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| Bahá’í News | November 1977 | Bahá’í Year 134 |
Rural Development in India
| HAVE MUCH JOY IN ANNOUNCING APPOINTMENT TWO DISTINGUISHED BAHÁ’Í ARCHITECTS FROM CRADLE FAITH: FARIBORZ ṢAHBÁ AS ARCHITECT MASHRIQU’L-ADHKÁR INDIA, AND RIḌVÁNU’LLÁH ASHRAF AS ARCHITECT FOR RESTORATION SACRED RESIDENCE BELOVED MASTER KNOWN AS HOUSE OF ABDU’LLÁH PÁSHÁ. SUPPLICATING DIVINE CONFIRMATIONS THESE TWO HISTORIC ENTERPRISES.
UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
October 14, 1977 |
| Contents |
Rural development in India |
|
A team of Bahá’í experts plants the seeds of change | 2 |
Seat of the House of Justice |
|
On Mt. Carmel, the majestic structure takes shape | 8 |
Around the World |
|
News from Bahá’í communities in every corner of the globe | 10 |
Cover
Since October 1975 a dedicated team of Bahá’ís with expertise in agriculture, education and medicine has been working to raise living standards in rural areas of India. The effort is known as the New Era Rural Development Project, and an up-to-date report of its progress begins on Page 2.
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Change of address should be reported directly to Office of Membership and Records, Bahá’í National Center, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091, U.S.A. Please attach mailing label. Subscription rates: one year, U.S. $8; two years, U.S. $15. Second class postage paid at Wilmette, IL 60091. Copyright ©1977. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. World Rights Reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.
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.
Rural Development in India[edit]
In a remote village area, a team of Bahá’ís works to raise living standards, exemplifying Bahá’u’lláh’s command to serve one’s fellow men
This is the village of Chikli. Tens of thousands of such villages exist in India. The main village is surrounded by smaller villages (foreground) known as wadis, which are often inhabited by the lower caste of people. These people have in many cases become Buddhists to escape the label “untouchable”; such wadis are therefore known as Buddhwadis. The Rural Development Project is ongoing in Chikli and in smaller villages that are a 15-20 minute walk away. Patterns of land holding, illiteracy, traditions and superstitions, and economic insecurity and self-interest must be overcome by project team members.
A team of a dozen Bahá’ís with expertise in agriculture, education, and medicine is working to build better living standards in villages in the Panchgani, India, area.
The team forms the core of the New Era Rural Development Project, begun in October 1975, which is the first of its kind in the Bahá’í world.
Donations from the Mottahedeh Foundation (established by Rafi and Mildred Mottahedeh) and individual believers have allowed the team to “provide education and organizational guidance so that villagers may be led to develop their own capacities, resulting in self-development,” said H.C.L. Ross, a dairy and poultry farmer from New Zealand who is co-director of the project.
Mrs. Mildred Mottahedeh said, “We have had the idea for the project for several years. It is not only important to tell the Message of Bahá’u’lláh, but also to give a life illustration of Bahá’í principles.”
The New Era Rural Development Project site was selected in consultation with the Universal House of Justice. The project is serving as a pilot project for similar
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undertakings in underdeveloped villages on other continents. The Universal House of Justice, the National Spiritual Assembly of India and the project team consult on decisions to be made regarding the project.
Seven of the team members are from India, while others are from Australia, the Gilbert and Ellice Islands, New Zealand, and the United States. Two of them are women.
Thanks to the project, six villagers have begun poultry farming; a new breed of dairy cow with high milk production has been introduced; and mango, papaya, seedless lime, and silver-oak saplings have been planted. These are just a few of the many changes completed or underway.
Other agricultural projects have included planting demonstration fields in rice that yields more grain than what is usually planted; developing a hybrid crop plan, with villagers financing 80 per cent of the cost; teaching the villagers to save for specific purposes, such as buying farm machinery, and sending two villagers on an agricultural tour offered by a local university. The New Era Project also has its own bullock team and driver, which have proven useful.
Numerous improvements have been made in health care. The New Era Project is shifting its emphasis from curative medicine to preventive medicine, which is
Project members Falairiva Tafaki (foreground), a tropical agricultural specialist; Vinayak Yadav (right), an agriculturist; and Shapoor Yaganegi (dark shirt), Mr. Tafaki’s first assistant, help the villagers remove grains from the plants.
The demonstration field planted by the Rural Development Project team yielded an abundant crop of rice.
The Rural Development Project team introduced the villagers to a threshing machine. The people made good use of the thresher, but many did not seem to mind using the old method of having a bullock walk on the stalks.
Farmers guide bullocks to the fields for the day’s work.
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believed to be necessary for long-run betterment in the lives of villagers.
Cholera injections have been given to a large percentage of the villagers, along with inoculations against other diseases.
To eliminate many health problems, the New Era Project has developed plans for a sanitary closed-water system. Until the system is completed, the team must settle for chlorinating the wells from which drinking water is taken. This is done with the villagers’ permission.
Arrangements have been made with the nearby Wai Mission Hospital for a doctor to visit the village monthly, treating the ill and seeing that serious cases are admitted to the hospital.
The Wai Mission Hospital also has agreed to send a woman doctor to the villages to train selected women in the rudiments of health care, particularly in child delivery and child care.
Information about health care is circulated by the New Era team in a village bulletin and displayed on posters. It is taught at the community center, where a clinic has been established.
Moral education classes are taught at the village school.
Students from the nearby New Era Junior College, as part of their training, regularly provide social services for the villagers and assist with the New Era Rural Development Project. (The school and project are separate, although they bear the same name.)
Chalk-making molds and two tons of gypsum have been procured by the project so that two villagers may begin this industry. Other short- and medium-range plans are in progress in the fields of
The first tasks of the Rural Development Project team, when it arrived in October 1975, were to plant demonstration fields, purchase a van, and build a community center. The center, shown under construction, is the living quarters for the staff and the place where meetings and classes are held. Local villagers helped to build the Rural Development Center.
A sports program was sponsored for the villagers on the first anniversary of the Rural Development Project, October 1976. The project team believes that activities like the sports program bring the Project and people together.
Women of the village socialize while they work.
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agriculture, animal husbandry, cottage industries, education, and medicine.
Headway in the various components of the project has not been as rapid as planned, largely because there has been less cooperation from villagers than expected. “This has caused team members to develop a standard of success for the project based on attitude change among villagers rather than economic transformation,” said a 1977 report.
The team feels that changing the villagers’ economic self-interest to concern for others is the “key to bringing about sustained and enlightened rural development.”
The team strives to exemplify Bahá’í virtues in hopes of influencing the attitudes of the people. No proclamations or teaching activities are held, in keeping with instructions from the Universal House of Justice, but several villagers have inquired about the Faith as time has passed and trust has been established.
Children make up a large percentage of the village population. Moral education and increased opportunity, provided by programs like the Rural Development Project, will largely determine the future of their village and of India.
The Rural Development Project team cooperated with the University of Poona to acquaint the villagers with a seed drill.
The bathing procedure (above) has changed since a well (right) was brought to the village by the Rural Development Project. The well serves not only as a place for bathing, drinking, and laundering clothes but also as a social center. An even more sanitary water supply system is planned, one that will improve the conditions and locate facilities in one communal and convenient center where social activities can be carried on as they are now.
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The New Era Rural Development Project team has coordinated its activities with government rural development programs whenever possible. The team recently expanded its contact with other agencies involved in similar projects by attending a meeting at which “eminent and experienced persons of India and other countries who are involved in rural development projects explained their successes and failures,” reported Mr. Ross.
Giving the villagers material goods is not the purpose of the New Era Rural Development Project; it is, rather, providing education and organizational guidance so permanent changes can be made.
H.C.L. Ross, co-director of the Rural Development Project, seated at table, listens while a government official introduces a rice pilot plan.
A van (left), bought in 1975, is now barely recognizable after two years of use. It is essential for the delivery of goods from the New Era School, where Rural Development Project supplies are stored, to the villages, more than an hour’s trip up and down a steep mountainside.
Students from the New Era Junior College, a Bahá’í-run institution, spent a successful work week in the village. Work week projects are being added to the regular curriculum of the New Era School.
Two varieties of rice were grown in the postseason. The one on the right is a high yield variety (HYV) introduced by the government. The yield was greatly increased, but many of the villagers said they preferred the taste of the traditional kind of rice.
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A project team member who has close contact with the villagers is George Menezez, in the striped shirt. He is a native of India and a school supervisor with public relations experience. He is highly respected among the villagers and well-known to them all. In the foreground is another team member, Anwar Akhtarjahan, a native of India who is knowledgeable about agriculture and mechanical engineering.
Students from the nearby New Era School, established and run by Bahá’ís, carry out social service projects and provide entertainment in the villages.
Cooperation with government officials is sought by the project team in all its undertakings. Numerous state and local officials have made visits to the project sites. The former Minister of Irrigation and Power, Dada Patil, who is now Chief Minister of Maharashtra Vasantrao, the name of the state where Chikli is located, is seen here visiting one of the project villages. His hands are pressed together in the “Namaskar,” the traditional sign of greeting and respect.
Villagers involved in the Rural Development Project gather alongside a stream that runs through their community.
Seat of the Universal House of Justice[edit]
The site of the permanent Seat of the Universal House of Justice is seen (top photo) as it appeared in September from the terrace on Mt. Carmel. Concrete is being pumped for the first suspended slab forming the ceiling of the lower basement. Haifa bay can be seen in the background. Formwork of the outer wall (bottom photo) is seen in the foreground of the site as viewed from the northeast corner of the building. The terraces cut into Mt. Carmel in the background will be landscaped in the future. Since Riḍván 1976, when the excavation work was completed, work has been started on the foundation and upper and lower basements.
Around the World[edit]
Guyana
Local Assembly goal surpassed, raised[edit]
The Bahá’ís of Guyana have exceeded the goal of achieving 36 Local Spiritual Assemblies by the end of the Five Year Plan.
The National Spiritual Assembly has adopted an extension to this goal, raising it to 50 Local Assemblies.
Looking at the measure of success as of the middle of September, the National Assembly said the goal soon will be achieved “if the fire that is raging in our land continues.”
Youth Camp sparks phenomenal growth[edit]
More than 750 believers recently were enrolled and 10 Local Spiritual Assemblies formed in less than six weeks in Guyana.
The major growth came during teaching projects both before and after the 5th Annual Bahá’í Youth Camp, and principally in the Berbice and Corentyne areas of the country.
Prior to the Youth Camp, 100 believers were enrolled and three Local Assemblies formed in the Berbice area.
But the more phenomenal growth came after the Youth Camp, when many of its participants formed teams and taught on the Corentyne coast. This teaching activity brought 625 believers into the Faith and saw the formation of eight Local Assemblies.
Simultaneously, three teams taught in West Demerara. Two Local Assemblies were established in this area and 25 believers were enrolled.
At the time the National Spiritual Assembly of Guyana sent the report to Bahá’í News, it noted that the number of declarations had “soared to 925.”
Five of the traveling teachers who were from countries other than Guyana decided to remain there as pioneers.
Hawaii
Faith proclaimed in talk on surfing[edit]
A talk on surfing, given as part of a proclamation in Hawaii on July 9, lent itself to analogies about the ocean from the Writings of the Faith.
More than 80 people attended the event at the Laeiwa Alii Beach Park Surf Center. The program included a movie about surfing, filmed and narrated by Greg Hall, director of the Surf Center and a guest of the Bahá’ís of Waialua, who sponsored the proclamation.
The film showed magnificent north shore surfing highlights and daring, big wave/water cinematography.
The featured speaker, who tied surfing in with the Faith, was Tom Morey, a Big Island believer.
The audience included Bahá’ís from every community on the island of Oahu, and many who were not Bahá’ís.
The proclamation was advertised with posters placed throughout the Haleiwa, Sunset Beach, and Waialua areas.
The Bahá’ís continue to receive enthusiastic comments about the proclamation from people on the north shore of Oahu.
Switzerland
Bahá’í group visits Foreign Minister[edit]
A delegation of the National Spiritual Assembly of Switzerland visited the Swiss Foreign Minister and his secretary general, Ambassador Albert Weitnauer, in early October. Mr. Weitnauer accepted Bahá’í books for the library, and said he would read them during his coming vacation...
Aziz Yazdí, a member of the International Teaching Center, and Erik Blumenthal, a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors in Europe, recently visited Switzerland. Both attended several regional meetings...
Three teams of Bahá’ís are teaching in Switzerland and the bordering regions of Austria and Italy, action called for by the Five Year Plan. Bahá’ís from other countries have taught with the teams...
“Ye Are the Flowers of One Garden,” a song that contains words from the Writings and was adopted by UNICEF as the theme song for Universal Children’s Day 1977, is being sung in Swiss schools.
The Philippines
Bahá’ís who attended the World Peace Through Law Conference in Manila, the Philippines, from August 21-26 were, left to right, Pourandokht Mottahedeh Rahimi; Honofre Restor; Hedayatollah Rahimi; Vicente Samaniego, a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors for South-eastern Asia; Rose Mangapis; Neva Dulay; and Riaz Tebyani. Attorneys Restor and Dulay were the representatives from the Bahá’í International Community to the conference.
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Alaska
Assembly trainers attend institute near Anchorage[edit]
Instruction for trainers of Local Spiritual Assemblies was sponsored September 17-18 by the National Spiritual Assembly of Alaska and held at the Mathew Kasab Bahá’í Institute in Spenard, just outside Anchorage.
Attending were Auxiliary Board members Jetta Brewer and Lauretta King, and National Spiritual Assembly members John Slone, Janet Smith, and John Kolstoe. Mr. Kolstoe, chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of Alaska, conducted the sessions. Other Alaskans present were Hugh Gray, Donna Horn, and Evelyn Huffman.
Representing the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada were Clara Schenkel and Mark Wedge, from the Yukon. Geoffrey Marks of the Bahá’í National Center in Wilmette represented the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States.
The interest of the National Assemblies of Canada and the United States in Alaska’s training program was sparked by consultation on the development of Local Spiritual Assemblies at the meeting of the three National Assemblies in Toronto, Canada, in June.
The training program focuses on consultation and is based on the conviction of the National Spiritual Assembly of Alaska that improving the quality of consultation is the most pressing need of its more than 50 Local Assemblies.
The program takes one weekend to complete and features an in-depth analysis of excerpts from the Writings on the spiritual prerequisites for consultation, an examination of the Writings that describe what consultation is, and a session during which the principles and methods of consultation are practiced by consulting on fictitious cases and subjects prepared by the National Spiritual Assembly.
The program also includes an evaluation component that requires each Assembly to assess how well it is functioning in basic areas. The sessions begin each day with private prayer.
The National Spiritual Assembly of Alaska has been working on the program for several years and has taken a few Local Assemblies through it during the early stages of its development.
The program has been enthusiastically received by both the trainers and the Assemblies who have taken it.
In addition to helping Assembly members acquire the skills of consultation, it instills a greater understanding of the purpose and station of the Local Spiritual Assembly.
As a result, the unity of the Local Assemblies is expected to increase, as is their ability to carry out their manifold responsibilities.
The representatives of the Canadian and U.S. National Spiritual Assemblies expressed strong interest in the program and will report to their National Assemblies on how it may be adapted to the needs of the believers in their respective countries.
An institute for Local Spiritual Assembly trainers was held near Anchorage, Alaska, at the Mathew Kasab Bahá’í Institute on September 17-18. Bahá’ís from Alaska, Canada and the United States attended. Left to right: John Kolstoe, chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of Alaska and coordinator of the institute; Evelyn Huffman, member of the Alaska National Teaching Committee; Geoffry Marks, representative of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States; Lauretta King, Auxiliary Board member; Jetta Brewer, Auxiliary Board member; Donna Horn, Alaskan believer; John Slone, member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Alaska; Clara Schenkel, Yukon Territory Goals Committee member from Canada; Hugh Gray, Alaskan believer; and Mark Wedge, Canadian believer. Janet Smith, secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of Alaska, attended the institute but is not pictured.
Barbados and Windward Islands
Effects of alcohol topic at institutes[edit]
“Alcohol and the Bahá’í Faith” was the topic at institutes held September 25 on Barbados and each of the Windward Islands.
The National Teaching Committee and District Teaching Committees of Barbados and the Windward Islands sponsored the institutes, which dealt not only with the effect alcohol consumption has on health but also with the effects and consequences of disobedience to Bahá’u’lláh’s Commands.
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Malaysia
16 Assemblies formed in three-year period on island of Penang[edit]
There are now 16 Local Spiritual Assemblies on the island of Penang, four kilometers (two and one-half miles) off the coast of Malaysia. None were there three years ago.
The growth of the Faith on Penang began in 1974, when a number of teaching teams opened the Chinese fishing village of Batu Maung; but the community dwindled when the fishermen left their homes in search of richer seas.
A second village, Sungei Pinang, was opened at Riḍván 1975. To strengthen this nascent community, a small group of dedicated believers from Georgetown, on mainland Malaysia, made weekly visits to the community and developed bonds of friendship with the new believers.
The next stage of growth on Penang began after the Hand of the Cause Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir met with Malaysian believers and introduced the SEA Plan — SEA being an acronym for Spiritualization, Education and Administration. The plan was designed to follow in the wake of continual expansion.
The SEA Plan was adopted by the Penang believers for use in the island village of Kuala S. Pinang. Penang Bahá’ís traveled there to begin children’s classes and teach families about the Faith.
They held the first children’s classes in a shed where gunny sacks and other items were stored. Later, the villagers built benches for the children. When the friends would arrive on Sunday evenings to teach the classes, a crowd of eager children would greet them.
Eventually, the Bahá’í teachers were invited to the children’s homes, and gradually taught parents, grandparents, and other relatives about the Faith.
Once a core of believers was established in this village, they took on expansion activities of their own. Their work led to the formation of Local Assemblies in the adjoining villages of Telok, Kumbar, and Pantai Acheh. They opened other villages for the Faith as well.
Further strides were made for the Faith on Penang in May when seven youth, including Penang University students, lived in the home of one of the local believers. While there, they helped lay the foundation for children’s classes to be held in four villages.
Today there are 16 Local Assemblies on the island of Penang, five of them in fishing villages. Four Bahá’í marriages have been performed at the request of the new believers.
The Malaysia Bahá’í Bulletin reports that the Chinese villagers on Penang now recognize the Faith as “something good,” and that the new believers are bringing in declarations every week.
Wide growth stressed in six-month plan[edit]
The Bahá’ís of Malaysia met in Kuching in May to launch a six-month plan that was to end on November 12, the anniversary of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh.
The plan calls for the enrollment of 2,000 people into the Bahá’í Faith; the formation of enough Local Spiritual Assemblies to bring the total to 250, or 50 over the number called for in the Five Year Plan; an increase in the number of localities open to the Faith from 973 to 1,030; an emphasis on teaching Chinese families; accelerated training of youth; development of women’s activities, and strengthening of the Fund.
The plan lays great stress on individual participation, commitment, and sacrifice.
Faith brings feuding villagers together[edit]
The following is reprinted from the May-June issue of Malaysia Bahá’í News. It is excerpted from an article by Soh Aik Leng about Bahá’u’lláh’s power to reconcile traditional enemies.
The Nineteen Day Feast of Núr was a special Feast. The Universal House of Justice asked us to celebrate it with love and dedication in commemoration of the time, a hundred years ago, when Bahá’u’lláh left the prison city of ‘Akká and moved to the mansion of Mazra’ih.
When Bahá’u’lláh first arrived, He was surrounded by enemies, but after years of loving kindness, His foes became His friends.
Although this happened a century ago, His power to change the hearts of men is still a mighty force. As I attended the Feast of Núr in the Malaysian fishing village of Kuala Jalan Bahru, my heart was filled with this thought. Here under one roof were Bahá’ís from two villages that were traditional enemies.
The feud between these villages had lasted for generations, and the people of each place dared not step into the other for fear of fighting.
When the villagers first became Bahá’ís, they were impressed by Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings on the unity and oneness of mankind. When we told them there were Bahá’ís in the next village, they were surprised, because they considered that village “bad.”
To heal the differences, we always tried to take a few Bahá’ís from one village with us when we visited the other village. In this way, the slow reconciliation began.
As I attended the Feast of Núr, and listened to one of the villagers saying a prayer in English with a strong Chinese accent, my thoughts flew back to the early days of the Faith here, and I was filled with awe at the power of Bahá’u’lláh to transform men.
Enthusiasm high at Summer School[edit]
The Bahá’í Summer School held in Port Dickson, Malaysia, in July was “characterized by a spirit of high enthusiasm and a determination on the part of the Malaysian friends to fulfill all goals of the Five Year Plan,” reported the Continental Board of Counsellors in Southeastern Asia.
At a session devoted to pioneering, 22 of the 300 friends present offered to pioneer to Asia, Africa, or the South Pacific. Fifteen Bahá’ís said they would travel to Sri Lanka and India to teach the Faith.
Discussion at another session centered on the adoption of realistic goals supplementary to the Five Year Plan, and the achievement of increasingly effective collaboration between Bahá’í administrative institutions and members of the Auxiliary Board and their assistants.
Represented at the meeting were the Continental Board of Counsellors in Southeastern Asia, the National Spiritual Assembly of Malaysia, the Auxiliary Board, and the National Teaching Committee.
Conference urges women to service[edit]
One hundred-seven Bahá’í women from 21 localities and 76 men attended the Perak State Women’s Conference in Malaysia on July 17. The conference was arranged in response to the Universal House of Justice’s call for Bahá’í women to arise to serve the Faith in all fields of its activity.
One of the highlights was a call by the Regional Teaching Committee of Perak for women to fulfill the goals of the Six Month Plan that was to end in November.
Seventy-eight women said they would travel from village to village to teach, and increase the number firesides and children’s classes being held.
One of the men at the conference declared his belief in Bahá’u’lláh.
The gathering was addressed by Yan Kee Leong, a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors; Auxiliary Board members Imbum Chinniah, Lily Chinniah, Rama Naidu, and Shanta Sundram; Shirin Fozdar of Singapore, and Mrs. Narasiah, whose talk in the Tamil language was well-received.
The friends were told that Bahá’í women’s conferences would be held in the other states of Malaysia in coming months.
19 believers given coordinator course[edit]
Nineteen believers were trained as three-day institute coordinators at a meeting held by Auxiliary Board member Mr. Kuppasamy in South Sarawak, Malaysia, in May. Seventeen of those attending the nine-day training course were natives of South Sarawak.
Mr. Kuppasamy followed the institute coordinator course with a five-day course on teaching and administration, which was attended by 45 believers.
Some of those at the teaching and administration course volunteered to devote long periods of time to making teaching trips, with some volunteering as much as two years.
Nigeria
Nigerian believers who were trained September 26-30 to carry out special teaching assignments are (front row, left to right) Anthony Ohale, Elizabeth Njang and Michael Effiong, and (back row, left to right) Bassey Ime, Emmanuel Nwosu and Linuw Akpan. Oscar Njang (far right, back row) was the teacher at the training institute.
Teachers trained at 5-day institute[edit]
To increase the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies in Nigeria, the National Spiritual Assembly sponsored a five-day teacher training institute in Port Harcourt from September 26-30.
Believers were selected by the National Assembly to participate in the institute, where they were trained to complete special full-time teaching assignments in various regions of the country in October.
The group studied Bahá’í history, Bahá’í laws, Christian subjects and the Hidden Words.
The trainees commented that the institute gave them the inspiration to go forward to proclaim and teach the Cause of God.
South Africa
Cape Town hosts first conference for women[edit]
The first Bahá’í Women’s Conference ever held at the Cape Town Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds was attended by 15 women representing communities from Belhar, Elsies River and Lotus River.
They spent the day discussing the status and role of women.
Fadela Davids, the first speaker, said the United Nations has designated 1976-1985 as the Decade for Women, adding that Bahá’í communities are being urged to help bring into focus the principle of sexual equality.
The drive toward equality, she said, is being aided by the unseen forces of God, as is evidenced by the growing numbers of women in government, women doctors, women lawyers, and so on.
A discussion on child-rearing was led by Amina Dollie who stressed that the example set by the parents is the best teacher. Parents, she said, must be steadfast in the Bahá’í Covenant, be as active as possible in achieving Bahá’í goals, and always remember Bahá’u’lláh’s laws and teachings.
The friends were reminded that the most important aspect of any conference or meeting is carrying the knowledge gained back to one’s community to be put into practice, and were urged to remember that since the mother educates the child, it is imperative that women be educated.
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Faroe Islands
Eskil Ljungberg, a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh, talks with Anneliese Bopp, a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors in Europe, during her visit to the Faroe Islands in May. Mr. Ljungberg has remained at his pioneer post there since 1954.
A Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds was recently purchased in Thorshavn, Faroe Islands, through cooperation among the National Spiritual Assemblies of Denmark, Iceland and the United Kingdom. The purchase fulfills one of the goals of the Five Year Plan.
Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds meets Five Year Plan goal[edit]
The acquisition of a Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in the capital city of Thorshavn in the Faroe Islands fulfills a goal of the Five Year Plan for the National Spiritual Assembly of Iceland.
The Faroes, 22 islands covering 800 square kilometers (540 square miles) in the Atlantic Ocean north of the British Isles, are a nation separate from Iceland, but under the jurisdiction of its National Assembly. The inhabitants have been self-governing since 1947, following nearly six centuries of Danish rule.
The Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds, a three-story structure, was purchased by the National Assembly of Iceland, with cooperation from the National Assemblies of Denmark and the United Kingdom.
The Spiritual Assembly in Thorshavn calls the purchase “a tremendous achievement, as property is expensive and quickly snatched up in this rapidly growing town.”
The friends in Thorshavn said they were “greatly inspired” on May 5 by a visit from Anneliese Bopp, a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors in Europe, who was en route from Iceland to Germany. They said her visit was appreciated “as the islands are out of the way of most Bahá’í travelers and our community sorely needs help and prayers.”
In particular need is the Spiritual Assembly of Thorshavn. “Although our Local Assembly has been in existence since the end of the Nine Year Plan, we have been hanging on by the skin of our teeth, and now have only six adults and two children, all pioneers. Every year since the Assembly’s formation we have had pioneers come to maintain its status, and every year after Riḍván, three or four people leave.”
Most Faroe Islanders have heard about the Faith. By the end of the Five Year Plan, the Faroese National Teaching Committee hopes to reach every resident with information about the Faith.
In the past three summers, an estimated two-thirds of the homes have been covered with the help of Bahá’ís from Denmark, Great Britain, Iceland and Norway.
Last summer information leaflets and invitations to public meetings were distributed to 2,200 homes on the two most southerly islands and some nearby smaller islands.
Public meetings also were advertised on the national radio station, in the national newspaper and on posters in many of the villages.
The public meetings were attended mostly by small children, a few youth and a few adults.
The Bahá’ís in the islands say they “look forward to the future, when the seeds that have been sown over the past year will spring up and can be gathered in.”
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Malawi
Two-month upswing accelerates growth[edit]
The progress of the Faith in Malawi took an upswing between April 1 and June 23. During that period, 228 new believers came into the Faith; 149 were from communities that have Local Spiritual Assemblies, and 79 were from localities with Groups or isolated believers.
The average number of enrollments per month prior to the April-June period was 15-30. During the April-June period, the average number of enrollments per month rose to 76.
Four Local Spiritual Assemblies were formed in April and May: Funsani, Mikundi, Nkungusa and Sitepe. The formation of these Assemblies brought the total in Malawi to 53, leaving only seven to be formed to meet the goal of the Five Year Plan.
Twenty new localities were opened during the three-month period, bringing the total number of localities to 419, or 69 above the goal for the Five Year Plan.
Portugal
New believers deepened at weekend institutes[edit]
To consolidate new believers in goal towns in Portugal, weekend deepening institutes are being held.
The first such institute was held on October 15-16 in Figueira da Foz. The believers studied prayer, the three Central Figures of the Faith, laws and principles, administration, the Nineteen Day Feast and the Bahá’í calendar.
Goal towns chosen for the institutes are those that will elect Local Spiritual Assemblies this year.
While weekend institutes are being held, teaching continues in three different localities each weekend, touching the northern, central and southern regions.
Bahá’ís from surrounding communities assist the full-time teaching team, which has been active since June.
These full-time teachers recently acquired full-time transportation when a Land Rover was donated to the National Spiritual Assembly of Portugal.
The National Spiritual Assembly reports that the Bahá’ís of Portugal are “going all out to win the Five Year Plan goals this year.”
Deepening, teaching conferences are held[edit]
A Bahá’í National Deepening Institute and Bahá’í National Teaching Conference were held consecutively on the weekend of September 16-18 at the National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Lisbon.
The weekend was planned by the National Teaching Committee to deepen new Bahá’ís, and review and consult with the believers on the progress of the nationwide Victory Plan, which began in August.
The deepening institute was attended by 40 new believers from six communities. They studied the book The Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh and were trained to join the teams that are making teaching trips to goal towns. The use of visual teaching aids and living the Bahá’í life also were discussed. For many of the participants the institute was the first Bahá’í activity at the national level.
On Sunday, believers arrived for the second National Teaching Conference to be held in Portugal this year. Since the inception of the Victory Plan, 150 believers have been enrolled and seven goal towns opened. Twenty of the friends present said they would make teaching trips for the Faith.
At the close of the National Teaching Conference, teaching teams were formed. Many of the team members were new believers who had been trained at the deepening institute during the previous two days.
Musicians sang songs about the Faith at the National Teaching Conference held in Lisbon, Portugal, on July 16-17. Among those present was Hooper Dunbar, a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors from the International Teaching Center.
New believers study the book The Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh at a National Deepening Institute held September 16-18 at the National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Lisbon, Portugal.
New believers in Portugal are being deepened through a series of weekend institutes. Pictured here are the believers who attended the first institute, held October 15-16 in Figueira da Foz.
Brazil
Number of Assemblies shows net rise of 50[edit]
During the National Convention in Brazil, the National Teaching Committee reported the formation of 112 Local Spiritual Assemblies, a net increase of 50 Assemblies since Riḍván 1976.
At the 1976 National Convention, the Hand of the Cause Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir and Continental Counsellor Raúl Pavón, together with newly-arrived traveling teachers, had formulated a plan to raise the
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number of believers in northeastern Brazil by thousands.
The effort received added impetus at the International Teaching Conference in Bahia, Brazil, in January, and from two letters from the Universal House of Justice.
The National Spiritual Assembly reports: “The attainment of new Local Spiritual Assemblies from Amapa and Belem at the mouth of the Amazon River to Marco, on the frontier with Colombia at the Upper Amazon, excites the imagination of the friends, all of whom are curious and enthusiastic about helping in this growing region.”
New Amazon Committee notes teaching success[edit]
The Bahá’í International Amazon Committee, formed by the sister countries of Brazil, Colombia and Peru to support the teaching goals in the Amazon region, reports that some “new and different” teaching methods, used in the Upper Amazon for the first time, have proven “very successful.”
“We were able to appreciate the success of village-to-village teaching suggested by the Hand of the Cause Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir at the 1976 Brazilian National Convention. For example, a group of Bahá’ís from São Jorge, Brazil, opened the nearby village of Sapotal.
“In Colombia, in the village of Santa Sofia, a Ticúna Indian Bahá’í family went with us to introduce the Faith in the Peruvian village of Yahuma Cayarú.”
The Ticúna family took their small children with them. The children helped teach the Faith “with confidence and joy,” reports the committee.
“Another teaching method we used is that of remaining in a village for two days. This gives us time to have a proclamation, to speak to the civil authorities, and to have children’s classes.
“By staying two days we noticed greater trust, not only among the Bahá’ís who hadn’t previously met each other, but among the other villagers as well.”
In all the towns that have Local Spiritual Assemblies, the traveling Bahá’ís leave deepening materials and show films on the Bahá’í world and the Holy Land.
Singapore
Equality of sexes topic at institute[edit]
An institute on the equality of men and women was held June 19 at the National Center in Singapore.
The 50 participants heard an opening address by Yan Kee Leong, a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors for South-east Asia. He stressed the fact that for the first time a prophet of God has stated that men and women are equal.
Other speakers talked about the institution of marriage, the need for equality in education and training, the obligations that come with equal rights, and the contributions of women to world peace.
The institute was brought to a close with a talk by Mr. Leong. He said the problems of mankind will not be solved until women participate fully in world affairs.
Conference stresses women’s participation[edit]
The believers attending the Melaka State Women’s Conference in May pledged to accomplish a six-month plan involving the active participation of women.
Kenya
Members of the Continental Board of Counsellors in Africa met together in late October 1976, following the Bahá’í International Teaching Conference in Nairobi. Seated, left to right, are Isobel Sabri, Aziz Yazdí of the International Teaching Center, and Thelma Khelghati. Standing, left to right, are Húshang ‘Ahdiyyih, Oloro Epyru, Husayn Ardikani, Friday Ekpe, Peter Vuyiya, Zekrollah Kazemi, Kolonario Oule and Mihdí Samandarí.
Bahá’ís, UNICEF work on pilot water project[edit]
The affiliation of the Bahá’í International Community with the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has led National Spiritual Assemblies to cooperate with UNICEF offices in their own countries.
An example of this collaboration is found in the National Assembly of Kenya’s cooperation with the Regional UNICEF office in Nairobi and the Kenyan government in a pilot project called “Water for Health.” Also involved in the project are national and international Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) affiliated with the United Nations.
The National Spiritual Assembly of Kenya has appointed a subcommittee of the National Bahá’í Women’s Committee to act as its representative to the Kenya NGO Committee for the project.
The Bahá’ís of Kenya already have started a tree-planting project as part of the “Water for Health” program.
The “Water for Health” idea originated in the UNICEF/NGO Subcommittee on Women and Development, which meets at UNICEF headquarters in New York. The Bahá’í International Community is one of the NGOs comprising the committee.
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Of the 170 believers at the conference, 106 were women representing 20 localities.
The conference cabled the Universal House of Justice: “Beseech prayers Holy Shrines success six-month plan.”
Zambia
Auto trouble leads to Assembly formation[edit]
A Local Spiritual Assembly was formed in January in the village of Machipisa, Zambia, an area not previously visited by Bahá’ís.
The formation came about when four Bahá’ís from Lusaka had a car breakdown on the way to Mongu. Since the group already had covered a distance of 150 kilometers, and now had to return, they decided to teach at some of the villages along the road.
The second village in which they taught was Machipisa. The Bahá’ís were warmly received, and a two-hour talk about the Faith ensued. Before the end of the discussion, the headman and nine others had declared their belief in Bahá’u’lláh.
As all of the new believers were over 21 years old, arrangements were made to form the first Local Spiritual Assembly.
Two weeks later, when a deepening and teaching class was held, two more villagers accepted the Faith.
Faith is discussed at primary school[edit]
Bahá’ís were invited to speak to students in the fifth, sixth, and seventh grades at Chipongwe Primary School in Chilangwe, Zambia, in February.
The Bahá’ís were given 40 minutes to speak, but the discussion lasted for an hour and a half. The Bahá’ís left books and promised to return in a week to answer questions.
When they returned, they found a tremendous interest in the Faith among both students and teachers. They spoke to the students for two hours, during which time the headmaster asked them to invite the students to become Bahá’ís.
Forty-eight of the students declared, including 10 who were over 15 years old. The students immediately formed a Bahá’í Club.
Germany
Youth conference hosts Hand of Cause Muhájir[edit]
The Hand of the Cause Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir attended the National Youth Conference in Langenhain, Germany, in July.
The National Spiritual Assembly of Germany reports: “The participation and inspiring talks of Dr. Muhájir instilled in the 200 believers the spirit to devote their hearts and minds, their time and efforts to winning the goals of the Five Year Plan.”
Action-oriented workshops held at the Youth Conference produced 44 volunteers for summer teaching activities.
One of the teaching activities was a month-long project entitled “Youth Teaches Youth ’77,” which was held following the conference in 14 goal towns.
Spain
Barcelona Bahá’í Week attracts wide notice[edit]
Bahá’í Week was observed in Barcelona, Spain, in May. An estimated 1,500 people attended the public meetings held during that week or visited the display on the Faith, despite rainy weather.
The believers in Spain, who are determined to form 28 Local Assemblies in the coming year, which would complete a goal of the Five Year Plan, met in Madrid in July for a National Teaching Conference.
The conference was preceded and followed by two weeks of concentrated teaching in the central region of the country.
Special guests at the conference were Hooper Dunbar, a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors and International Teaching Center, and Virginia Orbison, a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh who opened Spain to the Faith in 1946.
A touching moment came when Spain’s newest believer and one of its first believers presented Miss Orbison with a gift on behalf of the Bahá’í community there. Both believers are her spiritual children.
Spain’s summer teaching project brought together Bahá’ís from all regions of the country and from other countries.
They held firesides and put up displays in the goal towns, resulting in dozens of new believers.
In the town of Fraga, a teaching team consisting of three adults and an eight-year-old boy brought seven believers into the Faith in a 10-day period.
The Bahá’í summer school of Spain, held in Valencia, was attended by 227 people from 36 localities and several countries.
Among those present were the Hand of the Cause of God Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir and Betty Reed, a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors.
Three of the 30 non-Bahá’ís present declared their belief in Bahá’u’lláh by the end of the school.
Residents of seven nearby villages were invited to a public meeting held during the school. Twenty-five attended. Among them was the counselor for a youth reformatory. He asked the Bahá’ís to give a concert there, which three of them did.
The summer school was preceded by a four-day children’s school, which was attended by 35 children from various parts of Spain.
Pictured here is the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Spain elected at Riḍván 1977.
