Bahá’í World/Volume 20/The Americas
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INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA’I ACTIVITIES
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B. THE AMERICAS
MOST of the countries of North and South America share important commonalities in relation to the Faith, such as relative free- dom of worship and freedom to teach. However, any summary of activities in the vast area of the Americas must be read with an awareness of the significant cuIturaI, eco— nomic, and political differences between the United States and Canada on the one hand and the region of Central America, South America, and the Caribbean on the other.
The Baha’i communities in each area tended to capitalize on their strengths. Thus When it is reported that large numbers of individuals enrol1ed in the Faith in the Americas, many of them indigenous peoples Who then arose themselves to share the Mes- sage, it is Latin America which provides this news. In this region, a general openness to rehgion, increasingly active native believers, and good re1ations with governments com- bined with severe economic crises to create an environment in Which people searched for deeper solutions to their immediate prob— lems and found them in the Baha’i F aith.
In the United States and Canada, where material and political conditions were much more stabIe but where there are many groups working to solve social problems, the believers spread understanding of the Faith to a large extent through deepening their relationships with service organizations, high government officials, and the media. Using their resources in communications, the fine arts, and the academic realm, the Baha’i communities of the United States and Canada generated more widespread awareness of the Faith and greater respect for its activities than ever before.
Greater Involvement with Society
In its Ridvan message of 1988, the Universal House of Justice wrote that a new stage had been reached in the external affairs of the Cause. This stage was ‘characterized by a marked maturation of National Spiritual
Assemblies in their growing relations with governmental and non—govemmental organi- zations and with the public in general’. Con- tacts with government officials and profes— sional and community affairs organizations were particularly notable in the Americas, where they continued to develop throughout the Plan, increasingly leading to invitations for Baha’i participation and advice.
One of the most outstanding examples of this trend comes from Brazil, where the Baha’i community responded to the needs of its nation at a unique historical moment. Possessing a strong national administration, a diverse community, and an ample amount of translated literature, the Baha’is were ready to seize the opportunities presented by Brazil’s transition to democracy which Vir— tually coincided with the beginning of the Six Year Plan. Before the Plan began, the Baha’is reported that few prominent people were aware of the teachings of the Faith. By the end of the Plan, contacts with gov- ernment officials were so extensive and consistent that the country’s Federal Chain. ber of Deputies had announced its intention to commemorate the Centenary of the As- cension of Baha’u’llah with a special solemn session.
After twenty years of military 1111c, a civilian president took office in Brazil in ApriI 1985, and in Februaiy 1987 a Constitu— tional Assembly was installed to draft a new constitution. This political change transpired amidst economic turmoil, including high foreign debt, more than two hundred per cent inflation and a steadily widening gap between the wealthy and the poor. In 1987 the NationaI Spiritual Assembly presented twenty proposaIs concerning law, human rights, international relations, education, the economy, the rights of indigenous peoples, the rights of women, and other subjects to the 559 Congressmen writing the country’s new constitution. Each Congressman also received a folder including T he Promise of
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World Peace, information on the Faith, and a letter from the National Assembly stating the basic contributions the Baha’i Faith could give to the new constitution. More than one hundred cables and letters and many telephone calls were received express- ing gratitude for the suggestions provided.
In 1992 the Brazilian Government selected the Baha’i report “Religions and Environ- mentw—A Specific Approach for the World Ecological Crisis” to be included in its report for the United Nations Conference on the Environment and Development (also known as the “Earth Summit”), at the re- quest of the Brazilian Forum of Spiritual Traditions and Environment. And then, just a few days following the close of the Six Year Plan, the President of Brazil’s F ederal Chamber of Deputies spoke to forty-five federal deputies about the magnitude of the Personality and Teachings of Baha’u’llah, quoting from His Writings on the establish— ment of a new world order.
Involvement of Brazilian Baha’is in the social issues facing their country went be- yond contact With government officials to include sponsorship of and support for orga— nizations working toward Baha’i principles. Through these activities, the believers were able to simultaneously proclaim the Faith’s teachings, form relationships with like— minded people, and work toward social change.
In August 1986 a group of Baha’i physi- cians established the Brazilian Society of Physicians for Peace to awaken profession- als in medicine to the importance of their contributions to peace. The Society was also to serve as a forum for studies on scientific, ethical, psychoaffective, educational, social, and spiritual aspects of peace. A decision was taken by the Brazilian Society of Physicians for Peace to work for the elimination of prejudices of race, class, nationality, and belief, promoting unity among peoples, and to avoid any involvement in political or ideological disputes.
The Society’s inaugural ceremony was at- tended by 120 doctors, the presidents of the Medical Association and the Medical Coun— oils, professors of medicine in universities, and the most outstanding authorities in med— icine and health of the region. Hundreds of cables and letters of support came from phy- sicians and hospitals. These included special messages sent by the Brazilian Office of the United Nations Organization and the inter- national entity Physicians for Prevention of Nuclear War, whose founders, Drs. Lown and Chazov, were awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace.
The inauguration included lectures about the role and the influence of physicians in se- curing peace, preceded by the announcement that the initiative was launched by a group of Baha’i physicians. The Peace Message of the
The bronze plaque reads: “T he earth is but one country and mankind its citizens. —Bahd ’u ’Zldh (181 7- 1892). ” The group is shown with one of three such plaques presented, along with copies of The Promise of World Peace, to the Brazilian Society ofEducatorsfor Peace. 1989.
Members offlie
Rat?! Pavén T eaching Project held in Peru in 1989 are Shown with members of
the Mothers ’ Club
in Puno.
Universal House of Justice was presented in an audio—Visual programme by a member of the Auxiliary Board.
Later in the Plan, the Brazilian Society of Educators for Peace was formed which be— gan organizing seminars for teachers. Then in 1990, the Brazilian National Assembly sponsored the first Intemational Exposition on Education for Peace With the participation of twenty-three embassies and educational institutions. Displays featured the efforts of various countries to reach peace through education.
Permanent monuments to peace bearing quotations from Baha’u’llah were erected in 1986 and 1991. The first stands near the spot where the borders of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay touch, in Foz do Iguaoa, and it is inscribed with the symbol of the Greatest Name, the symbol of the UN International Year of Peace, and the words, “T he earth is but one country and mankind its citizens. Bahé’u’llah (1817-1892)”. The second monument was erected in the city of Florian- opolis, Brazil, in December 1991, bearing quotations related to the disintegration of the old world and the emergence of the new.
Baha’i communities in other nations of the Americas also contributed to their govern— ments’ efforts to bring about positive social change. Written statements offering Baha’i perspectives were presented in Paraguay and Haiti to individuals responsible for writing
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or approving new constitutions. Presenta— tions were made on behalf of the National Assemblies of Barbados and Guyana to the West Indian Commission Preparing the West Indies for the Future, a body estab— lished to study the future of the Caribbean community and regional unification. In El Salvador, the Central American Institute for Business Administration invited Baha’is to participate in a seminar on a Post—War Reconstruction Plan.
In some countries authorities recognized the importance of the Faith by including Baha’is in official proceedings or sending officials to Baha’i events. In January 1987 the Bahé’is of Trinidad and Tobago were the first presenters during an inter—faith service following the formal opening of ParIiament. In Barbados, the Prime Minister opened a Caribbean Peace Conference sponsored by Bahé’is in October 1986. In Guyana, the Vice President requested a meeting with the National Assembly to discuss Baha’i partici— pation in the “Social Impact Amelioration Program”. By the end of the Plan, Guyana’s then—Prime Minister Hamilton Green had become so familiar with and respectful of the Faith, that he addressed the National Convention of the Baha’is of the United States at Ridvan 1992.
Baha’is also tried to contribute to the communities in Which they lived by work— ing with existing organizations concerned
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with community affairs and organizing or co—sponsoring events of benefit to the wider society. As their contributions came to be known, Baha’is were increasingly invited to share their Views and experiences. Baha’i perspectives on the topics of the environ— ment, race unity, and world peace were particularly sought out.
The National Assembly of the United States co—sponsored two Global Structures Convocations on Environment and Develop- ment, in 1989 and 1992. The Assembly also continued to contribute to the work of the Global Tomorrow Coalition, an organization of more than 150 members involved in is- sues related to resources, the environment, and sustainable development. Just prior to the end of the Plan, a member of the National Assembly’s Washington, DC, staff became part of a working group to draft suggestions for the United States Government’s position paper to be presented at the Earth Summit.
Baha’is in Mexico participated in a public forum in Mexico City in March 1991 called “Preservation and Improvement of the Envi- ronment”, joining representatives of several Latin American countries. The Latin Ameri- can Council of Churches invited the Baha’is of Ecuador to collaborate on a round tab1e discussion called “The Churches and Ecolo~ gy”. Baha’is in Canada were invited by the Saskatchewan Environmental Society to help plan education programmes for schools
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after the Local Assembly of Saskatoon cre- ated an environment desk.
Racial unity was a major focus of the work undertaken by believers in the United States. The long-standing involvement of Baha’is with commemorations honouring Dr. Martin Luther King 112, continued to eX— pand. In 1988, Coretta Scott King invited the Baha’is t0 co—chair the National Religious InV01vement Committee of the Martin Luther King Federal Holiday Commission, and in 1992 a member of the National Assembly was invited to serve as co—grand marshall of Atlanta, Georgia’s King Day Parade, speak— ing to a ra11y of one hundred thousand people. In June 1991, the National Assembly issued the statement The Vision of Race Unity—America’s Most Challenging Issue, which by the end of the Plan had sold ap— proximately two hundred thousand copies.
The Baha’is in the United States increas- ingly received requests for support and consultation from organizations wanting to improve race relations. As early as 1987, for example, a governor’s aide in Kansas re— quested that the Baha’is help train local law enforcement officers in racial issues and col— laborate with the state Boards of Education to develop local programmes dealing with racial problems in schools.
Bahé’is throughout the Americas contrib— uted extensively to the promotion of world peace. The Presidents of seven Centra1 and
[n the United States, Bahd ’1' Singers Seals and Craft participate in the Martin Luther King Day Parade held in Atlanta, Georgia, 071 2] Janumy 199]. The Parade was televised, and the reporter Spoke 0fthe Bahd ’z'principles of race unity.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA’I ACTIVITIES
South American nations received The Promise of World Peace during an intergov— ernmental meeting in Uruguay in October 1988. A milestone was reached in Cuba when, in 1986, the Baha’is were able to distribute the Peace Statement to a number of prominent people for the first time. The same year, the President of Dominica, His Excellency Sir Clarence Seignoret, quoted from the Statement during a radio message he delivered on the International Day of Peace.
In July 1987, five outstanding Baha’i professionals Visited Costa Rica to give pre- sentations at a Seminar on F amily Education for Peace held at the University for Peace in San José. During the Plan, Costa Rican Baha’is were honoured by Peace Radio, of the University for Peace, with a certificate of thanks for support and collaboration; the be- lievers worked with the University in various activities, including a large peace conference and a series of forums on educating children for peace. In Venezuela, four believers spoke at the First International Encounter for Peace, Disarmament and Life, and an expo— sition of photographs and quotations was displayed at the site. A course based on the Peace Message was prepared for schools in Haiti, and annual peace fairs were held in Belize City, Belize. In both 1990 and 1991, the Baha’is of Guatemala participated in the Congress for Peace which involved
Bahd ’z's ofHavana, Cuba, welcome the visit OfM‘S. Carmen de Burafato, member offlze National Assem- bly ofMexico (seated centre), and Miss
T eresa McGregor, a member ofan Auxil- iary Board in. Mexico, (second from left) in November 1986.
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representatives of all the religions being prac- ticed in the country.
Celebrations of United Nations Days and Years and public meetings held to discuss UN-related issues occurred regularly in a number of countries. In the United States par- ticularly, the National Assembly increased its support of United Nations initiatives— such as the International Year of Peace and International Literacy Yearfiand worked to support ratification of UN human rights con- ventions on torture, the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women, and the rights of children.
Early in the Plan, an ad hoc group of or- ganizations working for US. Congressional ratification of the United Nation Genocide Convention invited the Baha’is to partici— pate, and the National Spiritual Assembly took a leading role; within one year, the con- vention was ratified. The National Spiritual Assembly’s representative to the United Nations also became heavily involved in UN Association activities, serving as Chair of the UNA-USA Executive Committee of the Conference of United Nations Representa— tives in New York and later as a member of the Board of Governors of that body.
The UN International Year of Peace was celebrated in the United States with an International Peace Conference held in San Francisco in August 1986 and attended by 7,800 people. In Bolivia, the Ministry of
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In Guadeloupe, Mr. Louis Luce reads the Bahd ’1' statement ”Education for Peace”, while Mr. Kamran, chair- man of the World Religion Day activity, looks on; 18 January I 98 7.
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In the United States, F irst Lady Barbara Bush welcomes
the Bahd ’1' Interna- tional Community Representative, Daniel Wegener, t0 the White House during a reception held on 20 June
I 990 for delegates to the United Nations’ “World Conference on Education for
Al
In T rinidad and
T obago, friends gather to commemo- rate the United Nations ’ Human Rights Day on
I 0 December 1988 in Port ofSpain.
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F oreign Affairs and Religions invited the Baha’is to be part of a commission responsi- ble for the International Year of Peace activities. Baha’is in Grenada supported the International Literacy Year, 1990, by host- ing a Literacy Conference which included a panel of experts and was opened by the Governor General. Other support of United Nations activity included participation by the Venezuela Baha’is in a meeting of the UN Economic Commission for Latin Ameri— ca and the Caribbean, following which the National Assembly helped form the Associ— ation of Non-Governmental Organizations. Canadian Baha’is worked with a team at the University of Ottawa’s Human Rights Research Centre over a two~year period to mount a nationwide campaign of activities for the 35th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Baha’is in Bermuda sponsored regular commemorations of Human Rights Day, Which eventually be- came govemment—sponsored events.
Greater involvement in society also meant that Baha’i professionals in the Americas formed new relationships with colleagues and contributed to their fields by forming associations and sponsoring seminars and conferences. In Guyana, for example, dinner receptions were held for Visiting profession- als to introduce them to their colleagues; Visitors included artists, an ophthalmologist, and an expert in the area of drug abuse prevention who gave presentations to social workers, health professionals, doctors, and medical students during a seven—country tour of Central and South America.
An Association for Baha’i Studies con— ference on science and religion held in October 1987 in the United States provided opportunities for Baha’is to make valuable connections with eminent members of the scientific community. A conference entitled “The Architecture of the Baha’i Edifices” held in Uruguay in July 1988 attracted thirty non~Baha’i professionals. A Baha’i with expertise in computer science opened many doors to professional circles in Colombia in
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1987 when he Visited and spoke about com- puters and about world peace to professors, students, and prominent people. The creation of the Association for Baha’i Studies in Chile led to interaction with experts in many fields.
Efforts to contribute to the field of educa— tion included co—sponsorship by the Baha’i community of Bucaramanga, Colombia, and the Latin American Language Centre of a forum in October 1988 called “Excellence in Education”, which attracted 70 people; dis— tribution of the monograph Educacio’n Moral to educators in the Dominican Republic; and organization of a seminar on education by the Center for Baha’i Studies in Ecuador, which was followed by Baha’i participation in national consultation organized by the Minis- try of Education. In March 1987 the Bahé’is of Manizales, Colombia, held their first Peace Encounter With non—Baha’is in the field of education. Participants analyzed issues such as the principles governing peace, the nature of man, and the dynamics of consultation, and worked to define their own attitudes and decide on actions to take toward achieving peace.
Mass Media
The instruments of mass media were widely used to foster awareness of the Faith in the Americas. As in other areas of the world, opportunities greatly increased for Baha’is to share the principles of Baha’u’llah and to announce their events through radio, tele— vision, and newspapers, and media coverage of the Baha’i community’s activities was unprecedented.
Radio was the medium through which the widest variety of people in the Americas heard about Baha’u’lléh, given its unique ability to reach remote areas and transcend the barrier of illiteracy. In addition to the reg— ular programming on Bahé’i—owned radio stations in Chile, Bolivia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and the United States, weekly pro- grammes were aired in Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, an the West Leeward Islands. '
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Chile provides an example of the use of radio as a strong force for teaching and com— munity development, particularly among the Mapuche Indians. Given the expense of travel relative to the income level of much of the population, limitations on travelling to teach in Chile made the advantages of radio particularly welcome.
For five years preceding the launching of the Six Year Plan, Baha’is participated in a weekly programme reaching the entire country, creating the basis for a regular listening audience. And for a brief period in 1986, selections from The Hidden Words of Baha’u’llah were read every hour all day on twenty—eight stations. Then, having obtained approval for their own frequency a few months before the Plan, the Baha’is launched Radio Baha’i de Chile on 20 December 1986.
The station was established in Labranza, Commune of Ternuco, in the heart of Mapu— che Indian territory. Radio Baha’i Chile both contributed to the preservation of Mapuche culture and welcomed the contributions of the native population to its mission.
In July 1988, six Mapuches attended the station’s first institute held in part to train community members to support the work of the station. Early in 1989, Radio Baha’i Chile was chosen by the Government as the prime vehicle for a development project in— volving bilingual literacy classes in Spanish and Mapuche. Two rural Mapuche Baha’i schools were among ten selected to serve as liaisons between the station and the students for the project, for which the Regional Ministry of Education provided materials, scripts, and planning, and Radio Baha’i taped and transmitted broadcasts. The project, according to the National Assembly, indicat- ed the recognition accorded by the Ministry of Education to the status and capacity of Radio Baha’i.
The initiative of an individual believer in Santiago, Chile, also resulted in unprece— dented radio proclamation for the Faith and a positive contribution towards peace and community health. Francisco Amenébar, a
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well-known media personality, created a radio programme transmitted from 10 pm. to midnight from Monday to F riday, designed to create a meditative atmosphere each evening using selected poems, stories, legends, and writings from different sacred scriptures, accompanied by specially select- ed music. The popularity of the programme grew rapidly, and by early 1989 it was estimated that between 10,000 and 15,000 listeners in the metropolitan area of Santiago and nearby small towns were enjoying it each evening.
As phone calls and letters arrived, the own- er of the station approached Mr. Amenabar, commending him on his initiative and offer— ing to repeat the same programme on co—owned stations in three other centres. Mr. Amenabar began making increasing use of the Writings of, and literature about, the Baha’i Faith, always mentioning the source of the work, creating a wide public aware— ness of the Faith. Many people appearing at firesides and public talks first heard about the Faith through this programme.
Further tribute to the positive effects of the programme was accorded by the Minis- try of Telecommunications when it awarded the owner of the station a free frequency in the Valparaiso area (where previously it was impossible to obtain a frequency), in recog- nition of the “special programme dedicated to peace and unity”.
Special broadcasts in other parts of the Americas also reached large audiences. In June 1986, the official government shortwave in Cuba, Radio Havana, invited Baha’is to be on a show called “Religion in Cuba”. An interview with the chairman of the National Assembly about the principles, history, and current development of the Faith was broad— cast at intervals for a total of six hours in seven languages. In January 1987, the Baha’is of Guadeloupe received wide radio coverage of their activities for World Reli— gion Day, For the nine days surrounding the event, eight different radio stations broad— cast various interviews and programmes,
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and on the day itself, the most popular com— mercial station aired a two—hour phone—in show with a prominent Baha’i. In Peru, the Baha’is produced an educational radio series, broadcast in Aymara and Spanish, which addressed subjects such as rural family life, prayer, consultation, and the value of native languages. During December 1991, public service announcements about peace were aired twenty times a day on two sta— tions in El Salvador.
In late 1991, the Baha’i community of Argentina reported a great increase in its opportunities to proclaim the Faith through radio broadcasts and interviews. In Almirante Brown, the five—to—ten minute slot originally given to the Baha’is on the local FM radio was increased to an hour-and-a—half every Saturday during which the diverse themes of the Cause could be discussed. In La Rioja, the Faith was proclaimed for fifteen minutes after the presenter of the programme “Can- tares del Litoral” (“Songs of the Littoral”) left the radio booth and handed the micro— phone to the Bahé’is to talk about the Faith and its principles. During an interview with the Baha’is by Radio Nacional in Mendoza which lasted one hour and fifteen minutes, the interviewer showed great enthusiasm and receptivity towards the Faith and Bahé’u’llah. This programme prompted calls from listen- ers who expressed their happiness at hearing such a message of peace.
One sign of the movement toward more sophisticated use of radio was the holding of several Radio Baha’i Seminars in Latin America during the Plan. The second semi- nar, held in Lima, Peru, in 1988, was attended by more than fifty radio experts, six mem- bers of the Continental Board of Counsellors, all the members of the International Baha’i Audio—Visual Centre, and representatives of seven Baha’i radio stations (five of them indigenous peoples). Reporting on the fourth seminar, held in Cochabamba, Bolivia, in 1991, the Latin American Radio Advisory Committee commented that signs of increas— ing maturity within the radio family were
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evident from the active participation of in— digenous friends, mostly youth, and greater participation by women.
One of the exciting developments in the use of television in the Americas came in Puerto Rico in early December 1989, when the Baha’is were asked by the local televi— sion station whether they would produce a ninety—minute holiday special programme, featuring guests from different religious backgrounds speaking on the theme of peace. The station offered to pay for the production crew and to donate studio and air time, if the Baha’is would build the set, obtain the hosts and guests, and write the script. The pro- gramme was transmitted on various cable services reaching fourteen localities. It was shown on six consecutive days at various times. Publicity for the Baha’i—sponsored programme included radio spots on two sta— tions a thirty-second television announcement shown frequently, street banners at major intersections and the shopping mall, and al- most one thousand flyers handed out by the television station’s personnel.
In 1988 the Baha’i Office of Public Af- fairs for the Greater Milwaukee, Wisconsin, area in the United States was given the Community Access Award for Religious Programming by Viacom, the cable televi— sion service for the Milwaukee suburban area. The Baha’i Broadcast Media Task Force used “The Spiritual Revolution”, a series consisting of thirteen half—hour inter— views- with a number of knowledgeable Baha’is about the Faith, and adapted it for local use by adding an introduction and an ending which explained how Viewers could obtain further information about the Faith.
Another regular television programme aired in El Salvador: a weekly show of fifty- four episodes called “Journey Towards the Future”. Also in El Salvador, fifty—two inter— views used to promote public meetings were aired free of charge.
In 1987, the Public Information Office at the United States National Baha’i Center was asked by two television enterprises to
27 8 THE BAHA’i WORLD
Left: All 0fthe resources ofRadio Bahd ’1', Bolivia, being used in a campaign tofight cholera in 1991 .
m" @5413;
Above: The staflofthe Bahd ’1' radio station WLGI Hemingway, South Carolina, USA. November 198 7. Left: A staflmember at Radio Bahd ’1', Panama, in Boca del Monte, preparing to broadcast music; 198 7.
Exterior view 0fthe Bahd ’1' radio station in Labranza, Chile,
in F ebruary I988.
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Below: Balm? ’z's teach the Faith during a radio interview held in Colima, Mexico, in 1987.
V// M5
Above:/1 staffmember ofRadio Bahd ’z’ Ecua— dor (left) inrewiews a villager as part 0fthe “Walking Together" project; 198 7.
Right: T he first weekly Bahd ’1' radio programme in. the Guajiro language aired on
2 Septembel‘1990 in Maracaibo, Venezuela.
Left: Exterior view of Radio Bahd ’z' 011Lake T iticaca, Peru; 1988. This, like all Bahd ’1' radio stations, is commzmity-based and participatmy.
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supply Baha’i public service announcements for a cable channel to use on its satellite ser- vice to cable television systems throughout the United States, and for the Max Media organization to distribute to thousands of cable system operators for regular local use. In 1988 the Global News Network also requested Baha’i public service announce- ments to be telecast over its new satellite and cable television channel.
In May 1988, the Baha’i community of Alaska received an award from the Interior Alaska Ecumenical Peace with Justice Council, in Fairbanks, for the “Peace Talks” television campaign. “Peace Talks”, devel— oped in 1987, comprises four sixty-second public service television and radio announce— ments, using ideas adopted from the Peace Statement. Each announcement focuses on a different aspect of the theme, “Peace is More Than Just an End to War”, and con- veys the overall concept that achieving real peace involves change in many areas of hu— man interaction. At least 35,000 households in the Anchorage area and more than 240 Villages in Alaska regularly received the an- nouncements. They were also aired on radio and television all across Canada in English, French, and Inuktitut, as well as on local television in the Arecibo region of Puerto Rico.
In Canada, at least 66 hours of the pro- gramme “Baha’i Perspective” were broadcast on cable television during the Plan. In F eb— ruary 1992, the new season began with a thirty—niinute talk about Baha’u’lléh based on the Statement on Baha’u’llah, which had been prepared by the Office of Public Infor— mation at the request of the Universal House of Justice. According to the report, “The programme is not only excellent for Baha’is studying the Statement on Baha’u’llah, but it also is perhaps the most complete half—hour summaiy of Baha’u’llah’s life and teachings that exists on Video”.
Baha’i Videotapes, such as those showing highlights of the International Convention, provided another vehicle for sharing the
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teachings with television audiences. The In— ternational Convention Video was broadcast in Bolivia and St. Lucia in 1988, and the Canadian music Video “Mona” was shown nationwide in Paraguay in October 1986.
Newspaper coverage of the Faith in— creased and broadened its focus from the persecutions in Iran to Baha’u’llah and His Teachings. The National Assembly of the United States reported that during the Plan the number of articles on the Faith increased from an average of 2,000 per year to 3,800. Regular quotations from the Writings ap— peared in papers in Guyana and Haiti, and special features included a full page summa— ry of the Peace Statement in Ecuador and an eight-page supplement in El Salvador’s Diario El Mundo, which was sold to 40,000 people.
The Public Relations Committee of the National Assembly of Guatemala achieved extensive press coverage of the Faith in the first few months of 1987. In early January, the most widely read newspaper in the coun- try, Prensa Libre, published an article on the inauguration of the House of Worship in India. A few weeks later the Committee ar— ranged a press conference with Counsellor Arturo Serrano of Mexico during one of his frequent Visits to Guatemala. In early Febmary two leading newspapers interviewed Mr. Hassan Sabri, head of the Office of Social and Economic Development at the Baha’i World Centre. All newspaper alticles included photographs, and the interviews often quoted the Baha’is.
In the Bahamas in 1988, the National Assembly answered charges made against the Faith by delineating Baha’i principles and providing a comprehensive history of the Faith in a long letter which appeared in the Nassau Guardian.
An overall increase in media coverage of
- Baha’i activities was repOIted in a number of
countries, including Chile and the Dominican Republic. The Baha’is of Bermuda reported that their Public Relations and Communica— tions Committees were in regular contact
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with representatives of all types of media, and it became commonplace for visiting prom- inent Baha’is to be interviewed. Friends travelling to teacher in St. Lucia were also subjects of television and radio interviews, and a reporter was sent to cover regional consultation between Caribbean National Spiritual Assemblies. Newspaper articles about the Faith multiplied in Argentina, and at the end of the Plan the National Assembly said “the doors of radio stations are com— pletely open...” Proclamation Via media was called a “strong suit” in Belize, where teach- ing teams often found people who were ready to become Baha’is after listening to weekly radio programmes. Television broad- casts featuring Baha’i travelling teachers also reached nationwide audiences in that country. The National Assembly of Suriname stated that because of the mass media, “the Name of Baha’u’llah is well~known to the population.”
The Baha’is in the Arecibo region of Puerto Rico established such a friendly rela- tionship with the local media that they be gan having difficulty keeping up with the public- ity opportunities presented to them. By early 1990, the newspapers were regularly pub- lishing articles, photographs, and publicity for the twice—monthly Baha’i television pro- gramme. One of the local radio stations invited the Baha’is for a two—hour interview on the Faith. The interview was aired “live”, and also taped to be repeated in the future.
A wave of publicity for the Faith oc- curred in Mexico in early 1990 during the first phase of an intensive cross—border teaching project, held in Ensenada, Baja California. As a result of continuous contact with the media, supplying key individuals in television, newspapers, and radio with in— formation on the Faith and regular news releases about the different activities of the proj eot, there were more than fifteen articles, eleven radio interviews, numerous thirty- second “spots” and several announcements on the local evening television news programme.
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In an exchange of “war toys for peace toy”, the children of Ensenada were invited to exchange their rifles, swords, toy soldiers, etc. for other toys suggesting peaceful activ- ity. Most of the new toys were donated by the Baha’is of several communities near San Diego, California, in the United States. The public and media response to this particular event was extremely positive.
During the weeks preceding the El Salva- dor Baha’i community’s celebration of the Anniversary of the Birth of Baha’u’llah and its own fiftieth anniversary in 1989, the Baha’is enjoyed extensive television expo- sure and excellent publicity in newspapers, including three major dailies, two of Which contained full-page articles featuring verses of Baha’u’llah. The Baha’is were able to speak for two hours on the Baha’i approach to peace during a special television inter- View, responding to generally helpful and friendly questions from the moderator and the television audience. During a second showing the following Sunday, the modera- tor phoned one of the Baha’is to say that it had been one of the most significant pro— grammes he had ever produced. He asked whether the Baha’is, though removed from political contention, could teach the spirit and methods of Baha’i consultation to the adversaries in the nation’s conflict.
The Arts
The arts were used to proclaim the principles of the Faith, to directly teach about the Cause, and to celebrate the diverse cultures represented in the Baha’i community of the Americas. The media used included music, drama, dance, slide shows, painting, Video, and puppetry.
The Canadian Baha’i community stands out for its use of Virtually all these artistic media to proclaim the Faith. F inding itself, at the beginning of the Plan, with good resourc- es in the arts, and noting a growing openness to diverse forms of cultural expression in the country, the community particularly moved to fulfil its Six Year Plan goal “to make use
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of drama and singing in the teaching and deepening work”.
In order to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas on how best to achieve this goal, the Baha’i Arts Council, Canada, sponsored “Invitation 88: A Festival of the Human Spirit”. Held at the University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, during the summer of 1988, the festival attracted approximately 1,000 participants at various times to its programme of workshops, exhib- its, and performances.
A report reads: “During the course of the festival we recognized in each other diverse and previously undreamed of capacities for creativity and expression of the Fait ”. The festival impressed both Baha’is and the gen- eral public with the excellent quality of performances, talks, workshops, and displays and reflected the words of the Universal House of Justice: “New prospects for teach— ing the Cause at all levels of society have unfolded”.
That same year the Canadian youth troupe Let It Be This Generation won the hearts of youth in high schools, colleges, universities, and community centres across the country during a nationwide, 150-performance, peace- promoting tour. The presentation, based on the inevitability of peace and the steps to attain a united global community, communi- cated its ideas through dance, slide shows, music, theatre, and movement. The troupe performed in high schools, junior high schools, elementary schools, and public places, and estimated that about 12,000 people saw the show, aside from television audiences. The team also gave away between six and eight thousand copies of the Peace Statement.
The Sacred Writings, along with music and dance, were used to tell the story of the spiritual and social revolution of the Faith of the Bab at an international theatre festival in Canada in 1990. The production, named “Badasht”, drew audiences totalling nearly 450 people.
Bahé’is in Vancouver, Canada, organized a “Peace of Art” concert in May 1991 to
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provide opportunities for sharing the Faith with different groups in the community. Held in the city’s Centennial Theatre, the event included dance, theatre, readings, mu- sic, and Visual arts from different cultures dedicated to the promotion of unity through diversity. More than seven hundred people attended the concert, including local authori- ties and representatives of the media.
In many regions of the Americas, music was used for proclaiming the Message, either through the songs themse1ves or through the musicians speaking of the Faith in between numbers and during publicity interviews. Reporting on the “Concert for Peace” given in July 1987 by Baha’i pianist Alfredo Speranza at the Solis Theatre, Montevideo, Uruguay, the National Assembly called it “an important success which attracted almost a thousand spectators to...the principal hall in the country”. Invitations were sent around the country through Local Spiritual Assem- blies, schools and universities, and the media. The artist, an Italian citizen born in Uruguay, was interviewed by reporters from television channels, radio stations, and news- papers, with mention made of his Baha’i beliefs and his worldwide service on behalf of the Faith. In addition, Maestro Speranza spoke at two public meetings at the National Baha’i Centre on the subjects of music, unity, and the Baha’i Faith.
Starting in October 1986, the Louis G. Gregory Baha’i Institute in Hemingway, South Carolina, USA, held annual one— week Peace Feasts: four-day programmes of jazz, gospel, and contemporary music, dance, and addresses by distinguished speakers. In 1987, the Governor of South Carolina, Carroll Campbell, Jr., issued a proclamation designating the week of 14—20 September as Peace Week in the State.
In March 1987, the small Baha’i commu— nity 0f the city of Araguari, Brazil, (population 30,000) organized a big public musical show called “A Chance for Peace” performed by Baha’i musicians from a larg— er neighbouring community. The show
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attracted an audience of a thousand and received wide press and radio coverage. Hundreds of pamphlets were given to the public. The same show was later sponsored by another small community, where five hundred attended.
A singing group from Guyana called The Carmel Minstrels performed throughout the country and completed a Caribbean tour in 1987. The group was included in several national and governmental events and per— formed fund—raising concerts for social and economic development projects.
In Puerto Rico, at least five concerts were presented to audiences of more than a hundred people. All of these included presentation of the F aith and distribution of literature.
Theatre groups capitalized on the inherent drama of the Faith, presenting its history and principles on stage. In Brazil in 1988, a the- atrical production relating the life of Muna Mahmfidnifiad, the youngest of the ten women martyred on 18 June 1983 in S_hiraz, Tran, received official authorization after government review, to be presented any- where in the country. It marked the first time a production by Baha’is, using a cast of both Bahé’is and non~Baha’is, received such recognition.
Baha’is in Arequipa, Peru, formed a group in 1986 called Universal Peace The- atre which attracted favourable notice from the Director of UNESCO clubs in Arequipa. After hearing a radio interview with the group, he invited their participation in the December celebration of Human Rights Day at the National Cultural Institute. They were heard on radio stations and performed for students in schools of Arequipa “teaching the concept of world citizenship in support of the International Year of Peace”.
Baha’i Youth Workshops—youth groups using dance and drama to convey the princi— ples of the Faith—multiplied in the United States, forming in dozens of cities. One ex- ample of their power comes from Georgia. What began as an invitation by the Milton High School in Alpharetta, Georgia, for the
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Atlanta Baha’i Youth Workshop to give a single performance of a programme entitled “Barriers to Peace” in October 1989, resu1t~ ed in the youth giving a number of repeat performances and remaining all day in the school.
During the week before the scheduled performance, the high school had experi— enced an increase in racial tension among the students. After consultation with a Baha’i youth attending the school, the principal and the Board of Education decided to use the Atlanta Baha’i Youth Workshop as a tool to help defuse the tensions. The Workshop’s four performances of song and dance were arranged with ninety-minute breaks in between to enable students to meet with members of the Workshop and to consult about racism. Much of the discussion led to proposed solutions from the Baha’i perspec— tive. Enthusiasm about the programmes quickly spread. Students encouraged others to participate and many students and teachers attended more than once.
Slide shows were used in several coun— tries to present the main points of The Promise of World Peace. A slide show based on excerpts from the Statement was shown to about five thousand students and teachers in seventeen primary-secondary schools of Colombia in 1986. The pro- gramme was first conceived as a deepening tool for Baha’is, but its use as a teaching aid was discovered when a group of Baha’is in a teaching campaign decided to present the slide show in a school, and it was well received. Baha’is were' invited to return to one of the schools until they had shown the audio—visual presentation to nearly thousand students.
Two other slide shows based on the Peace Statement were shown widely throughout Brazil. “From War to Peace” was directed toward adult audiences and “The Peace Pigeon” was aimed at children. In 1989, the Secretary for Education and Cultural Mat— ters of the State of Espirito Santo authorized the Baha’is to give talks about the Peace
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Statement in all the public schools in the state, opening the way for a great number of students to see the slide shows.
The Promise of World Peace was also the inspiration for an art exhibit shown for six days in 1986 and co—sponsored by the National Spiritual Assembly of Belize and the country’s National Arts Council. The “Peace Exhibit” was arranged around eX- cerpts from the Message and quotations from the Writings in beautiful calligraphy by a Baha’i artist. The art gallery was filled with works in a variety of niedia—painting, drawing, graphics, sculpture, needlework, and stained glass—all on the theme of peace. A poetry competition for children and youth from several schools and colleges was publicized on radio, and winners were an- nounced at the exhibition, where gifts were awarded by the Committee.
At the opening ceremony for the exhibit, the Mayor of Belize City, who is himself an artist, spoke briefly, and then the wife of the President of Belize cut the ribbon starting the event. It is estimated that tln'ee hundred to four hundred people saw the exhibit and received pamphlets on peace.
In 1989, the Video production “Peace...the Promise” won an award as a finalist among more than three thousand entries from more than thirty countries at the International Film and Television Festival in New York.
Some performing groups used a wide variety of artistic media to teach the Faith. An idea put forward at the Baha’i Interna— tional Youth Conference in Brazil in 1991 became a reality: a performing arts group calling itself Planeta Paz (Peace Planet) was formed, with five members from Argentina, one from Uruguay, and four from Brazil. The show consisted of music with Baha’i themes, folk music, dancing, and a slide show conveying the principles of the Faith. A display about the Faith was also put up at each venue.
Each Planeta Paz concert began with a tribute to Baha’u’llah, stating that He gave His life for peace and unity. At the end of
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the show, the performers would tell their audience that Baha’u’llah is the Messenger of God for our time, and they would invite those who identified themselves with His Message to embrace the Cause. During the first two months of its performances, the group presented twelve shows in the Brazilian states of 850 Paulo, Parana, and Santa Catarina. During this time, 150 peo- ple embraced the Faith through the group’s presentation. In the four following months, Planeta Paz, assisted and guided by the Auxiliary Board members in each country, performed in more than ten Cities in Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay.
A support group travelled ahead of Planeta Paz and organized institutes to prepare local communities for mass teaching. Local youth were deeply involved in the consolidation of those who enrolled in the Faith as a result of the performances. Several articles in news— papers, some radio and two television interviews helped bring the musical group to the attention of the general public. The final result was more than 500 new believers and proclamation to thousands.
Carrying on a tradition of cultural ex— change among indigenous peoples from divergent parts of the Americas, begun by a group called Trail of Light in 1982, a four— person Garifuna (Carib) team from Honduras and Belize shared dances, music, and legends from their culture, as well as describing how the Baha’i teachings of unity and diversity have encouraged them to be proud of their heritage. Among the teaching activities of this new Trail of Light was the presentation of cultural performances at five schools in St. Vincent and the Grenadines in 1988. It was reported that at one school a teacher became so enthusiastic about the team’s pre— sentation that he closed the programme with a summary of the Faith’s teachings on unity and diversity. The history of the Garifuna people is intimately linked with St. Vincent, which, in their folklore, is the place of their origin and the most beloved of all places to them.
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“Play J azz for Peace” was the name of a concert organized by a travelling teacher in June 1989 in Caracas, Venezuela. More than four hundred people attended the concert at which a group of professional musicians played tunes inspired by the ideal of peace. At the same time, the Baha’i community of Caracas mounted an exposition of Sacred Writings and photographs related to the peace theme, which was Viewed by several hundred people.
From June 1989 until the end of the Plan, Baha’is in El Salvador sponsored seven musical and art festivals in cooperation with other local organizations. Audiences ranged from sixty to three hundred people. An arts festival was also organized in Nicaragua by the National Baha’i Youth Committee in 1989. About three hundred people attended the three-hour event which both proclaimed the Faith and raised funds for the pediatrics ward of a hospital in the city of Jinotepe.
Puppetry also served as an effective vehi— cle for teaching. The People of Paradise Puppets of Barbados performed before hun- dreds of children at Baha’i and non—Baha’i functions, using puppetry to address issues of social concern, such as the use of illegal drugs. In Guyana, about thirty—five believers took part in four puppet workshops in three regions of the country during 1991, learning how to use this art to proclaim the Faith.
A Garifima Bahd ’1’ (right) travelled to teach the Faith in the Carib Territory ofDomz’nz'ca during January and
F ebruary 199].
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In January 1989, the Baha’is of Argentina reported that the Baha’i Cultural Centre of Buenos Aires, named the May Maxwell Centre, was running a puppet show for the children of the district every fifteen days, and an average of fifteen Children not from Baha’i families were attending. The show, presented by El Retablo del Mosquito (The Mosquito’s Retable), a group made up of Bahé’is and their friends, was also being taken to events arranged by other organizations.
Large-scale Enrolment
Special focused teaching projects involving cooperation among various institutions, full— time teams, Baha’i radio broadcasts, and enthusiastic youth all played important roles in bringing about large-scale enrolment in Latin America and the Caribbean. A variety of projects—some with very few teachers and a short amount of tin1e-1net with suc— cess, demonstrating the great receptivity of the souls in these areas.
The most outstanding example of large— scale enrolment came from Guyana, where during the first year of a three—year pilot teaching project, more than 20,000 enrol— ments were reported. This more than doubled the number of Baha’is from two to five per cent of the country’s population of 750,000. The first 5,000 Baha’is embraced the Faith during the project’s initial six weeks.
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Conceived at the Baha’i World Centre by the International Teaching Centre in consul- tation with the Universal House of Justice, the project was launched in October 1989 under the direction of the enthusiastic Na— tional Spiritual Assembly. It had two goals: large-scale expansion and consolidation to help raise the number of Baha’is in Guyana to an appreciable percentage of the entire population, and the training of existing human resources and an ever—increasing number of new believers to become dedicat— ed workers for the Faith.
Guyana was chosen for the project be- cause of the success Baha’is had had in teaching projects there, the continuous support given to teachers by the National Spiritual Assembly, the Baha’is’ good rela- tionship with the authorities, and the fact that the community had a significant number of deepened and dedicated youth. The size of the community was also deemed suitable for a pilot project, and Guyana’s racially diverse population seemed to be the most receptive in South America.
Twelve experienced Baha’is from Brazil, Canada, Peru, the United States, and Vene— zuela were selected by the Continental Board of Counsellors to serve as resident teachers for the project. Selection was based on a number of spiritual and material consid— erations, but primarily 011 each individual’s capacity to be obedient to the institutions and to reach a unified Vision with their fellows. The overseas teachers were joined by twenty—six local Baha’is who gave from six to twelve months to the project. Small full-time teaching teams spread over six dif- ferent areas of Guyana, with a goal . of establishing teams in all regions of the country.
The teaching work was carried out using various methods: proclamation events, mar- ket displays, use of the media, presentations to schools, and service projects. Baha’i Infor- mation Centres were established throughout the country to coordinate teaching activities and make Baha’i literature available.
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Several of the teaching groups found that someone accepted the Faith in every home they Visited, and sometimes whole families became Baha’is. One of the teams was based in the Village of Crabwood Creek, which subsequently enrolled a thousand believers, or about twenty per cent of the Village popu- lation. The community held its Nineteen Day Feast in the park, as no house was large enough to accommodate all Who arrived.
A Visit in March 1990 by two Counsellors from the International Teaching Centre helped to clarify the importance of the project’s second goal of consolidation: to raise up ten to fifteen per cent of the new believers as dedicated workers, primarily through “good teaching” and a mature, systematic approach to deepening through the Institute Pro— gramme.
The Institute Programme involved new Baha’is in basic deepening courses to help each develop a spiritual identity. Intensive study of the Creative Word was put into action through various paths of service, con— firming the believers in their newly found Faith, and preparing them for more special— ized Institute courses such as teacher- training and Children’s education. More than a thousand new believers participated in the programme during the project’s first year.
Children’s classes were also held in all of the teaching areas, and deepening was pursued through radio; the National Assem- bly increased its radio time from three programmes per month to two per week and added a devotional programme every day. In addition, the concept of revisiting newly enrolled believers soon after their enrolment and providing deepening on prayer and teaching became part of the method used by the resident teams.
One consequence of this attention to simultaneous expansion and consolidation was the significant involvement of new believers in service and teaching. Hundreds of new believers in the eastern part of Guy- ana arose to carry out community service projects developed at Feast consultations.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA’l ACTIVITIES
They worked in a sp’nit of cooperation and service to humanity to design and construct a children’s playground, build a seventy—foot bridge to link two Villages, and improve the condition of a local hospital. A series of literacy programmes was also developed in different parts of Guyana, and a three-day Baha’i Peace Festival sparked invitations for the Baha’is to speak to a community service group and make similar presentations to students in sixteen schools in the area.
When the National Assembly, in February 1990, called for an increase in the number of believers involved in teaching, the number quadrupled. This broader base of participa— tion in the teaching field contributed to the success of the pilot project; at its conclusion, Guyana had approximately 36,000 new believers.
Teaching teams (see next subsection) also met With success in Ecuador, where a year of teaching dedicated to the memory of the Hand of the Cause Rahmatu’llah Muhajir brought at least 2,300 people into the Faith. Beginning in January 1990, teachers from seven countries supplemented the full—time Ecuadorian teams in Visiting each of the five goal areas targeted by the National Spiritual Assembly. Four week—long teacher—training institutes were held as part of the project, as well as several weekend training seminars.
The effectiveness of radio in preparing large numbers of people to accept the Faith was demonstrated repeatedly in Bolivia. Following a two-day training course at the Firdawsi Institute in November 1988, forty of the sixty participants volunteered to Visit communities in listeners’ range of Radio Baha’i. During nine days, more than a thou— sand people embraced the Faith. The project, designed by the National Teaching Commit— tee in collaboration with a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors and of the National Assembly, continued, and by the end of February 1989, it had attracted and confirmed more than 2,000 believers. In ad- dition, fifty communities were opened to the Faith, some of Which became entirely Baha’i.
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A five—day teaching campaign in February 1992, which constituted one element of the ongoing Muhajir Project begun in Septem- ber 1991, also focused on areas reached by Radio Baha’i broadcasts. During the five days, more than five hundred people recog— nized Baha’u’llah, five new Local Spiritual Assemblies were formed, and thirty—eight localities were opened.
The important role played by youth in large—seale expansion also deserves special mention. Just one example comes from Colombia, where a team composed of an Auxiliary Board member and seven youth brought 1,245 new believers into the Baha’i community during the initial three—month phase of an ongoing project.
During the period between September and December 1988, the team travelled to fifteen communities in the departments (states) of Atlantico, Bolivar, and Sucre. Each day began with prayer, study, and the memoriza— tion of the Holy Writings. A slide show based on the Peace Statement was shown in high schools and some public places, and a correspondence course was offered to inter~ ested people. The team then visited homes teaching the Faith directly, using the booklet Let ’s Get to Know the Bahd ’1' Faith.
Two special aims of the project were the formation of youth groups and finding youth capable of carrying out regular children’s classes. Youth were also encouraged to focus on service and develop community projects. One teacher later returned to the community of Santa Catalina and found youth group members had already initiated a children’s class and were teaching a group of thirty stu— dents how to read, using the Baha’i literacy training booklet, God Illumines US.
While large—scale enrolment was taking place in South America, numbers were also dramatically increasing in the Caribbean. A report from the National Spiritual Assembly of Haiti in September 1988 relayed news of the large—scale enrolments occurring in that country: It wrote: “Joyously inform results first phase Summer Teaching Campaign.
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[Two thousand, three hundred and seventy— one] adults, youth, Children accepted Baha’u’lléh. [Nationa1 Teaching Committee] planning second phase emphasis consolida- tion new believers. [Eight]—Day Deepening Institute planned for new Baha’is.”
In 1991, 34 people took part in a teaching institute held to prepare believers for entry by troops in Haiti. As a result, two teaching teams were formed and they Visited Bainet, Blockhaus, Lavalée, and Musac during July and August. The ro1e of the teams was both to teach and deepen new believers, and by the end of the four—week campaign, more than 3,300 people had embraced the Faith and some 135 localities had been opened.
A three—week teaching activity in Trin- idad and Tobago in the beginning of 1989 brought five hundred new believers under the banner of the Cause of Baha’u’llah. The activity was part Of the ongoing Covenant Project, carried out in memory of the es- teemed Mr. H. Borrah Kavelin, late member of the Universal House of Justice. In June and July of that year, 850 new believers were enrolled in Chaguanas in the central part of the country, after the Visit of a special teaching team aided by three members of the National Teaching Committee, two full-time teachers, one travelling teacher and a few other Baha’i friends.
An important part of the Covenant Project was the consolidation process; simultaneous
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with the teaching, deepening meetings were organized and Baha’i children’s classes formed. A large amount of Baha’i literature was distributed, along with prayers and pic— tures of the Indian Baha’i Temple. During regular Visits to the new believers, the project members showed films and conducted deep- ening sessions.
Even very short—tenn projects brought in hundreds or even thousands of believers, strikingly demonstrating the receptivity of souls in Latin America to the Teachings of Baha’u’lléh.
In just two days in February 1990, 228 souls embraced the Cause in the Southern Teaching Project in the town of Alvorada, Brazil. The joint efforts of an Auxiliary Board member, four Local Spiritual Assem— blies, travelling teachers from three states, and pioneers resulted in this exciting cam— paign. For fifteen years Alvorada had had a Baha’i school, so many of the new Baha’is were long—time friends of the Faith and were already quite familiar with its teachings.
The unified efforts of a member of the International Teaching Centre, a member of the Board of Counsellors, four Auxiliary Board members, and members of the National Spiritual Assemblies of Peru and Bolivia rekindled the Lake Titicaca region of Peru in September 1988. A two—day mass teaching workshop attended by sixty teach— ers was followed by a five—day teaching
Participants in the second Regional
Y outh Conference for the Caribbean, held in Grenada from 12 to 14 August 1988.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA’l ACTIVITIES
project in which 1,764 new believers em- braced the Cause of the Blessed Beauty— 738 youth and 1,026 adults, almost half of whom were women.
A one—day strike and which blocked roads did progress of the Baha’i teachers, who succeeded in their efforts. One historical highlight was the teaching carried out at a high school in Villa Quebrada, where the principal, all the teachers and students en- rolled in the F aith. The proj ect culminated in a two-day conference where results were evaluated and future directions suggested. Ten volunteers offered to continue With con- solidation work.
demonstrations not hinder the
Teaching Teams
The large-scale enrolment experienced in Guyana was intimately linked with the use of teaching teams in that country. The work of teams, both full-time and permanent (long— teim) also contributed to the rapid growth of the Baha’i community in a number of other countries in the Americas. In addition to the advantages of concentrated resources and continuity provided by teams, such a method of organization allowed new believers to work with more experienced teachers and native believers to join with travelling teach— ers. This diversity demonstrated the principles being taught, and the variety of talents represented on the teams allowed
Participants in a youth conference held in Barbados in August 1990.
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greater attention to be paid to the consolida— tion component of large-scale teaching.
Honduras began the Plan with a relatively large Baha’i population and freedom to teach, but faced the challenge of developing strong Baha’i communities following mass enrolment. Throughout the Plan, teams were used to continue proclaiming Baha’u’llah’s Message to the large, receptive audiences while simultaneously working to establish the foundations for self—sustaining communities.
One of the goals of the Plan for Honduras was “to ensure mass teaching and the en— trance of troops in the Garifuna areas”. One step in accomplishing this goal was Project Muhajir, the first phase of which was the formation of a permanent team of five members in January 1989. The team visited Baha’i Garifuna communities for approxi- mately seven days at a time to proclaim, teach, and deepen. They worked to enrol new Baha’is, establish children’s classes, ensure the celebration of the Nineteen Day Feasts, and train several key Baha’is to carry on these activities. An important aspect of the plan was to make return Visits to each Village to reinforce previous efforts and continue the consolidation process.
The team worked under very arduous physical conditions: all transportation was by foot or dugout canoe and food was critically scarce even for the indigenous population. However, in the first five months
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On the island ofCayemz'te, off the coast ofHaitz', a member of a teaching team (right) Shares the Message of Bahd ’u ’Zldh in the village ofAnse-c‘z—Macon during a project held in November 1989.
The Bahd ’2’ teachers who participated in afive-day orientation as preparation for the second phase of the Mirzd Mihdi Project in Belizefi‘om 15-19 June 1990. AS a result of this phase 0fthe Project, 327pe0ple enrolled in the Faith.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA’I ACTIVITIES
of the project there were about a hundred new enrolments, and the team felt a firm foundation was being established for entry by troops. By the end of its first year, Project Muhajir reported more than 1,300 new be- lievers, many from the Garifuna area.
On 1 January 1990, Project Olinga was launched in the same area, bringing into the community 1,419 new believers in the first eight weeks. During the rest of 1990, more than 7,000 men, women, and children were enrolled in the F aith in Honduras, largely due to the efforts of teaching teams.
Under the inspired guidance of Counsellor Hidayatu’llah Ahmadiyyih, one team grew during a six-month period into five teaching teams composed of old and new Garifuna believers working in different areas of the coast developing weekly adult study groups and children’s classes. The project carried on following Counse11or Ahmadiyyih’s death in August, and by November, nearly one hun- dred weekly study classes involving more than five hundred new Baha’is in twenty— five communities were being held, as well as some thirty children’s classes.
Five-day training sessions were held on five occasions to inspire more believers to participate in the work of the teams. More than fifty Garifuna believers at one time or another were involved in the teaching work.
In December, under the guidance of the National Teaching Committee, a teaching team composed of three Garifunas, two Latin—Hondurans and one pioneer travelled to three different areas of the country to assist the mass teaching efforts.
In the first area, Santa Rosa de Copan, the group attracted 254 men, women, and chil- dren to the F aith during a five-day period. Joined by youth and two pioneers in Santa Rosa de Copan, the group also helped to organize four evening meetings, and partici— pated in an Entry by Troops Institute sponsored by the National Teaching Com- mittee.
“The spirit of love and fellowship among the Santa Rosa believers and their outstanding
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level of service to the Cause, as well as to the team, was a continual source of inspira- tion for all”, the National Spiritual Assembly reported. By the Institute’s end, the local be- lievers had committed themselves to hold four firesides every Baha’i month, and to establish and carry out at least seven study groups and four children’s Classes weekly.
From Santa Rosa, the team went to Flor de Campo, a neighbourhood of the nation’s capital, Tegucigalpa, to help that Assembly’s teaching campaign. Over the next week another three hundred souls were enrolled in the Cause. Many of the earlier new Bahé’is were visited in their homes, and meetings were held to inspire the new believers.
From Tegucigalpa the team journeyed to E1 Tu1ar, a small town in the south of the country. After four days, more than 400 more people joined the F aith, including two policemen, four school~teachers, the Post Office chief, and other prominent people in the community. Nightly meetings were well attended, and hundreds of pamphlets, book- lets, and prayer books were distributed.
The work of teaching teams in Honduras continued in 1991. On 24 June of that year, a teaching team of nine youth and one adult, from Honduras, Canada, Iran and the United States, enrolled 99 people in Tegucigalpa. The National Spiritual Assemny reported that the total number of enrolments in the capital in the preceding year had reached one thousand.
The ninth permanent teaching team was formed in the State of Santa Barbara in 1991. A member of the National Spiritual Assembly who arose to serve full-time in the teaching work coordinated the team’s efforts. In the period between January and July 1991, five thousand people embraced the Faith in Honduras.
Success with full—time and permanent teams was also experienced in Belize during 1988 and 1989, after which the Mirzé Mihdi Teaching Project was launched in February 1990 by a group of twelve teachers from Belize, Canada, Jamaica, Mexico, and the
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United States. The first nine-week phase of the project, Which concentrated primarily on the Garifuna people, resulted in more than a thousand souls being enrolled in the Faith.
The town of Dangriga, in Stann Creek district, was chosen as the main base for the project. Two houses were rented—one for female and the other for male members of the team—with one of the homes being used also as a teaching centre for deepenings and evening programmes. For the first six weeks the teachers stayed only in Dangriga, during which time 450 people embraced the Faith. Then for the last three weeks of the project the twelve teachers, plus a few Baha’is who were on spring vacations from schools, went to Villages in the district and to Punta Gorda in neighbouring Toledo district.
“One man in Punta Gorda knocked on the door of the Baha’is”, it was reported. “He had come in from a Village especially look— ing for them. He told them that he had heard about Baha’is on Radio Baha’i Ecuador and he wanted to join the Faith. Several times, both in Dangriga and Punta Gorda, Baha’is were stopped in the street by receptive souls asking if they could join the Fait .”
The project’s successes, in addition to the team’s original goal of bringing three thousand Garifuna people under the banner of Baha’u’llah, inspired a second phase of the Mirza Mihdi Project. Phase two of the project was held for nine weeks beginning
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on 15 June 1990. More than thirty teachers, building on the successes of phase one, en- rolled 327 new believers.
“We have received repofis full of joy from the teaching field”, began an article in a newsletter from the National Spiritual Assembly of the Dominican Republic in 1990. It referred to the full-time work of five Baha’is teaching the F aith in a special project dedicated to the memory of Dr. Alnnadiyyih. Their efforts were supported by other Baha’is Who were able to serve for varying lengths of time, from one week to more than a month.
“The latest news is that there are 46 new believers in the province of San Juan, and 36 new Baha’i adults plus 36 children in Barahona. The key is to instruct and inte— grate these believers at once to achieve the transformation which is the purpose of the Faith of God. With this in mind, the project teams are incorporating the new believers in the teaching work, and deepening institutes are being planned.”
The work of permanent teaching teams was also reported in El Salvador, where members participated in national teaching proj ects under the supervision of the National Teaching Committee and coordinated by the Regional Committees. In the United States also, approximately one thousand teaching teams were formed, with members commit— ting themselves to regularly teach a certain
Children pelform traditional Guaymz’ dances as part 0fthe closing ceremony of the Bilingual T rain~ ing Seminar, held on 21 April 1989 in the Bahd ’z' Guaymz’ Cultural Centre in Panama. The training was in Spanish and Guaymz’ literacy
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA’l ACTIVITIES
segment of the population for a period of at least five years. Several full—time teams composed of youth also met with success in that country.
Indigenous Peoples
A particular strength of the teaching work in the Americas was the attention given to sharing the Cause with indigenous peoples and incorporating the positive aspects of their cultural traditions into Baha’i commu— nity life. Increasingly indigenous peoples from all parts of the continent arose to spread the Faith themselves.
The efforts made by the Baha’is of Panama to contribute to the preservation of Guayrni culture exemplify this trend. In February 1987, the Guaymi Cultural Centre was inaugurated in Boca de Soloy (Chiriqui Province), Panama, to become the focus of a Guaymi tutorial school network as well as cultural, health, and agricultural activities. The inauguration was attended by well over two thousand people, including the general Chiefs of three provinces, representatives of the national government and members from nine indige- nous tribes of six countries.
During the Plan, the Centre sponsored regular deepening institutes for groups of twenty—five live-in students at a time. The institutes combined study with service, such as making recordings for Radio Baha’i Panama and preparing Centre land for the planting of beans and yucca. The Centre also hosted special events such as a Health Day in June 1988 which brought to gether twenty- two Guaymi women to study nutrition and preventive medicine in honour of the fortieth anniversary of the World Health Organi- zation.
The work of the Cultural Centre included the work of Radio Baha’i Panama, also established with the goal of cultural preser- vation and education. For example, in 1989 Radio Baha’i Panama began broadcasting public service messages six days a week to help provide a means of communication in the Guaymi area. The messages, sent in by
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listeners, included reports of lost animals, requests for transportation, announcements of classes, medical services available, and other topics of general interest.
Also in 1989, the radio station sponsored the Sabanero Festival in Boca de Soloy, attracting over two hundred participants. Sabanero, the original language of the Guaymi', embodies and preserves both the culture and the religion of the people. It has come to be spoken only by the older genera- tion. A special guest who had been invited to sing traditional Sabanero songs and promote Guaymi culture, commented that his partici— pation in the Festival was due to the sincerity of the Baha’is and their awareness of the importance of preserving the Guaymi culture. He presented three gifts to the Baha’i Guayrni Cultural Centre.
That same year, the personnel at Radio Baha’i’s transmitter link in Soloy participat- ed in a bilingual (Spanish—Guaymi) seminar on education and literacy held at the Cultural Centre. Staff members also took an active role in a teaching campaign in the Guaymi area of Tolé and helped with elections of Local Spiritual Assemblies.
The work of the Faith in preserving Guaymi culture was noted by the director of a Guaymi dance group during its perfor— mance at the Twelfth National Craftsmanship Fair held at Atlapa Convention Centre in August 1989. The group of sixteen Guaymi Baha’is, who called their presentation “Tra— ditions of Guaymi Dances”, came from Boca de Remedio, an indigenous community whose population is entirely Baha’i.
During a seminar on the development of the Faith among the Indian peoples of Latin America held in Bolivia in July 1989, the case of the Guaymi of Panama was cited as one example of a people who decided to re- create their own culture in relationship to the Faith, drawing upon the Creative Word to strengthen their culture’s positive character— istics. Some of these characteristics include religious devotion, courtesy, hospitality, co— operative work, education in traditional
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values, strong family life, and a love for nature.
The importance of our demonstrating appreciation for indigenous cultures was eloquently emphasized by the Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l—Baha Rfihiyyih K_hanum in a telegram she sent from the heart of Canada’s Blackfoot Indian area in 1986: “Feel very strongly world-wide com— munity Baha’is especially pioneers, teachers, must learn show proper respect profound customs and spiritual associations indige- nous peoples if we desire share bounties Baha’u’llah’s Message with them. All too often, alas, we neglect follow beloved Mas- ter’s footsteps who showered deep love and understanding, sincere praise and respect on those of different backgrounds. Such loving respect other people’s way and deep feeling essential if we intend pass healing cup this Revelation to other lips.”
Amatu’l—Baha’s extensive travels in Canada and the United States Visiting With Native American leaders and participating in tradi- tional gatherings powerfully demonstrated the truth of her words. In Montreal, she spent time on the Kahnawake Mohawk Reserve With Grand Chief Joseph Norton and Chief Eugene Montour, and in Regina, Saskatchewan, she had lunch with promi- nent Indian leaders, including a number of women. In Frobisher Bay, she attended part of Spirit North Council, a gathering of one hundred believers and guests, approximately sixty per cent native Eskimos and Indians. Amatu’l—Bahé reported that a moving com- memoration of the Martyrdom of the beloved Bab was “held outside on hill overlooking unbelievably beautiful Frobisher Bay full of scintillating pack ice, touched all hearts, and l was able share petals from Threshold Baha’u’llah’s Shrine in Bahji With friends...”
Amatu’l-Baha Rfihiyyih K_hanum was also the special guest at a ceremony on the Peigan Reserve which was presided over by Chief Crowshoe, the only surviving chief of five chiefs Who had given her the name Natuocist during her Visit in 1960. Over
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three hundred were present from all parts of Canada, including some members of the Canadian National Spiritual Assembly. The Naat owa’pii Centre in Brocket, Alberta— the heart of Blackfoot Indian area—was officially dedicated in a special ceremony.
At the end of her trip she crossed the border into the United States and Visited the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota where a concentrated teaching plan was un— derway. “We slept at the Oglalla Community College”, Amatu’l-Baha wrote, “and held a large potlatch and powwow in this important centre in the heart of Sioux Indian territory. Sioux believers and others from as far away as Navajo Reservation [Arizona] ensured a most happy and memorable evening for us all. This important reservation now has nine- teen Local Assemblies, one of the all—Indian ones showering me with special gifts.”
In August 1988, also in South Dakota, native men and women, Baha’i and non— Bahé’i, representing fifty tribes, gathered under a giant red and white tent surrounded by tepees, near the sacred burial site of Chief Sitting Bull at Standing Rock Reservation, in Indian Memorial Park, Mobridge, to attend the Fifth Continental Indigenous Council. A telex describes the gathering: “We...assem- bled beneath a canopy of unity, on a plain surrounded by the Missouri River, today audaciously pledge our warrior peace—making spirits to win the foremost objective of the Six Year Planmto carry the healing Message of Bahé’u’llah to the generality of Man- kind.” Written pledges to serve the Cause and carry the Faith to Africa, Europe, and South America were received by the National Spiritual Assembly on the last night of the Council.
The Council was attended by distin- guished Visitors including a member of the Universal House of Justice, for Whom an Honor Dance was performed; a Counsellor member of the International Teaching Centre; four Continental Counsellors; and members of the National Spiritual Assemblies of Alaska, Canada, and Mexico.
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On the closing day the National Spiritual Assembly Visited the Looking Horse family, keepers of the Sacred Pipe of the Lakota people. The Assembly presented the family With gifts including a framed photograph of ‘Abdu’l-Baha. The National Spiritual Assembly members then met with the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Council in Eagle Butte where they presented individual copies of the Peace Statement. The Council members also received copies of The Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys, this book having special significance as the numbers seven and four have great importance in their traditions.
“Native Americans and the Promise of Peace” was the theme of a Unity Council
Fire held in August 1986 at the Native Amer— ‘
ican Baha’i Institute in Arizona, USA. Mr. Maynard Eakan, an Inuit Bahé’i, had trav- elled to several Reservation communities to invite the Navajo, Hopi, and Pueblo friends, more than one hundred of Whom attended. Highlights of the Council Fire were a Saturday evening performance by the Pine Springs Singers, a group of children who had become popular performers of Navajo traditional songs and dances under the guid— ance of the Pine Springs Baha’i community; a talk explaining to the group the symbolism of the beautifully carved and decorated “talking stick” given to him in Alaska; and Saturday afternoon prayers at the grave of
F riends gathered at the Peigan Bahd ’1' Institute in Alberta, Canada, in December 1989.
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Gordon Tong, one of the original group that had worked to found the Institute.
In September 1986 it was announced that The Promise of World Peace had become available in summary form in the Navajo language on cassette tape. The publication was one result of a translation institute which served the double purpose of produc— ing new translations of the Creative Word and deepening the thirteen participants.
Throughout the Plan, the Native American Baha’i Institute addressed the educational needs of the local population, initiating a tutoring programme in conjunction with a nearby school and holding classes on Navajo culture.
The education of young Indians was also addressed by Baha’is in Brazil, where the Polytechnical Rural Institute Djalal Eghrari entered into an agreement with FUNAI (N ational Foundation of the Indian) to serve the Indians of the Amazonas region.
The significance of the teaching work among indigenous peoples was also featured at the International Indigenous Believers’ Seminar held in Sucre, Bolivia, in July 1989. Seventy Bahé’is representing nine distinct indigenous groups from eight countries, seven Counsellors, eight Auxiliary Board members, members of the National Spiritual Assembly of Bolivia, and pioneers discussed the participation of indigenous peoples in building an ever-advancing civilization.
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This seminar was followed by a National Teaching Conference attended by more than two hundred Baha’is. F ollowing the confer- ence, nineteen teams went out “in search of souls ready to accept the Faith”. This one week—long teaching project resulted in five hundred enrolments and the opening of ten new communities.
The results of teaching work among the Toba people of northeastern Argentina over a period of more than fifteen years were demonstrated when the Toba inaugurated a District Haziratu’l—Quds in May 1986 in Puerto Tirol, a small town near the provin— cial capital. At the time, the Tobas numbered 54,000, making them the second most nu- merous tribe in Argentina. The first teaching teams into the Toba region in 1970 had been headed by Hooper Dunbar (then a pioneer in Argentina), and fittingly, Mr. Dunbar was present for the inauguration of the Toba District Centre. Sixteen years after the first contact, there were thirty-five localities and twelve Local Assemblies; three local centres had been acquired and a Baha’i tutorial school had begun operating.
Many Baha’i teachings were found to be compatible with Toba custom, including the importance of music and of dawn prayer. New Baha’is among the Toba began making songs from the Writings and even revived their old tribal songs again. Two members prepared their native instruments and songs
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in order to participate in a teaching project in Paraguay and Argentina. It is also an old Toba custom for the women to chant a prayer for the dawn to wake the family in the morning; the chant is said to be “from the Maid of the Heavens”.
A substantial increase in enrolments took place among the Amerindian and Bushnegro populations of Suriname, and Guatemala finished the Plan with twenty-two Local Assemblies counting indigenous members in the majority. The first Local Spiritual Assembly of the Mura Tribe in Amazonas State, Brazil, was formed at Ridvan 1990 after a tribal Village, located twelve hours by boat from the Village of Beruri, was Visited by some of the friends. The Mirza Mihdi Projects in Belize attracted an estimated 1,200—1,500 Garifuna people into the Cause.
Teaching among the Garifuna people in Honduras (see also p. 284) also bore fruit. In 1989, the National Assembly reported the enrolment of more than 1,300 new believers in the Garifuna area, and between January and September 1990, a total of over seven thousand people accepted the Faith. One project, carried out by twenty-four women, men, youth, and children who organized meetings in thirteen different communities on the north coast of Honduras, resulted in new enrolments reaching 1,170 in their area.
In Ecuador, full—time teams spent several months teaching the Quechua—speaking
A T oba Bahd ’z' woman from the Chaco Region of northern Argentina; 1989.
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Left: Students of
violin at the School
of the Nations in
Brasilia, Brazil. The
School was opened
on I September 1980,
and in December
I 98 7 was Ofiicially inaugurated at its new permanent headquarters.
Above: The exterior of the Maxwell Inter—
national Bahd ’1 School near Vancouver, Canada; 1992.
Right: A Bahd ’i tutorial school in Colorado in the Guajira region ofColombia, in I 98 7.
Right: In Nicaragua, young Bahd ’is meet with Costa Rican youth who oflered teacher training classes in January 1992. The young travellers are work- ing with believers who want to learn how to give chil- dren ’s classes in their own communities.
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Indians in Imbabura Province, their efforts resulting in 250 enrolments during this peri- od. Also in that country, the Peace Statement was presented to the Chief of the Saraguro Indians and the governor of the Colorado In- dians, both of whom then gave authorization to teach among their people.
A significant sign of the teaching work’s success came when greater numbers of indigenous believers arose to become teach- ers of the Cause themselves. In Costa Rica, indigenous believers were reported to have participated in large numbers of teaching projects. Interchanges took place between the Bribri and the Guaymis, including joint Visits to the Baha’i Guaymi Cultural Centre in Soloy, Panama, and to the International Native Council in June 1991. Teams of Bri- bri teachers actively collaborated in teaching projects in Honduras for a number of months. A teaching team which worked in four Garifuna Villages of Honduras in 1990 included two Belizean Garifunas, two Costa Rican Bribri, twelve Honduran Garifunas, one Misquito Indian, two Latin—Hondurans, and others. This effort was dedicated to the late Counsellor Ahmadiyyih, and resulted in 1,207 new souls embracing the F aith.
The first week of a teaching project launched on the eve of NaW-Rfiz 1989 in Quintana Roo, Mexico, was significant for the leading role played by the Mayan believ- ers. The campaign resulted in ninety-four adults, forty—seven youth, and seventy-nine Children embracing the Faith.
In the summer of 1990, new Baha’is con— tributed greatly to a teaching project on Canada’s Peigan Reserve, being responsible for half the enrolments. By December of that year, the total number of enrolments had reached eighty—five since the summer effort began, and registration cards were coming into the National Centre from Peigan at the rate of twelve or so every week.
The four—person Carib (Garifuna) Baha’i music and dance team Trail of Light from Belize and Honduras made a memorable one—week Visit to their fellow Carib people
THE BAHA’I WORLD
in Dominica during September 1988. This visit corresponded with the annual celebra— tion of Carib Week. The Carib Chief, Irvinee Auguiste, whose council acted as host to the group during its stay, received the group at the airport. On arrival at Bataka in the Carib Territory, a local television team was wait— ing, wishing to make a feature on the Carib language. The dance team was interviewed and an impressive five-minute feature was aired on cable television. The group’s activi- ties were also mentioned several times on the national radio station and in the weekly newspaper.
At the gala cultural show held for Carib Week, the group presented a twenty-minute performance of drumming and dancing to the 500—strong audience, as special guests of the Carib Council. At the close of the pro— gramme the Carib Council presented gifts of baskets and carved calabashes to each team member. This was reciprocated by a presen— tation from the team to the Council. In addition, presentations of the Peace State~ ment were made to other officials and the Kitab—i-Iqan was presented to the Carib Chief.
During their stay the team members also Visited local eraftspeople and elders to dis- cuss aspects of their culture, and further performances were given. A local historian remarked that this was the first time a cultural exchange of Garifuna-speaking people had taken place in Dominica.
Academic Circles
In its Ridvan 1990 message to the Baha’i world, the Universal House of Justice praised efforts that had been made to reach such a wide variety of indigenous peoples, stating “we have achieved a marvellous di- versity in the large numbers of ethnic groups represented in the Faith...” Then it called on the believers to increase the community’s diversity in yet another direction, by striving to share the Message With “people of capaci— ty, including persons of accomplishment and prominence in the various fields of human
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endeavour”. One avenue of this pursuit led to the world of academia.
Efforts to relate the Baha’i teachings to the thoughts and problems of the wider soci— ety led to greater interaction between Baha’is and educators from the university to the primary school. As understanding of the principles of the Faith grew, so did inclusion of the Faith in curricula.
In the United States, strong relationships had been forged with members of the aca- demic community before 1990, but in J anua1y of that year a milestone was reached when a Memorandum of Understanding was signed to establish the Baha’i Chair for World Peace at the University of Malyland’s Center for International Development and Conflict Management. Proposed by a non— Baha’i professor in response to the Peace Statement, the Chair was created to conduct and publish research, design courses and lead seminars in the field of Baha’i studies and world peace within an interdisciplinary con— text; to initiate public forums for discussing the issues proposed in The Promise of World Peace; and to establish academic links with, and provide technical assistance to, Baha’i institutions in the fields of peace education and international development. The creation of the Chair marked the first initiative by a prestigious institution of higher leaming to formulate a serious programme of Baha’i studies.
A variety of contacts between Baha’is and university professors had preceded this momentous event. For example, in December 1987, the New England Regional Committee of the Association of Baha’i Studies in N01th America held a conference on the relationship between the Baha’i Faith and Christianity at Harvard Divinity School. A number of prominent non—Baha’i speakers j oined the Baha’i speakers to address many current theological issues.
During the same month, a Baha’i seminar was held as part of the conference of the American Academy of Religion in Boston, Massachusetts. The Conference provided an
299
excellent opportunity for Baha’i as well as non—Baha’i academics to discuss common questions of scholarship and to engage in an in-depth discussion of the points raised in the broad range of presentations.
“Vast changes on the international scene have prompted talk of the emergence of a ‘New World Order’, began the description of a course offered by the Faculty of Part— time and Continuing Education at the University of Western Ontario, Canada, in the spring of 1992. The subject had been suggested by the Association for Baha’i Studies Campus Club at the University.
The course description in the F aculty’s catalogue continued: “The phrase ‘new world order’, coined by the Baha’i Faith in the 1800’s, articulates a vision of a new, unified world order, and its premises serve as a point of departure for this series of informal lectures and discussions on the world as it might be.” The class topics were “Moral Foundations of a New World Order”, “The International Economy: New Disorder”, “Political and Legal Dimensions of World Order”, “F eminism: International Movements Towards Equity”, “Environment: Global Directions in Education”, and “Racial Di- mensions of a New Social Order”.
The Association for Baha’i Studies, with its headquarters in Canada, continued to sponsor annual conferences on themes from the Writings, and published some of the proceedings, such as Unity: The Creative Foundation ofPeace; Racial Unity: An Im— perative for Social Progress; and The Bahd ’2' Faith and Marxism. In 1988, the quarterly, trilingual Journal of Bahd’z’ Studies was inaugurated to create a fomm for all re— searchers of the Baha’i Writings. (See also sub-seetion on the Associations for Baha’i Studies, pp. 461—470.)
Other universities in the Americas also offered opportunities to study the Faith. A course on the Faith was established in Brazil’s Federal University of Santa Catarina, and lectures were given in comparative religion courses at Bermuda College. In
300
Guatemala, the booklet Education for Peace was studied with a group of three hundred student teachers at a college for twenty periods of f01ty minutes each. In the United States, a document called “A CuITicqum Guide to the Baha’i Faith” was drafted to help college professors include the Faith in their courses. The National Assemb1y of Suriname reported that a number of non— Baha’i individuals had written theses related to the Faith. The Baha’i Club at the Univer- sity of California, Santa Cruz, helped design a course ca11ed “The Economics of a World Commonwealth” for an Elderhostel pro— gramme in 1988.
In 1991, the Baha’i community of Joao Pessoa, in the State of Paraiba, Brazil, suc- ceeded in having study of the Baha’i Faith included in the curriculum of the Ecumeni- cal Institute of Theological Sciences. The Institute, which was founded in March 1990, offers undergraduate studies in theology for high school teachers of religion.
The efforts of Baha’is to have the Faith included in primaly and secondary cum'eu1a also bore fmit. Study programmes about the Baha’i Faith for basic general education in public schools in Chile were approved by the Ministry of Education in June 1989. In response to this, the National Spiritual Assembly’s Department of Education held several training courses for teachers of the Faith. Topics of study included geography of
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the Middle East, the history of the F aith, the Covenant, group dynamics, children’s rights, race unity, prayers, the creative power of the Word of God, and the subject of peace.
In 1988, the National Spiritua1 Assembly of Jamaica was asked to prepare a detailed curriculum for a chapter on the Baha’i Faith in the first year compulsory Caribbean EX- amination Council Course on comparative religion. The Assembly, working in con— junction with the National Assembly of Trinidad and Tobago, submitted the material for consideration.
The Faith was also included in the Gurne- ulum of at least one government primary school in Bermuda. In Peru, high school teachers assigned research of the Faith, referring to Radio Baha’i as a resource.
In 1991 the Ministry for Education for British Columbia, Canada, approved study of The Hidden Words and The Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys as valid for meeting poetry requirements. At Maxwell Intema— tional Baha’i School, students memorized an extract from The Hidden Words each week as pa1t of their Enghsh literature programme. On week1y work sheets they recorded their understanding of the metaphors and symbol- ism used, and they sometimes compared the metaphor or symbol with a previously studied extract. Teachers found that this exercise stimulated students’ use of their reflective and contemplative powers.
Participants in a
'1 workshop that was E part of the Bahd ’z'
/ winter school held in Haiti in March 198 7.
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INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA’i ACTIVITIES 301
.‘ h“. ‘ A In! .. nu. '- 1" v —?._‘3._ ,
q.
Left: In Martinique, the ninth. National Convention was held at Fort—de- France; 1992.
Right: In Panama, members ofa
Bahd ’2' Regional Native Council taking a break from their meeting in Soloy to visit the House of Worship 0n 27June 1991.
Left: In Bermuda, friends gathered for a winter school held in F ebmary 1 98 7 .
[Page 302]
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How good it would be... that through this going and coming they [Bahd ’z’ travelling teachers] may establish the oneness of the world ofhumam'ty, summon the people to the Kingdom of God and spread the teachings. — ’Abdu ’l—Bahd