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Bahá’í News

June 1975

Bahá’í Year 132

The green light expedition: part II

[Page 0] Universal House of Justice Message

Hands of Cause named as representatives to conferences

To all National Spiritual Assemblies
Dear Bahá’í Friends,

We joyfully announce that the following Hands of the Cause of God have been named as our representatives to the International Conferences:

Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum	Paris, France	August 3-6, 1976
Ugo Giachery	Helsinki, Finland	July 6-8, 1976
‘Alí Akbar Furútan	Hong Kong	November 5-8, 1976
Paul Haney	Mérida, Mexico	February 4-6, 1977
Enoch Olinga	Bahia, Brazil	January 28-30, 1977
William Sears	Nairobi, Kenya	October 15-17, 1976
Collis Featherstone	Anchorage, Alaska	July 23-25, 1976
Abu’l-Qásim Faizí	Auckland, New Zealand	January 19-22, 1977

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

May 27, 1975

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Contents

Universal House of Justice message	Inside Cover
Hands of Cause named as representatives to conferences
The green light expedition: part II	2
Continuing a journey of friendship by Rúḥíyyih Khánum to the Indian tribes of South America
Around the world	12
International Bahá’í Community, Australia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dahomey, Dominican Republic, France, Hawaii, Kenya, Mexico, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, United States

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page 14

page 20

Correction: The Hand of the Cause Rúḥíyyih Khánum represented The Universal House of Justice at the 1974 National Bahá’í Convention in Hong Kong, not New Delhi as reported in the April Bahá’í News.

Cover photo: Rúḥíyyih Khánum in a touching moment with one of the young Bahá’ís of Kamaloea.

Bahá’í News is published monthly 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. Manuscripts submitted should be typewritten and double spaced throughout; any footnotes should appear at the end. The contributor should keep a carbon copy. Send materials to: Bahá’í News Editorial Office, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091, U.S.A.

Change of address should be reported directly to Office of Membership and Records, National Bahá’í Center, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091, U.S.A.

Subscription rates: one year, US $8; two years, US $15.

Second class postage paid at Wilmette, Illinois 60091.

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

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[Page 3]

The Green Light Expedition

Part II

Written and photographed by Anthony Roy Worley

Our boat shoots some rapids going down the Surinam River.

On March 23, Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum bade farewell to the Venezuelan friends gathered at the Caracas airport. Many of those present had helped with innumerable arrangements for the expedition’s trip on the Orinoco River and were thus joyfully sharing in its successful conclusion. Both smiles and tears could be seen on the radiant faces as the friends waved good-bye.

The flight of about 900 miles southeast from Caracas brought Rúḥíyyih Khánum and her companions, Counsellor Mas’úd Khamsí, Dr. Nosrat Rabbani, and the four filmmakers, to Surinam, the next stop of their itinerary.

Until recently, Surinam and its neighbors, Guyana and French Guiana, were the last European colonies in South America. To some extent, each country reflects the language and characteristics of its European mother country: Holland, England, or France. Surinam is small by comparison to its South American neighbors. Its landmass of 162,000 square kilometers is just a bit larger than the state of Florida, yet it is five times the size of Holland, from which, at the end of 1975, Surinam will achieve, quietly and peacefully, its full independence.

It was the British who first settled on the Surinam coast in 1650 and started a small settlement where the capital city of Paramaribo now stands. A number of skirmishes ensued between British and Dutch forces culminating in the Treaty of Breda in 1667, under the terms of which the British agreed to let the Netherlands have the area that is now Surinam in exchange for what was considered the less valuable Dutch colony of New Amsterdam, later to be named New York City.

Next year, Surinam will join the community of nations with a polyglot population of 400,000, composed mainly of Creoles (of mixed but predominantly African descent) and Hindustani (of predominantly East Indian extraction), plus Indonesians, Chinese, Amerindians, Europeans, and the Bush Negro. The latter represents 10% of the population and lives along the rivers in the hinterland.

[Page 4]

Among those elected to the first Spiritual Assembly on the Surinam River was one of the women.

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‘Amatu’l-Bahá and the captain of Redi Doti in his store.

A beautifully kept private home in Redi Doti; the sleeping room is in the other half of the hut.

During the first two days of our stay in Surinam, while arrangements were being made to travel inland, Rúḥíyyih Khánum was able to meet the Paramaribo Bahá’í community. The Surinam friends were overjoyed—this was the third time she had been to the Guianas, and many recalled that she had interrupted her African safari to be present, as the representative of The Universal House of Justice, at the formation of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Guianas in 1971.

Among the Bahá’ís visiting with ‘Amatu’l-Bahá in the capital city were pioneers who had come from their posts in French Guiana—a family who had pioneered in Dahomey, Africa, and a young man from Canada. It was a happy moment for Rúḥíyyih Khánum to see this family which she had met while traveling in Africa. She was pleased to recall the beloved Guardian’s hope that Africa would one day send pioneers, self-sacrificing and radiant souls, to teach the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh to the peoples in the Western Hemisphere. She spoke of the urgent need for pioneers, not only from abroad but also from among the city Bahá’ís, to go out and live in the smaller communities and teach the Faith to the people in villages, who constitute two-thirds of the world’s population. She directed these words primarily to the youth and encouraged them to make teaching trips into the interior and to consider their future plans with this urgent goal in mind.

Rúḥíyyih Khánum had previously arranged for Auxiliary Board member Jamshíd Arjomandí to make the plans for our trip into the Surinam interior. We learned that fortunately he would also be able to join the expedition as our guide and interpreter. Some years ago he had come to Surinam as a pioneer and married a local girl of Indonesian background. As a government geologist, he grew to know the jungles and river routes very well; he also speaks fluent Surinam Tongo or Taki-Taki, the lingua franca in the region inhabited by the Bush Negro.

There are many Bahá’í communities among the Bush Negro villages of

[Page 5] Getting ready to embark for Kamaloea village from Boto Passi.

Surinam, but it was decided we should visit Redi Doti first. This village of the Aukaner tribe is considered pagan by the other tribes, as the people have not been converted by any church. As yet, we had no Bahá’ís in Redi Doti.

Rúḥíyyih Khánum and the other members of the expedition set out for this village early on March 28. After traveling overland all morning, we reached Afobaka Dam (a hydroelectric installation on a large man-made lake) and there transferred our gear to two large dugout canoes, powered by outboard motors. The trip along the lake and up the small Sarakreek River took four uncomfortable but interesting hours. Along the way, we got caught in a heavy rain squall during which we huddled together under our plastic sheets. Shortly thereafter, the motor on the second canoe broke down. We paddled along until the lead canoe returned to tow us to our destination. Upon our arrival at Redi Doti, the captain of the village gave us the local guest house where we lived for three days. At night we slept in hammocks inside

The members of the Green Light Expedition having a filmed consultation in their guest house in Redi Doti.

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“Listen well to this lady. You have never heard truer words spoken ...”

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The newly-enrolled captain of Kamaloea village dictating his vote to Auxiliary Board member Jamshíd Arjomandí.

Heavy mosquito nets. It was a strong, well-ventilated wooden hut. The walls opened halfway up on three sides, the dirt floor was kept impeccably clean. Outside were large oil drums filled with rainwater that drained from the roof, which we used for drinking and washing. As to toilet facilities, the jungle was at our disposal: women to the left and men to the right. Although it was the rainy season, we observed that at twilight the villagers would go their separate ways to bathe in the river; after a day of much activity, we were glad to do the same.

The Bush Negro huts were kept as clean and spotless as their pots, pans, and cutlery, which were carefully arranged along the walls. It was easy to see they are a house-proud people—some of the huts looked almost like the interiors of shops although they were only very small private homes. After visiting similar villages, Rúḥíyyih Khánum stated that as regards personal hygiene and tidy homes the Bush Negroes were the cleanest villagers she had ever met and a lot cleaner than most city people.

Village life began at dawn: the men went to work in their fields of cassava and plantains while the women and children were busy in the village. In the early morning, we noted that at one of the village shrines a number of the villagers could be seen, some kneeling, some chanting, in an attitude of prayer.

We were visited by the village captain and his sub-chiefs, or bashas. They sat in a semi-circle around Rúḥíyyih Khánum, who as the honored guest was placed at the head of the room according to strict, age-old protocol. She told the captain of the purpose of our visit and asked his permission to film some village scenes. He readily consented. She told them about some of her experiences in Africa during her 36,000-mile trip through that continent and suggested that one day the Bush Negroes might be able to find out from what part of Africa they had come. It pleased them to know that when completed, the film would be shown to the Bahá’ís in Africa. They listened attentively while she explained that the younger generation should learn the culture and tribal traditions from the older people; otherwise, they would become as a tree without roots.

It rained intermittently during our stay, but the film crew (trying unsuccessfully to be as inconspicuous as possible), was able to get some good scenes of village life. At one point a member of the crew played his flute to entertain a group of children. A villager who had been listening left and returned shortly with a large brand-new Japanese tape recorder and asked if he could make a recording of the music.

On the afternoon of March 30, Rúḥíyyih Khánum and some of the members of the expedition traveled upriver to visit another Aukaner village, called Baku. They were greeted by the captain’s wife and invited into their house where Amatu’l-Bahá spoke to a number of the village elders. Two of the bashas were women and Rúḥíyyih Khánum told them of the importance of women in the Bahá’í Dispensation, and how happy she was to see women holding such positions in village life. This pleased the women very much. She also said that the Bahá’í Faith is a religion of reason, that whereas other religions often taught respect for God through fear of hell, Bahá’u’lláh taught the knowledge of God and love of Him. One of the chiefs got up and said that although he knew little of the outside world he believed all that he had heard was the truth. Bringing the palms of his hands together, he said, “Before your visit my mind was closed, but now (he opened his arms wide) my mind and my heart are open.” Then turning to the others, he said, “Listen well to this lady. You have never heard truer words spoken and you may never hear such words again, so listen well.”

The importance of setting a Bahá’í example with our daily activities was never more evident than when living in close

[Page 7] Rúḥíyyih Khánum explains the Bahá’í teachings to the captain and bashas of Boto Passi.

Tellers reading the ballots for the first Local Spiritual Assembly of Kamaloea.

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Their homes were kept clean and spotless—it was easy to see they are a house-proud people.

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proximity to village people where we were always being observed.

We returned to Paramaribo the following day after saying farewell to the captain of Redi Doti. He thanked Rúḥíyyih Khánum for the very handsome shirt she had given him and said that the Bahá’ís would always be welcome in his village.

The following 12 days were to be busy ones. It was decided that we should visit an area on the Surinam River where Bahá’ís of the Saramaccaner tribe lived. It was an area which no other Bahá’í had visited. By chartered plane, Rúḥíyyih Khánum and the crew, equipment, and foodstuffs kept to a minimum, flew to a jungle airstrip on the Surinam River 190 kilometers from Paramaribo. We landed at the village of Boto Passi (“the boat passes”) where the villagers were expecting us. Using a variation of the African custom of sending messages by drum, we had broadcast a message over the government radio station informing Viome, a Bahá’í living somewhere in the area, of our arrival. Our destination was the village of Kamaloea, a few miles upriver from Boto Passi. With the kind and friendly assistance of the villagers, who helped carry all our things from the airstrip to the river and rented us two canoes, we were able before dark to reach the village where the Bahá’ís lived. The friends working on their plantations had not heard the broadcast and were unaware that we had arrived. The other villagers invited us to stay and gave Rúḥíyyih Khánum and Dr. Rabbani the thatched-roof guest hut while assigning three others to the remainder of the expedition members. The young daughter of Viome (the first Bahá’í Bush Negro to represent his people as a delegate at a national convention) ran into the jungle to call her father and the other Bahá’ís. It was night when they arrived. Greeting Rúḥíyyih Khánum, they spoke of the great honor her visit brought them. “We have told others about Bahá’u’lláh, but because they never met any Bahá’ís, they wouldn’t believe. Now that you are here they will believe!”

In the following days Rúḥíyyih Khánum visited and spoke to the headmen and people of three villages—Boto Passi, Kamaloea (where we stayed), and Lafanti. Following the same distinctive protocol, they listened as she explained that more than 100 years ago Bahá’u’lláh spoke beautiful words that went out into the world as do the fragrance of flowers. The power of His Words has begun to change

Some members of the expedition and Bahá’ís from Kamaloea in the village Baikoetoe where we stopped on our way to Mamadam.

[Page 9] mankind, but like the sweet perfume on the breeze, the scent is there but one cannot see from whence it comes. Happy is the man who learns of Bahá’u’lláh and His Teachings because not only will he inhale the fragrance of world change, he will also recognize its Source and become aware of God’s Plan for mankind for today.”

She also taught using a variety of visual aids. At one gathering she took a sheet of paper which she folded and then tore into different shapes. She said that mankind today has already accepted some of Bahá’u’lláh’s Teachings. Picking up the assorted pieces of paper one at a time, she named a few: “The need to abolish all prejudices, the equality of rights for men and women, the need for an international language, the necessity of education for all peoples, the need for unity in the world, an international tribunal. But as single ideas, often promoted by people who know nothing about the Bahá’í Faith,” (she dropped the slips of paper to the ground), “they just float about.” Then, gathering and joining together the different pieces of the paper puzzle, she said, “Only the Bahá’ís have all Bahá’u’lláh’s Teachings” (pointing to the reunited sheet of paper) “and a Divine Plan for the unification of mankind.”

We returned to Boto Passi to buy gasoline and Rúḥíyyih Khánum met with the captain and his sub-chiefs; they were curious to know the purpose of her visit for by this time we were not seen as ordinary tourists. To them, she spoke of Christ’s promised return, for the villagers of Boto Passi (the largest of the villages visited so far) were thoroughly evangelized by a Protestant (Moravian Brotherhood) group. The captain was pleased and begged Rúḥíyyih Khánum to spend at least one day at his village. Time was short but he was assured that we would spend one night with them on our way downriver.

In the “pagan” village of Lafanti six villagers asked to be accepted as believers; they said they would try to be Bahá’ís but they hoped others would return soon to help them learn more about the Teachings.

With the enrollment of new believers in Kamaloea, the first Spiritual Assembly was elected forthwith. This greatly pleased all of us, especially the enthusiastic small group of local Bahá’ís which included the aged and much respected captain of the village. On the evening of April 4, by the light of two lanterns, in the presence of Amatu’l-Bahá and with the guidance and assistance of Counsellor Khamsí and Auxiliary Board member Arjomandí, the 10 believers of Kamaloea village elected their first Spiritual Assembly. This was the first one to be elected on the Surinam River and the newly-enrolled captain was one of the first to cast his ballot. It was a moving experience to see the Bahá’ís voting one by one, those who could not write whispering their vote to the Board member who would, in turn, write their ballot for them; the tellers’ heads all gathered around counting the votes with Mr. Khamsí. Among those elected was one of the Bahá’í women.

After the election formalities, Rúḥíyyih Khánum presented the captain with a gift. All the villagers showed their pleasure at this with much clapping and laughter. She later explained that like other villagers in Africa, any gesture or distinction shown to one pleased all as a group, especially if it was to one in authority.

The Bush Negroes are all good woodsmen, but the Saramaccaner tribe is known for its excellent woodcarving. Originally, the intricate bas-relief designs were a means of communication which they preserve today as decorations on the exterior.

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To them, she spoke of Christ’s promised return, for the villagers had been evangelized by the Moravian Brotherhood.

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Gift of a pressure lamp for the Kamaloea Bahá’ís; the third man to the left of Rúḥíyyih Khánum is the new Bahá’í taught in Mamadam.

wood paneling of their dwellings or as small woodcarvings. Rúḥíyyih Khánum purchased some of their best work saying that such craftsmanship should always be encouraged and not be allowed to die out.

On leaving Kamaloea, the local Bahá’ís presented the members of the expedition with gifts made from hollow gourds, saying that although small these were presents from the heart. Rúḥíyyih Khánum responded by giving some of the ladies gifts and said that only love could generate love and their gifts would be cherished by all.

On the afternoon of April 5, we left for Boto Passi to comply with our promise and spent the night in that village. In spite of a heavy rainstorm, the captain, headmen, and villagers gathered at the meetinghouse to hear Rúḥíyyih Khánum. By the light of electric bulbs (Boto Passi had an electric generator which was kept running for the duration of the meeting), while the rain poured outside, Rúḥíyyih Khánum spoke to them about Christ and Bahá’u’lláh. She answered many biblical questions and then asked Counsellor Khamsí to talk about progressive revelation. One of the headmen said that although theirs was an evangelized village they wanted the Bahá’ís to return. The friends from Kamaloea offered to visit and keep them in touch with the Faith. The captain then thanked Rúḥíyyih Khánum for braving the storm and honoring his village with her visit and bade her and the other members of the expedition a safe journey.

By the following morning, the storm had cleared; in one large dugout canoe, the expedition, all our equipment and four Bush Negro friends—a total of 12 people—traveled down the Surinam River. The distance of 45 kilometers was covered in nine hours. We went through many rapids and stopped to visit the Bahá’ís, and the captains of three villages along the way.

Many times on this trip we saw how, when one arises to serve the Cause, the doors open in mysterious ways. There seemed to be no reason to stop at the particular villages we did from among the many we passed along the way. Invariably, Rúḥíyyih Khánum would say “Let’s stop here!” At one place we met a Bahá’í, an active believer, but one whom the other friends had not met in a long time. It so happened that he was related to some of the newly-enrolled villagers from upriver. They were very happy. In another, the village was all but deserted except for a Bahá’í youth who was overjoyed at meeting Rúḥíyyih Khánum.

One of the rapids was quite rough, and the canoe got stuck on a rock. Some of our crew tried to jump overboard to push but were forcefully stopped by the Bush Negro friends. “Your white skins will only attract the piranha,” they said as they pushed the canoe free.

Finally, we arrived at Mamadam, a most desolate spot on the edge of the man-made Afobaka Lake, the official name of which is “Professor Doctor Engineer Van Blumenstein Lake.” Here we spent two days waiting for a large government boat to ferry us across the lake. That night all twelve of us thoroughly enjoyed a dried piranha and plantain soup which Viome and the other friends prepared. Rúḥíyyih Khánum said she thought it was delicious, which greatly pleased our friends.

Our only shelter at Mamadam was a long wooden hut, built by the government to house the Bush Negro villagers who travel to town. We were soon joined by about 30 other guests with whom we shared cooking and hammock space. Never before had we looked forward to a rainstorm as we did during our stay at Mamadam, for rainwater was all we had for drinking and washing. To be assured of an adequate supply meant collecting every drop in any available container every time the downpour came.

While at Mamadam our friends lost no time in teaching, and by the second day, they had enrolled a new believer. This meant that another village was opened to the Faith. Watching all the teaching activity, Rúḥíyyih Khánum told us how happy the beloved Guardian had been with the first large number of enrollments of African believers—and the beginning of mass conversion. Before the four Bush Negro friends returned to their village, Rúḥíyyih Khánum presented them with a Coleman pressure lamp as a gift to the Bahá’í community of Kamaloea.

[Page 11] Embarking on the government ferry boat at Mamadam on Lake Professor Doctor Engineer Van Blumenstein.

The new believer, as a gesture of solidarity, also placed his hand on the gift as it was being presented.

During the trip, Rúḥíyyih Khánum had commented on how much she appreciated the way the Bush Negro villagers dressed and their sense of modesty. Their choice of colors, even their relative state of undress, was not only becoming but suitable for the tropical conditions in which they lived.

April 9 found the expedition members scrambling into the government boat along with everyone else—there must have been over 100 passengers! Five hours later, we reached Afobaka Dam whence we proceeded by car to Paramaribo.

The following day we sadly bade farewell to Dr. Rabbani, who was leaving the expedition to return to her pioneering post as government medical officer on the island of Curaçao. It had been a wonderful experience for all of us. But it was especially rewarding for Dr. Rabbani, who was the first Persian pioneer to come to Surinam where one of her medical posts had been with the Bush Negroes.

Before leaving Surinam for Brazil, Rúḥíyyih Khánum was a guest at the Arjomandí’s home for a luncheon where she had the opportunity to meet a traveling teacher from Canada and a young couple who had just arrived as pioneers from the United States.

When the going had been very tough, or for some reason the film crew’s expectations were disappointed, these encouraging words of Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum would keep us going: “If someone my age can do it, so can anyone of you.”

Some members of the expedition packing up in Paramaribo for the next step of the journey.

[Page 12] Around the World

International Bahá’í Community

Bahá’í statements presented to delegates at major UN conferences

Bangkok:

Bahá’í communities of Malaysia, Laos, the Philippines, and Thailand sent representatives to a regional conference of non-governmental organizations sponsored by the United Nations Office of Public Information, held in May in Bangkok, Thailand.

Participating were Counsellor Firaydun Mithaqiyan (Laos), Counsellor Vicente Samaniego (Philippines), Auxiliary Board member Shantha Sundram (Malaysia), and Chusiri Faridan (Thailand).

Bahá’ís made available pamphlets sent by the Bahá’í International Community, such as “The Environment and Human Values—A Bahá’í View,” “One World, One People,” “Cooperation of the Bahá’í International Community Against Drug Abuse,” and Bahá’í statements to the Food Conference, the Commission for Social Development, and the Commission on the Status of Women.

Mrs. Sundram reported that many delegates expressed appreciation and further interest.

Caracas:

Carole Woodard, a Bahá’í from Venezuela, represented the Bahá’í International Community at a United Nations seminar on the “Integration of Women in Development with Special Reference to Population Factors.” The seminar was held in Caracas, Venezuela, April 28 to May 2.

Mrs. Woodard reported that she met with delegates informally to present the Bahá’í point of view and present copies of the Bahá’í International Community statement to the Commission on the Status of Women in 1974 on the importance of the education of women as the key to the development of humanity, as well as other general Bahá’í literature.

Nairobi:

The Bahá’í principles of the unity of mankind and the importance of education were stressed in a paper presented by Bonaventure Wafula, representative of the Bahá’í International Community with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) Secretariat in Nairobi.

The paper, prepared with the assistance of Tim Rost, was delivered at the annual meeting of the International Assembly of Non-Governmental Organizations Concerned with the Environment. The meeting was held in Nairobi, Kenya, in April.

The statement explained the specific application of the Bahá’í concept of the organic unity of mankind and the Bahá’í view of the importance of education in the establishment of a desirable environment for human beings. The statement was followed with great interest and unanimously approved for inclusion in the report of the working group to the plenary, being summarized as follows:

The Assembly, therefore, urges that UNEP Programs of Education and Information should include activities to achieve these changes because human experience has a unity that encompasses spiritual and moral values as well as social and physical relationships.

Later, at a reception held by the Bahá’í community of Kenya on behalf of the Bahá’í International Community, a delegate from the Philippines remarked that the Bahá’í statement had a definite influence on the recommendation that went from the plenary session of the International Assembly of NGOs to the Governing Council of UNEP. The Bahá’í reception was attended by about 100 guests, including many delegates from the Governing Council and from the NGO Assembly. Counsellor Peter Vuyiya gave a talk on the Bahá’í view of the environment. This was followed by a showing of the film “And His Name Shall Be One.” Each guest was given a folder containing several pieces of Bahá’í literature, including the Bahá’í pamphlet on the environment and the Bahá’í statement, “Global Education and the Environment.”

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Australia

Mr. Featherstone home for Convention

The Hand of the Cause of God H. Collis Featherstone attended his first Australian National Bahá’í Convention in 11 years, held in his hometown of Adelaide, South Australia. Auxiliary Board member Peter Khan and his wife. Dr. Janet Khan, who were visiting from the United States, also attended the Convention and spoke at the national teaching conference which followed. In the photograph Mr. and Mrs. Featherstone can be seen standing in the center of the fourth row.

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Every state represented at first youth institute

The Yerrinbool Bahá’í School, located in the bushland 100 kilometers south of Sydney, was the venue for Australia’s first National Bahá’í Youth Institute held May 10-17. More than 50 youth from every state in Australia attended the gathering which was organized by the Sydney Metropolitan Youth Coordinating Group.

The Hand of the Cause of God Collis Featherstone and Mrs. Featherstone spent a few days at the institute and shared memories of their pilgrimage to the Holy Land and meetings with Shoghi Effendi.

National Assembly member Beverly Stafford, Auxiliary Board member John Davidson, and Terry Spratt, chairman of the National Goals Committee, also lectured and led discussions.

The youth had plenty of time to enjoy singing, the performance of skits, and playing educational games. The most popular pastime, according to the National Youth Goals Committee, was a competition involving the recitation from memory of passages from the Arabic Hidden Words. Mr. Davidson had issued a challenge to learn all the Arabic Hidden Words by heart, which was eagerly taken up by the youth. Later, it was decided to formally challenge all Australian Bahá’í youth and to “assess the results at the January 1976 National Youth Conference in Brisbane.”

Bahamas

Diversity of Faith impresses church group

Recently the Bahá’í community of Nassau, Bahamas, discovered that roller skating can not only be fun but also an excellent way of teaching the Faith. The community reserved the local roller skating rink for two hours one Sunday, for the exclusive use of the Bahá’ís and their friends. When the representatives of the Local Spiritual Assembly arrived, however, the manager told them that a church group had traveled 40 miles to use the rink for a skating party and had not been aware of the previous reservation made by the Bahá’ís. He asked if they would mind extending the time of the church group by an hour. The Assembly representatives said the group would be welcome.

“Soon the Bahá’ís and their friends began to arrive,” an observer reported. “Eyebrows were raised and whispers went the rounds. Bahá’ís and their friends kept arriving—young, old, black, white, business men, the niece of the mayor, farm and factory workers ... Finally, a man approached the Bahá’ís and said, ‘I am the pastor of this church and I am amazed at what I see among your group. How is it that you integrate the way you do? What is your group called?’

“ ‘When a new Bahá’í enters our Faith,’ the Bahá’ís replied, ‘he is like a newborn child who must be welcomed into the family; it never occurs to us to consider whether he is poor or rich, black, red, or white, if he has a position or is lowly, literate or illiterate—we love him and rather than “integrate” him, we absorb him into our family through unity.’

“The pastor then said: ‘Well, this is the most amazing and wonderful thing that I have seen and my people are all talking about it!” Later the Assembly decided to send the pastor a copy of Christ and Bahá’u’lláh.

“This incident happened in a community that just a year ago consisted of a handful of new and undeepened Bahá’ís. We

Top: Mr. and Mrs. Featherstone happily shared memories of visits with the Guardian in the Holy Land. Below: In Hyde-Dunn Hall, the participants learned the verses chanted by the believers in the Síyáh-Chál: “God is sufficient unto me; He verily is the All-sufficing! In Him let the trusting trust.” Right: A stand of gum trees provided a backdrop as the Hand of the Cause (standing, to the left of center) joined the youth for a group photograph.

[Page 14] Around the World

Evander Gilmer, a visitor from Maryland, entertained the friends with music.

Auxiliary Board member William Tucker discussed Bahá’í administration.

now we have a functioning Assembly which observes all Feasts, the Fast, and Holy Days. We hold regular children’s classes and a high percentage of the community contributes to the Fund,” the report concluded.

Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds site of institute

The newly acquired Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds was the site of the first teaching institute ever held for all of the Bahamas on May 2.

The institute was organized by the Teaching Committee of the Bahamas, a committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States. The purpose of the institute was to discuss ways of improving the quality of Bahá’í life in the Bahamas.

The institute was the first official function held in the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds purchased by the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly in January to complete a goal of the Five Year Plan. A National Spiritual Assembly will be elected in the Bahamas during the Plan.

The principal speaker at the institute was William Tucker, the Auxiliary Board member for the Bahamas. Dr. Tucker focused on the institutions of the Faith and their respective functions.

The Bahamas believers enthusiastically supported the institute. Of the 50 Bahá’ís attending, at least 37 were native-born Bahamians.

Bangladesh

Historic purchase of Temple site completed

The National Spiritual Assembly of Bangladesh sent the following cablegram which was received at the World Center on May 30: “Joyfully report conclusion historic purchase, registration Temple land Bangladesh May 29 marking completion one goal Five Year Plan ...”

Canada

Bahá’ís represented at Quebec Book Fair

The Message of Bahá’u’lláh was proclaimed at the Fourth Quebec International Book Fair which attracted 130,000 visitors from May 21-25 at Laval University.

On the shelves of the Bahá’í stand, which was the responsibility of the Spiritual Assembly of Ste-Foy, one could find not only a good selection of French and English books but a few samples of foreign literature.

A continuous representation of the Faith was also made possible by the projection of slides depicting quotes from Bahá’í writings. During the Book Fair, teams of two or three persons rotated continuously, ensuring a permanent presence at the Bahá’í stand.

Many people, young and old, would stop to inquire about this “new religion”. Some bought books. Some had already heard of the Faith, but not necessarily in Quebec.

During the week following the fair, a woman teaching religion requested that the Bahá’í Faith be presented to four of her classes.

Colombia

Unity is stressed at Colombia meeting

During a tour of Latin American Bahá’í communities earlier this year, the Hand of the Cause of God Adelbert Mühlschlegel attended a conference called by the Continental Board of Counsellors for South America. The meeting, held in Cali, Colombia, at the end of March, was called to provide a forum for consultation among the Counsellors and their Auxiliary Boards from Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Colombia.

Dr. Mühlschlegel opened the conference with a discussion of the accomplishments of the Five Year Plan. His comments focused upon the importance of developing the distinctive character of Bahá’í life and strengthening Local Assemblies. He said that unity among the members of the Assemblies is essential and is the key to success and, if the choice must be made, unity is preferable to efficiency.

Counsellors Peter McLaren, Raúl Pavón, and Donald Witzel spoke about various aspects of the functioning of the Auxiliary Board. The role of the newly appointed assistants to the Auxiliary Boards was discussed amply and in depth. It was concluded that the effective working

[Page 15] Visitors to the Quebec International Book Fair stop by the Bahá’í booth.

of these assistants is vital to the development and growth of the Bahá’í community and constitutes the most effective medium for knitting together all of the communities, as remote and distant as they might be.”

During the last two days of the conference sessions were held at the Bahá’í institute in Puerto Tejada, located in the heart of a mass enrollment area. These sessions were open to the friends of Colombia.

Dahomey

First National Assembly elected; goals listed

The first National Spiritual Assembly of Dahomey was elected April 26 at the National Convention in Avrankou. Twenty-five delegates and many other friends assembled at the National Teaching Institute located in the lush green countryside surrounded by scarlet-flowering trees. Nearly every region of the country was represented at the Convention. One village, however, that had been nearly destroyed by a windstorm the previous Thursday, was unable to send its two delegates.

Shortly after the multilingual devotions that opened the first session on Saturday, Auxiliary Board member Thelma Khelgati was introduced and it was announced that the neighboring community of Togo had elected its first National Assembly the previous weekend.

The Dahomey National Assembly reported that during consultation on the Five

(Continued on page 16, col. 3)

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Costa Rica

Children are enthusiastic in Costa Rica

This photograph of a children’s class in the Guanacaste province of northwestern Costa Rica was taken in May of this year during a teaching trip by a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Costa Rica.

Thirty-eight of the 50 Local Spiritual Assemblies in Costa Rica are in Guanacaste, which was the center of mass enrollments some five years ago. Intensive consolidation efforts in the area are beginning to bear fruit in the increasing activities of Local Assemblies.

As is often the case, an enthusiastic response comes from the children, who frequently can be heard singing songs about the Faith as they play. Whenever a Bahá’í teacher arrives in a village, the children surround the car as soon as it stops, and call out “Llegaron los Bahá’ís!” (The Bahá’ís are here!)

[Page 16] Around the World

Dominican Republic

Three women elected to Dominican Republic National Assembly

Delegates and visitors to the fifteenth National Bahá’í Convention held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, April 25-27. Seated in the second row (center) are Counsellor Carmen de Burafato and Auxiliary Board member Regino Pepín. It was reported that the election of three women to the National Assembly at this Convention was an indication of greater participation by women in all aspects of the Faith in the Dominican Republic.

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Learning to be a brilliant light in Moca

Bahá’í classes for children are held weekly in Moca, Dominican Republic. The children learn through readings, games, and songs the tenets of the Faith. They are shown in the photograph with two of their teachers, Eladio Martínez Durán and Pedro de Jesús.

(Continued from page 15)

Year Plan goals for the coming year, many goals were fulfilled. Delegates from nine different villages offered local endowments of land; 11 villages chose extension teaching goals, and 17 villages promised to hold regular dawn prayers. Special gifts contributed to the National Fund included generous amounts of rice, bananas, and corn.

The believers elected to the first National Assembly were: Dénagan Chancouin, Alfred Houessou, Frédéric Hondonou, Adrien Gnambodé, Samuel Zodehoungan, Cosme Kponton, Gerald Van Deusen, Peter Gottert, and Leslie Gottert.

On Sunday morning following dawn prayers, each National Assembly member and the Auxiliary Board member planted a young fruit tree in front of the institute. The orchard is intended to benefit the Bahá’í children in the area in the future.

[Page 17] France

Members of the new National Spiritual Assembly of France

The 18th National Convention of the Bahá’ís of France was held April 26-27 at the International Center in Paris, the site of the International Bahá’í Conference to be held in August 1976. Auxiliary Board member John Paul Vader represented the Continental Board of Counsellors at the Convention. Auxiliary Board members M. Ezzat Zahrai and Paulette Bodansen Khalili also attended.

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Children’s institute is held near Paris

The quiet Parisian suburb of La Celle St. Cloud was the setting for the first French Bahá’í institute for children held the last weekend in March. Nine children, eight to thirteen years old, and seven adults participated.

Auxiliary Board member Ezzat Zahrai and Mrs. Zahrai opened their home for the three-day program during which the children studied and discussed such topics as “What is religion?” “The Family and Bahá’í Life,” “Bahá’í Administration,” and “The Messages of the Prophets to Humanity.” They also discussed the recently created French children’s magazine and made recommendations to its editors, viewed a UNESCO slide program about children in Africa, Asia, and South America, and prepared a letter to The Universal House of Justice to report on their activities.

Hawaii

State House praises Bahá’í TV programs

The House of Representatives of the State of Hawaii recently passed a resolution, No. 688, the purpose of which was described as “recognizing the Bahá’í Faith’s television programs produced in conjunction with Channel Four (KITV).” The text of the resolution follows:

“Whereas, the Bahá’ís of the Hawaiian Islands, in conjunction with KITV, Channel 4, have produced a series of thirteen half-hour television shows on the Bahá’í Faith; and

Whereas, these color programs will be televised around the globe, in numerous countries, territories, and islands; and

Whereas, these programs which feature the beauty of the islands and its diverse cultural and ethnic heritage, will bring Hawaii’s unique spirit and beauty to the entire world; now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the Eighth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 1975, that congratulations be extended to the Hawaii Bahá’ís and KITV upon the completion of the television series and that best wishes be extended for their success; and

Be it further resolved that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the Hawaiian Islands and to the management of KITV.”

A concurrent resolution, No. 123, was passed by the Senate.

Kenya

5,000 at show visit Bahá’í booth

A team of Bahá’í youth, at the request of the Spiritual Assembly of Kisumu, Kenya, erected an information booth at the annual Rachuonyo Agricultural Show which this year attracted an estimated 5,000 visitors. The youth had two successful days proclaiming

[Page 18] Around the World

the Faith, answering questions, and establishing friendships with people from all walks of life and a variety of religious backgrounds. Thirty-one inquirers accepted the Faith.

Mexico

Hand of Cause Muhájir visits Yucatán, Mérida

The Hand of the Cause Raḥmatu’lláh Muhajír stands with the members of the South American Continental Board of Counsellors outside the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds of Mexico. The Counsellors (from left to right) are Paul Lucas, Carmen de Burafato, Artemus Lamb, Alfred Osborne, and Rowland Estall.

In February of this year, the Hand of the Cause Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir journeyed north from South America to visit the believers in Mexico. Arriving in Yucatán in mid-February, he visited the friends in the northern part of the peninsula as well as at the Martha Root Institute in Mérida. Throughout the trip, Dr. Muhájir emphasized the importance of making each home an example of Bahá’í life.

In Mérida on the evening of February 20, he spoke to a very receptive audience, including some 60 non-Bahá’ís at the Anthropological Museum. The meeting, which had been announced frequently on local radio stations and in newspapers, received unprecedented television coverage.

Throughout Dr. Muhájir’s visit, whether in Yucatán or in Mexico City, where he met with the Continental Board of Counsellors and the National Spiritual Assembly, he encouraged the friends to participate in preparations for the International Conference to be held in Mérida in February 1977. A plan inspired by the Hand of the Cause and developed by the National Assembly, intensified the goals for the intervening period. The plan received the approval of The Universal House of Justice and includes goals such as enrolling thousands of new believers, sending more traveling teachers, strengthening Assemblies along the northern border, and focusing greater attention on the 59 indigenous groups in Mexico.

Amelia Collins Institute repaired, enlarged

The Amelia Collins Institute in central Mexico, built in 1968 and 1969 as a site for Bahá’í gatherings, and damaged by an earthquake in 1973, is now being repaired and enlarged by the National Spiritual Assembly of Mexico.

The Collins Institute, at which National Conventions and other national and international Bahá’í gatherings have been held, consists of several buildings: the central, two-story circular meeting hall, dormitories for men and women, a small house for the caretakers, and a building that serves as a kitchen and dining hall.

During 1974, the structure of the meeting hall was reinforced, and the earthquake damage repaired. The water system was overhauled, and some repair work was performed on other damaged structures at the institute. Currently, the second story of the circular meeting hall is being enlarged to serve as an auditorium. It will encompass an area of 293 square meters, which will make the structure extend beyond the circumference of the first story, and it will seat approximately 300 people. The designer of the expanded facility is Sando Berger, who is also supervising construction. However, work has slowed in recent months because of the increasing cost of construction materials.

Many of the Mexican friends have been so impressed by the Collins Institute that they have bought property in the area. Several Bahá’ís have even built homes in the area.

Several months ago Mark and David Caldwell, sons of Jenabe Caldwell, who was largely responsible for the construction of the Collins Institute, spent two months in Mexico assisting with the work of restoration and expansion.

Pakistan

Youth is keynoter at equality meeting

Under the direction of the National Spiritual Assembly of Pakistan, the Bahá’í Youth Committee of Karachi sponsored a symposium on the equality between men and women in observance of International Women’s Year. Several leaders of thought participated in the discussion held in Bahá’í Hall, Karachi, last February. A Bahá’í youth gave the keynote address. The program also included songs with Bahá’í themes and a reading of poems by a well-known Bahá’í poet.

Following the discussion, each of the guest panelists was presented with a copy of Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era, and each expressed an intention to attend Bahá’í meetings in the future.

Papua New Guinea

Students jam hall for teaching events

The National Assembly of Papua New Guinea cabled news of dramatic teaching events: “Outstanding proclamation meetings held at both universities Papua New Guinea addressed by American Auxiliary Board member Peter Khan over 150 students and visitors present May 18 in Port Moresby and over 700 on May 20 in Lae. Dramatic meeting, Lae Hall overflowing ...”

United States

Future to be stressed in Bicentennial plans

The National Spiritual Assembly of the United States has appointed a Bicentennial committee to draw up plans and recommendations for Bahá’í participation in the 1976 American Revolution Bicentennial celebration. Among the activities contemplated by the ad hoc committee are well-designed

[Page 19] exhibits and publicity campaigns in large metropolitan areas, and the development of a full range of proclamation materials for use by communities in purely local efforts.

Speaking on the committee’s tasks, Firuz Kazemzadeh, Chairman of the National Assembly and a member of the committee, said the optimism in the Bahá’í Writings about the ultimate future of this country provides an opportunity to express the Community’s interest in and hope for the nation. “Many groups are speaking of the Bicentennial in terms of the history of this country,” he added, “but for Bahá’ís, the future holds great promise and our program should communicate this to the nation.”

Assigned to the Bicentennial Committee along with Dr. Kazemzadeh are: Glenford Mitchell, the Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States; Russell Busey and Betty Fisher, the general manager and general editor of the Bahá’í Publishing Trust, respectively; Eileen Norman, secretary of the National Education Committee; Joan Bulkin, secretary of the National Teaching Committee; William Geissler, secretary of the National Bahá’í Information Committee, and Beth McKenty, information officer for the National Bahá’í Information Committee.

Bahá’í participation in the national celebration will start with a full-page advertisement to appear in the Bicentennial edition of Life magazine, which will be published September 1. Other projects include: the production of a series of radio programs and public service announcements, the production of a film, newspaper ads, and the publication of special Bicentennial issues of The American Bahá’í and World Order magazines.

Bahá’ís among delegates at religion conference

Representatives of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States met with delegates from over 200 religious groups in Washington, D.C., May 21-22, at a conference called Project Forward ’76. Sponsored jointly by the American Revolution Bicentennial Administration, the governmental planning agency for the United States’ Bicentennial celebration, and the Interchurch Center, an interfaith group based in New York, the conference examined the future of America and the role religion will play in its further development.

Elsie Austin, a former member of the National Spiritual Assembly and a longtime pioneer to Africa, and Beth McKenty, information officer for the National Bahá’í Information Committee, attended the conference as representatives of the National Spiritual Assembly, and participated in seminars examining such questions as: “In what way does my religious community sustain my spiritual life in today’s world? How do I understand the right to the “pursuit of happiness”? and, Ethnic and religious unity and diversity: How do we manifest “E Pluribus Unum”(one out of many)?

Elsie Austin

Beth McKenty

In one seminar at which Mrs. McKenty was present, she was the only person not still affiliated with the faith into which she was born, and was consequently asked to explain what the conditions were that led her to become a Bahá’í. At the end of the session, the minister of the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem approached her and said he liked to gaze often on the portrait of the “good old Bahá’í man” that had hung in his church for many years. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá spoke at the Abyssinian Baptist Church during his visit to New York in 1912.

Throughout the entire conference, the longing of people to draw closer together in this difficult time was frequently expressed. In his concluding remarks, Dr. R. H. Edwin Espy, chairman of Project Forward ’76 and a former secretary of the National Council of Churches, said: “We are bound to all people of the world by our common humanity as children of God. We are united as American citizens in devotion and responsibility under God to the nation He has given us ... we worship the God of the ages. The ground of our very being, the Creator of the universe, is the ultimate source of our unity. Our origin and faith in God far transcend our differences.

“Our need at the threshold of our third century thus is not to redeclare our independence but to build responsible interdependence both among our own people and between the other peoples of the world. Both national independence and human interdependence are dependent for their viability on the grace of God, in Whom all humanity is one. The only sure foundation for human community is the divine order, the eternal verities and values of the Creator of the universe...

“We, therefore, declare our dependence on Almighty God,” concluded Dr. Espy, “to Him be honor and glory, and to us may the grace of His love and truth and freedom and justice be ever present. May His will be done in the United States of America and in all the world.”

Bahá’ís meet with pueblo governor

As part of an effort to proclaim the Faith to American Indians, a group of Bahá’ís recently presented a copy of The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh to Peter Johnson, the governor of San Felipe Pueblo, a village in northern New Mexico. San Felipe Pueblo is at the foot of Black Mesa, on the south side of the Rio Grande. The San Felipe proclamation was the third in a series of meetings with pueblo governors; others had taken place at Isleta Pueblo in January 1974, and at Cochiti Pueblo in July 1974.

The Bahá’í delegation, consisting of Chris and Linda Cholas, from Durango, Colorado, and Larry and Celia Gates, from Argentina, were welcomed by the governor through tribal spokesman and translator Joseph Ansara. “We want to thank you for this gift,” said Governor Johnson. “We also are striving for peace and harmony of the people, and this is good that you would think of us.”

The Bahá’ís were invited to the governor’s home for a dinner which consisted of chili, San Felipe bread, fresh corn, potatoes, green beans, and watermelon. An invitation was extended to the Bahá’ís to return to San Felipe Pueblo for the village feast day, which they promised to do.

Domestic teaching trips by youths increasing

In August 1974, during the national Five Year Plan conference in St. Louis, the

[Page 20] National Spiritual Assembly launched a two-year youth program calling for, among other things, the completion of 500 domestic teaching trips and 75 international circuit teaching trips by Bahá’ís 15-20 years old. With 15 of the 24 months remaining, the National Youth Office reports an increase in the number of these trips: as of June 1, 1975, 295 domestic and 34 international teaching trips had been reported. “We seem to have many more youth traveling to teach the Faith, and many more telling us about it,” said Philip Christensen, secretary of the National Bahá’í Youth Committee.

Teaching trips lasting more than two months are being undertaken at a slower rate. Only three were completed in the first nine months of the youth plan, out of a goal of ten. “In developing this goal, the Youth Committee was thinking that youth could devote an entire summer vacation to a teaching project,” Dr. Christensen noted, “or a full semester or school year as an interlude to their studies.”

The Youth Committee also reported on the progress of other goals of the Youth Plan:

• Seven youth have settled at foreign posts during the Five Year Plan. Eighteen more must go by September 1976 to fill the youth plan goals. The best way for youth to go pioneering is to go with their families or to attend school in foreign countries, the committee said.
• Interest in local youth clubs is increasing. Twenty-four of the required 100 have been formed. This kind of activity presents a challenge for the youth, that of finding ways to fulfill the goals which have been set for such clubs which are primarily social, recreational, and devotional.
• The goal for 51 youth conferences will be completed by the end of June.
• The goals of the program requiring individual teaching must be given more attention. The growth of the youth segment of the community has not been impressive during the course of the youth plan, the committee noted.
• Only 25 of the 100 homefront pioneering goals for youth have been filled. In 20 cases, the youth have settled in areas where communities already functioned. The plan calls for the opening of at least 40 localities by homefront youth settlers.
• College clubs still need attention. The goal requires that there be 350 functional college clubs in the country by September 1976. At the end of this school year there were 245 functioning Bahá’í college clubs on campuses. “We must form more than 100 new clubs during the 1975-76 school year,” the Committee noted, “and that is a very challenging task. Bahá’í youth attending schools where there are currently no clubs must do everything in their power to establish one. That means they will have to teach the Faith until they have the required membership of three, and then they will have to make the necessary applications to the university. In addition, those clubs that are currently active will have to remain active.”

California Bahá’ís discuss Indian teaching

Bahá’ís from more than 20 communities in California met in Los Angeles earlier this year to discuss approaches for teaching the Faith to American Indians.

Speakers at the institute included Auxiliary Board member Nancy Phillips; David Villaseñor, an artist and member of the Otomi-Huichol tribe of Mexico; Lorenzo Hall, a Yakima Indian; Jerry Boisclair of the Cupa tribe, and Wayne Steffes, an Oneida.

Mr. Villaseñor stressed the importance of truthfulness in teaching American Indians, and said the actions of the teachers should be commensurate with their words. To illustrate his point he quoted the Indian proverb: “Your action is so loud I cannot hear a word you are saying.”

“Sometimes it is better to only do and not talk,” he said. “If a Bahá’í approaches the Indians and says one thing but does another, he would be regarded as a ‘windmill’ and lose his credibility.”

Mr. Villaseñor recommended that Bahá’ís make efforts to learn about the history and culture of the people they intend to teach. He said Indians were not a difficult people to teach, but that they should not be approached in an “uncomely manner.” He suggested that Bahá’ís learn about the history and culture of the people they intend to teach. Many of the Indians’ beliefs pertaining to the coming of the Promised One have always been a part of them. They will adhere to the Bahá’í teachings because they are spiritual,” he said.

Mr. Steffes, whose mother was the first Indian Bahá’í in the United States, pointed out that more than half of the Indian population of the United States now lives in the cities. Statistics from the last census show there are now more than 100 cities in the country with an Indian population of at least 1,000.

He encouraged the believers to approach Indians in their areas without fear or hesitation.

“Indians are proud of their heritage and would joyfully say more about themselves if prompted to do so. Indians will find the Bahá’í Faith appealing when they discover the deeper spiritual truth of the Faith because it parallels their own culture.”

One way to teach might be to offer assistance to Indian community centers in the cities, he said. But to be effective, that assistance would have to be long-term and regular, he added. Many Indian communities are suspicious of religious organizations because of unpleasant experiences with church groups, but persistence and friendliness will get through to the Indian heart, he said.

David Villaseñor encourages Bahá’ís to teach American Indians by deeds rather than words.

[Page 21]

Illuminated (decorated) Prayers and Passages of Bahá’u’lláh for teaching and deepening make welcome gifts, provide inspiring wall decoration, and aid in memorization. Illuminated Prayers and Passages of Bahá’u’lláh Preservation and consolidation of the victories won: This is one of the three major objectives of the Five Year Plan as the Cause of God goes “from strength to strength” throughout the worldwide Bahá’í community. We can do this even in the face of rising global chaos if we use the strengthening serenity of our Sacred Texts, the Creative Word of God, to deepen and consolidate Bahá’ís. For this purpose, several short, simple, powerful quotations of Bahá’u’lláh have been chosen and are now available in large type, illuminated by dignified artwork. These attractive, brief prayers and meditations are suitable for framing or other kinds of display. Ten different quotations have been printed on 8.5 by 11-inch paper —large enough for wall or window display, yet small enough to be carried in a notebook. Members of teaching, proclamation, conference, and consolidation committees might want to pay particular attention to this set for possible use at summer schools, institutes, and children’s classes. They are excellent for complementing normal teaching materials or for gifts to participating individuals at Bahá’í gatherings. The large type and easy-to-handle pages also make the material useful for persons with poor eyesight or for beginning readers, either children or adults, who are not yet accustomed to Bahá’í literature. In addition, these passages are generally brief enough so that students can memorize them without difficulty. The entire set of ten can be bound into a new believers’ booklet either as they are or mounted artistically on colorful heavy paper. Further decorative illumination can then be added, limited only by the artist’s imagination. In this way, homemade albums can be tailored to a variety of indigenous cultures. Other possible uses include mementos for friends on special Bahá’í occasions or gifts for the sick or shut-in. These ten quotations by Bahá’u’lláh are available either in complete sets or as individual prayers and meditations in multiples of ten. How to Get the Illuminated Prayers and Passages of Bahá’u’lláh Your local Bahá’í librarian or authorized Bahá’í distributor may have them in stock or may be able to supply you with prices and ordering information. If, however, you cannot find them in 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.