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Bahá’í News

September 1980

Bahá’í Year 137

Second North American Bahá’í Native Council

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Contents

Native Council
Nearly 400 attend historic gathering at Mother Temple in U.S.	2
‘Trail of Light’
Native Council gives birth to a continental teaching effort	6
Border teaching
Colombia, Ecuador collaborate to help proclaim the Cause	8
India centenary
The Faith’s 100th anniversary is observed at gala celebration	10
Design winner
U.S. Archives design given magazine’s top architectural award	11
Around the world
News from Bahá’í communities in every corner of the globe	12

Cover

A crowd estimated at 1,000 including nearly 500 Native Americans was present July 12 at a spirited pow wow on the lawn of the national Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds adjacent to the Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois. The pow wow was a part of the historic second North American Bahá’í Native Council that was attended by nearly 400 indigenous believers from Alaska, Canada and the United States. A report of the Native Council meeting and the three-nation ‘Trail of Light’ teaching campaign that followed it 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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Native Council

Nearly 400 indigenous believers in North America attend historic gathering at Mother Temple of West

OVERJOYED TREMENDOUS SUCCESS NATIVE BELIEVERS’ CONFERENCE HELD PRECINCTS MOTHER TEMPLE WEST. KINDLY CONVEY MEMBERS INDIGENOUS COUNCIL ASSURANCE OUR FERVENT PRAYERS SUPPLICATING BLESSED BEAUTY BESTOW HIS UNERRING GUIDANCE ENABLE NATIVE BELIEVERS ATTAIN HEARTS’ DESIRE BLAZE TRAIL LIGHT THROUGHOUT NORTH AMERICA.

UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

2 July 15, 1980

•

A spirited and impressive pow wow on the grounds of the National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds near the Mother Temple of the West that was attended by an estimated 1,000 Native American believers and their guests was the focal point of the historic second American Bahá’í Native Council July 11-13.

The unprecedented gathering of believers representing some 55 Indian tribes from Alaska, Canada, the United States and Greenland was honored by the presence of the Hand of the Cause of God Dhikru’lláh Khádem and Amoz Gibson, a member of the Universal House of Justice.

Other participants at this remarkable conference of native believers and those involved in teaching indigenous peoples on Reservations and in cities and villages in North America included Continental Counsellors for North America Angus Cowan, Lloyd Gardner and Edna M. True, nine members of National Spiritual Assemblies in the three countries—four from Alaska, two from Canada and three from the U.S.—and seven Auxiliary Board members.

This second North American Native Council (the first was held in 1978 in Yakima, Washington) was sponsored by the Continental Indigenous Council in cooperation with the Continental Board of Counsellors and the National Spiritual Assemblies of Alaska, Canada and the U.S.

The Continental Indigenous Council is composed of three native believers from each of the North American Countries who are appointed by their respective National Spiritual Assemblies.

“I have a great love for all of you,” the Hand of the Cause Mr. Khádem told the 380 participants at the Native Council.

“I love you dearly. I am so grateful to the beloved Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, who sent me to this part of the world, to the West. He told me, ‘I am sending you to the West to witness the glory, mysteries and light of the Faith here on earth.’

[Page 3] Amoz Gibson, a member of the Universal House of Justice, addresses the second North American Bahá’í Native Council held at the Mother Temple of the West in Wilmette, Illinois.

“Today is one of the happiest days of my life. I see the promises of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the expectations of the beloved Shoghi Effendi, and the bounties of Bahá’u’lláh manifested before me,” said Mr. Khádem.

Mr. Gibson reminded the friends of “that beautiful compilation, Selections from the Writings of the Báb.” In it, he said, “you will read so many truths that ‘the old ones’ of the indigenous people of this continent have known about ...

“The old ones always talked about the ‘ingathering of the tribes,’ the coming together of the tribes. This is what the Message of Bahá’u’lláh is about,” Mr. Gibson added. “It is the bringing together of all the peoples of the earth.”

Among the many special aspects of the Native Council were separate sessions for indigenous believers and non-Native American believers, a children’s program, films about the many contributions to society made by the native peoples of North America, and a display of ancient and modern native artifacts, photos and art work.

That exhibit, in Foundation Hall at the Bahá’í House of Worship, included examples of native dress from remote areas of Alaska as well as from Canada and the U.S. along with hand-made jewelry and other handicrafts.

Chairs in Foundation Hall were arranged in the circular configuration traditional to Indian consultation so participants could easily see one another and communicate on an informal basis, according to master of ceremonies Phil Lane, a member of the Continental Indigenous Council.

Dawn prayers were offered by Native Council participants at the House of Worship, while the traditional Indian peace pipe was smoked at sunrise.

The Council itself has opened with prayers offered in many native languages as well as in English.

Jens Lyberth, an Inuit Eskimo from Greenland who now lives in Toronto, Canada, and is a member of the Continental Indigenous Council, spoke to the meeting of non-native believers about reaching the indigenous people.

“To understand and to reach them,” he said, “you need to have a dedication, an understanding of the kind of culture ... my brothers are in. Otherwise, the dedication you have shown is inadequate.

“We are Bahá’ís,” he said. “We love one another. That love must never disappear. It must be given freely. Wherever you receive it, you have to give it out; otherwise, you will not be able to reach my brothers and sisters.”

John Kolstoe, chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of Alaska, told the non-native believers that some of the indigenous Bahá’ís in Alaska did not become “natives” until after they became Bahá’ís.

“Many of these people had almost rejected their heritage,” he said, “for a variety of psychological, sociological and other reasons.

“It was only afterward, through the Message of Bahá’u’lláh, that they discovered the acceptability of their being native.”

Those attending the session for indigenous believers discussed such topics as “Who are we?” “What are the tasks before us?” and “How can each individual help?”

Ten workshop sessions offered at the conference included topics related to deepening, dealing with native politics, native women and the Faith, native answers to pioneering questions, and combating the use of alcohol and drugs, as well as workshops on Eskimo culture and understanding death and burial.

Mr. Khádem spoke to the Council participants about the as-yet unknown significance of the gathering:

Native Americans in colorful costume participate in an ‘honors dance’ during the pow wow at the national Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds that was an integral part of the historic second North American Bahá’í Native Council in Wilmette, Illinois.

[Page 4] “Friends, we do not know the value, the significance of this conference,” he said. “I wish that I could tell you what it is. Pray to Bahá’u’lláh to inspire you to understand the significance of this occasion.”

Mr. Gibson referred in one of his talks to the “suffering and utmost restriction” of the believers in Írán, adding, however, that the spirit of unity and the determination to teach the Cause is stronger there than it has been in many years.

Again and again, Mr. Gibson stressed the great importance of teaching:

“Bahá’u’lláh has told us how to serve,” he said. “Besides living according to His instructions, besides loving all mankind, besides wanting to serve all mankind, He tells us that ‘To assist Me is to teach My Cause.’

“I feel that our time of absolute freedom to teach without opposition on this North American continent won’t last much longer.

“If you have any problems in your community, solve them by making a sincere effort to teach. Invite the one whom you are having the most difficulty with to be the speaker at your fireside.”

Mr. Gibson urged the friends to shower a special love on such an individual, adding that the love ‘will return to you ten-fold.’

The member of the Supreme Body told the believers that there is a great need for pioneers from among the Indians. He suggested that the Indian Bahá’ís would do well to learn Chinese.

“One-third of the world’s population lives in China,” he said, “and one day this door will be open to us.

“In a sense, you will be returning to your origins,” he said, referring to the crossing of the Bering Strait by distant ancestors of the Indian peoples of North and South America. “You have to repay your debt to that land.”

Native drummers lend a rhythmic beat to dances at the pow wow that drew about 1,000 people to the National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds during the second North American Bahá’í Native Council.

Five-year-old Michalee Bainbridge (left) and her 2-year-old sister, Henrietta, were among the performers during the second North American Bahá’í Native Council.

Eugene King, a Tlingit Indian and member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Alaska, requested that Mr. Gibson ask the Universal House of Justice to assign special Seven Year Plan teaching goals to the indigenous believers in North America.

Mr. Gibson replied that he would relay the request from the Bahá’í Native Council to the Supreme Body.

“I feel a special spirit in this gathering,” said Mr. Gibson, “and I will pray that it never leaves you; that the spirit generated by you who are here will always be with you, and that it will sustain you through every trial and inspire you to teach the Cause of God.”

Indian performers presented an evening of entertainment that ranged from traditional Indian music to contemporary comedy and impersonations.

Among the performers were five-year-old Michalee Bainbridge and her two-year-old sister, Henrietta, from Red Mesa, Arizona, who sang a Navajo song.

Kevin Locke of Wakpala, South Dakota, played a traditional Lakota (Sioux) flute.

A group of six young believers representing tribes from Alaska, Canada and the U.S. sang traditional Indian songs, while other performers sang and played the guitar.

The following evening witnessed the gathering for a traditional pow wow of up to 1,000 people on the grounds of the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds within sight of the House of Worship.

Bahá’í Native Council participants were joined by guests that included believers from the Wilmette area, their families and friends, along with a number of non-Bahá’í Native Americans from the Chicago Indian Center, many of them in col-

[Page 5] orful native regalia.

In fact, one of the two groups of singers providing music for the pow wow was composed of non-Bahá’í guests from the Chicago Indian Center.

The pow wow, which was filmed by a Bahá’í crew from Alaska, opened with traditional honor dances, the display of flags of nations represented, and a special “circle” (unity) dance.

Dances performed at a pow wow are not war dances, the master of ceremonies explained. “They have as their purpose recognizing the kindness of the Great Spirit in causing grass to grow everywhere,” and are performed on grass, he said.

Grass dances, Mr. Lane added, once began with dancers picking up handfuls of grass and tucking them into their belts to wear during the dance.

Some dances at the pow wow were reserved for women wearing large shawls.

“The shawls are symbolic of spiritual protection,” he said.

One of the dancers was Mr. Gibson’s wife, Mary, who wore a shawl emblazoned with the logo of the Continental Indigenous Council.

The shawl, made by an Indian believer, was presented to Mr. Gibson to be taken back to Haifa as a gift from the Native Council to the Universal House of Justice.

Mr. Khádem not only danced at the pow wow but also joined the singers who were seated around a large drum in the center of the gathering.

Mr. Gibson was an enthusiastic participant in the dances along with the non-native believers and their guests.

The following day, Mr. Khádem described the unique spirit generated at the pow wow by referring to it as “the pow wow of Bahá’u’lláh.”

Nearly $3,000 was raised through a “silent auction” of donated native art and craft items that were on display during the conference.

The money was used to help defray the cost of the Native Council itself and to help underwrite the cost of the “Trail of Light,” a two-week teaching project in Alaska, Canada and the U.S. that began shortly after the close of the conference.

The four participants in the Native Council who declared their belief in Bahá’u’lláh during the conference were warmly embraced by Mr. Khádem, Mr. Gibson and other special guests during the Council’s closing session Sunday morning.

Miss True spoke at that session about special moments in the growth of the Faith throughout its history.

“I think that this has been one of those very special moments,” she said. “The Faith has taken another mighty step forward, and I know that we all will return to our homes with a deeper confirmation that these wonders can and will happen.”

Mr. Gibson, asked to close the final session of the second Bahá’í Native Council, told his audience he saw no way in which to do so.

Referring to “the spirit generated here by our thoughts and deeds, by our prayers and chants, and by a special gift from Bahá’u’lláh for this gathering of many nations and many tongues,” Mr. Gibson said, “That spirit of unity amongst us can never die. Therefore, my task of closing this conference is clearly impossible.”

Among those who enjoyed dancing at the Native Council pow wow was Amoz Gibson, a member of the Universal House of Justice who attended the historic gathering in Wilmette, Illinois.

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‘Trail of Light’

Native American teaching effort follows North American Bahá’í Native Council

Twenty-two indigenous believers from Alaska, Canada and the United States participated July 18-August 5 in a traveling teaching project known as the “Trail of Light.”

Participants were organized into three teams that visited native communities on Reservations as well as in cities and villages in Alaska; Saskatchewan, Canada; and in two states in the U.S. Pacific Northwest.

The Trail of Light was a symbolic and hopefully inspirational teaching effort whose genesis was the historic second Bahá’í Native Council for North America, held July 11-13 at the Mother Temple of the West in Wilmette, Illinois.

The Native Council, sponsored by the Continental Indigenous Council, whose membership includes believers from Alaska, Canada, and the U.S., in cooperation with the Continental Board of Counsellors for North America and the three National Spiritual Assemblies, was attended by almost 400 believers from Alaska, Canada, the U.S. and Greenland, the vast majority of whom were indigenous Bahá’ís representing more than 50 Indian tribes in North America.

The six-member Trail of Light team that visited six native villages in Alaska was composed of three Eskimo believers and three American Indians.

Meanwhile, a second group composed of three American Indians, three Alaskan Eskimos and two Indian believers from Canada visited in three cities and Indian Reserves in Northern Saskatchewan, Canada.

The third traveling teaching team, composed of three indigenous believers from Alaska, four from Canada, and one American Indian believer, traveled to four Indian Reservations in Washington State and one in Idaho.

American Indian Reservations visited by this group of eight believers were the Yakima, Umatilla, Makah and Lummi in Washington, and the Nez Perce in Idaho.

The idea for The Trail of Light originated during consultation among the National Spiritual Assemblies of Canada, Alaska and the United States. Another inspiration for this symbolic effort was the

Members of the ‘Trail of Light’ teaching team that visited four Indian Reservations in Washington state and one in Idaho are (left to right) Jones Wongittilin, a Siberian-Yupik Eskimo from Savoonga, Alaska; Linda Proulx, a Cree-Métis from Stratford, Ontario, Canada; Doris Eckroth, a Cherokee from Malone, New York; team captain Hazel Lovelace, a Tlingit from Anchorage, Alaska, who served as over-all coordinator for the training-deepening before the project began; Joanne Langan, a Saulteaux from Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada; Barbara Healy, a Blood Indian from Blue Sky, Alberta, Canada; Laurie King, a Tlingit from Eagle River, Alaska; George Schinkel, a Tlingit from Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada.

[Page 7] The ‘Trail of Light’ teaching team that visited Indian Reserves and cities in Northern Saskatchewan, Canada, includes (left to right) Henry Bainbridge, a Navajo from Teec-Nos-Pos, Arizona; Ernestine Moore, a Paiute-Washoe from Reno, Nevada; Maynard Eakan, an Inupiaq Eskimo from Anchorage, Alaska, and member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Alaska; Shirley Lindstrom, a Tlingit from Mayo, Yukon, Canada; team captain Noni Nelson, a Métis from Enderby, British Columbia, Canada; Peter Singyke, an Inupiaq from Anchorage, Alaska; Rita Blumenstein, an Aleut-Athabascan-Yupik Eskimo from Palmer, Alaska; Dennis Bainbridge, age 9, a Navajo from Teec-Nos-Pos, Arizona.

“Pacific Rim” concept of teaching indigenous peoples that was described by the Hand of the Cause of God Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájír two years ago.

The first Trail of Light traveling trip by 22 believers occurred spontaneously immediately after the first Bahá’í Native Council, held in 1978 on the Yakima Indian Reservation in Washington State.

That first teaching effort took the native believers to communities in British Columbia, Canada.

The most recent Trail of Light trips were carefully planned. They followed a three-day training and deepening program that began at the close of the second Bahá’í Native Council in Wilmette.

The ‘Trail of Light’ teaching team that visited six native villages in Alaska, July 18-August 1, following the Bahá’í Native Council in Wilmette, Illinois. Team members are (left to right front row) Tina Salomon, an Osage-Cherokee from Sparks, Nevada; Mary Jane Tevuk, an Inupiaq Eskimo from Nome, Alaska; Regina Steffes, a Navajo-Oneida from Fontana, California; and (back row left to right) team captain Chester Kahn, a Navajo from Houck, Arizona; Bill Ekomiak, an Inuit Eskimo from Daysland, Alberta, Canada; Johan Lyberth, an Inuit Eskimo from Nuuk, Greenland.

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Border teaching

Colombia, Ecuador seek closer ties to proclaim Cause

Pasto, Colombia, a quaint little town nestled snugly beneath the green and sunny peaks of the Andes Mountains, was the site April 4-5 of the first Colombian-Ecuadorian Bahá’í Frontier Teaching Conference, convened by the Continental Board of Counsellors for South America in collaboration with the National Spiritual Assemblies of Colombia and Ecuador.

The gathering was the first in a series of such conferences planned by the Counsellors at the direction of the World Centre with the objective of establishing cross-frontier teaching between adjacent countries, thus enabling traveling teachers to carry the Message of Bahá’u’lláh even more rapidly to every section of those countries.

About 80 indigenous believers and foreign pioneers from Colombia and more than 40 natives and pioneers from Ecuador came to learn of the collaborative teaching plan, which was one of the last visions of inter-community teaching between these neighboring countries, whose people are of the same racial stock and temperament, advanced by the Hand of the Cause of God Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir before his untimely death last December while on a teaching trip in Ecuador.

Among those present at the conference, which was presided over by Counsellor Donald Witzel, were seven members of the National Spiritual Assembly of Colombia and six members of the National Spiritual Assembly of Ecuador.

The conference was befittingly dedicated to the beloved Hands of the Cause of God, Dr. Muhájir and Enoch Olinga. During the meeting their happy and courageous spirits seemed almost to permeate the atmosphere.

The focus of the conference, “Teaching the Cause,” soon became readily apparent as representatives from each country shared information about teaching projects designed to win their goals during the opening phase of the Seven Year Plan as well as some of their proposed plans for the future.

From Ecuador, Auxiliary Board member Isabel de Calderón spoke about teaching in the cities and the role women are taking in bringing to the attention of the public the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh in that country.

Sra. de Calderón ably presented details of the National Drawing Contest for Children sponsored last year by the National Spiritual Assembly of Ecuador and outlined its great success in proclaiming the Cause to various strata of society.

Mrs. Susana Jensen, speaking on behalf of the National Teaching Committee of Ecuador, told of progress toward the goal of winning 10,000 new believers for the Faith in that country this year, a goal set by the National Spiritual Assembly as a result of its final meeting with the Hand of the Cause Dr. Muhájir the night before he passed away.

The spokesmen for Radio Bahá’í, Ralph Dexter and Michael Stokes, presented an enlightening analysis of the function of the Bahá’í radio station in Ecuador, its cultural and educational activities, and its various public services to its listeners. They engendered a deeper understanding and appreciation for the Bahá’í world’s first radio station by reminding their audience that it is not Ecuador’s station, but rather, is co-owned by Bahá’ís in every land. It is the responsibility of every Bahá’í, they said, to contribute to its success.

The conference included fruitful discussions on child education, the development of teaching materials, and the coordination of “listening centers,” traveling teaching activities, and training children’s teachers with the aid of Radio Bahá’í.

As one immediate result of these discussions, Phillip Turner, a pioneer to Ecuador, offered to translate the Cali Audio-Visual Center’s child education materials into the Quechua language, if there were a plan to have them printed.

[Page 9] Also, a commission was appointed to draft tentative plans for incorporating radio, audio-visual materials, and teacher training course materials as a means of coordinating expansion and consolidation programs.

The members of the commission are: from Ecuador, Auxiliary Board member Jimmie Jensen, Mrs. Susana Jensen, and Ralph Dexter, the National Spiritual Assembly’s representative to Radio Bahá’í; and from Colombia, Auxiliary Board members Carmen Elisa Klinger de Sadeghian and Alan Fryback, representing the audio-visual department of the National Spiritual Assembly of Colombia, and Mehrnoosh Sadeghian, a pioneer to Colombia.

Reports presented by some of the 25 Colombian teaching teams, each with enrollment and consolidation goals for specific areas, were especially inspiring to the Ecuadorians, for whom this was a new concept in organization.

Each of these teaching teams bears the name of a Bahá’í hero or martyr, such as Tahírih, Quddús, Hujjat, Agnes Alexander, Martha Root, or Luis Montenegro, an outstanding Bahá’í teacher and administrator in Colombia for many years who died while helping to elect Local Assemblies in a remote area of the country.

Each team member studies the history of his namesake as a means of inspiration. The teams grow larger as more individuals arise to serve, and the formation of at least 45 teams is anticipated.

Colombia’s goal for the first phase of the Seven Year Plan is 19,000 new believers. Although each team has as part of its consolidation goals responsibility for children’s classes, women’s activities, Assembly development programs, etc., a number of them reported that they had enrolled as many as 40 to 50 new believers in only a few weeks since their formation. Wholesome competition among the teams is encouraged.

A teen-age girl, the 100th graduate of Colombia’s month-long “first level training program,” was introduced at the conference.

The program, conducted each Sunday at the Puerta Tejada Ruhi Institute, enables believers to undertake individualized or tutorial courses and continue as long as they like for a fee of about $1.10 (U.S.) daily for room and board, with each one helping with housekeeping and cooking chores.

Courses cover such subjects as prayer, spiritual qualities, and the Covenant. “Graduation” involves explaining each completed course satisfactorily to at least five believers. Thus, evaluation is not competitive or embarrassing to the students, each of whom proceeds at his or her own pace.

Tentative plans were made for some of the friends from Ecuador to observe the program at Puerta Tejada, with a view toward either encouraging Ecuadorians to attend the Colombian institute or developing a similar program in Ecuador.

An immediate result of the conference with respect to cooperative frontier teaching was the formation of two bi-national teams to teach for a week following the conference in the indigenous areas of the Colombian Paez Indians and the Inga Indians. The Ingas speak a Quechua dialect spoken by their ancestors centuries ago, during the reign of the Incas, while the Paez have their own language.

The Ecuadorian members of both teams, National Spiritual Assembly member Maria Perugachi, Auxiliary Board members Rufino Gualavisí and Vicente Anrango, and Segundo Curillo are all Quechua-speaking people from the Otavalo area.

On the final morning of the conference, Counsellor Witzel presented a moving biographical sketch of the life of the Hand of the Cause Enoch Olinga, including events relating to his untimely death and those of his wife and three of their children, while Auxiliary Board member Charles Hornby, who was privileged to be Dr. Muhájir’s traveling companion during his last visit to Ecuador, shared an account of the many dynamic teaching trips to Ecuador over many years by that Hand of the Cause.

A cable was sent to the Universal House of Justice informing the Supreme Body of the outstanding success of the conference, outlining the teaching projects initiated, and detailing the prospects for future border collaboration between Colombia and Ecuador.—Helen Hornby

Some of the more than 120 believers who participated April 4-5 in the first Colombian-Ecuadorian Bahá’í Frontier Teaching Conference in Pasto, Colombia.

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Centenary in India

In May, the Bahá’í community of India began its celebration of the hundredth anniversary of the establishment of the Faith on the subcontinent.

On May 2, the spacious lawns of the Bahá’í Center in New Delhi were covered by a huge tent and decorated. Opposite the tent was a specially prepared booth that displayed Bahá’í publications.

At 6 o’clock that evening, the minister for Home, Shri. Giani Zail Singh, and the minister for Foreign Affairs, Shri. P.V. Narasimha Rao, arrived. The tent was crowded with dignitaries, officials and others from all walks of life. The press area was filled with representatives from the newspapers, radio and television.

In a message to the centenary observance, the Prime Minister said: “The Bahá’í Faith seeks to bring people together to enable them to realize their unity and their own inner potentialities for growth. It commands wide respect in our own land which believes in rendering equal homage to all religions and creeds.”

The President of India wrote: “As Gandhiji said, the message of the Bahá’í Faith is a solace to mankind. India has always stood for universal brotherhood and the message of the Bahá’ís is in keeping with the past spiritual traditions of India.”

The minister for Foreign Affairs, in his opening address, said that Bahá’u’lláh inaugurated the age of the planetary society—the coming of age of mankind when the need to build a global society based on interdependence and justice dawned on human consciousness. At this centenary celebration, he added, we should pause to consider how much more immediate and relevant His Teachings have become since they were introduced. He wished the Bahá’ís of India the fulfillment of their highest hopes to serve those lofty ideals.

The Home Minister congratulated the Bahá’ís and said he had received a request for recognition of the Bahá’í community’s minority status. It was his hope, he said, that there would be no difficulty in granting this status to the Bahá’ís.

The Hon. M. H. Beg, former Chief Justice of India, was chairman of the observance. He welcomed each of the speakers, then gave a learned and inspiring address that he concluded by saying, “I rejoice at the bold challenge and call of Bahá’u’lláh to the traditional and well-established branches of religion to unite in the service of mankind by ignoring differences of label and gathering the essence of what their great Originators really tried to bestow upon a suffering humanity.”

The Bahá’í speakers were Dr. H.M. Munje and Dr. S. Vasudevan who spoke in Hindi and English, respectively. Shri. Jagdish Gandhi was master of ceremonies for the event.

Moments after the conclusion of the festivities, Delhi TV included mention of the celebration in its newscast. Widespread publicity appeared in the next morning’s newspapers as well as on radio. The national radio networks carried the news throughout the country.

Sixty years ago, the first National Convention of the Bahá’ís of India was held in Bombay. Among the four main resolutions approved by that gathering were the invitation for the beloved Master to visit India, and the decision to build a Mashriqu’l-Adhkár on the subcontinent.

This year’s convention celebrated at once the centenary of the founding of the Faith in India and the announcement of the award of contract to begin construction of a unique House of Worship for the Indian subcontinent.

In addition, a favorable response from the government to the Bahá’í community’s application for minority status is expected soon.

On the dais at the centenary of the establishment of the Bahá’í Faith in India are (left to right) Dr. Vasudevan Nair; the Hon. M.H. Beg, former Chief Justice of India; Shri. Giani Zail Singh, minister for Home Affairs; and Dr. Perin Olyai.

[Page 11]

Winner by design

Proposed U.S. National Archives building given top award by architecture magazine

The design for the proposed U.S. Bahá’í National Archives building in Wilmette, Illinois, received a special citation last January at the 27th annual P/A Awards ceremony sponsored by Progressive Architecture magazine.

The architect is Stanley Tigerman and Associates of Chicago.

The new Archives building will sit directly across the road from the Bahá’í House of Worship and just behind the National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds, masked by an earth berm so as not to compete for attention with the Temple.

In announcing the award to Tigerman and Associates, Progressive Architecture had this to say about the design:

“The architect has divided a square site in two, half of it to be covered by the undulating roofed building and the other half by its mirror image in trimmed trees (topiary).

“Inside, the ceiling is painted to resemble the sky, and columns have foliated capitals to suggest man’s earliest shelter among the trees.

“The primeval imagery was a response to the client’s request that the building have a quality of timelessness about it.

“Jurors appreciated the building’s imaginative interiors and its respectful subservience to the Temple.”

Legal considerations have delayed the start of construction of the new Archives building.

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Around the world

Bermuda

The Hand of the Cause of God John Robarts (second from right, front row) was taken to the Bermuda airport by this group of Bahá’ís at the close of his seven-day visit to Bermuda in April. Mr. Robarts was accompanied by his wife, Audrey, who is standing to his right.

The Hand of the Cause of God John Robarts, accompanied by his wife, Audrey, visited the Bahá’ís of Bermuda April 3-9. Prior to his arrival Mr. Robarts had visited believers in 10 Caribbean countries during a three-month period.

Mr. Robarts’ schedule, arranged by the Bahá’í Teaching Committee of Bermuda, included a public meeting, meetings with the friends and Teaching Committee, and the video-taping of a 30-minute program for the Bermuda archives and future use on television.

Five of Bermuda’s six Local Spiritual Assemblies were reelected at Riḍván, but a minimum of seven Assemblies is needed to form a National Spiritual Assembly in 1981.

Mr. Robarts stressed the undoubted victories that are assured if the friends call on the Supreme Concourse and arise.

Botswana

Three Auxiliary Board members and three members of the National Spiritual Assembly of Botswana, along with 25 believers from Lobatse, Jwaneng and Kanye, Botswana, participated in a regional teaching conference February 23-24 in Gaborone, Botswana.

Consultation centered on the goals of the Seven Year Plan. Most of the participants committed themselves to work on at least one of the goals.

Discussion on the subject of the Fund brought contributions as well as gifts of food sufficient to meet all the needs of the conference.

These children were among the participants last December 29-January 4 in Botswana’s first Bahá’í Summer School. The last two days of the school were spent visiting nearby villages to bring the spirit of love and unity generated at the school to those who were unable to attend.

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Honduras

The local Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds of Siguatepeque, Honduras, designed and built by the local Bahá’í community, was dedicated June 29. The building project took four and one-half years to complete.

Charles Cornell, secretary of the Spiritual Assembly of Siguatepeque, Honduras (right) presents a copy of The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh to the mayor of the City of Siguatepeque, Ramon de Jesus Sabillon, during the dedication June 29 of the new local Bahá’í Center in Siguatepeque.

Papua New Guinea

A young Bahá’í librarian at a Catholic college that trains priests in Rabaul, Papua New Guinea, has succeeded in placing Bahá’í books in the college library.

When believers in Rabaul offered Ouma Maro a copy of Some Answered Questions and other Bahá’í books, he took them to the Chanel College library. College officials objected until Mr. Maro explained that the books were not his but were a gift from the Rabaul Bahá’í community. The college authorities then consented.

Some students already have begun reading the Bahá’í books, according to Mr. Maro.

Fiji Island

This year the National Spiritual Assembly of the Fiji Islands planned a number of summer schools in various locations, rather than one large school. The object was to allow believers in rural areas to attend a summer school at relatively low cost. Above, believers participating in the summer school at Lomaivuna, central Viti Levu. Below, some of the friends attending the school in Lololo Forest near Lautoka. At left, a group of Bahá’í youth enjoy some singing between summer school sessions.

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Ethiopia

A local teaching conference held last year in Asmara, Ethiopia, was followed by news of two exciting victories for the Faith.

A blind high school student who had studied the Faith and become a Bahá’í in Asmara returned to Addis Abába to continue his education. There, nine of his visually-impaired fellow students embraced the Faith.

Among the activities stressed at the Asmara conference was teaching family members. As a result, the wives of three long-time Bahá’ís declared their belief in Bahá’u’lláh.

About 115 guests and many Bahá’ís packed the main hall of the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to capacity for the observance of the 12th Day of Riḍván.

Auxiliary Board member Asfaw Tessema spoke about Biblical prophecy and the principles of the Faith. A lively question-and-answer period followed.

A buffet dinner prepared by the women’s committee provided a further opportunity for discussions between the friends and their guests. Conversations continued until late in the evening.

Bophuthatswana

More than 60 Bahá’ís attended a Bahá’í Summer School last December 15-22 in Bophuthatswana, South Africa.

Counsellor William Masehla and Auxiliary Board members Daniel Ramaroesi and Gilbert Tombisa were among the participants in the school, which was held in Montshiwa, western Bophuthatswana. The Bahá’ís traveled to the school from Pretoria, Johannesburg, Botswana, and even as far as East London.

The friends were reminded that the time is short and the tasks great to prepare for the establishment of the National Spiritual Assembly of Bophuthatswana at Riḍván 1981, a goal set by the Universal House of Justice.

Ireland

Some of the 50 participants at a four-day spring school held in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, in April. Two Auxiliary Board members and a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United Kingdom attended with believers from many places in Ireland. Classes focused on responsibilities and rewards of fathers and mothers and spiritual education.

The Gambia

An American Bahá’í, Ann McCrory, on the first leg of a nine-month teaching trip through Africa and Asia, conducted children’s classes and held firesides in 20 localities in The Gambia, Africa, last September.

She spoke at three high schools in Banjul, the capital city of The Gambia, as a part of the National Spiritual Assembly’s effort aimed at reaching those who are educated.

Uruguay

This traveling teaching team, composed of two German believers, two Americans and a Dutch Bahá’í, performed during a meeting at the Bahá’í Center in Montevideo, Uruguay, that was attended by 25 people. In addition to music, the program featured slides of the Bahá’í Holy Places and a discussion of the tenets of the Faith. At the left is a member of the Spiritual Assembly of Montevideo.

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Venezuela

Donald Witzel, a Counsellor for South America, and Auxiliary Board members Frank Mann and Cecilia Pérez conducted a teaching conference June 22 in Camurica, Venezuela, that was attended by more than 50 believers, 90 per cent of whom are Cariña Indians.

Guillermo Revalledo, a Cariña believer, addressed the audience in his native language, exhorting them to deepen and to obey the laws of Bahá’u’lláh in order to make further spiritual progress.

Forty-four children learned prayers and songs during separate sessions planned for them. Later, the children joined the adults to sing and pray.

Thirteen believers volunteered to join teaching teams in response to a call made during the conference. Carmen Daniel, a 77-year-old believer, offered to teach children’s classes each week.

Donald Witzel, a Continental Counsellor for South America, and four members of the Auxiliary Board participated in a national teaching conference that was held June 21 in Ciudad Bolivar, Venezuela.

Auxiliary Board members George Child, Frank Mann, Diane Lotfi and Cecilia Pérez were among the 34 participants.

The conference, held in the Grand Hotel Bolivar under the auspices of the Continental Board of Counsellors, received publicity in two newspapers and over a local radio station.

Dominican Republic

Delegates and guests gathered at the National Convention of the Bahá’ís of the Dominican Republic that was held in San Pedro de Macoris. Carmen de Burafato, a Continental Counsellor for Central America, was among the guests.

[Page 16]

Falkland Islands

Young visitors to the Stanley Town Hall examine pictures submitted by more than 180 children from throughout the Falkland Islands to a UNICEF art contest sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Stanley in observance of the International Year of the Child.

More than 180 children in the Falkland Islands participated in an art contest sponsored by the Local Spiritual Assembly of Stanley, Falkland Islands, in honor of the United Nations International Year of the Child.

Publicity included flyers with contest rules that were placed in each post office box in the town and, along with UNICEF posters, in local businesses. Extensive radio publicity included spot announcements that featured eight-year old Eli Sheridan inviting other children to submit a picture that could be selected for the 1981 UNICEF calendar.

Approximately 150 people visited the display of contest entries in the Stanley Town Hall each day. The Assembly selected a panel of judges that chose 20 winning entries. Live radio coverage of the announcement of winning entries included interviews with local Bahá’ís.

Each of the 20 winners was given a hand-lettered and illuminated parchment certificate, prizes of picture puzzles and books that had been purchased from the United States Committee for UNICEF, and a UNICEF calendar.

The Assembly reported that eight of the pictures sent to UNICEF were considered of sufficiently high quality to be submitted to the nominating board for possible use in the UNICEF calendar.

The largest efforts in support of the United Nations in the Falkland Islands are those sponsored by the Bahá’ís.

Bénin

The first Béninese Bahá’í marriage and a public meeting in conjunction with the International Year of the Child highlighted the annual Bahá’í School last December 20-23 at the Bahá’í National Center in Cotonou.

“Let’s Follow in the Footsteps of Mr. Olinga” was the theme of classes organized by the National Teaching Committee and conducted primarily by Bahá’í youth of Cotonou. Sessions focused on the Central Figures of the Faith, Bahá’í history, basic Teachings and prayer.

More than 60 people attended the public IYC meeting that featured talks entitled “The Child Is the Future” and “The Responsibility of Adults Toward Children.” A lively question-and-answer session and an exhibition entitled “The Rights of the Child” installed in a hall of the National Center were other features of the public meeting. The event provided an opportunity for contact between the National Spiritual Assembly and many officials and organizations.

Members of the Spiritual Assembly of Cotonou, Bénin, joined the wedding party of Mr. and Mrs. Nicolas Kinmeto who were married at the National Center last December. The wedding, the first Béninese Bahá’í marriage, was attended by more than 25 people and took place during the annual Bahá’í School.

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Australia

“A spectacular temple which will adorn the Indian city of Delhi” is how “The Journal of the Institute of Engineers, Australia” describes the design of the Mother Temple of the Indian subcontinent.

An article in the Journal’s January 25, 1980, edition includes a reference to the Bahá’í belief in the unity of religions, a photograph of the model of the Temple, and details of its unique structural features.

The article points out that the first task of the structural engineers, Flint and Neill, was to define numerically the geometry of the concrete shells or “petals” of the lotus blossom, so that their structure could be analyzed.

Some of the 350 believers who attended a national teaching conference last January 11-13 in Canberra, Australia. The conference, held immediately after a two-day national youth conference at the same site, had as its theme ‘Holders of a Precious Trust.’

Laos

Approximately 40 believers and their non-Bahá’í guests attended a Naw-Rúz party at the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Vientiane, Laos.

Among the guests was the secretary of the committee on religious affairs in the Ministry of Education, Sport and Culture. The National Spiritual Assembly of Laos has been making efforts to fully acquaint the government of Laos with the nature of the Faith.

The government official at the Naw-Rúz celebration, Mr. Southone, expressed his favorable impression of the dignity and simplicity of the Bahá’í gathering.

Brazil

Some of the approximately 60 people who participated in the Riḍván celebration in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The observance was held in the countryside near Sao Paulo.

[Page 18] The Promised Day Is Come. Shoghi Effendi’s authoritative perspective on current world events. This revised edition of the Guardian’s 1941 letter to Western Bahá’ís is indispensable—an eloquent and forceful analysis of the main trends of the last hundred years.
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