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| Bahá’í News | October 1978 | Bahá’í Year 135 |
International Year of the Child 1979
Seat of the House of Justice[edit]
Upper left: Construction of the Seat of the Universal House of Justice, in a photograph taken July 6, 1978. Workmen are shown pouring concrete for the roof of the building, while forms for the base of the dome are nearly complete. Lower left: In a photo taken August 7, 1978, the forms for the dome are nearly complete. Lower right: Forms for the concrete dome of the building are first constructed inside the structure on the ground floor before they are fitted into place on the roof. Top three photos on the right: in pictures taken August 7, 1978, workmen are attaching marble facings to the northern side of the building.
| Contents |
‘My Life in the Year 2000’ |
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UN announces children’s international art contest | 2 |
Raising children of the Kingdom |
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Learning to understand the equality of the sexes | 4 |
A letter to Bahá’í children |
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How Bahá’í children can contribute to Year of the Child | 8 |
Around the world |
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News from Bahá’í communities in every corner of the globe | 12 |
Cover
In December 1976 the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution proclaiming 1979 the International Year of the Child. The Bahá’í International Community, which represents the Faith at the UN, is cooperating closely with UNICEF (the United Nations Children’s Fund) in planning and developing appropriate activities for IYC, and is requesting that Bahá’í communities throughout the world support these events or plan their own, as IYC affords an excellent opportunity to teach the Faith and promote Bahá’í ideals as well as to help the world’s children improve their existence. This issue of Bahá’í News is focused primarily toward children, with the UN Declaration of Children’s Rights on the back cover and articles inside dealing with the rearing of Bahá’í children and a proper world perspective for Bahá’í children.
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 ©1978, 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.
‘My Life in the Year 2000’[edit]
A worldwide competition of drawings by children who are under the age of 12 as of January 1, 1979, is being organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), and the United Nations High Commissioner for refugees, in cooperation with Air France.
The 10 first prizes in the contest, which coincides with the International Year of the Child, are eight-day trips to Paris.
The theme of the competition is “My Life in the Year 2000.” The first stage in the competition is the launching this summer of national competitions. Bahá’í children are asked to submit their entries to their own National Spiritual Assemblies, who will then forward the materials to the United Nations organizations.
The 10 best drawings from each country will be displayed at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris by April 30, 1979. An international jury will meet in Paris on May 15, 1979, to award the prizes.
International Year of the Child 1979[edit]
This issue of Bahá’í News focuses on children, in preparation for 1979, which the United Nations has proclaimed to be the Year of the Child. Articles include a special letter to children, on page 8, and an article for parents on raising children who will adhere to the Bahá’í principles of the equality of men and women, on page 4.
Raising children of the Kingdom[edit]
(EDITOR’S NOTE: The following article on rearing Bahá’í children to recognize and accept the equal role of women in society as defined by Bahá’u’lláh was written for Bahá’í News by Linda Jones of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.)
As mankind approaches the age of its maturity, it becomes ever more necessary to redefine and re-evaluate human relationships, and to discard outmoded and meaningless concepts that belong to an earlier time.
Bahá’u’lláh, the Lord of the New Age, stresses the importance of education as an instrument for reshaping human ideals and values:
“We prescribe unto all men that which will lead to the exaltation of the Word of God amongst His servants, and likewise, to the advancement of the world of being and the uplift of souls. To this end, the greatest means is the education of the child.” (Bahá’í Education: A Compilation, compiled by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, p. 4)
The purpose of this article is to explore ways in which Bahá’í parents may rear their children to recognize and accept the distinct yet equal roles of men and women as defined by Bahá’u’lláh, and to internalize that recognition and acceptance as one aspect of the oneness of mankind.
According to the Master, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, “there is no distinction to be made between them (men and women). The only difference between them now is due to lack of education and training. If woman is given equal opportunity of education, distinction and estimate of inferiority will disappear” (Promulgation of Universal Peace, pp. 169-70); and further, “The happiness of mankind will be realized when women and men coordinate and advance equally, for each is the complement and helpmeet of the other.” (Bahá’í World Faith, p. 241)
Our children need to hear the principles of Bahá’u’lláh enunciated by their parents and, as they grow older, to memorize and recite them. But it is in the day-to-day, moment-to-moment atmosphere of relationships in the home that the essence of such principles as the equality between men and women is absorbed. As ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said: “... qualities of spirit and heart are extremely contagious.” (Bahá’í Education: A Compilation, p. 20)
In a home where both parents are present, their interaction forms the basis for the child’s impressions about male and female roles.
In a one-parent home where, for example, the man or woman is divorced or widowed, the child will use his internal “radar” to sense how the parent feels about himself or herself and how he or she deals with others—friends, relatives, employer, employees or co-workers.
Let us examine five specific ways in which parents interact and what message is thereby conveyed to the child:
- How parents deal with tests and difficulties.
- How decision-making occurs.
- How conflicts are handled.
- How work is distributed.
- How individual rights and needs are handled.
Tests and Difficulties:
A child will notice whether or not his parents support one another equally in times of stress. In some families it is more acceptable for a woman openly to express sadness, self-doubt, a need for comfort. When a father is “permitted” the same freedom to seek emotional support, to experience his feelings authentically, his son will remember it when he is faced with pain.
In some cultures, men mask their emotions in the name of preserving male dignity. As a result, their families often suffer from their resultant frustration and anger, helpless to support them in times of need.
When there are tests and difficulties—loss of a job, illness, the death of a family member—children are especially tuned in to how mother and father interact. Are both free to react naturally? Do they turn toward one another and the children for support? Do they become isolated from one another and put a freeze on feelings of grief or disappointment? Do they come together in prayer?
Decision-Making:
It is not unnatural for two people of diverse character and temperament to become attracted to one another and to marry. If they can learn to use their differences to complement rather than to conflict, their relationship may grow deeper and flower over the years: “... when divers shades of thought, temperament and character are brought together under the power and influence of one central agency, the beauty and glory of human perfection will
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be revealed and made manifest.” (The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 42)
Given the many shades of human character and temperament, it is altogether natural that one partner should be more dominant than the other, whether it be the man or the woman.
In many cultures there is an underlying assumption that the male should dominate. If in fact he does, the woman may become resentful and/or devious. And if he does not, he may risk her displeasure for forfeiting his “natural” role.
If, however, a Bahá’í couple applies the principles of mutual decision-making, it will not matter who is naturally the more dominant. If God is the guiding force, the marriage partners need not compete for a “station” of authority. It would serve them well to remember ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s statement that “the conditions of existence are limited to the conditions of servitude, of prophet-hood, and of Deity.” (Some Answered Questions, p. 267)
The child who observes his or her parents discussing and deciding issues together will learn automatically that both men and women are worthy of respect for their ideas and opinions. He will learn that power is not to be vied for, or wrestled over—a “competition” between the sexes. He will learn the power of unity as a force for good.
Handling Conflict:
Just as individual differences are inevitable, conflict is a normal aspect of family life. It can become a divisive force or a unifying force for growth, depending upon whether or not the adults in the home marshal consultative skills to alleviate the problem.
Consultation is one of the Divine gifts of the Bahá’í Dispensation to the order of the world. The attitudes and skills inherent in the process of consultation, when applied to family life, offer the ultimate means of dealing with conflict.
The principles of consultation, viewed from a Bahá’í perspective, may be summed up briefly as follows:
- Defining issues or problems through attentive listening, and frank and loving self-expression.
- Establishing the facts and the spiritual principles involved.
- Full and frank discussion, maintaining a balance between “the individual’s undoubted right of self-expression” and a moderate, courteous manner of speaking. The “avoidance of petty and cooling remarks” during family or marital consultation is of utmost importance.
- Developing possible solutions, a creative process that aims at meeting the needs of both or all parties involved.
- Choosing a proper solution; that is, “discovering the truth.”
“When meeting for consultation,” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá advises, “each must use perfect liberty in stating his views and unveiling the proof of his demonstration. If another contradicts him, he must not become excited because if there be no investigation or verification of questions and matters, the agreeable view will not be discovered neither understood.” (Bahá’í World Faith, p. 406)
This advice, directed toward members of the Local Spiritual Assembly, applies as well to discussions between members of a family.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá also says: “Antagonism and contradiction are unfortunate and always destructive to truth.... He who expresses an opinion should not voice it as correct and right but set it forth as a contribution to the consensus of opinion; for the light of reality becomes apparent when two opinions coincide.” (Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 68)
The very idea that the truth of an interpersonal situation is to be discovered, arising from an open, loving, free but disciplined interchange of “views, thoughts, and feelings” is an extraordinary new concept in the sexual arena. The implications of this process are that each person, male or female, mother or father, sister or brother, is of equal value, and deserving of an equal voice in consultation.
This contravenes generations of tradition and custom in which woman has been subject to the will of her husband. She is frequently enjoined in her marriage vows to “honor and obey” him. In the Bahá’í marriage ceremony, however, it is the Will of God by which she and her husband promise to abide.
As Bahá’í couples gradually learn to appreciate these principles and to guide their interaction by them, their children will be watching and learning. They also should be participating, when appropriate, in the consultative process.
Distribution of Work:
The woman, says Bahá’u’lláh, is the first educator of the children, and so important is that role that if a choice is to be made between educating a man or a woman, the woman should be given preference.
Many women today are able successfully to rear their children while planning an on-going education and career for themselves. Others are happy to stay at home and devote full time to the children’s education. Bahá’í women have the added dimension of a large range of Bahá’í community activities that challenge the mind and spirit. For family life to be well-organized, the cooperation of family members in the “work” of the household is essential.
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Some Bahá’í couples may share household tasks equally; some may find that life is better organized if mother carries out all household duties while father earns a living, or vice versa. The important thing for the children to learn is that the management of the home is based on mutual planning and cooperation rather than sexual stereotyping. The child should be encouraged by his parents to participate in service to the home as well as to the Bahá’í community.
For example, he may be asked to prepare and serve refreshments at a fireside, or to help clean the house before a Feast. Activities in which all family members share, whether in the weekly chores or preparation for community events, provide a special bond and prevent any one person, whether mother or father, from feeling overburdened.
Handling Rights and Needs:
One of the basic needs people have is the need to be appreciated. It is most important in the child’s training that he or she witness and experience appreciation. If parents have fixed assumptions about what each is “supposed” to do, based on the expected male or female “role,” they may remain unaware of the power of mutual courtesy and praise.
Time and attention should be given in family life to identifying and preserving the rights of each person. Equal rights for women must begin at the family level in the training of the child.
“According to the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh,” says ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, “the family being a human unit must be educated according to the rules of sanctity. All the virtues must be taught the family. The integrity of the family bond must be constantly considered and the rights of the individual members must not be transgressed. The rights of the son, the father, the mother, none of them must be transgressed, none of them must be arbitrary. Just as the son has certain obligations to his father, the father likewise has certain obligations to his son. The mother, the sister and other members of the household have their certain prerogatives. All these rights and prerogatives must be conserved, yet the unity of the family must be sustained. The injury of one shall be considered the injury of all; the comfort of each the comfort of all; the honor of one the honor of all.” (Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 163)
The rights of individual family members include such things as privacy, respect for one’s belongings, the right to have one’s feelings and opinions heard, the right to a just share of responsibility for family life and family decisions.
When a woman expects these rights to be respected for herself and other family members, whether she is a married or lone parent, she is training her sons and daughters to respect the individuality of women.
In essence, the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh provide a unique and spiritually dynamic framework for the relationship of man and woman that we can only set as a goal to be approached nearer each day.
A letter to children[edit]
(This open letter to Bahá’í children of the world on the eve of the International Year of the Child was written for Bahá’í News by Debbie and Phil Christensen of Cornwall, Ontario, Canada.-Ed.)
Dear Bahá’í children:
“The newly born babe of that Day excels the wisest and most venerable men of this time ...”
Does that quotation make you feel special? It should. The Báb is talking about you. He is saying that you have been selected by God and given a wonderful gift.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá tells you the same thing: “O beloved child! Praise be to God that thou hast entered the divine Kingdom while of tender age and that thou hast received a share of the manifold bounties of the Lord of Hosts.”
Your gift is the knowledge of Bahá’u’lláh, God’s latest Teacher. It is the most important knowledge that anyone can possibly have.
God’s Teachers are like doctors. When you are sick, you visit a doctor to
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find out how to get better. The doctor can also tell you what to do to stay well. And a doctor looks after lots of other people so that everyone can be healthy. If people didn’t know where to find a doctor, or if they didn’t listen to his or her advice, soon everyone would be sick and unhappy.
God’s Teachers do the same things for souls that a doctor does for your body. When we are unhappy or worried or confused we can listen to Their teachings and find the answers we need. When we follow these teachings, we grow more spiritually healthy every day. And when all mankind obeys Their laws, the world becomes full of peace and joy and love.
You know that God’s Teacher for this Age is Bahá’u’lláh. This is most important because He is the only Doctor Who can cure the world’s sicknesses—hunger, war, hatred, ignorance, and so on. But most people don’t know where to find Him. That is why we still have so many problems.
It is sad but true, that the world’s children suffer terribly because their parents have not been able to find Bahá’u’lláh. It may be hard for you to understand this, because you may live in a country where children are usually happy and safe. But in many places on this earth, things are different. Some
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children don’t have enough food. Have you ever been hungry and had nothing to eat? Can you imagine what it would be like to be hungry all the time?) Some don’t have enough clothing. (What would it be like to go without warm clothes when it is cold outside?) There are no schools for them. (What if you never learned to read or write?) There are no doctors and hospitals where they can go. (What would you do if you were very sick and no one could help you?) Because these children lack so many things, it is very hard for them to develop healthy bodies, minds, and souls.
The United Nations (UN) is an organization of the world’s countries. It represents a tentative first step toward the world government that Bahá’u’lláh told us about. The UN says that more than 350 million children are suffering because they don’t have enough food, clothing, schools, and doctors. That’s a lot of children—more than all of the people who live in the United States, Canada, and Mexico combined. The United Nations has been trying to help these children for many years. It established the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) for this very reason. Maybe you have seen birthday cards made by UNICEF, or, in some countries, gone trick-or-treating for UNICEF and sent in the money you collected to help.
Now the UN is trying something new. It has decided that 1979, next year, will be the International Year of the Child. For 12 whole months, people everywhere will be talking about how to help the world’s children. Governments will be planning what should be done to solve some of these problems. Rich nations will be looking for ways to assist their poorer neighbors.
What can you do about all of this? Well, for one thing, you might be able to help support the International Year of the Child yourself. You could tell your friends and teachers at school about it. Maybe you could suggest a class project or a school fair on this theme. How about going to visit your mayor or city council or other government officials and asking them to do something? You might write a letter to your local newspaper about it. What about helping your public library make
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a display for the International Year of the Child? You could write and perform a play or puppet show about the world’s children, or organize a fundraising project for UNICEF. Perhaps you could contact the UN Association where you live and ask for their help.
But there is one thing you can do that is more important than any of these ideas. You can teach people about Bahá’u’lláh. None of the world’s ills can be completely cured until everyone turns to Bahá’u’lláh for help and guidance. Since you are one of the few who know about Him, you can share this good news with others. You can tell your friends and your classmates, and you can help the other Bahá’ís in your area with their teaching work.
In fact, you can even use the International Year of the Child as a way of telling others about Bahá’u’lláh and the Bahá’í Faith. If you try some of the projects we have suggested, make sure the people you meet know why you are doing something—because you are a Bahá’í and you want to serve all mankind. You can talk about these ideas with your parents. Maybe they can help. You might even make some suggestions at a Feast and see if your whole community wants to make a teaching project out of the International Year of the Child.
When God gives you a gift, He expects you to use it well. He has given each of us different special gifts—good health, enough food to eat, intelligence, the ability to help other people, and so on. But most important, He has given you the Greatest Gift, Bahá’u’lláh.
You are special. And you have a very special job—to share the gift of Bahá’u’lláh and His Teachings with everyone you can. Good luck!
Debbie and Phil Christensen
Around the World[edit]
Argentina[edit]
Participants in the Bahá’í Summer School held February 17-19 at San Martin de los Andes, Argentina. Among those present were several traveling teachers from Chile.
Benin[edit]
Masses ready for Faith[edit]
Seven of 20 Bahá’í communities in Benin’s Zou Province were visited June 24-25 by Auxiliary Board members Frederic Hodonou and Samuel Zodéougan, and assistant to the Auxiliary Board Calixte Aissi. The visits led Mr. Hodonou to observe that “the masses are ready to accept the Faith.”
At Abomey, the oldest of the Bahá’í communities, the teachers were greeted by more than 100 people who listened eagerly while Mr. Hodonou explained the principles of the Faith.
A visit to the newest Bahá’í community, Houegbo, where a Local Assembly was elected at Riḍván after the declarations of 25 people, began with the beating of “tam tams” in a community welcome, and the applause of about 200 people as the teachers arrived.
After Mr. Hodonou’s talk to the villagers, the mayor said he could see that Bahá’ís are happy people and that Bahá’u’lláh’s Teachings do bring unity.
The mayor added that he had seen other Bahá’í villages and believes the Faith is good for the villages. He asked for a prayer book and Bahá’í literature.
Other villages visited by the three were Bohicon, Zogbodomey, Yokon, Ataougan, and Aglimey.
Belgium[edit]
Teaching conference held[edit]
A National Teaching Conference held January 28-29 at Charleroi climaxed a year of steadily increased teaching activity and enthusiasm in the Bahá’í community of Belgium.
Adib Taherzadeh, a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors, spoke on “The Hour of Challenge,” comparing God’s love for mankind to an electrical generator that produces a current (love), humanity to the appliance that is dependent upon that current to function, and prayer to the cord through which the power is received.
Top left, an attractive Bahá’í exhibit is displayed at a shopping mall in Belgium.
Lower left, some of the friends who attended the National Teaching Conference in January at Charleroi, Belgium.
Below, Continental Counsellor Adib Taherzadeh with Bernadette Ambergen at the National Teaching Conference in January at Charleroi, Belgium.
The teaching conference came at the end of a remarkable period of growth in Belgium during which:
- A children’s Summer School was held for the first time and was attended by 21 children. New children’s classes were formed.
- The number of Local Assemblies was increased from nine to 13, with a good possibility of forming four more at Riḍván 135.
- New opportunities were found for proclamation by radio, and the number of telephone inquiries received at the Publishing Centre grew from an occasional call to a steady stream.
- Large panel exhibits were displayed at shopping centers and grocery stores. Books were being distributed in all local and university libraries.
- Intense proclamation activities in goal cities such as Arlon and Gerpinnes saw the immediate attraction to the Faith of seekers who, hearing of it for the first time, accepted the Message of Bahá’u’lláh.
Teaching teams have given weeks or months of their time and energy in helping to open goal towns and assisting Local Assemblies in consolidation. In Mons, recent efforts to present the Faith in the context of a university conference were successful.
Caroline Islands[edit]
National Convention[edit]
The first National Convention of the Caroline Islands was held May 19-21 on Truk. It was conducted in Trukese and English.
With 20 delegates voting, those elected to the National Spiritual Assembly were Dr. David Earl, Enjoy Eram, Seraphin James, Kintoki Joseph, Johnny Makaya, Kay Maloney, Derek Patton, Taum Paul and Stem Salle.
A special meeting was held the evening of May 20 following the arrival of the Hand of the Cause of God Rúḥíyyih Khánum.
At the beginning of the Convention, the 25th anniversary of the opening of the islands to the Faith by Virginia Breaks, a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh, was observed. Miss Breaks is now a resident of Ponape in the Caroline Islands.
Minorities join Faith[edit]
Every one of the 18 separate peoples, tribes, minority groups and ethnic groups in the North West Pacific Ocean is now represented in the Faith, the National Spiritual Assembly of the North West Pacific Ocean reported in May.
Members of the Satawalese and Woleaian peoples, the last two to be represented, were enrolled during a recent teaching trip by Martin Retak from Yap. Mr. Retak is a cook on the M.V. James F. Cook that sails as a field trip ship among the islands of the Western Carolines.
On an earlier trip, Mr. Retak taught members of the Sonsorolese and Tobian peoples in Palau District, some of whom were enrolled. Their enrollments were the first among these peoples.
Switzerland[edit]
Teaching among Gypsies[edit]
A delegation of Bahá’í observers made more than 60 valuable contacts with representatives of the Gypsy people when they attended the second annual Romano Kongreso held April 8-11 in Geneva, Switzerland.
About 200 representatives from Gypsy communities all over the world attended the meeting, which was strictly non-political in nature and focused on matters of language, culture, and education.
The Bahá’ís contacted representatives from Austria, Belgium, the Crimea, Denmark, France, Germany, Finland, Hungary, India, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the U.S., and Yugoslavia.
Teaching the Gypsy peoples is one of the specific goals of the Five Year Plan.
“It really was exciting when the delegates from India knew of the Bahá’í communities in their towns,” said one of the Bahá’í observers.
Pioneers honored[edit]
Seventeen years of dedicated service in Switzerland are among the fond memories of pioneers Janet and Edvard Lindstrom who have decided to return to the United States.
Each had served on the National Spiritual Assembly of Switzerland, and Janet Lindstrom was the official representative of the Bahá’í International Community to the United Nations in Geneva from 1971 to 1975.
The Lindstroms helped to form the first Spiritual Assembly of Neuchatel, Switzerland, in 1961. They’ll make their new home in Bedford, New Hampshire.
American pioneers to Switzerland Janet and Edvard Lindstrom are seated with the Hand of the Cause of God Adelbert Mühlschlegel (left to right) at the Feast of Naw-Rúz on March 20 in Neuchâtel. The Lindstroms soon will return to the U.S. after 17 years of service in Switzerland.
Tom Shoemaker (with guitar), a pioneer from the United States to Switzerland, was married May 26 to Miss Gaby Märki (to his left) in the first Bahá’í wedding ever held in the Swiss Canton (state) of Aargau. Mr. Shoemaker’s wife is a Bahá’í, as are her mother, sister, and some other relatives. Members of the singing group shown here, in which Mr. Shoemaker and his wife are active, are not Bahá’ís, but have taken part in Bahá’í teaching trips.
The Bahá’í National Convention of Switzerland was held May 20-21 in Interlaken. Participants are shown below in the meeting hall of the Oberland Hotel, site of the Convention. The nine members of the National Spiritual Assembly of Switzerland were re-elected.
Portugal[edit]
5 Covilhãns declare[edit]
The Bahá’í community in Covilhã, Portugal, is stronger by five new believers as a result of a successful teaching effort supported by Bahá’ís from five countries.
In April, a small display was mounted in front of the city hall, and the public was invited to attend a music, slide and talk presentation about the Faith at the town’s movie theatre.
During two weeks of teaching more than 200 people were contacted personally, and around 100 of them attended the meeting at the theatre.
The public talks were given by Auxiliary Board member Ana Costa and her assistant, Amadou Rocha.
35 attend meeting[edit]
Thirty-five Bahá’ís and seekers attended a public meeting May 22 in the goal city of Oeiras, Portugal, following a determined teaching effort coordinated by the Regional Teaching Committee for the Center of Portugal.
Among those at the meeting, held in the sports club of Oeiras, were Auxiliary Board members Ana Costa and Fedross Imani. The main speaker was Lisete Strack, a pioneer to Portugal from Brazil. Entertainment was provided by a group of Bahá’ís from Angola who performed songs about the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh that they had written themselves.
A film was shown, and the audience asked many interesting questions about the Faith.
The director of the sports club, who was at the meeting, invited the Bahá’ís to return whenever they wished. As a result of the meeting, the club director and others are studying the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh.
National Convention[edit]
Bahá’ís in Portugal gathered May 27-28 at Lisbon for the 17th National Convention in the presence of Continental Counsellor Louis Henuzet.
Including the delegates, 100 adults and youth attended the Convention along with 25 children.
Many of the delegates who were there to elect the National Spiritual Assembly of Portugal and to take part in consultation represented Local Spiritual Assemblies that were formed during the year.
Counsellor Henuzet spoke about the importance of the spirit of love and unity at the heart of every Bahá’í activity.
Consultation was especially fruitful, focusing primarily on the education of children and ways of winning the remaining teaching goals of the Five Year Plan. Concerning the latter, delegates adopted a national goal of winning the teaching goals by October 20, the anniversary of the Birth of the Báb.
Top left, five persons in Covilhã,
Portugal, embraced the Cause of
Bahá’u’lláh in April following a two-week teaching campaign by Bahá’ís
from five countries. More than 100 attended a public meeting at which talks
were given by Auxiliary Board member
Ana Costa (second from right) and her
assistant, Amadou Rocha (kneeling).
Middle left, Bahá’ís and seekers who attended a public meeting May 22 in the goal town of Oeiras, Portugal. Among the 35 persons present were Auxiliary Board members Ana Costa and Fedross Imani.
Lower left, thirty-five Bahá’ís and seekers were present May 22 at a public meeting in the goal town of Oeiras, Portugal. Shown addressing the meeting is Lisete Strack, a pioneer to Portugal from Brazil. Also attending the meeting were Auxiliary Board members Ana Costa and Fedross Imani.
Above, some of the friends who attended the 17th Bahá’í National Convention of Portugal held May 27-28 at Lisbon.
El Salvador[edit]
4 declare at conference[edit]
Four people declared their belief in Bahá’u’lláh during a proclamation held March 23-26 in connection with a National Youth Conference in El Salvador in a rural area near Cojutepeque.
The conference itself was attended by about 50 youth and a few older Bahá’ís from 16 communities. They attended sessions on the lives of the Central Figures of the Faith, on living a spiritual life, on life after death, courtship and marriage, Bahá’í Administration, teaching methods, and the role of youth in the Five Year Plan.
Deepening conferences[edit]
Each month, a small group of Bahá’ís from various parts of El Salvador meets for a deepening conference at the endowment property known as El Nuevo Jardin (The New Garden).
Three full days are spent studying the history, principles and spirit of the Faith in classes conducted by Continental Counsellor Artemus Lamb, members of the National Spiritual Assembly and others.
Those attending are selected by their Local Spiritual Assemblies or Bahá’í Groups.
Cyprus[edit]
National Convention[edit]
In a cablegram received May 22 in Haifa, the first National Spiritual Assembly of Cyprus described its National Convention:
“Friends gathered first National Convention Cyprus honored presence Hand Cause Giachery, Mrs. Giachery, Counsellor Blumenthal, Board member Bogie, representative National Assembly United Kingdom. Rejoice election truly representative Assembly heralding dawn New Age this divided island now linked World Centre; divine guidance assured. Praise God it is achieved!”
Mexico[edit]
Mayan teaching plan[edit]
A plan to increase the teaching and consolidation work among the Mayan people of Mexico has been launched by the National Spiritual Assembly of Mexico in collaboration with the Continental Board of Counsellors for Central America.
Bahá’ís will be trained at institutes to work near their home communities in the states of Yucatán, Campeche and Quintana Roo—where there is the largest concentration of Mayan Indians in Central America.
Already, two Mayans are teaching full-time and two others part-time in the area.
During a visit March 6-15 by Dr. Hidáyatu’lláh Aḥmadíyyih of the Board of Counsellors for Central America, 15 villages were opened to the Faith, with four of them reaching Assembly status.
Liberia[edit]
Television proclamations[edit]
The Spiritual Assembly of Monrovia, Liberia, recently sponsored a 15-minute television program on comparative religions.
The Bahá’ís in Monrovia also are given five minutes of free time on TV each Tuesday night to say prayers and read from the Writings on the program Epilogue that ends the broadcast day.
On February 28, 6-year-old Suzanne Mahabat and her 5-year-old sister, Nazaneen, were chosen by the Bahá’ís to appear on Epilogue.
Since this was the first time that children had appeared on the program, the TV crew was reluctant to allow them to do so, as they were uncertain about how the children would perform.
After much persuasion the crew relented, and Suzanne and Nazaneen each chanted, by heart, two prayers and two Hidden Words with such clarity and confidence that the staff came out of the recording booth especially to see them.
The TV staffers were so impressed that they congratulated the children and invited them to appear again on the program. Many viewers expressed appreciation to the Bahá’ís for spiritually training their children.
The 15-minute Bahá’í program, entitled World Religions, included excerpts from the Hindu, Christian, Muslim and Bahá’í Writings. The essential harmony of religion was clearly shown as the four readers quoted from the Scriptures on “Progressive Revelation,” “Oneness of the Prophets” and “Life After Death.”
Expertly painted posters reinforced the readings, while a moderator summarized the points made by the readers and introduced each topic.
The program was announced in advance on radio, and the theme song for Liberia’s weekly 15-minute Bahá’í radio program was used on the TV show.
Bahá’ís in Monrovia, Liberia, presenting a 15-minute television program on comparative religions.
5-year-old Nazaneen Mahabat (on the left) and her 6-year-old sister, Suzanne, appearing on the television program Epilogue in Monrovia, Liberia. The children demonstrated such poise and confidence that they were invited to appear again on the program.
Brazil[edit]
Fund seminars held[edit]
Two National Seminars on the significance and importance of universal participation in the Bahá’í Fund were attended by more than 60 Bahá’ís from 28 communities in Brazil.
The first was held January 27-29 in São Paulo, and the second February 4-5 in Salvador.
Most of those attending were treasurers and other members of Local Spiritual Assemblies. Others were members of various national committees, assistants to the National Treasurer, and members of the Auxiliary Board.
120-year-old believer[edit]
A new member of the Bahá’í community in Brazil is 120-year-old Bernadina de Piedade of Cipriano, Minas Gerais State, whose tearful response on first hearing the Teachings was, “How much I have suffered to finally hear of Bahá’u’lláh!”
Only one of her seven children is still living, and she has lost count of the number of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
India[edit]
8,800 Assemblies[edit]
More than 8,800 Local Spiritual Assemblies were reported as of Riḍván in India, including six in the district of Andamans and 20 in the district of Bhutan. All 312 villages in the Dang tribal district now have Local Assemblies.
Malawi[edit]
Principal proclaims Faith[edit]
The principal of a technical college in northern Malawi, after hearing of the Faith from an Auxiliary Board member in that country, invited the believer to speak at the school.
When notice of the meeting was posted on a bulletin board, the priest in charge of the school complained to his bishop, and the meeting was canceled.
When the believer asked if he might have the bulletin board notice, the principal said he would prefer to leave it there, so that when students asked why the meeting had been canceled, the principal himself could tell them about the Faith!
Alaska[edit]
Bahá’í receives award[edit]
Raymond L. Hudson, a school teacher in Unalaska and a member of the Auxiliary Board, has been given the Willard Bowman Award for Human Rights, which is presented by the Alaska Education Association to an educator who demonstrates leadership and creativity in advancing civil and human rights.
Mr. Hudson, also a poet and author, was honored for his efforts to preserve the culture and crafts of the Aleut peoples of Alaska. “You know, it is very easy for a Bahá’í to win a human rights award,” was his comment on receiving the honor.
Dominican Rep.[edit]
Pioneers in Baharona[edit]
The town of Baharona, in the Dominican Republic, was a Bahá’í community with an all-too-familiar history.
Some years back, a flurry of teaching brought a large number of new believers into the Faith. Soon, a breakdown in consolidation efforts, combined with a failure to maintain the teaching momentum, caused a decline in Bahá’í activity, and the new believers did not develop the “distinctive characteristics of Bahá’í life.”
In the summer of 1977, a pioneer couple moved to Baharona, and their efforts have brought abundant fruits. The Local Spiritual Assembly of Baharona is now active and self-sufficient. Attendance at weekly firesides and deepenings regularly exceeds 20 people. A corps of a dozen or so Bahá’ís makes regular teaching and consolidation trips to Baharona and surrounding areas.
Radio has been an effective tool in rebuilding the community. In trying to reach long-lost believers whose names appeared on membership lists with old, useless addresses, the Bahá’ís made radio appeals, and not only turned up a number of the “missing” Bahá’ís, but also proclaimed the Faith to the entire town.
Currently, a radio series developed by CIRBAL, the international committee for the use of radio in Latin America, is being used in Baharona. The series consists of 42 15-minute programs.
Some 60 believers attended the 18th Bahá’í National Convention of the Dominican Republic held May 19-21 in Puerta Plata.
Samoa[edit]
National Convention[edit]
Samoa held its ninth National Convention May 26-28 in Lelata with more than 100 believers, including three Auxiliary Board members, in attendance.
The 19 delegates present, and 11 others who cast absentee ballots, elected the following people to the National Spiritual Assembly: Sam Ale Ale, Moli Chang, Reuben Busby, Lilian Ala’i, Fuiono Aniseto, Lina Kava, Khosrow Moghelpour, Fili Pe’epe’e, and Leala Tasi.
It was reported at the Convention that 122 of the 200 goal localities have been opened, and 34 of the 50 goal Local Assemblies formed.
Fiji Islands[edit]
National Convention[edit]
A cablegram from the Fiji Islands, received May 30 in Haifa, read in part: “Exciting Convention, wonderful spirit love, unity, joy. Joyfully report 36 Assemblies elected... Pledge continue expansion, consolidation beloved Cause year ahead....”
New Books[edit]
Bahá’í Prayers and Tablets for the Young, by Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá; 30 pages; hard cover.
This illustrated selection of Bahá’í prayers and Tablets for children and youth was prepared by the Universal House of Justice. The book, which contains many previously untranslated passages, includes 28 prayers revealed by Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, together with 10 prayers of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá for children and youth.
From Strength to Strength: The First Half Century of the Formative Age of the Bahá’í Era, by Eunice Braun; 64 pages; soft cover.
This book is a moving account of the extraordinary expansion of the Bahá’í Faith throughout the world from the time of the Master’s passing in 1921 to the end of the Nine Year Plan in 1973. The text was written at the request of the Universal House of Justice and will be included in a forthcoming edition of The Bahá’í World.
These books may be ordered from the Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 415 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091, U.S.A.
Cameroon[edit]
The new District Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds at Mamfe, Cameroon, is the third in that country and completes a goal of the Five Year Plan. Purchase was completed in February.
Costa Rica[edit]
80 Assemblies formed[edit]
The Bahá’ís of Costa Rica have attained their Five Year Plan goals of raising 80 Local Spiritual Assemblies and opening 200 localities.
Naw-Rúz proclamation[edit]
The Naw-Rúz celebration sponsored by the National Spiritual Assembly of Costa Rica was attended by about 150 Bahá’ís and their guests, and was covered by a local television station.
The celebration was held in an auditorium provided for the Bahá’ís by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports.
The program included talks by Sharokh Zargarpour, a pioneer to Costa Rica, and National Spiritual Assembly member Esquilo Monge; Bahá’í songs with guitar accompaniment, and violin pieces. Refreshments were served afterward.
The following week, the TV station presented a five-minute program that included quotes from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, a brief explanation of the significance of Naw-Rúz, shots of the audience, and a portion of Mr. Zargarpour’s talk.
The National Spiritual Assembly of Costa Rica sponsored a Naw-Rúz celebration at which pioneer Sharokh Zargarpour played the violin to the accordion accompaniment of a non-Bahá’í friend.
About 150 Bahá’ís and their friends attended a Naw-Rúz celebration that was sponsored by the National Spiritual Assembly of Costa Rica and covered by a local television station.
United Nations Declaration of the Rights of the Child
| THE RIGHT |
- to affection, love, and understanding.
- to adequate nutrition and medical care.
- to free education.
- to full opportunity for play and recreation.
- to a name and nationality.
- to special care, if handicapped.
- to be among the first to receive relief in times of disaster.
- to learn to be a useful member of society and to develop individual abilities.
- to be brought up in a spirit of peace and universal brotherhood.
- to enjoy these rights, regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national or social origin.
