Bahá’í News/Issue 707/Text
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| Bahá’í News | March 1990 | Bahá’í Year 146 |
Bahá’í Chair for World Peace
established at University of Maryland
Cover: Judge Dorothy W. Nelson, chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States, presents a check for $300,000 to Dr. James A. Norton (left), chancellor of the University of Maryland system, and Dean Murray Polakoff of the University of Maryland’s School of Social and Behavioral Sciences to begin endowment of the Bahá’í Chair for World Peace at the university’s Center for International Development and Conflict Management. On January 26, the National Spiritual Assembly and University of Maryland signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish the Bahá’í Chair. (See article and photographs on pages 8-9.)
Bahá’í News[edit]
Plans for historic Arc project on Mount Carmel near final approval | 1 |
Dynamic new Two-Year Plan for Asia, Eastern Europe announced | 2 |
House of Justice releases timely compilation on Bahá’í elections | 3 |
Bahá’í Chair for World Peace established at University of Maryland | 8 |
International Bahá’í Council: forerunner of Universal House of Justice | 10 |
Around the world: News from Bahá’í communities all over the globe | 12 |
Bahá’í News is published monthly by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States as a news organ reporting current activities of the Bahá’í world community. Manuscripts submitted should be typewritten and double-spaced throughout; any footnotes should appear at the end. The contributor should keep a carbon copy. Send materials to the Periodicals Office, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091, U.S.A. Changes of address should be reported to the 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 © 1990, National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. World rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.
World Centre[edit]
Plan for Arc wins Haifa city approval[edit]
TO ALL NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES
KINDLY CONVEY ALL BELIEVERS NEWS PROGRESS HISTORIC MOUNT CARMEL PROJECTS.
FOLLOWING STRENUOUS DETAILED NEGOTIATIONS TOWN PLANNING SCHEME ESSENTIAL FOR INITIATION OF PROJECTS WAS OFFICIALLY APPROVED BY LOCAL TOWN PLANNING COMMITTEE AND CITY COUNCIL OF HAIFA ON 11 OCTOBER 1989, CONFIRMING GOOD WILL TOWARD PROJECTS EXPRESSED BY CITY COUNCIL AT TIME INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION. SCHEME IS NOW BEFORE DISTRICT TOWN PLANNING COMMISSION FOR FINAL APPROVAL. THIS PLAN INCLUDES CANCELLATIONS TWO ROADS PREVIOUSLY APPROVED TO CROSS BAHÁ’Í LANDS, AND LOWERING LEVEL MAIN THOROUGHFARE THUS PERMITTING CONSTRUCTION TERRACES LINKING GARDENS SURROUNDING SHRINE BÁB WITH THOSE ADJACENT ARCHIVES BUILDING. GRANTING OF APPROVALS INVOLVES OUR COMMITMENT IMMEDIATELY START WORK.
GEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS ANNOUNCED RIDVÁN MESSAGE, REQUIRED FOR DESIGN FOUNDATIONS BUILDINGS ARC, NOW COMPLETED.
BUILDING PERMIT DRAWINGS FOR ARCHIVES BUILDING EXTENSION AND CENTER FOR STUDY OF THE TEXTS SUBMITTED, ENABLING CONSIDERATION APPLICATION BUILDING PERMIT RUN CONCURRENTLY LAST STAGE APPROVAL TOWN PLANNING SCHEME.
OF $50,000,000 CALLED FOR AS ESSENTIAL RESERVE FOR INITIATION CONSTRUCTION, APPROXIMATELY $26,000,000 SO FAR CONTRIBUTED. REMAINING SUM NOW URGENTLY NEEDED.
EXECUTION STUPENDOUS COLLECTIVE UNDERTAKING GATHERING MOMENTUM, PARALLELING EXTRAORDINARY DEVELOPMENTS WORLD SCENE, ACCELERATION CONVERSION PEOPLES CAUSE GOD, WIDER DIFFUSION MESSAGE BAHÁ’U’LLÁH REMAINING AREAS GLOBE. SUPPLICATING BLESSINGS ALMIGHTY REINFORCE EVERY EFFORT HIS DEVOTED FOLLOWERS ACCOMPLISHMENT VITAL TASKS.
JANUARY 23, 1990
World Centre[edit]
New teaching plan for Europe, Asia[edit]
| FAR-REACHING EVENTS BEING ENACTED WORLD STAGE, PARTICULARLY IN EASTERN EUROPE AND SOVIET UNION, ON THRESHOLD FINAL FATE-LADEN DECADE CENTURY OF LIGHT, PROVIDE FURTHER DRAMATIC EVIDENCE RESISTLESS OPERATION OF GOD’S MAJOR PLAN FOR TRANSFORMATION OF HUMAN SOCIETY. RAPID UNFORESEEN DEVELOPMENTS NECESSITATE CORRESPONDING PARALLEL ACCELERATION IN LIFE-GIVING ENTERPRISES BEING PURSUED BY INHERITORS BAHÁ’U’LLÁH’S RESPLENDENT REVELATION.
CALLING UPON THOSE NATIONAL ASSEMBLIES EUROPE, ASIA AND AMERICA WHICH BEAR PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY FOR INDIVIDUAL NATIONS INVOLVED, TO CONSULT WITH COUNSELLORS AND FORMULATE DETAILS SPECIFIC GOALS INCORPORATING AND SUPPLEMENTING THOSE ALREADY ADOPTED AND IN PROCESS ACCOMPLISHMENT UNDER SIX YEAR PLAN. MOVED PAY TRIBUTE PRESENT HOUR REMARKABLE UNSUNG ACHIEVEMENTS THOSE INSTITUTIONS AND INDIVIDUAL BELIEVERS PRESENTLY LABORING ADVANCEMENT CAUSE IN EASTERN EUROPE AND SOVIET UNION, ACHIEVEMENTS WHICH HAVE BLAZED TRAILS FOR COMING LARGE-SCALE INITIATIVE. CALL UPON BAHÁ’Í WORLD ARISE SUPPORT DIFFUSION WORLD-REDEEMING MESSAGE FAITH GOAL AREAS THROUGH SETTLEMENT PIONEERS AND THROUGH DISPATCH STEADY FLOW TRAVELING TEACHERS, ESPECIALLY THOSE WITH KNOWLEDGE LANGUAGES COUNTRIES AND REPUBLICS EASTERN BLOC. CONCOMITANT THESE MEASURES, VITAL ONGOING PROCESS CHINESE TEACHING RECEIVING FURTHER IMPETUS. BROAD VISTAS NOW OPEN TO FAITH GOD PROVIDE UNPRECEDENTED OPPORTUNITIES WIN FRESH VICTORIES AS WORTHY OFFERING SACRED THRESHOLD BLESSED BEAUTY OCCASION COMMEMORATION FIRST CENTENARY HIS ASCENSION COMING HOLY YEAR. IMPLORING ABUNDANT OUTPOURING DIVINE CONFIRMATIONS PARTICIPANTS ALL FACETS HISTORIC SIX YEAR CAMPAIGN. UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
FEBRUARY 8, 1990 |
World Centre[edit]
New compilation on Bahá’í elections[edit]
To all National Spiritual Assemblies
Dear Bahá’í Friends,
The Universal House of Justice feels it is timely to release a compilation on Bahá’í elections as a useful tool to help National Spiritual Assemblies to increase the understanding of the believers regarding the nature and sanctity of these elections, and to prepare themselves for the expected rapid increase in the number of believers. A compilation entitled “The Sanctity and Nature of Bahá’í Elections” has been prepared by the Research Department, and a copy is enclosed.
The study of this compilation will require careful and sustained planning by the National Spiritual Assemblies and local Spiritual Assemblies, and it should become part of the ongoing program for the deepening of the friends in the fundamentals of Bahá’í administration. The House of Justice urges all National Spiritual Assemblies to discuss the implementation of such a program with the Counsellors, so that the rank and file of the believers, with the wholehearted support of the Auxiliary Board members and their assistants, will appreciate the importance of adhering to Bahá’í principles in this regard, and carry out all Bahá’í elections, on the national as well as the unit and local levels, in an exemplary manner, in full harmony with the spirit of purity and sanctity which must characterize them.
The Universal House of Justice wishes to stress at this point how important it is for all delegates allocated to the National Convention to be elected and the desirability of having all the elected delegates attend this vital national event. It has been noticed that, although attendance at most National Conventions is gradually improving, in several countries every year not all delegates are being elected, and in numerous instances, even when elected, they do not participate either in person or by sending in their ballots.
Be assured of ardent prayers in the Holy Shrines that your resolute efforts to improve the record of devoted and enthusiastic participation in delegate elections, National Conventions and local Assembly elections will attract the assistance and blessings of the divine Concourse.
With loving Bahá’í greetings,
Department of the Secretariat
December 19, 1989
The Sanctity and Nature of Bahá’í Elections
1. Fostering a spiritual attitude toward elections[edit]
From letters written by or on behalf of Shoghi Effendi
“On the election day, the friends must whole-heartedly participate in the elections, in unity and amity, turning their hearts to God, detached from all things but Him, seeking His guidance and supplicating His aid and bounty.” (February 27, 1923, written by Shoghi Effendi to the Bahá’ís of the East; translated from the Persian) (1)
“Again I earnestly appeal to every one of you, and renew my only request with all the ardor of my conviction, to make before and during the coming Convention yet another effort, this time more spontaneous and selfless than before, and endeavor to approach your task—the election of your delegates as well as your national and local representatives—with that purity of spirit that can alone obtain our Beloved’s most cherished desire....” (February 23, 1924, written by Shoghi Effendi to the Bahá’ís of America, published in Bahá’í Administration: Selected Messages 1922-1932, rev. ed. Wilmette: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1980, p. 65) (2)
“In discharging this sacred function no influence whatever, no pressure from any quarter, even though it be from the National Assembly, should under any circumstances affect their views or restrict their freedom. The delegates must be wholly independent of any administrative agency, must approach their task with absolute detachment and must concentrate their attention on the most important and pressing issues.” (August 12, 1933, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada, published in “The National Spiritual Assembly,” compiled by the Universal House of Justice. Wilmette: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1972, p. 24) (3)
“Such a rectitude of conduct must manifest itself, with ever-increasing potency, in every verdict which the elected representatives of the Bahá’í community, in whatever capacity they may find themselves, may be called upon to pronounce....It must be exemplified in the conduct of all Bahá’í electors, when exercising their sacred rights and functions....” (December 25, 1938, written by Shoghi Effendi to the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada, published as The Advent of Divine Justice. Wilmette: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1984, p. 26) (4)
From communications written by the Universal House of Justice
“The conditions of limited manpower, of difficulties in traveling and of illiteracy among the local people are found in varying degrees in other countries of the world, and we have always and everywhere urged the National Spiritual Assemblies concerned to guide and teach the friends in proper Bahá’í administrative procedures, not only during the weeks immediately preceding local elections but indeed
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throughout the year, so that the friends would await the advent of Riḍván with anticipation and determine to observe and uphold correct principles of Bahá’í administration.”
(From a letter dated September 24, 1973, to a National Spiritual Assembly) (5)
“The aim should always be so to educate the friends during the year that they consider their participation in Bahá’í elections not only as a right they exercise, but as a spiritual obligation which, when discharged in the proper Bahá’í spirit, contributes to the health and growth of the Bahá’í community.” (From a memorandum dated June 18, 1980, to the International Teaching Centre) (6)
2. Qualifications of those to be elected[edit]
From letters written by Shoghi Effendi
“Due regard must be paid to their actual capacity and present attainments, and only those who are best qualified for membership, be they men or women, and irrespective of social standing, should be elected to the extremely responsible position of a member of the Bahá’í Assembly.” (In the handwriting of Shoghi Effendi, appended to a letter dated December 27, 1923, written on his behalf to the National Spiritual Assembly of India and Burma, published in Dawn of a New Day. New Delhi: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1970, p. 4) (7)
“Let us recall His explicit and often repeated assurances that every Assembly elected in that rarefied atmosphere of selflessness and detachment is in truth appointed of God, that its verdict is truly inspired, that one and all should submit to its decision unreservedly and with cheerfulness.” (February 23, 1924, to the Bahá’ís of America, published in Bahá’í Administration, p. 65) (8)
“It would be impossible at this stage to ... overestimate the unique significance of the institution of the National Spiritual Assembly.... Supreme is their position, grave their responsibilities, manifold and arduous their duties. How great the privilege, how delicate the task of the assembled delegates whose function it is to elect such national representatives as would by their record of service ennoble and enrich the annals of the Cause! ... it is incumbent upon the chosen delegates to consider without the least trace of passion and prejudice, and irrespective of any material consideration, the names of only those who can best combine the necessary qualities of unquestioned loyalty, of selfless devotion, of a well-trained mind, of recognized ability and mature experience....” (June 3, 1925, to the delegates and visitors of the National Convention of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada, published in Bahá’í Administration, pp. 87-88) (9)
“... the elector ... is called upon to vote for none but those whom prayer and reflection have inspired him to uphold....” (May 27, 1927, to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada, published in Bahá’í Administration, p. 136) (10)
“... I do not feel it to be in keeping with the spirit of the Cause to impose any limitation upon the freedom of the believers to choose those of any race, nationality or temperament who best combine the essential qualifications for membership of administrative institutions. They should disregard personalities and concentrate their attention on the qualities and requirements of office, without prejudice, passion or partiality. The Assembly should be representative of the choicest and most varied and capable elements in every Bahá’í community....” (In the handwriting of Shoghi Effendi, appended to a letter dated August 11, 1933, written on his behalf to an individual believer, published in Bahá’í Institutions. New Delhi: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1973, pp. 71-72) (11)
“If any discrimination is at all to be tolerated, it should be a discrimination not against, but rather in favor of the
‘The aim should always be so to educate the friends during the year that they consider their participation in Bahá’í elections not only as a right they exercise, but as a spiritual obligation which, when discharged in the proper Bahá’í spirit, contributes to the health and growth of the Bahá’í community.’
minority, be it racial or otherwise.... every organized community enlisted under the banner of Bahá’u’lláh should feel it to be its first and inescapable obligation to nurture, encourage and safeguard every minority belonging to any faith, race, class or nation within it. So great and vital is this principle that in such circumstances, as when an equal number of ballots have been cast in an election, or where the qualifications for any office are balanced as between the various races, faiths or nationalities within the community, priority should unhesitatingly be accorded the party representing the minority, and this for no other reason except to stimulate and encourage it, and afford it an opportunity to further the interests of the community....” (December 25, 1938, published as The Advent of Divine Justice, p.35) (12)
“The electors ... must prayerfully and devotedly and after meditation and reflection elect faithful, sincere, experienced, capable and competent souls who are worthy of membership....” (July 1, 1943, to the National Spiritual Assembly of Persia; translated from the Persian) (13)
From letters written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi
“... concerning the qualifications of the members of the Spiritual Assembly: there is a distinction of fundamental importance which should be always remembered in this connection, and this is between the Spiritual Assembly as an institution, and the persons who compose it. These are by no means supposed to be perfect, nor can they be considered as being inherently superior to the rest of their fellow-believers. It is precisely because they are subject to the same human limitations that characterize the other members of the community that they have to be elected every year. The existence of elections is a sufficient indication that Assembly members, though forming part of an institution that is divine and perfect, are nevertheless themselves imperfect. But this does not necessarily imply that their judgment is defective....” (November 15, 1935, to individual believers, published in “The Local Spiritual Assembly,” compiled by
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the Universal House of Justice. Wilmette: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1970, p. 9) (14)
“A believer has the right to vote for himself during the election time, if he conscientiously feels the urge to do so. This does not necessarily imply that he is ambitious or selfish, for he might conscientiously believe that his qualifications entitle him to membership in a Bahá’í administrative body, and he might be right. The essential, however, is that he should be sincere in his belief, and should act according to the dictates of his conscience. Moreover, membership in an Assembly or committee is a form of service, and should not be looked upon as a mark of inherent superiority, or a means for self-praise.” (March 27, 1938, to an individual believer, published in Dawn of a New Day, pp. 200-201) (15)
“There is no objection in principle to an Assembly being re-elected, whether in toto or in part, provided the members are considered to be well-qualified for that post. It is individual merit that counts. Novelty or the mere act of renewal of elections are purely secondary considerations. Changes in Assembly membership should be welcome so far as they do not prejudice the quality of such membership. Once Assembly elections are over, the results should be conscientiously and unquestionably accepted by the entire body of the believers, not necessarily because they represent the voice of truth or the will of Bahá’u’lláh, but for the supreme purpose of maintaining unity and harmony in the community....” (July 10, 1939, to an individual believer, published in “Directives from the Guardian,” compiled by Gertrude Garrida. New Delhi: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1973, p. 23) (16)
“In regard to your question about qualifications of delegates and Assembly members: the qualifications which he outlined are really applicable to anyone we elect to a Bahá’í office, whatever its nature. But these are only an indication, they do not mean people who don’t fulfill them cannot be elected to office. We must aim as high as we can. He does not feel the friends should attach so much importance to limitations—such as people perhaps not being able to attend Assembly or Convention meetings, because if they do, then the fundamental concept of everyone being willing to do Bahá’í service on administrative bodies will be weakened, and the friends may be tempted to vote for those who because of independent means or circumstances in their lives are freer to come and go but less qualified to serve.” (October 24, 1947, to the National Spiritual Assembly of the British Isles, published in Unfolding Destiny: The Messages from the Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith to the Bahá’í Community of the British Isles. London: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1981, p. 207) (17)
From a memorandum written by the Universal House of Justice
“Also relevant to this question is the statement made by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in one of His Tablets to the effect that a voter should make his choice from among those whose good name has been widely diffused.
“Inevitably, in any form of election, worthy individuals fail to be elected simply because they are not widely known. This is true in the system that uses nominations and electioneering as it will be in the Bahá’í system. However, this is not the point. Election to an Assembly, from a Bahá’í point of view, is not a right that people are entitled to, or an honor to which they should aspire; it is a duty and responsibility to which they may be called. The purpose is that those who are elected to an Assembly should be the most worthy for this service; this does not and cannot mean that all those who are worthy will be elected.
“It is expected that in the future ... there will be very large numbers of individuals who have the qualities which make them fit for service on Spiritual Assemblies. Of these only a few can be elected at any one time. It is also expected that, through training and experience in the process and spirit of Bahá’í elections, the members of the electorate will have raised their consciousness of their responsibility to vote for only those who satisfy the requirements that the Guardian has outlined. They will, therefore, see it as their continuing duty to familiarize themselves with the character and abilities of those who are active in the community so that, when the time for an election comes, they will already have some idea of the people from among whom they must make their choice.” (November 16, 1988, to the International Teaching Centre) (18)
3. The non-political character of elections[edit]
From letters written by or on behalf of Shoghi Effendi
“Beware, beware lest the foul odor of the parties and peoples of foreign lands in the West, and their pernicious methods, such as intrigues, party politics and propaganda—practices which are abhorrent even in name—should ever reach the Bahá’í community, exert any influence whatsoever upon the friends, and thus bring all spirituality to naught....” (January 30, 1923, written by Shoghi Effendi to a Spiritual Assembly; translated from the Persian) (19)
“One’s vote should be kept confidential. It is not permissible to make any reference whatsoever to individual names. The friends must avoid the evil methods and detestable practices of the politicians. They must turn completely to God, and with a purity of motive, a freedom of spirit and a sanctity of heart, participate in the elections....” (January 16, 1932, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to a Spiritual Assembly; translated from the Persian) (20)
“Let them exercise the utmost vigilance so that the elections are carried out freely, universally and by secret ballot. Any form of intrigue, deception, collusion or compulsion must be stopped and is forbidden.” (March 8, 1932, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to a local Spiritual Assembly; translated from the Persian) (21)
“The strength and progress of the Bahá’í community depend upon the election of pure, faithful and active souls.... Canvassing is abhorred....” (April 9, 1932, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to a local Spiritual Assembly; translated from the Persian) (22)
From letters written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice
“As you know very well, the method of Bahá’í elections is at complete variance with the methods and practices of elections in political systems. The beloved Guardian has pointed out to us that should we follow the method of the politicians in our Bahá’í elections, misunderstandings and differences will arise, chaos and confusion will ensue, mis-
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chief will abound and the confirmations of God will be cut
off from that Bahá’í community. In view of these grave
warnings, the utmost care must always be exercised so that
the purity and spiritual character of Bahá’í elections are
maintained and preserved.
“When one sees some inexperienced or immature Bahá’ís indulge in electioneering, either openly or secretly, far from being tempted to imitate them, one should resolutely arise and through proper administrative channels and procedures assist in eradicating such tendencies and cleansing the Bahá’í community from such evil influences.” (December 6, 1971, to an individual believer) (23)
“... the Bahá’ís, particularly prominent Bahá’ís, should avoid doing anything which might create a wrong impression and give rise to accusations by uninformed Bahá’ís of electioneering.” (April 15, 1986, to a National Spiritual Assembly) (24)
4. The absence of nominations[edit]
From letters written by or on behalf of Shoghi Effendi
“I feel that reference to personalities before the election would give rise to misunderstanding and differences. What the friends should do is get thoroughly acquainted with one another, to exchange views, to mix freely and discuss among themselves the requirements and qualifications for such a membership without reference or application, however indirect, to particular individuals. We should refrain from influencing the opinion of others....” (May 14, 1927, written by Shoghi Effendi to the Spiritual Assembly of Akron, Ohio, published in the U.S. “Bahá’í News Letter,” no. 18, June 1927, p. 9) (25)
“... the practice of nomination, so detrimental to the atmosphere of a silent and prayerful election, is viewed with mistrust inasmuch as it gives the right to the majority of a body that, in itself, under the present circumstances, often constitutes a minority of all the elected delegates, to deny that God-given right of every elector to vote only in favor of those whom he is conscientiously convinced are the most worthy candidates....” (May 27, 1927, written by Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada, published in Bahá’í Administration, p. 136) (26)
“As to the practice of nomination in Bahá’í elections, this the Guardian firmly believes to be in fundamental disaccord with the spirit which should animate and direct all elections held by the Bahá’ís, be they of a local or national character and importance. It is, indeed, the absence of such a practice that constitutes the distinguishing feature and the marked superiority of the Bahá’í electoral methods over those commonly associated with political parties and factions. The practice of nomination, being thus contrary to the spirit of Bahá’í administration, should be totally discarded by all the friends. For otherwise the freedom of the Bahá’í elector in choosing the members of any Bahá’í Assembly will be seriously endangered, leaving the way open for the domination of personalities. Not only that, but the mere act of nomination leads eventually to the formation of parties— a thing which is totally alien to the spirit of the Cause.
“In addition to these serious dangers, the practice of nomination has the great disadvantage of killing in the believer the spirit of initiative, and of self-development. Bahá’í electoral procedures and methods have, indeed, for one of their essential purposes the development in every believer of the spirit of responsibility. By emphasizing the necessity of maintaining his full freedom in the elections, they make it incumbent upon him to become an active and well-informed member of the Bahá’í community in which he lives. To be able to make a wise choice at the election time, it is necessary for him to be in close and continued contact with all of his fellow-believers, to keep in touch with all local activities, be they teaching, administrative or otherwise, and to fully and whole-heartedly participate in the affairs of the local as
‘The beloved Guardian has pointed out to us that should we follow the method of the politicians in our Bahá’í elections, misunderstandings and differences will arise, chaos and confusion will ensue, mischief will abound and the confirmations of God will be cut off from that Bahá’í community.’
well as national committees and Assemblies in his country. It is only in this way that a believer can develop a true social consciousness, and acquire a true sense of responsibility in matters affecting the interests of the Cause. Bahá’í community life thus makes it a duty for every loyal and faithful believer to become an intelligent, well-informed and responsible elector, and also gives him the opportunity of raising himself to such a station. And since the practice of nomination hinders the development of such qualities in the believer, and in addition leads to corruption and partisanship, it has to be entirely discarded in all Bahá’í elections.” (February 4, 1935, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, published in The Light of Divine Guidance: The Messages from the Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith to the Bahá’ís of Germany and Austria, vol. 1. Hofheim-Langenhain: Bahá’í-Verlag, 1982, pp. 67-68) (27)
“The elections, especially when annual, give the community a good opportunity to remedy any defect or imperfection from which the Assembly may suffer as a result of the actions of its members. Thus a safe method has been established whereby the quality of membership in Bahá’í Assemblies can be continually raised and improved. But, as already stated, the institution of the Spiritual Assembly should under no circumstances be identified with, or be estimated merely through, the personal qualifications of the members that compose it.” (November 15, 1935, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to individual believers, published in “The Local Spiritual Assembly,” pp. 9-10) (28)
From a memorandum written by the Universal House of Justice
“The fundamental difference between the system of candidature and the Bahá’í system is that, in the former, individuals, or those who nominate them, decide that they should be placed in positions of authority and put themselves forward to be voted into it. In the Bahá’í system it is the mass of the electorate which makes the decision. If an
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individual ostentatiously places himself in the public eye
with the seeming purpose of getting people to vote for him,
the members of the electorate regard this as self-conceit and
are affronted by it; they learn to distinguish between someone who is well-known as an unintentional result of active
public service and someone who makes an exhibition of
himself merely to attract votes.” (November 16, 1988, to
the International Teaching Centre) (29)
5. Participation in elections[edit]
From letters written by Shoghi Effendi
“These local Spiritual Assemblies will have to be elected directly by the friends, and every declared believer of 21 years and above, far from standing aloof and assuming an indifferent or independent attitude, should regard it his sacred duty to take part, conscientiously and diligently, in the election, the consolidation, and the efficient working of his own local Assembly.” (March 12, 1923, to the Bahá’ís of the West, Japan and Australasia, published in Bahá’í Administration, p. 39) (30)
“It would also appear to me unobjectionable to enable and even to require in the last resort such delegates as cannot possibly undertake the journey to the seat of the Bahá’í Convention to send their votes.... It should, however, be made clear to every elected delegate—who should be continually reminded—that it is a sacred responsibility and admittedly preferable to attend if possible in person the sessions of the Convention, to take an active part in all its proceedings, and to acquaint his fellow-workers on his return with the accomplishments, the decisions, and the aspirations of the assembled representatives of the American believers.” (October 24, 1925, to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada, published in Bahá’í Administration, pp. 91-92) (31)
“I feel I must reaffirm the vital importance and necessity of the right of voting—a sacred responsibility of which no adult recognized believer should be deprived.... This distinguishing right which the believer possesses however does not carry with it nor does it imply an obligation to cast his vote, if he feels that the circumstances under which he lives do not justify or allow him to exercise that right intelligently and with understanding. This is a matter which should be left to the individual to decide for himself according to his own conscience and discretion....” (In the handwriting of Shoghi Effendi, appended to a letter dated April 28, 1935, written on his behalf to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada, published in Messages to America: Selected Letters and Cablegrams Addressed to the Bahá’í of North America 1932-1946. Wilmette: Bahá’í Publishing Committee, 1947, pp. 3-4) (32)
From communications written by or on behalf of the Universal House of Justice
“In the matter of attendance of delegates at Conventions, the desirability of the friends themselves being self-supporting should be pointed out by the National Assembly. If a delegate cannot pay his own expenses in attending the Convention, the local Assembly or the believers in the electoral unit from which the delegate comes should be encouraged by the National Assembly to defray such expenses, so that only when funds are unavailable from those sources, the National Assembly is approached to consider offering financial assistance....” (From a letter dated February 9, 1967, written by the Universal House of Justice to all National Spiritual Assemblies, published in Lights of Guidance: A Bahá’í Reference File, compiled by Helen Hornby. New Delhi: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1983, p. 143) (33)
“There is no minimum of ballots required for an election to be considered valid, either in the case of a local Spiritual Assembly or of delegates to the National Convention. Nevertheless, it is desirable that every eligible voter take part, and your Assembly should encourage all believers to do so....” (From a letter dated July 10, 1980, written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to a National Spiritual Assembly) (34)
“In general, if a delegate to the National Convention is unable to pay his own travel expenses, the believers from the electoral unit from which the delegate comes should be encouraged by the National Spiritual Assembly to defray such expenses. If funds are unavailable from this source, the National Spiritual Assembly may be approached to consider offering financial assistance. The National Assembly is not under obligation to do so. It may choose to pay only a portion of the travel expenses of a delegate, such as the return portion of the transportation cost....
“The Counsellors should not hesitate to draw the attention of the National Spiritual Assembly to the need to foster good attendance of delegates at the National Convention, and to offer advice on the merits of provision of financial assistance to delegates. In addition, the Counsellors should emphasize to the community, through the Auxiliary Board members and their assistants, the value of believers in each unit area providing financial help to the delegate they have elected to participate in the deliberations of the National Convention. The vital responsibility of each delegate to cast his ballot by mail, if he is unable to attend in person, should also be emphasized.” (From a memorandum dated November 14, 1988, written by the Universal House of Justice to the International Teaching Centre) (35)
6. The role of the National Spiritual Assembly[edit]
From letters written by or on behalf of Shoghi Effendi
“The seating of delegates to the Convention, i.e. the right to decide upon the validity of the credentials of the delegates at a given Convention is vested in the outgoing National Assembly, and the right to decide who has the voting privilege is also ultimately placed in the hands of the National Spiritual Assembly....” (January 29, 1925, written by Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada, published in Bahá’í Administration, p. 80) (36)
“He considers that the National Spiritual Assembly has every right to examine the ballots if there is some doubt as to the election having been properly conducted. By ‘preservation’ of the ballots is meant that they are preserved in the national files.” (March 14, 1947, written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia and New Zealand, published in Letters from the Guardian to Australia and New Zealand, 1923-1957. Sydney: National Spiritual Assembly of Australia, 1970, p. 66) (37)
United States[edit]
Maryland U. to have Bahá’í Peace Chair[edit]
On January 26, the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly met with representatives of the University of Maryland in College Park to sign an historic Memorandum of Understanding to establish a Bahá’í Chair for World Peace at the university’s Center for International Development and Conflict Management (CIDCM).
Representing the university were Dr. Abdel R. Oman, acting director of the CIDCM; Dean Murray Polakoff of the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences; and Dr. Soheil Bushrui, a Bahá’í who is a visiting professor at the CIDCM and director of the Bahá’í Chair.
A view of the luncheon hosted at the University of Maryland’s Adult Education Center by the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly and the University’s Center for International Development and Conflict Management.
The Chair for World Peace, the first Bahá’í Chair to be established at any university, is “dedicated to the advancement of knowledge in matters of conflict resolution and the promotion of peace and prosperity throughout the world.”
Its purposes, as outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding, are:
(1) to conduct and publish research, design courses and conduct seminars in the field of Bahá’í studies and world peace within an interdisciplinary context;
(2) to initiate public forums for discussing the issues proposed in the Universal House of Justice’s peace statement, “The Promise of World Peace”; and
(3) to establish academic relations with and provide technical assistance to Bahá’í institutions in the fields of peace education and international development.
The establishment of the Bahá’í Chair requires an endowment of $1.5 million. The U.S. Bahá’í community, aided by the CIDCM, will raise the necessary funds to enable the Chair to become operative no later than July 1, 1991.
Following the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding, the National Spiritual Assembly and CIDCM hosted a luncheon for some 115 Baha’is and their guests at the university’s Center for Adult Education.
Dean Polakoff presided, explaining in his opening remarks the vital need for the spiritual perspective the Chair will provide in the study of world peace and conflict resolution.
Other speakers were Dr. James A. Norton, chancellor of the University of Maryland System; Judge Dorothy W. Nelson, chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly; Dr. William F. Gibson, chairman of the National Board of Directors of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP); Dr. Firuz Kazemzadeh, the National Assembly secretary for External Affairs; and Dr. Bushrui.
“Throughout the world,” said Dr. Norton, “countries are tearing down the old systems of government and setting up new ones to help in the quest for peace and stability.
“Though fragile, these governments today hold great promise for helping achieve world peace tomorrow. Through the sort of academic discourse made possible by the Bahá’í Chair, we at the University of Mary-
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Signing the Memorandum of Understanding to establish a Bahá’í Chair for
World Peace at the University of
Maryland’s Center for International
Development and Conflict Management are (left to right) Judge Dorothy W. Nelson, chairman of the National
Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of
the United States; Dean Murray Polakoff of the University of Maryland’s School of Social and Behavioral Sciences; and Dr. Abdel R. Omran, acting
director of the CIDCM. Looking on
are other members of the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly.
land can be active partners in this evolving process.”
After noting the historic significance of the occasion, Judge Nelson presented the National Assembly’s check for $300,000 toward endowment of the Chair to Chancellor Norton and Dean Polakoff.
She then made the surprise announcement that another $50,000 had been contributed anonymously by a couple in the audience.
In his keynote address, Dr. Gibson related racism and ethnic conflicts to themes outlined in the peace statement.
“Prejudice and war,” he said, “have been expressions of the immature stages in a vast historical process.
“As a civil rights leader who has seen America grow up, to some extent, and develop through similar stages of infancy and childhood in its race relations, I have faith, despite the many trials and tribulations we’ve faced in the ‘movement,’ that this nation and this world community will ultimately mature.”
Dr. Kazemzadeh spoke about the purpose of the Chair, after which Dr. Bushrui closed the proceedings with a tribute to Dr. Edward Azar, director of the CIDCM, who first proposed the idea of a Bahá’í Chair for World Peace at the university in a letter to the Universal House of Justice.
Dr. Azar’s letter was a response to the House of Justice’s statement in “The Promise of World Peace” offering the Bahá’í community as “a model for study” of the way in which people of diverse backgrounds can learn to live together in peace.
Dr. Azar, who was too ill to attend the signing, was given nine red roses by the National Assembly and CIDCM as a token of their appreciation for his work on behalf of the Chair.
Before the signing, Judge Nelson had received from Dean Polakoff two beautifully framed paintings commissioned by the CIDCM, entitled “Dawn of the Dove,” as gifts from the university to the Universal House of Justice and the National Spiritual Assembly.
Keynote speaker at the luncheon was Dr. William F. Gibson, chairman of the National Board of Directors of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
Retrospective[edit]
Bahá’í Council: harbinger of growth[edit]
We often hear that ours is a growing, evolving, organic Faith, and yet, being so close to the beginnings of so many things (the Universal House of Justice, the International Teaching Centre, the building of the Arc, and so on), it can be hard to see the entire growth process. There is, however, one brief chapter in recent Bahá’í annals where the process of growth can be seen in its full sequence, from embryonic seedling to mature institution, and that is in the history of the International Bahá’í Council.
The Bahá’í Council had a life-span of only 12 years and some months, but in that brief time it grew and changed dramatically and bore its mature fruit: the Universal House of Justice.
From the time of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá the intention existed to form the international governing body that Bahá’u’lláh had ordained for His Faith. This goal was one of the first concerns of Shoghi Effendi during his early years as Guardian of the Faith. As he learned that the Bahá’ís (in the 1920s) had an insufficient understanding of the form and nature of Bahá’u’lláh’s Administrative Order, he realized that the creation of an international body could not be an early accomplishment. First, he had to teach the Bahá’í world how to build and operate the Administrative Order so that a firm foundation on which to rest would be ready for the Universal House of Justice. The process took some 30 years.
In February 1951 the Bahá’í world was stunned to read this headline in Bahá’í News: “Epoch Making Decision Formation First International Bahá’í Council.” The Council’s functions were threefold: (1) to build a positive relationship with the authorities in the newly formed state of Israel; (2) to help the Guardian finish erecting the superstructure of the Shrine of the Báb; and (3) to negotiate matters of personal status with the authorities. In an area where the court system was organized along religious lines, there was no court system for Bahá’ís. To these responsibilities others would be added in the future.
| This article on the International Bahá’í Council was written for Bahá’í News by Duane L. Herrmann, a Bahá’í who lives in Berryton, Kansas. |
Concerning the future of the Council, the Guardian referred to “its transformation into (a) duly elected body, its efflorescence into (the) Universal House of Justice, and its final fruition through (the) erection (of) manifold auxiliary institutions constituting (the) world Administrative Centre....”1 We see the fulfillment of this expectation today as plans for the remaining buildings on the Arc are set in motion.
The Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum indicates in The Priceless Pearl that the first members of the Council were drawn from Bahá’ís living in the Holy Land and others summoned by the Guardian for that purpose: “... when Lotfullah Hakim (the first to arrive), Jessie and Ethel Revell, followed by Amelia Collins and Mason Remey were all gathered at table one day in the Western Pilgrim House, with Gladys Weeden and her husband Ben who were already living there, the Guardian announced to us his intention of constituting, out of that group, an International Council, we were all overcome by the unprecedented nature of this step he was taking and the infinite bounty it conferred upon those present as well as the entire Bahá’í world.”2 The announcement was as much a shock to them as the later cable was to the Bahá’í world. The cable the Revell sisters received summoning them to Haifa had read simply: “Welcome your presence Haifa—Shoghi.”3
The members of the Council were immediately involved in the work at the World Centre, and new responsibilities were added almost daily. In June 1951, Bahá’í News included a lengthy letter from the Council concerning work on the Shrine of the Báb and other accomplishments. The opening paragraph explains that “he (the Guardian) has given us the privilege and joy of keeping our fellow Bahá’ís informed....”4 The letter gives historical and current details of the construction of the Shrine of the Báb and the extension of its terraces, and visits of members of the Council with the Israeli Minister for Religious Affairs, the mayors of Haifa and ‘Akká, the military governor of Galilee, and the U.S. ambassador to Israel.
The creation of the Council itself made news in Israel, and its establishment helped the authorities there to understand more clearly that the Faith was an independent world religion. These were side benefits of immense value. During the first months of the Council’s existence, without any initiative on the part of the Bahá’ís, the keys to the cell where Bahá’u’lláh was incarcerated in the Most Great Prison of ‘Akká were given to the Bahá’ís, indicating that it was to be a Bahá’í Holy Place.
Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum provided a glimpse of the manner in which the Council functioned in its early years: “Its members received their instructions from him (the Guardian) individually, in the informal atmosphere of the dinners at the Pilgrim House table, and not formally as a body; its meetings were infrequent as all its members were kept constantly busy with the many tasks allotted to them.”5 It was not a consultative body as we understand the term, but consultation was not its purpose. The Guardian did not need to consult. The Council was instead the administrative
[Page 11]
device used by the Guardian for the
operation of the World Centre.
The Council also educated the non-Bahá’í public in the nature of the World Centre and the Administrative Order. “Skillfully, Shoghi Effendi used this new institution to create in the minds of government and city officials the image of a body of an international character handling the administrative affairs at the World Centre.”6 This has borne fruit in the present cordial relations enjoyed by the Faith with the city of Haifa and the state of Israel.
The Council’s membership was altered slightly the next year, and its international character was expanded. In March 1952, Ugo Giachery and Leroy Ioas were added to the Council. The officers remained essentially the same: Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum, liaison to the Guardian; Mason Remey, president; Amelia Collins, vice-president; Jessie Revell, treasurer; Lutfullah Hakim, eastern secretary; Ethel Revell, western secretary; and now, Ugo Giachery, member-at-large, and Leroy Ioas, secretary-general. Five of the eight were Hands of the Cause of God. Council membership would remain steady until 1955 when Sylvia Ioas was appointed, raising the number of members to nine.
Among the tasks given to Council members by the Guardian was that of representing him at various international conferences. In 1952, Mason Remey, Ugo Giachery and Leroy Ioas were sent to conferences in New Delhi, Stockholm and Kampala, Uganda. At the same time, Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum and Amelia Collins were sent to the international conference and dedication of the House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois. They brought with them a copy of the portrait of Bahá’u’lláh, a gift from the Guardian to the House of Worship.
In a letter to the American Bahá’í community dated July 19, 1956, the Guardian listed some of the accomplishments of the International Bahá’í Council. They included “stupendous work” for “the expansion and consolidation of the international institutions of the Faith....The erection of the International Archives ... the extension of the international Bahá’í endowments on the slopes of Mount Carmel; the formation of several Israel branches of Bahá’í National Spiritual Assemblies; the embellishment of the precincts of the resting-places of both the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh; the purchase of the site of the first Mashriqu’l-Adhkár of the Holy Land; the preparation of the designs for the International Bahá’í Archives on Mount Carmel, and the Mother Temples of Persia and Africa; the inauguration of the preliminary steps for the eventual construction of Bahá’u’lláh’s Holy Sepulchre; the measures adopted, with the assistance of various officials of the State of Israel, for the eviction of the Covenant-breakers from the immediate precincts of the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh ...”7 Needless to say, this work was a tremendous help to the Guardian.
After the passing of Shoghi Effendi in November 1957, the Council continued to carry out its duties at the World Centre under the direction of the body of the Hands of the Cause residing in the Holy Land, nine of whom had been elected by the rest of the Hands to oversee the affairs of the Bahá’í world in carrying on the work of the Guardian. The Hands of the Cause did this because they ranked directly below the Guardian, whereas the Council had no authority of its own. After consultation, the body of the Hands wrote on November 26, 1957, reaffirming to the Bahá’í world the purpose of the International Council: “As to the International Bahá’í Council ... that body will in the course of time finally fulfill its purpose through the formation of the Universal House of Justice....”8
Two years later the Hands of the Cause wrote: “The members of all the National and Regional Spiritual Assemblies of the Bahá’í world, duly constituted in Riḍván 1960, will take part in a postal ballot to elect nine members to the International Council. (It would) serve a two-year term of office, and cease to exist upon the occasion of the election of the Universal House of Justice.”9 This election would serve as a forerunner of the impending election of the House of Justice. All members of the Bahá’í world were eligible for election to the Council, but the Hands of the Cause excluded themselves in a remarkable act of self-abnegation.
On April 29, 1961, the Hands of the Cause sent a cable from the Holy Land proclaiming the results of the election of the International Bahá’í Council: “Joyfully announce membership: Jessie Revell, Ali Nakhjáváni, Lotfullah Hakim, Ethel Revell, Charles Wolcott, Sylvia Ioas, Mildred Mottahedeh, Ian Semple, Borrah Kavelin.”10 This was indeed historic news, the first international, democratic election in the history of mankind. The Council had taken another large step toward its destiny to evolve into the Universal House of Justice.
The newly elected Council continued its former duties with the addition of those necessary to ensure the establishment of the Universal House of Justice and others deemed necessary by the Hands of the Cause, one of which was the publication of a newsletter from the World Centre. Seven issues of this newsletter were published on behalf of the Hands during the next two years.
The last months in the life of the Council were devoted to preparations for the first International Bahá’í Convention. Members of National Spiritual Assemblies would arrive from all over the world, with 288 of the 504 individual members able to attend. Charlotte Linfoot, long-time assistant secretary of the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly, later recollected, “This was the greatest mass pilgrimage ever to have been made to the World Centre of our Faith.”11 Before the Convention, all were given an opportunity to pray at the Holy Shrines.
On the morning of the first day of Riḍván B.E. 120, 100 years after Bahá’u’lláh had announced His Revelation to mankind, ballots were cast to elect the first Universal House of Justice. The purpose and life of the Bahá’í Council had come to an end; the intention of the Guardian, the hopes of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and the Plan of Bahá’u’lláh had been fulfilled. The Supreme Body of the Faith, “the source of all good and freed from all error,” had become a physical reality.
NOTES
- Bahá’í News, February 1951, p. 1.
- Rúhíyyih Rabbani, The Priceless Pearl (London: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1969), pp. 251-52.
- Bahá’í News, February 1951, p. 2.
- Bahá’í News, June 1951, p. 1.
- The Priceless Pearl, p. 253.
- ibid.
- The Bahá’í World, XIII (1954-63), p. 395.
- Bahá’í News, January 1958, p. 2.
- Bahá’í News, December 1959, p. 2.
- Bahá’í News, June 1961, p. 10.
- The Bahá’í World, XIV (1963-68).
The world[edit]
62 young Bahá’ís visit Soviet Union[edit]
A group of Youth Ambassadors from eight countries toured the Soviet Union last November 29-December 9 under the auspices of Youth Ambassadors International (YAI) of Washington state and the Foundation for Social Innovation (FSI) in Moscow.
Sixty-two Bahá’ís were among the group which sought to further the two agencies’ goal of bridging cultural gaps through youth and teacher exchanges.
In 1988, when 14 young Soviets were hosted by the Bahá’ís at a summer camp in Hawaii, YAI and FSI were introduced to the Universal House of Justice’s peace statement, found it to be supportive of their mission, and invited the Bahá’ís to come and share it with Soviet youth.
The members of the “Promise of World Peace” tour spent five days in Moscow and four in Kazan, capital of the Tatar ASSR.
The group was invited to a youth congress held to launch a Moscow branch of the School for Planetary Thought. During that event the peace statement was briefly examined, and Bahá’u’lláh was named as Author of its fundamental principles. The talk received a standing ovation.
The young ambassadors visited the Home for Children of Dysfunctional Families near Moscow, and presented a copy of the peace statement to its director.
Copies of the statement were also presented during a visit to the Pushkin estate and new Pushkin Museum outside Moscow. In return, the group was invited to develop a summer work-study program whereby western youth could “earn rubles” working side by side with Soviet youth in crafts, archaeological and restoration projects.
Among a number of “firsts” enjoyed by the visitors was the invitation to visit Kazan, where they spent four days touring schools and visiting private homes.
They were the first group from outside the Soviet Union ever asked to address the problem of youth gangs in Kazan. At a meeting with gang members a documentary on youth gangs was shown, after which copies of the peace statement were given out.
Another first was a forum at Kazan University where the Student League arranged for the Bahá’ís to speak to 250-300 students. After the talk, the students spontaneously formed 20 small discussion groups, eager to discuss the ideas they had heard. The students accepted hundreds of copies of the peace statement.
Media coverage of the nine-day tour included three television interviews with Bahá’ís who introduced the peace statement and spoke freely about the Faith. One newspaper printed an editorial about the peace statement, and another in Moscow printed a brief article about the meeting with the youth congress.
Tour T-shirts, which read “Youth Ambassadors Peace Tour” on the front and “World Peace Is Not Only Possible But Inevitable” on the back, in Russian and English, proved quite popular, and 86 were given away along with many Peace Tour and Bahá’í buttons and the contents of nine boxes of Bahá’í literature which included 3,000 copies of the peace statement.
Japan[edit]
Fariburz Sahba, architect of the Bahá’í House of Worship in India and manager of the Arc Project on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel, addresses a meeting of architects and artists held last November in Tokyo, Japan. Auxiliary Board member Kimiko Schwerin, seated next to Mr. Sahba, is translating his remarks into Japanese.
Paraguay[edit]
Two hundred-eight participants, mostly Lengua and Toba people, gathered last November 12 for a Regional Teaching Conference in Cerrito, in the Chaco area of Paraguay. During the conference, one youth was enrolled in the Faith.
Philippines[edit]
The Bahá’í community of the Philippines, in cooperation with the Ra Kendra Peace Circle, the Focolare Movement, and the Centre for Peace-Asia, sponsored a “Week of Prayer for World Peace” last October.
The first prayer meeting, held October 22 at the Bahá’í National Center, was attended by about 40 people, among whom were the Philippine president of the World Conference for Religion and Peace, a Roman Catholic priest who is involved in community relations between Christians and Muslims in Mindanao, the principal of the International School, two officers of the Integrated National Police, the founders of the Ra Kendra Peace Circle, and Counsellor Vicente Samaniego.
During the rest of the week Bahá’ís attended a number of meetings hosted by their co-sponsors of the “Week of Prayer for World Peace.”
In November, the islands of Leyte and Cebu in the Philippines reported that 808 new believers had been enrolled, 169 new localities opened to the Faith, and five new local Spiritual Assemblies formed.
Australia[edit]
The “Wildfire” theatre group recently completed a four-country tour of Asia, performing more than 100 times at schools, universities, shopping centers, refugee camps and public parks.
In Macau, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Thailand the group reached more than 12,000 people with the Message of Bahá’u’lláh.
Wildfire is composed of young Bahá’ís from places as diverse as South Africa, Samoa, Australia, Papua New Guinea and the United States. The group toured Australia a year ago with resounding success.
The group took part in mass teaching efforts in Macau, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Thailand, and attended a three-day teaching institute in Taiwan. They were also able to meet the Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum, “whose loving spirit,” they reported, “was a great inspiration to us.”
Among the highlights of the tour:
- Performances in refugee camps in Hong Kong, which led to extensive media coverage.
- A 17-city tour of Taiwan including a performance for a group of tribal people that resulted in the enrollment of two daughters of the chief of the Beinan tribe.
- A six-day tour of the south of Thailand, performing primarily in schools and colleges which, in close cooperation with teaching teams from Malaysia, led to the enrollment of 815 new believers.
More than 700 guests attended a cultural event last October sponsored by Australia’s National Chinese Teaching Committee.
Of those present, 450 were from mainland China with others coming from as far away as Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan and Korea.
The speaker was Mrs. Helen Shan-Ho, the first Chinese ever elected to the State Parliament of New South Wales. She praised the Bahá’ís for their efforts in promoting world peace and unity.
During the evening two people declared their belief in Bahá’u’lláh.
Nigeria[edit]
The Kay Wilson Teaching Campaign in Anambra State, Nigeria, last November 22-December 6 surpassed its goals with 759 new Bahá’ís enrolled and 24 new local Spiritual Assemblies formed.
India[edit]
The Bahá’í House of Worship in India drew a record 400,000 visitors last October, many of whom came from a nearby fair which attracts many people from the states of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and the area surrounding Delhi.
On October 2, a national holiday honoring the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, more than 50,000 people visited the Temple.
Also in October, delegates from several international conferences visited the Temple. A group of neurosurgeons from Italy came one day, and another from Spain the next. Also visiting were about 150 delegates from 21 countries attending a conference of the Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Among the dignitaries visiting in October were Lin Tiang, a minister from the People’s Republic of China, and the Ambassador of Panama to India who has been to the House of Worship in Panama several times and is well-acquainted with the Bahá’ís.
The fifth meeting of the International Task Force on Literacy (ITFL) was held last October 1-7 in New Delhi, India. The Bahá’í International Community, which joined the ITFL in December 1988, was represented by Daniel Wegener.
Latlita Ramdas, a member of the National UNESCO Commission of India, approached Mr. Wegener and asked for information about the Faith. Counsellor Zena Sorabjee and the National Spiritual Assembly of India have since been in contact with Mrs. Ramdas, which has led to the National Assembly’s hosting a meeting at the Bahá’í National Center of the World Conference for Education for All.
A special highlight of the ITFL conference was a visit to the Bahá’í House of Worship at Bahapur, near New Delhi.
The ongoing Javanmardi Teaching Campaign in Orissa State, India, continues to enroll new believers at an accelerating rate with some 4,300 embracing the Cause last October and November.
With so many new believers, a consolidation program has begun in earnest. So far 15 local Spiritual Assemblies have been formed and are functioning.
A mobile deepening institute, which travels from village to village, has given three deepenings in the area, and a three-area conference has been held.
David Hofman, retired member of the Universal House of Justice, plants roses near the Bahá’í House of Worship in India. Mr. Hofman planted the roses, he said, on behalf of the present members of the House of Justice, in memory of late members, and one ‘on my own behalf.’
Ghana[edit]
Twenty-five Bahá’ís introduced the Faith to the people of the Gonja district in Ghana despite a heavy rainfall that not only flooded the area but burst a dam, taking many lives and rendering hundreds homeless while making travel a major undertaking.
The project continued from July 27 through September 19, resulting in the enrollment of more than 140 people, the formation of seven new local Spiritual Assemblies, and the establishment of four village communities.
China[edit]
“The Green Light Expedition,” a filmed record of the historic journey by the Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum along the Amazon River in South America, has been shown on television in Guangzhou, China. Its presentation was well-advertised both on television and in a TV guide.
The film, dubbed in Cantonese, was scheduled for broadcast in five segments, three of which had been seen by four to five million viewers by early November.
Later, the film was shown again in its entirety, and plans included circulating a second version of the film, in Mandarin, to TV stations throughout China.
He Xia Hui, vice-president of China’s Gui Zhou Provincial Cultural Bureau, inscribes the words ‘peace and friendship’ in a message to the Bahá’í World Centre, in response to a similar gift to him that read, ‘Gui Zhou tribes and cultures are the common treasures of mankind,’ signed, ‘UN Bahá’í Office.’
Colombia[edit]
Two hundred-eighty Bahá’ís, organized into 19 teams of 19 members each, recently visited 98 communities in Colombia. Besides enrolling 3,405 new believers, the teams worked with 273 pre-youth and 164 youth in teaching and deepening the new enrollees.
Argentina[edit]
Traditional Toba music is performed by this Toba elder at the Tirol Bahá’í Teaching Institute in Argentina’s Chaco region. He was invited to speak to the Toba people about their history and to sing the traditional songs of their culture which have been largely lost to the younger generation.
The Gambia[edit]
The Non-Formal Education Services Unit of the Department of Education in the Gambia recently invited the Bahá’í community to exhibit materials on literacy during a week-long series of events at the unit’s offices and to attend a series of planned events including a seminar on local language literacy.
The Bahá’í exhibit consisted of a large sign that read: “The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the Gambia,” posters of quotations from the Bahá’í Writings on education, a set of “A Bahá’í Programme for Mothers,” a flip chart made from illustrations from the “Mothers” series, and issues of “One Country” and the International Task Force on Literacy bulletin.
The unit’s director commented favorably on the Bahá’í International Community’s involvement in the International Task Force on Literacy, and was impressed by the grassroots approach used by the Bahá’ís.
Botswana[edit]
A Bahá’í choir from Transkei performs at the Bahá’í International Music Festival held last December 1-3 in Gaborone, Botswana. Groups of singers from many African localities competed in the event.
New Zealand[edit]
More than 400 young people from 15 countries gathered last December in Auckland, New Zealand, for a Pacific Youth Conference.
Special guests included the Hand of the Cause of God H. Collis Featherstone, Counsellors Kamran Eshragian and Tinai Hancock, members of the National Spiritual Assembly, and three Auxiliary Board members.
At the close of the conference, Bahá’í youth, eager to teach, resolved to initiate or accelerate entry by troops in their home countries, and several were inspired to commit themselves to a year of service.
Paddy Payne, a Bahá’í from Wellington, New Zealand, has been elected president of New Zealand’s National Committee for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
Mr. Payne, who sees his work with the committee as a way of serving the Faith, has been involved with UNICEF for the past five years and is well-known for his efforts on behalf of the committee to promote a better world for children.
Germany[edit]
Proclamation activities have proliferated in West Germany with the recent influx of East German visitors. Each weekend, dozens of Bahá’ís distribute tens of thousands of pieces of literature while more and more are having in-depth meetings and interviews with seekers.
A total of 150,000 copies of a shortened version of the peace statement and about 20,000 other pieces of material, as well as hundreds of books, have been given to visitors from East Germany since the border between the two countries was opened last November.
At some locations the friends are providing hot tea on crowded streets, and one local Assembly, in cooperation with the city council, organized a lunch and dinner for East Germans that resulted in 70 people coming to the Bahá’í Center. Fifteen left their names and addresses to be notified of future Bahá’í meetings to be held in East Germany.
The National Spiritual Assembly has received more than a dozen written inquiries from East Germany. A typical one read, “Your teachings give strength and support to me and others. Please send more.”
The local Bahá’ís are being helped by friends from France, Norway and the United Kingdom.
Swaziland[edit]
Following a successful initiative with pre-schools, the National Spiritual Assembly of Swaziland has decided to open a Bahá’í primary school as well.
There is a great need in that country for primary schools, and the Bahá’ís have begun this new endeavor to help answer that need.
The Bahá’ís of Swaziland have founded a Bahá’í Pre- and Primary School Scholarship Fund, which subsidizes fees for the education of those Bahá’í children whose parents cannot afford to send them to school.
They have also established a Building Fund that is urgently needed for the construction of the primary school building.
Cameroon[edit]
An “entry by troops” campaign is under way in several areas of Cameroon. More than 150 people including whole families are involved in the campaign, which was preceded last spring by a three-day training institute in Batouri.
At the institute about 45 teachers arose to serve in the endeavor, which is named for the late Hand of the Cause of God Enoch Olinga, while more than 100,000 francs in cash or in kind was contributed to help defray expenses.
The Hasan Balyúzí team enrolled 214 new believers within two weeks, forming one new Spiritual Assembly and opening three new localities.
Meanwhile, in Bitamyen, the Rúhíyyih Khánum team enrolled 21 new believers in two weeks, formed one Assembly and opened three localities.
Following widespread teaching organized by the Provincial Teaching Committee North West, 62 new believers were enrolled with two new Assemblies formed and three localities opened to the Faith.
In the South West area, the first public Bahá’í conference in Muyuka led to several declarations and the teaching of the Faith to large numbers of people.
An intensive six-week teaching campaign in Cameroon’s Eastern Province has led to 578 enrollments and the formation of 11 new local Spiritual Assemblies.
Pictured are many of those who took part in a recent Bahá’í Teacher Training Institute in Batouri, Eastern Province, Cameroon.
Shown here are participants in the National Bahá’í Youth Conference held last summer in Kumba, Cameroon.
Reports from Yokadouma list 395 new believers including 277 Pygmy men and women, while four new Assemblies have been formed and five localities opened in North West Province.
More than 90 people from five countries attended Cameroon’s National Youth Conference in August including Counsellor Mihdí Samandarí, four members of the National Spiritual Assembly and four Auxiliary Board members.
The theme was “Dare to Be Different.” Talks centered on the responsibilities of youth in today’s society.
During the conference six young people embraced the Faith.
Nigeria[edit]
The government of Nigeria has recognized the Bahá’í Faith as an institution authorized to issue marriage certificates. The recognition fulfills a long-standing goal of the National Spiritual Assembly of Nigeria.
Conditions required by the government before issuing the marriage certificate include:
- registration by the intending bride or groom with the government office at least three weeks before the marriage and the payment of a small fee;
- a monogamous marriage;
- consent of parents;
- signing of the registry book on the day of the ceremony by two witnesses and a registrar.
Bahá’í marriages satisfy the conditions set by the government, and the National Bahá’í Center in Lagos has been accepted as a suitable place in which to house the Marriage Registry, an important government document.
Also, the National Teaching Institute in Bendel State is certified as a place where any Bahá’í can be married officially, and the Bahá’í Center in the Calabar District is authorized as a place for Bahá’í weddings in Cross River State.
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