 | The text below this notice was generated by a computer, it still needs to be checked for errors and corrected. If you would like to help, view the original document by clicking the PDF scans along the right side of the page. Click the edit button at the top of this page (notepad and pencil icon) or press Alt+Shift+E to begin making changes. When you are done press "Save changes" at the bottom of the page. |
ONE
C0 UNTRY:
A Glohal N ewsletter
La terre 11 ’est qu ’un seulpays et tous les hommes en som‘ les citoyens. La tierra es un solo pais y la humanidad sus ciudadanos. BCfl 3eMJlfl — odHa cmpaHa, u ece erodu ee apamdaue.
flfif‘ifiel ’ AfififiE ° fltfiflglfl ’ Ai'égfiéfi ° Die Erde ist nur ein Land, and alle Menschen sind seine Biirger. The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.
his brief quotation from the writings of Bahe’t’u’lláh appears
on the masthead of the French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, German, and English editions of the Bahá’í International Community’s quarterly newsletter, appropriately named One Country. Appearing first in English in 1989, it now has a Circulation, in six languages, of approximately 39,000, including individuals and organizations in more than 174 countries.
Offering a Bahá’í perspective on activities at the United Nations and around the world, One Country presents its readers with a distinctive way of looking at events and stories, a reference point that focuses on consensus and achievement instead of conflict and
305
THE Bahá’í WORLD
discord. With a mandate of service to the world community at large, it seeks, in the best tradition of journalism, to cover those stories that other publications have missed, underplayed, or overlooked. It reports, for example, on the UN, sustainable development, the advancement of women, and human rights in ways that tell of the emergence of consensus in the world community.
A recent issue of One Country covered the World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen and included a story about how an organization called the European Bahá’í Business Forum is seeking to promote ethics and spirituality among members of the business community. Another issue covered a two—day symposium on strategies for creating violence—free families. The UN action concerning human rights Violations of Iran’s Bahá’ís under the Islamic Revolutionary Government has received coverage. A unique project, cosponsored by the Bahá’í International Community and the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), designed to promote social Change around the issue of gender equality, was covered in a feature article in 1993. Other United Nations conferences and summits have also been featured, as have small local projects to assist street kids in Brazil, help new immigrants in Australia, and care for the enVironment in J apan. The J anuary—March 1995 issue’s cover story focused on the Guaymi people of Panama and their efforts to make their own path to future progress while maintaining their important traditional values.
The quarterly has a large readership in widely varying locations and sectors of society, including prominent people working in the issue areas covered by the newsletter. While some readers are members of the Bahá’í community, many are people who share the Bahá’ís’ Vision of the world as depicted in the quotation that appears on the cover of every issue. The newsletter is also circulated to and displayed in a number of libraries, and it is frequently distributed at maj or UN conferences.
The fact that the Viewpoint offered by One Country is widely appreciated is confirmed by the highly positive response and large volume of mail that the newsletter receives from its readers, including embassies and government offices in places as farflung as Angola, Trinidad and Tobago, the Cook Islands, Israel,
306
QNE COUNTRY
Versions ofone Country are published in English, simplified Chinese, French, Spanish, Russian, traditional Chinese, and German.
Mauritius, the Bahamas, Zimbabwe, the United States, and Australia. Numerous United Nations Associations and non-governmental organizations such as the International Council of Women in France, the Club of Rome in Turkey, the Organizaeion Panamericana de la Salud in Costa Rica, the Rural Development Foundation in Pakistan, the Swedish Association for World Federation, the Conflict Resolution Network in Australia, the Secretariado Nacional de Institueiones Privadas de Bienestar Social in Peru, and the Council on International and Public Affairs in the United States have given encouraging feedback, as have universities in the US, Lebanon, Mauritius, Costa Rica, and Canada. A number of UN agencies have also written to express gratitude for receiving the newsletter.
Samples from One Country’s mailbag include the following two messages. The first is from a representative of Physicians Against Nuclear War, who was sent the Russian-language edition and responded by writing, “I am deeply grateful for your journal. The goals and work of the Bahá’í International Community, towards peace and social welfare, find a responsive Chord in the hearts of many people and the information about your activities promotes the understanding of peace and unity among differing cultural traditions. As a representative of PANW, I hope that One Country will be used in our work and I will tell others about it.” From Mali, a USAID worker wrote, “The article about ‘Street Kids’ in Brazil was superb. I’ll try to share the coming issues with other colleagues in my service. Keep going
307
TIE Bahá’í WORLD
the way you are....” Such correspondence, from NGOs, likeminded organizations, diplomatic missions, governments, and individuals from all walks of life and from all parts of the planet, shows the diversity of the newsletter’s audience.
The appeal of the subjects covered has also prompted a number of other news organizations, journals, and periodicals such as the Brundtland Bulletin, the New Road, the Bulletin of Science, Technology, and Society, the Sunday Times of Zambia, and Malaysia’s daily newspaper the Star to reprint various stories that originally appeared in One Country. Prestigious Frenchlanguage publications have reprinted articles from the French edition, and the newsletter has been recommended by Le Monde diplomatique. Articles have also been extracted and placed in several electronic databases, and they are being made available by third parties on both CD—ROM and over the Internet. For example, TogetherNet carries the full text of One Country as part of its on—line service. Likewise, Responsive Database Services, Inc., recently sought and received permission to include the texts of stories from One Country in its International Women’s Issues Database.
Stories appearing in One Country are also sent to the editors of various Bahá’í publications around the world for their possible use in covering activities of the United Nations and in writing stories about other topics included in the quarterly. Articles reprinted from One Country have appeared in Bahá’í publications in India, Alaska, and Germany, for example, and are often carried by the Bahá’í International News Service.
The first English-language issue of One Country came off the press in February 1989. The French version appeared a few months later in October, and the first Chinese edition, which is produced in both traditional and simplified characters, came out in September 1990. The year 1992 saw the release of the Russian edition and the Spanish appeared in July 1993. A Germanlanguage version was in circulation by early 1994. While all editions have the same basic focus, there is room for articles of particular interest to the different parts of the world and different language groups served by each. All have proven to be popular. The English—language edition has a current print run of 20,000, with a mailing list of approximately 17,000. The French print run
308
QN_E COUNTRY
stands at 4,000, the Russian at 8,000, Spanish at 3,000, and German 2,000. The numbers of subscribers are continually expanding. For example, the first Chinese version was sent to 250 addressees in 27 countries in 1990 and has sinc€grown to circulate to some 2,000 in over 30 countries.
Written and produced in New York from the Bahá’í International Community Office of Public Information, the English version of One Country is the work of one full—time writer/editor and an administrative assistant, while the French, Spanish, German, and Russian editions are largely realized through the efforts of volunteers coordinated from the Office of Public Information in Paris. The Chinese edition is also produced by volunteers.
The secret of One Country’s success lies, perhaps, in the dedication of the people who produce it and—thanks to modern technology—in their ability to collaborate from far—flung locations. The English—language editor, Brad Pokorny, is a professional journalist with wide knowledge of international organizations. He worked for more than seven years as a staff writer for the Boston Globe, covering politics, government, and issues related to nuclear power and science and technology prior to starting up One Country. He travels several times a year to gather material for upcoming issues but also relies on volunteers around the world who can assist him in finding and writing stories. Use of global communication networks such as the Internet facilitates this collaboration and also allows for the production of a number of different language editions without incurring substantial additional costs.
The editors of the various language editions enjoy working with others from different social, cultural, and professional backgrounds all over the world and claim a particular pride in the quality and reception of the publication. Finding stories of special interest to their readership, providing the best possible translation of articles from the English version, and meeting deadlines for the production of the newsletter on a regular quarterly basis have, in some cases, proven to be acutely challenging, but not unattainable. So has operating with a modest budget.
One obvious measure of excellence is recognition by one’s
309
TILE Bahá’í WORLD
peers, and One Country can boast a solid record on that front. Since 1991, the newsletter has received either one or two awards each year from the APEX Awards for Publication Excellence issued by Communications Concepts, a national writing and editorial consulting firm based in Washington, DC. In 1991, One Country took the APEX grand award for newsletters; in 1992 and 1993, for newsletter writing and feature writing. Also in 1993, it received the general award for nonprofit newsletters. In both 1994 and 1995 its newsletter and editorial writing were recognized by APEX, particularly for the editorials “Human Rights and Education” and “On Unity and Diversity.” In fact, One Country’s feature article entitled “Helping Street Kids in Brazil Find a New Life” won both an award from APEX and another for excellence in feature writing from the Religious Public Relations Council, an interfaith, professional association of religious communicators Whose awards are issued by juries of secular journalists and media professionals. The Religious Public Relations Council also recognized One Country’s feature on “Reconsidering Civic Responsibilities in Albania” with an award of excellence in 1994.
Throughout One Country’s six—year history, the newsletter has consistently expanded its readership, striven for higher levels of excellence in its writing, and sought out interesting, positively-focused stories from around the globe. It provides an alternative perspective, realistic yet hopeful, t0 the news presented by the mainstream press. Its success, whether measured by its growing number of subscribers, the awards it has received, the number of its articles picked up and reprinted by other publications, the “fan letters” it receives, or the expansion of the different language editions, is heartening. Such support and recognition from various quarters show that the publication of a high—quality quarterly on a budget that is comparatively modest to those of other similar worldwide publications, is welcomed by diverse groups around the planet—an indication of One Country’s success as a “global newsletter.”
310
