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Bahá’í News

March 1987

Bahá’í Year 143

Charles F. Wolcott: 1906-1987

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Bahá’í News

Charles F. Wolcott, member of Universal House of Justice, dies at 80	1
A brief perusal of the spiritual foundations of the annual Bahá’í fast	3
Could Enterprise, Kansas, be second oldest U.S. Bahá’í community?	6
Australia’s ‘peace ribbon’ has second showing in Japan’s ‘sister city’	8
Radio Bahá’í-Peru raises new antenna on station’s fifth anniversary	9
Around the world: News from Bahá’í communities all over the globe	10

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 within the U.S.: one year, $12; two years, $20. Outside the U.S.: one year, $14; two years, 24$. Foreign air mail: one year, $20; two years, $40. Payment must accompany the order and must be in U.S. dollars. Second class postage paid at Wilmette, IL 60091. Copyright © 1987, National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. World rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.

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‘Noble, selfless’ Charles Wolcott dies

DEEPLY GRIEVED PASSING DISTINGUISHED SERVANT CAUSE GOD, DEDICATED WORKER HIS VINEYARD CHARLES WOLCOTT. SELFLESSNESS, HUMILITY, COURAGE, NOBILITY, FAIR-MINDEDNESS, PERSEVERANCE CHARACTERIZED HIS UNINTERRUPTED SERVICES COURSE HALF A CENTURY, IN HIS CAPACITY AS MEMBER AND LATER SECRETARY NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY CRADLE ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER, AS SECRETARY-GENERAL INTERNATIONAL BAHÁ’Í COUNCIL FOLLOWED BY HIS OUTSTANDING LABORS AS MEMBER UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE SINCE ITS INCEPTION. PRAYING SHRINES PROGRESS HIS RADIANT SOUL, CONFIDENT RICH WELL-DESERVED REWARD ABHÁ KINGDOM HIS UNIQUE CONTRIBUTION PROGRESS CONSOLIDATION FAITH NORTH AMERICA AND AT WORLD CENTRE. EXTEND LOVING SYMPATHY HIS BELOVED WIDOW WHO SHARED SUPPORTED HIS SERVICES THROUGHOUT PERIOD HIS DISTINGUISHED PROFESSIONAL CAREER, HIS BRILLIANT LABORS CAUSE GOD AND TO HIS BEREAVED DAUGHTERS AND FAMILY. ADVISE FRIENDS EVERYWHERE HOLD BEFITTING MEMORIAL GATHERINGS, INCLUDING COMMEMORATIVE SERVICES IN HIS HONOR ALL MASH-RIQU’L-ADHKÁRS. UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE JANUARY 27, 1987

Charles F. Wolcott, a member of the Universal House of Justice since its inception in 1963 and a former secretary of the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly, died January 26 at his home in Haifa, Israel.

Mr. Wolcott, who was born September 29, 1906, in Flint, Michigan, was a musician, composer and arranger who played professionally with a number of well-known bands before moving to Hollywood in 1937, and resigned his position as general music director of the MGM Studios in 1959 to assume his duties as secretary of the National Assembly in Wilmette, Illinois.

In 1961 he was elected to the International Bahá’í Council, forerunner of the Universal House of Justice, and served as secretary-general of that interim body for the two years of its existence.

Mr. Wolcott was elected in 1963 to a five-year term on the nine-member Universal House of Justice, and was re-elected at each of the four subsequent International Conventions.

His long and distinguished career in music began when he organized a high school band in Flint, and continued at the University of Michigan where he led a collegiate band known as “Charlie Wolcott and His Wolverines.”

After his graduation in 1927, he joined the Jean Goldkette organization to play and arrange for its various orchestras including the famed Casa Loma band. During this period he worked with many legendary musical figures including Bix Beiderbecke, Frankie Trumbauer, Miff Mole, Joe Venuti and the Dorsey brothers, Tommy and Jimmy.

In 1928 Mr. Wolcott married Harriett Louise Marshall who survives him, as do their two daughters, Mrs. Sheila Joan Banani of Santa Monica, California, and Mrs. Marsha Jean Gilpatrick of San Jose, both of whom are Bahá’ís.

In New York from 1931-37, Mr. Wolcott joined Paul Whiteman as a composer, arranger and conductor, and also worked with Andre Kostelanetz, Johnny Green and others on radio where he arranged music for Al Jolson, Burns and Allen, and others.

It was radio that took him to California, as an arranger for singer Rudy Vallee, and he soon was composing specialty music for such guests as Nelson Eddy, Gladys Swarthout, Don Ameche and Dorothy Lamour on Mr. Vallee’s radio show, the “Chase and Sanborn Hour.”

In 1938 (the same year in which he and Mrs. Wolcott embraced the Faith), Mr. Wolcott joined Walt Disney Studios, and during his 11 years there— the last five as general music director—made several trips to South America, Mexico and Cuba to research music for various Disney films with Latin American backgrounds including “Saludos Amigos” and “The Three Caballeros.”

Among his other films as music director for Disney were the Academy Award-nominated “Song of the South,” “Fancy Free,” and “Make Mine Music.”

Before moving to MGM as assistant music director to his friend Johnny Green, Mr. Wolcott was music consultant to the Ice Capades of 1950 and guest conductor on the “Music from Hollywood” radio program with opera star Rise Stevens.

At MGM he wrote the love themes for “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” and “The Blackboard Jungle,” and was credited with introducing rock-and-roll

[Page 2] to the screen in the latter film when he persuaded its producer to use the song “Rock Around the Clock” by Bill Haley and the Comets as part of the background score.

Other songs composed by Mr. Wolcott for films include “The Reluctant Dragon,” “Sooner or Later,” “Two Silhouettes,” and “Llama Serenade.” Southern Music published his “Inca Suite” from “Saludos Amigos” in 1957.

In April 1958 Mr. Wolcott succeeded Mr. Green as general music director at MGM.

He had become a member of the Spiritual Assembly of Los Angeles in 1948, was elected to the U.S. National Assembly in 1953, and served from 1953-56 as chairman of the National Teaching Committee. After the National Assembly elected him to be its secretary in 1959, Mr. Wolcott said goodbye forever to Hollywood and his long career in music.

Mr. Wolcott was buried January 27 in the Bahá’í cemetery in Haifa.

Charles Wolcott greets an old and dear friend, former Counsellor Edna True, during his visit to the U.S. National Convention in 1981.

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Australia

A Bahá’í delegation including the Hand of the Cause of God H. Collis Featherstone (far right), Counsellor Joy Stevenson, and Stanley Bolton, chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia, presents a copy of the peace statement to Sir Ninian Stephen (second from right), the Governor-General of Australia, at Government House in Sydney.

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The spiritual basis of fasting

Why fast?

Fasting for spiritual reasons is a custom that has been practiced throughout recorded religious history. The specific guidelines for fasting have been defined by the Divine Revealers of religion in accordance with the needs and abilities of the people on whom the ordinance of fasting was binding.

In the Bahá’í Era many previous religious practices have been abrogated, whereas some, such as the law of fasting, have been renewed by the unerring Pen of Bahá’u’lláh. Shoghi Effendi made the following observation on this topic: “Those unwarranted practices, in connection with the sacrament of baptism, of communion, of confession of sins, of asceticism, of priestly dominion, of elaborate ceremonies, of holy war and of polygamy, have one and all been rigidly suppressed by the Pen of Bahá’u’lláh; whilst the rigidity and rigor of certain observances, such as fasting, which are necessary to the devotional life of the individual, have been considerably abated.”¹

The Bahá’í fast is not for the purpose of physical cleansing of the body, nor is it to be taken lightly as a practice we may observe at our own discretion. It is, rather, fundamentally spiritual in nature, as Bahá’u’lláh has ordained the fast as a spiritual law which is obligatory (binding in law or conscience) on behalf of the believers. Concerning the law of fasting, Bahá’u’lláh Himself declares: “We have commanded you to pray and fast from the beginning of maturity; this is ordained by God, your Lord and the Lord of your fore-

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‘It ... is essentially a period of meditation and prayer, of spiritual recuperation, during which the believer must strive to make the necessary adjustments in his inner life, and to refresh and reinvigorate the spiritual forces latent in his soul.’

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fathers....”² He further states: “These are, O my God, the days whereon Thou didst enjoin Thy servants to observe the fast. With it Thou didst adorn the preamble of the Book of Thy Laws revealed unto Thy creatures, and didst deck forth the Repositories of Thy commandments in the sight of all who are in Thy heaven and all who are on Thy earth.”³

Regarding the vital character and importance of the Divine ordinances and laws, and the necessity for complete obedience to them by the believers, Bahá’u’lláh clearly states: “The first duty prescribed by God for His servants is the recognition of Him Who is the Dayspring of His Revelation and the Fountain of His Laws, Who representeth the Godhead in both the Kingdom of His Cause and the world of creation. Whoso achieveth this duty hath attained unto all good; and whoso is deprived thereof, hath gone astray, though he be the author of every righteous deed. It behoveth every one who reacheth this most sublime station, this summit of transcendent glory, to observe every ordinance of Him Who is the Desire of the world. These twin duties are inseparable. Neither is acceptable without the other. Thus hath it been decreed by Him Who is the Source of Divine inspiration.”⁴

Other considerations as to why the fast is so important to each one of us may be gleaned from the following statements of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: “Prayer and fasting is the cause of awakening and mindfulness and conducive to protection and preservation from tests.”⁵ “For this material fast is an outer token of the spiritual fast; it is a symbol of self-restraint, the withholding of oneself from all appetites of the self, taking on the characteristics of the spirit, being carried away by the breathings of heaven and catching fire from the love of God.”⁶

Shoghi Effendi further elaborated on the nature of the fast when he wrote: “It (the period of fasting) is essentially a period of meditation and prayer, of spiritual recuperation, during which the believer must strive to make the necessary readjustments in his inner life, and to refresh and reinvigorate the spiritual forces latent in his soul. Its significance and purpose are, therefore, fundamentally spiritual in character. Fasting is symbolic, and a reminder of abstinence from selfish and carnal desires.”⁷

Understanding that fasting was not a common practice in the western world, the following clarification was written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer: “It is often difficult for us to do things because they are so very different from what we are used to, not because the thing itself is particularly difficult. With you, and indeed most Bahá’ís, who are now, as adults, accepting this glorious Faith, no doubt some of the ordinances, like fasting and daily

This brief essay on the spiritual foundations of the Bahá’í fast was written by Dr. Steven Ellis of Ontario, Oregon.

prayer, are hard to understand and obey at first. But we must always think that these things are given to all men for a thousand years to come. For Bahá’í children who see these things practiced in the home, they will be as natural and necessary a thing as going to church on Sunday was to the more pious generation of Chris-

[Page 4] tians. Bahá’u’lláh would not have given us these things if they would not greatly benefit us, and, like children who are sensible enough to realize their father is wise and does what is good for them, we must accept to obey these ordinances even though at first we may not see any need for them. As we obey them we will gradually come to see in ourselves the benefits they confer.”⁸

Enlightening us on the purpose of the fast, Bahá’u’lláh revealed the following in a prayer: “Glory be to Thee, O Lord my God! These are the days whereon Thou hast bidden all men to observe the fast, that through it they may purify their souls and rid themselves of all attachment to anyone but thee, and that out of their hearts may ascend that which will be worthy of the court of Thy majesty and may well beseem the seat of the revelation of Thy oneness.”⁹

The fasting period ends at sunset on March 20 with a Feast called Naw-Rúz. This Feast ends the year and simultaneously begins the Bahá’í new year, coinciding with the spring equinox.

When to fast

Bahá’u’lláh tells us, in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, of a specified time for the fast: “The period of fasting commences with the termination of the Intercalary Days, and ends with the Naw-Rúz Festival.”¹⁰ Shoghi Effendi further explained through his secretary: “The fasting period, which lasts nineteen days starting as a rule from the second of March every year and ending on the twentieth day of the same month ...”¹¹

Bahá’u’lláh wrote: “Vowing to fast (in a month other than the one prescribed for fasting) is permissible. Vows which profit mankind are however preferable in the sight of God.”¹² This should not, however, be taken to mean that one may skip the fast and do it during some other month of the year, but rather that fasting in general is permissible at other times of the year. Shoghi Effendi clarifies this: “Of course the fast, as you know, can only be kept during the month set aside for that purpose.”¹³

How to fast

This is clearly defined by Bahá’u’lláh, again in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas: “Abstain from food and drink, from sunrise to sundown, and beware lest desire deprive you of this grace that is appointed in the Book.”¹⁴ Note that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, after stating that fasting consists of abstinence from food and drink, categorically says that smoking is a form of “drink,” in that the Arabic verb “drink” applies equally to smoking.¹⁵

Bahá’u’lláh further implies in a prayer that we might also, during the fast, arise early enough before sunrise to say prayers: “Thou seest, O God of Mercy, Thou Whose power pervadeth all created things, these servants of Thine, Thy thralls, who, according to the good-pleasure of Thy Will, observe in the daytime the fast prescribed by Thee, who arise, at the earliest dawn of day, to make mention of Thy Name, and to celebrate Thy praise, in the hope of obtaining their share of the goodly things that are treasured up within the treasuries of Thy grace and bounty.”¹⁶ Consistent with this, He further states in another prayer for the fast: “For Thine ardent lovers Thou hast, according to Thy decree, reserved, at each daybreak, the cup of Thy remembrance, O Thou Who art the Ruler of rulers! These are they who have been so inebriated with the wine of Thy manifold wisdom that they forsake their couches in their longing to celebrate Thy praise and extol Thy virtues, and flee from sleep in their eagerness to approach Thy presence and partake of Thy bounty.”¹⁷

[Page 5] Shoghi Effendi comments in regard to “accidental” eating or drinking: “If one eats unconsciously during the fast hours, this is not breaking the fast as it is an accident.”¹⁸

Who must fast

Who is obligated to fast is clearly defined by Bahá’u’lláh in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas: “We have commanded you to pray and fast from the beginning of maturity; this is ordained by God, your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers.”¹⁹ Concerning the age of maturity mentioned in the above verse, He further explains in the appendix of that same Book: “The age of maturity is in the fifteenth year; women and men are alike in this respect.”²⁰ It is thus clear that all Bahá’ís who are age 15 years or older are bound by the law of fasting, with the following exceptions:

Traveling. If one’s travel exceeds nine hours or travel on foot exceeds two hours, he may break his fast. Also, if one breaks a journey (apparently a long one—author) for less than 19 days he does not have to fast. If he breaks a journey to stay at some place for more than 19 days, he is exempt from fasting only for the first three days after his arrival. If one reaches home from a journey during the fast, he must begin fasting from the day of his arrival. Shoghi Effendi tells us: “Travelers are exempt from fasting, but if they want to fast while they are traveling, they are free to do so. You are exempt the whole period of travel, not just the hours you are in a train or car, etc.”²¹

Age. Those over age 70 do not have to fast, but according to the Guardian: “If one desires to fast after the age limit is passed, and is strong enough to, one is free to do so.”²²

Illness. Those who are ill do not have to fast. “If during the fast period a person falls ill and is unable to fast, but recovers before the fast period is over, he can start to fast again and continue until the end. Of course the fast, as you know, can only be kept during the month set aside for that purpose.”²³

Pregnancy or nursing. Women who are pregnant or nursing are exempt from fasting.

Special times. Women in their courses, providing they repeat a specifically revealed verse 95 times a day. (Repeat 95 times a day between one noon and the next: “Glorified be God, the Lord of Splendor and Beauty.”)

Heavy labor. Those who are engaged in heavy labor are exempt, but are advised to show respect for the law of the fast by using discretion and restraint when availing themselves of the exemption.

These exemptions should be observed when appropriate, as they are purposely included, not only for the sake of one’s physical health as with the exemptions for illness, nursing or pregnancy, but also to assure that the fast

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Who is obligated to fast is clearly defined by Bahá’u’lláh in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas: ‘We have commanded you to pray and fast from the beginning of maturity; this is ordained by God, your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers.’

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may be a light to one’s life and not a burden on one’s soul. On the other hand, using the exemptions without due cause may well be unacceptable. Sincere prayer and meditation will assuredly shed light on any personal difficulty with this matter.

“Lauded be Thy name, O my God! This is the hour when Thou hast unlocked the doors of Thy bounty before the faces of Thy creatures, and opened wide the portals of Thy tender mercy unto all the dwellers of Thine earth.”²⁵

“Thou hast endowed every hour of these days with a special virtue, inscrutable to all except Thee, Whose knowledge embraceth all created things. Thou hast, also, assigned unto every soul a portion of this virtue in accordance with the Tablet of Thy decree and the Scriptures of Thine irrevocable judgment.”²⁶

“Grant, O my Lord, that this fast may become a river of lifegiving waters and may yield the virtue wherewith Thou hast endowed it.”²⁷

“These are Thy servants, O my Lord, who have entered with Thee in this, the Most Great Prison, who have kept the fast within its walls according to what Thou hast commanded them in the Tablets of Thy decree and the Books of Thy behest. Send down, therefore, upon them what will thoroughly purge them of all that Thou abhorrest, that they may be wholly devoted to Thee, and may detach themselves entirely from all except Thyself.²⁸

“This is the hour, O my Lord, which Thou hast caused to excel every other hour, and hast related to the choicest among Thy creatures. I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy Self and by them to ordain in the course of this year what shall exalt Thy loved ones.”²⁹

“Grant, O my Lord, that the fire of Thy love and the heat produced by the fast enjoined by Thee may inflame them in Thy Cause, and make them to be occupied with Thy praise and with remembrance of Thee.”³⁰

NOTES

1. The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 22.
2. Kitáb-i-Aqdas, p.13.
3. Bahá’í Prayers (1982 edition), p. 247.
4. Kitáb-i-Aqdas, p. 11.
5. Bahá’í World Faith, p. 368.
6. Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 70.
7. Bahá’í News, March 1936, p. 1.
8. Quoted in The Bahá’í Life, p. 16.
9. Bahá’í Prayers (1982), p. 251.
10. Kitáb-i-Aqdas, p. 38.
11. Bahá’í News, March 1936, p. 1.
12. Kitáb-i-Aqdas, p. 39.
13. Bahá’í News, January 1944, p. 2.
14. Kitáb-i-Aqdas, p. 13.
15. Ibid., p. 59.
16. Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 299.
17. Bahá’í Prayers (1982), p. 247.
18. Bahá’í News, January 1944, p. 2.
19. Kitáb-i-Aqdas, p. 13.
20. Ibid., p. 59.
21. Bahá’í News, January 1944, p. 2.
22. Ibid.
23. Ibid.
24. Kitáb-i-Aqdas, p. 38.
25. Bahá’í Prayers (1982), p. 248.
26. Ibid., p. 247.
27. Ibid., p. 252.
28. Ibid., p. 249.
29. Ibid., p. 251.
30. Ibid., p. 262.

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Enterprise: second oldest in U.S.?

It is fairly common knowledge that Chicago is the first and oldest Bahá’í community in America. And many are aware of the uncertainty as to whether Kenosha, Wisconsin, or New York City has the honor of being next in line. But now there is a distinct possibility that a third city may have preceded them as the second oldest community in this country.

After Ibrahim Kheiralla had given his series of classes on the Faith in Chicago a number of times, he traveled to new cities, most notably Kenosha. But before that he made a side trip that is only now becoming more widely known. Where did he go and what were the results? Was this indeed the second Bahá’í community?

There is some evidence¹ that a student in one of Mr. Kheiralla’s Chicago classes was a Miss Josephine Hilty who was in that city to continue her musical training. Eventually, she would perform in Europe and teach at a Kansas college, but that would come later. Her family had connections in Chicago; her uncle had had an exhibit at the Columbian Exposition of 1893, among other things.

Miss Hilty’s hometown was Enterprise, Kansas. Her mother, Mrs. Jacob (Barbra) Ehrsam, was a Swiss emigrant who was searching for truth. Mrs. Ehrsam had helped found Enterprise; even before the streets were laid out,

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As for studying, there were only two booklets in all of America on the Faith ... There was no other source of information in 1897: no books, no magazines, no pamphlets, no cassettes, no movies, no radio stations, no scriptures.

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and the prairie settled by Europeans, she owned and operated with her brother the first store there. By the time her daughter went to Chicago, Mrs. Ehrsam was the wealthiest woman in Enterprise. But material goods and social status did not satisfy the yearning in her soul; she sought out one teacher after another, and when Josephine told her of the teachings of Mr. Kheiralla, she invited him to Enterprise to teach.

Mr. Kheiralla arrived in Enterprise in July 1897 as a guest of the Ehrsams and held classes in the parlor of their home which attracted considerable notice. An article in the weekly Enterprise paper was headlined: “The Bible Is Not the Truth.”² The day before, the weekly in ‎Abiline Abilene‎, just down the road, headlined its article “Teaches Strange Things.”³ Both articles appeared at the top of the front page; the Abilene article was reprinted in both major dailies in Topeka (the state capital, 80 miles away). One carried the same headline, while the other announced: “Hoffman’s New Religion: The People Found Out What Ails Agricultural College Regent.”⁴ This was a reference to one of Mrs. Ehrsam’s nephews who apparently attended a few of the first classes. His activities in Kansas politics guaranteed ample publicity for Mr. Kheiralla’s visit and classes.

Accounts of class size ranged from 22 to 27 students, most of whom were relatives of Mrs. Ehrsam’s or other members of “polite society” in the area. The evidence suggests that eight of them—including four family members—accepted the Faith at that time,⁵ with one more enrolled later in the year. So it appears that there were at least nine Bahá’ís in Enterprise, Kansas, in 1897.

Today a district, regional or national teaching committee would send someone to help them form an Assembly and begin community activities such as the Nineteen Day Feast. Each member would receive The American Bahá’í which not only has news of Bahá’í activities across the country but also carries catalogs and other information from the Bahá’í Publishing Trust. Bahá’ís from nearby communities, many also having Assemblies, would no doubt visit the friends in Enterprise whose members would be invited to district conventions, summer and winter schools, and other area-wide events.

This brief overview of the early history of the Bahá’í Faith in Enterprise, Kansas, was written by Duane L. Herrmann of Berryton, Kansas, a Bahá’í for 17 years who has served on Assemblies in Topeka and Hays, Kansas, and the Kansas District Teaching Committee, has degrees in education and history, and is presently helping the U.S. Bahá’í Publishing Trust in its efforts to produce a Bahá’í encyclopedia.

But that is today, not 1897, 1898 or 1899. Then, the closest Bahá’í community was in Chicago, some 600 miles away, and much more remote than it is via a two-hour plane flight. There were no other Bahá’í communities on the continent. In fact, there were only a handful of isolated Bahá’ís, one in Nebraska, another in South Dakota, with the nearest in Kansas City (where there were two, but one of them moved to Enterprise in 1903), and Josephine, who moved to St. Louis. These others were more alone and isolated than the Bahá’ís in Enterprise.

As for studying, there were only two booklets in all of America on the Faith, both written by Mr. Kheiralla and both containing his own personal ideas. There was no other source of information in 1897: no books, no magazines,

[Page 7] no pamphlets, no cassettes, no movies, no radio station, no scriptures. Only the two little booklets. How could these early Bahá’ís possibly have any idea of what a Bahá’í community should be?

The Bahá’ís in Enterprise did see one another; they were related by family ties or moved in the same social circle. But there was no Assembly, and there were no Feasts, deepenings, prayer meetings or any other gatherings of a Bahá’í nature. Excerpts from some of Mrs. Ehrsam’s letters to Mr. Kheiralla’s secretary give evidence of their situation (spelling is from the original): “This is the first time I atemted to write to you although I wished to have done so many times since I had the teachings wich makes a bond of unity between us.”⁶ This was written in May 1899. And in another letter she writes, “Its been such a long time since I heard of you.... We are a little band of believers here but have no one to instruct us.... What has become of Mr. Chase? He used to write to one of the believers here but no one has heard lately.”⁷ She asks if the Getsingers could stop on their way to California: “Lett me know how the believers are prospering and how they grow in grace and knowledge....”⁸

The only evidence she gives of further activities together are the lines: “We (Rose Hilty, her daughter-in-law) live close and see one another every day. We talk much abouth the blessed truth and long to hear and know more abouth (it?). ‘Oh God give me Knowledge faith and love’ is the desier of my hearth at all times.”⁹ She closes, “Hoping to hear from you soon I remain yours for the truth, Mrs. J B Ehrsam”¹⁰

Later, in 1912, one of the Bahá’ís in Enterprise, with her daughter who had accepted the Faith sometime after Mr. Kheiralla’s visit, met ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Chicago. Elizabeth Renwanz is listed in The Dawning Place as having attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the House of Worship in Wilmette, but no city is given for her.¹¹

Shortly after the turn of the century, Rose Hilty and her family moved to Topeka, becoming the first Bahá’ís in that city. The Bahá’í community of Topeka has been continuous since then. The family returned briefly to Enterprise in 1917-20, during which time a couple of contributions were received by Bahai Temple Unity from the Bahá’ís of Enterprise (some had been received up to 1912).¹²

But no record has been found to indicate that the Bahá’ís of Enterprise ever gathered together for any Bahá’í activities after Mr. Kheiralla left them. One long-time resident recalled the mother of Elizabeth Renwanz holding “religious meetings” in her home about 1912,¹³ but nothing further is known about them.

Owing to the lack of solid evidence we cannot claim that Enterprise was the second Bahá’í community in America. But of one thing there is no doubt: it was the second location of organized Bahá’í teaching on this continent. And that alone will assure a place in history for the Bahá’ís of Enterprise, Kansas, of 1897.

NOTES

1. Abilene Weekly Chronicle, Abilene, Kansas; July 16, 1897, p. 1. :
2. Enterprise Journal, Enterprise, Kansas; July 17, 1897, p. 1.
3. Abilene Weekly Chronicle, Abilene, Kansas; July 16, 1897, p. 1.
4. Topeka Daily Capital, Topeka, Kansas; July 14, 1897, p. 3.
5. “Supplication Book of Students in Miscellaneous Cities, from 1895 to (blank),” National Bahá’í Archives, Wilmette, Illinois.
6. Letter dated May 3, 1899, from Barbra Ehrsam to Maud Lampson, in “Maud Lampson papers,” National Bahá’í Archives, Wilmette, Illinois.
7. Ibid.
8. Letter dated from internal evidence to be late in 1899 from Barbra Ehrsam to Maud Lampson, in “Lampson papers,” National Bahá’í Archives.
9. Ibid.
10. Ibid.
11. Bruce W. Whitmore, The Dawning Place (Wilmette, IL: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1984), p. 246.
12. Contributions ledger, Bahai Temple Unity, National Bahá’í Archives.
13. Helen Erickson to Duane Herrmann, letter of October 23, 1980, in the author’s possession.

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Germany

Two bouquets of roses from Bahá’ís who are imprisoned in Iran’s three major prisons are displayed at the Bahá’í House of Worship in Frankfurt, West Germany, during a memorial service last May for the Bahá’í martyrs in Iran.

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‘Peace ribbon’ travels to Ube City

When the Bahá’ís of Ube City, Japan, agreed to make banners for last year’s Australian Peace Expo, they asked the friends in their sister city Bahá’í community of Newcastle, Australia, to do them the favor of reserving about 100 banners after the Expo for Ube so that a “piece of the peace ribbon” could be shown at a mini-Expo in Ube later in the year.

The friends in Newcastle did better than that: in addition to the banners from the Expo, they arranged for participants in Australia’s Peace Expo to send messages of peace on postcards (about 125 of them) for display, and persuaded the city council’s “sister cities” committee to sign a joint proclamation with the Bahá’ís of Newcastle, supporting the Ube City Peace Expo.

Also, a set of nine special banners was made by the residents of Newcastle using designs of school children as a gift to the people of Ube; 700 citizens in Newcastle signed petitions supporting the Ube City event; and once it was learned that Dr. Allan Waters (secretary of the Spiritual Assembly of Newcastle), his wife, Muna, and their two children would be in Ube for five days at the end of September, the Spiritual Assembly of Ube decided to plan the Expo to coincide with their visit.

While plans were being carried out in Ube over the summer, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Higgins, pioneers from the U.S. to Ube, visited Newcastle to pick up the banners and to observe firsthand the exciting work for peace going on in Australia. When interviewed on a television news program about the effect of the sister-city connection, Mrs. Higgins said she thought it was very important since in Japan so little had been done about the International Year of Peace due to the erroneous assumption by many that peace movements are necessarily political. Since the people of Ube trust Australia, she said, and particularly Newcastle, and since they also trust the Bahá’ís, the Peace Expo idea was being well-received.

A piece of Australia’s ‘peace ribbon’ which was displayed last September 28-29 at the Peace Expo in Ube City, Japan, thanks to cooperation between Bahá’ís in the ‘sister cities’ of Ube and Newcastle, Australia.

The Ube City Expo was held September 28-29 at a local community center. Activities included the displays of banners and postcards, discussion groups on overcoming barriers to peace, a public lecture by Counsellor Michitosi Zenimoto and Dr. Waters, and video tape and slide shows.

Bahá’í literature was on display and available; participants were invited to take part in the Million Minutes of Peace Movement; and 1,000 paper cranes representing as many prayers for peace were made to send to Newcastle as a gesture of thanks.

About 150 people attended the Expo, which was publicized in four newspapers and by 1,000 posters and flyers distributed by the Bahá’ís of Ube City. One newspaper article described the mood as one of “a big, happy family with a plea for one world.”

Many thoughtful expressions of appreciation were received. A local artist summed up her impressions with a haiku poem written above a drawing of a field of dandelions: “They really can fly, the seeds of peace, to wide-open sky!”

[Page 9] Pictured is the new antenna of Radio Bahá’í-Lake Titicaca in Puno, Perú. The antenna was erected in November 1986, the same month in which the station observed its fifth anniversary of operation. In the background is Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world and the cradle of the oldest civilization in America. (Photo by Antonio Cabezas)

[Page 10]

The world

‘Peace Child’ drama shown in Hawaii

“Peace Child,” an internationally acclaimed musical drama, was produced for the first time in Hawaii last November by the National Spiritual Assembly’s International Year of Peace Committee through an arrangement with the Peace Child Foundation.

The work is a professionally done musical comedy suitable for all ages, with a cast of scores of children and adults.

Former Lt. Gov. Jean King, a longtime friend of the Faith, helped promote the musical in the name of the University of Hawaii’s Peace Institute through correspondence with 185 school principals on Oahu, and by personal contact with major organizations in Honolulu.

A major television news network produced a prime-time feature on the peace drama that included footage of a production of “Peace Child” at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., an interview with the author, David Woollcombe, and shots of rehearsals at the Bahá’í National Center in Hawaii.

Following its premiere performances on November 14-15, the National Spiritual Assembly of Hawaii reported that “Peace Child” had received generally popular acclaim. Five hundred-thirty school children attended a standing-room-only special performance, and at the nightly performances, attendance averaged more than 800.

The National Assembly says it feels that the power of the spirit unleashed by the musical was “overwhelming.”

•

The Bahá’í community of Hawaii, which has been winning awards for floats in the annual Aloha Parade for 20 years, took home its 17th award last September, first place in the non-commercial division, for a “World Peace” float covered with 40,000 tropical flowers.

Nicaragua

The Bahá’ís of Nicaragua have erected the third in a series of billboards in the capital city, Managua, this one with a message for the International Year of Peace.

Beneath the word “peace,” which appears in 19 languages and various scripts including Miskito, a local indigenous language, is the message, “We are working for world peace. The Bahá’í Faith.”

Swaziland

The National Spiritual Assembly of Swaziland has reported a “spiritual revival in Swaziland.” Bahá’ís and non-Bahá’ís, it says, are learning about the Station of Bahá’u’lláh through a “new approach” to teaching.

The new technique arose from a concern on the part of long-deepened Swazi Bahá’ís about the failure to reach new people, unlike the days of the Ten Year Crusade when the Teachings were met with an enthusiastic response.

A new approach was developed which they call “an African approach.” It was noted that three recent funerals of Bahá’ís who had long been firm in the Faith and had served as delegates to National Conventions had included all-night vigils, as is the African custom. On these occasions, three Swazi members of the National Assembly began to teach the assembled friends about Bible prophecies and to relate them to the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh. “It was magic!” the National Assembly’s report says. “The people came alive. They began to understand!”

Recently, the report continues, a request was received from the Gege area, home of two Bahá’ís whose funerals were held last August 16 and 18, asking the friends to concentrate on more all-night vigils to proclaim the Faith and find waiting souls.

“Gege has long been a favorite spot for teaching the Faith ...,” the report says. “Chief Hlatshwayo has loved the Faith and encouraged his people to study it deeply. He has a large collection of Bahá’í books and wants one day to build a library where all the Bahá’í books will be kept. He is now 83 years old and quite ill. His son, Joseph, recently returned from the Republic of South Africa, has been studying the books and is on fire with the Teachings.”

It was Joseph who asked for an all-night vigil which was held last September 27. Despite cold and rain, four loaded cars traveled almost 100 kilometers to attend.

The National Assembly’s report continues, “The next morning, the Bahá’ís called on Chief Hlatshwayo, who was too frail to attend the meeting, and he was so thrilled to receive the delegation of over 30 people to pay respects to him. He strongly emphasized that we should return and deepen his people in the knowledge of this beautiful Faith.”

Paraguay

The “Mona” music video was shown last October 25 on a popular television show that originates in Asuncion, Paraguay, and is seen all over the country.

Bahá’ís placed an ad in an Asuncion newspaper inviting the public to watch the program.

[Page 11]

Germany

Johannes Rau (left), the prime minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, receives a delegation of Bahá’ís including famed jazz trumpeter John Birks (Dizzy) Gillespie (second from right) who was in Germany last November for a benefit performance sponsored by the Bahá’í community of Germany on behalf of the Willy Brandt Foundation. Also pictured at the meeting, during which Mr. Rau was given a copy of ‘The Promise of World Peace,’ are (left to right) Kurt Henseler, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Germany; Christopher Sprung, secretary of the National Assembly; and Judy Rafat.

United Kingdom

The National Spiritual Assembly of the United Kingdom has approved the creation of a British Association of Bahá’í Esperantists (Brita Asocio de Bahaaj-Esperantistoj) to bring together all those in the Bahá’í community who are interested in that international language. The Association aims to organize the work and spread information about the language among the Bahá’ís, and about the Faith among Esperantists.

•

For the third time in less than a year, “Peace by Peace,” the monthly journal of the Peace People movement in Northern Ireland, has carried a substantial article about the Faith.

In its October 1986 issue, there is an article by Dr. Keith Munro, an Auxiliary Board member, about “The Promise of World Peace.” The Peace People, who celebrate their 10th anniversary this year, have friends and supporters in many countries, and their publication is circulated worldwide.

Spain

For the first time in Spain, Bahá’ís have held institutes on the topic of the equality of the sexes.

In Terrassa last September 27-28, the event drew 18 participants of both sexes, while in Cartagena, on October 11-12, 50 adults took part. Counsellor Agnes Ghaznavi was present to observe the discussions.

Thailand

The national Summer School that was held last August in Phattalung Province of South Thailand proved to be a great stimulus to the Bahá’ís in the town of Phattalung.

They are now looking into the acquisition of a local Bahá’í Center, and have recently brought new and active members into the Faith.

One youth who accepted the Faith at the Summer School returned to his home village in Tale Meang and enlisted 16 other youth in the Faith. He has since volunteered to start a second Santitham Children’s Library in his village, and his local Assembly is considering acquiring a Bahá’í Center for that purpose.

[Page 12]

Panama

A World Peace Day television program was presented last September 20 by the local Spiritual Assembly of Panama City, Panama.

The program, entitled “Religion, Source of Peace,” included participation by a respected rabbi, the spiritual leader of the oldest Jewish congregation in Panama; a Sikh leader; a Muslim spokesman; an Episcopal priest; and Oscar Torres, representing the Bahá’í community of Panama. Each of the panel members drew upon extracts from the sacred writings of his religion.

The moderator was Mrs. Damaris Perez de Gonzalez, who explained the basic teachings of the Bahá’í Faith on the oneness of God, the Prophets, and humankind. She also spoke about progressive revelation, showing that all religions proceed from a divine Source.

An extensive newspaper report of the program, headlined “The Bahá’ís and the World Day of Peace,” which appeared September 21 in La Estrella de Panama, ended by saying, “We feel that this program was truly a model of dignity, of working together for peace and love of humanity. We congratulate all the participants, especially the Bahá’í community of Panama.”

The Muslim participant on the panel sent a letter to the Bahá’ís after the program in which he said, “It was my pleasure to be with you and the Bahá’ís of Panama....If our intentions were pure, it will have a force for the coming years....I am grateful to you and the rest of your co-workers for your project to gain peace. Please say ‘thank-you’ to them. Let us pray that peace may be coming in our life—soon.”

Ivory Coast/Guinea

Two Bahá’í representatives attended a government-sponsored seminar last October 15-18 in Conakry, Guinea.

Participants included members of all ministries of government and representatives of public associations and organizations concerned with helping handicapped persons.

The Bahá’ís participated as members of an international non-governmental organization. Their role in the seminar was appreciated by the other participants and reflected favorably on the Faith.

Bahá’í International Community

Senior staff from overseas offices of the Bahá’í International Community convened last October 31 in New York City for eight days of planning what the Universal House of Justice termed “a new, potent stage in the development of the external affairs of the worldwide Bahá’í community.”

Taking part in the consultation were the Bahá’í International Community’s United Nations representatives in New York and Geneva and members of the Offices of Public Information in New York and Haifa.

Participants in the meetings, which were chaired by Counsellor Wilma Brady, included Dr. Victor de Araujo, Giovanni Ballerio, Gerald Knight, Paul Öjermark and Mary Sawicki of the UN offices; Douglas Martin, Mary Hardy and Hugh Locke of the Offices of Public Information; and representatives of the National Spiritual Assemblies of Canada and the U.S. and their Public Information Offices.

In a message to the gathering, the Universal House of Justice noted that the past three years have seen the establishment of the Office of Public Information, the consolidation of the Executive Committee, the creation of the Social and Economic Development unit, and the enlargement of the Geneva branch of the BIC by the transfer from New York of the Human Rights unit. These moves, it said, forecast “far-reaching diplomatic and public-relations prospects opening before the Bahá’í world community.”

Republic of Ireland

The “Mona” music video was shown on national television in Ireland last November 10, in a prime time program with a magazine format.

The video was preceded by a brief interview with Patrick Dawson, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly, who spoke about the Bahá’í community in Ireland.

Following the video, a summary of the principles of the Faith was presented.

Philippines

Laotian and Vietnamese Bahá’ís are pictured at the Philippine Refugee Processing Center in Morong, Bataan. With them are pioneer John Soderlund (back row, left) and two members of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Philippines. More than 200 Indo-Chinese refugees at the Center have become Bahá’ís, and the newly formed community, composed of Laotian, Vietnamese and Cambodian refugees, is translating Bahá’í literature into the Laotian language.

[Page 13]

Alaska

Kotzebue, a city of a few thousand on Kotzebue Sound in northwestern Alaska, was host last July 28-August 3 to the Inuit Circumpolar Conference.

The Inuit are Eskimo people, united by language and culture yet separated geographically. The conference brought together Inuit from Canada, Greenland, Alaska and the Soviet Union. The ICC is presently the only international forum for an exchange of information, ideas and problem-solving among the Inuit in these circumpolar countries, and its deliberations include ecological, social, cultural, economic and educational issues.

A feature of last year’s gathering was a Native Trade Fair for sharing arts, cultural events, food and entertainment.

The Bahá’ís of Kotzebue, eager to be of help to the international Inuit community and to present the Faith at this important forum, hosted visitors in their homes and organized their own significant participation.

The local Spiritual Assembly offered an evening program with a speaker on native prophecy and another to introduce the peace statement to the Inuit.

A gift of 800 pens bearing Bahá’í slogans was made to the Inuit delegates. A showing of a Bahá’í video tape proved to be quite popular; a high school principal asked if he might review it for possible use in his school.

The map illustrates the geographical relationship of Canada, Greenland, Alaska and the Soviet Union, the circumpolar nations in which the Inuit Eskimos live.

Bahá’í involvement in the conference was effective, and much individual teaching took place. It was learned that several delegates from other cities and countries had Bahá’í family members. Exposure to the Faith in the context of the Kotzebue conference was a positive experience for these guests.

India

The Bahá’í State Council of Bihar approached All India Radio of Patna and obtained the station’s agreement to broadcast the Universal House of Justice’s peace statement in daily installments last October 6-24.

•

Acting on its own initiative, the Forests Department of the government of Madhya Pradesh, India, recommended the Rabbani Bahá’í School in Gwalior as that state’s entry for best tree-planting project and candidate for a national award from the central government of India.

Last November 10, the National Spiritual Assembly of India was informed that the Rabbani School had won the “Indira Gandhi Friends of Trees Award—1986” which was presented on November 19.

Malaysia

An interview with Fariburz Sahba, architect of the Bahá’í House of Worship in India, appeared in the October 1986 issue of Her World, an English-language women’s magazine in Malaysia.

Under the heading “Creating a Dream,” the Temple is described and the architect’s philosophy revealed.

Mr. Sahba points out the significance of the lotus symbol in the religions of Buddhism and Hinduism, and as a feature of Muslim architecture of the Mogul period in India, and concludes that the lotus form of the Bahá’í House of Worship “has something to say to everyone.”

•

In Kanowit, East Malaysia, 10 copies of “The Promise of World Peace” were recently presented to local Chinese leaders and Kanowit officials by Auxiliary Board members Tan Hock Siew and Clarence Suai with a Bahá’í delegation from Sibu.

The secretary of the District Council asked for copies of the statement in the Iban language to be given to the people in the Kanowit District.

•

A youth conference, organized by the youth group of Balai Ringin in Serian, Malaysia, and held last September 27, was attended by 52 students and several friends from surrounding areas.

Topics studied included “After Becoming a Bahá’í,” “Bahá’í Marriage,” “The Purpose of Our Lives,” “Bahá’í History,” and “Unity and Harmony.”

[Page 14]

New Zealand

The local council in Cambridge, New Zealand, asked the city’s Bahá’ís to organize a multicultural evening to help celebrate its recent centennial. The small Bahá’í community coordinated a number of cultural groups to present an evening of “richness, diversity and unity,” according to a front-page article in a local newspaper.

The event, held at a primary school, drew an outstanding attendance and was met with requests for more such evenings.

The Bahá’í community of Cambridge is excited about the growing opportunities to present Bahá’í views to the community: “While most communities have been presenting their mayors and council members with the peace message, ours have been asking us for copies!

“Our mayor ... convened a meeting recently to establish a peace group. At the meeting, the mayor requested that someone volunteer to be chairman of the resulting peace group, and when no one stepped forward, one of the Bahá’ís was chosen ...

“It is anticipated that a lot of people apart from peace group members are intending to be at the next forum. As you may have guessed, the Bahá’í principles are getting a major airing at these meetings and are receiving an enthusiastic response.”

Cuba

Bahá’ís in Havana, Cuba, are shown with Sohrab Yazdani (seated in center), an Iranian Bahá’í who is pioneering in Argentina, during Mr. Yazdani’s recent visit to Cuba.

Switzerland

As Romansch is the fourth language of Switzerland, spoken by some 40,000 people, the National Spiritual Assembly of that country recently published a booklet in Ladin, one of its main dialects, and distributed it to the Romansch media and others, especially those who are engaged in saving and preserving this minority language.

The distribution led to a seven-minute radio program about the history, principles and statistics of the Faith, during which a Bahá’í prayer was read.

The program was broadcast on both local and national radio, the first time for a Bahá’í program in Romansch.

The announcer later expressed the hope that he had correctly pronounced the names of the Báb, Bahá’u’lláh, and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

Production of literature in Romansch was a Seven Year Plan goal of the Swiss Bahá’í community, three of whose members speak Romansch.

Representatives of 10 prominent Swiss peace organizations gathered last November 1-2 at the Landegg Centre to consult on peace.

Two hundred persons, half of whom were not Bahá’ís, attended the historic event, and all of the organizations expressed pleasure at the spirit of unity they experienced.

Sri Lanka

The board of governors of a leading international school in Colombo, Sri Lanka, recently adopted the Bahá’í principle of “unity in diversity” as its new school motto.

After canvassing the students, staff and parents for suggestions, the board finally accepted the suggestion of a Bahá’í pioneer on the staff that this principle was most appropriate for the school, whose students represent more than 30 nationalities.

•

An upsurge in teaching has taken place in Sri Lanka since last June when the National Spiritual Assembly embarked on a new teaching plan.

In the first three months, 386 people were enrolled, which was twice the number enrolled in the previous three-month period. Seven new local Assemblies were formed and 91 localities opened to the Faith.

The new plan calls for a permanent office for the National Teaching Committee, which is coordinating the work of traveling teachers and dispatching more than 600 letters per month.

Norway

The National Spiritual Assembly of Norway sponsored an “overwhelmingly successful” event last October 23 at the University Hall, Oslo, to celebrate the International Year of Peace.

A full house of more than 500 heard the keynote address, written by Mrs. Coretta Scott King, widow of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and delivered by their son, Dexter King.

The event was held in the same room in which Dr. King received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.

[Page 15]

Zaire

The Bahá’ís of the South Central region of Zaire, in cooperation with the University of Lubumbashi, sponsored a public lecture on the peace statement last September 20 which drew a standing-room-only audience in the 500-seat Assembly Hall of the Regional Government of Shaba.

Among those present were the governor’s representative; the president of the Regional Assembly; municipal authorities; professors from the university; religious leaders; public administrators; and members of the judiciary, the military, the consular corps, international organizations, and local businesses.

Speakers included the head of the Department of International Relations at Lubumbashi University; Counsellor Wingi Mabuku, representing the Bahá’ís; and Professor Yezi, a prominent expert in international relations who is well-known in city and university circles as a former Catholic priest.

After a masterly speech, which he opened by quoting from the Universal House of Justice’s peace statement, Prof. Yezi invited questions.

One inquirer asked whether, as a doctor of canonical law, and an eminent internationalist, the professor could truly conclude that all present systems are powerless to establish peace, and that only the Bahá’í Faith has means adequate to the task. The questioner concluded, “Can we consider your talk as propagandistic?”

Prof. Yezi replied that he had researched many avenues to the establishment of peace and had never been satisfied; but on reading the peace statement, he felt he had found an element that was missing. That was the reason, he said, that he had not hesitated when asked by the Bahá’ís to participate in the lecture but had seized the opportunity to speak.

Canary Islands

The Canary Islands held a National Bahá’í Youth Conference for three days last November. Thirty-five youth and 30 adults participated and were encouraged by the presence of Counsellor Sohrab Youssefian and Auxiliary Board member Taheri.

Trinidad/Tobago

Pictured are many of those who attended a Bahá’í school last July 5-August 31 at the Persto Praesto Youth Camp in central Trinidad. Not in the photo are several of the Bahá’í youth and most of the Bahá’í children who attended the school.

A Bahai booth displaying books, pamphlets and posters about the Faith and world peace was part of a ‘Family Fair’ last May 15-21 in San Fernando, Trinidad, West Indies. The fair, organized by the Ministry of Community Development and Local Government, had as its theme ‘Love Peace, Enlightenment,’ which gave the Bahá’ís a wonderful opportunity to proclaim the Faith and distribute copies of ‘The Promise of World Peace.’

Haiti

The National Spiritual Assembly of Haiti announced last October that the president of the National Council of Government of the Republic of Haiti, Lt. Gen. Henry Namphy, had received the peace statement on September 30.

[Page 16]

Peru

A new Bahá’í tutorial school was opened May 24 in Puno, Peru. The opening ceremony included an address by Prof. Gilberto Sanchez, director of the “Instituto Superior Pedagogico de Puno,” a type of teachers’ college.

During his talk Prof. Sanchez offered the support of the Institute for the Bahá’í school.

The tutorial school will be held in two rooms donated by an indigenous Bahá’í in Puno, Ricardo Choque. The rooms will seat up to 30 students.

Desks and chairs were donated by the National Spiritual Assembly of Peru and the local Assembly in Puno in a joint effort.

Programs to be offered include classes in family health, handicrafts, cooking, electricity and math. For the time being, teachers are Bahá’í volunteers, but help has been offered also from non-Bahá’í institutions in Puno.

Pictured is the new Bahá’í tutorial school in Puno, Peru. The two rooms were donated by Ricardo Choque, a Bahá’í from Puno.

Central African Republic

Bahá’ís representing the National Spiritual Assembly of the Central African Republic present the peace statement to the country’s Minister of Public Works and Urban Planning (center). The country’s head of state received a copy of the statement last March.

Ecuador

Last September 24, a delegation of three Bahá’ís from Quito presented a copy of the peace statement to Dr. Blasco Penaherrera Padilla, vice-president of the Republic of Ecuador.

After reading the cover letter from the National Spiritual Assembly, Dr. Padilla spoke of his personal support for the work of the Bahá’í community, especially that of Quito, and thanked the delegation for the statement.

Uganda

As members of a Religious Task Force on Immunization, the Bahá’í community of Uganda helped develop two booklets, under the auspices of UNICEF, called “Immunize and Protect Your Child” and “Immunization for Religious Leaders in Uganda.”

The National Spiritual Assembly of Uganda reports that the government is quite pleased with the involvement of religious groups in promoting the immunization of children.

An immunization center has been set up at the Bahá’í Teaching Institute on the House of Worship grounds on Kikaaya Hill in Kampala at which an average of 75 children are immunized every Thursday morning.

Three groups of workers from the Uganda National Expanded Program for Immunization (UNEPI) came from the U.S. and Canada to help administer the program. After visiting the Temple, they expressed appreciation for its lovely atmosphere and promised to convey loving greetings from the Ugandan Bahá’ís to the Bahá’ís of Canada and the U.S.

[Page 17]

Honduras

More than 1,000 Hondurans attended a cultural program last August 26-28 sponsored by the local Spiritual Assembly of Tegucigalpa.

During the program, the peace statement was introduced to some 2,000 public figures.

The program included performances by the University Choir, the Garifuna dance group, the Honduran Folklore dance group and the Tegucigalpa ballet company, original guitar compositions, poetry reading, and a piano recital, followed by the singing of a “hymn of joy.” Quotations from the peace statement were read between acts.

A banner was hung over the entrance to the theatre in which the program was held, proclaiming, “Peace is not only possible, but inevitable.”

•

Counsellor Farzam Arbáb visited the Bahá’ís of Honduras last October after taking part in the National University of Honduras’ annual “Scientific Week,” an event that is considered to be the premier gathering of intellectuals in that country.

From October 8-11, Dr. Arbáb participated in a series of activities planned by the National Spiritual Assembly and the local Assembly of Tegucigalpa.

In a presentation on “Development and Peace,” Dr. Arbáb spoke to about 100 academic leaders, referring frequently to the peace statement.

Eighty students preparing for higher academic training in the U.S. were addressed by Dr. Arbáb who challenged their concepts of life-goals and stressed the importance of spiritual values. According to one report of the event, “The atmosphere was electric, and the students crowded around Dr. Arbáb after the discussion, not wanting to let him go.”

Burkina

Following the distribution of copies of the peace statement to 500 officials in Burkina including the head of state and 14 of 22 government ministers, the Bahá’í community in that country was invited to help organize activities for the International Year of Peace.

Last August 23, 15 Bahá’ís joined 15 other groups in planting a “peace grove” of 300 trees on a plot about 10 kilometers from the capital. The event was described during evening radio and television broadcasts about activities related to the Year of Peace, and the Faith was mentioned several times.

Brazil

In the town of Foz do Iguaco, Brazil, near the place where the borders of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay meet, a bronze and granite monument was erected by the Bahá’ís of the area and unveiled last September 14 on a lovely plot of land overlooking the common frontier of the three countries.

In the presence of 200 Bahá’ís from eight countries, representatives of local government and other distinguished guests, the monument was uncovered by Hushmand Fatheazam, a member of the Universal House of Justice.

The bronze plate is inscribed with the symbol of the Greatest Name, the symbol of the United Nations International Year of Peace, and contains the words, “The earth is but one country and mankind its citizens.—Bahá’u’lláh (1817-1892).”

•

Brazil’s ongoing Amazon Project, ADCAM (Association for Cohesive Development of the Amazon), scored major successes last September.

As a result of two years of hard work and planning, land has been obtained from the government for an agricultural school in the northwestern State of Amazonas, and the deed transferring ownership has been signed. Two Bahá’í pioneer families have settled in the area, one in Iranduba and the other in Manacupuru.

Success is also reported in the operation of the Linda Tanure Orphanage, serving more than 20 children, which has twice been visited by the governor of the State.

•

The first “National Peace Symposium in the Nuclear Era” was held last September 19 in Goiana, State of Goias, in the heart of Brazil. It was sponsored by the Bahá’í community of Goiana and the Brazilian Association for Bahá’í Studies.

The opening address was given by the wife of the State’s governor to an audience of more than 500, 80 per cent of whom were not Bahá’ís. Among those present were representatives of the Ministries of Culture and Education, municipal authorities, and one member of the Universal House of Justice, Hushmand Fatheazam.

Messages were read from President Sarney of Brazil, the UN Secretary-General, and various ministries of government.

Due to widespread support from the non-Bahá’í public for peace-related programs, most of the costs were met by non-Bahá’í organizations. Television stations advertised the event, in some cases at no cost.

Bangladesh

The first Bahá’í press conference in the history of Bangladesh was held last August 29 by the local Spiritual Assembly of Mymensingh.

Twenty-four representatives of national and local newspapers attended the conference, whose topic was the International Year of Peace.

Besides the members of the local Assembly, three Auxiliary Board members took part in the conference. The master of ceremonies began by reading a part of the Tablet of Tarazat having to do with the importance of the press.

When questions were invited, one of the editors, speaking on behalf of the others, said, “We have nothing to say except to appreciate the Bahá’í Faith, and these goals are our hearts’ wishes ... please say what kind of help we can offer.”

By September 3, news of the conference, based on summaries of the speeches given and copies of the peace statement that were handed out, had appeared in three local newspapers with a photograph of the meeting.

Madagascar

The peace statement has been translated into the Malgache language of Madagascar. Some 10,000 copies will soon be printed and a distribution campaign begun in all areas of the country.

[Page 18]

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