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Bahá’í News

February 1975

Bahá’í Year 131

International Women’s Year 1975

[Page 0] Page 8

Page 12

Page 16

Contents

The Universal House of Justice Message	1
Land near Guardian’s resting place purchased
The mail	1
Reports on teaching
Expresses appreciation
Around the world	2
Peru, Ecuador, Greenland, Lesotho, Switzerland, Rwanda, India, Bangladesh, Canada, Bolivia, United States
Bahá’í communities celebrate International Women’s Year, 1975	10
Bahamas Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds acquired	12
Photo Essay	14
New Canadian Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds
Patterns for Justice, by the Bahá’í International Community	16

Cover photographs: First row (left to right): the Greatest Holy Leaf Bahá’íyyih Khánum; the Hand of the Cause Martha Root; Mother Teacher of the West, Lua Getsinger; second row: the Hand of the Cause Keith Ransom-Kehler; Sitárih Khánum, Lady Blomfield; the Hand of the Cause Agnes Alexander; third row: the Hands of the Cause Dorothy Baker and Amatu’l Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum. Photos from National Bahá’í Archives, Wilmette, Illinois and Bahá’í News.

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

Land near Guardian’s resting place purchased

ANNOUNCE PURCHASE STRIP LAND GREAT NORTHERN LONDON CEMETERY FACING BELOVED GUARDIANS RESTING PLACE ENSURING PROTECTION SACRED PLOT. PRAYERS GRATITUDE OFFERED DIVINE THRESHOLD

UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE.

The mail

Reports on teaching

Dear Friends,

I have just recently returned to India from visiting in the States. Upon my return, I found that the local community has been making very great strides in the teaching of the Cause. I felt that a couple of these incidents and programs may be of interest to the world Bahá’í community, therefore I am passing them on to you.

As mentioned in the Five Year Plan from The Universal House of Justice for India — great emphasis is being placed on the teaching of women and children. A few months ago a program was ‎inititated initiated‎ by the Local Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Panchgani for teaching women and the results have been rewarding. Enclosed is a photograph and a report of one of the latest gatherings of the Teaching Institutes for our local Bahá’í women, and in this photograph are Bahá’ís from Harijan (the untouchables) background, Hindu-Brahmins, Zoroastrians, Muslims, Buddhists, and so on. (See page 11)

Correspondence Course: The first year of the Five Year Plan, a small Correspondence Committee was formed to reach the Marathi-speaking people. Marathi is the language spoken by the people of the state of Maharashtra. The results have been overwhelmingly rewarding, and a case in point is reported below.

The Bahá’ís of Panchgani put on a proclamation in the city of Kolhapur, which is an eight hours journey by bus. During this proclamation, a villager happened to be visiting in the city from his village Shirdon, and he came to visit our book display and booth. He asked many questions and was extremely interested and signed up for the correspondence course. During the months, he was very faithful in completing his correspondence course and wanted to declare his belief in Bahá’u’lláh. The Correspondence Committee asked him to come to Kolhapur to meet with the Bahá’ís there and sign the declaration card. However, he wrote back stating that it would not be possible for him to do so as he lived in a village which was quite far from Kolhapur. During a recent visit to that area, our teaching team went to the village Shirdon and asked to meet Mr. Vasantkutti. The people in the village said that he was from the Harijan class (untouchables) and he lived on the other side of the village. The team went to that area and found Mr. Vasantkutti, and they were indeed specially rewarded for their efforts. He was excited and happy to see them and told how he had been teaching the Faith in the village and he presented the declaration cards of nine persons. He then took them to a special room which he had prepared for the nine Bahá’ís to gather for prayers and readings. This was the first personal contact that anyone made with these Bahá’ís. After a brief deepening session on the forming of the Local Spiritual Assembly, the team returned to Panchgani. The next day the Correspondence Committee received a letter from Mr. Vasantkutti stating that they had elected the Chairman, Secretary and had pledged 50 paisa per person for each month for the Bahá’í Fund (approximately 6 cents each).

I feel this is a good example of teaching through correspondence, which is probably the most effective means in reaching the masses of people in a developing country.

With loving Bahá’í greetings.
Ray Johnson
New Era High School
Panchgani, Maharashtra

Expressed appreciation

Dear Bahá’í friends,

This just to let you know how much I enjoy receiving the Bahá’í News, and to express my gratitude for it. Many times when I have been feeling rather despondent, it has given me a great lift to read one of the articles on the life of an immortal and exemplary Bahá’í. I also find the words of the Hands of the Cause which are often reported in the Bahá’í News to be very edifying, urging us on, at all times, in the service of the Faith.

There is much spiritual nourishment to be had from your publication, and I value it a great deal. I very much appreciate as well the consistently high standard of English that you maintain.

With loving Bahá’í greetings,
Charles Fitzsimmons
St. Bartholemew, French West Indies

[Page 2] Around the world

Above: The group was invited to lunch at the home of one of the seekers. Continental Counsellor Raúl Pavón is seated in the center: team member José Elías is on the left. Below: Bahá’ís of Quilhauy with team members during a general session.

Peru:

Travelling institute fosters consolidation

The National Spiritual Assembly of Peru has undertaken to consolidate believers in remote areas of the country through deepening institutes held in their own communities. Teams of four or five people, which include seasoned teachers and one or two believers from the nearest active community, are sent for periods of up to one week to infrequently visited localities to provide instruction in the basic teachings of the Faith and discuss the elementary requirements of Bahá’í community life.

The first site for one of these deepening sessions, called a Travelling Institute by the National Assembly, was Quilhuay, a village of 25 families, almost invisible in the vastness of the Andes south of Huancayo, Peru. There have been Bahá’ís in Quilhuay for 25 years, and in recent years a Spiritual Assembly has been elected each Riḍván with the assistance of the friends in Huancayo. But there has been little other organized Bahá’í activity in Quilhuay to speak of.

The first team, led by Continental Counsellor Raul Pavon, travelled over rough, single-lane roads, and arrived in Quilhuay with sleeping bags, camp stove, dishes, food, projector, tape recorder, lanterns, books, charts, and other teaching materials. Arrangements had been made a week earlier for the group to stay in one of the three public buildings in town — an unoccupied jail. It was, like all the other buildings, windowless and constructed of adobe, with a hard-packed dirt floor. As is the custom in the area, the walls at their base and extending about two feet upwards, were of double thickness, forming a natural bench around the building’s interior perimeter. This bench was the only place for visitors to sit; there was no furniture whatever in the room. An abandoned wheelbarrow served as the group’s pantry and storage cabinet. A small mountain stream about 100 feet from the jail — not always very clear — was their only source of water.

The program called for a general session each night lasting about one-half hour, followed by separate classes for the members of the Local Spiritual Assembly, for women, children, and youth. The youth discussed ways of teaching interested

[Page 3] adults in the community how to read.

“Because the community was small and the homes widely separated in the surrounding mountains, the friends gathered in the local school for only four of the nights,” a report from the consolidation team said. “Great interest was exhibited in the general meetings where slides and film strips about Bahá’í history, principles of the Faith, Bahá’í communities around the world, and the role of Bahá’í women, were shown with battery-powered projectors. The friends were especially pleased to see pictures of other Peruvian Bahá’ís and their Quechua brothers and sisters of Bolivia and Ecuador.”

Separate classes were held for the Local Spiritual Assembly where officers were elected and plans were made to raise a Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds on one of the sites offered by two of the members.

“Children and their mothers met in another group so that the mothers might observe the teaching of prayers, songs, and stories illustrating Bahá’í principles and spiritual qualities. Many of the boys and girls translated to Quechua as some of the women spoke no Spanish. The children particularly enjoyed the paper craft projects related to the lessons on the Messengers of God and the unity of mankind. An effort was made to use as many native materials as possible, such as long thorns to fasten paper lanterns and pinwheels and twigs for the hanging mobiles.

“Very quickly, outstanding personalities emerged, such as ten-year-old Máximo, who was the first one to arrive, on the dot, for every class and trip and also accompanied the group to other villages; the chairman of the Local Spiritual Assembly, whose father was the first chairman, many years ago; Teodora, the only woman on the Assembly, who carried a heavy suitcase on her back and loaded more of the gear on her horse when we left, so we would have to make only one trip up the mountain.

“We climbed over the mountain ridges to reach three neighboring villages where slides were shown and the Message of Baha’u’llah was given to groups of from 40 to 100 people. During the day, team members were welcomed most graciously by the teachers in the one or two-room schools and were allowed to teach songs and prayers to the children. (Also, the other villages each had a store where rolls and soft drinks could be purchased!)

Ecuador: Extension teaching A Bahá’í from Cuenca, Ecuador, conducts a class during an extension teaching trip.

Everywhere the question was asked again and again, “When are you coming back?” Plans are being made to return on teaching trips and then with an institute as the new areas gain Assembly status. Benefitting from this initial experience, detailed plans are being written to aid other teams. Little items like forgotten salt, or the discovery that the Primus type stove and the two lanterns require three different kinds of fuel, can be major distractions. More important are precise lesson plans and carefully selected and prepared audio-visual materials, however.

Are we going back? We certainly hope so.

Greenland:

Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in capital city acquired

On September 13, 1974, negotiations were concluded by the National Assembly of Denmark for the purchase of a building

The newly acquired Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Godthaab, Greenland.

[Page 4] to serve as the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds of Godthaab, Greenland. Acquisition of the two-story wooden structure located in the center of Godthaab signified the attainment of Five Year Plan goals for both the Danish and Canadian communities. The Canadian Bahá’ís provided financial assistance.

The Bahá’í group of Godthaab, which was responsible for investigating prospective buildings, will use only two rooms on the main floor for Bahá’í gatherings; other rooms will be leased to a family. The National Spiritual Assembly of Denmark said the purchase of the building in Godthaab early in the Plan was important because of the increased facility for teaching and consolidation that it affords.

Nearly 100 Bahá’ís commemorated the anniversary of the establishment of the Faith in Lesotho.

Some of the guests enjoying the special feast which had required several days to prepare.

Lesotho:

Anniversary first declaration celebrated

It was in 1945 that Beth and Fred Laws came to Basutoland, now Lesotho, as Bahá’í pioneers under the Guardian’s Ten Year Crusade that was to carry the Message of Bahá’u’lláh throughout the world. There were no paved roads in the entire country. On a good road between Maseru, the capital, and Tyateyaneng, a distance of twenty miles, it took two hours to make the journey. Most parts of the country were accessible only by horseback.

One Sunday as the Laws were driving to Teyanteyaneng — called Ty by those who know it — they passed a spacious, tree-circled compound. It was unusual for Lesotho, because the country is barren and mountainous. Something prompted them to stop and visit. The eldest son of the chief had seen the strange license plates (he later learned they came from the United States) several times in Maseru, and he was curious about the travelers. There were few cars in Lesotho at the time; even now one can recognize most cars and their owners. The chief’s son went out to the road and invited the Laws into his father’s compound, Seqonoka.

Chief Mohapi had planted all the trees himself and had long had a vision of the importance of man’s investment in the future. Even as he planted trees so that his children could enjoy their shade, he would plant the spiritual seeds of the future growth of the Cause of God in his native land. With this roadside encounter began a relationship that led to the declaration as Bahá’ís of Chief Chadwick Mohapi and his wife, Mary, and a number of their children, including the eldest son, Salai, and another son, Theodore, who was chief in a remote mountain area.

Presently the Laws were invited by Chief Mohapi to live at Seqonoka in what became known as “The Bahá’í Rondoval.” Seqonoka literally became the heart of Bahá’í activity in Lesotho. From this small but auspicious beginning, there was raised an independent pillar of The Universal House of Justice in 1971. The Mohapis traveled extensively in Lesotho and neighboring countries teaching of the Cause of God. Many of the early pioneers accompanied them: William and Marguerite Sears, John and Val Allen, and Dale Allen, to mention a few.

[Page 5] Chief Chadwick Mohapi

Switzerland Counsellor Reed teaches at deepening institute Participants in the deepening institute for French-speaking believers held in Charney, Switzerland, September 28 and 29. Counsellor Betty Reed (third from left, second row) conducted several classes at this institute as well as another for German-speaking believers on the following weekend.

Rwanda: Series of deepening institutes held Among the goals of the National Spiritual Assembly of Rwanda for the year 130-131 B.E. was the organization of a series of eight deepening institutes. Over 150 Bahá’ís from all the Local Spiritual Assemblies in Rwanda (there are 47) participated in these week-long conferences which included classes on prayer, Bahá’í history, prophecy, and administration. Zahereh Taeed (standing, at the left) was the instructor for the classes. This photo was taken during the fourth institute in the series.

The twentieth-anniversary celebration of these first enrollments of Bahá’ís in Lesotho was planned for December 12, 1974. But the will of God was that it should be otherwise. A few days before, Theodore Mohapi died, and that very day was chosen for his funeral. Seven Bahá’ís participated in the interment service; approximately 350 people attended. Many people commented on the beauty, simplicity, and power of the prayers and responded warmly to a brief explanation of the Faith requested by the family.

The Seqonoka feast and anniversary celebration were rescheduled for January 13, 1975. Two sheep were purchased and prepared with all the trimmings: boiled cabbage, beetroot salad, a maize and bean mix, and potatoes — a real feast. Preparations took several days. The day of the feast was a grand success, however. The Bahá’í youth had repaired the road before Theodore’s funeral, so access to Seqonoka was made easier. The principal chief of the district, Chief Leshoburo Majara, (one of nine in all of Lesotho) was present at the feast. He welcomed the 100 Bahá’ís and their friends and invited them to visit his village for another feast soon.

Andrew Mofokeng, one of the early pioneers to Lesotho, spoke of the history of the Faith in Lesotho. Thabo Seheri, Chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly, spoke on behalf of the Assembly. Auxiliary Board member Shanta Basin gave a brief inspirational talk. Bothata Pokane, another early pioneer and member of the National Assembly when Lesotho was part of the Regional National

[Page 6] Assembly which included Swaziland, spoke of his many associations with Seqonoka.

Dwight Allen spoke of the future promise of growth of the Faith in Lesotho. Salai Mohapi told of how he had first met the Laws and told the Bahá’ís that they would always be welcome at Seqonoka, and that they should consider it as their home. The original rondoval had been taken down to allow the construction of a much larger house where the growing number of Bahá’ís could meet.

A framed picture of the Shrine of the Báb was presented to Chief Mohapi, and he addressed the feast saying, “If you wish to extol me, extol my Faith.” It was a warm and wonderful occasion, memorable in the annals of the Bahá’í Faith in Lesotho.

India:

Consolidation program tested in village

The Continental Board of Counsellors of the South Central Asia zone and the National Spiritual Assembly of India, in consultation with traveling teacher Jenabe Caldwell, have undertaken what is described as a “six-month massive consolidation and teaching program” designed to implement in the villages, four objectives of the Five Year Plan: (1) the holding of morning prayer meetings; (2) increased participation by women in Bahá’í activities; (3) the holding of consistent deepening classes; and (4) universal participation in contributing to the Fund.

A report of a pilot plan — a field test conducted in the village of Rarua in Gwalior — has been received, from which the following highlights are drawn:

It was agreed that a Counsellor, a member of the National Assembly, Mr. Caldwell, and one or two teachers should visit a village Spiritual Assembly to get first-hand information about what type of program would be most effective... the village was selected after prayers and consultation with the State Teaching Committee.

On our arrival in the village a meeting of the Spiritual Assembly was called and the purpose of our visit was explained... the Assembly’s cooperation was enlisted and in consultation a program was arranged for this village which has about 100 Bahá’ís — in other words, one-tenth of the population is Bahá’í and almost everyone else knows the Greatest Name.

Prayers were held the first morning attended by the Spiritual Assembly and a few other friends. Then, as per the decision of the Spiritual Assembly, all the believers, including ourselves, went around the village inviting the Bahá’ís to join us for morning prayers, to attend a Bahá’í study class and an evening deepening program. Spontaneously the village friends had seized up their musical instruments and sang the Greatest Name and Bahá’í songs which created much enthusiasm and excitement throughout the village.

We learned that some of the Bahá’ís knew prayers by heart and two very recently enrolled youth recited the Tablet of Ahmad. In the beginning, the women were shy about coming out of their houses because of age-old traditions and customs, but encouraged by their menfolk, on the second day a number of them attended the meeting. Most of them knew the Greatest Name and its significance; actually, this was taught to them by their children. They also joined in the singing of Bahá’í songs and promised that more women would gather the next day.

Approximately 18 friends attended a study class on Hidden Words each afternoon, conducted by Mr. Caldwell. The purpose was to attempt to understand the meaning of each verse in the book — we found that the study of the Holy Writings has a great spiritual impact on the friends.

We discussed the purpose and nature of the Fund and the significance of contributing — our five-day visit had some result in that when we were leaving nine of the friends spontaneously and individually gave their contribution to the National Fund.

In consultation with the Spiritual Assembly, the community adopted the goal of teaching and consolidating the Faith in five neighboring villages — volunteers agreed to visit these villages in a group and some of the women who had relatives in the villages offered to teach them the Faith when they visited.

Bangladesh:

Believers commemorate Birth of Bahá’u’lláh

More than 100 Bahá’ís and their guests gathered at the day-long celebration of the Anniversary of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh in Dacca on November 12, 1974.

[Page 7] One beneficial effect of the program was the dedicated effort to which the friends pledged to demonstrate the principle of the oneness of mankind, the abolition of prejudice, and the removal of caste barriers.

The report concluded:

From this field experiment, we found that if more emphasis is placed on prayer and the spiritual aspects of the Faith, it is easier to deepen the village friends and strengthen the Local Assemblies. If a trained teaching team stays for a period of five to seven days in a village, the community will be strengthened to a greater extent.

Canada:

Dukhobor leader recalls kindness of Bahá’ís

The Bahá’ís of Slocan Valley in the Kootenay Lake region of British Columbia recently enlisted the aid of a Bahá’í from Belleview, Washington, in the United States, in their efforts to establish the Faith among the Russian Dukhobor settlement in Canada.

Alla Dakserhof, age 76, was born in Russia and not only speaks Russian fluently but is a dynamic public speaker. She took a week off from her busy schedule of teaching music in Washington to fly to the Kootenay area to join an intensive proclamation effort among the Russian-speaking Dukhobors.

The Dukhobors (“spirit wrestlers”) are a Russian peasant religious sect first formed in the 18th century in Russia where they were intermittently persecuted for their rejection of external authority. A majority (about 20,000) now live in Canada where they settled about the turn of the century. One group of Dukhobors known as the Sons of Freedom is centered in the Kootenay area.

A report of Mrs. Dakserhof’s visit states:

Within a week Mrs. Dakserhof spoke at five public meetings which were well attended by Dukhobors. She was also interviewed on radio and television. Of all the public meetings sponsored by the Slocan Valley Bahá’ís in the Kootenay area during the summer months, the one held in Russian in Drestova, British Columbia during Alla Dakserhof’s visit was perhaps the most dramatic and exciting. The leader of the Sons of Freedom was approached to inquire about holding a meeting so Mrs. Dakserhof could speak to the Dukhobors about the Faith. They were quite receptive, set a date and made all arrangements for the meeting, including invitations to their people.

On the scheduled date we arrived at the home of the leader, Stephen Sorokin, who speaks no English. Mrs. Dakserhof and Mr. Sorokin conversed in Russian. He told her that when he was a young man, during a time of famine when there was a great shortage of food and many people were starving, he had left Russia to enter Persia. While he was in Persia, the Bahá’ís took care of him and fed him; he said that they fed him even while he was in prison.

About 90 Dukhobors assembled at the meeting, the men on one side, the women on the other. Upon our arrival, they all stood up and began to sing. Mrs. Dakserhof spoke for about 30 minutes. She also read from Hidden Words in Russian and said a prayer. During a pause in her talk, the Dukhobors would break out into song, as if in applause; it seemed a spontaneous response to what she was saying to them. It was a very intense experience and seemed to touch everyone there.

We were invited into a Dukhobor home for a banquet of Russian food — one young Dukhobor woman translated one of the Russian songs for us — it spoke of “brothers uniting” and “the dawning of a new era”. The Sons of Freedom Dukhobors have a definite spiritual orientation to life. Mrs. Dakserhof suggested that more Russian-speaking Bahá’í teachers be sent to the Kootenay area.

Teaching Committee launches book campaign

Inspired to proclaim and teach the Faith through an effective public distribution and sale of Bahá’í books, the Comité d’Enseignement Bahá’í (French Teaching Committee) officially launched the French translation of Thief in the Night (Voleur Dans la Nuit) by the Hand of the Cause William Sears at the Third International Book Fair in Quebec.

For several months before the campaign, the committee ran a series of seminars on Bahá’í answers to Bible questions as an assistance in preparing the friends for firesides and discussions with persons attracted by the campaign. The book itself was announced throughout the Quebec area by attractive posters and simultaneously the book was displayed in three bookstores in Rimouski.

As Mr. Sears was unable to come to Quebec, Dr. Howard Garey, Professor at Yale University and a member of the editorial committee of World Order magazine, gave a public press conference. Mr. Garey presented the essential elements of the book with enormous success.

[Page 8] Around the World

Above: The Hand of the Cause Enoch Olinga visited the believers in the high valley community of Tigerías during his visit to Bolivia in 1972. Left: Bahá’ís at a teaching institute accompany one another on wooden flutes. Below: A village in the rugged mountain region at 13,000 feet altitude.

A member of the committee related an experience at the book fair: “I even sold one copy of the book to a priest from my native parish whom I had not seen for ten years.”

Bolivia:

An invitation to join the teaching project

A one-year international teaching project launched by the National Assembly of Bolivia in January will focus during the period of its unfoldment on strengthening Local Spiritual Assemblies in the landlocked Andean country, on creating child education programs, and on fostering “Bahá’í homes” among the nation’s believers.

The Bolivian National Assembly has invited Bahá’ís from every country to take leave of their jobs or studies until the end of the project at Riḍván 1976, to come to Bolivia, the first South American country to experience mass enrollment, and to assist in winning the goals of the Five Year Plan.

According to the National Assembly, the practical teaching and administrative experience the volunteers will acquire will encourage many of them to settle in a permanent pioneering post. The National Assembly will also welcome volunteers who can contribute shorter periods to the project, but it suggests that three months is the minimum time which will permit participants to reap some practical benefits from their training.

The estimated cost for participating in the teaching project for the full year is approximately U.S. $3,000. About $2,100 will cover living expenses; the remainder will be consumed in travel. This estimate was made with life in rural areas in mind. The costs could as much as double if volunteers decided to spend their time in Bolivia’s cities, where the prices of necessities are much higher. Knowledge of Spanish, Quechua, or Aymará would be helpful, but it is not essential for participation.

This special teaching and consolidation project has received the support of the Continental Board of Counsellors for South America and of the Auxiliary Boards of Bolivia. The Hand of the Cause Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir during his recent visit to Bolivia offered valuable suggestions for conducting the project.

[Page 9] The first mass acceptance of the Faith among the country’s Indian people took place 19 years ago. The great majority of believers in the country today are from the Quechua and Aymará tribes. There are now more than 750 Spiritual Assemblies in Bolivia, and Bahá’ís in more than 4,000 localities.

“This rapid growth in such a short period of time gives some indication of the immense possibilities for further growth and development,” the National Spiritual Assembly wrote. “However, a continuing lack of sufficient numbers of Bahá’í teachers and administrators is presently threatening to interrupt the steady advance of the teaching work now in operation.”

Bahá’ís interested in participating in this project are invited to write to their respective National Spiritual Assemblies.

United States:

United Nations University discussed

Edward Weidner, Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin at Green Bay, and the American member of the international council charged with developing the structure of the United Nations University, was the speaker at the United Nations World Development Information Day program sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Green Bay.

His theme was: “problem-oriented education.” Approximately 60 people attended the lecture. The introductory remarks by a member of the Assembly included a brief explanation of the principal characteristics of the Faith.

Dr. Weidner described the nascent UN University as a “new direction in education, distinguished by its cross-cultural cooperation in facing problems now and in the future.” The university will “help achieve the goal of one world and world peace,” Dr. Weidner said, acknowledging that a “new concern for world peace” was discernible in the country.

The UN University was authorized by the General Assembly in 1973. A council of 24 educators was appointed to organize the new international university, the purpose of which will be to assign groups of scholars to research major international development projects. Dr. Weidner was appointed to the university council by UN Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim.

Above: A village marketplace in one of the high valleys. Right: Indian Bahá’ís from Yuraj K’asa. Below: The village of San Francisco in the Bolivian jungle where a number of Bahá’ís live.

[Page 10]

Bahá’í communities observe International Women’s Year, 1975

National Bahá’í communities in many parts of the world are developing plans for participation in International Women’s Year 1975, proclaimed by the United Nations, and supported by the Bahá’í International Community.

“We have during International Women’s Year an excellent opportunity to cooperate with the United Nations in promoting the equality of men and women, the participation of women in the total development effort, and the contribution of women to friendly relations among states and to world peace,” said the Bahá’í International Community in a recent statement to National Spiritual Assemblies.

The year has three main themes: equality, development, and peace. Each corresponds with a principal aim of the United Nations Charter — the establishment of universal human rights, the full economic and social development of all peoples, and the attainment of world peace.

The Bahá’í International Community provided some advice to National Assemblies on possible activities during this special year.

“Certainly contacts with other organizations, many of which are inviting participation by all interested groups and individuals, can provide excellent opportunities to make the Bahá’í point of view known,” the Bahá’í International Community said. “Men and women, including ‘prominent and responsible government officials,’ will often respond very favorably if the Bahá’í teachings are presented in a way that relates to their pattern of thinking and offers new ways of looking at the problems of our world. A proclamation of the Faith through the principle of the equality of men and women in its broadest sense should attract such thoughtful people, who, while deeply interested in the subject, have no comprehensive or spiritual viewpoint, and are indeed often frustrated in their efforts to implement the principles set out so clearly by the United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women.”

For its part, the Bahá’í International Community provided National Communities around the world with such working materials as a compilation of quotations from the Bahá’í writings on the equality of men and women, United Nations posters in English, Spanish, and French with appropriate messages for the year, and copies of United Nations publications providing information about worldwide activities in support of International Women’s Year.

“Not only can your Bahá’í community join the rest of the Bahá’í World in strengthening the ties of the Bahá’í International Community with the United Nations,” the Bahá’í International Community wrote the National Assemblies, “but in addition, International Women’s Year can provide opportunities for the deepening and consolidation of Bahá’í communities, in this case in the principle of the equality of men and women, as well as in proclaiming and teaching the Faith to people at all levels. It will further give your Bahá’í community an opportunity to reach, at local and national levels, as mentioned by The Universal House of Justice in its supplementary Goals Message for the Five Year Plan, prominent citizens and members of government. The possibilities for increased recognition, prestige, and influence of the Faith are therefore most challenging.”

Below are some reports of events that have reached Bahá’í News from several countries. Additional reports of International Women’s Year activities will be published as they are made available for publication.

National Assembly calls for day of prayer

In Australia, the first day of International Women’s Year—January 1, 1975—was declared a national day of prayer for Bahá’ís by the National Spiritual Assembly.

The Bahá’í House of Worship in Sydney was open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Bahá’ís and the public were invited to spend a portion of that day in offering prayers for the advent of world peace.

“Bahá’ís believe there is an essential relationship between the recognition of the equal status of women with men and world peace,” the National Assembly said in its public release. “In the Bahá’í writings, it is stated that women ‘will be the greatest factor in establishing universal peace and international arbitration. Assuredly, women will abolish warfare among mankind.’ ”

New materials to aid proclamation efforts

A year-long campaign to publicize the Bahá’í teachings on the role of women in society has been approved by the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States.

The National Teaching Committee has urged the entire community to plan major proclamation efforts in March, June, September, and December. The themes for these events will be Women and Education, Women in Family and Society, Women and Peace, and Women in Development, respectively.

The June proclamation will coincide with an international UN conference on women in Mexico City. The Bahá’í International Community will participate in this gathering.

Press materials for Women’s Year will soon be made available by the National Information Office. Stories on the progress of International Women’s Year in the Bahá’í community will appear periodically in The American Bahá’í, as will suggestions for conducting proclamation activities. Scripts for radio spots will also be available.

A new pamphlet, Women: Attaining Their Birthright by Constance Conrader, has been issued by the Publishing Trust and will be useful in distributing to seekers.

[Page 11] Other materials from the Publishing Trust will include a deepening program on women, a filmstrip about the role of women in Bahá’í history, and posters on themes related to women’s year.

The National Education Committee will develop classes for summer and winter schools on the role of women outlined in the Bahá’í writings.

The emphasis on Women’s Year is consistent with the Bahá’í principle of the equality of men and women and also with the Faith’s support of United Nations activities, said John Berry, the Committee’s Secretary.

Mr. Berry referred to the following quotation from the Guardian as important to consider during this year’s proclamations:

“If presented properly the position of women in the Bahá’í teachings will surely attract much attention, for it is not only legal but also spiritual and educational. Our ideals are so high and at the same time so practicable that all other views will fall short if compared to them.” Dawn of a New Day, page 30.

References on the Role of women

Bahá’u’lláh, Synopsis and Codification of the Laws and Ordinances of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas: pp. 15, 16-no. 8; p. 36-no. 3; p. 38-no. 4; pp. 39-40.

Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Bahá’í World Faith: Pages 53, 102, 103, 114, 116, 117, 165, 176, 195, 200, 218, 239, 240, 241, 247, 288, 377, 378, 398, 399, 417, 446.

Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Divine Art of Living: Pages 110, 111.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Paris Talks: Pages 133, 160, 161, 162, 163, 182, 183, 184.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in London: Pages 90, 91, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109.

Shoghi Effendi, Dawn of a New Day: Pages 3, 4, 30, 86, 202.

Shoghi Effendi, Bahá’í Administration: Pages 144, 145, 187-196.

Shoghi Effendi, The Advent of Divine Justice: Pages 27, 57, 58.

Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By: Pages 32, 33, 34, 45, 75, 76, 77, 108, 207, 208, 299, 342, 343, 347, 386, 387, 388, 395, 400.

Rúḥíyyih Rabbani, The Priceless Pearl: Pages 303, 304, 309, 310, 328, 382, 383.

J.E. ‎Esselmont Esslemont‎, Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era: Pages 154, 155, 156, 157, 233.

Marzieh Gail, The Sheltering Branch: Pages 33, 34, 41, 42, 43, 44, 53.

Local communities to hold study classes

A day of deepening for women was held in the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds of Panchgani, India, on December 15, 1974, sponsored by the city’s Local Spiritual Assembly. Thirty-seven women, more than half of them Marathi-speaking, attended, contributing to the fulfillment of one of India’s Five Year Plan goals — the holding of regular classes for women in every community. The women attending came from such backgrounds as Hajiran (untouchables), Hindu-Brahmin, Zoroastrian, Muslim, and Buddhist.

The deepening project was coordinated by Rezwan Mobedzadeh, who spoke in both Marathi and Persian. Prayers in several languages were recited, and selections from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Paris Talks were read.

Three separate classes were held, one in English, one in Marathi, and one in Persian. The class for English-speaking women was led by Jane Grover, and discussed quotations from the Bahá’í writings about the need for women to teach the Cause. The Persian group, led by S. Akhtar Khavari, engaged in a similar discussion. The Marathi-speaking women under the direction of V. Farahmand, explored the role of women in the education and guidance of children, and discussed the importance of academic training for both girls and boys.

By the end of the day, each group had decided that regular classes for women focusing on their role in society were desirable. A recommendation was also made by each class that periodic social and cultural events for the women of the Panchgani community should be scheduled.

Marathi, Persian, and English-speaking Bahá’í women attended deepening classes at the Panchgani Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds sponsored by the Local Assembly.

[Page 12]

Bahamas Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds acquired

Negotiations for the acquisition of a building, which is considered a landmark by Bahamian citizens, were completed in Nassau at the end of January during a visit by Glenford Mitchell, Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. The structure, built by a former prime minister of the country, will serve as the National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds of the Bahamas.

Ideally located in the heart of downtown Nassau, the building is situated on a spacious lot which also includes a number of smaller buildings. It is well-landscaped and attractive, with a covered archway leading along the side of the building from the front to the back area.

The visit of Mr. Mitchell also provided an opportunity for extensive proclamation of the Faith, with a half-hour program taped by Carl Bethel, program director of the government-owned radio station, WZNS, and an hour-long visit with Leon Turnquest, editor of the Nassau Guardian.

Above: A front view of the newly-acquired building in downtown Nassau which will serve as the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds of the Bahamas when the National Spiritual Assembly is formed. Far left: One of several auxiliary structures on the property which can be adapted for use by the Bahá’í community. Left: Bahamian Bahá’ís remove for sale signs after negotiations for the acquisition of the property were completed by Glenford E. Mitchell, Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States.

[Page 13] There was an evening meeting at which Mr. Mitchell addressed Bahá’ís of the Nassau area. Considerable time was spent consulting with the Teaching Committee of the Bahamas about laying the groundwork for the establishment of a National Spiritual Assembly in their country, a goal of the Five Year Plan. The members of the Teaching Committee of the Bahamas are Robert Hutchcraft, Charles Thompson, Robert Leonard, and Beryl McSweeny.

Accompanying pictures show the impressive landscaping and spacious lot of the newly-purchased building. It is anticipated that it will meet the needs of the Bahamian Bahá’í community for some time after the election of its National Spiritual Assembly, and through its fortunate location in the heart of Nassau act as a stimulant in attracting interested persons to the Bahá’í Faith.

Top: A rear view of the main structure. Right: The imposing entrance and side archway leading to the rear of the property.

[Page 14] Photo Essay

New Canadian Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds

The new Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds of Canada, a $500,000 building of concrete, glass, and steel designed by an award-winning firm of Canadian architects, Fairfield and Dubois, is the first building to have been constructed on the 17½-acre property purchased by the Canadian National Spiritual Assembly. Imaginative use of glass permits those working in the building to see the beautiful trees of many varieties planted by the previous owner of the land. Planning of the building included expansion needs projected for the next five years.

In 1957, in response to the National Assembly’s request for advice regarding the purchase of a 3½-acre lot as a site for Canada’s future Temple, the Guardian encouraged the Assembly to buy it, stating, however, that it should consider exchanging the land in the future if it were not large enough to meet the Assembly’s needs. Ten years later this land had so increased in value that it was sold for ten times its purchase price, providing four-fifths of the amount needed to buy the 17½-acre tract of land located in a choice portion of the northern approach to Toronto. Triangular in shape, the building is surrounded on two sides by a golf course and on the third by a conservation area. The accompanying pictures show exterior and interior views, including some of the high-ceilinged, open-spaced working areas of the secretariat.

Photographs courtesy Canadian Bahá’í News

[Page 15] Photos by Susan Samila

[Page 16] Excerpts from pamphlets, statements, and information presented by the Bahá’í International Community to the United Nations during 1973 and 1974 as a contribution to the work of that world organization.

Cooperation of the Bahá’í International Community with the United Nations in the field of human rights

For over one hundred years Bahá’ís have striven for the elimination of all prejudice and discrimination and have sought to bring about the unity of mankind, world peace, and world order.

As part of this commitment, the Bahá’í International Community, in its consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council and its affiliation with the Office of Public Information, has cooperated wholeheartedly with the United Nations programs in the field of human rights. The Bahá’í world community has promoted awareness and understanding of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and of the numerous instruments which the United Nations has brought into existence for the protection of the rights of all peoples.

Annual worldwide observances of Human Rights Day; human rights conferences, seminars, and awards; programs and publications for special anniversaries of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights — all are expressions of Bahá’í cooperation. In addition, the Bahá’í International Community works closely with the UN Commission on Human Rights and the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities and has taken part in varied United Nations seminars on human rights.

(From “Divine Law: Source of Human Rights — A Bahá’í View,” a pamphlet-statement prepared by the Bahá’í International Community in observance of the 25th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, December 10, 1973.)

On a new standard of justice

The cornerstone of human rights — justice — is a central concern of the Bahá’í Faith. Bahá’í communities around the world live by the conviction that justice is the expression of love and unity in the life of society; and Bahá’ís have accepted Bahá’u’lláh, the Prophet-Founder of their faith, as the standard of justice for our age and the source of divine law.

A new world could only be built, Bahá’u’lláh taught, by a new race of men and women; a world order and a world civilization could only be established by people whose actions reflected values of love, unity, and justice that applied equally to all races, creeds, nationalities, and classes.

The world is ready for this new oneness — for the obligations and rights that will make it possible; and Bahá’u’lláh has provided the source of power for this total and lasting unity of all peoples on earth.

Although humanity is only beginning its planetary stage of evolution, Bahá’í communities can today be found in 335 countries and significant territories — 141 of which are independent nations. More than 1,600 tribes and ethnic groups are represented in such communities. In this unity in diversity the Bahá’í world already offers evidence of the change that is taking place in human beings who find their standards for obligation and rights in the Bahá’í writings and laws.

(From “Divine Law: Source of Human Rights — A Bahá’í View.”)

[Page 17]

Patterns for justice

On the elimination of the crime of genocide

It is the conviction of the Bahá’í International Community that national and international laws and conventions are indeed essential and necessary for the protection of the world community, and that the implementation of these ‎intruments instruments‎ has a certain effect on the actions of men and nations. However, if the crime of genocide is to be eliminated entirely as a threat to mankind’s peace and security — and the diversity of humanity is to be protected and preserved — then a more fundamental change is required in the attitudes, feelings, and understanding of the diverse peoples of the world toward each other so that differences of race, religion, and nationality will cease to cause separation, and a climate of loving friendship and fellowship can be established.

In the view of the Bahá’í International Community, this universal change in human behavior involves the control of the physical or material side of human beings (characterized by the desire for self-gratification) by the higher or spiritual nature of man, which, when properly nurtured and educated, is capable of developing qualities of compassion, understanding, justice, fair-mindedness, kindness, courtesy, etc., and has the potential for self-sacrifice in the interest of all mankind. When individual human beings come to understand that this power of spiritual growth is an endowment given to every member of the human race and that they are called upon to respond to a divine summons to train this aspect of the self, a consciousness of oneness will supersede the emphasis formerly placed on differences of race, religion, and nationality which have so long divided mankind. Under the guidance of divine teachings, which reestablish and expand the truth of past religious experiences to the present needs of humanity, mankind — which has already traversed the stages of family unity, tribal solidarity, unity of the city-state, and, more recently, national unity — will enter a new phase, the culmination of its development on the planet, in which the oneness and wholeness of the human race will be realized.

It is a Bahá’í belief that we are now engaged in the struggle to attain this new order which will free mankind from its present state of conflict and dissension in which prejudices of race, religion, and nation play a major role, and usher in a new era of peace and human solidarity based on divine justice in which the rights and well-being of all members of the human race are protected. Bahá’ís feel that the attainment of world unity is inevitable because “man can withstand anything except that which is divinely intended and indicated for the age and its requirements.” The vision of world unity which Bahá’ís are striving to implement is based on the social and spiritual principles found in the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh, Founder of the Bahá’í Faith, Who over a hundred years ago revealed the spiritual laws which Bahá’ís recognize as the foundation of a new era of peace and brotherhood prophesied and promised in all of the world’s revealed religions.

As may be seen, the Bahá’í International Community seeks to do its share in eliminating the crime of genocide by building communities which are based on the principles of the oneness of mankind, the oneness of religion, loyalty to government, the abolition of war, and the creation of a world civilization. The gradual realization of these principles throughout the planet, the Bahá’í International Community maintains, will bring about the moral and spiritual transformation necessary for the full development of the earth’s human and natural resources, when the “world will be seen as a new world, and all men will live as brothers.” Only then, in the Bahá’í view, will the world be finally freed from the crime of genocide as a threat to the survival of the human race.

(From information submitted by the Bahá’í International Community to a “Study on the Question of the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide,” undertaken by the United Nations Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities.)

[Page 18]

On the rights of minorities

The Bahá’í International Community ... is multi-racial, multi-national, and multi-lingual. Over 1,600 tribes and ethnic groups, for instance, are included in the Bahá’í world community .... Bahá’ís regard all people as invaluable members of society whose talents and unique contributions, as individuals and/or groups — whether in the minority or the majority — are equally important factors in building a new world.

in which all nations, races, creeds, and classes are closely and permanently united, and in which the autonomy of its state members and the personal freedom and initiative of the individuals that compose them are definitely and completely safeguarded.

The Bahá’í teachings extol the uniqueness and variety of race, culture, and language that exists in the family of man and regard this diversity as its manifest beauty — not unlike a flower garden where, though all are flowers, the individual characteristics of shape and color combine to produce harmony and beauty .... Bahá’ís regard their individual culture, heritage, and mother-tongue with pride and admiration, but at the same time are conscious of their existence in a pluralistic and diversified world in which other peoples, cultures, languages, and heritages coexist.

(From a statement presented by the Bahá’í International Community to the United Nations Seminar on “The Promotion and Protection of Human Rights of National, Ethnic and Other Minorities,” Ohrid, Yugoslavia, June 25-July 25, 1974)

Since the Bahá’í world community has brought together most of the minority elements which are to be found today, such as those of race, nationality, religion, and class, some observations on the attitudes and practices existing within this community are, we feel, appropriate....

It is the attitude of Bahá’ís that religion is intended to bring harmony and unity among people and that religious prejudice, along with economic and national prejudices, have been the cause of war and strife, destroying the structure of world order. Bahá’ís are admonished to associate with all people in a spirit of love and fellowship, are warned that religion must not become the cause of dissension. Bahá’u’lláh, the Prophet-Founder of the Bahá’í Faith, forbids His followers even to argue about religion, placing emphasis on the acquisition of virtuous deeds and the use of a “kindly tongue” in attracting people to the true religious spirit which has been expressed by the founders of all the religions of the world. In regard to religion, Bahá’ís themselves do not proselytize and they offer no special inducements, such as material rewards, in order to attract people to their Faith. They observe the principle of the right and responsibility of each person to an unfettered search for truth, membership being granted only as the individual attains conviction and makes a personal declaration of his faith.

Differences in national background do not become in the Bahá’í community a source of antagonism or separation. Loyalty to family, tribe, and nation is recognized as important but does not become an obstacle to an allegiance to the whole of mankind. World citizenship is natural to Bahá’ís and is possible within the Bahá’í community itself because of the dedication of its members to the principle that humanity is an organic whole — that all parts are essential and play a vital role in enriching the beauty of the whole. The concept of the progressive nature of religion and the gradual unfoldment of a divine plan destined to bring about a world commonwealth and world civilization enables Bahá’ís to strive to abolish prejudices in themselves and in their communities which might threaten or delay the achievement of this goal.

Although there is great cultural diversity in Bahá’í communities, the commitment of Bahá’ís to “unity in diversity” and the education which Bahá’ís experience in close association with each other in the Bahá’í administrative order — where this diversity is always present — lead to an appreciation for the contributions which the variety of backgrounds can make and which strengthen and enhance the beauty of the whole community.

A few quotations from the Bahá’í Writings will serve to illustrate the Bahá’í view on racial minorities:

Close your eyes to racial differences, and welcome all with the light of oneness.

God is no respecter of persons on account of either color or race. All colors are acceptable to Him, be they white, black or yellow.

Color is not important: the heart is all-important.

To discriminate against any race, on the ground of its being socially backward, politically immature, and numerically in a minority, is a flagrant violation of the spirit that animates the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh.

Shoghi Effendi, Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith, has written quite explicitly on the relationship of minorities within the Bahá’í community. He urged that

every organized community, enlisted under the banner of Bahá’u’lláh, should feel it to be its first and inescapable obligation to nurture, encourage, and safeguard every minority belonging to any faith, race, class, or nation within it.

As people having a common language also often see themselves as belonging to a separate group, and the Sub-Commission is concerned with the problems of linguistic minorities, the point should be made that the Bahá’í teachings emphasize the importance of a universal, auxiliary language to be learned in addition to one’s mother tongue to promote understanding and harmony among people. Although Bahá’ís do not promote any one universal language, they teach this principle, and in the future expect to see it realized.

In the Bahá’í view, the entire question of minorities is one of gradually approaching the consciousness of world unity. It involves a spiritual awakening of the peoples of the world to the realization that, first of all, the attainment of even their own happiness is dependent upon the realization of a like condition for all others in the human family. Beyond this change in attitude, and fundamentally underlying it, there must be a conscious recognition of our human dependence upon one God and a desire to become educated to values and teachings which today can alone rescue man from his pursuit of selfish interests and the oppression of his fellow man.

Limited unity, such as that of lineage, of color, of language, of partisan political factions, and of nationality, can have no universal outcome in an age which demands the solving of human problems on a

[Page 19] global scale. The Bahá’í world community, oriented to new standards of life in every aspect, is attempting to put into practice the Teachings and Principles of Bahá’u’lláh, which it recognizes as the source of spiritual education for humanity and the guidance for the well-being and happiness of all members of the human race.

From information submitted by the Bahá’í International Community to a “Study on the Rights of Persons Belonging to Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities,” undertaken by the United Nations Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities.

On the rights of indigenous populations

Fundamental policy

Indigenous people in many countries and territories have become a part of the Bahá’í community, sometimes in great numbers. Their attraction to the Bahá’í Faith and its teachings would indicate, in itself, their desire to enter the mainstream of life in association with people of very different backgrounds.... Because of the Bahá’í belief in the unity of mankind, all people are recognized as valued members of society and play an equally important part in building world order. The talents and unique contribution of every individual and group is welcomed.... Our experience in making contact with indigenous people has confirmed the fact that they are often, as a group, quite cut off from the non-indigenous population. In many countries, physical obstacles such as lack of roads and means of transportation as well as poor climatic conditions make access to indigenous people difficult. Because of their belief in the organic unity of mankind and that all members of the human family have the right to learn of their Faith, and to become, if they so choose, a part of this world community, Bahá’ís make every effort possible to overcome the difficulties that stand in the way of contact with all people. The welcome given and warm response of the indigenous people in many places has confirmed the fact that they are desirous of close association with others who accept and express loving concern for them.

Education

Bahá’ís believe that the recognition that all people have an important contribution to make and that men must be educated to the appreciation of the special and unique qualities of every human being in every group is vital if progress is to be made in this area [of education]. We also believe that the emphasis on the spiritual worth of the human being must become the foundation for the appreciation of the creative expression of each individual. In the Bahá’í view, the lack of understanding of the nature of man, the spiritual goals of life, and the resulting concern only with material production has created in many people a sense of inequality. There is, at the same time, a lack of appreciation of the contribution of indigenous and other disadvantaged peoples in the world. The attitudes taught in the Bahá’í Faith correct the perspective on the nature of man and result in constructive understanding of the true value and worth of all human beings.

The teachings of the Bahá’í Faith, as they change the attitudes and beliefs of people, create the desire for an understanding of the dominant culture of a country by indigenous peoples as well as an appreciation by indigenous people of their own potentialities. Bahá’ís, believing in all revealed religious truth of past ages as an unfoldment of one divine plan, have respect for the customs and traditions relating to these religions and cultures. They desire to preserve the cultural elements that contribute to the well-being of man. An effort is made to acquaint people with their own history and its importance in the overall pattern of man’s history on earth.

Information on educational establishments and institutions

In some countries where indigenous people have become Bahá’ís and especially in rural areas where an entire village or town may become Bahá’í, schools have been established.... and literacy as well as more inclusive and general educational programs have been developed.... Bahá’í schools in any area of the world are open to all, regardless of religious, racial, or national background, on a first-come, first-served basis. In some communities, the school would be the result not of plans formulated outside the local group, but the natural outcome of new attitudes toward learning and the desire to progress in all ways. Often these schools represent the cooperation of many Bahá’ís representing both indigenous and non-indigenous peoples and include ‎theontribution the contribution‎ of peoples of totally unlike cultures.

Language

Bahá’ís are translating, as quickly as possible, the Bahá’í literature into the many languages. There are over 1,600 tribes and ethnic groups represented in the Bahá’í community, and Bahá’í literature has already been translated into 571 different languages, many of which are languages and dialects of indigenous people. One principle in the Bahá’í teachings relates to the adoption of a universal auxiliary language; that is, in the future, one language will be chosen by the peoples of the world and taught to all people as an auxiliary to their mother tongue in order to further promote unity and understanding.

Culture and cultural, social and legal institutions

There is no restriction on marriage in Bahá’í communities between indigenous and non-indigenous people. Race, nationality, former religion, class, etc., are not considered a basis for determining marriage, and “mixed” unions are considered natural. Prejudice against marriages between indigenous and non-indigenous people or against their offspring is not acceptable according to the Bahá’í Teachings.... The education which Bahá’ís recognize as essential in the elimination of prejudice is spiritual in nature; for it is the recognition of divine law, and obedience to it, that gradually roots out prejudice in the human mind.

Religious rights and practices

Bahá’ís are forbidden to proselytize or to offer material reward to induce people to change their religious belief. The principle of the independent search for truth — the fact that each man is responsible for his own choices in this regard — prevents the conversion of people against their own will. Bahá’ís attempt to teach their Faith through deeds and words. If others are attracted and interested, Bahá’ís continue their efforts to teach. The principle of the oneness and unity of all revealed religions found in the Bahá’í writings makes divisiveness because of religion impossible, for it is the Bahá’í belief that religion is intended to create unity and understanding between people. It is the lack of understanding of this principle that has created division and intolerance and caused people to become alienated from each other.

(From information submitted by the Bahá’í International Community for a “Study of the Problem of

[Page 20] Discrimination Against Indigenous Populations,” undertaken by the United Nations Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities.)

On the rights of the family

As to the role of the family in a rapidly changing world, we must realize that the great forces of change are impelling us towards a single world society; it is in this context that the importance of the family must be considered.... Among the rights of children, in addition to the admirable amenities provided by many countries according to their capacity, including normal education, we feel the most imperative is instruction in human and spiritual virtues, with realization of and respect for the latent divine nature of man so that free from all prejudice, they may grow up in turn to form their own families in the service of each other and of mankind.... Equality of rights, status, and opportunities for women and men is recognized in the Bahá’í Faith as a divine law, but the education of girls and future mothers and therefore first educators of mankind is even more important... Their obligations as parents constitute the first and foremost duty for husband and wife, equally binding on both. Parents must promote the oneness of mankind through example and develop in their children the growing consciousness that “the world is but one country and mankind its citizens.”

(From a statement presented by the Bahá’í International Community to the United Nations Inter-Regional Seminar on “The Family in a Changing Society: Problems and Responsibilities of its Members,” London, England, July 18-31, 1973.)

On the rights of women

The devotion of women to the industrial and agricultural sciences, for example, in a spirit of service to the greatest needs of mankind at the present time, will demonstrate their capability and ensure the recognition of equality in the social and economic areas of life. The promotion of the rights of women by means of demonstration by pressure groups may result in divisiveness; while constructive contributions will be recognized and appreciated. It is mentioned in the Bahá’í writings that “when the actions of women show their power, there will be no need to proclaim it by words,” and that when men recognize the equality of women, “there will be no need for them to struggle for their rights.”

The principle of equality in rights does not necessarily imply that men and women should, or must, exercise the same functions. There are differences between men and women in qualities and powers: mental alertness, intuition, and the spiritual qualities of love and service are qualities in which women are strong. There is a need for greater emphasis on these qualities and a better balance between spiritual and material powers if humanity is to progress. However, “the fact that there is not equality in functions between the sexes should not infer that either sex is inherently superior or inferior to the other, or that they are unequal in their rights.”

Because women by nature are more inclined to peace and find it more difficult than men to sanction war, as they participate in human affairs, gaining the right to vote and exercise this right, their voice will naturally influence humanity towards peace. The Bahá’í writings make clear that “when all mankind shall receive the same opportunity of education and the equality of men and women be realized, the foundations of war will be utterly destroyed. Equality between men and women is conducive to the abolition of warfare for the reason that women will never be willing to sanction it.”

Every person should be educated to the realization of the organic oneness of mankind. Since it is a Bahá’í conviction that the good of any part is dependent upon the good of the whole, as long as women are held in an inferior position and do not attain equality with men, men too will be unable to “achieve the greatness which might be theirs.” This principle operates in all areas, whether in relationship to race, class, or national differences in the world. As is true of the family — in which all the rights and prerogatives of each and every member must be preserved, while at the same time sustaining the unity of the family — the well-being of humanity is dependent on an equitable and just relationship between nations and the orientation of national governments towards the whole of mankind.

(From a statement submitted by the Bahá’í International Community to the Twenty-Fifth session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, on “Suggestions and Proposals for International Women’s Year,” January 11, 1974.)

On the rights of youth

In the Bahá’í view the source of human tights is Divine Law. Human rights are God-given rights, and youth have the same, if not more, responsibility as all members of the human race to contribute towards the erection of the banner of human rights and the construction of a world where

the enormous energy dissipated and wasted on war, whether economic or political, will be consecrated to such ends as will extend the range of human inventions and technical development, to the increase of the productivity of mankind, to the extermination of disease, to the extension of scientific research, to the raising of the standard of physical health, to the sharpening and refinement of the human brain, to the exploitation of the unused and unsuspected resources of the planet, to the prolongation of human life, and to the furtherance of any other agency that can stimulate the intellectual, the moral, and spiritual life of the entire human race.

[Page 21] The first step in this direction is the arousal of the consciousness of youth to the oneness of mankind. Before unity and agreement are firmly established among the peoples of the world, we are convinced, nothing can be widely nor thoroughly affected. Thus youth must, through a process of self-enlightenment, instill themselves with a new global perspective and a new set of values—a set of values permeated by love, truthfulness, kindness, sincerity, and justice whose behavioral expression is the implementation of the principles of human rights. Such a new world can only be built by a new race of men and women.

(From a statement presented by the Bahá’í International Community to the United Nations Seminar on “Youth and Human Rights,” San Remo, Italy, August 28 - September 10, 1973.)

On social and economic justice for all peoples

From a Bahá’í perspective, the moral and spiritual standards needed today to resolve the interlocking economic and social problems of our planet can rest on one foundation only: the consciousness in each individual of the organic oneness of humanity. We are not only citizens of our native land, but beyond that, of the whole world. We are part of the ecosystem; but an ecosystem both inner and outer; and it is from the inner world that come the all-encompassing values and attitudes which provide us with understanding, will, and power to raise the spiritual and physical quality of life of all peoples.

This conviction by the individual and society of the essential unity of the human race is the only viable standard today for social and economic justice. On it must depend the successful solution of the population problem — as of the problems of environment, poverty, disease, unemployment, etc. It means briefly

to consider the welfare of the community as one’s own.... to regard humanity as a single individual, and one’s own self as a member of that corporeal form, and to know of a certainty that if pain or injury afflicts any member of that body, it must inevitably result in suffering for all the rest.

In this process, Bahá’í communities around the world are making a steady contribution. Comprising a cross-section of humanity distributed over 335 countries and territories, these communities live by the teachings, principles, and laws of the Bahá’í Faith. Through the systematic abolition of all forms of prejudice; the adoption of equal opportunities, rights, and privileges for men and women; an understanding of the essential unity and harmony of science and religion; an unfettered search for truth; the high regard for the mind and its formal training through universal compulsory education; the obligation to engage in a trade or a profession useful to society; and the understanding that work done in the spirit of service to one’s fellowmen is, like prayer and meditation, worship — these Bahá’í communities and their members are constantly striving to effect changes in the individual and social consciousness that will hasten the coming of universal peace and the establishment of a world civilization.

(From the brochure, “One World, One People—A Bahá’í View,” presented by the Bahá’í International Community to delegates attending the United Nations World Population Conference, Bucharest, Romania, August 19-30, 1974, and the United Nations World Food Conference, Rome Italy, November 5-16, 1974)

[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.