Bahá’í World/Volume 25/The Year in Review

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[Page 55]

YEER IN

REVIEW

he advent of Riḍván 1997 brought to a close an eventful

year for Bahá’í communities around the world. At Riḍván 1996 Bahá’ís everywhere embarked on a Four Year Plan, constituting the latest in a series of plans initiated by the Bahá’í World Centre and designed to systematize and stimulate the growth and development of the worldwide Bahá’í community.1 The inception of the Four Year Plan was distinguished by a Vigorous and rapid planning process, engaging the attention of the community at all levels, beginning with joint consultations of the Continental Counsellors and National Spiritual Assemblies and extending to Auxiliary Board members and Local Spiritual Assemblies. Numerous Bahá’í communities focused more intently than ever before on establishing training institutes. In many parts of the world, Bahá’í involvement in the life of society took the form of special efforts to address the need for race unity. The year was also notable for the number of individual Bahá’ís who arose to promote the

1. See also pp. 27—37.

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teachings of their Faith through travel to distant regions and countries. This article seeks to highlight some of the specific events associated with these and other developments in the Bahá’í community this year.

Certain events of particular note will not be covered in this summary but are chronicled in more detail in separate articles: The election of two new National Spiritual Assemblies; the solemn session of the Federal Chamber of Deputies in Brazil held to mark the 75th anniversary of the introduction of the Bahá’í Faith into that country, at which Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih @énum was the honored guest; and an update on the progress of the construction proj ects on Mount Carmel.

The material in this survey is organized under the following categories: community building; landmark occasions; youth; women; race unity; peace; interfaith activities; social and economic development; involvement in the life of society; moral education; contact with prominent people; recognition; sharing the message of Baha’u’llah; institutes and other training activities; scholarship; and the arts.

Community Building

A maj or task occupying Bahá’í individuals and institutions is that of building the community itself. The Vision of what Bahá’í communities are to be has been articulated by the Universal House of Justice as “a composition of diverse, interacting participants that are achieving unity in an unremitting quest for spiritual and social progress.” Within this context, a wide array of activities and endeavors can be described as “community building.”

Children at the

1 f Muhajii‘ Institute, ‘ Mindoro, Philippines.

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[Page 57]YEAR 131 REVIEW

The influx of

Cameroonian students

into the Bahd ’z' t 7 ‘ community ofMogz'lov, "'

. 3 J 9f; "1;, Belarus, made posszble . ' t F’fiw‘f‘f‘ir

the formation Ofthe community ’5 Local Spiritual Assembly in

April 1996.

The observance of Bahá’í Holy Days is one of the first matters to occupy the attention of new Bahá’í communities, and these events are the source of spiritual refreshment and inspiration. The efforts of the following two communities merit particular mention, due to the social upheaval afflicting their countries. The Freetown, Sierra Leone, Bahá’í community celebrated the Birthday of Baha’u’llah at the National Bahá’í Center on 12 November 1996. F orty-five people attended the event. On 20 October 1996, Bahá’ís in Rwanda gathered in the National Bahá’í Center to observe the Birthday of the Bab, which was announced on the Rwandan radio station. About 50 Bahá’ís attended the event, at which the children recited poems and Bahá’í writings from memory, to the delight of the attendees.

Then on 27 October, Rwandan Bahá’ís Visited the land reserved for the construction of a House of Worship in that country, once again listening to the children read prayers and poems and sharing a meal together. In the Central African Republic, during the disturbances that took place there in May 1996, the Bahá’ís organized themselves in such a way as to protect each other and to guard Bahá’í property.

The Bahá’í principle of unity in diversity was expressed by various communities in significant ways. From 21 to 23 February 1997, a Bahá’í Native Council was held in Panama, during which representatives from a number of communities gathered together. Some 800 people participated each day, representing six countries, three indigenous groups within Panama, and thirty local communities. The final evening drew a crowd of about 2,000. Over the three days three doctors, one nurse, two assistants and a dietician from San Felix hospital offered urgent and simple assistance, including medications;

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THE, BAHA’I $09ng

on the last day all the children were vaccinated and some adults given tetanus shots. In Belarus, an influx of Cameroonian students into the Bahá’í community made possible the formation of the Local Spiritual Assembly of Mogilov at Riḍván 1996 and the establishment of a diverse community. In J uly 1996, the Tenth Annual Black Men’s Gathering was held in Hemingway, South Carolina, at the Louis Gregory Institute. Attended by over 100 Black Bahá’í men from the United States, the Caribbean, Canada, and Afiica, the event aimed at deepening the participants’ understanding of the history and role of the peoples of Afn'ean descent. As a result of the gathering, more than 45 attendees pledged to Visit Africa over the following three years to share Baha’u’llah’s message with the people there. The gathering was highly praised by the Universal House of Justice for simultaneously meeting the particular needs of a certain population While maintaining a universal spirit.

Conferences are regularly held in Bahá’í communities in order to allow people to gather from far-flung areas to create bonds and consult. The Bahá’ís of Freeport in the Bahamas held a conference

mm _

A group of musicians performed at the National Pacific Island Conference in South Auckland, New Zealand.

0n Bahá’í life from 27 to 29 September 1996. The Bahá’ís of Costa Rica held two simultaneous conferences in the autumn of 1996 to launch the Four Year Plan—one in San J ose and one in the indigenous area of Talamanca. In Equatorial Guinea a conference was held in the Village of Ntobo this year, attended by over 50 Bahá’ís from various communities in the region.

A regional congress was held in the amphitheater Of the Local Bahá’í Center in Moissala, Chad, from 25 to 28 November 1996,

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[Page 59]YEAR 11:1 REVIEW

attended by about 380 people. The purpose of the gathering was to assess the community’s strengths and weaknesses and consult on the possibilities for the future. News of the conference was reported in the national press of N’Dj amena and on Sarh Radio.

Members of many of the Bahá’í communities in the Mediterranean region gathered near Palermo, Sicily, in September 1996 for a friendship meeting which was also attended by the Hand of the Cause ‘Ali-Muhammad Varqa. About 200 people participated.

A regional conference was held on 22 and 23 February 1997 in Ngardmau, Palau, Western Caroline Islands. The attendees consulted on the role of Bahá’ís in society, what Bahá’í culture is, and how a Bahá’í can be distinguished from other individuals.

Over 220 Bahá’ís from all parts of Zimbabwe gathered in Harare in September 1996 for a National Bahá’í Congress. The event began with a women’s conference, which was attended by 35 women and featured a music and drama competition.

A key element of Bahá’í community life is the seasonal school, during which Bahá’ís from widely scattered areas can gather, study the Faith to gether, enj oy fellowship, and immerse themselves in an

Bahá’ís in Cockabamba, Bolivia,

gathered in

September

1 996 for a

COLD” S e on

the Local

Spiritual Assembly.

environment in which Bahá’í principles are being scrupulously followed. Such events forge bonds of unity and love among people who would otherwise rarely, if ever, meet. These schools are held in every part of the globe; the following are a representative sampling of summer, winter, and spring schools held this year.

The first joint Bahá’í summer school for the communities of J apan and Korea was held in Kyongju, South Korea, from 16 to 18 August 1996. There were 61 participants from J apan, 120 from

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Korea, and 10 from other countries. After the summer school, two teams made up of J apanese, Korean and Taiwanese participants arose to convey to others the message of Baha’u’llah through the use of the arts.

The fifth Bulgarian Bahá’í summer school, held near the City of Stara Zagora from 29 August to 1 September 1996, was attended by 41 participants, including eight members of the National Spiritual Assembly. Bahá’ís attended from Bulgaria, Germany, India, the Netherlands, Nigeria and the United Kingdom. In J u1y 1996, a summer school was held in Equatorial Guinea, attended by 150 people, both Bahá’ís and others. A Bahá’í summer school held in Marianao, Cuba, in August 1996 covered a variety of topics, including consultation, sharing the message of Baha’u’llah with others, and Bahá’í administration.

In Greece, the weekend of 31 May to 3 June 1996 saw a spring school for Bahá’í children, dedicated to the discovery of a true Bahá’í identity through the sharing of experiences, the offering of service, and the release of creativity and love. The school program interwove service activities with creative exercises.

The winter school held in Minsk, Belarus, in F ebruary 1997 was attended by some 90 people representing the countries of Belarus, Cameroon, Moldova, the Ukraine, and the United States. It included workshops on Bahá’í marriage and family life, teaching moral values to children, and the effects of alcohol on the family. A winter school was held in the Khartoum, Sudan, Bahá’í Center from 24 to 26 J anuary 1997 and attended by Bahá’ís from various parts of the country. Bahá’í Spring Schools were also held in the Virgin Islands and in Wales.

The effort to build communities includes special attention to the needs of families and to the effectiveness of group endeavors. 1n Dioral, Senegal, the Bahá’ís have acquired a community field in which they work together, with the proceeds from the harvest going to their local fund, as well as other development proj ects.

On 13 July 1996, Bahá’ís in the Mariana Islands and their families gathered at Tagachang Beach in Yona for an island-wide family camp, which included an observance of the Nineteen Day Feast, in addition to socializing and relaxation. From 22 to 26 August, “Camp Badi‘ 2” was held in Mayaro, by the Bahá’ís of Trinidad

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[Page 61]YEAR Il_\l REVIEW

and Tobago. The camp was an opportunity for families to gather for consultation, study, games, and relaxation in order to enhance unity of thought in the community.

The Bahá’í World Centre in Haifa, Israel, plays a Vital role in Bahá’í community life by providing both a spiritual and an administrative center for Bahá’ís all over the world. Guidance and inspiration flow out fiom the World Centre through the correspondence of the Universal House of Justice, while pilgrims and Visitors flock to Haifa, bringing their news and enthusiasm. While in Haifa, pilgrims form bonds with other Visitors from far—flung areas, further knitting together the hearts of the members of all humanity. Hand of the Cause of God ‘Ali-Akbar F uriitan plays a special role in this process ofbuilding an international community. Both through his correspondence and through his daily meetings with pilgrims and Visitors, during which he shares his wisdom and experiences, he provides others with a clearer picture of the society Bahá’ís are bringing into being.

Landmark Occasions

Two of this year’s landmark occasions have to do with making the Bahá’í writings more widely available to people the world over: the first French edition of the Kitab-i—Aqdas—the Most Holy Book of the Bahá’í Faith—was published in Belgium in November 1996; and a booklet of Bahá’í prayers in the ChiKalanga language was published in Botswana. It is the first Bahá’í booklet to be printed in this language, which is dominant in the northeast of the country. More than 2,500 Bahá’ís from 48 countries and 26 states in India thronged the Bahá’í House of Worship in New Delhi on 23 December 1996 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of its dedication. A special prayer service began the celebration, during which Bahá’í prayers and other writings were recited in Hindi, Urdu, and English and a 95-V0ice a capella choir sang. After the prayer service, attendees Visited the Indian National Bahá’í Archives, which contain some sacred relics related to the Central Figures of the Faith—the Bab, Baha’u’llah, and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá—and to its early history. The government television network aired a 30-minute program 0n the House of Worship, “The J ewel in the Lotus,” during prime time on the same day. The next two days of the celebration were held in the Sirifort Auditorium in South Delhi and included

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[Page 62]

. This year marked the

i a a t ' . E 10th anniversary Ofthe " " ” dedication Ofthe Bahá’í House of Worship in

3 New Delhi, India. 7 More than 2,500 ‘ Bahá’ís from around the world attended the ' celebration.

Aspecial 7 ; _ , culturalprogram, ‘ t 7 Wfi’ffiiii"

. . I , ‘ ‘H ._,1- '7'“;'_“H¢th Includmg dance , (mm

M ”flitr‘.“ van“

3., ‘3‘: -. Y 3‘ f0

and song ‘1 1 ‘ 11‘ presentations, . was held to ‘ '1 . commemorate the e a 10th anniversary . Of the Indian ' House of Worship.

a special cultural program of singing and dancing, which was attended by various dignitaries, as well as a wide variety of talks and other presentations. The Temple attracted over 28 million Visitors during the ten years from its dedication to the celebration; as many as 150,000 people a day have passed through its portals, making it one of the most Visited edifices in the world, and it has been mentioned or featured in numerous architectural and engineering journals for its innovative design and exquisite beauty. It was dedicated in December 1986 to “the Unity of God, the Unity of His Prophets, and the Unity of Mankind.”

A new Bahá’í center was opened in Imafin, in the middle bush area of Tanna Island in Vanuatu, at the end of November 1996. About 500 Bahá’ís attended the ceremony, which included a feast with singing and dancing and whose highlight was the placing of a copy of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas in the new center. The volume, which had been laid on a bed of flowers and taken to the top of a mountain “to be closer to God,” was carried down by four local

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chiefs. Customary gifts were exchanged, and the Aqdas was set in its place of honor.

On 11 November 1996 the Bahá’í center in Inari, Finland, was inaugurated with a program which included the participation of two members of the Sami Parliament and a member of the Inari municipality. The speakers emphasized the significance of the center as a promoter of fellowship, peace, harmony, and unity within the area. The Inari Local Spiritual Assembly, which operates in the heart of Lapland, makes the facility available as a regional center for the Sami people. Additionally, a Regional Bahá’í Council has been established for the whole Sami area, which includes parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia.

Didibuna is a tiny Village inside an abandoned rubber plantation, one hundred kilometers west of Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. On 31 November 1996, 372 people gathered there for the opening of the community’s new Bahá’í center. Some Bahá’ís traveled hundreds of kilometers to attend the event, while others from nearby coastal Villages brought contributions of food. Youth song and dance groups came, and their string bands played through the night until dawn.

The Bahá’ís Of Caacupe, Paraguay, placed the cornerstone of their future Bahá’í center in October 1996. The community’s financial resources are so limited that the Ministry of Health has no facilities to use for its vaccination campaigns. The Bahá’ís wish to offer their center for this and other community needs.

Members of the Bahá’í community of Cyprus rejoiced this year that for the first time they were able to celebrate Naw-Ri'iz together as a united community of Greek and Turkish Cypriots. Nearly 60 Bahá’ís from all parts of Cyprus gathered in the Ledra Palace for a program of readings, socializing, music, and refreshments in an atmosphere of love and unity.

On 7 September 1996, Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khanum, accompanied by Violette Nak_hj avani, participated in a conference in Lisbon, Portugal, held to commemorate the 50th anniversaryrof the establishment of the Bahá’í Faith in that country. Some 300 people gathered, including Bahá’ís from Spain, Ireland, the United States, France, and Bulgaria. During her Visit, Rúḥíyyih Khánum was interviewed by a daily newspaper, which published

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an article on the event the following Sunday, and by a television crew, whose station aired a 30-minute program about the history of the Bahá’í Faith in Portugal on national television on 10 November.

On 29 and 30 J une 1996 four National Spiritual Assemblies in the Americas—Brazil, F rench Guiana, Guyana, and Surinamemet to gether for the first time, in Paramaribo, Suriname, to discuss cooperative efforts and other subj ects of mutual concern.

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the Philippines, together with the country’s Islamic Directorate, was presented with the Gawad Ugnay Award during the Eighth National Trisectoral Congress of the National Social Action Council (NASAC) on 26 J uly 1996. NASAC is composed of members from the government, religious, and business sectors of society, and the conference’s theme was “Regeneration of Values: the Role of Family for the Twenty—First Century.” In further recognition of the Bahá’í community’s involvement with the activities of the council, the Bahá’í Faith is now represented on its Executive Board.

Australian Bahá’í Cathy Freeman took the silver medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta in the 400-meter track and field final; in so doing she became the first Australian Aborigine to win an Olympic medal. Her time was 48.63 seconds.

Youth

Bahá’ís participated in the first National Youth Congress of El Salvador, held in San Salvador on 17 September 1996. Focused on finding solutions for problems facing Salvadoran youth, the conference was attended by representatives of governmental and private agencies in addition to more than 1,400 young people. Three of the 15 Bahá’ís present were selected by their peers to be members of the National Commission of Salvadoran Youth, which was sworn in by Salvadoran President Armando Calderon Sol at the end of the Congress. A Bahá’í was also selected to be one of ten alternate members for the Commission. The event was covered by news media.

A conference on “Youth and Global Governance” was held at the Landegg Academy in Wienacht, Switzerland, from 11 to 15 September 1996. About 107 individuals from 25 countries attended the event, including representatives of various youth

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, ' - , «a . ‘~. ‘ - :; ‘ '~ A" .. 4,, , x

Y 0111/2 flom diverse backgrounds posedfor a picture at the Bahá’í House of Worship in Sydney, Australia.

In Western Samoa,

adults, )&’0Lll‘/7, and children sing at a Bahá’í'

Nil'zeteen Day F east,

held in November 1996.

, V In December 1996, ‘5 youthfi‘om Naga ' 5 land, India, attended

a Bahá’í conference

in New Delhi, which

was 1'7121716d1'ate>l}»’

fbllowed by the tenth

anniversary

celebrations Of't/ze

'L Bahá’í House

[‘3 Of Warship.

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[Page 66]THE BAHA'I WORLD

Bahá’í youth in Ireland 1 discuss the relationship ofman to God at a workshop held in August I 996.

organizations from diverse countries. Organized by the European Bahá’í Youth Council, the proceedings benefited from the active contribution of two members of the Commission on Global Governance, Madame Anna Balletbo and Lord Frank J udd.

The European Bahá’í Youth Council participated in the United Nations Youth Summit held in Vienna, Austria, from 25 to 30 November 1996. Over 350 non-governmental organizations were represented, and 12 working groups were designated to discuss issues such as drug abuse, employment, education, and tolerance. The European Bahá’í Youth Council’s representatives participated in two of the twelve working groups—“Youth Participation and Youth Rights” and “Youth and Human Settlements.”

The first Bahá’í youth conference of Kyrgyzstan, held from 26 to 28 J uly in Bishkek, was attended by some 400 Bahá’ís from 19 countries. Conference topics included the responsibility of youth and the role of Bahá’í women at this time in history.

Malawi’s annual Bahá’í youth conference was held at the Amaika Bahá’í Institute from 30 November to 1 December 1996. Participants came from Amalika, Nkaombe, Kankhomba, Chimeta, Nankwakwala, Blantyre, and Chiradzulo.

The third Southeast Asian Bahá’í Youth Conference was held in Nongkhai, Thailand, from 6 t0 9 December 1996 and was attended by over 250 youth of various ethnicities from 15 countries. The conference focused on the arts.

A Bahá’í youth conference in Lima, Peru, held from 9 to 12 J anuary 1997, was characterized by the use of the arts in encouraging and stimulating youth. The event was regarded by many as

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. Some Ofthe 9f: 235 participants '- ofa training 1 institute in ' Céted’lvoire.

"""""" www

a step forward in the consolidation of the Latin American Bahá’í youth movement that has started to emerge over the past couple of years.

The Manzini Regional Bahá’í Center in Swaziland was the scene of a Bahá’í youth conference from 3 to 12 May 1996. The first four days focused on how to tell others about Baha’u’llah’s message; the next six days were spentfactually teaching those in rural areas about the Bahá’í Faith and its principles. About 25 Bahá’í youth attended another conference held from 1 to 3 November 1996 at the same center.

From 24 to 28 December 1996, a youth conference was held at the National Bahá’í Center in Kampala, Uganda. The 78 participants came from Alaska, Burundi, Canada, Chad, Kenya, New Zealand, Spain, Tanzania, Uganda, the United States, and Zambia.

A national youth conference was held in Ebolowa, Cameroon, from 11 to 14 July 1996. The theme of the Conference was “Transformation,” and all of the topics were presented by youth. During the conference, two adults and two youth were interviewed for a radio program which was broadcast later. On 17 and 18 August 1996, 65 Bahá’í youth gathered for a youth conference in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, which was fully organized by the Bahá’í youth of that city. Both of the main speakers were Khmer youth, and about 20 percent of the participants were young women.

The second Bahá’í National Youth Conference in Hungary was held in Be'késcsaba on 23 November 1996, featuring the first performance of the Hungarian Dance Workshop, various talks,

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and workshops on the role of youth today and in the future. From 5 t0 8 April 1997, the National Youth and Pre-Youth Conference was held in Oulu, Finland, giving impetus to the enhancement of local youth group activities.

With their youth unable to attend school and left idle because of the war in that country, Bahá’ís in Angola offered a workshop from 1 t0 5 May 1996 to help the young people understand Baha’u’llah’s Vision of the world and the important role they can play in society. A camp was held at the Bahá’í institute in Mahalapye, Botswana, for the youth who were on holiday. It provided opportunities for fellowship, as well as classes on the Bahá’í Faith, music, and drama. A youth camp was also held in Belize in J uly 1996.

From 29 April to 2 May 1996, a spring school for Bahá’í youth and junior youth took place on the island of Crete in Greece with approximately 20 participants. The young people studied the Bahá’í writings and discussed topics such as the power of divine assistance, consultation, and offering a period of service to the community. On 14 and 15 December, the Bahá’í community of Argentina held a celebration to mark the culmination of its “F uture Society” course, which has for five years been providing youth with an opportunity to deeply study the Bahá’í Faith.

Salonika, Greece, saw a four—day seminar this year in which themes such as transformation, the love of Baha’u’llah, and the F our Year Plan were discussed. Other opportunities for youth to study the Bahá’í writings were offered by the Bahá’í communities of Plovdiv, Bulgaria, and Coverden, Guyana.

Ocean Waves Dance Workshop ofSouth Korea peiforn'zs for a senior Citizen group in Kyoung J11 City in August 1996.

[Page 69]YEAR I_N REVIEW

Bahá’í youth in Tenerife, Canary Islands, engaged in a variety of activities to serve the community for nineteen days beginning 27 August 1996. They Visited a center for people with mental disabilities and a hospital, they offered a talk and discussion on drug dependency, and Visited a home for the aged in Puerto de la Cruz, helping the elderly people during their meal time and taking them to Visit a zoological amusement park.

On 25 August 1996 the third “Full Color Festival” was held in Emmen, the Netherlands, to let people from different cultures in the region get to know each other better. Bahá’í participation included a stand of literature and three dynamic performances of the Bahá’í youth workshop “Awake.”

Bahá’í youth in Singapore participated in three maj or activities in June 1996: a 24-hour prayer Vigil held 011 15 June; a musical introductory meeting on 22 June; and a youth carnival on 29 and 30 June. At the 22 June meeting, the Singapore Bahá’í Youth Workshop gave its first public performance at the Hilton Hotel.

Bahá’í youth year of service volunteers at the Native American Bahá’ílnstitute in Houck, Arizona, in the United States, took part in a monthly youth development program that aims to raise their awareness of their own special talents and their confidence to play a part in the development of their own communities, and to develop in them the skills necessary for offering the Bahá’í message to others.

A special project in Belgium, carried out in August 1996, succeeded in attracting positive attention to the Bahá’í Faith 0n the part ofpeople ofvarious backgrounds in Brussels. Sixty youth from 18 countries participated, including Panacea, a workshop composed of youth serving at the Bahá’í World Centre, which contributed to the success of the proj ect.

On 25 J uly 1996, Sparks of Peace, composed of some 20 youth from eleven countries in the Caribbean, premiered their program of drama, dance, music, and puppetry at Mapps College, St. Philip, Barbados. In preparation for their dispersal in teams throughout the Caribbean, they produced a cassette of stories, designed and printed 21 teaching pamphlet, recorded a cassette of original songs, and wrote scripts to teach the principles of the Bahá’í Faith through dramatic performances. Five went to Statia, in the West

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[Page 70]1 , 4,71 k, A J4w¥4._14._. #. A, .. .A J L; L A A “:5. “J ;. uuwwa ,7 , = .

T HE BAHM WORLD

Leeward Islands, from 27 J uly to 11 August, performing skits about the equality of men and women, conducting children’s classes, and sharing the Bahá’í message with others.

On 12 and 13 October, an Ecuadoran radio station sponsored an art contest among schools in the city of Bahia de Caraquez. The organizers invited a Bahá’í Youth Workshop to open and close the program with performances of music and dance. About 1,200 people attended the event, which was held in a coliseum. The Youth Workshop performed seven artistic pieces conveying the message of the need for unity. The following day the youth also performed in the central park.

On 22 May 1996, the Maui Bahá’í Youth Workshop in Hawaii performed at the Maui Memorial Stadium to.a11 of the fifth grade classes in the county. The performance, which was sponsored by the Maui County Police Drug Awareness Resistance Education (DARE) program, centered on the destructive and damaging effects of drug addiction. The DARE program officers had called the Bahá’í Youth Workshop “the most important tool” at their disposal “in reaching the youth of Maui County with this important message.”

The Maui Bahá’í Youth Workshop completed a seven—week tour of the islands in the Central Pacific on 26 July 1996. In Kiribati, over 6,000 people attended their shows, including the President, Vice-President, Cabinet members and high-ranking government officials. The Kiribati Youth Song and Drama Team, which was performing throughout the islands, joined the Hawaiian youth. In Tuvalu, about 2,000 people, representing almost a quarter of the country’s population, attended the performances. In the Marshall Islands, the youth offered four performances and carried out community service, including painting several schools.

Sixteen youth who formed a song and dance workshop called Ocean Waves visited eight cities in South Korea in two weeks during the summer. The group was made up of one youth each from Germany and Guam, five from J apan, four from South Korea, and five from Taiwan.

In June 1996, a three-week proj ect was arranged in Poland in conjunction with the Visit of a Bahá’í youth theater and dance group from Canada during whichBahá’í classes were conducted in

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many communities of the country. The Canadian youth group was on a “World Citizenship Tour/Service Proj ect.” The effort was covered in the newspaper and on the radio.

Bahá’í youth in St. Martin, West Leeward Islands, formed a youth dance group this year, offering their first public performance of a dance on unity on 17 October 1996 at the Grand Case Community Center as part of the Bahá’í contribution to an ecumenical service.

Members of Europe’s Diversity Dance Workshop—youth of diverse cultural backgrounds from about seven countries in at least four continents—took a year from their studies to tour Europe, with a goal of using dance to promote the principles and teachings of the Bahá’í Faith. The group’s itinerary included Germany, France, Macedonia, Albania, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, Spain, Belgium, and Denmark.

Other Bahá’í youth workshops were active this year in Alaska, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Mariana Islands, the Netherlands, Russia, and Singapore. Additionally, groups traveled in West Africa and East Africa, and dozens of workshops were busy all across the United States.

Women

The urgent need to raise the status and improve the living conditions of women the world over occupied the attention of the Bahá’í community once again this year. The Bahá’ís’ endeavors took the form of both awareness-raising activities and special proj ects.

A representative of the Bahá’í Agency for Social and Economic Development (BASED) of Cameroon took part in the seventh International Forum of the Association for Women in Development, held in Washington DC, in the United States, in September 1996. The BASED representative offered a presentation on the role of males in achieving gender equity in the family, based on the experience of the “Traditional Media as Change Agent” project.

An event to celebrate International Women’s Day was held on ' 8 March 1997 by the National Women’s Development Center, an organization Of the Kiribati government. Bahá’í women provided,

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[Page 72].L A—L_.L)LM4J~J4 1 . 7/.717 A_I_._J_LJ._LV 11,4,L244 Jr 1 An A AA

TEE Bahá’í WORLD

at the request of the organizers, devotions in Kiribati and English at the beginning of the event. Attendees included the Honorable Teburoro Tito, the President of Kiribati, and his wife, Nei Keina Tito, as well as several ministers and senior government officials, Bishop Paul Mea and other religious leaders, the Australian High Commissioner and other diplomatic representatives, and representatives of several non-governmental organizations.

A seminar in honor ofInternational Women ’5 Day was held at India ’5 National Institution of Women on the topic of “Towards a Violence-Free

F amily. ”

Diane Starcher was invited as a representative of the European Bahá’í Business F orum to give a presentation on “Women Entrepreneurs: Catalysts for Transformation” at the Seventh Annual Trade Fair for Women Entrepreneurs held in Madrid, Spain, from 7 to 10 November 1996. The fair aimed at giving women entrepreneurs the opportunity to rent stands to make themselves and their products or services known.

The third Women’s Seminar, organized by the Bahá’í Association of Women in the Canary Islands, took place from 31 May to 2 J une 1996. The event was held in Grand Canary and was attended by 39 people. On 20 February 1997, a public program entitled “Empowering Women” was held in Gaborone, Botswana. Additionally, a conference on women’s and children’s education was held at the Bahá’í Center in Gaborone on 23 March.

The tenth annual National Women’s Conference in Kenya, with a theme of “Women, The First Educators of Mankind,” was held at the Nakuru Bahá’í Center from 14 to 18 August 1996. The conference included workshops where participants could learn how to make various handicrafts. Attendees from the central and western parts of the country offered traditional dances and songs, and an evening of entertainment was presented by the Bahá’í youth, who sang, danced, and performed plays. On 2 June 1996, the

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Delta State Chapter of Nigeria’s Bahá’í Office for the Advancement of Women held a conference for women. Men who had helped set up were observers at the event, during which talks were delivered on various topics relating to women.

The Malaysian Bahá’í community engaged this year in an array of activities to address the need to raise the status of women. Bahá’ís in Tangkak helped organize a public forum, held on 28 September 1996, for sharing experiences of the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing; a family workshop focusing on women’s and men’s differing needs was held in August 1996; and Bahá’í women took part in State Women’s Day on 28 September 1996.

A three-day course on empowering women was held in July 1996 by Bahá’ís in Cape Town, South Africa. Attended by older women who had habitually served behind the scenes of various activities without putting themselves forward, the event was seen by many as a profound and moving experience that offered them a precious opportunity to express themselves freely without feeling ashamed for not being well educated.

Two events in Australia this year highlighted the role of women as peacemakers: more than 100 people participated in a one-day conference held in F remantle, Western Australia, entitled “Achieving Peace: A Dream of the Past and a Reality of Today”; and over 250 people attended the Clara and Hyde Dunn Memorial Dinner and Lecture in Melbourne, held this year on 16 November 1996, which featured Wilma Ellis, a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors in the Americas, speaking on the theme “Women: Peacemakers, Reformers, Leaders.” Also in Australia, a Visit by Patiicia Locke, a Lakota Sioux from South Dakota who serves on the U.S.National Spiritual Assembly, to an indigenous women’s meeting in Mt. Morgan created new bonds and moved many of those present. Mrs. Locke, who is the executor of an international institute dealing with Native American language issues, was the first Native American woman to win a MacArthur Fellowship.2

The Bahá’í community of India kept up a steady stream of events designed to address issues of concern to women and raise

2. See The Bahá’í World 1995—96, p. 86.

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their status in that country. A seminar hosted by the Indian Bahá’í Office for the Advancement of Women this year focused on the empowerment of women as a key to the alleviation of poverty. That office, in collaboration with other organizations, also hosted a seminar on 25 April 1996 on “Creating Violence-Free Families.” The Chief guest was Padma Seth, a member of the National Commission for Women. The states of Madhya Pradesh, Punj ab, and Manipur also saw special gatherings for women organized by the Bahá’í community, in conjunction with literacy Classes and discussions on the role of women in development. Vocational training for women was offered by Bahá’ís in Bihar and West Bengal.

In August 1996, phase II of the “Traditional Media as Change Agent” proj ect was presented in five Villages of the Kadei Division of Cameroon. Sponsored by the United Nations Development F und for Women (UNIFEM) and by the Bahá’í International Community, the proj ect uses dramatic sketches, songs, dances, and stories to identify problems in the communities such as lack of education, inequality between men and women, and attachment to obsolete customs. At the end of the presentations, men and women from the Villages were selected to discuss the implications of the problems and to make recommendations about how they could be solved. As a result of these consultations, four of the communities created farming cooperatives, two purchased corn mills to lessen the strain of the women’s work, and one dug a well for drinking water with the assistance of an American Peace Corps volunteer.

Literacy and health classes for women were offered in various communities in the Gambia. One community included a lesson in sesame brittle production, to assist the women in generating income. In Sweden, a Bahá’í woman has begun holding regular meetings for young girls aimed at strengthening their identities and opening up a dialogue with them on the deep questions of life.

The Bahá’í Frauen Forum (Bahá’í Women’s Forum) was established in Germany in June 1996 with a meeting at the Bahá’í National Center. To demonstrate the Bahá’í community’s commitment to the principle of the equality of men and women, the forum welcomes the membership of men as well as women and it elected one of the male participants as a member of its board of directors.

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Race Unity Representatives of the Welsh Bahá’í community attended a reception held by the Commission for Racial Equality in St. David’s Hall, Cardiff, this year. The reception launched the “Roots of the F uture” project, a large exhibition that features photographs and images showing that ethnic diversity is nothing new in Britain.

The first Annual General Meeting of the Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Equality took place in Belfast on 11 May 1996. Nooshin Proudman, a Bahá’í from Derry who had chaired the body during its first year of existence, was reappointed as its chairman. The council has responsibility for fostering good race relations in Northern Ireland.

On 12 June 1996, the Bahá’ís of East London, South Africa, invited the public to join them in celebrating Race Unity Day. About 400 people gathered to mark the occasion, including the mayor, who was the keynote speaker. The Italian Consul in East London also spoke at the event. A number of choirs and dancers performed, including an Afrikaans primary school choir, an Indian dance group, Afiican choir and dance groups, and Philippine dancers.

Bahá’ís all over Australia vigorously tackled issues of racial unity and Aboriginal reconciliation this year, mounting a number of short— and long-term initiatives. The National Spiritual Assembly of Australia published a statement on racism and offered a submission to the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Children. In addition, a special service was held at the Australian House of Worship on 8 December 1996 in honor of Human Rights Day, and at the reception held at the National Center beforehand Chris Sidoti, the Australian Human Rights Commissioner, spoke about the continuing problem of racism. The Bahá’í Committee for the Advancement of Women hosted a meeting on 10 December 1996 at which Annette Peardon, the State Secretary of the Tasmanian Aboriginal Center, spoke Of her experience of being taken from her family at the age of seven under government separation policies and being placed in a girls’ home. On the local level, Bahá’ís organized or participated in celebrations of cultural diversity in Sydney, Warringah, and Wollongong. The Bahá’í community of Rockdale organized a “Week

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of Prayer for Aboriginal Reconciliation” which was attended by Robert McClelland, the Federal Member of Parliament for Barton and George Thompson, the State Member of Parliament for Rockdale. Mr. Thompson’s report on the event was published in the Hansard Proof for 11 June 1996.

The Canadian Bahá’í community’s National Race Unity Award was presented this year on 22 March 1997 to Vision TV at a ceremony in Toronto. Accepting the award were Vision TV’s President, Fil Fraser, and Rita Deverell, Vice President of Production and Presentation. Members of Parliament J ean Augustine and Gurbax Malhi attended the event along with other dignitaries and representatives of many faith groups and organizations. Vision TV, known as Canada’s Faith Network, was selected for the award in recognition of its unique national role in promoting racial unity. Many of its programs uncompromisingly examine and celebrate race, religion, and culture and clarify misconceptions in an effort to eliminate stereotypical attitudes and racial bigotry.

Also in Canada, over 30 local Bahá’í communities participated in Unity in Diversity week, an initiative of the National Spiritual Assembly, often observed in collaboration with likeminded organizations and featuring proclamations by mayors and city councils, festivals, conferences, and public service projects. The intent of Unity in Diversity week is to celebrate diversity as a source of strength and beauty in the community.

Raj en Prasad, New Zealand’s Race Relations Conciliator, met with members of the Bahá’í community on 24 June 1996, seeking to establish a working relationship in addressing questions of race relations. The Bahá’ís presented Dr. Prasad with a number of documents pertaining to the subject, including The Prosperity ofHumankind, The Promise of World Peace, and several books written by Bahá’ís on race unity and cultural diversity.

Bahá’í communities in the United States responded to a series of burnings of black and multiracial churches by taking part in inter-faith services and through a statement issued by the National Spiritual ASsembly Of the United States. The statement said, in part, “. . .these acts are directed at all humanity, for humanity is one.”

“Racism: Just Undo It,” a non-profit group which began as an effort of the Bahá’ís of New York City, recently took its third annual

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Show of Solutions campaign into New York City schools, aiming to help children learn to problem-solve and contn'bute to the building of a world free from racial prejudice. Bahá’ís also sponsored or took part in a number of conferences dedicated to eradicating racial prejudice. Once again this year, Bahá’í communities participated, and often took a leadership role, in local Observances of Martin Luther King J r. Day in J anuary 1997 throughout the United States. In Wenatchee, Washington, the Bahá’ís initiated a multiethnic event called “Celebration of Unity,” which was attended by over 200 people. Localities where Bahá’ís marched in King Day parades and hosted and attended services and commemorations of the day included San Jose, and Los Angeles, California; Olean, New York; Colorado Springs, Denver, and East Boulder County, Colorado; Sun Prairie, Wisconsin; Sanford, Florida; Greenbelt, Maryland; Carrollton, Houston, and Plano, Texas; and Gallup, New Mexico.

Bahá’í communities in the United States also drew attention to the evils of racial prejudice through organizing Observances of Race Unity Day in June 1996. A commemoration sponsored by the Bahá’í community of Marquette, Michigan, featured a tree planting near the grave of Native American Chief Kawbawgam. An interracial Bahá’í couple involved with the event returned home from the celebration to find a Race Unity Day flier marked up with racial epithets, a swastika, and a Ku Klux Klan symbol. This garnered significant media attention to the efforts to promote racial unity. Many other Bahá’í communities held celebrations of the day, including the Bahá’ís Of the Central California coast; New York, New York; Fort Wayne, Indiana; Clarkdale, Arizona; Woodbridge, Virginia; Invemess, Florida; Lansing, Michigan; Lexington, Kentucky; Chicago, Illinois; Kansas City, Kansas; Aberdeen/Raymond, Washington; and Austin, Texas.

Peace

The Local Spiritual Assembly of Puerto de la Cruz on the island of Tenerife, in the Canary Islands, collaborated with the City government in organizing an observance of UN World Peace Day on 22 September 1996. The event featured a series of activities held from nine in the morning until midnight in the city’s central square,

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Plaza del Charco, including a children’s art and handicraft contest, a “Peace Concert,” and the presentation of a work of art to the mayor. Over 1,000 people attended the celebration, two regional newspapers published articles announcing it, and two television channels interviewed Bahá’ís.

During social upheavals in the Central African Republic in spring 1996, the Bahá’ís offered a prayer for peace on the radio and then subsequently organized a concert for peace, held on 25 J uly, which featured a musical group of youth known as “Les Jardiniers de Dieu.” Nearly 1,000 people attended the concert and a crew from the national television station was present. The Bahá’ís also presented programs on Central African television dealing with “peace and development” and “peace and justice.”

The third Bahá’í Peace Relay was held in Japan on 6 August 1996, running under the slogan “Peace—Pass It On.” Leaving Hiroshima, Japan, at 8:15 a.m. 0n 6 August 1996, and arriving in Nagasaki at 11:02 a.m. 0n 9 August, the 30 runners in this year’s relay team represented eight different countries and a variety of ages. Nippon Hoso Kyokai (J apan Broadcasting Corporation) broadcast the last part of the Peace Run on Nagasaki TV news, and one of the NHK reporters was inspired to join a team and run the last few meters.

The Bahá’ís of Sri Lanka held an observance of United Nations World Peace Day at the National Center on 21 September 1996. About 60 people attended the event, for which the guest speaker was J ehan Perera Of the National Peace Council.

A reception was held on 26 April 1996 in Chisinau, Moldova, to mark the contn'bution of a sample of Moldovan soil to the Bahá’í

.% '2 i The second International Native Council was held from 2/ t0

• 23 February 1997

• K at the Guaymi

Cultural Center in Soloy, Panama.

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community, to be added to the Peace Monument in Rio de J aneiro, Brazil in 1997. The soil was taken from the foot of the oak tree under which King Stephen the Great was reputed to have enjoyed resting, in the forest near the Capriana Monastery. Various government departments, state agencies, and non-governmental organizations sent representatives to the ceremony.

In all the Peace Monument received soil from nine countries this

year.3

Interfaith

Baha’u’llah exhorted His followers to “consort with the followers of all religions in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship.” Accordingly, Bahá’ís eagerly take up opportunities to work hand in hand with other religious groups and people of other faiths.

The Bahá’í community of Tallinn, Estonia, held a panel discussion on 12 J anuary 1997, on the occasion of World Religion Day, with the attendance of the Director of Religious Affairs of the Estonian Government, Mr. Au, as the guest of honor. The crew of the national television station filmed the event and interviewed a member of the Regional Spiritual Assembly of the Baltic States. A report was broadcast the same evening during the prime time news and current events program.

Abdullah Tarmugi, Singapore’s Minister for Community Development, offered the keynote address during the World Religion Day commemoration held on 19 J anuary 1997. This third annual observance of the Day was cosponsored by the Inter-Religious Organization of Singapore and the Bahá’í community, and was attended by about 1,000 people. The event was covered by television, and reports were published in newspapers.

On 27 November 1996, two Bahá’í representatives participated with the Hong Kong Network on Religion and Peace on a Visit to the Kowloon Mosque. The Visitors were given a tour and were invited to observe an evening prayer session. .

In Orissa, India, Bahá’ís assisted in the organization of the World Religion Day observance, whose theme this year was “Communal Harmony,” a topic welcomed by both local government

3. See p. 129 of this volume for further details.

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officials and the general public. A Bahá’í representative spoke at the event, which was attended by some 120 people of diverse backgrounds. The “Communal Harmony Run” held on 20 August 1996 in Orissa also featured the participation of a number of Bahá’í youth.

The Ministry of Education of Botswana called for workshops in Kanye and Gaborone to discuss the expanded syllabus for religious education with the junior secondary schools. A representative of the Bahá’í Faith responded by making a well-received presentation to forty teachers from private and government schools and providing source materials.

A member of the Bahá’í community of Mauritius made a presentation 0n the human soul at a two-day conference on life after death, which was organized by a group that promotes unity among religions. The event took place on 6 and 7 February 1997 at the University of Mauritius and involved the collaboration of a number of other religious groups.

A Bahá’í interfaith conference on “Women, Equality and Religion” was held at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, 011 22 June 1996. It was organized by the Local Spiritual Assembly of Ibadan

Various religions were represented at the Singapore Bahá’í community ’5 [/1 ird observance of World Religion Day on 19 Janumgv 1997.

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The Local Spiritual Assembly (zf'lbadaiz Sponsored (m interfaith conference 1 “Women, Eqmzlity, and Religion ” On 22 June.

and featured representatives of the Bahá’í, Christian, Hindu, and Islamic religions. After each presentation, the floor was opened for questions for one hour.

A Bahá’í participated in a seminar on religious minorities held from 18 to 20 J uly 1996 in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, and organized by the Christian Study Center. Thirty—five representatives of minority religions attended the event, at which the Bahá’í participant spoke and distributed a paper on collaboration among religious minorities.

Involvement in the Life of Society

More than ever before, Bahá’í communities and individuals made strenuous efforts to contribute solutions to the problems vexing society, confronting such issues as the environment, health care, human rights, and the need for world government.

On 5 J une 1996, the International Day of the Environment, the Bahá’í community of El Salvador sponsored a seminar entitled “Let Us Protect Our Planet,” Which included the participation of the president of the Legislative Assembly Commission for Protection of Environment and Public Health, a USAID official for Environment, and a representative of the Green Project. Bahá’ís distributed a

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paper at the event on the subject of “The Spiritual Dimension of the Ecological Problems.”

The Bahá’í-sponsored Children’s Environmental Art Exhibition took place in Hong Kong from 1 to 4 October 1996 at the Visual Arts Center in Hong Kong Park. May Ng of the Friends of the Earth officiated at the opening ceremony, and the exhibition was covered by one English and two Chinese newspapers.

In Trinidad and Tobago, an interfaith service, environmental walk and brunch took place simultaneously in Port of Spain, San Fernando, and Tobago, on 2 June 1996. During the interfaith service, which was held at the Wild Flower Park, Bahá’í prayers and writings were read.

This year an Albanian association dedicated to assisting children with mental retardation held a seminar at the Bahá’í Cultural Center in Tirana. A Bahá’í psychologist, F arhad Sobhani, offered the presentation on the topic. In Bangladesh, the third Rural Health Workers Training Course was completed in spring of 1996. The two-month course sought to imbue participants with the spirit of service to humanity, and to impart knowledge that will enable them to contribute to the health of their communities.

The fourth European Bahá’í Health Conference took place in Budapest, Hungary, from 18 to 20 October 1996. Organized by the Táhirih Institute of the Netherlands, in cooperation with a committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of Hungary, the gathering brought together 58 delegates from 16 countries. The main themes discussed were the health effects of family disruption; Violence within the family; racism in the health—care profession, and discrimination in health provision; science and its effects at international, national, and local levels; and other topics related to health, in the light of the Bahá’í teachings.

Bahá’í communities around the world frequently held special Observances for various United Nations Days and other related events. About 60 people gathered at the Bahá’í Regional Center in Bamenda, Cameroon, to celebrate the UN International Day of the Family on 15 May 1996. Two speakers addressed the audience on the theme “The Family and the F ight against Poverty.” On 27 August 1996, an official delegation of the National Spiritual Assembly of Luxembourg and other members of the Luxembourg

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Bahá’í community attended the World Congress of the World Federation of United Nations Associations held there. In Guyana, the Bahá’ís held Observances of United Nations Charter Day, on 26 June 1996, and International Day of Peace, on 17 September. The Bahá’ís in the Philippines celebrated United Nations Day with a meeting held in Manila on 27 October 1996 on the theme of “World Citizenship, a Global Ethic for Sustainable Development.” Among the speakers were the mayor of Makati City, who gave the welcoming remarks, and the United Nations representative. In the

........ A The singing group . “Nighz'ngales”

( 3; from north Malaita, ’ l Solomon Islands, {3 walked for two days "'3 to get to T iriuna to g» participate in the “Ocean ofLight ”

T eaching project, held in November

" 1996.

audience were ambassadors, representatives of the government, the business sector, and religious groups.

On 15 July 1996, Bahá’ís in Uruguay held an event to pay tribute to the United Nations in the F east Room of the Uruguayan Parliament—the first time in the history of that body that a religious minority held an official act there. The advisor to the Uruguayan Vice—President attended the event, and messages were received from the Secretary—General of the United Nations, the President of Uruguay, and various other governmental officials and members of Parliament.

On the Slst anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, the Albanian Bahá’í community, in collaboration with the Albanian Forum of Non-governmental Organizations, held a commemorative event at the Bahá’í Cultural Center in Tirana which was attended by over fifty guests, most of them members of various Albanian NGOS. Bahá’ís in Albania also held round-table discussions at the Bahá’í Cultural Center on the occasions of International Volunteers’ Day for

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Social and Economic Development, on 5 December 1996, and Human Rights Day, on 10 December. The Bahá’ís of Bangladesh observed UN Human Rights Day on 10 December 1996 by holding public events in Rajshahi, Khulna, Chittagong, and Dhaka.

Concern for human rights sparked other Bahá’í community efforts this year. The National Spiritual Assembly of Cyprus sponsored a gathering in Nicosia on 22 J anuary 1997 whose featured address was “Global Human Rights: Vision and Reality.” The talk was delivered by Ambassador Andreas Mavrommatis, a member of the United Nations Human Rights Committee at the Center for Human Rights in Geneva. He formerly served as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Cyprus t0 the United Nations in New York.

At the invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Bahá’í representatives in New Zealand attended two fora 0n international human rights, in Wellington and in Auckland. Topics discussed included the Rights of the Child; the Convention for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women; and the establishment of a network of national human rights institutions in the Asia-Pacific Region.

On 23 J anuary 1997, the Romanian Institute for Human Rights held a reception in connection with the publication of Reference Points for a Human Rights Philosophy, by Irina Moroianu Zlatescu and Victor Dan Zlatescu, the last Chapter of which is entirely devoted to the Bahá’í Faith. At the reception the Bahá’í delegation had the opportunity to meet a number of government officials.

A group of Bahá’ís attended the First National Conference of Human Rights at the Nereu Ramos auditorium Of the Brazilian House of Representatives on 26 and 27 April 1996. Proposals for the National Plan for Human Rights were formulated at the event and submitted to President F emando Henrique Cardoso and Minister of J ustice Nelson J obim.

On 11 October 1996, the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs invited all the human rights non-governmental organizations, including the Bahá’í community, to a meeting in preparation for the 53rd Session of the Commission on Human Rights. The Ministry asked the non-governmental organizations for their input on what subjects should be raised at the Commission.

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The questions of international cooperation and global governance also demanded the attention of Bahá’í communities this year. Bahá’ís in the United Kingdom collaborated with the Commission on Global Governance and the United Nations Association in organizing a conference on “Governance in the Global Neighborhood.” The event took place on 2 November 1996 at the International Students’ House in London and was attended by over 90 people from 10 countries.

The first National Conference on Global Governance in Costa Rica was held on 22 and 24 October 1996 in the Ex-President’s Hall of the National Legislative Assembly. Initiated by the Bahá’í community and cosponsored by the United Nations Development Program, the National Legislative Assembly, the Ministry for External Affairs, the Arias Foundation for Peace, the University for Peace, the University of Costa Rica, and the National University, the event focused on discussion of the report of the International Commission on Global Governance, Our Global Neighborhood.

The Fifth International Dialogue on the Transition to a Global Society was held in Budapest, Hungary, from 25 to 27 October 1996, on the theme “A Planetary Consciousness for an Ever-Advancing Civilization.” It was organized by the Club of Budapest, Landegg Academy, and the Center for International Development and Conflict Management at the University of Maryland. Messages were received from Amatu’l-Bahá Rfihjyyih Khánum and from the Viee-President Of the United States, Al Gore. Sir Yehudi Menuhin, 1992 Goodwill Ambassador of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Gertrude Mongella from the United Nations Development Program, and Vigdis Finnbogadéttir, former President of Iceland, gave keynote speeches. A concert was given on the second evening by the Hungarian State Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Ken—Ichiro Kobayashi, and the Club of Budapest “F irst Planetary Consciousness Prizes” were awarded to Vaclav Havel, President of the Czech Republic, and to a group of folk dancers and choreographers. Sir Yehudi Menuhin and Sir Peter Ustinov presided over the awards ceremony.

From 2 to 16 September 1996, four conferences were held in Mexico City by the Bahá’ís of Mexico, all of which had the theme “A New World Order.” The second annual Bahá’í Conference on

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“Law and International Order” was held at the De Poort Conference Centre in Groesbeek, the Netherlands, from 19 to 22 September 1996. The gathering featured Mohsen Enayat’s Dr. Aziz Navidi Memorial Lecture on “The Evolution of the World Order” and focused on the statement T uming Point for All Nations and on the challenge of global governance.

The Bahá’ís Of Altenkirchen, Germany, held the Fifth Festival for International Understanding 0n 2 June 1996 under the patronage of the Minister of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate, Walter Zuber. About 600 people attended the festival, which featured the participation of a number of district and city officials. The Bahá’ís also collaborated with the World Federalist Movement and Terra One World Network in the organization of a panel discussion on the topic Of“G10balization——A Challenge to the Nations.” This event was held at the University Club in Bonn on 9 December 1996.

A panel discussion on “The Role and Involvement of the Worldwide Community: A Turning Point for All Nations” was held at Sala dello Stenditoio Of the Ministry for Cultural Endowments and Environment in Rome, Italy, on 6 December 1996. Organized by the Bahá’í community in cooperation with Ecole Instrument de Paix (EIP), the event had the goal of opening a dialogue between the institutional and academic worlds and non-governmental organizations in the search for a common strategy to help solve worldwide problems.

Bahá’í communities made other efforts to address a wide variety of social issues. Drums of Light, a group composed of native Alaskan Bahá’ís, assisted in the planning and organization of Celebration ’96 in Juneau, Alaska. The event took place from 6 t0 8 J une 1996 and brought over four thousand people together to celebrate their native heritage.

Bahá’ís in Florida, Uruguay, organized a meeting in November 1996 that focused on the role of women in the establishment of peace and included the participation of various professionals and people of capacity. A reporter from a local journal interviewed the Bahá’ís and the next day an article was published. A second event focused on “The Planet: Our Home” and featured an exhibition of local art. The next day an article was published in the newspaper

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El Heraldo and an interview with the Bahá’ís was broadcast during a local television station’s news bulletin.

In late November 1996, the Bahá’ís of Nepal organized a number of activities to promote education. A public talk by a Bahá’í who is an educator was held in Kathmandu and attended by 70 people, including the former Nepalese Ambassador to the United Nations; a luncheon and forum was cosponsored by the Bahá’í community and the United Nations Development Program Resident Representative; and a presentation was made to 15 leading educators and various other dignitaries on the topic of “Educational Reform and Development.” News of the public talk in Kathmandu was published in the government’s newspaper, and an interview with the speaker, Dwight Allen, was aired on Nepalese television.

On 17 October 1996, a Bahá’í joined representatives of several religions in a half-hour prayer and meditation session at the Trocadéro esplanade in Paris, France. The prayer session formed part of the event organized by the F rench humanitarian association ATD Quart Monde to mark the “World Day of Refusal of Extreme Poverty” and opened with some comments by the Bahá’í representative and with a reading of a passage from Baha’u’llah’s WIitings that begins “Be generous in prosperity and thankful in adversity.”

From 6 to 13 July 1996 a series of public lectures and seminars was held during the Finnish Bahá’í summer school in Rovaniemi. Based on the themes “The Necessity of a New View of Man,” “Human Relations in a New Cultural Environment,” “Turning Point For All Nations,” and “The Future of Ethnic Cultures,” the meetings featured the participation of experts in various fields and the chairman of the Sami Parliament. In J anuary 1997, the Bahá’ís of Chile received a formal invitation to offer their Views to a session of the Senate Committee deliberating on the text of a legal framework ensuring religious freedom and equality before law in that country.

Twenty-five members of the Bahá’í Esperanto League attended the 81st International Esperanto Congress, held in Prague, Czech Republic, from 20 to 27 July 1996. Associated events included a Bahá’í presentation entitled “Carrying Forward an Ever-Advancing Civilization,” which was attended by 80 participants, and a Bahá’í public meeting held at the Congress Center and attended by about

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60 people. Throughout the Congress, the Bahá’í Esperanto League members maintained a display and information booth.

The European Bahá’í Business Forum (EBBF) held its fourth annual conference in Sofia, Bulgaria, from 18 to 20 October 1996. The theme of the event was “Moral and Ethical Principles in a Social Market Economy,” and it was sponsored by the Bulganan Association of the Club of Rome; the Institute for Sustainable Development; the Federation of Consumers; the College of Management, Trade and Marketing; the National Museum “Man and Earth”; the International Association of Architecture; and the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Bulgaria. About 60 people attended the gathering. EBBF also sent a delegation to the World Food Summit’s parallel NGO Forum from 11 to 17 November 1996 in Rome, Italy.

In Hong Kong, the Bahá’ís presented their third Bahá’í Award for Service to Humanity at a luncheon on 12 November 1996—the Birthday of Baha’u’llah. The recipient of the award was Sansan Ching, a leading educationalist in Hong Kong who has served the community in this field for over 24 years. More than 160 people attended the luncheon.

On 10 August 1996, the Bahá’ís of Jamaica hosted a media conference at the Pegasus Hotel. Sponsored by the Bahá’í International Community’s Office of Public Information and WETV (the first global access television network), the purpose of the gathering was to explore how to use television effectively—giving expression to positive actions, strengthening cultural identity and diversity, and further enhancing social and economic development. About 35 of the country’s key decision—makers and independent producers attended the conference: including the Managing Director of J BC-TV, the Director of CPTC, two representatives from the Prime Minister’s office, and representatives from UNESCO, CARIMAC, and CVM—TV.

Three Bahá’í communications professionals from Canada who participated in the conference held a three-day workshop on how to produce Video programs, training local Bahá’ís in filming techniques and low cost production methods for various uses, including community development work.

Two Bahá’ís in the Cook Islands have been Visiting the inmates at the prison in Arorangi each week to offer music, talks on spiritual

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matters, and fellowship. The aim of the Visits is to give the inmates an opportunity to rethink their attitude towards life and help them acquire a positive outlook. Bahá’í youth from Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, and Switzerland participated in a social service project in Crete from 1 to 8 August 1996. Activities included cleaning Lindo beach, donating blood, Visiting sick Children at the hospital, Visiting the residents of a home for the aged, and distributing leaflets on protecting the environment. In San Diego, California, in the United States, Bahá’ís are playing a large role in the running of the Hmong Homework Center for Children. This after—school service is held in a public library and offers assistance with homework and reading skills to Hmong children. Young Hmong and Vietnamese women and men from San Diego high schools, colleges, and universities offer their assistance whenever they can and stand as role models for the children.

Of particular concern to Bahá’ís everywhere is the promotion of universal education, with an emphasis on the acquisition of knowledge and skills for the purpose of serving humanity. This focus on service and education is evoking a response from the wider society. This year the National University of Bangladesh established a College of Law named after J abbar Eidelkhani, a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors in Asia residing in Bangladesh, in recognition of his services as a promoter of education and knowledge throughout Asia, particularly in Bangladesh itself. Nikhilesh Dutta, the Deputy Attorney General of Bangladesh, attended the inaugural ceremony, as did members of the Supreme Court.

On 8 J une 1996, at the request of the teachers and students and with the approval of the authorities, a public primary school in Rende, Italy, was dedicated to Giuseppe Stancati, a 12—year—old Bahá’í who had died a few years before. In a ceremony attended by Civil, religious, and cultural authorities, the school was dedicated to the child in memory of the attitude he showed towards other people’s difficulties in spite of his own serious cardiac illness. The boy ultimately donated his eyes to two people in need, so that they would be able to see “the beautiful things of the world.”

The emphasis in Bahá’í communities on social and economic development derives from a fundamental belief in the need for “a dynamic coherence between the spiritual and practical requirements

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of life on eart ”: spiritual attainment cannot occur in isolation from the promotion ofjustice and the advancement of civilization. The efforts of Bahá’ís in the field of development and human prosperity reflect this link between the spiritual and the material. The following are a few examples of the ways Bahá’í individuals and communities are putting spin'tual principles to work for the betterment ofhumanity.

“On the Wings of Words,” the Bahá’í proj ect to promote literacy among 10 to 16 year olds Of Guyana, was publicly launched on 27 May 1996 at the National Cultural Center. In the first months of the proj ect’s operation, 250 people were trained as facilitators and classes for children were established in communities throughout Guyana

The Bahá’í community participated in a seminar organized in Dada, Burkina, by the Provincial Direction for Basic Education and Literacy, from 26 to 27 August 1996. Bahá’í literacy efforts in Burkina were described at the event.

The Local Spiritual Assembly of Zomba in Malawi started literacy classes for some 18 students, while the Malaysian Bahá’í community’s task force for adult literacy held a series of teacher training courses to provide needed resources for running adult literacy classes. Literacy training was also carried out in Togo for 26 participants, with four rising up to be literacy trainers and the remaining 21 prepared to be literacy teachers.

Bahá’ís in the Netherlands helped organize a conference held by the National Commission on Sustainable Development (N CDO) on 13 December 1996 which was designed to reflect the role that organized religion and ideological movements could play in sustainable development. The gathering was attended by 1,200 participants, of whom more than 60 were Bahá’ís. A Bahá’í sat on two interreligious panel discussions on sustainable development, and the Bahá’í community of Rotterdam created a prayer room at the event which was open to the participants for silent meditation throughout the day.

On 24 July 1996 in Uganda, a delegation of two Bahá’ís met with Professor Buhatunde Thomas, the local representative of the United Nations Development Program. Mr. Thomas was presented with Turning Point For All Nations, Call To The Nations, The Prosperity ofHumankind and The Bahá’ís. He was informed of ways the Bahá’í community is involved in the promotion of the equality of men and women and in health and literacy programs.

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YEAR 131 REVIEW

The involvement of the Bahá’í community of India in efforts to promote social and economic development took many forms this year. A number of medical camps made free medical care available to thousands of people in J arnrnu, Karnataka, and Bihar. Bahá’ís also participated in a conference on cancer prevention held on 22 September 1996 in Delhi. In Delhi, both the “Perfect Health Mela” in October 1996 and the “Social Development F air” in April 1997 saw intense activity at the sites of the Bahá’í stalls.

Under the sponsorship of the International Association of Bahá’í Publishers, a Bahá’í exhibit was mounted at the Sixth International Beijing Book Fair in China in November 1996. The collection of literature reflected the theme “Fostering the Prosperity of Humankind.” News coverage of the fair by the national English—language television station CCTV (China Central Television) included an interview with one of the Bahá’í exhibit staff.

The Townshend International Secondary School in Hluboka nad Vltavou, in the Czech Republic, a Bahá’í-inspired educational institution, held its first graduation ceremony on 29 June 1996. Graduating students received praise from the state official who had overseen their exit examinations; their oral performance, respect for the teachers, spirit, and high potential received particular comment.

The Banani International Secondary School in Zambia, a school for girls established in 1993 by the Bahá’í community of Zambia in memory of Hand of the Cause of God Milsa Banani, was officially inaugurated on 18 May 1996 by the Minister of Education in conjunction with the Bahá’í community. The inaugural speeches were interspersed with presentations by the school’s Choir, drama group, and dance workshop. The inauguration was broadcast on national radio and television and was covered in the newspapers.

Moral Education

Bahá’í communities are increasingly turning their attention to the need for moral education in society at large, and now more than ever before Bahá’í initiatives in this field are gaining the attention of leaders of society who are searching for new ways to address a general decline in morality.

The School of the Nations in Macau, which is owned and directed by a foundation whose purpose is to provide education inspired

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.7 ,Lt 1 MW 1.11-1—‘LL .L ELM iii; _;i

THE Bahá’í WORLD

by Bahá’í principles and concepts, won first prize for innovative secondary curriculum in a contest organized by the Macau education department. The prize-winning curriculum has as an integral feature a character development program that strives to strengthen the spirit of service in the students.

The National Spiritual Assembly of Thailand, in collaboration with Assumption University, the National Research Council of Thailand, and the National Institute of Development Administration of Thailand, held an Asian Bahá’í Moral Education Seminar at Assumption University in Bangkok on 21 and 22 J une 1996. Speakers included the Vice-President of the university, Brother Banta Saenghjmn, and the Director of the National Institute for Development Administration of Thailand, Dr. Duangduen Bhanthumnavin.

On 2 August 1996, seventy—one individuals gathered for a lecture on “Values and Social Development” held in Baguio City, the Philippines, under the auspices of the local Bahá’í community. Fifiy—three Of the participants were teachers of values education from Baguio City National High School and Pines City National High School.

A series of Bahá’í moral education classes began on 19 J anuary 1997 in Hong Kong. The classes aim to teach the concepts of Virtues, such as trustworthiness, courtesy, and cleanliness, through talks, storytelling, discussions, and games.

On 16 March 1997, a meeting was held to‘ introduce to a group in Kiribati the material of the Virtues Proj ect, a program initiated by three Bahá’ís and aiming to help families and individuals to live by their deepest values. Subsequently, a group of Bahá’ís in Bikenibeu met weekly to study the material.

Representatives of the Bahá’í community of St. Vincent and the Grenadines met with the Minister of Education, J ohn Horn, to discuss issues concerning the improvement of education in St. Vincent. He subsequently arranged for a Bahá’í delegation to speak on moral education to some 300 students and 20 staff members ofUnion Island High School. The Bahá’ís also conducted two classes on moral education, presented books on education to a number of primary schools and to the National Library, and held several public meetings on the topic.

The Bahá’í community of India’s Office for the Advancement of Women, in collaboration with UNICEF, on 27 November 1996

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In the Philippines, (1 group of children participate

in the closing ceremonies ofa Bahá’í' tutorial school

Teachers

at the Tender Kiddies Foundation School in Nigeria discuss raising Children as peacemakers.

held a seminar in New Delhi entitled “A New Framework for Values Education.” Participants, representing various non-governmental organizations, engaged in discussion of matters relating to moral education, listened to talks by eminent educators, and attended workshops. On 10 and 11 F ebruary 1997, a workshop on moral education was held by the Association for Bahá’í Studies, India, in collaboration with the Chair for Bahá’í Studies, Indore. The workshop was held for primary school teachers.

William S. Hatcher, a professor living in Russia who is a Bahá’í, was invited to deliver a short course on ethics based on the Bahá’í-inspired Moral Education Proj ect materials at St. Petersburg State University. The course was very well received. Dr. Hatcher also delivered the material as a regular course at the St. Petersburg Electrotechnical University in the fall of 1996 and was subsequently able to present a paper on that topic at an international conference on pedagogical issues in university education.

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[Page 94]Left: Children participating in the first Romanian Bahá’í' social and economic development project in Bucharest, which hopes to turn an abandoned [at info a

i Children ’5 playground.

Right:

M others brz'n gin g their children to the

Bahá’í' Tutorial School in szgu, Uganda.

Left: In Western Samoa,

Children participate

in a Montessori school program sponsored by Bahd 'z's.

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[Page 95]YEAR 15 REVIEW

Contact with Prominent People

The Bahá’í World Centre continues to draw Visits from a succession of dignitaries and people of prominence from all over the world. Sultan Ibrahim Mbombo Njoya, the Sultan from Foumban, West Cameroon, came in November 1996, along with a retinue including Madame Bardica Rosette Mbombo Njoya, his wife; E1 Hadj Amadou Pokasa Nsangou, Imam and Chairman of the World Islamic Council of the Organization of Mosques in the Noun area; Reverend Abraham Ngoumoun, head of the Evangelist Church of Cameroon and Chairman of the Religious Commission of the Noun area; and two representatives of the Israeli Ministry of F oreign Affairs.

Ambassadors to Israel from the following countries were also received at the World Centre: Australia, Belgium, Ethiopia, Greece, Hungary, India, Rwanda, Slovakia, and South Africa. U Kyaw Zeya, Charge d’Affaires Of the Embassy of the Union of Myanmar, paid a call, along with two other diplomats from the embassy. In addition, Visits were received from officials from the embassies in Israel of China, Hungary, Ireland, and J apan. A delegation of government officials from Guinea-Bissau, including the Minister of Rural Development and Agriculture, came, as did Christian Poncelet, member of the French Senate and President of its Finance Commission, along with officials of the Marseilles Municipality. Moshe Katsav, Minister of Tourism in Israel; Yossi Beilin of the Prime Minister’s Office in Israel; and members of the Knesset paid a Visit to the World Centre. Annette Lantos, the wife of Congressman Tom Lantos of the United States, also Visited.

Visiting academics and scholars included William E. Kirwan, President of the University of Maryland, U.S.A., along With other university administrators; Andre Chouraqui, former professor at the Sorbonne and the Academy of Moral and Political Science in Paris, France, and Vice-Mayor of J erusalem; Fu Youde, Deputy Head of the Philosophy Department, and Director of the Institute of J ewish Culture at Shandong University, China.

Elsewhere in the world, two Bahá’ís from Britain attended Sweden’s Royal 50th Birthday celebrations organized by the

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W1" 1 m a E I / 1'5, (1 member oflhe Continental Board 0_ f C ozmsel I 013‘,

, meets with United States President

e Bill Clinton

5 at (m Ecumenical Breakfast in the White House.

World Scout Foundation, held from 9 to 11 May 1996. On 10 May, they were granted a private audience with King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Sylvia in Drottninghohn Palace. At the conclusion, the King and the Queen were each given four Bahá’í books in Swedish, as well as a synopsis of the history of the Swedish Bahá’í community.

In Lesotho, His Majesty, King Letsie III and Queen Mamohate, the Queen Mother, attended a banquet hosted by Bahá’ís at the Lesotho Sun Hotel in honor of the Continental Board of Counsellors in Africa, which was holding a meeting in Maseru from 24 to 29 December 1996. The event was also attended by over 70 other dignitaries, including the High Commissioners of China and South Africa and senior officials of various government departments.

Bahá’ís participated in an audience with President Ange F élix Patasse Of the Central African Republic on 31 May 1996, during which he received the representatives of various religious groups, in the presence of other high—ranking officials, to explain the nature of the upheavals that country had recently experienced and to outline the proposal for the nomination of the future Prime Minister. The Bahá’ís read from the statement T urm‘ng Point for All Nations and, at Mr. Patassé’s request, recited a prayer for peace at the end of the meeting.

Over 250 people gathered at the National Bahá’í Center in Port Vila, Vanuatu, on 17 October to celebrate “Bertha Dobbins Day,” marking the 43rd anniversary of the day in 1953 when Mrs. Dobbins, a Knight of Baha’u’llah, arrived in Port Vila and brought the Bahá’í Faith t0 Vanuatu. Present at the occasion were the President J ean—Marie Leye Lenelgau; the Minister of

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On 1 October 1996, Seema Nek Akhtar 111331,; presented the

President ofPakistan, Farooq Ahmad Laghari, 7‘ with Bahá’í' literature on behalf of the "

Bahá’í community H ofPakistan. V

Justice, Culture and Religion, Hilda Lini; and the Chiefs of Erakor and Pango Villages; as well as former students of Ni’ir School, which Mrs. Dobbins established. The President, who had himself learned English from Mrs. Dobbins, urged everyone to reflect on the significance of her courageous life and sacrifices. Radio Vanuatu broadcast several news items and announcements about the day and aired a 10-minute interview with some of the Bahá’ís present. There was a report on the event in the newspaper Vanuatu Weekly. In Islamabad, Pakistan, a Bahá’í delegation met with President F arooq Ahmad Laghari on 1 October, presenting him with a set of three statements: The Promise of World Peace, The Prosperity ofHumankind, and Turning Pointfor All Nations. On 8 December 1996, three members of the Bahá’í community of Bangladesh had an audience with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The Bahá’ís took the opportunity to present her with various materials on the Bahá’í Faith and to explain the law-abiding, peace-loving attitude of Bahá’ís towards government and society. Firuz Kazemzadeh and Kit Cosby represented the United States Bahá’í community at a White House commemoration of Human Rights Day on 10 December. Both were able to greet President Bill Clinton and F irst Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Ms. Cosby spoke with Mrs. Clinton about the effort to obtain U.S. ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women. Ms. Cosby, in her capacity as the deputy director of the US. National Spiritual Assembly’s office of external affairs, was listed by Mrs. Clinton in a mailing to some 100 women on the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing as a

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resource and a point of contact for the effort to have the Convention ratified by the US.

Homa Mungapen, a Bahá’í in Mauritius, has been nominated by the Mauritian President as a member of the President’s Advisory Council for a period of three years. The council is composed of nine members, four of whom are representatives of religious institutions. In November 1996, Wilma Ellis, 21 member of the Continental Board of Counsellors in the Americas, was appointed by United States Secretary of State Warren Christopher to a Special Advisory Committee on Religious Freedom Abroad. She is one of 20 prominent religious leaders and scholars who will serve on the committee, whose purposes are to foster greater dialogue between religious communities and the United States government. Dr. Ellis also acted as the Bahá’í representative who greeted the President and First Lady on behalf of the Bahá’í community at the White House during this year’s ecumenical breakfast on 6 J anuary 1997.

On 20 May 1996 a reception and buffet were held in London at the National Bahá’í Centre of the United Kingdom in honor of Wally N’Dow, the Seoretary-General of the United Nations Conference on

At a public amz’ience in the Vatican, F eridun Mazlum, (1 Build 'ifi‘om Switzerland, presentm’ Pope John Paul II with (1 C017)” ()fThe Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh.

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[Page 99]

u His Majesty ., King Letsie III ofLesotho was greeted by Shanta Basin, a pioneer t0 the country, on

» 2 7 December 1996.

Human Settlements (Habitat 11). Also in attendance were 1 Borg Olivier, the Director of the United Nations’ United Kingdom Office; A. F. M. , Yusuf, High Commissioner, Bangladesh; Gendengin Nyamdoo, the Ambassador of Mongolia; and other United Nations and embassy repre- " sentatives in London. Dr. On 1 March 1997, Prime Minister N’DOW was presented With ‘ Chemvah't Yohg Chaiyut the Bahá’í International Com- Of Thailand.r,ece.weda copy of

, _ the KIIab—z—Aqa’as. mumty statements Sustamable Con’mzunities in an Integrating World and Recommended Changes [0 the Draft Habitat A genda, which were warmly received.

In Bermuda, a dinner party to celebrate Ayyém-i-Hé, held on 26 February 1997 by the Bahá’í community in the parish of Hamilton, was attended by His Excellency Lord Waddington, the Governor.

Bahá’ís in the Eastern Caroline Islands were received on separate occasions by the Governor OfPohnpei State, Del Pangelinan, and by the Australian Ambassador to the Federated States of Micronesia. Both officials were presented with T urning Point for All Nations.

On 17 May 1996, a delegation of Bahá’ís in the Falkland Islands met with the Governor, Richard Ralph, to welcome him to the islands and present him with The Prosperity ofHumankind. Zambia’s Deputy Minister Of the Desk of Religious Affairs Visited the Bahá’í National Center on 5 J anuary 1997 and had a cordial meeting with the National Spiritual Assembly of Zambia.

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[Page 100]THLE BM Wm

Recognition Ongoing efforts to achieve official recognition of Bahá’í communities saw some progress this year in several countries. The State Legislative Chamber of Amazonas, Brazil, on 16 August 1996 passed a law which was subsequently approved by the Governor that recognizes 21 March as a Bahá’í Holy Day—Naw-Rl'iz, the Bahá’í New Year.

In Latvia, authorities have accepted the by-laws of the Bahá’í community of Riga as in accordance with the new laws of that country, and a new registration certificate was issued to the Bahá’í community. On 12 December 1996, the Armenian State Council on Religious Affairs officially registered the Bahá’í community of Armenia. On 12 September 1996, the chief constable of the Faroe Islands made an announcement in the national press that the Local Spiritual Assembly of Térshavn is now an incorporated body.

In response to a request by Bahá’í youth in Belgium for permission to hold public dance performances in Ixelles, the police of that town sought information from the Brussels police department. The Brussels chief of police replied on 26 July 1996, asserting the validity of the Bahá’í community as a religious association and citing information gathered from the United Nations, among other sources.

i, ' i :g' ‘9 The Head ofState ‘ ‘7» a ‘ i ‘ ofBermuda, V Lord Waddington, attended an Intercalary Day celebratian hosted by the Hamilton Parish Bahá’í community.

Zhufnqu

Sharing the Message of Baha’u’llah

Heedful Of exhortations in the Bahá’í writings to scatter far and wide to share Baha’u’llah’s message with all of humanity, once again this year Bahá’ís the world over left the comforts of their

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homes behind and undertook long and at times arduous j ourneys to foreign lands and remote locales.

A group of youth from France, accompanied by a Ukrainian youth, visited Danane, Cote d’Ivoire, from 15 July to 30 August 1996 to participate in an intensive effort to inform the people of that area about the Bahá’í teachings. Assistance was also given by Bahá’ís from Burkina-Faso, Mali and Guinea.

In late 1996, two Bahá’ís in Azerbaijan traveled from Baku to a small town called Guba where there were no Bahá’ís. There they Visited two officials of the Department of Cultural Affairs and spoke with them about the Bahá’í Faith for about half an hour. The Bahá’ís could only stay in Guba for one day, and then they returned to Baku. After their departure, one of the council members went to the local television station and spoke about the Faith for half an hour on an evening program, inviting all who were interested in learning more to come to a certain park the next day. Over 500 people came to the park, of whom 149 became Bahá’ís.

During the summer school held on the island of Saaremaa, in Estonia, Bahá’ís engaged in activities to teach the local population about Baha’u’llah, resulting in favorable coverage on the school in local newspapers and radio. About 70 local people

The Sultan ‘ OfCameroon visited the '3 I

Bahá’í' Holy Places in Israel on

6 November 1996.

attended evening sessions of the school and some 30 local youth attended a special introductory Class arranged for them.

In the Gambia, monthly Visits were carried out by teams of Bahá’ís to various local communities. Similarly, five Bahá’ís from Port Blair in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands traveled to Little

lol

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Andaman in J anuary 1997, offering courses on the Bahá’í Faith and accompanying local Bahá’ís on courtesy calls on the community’s chiefs and other dignitaries. Visits were made in the Telugu—, Bengali-, and Hindi-speaking areas.

The Sister to Sister project, involving the efforts of AfricanAmerican Bahá’í women to reach the people of Africa with the message of Baha’u’llah, continued this year, with a trip to Nairobi, Kenya in J anuary 1997. The Bahá’ís were interviewed on a local television station’s current affairs program, and an article about them was published in the Nation newspaper.

From 11 to 28 J anuary 1997, nine African—American Bahá’í men—participants in the yearly Black Men’s Gathering at the Louis Gregory Institute in South Carolina—traveled to Namibia to talk to the people about Baha’u’llah’s message. Their itinerary consisted of audiences with government ministers, television and radio interviews, and travel to many regions of the country for the purpose of sharing the Bahá’í Faith. An official audience with ' the speaker of Namibia’s Legislative Assembly, Mose Tjitendero, was aired on the television news broadcast on 13 J anuary. That meeting featured the presentation by a member of the Bahá’í delegation of the Kitab-i-Aqdas—Baha’u’llah’s Book of Laws—to Dr. Tjitendero, who gave him a copy of the Laws of Namibia, that country’s constitution. One of the American Bahá’ís also presented a racial-healing seminar to the Windhoek community.

Five Bahá’ís from Ibadan, Nigeria, went to Osogbo to teach others about the Bahá’í Faith on 30 June 1996. A local Bahá’í artist arranged for drummers and dancers to perform, more than 200 people gathered, and over 6O Children were taught songs and prayers.

This year, several Bahá’ís Visited Gornal Altaisk, Russia, for six weeks to inform people about the Bahá’í Faith. The inhabitants are the traditional Altai people and Russians who are Buddhists, Christians, and Muslims, all living together in harmony. The Visit resulted in a television interview and the airing of the Bahá’í Video “Temple on My Way” during prime time.

A group of Bahá’í youth traveled to Embekelweni, Swaziland, for a week in September 1996 to hold introductory meetings, children’ 5 classes, and study classes. They also visited many homesteads to talk about the Bahá’í Faith.

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Bahá’ís in the Ukraine went to Lugansk City for six days in J uly to present the Bahá’í message to others. There they Visited the mayor’s office, meeting about 16 key people, including members of the media, social workers, and the dean of the university. The dean asked the Bahá’ís to set up Bahá’í courses as he believed they would be helpful to the students. In addition, they were asked to provide speakers on topics such as family life, consultation, conflict resolution, and Violence. Over the past few years, efforts have been made by Bahá’ís to promote a dialogue between indigenous peoples of North America and New Zealand. Groups of Maori Bahá’ís from New Zealand have Visited native Canadian communities, making special connections and sharing Baha’u’llah’s message with people everywhere they have gone. In May 1996, Canada reciprocated by sending a group of First Nation Bahá’ís to New Zealand, where they met with students in schools, attended traditional gatherings, held public meetings, and were interviewed by the media. Another group of Native Canadian Bahá’ís Visited New Zealand in April 1997.

The Bahá’í theater group “Lumiere de l’Unite'” continued traveling and performing in francophone Africa this year as part of its ongoing effort to spread the Bahá’í teachings. The group Visited Guinea, Senegal, and Mali in September, October, and November 1996. Their visit to Guinea coincided with the rainy season and as the roads were impassable, for the whole three weeks of their Visit the group traveled almost exclusively on foot.

Special proj ects have been carried out in localities around the world to make the Bahá’í principles known. The Bahá’ís of Angola initiated such a proj eot in Sambizanga, Luanda, naming it “Project Paz” or “Peace.” In the Bahamas, Bahá’ís are reaching out to the people of Little Abaco with Baha’u’llah’s message. The Bahá’í communities of Mogoditshane and Tlokweng, Botswana, mounted nine-day proj ects to share the message of Baha’u’llah with the people of their areas this year.

During the month of J uly, a proj ect was undertaken in Moanda, Gabon, to tell the people of the area about the Bahá’í Faith. The campaign consisted of the distribution of pamphlets, and the holding of exhibitions, film and slide presentations, and public talks.

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A special campaign in Georgia which ran from 1 November to 15 December 1996 resulted in the formation of 12 new Local Spiritual Assemblies in several areas of that republic, including Tschinvali in the autonomous region of South Ossetia; in an Azeri area of Georgia; and in a Village inhabited by Russian expatriates.

A project was held throughout Mongolia from 22 July to 15 August 1996 with the goal of informing people about the Bahá’í Faith. It was preceded by a training course in Baganuur from 17 to 21 J uly. The 50 participants attended Classes and then traveled to different areas of the country, Visiting 10 provinces and 15 towns and holding children’s classes. As a result of their efforts, 133 people became Bahá’ís and four Local Spiritual Assemblies were formed.

A proj ect to offer the Bahá’í teachings t0 the people of Reunion took place from 19 to 25 August 1996, with the participation of Bahá’ís from Madagascar, Mauritius, and the Seychelles. Four public conferences were organized as part of the endeavor, and Bahá’ís reached out to people in seven communities.

3‘ Helen Rez‘ssenweber presented the book “1 she autlmrea’,

“1;; Fire and Water, 4 i i to the President of Vanuatu, Jean-Marie Leye Lenelgau, 0n [7 October 1996.

In June 1996, a course for the training of teachers of the Bahá’í Faith was held in Sierra Leone, in Makeni and Magbenteh and their environs, as part of a large-scale effort to share the Bahá’í teachings with the people of the area.

An “Ocean of Light” proj ect was held in East Malaita, Solomon Islands, in the last weekend in November 1996.4 A Bahá’í group introduced 15 local Chiefs in the bush communities of the region to

4. See also The Bahá’í' W0rld1994—95, p. 86.

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[Page 105]In Andhra Pradesh, India, participants ofa Bahá’í' cycle rally in August 1996 pose happily for a photograph.

the Bahá’í Faith, along with over 650 people who gathered in Tariuna, a Bahá’í Village, where they spent the next two days singing and dancing as the Bahá’í Faith was presented. The chiefs expressed their joy at hearing about a belief that honored their customs and culture.

Projects to teach people about Baha’u’llah’s message were mounted in Kegalle and Matale, Sri Lanka, this year, and teams also Visited various Bahá’í communities to assist and encourage them to establish essential features of community life such as Nineteen Day Feasts, children’s classes, and training courses. Special projects to teach others about the Bahá’í Faith were also undertaken throughout Lithuania, in Kaunas, Vilnius, Ukmerge, Plunge, and J elgava.

A four-day Bahá’í class for new Bahá’ís in Rajshahi, Bangladesh, changed its character when incessant rains prevented the attendance of all but three invitees. The three who came turned out to be members of a Hindu religious order from an area that is difficult to reach and that no Bahá’ís had previously visited; the invitations to the meeting were sent to them in error. The three men, with the encouragement of prominent members of their community, had come to the class to find out what the Bahá’í Faith was and then report back to the others. After four days of thorough study of Bahá’í teachings the men became Bahá’ís and eagerly set out for home to report on what they had learned. '

The Bahá’ís of Zimbabwe had an exhibit at the International Book Fair held in the Harare Gardens from 29 July to 2 August 1996. The Bahá’í stand was very popular, and during the event a television news piece was aired from the booth.

Efforts to tell others about the Bahá’í teachings were reinforced by a host of “teaching conferences” the world over, held

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[Page 106]_ i__rl_r_g.ri ,- __ ,J_¥, L L i__i‘_»h_g_._l_21_LnLML 44%;},4 1#4_L=L=i

TH_E Bahá’í WORLD

for the purpose of consulting on the tasks associated with these endeavors.

The Sixth Albanian National Teaching Conference took place in Tirana from 8 to 10 November 1996 and was attended by more than 60 people. An all-Ireland teaching conference was held in Derrygonnelly, Northern Ireland, on 22 and 23 February 1997. The gathering was the first of its kind since the establishment of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Republic of Ireland in 1972. More than 250 Bahá’ís from all parts of the island gathered for the meeting, whose theme was “Our Shared Spiritual Destiny.”

On 29 April 1996, a Bahá’í conference was held at Nualei, Tonga, to deliberate on ways of sharing the Bahá’í Faith with others. Another such conference, along with a training session, was held in Arusha, Tanzania, from 24 to 29 July 1996. Fifty people from Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and the United Kingdom attended the event, which was hosted by the Local Spiritual Assembly of Arusha. Similar teaching conferences were held in France, Malawi, and Uruguay.

Institutes and Other Training Activities

A systematic effort has been set in motion in Bahá’í communities throughout the world to assist Bahá’ís to “attain a more profound understanding of the principles of the Faith and to arise to carry out the myriad tasks and duties confronting their ever—expanding communities. This endeavor has taken the form of the creation of training institutes, nearly 200 of which were established in this year alone. Bahá’í training institutes, rather than simply imparting information, aim to develop in the participants spiritual knowledge and to provide them with skills necessary for serving humanity. These agencies are being established in all parts of the world; the following are just a few examples of the efforts being made. Some other training activities are also mentioned.

From 30 September to 3 October 1996, the Ruhi Institute in Puerto Tej ada, Colombia, saw the convening Of the first continental meeting of consultants on the training institute process in Latin America. Participants with expertise in establishing and operating Bahá’í training institutes gathered from nine countries: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, and the United States.

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A number of communities have drawn upon the materials ‘, Magi?” produced by the Ruhi Institute j‘ .. in the design of their curricula. ' Courses of the Ruhi Institute were offered in Anchorage and " Juneau, Alaska, in J anuary 1996, representing the beginning of that community’s efforts to make 1 the program available to Bahá’ís throughout the country. The Bahá’ís ofBelize have also begun offering courses of the Ruhi ~35 Institute, with several being held '

in May, October, and November 1996. Over 250 people gathered together for a Bahá’í' institute in Danane, Céte d ’Ivoire.

A nine-day training course was held in Kamina, Zaire, for participants to study the first book of the Ruhi Institute’s materials. A two-hour summary of the activities of the Bahá’ís during the nine-day course and the conference for members of the public that followed was broadcast on television.

A training program employing the courses of the Ruhi Institute was launched in Asmara, Eritrea, this year. Bahá’í communities in six towns and Villages in Georgia sent individuals to undertake formal study of the Bahá’í Faith at the Bahá’í institute facility near Tbilisi from 28 J anuary t0 2 February 1997.

Twenty—five participants and four tutors were involved in a session on the Ruhi Institute materials held in the Solomon Islands from 2 to 30 December 1996. From this group, Bahá’ís were to be sent throughout the country to hold children’s classes and to help others gain a deeper understanding of the Bahá’í Faith.

In addition to the Ruhi Institute’s materials, a wide variety of approaches and topics were included in the many institute courses offered this year. The Vivian Wesson Institute in Togo offered carefully developed programs of study in which the institute coordinator and teachers followed the courses up by Visiting the Local Spiritual Assemblies which had sent participants. A Bahá’í

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training course under the auspices of the Local Assembly of PukaPuka, Chuquisaca, Bolivia, was held on 6 and 8 September 1996. The themes were the glorious destiny of the indigenous people of the Americas and the duties of the Local Spiritual Assembly.

The Virgin Islands Bahá’í community’s Permanent Training Institute began functioning this year, offering systematic and ongoing courses in St. Croix, St. Thomas, and Tortola, while the Bahá’í community of Greenland saw the appointment of a board of directors for its national training institute. The seventh course of the Fozdar Permanent Teaching Institute of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands was held in J anuary 1997 on Little Andaman. In Angola, the Bahá’í community inaugurated its first institute in early 1997. Also this year, the first course of the newly formed Dr. Muhájir Institute of Bangladesh was attended by a group of assistants to Auxiliary Board members who gathered for a conference in Raj shahi. The Mfisa Banani Institute in Benin opened its doors on 8 July 1996; on 18 August the first seven trainees left the institute, having completed its first course.

The training of teachers received particular attention from a number of communities this year. In Wels, Austria, the first teacher training course was held from 28 F ebruary t0 2 March 1997, while the first Trans—Caucasian Teacher Training Institute ran from 7 to 28 August 1996 in Georgia. Twenty-six Bahá’ís from Azerbaij an, 19 from Amenia, and 40 from Georgia, as well as 22 children enrolled for the course, which included discussion of curricula for children’s training and for moral class teachers.

A training activity was held this year in Mogoditshane, Botswana, aimed at adapting the Core Curriculum materials developed by the United States Bahá’í community to improve the standard of Bahá’í education in Botswana. It was followed by a weekend course to train teachers for Bahá’í classes on 1 and 2 February 1997.

Two one-day teacher training courses were offered in Sa’ang Village, Cambodia, in August and September 1996. Participants were trained how to conduct children’s classes and how to use the materials that are available. A teacher-training activity was held in Bamako, Mali, in early 1997.

The first training session for children’s class teachers in Chad took place from 7 to 21 J anuary 1997 at the Samandari Institute.

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Eleven people participated, including one woman. The Aziz Navidi Institute in the Congo opened this year by offering two sessions of a training course for children’s class teachers, one from 4 to 16 June 1996 and another from 6 to 20 August. A Children’s Class seminar was held at the Bahá’í National Center in Spain on 7 and 8 November 1996. More than 50 teachers and other Bahá’ís from different areas of Spain and the Canary Islands attended the event. The program consisted mainly of workshops conducted by the National Education Committee.

Scholarship

A special issue of the monthly journal Dialogue and Universalism, entitled “The Bahá’í Faith—Universalism in Praxisj’ was launched during a reception hosted by the Bahá’í community in Warsaw, Poland, on 21 January 1997. The journal is produced by the International Society for Universalism based at the University of Warsaw. This special issue was a joint venture between the Universalists and the Association ‘1 for Bahá’í Studies, Ottawa,

Canada. . _ A trainee at a teacher training institute, Assomatlons for the held in Nepal, tells a Bahá’í' story study Of the Bahá’í Falth to a group Ofchz'ldren.

were very active over the year, sponsoring conferences and seminars on an array of topics. A few of the larger events are outlined here.

The 20th Annual Conference of the Association for Bahá’í Studies of North America was held on the theme “Anarchy into Order: Crafting Better Governance” in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, from 26 to 29 September 1996. Over 600 people participated, while some 130 children and youth attended a parallel conference on moral leadership. A special interest group on aboriginal spirituality included a Visit to an addictions treatment facility to participate in a sweat lodge hosted by the Neehi Institute, during

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which discussions were held on prayer, the spiritual power of women, closeness to nature, and respect for elders and for oral tradition.

The prosperity of humankind was the topic of the annual conference of the Association for Bahá’í Studies of German-Speaking Europe, which was held at Landegg Academy in Switzerland from 11 to 13 October 1996. The first annual meeting of the Association for Bahá’í Studies of Venezuela was held on 20 and 21 July 1996. Over 145 people attended the annual conference of the Association for Bahá’í Studies of English-Speaking Europe on 16 and 17 November 1996 in Oxford, England. The conference’s theme was “Millennium and Apocalypse: The Bahá’í Vision of the Future.”

In J anuary 1997, the Third Conference of the Association for Bahá’í Studies of the Russian Federation took place. In J apan, the Fifth Annual Conference of the Association for Bahá’í Studies for that country was held from 22 to 24 November 1996 in a hostel halfway up the central peaks of Kyushu’s Aso volcanic caldera. The theme of the meeting was education, with moral education being the focus of three conference sessions. Fifty-five people from Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore attended the Third Annual Conference of the Association for Bahá’í Studies of Malaysia, held in Jahore Bahru.

In Kenya, the Fourth Bahá’í Studies Symposium was held on 9 and 10 November 1996 at the Bahá’í Center in Nairobi. Its theme was “Human Relationships and the Unity of Mankind,” which attracted papers from seven speakers, including two professors and a senior lecturer from area universities.

The Twelfth Irfan Colloquium was held from 6 t0 8 December 1996 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom, sponsored by the Haj Mehdi Arjrnand Memorial Fund and the Religious Studies Seminar Of the Association for Bahá’í Studies of English—Speaking Europe.

In the United States, the Wilmette Institute’s first annual residential session of its Spiritual Foundations for a Global Civilization program was held at National-Louis University in Wilmette, Illinois, from 7 July to 3 August 1996. The faculty came from North America, Europe, and the Middle East to deliver four weeks of classes and workshops and to conduct discussion groups.

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The Arts

On 30 July 1996, over 500 people attended a concert in Paris by the “Voices of Baha” choir, which toured Europe during the summer, involving about 90 singers from 18 countries. On 1 August, the choir performed in a famous old cathedral, the Domkerk, in Utrecht, the Netherlands, before a capacity audience of 800, including senior officers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, mayors, members of the municipal council, dignitaries from several strata of society. The choir also performed in England, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Moldova, and Russia.

In the parish of St. John, Barbados, the Bahá’í community hosted an evening of musical entertainment on 15 September 1996 to which the community was invited. A second concert, held on 28 November at the prestigious Frank Collymore Hall, was offered to the people of Barbados as a gift of love from the Bahá’ís on the occasion of Barbados’s 30th anniversary of independence.

This year at the Bergen Music F estival in Norway, which began on 22 May 1996, Lasse Thoresen, a Norwegian Bahá’í, was the “Festival Composer”; the festival consisted of 130 concerts, 8 of which were the responsibility of Mr. Thoresen. At the opening ceremony, which took place before King Harald V and an audience of 1,500 people, the program included two prayers revealed by Baha’u’llah, set to music by Mr. Thoresen. The main concert of the festival was held on 25 May in the Hakonshallen in a 13th century monastery. All of the pieces were Bahá’í prayers set to music by Mr. Thoresen, sung by a choir or performed by solo artists. About 500 people were present; before the concert, about 250 people attended a talk by Mr. Thoresen during which he presented the main content of the prayers and introduced the themes derived from the Baha” 1Faith as inspiration for his music

In cooperation with the Cultural Department of the Municipal Government, an exhibition of the paintings of the Bahá’í Holy Places by Parvin Hattam was held in Skopj e, Austria. The theme of the display, which opened on 1 September 1996 and lasted for ten days, was “Unity, Love, and Peace.”

An exhibition of art by mentally handicapped children was

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held on 6 June 1996 by the Bahá’í community of Klaipeda, Lithuania, in cooperation with the Cultural Department of the city. The local television station broadcast a report about the exhibition during its news program.

George Fleming, a Bahá’í artist, opened a three-month exhibition of his paintings on 6 February 1997 in Dundalk, Ireland. Entitled “All God’s Children,” the exhibition dealt with the seven major religions found in Northern Ireland.

On 15 January 1997, a Bahá’í in _ , _ Romania, Ardeshir Vahidi, opened The “Vozces ofBaha ” chozr.

. . . . pelformed 0n 1 August [996111 a two—week exhibitlon of his art— Utrecht, the Netherlands. work 111 Targu Mures which was

covered by local press and local and national television. Also this year, Otto Donald Rogers, a Counsellor member of the International Teaching Centre and a renowned Canadian artist, visited Romania and was the featured guest at a gathering that included two representatives of the Ministry of Culture, several senators and deputies, art critics, and other art lovers. Mr. Rogers shared his conception of the connection between art and faith, with a special emphasis on the Bahá’í Faith.

The Seven Candles of Peace, a Bahá’í children’s drama group

A Bahá’í' Singing

" group performed at ‘5 the Second Annual International

‘ Children ’5 Art

‘ Exhibition on the

' Environmer‘ztand Animals, held

’ on [August 1996171 Mexico City, Mexico.

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in Singapore, was invited to perform the play “For the Love of Peace” at the Srilankaramaya Buddhist Temple on 9 April 1997 for their annual prize-giving day. This was the second public performance by the group.

A group of youth in the Chaco region of Argentina mounted a production of an adaptation of “The Drama of the Kingdom,” a play whose outline was created by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. The first performance in Chaco was given at a primary school in a Toba neighborhood.

After attending and performing at the Habitat 11 conference in Turkey, Kevin Locke, a native American Bahá’í who is an expert hoop dancer, and his daughter Kimimila offered several performances for the public. A performance in Adana on 19 J une 1996, which benefited a local retirement home, was attended by some 600 people, while another in Tarsus City on 20 June, held in the open air, was attended by more than 2,000.

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