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Bahá’í News

June 1980

Bahá’í Year 137

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Contents

Naw-Rúz message
To the Bahá’ís of the world from the Universal House of Justice	2
Ḥasan M. Balyúzí
The tragic loss of another of the Hands of the Cause of God	6
Around the World
News from Bahá’í communities in every corner of the globe	10

Cover

Construction of the exterior of the Seat of the Universal House of Justice at the Bahá’í World Centre in Haifa, Israel, is nearing completion, as is shown in our cover photo and those on Pages 3, 4 and 5. The photos inside accompany the annual Naw-Rúz message to the Bahá’ís of the world from the Supreme Administrative Body of the Faith. The message begins on Page 2.

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 © 1980, 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 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.

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Naw-Rúz message

From the Universal House of Justice

To the Bahá’ís of the World

Dearly-loved Friends,

The successful launching of the Seven Year Plan and the advances made in the first year of its opening phase mitigate, in some degree, the disasters and calamities which, in the past year, have assailed the struggling Faith of God. The newest wave of persecution unleashed against us in the Cradle of our Faith has been compounded by Divine decree afflicting the entire Bahá’ís world community. In the full tide of their brilliant services to the Faith of God, and within the short span of twenty weeks three Chief Stewards of Bahá’u’lláh’s embryonic World Order, the Hands of the Cause of God Enoch Olinga, Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir and Ḥasan Balyúzí were summoned to the Abhá Kingdom, leaving the rest of us bereft and shocked by the enormity of our loss and the tragic brutality of the circumstances attending the murder of beloved Enoch Olinga and members of his family.

In Iran, the confusion which has seized the whole country opened the way for the fierce and inveterate enemies of the Faith, unrestrained by any effective authority, to indulge their fanatical hatred. The Holy House of the Báb has been demolished and proposals have been made to erase its very site. The Síyáh-Chál and Bahá’u’lláh’s Home in Ṭihrán have been seized, together with all other Holy Places and properties. One member of the National Spiritual Assembly and two of the Local Spiritual Assembly of Ṭihrán have been kidnapped and the whereabouts of two of them is still unknown, while the third is in prison. Also, a Counsellor and some friends who are associated with the National Office or are members of the Local Spiritual Assembly of Ṭihrán have been imprisoned. Bahá’ís have been heavily pressed to recant their faith and in once case a believer, who refused to do so, followed the glorious path of the martyrs and was executed. Beyond all this a campaign of vilification and false charges has been conducted against the friends in an effort to make them the scapegoat of unrestrained mobs.

And yet, as ever in the Cause of God, the beneficent operation of the dialectic of disaster and triumph is clearly apparent. The unwavering faith of the dearly-loved, severely-tested, ever-steadfast Persian Bahá’í community, guided by the heroic stand and example of its National Spiritual Assembly, supported and inspired by the Counsellors and their Auxiliary Board members, has effected a spiritual revitalization of the beloved friends. They have united as one man to present a front of refulgent spirituality and assurance and appear, as one observer reports, like a dazzling community of eager, uplifted, radiant new believers.

[Page 3] Nor is the influence of their response to the sufferings engulfing them confined to their homeland. From farthest east to farthest west, from pole to pole, wherever the Standard of Bahá’u’lláh has been implanted, the friends have felt the impulse of sacrifice and risen to assume that enormous share of the work of the Faith in the fields of teaching, pioneering and financial contribution which the Persian friends, for the time being, are no longer able to shoulder.

The wonderful love aroused in Bahá’í hearts everywhere by the sudden, untimely passing of the beloved Hands of the Cause has moved the believers to dedicate themselves anew with increased ardor and self-sacrifice to the promotion of the work to which all the Hands of the Cause of God have dedicated their lives.

The world-wide response of the friends to these tragedies is the more heartening in view of the clear warnings voiced by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and the beloved Guardian of the fierce and widespread opposition which the increasing growth of the Cause of God will arouse. There is no doubt of this. Shoghi Effendi called attention to “the extent and character of the forces that are destined to contest with God’s holy Faith,” and supported his argument with “these prophetic and ominous words” from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: “How great, how very great is the Cause! How very fierce the onslaught of all the peoples and kindreds of the earth. Ere long shall the clamour of the multitude throughout Africa, throughout America, the cry of the European and of the Turk, the groaning of India and China, be heard from far and near. One and all, they shall arise with all their power to resist His Cause. Then shall the knights of the Lord, assisted by His grace from on high, strengthened by faith, aided by the power of understanding, and reinforced by the legions of the Covenant, arise and make manifest the truth of the verse: ‘Behold the confusion that hath befallen the tribes of the defeated!’ ”

The beloved Guardian expatiated at length upon this theme and its inevitable outcome: “Stupendous as is the struggle which His words foreshadow, they also testify to the complete victory which the upholders of the Greatest Name are destined eventually to achieve.”

Now, therefore, it is our sacred duty to make the utmost use of our freedom, wherever it exists, to promote the Cause of God while we may. The surest way to do this and to win the good-pleasure of Bahá’u’lláh is to pursue, with dedication and unrelenting vigour, the goals of whatever Plan is in force, for Bahá’u’lláh has stated: “To assist Me is to teach My Cause.”

A good start has been made with the Seven Year Plan. At the World Centre of the Faith the uninterrupted progress in raising the Seat of the House of Justice, repairing and refurbishing the House of ‘Abdu’lláh Páshá, further extension of the gardens surrounding the Ḥaram-i-Aqdas at Bahjí, and the initiation of a general reorganization of the work of the World Centre to accommodate to its ever-growing needs and make use of the most up-to-date technological developments, have taken place.

In the international sphere the enthusiasm with which the friends everywhere greeted the launching of the Seven Year Plan and girded themselves to achieve the goals of the first two-year phase, their generous and sacrificial outpouring of funds, the confident and sustained efforts exerted to carry forward the two sacred

[Page 4] enterprises initiated in the Indian subcontinent and at the heart of the vast Pacific Ocean, the constant activity of the Bahá’í International Community in fostering its relations with the United Nations, the great increase in the number of children’s Bahá’í classes and the innumerable victories won in the teaching field, recorded by the establishment of the world-wide community of the Most Great Name in over 106,000 localities, all testify to the unassailable, and indeed ever-increasing vigor of the Cause of God.

The number of pioneers and traveling teachers who have entered the field during the first year of the Seven Year Plan, and the increase in the number of national communities which have sent them out are highly encouraging. This stream of pioneers and traveling teachers must be increased and more widely diffused, and we fervently hope that, at the very least, all those pioneers filling the assigned goals of the first phase of the Seven Year Plan will be at their posts by Riḍván 1981.

In the field of proclamation unprecedented publicity has been accorded the Cause of God, chiefly as a result of the persecutions in Iran. In addition significant gains have been made in the Bahá’í radio operation in South America, where short wave transmission has greatly extended the range of Radio Bahá’í in Otavalo, Ecuador, and where a new station is being established in Puno, in Peru, on the shores of Lake Titicaca. Both these achievements offer immeasurable new opportunities for the teaching, proclamation and consolidation of the Cause in that area.

In 88 languages of the world the supply of Bahá’í literature has been enriched, while three new languages have been added to bring to 660 the number of those in which Bahá’í material is available.

The National Spiritual Assembly of Transkei with its seat in Umtata will be formed at Riḍván 1980. At Riḍván 1981 six new National Spiritual Assemblies will be formed: two in Africa, Namibia with its seat in Windhoek, and Bophuthatswana with its seat in Mabatho; three in the Americas, the Leeward Islands with its seat in St. John’s, Antigua, the Windward Islands with its seat in Kingstown, St. Vincent, and Bermuda with its seat in Hamilton; one in Australasia, Tuvalu with its seat in Funafuti. With great joy we announce the re-formation of the National Spiritual Assembly of Uganda, to take place at Riḍván 1981.

In the course of the coming year, the Universal House of Justice, in consultation with the International Teaching Centre, will review the accomplishments of the initial phase and will then announce to all National Spiritual Assemblies the goals towards which they should strive in the next stage of the Seven Year Plan.

During this final year of the initial phase National Spiritual Assemblies are urged to continue their wise and dignified approaches to people prominent in all areas of human endeavor in order to acquaint them with the nature and spirit of the Faith and to win their esteem and friendship. At the same time vigorous campaigns must be continually mounted to proclaim more and more directly and to as large audiences as possible the existence and basic principles of the Faith of God. Now is the time, as all human endeavors to repair the old order only result in deeper and deeper confusion, to proclaim constantly and openly the claims of the Faith and the redemptive power of Bahá’u’lláh.

The marvelous momentum generated at the beginning of the Plan and now propelling the Bahá’í world community forward to the achievement of the immediate objectives of the initial

[Page 5] phase must be maintained and indeed accelerated, so that firm foundations in the spiritual life of the community may be laid and its forces gathered for the winning of the specific tasks with which it will be challenged in the major part of the Plan.

Our hearts go out in love and admiration to the friends in Iran and in gratitude to the believers throughout the world for the spontaneous defense of their persecuted brethren and their shouldering of the load which must, at all costs, be borne.

With loving Bahá’í greetings,

The Universal House of Justice

Riḍván 1980

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Ḥasan M. Balyúzí

Scholar, author, historian, devoted servant of the Cause of God

(On February 12, 1980, the Universal House of Justice announced in a cable to the Bahá’í world the death in London of the Hand of the Cause of God Ḥasan Movaghghar Balyúzí, one of the outstanding scholars and historians of the Faith.

Mr. Balyúzí’s death followed closely those of the Hands of the Cause Enoch Olinga in September and Dr. Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir in December 1979. The House of Justice, in expressing its profound sorrow at Mr. Balyúzí’s passing, said: “Entire Bahá’í world robbed one its most powerful defenders most resourceful historians... Praying Shrines his exemplary achievements his steadfastness patience humility his outstanding scholarly pursuits will inspire many devoted workers among rising generations follow his glorious footsteps.”

To shed further light on Mr. Balyúzí’s illustrious career and to encourage others to “follow his glorious footsteps,” we offer the following brief account of his life. It was written by Abu’l-Qasem Afnán and translated, summarized, edited and updated for Bahá’í News by Fereshteh Bethel of San Diego, California.—Ed.)

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The honorable Hand of the Cause of God Ḥasan Balyúzí, who is considered to be one of the foremost scholars in the Faith, was born in Shíráz in the year 1908. His father, ‘Alí-Muḥammad Movaghghar’u-dduleh, was quite knowledgeable and valued education most highly. The family was generally known for its scholarship and administrative ability.

From childhood his intelligence and wisdom became manifest both at school and to his associates. He was distinct in all areas of life and was related to the Báb on both his father’s and mother’s side; in other words, he was an Afnán.

His early childhood was spent in Shíráz. Later, when his father was appointed governor of the southern ports and the Persian Gulf islands, he went to Búshihr, on the Persian Gulf. There he studied in a school that had been established by his father; up to this date, that school is still functioning.

When the first World War broke out and changed the political scene, the English forces captured Búshihr. Ḥasan’s father’s house was pillaged and the family exiled to India. They were in Bombay and Poona for a period of four years, during which time they sank deeply into debt. Yet despite this, the family lived a respected life, and their home was a gathering place for the learned and those who thirsted for knowledge. Their source of happiness was to receive letters, Tablets and other news from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá through Bahá’í pilgrims who came to India.

During this time, Ḥasan continued his educa-

[Page 7] tion and, under the tutelage of linguists, studied Arabic, Persian and English. At the same time, he pursued diligently the study of history. Later, in Poona, he attended the Bishop School and was the only non-English student at that institute of learning.

After the war, the family returned to Írán and settled in the capital city, Ṭihrán. There Ḥasan attended the Cyrus School and completed the middle school. It was at this time that his beloved father passed away, an event that affected his soul tremendously because of his great love for his father.

Hasan finished the ninth grade in Ṭihrán and then came with his family to Shíráz. In those days there were no senior high schools in that city, so his paternal uncle suggested that he complete his education in England. Ḥasan, however, chose to go to Beirut, Lebanon, to pursue his studies. Before entering college he went on pilgrimage to the Holy Land, where his visit with Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Faith, gave him new life, enthusiasm and the courage to study even more diligently than before.

His high intelligence, his extreme love for acquiring knowledge and education, and his great interest in serving the Faith all combined to create an individual of distinction and one of the top Bahá’í students in Beirut.

He started to communicate by letter with the Bahá’ís in Europe and America, and would always give them news of the Bahá’í activities. He would often see the pilgrims who stopped in Beirut on their way to pilgrimage, and shared with them his great love for the Faith. He paid no attention to the material attractions and ornaments of this ephemeral world. He was enamored of the Faith and gave his all to serving it. In Beirut he wrote articles introducing the Faith of the Ancient Beauty, all of which are everlasting gems of Bahá’í history.

After two years, Mr. Balyúzí finished his education at the University of Beirut and received a bachelor’s degree in history and political science. Then, to continue his education, he left Beirut for England with a heart overflowing with the love of God.

In England he became a reliable assistant to Lady Blomfield and the other early establishers of the Faith of God in those regions. Although there was no Bahá’í Center in London, he rented a place that soon became the center of activities. Mr. Balyúzá was also a source of great comfort and encouragement to Iranians who were residing in London.

While in England he continued his education in history, political science and diplomacy, concentrating his attention on the relations between European, Iranian and Turkish governments. He received his master’s degree in literature and human sciences, and in economics.

Because of his in-depth study of Arabic, Persian and English, Mr. Balyúzí became a master of them all, especially the proper usage of vocabulary. In his spare time he would translate the literary works of English writers into Persian with such mastery and use of words as would astound his well-read contemporaries. For example, a great Persian literary scholar, who admired and praised highly the writings and translations of Mr. Balyúzí, wrote: “When I perused these translations a second time in this volume, I felt that the original writers were Persian-speaking ... and, without a doubt, one of the best ways to determine a good translation is for the reader to feel that the script

[Page 8] ‘He was enamored of the Faith and gave his all to serving it.’

was originally written in that same language.” During his studies in Beirut, Mr. Balyúzí had written a pamphlet in English entitled “Bahá’u’lláh,” and when this pamphlet was presented to Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian commented that this brief work was not enough, and that Mr. Balyúzí should write three volumes on the lives of Bahá’u’lláh, the Báb, and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

Upon hearing these instructions from the beloved Guardian, Mr. Balyúzí started to gather information on the three Central Figures of the Faith. First, he wrote a book on the life of Bahá’u’lláh that was published in 1963, the 100th anniversary of the Declaration of Bahá’u’lláh and the year of the formation of the Universal House of Justice. That first volume was further elucidated and completed by his most recent publication, Bahá’u’lláh: The King of Glory, that was published in March 1980, shortly after his death.

In 1971, Mr. Balyúzí offered the Bahá’í world his volume on ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of His ascension. Then he wrote a book on the Báb in which he has presented certain information not mentioned in other Bahá’í history books. Mr. Balyúzí thus fulfilled the wishes of Shoghi Effendi by producing these three remarkable works through his able pen and intelligent and resourceful mind.

One of his other scholarly works is a book entitled E. G. Browne and the Bahá’í Faith. This great work is the result of reading more than 40 Bahá’í and non-Bahá’í books, plus many years of accumulating materials and information. It is the key to those who wish to do an in-depth study of the early history of the Faith. The book is written in a scholarly manner, and those who are well-read and informed in English admire and praise Mr. Balyúzí’s vast knowledge and marvelous usage of the English language.

Another scholarly, informative, and historically satisfying volume to spring from his brilliant and resourceful mind is Muḥammad and the Course of Islám. Through this rare gem, he proved to the non-Bahá’í world that it is possible to write about a religion other than one’s own with an unbiased mind, and even to exalt and praise that religion to the point that the reader is apt to think that the author must be a member of that Faith.

In addition, there are numerous materials that Mr. Balyúzí has written on the history and literature of Írán and England, and he has translated much English prose and poetry into Persian.

After completing his education in England, and before the outbreak of World War II, Mr. Balyúzí decided to return to Írán, and stated his wishes to the Spiritual Assembly of London. The late Mrs. George, who was one of the early believers and a devout and active soul, felt that Mr. Balyúzí’s absence from London would harm the Institutions of the Cause and their activities. She tried to persuade Mr. Balyúzí to change his mind, to the point that she wrote a letter to the Guardian requesting that he intercede to prevent Mr. Balyúzí from going to Írán. The beloved-Guardian, in his answer to her, wrote that if Mr. Balyúzí would remain in England, he would receive further bounty and assistance in service to the Cause of God, but he did not instruct Mr. Balyúzí not to leave.

When Mr. Balyúzí read the Guardian’s answer, however, he decided to remain in London. At about that time the war broke out, and because Mr. Balyúzí wished to be occupied with some vocation, he accepted a position as director of the Persian Service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. This lasted until the passing of the Guar-

[Page 9] dian in London in November 1957, at which time Mr. Balyúzí resigned from his work at the BBC and devoted the remainder of his life to research and service to the Cause of God.

For many years, Mr. Balyúzí was chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United Kingdom. In 1953, the Guardian appointed him chairman of a conference that was held in Africa. Four years later he was named a Hand of the Cause of God. After the passing of the Guardian, Mr. Balyúzí was elected by the institution of the Hands of the Cause to be one of the nine Hands who would reside in the Holy Land. One of his duties there was to organize and codify the archives at the World Center. He later undertook a lengthy trip to Latin America and Canada to visit and encourage the friends.

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Around the world

Sweden

The first Bahá’í Winter School in Sweden was held last December 27-January 1 on Gotland Island. Seventy-five people, including two Auxiliary Board members, participated.

Activities, in addition to talks, included a masquerade ball and the building of a “temple” in the snow around which songs were sung. There was also a concert for the benefit of UNICEF (the United Nations Children’s Fund).

An Eskimo woman, the wife of a Swedish pioneer to Greenland, declared her belief in Bahá’u’lláh, during the winter school.

On January 12-13, the Northern Teaching Commitees of Sweden, Finland and Norway held their first joint meeting to coordinate teaching efforts in Lappland. They met in Lulea, Sweden.

Joint teaching activities in Lappland were planned along with a newsletter for the friends in Lappland. It was also decided that better communication among the three committees is desired.

Members of all of Sweden’s Local Spiritual Assemblies attended one of two conferences last December. All aspects of the functioning of Assemblies were covered during the conference sessions, which included intense group work sessions.

The Bahá’ís of Uppsala, Sweden, observed UN Human Rights Day last September 10 with a well-publicized program that included speakers from the ‘Save the Children’ organization as well as dances and musical performances by Greek children. Fourteen non-Bahá’ís attended the event.

Bophuthatswana

Thirty-two adults and 28 children were present last September 1-2 as Bophuthatswana, in southern Africa, held its first Bahá’í National Teaching Conference in a school hall near the town of Bleskop.

The conference was opened with the Riḍván message to Bophuthatswana from the Universal House of Justice in which the Supreme Body expressed its wish that that country achieve National Spiritual Assembly status by 1981.

There were special presentations for youth and on the Fund. Children and youth entertained with skits and songs, and prayers were read in Tswana, English, Afrikaans, German and Persian.

Approximately 80 believers from all parts of the Dominican Republic, along with a few visitors from one other Caribbean island and the United States, attended the Fifth Annual Bahá’í Winter School in San Pedro de Macoris last December 23-31.

Participants this year came from all parts of the country, and most remained for the entire week of school activities.

Evening programs featured an enthusiastic outpouring of amateur talent including original skits, short dramas, songs, dances and games. The children’s classes also made presentations during these evening programs. A new goal for the Dominican Republic is to hold two Bahá’í schools each year.

The first public displays of Bahá’í books and literature in the Dominican Republic took place last October and November in three localities on the southeastern coast.

The exhibits were held at the Biblioteca Dra. Evangelina Rodríguez in San Pedro de Macorís; in the Instituto de Idiomas Nueva Era in La Romana; and at the Centro Comunal Educativo at the Ingenio Consuelo.

Each literature display was accompanied by photographs of Bahá’í Holy Places and Houses of Worship along with background music. They were sponsored by the local Assemblies of La Romana and San Pedro de Macorís.

This proclamation effort was fol-

[Page 11] lowed by public talks on progressive revelation that were offered in each of the three locations one week following the closing of the displays. An immediate result was the declaration of one person in Consuelo.

Members of the San Pedro de Macorís Bahá’í community created this display of Bahá’í literature for a local library. The display, along with two others in different localities, marked the first time that Bahá’í literature has been exhibited in public in the Dominican Republic.

Fiji Islands

A training institute for teachers of children’s classes, held January 12-13, was attended by believers from 14 communities in the Fiji Islands as well as by two members of the National Spiritual Assembly and members of the Auxiliary Board.

The institute, organized by Karyn Zucker, was held at the National Center in Suva. Topics discussed included “The Purpose and Content of Bahá’í Education,” “Teaching Aids and Methods,” “Qualities of a Good Teacher,” “Practical Teaching,” “The Reality of Man,” and “The Release of Human Potential.”

Teachers prepared lesson plans for a six-week period and were assigned to various communities before the close of the session.

Another teacher-training institute was planned for the country’s other main island, Vanua Levu, to be held in the near future.

Participants in the Training Institute for Children’s Class Teachers held at the National Center in Suva, Fiji Islands, January 12-13, came from 14 communities. Another similar institute was planned for Vanua Levu, the country’s other main island.

Perú

Thirty-two localities along the Rio Juruá, one of the Amazon River’s largest tributaries, have been opened to the Faith with 131 declarations through the efforts of two young Persian pioneers.

Izzat and Shahlá Peymani, who have already traveled the entire Amazon for the purpose of teaching and proclaiming the Faith, have begun a trip along one of the river’s branches that reaches into Perú.

The Peymanis are traveling on a houseboat dubbed “Luz Verde,” Portuguese for “Green Light,” in honor of a similar trip along the Amazon by the Hand of the Cause of God Rúḥíyyih Khánum.

It was the film “Green Light Expedition” that inspired them to make a similar effort. Mr. and Mrs. Peymani first traveled the Amazon between Manaus and Fonte Boa, approximately halfway to Marco.

“All along the Rio Juruá,” reported the Peymanis during their latest trip, “the Message of the Supreme Beauty was carried to each waiting heart, and the Light of His Teachings illuminated the homes which were waiting with opened doors for the Promised One of the Ages to enter.”

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Austria

These five Bahá’ís from Austria are members of the amateur singing group, ‘Dawnbreakers.’ Last October the group produced an album, ‘The Child,’ to commemorate the International Year of the Child. Group members (left to right) are Saba Khabipoor of Bad Ischl, Mariam Colard of Möling, Heinz Hampel-Waffenthal of Innsbruck, Badieh Poostchi of Schwaz, and Shirin Khadem-Missagh of Baden.

A group of amateur Austrian musicians, “Dawnbreakers,” has produced a record album of children’s songs and other songs with Bahá’í themes in observance of the International Year of the Child.

The album, entitled “The Child,” was placed on sale last October. It was promoted by the Austrian Association to Save the Child, which presented about 400 government officials with copies of the record.

The five members of the singing group, composed of Bahá’í children and adults, who perform on the record were interviewed on Austrian radio and television programs. They were asked questions about the Faith, child education, parent-child relations, and the current world situation.

Songs in the album, sung in six languages (English, French, German, Italian, Persian and Zulu), touch on the unity of mankind, children’s education, the elimination of prejudices, and progressive revelation.

The National Spiritual Assembly of Austria provided a loan (since repaid) to help the group of amateur singers produce the album.

Bangladesh

These 28 believers participated in Bangladesh’s first Seven-Day Bahá’í Deepening Institute held recently in Dacca. The daily schedule included at least two hours of prayer and meditation.

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New Hebrides

Tasmalum, on the island of Santo, and Lenakel, Tanna, were the sites of two Bahá’í summer schools held simultaneously last December 23-26 in New Hebrides.

More than 20 adults and youth plus 10 children attended the school in Tasmalum, held in a meeting house built by youth from Efate Island.

Ten adults and 10 children attended the southern district summer school at the Bahá’í Center in Lenakel. Participants came from that community and from Middle Bush. Public slide presentations on two evenings attracted several seekers.

A two-day “mini-summer school” was held December 29-30 at Whitesands, Tanna. Ten adults took part in that school, conducted by the secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly.

Guatemala

More than 60 people participated in the Bahá’í Summer School at Barcenas, Villa Nueva, Guatemala, last December 19-23. Guest speakers included Tim Farrin, chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of El Salvador. Summer School course topics included study of certain Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, ‘living the life,’ prayer and meditation, and a special music course by Robert Porter. Singing, dancing and movies highlighted evening activities.

Puerto Rico

The Faith was proclaimed on five occasions over two Puerto Rican television stations during a teaching trip last November 9-18 by Charles Ioas, a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh.

Mr. Ioas and his wife, Conchita, now residents of Alexandria, Virginia, made the trip to Puerto Rico at the invitation of Kamel Missaghian, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Puerto Rico.

Mr. Ioas appeared on San Juan television, speaking about the Faith for an uninterrupted 30 minutes. Mr. Missaghian provided musical interludes. This program was taped and rebroadcast during three successive weeks.

Messrs. Ioas and Missaghian were interviewed on Puerto Rico’s main television station during a morning news and feature program. This 15-minute interview was particularly interesting because of the knowledgeable questions about the Faith and extremely favorable observations by the hostess, according to Mr. Ioas. Both television appearances were arranged by Mr. Missaghian.

Mr. and Mrs. Ioas spoke at firesides in various parts of Puerto Rico, and Mr. Ioas served as speaker for the observance of the anniversary of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh.

Mr. Ioas, the first Bahá’í pioneer to the Balearic Islands, served for several years as chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of Spain. His wife was the first native of the Balearic Islands to become a Bahá’í during the Ten Year Crusade.

Charles Ioas (left), former chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of Spain, spoke for 30 minutes on television during a teaching trip last November to San Juan, Puerto Rico. Kamel Missaghian (right), a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Puerto Rico, provided musical interludes. The taped program was rebroadcast three times.

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South Africa

Seventy-six believers attended a teaching conference last November 3-4 at Potchefstroom, South Africa. It was the third such conference sponsored by the National Teaching Committee of South Africa.

Speakers included Auxiliary Board member Daniel Ramaroesi and National Spiritual Assembly members Stanlake Kukama and Lowell Johnson.

The youth of Ikageng presented a musical skit about the family of the Báb, while members of the Kiepkloof Bahá’í children’s class presented a “felt-board talk.”

Mr. Ramaroesi spoke of the need to continue teaching efforts in the southern Transvaal, which have slacked off since the end of the Five Year Plan.

Switzerland

Participants at the Swiss Bahá’í winter school in Canton Neuchátel last December (above) came from several European countries and other parts of the world. At right, one of the many children’s classes conducted during the winter school that took place during the last week of December.

Togo

Seventy-five people, including the United States Ambassador to Togo and a representative of the country’s Ministry for Women, attended a recent conference in Togo organized by Bahá’ís in observance of the International Year of the Child.

The conference, held in the Hotel de la Paix in Lomé, was organized by a four-member committee appointed by the National Spiritual Assembly of Togo. The committee received assistance from Thelma Khelghati, a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors in Western Africa. Planning was done in collaboration with the UN office in Togo.

The program, with the theme “The Future Is the Child,” included a film about how children view their world, presentations on the needs and rights of children, and discussions of how the Bahá’í Writings emphasize the importance of child education.

During the question-and-answer period, believers had the opportunity to elaborate on the importance given in the Writings to the education of children.

Counsellor Khelghati and a member of the National Spiritual Assembly were interviewed after the conference by Radio Lomé.

The meeting was attended by three members of the National Spiritual Assembly of Togo; Firouz Soghani, an Auxiliary Board member from Upper Volta; and Kossi Djamayovo and George Allen, Auxiliary Board members in Togo, as well as by three members of the National Spiritual Assembly of Togo.

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India

Seventy children, ranging in age from 12 to 14, attended the eighth annual Bahá’í Children’s Conference in Mahableshwar, India, last December 23-25.

A delegation of the youngsters from the conference, including American, Ethiopian, Nigerian, Indian and Iranian youths, visited officials of Mahbleshwar and presented them with nine volumes of the Bahá’í Writings.

Using the theme “Living the Life: Let Deeds, Not Words Be Your Adorning,” the conference agenda included morning classes and afternoons of activities, fellowship and street teaching, followed by campfires each evening that featured singing and skits.

When two children at the conference, Kirk Johnson and Mehraban Farahmand, visited the local police station, they were invited to have tea with the police and spent 20 minutes telling the officers about the Faith. The boys went from the police station to a restaurant where they gave the Bahá’í message to three medical students from Bombay.

The medical students became so interested in what they heard from the youngsters that they requested information about Bahá’í meetings in Bombay and asked for the Bahá’ís to send someone to speak about the Faith at their college.

Seventy children, ages 12 to 14, attended the eighth annual Children’s Conference in Mahableshwar, India, last December 23-25. ‘Love That Child’ pamphlets were presented to about 300 people when the children took part in direct teaching activities each afternoon of the conference.

Children attending the Ideal Bahá’í Primary School in Dharmanagar, North Tripura, India, travel to and from school in this rickshaw. The painted design on the rickshaw includes the quotation, “Every child is potentially the light of the world.” The school was opened last year by Mr. B.R. Singh, a Bahá’í pioneer to the town of Dharmanagar.

A multi-racial group of young Bahá’ís attending the eighth annual Bahá’í Children’s Conference last December at Mahableshwar, India, presents a book containing Bahá’í Writings to the Chief Officer of Mahableshwar. Making the presentation is Joy Meneyes from India. Behind her are Sara Jordan (United States), Eme Epke (Nigeria), Maaza Esther (Ethiopia), Rohit Sengar (India), and Craig Johnson (United States).

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Burma

More than 1,700 believers attended the centenary celebration of the establishment of the Bahá’í Faith in Burma held October 18-20, 1978, at the Bahá’í National Center in Rangoon. The Burmese Bahá’í community is among the oldest in the world, having received its first Bahá’í teacher, Jamal Effendi, in 1878 at the instruction of Bahá’u’lláh Himself. Among those taking part in the centenary observance were Counsellor K. H. Payman; Dr. Munje, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of India; and several Burmese government officials.

Liberia

Jay Tyson, an American civil engineer who has been pioneering with his wife, Eileen, for three years in Monrovia, Liberia, has been decorated by Liberian President William R. Tolbert for his design and construction of the country’s first highway overpass and interchange.

In addition to the presidential citation, Mr. Tyson was admitted to the Order of the Star of Africa, an honorary society, with the rank of commander. He also received a commendation from the Liberian Minister of Public Works.

The construction project supervised by Mr. Tyson was a part of Liberia’s preparation for hosting the 1979 conference of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), held last July in Monrovia.

Mr. Tyson has been commissioned to supervise the construction of a new road in Maryland County, Liberia, in an area where the present road is flooded each year during the rainy season, cutting off transportation to the southeastern part of the country.

Colombia

Participants in the Colombian Bahá’í Summer School, held last January 2-9 in Riohacha la Guajira, included Continental Counsellor Donald Witzel, three Auxiliary Board members, and a number of indigenous believers.

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Bermuda

Dr. Arnold Nerenberg, a Bahá’í from California who is a clinical psychologist, presented a talk on backbiting last February 29 to a group of senior students at the Secondary School in St. George, Bermuda.

Dr. Nerenberg, who was invited by a teacher of biology at the school, presented some of his research findings following a year-long study of backbiting’s psychological and religious implications.

Backbiting’s ability to produce distrust, violence and negative relationships was shown through a demonstration that used student volunteers who played the roles of backbiter, victim and listener.

Then, Dr. Nerenberg demonstrated some ways in which backbiting can be avoided. Emphasis was placed on substituting positive criticism and praise for backbiting.

Dr. Nerenberg and Lillian (Grandma) Gregory, both former pioneers to Bermuda, spent 10 days there from February 22 to March 3, aiding in the teaching and consolidation work.

“Backbiting, Depression and Love” was the title of a talk presented by Dr. Nerenberg at the National Center. “Grandma” Gregory conducted a meeting February 24 on the power and significance of prayer. A large number of believers and guests were present for her presentation.

Zambia

An accurate, two-page article on the Faith that included a photograph of the House of Worship in Kampala, Uganda, appeared in an issue of The Weekend World, a weekly newspaper in Lusaka, Zambia, last October.

The article contained an account of Bahá’í history and a description of the Administrative Order as well as a synopsis of the Teachings.

Material left with the newspaper weeks before by the National Spiritual Assembly of Zambia had not produced any press coverage at the time. The material was adapted for the remarkable and unsolicited feature story.

Guyana

The Bahá’ís of Eccles-Ramsburg, Guyana, in observance of the 10th anniversary of the formation of the Republic of Guyana, presented this road sign to the village chairman (third from left). The sign, erected at the village limits, indicates the distance to Georgetown.

Canary Islands

About 30 non-Bahá’ís attended a recent program on the Faith at the University of La Laguna in Tenerife, Canary Islands. The program was given in the university’s auditorium by Farzad Taheri, a member of the local Bahá’í community.

The audience stayed after the question-and-answer period, and the lively discussion continued in the street after the auditorium was closed.

Two years ago, a program sponsored by the believers in Tenerife in that same auditorium drew only a handful of people.

Bénin

Some of the 75 participants at a public program in honor of the United Nations International Year of the Child last December gather on the second floor terrace of the Bahá’í National Center in Cotonou, Bénin.