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Bahá’í News

January 1975

Bahá’í Year 131

Birthplace of the Guardian in ‘Akká

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Page 17

Contents

Universal House of Justice Messages	1
Birthplace of Guardian purchased
Functions of Continental Pioneering Committees outlined
Five new National Assemblies to form at Riḍván
Worldwide pioneering goals increased by 376
Around the World	5
World Center, Peru, Panama, Swaziland, Windward Islands, Cameroon Republic, India, Australia, New Hebrides, Gambia, Surinam, Mauritania, Venezuela, Monaco
United Nations	10-14
UN Day/Human Rights Day—Bahá’í celebrations around the world
World Food Conference
Retrospect	17
From homeland to homeland, Swiss pioneer Anna Kunz
In Memoriam	20
India Haggarty
Seymour Malkin, Betty Becker, Louise Jackson

Bahá’í News is published for circulation among Bahá’ís only by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States, as a news organ reporting current activities of the Bahá’í world community. Material must be received by the fifteenth of the month preceding date of issue. Address: Bahá’í News Editorial Office, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091, U.S.A. Change of address should be reported directly to Membership and Records, National Bahá’í Center, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091, U.S.A.

Copyright © 1975, National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. World Rights Reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.

[Page 1] Universal House of Justice Message

Birthplace of the Beloved Guardian Purchased

JOYOUSLY ANNOUNCE SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION LENGTHY, DELICATE NEGOTIATIONS RESULTING ACQUISITION BY PURCHASE HOLY HOUSE CENTER COVENANT ABDUL BAHA BIRTHPLACE BELOVED GUARDIAN SHOGHI EFFENDI. HISTORIC PROPERTY ADJACENT BARRACKS MOST GREAT PRISON COMPRISES LAND AREA APPROXIMATING SEVEN THOUSAND SQUARE METERS INCLUDES OTHER STRUCTURES WITHIN COMPLEX ASSURING PERMANENT PROTECTION HOUSE VISITED BY MANY PILGRIMS TURN CENTURY SCENE HISTORIC VISIT FIRST GROUP WESTERN PILGRIMS. PLANS BEING PREPARED RESTORATION HOLY HOUSE BEAUTIFICATION GROUNDS AS ADDITIONAL PLACE PILGRIMAGE WORLD CENTER WHEN CIRCUMSTANCES FUNDS PERMIT. OFFER HUMBLE THANKSGIVING TO BAHAULLAH THIS GREAT BLESSING.

UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

JANUARY 9, 1975

Functions of Continental Pioneering Committees Outlined

To all National Spiritual Assemblies

Dear Bahá’í Friends,

In view of the ever-increasing number of pioneers and traveling teachers now arising from various countries to serve the Cause of God in widely scattered lands throughout all continents, the Universal House of Justice has considered ways of deriving maximum benefit from the services of these devoted believers, coordinating their efforts, and anticipating the needs of the future.

The Continental Boards of Counsellors will soon be approaching you about the need for pioneers and traveling teachers for the period ending Riḍván 1976.

The functions of the Continental Pioneer Committees have been reviewed and developed in a way that will enable them to operate in closer collaboration with the Continental Boards of Counsellors and the National Spiritual Assemblies of their areas. A copy of the statement outlining the functions of the Continental Pioneer Committees as now revised is attached for your information. As you will note, the members of these Committees will henceforth be appointed by the Universal House of Justice. Nothing in the functions now assigned to the Continental Pioneer Committees in any way detracts from the primary responsibility of National Spiritual Assemblies to foster and promote pioneering and traveling teaching.

It is our hope and prayer that as the Five Year Plan unfolds, evidences of closer ties of cooperation among the various institutions of the Faith will be increasingly witnessed in every land.

With loving Bahá’í greetings,
The Universal House of Justice

July 22, 1974

Functions of
Continental Pioneer Committees
(July 1974)

I. The members of Continental Pioneer Committees will henceforth be appointed by the Universal House of Justice, which will also be responsible for providing the operating expenses of the Committees.

II. The work of the Continental Pioneer Committees is primarily executive, i.e., it calls for prompt action rather than consultation. Each Committee, as a body, should agree upon general lines of policy, within which the Secretary or other members authorized by it should thereafter operate. Problems arising outside the agreed framework should be resolved by the full Committee in consultation or, if necessary, referred to the Universal House of Justice.

III. Continental Pioneer Committees are responsible directly to the Universal House of Justice. They fall into a different category from national committees and should maintain close and direct collaboration with the Continental Boards of Counsellors in their areas. This close collaboration is designed to prevent duplication of efforts and to ensure the flow of accurate information; examples of how it will be applied are given below.

IV. The responsibilities of the Continental Pioneer Committees cover three inter-related areas: information, pioneering, and travel teaching. They complement, but in no way replace the functions and responsibilities of Continental Boards of Counsellors and National Spiritual Assemblies.

A. Information. Each Continental Pioneer Committee is responsible to compile and supply information as follows:

1. To keep a current list of pioneers from abroad residing in each country in its area, as well as a list of unfilled pioneer needs under the quotas assigned by the Universal House of Justice.
2. To keep a file of information on the types of jobs and work opportunities which may be open to prospective pioneers in each country in its area, and on facilities for study at universities, etc.

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3. To keep a file of information on local conditions in each country, such as language, standard of living, climate, etc., as well as data vital for entry and settlement, such as visa requirements and government regulations.
4. To keep a file of information on the kind of pioneer most suitable for each country in its area, on the kinds of pioneers which are acceptable if the most suitable are not obtainable, and on types of pioneers which are definitely not suitable (e.g., for reasons of nationality, etc.).
5. To keep a similar file on the kind of traveling teacher most needed, etc.
6. Pertinent information from the above files should be made freely available, whenever it can be helpful, to interested Boards of Counsellors, National Spiritual Assemblies, prospective pioneers, and traveling teachers.
7. Regular exchange of information between the Continental Boards of Counsellors and the Continental Pioneer Committees in any area will not only assist the Counsellors in their work but will provide the Committees with a more complete picture of the situation in the continent on the basis of which recommendations can be made to believers who offer to pioneer.
8. Monthly reports on the status of pioneering goals, the progress of international travel teaching projects, etc., should be sent to the Universal House of Justice by the Committee.

B. Pioneering: A large proportion of pioneering takes place in fulfillment of the quotas assigned by the Universal House of Justice, and most of these quotas should be filled through consultation and action directly between the supplying and receiving National Spiritual Assemblies or their respective national committees. In such cases, the Continental Pioneering Committees will be brought into the matter merely so that they may receive information about the pioneer moves to make their statistical information complete. Likewise, a number of individual pioneers will arrange their moves in direct consultation with the receiving National Spiritual Assembly—again, the Continental Pioneer Committee merely needs to be informed. However, beyond this generality of cases, there are many instances and ways in which the Continental Pioneer Committees can be of help, as, for example:

1. A Continental Pioneer Committee receives an offer to pioneer from a believer who has no specific country in mind. It would then:
   1. Evaluate the offer, considering the believer’s age, health, dependents, financial situation, language abilities, job possibilities, etc., consulting, if necessary, his home National Spiritual Assembly.
   2. Consider whether the offer could fill a quota assignment. If so, the Committee should immediately inform the National Spiritual Assemblies involved. If financial assistance is needed, the National Assembly responsible for sending a pioneer may be willing to provide it for the believer who has offered rather than send a pioneer from its own country.
   3. If there is no specific quota that the pioneer is able or willing to fill, the Committee should put him in touch with one or more National Spiritual Assemblies for whose areas he would seem to be both suited and needed, providing him at the same time with whatever useful information it can muster.
   4. In all cases, the Continental Pioneer Committee should seek the views and recommendations of the appropriate Counsellors whenever it feels this would assist in deciding what to recommend to the pioneer or National Spiritual Assembly.
2. Requests for assistance from the International Deputization Fund will normally be made directly to the Universal House of Justice by the National Spiritual Assembly primarily responsible for a pioneering project. However, whenever a Continental Pioneering Committee learns that a pioneer is in financial difficulties because of a breakdown of communications with or between National Spiritual Assemblies, it should offer its assistance, referring if possible to the National Assembly concerned, and, if necessary, applying directly to the Universal House of Justice for a budget or allocation from the Deputization Fund.
3. In general, each Continental Pioneer Committee should be alert to the pioneering projects proposed for and under way in its area, and should offer its assistance to National Spiritual Assemblies should this seem to be needed to ensure prompt and efficient implementation of the projects.
4. Beyond the quotas assigned by the Universal House of Justice, pioneer needs frequently arise, such as the need to immediately fill a post left vacant. Such needs, far from having to be referred to the Universal House of Justice, can be met on the spot by a request from a National Spiritual Assembly to the Continental Pioneer Committee and/or through consultation between the Committee and the Counsellors.

C. Travel Teaching: As in the case of pioneering, many international travel teaching projects can be arranged directly between National Assemblies or between individual believers and National or Local Spiritual Assemblies. Information about such projects should, however, be shared as quickly as possible with the Continental Pioneer Committee. Other prospective teachers will make their offers to one or more Continental Pioneer Committees. For such projects, each Committee should help in the following ways:

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1. It would be useful if each Continental Pioneer Committee would work out in advance circuits of various lengths covering areas where teachers are needed so that it can suggest such a circuit to a prospective traveling teacher. In working out such circuits, attention will have to be paid to travel facilities, including the best length of time to spend between connections.
2. In general, no Continental Pioneer Committee should send a traveling teacher into a country without obtaining the prior agreement of the National Spiritual Assembly to the project. In the case of major projects, such agreement will no doubt have to be sought in each instance, but inasmuch as offers of travel teaching are not infrequently made with little time to spare for making arrangements, it would be useful if each Continental Pioneer Committee would work out with the National Spiritual Assemblies in its area procedures whereby advantage can be taken of such offers.
3. Information about a traveling teacher which should be provided to the receiving National Assembly should include the type of teaching service he is best qualified to render (e.g., public meetings, firesides, deepening classes, etc.), language facility, and whether or not he will need hospitality in the areas to which he will travel. Information about the teacher which would be useful in drafting publicity releases could also be included.
4. It is hoped that traveling teaching projects will be carried out, for the most part, without assistance from the International Deputization Fund. If projects which are considered to be of special benefit to the Faith cannot be wholly financed by the individuals themselves, through personal deputization, or by the National Spiritual Assemblies offering or receiving such services, the Continental Pioneer Committee may recommend the Universal House of Justice to provide assistance from the International Deputization Fund.
5. Every Continental Pioneering Committee is given the authority to expend for traveling teaching projects up to a maximum of $500 in any one Gregorian month, without reference to the Universal House of Justice. This money should be accounted for in the usual way through the Committee’s Account Current with the Finance Department of the Universal House of Justice.
6. It should be made clear to all international traveling teachers that they are under the jurisdiction of the National Spiritual Assembly of the country in which they are traveling, and they must be obedient to the instructions of that National Assembly.
7. In arranging circuits for traveling teachers, the Continental Pioneer Committee will rely greatly on up-to-date information provided to it by the Continental Board of Counsellors, and the Committee should not hesitate to refer to the Counsellors for their advice on individual offers.
8. Any reports that the Continental Pioneer Committee receives from traveling teachers should be shared promptly with the appropriate Boards of Counsellors, which will, if they consider it wise, share them with the National Spiritual Assemblies concerned. If such reports are of particular interest, they should also be shared with the Universal House of Justice for its information and for possible use in the “Bahá’í International News Service”.

Five new National Assemblies to form at Riḍván

To All National Spiritual Assemblies

Dear Bahá’í Friends,

We are glad to announce that preparations are being made for next Riḍván by the friends in several countries in West Africa and one in the Near East to form in accordance with the provisions of the Five Year Plan, their new National Spiritual Assemblies. In Western Africa, the National Spiritual Assembly of Dahomey, Togo, and Niger will divide into three separate national communities for each of the three countries which presently compose the region, with their seats in Cotonou, Lomé, and Niamey respectively, while the National Spiritual Assemblies of West Africa and of Upper West Africa will each split into two units, the former into Liberia and Guinea, with its seat in Monrovia, and Sierra Leone, with its seat in Freetown, and the latter into the Gambia, with its seat in Banjul, and a new National Spiritual Assembly with the name of Upper West Africa comprising Senegal, Mauritania, Guinea-Bissau, and the Cape Verde Islands, with its seat in Dakar. In the Near East, the National Spiritual Assembly of Jordan will be formed, with its seat in ‘Ammán. These developments on the national level will result in a net increase next Riḍván of five National Spiritual Assemblies, but in view of the inability of the friends in Indonesia to maintain national administrative activities, the total number of National Spiritual Assemblies will thus be raised throughout the world to 119.

Of the five new National Spiritual Assemblies, four will have their seats in Western Africa. Three more National Spiritual Assemblies are scheduled to be formed in this area in the course of the Plan. The mighty potentialities for growth and expansion in the western regions of Africa are such as to justify a corresponding development of the institution of the Continental Boards of Counsellors in that vast and promising area. The decision has been taken, therefore, after consultation with the International Teaching Center, to break the present zone of North-western Africa into two separate zones of Northern and Western Africa, to each of which will be transferred parts of the Central and East African zone. The zone of Northern Africa will comprise Egypt,

[Page 4] Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, and Spanish Sahara. The zone of Western Africa will consist of Mauritania, Senegal, the Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, the Cape Verde Islands, Guinea, Mali, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Upper Volta, Niger, Ghana, Togo, Dahomey, Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and São Tomé and Principe.

Because of the creation of a new Board for Northern Africa, the Counsellors in this and the one for Western Africa must be regrouped, new appointments made to the Northern Board, and the number of Auxiliary Board members increased. We decided, therefore, that the Board for Northern Africa will consist of Mr. Muhammad Kebdani, already serving as a Counsellor, Mr. Muḥammad Muṣṭafá, and Mr. ‘Imád Ṣábirán. The Board for Western Africa will consist of Mr. Ḥusayn Ardikání (Trustee), Mr. Friday Ekpe, Mr. Dhikru’lláh Káẓimí, and Dr. Mihdí Samandarí (transferred from the Central and East African Board).

We are also increasing the number of Auxiliary Board members in Africa, adding 9 members to the Board for Protection, and 9 to that for Propagation, bringing the totals for that continent to 27 and 45 respectively, allocated according to the following schedule:

	Auxiliary Board	Auxiliary Board
	members	members
	for Protection	for Propagation
Central and East Africa	13	19
Southern Africa	4	10
Northern Africa	5	5
Western Africa	_ 5 _	_ 11 _
	27	45

We pray at the Holy Shrines that these decisions, which reflect the growth of our beloved Faith in Africa, will pave the way for speedier progress, wider expansion, and greater consolidation, as the friends of that mighty continent forge ahead in their efforts to promote and protect the precious Cause of Bahá’u’lláh.

With loving Bahá’í greetings,

THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

January 6, 1975

Worldwide pioneering goals increased by 376

To the Bahá’ís of the World

Dear Bahá’í Friends,

The striking progress made during the first eight months of the Five Year Plan and the urgent needs of the work as disclosed in a survey made by the International Teaching Center impel us to raise anew the call for pioneers made at Riḍván, increasing the number from 557 to 933. The details of the allocations are now being sent to your National Spiritual Assemblies for immediate action.

The eager response of the friends to the initial call has already resulted in 279 pioneers settled or in process of becoming so. The remainder are urged to arise as quickly as possible before the confusion and chaos which are engulfing the old order disrupt transportation and communications and cause doors that are now open to be closed in our faces. It is our ardent hope that most, if not all, of the 933 posts will be filled by the midway point of the Five Year Plan, which coincides with the Anniversary of the Birth of the Báb, on 20th October 1976.

We renew our plea to individual believers, as well as to National and Local Spiritual Assemblies, to give generous support to the International Deputization Fund, which will not only be an essential factor in the speedy settlement of this urgently needed army of pioneers but will also stimulate and assist the flow of traveling teachers, whose labors will provide strong reinforcement to the work of the followers of Bahá’u’lláh in all parts of the world.

Our prayers for your guidance and confirmation are offered at the Sacred Threshold. May Bahá’u’lláh inspire those who arise and guide their feet on the path of His service.

With loving Bahá’í greetings,

THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

January 13, 1975

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Around the World

World Center:

Hand of Cause embarks on journey along Amazon

At a recent gathering held in her honor, the Hand of the Cause Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum bade farewell to her fellow Hands of the Cause, The Universal House of Justice, and other friends serving at the World Center. The Hand of the Cause will shortly begin a prolonged visit to the Amazon basin area of South America.

“The purpose of my trip,” Rúḥíyyih Khánum said, “is to visit and make a documentary film of as many Indian and Bush Negro tribes as possible along the Orinoco river in the Venezuelan Province of Amazonas, in Surinam, and later in the upper reaches of the Amazon River in Peru. I feel very strongly that to achieve the teaching goals of the Five Year Plan of The Universal House of Justice... indeed to fulfill the goals of the Divine Plan given to us by the Center of the Covenant, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,... a far greater awareness is required throughout the Bahá’í world of what pioneering involves, how infinitely precious and challenging our present opportunities are in the teaching field, and how urgent our task is at this time in human history.

“Two-thirds of the people on the planet are villagers,” Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum reminded the friends, “and one-third are illiterate. It is this vast majority of the human race, still relatively unspoiled by the evils of a materialistic and ‘cancerous civilization’ which the Guardian so strongly condemned in his writings towards the end of his life, that needs to be enrolled under the Banner of Bahá’u’lláh before it is too late.”

The Hand of the Cause explained that it is not her purpose to visit Bahá’í centers or make a teaching tour at this time. The expedition will comprise seven people, four of whom are professional photographers. Mr. Mas’úd Khamsí, a member of the South American Continental Board of Counsellors, will also accompany her, as will a woman doctor or nurse.

“It is my hope,” said Amatu’l-Bahá, “that this undertaking, in conjunction with my book, A Manual for Pioneers, published by the National Spiritual Assembly of India, will help pave the way for a vast expansion in teaching activity throughout the world and that many of the friends, seeing these efforts, will take heart and say to themselves: ‘If she can do it, we can do it!’ ”

Dr. Muhájir visits Peru In early January, the Hand of the Cause Rahmatu’lláh Muhájir visited Peru for five days. During that time, he visited the summer school in Chaclacayo, spoke at public meetings in Lima, Trujillo, and Chiclayo, and guided the friends in the opening of the village of Monsefu. Among the Bahá’ís who greeted Dr. Muhájir upon his arrival in Lima (pictured above) were Continental Counsellors Peter McLaren (second from right) and Mas’úd Khamsi (taking the photograph).

Panama:

Film attracts seekers in Las Tablas

The city of Las Tablas, Panama, has been opened to the Faith through the efforts of a small but devoted teaching team.

A week before a meeting was scheduled to be held in Las Tablas, three believers drove to the small city on the Azuero peninsula to obtain permission to hold a meeting and show the film of the dedication of the Mother Temple of Latin America. Two days before the event, one of the friends journeyed to Las Tablas to arrange for 12 spot radio announcements, to distribute posters, and to book hotel accommodations. In the afternoon of the day the meeting was to be held, 500 invitations were distributed. Each of the team members, before departing for Las Tablas, met with friends at the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds for prayers.

At the evening meeting attended mostly by young people, the film was shown, and then an introductory talk on the Faith was given. After the first audience left, more people came; eventually, it was necessary to show the film three times. After the third showing to a primarily adult audience, several of the men asked penetrating questions on such topics as the education of children, the equality of men and women, and life after death.

A member of the fire department of Las Tablas accepted the Faith and enrolled as a Bahá’í. A follow-up meeting, about three weeks later, was addressed by Continental Counsellor for Central America Alfred Osborne.

Swaziland:

Women’s Year discussed at reception

In preparation for Women’s Year, as 1975 has been designated by the United Nations, the Bahá’í women of Swaziland held a tea at the Bahá’í Center, which was attended by several Princesses, the wife of the Prime Minister, some of the wives of government ministers and other officials,

[Page 6] Nearly every member of the Buea Bahá’í community actively supported the event.

as well as the wife of the American Chargé d’Affaires and the wife of the editor of the Swaziland Times. The Women’s and Children’s Committee gave a presentation of some of the Bahá’í Teachings. The Swazi women, in particular, were deeply impressed and interested in what the Bahá’ís have to offer the children.

The Secretary of the National Assembly gave a short talk on the history and relationship of the Bahá’í Faith to the United Nations nongovernmental organization.

The National Assembly of Swaziland and Mozambique also reported that the Public Relations Committee sponsored a booth at the Swaziland Trade Fair at which approximately 500 pieces of literature were distributed. Slides of Bahá’í Holy Places and groups of Bahá’ís were projected constantly, prompting many questions. These activities, together with Bahá’í quotations inserted weekly in the Times and the presence of the Bahá’í Institute buildings on the main road between the two largest centers in the country, Mbabane and Manzini, have resulted in the Faith becoming well known in Swaziland.

Windward Islands:

Circuit teacher visits St. Michael

The first public meeting at the new Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Flint Hall, St. Michael, Barbados, witnessed a large audience gathered to hear American travel-teacher Zylpha O. Mapp. Extensive publicity prior to the meeting, which was held at the end of August, helped to attract many non-Bahá’ís. The building was a gift to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the Windward Islands from the Canadian National Spiritual Assembly.

Part of a week-long travel teaching visit to Barbados by Mrs. Mapp, the meeting included a slide program on East Africa with the audience joining in singing and refreshments at the close of the program.

Deepening classes and radio and newspaper interviews filled the remainder of Mrs. Mapp’s visit to Barbados, and follow-up plans were formulated prior to her departure from the island.

St. Martin press praises Bahá’ís

The recent Bahá’í conference held on the island of St. Martin was the subject of articles in the island press, the St. Martin Star and the Windward Islands Opinion. The latter carried a three-column article which stated, in part:

“This coming weekend, 8th to 10th November, will be a most important one for St. Martin, and for the ever-growing Bahá’í community... for the first time ever, a Bahá’í Teaching Conference will be held here which will be attended by Bahá’ís from many parts of the world... The management of the hotel, realizing the importance of this event, has made over the entire facilities of the hotel to the Bahá’ís and their guests for the weekend. ... one of the highlights will be the teaching of Bahá’í music and songs by Terry Madison, a well-known television star in her own right in the U.S. A. She is a dedicated Bahá’í and can be seen talking to a panel of local Bahá’ís on TV 3 West Indies Television on Friday evening... The Bahá’ís are level-headed, spiritual human beings walking the spiritual path with practical feet... come and meet these Bahá’ís; they will be happy to tell you more about this wonderful Faith which is sweeping away old dogmas and false beliefs and clearing a spiritual path for mankind to love and understand God ...”

Cameroon Republic:

Book displays proclaim Faith

A number of Bahá’í book exhibitions were recently the vehicle for proclaiming the Faith in the Cameroon Republic. The first exhibition was held at the University in Yaounde, followed by others in various colleges and schools. Radio announcements, handbills, posters, and invitations were used to call public attention to the exhibitions.

In Buea, the Bahá’ís used an attractive classroom in the Pan-African Institute for the display. Radio Buea not only announced the event several times without charge but also sent an interviewer who asked interesting questions and allowed

[Page 7] Books, posters, and photographs were included in the Buea display at the Pan-African Institute held October 14-16.

ample time for answers. A public meeting held on the last evening was well attended.

A half-hour radio program based on the interview was broadcast in full on two occasions, and an edited version was broadcast once. Many favorable comments were made by those who visited the exhibition or heard the broadcast.

An important aspect of this activity was the wholehearted cooperation of nearly every member of the Buea community, including the children, who made display material and helped distribute handbills.

India:

Gathering honors Bahá’í poet

On November 9, 1974, at Gannaur, a township in the northern province of Uttar Pradesh, a large conference of poets was held. They had gathered from throughout India to observe the first anniversary of the death of a “very learned and widely respected” Bahá’í, Jenabe Abr Ahsan Gannauri, who was himself a poet. The organizers of the conference, aware of the poet’s belief in the Bahá’í Faith, wrote to the National Spiritual Assembly of India and asked that representatives be sent.

Poems and speeches honoring the late poet were read, as well as Bahá’í prayers and Tablets in various languages. The event provided an excellent opportunity to teach the Faith to the assembled Muslims and Hindus, many of whom had learned of the Faith through the activities of the Bahá’í poet. Several questions were asked of the Bahá’ís, and literature was distributed to those who requested it. As the Bahá’ís were boarding the train to leave Gannaur, they were surrounded by a crowd of eager enquirers. The discussion which ensued lasted for more than an hour, and at its close, many promised to investigate further.

Australia:

Magazine resumes publication

Herald of the South, a publication of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Australia, is now available to Bahá’ís around the world on a subscription basis. The magazine is published quarterly—in January, April, July, and October—at a subscription price of $5.00 U.S., $3.00 Australian, or £2.00 English per year.

Herald of the South is not a new magazine. It was first published in 1925, later suspended operations, and eventually resumed publication at Riḍván 1974, the date of the launching of the Five Year Plan.

Among the articles in the Riḍván 1974 issue were the following: “A New Race of Men,” by Colin Duncan; “Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow,” by Peter Khan; “May our Hearts be Joined in Peace,” a poem by Mansel Morris; and “Kabu of the Purari,” a fascinating story about the growth of the Faith in New Guinea, by David Podger. The magazine’s 32 pages included numerous drawings and cartoons.

If you would like to subscribe, send $5.00 U.S., $3.00 Australian or £2.00 English to: The Subscriptions Department, P.O Box 125, Broadway Queensland, 4000, Australia. Herald of the South will be mailed to you four times yearly via surface mail.

New Hebrides:

Conference participation unprecedented

The first teaching conference of the Five Year Plan to be held in New Hebrides took place at the Bahá’í Center in Port Vila from October 31-November 3, 1974. Approximately 70 adults and 30 Bahá’í children attended from various areas throughout the region. Nine of the ten existing Local Spiritual Assemblies in the territory of the South West Pacific were represented. Never before had so many friends from so many parts of the area gathered together for such a long period. The conference was greatly enriched by the participation of Counsellor Suhayl ‘Aláí and Auxiliary Board member Alick Soalo. The proceedings were translated into English, French, and Pidgin.

Representatives of each Spiritual Assembly presented short talks on the progress achieved toward fulfilling the phased first-year goals of the Five Year Plan.

[Page 8] Gambia, Senegal, Mauritania:

Mr. Enoch Olinga supports mass teaching efforts

Visits by the Hand of the Cause Enoch Olinga to Gambia, Mauritania, and Senegal in September and October provided the opportunity for many deepening classes with the friends and mass teaching efforts, which included the enrollment of the first Bahá’í women in Rosso, Mauritania.

This achievement was accompanied by the offer of local Bahá’ís to teach along the Senegal River in the Rosso area, with the goal of establishing nine Local Spiritual Assemblies before Riḍván.

During his stay in Banjul, Gambia, Mr. Olinga, together with Auxiliary Board member Al-Salihi, visited the Bahá’í properties in Latrikunda Sabiji and Lamin. He also showed slides at a public meeting before leaving for Dakar, where he attended several meetings of the National Spiritual Assembly.

Venezuela:

First proclamation aided by radio

The Bahá’ís of San Felipe, in the state of Yaracuy, Venezuela, recently organized the first proclamation activity ever in their town located some 120 miles west of the Venezuelan capital of Caracas.

The proclamation was presented in two parts. The first program was held on October 31 in the auditorium of the local chapter of the Venezuelan Association of Newspaper Reporters. Dr. Weldon Woodard, Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly, spoke about “A New World Plan.”

The second part of the proclamation, an exhibition in the town square, took place two days later.

The local radio station in San Felipe provided extraordinary publicity for the events when the general manager, Julio Cesar Hernández, wrote and broadcast a precise introduction to the Faith based on Bahá’í literature he had received.

Youth team tours cities

For the first time in Venezuela, a team of youth toured four of the country’s principal cities to teach the Faith. They traveled in a small bus, stopping in Barquisimeto, Puerto Cabello, Valencia, and Maracay to conduct proclamation activities. The group included young people from six cities in Venezuela. They were accompanied on their journey by Mr. and Mrs. Pedro Chavier. It was the first time any of them had undertaken such a mission.

In some cities, they were not allowed to speak of the Faith publicly but were allowed to erect a display on the oneness of mankind. They also handed out paper flowers with quotations from the Bahá’í writings attached to the wire stems. In some of the cities, they were allowed to

Youth teaching passersby at a bus terminal.

[Page 9] speak of the Faith and to hand out pamphlets. In every city, they were interviewed for radio and also received coverage from the newspapers.

Conference in Guajira language

The third All-Guajira Conference was held in Caucharaychon, Venezuela between November 30-December 1, to review with Indian believers the goals of the Five Year Plan. The conference—the first ever conducted entirely in the Guajira language—was sponsored by the Continental Counsellors and the Venezuelan National Assembly. Approximately 50 Guajiro Bahá’ís attended. An additional two dozen friends from other parts of the country were also present.

The friends assembled on the evening of November 29 for dancing and festivities before beginning their deliberations on the Plan on the following morning. To the beat of Guajiro drums, they danced the Chicha Maya, a traditional regional dance.

The conference was chaired by Auxiliary Board member Cecilia Yguarán. The entire consultation was conducted in the Guajira language. Fourteen of the friends volunteered for extension teaching work: ten of them for a period of one week, four for two weeks. One believer volunteered to teach in the distant Colombian Guajira during January.

Each day began with an early morning prayer meeting, which was to encourage local communities to begin this routine in their own communities. An extended consultation on the establishment of women’s classes, as well as on the relationship between Bahá’í teaching and their status in Guajira life, was conducted by the friends.

Within two weeks of the conference, ten new localities had been opened in the Guajira region; 155 people were enrolled. Five of the ten communities will soon elect Local Spiritual Assemblies.

Honduras:

Hurricane Fifi prevents conference on Plan

The National Spiritual Assembly of Honduras reported that four of the five conferences called to launch the Five Year Plan were successfully held last year “stimulating enthusiasm for fulfilling all the goals of the Plan.” The fifth conference, to have been held in the northern city of San Pedro Sula, was canceled because of the notorious hurricane Fifi, which ravaged that part of the country, leaving 10,000 dead in its wake.

Auxiliary Board members wed The Hands of the Cause Ugo Giachery and Jalál Kházeh were present in Monte Carlo in June for the wedding of Auxiliary Board members Ebrahim Khalili, of Iran, and Paulette Bodansen, of France. Shown in the above photograph, from left to right, are: Angeline Giachery, A. Blagovestchensky, Chairman of the Spiritual Assembly of Monaco, Dr. Giachery, Mr. and Mrs. Khalili, and Mr. Kházeh.

The National Assembly reported that many Bahá’í families lost all their possessions, but that no deaths were reported among the Bahá’ís. A little more than 48 hours before the hurricane struck, the Bahá’í pioneers had gathered for an annual two-day conference, but they dispersed just before the storm broke. The resident pioneers were rescued by helicopter from waist-deep water after two days, during which they had taken refuge in a house built on pillars. The dispersed pioneers sent boxes of sandwiches in waterproof wrappings which were distributed to the victims of the disaster remaining in the devastated region.

Bahá’í friends at the Third All-Guajira Conference in Caucharaychon, Venezuela.

[Page 10]

Human Rights Day

Bahá’í celebrations around the world

The following information is a summary of activities carried out by Bahá’í communities throughout the world in observance of UN Day and Human Rights Day 1973. This condensation is intended to provide a variety of suggestions and ideas that may be useful to Bahá’í communities wishing to celebrate these UN events for the first time, as well as communities which have had experience in these activities and are, perhaps, looking for fresh approaches to these occasions. We have selected from the overall report of Bahá’í-UN activities, examples of various classifications of programs—for example, public meetings, exhibits, international dinners, radio programs, etc.—and have tried to choose, also, observances carried out by communities of varying sizes and conditions, to demonstrate that every community—whatever its circumstances—can celebrate UN Day and Human Rights Day.

Public Meetings. A number of Bahá’í communities chose to sponsor public meetings, in many instances drawing on their local UN office—the office of the United Nations Development Program, the United Nations Information Center, or offices of the United Nations Specialized Agencies—for speakers. For example, the main speaker in Chad was an expert from the UNESCO office; the Local Spiritual Assembly of Asmara, Ethiopia, had as a guest speaker the Senior Information Officer of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa; Panama had a speaker from the local office of the UNDP; in Belize, a UNDP Resident Representative acted as Master of Ceremonies at the Human Rights Day observance, while representatives of the United Nations, posted in Belize—one from UNDP, one from the UN Office of Technical Cooperation, a Regional Representative for the United Nations Industrial Development Organization,

[Page 11] and a UNDP engineer—served as panelists at the UN Day celebration. In Bangladesh, Ambassador Francis Lacoste, Chief of Mission, United Nations Operation in Bangladesh, spoke at a Human Rights Day program. In Honolulu, Hawaii, a panel discussion featured a professor of the University of Hawaii who has served as a consultant for the World Health Organization, and Mauritius sponsored a program for UN Day with UNDP Resident Representative John Birt as the main speaker, and for their Human Rights Day program, Mr. T. Sunkur, a member of the UNESCO Club, gave a talk. One Local Spiritual Assembly in Sweden worked closely with the UN office in Sweden and featured a UN speaker at their UN Day program. An unexpected feature of the UN Day observance in Tonga was the presence of representatives of the World Health Organization who unofficially formed a panel to answer questions from the floor; and the Bahá’ís of Buea, Cameroon, had a public meeting with a representative of UNESCO as the speaker. At this meeting, Mihdí Samandarí, a member of the Board of Counsellors for Central and East Africa, was Chairman. The program was taped and played over the radio three times, reaching large audiences.

An interesting approach to a public meeting was tried by the Bahá’ís of Alice Springs, Australia, where an open-air public meeting was held by candlelight; and members of the Newtown Group of Australia—at their public meeting held in cooperation with the United Nations Association—showed their appreciation of the evening’s performers by presenting each one with a single rose set in a glass with the inscription “in the garden of thy heart, plant naught but the rose of love’—Bahá’u’lláh.” In Palma de Mallorca (Balearic Islands), a public talk, which was announced in five newspapers,

[Page 12] was followed by a full-page interview of the speaker. In Valencia, Spain, a public meeting provided an opportunity to distribute 1,000 UN and Bahá’í pamphlets.

Cooperation with other organizations. There are times, too, when cooperation with other organizations in planning and executing UN activities is valuable and successful. One Bahá’í community in Sweden co-sponsored an event with the United Nations Association, and in four other instances, communities participated in activities organized by the local UNA. In Belgium, the Bahá’í community of Brussels sponsored a Human Rights Day meeting in cooperation with the Belgium League for the Defense of the Rights of Man ... and many events in Australia were co-sponsored by Bahá’ís in cooperation with UNA. Especially successful this year was a UNA Inter-Faith Youth Service held in Hobart Town Hall in which eight Tasmanian Bahá’í youth—a mixture of boys and girls, and including an aboriginal girl and a Laotian boy—participated, reading “Words of Wisdom” and a prayer for unity. The youth speaker at the service was also a Bahá’í, and the Secretary of the Assembly reported that Bahá’í participation in this service increased the level of prestige of the Faith in Hobart and established good relations with the Tasmanian director, who assured the Bahá’ís of his assistance and support should they wish to organize future UN activities. A similar function was held in Sydney, Australia, where a 13-year-old Bahá’í read a prayer for mankind, and another 13-year-old girl was the principal speaker, giving a 10-minute address entitled “Unity in Diversity.” Both of these events were given support by the Bahá’í community through posters, literature in schools, invitations, two large paid ads, and one free ad. The Ghana Bahá’í community was the only religious group to be invited to serve on an Ad-Hoc Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the observance of Human Rights Day. The Vice-Chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly represented the Bahá’ís, and he was later asked to appear on a nationwide TV program to explain the relationship between the United Nations and the Bahá’ís. In addition, he was asked to be Chairman for a symposium on human rights at the Accra Community Center.

Exhibits. Bahá’í-sponsored exhibits were very popular as a way of observing UN Day and Human Rights Day in 1973. One that was particularly successful was executed by the Bahá’í Club at the Catholic University in Quito, Ecuador, where hundreds of people viewed the display of UN posters and pamphlets in the main hall of the “Pedagogia” building, and over 1,000 pieces of literature were given out by 9:00 A.M. Posters were used as a means of announcing the event. Later, this observance was written up in Commitment, the official publication of UNDP for non-governmental organizations. In Brazil, a Bahá’í devoted the windows of her fashion store to a display of materials prepared by the United Nations on unity and world peace and the related principles of the Bahá’í Faith. This drew publicity in the form of a large feature story in a newspaper. A continuing exhibit—from October 1 to the end of February—was arranged by the Bahá’ís of Monaco on the ground floor of a building with windows that could be viewed by passers-by. The display was set for UN Day, and innovations made for Human Rights Day became the source for newspaper, radio, and TV publicity. The Bahá’ís of Iran had an exhibit that ran two weeks to educate people about the teachings of the Bahá’í Faith, the aims of the United Nations, and human rights. Later, a film was produced, using the colorful exhibit as a focal point for explaining the teachings of the Bahá’í Faith, particularly as they relate to human rights. A UN display was set up for UN Day by the Bahá’ís of Hilo, Hawaii, in a large shopping center, and in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, two exhibits were displayed at a store in the center of the town and at the Bahá’í Center. In Laos, the Bahá’ís made a display of UN posters, which they used as a background for their Human Rights Day meeting, held in Luang, Prebang, the royal capital. It was the first UN program organized by a Bahá’í community in Laos. It drew an audience of students, teachers, and members of a hospital staff. In Kiel, Germany, for Human Rights Day, the Bahá’ís set up a booth in the market place, where they distributed UN and Bahá’í pamphlets to passers-by and engaged in friendly discussions. In the Dominican Republic, the Bahá’ís made use of their Center to feature an exhibit of UN posters on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Prominent people from local and national communities. In many instances, prominent people from local and national communities participated in the Bahá’í-UN activities. For example, the Attorney-General of Dahomey shared the platform with a Bahá’í speaker at a public meeting. Brussels, Belgium, co-sponsored a program featuring William Deswarte, Vice-President of the Belgium League for the Defense of Human Rights. A high school principal and six of his students contributed to the success of a UN Day program sponsored by the Bahá’ís of Tonga, and in Lae, Papua, New Guinea, the Mayor of Lae was among the 40 guests attending a UN Day function held in a private Bahá’í home. This was the only observance held in Lae for UN Day. In Lower Hutt, New Zealand, the Mayor graciously signed a proclamation for UN Day and offered to serve as Chairman for the Bahá’í public meeting. Also, in New Zealand, Bahá’í contact with the Mayoress of Ngaruawahia, a town in which the majority of the people are Maori, resulted in a UN Day observance, the first ever organized in that town. A Bahá’í community in Canada was successful in achieving a UN Day proclamation from the Mayor of the town—and he called upon citizens to assist the UN in its efforts on behalf of all mankind. A Human Rights Day meeting sponsored by three Local Spiritual Assemblies in Australia had as its Chairman the Mayoress of Fort Adelaide.

Belize, British Honduras; Pinheiro, Brazil; and Newtown, Australia, utilized Bahá’í-sponsored essay contests for high school students to create interest in the United Nations. Prizes were awarded; a book was given in Newtown along with a check; a set of pens was the first prize in Pinheiro, and hand-lettered certificates were given to the runner-up winners; and in Belize, prizes were donated by merchants.

Newspaper publicity. In some Bahá’í communities, newspaper publicity did an excellent job of substituting for an actual event. Through extensive mailings of UN materials to libraries, clubs, schools, and colleges, radio stations, etc., several communities in Spain heard of the Faith and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, some of them for the first time. The National Spiritual Assembly of Tonga observed Human Rights Day in a unique way. It bought a full page in the national newspaper, the Chronicle, and had printed “A Bahá’í Declaration of Human Obligations and Rights” in addition to a commentary on the United Nations, with reference to the Bahá’í International Community office in New York City and to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Tonga and the Cook Islands. There was much comment about this page, and the

[Page 13] President of the State Church later spoke favorably about it on the radio.

Before United Nations Day, the Bahá’í National Spiritual Assembly of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands sent a long letter to the Director of Information, in charge of all news. The letter called attention to World Development Day and to the United Nations teams of experts who contribute so much to the Colony’s progress, and explained briefly the relationship of the Bahá’í world to the UN. Included were UN and Bahá’í pamphlets, information sheets, and posters. These materials were also widely distributed to schools. Further, the National Assembly sent to a young Ellice woman who is the director of a new radio program on women, UN pamphlets and Bahá’í materials and offered suggestions of people to be interviewed, who could lead discussions on the subject of the equality of men and women....In Trier, Germany, a UN leaflet on World Development Information Day was distributed to all schools and to teachers at the university. As a result, the Ministry of Education instructed all high schools to discuss UN World Development Day in their classes. The newspapers in Trier announced this activity and later carried an article.

Radio programs. Radio programs were the source of much publicity for the observance of UN Day and Human Rights Day by Bahá’í communities. For Human Rights Day, the Bahá’ís of Belize sponsored a half-hour radio program with outstanding personalities discussing human rights in relation to education, law, youth, religion, and women. Since this is the only radio station in the country, the program, planned by the Bahá’í community in cooperation with the United Nations Development Program office—the UNDP Resident Representative acted as Master of Ceremonies—reached some 130,000 people. Radio was used effectively for both United Nations Day and Human Rights Day by the Bahá’ís of Seychelles. A script was prepared by them for United Nations Day, and it was broadcast on Radio Seychelles. For Human Rights Day, a talk in French was recorded for Radio Seychelles, and along with this was read the Message of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for the occasion. This public service was received with great appreciation. In one area of Canada, a call-in radio show was held and received good response from listeners. Other Canadian communities made a concentrated effort to gain maximum usage of talk-shows or other radio shows available. To the great joy and delight of the Bahá’ís of New Caledonia, they were successful in arranging to have both a Bahá’í and a Melanesian non-Bahá’í interviewed on the radio and on TV. In addition, as a direct result of contact which the Bahá’ís made with the newspaper La France Australe, the front page carried an editorial on human rights.

Sydney, Australia, blessed with a Bahá’í House of Worship, organized services at the Temple for United Nations Day and Human Rights Day. Among the guests were dignitaries, councillors, UN personnel, and inquirers.

Panel discussions and seminars. Panel discussions and seminars were organized by several communities. In Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, at the Syndicate for Civil Servants, a Bahá’í was invited to join a panel of speakers for UN Day. After the talks, the Bahá’ís showed slides, and arranged an exhibit of United Nations posters. The President of the Syndicate requested a copy of the talk given by the Bahá’í on the relationship of the UN and the Bahá’í Faith, and it was then printed by the Syndicate and distributed to its members. The Bahá’ís of Belize received first-page newspaper coverage and first place on the radio news as a result of an interesting round-table discussion which was held at the Bahá’í Center for United Nations Day. The Bahá’í community of Nelson, New Zealand, sponsored a United Nations Day seminar which included a workshop program.

Films were used extensively throughout the Bahá’í communities this year, sometimes as a main attraction, other times in addition to a speaker. The film recently produced by the United Nations Development Program, “One and a Half Dreams,” was especially popular, and in one instance, as a result of a showing by a Bahá’í community, the local TV station decided to show it also.

Social affairs. Many Bahá’í communities chose to have social affairs to celebrate UN Day and Human Rights Day, demonstrating the Bahá’í belief in unity, through pot-luck dinners, progressive dinners, international dinners, teas and receptions—and there were children’s parties too, with games, dancing and singing. At least on one occasion a public meeting was followed by a dance group, performing colorful folk dances (Panama). This produced a fiesta atmosphere, and some of the audience joined in the dancing.

In Porto Alegre, Brazil, the Bahá’í Institute of Porto Alegre, a primary school with over 200 registered children, was the only school in the area of one-and-a-half-million people to observe United Nations Day. Delegations of teachers and students from other schools attended. The main auditorium was decorated with UN posters, Bahá’í posters and work of the children. A panel discussed the various UN agencies.

Slide presentations. There were communities which used slide presentations to show the work of the United Nations. The Bahá’í community of Santo Andre, Brazil, presented programs at the city’s largest educational institution with 4,000 students. The presentation consisted of two sets of slides, one of the United Nations and the other on the United Nations Development Program. The program was given nine times, and it was so well received that the Bahá’ís were asked to repeat it during 1974.

Finland’s United Nations programs were distinguished by the places they chose for their programs. They included a university students’ lounge, a hotel, a coffee house, a theater, and a “disco.” In one town, the only Bahá’í arranged with the local theater for a dance where children performed to show UNICEF ideas.

A large number of communities drew on their local UN offices for all kinds of assistance—pamphlets, posters, film strips, speakers, films—and in Dahomey, the UNDP office loaned the Bahá’ís a truck and drivers to transport the chairs on loan for the occasion from an American cultural center.

UN Day was celebrated by the Bahá’ís of N’djamena, Chad, with the full support and assistance of the United Nations office. It was the only public recognition in Chad of this special day, which was reported as “a dignified gathering of young and old of many nationalities.” The UN Information Center in Bolivia cooperated fully with the Bahá’ís of Cochabamba, Bolivia, providing UN material on loan for a Bahá’í-sponsored exhibit on the United Nations for Human Rights Day.

A representative from the UN Information Center in Pakistan and the Deputy Commissioner of Abbottabad participated in the UN Day observance held in Abbottabad and expressed their appreciation for the efforts of the Bahá’ís to observe and publicize United Nations efforts in protecting human rights everywhere.

Reports received from Bahá’í communities all over the world speak clearly of the excellent cooperation generally received from United Nations offices.

[Page 14]

World Food Conference

Strengthened international operation discussed in Rome

For eleven days last November delegates from 130 nations met in Rome to discuss a global food shortage that threatened the welfare of millions, particularly in Bangladesh, India, and the African nations of the sub-Sahara. The immediate task before the 1,250 delegates as they began their work November 5 was to find ways to quickly bring more food to the afflicted regions. In the judgment of UN experts there were 32 nations among those classified as so poor and so short of food that crop failures and the high prices of grain, fertilizer, and petroleum threatened them with bankruptcy and their people with starvation. Conditions in many of these countries were so precarious that any disruption in the supply of food would cause widespread loss of life. It was conservatively estimated that almost 400 million people suffered from malnutrition, and, in the absence of determined international support, many thousands could perish.

United Nations sources estimated that as a result of floods, drought, and fertilizer shortages, an additional 7 to 11 million tons of grain would have to be distributed to hungry nations over the next year to prevent disasters. Pledges for significant amounts of aid were received from some of the grain-exporting nations over the next year although totals fell well below the projected needs. (The UN Secretary-General said $5 billion in aid would be required to rescue the world’s starving nations; about half that amount had been offered before the conference got underway.)

What the nations did agree to in Rome was to extend and strengthen the machinery for additional international agricultural cooperation. They agreed to fund a series of long-range development programs designed to improve the agricultural productivity of the poorer nations. And they agreed—on November 15, the last day of their meeting—to establish a new international agency, the World Food Council, to coordinate the work of all UN agencies now dealing with food. The council will maintain a secretariat in Rome, but will report directly to the UN in New York.

Among the new programs given to the council to coordinate: an international agricultural development fund for the poorer nations; a fertilizer and pesticide aid program; and an international irrigation, drainage, and flood control program. The council will make an effort to improve the quality of agricultural research and training in the developing nations and will seek to find more effective methods for disseminating information to farmers.

The hunger belt

There were many proposals heard in Rome calling for a strengthening of international ties to meet the deepening food crisis. One example was a proposal for a “mutual survival pack between the developing and developed nations,” made by Richard Gardner, a Columbia University law professor. According to his statement the nations should agree to limit the sovereignty of all nations for the well-being of mankind. “We need to strike a great transcontinental bargain in which access to energy and other raw materials which industrialized countries need is traded for other kinds of access that developing countries need,” he said. A similar theme was expressed by Mostafa Tolba, Executive Director of the UN Environmental Program. In his presentation to the delegates, he said strategies to solve the world food problem would have to be developed with an awareness in mind of the web of interdependence existing between this set of problems and other major sets of problems facing humanity. “It is

[Page 15] not in any one of them, but in the interaction among them, that the future of mankind will be decided and shaped,” he said.

Some of the statements made about the food situation revealed a certain pessimism about mankind’s immediate future. A panel of distinguished citizens and scientists headed by sociologist Barbara Ward presented findings to the conference in which the present food situation was termed “more serious than any that has been faced since the end of World War II.” They concluded that the favorable agricultural conditions of the past two decades had been dangerously reversed: food prices had trebled in an uncontrolled market, the cost of fuels and fertilizers necessary for production had increased fourfold in recent years, and the world was left with reserve supplies of food sufficient for only one month. These negative changes have occurred in a world whose population increases by 70 million people each year, the panel noted. Those most threatened by starvation are the poor in poverty-stricken nations, they said. In this group are to be found one of every five people on earth. To these sobering statistics, a French statesman added a gloomy observation; “The world is unhappy; it is unhappy because it doesn’t know where it is going, and because it senses that if it knew, it would discover that it was heading for disaster.”

To meet the food demands of a growing population, to achieve improvements in the living standards of the world’s most underprivileged people, and to build up adequate reserve stocks as security against disaster, a program of agricultural expansion on a scale never before contemplated must now be set in motion, UN Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim said in an address to the delegates. The best estimates are that production will have to double by the end of the century merely to provide the present level of nutrition to an expanded world population, he said. To improve nutritional standards, production will have to more than double. “It is quite possible that if the current food situation fails to improve, or should worsen, other sacrifices may have to be demanded from the richer countries,” Mr. Waldheim said. “The great differences in the consumption habits between rich and poor societies raise deep moral problems at the best of times; they become indefensible in times of penury and shortage when, moreover, as at the present time, a direct connection between high consumption on the one hand and low food availability on the other is a demonstrable part of the problem.”

He said it was difficult to review the sequence of events leading to the current food crisis without feeling “a sense of dismay at the lack of foresight and sense of common interest which has been shown by individuals, governments, and by the international community.” While there were some who voiced warnings in time, few listened, Mr. Waldheim said. “The record is one of priorities that certainly appear questionable now, of nonchalance in the examination of available statistics on the supply and demand of food, and of reluctance to abandon established courses in order to take early remedial action.”

In addition to the 1,250 delegates representing the world’s governments, there were representatives on hand from 47 UN agencies, and from 300 non-governmental organizations. The Bahá’í International Community, a non-governmental organization with consultative status before the Economic and Social Council, was represented by Ezzat Zahrai, Manuela Fanti, and Linda Youssefian Marshall. Marco Kappenberger, also a Bahá’í, attended as the correspondent for a Samoan newspaper.

[Page 16] The Bahá’í statement to the conference was printed in English, French, and Spanish, and more than 4,000 copies were distributed. In addition, Mr. Zahrai took 600 copies of a Bahá’í pamphlet — One World, One People - A Baha'i View — to distribute among delegates and participants.

The Bahá’í Faith, as we surprisingly and happily realized, was well-known and very respected,” Miss Fanti wrote. “People who did not know it when we came to explain were astonished and pleased to be informed of this new kind of religion, so deeply involved in the present problems.”

Mr. Zahrai wrote: “We were pleased to see that our statement was widely distributed among the delegates, and taking into account that it was one of the early official documents put out by the NGO, it did have its desired impact before the conference became practically drowned with papers. A caption of our statement was published in Pan, the official conference publication, under the title, ‘Bahá’í View.’ ”

National and International Programs of Action

Bahá’í International Community Statement

The Secretary-General has received the following statement, which is circulated in accordance with paragraphs 23 and 24 of Economic and Social Council resolution 1296 (XLIV).

In the view of the Bahá’í International Community, effective medium and long-range plans for solving the world food problem must rest on a conviction, by the individual and society, of the organic oneness of humanity, and a commitment to education and work that will be of service not only to one’s fellow citizens but to mankind as a whole.

Such an education demands first of all a change in values. Social and economic ills, we believe, are essentially spiritual and moral. The development in each person of qualities of justice, love, and compassion for the whole human race is basic. This spiritual and moral education can bring about the eradication of the personal and social ills of our time—selfishness, greed, lack of trust and dishonesty—all symptoms of the fundamental disease of our civilization: disunity. For unity must precede the solution of mankind’s serious problems and not, as many think, follow it.

Second, compulsory universal education is essential, since the human mind must be fully developed. It is our belief that the happiness, greatness, distinction, and nobility of a human being consist not only in the individual’s “excellent character” but in the “breadth of his learning, and his ability to solve difficult problems.” Further, an expectation that all persons be trained in the arts and sciences, and that they engage in a trade or a profession, or some other form of gainful employment, ensures their fullest contribution to the well-being of the family and of the community.

Third, granting equal opportunities, rights, and privileges to men and women will allow the development and use of the full potentialities of every person. This education in the spiritual equality of all human beings implies also the abolition of all other kinds of inequality, discrimination, and prejudice, such as those based on religion, race, class, and nationality.

Fourth, we have found that unless the harmony of science and religion is clearly understood and established in individual and social consciousness, it is not easy to uproot outmoded customs and traditions that prevent the ready acceptance of valuable advances in science and technology. Science and religion, in our view, are aspects of one reality, dealing as they do respectively with the physical existence of humanity and the values that give it meaning. Understanding this fundamental agreement will make possible not only the production of more and better food but will also encourage the use of different and valuable new foods.

Finally, agriculture must be acknowledged as a vital human occupation and given a position of prestige in society. The Bahá’í International Community, whose diversity includes 1,600 ethnic groups in 335 countries and territories, stresses the importance of any work done in the spirit of service to humanity since no deed in the world is “nobler than service to the common good.” In this context, agricultural work, intended to feed people, is a most important human activity. This change in attitude could well attract many to this valuable field and could lessen the exodus from rural to urban areas, permitting the decentralization of human settlements so needed.

Countries at crisis level
	Average Daily	1974 Projected
	Caloric Intake	Overall Deficit
	Per Person	(in millions of dollars)
Bangladesh	1840	375
Central African Republic	2200	19
Chad	2210	16
Dahomey	2260	9
Southern Yemen	2070	45
El Salvador	1930	48
Ethiopia	2160	**
Ghana	2320	23
Guinea	2020	21
Guyana	2390	16
Haiti	1730	8
Honduras	2140	33
India	**	820
Ivory Coast	2430	57
Kenya	2360	84
Cambodia	2430	**
Laos	2110	**
Lesotho	**	**
Madagascar	2530	32
Mali	2060	42
Mauritania	1940	17
Niger	2080	30
Pakistan	2160	155
Senegal	2370	69
Sierra Leone	2280	31
Somalia	1830	27
Sri Lanka	2170	69
Sudan	2160	46
United Republic of Cameroon	2410	25
United Republic of Tanzania	2260	120
Upper Volta	1710	10
Yemen	2040	11
*In the United States, the average daily caloric intake is 3,000. The recommended minimum daily caloric intake is 2,300. In some countries above, regional disparities and wastage may mean that substantial portions of the population are far below the figure shown. Source: F.A.O. and the U.N.
		**not available

[Page 17]

From homeland to homeland:

Swiss pioneer Anna Kunz

by Margaret Kunz Ruhe

Haifa, Israel, 1974

Anna Kunz, the eldest of ten children of the Reverend Adolph Bolliger, a prominent clergyman of the Reformed Church, was born in the parsonage in Ober Entfelden, Aargau, Switzerland on July 13, 1889. Soon the Reverend Bolliger was named professor of theology at the University of Basel and in time became its president; thus it was in Basel that Anna spent her school years. Under the guidance of her conscientious and serious parents, she received excellent spiritual and moral training which served as the foundation of her character throughout her life. After graduation from high school, she longed to enter the university, but her father insisted that she study in a home economics seminary in Berne, on whose faculty she later became a teacher.

At 24 years of age, she married Jakob Kunz, a distinguished Swiss physicist, who was a research scientist at the University of Illinois in Urbana. Thus she moved far away from her homeland, across the Atlantic Ocean, to the new world. Instantly she fell in love with America and loved to tell stories of the fantastic kindness showered upon her as a bride in the midwestern university town of Urbana, which became her home for 35 years. The hospitality, openness, and magnanimity of the Americans overwhelmed her. Despite her conservative, traditionalist Swiss background, she gradually learned a new lifestyle. Her two daughters, Annamarie Kunz Honnold and Margaret Kunz Ruhe, were born and raised in Urbana. Dr. Kunz won acclaim as the inventor of the first photo-electric cell, the Kunz cell, and collaborated on the first sound-on-film experiments with Professor J. T. Tykociner; he also measured the light of the solar corona during periods of eclipses and taught relativity as propounded by his colleague Albert Einstein.

Dr. and Mrs. Kunz, active members of the Methodist Church, were of a serious religious bent. One day Dr. Kunz, who was possessed of a deeply searching mind, said to Anna, “Let’s go and hear Albert Vail speak on a new philosophy ... something about the Bahá’í Faith.” So they went, along with their good friends Edwin and Annie Mattoon. They soon found themselves regular students in a class on the Bahá’í Faith given by Albert Vail, a Unitarian minister, and an eloquent, inspired teacher of comparative religions. Mrs. Kunz recognized Bahá’u’lláh as the Manifestation of God for this day almost at once. During this period (1914-1915) she became an enthusiastic Bahá’í. The exact date is not known, since in those early days no one signed a membership card. Through her enrollment, she became one of the founders of the Urbana Bahá’í Community, a community which served as the seed-bed for the growth of many devoted teachers of the Faith, among them Allen McDaniel, Genevieve Coy, Flora Hottes, and Beatrice Ashton.

As a young woman, Mrs. Kunz was somewhat frail and delicate. At times she suffered from severe headaches. As a newcomer to the United States, she was determined to master English, a task she found trying and time-consuming. Despite ill health, timidity, the burdens of caring for small children, and the emotional strain that resulted from life in a new culture, she quickly showed signs of leadership, administrative ability, firmness, and steadfastness in the Faith. She studied the Writings assiduously and resolved to live her life according to the Teachings. A beauty of spirit radiated from her, which was felt by those around her.

In 1921, when her husband took his sabbatical leave from the university, Dr. and Mrs. Kunz sailed to Europe, then on to Egypt, and ultimately to Haifa for pilgrimage to the Holy Shrines, where Dr. Luṭfu’lláh Ḥakím met them and guided them to the various Holy Places. At Tiberias, they attained the presence of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá; this was the pinnacle of Mrs. Kunz’s life. She adored ‘Abdu’l-Bahá; he became her Exemplar and her Master. In an article in the Star of the West in September 1922, she wrote:

“Abdul Baha’s family keeps open house all the time ... They live a life of great simplicity; their life is a reflection of

[Page 18] Abdul Baha’s life. Their thoughts are with him always; they love him with a deep abiding love; they serve in his footsteps and for his sake serve all mankind. Many a precious lesson was taught to me while in this household. Often I was surprised to see that, in spite of their restricted life, these women uphold a truly broad attitude towards life in general; they know no narrowness; they are all-inclusive and therefore heavenly.”

She wrote of meeting ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on March 27, 1921, in a hotel at Tiberias, on the Sea of Galilee, where He used to go for rest and a change of air. “It was a bright and luminous Easter morning when the Master called us into his room.... Though I feared to approach him, after his loving words of welcome this fear vanished.... we sat before our Master, in a little room, with only the most necessary furnishings, on top of the hotel, with a view of that blessed lake. His look seems to go into one’s very heart. Yes, he knows his children and their need. As I think of him now, I always love to think, first of his great simplicity, his marvelous humility which knows of no self-existence, and last ... of his boundless love. To us, his outward appearance seemed similar to that of the old Hebrew Prophets, his humility, his simplicity and love were like the Christ. This boundless love conquered the hearts at once. Abdul Baha talked to us with a ringing, piercing voice which will forever sound in my ears.”

On Monday, March 28, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was given a photograph of the Kunz children, and He gazed at it for a long while. His face lighted up, and he said: “They have bright faces. They will be real Bahá’ís because they will have a Bahá’í education. They will become good Bahá’ís.” Later, He revealed a wonderful prayer for them, which is recorded in Star of the West.

On Monday afternoon, March 28, He spoke these words: “This lake is very blessed. His holiness Christ and the other prophets walked along its shore and were in communion with God all the time and spreading the divine teachings. Now, praise be to God that you reached this land safely and we met one another on the shore of this same lake! You will receive great results from this visit afterwards. You will become the cause of the illumination of the world of humanity. You will release the hearts of the people from the intense darkness of different prejudices, so that each soul may love all the people of the world, without distinction. Just like a shepherd who is affectionate to all his sheep, without preference or distinction, you should be affectionate to all. You should not look at their shortcomings. Consider that they are all created by God who loves them all.”

Mrs. Kunz returned to Urbana with renewed zeal. She served for many years on the Spiritual Assembly of Urbana, much of the time as chairman. She also served on many committees and was for many years a delegate to the National Bahá’í Convention. Through her attendance at these annual meetings in Wilmette, she became well acquainted with the Bahá’ís of America. Each year during convention Corinne True invited her to lunch; how Mrs. Kunz loved those small intimate gatherings in the True home, where there was time to speak of the spiritual realities of the Faith. The friends respected her knowledge of the Teachings, her wisdom, and common sense. At times, she became fiery in defense of her opinions. Occasionally she served as a speaker for a particular event, but on the whole, she preferred to find other opportunities for service. At age 50, she took up typing, to increase her ability to serve her beloved Faith.

Mrs. Kunz, a strong personality, demanded the highest standards of performance from herself and from those around her. She raised her two daughters to be Bahá’ís. They were trained by a strong disciplinarian who knew only one path and would have no deviation from that path. Her admonition, repeated frequently to her daughters, was: “Have the courage to be different.” Anna Kunz was family-oriented; the integrity and warmth of the family circle were vitally important to her. Throughout her life, she remained close to her daughters and their families, adored her five grandchildren, and was proud of her distinguished sons-in-law, (John O. Honnold, a professor of law, and eventually a member of the legal staff of the United Nations in New York, and David S. Ruhe, a professor of medicine, and a subsequent member of The Universal House of Justice).

The Kunz home was a haven of peace, restfulness, beauty, and hospitality for all who came there. Dr. Kunz entertained Rabindranath Tagore and other philosophers and scientists. Not only were Bahá’í classes and meetings held in the home, but also a steady stream of Bahá’í teachers spent the night there: Carl Scheffler, Philip Marangella, Albert Windust, Sarah Walrath, Fannie Knobloch, Louis Gregory, Zia Bagdadi, Corinne True, Allen McDaniel, Horace Holley, and Dorothy Baker. Dr. Kunz relished the company of attorney Louis Gregory who was a frequent visitor, and Dr. Bagdadi, a dynamic and brilliant man who was willing to engage in long philosophic discussions in which Dr. Kunz delighted. Maintaining these many Bahá’í activities in the Kunz home was not always easy, as Dr. Kunz felt his wife was too involved with the Faith. Sometimes she accompanied him to church, and she did everything in her power to make his life peaceful and happy.

Mrs. Kunz was thoughtful of people in small and large ways; she took time to listen to them and was perceptive of their inner needs and aspirations. She often said, “Think of others and forget yourself.” She liked to remember others with flowers, home-baked cookies, small gifts. At age 43, she learned to drive a car, and one of her services was to drive around Urbana gathering the friends for the meetings.

In the personal and intimate details of her life, she was a complete Bahá’í: cleanliness, neatness, frugality, and meticulousness were her hallmark. Her house was polished and clean; her person was immaculate. Her spirit, humble and pure, knew the power of prayer. Her prayer book was always at her side; she prayed many times each day and loved to share the prayers with her family and friends. “May we have a prayer together?” she would often say.

After the death of her husband Mrs. Kunz was free to pioneer. She offered her services to the beloved Guardian. In July 1947 at the age of 58, she left New York to return to Switzerland, thus beginning a new phase of her life as a pioneer for the Faith. She settled in Berne, one of the goal cities of the Second Seven Year Plan, where Shoghi Effendi wrote her as follows:

“I welcome your arrival in Europe and particularly in Switzerland where, I feel, your work will be of the utmost value. You will surely be blessed and sustained in your historic task, and I look forward to the day when through your exertion and those of your devoted collaborators the first Spiritual Assembly will be established in that land. Persevere in your magnificent mission.” She worked tirelessly towards the establishment of the Spiritual Assembly of Berne. After this goal was accomplished, she returned to Urbana in 1949, feeling that she was needed there. Shoghi Effendi wrote her as follows:

“The services you have rendered the Faith are truly remarkable and deserve the highest praise. I feel truly proud of your

[Page 19] achievements, and am grateful for the spirit that so powerfully animates you in the service of our glorious Faith. I will pray ardently on your behalf, that the Beloved may abundantly reward you for your accomplishments, to enable you, in the years to come, to enrich the splendid record of your services to His Faith and its institutions.”

The pioneering spirit had taken hold, and when news reached her in Urbana of the urgent needs in Switzerland, Mrs. Kunz felt restless and torn. She wanted to be near her children and her grandchildren; this was her personal longing and wish. What should she do? She wrote to Shoghi Effendi seeking his advice. For a long time, there was no reply. She was relieved. Then came the stunning message: “proceed as quickly as possible to Switzerland.” She was crushed. In October 1952, however, she valiantly set forth once again, this time settling in Zurich, a goal city. In the spring of 1953, she was elected a member of the newly formed Italo-Swiss National Spiritual Assembly, and to her consternation, she was elected Secretary of this historic 12th National Assembly, a post which she held for nine years. (Now she understood why in mid-life she had taken up typing). At the request of Shoghi Effendi, she moved back to Berne, although she would personally have preferred to remain in her splendid apartment in Zurich. At Riḍván 1962, the National Spiritual Assembly of Switzerland was formed, and Anna Kunz was again elected Secretary. She continued to serve on the Swiss National Assembly until she neared her 80th year. After being reelected in 1969, she asked to be excused from service because of age, and because her health was slowly failing.

Teaching the Faith in Switzerland was not easy—the people were highly conservative, tightly bound by traditions and customs of church and ancestry—and sometimes she became discouraged. When one of Anna’s old school friends embraced the Faith, she was overjoyed. She urged other pioneers to come to Switzerland. They came because she encouraged them. But the natural beauties—the mountains, lakes, glaciers, and charming villages—were a reward for those who arose. Anna prayed fervently and studied the Writings daily, and was able to impart hope and assurance to those who worked with her. “Whereas formerly they were as moths, they became as royal falcons, ...” The breaths of the Holy Spirit confirmed her again and again. She was a reed from which the pith of self had been blown.

Among her favorite selections from the Writings were these words which she quoted repeatedly:

“There is a power in this Cause—a mysterious power—far, far, far away from the ken of men and angels; that invisible power is the cause of all these outward activities. It moves the hearts. It rends the mountains. It administers the complicated affairs of the Cause. It inspires the friends. It dashes into a thousand pieces all the forces of opposition. It creates new spiritual worlds. This is the mystery of the Kingdom of Abhá.”

In 1957, she flew to London (her first airplane journey) to attend the funeral of Shoghi Effendi. Like many others she had always harbored a desire to be in his presence, but alas, she had waited too long. His sudden passing was a terrible blow.

In 1963, 42 years after attaining the presence of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, she returned to the Holy Land, this time to fulfill the historic mission of participating in the election of the first Universal House of Justice. How Haifa and ‘Akká had changed! Yet the same spirit of power and love emanated from the Holy Shrines at Bahjí and Mt. Carmel as she knelt in prayer at the Holy Thresholds.

Her last years were marred by a series of illnesses, yet her spirit was ever radiant and bright. She gave up her cherished apartment and moved to a nursing home in the suburbs of Berne, where she died peacefully in her sleep on August 10, 1973. The Universal House of Justice cabled: “Deeply grieved passing Anna Kunz steadfast distinguished handmaid Bahá’u’lláh her associations beloved Master devoted pioneering services Europe over extended period unforgettable...” She lies buried in the Schosshalden Cemetery in Berne, her pioneer post, where she remained until the end.

Countless messages were received from the friends throughout Europe and America who loved and respected her, and were heart-broken to learn of her passing. Again and again she was characterized as a “noble woman”, “a magnificent lady”, “a true Bahá’í in word and deed.” The National Spiritual Assembly of Switzerland wrote the following: “The wonderful and fruitful services rendered by our highly esteemed Bahá’í sister to the Swiss Bahá’í Community as a Bahá’í teacher and member of our National Spiritual Assembly will never be forgotten. Her absolute dedication to our beloved Cause, her humbleness and loving kindness were an example to all of us...” Services were held in Berne, Rome, Urbana, Wilmette, at the Bahá’í Cabin at Teaneck, and in Langenhain, Germany (more than 30 young Swiss Bahá’ís journeyed by bus to Langenhain to pay their last respects). Prayers were said for her in Ireland, in Peru, in the Solomon Islands, at the Shrines in Haifa and ‘Akká.

The Hand of the Cause Ugo Giachery, who served with her on the Italo-Swiss National Assembly, wrote the following remembrance to the Universal House of Justice: “Once more in the course of this year we must offer you our deepest condolence for the loss of a much loved and distinguished collaborator: Mrs. Anna Kunz, whose services in this continent shall be remembered for many decades to come. Having come to Switzerland during the Second Seven Year Plan, she was elected to the Italo-Swiss National Assembly at its formation on Ridvan, 1953, becoming its Secretary until the election of an independent Swiss National Spiritual Assembly. The writer was also a member of the Italo-Swiss National Spiritual Assembly for the same length of time, and had the opportunity and privilege to work side by side with her and appreciate her sterling qualities, her deep love for the Cause and the high sense of responsibility in discharging the duties of the 12th National Assembly of the Bahá’í World. Her kind and loving attitude towards everybody, her wise and humane approach to so many novel problems, made of Mrs. Kunz one of the very best national Secretaries in Europe. We mourn her loss but pray that her noble soul may reap the reward due to those who labored so faithfully for the Cause of God.”

Anna Kunz served the Faith with distinction, dedication, and dignity for almost 60 years. She lived her life with firmness, humility, orderliness, and spirituality. She inspired her family and friends with hope and faith and “lived the life” as delineated by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

“Grant then, O my God, that Thy servant may consort with Thy chosen ones, Thy saints and Thy Messengers, in heavenly places that the pen cannot tell nor the tongue recount.”

Bahá’u’lláh

[Page 20]

In Memoriam

India Haggarty

One of the small group of Bahá’ís who had the blessing of several meetings with the Master became ill at her home in Carmel, California, last August and shortly afterwards passed away in a private nursing home. India Haggarty was from a distinguished Virginia family, the Marshalls, and was born in Alexandria. When she arrived in Haifa in 1920, as a member of the group of pilgrims accompanying Dr. and Mrs. Florian Krug, she was overjoyed to hear the Master praise her mother and offer her His blessing. “My mother was a deep-dyed fundamentalist,” Mrs. Haggarty often recalled, “a church woman who helped people whenever she could. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said to me, ‘Do you know that your mother is a very good woman? It is through her that you are here.’ ” Mrs. Haggarty is survived by a sister, Inez Greven, who lives in Carmel and is active in Bahá’í activities.

The experience of meeting Mrs. Haggarty in February, in her home, was an unforgettable one. The grace and beauty of another time and another way of life were evident everywhere. Having come from a family that had appreciated and collected art for generations, her California home was filled with many beautiful possessions. These were, however, merely a setting for the beauty of her ardent belief, obviously deepened and polished by years of experience and learning in the path of the Master.

Let us hear the story of those special days in 1920, her pilgrimage days, in her own words.

“Pilgrimages, I understand, vary a great deal. If you are a very spiritual person you may experience a very spiritual reaction. Our pilgrimage was one which I think must have been different from any one before it. We were not all Bahá’ís and one of our party was a deep Catholic. It was only two years after the First World War, which had devastated Europe and the Holy Land. Haifa had been besieged and for years no one had made a pilgrimage.

“Mrs. Krug wanted to take an entourage to the Holy Land. My sister, Inez, came and another sister who never became a Bahá’í. Mrs. [Grace] Ober was there, en route to Persia. Fugita was also there, and Dr. Pease, the husband of my sister.

“We started in March, and in those days it took nearly two weeks to cross the Atlantic. We had illness on the way, the flu, and one of my sisters was very sick in Naples. We couldn’t get a visa to get into Egypt. Everything was a turmoil. Many ships had been destroyed by the war, and coal for a time was $105 a ton. The world was chaotic.

Some of the men had to go to Rome to bring those visas back to us. Finally, we landed in Alexandria but, once there, couldn’t get a visa to go on to Haifa.

“At last Mrs. Krug came in one morning and said, ‘We will go to the Palace. We will go to General Allenby and tell him who we are, friends of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.’ I was so unsophisticated, so on fire with the Faith, I’d have done anything to get to Him. When we got to the palace Mrs. Krug said, “Abdu’l-Bahá has given us permission to land in Haifa and we would like our passports to be made. Will you tell the General that we are here?’ He said, ‘You realize that every port is closed. Someone has tried to assassinate the General!’ She said, ‘Do you recall that the General is a friend of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá? Do you know what he said when he took Haifa and released ‘Abdu’l-Bahá from the siege?’

Here Mrs. Haggarty’s face was wreathed in smiles as she recalled that moment. “The official was a big man, decorated with buttons and braid. He said, ‘I will try to get the message through. And I will let you know tomorrow. But no one can get out before they catch the assassin.’ When he didn’t call the next morning, Mrs. Krug went back to the Palace. The official explained apologetically that it was impossible to issue visas. At that moment another man came into the office and said: ‘His Excellency (General Allenby) says he has cabled Haifa to permit 13 Americans to land without any visas. You are to take a ship tomorrow morning but on your word of honor you are to tell no one that you are going to Haifa.’

“When we landed that day at Haifa it seemed that the whole harbor was filled with little vessels, some with friends carrying the Greatest Name. It was so wonderful and so thrilling, we were swept off our feet. That night the grandsons of the Master told us that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had said the night before at dinner, laughing heartily, ‘Mrs. Krug with one stick has defeated the whole British army!’

India Haggarty

“After we landed, we walked up the mountain. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was standing in the middle of the road, in front of the pilgrim house, checking on the unloading of a camel caravan. He had on a white robe. It was a picture out of the Bible. He shook hands with us, was very informal, and we went into the pilgrim house.”

Mrs. Haggarty said: “ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá received a feeling of affection and respect from the non-Bahá’ís as much as from the Bahá’ís. They never stared at Him directly, nor spoke unless they were asked to say something. No one interrupted Him. Even those who were not Bahá’ís showed deep respect. You would never dream of sitting when He was standing, although He was most informal and loving with us.”

Recalling the Persian pilgrims—all men, who were unaccustomed to seeing women moving about freely in the streets without veils—she said that one day one of the older men had someone translate for him, “We are your brothers. We love you.” They always bowed with their hands to their heart.

“We responded, ‘We love you too.’

“The next day he said, ‘It makes us happy to see you here from the West. It is fulfillment of prophecy. We were told that when belief in Bahá’u’lláh spread to the West, the West would come back and help

[Page 21] us in the East.’

“Then one day, it was the birthday of my sister, Mary Pease. The translator said, ‘This is your real birthday. Your first birthday. I am giving you my only earthly possession. I took it from the hands of my father, as he lay beheaded, a martyr.’ And he handed large amber prayer beads to her. ‘They are something to think on, to meditate on.’ My sister was reluctant to accept it but he insisted.

“My sister had to accept it but she went back to the pilgrim house and wept bitterly.” Mrs. Haggarty remembered an occasion, much later, in Los Angeles when these beads were loaned to her in order that all the friends could share them at a special meeting. “While Mary never became a Bahá’í, she realized that this was something that was very precious.”

And so the memories flowed, fresh and clear over the more than fifty years since their occurrence. So much was said, but perhaps to close this tribute to Mrs. Haggarty, it would be right to quote from a letter (written laboriously since arthritis crippled her hands) she sent at Naw-Ruz to a younger friend. In it, she said:

“Perhaps your ultimate happiness will be in service to others. There are many forms of sickness and suffering—you can be that nurse and the healing will reflect in your life. My daily prayers for peace of mind and serenity surround you .... I shall try to forget my pain and multiple afflictions and feel like Martha Root who always walked with Bahá’u’lláh by her side. Try it too! Let’s keep step together as we enter this New Year. Oh, how blessed we are to know this Day!”

Passing of three Latin American pioneers

Word has been received recently of the passing of three distinguished pioneers, Louise Jackson, Betty Becker, and Seymour Malkin, who had long served at their posts in South American countries.

After a long illness, Louise Jackson died October 3 in Methodist Hospital, La Paz, Bolivia, and is buried in an American cemetery there. In a letter written in February to the International Goals Committee, Louise described her happiness in attending the Summer School in Lima, Peru, this January, and said: “There was a definite feeling of unity, harmony, and good spiritual fellowship. One felt that we were really building a world order, and here it was in its very primary infancy ...” She spoke also of assisting in a 40-day mass teaching campaign in Cuzco following the Summer School. Commenting on her activities this year in Bolivia, she added: “Well, for one thing, I am trying to keep up steady correspondence with all of the pioneers. There is a deepening class or investigation class on Saturday afternoon at four o’clock, where there is a minimum of two and usually about fifteen people present. On Thursdays I have one and sometimes two discussion classes in English. The people who attend have a vocabulary of 1,000 words and we use the Ladder Series, discussing one book every week. After they have passed the 1,000-word vocabulary book we go to 2,000 words, then to 3,000 and so on.” In such a manner, Louise served the Faith to the end of her life.

Following twenty years’ pioneering service in Anchorage, Alaska, Betty Becker arrived in Chile in 1959. Although hampered by failing eyesight resulting in blindness and by declining health leading to ultimate bed-confinement for over a year-and-a-half, following a stroke in March 1973, Betty remained mentally alert, in good spirits, actively serving the Faith through prayer and sacrifice to the last day of her life.

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Chile, in reporting the death of this pioneer, wrote this tribute:

“Throughout her illness, Betty received excellent personal nursing care in the home of an auxiliary nurse but deprived herself of all extras in order to be able to donate more money to a special fund for the purchase of a local Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds, badly needed by the Bahá’ís of Punta Arenas, a house which had been Punta Arenas’ dream for many years. Almost single-handedly, she was able to contribute the money for the down payment and partial furnishing of a local Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds, the deed of which was placed in her hands for a few moments, three days before her passing. It was as though she had been waiting to see the fruition of her dream before ascending to the Abhá Kingdom. She was 87 years old.

“We, the Bahá’ís of Chile, feel new spiritual strength as we labor for Bahá’u’lláh, undoubtedly due to Betty Becker’s noble example of detachment and sacrifice.”

Years of active service as a pioneer, homefront teacher, and member of the Auxiliary Board for the Protection of the Faith mark the Bahá’í life of Seymour Malkin. Born in 1923 of Rumanian and Russian parentage, he was enrolled as a Bahá’í by the Local Spiritual Assembly of Los Angeles in February 1955, immediately moving to a goal city near Los Angeles. In two years he pioneered to Mexico, where he met his future wife, Margot Miessler, at Riḍván that year at the National Convention of the Bahá’ís of Central America, in Guatemala City. They were married later that year in Honduras and spent their wedding trip teaching the Faith on the Island of Juan Fernandez, off the coast of Chile. They moved the following Riḍván to Campina, Brazil, returning briefly to the United States but responding affirmatively to a request of the Hands of the Cause to settle in Chile prior to the Jubilee in 1963. Although this meant foregoing their hope of attending the London gathering, the Malkins were blessed with witnessing the beginning of mass teaching in Chile and the entrance into the Faith of the first Mapuche Indians. It was at this time that Seymour was named to the Auxiliary Board. After living in the United States between 1964 and 1970, Seymour again agreed wholeheartedly to a request from the International Goals Committee to pioneer to Brazil, helping to form the first Local Spiritual Assembly of Santo Amaro the following year.

The father of three children, Jesma Layli, Edmund Jacob, and Vali, Seymour had the joy of presenting his daughter, Jesma, as a declared Bahá’í at the last Feast of his lifetime. On the occasion of the celebration of the birthday of the Báb, each Bahá’í present from the communities of Sao Paulo and the Campinas area was asked to represent one spiritual quality, the one assigned to Seymour being “elegance” and to Margot, “courage.”

After enjoying fully the evening and a brief time at home with his family following the celebration, Seymour told those around him “I’m going” and passed into the next world at 2 AM. Forty-five cars of friends escorted his body to Morumbi Cemetery, in São Paulo, where fellow Bahá’ís Francisco Domingo and Nurollah Soltani are buried.

Anyone having personal remembrances of Seymour Malkin is requested to contact his family at Rua Nova York 382, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

[Page 22] Don Rufino Fuentes, a Mayan Bahá’í, at the ruins of Uxmal.

Bahá’í Proclamation and Deepening Film

Step by Step

An artist, a mechanic, a field laborer, an accounting manager, a policeman, a hospital administrator — what have these people in common? They’re Bahá’ís and they appear in a new Bahá’í film, Paso a Paso, produced by Kiva Films.

The film, which is titled Step by Step in English, depicts the growth of the Bahá’í Faith among Indians, blacks, and Latins in Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, and Panama. Unified by their common belief in Bahá’u’lláh and His Message, these persons comment on their faith and what it means to them.

These native teachers share their views on such widely varying topics as prophecy, the unity of mankind, world peace, universal governing institutions, and a divine civilization. Simply, clearly, and directly they discuss how the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh is unifying all mankind, step by step, through the infusion of Divine Love.

Feasts, the local Spiritual Assembly, elections, and other aspects of Bahá’í administration are explained.

In addition, the 29-minute, color-and-sound film mentions ancient Mayan prophecies concerning world peace, the Return, and a spiritual revival, and relates these to the newest Bahá’í House of Worship in Panama. It complements two earlier films, El Alba and The Dedication. Designed for television use, this new film is also suited to public meetings and other proclamation events. The film is also universally suitable for teaching and deepening.

How to Get the Film

To obtain rental information and purchase prices, write to your publishing trust or national Bahá’í distributor. If you do not know the name and address of the one serving your area, you may send your inquiry to the International Bahá’í Audio-Visual Centre, 1640 Holcomb Road, Victor, N.Y. 14564, U.S.A. for forwarding to the proper organization.

Specify Step by Step, Product Number 20672, for the English edition, or Paso a Paso, Product Number 20671, for the Spanish version.