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INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA’i ACTIVITIES
349
E. EUROPE
THE drama of God’s unfolding Plan played itself out with special poignancy in Europe where, for the first time in many decades, the Faith was allowed to be openly spread in the countries of the former Eastern Bloc. Although Baha’is had continued to live behind the Iron Curtain during the long period of prohibitions against religion, and individuals had been able to quietly lay the foundations for acceptance of the Faith in these regions over many years, it was not until the period of the Six Year Plan that pio- neers and travelling teachers gained the freedom to openly teach about Baha’u’llah. One by one, the countries of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union lowered the baiTiers that had separated them from the West, and Baha’is responded to this oppor- tunity.
Such a challenge stimulated activity in Western Europe. Europeans were foremost among the teachers who answered the call to share the F aith with their formerly isolated neighbours, and the excitement created by responding to this urgent need could not help but affect the ongoing work in the West. Particular strides forward were made in the areas of teaching minorities, gaining legal recognition of the Faith, and advancing Baha’i scholarship.
Teaching Sharing the Message of Baha’u’llah in Europe during the Six Year Plan was charac- terized by increasing collaboration among the institutions of the Faith and by renewed individual dedication to winning goals; both of which prepared the believers in Western Europe for the unprecedented challenge of responding to the opening of Eastern Europe. (For a more detailed account of the history of the Faith in Eastern Europe and its progress up to 1992, see the article on the Two Year Subsidiary Plan, pp. 196—225.) From the beginning of the Six Year Plan, National Spiritual Assemblies in Western
Europe arranged meetings to consult on common goals and to plan joint teaching projects. Such gatherings were coordinated among the communities of Finland, Norway, and Sweden; the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom; and Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, ‘and Switzerland. In April 1988, seventy believ- ers from twenty-five localities in Belgium, France, and the United Kingdom met to consult on ways the countries could collabo- rate more closely in their Baha’i work. Representatives of European National Teach- ing Committees met in Paris in January 1990 to consult on the final phase of the Six Year Plan.
Collaboration and unity among Counsel- lors, a National Spiritual Assembly, Auxiliary Board members, and teaching committees bore sweet fruit in Portici, Italy, where a long-term project led to more than a 100 enrolments in the first year. The initiative began in 1989 and quickly galvanized the community, as enrolments stimulated greater enthusiasm for teaching. Counsellors, Auxil- iary Board members, and the National Teaching Committee organized systematic deepening and consolidation, immediately involving new believers in the consultative process and the teaching work.
Yet even close cooperation among the institutions of the Faith would not have led to teaching success without the commitment of individuals to arise and play their roles. In reporting on the successes of reaching goals of the Six Year Plan, numerous National Spiritual Assemblies in Europe noted an increased commitment to individual teach- ing, and a trend toward setting and working toward personal teaching goals. As the National Spiritual Assembly of Iceland, for example, reported: “...the friends are stronger Bahé’is, more knowledgeable Baha’is, more dedicated Baha’is, and more Vigorous, more eager Baha’i teachers than at any previou time”. '
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In March 1987, two significant confer- ences bore witness to the important roles played by both institutions and individuals in spreading the Cause. Both conferences were organized as forums for consultation on the situation in Eastern Europe. The first gathering, held in Langenhain, Germany, comprised representatives of the Continental Board of Counsellors in Europe, the Euro- pean Continental Pioneer Committee, and the National Spiritual Assemblies involved in the work in the East. It helped bring about a common understanding of the situation in Eastern Europe, of the wide differences among the various countries, and of the need for the closest collaboration among the Assemblies and Committees involved. The second conference, held in Dieburg, Germany, and called the “Great Eastern Conference”, was directed to the mass of believers in Germany and Austria. It included prayers, talks, consultation, and music, impressing the 800 participants with the urgency of the teaching work and its importance in relationship to the develop— ment of the Faith in the world as a Whole. Both conferences were important enough to be attended by a representative of the Universal House of Justice.
Because of such cooperation and commit— ment, when the barriers separating Western and Eastern Europe began to come down, the Bahé’is were ready to reach out with
THE BAHA’i WORLD
Some 800 Bahd ’z's attend the Great Eastern Conference held in Dieburg, Germany, in March 198 7—Sh0rtly before the opening Ofcoun- tries offheformer Eastern Bloc.
the Message of Bahé’u’lléh. The Spiritual Assemblies of Austria, Finland, Germany, Italy, and Sweden were each given key responsibilities for directing the teaching work in these newly-opened countries.
When the Berlin W311 crumbled in 1989, the Bahé’is of Germany responded with speed and imagination, distributing thou- sands of copies of The Promise of World Peace and sending almost twenty pioneers into East Germany. The National Assembly of Germany also organized 1arge~sca1e teaching projects in Bulgaria beginning in 1990.
When the twenty—three-year ban on religion in Albania was lifted in 1990, Bahé’is from Austria, Italy, and Germany began making regular teaching trips to this country. Starting in 1991, Italy Virtually blanketed Albania with travelling teachers in an organized campaign. In October 1991, Italy arranged the first National Teaching Conference in Albania.
Bahé’i teachers from Germany, Ireland, and the United Kingdom were among those who developed the Faith in Poland. Partici- pants in Poland’s first summer school in 1990 worked together on a service project which they reported knit together pioneers, native believers, and travelling Bahé’is from the various Western European countries.
The first pioneers to Central Asia, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania came from
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA’I’ ACTIVITIES
Western Europe. Among the individuals Who contributed to the growth of the Faith in the former Soviet Union were members of the Promise of World Peace Tour which travelled to the area in December 1989 under the auspices of Youth Ambassadors International in the United States and the Foundation for Social Innovation in Moscow. The idea for the tour was born when four- teen Soviet youth were hosted by Baha’is at a summer camp in Hawaii in 1988. In December 1989, a group of sixty—two Baha’is led by Annette Donner spent five days in Moscow and four days in Kazan, becoming responsible for the birth of the Baha’i community in the latter city. The Peace Statement was distributed during home Visits by youth and presentations to various institutions such as a university and a hospi- tal. Millions of Soviet citizens heard of the F aith during television and radio interviews with members of the Tour.
Numerous other Americans and Canadians helped spread the F aith in the former Soviet Union during dozens of teaching trips orga- nized by individuals as soon as this opportunity presented itself.
Cross—border cooperation among European nations continued with an Eastern European Teaching Conference he1d in Hotheim, Germany, in March 1990. The event was attended by 950 Baha’is from at least twenty— five countries, including Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Romania, the Soviet Union, and Yugoslavia.
One of the greatest teaching tools in Europe proved to be music, as exemplified by the dramatic impact of the singing group, E1 Viento Canta (see also p. 444). Formed while its members were serving at the Baha’i World Centre in Haifa, the group performed traditional Latin American music and taught the Faith following concerts. Toward the beginning of the Plan, E1 Viento Canta dazzled large audiences in Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
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When it became possible to perform in East— ern Europe, the group undertook a three- month tour of this vast region, delighting audiences and stimulating teaching which led to many declarations.
Also contributing to the progress of teaching in Eastern Europe were the musical groups Light in the Darkness from Italy, the Dawnbreakers from Austria, Turning Point from Ireland, and Dulcamara from Spain.
Youth
Before the countries of Eastern Europe began opening their doors in 1989, and Western European Baha’i youth flooded these areas bearing the precious gift of Baha’u’llah’s Message, education had been taking place and systems of communication had been established to prepare this Army of Light. In fact, the energy, dedication, organization, and cooperation demonstrated by the youth of Europe throughout the Six Year Plan made possib1e the historic formation of the European Baha’i Youth Council in August 1989, which in turn stimulated youth actiV~ ity to rise to an entirely new level. (For a full account of the events leading to the forma- tion of the Council and the activities initiated by that body, see p. 432.)
As early as July 1986, 150 youth from fifteen countries, meeting at the Landegg Con- ference Centre in Switzerland for a youth school, resolved to share plans, projects, and reports of successes as they launched a Baha’i Youth Movement in Europe. They were inspired and edified by the presence of the Hand of the Cause of God ‘Ali-Akbar Furfitan and ‘Ata’iyyih Furfitan.
A European Baha’i Youth Movement Information Centre was established in the Netherlands to serve as a channel for regular communication. A newsletter called Bahd ’1' Youth M0vement~Eur0pe began publica— tion in August 1986.
Just three months later, in October, representatives of the National Youth Com— mittees of Europe met in Strasbourg, France, to “forge lasting links of understanding that
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will bind the Baha’i youth of Europe for years to come” and to make practical plans of action for the next six years. The twenty- eight youth from eleven nations who were gathered requested the Continental Board of Counsellors in Europe to consider creating a body that would provide direction and coor- dination to European youth activities.
Representatives of the National Youth Committees of nineteen European countries took part in the first European Youth Semi- nar, held at the Landegg Conference Centre in Switzerland in May 1987. Three members of the Continental Board of Counsellors in Europe participated, as did members of nine National Spiritual Assemblies.
Following one international youth confer~ ence in August 1987, nine mini—buses filled with dedicated youth left Manchester, England, for service and teaching projects throughout the United Kingdom. The con— ference had been attended by 1,300 youth from forty-two countries, and included nearly fifty challenging workshops led by experts on topics related to careers, the contempo~ rary world, the arts, and correlation of the teachings with current thought. Significant features of the event included the eager participation of many ethnic minorities of the Manchester area, an art exhibit a Bah’i " film festival, and the debut performance of a Baha’i choir which was a Six Year Plan goal for the youth.
In October 1987, Irish youth and their Baha’i friends from four other countries walked sixty—four miles, from Cork to Limerick, on a March for World Peace. Sev- eral hundred copies of the Peace Statement were distributed along the route, including one each to the Lord Mayor of Cork and the Mayor of Limerick. Participants said the example of recent martyrs in Train and the unifying effect of the cross-section of humanity the group represented eclipsed the physical strain of the long walk. The National Assembly commented that the march signalled a change in the youth of Ireland, who showed themselves to be ready and eager to carry the healing Message of Baha’u’llah to a waiting world.
Exhilarated by the success of a national youth school held in the Canary Islands in April 1988, fourteen young Baha’is offered their services for projects in four towns. Sub- stantial financial contributions were offered to support a travelling theatre group to teach the Faith in the towns of Fuerteventura, one of three inhabited islands lying off the coast of Morocco. The next month Baha’i youth were given permission to paint a large wall mural in front of a university campus which led to a number of inquiries and a repeat of the mural in two other Cities. The mural depicted representatives of different races and the words, “The earth is but one country and mankind its citizens”.
Muralpainted by Bahd’z’youth 0n the wall ofa university campus in La Laguna, T enerife, in the Canaiy Islands in 1988.
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Nineteen Baha’i youth from eight coun- tries were among the 700 participants at the 44th World Esperanto Youth Congress held in Zagreb, Yugoslavia, in Ju1y 1988. It marked the first time an official delegation of Baha’i youth was invited by the World Esperanto Youth Organization to attend the Congress as observers. Baha’is presented two lectures (one on consultation and the other on the Faith, accompanied by a slide programme); participated in an International Evening; comprised half the audience of an inter-religious meeting during the Congress; and were the subject of an article in the Con— gress newspaper.
International gatherings continued: in August 1988, the first Iberian Youth Confer— ence was held in Lisbon, Portugal, with more than 120 participants from nine European countries. The same month, a European Baha’i Youth School was held at De Poort Conference Centre in the Netherlands, with participants coming from twenty-four coun- tries. A distinct feature of the school was the support demonstrated by the national institu- tions, the Counsellors, and the Auxiliary Boards. A11 nine members of the National Assembly of the Netherlands attended, as did Assembly members from Belgium, Canada, Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. A special sub—committee set up teaching projects during and after the conference.
The Hand 0fthe Cause of God
Dr. Ugo Giachery ( third from left) celebrates his 90th birthday during the summer school held in
F ilipsz‘ad, Sweden, in July 1986.
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Also in the summer of 1988, the youth of Norway experienced great success using a variety of teaching methods. In late June and early July, a series of service projects carried out by twenty Norwegian youth and two Swedish guests attracted much attention from local peop1e and tourists, and resulted in a newspaper article. Activities included paint— ing the exterior of a museum, cleaning a beach, entertaining with music at five insti- tutions, and co-organizing, With a local group called SOS Racism, an international feast.
In July and August, a four—week intensive proclamation and teaching effort in the area Chosen to be the focal point of teaching in Norway received extensive media coverage. The project began with a peace march led by a horse—drawn decorated wagon canying youth who distributed invitations for fire sides and Visited social institutions to entertain with music. The march led to the site of a summer school which attracted 230 Baha’is and guests from twelve countries. Following the school, youth spent two weeks teaching. First they used a question- naire to interview people about peace and held multicultural events in the evenings, one of which drew sixty non-Bahé’is. Then youth spent a week studying the environment and cleaning a main river in the city of Trondheim.
A new nation—wide enthusiasm for teach- ing in Sweden was generated by the Eskfl
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Ljungberg Project, based in Uppsala and initiated in January 1989. A team of six youth greatly assisted the project by moving to Uppsala, some to work full time on the activities. Newspaper articles on two major eventsma World Religion Day celebration and a cultural eveningmwere among at least ten items to be printed about the F aith in the first two months of the campaign. Almost all high schools and junior high schools in the area welcomed Visits by the Baha’is, and weekly meetings in a rented centre attracted a steady flow of interested people.
The youth of the Netherlands reached out to their teachers in March 1989. A11 319 teachers at the Technical University in Delft received a copy of the Peace Statement and a letter from the Delft Baha’i Student Circle containing a plea for the coming together of science and religion as a necessary prerequi- site for world peace. The project was reported in the Delfise Post.
Also in March 1989, 300 Baha’i youth profoundly impressed the eminent scholar Professor Ervin Laszlo when they attended his series of lectures on evolution presented in Viserbella, Italy. Professor Laszlo was reported to have remarked on the maturity of the Baha’i youth and the pertinent questions posed during a debate on the Laszlo theory. A guest of Professor Laszlo, Professor Mazulli of Bologna University, also expressed his amazement at the capacity of the youth.
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More than 500 bal- loons being released fi'om San Marina ’5 main square during the European Bahd ’1' Youth Conference held in San Marina in July 1989.
The spirit and participation of the youth was still strong by the summer of 1989. Five major regional “Peace Moves” conferences, held days apart, drew large crowds and further galvanized the youth. The first of the gatherings, which took place at De Poort, attracted participants from fifteen countries. After intensely studying the writings of Shoghi Effendi during the seven—day confer— ence, the youth committed themselves to honour their brethren in the Cradle of the Faith by proclaiming and teaching the Faith on an unprecedented scale.
Significant public recognition was granted the approximately 600 youth from twenty countries who gathered for the regional con— ference in San Marino at the same time. The conference was held under the patronage of the Ministry of Education and Culture of San Marino, with the collaboration of the State Tourist Bureau. It was officially inaugurated by the Minister of Education and Culture in the presence of the Minister of Transport and Communications, Tourism and Sports, who also gave a speech. Other guests included the Ambassador of Italy in the Republic of San Marino, government authorities, jour- nalists, and television reporters. The opening ceremony was broadcast on San Marino state television.
A delegation composed of one represen— tative for each country taking part in the conference, accompanied by the Minister of
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA’T ACTIVITIES
Education and Culture and by a representa- tive of the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahé’is of the Republic of San Marino, went to the Government Building where they were granted an official audience by Their Excel- lencies the Captains Regent (Heads of State) of the Republic of San Marino. During the course of the audience, a proclamation was read by the Italian Baha’i representative on behalf of the whole group.
Six articles were published before and during the conference in the most important newspaper of San Marino, thus increasing significantly the publicity already started when 7,700 invitations were sent to heads of families residing in the Republic. Also, a number of copies of the Peace Message were distributed among the citizens of the Re- public during a very joyful afternoon which began with the release of over 500 balloons from San Marino’s main square.
With high spirits, the conference partici- pants joyfully announced the initiation of an Arc Project Fund for youth in the name of the beloved Hand of the Cause Dr. Ugo Giachery, who had just passed away. “It has motivated the participants to return to their home communities as ambassadors of the Cause in order to obtain outstanding goals for the Arc Fund, and to be the spearheads of the maturation of the Baha’i local and national communities and to wholeheartedly invite their peers to join them and become spiritual revolutionaries determined by teach- ing His Cause to break loose from the manipulation of the old world order”, the youth wrote. The campaign eventually raised close to $200,000.
The 700 youth from twenty-six countries who met in Madrid, Spain, for the third regional conference constituted the largest group of Baha’is ever to have gathered in that country. The reading of a soul-stin'ing message from the youth of Tran and the active presence of youth from North Africa posed a challenge to the European youth to seize their abounding opportunities to teach the Cause. Among the immediate results of
355
the conference were the enrolment of seven new believers, the dispersal of 100 volun— teers to a dozen cities to carry out projects organized by the National Teaching Com- mittee, and contributions to the Arc Fund.
The remaining two Peace Moves confer- ences were held in Sheffield, England, and Thorshavn, Faroe Islands.
These five conferences in 1989 marked a turning point in the European youth move— ment. Participants reviewed the many teach— ing activities undertaken by the youth during the first half of the Plan, rejoiced over the successes achieved, and eagerly anticipated the appointment of the first European Baha’i Youth Council. After the Youth Council was formed in August 1989, it acted to further stimulate and coordinate the teaching activ— ity, particularly in the newly-opened Eastern Europe. (See also chapters on the Two Year Plan and on the European Baha’i Youth Council.)
Beginning in January 1990, the Council began sponsoring annual conferences for representatives of European National Baha’i Youth Committees to consult on the future direction of the continent’s youth. In April 1990 the first issue of the European Balzd’z’ Youth Newsletter was published.
During the summer of 1990, the Youth Council organized teaching projects in five Central and Eastern European countries. The projects constituted the first formal Baha’i youth teaching enterprise in the formerly communist countries of Europe.
Youth from Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, and the former Soviet Union were among those attending the 1991 conference for members of Youth Commit— tees, held at De Poort. Also attending was a representative of the newly-formed Turkish National Baha’i Youth Committee, and just two months 1ater that body organized two Regional Youth Seminars reaching more than 100 youth. The participants discussed the Mission of Bahé’u’lléh, transformation, individual initiative, and the meaning of having Vision. I
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1n the summer of 1991, the European Baha’i Youth Council organized regional conferences in Estonia, France, Germany, and Romania, and launched sixteen major teaching projects. During the course of the year, teaching projects organized by the Council in collaboration with national insti- tutions were carried out in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Spain, and Turkey.
In January 1992, the first European youth conference on Baha’i activities in universities was held in Brno, Czechoslovakia. Twenty- four delegates from twelve nations consulted on how to improve efforts in this Vital area.
One of the main functions assigned to the European Baha’i Youth Council by the Universal House of Justice was to represent, on a continental basis, the European Baha’i youth with non—Baha’i youth groups and other agencies. This was done, While on a national level, a number of Youth Commit— tees also succes sfully forged links With other youth organizations in their countries.
In December 1988,. the Peace: Moves Committee (the precursor of the European Baha’i Youth Council) was represented at a meeting of the Council of Europe’s European Youth Foundation in Strasbourg, France. Soon after its formation the European Baha’i Youth Council participated in the Second Annual Conference on Intolerance held in Strasbourg, in December 1989, under the
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Participants in the National Bahd ’1' Youth Conference held in
ES' J-‘EUNEs % " Sete, France, in 1989.
Vs.)-
auspices of the European Youth Centre of the Council of Europe. In 1992, the European Baha’i Youth Council appointed a Repre— sentation Committee responsible for further developing relations with European youth organizations and other agencies on its behalf.
Signs of cooperation between National Youth Committees and their non—Baha’i peers included the following: the National Youth Committee of Ireland became an associate member of the country’s National Youth Council; the Youth Committee of Luxembourg was invited by Luxembourg’s National Office of Youth to participate in a Youth Festival; and youth in Norway helped members of the Youth and Environment organization and the World Wildlife Fund to clean a river. Baha’i youth in the United Kingdom were active in the British Youth Counei1. A national youth conference held in Germany to commemorate the 75th armi— Versary of ‘Abdu’l—Baha’s Visit to that land included an inter—religious service attended by 280 people.
‘ In addition to the workshops and semi- nars organized for youth by Auxiliary Board members, National Youth Committees, and organizers of summer schools, Landegg Academy in Switzerland contributed signifi— cantly to the education of European youth, providing a venue for their meetings and sponsoring forums that spoke to their
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA’i ACTIVITIES 357
particular needs. Among the offerings were forums for young adu1t Baha’i professionals on topics such as “Reaching Peop1e of Capac- ity” and “A1ternative Futures: the Baha’i Model in Perspective”. Annual symposia provided opportunities for youth to explore critica1 social issues in consultation with experienced adults.
Minorities
Minorities in Europe—ineluding ethnic groups traditionally excluded from power—received special attention from the Bahé’is. The groups Which responded with the greatest enthusiasm to the Faith were the Gypsies1 and the Sarni2 people.
At the beginning of the Plan, Spain had two small groups of Romani believers in two towns. By the end of the Plan, Romani and other Gypsy Baha’is resided in at 1east twenty- three localities, and accounted for the mem- bership of five Local Spiritual Assemblies. Several national consultative meetings were he1d 0n the subject of sharing the F aith with Gypsies, including an international confer— ence in May 1987. The National Spiritual Assembly sent a compilation on the topic to all 100211 communities.
Romani artists in Spain, both Baha’i and non—Baha’i, participated in a Flamenco Fes- tival organized by the Spiritual Assembly of Malaga to mark the end of the International Year of Peace, 1986. Original songs were performed before an audience of 200. The Malaga Assembly reported that it was “the first time that Romani Baha’is have pre— sented themselves in public to sing in honour of Baha’u’llah. We consider this to be an outstanding event...”
1 The term “Gypsies” is sometimes used interchange- ably with the terms “Romani people” or “Roma peo— ple”; however in some cases the term “Romani” refers to a particular sub-group of Gypsies.
2 The term Sami refers to indigenous people of a region known as Lapland which comprises northem Norway, Sweden, Finland, and the Kola Peninsula of Russia. It is sometimes used interchangeably with the term “Lapp”.
By 1987, a Baha’i not of Romani descent, Eliane A. Hopson, had been given the honour of representing the Romani Union, a non- governmental organization, at the United Nations. That year a Baha’i delegation par- ticipated in the First World Romani Congress in Spain, where the leader of the Romani Union mentioned the Baha’is favourably. The representative to the United Nations reported that the Romani leadership was out- spoken in its praise of the activities of the Baha’is in the interests of the Romani people. She observed that the Romani Union leaders “hope to channel their ancestra1 resiliency toward the social evolution needed at this time for their survival in a new civilization”, and some of them look toward the Faith “for spiritual guidance and confirmation of their own hope for unity and progress”.
Good relations between the Baha’is and the Romani Union were established early in the history of the organization when its founder, Dr. Jan Cibula, a Swiss physician of Gypsy origin, accepted the help of a Baha’i in drafting the group’s by—laws. The Baha’i, a member of the Local Spiritual Assembly of Bern, also helped the Romani Union obtain accreditation with the United Nations, since the group’s aim is to preserve the cultural heritage of the Gypsies and to unite their various organizations wor1dwide.
The Austrian Baha’i community actively supported an International Roma Summer School organized by the Romani Union in July 1990. He1d in Vienna, the school drew participants from all over Europe. The Baha’is were invited to give talks about the Faith. Also in Austria, a Roma Club was formed by a Baha’i in Burgenland to assist Romas in that area.
Gypsies in Cyprus also showed interest in the Faith, and enrolments occurred among them.
Many members of minority groups responded most enthusiastically to the Baha’i teachings when they were shared by a member of another minority group, some— times from across the wor1d. When 'a
Mrs. Meherangiz MLmsifi’(seated left) with a Gypsyfamily
she met during her trip to Lappeeranta, F inland, in July 198 7.
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Romam' (Gypsy)
Bahd ’z's of T ori'evieja, Spain, celebrate Naw— Rziz in 198 7.
Participants in a teaching project held in Cyprus in 1991.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA’i ACTIVITIES
Peruvian Indian woman and her children set- tled in Spain, the Gypsy Baha’i community in her area began steadily growing. The pio- neer family had a special way of transmitting the Message from heart to heart and inspiring the Gypsies to further share the Message with their relatives.
The Sami people of Lapland enthusiasti— cally received travelling Native American Bahé’is. When an American Lakota Sioux Indian, a renowned hoop dancer and flute player, visited Lapland in 1986 and per- formed in Sami villages, his artistry and stories of the Native American peoples powerfully affected the Sarni people.
In 1987, two more Native Americans travelled and taught the Faith in Lapland for five weeks, carrying their love and the American Indian culture to the Sami people of Finland, Norway, and Sweden. The teach— ers represented the Baha’i community at the annual meeting of one of the maj or Swedish Sami organizations in Kiruna, above the Arctic Circle. Then they continued to touch hearts during their participation in the annual Arctic Baha’i Midsummer Camp in Karesu- ando, where one of them conducted a peace pipe ceremony at the riverside. At one of the many firesides and public meetings held in Finland, a Sarni youth choir performed, and Indian dancing was demonstrated. During the Visit of one of the friends to a Lapp cu1~ tural centre in Sweden, a Sami flag, adopted the year before for use by all Sami people, was raised for the first time in history, in honour of the Visiting Baha’i.
Three Native Americans continuing the tradition of the Trail of Light Visited Finnish and Swedish Lapland in 1988. Their visit developed into a mutual sharing of cultures. The highlight was reported to be the day six Village women, five of whom were Sami, came to a handicraft circle, and the conver— sation lasted from 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 a.m., covering such topics as the role of women in the family and the world today, establishing a nurturing atmosphere in the Village, cultural minorities and their role, and world peace.
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In Sweden, contact was made with a num- ber of Sarni cultural agencies, and teaching among the Samis generally increased. A teaching project among the Samis of Finland, Norway, and Sweden took place for three weeks in April 1990. When the first Local Spiritual Assembly of Inari, Finland, was formed that year, north of the Arctic Circle, two of its members were Sarni people.
Other examples of Bahé’is reaching out to minority groups include: the enrolment of large groups of Turkish workers in Germany and in Austria after the Bahé’i’s organized language courses, special unity Feasts, and opportunities for cultural exchange; the cre- ation of a Regional Committee for the Basque People in Spain; and the enrolment of indi— viduals from Ireland’s Travelling People.
Recognition
During the Six Year Plan, governments, public figures, people in positions of author- ity, and religious leaders publicly and legally recognized the independence of the Baha’i F aith and the importance of the contribu- tions made by the Baha’i community. These achievements signified ever—growing public awareness of the unique nature of the Cause of Baha’u’llah and the relevance of His Teachings to modern life.
One of the most significant breakthroughs occurred in Germany, where the Federal Constitutional Court, the highest legal authority in the country, affirmed the legal- ity of Local Spiritual Assembly by—laws. In February 1991, the Court upheld the consti— tutional appeal made by the Local Assembly of Tfibingen after a series of 1ower courts challenged the validity of its incorporation. The lower courts had based their decision on the grounds that the authority granted to the National Spiritual Assembly in the by—laws of the Local Assembly violated the legal principle requiring all legally incorporated associations to be autonomous. With its decision in favour of the Local Assembly, the Federal Court affirmed the right of the Baha’is to organize as a hierarchically
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lune"!
structured legal community according to the revealed Law of God.
Because the German Court’s decision was based partially on the constitutional right to freedom of religious practice, the Court declared its recognition of the Faith as an independent religion, stating that “the char- acter of the Baha’i Faith as a religion and the Baha’i Community as a religious com— munity is evident, in actual everyday life, cultural tradition, and in the understanding of the general public as well as of the science of comparative religion”. The Court even took the rare step of issuing a statement to the press explaining its decision. (For the full text, see p. 571)
The independence of the Baha’i F aith was also affirmed in Belgium. In 1986, the fol- lowing paragraph appeared in the official government publication, Iinpéts sur les Revenus: “It is accepted that the Baha’i World Faith is a religion; its aim is to spread the ideal of Baha’i life based on principles of brotherhood, unity of mankind, and peace among peoples, as proclaimed by Baha’u’llah, Founder of the Baha’i World Faith, and on the development of Baha’i institutions in the world...”
A number of milestones in the area of official recognition occurred in Turkey in 1987. For the first time, the Government
Counsellor Louis Henuzet (left) receiving the “Peace Messenger Award ” 0n behalfofthe
Balzd ’1' community of Belgium from the director offlze
United Nations Infor— mation Ofiice in Brussels; 198 7.
granted official permission for the National Spiritual Assembly to hold its National Con- vention. The National Assembly also obtained a post office box in its name and a telephone registered in the name of the Bahé’is of Turkey. Also during the Plan, the religion section of the birth certificates of about fifty friends were changed from Islam to Baha’i. These were significant developments in this officially secular but largely Muslim country.
In Austria, Baha’i credentials became accepted as essential documents for refugees by Ministry and Police authorities for the issuing of Visas. In Sweden, the National Spiritual Assembly was fully recognized by the immigration authorities as the proper authority for deciding who is a Baha’i. In the United Kingdom, the chairman of a Local Spiritual Assembly was given the authority to validate passport applications. Contribu- tions to the National Baha’i Fund of Denmark were declared tax-deductible in November 1988, and contributions to the Local Baha’i Fund of Geneva, Switzerland, were granted the same status that year. In Germany, the Baha’i House of Worship was classified as a cultural monument under the Historical Monument Preservation Law, and a four— page article on the Faith accompanied by photographs was included in a public school textbook. It was the first extensive reference
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to the Faith to appear in a book officially approved for use in German public schools, according to the knowledge of the National Assembly.
Baha’i Holy Days were recognized in several countries and students granted permission to be absent from school. In Germany, the Bavarian State Ministry for Education and Culture sent a circular letter to educational authorities in January 1987 explaining a new policy to excuse Baha’i students from school on the nine Holy Days. In the Republic of Ireland, three inter- denominational “Project Schools” closed on 12 November in observance of the Anni- versary of the Birth of Bahé’u’llah. In Switzerland, the cantonal authorities in Bern delivered a seven-page decision in favour of the right of Baha’i children to be excused from school on the Holy Days.
In addition to being legally recognized, the increasing status being accorded the Faith was demonstrated by the actions of public figures and institutions. This included invitations to participate in important inter- faith gatherings on an equal basis with representatives of other maj or religions.
A news story by United Press Interna- tional on 28 October 1986, reporting on the Prayer Summit for Peace sponsored by Pope John Paul II in Assisi, Italy, stated that “John Pau1 exhorted the Baha’i, Buddhist, Hindu, Moslem, Jewish, Jainist, Shintoist,
In Koyuslukow,
Sivas, T urkey, a group ofwomen who have just become Baird ’z's are meeting to establish their Local Spiritual Assembly. W January 1992. 9
g
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Sikh, Christian, Zoroastrian, and African and American Indian leaders to take a more active role in promoting world peace”. A year later, the Baha’i community of Prato, Italy, was recognized for its outstanding activities in support of peace with an invitation by the Municipality of Prato to collaborate on an international meeting on peace. Two Baha’i speakers were among the eminent scientists and physicians from many countries Who conducted two days of seminars.
A representative of the Baha’i Interna— tional Community met with the Pope in July 1991 as part of a delegation from the Inter- national Council of the World Conference on Religion and Peace. The World Confer— ence on Religion and Peace represents about ten religions.
Bahé’is in the United Kingdom were invited to send a representative to an historic meeting of the Houses of Parliament in July 1988. The secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly joined representatives of Buddhist, Christian (Franciscan Catholic), Hindu, Muslim, J ewish, and Sikh groups at a gath— ering in the House of Commons organized by the International Consultancy on Religion, Education, and Culture. Called the “A11Party Conservation Group of both Houses of Parliament and the World Wide Fund for Nature, United Kingdom”, the meeting marked the first time speakers of Faiths other than the Anglican Church were allowed to
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meet in the House of Commons and present their Views to both Houses. Each participant submitted a statement giving brief details of what his or her Faith was doing, or propos- ing to do, with regard to conservation, and Why it was involved in the movement. The texts of the presentations were reproduced in UK. parliamentary journals circulated to the parliaments of Australia, Canada, India, and New Zealand.
In 1989, the Netherlands’ Council of Churches invited the Baha’is to attend the country’s first Churches Day. The series of meetings and workshops was attended by about 16,000 people, including Christians, Hindus, and Muslims, the maj ority of whom had never heard of the F aith before.
On 23 May 1986, representatives of reli- gions other than the Baha’i Faith joined devotional services for peace in the European House of Worship for the first time. During the rest of the Six Year Plan, a number of inter-faith services were held in the Temple.
In a calendar distributed throughout the Republic of Ireland by major companies in 1988, the National Centre of the Baha’i Faith was listed first among seven religions, under the heading “Maj or Religious Denom— inations”.
In Iceland, the trustworthiness of the Baha’is was recognized when the Ministry for Forestry gave the Baha’is 3,000 saplings of three different kinds of trees to be planted
mud! Dmiuqm; ['l I l '
Hunt?
THE BAHA’i WORLD
on the endowment land which the believers had been cultivating. The Ministry said that the Baha’is were the only recipients of this kind of gift, as other groups had not handled government help in such a responsible way.
Baha’i Scholarship By establishing and improving programmes for the systematic study of the Baha’i Faith, and sharing the Faith with seho1ars at academic gatherings, the Baha’is of Europe advanced Baha’i scholarship and enhanced its reputation in the academic community. The Landegg Conference Centre in Wienacht, Switzerland became the home of Landegg Academy in 1988, and began offer- ing a series of seminars, conferences, and forums for Baha’is interested in serious study of the Cause and the development of Baha’i scholarship. Annual symposia for youth, on such topics as conflict resolution and the global environmental crisis, provided oppor— tunities for participants to explore critical social issues. In September 1990 the historic first “International Dialogue on the Transition to a Global Society”, organized by Landegg in cooperation with the Vienna Academy for the Study of the F uture and the University of Maryland, brought to gether eighty leaders of thought from around the world to present papers and discuss the changing world order. In August 1989, Landegg launched the “Certificate Programme in Baha’i Studies”
T he first Inter- national Dialogue on the T ransition to a Global Society held at Landegg Academy in Switzerland in September 1990.
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(see also p. 457.) Designed to foster system— atic Baha’i scholarship as called for by Shoghi Effendi, the three—year independent study course required participants to spend one month each year at Landegg and to submit papers throughout the rest of the year. The programme began with twenty- eight students from eleven countries.
In November 1991, Landegg Academy’s efforts to share the fruits of Baha’i scholar- ship with a wider audience brought the Academy into contact with educators in the formerly isolated Eastern Europe. Landegg’s Institute of International Education and Development collaborated with the Albanian Ministry of Education to organize a national symposium in Tirana called “A New Frame- work for Moral Education”. Described as “successful beyond all expectations”, the symposium was conducted by a team of fourteen Baha’is from six countries Who had been invited by the organizers from Landegg Academy. More than 300 university profes— sors, teachers, educational administrators, and students from around Albania attended. A group of fifty participants travelled every dayfrom the city of Durres on a bus put at their disposal by the local authorities.
The main part of the programme consisted of presentations by Baha’is: “Living in a Rapidly Changing Society: Transition to Maturity”; “A New F rame for Moral Educa— tion: A Discussion of Guiding Principles”; “Moral Capabilities”; “Spiritual Qualities”; “A Pedagogy for Moral Education”; and “The Role of Consultation”. The plenary sessions were chaired by the Vice—Minister of Educa- tion. Albanians and members of the Landegg team participated in panel discussions.
“Discussion groups were lively”, accord- ing to the report. “At the beginning, the Albanians were timid about participating in the discussions, but gradually they began to express their own Views. By the end, there was no doubt that the maj ority‘had accepted the framework presented to them and were eager to apply it to their own individual situations.”
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As an extension of the symposium, the Ministry of Education arranged for two smaller symposia to take place at the univer- sities of Gjirokastér and Elbasan. The meeting at the University of Gjirokaster was attended by over 200 professors, educators, and students, and the meeting in Elbasan attracted 100 participants. In addition to the symposium and its satellite meetings, a number of other activities were conducted by the Landegg team. These included dis— cussions with faculty members of Tirana University working to develop a curriculum on the philosophy of religion; a meeting with Ministry of Education officials about pre-school education; and consultations With the editors and staff of a textbook publishing house who wanted to discuss ways moral education could be incorporated in school books.
In June 1987, the Dutch Baha’i commu— nity officially opened the doors of De Poort (“the gate”), a new conference centre built to become “a centre of Baha’i scholarship and a beacon for seekers, not only for the areas in which it is established, but for the Nether— lands and the greater part of northwest Europe”. During the remainder of the Plan, this venue was used for a variety of forums, seminars, and conferences.
Annual conferences of European chapters of the Association for Baha’i Studies contin- ued to be held, including regional gatherings for English—speaking, German—speaking and French—speaking Europe. The Association for Baha’i Studies for French-speaking Europe established contacts with institutions of higher education and scholars, and organized conferences devoted to themes of general interest. The proceedings of these meetings were published.
A new ABS chapter was formed in Spain, and its first conference was held in Barcelona in September 1988. Thirty of the 150 partici— pants were not Baha’is, including prominent people from the academic realm and the world of art. At least four newspapers pub— lished articles about the gathering. ’
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The Association for Baha’i Studies chap— ter in Austria established relations with the Vienna Academy for the Study of the Future. Also in Austria, four public lectures were held at the University of Innsbruck.
A course on the Baha’i Faith was taught in the faculty of comparative religions at Belgium’s University of Antwerp in 1989. Dr. Suheil Bushrui taught the course while serving as a Visiting professor in the Depart— ment of English Literature.
Baha’i scholars took part in a number of academic conferences. In October 1986, Baha’is from several countries attended a “Physis” conference in Florence, Italy, held under the official sponsorship of the Ministry of Culture and the City of Florence with par- ticipation of the General Evolution Research Group, the Club of Rome, and the United Nations University. Physis is described as a new science, integrating the living and the non—living, arising out of recent thinking among scientists on the nature of man. Con— nected with the conference, Baha’i scientists and academics hosted a reception for the twelve members of the General Evolution Research Group, headed by Dr. Ervin Laszlo. A member of the New York Office of Public Information exp1ained t0 the guests that the reception had been arranged to make known the Baha’i attitude of the harmony between science and religion, and to acknowledge the effort by scientists to re—examine scientific
THE BAHA’i WORLD
thought, attempting an interdisciplinary ap— proach that included moral and social factors.
Several Baha’is participated in a scientific conference organized by the International Society for General Systems Research in Budapest, Hungary, in June 1987 (see also p. 459). At the request of the Universal House of Justice, Amatu’l-Baha Rfihiyyih Qanum headed the Baha’i delegation which included Mrs. Violette Nagavani and Dr. J anet Khan from Haifa, and Dr. Ingeborg Franken and Dr. Udo Schaefer from Germany. The conference, held in a city Visited by ‘Abdu’l- Baha and much admired by Him, attracted some of the foremost systems scientists from Eastern Europe and the West. They were drawn from such disciplines as mathematics, physics, engineering, economics, manage— ment, and the biological and social sciences. A featured speaker was the President of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR.
Dr. Ervin Laszlo, a renowned scientist and member of the C1ub of Rome, had encouraged the Baha’is to participate in the Budapest meeting during a Visit to the Baha’i World Centre. He also requested that a paper on the Baha’i Faith be presented dur— ing the section of the conference arranged by his General Evolution Research Group. This provided a rare opportunity to respond to an invitation to make a presentation on aspects of the Baha’i teachings at an international scientific conference.
Representatives of the Local Assembly of Inverness receiving copies of the commem- orative stamp issued by the Post Oflice 0f the United Kingdom to honour the famous potter and Bahd ’1',
Mr. Bernard Leach. 19 November I 98 7.
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Dr. J anet Khan delivered a paper entitled “The Bahé’i Community as a Model for Social Change” Which described the society- building processes of the Baha’i community and the operation of the Administrative Order, using the language and concepts of general evolution and systems theories. The paper was very well received and elicited many questions about the F aith, its teach— ings, its relationship to science, and its manner of fianctioning in the world.
Dr. Franken, aphysicist, and Dr. Schaefer, a public prosecutor, participated in a work— shop on peace organized by a special interest group of the Society. During the discussion periods, they were able to describe the elements of the Baha’i peace programme and the activities of the world-wide commu— nity in sensitizing humankind to the need for and the inevitability of peace.
When the Post Office of the United Kingdom issued a commemorative stamp honouring the famous potter and Baha’i, Bernard Leach, in October 1987, Bahé’is made speeia1 efforts to inform the academic community of the spiritual aspect of Mr. Leach’s work. In Northern Ireland, the Baha’i Information Office sponsored two lectures by potter and arts academic, Victor Priem, himself a Bahé’i. One lecture was held at the University of Ulster’s Art College, and the other at Queen’s University of Belfast. The Arts Council of Northern Ireland undertook major distribution of publicity.
In Switzerland, exhibitions were orga- nized by the University of Zurich to honour Professor August Forel, a famous researcher in medicine and natural science and a social reformer who became one of the first Bahé’is in that country. One exhibition, held in 1986, was attended by a number of scientists, government representatives, and members of Dr. Forel’s family. Quotations about the Baha’i Faith from Fore1’s testament were displayed, as were books, including For the Good of Mankind—August Forel and the Bahd’z’ Faith by Dr. J .P. Vader. The media
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covering the event paid tribute to Forel’s greatness as a scientist, thinker, social reformer, and dedicated servant to humanity. Another exhibit was displayed in the Centre Medical Universitaire in the spring of 1989.
Also in Switzerland, Baha’i scholar Hafez Sabet delivered a presentation on his book Die Schuld deS Norden (T he Debt 0f the North) at the prestigious World Economic Forum in January 1992.
Four representatives of the Baha’i Faith participated in an international conference on science and religion in March 1988 called “One World—Changing Perspectives on Reality”. Held at the University of T wente in the Netherlands, the conference attracted 150 people. During workshops held to sup— plement the main presentations, a German Baha’i physicist, Dr. Ingo Hofmann, presen— ted the concept that progressive revelation is the spiritual parallel to the role of “time” in the evolution of modern physics. He also proposed that the role of “creativity” as the propelling force in physical evolution finds its parallel in the spiritual and religious development of human nature.
At the New University in Lisbon, Portugal, Baha’is participated in a special week set aside in June 1989 to examine the eth— nology, anthropology and sociology of reli- gions. A large display of Baha’i books, pictures, and posters was arranged as part of a book fair related to the religious studies week. Speakers for the event were also presented with the Peace Statement.
The New University in Lisbon was a1so the venue for a Congress on Religious Studies in Which the Baha’is participated in January 1992. A member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Portugal delivered a lecture on the Faith, a Baha’i book exhibi— tion was arranged, and several books were presented to university professors.
In 1990, a French university requested a review copy of a Baha’i book to include in a bibliography used by religious scholars in 80 countries. The Université des Sciences Humaines de Strasbourg asked the National
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Spiritual Assembly of the United Kingdom for a copy of The Seven Candles of Unity. The same university previously had re— quested Unless and Until: a Bahci’z' Focus on the Environment.
Just prior to the end of the Six Year Plan, twelve scholarly articles reviewing works of Baha’i literature were accepted for pub— lication in volume 111 of the Encyclopedie philosophique universelle. The purpose of the articles was to inform philosophers, theologians, and university students about the philosophical implications of Baha’i teach— ings. This significant achievement marked the first time the Baha’i Faith was repre- sented in terms of philosophy in such a prestigious publication.
Distribution of Literature The Sacred Writings of the Bahé’i Faith were increasingly made accessible to the public in Europe as Baha’is participated in book fairs 0r exhibitions and signed contracts to make Baha’i literature available in bookstores. From the Canary Islands to Yugoslavia, from Latvia to Portugal, major book exhibi— tions included Baha’i material. In the Canary Islands, books such as Bahd’u’lldh and the New Era, Thief in the Night, and Religion for Mankind were found to be the most pop- ular at book fairs. In October 1990, Belgrade,
THE BAHA’i WORLD
A Bahd ’1' staflz‘ng a book exhibition
which was part ofa Congress 072 Religious Studies, held at the New University in Lisbon, Portugal, in January 1992.
Yugoslavia, was the site for an International Book Fair in which Austria’s Baha’i Book Distribution Service participated. The fair was attended by approximately 400,000 peo- ple, and in addition to Baha’i books being seen at the Baha’i booth, five Baha’i books were selected for display at the booth of a commercial English—language distribution service “because they were expected to sell well in Yugoslavia”, the company represen- tative said.
Extensive publicity about the Faith was stimulated in Riga, Latvia, where hundreds of Baha’i books were exhibited at the Latvian Central State Library in October 1990. The books were in nineteen different languages, including Latvian, Lithuanian, Armenian, and Moldavian. The exhibition led to three broadcasts on national television news of a brief interview with a Bahé’i; an interview on a very popular radio programme for youth; and a ten-minute radio interview on a Swedish broadcasting station.
The Baha’is 0f Funchal, on the island of Madeira in Portugal, began participating in an annual local book fair in 1990. After the second year, the community experienced greater receptivity to the Faith, being inter— viewed by three different radio stations, and seeing two local newspapers publish articles on the Faith.
[Page 367]
The Bahd ’1' Book
Distribution Service of
Austria participated in
the International Book
Fair held in Belgrade,
Yugoslavia, from 24 t0
3] October 1990. About 400, 000 people visited the Fair, of whom some 2,000 took introductory literature about the Faith.
Twelve Baha’i publishers from four continents were represented at the first Geneva International Fair for Books and the Press, held in May 1987. The Baha’i stand, which was visited by 40,000 people, was dominated by a large colour photograph of the House of Worship in India. More than a hundred titles in eight languages and The Promise of World Peace in thirty languages were displayed under the headings: Peace, Family, Education, Religion, and History. During the inauguration, the official cortege stopped at the Baha’i stand while the president of the Fair introduced the F aith to the guests of honour and dignitaries who followed him. Five Baha’i authors signed their books dur- ing two special events, and constant contact was maintained with dozens of journalists present at the Fair.
The long-standing participation of the German Baha’i Publishing Trust in the Moscow Book Fair continued during the Plan, as did involvement of the Baha’i Pub- lishing T rust of the United Kingdom in book fairs in Budapest, Hungary. The Baha’is of Belgium, Spain and Sweden also displayed Baha’i literature at book fairs in their respec- tive countries.
More bookstores in Europe began stock- ing Baha’i books during the Plan. Several bookstores in Greece carried Bahd’u’lldh
and the New Em and The Promise of World Peace in Greek, and one store also sold The Hidden Words and Selections from the Writ- ings of ‘Abdu ’l-Bahd. Baha’is in the Canary Islands increased their distribution of books to commercial bookstores; at least thirteen stores carried Baha’i titles. In Sweden, a contract was signed with a company to dis— tribute Baha’i publications to bookstores. In the United Kingdom, trade representatives were trained in selling Baha’i books to com- mercial outlets, which led to increases in trade accounts and sales. In 1989, Oneworld Publications’ edition of The Hidden Words was among thirty books selected by a major book chain in the United Kingdom, Sherratt & Hughes, to participate in a nationwide promotion on the theme of comparative reli— gion. A quotation from The Hidden Words was used to adorn the banners hung across the shop and window displays, and Sherratt & Hughes acquired a large quantity of the books to meet the expected demand.
In the Netherlands, Baha’i literature in Frisian was accepted for sale by the General Frisian Teaching Commission, the official body responsible for education in the Frisian language and culture. The Frysk en Frij, the only weekly publication in the Frisian language, also published an extensive article outlining the work of the Baha’is’ National
Translation Committee and providing infor- mation about the Faith.
When the Iron Curtain separating the East— ern Bloc from the West came down, Baha’is in Western Europe moved quickly to trans- late the sacred literature into the needed languages. Selections of basic Baha’i literature were printed and distributed in large quanti— ties in many Eastern European languages.
The Baha’i Publishing Trust of Portugal was established during the Plan.
Strengthening Families While Baha’is were endeavouring to share with an increasingly despairing public the solutions they had found in the Teachings of Baha’u’llah, they also strove to move closer to His ideal in their own lives. In an age of dissolving families, they worked to strengthen this fundamental unit, recognizing the critical link between family unity and world peace. Seminars, workshops and lectures on family life were held in Austria, the Canary
THE BAHA’i WORLD
Oneworld Publica- tions ’ edition of
The Hidden Words of Bahd’u ’lldh (right) was exhibited in the windows of the book chain Sherratt &
‘ Hughes, in the United ‘ Kingdom, for three weeks in July 1989, among other books on the theme Ofcompara— tive religion.
Islands, France, Luxembourg and Spain, among other countries. In Germany, a National Committee for Marriage and Family was established and offered many confer— ences on the topic. In the Republic of Ireland, a sub—cornmittee on parenting pro- duced a series of deepening packets which were used throughout the country. One year the Irish summer school was devoted to the subj ect of marriage and the following year to family life.
The National Spiritual Assembly of Iceland gave particular attention to the development of Baha’i families, organizing weekend institutes with Icelandic and visiting experts. Summer schools and youth gatherings focussed on the subject, and local communi- ties sponsored deepenings. The compilation Bahd ’1' Marriage and Family Life was trans- lated into Icelandic.
Landegg Academy established a Depart- ment of Education and Family Life to develop projects related to this Vital area.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA’i ACTIVITIES 369
M! 43 4
The Hand of the Cause ofGod Collis F eatherstone, M's. Madge Featherstone, and Counsellor Adib T aherzadeh were among the participants in the Bahd ’1' summer school held in Iceland in August 1987.
I
Participants in the opening of the first Bahd ’1 School in Vejle, Denmark; 3 September 1989. The school has classes every second Sunday for children between the ages of 5 and 14.
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The House of the Bdb, in .Slzz'rdz, I'rdnwone 0fthe holiest sites in the Bahd ’z' world—was destroyed by revolutionary guards in 1979.
