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Bahá’í News

January 1979

Bahá’í Year 135

Radio Bahá’í in Ecuador

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Because recent disturbances in Írán, in addition to endangering the devoted and persecuted friends in that country, have led to misrepresentations of the Bahá’í Teachings in the world news media, the Universal House of Justice asked the Bahá’í International Community to release the following statement, dated November 1978: The recent disturbances in Írán have attracted the attention of the world’s news media and frequent mention has been made of the Bahá’ís of that country, their tenets and their activities. Since the Bahá’ís in Írán have been persecuted for over a hundred years by fanatical elements in their country, the Bahá’í International Community is concerned that the recent developments in Írán may soon lead to a country-wide onslaught on the lives and properties of individual followers of the Faith. Indeed, already in many provinces in Írán frenzied mobs have ruthlessly attacked and injured Bahá’ís, threatened their lives, desecrated their Holy Places and burned their houses, business premises, and livestock, caused them to flee from their homes, and have tried to force them to recant their faith. A disturbing factor is that political adversaries are using the name of the Bahá’í Faith to discredit their political opponents. In order to inflame the passion of the fanatics they refer to certain political leaders as Bahá’ís. The Bahá’í International Community, and indeed Bahá’í institutions throughout the world, have noted with dismay and frustration the publication of misrepresentations of the Teachings of the Bahá’í Faith. The Bahá’í International Community is particularly concerned at the erroneous impression being given to the world press of the clear position of the Bahá’í Faith on such basic issues as loyalty to government and non-involvement in political and subversive activities. To these have been added the distortions of truth reflected in the local press in Írán about the attitude of the Bahá’ís toward Islám. The Bahá’í International Community categorically states that as an article of faith no Bahá’í is allowed to participate in partisan politics or to accept any political post. Furthermore, the Bahá’í International Community affirms that the Bahá’ís believe in the validity of all divinely revealed religions, including Islám, and disclaim any intention to belittle any of the Prophets of the past or to whittle down their teachings. It is hoped that the deliberate and vicious misuse of the name of the Bahá’í Faith and the misrepresentations of its Teachings may not provide cause for further persecution and hardship for the Bahá’ís in Írán. The Bahá’ís are law-abiding citizens, loyal to their respective governments, and anxious to share wholeheartedly in whatever promotes the best interests of the countries in which they reside.

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Contents

The Peoples of God: Part 7
Teaching among the indigenous peoples of Rhodesia	2
‘Lights of the World’
Part 2 of 3 on children and learning	6
Radio Bahá’í
Inauguration of the world’s first Bahá’í-owned radio station	10
Around the world
News from Bahá’í communities in every corner of the globe	14

Cover

About 200 Bahá’ís and their guests gathered at the Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum Institute in Otavalo, Ecuador, last August 20 for a joyous and significant event: the formal inauguration of Radio Bahá’í, the world’s first Bahá’í-owned and operated radio station. Among those attending were three members of the Continental Board of Counsellors for South America. A report of the ceremony begins on Page 10.

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 © 1979, 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.

[Page 2]The Peoples of God: Part 7

Rhodesia

[Page 3](The following article on the growth of the Faith among the native peoples of Rhodesia was written for Bahá’í News by Tobias Mumvama and Helen A. Hope.—Ed.)

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Background

The cultural and tribal background of the indigenous peoples of Rhodesia makes it easy for them to identify many similarities between the teachings of the Bahá’í Faith and their traditional cultural orientation.

For example, just as the Bahá’í Faith requires parental consent before marriage, a couple in Rhodesia who wishes to marry must also have the consent of all living parents in order to do so.

The Bahá’í principle of service to others is also easy to accept, as it is customary for Rhodesians to extend love and hospitality to friends and strangers who visit them.

In a Rhodesian village, one person’s troubles are of concern to everyone. If a member of a family dies, everyone helps with the funeral. If there is a wedding, villagers shower the couple with gifts, usually money or utensils.

Children in the villages have unquestioning respect for their parents. Unmarried young people seek their parents’ approval in whatever they undertake. Even married offspring usually consult their parents before making big decisions, in keeping with the strong Rhodesian belief that doing anything against the advice or wishes of one’s parents can bring misfortune in future endeavors.

Among educated Rhodesians, these native customs are practiced less; but they haven’t yet been completely replaced by the Western-style customs the Rhodesians are seeking to adopt.

Arrival of the Faith in Rhodesia

The first Bahá’ís in Rhodesia were ‘Izzatu’lláh Zahrá’í and Claire Gung, who arrived in 1953. Kenneth and Roberta Christian, ‘Aynu’d-dín and Ṭahirih ‘Alá’í, and Joan Powis arrived one year later. Each of them was designated a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh by the Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, for pioneering to Southern Rhodesia.

From 1953 to 1963, the Faith was centered in the two major Rhodesian cities of Bulawayo and Salisbury, and in a few rural areas.

The first indigenous believer in Rhodesia was Charles Zauyamakando. He and other indigenous Bahá’ís spread the Faith from the cities, where they were taught, to their native villages.

With the help of the pioneers, the new believers taught the Faith in the Tribal Trust Land of Chief Chisweshe, opening the communities of Musarara, Madyavanhu and Manjomwe.

One new believer from Salisbury returned home and introduced the Faith in the village of Mondoro, which led eventually to the formation of Spiritual Assemblies in Matemera and Bangira. More recently, many more Local Assemblies have been formed in the Hondoro area.

In October 1970, the National Spiritual Assembly of Rhodesia sponsored a two-week teacher training institute that was attended by a dozen young indigenous believers who were taught by four pioneers.

After the teachers were trained, they were sent across the country to spread the Faith. Numbers of believers soon were enrolled in the Mtoko and Gokwe regions, and Local Assemblies were formed there. Local Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds acquired in these areas were the first in the Tribal Trust Lands.

Today, even though the Faith is becoming increasingly well-

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[Page 5]known in Rhodesia, it still takes considerable courage for one to become the first person in his or her village to accept the Faith, because of the ostracism and hostility these believers often receive from uninformed and suspicious friends and neighbors.

Sometimes new Bahá’ís are convinced by their fellow villagers to turn away from the Faith. Despite such occasional setbacks, however, the task of teaching the Faith in villages is becoming easier as the Faith becomes better known and its principles more widely understood and accepted.

Current Bahá’í Activities

A number of Local Spiritual Assemblies in rural villages in Rhodesia are making strong efforts to administer the affairs of their communities.

Some Local Assemblies have identified extension teaching goals and have been instrumental in carrying out teaching work that has led to the establishment of new Assemblies.

Other Assemblies have diligently developed women’s, children’s and youth activities. Some communities have written special Bahá’í songs that have become popular throughout the country.

When a new Bahá’í community is established in a village that is some distance from other deepened Bahá’ís, one or two believers from that community will usually attend a deepening institute at the national Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Salisbury, then return home to deepen their fellow believers.

Typical of these rural village Bahá’í communities is Nyamayaro, in the Mrewa district.

The first person to accept the Faith in Nyamayaro was a youth. He was discouraged from remaining in the Faith by other villagers who knew nothing of its Teachings.

Instead of bowing to their wishes, the young man invited traveling teachers to the village where they were able to acquaint his neighbors with the principles of the Faith. One by one, the youth’s relatives and friends became Bahá’ís, until there were enough believers to form a Local Spiritual Assembly.

The Assembly in Nyamayaro is quite active, and the community certainly gives women an opportunity to serve the Faith. Eight of the Assembly members in 1977-78 were women.

At present, the Assembly is striving to obtain land for a Bahá’í Center and a local endowment. The community often sends representatives to national Baha’i gatherings.

Indigenous Teachers and Pioneers

Indigenous believers and pioneers constantly coordinate their efforts and undertake numerous teaching trips together. The strong spirit of unity and brotherhood between them makes people curious as to the basis of that relationship, and thus attracts many people to the Faith.

Today, believers throughout Rhodesia are valiantly striving to teach the Faith to an ever-increasing number of waiting souls. The remaining months of the Five Year Plan will no doubt be a time of tremendous activity, as the Bahá’ís pour their energies into a final effort to win the highly challenging goals that have been assigned to them in the Five Year Plan.

[Page 6] ‘Lights of the world’

Part 2

(This is the second of three articles on children and learning written by Deborah H. Christensen of London, Ontario, Canada. Mrs. Christensen has a masters degree in education, specializing in early childhood, and has served on the U.S. National Education Committee.—Ed.)

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The preschool years (roughly ages three to five) offer a time of consolidation for the child. The toddler’s internal struggles give way to the more settled, focused behavior of the three-year-old. He works fairly constantly at learning.

It is sometimes said that by the age of four we have learned half of what we will ever know. As ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says, “Many elementary sciences must be made clear to them (children) in the nursery; they must learn them in play, in amusement.” (Star of the West, Volume 7, Page 142, December 12, 1916)

What should a preschool child be learning? Intellectually, there are a number of concepts that contribute to his growing foundation of knowledge. Classifying—seeing likenesses and differences, and grouping according to a similarity—is one. Helping children focus on similarities and differences, giving them many opportunities to sort things according to size, color, shape, use, etc., supports the development of this mental skill.

Seriation—ordering a set of objects from largest to smallest or heaviest to lightest—is another important concept. It develops slowly. A three-year-old may be able to choose the biggest and smallest object, whereas a five-year-old could put a group of objects in order.

Parents can assist children to learn the concept of numbers by associating numbers with objects (“Let’s count one block, two beads, three balls, etc.”). Letter and word recognition can also be introduced if older preschool children are interested, but in a casual way so as not to put undue pressure on them. Concepts like up-down, above-below, here-there, and left-right can be taught through informal games.

Language development should also be stressed at this stage. Parents can be helpful in several ways—by giving children labels for new things and experiences, by being available for answering questions and chatting, by reading stories and poetry to them, by singing with them, by listening to their feelings and opinions. These may seem obvious, but their importance cannot be overstated.

Socially, the preschool child has a large agenda. He has to learn the basic social skills for getting along in the world. The roots of success, of course, lie in the quality of the child’s past experiences.

Learning to share and cooperate are difficult skills to acquire, and children need much loving guidance and modeling from adults and older friends to master the arts of consultation and cooperation. It is unrealistic to expect a 2 1/2-year-old to share automatically. This ability develops gradually and, from the child’s point of view, is quite difficult, for he considers everything in the world his.

Positive efforts should be richly rewarded and negative reactions lovingly and firmly handled without harsh punishment or words. (“You choose which toy Sally can play with. Sharing your pail makes Sally so happy! I know you don’t feel like sharing right now, but it is something we must learn. Sally can play with the pail and we can build a sandcastle over here with this shovel.”)

Giving preschool children reasons for rules and decisions is very important. It helps develop their rational powers and teaches[Page 7] the value of solving problems through reason. A major step in the reasoning process is being able to see another person’s point of view. Parents can assist this process by expressing their feelings and opinions and helping a child see himself in another’s shoes.

Physically, the preschool child is very much in control of himself, to his great relief. He also has many skills yet to challenge him. Many opportunities to climb, run, jump, skip, hop, and ride are necessary. Obstacle courses, for example, can be useful along these lines. His small muscles can be helped by activities like coloring, drawing, painting, simple sewing and embroidery, clay modeling, or building with bricks, blocks, and the many other available construction toys.

Emotionally, the preschooler vacillates between periods of equilibrium and disequilibrium. So much is happening inside, in terms of development, that it’s little wonder a normally easy-going three-year-old seems to fall apart on his fourth birthday. Parents must be lovingly sympathetic, offer what help they can, and at the same time not give in on non-negotiable rules.

All things considered, the preschool years should be a time of processing large quantities of information in an unpressured, enjoyable way. One is reminded of a part of the Master’s first Tablet to Shoghi Effendi, who was then only five years old:

“Now is not the time for you to read and write, it is the time for jumping about and chanting ‘O my God!’, therefore memorize the prayers of the Blessed Beauty and chant them that I may hear them, because there is no time for anything else.” (The Priceless Pearl, page 8)

The school age child, hopefully, greets the world with an extraordinary amount of knowledge about it and skills for manipulating it. Beginning formal education marks a major transition in a child’s life. It is probably his first extensive contact with the outside world. This is a mixed blessing, providing a host of new challenges and new opportunities.

Intellectually, his major tasks are reading and acquiring some basic math/science skills. Furthermore, these must develop in the midst of the social challenges of associating with other children.

Like learning language, learning to read is an incredibly complex process. Parents can support the teacher’s efforts by providing the child with a rich language environment, by reading to him, by listening to him read, and by patiently applauding his attempts.

It is also important to be sensitive to his struggles. Some children are developmentally ready to read at five, some not until seven, and some have special problems. Parents should be wary of their expectations and try not to put pressure on children to do something they are, as yet, incapable of doing.

This applies equally to computation skills. Children should have lots of opportunities to work with concrete materials in relation to math and science concepts (such as counting, adding, and subtracting with raisins, blocks, fingers, etc.). Only after much practice can a child do math problems in his head.

All through these early years, but particularly with school-age children, parents should be on the lookout for each child’s individual strengths. Of course, some are more obvious than others. One child’s gift will be intellectual brilliance, another’s will be physical coordination, or artistic ability, or deep sensitivity to the feelings of others. These capacities need to be encouraged through formal training, opportunities to practice them, and general support.

The basic aim is to help each child understand and love himself, develop his spiritual, intellectual, and physical capacities, compete against himself to improve, and learn how to use his abilities to serve his fellow man.

[Page 8]‘Now is not the time for you to read and write, it is the time for jumping about and chanting “O my God!”, therefore memorize the prayers of the Blessed Beauty and chant them that I may hear them, because there is no time for anything else!’

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Helping Our Children: Some Techniques

Perhaps the most important reason for finding out more about how children learn is so that we can help them. What is our real objective as Bahá’í parents? A brief statement by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá about what children should learn will help to put the goals into perspective:

“My hope is that your parents may educate you spiritually and give you thorough moral training. May you develop so that each one of you shall become imbued with all the virtues of the human world. May you advance in all degrees material and spiritual. May you become learned in sciences, acquire the arts and crafts, prove to be useful members of human society and assist the progress of human civilization. May you be a cause of the manifestation of divine bestowals; each one of you a shining star radiating the light of the oneness of humanity toward the horizons of the east and west. May you be devoted to the love and unity of mankind and through your efforts may the reality deposited in the human heart find its divine expression. I pray for you, asking the assistance and confirmation of God in your behalf.”

(Promulgation of Universal Peace, Vol. 1, page 88)

Just as a brief article such as this cannot do more than highlight a few basic principles about learning, it cannot hope to offer a comprehensive list of everything parents should do. It can, however, suggest a few examples and encourage you to develop other possibilities on your own.

One of the most effective teaching techniques is the power of example. Deeds have a far greater impact than words. The two most important examples, or models, for a Bahá’í child are ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and his or her own parents.

The Master, of course, is God’s unique gift to mankind, the Perfect Exemplar. Children can and should be taught about Him in a comprehensive way. They should learn about the qualities He exemplified—love, courtesy, justice, patience, honesty, courage, happiness, etc.—not just an isolated few.

Hearing stories and seeing Bahá’í devotion to Him can help children understand ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. The approach should be positive so children don’t feel threatened by Him, or come to think of Him as an imposing Figure Whom they frequently disappoint and Whose forgiveness they cannot seek. Children should know the Master’s unfailing love for them so that He becomes an inspiration.

Parents are also an important example to their children, for good or ill. Indeed, for younger children they are the most important example. Children will imitate what they see and hear, eventually forming their own habits and behaviors based largely on this modeling.

Children who see parents serving others will learn to serve, too, without the need for lectures on the subject. Children who do not see their parents as servants will have a much harder time acquiring this attribute. Children who see their parents argue will argue more readily. This principle can be applied in hundreds of different ways. Its importance cannot be overemphasized.

Developing good habits is another way to support learning. A habit is an action that is repeated over and over until it becomes second nature. We can develop good habits (spiritual habits) in the same way that we acquire bad habits, by practicing a virtue repeatedly until it no longer requires any conscious effort.

As already stated, example is one way to highlight habits the child should develop. It is best to develop good habits as early as possible. Parents can aid children to develop spiritual habits by taking guidance from the Writings. Morning and evening prayer[Page 9] should become an eagerly expected part of the child’s day, as should opportunities to be of service, to think of others, to contemplate the Teachings, and to strive for excellence.

One often overlooked habit that should be developed as early as possible is persistence—the ability to stick to something and carry it through to completion.

Our world with its constantly distracting barrage of stimulation makes acquiring this ability difficult, to say the least. At its root lies our will, or volition. Learning how to set goals and achieve them is critical to becoming an effective human being. We must be aware of this, and as early as possible help our children set and attain realistic objectives. We can help by not unnecessarily interrupting them at play, helping them with daily music practice, or assisting them to learn how to break difficult tasks into smaller, more manageable ones.

Another technique for teaching children is the use of analogy. We know that children learn from concrete to abstract. Concrete examples are needed to help clarify abstract concepts (“God is like the sun,” and so forth). This is true for material as well as spiritual principles.

In an article reprinted in the June 1953 issue of Child’s Way, the Hand of the Cause of God ‘Alí-Akbar Furútan said that we must teach our children the way Christ taught the people of His time, through the use of the familiar in the form of parables and the like. “A rose has the innate capacity to grow, but it cannot without the sun. The bounty of God is like the sun; it makes things grow.” He gives another example for older children about the Administrative Order:

“There is a fountain here, and we are standing at a distance from it. How can we get the benefit of the water? We must build a canal to bring it to us. If we throw dirt into the canal, the water will become muddy. Our own opinions and the things which we do that are wrong are like throwing dirt into the water. They block the passage.”

A child is reported to have asked ‘Abdu’l-Bahá why all the rivers in the world eventually flow to the ocean. He replied that the ocean sets itself lower than the rivers. Is this not also a perfect description of humility?

Parents must strive to explain physical and spiritual principles in language such as this, so that their children will understand the concepts involved.

This is one of a series of articles on children, parents and families that will appear in Bahá’í News during 1979, the International Year of the Child.

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[Page 11]Inauguration of Radio Bahá’í

By Mrs. Helen Hornby

THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

JOYOUSLY ANNOUNCE INAUGURATION RADIO BAHÁ’Í STOP 150 PARTICIPANTS FIRST DAY TEACHING CONFERENCE 200 OFFICIAL INAUGURATION STOP 1500 MUSIC FESTIVAL ATTENDANCE BAHÁ’ÍS FIVE NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES 20 TEACHERS AROSE INSPIRED WIN ASSEMBLY GOALS BY NOVEMBER GRATEFUL YOUR CONSTANT PRAYERS.

NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY OF ECUADOR

AUGUST 21, 1978

NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY ECUADOR

DELIGHTED YOUR CABLE MAY FORMAL INAUGURATION STATION RADIO BAHÁ’Í BRING WIDESPREAD REALIZATION NOBLE AIMS PURPOSES FAITH SERVE PEOPLES LOCAL AREA BRING ADVANCEMENT ECUADOR STOP DELIGHTED PROGRESS TOWARD GOALS PLAN AIDED BY HAPPY EVENTS OTAVALO PRAYING SUCCESSES CONFIRMATIONS BEYOND EXPECTATION.

LOVING GREETINGS

UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

AUGUST 28, 1978

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Excitement had been mounting all week as the day for inauguration of Radio Bahá’í drew near and helpers and participants began arriving from several countries and many regions of Ecuador.

Invitations had to be delivered in person to dignitaries over widely-scattered areas. Colorful posters depicting an Indian family in the campo (countryside) listening to the radio, made from an original painting by a famous Ecuadorian painter especially for this event, were placed in key locations. Radio announcements were made, using the talents of singers from various countries in[Page 12] South America.

Visitors had been arriving all week including National Spiritual Assembly representatives from Bolivia, Colombia, Panama and Peru. These moments of happiness were exceeded by even greater joy when the news was received that three members of the Continental Board of Counsellors for South America would be present for the inauguration.

On inauguration day, August 20, 1978, the first session, at the Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyi Khánum Institute in Otavalo, Ecuador, was opened at 10 a.m. with a warm welcome to the participants from Donald Stewart, chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of Ecuador. Mr. Stewart then offered a brief explanation of the purpose of Radio Bahá’í.

Counsellor Raúl Pavón, who was chosen by the Universal House of Justice as its representative at the opening ceremony, spoke of the universality of the principles of the Bahá’í Faith, of the spiritual, educational, cultural and humanitarian purposes of Radio Bahá’í, and of the fact that although radio has been used by the Bahá’ís for many years to proclaim the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh, it is a great challenge and a singular honor for Ecuador to have been chosen to initiate the first Bahá’í-owned radio station, thus making the country the parent for future Bahá’í-owned stations. As its offspring are born in country after country, he said, they will grow and develop based on the experiences of this “pilot project” undertaken by the Universal House of Justice during the Five Year Plan.

The message from the Universal House of Justice was read by Counsellor Pavón and translated into the Quechua language by Srta. María Peraguachi:

WITH JOYOUS HEARTS WE HAIL OFFICIAL INAUGURATION IN ECUADOR OF THE FIRST RADIO STATION IN THE BAHÁ’Í WORLD. AUSPICIOUS MAJOR STEP FULFILLMENT GOAL OF THE FIVE YEAR PLAN OF INCREASING THE USE OF MASS COMMUNICATION IN PROCLAIMING AND TEACHING THE FAITH OF BAHÁ’U’LLÁH. MAY THIS HAPPY EVENT BE THE FORERUNNER AND THE INSPIRATION FOR THE EARLY ESTABLISHMENT OF RADIO STATIONS IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD AS A NOTABLE SERVICE NOT ONLY TO THE FOLLOWERS OF THE BAHÁ’Í FAITH BUT TO ALL PEOPLES. WE WILL SUPPLICATE BAHÁ’U’LLÁH IN THE HOLY SHRINES THAT HIS BLESSINGS AND CONFIRMATIONS WILL DESCEND UPON ALL WHO LABOUR FOR THE SUCCESS OF THIS WORTHY UNDERTAKING.

THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

Counsellor Masu’d Khamsi, who represented the Board of Counsellors for South America, brought loving greetings from those Counsellors who were unable to be present. He paid special tribute to the “Mother of South America,” Counsellor Leonora Holsapple Armstrong, who so ardently desired to be present at this historic event, but owing to her age and frailty, could not come.

Counsellor Khamsi called the attention of the indigenous participants to the words spoken by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá during World War I: “...For these souls are like the ancient inhabitants of Peninsular Arabia ... should these Indians and aborigines be educated and obtain guidance, there is no doubt that through the divine teachings, they will become so enlightened as in turn to shed light to all regions.”

Counsellor Khamsi added that he believes this first Bahá’í-owned radio station, situated in the territory of these indigenous friends, came about as a result of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s[Page 13] prophecy about them—giving them the means whereby they can learn and advance more rapidly, participate in its programs, and attain the heights to which they have been divinely called. It is their responsibility, he said, to support and nourish this gift of God ordained for their advancement.

Athos Costas, Counsellor from Argentina, spoke briefly but enthusiastically concerning the significance of Radio Bahá’í, the lofty purpose it will fulfill, the interest it has engendered throughout the Bahá’í world, and the blessing bestowed upon the indigenous people of Otavalo as well as others in that area who will be reached by this radio frequency.

Mr. Pavón, who acted as host for the ceremony with the National Spiritual Assembly, introduced the visiting dignitaries from Otavalo. Dr. Osvaldo Parades, director of Colegio Otavalo, said he was pleased to have been invited to this significant event sponsored by the Bahá’ís, that he has been impressed by the Bahá’ís for some time, and that he welcomes Radio Bahá’í as a further enhancement, spiritually and culturally, not only of his native city of Otavalo but of the country as a whole.

The distinguished anthropologist, Sr. Coba, who represented the Institute of Anthropology in Otavalo, expressed his admiration for the cultural and spiritual purpose of Radio Bahá’í. The work of the institute, he said, is closely related to the work the Bahá’ís are performing with the indigenous people in the area, and Radio Bahá’í lends further prestige and advancement to the city of Otavalo and to Ecuador.

The representative of Radio Turismo (a station that was utilized for many years to broadcast Bahá’í radio programs) said that some years ago his station had seen the need for the types of programs that Radio Bahá’í is now developing, but was unable to carry it through because of inadequate financial support. He expressed best wishes to Radio Bahá’í along with a desire for continued collaboration and understanding between the Bahá’í station and his own.

Visitors from other radio and television stations also were present. Sr. Edmundo Espinosa, a newsman and cameraman from Quito, did a live TV interview with Counsellors Costas and Khamsi that dealt with the purpose of their visit to Ecuador and the inauguration of Radio Bahá’í.

Many lovely songs were interspersed in the program including several composed by Sra. Clementina de Pavón that were sung as a tribute to the herculean service she has rendered and continues to render, in spite of her own disabilities, to the Otavalean Indians.

On behalf of the National Spiritual Assembly of Ecuador, Ralph Dexter, program director of Radio Bahá’í, presented an inscribed silver plaque to Sra. Isabel de Calderón in recognition of her marvelous service in seeking and finally securing government approval of a radio frequency and permission to broadcast. Time and again it seemed an insurmountable task, as government approval was denied three times. The Universal House of Justice wrote to the National Assembly of Ecuador, applauding Sra. Calderón’s history-making service, and adding that “only through her personal initiative and persistency was the allocation of the frequency ... made possible.”

Kamram Mansurí, Auxiliary Board member Charles Hornby, Anita Miller, Diana Cellerí, Piedad Cellerí, Wolfgang Werle, Rodriguez Quintero and others who have played vital roles in the management of Radio Bahá’í and the construction of the station and its antenna, were called to the stage to receive recognition for their unforgettable and, at times, perilous labors. In tribute to their efforts, the Universal House of Justice wrote:

“The House of Justice requests your Assembly to extend its warm commendation to the radio production personnel for their hard and disciplined pioneering labour in developing the basis for a full-time broadcasting station. It is their devotion alone which can make the vision of the National Assembly into a reality fulfilling their hopes for an effective instrument of proclamation and teaching to support the goals of the Faith.”

Among those who could not be present but who was lovingly and gratefully remembered was Dean Stephens, the consultant/engineer for Radio Bahá’í who designed and installed the antenna, gave freely of his time and knowledge to those responsible for the project, and rendered countless services so that Radio Bahá’í might become a reality.

The ceremony ended at midday, and was followed by a luncheon for the dignitaries with members of the Board of Counsellors, National Spiritual Assembly and Auxiliary Board.

That afternoon, the indigenous believers presented a music festival that was attended by more than 1,500 people including indigenous professional musicians from many localities. The mood was festive; everyone was rejoicing at the formal opening of the Bahá’í radio station, and no one wanted to leave, so the music lingered long into the night even though most had to walk many miles in the dark to return to their homes.

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Costa Rica

For more than a year, the National Women’s Committee has sponsored monthly teas in communities all over Costa Rica. The purpose of the teas is to give Bahá’í and non-Bahá’í women a chance to discuss their changing role in society, and also for non-Bahá’ís to be able to hear the message of Bahá’u’lláh.

These events have been quite successful, and many non-Bahá’í women in the Central Valley are regular attendees. The teas have been so successful, in fact, that the Bahá’í men have asked to be included.

It came as a great surprise to the non-Bahá’í visitors to hear the men discussing the importance of the equality of men and women and to observe them helping out in the kitchen.

José Miguel Alfaro (second from right), acting president of Costa Rica, was presented with a copy of the book, The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh, September 25 by (left to right) Esquilo Monge, Mrs. Rita de Tomás, and Neda Aghdasi, representing the Bahá’í community of Costa Rica. The friends took the opportunity to inform government officials of the non-political character of the Faith and the Bahá’í principle of obedience to government.

For the first time, a Bahá’í float was entered this year in the annual Fiestas in Santa Cruz, Costa Rica. It consisted of a truck covered by palm leaves, a large globe of papier maché, and the words ‘La Fe Bahá’í’ and ‘El Mundo Es Un Pais, Y El Hombre Sus Cuidadanos’ (The Earth Is One Country, and Mankind Its Citizens).

Bahá’ís in Santa Cruz, Costa Rica, prepared this booth for the annual Fiestas in Santa Cruz this summer. The booth was set up in the front yard of a Bahá’í pioneer whose home is on the corner of the plaza where the Fiestas are held.

[Page 15]

United States

A dramatic upsurge in teaching brought the U.S. Bahá’í community by mid-November to the brink of achieving the Five Year Plan goal of 1,400 Local Spiritual Assemblies in that country.

From early October to November 12, the 161st anniversary of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh, more than 200 Local Assemblies were formed, bringing the total number in the U.S. on that date to 1,318. By November 22 the total stood at 1,373.

The U.S. National Teaching Committee called for 1,400 Assemblies by November 26, the Day of the Covenant, with a supplemental goal of 1,550 Assemblies by the end of the Plan on April 20, 1979.

For the first time since the start of the Five Year Plan, the number of U.S. localities in which Bahá’ís reside has risen above 6,000. The goal of the plan is 7,000 localities.

Many of the recent Assembly formations have taken place in the southern U.S., especially Georgia, South Carolina and Texas, where teams have been contacting and re-teaching many people who were enrolled in the Faith during large-scale teaching campaigns at the close of the Nine Year Plan.

The teaching work was greatly assisted by Dr. Hidáyatu’lláh Aḥmadíyyih, a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors for Central America, who spent eight weeks in the U.S. from September to November.

Central African Empire

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Central African Empire reports that it has prepared and broadcast more than 260 consecutive weekly Bahá’í radio programs on the government radio station during the last five years. The programs were originally 15 minutes long, and were lengthened to 30 minutes in 1976.

The broadcasts, prepared in the French and Sango languages, serve as opportunities to deepen the Bahá’ís as well as teach the Faith. Program topics have included:

• Bahá’í history.
• Social principles of the Faith.
• Bahá’í Administration.
• Living the Bahá’í life.
• Unity of religions.
• Teachings of the Prophets of God.
• Bahá’í Holy Days.
• Bahá’í laws.

Music is included in the programs, as well as announcements informing the Bahá’ís throughout the country of upcoming Feasts, Holy Days, Local Spiritual Assembly elections, conferences, conventions, and so on.

Malaysia

About 80 Bahá’í children ages 6 to 15 attended a Regional Institute held August 2-5 at Port Dickson, West Malaysia. The success of a similar program for children last May in connection with the 15th National Convention of the Bahá’ís of Malaysia, attended by some 100 children, and this most recent effort encouraged the planning of a third such gathering for November.

Also in August, the first Bahá’í Summer School to be held on the east coast of the Malaysian peninsula, with 180 believers attending, enjoyed the presence of the Hand of the Cause of God Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir and four members of the Continental Board of Counsellors for South East Asia—Inparaju Chinniah, Vicente Samaniego, Yan Kee Leong, and Dr. Chellie Sundram.

[Page 16]

Alaska

A large photo on the front page of the July 21, 1978, issue of the Kodiak (Alaska) Daily Mirror is of Ray Tufts, a Bahá’í and professional boat-builder from Kodiak, and his 42-foot powerboat, the “Cedric,” named after the ship on which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá came to America in 1912.

The photo caption explains the meaning of the boat’s name and points out that it will be used part of the year for halibut fishing and the rest of the time “to spread the Bahá’í Faith in Kodiak villages.”

Peru

The first Aymara Bahá’í Conference was held August 26-28 in Juli, Peru, on the shores of Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world. More than 200 Bahá’ís from Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru attended.

Continental Counsellors Mas’ud Khamsi and Raúl Pavón participated in this historic event, as did members of the National Spiritual Assembly and the Auxiliary Board.

Local authorities of Juli cooperated fully by offering the municipal theater and accommodations for participants. The mayor, Mrs. Denise Iturry, opened the conference. In her address, she complimented the Bahá’ís for working toward the unity of mankind.

The entire conference was conducted in the Aymara language. A capacity audience listened attentively to a talk by Counsellor Pavón on “Man and the Modern World.” Mr. Pavón’s talk was followed by parts of the film, The Green Light Expedition, that concerned Peru and Bolivia.

The mayor of Juli and the Counsellors participated in a ceremony that formally opened the newly-decorated Dr. Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir Teaching Institute, named in honor of the beloved Hand of the Cause of God who so greatly inspired the friends in Peru during his visits to that country.

The Aymara conference was announced a week beforehand on national radio and television in Lima, the capital of Peru. Auxiliary Board member Fernando Sciantarelli was interviewed with an Aymaran believer who spoke of the conference in his native language.

Local believers designed posters and created hand-woven name tags that were worn with pride. Each name tag included a nine-pointed star and the word “Bahá’í” embroidered on cloth.

After the conference, teams of six teachers each were formed to implement the “Spiritual Conquest of Lake Titicaca” plan.

More than 200 Bahá’ís from Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru were present August 26-28 in Juli, Peru, for the first Aymara International Bahá’í Conference. The entire conference was conducted in the Aymara language. Those who attended witnessed the formal opening of the Dr. Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir Teaching Institute in Juli.

[Page 17]

Zaire

Following a brief radio program on the Bahá’í Faith, the interviewer told pioneers to Zaire John and Bahin Newport that he thought the interview was too short, and wondered if a longer program could be prepared.

Subsequently, the station’s director and two other staff members interviewed the Newports and another Bahá’í for more than an hour.

At the end of the interview, the station employees were so enthusiastic about the Faith that they asked for more information, and some made appointments to visit the Newports to hear more about Bahá’u’lláh.

The radio interview attracted considerable attention. On the morning following the program, a number of reporters who had heard it visited the Newports and asked questions. One of the reporters requested a book, and was given a copy of Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era.

He read the book, then returned with five questions in writing. The Newports wrote careful answers to the questions, and delivered them to the newspaper office.

The next day two of the questions and answers—exactly as written—appeared in the paper. On the second day two more were printed, and on the third day the final question and answer appeared.

This was done despite the fact that the newspaper, because of a shortage of paper, had reduced its size to four pages and reportedly had been holding some articles for up to six months, waiting for space to print them.

The newspaper articles, coming so soon after the radio interviews, attracted many more people. A woman television announcer told the Newports she was a Bahá’í; another woman—a reporter—declared her belief in Bahá’u’lláh and asked for more books to read.

Italy

Wide publicity was given to recent visits to several Italian cities by Mrs. Meherangiz Munsiff, a Bahá’í visitor from the United Kingdom.

Mrs. Munsiff was interviewed on radio, television, and in newspapers, and was the featured speaker at several public meetings. Her talks centered around the teachings of the Bahá’í Faith on education, the role of women in society, and the oneness of mankind.

Mrs. Munsiff received an enthusiastic response to her presentations.

Mrs. Meherangiz Munsiff (center), a Bahá’í from the United Kingdom, paid a visit to the gravesite of Marie Ciocca Holmlund, a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh to Sardinia, while on a recent teaching trip to Italy. With Mrs. Munsiff are Mrs. Holmlund’s son, Michael (left), and Mrs. Livia Pargentino, the first native-born Bahá’í in Sardinia.

A mobile classroom prepared by the Bahá’ís of Italy has been instrumental in establishing several new Local Spiritual Assemblies there. It consists of a small enclosed trailer and a large plastic tent. The equipment includes a slide projector and screen, chairs, a selection of posters, photographs, and pamphlets, and a small Bahá’í library. Everything fits inside the trailer for easy transport. The classroom cost about $6,500.

[Page 18]

Sri Lanka

In Sri Lanka in April, seven Bahá’í women—local friends and pioneers—fulfilled a pledge they made at a women’s conference last February to travel and teach.

They traveled to Jaffira, the northernmost Tamil-speaking province in Sri Lanka, to teach the Faith.

During their four-day visit, they spoke at a fireside and to a group of 50 children who attended an evening class. Also, the youngest member of the team gave her first public talk on “The Removal of Prejudice” at a meeting in a community of Tamils.

The team then visited Point Pedro and held a children’s class on the beach. The diversity of the women’s group, and the sight of foreigners wearing saris, attracted attention wherever the women went.

Other women have formed an active women’s committee in Kandy. It has organized successful teaching picnics and fund-raising socials.

Above, seven Bahá’í women undertook a teaching trip in April to Jaffira, the northernmost Tamil-speaking province in Sri Lanka.

Shown on the left is a children’s class at the beach in Point Pedro, Sri Lanka. The class was conducted by a four-member Bahá’í teaching team that visited there in April.

Japan

The Tokyo Bahá’í Center was the scene last March of a fireside given by Dr. Glenn L. Booman, a traveling teacher from the United States. Among those present were visitors from Egypt and Írán.

[Page 19]

Esperanto League

Eight members of the Bahá’í Esperanto League (BEL) from Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, the United States and the Soviet Union attended the 63rd Universala Kongreso de Esperanto (Universal Esperanto Congress) July 29-August 5 in Varna, Bulgaria.

The Congress was attended by more than 5,000 Esperantists from 50 countries, making it the largest such gathering in recent history. According to the World Almanac, there are more than a million people who speak the International Language (the official name of the Esperanto language).

The BEL held its own mini-Congress on August 3. Seventy-five people from 14 countries, mostly eastern European, attended. Slides were shown, and a question period ran three hours past the scheduled time.

Boxes of Bahá’í literature including 25 copies of the newly-published Esperanto edition of Paris Talks were distributed. Two people, one from Poland and one from Czechoslovakia, declared their belief in Bahá’u’lláh while several others expressed an interest in corresponding in Esperanto about the Faith.

On July 31, the BEL observed the Feast of Asmá (Perfection) in Esperanto and discussed a recent proposal by Australian UN Ambassador Ralph Harry to introduce Esperanto into the UN experimentally over a five-year period.

—John Dale

Scotland

The newly-acquired Bahá’í Center in Edinburgh, Scotland, was the scene Saturday, June 10, of the first Bahá’í wedding ever to take place in Scotland without a civil ceremony. The bride is Pamela McClure, the groom Brian O’Toole. Both are from Glasgow. The wedding officer, one of three Bahá’í in Scotland authorized to carry out weddings, was Surgeon-Commander John More-Nisbet of Edinburgh. Since this was the first non-Christian or non-Jewish marriage ceremony to be recognized in Scotland, news of it was published in one national, two Scottish and one local newspaper. BBC Radio-Scotland even recorded and broadcast a part of the ceremony and gave an accurate outline of the Faith. Three weeks after the wedding Brian O’Toole pioneered to Guyana were he soon was joined by his wife.

[Page 20]

Taiwan

For the third year, Taiwan’s Bahá’í Summer School has been held at a Catholic retreat and convent in the village of Kwanchi that is rented from time to time to non-Catholic groups for meetings and seminars.

The three-day Summer School, which was preceded by a nationwide newspaper ad campaign, was well-attended by Bahá’ís and seekers, with nearly 50 people on hand.

It marked a significant step forward in the teaching work in Taiwan, as it was conducted almost entirely in Chinese with translations into English.

Classes were held on the Central Figures of the Faith, the Guardian, the Covenant, and the institutions of the Faith. Two lovely slide shows were presented, both of them scripted in Chinese.

Miss Tim Reed, a Bahá’í from Alaska who was traveling and teaching this summer in Taiwan, provided musical entertainment.

—Douglas Terrel

A summer in Taiwan proved to be a successful teaching venture for Miss Tim Reed, a journalism student at the University of Alaska.

Though Miss Reed speaks no Chinese, she is an accomplished singer, and drew large crowds of seekers and music lovers wherever she appeared. These people then learned more about the Faith from local believers and members of the teaching team who accompanied Miss Reed.

Her appearances, which were coordinated by the National Teaching Committee of Taiwan, played a large role in a summer of intensive teaching in that country.

Miss Reed’s parents settled many years ago as Bahá’í pioneers in the village of Nenana, near Fairbanks, Alaska. Although she has traveled throughout Alaska teaching the Faith in remote villages, this was Miss Reed’s first overseas teaching trip.

—Douglas Terrel

Pakistan

Amar Mal (second from left), a Bahá’í in Goth Chandio, Pakistan, founded and operates a school for some 35 Bahá’í children. He opens each class with Bahá’í prayers and gives lessons on Bahá’í history and Teachings. Mr. Mal is employed by the government education department, which has promised to encourage the school’s further development.

The National Spiritual Assembly of Pakistan, recognizing the importance of educating Bahá’í children, has built a new Bahá’í school at Tharkarpar. Shown here are some of the friends who helped with the construction. The school was to open last May with attendance limited at first to 60 children, and only the children of Bahá’ís admitted. The staff is composed of educated Bahá’ís, and the school imparts primary and secondary education.

[Page 21]

Bermuda

The Bahá’í of Bermuda took part in a series of proclamation events at the Bahá’í Center in Hamilton on October 20-24 with Bahá’ís visiting from the U.S.

Walter Heath, a Bahá’í from San Fernando, California, entertained a full auditorium with music in celebration of the anniversary of the Birth of the Báb on Friday evening, October 20.

On Saturday evening, Donald Kinney, the son of Bahá’í parents in whose home ‘Abdu’l-Bahá stayed during His visit to America, shared with the friends many wonderful stories of those early believers. The following day, he gave a public talk, “Religion for a New Day,” and presented a slide program of the Holy Land. Mr. Kinney, his wife, Pat, and their son are residents of New Jersey.

Mr. Heath and Mr. Kinney also appeared on the popular TV show, Bermuda Today.

On October 24, United Nations Day was observed with a public meeting at which Mrs. Nancy Mondschein of New York City spoke on “The Rights of Children.”

Top left, Bahá’ís who attended the celebration in Bermuda of the anniversary of the Birth of the Báb included (left to right) Marcus Richmond, Pat Kinney, Georgia Sánchez, Donald Kinney, Reta Martin, Walter Heath.

Second from the top, Mrs. Nancy Mondschein of New York City spoke on ‘The Rights of Children’ at the United Nations Day observance October 24 in Hamilton, Bermuda. The event was sponsored by the Bermuda Teaching Committee.

Left, Walter Heath, a Bahá’í musician from California, entertains Bahá’ís from Bermuda and their guests during the United Nations Day observance October 24 at the Bahá’í Center in Hamilton.

Bahá’ís in Bermuda are shown after completing the Assembly Development Program sponsored by the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States. The program was held in Bermuda from September 23-30. This photo was enlarged, printed on invitations, and sent to dignitaries in Bermuda for the Bahá’í community’s United Nations Day observance in October.