The American Bahá’í/Volume 1/Issue 3/Text
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Bahá’í Education Conference Draws Overflow Attendance[edit]
More than 500 Bahá’ís from all parts of the nation — some 200 more than expected for the opening session — crowded into Foundation Hall in the Bahá’í House of Worship to hear Dr. Daniel Jordan’s speech to open the National Bahá’í Conference on Education.
In all, nearly 1,000 Bahá’ís attended the three-day conference, four times more than the original estimates of the conference planning staff.
Opening Session[edit]
The first session on Friday night, February 20, had a full auditorium, with people sitting in the aisles and standing along the walls, to hear James Sacco, a University of Massachusetts graduate student in education and master of ceremonies for the conference, state the objectives of the conference.
Quoting Bahá’u’lláh, Mr. Sacco said, “The source of all learning is the knowledge of God ... and this cannot be attained save through the knowledge of His Divine Manifestations.” This statement formed the basis of the conference.
Turning to the conference objectives, Mr. Sacco said, “Why is education so emphatically required in this dispensation? How does He (Bahá’u’lláh) educate us?” These questions would be pondered over the next two days as the conference came to grips with the role of education in the new Dispensation.
Dr. Daniel Jordan of the University of Massachusetts School of Education: “The great job of education in this dispensation is to help the whole of humanity to turn away from material things and to the Divine Reality.”
That role was the subject of Dr. Daniel Jordan’s keynote speech Friday evening. Dr. Jordan discussed the purpose and importance of education and noted the results, both good and bad, of current educational efforts.
“We’ve become extraordinarily effective in relating to the environment; the result is a technological society,” he said. “Our advancement in the technological sphere has gone at such a pace that we’ve neglected relations to man and to the cosmos.”
Dr. Jordan continued, “The great job of education in this Dispensation is to help the whole of humanity to turn away from material things and to the Divine Reality. When this turning takes place, we are able to use the technological powers for the moral order.”
Saying that the Bahá’í basic assumption is that man is a spiritual being although he is material as well, Dr. Jordan concluded, “The education job ahead of us should focus on how to allow this spirit of the soul to become the spiritual being that God had in mind when He created us.”
The conference then broke up into discussion groups. Original plans called for 10 groups of about 15 people. But with many more arriving than had been anticipated, the discussion groups increased in number, and got larger in size.
Consultation was to proceed on the outlined Bahá’í statement on education provided in
Adams Run Declaration Story — Continued[edit]
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Last month, THE AMERICAN BAHÁ’Í reported on the teaching work of Mrs. Alberta Williford and others in Adams Run, South Carolina. The story below, written by Mrs. Jeremy Phillips, is a follow-up of the events of the first story on the area. Mrs. Phillips, along with Mrs. Shanta Murday, spent over two weeks in early February deepening the many new believers in Adams Run. |
The car bounced along the deeply rutted dirt road in Adams Run, South Carolina, and pulled up to a small frame house. Mildred, a newly declared Bahá’í, honked the horn and we watched the door. It opened. A young mother with a child on her hip gave us a warm hello and waved us in. Once inside, Mildred introduced us as friends of hers who had come to tell her about the Bahá’í Faith. We sat down around the kitchen table and began to talk about the Faith. For the next two days, we went from house to house giving the message to Mildred’s friends and neighbors. In every case, we were warmly received and one woman declared.
We’ve heard it said over and over that the South is ready for mass conversion. What has been happening in Adams Run is typical of what can happen throughout the South and may, in fact, be happening in some small rural town at this very moment.
It’s happening here in America in the rural South among black people, just like Shoghi Effendi said it could.
The people are untouched by the disease of materialism. They have lived all their lives by the spiritual teachings of the Bible. They have the purity of heart to see the truth of Bahá’u’lláh’s message so they can readily accept it. They are people who can, in the midst of a society that has imposed on them poverty, segregation, hatred, and persecution, say that God has been good to them. They are people who care deeply for their families and neighbors and are ready to help others.
There is a love and concern that has died out in the cities. So many of us in our teaching experiences have been confined to the big cities. Most of us have not had the opportunity to say to a friend: “Let me tell you about Bahá’u’lláh and the Bahá’í Faith,” and hear him say, “I have been waiting for this message all my life. How do I become a Bahá’í?”
These words have been heard in Adams Run. About 40 people have become Bahá’ís since January and more are hearing the message every day. And there are many, many pure waiting souls like the people of Adams Run, also waiting, anxious to hear the message of hope for mankind. Can you go tell them? They’re waiting for you.
A group of newly declared Bahá’ís sign their enrollment cards as Bob Phillips (rear) of the Deep South Committee looks on.
Oceanic Conference to be held in Mauritius[edit]
The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the Indian Ocean has announced plans for the Bahá’í Oceanic Conference called for by the Universal House of Justice. The conference will be held in Rose-Hill, Mauritius, August 14-16, 1970. The official registration date for the conference will be Thursday, August 13, 1970. Information on accommodations, air travel services, registration, and transportation are available directly from the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the Indian Ocean.
Hotel accommodations are limited on Mauritius. American Bahá’ís wishing to attend the conference are urged to make reservations early through the Indian Ocean National Assembly.
Further information is available by writing to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the Indian Ocean, P.O. Box 686, Port Louis, Mauritius.
Bahá’ís from the United States planning to attend this conference are asked to inform the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States of their intent.
[Page 2]
Auxiliary Board member Curtis D. Kelsey, 1894-1970. See Bahá’í News April 1970.
Small Towns, Big Splash[edit]
“We live in a small town of 7,000 where the large majority of the population is either born or very close-knit. The anchor Bahá’ís are a family that has been here for five years, and I’m sure every family in town knows at least that they are Bahá’ís, because of ads, proclamations, etc. that have been very regularly before the public. A large part of our teaching is actually more a deepening of the many very close friends. This is a very conservative area, but we feel that it is also a very ripe area, because of the constant stream of questions that we are asked and the atmosphere of small town and country purity compared to the cities. We would like to urge more Bahá’ís — families, students, etc., to go to the small towns as the Guardian so often advised. It’s very true that we make a big splash in a little puddle and a little splash in a big puddle as I heard at one conference.”
To The City Dwellers[edit]
Have you ever awakened from sleep just before dawn, and found someone anxiously waiting for you to enroll him in the Bahá’í Faith?
Has your arrival to teach the Faith in a new village ever been anticipated by some residents of that village who had dreamed of your coming and were waiting to receive you?
While driving along a highway, have you ever been flagged down by a woman who wanted you to enroll her in the Bahá’í Faith right then and there?
Can you imagine your teaching program moving so quickly that, after a new Bahá’í teacher had already enrolled several new believers, you suddenly discovered that this teacher himself had not yet been enrolled?
Have you felt the joy of arriving in a new village only to be stopped almost at once by someone who said, “Oh yes! Mr. so-and-so told us about this wonderful Faith and for months we have been waiting for you so we could become Bahá’ís?”
Can any of the comforts and ease of modern life even remotely compare with the spiritual joy which such experiences will fill your soul?
Such a priceless privilege is yours for the asking. Thousands of your Indian brothers and sisters in distant lands are waiting to be enrolled and deepened in the Faith, but fewer than a handful of pioneers have answered the call and seized this remarkable opportunity.
These regions are like a large and beautiful orchard filled with trees whose boughs are laden with wonderful fruits, but there is no one to reap the harvest for Bahá’u’lláh. Time is running out! The missionaries, the merchants, the politicians are discovering this marvelous orchard. Will we let them reap the harvest instead? Can anyone afford a moment’s hesitation?
Before it is too late, throw off the fetters of city life and offer your pioneering services, so that you may share the joys of serving Bahá’u’lláh among these dear souls who are destined to “shed light on all regions.”
- International Goals Committee
- 112 Linden Avenue
- Wilmette, Illinois 60091
- Phone 312-256-4400
Bahá’í Special Event Days: Origin and Development[edit]
Like so many other occurrences, the beginning was inauspicious. Tucked away on page six of the September 1949 BAHÁ’Í NEWS was recommendation No. 24 of the 34 to come from the 41st Annual National Convention of the Bahá’ís of the United States. The entry read: That the National Spiritual Assembly arrange national observance by Bahá’í communities of UN Day and Human Rights Day, with the suggestion that there be an invitation to other organizations in the city to participate with the Bahá’í as sponsors and hosts.
The recommendation might have been easily overlooked. There were other recommendations that seemed more involved, intricate, and effective. Eight recommendations came out of the convention’s Youth Workshop alone, including one that broadened the function of the National Youth Committee.
A Sequence Begins[edit]
The difference is that the other recommendations — and the National Youth Committee — passed into history. Recommendation No. 24, insignificant as it may have been at the time, began a sequence that has evolved into the five special event days celebrated each year by the Bahá’ís of the United States.
Both United Nations Day and Human Rights Day, unlike the other Bahá’í special event days, were the creations of the United Nations. United Nations Day is celebrated every October 24, to commemorate the ratification of the United Nations Charter by the member nations, thus bringing the body into existence. Human Rights Day comes in early December each year in observance of the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in December 1949.
Bahá’í observances of these two days at first largely consisted of either a Bahá’í speaker or a representative of a local United Nations Association chapter giving a jointly sponsored talk on some aspect of the United Nations, usually its role as an international governing body and peace-keeping force.
Committee Advice[edit]
Over the years, suggestions have come from the United Nations Committee of the Bahá’ís of the United States. The committee has advised Bahá’ís to sponsor public meetings on the oneness of mankind, with representatives of various races and nationalities presenting brief accounts of how the United Nations has helped their community; set up displays of books and posters relating to United Nations activity in libraries, stores, and schools, etc.
Observances of Human Rights Days have, like those of United Nations Day, become a joint effort. Generally, Bahá’í communities have either sponsored these days themselves or cooperated with other organizations interested in human rights.
The first special event day to be established by the Bahá’í Community was World Religion Day. It was suggested by the Bahá’í National Public Relations Committee. The National Spiritual Assembly, in late 1949, agreed to a Public Relations Committee recommendation to promote January 15 as World Religion Day. Each Bahá’í group and assembly was urged to plan some form of public meeting on that date. The opportunity offered an occasion to emphasize a key part of the Bahá’í revelation — the concept of progressive revelation.
World Religion Day[edit]
World Religion Day proved to be an excellent proclamation tool. Its nationwide observance by local Bahá’í communities was mobilized and publicized by local newspapers. Radio stations offered air time and welcomed Bahá’ís to talk about the Faith.
Some Problems Arise[edit]
Recommendations that activities in observance of the day concern themselves largely with the Bahá’í Faith were not quite heeded. In time, and with increasing frequency, a succession of priests, ministers, and persons of Christian background, not all of them always friendly to the aims and purposes of the Bahá’í Faith, were invited by Bahá’ís to share a platform on World Religion Day. This practice grew from the misapprehension that World Religion Day meant that all the world’s major religions were to be honored on that day. By 1959, the National Spiritual Assembly thought it necessary to announce in the November BAHÁ’Í NEWS: The friends are reminded that World Religion Day supplies an opportunity to present the Faith and the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh as the world religion foretold by the Prophets of the past. It is not to be considered as a general platform for the exposition of other religions.
The program, therefore, is to feature a Bahá’í speaker capable of expressing the significance of the Bahá’í Faith, and not one or more speakers who can deal with other religions.
Despite some initial misunderstandings of the function of World Religion Day, it has become perhaps the best-known special event day. It is a purely proclamation event. It is the one special event day devoted exclusively to the idea that the Bahá’í Faith is a worldwide, modern religion for mankind.
Race Unity Day[edit]
Of all Bahá’í special event days, Race Unity Day (the name was changed from Race Amity Day in 1965) is in the peculiar position of having one of the shortest histories and, at the same time, one of the longest backgrounds.
The roots of this day go back to the appointment of a national Bahá’í committee “In order to intensify the effort of the American Bahá’ís to promote the cause of racial amity.” In January 1927, the Race Amity Committee was appointed. Its executive secretary was Louis G. Gregory, later to be appointed the first Negro Hand of the Cause of God.
The committee worked to promote racial harmony within Bahá’í communities and to arrange for Bahá’ís to address non-Bahá’í organizations on the matter of race relations in America. It promoted and sponsored race amity conferences, interracial social gatherings, and courses of study on race.
Committee Reorganized[edit]
In 1939, the committee was reorganized as the Race Unity Committee. Its goal was the elimination of racial prejudice, not in American life, but from the body of the American Bahá’í community. The new committee continued in the footsteps and programs of its forerunner. Study classes on race, interracial fellowship meetings, and conferences on race relations were organized and conducted.
In 1941, at the recommendation of the delegates to the 36th Annual Convention, the Race Unity Committee was dissolved and its functions were taken
Bahá’í Holy Days: Background and Celebration[edit]
Among the gifts Bahá’u’lláh has bestowed upon us is the appointment in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas of nine Bahá’í Holy Days.
On the nine days in a year that are connected with events in the lives of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has written that “These nine days are the only ones on which work connected with trade, commerce, industry and agriculture is not allowed. In like manner, work connected with any form of employment, whether governmental or otherwise, should be suspended.”
The nine days are Naw-Rúz, the Birthday of the Báb, the Anniversary of the Declaration of the Báb, the Martyrdom of the Báb, the Birthday of Bahá’u’lláh, and the first, ninth and twelfth days of Riḍván and the Anniversary of the Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh.
Naw-Rúz[edit]
All nations have a day of special celebration when the people rejoice. For Persians, Naw-Rúz is that day. Some 5,000 years ago Persia, as a nation, had ceased to exist. Then, on Naw-Rúz, a new ruler, Shah Jamsheed, ascended to the throne. His rule was beneficial to the country. Persia made great advancements and Shah Jamsheed declared Naw-Rúz a national holiday.
Naw-Rúz means “new day.” For Persia, it was just that. Over the centuries, Zoroastrians and Muslims have celebrated it with great joy. Later, Bábís and Bahá’ís also celebrated Naw-Rúz, and Bahá’u’lláh made it a Bahá’í Holy Day in the Aqdas.
To this day, in Persia, the celebration of Naw-Rúz goes on for 12 days. Since Naw-Rúz coincides with the arrival of spring, Persians heap flowers in their rooms. The doors to their homes are open with welcoming hospitality. There are delicious and delicate foods for the adults and bowls of sweetmeats for the children.
Coins Given Away[edit]
Another Persian custom on this day is to distribute gold and silver coins. One nineteenth-century ambassador described how, on Naw-Rúz, the Shah would sit on a carpet of pearls placed before the peacock throne while attendants brought in trays of gold and silver coins for distribution to the court.
When Persia became a Muslim country, the Islamic lunar calendar was adopted. The lunar dates of Naw-Rúz varied considerably over the years. In the beginning of the Bahá’í dispensation, when the Báb still observed the lunar calendar of Muḥammad, the date of Naw-Rúz moved some six weeks in five years.
In the Kitáb-i-Asma’, the Báb inaugurated a new solar calendar which, among other things, stabilized the occurrence of Naw-Rúz. Later, when Bahá’u’lláh requested Nabíl to write an explanation of the new calendar, this was made clear to all the Bahá’ís.
In 1870, Bahá’u’lláh stated that this new calendar was to date from the Declaration of the Báb rather than from the ninth day of Riḍván as some of the believers had supposed. In light of this, Nabíl writes, he has dated the first Bahá’í Naw-Rúz as the one that fell on March 21, 1845.
The Births of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh[edit]
A different sort of “Naw-Rúz” began with the advent of the Báb. He was born Siyyid ‘Alí-Muḥammad in the city of Shíráz on October 20, 1819. He belonged to a house renowned for its nobility which traced its origin to Muḥammad Himself. The date of the Báb’s birth confirmed the prophecy, traditionally attributed to the Imám ‘Alí, “I am two years younger than my Lord.” This refers to Bahá’u’lláh, who was born on November 12, 1817. So, the two birthdays are closely associated with each other.
It is on these two dates that the Bahá’í world, in joy and gratitude, gives two gigantic “birthday parties.” We hold celebrations and some of us break into song. Others of us go quietly wrapped in meditation and thankfulness for what these two days signify.
It was 25 years after the birth of the Báb that He was to await the arrival of His first disciple, Mullá Ḥusayn.
Late on the afternoon of May 23, 1844, Mullá Ḥusayn rounded the last turn in the long road from Karbilá to Shíráz and the city lay before him. In the hearts of many, Shíráz is the most beautiful city in the world. Lying in the lush green spread of a fertile plain that is surrounded by distant snow-topped mountains, the city is a living garden. Masses of flowers send their fragrance into the air while cypresses, stately and dark against the white of the city, rise into the incredible blue of the sky.
No Time for Beauty[edit]
All this gave Mullá Ḥusayn no pause. He was too intent on finding the Object of his quest. He hurried down the long smooth road that led over a wide bridge to the gate of the city.
There, much to his surprise, he found a Youth waiting for him. Mullá Ḥusayn was astonished when the Youth greeted him warmly and embraced him lovingly. The Youth asked Mullá Ḥusayn what brought him to Shíráz. Mullá Ḥusayn answered, “I come to seek the Promised One.” The Youth smiled and suggested that they go to His home where this might be discussed further.
Later that evening, at two hours and eleven minutes past sunset—the time we mark our observance even to this day—the young merchant, Siyyid ‘Alí-Muḥammad, revealed Himself to be the Promised One—the Báb—sought by Mullá Ḥusayn. On that evening of May 23, 1844, the ministry of the Báb began.
A Local Spiritual Assembly Speaks Out[edit]
This Assembly would like to suggest that the believers should be reminded that the appearance and conduct of Bahá’ís attending publicly identified functions of the Faith speaks loudly in proclaiming the character of the followers of Bahá’u’lláh to the public.
Members of this Assembly have noted that those who came in contact with the Bahá’ís at two recent deepening conferences held in public buildings were unfavorably impressed. In one instance, a meeting hall used by Bahá’ís for many years in another city in this state was closed to all future Bahá’í meetings because the management was unhappy about the appearance of the Bahá’ís and the disorder left in the building.
It occurs to this Assembly that those Bahá’ís who are able and willing to travel distances for weekend deepening conferences and sleep in sleeping bags on the floors of hospitable Bahá’ís, are unlikely to dress formally or have much money to spend in public restaurants. It is therefore our suggestion that deepening conferences be held in more private halls, rather than in motels and hotels that are necessarily conservative in outlook and profit-making in intent.
We further suggest that Bahá’ís be reminded that appearance and conduct at Bahá’í meetings in public must retain the dignity the Master showed, though he had long hair, bearded, and dressed differently.
Write to Your Family[edit]
The National Teaching Committee’s Office of Youth and Student Activities often receives warm and wonderful letters from Bahá’ís overseas who want to exchange letters with their American brothers and sisters. Some of the recent addresses are:
- Joyce Neil, May Pen, Jamaica, West Indies
- Carol Jones, May Pen, Jamaica, West Indies
- Alfonso Brown, 12½ Manchester Avenue, May Pen, Jamaica, West Indies
- David Fuentes Callijas, Centro Urbano Lourdes, Edificio “G”, Nro. 31, San Salvador, El Salvador, Central America
More are available from the Youth and Students Activities office. A good way to get news from the Bahá’í world and to find out about the area you might pioneer to.
Wilmette Bahá’í Community Sponsors Negro History Week[edit]
Negro History Week, February 8-14, was celebrated for perhaps the first time in Wilmette, Ill. and sponsored by the Bahá’í Community of Wilmette. A display of Negro art and literature was featured in a local store window during the week-long observance.
The highlight of the week was a program on “Black Music and Poetry” at a restaurant on February 15. More than 125 persons, about one-third of them Negro, attended the event. About half the audience was non-Bahá’í.
The master of ceremonies for the program was William Reaves of Highland Park, Ill. A jazz group, Black Baby Jam, played original jazz compositions. Clayton Taylor, Jr. of Evanston, Ill. gave a reading on the history and development of black poetry. Paul Siebenmann, owner of a record shop in Wilmette, played recordings of early jazz music. Andy Rhinehart of Oak Park, Ill. played the guitar and sang original songs.
Several Chicago radio stations and a local newspaper carried announcements of the event. Posters were given wide distribution in Wilmette and neighboring communities.
Those attending the event were impressed by the care and consideration the Bahá’ís showed in all. Several persons attending their first Bahá’í-sponsored event said they “didn’t know there were people in the world who could be so real.”
The celebration of Negro History Week was one of the most successful Bahá’í-sponsored events ever to be held in Wilmette. The owner of the restaurant where the program occurred was so delighted by the beauty and success of the evening that he offered his restaurant for similar Bahá’í events in the future.
William Reaves, M.C. for the program sponsored by the Wilmette Bahá’í community during Negro History Week.
National Committee News[edit]
International Goals Committee[edit]
Charged with responsibility for placing 305 American Bahá’ís in foreign goals before Riḍván 1970, the committee has been hard at work on this. After a slow start, pioneering activity has increased in the last few months. It is now estimated that about 220 pioneers will be committed to leave for their posts or already at their posts by March 20, one month before Riḍván.
National Teaching Committee[edit]
Office of Community Development
Bahá’í institutes on education conducted by Dr. H. D. Rost are planned for the month of April in the states of Minnesota and South Dakota. In existence since last July, these traveling institutes are designed to deepen Bahá’ís on what is meant by Bahá’í education, including that of youth and children.
Several months ago, the National Teaching Committee made available a guide to reading aloud from the Bahá’í writings. Since that time, response to the guide, entitled “Your Participation in Bahá’í Programs” has been overwhelming. More than 1,500 of them have been mailed to Bahá’í communities all over the United States. Some communities have used the guide as a basis for study classes on public presentations of the Faith.
Conferences are planned every six months for newly enrolled Bahá’ís. These conferences, created by the National Teaching Committee, will be conducted in every Bahá’í electoral district by state goals committees. Topics will include the relation of the individual Bahá’í to the national community, the teaching guide “Know Your Bahá’í Literature,” the topic of the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh with emphasis on the pamphlet “Your Role in the Nine Year Plan,” and a review of individual responsibilities such as attendance at Nineteen Day Feasts, prayer, fasting, etc. The focus of these bi-annual conferences will be on orienting the individual to the Bahá’í community on the local, national, and international levels.
Youth and Student Activities[edit]
One of the five-year youth goals for attainment by 1973 is to create 122 Bahá’í college clubs on college campuses with at least one in every state. At present, there are 108 clubs, and there is a possibility that the remaining 14 will be formed by this Riḍván, thus fulfilling the goal three years ahead of schedule.
The staff of the Youth and Student Activities office is busy making arrangements for the National Youth Conference to be held in June. The primary purpose of this conference is to encourage youth pioneering to the South, to Indian reservations across the country, and to foreign goals.
Work is progressing on the second of a projected six youth deepening portfolios. The second packet, entitled “A New Race of Men,” has as its topics reverence, cleanliness, courtesy, obedience, and sacrifice.
A newly created area youth committee has been appointed for Puerto Rico, making it the island’s first area youth committee. Other area youth committees in the United States are in the process of being reappointed and, in some cases, reapportioned.
NABOHR[edit]
The first regional conference of a series of three planned for this year will be held on April 11-12 at Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina. The weekend conference will feature keynote speakers Dr. Benjamin Payton, president of the college, and Dr. Daniel Jordan of The University of Massachusetts School of Education. The conference theme is “Education for the New Needs of Man.”
Public Information Office[edit]
The second in a series of color one minute television spot announcements created by the Public Information Office is being released to television stations around the nation. These spot announcements have been produced to reach a mass audience with Bahá’í ideals. The new television spot “Challenge to Youth” will be followed by two more spot announcements, both in production, for release next year.
Preliminary correspondence with the editors of READERS DIGEST ALMANAC indicates that the almanac will carry expanded information on the Bahá’í Faith in its 1971 edition including material provided by the Public Information Office.
The public information kit for the showing of “A New Wind” is in production. Also in preparation are sample press releases for Bahá’ís going on pilgrimage and a slide presentation for use with civic and social clubs that gives the story of the Bahá’í Faith.
Bahá’í Publishing Trust[edit]
A new catalog of Bahá’í audio-visual materials has been prepared and sent to all local spiritual assemblies. The four final basic lesson plans edited by the Advisory Committee on Education have been completed and are now available through the Publishing Trust. Orders should be sent through community librarians or directly to the Publishing Trust.
Bahá’í Holy Days[edit]
Martyrdom of the Bab[edit]
We observe its ending, the Báb’s martyrdom, also as a Holy Day.
The Martyrdom of the Báb and the end of His ministry took place on Sunday, July 9, 1850. This date, Bahá’u’lláh has written in the Aqdas, is a Holy Day on which we forego the work of this material world and give ourselves over to memories of the Báb, Who was so radiantly filled with love.
The death of the Báb was the signal for the beginning of large-scale persecution of the Bábís. Bahá’u’lláh was imprisoned and later expelled from Iran to Iraq. He lived in Baghdád, Iraq for nine years re-building the Bábí community that had been shattered by the death of the Báb.
Bahá’u’lláh’s efforts were so successful that the authorities, fearful that the Bábí religion would rise again, ordered His further banishment to Constantinople.
The Twelve Days of Ridván[edit]
Preparations for the long four months’ journey to the capital of the Turkish Empire had been made. Bahá’u’lláh, taking ‘Abdu’l-Bahá with Him, left the city and His heart-broken followers to occupy, for a short period of rest and preparation, a tent in the garden of Najíb Pashá, that had been offered to Him for this purpose. They arrived in the garden on April 21, 1863. It is this garden that has become known as the Garden of Riḍván, and the twelve ensuing days have since been known as the Twelve Days of Riḍván. During these days, Bahá’u’lláh made it known that He was a Manifestation of God, the One foretold by the Báb.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá is quoted as saying, “... these days will be celebrated with a genuine rejoicing ... The beauty, the sheer joy, the exhilaration of the golden Riḍván Days are now brought back to memory and in reviewing them I find each day a perfect gem of spiritual rapture.”
The Twelve Days of Riḍván are the holiest and most significant of Bahá’í festivals. When commemorating this period, we suspend work on three days: the first, ninth, and twelfth days of Riḍván.
On the twelfth day of Riḍván, Bahá’u’lláh and His party left for Constantinople.
Exile Continues[edit]
This, however, was not to be the end of His journeying. From Constantinople, He was sent to Adrianople and other cities in the Turkish Empire and then to the prison city of ‘Akká. Finally, He was permitted, though still officially a prisoner, to live at the mansion of Bahjí, where He spent the last 12 years of His life.
In the middle of May 1892, Bahá’u’lláh suffered a slight fever that passed, only to recur more seriously on the 28th of that same month. On the 29th, near dawn in the 75th year of His life, Bahá’u’lláh “abandoned His physical garment and ascended to the spiritual world.”
Mirza Abu’l-Faḍl wrote in his diary, “On the day of His departure, the inhabitants of Haifa, ‘Akká and neighboring places assembled in the presence of His eldest son, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá ... and interred His remains ... close to the Mansion of Bahjí.”
The Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh[edit]
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RIḌVÁN IS VERY NEAR. THE GOAL IS 87 NEW AND RESTORED LOCAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES. |
It is appointed that we gather together at three o’clock on the morning of May 29th, the hour of Bahá’u’lláh’s ascension. This gathering in the early morning is an experience in itself. We rise in darkness and, through the darkness of empty streets, we go to meet with our friends who, like ourselves, come together to pay homage to Bahá’u’lláh.
These, then, are the Bahá’í Holy Days. Each has its own character, its own special atmosphere, its own reason for joy, gratitude, and rededication to this Faith which lies so deeply in our hearts.
- — Muriel Ives Newhall
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People of Bahá Concentrate on the words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: “They shall scatter in the world, and travel throughout all regions. They shall raise their voice in every assembly, and adorn and revive every gathering. They shall speak in every tongue, and interpret every hidden meaning. They shall reveal the mysteries of the Kingdom, and manifest unto everyone the signs of God. They shall burn brightly even as a candle in the heart of every assembly, and beam forth as a star upon every horizon. The gentle breeze wafted from the garden of their hearts shall perfume and revive the souls of men, and the revelations of their minds, even as showers, reinvigorate the peoples and nations of the world.” Have you given serious consideration to serving our beloved Cause in a goal country?
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Conference[edit]
the packet of conference materials. But the basement of the House of Worship was crowded with new arrivals, and the noise made small-group consultation almost impossible; although the discussion groups did the best they could. The session ended at 10:30 with persons still arriving to be registered.
Mrs. Victoria De Lee, president of the NAACP chapter in Dorchester County, South Carolina:
“I don’t want you to think that I’m the only Negro to stand up to whites in Dorchester County. I’m the only Negro that lived this long doing it.”
The next union of the conference convened on Saturday morning at the National College of Education, a short distance from the House of Worship. All subsequent conference sessions were at the college.
The topic of the morning session was “Education and Justice.” The first speaker was Mrs. Victoria De Lee of Ridgeville, South Carolina. She was the only non-Bahá’í speaker of the conference. Mrs. De Lee has a long record of civil rights activity in Dorchester County, South Carolina. She worked for voter registration in the county and is president of the local NAACP chapter. In the course of her work, she has been jailed, her home has been repeatedly shot at and finally, in 1960, it was fire-bombed and destroyed.
Her current project, which she discussed in the course of her speech, is to get 500 Indian children integrated into Dorchester County’s public school system. It has not been an easy task.
Bob Henderson, student at the University of Massachusetts:
“There is disunity of color and class within the Bahá’í community and we must deal with this.”
Indians in Dorchester County were considered to be white until they tried to get their children into the public school system. They were then told that they were not white, but Indians and, as such, could not get their children admitted to the schools.
Mrs. De Lee has worked hard—and unsuccessfully, so far—at her task. Recently, a freedom school was set up in the Indian community in Dorchester County to teach Indian children. Mrs. De Lee is still bucking the white power structure of the county.
“I don’t want you to think that I’m the only Negro to stand up to whites in Dorchester County,” she told the conference, “I’m the only Negro that lived this long doing it.”
Disunity Within[edit]
The next speaker was Bob Henderson, a student at the University of Massachusetts. He spoke on disunity of color and class within the Bahá’í Faith. Each Bahá’í must deal with the racism within himself, he said, “How are we going to consolidate the community when we still have racist hang-ups? We’ve got to use the guidelines Bahá’u’lláh gave us.”
Richard Thomas, a student at Michigan State University, the next speaker, continued this theme, stating that education in America has been influenced by racism. “Education has reinforced racist attitudes,” he said.
Unexpected Announcement[edit]
The conference was on the point of breaking up into discussion groups to consider the matter of racism in education and what to do about it, when Dr. Jordan stepped to the podium, asked for quiet, and announced that word had been received that Auxiliary Board member Curtis Kelsey had passed away the night before. By common consent, it was decided to dedicate the entire conference to his memory and to send Mrs. Kelsey a telegram of condolence.
It is interesting to note that the education conference was dedicated to the memory of a man that never finished grade school. Mr. Kelsey attributed all his knowledge to the Bahá’í teachings.
Discussion groups, now larger than ever, labored under the double impact of the news of Mr. Kelsey’s death and the knowledge that racism and education were not something outside the conference, but was there at an unwelcome moment.
The essential question facing each discussion group was twofold. First, what sorts of recommendations could the group make to the national assembly to combat racism in Bahá’í education? Second, what action could each person take to eliminate racism within himself? These questions were not any easier to deal with by the fact that some discussion groups had swollen to 35 persons. Although separate classrooms at the college made things easier, the size of the discussion groups hampered consultation and the formulation of recommendations.
Richard Thomas, student at Michigan State University:
“Education has reinforced racist attitudes.”
The Saturday afternoon session convened after lunch. A committee appointed to draft a telegram to Mrs. Kelsey made its report through the master of ceremonies, James Sacco. He read the telegram to the audience.
“GRIEVED PASSING OF DEARLY BELOVED CURTIS (STOP) ENTIRE CONFERENCE OFFERING PRAYERS PROGRESS HIS SOUL ABHA KINGDOM (STOP) 850 BAHA’IS FROM ALL PARTS OF U.S. DEDICATING CONFERENCE SPIRITUALLY TO MOST EXEMPLARY TEACHER, SELFLESS SERVANT ABDUL-BAHA, SHOGHI EFFENDI AND UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE (STOP) HEARTFELT SYMPATHY ENTIRE FAMILY. (SIGNED) NATIONAL BAHA’I CONFERENCE ON EDUCATION.”
The afternoon session got underway with a talk by Edward Carpenter, headmaster of Harlem Preparatory School. The title was “Models for Change.” After a showing of a short film made by the students at Harlem Prep on the purposes and operation of the school, he talked about its background.
In 1967, Mr. Carpenter left Queens College in New York to found Harlem Preparatory School. Everything seemed to be against the venture succeeding. He had three months to develop a curriculum, find a philosophy, hire teachers, get a charter from the state and get the school going. He did all this in two months.
There are an estimated 1,000 drop-outs from New York City schools per year. In two years of operation, Harlem Prep took in 174 of these and all but one student has gone on and stayed on in college. Harlem Prep operates on private donations. It has no local, state or federal funding at all.
Edward Carpenter, headmaster of Harlem Preparatory School:
“My vocation as an educator is totally influenced and controlled by Bahá’í precepts.”
Bahá’í Basis[edit]
The school is run on a Bahá’í basis. Any teaching methodology proposed at Harlem Prep, according to Mr. Carpenter, is referred back to Bahá’í precepts to check its validity. “My vocation as an educator is totally influenced and controlled by Bahá’í precepts,” Mr. Carpenter said.
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Summer Youth Project—1969
Their work began with a visit to the Cornerstone Room where they prayed for guidance and for the success of the project. There was an indoctrination session where it was explained to them why they had been selected, what was expected of them in the way of conduct and what projects they would be working on. The youth were divided into groups, each group with a different project. The young women were assigned to maintain the auditorium of the House of Worship. The terrazzo floor was stripped, cleaned, sealed, and waxed, bringing out its rose hue. At the same time, a team of young men cleaned the inner dome, sealing the glass and repainting the flashing. Other groups scraped and then painted the chain fencing and railings around the deck, cleaned out the boilers and made repairs on the radiators and the heating system. The monumental task of the summer was the cleaning of the exterior ornamentation of the House of Worship. The concrete and quartz moldings were cleaned with a newly developed special detergent that would not etch or dull the quartz embedded in the white cement of the building. The crew that cleaned the dome was carefully selected on the basis of dexterity, obedience to orders, discipline, and perseverance. A steeplejack helped with the equipment, rigging, and bosun chairs required to work the sloping surface. It took all summer to clean away 30 years of accumulated dirt from the ribs, dome, and crown of the House of Worship. After the cleaning, a special sealing agent was applied to keep the building white and clean during the years ahead. Plans are now underway for another summer youth project at the National Center. A limited number of applicants will be invited to work on the project. It is hoped that many of the jobs will be done in the same spirit and dedication that existed last year. The biggest project of all will be to continue and complete the cleaning of the exterior of the House of Worship. —Frank Czerniewski
Superintendent of Buildings |
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A SUMMER AT THE HOUSE OF WORSHIP! There will again be opportunities at the National Bahá’í Center for young men and women (minimum age 18) able to devote their entire summer or a substantial part (minimum 6 weeks).
Cleaning and sealing of the exterior of the House of Worship Interior and exterior construction and painting Construction of parking lots Landscape gardening of shore property Maintenance of building and grounds
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Bahá’í Lesson Plans – Grades 3, 4, 5 and 9 The four final Bahá’í Lesson Plans edited by the Advisory Committee on Education, are now available. These plans provide the teacher with a set of easily used materials, including lesson goals, references, methods, and various helpful aids and reminders. All manuals are 8½ x 11 size.
Orders should be sent through your community librarian to the Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 415 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091. |
Conference[edit]
Referring to the role of the educator in society, Mr. Carpenter said, “We Bahá’í teachers must be the expediters of the dream. We must act with humility but move with boldness.”
After Mr. Carpenter’s speech, the conference broke up for presentations of some teaching techniques brought to the conference. Mr. Henry Ginn of Syracuse, New York demonstrated the Laubach Literacy Method which is designed, through phonetics, to teach illiterate adults how to read.
Techniques Demonstrated[edit]
There was a demonstration of a teaching technique called microteaching. This consists of a scaled-down teaching situation in which a teacher teaches for a short period of time to a small group of students. The lesson will last for five to ten minutes and then be followed by a brief critique and then a reteaching of the same materials based on the criticisms.
Dr. Daniel Jordan of the University of Massachusetts School of Education:
“The ANISA model is a blend of research on specific aspects of human behavior and the writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Bahá’u’lláh.”
An added feature of this technique was the use of a videotape recorder. By videotaping a microteaching session, the teacher can participate in the analysis and discussion afterwards and correct or improve teaching technique.
Juan Caban and Richard Andre, students at the University of Massachusetts, made a multimedia teaching presentation using two slide projectors and a stereo tape recorder. The multimedia technique is designed to appeal to the emotions — rather than the intellect — of the viewer-listener. The basic approach to the method is to select an idea, work on visual and audio images that relate to that idea, arrange them so they present a message in a way that will appeal to the senses.
The conference broke for dinner and, afterwards, reassembled for the evening session.
Dr. Daniel Jordan was once again the speaker. His topic was the American National Institute for Social Advancement (ANISA) concept of an educational system. According to Dr. Jordan, the ANISA concept is based on an assumption of the spiritual nature of man. The approach deviates significantly from traditional educational procedures.
“Traditional schools stuff in information and base exams to test retrieval of information. A’s and B’s are given for good retrieval, D’s and F’s for poor retrieval,” he said.
“The education process must foster the development of all the potentialities of the child; the teaching staff must be trained to do this.”
“Learning is more than storing knowledge, it has to do with behavior,” he continued.
The ANISA concept combines research on specific aspects of human behavior with the Bahá’í educational teachings in an effort to get the human mind to its best working condition.
As such, said Dr. Jordan, a school must be a place that encourages each child to develop to the utmost of his capacities rather than clamping a lid on children and stultifying their development. The ANISA concept is an experiment in this direction.
A Long Presentation[edit]
Dr. Jordan’s talk was followed by Poova Murday, to speak on “Education for International Living.”
What began as a 20-minute talk on the international aspects of education ran three times that length and became An Evening With Poova Murday. With side ventures into song, having members of the National Teaching staff come on stage to discuss what they are doing, followed by Bahá’ís who were about to pioneer coming on stage to talk about why, and shouts of “Yá Bahá’u’l-Abhá!” Mr. Murday made his points.
Bahá’í pioneers, he said, were spiritual educators. Since the spiritual education of the world was very important, they were very important.
He talked only briefly about education in a direct manner, “Americans are all educated,” he said. “You are all educated. The key question is — what are you going to do with all this education?”
Educators of Mankind[edit]
His answer was to bring up members of the International Goals office on stage and talk briefly with them. He stressed the importance of Bahá’ís as the educators of mankind. By the time it was all over, Mr. Murday had missed his bus to the airport, but he received a standing ovation for his appearance and his talk.
After the fervid emotions of Mr. Murday’s appearance, the next speaker was Gary Hillaire, to talk on “Education and the American Indian.”
Mr. Hillaire approached the podium and stood silently at it for perhaps a full minute. Then, so quietly that the audience had to pay great attention to hear him, he began speaking. He did not talk very long.
He talked briefly about what was happening to Indians now and about their various demonstrations across the nation.
Away From “Red Power”[edit]
“To me, ‘red power’ is not the thing you see in the headlines,” he began. “And I would very seriously call our people away ... from these negative things. It is not our way.”
He paused, looked at the audience intently and said, referring to the tremendous emotionalism of Mr. Murday’s talk, “I’m sure you enjoyed your spiritual orgy. It’s a precious gift that was meant to change the world.”
Then he quoted ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: “I am waiting; patiently waiting.” And, as his eyes filled with tears, he walked off the stage.
Poova Murday of the Deep South Committee:
“Americans are all educated. The key question is: what are you going to do with all this education?”
Gary Hillaire of the Bahá’í Indian Council:
“To me, ‘red power’ is not the thing you see in headlines. And I would very seriously call our people away ... from these negative things. It is not our way.”
By now, it was late Saturday night and those attending were given the choice of going home or attending their discussion groups to sort out the matters presented to them.
The Final Day[edit]
Sunday morning was the final day for the conference. It began with Gary Hillaire taking up where he had left off the previous evening.
He discussed the Indian’s way of learning from nature. “All our ways of teaching were keyed by watching nature and noting different effects,” he said.
His talk was not long, but used examples of what his family had taught him through example and Indian parables about what life was and how to behave. It was a different sort of education than the formal one most students get, and it reflected a different approach to the matter of education, an approach that is family oriented and centered.
The conference officially ended with the address of Dr. Dwight Allen, dean of the University of Massachusetts School of Education. It was Dr. Allen’s task to summarize the recommendations that came out of the workshops of the conference.
Conference Summary[edit]
It was not an easy task. Most of the recommendations had not been sifted through by that time. In addition, Dr. Allen tried to summarize the spirit of the conference. His remarks reflected the uncertainty that surrounds much of what is Bahá’í education.
“We know the principles of education are not hard and fast rules,” he said. “They will be developed over the next thousand years. We know little of the potential of Bahá’í education.”
He posed a question on the nature of Bahá’í education:
“What must be the standard of Bahá’í education, and how do we get there?”
Dr. Allen conceded that the conference never got to its objectives. But, he said, “I’m convinced as I stand before you that this conference is a screaming success.”
Over 100 Recommendations[edit]
He noted that a lot of the recommendations centered on how Bahá’ís could learn more about Bahá’í education and on having further conferences to discuss the matter.
Over 100 recommendations came out of the conference on various phases of Bahá’í education. They ranged from suggestions on short term proclamation activities for the year to long range considerations of educational concepts.
The recommendations were turned over to the National Teaching Staff for forwarding to the National Spiritual Assembly for consideration.
Dr. Allen concluded his remarks by alluding to the Bahá’í potential to influence human society. “I hope this conference on education has given us a perspective that we can add to our potential to do that,” he said.
And, on that note, the conference ended.
Editorial[edit]
“Among the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh is the promotion of education.” THE BAHÁ’Í PEACE PROGRAM, p. 19.
Reporting on the National Bahá’í Conference on Education is a difficult thing. It is a lot like trying to explain the humor of a funny incident to someone who came in late. Finally, you give up and say, “You had to be there.”
With about a thousand Bahá’ís attending, it seemed that nearly everyone was there. This did not make things easier on anyone. A thousand Bahá’ís came together for a conference on education only to find that the conference showed how much we still don’t know about education. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, Dr. Dwight Allen was right when he called the conference “a screaming success.”
Perhaps there couldn’t be a conference in the ordinary sense because the topic of Bahá’í education is too vast, its ramifications too great, and the challenge it issues too immense. Those who came to the conferences spent three days finding that out. It was not time wasted.
Somewhere along the line, the topic got bigger than the conference and some interesting things developed. Among them was a demonstration of unity in diversity. Speakers came from all backgrounds and walks of life and had divergent things to say. Yet the impact of the Bahá’í Faith on their lives and on their approach to education was the common concern of all speakers.
What came out of the conference should give pause to us all. A combination of the spirit of the Bahá’ís, the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh regarding education (and everyone was surprised by their enormity and vastness), and some specific techniques that are still in their infancy, such as microteaching and multi-media presentations, all combined to fundamentally alter the conference and overwhelm the participants.
Those who came to the conference, came to find out about Bahá’í education, what it is and how it works. We found it an elusive subject. Dr. Allen, in his summation, said, “The fact that we can’t compass Bahá’í education in this generation is the best thing we have going for us.” And everyone nodded because they knew he was right.
Still, we learned at the conference. The workshops produced over a hundred recommendations that are now under examination for possible use.
We were confronted by the enormous tasks that Bahá’ís of this generation and future generations have in putting Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings on education into practice.
We also learned that whatever Bahá’í education is, it is not any system that man has known before. We came up against that fact and, still somewhat in awe, we have not recovered from it.
News Briefs[edit]
World Religion Day[edit]
The Newfound Area Bahá’í group observed World Religion Day with Bahá’ís in Peterborough, New Hampshire. Both groups heard Dr. Dwight Allen give an excellent talk on education to several young people, Bahá’ís and non-Bahá’ís, most of them college students.
In Indianapolis, Indiana, on January 15, Barry Smith, Bill Quarles, students at Indiana University at Bloomington, and Zafar Moghbel, a native of Iran who lived in Japan most of his life and is now a student at Butler University, were interviewed on a local radio program in Greenville, Indiana.
The West Hollywood, California Bahá’í community sponsored a radio program over station KRHM. The presentation was a re-run of a 15 minute interview with composer Russell Garcia. The broadcast described the travels of Mr. Garcia and his wife, Gina, as they carried the Bahá’í message to various areas in the Pacific on their boat, “The Dawnbreakers.”
Fifty four people braved rainy weather, 12 of them non-Bahá’ís to eat dinner together at the celebration of the Bahá’ís of South Dade County, Florida. After dinner, a slide program of the holy places of Christianity, Islam and the Bahá’í Faith was shown.
For the past several months at Pleasant Hill Farm near Chouteau in eastern Oklahoma, the Bahá’í community has been sponsoring monthly Race Unity meetings. Bahá’ís from the Tulsa area have been invited and a number of them have attended.
This exhibit at the Eastern States Exposition of 1969 held at Springfield, Mass., attracted some 3,200 people who received 9,840 pamphlets. Connecticut Bahá’ís designed and printed a handsome folder, featuring the Wilmette Temple and containing a selection of pamphlets and a book mark imprinted with a Bahá’í prayer. Bahá’ís came from all over New England to tend the booth and answer questions.
During the summer months, the meetings are called “picnics” as each begins around a picnic table with a Bahá’í prayer. After the meal, there is a guest speaker, either a Bahá’í or a minister from a neighboring church. Attendance varies from 20 to 50 and both the Rogers and Jay Bahá’í communities have participated.
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THE AMERICAN BAHÁ’Í is published monthly by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois, 60091. Material must be received by the 15th of the month of its intended publication. Black and white glossy prints should be included with material whenever possible. Articles and news written in a clear and concise manner are welcomed from individuals as well as assemblies and committees. Address all mail to: The American Bahá’í Editorial Office, 112 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois, 60091. |
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National Teaching Committee 112 Linden Avenue Wilmette, Illinois 60091 Tel. (312) 256-4400 |
Robert McInnis (left) and Stirling McInnis (right) of the Troy, Michigan Bahá’í community present a copy of The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh to Mayor Jule Famularo (center) of Troy during a recent proclamation program.
At present the program is trying to bring members of the white Methodist Church and the Negro Unity Baptist Church together to promote racial harmony and understanding.
The Minorities Teaching Committee of Albuquerque, New Mexico held a Unity Festival concurrently with the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe in December of last year. Santa Guadalupe is the Patron Saint of the Americas and is of particular interest to the local Spanish and Indian population.
The Unity Festival was held at a Bahá’í home in Old Albuquerque. There were nearly 100 persons present, some coming from as far as 150 miles to attend.
The program consisted of a candlelight procession and a selection of prayers and readings for the unity of mankind from the Bahá’í writings.
Members of the Des Moines, Iowa Bahá’í community present Governor Robert D. Ray with a copy of The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh on behalf of the Bahá’ís of Iowa.
Special Event Days[edit]
over by the National Teaching Committee.
During the years that followed, when there was neither a committee that created a program, nor a day to celebrate one on, Negro History Week was observed in conjunction with the various organizations around the country concerned with race relations. It was not until June 1957 that some commemorative form of race unity emerged. It did so in the form of a Race Amity Day. Like World Religion Day it, too, would be Bahá’í sponsored and conducted.
Race Amity Day events were designed to promote the Bahá’í teaching of the oneness of mankind. Groups and assemblies were urged to include other groups in their planning and to invite speakers from non-Bahá’í organizations concerned with minority group problems.
Cycle Created[edit]
Almost from its inception, there were two mutually reinforcing currents involved in the observance of Race Amity Day. The lectures both to the public and to schools and colleges, the interracial picnics and social events, the conferences, workshops and the rest of the varied activity received wider notice and coverage in news media. This created more interest in Race Amity Day which led to a wider range of activities in the years following to satisfy this interest which, in turn, resulted in even greater publicity. A cycle had begun.
World Peace Day[edit]
The most recently created Bahá’í special event day, World Peace Day, was inaugurated on September 18, 1960. It was originally to be called Bahá’í Proclamation Day and was to commemorate the introduction of the Bahá’í Faith in the United States on September 23, 1893, at the World Parliament of Religions of the Columbian Exposition. This new special event day was designed to emphasize the spiritual destiny of America in the establishment of World Peace.
Governor’s Proclamation[edit]
One incident, on the first celebration of the day in 1960, fundamentally altered the approach to the day and, in time, shaped its whole character. The Baltimore Bahá’í Community, through a representative from its publicity committee, approached J. Millard Tawes, governor of the state of Maryland, about issuing a proclamation. The governor agreed and on September 18, 1960, issued an official proclamation, with the seal of the state affixed to it, proclaiming that the day was “World Peace Day in Maryland.”
Each Bahá’í special event day offers a different approach to the Faith and appeals to a different audience. UN Day and Human Rights Day are related in that both are associated with the United Nations and the Bahá’í Faith, which, to an extent, share similar aims and ideals. World Religion Day promotes the Bahá’í Faith as the fulfillment of all the religious revelation that has gone before our time and as the religion for today. Race Unity Day advocates the oneness of mankind. World Peace Day serves as a vehicle for bringing to the attention of persons of prominence and the general public the aims and plans of the Bahá’í Faith to bring about peace on earth and a society of man to benefit all men in all places.
Each Day Different[edit]
Each of the five special event days is a base of operations for Bahá’í proclamation; each provides a point of departure from which a campaign may be conducted; each day is different; each is unique; each has evolved in its own distinct way; and each has become an integral part of those Bahá’í communities that regularly observe their occurrence every year.
FUND FORUM[edit]
Many letters have reached us this month, most of which we are unable to print because of lack of space. It is hoped that the two used below will assist the believers to better understand the significance of this institution of the Cause, and of the great bounty available only to Bahá’ís to assist in building the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh. Dear Friends:
For a long time I haven’t been able to understand why our Faith. which counsels us to leave our materialistic natures behind, for the far greater riches above us was always asking for money.
It shook my faith and more than once I felt like it was time to search for a faith of a less hypocritical nature. Lately I’ve come to understand it all a little more clearly. Now I can see where the things that are considered wealth by the majority of the earth’s people is needed by the Faith that it may move effectively within this sphere of existence, to bring its tremendous good to our brothers here.
I hope and pray that this year’s goal and all goals hereafter are more than met.
It seems that Americans especially should give to this, the most glorious Cause the world has known, seeing as they possess so much more money than most.
Dear Friends:
When I got the Lifeblood Committee’s first thing (not knowing what else to call it) I decided to get my finals over with early and go home, get a job, and devote my first week’s work to the Fund.
Work never went so easily. Instead of thinking about how long to the next coffee break, I was thinking about how lucky I am to be living in this day and how lucky I am to know what the world is coming to and where I fit.
God is indeed Most Glorious! P.S. This isn’t my first week’s paycheck, it’s my second week’s paycheck — it’s bigger!
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If there are two or more Bahá’ís on your college or high school campus, you can help fill one of the goals of the Five Year Youth Program.
for information on how to form your college or high school club. |
New Audio-Visual Items Available[edit]
New items produced by the International Bahá’í Audio Visual Centre are now available from the Bahá’í Publishing Trust.
SLIDES AND PICTURES OF RULERS[edit]
Black and white pictures are now available of eight kings and rulers to whom Bahá’u’lláh addressed messages. They are suitable for use with press releases, posters, displays, teaching programs and firesides.
Unlimited international rights have been secured for reproduction of these pictures by any Bahá’í institution in all Bahá’í publications and productions, and to furnish these pictures to any other media for publications or viewing providing it is in connection with a Bahá’í story. Available only as listed below.
HALFTONE PRINTS: postcard stock, for display purposes. |
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68-P-03 8-halftones, 1 each of eight | $ .75 |
GLOSSY PRINTS: continuous-tone prints, for press, magazines, books. |
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60-P-04 8-glossies, 1 each of eight | $4.80 |
SLIDES: 35mm, for slide programs and television. |
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30-G-2001 8-slides, 1 each of eight | $2.00 |
CARMEL ... THE MOUNTAIN OF GOD[edit]
A profoundly inspiring and beautiful slide program, “Carmel ... The Mountain of God,” is now available. It links Carmel, the “Mountain of the Lord” to which “all nations shall flow” with the Central Figures of the Faith and emphasizes the unique association of the spiritual and physical realities existing from ancient times in the Holy Land.
This program is ideal for deepening the friends and those who are close to the Faith. It is a vitalizing influence for conventions and conferences, an enlightening text for Bahá’í institutes and schools, and an inspiring stimulant to deepening courses.
It is not recommended for general proclamation as it requires a considerable understanding of the Bahá’í Faith. Available (in English only) from the Bahá’í Publishing Trust.
30-P-4002 Slides with Narration Booklet | $11.65 |
30-P-4003 Slides with Narration Tape and Booklet | $20.00 |
ORDERING FROM THE PUBLISHING TRUST: Individual orders must include payment plus 10% postage and handling. Order through Community Librarian for postpaid handling on orders $10.00 and over. Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 415 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091.
Shrine of the Báb seen in the new slide program “Carmel ... The Mountain of God.”
Intercontinental Conference Planned for West Africa[edit]
The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of West Africa has been asked by the Universal House of Justice to host an Intercontinental Conference for Bahá’ís to be held in Monrovia, Liberia, January 1-3, 1971 at the National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Monrovia.
Bahá’ís from the United States wishing to attend this conference are urged to contact the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of West Africa, P.O. Box 735, Monrovia, Liberia at the earliest possible time for advance registration.
The West African National Assembly plans to make arrangements for a charter flight departing from New York. Since air carriers want firm bookings six months in advance, all those planning to attend this conference are asked to notify immediately the National Spiritual Assembly of West Africa so that the proper arrangements may be made for a charter flight.
American Bahá’ís planning to attend this conference are asked to inform the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States of their intent.
Pursue Your Work in West Africa[edit]
Positions now in West Africa available for Americans with professional qualifications in a number of fields. They are for the following:
- Medical personnel (men only) for various projects with US. A.I.D. in West Africa.
- Recreational director in a newly opened park in Buchanan, Liberia. Applicant should have experience in sports, recreational activities, and work with youth.
- Mechanics, Diesel technicians, welder fitters, geologists and others with mechanical skills for work in the mining company in Liberia
- Four health professionals to work in Ghana: health educator, epidemiologist physician, obstetrician, and operations expert with experience in systems analysis of computers and research design. People with Masters of Public Health Degrees preferred.
Similar openings are available or will be in the near future. In the
field of international health work fellowships and training programs with financial support are often available to qualified
applicants.
- For further information write or phone:
- INTERNATIONAL GOALS COMMITTEE
- 112 Linden Avenue
- Wilmette, Illinois 60091
- Phone (312) 256-4400
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Beloved Friends Seek to make known the Knowledge of God TODAY! |
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EACH ONE REACH ONE TO TEACH ONE BY RIḌVÁN 1970 see you November 16, 1969. |
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do yourself a favor. “Teach ye the Cause of God, O people of Bahá. God hath prescribed unto every one the duty of proclaiming His Message and regardeth it as the most meritorious of all deeds.” —Bahá’u’lláh
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Teaching the Faith in the South[edit]
“There is no way to adequately describe teaching in Bogalusa, Louisiana. Words like ‘joy’, ‘confirmation’, ‘astonishment’ begin to express our feelings but in no way touch their intensity,” writes a pioneer in New Orleans.
“We had another declaration last night, the third one in six weeks. Really the third one in six days of teaching as we are only able to go up on Monday nights, and this added to the fact that this is virgin territory for the Faith.
Receptivity and Warmth[edit]
“If you could feel the receptivity of the people here, the warmth that embraces and envelops you, the purity and simplicity of their faith and belief in God. Teaching in large cities sometimes distorts our vision. You struggle so hard and so long to teach one person — to prove the existence of God, to explain the need for religion, to logically expound some principle of the Faith so that the many veils of doubt and disbelief might be removed — that really, even the thought of mass conversion seems a faraway ideal that’s nice to talk about, but that no one really expects to happen, at least not in our time. Then you teach in a place like Bogalusa. Say simply that ‘God has sent a new teacher to the world who brings a “new day” and is the return of the Christ Spirit as promised in the Bible,’ and someone accepts Bahá’u’lláh on this basis alone.
“Your first reaction is almost disbelief that it could be so easy, but this comes from the difficulty of teaching in the cities. Then you realize that this simplicity is the reality. There are waiting souls out here, those with eyes to see and ears to hear.
“You remember the instructions and exhortations of Shoghi Effendi to leave the large cities, to teach the Negro in the South; you begin to understand the implications of his statements and the importance of obedience.
“We know that we can have mass conversion here. The time is ripe, if not overripe, and these people have been waiting a very long time. We need a pioneer so very badly. He’d almost have to do nothing more than sit on his step and the people would come — that’s the feeling here, that’s the spirit in Bogalusa.
The Southern Negro[edit]
“The Negro in the South has not reached the point of bitterness and frustration that you find in the northern and urban areas. There is still time here to move with freedom and love, and be accepted — to demonstrate the oneness of mankind and have people believe in your sincerity. Unfortunately, the gap is closing very swiftly. The opportunities are here now. In another year they may be gone forever. The Negro people in Bogalusa have suffered greatly. Any one of them could tell you many stories of heroism and courage, and many others of death and degradation. This is Klan country, the old South as pictured in movies, and you think this can’t be true. The schools are just being integrated here, and there is much strife, dissension, and hate.
“We pray that so precious an opportunity to teach the Faith will not be lost. You know we think of not only Bogalusa, but the many places like it in the South where people are just waiting, and where there are no Bahá’ís — where the harvest is ready with no one to reap it.”
Bahá’í Cassette Tapes Available[edit]
Bahá’í Cassette tapes now come in a book-type container with attractively printed label inserts. There are seven cassette programs now available, with more than a dozen in production. Begin now to build your own Bahá’í Cassette Library.
BAHÁ’Í HISTORY (20-C-2001) Firuz Kazemzadeh discusses the historical significance of religion, the importance of understanding historical backgrounds, and the part history has played in our Faith’s development. Suitable for Bahá’ís and the public.
BAHÁ’Í CONSULTATION (20-C-2002) Deepening presentation by Dwight Allen and Daniel Jordan. A ‘consultation’ about consultation — which affords the individual or group an opportunity to participate and develop a keener awareness of the development of Bahá’í administrative processes.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 1969 NATIONAL CONVENTION (20-C-4001)
DEEPENING AND CONSOLIDATION (20-C-2003) Daniel Jordan’s presentation at the 1969 National Bahá’í Convention, based on his article, “Becoming Your True Self,” in WORLD ORDER MAGAZINE.
Two study and deepening sessions featuring Hand of the Cause of God William Sears are now available on cassettes. They are, SIGNIFICANCE OF COVENANT BREAKING (20-C-2005) and SPIRITUAL NATURE OF GIVING (20-C-2008)
ORDERING CASSETTE TAPES: Bahá’í Cassette tapes are $3.25 each. Order through your Community Librarian for post-paid handling on order of $10.00 and over. Individual orders must include payment plus 10% to cover postage and handling.
Help Save Bahá’í Films[edit]
Bahá’ís can help save the films and help save funds needed badly elsewhere by taking care of the films entrusted to them.
First of all, don’t let an untrained person handle the film or operate the projector showing the film. If necessary, hire a qualified projectionist. The cost of this is less than the cost of the film.
Second, remember that the film has been entrusted to you for use to proclaim the Faith, as such you should take care of it as a precious proclamation tool. This courtesy and care should be extended to any film Bahá’ís borrow or rent.
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PUBLISHING TRUST OFFERS A NEW BOOK Wellspring of Guidance; A paperbound edition of this title, recently issued in cloth, is now available. It is identical to the cloth edition except for binding, which is two-tone, yellow-gold on white, varnished for soil resistance. This work contains the major messages of the Universal House of Justice from its establishment in April 1963 through October 1968. All messages, except eight, are addressed to national spiritual assemblies, or to the Bahá’ís of the world. Two Messages Addressed to Youth Two messages are addressed to the Bahá’í youth in every land. Others are addressed to conferences, one to a specific national assembly, and two to an individual, the latter having been made available for general publication by special permission of the Universal House of Justice. These messages are of the utmost importance to every Bahá’í. They enunciate the Nine Year Plan, analyze its progress, and reflect the attention that the Universal House of Justice has given to the development of the institutions of the Faith and individual believers to better equip them for the worldwide tasks of the Nine Year Plan with its many goals still to be achieved.
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More and more use is being made of films to proclaim the Bahá’í message. Such films as “And His Name Shall Be One” and “A New Wind” are being used extensively now and will be used even more in the future as the pace of proclamation picks up.
The sad fact is that many of the precious films are being ruined by careless handling by Bahá’ís and Bahá’í communities that show the films. Many of the films are returned in such damaged condition that they have to be discarded. The films cost hundreds of dollars each. A ruined film means precious funds must be spent to purchase another film.
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The National Spiritual Assembly has called for the establishment of 87 new and restored Local Spiritual Assemblies this Riḍván. |
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the world is trembling. hold her hand,
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“OH, HOW I LONG THAT IT COULD BE MADE POSSIBLE FOR ME TO TRAVEL THROUGH THESE PARTS, EVEN IF NECESSARY ON FOOT AND WITH THE UTMOST POVERTY, AND WHILE PASSING THROUGH THE CITIES, VILLAGES, MOUNTAINS, DESERTS AND OCEANS, CRY AT THE TOP OF MY VOICE ‘YA-BAHÁ’U’L-ABHÁ!’ AND PROMOTE THE DIVINE TEACHINGS. BUT NOW THIS IS NOT FEASIBLE FOR ME; THEREFORE I LIVE IN GREAT REGRET; PERCHANCE, GOD WILLING, YE MAY BECOME ASSISTED THEREIN.” (‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Tablets of the Divine Plan, p. 13)
CAN YOU OFFER YOUR SERVICES TO YOUR LOCAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY OR STATE GOALS COMMITTEE AS A CIRCUIT FOR AT LEAST ONE WEEKEND A MONTH? |
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Did you see the list of goal groups in the February issue of The American Bahá’í which must achieve Assembly status this Riḍván? Which one are you moving to? |
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