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ONE

Iuly—September 1991

COUNTRY

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A call for international environmental legislation: a statement in preparation for the “Earth Summit.”

In Macau, an innovative school stresses internationalism and

looks ahead to 1999.

'14

In Iran, the persecutions 0f the Baha’i community of Iran are continuing,

U.N. panel is told.

Review: New Videotape showcases architectural

splendor of the New Delhi House ofVVorship.

“The earth 2': but one country, and mankind its citizem”— Bahé’u’lléh

Vol. 3, Issue 3 Newsletter of the Baha’i International Community

New survey of NGOS

suggests root causes of African food problems

Environmental degradation, inappropriate famine aid and inattention to women are primary factors

UNITED NATIONS— In words so slow and deliberate as to be almost hypnotic, Eremina Mvura described the challenges facing women farmers in Africa. The audience, gathered in the air conditioned comfort of the Dag Hammarskjéld Library Auditorium for a day-long symposium on the food crisis in Africa, was spellbound.

“Today we are here for the stomach," she said, getting to the heaI’t 0f the matter. “This stomach of ours, it has some basic requirements. And the women are working day and night to fulfill the basic needs of this stomach.

“The woman farmer has to go for miles to get water," added Ms. Mvura, who is a farmer and a community development worker in rural Zimbabwe. “If she comes back home without water — the baby, how he will cry. She needs food for her family, and that food needs to be cooked. So she needs water and she needs fuel.”

Ms. Mvura’s plaintive testimony, however, did not end in a plea for more outside aid. Instead, Ms. Mvura and others at the 5 September symposium asked only that international donors and development agen- cies support women as small-scale producers of indigenous crops instead of focusing so much on male farmers, cash crops and famine aid. In that

way, said Ms. Mvura and others, Africa can become more self—sufficient. (Continued on page 8)

Alex Ashiabor, left, and Ruth Bamela Engo-Tjega address the Sixth Annual Symposium of the Advocates for African Food Security at the United Nations.

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"3 COUNTRY

is published quarterly by the Office of Public Information of the Baha’i International Community, an international non-governmental organization which encom- passes and represents the worldwide membership of the Baha'i Faith.

For more information on the stories in this newsletter, or any aspect of the Baha'i international Community and its work, please contact:

ONE COUNTRY

Office of Public Information Baha’i International Community — Suite 120 866 United Nations Plaza New York, New York 10017 U.S.A.

Executive Editor: Douglas Martin

Editor: Brad Pokorny

Associate Editors:

Pierre Coulon

Christine Samandari-Hakim Pierre Spierckel

Rosalie Tran

Production Assistant: Veronica Shoffstall

Subscription inquiries should be directed to the above address. All material is copyrighted by the Baha’i International Community and subject to all applicable international copyright laws. Stories from this newsletter may be re-published by any organization provided that they are attributed as follows: “Reprinted from ONE COUNTRY, the newsletter of the Baha’i international Community."

© 1991 by The Baha‘i International Community

Printed on recycled paper 8

ONE (IOUN'I‘RY / IulySeptembcr 1991

The Need for International Environmental Legislation

’Ihefollowing statement was presented by the Bahd’z’ International Community to the Pre- paratory Committee for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Develop- ment (UNCED) in Geneva lastAugust.

A little over a hundred years ago, in a series of letters to the world leaders of the day, Baha’u’llah spoke of humankind as entering on a period of history that would entail the radical restructuring of the life of the planet. Challenges never before contemplated would, He said, soon over- w h e 1 m the re- . soucesof Pe 1'spectlve even the most ad- vanced nations. They could be addressed only by a world federal system whose central organ would be a representative world parliament empowered to create a code of universally agreed upon and en— forceable international law. “The earth is but one country," Baha'u’llah asserted, “and mankind its citizens.”

As the magnitude, complexity and ur- gency of environmental problems have gradually forced themselves on public at- tention, the logic of this prescription has become daily more apparent. The avail- able international legislative machinery and processes are proving inadequate, prima- rily because they are based on laws gov- erning nation-states.

To the Baha’i International Commu- nity it seems clear that, unless creative new steps in the restructuring of the inter- national order can be taken, environmen- tal degradation alone, and its long-term implications for social and economic de- velopment, will lead inexorably to a disas- ter of appalling dimension.

The current process for creating inter— national environmental legislation, which addresses only one problem at a time, is fragmented and unsystematic. Conven- tions, treaties, and protocols, have been adopted on such diverse issues as the protection of the ozone layer and control of international traffic in hazardous wastes.

Other conventions are being negotiated on climate change and on biological diversity. Still others have been suggested on such subjects as land-based sources of marine pollution. No one body is responsible for drafting international environmental legis- lation. Nor have the nations of the world agreed on a set of principles upon which environmental legislation can be based. Moreover, the countries signing the various legislative instruments are rarely identical. Thus, it is almost impossible to harmonize or combine agreements.

The international legislative process is well known to be slow, cumbersome, and expensive. Once a problem is identified, meetings of experts are called to prepare a draft agreement. The agreement is negoti- ated by interested governments and signed at a plenipotentiary meeting. After what is often a lengthy period of ratification and accessions, the legislation comes into force, but only in those states which have signed it.

Long—term solutions will require a new and comprehensive vision of a global society, supported by new

values... acceptance of the oneness of humanity is the first fundamental prerequisite...

A secretariat is generally established to fa- cilitate and monitor the convention’s imple- mentation.

If legislation has to be modified, as in the case 0fthe Montreal Protocol,where increased ozone deterioration outstripped the protocol’s provisions, updating can be as slow as adop tion. Many countries with limited numbers of diplomats and experts cannot cope with such time-consuming and expensive procedures, particularly as the number of negotiations is

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[Page 3]()NE COUNTRY / )ulyAScptcmbcr 199i

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increasing to respond to pressing global en- vironmental problems.

The present ad hoc process for envi- ronmental legislation can only become more unmanageable. Numerous proposals have been offered to provide global mechanisms to create and support a sus- tainable pattern of development. Some experts advise strengthening the existing UN system by upgrading the mandates of agencies such as the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), reconfiguring the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), or using the Trusteeship Council to ad- minister certain global resources. Others suggest creating new bodies such as an environmental security council, a World Court of environmental justice, or an in- ternational environmental negotiating body to prepare, adopt and revise international legislation onissues requiringglobalaction.

However well motivated and helpful such proposals are, it seems apparent to the Baha’i International Community that the establishment of a sustainable pattern of development is a complex task with widespread ramifications. It will clearly require a new level of commitment to solvin g major problems not exclusively associated with the environment.

These problems include nfilitalization, the inordinate disparity of wealth between and within nations, racism, lack of access to education, unrestrained nationalism, and the lack of equality between women and men. Rather than a piecemeal approach conceived in response to the needs of the nation—states, it seems clearly preferable to adopt an um- brella agreement under which specific in- ternational codes could be promulgated.

Long—term solutions will require a new and comprehensive vision of a global soci- ety, supported by new values. In the view of the Baha’i International Community, ac- ceptance of the oneness of humanity is the first fundamental prerequisite for this re- organization and administration of the world as one country, the home of humankind.

Recognition of this principle does not imply abandonment of legitimate loyalties, the suppression of cultural diversity, or the abolition of national autonomy. It calls for a wider loyalty, for a far higher aspiration than has so far animated human efforts. It clearly requires the subordination of national im- pulses and interests to the imperative claims

of a unified world. It is inconsistent not only with any attempt to impose uniformity, but with any tendency towards excessive cen- tralization. Its goal is well captured in the concept of “unity in diversity."

The Baha’i Writings envision the world federal system proposed by Baha’u’llah as one “in whose favor all the nations of the world will have willingly ceded every Claim to make war, certain rights to impose taxa- tion and all rights to maintain armaments, except for purposes of maintaining internal order within their respective dominions.” Such a world commonwealth will include “a world legislature, whose members will, as the trustees of the whole of mankind, ulti- mately control the entire resources of all the component nations, and will enact such laws as shall be required to regulate the life, satisfy the needs and adjust the relationships of all races and peoples.

“A world executive, backed by an inter- national Force, will carry out the decisions arrived at, and apply the laws enacted by, this world legislature, and will safeguard the organic unity of the whole common- wealth. Aworld tribunal will adjudicate and deliver its compulsory and final verdict in all and any disputes that may arise between the various elements constituting this uni- versal system."

Under such a system, “a single code of international law — the product of the considered judgement of the world’s fed— erated representatives — shall have as its sanction the instant and coercive interven- tion of the combined forces of the federated units...” At the same time, “the autonomy of [the] state members and the personal freedom and initiative of the individuals that compose them [will be] definitely and completely safeguarded.”

The Baha’i International Community therefore urges the Preparatory Commit- tee to consider bold and creative ap- proaches to the creation of international legislative machinery and processes. No real change is possible without a vision. The proposed Earth Charter can go a long way toward articulating a unifying vision for the future and boldly asserting the val- ues upon which it must rest. In its work on the text, the Preparatory Committee may wish to refer to The Promise of World Peace, a statement to the Peoples of the

(Continued page 15)

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[Page 4]Teacher Lisa Jacobson presents the “Peacemaker of the Week" award—symbolized by a globe of the earth—to Arnon Songlumjiak and Daniel Lai, two students in her primary two class at the School of the Nations.

ONE COUNTRY / Iuly-September 1991

With Mandarin and peace education, the School of the Nations brings new ideas to Macau

MACAU — Each week, teacher Lisa J acobson selects from her primary two class at the School of the Nations a recipient for a somewhat unusual award: “Peacemaker of the Week.” Those chosen have their photograph placed in a prominent spot, high on the classroom wall.

Although some diplomats mightperhaps have trouble with the concept, the seven-, eight— and nine-year—olds in Ms. Jacobson’s class for the most part do not —— although occasionally someone comes up with a new wrinkle on the definition of peace.

“What is a peacemaker?” the 27-year- old American—born teacher asked her class before presenting the award one day re- cently. Eager hands shot into the air.

“People are not fighting and use words to solve problems,” answered nine—year-old Kam Leong.

“You cannot say bad words,” said eight- year-old Lai Yin Yin.

“Don’t make strange faces to other people,” said eight—year—old Carlos DeSilva.

After a few more such answers, Ms.

Jacobson presented the award to two boys, Arnon Songlumjiak and Daniel Lai. "I‘hey

were helping each other to learn,” Ms. J acobson said. “They were in a reading group together. Arnon is a slower reader, and they helped each other over the hard words.”

That kind of emphasis on cooperation and unity is common in the classrooms at the School of the Nations, a combination pre— school and primary school in this tiny urban Portuguese colony on the Chinese coast Founded in 1986 by the Baha’i community here after reports that more than 2,000 chil- dren had no school to attend in Macau, School of the Nations has rapidly become among the most respected institutions in the colony — and a proving ground for a number of dis- tinctive educational experiments.

In addition to its emphasis on interna- tionalism and its moral education — ex- emplified by things like the peacemaker —— the School of the Nations also emphasizes environmental education. Students are also required to learn Mandarin Chinese, the only school to use Mandarin as a medium of instruction in this Cantonese-speaking colony. Its main medium of instruction is English; between the two languages, the school offers a unique preparation for 1999,

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[Page 5]ONE COUNTRY / Iuly-Septcmber 1991

“—

when control of Macau will revert to China.

“We view the School of the Nations as more than a primary school,” said Anula Samuel, the administrative coordinator, a title which corresponds to that of academic principal. “It is also a social development projectdesigned to assistthepeople ofMacau to prepare for 1999. Some people, we hope, will be able use Mandarin to help their com- munity communicate with mainlanders.”

The school has expanded rapidly since opening its doors in 1988. That year it had six students. During the 1989—1990 aca- demic year, 100 students were enrolled. During the 19901991 academic year, 220 students were enrolled. This year, there are 262 students; 91 in the pre—school school and 171 in the primary school, which runs through grade eight.

Government Grant and Support

Thisexpansion has come partlythrough the support of the colony’s government. The School of the Nations last year received a substantial grant from Macau Department of Education. The money was used to help purchase new space to house the expanded primary school.

“It is significant that the government would subsidize the acquisition of private school facilities,” said Dr. Christina Almeida, the deputy director of the Macau Department of Education. “And that means there is a lot of government interest and support of the School of the Nations.”

“The school is proposing things that are

rather new in Macau, but which seem very much the sort of thing that can aid us here,” Dr. Almeida added. “Because Macau is very much a cultural microcosm, what the School of Nations has proposed in multicultural education seems very useful for the future.”

Dr. Almeida also said the school’s em- phasis on Mandarin language skills could indeed be helpful to Macau’s future. “For those who want to stay in Macau after 1999, certainly the ability to speak Mandarin can help to develop a sort of specialized group of people who have the opportunity to de- velop institutions in concert with the Chi- nese,” Dr. Almeida said. “In general, we need more and more Mandarin speakers to develop contacts with mainland China.”

The emphasis on Mandarin extends even to the pre—school, which employs three teachers from China to provide basic lessons in Mandarin. The pre-school also empha- sizes moral education in its approach to early childhood development.

”This is something thatwe think makes us different from other schools in Macau,” said J inous Nouri, the administrator of the pre-school. “We talk about kindness, about sharing things with each other. No guns and no fighting. And, because we have students from so many different lands and cultures, we also show that we are all mem— bers of the same human family.”

Parents seem to like this sense of inter- nationalism. “I like the way the students of the different races combine together,” said

“In general, we need more and more Mandarin speakers to develop contacts with mainland

China. ” — Dr. Christina Almeida

Anula Samuel, left, and Alan Fryback are cocoordinators of the School of the Nations — a shared position that encompasses the traditional role of headmaster.

[Page 6]“We ’re looking to the preparation of students who will be participating in the creation of a

wand civilization. ” - Alan Fryback

Teacher Jennifer Fong leads a group of four—year—old children in a dance class at the School of the Nations pre—school in Macau. Founded six years ago, the school has made a strong reputation in the colony because of its emphasis on internationalism and cross—cultural awareness.

ONE COUNTRY / Iuly-Scptcmhcr 1991

——_——_———-———_

Mr. Lee Veng Fat, a garment importer and exporterwho has a three-year-old daughter at the school. “I heard other parents say good things about the school. So I came to take a look, and I liked the place.”

Parents with children in the primary grades seem equally pleased. ”There is often a tendency in schools to operate on what we call the duck teaching system,” said Mr. KT. Mak, who is managing direc- tor of the local Toyota automobile dealership and has two children in the primary school. “The duck system is all rote 1earning.They have to do a lot of homework. But the children don’t learn to think for themselves.

“Here at the School of the Nations, they do learn to think for themselves,” Mr. Mak said. “There is a lot of interaction between the students and the teachers. Plus, I chose this school because I want my children to grow up in a more international environ- ment, where they can meet people from all over the world. And here they can.”

Students from 24 nations are currently enrolled at the school, a figure which stems from a commitment to internationalism.

“We’re looking to the preparation of students who will be participating in the creation of a world civilization,” said Alan Fryback, who co-administers the school with Ms. Samuel. “So that means we try to look at all aspects of education, to eliminate those things that impede the emergence of a world Civilization, such as nationalism, racism, materialism, and sexism.”

The school also attempts to involve the

parents closely in the educational process. ”Traditionally, many schools have followed the philosophy that the school is the one that knows how to educate children, not the parents,” said Mr. Fryback. “But many of our goals are not achievable unless the parents are brought into the process.”

Individual teachers at the School of the Nations also see themselves as part of an educational experiment here. Mahin Kleinhenz, a'30-year-old teacher from Iran, has helped introduce environmental edu- cation to the school. Recently, for ex- ample, she and her seventh grade class made recycled paper.

“We went around and picked up used paper from the wastebaskets,” said Ms. Kleinhenz, whose husband is American. “We cut out the white parts and then we made paper, using a traditional pulping process and drying screens.”

As noted, Ms. Jacobson has taken a creative approach to peace education, which was her thesis topic at Stanford University in the United States.

“In my mind, peace education is orga- nized around two things: one is character development and the other is the recognition of world citizenship,” Ms. Jacobson said.

“I came here because I was very inter- ested in being involved in the development of education from the point of view of Baha‘i principles,” she added. “The school is based on a realization that we need to build and work towards a global society. And that is a challenge.” 6

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[Page 7]ONE COUNTRY / Iuly-September 1991

Cultural exchange is a feature of

School of the Nations’ look ahead

GUANGZHOU, China — The emphasis of the School of the Nations on building for the future as Macau looks ahead to 1999 extends beyond the classroom —— as re- flected in a recent excursion to this south- ern Chinese city, once known as Canton.

In June, seven students from the School, along with 17 other young people from Ma- laysia and Singapore, travelled here to per- form songs and dances as part of the city’s celebration of International Children’s Day.

Their performances displayed a cul- tural diversity that drew wide attention.

“The fact that the children were so diverse — they came from Singapore, Iran, Colombia, Malaysia, the United States, and Sri lanka — attracted the attention of people everywhere we went,” said Ong Eng Eng, one of the chaperones who accompanied the group.

“The Chinese people, especially, loved the color, the glitter, and the cultural beauty of the Malaysian dances and songs, which were sung both in Mandarin and English,” Ms. Ong said.

The visit of the children, and their performances, received extensive coverage in the local Chinese media, including on television.

“During the four days we were in Guangzhou, we were given a rousing wel- come wherever we went,” Ms. Ong said.

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”The Chinese children lined the streets and waved with flowers. The band played loud and clear. Every meal meant a sumptuous banquet of eight or ten courses.”

The delegation gave four performances in China during the visit, which extended from 30 May 1991 to 2 June 1991. The activities were organized and sponsored by the school, in collaboration with the Children’s Activity Center of Guangzhou and the Women’s Federation of Guangzhou.

Members of the delegation paid their own travel expenses. Other support for the trip came from the Malaysian Baha’i com— munity, which arranged for the 17 young people from Malaysia and Singapore to make the trip.

City officials in Guangzhou expressed interest in having the students from the School of the Nations return to participate in future celebrations. A special tree—plant— ing ceremony, in order that the “tree of friendship may grow every year,” was held.

“The promotion of respect for different cultures isvery important to us at the School of the Nations,” said Anula Samuel, the school’s administrator and leader of the delegation to Guangzhou. “Events like this, where we can travel both to meet with people of other backgrounds — and display our own diversity — play an important role in our overall concept of education.” 0

Children and youth from the School of the Nations and the Baha’i communities of Malaysia and Singapore traveled to Guangzhou, China, in June to perform songs and dances from their native cultures as part of celebrations of international ChiIdren’s Day. The adult in the center of the photograph is Mr. Huang Qiai, secretary of the Standing Committee of the People’s Congress, Guangzhou Province.

[Page 8]“Though many NGOs see relief food aid as important, they would like it to be hand in hand with efforts to improve the amenities and to fortify the ability for Africans to produce their

own food.” — Alasebu Gebre Selassie

Chart taken from “Food Security in Africa: A Regional Point of View," a report released at the Sixth Annual Symposium of the Advocates for African Food Security. The Advocates sponsored a survey of indigenous NGOs in Africa, which received 94 responses. The chart at left indicates that the majority of those who responded believe that the food situation in Africa have worsened over the last five years.

ONE COUNTRY / IuIy-Scptcmbcr 1991

Annual conference of the Advocates for African Food Security highlights

concerns of the African woman farmer

(Continued from page one)

“The women of Africa can produce enough if given the right support,” said Ms. Mvura. “We don’t need spoon—feeding. We don’t need dependence... What we need is motivational and moral support... What we need is equipment, like wheelbarrows.”

The symposium was the sixth in a se- ries of annual conferences about women farmers in Africa sponsored by the Advo- cates forAfn'can Food Security, a NewYork- based coalition of non-governmental orga- nizations (NGOs) , United Nations agencies and intergovernmental organizations. The importance of women farmers can be summed up by a simple statistic: women produce an estimated 80 percent of Afn'ca’s domestic food supply. Yet women are often ignored at the policy-making level when food policies are formed — an issue that the Advocates seek to address.

Survey of NGOs

The newsworthiness of this year's symposium was heightened by the release of a new survey of indigenous NGOs in Africa. Sponsored by the Advocates, the survey points to many of the same concerns

expressed by Ms. Mvura and others. It suggests, for example, that increased envi- ronmental degradation, the lack of literacy and technical training programs for small- scale farmers, especially women, and the inappropriate application of famine assis- tance are among the root causes in Africa’s worsening food situation.

“Though many NGOs see relief food aid as important, they would like it to be hand in hand with efforts to improve the amenities and to fortify the ability for Afri- cans to produce their own food,” said Alasebu Gebre Selassie, a sociologist and development consultant from Ethiopia who analyzed the responses to the survey.

Of 94 responses received from a sur- vey of more than 500 African NGOs, 65 percent indicated that the overall food situation in Africa had become worse in the sixyears since the 1986 launch of the United Nations Programme of Action for African Economic Recovery and Development (UNPAAERD), which is currently under- going its final review.

“What’s significant about this survey is (Continued on page 10)

Changes in the food situation in Africa 1986—1990 based on respondents’ experience

Worse 65%

Better 1 7%

Same 1 6%

No Answer 2%

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[Page 9]()NE COUNTRY / Iuly-Scptcmbcr l991

Eremina Mvura’s day begins before dawn, when she rises to fetch water from a well two and a halfkilometers from her home in the village of Chegutu, in the Mashonaland West region of Zimbabwe.

Once breakfast is cooked, her family is up, and the housework done, Ms. Mvura heads to her job as a district community development worker. In that position, the 39-year-old mother of three travels throughout the district by bus and bicycle, to meet with community groups, explaining the essentials of nutrition, health, hygiene and basic agriculture.

In her approach to the job, however, Ms. Mvura goes beyond the simple details about vitamins and vaccinations: she brings to her work a strong point of view about the im- portance of women in development, and the role they can play in promoting indigenous crops, advocating better water supplies, and stopping environmental degradation.

“Since we got independence, there have been too many outside experts coming to Zimbabwe to work with the village women, tellinguswhatto do,” Ms. Mvura said recently duringavisitto NewYork. “Theytellyouyou have to do this or that, listing steps from one to ten. But they forget we have our own plans, our own projects. What we need is motivational and moral support, not big

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Eremina Mvura: Profile of an African Development Worker

projects stamped with the donor's name.”

Ms. Mvura said, for example, that outside aid agencies are too eager to promote cash crops.

“There is agricultural research going on every day in Zimbabwe,” she said. “What are they researching? Cotton. What, are we going to eat cotton?

“And now, all the big farmers are growing flowers for export. Because the donors are coming and encouraging us to grow flowers. Is it serving any purpose for our health?”

Instead, she said, there should be greater efforts at researching and support— ing the production of indigenous crops, like groundnuts, sorghum, millet, and sweet potatoes. “These crops, they are very nutri- tious,” Ms. Mvura said. “They can stand poor rains. If more indigenous crops are produced, then Africa will be fed, Africa will be helped.”

For her work in advocating a greater role for women in development, she has won several awards in her native Zimbabwe. In 1975, for example, she was selected as the best community development worker of the year.

“She has become a symbol of the struggle which has taken place in Africa for food production,” said Sekai Holland, who

Eremina Mvura and her seven- week-old daughter during their visit to New York for the Sixth Annual Symposium of the Advocates for African Food Security.

“...if you go to rural Zimbabwe, there are plenty of pubs, but not enough clean

water. " - Eremina Mvura

[Page 10]

Eremina Mvura: Profile of an African Development

Worker

is the national chairperson of the Associa-

tion of Women’s Clubs of Zimbabwe.

For Ms. Mvura, the key issue is to get women more involved in decision-making.

“I have attended council meetings in my district,” she said. “You will find they are all men. They are handing out decisions. But to me they are sometimes stupid decisions. Let me give an example. They say the commu- nity needs a bore hole to bring water. But they build abeerhall. Ifthey used thatmoney to build a bore hole, we’d have water. But if you go to rural Zimbabwe, there are plenty of pubs, but not enough clean water.”

ONE COUNTRY / Iuly-Scptcmber 1991

Ms. Mvura has always felt strongly about the equality of women and men. “I have always felt people were equal,” she said. Her commit- ment to the issue has been reinforced, how- ever, since she became a Baha’i in 1981.

“When I heard about the Baha’i Faith, what touched me very much was the prin- ciple of equality of men and women,” she said."I‘hatmade mewanttobecomeaBahé’i.” In addition to her government job as a com- munity development worker, Ms. Mvura also serves on the National Baha’i Women’s Committee of Zimbabwe, a role that enables her to work,with Baha’i communities in the promotion of women’s advancement

“This work has helped me to travel all over Zimbabwe for women,” Ms. Mvura said. “Because when you teach people about the principles of the Baha’i Faith, you are really talking about teaching them how to improve themselves. This is the source of actual community development.” 0

Advocates conference spotlights the African woman farmer

(Continued from page 8)

that it asked locally based, indigenous Afri- can organizations themselves about the causes ofAfrica’s food deficit," said Mary S. Power, a representative to the United Na- tions of the Baha’i International Commu- nity, which is convener 0f the Advocates for African Food Security and one of its co- founders. “It is notbased on the assessment of Western donor organizations or techni- cal experts; rather it is based on the actual experience of those groups that are work- ing in the field to help their own people.”

Organizations that participated in the survey suggested that the food situation could be improved by an emphasis on im- proving the agricultural infrastructure in rural areas; by returning to integrated train- ing programs that stress environmental conservation and organic farming; and through the provision of credit and loans for small—scale farmers.

“Any action program designed to en- sure food security in Africa must be totally planned, executed, monitored and modi- fied by the people concerned,” wrote Ms. Selassie in the survey’s conclusion. “Na-

tional policy—makers should base their plans on feedback of lessons learned by the small farmer at the household level, as well as by large scale producers.”

These ideas presented in the survey were supported by the speakers at the symposium, which drew an audience of more than 100 representatives from development agencies, NGOs, and United Nations offices.

Women at the Front Line

“African women farmers are in the front line of food production,” saidAlex Ashiabor, director of the Africa Task Force Unit (UNPAAERD) at the United Nations Con- ference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). “They can see the problems looming on the horizon. Often, they can offer some solutions, but tradition, cultural practices and laws which give priority to men in matters of access to needed re- sources and even in the decision—making process prevent them from doing so.”

Mr. Ashiabor noted that in the Gambia, for example, a 20year-long project to im- prove rice production by converting 2400 hectares of swamp land into irrigated rice fields failed because women, “who do most

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[Page 11]

ONE COUNTRY / July-Scptcmber 1991

THE

miter ”‘m'm

Eififéifi‘?

, WflMEfli ‘

Mill

The Bahé’is of Mbale, Uganda, participated in the International Women's Day parade last March, carrying a banner that stressed the need for the equality of men and women. The event reflects the concern of Bahé'i communities in Africa and around the world about the issue (5f women's equality, and its impact on subsidiary issues like food security and the difficulties facing women farmers.

0f the land clearance, transplanting, weed- ing, and harvesting, were denied title to the land and were not fully involved in policy formulation.”

Disagreements ensued, Mr. Ashiabor said, and many women stopped working the land. “While technical factors contrib— uted to the failure, socio—cultural factors, notably, attitudes towards women, proved more important,” Mr. Ashiabor said.

The Value of Indigenous Foods

Mr. Ashiabor also called for increased research on the nutritionalvalue, the produc- tion, the preparation, and the preservation of indigenousfoods."l‘he dietaryvaluesofmany African foods are known to African women, but they are not widely publicized,” Mr. Ashiabor said. “Greater awareness of their food values will encourage consumption in the place of imported varieties.”

Ruth Bamela Engo—Tjega, senior liai- son officer at the Steering Committee for UNPAAERD Secretariat and a co-founder of the Advocates, said war, environmental degradation, and the “absence of national food strategies” were among the key causes for Africa’s worsening food situation.

“For many countries — Angola, the Horn, and Southern Africa including Namibia—warhas been the greatest single obstacle, not only to food security, but to overall growth and development,” Ms. Engo Tjega said. “We therefore need to put war and related strife at the top of our list.”

The exploitation of timber and land for livestock has caused extensive deforesta- tion and depletion of wildlife, Ms. Engo— Tjega added, further eroding Africa’s abil- ity to feed itself. “In countries like Uganda, deforestation has been estimated at 10,000 to 15,000 hectares per annum, with Africa as a whole losing woodland at around 3.7 million hectares every year,” she said.

Ms. Engo—Tjega said other development efforts will prove fruitless unless food pro- duction is addressed first. “Food must be the priority because it is, after all, the source of life,” she said. “This year, once again, the over—all approach of the Advocates is based on the belief that the common people are the builders of nations, and that hungry, malnourished populations cannot develop a country anymore than a bird with no wings can fly.” 9

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[Page 12]

Dr. Anele Heiges, international communications facilitator for the newly formed Education for A” Network.

ONE COUNTRY / July~Septembcr 1991

Network of NGOS, UN agencies, to promote Education for All

Seeks to promote continuing partnership and information exchange worldwide

NEW YORK — Calling itself the Education for All Network, a newly formed coalition of United Nations agencies, international orga- nizations, and non—govemmental organiza- tions (NGOs) has opened a small intema- tional secretariat here with an ambitious goal: improvingcrosssectorcommunication about new models and means to provide basic education for everyone on the planet.

“We’re calling this a ‘network of net- works,’ ” said Daniel Wegener, who is a member of the Network’s International Co ordinafing Committee and a representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations. “We’re not trying to create an- other monster organiza- tion with a lot of formal- ity. Rather, we see the Network as a means to help education specialists from all sectors talk to each otherandleamfrom each other.”

Dr. Anele Heiges, a Dominican Sister with extensive experience in education and with NGOsin both NewYork and at the grassroots, has been hired as the secretariat’s only full- time staff person. Her job title will be inter- national communications facilitator.

“I feel this is a meaningful project,” said Dr. Heiges, “because if we can truly follow through with the goals of this network, we have the potential to reach many people thatwould otherwise be forgotten. This can be done, I think because this project brings together a different kind of group than one ordinarily sees in international education circles.”

Members of the Network include the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations

Educational, Scientific and Cultural Orga- nization (UNESCO) , The World Bank, and more than 70 national, regional and intema- tional NGOs.

“In many respects, the Network contin- ues the partnership between UN agencies, intergovernmental organizations, and NGOs that emerged at the World Confer- ence on Education for All last year,” said Mr. Wegener. “The big challenge after the conference was to sustain the momentum and interest that had been generated for the overarching ideas of education for all. The Network, we hope, will help keep that process in motion.”

Held in Jomtien, Thailand, in March 1990, the World Conference on Education For All brought together representatives from 155 governments, UN. agencies, intergovernmental organizations and NGOs to create an “expanded vision” of basic learning needs of children, youth and adults, and to forge a global consensus on a framework for action to meet those needs.

“But there was, in fact, no international mechanism after the conference to sustain the relationships needed to promote some of the innovative solutions to the challenge of assuring universal basic education,” Mr. Wegener said. The New York office will be kept small, Mr. Wegener said, so that the focus can remain at the regional level, which is closer to the type of grassroots initiative that the Network hopes to promote.

Among the priorities for the Network will be to organize a series of regional conferences. “The idea is to promote re- gional consultations throughout the world, bringing NGO representatives together with representatives of UN. agencies and governments to share information about model projects,” said Mr. Wegener. “We would then hope to develop regional posi- tion papers and strategies to advance edu- cation for all in each area.”

Membership in the Education for All Network is open to NGOs at all levels, national, regional and international, said Mr. Wegener. The Network’s new secre- tariat is located at 2 United Nations Plaza, room 1124, NewYork, N.Y., 10017, U.S.A0

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[Page 13]()NE COUNTRY / )ulyrScptcmbcr 1991

Warren H. Lindner, executive director of The Centre for Our Common Future and cocoordinator of the '92 Global Forum, met in New York recently with Rebequa Getahoun, the newly appointed deputy director for the Baha’i International Community Office of the Environment. A native of Ethiopia, Ms. Getahoun has a master's degree in international studies from the University of Oregon. She has worked extensively in rural development in Africa, specializing in women’s organizations. She has also been involved in peace education with children and youth throughout Alaska. Mr. Lindner and Ms. Getahoun were meeting to discuss NGO participation in the upcoming United Nations Conference on Environment and Development,

scheduled for June 1992 in Brazil.

ONE COUNTRY receives encouraging awards and notices

NEW YORK —— ONE COUNTRY, the newsletter of the Baha’i International Com- munity, won a Grand Award in the news- letters category of the APEX ’91 Awards for Publication Excellence.

Announced in late June, the APEX ’91 judges Cited ONE COUNTRY for “out- standing work" in the newsletter category, citing “excellence in graphic design, edito- rial content and the ability to achieve overall communications excellence.”

The APEX '91 Awards are presented by Communications Concepts, a USA- based communications consulting firm. This year, according to Communications Concepts, more than 2000 publications were entered in the Apex Awards contest. ONE COUNTRY received one of 27 Grand Awards.

Other participants in the APEX ’91 contest included major corporations, such as McDonald’s Corporation and Exxon, and other non—govemmental organizations,

such as the American LungAssociation and the Arthritis Foundation.

Also in July, ONE COUNTRY was rec- ommended to the readers of Le Monde Diplomatique, the monthly diplomatic supplement to Le Monde, which is pub— lished in Paris.

The editors of the “Dans le revue...” Section called attention to edition number 7 of the French edition of ONE COUNTRY, taking note of its coverage of education projects in India and Bolivia.

Earlier in the year, ONE COUNTRYwas given an “Award of Merit” by the USA.- based Religious Public Relations Council (RPRC). Presented at the Council‘s annual convention inApril, ONE COUNTRYreceived the award in the category for newsletters.

The RPRC is an international, inter- faith association of professional religious communicators, dedicated to improving the communication of religious issues in the media. 9

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[Page 14]

ONE COUNTRY / Iuly-Scptember 1991

U. N. human rights panel says the Baha’i situation 1n Iran continues to be of “great concern”

Slight increase in prison population and other forms of oppression indicate a “precarious” situation, says Baha’i representative

GENEVA — Despite isolated and sporadic improvements in the treatment of individual Baha’is in Iran, the campaign of persecution against Iran’s 300,000 member Baha’i community continues, according to a statement presented inAugust to the United Nations Sub—Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities.

TechesteAhderom,representativeofthe Baha’i International Community to the United Nations, told the Sub-Commission on 13 August that the recent arrest and imprison- ment of several Baha’is, as well as continuing economic, educational and religious dis- crimination against the Baha’i community as a whole, indicate the need for continued in- ternational monitoring of the human rights situation for Baha’is in Iran.

“This wave of persecution, which be- gan in 1979, has profoundly affected awhole generation of Baha’is, who have lived daily with the knowledge that, for no other rea- son than their religious beliefs, they have no rights," said Mr. Ahderom. “The Baha’is in Iran must, therefore, continue to rely on the vigilance of the international community as their main source of protection.”

Vote of 19 to 2

Following Mr. Ahderom’s testimony and the testimony of other individuals and organizations about an overall deterioration of the human rights situation in Iran over the last year, the Sub-Commission on 23 August passed a resolution expressing “deep concern” about the overall human rights situation in Iran by a vote of 19 to 2, with one abstention.

The resolution also called on the UN. Commission on Human Rights to continue

to monitor the human rights situation in Iran, by extending the mandate of its spe- cial representative, who has investigated conditions in Iran on behalf of the Com— mission for the last several years. The Com- mission meets again in F ebruary 1992.

The Sub-Commission also noted spe- cifically that the situation of Iran’s Baha’i community continues to be a matter of “great concern,” and it decided “to consider the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, including the situation of minority groups such as the Baha’i com- munity,” at its next session, in August 1992.

Number of Prisoners is Up

In his statement to the Sub-Commission, Mr. Ahderom said that as of J uly there were ten Baha’is in prison in Iran, all detained solely because of their religious beliefs. That figure is up slightly fromJanuary, when seven Baha’is were in prison. The number of de- tentions of Baha’is has also increased.

After several years when the number of Baha’is in prison in Iran has steadily declined, these increases suggest just how precarious is the situation of Iran’s Baha’is, Mr. Ahderom said.

“...as long as Baha’is are officially considered as ‘unprotected infidels’ and do not enjoy any protection under the law of the Islamic Republic of Iran, any substantial improvement in their situation could be reversed in a moment.”

Mr. Ahderom said also that economic, educational and other forms of discrimina- tion are also continuing.

“Baha’is are being strangled economi- cally. Thousands of Baha’is dismissed from positions in government and education due to their religious beliefs remain unemployed and are officially deprived of the pensions to which they are entitled.

“There are inconsistencies in the issu- ance and renewal of business licenses for Baha’is, and Baha'i farmers are still being refused access to farmers’ cooperatives... Furthermore, many of the private and busi- ness properties of Baha’is, arbitrarily con-

(Continued on next page)

Page 14

[Page 15]ONE COUNTRY / Iuly»Scptcmbcr 1991

Perspective: international environmental legislation

(Continued from page 3)

World issued in support of the United Na- tions International Year of Peace (IYP) by the Universal House of Justice. Baha’istheworld overfindinthe UNCED process a powerful reinforcement of the op timism they feel about the future of human- kind. We believe that, empowered by the

universal recognition of the dangers pres- ently facing the planet, the governments of the world can be moved to act courageously on behalf of the human race as a whole.

The result may well prove to be not only an effective response to the environmental and developmental problems now facing us, but another enormous step forward in the building of a federal system able to take up the entire array of challenges confronting a rapidly integrating human racefl

The persecution of Bahé

’is in Iran continues

(Continued from previous page)

fiscated during the last twelve years, are now being sold at Government auctions.” Travel Restricted

Mr. Ahderom said Baha’is are still not allowed to travel freely. In 1990, although 380 passport applications were submitted by Baha‘is, only 61 passports were issued— mostly to the sick and the elderly. Since March 1991, the issuance of passports to Baha’is has completely stopped.

Although Baha’i Children have recently been re—adrnitted to elementary and sec- ondary schools, Baha’is are still not admit- ted to institutions of higher education.

Since 1979, 197 Iranian Baha’is have been killed and 15 others have disappeared and are presumed dead. The frequency of such killings declined in late 1987, although

two Baha’i were executed as recently as December 1988.

Since the mid—198OS, the United Na- tions General Assembly has repeatedly ex- pressed concern for the human rights situ- ation in Iran.

'Mr. Ahderom reiterated that the Baha’i community of Iran is not aligned with any opposition movement, ideology or govern- ment; rather, he said, Baha’is are enjoined by the principles of their Faith to be obedi- ent to the government of the countries in which they live.

“Thus, they represent no threat to the Government of Iran," Mr. Ahderom said. “Baha’is wish only to be granted the same rights as other Iranian citizens to practice their religion freely both as a community and as individuals.” 0

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Begum Khaleda Zia, far right, the prime minister of the People‘s Republic of Bangladesh, received a check from the Baha'i community of Pakistan for 10,000 Taka as a donation to her cyclone relief fund. The presentation was made on 28 June 1991 by Mr. S. Chatterjee, center, who is secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Bangladesh. To the right of him are Dr. Jena Shahidi and Dr. Hussain Ajmal, of the Baha’i community.

[Page 16]From inspiration to execution: the creation ofan architectural masterpiece

Jewel in the Lotus

A documentary

Directed by Fred Badiyan

Written and produced by Charles Nolley

ONE COUNTRY / JulyASeptember 1991

—_——.———_—————

Even before its completion in December 1986, the Baha’i House of Worship in New Delhi began to win international acclaim for its architectural design.

More than one architectural specialist orwriter compared it to India’s most famous building: in April 1986, for example, the British publication Construction News car- ried a headline calling the temple the “Taj Mahal of the 20th Century.”

In 1987, the graceful nine—sided build- ing won top international awards from the American Institute of Architects and from the Society of Structural Engineers of the United Kingdom.

The challenges of designing and con- s t r u c ti n g such a g r 0 u n d - breaking work of ar- chitecture is the subject of a new video docu- mentary, titledfewel in the Lotus. Produced by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is ofthe United States ofAmerica, which contributed to House of Worship’s construc— tion, the 27-minute documentary tells the story behind the building, exploring the in- spiration 'for its design, examining the diffi- culties faced during its construction, and, finally, giving viewers a close-up look at the award-winning result.

Jewel in theLotus draws on awide variety of sources in telling this story: historical photographs that trace the early history of the Indian Baha’i community, interviews with the House of Worship’s architect and mem- bers of his design team, and stunning footage of the completed project itself.

Central to the story of the New Delhi House of Worship is architect Fariburz Sahba’s search for a design theme—a theme he found in the lotus flower. “Symbolism has great significance in India,” Mr. Sahba is quoted as saying. “I went travelling and everywhere I saw the lotus...”

The reSult was a soaring white marble structure, composed of 27 billowing rein- forced concrete “petals.” Raised around a central point, the 27 petals are arranged in groups of three, creating a nine-sided lotus flower. Nine doors and nine reflecting pools complete the design.

Once conceived, few people were con- vinced that such an innovative design could be executed, especially in India. In order to

achieve the soaring delicacy envisioned by Mr. Sahba, it was necessary to make the petals extremely thin, yet self—supporfing — something which had never been accom- plished before, anywhere.

The first step in executing that vision was to calculate the precise curves and thicknesses required — a feat that was ac- complished with the help of a computer.

That high technology approach during the design phase was then brought to the low technology environment of India. The chal— lenge there was to coordinate the hundreds of skilled laborers required to build the complicated wooden forms that would con- tain the concrete while it cured into the pre cise shapes of the lotus flower design.

Once the operation to pour the con- crete was started, each layer of concrete could be allowed to set no longer than ten minutes before the next layer was begun, otherwise the two layers would fail to ad- here properly, and the structure would not

New Delhi House of Worship

be strong enough to be safely self—standing.

The documentary, which was directed by Fred Badiyan and written by Charles Nolley, also explores the rich diversity of religious life in India by way of explaining the extraordinary appeal of the House of Worship since its completion. More than two million people now visit the temple site each year, a testimony to Mr. Sahba’s suc— cess at creating a design that is attractive to people of all backgrounds.

By the video’s end, the viewer not only has an appreciation for the building’s beauty, but also for the intelligence and inspiration required to bring it into existence. 9

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