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Bahá’í News

April 1979

Bahá’í Year 136

West African Bahá’í Women’s Conference

[Page 0] Love That Child

The National Spiritual Assembly of the United States is producing a number of proclamation materials for the United Nations’ International Year of the Child, following the theme, “Love That Child.” Promotional materials will include ads (such as the one at the right), posters, radio and television public service announcements, T-shirts, buttons, balloons, bumper stickers, and bookmarks. The campaign even has its own theme song. Materials can be obtained by writing the Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 415 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois, U.S.A., 60091.

[Page 1]

Contents

The disturbances in Írán
A message from the Universal House of Justice	2
The peoples of God: Part 8
Teaching among the indigenous peoples of Chile	4
Counsellor Florence Mayberry
Talks about the International Teaching Centre	6
West African Bahá’í Women’s Conference
Bahá’ís from 16 countries gather at Monrovia, Liberia	10
Around the world
News from Bahá’í communities in every corner of the globe	16

Cover

This issue of Bahá’í News features a report on the West African Bahá’í Women’s Conference held last December 28-31 in Monrovia, Liberia. The conference logo, conceived and produced by K. Adaikkalam, incorporates three symbols: a woman in prayer, representing mankind; the sun, representing the Sun of Reality; and a bird in flight, representing the Holy Spirit bringing spiritual education for the perfection of mankind.

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]

A Message from the Universal House of Justice

To All National Spiritual Assemblies

Dear Bahá’í Friends:

From reports in the news media you have no doubt learned of the disturbances in Írán. The followers of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh have in the land of its birth once again been subjected to severe persecution and active repression.

The National Spiritual Assembly compiled during the month of October 1978 a list of 93 cases dealing with personal injuries inflicted upon individual believers and of damages to houses, shops, crops and livestock, as well as to local Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds. During the month of December organized mobs attacked Bahá’ís and their properties in Shíráz and its environs. As a result of these attacks over 300 homes were either burned or destroyed, and some 200 looted. In these events 15 believers were beaten and wounded, and two were killed. Fortunately the intention of the attackers to destroy the Holy House of the Báb was not carried out, but the spirit of aggressive animosity towards the Bahá’ís spread to several centres throughout the province of Fars, including the town of Marvdasht, where 31 Bahá’í homes were looted and the imposing structure of the local Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds reared by that community was razed to the ground.

Following these events, a wave of persecution spread to the north of the country. In several towns and villages of Ádhirbáyján, and particularly in Mihán-du-Áb, the onslaught was severe. In the latter town the first target was the local Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds, which was totally destroyed, and this was followed by the burning or looting of 80 homes and the brutal murder of two believers, a father and his son, whose bodies were then dragged through the streets, cut into pieces, and consigned to the flames.

The organized and violent assaults on Bahá’í lives and properties have emboldened and incited hooligans all over the country, and the oppressed Bahá’ís are constantly under threat of mass aggression and assault.

The acts of hostility against Bahá’ís have so far cost four lives, millions of dollars in loss of property, and the displacement of some 700 individuals who have become homeless. The spirit of the Bahá’ís, however, is very high, and acts of heroism and magnanimity have been reported, which historians will record for posterity.

The National Spiritual Assembly of Írán has instituted a special fund for the relief of the needy and suffering from among the believers in that country. The House of Justice has already contributed a sum of $135,000 to this fund, and it calls upon all friends in every land to offer of their substance, at this hour of need, to help their

[Page 3] tormented brethren in the Cradle of the Faith. All contributions should preferably be sent to the Universal House of Justice, which will ensure that the contributions are transmitted safely to the National Spiritual Assembly of Írán.

The House of Justice further calls on the friends the world over to join it in fervent prayers for the protection of the Faith and the Holy Places and for the relief and deliverance of the beloved and steadfast friends in Írán. It particularly invites the friends to pray daily during the period of the Fast, supplicating Bahá’u’lláh that the distressing plight of the Persian Community may be mitigated and that their sorrows and deprivations may be transmuted into comfort and joy through His grace and bounty.

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

[Page 4]

The Peoples of God Part 8: Chile

(The following article on teaching among the Mapuche Indians in southern Chile was written for Bahá’í News by Reed Chandler.—Ed.)

•

On March 8, 1964, a cablegram was sent to the World Centre in Haifa, Israel, from Temuco, Chile; “JOYFULLY INFORM MASS TEACHING STARTED AMONG MAPUCHE TRIBES CAUTIN PROVINCE SOUTHERN CHILE.”

The author of the cable was the Hand of the Cause of God Jalál Kházeh, the first of several Hands of the Cause to visit and teach in that spiritually fertile region among the Mapuche and Araucanian Indians.

Since that message was sent, many wonderful things have happened among these friends in the far south of the world. Today there are close to 9,000 Mapuche believers and more than 90 Local Spiritual Assemblies in the provinces of Cautin, Malleco and Arauco.

The Mapuches have been represented since 1972 on the National Spiritual Assembly of Chile, and from among them have come an Auxiliary Board member and many assistants to the Auxiliary Board.

These friends have received the great bounty of having been visited and taught by the Hands of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá RúḥíyyihKhánum, Abú’l-Qásim Faizí, Dr. Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir and Enoch Olinga, in addition to Mr. Kházeh, and by Continental Counsellors Hooper Dunbar, Mas’úd Khamsí and Athos Costas.

In addition, there has been a small but constant flow of homefront and American pioneers to the area; presently, two pioneers from the U.S. are living in Cautin Province.

Instrumental in the beginning of the teaching work among the Indians in Cautin was Katherine Meyer, a pioneer from the U.S. and Knight of Bahá’u’lláh who was named an Auxiliary Board member for protection while living in the Mapuche region. She remained for five years among the Mapuches, radiantly accepting such hardships as walking many miles, sleeping on the ground for days at a time, and weathering an often inhospitable climate.

Miss Meyer serves as a strong and loving example of sacrifice for the pioneers who have followed her into the Mapuche area. She now lives in northern Chile very near the Aymará Indians who inhabit that part of the country.

Teaching work among the Mapuche tribes, who are isolated from other areas of the country by the great desert to the north, the Andes mountains to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west, has moved steadily forward, strengthened immeasurably by loving letters and cables from the Universal House of Justice, the Hands of the Cause, the Continental Counsellors and the Chilean National Spiritual Assembly.

One such letter came recently from the Hand of the Cause Mr. Faizí to a family of pioneers living in the area. At the close of this letter of love and support he said “... keep on, because you are

[Page 5] awakening a giant who is asleep. Such a tribe is the greatest asset to us. Once they are awakened they will arise to conquer. It is within their long-treasured powers to withstand the severest tests and to remove the greatest obstacles. Keep on. Depend upon Him. His unfailing aid will come...”

Such messages are as a torch lighting the hearts of all the teachers and pioneers in the area.

The children of the Mapuche families are especially receptive to the Message of Bahá’u’lláh, and they can often be heard chanting “‘Alláh’u’Abhá” or singing Bahá’í songs as one passes a group of huts on the way to teach.

There are 10 regular children’s classes in the countryside on various reservations; recently, the first Regional Bahá’í Children’s Conference in Chile was held in the Mapuche community of Cerro Loncoche. Children are seen as an important part of any long-range teaching effort, and among the Mapuches they participate at all levels of community activity.

There are at present three Bahá’í Centers in Mapuche communities with two more under construction by local believers. During the course of the Five Year Plan 15 local endowments have been given to the Faith by Mapuche families, and these remote communities also are becoming conscious of the need and privilege of giving regularly to the Bahá’í Fund.

Most important of all, however, is the fact that the Mapuches have arisen to teach the Cause of God with great fervor and humility. Recently there were more than 1,100 enrollments in less than three weeks, due largely to the efforts of the local Chilean and Indian friends. The potential is enormous, as it is in similar areas throughout South America.

The Mapuche believers have played a truly important role in winning the goals of the Five Year Plan. Bahá’ís from the Chilean Mapuche region have made no less than four trips during the Plan to neighboring Argentina to teach among the indigenous tribes there. The National Spiritual Assembly of Chile is preparing to send the first Mapuche pioneer to southern Argentina, which is a goal of the Plan.

The 90 Local Spiritual Assemblies among the Mapuche Indians compares to a total of 115 throughout Chile itself, a number that far surpasses the Five Year Plan goal of 75. Recently, the annual Spring Bahá’í School was held for the first time in a Mapuche community (Loncopulle), and in the city of Temuco the National Spiritual Assembly purchased the first District Bahá’í Center in Chile.

Pioneers to the Mapuche region have found that mass conversion will sustain and expand itself alone if supported and encouraged by the friends. It is so natural that these tribal societies, which live so close together and recognize the great need for unity as a means for their survival, should be strongly attracted to the Faith.

Pioneers also have become aware that these indigenous peoples possess the love and purity of heart that will enable them to blaze forth with such intensity that the world will take notice and hear the call of their Cause, the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh.

Top right, on March 12, 1964, the Nahuelpan family from the Cardal Reservation in Chile became the first Mapuche Indian family to enroll in the Faith. With them (second from the left in back row) is a pioneer, Mrs. Binda, now deceased.

Above, in 1972 pioneers Reed Chandler (left) from the U.S. and Pedro Jorge Muñoz (second from right) from Chile came to live among the Mapuche Indians. Both Mr. Muñoz and Mr. Chandler and his family are still there, working among the more than 8,000 believers in that area. Also shown here are Mapuche Indians Pedro Salvador (right) and Antonio Lizama, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Chile, both of whom are from the Painenche community.

Opposite page, top, some of the friends attending a children’s class at the Bahá’í Institute in Nueva Imperial, Chile.

Opposite page, bottom, Necul Painemal, a Mapuche Indian and Auxiliary Board member, pauses between musical selections to deliver the Message. Mr. Painemal devotes much of his time to working with local communities, and has made valuable contributions through his translation of many pamphlets and, more recently, The Hidden Words and Bahá’í prayer book.

[Page 6]

An interview with Counsellor Florence Mayberry

Counsellor Florence Mayberry, a member of the International Teaching Centre.

It was in June 1973 when the International Teaching Centre, “destined (to) evolve into one (of) those world-shaking, world-embracing, world-directing institutions ordained by Bahá’u’lláh, anticipated by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, elucidated by Shoghi Effendi,”¹ met for the first time in Haifa, Israel.

With the establishment of the International Teaching Centre, the Universal House of Justice brought to a successful conclusion a task made necessary by the passing of the Guardian in 1957 without an appointed successor. After prolonged consultation, that institution decided, in November 1964, that “there is no way to appoint, or to legislate to make it possible to appoint, Hands of the Cause of God.”²

The House of Justice found it imperative to establish the proper machinery for carrying forward the work of the Hands of the Cause of God. Therefore, one of the goals of the Nine Year Plan, the first Plan initiated by the Universal House of Justice, was to develop further “the institution of the Hands of the Cause of God, in consultation with the body of the Hands of the Cause, with a view to the extension into the future of its appointed functions of protection and propagation.”³

The initial step in the successful completion of this task came in June 1968, when the Universal House of Justice announced in a cable its “momentous decision establish eleven Continental Boards Counsellors protection propagation Faith ... Adoption this significant step following consultation with Hands Cause God ensures extension future appointed functions their institution.”⁴

However, the function of coordination of these Boards, as well as the function of liaison between the Universal House of Justice and the Continental Boards, still devolved upon the Hands of the Cause of God residing in the Holy Land. These functions were expanded with the establishment in 1973 of the International Teaching Centre, “a development which,” wrote the House of Justice, “at one and the same time, brings to fruition the work of the Hands of the Cause of God residing in the Holy Land and provides for its extension into the future, links the institution of the Boards of Counsellors even more intimately with that of the Hands of the Cause of God, and powerfully reinforces the discharge of the rapidly growing responsibilities of the

[Page 7] Universal House of Justice.”⁵

The membership of the International Teaching Centre is made up of all of the Hands of the Cause of God and, initially, three Counsellors who reside permanently in the Holy Land. Florence Mayberry, appointed as a Counsellor in North America with the first contingent of Counsellors in 1968, was among those asked to serve as members of the International Teaching Centre.

“I remember the day I found out I had been appointed to the International Teaching Centre,” Mrs. Mayberry said in a recent interview for Bahá’í News. “I ran the central office of the Counsellors for North America—I was a Counsellor at the time.

“I remember I had to make a phone call, but when I went to the telephone, picked up the receiver and started to dial, I realized that the line was open.

“A voice asked me, ‘Is this Florence Mayberry?’

“I said, ‘Yes, it is.’

“Then the voice said, ‘Hold the line, please. This is Haifa calling—Mr. Wolcott wants to speak to you.’

“Well, that was quite a surprise. So Charles Wolcott, a member of the Universal House of Justice, came on the line, and he said, ‘Hello, Florence? This is Charles Wolcott. Are you sitting down?’

“I said, ‘No, I’m not.’

“So he said, ‘Well, then sit down.’

“I had a chair handy, so I sat down, and then he told me that I was one of the three selected to be on the International Teaching Centre. Mind you, there had just been an International Convention and I had just come back from the Holy Land. Nevertheless, he asked me, ‘Can you be back in Haifa next week?’

“I replied, ‘Yes.’ Just like that—no hesitation.

“The first thing I did was to call my husband, Dave. When I told him, there was not quite a minute’s hesitation, and he said, ‘Well, that means we’ll sell our business.’ That was his response.

“I left for Haifa, and I remember arriving in the evening at the hotel where the two other Counsellors for the International Teaching Centre were staying—Hooper Dunbar and ‘Aziz Yazdi. I didn’t see them right away, but they were waiting for me, downstairs in the dining room.

“We lovingly greeted each other, and then discussed—without really knowing what our responsibilities would be—what we might be expected to do.

“The next day we met with the four Hands of the Cause who were residing in the Holy Land—Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum, Mr. Furútan, Mr. Faizí, and Mr. Haney. Although all the Hands of the Cause of God were to be members of the International Teaching Centre, the four Hands and the three Counsellors living in the Holy Land were to make up the administrative nucleus of the Centre.

“The day after that, we had a meeting with the Universal House of Justice. We went into the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh and had prayers together. Then we met in the pilgrim house at Bahjí. The House of Justice welcomed us all most lovingly, and discussed with us the organization of the International Teaching Centre.

“When the Counsellors rejoined the Hands of the Cause in Haifa in early fall to take up permanent residence, the House of Justice informed us that we would start immediately working on the basics of the next Plan—what would eventually become the Five Year Plan.

“There were many meetings afterward, when we had settled in Haifa. When you’re with the House of Justice in such a meeting, it is a continual delight. They encourage the individual to speak out frankly, with whatever ideas are on his or her mind. In this way there is a free flow of ideas, and the House of Justice can draw freely upon each individual.

“You never feel constrained. You feel warm, you feel supported, you feel great confidence. This infallible body is a joy, a constant miraculous pleasure to observe.

“It’s marvelous to consider that this supreme body of the Bahá’í world is so loving and so understanding and that it so warmly welcomes ideas from each individual. At the same time it carries the tremendous responsibility—the gift, one might say—of infallibility.

“When I am in the presence of the House of Justice, I experience the same spiritual feeling—almost ecstasy —that I felt in the presence of the Guardian, although the Guardian was a single individual and the House of Justice is a body of men.

“After we had consulted with the House of Justice, and it had outlined the basics of the Plan—that it would be five years long, that there were specific aspects of expansion and consolidation that needed to be addressed—we were

[Page 8] ‘... there is a singleness of purpose that binds us together ... which is to establish the Cause of God on the face of the earth.’

asked to come up with proposals for about 115 individual plans for the same number of National Assemblies that were in existence at that time.

“That involved the monitoring of tremendous amounts of information. We drew on the Continental Boards. We drew on the minutes of the National Spiritual Assemblies. We drew on outside non-Bahá’í sources—things like reference books and atlases.

“It was such a huge project, and so hectic. For instance, in the case of Singapore—I well remember this—we were first proposing to give little Singapore quite a large number of new Local Spiritual Assemblies to be formed. But our research quickly informed us that there were only eight civil communities in Singapore, so we had to revise our figures. We couldn’t get more out of the country than was there!

“We had to look into all kinds of books. We had to look at the past rate of accomplishments in different countries, to see what they conceivably might do in five years. We didn’t want to suggest goals that were too large or too small.

“Another thing we tried to do was to have even the new national communities send out international pioneers. That gave them dignity, for no matter how new the National Assembly is, it bears the same dignity as a long-established Assembly. Haiti is just as much a pillar of the House of Justice as is írán, or the United States, or the Solomon Islands. Each National Assembly shares the dignity of responsibility.

“It’s very much the same process we’re going through now, with the new Seven Year Plan. We finished our work and forwarded a huge stack of material to the Universal House of Justice. What came from that infallible body, after much consultation and revision, was the Five Year Plan.

“But the formulation of a new Plan only happens every five or 10 or howevermany years. Our day-to-day work is quite different. The House of Justice outlined four areas for our activities when it announced the formation of the International Teaching Centre. These are:

• “ ‘To coordinate, stimulate and direct the activities of the Continental Boards of Counsellors and to act as a liaison between them and the Universal House of Justice.

• “ ‘To be fully informed of the situation of the Cause in all parts of the world and to be able, from the background of this knowledge, to make reports and recommendations to the Universal House of Justice and give advice to the Continental Boards of Counsellors.

• “ ‘To be alert to possibilities, both within and without the Bahá’í community, for the extension of the teaching work into receptive or needy areas, and to draw the attention of the Universal House of Justice and the Continental Boards of Counsellors to such possibilities, making recommendations for action.

• “ ‘To determine and anticipate needs for literature, pioneers and traveling teachers and to work out teaching plans, both regional and global, for the approval of the Universal House of Justice.’⁶

“Currently, a primary job of the Teaching Centre is the receiving, reviewing and analyzing of reports from the Continental Boards of Counsellors. We are the directing body for the Counsellors, so they report to us. We give advice to them and share with the House of Justice the information that they send us.

“We also read the minutes of the meetings of all National Assemblies, and often the House of Justice will share material with us in the same way we share material with it.

“We function under the House of Justice as a distinct institution with the obligations of protecting and propagating the Faith. A very important duty is to be as informed as possible about the conditions and events in this world.

“If we don’t know what’s happening, we can’t do anything. We can’t recommend what Bahá’í literature needs to be translated into such and such a language if we aren’t informed of the condition of the world. How could we recommend that pioneers go into a country if the Faith is banned there? Or even inform pioneers and traveling teachers about where there are problems in teaching the Faith?

“On the other hand, we have to be aware of where the fertile areas are, where teaching is possible, where people appear to be receptive. And it all comes down to keeping informed about what’s going on in the world.

“At the same time, though, it’s important to remember that above and beyond all the different jobs that each of us in the Faith performs, there is a singleness of purpose that binds us together. Whether you are a member of a Local Assembly or an isolated believer, whether you are a member of a National Spiritual Assembly, or whether you are a Hand of the Cause, a Counsellor, an Auxiliary Board

[Page 9] member, or even whether you are a member of the Universal House of Justice, there is a singleness of purpose that we all have, which is to establish the Cause of God on the face of the earth.

“We’re all working for one Faith—not two or five or six. It brings us together. A singleness of purpose, a purity of motive, a purity of life, a greater degree of loving harmony—in other words, we are a new race of people. That is what is inside of us, our potential. Our job, no matter who we are, is to express this. Then the world will say, ‘There. That’s what I want to be. A Bahá’í!’ ”

First meeting of the International Teaching Centre, Bahjí, June 1973. Members included Hands of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum, ‘Ali Akbar Furútan, Paul E. Haney, and Abúl-Qásim Faizi, and Counsellors Hooper Dunbar, Florence Mayberry, and ‘Aziz Yazdí.

1. Bahá’í News, No. 508, July 1973, p. 1.
2. Wellspring of Guidance, p. 41.
3. ibid., p. 23.
4. Messages from The Universal House of Justice 1968-1973, pp. 4-5.
5. Bahá’í News, No. 509, August 1973, p. 3.
6. ibid., p. 3.

[Page 10]

WEST AFRICAN BAHÁ’Í WOMEN’S CONFERENCE

[Page 11] (This personal and moving account of the West African Bahá’í Women’s Conference in Monrovia, Liberia, was written for Bahá’í News by Mrs. Jene Bellows of Skokie, Illinois, who represented the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States at the conference.-Ed.)

•

The West African Bahá’í Women’s Conference opened Thursday evening, December 28, with a Unity Feast on the campus of the University of Liberia outside the capital city of Monrovia. The friends gathered for prayers and an informal welcoming address from the members of the Continental Board of Counsellors in West Africa and the National Spiritual Assembly. The children entertained us with songs, and the evening closed with refreshments and fellowship. Sound familiar?

I couldn’t help comparing the conference agenda with those I’ve attended in the United States, Europe and other parts of the world. They all tend to follow the same pattern. But the similarity ends with the conference itself. The friends, like so many mirrors, each with the capacity to reflect the Light of God, bring their own level of illumination to all Bahá’í gatherings. Some mirrors shine, while others may only glow. My memory of the West African Bahá’í Women’s Conference will always be one of marvelous brilliance. Who ever originated the description of Africa as the “dark continent”?

Sixteen countries sent delegates to the conference. The United States, Germany and Spain’s representatives joined those of the West African nations. The conference was conducted in English, with French, Mano and Pelle translations; a total of 23 languages were spoken by those in attendance. One hundred fifty women, 50 men—Continental Counsellors, Auxiliary Board members, National Spiritual Assembly members and distinguished guests—contributed to the deliberations. New believers joined the Faith, seekers’ hearts were awakened, and a heightened awareness of the role of women in the evolution of society brought a commitment to action from many who had, up to that time, merely acknowledged the truth of the principles so clearly enunciated by Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in our sacred Scriptures.

Liberia was chosen as the conference site because of its long-standing warm relations with the West African Bahá’í community. The government actively supports religious freedom. This was evident the moment we entered the city of Monrovia. Huge banners announcing the conference spanned the streets. The media coverage was outstanding. Radio, television and daily newspapers covered the story of the Faith and the principle of women’s equality with men. Ministers of the government were interviewed on television and their supportive comments widely quoted.

“Liberian Women on the Move,” the cover story in the December issue of The Liberian Outlook (a magazine similar in format to Time), pointed out the disparity between men and women as an issue that must be faced. “Before uniting in the struggle against the forces of oppression and obscurantism, man and woman must first become equal partners,” it said. A lengthy article told the story of the conference and its theme, “Spiritual Education of

[Page 12] Women—The Foundation of a New Human Society.” The focus of the conference itself was on the rural women of Africa. Topics such as “Equality of Men and Women,” “The Role of Women in Community Life,” “Living the Bahá’í Life” and “Heroines of the Faith” were presented by pioneers and native believers who have become strong teachers in the Faith. Workshops corresponding to these subjects were conducted, and native women, usually quiet and shy, freely contributed their ideas and thoughts.

A highlight of the conference was the featured guest speaker, Dr. Jane Faily. Consultant to the Bahá’í International Community’s representative to the United Nations, a clinical psychologist associated with the University of Ottawa, Canada, and a distinguished Bahá’í teacher, Dr. Faily is traveling throughout the West African nations on a two-fold mission. Her initial assignment is to help village women develop educational programs for their children as well as for themselves. This is in support of the United Nations 1979 Year of the Child. At the same time, Dr. Faily’s position with the UN provides a unique opportunity for her to visit heads of state and important ministers in the West African nations to proclaim the Message of Bahá’u’lláh and the Bahá’í position of obedience to government and non-involvement in politics.

Dr. Faily’s first talk, directed to the village women, discussed their role in society. She told them of their ancestors, brought to America as slaves, and how they had changed the history of that nation. She spoke of their spiritual destiny and shared the vision of a new society where men and women will be equal.

Bahá’u’lláh, though a prisoner, spoke with the power of the Word of God, she said. When He proclaimed that men and women are equal, the Word went around the world. Now, all over the world, people are speaking of this equality, and women are arising to attain their birthright. She said that Bahá’u’lláh wrote that the world will not have prosperity, health, education, or peace until women take their equal station with men. Unless the mothers of the children become the agents to put these teachings into effect, there will be no progress.

She added that the greatest danger to civilization is not continued poverty or illiteracy, but war. The staggering costs of armaments are straining the economies of the “Third World” developing countries. Dr. Faily cited Bahá’u’lláh as saying that until the voice of women is heard in government, peace cannot be established.

Women are the mothers of humanity, she said. Now women must educate themselves, for how can a group that has always been considered inferior become leaders without education? The power of the Word of God awaits the efforts of women to demonstrate it in action.

Quoting the scriptures of the Bible and the Qu’ran, Dr. Faily assured the women of success. Don’t the scriptures tell us that the last shall become first and the first shall be last? That those who are high shall be brought low? And those who are brought low will be raised up? That the meek shall inherit the earth? She closed by inviting the women to join together in this work.

After Dr. Faily’s presentation the village women were asked to take the podium and give their response. Tears filled our eyes as they spoke. For most of them it was anew and strange experience. One after another, in simple language, the women expressed their commitment to teach their village sisters, educate their children and themselves.

One woman from Mali, Mme. Nazirou Tchiam, was particularly impressive. Regal in her bearing, with her infant tied to her back, she said, “I gave my heart to Bahá’u’lláh. I left a sick child at home to attend this conference. Before I came I did not understand and I did not do anything. Now I know what I must do. I must go back to Mali, where most of the Bahá’ís are men, and teach the women.”

A woman from Unification Town said, “It is important to teach village women as well as town women; otherwise, men in the cities will say, ‘You want to be equal because

[Page 13] you can read and write. Look at the village women. They are willing to be submissive.’ If all the women aren’t taught,” she said, “prejudice will come between the women. Now we must recognize we are important and qualified, for all humanity comes through the woman.”

And from Nigeria: “This is the time for women to be outstanding in the world; men are already qualified. Now women must be, too. Men should be happy now, because women can share. In Africa men have been doing everything. In the Bahá’í Faith we learn women are equal with men. Now we must put this into practice.”

Our primary duty, to teach the Faith, was emphasized by Thelma Khelgati, a Counsellor for West Africa. As she pointed out the goal of the conference, to raise up the Bahá’í women of Africa, she reminded them that their unique qualities and abilities are largely unused. The Universal House of Justice said the problem is a lack of confidence among women. As an example to the friends, she introduced Mrs. Tani, a native woman who answered the call of the Guardian in 1953, pioneered to Togo, became a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh, and helped raise up many new believers in that country.

In between the talks and workshops we were able to find a few hours to explore the city of Monrovia. Teeming with people, the city is a cacophony of sounds. Crowds of people and autos with bleating horns fill the streets. Women balance bundles of laundry, cardboard trays of eggs, basins filled with produce or other mysterious packages on their heads. Men in business suits mingle with children selling peeled oranges on street corners. Open stalls filled with native crafts and bolts of colorful fabrics stand side by side next to modern banks, specialty shops and restaurants. Of particular interest to the women at the conference were the tailor shops where one can purchase beautiful African dresses encrusted with embroidery.

The contradiction in prices told a story of values. Hand-made native gowns, after bargaining, could be purchased for next to nothing, while foodstuffs, canned

[Page 14] goods and frozen vegetables brought prices that could rapidly deplete even an American’s pocketbook. The streets are filled with taxicabs, all painted bright yellow. Raise your hand, a cab stops, and for 30 cents you can join six others in a compact car to be taken anywhere in the city.

At the conference we shared African food served in the university cafeteria. Mounds of country rice, served at lunch and dinner, and a small bowl of a delicious sauce or stew were accompanied by heavy bread, margarine and hot “tea”—a concoction of sugary water and tea-flavored evaporated milk. Whether it was the heat or the joyous atmosphere, it all tasted good.

Late into the night we’d sit in the dormitory lounge, sharing precious moments with the pioneers, friends whose home is now Africa. The faces of those young women I can’t adequately describe. There is a maturity and strength of spirit there that tells a beautiful story.

Another highlight of the conference was the participation of high-ranking government officials. The Hon. J. Jenkins Peale, minister of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism, opened the conference with a message of welcome from the President of the Republic, Dr. William R. Tolbert Jr. A woman senator who had been out of the country immediately prior to the conference, learned of it upon her return. She arrived one morning, uninvited, but very welcome. She told us the issue of women’s equality is dear to her heart, and she felt compelled to join us and offer her support.

The featured speakers at the Saturday night public meeting were Dr. Faily and the Hon. Edward Kessely, minister of Post and Telecommunications. Dr. Kessely, a Liberian who received his doctorate in political science at the University of Chicago, expressed his surprise at having been invited to be the guest speaker. Coming from the political sphere and not being a religious leader, he said, he thought an error had been made.

One of the fundamental tenets of religion, he said, must be the active promotion of peace and harmony amongst

[Page 15] men. The manner in which he presented his topic, “Religion—An Opiate of the People, or God’s Revelation to Man?” whether knowingly or unknowingly including principles and ideas taught by Bahá’u’lláh, gave the impression that he had found the answers to questions he himself had asked. He concluded with the statement that religion, far from being an opiate of the people, is the only vehicle capable of raising the standards of humanity, individually and collectively.

After a standing ovation for Dr. Kessely, Dr. Faily paid tribute to his insight. “I have rarely heard a statesman with a finer vision of the spiritual meaning of society,” she said. She expressed her pleasure at sharing the platform “with a gentleman who expressed his surprise at having been invited to address a religious body, and then so eloquently demonstrated his excellent qualifications to do just that.”

The conference came to an end. Vans and cars filled the road. Bags, sacks, suitcases and bundles were stowed on top of and inside the vehicles, under seats and between legs.

The women of Nimba County, who live deep in the interior of Liberia close to the border of Guinea, piled into a “pick-up” for the bone-jolting six-hour trip to their village. I was determined to go there. There had been a sudden expansion of the Faith in Nimba within the last three months. Many new Assemblies had been formed, and Counsellor Khelgati suggested that I could be of help. The National Assembly asked those of us who could stay and teach to meet with them, and I asked to go to Nimba.

The Nimba women, all new Bahá’ís, had never left their village before setting out for the conference. They came with noble bearing, gentle smiles and songs about Bahá’u’lláh. They also brought a live chicken and a bag of rice, their donation to the Fund! This prompted an auction that raised more than $1,500!

Something special happened between the village women and me. After reading the message to the conference from the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, I had given each of them a picture of the Holy Shrines. When the session ended, several of them sought me out to thank me. Others who had missed the meeting came to get their picture—and through that interchange we became sisters. I exchanged addresses with those who spoke English or French. The spirit brought us close.

I watched the Nimba women climb into their truck for the long journey home. I offered my hand to each one, and we said “Alláh-u-Abhá.” We sang together, and when their interpreter told me they were saying goodbye and asking me to come to their village, I prayed that I would be allowed to go ... to teach, to deepen, and to learn.

Next Month: Traveling and teaching in Nimba, Liberia.

[Page 16]

Around the World

New Hebrides

The National Spiritual Assembly of New Hebrides announced in November that two important goals of the Five Year Plan have been achieved—incorporation of the National Spiritual Assembly itself and two Local Spiritual Assemblies. Preparations for winning these goals were begun as long ago as 1974.

After many hours of consultation with government officials, and after surmounting many legal obstacles, the incorporations were approved under French law, giving the Bahá’í institutions official company status and the right to hold property. Three national properties have since been transferred to the name of the National Spiritual Assembly.

Visitors look over Bahá’í literature during a United Nations Day observance October 24 at the Bahá’í Center in Port Vila, New Hebrides. Twenty non-Bahá’ís were among the 58 people attending the meeting including the President of the country and members of its Representative Assembly.

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of New Hebrides announced in September that the number of localities in its jurisdiction where Bahá’ís reside had risen to 42, exceeding the Five Year Plan goal of 40.

The election August 6 of the first Spiritual Assembly of Middle Bush, Tanna, had raised the number of Assemblies in New Hebrides to 14, only one short of the Five Year Plan goal. Seven members of the Spiritual Assembly of Middle Bush are women.

Upon receiving news of these victories, the Universal House of Justice cabled the following message to the National Spiritual Assembly:

“Hearts filled with joy news formation first Assembly Middle Bush. Delighted that New Hebrides community has exceeded locality goal and is within reach Assembly goal. Offering prayers Shrines further victories.”

The President of New Hebrides and members of its Representative Assembly were present October 24 in Port Vila for a United Nations Day observance sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Port Vila.

Auxiliary Board member Palene Hnaloane and two doctors from the Vila office of the World Health Organization spoke to the gathering of 48 adults and 10 children.

Mr. Hnaloane’s address focused on the Faith’s involvement with the United Nations through the Bahá’í International Community.

The Port Vila community was able to place two announcements about the event on Radio New Hebrides. The doctors from the World Health Organization expressed a desire to participate with the Bahá’ís in future meetings.

[Page 17]

United States

More than 400 people, Bahá’ís and non-Bahá’ís, were present at the Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois, November 25 for a ceremony recognizing the listing of the House of Worship in the United States National Register of Historic Places.

The designation was granted to the Bahá’í House of Worship by the federal government on May 23, 1978, exactly 134 years after the Báb declared His Mission to Mullá Ḥusayn in Shíráz, Persia.

In the keynote address, Douglas Martin, secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada, referred to that country’s contribution to the construction of the House of Worship. During most of the years of construction, Canada and the U.S. were a single national Bahá’í community.

Canada also supplied the architect for the House of Worship—the late Louis Bourgeois, a French-Canadian.

Edna True, a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors in North America, whose mother, Corinne True, was a prime mover behind the Temple Project in its early days, assisted Warren Burmeister, the president of the Village of Wilmette, in unveiling a plaque marking the House of Worship’s new designation. It reads:

“The Bahá’í House of Worship—dedicated as a place of worship for all mankind, May 1, 1953. Entered in the National Register of Historic Places, May 23, 1978.”

Nicaragua

“Strengthening the Local Spiritual Assembly” was the theme of a regional institute planned and hosted by the Spiritual Assembly of Granada, Nicaragua, in collaboration with the Auxiliary Board.

Despite adverse traveling conditions brought about by an outbreak of civil strife in the country, 43 Bahá’ís including 13 youth and children attended the day-long institute last September 3. Seven communities in the southeastern area of Nicaragua were represented.

Among those at the institute were Auxiliary Board members Edith McLaren from Nicaragua and Leonardo Del Campo from Costa Rica. They led discussions on “The Importance of the Local Spiritual Assembly” and ‘Basic Responsibilities of the Local Spiritual Assembly.”

A mock election was held during the last hour of the institute, after which the new “Assembly” elected its “officers.”

One of the friends expressed pleasure at actually putting into practice what was learned at the institute. “Because we were actually going through the election process, I could see the answers to my questions,” she said.

On the day following the institute, Auxiliary Board member Del Campo and a team of two adults, two youth and two children from Granada taught in a nearby village where four residents declared their belief in Bahá’u’lláh.—Lorna Bergner

Forty-three Bahá’ís including 13 youth and children attended a regional institute September 3 hosted by the Spiritual Assembly of Granada, Nicaragua, in collaboration with the Auxiliary Board. Auxiliary Board member Leonardo Del Campo (second from left in back row) came from Costa Rica to participate. Auxiliary Board member Edith McLaren of Nicaragua (not shown) also attended. Nearly all the adults at the institute are members of Local Spiritual Assemblies.

[Page 18]

Alaska

The Hand of the Cause of God John Robarts related a number of inspiring stories of dedicated service to the Cause during a National Teaching Conference for Alaska held October 13-15 in Anchorage.

Mr. Robarts triggered a significant response when he asked the believers in Alaska to pray for neighboring Canada. The result of his request was that those attending promised to pray regularly until the end of the Five Year Plan for achievement of the goals in Alaska, Canada and the United States.

In addition, volunteers arose to fill all of Alaska’s remaining foreign teaching goals, while others offered to travel and teach within Alaska itself. “We are expecting still greater results,” said a report from the conference, at which nearly $5,000 was donated to the National Bahá’í Fund.

Guyana

Nearly 200 youth from five countries were present last August 4-7 at the sixth Bahá’í International Youth Camp in Guyana.

The camp’s theme was “Would You Give Your Heart to Bahá’u’lláh?” Attending with young people from Guyana, Surinam, Trinidad, the United Kingdom and United States were members of the National Spiritual Assembly of Guyana; the two Auxiliary Board members for Guyana, Ivan Fraser and Edward Widmer, and the Auxiliary Board member for Tobago, Miss Helena Frank.

On the final day of the conference, more than 60 offers to travel and teach in Guyana were received by the National Teaching Committee. As a result, several teaching projects were launched immediately, leading to some 558 enrollments and the formation of seven new Local Spiritual Assemblies.

Guyana has won all of its goals of the Five Year Plan and is aiming for a 25 per cent increase in the number of believers in each locality by Riḍván. Some communities already have achieved this goal.

Before the youth camp ended, the National Youth Committee of Guyana gave gifts to those who had come to Guyana from other countries to teach, to two Guyanese youth who are homefront pioneers in the interior, and to an Amerindian youth who had traveled a long distance to represent her tribe and community at the camp.

The camp’s program centered around “sacrifice,” with most of the talks given by the youth themselves. The camp also included a workshop on Bahá’í laws along with music and fellowship.

Below, the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Guyana recently presented a copy of the book, Foundations of World Unity, by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to Trevor Gordon-Somers (left), the United Nations representative in Guyana. Shown making the presentation (left to right) are Jennifer Dewar, secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly; Samuel Sukrah, and Kenneth Brisport. An account of the presentation appeared in the Guyana Chronicle on September 21, with a brief article outlining the Bahá’í International Community’s activities since its affiliation with the UN in 1948.

[Page 19]

Fiji Islands

Dr. Victor de Araujo and his wife, Betty, Bahá’ís from Greenburgh, New York, made a significant contribution to proclamation efforts in the Fiji Islands during a visit there October 19-24.

Dr. de Araujo is the full-time delegate of the Bahá’í International Community to the United Nations. His visit resulted in press coverage, radio interviews, and courtesy calls to diplomatic missions.

The week’s major event, a reception/luncheon in Suva, drew several Fijian officials from the government, judiciary and United Nations agencies. Also at the gathering were six members of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Fiji Islands and three Auxiliary Board members. Dr. de Araujo spoke about Bahá’í principles and the Faith’s involvement in the United Nations.

Both Dr. de Araujo and his wife, who is a freelance artist and alternate representative for the status of women to the UN, were the subjects of articles in the Fiji Times newspaper.

Both were interviewed on Radio Fiji, their visit coming shortly after a formal request by the National Assembly to the Fiji Broadcasting Commission to feature the Faith regularly on Radio Fiji’s religious programming schedule.

The de Araujos made courtesy calls at the British, Australian and American diplomatic missions in Suva. These interviews were valuable in bringing the principles and world stature of the Faith to the attention of the heads of these missions.

On October 21, the de Araujos met with the National Spiritual Assembly. The evening before, they had delighted a large audience at the National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds with a slide program outlining Dr. de Araujo’s work as representative of the Bahá’í International Community to the UN.

Excitement was high in Fiji with the recent dedication of several physical manifestations of the growth of the Faith in these small Pacific islands.

The friends attending the dedication of the Sigatoke Bahá’í Teaching Institute last October 28 were buoyed by the presence of all six members of the Continental Board of Counsellors in Australasia.

Counsellor Dr. Peter Khan of Australia spoke briefly, after which three of the most active women Bahá’í teachers in Nadroga inspired those present with some of their teaching experiences.

Earlier, the dedication of the new local Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds at Tabwewa, Rabi Island, took place during a three-day weekend of special activities October 7-9.

The new building is situated high above the village of Nuke, overlooking the bay and surrounding islands. It is constructed of timber fixed on concrete piles, and painted a soft green outside and white inside. Flowers and attractive signs decorate the structure and grounds.

The guest of honor at the dedication was Mr. Rotan, a distinguished member of the Ranaban community on Rabi Island, who addressed the friends and symbolically cut the ribbon across the door.

A beautiful and inspiring program was presented in which the children sang in three languages and performed dances symbolizing the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh about love, unity and being a Bahá’í.

Yet another Bahá’í Center was dedicated September 23 in Naisogovau, Tailevu.

Colombia

Aura Sanchez, the first Bahá’í in Colombia, South America, who declared her belief in Bahá’u’lláh some 50 years ago after hearing of the Faith from an American who was in that country. Mrs. Sanchez taught the Faith to her family, all of whom have become dedicated Bahá’ís. She has donated her home in Bogota as the National Bahá’í Center, reserving only a small part of it for her own living quarters. Mrs. Sanchez was visited last year by Joseph and Natalie Reyes, Bahá’ís who traveled to Colombia from Chicago, Illinois.

[Page 20]

Ghana

Dorothy Hansen (right), a pioneer from the U.S. to Ghana, reads a Bahá’í prayer to Mrs. Laura Fernandez of Liberia at a seminar on ‘Women in Development’ sponsored by Ghana’s National Council on Women and Development at Trinity College, Legon, Ghana, last September 4-8. Mrs. Hansen was a guest of Ghanaian Supreme Court Justice Annie Jiagghe during the conference at which women from West Africa gathered to hear reports on the progress of women in the country’s governmental, educational, economic and social institutions. She distributed Bahá’í prayer books and Bahá’í pamphlets on the equality of men and women to delegates from Ghana, Liberia and Benin. One of her poems, ‘Seminar Report,’ about the status of women in developing countries, was read at the closing session and later on national television in Accra during an interview about Mrs. Hansen, her poetry and the Faith.

Malaysia

More than 560 Bahá’ís from 14 countries and many communities throughout Malaysia gathered December 16-19 for the South East Asia Bahá’í Regional Conference at Kuching, Sarawak Province, Malaysia.

The themes of the conference were teaching, living the life, and “the mighty forces of life within the Cause of God.” Marco Kappenberger, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Switzerland and Bahá’í representative to the United Nations office in Geneva, addressed the large gathering on the work of the Bahá’í International Community.

Malaysia, which already has won every goal and supplementary goal assigned to it during the Five Year Plan, was spurred to further action when the National Spiritual Assembly of Malaysia announced an additional goal of sending out 17 traveling teachers before the end of the Plan. More than 17 people arose at the conference to fill this goal.

More than 560 Bahá’ís from 14 countries and many local communities gathered for the South East Asia Bahá’í Regional Conference held December 16-19 in Kuching, Sarawak Province, Malaysia. Conference attendees explored the themes of teaching and living the life.

[Page 21]

Belgium

From August 15-31, Mechelen, a Belgian city dating to the 13th or 14th Century that once was the seat of government of The Netherlands, was the site of a teaching campaign carried out by Bahá’ís from nine countries.

The Faith was proclaimed at a large fair where the Bahá’ís had a booth, and at a folk concert at which six Bahá’í musicians performed.

A unity feast and picnic was attended by 17 Bahá’ís and six seekers. The following week a Bahá’í booth was placed in the center of the city. At a public meeting, Marc Vloebergh spoke of his experiences in Africa as a United Nations representative, and in India as a participant on a Bahá’í teaching project.

During the campaign in Mechelen many people heard of Bahá’u’lláh for the first time. Some gave their addresses, as they had become interested in the Faith. Follow-up firesides are being held.

Loni Bramson (left), a Bahá’í pioneer to Belgium from the U.S., and Helen Vloebergh of Australia talk over teaching plans at a public meeting August 26 in Mechelen, Belgium, that was part of a two-week teaching campaign in that city by Bahá’ís from nine countries.

Western Samoa

The Hand of the Cause of God H. Collis Featherstone cuts the ribbon at the entrance of the new local Bahá’í Center following its dedication in the village of Faleasiu-Uta, Western Samoa. On the left is Chief Ligi, chairman of the Local Spiritual Assembly, and at the right is Sam Ale Ale, chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of Western Samoa. Eight new Bahá’í Centers have been opened in Western Samoa during the Five Year Plan and two more will be completed shortly.