The American Bahá’í/Volume 22/Issue 3/Text
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The American Baha’!
Volume 21, No. 3
“The real treasury of man is his knowledge
‘Baha'u'llah
March 1991
Registration plans for World Congress under way in April
BAHAI |} WORLD
| CONGRESS Siew tower
WORLD CONGRESS
The plans for the 1992 Baha’i World Congress celebration of the centenary of the Covenant of Baha'u'llah are advancing rapidly. The World Congress Logistics Office is pleased to offer the following information:
Who May Attend. In accordance with the guidance from the Universal House of Justice, adult Baha'is in good standing and Baha‘i children over 12 years of age (bom before December 1, 1980) are eligible to register and attend the Congress.
Parents are discouraged from bringing their children under the age of 12 (as of the World Congress dates) to New York City since the Universal House of Justice determined that under the circumstances, “it is impossible to provide a program for children at the World Congress or to permit children under the age of 12 to attend the Congress.”
Children cannot be left in hotels unattended. Hotel personnel may contact civil authorities to remove the children should they be found running in the hallways, playing in the elevators, or creating other disturbances. Parents are warned that if the civil authorities are called by hotel person. nel, parents will be held liable for their unsupervised children
Registration Review. Registration for this uniquely spiritual event will officially ‘open on April 1, 1991, fora period of about one year. The registration materials will be printed in the three official languages (English, French and Spanish) designated
‘See CONGRESS page 15
New look, new vision of excellence to characterize The American Baha'i
A brand new look—and a new vision of excellence in service to the Cause.
For more than 20 years, The American Bahd'i was produced using “traditional” methods--that is, with wax, scissors and a T-square. Some months ago, however, the National Spiritual Assembly decided to enlarge the scope and direction of the newspaper, and to bring its method of production in line with recent technological advances in the industry.
New state-of-the-art desktop publishing equipment was ordered, and this month's issue is the first to be produced on that equipment. We hope you like the new look; beyond that, we are confident that you will appreciate the new direction The American Baha'is to take in the months and years ahead, one that mirrors the vision of the National Spiritual Assembly and the goals of the Universal House of Justice for the Six Year Plan, the completion of the Arc on Mount Carmel, the Holy Year of 1992 and beyond. The focus will be on those aspects of the Cause that are considered most important by the National Assembly based on its mandate from the Universal House of Justice, such as carrying the Message of Baha'u'llah to the generality of mankind, the maturation of the community and its institutions, the education of children and youth and the strengthening of Baha‘i family life, and other vital issues.
As a part of that vision and focus, the National Assembly has decided to publish The American Bah 'ionce every Baha"i month, or 19 times a year, and to include in its pages important messages and commentary to be used by the Baha'i community for consultation at the Nineteen Day Feast. The change will take place in a few more months, once the editor and staff are comfortable with the new equipment and able to handle the workload with a minimum of problems.
The Hand of the Cause of God Amatu'lBahd Rui Khdnum presides over the official opening last November 11 of the
local Baha'i Center in Sheung Shui, Ho Kong. Helping her cut the ribbon are some of the local Baha'is
Baha'i community rises to challenge, contributes record amount in January
The American Baha'i community has achieved another in a string of victories relating to the Funds of the Faith by contributing record amounts during the month of January. Early retums for February indicate a continuation of the same trend.
Contributions to the National Baha’i Fund in January were $1,232,282, an in crease of 74 percent over last year’s level; this result pushed year-to-date ‘contributions to $7,373,134, up 28 percent from the
“Weekend for Race Unity' held in Wilmette, Illinois
The North Shore Race Unity Task Force, a coalition of organizations and individuals promoting models of race unity, presented a “Weekend for Racial Unity” February 1-3 in Evanston and Wilmette, Illinois
Among the highlights were talks at Northwestern University and the Baha"i House of Worship by Dr. Richard Thomas, associate professor of history and urban studies at Michigan State University and author of Racial Unity: An Imperative for Social Progress.
Also presented was panel discussion on “Racial Unity: Models That Work” hosted by Shand Morahan Insurance Company.
previous year. Contributions to the Baha International Fund thus far this year totaled $528,706, an increase of 29 percent, while offerings to the Arc Projects Fund were up a remarkable 131 percent, to $2,640,000 These results have enabled the community to forward a total of $5,750,000 to the World Center, including earmarked con
tributions through December.
One outcome from this outpouring of resources has been a reduction in the defi cit in the National Fund from a peak of $4.8 million last August to $4 million in Janu ary. This is an important step forward in reversing a trend that has stood for years, one that has not yielded through the force of events and the Faith’s own rapid expan sion on so many fronts. The National Assembly's bankers, upon being told of these developments, were astonished.
This most recent progress along the path to reaching the $25 million annual goal is due to intensive efforts by both local Spiri tual Assemblies, in pursuit of their own goals, and individual Baha‘is. The re sponse of the friends in making these vic tories possible is truly exemplary. The spirit that underlies such sacrifice must and will, our Teachings assure us, lead to the further advance of the Faith and the protec tion and blessing of each one of us.
Serious Commitments
f | "We Have |
| To Keep'
17 overseas goals of Plan have yet to be filled
4
A Fond Farewell Celebration
Dr. de Araujo steps down as
representative
after 23 years
Baha'is Observe Dr. King's Birthday
With variety
of events in
] a number of communities
9
�[Page 2]
Page 2 / The American Baha'i / March 1991
Arts can be powerful ally in our teaching efforts
The National Teaching Commitee, in wishing to stress the importance of using the arts in teaching and to provide practical ways in which this may be accomplished, is asking Bahd’ts who use the arts in teaching to share their thoughts with the committee. The following article was written, at the committee's request, by Kathy Grammer of Chester, New York. Others are encouraged to contact the National Teaching Committee with their ideas and experiences about using the arts in teaching the Faith.
.
Teaching the Faith through the arts has been a topic of discussion in Baha’i communities across the country. Has your community discussed the arts and teaching? Does this sound familiar?
“We really need to teach through the nite.”
“Yes, do we know anyone who would come in and help us?”
“You mean artists?”
“Baha'i artists?”
“Yes, do we know any Baha'i artists?™
“No.”
“Do we know any Baha'is who know any Baha'i artists?”
“Do we know any Bahé'is who might know other Baha'is who know Baha'i artists?™
So on and on we go as we look for those special Baha’is with well-developed artistic talents and careers. Our nationally and locally recognized artists are treasured individuals, and they play a unique role in helping all of us teach the Faith.
But, sad to say, they are not available to local communities on a regular basis.
So how do we teach regularly through the arts?
We can begin by looking at the way we think about art and what art is. God gave the arts to mankind, not just to the artists.
In our culture, art in all forms--singing, painting, dance, playing a musical instru Counselors meet in Wilmette, take part in special program at Baha'i House of Worship
The 17 members of the Continental Board of Counselors in the Americas met January 4-8 in Wilmette, Ilinois.
During their visit, they took time from their busy schedule to meet with area Baha’ fs at the Baha"i House of Worship.
The program began with devotions in the Auditorium dedicated to the protection of the friends at the World Center during the crisis in the Persian Gulf, followed by a gathering in Foundation Hall at which each Counselor was introduced to the friends.
ment, etc.—is pursued primarily by younger people. It is assumed that, unless they are extremely gifted, they will abandon the arts at a point in their life when they are “grown-up.”
Asa culture, we do not participate in art for its own sake, for what itcan teach us and where it can lead us. Once we have reached adulthood, we leave “art™ to the professionals and we become spectators.
Baha'u'llah has created a place for both participatory art and professional art. Participatory art is that which can be provided at firesides and other Baha'i activities by every community in the U.S. Ittakesa little planning, a little courage, and plenty of love and
Fireside art is presented by community members including children.
The inclusion of children is an important aspect of the art experience. Their presence gives adults permission to engage in something that society says is basically for children.
Art our hearts and our minds. It speaks to our souls. It makes us feel connected to God, to one another, and to the universe. By adding a community art experience toa fireside, we can take the fireside to a new level of love and joy.
Suggestions for fireside art:
1. Read children’s poetry aloud. Children's poetry is simple, lyrical, funny, and often focuses on taking a closer look at our wonderful world. You can choose the poetry but you may want to ask several people, including children, to read it.
2. Everyone, young and old, loves.a good story. Read picture books aloud. There are many wonderful picture books on Baha'i themes. Your local children’s librarian can suggest many titles. Adult literature can also be used.
3. Make a magnetic global village. Start with a large, thin piece of plywood or firm cardboard. This is the village base. Rest the base between two chairs or boxes, leaving a clear space underneath the base. Glue round magnets on old curtain rods. Using a variety of craft materials, invite your guests to create the village buildings, people, animals, etc. Glue maj ‘on the bottom of the people and animals. Slide the curtain rods under the global village base to move the people around. This activity is guaranteed to offer hours of endless fascination to people of all ages.
4. Share short pieces of recorded music. Invite everyone to sketch or write a response to the music. Allow anyone who feels comfortable to share their response. If no one wants to share, let everyone sit for a moment with their feelings and their thoughts, and then say a prayer and go on. This activity can tie into the theme of the fireside speaker or stand on its own.
5. Sing together. Bring song sheets and recorded music. Choose songs that are positive and easy to sing. Don’t worry about finding old songs you think everyone will know. Take some time and teach a song. The results are worth it.
6. Invite community members to develop fireside art experiences based on a medium of art they have taken part in (past or present) or have always wanted to try.
7. Have fun!
‘There are several rules to remember when you present fireside art:
a. Keep the initial experiences short and relatively simple.
b. Make the experience inclusive-some thing everyone can do--adults and children. Make sure you present the experience near the center of activity for the fireside. If it is put in another room, it will become an experience for the children. Children are powerful teachers ina fireside art experience.
c. This is a “no-pressure” experience.
Your own participation will serve as a model for guests. Just be yourself and enjoy what you are doing. Let the guests join in as they become comfortable. d. Resist the urge to analyze what is happening. Art is largely a non-verbal experience. Let your guests feel it for themselves. Be with them, love them, laugh with them, and let them say, “This is fun! I haven't done this for years! These kids are great. This makes me want to start painting agai
We are beginning as a Baha"{ community to understand that we teach the Faith and attract seekers through our own transformation. We provide an example that spiritual transformation or spiritual learning is a process that is exciting, challenging, and full of joy.
Our example shows seekers that it is, in
Proclamation is important, but friends
fact, the process of spiritual transformation that creates the sense of “aliveness” and purpose that many people are seeking
Firesides that allow the Baha'is themselves to become excited by knowledge, growth, love and fellowship give seekers a realistic and comfortable picture of how the Faith guides our daily lives.
This “live” picture isan important part of teaching because it allows our heads and our hearts to work together. Art facilitates the process of uniting our heads with our hearts.
Your gift can help children enjoy Brilliant Star magazine
Can you help send Brilliant Star magazine to Baha'i children’s classes in South America?
There are more than 30 local Spiritual Assemblies in Guyana, and the language there is English, but the average daily wage is less than $1.
For only $15 fora one-year subscription, you can help connect the Baha'i children of Guyana and other countries to their woridwide family and give them high-quality stories, poems, crafts and music with emphasis on spiritual qualities and Baha'i history.
Send your gift subscription to Subscriber Service, Baha'i National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091. For more information, phone 708-869-9039.
should emphasize Station of Baha'u'llah "We excel at proclaiming the social principles of our Faith, but much of the activity we refer to as teaching does not go beyond the level of proclamation which acquaints the public with the Bahd'{ teachings in a general way. Moreover, many of the principles we proclaim reflect views already widely held and thus fail to impress on those with whom we interact the unique spiritual mission of our Faith. Our challenge is to go beyond proclaiming the social principles of the Faith to learn, ina new way, to speak forthrightly about Bahd'u'lldh--the Lord of the Age, the Divine Physician Whose prayers and teachings can bring healing and spiritual solutions. "--National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, 1990 Annual Report .
Unfortunately, our Baha'i community demonstrates greater proficiency in proclaiming the principles of the Faith than in conveying the Station of Baha’u'liah. When it comes to proclamation activities such as placing in newspapers advertisements that list Baha'i principles or marching in parades wearing T-shirts with Baha'i slogans, we do very well.
While these activities do play an important role in informing the general public of the existence and basic tenets of the Faith, and in providing us with contacts and seekers, proclamation activities that are not connected to follow-up teaching rarely lead people to an acceptance of Bahé'u'llah as the guiding force in their lives.
Many proclamation efforts center around themes taken from Baha'i principles, such as the elimination of prejudice and the establishment of world peace. Yet many other causes also espouse such principles. It is the Source of these principles that is unique to our Cause.
We must be able to convey that Baha"u' lah is the Manifestation of God for this day. We have to be able to tell seekers who Baha'u'llah is and share with them the significance of His Revelation in order to lead seekers to unqualified acceptance of His Faith.
How do we do this? As we know that teaching the Faith begins with teaching ourselves, we should start by learning about or becoming reacquainted with the life and character of Baha‘u'llah.
In addition, we should gain an understanding of how the world will be affected and transformed by His glorious Revelation. A study of His life necessarily includes a study of His Teachings. Immersing ourselves in the Word of God wil cause us to become enamored of Baha'u'llah, transform our lives, and make us better teachers.
In presenting His Message we must be bold in communicating its true essence. Of course, care and wisdom must still be used. Born-again Christians, for example, may not immediately be ready to hear that this Person of Whom they have never heard is the return of Christ. Yet this is the kind of understanding to which we should eventually lead the seeker.
The following materials may be of help to both believers and seekers in learning about the life of Baha'u'llah and ing His Revelation: God Passes By, The World Order of Bahd'u'lldh, The Significance of Bahd'u'llh's Revelation, Bahd'u'lldh: The King of Glory, and The Revelation of Baha'u'llah, vols. 1-4.
(Reprinted from the April/May 1990 issue of The DirectLine, which is produced by the National Teaching Committee)
�[Page 3]
The American Baha'i / March 1991
The following are the answers to the questions most commonly asked in regard to Assembly elections at Ridvdn. If, having reviewed these remarks, your Assembly or Bahd'f group still has questions or would like further clarification, please contact the Bahd'i National Center. .
FORMATION
Must a previously established Spiritual Assembly re-form between sunset April 20 and sunset April 21 to be recognized by the National Spiritual Assembly?
An existing Spiritual Assembly or a community that has had an Assembly before can only re-form on the first day of Ridvan (unless an extended period is granted in advance by the National Spiri‘tual Assembly). Assemblies that have been lapsed for lengthy durations (10 or more years) may form as a new Assembly at any tame during the year if permission is granted by the National Spiritual Assembly
When can a Bahdl community have an extended period in which to elect its Spirttual Assembly?
Advance permission must be sought Permission is granted by the National Spin tual Assembly on a case-by-case basis each year, according to current circumstances.
Year after year, a community has a local Spiritual Assembly, but the individuals sted on the community list do not participate in Bahd’i activities. Should the Assembly continue to be formed under these circumstances?
Yes. The Universal House of Justice, in a letter dated April 19, 1979, has advised: “While it is true that some Assemblies
ARKANSAS ILLINOIS Payentevilie De Kalb Morton Grove CALIFORNIA Cateedeal City Northfield Twp. ‘San Fernando INDIANA Twenty-nine Palms Speedway — 1OWA Yosemite/E] Portal Council Bluffs COLORADO Golden MASSACHUSETTS Meza County Montague Westminster MICHIGAN DELAWARE. Troy Wilmangtcn MISSOURI FLORIDA Pheips County
Jeopardized Assemblies Need Your Help
Listed below are Local Spiritual Assemblies that, because their community membership has fallen below the nine adult believers necessary to form an Assembly, are in danger of losing their Assembly at Ridvén. Bah4’ fs in surrounding communities are asked to assist with teaching efforts in these areas, traveling teachers are encouraged to arrange itineraries that include these Bah4’f communities, and prospective homefront pioneers are urged to consider them as pioneering posts. Spiritual Assemblies in danger of being lost which have not yet reported their jeopardized status should contact the National Teaching Committee office.
have unsteady foundations at first, the
friends obviously do not form Assemblies
to lose them. At the time of their establishment they may appear to be artificially
created” but are in fact a stepping stone in
the progressive development of the teach.
ing work, a fact recognized by Shoghi
Effendi.”
What happens if 15 days advance notification is not given before an election?
Less than 15 days advance notice will not necessarily invalidate an election. The principle is that all members of the community must be notified of the election. The Assembly should form and write a letter to the National Spiritual Assembly explaining the reasons 15 days notice could not be given. The election should be considered valid unless the Assembly is notified by the National Spiritual Assembly that it cannot be recognized.
ELIGIBILITY
Some believers, such as university students, live part of the year in one community and the rest of the year in another. In which community are they eligible to serve on the Assembly?
Believers cannot be considered members of more than one community at the same time. The locality in which adult believers reside for the longest period of time (e.g. seven out of the 12 months) should be considered the community in which they are eligible to serve on the Assembly. If the length of time they spend at each residence is approximately the same, they may choose the community in which they desire to hold membership.
Can bellevers who live just outside of the city limits but have a business and receive mall at a Post office Box in the city be considered eligible to serve on the city’s Assembly?
Only those who actually reside within the boundaries of an established locality have the right to either vote or be elected as a member of the Assembly.
If some Baha'is are planning to move into a community to help save a jeopardized assembly but cannot physically be living in the community until after the
MONTANA OREGON Fu Peck Res. Benton County Great Falls Trouidale mee VERMONT Lewis & Clark Co. Bennington Town N. Cheyenne Res. VIRGINIA NEWMEXICo Orange County N. Sandoval Co.
WASHINGTON NEW YORK Richland Grand Istaod San Juan Island Town of Hamburg — Wapato
Yakima CCD #3 N. DAKOTA Bismarck WYOMING
Fort Yates Laramic
Questions, answers about Assembly formation
Sirst day of Ridvdn, can they be counted as community members?
According to the current policy of the National Spiritual Assembly, if they have made a firm commitment, such as obtain ing a lease of putting a down payment on a house, then they can be counted if they are able to physically reside in the community within 90 days.
Are Baha'is who have recently been enrolled (card counter-signed) but have not yet received Baha'i identification cards Srom the National Spiritual Assembly eligible for election to a Spiritual Assembly?
Unless they are from the Middle East, newly enrolled Baha‘is may be included on the voting list. Persian declarants (any person from Persian background regardless of their immigration status or length of stay in the U.S.) and Middle Easterners may participate in administrative functions only after their enrollments and transfers are confirmed by the National Spiritual Assembly.
Is a Bahd’i with credentials from another country (not a visitor) who has not yet received U.S. Baha'i credentials eligible for election?
Yes, pending the transfer of their membership into the U.S. Baha’ community from the community of the country in which they were last residing, Baha'is with cre dentials from other countries may be con sidered eligible for election to an Assem bly. They must submit their credentials (return receipt requested) to the U.S. Na tional Spiritual Assembly, attn: Manage ment Information Systems, and request that their membership be transferred to the U.S. Baha’i community. If, after 60 days following the election, the Baha'is still have not received their U.S. Baha'i creden tials, the National Spiritual Assembly should be notified
Are believers from other countries who do not have credentials considered eligible to vote and serve ona local Spiritual Assembly?
No, such believers are not eligible totake part in elections until their status has been verified and their transfer has been com pleted. They must contact their former National Spiritual Assembly and ask that their credentials be sent to our National Spiritual Assembly.
Can members of the community who are mentally ill or senile vote in the election and/or serve on the Assembly?
If these believers are obviously incapable of serving, they should not be consid ered eligible to vote for or serve on the Assembly. The local Spiritual Assembly or community should immediately inform the National Spiritual Assembly of their condition. If the community is uncertain whether a person is capable of serving, the person should be added to the voting list and can be elected to the Assembly. (If elected, that person must be invited to attend the meetings.) If the Assembly later determines that the person is incapable of serving (or that their behavior is disruptive to the functioning of the Assembly), the Assembly should write to the National Spiritual Assembly, recommending that the person be removed from the Assembly and declared ineligible to serve.
For several years we have certain Baha'is whose mail has been returned and whom we have been unable to visit to verify their address. Should their names be removed from the voting list?
‘Their names should not be removed from the mailing list. Periodic efforts should be made to try to visit them and, if successful,
encourage them to parnewpate Bana activities.
Ifa person has asked to withdraw from the Faith but the commumity has mot re ceived notice from the National Spirtual Assembly that the withdrawal has been accepted, should he be counted on the voting list?
If word has not been received before the election that the National Spevtual Assem bly has officially accepted the withdrawal the person must be counted as a member of the community
Is @ person who withdrew from the Faith and wants to be reinstated before an election takes place eligible to serve om the Spiritual Assembly?
Before a person can be reinstated to Baha’: membership, a recommendanor from the local Spiritual Assembly mus: be sent to the National Spiritual Assembly Once the person has been approwed for reinstatement the Assembly will be notified Until then, he or she will not be eligible to serve on the Spiritual Assembly
Ifthe boundaries of the civil communis change during the year due t local ger ernment action, will this affect the boumdaTies of the Baha"! community? Will some Of the members be ineligible to wete im che community at Ridvan?
Rahat community membership s oft affected by crvil boundary changes ant because of this, those whe are ehigidte tc serve during one year on the Assemt may not be members of the same comme nity the next year The Namonal Spereas: Assembly should be nonfied of all os boundary changes No change ima mes bership list due to civil boundary changes should be made until the Natomal Spertua Assembly approves or acknowledges the changes
Is permissible to consider ineligibic Jor election those who have moved into community after the election calls have been sent?
There ts no minimum amount of time Baha"is must be residents of a community before they can participate in a Baha election. If they move to a community the day of an election, they may fully partic pate in it as long as it is evident that they are making their home in that communsty
JOINT DECLARATION
Must everyone sign the form at the same time? What if a member is temporarily unavailable?
Those who are unavailable to sign the joint declaration at the same time as the others may sign their names earlier or later
If a member of the community refuses to sign or consent to serve om the Assembly, can the Assembly still be formed?
If an Assembly is forming for the firs: time, it is essential that all nine signatures appear on the form. If all nine signatures cannot be obtained, the formation of the Assembly has not occurred. However. if a ‘Assembly has previously been establishes in the community and a person refuses to sign, or, if for any other reason, one of the signatures cannot be obtained, the form should be sent to the National Spiritual Assembly with an explananon of why the signature is missing. A decision will be made regarding recognition of the Assembly and communicated to the Asseminy
ASSEMBLY ELECTION
What is the minimum sumer requires to attend an election meeting”
No quorum is required to bokd an elec
New RIDVAN ELECTIONS page ©
�[Page 4]
Page 4 / The American Baha'i / March 1991
More than 1,000 Baha'is and their guests attended a National Teaching Conference held December 27-30 in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. Among the special guests were the mayor of Toowoomba and the vice-chancellor of the University College of Southern Queensland
As of December, an ongoing teaching campaign on the Peigan Reserve in southem Alberta, Canada, had led to the enroll ment of 85 new Baha'is. The campaign was sponsored by the Baha'i Teaching Committee for Alberta with the help of a homefront pioneer, Ahmad Motlagh
From July through November 1990, folowing the World Esperanto Congress in Havana, Cuba, 11 people embraced the Faith in that country. The friends are hold ing regular teaching and deepening events including classes geared toward youth
More than 230 Baha"is including approximately SO indigenous believers gathered December 29-30 in Otavalo, Ecuador, for a National Teaching Conference
the conference the National Spiri tual Assembly launched its new teaching plan for 1991 that will focus on teaching children and youth
A formalized curriculum for Baha ‘i children's classes has been adopted at the Mona Bahd"i School in Dormagen, Germany. ‘The school is named for the young Baha‘i martyr Mund Mahmudnizhid who was hanged in Shiraz for refusing to recant her faith. Among the charges leveled against her was that of conducting children’s classes.
An exhibit of hundreds of Baha'i books at the Central State Library in Riga, Latvia, has led to extensive publicity for the Faith including radio and television interviews and newspaper articles. Hundreds of people attended the exhibit, with many staying to ask questions about the Faith.
“Think Young, Think Positive” was the theme of the first Baha'i Youth Encounter held December 22-26 in Las Palmas, Grand Canary Island. More than 150 young people from the Canary Islands, Cape Verde Islands, England, Germany, Iran, Italy, Luxembourg and mainland Spain attended. Four people were enrolled in the Faith during the event, while six others offered a year of service to the Cause.
On January 2, the first local Spiritual Assembly in Bulgaria was elected in the city of Plovdiv with 15 believers taking part in the voting. During that same week, 31 people embraced the Cause during ongoing teaching activities convened by the European Baha’{ Youth Council. ...
On January 13, the first local Spiritual Assembly of Sopron, Hungary, was elected. And in December, two more local Spiritual Assemblies were formed in the Soviet Union, in Gandja (Kirovabad) and Barda.
Prom May to November 1990, more than 1,70 people were enrolled in the Faith as
of the Dr. Muhdjir Teaching and Consolidation Campaign in Orissa State, India. time, 17 new local Spirituad yi were formed and 13 local conferences and one district conference
were held
The Baha'is of Lower Hutt, in the Wellington area of New Zealand, hosted “New Zealand Panorama,” a musical presentation of New Zealand's history, “past, present and future,” on November 24. About 1,000 people attended the event, which was an official part of the New Zealand 1990 Celebrations” marking the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, New Zealand's founding document.
Last November, a team of Baha'is went to Batanes Province, the Philippines, to teach the Faith among its 20,000 inhabitants. As a result, some 346 people embraced the Faith on the main island, which would mean that 1.7 percent of the province’s residents and 6 percent of the island capital's population are now Baha'is. ...
More than 70 people from 10 countries attended a Baha'i Winter School held last December 7-10 in Chiangmai Province, Thailand. The theme of the school was “Spiritual Empowerment.”.
In Samoa, Baha'is took part in the national Women's Day parade held last November in Apia. The sign on the Baha'i float read
Time has come for every Baha'i to reassess his commitment
“The Equality of Men and Women. women walking with the float sar: two wings we will fly
to Faith as Six Year Plan nears its end with goals unfulfilled
As we approach the last months of the Six Year Plan and look forward to the opening of our Holy Year, it is time for each of us to assess his/her contribution to the achievement of this vital Plan. Great strides have been made, but much remalns to be achieved.
Ina letter addressed to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’ is of Germany, the Universal House of Justice reminds us:
“The believers should consider the goals, recognize that they are intended to be won, decide what is needed to win them and then, however hopeless the , set out determinedly to do what is needed and Baha‘u'llah will reinforce them with His Hosts and He will open the doors of victory for them...”
‘The Universal House of Justice assigned 77 goals to our community for the two-year period from Ridvan 1987 to Ridvan 1989. We still have 17 of these goals to complete: St. Helena, Namibia and Venda in Africa; the Juan Fernandez Islands of Chil Dominica, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, the Bay Islands of Honduras, St. Lucia, Suriname and Uruguay in the Americas.
In addition, on September 7, 1989, the Universal House of Justice presented to the world Baha'i community short-term pioneer goals for the Six Year Plan, stating “..the tremendous recent acceleration in the twin of expansion and consolidation calls for a new flexibility in meeting the needs in the field. Therefore, to supplement the work of and traveling teachers, the Universal House of Justice is now calling for a range of shortterm projects during the remaining years of the Six Year Plan.” The short-term pioneer can serve “for longer periods than can be spent by a traveling teacher bat, since the short-term pioneer does not
have the aim of settling permanently in his post, he will, generally, be freed of the need to find employment, and so will probably obtain a visa more easily and will also be able to spend his time in remote areas which the homefront teachers and the long
term pioneers find it difficult to reach or on specific tasks which others are unable to perform for lack of time or other reasons.”
These short-term pioneer goals are assigned in terms of months per pioneer. The U.S. Baha'i community received 708 months to complete throughout the world; five hundred and fifty-four (554) months must be fulfilled in this final year of the Plan.
‘The unique circumstances presented to the world by the opening of the Soviet Union and the Eastern countries provided an equally exciting window of opportunity to the teaching of the Faith in these countries, as well as in Mongolia and
China
A Two Year Supplementary Pian im glace the US Baha'i community arose tmnuned ately to complete 17 of the hong tere, pioneer goals and 25 of the 32 short-term goals for that plan.
As the conditions in the world steadilly worsen, doors close, and opportunities t settle in other countries appear to dimanush we cannot afford to put our plans to pionee: on hold until a more convenient time ~...Time Is running out and we have serious commitments to keep. We must each re examine our hearts and our lives and arise to lay our gifts of service at the feet of our Beloved, the most precious Being ever tc have drawn breath on this planet. ~
We look forward to hearing from you Office of Pioneering, Baha'i National Center, Wilmette IL 60091, 708-869-9039 or fax 708-869-0247.
More than 20,000 embrace Cause of God in Guyana, raising number of Baha'is in country to five percent
During the first year of a three-year pilot teaching program launched in October 1989 in Guyana, more than 20,000 people embraced the Faith, more than doubling the number of Baha'is in that country and increasing their percentage of the population from two two five percent.
Instensive, systematic teaching in more than 60 villages resulted in the establishment of more than 30 regular Nineteen Day Feasts and 27 children’s classes.
An exciting addition to the has been the development of an Institute Program, which has had more than 1,000 new believers take part in various deepening courses.
Because of the significant successes of the project in its first year, Guyana was recently asked by the International Teaching Center, which conceived the pilot program in consultation with the Universal House of Justice, to consider further development of the Institute Program to train Youth Service volunteers, teachers and administrators for the entire Caribbean area.
‘The two primary goals of the project are: “large-scale expansion and consolidation to help raise the number of Baha'is in Guyana to an appreciable percentage of the entire population, and the training of existing human resources and an ever-increas
ing number of new believers to become dedicated workers for the Faith.”
Guyana was chosen “because of the suc cess the Baha'is have had in teaching projects there, their good with the authorities, and the fact that the commu: nity has a good number of deepened and dedicated [Baha'i] youth.”
Twelve Baha'is from Brazil, Canada. Peru, the U.S. and Venezuela were chosen by the Continental Counselors to serve as
“was based on a number of spiritual and material considerations, primarily each individual's y to be obedient and to teach a unified vision with their fellows ~
With the Guyanese friends, these teachers are involved in a process to develop systematic teaching plans over a two- to three-year period as a model for reaching entire populations with one campaign.
‘The teachers from overseas were joined by 26 local Bahd"is who have given from six months to a year to the project.
These small full-time teaching teams, made up of both overseas and Guyanese Baha ‘is, are presently spread over six areas of Guyana. The aim is to establish teams in all areas of the country
Teaching has been conducted using van See GUY be)
�[Page 5]
The American Baha'i / March 1991
Page §
Last month, in response to questions from the friends, we looked at some of the guidance about earmarking: what it is and how it works. The thrust of that discussion was that earmarking is a freedom available to Baha‘is, and is not, in and of itself, a problem. What does become a problem is too much earmarking. If a large percentage of contributions were closely restricted by the givers, the institutions’ hands could be tied, and they could be prevented from attending to urgent needs of the Faith.
Other questions we have received con cem the obligations and blessings associ ated with giving to all the various Funds of the Faith. Are we not urged, the friends ask, to give directly to all the Funds, as well as give through our local or National Fund?
Two of the issues raised by such ques tions are these: what is a direct contribu tion, and what is the spiritual outcome of supporting all or just some of the Funds?
As before, all the passages quoted below are from the 1988 Canadian edition of the Universal House of Justice compilation entitled Bahd i Funds, unless noted differ ently
The only reference to “direct” contribu: tions that we have been able to find thus far is this one, from a message of the beloved Guardian dated March 21, 1951. In con. nection with building the Shrine of the Bab, he urges the friends in all continents to ~_.contribute, through curtailment of budgets, adequate appropriations from national and local funds, as well as direct sustained individual donations, to insure uninter tupted financial support. ...” (Messages to the Baha'i World, p.9) This guidance appears especially timely in light of the Are projects, now under way. The National Assembly followed this principle by holding this year's budget at a very low level while at the same time raising the target for its appropriation for the International Fund; both these measures led to the annual goal of $25 million and were described by the Universal House of Justice as “highly meritorious.”
We may also think of “direct” contributions in terms of “individual” and “collective,” as for example in this quotation
it is only evident that unless the flow of donations is regularly maintained by means of generous and continual support
Youth Invited to Submit Articles to Glory Magazine
The National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of India invites the Baha'i youth of the United States to contribute articles to Glory, a magazine for Baha'i youth. Welcomed are articles about traveling teaching experiences, real life stories, compilations from the Baha"{ Writings, or anything else with a Baha'i perspective. Articles may be submit ted to: The National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of India, Post Box 19, New Delhi 110001, India
Further guidance on earmarking
by all the believers, individually and collectively, the National Fund will never be able to meet the needs...of the Cause.” (p.
10) An individual contribution can be made
by making separate donations to each Fund to which we wish to give. An individual can also give by earmarking, instructing the local or national Treasurer to forward certain amounts on the believer's behalf. Indeed, the Guardian suggested, when calling for support for particular Funds, that small donations be channeled through the National Fund
Further light is shed on these matters by this passage
“...you mentioned the sum of...as being included in the...allocated from your Assembly’s Budget to the World Center. The principle involved is as follows: The Guardian feels that your Assembly when allocating its annual budget, and having stipulated what sum is for the purposes of the International Center of the Faith, should immediately pigeon-hole that sum to be at the Guardian's disposal. Any monies received as contributions from the Baha'is for the International Center should not be credited to this account which represents a national joint contribution, and has nothing to do with individual or local contributions forwarded to the World Center in your care.” (p.12)
A “collective” contribution, or as it is called in the above quotation, a “national joint contribution,” is the amount set aside by the local or National Assembly for a given Pund as a part of the institution's budget. The money to make that contribu tion usually comes from the unrestricted contributions the friends make. That is why we say we can support the International Fund by giving to the local Fund: we know a part of our contribution will be sent by the local Assembly, on behalf of the whole community, to the International Fund. It is also the believers’ responsibility to ensure that the “appropriation” made by the local Assembly seems reasonable in light of current needs.
For those friends who itemize their income tax deductions, there are some specific implications. A check made out to the National Pund but earmarked for the International Fund, for example, must leave the National Assembly discretion over the gift; otherwise, IRS rules might indicate that it is really a gift to a body outside the United States, and is not deductible. The new receipt form requests the giver to indicate their understanding that certain gifts may or may not be deductible, so that the Office clearly knows the giver's wishes.
Spiritually, our objective is to su the Funds of the Faith both individually and collectively, to the extent our sacrifice enables us to do, Exactly how we do this, and how much we give in either fashion, is the right and responsibility of the individual believer or local Assembly to decide. At the institutional level, the National Assembly has inaugurated a program of local goals for the National Fund, and has suggested goal amounts, but each local Assembly is free to decide what its goal should actually be. Individually, a believer's circumstances and insight will lead toa decision. The amount given, whether gifts are offered to one or all of the Funds available to support the Cause--these are matters of | choice, and no one can say which is more or less meritorious.
“(The Guardian) does not feel that it is desirable to lay down any conditions for giving to the Baha'i Pund. This is an en
tirely personal matter, and each believer
must act according to his own judgment
and the needs of the Faith.” (p.11)
What does make an offering acceptable
is the degree of sacrifice involved
Ina letter written on behalf of the Guard.
ian, this principle is expressed
“There can be no limit to one’s contribu
tions to the national fund. The more one
can give the better it is, especially when
such offerings necessitate the sacrifice of
other wants and desires on the part of the
The Baha'is of Gainesville, Florida, presented their 13th annual Human Rights
Award last December to long-time com
munity activist and volunteer Mable Strong
Dorsey. Making the presentation is Isaac
donor.” (p.9) Why do we give? Again or written on the Guardian's bghalf. we new
this clear call “_our contrinu surest way the burden of bun: mankind, for it is 0 of Baha‘ulah--Di world can be gotten bs want, fear, hunger nated.” (p.12)
Welch, chairman of the Spiritual of Gainesville. An extensive a the presentation Gainesville Sun.
Assembi
130 attend annual Baha'i Winter School
at S.C.'s Louis G. Gregory Institute
One hundred-thirty children, youth and adults gathered December 28-30 at the Louis G. Gregory Baha‘i Institute in Hemingway, South Carolina, for the 1990 Baha'i Winter School
The South Carolina Baha'i Schools Committee reported that this was the most successful Winter School ever in terms of depth of classes, maturity of students, and unity of spirit
Among the speakers were David Hoffman of Myrtle Beach; Knights of Baha'u'llah Gerald and Gail Curwin; Alonzo Nesmith, a member of the Bahai National Committee on Women; and Bob Martin.
Workshops and classes were conducted by Auxiliary Board members Elizabeth Martin and Trudy White and Mehrdad Bashiri of Columbia, the son of a former member of the National Spiritual Assem bly of Iran who was abducted and martyred in the mid-1980s.
A Saturday evening program of story telling, fund-raising and fellowship led to the contribution of $2,446.36 for the Arc Pund.
Another highlight came Sunda ing when the various classes for and youth presented the
passages from the Writun;
tion of skits, and the unve:
The annual Baha"! Summer School wi be held June 13-16 at the Gregory |
Baha'is from Wisconsin, Chicago area gather at Winter School in Brownsville
Baha'is from many parts of Wisconsin and from the Chicago area gathered Jane ary 18-20 in Brownsville for the first win tet school session sponsored by the Wiss consin Baha ‘i Schools Committee
The friends gathered around a cozy fire place to study and deepen on “The Fire Tablet,” “The Words of Windom,” the ablet of Ahmad,” and the passage that begins “Be generous in prosperity .~ Discussions were led by Robert Malou Patty Kubala, and May and Rick Crernt ejewski
Proclaina
Page 6 / The American Baha'i / March 1991
Public
wth aLOy ks tion @ Personal Deve lopin
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It ts the hope of the Universal House of Justice that Baha'is everywhere will study these passages, in order to appreciate the importance of fostering cordial relations with accomplished and distinguished figures, with people of capacity, and with those occupying promi nent positions in society. In issuing these extracts, the Universal House
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of Justice reminds us that we should be confident that the spiritually minded and receptive souls among such people will eventually accept the truth of the Baha"{ Revelation and join the ranks of its active supporters. The compilation includes the importance of guiding “distinguished souls to the Cause,” and provides specific guidelines for reaching prominent people
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The Bahé’i Distribution Service has purchased a small quantity of this title at reduced, pre-publication price of $55.00 from the publisher. This is a limited one-time offer. There are only 150 copies of this titke currently in stock. When these have been sold, the price will rise to the normal list price of $65.00 6-1/2 x 9-1/2 inches, introduction, preface, biographical notes, glossary, bibliography, references, general index
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Bibliography of English Language Works on the Babi and Baha’i Faiths 1844-1985 compiled by William P. Collins HC $55.00 This reference is a comprehensive guide for all students of the works by, and about, the Central Figures and Institutions of these two Revelations from God. Compiled by the former Head Librarian of the Baha"{ World Center, it includes works in a variety of publications, works with single references to the Faith, articles published in non-Baha’i periodicals, works of Covenant-Breakers, an exhaustive list of standard abbreviations for major English-language Baha’i works, and a directory of Bahs’{ publishers. The work concludes with indexes of names, titles, and subjects. Its primary audiences are scholars of religion and Public and University libraries. This is also a book that every Local Spiritual Assembly and Baha’ Agency should have in their reference library
The Baha'i Distribution Service has purchased a small quantity of this title at a reduced, pre-publication price of $55.00 from the publisher. This is a limited, one-time offer. There are only 250 copies of this title currently in stock. When these have been sold, the price will rise to the normal list price of $65.00. 7-1/2 x 10 inches, 522 pages, foreward, introduction George Ronald, Ronald, Publisher
The Seven
Candles of Unity The Story of ‘Abdu’lBaha in Edinburgh
by Anjam Khursheed HC $49.95 / SC $29.95
Offering an uplifting vision of the way to universal and lasting peace, Seven Candles highlights *Abdu'l-Baha’s visit to Edinburgh, Scotland, where His message of peace and hope was enthusiastically welcomed by leading citizens, where He spoke to large and receptive audiences and was acclaimed in the press. At the heart of this book is the Seven Candles of Unity, one of “Abdu'l-Baha's most important tablets, tracing the inevitable steps to a united and peaceful world. This isa very useful introductory book, offering a clear, thoughtful, and well-rounded presentation of the Baha'i Faith through the life and teachings of its perfect Exemplar. It is particularly suitable for presentation to dignitaries, church people, libraries and anyone who longs for peace between nations and the unity of the human race. The Promise of World Peace and *Abdu'l-Baha's The Tablet to the Hague are included in their entirety as appendices. 7-3/4 x 1-1/8 inches, 280 pages,
147 photographs, 21 line drawlngs, 3 maps prepllle= 2 Wa the WM
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Willie and the Number Three Door and Other
RNinber Three Door Adventures fxd Other by Adrienne Ellis Reeves a o illustrated by Leona Hosack s
ta
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A collection of four stories that follow the adven tures of Willie Johnson, a young Baha"{ boy from South Carolina, from the first grade through the 7 «J third. Going to the first day of school afraid that Ores something terrible will happen, standing up to a =i bully, finding out what truc honesty means when
he has made a mistake, and showing responsibility in order to earn the privilege of having his own dog—these are the challenges of growing up that make up Willie's world. As Willie confronts the challenges, he discovers that the Baha'i writings area touchstone for finding answers and making choices and decisions. Courage, Honesty, responsibility, and the importance of family, friends, and faith are lessons Willie learns as he applies Baha" principles to everyday life
5-1/4 x 8-1/4 inches, 120 pages, 24 black-and-white illustrations
Bahd't Publishing Trust of the United States
Tame
H eit tebe bee 0
Spiritual Foundations for an Ecologically Sustainable Society
by Robert A. White
SC $2.50
Robert White's study of our chang ing relationship to Nature takes « broad approach as viewed in the light of the teachings of the Babs Faith. It suggests that humanity is
perhaps, after all, not a delinquen species running out of control, bu is at the very center of a vast growth process clearly approeching 8 tr mendous transition. Through ¢ attempt it is hoped the reader w led to a deeper understand current environmental dilemm: and will be offered a vision of pr found change. 6.x 9 inches, 23 pares abstract, conctuson appenti: Association for Baha) Stmabes
Native American Design NoteCards
by Youle
CR $9.95 / 8 pkg. Appropriate for any occasion cards consist of four desig: picting Native spiritual values ar traditions combined with Bi prayers and writings One designs combines a nine-p star, symbolizing the multsple p to the Spirit, the division of t physical world into the Four tions (East, South, West, an birds sailing upon the Fou: and a prayer from the Bab as that we be protected that assails us from all dir: 5-1/4 x 7-3/8 inches, blank North Dakota Bahé’i School
Run to Glory
by William Sears
illustrated by
Shirley Gitchell Johnso’
SC $9.95
Run to Glory is another hilar adventure with the master o} laughs, and suspense, Wil Sears. Sears was raised with ters and pacers, and longed for y to write this captivating story, Run to Glory! Its pages are filled with drama, delight, gentle bumor-anc plenty of excitement. With “Grand: father's” and “Billy's” help, a sick dying foal overcomes every adver sity to make it to the starting line « the County Pair Stakes
S-I/2 x 8-1/2 inches,
380 pages, illustrations Naturegraph Publishers
Ub
The Virtues Guide
A Handbook for
Parents Teaching
Virtues WB $29.95
This volume is part of The Virtues Project, which supports parents as the first educators, those best able to impart spiritual values and virtues to their children. It involves simple principles for paying attention to the day to day spiritual development of a child. It is an approach to bringing out the best in every child. Each day of living with children brings fresh opportunities for guiding them at “teachable moments” that pass quickly and may never come again. The Virtues Guide is designed to help parents consciously and skillfully address their children’s spiritual needs, so they won't miss the precious opportunities which happen every day. 8-1/2 11 inches, 275 pages, preface, introduction
WellSpring International
So Great a Cause by Kenneth D. Stephens
SC $7.95
Written not just to the Latter-Day Saints, nor to the Seventh-Day Adventists alone, but to all people of Faith as well as people of no Faith Stephens explores the prophecies and promises of the prophets, poets, philosophers, medicine men, and learned scholars, in the light of the Relevation of Baha'u'llah. 5-//2 x 8-1/2 inches, 2/1 pages, forward, illustrations, bibliography
NOTICE
Upon the release of Developing Distinctive Baha Communities, the BDS conducted a “Special Conference Price Offer” of $17.00 for those communities hosting conferences on this topic. As of this Ridvan, April 21, 1991, this offer will expire, and the coupon will become invalid.
Contemplating Life's Greatest Questions was advertised in last month's issue, at $7.95. This price is incorrect and should be $7.50. Anyone who purchased this title at $7.95 should contact us for an adjustment to their account.
The American Baha’i / March 1991 / Page 7
d Educational Matert
ildren, Youth and Adults
Pathways to .... Series Family Activity Books
‘The Pathways series is an Interfaith family activity book on values. It offers an enjoyable way for parents and children to mutually explore the values they wish to live by. It draws from the teachings of many Faiths and great thinkers. It is offered as support to parents who are looking for ways to capture and reinforce their children’s interest in spiritual values. Pathways is designed for families of any religious path, of of no formal belief, who are open to the wisdom to be found in religious teachings and are willing to apply them to contemporary global issues.
inet | Pathways to Peace THWAYS mm Family Activity Book TO PEACE ||
WB $5.95
Peace isabout what each individual and family can do to increase peace
MAY day-to-day. It is a personal approach
> oe to creating peace on the planet, and
+ fas contains family activities of interest
ae a to children ages 7-12. 8-1/2 x II
Ahn inches, 32 pages, preface, refer Bich 9! | ences
Pathways to Living in Harmony with
the Earth
Family Activity Book WB $5.95
Living in Harmony with the Earth explores our relationship and responsibilities to Nature through the ways in which we interact with our environment day-to-day. It contains family activities of interest to chil dren ages 7-12. 8-1/2 x I] inches,
29 pages, preface, references WellSpring International
WellSpring International
Valley of Search by Angela Anderson
SC $11.95
Dissatisfied with the pampered, protected world of her childhood, Angela Anderson embarked on a personal search for the meaning of life that was to draw her along many of the spiritual and philosophical paths of the late 50s and 60s. Sharing with readers all the joys, frustrations, hopes and-above all-the lessons of the journey of a lifetime, this down-to-carth, humorous and uplifting story will touch the hearts of many seekers
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Women: Compilation (Canadian) / SC $3.50
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Le OPPORTUNITIES FOR SERVICE
Contact the Department of Human Resources, Ms. Geneva Sutton, Baha'i National Center at 1-708-869-9039 if you would like more information or would like to apply for any of the following positions at the Baha'i Publishing Trust and Distribution Service: EDITORIAL ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT; ASSISTANT EDITOR; MARKETING ASSISTANT.
RECENT NEW MATERIALS The Roger Lee EP
by Roger Lee
This very innovative solo recording of acoustic guitar and voice is some times brisk and sometimes plaintive. Roger Lee is best known as the lead singer of Groundwork, who produced the album Confluence. The ly portray human emotion as it deals with change. Throughout are Baha concepts, such as: seeking truth, the singleness of the human family, and the mystic nightingale, woven into the folk rock tradition, which is often known for its message of societal concem. It is sure to find a devoted audience in the United States, and throughout the English speaking world Water Music, Inc.
CS $7.50
The Light World SC $7.50
by Heather I. Niderost
The style of this book is geared to the young mind. It is a happy, upliftin approach to the subject of death, particularly the death of a child. Its purpose is to shed light on the next world of existence, to remove the dark morbid fear of death from our minds, especially from the minds of our chil dren. Itis written from the imagined perspective of the author's son, Eric who died at age ten. He addresses his relationship with this world, why we exist, God's purpose of revelation, the Soul, the Mind, the various worlds of God, and the power of prayer as the connecting link between the worlds of God. 6-1/2 x 9-1/4 inches, 32 pages, bibliography
Baha'i Canada Publications
To the Peoples of the World
by the Universal House of Justice
PA 100pkg.$25.00 © 500pkg.$100.00 1,000pkg.$175.00
Printed in Canada, this edition of The Promise of World Peace has been made available here in the United States as an edition for mass distribution We have packaged sales in quantities of 100, S00, and 1,000 to reduce the price per copy . This edition will not be available in smaller quantities nor will our normal discounts apply. A generic response card has been created that can be purchased separately and enclosed with this statement identify people interested in your local Baha'i community ccompanying ad in this issue for the Mail Response Cards
es, 14 pages, introduction Peace Council of Canada
Mail Response Card
CR 100pkg.$2.00 * 500pkg.$8.75 * 1,000pkg.$15.00 This card is styled after the business rely card often found in magazines The provides space for individuals to indicate their thoughts of the peace statement, topical areas of particular interest, and various options for personal involvement. Some examples of the topical areas of interest are Aggression and Human Nature, Disarmament, Racism, A New World Order, and The Experience ofthe Bahai Community. Options for persc involvement include: To discuss the issues indicated above, To have peace group(s) that I'm involved with work with the Baha ‘ts, and To learn more about the Baha'i Faith. The address side of the card is left blank Local communities can cither print, photocopy, or ink stamp a local address. The community can apply cither regular postage or a bulk t permit stamp. The U.S. Postal Service will accept cither a printed or ink
3-7/8 x S inches il of Canada
[Ordered by: (Please print or type) Date Name — at [Address = — City Sate Zip Day Phone __ Circle one: American Express MasterCard VISA Check Money Order
Expiration Date Account Number:
[signature jee
[
Cost | AMOUNT ]
j { _ 1
I i
�[Page 8]
Page 8 / The American Baha‘i / March 1991
Classified notices in The American Baha‘i are published free of charge as aservice to the Baha'i community. Because of this, notices are limited to items relating to the Faith; no personal or commercial messages can be accepted for publication. The opportunities referred to have not been approved by the National Spiritual Assem bly; the friends should exercise their own judgment in responding to them. LAE ey a) CE NTTIES
THE DEPARTMENT of Human Resources at the Baha"i National Center is accepting applications for the following positions. Admunistrative Services: secretary (float in three departments). Management Information Systems director. Baha'i Publishing Trust: associate editor, administrative assistant to the general edi tor, editorial assistant, marketing assistant. De partment of Human Resources: administrative assistant, benefits administrator. House of Wor ship: office coordinator. Media Services: librar ianfarchivist, operations manager, sectetary/re ceptionist. NSA Properties Inc.: general manager. Office of the Treasurer: administrative as sistant, assistant controller, sectetary/reception: ist. Periodicals Office: writer/reporter for The American Baha'i. U.S/UN Office: administrative assistant. World Congress Office: registration processing specialist; travel desk coordina tor. For more information, applications or position descriptions, please phone Diana Harris or Geneva Sutton, 708-869-9039, or send a résumé to the Department of Human Resources, Baha'i National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091
THE WORLD Congress Logistics Office at the Baha'i National Center is looking for “a few good people” to work in the registration office for the next year starting immediately. Available positions are: travel desk coordinator, responsible for coordinating the exchange of travel and hotel accommodation-telated information between the Logistics Office and travel agency as directed by the Registrar, periodic reports, routine correspondence and other needs identi fied by Registration or Logistics Office staff Registration processing specialist, responsible for conducting initial processing of all registra tion forms, inspecting forms for accuracy and appropriate attachments, assuring correct pay ment, ensuring that all registration forms and currency are given strict accounting and se curely handled, and carrying out a number of other duties in connection with registrations. If you or anyone you know is interested in apply ing, please phone the Department of Human Resources, 708-869-9039, ext. 265, of the World Congress Logistics Office, ext. 287
WANTED: qualified teacher for grades |-3at the new non-profit “Escuela de las Naciones™ in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. Position open in August 1991. The school is owned and operated by Baha'is. Must have elementary certification from Puerto Rico’s Department of Education, must speak and write fluent Spanish, and must have some teaching experience. Preference will be given to teachers with Montessori training. For more information, please contact the Office of Pioneering, Baha'i National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091 (phone 708-869-9039).
CHILDREN’S program teaching staff sought at the Louhelen Baha'i School: child education coordinators, master teachers, teachers’ assistants for weekend conferences through the summer months. For details or to apply, contact the Louhelen Bahai School, 3208 S. State Road, Davison, MI 48423, or phone 313-653-5033.
THE GREEN ACRE Baha'i School is accepting applications for summer employment Positions available include children’s teachers, kitchen and housekeeping help, maintenance, office help, and program assistant. Applicants
should be available from mid-June through the end of August. Room and board are provided with a small stipend. Please send a brief résumé to the Green Acre Baha'i School, 188 Main St., Eliot, ME 03903, or phone 207-439-7200 Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (ET) for more information.
THE LOUHELEN Baha'i School is accepting applications for summer positions. These include children’s education director, adult program director, registrar, recreation director, dishwasher/food service assistant (Wo posi tions), housekeeper, assistant librarianfbook sales, and groundskeeper. Room and board and a stipend are provided. Applicants should be able to serve from the middle or end of June through August 22. Please send a brief résumé listing applicable experience and position de sired to: Louhelen Baha'i School, 3208 S. State Road, Davison, MI 48423, or phone 3
ANY AND ALL Baha'is who have lived or
taught in eastem North Carolina are invited to
return for a homecoming in July. For more
information, please contact the District Teach
ing Committee of Eastern North Carolina: Mike
Hillis (919-291-1187) of Mary Spires (919
446-5889)
THE BAHA'IS of Springfield, Illinois, are planning a weekend of activities April 19-21 to commemorate the community's 60th anniver sary. Secking past community members as well as photos and other memorabilia about Spring field's history as a Baha'i community. Please sendany information you might have tothe 60th Anniversary Committee, Baha'is of Spring field, c/o Connie Ohare, Riverton, IL 62501
THE BOSCH Baha" School invites present ers to submit proposals for its June weekend seminar on health and healing, “Health and Harmony in a New World Order.” Presentations should focus on techniques from diverse cultures that are not commonly known to the general public. Send written or recorded proposals to: Bosch Baha'i School, 500 Comstock Lane, Santa Cruz, CA 95060. Attn: Lloyd Sic
FOR SALE for the Are: billboard poster (11 by 25 feet) with white dove of peace on eranberry-colored paper and the message "Spread the Promise of Peace .. One Heart at a Time: Baha'i Faith” This silent auction is a fund. raiser for the Arc; the poster goes to the highest bidder. Your check is your bid ar full. All bid-checks received become part of the fund-raiser. Send bid-checks to the Spiritual Assembly of Broken Arrow, P.O. Box 1119, Broken Arrow, OK 74013
vajo and Hopi Indian Reservations. Gain pio neering experiences and bounties while still living in the U.S. Positions are available Reser vation-wide for teachers, nurses, physicians’ assistants, doctors, lab technicians, pharmacists and others. For details, write to Navajo/Hopi Tc, Chinle, AZ 86503, or phone 602.674-5904
THINK WARM: Here in Miami, we're en: joying 82-degree weather-swimming pool weather, beach weather. You too could be get ting a sun tan while serving the Faith. Think “traveling teaching™--a week, a month, a season in sunny Florida. Traveling teachers are always welcome; there are two Indian Reservations, large Haitian and Hispanic communities, and a number of colleges and universities with large numbers of Asian students. Think warm. Think fun and sun. Think of serving the Faith and all this too! Too good to be true? It really is true! For more information, please write to the Spiritual Assembly of Miami, P.O. Box 370152, Miami, FL 33137
MOVING? Put your shoulder to the wheel in one of many localities in Northern California which need Baha'is to retain, regain or attain Assembly status. Area has small to large colleges, ethnic diversity, mountain solitude or western “foothill” towns, agriculture, or closeto-capital city excitement. For information, please write to the District Teaching Committee of Northern California No. 1, c/o Grace Shahrokh, secretary, Pair
Oaks, CA 95628, or phone 916-966-7490.
WANT a challenge? Bethany is a small town within a city-Oklahoma City. It has a hometown atmosphere with big-city conveniences, and offers a unique teaching opportunity. Bethany was established 90 years ago with the founding of Southern Nazarene University, and is the home of the international headquarters of the Pentecostal Holiness Church and the SW College of Ministries. Homefront pioneers are needed to help save an incorporated Assembly established in 1973. For more information, please write to P.O. Box 1060, Bethany, OK 73008, or phone Firouz Mollaian, 405-787-0677, or Jane Resnick, 405-495-108
NINE-MONTH correspondence training course for Montessori teachers is being offered by the new Baha'i-owned and operated “Escuela de las Naciones™ in Arecibo, Puerto Rico Course consists of lessons in English and Spanish, and a month-long intensive workshop to be held in Arecibo in July. For information, write to Randie Gottlieb, P.O. Box 208, Arecibo, PR 00613, or phone 809-878-4189.
CATALOG of summer conferences at the Louhelen Baha"i School is available from the Registrar, Louhelen Baha'i School, 3208 S. State Road, Davison, MI 48423,
“REFLECTIONS” catalog listing “Mankind Is One” sweatshirts, T-shirts, tapes, books and other Baha"j-related materials is available at no cost from the Louhelen Baha'i School, 3208 S. 1 Road, Davison, MI 48423 (phone 313
65.
THE NATIONAL Baha'i Archives is seek ing, at the request of the Universal House of Justice, original letters written on behalf of the Guardian to the following individuals: Zahrah Heber (died Eliot, ME, 1967), Eleanor Hedin, Albert D. Heist (died Syracuse, NY, 1970), Bessie F. Heman, Julia Henderson, Jean Hendry (died Lincoln, NE, 1972), James Henninger, and Bertha Herklotz (died N. Quincy, MA, 1956) Anyone knowing family members or relatives who might have these letters from the Guardian isasked to contact the National Baha"i Archives,
Bahs"{ National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091, or to phone 708-869-9039
THE NATIONAL Babs Archives has avail able several free information sheets on local archives and records. Any local Spiritual As sembly that would like a copy is asked to write to the National Baha'i Archives, Baha'i Notional Center, Wilmette, IL 60091, or to phone
THE UNIVERSAL House of Justice has given the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly the task of publishing Bahs"i sacred writings and other Baha'i literature in the Ukrainian and Kazakh languages. Individuals with skills in these lan guages are needed to serve as translators. If you are interested in helping with this important work, or if you know of someone who might be please contact Melanie Smith, Ukrainian and Kazakh Desk, Baha’i Publishing Trust,
- East Lansing, MI 48823 (phone 517-337-2858),
DISTRIBUTORS: individuals, groups or Assemblies are sought to serve as distributors of the “Mankind Is One™ sweatshirts and T-shirts Distributors will receive consignment discounts Write to “Reflections,” Louhelen Bahi"i School, 3208 S. State Road, Davison, MI 48423.
THE FOLLOWING job openings are able overseas: AFRICA~-Swaziland: caretaker couple for the National Baha"i Center. AMERI CAS-—Honduras: elementary school teachers (2) Puerto Rico: elementary school teachers. Turks & Caicos: manager for Honda motorcycle, bi cycle and small engine maintenance ASIA Thailand: Montessori-trained teacher. AUS. TRALASIA--Pohnpei: college instructors accounting, computer information systems, business. Sarnoa: caretaker for the Mother Temple of the Pacific. EUROPE~Poland: prc ect managers. Soviet Union: manufacturing superintendent, project manager. MULTI REGIONAL chemists, engineers, internationa’ health curriculum specialist. For more inform tion, please contact the Office of Pioneering Bahi'i National Center, Wilmette, IL 6009 | or phone 708-869-9039,
Well-wishers at Baha'i International Community
gather to bid fond farewell to Dr. Victor de Araujo
On February 7, Suite 119 at the New York offices of the Baha'i International Community overflowed with well-wishers bidding farewell to Victor de Araujo, the BIC’s representative to the United Nations for the past 23 years.
Attending the reception were many of his fellow UN representatives from nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), UN staff members, friends and Baha'i coworkers.
Baha'i representation at the UN began in 1948. The first representative, Mildred Mottahedeh, volunteered her services for more than 20 years. In 1967, Dr. de Araujo became the first full-time Baha'i representative.
Since that time, the staff at the BIC offices has grown to more than 30 full-time employees in New York City and Geneva, Switzerland.
There is also Baha'i representation to the UN in Vienna, Austria, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Bangkok, Thailand; Santiago, Chile; Nairobi, Kenya; Rome and Fiji
One of Dr. de Araujo’s first responsibilities was to present on behalf of the Universal House of Justice a special edition of The Proclamation of Baha'u'llah to the heads of missions of UN member states whose heads of state could not be reached in their own countries. He called on nearly SO UN missions to carry out that assignment.
Since that time, Dr. de Araujo has represented the BIC at many international UN conferences, at seminars and on committees, and has prepared and presented statements reflecting the Baha'i perspective on
Dr. Victor de Araujo and his wife, Betty, at his retirement party February 7 at the Bahé'i International Community offices in New York City. Dr. de Araujo represented the BIC at the United Nations for 23 years.
many important social issues.
He has served as chairman of many NGO committees including the NGO/DPI (Department of Public Information) Ex ecutive Committee, the NGO Committee on UNICEF, and the NGO Committee on the Family.
Dr. de Araujo’s reports on BIC activities at the UN have appeared in volumes of The Bahd ‘i World since 1968-73 (Vol. XV).
�[Page 9]
The American Baha’i / March 1991 / Page 9
Baha'is all over country mark King Day
‘Bahas Faith
MANKIND 5 Oi.
Besides the annual parade and other events in Atlanta associated with the anni versary of the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (see The American Baha‘, Febru. ary), a number of Baha'i communities in other areas of the country also took part in King Day activities
- In Eugene, Oregon, Baha'is took part
with members of the NAACP in a public observance at the University of Oregon The master of ceremonies was Gordon McComb, vice-chairman of the Spiritual Assembly of Eugene. Also included were songs by Baha'i children from the MidValley Baha'i School; a panel discussion by three Baha'is; and a presentation of the film, “King: From Montgomery to Memphis.” More than 100 people attended the event which was announced for two weeks ‘on radio, television and in newspapers.
- In Harrison County, Texas, a King
Day parade of 60 cars and floats included four colorfully decorated cars carrying Baha'is from that area. The parade was telecast in nearby Shreveport, Louisiana That evening, six members of the Spiritual Assembly of Harrison County joined some 400 others at a King Day banquet at which the words of welcome were given by Assembly Secretary Carol Eakin, a member of the local chapter of the NAACP.
‘The Spiritual Assembly of Placerville, fornia, sponsored a King Day observance on January 13, the first of its kind in the predominantly white, rural foothill community. About 150 people (including 90 non-Baha"is) enjoyed a program at the
TS eee
- HT
1
Ann Haynes accepts the “Living the Dream’ award on behalf of the Baha'is of Cobb County, Georgia, from the Rev. Randolph Scott and Robert Haley of the Cobb County Martin Luther King Jr. Support Group. The Bahd'is were honored for their support of Martin Luther King Jr.'s ideals of peace and brotherhood.
Town Hall of music, refreshments and readings from Dr. King’s writings includ ing his famous “I Have a Dream” speech of 1963
- On January 20, nearly 40 people at
tended a King Day celebration sponsored by the Baha'is of Douglas County, C rado. The program included a video on the life of Dr. King and a discussion led by Baha‘is of the status of blacks across the country and especially in the Denver area Among those attending were at least a dozen non-Baha'is.
- In Cobb County, Georgia, north of
Atlanta, the Baha'i community received the “Living the Dream Award™ for “out standing leadership, service and commit ment to the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.” from the Cobb County Martin Luther King Support Group Inc, Guests at the award ceremony included national and state legislators, the mayor, other city and county officials, judges and leaders in education.
- More than 80 Baha"is from San Jose,
California, and nearby communities sup ported the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “Good Neighbors Award” breakfast January 21 A Baha'i youth from San Jose was among the award winners. Lucia Haley,a member of the Spiritual Assembly of San Jose, led
MANKIND [S_GN&
Baha'is march in front of their colorful float inthe annual Martin Luther King Day parade in Atlanta, Georgia. Fourth from
the multi-denominational invocation with a Baha'i prayer for unity, and two young Baha'is, 13-year-old Neda Jam and 11 year-old Badi Azad, addressed the gather ing of more than 500. Ms. Jam received a Good Neighbor Award for her excellence
right behind the banner is Calinda Medi cine, an American Indian Baha'i fron Wounded Knee, South Dako:
in speaking, reflecting her contributio
last year’s awards breakfast. Afterw
more than 20 Baha'is took part in the six
annual Martin Luther King Jr. train rid
San Francisco
Ridvan elections
from page 3
tion fora Spiritual Assembly. As long asall community members are properly notified of the meeting, the election is valid, even if no more than one person is at the meeting to vote,
Is it permissible to go to believers’ homes to collect ballots in order to form an Assembly?
In areas where it is likely that a large percentage of the believers will not attend the election meeting, it is recommended that visits take place to encourage partici pation. If it is discovered in the process that a believer will not be able to attend, absen tre voting should be encouraged
Is it permissible to vote by telephone ifa person unexpectedly finds he cannot attend the election? What about people who do not speak English, cannot write, or are handicapped ?
Those who unexpectedly cannot attend the election may call a person previously designated by the Assembly to accept the ballots (usually the teller orthe secretary of the Assembly). Arrangements should be made by the Assembly to accept ballots from those who cannot speak English, write, or, for whatever reason, attend the election. (A person can be authorized to fill out the ballot on behalf of another person, accord ing to their wishes.)
If no one comes to the election meeting but absentee ballots are obtained can an Assembly be elected and recognized?
In all cases, an Assembly should be formed and the formation papers submit ted to the National Spiritual Assembly describing any unusual or extenuating circumstances. The information will be re. viewed and a decision will be made. In the meantime, those elected should begin to carry out the duties and responsibilities of an Assembly.
Is it permissible for people to vote for themselves?
Yes. Shoghi Effendi said, “This is en tirely a matter of conscience; if the individual feels for some reason justified in voting
for himself, he is free to do so.”
At the election meeting one of the elected members declines service on the Assembly. What should be done?
The newly elected Spiritual Assembly should consult, seeking the guidance of the National Spiritual Assembly if necessary, and call for a by-election if a vacancy is declared. Before the person can be re placed, all members of the community must be notified of the need for a by election
What should be done if there is atie vote Sor the ninth position on the Assembly?
A second ballot to break the tie must be cast by those present at the election meet ing. Each voter should vote for one of the individuals who have tied for the ninth position. No other name should be intro duced on the ballot. There is an exception to this rule: If one of the persons involved represents a minority, that person should be given priority without question. The National Spiritual Assembly of the United States has decided that in this country a minority is defined by race, not national ity. In all cases of doubt, or if both persons re
resent a minority, a re-vote should be cast to choose between those who have tied
After the Spiritual Assembly is elected, it is found that a person elected to the Assembly moved out of the Baha'i community prior (o the election. Should the person who received the next highest number of votes fill the ninth position on the Assembly or should the newly elected Assembly callfor a by-election?
If the Assembly finds that an elected member had moved prior to the election, the votes cast for that individual must be considered invalid and the person with the next highest number of votes becomes a member of the Assembly. If the ballots have been destroyed and the tellers do not recall who had the next highest number of votes, a by-election should be called
REPORTING RESULTS
How is election information to be reported to the National Spiritual Assembly?
Shortly before Ridvan every year, the
National Spiritual Assembly se tion forms and instructi tablished Local Spiri Communities that have n
ns to a
forms by April 10 should request « from the Management Information S. tems office at the Baha‘i Nai Center.The forms should t carefully according to the ins retumed to the National Spirit bly immediately following # formation by joint declaratic
NOTE: It is preferable th officers be elected and election or joint declaration time it is retuned to the Nati Assembly. However, if it is elect officers immediately after the Asse bly tempc (someone to receive mail and calls) should be appointed and record: the form, and the form sent Permanent office hould be elected and reported as soon as poss sembly officer and Address Change” form
What should be done if a Formation Report Form cannot be obtained in time for the election or joint declaration?
The ried ina letter to the National Spiritual As The letter should include the name Baha’: locality, the time and date Assembly was forme: ID numbers of the me bly. If the Assembly is formed by declaration, the letter should includ:
formation, a
teleg
on the “As:
ction results may be rep
pbers of thy
nine signatures of the members. If
Assembly is formed by election, the num
ber of Baha'is in the community, the nu
ber of those voting in person, the numbe:
those voting by absentee ballot, and the
number of votes h elected member received must also be included. If Assembly
officers have been elected, these sh
also be noted
] O loved ones of God! Each one |
of the friends must teach at least one soul each year. This is ever. | lasting glory. This is eternal grace. | ~“Abdu Baha |
�[Page 10]
Page 10 / The American Baha‘i / March 1991
Recommendations from 81st National Convention
RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE FLOOR OF THE 81ST BAHA'I NATIONAL CONVENTION
APRIL 26-29, 1990
1. That the National Spiritual Assembly prepare a booklet specifically designed to relate to the black community.
The National Spiritual Assembly plans to promote racial unity within and without the Baha'i community through a nationwide program beginning on Race Unity Day in conjunction with the publication and distribution of a position paper on race unity developed by the National Race Unity Committee. The campaign will include: presentation of the statement to government officials and community representatives, holding public meetings proclaiming the urgent need for racial harmony, publication of a special issue of Brilliant Star magazine on the theme of race unity, publication of a series of children’s curric ulaon race unity, publication of a pamphlet series on race unity, publication of a brief history of the efforts of the American Baha’i community to foster race unity, production of a series of semi-biographical videos of venerable Baha is speaking of their experiences over decades of struggle for racial equality and the oneness of mankind, and conducting sessions at the summer schools and institutes on the theme of race unity
2. That the National Spiritual Assembly consider having a national teaching conSerence on Native Americans for which planning and consultation will take place
on a national basis.
The National Spiritual Assembly in conjunction with the National Spiritual Assemblies of Alaska and Canada formed a Tripartite Committee to facilitate a coordinated approach to the expansion and consolidation work among the indigenous people of North America. Included in the activities are an annual Continental Indigenous Council attended primarily by indigenous peoples from throughout North America. Consultation with the Counselors and others involved directly in teaching the Faith to the American Indian peoples confirmed the understanding that the most effective efforts are those at the grassroots and resulted in the action by the National Spiritual Assembly of the appointment of seven regional teaching committees. Focus for the committees is on the training of youth and children as Baha'i teachers. Further, Pioneer Training Institutes have
Pictured are students and faculty at the Northern Virginia Bahd'l School which re
been held successfully for preparing believers to settle and teach the Faith on
Indian Reservations.
3. That the National Spiritual Assembly, through the National Teaching Committee, organize and train groups of teams, perhaps 19 teams of 9 people each, to assist those who are currently working with direct teaching projects.
The National Spiritual Assembly has taken action to provide support to teaching projects in areas with high potential for vast expansion. At present there are approximately 20 such ongoing projects throughout the nation located in the regional areas of Selma, Alabama; Phoenix, Arizona; San Francisco/San Jose, California; Denver, Colorado, Atlanta, Georgia; Chicago, Illinois; Lake Okeechobee, Florida; Southem New Mexico/El Paso, Texas; and Columbia/PeeDee, South Carolina. Many of these projects have benefited from international and homefront traveling teachers as have Minnesota, Oklahoma, South Dakota and the Dallas and Houston areas of Texas, among others. In many of these localities the National Teaching Committee has hosted teacher training institutes. Oregon is witnessing one of the most successful efforts through the teaching institute process; local enrollments have more than doubled. Activity has been consistent with the support of an organized volunteer self-supporting teaching team of youth and adults including new believers, operating as an institute, that travels throughout the State.
4. That the delegates at the 81st Natonal Bahd't Convention recognize the
importance of communications for the hearing impaired.
To impart the maximum dignity, love and respect to the hearing impaired, the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States and its agencies shall allow platform interpreting at conferences, meetings, and other gatherings sponsored of national importance. Further, if funds allow, the National Spiritual Assembly will provide other means of communications. The National Spiritual Assembly recognizes the importance of communication for the hearing impaired and will make arTangements appropriate to the event.
5. That the National Spiritual Assembly ask the agencies and committees working on producing videos and similar materials to consult with American Indians, such as Phil Lucas, for their ideas on how to include the American Indian culture in such productions.
The Tripartite Committee will coordinate ongoing development of teaching and
There are presently 110 registered stu
deepening materials including video productions.
6. That the National Spiritual Assembly ask the Universal House of Justice to consider translating the book of Fara'id, by Abu'l-Fazl for the friends.
The book was written in response to one which the Muslim regime wrote against the Kitab-i-Iqan. The National Spiritual Assembly is considering the recommendation.
7. That the National Spiritual Assembly communicate to the local Spiritual Assemblies and groups the importance of including children and youth, with emphasis on 10-16 years old, in Feasts and other community activities, especially those involving teaching such as teaching institutes and teaching projects.
The National Teaching Committee has initiated teacher training sessions in various parts of the United States specifically designed to deepen and train children and youth ages 10-16 years old as teachers of the Faith. This process emphasizes falling in love with Baha‘u'llah, working with parents, local Assemblies and Auxiliary Board members and continuing the teaching of the children and youth through the Teaching Institute process.
& That we have a compilation designed and directed toward pre-youth and youth on ‘Abdu'l-Bahd as an example, as arole model for their lives.
Publications for that purpose include Vignettes from Life of ‘Abdu'l-Bahd, Unrestrained as the Wind, The Word of God, The Significance of Bahd'u'lléh’s Revelation, The Covenant, and many other materials which are listed with comments in the catalog prepared by the National Baha'i Education Committee of materials available for the education of children. More attention is being given to the need for involving our young people in the affairs of the community and most recently the National Spiritual Assembly has received a copy of a publication from Australia adapting, for young people, “The Promise of World Peace.”
9. That the National Spiritual Assembly encourage the presentation of the Ridvan Message to children and youth.
The National Assembly plans to write a version of the 1991 Ridvan message for presentation to children, particularly for those aged 10-14 years old.
10. That the National Spiritual Assembly ask the appropriate committees to consult on incorporating the memorization of verses into Baha'i children’s education.
The National Baha*i Education Com
cently began its third year of operation. dents for Bahd't classes and an average of
40 adults attending deepening classes.
mittee has developed a core curriculum for local communities that integrates the vari cous elements of a Baha’ educational process including the memorizing of prayers and tablets.
11. That a study be made with the aim toward making possible, but not mandatory, for members of the National Spiritual Assembly to serve full-time.
This subject is under discussion by the National Spiritual Assembly
12. That the National Spiritual Azsembly form a task force composed of diverse people, including at least one Native ‘American believer, to explore creative ways of enhancing consultation at the Convention and to facilitate a greater flow of ideas to our National Assembly.
Such a task force was convened in the past and its recommendations continue to be implemented.
13. That the National Spiritual Assembly seek ways to bring about anew level of unity and commitment throughout the United States for teaching and raising funds, perhaps through focused prayers.
The National Spiritual Assembly has made video presentations to the commu nity of the successes achieved and remain ing needs; it has sponsored around the nation more than 140 town meetings focused on teaching and meeting the needs of the Funds, and their success is evident. The modules of the Local Spiritual Assembly Development Program help communities focus on unity as the means of successfully meeting the teaching and Fund goals and their effectiveness can be measured by increased activities, attendance at Feasts, and contributions to the Fund.
14. That the presentation by Mr. David Hofman, retired member of the Universal House of Justice, be placed early in the agenda at the 1991 National Convention.
Consideration will be given to the rec ommendation should Mr. Hofman be able to attend.
15. That we develop Baha'i book shops 40 they can generate more income and establish commercial outlets in collaboration with the Publishing Trust.
The National Assembly has conducted a study of commercial outlets and a plan is under way.
16. That the National Spiritual Assembly consider adopting a budget of at least $30 million.
The National Assembly adopted a budget of $25 million.
17. That the National Spiritual Assembly develop an extension to the program Sor the maturation of local Spiritual Assemblies that will address particularly the needs of those communities that have large numbers of believers that either cannot read or write, or lack language skills or whose cultures vary greatly from the current methods for module presentation.
The National Assembly has modified the Local Spiritual Assembly Development Program modules and plans to video tape modules in which learning would not be dependent on literacy.
18. That the National Spiritual Assembly give attention to training the local Spiritual Assemblies in how to deal with matters of marriage and divorce.
A Local Spiritual Assembly Develop ment module deals with such matters. Recently, the Universal House of Justice released an in-depth compilation on subject of marriage which has been printed in The Baha'i National Review.
�[Page 11]
The American Baha'i / March 1991 / 11
A STUDY GUIDE TO EPISTLE TO THE SON OF THE WOLF
Overview Of A Study Guide To Epistle To The Son Of The Wolf
Introduction: Any study of Bah4’u'll4h’s writings requires the use of several approaches. In this study will read Epistle to the Son of the Wolf from beginning to end; look for major themes; investigate the meaning of many references Bahé'u'llsh makes to the Qur'én and to people, places, and events in His life; and explore the importance of what Bah4’u'llh has to say in this, the last major tablet of His revelation. The goals of this study guide are to:
- Increase your knowledge of the historical context
of Bah4'u'llsh’s revelation + Give you greater insight into Bahd’u’ll4h’s identity, His purpose, and the proofs that validate His claims
- Promote a deeper understanding of His teachings
+ Improve your ability to teach His Cause
- Stimulate action based on the knowledge gained
through this study
INDIVIDUAL WORK: 2 PREPARING FOR STUDY: lta
Materials: Epistle to the Son of the Wolf: Adib Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Bahd'u'lldh: Mazra’ih & Bahjt, 1877-92 (Wol. 4); a dictionary; a copy of this study guide; 5x7-inch notecards or a spiral notebook.
Spiritual Preparation: Read the following passage from Epistle (65), and take a few moments to meditate on it: “. . . Purge and sanctify your breasts, and your hearts, and your ears, and your eyes with the living waters of the utterance of the All-Merciful, and set, then, your faces towards Him. By the righteousness of God! Ye shall hear all things proclaim: ‘Verily, He the Truc One is come. Blessed are they that judge with faimess, and blessed they that tum towards Him!'”
Overview of Pages 62:22-92:5: In the section of Epistle to the Son of the Wolf covered in Session 3, Bahd’u'll4h restates His identity. He is the “skilled, . . . all-powerful, and inspired Physician” (62-63), the “World Reformer’” (63). His purpose in coming is to heal humanity's ills by quickening the world and uniting all of its peoples into “one universal Cause, one common Faith” (62, 63). Like previous Manifestations of God, He is accused of being “*“a fomenter of discord”*” (63) and is prevented from applying His remedy. And like other Manifestations, He is the object of lies, calumnies, and charges of falsehood (64-70). In Bahd’u'lléh's case, it is MirzA Yahy4 and his friends, some of whom are Bah4'{s, who stir up trouble (70). In the course of several pages, Bahd’u'll4h proclaims that His actions have been “known and evident unto all” (69) and that He has “aimed and striven to exalt and advance the interests of both the government and the “PRople, not to elevate His own station” (69-70).
To prove His intentions and His power to effect change in the world, Bah4'u'llsh describes the noble actions of His followers—their patience and fortitude under trials and their willingness to be killed rather than to kill. Bah4’u'llh briefly recounts the stories of several illustrious believers who suffered martyrdom in the pathway of God (71-77).
Bahd'u'lléh indirectly denounces the Shaykh’s acceptance of tyranny by quoting extensively from the Lawh-i-Burhén (Tablet of the Proof) (79-86)—a tablet written to the Shaykh’s father and referring to the
The study guide will assist both individuals and communities to study Epistle to the Son of the Wolf systematically and to consider deeply Baha’u'll4h’s station, His purpose, and His design for the transformation of individuals and society.
The guide is comprised of six sessions, each of which covers approximately thirty pages of Epistle to the Son of the Wolf. Sessions 1 and 2 appeared in the February issue of The American Bahd'(; Sessions 5 and 6 will appear in the April issue.
Each session has two parts: “Individual Work” and “Group Work.” The purpose of the “Individual Work” sections is to help you to identify major themes and ideas, to understand the meaning of certain references, and to prepare you for exploring the broader issues addressed in “Group Work.” The purpose of the “Group Work” sections is to build unity of understanding within a group and to discuss the broad implica SESSION 3: Pages 62:22-92:5
Im4m-Jum'ih of Isfahan—both of whom were responsible for the persecution of many Bahd’fs. In the passages cited Bah4'u'll4h assures these tyrants that, had they realized what they had done, they would have cast themselves into the fire or would have fled into the mountains rather than exulting in their deeds (80). He also admonishes them to judge fairly and to recognize that they are condemning Him with the same proofs divines have used in ages past to condemn previous Manifestations of God (81). Regardless of their actions and their responses to His plea, He does not fear their cruelty (84-85). He assures us that “from the first day whereon the voice of the Most Sublime Pen was raised betwixt earth and heaven We offered up Our souls, and Our bodies, and Our sons, and Our possessions in the path of God . . .” (84-85). Neither troubles nor the repudiations of the divines can weaken Him or still His voice (85).
In the final pages of the section (89-91) Bahd’u'll4h refers to the Shah of Persia, an enemy of the Cause who has closed his cyes to the suffering imposed on the Baha’fs by the Muslim clergy (77-78). Baha’u'lléh proclaims that it is now the Shah's duty to treat the Bah4’fs with “loving-kindness and mercy” (89). He promises that “this people [the Bah’{s} will show forth nothing that can in any way conflict with the worldadoring views of His Majesty” (89). Finally, Bahf"u'll4h describes the position of sovereign rulers, explaining that they are the manifestation of God’s power, grandeur, and majesty and, as such, must be obeyed and honored (89).
READING: EERE DEAT ie Pr
Reading for Meaning:
1, Read and reflect, asking yourself, “What is Bahé’u'llth saying?” Reread if necessary.
2. Read for patterns. Try to recall other places where Bahd'u'llth addresses the topics found in pages 62-92. What else does He say about them?
3. The following explanations of terms are provided to aid your understanding of the text.
page
64:15 “‘strategem’” A trick or scheme for out witting or deceiving an opponent.
64:28 calumniate To make maliciously false
tions of Bah4"u'llah's message for individuals and for society. If you do not have access to a study group, you should complete the “Group Work™ sections on your own. Both the “Individual Work” and “Group Work” sections follow a four-part study process that includes (1) preparing, (2) reading, (3) reflecting, and (4) acting upon new understandings.
A deep study of Bah4'u'Ilth’s writings takes time and effort. Bah4'u'lléh promises, however, that the benefits to be gained from such study stand in direct Proportion to the eagemess and effort of the student. Because the “Group Work” sections build on the knowledge and insight gained from completing the “Individual Work” sections, the entire study will be most effective when you do the “Individual Work” before tackling the “Group Work.”
Statements, charges, or imputations abou! to slander.
65:24-25
“‘He said: “Did We not rear thee among us when a child?”"” “He” refers to the Pharaoh of Egypt. Moses was raised in t household of the Pharaoh of Egypt (see Exodus 2).
“Siyyid Muhammad” Refers to Muham mad-i-Isfahén{, whom Shoghi Effendi called “the Antichrist of the Bahd’! Revelation” (God Passes By 164).
70:14-15
70:17-18 “And there befell Me at the hands of both of them” For an account of what befell Bahd'u'lléh in Constantinople at the hands of Mirz4 Yahyd and Siyyid Muhammad, see Revelation of Bahd' u' llth: Mazra’ih & Bahjf 4:391-402
72:5 “his honor, Haji Nasir” See Adib Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Bahd' u' lidh Adrianople, 1863-68 2:245-47.
T219 “Hasan and Husayn” Sec the glossary in Epistle 186 and the explanation for 79:23
below.
73:19-20 “*We have kept both Baha and the khinbahé (bloodmoney)!’” This is a play on words. Khtin means “blood.” Bahd in Arabic means “glory” and in Persian, “value.” “Bloodmoney” refers to the reward Najéf-‘Alf will receive for being a martyr in the path of God. In ransoming his life to become a martyr, the truc value of the bloodmoncy has been realized.
“the ban which the Pen of Glory hath ... chosen to impose” A reference to the ban on killing imposed by Bahd"u' tlh.
75:13-14
76:5-6 — “he that was chosen to be slain was but one person” A reference to God's request that Abraham sacrifice his son Ishmael. (According to the Quran it was Ishmael, not Isaac, who was to be sacrificed, contrary to what is written in the Old Testament. See Qur'dn 37:100 and Genesis 22:2.)
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76:19-21 “Bala, the Ethiopian, ... ‘sin’... “shin’” See the glossary in Epistle 184.
“the prison of the Land of Mim” A reference to Bahé"u'lléh's imprisonment in Amul. See Nabil, The Dawn-Breakers 368-76.
“those two chains, ... Qaré-Guhar ... one or the other of which was placed around Bahd‘u"Ilsh's neck at all times during His imprisonment in the Sfysh-Chal of Tehran. For four months He was chained to five other Babis. So heavy were the chains, that He bore their scars for the rest of His life. See God Passes By 72.
“perspicuous” Plain to the understanding, especially because of clarity and precision of presentation.
“*At one time I found Myself on the heights of mountains’” A reference to the mountains of Sulayménfyyih in the province of Kurdistan, to which Bahé’u'll4h retreated for two years a little over a year after His release from the Sfyah-Chal and banishment to Baghdad.
“a Voice was raised from the direction of Hijaz” Hijéz is a western province of Arabia where Mecca (the birthplace of Muhammad) and Medina are located; hence Bahd*u'lldh is referring to the voice of Muhammad. “Following upon the death of some of the martyrs” The martyrs referred to are the
77:2-3
78:14
78:26-27
79:23
kindliness, and piety (see God Passes By 200-01).
“Lawh-i-Burban (Tablet of Proof)” Following the martyrdom of the King of Martyrs and the Beloved of Martyrs, Baha'u'llah addressed this tablet to Shaykh Muhammad Bagir (whom He denounced as the “Wolf”). In the tablet Bahé"u' llth also addresses Mir Muhammad-Husayn, the Imdm-Jum'ih of Isfahan, who was Shaykh Muhammad Bagir’s accomplice in persecuting the Bahé’fs. For the text of the Lawh-i-Burhén, see Tablets of Bahd' u' lldh 205-16. For a discussion of the Lawh-iBurhén, see Revelation of Bahd’u' lldh: Mazra' ih & Bahjf 4:91-102.
“*Thou hast torn in pieces a remnant of the Prophet Himself’” The martyred brothers were descendants of the Prophet Muhammad.
“the Veil of Divinity was rent hamstrung” To “rend the Veil of Divinity” means to commit a sacriligious act, which, Marzich Gail says in the introduction to Epistle (xv), is “symbolized by tearing the veil of the tabernacle in which was the Shekinah,—the Dwelling, the Glory of God—emblem of the Divine Presence.” ‘The reference to hamstringing the She(Camel is an allusion to the Qur'an (see 7-71, 11:67, and $A:27). Gail explains that “The She-Camel was a sign of God, the proof of the Prophet Sélih's mission” (xv). ‘The allusion symbolizes an act of blasPhemy.
80:28-29
83:25-26
86:3-5 “*Present thyself before Me that thou
mayest hear the mysteries which were heard by the Son ‘Imran (Moses)’” What was previously told only to Moses is now revealed by Baha'u'llah for all to hear. “Mirz& Hédi Dawlat-Abad?” A follower of Mirz4 Yahya. See the glossary in Epistle 189.
“Sd-i-Isfahnf’ Mirz4 Murtidé, the Sadru’l-"Ulamé of Isfahén, a clergyman who became a follower of Mirz4 Yahya.
“... Who despatched that which was delivered unto the Herald—the Primal Point!” The Bab writes (Selections from the Writings of the Bdb 104), “And know thou of a certainty that every letter revealed in the Baydn is solely intended to evoke submission unto Him Whom God shall make manifest, for it is He Who hath revealed the Bay4n prior to His Own manifestation.”
“Zanjan ...Nayriz...Tabarsf’ For accounts of the upheavals that occurred in Zanjan, Nayriz, and Tabars{, see DawnBreakers 527-80, 465-95, and 324-414.
Reading for Insight:
1. Keep track of some of Epistle’s major themes on the 5x7-inch notecards you started using in Sessions 1 and 2. The following are some examples found on pages 63:22-92:5. On each card
list specific examples of the theme and any other information you want to include.
Baha’u'lléh’s General Teachings and Directives (62, 63-65, 83, 88, 89, 90)
Bahd’u’lléh’s Directives to the Kings and Rulers (71-78, 89-90)
Bahs?G'llsh’s Ldentity (63, 65)
Baha’u’Il4h’s Mission (63, 69-70, 71, 77, 88)
The Nature and Effect of the Word of God (75-16, 77)
Bah’u’ Il4h’s Suffering and His Response (63-64, 70-71, 76-77, 78-79, 85-86)
Proofs of Bahd’u’Ikth’s Station (71-76, 85, 87)
Human Responses to Bah4’u’Ilth’s Revelation and Their Consequences (73, 74, 79, 80-81, 82, 84, 83)
2. To improve your ability to “recite divine verses whenever the occasion demandeth it” (Tablets of Bahd' u' lldh 200) and increase the effectiveness of
your teaching, copy short passages for memorization and meditation.
86:28
86:28
88:12-13
88:26-28
REFLECTING AND REVIEWING: SE
Reflecting: Spend a few moments at the end of every reading session reflecting on what you have just read. Summarize in your mind what you have read, and try to relate it to what you already know. What spiritual Checking Your Recall of the Facts:
1. Name the “mightiest instrument for the healing of the world.” (62)
2. What charge has been leveled at every “World Reformer” Who has come? (63)
3. Why did Bahd’u'll4h commend the man who was responsible for His exile to ‘AkkA? (69)
4. Name two of Bahd'u'llth’s enemies. (70)
5. With what, rather than weapons, did the believers of Mazindarin gird themselves? Why? (74)
6. What caused so many believers to demonstrate
such forbearance that they allowed themscives be killed rather than to kill? (7475)
7. Name two reasons for which Bahd’u"llgh suffered. (6-77)
8. Describe Bahé'u"llsh’s attitude toward His suffer ing. (16-77, 78-79, 85-86)
9. What would have been the Shaykh’s response if he had realized what be had done to Bahd"u"liéh anc His followers? (80)
10. What do the Shaykh. the Jewish doctors who condemned Christ, and the rabbis and idolatrous Priests who denied Muhammad have in common? (81)
11. What qualifications must one meet to be comsidexed “truly learned”? What are the rewards? (83)
12. For what purpose did Bahé’ullgh quote the passages from “the Tablets to the kings and others”? (87)
13. What should be our attitude toward government and its rulers? (89-90)
14. What station does Bahd'u'Tlih give to the sovercigns of the earth? (89, 90)
15. What was Bahd’u'lléh’s purpose? (62-63, 69-70, 71, 76-77, 88)
ACTION: Read the following passage from Episale (88), which is addressed to the Shaykh but applies to all people: “Exert thyself, O Shaykh. and arise to serve this Cause. The Sealed Wine is disclosed in this day before the faces of men. Seize it in the name of thy Lord, and quaff thy fill in remembrance of Him Who is the Mighty, the Incomparable.”
Underline or highlight the directives it contains. How can you act on them?
Memorizing: Choose one of the passages you copied for memorization, and memorize it. How can you act on it? Find or create an opportunity to use it im teach ing.
Materials: Epistle to the Son of the Wolf: Tablets of Bakd' w' lldh; The Hidden Words; a copy of this smdy guide; notes from “Individual Work” section.
My signs will distinguish truth from falsehood as the sun from shadow, and will be made cognizant of the goal. God is aware and beareth Me witmess that whatever hath been mentioned was for the sake of God. that haply thou mayest be the cause of the guidance of men, and mayest deliver the peoples of the world from idle fancies and vain imaginings.”
If you are working with a group, spend a few moments sharing insights. If you are working alone, write down your insights.
READING AND REFLECTING: SS
Reviewing and Sharing:
- Share with your group the answers to the questions
from the “Individual Work” section. If you are working alone, review your answers.
+ Discuss any ideas that were of particular interest. If you are working alone, write down the ideas that were of particular interest to you.
- Share the results of your efforts to memorize and
act on a passage from Epistle. If you are working alone, you may wish to keep a journal of such efforts and their results.
Discussion: The purpose of this section is t© come to 8 group Consensus On answers to the questions thet follow. For some questions, multiple page mumbers are listed as aids to answering. Assign one page to cach
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a
member of your group (or to several members if your
1. On Epistle 1 and 67, Bahd'u'lléh says that the Manifestations of God come to humanity with the “standard” or “banner” of “*He docth whatsoever He willeth’” “‘and ordaineth what He pieascth.’” ‘What does this statement mean? What should be our response to it? Reconcile the following related statement with the concept of free will: “None hath the right to ask why or wherefore, and he that doth so, hath indeed tumed aside from God, the Lord of Lords” (67). How does such an assertion relate to the principle of independent investigation of truth? See Tablets of Baha'u'llah 51, 78, 108.
INDIVIDUAL WORK: =a
PREPARING FOR STUDY:
Materials: Epistie to the Son of the Wolf; The Kitdb-ilgdn; Adib Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Bahd' u'lldh: Mazra’ih & Bahjt, 1877-92 (Vol. 4); a dictionary; a copy of this study guide; 5x7-inch notecards or a spiral notebook.
Spiritual Preparation: Read the following passage from Epistle (94), and take a few moments to meditate on it: “Blessed is the man that hath, on the wings of longing, soared towards God, the Lord of the Judgment Day.”
Overview of Pages 92:6-121:23: In the section of Epistle to the Son of the Wolf covered in Session 4, Bah4’u'lléh continues to offer proofs of the truth of His (Cause to Shaykh Muhammad Tagi-i-Najafi, the “Son of the Wolf.” He suggests that if the Shaykh were to consider the events of the past and of recent times, he that are of God and would become an instrument for “the exaltation of His Word” (92). The Shaykh would also realize that none of the Manifestations of God was accepted or acknowledged at the time of His appearance and that all of the Manifestations suffered grievously to establish Their Cause (92). Bah4’u' llth, too, has suffered dire peril, yet He finds the sweetness of His life comes from the tribulations that have touched Him “in the path of God,” and for those tribulations He is grateful (94).
‘The remaining passages of the Lawh-i-Burhén (Tablet of the Proof) are quoted (96-103; for earlier passages, sce 79-86) with the aim of drawing the ‘Shaykh closer to God so that he may arise to aid the (Cause of Bah4'u" llth (96-97). In the passages in Session 4 Bah4’u'lish describes the characteristics of this Day of God and recites the basic principles of His faith: God is “One in His Essence, One in His Auributes. ... He hath sent forth His Messengers, and sent down His Books, that they may announce unto His (creatures the Straight Path” (98). Though the Lawh-iBurhdn was originally addressed to the Shaykh’s father, it carries a grave warming to the son as well: Without repentance, retribution is at hand (101-03). Abasement of the people, subversion of the Islamic Faith, and acts of cruelty against the “children of the Apostle of God” (the King of Martyrs and the Beloved of Martyrs) all deserve God's punishment (101).
‘Bah&'u'llth reminds the Shaykh that he has been enabled to “hear the melodies of the Nightingale of Paradise” and to see “the signs which God . . . hath
2. In the assigned reading for Session 3, Bah4'u'llah cites the qualities, actions, and goals of the believers as a major proof of the transforming power of His revelation (71-76, 78, 84-85). Name those qualities, actions, and goals. How do they prove the validity of Baha’u'Ildh’s Cause and aid the Bahd'fs to gird themselves “to reconstruct the world”?
3. Bah’u'll4h says that the “truly learned”—those who have acknowledged and immersed themselves in His Revelation—are “even as an cye unto mankind, and as the spirit of life unto the body of all creation” (83). Explore what it means to be “an eye unto mankind” and “the spirit of life unto the body of all creation.”
4. Discuss the meaning of the following passage: “This is the day whereon all peoples should shed the light of unity and concord. In brief, the pride and vanity of certain of the peoples of the world have made havoc of true understanding, and laid
SESSION 4: Pages 92:—121:23
sent down,” so that his “eye might be cheered” and his “soul be well-assured” (103). Bahd"u'll4h warns him that those who have stirred up mischief and sedition “have been, and will be, afflicted with the retribution which their acts must entail” (106). Bah4‘u"llth then describes some activities of those who have sought to create opposition to the Cause (106-08). Those who have turned away from Bahé'u'll4h have done so out of attachment to their “own idle words” and have thereby shown their “objections to Him Who is the Truth” (111). Bahd"u’ll4h discusses the meaning of “Divinity” and “Divine Presence,” explaining how He is a manifestation of both in terms of Muslim traditions (111-19). Those who neither believe in nor hope to attain God's presence are in error and will suffer in recompense (117). Nevertheless, those who repudiate or oppose Bahd'u'llah have been unable to prevent the “Sun of Truth” from shining (119). Bahd'u'll4h tells the Shaykh that he cannot be excused any longer: he must either recognize Bahd’u'll4h, “or— God forbid—arise and deny all the Prophets!” (119). The section ends with the following climactic statement from Bahd"u'llth (121): “Who else but Bah4 can speak forth before the face of men, and who else but He can have the power to pronounce that which He was bidden by God, the Lord of Hosts?”
READING: SRR
Reading for Meaning:
1. Read and reflect, asking yourself, “What is Bah4’u'll4h saying?” Reread if necessary.
2. Read for patterns. Try to recall other places where Bah4"u'llh addresses the topics found in pages 92-121. What else does He say about them?
3. The following explanations of terms are provided to aid your understanding of the text.
baee
94:4-5 “ome of My Branches (sons)"” The son referred to is Mirz4 Badf‘u'lléh, who became a Covenant-breaker. See Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’ l-Bahd 20-21.
96:19 “malice” Il} will; the desire to harm others or to see others suffer.
97:14-15 “We have not sought to spread disorder in the land” A reference to the many upheavals that occurred as the Cause spread.
91:9- “Peruse thou the Kitab-i-fqan. ..." to
103:12 “Praised be God, the Lord of the
worlds!” A long passage quoted from the
waste the home of justice and equity” (76). Remember that Bahé'u'lléh links justice and
equity with protection and the establishment of
justice and equity, see Epistle 11, 13, 22.
5. Compare and contrast Bahé’u"lléh’s statements about obedience to government with American views of obedience (89, 90). Why is obedience to government important?
ACTION: How can you, as a group or as an individual,
act on the following directive from Epistle (76)?
“Occupy thyself, during these fleeting days of thy life,
with such deeds as will diffuse the fragrance of Divine
good-pleasure, and will be adorned with the ornament of His acceptance.”
ASSIGNMENT: To prepare for Session 4, read Epistle
92:6-121:23.
Lawh-i-Burhdin (Tablet of Proof). See the explanation in Session 3, for page 79:24
“In the Great City (Constantinople) they have roused a considerable number of people to oppose this Wronged One” A reference to the malicious scheming of Mfrz4 Yahya and others who attempted to discredit Bahd"u'lléh and His Cause. See Revelation of Bahd' u'lldh: Mazra’th & Bahjl 4:392—402.
“‘Subtile’” Keenly perceptive, penetrating. 7 4
“Akhtar” Literally, “The Star”: a Persian reform-oriented newspaper published im Constantinople and controlled for a number of years by an enemy of the Baha’! Faith. Mirzé Agé Khan (one of Mirzé Yahy4’s accomplices). During that time it published a number of false and harmful statements about the Faith.
“perfidious” Of, relating to, or characterized by disloyalty, treachery, or faithless‘ness.
“Imém-‘Al?” The first Imém of Sbf‘ah Islam. He was Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law.
“Mufaddal,” “Abd-Ja’far-i-Tasi,” and
“Jabir” Compilers of hadith (the entire body of Muslim traditions) handed down from Ja‘far-i-Sédigq, the sixth Imam.
114:27-28 “the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing” An expression that comes from the Arabic “Sadratu"!-Muntah4.” which means, literally, “the Divine Lote Tree, the ‘Tree beyond which there is no passing.” It symbolizes the Manifestation of God. See “Sadratu'l-Muntah4™ in the Epistle glossary 192.
115:15-16 “verses concerning the Divine Presence” Marzich Gail points out in the introduction to Epistle (xv—xvi) that verses on this topic “are numerous in the Qur ‘dn. Among them shine with the light (mir) of ber Lord, and the Book shall be set, and the prophets shall be brought up, and the witnesses... and none shall be wronged.” 8922-23:
“.. when the earth shall be crashed with crushing, crushing, And thy Lord shall
106:6-9
107:21
108:6
10:19
111:28
112:17, 29; 113:9
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come and the angels rank on rank . 83:6: “The day when mankind shall stand before the Lord of the worlds.’ 20:107, 110:
- On that day shall men follow their
summoner . . . and low shall be their voices before the God of Mercy, nor shalt thou hear aught but the light
footfall ... And humble shall be their faces before Him that Liveth....'”
“mounted His throne, and imposed laws on the sun and moon” While this verse can be taken literally in an astronomical sense, it can also be interpreted symbolically. In The Kitdb-i-Igdn (33-42) Baha*u'lléh explains three interpretations of the terms “sun” and “moon.” These terms can represent the Manifestations of God, the Divines who “hold the reins of religion in their grasp;” and the laws and teachings “established and proclaimed in every Dispensation.”
“Vicegerent” One appointed by a king or other ruler to act in his place or carry out certain administrative functions—in this case, God's representative—the Manifestation of God. (NOTE: “Viceregent” is a misprint that the Universal House of Justice has asked us to correct in the 1991 printing of Epistle.)
“there hath been revealed in the Kitib-iigqan (Book of Certitude) concerning the Presence and Revelation of God” See The Kitdb-i-[qdn 138-43 for a discussion of three of the meanings of “Divine Presence.”
“Him Who is the Prince of the world” A reference to the Bab.
Reading for Insight: ai
1. Keep track of some of Epistle’s major themes on the 5x7-inch notecards you started using in Sessions 1-3. The following are some examples that can be found on pages 92:6-121:23. On each card
list specific examples of the theme and any other information you want to include.
Baha’u’llih’s Directives to the Shaykh (120)
Bahi'u'llih's General Teachings and Directives (scattered throughout)
Baha'u’llah’s Identity (114)
The Nature and Effect of the Word of God (93, 110, 114-15)
The Day of God (94, 97, 101, 107)
Baha'u'llah’s Suffering and His Response (94-95, 105-08) Proofs of Baha'u'llah's Station (105, 115, 119) 2. To improve your ability to “recite divine verses whenever the occasion demandeth it” (Tablets of Bahd'u'lldh 200) and increase the effectiveness of your teaching, copy the passage on 93:7-94:4 (or any other passages) for memorization and meditation.
116:1-2
118:27
1194-6
120:1
REFLECTING AND REVIEWING: SSS
Reflecting: Spend a few moments at the end of every reading session reflecting on what you have just read. Summarize in your mind what you have read, and try to relate it to what you already know. What spiritual insights have you gained? Checking Your Recall of the Facts:
1. Malice affects the individual in whose heart it lives. What are the effects? (96)
2. Why does Baha‘u'Ilih tell the Shaykh to read The Kitdb-t-Igdn and the tablet sent to Napoleon III? 0}
‘To what truths does Baha’u'llah bear witness? (98)
4. What does Baha'u'llah say are some of the characteristics of this Day? (101, 107)
5. What retribution is promised to the Imim-Jum‘ih, the “She-Serpent”? (100-02)
6. What is Baha‘u'llah’s response to the troubles surrounding Him in Constantinople? (94-95, 105-08)
7. Why did Haji Shaykh Muhammad “All take his own life? (108-10)
8. What is meant by the “Divine Presence™? (118)
9. What will happen to those who believe neither in the signs of God nor in the possibility of attaining His Presence? (116, 117)
10. What argument does Baha'u'llah use to prove that God can have no likeness? (118-19)
11, What God revealed to Moses is now revealed for all. What did God say to Moses? (117)
12. What is Baha"u'llah’s criticism of the Shi‘ah sect of Islam? (119-20)
ACTION: Read the following passage from Epistle (115): “Such a one as thou must needs in this day arise to serve this Cause. Strive thou, that haply thou mayest achieve a deed the fragrance of which shall never fade from the earth.”
Underline or highlight the directives it contains. How can you act on them?
»
Memorizing: Memorize all or part of the passage on 93:7-94:4, or any other passage you copied for memorization. How can you act on your chosen passage? Find of create an opportunity to use the passage you chose in teaching.
GROUP WORK: as
PREPARING FOR STUDY: S00
Materials: Epistle to the Son of the Wolf; a copy of this study guide; notes from “Individual Work” section.
Spiritual Preparation: Read aloud the prayer found on Epistle 95:1-29. If you are working with a group, spend a few moments sharing insights. If you are working alone, write down your insights.
READING AND REFLECTING: SS
Reviewing and Sharing:
- Share with your group the answers to the questions
from the “Individual Work” section. If you are working alone, review your answers.
- Discuss any ideas that were of particular interest. If
you are working alone, write down the ideas that were of particular interest to you.
- Share the results of your efforts to memorize and
act on a passage from Epistle. If you are working alone, you may wish to keep a journal of such efforts.
Discussion: The purpose of this section is to come to @ group consensus on answers to the questions that follow. For some questions, multiple page numbers are listed as aids to answering. Assign one page to each member of your group (or to several members if your group is large) to read and report on. Then, as a group, consult upon and formulate a response to each question. If your group's time is limited, consult about which questions you will cover together and which questions individuals should complete on their own. If you are working alone, write a short essay in response to each question.
1. In Epistle, Baha'u'llah cites events from the lives of previous Manifestations to prove the truth of His
Cause (52, 58, 62-67, 81). In what ways are the events of Baha'u’llth’s life and Cause similar to those of previous Manifestations? How do such similarities prove Bahd‘u"Iléh's claims are true? (12, 81, 92, 120)
2. ‘Bahé*u'lléh exhorts us (93) to: “Be fair im thy judgment, and guarded in thy speech. Be unjust to no man, and show all meckness to all men.” How might you apply these directives in your job? What difficulties might you encounter in practicing them? What effects would you expect such changes to have on you and your co-workers?
3. List some of the actions for which the Shaykh and other divines such as the Imém-Jum*th were held responsible. What were the consequences of their actions for the people, for Baha"is, for Baha" u" Tish, and for themselves? (94, 98, 99-100, 100-03, 105-07) How does this relate to the fear of God?
4. One of the characteristics of this Day, Baha"u"lish says, is that what was hidden is now revealed, and that “whatsoever lieth hid in the souls and hearts of men will be disclosed” (107). Furthermore, ~"God will bring everything to light, though it were but the weight of a grain of mustard-seed, and hidden in a rock or in the heavens or in the earth... .~ (107). What types of new knowledge that were hidden in times past are now coming to light”
5. Several pages ate given to discussing those whe doubt the presence of God, who do not hope to attain His presence, and who find their satisfaction in worldly pursuits (115-19). What does Bahd‘u'lldh mean when He says they ~Goubs the presence of their Lord” (116)? Why is it inmportanr to believe that we can meet our Lord? How would you convince someone that the presence of God can be attained and that it is important to do so? What signs are given so that humans maght believe?
ACTION: How can you, as # group oF as an indivichal act on the following directive from Epistle (111)? “It is incumbent upon thee, in this day, to arise with celestial power and dissipate, with the aid of knowledge, the doubts of the peoples of the world, so that all men may be sanctified, and direct their steps towards the Most Great Ocean and cleave fast unto that which God hath purposed.” ASSIGNMENT: To prepare for Session 5, read Epistle 121:24-151:17. To prepare for Session 6, read Epistle 151:17-181.17.
Epistle to the Son of the Wolf by Bahd 'u'lldh Marking the end of forty years of divine revelation,
Epistle was the last major work to flow from the pen of Baha‘u'llsh. Proclaiming to the world Who He is and why He has come and quoting “some of the most char~ acteristic and celebrated passages” of His own revela~ tion, Bahd‘u'llsh provides an extraordinary mode! of how to use His writings to teach His Faith The National Spiritual Assembly has asked the American Babs’! community to read and study Epistle & che Som of the Wolf this year as 2 personal education objective. 4-1/4. 7 inches, 181 pages, glossary
U.S. Baha'i Publishing Trust
PS $6.50
The Bahd't Distribution Service 1-800-999-9019
—_ — —
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The American Baha’i / March 1991 / Page 15
“> ae ministration’s mighty bulwark, the symbol of its strength and the sign of its future glory.” . . . Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Baha'i, p. 80
"l-Adhkar—the Ad The siiacearcite bounties that are bestowed upon those who make a Special Visit to the House of Worship have been available to the friends since the summer of 1972. From the inception of the program the purpose has been to “permit its participants to have a teaching experience at the House of Worship, tours of the Baha'i National Center and Publishing Trust, and fellowship with the friends from all over the United States.” It was then, as now, important that it be an inspirational and spiritual experience. Some of the comments from our most recent participants encourage our thinking that our efforts are successful.
“The whole program and all the staff at the Baha’{ Center has helped me be stronger in the Faith. I have been a Baha‘i four years, an isolated Baha'i the last three years. I came home feeling confident in my beliefs and have had many opportunities to teach with materials and pictures I brought back.”
“As anew LSA secretary, | have a better understanding of which offices to contact for information, . . . and what these offices do."
“It brings closer to home the needs of the
Fund and what additional teaching must be done.”
“The hours I spent welcoming visitors to the “Dawning Place” were among the sweetest hours of my life.”
“All the knowledge as to how our NSA works, the great spirituality, these will sustain me and help me in my endeavor to become a better Baha'i.”
These comments made by recent participants in the Special Visit Program held at the House of Worship typify the feelings of those who come to the Mother Temple of the West for a weekend of learning, teaching, sharing and fellowship. Highlights of the visit include the opening program and reception in the Visitor's Center; an address to the visitors by the Secretary-General of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha"is of the United States; tours of the House of Worship, the National Archives, the Baha’i Publishing Trust, the Baha’i Home, and the Baha'i National Center; a workshop on volunteer service at the House of Worship, with an opportunity to teach and guide visitors from all over the world; an in-depth tation from the Writings on the importance of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar, and a farewell picnic lunch near the lake and Haziratu'l-Quds. Moming devotions for the Special Visitors and the regular daily noontime devotions offer chances for all to participate as readers. Many other exciting programs and opportunities for service are also part of the visit.
Dates for this year's Special Visit Programs are Thursday, June 27 through Sunday, June 30 (for the regular program with no special children’s activities) and Thursday, August 15 through Sunday, August 18 for the family program (special children’s program included).
The Universal House of Justice stated in its 1990 Ridvan letter that the friends “must be spiritually prepared through prayer anid study of the Teachings to obtain a deeper appreciation of the station and purpose of
ae ake a a ae 0. ee ee | Baha'i House of Worship Special Visit Program | Registration Form | We will make your reservations, however, you must handle all financial arrange- | ments with the hotel. Housing Rates per night at the Evanston Holiday Inn (near public transportation to Wilmette). | Single or Double $60.00 More than 2 persons $65.00 | | Lwish to attend: Regular Program (June 27-30) | \ Family Program (August 15-18) j The June Special Visit Program will not be a family program. You will be | responsible for your children. | | T request eet at the Holiday Inn a | Single Room Double Room | 1 will make my own arrangements and wish information regarding other hous- | | 8 B iB I ing | Name & Baha'i ID #: | | ‘ | | Address | city: State Zip: | | : | | (Area Code) Telephone: ( ) | List additional names (give ages of children) and Baha'i ID #s here | | | | | | | I | Please enclose a $5.00 per person registration fee to help defray expenses of the | | program. Make checks payable tothe Bahd'i Services Fund. Check ot money order please, no cash. Return with this form to: | Baha'i House of Worship Activities Office | | Special Visit Program | | Wilmette, [inois 60091 | | These plans are conditional on the response of the Baha'i community. Since we ve limited registration, it is very important that those who register let us know | iftheir plans change. This is a courtesy to those on the waiting list who may miss | | the opportunity to attend otherwise | 4
Baha'u'llah and of the basic meaning of His mighty Covenant. Such preparation is at the very core of their striving to effect a transformation in their individual and collective lives. Let all the friends--every man, woman and youth--demonstrate through the high quality of their inner life and private character the unified pee of their association with one another, .
- Abdu'l-Baha once explained that ~
Temples are the symbols of the divine uniting force, so that when the gather there ... they may recall the fact that the law has been revealed for them and that the law is to unite them.
“In brief, the original purpose of temples and house of worship is simply that of unity; places of meeting where various peoples, different races and souls of every capacity may come together in order that love and agreement should be manifest between them.” He further stated, spirit of teaching . . . will permeate to all parts of the world.”
by the Universal House of Justice for the Congress.
Registration Packet Distribution. Dis tribution of registration packets will begin this month. Registration materials will be distributed to each LSA and DTC for further distribution to the friends (including isolated believers) in their communities. While printing costs preclude providing a copy of the registration packet to every Baha’i, at least one registration packet will be provided for every household.
How to Register. Space is limited at this historic and holy event. Therefore, in order for Baha'is to reserve a place at this blessed eventand to receive the best possible travel and accommodations, it is most important for the friends to complete the forms as accurately and fully as possible and that the Forms be returned as soon as possible Registration is ona first-come, first-served basis by postmark, a completed registration form is required from every individual planning to attend, and on-site registration will not be available.
The registration forms and their associated payments should be mailed by the friends directly to the Baha"i World Congress Registration address listed below
Travel Packages. It is very important that the friends use the significantly discounted, pre-arranged Congress travel packages which are available to everyone only through Congress Registration. This unique combination of Congress travel packages has been arranged for the convenience and cost-savings of the friends covering round trip airfares, airport transfers, hotels, breakfasts, porterage, tax and gratuities. Packages provide an outstanding combination of advantages including:
- Airline rates contracted at a significant
discount based on group rates for the Baha'i World Congress and also, access to even lower fares if they become available
- Hotel rates contracted in blocks at
major discounts. Congress discounts will not be available at the 90 hotels we have under contract to anyone not using these packages and room availability will be limited
- Part of the Congress costs may be de
frayed according to the number of travel packages used
- Large quantities of hotel activity/meet
ing spaces will be provided free of charge based on anticipated usage
- All funds received will be deposited
and accrue interest for the benefit of the Baha'i Punds until such time as the monies
After pondering both the statement of the Universal House of Justice and those of “Abdu'l-Baha, we encourage you to consider how a Special Visit to the House of Worship could release such bounties that would directly impact your personal spintual growth, foster your teaching efforts, and allow you to experience the unity that permeates the Temple.
Itis almost impossible to express the joy of participation in daily devotions or that which comes as you take an opportunity to serve as a guide or reader at the Mother Temple of the West, or the sense of hurnbleness as you view relics of Baha'u'llah and *Abdu'l-Baha in the National Archives. To gain more intimate knowledge to share with your home community, to form new friendships, bound often with tears of joy and to heighten your sense of belonging to the larger Baha "i community are all oppor tunities not to be missed. For a visit that is special, indeed, join us at the “Administra tion’s mighty bulwark.”
are disbursed to the airline and hotel ven dors
© Early travel reservations will be made through special arrangements with the air lines. Other reservations cannot be madeuntil more than six months into the registration period
- Optional travel packages to Chicago
(to visit the Mother Temple of the West) at similar discount rates
- Roommates can be selected (by mutual
prior agreement of all roommates) from among Baha"is anywhere in the world
- Air travel and hotel bookings in groups
can be made (by mutual prior agreement of all of the friends in the group) from among Baha‘is anywhere in the world
- Includes transportation to and from the
airport (taxi fares can cost $20-40 each way)
- Includes daily shuttles to and from the
Congress (taxi fares can cost $S-10 each way)
- Includes porter tips at hotels (usual tip
is $1 per bag each time)
- Includes taxes and gratuities (the hote
tax of approximately 18 percent is added on to non-Congress package reservations on check-out)
- Includes daily breakfasts on Congress
days (saves $8 and up)
- Almost any custom travel package can
be arranged on request with similar dis counts and with similar advantages
Payment Method. It is essential that al! payments be made only by credit card (VISA or MasterCard), personal check. U.S. money order, or cashier's check
Mailing Address
Baha'i World Congress Registration P.O. Box 789, Wilmette, IL 60091 FAX 708/869-3349; EMAIL: 144:-BHNOS Baha'i Bulletin Board
With your help and prayers, we will cer tainly be able to provide a fitting celebra tion for the centenary of the Covenant of Baha‘u'llah
Nearly 700 attend Atlanta's Baha'i Youth Conference
Nearly 700 people attended the Atlanta (Georgia) Bahai Youth Conference beld December 28-January |
The conference theme was “Highway to a New World Order.” Topics included ~The Guardian's Vision of World Order,” “The Age of Universal Transformation,” ~The Lesser Peace: Within Our Reach,” and “A New Race of Men: The Mission ~
Included were workshops on such topecs as the Station of "Abdu'l-Baha, balancing school and service, promoting racial unity in schools, and teaching Amencan Indians,
�[Page 16]
Page 16 / The American Baha'i / March 1991
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P.O. Box 927 Santa Monica, CA. 90402 — sitver Spring, MD. 20910
Dr. Daryush Haghighi Rocky River, OH. 44116
The American Baha'i / March 1991 /
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�[Page 18]
Page 18 / The American Baha'i / March 1991
Here are samples of both sides of the Ridvdn election Sorn for this year. We have highlighted each section with a brief explanation to help you with questions you ee ae
1. Remember to complete both sides of the form and to include all requested information.
2 Ifyou are not able to find an identification number or some other piece of information, please attach an explanation to the form, such as, "new believer, doesn't have ID card yet.”
Uf you are forming by election, please complete the top section of
side B.
Ifyou are forming by joint declaration, please complete the bottom
section of side B.
You can look for identification numbers on your community membership printout or a person's Baha'i membership card.
3. If your Assembly does not receive election materials in time for Ridvén, you may request extra forms and instructions from your District Teaching Committee, or you may cut these forms out of The American Baha'i and use them.
4.Please review the forms before sending them in to be sure you have included as much information as possible and an explanation for anything you have had to omit. Remember that we are receiving and recording information from more than 1,500 local Assemblies, and sometimes inadvertent mistakes or incomplete or incorrect information on an election form will cause delays in getting your Assembly's information properly recorded.
Anelection meeting was held on
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ASSEMBLY ELECTION (wo be completed if there are 10 cr more aitslt Babs"is ts your locality)
‘The following should be reported to the community after the ballots are counted:
5. Any gestions about Assembly formations can be addressed to the Baha'i National Center. A National Center hotline will be available from 6 p.m. to 1] p.m. on April 20 and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. (CST) om April 21. The number is 703-869-9039. Please call if you feel that there is any problem with your Assembly forming.
COMPLETE ONLY ONE OF THE SECTIONS BELOW:
»19__, at
Number Voting in Person cecon. oneenne T Number Voting by Absentee Ballot ... E Total Number of Ballots Cast .... R s Total Number of Valid Ballots Cast... R Number of Believers not Voting .... F Total Number of Adult Believers in Locality ... = Tellers: (There must be more than one)
JOINT DECLARATION (w be completed if there are exactly nine adult Bahd'ls ie your locality)
- Ietvvsal 1D member ca arn oa Oot comemanty membaritag bat ox on a barra 's metry cord
PLEASE REPORT ELECTION OF OFFICERS ON THE REVERSE SIDE OF THIS FORM
�[Page 19]
The American Baha'i / March 1991 / Page 19
Election forms that have been sent to existing Assemblies will have the Assembly's address label alreadly attached over the upper righthand box where the locality name, Baha'i locality code and district
If this is not the case with your Assembly, please be sure to provide your locality name, Baha'i locality code, and district in this box.
Your Bahd't locality code can be found on your membership printout or your mailing label on the Assembly's copy of The American Baha'i.
are requested.
Remember that all Assembly mail will be sent in care of
the secretary.
Please fill in all information requested for officers of your Assembly including name, Bahé'i identification number, current address and telephone number.
If you are not able to elect offi “corresponding secretary.” When you elect officers at a later date, report them on the local Spiritual Assembly Officer and Address Change form.
LOCAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY FORMATION REPORT FORM
PLEASE COMPLETE AND SUBMIT DOMEDIATELY EVEN IF OFFICERS ARE TEMPORARY russe Ten marr cunt
COMPLETE THIS SECTION IF YOU ARE REPORTING AN ASSEMBLY ELECTION
Free each Atsecivy member plnant proves Oe foleweng wfrma ee
vm tm we Bacevet
COMPLETE BOTH SIDES OF THIS FORM
T cmrtty, on behalf of the Local Spiritaal Assembly, Sut al sine
Oey se regisuerad by the Necional Spirimal Amembly of Ow Babs of Oe Uninnd States us members of ue American Babs’
comemnity residing ia the locality inficaued shows.
1 individ 1D mamtert wy on Se comemasy membertuy ta Sa iain vember tart
Sent YELLOW copy te BAMA" NATIONAL CEXTER sas OMnices:
‘WILMETTE, ILLINOIS eoeot Keep RLUE expy for your cards
Remember to send the yellow copy immediately to the Management office at the Baha'i National Center and to
Information Systems keep the blue copy for your files.
You can look for identification numbers on your community memberahlp printout or the person's Bahd'l membership card.
In this box, please list all nine names and Baha'i identification mumbers of Assembly members, and the number of votes cach member received. Do not fill tn this bor If you mojacatag ty ania in.
The secretary of the Assembly, or the person assigned to help in its formation, should complete this box certifying that he or she has verified the membership of cach member of the Assembly.
Please be sure to print your name, as well as sign & amd
to provide us with your telephone number(s).
�[Page 20]
Page 20 / The American Baha'i / March 1991
Ensenar familiares y amigos: entrada en tropas
SPANISH
Eneste pais, con mas de 250 millones de personas y solamente cien mil Baha'is, hay relativamente pocos que tengan amigos o familiares los cuales también sean seguidores de Baha'u'llah.
Solamente algunos pocos creyentes que entran a la comunidad Baha'i en su juventudo en la edad adulta tienen parientes o amigos qlue sean creyentes también.
A menudo las personas oyen hablar de la Fe demanera independiente e ingresan una por una. Por lo tanto su descubrimiento mas grande, es decir el hecho de que hay una nueva Manifestacion de Dios para ésta época, es una realidad que no comparten con sus parientes y amigos, y en este sentido muchos nuevos creyentes estan aisla Office of Public Information offers Spanish-language press/presentation kit
A press/presentation kit in Spanish isnow available from the Baha"i Office of Public Information
tn ee Seat oe communications
with Spanish-language media and for presentations to locally Pee a ee is
The kit is similar to the English-language pressy presentation kit. It includes fact sheets about the Baha'i Faith, Baha'i statistics, ~The Promise of World Peace,” an explanation of the peace statement, and black and white phot of the Seat of the Universal House of Justice and the House of Worship in Wilmette.
You can order copies of the Spanish press/ presentation kit for $7, plus postage, from the Office of Public Information. Please make checks payable to the Baha'i Services Fund. (Postage is 15 percent of the total order, with minimum postage of $2.)
dos y solos.
Aunque los nuevos creyentes ganen una nueva “familia” Baha"i, a menudo ésta Ultima no puede remplazar los fuertes lazos familiares de la familia natural, ni se supone que debiera hacerlo.
Las personas que ensefian la Causa pueden mostrarse sensibles a estos lazos entablando relaciones no solamente de uno a uno con los simpatizantes sino también, en la medida que esto sea posible, con sus familiares y allegados.
Por ejemplo, los Baha’ is pueden preguntarles a aquellos a quienes estin ensefando si pueden presentarles a sus familias y amigos para conocerlos.
Se debe alentar a los simpatizantes para que inviten asus conjuges, hijos, hermanos © parientes a las reuniones Baha'is y también se les puede animar a discutir, y si posible, a estudiar con sus familiares y amigos la Fe que estan investigando.
Aunque es verdad que las dudas de los simpatizantes pueden ser reforzadas por las dudas de otros, también es bastante posible que las reservas que tengan como individuos puedan ser eliminadas por aquellos que les son mas cercanos afectivamente.
Las personas en las cuales los simpatizantes tengan confianza pueden ayudar a calmar aprensiones y miedos, y sus opinjones y respuestas pueden proveer puntos de vista importantes o confirmacién para ellos.
Ademas es posible que los nuevos creyentes necesiten que se les anime a compartir con sus familias y amigos la alegria de haber descubierto el Mensaje de Baha‘u'llah.
Con seguridad, esta accién puede tener efectos de largo alcance para la vida de los nuevos creyentes y para la Fe, puesto que una vez que dichas personas saben de que se trata la Fe Baha'i, pueden apoyar al nuevo creyente aunque ellos mismos no se hagan creyentes.
En el mejor de los casos la familia natural del simpatizante y su nueva familia Baha'i se integrarin en una sola y asi familias enteras y grupos de amigos serin atraidos a la Fe.
La entrada de estas redes en expansion, especialmente las formadas por miembros de la familia, ofrece un potencial
prometedor, estimulante para el el crecimiento de la Fe. Tal como lo dice la (Casa Universal de Justicia en su carta fechada del dia 17 de abril, 1981:
“Si el creyente es el nico miembro de la familia que se ha unido a la Fe, su deber es tratar de conducir tantos miembros de la familia como le sea posible hacia la luz de la guia divina.
“Tan pronto como una unidad familiar Baha'i emerja, los miembros deben sentirse responsables de convertir la vida familiar en una realidad espiritual, ani mado y inspirados por el amor divino y los principios ennoblecidos de la Fe. Para cumplir éste propésito, el estudio y recitacion de las Escrituras y oraciones deben hacerse habitos diarios de familia.
“En lo concemiente al trabajo de ensefianza, de la misma manera que se les pide a los individuos que adopten metas de ensefianza, la familia misma podria adoptar sus propias metas.
“De esta manera, los amigos podrian convertir a sus familias en unidades fuertes, cirios brillantes para la difusion de la luz del Reino, y centros de atraccién podero sos para las confirmaciones celestiales ~ Por consiguiente, concentrar nuestros exfuerzos de ensenanza en familias y en grupos de amigos podria afectar de manera significativa nuestras comunidades Baha "is Guardando en mente que una de las de ficiniones de la palabra “tropa” es “un grupo de gente,” la entrada en tropas podria comenzar muy bien con la entrada de familias y de grupos de amigos
Contacting national news media like to remind individual Baha'is and local Spiritual Assemblies that they should contact the National Assembly at its office in Washington, D.C., before writing letters about the Faith to national publicanons (magazines, newspapers, book publishers: or to national electronic media.
A perception of urgency or timeliness by an individual Baha'i is not sufficient jest fication to ignore this long-standing pol icy. Such communication is not merely = matter of reviewing letters from individual Baha'is, but coordinating relatons with news media and prominent peopie.
Manera de conectar corazones de _ los nuevos creyentes con Baha'u'llah
El Comité Nacional de Ensefianza sugiere que los creyentes que se incorporana la Fe como resultado de esfuerzos directos de ensefianza sean reunidos inmedidtamente--esa_misma noche o la siguiente--para celebrar y conmemiorar el logro de esta meta importante en su vida de Baha'is.
La reunion debe estructuarse de manera que se incluyan oraciones, lecturas de los Escritos (especialmente de pasajes cortos en los que Baha’u'llah se describe a Si Mismo y su Estacion) y une consultacion con los nuevos creyentes con respecto a quien es Baha'u'llah, la razén por la que ellos se han convertido en sus seguidores y lo que esto significa en su vida ahora que son Baha’is.
Ejemplos de los pasajes en los cuales Baha'u'llah se describe a Si Mismo ly Su Estacién pueden encontrarse en Pasajes de los escritos de Baha’u'lldh, pp. 19-22; Proclamacién de Bahd'u'lldh, pp. 26-27; Tablas de Baha'u'lléh, pp. 3-5, 9-11, y
La ensefanza: compartir el amor que existe entre Dios y la humanidad
La ensefianza es nuestro deber sagrado de Baha'is. Si ensefiamos es porque Baha'u'llah desea que Su Mensaje sea conocido.
El nos ordena: “Levantaos a promover mi Causa y exaltar mi Palabra entre los hombres.” (Pasajes de los escritos de Bahd'u’'lldh, p. 90)
‘Sin embargo la ensefianza de la Fe Baha'i no ¢s una respuesta desapasionada a una orden sino una expresién del amor que sentimos por Baha"u"llah. Cuando ejecutamos su mandato le estamos ofreciendo nuestro asistencia afectuosa puesto que El afirma: “Ayudarme es ensenar mi Causa.” (Tablas de Bahd'w'lldh, p. 226)
Al ensefiar, estamos ¢x; les nuestro amor por ésta Manifestacién de Dios, no solamente a Baha'u'llah Mismo, sino también a todos aquellos que nos rodean.
Es una manera de decirles a los otros quién es Baha’u'llah para nosotros, lo cemetery tena to teveiacite significa para nosotros. Y es este amor por Behd'urilah, lo que constituye nuestra
motivacién para ensefar.
El amor por la humanidad que mostramos al promover Su Causa es un reflejo de nuestro amor por Bahé'u'llah. Nosotros ensefamos por el bien de la humanidad: El mundo esta en un estado de gran confusion y sus problemas parecen agudizarse dia tras dia. Por lo tanto no debemos permanecer inactivos de otro modo estariamos fallando en llevar a cabo nuestro deber sagrado.
“Baha'u'llah no nos ha dado Sus ensefianzas para guardarlas como un tesoro escondido para nuestro gusto y nuestro placer personales. Todo lo contrario, nos las ha dado para que podamos hacerlas pasar de boca en boca hasta que todo el mundo se familiarice con ellas y disfrute de sus bendiciones y de su influencia elevadora. (Escrito en nombre de Shoghi Effendi, 27 de marzo, 1933)
Promovemos las ensefanzas Baha'is porque creemos que el mundo sera mejor gracias a ellas. Sin embargo, contrariamente a la promocién de un simple con
junto de principios sociales, promover la
‘Causa de Dios es de naturaleza sagrada y es
diferente de tedo otro tipo de interaccién
humana.
Laensefianza de la Fe es un proceso enel cual los corazones de la gente se ponen en contacto directo con Baha‘u'llah, transformandose por dicho contacto gracias al poder de la Palabra creativa. La Revelacién de 4Baha"u'llth se convierte asi en la Fuerza que guia sus vidas.
La utilizacién de la Palabra de Dios en la ensenanza es para que se establezca el contacto de los corazones con Baha'u'llah ya que el amor entre Dios y la humanidad puede circular através de nosotros cuando ensefiamos sus palabras:
“Lo que El ha reservado para si, son las ciudades de los corazones de los hombres, para que El pueda %: de toda inmundicia terrenal y itarlos para aproximarse al Lugar santificado. ...Abrid, ob
la ciudad del corazén humano con
Have de vuestra palabra.” (Pasages de los Escritos de 4Baha‘u'llah, p. 202)
295-99; y Epistola al Hijo del Lobe, pp. 4041
La discusién de su amor naciente por Baha'u'llah y el significado de la nueva fe que acaban de encontrar conduce a los creyentes a un fuerte deseo de compartir su maravilloso descubrimiento con otros.
Se les puede sugerir que comiencen compartiendo esta nueva hae con aquellos con quienes estén masen comtacto tales como la familia, los amigos y los vecinos.
También se puede explorar lo que les gustaria decir a los nuevos creyentes ac erca de Baha"u'llah y de su Revelacion y la manera como lo harian.
Posteriormente, los creyentes de largs fecha pueden intervenir para explicaries io que deberian hacer en caso de que alguna de las personas con las cuales hayan com partido el Mensaje, deciarara su fe en Baha‘u' lah.
Antes de concluir la reunion se puede establecer un horario para oraciones, profundizacién y camaraderia en consultacién con los nuevos creyentes.
‘Como nota final se puede pasar en revista rapidaimente todo lo que ellos pueden hacer mientras tanto, incluyendo oraciones, lecturas de los Escritos y compartirel Mensaje con otros. También se les puede animara invitarasus familiares y amigos para la préxima reunion.
Concentrarse en la conexién que los nuevos creyentes han establecido con la Manifestacion de Dios y en el significado de la Fe en sus vidas les ayudara a entender ‘sus responsabilidades como seguidores de Baha"u'llah y al mismo tiempo, los capacitard para hacerse Sus servidores y educadores de Su Causa.
En las reuniones siguientes, se puede continuar y desarrollar este tema con mas amplitud, en este proceso cada vez mas la contribucicn y la participacion de los nuevos creyentes.
Laclave del éxito de dichas reuniones es la expresién continua del amor que sentmos por Baha‘u'lih. Esto se logra mostrando amor por la humanidiad, uniciad entre los Baha'is, la ensefianza continua de Su Mensaje ¢ invitando a otros para que se unan a Su Causa gloriosa.
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The American Baha'i / March 1991 / Page 21
Congress Task Force to host two conferences
for media professionals
The Media Task Force for the Baha'i World Congress is hosting two conferences for Baha'is who have professional experience in journalism, TV reporting or production, radio news or production, public relations, film or video production, and photo-journalism.
The conferences will be held at the Los Angeles Baha’i Center, May 18-19, and at the New York office of the Baha'i Intemational Community, June 22-23. Media professionals from around the world are invited to attend the conferences.
The Media Task Force recognizes that many Baha"is have professional experience in these fields and that such expertise will be invaluable to the international Baha‘{ community in its efforts to attract the attention of major news media to the Baha'i World Congress. The Media Task Force will assist National Spiritual Assemblies to plan contacts with news media and it will coordinate media relations at the World Congress
Baha'is who are media professionals also are asked to send resumes and samples of their work to: Baha'i World Congress Media Task Force, 866 United Nations Plaza, Suite 120, New York, New York 10017.
‘orming a Baha'i Response to Political Crisis’ was the theme of a Baha't Forum held February 9 in Brunswick, Maine.
Pictured are Baha'is who addressed a number of relevant questions using the Bahdé'i writings especially The World Or
der of Baha‘u'llah
volvement and Obedien
House of Justice answers concern about ‘spiritual health’
The following letter to an individual Bahd'iwas written on behalf of the Univer sal House of Justice in response to questions raised about the spiritual health of the American Bahd'l community. The Na
tonal Spiritual Assembly felt that the issues discussed should be shared with the
community as a whole
Dear Bahd't Friend,
The House of Justice notes your con cers for the spiritual health of the Ameri can Bahé'{ community, as conveyed in your letter of November 17, 1990, and we are to share the following advice on its behalf
Our hope as Baha'is is that our commu nities will indeed foster increasing levels of candor, trust and intimacy wherein those practical steps and concerted measures which you allude to may be identified and agreed to in a consultative spirit.
Itis understandable if the believers feel a sense of impatience with the apparently slow progress in the expansion of the Cause in certain regions, but they should take heart at the victories being won elsewhere, and even study these for insights into the process of effective teaching and community development. We may take comfort in the following words of the beloved Guardian:
every bearer of the Message of Baha'u'llah should consider it not only an obligation but a privilege to scatter far and wide the seeds of His Faith, and to rest content in the abiding knowledge that whatever be the immediate response to that Message, and however inadequate the vehicle that conveyed it, the power of its Author will, 2s He sees fit, enable those seeds to germinate, and in circumstances which no one can foresee enrich the harvest which the labor of His followers will gather ...” (The Advent of Divine Justice (Wilmette: Baha’i Publishing Trust, 1984), p. 53)
As for acknowledging problems, should an institution of the Faith become aware of a problem within the community, it would
seem that the most prudent course of action is usually to draw attention to underlying spiritual principles, or to encourage the believers along pathways of growth and development; an example would be the December 29, 1988, letter of the House of Justice on individual rights and freedoms in the Baha'i community
‘There is a great difference between illu. minating a wrong that should be put right, and simply indulging in criticism. Then too, there are differing perceptions about what is the appropriate method for sharing critical information; circumspection and wisdom are needed.
The Baha’i Teachings define marriage as a sacred institution. Our Paith brooks no compromise with those pernicious theo ries which assert, for example, that maintaining a single monogamous relationship throughout one’s lifetime is an unreasonable expectation.
You may be interested to know that the Research Department at the World Center has recently produced a compilation titled “Preserving Baha'i Marriages” which was designed with the idea that the friends needed to have easily at hand resources from the ocean of Baha‘u'llah’s Writings which might enable them to acquire a more profound sense of Baha'i marriage as a bulwark against the disintegrating forces of materialism which continue to derange the foundations of mankind's ordered life. This compilation is in the process of being mailed now to National Spiritual Assemblies.
With regard to vitalizing the Nineteen Day Feast, this has been addressed in a letter dated August 27, 1989, from the Universal House of Justice to the followers of Baha'u'llah which is enclosed for your information. You are advised that your ideas for structuring Baha'i newsletters should be directed to your local or National Assembly, as appropriate
If you are in possession of specific prac tical skills which you feel may be of benefit to your fellow-believers, perhaps you might consider volunteering yourself as a facili
tator of a training course, to be offered at some suitable venue, whether for the members of your immediate community or perhaps at a regional institute. It should be bore in mind, however, that the believers are not obliged to accept theories and methods from outside the Cause, though they may find it useful to adopt certain practices which common experience has shown to be useful in organizing affairs, so long as these accord with the spirit and principles of the Paith
As you rightly point out in your letter, fresh approaches must be taken if we are to discover together effective methods for propagating and establishing the Cause of God. The House of Justice emphasized in its recent Rivan message, as you may no doubt have noted, that there should be scope and freedom for diversity of action, because it is recognized that there are ways of serving our precious Cause.
Regarding the flow of information, while some communities may find it useful to conduct an annual survey, it is worth noting that there is provision in the Cause for airing of concerns from the grassroots at each Nineteen Day Feast. Eventually, as the friends learn to take fuller and more effective advantage of this divinely conceived mechanism, it will be seen how truly wondrous is this divine economy which the Blessed Beauty has bequeathed
You express a longing for greater open: ness and deeper ties among the believers, for more tolerance of authentic diversity and for greater discipline on the part of the individual and the community. You draw attention to the need for greater sensitivity and cite the importance of cultivating the art of listening, and for enhanced attention to the practical applications of our Faith in all arenas, and to the objectives of the Six Year Plan. These concems are indeed urgent and compelling, but depend for their successful prosecution upon individual grassroots initiative, forbearance, and re solve, perhaps even more than upon ad ministration, vital as that is.
The following 2 loved Guardia meditations.
“The friends must be patient wi other and must realize that the Cause is st
in its infancy and its institutions are not ye functioning perfectly. The greater th tience, the loving understanding and the forbearance the believers show toward eac other and their shortcomings, the greate will be the progress of the whole Bal community at large.” (From a letter dated February 27, 1943, written on behalf o: Shoghi Effendi to an individual bebeve
Moreover, we are urged to
study deeply the teachings, teach oth ers, study with those Baha‘is who are anxious to do so, the deeper teachings our Faith, and through example, effort and prayer, bring about a change.” letter dated September 30, 1949. behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an believer)
Wis only as individuals and thei munities realize a profound transformat that that dynamic unity foreshadowed in the Teachings will gradually evolve; what will catalyze this change isa more hensive and systematic attention Covenant and its requirements.
Be assured that the House of Just pray ardently in the Holy Shrines on yo behalf that your devoted efforts in the path of service to His exalted Cause may be bountifully confirmed
With loving Baha"! greetings,
The Universal House of Just Department of the Se December 2
individual!
Notice to those planning to travel to Israel: all Baha'is must secure permission of the Universal House of Justice before traveling to Is reel, for whatever reason.
The address of the Univeral House of Justice is P.O. Box ISS, Haifa 31 001, Isreel.
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Page 22 / The American Baha'i / March 1991
Baha'i thanks teachers by inviting them home for dinner
NEWS IN BRIEF
When asked by his mother what he would like as a graduation present, 17-year-old Naisan Geula, a Baha’i who wasa senior at Claremont (California) High School, asked for a nice home-cooked meal to which he could invite a few of his “friends”: specifically, every one of his teachers from first grade through high school.
In December, 18 of those 30 teachers were among a group of more than 60 people who gathered at the Geula home to receive the honor student's personal “thank-you” for all they had done in educating him.
‘The event was covered in two local newspapers, both of which emphasized that Naisan was prompted to thank his teachers asa result of the Baha’i belief in the importance of education.
The Geulas invited a special guest speaker for the occasion: Judge Dorothy W. Nelson, a member of the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and vice-chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly.
Young Baha'is read prayers and passages from the Writings as a part of their presentation during the 1990 Baha'i Winter School
Louis Gregory Institute hosts 'most successful!
Following his graduation, Naisan began a year of Baha'i service on the Caribbean island of St. Kitts. Future plans include attendance at the University of CaliforniaBerkeley with an eye toward medical school.
If you or your community has access toa personal computer with a modem and communications software, the National Spiritual Assembly encourages you to join the network of 870 users already on the Baha‘i National Center Bulletin Board System (BNCBBS).
This electronic communications system offers immediate and efficient communication with the offices and agencies of the National Spiritual Assembly. The National Assembly wishes to communicate with as many members of the U.S. Baha"i community as possible in order to gather and disseminate important news and information.
The BNCBBS can be reached 24 hours a day at 708-869-0389. Modems should operate at 2400 baud or slower, and software parameter settings should be N/8/1 (no parity, 8 databits, 1 stop bit),
For more information or help, please contact Merrill Miller, Management Information Systems, 708-869-9039, ext. 295
The Baha'i community of Sunnyvale,
California, recently sponsored an international dinner (with each course served origi at the Louis G. Gregory Bahd't Institute in South Carolina.
1990 South Carolina Baha'i Winter School session
One hundred-thirty children, youth and adults gathered December 28-30 at the Louis G. Gregory Baha'i Institute in Hemingway, South Carolina, for the 1990 Baha‘i Winter School.
The South Carolina Baha‘i Schools Committee reported that this was the most successful Winter School ever in terms of depth of classes, maturity of students, and unity of spirit.
Among the speakers were David Hoffman of Myrtle Beach; Knights of Baha'u'llah Gerald and Gail Curwin; Alonzo Nesmith, a member of the Baha’ National Committee on Women; and Bob Martin.
Workshops and classes were conducted by Auxiliary Board members Elizabeth Martin and Trudy White and Mehrdad
Bashiri of Columbia, the son of a former member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Iran who was abducted and martyred in the mid-1980s.
A Saturday evening program of story. telling, fund-raising and fellowship led to the contribution of $2,446.36 for the Arc Fund.
Another highlightcame Sunday morning when the various classes for children and youth presented the fruits of their labors including the reading of prayers and passages from the Writings, the presentation of skits, and the unveiling of a wall mural emphasizing the unity of people everywhere.
The annual Baha*i Summer Schoo! will be held June 13-16 at the Gregory Institute.
Cooperation was a keynote at the Louisiana Bahd'i School last November. Here singer Carla Baker Grant turns the micro
nating from a different country) and an
auction and arts/crafts sale to raise funds
for the Arc.
A total of $2,181.50 was raised and an
additional $125 pledged.
°
In January, the Louis G. Gregory Baha'i Institute in Hemingway, South Carolina, hosted 10 Baha'i youth fora Youth Year of Service orientation program.
Two staff members from the National Teaching Committee office organized and facilitated the orientation, which included deepening, classes in cultural orientation, and role-playing to prepare for a year of service to the Faith.
May Brown, who served as a member of the Spiritual Assembly of Topeka, Kansas, for more than 40 years, died February 10.
Phone over to Charles Cornell for a song with banjo accompaniment.
She was 95 years old
Mrs. Brown, who became a Baha” 1933, served with her husband, Paul, fo many years on the Kansas Regional Teach ing Committee.
Mrs. Brown also served as a delegate to the annual National Convention and was the hostess for the first sessions, in 1957. 58, of what is now the Kansas Baha‘i School
In the 1960s, when Mr. and Mrs. Brown were in their 70s, they traveled across the country to the Geyserville and Green Acre Baha*i Schools to help repair the buildings Mr. Brown was a professional carpenter
Their home served as the Baha*i Center
of Topeka until Mr. Brown's death in 1979, after which Mrs. Brown moved toa retire
ment home.
"These are the days for rendering the divine Cause victorious and effective aid! The victory of God's Faith is de
pendent upon teaching; and teaching is conditional upon righteous actions and goodly deeds and conduct. The foundation-stone of a life lived in the way of God is the pursuit of moral excellence and the acquisition of a character endowed with qualities that are well-pleasing in His sight. The Baha'is should adorn themselves with this holy raiment; with this mighty sword they should conquer the citadel of men's hearts. People of have grown weary and impatient of rhetoric and discourse, of preaching and sermonizing. In this day, the one thing that can deliver the world from its travail and attract the hearts of its people is deeds, not words; example, not precept; saintly virtues, not statements and charters issued by governments and nations on socio-political affairs.
In all matters, great or small, word must be the complement of deed, and deed the companion of word: each must supplement, support and reinforce the other. Itis inthis respect that the Baha'is must seek distinction over other peoples and nations, whom the Pen of the Most High has epitomized in the following words: ‘Their words are the pride of the world, and their deeds are the shame of the nations.” --Shoghi Effendi, Trustworthiness, p. 19
To the Editor:
I would like to compliment you and en courage you to continue to provide i tional news in The American Bah
I became a Baha’i because of the Faith world-reaching embrace. News from around the Baha‘i world cheers my heart like no other.
Please consider expanding “News from Overseas” to keep us aware of the global perspective of our beloved Faith.
Jody Smith
New Believer's Packets
Available in Spanish
The Management Information Systems office at the Baha*i National Center, which processes enrollment cards and sends welcoming packets to new believers, will send Hispanics a welcoming packet in Spanish when a need for Spanish literature is indicated in the “comments” | section of the declaration card.
Leilani Smith (center) receives a Human Relations Award from Mayor Richard M. Daley of Chicago (left) and Clarence Wood, director of the Chicago Commission on
The American Baha'i / March 1991 / Page 23
Human Relations, during a luncheon January 17 at Chicago's Palmer House Hotel.
Chicago Human Relations Commission presents prestigious award to Baha'i
Robert C. Henderson, secretary-general of the National Spiritual Assembly, presented a 20-minute talk on “Int Relations: Understanding Group Conflict” January 17 at a meeting of the Chicago Commission on Human Relations.
Dr. Henderson shared the Baha’i vision and model of unity in diversity and service to humanity as described by the Universal House of Justice in “The Promise of World Peace.”
Leilani Smith, a member of the local Spiritual Assembly of Chicago, was the recipient of the Human Relations Award in the category of religion, one of 10 awards presented at the luncheon by Mayor Richard M. Daley of Chicago.
The award was given in recognition of
Mrs. Smith's many years of service in promoting positive intergroup relations in the city.
Through her work with the National Conference of Christians and Jews and as a board member of the Council fora Parliament of the World's Religions, she has organized interfaith gatherings for thousands of Chicagoans from a wide variety of beliefs, ethnic backgrounds and religions.
Mrs. Smith was nominated for the award by the U.S. Baha'i Refugee Office, which has worked closely with the Human Relations Commission for several years.
In her remarks, she credited her dedi tion to promoting interracial and interethnic understanding and cooperation to the Baha'i Faith.
all areas of the country. Teaching has been conducted using various methods: door-to-door, use of the
Reaching People of Capacity’ focus of Landegg's Forum for Young Professionals
The Landegg Academy in Switzerland held its first Forum for Young Professionals last December 27-January 2.
The theme, “Reaching People of Capacity,” was chosen in response to the call of the Universal House of Justice, in its Ridvan 1990 message, for the Baha"i community to “embrace increasing numbers of people of capacity, including persons of accomplishment and prominence in the various fields of human endeavor.”
Sixty participants representing 16 countries and a wide variety of professions held fruitful consultations on issues ranging from ethics to diversity in the workplace.
The result was a heightened resolve on the part of everyone present to infuse systematically their respective disciplinary areas with the Baha’{ vision, thereby becoming known for a new way of thinking.
Among those taking part in the Forum was Robert C. Henderson, secretary-genae of the U.S. National Spiritual Assem iy.
Also it were David Hofman, refred member of the Universal House of
justice, and two representatives of the Foundation for Social Innovations in the USSR, a non-profit group whose mandate it is to freedom and diversity of social enterprise in the Soviet Union.
media, presentations at schools, proclamations, and community service events
Baha'i Information Centers have been set up throughout the country to coordinate teaching activities and make Baha’i literature available.
A visit last March by two Counselors from the International Teaching Center, Farzam Arbab and Peter Vuyiya, gave the project renewed vigor and direction.
Guyana is awakening to the spirit of this highly-inspired pilot program. Hundreds of new believers in the Corentyne region, in the eastern part of the country, have arisen to carry out community service projects developed during consultation at Feasts.
These new Baha"is and their friends have worked ina spirit of cooperation and service to design and build a children’s playground, clear and level ground for another, build a 70-foot bridge to link two villages, and repair school toilets damaged in a recent storm.
In another area, a three-day Baha'i Peace Festival sparked invitations for the friends to speak to a community service group and to make similar presentations to students in 16 area schools.
A series of literacy programs has also been developed. These, in tum, have opened doors for further expansion and consolidation work.
Now is a crucial time for the Faith in Guyana, with the need for Baha'i literature for the newly enrolled masses growing more urgent with each passing day.
It is the wish of the Universal House of Justice that the Baha'is of Guyana “keep all concerned abreast of [our] prayers, so that there will be no lack of resources, human and material, in [our] onward march
Baha'i Alex Rocco has won an Emmy Award, television's highest honor, as Best Supporting Actor ina Comedy Series for his portrayal of unscrupulous Hollywood talent agent Al Floss in ~The Famous Teddy Z.” Mr. Rocco, who has worked for many years in movies and television, began his acting career with a role in the TV series “Batman.” In movies, he has appeared in “The Godfather,” “Lady in White,” and “Voices,” among many others, while his television work includes appearances on ~The Love Boat,” ~The A-Team,” “Murder, She Wrote,” “The Facts of Life,” and others.
Dorothy Frye, a member of the National Baha'i Archives Committee, has been awarded a fellowship in archives administration by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. Mrs. Frye, on leave from the Michigan State University Archives, is serving her nine-month fellowship at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, and is receiving advanced management training
Reinee Elizabeth Pasarow, a Baha'i from Monterey Park, California, is listed in the 1991 edition of Who's Who in California, in which her Baha'i affiliation is mentioned. Mrs. Pasarow isa free-lance writer and is vice-president/owner of Pasarow Foods Inc. of Monterey Park.
FAMILY FUND BOXES ON SALE NOW!
The perfect gift for Intercalary Days! Ideal for children’s classes!
These attractive Fund Boxes are easily assembled and are fun for children to decorate. In addition, they serve as an excellent way to help educate children about the Fund
“As to the children: We have directed that in the beginning they should be trained in the obse laws of religion, and in deeds that will further the victory of God's Cause
Baha‘u'llih
These boxes are available in two styles as indicated below and
cost only $2.50 each for quantities less than 10; $2.00.cach
for 10 or more. Please add $.50 for postage and handling
ORDER BLANK
Address:
Please send me the quantity and styles indicated below
—— 9-Pointed Star Shaped Box —. 9-Sided “Round” Shaped Box
Amount enclosed: $. Allow 2-4 weeks for delivery Family Fund Box Project National Treasurer's Office Baha'i National Center Wilmette, Illinois 60091
To order, please send this form along with a check payable to “Baha'i Services Fund” to:
Baha'is in N.Y.C. begin second phase of teaching campaign
From December 28-January 6, 27 Baha'is from New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Pennsylvania took part in the second phase of a teaching campaign initiated last summer in the City of the Covenant.
These youth and adults spent nine days inintensive prayer, meditation, deepening, service and teaching.
Activities included direct teaching in the streets and parks of Manhattan and Brooklyn, nightly firesides at the New York City Baha'i Center, a worship service at a local church, and a fireside in the Bronx.
Although no one declared his belief in Baha'u'llah during the nine days, many people were receptive to the Faith and a number of seekers attended the firesides.
Florence Bagley _ Jacquelyn Fisher Ozark, AL Torrance, CA Helen P. Bishop Gladys Gates Portland, OR Yucca Valley, CA Evelyn T. Booker Luther Goode Sr. Oceanside, CA Burton, SC Johnny F. Emanuel Viola Hill Bainbridge, GA Byron, GA
George Jones Mary Swan Richland, GA Charlestown, MA Louis LeClaire Paul Van Ocken Centreville, MI Newton, MA Albert Rabbit Mamie Westbrook Bakersfield, CA Americus, GA
Katherine Schlichter Rosa Lee Williams Webster Groves, MO Beaufort, SC
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24 | The American Baha'i / February 1991
held December 9 at the University of Dayton. Pictured with the plaque are (left to right) Hazel Holmgren, Desiree L. Nickell and Marjorie Jones.
Bahd"i communities in the Greater Dayton (Ohio) area honored the Miami Valley Literacy Council for outstanding services in the field of humarFights during the 13th annual Human Rights Day awards banquet
‘Than fore may be mee fon cee pre ce ous extn amity. Phone be wre ont FULL NAMES AND LD. NUMBERS forall entevicunls, agen 13 yeas cn cher, whe) wil be aflecsod by hae change
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NON-PROFIT ORG. US POSTAGE PAD WILMETTE, Pena WOATD
BAHA'I NATIONAL CENTER 112 Linden Avenue Wilmette, I. 60001
MARCH
28-April 3: Youth Symposium, Landegg Academy, Switzerland (German/English
‘Theme: “Conflict Resolution.” Special guests to include Aziz Yazdi; Nancy Ward, Doroth
Cotton, director of student activities at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
29-31: Conference for Mothers, Louhelen Baha'i School. For information, phone 313
5033. APRIL
4-7: Pioneer Institute, Bahé"{ National Center, Wilmette.
5-7: Spring Victory Conference, Louhelen Bahs"{ School, with Auxiliary Board me Javidukht Khadem and June Thomas. Deepening and fellowship for new belie seekers. For information, phone 313-653-5033
5-7: “Creating Effective Events: A Step-by-Step Formula for Success,” Bosch School, Santa Cruz California. Taught by Lloyd Seiden, a professional producer of ev Residential fee is $225 and includes all meals and lodging. A $100 deposit reserves » space. For a brochure or to reserve space, write to Bosch Baha'i School, 500 Comstock Lane Santa Cruz, CA 95060, or phone 408-423-3387
7: United Nations World Health Day. For information, write to Baha'is of the US Office, 866 United Nations Plaza, Suite 120, New York, NY 10017 (phone
12-14: Senior Youth Conference (ages 15 and older), Louhelen Bas mation, phone 313-653-5033
20: Ridvan celebration, Louhelen Baha'i School. For information, phone 313-6:
25-29: 82nd Baha’ National Convention, Baha'i House of Worship, Wilmette
SPRING
Pioncering Institutes: Evanston, Illinois, and Austin, Texas. For informati Office of Pioneering, Bahs'i National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091 (phone 708-8:
MAY
3-5: Parent-Child Conference with Robert Harris and Auxiliary Board member June Thomas, Louhelen Baha'i School. For information, phone 313-653-5033,
4-5: Baha'i Family Reunion 1991, Mahaffey Theatre at the Bayfront Center, St. Petersburg Florida. Inspired by Curtis Kelsey's Baha'i Family Gathering held in 1970, this event wi launch a statewide expansion project in Florida. For registration information, write to Rahs Family Reunion, P.O. Box 2251, Largo, FL 34649, or phone 813-584-2080.
10-12: Parent-Child Conference, Louhelen Baha'i School, with Auxiliary Board member June Thomas, Robert Harris. For information, phone 313-653-S033.
17-19: Second annual Asian Teaching Conference, Louhelen Bahai School. Co-spon sored by the National Teaching Committee. For information, phone 313-653-S0:
18-19: Conference for Baha'i media professionals, Los Angeles Baha'i Cent by the World Congress Media Task Force.
30-June 7: Pacific Women’s Conference, University of Hawaii, Hilo. Co-sponsored by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Hawaiian Islands and the University of Hawaii, open to Baha'i end eon-Bahs'i participants. For information, write to the National Spiritual Assen» bly of the Baha'is of the Hawaiian Islands, P.O. Box 28003, Homotula, HI 96827, or phone 808-595-3314.
JUNE
5: United Nations World Environment Day. For information, write to Baha"is of the U.S., UN Office, 866 United Nations Plaza, Suite 120, New York, NY 10017 (phone 212-7511282).
7-9: Women’s Conference with Counselor Jacqueline Delahunt, Loubelen Balsi'{ School For information, phone 313-653-5033
9: Race Unity Day
16-27: Youth Academy, Native American Baha’ Institute, Houck, Arizona. Local Spiri tual Assemblies are encouraged to inspire and sponsor youth toattend. All youth are welcome to apply; however, priority will be given to Native American youth. As there are only 20 spaces available, please apply as soon as possible to: Carl North, registrar, Native American Baha'i Institute, P.O. Box 187, Houck, AZ 86506, or phone 602-367-5126, ext. 8595
22-23: Conference for Baha'i media professionals, Baha'i International Community office, New York City. Sponsored by the World Congress Media Task Force
23-28: Fifth annual Camp Louhelen for children grades 3-6, Louhelen Baha'i School. For information, phone 313-653-S033
28-July 3: Eighth annual Teacher Training Conference, Loubelen Bahi"{ School. With Dan and Linda Popov, the Grammers, Louhelen’s Teacher Training Committee, others. For information, phone 313-653-5033.
29-Jaly 11: 1991 Summer Youth Academy, Bosch Bahs'{ School. Other sessions to be held July 13-25, August 3-15, and August 17-29. To inspire Bahé"i youth through a disciplined academic approach to deepen in the fundamentals of the Faith. Local Spiritual Assemblies are encouraged to sponsor youth to attend. Previous Youth Academy graduates may apply and be considered for an advanced program. As attendance is limited to 20 students per Academy, early application is advised. Please write to the Academy registrar, Mrs. Angelina Allen, Cardiff, CA 92007, or phone 619-944-644 1
JULY
5-10: Pioncer Institute, “Lifetime of Service,” with emphasis on the family, Louhelen Baha" School. Co-sponsored by the Office of Pioneering. For information, phone 313-6535033.
11-14: Intemational Youth Conference, Guadalajara, Mexico. For information, contact the Youth Desk at the Baha'i National Center (phone 708-869-9039).
12-17: Junior Youth Week, Louhelen Baha'i School. For information, phone 313-6535033.
18-21: Second annual Persian Cultural Weekend, Louhelen Baha'i School. For informa tion, phone 313-653-5033.
21-27: Elderhostel, sponsored by Louhelen and the University of Michigan-Flint, Louhe: Jen Baha"i School. For information, phone 313-653-5033.
Delaware Baha'is present annual Humanitarian Award
In December, the Baha'is of New Castle More than 100; attended the event County North, Delaware, presented their For the past 10 years, the Baha"i commu Humanitarian Award to Leo Raubbforhis nity of Delaware County North has prelong-time service to troubled youth who
have been sent through the court system. _ figures in the area.
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sented the award to many leading public �
