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| Bahá’í News | August 1985 | Bahá’í Year 142 |
Youth Conference in Ohio
GREATLY PLEASED ANNOUNCE INAUGURATION PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE WORLD CENTRE WITH BRANCH OFFICE SOON TO BE ESTABLISHED NEW YORK. THIS NEW AGENCY BAHÁ’Í INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO EXTEND SCOPE COORDINATE WORLDWIDE ACTIVITIES DESIGNED INCREASE PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE AIMS ACHIEVEMENTS CAUSE BAHÁ’U’LLÁH. PROFOUNDLY GRATEFUL BLESSED BEAUTY FURTHER DEVELOPMENT INSTRUMENTS HIS UNIQUE ORDER.
JULY 11, 1985
Bahá’í News[edit]
More than 5,000 at International Youth Conference in Columbus, Ohio | 1 |
In India, Bahá’ís are in forefront of move toward social development | 6 |
A loving tribute to pioneer Eve Nicklin, the ‘Spiritual Mother of Peru’ | 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 © 1985, National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. World rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.
United States[edit]
‘Youth Movement’ alive, well in Ohio[edit]
More than 3,300 Bahá’í youth from 42 countries came together July 3-7 for an International Youth Conference at Ohio State University in Columbus to renew their commitment to Bahá’u’lláh and rededicate their lives to service in His world-embracing Cause.
The young Bahá’ís were joined at this unique “triple conference,” planned by the U.S. National Youth Committee and organized by a task force working on its behalf, by more than 1,200 parents and other adults and upwards of 500 children under age 12.
Parents and children each had their own conference, held alongside the youth conference but at a different site, and all three events were blessed by the presence of the Hand of the Cause of God Dhikru’lláh Khádem.
Also taking an active part in each of the conferences were two members of the Continental Board of Counsellors in the Americas, Dr. Farzam Arbáb and Fred Schechter; Hooper Dunbar, a Counsellor member of the International Teaching Centre in Haifa; and eight members of the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly (the ninth member, Dr. Alberta Deas, was attending an international conference on the UN Decade for Women in Nairobi, Kenya).
Dr. Jane Faily, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada, was the keynote speaker at the parents’ conference.
The Faith’s emergence from obscurity was underscored by the presence at the conference of two legislators, U.S. Rep. James Leach of Iowa and Ohio state Sen. Robert Ney.
Rep. Leach, who was invited by the National Youth Committee, conducted a Friday afternoon press conference and that evening was given a calligraphed scroll by the National Assembly in appreciation of his efforts as a member of the House Subcommittee on Human Rights and International Organizations on behalf of the Bahá’ís in Iran.
Sen. Ney, who spearheaded the recent passage by the Ohio legislature of a resolution condemning the persecution of Bahá’ís in Iran, asked to be allowed to come to the conference and speak to the youth.
The senator was given a standing ovation as he spoke in English and Persian, praising the young Bahá’ís for their commitment to world peace and the unity of mankind and urging them in ringing tones to “move the world.”
Sen. Ney, who lived for some time in
A view of the parents’ conference held July 3-7 at Ohio State University in Columbus. The speaker is Dr. Jane Faily, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada. More than 1,200 parents and other adults joined the more than 3,300 youth and 500 children at the conference.
‘Lark Skyrunner’ (right) receives some fatherly advice during a scene from the stirring dramatic presentation ‘Soul Wars II: The Return of the Bahá’í.’
[Page 2]
Above: Canada’s Doug Cameron entertains an enthusiastic audience at the International Youth Conference in Columbus, Ohio. Below: Two members of the U.S. National Youth Committee, Jackie Eghrari (left) and Smokey Ferguson, discuss last-minute changes in the agenda.
Iran, said he is well-acquainted with the teachings of the Faith and shares its belief in the need to establish a system of world order based on spiritual principles.
Among the other highlights of this extraordinary five-day conference:
- More than 30 declarations including at least one university employee.
- Offers by several hundred youth to take part this summer in teaching projects and by nearly 60 others to devote an entire year in service to the Cause.
- A Saturday afternoon “FUNd Run” at French Field House on the Ohio State campus in which more than 500 runners raised more than $86,000 in pledges to the National Bahá’í Fund.
- A Red Cross blood drive at which Bahá’ís contributed 166 pints of blood.
- The presence of representatives from the Voice of America, the Canadian Broadcasting Company and the Associated Press.
- Excellent local media coverage in newspapers and on radio and television.
- Extremely well-planned programs for parents and children that included participation by many of those who were a part of the youth conference.
- Twenty-two workshops for youth and four for junior youth whose topics ranged from Bahá’í laws, pioneering, firmness in the Covenant, and the writings of the Guardian to marriage, interpersonal relationships, social and economic development, Persian-American relations, world peace, and even an “anything goes” rap session.
- Clean-up projects in Columbus by Bahá’í youth and two performances in that city by the Los Angeles Bahá’í Youth Workshop.
- An “international reception” hosted by the National Youth Committee for some 75 young Bahá’ís from other countries.
- A “pre-conference” July 1-3, also at Ohio State University, sponsored by the National Youth Committees of
It seemed that everywhere one looked in Columbus, exciting things were happening at the Youth Conference.
- Canada and the U.S. and attended by more than 100 members of Regional Youth Committees in the two countries.
- The presentation by the U.S. Office of the Treasurer of the spine-tingling drama “Soul Wars II: The Return of the Bahá’í.”
- Three late night “socials” whose music ranged from bluegrass to contemporary and a wide spectrum of other entertainment—vocal, instrumental and dramatic.
Besides Mr. Khádem; Counsellors Arbáb and Schechter; Dr. Robert Henderson, secretary of the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly; Dr. Roy Jones, director of the Louis Gregory Bahá’í Institute and chairman of the National Race Unity Committee; and Marzia Rowhani, secretary of the National Youth Committee of India, speakers at the youth conference were Homa Sabet, David Whitfield, Marzieh Benson, Jian Khodadad, Ruhiyyeh Jahanpour, Yvonne Kraus, Jack McCants, and Linda and Bobby Ahdieh.
Joining Mr. Khádem, Dr. Faily and Counsellors Arbáb and Schechter as speakers at the parents’ conference were two former members of the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly, Dr. Dwight Allen and Mr. McCants; Dr. Jones; Bill Davis, chairman of the U.S. Social and Economic Development Committee; Guido Colard, personnel officer at the Bahá’í World Centre; Muhammad Alí Faizí; and the members of the U.S. National Youth Committee.
Musicians get together for one of the many impromptu ‘song fests’ that enlivened the International Youth Conference in Columbus, Ohio.
After registration and a candlelight devotional service Wednesday evening, the conference began in earnest Thursday morning with programs for youth, parents and children.
Thursday and Friday afternoons were devoted to workshops with the FUNd Run taking place on Saturday afternoon.
Evening sessions were followed by social events, film presentations, informal deepenings, and late night discussion groups.
The FUNd Runners logged more than 17,000 laps around the 1/8-mile indoor track at the field house. During the Saturday evening youth session, awards were presented for most laps run (Payam Rafat, 126), most sponsors (Robbie Davis, 74), and most money raised in pledges (Farshad Mahjoor, $15,739.92).
The National Fund also benefited from a “silent auction” at the parents’ conference at which another $8,500 was raised. In all, nearly $22,000 was contributed to the National Fund in addition to pledges made at the FUNd Run.
The Red Cross, which was conducting a blood drive for the first time ever at any conference, set a goal of 120 pints. Its workers were astonished by the number of Bahá’ís who volunteered to give, and only a lack of time and manpower kept the total of 166 pints from being much higher as many prospective donors had to be turned away.
A representative of the Voice of America was at the conference the en-
U.S. Rep. James Leach of Iowa (center), one of two lawmakers who attended the Bahá’í International Youth Conference at Ohio State University, chats with two members of the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly, Dr. Robert Henderson and Soo Fouts.
[Page 4]
tire five days, and afterward, news of
the event and selected taped highlights
were broadcast for four consecutive
days in Persian via the VOA’s shortwave facilities to Iran.
Meanwhile, the Canadian Broadcasting Company was taping parts of the conference for a documentary to be shown later this year in Canada.
The children’s program for ages 4-11 had five aspects: theatre (featuring entertainment by many of those who performed for the youth and parents), learning centers, arts and crafts, dance, and instruction in the Faith.
Above: Some of the more than 500 ‘FUNd Runners’ who raised more than $86,000 in pledges for the U.S. National Fund are seen in high gear at Ohio State University’s French Field House. Left: Ohio state Sen. Robert Ney addresses the Bahá’í youth in English and Persian.
Especially well-received by the children were pianist-singer Jack Lenz and guitarist-singer Doug Cameron from Canada who performed at all three conferences.
To receive maximum benefit from the program, the children were rotated from class to class each day.
In addition, there were a nursery and pre-school for the younger children.
Parents, meanwhile, had a varied and exciting program of their own that included music, talks, panel and “open mike” discussions, film and video tape presentations, a family forum, and a presentation by the children.
The Los Angeles Youth Workshop, whose energetic performance was among the highlights of Saturday evening’s youth session, had presented its uniquely upbeat and modern style of music and dance in a number of communities while traveling cross-country to the conference.
Besides entertaining parents, youth and children at the conference, the Workshop performed in Columbus at a shopping mall and on the lawn of the State Capitol building.
After the close of the conference on Sunday, about 65 youth spent the afternoon cleaning up a local park in Columbus.
The youngsters, working under the direction of the Spiritual Assembly of Columbus, filled about 250 bags with trash and other debris.
It was one of a number of such projects carried out in connection with the conference that endeared the Bahá’ís to local officials in several states.
Personnel at Ohio State University said the Bahá’ís were the cleanest and best-behaved group they’d ever had on campus.
Although the Bahá’ís did not begin to arrive in great numbers until July 3, more than 100 were at the “pre-conference” to meet with Counsellors Arbáb and Schechter and the members of the National Youth Committees of Canada and the U.S.
The purposes of that gathering were to give Regional Youth Committees a better sense of direction during the final year of the Seven Year Plan, to foster the growth of the “Youth Movement” in North America, and to set the tone for the youth conference itself.
That tone was established and maintained in several ways including the high quality of the speakers, the superlative range of the topics covered in workshops and panel discussions, and the splendid array of entertainers and performers from the U.S. and Canada.
On Sunday, after a second talk to the youth by Mr. Khádem and closing remarks by members of the National Youth Committee, the friends, young and old alike, bade farewell to Columbus and made ready to diffuse its energizing spirit and call to immediate action throughout the length and breadth of North America.
——>
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Upper left: Counsellors (left to right)
Hooper Dunbar, Dr. Farzam Arbáb and Fred Schechter enjoy the conference. Far left: Yes, there were a few places for quiet meditation too. Near left: Togetherness was a cornerstone of this ‘family conference.’ Lower left: Entertainers Leslie & Kelly perform for the youth. Above: Ruhiyyeh Jahanpour recounts her often harrowing experiences as a Bahá’í prisoner in Iran. Below: After five days of classes, workshops, talks, entertainment and social events, one can hardly be blamed for catching some shut-eye before heading home.
India[edit]
In rural areas, Faith helps in many ways[edit]
India being a vast country, and the various socio-economic development projects initiated by the Bahá’í institutions having been launched in most of the states of India, it would be difficult to write in one paper about the activities in each of these areas. I propose, therefore, to restrict myself to two of the states, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, which have been in the forefront of these Bahá’í developmental programs in the rural areas.
In India, the government provides free education at the primary level, and a massive funding program to eradicate illiteracy has been sanctioned. Yet government statistics indicate that despite the generous allotment of funds, the literacy rate has not shown a comparable climb. There are many reasons for this, too innumerable to go into in this brief outline. The most important one is the dearth of devoted and sincere teachers to man the schools.
Bahá’í tutorial schools[edit]
To rectify this situation, the Bahá’í administrative institutions, with great encouragement from the Universal House of Justice, entered the field of education and opened Bahá’í tutorial schools in the villages where there are reasonably functioning local Spiritual Assemblies. These schools were entrusted to the hands of Bahá’í teachers who were imbued with a spirit of dedication toward their young charges. Not
The role of the Bahá’í school is first of all to engage the services of a Bahá’í teacher who is free from ... caste prejudices, who understands the problem and is eager to undertake a reformation in society through molding the minds of the next generation.
only would the teacher teach the regular curriculum prescribed by the government, but the teacher was trained also to develop correct values and mold the character of the children in the school.
In Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh around 40 such tutorial schools were opened in the first year of of the project. Nominal fees were charged for each child on a monthly basis. Yet despite the fees, the villager preferred to send his child to the Bahá’í school even if it was one or two kilometers from the village, as he was sure the child would receive knowledge, which was simply not possible in the free government school. In a short while the children showed that, given half an opportunity, they could pick up the lessons quickly and were bright and eager students.
The Bahá’í teachers are a devoted group of people and do not shirk their duties or neglect them. The directors of the Bahá’í schools in both these areas are able and conscientious. They or their supervisors make it a point to visit each school under their care regularly, and to check on the progress and development of the students. A highlight of the schools’ activities is the yearly “Bal Mela” (Children’s Fair). Representatives, around 10 to 12 in number, from each of the 40 Bahá’í schools gather at a central village to compete in physical training events, games, and Bahá’í knowledge. It is an overwhelming sight to see row upon row of clean, neatly dressed Bahá’í children holding their school flags aloft, reciting Bahá’í prayers and songs before the events commence.
The sports are conducted in an atmosphere of camaraderie and there is no bitterness at losing in any event. Teams of schools also come forward to hold mock local Spiritual Assembly elections, the Nineteen Day Feast, etc., and to enact the principle of contributing to the funds with universal participation.
In one of the Bal Melas a six-year-old boy astonished the visitors with his ability to answer questions on the history of the Faith including the question, “What was the thickness of the chain round Bahá’u’lláh’s neck in the Siyyih Chal prison of Tehran?” The boy knew the 12 principles of the Faith and was able to recite a number of prayers by
| This article, “Contribution of the Bahá’í Faith Toward Social Awakening in Rural India,” is reprinted from New Day, the newsletter of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the Republic of Ireland, November/December 1984. It was written for the Association for Bahá’í Studies in India by Zena Sorabjee, a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors for Asia. |
heart. At another Bal Mela, a three-year-old girl, neatly dressed with beribboned hair, broke into tears when she was told there was no time for her item. She was not allowed to be disappointed and was given an opportunity to display her knowledge; she too had memorized a number of prayers for the occasion. These and many other such instances again confirmed the belief that children from lower strata of society have equal intelligence and power of learning as the children from the affluent areas, provided equal opportunity is given them for education.
Eliminating caste prejudice[edit]
India’s obsession with caste differences and prejudices has a history that can be traced back over 2,000 years. The caste system has become deeply ingrained in Indian society, one of the few in which a section is considered by
[Page 7]
others as inherently inferior and which
is polluting the others—the untouchables. The caste system is a most complex system and varies from state to
state within India. The term “untouchable” is rarely used in polite society today, and the legal words used in the Indian Constitution call them “Scheduled Caste.” For centuries, this lowest
caste has lived in the most degrading
and humiliating circumstances. Despite
the law in India that prohibits any discrimination on the basis of caste, the
prejudice is so deep-rooted that it is
difficult to raise the lot of these unfortunates, and sometimes in the attempts
of the scheduled caste to break caste
barriers, violence has erupted and
brought great grief to many people. In
the aftermath, accusations, justified or
unjustified, have been leveled at the
authorities that they have been indifferent to the sufferings of the scheduled caste, as they belong to higher
castes themselves.
The government and many right-thinking people have tried to eradicate this evil through the passage of laws to safeguard this downtrodden community’s interests and rights and by the imposition of punishments including payment of fines and/or prison terms for violating those laws. But despair is writ large on the face of many victims of violence when they see that the enforcers of the law are themselves of the higher caste and look lightly upon the transgressions of laws related to caste. The solution does not appear to be within the framework of laws. Prejudice is at the root of the problem. The solution thus lies in the removal of caste prejudices.
The Bahá’í tutorial schools in the rural areas are attempting precisely this. It is an accepted fact that the character and habits that are formed during childhood are difficult to change when one becomes an adult. The prejudices of the parents and the prejudices of the teacher are transferred to the child and continue into adulthood. The role of the Bahá’í school is first of all to engage the services of a Bahá’í teacher who is free from such caste prejudices, who understands the problem and is eager to undertake a reformation in society through molding the minds of the next generation. A practice that has lasted for centuries cannot be eliminated immediately. It will require time and tact from those assisting the process.
The teacher is usually held in high esteem by the villagers as he has something they lack—education and knowledge. They are eager for their children to be like him. The teacher wisely teaches the child about God, His miracles and His justice. He explains how all are equal in the sight of God, how differences are always man-made, how sometimes the differences arise because of the exigencies of time, and how society must slowly change with the times. Many times the parents sit to listen to the lesson being given by the teacher, and on occasion their reason accepts his guidance. Yet putting such guidance into practice is the most difficult step. To drink water from the hands of an untouchable is considered to be a grave sin. Herein the teacher has to be brave to first show the way.
In one of the villages, a young boy of the scheduled caste—we call him Raju—came to the Bahá’í school and like the other boys was a bright young fellow eager to learn. He did well in his lessons but there was a certain diffidence in him which held him back at playtime with his companions. The teacher realized that this was due to his low caste. The following day, the teacher arranged the students and made Raju sit first in order in the front line. He kept this place for a number of days until it was an accepted fact by all the students. Then one day the teacher, bending his head over the books before him, asked the boy who was first in the row—Raju—to bring him a glass of water. The parents, sitting around the banyan tree and watching the class in progress, whispered among themselves, and one came forward to tell the teacher quietly that Raju was an untouchable. The teacher looked surprised, said he had no idea of the practices of the villagers, but whoever was sitting first in the front row should bring him water, and if it was Raju, then Raju should go and no one else. In full view of the villagers, he drank the water given to him by Raju, patted the youngster on the head and went on as though nothing unusual had happened. The villagers, to whom the teacher had endeared himself, accepted his “eccentricities” and went about their work. But with the first break in the customs and traditions of the village, slowly the other children began to accept Raju fully and decided there was really nothing wrong with him; they played and laughed with him as though he were one of them. These children, with such continuous training and development of their thinking, will grow up to be relatively free of prejudice. The Bahá’í teacher is dedicated to bringing up his students in a prejudice-free environment, which of course is a basic principle of the teacher’s Faith.
As the number of Bahá’í schools increases in the areas ridden with caste prejudice and hatred, slowly but surely the young generation trained by devoted and sincere teachers concerned only with the welfare of human beings will bring about a new society wherein such an evil will be a thing of the past.
Medical camps[edit]
In one of the tribal belts of India called the District of Dangs at the border of Gujarat and Maharashtra, there is a local Assembly in every village, 313 in all. This is a backward area and difficult of access. The tribals are extremely poor and the terrain does not yield much for their sustenance. Consequently, they suffer from poor health and disease related to poverty. The Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Bombay sought the cooperation of a few Bahá’í doctors in that city and organized a once-a-month medical camp in various villages in the Dangs. Dedicated youth joined the doctors to register the patients and administer and distribute the drugs. The number of patients would be in the vicinity of 400-500 at every camp, which was announced to the villages months in advance. The local Assembly in the village was expected to make the physical arrangements to set up the camp. This gave responsibility to the village Assembly which fulfilled it with great pride.
These medical camps in the Dangs set the tone for other states as well. In Madhya Pradesh around Gwalior, such camps are now being regularly held. The most common disease from which the village people suffer is a skin infection known as “scabies” which is brought about by a number of circumstances—lack of education in hygiene, lack of water in the village to wash themselves and their clothes, and lack of funds with which to purchase soap.
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Among the other illnesses are diarrhea,
dehydration, common colds, coughs,
tuberculosis and others, mostly again
related to unhygienic and poverty-stricken conditions.
Those diseases that can be somewhat eliminated by education in hygiene are being discussed in the camps, and talks on health care are given to the villagers. In some places, audio-visual methods are used. And where the Bahá’í tutorial school teacher is bright, he is trained in basic hygiene methods and health care so that he also fills in as a community health worker. In the state of Uttar Pradesh, where a monthly Bahá’í magazine is brought out, a section is devoted to health care. This magazine is used by many village people, and hopefully this knowledge will be put to good use.
Assistance to farmers[edit]
With the advent of Radio Bahá’í, it has been possible in some South American countries to reach remote areas to convey information to farmers as to the best time for sowing, harvesting, what fertilizers to use, etc. In India this cannot be done because radio and television are a government monopoly and no private stations are permitted. Consequently, to play the same role as Radio Bahá’í, the State Teaching Committee of Uttar Pradesh is using the medium of the monthly Bahá’í magazine in that state to devote a section to the farmers, giving them information about the latest farming techniques. Because of a paucity of funds for printing and postage, this Hindi magazine is presently limited to a readership of about 500, but as the readership increases and the information supplied is put to use, there will be a definite improvement in the lives and habits of the rural poor. The magazine has already begun to be eagerly awaited both for its content in Bahá’í matters and its medical and agricultural sections.
Status of women in India[edit]
The lot of women in India has been a sorry one for centuries. The United Nations Decade for Women has not by and large improved the conditions of women in this country. In the urban areas where women are receiving education there are more opportunities for them to secure jobs in government offices and private firms. But that does not necessarily put them in a position of equality with men. In many cases, in the middle class it means not only the usual nine to five office job but the drudgery of household chores in the evening for the woman, which is unheard of for the male to share in. One reads advertisements in the marital columns in newspapers that clearly stipulate that the bride should be a working girl.
Yet to marry into a household where she will be contributing not only the
Where the laws of the land have failed to force the dominant male in the rural areas to send his female children to school, his religious beliefs as a Bahá’í have conquered that prejudice, and have succeeded in changing his attitude.
monthly salary from her job but also her tired energy in the evening in cooking, washing and other household tasks, she would have to pay a handsome dowry to attain the dubious prestige of being a respectably married woman in the eyes of society.
The fact that such marriages are not all beds of roses is evident in the increasing number of “dowry deaths” where the poor unfortunate woman prefers a painful death rather than a lifetime of mental and physical torture.
In the rural areas the women are still bound by centuries-old traditions where the husband is akin to God and where the sole aim of the woman should be to make her husband happy. The greatest obstacle in the development of women in rural areas is the attitude of men. It is no use talking to the women and speaking to them of their rights and the independence of women. The brute force of the male will wipe out such ideas from the woman and bring her to heel.
The solution—the Bahá’í Faith[edit]
The solution to bringing about education and progress for women is to secure an attitudinal change in men. It is the men who should be convinced that women are in no way inferior to men and that they should be allowed the fullest opportunity to develop their talents.
Herein the Bahá’í Faith plays a most important role. Where the laws of the land have failed to force the dominant male in the rural areas to send his female children to school, his religious beliefs as a Bahá’í have conquered that prejudice, and have succeeded in changing his attitude. Having accepted the Faith as the solution to the world’s problems, and Bahá’u’lláh as the Messenger of God, it does not take long for him to understand that whatever Bahá’u’lláh’s Message contains, it is divine in origin, and consequently good for all human beings. Bahá’u’lláh’s principle of equal opportunity for both sexes is explained as an important factor in humanity’s progress and in the establishment of world peace. Woman’s role as a mother and in the training of model children is highlighted.
Conviction having set in, the father’s resistance to sending his girl to school crumbles. Objections to the training of women in various vocational arts and crafts also breaks down. Women are eventually elected to serve on Bahá’í administrative bodies, and because of the principle of consultation in such bodies the men learn to listen to the opinions of women as well.
In the Bahá’í tutorial schools scattered in the districts of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, more and more girls are being admitted. The quickness with which they are able to grasp their studies and the intelligence they display, many times better than the boys, justifies to their fathers their action in giving them the opportunity to acquire an education.
Vocational training[edit]
For the illiterate and semi-literate woman who has come to accept her role as that of the inferior sex unable to think or decide for herself, a training program has been initiated to teach her an art or craft whereby she can become gainfully self-employed. Not only does this create a certain amount of self-respect that she can also become an earning member of society, it brings about a respect for her among the male members of her family that she is capable of using her hands for creative work that will supplement the family income. Household chores and hard work on the farm lands have never been considered in the income-generating sense for the woman.
The Faizí Institute for vocational
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training of rural women has been set
up in south Madhya Pradesh in Indore.
Groups of women around 20 at a time
are encouraged by their Bahá’í husbands to attend courses at the institute
for a minimum of 12 days. Here they
go through an intensive training course
in a few crafts such as soap-making,
candle-making, chalk, rough mats,
crafts that they can then continue to do
at home in the villages. The eagerness
with which they learn and the rapidity
with which they are able to pick up the
crafts shows that there is nothing inferior about their brains.
Apart from the crafts, special courses are considered on health and hygiene, simple diseases and how they can be prevented by easy measures. Child care is also stressed, and certainly the training of children in freedom from prejudice of caste or religion. Here it is initially difficult for the women unversed in these topics to understand, but as every day the same topics are brought up again and again, by the end of their stay they have grasped the bare essentials and realize how important it is to train their children themselves along the right lines.
Bahá’í prayers and songs which are general in nature are also taught to the women to memorize so that they in turn will teach their children. By the end of the course they will have memorized two of each. The lack of education and training of the mind can be felt here. Memorization and retention is difficult for these women as they never needed to exercise their powers of memory when they were young. As one grows older the process of memorizing becomes more difficult. A rural woman with her earthy common sense compared her brain to a knife whose edge had become dull from disuse. Their brains are like that, she remarked.
There are some women who have been sent by their husbands more than once to the course. The village is responding to these initial pioneering efforts by the Bahá’í women to learn a profession and is raising no objection to other women from the same village attending the institute. From some villages there is actually a request to let them know when the next course will be held so that their women can join.
The response that is coming forth for these Bahá’í socio-economic activities is encouraging and heartwarming. At times government agencies that are fully equipped to run their own programs with an abundance of resources are surprised at the ease with which we Bahá’ís are able to secure the support of the village men to send women to an institute for development and training. The government always finds stiff resistance. Again, the fact that our tutorial schools are able to function regularly with sincere and dedicated teachers is another source of wonder. To all these reactions, the simple answer is “a full acceptance of the divine origin of the Bahá’í Faith and a firm commitment to its principles.”
Peru[edit]
Eve Nicklin: A life well-spent in service[edit]
At 9 a.m. on June 10, 1985, our beloved pioneer, Eve Blanche Nicklin, ascended to the Abhá Kingdom. She was 90 years old and had suffered a long illness.
Thus ended the earthly life of the “Spiritual Mother of Peru” and one of the first pioneers to South America—a life she left bit by bit in many parts of that vast continent; a life which flowered and blossomed through many vibrant Bahá’í communities which regarded her with great respect and admiration.
Eve Nicklin was inspired by the immortal Hand of the Cause of God Martha Root to arise and dedicate her life to the Faith. In 1937 she made her first attempt to pioneer to South America, to the city of Bahía, Brazil. Lamentably, this attempt was frustrated by the local political situation and she was forced to return home. Toward the end of 1941 she realized her heart’s desire and moved to Lima, Peru, and there established her second homeland. She came during the first Seven Year Plan of Shoghi Effendi, arriving in Peru at age 46, unable to speak the native language, Spanish, without friends there, and with little money—a shining example of courage and valor.
She soon began to work teaching English, and with her students formed the “Club Universal” to promote the Bahá’í principles, of which she was such a sterling illustration. The first Peruvian to become a Bahá’í was Mrs. Isabel Barrera; she was soon followed by others, and on April 20, 1944, the first local Spiritual Assembly in Peru was formed in Lima.
| This tribute to Eve Nicklin, a pioneer to Peru who died in June, was written for Bahá’í News by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Peru. |
EVE NICKLIN
On the memorable occasion of the Centenary of the Declaration of the Báb, Peru sent Mrs. Barrera as its representative to the celebration of North and South America held beneath the dome of the Mother Temple of the West in Wilmette, Illinois. In 1948, Eve attended the second of four Regional Continental Teaching Conferences, held in Chile, after which she went to Punta Arenas, also in Chile, at the southern tip of South America. Returning to Peru, she resided in Callao where an Assembly was formed in 1949. Thereafter, she helped to establish and/or consolidate Bahá’í communities in the Peruvian cities of Arequipa, Cuzco, Trujillo and Ica.
In 1949 she helped form “CEBSA,” the first continental teaching committee in South America, and in 1950 she was invited to the Centenary observance in Wilmette of the Martyrdom of the Báb.
In 1951 Eve was elected to the first National Spiritual Assembly of South America at the National Convention in Lima. A year later she left Peru to live in Uruguay, and in 1953 she was invited to attend the public dedication of the House of Worship in Wilmette and the launching of the Ten Year Crusade. Later that same year she accompanied the Hand of the Cause Valíyu’lláh Varqá on his visit to several South American countries. She then pioneered to Paraguay from 1953 to 1955, when she returned to Peru to help teach the indigenous peoples around Arequipa.
Eve was asked to return to Paraguay in 1958. She remained there until 1962 when she again returned to Peru, this time to help with indigenous teaching around Cuzco, the ancient capital of the Incas. In 1964 she went to Trujillo, then returned in 1969 to Paraguay where she stayed until 1977. Ever eager to be in the thick of teaching, even though she was then past 80, Eve went in February 1977 to Ica, Peru, to help with the teaching work there. She spent her final years at the National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Lima, surrounded by her spiritual children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, all of whom loved and admired her.
Eve Nicklin lived for teaching the Cause, and her manner of teaching was exemplary. She always taught with visual aids, teaching books that she herself prepared by cutting out colored pictures from various magazines to illustrate the Bahá’í principles. Few pioneers had her patience or tolerance. Her life was the Faith; the Bahá’ís were her family. Her voice was the first to pronounce the greeting “Alláh’u’-Abhá” in Peru; she witnessed the first Bahá’í funeral there in 1944, and the first Bahá’í wedding in 1946. She helped establish the first Assembly in Peru, and when she died, 44 years later, there were almost 600 in that country.
| GRIEVED PASSING AUXILIARY BOARD MEMBER EVE NICKLIN DEVOTED CONSTANT MAIDSERVANT ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ. HER MANY YEARS DISTINGUISHED OUTSTANDING SERVICES SOUTH AMERICA APPROPRIATE MEMORIAL HER TOTAL CONSECRATION CAUSE BAHÁ’U’LLÁH.
ASSURED LOVING RECEPTION ABHÁ KINGDOM, PRAYERS SACRED SHRINES PROGRESS HER SOUL. UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
JUNE 11, 1985 |
Eve Nicklin gave her life to the Cause, far from the family she loved and which loved her; even though she had her Bahá’í family, she still felt the loneliness of a person in a foreign land. But she served Bahá’u’lláh to her utmost—and left us a beautiful example to follow.
Her funeral was held June 11, the day after her heroic soul joined the celestial concourse. Her grave is in the British Cemetery in Callao, near such other Bahá’í heroes as Counsellor Raúl Pavón, John Stearns and Fidel Flores. More than 100 people, young and old alike, attended the service, lovingly reciting prayers. Dr. Guillermo Aguilar and Auxiliary Board member Mercedes Sánchez, eminent alumni of the “Club Universal” and among the first of Eve’s spiritual children, presented stirring eulogies. At the end of the poignant ceremony, those present helped to cover the gravesite with flowers—and, refreshed and inspired by the luminous spirit of Eve Blanche Nicklin, returned to their daily lives.
Pictured are some of the more than 100 people who attended the funeral service June 11 in Callao, Peru, for pioneer Eve Blanche Nicklin, the ‘Spiritual Mother of Peru,’ who died June 10 at the age of 90.
Dominica[edit]
Pictured are some of the participants in a Bahá’í Youth Conference held last October 20-21 in Roseau, Dominica. They are wearing T-shirts of their own design which bear the words ‘Youth Can Move the World.’
The world[edit]
Finnish Bahá’ís in magazine, on radio[edit]
Kaltio, one of Finland’s oldest and most prestigious cultural magazines, carried an article on the Faith in its issue of February 1985.
The two-page article, “Religion for Mankind,” written by a Bahá’í, Yrjo Mikkonen, includes a brief history of the Faith, outlines its principles, discusses progressive revelation and the need for the unity of mankind, sets forth various quotations from the Writings, and is illustrated with a photograph of the Shrine of the Báb.
Finnish Bahá’ís had reason to cheer recently when a program on Radio 28.3 included a performance by the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra of a piece for violin and orchestra by composer Lasse Thoresen, a Norwegian Bahá’í.
Mr. Thoresen, interviewed on the program, gave a lengthy and effective explanation of the relationship between his life and art and the Faith.
It marked the first time that the Faith has had such extraordinary proclamation on radio in Finland.
One hundred-fifteen Bahá’ís were present last December-January at the National Bahá’í Winter School in Varkaus, Finland. Counsellor Ursula Mühlschlegel presented classes on Bahá’í relationships while the youth laid plans for their participation in the International Year of Youth 1985.
The first local Spiritual Assembly of Rovaniemi, a goal city on the Arctic Circle, was established March 9 as its ninth adult member came of age two days earlier. Rovaniemi is known as “the Gate of Lapland.”
Trinidad/Tobago[edit]
Nine Bahá’í youth from Trinidad and Tobago performed April 6 for a Presbyterian youth group at that group’s request. More than 300 non-Bahá’ís attended the performance at which the Bahá’ís were asked by another youth group to perform at their church.
Zimbabwe[edit]
To grow where their country is growing, the Bahá’ís of Zimbabwe are preparing for a “great leap forward” by establishing 55 “growth points” on which to focus their teaching efforts.
They are appealing for 50 homefront pioneer families and 200 traveling teachers to live in or visit these areas.
The rapid growth of the Bahá’í community in Zimbabwe, from 1,000 when an independent National Assembly was established in 1971 to the present 20,000 believers, underscores the urgent need for teachers.
Belgium[edit]
Shown here with their teachers are the 18 children who took part April 3-7 in the first bi-lingual Bahá’í children’s ‘mini-school’ in Belgium at ‘De Blauwe Torre’ (The Blue Tower) in Varsenaere, near Brugge. The framework around which classes were built was the book The Wonder Lamp by the Hand of the Cause of God A.Q. Faizí which the children presented as a play on the last day of the school.
New Zealand[edit]
Bahá’ís in the sister cities of Manaku, New Zealand, and Utsunomiya, Japan, are taking full advantage of exchange visits between their cities by mayors and other dignitaries.
Bahá’ís in each city have had a chance to meet visiting officials, identify themselves, and refer to their Bahá’í friends in the visitors’ home towns.
One of the Japanese Bahá’ís served as interpreter for the mayor of Manaku during his visit to Utsunomiya last December. After giving a speech revolving around Bahá’í ideas, the mayor acknowledged having been given a book on the Faith by the Bahá’ís in Manaku. He also remembered that they had given him a gift of pottery and calligraphy sent by the Bahá’ís of Utsunomiya.
Greenland[edit]
Ejnar Heilman and Hilda Danielson, the first Greenlanders to have a Bahá’í marriage ceremony, were married last September at the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Nuuk, Greenland.
Chile[edit]
Santiago, Chile’s “Radio Portales” broadcasts a cultural program that is gaining in popularity throughout Chile, Mendoza and southern Argentina.
Two Bahá’ís, Dr. and Mrs. Alejandro Reid, have become the central figures in the weekly panel program, relating discussion topics such as art, science and religion to the Bahá’í Faith.
The program, described as a powerful teaching tool, is attracting many people in the region to the Faith.
Paula Siegel, chairman of the National Teaching Committee of Chile, speaks during a two-day conference last December in Santiago called by the Continental Board of Counsellors in the Americas. Representing the Board was Counsellor Ruth Pringle of Panama (seated in center). Others pictured are (left to right) National Teaching Committee members María Inés Cepeda, Ruth Rojas and José Rodriguez.
India[edit]
The petals of the lotus flower design can be seen in this photograph taken last December 15 of the Mother Temple of the Indian Subcontinent at Bahapur, near New Delhi. Architect Fariburz Sahbá describes the painstaking effort to concrete the outer leaf, only 13 centimeters thick, as requiring strict quality control. When finished, the petals will have a white marble sheath.
More than 2,000 new believers were enrolled and 49 new Spiritual Assemblies were raised up during one month in Orissa State, India, on the Bay of Bengal.
Among the new Bahá’ís are members of four new tribal groups and 59 families.
A course for editors of Bahá’í newsletters and magazines was recently completed at the Bahá’í Academy in Panchgani, India.
It was the 15th course taught at the school, and was based on the unique concept of journalism that is enshrined in the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh.
France[edit]
The inauguration April 25 of the new National Bahá’í Center in Paris, France, was attended by the President of the Senate, two representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and high officials from several non-government organizations together with members of the National Spiritual Assembly of France and Bahá’ís from all areas of the country.
Also present were representatives from the press, the Citoyens du Monde (Citizens of the World), the International Federation of the Rights of Man, and Amnesty International.
The National Coordinating Committee of France has officially endorsed a project by the Bahá’í Committee for International Youth Year, authorizing the activity for all French youth and enabling them to use the Youth Year label.
The National Spiritual Assembly of France feels that this plan, to offer presentations of the UN Declaration of Human Rights to schools and universities throughout France, will result in excellent public relations benefits for the Faith.
Bolivia[edit]
Radio Bahá’í of Caracollo, Bolivia, plans to work with the United Nations Children’s Fund to produce a program called “Revolution in Infant Health.”
The UNICEF-sponsored program, designed to raise the health consciousness of rural mothers, will undergo a one-year test period during which Radio Bahá’í will produce the eight-part series and distribute cassette tapes of the programs to 35 mothers’ clubs in its listening area.
Indian Bahá’ís, guided by the National Spiritual Assembly of Bolivia, are developing an organization in which Bahá’ís may support social and economic movements within their country without joining associations that are under the influence of political parties.
FUNIDEAQ, the Foundation for the Development and Education of Aymara and Quechua Peoples, which was begun with 40 Indian members, recognizes the authority of the Bahá’í institutions. Although its by-laws were approved by the National Assembly, FUNIDEAQ is, officially, a private organization. It is hoped that it will serve as an alternative to politically based indigenous movements which often promote hatred or violence.
A “spirit of unity” created by renewed teaching efforts is helping the Bahá’ís of Bolivia to make great strides toward reaching expanded goals.
During the recent “Khamsí-Costas” teaching campaign, more than 3,000 new believers were enrolled.
The friends have decided to intensify their efforts, increasing their goals to enrolling 10,000 new believers, opening 5,500 new localities, and forming 1,200 local Spiritual Assemblies.
West Germany[edit]
Two Bahá’í students from Essen, West Germany, gave a one-week course on the Faith last November 5-10 to 12 fellow 12th-grade students and one teacher at the Essen Bahá’í Center.
The two young believers and the students who elected to study the Faith began each morning with breakfast together. Afterward, they viewed slides, heard talks, played games and held consultations.
The Youth Committee of Essen reported that all those who were involved in the course were favorably impressed including some Bahá’í youth in the area who came to join in.
The project also aroused an interest among several other teachers at the school.
The Netherlands[edit]
The National Spiritual Assembly of the Netherlands is appointing “Youth Deans” to offer personal guidance to young people, Bahá’í or non-Bahá’í.
So far, two individuals have been given the task of providing answers from the Bahá’í teachings to problems of any nature brought to them by youth.
Consultation can be given over the phone or in the “dean’s” home. In some cases, the adviser may be asked to travel.
As members of a group working for the National Assembly, deans are expected to submit quarterly reports.
Panama[edit]
Meherangiz Munsiff (center), a traveling teacher from the United Kingdom, speaks to Bahá’í women during her visit to Panama City, Panama, in April. While in that country she spoke to members of the Soroptimist Club, the Hindostani Ladies Association, the board of directors of the Girl Guide Association of Panama, and the Bahá’í National Convention, making many friends for the Faith among the people of Panama.
During her visit to Panama in February, the Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum had a partially televised 45-minute meeting with the President of that country who expressed an interest in the National Spiritual Assembly’s desire to build a radio station for the Guaymi area.
On February 3, the Hand of the Cause was joined by Counsellors Mas’ud Khamsí and Ruth Pringle for an hour-long meeting with the country’s Minister of Government and Justice. The minister was favorably impressed by the proposal for the radio station.
Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum attended many important public events, among them the laying of the cornerstone for the Guaymi Cultural Center, a reception for prominent women, and a youth conference that drew more than 1,000 people from 25 localities including Haiti.
She also took part in three television interviews and a public meeting, admitting that her visit was hectic but calling it an outstanding success and praising the remarkable progress of the Guaymi Bahá’ís.
United Kingdom[edit]
Two communities in Northern Ireland are making great progress in the Youth Year human rights program.
The Spiritual Assembly of Coleraine sponsored a project in which Grace Swann, a member of the United Nations Association, Northwest branch, visited 18 schools and three colleges in the Coleraine and Ballymena districts.
One of the schools is planning to present a play about human rights, to be followed by the distribution of copies of the UN Declaration of Human Rights.
In Limavady, the headmaster of the grammar school not only invited Mrs. Swann to speak to his students about the International Year of Youth, but also asked that two social studies classes devote sessions to the Bahá’í project for the International Year of Youth.
The classes were conducted by Bahá’ís, and have resulted in requests for more presentations on the Faith.
Colorful posters on London buses display the words of Bahá’u’lláh as part of an anti-racism campaign sponsored by the Local Council of Newham, a London suburb. The Spiritual Assembly of Newham and other Bahá’í communities in the area were invited to submit a theme as part of the campaign. Besides the bus posters, the Bahá’ís are involved in conducting antiracist lectures in schools for students, teachers and parents.
Hawaii[edit]
Members of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the Hawaiian Islands elected at the National Convention April 26-28 are (left to right) Samieh Labib-Wood, Anthony Burke (chairman), William Foster (vice-chairman), Rick Labib-Wood (treasurer), Elizabeth Habermann, Bruce Dusseault, Tony Pelle (recording secretary), Dr. Gary Morrison (corresponding secretary), and Dr. V. Alicia Guajardo.
The life story of the Hand of the Cause of God Agnes Baldwin Alexander is the first of 127 biographies included in the book Notable Women of Hawaii published recently by the University of Hawaii Press.
The editor, Barbara Bennett Pearson, reduced an advisory board’s list of 260 suggested names to 127 using strict criteria to determine notability.
Miss Alexander’s biography was written by Duane K. Troxel who used papers from the National Bahá’í Archives in Hawaii and Japan. In three and one-half pages, the article briefly summarizes Miss Alexander’s 70 years of service to the Faith.
Sikkim[edit]
The Temple Land School at Saramsa, Ranipul, was inaugurated last February by the National Spiritual Assembly of Sikkim.
The chief guest, a local dignitary, praised the Faith for its contribution to the education of children in Sikkim.
Afterward, the secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly, Mr. K.N. Sharma, spoke about the importance of education in the Faith, and George Menezes from the nearby Tadong Bahá’í School outlined the future of the Ranipul school.
The school’s newly appointed principal, Ganesh Shenoy, a pioneer from India, credited its realization to the constant encouragement of the Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum, Mrs. Violette Nakhjavání, and Counsellor Shirin Boman.
The school opened February 15 with 19 children and one teacher, Miss Meena Kumbhar. By the end of that month there were 13 more students and another teacher, as well as many inquiries about new admissions.
Ecuador[edit]
“The Bahá’í Faith Salutes Quito” was proclaimed on a banner on the float entered by the local Bahá’í community in this year’s Festival of Quito, Ecuador, an annual event sponsored by the National Women’s Committee and the Spiritual Assembly of Quito.
Bahá’í children and adults, depicting the unity of nations, were dressed in costumes from India, Germany, Iran, Switzerland, Greece, Hawaii, Bulgaria and Ecuador’s Otavalo region.
They walked beside their float, a car decorated with many flowers, on the sides of which were the words, “The Earth Is But One Country.”
Nicaragua[edit]
Last December, the National Community Development Committee of Nicaragua put together a series of workshops at the National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds on maintaining record books.
Among those taking part was Armondo Fonseca, a newly appointed Auxiliary Board member in Nicaragua. In spite of difficult traveling conditions, representatives from all parts of the country came to learn how to keep records of such important events as births, deaths, marriages, finances, and the minutes of meetings.
The Philippines[edit]
The Children’s Committee of the Spiritual Assembly of Tacloban, Leyte, in the Philippines is holding regular classes on the Faith at the Anibong Elementary School.
The project is a part of the committee’s program of initiating religious instruction in public schools in the province. This year they are teaching fifth graders.
Bahá’ís in the Philippines won their goals for local Spiritual Assemblies well in advance of Riḍván. There are now 600 Assemblies in the Philippines.
Burma[edit]
In a cable to the World Centre on February 14, the Bahá’ís of Burma announced, “Women teaching five days, 71 accepted, three new places, over 1,000 in nine months. One new island opened.”
Tonga[edit]
Pictured during their visit to Tonga in May are the Hand of the Cause of God H. Collis Featherstone (seated in second row, fourth from right) and his wife, Madge (to Mr. Featherstone’s right). The Featherstones’ visit helped rekindle teaching fires in Tonga with news of Bahá’í activities around the world.
More than 100 Bahá’ís attended the
16th Bahá’í National Convention of
the Kingdom of Tonga, held for the
first time April 27-28 in the Ha’apai
Island group in the town of Pangai, Lifuka. The Convention, which was
followed by a public meeting attended
by many seekers, was deemed by many
participants as the best ever held in
Tonga.
Burkina[edit]
“The Causes of War and How to Establish Universal Peace” was the topic of an essay contest sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Ouagadougou, Burkina (formerly Upper Volta), for secondary school children in that city.
An award ceremony honoring the contestants was held at the National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds. Cash prizes were given for the three papers judged best, and each of the 22 contestants received a copy of the book The New Garden.
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