Bahá’í News/Issue 625/Text
| ←Previous | Bahá’í News Issue 625 |
Next→ |
 Proofread onceReturn to PDF view
|
| Bahá’í News | April 1983 | Bahá’í Year 140 |
The Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum at the dedication of the Anís Zunúzi Bahá’í School in Haiti
Bahá’í News[edit]
The Universal House of Justice occupies its permanent Seat in Haifa | 1 |
The Anís Zunúzí Bahá’í School in Lilavoix, Haiti, has its dedication | 2 |
A background report on development of the Anís Zunúzí Bahá’í School | 5 |
The application for a Bahá’í radio station in Bolivia is approved | 8 |
A timely report (circa 1935) about the future use of radio by the Faith | 10 |
Around the world: News from Bahá’í communities all over the globe | 12 |
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 the Periodicals Office, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091, U.S.A. Changes of address should be reported to the Office of Membership and Records, Bahá’í National Center. Please attach mailing label. Subscription rates: one year, $12 U.S.; two years, $20 U.S. Second class postage paid at Wilmette, IL 60091. Copyright © 1983, National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. World rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.
World Centre[edit]
House of Justice occupies permanent Seat[edit]
TO THE FOLLOWERS OF BAHÁ’U’LLÁH
IN EVERY LAND
WE BOW OUR HEADS IN INFINITE GRATITUDE TO THE BLESSED BEAUTY FOR HIS ALL-EMBRACING CONFIRMATIONS ENABLING HOUSE JUSTICE OCCUPY ITS NEWLY CONSTRUCTED PERMANENT SEAT. THIS AUSPICIOUS EVENT SIGNALIZES ANOTHER PHASE IN PROCESS FULFILMENT SAILING GOD’S ARK ON MOUNTAIN OF THE LORD AS ANTICIPATED IN TABLET CARMEL, WONDROUS CHARTER WORLD SPIRITUAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE CENTRES FAITH BAHÁ’U’LLÁH.
THIS HIGH POINT HISTORY STRUGGLING FAITH NOW EMERGING FROM OBSCURITY, THIS CRUCIAL HOUR SUFFUSED WITH UNTOLD POTENCIES GENERATED BY SOUL-STIRRING SACRIFICES BELOVED BRETHREN IRAN, MARKED BY VISIT MEMBERS HOUSE JUSTICE TWIN HOLY SHRINES AND FIRST GATHERING COUNCIL CHAMBER TOGETHER WITH HANDS CAUSE AMATU’L-BAHÁ RÚḤÍYYIH KHÁNUM ‘ALÍ-AKBAR FURÚTAN AND COUNSELLOR MEMBERS INTERNATIONAL TEACHING CENTRE TO OFFER PRAYERS HUMBLE THANKSGIVING.
LET ALL REJOICE. LET PRAISES ANCIENT BEAUTY RESOUND. MAY UNRELENTING EFFORTS FRIENDS EVERYWHERE HASTEN ADVENT THAT DAY WHEN WONDROUS POTENTIALITIES ENSHRINED IN TABLET CARMEL WILL BE FULLY REVEALED AND WHEN FROM GOD’S HOLY MOUNTAIN, AS ENVISAGED BELOVED GUARDIAN, WILL STREAM FORTH RIVERS OF LAWS AND ORDINANCES WITH ALL-CONQUERING POWER AND MAJESTY.
FEBRUARY 1, 1983
Haiti[edit]
Anís Zunúzí Bahá’í School is dedicated[edit]
The Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum presided last October 20 at the official inauguration ceremony for the Anís Zunúzí Bahá’í School in Lilavoix, Haiti.
About 600 people witnessed the historic event, among whom were three members of the Continental Board of Counsellors in the Americas—Dr. Farzam Arbáb (Colombia), Carmen de Burafato (Mexico) and Ruth Pringle (Panama)—and all the members of the National Spiritual Assembly of Haiti.
Government notables included the special representative of His Excellency Jean-Claude Duvalier, the president of Haiti; His Excellency the Canadian Ambassador, Howard Singleton; the director general of Haiti’s Ministry of Education; the director general of vocational training; two members of Parliament; and the mayor, chief of police, and municipal officials of the city
The ceremony ... marked the end of a five and one-half month journey for Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum that covered more than 30,000 miles and took her to more than 85 Bahá’í communities.
of Croix de Bouquets.
Also present were several Auxiliary Board members; the school’s architect, Dr. Iraj Majzub of Miami, Florida; its headmaster, Hans-Jürgen Thimm; and Bahá’ís from a dozen countries including Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Mexico, Panama and the United States.
The Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum plants an orange tree during ceremonies last October 20 marking the official dedication of the Anís Zunúzí Bahá’í School in Lilavoix, Haiti. About 600 people were present for the event.
The ceremony coincided with the anniversary of the Birth of the Báb and marked the end of a five and one-half month journey for Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum that covered more than 30,000 miles and took her to more than 85 Bahá’í communities.
The colorful event began at three o’clock in the afternoon when Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum was greeted at the gate by a marching band and presented with flowers by some of the school children, who were dressed in their lovely school uniforms.
The Hand of the Cause was then accompanied by local officials to the school building for a flag-raising and ribbon-cutting ceremony, after which she helped plant an orange tree on the grounds.
The large crowd then moved indoors for a presentation of songs by the children and talks by Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum, local officials and Mr. Thimm. In her remarks, the Hand of the Cause pointed out that Bahá’ís believe in and uphold the divinity of Christ, the oneness of God, and the brotherhood of man. She emphasized that the school is open to children of every background and denomination.
Afterward, she met with the representative of the president and other officials, and everyone was served refreshments and entertained in the school courtyard by the marching band.
The Anís Zunúzí School, named for the young companion of the Báb who shared His martyrdom, first opened its doors in 1980. The cost of its construction, which totaled about $300,000, was donated by a Bahá’í family in Belgium.
The school presently holds classes at the kindergarten and elementary levels.
[Page 3]
The Anís Zunúzí Bahá’í School in Lilavoix, Haiti, near the capital city of Port-au-Prince
Plans are under way to add a variety of trade courses, from bee-keeping and sewing to woodworking, welding and agriculture.
A tutoring program has begun in which local youth are trained as tutors and return to their villages to set up classes in basic reading, writing and trade skills. It was found that many of the “developmental” programs established in poor countries like Haiti train young people who then take those new skills and leave their villages—either to go to larger cities or, if they can, to other countries.
The Zunúzí program is specifically designed to try and keep the educational development and newly learned skills in the villages where they are most needed.
As a part of their regular studies, the children at the school have a class in religion, once a week, which includes lessons about all the world’s major religions—taught from a Bahá’í perspective. In addition, there is a Bahá’í children’s class each Sunday afternoon, as well as an adult deepening class once each week. These classes are taught by Mattie Thimm, the wife of the headmaster, who also teaches three Bahá’í children’s classes a week in villages near the school, helped by some of the local youth.
For some of the children, these classes are the only education they receive. They learn Bahá’í prayers and songs, have a brief lesson, and at the end of the class, color a picture. The children receive points for attendance and are given a small prize when 50 points are earned.
A Bahá’í children’s class in the village of Lathan, Haiti, conducted by Matty Thimm (standing at right), a pioneer from the United States who is the wife of Hans-Jürgen Thimm, principal of the Anís Zunúzí Bahá’í School in Lilavoix.
On another level, an outreach program has begun with the implementation of a non-formal educational program for rural development through pre-school and family education. This program, a collaborative effort of the National Spiritual Assemblies of Canada and Haiti, aims to enlist 10 to 15 trainees who are to teach at three to five pre-school and family education centers in surrounding villages. It is made possible by a direct grant from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) through the Canadian Embassy in Haiti.
A larger CIDA-sponsored activity
[Page 4]
The Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum prepares
to address the audience during the
dedication ceremony last October 20
for the Anís Zunúzí Bahá’í School in
Lilavoix, Haiti. The school, which was
built in four years at a cost of about
$300,000, is named for the young companion of the Báb who shared His martyrdom in 1850.
would help to improve the lot of people in the area by using the school as an educational resource center. During the two-year project, programs and activities would be held in the villages and at the school, leading to an exchange of students and staff and the sharing of results between the Haitian project and those of a similar nature in neighboring countries of the Caribbean and Latin America.
In addition to its use as an academic center, the Zunúzí School is used regularly by the National Spiritual Assembly for Bahá’í purposes. The 1981 and 1982 National Conventions were held there, as well as an institute on the functioning of Bahá’í communities co-sponsored by the National Spiritual Assembly and Auxiliary Board, prayer sessions, deepening classes, a Winter School and other activities.
The school also serves as a post for the National Malaria Eradication Service and has a public fountain with potable water for the local population, some of whom walk miles to collect and carry water to their homes.
The school’s influence has spread as far as Florida where Haitian-born Bahá’ís are being galvanized in their teaching work in the southeastern part of the state as a direct result of the existence of the school. Slide programs about the school’s construction and the inauguration ceremonies have been shown in the Bahá’í communities of Central Dade County and Belle Glade, and have proven to be an effective means of interesting the media and public officials who are concerned with the problems experienced by Haitian refugees to the U.S.
Thus, the Anís Zunúzí Bahá’í School in Haiti bids fair to exercise a great and growing influence upon the lives and education of young people, Bahá’í and non-Bahá’í alike, in that land in which illiteracy is a grave social problem.
The board, whose members are Counsellor Farzam Arbab, Dr. Nabil Hanna, Benjamin Levy, Dr. Iraj Majzub and Georges Marcellus, held its first meeting January 21-22 in Haiti’s capital city, Port-au-Prince. The House of Justice envisages that the board will develop the institution to its fullest capacity, increase the dissemination of information about the school, and oversee its financial and program development and its use for Bahá’í functions. Situated in an area hitherto deprived of educational facilities, densely populated, largely rural and economically poor, the school already is gaining a splendid reputation among the local inhabitants for its high educational standards and the character-building courses that are being incorporated into its curriculum. The cost of the entire school complex was underwritten by a dedicated Bahá’í family whose members wish to remain anonymous, setting in motion what will develop in the future into a Bahá’í university. Although the largest part of the school’s management expenses also is taken care of by the same generous family, for the modest sum of $18.00 a year (U.S.) Bahá’ís can sponsor one student at the school, with that sum covering tuition and administrative costs. The school hopes to fulfill the wish of the beloved Guardian with respect to Bahá’í educational institutions: “Let them, freely and without charge, open the doors of their schools and their higher institutions for the study of sciences and the liberal arts, to non-Bahá’í children and youth who are poor and in need.” (Bahá’í Education: A Compilation, U.S. Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, 1977, p. 59) |
Haiti[edit]
Development of the Anís Zunúzí School[edit]
Some seven miles south of Port-au-Prince, the capital city of Haiti, a school complex is being completed. The story of how the school came to be is one of great human interest, sacrifice and achievement.
To begin with, the entire cost of land, construction and furnishings, totaling about $300,000, was donated by a single family living in Belgium who gave their life savings for this humanitarian and philanthropic venture.
This family, which does not wish to be named, is composed of a couple with children working about 14 to 16 hours a day in an import/export business to keep the flow of money for the school going.
| This article outlining the background and development of the Anís Zunúzí Bahá’í School in Lilavoix, Haiti, was written by the school’s architect, Dr. Iraj Majzub of Miami, Florida. Dr. Majzub, an expert in rural construction, is chairman of the department of construction at Florida International University. |
The family visited Haiti about five years ago and was exposed to the absolute poverty of the country in general and to the grim fate of rural children in particular. Its members felt impelled to do something to help these people, and the idea of a school in which to teach the rural children reading, writing and some trades was the option they selected.
It was also decided that they would donate the school to the Bahá’ís of Haiti to administer once it was completed. However, since the local Bahá’í community in that country does not have the financial means to carry out such a responsibility, the major part of the yearly cost of operating the school also was underwritten by the donors.
The school has been under construction for the past four years. During that time the writer, in his capacity as
The project was conceived as a means of helping people help themselves. From every point of view, it is an act of generosity and service. The school is open to everyone. Tuition is $3 per month, while the cost per student runs about $15 per month.
architect, clients’ voice, controller of costs, and member of the executive council for the creation, development and implementation of academic programs at the school, has visited Haiti on a regular basis.
The process of completing such an extensive project with so few resources has been an unusual but rewarding experience, one which needs to be shared because it involves a significant undertaking by a relatively small group of people for the good of a larger number who have had the misfortune to be born in poverty and despair, and is an example to be followed by others of us who live in more affluent conditions to work for the betterment of the conditions of life for the needy.
What makes this undertaking even more interesting is the fact that it was done without any fanfare, for ordinary people by ordinary people. It went beyond the barriers of racial or national prejudice and was not done for self-glorification or personal gain.
The project was conceived as a means of helping people help themselves. From every point of view, it is an act of generosity and service. The school is open to everyone. Tuition is $3.00 per month, while the cost per student runs about $15.00 per month.
Inspired by the example of the dedicated family which donated the funds for the school, the writer volunteered to prepare the drawings and specifications, and to negotiate and carry out the task of construction. In return, he was given a free hand by the donors to design the school and to use whatever construction methods he deemed suitable.
Several other people, all of whom are Bahá’ís, donated their time and efforts in various capacities to help assure the success of the project.
The architect, who had been advocating the idea that new architecture in the developing countries should be based on the development of traditional construction techniques in a particular country and should use available local materials and techniques in a rational or optimum way, saw in the project a unique opportunity to test the validity of these principles in lowering the cost of construction while upgrading its quality.
Included in the over-all project was the construction of a kindergarten, an elementary school and technical school for about 500 students, a residence for the principal, and other such amenities as a lecture hall/library, a home for the aged, and a dispensary on 10 acres of property. Its first phase was the construction of the kindergarten, elementary and technical schools with an area under construction of about 15,000 square feet.
Technical aspects[edit]
Research into construction costs in Haiti (1978) showed that, depending upon the degree of finish, costs varied from $120 to $300 per square meter ($11-$28 per square foot) under normal conditions.
The land on which the school was to be built had a low bearing capacity to approximately 2.5 meters (8 feet) be-
[Page 6]
low ground level, which would increase
the costs.
Although the sponsors had not placed any restrictions on the total cost of the project or its budget, a goal of not exceeding $100,000, or about $83 per square meter ($8 per square foot) of construction was set for the first two buildings in 1979.
Not only had the sponsors given the architect an absolutely free hand in making any and all design decisions, they also had expanded his authority to allow him to make any decision that would affect the cost of the project. He had become not only their representative in matters of design, but also the sole agent authorized to negotiate on their behalf. No contract (owner/architect) was signed; all was done through phone calls and a verbal agreement. The only necessary restriction was cost control.
As the architect, the challenge was simply to act with full authority and to apply all (or most) of the ideas I have been associated with, or have advocated, for the past 20 years, in areas of low cost building and architecture to obtain results that would be both acceptable to the sponsor and in keeping with his expectations while completing an architectural project that would satisfy me and respond to the needs of the locality, all at low cost.
Obtaining background information[edit]
One of the essential steps in lowering costs is to investigate the traditional construction techniques of the locality and adapt what is good in the new construction. Naturally, the use of local materials and labor results in economies in all areas. In developing countries, however, the element of familiarity with construction materials and the availability of low cost labor play an even more important role.
The architect, whose previous experience in Haiti was limited to the design of some additions to a 60-year-old building in Port-au-Prince that was renovated for use as the Bahá’í National Center in that country, had observed that most rural buildings there are shacks built of sticks and adobe—wood frame structures with mud walls and thatched roofs. This kind of structure is quite cheap due to the fact that materials are picked up from surrounding sites and labor is practically free. But such structures, with their inadequate foundations and construction methods, are extremely dangerous in a country that is directly in the path of major hurricanes every year.
Haitian children form lines and march toward the Anís Zunúzí Bahá’í School for its dedication ceremony last October 20. Classes at the school are presently held at the kindergarten and elementary levels.
On the other hand, the better rural and urban structures in Haiti use masonry for walls and timber for the floors and roof. Use of local timber in Haiti is not a practical idea. Most timber structures, due to inadequate treatment or preservation, have rotted and are infested with termites. Therefore, the use of local wood at the school was ruled out, and the question of roofing material and the selection of an adequate structure for the buildings had to be resolved.
The main problem in Haitian construction seemed to lie in roof construction. Although metal roofs and asbestos sheets are available and relatively cheap, neither appeared suitable for the project, owing to their short life span and poor acoustical qualities. An alternative economical roofing system had to be found.
Building in the rural area created some other problems too. Inadequate roads, the lack of a trained local labor force, the absence of electric power to run equipment, and the lack of clean water for mixing cement were all part of a set of restrictive conditions that had to be taken into consideration.
Design and construction[edit]
From the points of view of design and construction, the Anís Zunúzí project has been highly innovative with a multitude of special features to help make it appropriate to the needs of an underdeveloped area.
Most of the construction techniques are extremely simple. Although the bulk of the construction is of cement block, tie beam and columns, the methods used did not require any particular mechanical devices. All labor was carried out by neighborhood laborers. Carpenters and masons were trained on the job for certain specific activities, which resulted in major economies in total construction costs. Some on-the-job prefabrication was carried out, perhaps for the first time in that country. Roofing was built with prefabricated beams, with special cement block in-fill and a topping of cement; a new method of scaffolding was devised to expedite construction time.
The use of imported materials was avoided to the extent possible so that, with the exception of the wiring and some piping, even the bathrooms were specially designed to respond to local custom and were built in-place, all of which resulted in economies of 30 to 50 per cent below the standards in the country while the quality is among the best.
The architectural design took into
[Page 7]
consideration the climatic conditions in
the area and was conceived to act passively for climatic control of usable
spaces: large overhangs around the
buildings; high ceilings with pitched
roof oriented in a manner to attract
prevailing winds; the use of screen
blocks instead of windows—all are a
part of this concept, and have resulted
in comfort level temperatures during
all times of the day (about 15 to 20
degrees below the outside temperature
at noon, for example).
The landscaping has been designed to further improve this condition. However, the trees are not yet fully grown and planting has not been completed.
The site plan also is unique. Nine walks or paths lead to a central area that is destined in the future to become the location of a central lecture hall and library. The elementary and technical school are located at the far end of two main walkways. In the future, it is planned that a home for the aged and a dispensary be built at the far end of two other walkways. Although on the master plan the focal center of the complex is the lecture hall and library, each of the buildings will have its own independent access to the main country roads.
International cooperation[edit]
Another interesting aspect of this project lies in its use of human resources. Individuals from many parts of the world have been involved and have contributed to the success of the project and its future service to the Haitian community.
For example, a Texas-based artist designed a large mural in glazed tile that was carried to Haiti and installed in the central courtyard of the school. A graphic artist in Miami helped with the graphics. A local stone mason spent two months at the site training the laborers, and himself built some stone walls. A mechanical engineer from Canada worked as a job supervisor; an Englishman was responsible for cost control and general supervision during the final phase of the work.
The school’s principal is German-born with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. His wife, an American with a master’s degree in public administration, teaches English and looks after the kindergarten students. A young French-Canadian woman teaches first year courses, while several Haitians are involved in various capacities in teaching and in the technical school.
Effects of the project[edit]
The innovative features of the project have made it an example to follow in that country. The Minister of Agriculture has shown an interest in applying some of its features in other rural schools to be built in Haiti. The engineer for the project, who works for the Ministry of Public Works, has received several requests to build similar structures in other parts of the country.
Perhaps most important has been the school’s effect on the neighboring area. During the past four years, the development of this rural area has been phenomenal. Workers have applied skills learned on the job to their own homes and construction. Several small structures have been completed that, in one form or another, replicate the concepts used at the school. Several homes have used the kind of screen used in the project; others have built toilets and septic tanks that are identical. In this regard, the wish of the sponsors has already come true. They have positively and without any doubt helped to improve the life of the people in that area in a physical sense.
The degree to which the school will affect the population of the region as a learning institution is not yet measurable, although it can easily be seen that a change is under way.
Above: Children in a class at the Anís Zunúzí Bahá’í School in Lilavoix, Haiti. Left: The international Board of Directors of the Zunúzí School with principal Hans-Jürgen Thimm (third from right). From left to right are Benjamin Levy, Nabil Hanna, Iraj Majzub, Mr. Thimm, Counsellor Farzam Arbab, and Georges Marcellus.
Bolivia[edit]
License for Radio Bahá’í is approved[edit]
More than two years of arduous effort on the part of many Bahá’ís in Bolivia were amply rewarded January 6 when the president of the Republic of Bolivia, Dr. Hernán Siles Zuazo, signed legislation authorizing the installation and operation of a Bahá’í radio station in the provincial capital of Caracollo, Department of Oruro.
The culmination of this important stage of the Bolivian Bahá’í community’s plans for a radio station thus brings to the point of reality a long-cherished dream and makes possible another link in the growing chain of Bahá’í radio stations running the length of the “backbone” of South America, the Andes Mountains.
Government approval of the radio frequency followed two frustrating and time-consuming attempts by a special committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of Bolivia to secure it prior to Dr. Siles’ inauguration in October 1982. The committee twice was rebuffed by previous military regimes whose unfavorable statements in reply to the applications only added to the difficulties of any future endeavors to obtain a license. But, mindful of Bahá’u’lláh’s promise that “should any one arise to aid the triumph of our Cause, him will God render victorious though tens of thousands of enemies be leagued against him,” the radio committee redoubled its efforts.
At the time of President Siles’ taking office, representatives of the National Spiritual Assembly sought a courtesy visit with him. That interview, however, was delayed for several months Owing to the president’s busy schedule.
In the meantime, especially in the capital city of La Paz, Bahá’ís were hard at work trying to interest the new constitutional government in the Bahá’í radio plans. Through a friendship between Minister of Transportation and Communications Hernando Poppe and a Bahá’í, the minister became aware of the project and expressed his great interest. Accepting a dinner invitation at the home of a Bahá’í family in La Paz, Sr. Poppe reiterated his enthusiasm toward the proposed station and promised to help in any way he could to assure the establishment of a Bahá’í radio station in Bolivia.
A new application was filed, but its approval by relevant government agencies and finally by the president himself rested largely upon a favorable recommendation by Bolivia’s attorney general, especially in view of the adverse memoranda attached to previous applications by former governments. Since the attorney general’s review of such cases and his subsequent opinions carry great weight, it was vital that he not be negatively influenced by comments made in the past. A Bahá’í in La Paz, a lawyer who knows the attorney general personally, promised to speak to him. Her efforts resulted in an extremely favorable recommendation, and the application was forwarded for ministerial approval.
At about the same time, the National Spiritual Assembly issued an appeal to the Bahá’ís of Bolivia to pray for the success of the project, and soon communities throughout the country began prayer campaigns for that purpose. Other Bahá’ís with close ties to prominent people continued to foster cordial relations and to spark interest in the radio project.
On January 4, the National Spiritual Assembly was informed that, in response to its request for an interview, the president would be delighted to receive a delegation of Bahá’ís that same afternoon. A special committee consisting of members of the National Spiritual Assembly and its National Radio Committee, Bahá’ís who are prominent socially and professionally in La Paz, and a representative of the indigenous Bahá’ís of Bolivia gathered at the presidential palace to pay their respects to Dr. Siles.
The six-member Bahá’í group, waiting its turn to see the president, was told there would be a slight delay due to the arrival of the minister of Transportation and Communications, Sr. Poppe, who was to consult with Dr. Siles. On finding that the Bahá’í delegation was there, Sr. Poppe greeted them cordially, asking the purpose of their visit and the progress of the new application for the Bahá’í radio station. The friends explained that the papers had reached his ministry for signing but that they had received no further information about them. Sr. Poppe immediately inquired about the application, and finding that everything was in order, promised that he would secure a license for the station. He then excused himself to confer with the president, and upon returning assured the Bahá’ís that Dr. Siles would sign the application the following day.
A second delay occasioned by a television interview with Dr. Siles also proved valuable. Among the television crew was an acquaintance of one of the members of the Bahá’í delegation, and after a brief conversation between them, TV time for a program about the persecution of Bahá’ís in Iran was arranged, the same program that several months before had been rejected by television officials as too controversial.
Immediately afterward, the Bahá’ís
[Page 9]
Dr. Hernán Siles Zuazo (center), the president of the Republic of Bolivia, is shown during a meeting January 4 with a delegation of Bahá’ís who paid their respects to the new president. Present at the meeting were (left to right) Mrs. Molly Landívar, one of Bolivia’s first Bahá’ís; Valentin Quispe, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly, Ehsanollah Rezvani, chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly; President Siles; Johnny Albarracín, a member of the Bahá’í National Radio Committee; Mrs. Ana Albarracín, a member of the National Public Relations Committee; Herminia Castro, a member of the National Radio Committee; and Dr. Horacio Torres, secretary minister to the president. Two days after the meeting, Dr. Siles signed a resolution authorizing the installation and operation of a Bahá’í radio station in Caracollo, Department of Oruro.
were conducted to the president’s office where Dr. Siles received them warmly. Also present was the secretary minister to the president. Ehsanollah Rezvani, chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly, explained to Dr. Silas the purpose for the visit as well as the aims and purposes of the Faith, its non-political character and universal outlook. The president listened attentively and manifested his gratitude for the Bahá’í community’s expression of goodwill.
The delegation then broached the subject of the radio application, emphasizing its educational and cultural character and its intended service to the people of Bolivia, especially the indigenous population. President Siles replied that “the Bahá’í religion is very much respected,” adding that many of its tenets coincide with the aims of his government. He assured the delegation that if the application for a Bahá’í radio station was in proper legal order, permission would certainly be granted.
The interview, which had developed into a cordial and informal meeting, then drew to a close. The delegation presented Dr. Siles with three books: Foundations of World Unity, Call to the Nations, and Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era, which he accepted with great appreciation. As the Bahá’í delegation took its leave, one of the members asked the president to convey best wishes to her aunt Teresa, the First Lady. Dr. Siles, overjoyed to learn that this Bahá’í was a niece of his wife, embraced her warmly and kissed her on the cheek.
Two days later, as Dr. Siles had promised, he signed the presidential resolution authorizing the General Administration of Telecommunications to grant a license to the National Spiritual Assembly of Bolivia for the installation and operation of a radio station in Caracollo. The announcement later was carried on the national television network and published in the country’s principal newspaper.
The National Radio Committee is now seeking a site in Caracollo for the construction of the station, as well as additional land for an auxiliary deepening and training institute, and building designs are being considered. Recently, representatives of the committee were warmly received by the mayor of Caracollo and a number of local officials who, honoring them with a surprise luncheon, expressed the community’s enthusiastic anticipation of the establishment of Radio Bahá’í. So ardent was their desire to support the project that they offered to donate municipal lands for the purpose, which the committee had to tactfully decline.
It is interesting to note that Caracollo, a small town on the high, barren, windswept Bolivian altiplano, has one of the state’s rural teachers colleges and will now also host the school of agronomy of the University of Bolivia at Oruro.
Special report[edit]
‘Future of radio’ looks brighter than ever[edit]
Will radio some day be the means of transmitting the Bahá’í message to millions of listeners at a time? Will it be a new and vaster teaching medium through which the principles of Bahá’u’lláh will infuse the world? I believe it will.
Surely in this age of unity, as proclaimed by Bahá’u’lláh, the Divine Educator has brought not only the Book but the means of promulgating it. If the Bahá’í teachings are for all peoples they must reach all peoples and there is no other medium today whereby human thought can be so easily molded as through radio. Even the printed word must suffer in comparison for it lacks the intimacy and conviction of the voice, and wide though the circulation of some
| With Bahá’í radio stations now established in Ecuador and Perú and recently approved in Bolivia and the United States, this article by Shirley Warde entitled “A New Future for Radio,” which is reprinted from The Bahá’í World, Vol. VI (1934-36), pp. 725-27, seems as timely today as it was farsighted then. |
particular publication may be it cannot possibly reach so many persons in a given time. Surely such a powerful instrument for the influencing of humanity could not be destined to serve solely as a means of selling produce or of purveying entertainment. The discerning must recognize in radio a divine instrument designed for a divine purpose, obscure though that purpose may be at this time.
Through the enormous success achieved by manufacturers through this method of advertising, radio has naturally given more and more time to commercial broadcasts, necessarily cutting down on the purely educational programs that were more frequent during the early days of radio history. Sponsors have in turn sought only to entertain
If the Bahá’í teachings are for all peoples they must reach all peoples and there is no other medium today whereby human thought can be so easily molded as through radio. Even the printed word must suffer in comparison ...
their listeners, feeling that this was the surest way of getting an audience for their commercial story. The result has been that radio has seemed stopped at this point, the only apparent progress being the production of more lavish entertainment.
But the fall of 1935 brought a program that opened up a new vision and will, I believe, influence the entire future of radio broadcasting.
By the grace of Bahá’u’lláh, I was privileged to be one of those responsible for this program. From a germ of an idea that came across my desk at the Columbia Broadcasting Company the conception of a program dedicated to World Peace came into being, grew and was developed. After securing the co-operation of World Peaceways, a non-profit, non-political organization for peace education which has been doing splendid work for this cause, we selected the sponsor we felt should be most interested, although everyone told us that no advertiser would invest in an ideal, and went to work to sell our idea.
That E.R. Squibb & Sons, manufacturing chemists, and their advertising agency, Geyer-Cornell & Newell, immediately saw the timeliness of this program and the tremendous possibilities of capturing the attention of the American public on an issue that was of paramount importance was a matter of keen business judgment. But that they should be willing to risk the large sums involved in broadcasting in a program which by its very nature would forbid any direct selling of merchandise and the sales results of which would depend entirely upon the good will the program might promote was a decision that took rare courage and sincere devotion to the cause they sought to promote. The results have more than justified that decision.
“To Arms! For Peace!” at this writing in its eighth week over a coast to coast Columbia network, has received sensational acclaim and has started an entirely new trend in radio programs.
Let me quote a few of the press comments as an example of what the nation’s radio critics have had to say:
The Women’s National Radio Committee reports: “By unanimous opinion this is the best radio program which has ever been staged and it would exhaust all our adjectives to do justice to it.”
“This peace program is one of the most forward advances in constructive education by radio that has come across the air.”
“To radio this striking union of business and humanitarian effort may be more important than whether World Peaceways can keep America out of the threatened European conflict.”
“Radio could not be put to a worthier purpose ... If you missed the first broadcast don’t miss the next. If you heard the first program you won’t miss the next.”
“A most effective show ... The sponsor is to be congratulated and thanked for the splendid reticence that keeps all commercial talk away from
[Page 11]
the precious half-hour of time available.”
In addition hundreds of papers throughout the country have given the program editorial space and have written columns about it.
The half-hour itself is designed to appeal as high-grade entertainment; at the same time forcefully putting across its message. Against a background of large symphony orchestra and chorus we present each week a guest star from the operatic and concert stages, such as Lucrezia Bori, Jascha Heifetz, Richard Bonelli, Rosa Ponselle, Lotte Lehman, Albert Spaulding, Jose Iturbi and many others. Each week there is a guest speaker. These have been national figures, Senator William A. Borah, General Hugh S. Johnson, Ruth Bryan Owen, Professor Robert A. Millikan, Senator Gerald P. Nye, Alfred E. Smith among others. Here, on what is termed the “Forum” these prominent persons present his or her view on peace, commenting on what steps we should take toward this goal or what mistakes we are making. Many interesting and varied opinions have been expressed exposing all sides of the question for the benefit of enlightened public opinion.
In each program there is also a short dramatic sketch, either an original written for the program by the world’s leading authors, or an adaptation of some famous play or book dealing with the war question. These sketches are our main plea for peace as they present in dramatic form and from the human angle the horrors, the futility and the suffering of war. Some depict the agonies of the actual battle front, others the tragedy of those left at home, still others showing the cruelties, the selfishness and greed that go into the making of war. We have chosen stories of many nations, of French soldiers, German, Austrian, American, English, so that listeners may realize that mankind is one, living and dying in the same way, and that individuals, be they friend or enemy, are all mere pawns in the hands of those who make wars.
In our music, too, we have tried to cultivate the international heart, showing music as a common language which all people can understand, of whatever race, creed or nationality they may be and pointing out that if in music we can find a basis of understanding, why not in life?
These are the educational factors of the program and the entertainment values. In addition there is a practical feature which, we hope, may prove of real influence in forcing America to exert even greater efforts to maintain the peace of the world.
In over forty thousand drugstores throughout the United States the firm of E.R. Squibb & Sons has placed a pledge known as the “World Peaceways” pledge. Listeners are asked to sign this statement of their adherence to the cause of peace. The pledge is addressed to the President and the Congress of the United States and reads:
“I pledge my wholehearted adherence to the cause of peace, in the firm belief that an end may be put, by honorable means, to the destruction of life by the merciless machinery of war.”
Up to date only a small proportion of the drugstores have returned signed slips. From only four thousand drug stores we have received over a hundred and fifty thousand pledges. If the rest are proportionate it means that in less than eight weeks nearly two and a half million persons have signed these pledges. We hope to build this total to many millions. The pledges are being bound in books of a thousand each and when the returns are complete the total will be sent to the President just as they are without plea of any sort, for we firmly believe that they will be eloquent evidence that this nation demands peace, and we feel that such a voice of enlightened public opinion cannot fail to be a powerful influence in directing American policy.
I hope and pray that this program may lead other advertisers to devote their resources to humanitarian and educational efforts and already thought is turning along the trail we have blazed. I await now the day when our beloved Cause of Bahá’u’lláh may be proclaimed along the airways and reach the heart of every searching soul through this great gift of God—radio.
A family listens to a broadcast on Radio Bahá’í in Otavalo, Ecuador, which went on the air in December 1977.
The world[edit]
W. Africa opens Bahá’í Studies Centre[edit]
The National Spiritual Assembly of Nigeria has announced the establishment of the West African Centre for Bahá’í Studies.
Establishment of the Centre, which has been encouraged by the Universal House of Justice, has as its primary purpose teaching and proclaiming the Faith by indirect means in institutions of higher learning, according to the National Assembly of Nigeria.
The aim, it says, is to attract academicians “through presentations and publications in areas of legitimate academic pursuit where the teachings of the Bahá’í Faith engender enlightenment.”
Objectives include the preparation of a directory of affiliates; establishment of a lecture bureau; publication of a newsletter and journal; coordination of research and publication of its results; organization of conferences, study groups, seminars and workshops; coordination and encouragement of the development of curricula and educational materials, and the creation of a consultative association with institutions of related interests.
Further information about the West African Centre for Bahá’í Studies may be obtained by writing to the Centre at P.O. Box 2029, Lagos, Nigeria.
Between 7,000 and 10,000 people, 45 of whom declared their belief in Bahá’u’lláh, visited a Bahá’í booth last October 20-29 at the International Trade Fair in Lagos, Nigeria.
About 900 Bahá’í books were sold during the Fair, and more than 10,000 pamphlets were distributed from the Bahá’í booth which was located opposite the governor’s ceremonial pavilion.
Bahá’ís at the booth were interviewed by reporters from one television station and three radio stations.
About 100 Bahá’ís and their guests attended a teaching conference last November 6-7 organized by the Plateau-Bauchi Teaching Committee of Nigeria and held in Ipaa, a village near Lafia, Plateau State.
Speakers included one member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Nigeria and Auxiliary Board member Sathia Narayan.
The conference began with a football match between village Bahá’ís and visitors that was followed by a meal of pounded yam and okra soup.
Conference topics included teaching, the importance of deepening oneself, and the Fund.
Sweden[edit]
Shown are the 14 prize winners in a United Nations Day poster contest sponsored last October 24 by the Spiritual Assembly of Enköping, Sweden. The winners were given prizes and an award certificate during a public program that was attended by about 60 non-Bahá’ís.
About 60 non-Bahá’ís were among those who attended a United Nations Day observance last October 24 in Enköping, Sweden, that was sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Enköping and featured a poster contest for children in local schools.
It was the third year in a row that the Bahá’í community of Enköping had sponsored a poster contest for children in grades 3-9. This year’s theme was “Peace on Earth.”
Each contest winner received a diploma that included his name, the contest theme, and the name of the Enköping Spiritual Assembly. Prizes included pastel crayons and pen sets that were obtained from the local United Nations Association.
Reports of the UN Day program appeared on the front page of the local newspaper and in three other papers.
Cameroon[edit]
Forty-five Bahá’ís from 18 communities in Cameroon and three visitors from neighboring Nigeria participated last December 27-January 2 in the fourth annual Bahá’í Summer School in Limbe, Cameroon. This was the first English-speaking summer school ever held in Limbe; another school for French-speaking Bahá’ís was held in Yaoundé. Limbe, formerly Victoria, is important in the history of the Faith in West Africa, as it was there that the Hand of the Cause of God Enoch Olinga arrived to teach in 1954. He later was designated a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh by the Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, for his pioneering work in what was then the British Cameroons.
Canary Islands[edit]
The first Bahá’í public meeting was held recently in Arucas, Grand Canary, Canary Islands, where the Bahá’ís had previously been refused the use of any public meeting place.
Bahá’ís in that city faced strong opposition before its first Spiritual Assembly was formed 10 years ago, and since then had been unable to secure a place in which to hold public meetings.
Recently, however, the Atlantic Society of Arucas called the Bahá’ís, offering not only its center for a Bahá’í meeting, but also providing the friends with an address list of its 450 members as well as envelopes and stamps for invitations to the meeting.
The Atlantic Society also placed posters in stores and other public places describing the Bahá’í meeting.
When two non-Bahá’ís in Las Palmas, Grand Canary, Canary Islands requested a Bahá’í wedding, the local Bahá’ís made plans for the ceremony.
Then, only a few minutes before the wedding was to take place, the couple announced that they wished to become Bahá’ís.
The 200 assembled guests witnessed not only the wedding but the entrance of two more souls into the Cause of God.
Windward Islands[edit]
Three Bahá’ís from Morne Prosper, Dominica, traveled a considerable distance recently to re-establish contact with one village and open four new villages to the Faith.
Rosetta Bougoneau, Leonard Fountain and Richard Timothy reported the opening of Dos D’ane, Bourne, Talbaud, Paix Bouche and the reopening of Portsmouth with the enrollment there of 10 new Bahá’ís.
The teaching team is believed to be the first in Dominica ever to be composed solely of local Bahá’ís, thus establishing an encouraging example for other local believers.
Austria[edit]
These Bahá’í youth from various parts of Austria organized and participated in a weekend deepening conference last fall that was held at a mountain chalet in central Austria. The youth devoted most of the weekend to meditation on and consultation about selected passages from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. According to a visiting American Bahá’í who attended the conference, the youth displayed the same spirit of love and unity he had witnessed throughout the Austrian Bahá’í community.
El Salvador[edit]
About 290 Bahá’ís from all areas of El Salvador including many new Bahá’ís and three friends from Guatemala attended a Summer School last December in Santa Tecla, El Salvador.
A guest speaker at the school was Dr. Hidáyatu’lláh Aḥmadíyyih, a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors in the Americas, who discussed the life of Bahá’u’lláh and comparisons between the old and new world orders.
Group studies focused on the publications Thief in the Night and Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era. Other topics included the Local Spiritual Assembly as the basis of the new World Order and how Bahá’ís participate in activities of the Faith. The latter discussion was geared to the new believers who were present.
Evening programs included a presentation of the film “The Pilgrimage,” dancing by the children of Santa Tecla, and a dramatic presentation by the Bahá’ís of Sonsonate, El Salvador.
Bangladesh[edit]
Visitors to a Bahá’í book exhibition held last November 15-21 in Rahshahi, Bangladesh, receive answers to their many questions about the Faith. About 1,000 people came to the regional Bahá’í Center in Rajshahi to learn about the Faith and to examine the many books and pamphlets in several languages that were displayed. The exhibition was held in conjunction with a week-long teaching project that reached about 3,500 people with the Bahá’í message.
At least 20 of the estimated 3,500 people who learned of the Faith during a week-long teaching campaign last November 15-21 in Rajshahi, Bangladesh, later declared their belief in Bahá’u’lláh.
Many dignitaries, professors, doctors and students were among those visited by Bahá’ís and given introductory pamphlets during the teaching effort which was dedicated to the memory of the Hand of the Cause of God Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir and sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Rajshahi.
The first Bahá’í book exhibit in Rajshahi was held in conjunction with the teaching campaign. Bahá’í books in English, Bengali and other languages were displayed at the district Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Rajshahi with posters highlighting various Bahá’í principles.
About 1,000 people including many women visited the exhibit and were given introductory materials.
Each evening a slide program on the Faith was shown to enthusiastic audiences.
Publicity included articles in the local newspaper over a three-day period and notices that were posted at five locations in Rajshahi.
An added attraction at the book exhibit was the participation of two foreign pioneers who had traveled from Dacca to participate in the proclamation effort.
Bophuthatswana[edit]
One hundred people from nine communities in Bophuthatswana participated last August 29 in a regional Bahá’í teaching conference at the Lekoko Bahá’í Center.
Separate sessions were given for the 40 children and 20 youth at the conference, which was sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Mafikeng.
At the close of the conference, the National Teaching Committee of Bophuthatswana cabled the Universal House of Justice to ask for prayers at the Holy Shrines for the progress of the Faith in Bophuthatswana, whose National Spiritual Assembly is in only its second year.
Alaska[edit]
More than 50 Bahá’ís attended a Southeast Regional Bahá’í Conference held last November 6 in Juneau, Alaska.
Speakers included Eugene King, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Alaska, and members of the Native Service Committee who participated in a panel discussion that stressed the importance of teaching the native peoples.
The conference featured a report of the Bahá’í International Conference in Dublin, Ireland, and the presentation of a video tape made during the second North American Bahá’í Native Council meeting held in July 1980 in Wilmette, Illinois.
During the evening, participants and their non-Bahá’í guests heard stories about traveling teaching experiences in Central and South America from participants in last summer’s “Trail of Light” campaign.
A unity feast with Bahá’ís from Juneau, Douglas and Auke Bay brought the conference to a close.
The Netherlands[edit]
Shown are some of the more than 150 Bahá’ís who participated last August 26 in a silent procession to the Parliament buildings in The Hague, Netherlands. Each Bahá’í carries a white rose bearing the name of one of the Bahá’í martyrs in Iran. The purpose of the procession was to draw the government’s attention to the plight of Iranian Bahá’ís. The ensuing discussion in Parliament resulted in much sympathetic and constructive editorial comment in the Dutch press.
Ireland[edit]
For the second year in a row, an interdenominational national school under Ireland’s Ministry of Education closed its doors last November 12 in observance of the anniversary of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh. Four Bahá’í children attend the school in Bray, Ireland.
“The Board of Governors,” reports Counsellor Adib Taherzadeh, “are very impressed with the Faith. During the past two years, weekly Bahá’í classes have been officially conducted for Bahá’í children by a Bahá’í teacher.”
A weekly Bahá’í class also is conducted at an interdenominational school operated by the Ministry of Education in Dun Laoghaire where five Bahá’í children attend.
Teachers at that school have asked for books about the Faith, and some have taught the Faith’s basic principles to their students.
A music teacher has asked for some songs with Bahá’í themes and has taught some of them to the class.
The school’s headmistress has expressed her regret that the anniversary of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh is not presently listed among the school’s holidays, but has promised that it will be included on next year’s school calendar.
Pakistan[edit]
More than 150 people attended a Human Rights Day observance last December 10 that was organized by the local Youth Committee of Hyderabad, Pakistan, and held at the Bahá’í Center in Hyderabad.
One of the two non-Bahá’í speakers at the public meeting was the secretary of the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education in Hyderabad.
One interesting result of the meeting was an invitation extended to the Bahá’ís by the Islamic Unity Society to attend a similar program the Society was sponsoring on December 13.
One of the Bahá’ís who sang songs about the Faith at the Bahá’í-sponsored observance was asked to do the same at the program sponsored by the Islamic Unity Society.
Many non-Bahá’ís were among those who attended a Human Rights Day observance last December 10 at the Bahá’í National Center in Karachi, Pakistan.
The program included the reading of extracts from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh and songs about the Faith.
On the following day, the local Teaching Committee of Karachi arranged for a teaching conference designed to accelerate the teaching work in that city and to raise up traveling teachers and homefront pioneers.
Speakers at that conference included Auxiliary Board members Parvin Yazamaidi and Shamsheer Ali.
As a result, 13 Bahá’ís offered to undertake teaching trips to eight cities in Interior Sind Province with the aim of opening Bahá’í Centers in those localities.
World Religion Day was observed January 30 in Hyderabad, Pakistan, with a public meeting at the city’s Bahá’í Center.
Publicity included the distribution of more than 200 invitations and announcements in both Sindhi and Urdu on Radio Hyderabad.
Speakers represented the Bahá’í Faith, Islam, Christianity and Hinduism.
The meeting was chaired by Auxiliary Board member Shamsheer Ali.
Many students who attended requested literature about the Faith, and a follow-up was planned by the local teaching committee.
The meeting was reported in a front page article in the local Sindhi language daily paper, Mehran.
Hawaii[edit]
The seven Bahá’í communities on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, held a “Bahá’í Week” observance in mid-August 1982 as part of the anniversary celebration of “80 Golden Years of the Bahá’í Faith in Hawaii.”
Similar events were held on each of Hawaii’s main islands, all of them coupled with a proclamation and teaching campaign launched more than a year ago. The theme for the week was “Know Your Bahá’í Neighbor.”
Buttons displaying the slogan were worn by all Bahá’ís, thus inviting inquiries and friendly conversations. Other elements of the project included a proclamation by the mayor of Honolulu, and public exhibits at shopping malls, libraries, the University of Hawaii, and the National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds.
Two half-hour television programs, one of which stressed the persecution of Bahá’ís in Iran, also were carried on radio. Paid ads were placed in daily newspapers, and radio spots were purchased.
The Bahá’í communities of Oahu presented and planted tulip trees at the Waianae Neighborhood Community
Center, and music and refreshments were provided for the public during a youth rally at Ala Moana Park.
The Bahá’í chorus was asked to perform during a program of “Inter-Faith Prayers for Peace” that included representatives of various major religions.
Nearly 200 people attended a Bahá’í-sponsored talent show that also was a part of the anniversary celebration in Hawaii.
Hawaii’s National Bahá’í Library Service recently received an unsolicited request from the State of Hawaii for 17 copies of “Eighty Golden Years,” a booklet that was published to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the Faith in Hawaii, and for 16 copies of “Personal Recollections of a Bahá’í Life in the Hawaiian Islands” by the Hand of the Cause of God Agnes B. Alexander.
Each of these books is published by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Hawaiian Islands. The National Assembly reports that this is the first time the state has requested copies of any Bahá’í publication.
Tracy Hamilton (right), chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Hawaiian Islands, presents a copy of the booklet ‘Eighty Golden Years,’ highlighting the first 80 years of the Faith in Hawaii, to Gov. George R. Ariyoshi. The booklet includes a letter of congratulations and photograph from the governor.
Trinidad/Tobago[edit]
Shown here are participants in a South Area Deepening Institute held last October 24 at the Palmyra district Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Trinidad. Kneeling near the center is a special guest speaker at the one-day institute, Auxiliary Board member Laurence Coward. The deepening program, based on the Ruhi Institute system, provides for systematic deepening and development of local communities.
Vanuatu[edit]
Bahá’ís and their guests from several communities in Vanuatu attended the Bahá’í Summer School last September that was sponsored by the Bahá’ís of Imanaka, Tanna Island.
Speakers included members of the National Spiritual Assembly of Vanuatu and one Auxiliary Board member. Topics included Bahá’í history, life after death, marriage, teaching the Faith, child education, and non-involvement in politics.
An evening of films and song added variety to the well-rounded program.
Two Bahá’ís, Willy Komen and Willy Iolu, last year visited several villages in Vanuatu.
At Ambuanamu they met the paramount chief of Erromango who told them he would arrange a meeting for representatives of all religious groups to explain their beliefs.
This would provide an opportunity, the chief said, to see which religion was in agreement with the traditional spiritual values of his people.
At the village of Ipota, the chief and his wife declared their belief in Bahá’u’lláh.
Mauritius[edit]
About 100 people attended a United Nations Day observance last October 24 in Port Louis, Mauritius, that was sponsored by the National Spiritual Assembly of Mauritius.
Speakers included the country’s minister for economic planning and development, a member of the Legislative Assembly, a representative of the UN Economic and Social Council (UNESCO), and a member of the National Spiritual Assembly.
Citing his awareness of the persecution of Bahá’ís in Iran, Mr. Routho, the member of the Legislative Assembly, said the new government in Mauritius has stated its respect for the freedom of religious belief.
The UNESCO representative described areas of social work in which several UN agencies have been involved since 1945.
Following the formal program, refreshments were served and guests were invited to examine an exhibit of Bahá’í books and UN materials that was displayed.
Mr. K. Ruhee, minister of economic planning and development for Mauritius, addresses the approximately 100 people who attended a United Nations Day observance last October 24 in Port Louis. Other speakers at the event, which was sponsored by the National Spiritual Assembly of Mauritius, were (left to right) B. Goordial, UNESCO representative in Mauritius; D. Routho, a member of the country’s legislative assembly; and P. Fabien, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Mauritius.
India[edit]
Shown are students and members of the faculty and staff who participated last October 17-December 5 in the second course offered at the Bahá’í Youth Academy in Panchgani, India. Twenty students from 11 states in India and Sri Lanka attended the program. Course teachers included Counsellors Burháni’d-Dín Afshín and S. Nagaratnam; R.N. Shah, secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of India; and Dr. S. Vasudevan Nair, vice-principal of the New Era High School in Panchgani.
The anniversary of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh was celebrated in the Bay Islands of India’s West Bengal State with the opening ceremony of the newly constructed Bahá’í Center of Shibnagarabad.
After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, the friends entered a beautifully decorated Center adorned with 165 lighted candles (in honor of the 165 years that have passed since the birth of the Blessed Beauty) and framed photographs of Bahá’í Holy Places at the World Centre.
The Spiritual Assembly of Shibnagarabad had invited Bahá’ís from the 33 islands of the group where there is now a thriving Bahá’í community of about 7,000.
Spain[edit]
The Bahá’ís in Mahón, Spain, have been invited to present talks on the Faith to religion classes at the city’s professional school.
So far, José Luis Marqués, a Bahá’í, has discussed the principles of religions and their Founders, the basic principles of the Faith, the nature of Bahá’í meetings, life after death, and the religious education of Bahá’í children in 11 classes, each of which is presided over by a Catholic priest.
Plans are under way for similar Bahá’í presentations to be made to other classes in Mahón in the future.
Australia[edit]
Bahá’í Holy Days are among those included on an attractive multi-cultural calendar published by the Office of the Race Relations Conciliator of the government of Australia.
Sub-titled “a resource listing,” the calendar provides “a selection of historic ethnic dates,” an explanation of time-keeping systems and calendars developed by various cultures, and a chronological listing that refers to the establishment of the Bahá’í calendar.
[Page 18]
Don’t miss a major publishing event of the 1980s!
Treat yourself, your family, and friends to the completely new, expanded, redesigned
BAHÁ’Í PRAYERS
Available insoftcover and hardcover editions
- Highlights—
- 56 more prayers than in current prayer book—176 in all, including ...
- More prayers by the Báb and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
- The Tablet of the Holy Mariner
- The Fire Tablet
- The Long Healing Prayer
- Prayer for Families
- More prayers for Children and Youth
- Prayer for the Fund
- A third prayer for Spiritual Assemblies
- Topical table of contents
- Index to first lines of prayers
New Organization: The new prayer book has been reorganized to make categories of prayers easier to find and use.
- Obligatory prayers come first to make it easier for you to locate them.
- General prayers, the second and largest category, now contains the prayers for Marriage, Firmness in the Covenant, and the prayers for Teaching from the Tablets of the Divine Plan, plus new sections of prayers for Assistance with Tests, Families, the Fund, and the Triumph of the Cause.
- Occasional prayers conclude the new book: The Tablet of Aḥmad, the Fire Tablet, the Tablet of the Holy Mariner, the Tablets of Visitation, and the prayers for Intercalary Days, the Fast, and Naw-Rúz.
New Design: The hardcover edition is bound in rich tan leatherette with “Bahá’í Prayers” stamped in gold and a nine-pointed star blind embossed on the front cover. The softcover edition features an exceptionally sturdy, flexible blue cover on which “Bahá’í Prayers” and an elegant design are stamped in silver.
A must for yourself!
An excellent gift for family members,
friends, and seekers
close to the Faith.
| Hardcover. | 264 pages. | Catalog No. 115-070 | $7.00* |
| Softcover. | 264 pages. | Catalog No. 115-071 | $3.00* |
*Valid only in the United States. All others write for prices and ordering and shipping instructions.
- Available from
- Available from
415 LINDEN AVENUE, WILMETTE, IL 60091
