Bahá’í World/Volume 24/Conference of Bahá’í Counsellors

The Bahá’í World
Volume 24

This article reports on the appoinflnent Of

the Continental Boards of Counsellors for their new five—year term and on the Counsellors’ Conference held

26—31 December 1995.

COH£€I€DC€ O£ BAHA’t CQUNSELLQRS

O n 26 December 1995, a conference of the Continental Boards of Counsellors was convened at the Seat of the Universal House of Justice, in the presence of the three remaining Hands of the Cause—Amatu’l—Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum, ‘AliAkbar Furfitan, and ‘Ali—Muhammad Varqé—the members of the Universal House of Justice, and the Counsellor members of the International Teaching Centre.

Although a Counsellors’ Conference had been held at the Bahá’í World Centre immediately following the Seventh International Bahá’í Convention in 1993,1 this year’s conference was significantly different in that it was called at the beginning of the Counsellors’ five—year term of service and was intended to be an opportunity for these high—ranking officers of the Faith to prepare themselves for the Challenges of their duties by deliberating 0n the tasks and opportunities of the years immediately

1. See The Bahá’í World 1993—94, pp. 59—66.

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ahead. A Counsellors’ Conference of this type had not been held since that of 27 December 1985 through 2 January 1986.2

In its 29 October 1995 letter to the Bahá’ís of the world announcing the Counsellors’ appointments, the Universal House of Justice indicated that the Counsellors were being called upon to direct their attention and energies throughout their five—year term to two tasks: fostering the evolution of local and national Bahá’í institutions and helping the rank and file of the believers to increase their devotion to Baha’u’llah, their ardor in teaching others about the Bahá’í Faith, and their ability to draw on the tremendous power latent in the unified action of Bahá’í communities.

The gathering itself was marked by an atmosphere of consecration and humility on the part of the participants, and it was characterized by joy and reverence, singing, and the sharing of their diversity of experience.

As With the Bahá’í community itself, a microcosm of the human race could be seen in the diversity of the group. The newly appointed members of the Continental Boards of Counsellors represent more than ever the variety of humanity. With these appointments, the House of Justice increased the number of Continental Counsellors from 72 to 81 and enriched their numbers through the inclusion of additional Bahá’ís who are natives of the countries they are serving———eountries such as Papua New Guinea, Finland, Niger, Colombia, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Germany, Cameroon, Mexico, Ethiopia and Romania. It is also significant that 36 percent of the Continental Counsellors are women.

The various capacities and experiences of the individual members of that group were collectively directed towards the achievement of one common aim: to consider issues of implementation of the Four Year Plan, to commence at Riḍván 1996. The essential features of the new plan were presented to the Counsellors by the Universal House of Justice in its message to the gathering, dated 26 December 1995 (see artic1e pp. 31—33). With this document in hand, all contributed to the consideration

2. See The Bahd ’2' World, vol. 19, 1983—1986, p. 505.

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Members of the Continental Boards of Counsellors from around the world gather on the steps of the Seat of the Universal House of Justice with the Hands of the Cause of God, members of the Universal House of Justice, and Counsellor tnembers Of the International T eaehing Centre during the Counsellors’ Conference in Haifa, December 1995.

of the Challenges and opportunities confronting the worldwide Bahá’í community during the coming years. It was of particular note that such a focused and purposeful meeting of people from all parts of the globe should be gathered, dedicated solely to the betterment of humankind, and consulting in a spirit of unity and service, at a time of unprecedented chaos and confusion in the world.

Another distinguishing feature of the consultative sessions was the strong emphasis on and encouragement of activity and initiative at the grass roots. According to the Bahá’í writings, it is the individual WhO possesses the moral, intellectual, and spiritual powers central to the advancement of civilization. The release of these creative potentialities is as much a Challenge in the governance of human affairs as is the promotion of a democratic process of decision—making. The administrative order established by Baha’u’llah requires the elected institutions to stimulate the development and exercise of these powers, but it augments the

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provisions for this requirement through complementary institutions, one level of which is that of .the Continental Boards of Counsellors. Charged with counseling, encouraging, and assisting both the individual members of the Bahá’í community and its elected bodies, their role is to assist in unlocking the capacity for action of individuals, communities and other institutions. Their deliberations focused on ways and means of doing so. Furthermore, the consultation, rather than following a format of numerous presentations by a few members of senior institutions, was very much an exchange between the Continental Counsellors themselves, who live and work in the communities they serve, face the same social challenges as the rest of the people in their region, and move in the same social milieu.

An emphasis was placed on collaborating with and benefiting from the experiences of others: the conference included opportunities for smaller meetings, so that those with mutual interests could consult on various topics. During four of the siX conference days, separate afternoon meetings were held for each of the Continental Boards so that the Counsellors could conSider in more detail the application in their continent of the principles discussed in the morning plenary sessions. Additionally, as the

Participants in the Counsellors’ Conference visit the completed terraces below the Shrine of the 8621), December 1995.

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26 December message encouraged the Counsellors to collaborate across Continental Boards, one evening session was devoted to consultation in special intercontinental interest groups—for example, those with responsibilities in the circumpolar areas, those from francophone countries, and those working in the Russian Federation.

The 26 December 1995 message of the House of Justice formed the basis of all the consultations. Its major foci include developments in the mode of the functioning of the Continental Boards of Counsellors; the process for the elaboration of the Four Year Plan through the formulation of derivative plans and strategies at the national, regional, and local levels, involving consultation between members of institutions at all levels; the development of human resources to meet the needs of a rapidly expanding community through formally conducted programs of training; effective approaches to the raising up and consolidation of Local Spiritual Assemblies; and further means for the development of local Bahá’í communities.

Through its message the Universal House of Justice placed in the hands of the Continental Counsellors a major responsibility in the creation and implementation of the next stage of the development of the worldwide Bahá’í community; following the conference, the Counsellors began the process of consulting with National Spiritual Assemblies about how to apply the guidance contained in the message to the special conditions and circumstances of each region.

The final session of the conference was an especially moving occasion. The members of the Universal House of Justice entered the meeting in file, which roused the participants to their feet. A tablet Of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was read,3 followed by the message dated 31 December 1995 to the Bahá’ís of the world prepared by the House of Justice, which was being electronically transmitted to National Spiritual Assemblies around the world at that same time. Those gathered were profoundly affected by the Spirit of the occasion, some of them spontaneously breaking into a

3. Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (Haifa: Bahá’í World Centre, 1982), #204.

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devotional song. The meeting ended with the reading of the same tablet Of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, in the original Persian. Then all of those in attendance traveled to the Shrine of Baha’u’llah at Bahjí, where they prayed together for the success of the F our Year Plan and of their efforts in what was described in the closing session as perhaps the most important four years of their lives.

The closing evening was distinguished by a banquet for all attendees, held in their honor by Hand of the Cause Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum at the House of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Where she resides.

After the conference concluded, each of the five Boards of Counsellors took the opportunity to hold a meeting while their members were together in the Holy Land, further deliberating on the application of the guidance imparted in the 26 and 31 December messages to conditions in their regions.

In the ensuing weeks, the energizing effect the conference had on the Counsellors became clear as report after report was made of their meetings with the Auxiliary Board members in their areas. Participants in such meetings learned about the conference, studied the 26 and 31 December messages from the House of Justice, consulted on assisting communities to achieve the remaining goals of the Three Year Plan, attained greater clarity of Vision regarding their role in the years ahead, and became more resolved to arise to carry out the tasks demanded by this critical period of history. Meetings of this nature were held in places as diverse as Réunion, Kenya, Zimbabwe, the United States, Canada, the Philippines, India, the Mariana Islands, Hong Kong, Turkey, France, and Italy.

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