Seven Year Plan/Text

The Seven Year Plan

Messages from The Universal House of Iustice to the Bahá’í’s of the World and of the United States, Naw-Rúz 1979, Announcing the Objectives of the Fourth Global Teaching Campaign

Guidelines Adopted by the National Spiritual Assembly

of the Bahá’ís of the United States for the Execution of the First Phase of the Seven Year Plan

BAH./\’l PUBLISHING TRUST Wilmette, Illinois 60091

Printed in U.S.A.

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Messages from The Universal House of justice to the Bahá’í’s of the World and of the United States, Naw-Ru’z 1979, Announcing the Objectives of the Fourth Global Teaching Campaign

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Naw-R112 1979 To the Bahá’ís of the World

Dearly-loved Friends,

The decline of religious and moral restraints has unleashed a fury of chaos and confusion that already bears the signs of universal anarchy. Engulfed in this maelstrom, the Bahá’í world community, pursuing with indefeasible unity and spiritual force its redemptive mission, inevitably suffers the disruption of economic, social and civil life which afflicts its fellow men throughout the planet. It must also bear particular tribulations. The violent disturbances in Persia, coinciding with the gathering in of the bountiful harvest of the Five Year Plan, have brought new and cruel hardships to our long-suffering brethren in the Cradle of our Faith and confronted the Bahá’í world community with critical challenges to its life and work. As the Bahá’í world stood poised on the brink of victory, eagerly anticipating the next stage in the unfoldment of the Master's Divine Plan, Bahá’u’lláh’s heroic: compatriots, the custodians of the Holy Places of our Faith in the land of its birth, were yet again called upon to endure the passions of brutal mobs, the looting and burning of their homes, the destruction of their means of livelihood, and physical violence and threats of death to force them to recant their faith. They, like their immortal forebears, the Dawn-Breakers, are standing steadfast in face of this new persecution and the ever—present threat of organized extermination.

Remembering that during the Five Year Plan the Persian friends far surpassed any other national community in their outpouring of pioneers and funds, we, in all those parts of the world where we are still free to promote the Cause of God, have the responsibility to make good their temporary inability to serve. Therefore, with uplifted hearts and radiant faith, we must arise with re 4

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doubled energy to pursue our mighty task, confident that the Lord of Hosts will continue to reward our efforts with the same bountiful grace He vouchsafed to us in the Five Year Plan.

The teaching victories in that Plan have been truly prodigious; the points of light, those localities where the Promised One is recognized, have increased from sixtynine thousand five hundred to over ninety—six thousand; the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies has grown from seventeen thousand to over twenty—five thousand; eighteen new National Spiritual Assemblies have been formed. The final report will disclose in all their manifold aspects the magnitude of the victories won.

In the world at large the Bahá’í community is now firmly established. The Institution of the Hands of the Cause of God, the Chief Stewards of Bahá’u’lláh’s embryonic World Commonwealth, is bearing a precious fruit in the development of the International Teaching Center as a mighty institution of the World Center of the Faith; an institution blessed by the membership of all the Hands of the Cause; an institution whose beneficent influence is diffused to all parts of the Bahá’í community through the Continental Boards of Counselors, the members of the Auxiliary Boards and their assistants.

Advised, stimulated and supported by this vital arm of the Administrative Order, 125 National Spiritual Assemblies are rapidly acquiring experience and growing in wisdom as they administer the complex affairs of their respective communities as organic parts of one worldwide fellowship. More and more Local Spiritual Assemblies are becoming strong focal centers of local Bahá’í communities and firm pillars of the National Spiritual Assembly in each land. Even in those countries where the Bahá’í Administration cannot operate or has had to be disbanded, countries to which have now been added Afghanistan, the Congo Republic, Niger, Uganda and Vietnam, the believers, while obedient to their governments, nevertheless staunchly keep alive the flame of faith.

Beyond the expansion of the community, vital as it is,

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the Five Year Plan witnessed great progress in the spiritual development of the friends, the growing maturity and wisdom of Local and National Assemblies, and in the degree to which Bahá’í communities embody the distinguishing characteristics of Bahá’í life and attract, by their unity, their steadfastness, their radiance and good reputation, the interest and eventual wholehearted support of their fellow citizens. This is the magnet which will attract the masses to the Cause of God, and the leaven that will transform human society.

The conditions of the world present the followers of Bahá’u’lláh with both obstacles and opportunities. In an increasing number of countries we are witnessing the fulfillment of the warnings that the writings of our Faith contain. ”Peoples, nations, adherents of divers faiths,” the beloved Guardian wrote, ”will jointly and successively arise to shatter its unity, to sap its force, and to degrade its holy name. They will assail not only the spirit which it inculcates, but the administration which is the channel, the instrument, the embodiment of that spirit. For as the authority with which Bahá’u’lláh has invested the future Bahá’í Commonwealth becomes more and more apparent, the fiercer shall be the challenge which from every quarter will be thrown at the verities it enshrines.” In different countries, in varying degrees, the followers of Bahá’u’lláh at this very hour are undergoing such attacks, and are facing imprisonment and even martyrdom rather than deny the Truth for whose sake the Bab and Bahá’u’lláh drained the cup of sacrifice.

In other lands, such as those in Western Europe, the faithful believers have to struggle to convey the message in the face of widespread indifference, materialistic selfsatisfaction, cynicism and moral degradation. These friends, however, still have freedom to teach the Faith in their homelands, and in spite of the discouraging meagerness of outward results they continue to proclaim the Message of Bahá’u’lláh to their fellow citizens, to raise high the reputation of the Cause in the public eye, to acquaint leaders of thought and those in authority with its true tenets, and to spare no effort to seek out those

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[Page 7]7:5 receptive souls in every town and village who will respond to the divine summons and devote their lives to its service.

In many lands, however, there is an eager receptivity for the teachings of the Faith. The challenge for the Bahá’ís is to provide these thousands of seeking souls, as swiftly as possible, with the spiritual food that they crave, to enlist them under the banner of Bahá’u’lláh, to nurture them in the way of life He has revealed, and to guide them to elect Local Spiritual Assemblies which, as they begin to function strongly, will unite the friends in firmly consolidated Bahá’í communities and become beacons of guidance and havens of refuge to mankind.

Faced by such a combination of danger and opportunity, the Bahá’ís, confident in the ultimate triumph of God's purpose for mankind, raise their eyes to the goals of a new Seven Year Plan.

In the Holy Land the strengthening of the World Center and the augmentation of its worldwide influence must continue:

I The Seat of the Universal House of Justice will be completed and designs will be adopted for the remaining three buildings of the World Administrative Center of the Faith.

I The Institution of the International Teaching Center will be developed and its functions expanded. This will require an increase in its membership and the assumption by it and by the Continental Boards of Counselors of wider functions in the stimulation on an international scale of the propagation and consolidation of the Faith, and in the promotion of the spiritual, intellectual and community aspects of Bahá’í life.

I The House of ’Abdu’lláh Péfia in ’Akká will be opened to pilgrimage.

I Work will be continued on the collation and classification of the Sacred Texts and a series of compilations gleaned and translated from the writings of the Faith will be sent out to the Bahá’í world to help in deepening the friends in their understand 7

[Page 8]755 ing of the fundamentals of the Faith, enriching their spiritual lives, and reinforcing their efforts to teach the Cause.

I The ties binding the Bahá’í International Community to the United Nations will be further developed.

I Continued efforts will be made to protect the Faith from opposition and to emancipate it from the fetters of persecution.

Each National Spiritual Assembly has been given goals for these first two years of the Plan, designed to continue the process of expansion, to consolidate the victories won, and to attain, where circumstances permit, any goals that may have had to remain unaccomplished at the end of the Five Year Plan. During these first two years we shall be examining, with the Continental Boards of Counselors and National Spiritual Assemblies, the conditions and possibilities in each country, and shall be considering in detail the capacities and needs of each of the rapidly differentiating national Bahá’í communities before formulating the further goals towards which each community is to work following the opening phase of the Plan.

Throughout the world the Seven Year Plan must witness the attainment of the following objectives:

I The Mashriqu’l-Adhkár of Samoa is to be completed and progress will be made in the construction of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár in India.

I Nineteen new National Spiritual Assemblies are to be brought into being: eight in Africa, those of Angola, Bophuthatswana, the Cape Verde Islands, Gabon, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia and Transkei; eight in the Americas, those of Bermuda, Dominica, French Guiana, Grenada, the Leeward Islands, Martinique, St. Lucia and St. Vincent; and three in the Pacific, those of the Cook Islands, Tuvalu and the West Caroline Islands. Those National Spiritual Assemblies which have had to be dissolved will, circumstances permitting, be re-established.

I The Message of Bahá’u’lláh must be taken to ter 8

[Page 9]fill ritories and islands which are as yet unopened to His Faith. The teaching work, both that organized by institutions of the Faith and that which is the fruit of individual initiative, must be actively carried forward so that there will be growing numbers of believers, leading more countries to the stage of entry by troops and ultimately to mass conversion. This teaching work must include prompt, thorough and continuing consolidation so that all Victories will be safeguarded, the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies will be increased and the foundations of the Cause reinforced. The interchange of pioneers and traveling teachers, which contributes so importantly to the unity of the Bahá’í world and to a true understanding of the oneness of mankind, must continue, especially between neighboring lands. At the same time, each national Bahá’í community must aspire to a rapid achievement of self—sufficiency in carrying out its vital activities, thus acquiring the capacity to continue to function and grow even if outside help is cut off. Especially in finance is the attainment of independence by national Bahaicommunities urgent. A1ready the persecutions in Iran have deprived the believers in that country of the bounty of Contributing to the international funds of the Faith, of which they have been a major source. Economic disruption in other countries threatens further diminution of financial resources. We therefore appeal to the friends everywhere to exercise the utmost economy in the use of funds and to make those sacrifices in their personal lives which will enable them to contribute their share, according to their means, to the local, national, continental and international funds of the Faith. For the prompt achievement of all the goals and the healthy growth of Bahá’í community life National

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Spiritual Assemblies must pay particular attention to the efficient functioning, in the true spirit of the Faith, of their national committees and other auxiliary institutions, and, in consultation with the Continental Boards of Counselors, must conceive and implement programs that will guide and reinforce the efforts of the friends in the path of service. National Spiritual Assemblies must promote wise and dignified approaches to people prominent in all areas of human endeavor, acquainting them with the nature of the Bahá’í community and the basic tenets of the Faith, and winning their esteem and friendship.

At the heart of all activities, the spiritual, intellectual and community life of the believers must be developed and fostered, requiring: the prosecution with increased vigor of the development of Local Spiritual Assemblies so that they may exercise their beneficial influence and guidance on the life of Bahá’í communities; the nurturing of a deeper understanding of Bahá’í family life; the Bahá’í education of children, including the holding of regular Bahá’í classes and, where necessary, the establishment of tutorial schools for the provision of elementary education; the encouragement of Bahá’í youth in study and service; and the encouragement of Bahá’í women to exercise to the full their privileges and responsibilities in the work of the community—may they befittingly bear witness to the memory of the Greatest Holy Leaf, the immortal heroine of the Bahá’í Dispensation, as we approach the fiftieth anniversary of her passing.

As lawlessness spreads in the world, as governments rise and fall, as rival groups and feuding peoples struggle, each for its own advantage, the plight of the oppressed and the deprived wrings the heart of every true Bahá’í, tempting him to cry out in protest or to arise in wrath at the perpetrators of injustice. For this is a time of testing which calls to mind Bahá’u’lláh’s words ”O concourse of the heedless! I swear by God! The promised

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[Page 11]Q‘ day is come, the day when tormenting trials will have surged above your heads, and beneath your feet, saying: ’Taste ye what your hands have wrought!’ ”

Now is the time when every follower of Bahá’u’lláh must cling fast to the Covenant of God, resist every temptation to become embroiled in the conflicts of the world, and remember that he is the holder of a precious trust, the Message of God which, alone, can banish injustice from the world and cure the ills afflicting the body and spirit of man. We are the bearers of the Word of God in this day and, however dark the immediate horizons, we must go forward rejoicing in the knowledge that the work we are privileged to perform is God's work and will bring to birth a world whose splendor will outshine our brightest visions and surpass our highest hopes.

THE UNIVERSAL House or JUSTICE

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Naw-Rúz 1979 To the Bahá’ís of the United States

Dear Bahá’í Friends,

Contemplating the achievements of the last five years in the United States we applaud the American Bahá’í community for the enthusiastic response it has given to its National Spiritual Assembly's call for all—out activity. This momentum must be maintained by all Local Spiritual Assemblies, groups and individual believers to guard the victories won and to launch the initial phase of the Seven Year Plan.

We now call upon you, the foremost executors of the Mandate issued by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, to pursue the objectives set forth in our message to the Bahá’ís of the world, and specifically to:

Raise the number of localities where Bahá’ís reside to

at least 7200;

Raise the number _of Local Spiritual Assemblies to at least 1650, including at least 35 on Indian Reservations;

Ensure the adoption of extension teaching goals by at least 700 Local Spiritual Assemblies;

Continue to extend to other states the special teaching plans and consolidation activities designed to attract great numbers to the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh in the states of California, Illinois, New York, and in the District of Columbia, and aim at doubling the membership of Bahá’ís in the latter four;

Increase the use of press, radio and television for the proclamation of the Faith;

Intensify the teaching work amongst minorities;

Provide for and ensure the establishment of classes for the Bahá’í education of children throughout the country;

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Emphasize the participation of Bahá’í youth in teaching and consolidation activities, and for carrying the Faith to their generation;

Stimulate individual believers and local communities to follow ever more faithfully the Bahá’í way of life, and to this end engage in a nationwide program of spiritual enrichment designed to inspire and deepen the friends through such activities as institutes, weekend conferences, seminars and locallysponsored classes;

Continue to foster cordial relations with leaders of thought and those in authority, familiarizing them with the basic tenets of the Faith;

Consolidate the Turks and Caicos Islands;

Consolidate the Faith in the Falkland Islands;

Assist the Bahá’ís of Bermuda to raise their number of Local Spiritual Assemblies to at least seven in preparation for the establishment of their National Spiritual Assembly during the Seven Year Plan;

Circumstances permitting, develop the teaching work in Kazakhstan and in the Ukraine.

Our loving prayers are with you as you set out with

renewed vigor on this next stage in your glorious mission for the development of the Cause of God.

With loving Bahá’í greetings,

THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

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Guidelines Adopted by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States

for the Execution of the First Phase of the Seven Year Plan

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NOTE:

Herein are some guidelines for executing the first phase of the Seven Year Plan. Two points emerge as transcendent in the document: (1) The emphasis throughout is on a more systematic development of the American Bahá’í Community than has obtained thus far—the necessity of eradicating freneticism from our activities while retaining enthusiasm in all efforts toward the attainment of our goals. While a systematic, phased approach may at first seem slower, the fact is that once set in motion it yields greater and more lasting results than spasmodic, illconceived campaigns, no matter how many resources are brought to their aid. It is the desire of the National Spiritual Assembly to cultivate the habit of systematic action at all levels of the community, beginning with the agencies of the national administration of the Faith. (2) Also evident in this document is a greater emphasis on the collaboration which must take place at the grass roots between the Auxiliary Boards of the Continental Board of Counselors, on the one hand, and Teaching Committees and Local Assemblies, on the other. The success of any plan depends largely on the effectiveness of this collaboration, which it is the duty of national committees, no less than the National Spiritual Assembly itself, to foster and maintain. These guidelines were originally addressed to national committees; hence they contain some directives that national committees must carry out. However, they also contain many suggestions that individuals, groups, and Local Spiritual Assemblies may carry out without waiting for further guidance from the National Spiritual Assembly or its committees.

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Expansion

Expansion means growth of the community: more individuals, more localities, more Assemblies. The major targets of this expansion are all strata of society; however, we must reach more people of capacity, specific minorities, and the masses (middle—class America).

The basic expansion objectives should be stated in such a way that every Bahá’í in the United States knows what is to be achieved wherever he resides.

The Individual

The individual is responsible for bringing in one new member each year. Bahá’ís should be urged to reach and teach their peers in the professions and trades, and nurture them until they become Bahá’ís. When these persons become Bahá’ís, they should receive special attention to assist them in their personal development and service to the Faith.

The Locality

Where there are fewer than 5, the objective should be to expand to 5. Where there are 5 or more, the objective should be to form an Assembly.

The Community

Where there is an Assembly, the first objective should be preservation of the institution, meaning more expansion within the community. Thus, where there are fewer than 15, the immediate objective should be to attain 15 active adult believers. Where there are 15, three goals should be pursued: a) incorporation of the Assembly; b)

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opening a new locality; c) increasing membership to 30 adults.

District Teaching Committees should consider it one of their functions to consult and work with Local Assemblies concerning their teaching goals, especially the extension goals.

Large Bahá’í communities having, say, 30 adult believers, should be regarded as manpower bases from which pioneers are supplied for the homefront and the international field. The National Teaching Committee and International Goals Committee will need to keep in close contact with such communities, keeping them apprised of current needs.

Furthermore, large communities should also be given special assignments, such as bringing in specific minority groups (e.g., San Francisco could be assigned Japanese; Fresno, Armenians; Chicago, Spanish-speaking and Greeks). In such instances, these communities should receive strong assistance and encouragement from the National administration.

NOTE: If the Auxiliary Board members and the National and District Teaching Committees motivated the community on the basis of these objectives, the goals of any plan could be won even without extraordinary effort.

Tasks for the National Teaching Committee

Complete the categorization of Assemblies according to their level of functioning by the end of the second year of the Plan.

Develop a method, in consultation with the National Education Committee, to assist Local Assemblies to monitor their own progress.

Examine carefully the regional characteristics of the country as outlined in the Tablets of the Divine Plan and build teaching programs to capitalize on those characteristics.

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[Page 19]Q: Assume responsibility for the functioning of the National Youth Committee, which will operate as an auxiliary of the National Teaching Committee. The Youth Committee, under the direction of the National Teaching Committee, will concern itself primarily with increasing the number of Bahá’í youth while at the same time assisting them to engage in the three fields of service identified for them by The Universal House of Iustice. Regarding youth activities, the National Teaching Committee should also Consider the following:

1 Invite youth from various regions of the country to meet and consult with it periodically for the purpose of keeping it abreast of the sentiments, concerns, and needs of youth.

I Devise a plan to revive the youth and college clubs, to stimulate the college clubs to exploit the academic community for the benefit of the Faith, and facilitate appropriate relations between Local Assemblies and college clubs.

Help youth exploit college newspapers.

Help youth use the media of forums and seminars to

promote Bahá’í ideas.

Help youth attract foreign students to the Faith.

Help youth promote youth clubs.

Train youth leaders.

Establish a fellowship program at the National

Center for training youngsters in Bahá’í administra tion.

I Hold a National Youth Conference every other year, beginning 1981; regional conferences in alternate years.

Entry by Troops

For the first two years of the Plan, the Committee should concentrate on areas already experiencing entry by troops, making sure to aim at doubling the number of Bahá’ís in each of the following places: California, Illinois, New York, and Washington, D.C.

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[Page 20]5|‘ Minorities

Intensification of the teaching work among minorities is to be effected by the appointment of special committees, by a deliberate program of reaching people of capacity within each group, and by constant monitoring of the programs adopted by these committees. Special emphasis should be given to increasing teaching activities

among the Spanish—speaking people at the same time that other minorities are being reached and taught.

Influential People

Establish special programs for reaching the leaders of thought and people of influence, and appoint a committee for stimulating the development of such programs.

Collaboration with Auxiliary Board Members

Collaboration between the Auxiliary Board members and Teaching Committees should be intensified by the National Teaching Committee's own deliberate actions in encouraging District Teaching Committees to keep the Auxiliary Board members regularly informed of teaching activities and their plans and hopes for the work in their areas. It is important that, before completing their plans at the beginning of the year, the District Teaching Committees arrange to consult with the Auxiliary Board members, so that the Committees can benefit from the advice of the Board members during the planning process.

Consolidation

Consolidation refers, in part, to the development of the distinctive characteristics of Bahá’í life. The targets of consolidation are individuals, families, children, youth,

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and Assemblies. These components constitute the Baha 1 community.

We have already developed basic programs to accomplish consolidation objectives on a broad scale. They are:

I parent training/child education

I comprehensive deepening

I Local Spiritual Assembly development

I Bahá’í schools, institutes, and conferences

Suggested activities for implementing consolidation programs:

1. Institute two national study months per year using the format of the first Victory Weekend programs of 1978. The basic motivation of these programs would be to encourage the community at large to grow together in knowledge and spirit.

Designate the months of September and January as National Study Months. (There could be two general meetings on alternate weekends with homework assignments to cover the month's activities.)

2. Invite Auxiliary Board members and their assistants to assist in executing all consolidation programs, to encourage the participation of the friends, and to take actions according to their own discretion to extend the benefits of such programs to areas where the friends fail to get involved in deepening programs.

3. Urge Local Spiritual Assemblies to call upon the services of the Auxiliary Board members and their assistants.

4. Call for widespread and imaginative programs for Universal Children's Day.

5. Urge all communities to establish and sustain classes for children on a regular basis.

6. Request the National Education Committee to continue the successful ”Youth Energy Zone” conference; collaborate with the National Teaching Committee in implementing the conference.

7. Encourage individuals to engage freely and consistently in private study of the Bahá’í Writings.

8. Train Assembly officers by region as a regular part of

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[Page 22]5|‘ the Local Spiritual Assembly Development Program. This training could begin the second year of the Seven Year Plan.

9. Request the National Education Committee to conduct weekend institutes which are convenient to new believers in areas where rapid expansion is occurring; invite Auxiliary Board members to assist in such endeavors through their advice and participation.

10. Intensify and expand visits to the National Center as a joint effort of the House of Worship Activities Committee and the National Education Committee.

11. Encourage family night activities in every community.

12. Urge the National Education Committee to proceed with standardizing the curriculum of summer schools. Summer schools should assign a portion of their activities to training people to carry out certain services in the community (e.g., how to conduct firesides or give public talks; functioning as officers of Assemblies).

Proclamation

Proclamation in the final year of the Five Year Plan took on a new dimension and pointed to rich opportunities for expansion of the Faith among various strata and the need for a higher level of activity in this field.

1. Establish a Bahá’í’ Office of Public Affairs The purpose of this office is: a. to educate the public about the Bahá’í Faith, b. to attract public attention to the Bahá’í Faith, and c. to make friends for the Bahá’í community.

Thus this office will handle all promotional activities of the National Assembly. For instance, within the sphere of this office falls NABOHR, the UN office, World Order, and the Louis C. Gregory Award.

Organization/Structure: The directors are the members of

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[Page 23]5|‘ the National Spiritual Assembly. The National Spiritual Assembly will appoint an executive committee from its own membership—three or four, including the Secretary, perhaps the Assistant Secretary, and one or two others. The executive officer will be the Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly.

Any member of the National Spiritual Assembly may participate in any meeting of the executive committee.

The executive committee will function as an emergency committee when the Faith is under attack and needs to be defended publicly.

The Bahá’í Office of Public Affairs subsumes the functions of the former National Information Office in relation to the non-Bahá’í public.

Hill and Knowlton, Inc., public relations and public affairs consultants, are retained as the expert advisers and helpers to the Bahá’í Office of Public Affairs for at least one year.

2. Promote the distribution of Call to the Nations as the major proclamation piece during the first phase of the Seven Year Plan.

3. Develop "issues” ads as needed for distribution to local communities.

4. Encourage Bahá’í authors to write articles for publication in prestigious journals and magazines.

5. Ask communities to plan well the celebration of Bahá’í holy days and the proclamation of special events days in ways that will attract the public.

6. Encourage the holding of regular study classes at the House of Worship for the general public and publicize them widely.

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