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| Bahá’í News | February 1989 | Bahá’í Year 145 |
The Bahá’í Home at 30
Bahá’í News[edit]
The Bahá’í Home in Wilmette, Illinois, observes its 30th anniversary | 1 |
India’s House of Worship welcomes more than 200,000 in November | 4 |
Two perspectives on the Feast: one personal, the other descriptive | 6 |
How the United Nations works to combat drug use and illicit traffic | 9 |
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 Management Information Systems, 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 in U.S. dollars must accompany the order. Second class postage paid at Wilmette, IL 60091. Copyright © 1989, National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. World rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.
United States[edit]
Bahá’í Home marks 30th year[edit]
In this photo taken several years ago, a resident of the Bahá’í Home in Wilmette, Illinois, relaxes in the Home’s spacious lounge area.
Thirty years ago this month, on February 1, 1959, the Bahá’í Home for the Aged, “the first Dependency of the Mother Temple of the West in Wilmette, Illinois,” opened its doors to the public.
The building of the Home was designated a goal of the Ten Year Crusade by the beloved Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, who died in November 1957, one month before construction was actually begun.
The cornerstone was laid in a formal ceremony on April 5, 1958, with more than 60 people present including the president of the Wilmette Village Board and William Campbell Wright, the architect of the Bahá’í Home.
On that occasion, the Hand of the Cause of God Horace Holley, who was at that time secretary of the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly, said:
“The Bahá’í Home fulfills the meaning and power of divine worship in service to our fellow-men. For this institution is not restricted to members of the Bahá’í Faith but opens its doors to all persons, without any religious discrimination.”
The Bahá’í Home, contemporary in design and primarily of brick with stone and wood trim, is situated on 3/4-acre of land about three blocks west of the House of Worship.
It is designed to provide living quarters for 18 residents and an administrative staff of three.
The building is essentially U-shaped, surrounding a private garden area open to the south which contains a number of oak trees in addition to space for formal landscaping and flower or vegetable gardening.
Landscaping was planned and overseen by Hilbert Dahl and L. Wyatt Cooper, who already had received praise for their design of the gardens surrounding the House of Worship.
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Above: The Hand of the Cause of God Horace Holley (far right) presides at the cornerstone ceremony for the Bahá’í Home in April 1958. Below: Sophie Loeding, the Home’s only Bahá’í resident, in her comfortable room.
Entrance to and exit from the building is made simple by numerous widely separated doorways at grade level. Off-street parking is provided for visitors, with direct entrance into the building.
All rooms are on one floor, slightly above sidewalk level. There are no stairs for residents to climb.
Sleeping rooms are arranged to accommodate 20 individuals. Each pair of rooms shares a connecting toilet room, and there is a lavatory in each room.
Two of the rooms have a private half-bath, with toilet and lavatory. Shower and tub facilities for men and women are provided in bathrooms off the main corridor.
Each of the living rooms reflects, through photographs, nicknacks and books, the life and tastes of its occupant.
A spacious lounge, or living-dining room, has windows facing south on the garden side. This room has a high-beamed ceiling and large fireplace, and is attractively and cheerfully furnished. A large-screen television is there for the enjoyment of residents.
Off the common room is a smaller lounge area that serves as both a library and a room for private meetings of residents and their guests.
A well-equipped kitchen adjoins the administrative offices which also face the entrance foyer.
Other features of the Bahá’í Home include a large hobby room and an open porch off the residents’ private corridor.
To acquaint the residents of Wilmette and nearby communities with the purposes and services of the Home, an
[Page 3]
Residents of the Bahá’í Home in Wilmette gather for dinner in the Home’s comfortable dining room.
“Open House” was held January 25, 1959, one week before it began operations.
Despite a heavy snowstorm that made travel hazardous, nearly 200 people came that day to see and appreciate the Bahá’í Home.
At the ceremony the previous April, a copper box was placed within the concrete cornerstone. The box contains a number of documents and photographs relating to the Faith as well as sand from the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh, quartz used in building the House of Worship in Wilmette, and an orange from a tree in the courtyard of the House of the Báb in Shíráz, Iran.
The land for the Bahá’í Home was purchased, and construction was carried out, by the Temple Trustees.
Since a home for the aged operates under special regulations, the Bahá’í Home is incorporated with a Board of Directors consisting of the nine members of the National Spiritual Assembly. This corporate body holds title to the land and building, operates the Home, and maintains its own records including a bank account in the name of the Bahá’í Home.
The general requirements for admission to the Home are that the applicant be older than 65 years, in reasonably good health and able to attend to his or her own personal needs.
Applicants must be of good character and able to integrate happily into the group that is living at the Home.
Residents are able to take part if they wish in a wide range of activities including exercise sessions, films, lectures, special classes, games, and field trips.
Residents are also encouraged to continue their social life with friends and family outside the Home.
As of December, two Bahá’ís—Sophie Loeding and Kay Walker—were living at the Bahá’í Home.
Miss Loeding, who will celebrate her 100th birthday in 1990 and has been at the Home for 24 years, became the first full-time employee at the Bahá’í National Center when she went to work as Mr. Holley’s secretary in 1941.
Over the years the Bahá’í Home has given hundreds of elderly persons from Wilmette and the surrounding area, most of whom were not Bahá’ís, a loving, caring and comfortable place in which to live.
As the National Spiritual Assembly said of the home in an article in Bahá’í News (October 1958):
“What the American believers are accomplishing in this unique project is to demonstrate to the public the Bahá’í principles of the oneness of mankind and humanitarian service.
“The Bahá’í Home makes no discrimination of race, religion or nationality. It is humanitarian in a profound meaning of that word, because it enables its guests to overcome the sense of loneliness and uselessness in this ruthless, materialistic age—forms of spiritual poverty no less grievous than lack of material wealth.
“... the Bahá’í Home, in essence, is a far-reaching humanitarian experiment. It is in no way to be compared with those institutions which give medical and other care including burial to inmates who have turned over their entire fortune.”
Concentration is the name of the game as residents of the Bahá’í Home enjoy Bingo, one of the many activities available to them on a regular basis.
India[edit]
Temple has a busy November[edit]
November 1988
Every day at the House of Worship was a busy day. As the gates opened at 9:30 a.m. a ceaseless flow of students, Indian and foreign tourists, and local visitors continued coming throughout the day to see the marvelous piece of architecture, and to learn of the purpose behind such a magnificent construction.
A significant development is that the number of youngsters and seekers is growing. This month we had more than 200,000 visitors, of which about 25,000 were students from 250 schools and nine colleges. More than 50,000 information pamphlets in Hindi, English, 10 regional languages of India and nine foreign languages were distributed and 25,000 students carried the prayer cards. Teachers and interested persons were given an additional pamphlet carrying the Bahá’í message.
A total of 236 seekers registered their names and addresses for further information. In fact, people in the hundreds have not only admired the beauty and cleanliness of the vast surroundings but have understood the purpose for which the House of Worship was built. Some of these visitors are repeating their visits with family members, and in a way they are themselves guiding members of their families, giving basic information which they received on their earlier visits. They now express their desire to hear about Bahá’u’lláh and His Teachings. To give one such example: An Indian reader in the Russian language at Varanasi University said that he had at last found the Faith which he had longed for since his younger days. He offered to reserve a room in his house at Varanasi for Bahá’í books including The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh for his daily reading.
The 171st anniversary of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh was observed in a quiet but joyous atmosphere. The Muhájir Gate and the House of Worship itself were tastefully decorated with flowers of one color, which kept the happy spirit alive for several days. The enchanting rendering of prayers by the House of Worship choir touched the hearts of more than a thousand visitors who sat through the special 35-minute prayer service.
The choir also took part in an all-religion prayer meeting at Rajghat (Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial), where a volunteer organization had arranged a program dedicated to human unity and peace. More than 400 delegates including the Bahá’í delegates to the 15th International Human Unity Conference, which was held November 11-15 in New Delhi, visited the House of Worship on November 14. This was important because they represented various religions and demonstrated the unity of religions, the oneness of humanity, and the unity of God. On this occasion the Tibetan spiritual head, the Dalai Lama, was present. He sat meditating in the prayer hall for more than half an hour. Immediately afterward, the House of Worship choir chanted prayers in praise of the Almighty and for the unity of mankind.
A 27-member delegation of European Parliamentarians was accorded a warm welcome as they came to the House of Worship on a tour conducted by the government of India. They were received by all of the four Counsellors residing in India and by members of the National Spiritual Assembly of India who were meeting in New Delhi. A special prayer program and reception were arranged to mark the occasion.
The head of the European delegation, Mr. Giumarra of Italy, was moved by the warm reception given to its members, and remarked, “On behalf of the Parliamentary Delegation for Relations with South Asia, I would like to thank the director and administrators for the warm welcome to the Bahá’í Temple. As you know, the European Parliament is quite interested in the Bahá’í Faith. This movement of intense spirituality which we saw this morning and its preaching of universal brotherhood come from the deepest springs of human nature, and the ideas of brotherhood and solidarity are in our hearts and souls. The European Parliament itself is inspired by the same values. I would like to thank you once again, and I hope that your religion and Faith grows and spreads because of the harmony which you preach. And finally, I would like to give you a small token, a medal, a copy of the ancient Greek coin where the word ‘Europe’ appears for the first time.”
The delegates were then given copies of the peace message, an information kit, and a Temple souvenir of marble with bouquets of red roses as a token of love from the worldwide Bahá’í community.
The deputy foreign minister of the USSR, Mr. Petrovsky, accompanied by Madame Petrovskaya, arrived at the House of Worship at 6:30 p.m. on November 15 and were received by Sheriar Nooreyezdan, who took them around the building, explained the significance of the lotus concept, and provided them with data on the Faith.
Among other dignitaries visiting the House of Worship in November were Mah Bow Tan, minister of trade and commerce from Singapore; Kari Daehlen, the ambassador to India from Norway; Dr. Cynthia Shephard Perry, U.S. ambassador to Sierra Leone; A.S. Albertenis Senez from the Embassy of Cuba; Orlando Fundera, president of the World Peace Council; Kurt Seibt,
[Page 5]
president of the Solidarity Committee
of the German Democratic Republic;
Miroslav Niki, deputy chairman of the
Czechoslovak Committee for Solidarity with the Peoples of Asia, Africa
and Latin America; Jindrich Novak,
counselor at the Embassy of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic; S. Odon,
second secretary of the Hungarian Embassy; Masaaki Sato, leader of the Japanese delegation to the International Fisheries Conference in India; Sheila
Bawji Hodoui, wife of the chief of
Naval staff of the Seychelles; Lady
Goodall, wife of the British High Commissioner in New Delhi (accompanied
by five British women who are wives of
high officials from the British High
Commission offices in Delhi, Bombay
and Calcutta); the wife of the Turkish
ambassador to India; and C.A. Chipwaila, a high police official from Malawi. Also, the speaker of the Andhra
Pradesh Assembly, Mr. G. Narayana,
stayed at the House of Worship for
quite some time and appreciated the
principles of the Faith.
Russian diplomats, officials and tourists in large numbers visited the House of Worship. Three groups of Russian tourists were briefed through their interpreters and taken on guided tours. Another group of Russians, this one composed of ballet artists, came to visit, and the leader of the group was visibly moved by the peace and serenity inside the Temple. Also, a five-member Russian television crew came and stayed in the library for quite some time. One of them wrote in the visitors’ book, “The temple is a symbol of a new era of our planet.” Three of them bought copies of Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era in Russian. One member of the Russian ballet group from Leningrad, having bought all the titles in Russian that were available for sale, wished to have “at any cost” a copy of Nabil’s Narrative in Russian, which was later given to him.
Along with the Russians, visitors from China have shown an interest in the Faith. Small family groups of Chinese visitors including some dignitaries keep coming to see the House of Worship. A camera crew from China Central Television in Beijing came twice in one day to shoot a documentary on India to be shown to the Chinese people during the forthcoming visit to China by India’s Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi. Members of the TV crew were offered brochures in Chinese and taken around the Temple for their filming. One crew member was so attracted that he said he wished to have the Bahá’í Faith in China. He wrote in the visitors’ book: “Hope, in China, we see the same Bahá’í (Faith).” Another Chinese delegation, led by Sun Baogang, senior correspondent of Radio Beijing, visited the House of Worship and was given the Temple pamphlet in Chinese.
On November 26, a Maori gift-giving ceremony was held in the House of Worship’s library. Wallace Hetaraka, a Bahá’í from New Zealand who is a renowned Maori carver, formally presented the Maori gift, which he termed a “Maori treasure,” to the House of Worship. This gift from the Bahá’ís of New Zealand is a lovely example of the tribal art of wood carving. Symbolically, it is significant because Mr. Hetaraka has converted a weapon (a taiaha) into an instrument for farming (a ko), an occupation through which peace and prosperity could be established. This symbolic conversion is in accordance with the well-known biblical prophecy that “swords shall be turned into ploughshares.”
The ceremony turned out to be a cultural feast as Mr. and Mrs. Hetaraka, dressed in traditional Maori style and following the “elder,” Mrs. Wainu George, entered the library, responding in the traditional way to a call given by the hosts. The function was attended and addressed by the acting High Commissioner of New Zealand, Graeme Waters, who was also Chief Guest. Also present were the High Commissioner of Singapore, members of the National and local Spiritual Assemblies, invited dignitaries, and members of the local Bahá’í community.
Essay[edit]
Some personal thoughts on Feast[edit]
Often I am overwhelmed by the realization of the privilege of being a Bahá’í. A wonderful feeling of inner happiness, calm and peace overcomes my being. There are so many days during which I feel the joy of life, and am thankful to be alive. One such day is the day of the Feast.
The thought of meeting the friends in the loving atmosphere of the Feast carries me through the day, as if on the crest of a spiritual wave. I cannot hold my inner excitement; like a child preparing for his birthday party, I look forward to the evening.
Words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá come to my mind throughout the day:
“As to the Nineteen Day Feast, it rejoiceth mind and heart. If this Feast be held in the proper fashion, the friends will, once in nineteen days, find themselves spiritually restored, and endued with a power that is not of this world.”
From the moment I finish work I cannot think of anything else but the Feast. I rush home, eat, and prepare myself to attend the Feast.
“If thou seekest after the light of the Kingdom, hasten undoubtedly to the meetings of the believers, in order that the rays of truth may reflect in thy heart.”
There is plenty of time, but I want to be there early so that I can greet everyone as they walk in—to ask each and every one how they are, and what news they have of themselves.
As I drive to the Feast, I prepare myself mentally and spiritually:
“But when you present yourself in the meetings, before entering them, free yourselves from all that you have in your heart, free your thoughts and minds from all else save God, and speak to your heart. That all may make this a gathering of love, make it the cause of illumination, make it a gathering of attraction of the hearts, surround this gathering with the Lights of the Supreme Concourse, so that you may be gathered together with the utmost love.”
| This article, “Thoughts on the Nineteen Day Feast,” was written by Fari Varjavandi and is reprinted from the September/October 1988 issue of the Australian Bahá’í Bulletin (No. 368). |
“Alláh’u’Abhá, Alláh’u’Abhá, how are you?” Warm handshakes, loving smiles. I love the children; how smartly they are dressed, a credit to their parents, a credit to us all.
The hum of greetings and the sound of laughter fills the air. How I waited for this all day!
The host is busy distributing the devotional materials; we are asked to read, chant, pray.
Then there is a sudden peaceful quiet as the host begins to welcome us to the Feast. A moment of quiet readjustment as we make ourselves physically comfortable, preparing ourselves for the spiritual food we are about to receive. I close my eyes.
“When they gather in this meeting, all those present must turn their faces toward the Kingdom of Abhá, and from their hearts supplicate, invoke and entreat toward the lofty throne, beg of God’s forgiveness for all shortcomings, read the teachings and arise to His service.”
We partake of the heavenly food. The melody of the voices penetrates the air, and with it our very souls. The children pray. What beauty in the youthful voices of these little ones!
My spirit is refreshed by the melody of their sweet, soft voices, as if the sound originating from their lips emanates from the innermost of eternity and fills my heart with messages of love and rapture.
I do not really know where my thoughts are, but my mind is aware of the words reaching my ears. They sound as refreshing as the summer rain on my brow, as gentle as the morning breeze, as warm as the midday sun in winter.
And when a Persian prayer is chanted, tears of thankfulness gather in my eyes and my spirit is elated. I hear myself saying, “O my God, what have I ever done for you, that you remember me as you do, and have given me to drink from the ocean of your everlasting bounty?”
The Glory of Bahá’u’lláh reinforces my faith, enabling me to forget all my cares and worries, ever thankful to God. It is hard, so very hard to leave that state of peace that I do not feel I want to open my eyes. The prayers have ended but we sit motionless, wishing—if only that calm could last a little longer!
But we are called to reality by the voice of the chairman, who begins the period of consultation. The atmosphere is changed; we leave behind us the period of prayer and meditation.
“This Feast is a bringer of joy. It is the groundwork of agreement and unity. It is the key to affection and
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fellowship. It diffuseth the oneness of
mankind.”
It is difficult at first to plunge into consultation, but gradually we warm up to it. Our burning questions are asked, topics important to our hearts are raised ... we air our views, fears, hopes and plans....
The administrative part continues. The secretary patiently records the suggestions and takes notes; the chairman keeps order. At times it seems that no agreement is in sight, yet suddenly a positive motion is put, seconded, agreed upon; calm reigns.
The secretary gives his report, news is read and shared, plans are discussed:
“Every meeting which is organized for the purpose of unity and concord will be conducive to changing strangers into friends, enemies into associates, and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá will be present in his heart and soul with that meeting.”
At last consultation has ended, and the refreshing sound of the kettle boiling is heard. The mood changes again, the end of consultation is called, and we are invited by the host to partake in refreshments.
“Each one of you must think how to make happy and pleased the other members of your Assembly, and each one must consider all those who are present as better and greater than himself, and each one must consider himself as less than the rest. Know their station as high, and think of your own station as low. Should you act and live according to these behests, know verily, of a certainty, that that Feast is the Heavenly Food. That Supper is the ‘Lord’s Supper!’ I am the Servant of that gathering.”
The room fills with the hum of chatting friends. We circulate, and everyone greets others, asking of each other’s welfare, sharing news.
We quietly make our way to the donation box. How can I show my gratitude to Bahá’u’lláh in these happiest hours of my life? Would He accept my humble offering as a token of my love and duty? To think that the goals which must be achieved in the years to come need all our participation, no matter how humble.
The socializing continues. I feel the love emanating from the friends: the warmth of the smiles, the purity of laughter, the gentleness of the loving glances. This is what I had waited for all day.
“Then spread the feast and give refreshments. Assuredly great results will be the outcome of such meetings. Material and spiritual benefits will be assured. All who are present will be intoxicated with the breezes of the Love of God, and the Breath of the Holy Spirit will with tremendous power inspire the hearts.”
We partake of the food that is provided. The hostess offers us more refreshments; she is eager to look after us. Surely this Bahá’í hospitality is the best of all hospitalities!
“The owner of the house must personally serve the beloved ones. He must seek after the comfort of all and with the utmost humility he must show forth kindness to everyone. If the Feast is arranged in this manner and in the way mentioned, that supper is the ‘Lord’s Supper,’ for the result is the same result and the effect is the same effect.”
The treasurer calls out the result of the donations collected. We are filled with thankfulness.
It is getting late. We must go home. I do not wish to leave the friends, but the sounds of “Good-bye” and “Khoda-Hafez” beckon us home.
The handshakes are warm, strong and long. It means so much to me. It seems that we do not want to go. I am the last to leave. The words “Alláh’u’Abhá, Alláh’u’Abhá” fill the room. They are the last words I hear, and the last words I utter.
“... These spiritual gatherings must be held with the utmost purity and consecration, so that from the site itself, and its earth and the air about it, one will inhale the fragrant breathings of the Holy Spirit.”
On the way home my heart is joyful; I sing to myself. It is strange what meeting the friends stirs in one’s heart.
At home, I put my head on my pillow. The beaming faces of the friends are clear in my mind. The sweet memory of the Feast revolves in my head. As I fall asleep, I whisper to myself the last words I heard today: “Alláh’u’Abhá, Alláh’u’Abhá.”
All quotations in this article are from the compilation by the Universal House of Justice entitled “Heaven of Divine Wisdom.”
The Feast: a ‘unique, peerless’ occasion[edit]
The following article on the Nineteen Day Feast, which first appeared in the British Bahá’í Journal, is reprinted from Bahá’í News No. 413 (August 1965).
The institution of the Nineteen Day Feast is unique and peerless amongst all the gatherings and the communal efforts of mankind. Its quality and the mode of its functioning show the health and virility of a Bahá’í community. From it can flow an incalculable and illimitable measure of spiritual power. The beloved Master once said that should the Bahá’ís make full use of the potentialities of the Nineteen Day Feast, they could thereby change the destinies of their town. He also said that He would be there in this gathering with the Bahá’ís.
And the converse is true. A Nineteen Day Feast held in a climate alien to the life of the Faith, divorced from the principles laid down for the conduct of such a Feast, shut out from its guiding light, becomes a venomous instrument and injures every individual Bahá’í as well as the community.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá has repeatedly said that if religion becomes the cause of discord it is better to be without it. Medicine is to cure, to heal; should it aggravate a disorder, it becomes lethal. Similarly, a Nineteen Day Feast reduced to the level of a mechanical ritual or made the arena of cantankerous contention cannot but harm. It is better, far better, to be without it.
The more delicate and well-balanced an instrument, the more damaging will be the consequences of its failure....
For us Bahá’ís, as stated by the Master, the Nineteen Day Feast is what the Holy Communion is for the Christian. Does a sincere Christian go to the Holy Communion to have a jolly time or to be insufferably bored? Of course not.
Fellowship in Bahá’u’lláh[edit]
The Nineteen Day Feast, according to the direction of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, is composed of three distinct parts, each one well-defined in its scope, and yet all so blended as to form one continu-
[Page 8]
ous and unbroken process. In the art of
the ballet, music, movement and decor
each stands as a separate entity and yet
completely merges into one indivisible
unit. So are the component parts of the
Nineteen Day Feast. The link and the
keynote is fellowship in Bahá’u’lláh.
Experience the unity[edit]
Bahá’ís come to a Nineteen Day Feast not so much to partake in communal worship, to express and exchange views and ideas about the multifarious problems of their community, to associate lovingly with one another, but above all of these, supremely important and vital as they are, Bahá’ís come to a Feast in order to experience the unity unfolded by the Divine Hand of Bahá’u’lláh. A Nineteen Day Feast that fails to make this experience a blazing, throbbing reality is nothing but a mechanical performance that will serve only to blazon human frailties.
The conflicting tendencies of the world must be shed outside the doors of the Nineteen Day Feast. This does not mean either the assumption of an air of indifference or hiding behind a facade of spiritual pride and affected superiority. It only means emptying our hearts and minds to make room for the grace of Bahá’u’lláh. Otherwise a barrier wrought by our own hands will intervene between the communal character of the Feast and the Source which is to feed and sustain it.
‘Must know intimately’[edit]
The first part of the Feast is devotional. Prayer must come from the depths of one’s heart; otherwise it is not prayer. It is automation. The words that we use while we pray which are prayers revealed by the Founders of our Faith we must know intimately. We must be familiar with them not merely by an intelligent grasp of what they signify, but because of what they evoke from our innermost being, by the token of the deep longing response they command from our heart. When the Persian believers chant a prayer at a meeting, it is almost always a prayer that they have used in their own solitary devotionals, with which they are well-acquainted. Thus their chanting is not simply giving utterance to a sweet and charming melody. They know the meaning, the import of the words. And the words take wing.
Distributing books a short while before the beginning of the devotional part of the Feast and then asking some of the friends present to read prayers or Tablets which they may never have set eyes on before is a practice which has oftentimes been followed. There are occasions, and abundant they have been, when in spite of this glaring defect, the spirit of the Feast and of those attending makes full compensation, and the devotional is raised to supreme heights. But this practice is fundamentally wrong and there have been sad failures....
‘With joy and gladness’[edit]
Another important point to bear in mind is the injunction of Bahá’u’lláh not to burden souls with lengthy recitations of scriptures. He has said: “To chant but one verse with joy and gladness is better for you than reading all the Revelations of the Omnipotent God with carelessness.”
If a believer is giving a Feast, it is his or her privilege to arrange the devotional program. However, no local Spiritual Assembly is bound to observe the custom which has grown up of having one believer or more acting as hosts at a Nineteen Day Feast. The Assembly can take full charge of the devotional and have the cost of refreshments defrayed from the local funds at its disposal. There should be no rigidity of procedure in these respects.
Creative consultation[edit]
The second stage is usually termed “the business part” of the Feast, an appellation which can be misconstrued. It is the period of consultation. The secretary and the treasurer of the Assembly and various committees present report. The purpose of these reports is certainly not a mere enumeration of problems, resolutions and decisions. Otherwise the medium of a bulletin, a newsletter, would suffice. The underlying principle is consultation and creative consultation at that. It is a human oddity to cling to the trivial and talk ad nauseam about it. I remember a Nineteen Day Feast when a great deal was spoken about serving tea at a particular function, and tempers were frayed. A principle to uphold most conscientiously is the inalienable, the sacred right of every believer to express freely his views on questions and problems that are the topic of consultation, and to offer suggestions. But the opinions of one or two people, no matter how fervently held or how forcibly expressed, cannot be taken as the considered view of the whole Feast unless definitely voted as a recommendation that emanates from a Nineteen Day Feast. Should it fail to do so, it will have gravely compromised a fundamental principle of the Cause, and has much to answer to Bahá’u’lláh.
But the deliberations of the Nineteen Day Feast must rise above petty thoughts and obstinate hagglings. They must bypass small matters of little value. Certainly any subject that is related to the work of the Cause and the life of the community can be brought up at the Feast, but to make ponderous issues of trivialities is a grave betrayal of the purpose of the Feast. At all times this thought must be present in our minds, that consultation is a unique feature of our Faith, and that consultation is not argumentation. Creative indeed must be the consultation of a Nineteen Day Feast.
Fellowship and love[edit]
The third and concluding part of the Feast is of a social nature. When this stage is reached, the atmosphere of the Feast is well-established. It can be dismal and intolerably weighed down, or it can soar above the stars. And breaking bread together is an ancient and time-honored custom of mankind, symbolic of fellowship and love. In a Bahá’í Feast it transcends the flat level of custom and rite, and becomes a scintillating expression of unity.
United Nations[edit]
Combating drug abuse: a complex task[edit]
Combating drug abuse and illicit traffic is a complex task, encompassing efforts at the national, regional and international levels. The United Nations over the years has been deeply involved in those efforts, with some 20 of its bodies, programs and agencies working toward those goals.
The Commission on Narcotic Drugs, which has acted as the Preparatory Body for the 1987 Drug Conference (held June 17-26 in Vienna, Austria), is the central policy-making body in the United Nations system, dealing in depth with all questions relating to drug abuse control.
Established in 1946 as one of the six functional commissions of the Economic and Social Council, the Commission consists of experts representing 40 Member States. It meets biennially, although in recent years it has held special sessions in alternate years. Observer Governments, specialized agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) regularly participate in its work.
The Commission helps the Economic and Social Council in supervising application of international conventions and agreements, and makes recommendations to strengthen international drug control activities, including formulation of new treaties. It also reviews the global drug situation, and decides, on the recommendation of the World Health Organization (WHO), which substances should be placed under international control. The Commission also reviews and coordinates implementation of the 1981 International Drug Abuse Control Strategy.
The Commission helps the Economic and Social Council in supervising application of international conventions and agreements, and makes recommendations to strengthen international drug control activities, including formulation of new treaties.
The Commission has a Sub-Commission on Illicit Drug Traffic and Related Matters in the Near and Middle East. Annual meetings of operational Heads of National Narcotic Law Enforcement Agencies, Far East Region (HONLEA), which coordinate mechanisms for drug law enforcement at a regional level and facilitate an exchange of information between nations, are held under its auspices.
The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), established under the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, aims to regulate the legal movement of both narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances in order to limit the cultivation, production, manufacture and use of such drugs to medical and scientific purposes. To those ends, the Board administers a statistical control system for narcotic drugs and a mandatory estimates system. Data supplied by States parties and requested from other Governments enable it to ascertain that the drugs available in each country for medical purposes are accounted for at the main stages of production, manufacture and trade.
The Board’s 13 members are elected in their personal capacity by the Economic and Social Council, and must “command general confidence through their competence, impartiality and disinterestedness.” The Board maintains diplomatic dialogues with Governments, and sometimes undertakes special missions in agreement with Governments concerned. It also arranges training programs for drug control administrators from developing countries and regional training seminars. In an annual report, the Board analyzes the global drug situation, thus alerting Governments to existing and potential situations that may threaten drug control efforts.
The Board is serviced by its Vienna-based INCB Secretariat which implements Board decisions and policies, maintains a continuing dialogue between Governments and the Board, and represents the Board at meetings of United Nations organs, specialized agencies and international, regional or intergovernmental bodies.
Two other United Nations Secretariat units responsible for drug abuse control activities are also based in Vienna. The Division of Narcotic Drugs assists in the planning, implementing and coordinating of international drug control programs, and serves as a clearing-house for the dissemination and exchange of information on drug-related matters. It also advises Governments and specialized agencies on supply and demand reduction and other matters.
| This article is reprinted from a booklet prepared for the United Nations International Conference on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, held June 17-26, 1987, in Vienna, Austria. |
It also processes and drafts notifications under the international drug control treaties, publishes national legislation on drug control, and reports on information provided by Governments on the workings of the international treaties. Statistics on seizures from illicit drug traffic and on the extent, patterns and trends of drug abuse are published. Seminars on law enforcement and demand reduction approaches to drug control are organized.
Within the Division, the United Nations Narcotics Laboratory carries out and coordinates international chemical
[Page 10]
research on drugs, identifying and analyzing substances of abuse. Scientists
from developing countries are trained,
and help is given to national laboratories in developing countries directly
affected by the illicit drug traffic.
It has produced a portable drug identification kit—a rapid and simple color-test to identify the most commonly confiscated drugs—to assist customs and law enforcement officers. The Narcotics Laboratory also produces the Multilingual Dictionary of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances under International Control in the six official languages of the United Nations, as well as technical manuals on such topics as management of narcotics laboratories and methods for testing.
The third Secretariat unit in Vienna—the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control—was established in 1971 to aid Governments in combating the production, trafficking and use of illicit drugs by financing, through voluntary contributions, technical cooperation programs in various regions.
The programs deal with integrated rural development/crop substitution; treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts; preventive education and information; law enforcement assistance; and training and research. From 1971 through 1986 the Fund spent $182 million in 88 countries.
In its fund-raising efforts, UNFDAC ensures an early involvement of both potential donor and assistance-receiving countries in the identification of drug problems and in the formulation of projects needed for coping with them.
The Fund identifies needs and problems related to drug abuse control at the national, regional and interregional levels; establishes and maintains contacts with Governments and relevant inter- and non-governmental organizations in the enhancement of the international drug control programs; assists Governments in formulating general and specific drug control plans; and raises, from public and private sources, the resources required to carry out its program of activities.
The Centre for Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs is concerned with the adverse effects of drug abuse on social development, including social disintegration and increasing criminality. The subject of drug abuse is examined every five years at United Nations Congresses on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders, and is also regularly considered by the Committee on Crime Prevention and Control, a standing committee of the Economic and Social Council.
Cannabis (marijuana) is sold openly in many areas of the world.
The United Nations Social Defence Research Institute has carried out a four-year research survey financed by the Drug Abuse Control Fund on the interaction between criminal behavior and drug abuse and on control measures adopted in individual countries.
Other UN programs: The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) is a key agent for projects financed by the United Nations Drug Abuse Control Fund in countries where serious drug problems exist. Projects deal with such problems as reducing demand for illegal drugs; crop substitution; alternative income sources; treatment and rehabilitation of drug abusers; and law enforcement.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is concerned with drug abuse as it relates to the estimated 100 million “street children” worldwide. Most are in Latin America, where UNICEF is working to improve community environments and provide services for children in need.
The World Food Program (WFP) supports drug control programs through integrated rural development schemes aimed at substituting other agricultural products for the illicitly grown opium poppy. It also provides food assistance for farmers and their families in areas where crop substitution is under way.
Specialized agencies[edit]
United Nations specialized agencies are also involved in controlling drug abuse and illicit trafficking.
The World Health Organization (WHO), through its global drug dependence program, helps States in the prevention of drug-related problems, and helps determine which substances should be placed under international control. It assesses the therapeutic usefulness of particular substances in the context of public health and social problems related to their abuse. WHO also advises drug convention signatories on matters related to prescriptions, warnings on drug packages and advertising, and other measures to prevent drug abuse. It also develops guidelines and manuals on drug abuse for teachers and health professionals; compiles lists of essential drugs for basic health needs; and organizes interregional training courses for physicians on prevention of drug abuse and treatment of abusers.
The International Labor Organization (ILO) focuses on drug-related
[Page 11]
problems in the workplace, vocational
rehabilitation and social integration of
drug-dependent persons. It is currently
studying ways to help workers overcome drug problems. Together with
WHO, the ILO is preparing a multimedia resource kit to help enterprises
in developing effective responses to
these problems. Through its Vocational Rehabilitation Branch, it has
established a network of vocational
rehabilitation advisers throughout
various regions. ILO also holds training courses aimed at the vocational and
social re-integration of drug-dependent
persons.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) focuses on drug abuse control through public education, including teacher-training seminars, production of printed audio-visual materials, and working with media organizations to produce radio and television programs.
Increases in illegal drug traffic by sea are of major concern to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), which has worked with international organizations such as the Customs Cooperation Council and the International Chamber of Shipping to develop guidelines to combat illicit shipments. The IMO has recently compiled interim guidelines on the prevention of drug smuggling on ships engaged in international traffic, with the cooperation of the Government of the United Kingdom, the International Chamber of Shipping, and the Customs Co-operation Council.
Illegal international transport of drugs also takes place by air—in luggage, cargo, or concealed on passengers. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has determined that although the volume of drugs transported in that manner is significant, it is relatively small compared with other ways of transporting drugs. In connection with the elaboration of the new international convention on illicit drug trafficking, the ICAO is studying measures to ensure that commercial carriers are not used to transport illicit narcotics and psychotropic substances, including a system of sanctions.
Illicit transmission by mail has also increased in recent years. The Universal Postal Union (UPU) and the Customs Co-operation Council have studied measures to prevent such smuggling and encourage accession to the Nairobi Convention on the repression of customs offenses. In addition, UPU has studied procedures for national postal services to help detect the presence of narcotics or psychotropic substances in transit mail.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) crop substitution programs encourage opium and coca growers to use their land for legal crops. FAO also assists projects to raise the income level of farmers and reduce the incentive to cultivate narcotic crops. It is also studying the potential use of remote sensing and satellite-image techniques to detect illicit crops.
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is carrying out a number of drug control projects, mostly in Africa and Asia, to boost the technological capacity of developing countries to synthetically convert narcotic substances into legal pharmaceuticals. It has implemented two UNFDAC-funded agro-industrial projects aimed at providing alternative sources of income for coca farmers.
The Commission on Narcotic Drugs began work on the draft Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances in February 1985. In February 1987, the Commission recommended that the Economic and Social Council, its parent body, establish an intergovernmental expert group to review progress so far in elaborating the convention, including proposals and comments by Governments. A progress report on the draft text was among the documents considered by the 1987 Drug Conference held in Vienna, Austria. The draft Convention at present contains 14 articles addressing all aspects of illicit trafficking operations from clandestine production, manufacture, transportation and distribution of illegal drugs to the “laundering” of profits from illegal drug sales. The over-all objective of the new instrument is to strengthen international cooperation and coordination among customs, police and judicial bodies, providing them with guidelines to intercept illegal drug traffic at all stages. Major innovations include draft provisions designed to facilitate the identification, tracing, freezing, seizure and forfeiture of illegal drug profits. It is expected that confiscation of drug monies would be a strong deterrent to traffickers. The new instrument will also provide for the strengthening of extradition obligations and adequate sanctions for drug traffic offenses, as well as cooperation among countries in providing mutual legal and judicial assistance for prosecuting drug offenders. Other provisions of the draft relate to prevention of drug smuggling through exchange of information on traffickers and a complex technique for intercepting illegal shipments, known as “controlled delivery,” that involves joint efforts of countries to track a shipment along its trade route, then apprehend the parties involved in all phases of the transaction. The draft Convention will also include measures to wipe out illegally cultivated narcotic plants and to monitor diversion of chemicals, solvents and precursors used in illicit processing or manufacture of drugs and psychotropic substances. Other provisions seek to prevent illicit traffic by sea, via commercial carriers, through the mails or through free trade zones and ports. |
The world[edit]
‘Singing Wind’ invigorates Europe[edit]
El Viento Canta (The Singing Wind), a Latin American Bahá’í music and dance group which toured Europe last summer, opened many doors to new teaching opportunities during a visit to the Netherlands in June and July.
In Amsterdam the group performed at a public concert series usually reserved for popular rock groups. After the concert, which attracted about 700 people, the director of the series said he had never thought to invite such a group, adding that the program would always be available for the Bahá’ís if they had other groups to offer.
El Viento Canta also performed in July for 250 young people at the International Bahá’í Youth School in De Poort. A report says, “They set the tone of warmth and spirituality that pervaded the school.”
In Portugal, the group performed for 200 Bahá’ís during the Iberian Conference at a Catholic school in Lisbon.
The support of the mayor was important to the success of another concert, this one in the south of Portugal, where they performed for an audience of almost 2,000.
During their stay in Portugal, El Viento Canta appeared on a popular television program. A member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Portugal also was on the program, and presented an explanation of the Bahá’í teachings.
Bahá’ís from many European countries gathered April 1-4 at de Poort, Netherlands, for the latest in a series of North Sea border conferences.
The European continent, with its unique geography and excellent transportation among the more than 20 countries within it, is enabling the Bahá’ís to develop cooperative ventures across national boundaries.
Six of the eight members of El Viento Canta (The Singing Wind), a Latin American music and dance group composed of Bahá’ís, pause for a photo before setting out on a European tour during the summer of 1988. The group, which includes Peruvian, Mexican, North American and English musicians, drew large audiences in many countries and helped create new teaching opportunities in Europe.
The most recent weekend of workshops and consultation further enhanced international cooperation among the Bahá’ís in Europe.
Australia[edit]
More than 600 guests attended the annual United Nations Day service last October 16 at the Bahá’í House of Worship near Sydney, Australia.
Among those taking part in the commemorative event were Robert Vincin, vice-president of the UN Association, and Annie Wilson, president of UNICEF for Australasia.
Guests included government officials, television and film producers, and representatives of a number of humanitarian organizations.
Following the service, Frank Braybrook, president of the Men of the Trees, helped with a tree-planting ceremony which honored the memory of the Bahá’í martyrs in Iran and of the late Richard St. Barbe Baker, a Bahá’í and world-renowned forester.
Kate Marsh, a Bahá’í who is the founder of the newly formed group, Children of the Trees, attended the ceremony with a group of children who performed dances.
Uruguay[edit]
A conference entitled “The Architecture of the Bahá’í Edifices,” held last July 26 in Montevideo, Uruguay, attracted 55 people, 30 of whom were not Bahá’ís, including a member of the Faculty of Architecture of the eastern branch of the National University and several students of architecture.
After an introduction called “The Importance of Architecture in the Promotion of Humanitarian Ideals,” there was an audio-visual presentation on the main topic of the conference.
Reporters from local radio and television stations interviewed the guest speaker, architect Neissan Monajem, a Bahá’í from Brazil.
He was asked by the Faculty of Architecture about the possibility of planning a similar event there in the near future.
More than 100 people, 12 of whom were Bahá’ís, attended an “open conference” in Montevideo, Uruguay, which was one of two scheduled as part of the country’s Six Year Plan.
The theme, “New World, New Mankind, New Horizon for Peace” was addressed by teachers and other professionals who supported their talks with slides and other visual aids.
One result of the gathering was a list of 223 professionals, submitted by conference speakers, who are interested in peace-related efforts and who would like information about the Faith. Some of these people are now attending Bahá’í firesides.
The Bahá’ís of Uruguay took part officially in a ceremony honoring Gen. José G. Artigas, a respected national hero, during week-long Independence festivities in the city of Florida.
A representative of the National Spiritual Assembly and members of the Bahá’í community of Montevideo accompanied the Bahá’ís of Florida on this occasion. Before the event, the Bahá’ís were interviewed on a local radio station.
Suriname[edit]
A copy of the Universal House of Justice’s peace statement was recently presented to the secretary to the Ambassador of China residing in Suriname.
Trinidad[edit]
Last November 28, the Spiritual Assembly of Port of Spain, Trinidad, held a candlelight dinner in observance of the 75th anniversary of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s visit to the West.
Among the guests was Augustus Williams, the mayor of Port of Spain.
Included on the program were a presentation by Ganesh Ramsahai of the significance of the observance; slides of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá presented by Ken and Ana Powers; and music by the North Area Singers.
The National Spiritual Assembly was represented by two of its members, Mrs. Nikou Amarsingh and Dr. M.H. Jamalabadi.
The candlelight dinner was held in marvelous weather on the front lawn of the Bahá’í National Center.
The Bahá’ís of Trinidad were thrilled last August by the enrollment in the Faith of a long-time friend, the distinguished former mayor of Port of Spain, Joseph Hamilton-Holder, and his 16-year-old son.
Nigeria[edit]
Pictured are members of the teaching team that took part last August in the Kaduna-Gwari Teaching Project in Kaduna State, Nigeria. Front row (left to right) Nastaran Ja’fari, Jonas Wahlstrom, Narcis Ja’fari; second row (left to right) Simon Anchu, E. William, Joseph Kwasau, Mina Ja’fari, Felix Itete, Mehrdad Ja’fari; back row (left to right) Robert Miessler, Idede Ezion, Paula Wahlstrom, Sunny Egwu.
For the first time in 15 years, a mass teaching project has been held among the Gwari tribe in northern Nigeria’s Kaduna State. Project Kaduna-Gwari was held last August 21-27.
The project was hosted by Bahá’ís Mehrdad and Mina Ja’fari, who live in Kaduna, and was supported and supervised by the National Spiritual Assembly of Nigeria.
Felix Itete, the coordinator, organized four teams of two to three people, each of which included one who spoke Hausa, the native language.
Three children—Nastaran Ja’fari, Jonas Wahlstrom and Narcis Ja’fari—took an active part in the teaching work.
After one week, enrollments totaled about 145 including 43 women. Seven new local Spiritual Assemblies were formed.
Follow-up visits began immediately with Bahá’ís from Kaduna offering tutorial schools in two villages to teach English and math and hold Bahá’í deepening classes.
Malaysia[edit]
The Malaysian Bahá’í Women’s Committee helped organize the National Women’s Day celebration, held last August 25.
The observance coincided with the Silver Jubilee of the National Council of Women’s Organizations of Malaysia (NCWO). The Bahá’í Women’s Committee is reported to be one of the NCWO’s most active members.
Among the 1,000 guests at the Women’s Day celebration were Her Majesty, the Queen of Malaysia, and several prominent women’s leaders.
One of the seminars, entitled “Violence Against Women,” included a mock rape trial and a talk on that topic by Counsellor Shantha Sundram.
New teaching initiatives in various parts of Malaysia have resulted in many success stories.
Six people embraced the Cause during the Baling community’s recent nine-day teaching campaign; in the Kuala Kangsar district, eight people including seven youth recently were enrolled; while a teaching trip to Lenggong by three Bahá’í youth led to declarations by five people.
Ghana[edit]
Counsellor Beatrice Asare presents a copy of the peace statement, ‘The Promise of World Peace,’ to the Asantahene of Ghana’s Asante State at the palace in Kumasi. The Counsellor was accompanied by a delegation of Bahá’ís from the National Spiritual Assembly of Ghana.
India[edit]
The teaching campaign begun last September in Madhya Pradesh, one of India’s most heavily populated states where thousands of professionals and academics have recently enrolled in the Faith, continued in October.
In the Morena District, about 20,000 new believers have been enrolled, among whom are two education officers of Jaora and Kailaras and the chief municipal officer of Baroda.
A seminar entitled “Casteism and Its Solution” was attended by the upper classes of the Jaora public.
Mass teaching is now under way in Bhind and in the Mandsaur district of western Madhya Pradesh.
A telex report dated September 15 from the State Bahá’í Council of Andhra Pradesh, India, contained news of a successful teaching campaign in three new tribal areas, opening 12 localities and enrolling 109 people in the Faith.
Other campaigns in that state have enrolled 189 people for a total of 298 new Bahá’ís in recent months.
As a result of recent projects organized by the Bahá’í Vocational Institute for Rural Women (also known as the Faizí Institute) in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India, women in that area are being taught to read, write and manage money, and are enjoying social relationships with those of other tribes and castes.
Projects were centered last April through June in Manpour and Indore in the Indore district and in Jhabua and Kalyanpura in the Jhabua district.
The projects took the form of a camp in which spiritual education and life skills become an integral part of a well-planned daily program.
Skills taught include machine knitting, working a hand loom, literacy, and finance management.
One woman who became literate and learned weaving skills was chosen by the government to be an adult literacy teacher in her village; three other women are now serving on the local Spiritual Assembly in their village.
Sri Lanka[edit]
A teaching campaign that was begun last July in Colombo, Sri Lanka, has resulted in the enrollment of 20 people.
Two full-time teachers, helped by the Bahá’ís of Colombo, spend their days meeting people and sharing the Faith, and their evenings staffing a book and poster exhibit. One evening each week, they organize a video show.
Results from a teacher training course held last July 30 at the Bahá’í National Center in Sri Lanka were seen less than a week later when one of the trainees, from Vaviniya, reported 17 enrollments in the new locality of Thandikulam.
Canary Islands[edit]
Young Bahá’ís in the Canary Islands recently were given permission to paint a mural on a wall in front of a university campus. The painting depicts the world and representatives of various races and includes the following statement: “Peace is not only possible but inevitable. The earth is but one country and mankind its citizens.”
Many people were attracted to the mural and asked questions about the Faith.
Thailand[edit]
The Hand of the Cause of God Collis Featherstone and his wife, Madge Featherstone, visited Asia for two and one-half months last summer.
They spent the first three weeks touring schools and visiting local dignitaries, Bahá’ís in refugee camps, and Bahá’í communities in Thailand and Vientiane, Laos, near Thailand’s northern border.
The Featherstones also traveled to other parts of Laos where they gave a number of public talks.
Afterward, they returned to Thailand and on September 10 visited a refugee camp where nearly 180,000 people, mainly Cambodians, live.
They met with the local Spiritual Assembly and the rest of the Bahá’í community in that camp, and also visited another camp which had recently formed an Assembly. About 100 people gathered there to see them.
After visiting the camps, the Featherstones journeyed to Chiang Mai in northern Thailand where they were able to help with the teaching work.
As a result of their meeting with the owner of a Thai newspaper, a large photograph and article about the Faith were published.
The Featherstones traveled as far north as Japan before returning to Australia in November.
A special thrust to reach Six Year Plan goals and enroll new believers from all strata of society was among the results of a National Teaching Conference held last October 11 in Thailand.
Fifty Bahá’ís including four members of the Continental Board of Counsellors in Asia were present at the conference to consult on teaching.
Plans were made to form local teaching teams for the northern, southern and northeastern areas of Thailand.
Twelve native Thais were enrolled in the Faith last July 28-31 during the national Bahá’í Summer School at Phatalung, Thailand.
Bahá’ís from as far away as Malaysia took part in the school.
The Hand of the Cause of God Collis Featherstone and Mrs. Featherstone (seated in center of photo) visit with some of the friends at a refugee camp in Thailand during their recent tour of Southeast Asia. Some of the camps have populations of up to 180,000 with a growing number of Bahá’ís as the teaching work continues without pause.
Peru[edit]
The unified efforts of Counsellor Mas’ud Khamsí of the International Teaching Centre, Counsellor for the Americas Isabel de Calderón, four Auxiliary Board members, and members of the National Spiritual Assemblies of Peru and Bolivia have combined to rekindle Peru’s Lake Titicaca region.
A two-day mass teaching workshop attended by 60 Bahá’ís was followed by a five-day teaching campaign in which 1,764 new believers were enrolled in the Faith, 738 youth and 1,026 adults. These successes were achieved in spite of a strike last September 28 during which roads in the area were closed.
A highlight was the teaching work at a high school in Villa Quebrada where the principal and all the teachers and students embraced the Faith.
The campaign was capped by a two-day conference to evaluate the results and determine future directions. Ten volunteers offered to continue with the consolidation work.
More than 50 Bahá’í radio experts gathered last September in Lima, Peru, for the second Radio Bahá’í Seminar sponsored by the International Bahá’í Audio-Visual Centre and hosted by the Peruvian Bahá’í community.
Among those taking part were six members of the Continental Board of Counsellors, all the members of IBAVC, and representatives of seven Bahá’í radio stations, five of whom were indigenous people.
In all, participants came from 14 countries to share news of the victories achieved during the past year and to exchange experience and knowledge that was gained.
Among topics discussed were the development of Bahá’í communities in their listening zones, the ongoing spiritualization of the believers, their education, and their memorization of the Creative Word.
Luxembourg[edit]
Three Bahá’ís representing the Bahá’í International Community attended an International Symposium on “Man, Health, Environment” last March in Luxembourg.
The Bahá’ís contributed eloquently to the discussions and attracted further questions from participants following the conference.
Vanuatu[edit]
The president of the local government council and a local pastor were among the 200 guests who came from as far away as the islands of Tanna, Malekuti and Efate to attend the opening last September 3 of the Luganville Bahá’í Center at Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu.
One report of the event reads: “The believers, men, women and children who came down from the inland villages enhanced the occasion with their radiant spirits, and their presence in the town has had a remarkable effect.”
Included in the celebration were a Bahá’í Expo and public meeting.
Uganda[edit]
The presentation of the peace statement last September 27 to President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda was followed by a 45-minute discussion about the Faith.
Three Bahá’í books were presented to the president: Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, the Kitáb-i-Íqán, and The Earth Is But One Country.
He asked his press officer to place the books in his private library, as he said he wished to study more about the Faith.
A three-member teaching team composed of an Auxiliary Board member, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly, and a member of the National Teaching Committee launched a three-month project last June in Najambe, Mukono District, near Kampala, the capital of Uganda.
As a result, 32 people have so far embraced the Faith, a local Spiritual Assembly has been elected, and a Bahá’í Group has been formed in the nearby town of Kawolo, thus achieving all the main goals of the first phase of the project.
Alaska[edit]
Pictured with their Den leader, Robert Hawkins (left), and tutor, Hassan Shafiee, are two nine-year-old Cub Scouts, Bahji and Shiraz Nelson, of the Tanana Valley (Alaska) Bahá’í community, who were recently awarded the Bahá’í Religious Emblem for Scouting after completing a six-month program consisting of weekly Bahá’í classes, three comprehensive projects, and a variety of community service activities. The Nelsons, who are the first Scouts in Alaska to receive the Bahá’í emblem, also earned the Knotted Rope patch from the Boy Scouts of the Midnight Sun Council in Fairbanks.
More than 110 people gathered last August at the Chilkat Valley Bahá’í School on the banks of the lovely Chilkat River in Haines, Alaska.
For five days they enjoyed the uplifting atmosphere and the inspiring classes presented by Auxiliary Board member Javidukht Khadem, Jack and Arden Lee, Omid Furútan and Stan Corbett.
The relaxed schedule provided ample time for fellowship as well as for spontaneous discussion groups on such topics as the Word of God, the Spiritual Transformation Program, Recovery Programs and Bahá’í education, and for sharing Bahá’í poetry and songs.
Kenya[edit]
A telex from the National Spiritual Assembly of Kenya dated September 19 relates news of an intensive teaching campaign in that country which achieved the formation of 15 new local Spiritual Assemblies and the enrollment of 448 new believers.
The first local Spiritual Assembly in the Marsabit District of northern Kenya was elected last Riḍván. The Assembly, made up of Rendille and Samburu tribespeople, is in Sabambe village, Laisamis.
Another victory was the formation of an Assembly in Itheani, Kitui, in Kenya’s central region. A striking feature of this community is that it is comprised mainly of young married women, their children, and youth.
Turkey[edit]
An energetic youth committee, the friends’ commitment to regular firesides, and an active teaching committee have brought steady growth to the Bahá’í community in Turkey.
Recent teaching has centered on village areas around Ankara, where several villages have been opened to the Faith in the last year, and on reaching the leaders of thought.
Liberia[edit]
A special Teacher Training Institute was held last June 20-30 in Bomi Hills in northwestern Liberia.
Afterward, the Bahá’ís at the Institute took part in a teaching campaign, enrolling 500 new believers between July and September.
The Netherlands[edit]
Pictured are many of the 82 people from 18 European countries who gathered in ‘DePoort’ at Groesbeek in the Netherlands last September 8-11 for the first European Chinese Teaching Symposium. Among those present were two Counsellors, Mrs. Ursula Mühlschlegel and Mrs. Elisabeth Mühlschlegel; Paul Koh, representing the International Chinese Teaching Committee in Malaysia; and Charles Pau, representing the National Chinese Teaching Committee in Singapore. About 24 Bahá’ís arose to answer the call of the Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum to support the teaching work in Taiwan and Hong Kong.
Rwanda[edit]
Last August, the Bahá’í community of Rwanda received permission to broadcast a Bahá’í news program each Monday on Radio Rwanda.
This major breakthrough for the Faith followed the visit in December 1987 by a Bahá’í delegation to the office of the Director of Information. At that meeting, the Bahá’ís presented information about the Faith and asked for permission to produce Bahá’í programs for Radio Rwanda.
Another breakthrough came last July when, for the first time, an item about the Faith appeared in the government newspaper, Imvaho, the most widely circulated of Rwanda’s three newspapers.
In February, a delegation of Bahá’ís met with the Director-General of Political Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to express gratitude to the government of Rwanda for its support of the United Nations resolution on human rights adopted last December by the UN General Assembly.
The 45-minute meeting was held in an atmosphere of mutual respect and friendship. The Director-General thanked the delegation for giving the government an opportunity to learn more about the Faith.
Hawaii[edit]
A three-credit university level course on the Bahá’í Faith is presently being offered at the University of Hawaii at Hilo.
Fifteen people were enrolled for the first semester of the course, which is entitled “A History of the Bahá’í Faith.”
Textbooks include The Bahá’í Faith: The Emerging Global Religion by William Hatcher and Douglas Martin, and The Bábí and Bahá’í Religions, 1844-1944: Some Western Accounts, edited by Moojan Momen.
Switzerland[edit]
For the sixth year in a row, a World Peace Day celebration has been held in Geneva, Switzerland. As in past years, the Bahá’í International Community took part in an interfaith service held last September 20 as a part of the event.
In 1981 the UN General Assembly proclaimed the third Tuesday in September an International Day of Peace, coinciding with the annual opening session of the General Assembly, and invited all organizations and individuals to observe the occasion.
This year, the participation of the Bahá’ís was a collaborative effort on the part of the Bahá’í International Community and the Spiritual Assembly of Geneva.
The program included a celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the opening of the World Decade for Cultural Development, 1988-1997.
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Bahá’í Pocket Calendar $3.50/pkg. of 10 This credit-card-size calendar allows you to have a Bahá’í calendar wherever you need one: in your wallet, on your desk, in your car, in special folders, or on your refrigerator. It shows 12 Gregorian months and includes all of the Bahá’í Holy Days and special dates. |
| Bahá’í DateBook $3.50 Designed on a Gregorian monthly format with all Bahá’í Holy Days and Nineteen Day Feasts clearly indicated, this is a handy scheduling calendar for personal use or at work. |
Do-It-Yourself Sticker Kit $2.95 Turn any calendar into a Bahá’í calendar by using this colorful sticker kit! There are stickers for Holy Days, Feasts, Assembly meetings, classes, the Fund, the Fast, and more. Removable and reusable, these stickers are timeless and inexpensive. |
| Bahá’í Distribution Service | 415 Linden Av. Wilmette, Il. 60091 Tel. 1-800-999-9019 |
