Egyptian Embassy in Burundi.

At the request of the Universal House of Justice and through the able intervention of Dr. ‘Aziz Navídí, several representations were made to the Government. In 1975 the President withdrew the ban that had been placed upon Bahá’í activities. The Bahá’ís became free in principle to resume their activities, but provincial and local officials had discretionary powers which required the Bahá’ís to obtain from the Ministry of the Interior specific confirmation of the lifting of the ban before permitting the resumption of Bahá’í activities.

In provinces where the local authorities did not object, Local Spiritual Assemblies were re-established and Bahá’í work was quietly pursued. In other areas, however, which included Bujumbura itself, the activities of the friends continued to be restricted. When approached, the Minister of the Interior promised that the requested permission would soon be issued. We are glad to report that this was done, and normal Bahá’í activities have been resumed in that country.

Congo

With the exception of five religious organizations, all other religious minorities, including the Bahá’í Faith, were banned in this country during February 1978. Dr. ‘Aziz Navídí is currently in Brazzaville endeavouring to have the ban removed from the Bahá’ís, whose activities can in no way constitute a threat to the security of the State.

Egypt

Ever since the Decree of the former President of the United Arab Republic in 1960 banning all Bahá’í activities, the friends in Egypt have been subjected to a series of interrogations, arrests, imprisonments and fines, as well as abuse in the mass media of the country.

During the period under review, evidences of adverse as well as favourable developments have been witnessed. On the one hand, after the Arab Boycott Office, at its meeting in Cairo during February 1975, resolved to blacklist the Bahá’ís in Arab lands, the Supreme Constitutional Court of Egypt was summarily convened and announced its decision that the 1960 Decree of President Nasser banning all Bahá’í activities in Egypt was entirely constitutional, and therefore the application of the Bahá’ís for annulment of the Decree was dismissed. On the other hand, four other cases, long pending before the local courts, either have been dropped or are being allowed to reach their statutory period of limitation and thus set aside, although the major court case against the Bahá’ís, which was opened in Tanta, is still [Page 79]unresolved. Efforts have repeatedly been made, so far through appeals to President Sadat and to several Ministers of State, to explain the position of the Bahá’ís and to request that the 1960 Decree be repealed, or at least that its effect on the Bahá’ís be lessened, so that the the civil rights of the believers, as law-abiding citizens of the country, may be restored and protected. It is hoped that the authorities will soon realize the true aims and purposes of the Faith and be sympathetic to the appeals of the friends.

Indonesia

Although the ban imposed upon Bahá’í activity in Indonesia remains in force, it prohibits only the operation of administrative institutions; teaching has continued quietly on an individual basis and Bahá’í publications in Indonesian languages have steadily increased. A number of enthusiastic and zealous new believers of Muslim background, knowledgeable in the Qur’án and in Arabic literature, have entered the Faith; several are members of prominent families. Fanatical elements reacted unfavourably and, at their instigation, ten of the new believers were condemned to five years' imprisonment. While confined, they became much loved by other prisoners as well as by their jailers. Some were sent to distant islands and were pleased that, by this forced move, the Message of God was carried to new places. Most of them have now been released, having completed their prison terms.

Three believers from Indonesia embarked upon an international travel-teaching trip to New Caledonia, where a large number of Indonesians reside, and this project was highly successful.

At the present time the friends are hoping that the authorities will recognize the position of the Bahá’ís and will remove the restrictions imposed upon the operation of Bahá’í administrative activities.

Írán

The Faith is still unrecognized in the land of its birth, and fanatical elements continue to instigate severe attacks against Bahá’ís and their properties. In November 1975, the house of the maternal uncle of the Báb and the adjacent house where the Báb was born were destroyed on the pretext that the sites and the adjoining area had to be cleared of buildings in preparation for the implementation of a town planning scheme. Steps were taken immediately to register with the authorities the indignation of the Bahá’ís that two of their most holy places in Shíráz had been unjustly and peremptorily demolished, despite prior submission to the authorities for protection of these properties. It is hoped that it will be possible in the future to rebuild these structures on the same sites and with much of the original material, including exquisite fittings and ornamentation which fortunately have been salvaged through the devoted efforts of the local believers.

In June 1977, near Gurgán, one of the devoted friends, Mr. Rúhu’lláh Taymúrí-Muqaddam, was cruelly martyred, and his sister seriously injured. A court case was opened against the perpetrators, and the National Assembly hoped that the sense of justice of the authorities would not allow such an odious act to remain unpunished.

On 15 December 1978, a cabled message was sent to ninety-three National Spiritual Assemblies advising that the friends in Írán and most of the Holy Places in Tihrán and Shíráz were in great peril, that homes were being burned and looted, and that some of the Bahá’ís were threatened with death and/or forcibly made to recant their Faith. The National Assemblies were requested to cable appeals to the Prime Minister of Írán expressing their concern and asking him to take measures to safeguard the lives of the Bahá’ís and protect the Bahá’í Holy Places. Subsequent reports indicated that the persecutions were increasing; that a total of 200 houses in Shíráz were burned; that families were driven from their homes and threats made to their lives. Some of the Bahá’ís were beaten, and, tragically, some lost their lives. At one time 700 Bahá’ís were homeless and their means of livelihood destroyed, and therefore a special fund was established to aid our stricken brethren in Írán.

The wave of persecutions continues, and the beloved friends and Holy Places in the Cradle of the Faith are still in great danger. Armed men of the revolutionary committees have confiscated documents, and seized and occupied the House of the Báb in Shíráz, the Síyáh-Chál, the Houses of Bahá’u’lláh in Țihrán and Tákur, the Houses of Quddús and [Page 80]Hujjat, as well as many Local Hazíratu’l-Quds.

The Nawnahálán Company, which has been in operation for about sixty years, is likewise occupied, its accounts frozen and its operations stopped. The National Spiritual Assembly of Írán has frequently appealed to the new authorities after the change of government, but the results are still unknown.

‘Iráq

In May 1970, the ‘Iráqí Government issued a Decree disbanding all Bahá’í institutions and banning all Bahá’í activities. The attempts of the local friends to explain the Bahá’í position to the authorities were of no avail. For nearly three years, although the authorities carefully watched the conduct of the Bahá’ís, nothing apparently gave cause for interference in their personal lives and the imposition of fresh restrictions.

In mid-December 1973, an incident occurred which sparked a fire of persecution and adversity in whose flames many of the dedicated Bahá’ís of ‘Iraq were engulfed, and whose future course seems unpredictable. A teenage Shi‘ih Muslim girl learned of the Faith from one of her Bahá’í classmates and, with her older sister, became seriously interested in the teachings. When the Bahá’í Faith was referred to during a discussion of religion in class in one of the Government schools in Baghdad, the girl rose to her feet in defence of the Cause. When questioned by the teacher, she announced her belief in Bahá’u’lláh, an assertion which created a stir in the class. The students spoke of the incident the same day to their parents, among whom was the Minister of Education, who, the following day, ordered an investigation to be made, himself went to the school, dismissed the headmaster, and, following the intervention of the Minister of the Interior, ordered the arrest of the girl and three Bahá’í girls studying at that school. A chain of arrests, totalling almost fifty, followed in the course of the next few months. The trial began on 4 March 1974 and, although the hearings of the court were postponed several times, its verdict exonerated the Bahá’ís. Dissatisfied with the verdict, the Revolutionary Council ordered the case of the Bahá’ís reopened in a military court. Twenty-nine Bahá’ís, both men and women, were eventually sentenced by this court to terms varying from life imprisonment to ten years, and Bahá’í properties, as well as properties of individual believers, were confiscated.

In July 1975, a partial amnesty reducing the terms of imprisonment by fifteen per cent was granted on the occasion of one of ‘Iraq’s national events, to all those in ‘Iráqí prisons, including the Bahá’ís. The friends incarcerated are still in custody, although some improvement is reported in the conditions under which they are being held.

In December 1977, all properties belonging to individual believers were returned to them, but Bahá’í properties and funds were turned over to the Ministry of the Interior for disposal.

During the period under review, several attempts have been made and are still under way to clear away any misunderstanding the authorities may have acquired about the Faith. It is hoped that the Government of ‘Iraq will be assured of the innocence of the Bahá’ís, and will appreciate the true position of the Faith in its recognition of the divine origin of Islam and its injunction upon the believers to be loyal to government and to avoid any involvement in political or subversive activity.

Jordan

The National Spiritual Assembly here, in protracted negotiations with the authorities has clearly set forth the independent character of the laws and ordinances of the Faith and the need for the believers to register themselves and their children as Bahá’ís, and for their institutions to conduct the Bahá’í marriage ceremony.

Kampuchea (Cambodia)

Owing to the political situation here, all Bahá’í activities had to be suspended, and there is no contact with the friends.

Laos

The uncertain political situation in Laos has brought pressure upon the friends, and upon the pioneers in particular, who as foreigners are conspicuous; all but two have been forced to leave the country. Activities of the urban Bahá’ís do not seem to be restricted, and the borders remain open to travellers, but communications between the Bahá’ís in rural areas and those in the city are restricted. In Vientiane, the Bahá’ís have sustained their activities, and are conducting children’s classes [Page 81]on a regular basis. A local Ḥazíratu’l-Quds is presently being constructed adjoining the Temple site.

It is hoped that the authorities, who are now reviewing the application of the Bahá’ís to be regarded as a religious community, will give a favourable response.

Mali

Although recognition of the Faith had been granted in Mali, the authorities decided in May 1976 to impose restrictions on Bahá’í activities and suspended the decree of recognition. Dr. ‘Aziz Navídí is in contact with the authorities to dispel the misgivings of high government officials about the Faith, and it is anticipated that, once again, the Faith will be recognized.

Uganda

In September 1977, twenty-seven religious organizations were banned in this country. Among them was the Bahá’í Faith. The National Spiritual Assembly and all the Local Assemblies had to suspend all their activities, while in the capital the resident Hand of the Cause and other representatives of the Faith met with government officials to determine the extent of the implications of this ban.

Although abused in many localities by their fellow-countrymen for belonging to a Faith which had been banned, the Bahá’ís evinced exemplary steadfastness and constancy.

Upon the request of the authorities, a list of all Bahá’í properties in the country was made and submitted to them.

The recent change in the Ugandan government bids fair to allow the Bahá’ís to resume their activities in the heart of Africa.

Vietnam

After the change of government, the National Spiritual Assembly was functioning for some time, though in a very limited way. However, this situation was short-lived. The authorities soon detained two members of the National Spiritual Assembly, confiscated the National Haziratu’l-Quds and changed it into an orphanage, and prevented the functioning of the Bahá’í Administration. Appeals have been made to the authorities through the Bahá’í International Community and other channels. It is hoped that these appeals will bring forth favourable results and that the beloved friends in Vietnam will again obtain their freedom of worship, a freedom which is guaranteed in the Vietnamese Constitution.

There are other countries where the Faith is restricted, but about which it is unwise to report.

7. The Holding of Eight International Teaching Conferences-From July 1976 to February 1977

These eight International Teaching Conferences were attended by a total of approximately 15,000 believers from all parts of the world.

Place and Date	The Hand of the Cause of God representing the Universal House of Justice	Number Attending
Helsinki, Finland 5-8 July 1976	Enoch Olinga	950
Anchorage, Alaska 23-25 July 1976	Paul Haney	1,005
Paris, France 3-6 August 1976	Ugo Giachery	5,700
Nairobi, Kenya 15-17 Oct. 1976	H. Collis Featherstone	1,363
Hong Kong 27-30 Nov. 1976	Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum	506
Auckland, N. Z. 19-22 Jan. 1977	William Sears	1,195
Bahia, Brazil 27-30 Jan. 1977	‘Ali-Akbar Furútan	1,300
Mérida, Mexico 4-6 Feb. 1977	Abu’l-Qasim Faiz	2,000 plus

[Page 82]During the Helsinki Conference Dr. Giachery paid a courtesy call on Mr. T. Aura, the Mayor of Helsinki.

The Governor of Alaska sent a message of greeting to the Anchorage Conference which was read on his behalf by Lieutenant-Governor Lowell Thomas, Jr.

Mr. Kurt Waldheim, Secretary-General of the United Nations, sent a message to the Paris Conference which was read on his behalf by Mr. Luc Van Bellinghen, Director of the United Nations Information Centre in Paris; this was the first occasion on which the United Nations through a high-ranking officer sent a message of goodwill to an international Bahá’í conference.

The Hon. N. W. Munoko, the Minister for Works, addressed the Nairobi Conference.

The Auckland Conference was opened by His Excellency the Right Hon. Robert D. Muldoon, Prime Minister of New Zealand, and Sir Dove-Myer Robinson, the Mayor of Auckland.

His Excellency Roberto Santos, Governor of the State of Bahia, opened that Conference.

The Hon. Dr. Francisco Luna Kan, Governor of Yucatán, himself a Mayan, opened the Mérida Conference.

As the Bahá’í world entered the second half of the Five Year Plan, these Conferences provided an opportunity for examination of its achievements and appraisal of its unaccomplished tasks.

A pictorial report of these Conferences appears elsewhere in this volume.

Protection of the Resting-Place of Shoghi Effendi

A further supplementary accomplishment during the first half of the Five Year Plan was announced by the Universal House of Justice in its cablegram of 5 February 1975 to all National Spiritual Assemblies:

ANNOUNCE PURCHASE STRIP LAND GREAT NORTHERN LONDON CEMETERY FACING BELOVED GUARDIAN’S RESTING-PLACE ENSURING PROTECTION SACRED PLOT. PRAYERS GRATITUDE OFFERED DIVINE THRESHOLD.

The negotiations for this purchase were conducted on behalf of the Universal House of Justice by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United Kingdom.

House of ‘Abdu’lláh Páshá

The announcement by the Universal House of Justice of the acquisition of the House of ‘Abdu’lláh Páshá, in which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá lived for twelve years, was made on 14 January 1975. The purchase of this House, which derives its name from the Governor of ‘Akká who completed the House during the early decades of the last century, is a supplementary achievement of the Five Year Plan.

In September 1977, the Universal House of Justice approved the plans for restoration prepared by Mr. Ridvánu’lláh Ashraf, a young Persian Bahá’í architect, and the actual work was started in December 1977 by a team of Persian Bahá’ís with experience of reconstructing certain of the Holy Places in Írán. Certain aspects of the project have been contracted and the work is progressing.

Preservation and Microfilming of Documents

Preservation of the Sacred Texts involves protecting them from acids from within as well as without the paper, and from the more usual deterioration factors. Accordingly, extensive tests of the acidity of the Tablets and of their surroundings were made and the decision taken to remove them from the translucent and transparent folders and albums, which had developed dangerous acidity, and to place them in acid-free folders within acid-free storage boxes in which air could circulate freely.

All available Tablets have been transferred, after microfilming, and are being stored in dehumidified rooms. In all, some 10,500 documents from the Central Figures are now in acid-free storage. Additional Tablets still being received are placed in acid-free storage even before microfilming.

More than 2,000 of the Guardian’s original letters having postscripts in his own hand have been similarly preserved, as well as his cables and draft manuscripts of his general letters and books.

Other historical documents similarly treated include handwritten manuscripts of several of Bahá’u’lláh’s books, Nabíl’s original notes, receipts written by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, autographed photographs, notes by early amanuenses, copies of Tablets, and examples of calligraphy. [Page 83]

INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHÁ’Í ACTIVITIES

At present, the letters received by the Guardian and already microfilmed are being transferred to acid-free storage. Other material will be treated when adequate storage space becomes available.

Microfilming of all available originals or verified copies of the Tablets of the Central Figures of the Faith has been completed.

Great progress has been made with microfilming of the letters of the beloved Guardian. As all such items arrive at the World Centre they will be microfilmed. Available documents associated with the history of the Faith are also on film.

Microfilming of the permanent letters and statements of the Universal House of Justice is up to date, and more than fourteen years of these letters have been indexed for Universal House of Justice retrieval on microfilm. The Master Subject Index and its related Names Index used for this purpose have been designed to provide a unified indexing system for use throughout the World Centre when all material is on microfilm.

Letters and papers received by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá are in process of being filmed.

Filming of letters received by the Guardian is proceeding.

All original film rolls are stored in a maximum-security depository and a copy of each roll has been stored in a depository in each of five different countries of the world for safekeeping.

A Bahá’í worker prepares to read microfilmed documents. The preservation and microfilming of historical material is a continuing concern of the Bahá’í World Centre. [Page 84]The House of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in ‘Akká, which was His official residence from 1897 to 1908, was acquired in 1975. The building, known locally as the house of ‘Abdu’lláh Páshá, was the birthplace of Shoghi Effendi. Restoration of the house began in December 1977. [Page 85]

1. National Spiritual Assemblies which were to make Plans to Accommodate the International Conferences of 1976/1977

Each of the National Spiritual Assemblies which served as host had a major and decisive role in making these Conferences successful. A detailed summary appears in section 7 under ‘World Centre Goals’. See also the pictorial report, ‘Arise!’, elsewhere in this volume.

In addition, many countries held ‘Satellite’ teaching conferences or summer or winter schools before or after the International Conferences, which were attended by many of those travelling to attend the latter. These ‘Satellite’ events included two summer schools, an International Youth Conference, twenty-three National Teaching Conferences and one Regional Teaching Conference in Africa; four summer schools, one Native Council, and sixteen National Teaching Conferences in the Americas; one winter school and ten National Teaching Conferences in Asia and the Pacific; one summer school and seven National Teaching Conferences in Australasia; and ten summer schools, two winter schools, and fifteen National Teaching Conferences in Europe.

India

During the Ten Year Crusade, twenty-two acres of land in New Delhi were acquired for the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, but this property was requisitioned by the Government for a green belt area. After several years of constant negotiation by the National Assembly, and upon viewing the beautiful design for the Temple, the Government agreed to release the entire twenty-two acres, as reported on 1 February 1978.

On the occasion of the All-Asia Bahá’í Women’s Conference in New Delhi, and at a special ceremony on 17 October 1977 at the Temple site, the Hand of the Cause Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum laid the foundation stone for this important edifice.

The Universal House of Justice has approved a design prepared by Faríburz Şahbá, who has been retained as architect for this Temple. Working drawings are being prepared by Mr. Şahbá and the structural engineers in England.

On 27 February 1979 a cable was received stating that the necessary permit for the construction of the House of Worship had been issued by the authorities and that excavation of the area had begun.

A fuller report appears in Part Four, section V of this volume.

Samoa

In November 1975, the National Spiritual Assembly of Samoa purchased a twelve-acre lot at an elevation of 1,800 feet, overlooking the city of Apia and not far from Vailima, the official residence of His Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II. His Highness visited the land and was delighted with its location. Most of the city of Apia can be seen from the site, and when the Temple has been erected it should be clearly visible from a wide area below.

Mr. Husayn Amánat was appointed as architect for the Temple at Riḍván 1978. His design was submitted to the Universal House of Justice in September of that year and to His Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II shortly thereafter. When the design had been approved, plans were made for the laying of the foundation stone. This ceremony took place on the Temple site on 27 January 1979 with His Highness laying the stone. Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum, the representative of the Universal House of Justice, participated by placing in a niche in the stone a small casket of dust from the Most Holy Shrine. More than 500 Bahá’ís attended the ceremony and the Conference which was held concurrently. Sixteen national communities from all parts of the Pacific area were represented.

In February 1979 an additional one acre of land was acquired adjacent to the Temple site to the east to provide an approach to the Temple from the main road.

A fuller report appears in Part Four, section V of this volume. [Page 86]Preliminary steps were to be adopted to pave the way for the eventual construction of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár in Țihrán, circumstances permitting.

Although difficulties have prevented the Bahá’ís in that country from actively engaging in this important project, a special committee has completed all drawings and details for the construction. The plans have been checked and made ready by an engineering firm in the United Kingdom, thus enabling immediate initiation of construction when circumstances permit.

3. National Spiritual Assemblies to be Established

In 1974 the number of National Spiritual Assemblies was 115 The Five Year Plan goal was to form 16 Thus calling for a total of 131 Total National Spiritual Assemblies, Ridván 1979 130

GOALS ACHIEVED

Central and East Africa 1. Burundi¹ 1978

Western Africa 2. Mauritania 1978 3. Niger 1975 4. Sénégal 1975 5. Sierra Leone 1975 6. Togo 1975 7. Upper Volta 1977

Central America 8. French Antilles 1977

North America 9. The Bahamas 1978

South America 10. Surinam and French Guiana 1977

Western Asia 11. Jordan 1975

Australasia 12. The New Hebrides 1977

Europe 13. Cyprus 1977 14. Greece 1977

SUPPLEMENTARY ACHIEVEMENTS

In the course of the Plan, because of local circumstances, the National Spiritual Assemblies of Equatorial Guinea, Indonesia, and Nepal had to be disbanded; and those of Mali and Somalia, which were goals of the Plan, could not be formed. However, it has been possible to form in 1977 and 1978 the National Spiritual Assemblies of the Marshall Islands and the Mariana Islands, respectively, and in the latter year two new National Spiritual Assemblies in the zone of Western Asia, making a total of eighteen National Spiritual Assemblies.

4. National Spiritual Assemblies to be Incorporated

FIVE YEAR PLAN INCORPORATION GOALS

Central and East Africa Ethiopia: In Process

Southern Africa Réunion: Goal Achieved

South and West Africa Goal Achieved

Western Africa The Gambia: Goal Achieved Mali: Circumstances Permitting Mauritania: Circumstances Permitting Sénégal: Goal Achieved Sierra Leone: In Process Upper Volta: Goal Achieved

Central America French Antilles: Goal Achieved

South America Surinam and French Guiana: Goal Achieved

North-eastern Asia Mariana Islands: Goal Achieved

South-eastern Asia Hong Kong: Goal Achieved Nepal²: Circumstances Permitting Singapore: Goal Achieved

Western Asia Turkey: Circumstances Permitting

Australasia New Hebrides: Goal Achieved

Europe Austria: In Process Cyprus: Goal Achieved Portugal: Circumstances Permitting

SUPPLEMENTARY ACHIEVEMENTS

American Samoa Caroline Islands Central African Empire Guyana Nicaragua Tuvalu

¹ First established in 1969, dissolved in 1972; re-established 1978. ² Goal achieved but recognition withdrawn in 1975. [Page 87]

5. Bahá’í Publishing Trusts to be Formed

In 1974 the number of Bahá’í Publishing Trusts was 16 The Five Year Plan goal was to form an additional 6 Thus calling for a total of 22 Present number of Bahá’í Publishing Trusts 23

• • TRUSTS ESTABLISHED PRIOR TO THE FIVE YEAR PLAN**
• Argentina
• Belgium
• Brazil
• Germany
• India
• Írán
• Italy
• Near East
• Norway
• Netherlands
• Pakistan
• Spain
• Sweden
• Taiwan
• Uganda
• United Kingdom
• United States

• • TO BE FORMED DURING THE FIVE YEAR PLAN**
• Australia — Achieved October 1975
• Fiji Islands — Achieved March 1975
• Japan — Achieved June 1975
• Korea — Achieved February 1976
• Malaysia — Achieved February 1976
• Philippine Islands — Achieved April 1979

• • SUPPLEMENTARY ACHIEVEMENT**
• Achieved February 1976

6. Languages into which Bahá’í Literature is to be Translated and Published and Those in which Additional Publications are to be made

(See also 'Publication & Dissemination of Bahá’í Literature,' section 4 of 'Summary of Accomplishments in Other Areas'.)

when they are taken into account approximately fifty of the language achievements represent supplemental language achievements of the Plan not covered by any goal. Ten additional languages were reported 'in process' and no reports have yet reached the World Centre concerning progress in respect of eight of the named language goals.

Because the purpose of these language goals was to increase the availability of Bahá’í literature to friends and seekers, we have counted as 'Publication' circulation through newsletters or mimeographed sheets, as well as publication in book form. We have also listed languages reported available on tape, as the specific goal was assigned to many countries of supplying prayers and short excerpts from the Holy Texts on tape for the friends to memorize in their own languages.

A detailed list of language and literature achievements of the Five Year Plan appears in the bibliographic section of this volume, Part Six, section II, subsections 6 to 9.

Region	Named Goals	Achieved
Africa	42	137
Americas	15	76
Asia	38	62
Australasia	4	42
Europe	30	40
Invented Languages	—	1
Total	129	358

In addition to the languages named as goals, many countries were assigned to translate and publish or record on tape Bahá’í literature in unspecified local languages used in their countries. These are not shown in the table above;

7. Properties to be Acquired

A. National Haziratu’l-Quds

FIVE YEAR PLAN GOALS ASSIGNED

• • Central and East Africa**
• Burundi — In Process
• Somalia — Circumstances Permitting

• • Western Africa**
• Equatorial Guinea — Circumstances Permitting
• Mali — Achieved
• Mauritania — Achieved
• Niger — Achieved
• Sénégal — Achieved
• Sierra Leone — Achieved
• Togo — Achieved
• Upper Volta — Achieved

• • Central America**
• Barbados — Achieved
• French Antilles — Achieved

• • North America**
• Bahamas — Achieved

• • South America**
• Surinam — Achieved

• • North-eastern Asia**
• Eastern Carolina Is. (Ponape) — In Process
• Mariana Is. (Guam) — Achieved

[Page 88]Marshall Is. (Majuro) Achieved Western Caroline Is. (Yáp) In Process South-eastern Asia Hong Kong Achieved Western Asia North-eastern Asia Eastern Caroline Is. (Ponape) Mariana Is. (Guam) Marshall Is. (Majuro) Achieved Achieved Achieved Jordan Achieved Western Caroline Is. Australasia (Yap) In Process New Hebrides Achieved South Central Asia New Zealand Bangladesh Achieved Cook Is. In Process South-eastern Asia Europe Hong Kong Achieved Australasia Cyprus Achieved Greece Achieved New Hebrides (Efate) Achieved

SUPPLEMENTARY ACHIEVEMENTS

New Zealand French Guiana The Gambia Puerto Rico Cook Is. Achieved Tonga In Process Europe

FIVE YEAR PLAN GOALS ASSIGNED

Cyprus Achieved Greece Achieved

SUPPLEMENTARY ACHIEVEMENTS

Central and East Africa Burundi In Process Burma Somalia Circumstances Permitting Zaïre Achieved

C. National Endowments

Southern Africa Seychelles Achieved Western Africa

FIVE YEAR PLAN GOALS ASSIGNED

Central and East Africa Chad Equatorial Guinea In Process Circumstances Burundi In Process Somalia Achieved Permitting Zaïre Achieved Gambia, The Achieved Southern Africa Mali Achieved Seychelles Achieved Mauritania Achieved Western Africa Niger Circumstances Equatorial Guinea Circumstances Permitting Permitting Nigeria Achieved Gambia, The Achieved Sénégal Achieved Mali Achieved Sierra Leone Achieved Mauritania Achieved Togo Achieved Niger Achieved Upper Volta Achieved Sénégal Achieved Central America Barbados Achieved French Antilles Puerto Rico In Process Achieved North America Bahamas Achieved South America Sierra Leone Togo Upper Volta Central America Barbados French Antilles Puerto Rico North America Achieved In Process In Process In Process Achieved Achieved Surinam Achieved Bahamas Achieved [Page 89]

F. Local Haziratu’l-Quds

Achieved | Goal Africa: 799 | 998 Americas: 294 | 258 Asia: 140 | 152 Australasia: 52 | 58 Europe: 6 | 11 Total: 1,291 | 1,477

South America: Surinam: Achieved

North-eastern Asia: Eastern Caroline Is. (Truk): Achieved Mariana Is. (Guam): Achieved Marshall Is. (Majuro): Achieved Western Caroline Is. (Yap): In Process

South Central Asia: Bangladesh: Achieved

South-eastern Asia: Singapore: Achieved

Western Asia: Jordan: Achieved

Australasia: New Hebrides (Efate): Achieved New Zealand: Cook Is. Achieved

Korea

G. Local Endowments

Achieved | Goal Africa: 1,195 | 1,211 Americas: 354 | 370 Asia: 47 | 110 Australasia: 0 | 1 Europe: 2 | 3 Total: 1,598 | 1,695

H. Specific Property Goals

At least one local Hazíratu’l-Quds in each Province: Costa Rica: Achieved in 4 of 7 Provinces; Goal postponed Papua New Guinea: Achieved Tonga: In Process

Europe: Cyprus: Achieved Greece: Achieved

D. Summer Schools

FIVE YEAR PLAN GOALS ASSIGNED

Central and East Africa: Ethiopia: Achieved

North-eastern Asia: Hawaiian Islands: In Process

South-eastern Asia: Burma: Achieved

At least one local Haziratu’l-Quds on each of 5 named islands: Hawaiian Is.: Achieved on 2 of 5 named islands

At least one local Ḥazíratu’l-Quds on each of 3 named and 2 other major islands: Philippine Is.: Achieved on 3 named islands; 4 completed and in use.

At least one local Ḥazíratu’l-Quds in each of 4 named regions: United Kingdom: Achieved in 3 of 4 regions; 1 region has 2

At least one local Endowment in each Province: Costa Rica: Achieved in 4 of 7 Provinces

8. Local Incorporations to be Achieved

Guatemala Zambia Malaysia

Achieved | Goal Africa: 78 | 34 Americas: 892 | 906 Asia: 874 | 733 Australasia: 139 | 130 Europe: 183 | 252 Total: 2,088 | 2,099

E. District Haziratu’l-Quds and Institutes

Achieved | Goal Africa: 73 | 51 Americas: 14 | 13 Asia: 73 | 69 Australasia: 0 | 0 Europe: 1 | 1 Total: 161 | 134

While no Local Spiritual Assembly incorporation goals were assigned to Africa as Five Year Plan goals, the following African countries were asked to continue efforts towards completion of unfulfilled local incorporation goals of the Nine Year Plan. (The achievements shown have been included in the total shown above.) [Page 90]Goal Achieved Central African Empire 3 1 Ghana 10 4 Kenya 50 Malawi Nigeria Swaziland Zambia 5 10 5 12 12 95

9. Inter-Assembly Collaboration Projects

At the outset of the Plan in 1974, ninety-eight National Spiritual Assemblies were assigned to receive assistance through 444 projects assigned to eighty-one National Spiritual Assemblies; and, as new National Spiritual Assemblies were formed during the course of the Plan, additional projects were assigned. These projects included such efforts as acquisition of properties; provision of literature; teaching and consolidation projects, including teaching of minorities; supplying pioneers and travelling teachers, including pioneers specializing in training of children’s teachers; teaching conferences; opening of new territories; establishment of first Local Spiritual Assemblies, and re-establishing lost Assemblies in goal countries.

In a few instances, due to local circumstances, only token assistance was possible; in most cases the collaboration extended was substantial and effective. For example, inter-Assembly collaboration made possible the purchase of twenty-two National Hazíratu’l-Quds and twenty-six Temple sites during the Plan, and 2,605 pioneers and more than 5,000 travelling teachers left their homes during the course of the Five Year Plan to serve the Faith in other countries. These latter achievements are detailed below.

PIONEERS Number AFRICA 57 THE AMERICAS 1,050 ASIA 1,189 AUSTRALASIA 78 EUROPE 231 2,605

Sent From 17 countries of 22 countries of 18 countries of 7 countries of 17 countries of 81 countries

Received By 41 countries

Of special interest among the pioneer goals were several requiring native believers to arise as pioneers. A special assignment to Írán was to send thirty-four pioneers with special capacity and training in the establishment and conducting of classes for Bahá’í children to twenty-one countries in Africa; by 1975, twenty-nine such pioneers were reported to have reached their posts.

INTERNATIONAL TRAVELLING TEACHERS

AFRICA Number 521 THE AMERICAS 728 ASIA 729 AUSTRALASIA 163 EUROPE 464 2,605

37 countries 34 countries 37 countries 10 countries 18 countries 140 countries

Number Sent AFRICA More than 200 THE AMERICAS More than 3,200 ASIA More than 800 AUSTRALASIA More than 300 EUROPE More than 500 More than 5,000

Number Received AFRICA More than 700 THE AMERICAS More than 1,700 ASIA More than 900 AUSTRALASIA More than 400 EUROPE More than 1,300 More than 5,000

10. Miscellaneous Untabulated Goals

A. National Spiritual Assemblies to Select One or More Believers from Local Communities, and to Train Them to Help in Deepening Their Fellow Believers and in Consolidating Their Local Communities

This goal was assigned to fifty-two National Spiritual Assemblies; 102 National Spiritual Assemblies report various approaches to fulfilling it. Some have interpreted the goal broadly, reporting deepening sessions for both old and new believers, members of new Local Spiritual Assemblies, women or youth; summer school programs; youth and women’s conferences; and, especially, teacher-training institutes. One National Spiritual Assembly in particular chose to focus on this goal, considering it the key to fulfillment of all other goals, and developed an extensive program which included visiting localities, training teachers, training a deepening cadre, and the establishment of twenty-seven five-week courses in various subjects, after which participants were expected to return to their homes to share what they had learned before being permitted to enroll for further courses. This program has had great success, resulting not only in increased expansion, but also in deepening, consolidation, and strengthening of Bahá’í family and community life. [Page 91]In addition, Continental Boards of Counsellors, by training Auxiliary Board members and by encouraging the appointment and training of assistants to the Auxiliary Boards, have assisted hundreds of believers on each continent to play a major role in strengthening the administrative institutions of the Faith and in stimulating the friends to greater achievements in all fields of Bahá’í activity.

B. National Spiritual Assemblies which are to Organize Bahá’í Activities for Women

Although this goal was originally assigned to only eighty National Spiritual Assemblies, activities toward its achievement have been reported by 115 National Assemblies in many parts of the world. Bahá’í activities by and for women have included greater participation in a wide range of endeavours to further the progress of the Cause: women’s conferences; family life conferences; classes in child care, reading, nutrition and hygiene, arts and crafts; and many others. Particularly significant has been a great increase in regular children’s classes, many of them taught by women’s groups, and the formation of women’s teaching teams. Some of these latter have visited islands in the New Hebrides following a women’s conference there, spent four months opening new localities in Guatemala, and from Panama embarked on a three-nation travel-teaching trip. The National Spiritual Assemblies of Benin, the Solomon Islands, and the South West Pacific Ocean have reported the first native women elected to their National Spiritual Assemblies.

More than 1,000 Bahá’í women from all over Asia, with observers and speakers from Europe and America, gathered in New Delhi, India, 13-16 October 1977, for the Asian Bahá’í Women’s Conference. The presence of the Hand of the Cause Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum as the most distinguished guest and principal speaker was a source of great joy and happiness for the believers. Before the Conference opened and while it was in progress, Rúhíyyih Khánum met five ministers of the Government of India, which served to strengthen cordial and personal relationships with these high dignitaries. The Conference received wide coverage in the news media in India, and many of the participants also travelled to other parts of the country in a post-conference teaching plan.

Another significant international women’s conference was the West African Bahá’í Women’s Conference held in Monrovia 28-31 December 1978, on the theme of ‘Spiritual

Asian Bahá’í Women’s Conference, New Delhi, India; 13-16 October 1977. The photograph shows a few of the more than 1,000 representatives who attended. The Hand of the Cause Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum is seen seated in the centre. [Page 92]Education of Women: Foundation for a New Human Society’. It was attended by 150 women from fourteen different countries, and opened by the Liberian Minister of Information and a woman Senator. Again, extensive radio, television and press coverage brought the Faith to the attention of thousands of Liberians from every stratum of society. Many smaller local, regional, national and international conferences took place, and it was especially significant that in many of the developing countries, where such behavior on the part of men is almost unknown, the Bahá’í men would prepare the food and care for the children in order to enable their wives to participate in the conference sessions.

See ‘Survey of Activities of Bahá’í Women in the Five Year Plan,’ Part Three, section IV, subsection 4 of this volume.

C. National Spiritual Assemblies which are Specifically Called upon to Expand the use of Radio and/or Television

Thirty-nine National Spiritual Assemblies were assigned the specific task of expanding the use of radio and television for proclamation and teaching of the Faith. Developments have been impressive, notably in Latin America. Audio recording studios have been established in some twenty-one countries. A centre for distribution of radio scripts, tapes and information—Centro para Intercambio Radiofónico Bahá’í de América Latina (CIRBAL) was established in El Salvador and is now based in Trinidad; it publishes a periodic news bulletin entitled Ondas Bahá’ís. Three international radio and television conferences have been held, and radio-television workshops and seminars have been conducted in many countries in Latin America, from which derived the booklet Transmit Thy Knowledge on Bahá’í radio methods. Extensive radio programs have been in use in Ecuador, Peru, Paraguay, Bolivia and the French Antilles, and there are intermittent but continuing radio programs in Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Belize, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, the Leeward and Virgin Islands, Colombia, Liberia and other countries. In Africa the Central African Empire holds the record with its more than three years of twice-weekly radio broadcasts; earlier it was able to produce many TV programs. In Samoa, Hawaii, Alaska and Canada, in western Europe and Australasia, many opportunities to gain radio and TV time have been seized upon. In the United States the Jeff Reynolds’ Show, Fireside Playhouse, and Divine Art of Living (Spanish) radio series have been widely used, as well as radio specials and series of public service announcements. In India the government has authorized announcements of Bahá’í events and festivals. Radio Sri Lanka has repeatedly broadcast a series of programs prepared in India, and mini-dramas from Japan have been widely utilized. In total, some thirty-five countries have reported radio programming for varied lengths of time, not including the scattered reports from every corner of the world of radio and television interviews of Bahá’í travelling teachers, of spot announcements of Bahá’í activities, etc. In St. Martin, French Antilles, TV programs have almost continuously been on the air since 1975. The first Bahá’í radio station, Radio Bahá’í, of Cajas and Otavalo, Ecuador, began regular broadcasting in December 1977, and it is hoped a shortwave unit will be added shortly at Lake Cuicocha.

In Canada a weekly cablevision telecast entitled Bahá’í News was under way for many months in the Toronto area, the videotapes being used in other Canadian cities. In the United States videotapes were produced and used for a highly successful training program for Local Assembly members. The National Spiritual Assembly of Hawaii, collaborating with the Hand of the Cause William Sears, in 1975 completed thirteen color TV programs entitled The New World; the series was telecast several times in Hawaii, in Alaska and the United States, and individual videotapes have had wide usage. The Green Light Expedition film has been extensively shown on TV channels in many parts of the world. The crisis in Persia has brought extraordinary opportunities for proclamation of the Faith by television and radio in the western countries.

A fuller report appears in the survey appearing in Part Three, section IV, subsection 5 of this volume.

D. National Spiritual Assemblies which are Specifically Called upon to hold National Teaching Conferences

The holding of annual National Teaching Conferences was a goal assigned to eighty [Page 93]The third annual Bahá’í Children's Conference of Guyana, Georgetown, Guyana; March 1977. More than 1,100 national and regional teaching conferences were held throughout the Bahá’í world during the Five Year Plan in addition to numerous children's conferences.

National Spiritual Assemblies. Reports by 117 National Assemblies indicate that more than 1,100 National and Regional Teaching Conferences were held during the course of the Five Year Plan.

The spiritual stimulus imparted at such conferences has impelled the believers to greater efforts to achieve the goals of the Plan. Many countries have held conferences twice each year, or added a series of regional conferences and deepening institutes for further enrichment and development of the distinctive character of Bahá’í life.

E. National Spiritual Assemblies which are to Develop and Conduct Correspondence Courses

Development of correspondence courses for teaching and deepening was a goal assigned to fifteen National Spiritual Assemblies; they are also in use in a number of other countries, some of which have been using them for many years.

During the Five Year Plan thirty-seven National Spiritual Assemblies have reported on the use of correspondence courses for teaching and/or deepening, for children, youth, adults and families. Seven countries in Latin America are making good use of a variety of courses, including some for literacy training. Pakistan is using a correspondence course for youth; Italy has courses for parents and children. Malaysia and the Philippines each report correspondence courses in four languages; India reports about 1,000 new believers enrolled annually through correspondence courses in nine languages.

F. National Spiritual Assemblies Called upon to Increasingly Teach and Enrol People from Specific Minorities and Other Groups

Enrolment of minorities has been extensive in many parts of the world, whether or not specifically assigned as a goal. Examples include Pygmies in Zaïre, African refugees in Portugal, Poles in Switzerland, and Cypriots in the United Kingdom, Koreans in Samoa, Chinese and 'Bush Pagans' in the Solomons, as well as native tribes in many countries. Especially successful in reaching many different minorities in their countries have been Australia, Benin, Chad, the Cameroon Republic, Guyana, Surinam and French Guiana, and Venezuela. Members of several minorities have been enrolled in Afghanistan. Chile has enrolled nine members of the vanishing Alacaluf tribe at the southernmost tip of South America; Fiji reports mass enrolments in areas of large populations from India, of both Sikh and Hindu backgrounds. Several Latin American countries are reaching remote areas through extensive use of radio programming in Quechua and Guajira.

An example of the great value of such minority enrolments to the future of the Faith is the [Page 94]report received that Yugoslavs of Albanian background, who enrolled in the Faith in Luxembourg, have returned to Yugoslavia, some for holidays and some to live. Their homes in Yugoslavia lie near the border with Albania, which is still a virgin territory for the Faith.

Also among the fundamentally important achievements of the Five Year Plan has been the increasing participation in all aspects of the work of the Cause by native believers around the world. Increasingly they are being elected to administrative bodies; arising as travel-teachers and pioneers, both internationally and on the homefront; representing the Faith in proclamation efforts; contributing in cash, kind and effort to the Funds of the Faith and to the achievement of property goals; and fulfilling unsung but necessary committee work, translation work, organization of conferences, and the like. Their efforts and accomplishments have brought great joy to the Universal House of Justice, and give great promise for the future of the Faith in their countries.

In all, 168 minorities are listed as enrolled in Africa during the Plan, seventy-seven in the Americas, sixty-two in Asia, sixty-seven in Australasia, and fifteen in Europe, for a total of 389.

G. Encourage the Friends to Gather for Early Morning Prayers in Their Local Communities in Localities Where Such Gatherings Would Fit into the Pattern of the Friends’ Lives

This goal was assigned to seventy-two National Spiritual Assemblies: thirty-six in Africa, thirteen in the Americas, eight in Australasia and the Pacific, and fifteen in Asia. In all, eighty-eight National Spiritual Assemblies have reported community gatherings for early morning prayers. Reports received indicate increasing frequency of this inspiring and unifying practice in increasing numbers of local communities, including some in Europe and in other countries which had not been assigned this goal. Some gatherings are sporadic, but the most usual frequency seems to be weekly, although some communities report daily gatherings. In addition to local meetings, some countries report regular meetings at the National Hazíratu’l-Quds or Temple sites.

The practice has been stimulated in Samoa by the early morning devotional radio broadcasts sponsored by the Faith. Early morning prayers are also broadcast by Radio Bahá’í Ecuador and some other national communities.

H. Miscellaneous

a. Transfer of the remains of members of the Holy Family of the Báb (assigned to Irán) Special circumstances prevailing in the countries of the Middle East have held up the pursuit of this goal.

b. Acquire Holy Sites in Írán and ‘Iraq (Írán) Although the fortress Chihríq came into the possession of the National Spiritual Assembly of Írán in 1972, the necessary legal procedures and documents were completed during the Five Year Plan.

The title deed for that portion of the fortress of Máh-Kú which served as the Báb’s prison has been obtained, and this Holy Place is now owned by the Bahá’í Faith.

c. Establish an Institute of Higher Studies of the Faith (Iran) This project was inaugurated at Ridván 1975. Its purpose is to prepare a number of selected believers to pursue advanced and detailed studies about the history, teachings and principles of the Faith and its relationship with other religions and various schools of philosophy and thought. It is intended to be an Institute for both study and research. According to a previous report, the Writings in Persian, Arabic and English are being studied in this Institute, and there are five instructors and twenty students. It is hoped that this nucleus will grow into a very useful Institute which will meet the needs of the Faith in the years to come.

d. With a view to attracting great numbers to the Cause, develop intensive teaching and consolidation plans in at least three of the States visited by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (United States) In response to the call to develop intensive teaching and consolidation plans in at least three of the States visited by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá during His stay in the United States, the National Spiritual Assembly of that country selected California, praised by the Master for its natural splendours and about which He expressed the hope that it would ‘earn an ideal similarity with...’ [Page 95]Maori and Polynesian Bahá’ís of New Zealand gathered at the Orakei Marae Meeting House; January, 1979. The Hand of the Cause Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥiyyih Khánum is seen in the centre holding an infant. [Page 96]the Holy Land’; Illinois, the first place in America where the Name of Bahá’u’lláh was publicly mentioned, and where ‘Abdu’l-Bahá placed the foundation stone on the lakefront site where today stands the holiest House of Worship in the Bahá’í world; and New York, on whose great metropolis the Master bestowed the title ‘City of the Covenant’, for it was there that He explained for the first time in the West the implications of His unique office as Centre of the Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh.

To the friends in these three States, the National Spiritual Assembly gave a high portion of the numerical goals assigned to the American Bahá’í community—twenty-one per cent of the 7,000 localities to be raised, thirty per cent of the 1,400 Local Spiritual Assemblies to be formed, and forty per cent of the Assembly incorporations to be achieved.

e. Assume a major role in promoting the spread of the Faith in the Far East (Japan)

Nine travelling teachers from Japan visited several areas in Korea during the months of December 1975 and January 1976.

f. Greatly intensify the teaching work along the Black Sea coast (Turkey)

There are now at least five Local Spiritual Assemblies and five groups along the Black Sea coast and the route of Bahá’u’lláh’s travels.

g. Develop the New Era and Rabbani Schools and increase the number of village tutorial schools (India)

New Era School

Great strides have been made in the development of this School at Panchgani, as follows:

1. A multi-purpose building was inaugurated at Naw-rúz 1978.

2. Land has been acquired and approval given by the House of Justice on 2 February 1979 to establish a diploma course for training teachers at the pre-primary level in the near future.

3. A Rural Development Project, financed by an individual and designed to improve the standard of living of the people in villages near the New Era School, was established, and plans are being made in consultation with the donor to further expand this project into the appropriate technology and cottage industries area of rural development.

4. Children of pioneers from other areas, particularly the Arabian countries, were provided with the opportunity to attend this School.

A fuller report appears in Part Three, section IV, subsections 6 and 7 of this volume.

Rabbani School

This School was re-established in July 1977, and is designed to be vocational in atmosphere with emphasis placed on agricultural sciences useful to village development. An academic and Bahá’í curriculum has been developed, poultry and fishery operations have begun, and extensive landscaping and construction of new facilities are planned so that an eventual enrolment of 300 students will be realized.

"EVERY CHILD IS POTENTIALLY THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD IDEAL BAHÁ’Í PRIMARY SCHOOL (KINDERGARTEN) ENGLISH/HINDI MEDIUM. DHARMANAGAR, NORTH TRIPURA.

Some students of the Ideal Bahá’í Primary School, Dharmanager, North Tripura, India, with the rickshaw which transports them to their classes. [Page 97]Some students of the Bahá’í Primary School, Tadung, Gangtock, Sikkim. Counsellor Shirin Boman is seen in the centre, back row, with two members of the staff.

Tutorial Schools

The development of tutorial schools has played a great role in the teaching and consolidation activities of the Bahá’í communities in India. At present there are forty-nine such schools in operation in that country.

h. Develop the Bahá’í Education Trust recently established (Irán)

This Trust was established in 1974. Its purpose is to provide earmarked capital, the interest of which is to be used in providing scholarships to deserving students, enabling them to pursue their studies in goal countries. The amount of capital in this Trust has been gradually increasing, and it is hoped that in the near future there will be sufficient funds to satisfactorily carry out the purpose for which the Trust was created.

i. Develop the existing Bahá’í schools (Sikkim)

There are two tutorial schools operating in different parts of the country, both of which have brought prestige to the Faith in that land. There is also a school located in the capital city of Gangtok, which has become very popular and is considered one of the best schools in Sikkim. At present, this school has around 300 students.

j. Study and implement as far as possible the use in schools and colleges of specially prepared textbooks on the Faith (United Kingdom)

This goal, although a continuing one with no finality, has got away to a good start and may certainly be counted as accomplished for the Five Year Plan. The National Spiritual Assembly is represented on a number of government and other agencies dealing with the problem of religious education in schools, and in December 1976 the Community Relations Commission published World Religions: A Handbook for Teachers, a work compiled by the SHAP Working Party on World Religions in Education. This book, in large format, contains six full pages under 'The Bahá’í Faith', comprising an excellent statement prepared by the National Spiritual Assembly and a list of Bahá’í literature categorized as Primary Sources-the Sacred Writings and works of the Guardian; Secondary Sources-histories, lives of the Founders, exegesis; and Periodicals and Leaflets. It is available to all teachers in the United Kingdom and at present some 500 copies have been taken up. The Bahá’í friends are calling it to the attention of teachers in their localities.

k. Cultivate opportunities for courses on the Faith in Canadian institutions of higher learning (Canada)

The National Spiritual Assembly of Canada formed the Canadian Association for Studies on the Bahá’í Faith as the principal instrumentality for meeting this goal. Four national annual meetings of the Association have been held, six bilingual Bulletins have been circulated, and five popular volumes of Bahá’í Studies have been issued. The Association has announced the forthcoming publication of a new work, under the auspices of the Université de Montréal, designed to provide an authoritative textbook for studies on the Bahá’í Faith in universities and colleges; the book will appear in both French and English. Significant progress has been made in introducing formal presentations of the Faith in Canadian institutions of higher learning.

See also the report appearing in Part Three, section IV, subsection 3 of this volume. [Page 98]

1. Increase the Number of Believers, Local Spiritual Assemblies and Localities where Bahá’ís Reside

A major objective of the Five Year Plan was to achieve a 'vast and widespread expansion of the Bahá’í community'. The following tables show the extent to which this goal was achieved.

The number of believers increased by 43 per cent worldwide from June 1974, at the beginning of the Plan, to April 1979.

Region	Increase
Africa	53%
The Americas	27%
Asia	44%
Australasia	117%
Europe	25%

Local Spiritual Assemblies increased during the same period by 79 per cent, from a total of 14,228 to 25,511.

Region	June 1974	April 1979	Increase
Africa	4,113	5,376	31%
The Americas	3,193	5,752	80%
Asia	6,265	13,163	110%
Australasia	278	583	110%
Europe	379	637	68%

The number of localities increased during the same period by 67 per cent, from 61,815 to 103,323.

Region	June 1974	April 1979	Increase
Africa	13,363	26,111	95%
The Americas	15,835	22,577	43%
Asia	29,198	49,794	71%
Australasia	1,445	2,376	64%
Europe	1,974	2,465	25%

Many National Spiritual Assemblies were specifically called upon to 'greatly increase the number of believers' from all strata of society. A comparison of the figures shown in the tables of this report with the first reports received at the beginning of the Five Year Plan show that sixty-three National Spiritual Assemblies have at least doubled the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies in the territories under their jurisdiction and many of these have achieved much larger increases: one National Spiritual Assembly has achieved a nine-fold increase, one a seven-fold increase, one a six-fold increase, five have quintupled, six quadrupled, eight tripled, seventeen achieved a two-and-a-half-fold increase, and twenty-four have doubled the numbers of Local Spiritual Assemblies under their jurisdiction. Of these, all but three of the National Spiritual Assemblies in Africa, half of the National Spiritual Assemblies in the Americas and more than one-third of the National Assemblies of Asia, all but two of the National Spiritual Assemblies in Australasia, and two of the National Spiritual Assemblies in Europe have at least doubled the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies. In addition, thirty-six National Assemblies have achieved increases of double or more in the number of localities, several by as much as five-fold. Twenty-seven National Spiritual Assemblies have increased the number of believers under their jurisdiction by double or more. Nineteen National Spiritual Assemblies have at least doubled their numbers in all three sets of statistics: eleven in Africa, three in the Americas, two in Asia, two in Australasia, and one in Europe (Cyprus).

The greatest growth of all has been in Upper Volta, which has multiplied the number of its Local Spiritual Assemblies by nine times, the number of its localities by twelve times, and the number of believers by more than eighteen times. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Hawaiian Islands entered the Plan with Local Spiritual Assemblies in every possible locality; during the Plan Singapore also reached the maximum number of Local Spiritual Assemblies possible within its area of jurisdiction. [Page 99]

BAHÁ’ÍS IN THE GENERAL POPULATION

The following percentages have been calculated using the number of believers reported to the World Centre as of 20 April 1979 in each country's final Five Year Plan report, and the most recent population statistics available to the Statistics Department. Where no report of number of believers was sent, the last available figure has been used. Ten countries or territories, as listed below, have a Bahá’í population exceeding one per cent of the general population. In addition, Alaska shows more than 0.99 per cent and Bolivia 0.95 per cent.

Gilbert Islands & Tuvalu 8.77% Sikkim 2.98% Marshall Is. 2.58% Solomon Is. 2.05% Belize 2.03% Tongal 1.86% Falkland Is. 1.37% Caroline Is. 1.37% Samoa 1.20% Swaziland 1.03%

Partially Achieved: Austria, 8 of 9 Provinces; Guatemala, 19 of 22 Departments; Netherlands, 10 of 11 Provinces; Philippine Islands, 49 of 74 Provinces; Sweden, 21 of 24 Län

Establish a Local Spiritual Assembly in the capital city of each Province: Partially Achieved: Costa Rica, 6 of 7 Provinces

-Establish at least 4 Local Spiritual Assemblies in Cantons previously without any: Achieved: Switzerland

-Establish Local Spiritual Assemblies in tribal areas:

National Assembly: Australia Specific Goal: 3 in aboriginal areas Achieved: 7

National Assembly: Botswana Specific Goal: 3 in Bushman areas Achieved: 8+

National Assembly: United States Specific Goal: 25 on Indian Reservations Achieved: 31

National Assembly: Zaïre Specific Goal: 5 among Pygmies Achieved: 21+

-Establish Local Spiritual Assemblies in specified places:

2. Strive to have the Bahá’í Community represented broadly across the geographical areas of national jurisdiction

SPECIFIC TEACHING GOALS

National Assembly: Denmark Specific Goal: 1 in Bornholm Achieved: 1 group

National Assembly: Ecuador Specific Goal: 1 in Galapagos Islands Achieved: 2

National Assembly: Finland Specific Goal: 1 in Lappland Achieved: 1

National Assembly: France Specific Goal: 6 in named areas Achieved: 2

National Assembly: Spain Specific Goal: 1 each in 5 named areas Achieved: 4

National Assembly: Venezuela Specific Goal: 4 on Isla Margarita Achieved: 4

National Assembly: Netherlands Specific Goal: 1 each on Aruba & Bonaire Achieved: 1

-Establish at least 10 Local Spiritual Assemblies in each Province: Achieved: Zaïre Partially Achieved: Kenya, 6 of 7 Provinces

-Establish at least 4 Local Spiritual Assemblies in each State: Partially Achieved: Germany, 9 of 11 States

-Establish at least 2 Local Spiritual Assemblies in each major administrative unit of the country: Achieved: Belize and Jamaica Partially Achieved: Colombia, 31 of 32 administrative units

-Establish groups in towns and major villages visited by Bahá’u’lláh (Turkey): Partially Achieved: 5 Local Spiritual Assemblies and 5 groups established among 18 towns and villages

- Open all localities: Achieved: United Kingdom Partially Achieved: Mauritius, 175 of 237 localities

-Establish at least one Local Spiritual Assembly in each major administrative unit of the country: Achieved: Argentina, Belgium, Central African Empire, Chile, Ecuador, Fiji, Mexico, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Paraguay, Peru, Singapore, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Venezuela, Rwanda

- Establish from one to three localities in each Province, Department, County or other national administrative unit: Achieved: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Rwanda. Uganda reported achievement in 1977 before disruption of local conditions. No recent report has been received. Partially Achieved: Denmark, 10 of 14 Counties; France, 53 of 96 Departments; Norway, 18 of 19 Counties [Page 100]‘Erena Roe’, a 40-foot catamaran built in Kiribati and Tuvalu for use in teaching the Bahá’í Faith throughout the islands. The vessel, launched in April 1977, was named for Elena and Roy Fernie, Knights of Bahá’u’lláh for the Gilbert Islands. In the foreground are seen John Thurston (left) and Terimwi Tonga (right) who operate the vessel.

-Open all populated islands to the Faith: Achieved: Mariana Islands; Tonga; Marshall Islands Partially Achieved: Caroline Islands, 35 of 43 islands; Solomon Islands reports efforts, but no specific report has been received; Samoa has not reported.

-Raise number of major islands opened to the Faith to 9: Achieved: Fiji Islands, with 11 reported opened

-Many National Spiritual Assemblies were requested to open or increase the number of localities in a variety of tribal, minority, or other specified areas. Among achievements reported are these:

Chad established several new localities in northern and desert region tribal areas.

Kenya established the Faith on at least two islands in Lake Victoria.

Norway established a Local Assembly in the Lofoten Islands and increased their localities to 40, including Spitzbergen.

India reports the establishment of many new localities and increased teaching activities in 11 specified areas.

Papua New Guinea increased the level of teaching activity in the Highlands of New Guinea. There are now 22 Assemblies and 135 localities in the area.

The Gilbert Islands (Kiribati) and Tuvalu report that the number of believers in Tuvalu is more than doubled.

Switzerland opened four specified Cantons, two of which now have more than fifteen localities.

Provide for the efficient and rapid dissemination of news and messages

During the course of the Five Year Plan, publication of various kinds of newsletters and bulletins increased from 149 published by ninety-three National Spiritual Assemblies in 1974 to 176 published by 101 National Spiritual Assemblies in 1979. These include special bulletins for women, children and youth, as well as multiple editions in more than one language of the country. Some National Spiritual Assemblies also report publication of Nineteen Day Feast letters or newsletters, sometimes including readings prepared for the Feast, in four or five languages.

In addition, some National Spiritual Assemblies have been able to disseminate news of meetings, elections, special visitors, and the like through the use of spot announcements on local or national radio stations. A full report of the use of radio and television during the Five Year Plan is included elsewhere in this report.

See also Part Three, section IV, subsection 5 of this volume. [Page 101]

4. Increase the Publication and Dissemination of Bahá’í Literature

During the course of the Five Year Plan, literature has been published in more than 185 languages, approximately thirty of them for the first time, including the production of such materials as pamphlets and books for use in teaching activities, in deepening and in children’s classes; selected prayers and short selections for memorization, and scholarly works and compilations of the Sacred Texts. The World Centre library reports that it has a total inventory of 1,380 titles in 279 languages other than English, of which 937 titles in 135 languages were received at the World Centre during the Five Year Plan.

In addition, translations have been made but not yet published in more than 150 languages, of which at least sixty are first translations in that language. Translations into nearly sixty languages have been recorded on tape in preparation for dissemination in areas where many of the friends cannot read, or in languages which as yet have no writing system. Some National Spiritual Assemblies are also beginning to prepare materials for literacy training, in such languages as Guajiro (Ecuador) and Sidamigna (Ethiopia).

A detailed listing of language accomplishments will be found in the bibliographic section of this volume.

Where necessary, National Spiritual Assemblies were assisted from the Literature Subvention Fund for the purchase or publication of essential literature and its distribution—often at prices below cost—to reinforce their teaching, consolidation, and deepening objectives.

5. Bahá’í Communities at present dependent on outside help to aim at becoming financially self-supporting

In 1974, 64 per cent of all National Spiritual Assemblies received all or part of their national budgets from international Bahá’í funds (74 of 115 National Spiritual Assemblies). By the 1978-9 budget year, this figure was reduced to 52 per cent of all National

A handsome edition of Bahá’u’lláh’s Kitáb-i-fqán, translated from Shoghi Effendi’s English into Xhosa by Robert Mazibuko, was produced by the National Spiritual Assembly of South and West Africa in the closing months of the Five Year Plan. More than 900 titles, in 135 languages, were received at the World Centre during the Plan. [Page 102]His Majesty Sobhuza II, King of Swaziland, accepts from Dr. M. Ahmadi of Írán an illuminated Bahá’í prayer for unity. Dr. Ahmadi was a principal speaker at the dedication on 15 April 1979 of a new inter-denominational church at Lobamba, Swaziland. More than 10,000 people attended the event, sponsored by His Majesty as one means of encouraging unity among the people in his country.

Spiritual Assemblies (66 of 126 National Spiritual Assemblies).

To assist National Spiritual Assemblies whose goals required funds exceeding their resources, the Universal House of Justice allocated special amounts to facilitate construction of Haziratu’l-Quds, to finance special teaching projects, and for use in subvention of literature and audio-visual materials. In addition, through inter-Assembly collaboration assignments, eighty-one National Spiritual Assemblies provided financial assistance to their sister Assemblies throughout the world for major achievements of the Plan.

6. Extension teaching goals to be adopted by or assigned to an increasing number of Local Spiritual Assemblies

Reports received indicate increasing understanding throughout the Bahá’í world of the importance of such extension teaching goals.

In Africa, twenty-eight National Spiritual Assemblies report extension teaching by Local Spiritual Assemblies, including over 200 Local Assemblies in Kenya, and fifty or more in South and West Africa.

In the Americas, twenty-one National Spiritual Assemblies report such extension teaching, including more than thirty Local Spiritual Assemblies in Brazil, twenty-seven in Ecuador, and twenty-five in Honduras.

In Asia, such extension teaching is reported by sixteen National Spiritual Assemblies, including 139 Local Spiritual Assemblies in Korea.

In Australasia, nine of ten National Spiritual Assemblies report extension teaching goals adopted, including all Local Spiritual Assemblies in Australia and fifteen in the Solomon Islands.

In Europe, ten National Spiritual Assemblies report extension teaching by Local Assemblies under their jurisdiction, including twelve Local Spiritual Assemblies in Switzerland.

7. Foster cordial relations with people of prominence and those in authority.

Seize opportunites to increase the recognition of the Faith through the incorporation of Spiritual Assemblies and the recognition of Bahá’í Marriage Certificates and of Bahá’í Holy Days

The boundary between these two types of activity is not clear-cut, and many activities reported from around the world involve both ‘fostering cordial relations’ and various kinds of recognition, both legal and otherwise, some of which result directly from these efforts. Meetings of various kinds with the authorities, and with prominent persons in other fields, which have been reported to the World Centre, range from meetings with village chiefs, sometimes to obtain permission for teaching in their localities, to meetings by travelling international dignitaries of the Faith with ruling sovereigns, other heads of government, and members of their immediate families. Innumerable interviews are reported from almost every national community, and they are increasing rapidly as the Faith comes more and more to public notice. Only the highlights can be reported here. [Page 103]Of particular interest in this regard is the systematic five-phase program organized in Australia, in each phase of which groups contact certain types of authorities, the press, and other influential persons at national, regional and local levels. The response to these interviews has generally been very favourable, with such remarks reported as 'Our country needs these principles', and invitations to share them as widely as possible.

Legal incorporations, both national and local, have been reported elsewhere in this report. Tax exemption has been granted to the Faith during the Plan in Kenya, India, Fiji, New Zealand, Madagascar, Argentina, Costa Rica, and Malaysia, and an import licence was granted to the Faith in Ghana. In the Sudan, permission has been granted to the National Spiritual Assembly to appoint a representative for dealing with the courts in matters of Bahá’í inheritance. Recognition of the Bahá’í marriage ceremony as fulfilling legal marriage requirements has been achieved in Belize, Denmark, Italy, Scotland, and New Hebrides. In Canada the Bahá’í Shrine in Montreal has received official government designation as a Sanctuaire, and in the United States the Bahá’í House of Worship has been entered in the official Register of Historic Sites. In Pakistan, Turkey, and the Solomon Islands the Faith has been recognized as a separate minority religion; in Turkey, Bahá’ís may have their Faith listed in their identity cards; and in the Solomons, the Faith was listed as a separate entry in the 1977 national census. Bahá’í Holy Days have been gazetted in Malaysia, and in Tonga the National Spiritual Assembly has been certified as a permanent member of the Hospital Board of Visitors-a certification limited to the heads of various faiths. Bahá’í symbols have been registered as official trademarks in the Cameroons, the Central African Empire, and in Iceland.

An increasing number of individual Bahá’ís around the world are receiving official honours from national and local governments and professional organizations, in recognition of their outstanding contributions in many fields. Among those which have been reported to the World Centre are included the following:

Alaska

Mr. Raymond Hudson: Willard Bowman Award for Human Rights (Alaska Education Association); Leo Reano Memorial Award (National Education Association)

Canada

Mrs. Dorothy Francis: Order of Canada (for services to Canadian Indians)

Mrs. Dorothy Francis, a Salteaux Indian Bahá’í, was awarded the Order of Canada in April 1978 for her services to Canadian Indians and her efforts to preserve their culture.

El Salvador

Bahá’í Community of El Salvador: United Nations Peace Medal

Papua New Guinea

Mrs. Elti Kunak: British Empire Medal (for work with women's clubs)

United Kingdom

Mr. Bernard Leach: Companion of Honour Mr. Norman Bailey: Commander of the Order of the British Empire Dr. Richard St. Barbe Baker: Order of the British Empire (for lifelong service to the cause of conservation)

United States

Mr. Robert Hayden: Appointed Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress Dr. Dorothy Nelson: Pax Orbis Ex Jure Medallion Award (Centre Associates, World Peace Through Law Centre) [Page 104]In a few instances, authorities are beginning to turn to the institutions of the Faith—for example, in Zaïre the National Spiritual Assembly, among other bodies, was invited to comment on proposed changes in the educational system.

Especially interesting is the number of educational institutions which have granted permission and even invited the Bahá’ís to offer regular classes on the Bahá’í Faith, at elementary, high school, and university levels.

Reports have been received from Jamaica, where the official curriculum calls upon students in government high schools and teacher-training colleges to investigate the Faith; from Nigeria, where the Faith has been added to the curriculum of the Department for Religious Studies at the University of Ife; and from the United States, where credit courses on the Faith have been offered at prestigious Princeton University. Similar reports have also been received from the Gilbert Islands, New Zealand, the Seychelles, Swaziland, Tanzania, and Tonga. Special studies and theses on the Faith have been accepted by six universities in various countries, and the Faith has figured in symposia at universities in Canada and Sweden.

Germany: Dr. Udo Schaefer’s The Light Shineth in Darkness (George Ronald, Publisher) was enthusiastically reviewed in Choice, a publication of the Association of College and Research Libraries (a division of the American Library Association) as an ‘exceptionally informative... well expressed, scholarly presentation’ of the Bahá’í Faith and recommended as ‘a valuable holding for a wide range of libraries.’

United States: Mr. John Huddleston’s This Earth is But One Country (Bahá’í Publishing Trust of the United Kingdom) was selected by Choice magazine as one of the outstanding academic books of 1979. The reviewer found it to be an unsurpassed... presentation of the Faith for general adult reading... a superbly written account.’ Choice is published monthly and reaches ‘virtually every two-year, four-year and university academic library in the United States and Canada, as well as many foreign subscribers and non-academic libraries.’

THEY WAS NAMED THE DEVOTED VICE GIVEN TO SCHOOL

Mr. Eric Bowes (centre), while Mrs. Bowes looks on, receives congratulations from the Hon. David Tonkin, Opposition Leader of Australia’s Parliament, on the dedication of a library named in honour of Mr. Bowes, at Urrbrae Agricultural High School near Adelaide. Mr. Bowes, for years a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia, and now an Auxiliary Board member, served the school for over 30 years. He was cited for his energy, devotion and humility. [Page 105]

8. Special Achievements

LIECHTENSTEIN: ‘We joyfully announce the declaration of the first native Liechtenstein Bahá’í, Miss Edith Sprenger... Reported by the National Spiritual Assembly of Switzerland, 4 July 1974

CHILE: ‘We are very happy to announce that in June, one of our pioneers... travelled to Port Eden in the extreme south of Chile.... This is the only place where there are Alacalufe Indians, a tribe that has been driven into isolation and near extinction, and out of the 25 persons of this race who are left, nine became Bahá’ís..." Reported September 1974 (Enrolment of this tribe and translation of literature into their language were goals assigned to Chile.)

ALASKA: ‘Happy report Local Spiritual Assembly formed in Barrow, northernmost village in Alaska.’ Reported 13 January 1976

MALAYSIA: ‘Grateful Blessed Beauty completed goals Assemblies total 404 localities 1,600 Hazíratu’l-Quds East Malaysia exceeded, few West, two finalized three in process, new believers during six months 4,000, consultation Hands Counsellors launching new five months plan, submitting international travel-teaching possibilities, beseeching prayers. Deepest love." Reported 18 November 1976 (This National Spiritual Assembly was the first to report completion of all Five Year Plan goals.)

SWEDEN: Sweden reports the opening of Lithuania to the Faith by the declaration of a Lithuanian believer through the efforts of travel teachers from Sweden. Reported July 1977 (The opening of Lithuania to the Faith was a goal assigned to Sweden.)

FIJI: ... the village elders visited the Conference and, during a formal Fijian ceremony, announced that, following a village meeting, the Bahá’í Faith was to be included as one of the official permitted religions on the island. The elders were aware of the Bahá’í teachings and were very happy with the tremendous interest being shown in the Faith by the villagers. A momentous event.’ Reported August 1977

ECUADOR: ‘During a travel-teaching trip last fall, two believers from Ecuador established the first two Local Spiritual Assemblies in the Galápagos Islands, a small archipelago off the western coast of South America and a possession of Ecuador. Several other localities were also opened to the Faith during their stay.’ Reported 25 March 1978

INDIA: ‘Happy inform all villages Dang tribal district have Local Assemblies, numbering 312. Reported 16 May 1978

‘Happy inform progress since Riḍván over 65,000 believers, over 2,500 localities including 161 Assemblies.... Reported 6 December 1978

ZAÏRE: ‘A total of 1,528 Bahá’ís from 206 different Local Assembly areas attended a Regional Teaching Conference held 23-25 December in Kivu Province... One delegation of over a dozen Bahá’ís walked to the Conference from their home village, a journey of 14 days in each direction.’ Reported 28 January 1979 [Page 106]

INFORMATION STATISTICAL AND COMPARATIVE

Ridván 1973 Ridván 1979

Countries, significant territories and islands where the Bahá’í Faith is established... 335 360

National Spiritual Assemblies 113 130

Incorporated National Spiritual Assemblies 90 106

National Haziratu’l-Quds (headquarters of national Bahá’í administrative activity) 112 129

National Endowments ..... 104 156

Bahá’í Temples (Mashriqu’l-Adhkár) 5 5

Sites for future Bahá’í Temples 98 123

Bahá’í Publishing Trusts... 15 23

Languages into which Bahá’í literature has been translated..... 530 640

Indigenous tribes, races, and ethnic groups represented in the Bahá’í Faith (estimated) .... 1,607 1,820

Countries recognizing Bahá’í Holy Days 64 641

Countries recognizing Bahá’í marriage 40 40¹

Localities where Bahá’ís reside 69,541 103,323

Isolated centres or groups 52,133 77,812

Local Spiritual Assemblies 17,037 25,511

Incorporated Local Spiritual Assemblies 1,556 2,099

A. AFRICA

Ridván 1973 Ridván 1979

Countries, significant territories and islands where the Bahá’í Faith is established .... 66 70

National Spiritual Assemblies 30 37

Incorporated National Spiritual Assemblies 25 31

National Hazíratu’l-Quds (headquarters of national Bahá’í administrative activity) 31 35

National Endowments ... 29 40

Bahá’í Temples (Mashriqu’l-Adhkár) 1 1

Sites for future Bahá’í Temples 26 32

Bahá’í Publishing Trusts.... 1 1

Languages into which Bahá’í literature has been translated.... 160 212

Indigenous tribes, races and ethnic groups represented in the Bahá’í Faith..... 1,012 1,120

Countries recognizing Bahá’í Holy Days 11 111

Countries recognizing Bahá’í marriage 7 71

Localities where Bahá’ís reside 15,245 26,111

Isolated centres or groups 10,047 20,735

Local Spiritual Assemblies 4,990 5,376

Incorporated Local Spiritual Assemblies 142 2

'Currently under review.

2 In view of the events in a few countries in Africa during the period under review, such as Uganda and the Congo Republic, and the uncertainty created by these difficulties for the followers of the Faith, exact figures for this entry are not available. [Page 107]

B. THE AMERICAS

Ridván 1973 Ridván 1979

Countries, significant territories and islands where the Bahá’í Faith is established... 97 100 National Spiritual Assemblies 30 33 Incorporated National Spiritual Assemblies 29 30 National Haziratu’l-Quds (headquarters of national Bahá’í administrative activity) ... 29 34 National Endowments 28 31 Bahá’í Temples (Mashriqu’l-Adhkár) 2 2 Sites for future Bahá’í Temples 26 30 Bahá’í Publishing Trusts 3 3 Languages into which Bahá’í literature has been translated.... 91 123 Indigenous tribes, races and ethnic groups represented in the Bahá’í Faith..... 234 275 Countries recognizing Bahá’í Holy Days 23 231 Countries recognizing Bahá’í marriage 10 10' Localities where Bahá’ís reside 15,860 22,577 Isolated centres or groups 12,548 16,825 Local Spiritual Assemblies 3,234 5,752 Incorporated Local Spiritual Assemblies 522 906

C. ASIA

Ridván 1973 Ridván 1979

Countries, significant territories and islands where the Bahá’í Faith is established ..... 70 75 National Spiritual Assemblies 25 27 Incorporated National Spiritual Assemblies 13 15 National Hazíratu’l-Quds (headquarters of national Bahá’í administrative activity) 25 53 National Endowments 22 26 Bahá’í Temples (Mashriqu’l-Adhkár) — 1 Sites for future Bahá’í Temples 21 21 Bahá’í Publishing Trusts 5 9 Languages into which Bahá’í literature has been translated.... 160 171 Indigenous tribes, races and ethnic groups represented in the Bahá’í Faith.... 261 300 Countries recognizing Bahá’í Holy Days 10 10' Countries recognizing Bahá’í marriage 9 او Localities where Bahá’ís reside 34,892 49,597 Isolated centres or groups 28,816 36,511 Local Spiritual Assemblies 8,029 13,086 Incorporated Local Spiritual Assemblies 689 712

Currently under review. [Page 108]

D. AUSTRALASIA AND THE PACIFIC ISLANDS

	Riḍván 1973	Riḍván 1979
Countries, significant territories and islands where the Bahá’í Faith is established	33	40
National Spiritual Assemblies	11	14
Incorporated National Spiritual Assemblies	9	14
National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds (headquarters of national Bahá’í administrative activity)	10	15
National Endowments	8	13
Bahá’í Temples (Mashriqu’l-Adhkár)	1	1
Sites for future Bahá’í Temples	9	12
Bahá’í Publishing Trusts	—	2
Languages into which Bahá’í literature has been translated	66	77
Indigenous tribes, races and ethnic groups represented in the Bahá’í Faith	78	108
Countries recognizing Bahá’í Holy Days	10	101
Countries recognizing Bahá’í marriage	10	101
Localities where Bahá’ís reside	1,456	2,573
Isolated centres or groups	1,049	1,913
Local Spiritual Assemblies	379	660
Incorporated Local Spiritual Assemblies	76	151

E. EUROPE

	Riḍván 1973	Riḍván 1979
Countries, significant territories and islands where the Bahá’í Faith is established	69	75
National Spiritual Assemblies	17	19
Incorporated National Spiritual Assemblies	15	16
National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds (headquarters of national Bahá’í administrative activity)	17	19
National Endowments	17	19
Bahá’í Temples (Mashriqu’l-Adhkár)	1	1
Sites for future Bahá’í Temples	16	18
Bahá’í Publishing Trusts	6	8
Languages into which Bahá’í literature has been translated	53	57
Indigenous tribes, races and ethnic groups represented in the Bahá’í Faith	22	22
Countries recognizing Bahá’í Holy Days	10	101
Countries recognizing Bahá’í marriage	4	41
Localities where Bahá’ís reside	2,088	2,465
Isolated centres or groups	1,673	1,828
Local Spiritual Assemblies	405	637
Incorporated Local Spiritual Assemblies	127	252

¹ Currently under review.