Bahá’í World/Volume 23/Seven New National Spiritual Assemblies
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SEVENNEW NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES
I n the spring of 1994, individuals from fourteen countries travelled to Ljublj ana, in the troubled region of the former Yugoslavia, to witness and celebrate a birth. Amidst the violence, disintegration, and ethnic conflict that have come to characterize much of the Balkans in recent years, an institution dedicated to unity was formed.
The people who gathered were members of Bahá’í communities in different parts of the world who wished to show their support, members of Bahá’í institutions who had helped nurture the new institution into being, and, most important, individuals from the region who had embraced Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings and were eager to establish the administrative body—the National Spiritual Assembly—whose aim it would be to further develop the growing Bahá’í community of Slovenia and Croatia.
At the same time, Bahá’ís in six other oountries—all areas facing tremendous soeial and economic Challenges—were engaged in the same process. At Riḍván 1994, National or Regional Spiritual Assemblies were elected-for the first time in Cambodia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Slovenia and
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Croatia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. They joined existing National and Regional Spiritual Assemblies throughout the world, bringing the total number of these Vital pillars of the Bahá’í administrative order to 172.
The first National Spiritual
Assembly of the Bahá’ís 0 T aj ikistan.
The National Spiritual Assembly is one element of a distinctive Bahá’í system of global governance. The administrative order is Viewed both as a system for conducting the affairs of the Bahá’í Faith itself and as a promising model for other institutions of administration and governance. Its underlying principles strike a unique balance between individual freedom and the collective good, combining the best elements of grassroots democracy with a facility for worldwide coordination.
The system, ordained by Bahá’u’lláh and further elaborated by His appointed successors, is organized around a set of freely elected governing councils which operate at the local, national, and international levels and are founded on a common set of electoral and decision—making principles. This structure allows individual Bahá’ís to have immediate access to a local decisionmaking body which hears all ideas and can respond to local needs while at the same time providing for a broader level of coordination and authority regarding issues which affect the nation or the planet.
The initial steps towards the establishment of Local Spiritual Assemblies were taken under the direction of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá during the closing years of the last century. However, it was not
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until after the provisions of His will and testament became known in 1921 that Local and National Spiritual Assemblies were finally and systematically established. In this document, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá stipulated that the Universal House of Justice would be elected by “secondary Houses of Justice” representing all the countries of the world. The first three precursors of these bodies, designated with the appellation “National Spiritual Assembly” by Shoghi Effendi, were formed in 1923 in the British Isles, Germany and Austria, and India and Burma. ‘
During Shoghi Effendi’s 36—year ministry, twelve National Spiritual Assemblies were born, and his rich correspondence with these developing institutions elucidated their purpose and set forth standards for their functioning. Like all Bahá’í administrative organs, National Assemblies act as channels through which the spirit of the Faith can flow and the principles and goals enunciated by Baha’u’llah can find practical expression. As such, they serve as a medium for action, their purpose being to stimulate, unify, and coordinate efforts to regenerate individual and community life. The institutions serve as catalysts which help release the dynamic forces latent within the community.
Just as the men and women serving on Local Spiritual Assemblies oversee Bahá’í community affairs within a municipal locality, N ational Spiritual Assemblies are charged with guiding and coordinating Bahá’í activities within a given country and Regional Spiritual Assemblies within a given region of the world. Their tasks range from coordinating activities for the systematic expansion of the Bahá’í community itself to fostering the initiation and administration of large—scale social and economic development projects; from overseeing relations with their respective national governments to facilitating collaboration with other like-minded groups and non-governmental organizations.
Those electing members of the National Assembly1 are exhorted to vote for individuals who exhibit a high sense of justice,
1. The nine members of a National Spiritual Assembly are elected by delegates to a national convention who may vote for any adult Bahá’í residing in the country. These delegates are chosen each year in regional elections held throughout the country.
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genuine humility, courage, devotion to Baha’u’llah’s teachings, loyalty to His Covenant, and a well—trained mind. Once elected, members are called upon to set an example of what can be achieved through absolute harmony, mature deliberation, and whole-hearted cooperation. Their actions are guided by their duty to cultivate understanding, facilitate the exchange of Views, and deepen the confidence of the people they serve.
While the institution of the National Assembly is invested with the authority to make decisions, individual members do not exercise personal authority but may be designated to carry out certain executive functions. And although authority to coordinate the affairs of the community lies with elected institutions, and Bahá’ís understand that obedience to these institutions is necessary for any coordinated efforts to succeed, it is also understood that the power to advance the Cause ultimately lies with the generality Of Bahá’ís. Thus individuals and institutions recognize their mutual interdependence, and join forces to avoid the perils of both overcentralization and anarchy.
In 1963, when 56 Regional and National Spiritual Assemblies had been established across the globe, collectively constituting a wide representation of humanity, the first election was held for the international governing council, the Universal House of Justice. This body then assumed its responsibility for deciding when conditions in a country or region warrant formation of a new National Assembly. The existence of such conditions—which include the freedom of religious communities to function in a given country and sufficient development of local Bahá’í communities—made it possible in 1994 to form the seven new bodies described below.
The New National Spiritual Assemblies in Central Asia
Bahá’ís first settled in Central Asia during Baha’u’llah’s lifetime, when the region was known as Turkistan. A flourishing community developed, and the first Mashriqu’l-Adhkár (House of Worship) Of the Bahá’í world was raised in Ashkhabad in the early part of the century. In 1925, the National Spiritual Assembly of Turkistan, with its seat in Ashkhabad, came into being. The Bahá’ís of Central Asia obeyed the Soviet government’s subsequent ban on Bahá’í institutions and religious practice and
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The first National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahd ’l’S of I Kazakhstan.
the National Spiritual Assembly was itself dissolved in 1939, but Bahá’ís in the region retained their faith as a matter of private belief and conscience. When the policy of glasnost emerged in the 19803, and then the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, the surviving Bahá’ís began to share their Faith more openly with the help of fellow Bahá’ís from other countries who were then allowed to travel to the region. By April 1992, there were approximately 500 Bahá’ís and eight Local Spiritual Assemblies in Central Asia, and the Regional Spiritual Assembly of Central Asia, with its seat in Ashkhabad, had been re-formed.
During the next two years, dozens of Local Assemblies were elected, summer and autumn schools established, media interviews given, and conferences held. By Rigivan 1994, the Faith had grown enough to warrant electing separate National Spiritual Assemblies for each of the republics of Central Asia. Thus new Assemblies were formed in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The development removed the need for a Regional Spiritual Assembly and entitled Turkmenistan to its own National Spiritual Assembly.
The first National Spiritual Assembly of Kazakhstan was elected 30 April 1994. The 120 Bahá’ís gathered were joined by Lauretta King, Counsellor member of the International Teaching Centre, who represented the Universal House of Justice for the occasion. Mrs. King also represented the House of Justice at the first National Convention of the Bahá’ís of Kyrgyzstan, held 23—24 April in Bishkek. The 150 adults, youth, and children
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gathered for the historic event expressed their “deepest gratitude and devotion to the Blessed Beauty, Baha’u’llah.”
“Praise and glory, gratitude and thanks, be upon the Threshold of the All-Merciful that in this period of history His gracious favors have been bestowed upon us,” wrote the participants in the first National Convention of Tajikistan, held in Dushanbe 29 April to 1 May. In the presence of a Counsellor member of the International Teaching Centre, Shapoor Monadj em, who represented the House of Justice, the delegates consulted, prayed, and elected their first National Spiritual Assembly.
In a message from the first National Convention of Uzbekistan,
The first National Spiritual Assembly
of the Bahá’ís of Uzbekistan.
held 22—24 April in Tashkent, the 100 participants expressed their “emotion, excitement, and anticipation” to the Universal House of Justice. Referring to a special message sent by the House of Justice to the Convention, participants said “its content uplifted our spirits and drew our attention to our Vital responsibilities in ‘serving the people of Uzbekistan through spreading this life 793
giving message at once challenging and glorious .
The National Spiritual Assembly of Cambodia
In 1993, after decades of political instability and turbulence in the southeast Asian nation now known as Cambodia, elections were held and a multi-party liberal democracy under a constitutional monarchy was established. The constitution promulgated in September 1993 guarantees the right to freedom of religious belief and practice. The following month the Bahá’í Faith was
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Hand of the Cause of God Amatu ’l-Bahd Rdhl'yyih Khdnum (center) with members offhefirsz‘ National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahd ’z's OfCambodia, Counsellors Lee Lee Ludher (far left) and Shantha Sundram (thirdfiom right), and Mrs. Violette Nakbjavdm' (third from lefi).
officially registered with the Ministry of Religion, a maj or step toward establishment of the first national Bahá’í institution in that country.
Although Bahá’ís first traveled to Cambodia more than 30 years ago to share Baha’u’llah’s teachings, they limited their activities to abide by government directives. Many Cambodians, while living in refugee camps in Thailand, found in the Bahá’í Faith principles they felt would help their nation rebuild itself. When they returned, they were able to work with Visiting Bahá’ís from Germany, the Philippines, Thailand, and the United States (among other places) and with the National Spiritual Assembly of Thailand to elect Local Spiritual Assemblies.
From 22 to 24 April 1994, more than 200 Bahá’ís, representative of sixteen different nationalities, came together in Phnom Penh to celebrate the election of the first National Spiritual Assembly of Cambodia. The Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khanum represented the Universal House of Justice for the historic occasion. Participants paid tribute to the Continental Board of Counsellors in Asia, the National Spiritual Assemblies of the Bahá’ís of Thailand and Malaysia, and the Consultative Committee of the Bahá’ís of Cambodia for guiding the community to this point.
The National Spiritual Assembly ofMongolia
The Bahá’í Faith was introduced to Mongolia in 1988 by a young graduate student from Australia who was conducting research on
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Mongolian folk music. Sean Hinton spent several prolonged periods in the country, often in remote areas, and the people he met came to know about his beliefs. In 1989, the first Mongolian enrolled in the Bahá’í Faith.
During the following five years, Bahá’ís from Canada, Germany, Malaysia, Switzerland, and the United States Visited Mongolia, and Bahá’ís from Australia, Germany, and the United States made Mongolia their home. The Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khanum Visited Mongolia for one week in May 1989, giving a series of lectures about her travels and about world peace to university students. The Bahá’í music group E1 Viento Canta shared its Latin American rhythms with television and radio audiences as well as coneert-goers.
In September 1990, the Bahá’í International Community was invited to send a delegation to the Eighth General Conference of the Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace held in the capital, Ulaanbaatar. The delegation delivered a statement called “The Common Goal of Universal Peace in Buddhism and the Bahá’í Faith.” A representative of the Council of Religious Affairs of the Government of Mongolia met with a representative of the Bahá’í International Community.
The formation of the first Mongolian Local Spiritual Assembly, in Ulaanbaatar, was reported in April 1992. In 1993 the first Auxiliary Board members were appointed, and a Bahá’í student of Mongolian culture received permission to write about the Bahá’í Faith in the newspaper the Ulaanbaatar. During the summer of 1993, Native American dancer Kevin Locke and his
The first National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahd ’z’s
of M ongolia.
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Amatu ’l—Bahd
Rúḥíyyih Khánum at the first Mongolian National Convention in
U laanbaatar, April—May 1994.
daughter Kimimila shared Lakota Sioux arts and traditions with Mongolians during a tour arranged by the Ministry of Culture. Their performances, which included explanations of Bahá’í principles, aroused great interest in the teachings of Baha’u’llah. The first Bahá’í summer school was held in August 1993 with participants from five local Bahá’í communities.
Amatu’l-B aha Rfih iyyih Khanum returned to Ulaanbaatar 29 April through 1 May 1994 to represent the Universal House of Justice at the country’s first National Bahá’í Convention. She was met at the airport by representatives of the national television station and later spoke for nearly two hours at a press conference. Bahá’ís from fifteen countries travelled to Mongolia to witness the election of the first National Spiritual Assembly, and congratulatory messages were sent from all over the world.
The Regional Spiritual Assembly ofSlovenia and Croatia
“With tears, emotion, dedication, and love, the Regional Convention of the Bahá’ís of Slovenia and Croatia was inaugurated on the 30th of April in Ljubljana,” joyful participants wrote to the Universal House of Justice. The Bahá’ís from Slovenia, Croatia, and fourteen other countries were honored with the presence of Hand of the Cause of God Dr. ‘Ali-Muhammad Varqa. In honor of the event, the Director of the Office of the Religious Affairs of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia stated in a letter dated 26 April, “Our hope is that your aspirations for world
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peace, the abolition of racial, religious, class and national prejudices, the establishment of the equality of men and women, and the development of high standards of Character will be realized. All the people of goodwill who suffer injustice in the world share these dreams with the Bahá’ís; therefore, a collective effort is needed to achieve your desires.”
The Convention celebrated the rebirth of the Bahá’í community of the region. The first seeds of the Faith were sown there in 1928 through the travels of Martha Root, a renowned Bahá’í teacher. At least one Bahá’í family lived in Yugoslavia and steadfastly kept its faith from the 1950s to the 19803, enduring 30 years of isolation from the worldwide Bahá’í community. By 1986, there were fourteen Bahá’ís in the country. During the years that followed, as foreign Visitors, particularly from Austria, were allowed to Visit more freely and the Bahá’ís were able to share their Faith more openly, the Bahá’í community in Yugoslavia began to grow steadily.
In 1988, Bahá’ís from different parts of the world participated in conferences in Yugoslavia. These included the International Colloquium on Communication and Culture, in Bled, where the paper “Participatory Radio for Rural Development: The Bahá’í Experiments,” was presented; the International Feminist Literature Conference at the Inter—University Centre in Dubrovnik, where several papers were presented; and the World Esperantist Youth Organization in Zagreb. The Visits of Bahá’í music groups El Viento Canta (J anuary 1990) and the Dawnbreakers (November 1991) also contributed to awareness and growth of the Faith.
Although some Bahá’í literature in the languages of the country was printed as early as 1936 (The Hidden Words of Baha’u’llah in Serbian), literature for the most part began being printed in large quantities in 1990. Prayer books in Croatian and Slovene, a statement on Baha’u’llah in Serbo—Croatian, and The Bahá’í Faith in Questions and Answers in Croatian and Slovene were all made available. A book fair in Belgrade was organized by the Bahá’ís in 1989, and the Bahá’í Book Distribution Service of Austria participated in the 35th International Book Fair in Belgrade in 1990. In April 1991, Bahá’ís took part in another book fair in Zagreb.
The first N ational Teaching Conference of Yugoslavia was
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held in Belgrade in J anuary 1991, preceded by a public event with radio, television, and press coverage. With the political breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991 and the declarations of independence by both Croatia and Slovenia in June of that year, two Bahá’í Regional Teaching Committees were formed to cover the area of the former Yugoslavia: the Regional Teaching Committee of the Bahá’ís Of Bosnia—Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia, and the Regional Teaching Committee of the Bahá’ís of Croatia and Slovenia.
On 23 May 1991, the Local Spiritual Assembly of Ljubljana, Slovenia, was established. In November that year, the Ljubljana Assembly helped organized a peace conference at the University of Maribor. On 10 April 1992, the Bahá’í Faith was officially
The first Regional Spiritual Assembly of . the Bahá’ís of
Slovenia and Croatia.
recognized in Slovenia. In 1993, the Government of Slovenia invited the Bahá’ís to submit suggestions concerning the role and task of the new Office for Religious Affairs. By this time, Bahá’í books had been placed in university libraries and were available for sale at public bookshops.
Bahá’ís were able to meet with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Croatia several times and to present him in 1991 with The Promise of World Peace. Bahá’í literature was also presented to the President of Slovenia by the Local Assembly of Ljublj ana. The first teaching conference was held in the town of Kranj in J anuary 1992. On 7 March 1992, the first Local Spiritual Assembly of Zagreb, Croatia, was elected, and in the summer of 1993, the second Bahá’í summer school was held. Other activities
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taking place in Croatia and Slovenia during the eighteen months leading up to the election of the Regional Spiritual Assembly included regular public meetings, celebrations of holy days, several exhibitions 0n the Faith, and participation in a seminar at the University of Maribor called “Seeking Unity of the Religions.”
In a special message to the Bahá’ís of Slovenia and Croatia 0n the occasion of their first National Convention, the Universal House of Justice wrote, “The intermixture of populations [in the Balkans] requires that ways be found to create harmonious relations between maj orities and minorities. This is an area where the Bahá’ís have special opportunities to demonstrate to the world at large the ability of the Message of Baha’u’llah to create affection and collaboration between people of diverse backgrounds, to eliminate deeply ingrained prejudices, and to construct the foundation for a peaceful and prosperous society.”
The F uture
In just over 70 years, a worldwide network of National Spiritual Assemblies has been established. In recent years, the Bahá’ís have been able to raise up these pillars of unity in precisely the areas of the world where political turbulence and ethnic Clashes have destroyed existing systems of governance. Members of historically antagonistic ethnic groups have worked side by side to form new institutions dedicated to fostering unity. In some cases, as described above, Bahá’í administrative institutions have reemerged after decades of being banned, providing evidence of the perennial endurance of the Faith’s divine mandate. As Bahá’í communities continue to grow and political boundaries continue to shift, more National and Regional Spiritual Assemblies will be formed, their existence testifying to the truth that humanity is capable of rising to the Challenges it now faces; and existing Assemblies will continue to mature to better meet the needs of both the Bahá’í communities and the national communities they serve.
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