The American Bahá’í/Volume 22/Issue 9/Text

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[Page 1]Members of the Universal House of Justice visit the Terrace construction at the Bahá’í World Center in Haifa, Israel. A photo essay on the Arc Project is on pages 12-13.

Local Spiritual Assemblies may re-form at any time during final year of Plan

To all National Spiritual Assemblies Dear Bahá’í Friends,

A number of National Spiritual Assemblies have asked the Universal House of Justice whether local Spiritual Assemblies may be re-formed at any time during the final year of the Six Year Plan. The answer has been in the affirmative.

Local Spiritual Assemblies being established for the first time, as well as lapsed Assemblies which achieve adequate strength to regain their Assembly status, may be formed at any time during this year, i.e., from April 21, 1991, until the sunset of April 20, 1992. This means that local Assemblies formed up to that date may be counted toward the fulfillment of the goals of the Six Year Plan.

The Universal House of Justice will offer prayers at the Holy Shrines that the Blessed Beauty will surround all your endeavors to promote the establishment of His Faith and the consolidation and multiplication of its institutions.

With loving Bahá’í greetings,

The Universal House of Justice Department of the Secretariat August 6, 1991

The American Bahá’í

Volume 21, No. 9 | ‘The real treasury of man is his knowledge.’—Bahá’u’lláh | September 1991

83 in Oregon declare faith during well-planned Woodburn campaign

Since May 2, at least 83 people in Woodburn, Oregon, have declared their Faith in Bahá’u’lláh. Several of the new believers are assisting in efforts to teach others about the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh.

The genesis of the project is both interesting and instructive to others who are beginning similar efforts.

The Bahá’í Group of Marion County North, Oregon, proposed last November that the District Teaching Committee of Western Oregon and the Auxiliary Board for Propagation focus the state’s teaching resources on Woodburn (a town of 14,000 in Marion County) for the entire month of May this year. The goal was to raise a local Spiritual Assembly in a functioning community, and to initiate entry by troops.

As wide consultation on the project continued, the Spiritual Assembly of Clackamas County Northwest offered to sponsor the teaching. The Woodburn Coordinating Committee (WCC), consisting of seven members (some of whom were representatives of these other bodies), was formed to oversee activities on a daily basis.

The economy of Marion County depends largely on agriculture, and this agriculture in turn depends largely on migrant labor for bringing in the crops. There may be as many as 30,000 migrant workers who move through Marion County each year.

It was their contact with these migrants which convinced the Marion County North Group that the laborers were ready to accept the Message of Bahá’u’lláh in large numbers. Opportunity seemed to vibrate in the air.

It was decided that the theme of the project would be transformation. To demonstrate their desire to help, and to assist in transformation, on-going classes in conversational English and literacy, and several short-term service projects were planned.

The teaching was conceived of as consisting of a broad range of activities. The specific plans would have to arise prima-

See OREGON page 2

Mr. Sears challenges friends, says he’ll visit five main teaching areas

Hand of Cause, Mrs. Sears accept 10,000-name scroll for help in Arc fund-raising

By KEN BOWERS

The Hand of the Cause of God William Sears and his wife, Marguerite, were paid a special visit July 2 by Counselor Fred Schechter, the National Spiritual Assembly, the National Teaching Committee and other friends who came to express their deep feelings of love and gratitude for the many years of service Mr. and Mrs. Sears have given to the American Bahá’í community.

That appreciation was conveyed in the form of a scroll listing the names of more than 10,000 Bahá’ís who have contributed to the Arc Project fund. The scroll represents the response of the American Bahá’í community to a challenge made by Mr. Sears more than a year ago when he donated his precious copy of The Dawn-breakers to the National Spiritual Assembly to be used to help raise money for that important work.

Mr. Sears responded to the presentation in characteristic fashion by issuing yet another challenge to the friends. Calling on them to arise and achieve the as-yet unfulfilled teaching goals of the Six Year Plan, he announced his intention to travel to the five most promising areas across the country to reinforce personally the teaching work already in progress and to greet the new believers.

Though frail and in ill health, Mr. Sears has taken upon himself the task of rallying the friends as they pursue the goal of large-scale enrollment by Ridván 1992.

Mr. Sears’ initiative marks the latest instance of the responsibility that he, in his capacity as a “standard bearer of the Cause of God,” has shouldered on behalf of the American Bahá’í community during every

See MR. SEARS page 14

The Hand of the Cause of God William Sears takes a last fond look at a scroll containing the names of more than 10,000 Bahá’ís who donated funds to the Arc Project in His name before the scroll was deposited with Mr. Sears’ precious copy of The Dawn-breakers, autographed by the beloved Guardian, in a green velvet pouch and made a permanent part of the National Bahá’í Archives. Making the presentation is Dr. Robert C. Henderson, secretary-general of the National Spiritual Assembly. Counselor Fred Schechter is seated at the left, and Judge James F. Nelson, chairman of the National Assembly, at the right.

Bahá’í World Congress: Off and Running Registration sets brisk early pace 5

Paving the Way BIC gets ready for UNCED conference in Brazil 18

Race Unity Day ’91 Bahá’ís observe occasion with many events. 15

Dramatic Return ‘Home’ After 60 years, dream to go back to USSR is realized. 19

[Page 2]

Oregon

rily from the human resources which made themselves available to the process.

This structure would have the benefit of allowing for a great richness and diversity in the teaching and consultation. However, it would also be challenging to coordinate these activities, and foster unity of thought in this environment of diversity and distributed responsibility.

A Center was rented and teaching began May 2 with the help of the Sarah June House Teaching Project, a group of 10 to 15 full-time teachers who had arisen independently of the Woodburn Project in Oregon.

All declarations, according to consultative decision, were to take place at the Center. The primary reason for this is that it offers some modest hope that new believers, having visited the Center, will form the habit of coming and can be more easily consolidated.

As it has turned out, the policy has also had an important effect on the atmosphere in which teaching takes place, since the emphasis is not on declarations, but rather on providing services and teaching.

It is rare that someone is asked to declare, although information about this process is provided, and thus declarants understand well that the choice to become a Bahá’í was theirs, and freely taken.

There were many surprises. For example, in trying to provide meals at the Center for the full-time teachers, it became clear that many of the migrant workers were hungry. Thus the meals were shared.

The scope of this aspect of the Project increased rapidly, since the agencies charged with feeding the hungry were regularly overwhelmed each May, for the harvests have not yet started, yet the workers have come.

Since they cannot work, many do not have money. Steps were taken to insure that no one had reason to believe there was any connection between declaration and food. No talks about the Faith were given before, during, or immediately after meals, for example.

During the first two weeks of the Project, there were some 20 declarations.

The WCC was dismayed, during the second week of the Project, to find that, according to state law, it is illegal to cook food in one's home and serve the public.

However, rather than make abrupt changes without the knowledge or consent of the new declarants, it was decided to consult with them. The content of the regular deepenings was shifted to the topic of consultation, and on Sunday evening, May 25, in spite of some trepidation on the part of some of the veteran believers, consultation was opened on the subject of this dilemma.

What was learned was that indeed these new believers had capacities beyond what had been assumed. They decided during the consultation that it was important to upholding the Bahá’í principles, and that therefore meals should no longer be served.

Going beyond this, they decided that some of the resources which had been devoted to purchasing meals should be used to purchase staples (rice, beans, and the like) for distribution to those who were hungry.

For those involved, it was astonishing to watch and learn. The community had been born in their presence, and even in its infancy, it was demonstrating the power of Bahá’u’lláh to transform nations and peoples.

As May progressed, it became clear that one month was not enough to unfold the full potential of the Woodburn Project. Counselor Jacqueline Delahunt visited the Center, and said of the new believers that she had never seen so many people of capacity gathered in one place. She urged the WCC to think in terms of eight years, or to the end of the century.

Victory is born out of crisis, and often produces further crisis and victory. As May drew to a close, and the needs of the project increased, the full-time teachers had to leave, for they had long before been scheduled elsewhere.

June was difficult, for the full weight of the project, including keeping the Center open for 50 hours a week, transport of new believers and seekers to and from camps, teaching conversational English, providing for fireside speakers, and all other organizational aspects of such an effort, fell on a small handful of veteran believers. There was no time to expand the project, to make new contacts, to dream.

However, with the support of the National Spiritual Assembly and National Teaching Committee, and the at times heroic assistance of the sponsoring local Spiritual Assembly, more local veteran believers have stepped forward to assist part-time. The WCC looks forward to gaining more full-time teachers soon.

The WCC is interested in contacting Bahá’ís who would be able to assist through the fall. Please contact Jan House at 503-678-5162, or write to the Woodburn Coordinating Committee, P.O. Box 136, Aurora, OR 97002 if you can offer help, or simply wish more information.

The National Teaching Committee encourages individuals and communities to share stories of their teaching efforts, so that others may benefit from these experiences.

South Dakota Bahá’í named to receive 1991 MacArthur Foundation Fellowship

Patricia Locke, a Bahá’í from Mobridge, South Dakota, has been chosen as one of 31 recipients of the prestigious MacArthur Foundation Fellowships for 1991 for her efforts in promoting the preservation of American Indian tribal languages and culture.

The Fellowships are presented to recognize outstanding work in various fields for "past contributions to society, for creativity, and for the capacity for self-direction." As a MacArthur Fellow, she will receive a five-year grant of $369,000 to continue her work.

Ms. Locke, a teacher and public administrator of Lakota-Chippewa background, has long been concerned with the special educational needs of American Indians. For eight years she worked to establish 17 tribally controlled colleges located mainly in the Plains states.

By approaching the curriculum from an American Indian perspective, she and her co-workers were able to lower dramatically attrition rates in every area where one of the new colleges was set up. During the past several years she has focused on help past several years she has focused on helping individual tribal groups to enact education codes that emphasize native language and culture as part of the course of study.

Ms. Locke has recently begun a new project at Standing Rock Reservation in South Dakota. Patterned after the "language nests" used successfully by the Maoris of New Zealand, among others, her plan is to institute weekend-long retreats that will feature total immersion in the Lakota language.

Students will also learn about traditional ways from elders who are familiar with Lakota history and culture. She hopes that PATRICIA LOCKE similar efforts will be made on other reservations.

Ms. Locke believes that the preservation of their culture is important not only for the American Indians, but for the rest of the world as well. "Remember ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s statements about the spirituality of the American Indians. He said that [when enlightend by the Bahá’í Faith] they could potentially illumine the world. I think that is very significant.

"Indian spirituality is so precious, and I see a direct tie between that spirituality and the preservation of Indian language and culture. I feel privileged to help to do that."

Ms. Locke was recently interviewed about her award on the National Public Radio program, "All Things Considered."

The American Bahá’í is published monthly by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States, 536 Sheridan Road, Wilmette, IL 60091. Executive editor: Jack Bowers. Associate editor: Ken Bowers, Art director: Scot Corrie. The American Bahá’í welcomes news, letters and other items of interest from individuals and the various institutions of the Bahá’í Faith. Articles should be written clearly and concisely; color or black-and-white glossy photographs should be included whenever possible. Please address all materials and correspondence to The Editor, The American Bahá’í, Wilmette, IL 60091. Copyright 1991 by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. World rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.

National Teaching Plan Goals Survey

The National Teaching Committee is gathering information about the progress of the American Bahá’í Community toward meeting the National Spiritual Assembly's teaching goals for the final year of the Six Year Plan (presented in the June issue of The American Bahá’í). In the spaces provided below, please briefly describe what you're doing, as an individual and/or community, to help fulfill the goals.

Name: Phone Number: Community:

I. To obtain a deeper appreciation of the station and purpose of Bahá’u’lláh and of the basic meaning of His Mighty Covenant.

II. To establish at least 100 teaching institutes focused on enrolling receptive populations and raising up teachers from among the new believers, including children and youth.

III. To charge at least 100 Local Spiritual Assemblies to develop and execute local teaching plans, involving children and youth, aimed at target populations.

IV. To establish at least 10 teaching institites focused on supporting large-scale teaching projects in areas of high concentrations of Blacks, Southeast Asians, Hispanics, American Indians, and Chinese.

V. To establish at least 10 teaching institutes focused on using the National Spiritual Assembly's Statement on Race Unity to teach the Faith, particularly to Blacks, and to promote models of race unity.

VI. To establish at least 100 teaching institutes, comprised of children and youth, aimed at enrolling their peers as teachers and servants of the Cause of God.

Please send this form to National Teaching Committee, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091. [Page 3]

Consolidation key to steady growth in Lake Okeechobee

Numbers rise by nearly 300 in two-year period

During two summers of intensive teaching in 1989 and 1990, almost 300 individuals declared their faith in Bahá’u’lláh in the Lake Okeechobee, Florida, area.

The District Teaching Committee, local Spiritual Assemblies and Auxiliary Board members of the area, who had experienced mass enrollment at various times during the past 20 years, were faced with a familiar question: how can we achieve effective, systematic follow-up to intensive expansion?

In consolidation efforts of the past, a few veteran believers would begin working diligently to deepen and integrate large numbers of people into the Bahá’í community until they were too exhausted to continue. Their efforts at consolidation would remain, for the most part, unaccomplished. This would be followed by a lull in activity and almost a complete halt to systematic teaching efforts.

Today, however, a new concept is being put into effect in the Lake Okeechobee area: the teaching institute concept. The local institutions are confident that if this approach to teaching can be developed and sustained, efforts to expand the Faith in Florida will not come to a halt again. Instead, such intensive efforts will lead to large-scale growth and entry by troops.

In late 1990, under the guidance of the District Teaching Committee and in consultation with the National Teaching Committee, the Lake Okeechobee Bahá’í Institute was formed. A core group of six to eight people began to develop their thoughts on how an institute should function in addressing the needs of the Lake region.

After close collaboration with the Auxiliary Board and the National Teaching Committee, the institute has emerged in August 1991 as the body responsible for guiding expansion and consolidation efforts throughout the entire Lake region, with a plan for systematic, evolving efforts through the end of the century, beginning with a detailed plan for 1991-92.

The short-range plan of the institute, as follows, is offered as an example of what a plan for expansion and consolidation in a receptive area may look like:

LAKE OKEECHOBEE GOALS AND ACTIVITIES, AUGUST ’91-JULY ’92

Overall Goal:

To move the population in the area around Lake Okeechobee into the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh.

Objectives and Lines of Action:

Expansion

a) Host three periods of intensive teaching during the year.

b) Develop a series of follow-up visits to new believers that empowers them to teach.

Human Resources

a) Implement youth activities to involve youth as active workers for the Cause (twice per month throughout the year).

b) Develop paths of service (beginning with teaching and children’s class teachers) including materials and a training program.

c) Begin a pilot child education class (6-8 year-olds, twice per month in one location).

d) Prepare and distribute a monthly deepening newsletter to all Bahá’í Lake residents.

Community Life

a) Initiate a program of monthly Feasts based on local Assembly adoption of Lake communities (including training, materials, and alternatives for expanding efforts).

b) Continue to foster the formation of friendships.

Bahá’í Administration

a) Form new and existing local Assemblies at Ridván.

b) Acquire a Center for the Institute.

The current status of teaching efforts at Lake Okeechobee to date is: approximately 500 believers, 22 Bahá’í localities, and 16 local Spiritual Assemblies.

‘Host families’ sought

The U.S. National Chinese Teaching Committee wants to find Bahá’í “host families” for Chinese students from the People’s Republic of China. There are currently 42,000 such students in the United States.

Families with children and extended families are especially sought for this service. You need not live in a university community to be of service, just near one.

Being a host family means offering occasional hospitality and life-long friendship to new students from China who live on campus, to help them adjust to living in the U.S.

“Help to make them feel at home; find out where they are staying, ask if you may render them any service; try to make their lives a little happier.” (‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Paris Talks, p. 15)

FOR MORE INFORMATION contact the U.S. National Chinese Teaching Committee, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL, 60091. Phone 708-869-9039, ext. 231.

30 Bahá’ís in New York City ‘Rise Up, Unite’ for 19-day teaching project during Kalimát

“Rise Up and Unite” was the title of a Bahá’í teaching project held in New York City during the Bahá’í month of Kalimát (Words) from July 13-31.

About 30 young people ages 9-29 took part in a direct teaching-service project designed to emblazon the name of Bahá’u’lláh across all five boroughs of the city. This summer’s efforts are a continuation of a process of teaching that started last summer with a nine-day teaching project and was continued in mid-winter with another nine-day project.

The 19 days of “Rise Up and Unite” began with a weekend of deepening, prayer and spiritual preparation. The next phase of the approach was one of service.

The series of organized service projects included providing assistance to a summer school program, serving the indigent by helping a food bank sort through clothing and food box, and visiting and talking with the elderly at a retirement home. The group also cleaned up a public park in the Bronx.

The direct teaching took place on the streets and in the parks of all five boroughs, in an extension teaching goal area of Hastings-on-the-Hudson and at the invitation of the newly reformed Spiritual Assembly in Trenton, New Jersey. The energies of these young people sustained them through evenings of firesides and other events. Two people declared during these 19 days.

On the last evening of the project the participants held a deepening by candlelight during which they expressed their feelings about fulfilling their role as the spiritual descendants of the Dawn-breakers. They had begun the project filled with apprehensions about their own shortcomings but developed, by the final evening, a strong confidence in the sustaining power of Bahá’u’lláh.

Each one of the participants made plans and commitments to continue developing personal patterns of service to the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh.

Classical guitarist uses musical talent to teach Faith, serve ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Francesca Sawyer, a classical guitarist who trained at the Conservatory of Music in Geneva, Switzerland, has found many opportunities to use her artistic talent to teach the Bahá’í Faith.

In doing so, she is working to carry out the wishes of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá who asked the believers, as quoted in Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (vol. III, p. 512), to “employ this talent [music and melody] in prayer and supplication, in order that the souls may become quickened, the hearts may become attracted and all may become inflamed with the fire of the love of God!”

In a recent instance, Ms. Sawyer lifted the spirits of 25 people, 10 of whom were not Bahá’ís, who had gathered July 21 to hear her recital of Bahá’í prayers set to classical guitar music at Thanks-Giving Square in Dallas, Texas.

Her melodious voice and unique classical guitar style enraptured these listeners as they meditated on the words revealed by the Báb, Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

As Ms. Sawyer has found, the arts are powerful tools for teaching the Cause of God. It was stated on behalf of Shoghi Effendi (quoted in Bahá’í News No. 73, May 1933, p. 7) that the Cause will “spread like wildfire when its spirit and teachings are presented on the stage or in art and literature as a whole. Art can better awaken such noble sentiments than cold rationalizing, especially among the mass of people.”

Francesca Sawyer, before her July 21 recital of Bahá’í Prayers at Thanks-Giving Square in Dallas, Texas.

Chinese teaching institute holds ‘Family Reception’

Members of a teaching institute focused on reaching Chinese students and scholars at the University of Minnesota held a “Host Family Reception” July 27 for the Bahá’ís of the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.

There are an estimated 200 students and scholars from mainland China in the Twin Cities area.

The reception was held to welcome, advise and answer questions from new “host” families who are interested in welcoming and befriending Chinese students new to the Twin Cities.

At the reception, it was explained that the student continues to live on campus, but now has an American family to visit on holidays and to help him or her adjust to American culture.

The Chinese teaching institute has been able to involve 18 families in the project, which is endorsed by the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Plymouth. Rather than having each family contact the university independently, a single point of contact has been arranged between the Assembly in Plymouth and the China Student Center at UM.

The idea for Bahá’í families to befriend Chinese students came from the National Chinese Teaching Committee, which points out in its newsletter, Guang Ming, that foreign students are away from their families and enjoy having a “family,” especially an extended family or one with children, and even more so on holidays when other students go home.

The materials distributed by the Minnesota teaching institute include Chapter 1 of Paris Talks, in which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said, “Be kind to the strangers, whether they come from Turkey, Japan, Persia, Russia, China or any other country in the world. Help to make them feel at home; find out where they are staying, ask if you may render them any service; try to make their lives a little happier.”

Bahá’í materials

There are some countries in which ‎Bahá’í Bahá’ís‎ must observe special caution with respect to what Bahá’í materials, including prayer books, jewelry and I.D. cards, can be brought into the country.

These restrictions are determined by the laws of that country or by specific instructions from the Universal House of Justice. They are a protection not only for Bahá’ís who may reside in those countries, but also for the Bahá’í who may be traveling there.

It is always helpful to contact the Office of Pioneering before taking any trip so as to be sure to receive any necessary information and advice. If you are planning a trip overseas, write to the Office of Pioneering, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091, or phone 708-869-9039. [Page 4]

16 Bahá’í take part in 1st Youth Academy at Native American Institute

Sixteen Bahá’ís from across the country took part in June in the first Youth Academy to be held at the Native American Bahá’í Institute (NABI) in Arizona.

The Academy, consisting of 12 days of intensive study of the Writings, was designed to make the youth better teachers of the Cause and to create opportunities for cultural sharing. Five of the young people attending the Academy were Navajo.

Lorraine Kahn, administrator of NABI who is herself a Navajo Bahá’í, said having youth of diverse backgrounds helped make the Academy a success.

“It was good to have young people from so many places,” she said, “because they brought unique experiences to share with our own children. It’s important for youth to interact with people from other ethnic groups.”

A distinctive feature of the Academy, Mrs. Kahn said, was having youth not only attend but also conduct the classes. “We found that the youth respond better when they’re taught by their peers,” she said.

The Academy’s primary teacher was La-dan Cockshut, a 19-year-old Bahá’í from Watsonville, California.

Academies such as the one at NABI, she said, give young people the tools to become the driving force in Bahá’í communities.

One of her biggest challenges, Ms. Cockshut said, was fostering an environment of unity to make the Academy as fruitful as possible, while the most rewarding aspect was helping the youth understand the various concepts the classes were studying. “It was a bounty,” she said, “to see that flicker of understanding in someone’s eyes.”

Classes were centered on The Advent of Divine Justice, the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and compilations concerning the Universal House of Justice, the great Plan of God, and prayer and meditation.

Students who completed the core requirements went on to advanced study on such topics as education; the Bahá’í approach to the environment; and a compilation on women.

One of the benefits of the Academy was summed up by 14-year-old Leander Kahn, a Navajo Bahá’í from Pine Springs, Arizona, who said it helped show him how the Navajo culture and the Bahá’í Faith are in harmony.

“By explaining to Navajos how their culture and the Faith work together,” he said, “I can teach the Faith and help my people.

“Many Indians are losing their culture and their religion. We (American Indian Bahá’ís) need to stick with the Faith because it will always be there for us.”

If you are traveling outside the United States for any reason, please contact the Office of Pioneering (708-869-9039) for information.

‘Traveling teachers’ have specific role to play

There is a difference between traveling teaching and tourism. “Traveling teacher” is the term assigned to Bahá’ís who are going to an area for the express purpose of bringing the gift of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation to the residents of the host locale.

This may be accomplished through participation in the existing teaching activities of a National or local Spiritual Assembly, through helping to plan such activities, or through consultation with the host National Assembly regarding a personal project that highlights your talents and capacities and integrates the teaching work accordingly.

The Universal House of Justice, in its letter to all National Spiritual Assemblies dated May 25, 1975, asks that “each National Spiritual Assembly should establish an agency and a procedure for taking advantage of the unheralded arrival of visitors from abroad or of sudden offers from believers on the homefront, who could be able to give valuable help in the fields of travel teaching or proclamation if properly organized.

“Such an agency would, of course, be responsible for evaluating the capacity of those who offer services because while an unexpected offer can often provide a very valuable teaching opportunity, it is also true to say that some Bahá’í communities have been exhausted and their work hindered by the arrival of a succession of traveling Bahá’ís who were not really suited, for lack of language or for other reasons, to assist with the teaching.”

Our deepest desire is to help each traveling teacher and the National Spiritual Assemblies for the benefit of teaching the Cause. To do this, we ask that you contact the Office of Pioneering at the Bahá’í National Center and inform the staff of your intention to go to another country as early as possible, preferably at least six weeks before departure. This will give the office time to obtain information from you and your local Spiritual Assembly pertinent to the letter of introduction sent to the receiving national institution. We share the address of that institution with you as well.

Through your consultation with the appropriate National Spiritual Assembly it may even be necessary to alter teaching plans to suit your professional skills and talents for the greatest effectiveness in the community you choose to visit.

When traveling teaching trips are arranged in this manner, the reports that come back to the Office of Pioneering from other National Assemblies and from the traveling teachers themselves reflect a spirit of joy from the unity of thought and action achieved through cooperation. Combined with that purpose is the intent to take part in the planned teaching activities of the National Spiritual Assembly.

N.H. Assembly sponsors Race Unity arts contest

As a part of its 14th annual Race Unity Day gathering on June 9, the Spiritual Assembly of Manchester, New Hampshire, sponsored the first New Hampshire Race Unity Art and Writing Contest.

Contest winners were announced and awards presented as a part of the program which also included a potluck picnic, music by Ken LaRoche and the newly formed New Hampshire Bahá’í Chorus, and an address by guest speaker Stephen Waite.

TWO-YEAR PLAN U.S. GOALS

SHORT-TERM PIONEERS	Goal	Open Goals	LONG-TERM PIONEERS	Goal	Open Goals
Bulgaria	2	1	Bulgaria	1	1
Czechoslovakia	4	2	Czechoslovakia	4	0
DDR/East Germany	2	2	DDR/East Germany	2	0
Hungary	2	2	Hungary	2	0
Poland	2	2	Poland	1	0
Romania	1	0	Romania	1	1
USSR			USSR
Ukraine	4	0	Ukraine	2	0
Kazakhstan	2	1	Kazakhstan	2	2
Other Republics	4	3	Other Republics	2	0
Yugoslavia	4	4	Yugoslavia	2	1
Mongolia	1	1	China	2	0
China	4	2	Totals	21	5
Totals	32	20

522 traveling teachers have gone to Eastern Europe, Soviet Union, Mongolia, China during Two Year Plan

The Office of Pioneering is delighted to share with you the news that to date, 522 traveling teachers have departed to Eastern Europe, the Soviet Union, Mongolia and China in the Two Year Plan, 383 to the various republics of the Soviet Union alone.

Although much work remains to be done in this vast country, the conditions in all these areas ‎has have‎ changed remarkably. Whereas before, the National Spiritual Assemblies of Austria, Germany and the U.S. had responsibility and jurisdiction over these countries, Czechoslovakia, Romania and the USSR now have their own National Assemblies.

As such, all teaching activities, excursions or Bahá’í tours planned for these countries must be approved by those National Assemblies. The activities for the countries that do not as yet have National Assemblies will continue to be administered by the appropriate institutions assigned for that purpose.

If you are considering taking part in an existing activity, establishing a tour, or arranging for special events abroad, we ask that you please contact the Office of Pioneering to obtain information including names and addresses for the institutions to contact. We can then successfully introduce you to these institutions so that you can fulfill your heart’s desire to serve our beloved Cause in consultation with that body.

With unity of purpose between yourself and the institution, the full benefit of your plans may be realized under the sheltering branch of Bahá’u’lláh’s protection.

On the practical side, we urge the friends to make their plans independent of the hospitality of the Bahá’ís in the communities they plan to visit. If such hospitality is offered, all the better for the visiting teacher; but it should not be expected. If you are interested in “home stays,” especially in the Soviet Union, there are organizations that provide this service and we have information for you. We eagerly await your call or letter to the Office of Pioneering, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091 (phone 708-869-9039).

TRAVELING TEACHERS

Area / Country	Goal	Filled
Ukraine	100	157
Kazakhstan	6	2
USSR (Other Republics)	150	221
Bulgaria	5	3
Czechoslovakia	30	16
DDR/East Germany	10	1
Hungary	35	11
Poland	15	8
Romania	10	8
Yugoslavia	40	6
Mongolia	4	2
China	35	73
Totals	440	508

SHORT-TERM PIONEER GOALS

AFRICA	Goals (months)	Months Completed
Ciskei	24	0
Guinea-Bissau	12	0
Liberia	12	0
Nigeria	12	0
Tanzania	36	7
Uganda	24	0
Zambia	24	34
Totals	144	41
AMERICAS
Argentina	24	0
Bahamas	12	6
Barbados	12	0
Brazil	24	0
British V.I.	12	0
Colombia	24	0
Dominica	12	0
Ecuador	12	12
Guyana	24	32
Honduras	24	14
Jamaica	24	3
Leeward Islands	12	9
Martinique	12	0
Mexico	36	39
Nicaragua	24	2
Panama	36	14
Paraguay	24	0
Puerto Rico	12	3
Uruguay	24	0
Venezuela	12	11
Totals	396	145
ASIA
India	24	10
Japan	24	0
Pakistan	12	0
Taiwan	36	20
Totals	96	30
AUSTRALASIA
Mariana Islands	24	0
Marshall Islands	12	0
W. Caroline Islands	12	5
Totals	48	5
EUROPE
Portugal	24	0

[Page 5]

World Congress registration response ‘rapid, gratifying’

The response of the friends worldwide to the World Congress registration since it opened officially three months ago has been rapid and gratifying.

The deadline for the close of registration is scheduled for April 1992, or when all seats in the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City are filled. However, at the rate that registrations are currently coming in to the Bahá’í National Center, it is likely that this number will be reached well ahead of the deadline and that registration may well close early.

The friends are therefore encouraged to send in their registration forms as soon as possible to ensure a place at the Congress.

As initially planned and stated in the registration materials, the process of negotiation for reduced rates has begun. This is taking place ahead of the scheduled time owing to the number of persons already registered and the steady stream that continues to flow in.

The World Congress Logistics Office feels confident that the continued receipt of registration deposits for airline and hotel packages has placed the travel agency and our representatives in a position to be able to reduce previously published rates.

As stated in the registration materials, the savings obtained will be published following these negotiations and will be credited back to those who have paid in full or reflected on invoices to those who have paid in part.

All money received to date has been deposited in a special interest-bearing account set up and managed by the National Spiritual Assembly to offset some of the costs of the Bahá’í World Congress.

As registrations come in, phone calls and letters also come in to the World Congress office with questions about the registration process, travel, and the Congress program. Some of the more frequently asked questions, with their answers, will be published in The American Bahá’í from time to time, beginning with this issue, to help the friends gain information and make it easier for them to attend.

Here are a few of them:

Question: If I don’t register beforehand, can I register on-site when I get to New York?

Answer: No on-site registration is planned at this time. It is expected that all registrations will be filled by April 1992 and there will be no space available at the Javits Convention Center.

Q: How do I know which hotels are in levels A/B/C?

A: Level A hotels are the best hotels in New York and are equivalent to five-star hotels or a few of the better four-stars. Level B hotels are among the better hotels in New York and are equivalent to four-star hotels. Level C hotels are the good quality budget hotels. Suite hotels offer full kitchens (with basic cooking utensils), a sleeping room and a parlor. These suites are limited in number.

Q: What is the name of the hotel I am assigned to or the names of the hotels in my category?

A: Actual hotel assignments will not be made until about three months before the Congress. There are more than 90 quality hotels contracted, all of which have been personally inspected for quality of services and facilities. Most of these are in midtown Manhattan with a few across the Hudson River in New Jersey. No specific assignments can be made at this time.

Q: Will my hotel be near the Congress events?

A: There are no suitable hotels within close walking distance of the Javits Convention Center where the Congress is to be held. Shuttle buses will provide daily transportation between all Congress hotels and the Congress as well as to the several major Hotel Activity Centers where auxiliary events are scheduled.

Q: What if I want to drive to the Congress?

A: Driving into New York City is not recommended. On-street parking is extremely limited and off-street parking is limited and very expensive. There is limited parking in the vicinity of the Javits Convention Center. Cars are towed immediately if illegally parked, and the charge for redeeming a vehicle is $150 plus $35 for the parking ticket. You are urged to take advantage of the travel services being offered.

Q: Suppose I live near New York or am staying with friends; can I still go to the Congress and can I ride the shuttle buses?

A: Anyone who registers for the Congress and pays the Services Fee can attend the Congress sessions, the auxiliary activities, and can ride the shuttle buses. You must, however, be able to get to one of the World Congress hotels where the shuttle buses make their stops to board.

More questions and answers about the World Congress will appear in the November issue of The American Bahá’í. The friends are encouraged to read the registration materials carefully, as most questions are answered there. Phone inquiries can be made by calling 708-869-2294.

How Not to go to the Bahá’í World Congress...

THERE MUST BE SOME KIND OF MISTAKE ... YOU MAILED OFF OUR REGISTRATION FORMS MONTHS AGO... RIGHT?

REGISTRATION CLOSES APRIL 1992 OR WHEN ALL SEATS ARE FILLED, WHICHEVER COMES FIRST!

S.C. PENNINGTON

Juana C. Conrad (left), assistant secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly, is greeted by Madame Wang Shuxian, a member of the Secretariat of the All China Women’s Federation, prior to a banquet in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing to welcome a delegation of adult/vocational educators which Mrs. Conrad led to China from June 22-July 3.

National Assembly member Juana Conrad leads delegation of Bahá’í educators to mainland China

At the request of the All China Women’s Federation (ACWF) in Beijing, Juana C. Conrad, assistant secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly, brought a delegation of Bahá’í adult/vocational educators to mainland China from June 22-July 3.

The 19-member group was welcomed by a reception and banquet in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing at which a deputy director of the ACWF said she had never seen a foreign delegation show such respect for the Chinese culture and people.

The banquet was hosted by Madame Wang Shuxian, a member of the Secretariat of the ACWF. In her opening remarks she expressed her delight at receiving representatives of humanity’s flower garden: blacks, whites, Persians, American Indians and a Korean, all of whom share the concerns of the Federation for peace, development and equality.

During the four-city visit (Beijing, Dalian, Shanghai and ‎Hanzhou Hangzhou‎), the delegation was complimented many times on the obvious love and unity of its members. The president of the Children’s Hospital in Dalian remarked that her staff talked about the diversity of the delegation for more than an hour after the visitors had left.

When the air-conditioning stopped working during the six-hour train trip from Dalian to Shanghai, the Bahá’ís began singing songs to pass the time, and by their radiant acquiescence attracted the attention of a group of Malaysian passengers. The temperature in the train rose to 110 degrees.

The Women’s Federation in each city offered invitations from the government to return to continue building bridges of friendship between China and the U.S.

Members of the delegation can be invited to your community to talk about Chinese teaching. To do so, please contact the Chinese Teaching Committee, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091 (phone 708-869-9039).

National Assembly reminds friends that there are no ‘Bahá’í’ education models

The National Spiritual Assembly wishes to remind the friends that none of the current models of education and community development including Montessori, Waldorf, ANISA, the Four Worlds Development Project, Optimalearning, or the Balanced Life Values Program constitute in any way a Bahá’í “model” of education or community development.

The Universal House of Justice has been careful to ask the friends not to make statements that give the impression that there is a “Bahá’í model” of education or community development.

Education and other human development activities are commendable areas of service for Bahá’ís, but the fact that Bahá’í professionals are working on a particular project in no way means that it is to be labeled a “Bahá’í enterprise.”

Unwise actions in this regard can undermine the efforts that Bahá’í professionals may be making in their fields, and can do serious harm to the Cause. [Page 6]

The Journal of Bahá’í Studies

Volume 3, Number 1 SC $6.00

There are four main articles in this volume:

Agriculture: A Fundamental Principle—Bahá’u’lláh instructs us to give “special regard” to agricultural development. The task of building a new social and economic order is associated with the redesign of food and agricultural systems, locally and internationally.

The Evolution of Reality—The principle of entropy maintains that all systems are ultimately headed downhill. However, the ‎evolutionare evolutionary‎ evidence of creative growth and change going on within every natural system indicates quite the opposite. The challenge for humanity is to understand that the creative process of nature is pulling all systems including, organizations and civilization, to a future different from the past.

Principles of Consultation Applied to the Process of Innovation in a Corporate Environment—Innovation is a prime requisite for industrial growth, but in a large corporation many factors can obstruct this process. This article focuses on how the process of consultation can enhance communication to promote innovation.

The Missing Dimension in the Built Environment—This article begins by stating that the ‎build built‎ environment is principally made up of buildings and groups of buildings. An argument is made that there is a missing dimension in the built environment. It becomes evident that architecture is unable to satisfy the emotional and aesthetic needs of people.

6” x 9”, 90 pp. Association for Bahá’í Studies

BAHÁ’Í DISTRIBUTION SERVICE

at the American Bookseller’s Association Trade Show, New York

To aid the friends in emblazoning “the Name of Bahá’u’lláh across the globe” and in making “it a known eminence in the consciousness of peoples everywhere,” the Universal House of Justice asked the Office of Public Information at the Bahá’í World Centre to prepare a statement on Bahá’u’lláh. It is a brief introduction to the life and work of Bahá’u’lláh, conveying His vision of humanity as one people and of the earth as a common homeland.

Bahá’u’lláh

prepared by the Office of Public Information at the request of the Universal House of Justice SC $5.95

“The widest possible proclamation of the Name of Bahá’u’lláh,” the Universal House of Justice has written, will be “an important feature of the activities of the Holy Year” and “A corollary” of the inauguration of ‎the the the‎ purpose of which is “to celebrate the centenary of the inauguration of the Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh and to proclaim its aims and unifying power.”

The statement “is intended primarily for wide distribution to the public,” the Universal House of Justice has explained. It also has great value “as a source of study and inspiration for the Bahá’ís.”

The special edition prepared in the United States is elegant and dignified and is eminently suitable for presentations to national, regional, and local dignitaries and prominent figures. The deep-red cover stock has Bahá’u’lláh’s name stamped in rich gold foil; additional richness comes from a subtle red pattern on the cover. The end sheet is embossed with Bahá’u’lláh’s name. The text is set in large, easy-to-read type which will also make the special edition very usable for study classes. 7” x 10”, 58 pp. Bahá’í Publishing Trust of the United States

Preserving Bahá’í Marriages

compiled by the Universal House of Justice SC $2.25

A study commissioned by the Universal House of Justice concerning the need for safeguarding the sacred marriage tie is presented in two parts: a memorandum, linking selected quotations around certain important themes and a compilation of extracts from the Writings. It is hoped that the believers will meditate on the guidance contained in the memorandum and compilation, and come to appreciate more deeply their responsibilities in taking action to fulfill the true function of the institution of Bahá’í marriage. 5-3/4” x 8-1/4”, 34 pp., introduction, references National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Canada

Bahá’í Newsreel, Vol. 2, No. 1

VT $15.95

Featuring a report on the Bahá’í World Congress to be held in November 1992. Other topics highlighted are the development of Bahá’í scholarship and youth activities. It concludes with a moving segment about an Aboriginal girl in Australia who gains national recognition for ‎herathletic her athletic‎ skill. Approximately 28 minutes Media Services

— NEW — SPANISH & PERSIAN

Oraciones Bahá’ís

HC $12.95

Una selección de Oraciones reveladas por El Báb, Bahá’u’lláh, y ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Contiene oraciones para alabanza, creyentes, matrimonio, noche, y reuniones. Este edicion de tan buen calidad de Oraciones Bahá’ís es tela esta publicado en España y ofrecido para la primera vez por el Servicio Distribucion. 4-1/2” x 6-1/2”, 311 pp. Editorial Bahá’í de España

Per: A Concise and Brief History of Religion

by Dr. Riyád Ghadímí SC $7.00

Dr. Ghadímí presents a very basic outline of the beliefs of various religions, sects, and philosophies. These include the revelations of Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Islam. Sikhism and Jainism, reform sects of Hinduism, along with Confucianism and Taoism, Chinese moral philosophies are also outlined. 6” x 9”, 35 pp. University of Toronto

Persian: The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh: Selected Letters

by Shoghi Effendi translated by Hushmand Fatheazam HC $24.95 / SC $14.95

From 1929 through 1936 Shoghi Effendi wrote a series of long letters to the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada unfolding a clear vision of the relation between the Bahá’í community and the entire process of social evolution under the Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh. The letters elaborate on Bahá’u’lláh’s establishment of the Bahá’í Administrative Order as the nucleus and pattern of world civilization. A major letter in the compilation is “The Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh,” which the National Spiritual Assembly has chosen as the “book of the year” for focused study. “The Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh” delineates the station of Bahá’u’lláh, the importance of His Covenant and its Center, and His establishment of an administrative order designed to usher in the long awaited “kingdom of God on Earth.” 5-1/2” x 8-1/2”, 212 pp., introduction, preface Persian Institute for Bahá’í Studies

Per: His Holiness Jesus Christ, Christianity, and Its Denominations

by Dr. Riyád Ghadímí HC $35.00

In this detailed work, Dr. Ghadímí presents the history of the life of Jesus the Christ and of the church that grew out of His teachings. It begins with Jesus and His early followers, the recordings of the events of their lives in the New Testament, and the laws and teachings upon which were built Christian beliefs, customs, and practices. Dr. Ghadímí presents some of the external pressures and internal conflicts that lead to the splitting of the early Christian community into the Eastern and Western churches. Each major branch, the Eastern Orthodox and the Western Catholic churches, is then examined. Greater attention is given to the various changes in the Western Church, outlining the causes of the Protestant revolution and the reform movements that divided it. Dr. Ghadímí concludes his work with excerpts from the Bahá’í writings regarding Christianity and Christian subjects. 6-3/8” x 9-1/4”, 530 pp., bibliography, Persian & English indexes University of Toronto

Persian: The Bahá’í Faith: The Emerging Global Religion

by William S. Hatcher and G. Douglas Martin SC $13.95

Written as an undergraduate textbook and originally published by Harper & Row, Publishers, this book was named by the Encyclopaedia Britannica as a 1986 book of the year in religion. According to the Montreal Gazette it “Provide(s) non-Bahá’í readers with an excellent introduction to the history, beliefs, and sociopolitical structure of a religion that originated in Persia in the mid-1800s and has since blossomed into an international organization with over 3 million adherents from almost every country on earth.” 5-1/4” x 8-1/2”, 334 pp. Persian Institute for Bahá’í Studies

Order now through the Bahá’í Distribution Service • 1-800-999-9019 [Page 7]

Enlighten Curriculum

Pre-Kindergarten, Vol. 1 Second Grade, Vol. 4 by Lea Iverson SC $19.95 per volume

Pre-Kindergarten: This education level blends personal behavior lessons with historical information focused on important people in the Bahá’í Faith and essential concepts of belief. These topics are presented at a very basic level. Examples of personal behavior lessons are Bahá’í laws—such as sleep, kindness to animals, not entering a home without ‎persommion permission‎—or Virtues—such as courtesy and politeness, obedience to God, parents and teachers.

Second Grade: This level uses the same style lessons but at a higher complexity of understanding. Examples of personal behavior are the Bahá’í laws of obedience to government, work as worship, and understanding the five physical, and spiritual powers. Virtues such as loyalty, tranquility, patience, and thoughtfulness are emphasized.

This curriculum was developed between 1988-1990 for the Glad Tidings Bahá’í School located in Minneapolis, Minnesota—one of the longest-running Bahá’í children’s schools in the country.

8-1/2" x 11", approx. 94 pp. per volume Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Golden Valley, Minnesota

Arches of the Years

by Marzieh Gail HC $28.50 / SC $15.75

Continuing the vivid story of Ali-Kuli Khan’s diplomatic career, Marzieh Gail takes her readers on the family’s travels. The story provides new insights into ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s visit to America and gives an unusual perspective on the Versailles Conference of 1919. Vignettes of President Wilson, Phoebe Hearst and other characters from the early days of this century are interspersed among fascinating pictures of Persia at the turn of the century.

6" x 9-1/4", approximately 360 pp., 16 illustrations George Ronald, Publishers

Education

A Bahá’í Perspective SC $8.95 10/pkg.

SPECIAL SALE ITEM

“Ignorance, the Universal House of Justice writes in The Promise of World Peace, is indisputably the principal reason for the decline and fall of peoples and the perpetuation of prejudice. No nation can achieve success unless education is accorded all its citizens.”

Education: A Bahá’í Perspective, the third title in this very popular perspective series, challenges its readers to broaden their view of the essentials of education. It identifies nine elements of programs of literacy and basic education beyond the skills of reading, writing, and simple arithmetic that basic education can and should promote.

Originally priced at $12.95 for a 10 piece packet, we have reduced the price to $8.95 until November 1, 1991. It is an excellent introduction to the Faith for all those involved or interested in education.

5-3/4" x 8-1/4", 14 pp. Bahá’í Publishing Trust of the United Kingdom

Down The Do-Re-Me

by Red & Kathy Grammer CS $10.95 / Teacher’s Notes $10.95

Once again the ‎Grammer’s Grammers‎ have produced a cassette and support material that is not only entertaining but, more important, educational. Through his music, Red stimulates his young listeners to understand the magnificence of nature, the benefits of being a caretaker of living things, the beauty of dawn, the spiritual well-being of offering work as service, and many other themes significant to spiritual education. The cassette is suitable for children ages 2-7. The Teacher’s Notes book aids teachers and parents in conveying the values expressed by the songs.

Teacher’s Notes: 8-1/2" x 11", 44 pp., introduction, note pp. Cassette: approximately 28 minutes Children’s Group Inc.

— NOW AVAILABLE — East European Language Titles

ALBANIAN Hidden Words; Bahá’í Prayers ARMENIAN Hidden Words BULGARIAN Communion with God; God’s Message Renewed

GEORGIAN Bahá’í Prayers; What is the Bahá’í Faith GERMAN Bahá’í Faith Introduction; One Religion; Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era; Hidden Words

Recent New Titles

The Vision of Race Unity America’s Most Challenging Issue by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States GE (General Edition intended for mass distribution) 10/pkg $3.50 ● 50/pkg $15.00 100/pkg $25.00 PE (Presentation Edition) $2.00 each ● 10 $17.50 ● 25 $40.00 PK (Press Kit) $.50 each	The Divine Art of Living Selections from the Bahá’í Writings compiled by Mabel Hyde Paine; revised by Anne Marie Scheffer SC $9.95
The Covenant for Young People by Enoch N. Tanyi SC $7.95	Compilation of Compilations compiled from the Bahá’í Writings HC Two-Volume Set $39.95
The Bahá’í Faith SC $1.00	La Consulta una luz de guia universal por John E. Kolstoe SC $10.95
The Six Year Plan Messages from the Universal House of Justice NB $8.00	Al Buscador (To A Seeker) por Nathan Rutstein SC $6.95
Treasure Chest A Workbook About Bahá’u’lláh by Debbie Wix and Gail Radley SC $5.95	Paisajes Del Alma by Navid Mohabbat HC $13.95
	Rhapsody by Michael Fitzgerald SC $6.95

The Golden Rule

by Jeffrey Streiff AP (Art Print) $15.00 Calligraphy Designs

Teddy’s Prayer

by Terry Shultz AP (Art Print) $15.00 Little Star Illustrations

We are happy to offer these two very beautiful art prints in our distribution line. Both Teddy’s Prayer and The Golden Rule are high quality full color prints suitable for framing. Teddy’s Prayer measures 15" x 22-1/2"; The Golden Rule measures 11-5/8" x 17-3/16". Each has been packaged in individual mailing tubes to ensure safety in shipping.

Bahá’í Distribution Service / PHONE 1-800-999-9019

415 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091 FAX 1-708-251-3652 AB91

Ordered by: (Please print or type) __________________________________________ Date ______________

Name ____________________________________________________________________________________

Address __________________________________________________________________________________

City ________________________________________ State ________ Zip ________ Day Phone __________

Circle one: AMEX Master Card VISA Check Money Order on Account

Expiration Date:________________ Account Number:____________________________________________

Signature:_________________________________________________________________________________

QTY	TITLE	COST	AMOUNT
ORDER FORM			TOTAL

[Page 8]

CLASSIFIEDS

Classified notices in The American Bahá’í are published free of charge as a service to the Bahá’í community. Because of this, notices are limited to items relating to the Faith; no personal or commercial ads can be accepted for publication. The opportunities referred to have not been approved by the National Spiritual Assembly; the friends should exercise their own judgment and care in responding to them.

HELP WANTED

Experienced, intelligent person, energetic, good language skills, computer experience helpful but not necessary. Apply in person.

SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES

HIGH SCHOOLS in Newcomb and Tohatchi, New Mexico, which are operated by the Naalni Shi Development Corp., have immediate openings for certified teachers with specialties in math and English. The curriculum is self-paced and individualized to the needs of the student body which consists primarily of Navajo students. Applications and/or questions may be directed to Reed Amadon, Career Development Center, _______________, Lufkin, TX 75901; phone 409-637-1741 or FAX 409-637-1754.

PIONEERING (OVERSEAS)

AFRICA: Angola: Opportunities for employment with UN and NGOs. Twin Otter pilots to fly for the United Nations. Tanzania: Urgent need for Bahá’í secondary school principal. Uganda: Project manager for PL 480 commodity sales project. Regional manager to manage and provide programmatic support for CARE programs. Zambia: Director and teachers for newly founded Banani girls’ school. AMERICAS: Belize: Custodians for the Amelia Collins Institute. Honduras: Elementary school teachers (2). Turks & Caicos: Education director for undergraduate marine resource management and conservation study program. ASIA: Malaysia: Academic director for ESL center. AUSTRALASIA: Tinian: Teachers, doctors, nurses. EUROPE: Poland: Agribusiness development specialists. Regional representative needed by international development organization to monitor Eastern European programs. Credit Union financial and organizational systems adviser. Credit Union training and education adviser. MULTI-REGIONAL: International financial management coordinator to develop and monitor Pacific islands training curriculum. PAs and Nurses. URGENT: Head administrator/manager needed for the Ruaha Technical Secondary School in Tanzania, the only Bahá’í secondary school in Africa with a technical curriculum focused on agriculture. URGENT: Head administrator and teachers needed for the newly founded Bahá’í girls’ school in Zambia. The Bahá’í Office of the Environment for Taiwan is seeking volunteers and/or employees to help extend its range of environmental service projects. URGENT need for assistant manager for a Honda motorcycle/bicycle and small engine repair and maintenance business. Second Recruitment Fair sponsored by the Association of American Schools in South America, November 29-30, 1991. 25 superintendents from American international schools will be interviewing qualified candidates for the 1992-93 school year. For more information on any of the above, please contact the Office of Pioneering, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091, or telephone 708-869-9039.

WHAT MUSICAL instrument do you play? A comb? harmonica? recorder? Or could it be a trumpet? saxophone? guitar? flute? You and whatever portable musical instrument you play would be most welcome in any of the ongoing teaching projects scattered throughout the planet. So, if you have not yet taken your vacation, consider teaching and playing in one of the following countries: Benin West Africa, Bophuthatswana, Brazil, Burundi, Canada, Cook Islands, East Leeward Islands, Fiji, Jamaica, Hong Kong, South Africa, Trinidad, West Leeward Islands. These are just some of the many sites of ongoing teaching projects where you and your instrument are needed and welcome. For more information, contact the Office of Pioneering, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091 (phone 708-869-9039).

ONGOING traveling teaching opportunities: Bophuthatswana; Brazil; Burundi; Canada, Native and Chinese Teaching; Cook Islands; Costa Rica; Eastern Caroline Islands; East Leeward Islands, H. Amadiyyeh Youth Teaching; Fiji; Gabon; Haiti; Hong Kong; Italy; Jamaica; Japan; Kenya; Malaysia; Martinique; Mauritius; Mexico; New Zealand; Pakistan; Republic of Benin; Singapore; South Africa; Taiwan; Tonga; Uganda; United Kingdom; Venezuela; West Leeward Islands, H. Amadiyyeh youth teaching project needs long term traveling teachers, short term pioneers, youth year of service volunteers; Yucatan. For more information, contact: Office of Pioneering, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091 (phone 708-869-9039).

WINTER in southern Mexico. Here is an innovative way to combine learning Spanish with teaching in that language. The Javier McKeever English Language Institute has a special arrangement for the winter school year. For more information, please contact the Office of Pioneering, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091 (phone 708-869-9039.)

PARLEZ-vous ‎francais français‎? If you do speak French, you are urgently needed for traveling teaching in French Polynesia. For more information, contact the Office of Pioneering, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091 (phone 708-869-9039.)

PIONEERING (HOMEFRONT)

MOVING? Put your shoulder to the wheel in one of many localities in Northern California which need Bahá’ís to retain, regain or attain Assembly status. Area has small to large colleges, ethnic diversity, mountain solitude or western “foothill” towns, agriculture, or close-to-capital city excitement. For information, please write to the District Teaching Committee of Northern California No. 1, c/o Grace Shahrokh, secretary, _______________, Fair Oaks, CA 95628, or phone 916-966-7490.

THE BAHÁ’ÍS of Manhattan Beach, California, would welcome homefront pioneers to help save their jeopardized incorporated Assembly. The area offers beaches, jogging and biking trails, excellent schools, cultural activities, surfing. Convenient to UCLA, the University of Southern California, Santa Monica and downtown Los Angeles. Join a Bahá’í community involved with local schools, libraries and children. Local Bahá’í has a room to rent. For more information, please contact Tony or Flor, 213-379-0360.

RETIRED? Join seven active Bahá’í seniors at a 400-acre retirement village in the heart of Florida’s resort area. Exciting, challenging. For brochures and price list, write to the Spiritual Assembly of Osceola County, c/o Alice Winget, _______________, Kissimmee, FL 34746, or phone 407-933-1104.

AS AN ASPIRING homefront pioneer, have you ever wished to move to a community where people love animals, especially horses, and most of the city is zoned so that one may keep them in his/her backyard; where every street has horse trails, and feed stores outnumber taverns and saloons; where the community’s motto, “city living in a rural atmosphere,” is true because you’re living next to a beautiful river and nearby farmland, yet you’re close enough to commute to a good city job within an hour, as well as being 20-35 minutes from either the University of California-Riverside or California State University-San Bernardino; where the cost of housing (for California) is extremely reasonable on half-acre lots or more; where elementary and secondary schools excel in teaching youngsters; where there are acres of animal-loving neighbors to be friends with, and on weekends there are equestrian events galore? Have we got a town for you! Norco, in western Riverside County, needs two Bahá’ís to establish the city’s first local Spiritual Assembly. If you would enjoy living in these surroundings, please phone Norco’s Group correspondent, Mrs. Gwyn Magaditsch, 714-735-8499, or Mrs. Aghdas Babai, 714-734-1789. Persian Bahá’ís interested in living in a peaceful, quiet rural atmosphere are also encouraged to investigate.

CLEAN, fresh air and open spaces characterize the Big Bend area of West Texas where homefront pioneers are needed to move into several communities. Alpine has Sul Ross State University and is close to Ft. Davis which is the home of McDonald Observatory in lovely mountain country; Marfa is a classic Texas ranching center a half-hour from Alpine. An hour away, Presidio, Texas, and Ojinaga, Mexico, have shown amazing receptivity to the Faith in spite of infrequent visits by traveling teachers. With the advent of the free-trade agreement between Mexico and the U.S., these towns anticipate rapid economic growth. Those who are interested should contact Mary Yopp, for the District Teaching Committee of Southern New Mexico/West Texas, 915-581-3586.

ARCHIVES

THE NATIONAL Bahá’í Archives is seeking, at the request of the Universal House of Justice, original letters written on behalf of the Guardian to the following individuals: Walter Ingham (died Fremont, CA, 1977), Edith Inglis, John Inglis (died Birmingham, AL, 1966), Ishmael Arcadia, Beatrice Irwin (died San Diego, CA, 1956), Clarke Irvine, Helen Irwin, Elsa Isaacs (died Boca Raton, FL), and Clarence Iverson. Anyone knowing family members or relatives who might have access to these letters from the Guardian is asked to contact the National Bahá’í Archives, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091, or to phone 708-869-9039.

THE NATIONAL Bahá’í Archives is seeking copies of the following books by Bahá’u’lláh in good or excellent condition: Epistle to the Son of the Wolf (cloth, 1962, 1971), Gleanings (cloth, 1939, 1943, 1946, 1948, 1951, 1952, 1963, 1971), The Hidden Words (cloth, 1929, 1939, 1940, 1943, 1948, 1952, 1969, 1987, 1988). Anyone having copies they could donate is asked to send them to the National Bahá’í Archives, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091.

WANTED

WORLD ORDER magazine is actively seeking book reviews. Such reviews should be 750-2,000 words (3-8 typewritten pages) long, double-spaced, and clearly written. Reviews may be written on recently published Bahá’í books, non-Bahá’í works that relate to a Bahá’í teaching in some way, or any work that could be of potential interest to World Order’s readers. Undergraduate and graduate students are especially encouraged to submit manuscripts. A list of books that particularly need to be reviewed is available on request, as are guidelines on preparing essays for World Order. Write to World Order magazine, 415 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091.

ONEWORLD Publications is seeking innovative teaching and proclamation ideas. If you as an individual, or your community, have found some interesting way of proclaiming the Faith involving community affairs, parade events, displays, conferences, seminars, newspaper or magazine articles, games, signs, and so on, please share your ideas with us. Oneworld plans to compile your contributions into a booklet and publish it so that everyone can benefit from the wide range of creativity in the Bahá’í community. Send to: Proclamation Ideas, Oneworld Publications, _______________, Oxford OX2 7AR, United Kingdom.

MEDIA SERVICES at the Bahá’í National Center seeks professional-quality slides and photographs of Bahá’í events for possible use. Especially needed are formal and informal shots of Spiritual Assemblies, teaching events, children’s activities, and diverse groups of people meeting, working, and enjoying recreational activities together. Please send slides or photos with a letter specifying whether they should be returned to: Bahá’í Media Services, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091.

WANTED: Bahá’ís who are interested in forming a Bahá’í computer professional association to foster an exchange of ideas and information, share experiences, provide support, and form links between those needing the information technologies and the Faith. For more information, please contact Neil Krandall, _______________, Cincinnati, OH 45224, via the Bahá’í National Center Bulletin Board System, or phone 513-681-1677.

FOR A BOOK in progress for Oneworld Press on Martha Root, Keith Ransom-Kehler, May Maxwell, Marion Jack, Lua Getsinger, Hyde and Clara Dunn, Susan Moody, Dorothy Baker and Ella Bailey, I would like anyone with personal reminiscences of any of them to contact me. Write to Janet Ruhe-Schoen, _______________, Chile, South America.

MISCELLANEOUS

PARTICIPATE in Oasis, a magazine of the Bahá’í Studies Association of Chile. Are you an artist? Send your poems, prose, drawings, photos, etc., to _______________, Chile. Although it is our desire to publish everything we receive, we cannot promise to do so.

EL RUISEÑOR (The Nightingale), a quarterly bi-lingual (Spanish-English) magazine sponsored by the National Spiritual Assembly, is available to Bahá’ís on a subscription basis. The magazine’s editorial content is varied and includes items of interest to the Bahá’í community around the world: current developments and goals of the Cause, articles aimed at deepening our understanding of the Bahá’í teachings, reports of victories in the Hispanic community worldwide, ideas from the friends, a cultural page, letters to the editor, a calendar of national and international events, and other items of special interest to Bahá’ís everywhere. The subscription price is $10 a year (U.S. and Canada) and $12 a year overseas. Donations from Bahá’í institutions and individual Bahá’ís are welcomed. To subscribe, write to El Ruiseñor, P.O. Box 512, San Fernando, CA 91340 (phone 818-361-6931).

MUSIC AND MORE! Help us reach our National Fund goals. A 42-minute cassette tape of music by Chopin, Debussy, Brahms, Bach, Pachelbel, Ravel and others performed by pianist Nancy Lee Harper and suitable for use during Feasts and Holy Day observances or for one’s own peaceful meditation is available for $10 (plus $2 for shipping and handling) from the Spiritual Assembly of Santa Fe, P.O. Box 1767, Santa Fe, NM 87504. Or if you prefer, phone 505-438-0733 and use your VISA or MasterCard. Proceeds go to the National Bahá’í Fund.

Naomi Franklin is pictured with the ‘The Lifelong Learning Award’ she recently received from Kishwaukee College in Malta, Illinois. Ms. Franklin, a member of the Bahá’í Group of DeKalb, retired at age 68 and took 100 community education classes before being given the award at age 80. [Page 9]

Trustees of Huqúqu’lláh suggest steps to make ready for new Law

To the American Bahá’í community

It is with great joy and thankfulness that we read in the Ridván 1991 message of the supreme Universal House of Justice:

“...It seems fitting, then, that the sacred law which enables each one to express his or her personal sense of devotion to God in a profoundly private act of conscience that promotes the common good, which directly connects the individual believer with the Central Institution of the Faith, and, above all, ensures to the obedient and the sincere the ineffable grace and abundant blessings of Providence, should, at this favorable juncture, be embraced by all who profess their belief in the Supreme Manifestation of God. With humility before our sovereign Lord, we now announce that as of Ridván 1992, the beginning of the Holy Year, the Law of Huqúqu’lláh, the Right of God, will become universally applicable. All are lovingly called to observe it.”

Since the announcement of the Six Year Plan of the Universal House of Justice, and the inclusion of universal education of Huqúqu’lláh as a goal of this Plan, the American believers, individually and collectively—in their own communities, in regional and national meetings, and in Bahá’í schools—have shown tremendous interest in learning the details and spiritual significance of this great Law of God.

It is our hope that for the remaining months of this Plan every individual believer gains the opportunity to deepen and study the Laws and Ordinances related to this Divine injunction so that the Bahá’í community can answer wholeheartedly the call of the supreme Universal House of Justice at the appointed time. Therefore, we would like to suggest the following:

• Those communities that have not yet begun educational sessions for the study of the video tapes of the talks of the Hand of the Cause of God Alí-Muhammad Varqá and House of Justice member Alí Nakhjavání make arrangements to study these tapes. You have already received a communication from the Representatives of Huqúqu’lláh in this regard. Adequate copies of these tapes have been prepared at a nominal price of $5 each, purchased from the office of Huqúqu’lláh. Please send your request to the Office of the Secretariat, Bahá’í Huqúqu’lláh Trust, Rocky River, OH 44116 (phone 216-333-1506).

• As we have mentioned before, copies of the compilation on Huqúqu’lláh are available from the Publishing Trust for 85 cents per copy. We would like to suggest that your community librarian communicate with the Publishing Trust and provide adequate copies for the friends in your area. It is our hope that every family have a copy of this compilation in their own library.

With loving Bahá’í greetings,

Board of Trustees of Huqúqu’lláh June 27, 1991

Figures indicate momentum of giving to Funds continues

Estimated figures for the Gregorian three-month period ending July 31 indicate that the momentum of giving is continuing this year.

Contributions to the four major Funds, plus estate bequests, are expected to equal or exceed $3.3 million so far this fiscal year. This total includes $2,348,000 for the National Bahá’í Fund (up 27 percent from $1,860,000 last year), $537,000 for the Arc Fund (down from $1,070,000 a year ago), and $372,000 for the International Bahá’í Fund (compared with $135,000 a year earlier).

While these numbers are not final, they appear to reflect that the exemplary pattern of giving set by the believers last year continues virtually unchanged. This response, in turn, strengthens the institutions of the Faith and helps to accelerate progress toward the community’s most cherished goals.

THE FUNDS

More than 100 Assemblies set goals for Fund

Thus far this year more than 100 Assemblies have already written the National Spiritual Assembly, committing to their goals for the National Bahá’í Fund for the current fiscal year, and letters continue to arrive at a rate of several a day. In addition, letters are being sent to some 275 Assemblies who will have their first opportunity this year to take part in such a vital effort.

Significantly, several groups around the country have asked whether they, too, can participate. This is an unmistakable sign of growing maturity, that these embryonic institutions should be so eager to begin exercising the rights and responsibilities they will one day possess as fully functioning institutions. Combining the efforts of these groups with the decisive response of nearly 1,000 local Spiritual Assemblies during its first year, this program has heartened and encouraged the friends, and helped strengthen Bahá’u’lláh’s World Order.

Other Bahá’í groups who wish to make commitments under this program should not hesitate to contact the Office of the Treasurer with details.

King County barbecue raises $1,088 for Arc

The Arc Fund-Raising Committee of Central King County organized a large summer barbecue June 30 at Marymoor Park in Redmond, Washington.

One hundred-fifty people enjoyed a full-course meal of barbecued chicken, a piñata, games, and musical entertainment.

Following an afternoon of food, fun and fellowship, a total of $1,088 was sent to the Arc Fund.

Town meetings occasion many stories of love, sacrifice

60 gatherings held in 19 states

“Erelong will God raise up the treasures of the earth—men who will aid Thee through Thyself and through Thy Name, wherewith God hath revived the hearts of such as have recognized Him.”

Bahá’u’lláh’s words in Epistle to the Son of the Wolf have seemed to resound like a strong bass note underlying the 60 town meetings held since May in some 19 states. The stories the believers have shared have stirred the hearts of the representatives of the National Spiritual Assembly who have attended these sessions, yielding a vivid impression of a community striving, often in the most trying circumstances, to attain Bahá’u’lláh’s good pleasure.

Here are a few examples:

• The radiant soul who, despite the loss of her husband and her two children, pours out her love and enthusiasm upon all with whom she comes in contact in the course of her duties as an Assembly member.

• The Bahá’í children in one small California community who raised $64 for the Arc, after their class had looked at pictures and heard the story of the Arc Projects.

• The Persian couple who, despite age and frail health, and who speak almost no English, come to the meetings in hopes of hearing a little of the news, and of sharing a few loving moments with the friends.

• The couple who created and gave out glass mugs to the community so that people could give their small change to the Funds, and have raised several hundred dollars in this way.

• The Southwestern couple who, with no public notice, have decided to try to establish a warmer community feeling among the friends, and who quietly ensure that birthdays, anniversaries, illnesses and special needs are taken care of.

• The Midwestern communities who have rallied around a brave pioneer in order to have a series of race unity gatherings in a town historically known as a home to the Ku Klux Klan.

All across the country, actions like these are slowly but solidly fostering a deeper sense of community and keeping the light of faith glowing. Each of them is small in and of itself, perhaps, but in the aggregate they reveal a strength and devotion that is very special, indeed. The following passages from some of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Tablets indicate the value of such a spirit:

“O ye apostles of ‎Baha’u’llah Bahá’u’lláh‎! May my life be sacrificed for you!... Behold the portals which ‎Baha’u’llah Bahá’u’lláh‎ hath opened before you! Consider how exalted and lofty is the station you are destined to attain, how unique the favors with which you have been endowed... My thoughts are turned towards you, and my heart leaps within me at your mention. Could ye know how my soul gloweth with your love, so great a happiness would flood your hearts as to cause you to become enamored with each other. * * “The full measure of your success is as yet unrevealed, its significance unapprehended. Erelong ye will with your own eyes witness how brilliantly every one of you, even as a shining star, will radiate in the firmament of your country the light of divine guidance, and will bestow upon its people the glory of an everlasting life. ... I fervently hope that in the near future the whole earth may be stirred and shaken by the results of your achievements.” (from Citadel of Faith, page 28)

El Paso Bahá’ís mark Race Unity Day with ‘Celebration of Diversity’

To commemorate Race Unity Day on June 9, the Bahá’ís of El Paso, Texas, held their first “Celebration of Diversity” at a city-operated community center along the Rio Grande River directly across from Juarez, Mexico.

About 95 people attended the multi-cultural program including more than 20 guests who were seeking more information about the Faith and race unity.

Both the performers and audience included those of Anglo, Hispanic, Asian and African descent.

The mistress of ceremonies, speaking both English and Spanish, put the audience at ease and wove together the diverse presentations after a brief explanation of why the Bahá’ís “celebrate diversity.”

Songs, stories and dances of varied ethnic origin served to show how diverse forms of expression of universally shared feelings and aspirations enrich us all.

After refreshments, the guests had an opportunity to comment and ask questions while copies of the National Spiritual Assembly’s statement on race unity were given out.

HUQÚQU’LLÁH

Payments for Huqúqu’lláh should be made to “The Bahá’í Huqúqu’lláh Trust” and sent to one of the Trustees:

• Dr. Elsie Austin, P.O. Box 927, Silver Spring MD 20910 (Tel. 301-589-8481).
• Dr. Amin Banani, Santa Monica, CA 90402 (Tel. 213-394-5449).
• Dr. Daryush Haghighi, Rocky River, OH 44116 (Tel. 216-333-1506).

Inquiries regarding Huqúqu’lláh should be referred to one of the Trustees or to the Office of the Secretariat, Bahá’í Huqúqu’lláh Trust, Rocky River, OH 44116.

Video tapes of talks by the Hand of the Cause of God and Trustee of Huqúqu’lláh Dr. Alí-Muhammad Varqá, and by Ali Nakhjavání, a member of the Universal House of Justice, are available from the Office of the Secretariat for $6 each (postage included).

Copies of the compilation “Huqúqu’lláh, Extracts from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Shoghi Effendi and the Universal House of Justice” can be obtained from the Bahá’í Distribution Service at 85 cents per copy. [Page 10]

Service/Employment opportunities at the Bahá’í National Center

"An expansion of thought and action in certain aspects of our work would enhance our possibilities for success in meeting our aforementioned commitments. Since change, ever more rapid change, is a constant characteristic of life at this time, and since our growth, size and external relations demand much of us, our community must be ready to adapt. In a sense this means that the community must become more adept at accommodating a wide range of actions without losing concentration on the primary objectives of teaching, namely, expansion and consolidation. A unity in diversity of actions is called for, a condition in which different individuals will concentrate on different activities, appreciating the salutary effect of the aggregate on the growth and development of the Faith, because each person cannot do everything and all persons cannot do the same thing. This understanding is important to the maturity which, by the many demands being made upon it, the community is being forced to attain.

"The Order brought by Bahá’hu’lláh is intended to guide the progress and resolve the problems of society. Our numbers are as yet too small to effect an adequate demonstration of the potentialities inherent in the administrative system we are building, and the efficacy of this system will not be fully appreciated without a vast expansion of our membership. With the prevailing situation in the world the necessity to effect such a demonstration becomes more compelling. It is all too obvious that even those who rail against the defects of the old order, and would even tear it down, are themselves bereft of any viable alternative to put in its place. Since the Administrative Order is designed to be a pattern for future society, the visibility of such a pattern will be a signal of hope to those who despair." (The Universal House of Justice, Ridván 1990)

The National Spiritual Assembly is calling for loving, talented people to arise to serve the National Assembly at this time. Some of the positions available are:

Operations Services Manager, Media Services Manages and coordinates the work of the department, media services, production and stock footage library/image bank; helps the department develop increased capacities for video production, multi-lingual post-production, distribution and library/stock footage services. Minimum of two years experience in operations management required; familiarity with the processes of media production a plus but not required. Must have a clear understanding of the structure and processes of Bahá’í administration, nationally and internationally, and a demonstrated capacity to organize and execute complex tasks in a constantly changing environment.

Activities and Program Coordinator, Bahá’í House of Worship Coordinates all programs, activities and special events sponsored by the House of Worship Activities Office while contributing to a loving and hospitable environment. Must demonstrate a clear understanding of the Bahá’í Teachings, have proven ability to coordinate meetings and special events especially with a volunteer work force, possess strong interpersonal skills, be able to work well with limited supervision and in a team environment. Must have a good command of the English language, proven ability to work with confidential information, and be able to produce correspondence in a business format with a minimum of 40 wpm.

Refugee Program Assistant, U.S. Bahá’í Refugee Office Helps administer the Bahá’í refugee program in the U.S., demonstrates an attitude of service and the promotion of unity. Must have knowledge of, and respect for, Bahá’í institutions, have excellent verbal and written communication skills in English, demonstrated ability to deal effectively with refugees and understand refugee trauma, have WordPerfect processing skills with a minumum of 40 wpm, demonstrated capacity to organize and execute complex tasks in a constantly changing environment. Knowledge of Persian, Vietnamese, Hmong and/or Cambodian languages desirable but not required.

Other opportunities include: Bahá’í House of Worship: office manager; bookstore assistant (part-time) Department of Human Resources: administrative assistant; PC trainer/help desk coordinator/software specialist Media Services: operations services manager; librarian/archivist Management Information Systems: director; Subscriber Services coordinator National Teaching Committee office: receptionist NSA Properties Inc.: general manager; general maintenance with an (emphasis in plumbing World Congress Logistics Office: registration processing specialist Office of External Affairs (Washington, D.C.): secretary Office of Public Information: administrative aide (part-time) Office of the Secretary: administrative assistant; administrative aide Office of the Treasurer: secretary/receptionist Bahá’í Publishing Trust: customer service representative/receptionist U.S. Bahá’í Refugee Office: refugee program assistant

If you, or people that you know, are interested in learning more about these positions, or would like an application sent to you or a friend, please write to the Department of Human Resources, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091, or phone Diana Harris, 708-869-9039, ext. 320.

Pictured at the Bahá’í table at the annual Indian Heritage School powwow held May 3-4 at Edmonds Community College in Washington state are (left to right) Judy AHA’I FAITH Maddox, Laura Hoy, two young American Indians from the Tulalip Reservation, and Paula Hoy.

Bahá’ís in Washington state take part in Indian Heritage School's powwow

On May 3-4, the Bahá’ís of Snohomish County in Washington state took part in the Indian Heritage School's annual powwow at Edmonds Community College. It marked the first Bahá’í participation in the three years of the powwow, and feedback from leaders of Edmonds College and the Heritage School was very positive.

Before the opening of the powwow, Bahá’ís from Edmonds and Lake Forest Park served a sit-down dinner for about 40 of the event's organizers. Several of the American Indians attending were impressed by the Bahá’ís' willingness to serve the group.

During the powwow, many Indians came to the Bahá’í table to talk or to ask questions.

At the end of the sessions, an honor dance was held for those who helped with the powwow, and the Bahá’ís were singled out. The president of Edmonds College thanked the Bahá’ís personally and asked if they could take part again.

Also as a result of the Bahá’í participation, Ann Torrie, a Bahá’í from Mill Creek who attends Edmonds College, was asked to write about the event for the school newspaper and to attend other multi-cultural events. She has since been named the newspaper's editor for the coming year.

An estimated 1,500 people attended the powwow including members of more than 15 Indian tribes. The Bahá’í table was situated prominently by an auction table near the entrance so it was easily seen by everyone.

Bosch summer session focuses on China as 'Country of the Future'

From June 29-July 4, the summer session of Bosch Bahá’í School focused on "China Is the Country of the Future" in both English and Chinese.

Featured speakers were Farzam Kamalabadi, Mrs. Ming Tai-Seale, Miss Dawn Haghighi and Mrs. Dolly Haghighi.

During the week the participants examined Chinese philosophy, the application of Bahá’í principles to Chinese social concerns, and discussed the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh from a Chinese perspective. At least one Chinese woman became a Bahá’í.

Although not heavily attended (there were 28 resident students for the week), on Sunday an additional 33 Chinese guests came up for the day, which ended with a talent show that included a Chinese dance and song performance in full costume.

On Wednesday evening, 22 Chinese friends came back again, with 14 of them staying overnight for the final session on the 4th.

"...the paramount purpose of all Bahá’í activity is teaching. All that has been done or will be done revolves around this central activity, the 'head cornerstone of the foundation itself,' to which all progress in the Cause is due. The present challenge calls for teaching on a scale and of a quality, a variety, and intensity outstripping all current efforts."--The Universal House of Justice, Ridván 1988

Contribuciones a este fondo

"Las contribuciones a este fondo constituyen, además, una manera práctica y eficaz mediante la cual cada creyente puede probar la medida y carácter de su fe, y demostrar, con hechos, la intensidad de su dedicación y adhesión a la Causa.

"Es la obligación sagrada de cada siervo concienzudo y fiel de Bahá’u’lláh que desea que su Causa avance, contribuir libre y generosamente para el aumento de dicho fondo."--Shoghi Effendi, Principios de Administración Bahá’í, p. 114

Fondo local de su comunidad Bahá’í (pregunte a su comunidad local por el domicilio del suyo)

Fondo Nacional Bahá’í Wilmette, IL 60091

Fondo Continental Bahá’í c/o Bahá’í National Center Wilmette, IL 60091

Fondo Internacional Bahá’í P.O. Box 155 Haifa 31 001, Israel

Fondo Para Asistencia Persa c/o Bahá’í National Center Wilmette, IL 60091

Huqú’qu’lláh Rocky River, OH 44116 [Page 11]

WORLD NEWS

On June 26, the newly elected National Spiritual Assembly of Romania conveyed to the Universal House of Justice the news that it has been officially and legally recognized by that nation’s government. Also, the National Assembly has completed the purchase of a Hazíratu’l-Quds in the center of Bucharest. The more than 1,300 Bahá’ís in Romania planned a number of summer teaching projects to “conquer the country under the banner of the Blessed Beauty.” ...

Fifty Bahá’ís attended an International Writers’ Seminar held June 4-6 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Among the participants from eight countries were Counselor Bijan Farid, David Huang, Lee Lee Ludher and Shantha Sundram. Also present were representatives from the National Spiritual Assemblies of Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan; the Office of Public Information—Hong Kong; the International Chinese Teaching Committee; the Bahá’í Committee for China, and the Chinese Standardization Committee. The International Chinese Teaching Committee reported that the seminar established a closer rapport among writers and translators. ...

On June 16, the Spiritual Assembly of Tirana, the first local Spiritual Assembly elected in Albania, was formed. Counselor Sohrab Youssefian traveled to Albania for the occasion with two members of the National Spiritual Assembly of Italy and an Auxiliary Board member. ...

About 30 young Bahá’ís attended a recent conference in Warsaw, Poland, to prepare for and launch the Lydia Zamenhof—Project II teaching campaign. Afterward, two- to four-member teaching teams visited schools and presented copies of “The Promise of World Peace” to principals and teachers. Nearly 5,000 invitations to a public meeting also were given out. The young people then divided into three teams to travel to the other goal cities in Poland: Lodz, Gdansk and Krakow. The first Nineteen Day Feast in Lodz was held during their stay, while the team in Gdansk was successful in using the mass media to proclaim the Faith and the team in Krakow visited the university and seven schools and was able to present to about five classes a detailed introduction to the Faith. ...

In May, a local Spiritual Assembly was formed in Ljubljana, the capital of the Republic of Slovenia, Yugoslavia. The National Spiritual Assembly of Austria reports that the Bahá’í community of Yugoslavia is increasingly representing the various ethnic groups and minorities who live in that part of Eastern Europe. ...

The National Spiritual Assembly of Uruguay collaborated with the local Assembly of Florida to hold a Naw-Rúz dinner for prominent people in that city. Among those who attended were the mayor of Florida, his private secretary, the president of the departmental council, 15 town councilors, the Bishop of Florida and Durazno, lawyers, doctors, members of the local Lions Club, directors of various municipal offices, school principals, college deans, and businessmen. About 150 of the 175 people at the dinner were not Bahá’ís. ...

Diane Bourne Daniel, a long-time member of the Bahá’í community of Barbados, was given the 1990 Craftsperson of the Year award by the country’s Industrial Development Corporation. She was recognized not only for her work as an artist but also as a successful person in the business field. ...

On April 6, a group of six Bahá’ís from Colombo, Sri Lanka, visited believers in the town of Boralesgamuwa. They stopped at a shop close to the home of one of the believers, and many passersby stopped to listen to an explanation of the Bahá’í teachings. Afterward, seven people were enrolled in the Faith, one of whom said, “First we have to change ourselves, and then change will spread throughout the country.” ...

In Turkey, four young Bahá’ís aged 21-25 carried out a recent nine-day teaching and proclamation project along the coast of the Black Sea, visiting Bahá’ís along their route. They introduced about 100 people to the Faith and presented copies of “The Promise of World Peace” and other literature to five mayors. ...

More than 44 women from 12 communities attended a National Women’s Conference at the Bahá’í Center in Harare, Zimbabwe. The program covered such topics as Bahá’í history, family life, the equality of men and women, and cooking. ...

The Bahá’í community of Bangladesh has joined in efforts to minimize the hardship and suffering of those left homeless by a number of recent cyclones in that country. Bahá’í medical teams began working in Bangladesh in early May. One of the teams went to the Gazipur area where a tornado had destroyed every hut and building in its path. Another team of foreign-trained Bahá’í doctors worked in Auronghata village in the Khulna district, treating more than 600 villagers and distributing medicines. The team then moved to another camp the following day and treated 300 people. ...

The government of the Federal State of Hessen, Germany, one of 16 states of unified Germany, has classified the Bahá’í House of Worship in Langenhain as a cultural monument. In a letter to the National Spiritual Assembly, the district governor explained the decision of the state government, saying that such classification is made by reason of “public interest given by the importance of the building” under provisions of the Historical Monument Preservation Law. ...

About 70 young Bahá’ís took part in Hawaii Bahá’í Youth Conference ’91, the first youth conference held in Hawaii during the Six Year Plan. Among those attending were believers from New Caledonia, the Mariana Islands, the Solomon Islands and the United States. They saw a video taped message from the Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum which inspired them to take full advantage of the opportunities to teach the Cause that offer themselves each day. Also speaking to the youth were Counselors Beatrice Benson and Gayle Morrison. ...

On March 2-3, Bahá’ís in the Philippines took part in the “Consultative Forum of Moral Recovery” sponsored by the Moral Recovery Movement and the Theosophical Society of the Philippines. The forum involved representatives from the business, government, religious and private sectors. ...

In May, Le Kuang Dao, the vice-president of Vietnam, accompanied by officials and their families from the Vietnamese Embassy in New Delhi, visited the Bahá’í House of Worship in India. Counselor Zena Sorabjee was at the Temple on the evening of the vice-president’s visit, and accompanied him on a tour of the library and exhibition hall. ...

About 150 young people from all areas of New Zealand attended a National Youth Conference held March 29-April 1 in Wellington. ...

In Mbale, Uganda, Bahá’ís organized an exhibit and took part in a march to celebrate Women’s Day. At the exhibition stand, the friends had a display of needlework and other crafts, foods, and furniture, drawing a large crowd. Books and posters relating to women, health, children and peace were also shown. ...

President Luis Alberto Lacalle received the National Spiritual Assembly of Uruguay on June 24 for a 40-minute meeting at the Government House. The president greeted each member of the National Assembly and invited the Bahá’ís to have a photograph taken with him. Assembly members reported that the president said it was an honor for him to receive a delegation from the Bahá’í community, adding that he had visited the Bahá’í holy places in Haifa and had read Thief in the Night. ...

Bahá’ís in Manzini, Swaziland, lay the cornerstone for their Regional Bahá’í Center. The occasion was marked by prayers in many languages, two brief talks, and much singing, dancing and laughter.

A student at the Ruhiyyih Bahá’í School in India, with flowers for her teacher, is among the 130 students who start the day with Bahá’í prayers. Each class has ‘Ruhiyyih Club’ once a week in which the children are openly taught the Faith. [Page 12]

The Arc Project

Phase two gets under way on the slopes of Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel [Page 13]

The Arc Project

A photo essay [Page 14]

Mr. Sears

Plan since the passing of the beloved Guardian.

James F. Nelson, chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly, speaking on behalf of the assembled guests, reminded Mr. Sears of the many occasions on which the Bahá’ís had turned to him for help in the closing years of a Plan, with uniformly successful results. The fund-raising campaign to launch WLGI, Judge Nelson said, is a splendid example of Mr. Sears’ many sacrificial efforts. The Hand of the Cause led the drive in which $1 million was raised for the first Bahá’í radio station in the country.

"I remember that," said Mr. Sears. "Marguerite and I had in our bank account $1,000 in social security. We looked at it and said, 'Wouldn't it be clever if we offered the thousand dollars for a million, and maybe everybody else would follow.' And it worked so well we got it in no time."

He went on to say that the recollection of that episode had been the inspiration behind the Sears’ decision to donate their copy of The Dawn-breakers to raise money for the Arc.

"The House of Justice said $24 million was needed immediately. Marguerite looked at me and said, 'You know, when they wanted a million for WLGI, we had a thousand. But if they want 24 million, where are we going to get 24 thousand? We haven't got two nickels to rub together.' Then we thought of the book."

At the 81st National Convention in 1990 Mr. and Mrs. Sears shared with the delegates and friends their decision to donate the volume to the National Spiritual Assembly to use in raising funds for the Arc in whatever way it felt would be most effective. On that memorable occasion, Mr. Sears said the book had a value far beyond any price because it had been signed by the beloved Guardian himself.

That same book, he said, had served as his introduction to the Faith, and had played a significant role in his eventual acceptance of the Message of Bahá’u’lláh.

The moving announcement provoked an immediate response on the part of the believers. The Texas delegation pledged $24,000 on behalf of Mr. and Mrs. Sears that very night. By the end of the Convention, more than $74,000 had been raised for the Arc.

The National Assembly, feeling that the book was far too precious to sell, decided that it should be placed in the National Archives along with a scroll containing the names of everyone who had contributed to the Arc Project from that time until the goal was achieved.

Bahá’ís across the country reacted to the decision with wholehearted enthusiasm. Inspired by the example set for them by Mr. and Mrs. Sears, they contributed enough money to enable the National Assembly to present the completed scroll to the Hand of the Cause just over a year after the book was originally donated.

Mr. Sears received the scroll and held his beloved copy of The Dawn-breakers for the last time. The items were then sealed together in a green velvet pouch, to be given their rightful place as cherished additions to the permanent archives of the American Bahá’í community.

That Mr. Sears had chosen a memento of the Guardian with which to raise funds for the Arc was not without significance. It was Shoghi Effendi who had linked the construction of the buildings on Mount Carmel with the evolution of National and local Spiritual Assemblies and the emergence of the Lesser Peace.

With the completion of the cash reserve called for by the Universal House of Justice, an important step was made toward the fulfillment of the Guardian’s vision.

The three buildings that remain to be completed are the International Teaching Center, the Center for the Study of the Texts, and the International Bahá’í Library. An extension to the International Archives Building is also planned.

The other outstanding aspect of the project is the completion of the 19 monumental terraces envisioned by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, leading from the foot of Mount Carmel to its crest, with the Shrine of the Báb in the center.

The Universal House of Justice has said that the completion of the Arc will bring into being "a vastly augmented World Center structure which will be capable of meeting the challenges of coming centuries and of the tremendous growth of the Bahá’í community which the beloved Guardian has told us to expect."

The House of Justice has also stressed that the development of the Arc is "intimately related" to the teaching work. Because the two go hand in hand, it was natural that the attention of Mr. Sears and his guests turned, immediately after the presentation of the scroll, to teaching.

"It is appropriate," said Judge Nelson, "as we approach the Holy Year and close out the last year of the Six Year Plan that we are engaged in a monumental enterprise to achieve victory in growth; that is, to win over vast numbers of new believers. And we have communities all over the country vying for the honor of achieving this distinction."

He then referred to an offer Mr. Sears had made to visit up to five localities where the teaching work was most promising. The purpose of the visits, Judge Nelson explained, would be to reward the friends for their activity and to inspire them to accomplish even greater victories for the Faith. He gratefully accepted that offer on behalf of the National Spiritual Assembly and the National Teaching Committee.

Mr. Sears responded by expressing his longing to attain the victory of large-scale growth before the end of the Plan in 1992. He assured the friends that he would visit the five most fruitful areas of teaching, as determined by the National Assembly.

Mr. Sears stressed that it would not be his purpose to initiate a new teaching campaign. Rather, it was his desire to upgrade and enhance the level of teaching according to the plans already outlined by the National Assembly and the National Teaching Committee.

"I want to help them carry out the teaching in a more energetic and exciting way," he said. "I thought it would be nice to get the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh to work here.

"Five is the number of the Báb. These five places could be the heralds and forerunners of a new spirit of teaching in the country, which they're starting to do already.

"And nine is the number of Bahá’u’lláh. That could be the goal—9,000 new believers by Ridván.

"I'm going to tell them [the Bahá’ís] who they are. I'm going to tell them about Bahá’u’lláh saying that the West will replace the East. The light would come from the Manifestation of God and in the West it would be reflected, and in some ways have an even greater potential through the administrative order, conquering the whole world.

"We're the West," said Mr. Sears. "I mean, we are the West. We are the ones living here...so 9,000 should be pitifully easy."

As the meeting drew to a close, Judge Nelson expressed once again the fervent love and gratitude that Bahá’ís everywhere have for Mr. Sears for his continuing leadership and for his lifetime of devoted services to the Cause of God.

"It's impossible for us to tell you what is in our hearts about you and Marguerite for what you've done," he said. "Always you have, as the standard-bearer, planted the standard; and always thus far we have rallied around it. It is our pledge that this time will be the same, and that we'll all be there to meet you on the victory podium."

Bahá’í Children’s School of Knoxville

As a learning/deepening project, youngsters attending the Bahá’í Children's School of Knoxville, Tennessee, decided this year to make birdhouses to sell for the Arc Fund and to invite Pat Patterson, a local Bahá’í who is a retired woodworker, to help them do it. Everyone benefited from the relationship, and the children made a number of lovely birdhouses and birdfeeders that were sold to parents and other local Bahá’ís. As a result, $177 has been sent so far to the Universal House of Justice for the Arc Fund. Pictured working on a birdhouse is Shareen Alavian with advice from her father, Vahid.

Bahá’í International Community takes active role as sponsor of World Women's Congress for planet

The Women's International Policy Action Committee on Environment and Development (IPAC) will host an international conference, World Women's Congress for a Healthy Planet, November 8-12 in Miami, Florida. The Bahá’í International Community has recently accepted a request by IPAC to become one of the sponsors of the Congress.

The National Spiritual Assembly will be represented by three individuals including Dr. Alberta Deas, a member of the National Assembly.

In the words of the conference organizers, this conference is being held "to make sure women's voices and concerns are heard at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) and in the national and international meetings preparing for it...."

The organizers expect more than 1,000 women to take part in this gathering, which is open to all, with the majority coming from developing countries. It should prove to be the most significant conference on women and the environment leading up to the 1992 UNCED, now being called the "Earth Summit."

The Congress will feature tribunals, with a panel of distinguished women jurists. The judges will hear testimony from women in every region of the world who will present evidence of their battles against ecological and economic devastation.

Congress participants will act as jurors, taking this evidence along with their own experiences to a series of workshops where they will develop recommendations and actions for a healthy planet. The recommendations will be presented November 12 to a Summit Meeting of women heads of government, top UN officials and other world leaders at the concluding session of the Congress.

Those friends who desire to participate in the World Women's Congress for a Healthy Planet will be responsible for arranging their own travel and accommodations. The conference registration fee is $25. Additional information or a registration form may be obtained from the following address:

International Policy Action Committee, Secretariat, c/o Women's Foreign Policy Council, New York, NY 10017 (phone 212-759-7982).

The National Spiritual Assembly asks that those planning to attend do not fill out the back section of the registration form which asks, "Are you interested in organizing an activity?"

The Bahá’í International Community's Office of the Environment will be organizing one or more workshops in collaboration with the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. The National Spiritual Assembly kindly requests that those friends wishing to offer their skills or ideas write them down on a separate piece of paper and send the information with a copy of their registration form to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the U.S., Washington, DC 20009. [Page 15]

Bahá’ís mark Race Unity Day with wide variety of activities

1st Race Amity Conference — attended by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá RACE UNITY

The Bahá’ís of Lapwai, Washington, held a Race Unity Day picnic at Lapwai City Park, drawing more than a hundred people of diverse racial backgrounds. The event was covered by the Lewiston Morning Tribune, which quoted extensively from the National Spiritual Assembly’s statement on race unity.

In Shawnee, Oklahoma, the Bahá’í community helped the local chapter of the NAACP with its Juneteenth Celebration picnic, including providing a speaker for the event. They also volunteered for the second year to help the Citizen Band Potawatomi Tribe keep the grounds clean during the tribe’s annual powwow in that area. Their efforts were noticed in the Shawnee Sun, which referred to the National Assembly’s statement on race unity and pointed out the Bahá’í belief in putting theory into practice.

Author Emmanuel Johnson was the featured speaker at the Race Unity Day observance in Flint, Michigan. Mr. Johnson, pastor of an interdenominational Christian church in Flint, presented a review of his book, I’m Not Black, You’re Not White, which explores the issue of racism in America. The event was announced in the C.P.S.A. Courier, published by the Concerned Pastors for Social Action. The announcement included parts of the National Assembly’s statement on race unity, highlighting the principle of the oneness of humanity as “the pivot round which revolve all the teachings of the Bahá’í Faith.”

The Bahá’ís of Westport, Connecticut, held a weekend summer camp attended by 150 people from all over the state. The program focused on the issue of race unity, featuring speakers and workshops that emphasized the statement on race unity from the National Spiritual Assembly. An article about the event appeared in the Westport News. The newspaper noted that, “As with any Bahá’í event, the rainbow of humanity was evident in all its colors.” It also commented that the Bahá’ís “are committed to forming genuine friendships with people of races other than their own. It is their way of making the world a friendlier and more interesting place to live.”

Ninety people from 11 nationalities and ethnic backgrounds attended the first Race Unity Day celebration in Temecula, California. The highlight of the day was the public presentation of the “The Vision of Race Unity.” News of the gathering was reported in the Temecula Californian.

The Bahá’ís of Bemidji and Beltrami County sponsored a Walk for Race Unity at Lake Bemidji, Minnesota. The 50 participants began their walk at a spot commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Wounded Knee Massacre. The Ojibwe News printed a report of the walk and of the Bahá’í principle of racial harmony that inspired it. Included in the article were several quotations from “The Vision of Race Unity.”

Four Buddhist monks and one Buddhist nun were among the more than 100 participants in the Race Unity Day celebration held in Modesto, California. The Buddhists were invited by the Southeast Asian teaching institute in Modesto to offer prayers for mankind in honor of the occasion. Among those attending were people of Japanese, Vietnamese, Laotian, Cambodian and Filipino background.

Unhindered by the presence of protesting Ku Klux Klan members, the Bahá’ís of Exeter, New Hampshire, publicly proclaimed the oneness of mankind at their Race Unity Day celebration. Featuring music and stories from around the world, the program attracted about 70 local residents. The spirit of the Bahá’ís was praised by The Exeter News-Letter, which referred to the people gathered together as “flowers of different colors.” Because of the opposition of the Klan the event received regional and national attention including a brief mention in USA Today.

The Bahá’ís of Marietta, Georgia, held a Race Unity Day celebration in the town square, attracting well over 100 participants and spectators. With the theme “Racial Unity Through Service to Humanity,” the event featured a live jazz band and speakers from various local service organizations. Auxiliary Board member Jack Guillebeaux spoke on behalf of the Bahá’ís. A luncheon was given for selected non-Bahá’í guests prior to the public proclamation. Among them were representatives of the local chapter of the NAACP, the Marietta School Board, the Cobb County Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and the Cobb County MLK Jr. Support Group. At both events the National Assembly’s statement on race unity was distributed and discussed. The response of the guests was enthusiastic. Some offered to help the Bahá’ís plan next year’s gathering so that it would have a larger audience. A follow-up fireside was held that evening, at which the Bahá’í perspective on racism was discussed. It was attended by some 30 people including two seekers.

Chinese newsletter

Guang Ming, a newsletter about Chinese teaching, is produced quarterly by the National Chinese Teaching Committee. Anyone who would like to receive a (free) copy may contact the secretary of the Committee at the Bahá’í National Center, 708-869-9039, ext. 231.

Sixty-eight people including 24 non-Bahá’ís attended the third annual Race Unity picnic last June in Melbourne, Florida. Pictured are entertainers John and Henry with their children and (center) the chairman of the Martin Luther King organizing committee who attended the picnic with five other committee members.

Left photo: Holly Timberlake-Geyer, a Bahá’í from Kent, Ohio, discusses the Bahá’í display at the annual ‘Kent Fest’ with city councilman William Schultz. Above: Passersby stop to study the display on ‘The Bahá’í Faith and Civil Rights.’ The Bahá’ís of Kent provided free ice water as a service to the public and free story-telling and art projects for the children. Bahá’ís from nearby communities helped man the booth. [Page 16]انتظار می‌رود حدود ۳۰ هزار نفر در این مجمع گرد هم آیند و صدمین سال آشکاری پیمان ایزدی را آشکارا جشن بگیرند؛ از پیروزی‌ها و دست‌آوردهای گذشته سخن به میان آورند و از آرزوها و امیدهای آینده امر خدا و جامعه‌ای که افتخار خدمت آن را دارد آگاه شوند. تنها عدهٔ شرکت‌کنندگان در این رویداد نظیری در تاریخ امر مبارک نداشته است. "گذشته آئینه آینده است" و به همین جهت می‌توان با اطمینان گفت که "کنگره جهانی" نیز موفقیت دیگری بر آنچه یاران در گذشته کوتاه خود داشته‌اند، خواهد افزود و کارنامه پیروزی‌هایشان را درخشان‌تر خواهد ساخت. اما در اینجا پرسشی نیز می‌توان به میان آورد و آن اینکه "سهم یاران ایرانی در این واقعه تاریخی چیست؟"

نخستین کمکی که از دست عزیزان ایرانی برمی‌آید شرکت در کنگره جهانی است. بهائیان ایرانی علمداران اولیه امر مبارک بوده‌اند. خونشان مایه رستن و بالیدن درخت امر الهی بوده است؛ خدماتشان را مظهر امر الهی به نیکی یاد فرموده و فداکاری‌هایشان را مرکز عهد و ولی امر و بیت‌العدل اعظم ستوده‌اند. بهائیان ایرانی را سزاوار آن است که با شرکت در این کنفرانس بر بزرگی و چشمگیری آن بیفزایند.

چشمگیری و بزرگی "کنگره جهانی" اهمیت ویژه‌ای دارد و این اهمیت دارای جوانب گوناگونی است: در درون جامعه بهائی شور و شوق پدید می‌آورد و در بیرون آن جلب توجه و تذکر دیگران را می‌کند. جداً از اعلان عمومی امر بهائی و کسب نام و مقام برای آن و آشنا ساختن بسیاری از مردم با نام نامی مظهر ظهور کلی الهی، موجب قوت قلب بلادیدگان و ستم‌کشیدگان بهائی ایران می‌شود و خوشنودشان می‌سازد که گرفتاری‌ها و سختی‌هائی که بدان دچار آمده‌اند، حاصلی محسوس و ملموس داشته و دانه دردها و رنج‌هایشان خرمن خرمن بار و بر آورده است.

پس چه نیکوست که بهائیان ایرانی‌تبار خارج به یاد آن دلاوران دلداده و به نیابت از سوی آن محنت‌زدگان جان بر کف نهاده در "کنگره جهانی بهائی" شرکت نمایند و مایه تسلای خاطر همکنان محزون خود شوند.

دیگر آنکه از دوستانی که وسعشان از لحاظ مالی اجازه می‌دهد، تقاضا شده است تا جائی که امکان دارد در هتل‌های گران‌قیمت اقامت نمایند تا در اینصورت آن دسته از یاران نیز که استطاعت مالی لازم را برای اطاق‌های گران‌تر ندارند بتوانند در آن کنگره تاریخی شرکت کنند. بدین ترتیب عزیزان ایرانی می‌توانند بار دیگر گشاده‌دستی و همت والای خود را در عمل به ثبوت رسانند و با سخاوتمندی مایه آسایش احبائی را فراهم آورند که از لحاظ مادی کمتر بختیار بوده‌اند.

یاران، عزیزان، بیائید پیش از آن که ناگاه از یکدیگر بمانیم سرود یگانگی بخوانیم؛ نغمه دوستی در افلاک اندازیم و خود و دیگر احباء را سرافراز سازیم. فرصت بیمانندی از این دست را آسان از کف ندهیم و با شرکت در این مجمع پراهمیت بر رونق آن بیفزائیم. به قول نعیم: "دیگر این بسته به آن همت والای شماست."

پیام هیئت امنای حقوق‌الله خطاب به جامعه بهائی آمریکا

TRUSTEES OF HUQUQU’LLAH WRITE TO U.S. BAHA’IS

رضوان بیت‌العدل اعظم الهی را ملاحظه فرموده‌اند: "حکم مقدسی که اجرای آن از نظر خصوصی و وجدانی هر نفسی را به موهبت فداکاری در ساحت رب مجید قادر می‌سازد و از نظر عمومی مصالح جامعه را ترویج می‌دهد و تبعیت از آن هر فرد بهائی را با مؤسسه مرکزی امرالله مرتبط می‌نماید و بالاتر از همه حکم مُبرَمی که اطاعت از آن شمول برکات لانیهایه و الطاف لاتُحصای الهی را برای افراد مؤمن و عامل به احکام الهیه تضمین می‌کند، شایسته آن است که در چنین موقع مناسبی مورد استقبال عموم دوستانی که ایمان خود را به مظهر ظهور الهی ابراز می‌دارند، قرار گیرد. این است که با اظهار خضوع و خشوع به ساحت قدس الهی اعلام می‌داریم که از رضوان ۱۹۹۲، یعنی آغاز سال مقدس حکم حقوق‌الله به طور عمومی و بین‌المللی قابل اجراست و همه یاران الهی را با کمال محبت به اجرای این حکم دعوت می‌نمائیم."

از هنگام اعلام نقشه شش‌ساله بیت‌العدل اعظم الهی و فرمان معبد اعلی مبنی بر تعلیم عمومی حکم حقوق‌الله بعنوان یکی از اهداف نقشه بسیاری از احبای آمریکا فرداً و جمعاً در جلسات محلی و ناحیه‌ای و ملی و همچنین در مدارس بهائی علاقه زیادی به یادگیری اهمیت حکم حقوق‌الله و جزئیات مربوط به این فرمان محکم الهی نشان داده‌اند.

امید هیئت امنای حقوق‌الله این است که هر يك از یاران الهی در ماه‌های باقیمانده نقشه شش‌ساله امکان آگاهی هر چه بیشتر از حکم حقوق‌الله و احکام و جزئیات آن را داشته باشند تا جامعه بهائی بتواند در زمان موعود با دل و جان صلای معبد اعلی را در خصوص این حکم الهی پاسخ گوید. بدین جهت نکات زیر به آگاهی عزیزان می‌رسد:

۱ـ جوامعی که هنوز در برنامه‌های آموزشی مانند دیدن نوار ویدیویی سخنرانی ایادی عزیز امرالله جناب علیمحمد ورقاء و عضو بیت‌العدل اعظم الهی، جناب علی نخجوانی شرکت ننموده‌اند، بهتر است ترتیبات لازم را برای استفاده از آن فراهم سازند. مطمئناً جوامع امری مراسلات این هیئت را در ارتباط با این مطلب تاکنون دریافت داشته‌اند. تعداد کافی از این نوارهای ویدیوئی به قیمت نازل ۵ دلار در دفتر هیئت امنای حقوق‌الله تهیه شده است. یاران می‌توانند درخواست خرید این نوارها را به دفتر امنای حقوق‌الله به نشانی زیر ارسال دارند یا تلفنی با دفتر این هیئت تماس حاصل نمایند: تلفنی: ۳۳۳-۱۵۰۶ (۲۱۶)

Baha’i Huququ’llah Trust 21300 Avalon Drive Rocky River, OH. 44116

۲ـ چنانکه از پیش یادآوری گردیده، نسخه‌های مجموعه آثار مبارکه درباره حقوق‌الله از طریق مؤسسه مطبوعات امری به قیمت ۸۵ سنت در دسترس یاران قرار گرفته است. از کتابداران جوامع بهائی تقاضا می‌شود با مؤسسه مذکور تماس حاصل نمایند و نسخه‌های لازم را برای استفاده یاران تهیه فرمایند. امید این هیئت آن است که هر يك از خانواده‌های بهائی نسخه‌ای از این جزوه را خریداری نمایند.

با تحیات ابدع ابهی هیئت امنای حقوق‌الله ۲۷ جون ۱۹۹۱

اولین کنفرانس انجمن ادب و فرهنگ ایرانی

PERSIAN ARTS AND CULTURE ‎CONFERECE CONFERENCE‎

اولین کنفرانس انجمن ادب و فرهنگ ایرانی از تاریخ ۱۸ تا ۲۱ جولای سال جاری در مدرسه بهائی لوهلن در ایالت میشیگان انعقاد یافت. انجمن ادب و فرهنگ ایرانی تحت اشراف محفل روحانی ملی بهائیان ایالات متحده و با سرپرستی دفتر امور احبای ایرانی در ابتدای سال جاری رسماً تشکیل گردیده بود.

حدود ۳۵۰ نفر از علاقه‌مندان از ایالات متحده و کانادا و انگلستان و استرالیا در کنفرانس مذکور شرکت کردند. از آنجا که این نخستین مجمع در نوع خود بود که در این دیار برپا می‌شد، دست اندرکاران آن در وهلهٔ اول می‌خواستند بازتاب آن را در عزیزان ایرانی مطالعه کنند تا از این رهگذر بنیان کنفرانس‌های آینده را پی‌ریزی نمایند.

اکنون که چند هفته از انعقاد این کنفرانس می‌گذرد باید اذعان کرد که آنچه شرکت‌کنندگان درباره آن اظهار داشته‌اند این نکته را آشکار می‌سازد که مجمع مذکور، علیرغم کمی جا و گرمای هوا، موفقیت‌آمیز بوده و نتایج مورد نظر بدست آمده است. از طرفی مشخص شد که بسیاری از یاران احتیاج به بحث و گفتگو درباره ادب و فرهنگ ایرانی را احساس می‌کنند و از طرف دیگر تجربیاتی حاصل شد که راه تشکیل کنفرانس‌های آینده این مجمع را هموارتر ساخت.

این کنفرانس ساعت ۸ بعد از ظهر پنجشنبه ۱۸ جولای رسماً آغاز شد. در ابتدا بعنوان مقدمه سخنانی درباره اهداف انجمن فرهنگ و ادب ایرانی ایراد شد و مطالبی راجع به سهم ویژه بهائیان ایرانی در خصوص ادب و هنر و فرهنگ زادگاه حضرت بهاءالله به آگاهی حاضران رسید.

صبح روز بعد (جمعه ۱۹ جولای) در آغاز سه سخنرانی ایراد شد که در طی آنها کوششی به عمل آمد تا ادب و فرهنگ ایرانی تعریف شود. بعد از ظهر همان روز سه سخنران دیگر درباره "عشق و عرفان" مطالبی به استحضار شرکت‌کنندگان رساندند. هنگام غروب بحثی در خصوص "مقام هنر در امر بهائی" ارائه شد که با نمایش اسلاید توسط یکی از هنرمندان باسابقه بهائی خاتمه یافت.

صبح شنبه ۲۰ جولای به بحث درباره سه تن از دانشمندان معاصر بهائی اختصاص یافت. این سه عبارت بودند از ایادی دانشمند و مورخ عالیقدر امرالله جناب حسن موقر بالیوزی و محقق و ایرانشناس نامدار ایتالیائی جناب الساندرو باوزانی و استاد فلسفه‌دان و جوان‌پرور بهائی دکتر علیمراد داودی.

بعد از ظهر آن روز صحبت از "مهم‌ترین واقعه قرن نوزدهم" بود؛ دو تن از صاحب‌نظران درباره اهمیت ظهور حضرت بهاءالله و تاریخ زندگانی آن حضرت بیاناتی اظهار داشتند. بدین ترتیب محور و منبع الهام جدید ادب و فرهنگ ایرانی که فرهنگ گذشته را در ظهور خود آشکارا به کار گرفت و خود عامل اساسی برای تجدد در آن و نیز در دیگر فرهنگ‌ها خواهد بود، معرفی شد.

در جلسه غروب سخنانی درباره "ریشه‌های ایرانی هنر اسلامی و مسیحی و بودائی" به همراه نمایش اسلاید ایراد شد.

صبح روز آخر کنفرانس (یکشنبه ۲۱ جولای) علیرغم کثرت و فشردگی برنامه‌های دو روز گذشته، هم شرکت‌کنندگان و هم مجریان چشم انتظار ادامه برنامه و استفاده از آن بودند. یکی از اعضاء هیئت امنای حقوق‌الله در ایالات متحده یاران را از اهمیت این حکم الهی آگاه ساخت. سپس "رساله مدنیه و مسئله تجدد در خاورمیانه" مورد بررسی کلی قرار گرفت. پس از این سخنرانی مطالبی که در سراسر کنفرانس مطرح شده بود، به همراه یادآوری‌های سازنده‌ای برای خط مشی آینده انجمن ادب و فرهنگ ایرانی به اختصار بررسی شد و بدین ترتیب کنفرانس رسماً پایان پذیرفت.

در سراسر دو روز و سه شبی که این کنفرانس برپا بود، برنامه‌های موسیقی (ویلن، نی، تنبك، سنتور و پیانو) در خلال برنامه‌ها و نیز در بخش‌های معین اجرا می‌شد و بدین ترتیب روان شرکت‌کنندگان را می‌نواخت. برنامه‌های شب و بزم‌های شعر و آواز و موسیقی نیز بر شادی حاصل از این مجمع می‌افزود.

همزمان با جلسات اصلی کنفرانس، جلسات فرعی خاصی نیز درباره "روش تلاوت آیات" و "اهمیت آموزش آثار امری به کودکان" و "سیر تحول خط فارسی" تشکیل می‌شد. همچنین دو برنامه به زبان انگلیسی یکی درباره خوشنویسی جناب مشکین‌قلم و دیگری تحت عنوان "نظری کلی به ادبیات فارسی" ارائه شد که کسانی که زبان اصلیشان انگلیسی بود ـ یا آن را بهتر از فارسی می‌دانستند ـ در آن شرکت کردند.

بی‌اغراق می‌توان گفت که این کنفرانس، به ویژه با در نظر گرفتن آزمایشی بودن آن، بسی بهتر از آن بود که برنامه‌ریزان و مجریان آن انتظار داشتند. آنچه در این کنفرانس ارائه شد، تنها می‌تواند بعنوان گام‌های نخستین در راهی دور و دراز تلقی شود. هنوز جا برای تحقیق درباره موضوعاتی که در اولین کنفرانس ادب و فرهنگ ایرانی مورد بررسی قرار گرفت، بسیار است. دامنه ادب و هنر و فرهنگ ایران بسی گسترده‌تر از آن است که بتوان راجع به آن در دو سه روز سخن گفت. هنوز بسیاری دانشمندان بهائی معاصر با گذشته که مورد تجلیل قرار نگرفته‌اند. هنوز میدان تحقیق درباره آثار مبارکه امر الهی سوارکار و مبارز می‌طلبد. هنوز عناصر اصلی مدنیت الهی، آنچنانکه باید، شناسائی نشده است. هنوز مأموریت یاران ایرانی در قبال ادب و هنر ایران مشخص و آشکار نگردیده و سهمی که نویسندگان و هنرمندان و دانشمندان بهائی ایرانی در برابر آن بر عهده دارند، مورد بررسی دقیق قرار نگرفته است.

بدین ترتیب کار ناکرده بسیار است اما در عین حال راه انجام این کارها هموار است. مسؤولیت انجام این امور در وهلهٔ اول بر دوش یاران ایرانی است. بنابراین دفتر امور احبای ایرانی از دوستان گرامی دعوت می‌نماید که با حمایت خویش دفتر مذکور را در انجام وظائف خود مدد فرمایند.

کنفرانس دوم "انجمن ادب و فرهنگ ایرانی" قرار است در ماه ژانویه سال ۱۹۹۲ در جنوب کالیفرنیا تشکیل شود و محور اصلی برنامه آن شرح حیات و آثار و خدمات شاعر شیرین سخن بهائی جناب نعیم اصفهانی خواهد بود. اطلاعات بیشتر راجع به کنفرانس بعدی در صفحات فارسی شماره‌های آینده "امریکن بهائی" به آگاهی عزیزان خواهد رسید. [Page 17]

پیام محفل روحانی ملی

LETTER FROM THE NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY

ترجمه نامه محفل روحانی ملی بهائیان ایالات متحده مورخ ۳۱ جولای ۱۹۹۱

دوستان عزیز بهائی،

همانگونه که یاران عزیز آگاهی دارند، اوراق مربوط به نام‌نویسی در کنگره جهانی بهائی اخیراً به همهٔ محافل روحانی محلی فرستاده شد. این اوراق توسط "دفتر امور اجرائی کنگره جهانی" تهیه شده است که مسؤول ترتیب سفر و محل اقامت برای بیش از ۳۰ هزار نفر شرکت‌کننده‌ای است که انتظار می‌رود در کنفرانس مذکور شرکت نمایند.

برخی از دوستان از قیمت‌هائی که برای سفر هوائی و هزینه هتل داده شده است، اظهار نگرانی کرده و گفته‌اند که این ترتیبات را می‌توان با نرخ‌های کمتری فراهم نمود. بیت‌العدل اعظم الهی پس از بررسی موضوع اراده فرموده‌اند که این محفل برخی از جزئیات مربوط به چند و چون قرارها و ترتیباتی را که با آژانس مسافرتی "کورپورت ترول کانسالتنتس" (CTC) Corporate Travel Consultants داشته است، با آن عزیزان در میان نهد.

چنانکه از اوراق ثبت نامی که برای دوستان فرستاده شده است بر می‌آید، یاران روحانی می‌توانند در صورت تمایل شخصاً ترتیب سفر و محل اقامت خود را بدهند. اما در اینصورت باید متذکر باشند که از آنجا که شرکت‌های هوائی در شرایط نابسامانی به سر می‌برند، امکان دارد که هزینه سفر هوائی به طور ناگهانی افزایش یابد. بعلاوه هتل‌های نیویورک از آنجا که بعضی از مشتریانشان اتاق رزرو می‌کنند و به عللی آن را نمی‌گیرند، معمولاً بیش از ظرفیت خود اتاق رزرو شده دارند. بنابراین دوستان باید آگاه باشند که این احتمال وجود دارد که علیرغم رزرو کردن اتاق، محلی برای اقامت نداشته باشند. جهت جلوگیری از این امکان ناگوار "دفتر امور اجرائی کنگره جهانی" با همکاری شرکت سی تی سی CTC قراردادهایی با هتل‌ها و شرکت‌های هوائی امضاء کرده و از آنها ضمانت گرفته‌اند.

طرح برنامه برای کنگره جهانی و اجرای آن ابعاد گسترده‌ای دارد و متضمّن گرفتاری‌هائی است که باید با آن روبرو شد و به رفع آن پرداخت، از جمله: بزرگی اجتماع و پیچیدگی برگزاری آن، گرانی قیمت در نیویورک، بزرگی شهر و وضع درهم و پیچیده رفت و آمد در آن، محیط دشوار تجاری و بازرگانی، و خطرات مربوط به امنیت جانی.

بدین ترتیب کوشش‌های بسیاری برای برگزاری کنگره جهانی به عمل آمده است که همهٔ عناصر مربوط به برنامه‌ریزی و اجرای آن هماهنگ شود چنانکه شرکت‌کنندگان را از زمانی که وارد نیویورک شوند تا لحظه‌ای که آن شهر را ترک نمایند در کانون یک تجربهٔ تام بهائی قرار دهد و تا آنجا که ممکن باشد آنان را در تمامی آن مدت در پناه حمایت مؤسسات امری نگاه دارد.

همکاری با آژانس سی تی سی CTC با در نظر گرفتن این ملاحظات صورت پذیرفت. جزئیاتی که در زیر درج می‌شود نمایانگر قراردادی است که با شرکت مذکور به امضاء رسیده است:

• آژانس سی تی سی جهت تأمین نازل‌ترین نرخ برای هتل و مخارج سفر مذاکرات مفصلی با شرکت‌های مختلف نموده و از این پس نیز این مذاکرات و کوشش‌ها را ادامه خواهد داد.
• از آنجا که مذاکرات با هتل‌ها و شرکت‌های هوائی دو سال قبل از کنگره جهانی صورت گرفته، این مؤسسات ناچار بوده‌اند مخارج را در سال ۱۹۹۲ پیش‌بینی کنند، مؤسسات مذکور ضمانت کرده‌اند که احباء کم‌ترین قیمتی را که در وقت تشکیل کنگره عرضه می‌شود، پرداخت نمایند. بنابراین اگر در آن زمان کم‌ترین نرخ از قیمت‌های برآورد شده بیشتر باشد، یاران مجبور نخواهند بود بیش از آنچه تعهد شده بپردازند. اما اگر مخارج در زمان تشکیل کنگره کمتر از نرخ برآورد شده باشد، ما به التفاوت آن به یاران مسترد خواهد شد.
• از آنجا که انتظار می‌رود عدّهٔ زیادی از یاران در کنگره شرکت نمایند، رزرو کردن اتاق‌های هتل به روش معمول کافی به نظر نمی‌رسید. هتل‌های نیویورک اعتبار چندانی برای اتاق‌های رزرو شده قائل نیستند، زیرا تقاضا برای هتل در شهری که وقایع و مجامع گوناگون و بزرگی در آن رخ می‌دهد بسیار است. به همین جهت لازم بود که قراردادهایی بین محفل روحانی ملی و هتل‌های گوناگون به امضاء برسد که رزرو ۲۰ هزار اتاق برای یاران یقیناً ضمانت شود. محفل روحانی ملی قراردادهای مذکور را با اعتماد به این نکته امضاء نموده است که یاران از ترتیباتی که داده شده است پشتیبانی نمایند.
• تعداد گوناگونی هتل با نرخ‌های مختلف در نظر گرفته شده است. یاران باید آگاه باشند که اگر اتاق‌های رزرو شده در این هتل‌ها پر شود، سالن‌های بزرگ و وسائل مربوط به کنفرانس به طور مجانی یا با مخارج بسیار کم در اختیار کنگره جهانی قرار خواهد گرفت که برای فعالیت‌های جنبی و اجتماعات ثانوی احباء در خارج از جلسات اصلی کنگره از آنها استفاده خواهد شد. از آنجا که به علت تعداد زیاد شرکت‌کنندگان و نیز به علل دیگر، هر یک از قسمت‌های کنگره جهانی دو بار به اجرا در خواهد آمد، یاران نخواهند توانست پس از اتمام یک قسمت از برنامه‌ها در محل کنگره بمانند. به همین جهت بسیار مهم است که در هتل‌ها برای اجتماعات یاران وجود داشته باشد. اگر احباء اتاق‌هائی را که با ترتیبات مذکور رزرو شده است نگیرند، مخارج کرایهٔ سالن‌های مذکور بالغ بر یک میلیون دلار خواهد شد.
• قراردادهایی که با آژانس سی تی سی به امضاء رسیده، مانع از آن است که آژانس مذکور بیش از آنچه معمولاً بعنوان کارمزد دریافت می‌دارد، اخذ نماید. اما تفاوت معامله‌ای در این قرارداد وجود دارد که به سود "دفتر امور اجرائی کنگره جهانی" خواهد بود. آژانس سی تی سی در قرارداد خود با محفل روحانی ملی موافقت کرده است که خدمات ویژه‌ای را، بدون مخارج اضافی، بر عده گیرد. این خدمات عبارت است از: ۱- فراهم ساختن ترتیبات در هر یک از فرودگاه‌ها و هتل‌ها در زمان انعقاد کنگره جهت تأمین خدمات از زمان ورود به نیویورک تا زمان ترک آن شهر، ۲- قبول مسؤولیت برای مخارج نام‌نویسی برای هر یک از افراد تا تعداد ۲۰ هزار نفر.

همانطور که یاران عزیز ملاحظه می‌فرمایند، این محفل قراردادی انحصاری با آژانس سی تی سی امضاء نموده که بهترین ترتیبات سفر و محل اقامت چنانکه شایسته کنگره جهانی است فراهم گردد. البته شرح جزئیات قرارداد اقتضاء می‌کند که نامه‌ای بس طولانی‌ تر نگاشته شود، به همین جهت امیدواریم که مرقومهٔ فعلی برای اظهار اطمینان این جمع مبنی بر اینکه ترتیبات داده شده، با در نظر گرفتن ابعاد کنگره جهانی، به بهترین وجه صورت گرفته است، کفایت کند. بنابراین اگر عدّهٔ زیادی از یاران بخواهند خارج از محدودهٔ این قرارداد عمل نمایند، ممکن است اشکالات بزرگی رخ نماید.

محفل روحانی ملی متکی بر استقبال یاران از ترتیبات مذکور است زیرا در غیر اینصورت دشواری‌های بسیاری برای سازمان‌دهی کنگره جهانی ایجاد خواهد شد. مخصوصاً از یارانی که دست اندر کار امور مسافرتی و هتل‌داری هستند تقاضا می‌شود نهایت خویشتن‌داری را جهت رعایت احترام به ترتیبات مذکور مراعات نمایند و برنامه‌هائی در رابطه با سفر و تأمین محل اقامت طرح نریزند و بدین ترتیب این نتیجهٔ نامطلوب را حاصل ننمایند که گوئی احباء با یکدیگر به رقابت افتاده‌اند. معذلک اگر یاران از ترتیبات بهتری با مخارج کم‌تر آگاهی حاصل نمایند باید بی‌تردید آن را با "دفتر امور اجرائی کنگره جهانی" در میان نهند و بدین ترتیب این امکان را فراهم سازند که دفتر مذکور بتواند اقدامات لازم را برای تأمین بهترین نرخ و شرایط برای عموم یاران صورت دهد. در واقع این همکاری "دفتر امور اجرائی" را مدد خواهد کرد تا بتواند آژانس سی تی سی را از شروط قراردادش با محفل ملی مبنی بر تضمین نازل‌ترین نرخ موجود آگاه سازد.

با تحیات ابدع ابهی محفل روحانی ملی بهائیان ایالات متحده منشی: رابرت سی هندرسن

ضمیمه: توضیحی درباره خدمات کنگره جهانی

۱- کاهش هزینه سفر و محل اقامت برای کنگره جهانی

• در حال حاضر امکان این امر حاصل شده که مبالغی که در "راهنمای نام‌نویسی" برای هزینه هتل درج شده است ۶ تا ۱۸ درصد در طبقات مختلف کاهش یابد. یارانی که تا کنون ثبت نام کرده‌اند، خواهند دید که این تقلیل در رسیدهایشان منعکس شده است.
• همچنین انتظار می‌رود هنگامی که تعداد معتنابهی از یاران اوراق نام‌نویسی خود را ارسال دارند، از قیمت بلیط هواپیما و نرخ هتل‌ها کاسته شود.
• نام‌نویسی هر چه زودتر یاران برای کنگره جهانی موضع محکم‌تری به جامعهٔ امری خواهد داد که بتواند تخفیف بیشتری حاصل نماید.
• تخفیفات حاصله در سال جاری به اطلاع یاران خواهد رسید و ما به التفاوت به شرکت‌کنندگان در کنگره مسترد خواهد گشت.

۲- کارمزد خدمات کنگره

کارمزدی که برای خدمات کنگره از عموم شرکت‌کنندگان، صرف نظر از طریقه سفر و محل اقامت، دریافت می‌شود، جهت کمک به تأمین مخارج خدمات رفاهی و امنیتی به کار خواهد رفت. این خدمات عبارت است از:

• هزینه اتوبوس برای رفت و آمد شرکت‌کنندگان از محل‌های مشخص شده در هتل‌ها به محل کنگره.
• هزینه تأمین امنیت و کمک‌های اولیه و خدمات دیگر در محل انعقاد کنگره جهانی.

۳- اتاق‌های ارزان قیمت

تعداد محدودی اتاق ارزان قیمت به بهای نفری ۳۰ تا ۴۹ دلار روزانه با صبحانه ارزان موجود است. این اتاق‌ها برای افراد یا گروه‌هائی با نیازهای خاص در نظر گرفته شده است و به اشارهٔ محافل روحانی محلی به افراد اختصاص داده خواهد شد. اتاق‌های مذکور را می‌توان مستقیماً از طریق "دفتر امور اجرائی کنگره جهانی" رزرو کرد. تعیین این اتاق‌ها و ترتیب پرداخت، بسته به نیاز یاران، متفاوت خواهد بود زیرا شرایط این اتاق‌ها نیز با هم تفاوت دارد.

۴- کمک‌های ویژه

"دفتر امور اجرائی کنگره جهانی" منابع ویژه‌ای برای کمک به یاران یا گروه‌هائی که نیازهای خاصی داشته باشند، در اختیار دارد.

۵- تأیید نام‌نویسی

امور مربوط به نام‌نویسی در شرف انجام است و یاران تأییدیه نام‌نویسی را به زودی دریافت خواهند داشت.

کنگره جهانی بهائی

BAHA’I WORLD CONGRESS

در فاصله میلاد و مرگ آدمی رویدادهای گوناگونی صورت می‌گیرد. بسیاری از این رویدادها در شمار وقایع روزمره و عادی است و انسان را توجهی بدانها نیست. چه بسیار روزها و هفته‌هائی که می‌گذرد و اتفاقاتی که در طی آنها می‌افتد در حافظه انسان نمی‌ماند، زیرا وقایع روزانه و معمولی اثر چندانی ایجاد نمی‌کند تا مورد توجه قرار گیرد و در نهانگاه حافظه نگاهداری شود.

اما رویدادهائی، رویدادهای نامنتظر و نادری نیز رخ می‌دهد که همچون نقش بر سنگ در ضمیر آدمی جای می‌گیرد و در اندک زمانی ملکهٔ ذهن او می‌شود. گشت و گذار در باغ خاطرهٔ این رویدادها زندگی را پربار می‌کند و چه بسا که به آن معنی می‌بخشد.

یکی از ویژگی‌های این وقایع کمیابی و تکرارناپذیری آنهاست. دست کم یکی از دلائل ماندگاری و جاودانگی خاطراتی که ما از جشن زناشوئی و زاده شدن کودکان و از دست دادن عزیزان خویش داریم، این است که این وقایع روزمره و عادی و تکرارپذیر نیست وگرنه اینها نیز در زمرهٔ امور پیش پا افتاده در می‌آمد و گذشت زمان آنها را به صورت خاطره‌ای دور و از دست‌رفته و فراموش‌شده در می‌آورد.

ابا نکنیم و به صراحت بگوئیم که "کنگره جهانی بهائی" که قرار است در پائیز سال ۱۹۹۲ در شهر نیویورک برپا شود، یکی از اینگونه رویدادهای نادر و ‎بیمانند بی‌مانند‎ است. با جرأت می‌توان ادعا کرد که تا آخر قرن حاضر هیچ مجمعی به عظمت و اهمیت آن نخواهیم داشت و حتی شاید "کنگره جهانی" برای بسیاری از یاران بزرگ‌ترین واقعهٔ امری در باقیمانده دوره حیاتشان باشد. بعید نیست که تغییراتی که در جهان و جامعهٔ جهانی بهائی رخ می‌دهد و پیشرفت‌هائی که در روش‌ها و وسائل مخابره و ارتباط حاصل می‌شود، تشکیل این چنین جلسات را در آینده ناممکن یا غیرضروری کند. [Page 18]

BIC prepares for UN conference on environment in Brazil

UNITED NATIONS

Representatives of the Bahá’í International Community Office of the Environment have been active in many conferences in preparation for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) to be held in Brazil in June 1992.

Representing the BIC at a meeting of the Preparatory Committee of UNCED, held August 12 in Geneva, Switzerland, were Han Ju Kim-Farley and Rebequa Getahoun Murphy.

It would be accurate to say that no UN conference to date, perhaps with the exception of the founding conference, has been so ambitious and open to suggestions as UNCED. The following statement was presented orally by Mrs. Kim-Farley, and written copies were given to government delegations and representatives of non-governmental organizations attending the session of the Preparatory Committee.

A modified version of the statement was submitted by the Bahá’í representatives to the International Environmental Law Conference held August 12-16 at The Hague.

With this statement, the BIC hopes to lift the vision of the discussions that will take place throughout the UNCED process.

International Legislation for Environment and Development

A statement presented to Working Group III of the third session of the Preparatory Committee for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED)

Geneva, August 1991

A little over 100 years ago, in a series of letters to the world leaders of the day, Bahá’u’lláh spoke of humankind as entering a period of history that would entail the radical restructuring of the life of the planet.

Challenges never before contemplated would, He said, soon overwhelm the resources of even the most advanced nations. They could be addressed only by a world federal system whose central organ would be a representative world parliament empowered to create a code of universally agreed upon and enforceable international law.

“The earth is but one country,” Bahá’u’lláh asserted, “and mankind its citizens.”

As the magnitude, complexity and urgency of environmental problems have gradually forced themselves on public attention, the logic of this prescription has become daily more apparent. The available international legislative machinery and processes are proving inadequate, primarily because they are based on laws governing nation-states.

To the Bahá’í International Community it seems clear that, unless creative new steps in the restructuring of the international order can be taken, environmental degradation alone, and its long-term implications for social and economic development, will lead inexorably to a disaster of appalling dimensions.

The current process for creating international environmental legislation, which addresses only one problem at a time, is fragmented and unsystematic. Conventions, treaties and protocols have been adopted on such diverse issues as the protection of the ozone layer and control of international traffic in hazardous wastes. Other conventions are being negotiated on climate change and on biological diversity.

Still others have been suggested on such topics as land-based sources of marine pollution. No one body is responsible for drafting international environmental legislation, nor have the nations of the world agreed on a set of principles upon which environmental legislation can be based.

Moreover, the countries signing the various legislative covenants are rarely identical. Thus, it is almost impossible to harmonize or combine agreements.

The international legislative process is well known to be slow, cumbersome and expensive. Once a problem is identified, meetings of experts are called to prepare a draft agreement. The agreement is negotiated by interested governments and signed at a plenipotentiary meeting.

After what is often a lengthy period of ratification and accessions, the legislation comes into force, but only in those states that have signed it. A secretariat is generally established to facilitate and monitor the convention’s implementation.

If legislation has to be modified, as in the case of the Montreal Protocol, where increased ozone deterioration outstripped the protocol’s provisions, updating can be as slow as adoption. Many countries with limited numbers of diplomats and experts cannot cope with such time-consuming and expensive procedures, especially as the number of negotiations is increasing to respond to pressing global environmental concerns.

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

These problems include militarization, the inordinate disparity of wealth among and within nations, racism, lack of access to education, unrestrained nationalism, and the lack of equality between women and men.

Rather than a piecemeal approach conceived in response to the needs of the nation-states, it seems clearly preferable to adopt an umbrella agreement under which specific international codes could be promulgated.

Long-term solutions will require a new and comprehensive vision of a global society, supported by new values. In the view of the Bahá’í International Community, acceptance of the oneness of humanity is the first fundamental prerequisite for this reorganization and administration of the world as one country, the home of humankind.

Recognition of this principle does not imply abandonment of legitimate loyalties, the suppression of cultural diversity, or the abolition of national autonomy. It calls for a wider loyalty, for a far higher aspiration than has so far animated human efforts.

It clearly requires the subordination of national impulses and interests to the imperative claims of a unified world. It is inconsistent not only with any attempt to impose uniformity, but with any tendency toward excessive centralization. Its goal is well captured in the concept of “unity in diversity.”

The Bahá’í Writings envision the world federal system proposed by Bahá’u’lláh as one “in whose favor all the nations of the world will have willingly ceded every claim to make war, certain rights to impose taxation and all rights to maintain armaments, except for purposes of maintaining internal order within their respective dominions.”

Such a world commonwealth would include “a world legislature, whose members will, as the trustees of the whole of humankind, ultimately control the entire resources of all the component nations, and will enact such laws as shall be required to regulate the life, satisfy the needs and adjust the relationships of all races and peoples.

“A world executive, backed by an international Force, will carry out the decisions arrived at, and apply the laws enacted by, this world legislature, and will safeguard the organic unity of the whole commonwealth. A world tribunal will adjudicate and deliver its compulsory and final verdict in all and any disputes that may arise between the various elements constituting this universal system.”

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

The Bahá’í International Community therefore urges the Preparatory Committee to consider bold and creative approaches to the creation of international legislative machinery and processes. No real change is possible without a vision.

The proposed Earth Charter can go a long way toward articulating a unifying vision for the future and boldly asserting the values on which it must rest. In its work on the text, the Preparatory Committee may wish to refer to “The Promise of World Peace,” a statement to the peoples of the world issued in support of the United Nations International Year of Peace (IYP) by the Universal House of Justice.

Bahá’ís all over the world find in the UNCED process a powerful reinforcement of the optimism they feel about the future of humankind. We believe that, empowered by the universal recognition of the dangers presently facing the planet, the governments of the world can be moved to act courageously on behalf of the human race as a whole.

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

Los Angeles Bahá’í Center host to 650 for S. African Student Peace Concert

About 650 people attended a South African Student Peace Concert held May 25 at the Bahá’í Center in Los Angeles, California.

The gala event was co-sponsored by the Bahá’í African-American Action Network and the South African International Student Congress (SAISCO).

Among the performers were recording artist Carl Anderson, rhythm and blues singer Oscar Snow, comedian Darrow Igus, the UCLA Ecumenical Black Campus Ministry Choir, rapper N3D, the African Drum Ensemble, and the South African A Capella Choir and Gumboot Dancers.

Also, Bahá’í Gloria Haithman-Ali spoke about Bahá’u’lláh and read from the National Spiritual Assembly’s statement on race unity.

About 90 percent of those attending the concert were not Bahá’ís.

“O Friends! Abandon not the everlasting beauty for a beauty that must die, and set not your affections on this mortal world of dust.” —Bahá’u’lláh [Page 19]

Long-time Bahá’í makes ‘miraculous’ return ‘home’ to serve Faith in USSR

In the mid-1980s Mr. Vahid Khaze, a life-long Bahá’í and veteran teacher of the Faith, began a prayerful search for a new field of service in the Cause of God.

His prayers led him to a decision that seemed impossible at the time—that he should return to his native Soviet Union to promote the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh. A resident of the United States, he began to prepare for his return in the confident belief that the Blessed Beauty would somehow open the way.

After a series of world events and personal adventures that he describes as “nothing short of miraculous,” Mr. Khaze arrived in the fall of 1990 in his native city of Baku in Soviet Azerbaijan, exactly 60 years after having left the USSR with his family for Iran.

Mr. Khaze was delighted to find the people of the Soviet Union quite receptive to the teachings. “While in Europe on my way to Moscow,” he said, “I was told that there were five local Spiritual Assemblies in the country. By the time I arrived in the capital, the number had increased to seven. Within a week, four more had been formed, for a total of 11!”

By the beginning of this year the number of local Assemblies had grown to the point that the Universal House of Justice instructed the believers there to form the first Spiritual Assembly of the Soviet Union during the upcoming Ridván celebration, a year earlier than originally planned.

Mr. Khaze was elected to serve on that body at a National Convention attended by some 260 believers, including many traveling teachers and visitors.

A retired businessman, Mr. Khaze devotes all of his time to teaching the Faith. “The momentum is incredible,” he said, “and it is increasing every day. After so many decades of deprivation, the people of the Soviet Union greatly need, and are eager to hear, the healing message of Bahá’u’lláh.”

He reported that as of July there were no less than 30 local Assemblies in the country, and expressed his conviction that the Faith would continue to grow apace.

Mr. Khaze visited the U.S. from mid-July through the first week of August. He conveyed to all of the Bahá’ís here the love and prayers of the Spiritual Assembly of the Soviet Union, with special thanks to those friends who have helped with the teaching work in that country.

The Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the Soviet Union was elected at the National Convention held at Ridván 1991 in Moscow. The Hand of the Cause of God ‘Alí-Akbar Furútan represented the Universal House of Justice at the election. Vahid Khazeh, who arrived only recently in the Soviet Union from the U.S., is standing in the center of the photograph holding the Greatest Name.

‘Candles of Unity’ begin to shed light on world

Move toward lasting peace a long process

By ROBERT H. STOCKMAN

The rapid movement of world events, especially in the last three years, has prompted many Bahá’ís to speculate about the references in the Bahá’í writings to the establishment of world peace.

The writings of Bahá’u’lláh make a clear distinction between two stages in the peace process: the Lesser Peace, a political peace created and supervised by the governments and peoples of the world; and the Most Great Peace, a time when the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh will be the primary source of guidance for a world civilization and world society, and the Bahá’í administrative institutions will have fully developed and matured.

The Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, has said that the Most Great Peace will require “centuries” to establish, and that before its establishment Bahá’í communities would pass through a number of stages: obscurity, proscription, emancipation and recognition.

Different Bahá’í communities, he indicated, would pass through these stages at different times. The development of the worldwide Bahá’í community would culminate in the Faith’s “establishment” in the world and the “founding” of a “world-embracing Bahá’í Commonwealth” (God Passes By, xvii), events associated with the Most Great Peace.

The Lesser Peace will come about much sooner than the Most Great Peace. While Shoghi Effendi has said that we do not know the precise date when a world government will be established, he did say that the Lesser Peace would “synchronize” with the building of the Arc on Mount Carmel and with the evolution of Bahá’í institutions (Messages to the Bahá’í World, p. 74).

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, in an interview for the Montreal Star, said that the 20th century would witness the establishment of the Lesser Peace.

The Lesser Peace is not a single event but a process that involves various aspects and stages, some of which were described by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in His Tablet on the “Seven Candles of Unity” (Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, p. 32). These “seven candles” are political unity, unity of thought in world undertakings, unity in freedom, unity in religion, unity of nations (which, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá adds, “in this century will be securely established”), unity of races, and unity of language.

Shoghi Effendi, in a letter to an individual Bahá’í, said that the candles would not necessarily appear in that order; therefore, one cannot conclude that the first four candles must occur by the year 2000.

Nevertheless, one is struck by the progress the world has unconsciously made in the last few years toward the achievement of the first three candles: political unity, unity of thought in world undertakings, and unity in freedom.

Of course, much progress is needed in all three areas. Looking ahead, we cannot know how much suffering will be necessary to establish the “unity of nations” in the remaining years of this century, nor do we know precisely what form that unity might take.

We do not know how long it will be before unity of religion, of the races, and of language takes place. Nevertheless, we can be confident that God’s plan for humanity will move ever forward, and that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s prophecy will continue to unfold.

About two and one-half years ago the Bahá’í Speech Club of the Santa Clara Valley was formed under the auspices of the Spiritual Assembly of San José. Today its 26 members, ranging in age from 5-14 years, under the supervision of Guity Jam, deliver memorized speeches at Bahá’í Family School and other Bahá’í events as well as on many non-Bahá’í occasions in the San José area such as the annual Martin Luther King Day breakfast. The club was formed in response to this statement by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: ‘Encourage ye the school children from the earliest years to deliver speeches of high quality so that in their leisure time they will engage in giving cogent and effective talks expressing themselves with clarity and eloquence.’ One of their talks is on ‘The Beauty of Courtesy,’ another on ‘The Great Mission of Children.’ Club members have discussed its aims and purposes and delivered their speeches on radio and television.

Persian Arts and Culture Conference held at Louhelen

The first conference organized by the Persian Arts and Culture Association was held July 8-12 at the Louhelen Bahá’í School in Michigan.

More than 350 Bahá’ís from all over the U.S. and from many other countries attended the eight plenary sessions and six concurrent sessions.

About two dozen speakers, musicians and artists took part in the program and addressed a wide range of topics related to the arts and culture of Iran as well as Bahá’í writings and history.

Among those topics: the most significant event of the 19th century (the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh); the life and works of three contemporary Bahá’í scholars; Iranian roots of Islamic, Christian and Buddhist art; The Secret of Divine Civilization and the question of modernism in the Middle East; an overview of Persian literature (in English); calligraphy of Mishkín Qalam (in English); how to chant Bahá’í prayers; and the importance of familiarizing our children with the Bahá’í writings.

The Persian Arts and Culture Association was created this year with the approval of the National Spiritual Assembly to “help the Persian-speaking members of the community maintain and enhance their familiarity with the language of revelation and the cultural background of the Writings and history of the Faith.”

Evening sessions were devoted to audio-visual and musical presentations, which, along with musical interludes during the day, intensified the joyous spirit engendered by the presentations.

The speaker at the opening session was Auxiliary Board member Javidukht Khadem, while at the closing session Dr. Daryush Haghighi, a member of the Board of Trustees of Huqúqu’lláh, spoke about the Law of Huqúqu’lláh in comparison to similar laws in Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

The Persian/American Affairs Office is already planning the next such conference for January 1992 in the Los Angeles area. For information about future plans, please phone the Bahá’í National Center, 708-869-9039, ext. 212. [Page 20]

Niños como maestros de la Causa de Dios

En su mensaje del Ridván de 1988, la Casa Universal de Justicia llamó a cada “hombre, mujer, joven, y niño” al campo de enseñanza. Esta llamada desafía una suposición común de que los creyentes jóvenes todavía no están listos para tomar su lugar como maestros de la Causa. La Casa Universal de Justicia confirmó que los jóvenes y los niños tienen un papel significante que tomar en el trabajo de enseñanza en el momento actual.

Desde entonces, el Centro Internacional de Enseñanza ha estado trabajando diligentemente de extender el entendimiento de que los niños y los jóvenes pueden ser maestros competentes de ambos de sus iguales y de los adultos. Tan elevada es su capacidad, en realidad, que en una carta del 5 de diciembre de 1988, el Centro Internacional de Enseñanza declaró que los niños deben ser “vistos como una puerta para la entrada en tropas.”

Los niños, como todos los creyentes en Bahá’u’lláh, son responsables en cumplir su primera obligación, la cual, como ‘Abdu’l-Bahá declaró en su Voluntad y Testamento, es enseñar la Fe a otros. Y, como el resto de nosotros, los niños tienen que estar asegurados de su habilidad de enseñar y ayudados a aprender como prepararse para enseñar efectivamente. Para que la enseñanza sea parte diaria de su vida requiere que el amor por Bahá’u’lláh y la firmeza en su Convenio sean establecidos firmemente en sus corazones, que este amor y certeza sean transformados en confianza, y que la expresión de este amor y obediencia sea ejecutado a través de acción.

Para ayudar a los niños a alcanzar su obligación espiritual de enseñar, regresemos nuestro pensamiento al mensaje del Ridván de 1988 de la Casa Universal de Justicia, considerando su declaración que “el propósito principal de toda actividad Bahá’í es la enseñanza,” y examinando cómo podemos aplicar aquel propósito a las actividades en que participamos con niños. Podemos preguntarnos, por ejemplo, ¿Para qué tenemos clases de niños? ¿Es para ayudar a que nuestros niños sean maestros de la Causa? ¿Para que les ayudamos memorizar oraciones Bahá’ís? ¿Es para ayudar a que nuestros niños sean maestros de la Causa? Si no es para esto, podemos considerar maneras de conectar estas actividades con el propósito de promulgar la Causa de Dios.

Si actuamos con la expectación de que los niños son miembros responsables de la Causa de Bahá’u’lláh, podemos habilitarlos para llevar a cabo sus obligaciones sagradas como creyentes. Un resultado positivo y transformador puede ocurrir a menudo cuando los niños se dan cuenta del propósito de las actividades Bahá’ís y entienden el papel que se espera que ellos tomen en estas actividades. Los niños lucharán para llevar a cabo los deberes sagrados que se les han habilitado percibir como su propia responsabilidad para cumplir. Como resultado, llegarán a ser activamente involucrados en el trabajo de enseñanza y en otros aspectos de la vida Bahá’í en comunidad.

Llamada para maestros viajeros o pioneros

Se ha ‎inscribido inscrito‎ en la Fe 80 creyentes desde el mes de mayo en la ciudad de Woodburn, Oregon. Se extiende una invitación a aquellos ‎interesado interesados‎ a viajar o quedarse de pioneros bilingües de habla español.

Todos estos creyentes son almas preparadas y listas para beber aun más de la copa de fe y conocimiento. Entonces los que consideren estos puestos necesitan ser dispuestos a extender la expansión y consolidación de la Causa y habilitar a los creyentes recién declarados en los ‎mismo mismos‎.

Favor de escribir o llamar a la oficina del Comité de Enseñanza, (708-869-9039, ext. 235) dirigiéndose a Sylvia D. Gonzales.

Intercambio de las escuelas regionales

Una de las metas establecidas por la casa Universal de Justicia para el Plan de Seis Años habla sobre una “aumento en la traducción, producción, distribución y el uso de literatura Bahá’í.” Al aumentar e intensificar la interacción de la Palabra Sagrada en sesiones escolares, los Comités Escolares Regionales pueden ayudar a ganar esta meta estimulando a los amigos que aumenten su estudio y el uso de la Palabra de Dios.

El Guardián sentía que las escuelas Bahá’ís deben “estimular al estudiante para proceder en sus estudios privadamente cuando regresen a sus hogares” y que “ellos [los estudiantes] deben ser enseñados el hábito de estudiar la Causa constantemente, pues lo más que leamos las Palabras lo más que la verdad que contienen nos será revelada” (traducción no oficial) (Centers of Bahá’í Learning, p. 8).

Más interacción y estudio de la Palabra Creativa en las escuelas asistirá en el desarrollo de hábitos de estudiar que contribuirá a un aumento general en el uso de la literatura Bahá’í. Tal confianza en la Palabra de Dios también asistirá en la madurez de cada seguidor de Bahá’u’lláh y finalmente de la comunidad Bahá’í.

Los adultos no son los únicos que se benefician de aprender a leer la Palabra de Dios. Nuestras clases para niños y jóvenes deben ciertamente “levantar el criterio” y ayudar a estas personas jóvenes, los herederos de nuestro mundo, en su habilidad para entender la Palabra Creativa.

Comités Regionales de Escuelas necesitan dirigir a sus maestros a enfocar en sus cursos la Palabra Creativa de tal manera que capacite a los estudiantes -- adultos, jóvenes y niños -- a aprender a leer mejor y estudiar aquellos Textos que son centrales en la Causa de Bahá’u’lláh.

La Asamblea Espiritual Nacional recientemente hizo una decisión para las escuelas regionales “para enfatizar el papel de niños y jóvenes en todas sesiones futuras”. Los jóvenes tienen que tener las habilidades que les capacitarán cumplir con su papel como maestros de la Causa. Profundizando su conocimiento de la Fe, promoviendo una atmósfera Bahá’í, y, específicamente, entrenando a niños y jóvenes como maestros de la Fe, las escuelas regionales pueden servir a la Causa de Bahá’u’lláh en una capacidad única.

“La obligación de enseñar es esencialmente la responsabilidad de creyentes jóvenes. Su entrenamiento total debe, entonces, ser dirigido en tal manera para hacerlos maestros competentes. Es por este mismo propósito que las escuelas Bahá’ís de verano... deben estar asistidos por creyentes jóvenes (Traducción no oficial) (de Centers of Bahá’í Learning, p. 15).

Cuentos de enseñanza

Al responder a nuestro continuo pedido para historias de enseñanza, lo siguiente fue enviado por Robin Sheppard, un joven de Astoria, Oregon. “Citadel”, este equipo de enseñanza de viaje consiste principalmente de jóvenes que se han dedicado a la enseñanza de la Fe de jornada completa hasta el fin del Plan de Seis Años.

POR ROBIN SHEPPARD

Citadel es un grupo musical que consiste en 15 maestros viajeros Bahá’ís. Ellos viajan por todo Oregon, ejecutando en ciudades y pueblos y propagando el mensaje de paz.

Nuestra ciudad, Astoria, tuvo la buena fortuna de tenerlos con nosotros por dos semanas. Durante ese tiempo, actuaron en la universidad comunal. También se presentaron en la escuela secundaria y en el centro social en Seaside, una comunidad pequeña alrededor de 5 millas oeste de aquí.

Además, el grupo dio reuniones públicas casi cada noche en hogares locales. Debido a estas actuaciones, actividades de enseñanza, y la unidad comunal, ¡nuestra área ahora tiene nueve nuevos Bahá’ís!

El grupo proveyó justo la cantidad correcta de ímpetu cuando más lo necesitábamos. Después de consulta entre el equipo y las dos Asambleas Espirituales Locales en el área, tenemos ahora reuniones públicas/profundizaciones semanales en español para los cuatro nuevos creyentes hispanos. También hemos planeado clases semanales en inglés como idioma secundario.

Varios de los creyentes recién declarados se juntan con los creyentes veteranos para formar un instituto de enseñanza. Planeamos consultar en el tema durante nuestra primera reunión mañana. Muchos de los contactos que el equipo hizo han expresado un interés en mantener comunicación con las comunidades Bahá’ís para aprender más sobre la Fe.

¿Qué era que atrajo a estas almas a la Bendita Belleza? Creemos que era una combinación de factores. Primero y principalmente, las comunidades involucradas fueron unidas en sus pensamientos y metas. Cuando las Asambleas decidieron preguntar al equipo que viniera a nuestra área, recibieron el apoyo unánime de sus comunidades respectivas. Segundo, el equipo fue unido en sus acciones. El equipo no enseñó sin consultar a una Asamblea. Finalmente, la manera usada por el equipo fue una que nos han animado a usar una y otra vez: se hicieron amigos primero, y entonces les enseñaron.

Citadel se ha ido a otras comunidades, pero quedan en nuestros corazones y en nuestras oraciones. También esperamos que regresen pronto con más música, canciones, oraciones y enseñanza.

Sesiones de entrenamiento de maestros para jóvenes y niños

“...Si miles sobre miles [de niños entre las edades de diez a dieciséis] fueran invitados a la Causa, y ayudados a hacerse maestros profundizados en la Fe, podrían, en turno, rescatar a sus semejantes. En esta fase decadente de la historia humana batallas espirituales serán ganadas en las esquinas de los pueblos y ciudades, en los corredores de las escuelas, y en los lugares de recreación.”

—Centro Internacional de Enseñanza, 5 diciembre 1988

Una de las metas de enseñanza de la Asamblea Espiritual Nacional para el año final del Plan de Seis Años es “establecer por lo menos 100 institutos de enseñanza formado de jóvenes y niños y con el propósito de alistar a sus semejantes como maestros y siervos de la Causa de Dios.” Para establecer estos institutos en áreas donde creyentes jóvenes desean progresar en sus esfuerzos de enseñanza, el Comité Nacional de Enseñanza ha estado dando sesiones de entrenamiento de maestros que son diseñados para niños y jóvenes, en colaboración con varias Asambleas Espirituales Locales, miembros del Cuerpo Auxiliar, y el Comité Nacional de Jóvenes.

Aunque estas sesiones se han llevado a efecto sólo pocos meses, un aumento notable en la inscripción de jóvenes y adultos y la registración de niños Bahá’ís ya es evidente en muchas áreas, debido a la actividad de enseñanza aumentada por aquellos quienes participan en sesiones de entrenamiento. En Sacramento del Oeste, California, por ejemplo, una familia entró a la Causa debido a los esfuerzos de enseñanza de los creyentes jóvenes. Así que la Asamblea Espiritual de Sacramento del Oeste en riesgo de perderse fue salvada en Ridván. Debido a los esfuerzos de enseñanza de niños y jóvenes entrenados en Avondale, Arizona, alrededor de veinte nuevos creyentes se han inscrito en la Fe Bahá’í.

El método de las sesiones de entrenamiento de maestros no es difícil de seguir. El Comité Nacional de Enseñanza siente que cualquiera Asamblea Espiritual Local o Comité Regional de Enseñanza que tenga dentro de su jurisdicción un número de jóvenes y niños que estén interesados en participar, podrían patrocinar una sesión así. Especialmente si los miembros del Cuerpo Auxiliar o sus asistentes fueran llamados para ayudar, el poner en práctica una sesión de entrenamiento de maestros de un nivel local podría cumplirse fácilmente.

El programa para las sesiones está diseñado para habilitar a los jóvenes y a los niños en ser mejores maestros de la Causa de Bahá’u’lláh. Envuelve la oración, memorización de pasajes de la Palabra Creativa...

Vea SESIONES de página 24 [Page 21]

LETTERS

"The shining spark of truth cometh forth only after the clash of differing opinions." — ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

The American Bahá’í welcomes letters to the editor on any topic of general interest. The purpose of the "letters" column is to allow a free and open exchange of ideas and opinions, never to denigrate another’s views or to attack anyone on a personal level. Opinions expressed in these columns are those of the writers, and not necessarily those of the National Spiritual Assembly or the editors.

Letters should be as brief as possible (a 250-word maximum is suggested) and are subject to editing for length and style. Please address all letters to The Editor, The American Bahá’í, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091.

On teaching Chinese

To the Editor:

Some thoughts on teaching students and scholars from mainland China:

I recently returned from an eight-month trip to Asia, including numerous trips into China, with a renewed sense of urgency regarding the Chinese people.

In China I found an unprecedented thirst for new ideas and understanding about life, society and the individual. It reached a point where hardly a conversation went by without someone asking me about my beliefs and view of the world. Of course, I told them what I believed as a Bahá’í (with tact and wisdom).

It also became clear that, in light of the current political situation in China, we can best serve the Faith there by opening the hearts of those Chinese people from the mainland—mainly students and visiting scholars—who are presently studying abroad, many of whom are individuals of great talent and capacity. The Universal House of Justice and our own National Spiritual Assembly have repeatedly emphasized the importance of Chinese teaching. But just how do we reach them?

First of all, although helpful, it is not necessary to speak Chinese or to use chopsticks proficiently! It is, however, absolutely essential to feel genuine love for the Chinese people and to make a long-term commitment to befriend them. A willingness to understand their struggles and their culture is no less important.

In my experience, Chinese people are well-attuned to the motives of others. If they feel that you really care about them and truly want to be their friend, they, sensing your sincerity, will take an interest in you and your beliefs and consider very carefully what you say. One of the worst things any of us can do is to give the impression that our friendship and hospitality are conditional on merely “gaining some converts.” Our purpose is not to “make” Chinese people become Bahá’ís, but to open their hearts and nurture their spirits in order that they may gain inspiration and hope for the future from Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation.

The sorts of qualities and deeds we must manifest to open the hearts of Chinese people to the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh are all to be found in the Writings. Among them, trustworthiness is extremely important. Every time we follow through on a promise we make, we are strengthening bonds of trust and cultivating receptivity. Letting “deeds, not words, be your adorning” is also very important. China’s rich, varied philosophical tradition as well as the present state of Chinese society create conditions for freewheeling discussions of sophisticated concepts and lofty moral-ethical principles, with the participants never actually expecting the discussion to have any effect on life’s day-to-day struggles. It is our lives and actions that will truly affect the Chinese people and convince them that our Faith has the power to transform both the individual and society. Showing Bahá’í hospitality will accomplish far more than a mere philosophical discussion.

As we begin to discuss our beliefs with Chinese people from mainland China it is important to keep in mind their specific educational background. They grew up for the most part with atheism, in which all religion is branded as superstition with no practical value for society. Although some Chinese people are eager to hear about religion, many are likely to be turned off by terms and concepts that initially sound no different than, for example, western Christianity. Consequently, it may not be appropriate to begin with a discussion of the development of the soul on earth as a preparation for the afterlife. In the course of our teaching it is important to demonstrate the essential unity of Bahá’u’lláh’s spiritual and social teachings, particularly as they relate to the unfolding of a world civilization. In fact, many of the Faith’s social teachings are compatible with many of the ideals which the Chinese have been taught under the label of socialism (e.g., equality of men and women, social evolution, the elimination of extremes of wealth and poverty, the unity of the world’s peoples, etc.). We must make it clear that the Bahá’í Faith recognizes the essential harmony of scientific and religious truth and is non-superstitious.

There has been much debate over what terminology should be used when teaching the Chinese people. The English words for “God” or “Lord” and “religion” (and their common Chinese translations) often have negative connotations. Chinese people often associate these terms with missionary activities which, in the past, helped pave the way for the invasion of China by foreign armies. One way to avoid this pitfall is to make the focus of our teaching the character, life and mission of Bahá’u’lláh. After all, Bahá’u’lláh, in the capacity of Manifestation of God, is that “tree beyond which there is no passing.” If terms such as “God,” “Lord” and the like are a potential barrier to teaching, there is absolutely no reason to use them at the outset. Once we have introduced Bahá’u’lláh, we can safely encourage the seeker to attain his or her own understanding of “God” from the words of Bahá’u’lláh Himself.

It is also important to be patient and persistent. Many Chinese people become shy and quiet when they are away from their own culture. They may decline the first few invitations to visit your home or to join you on an outing. They may be too embarrassed to accept any help from you, even if they truly need it. On the opposite end of the spectrum, we should avoid giving the impression that acceptance of the Faith will somehow lead to financial assistance, or other specific material benefits.

As to specific methods and activities, the Chinese teaching desk at the National Center has several suggestions. But most important is the warm, loving spirit of the Bahá’í teachers. Even if there are occasional cross-cultural misunderstandings, pure motives and actions will shine through. An invitation to visit your home for a simple meal will leave a lasting positive impression, even if your guests aren’t accustomed to your cuisine.

Finally, if a Chinese friend indicates that he or she has accepted the Faith, we should not ask them to sign an enrollment card, but discreetly inform the National Center of their wishes. Nor should we pressure them to participate in Bahá’í activities if they are not comfortable doing so. There are as yet no Bahá’í institutions in China, and in the interest of the safety of our mainland Chinese friends, we should let them decide just how open they wish to be about their new-found faith.

These are just a few incomplete, personal thoughts on opening the hearts of Chinese people presently residing abroad. Again, sincere motives and long-term commitment to our Chinese friends are, I feel, the most important prerequisites for success. In time outstanding Chinese individuals and their leaders will discover of their own accord that Bahá’u’lláh has brought all of the solutions to their nation’s current troubles. Meanwhile there are many labors of love for us to perform in the course of opening the doors of their understanding.

Peter A. Neumann Alhambra, California

(Note: Peter Neumann has previously served on the U.S. National Chinese Teaching Committee. He both speaks and reads Chinese, and has a fine grasp of the use of chopsticks. Peter has lived and traveled extensively in China, and is currently practicing law in Los Angeles, where he is active in the Chinese teaching work. The Chinese Teaching Committee finds this letter to be both accurate and useful, and commends it to the attention of the American Bahá’í community.)

Supermarket tabloids

To the Editor:

On the basis of Bahá’u’lláh’s admonition that we avoid gossip and backbiting, I can’t help but wonder how many of the friends glance through, or perhaps even purchase, copies of the tabloids that are for sale at their local supermarket?

Such reading material is not healthy for us; rather, it is a waste of time and money, both of which could be used for the advancement of the Cause of God and our own deepening in the Faith.

Therefore, friends, the next time you are tempted to leaf through or purchase one of those tabloids so loudly displayed at the check-out counter, refrain from doing so, for then you can count yourself among those who have resisted evil in favor of a higher calling.

Michael G. Lechner Oregon

Showing reverence

To the Editor:

I am sure that every Bahá’í is sincerely interested in showing reverence; therefore, I am writing about two things that may serve to heighten our awareness of reverence.

1. On some occasions over the years I have seen Bahá’í prayer books or other Bahá’í holy writings placed on or near the toilet in one’s bathroom, and have seen quotations from the Writings used as bathroom wall decorations.

To me, the bathroom seems quite inappropriate as a place in which to display the holy words or to read them as one attends to bodily needs. These writings and the names connected with them demand the proper respect and care for their placement.

2. It must be repeatedly emphasized to Bahá’í children that when a prayer is recited or read, they should remain quiet and not walk about. Even older children who would be expected to know better have been seen to walk back and forth during prayer.

For respect for the holy words as well as for those who are trying to concentrate in prayer, please train your child to recognize when a prayer is being said and to act accordingly.

Name withheld by request

Educating our children

To the Editor:

We know of the problems in society that often are seen out of home, especially among teen-agers and youth. So I think we must take serious care of our children’s spiritual education.

Besides weekly Sunday classes, each family should have weekly family meetings with their children. For each meeting, they can choose a topic of principle or history or other ordinances of Bahá’u’lláh and let this meeting be chaired by the children.

These meetings could have many benefits, such as:

1. Improving the children’s spiritual knowledge;

2. learning the ways of consultation in the family and in Bahá’í administration;

3. bringing the children’s problems so that parents can show them the right way;

4. producing in the children a feeling of respect, honor and personality;

5. drawing the family closer together and bringing about family unity which supports the first step toward world unity.

Aghdas Ghoutchani Soltani Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Molly Rubino, Bahá’í who was community activist, dead at age 59

Molly Rubino, a Bahá’í from Detroit, Michigan, who spent nearly two decades as an adult literacy teacher and community activist, died July 3. She was 59 years old.

Mrs. Rubino’s many accomplishments were documented in an article in the Detroit Free Press by columnist Susan Watson who praised her efforts over 15 years to help hundreds of adults pass the GED (high school equivalency) test, teach English to Chinese women, help the disadvantaged at the Cass Medical Clinic, and help turn the Burton International School into “one of the jewels of the [Detroit] public school system.”

The article mentions Mrs. Rubino’s long association with the Faith, “whose teachings include unity, equality and the unfettered search for truth,” her service at the Bahá’í Sunday school and on the local Spiritual Assembly.

An obituary in the Detroit News outlined her many services to the community, adding that 97 percent of her adult students passed the GED test on their first try.

Besides the activities cited above, Mrs. Rubino worked as a volunteer at the Cass United Methodist Church, helping to set up and run its free medical clinic, and with Fathers Inc., teaching teen-agers to read. [Page 22]

Faith’s library classification a matter of fitting into two existing systems

With the Faith becoming more widely known among the general public both in the U.S. and around the world, inquiries and suggestions are received from time to time about the classification of Bahá’í books in public and academic libraries.

In most public libraries the classification is according to the Dewey Decimal classification system; in some public and most academic libraries the classification is according to the Library of Congress system. Both classifications are handled through offices at the Library of Congress, with which the National Spiritual Assembly has contact.

Since the founding of a library at the Bahá’í World Center in 1977, the Universal House of Justice has assigned that office responsibility for dealing directly with library classification agencies. The National Spiritual Assembly maintains contact with the World Center Library on this issue.

While neither the Dewey Decimal nor Library of Congress classification system is completely satisfactory from a Bahá’í point of view, considerable improvement has been made over the years.

In the most recent edition of the Dewey Decimal classification, the Bahá’í Faith has been moved from 297.89, which included it with “Islamic Sects and Religions Derived from Islam,” to 297.93 under “Religions Originating in Islam.” It should be understood by the friends, however, that most public libraries do not go beyond the first part of the classification number, which means that all books on Islam, Sufism, the Black Muslims, the Bahá’í Faith and so on will all be mixed together under the number 297 without its decimal extension.

This should not be made a source of complaint to libraries, nor should the friends contact the classification authorities directly, as the practice arises primarily as an economy measure and is not within the control of those authorities.

It should also be understood that changing classifications is a serious matter that has an impact on all libraries and their collections.

The Library of Congress classification has for the Bahá’í Faith a special series of numbers from BP300 to BP395. The organization of these numbers is inadequate, but the Library of Congress is in possession of the Bahá’í World Center Library’s classification and has on its staff the former director of the World Center Library.

Contacts will be maintained with the Library of Congress regarding possible improvements to its classification that will also minimize the impact of any changes on the organization of major libraries.

Most Bahá’í books now have in them (usually on the copyright page) special Library of Congress CIP (cataloging in publication) data whose purpose is to prepare prepublication cataloging of records for the nation’s libraries.

The CIP data is both printed in the books and distributed, before they are published, in machine-readable form through MARC (Machine Readable Cataloging) tapes, which alert libraries and other bibliographic services around the world to forthcoming titles.

Librarians are completely familiar with the method of obtaining CIP data—for example, books published outside the U.S. are accepted by most libraries, which have their own system of cataloging books of this kind.

Hence it is unnecessary for Bahá’ís or local Bahá’í communities to request CIP data for Bahá’í books they wish to present to libraries.

At the Feast of Nur, June 5, the Bahá’í community of Madison, Wisconsin, gave a party for one of its distinguished members, Shinji Yamamoto, on the occasion of his 80th birthday. Mr. Yamamoto, whose father, Kanichi Yamamoto, was the first Japanese to embrace the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh, has lived in Madison since the 1940s and presently serves as treasurer of that city’s local Spiritual Assembly. Until his retirement he was the state architect for Wisconsin, and has lent his skills to the National Spiritual Assembly on a number of occasions for consultation on repairs and upkeep of the Bahá’í House of Worship and other Bahá’í properties in the U.S.

George Ronald to publish career guide for youth

George Ronald Publishers is preparing to publish a book aimed primarily at young people to help them choose a career. Anyone with expertise in a particular calling or occupation is asked to send an essay to George Ronald Publishers, OX5 2DN, Oxford, England, providing information about how to enter the field, the opportunities that will further the progress of a Bahá’í on the path of service to the Cause, and the implications for that career with the establishment of the Lesser Peace.

For the third year in a row, Bahá’ís in Cleveland’s western suburbs have taken part in the annual Children’s Peace Fair at Cuyahoga Community College, sponsored by Physicians for Social Responsibility and WJW-TV. This year’s theme, ‘Citizens of the World,’ was explored by 70 exhibitors through hands-on activities for children; attendance was estimated at 10,000. The Bahá’í theme, ‘Passport to the World,’ gave children a chance to be creative, affirm their world citizenship, and explore the rest of the fair as they had their ‘passports’ stamped at the fair’s six information booths, staffed by Bahá’ís. As one can see by this photo, the Bahá’ís’ ‘World Citizen Passport Office’ was a busy place indeed.

National Assembly backs ratification of UN treaty protecting rights of child

As was reported in the August issue of The American Bahá’í, the National Spiritual Assembly supports the U.S. ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, an international treaty that guarantees children’s basic rights and protections.

Toward this end, the National Assembly encourages Bahá’í communities, schools and conferences to support actively the “Children’s Petition” campaign developed by the American Council for Voluntary International Action (InterAction). In addition, the Church World Service Office on Global Education has developed two one-hour classes on children’s rights that are available in three grade levels: K-4, 5-8, and 9-12.

For more information on the Children’s Petition and related curricula, please contact the National Spiritual Assembly’s office in Washington, D.C. The address is N.W., Washington, DC 20009 (phone 202-265-8830).

Friends encouraged to join growing network of Bulletin Board users

Notice to local Spiritual Assemblies, registered Groups, District Teaching Committees, and individual Bahá’ís:

If you or any of your members have access to a personal computer with a 300, 1200 or 2400 baud modem and a communications software package, the National Spiritual Assembly encourages you to join the growing network of users on the Bahá’í National Center Bulletin Board System (BNCBBS).

This electronic communications system offers immediate and efficient access to offices and agencies of the National Spiritual Assembly. We wish to communicate with as many members of the community as possible in order to disseminate and gather important news and information.

The BNCBBS can be reached 24 hours a day at 708-869-0389. 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.

Anis Masomian, a seven-year-old Bahá’í from Williamson County, Texas, won first prize in a PTA ‘reflections’ contest for the visual arts with this submission on universal peace. The contest theme was ‘If I Had a Wish...’ The winning entries were mounted on a wall at the school for three months.

If I had a wish... I would wish for world peace. There is a big exciting beautiful world that you live in. You’re here to help make it better by... peace! Universal peace more than an end to war! [Page 23]

Bahá’ís of Griffin, Georgia, present Louis Gregory awards

On May 16, the Bahá’ís of Griffin, Georgia, hosted their annual presentation of the Louis G. Gregory Humanitarian Awards.

The event was attended by a record 63 people, more than half of whom were non-Bahá’ís.

The keynote speaker was Dr. Robert C. Henderson, secretary-general of the National Spiritual Assembly.

Nominations for the awards were solicited through newspaper and radio announcements. Five recipients were chosen from a field of 11 nominees after a screening process that included interviews with members of the Awards Committee.

Those honored included both individuals and organizations. They were chosen on the basis of “genuine service to the community, courage in the face of opposition, and the ability to transcend conventional wisdom.”

Each received a plaque engraved with these words of Bahá’u’lláh: “The Earth Is But One Country and Mankind Its Citizens.”

Dr. Henderson expressed the admiration of the Bahá’ís for the spirit of service shown by the honorees. That same spirit, he said, had inspired Louis Gregory during a long life of struggle for brotherhood among people of various races and creeds.

Louis G. Gregory, one of whose parents was born a slave in South Carolina, was a highly regarded writer and lecturer throughout the first half of the century. A lawyer by profession, he chose to give up a promising career to devote himself to the promotion of the oneness of mankind.

He knew and associated with virtually all of the black and white leaders of his day—educators, clergymen, and heads of civil rights organizations. He was widely known as an advocate of progressive principles.

Louis Gregory stood at the forefront of every struggle the American Bahá’ís faced to establish racial amity. Shortly after his death in 1951, the Guardian designated “the noble-minded, golden-hearted Louis Gregory” as the first Hand of the Cause of God of his race.

The awards presentation was reported in four local newspapers, including one highly favorable editorial under the title, “People Who Act as They Believe.”

EXCELLENCE IN ALL THINGS

Two young Bahá’ís in the Sacramento, California, area have distinguished themselves academically during the past year. Chor Neng Vang of West Sacramento, a Hmong Bahá’í who arrived in this country for only four years ‎aago ago‎ from Laos, was graduated from high school as class salutatorian. When he entered the school in 1987, he spoke no English. His accomplishment was the topic of a front-page article in the Sacramento Bee. Meanwhile, another young Bahá’í from the area, Sheena Yavrom, was graduated as valedictorian of her high school class of ’91. During her senior year Miss Yavrom was awarded life membership in the California Scholarship Federation, was listed in Who’s Who Among American High School Students, received the President’s Academic Fitness Award, the Bank of America Math Achievement Award, and a college scholarship from the Citrus Heights Chamber of Commerce.

Five-year-old Jericha Phillips of Pembroke, Massachusetts, has won prizes for two of her drawings in the annual Pembroke Arts Festival. “Angels Over the House” and “Shoe Shopping” earned first and second prizes, respectively, among entries in the children’s section of the popular show. Meanwhile, Jericha’s father, John J. Phillips, received a student achievement award from the Massachusetts Medical Records Association after graduating summa cum laude with a bachelor science degree from Northeastern University in Boston.

Flagstaff coffee house a popular meeting place for those who wish to learn about Cause of God

Folk singer John Cook (standing) entertains at a popular Bahá’í-owned coffee house in Flagstaff, Arizona. Bahá’ís have hosted a series of informal meetings there during the past year to teach the Faith.

Bahá’ís in Arizona have found how much good can be accomplished with a fresh cup of coffee or tea at a coffee house in Flagstaff.

For the past year, proclamation meetings have been held at the coffee house on the first Friday of each month. The first anniversary was celebrated in January.

“This is a tri-community effort to proclaim the Faith,” says Tim Macy, owner of the coffee house.

“The meetings have served to unify three communities in the Flagstaff area, and teaching efforts have been greatly increased as a result,” adds Gary Dunagan, one of the organizers of the evening programs.

“Our goal is to connect many more hearts to Bahá’u’lláh,” says Audrey Balkenbush, publicity representative for the Bahá’í-sponsored programs.

In the last six months, she says, six declarations have been made by people who were in some way affected by attending the coffee house meetings.

With a seating capacity of 50, the coffee house offers an intimate setting for people to gather and listen to Bahá’í speakers and entertainers. Beverages and pastry are complimentary.

Among those who have appeared so far, says Ms. Balkenbush, are Julie Mitchum Sater of Tucson; folk singer John Cook of St. David, Arizona; former Soviet citizen Maya Plaksina of Chicago; Ken Morphet-Brown of Oregon; and Franklin Kahn of Flagstaff.

Poets, musicians, singers and other artists who may be traveling through the Grand Canyon state are encouraged to contact the organizers of the coffee house meetings. Guest speakers/entertainers and their families will be given room and board at the historic Monte Vista Hotel in Flagstaff.

The New World Order of Bahá’u’lláh

Seventh Annual Grand Canyon Bahá’í Conference

December 27 - 30, 1991

Hyatt Regency Hotel in Phoenix, Arizona

The Seventh Annual Grand Canyon Bahá’í Conference promises to be a spiritually uplifting experience. There will be two simultaneous conferences, one for adults and one for youth.

Youth service projects are being planned.

Children’s classes for children 5 - 12 years old and child care provided for children under 5 years old.

Among our confirmed speakers are:

• Dr. Wilma Ellis
• Dr. Soheil Bushrui
• Mr. Robert Harris

Plan to join us in beautiful Phoenix, Arizona for this exciting conference. Registration materials will be available after September 1, 1991.

For more information call:

• Terry Agahi at (602) 863-1919
• Shervin Niknam at (602) 998-3075

IN MEMORIAM

John Burnside Window Rock, AZ October 19, 1987	Ernest L. Galphin Oglethorpe, GA April 1989	Oral McClellan Jr. San Francisco, CA June 22, 1991	Annie B. Shannon Perry, GA Date Unknown
Eliza N. Butler Vicksburg, MS Date Unknown	Anthony Hodges Byron, GA Date Unknown	Ed McGinn Rock Falls, IL July 8, 1991	Ida Simmons Lumpkin, GA Date Unknown
Jennifer Charlie Warm Springs, OR March 27, 1981	Lee James Orange Park, FL July 27, 1990	George Mooridian Jamestown, ND June 1990	Evalynn Staley La Canada Flintridge, CA July 7, 1991
Levy Dase San Luis Obispo, CA July 11, 1991	Dorethea Johnson Gainesville, FL Date Unknown	Margaret Rubino Detroit, MI June 1991	Mary Hote Tom Warm Springs, OR October 5, 1979
Hilda Dudley Stamford, CT July 13, 1991	Annie Mae Knighten Richland, GA Date Unknown	Maryam Samimi La Jolla, CA July 5, 1991	Willie B. Turner Byromville, GA Date Unknown
Mirzavaliulah Fazilat Mercer Island, WA July 20, 1991	Gary Lane Montrose, NY August 19, 1989	Clementina Semple Dallas, TX July 4, 1991	Dianne Wisner Farmington, NM Date Unknown
Eberhard Friedland Paramaribo, Suriname June 23, 1991	Edith McCallum Redondo, WA April 21, 1991

[Page 24]BAHÁ’Í FAITH GOD BAHÁ’Í FAITH CALENDAR OF EVENTS CHRISTIANITY MAN BAIR MHAT FAITH ZOROASTRIAN

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Jesus CHEST RAMAD THE BAB New Toudicent My RISHNA ZOOGASITY Zeid DONA

For the 22nd year in a row, the Bahá’í community of Manatee County (Bradenton area), on Florida's west coast had an attractive and well-planned exhibit in the annual Manatee County Fair. More than 100,000 people attended this year's Fair, whose theme was 'Manatee County Diamond Jubilee. Over the years, Bahá’í-sponsored exhibits have won first, second and third prizes in the category of Religion and Service Organizations.

MOVING? TELL US YOUR NEW ADDRESS.

To avoid unnecessary delays in receiving your copy of The American Bahá’í, send your new address and your mailing label to MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL, 60091, as soon as you know what your new address will be.

NAME(S): BARAULLAH Klub Aqdas

1. I.D. Title Full name No nicknames please! 2. I.D. Title Full name: 3. I.D. # Title Full name 4. I.D. Title Full name

This form may be used for one person or your entire family. Please be sure to list FULL NAMES AND I.D. NUMBERS for all individuals, ages 15 years or older, who will be affected by this change.

B. NEW RESIDENCE ADDRESS: Street address Apartment (If applicable) City State Zip code

C. NEW MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box or Other mailing address Apartment (If applicable) City State Zip code

D. NEW COMMUNITY: Name of new Bahá’í Community Moving date

E. HOME TELEPHONE NUMBER: Area code Phone number Name

F. WORK TELEPHONE NUMBER(S): Area code Phone number Name Area code Phone number Name

G. WE RECEIVE EXTRA COPIES BECAUSE: we do not have the same last name. We do not want extra copies, so please cancel the copy for the person(s) and I.D. number(s) listed above.

the last names and addresses on our address labels do not match. We have listed above the full names of all family members as they should appear on the national records, their I.D. numbers, and the corrections so that we will receive only one copy.

H. I WOULD LIKE A COPY: Our household receives only one copy of The American Bahá’í; I wish to receive my own copy. I have listed my name, I.D. number and address above.

BAHÁ’Í NATIONAL CENTER 112 Linden Avenue Wilmette, IL 60091 NON-PROFIT U.S. POSTAGE PAID WILMETTE, IL PERMIT NO.479

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

SEPTEMBER

20-22: Peace Fest '91, Louis G. Gregory Bahá’í Institute, Hemingway, South Carolina. For information, phone 803-558-5093.

21: Fifth annual Children's Peace Conference, Pasadena, California, Conference Center. Theme: "The Vision of Race Unity...I Can Make a Difference." For children three years old and up. For information, phone 818-797-6216.

OCTOBER

19: Founder's Day, Louis G. Gregory Bahá’í Institute, Hemingway, South Carolina. For information, phone 803-558-5093.

25-27: Bahá’í Leadership Association, Louis G. Gregory Bahá’í Institute, Hemingway, South Carolina. For information, phone 803-558-5093.

25-27: Alabama Regional Bahá’í School, "The Dawn-breakers," at Youngs-by-the-Sea Hotel, Gulf Shores, AL (phone 1-800-245-0032). Please make your own reservations at the above number: $30 for a one-bedroom suite (sleeps four), $40 for a two-bedroom suite (sleeps six). Registration: $10 per person if pre-registered, $35 on-site. Pre-registration deadline: October 15. Registrar: Keitha Hudson, Birmingham, AL 35222 (phone 205-595-9905).

NOVEMBER

1-3: Oklahoma Regional Bahá’í School, "The Significance of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation," at Dwight Mission in Vian, OK. Registrar: Liz Wakeham, Bethany, OK 73008 (phone 405-789-2525).

14-17: National Black Story-Telling Festival, Louis G. Gregory Bahá’í Institute, Hemingway, South Carolina. For information, phone 803-558-5093.

DECEMBER

21-27: "Preparing Bahá’í Youth for European Service," the Bosch Bahá’í School Youth Institute Winter Program (limited enrollment). A five-day, disciplined, intensive training course for European projecteers under the direction of Auxiliary Board member Edward Diliberto. Cost: $180; deposit, $75. Prerequisites for admission: (1) a decision to pioneer, carry out a year of service, or take part in a summer project in Eastern or Western Europe in 1992; (2) a satisfactory personal/phone interview with the Admissions Officer; (3) a recommendation by an institution of the Faith, or one of their agencies. Please apply to the Admissions Officer, Mrs. Angelina Allen, Cardiff by the Sea, CA 92007 (phone 619-944-6441).

27-29: South Carolina Bahá’í Winter School, Louis G. Gregory Bahá’í Institute, Hemingway. For information, phone 803-558-5093.

JANUARY

17-19: Second Eastern Bahá’í Music and Arts Conference, Old Colony Inn, Alexandria, Virginia. Sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Alexandria. Workshops, seminars, exhibits, jam sessions, variety shows, and a Race Unity banquet/proclamation event. Presenters to include Marvin (Doc) Holladay, Dave and Helene Van Manen, Mark Ochu, Anne Atkinson and Randy Armstrong. Musicians and artists sought to perform for children and adults. For information, write to Bonnie Cote, coordinator, Music and Art Task Force, Springfield, VA 22150 (phone 703-569-2371), or Lucinda Huttlinger, Arlington, VA 22202 (phone 202-687-6433).

Sesiones de página 20

Creativa, y consulta entre los creyentes jóvenes sobre la Estación y Misión de Bahá’u’lláh, nuestro amor por El y lo que este amor significa en nuestra vida, y como podemos prepararnos para enseñar la Fe, con eso, expresando nuestro amor por Bahá’u’lláh.

El programa también incluye consulta con respecto a cómo encontrar y atraer a almas receptivas: Los participantes practican unos con otros lo que dirían en situaciones de enseñanza. Los jóvenes y niños entonces deciden con quien ellos, como un grupo, desean compartir el Mensaje de Bahá’u’lláh y consultan si o no ellos empezarán enseñando el mismo fin de semana de entrenamiento. Si los participantes enseñan o no ese fin de semana, pueden consultar como van a enseñar después de la sesión del entrenamiento utilizando el proceso del instituto de enseñanza.

En la oficina del Comité Nacional de Enseñanza hay disponibles bosquejos para las sesiones de entrenamiento de maestros, y cualquiera persona interesada en obtener una copia puede escribir o llamar para pedir uno. Aquellos que están contemplando la posibilidad de conducir una sesión en su área deben considerar si la institución patrocinadora estaría dispuestos a iniciar o permitir una actividad de enseñanza ese mismo fin de semana de entrenamiento y apoyar a los creyentes jóvenes en sus esfuerzos para enseñar. Si se lleva a cabo un proyecto de enseñanza en la comunidad huésped o en las comunidades vecinas, sería tal vez posible que los jóvenes y niños ayuden con este proyecto como parte de su entrenamiento y como una actividad de enseñanza en marcha.

Por experiencia, el Comité Nacional de Enseñanza ha encontrado que el número ideal es entre 10 y 25 niños y jóvenes, con edades entre 10-16 años. Ya que la sesión es durante un fin de semana, si los creyentes jóvenes viven lejos, sería servicial arreglar hospitalidad para hombres y mujeres y planear comida para todos en un lugar para mantener el grupo junto. Cada participante debe tener un libro de oraciones y una copia de "El Significado de la Revelación de Bahá’u’lláh".

Ya que estas sesiones son especificamente para el desarrollo de niños y jóvenes como maestros de la Causa, los adultos deben estar informados y deben entender que su papel es apoyar y no ser activos en la participación. La consulta deber estar limitada a los creyentes jóvenes y al facilitador.

"Whoso ariseth, in this Day, to aid our Cause, and summoneth to his assistance the hosts of a praiseworthy character and upright conduct, the influence flowing from such an action will, most certainly, be diffused throughout the whole world."—Gleanings, p. 334