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[Page 1]

The American Bahá’í

Volume 23, No. 5 — ‘The real treasury of man is his knowledge.’—Bahá’u’lláh — Jalál B.E. 149 / April 9, 1992

The Hand of the Cause of God William Sears shares a part of his ‘agenda’ with the friends during his visit March 6-7 to Chicago, the fourth leg on Mr. Sears’ nine-city tour designed to inspire the friends to bring 9,000 new believers into the Faith by Ridván.

THE SIX YEAR PLAN

Maturation of community marks progress toward goals

This is the last in a four-part series outlining the achievements of the American Bahá’í community during the Six Year Plan. This month we conclude with a review of our efforts at accelerating the process of maturation of local and national communities, spiritually enriching the community, and fostering universal participation. In the next issue of The American Bahá’í, the National Spiritual Assembly will present a statement on the Plan evaluating our progress in light of the challenges of the Holy Year and beyond.

The Universal House of Justice, in its Ridván 1986 message to the Bahá’ís of the world, noted the “remarkable unfoldment of organic growth in the maturity of the institutions of the Cause” that had taken place during the Seven Year Plan. “The development of capacity and responsibility on their part,” the House of Justice continued, “and the devolution upon them of continually greater autonomy have been fostered by the encouragement of ever closer cooperation between the twin arms of the Administrative Order.”

In this same message, which marked the inception of the Six Year Plan, the House of Justice announced that the process had taken “a large stride forward” as “National Spiritual Assemblies and Counselors consult together to formulate, for the first time, the national goals of an international teaching plan. ...This significant development is a befitting opening to the fourth epoch of the Formative Age and initiates a process which will undoubtedly characterize that epoch as national communities grow in strength and influence and are able to diffuse within their own countries the spirit of love and social unity which is the hallmark of the Cause of God.”

To reinforce this trend, the House of Justice called for “further acceleration in the process of the maturation of national and local Bahá’í communities” in its major world objectives for the Six Year Plan.

This goal was particularly meaningful to the believers in America, aware as they were of the crucial part they were destined to play in the development of the Administrative Order.

Indeed, the “illustrious deeds” of the American Bahá’í community in championing Bahá’í administration had already, according to the Guardian of the Cause, “established beyond the shadow of a doubt their preponderating share in shaping the destinies of their Faith.” He further stated: “In a world writhing with pain and declining into chaos this community—the vanguard of the liberating forces of Bahá’u’lláh—succeeded in the years following ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s passing in raising high above the institutions established by its sister communities in East and West...

See SIX YEAR PLAN page 10

More exciting details of second Bahá’í World Congress

“The consciousness of so exceptional and glorious a stage in humanity’s spiritual evolution, the awe it inspires and the thankful gladness it induces are of the essence of the celebration intended by the World Congress.”—The Universal House of Justice, January 25, 1990

In New York City in November, the Bahá’ís will be showing the world that we are a great and diverse worldwide community. If you have not already done so, register for the World Congress now. Registration will be closing soon.

Thousands of the friends, including youth, from more than 120 countries have already registered, assuring the largest gathering of Bahá’ís ever.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Hotel rates are down and airlines have guaranteed the lowest available fares. Remember that our hotel rates include:

• choice of hotel category for five or six nights;
• breakfast each day (except for suite hotels);
• ‎21.25 20.25‎ percent city, state and occupancy taxes per night (i.e., if your room is listed at $100 per night, with taxes it would be $100 plus 20.25 percent tax, or $120.25);
• baggage handling from curbside to hotel room;
• gratuities;
• Congress bus transportation between Congress hotels, the Javits Convention Center, and other auxiliary events;
• “meet and greet” assistance at the hotel;
• Bahá’í World Congress hospitality desk.

PROGRAM

The program will take the participants on a four-day spiritual journey unlike any taken before. It begins with the recognition of Bahá’u’lláh as the Promised One of All Ages. The journey continues as the Covenant and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá are brought into view. It then recalls the victories of the beloved Guardian and culminates with a special intercontinental presentation.

YOUTH MOVEMENT FORUM

A special program for youth entitled the “Bahá’í World Congress Youth Movement Forum” will highlight the legacy of youth in their recognition of Bahá’u’lláh and response to His Revelation throughout the history of the Faith.

OTHER CONGRESS EVENTS

Many auxiliary events have been arranged including two separate concerts at the famed Carnegie Hall, one featuring world-renowned jazz musician Dizzy Gillespie, the other featuring well-known classical musicians.

See CONGRESS page 18

UN Human Rights Commission votes to continue to monitor Iran’s abuses of basic human rights

On March 4, the United Nations Human Rights Commission voted to continue oversight of Iran’s abuses of human rights, specifically the Islamic regime’s official repression of the Bahá’í Faith.

Despite Iran’s strenuous efforts to defeat or water down the proposal introduced by the European Community, the UN Commission adopted a strongly-worded resolution that expresses concern for “discriminatory treatment” of Bahá’ís, Iran’s largest religious minority.

“This resolution, like prior UN actions and resolutions adopted by the U.S. Congress and other parliaments, will put Iran on notice that the world is watching,” said Firuz Kazemzadeh, the National Spiritual Assembly secretary for External Affairs. “We hope the UN action will inhibit official Iranian repression against Bahá’ís.

“Although international pressure has caused Iran to moderate its most repressive anti-Bahá’í actions,” Dr. Kazemzadeh explained, “the Bahá’í community continues to suffer from officially sanctioned economic and social repression aimed at destroying the very foundations of a peaceful, law-abiding community.”

The U.S. delegation strongly backed the Commission’s resolution, which was based on recommendations of the UN Special Representative for Iran, who visited Tehran in December 1991.

The UN investigator cited discrimination against Bahá’ís as among “the areas of greatest weakness regarding human rights in Iran.”

He concluded that Iran “should once again be urgently called upon to comply” with international standards of human rights “without any exception and any conditions, qualifications and modifications deriving from highly specific cultural concepts.”

More than 200 Iranian Bahá’ís were executed during the 1980s. Although there have been no recent reports of executions, and few Bahá’ís remain imprisoned in Iran, economic and social repression against members of the Faith in Iran is pervasive.

INSIDE:
5	A message to youth The Holy Year and World Congress promise a time of excitement, joy
13	Shirin Fozdar Outspoken champion of women’s rights dies at 86 in Singapore
14	Douglas Martin Information director talks of mankind’s coming encounter with Bahá’u’lláh

[Page 2]

2nd Eastern Music and Arts Conference draws nearly 600 to Alexandria, Virginia

To explore importance of arts to Faith

Nearly 600 Bahá’ís and their friends attended the second Eastern Bahá’í Music and Arts Conference held January 17-19 in Alexandria, Virginia, to explore the importance of the arts in fostering the Faith’s development.

Those taking part included poets, musicians and representatives of the visual and performing arts. The conferees were treated to entertainment and art education of the highest caliber.

The conference opened with a Friday evening Unity Feast featuring the singing of Bahá’í sacred writings by the Northern Virginia and Metropolitan Washington Bahá’í chorales. Pianist Mark Ochu presented a musical lecture on "World Cultures and Western Classical Music," made memorable by a recital by Mr. Ochu of music by some of the West’s most renowned composers and setting the tone for a weekend that would prove both artistically and intellectually stimulating.

AESTHETICS, CULTURES: Saturday began with a keynote address, "The Development of Bahá’í Aesthetics," by Anne G. Atkinson. Saxophonist Marvin (Doc) Holladay provided "A Look at World Cultures and Music," involving many of his unusual recordings from around the world. There were panel discussions on both material and spiritual issues featuring panelists from a variety of artistic endeavors.

Other workshops included Michael Fitzgerald and Doc Holladay on "The Process and Power of Creativity," Mary Davis and Tressa Ralya Reisetter on song writing, Van Gilmer on "Music and the Arts in Black America," Nooshi Rouhani on chanting, Tom Kubala on visual arts, Dave and Helene Van Manen on "The Healing Power of Music," and Red and Cathy Grammer on the presentation of pain and hardship in dramatic expression.

An array of activities for children made the conference a family experience. Nina Salaam Rivera provided a children’s participation program entitled "Sing, Dance and Light up the World."

The children were also delighted by the music of recording artists Dave and Helene Van Manen and Red Grammer, while youngsters and their parents were fascinated by the Navajo sand paintings demonstrated by Mitchell Silas, and the hoop dance as presented by Dallas Chief Eagle.

Public performances were held on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon with special attention given to Bahá’í principles corresponding to the themes of World Religion Day and the upcoming Martin Luther King Day.

Among the many stirring moments of Saturday’s performance was the dedication by santourist Kamel Missaghian of a classic Russian piece to Marina Pavlova, secretary of the Spiritual Assembly of the Soviet Union, who was present that evening. She later addressed the conference, publicly thanking Mr. Grammer for his participation in a teaching trip to the former Soviet Union that resulted in her declaration of faith in Bahá’u’lláh.

But the foremost success of the conference was the declaration of five new believers, which made the spirituality and Bahá’í atmosphere of the event apparent. In the words of one excited participant: "It was flawless!"

Red Grammer entertains and performs with children at the second Eastern Bahá’í Music and Arts Conference held January 17-19 in Alexandria, Virginia.

Chinese teaching Committee maps plans in N.Y.C. area

The National Chinese Teaching Committee met January 18 with the Spiritual Assembly of New York City and the Quad-State Committee to discuss teaching and proclamation among the Chinese prior to, during and after the second Bahá’í World Congress in November.

There are two Bahá’í teaching institutes in the area concentrating on the Chinese, one at Columbia University and the other in Brookhaven, Long Island.

As the World Congress draws closer, more help and resources will be needed to reach the Chinese in the New York area. To help meet this need, the Quad-State Committee, which supports teaching and proclamation in Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, has appointed Behzad Mottahed of New Jersey as its Chinese teaching liaison, and is reviewing a proposal to use full-time volunteers.

Anyone able to devote time to this effort is urged to contact the Chinese Teaching Committee at the Bahá’í National Center.

Bahá’ís in Philadelphia busy with several public events

The Bahá’ís of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have been busy on a number of fronts in the last few months with several well-attended and well-received events.

Last October, about 300 students attended a forum on interracial marriage at Temple University whose speakers included Bahá’ís Michael and Kathy Penn.

On January 12, the Bahá’ís took part in an interfaith memorial service for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. George Karusky read ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s prayer for America before an audience of about 600. The National Assembly’s statement on race unity was distributed by ushers in the chapel of Sts. Peter and Paul Church where the event was held.

On January 26, the friends joined the National Conference of Christians and Jews for a unity feast, after which the local Teaching Committee was informed that the Bahá’í community was welcomed as a charter member of the NCCJ.

National Teaching Committee lists Assemblies in danger of losing their status at Ridván

Listed below are local Spiritual Assemblies that, because their community membership has fallen below the nine adult believers necessary to form an Assembly, are in danger of losing their Assembly status at Ridván. Bahá’ís in surrounding communities are asked to help with teaching efforts in these areas, traveling teachers are encouraged to arrange itineraries that include these Bahá’í communities, and prospective homefront pioneers are urged to consider them as pioneering posts. Spiritual Assemblies in danger of being lost which have not yet reported their jeopardized status should contact the National Teaching Committee office.

ALABAMA Florence Madison

ARKANSAS Fayetteville Washington County

CALIFORNIA Gardena La Cañada Manhattan Beach Ojai Palm Desert Sierra Madre Temecula

COLORADO La Plata County

CONNECTICUT Danbury Ellington Ledyard New Britain Ridgefield Southington South Windsor Torrington

DELAWARE Wilmington

GEORGIA Duluth Paulding County

FLORIDA Altomante Springs Davie

ILLINOIS Batavia Bolingbrook Glen Ellyn Northfield Twp.

INDIANA West Lafayette

IOWA Council Bluffs Oskaloosa

LOUISIANA E. Jefferson/Metairie

MAINE Brunswick

MARYLAND Annapolis*

MICHIGAN Troy White River Twp.

MISSOURI Boone County

MONTANA Helena*

N. CAROLINA Garner

N. DAKOTA Fort Yates

OHIO Beavercreek Xenia

OKLAHOMA Midwest City Ponca City The Village

OREGON Benton County Forest Grove Hillsboro Jefferson County The Dalles

PENNSYLVANIA Elizabethtown Borough

UTAH Bountiful

VIRGINIA Blacksburg Fauquier County Hampton Suffolk Winchester

W. VIRGINIA Monongalia Co.

• Top priority-capital city; goal of the Ten Year Crusade

[Page 3]

THE FUNDS

An overview of ways friends may contribute to Cause

The Bahá’ís of LaPlace, Louisiana, recently wrote suggesting that a brief overview of the various Funds might be a helpful reminder to veteran believers, as well as useful and important for new recruits to the Cause. We agree, and appreciate the suggestion.

HUQÚQU’LLÁH

The starting point for discussing material support for the Faith, as the Holy Year approaches, must be Huqúqu’lláh, the Right of God. Huqúqu’lláh is one of the first Institutions Bahá’u’lláh ordained; He repeatedly affirmed that observing this great Law in our lives brings untold blessings to us, while at the same time promoting the affairs of the Faith and the well-being of all people. The central authority of the Faith, the Universal House of Justice, decides how this money is to be spent. It allocates the funds so as to do the most good.

The Trustee for the Right of God, the Hand of the Cause of God ‘Alí-Muhammad Varqá, manages the funds given by the believers. Boards of Trustees in various parts of the world help him in this work. One of the Boards’ important tasks is to receive the payments the believers make, and to answer any questions the friends may have about applying this Law in their own lives.

In a sense, Huqúqu’lláh could be described as “God’s money,” the part of our material wealth that belongs to Him. When a believer makes a payment of the Right of God, he is returning to God a part of the wealth that God has entrusted to the believer’s use. The Universal House of Justice decides how the money will be used.

The Funds of the Faith (Local, National, Continental, International, and the Arc Fund) are supported by the believers’ voluntary contributions; in a sense these are the friends’ own resources that they distribute as they wish among the various Funds.

Contribution Comparison - Totals at January 31 (est.)

(000’s)	Jan ’90	Jan ’91	Jan ’92 (est.)	Pct Change ’90 to ’92	Pct Change ’91 to ’92
National Bahá’í Fund	$6,152	$7,490	$7,542	23%	1%
Bahá’í International Fund	$411	$556	$956	133%	72%
Arc Projects Fund	$1,145	$2,640	$743	-35%	-72%
Continental Bahá’í Fund	$236	$219	$128	-46%	-42%
Estate Bequests	$209	$523	$627	N/A	20%
Total Contributions	$8,153	$11,428	$9,996	23%	-13%

THE NATIONAL BAHÁ’Í FUND

This Fund supports all the work of the Faith at the national level. The Guardian described the National Fund as the “twin institution” of the National Spiritual Assembly itself, and urged all believers to support it regularly and generously. The National Assembly uses these monies to maintain the community’s many properties, to pursue programs in a number of areas including teaching, external affairs and Bahá’í education, to support pioneers, and to operate the national offices. It also supports the international funds; the current amount pledged to the Universal House of Justice is $2 million.

Contributions to the National Fund may be given by means of an earmarked gift to the local Bahá’í fund, or addressed to: The National Bahá’í Fund, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091.

THE CONTINENTAL BAHÁ’Í FUND

This Fund supports the work of the Continental Board of Counselors and their Auxiliary Boards for protection and propagation. These dedicated servants are constantly moving, visiting individuals and communities throughout the hemisphere, providing loving encouragement and advice to every Bahá’í.

The National Spiritual Assembly has offered to help the board of Counselors by receiving contributions on its behalf. Gifts made to the Continental Fund may be addressed to the National Fund as mentioned above, with the additional notation of the amount that is earmarked for the Continental Fund.

THE BAHÁ’Í INTERNATIONAL FUND

Contributions to this Fund support the work of the Universal House of Justice. Out of this Fund, the House of Justice supports National Assemblies in the developing countries and a variety of projects around the globe in the areas of broadcasting, social and economic development, teaching, materials production, and many more. Proceeds from the International Fund are also used to help meet expenses for building the Arc.

Friends who wish to give to this Fund may send their offerings directly, or by means of an earmarked contribution to the local or national Funds. The address for contributions sent directly to Haifa is: Bahá’í International Fund, Bahá’í World Center, P.O. Box 155, 31 001 Haifa, Israel. It should be remembered that contributions sent directly to Haifa are not tax deductible.

THE ARC PROJECTS FUND

Gifts made for this Fund are used for the Arc building projects. The initial reserve of $50 million the Universal House of Justice requested in 1987 was credited to this Fund. While the friends are, of course, free to give to the Arc Projects Fund today, it is important to remember that in the initial message about the Arc, the House of Justice called first for the establishment of the reserve, and then “to provide an income of between twenty and twenty-five million dollars for the Bahá’í International Fund for each of the next ten years.”

Director of Bahá’í Chair for World Peace pays two-day visit to Charleston, West Virginia

On January 29-30, Dr. Suheil Bushrui, director of the Bahá’í Chair for World Peace at the University of Maryland’s Center for International Development and Conflict Resolution, paid a two-day visit to Charleston, West Virginia.

While there Dr. Bushrui had lunch with a number of prominent residents of Charleston; lectured at the Wednesday evening World Religions lecture series at the University of Charleston (with about 200 non-Bahá’ís attending); attended a dinner with members of the Bahá’í community of Charleston; discussed “The Bahá’í Faith and World Peace” for 46 senior class students at Charleston Catholic High School; spoke to a class on World Cultures at the University of Charleston; was interviewed by the Charleston Gazette; lunched with Dr. Evelyn Harris, chairman of the Social Sciences Department, and other faculty at the University of Charleston; and presented a book he had authored on Khalil Gibran to Fred Haddad, a prominent Charleston businessman and fellow Lebanese.

Dr. Suheil Bushrui, director of the Bahá’í Chair for World Peace at the University of Maryland’s Center for International Development and Conflict Resolution, addresses faculty, students and guests at a World Religions Round-table discussion at the University of Charleston during his two-day visit to West Virginia in January.

Articles on Dr. Bushrui’s visit appeared in the Charleston Gazette and Charleston Daily Mail. His title and lecture were listed in the World Religions Roundtable syllabus.

Follow-up activities are continuing in Charleston with Friday evening firesides and provision of literature to inquiring college staff and students.

Two Bahá’ís given Good Neighbor awards

On January 20, about 50 Bahá’ís from the San Jose, California, area took part in the Martin Luther King Jr. Good Neighbor awards breakfast in San Jose.

Two Bahá’ís—Ross Gritts of San Jose and Rosemary Ryan of Oakland—received Good Neighbor Awards, which honor those who voluntarily serve their neighbors in time of need.

The breakfast was opened with a Bahá’í prayer read by Lucia Haley. Badi Azad, a 12-year-old Bahá’í from San Jose, recited a speech comprised of parts of the National Spiritual Assembly’s statement, “The Vision of Race Unity.”

About 500 people including many dignitaries—the mayor of San Jose, the police chief, and congressmen—attended the breakfast.

The previous Friday, several Bahá’ís had attended “Religion Night,” joining in the program of gospel music, and following the breakfast, a number of Bahá’ís took the “Freedom Train Ride” to San Francisco as a part of the King Week observance.

Three Bahá’ís serve on the Good Neighbor awards committee, and Bahá’ís have been invited to serve on the Martin Luther King Jr. Board of Directors for San Jose. [Page 4]

10 pioneering goals remain to be completed by Ridván

ARISE! “How great is the need at this moment when the promised outpourings of His grace are ready to be extended to every soul, for us to form a broad vision of the mission of the Cause to mankind, and to do all in our power to spread it throughout the world.”—(Shoghi Effendi, Bahá’í Administration, p. 18)

The Universal House of Justice assigned 77 goals to our community for the two-year period from Ridván 1987 to Ridván 1989. Hundreds of souls have arisen and are now valiantly serving around the globe. Yet in these closing days of the Six Year Plan we still have 10 remaining goals to complete before Ridván 1992. In AFRICA, St. Helena (1) and Venda (1); in the AMERICAS, Dominica (1), the Bay Islands of Honduras (1), French Guiana (3), the Juan Fernandez Islands of Chile (2), and Suriname (1) remain as goals to be won.

In the two and a half years since the Universal House of Justice presented short-term pioneer goals to the world Bahá’í community, nearly 50 short-term pioneers have arisen to achieve 333 of the 708 assigned months. 375 months remain to be fulfilled in the following countries: Argentina, Colombia, Dominica, Japan, Liberia, Mariana Islands, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Paraguay, Puerto Rico and Uganda. Shoghi Effendi tells us, “Neither the threatening world situation, nor any consideration of lack of material resources, of mental equipment, of knowledge, or of experience — desirable as they are — should deter any prospective pioneer teacher from arising...” (Guidance for Today and Tomorrow, pp. 227-228).

We look forward to hearing from you. Office of Pioneering, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette IL 60091. Phone 708-869-9039 or fax 708-869-0247.

ONGOING TRAVELING TEACHING OPPORTUNITIES

Albania; Barbados; Belize; Bophuthatswana; Brazil; Burundi; Cambodia; Canada, Native and Chinese Teaching, and Yukon Bahá’í Institute; Chad; Ciskei; Cook Islands; Costa Rica; Eastern Caroline Islands; East Leeward Islands; Fiji; French Polynesia; Grenada; Guyana; Haiti; Hong Kong; Italy; Jamaica; Japan; Kenya; Malaysia; Malta; Martinique; Mauritius; New Zealand; Nicaragua; Pakistan; Panama; Republic of Benin; Sierra Leone; Singapore; South Africa; Taiwan; Tonga; Uganda; United Kingdom; Venezuela; West Leeward Islands; Yucatan; Yugoslavia. For more information, contact: Office of Pioneering, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091, (708) 869-9039.

Important notice

All those interested in attending the National Conventions for the elections of the first National Spiritual Assemblies in Poland (especially Bahá’ís of Polish background), Bulgaria and Hungary, as well as the elections of the four new Assemblies in the former Soviet Republics, please contact the Office of Pioneering IMMEDIATELY. Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091 (phone 708-869-9039).

TWO-YEAR PLAN U.S. GOALS

SHORT-TERM PIONEERS	Open	Goals Assigned	LONG-TERM PIONEERS	Open	Goals Assigned
Bulgaria ..........................................	2	0	Bulgaria ..........................................	1	0
Czechoslovakia ...............................	4	2	Czechoslovakia ...............................	4	0
DDR/East Germany .......................	2	2	DDR/East Germany .......................	2	0
Hungary ..........................................	2	2	Hungary ..........................................	2	0
Poland .............................................	2	0	Poland .............................................	1	0
Romania .........................................	1	0	Romania .........................................	1	0
USSR			USSR
Ukraine ....................................	4	0	Ukraine ....................................	2	0
Kazakhstan ...............................	2	1	Kazakhstan ...............................	2	2
Other Republics ......................	4	2	Other Republics ......................	2	0
Yugoslavia .......................................	4	4	Yugoslavia .......................................	2	0
Mongolia .........................................	1	0	China ................................................	2	0
China ................................................	4	0	Totals	21	2
Totals	32	13
Pioneers Sent ................................................................................................................. 85

TRAVELING TEACHING CALENDAR

BRAZIL: Rio de Janeiro—June 1-12, Global Forum (UNCED-Earth Summit ’92).

HUNGARY: Present-August 1992, non-stop proclamation; teaching-deepening projects. July 1-15—International Summer Projects I; July 16-31—International Summer Project II; August 1-8—Hungarian Summer School; August 11-24—International Summer Project III.

UNITED KINGDOM: Clifton, York—August 10-15, Music and Arts Festival to celebrate the Centenary of the Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh.

For more information, contact the Office of Pioneering, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091 (phone 708-869-9039).

This summer...

SUMMER WATCH! Look for the upcoming listing of summer teaching projects in The American Bahá’í. Opportunities are being received daily from National Spiritual Assemblies around the world. Participate in the global traveling teaching arenas. Bear in mind, some of these opportunities have never been available before and some may not be available again!

Please send two copies of articles about Faith

Whenever a reference to the Faith appears in your local newspaper (excluding ads placed by Bahá’ís), please send two originals of the page containing the mention to the Office of Public Information, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL, 60091 as soon as possible. We depend on Bahá’ís for an accurate assessment of what is published about the Faith.

CURRENT U.S. PIONEERING GOALS

AFRICA	Goals Assigned	Open Goals	AMERICAS - Continued	Goals Assigned	Open Goals
(F) Burundi .....................................................	1	0	(E) Jamaica (Preferably self-supporting for
(E) Ciskei ........................................................	2	0	rural areas to work in village development)	4	0
(E) The Gambia (Preferably Persians) ...........	2	0	(F) Martinique (French-speaking youth to en-
(E) Kenya (Preferably Outside Nairobi) .........	1	0	roll in university or with musical talent) .....	1	0
(E) Nigeria .....................................................	3	0	(S) Nicaragua (Preferably Persian) ...................	2	0
(E) Sierra Leone .............................................	2	0	(E) St. Lucia (Skills in community consol-
(E) South Africa ..............................................	2	0	idation) ......................................................	4	1
(E) St. Helena .................................................	2	1	(E) St. Vincent & Grenadines ............................	2	0
(E) Namibia ....................................................	2	0	(D) Suriname (Preferably Persian) ....................	2	1
(E) Transkei ....................................................	2	0	(E) Trinidad & Tobago (Preferably Persian) ....	2	0
(E) Uganda (One to teach the Faith in the			(S) Uruguay .....................................................	2	0
university; one doctor) ...............................	2	0	(S) Venezuela ...................................................	2	0
(E) Venda ........................................................	2	1	(E) Virgin Islands, British ................................	2	0
Total for Africa	23	2	Total for Americas	45	9
AMERICAS	Goals Assigned	Open Goals	ASIA	Goals Assigned	Open Goals
(E) Bahamas (North Abaco, Eleuthera,			(E) India ...........................................................	2	0
Andros, Cat Island, Long Island) .............	3	0	(E) Malaysia (To help develop public
(E) Barbados (Employment opportunities			relations experts) .......................................	1	0
for a dentist) ...............................................	1	0	(E) Nepal ..........................................................	2	0
(E) Belize (For radio, consolidation, devel-			(M) Taiwan (Chinese Background) ..................	1	0
(S) opment projects; skills for the National			Total for Asia	6	0
Secretariat) .................................................	1	0
(P) Brazil (Preferably for Amazon project,			!!
possibly of Persian background) .............	2	0	! AUSTRALASIA !! Goals Assigned !! Open Goals
(S) Chile (Juan Fernandez Islands, prefer-			(E) Marshall Islands (To help with admin-
ably a Spanish-speaking couple) .............	2	2	istration) .....................................................	1	0
(E) Dominica ..................................................	2	1	‎Total for Americas Total for Australasia‎	1	0
(F) French Guiana (Preferably Persian) .....	3	3
(E) Grenada ....................................................	2	0	! EUROPE !! Goals Assigned !! Open Goals
(F) Guadeloupe (Opportunities for English			(P) Portugal (Couples for goal areas outside
teachers) ......................................................	2	0	greater Lisbon, preferably Portuguese or
(E) Guyana (Preferably East Indians and			Spanish-speaking) ....................................	2	0
Blacks) ..........................................................	2	0	Total for Europe	2	0
(S) Honduras (Bay Islands, Yoro, Colon;
preferably self-supporting) .......................	2	1

Total goals assigned ....................................... 77	Pioneers to goal countries .............................. 243	Pioneers filling goals for other countries .. 17
Total goals filled ............................................ 66	Pioneers to non-goals ..................................... 429	Total Pioneers sent ....................................... 689

Language Key: (E) English (D) Dutch (F) French (M) Mandarin (P) Portuguese (S) Spanish [Page 5]

Holy Year: A special time for Bahá’í youth

When you close your eyes and think about the future, what is it that comes to mind? Do you ever think about what will happen to you as you grow older? Where you will live or who you will marry?

One of the greatest things about being young is that we have so much of our lives to look forward to. We have so many decisions to make, so many people to meet, and so many places to go.

It is as though a long, perhaps a bit windy, beautiful road lies before us, and we are walking along on a bright summer day, learning and laughing and growing.

In a few months, a special thing will be happening in all of our young lives. The Holy Year will begin on April 21 and that means that the road before us will become even brighter. There will be even more happiness in our lives, and we will have a chance to think about Bahá’u’lláh in an even more focused way.

Two special events are taking place during the Holy Year. One will be a gathering in the Holy Land of all of the living Knights of Bahá’u’lláh as well as selected believers from every national community to commemorate the Centenary of the passing of Bahá’u’lláh. (Knights of Bahá’u’lláh are the people who were the first Bahá’ís to move to a country or territory designated by the Guardian as one that should be opened to the Faith during the Ten Year Crusade).

The other event taking place during the Holy Year is the second Bahá’í World Congress, which you may have heard about by now.

The World Congress will be an opportunity for all the Bahá’ís of the world to come together to celebrate the Mission of Bahá’u’lláh and His Covenant. It will be held in New York City from November 23-26 (that’s only months away).

The program is being planned under the guidance of the Universal House of Justice. It is a gift for each of us. It is an historic event that will change not only our lives, but also the life of the world!

Just imagine. Thousands... no, tens of thousands of Bahá’ís from every nook and cranny of the globe pouring into the streets of New York, smiling warmly and shining with a radiance bright enough to set the world on fire.

...Sound like something from a fairy tale? Not necessarily—because this drama is going to be real come November and the Bahá’í World Congress.

Thousands of Bahá’í youth will be among those attending the Congress. A special program will be an extra gift to the youth who are there. As a part of their total World Congress experience, there will be special sessions and opportunities for them to gather with their peers and talk about what a powerful force they now are.

We want you to be one of the youth who is at the World Congress. Why, you ask? You see, the World Congress promises to be one of the highlights of our Bahá’í lives, with its joyous celebration and historic significance. Just ask any of the older Bahá’ís who attended the first World Congress in London in 1963. Ask them how it touched and changed their lives.

And besides, this opportunity will never come again. We will never again be at this point in our lives during a Holy Year.

Sure, it may seem expensive, but do good things ever come easy? It may mean one extra shift at work, fewer trips to the beach this summer, or simply discussing it with your parents, but doesn’t it seem worth it? Could any possible vacation or way of spending money possibly compare?

So be excited, be happy, and tell all your friends about the second Bahá’í World Congress in November. It is an experience that none of us will ever forget. See you there!

There will be information each month in The American Bahá’í about the Bahá’í World Congress and youth. If you have any comments to share or questions to ask, please write to us at: Bahá’í International Community, Bahá’í World Congress Youth Movement Forum, 866 United Nations Plaza, Suite 119, New York, NY 10017.

Bahá’í youth arise to win goals of Plan, prepare for Holy Year

As the Holy Year approaches, Bahá’í youth throughout the United States have arisen to complete the goals of the Six Year Plan and to prepare for a befitting remembrance of Bahá’u’lláh and His Covenant.

One area in which youth have arisen to join the march to victory is Northern California where young believers recently held a series of meetings on teaching, inspired by the visits of the Hand of the Cause of God William Sears and retired member of the Universal House of Justice David Hofman.

The meetings culminated with a large gathering on February 8-9 at which young people from all over Northern California met with a team of youth from Oregon who are active in the teaching work there. The visitors shared their experiences and their excitement over the progress of the Faith in their state. As a result, four California youth arose immediately to teach the Faith full-time, and 14 others committed to teaching on weekends and during the summer.

After the meeting, two of the full-time teachers set out for Stockton where they opened a Bahá’í Center, started children’s classes, and began teaching in the Southeast Asian community. Other youth formed a total of eight teaching institutes dedicated to winning the goals of the Six Year Plan.

There are now youth teaching activities in many areas, such as Sacramento, Stockton, Santa Cruz, Fresno, Eureka, San Jose and San Francisco. There are also a number of projects being planned for this summer, including a bicycle teaching trip from Crescent City to San Diego, efforts in conjunction with the friends in Oregon and Washington State, and local undertakings in Stockton, Lakeport and Oakland.

A confirming aspect of all of these efforts has been the ready support of the Auxiliary Board, the Bosch Bahá’í School Council, the Metro 9000 Task Force, and many local Spiritual Assemblies and teaching committees. The youth teachers are firmly convinced that the protection and assistance given to them by the institutions and their appointed representatives will ensure their success.

A core group of youth has been formed to coordinate the teaching and to plan the summer projects. For information on teaching in Northern California, call 415-681-1892 or 408-426-3369.

Bahá’ís take part in Thanksgiving service

The Bahá’ís of Santa Clarita, California, took part last November with 400 members of other faiths in a Thanksgiving service sponsored by that city’s Interfaith Council, of which the Bahá’ís are a member.

As a part of the program, a prayer revealed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was recited, Bahá’í Jerry Bathke read the Thanksgiving Day proclamation from President Bush, and a Bahá’í youth, Cari North, joined young speakers from a number of churches in explaining why they were grateful for the past year.

Twenty Bahá’ís attended the event.

INTERNATIONAL BAHÁ’Í YOUTH ART ENSEMBLE

Pictured are members of the Louhelen Youth Workshop (International Bahá’í Youth Art Ensemble) which has performed for audiences all over Michigan since it was formed last year at the Louhelen Bahá’í School.

Louhelen Youth Workshop proclaims Cause with program of dance, drama, music to please audiences of all ages

Since it was formed last year, the Louhelen Youth Workshop (also known as the International Bahá’í Youth Art Ensemble) has performed for Bahá’í and non-Bahá’í audiences all over Michigan.

The group was in Cleveland to perform as a part of the city’s weekend with the Hand of the Cause of God William Sears, and has appeared at several colleges and universities in affiliation with their Bahá’í Clubs.

The ensemble is now devoting itself to proclamation events, and has performed at international dinners, a commemoration in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a petunia-planting festival in Saginaw, international events at colleges and institutes, and a number of other proclamation events.

The ensemble includes not only Louhelen students but students from nearby cities such as Ann Arbor, Detroit and Lansing. Countries represented, besides the U.S., include Iran, Kenya, Botswana, Ethiopia, Honduras, Israel, Ecuador, Germany and the Seychelles Islands.

Performances are as diverse as the membership, ranging from Ecuadorian Indian dances to salsa, reggae, African dances and modern hip-hop.

Songs of various cultures are also performed, from gospel and rap to reggae and calypso, with poetry, dialogue and, most important, readings and quotations on the station, mission and historical background of Bahá’u’lláh, as well as the divine principles and teachings of the Faith.

Taken together, the elements of the program presented by the Youth Art Ensemble are a powerful teaching tool, demonstrating the diversity of mankind and the inevitability and beauty of world peace and unity through the Bahá’í principles.

At one recent performance, at the International Institute in Flint, an audience composed mainly of prominent persons such as college professors, committee members of local groups, and even the mayor, was visibly moved by the spirit of the group’s performance.

After it was over, the mayor commented in his remarks to those present how rare it was to see such diversity and unity manifested in a group of young people.

He then suggested that the phrase “Mankind Is One,” which appears on their T-shirts, be adopted by Flint as a theme for the rest of the year, not merely as words but in practice. [Page 6]

Bahá’u’lláh

prepared by the Bahá’í World Centre Office of Public Information HC $8.95 SC $1.50

An introduction to the life and work of Bahá’u’lláh, conveying His vision of the oneness of humanity and offering a perspective on “the feeling of confidence” with which Bahá’ís view “the future of our planet and our race.” Published in preparation for the centenary anniversary of Bahá’u’lláh’s passing and the inauguration of His Covenant, the book is “intended primarily for wide distribution to the public.” It is also “a source of study and inspiration for the Bahá’ís themselves” and will provide “substance for various presentations on the Faith.” This book will aid Bahá’ís in their efforts to achieve the “widest possible proclamation of the Name of Bahá’u’lláh” and to “blazon” it “across the globe, to make it a known eminence in the consciousness of peoples everywhere.” This edition features a foreword, maps, table of contents, introduction, glossary, and index, making it more accessible to a general audience. These features also facilitate individual study. The hardcover edition is designed for use in public libraries and is suitable for presentation.

4-1/4" x 7", 104 pp., ‎forward foreword‎, maps, table of contents, introduction, notes, glossary, index Bahá’í Publications Australia

Bahá’u’lláh: A Glimpse of His Life and Teachings

by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Canada VT $25.00

As the Holy Year approaches, new ways of teaching the world about the life of Bahá’u’lláh are being developed. This new introductory video is an example of this new approach in which the person of Bahá’u’lláh is featured and the history of His Faith is secondary. Seekers are presented with a glimpse of Bahá’u’lláh’s life as an exile and prisoner and only then offered a look at His community. It begins with a description of Bahá’u’lláh’s vision of a united world at peace. Madame Rúhíyyih Rabbání narrates this portion of the presentation beginning with Bahá’u’lláh’s arrival in Haifa; His confinement in the Fortress of ‘Akká; the move to the House of ‘Abbúd; ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s successful efforts to move Bahá’u’lláh to the surrounding countryside, first to Mazra’ih, and finally to the Mansion of Bahjí. Bahá’u’lláh’s writings—centering on the oneness of humanity, are presented by narrator Don Glen in the form of the general principles enunciated by Bahá’u’lláh as the foundation of world unity. The video concludes its presentation by mentioning the current interest shown the Bahá’í shrines in Haifa/‘Akká; a description of Bahá’í pilgrims; the nature of Bahá’í devotions; and the Bahá’í Administrative Order.

27:40 minutes Images International for IBAVC

Reflections on the Significance of the Holy Year

by Glenford Mitchell CS $9.95

A recording of a talk given at the Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois. Mr. Mitchell describes the concept of the Holy Year and its history. In Bahá’í history there has only been one Holy Year—proclaimed by Shoghi Effendi, November 30, 1951, to commemorate the centenary of the Declaration of Bahá’u’lláh. Mr. Mitchell reads from the historic cable announcing the first Holy Year and outlines some activities of the forthcoming Holy Year. Among these is an activity that will link the two Holy Years by completing an unfinished goal of the first Holy Year—the depositing of the Scroll of Honor at the entrance of the inner sanctuary of the tomb of Bahá’u’lláh at Bahjí on May 28, 1992.

approximately 120 minutes Bahá’í Media Services

International Legislation for Environment and Development

by the Bahá’í International Community PA 10pk $2.50 PA 50pk $11.00

This statement summarizes the inadequacies that nation states have in addressing worldwide legislative and environmental issues. Rather than a “piecemeal approach (to international legislation) conceived in response to the needs of the nation states, it seems clearly preferable to adopt... long term solutions (which) will require (a) new and comprehensive vision of a global society.” This vision requires the formation of an international “world parliament empowered to create a code of universally agreed upon and enforceable international law” which will enable society to reflect on the message of Bahá’u’lláh: “The Earth is but one Country” and “Mankind its Citizens.”

3-1/2" x 8-1/2", 4-panel Bahá’í International Community

Further Thoughts on Teaching Institutes

SC $2.50

This book continues the thoughts and themes of “An Evolutionary Approach to Teaching Institutes,” compiled by the National Teaching Committee. It presents a number of extracts from letters of the International Teaching Centre on the nature, purpose, and function of teaching institutes. The concept of “Teaching Groups” is introduced as a preliminary stage to the teaching institute in areas where large-scale expansion has not yet occurred. It discusses the experience of the Ruhi Institute in ‎Columbia Colombia‎ as a description of a successful project, comments on the importance of relying on the Word of God as the foundation of all institutes, poses the thought of the development of specific materials related to the target audience of the institute, presents a view of an institute’s relation to the Institutions of the Faith, and calls for the involvement of youth and children in the teaching work carried on by the institute’s programs. This book is an invaluable asset to anyone interested in teaching and committed to aiding the process of “entry by troops” in the United States.

8-1/2" x 11", 28 pp., preface, appendix Palabra Publications

Women and Men: Partnership for a Healthy Planet

by the Bahá’í International Community PA 10pk $2.50 PA 50pk $11.00

The Bahá’í writings clearly establish the equality of the sexes as a necessary link to world unity. This statement reflects on the continued participation of women in the social and economic lives of their nations and focuses on the progressive transformation of ‎womens’ women's‎ roles in society. An excellent teaching and deepening tool for women’s groups, Future Studies Groups, and individuals.

3-1/2" x 8-1/2", 4-panel Bahá’í International Community

Earth Charter

by the Bahá’í International Community PA 10pk $2.50 PA 50pk $11.00

This statement, presented at the 1992 UNCED Earth Summit, concludes that any type of global-environmental reform must be based upon “universally accepted values and principles” that go beyond “technical-utilitarian proposals and address the underlying cause of the crisis.” The Earth Charter suggests the formation of a worldwide Federal system to regulate environmental standards and enforce environmental violations. An excellent teaching and deepening tool for environmental groups, Future Studies Groups, world Federalist Groups, and individuals concerned with the environment.

3-1/2" x 8-1/2", 4-panel Bahá’í International Community

The Bahá’í World Vol. I-XII

$200.00 net

A readable, comprehensive, and authoritative record of the Bahá’í Faith’s expansion and activity between 1925-1954. These volumes were prepared by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States under Shoghi Effendi’s supervision. He predicted The Bahá’í World would “arouse unprecedented interest” in the Faith and urged its “prompt and widespread circulation.” A must for all teachers, administrators, and historians. An excellent gift for local, university, and theological libraries.

Bahá’í Publishing Trust of the United States

Inventory Reduction

Due to an overstock of The Bahá’í World, the Bahá’í Distribution Service has decided to reduce the price of both complete sets (volumes 1-12) and of individual volumes (volumes 1-12) by 50%. Volumes 3 and 7 are currently out of print and are only available if the entire set is purchased. The reduced prices are net (no further discounts offered). The reduced prices are effective while the existing supplies last.

Learning About Growth: The Story of the Ruhi Institute and Large-scale Expansion of the Bahá’í Faith in Colombia

by the Ruhi Institute SC $5.00

Learning About Growth not only tells the story of ‎Columbia’s Colombia’s‎ efforts at the Ruhi Institute to maintain large-scale expansion of the Faith, but also provides a model for studying one’s own crises and victories. By studying the dynamics of other’s efforts to teach the Faith, the National Teaching Committee urges the friends in the United States to study this example of “entry by troops” to fortify their own teaching efforts.

6" x 9", 72 pp., foreword, preface, references Palabra Publications

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

Bahá’í Datebook (Australia) 149-50 B.E. (1992–93)

SC $3.25

This datebook from Australia uses a two-week-at-a-glance format showing both Bahá’í and Gregorian dates. Bahá’í and Gregorian names are provided for each day of the week and for each month. Holy Days, 19 Day Feasts, and the 19 Day Fast are also highlighted for easy reference. The datebook includes three pages for notes and eight pages available for addresses. Thirty-two quotes from Bahá’u’lláh, the Báb, and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá at the top of the calendar’s pages provide inspiration and focus for developing a Bahá’í spirit and identity.

3-3/4" x 6-3/4", 80 pp. Century Press Pty. Ltd.

The Pinckelhoffer Mice

by Shirin Sabri illustrated by Sue Podger SC $7.95

A delightful story casting animals in the role of acquiring spiritual attributes. There is an island without any name in the midst of the Pacific Ocean. The kitchen of the deserted Old House has been a safe home to generations of Pinckelhoffer Mice. Now danger looms, for wild rats have invaded the Other Room and one of them has a plan. . . . Will the plan succeed, or can Brown, Dark, Jump and the other young mice save the island from the rats? Whatever the result, the attempt to stop the rats has consequences none of them could have foreseen.

Appropriate for children and youth from approximately six years old through eleven.

5" x 7-3/4", 156 pp. Oneworld Publications

A for Effort: And Other Stories for Today’s Young Heroes

by Susan J. Allen SC $7.95

A new book of young adult fiction that presents Bahá’í teachings as spiritual guidance for everyday situations. In this book we meet Lucy, Ralph, Carrie, Nick and many other young people who are trying to understand what being a Bahá’í is all about. We read how these characters deal with the feeling of being just a little “different” and alone, because they try to be good Bahá’ís and their non-Bahá’í friends don’t understand. This book will interest young readers from approximately ten years old through later teens.

5-1/8" x 7-3/4", 149 pp. Oneworld Publications

The Pure in Heart

by Jimmy Ewe Huat Seow SC $8.50

‘Abdu’l-Bahá wrote, “The Bahá’í teacher of the Chinese people must first be imbued with their spirit, know their sacred literature, study their national customs and speak to them from their own stand-point, and their own terminologies.” This book will aid that teacher to understand the history of Chinese response to the message of Bahá’u’lláh and will thereby increase his or her success in teaching this people whom ‘Abdu’l-Bahá called a people “free from any deceit and hypocrisies.” This book is an essential first step for anyone wishing to trace the history of Bahá’í teaching of the Chinese people in the Far East. The introduction provides a glimpse into the cultural, political, and religious setting facing early Bahá’í teachers who arrived in the region as early as 1862. It records the first mention of Chinese believers made in a letter to Shoghi Effendi on June 7, 1919: “Shanghai is awakened. Chinese people are converted and bestow in their turn the Light to their fellow men.”

5-3/4" x 8-1/4", 86 pp., foreword, preface, introduction, 42 photographs, bibliography Bahá’í Publications Australia

PER: Ayat-i-Ilahi (The Hidden Words)

by Bahá’u’lláh HC $24.95

Bahá’u’lláh revealed these “gem-like utterances” during His meditation on the bank of the Tigris River around 1858. According to Shoghi Effendi, they rank next to the Kitáb-i-Íqán and hold a position of “unsurpassed preeminence” among Bahá’u’lláh’s ethical writings. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá encouraged Bahá’ís to “memorize” and “recite day and night” The Hidden Words and has said that one who lives by them will become “a torch of the fire of the love of God, an embodiment of humility, of lowliness, of evanescence and of selflessness.” This beautifully bound, leather edition from Germany features a gold cover, gilt-edged pages, and a ribbon page marker. Each page is attractively illuminated, with only one Hidden Word appearing per page. This is not only an excellent edition for personal study of The Hidden Words by the Persian friends, but an excellent gift as well.

4-1/8" x 5-3/8", 190 pp. Bahá’í Verlag

Daily Readings

Bahá’í DayBook

Passages for Deepening and Meditation SC $6.95

A book of daily devotions compiled from the Bahá’í writings and other scriptures for each date of the Bahá’í year, beginning with Naw-Rúz (March 21). Daily use of this book will help to foster the habit of reading daily from the Bahá’í writings, and strengthen one’s attachment to the Covenant. Suitable as a gift or for gift-giving.

4-1/8" x 6", 374 pp., foreword, illustrations, references Bahá’í Publishing Trust of the United States

Nearness to God

Readings for Morn and Eve HC $14.95

A selection of extracts from the writings of Bahá’u’lláh, the Báb, and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, chosen to help us draw closer to God and appreciate more fully the spirit of His revelation. This high quality, beautiful publication has been designed to follow the rhythm of the Bahá’í calendar, and includes:

• Two readings per page, one for morning and one for evening.
• The obligatory prayers, and additional readings for Holy Days.
• Special treatment of the Feast at the start of each Bahá’í month.

Nearness to God will help to develop the spiritual pattern of daily reading and prayer. This excellent book can be a lifelong companion, and is an ideal gift for new Bahá’ís.

5" x 7", 404 pp., preface, introduction, references, bibliography, notes Bahá’í Publishing Trust of the United Kingdom

Recent New Titles

Accents of God edited by M. K. Rohani SC $12.95 Bahá’u’lláh: The Prince of Peace A Portrait by David Hofman HC $21.95 SC $9.95 Call to the Nations by Shoghi Effendi SC $2.50 Days of Certainty by Martin Newman CS $9.95 Emergence: Dimensions of a New World Order edited by Charles Lerche SC $14.95 Enlighten Curriculum Fifth Grade; Sixth Grade by Lea Iverson SC $19.95 per volume $140.00 eight volume set Ger: Die ‎Verborgennen Verborgenen‎ Worte (The Hidden Words) by Bahá’u’lláh HC $8.50

The Journal of Bahá’í Studies: Vol.3, No.3 by the Association for Bahá’í Studies SC $6.00 Spn: La Fe Bahá’í y su ‎Communidad Comunidad‎ Mundial by the Bahá’í Publishing Trust of the United States PA 10pk $3.50 PA 50pk $15.50 Spn: La Fe Bahá’í Teaching Booklet by Dr. Hidáyatu’lláh Ahmadiyyih SC $1.00 Studying the Writings of Shoghi Effendi edited by Morten Bergsmo SC $13.95 Tear Down Those Borders by Peace Moves CS $9.95 Unrestrained As the Wind: A Life Dedicated to Bahá’u’lláh compiled from the Bahá’í Writings by the National Youth Committee and the Bahá’í Publishing Trust SC $9.95

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

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

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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.

SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES

THE BOSCH Bahá’í School is accepting applications for summer 1992 employment. Positions available include children’s teachers (3), recreation director, lifeguard, music director, kitchen assistants (2) and maintenance assistants (3). All positions require a willingness to serve and interact with children, youth and adults. Those chosen will serve from July through August (9-10 weeks) and receive a small stipend plus room and board. To apply, send a brief résumé of your experience or ask for an application for employment from the Bosch Bahá’í School, 500 Comstock Lane, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 (phone 408-423-3387).

THE GREEN ACRE Bahá’í School is accepting applications for summer 1992 employment. Positions include children’s teachers, food service, housekeeping and maintenance help, recreation director, assistant registrar, librarian, and program assistant. Applicants should be available from mid-June through the end of August. Room and board are provided with a small stipend. Please send a brief résumé to the Administrator, Green Acre Bahá’í School, 188 Main St., Eliot, ME 03903, or phone 207-439-7200 Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., for more information.

PIONEERING (HOMEFRONT)

THE BAHÁ’ÍS of Murray, Utah, would welcome homefront pioneers to help move the community forward and return it to Assembly status. The community is made up mostly of Persian believers who feel that opportunities for teaching and growth would be enhanced by adding some diversity in the form of deepened believers who are fluent in English. Murray City, nestled in the center of Salt Lake Valley, has many educational, employment and business opportunities as well as resources for retired persons. Four nearby local Assemblies provide a wide array of Bahá’í activities including children’s classes and Holy Day observances. For information, please contact the Spiritual Assembly of Salt Lake County, P.O. Box 57775, Salt Lake City, UT 84157, or the Bahá’ís of Murray, c/o A.M.T. Printing, Murray, UT 84107, or phone (leave message) 801-582-2026 or 801-261-0567.

ALPINE—the best-kept secret in Texas with clean air, low crime rate, good schools, Sul Ross State University—it has everything except an active local Assembly. Actually, there are three Bahá’ís in Alpine and two of them are leaving. Great place for retired people, those who speak Spanish, rock hounds, bird watchers, outdoorsmen of all kinds, Bahá’ís of all ages, especially those who love to teach the Faith. Come on over, the living’s great and the opportunity to teach is tremendous. Write to Toni Isaac, Alpine, TX 79830, or phone 915-837-5916.

THE BAHÁ’ÍS of Benbrook, Texas, invite anyone who is planning to become a homefront pioneer to consider moving there. Benbrook, on the southwest border of Fort Worth, has a population of about 25,000. It is within commuting distance of all communities in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, and has all the facilities of a large city including schools, police and fire departments, etc. All kinds of housing available from custom homes, apartments, duplexes and quads to town houses with lower real estate taxes than in most surrounding communities. There is a large park on the shores of Benbrook Lake with facilities for swimming, boating and fishing, and a large picnic grounds and 27-hole public golf course nearby. For more information, please write to P.O. Box 26734, Benbrook, TX 76126, or phone 817-249-2781.

WOODBURN, Oregon, is poised for entry by troops. Those charged with the responsibility of coordinating the teaching in that community have established an audacious goal: 50 full-time teachers in the field by April. Spanish-speakers are especially useful, as most of those who have enrolled there so far speak Spanish. However, 4,000 Russian-speaking people and some 10,000 who speak English also need to hear of Bahá’u’lláh. There is work for all. Pioneers are most welcome, as are those who can come on vacation whatever the time of year. Most people will need to be self-supporting, but there are jobs in the area, and housing is relatively inexpensive. The friends are planning to extend and strengthen a diverse and complex effort, which has included social and economic development and service projects, both short- and long-term. For example, there are ongoing nightly classes in English as a second language which need more teachers. Musicians have been of great help, and there are many possibilities for using music in the teaching work. If you are interested, whether you intend to come or not, please write for more information to the Spiritual Assembly of Clackamas County Northwest, Jan House, P.O. Box 167, Aurora, OR 97002, or phone 503-678-5162 (home) or 503-678-1085 (business).

THE SPIRITUAL Assembly of Annapolis, Maryland, is in jeopardy. Annapolis, the capital of Maryland and home of the U.S. Naval Academy, is a well-known center for sailing, boating and other maritime activities. Please pray for us. We invite all those who are interested in pioneering to contact us c/o Bahá’ís of Annapolis, P.O. Box 4486, Annapolis, MD 21403, or to phone Linda Platt, 410-280-3408.

THE BAHÁ’Í community of Harlingen, Texas, is poised for unprecedented growth. The special significance of the U.S.-Mexico border has been outlined by the Universal House of Justice. The Free Trade Agreement between the U.S. and Mexico will be a great impetus for growth here. There are four Spiritual Assemblies in the Valley: Edinburg, McAllen, Brownsville and Harlingen. If you would like to be a homefront pioneer or help bolster our communities, you would be most welcome. Employment in medicine is immediately available, especially for internists and family practitioners, but also in the sub-specialties. Teaching positions in primary and secondary education also available. One need not be bilingual. Write to the Spiritual Assembly of Harlingen, P.O. Box 830, Harlingen, TX 78551, or phone 512-421-2233 or 512-425-6385.

BECOME a homefront pioneer in the university town of West Lafayette, Indiana, home of Purdue University—top-notch in engineering, sciences and many other fields. An attractive town of about 32,000 with many cultural opportunities in theatre and the arts. Excellent medical facilities, various industries nearby (Alcoa, Isuzu, etc.) and many small businesses as well as Indiana Vocational Technical College. The Assembly is more than 25 years old; help save it! We are active, united, and very much in need of permanent members, but will joyously welcome the transient and not-so-permanent as well. For information, please contact the Spiritual Assembly of West Lafayette, P.O. Box 3066, West Lafayette, IN 47906, or phone Shirley Morris, secretary, 317-743-3340.

PIONEERING (OVERSEAS)

AFRICA—Angola: health care personnel, country director. Benin: primary school teachers. Cape Verde: educator/administrator/rural agricultural expert/instructor. Mauritania: finance and administration officer, transportation manager for World Vision. Uganda: physicians. AMERICAS—Brazil: primary school teachers. Honduras: elementary school teachers. ASIA—Cambodia: administrative officer, country representative, health professional for World Vision. Macau: ESL teacher. Taiwan: teachers for YMCA’s English-language instruction programs. Thailand: volunteers to conduct English classes in Bahá’í communities; regional urban policy adviser. AUSTRALASIA—Marshall Islands: primary school teachers. Pohnpei: business instructors. Taiwan: Manager for Bahá’í Office of the Environment, volunteer with expertise in computer programming and general office systems to serve in the National Office. EUROPE—Armenia: project manager for Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Center, nurses. Bulgaria: library director. Poland: president for small private bank. Romania: child psychologist, physical therapist, speech/language therapist, finance manager, operations director, nurse. Russia: project manager. MULTI-REGIONAL—medical officers and technical officers for UN’S WHO program on AIDS. URGENT NEED FOR TEACHERS at the Banani International School, a secondary school for girls with emphasis on agriculture in Zambia. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Republic of Ireland invites applications from married couples or individuals who would be interested in serving as caretakers of the National Hazíratu’l-Quds in Dublin. For more information on any of the above, please contact the Office of Pioneering at the Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette IL 60091 (telephone 708-869-9039 or fax 708-869-0247 Attn: Office of Pioneering).

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 persons: David Fullmer La Rocque, Frances M. La Roza (died New Haven, CT, 1946), Helen La Vey, Margaret Laentre, H.H. Larkin, Colleyse Le Andro, Anne Leach, Blanche Lear (died Pine Grove, PA, 1963). Anyone knowing family members or relatives who might have 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 photographs and personal recollections of sessions of the Green Acre, Louhelen, Geyserville and Bosch schools and the Louis G. Gregory and Native American Institutes. Anyone having photographs or recollections to donate is asked to send them to the National Bahá’í Archives, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091. If possible, please identify and date the photographs.

WANTED

WANTED: Five enthusiastic and dedicated Bahá’ís to round out a teaching team that is going to bicycle down the California coast (from Crescent City to San Diego) this June and teach in communities along the way. Ability to sing or play a musical instrument would be helpful. We will be biking 75-100 miles per day, proclaiming Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings on race unity in honor of the Holy Year and sharing the National Spiritual Assembly’s statement on America’s most challenging issue. For information, phone Kayvan Farahmand, 408-484-2357 or 408-425-9257.

THE SPIRITUAL Assembly of Barnstable, Massachusetts, seeks information about Gospel singers who would be interested and able to perform at a Race Unity Conference next June 14 on Cape Cod. Please send information to the Spiritual Assembly of Barnstable, P.O. Box 1275, Hyannis, MA 02601.

THE MARTIN Luther King Jr. Federal Holiday Commission would like to thank members of the Bahá’í Faith who made an effort to observe the “Let Freedom Ring” ceremony at noon on the federal holiday (January 20). The bell-ringing ceremony, sometimes accompanied by a reading of Dr. King’s words, was supported by the secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly, and was publicized around the world by the news media. The Commission would like to hear from those who were able to take part, so that we might judge the effectiveness of our appeal. Please send details to Denny Townsend, public affairs director, Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Holiday Commission, Washington, DC 20410.

WANTED: Photocopies of correspondence to and from Roger White for a book about how the poet has influenced and inspired Bahá’ís all over the world. Reminiscences are welcome too. Also needed: information about Alma Knobloch, Thomas Breakwell and Juliet Thompson. Please write to Anne G. Atkinson, Chicago, IL 60641.

WANTED: poems about the Green Acre Bahá’í School—old or new, authors known or unknown. Send to Dick Grover, Exeter, NH 03833.

INFORMATION on Mark Tobey is sought for a biography and catalog of his works. Anyone, individuals or institutions, with information about the works of Mark Tobey or his life is asked to write to Paul Cummings, New York, NY 10021.

FOR SALE

TO RAISE MONEY for the National Fund, the Spiritual Assembly of Portland, Oregon, has silk-screened T-shirts with the logo of the second Bahá’í World Congress on a navy blue background and is offering them for sale with all proceeds going directly to the National Fund. Sweatshirts sell for $22.50 each, short-sleeve T-shirts for $13.95. Discounts for orders of five or more. Sizes range from medium to extra-large for sweatshirts and xx-large for T-shirts. To order or obtain more information, write to the Spiritual Assembly of Portland, P.O. Box 4245, Portland, OR 97208, or phone 503-281-3775.

FOR SALE: sets of four audio cassettes containing the talks given by the Hand of the Cause of God William Sears during his visit last November 16-17 to Portland, Oregon. The price is $25; a large part of which is a fundraiser for the Woodburn Project. For more details and quantity prices, write to the Spiritual Assembly of Clackamas County Northwest, c/o Erich Reich, P.O. Box 68235, Milwaukie, OR 97268.

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 $12 a year (U.S. and Canada) and $15 a year overseas. Donations from Bahá’í institutions and individual Bahá’ís are welcomed. To subscribe, write to El Ruiseñor/The Nightingale, P.O. Box 512, San Fernando, CA 91340.

MISCELLANEOUS

THE DISTRICT Teaching Committee of Nebraska is developing a full-time teaching campaign, “The Trail of Light Peace Caravan,” to cover the state from June-September 1992. Its purpose is to bring the healing Message of Bahá’u’lláh to the generality of mankind. The caravan will travel through the smaller communities, setting up camp for 1-2 days at a time. Campers will have large banners addressing peace themes. Copies of “The Promise of World Peace,” the National Assembly’s statement on race unity, and the compilation on Bahá’u’lláh will be available for distribution. Anyone with ability in the performing arts is especially encouraged to take part. Anyone with the desire to teach, or otherwise help us reach our goals, may write to the District Teaching Committee of Nebraska, North Platte, NE 69101, or phone Ernie Dumas, 308-534-3367. [Page 9]

Second Global Structures Conference co-sponsored by U.S. National Assembly

The National Spiritual Assembly was one of 100 co-sponsors of the “Second Global Structures Convocation: Environment and Development,” held February 6-9 in Washington, D.C.

The convocation, which was focused on the need for new and stronger laws and institutions to handle the increasingly global problems of environment and development and to facilitate a worldwide transition toward a global community, attracted more than 1,400 participants from 47 states.

It was part of an unprecedented worldwide democratic process in which non-governmental organizations have been addressing the same issues being deliberated by government representatives prior to the June 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), or Earth Summit.

The convocation’s many speakers included those with interests in environment, international development/relief, world peace, disarmament, human rights, education, and the UN.

The National Spiritual Assembly’s Washington office, represented by Peter Adriance, helped plan and carry out many aspects of the convocation. Mr. Adriance served on the convocation advisory group and managed 18 of the 36 workshops held.

Mr. Adriance organized and moderated a workshop entitled “Earth Charter: Establishing the Values and Principles for International Laws and Global Community,” and spoke on a panel of non-governmental organizations, to an audience of 1,400, responding to U.S. government positions on UNCED.

Also attending the convocation were two other representatives of the National Spiritual Assembly’s Washington office, Kit Bigelow Cosby and Jeffrey Huffines.

The Bahá’í International Community, Office of the Environment, represented by Rebeque Getahoun, provided an attractive exhibit in cooperation with the National Spiritual Assembly, and took part in the Earth Charter workshop.

Many pieces of Bahá’í literature were distributed through the exhibit, and several people asked for follow-up information.

More than 45 people attended the workshop to discuss the Earth Charter, a document that will establish an ethical framework for decision-making on environment and development and that is one of the primary products expected from UNCED.

Among performers at the convocation was the Metropolitan Washington Bahá’í Chorale conducted by Roya Bauman and Emerson Head.

The Bahá’í Justice Society was represented by Sovaida Ma’ani and Dwight Allen, while more than 30 other Bahá’ís from 10 states also attended the event.

Bahá’í Youth Service Corps

“sally forth unrestrained as the wind”

For more information, contact: National Teaching Committee Bahá’í National Center Wilmette, IL 60091 Phone 708-869-9039, ext. 232

MEDIA PLAN

House of Justice approves global strategy to ‘blazon Bahá’u’lláh’s Name’ during Holy Year

The Universal House of Justice has approved a global media plan designed for the Bahá’í World Congress to “blazon the name of Bahá’u’lláh” across the entire planet. The plan is to build steady media interest throughout the year culminating in the Bahá’í World Congress.

The U.S. plan, working in concert with the global plan, will center on the two major events that will highlight the Holy Year—the observance of the 100th anniversary of the passing of Bahá’u’lláh, and the Bahá’í World Congress.

Commemoration of the centenary of the Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh will be held in the Holy Land at Bahjí and Haifa on May 28-29. The Bahá’í World Congress will be held November 23-26 at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

The U.S. media plan stresses the importance of conducting simultaneous events at the local level and it utilizes the main thrust of the global plan—to focus on key facts about the Faith.

Journalists are geared to cover events, not ideas; to report on current trends, not history. Although much of the world is no doubt ready to hear about Bahá’u’lláh, those who decide what is published and broadcast are not likely to accept the message without a contemporary context. That context lies in the dramatic story of the growth and spread of the worldwide Bahá’í community.

It is in the area of events that the efforts of individuals, local Spiritual Assemblies and Groups will be indispensable if the goals for the Holy Year are to be achieved. Without unique, interesting and noteworthy events at the local level, efforts to secure the sustained attention of the news media will be diminished.

Every Bahá’í will play a role in these efforts to take the Faith to the public, because media attention will be concentrated as never before on the Bahá’í community. Anticipated international and national media attention to the World Congress will encourage local news media to verify the Bahá’í community’s claims of unity, diversity and spiritual renewal.

We must be ready to demonstrate the power of Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings to transform individuals and society.

ROLE OF PUBLIC INFORMATION NETWORK

The primary effort of the Bahá’í Public Information Network during the Holy Year will be to persuade journalists and broadcasters that the worldwide Bahá’í community is a news story that has gone untold for too long and that the time for full media attention is now.

It is a fact well known to advertising, public relations and media professionals that any major campaign to present new information must be built around a few simple and penetrating ideas in order to break through the clutter of information that so bombards today’s citizen.

Therefore, the essence of the global media plan—and its U.S. counterpart—will be to use three significant facts about the Faith repeatedly in a worldwide campaign of press releases, local and national events, and other publicity efforts.

The three facts of which each individual, Spiritual Assembly and Group should be thoroughly aware are:

• The Bahá’í Faith is the second most widely spread religion in the world.
• The Bahá’í Faith is one of the fastest-growing independent world religions.
• The Bahá’í Faith is the newest world religion and has unique features that set it apart from religions that preceded it.

It is the responsibility of the Public Information representative to acquaint the media with these three points. When journalists ask why the Bahá’í community is growing so fast and why the Bahá’ís are commemorating a Holy Year, attention will focus on Bahá’u’lláh. If we are successful in our efforts, by the end of the Holy Year there should be virtually no one in the U.S. who has not at least heard of or read about Bahá’u’lláh and the Bahá’í Faith.

The National Spiritual Assembly encourages local Bahá’í communities to organize unique and noteworthy commemorations for the 100th anniversary of the passing of Bahá’u’lláh on May 29, the celebration of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh on November 12, and local events celebrated simultaneously with those being held in New York during the World Congress.

Once we have called media attention to the key points, reporters are likely to want support for the assertion that the Bahá’í Faith is one of the fastest growing, most widely spread of the world’s independent religions. They also are likely to want to know about local Bahá’ís and Bahá’í activities.

The key to success with the news media during the Holy Year will largely depend upon the degree to which Bahá’í communities maintain focus on the three significant facts and upon the production of strong local events sufficiently noteworthy to sustain the interest of newspapers and broadcasters.

About 20 young Bahá’ís from the Tampa Bay, Florida, area and their advisers took part in a three-day conference the first weekend in January. They enjoyed a number of activities including workshops on cultural diversity and peer pressure as well as a special session to launch their new Youth Teaching Institute. Many of these same young people followed up by marching with members of the Spiritual Assembly of St. Petersburg in the area’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. parade on January 20.

Bahá’í International Community now has available statements on a number of important social issues

For more than 40 years the Bahá’í International Community (BIC) has had relations with the United Nations. The BIC has had consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) since 1970 and the UN Fund for Children (UNICEF) since 1976. It also has a working relationship with the World Health Organization (WHO).

This status allows the BIC to make official oral and written statements to various commissions, committees and conferences of the UN system.

This relationship has afforded—and continues to afford—many opportunities, at UN headquarters and in the field, to acquaint UN personnel, diplomats and leaders of non-governmental organizations with the aims and character of the Bahá’í Faith.

Pinpointing the spiritual and moral foundation of all social, economic and political problems, the Bahá’í statements have been well received, and are frequently perceived as providing a unique perspective on the issues of the day.

The BIC also plays a leading role in the attempts of the worldwide Bahá’í community to protect the beleaguered Bahá’í community in Iran. It has brought the Bahá’í case before UN human rights agencies, and has helped coordinate, under the guidance of the Universal House of Justice, the work of Bahá’í communities in allaying the persecution.

During 1985-90, the BIC issued more than 75 statements on current issues before UN commissions and committees. Many of these statements have become official documents distributed in the six official languages of the UN.

Topics addressed include youth, peace and disarmament, the status of women, economic development, disability, drug abuse, education, the environment, family, food and human rights.

To make a representative selection of these documents available, the U.S. Bahá’í UN Office is offering a packet that includes the most current statements on women, the environment, human rights, education, and development. The statements set forth the Bahá’í position on various aspects of these topics and are valuable references for use in discussions, workshops, seminars and speeches.

To order the packet of BIC statements, write to the U.S. Bahá’í UN Office, 866 United Nations Plaza, Suite 120, New York, NY 10017. Please enclose a check for $5 made payable to the Bahá’ís of the U.S. to cover the cost of postage and printing.

JALÁL B.E. 149/APRIL 9, 1992 [Page 10]

Six Year Plan

(from page 1)

what may well constitute the chief pillar of that future House—a House which posterity will regard as the last refuge of a tottering civilization.” (The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 89)

The Guardian gave us further insight into the importance of the maturation of the Administrative Order when he stated that “the evolution of Bahá’í local and national institutions” would synchronize with the building of the remaining edifices of the Arc and the establishment of the Lesser Peace (Messages to the Bahá’í World, p. 74).

It was clear from the words of Shoghi Effendi that if the American community were to remain in the “vanguard of the liberating forces of Bahá’u’lláh,” we would have to work energetically and with exemplary devotion toward achieving the goal of further maturation; a goal given to us by the very House of which we are the “chief pillar.” For this reason our National Spiritual Assembly made this goal one of its highest priorities for the Plan. The National Assembly developed a strategy for growth encompassing many aspects of community life on the national and local levels.

LOCAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY DEVELOPMENT

The administrative institutions of the Faith must be regarded as parts of a single entity, very much like a building; just as a dome cannot stand without the help of pillars, neither can the pillars be effective unless they rest on a firm support. If the National Assemblies are the “pillars” of the Universal House of Justice, the local Spiritual Assemblies can be seen as their foundation.

During the Six Year Plan, the National Assembly took important steps toward strengthening the local Assemblies—the foundation upon which its own powers and progress depend—and to improve the general quality of its communication and consultation with them. The National Assembly spent the first three years of the Plan experimenting with approaches to this crucial goal, in consultation with the Continental Board of Counselors. By the midway point of the Plan it had developed a major initiative that it believed would address the needs of the American community successfully; and in early 1989 the Local Spiritual Assembly Development Program was launched.

The program contained two principal aspects. First was the preparation of necessary informational materials for use by local Spiritual Assemblies. Various “training modules” were developed, which are deepening kits that address specific issues related to the functioning of a local Assembly.

The National Spiritual Assembly also prepared “Developing Distinctive Bahá’í Communities: Guidelines for Local Spiritual Assemblies,” a new extensive compilation from the Writings on principles of Bahá’í administration. The intent was to provide information and principles to enable local Spiritual Assemblies to better manage their responsibilities. It is a fundamental tool in the National Assembly’s program to foster the maturation of local Spiritual Assemblies.

The second aspect of the program was the establishment of a systematic means of delivering and presenting the modules to the local Assemblies. For this the National Assembly turned to the Board of Counselors, the members of the Auxiliary Board and their assistants, who agreed to take upon themselves the responsibility of seeing that the modules were put to effective use. To oversee the entire project the National Assembly opened an office in Pasadena, California, staffed by two of its members, James Nelson and Juana Conrad.

In the spring of 1989 the National Assembly invited the Counselors and Auxiliary Board members to a conference whose purpose was to acquaint them with the modules that had been developed. The Assembly then initiated a series of 18 local LSA Development Conferences, which took place in cities across the country over the next two years. The meetings were open to members of local Assemblies and, wherever possible, all other adult believers. They were usually attended by at least one member of the Board of Counselors, a member or representative of the National Assembly, and several Auxiliary Board members and their assistants, who presented the modules to the friends.

Some of the earliest modules to be developed were on such topics as “The Spiritual Nature of the local Spiritual Assembly,” “The Application of Spiritual and Administrative Principles,” and “Consultation.” There are now a total ‎ofnine of nine‎ modules including those on “Teaching and the Local Spiritual Assembly,” “Celebrating Diversity,” “Connecting Hearts to The Fund,” and “Stress Management in the Bahá’í Community.”

In addition to the LSA Development Conferences, the National Assembly and Counselors set up a system whereby Auxiliary Board members, their assistants or other facilitators would present training modules to individual local Assemblies. In that way, Assembly members would have the opportunity to learn together as a body, and the individual needs of Assemblies could be better addressed.

The Local Spiritual Assembly Development program has been well received and is becoming an increasingly important entity in the consolidation and maturation of the American Bahá’í community. This has been due largely to the cooperation and whole-hearted support of the institutions of the Faith. The Continental Board of Counselors, the Auxiliary Board and assistants have shown phenomenal energy in taking the modules to local communities; local Assemblies have responded enthusiastically; and the National Assembly has continuously monitored the program’s progress and supported the development of new and better training modules.

One sign of the program’s success is the greater degree of cooperation between the “twin arms” of the Administrative Order.

“In the three years since the project began,” said James Nelson, “we have seen the most friendly and productive interaction ever between the Board of Counselors and the National Assembly. This is also true for the local Assemblies and the Auxiliary Board members and their assistants. In years past there was often a certain amount of awkwardness in the way we worked together; now a new level of trust and support is apparent. It is also true that the National Assembly and the local Assemblies have grown closer.”

Another hopeful sign is the way in which local initiatives in a number of areas have been accelerated. Said Mr. Nelson: “In teaching, Fund development, institutes, increased participation; in short, in every area of Bahá’í community life, all of which demand that the ‘twin arms’ work closely with each other to be successful, there has been general improvement in both quality and quantity of efforts. I think this is primarily because of the greater unity we now enjoy—and unity is the real source of our strength.

“We are learning to appreciate Bahá’u’lláh’s wisdom in having ordained these complementary features of Bahá’í administration. I believe that the LSA Development Program could already be considered a success, if for no other reason than that.”

6 YEAR PLAN GOALS

1. Carrying the healing Message of Bahá’u’lláh to the generality of mankind
2. Greater involvement of the Faith in the life of human society
3. A worldwide increase in the translation, production, distribution and use of Bahá’í literature
4. Further acceleration in the process of the maturation of local and national Bahá’í communities
5. Greater attention to universal participation and the spiritual enrichment of individual believers
6. A wider extension of Bahá’í education to children and youth, and the strengthening of Bahá’í family life
7. The pursuit of projects of social and economic development in well-established Bahá’í communities

ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS

With each of the major goals of the Six Year Plan, the House of Justice included specific suggestions for consultation by the Boards of Counselors and National Spiritual Assemblies. Among the points mentioned under the goal of maturation was support of the Funds.

With this in mind, the National Assembly undertook a number of initiatives designed to stimulate the friends’ teaching activities and understanding of and support for the Funds. One of these was the series of 18 “Vision to Victory” conferences held around the country in 1989-90.

In addition to their emphasis on the teaching work, the conferences encouraged the believers to give individually and collectively, and in a sacrificial manner, to the Funds. A training module on the Fund was developed for the Local Spiritual Assembly Development program, as noted above, as were other publications and materials. Other programs include:

• The Weekend Visits program, begun in 1989, which has evolved into an important means by which the Assembly consults with the community and shares its thoughts and concerns. During the visits, groups of 15-30 Bahá’ís meet at the Bahá’í National Center with members of the National Spiritual Assembly and its staff to discuss the work of the Faith at the national level. Attendees have returned to their communities with a new understanding of the issues facing the National Assembly and the community at large, and often have occasion to share their insights with friends in their home communities.

• The Town Meetings program, begun in May 1990 as a complement to the Local Spiritual Assembly Development Program. The National Assembly, in its most recent Annual Report, stated that the program has “fostered increasingly open and frank discussion with the community and has provided...vital information about many aspects of the community’s life and its present condition.” Planned by members of the Treasurer’s Office in collaboration with local Spiritual Assemblies and members of the Auxiliary Boards, approximately 250 town meetings have drawn several thousand Bahá’ís in 42 states, representing a sizable number of the country’s Bahá’í communities.

• The Local Assembly Goals Program for the National Fund, launched in October 1990, which sparked a tremendously positive response from local communities and a great deal of in-depth consultation at the grassroots and national levels. In this program, local Assemblies are asked to...

Among the school buildings constructed during the Six Year Plan was the Bosch Bahá’í School’s multi-purpose Martha Root Hall. [Page 11]set goals for contributions to the National Bahá’í Fund based on the suggestions of the National Assembly. The National Assembly, considering such factors as size and past record of contributions, makes a specific recommendation to each local Assembly as its goal for the year. The recommendation reflects the level of giving that the National Assembly feels is within that community’s power to achieve. The local Assembly is then free to either accept the goal or amend it as it sees fit.

About 1,000 local Assemblies were asked to take part in the Goals Program in its first year; in 1991 the number was increased to 1,300.

The results for the National Fund have been encouraging. The Goals Program was a significant factor in the growth in contributions that took place in 1990. And although we are presently running behind last year’s level, a crucial part of our funds is still coming from participating local Assemblies.

The spiritual benefits for the community are certain to be profound; the program has already brought about a greater sense of connection between the local and national institutions.

Another advantage is that the National Assembly will be better able, as the program becomes more established, to anticipate the resources it will have at its disposal as it makes plans for the years ahead. The House of Justice will, in turn, have a more reliable basis for its plans. But the most important result will be the increase in our ability to meet the practical needs of the Faith as we adhere to this fundamental spiritual principle.

NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The National Assembly and its agencies have worked tirelessly to improve the administrative foundation of the American community, as evidenced by:

• the complete reorganization of the national treasury, the results of which prompted our bankers to express their admiration for the competent and disciplined management of the Faith’s financial affairs. Recent innovations have produced savings in both operating and interest expenses, and have shortened processing time while increasing liquidity. They include collaborating with the Management Information Systems department to produce more complete and timely information on expenditures, developing centralized cash ‎mangement management‎ and purchasing systems, renovating the entire accounting system, improving the process of automatic contributions, and ‎implementating implementing‎ a lockbox contribution processing procedure.
• the installation of a new DEC computer system powerful enough to serve the needs of the community for some years to come.
• the beginning of a reorganization of the Bahá’í Publishing Trust to improve the Trust’s ability to meet the needs of the friends with high quality products at low prices.
• the establishment of the Secretariat’s Office of Research and Review. Among its responsibilities are evaluating the accuracy and dignity of manuscripts written on aspects of the Faith and being considered by publishers in the U.S. The office also helps Bahá’í and non-Bahá’í scholars conduct research into Bahá’í-related topics.
• the work of the National Teaching Committee, which has promoted Bahá’í administration in a number of ways. Of particular importance was the field work undertaken by the committee in areas with full-time teaching projects, such as Oregon, Michigan, Florida and elsewhere, where its members helped deepen and consolidate newly enrolled believers. The committee continued its stewardship of the Native American Bahá’í Institute and the Regional American Indian Teaching Committees, which are responsible for educating American Indian children and youth in Bahá’í principles. Through these means, and through its work with Bahá’í schools and institutes, youth and others, the committee has deepened the friends on the importance of the institutions of the Faith and has encouraged close collaboration with them in all teaching activities.
• the efforts of the National Race Unity Committee and the National Committee on Women, both of which have endeavored to increase the friends’ awareness of the importance of fundamental Bahá’í principles to the proper functioning of the institutions.
• the continuing work of the Persian-American Affairs Office to strengthen the bonds of love and unity between the Iranian Bahá’ís in this country and their fellow-believers. The office produced two educational videos during the Plan, “For a Drop of the Lover’s Blood” and “Feast,” both designed to help the Persian friends make the transition to life as Bahá’ís in America. The office also sponsored several deepenings and conferences around this theme.
• The U.S. Bahá’í Refugee Office also contributed greatly to the integration of new arrivals in this country, with emphasis on those believers from Southeast Asia. Like the Persian-American Affairs Office, its functions go far beyond mere resettlement to include deepening both newcomers and Bahá’ís who have lived here for some time on issues of cultural integration and Bahá’í principles.

The National Spiritual Assembly also undertook to acquire and/or renovate several properties. The most important was the restoration of the Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette, a multi-million dollar project that will continue through the Holy Year and beyond. Also under extensive renovation are the Green Acre Bahá’í School and the historic Wilhelm property in Teaneck, New Jersey. The National Assembly also purchased a site for the Hazíratu’l-Quds of the Falkland Islands.

Some local communities are working on property renovations as well, such as the Bahá’ís of Charleston, South Carolina, who bought and are refurbishing the home of Louis G. Gregory, with the help of the National Assembly. Individual believers have also purchased sites important in Bahá’í history, such as the Martha Root farm and home in Pennsylvania.

The National Teaching Committee has helped support and carry out the National Assembly’s goals for the Six Year Plan by sponsoring a series of Conferences on Growth held each year at a site near the Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois. Pictured are participants in the 1989 conference.

EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

One of the most important developments of the Plan was the relocation of the National Spiritual Assembly’s second secretariat, the Office of External Affairs, to Washington, D.C. (For more on this subject, please see part two of this series in The American Bahá’í for ‘Alá 148/March 2, 1992).

The National Assembly’s secretariat for External Affairs has borne responsibility for governmental contact in defense of the Iranian Bahá’í community since the beginning of the Plan. Through its efforts with the U.S. government, several notable victories have been won: Congress has passed four resolutions condemning the violation of the human rights of Iranian Bahá’ís, with a fifth resolution having passed the Senate as of this writing; and the Senate also approved a resolution calling for the full emancipation of the Bahá’í community in Iran. Since the office was established in 1984, the National Spiritual Assembly’s profile and credibility in the governmental arena, its influence at the United Nations, and its involvement with governmental and non-governmental organizations with similar aspirations has reached unprecedented levels. There is perhaps no better testimony to the power vested in the institutions of the Faith and the spiritual forces released through the sacrifices of our fellow-believers in Iran.

Our external affairs work has also affected the maturity of the entire Bahá’í community. We are more knowledgeable, better organized and more familiar with the application of Bahá’í principles to the problems facing society.

NEWS AND INFORMATION

Among its other suggestions for National Spiritual Assemblies under the Six Year Plan goal of institutional maturation, the House of Justice asked that they “ensure the rapid and regular dissemination of news to all believers.” Our National Assembly responded with a number of initiatives including:

• the establishment of the Electronic Bulletin Board at the Bahá’í National Center. The Bulletin Board carries public news releases, other information on current events, and back issues of The American Bahá’í.
• the establishment of the Bahá’í Newsreel, produced by the Media Services Department of the Bahá’í National Center. To date, six editions of the Newsreel have been produced; as of the last summer they have been available in English, Spanish and French. The Bahá’í Newsreel is sent to almost all National Spiritual Assemblies around the world, and is distributed globally for use by the friends. It has grown continuously in popularity since it was introduced, and is now used as a primary teaching tool in many parts of the world. The Department of Media Services is responsible for a number of other quality video productions completed during the Plan, such as Jewel in the Lotus, From Haitian Roots, and Peace...the Promise; and has produced many items on audio cassette.
• the redesign of the format and editorial agenda of The American Bahá’í, and the increase in publication from 12 to 19 times a year, in keeping with the Bahá’í calendar (beginning with the Sultán 148/January 19, 1992 edition) using state-of-the-art desktop publishing equipment.
• the sponsorship of “The DirectLine,” the newsletter of the National Teaching Committee.
• the sponsorship of El Ruiseñor/The Nightingale, a bi-lingual magazine; and the continuing publication of Brilliant Star, the popular children’s periodical. Brilliant Star has been praised widely for the exceptionally high quality of its contribution to the education of Bahá’í children, which has recently included special issues on Bahá’u’lláh (in preparation for the Holy Year) and on “The Vision of Race Unity.”

Other committees and agencies of the National Spiritual Assembly produce regular newsletters and news items for the friends. The Office of Persian-American Affairs produces the Persian pages each month for The American Bahá’í; the National Teaching Committee frequently contributes Spanish pages to The American Bahá’í; and the U.S. Bahá’í Refugee Office helps translate Feast letters and

See SIX YEAR PLAN page 12 [Page 12]other materials into the Khmer language.

BAHÁ’Í SCHOOLS AND INSTITUTES

The National Assembly, in its Annual Report for Ridván 1991, noted “the impressive array of activities and services in teaching, spiritual education, leadership development, worship, the education of children and youth, and community service provided by the Louis G. Gregory and Native American Bahá’í Institutes.” The Assembly also observed “the growing success of some 450 local Bahá’í schools, 38 regional summer and winter schools, three permanent schools and two institutes [mentioned above] serving more than 35,000 Bahá’ís.”

It is clear that these schools and institutes have a profound effect on the maturation of our community, for it is at these places that the friends meet to deepen on the Bahá’í teachings and to learn how to apply them in their lives. The work of local and national committees for teaching, race unity, women, and others also provides much of the impetus for growth.

SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT AND MATURATION

At the beginning of this series it was pointed out that the goals of the Six Year Plan are interrelated, each one affecting the others. It is true to say, for example, that our efforts in Bahá’í education have helped us to become mature and spiritually enriched; that everything we have done in teaching, in contributing to the Funds, in becoming involved in the life of society, has fostered the maturation of the community, which has made for greater universal participation, and so on.

Listing our achievements on a goal-by-goal basis, it should be repeated, was done for the sake of convenience and with the knowledge that they are aspects of a single process. There are a few other developments worth mentioning that are related to the Six Year Plan and are of profound importance to the entire Bahá’í world, but are not specifically covered in the seven major objectives:

• First are the goals of the Faith to be achieved at the World Center. The world-wide education of the friends in the law of Huqúqu’lláh, in anticipation of its universal application, was intensely pursued, chiefly through the work of the Trustee of the Huqúqu’lláh, Hand of the Cause of God ‘Alí Muhammad Varqá, and his deputy Trustees around the globe. At Ridván 1991 the House of Justice announced that the Law would become universally applicable as of the beginning of the Holy Year at Ridván 1992. Later in 1991 the House of Justice established the Office of Huqúqu’lláh at the World Center.

The story of the process of educating the Bahá’ís on the Law of Huqúqu’lláh is remarkable, but cannot be done justice at this time. What the Law will mean for the spiritual well-being of our community and its growth in the years to come, only time can tell; but we can be sure, at the very least, that the blessings resulting from its faithful observance will be a source of protection and guidance for everyone.

Another of the World Center goals is the pursuit of plans for building the remaining edifices of the Arc, which has called for unprecedented material sacrifices on the part of the friends in every country. The completion of a project of this magnitude will call for steady support by the believers, who are aware not only of the spiritual benefits that will accrue to themselves, but also of the tremendous impact the Arc’s completion will have on the destiny of the Faith and the history of mankind.

• Still another long-anticipated development is the publication of a copiously annotated English translation of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, due to be completed during the Holy Year. This achievement along with those already mentioned fill the heart of every believer with gratitude for Bahá’u’lláh’s confirmations.

• The rapid spread of the Faith to areas of the world recently inaccessible to the Cause must be noted, for that progress will certainly have widespread implications for the rest of the Bahá’í world; and the changes on the world scene that presented these opportunities seem to vindicate expectations about the course history will take in preparation for the establishment of the Lesser Peace.

• Lastly, there is the Holy Year itself, for which Bahá’ís in every corner of the world have been preparing since its advent was announced. The two main events of that year will be the commemoration in May of the Centenary of the Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh; and the second Bahá’í World Congress, to be held in November in New York City to celebrate the inauguration of Bahá’u’lláh’s world-unifying Covenant.

The House of Justice has called for special reflection about the Station and Mission of Bahá’u’lláh and on the meaning of His Covenant in preparation for the Holy Year, when we as a world community will “blazon His Name across the globe.” There can be no doubt that serious deepening on our part will affect the quality of the Holy Year events, which will in turn enrich and empower us beyond measure.

SUMMARY

In this installment we have surveyed the developments that have fostered, and the evidence that indicates the acceleration of the maturation of the American Bahá’í community. What of the years ahead?

Signs already point to a gradual assumption by local Assemblies of responsibilities that are presently carried out on the national level. The foundation for this is now being laid with the Assembly Development Program and the Assembly Goals Program.

Plans are being developed to automate more fully the administrative work of local Assemblies, so that they will soon be able to keep their own membership records and handle other operations. As the community continues to mature, the detailed workings of the Faith will become less and less centralized, and the National Assembly’s administrative role will become more and more supervisory.

The time must come when local Assemblies will be expected to take full responsibility for preparing their own strategies for meeting the goals of the Plans and upholding Bahá’í standards in their jurisdiction; all this and more in preparation for the day when they will truly be local Houses of Justice.

We do not know how long this evolution will take. We do know that we must continue unflaggingly to strengthen our institutions, perhaps with a zeal never before seen.

The “synchronization” of three processes foretold by the Guardian has already been mentioned. In conclusion, let us recall this statement of the Universal House of Justice from its Ridván 1990 message:

“That there are indications that the Lesser Peace cannot be too far distant, that the local and national institutions of the Administrative Order are growing steadily in experience and influence, that the plans for the construction of the remaining administrative edifices of the Arc are in an advanced stage—that these hopeful conditions make discernible the shaping of the dynamic synchronization envisaged by Shoghi Effendi, no honest observer can deny.

“As a community clearly in the vanguard of the constructive forces at work on the planet, and as one which has access to proven knowledge, let us be about our Father’s business. He will, from His glorious retreats on high, release liberal effusions of His grace upon our humble efforts, astonishing us with the incalculable victories of His conquering power.”

Six Year Plan goals at the World Center include continuation of construction of the Arc and Terraces on Mount Carmel. Pictured is a panoramic view of the excavation site of the Center for the Study of the Sacred Texts between the Seat of the Universal House of Justice and the International Archives building.

Statement on race unity presented at Stanford

As a result of having presented a copy of the National Spiritual Assembly’s statement, “The Vision of Race Unity,” to the director of Stanford University’s Black Community Service Center, the Spiritual Assembly of Stanford, California, was invited to provide a speaker for the university’s celebration January 15 of the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birth.

The program consisted of music, a keynote speech, and a panel discussion in which the Faith was represented by Mrs. Althea Miller, an African-American who is chairman of the Spiritual Assembly of Stanford.

Other panelists were the first Hispanic mayor of Watsonville, the president of the university’s Black Student Union, and the director of Native American Affairs at Stanford.

In her presentation, Mrs. Miller referred to statements by Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on race unity, and discussed the Bahá’í experience in building communities based on that principle. About 60 copies of the statement on race unity were given to those in the audience including students, faculty and staff.

Paul E. Rayon (right) of Robbins, Illinois, is one of the two recipients of this year’s David Kellum Awards. The annual ceremony, held at the Bahá’í House of Worship, is sponsored by the National Spiritual Assembly to honor distinguished citizens who have served as positive role models for youth of all races and those organizations that work to foster better relationships between the races. This year’s other recipient was BUILD (Broader Urban Involvement and Leadership Development) of Chicago, Illinois. Both Mr. Rayon and BUILD have worked extensively with youth in the Chicago area to help them lead more productive lives. More than 65 people attended this year’s program including Bill Kellum (pictured with Mr. Rayon), son of the late David Kellum, a long-time Bahá’í who was city editor of the Chicago Defender and a leader of activities benefiting children and youth. [Page 13]

Shirin Fozdar, champion of women’s rights, dies

Shirin Fozdar, one of Asia’s outstanding champions of women’s rights and a distinguished member of the Bahá’í community of Singapore, died February 2. She was 86 years old.

A pioneer in the field of women’s rights, Mrs. Fozdar came to Singapore from India in 1950 with her husband, Dr. K.M. Fozdar. She founded the Singapore Council of Women and became its first secretary-general in 1952.

As secretary, she organized meetings, lobbied politicians, met with social and religious leaders, and wrote to newspapers to bring to public attention examples of discrimination against and maltreatment of women.

Mrs. Fozdar’s emergence as a strong and outspoken defender of women’s rights had taken place years earlier. In 1922, at age 17, she became the first Eastern woman to speak in public in the East when she addressed a public meeting in Karachi, the center of orthodox Muslim influence in what was then British India.

In 1931 she was elected to the executive committee of the All Asian Women’s Conference, and by 1934 was representing the Conference at the League of Nations and pleading with representatives of the great powers at the League to proclaim a Universal Declaration of Women’s Rights.

In 1941 Mrs. Fozdar was asked by Mahatma Gandhi to go on his behalf to Ahmedabad, a hotbed of communal strife, to speak publicly emphasizing the unifying principles of the Faith to the dissenting communities of Hindus and Muslims and to establish institutes for uplifting the condition of untouchables in that province. Despite considerable personal danger, she carried out the mission successfully.

The 1950s saw Mrs. Fozdar in Southeast Asia with her husband, who had resigned his job to answer the call of the Faith to pioneer. The Fozdars chose to settle in Singapore where Dr. Fozdar began a medical practice while Mrs. Fozdar undertook her work for women’s rights, first in Singapore and then in Malaya.

In 1954 Mrs. Fozdar spent four months in Saigon, Vietnam, on behalf of the Faith and became the first Bahá’í to set foot in what was then French Indochina. In March of that year, during a brief visit to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, she was decorated with a gold medal by Prince Norodom Sihanouk and presented a certificate as Champion of Women’s Rights.

In 1958 she led a delegation from Singapore to the Afro-Asian Women’s Conference in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and in 1959 she was invited to China by the All China Federation of Women and was received by some of the top leaders of the Chinese state and allowed to travel extensively throughout that country.

She was the driving force behind the enactment in 1960 of Singapore’s “Women’s Charter” under which monogamous marriage became the new standard there.

Dr. Fozdar passed away in 1958, and three years later, at the age of 56, Mrs. Fozdar pioneered to Bangkok, Thailand, where she remained for a decade before returning to Singapore where she continued her work with the Women’s Council while expanding the work and influence of the Faith in that area of the world.

SHIRIN FOZDAR

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 personally. Opinions expressed in these columns are those of the writers, and are 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.

Teaching: ‘dominant passion’

To the Editor:

Shoghi Effendi exhorts us to make teaching the “dominant passion” of our lives. Not “goal” or “motive” or even “mission,” but “passion”—an emotion-rich word.

“Passion,” one might think, is the enemy—as in those many passages in the Writings where we are told to “cleanse” ourselves of “self and passion.” Bahá’u’lláh says, “free thyself from that which thy passion desireth; then advance unto thy Lord.”

The “secret of divine civilization,” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá teaches us in the book of that title, can be defined to some extent in terms of opposing passion.

But “passion” it is—an electrically charged word.

We think of those all-consuming emotions of youthful romance when the image of the beloved—or at least the infatuee—dominates every waking moment. We think of those passions of ambition and revenge that rule the royal lives in Shakespeare—and of his own passion for justice and order that seems to take ultimate reign in most of his works.

We remember, perhaps, the impoverished child in Mark Twain’s The Prince and the Pauper: “...his desire to look just once upon a real prince in the flesh grew upon him, day by day, and week by week, until at last it absorbed all other desires and became the one passion of his life.”

Is this the kind of thing the beloved Guardian means by “dominant passion”? A drivenness of the heart, a veritable obsession?

We look again at those other references in the Writings to “passion,” those stern admonitions, and notice that they are usually preceded by a negative epithet such as “evil” or “corrupt” or “unmortified” or—in Some Answered Questions—the adjective that seems to sum them up: “carnal.” That is, of the body. Or the term is coupled with “self,” as we have seen above, or with “desire.”

Desire. Another highly charged word. Often, as with “passion,” it is linked to “selfish,” “worldly,” “corrupt” and “vain.”

But we read on and remember that in The Seven Valleys the seeker “will witness a world of desiring ones searching after the One Desired.” The seeker becomes a “lover” who “hath no desire save union with his beloved.” And that beloved, indeed, is termed “the Bird of Desire.”

And we recall that wondrous passage in the Kitáb-i-Íqán:

“Only when the lamp of search, of earnest striving, of longing desire, of passionate devotion, of fervid love, of rapture, and ecstasy, is kindled within the seeker’s heart, and the breeze of His loving-kindness is wafted upon his soul, will the darkness of error be dispelled, the mists of doubts and misgivings be dissipated, and the lights of knowledge and certitude ‎envelope envelop‎ his being.”

Longing desire, passionate devotion: our terms are side by side here, but standing in a different light than before.

In this exalted context, “dominant passion”—though we have freed it in our minds from physical associations—might seem hyperbolic, exaggerated. “Passion” now reminds us of Christ’s Passion, the suffering that led to His reunion with His heavenly Father. We seem too intensely caught up in the desire for union with the Desired One to be overly concerned with another earthly being and his need for instruction. But He has said, “Teach. To assist Me is to teach My Cause.”

Not only “with firm determination, with the whole affection” of our “hearts” are we to “turn...to Him,” but with “the full force” of our “words.” Teaching is somehow a part of our spiritual practice, our “yoga,” if you will. It seems that the flames of love and joy will not burn ever brighter unless we teach—by word, by deed.

And then we remember that the very name “Shoghi” means “longing one.”

Bret Breneman Florence, South Carolina

Thanks from Phoenix

To the Editor:

The Spiritual Assembly of Phoenix, Arizona, would like to convey its deepest thanks and appreciation to those who attended the seventh annual Grand Canyon Bahá’í Conference. Its success was made possible only through the dedicated and devoted service to the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh of all those friends.

To our beloved Hand of the Cause of God Dr. Varqá and his wonderful family, all the excellent speakers, workshop facilitators, teachers and assistants, and all others who helped in any way, we extend our heartfelt love and gratitude.

We can be extremely proud of our youth and children for the roles they played. This is indeed a definite indication of the maturation of our Faith.

As we approach the Holy Year, we send our love and ask your prayers as together we forge ahead to bring about the new World Order of Bahá’u’lláh.

Norris Cunningham, secretary Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Phoenix, Arizona

Sacrifice: source of love

To the Editor:

All sacrifice stems from love. If we take heed of the success of our material works, such as jobs, marriage, training children and other such matters, we will see that each has love as its source.

The rapid spread of the Faith all over the world is due to the love and devotion of the believers who have sacrificed their jobs, homes, and even their children’s education for love of Bahá’u’lláh.

Many traveled far from their native countries, their relatives, their cultures. Often they could not speak the language and could not obtain permits to work. Many pioneers today face these same problems.

It is necessary for the lovers of Bahá’u’lláh to use whatever they have that is accessible—homes, furnishings, money, time, other belongings—as instruments with which to express their love for the Beloved One.

This love, though, must be cleansed from any personal selfishness or egotism to reach the ultimate success.

In one of his talks, ‘Alí Nakhjavání, a member of the Universal House of Justice, said, “We as Bahá’ís are like stones that are used in a building. We are not all the same shape; we are different. Some do not want to change themselves and the shape of their lives. If we want to be used in building the Faith, we must be willing to accept the trouble to be fitted into the shape that is necessary.”

How can we create such a loving response? What can we sacrifice that will be a sign of our love for the Beloved? I think the first step is to study the lives of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. We must meditate to find the reasons for which They accepted so many tribulations, prison and exile all their lives.

We must also study the history of the early believers who attested with their blood to the reality of the Faith. In studying the Tablets and verses, we will ‎come become‎ aware of our duty.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá said, “In the world of existence, there is nothing more sweet and sublime than the qualities of loyalty and faithfulness.” We show our loyalty and faithfulness to Bahá’u’lláh by service and sacrifice of our time and material resources.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá also said, “The secret of sacrifice has innumerable meanings; for example, it can be detachment from any carnal things. In teaching, be detached from everything save God. Sacrifice just as the seed sacrifices to produce a tree and its fruit.”

Aghdas S. Ghoutchani Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Abbas Yavrom, former pioneer to Iraq, Kuwait

Abbas Yavrom, a lifelong Bahá’í who pioneered as a young man from his native Iran to Iraq and Kuwait, died last December 11 in Suisun City, California. He was 87 years old.

Mr. Yavrom, who as a young man of 14 was privileged to be in the presence of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, came to the U.S. in 1968. [Page 14]

‘Humanity’s coming encounter with Bahá’u’lláh’

From a talk given by Douglas Martin, director-general of the Bahá’í World Center Office of Public Information.

Anniversaries are an invitation to take stock, to review where we have come from. The hope is that we can secure a vantage point from which we can better appreciate what lies ahead. Centenaries are particularly valuable and appealing in this respect, because the perspective they provide is so much longer, and the vantage point, hopefully, correspondingly high.

In reviewing of the unfolding public message of the Cause over the past 100 years it is important to distinguish this message from the Faith's teaching work. There are as many teaching methods as there are Bahá’ís: some five million of them at the present count. There are as many "Bahá’í messages," perhaps, as there are inquirers. Entirely apart from this world-wide effort of individuals to teach other individuals, the Bahá’í community as a body has pursued a parallel, century-long-and remarkably systematic-program to create an accurate and favorable image of the Cause in the public mind generally.

There is no one satisfactory term that captures this endeavor. The meaning of the much-used word "proclamation" has, unfortunately, become steadily more blurred as it has been used for various group teaching initiatives. What we are talking about are such activities as public information, government relations, publicity, publishing, media production and public relations, whose aim is to ensure that the society around us gains a reasonably sound understanding of the nature and purposes of the Bahá’í Cause.

When one looks back over the past century with this area of our work in mind, a very interesting realization emerges. It is not only the Bahá’í community that has moved through a series of stages in its development, but also the presentation of its public message. In a sense the image of the Cause can be said to have gone through three-and perhaps four-major transformations during these hundred years.

Obviously, the basic message has never changed. We have never stopped presenting one message in order to switch to an entirely new one. On the contrary, the process has been a cumulative one, and is much stronger for that reason. Nevertheless, it is clear that the focus has several times shifted quite sharply; the emphasis has changed and with it the types of public information activities which have received priority attention.

THE FIRST HUNDRED YEARS

If one examines our public message during the first two or three decades of the century, one discovers a Bahá’í Faith which was essentially a movement of peace, of universality and understanding. It took an optimistic and encouraging view of the possibilities of human nature because it declared humannity to be fundamentally spiritual. Mankind's hope lay in freeing itself from the limitations and prejudices of the past, and accepting its fundamental unity.

Inevitably, there were a number of mockers. One American poet referred dismissively to what he called the "Sweet Bahá’í-and-Bahá’í." At a much later date we still heard warnings about "terminal niceness." Fundamentally, however, the message had great attractive power: it planted in the public mind, to the extent that this mind was aware of us, an identification of the word "Bahá’í" with a spirit of universality and goodwill.

This image was most fully captured in the immensely appealing figure of the Master Himself, during His epic journeys through the West. The possibilities for its promotion were also most fully exploited by Him in such actions as His address to the Lake Mohonk peace conference, His participation at an NAACP conference, His defense of the truth of Christianity and Islam at Temple Emmanu-El in San Francisco, the host of interviews He gave to the press, and in the unshakeable confidence He displayed in the spiritual destiny of the human race.

With the assumption by the Guardian of the responsibilities placed on him in the Will and Testament, the focus shifted. For over three decades Shoghi Effendi devoted himself to a task which he termed "vindicating the independent character of the Faith." Patiently and firmly he freed the Cause from the cultic milieu which had long veiled its real nature. The Bahá’í Faith was an independent religion among the religions of the world, he said, and must be recognized as such.

The legal recognition of Bahá’í marriages and Bahá’í holy days was tenaciously pursued throughout the world. Bahá’í institutions were incorporated in civil law. The foundations were laid for a close relationship with the United Nations system as soon as that system came into existence.

At the local and national levels, Bahá’í communities tirelessly organized classes in comparative religion and sought a place in the emerging interfaith movement. "World Religion Day" was created to focus media attention on this theme. Especially designed literature explored, with varying degrees of professional expertise, the concept of Progressive Revelation. (One recalls one small pamphlet whose cover listed the world's surviving independent religions, beginning with "Sabeanism" whose origins were imaginatively attributed to one "Enoch.")

MAJOR SHIFT IN FOCUS

With the triumphant completion of the Ten Year Crusade and the successful establishment of the Universal House of Justice, the image of the Cause again underwent a major shift in focus. The Bahá’í community had become established throughout the entire planet. Suddenly it was everywhere and it was everyone. This immensely rich diversity was given further weight by the dramatic increase in the community's sheer size. Whole Third World villages became Bahá’í, with profound implications for the operation of the Administrative Order.

As the process gained momentum, the community became an increasingly valued collaborator with UN agencies and other non-governmental organizations. Social and economic development projects proliferated. Administrative sophistication expanded, as did the professional resources available.

To use the words of a popular philosopher of the period, Marshall McLuhan, "the medium was the message." A growing array of public information activities emphasized the fact that the Bahá’í community was a microcosm of the world. It was at home everywhere. It was as indigenous to Africa as it was to America; as familiar a voice in Hindi as in Farsi; as reliable a friend in the South as in the North. It was itself a convincing proof of the validity of the Faith's message.

This century-long series of efforts has been a stunning success. To the extent that people are familiar with the Bahá’í Faith, they regard it as an influence for good, promoting those ideals of global unity and interracial harmony that are increasingly seen as vital to the survival of humankind. At some point in the past several decades a corner was turned in the vindication of its character as an independent world religion; however stubborn the resistance to this idea may be in many parts of the world, crucial agencies that shape public opinion now routinely include the Faith among the distinct religious systems of mankind.

Equally important is the extraordinary reputation which the community's interaction with governmental, non-governmental and United Nations bodies has established. The Bahá’í community is seen as "an honest broker," as genuinely committed to principles of collaboration and consultation, as an international influence that can be counted on for rationality and professionalism in the initiatives it undertakes and the advice it gives. It does what it says it will do.

LIKE NEW IMMIGRANTS

The Cause is, in short, becoming a familiar and respected feature of the international landscape in the concluding decade of this century, and it is of the utmost importance that we ourselves understand this fact. In a sense we are like new immigrants getting off a plane in North America. In most parts of the world one may live a lifetime--and his children and grandchildren after him-without becoming "Italians" or "Japanese" or "Norwegians." But almost the only one who does not assume that the new arrival in New York is an American is the immigrant himself. In much the same way, we are being challenged to "take yes for an answer" in many areas of our public information work. We must not let the limitations in our own minds prevent us from understanding this development and the opportunities it opens up.

‘EMBLAZONING THE NAME OF BAHÁ’U’LLÁH’

Now, the House of Justice tells us that the moment has come for a dramatic new initiative in the Faith's public presentation of its message. What has so far been achieved creates a setting in which the central truth of the Bahá’í Cause may appear in its proper perspective, a stage upon which the Author of the Cause can Himself address our fellow human beings, their institutions, their information systems, their centers of learning.

All of us have yearned for this day. It will bring together two aspects of our work on which a perceptive public relations specialist remarked two or three years ago. In an entirely friendly but objective manner he expressed the view that there seemed in fact to be "two Bahá’í Faiths: the one that you share with the public and the private one, the one that motivates what you do. The difference between these two Faiths is Bahá’u’lláh."

Setting aside the circumstances that have made this distinction a wise and considered strategy, it is clear that these "two Faiths" are now converging. What are some of the principal implications of their doing so? In considering them, we would be well advised to keep in mind that wonderful sentence of the Guardian on the necessary limits on our ability to peer very far into the future: "All that we can reasonably venture to attempt is to strive to obtain a glimpse of the first streaks of that promised Dawn which must, in the fullness of time, chase away the gloom that has encircled humanity."

With this caution in mind, let us try to identify some of the broad lines which an attempt to proclaim the name and mission of Bahá’u’lláh to humankind may seek to pursue. Fundamentally, the summons of the House of Justice requires that we re-examine everything we do in presenting the message of the Cause to the public. Every media interview, every submission to a United Nations conference, every public event we organize, every audio-composed, every academic paper, any contribution to the visual presentation we create, every piece of music drafting of a national constitution-in all these activities, we must pose ourselves the question, "How can this be reformulated so as to point to its source in Bahá’u’lláh?"

BROAD ARRAY OF INITIATIVES

Our task is to set in motion a broad array of initiatives that can establish Bahá’u’lláh's name as a familiar and authoritative voice in human affairs. The goal in the decades ahead is to reach the point where no responsible scholar will undertake work in fields as diverse as social anthropology, systems research, political and economic science, administrative theory, psychological methodology-without consulting Bahá’u’lláh's teachings and the models He has constructed:

• Where the media will routinely ask, "What does Bahá’u’lláh have to say about X, Y or Z?"
• Where public agencies will have begun to include citations from Bahá’u’lláh's works in support of proposals being advanced or analyses made.
• Where the masses of mankind will have begun to know who Bahá’u’lláh is and the nature of the mission He has undertaken.

Before anything else we need to determine how we are to speak of Bahá’u’lláh Himself. A beginning has been made in the Statement on Bahá’u’lláh prepared, at the request of the House of Justice, by the Office of Public Information. Its numerous citations from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh suggest a number of ways in which our public information work can profitably make a start.

As the statement points out, Bahá’u’lláh was the first Manifestation of God to set foot in the West. This simple fact of history and geography points up one of the great distinctions between His mission and those of the Messengers of God who preceded Him. Bahá’u’lláh is the Prophet of civilization. The greater part of His life was spent not in the Galilean countryside nor among the desert tribes of Arabia, but in the great cities of His world. He did not reject the world as the Buddha did; His mission was to transform and revitalize it. While refusing government appointments, He moved freely in government circles. Those whom He influenced were not only the common people, but the ministers, scholars, diplomats and literary figures who eagerly sought Him out. [Page 15]often traveling long distances for the purpose. His mastery of both the Persian and Arabic languages and the literary traditions of each matched the ease with which His writings dealt with the great issues of social and political organization. He was the Head of a large household, including family, dependents and servants, and He was able to create around Him an order that defied the privations to which He was subjected. Even to Alí Pasha, the Turkish Prime Minister who was to treat Him with such injustice, He was "a man of great distinction, exemplary conduct, great moderation" Whose doctrine "is worthy of high esteem" and Whose influence might help overcome the religious conflict which was under- mining Ottoman society. He was seen as a teacher, a saint, a philosopher, a reformer. He was the Master of His world, even when it imprisoned Him. He was neither a recluse nor a fugitive. He did not accept to be a victim.

As always with the Manifestations of God, however, His sufferings prefigured the experience that lay ahead of humanity. In the long journey of Bahá’u’lláh and His family, despoiled and homeless, exiled from one land to another, can be seen a portent of the tragic tide of refugees that is overwhelming the resources of our contemporary world.

demanded decades of heartbreaking sacrifice—and on which were reared an array of imposing political, academic, social and economic institutions—were not merely fundamentally wrong, but were largely nonsense. Speaking of this day, the Qur'an says that "the mountains will pass away like the passing of a vapor in the desert."

UNIVERSAL LOSS OF FAITH

The loss of faith in the great world views on which the social systems of our world are founded is not confined to one part of that world; it is universal. Whether those systems of thought are pseudo- scientific like Marxism, or purely pragmatic like capitalism, or humanistic like Liberal Democracy, or quite pathological like Nazism and Fascism, they have lost their hold on the minds of those who once worshipped at their altars.

In the words addressed by the Voice of God to Bahá’u’lláh:

"Canst thou discover anyone but Me, O Pen, in this Day?...Lo, the entire creation hath passed away! Nothing remaineth except My Face....We have, then, called into being a new creation, as a token of our grace unto men."

As we explore the public information field thus open to us, we will find that what makes Bahá’u’lláh’s world view unique is that it is truly universal. Unlike all the

every support in Bahá’u’lláh’s writings to do so—we need to acquaint society with the real implications of the work which Bahá’u’lláh has done. This work includes the global community He has brought into being. Those around us will be able to appreciate this extraordinary achievement to the degree that they see its relevance to the fate of humanity as a whole.

The key to this understanding is the Covenant. The coming-of-age of the human race has made possible, Bahá’u’lláh says, an entirely new relationship between God and man. As the peoples of the world gradually turn to God and begin to conform their lives to the pattern of human society contained in His Revelation for this day, "a new race of men" will result. The unification of human consciousness will produce a people free of the limitations that created and perpetuate the problems now facing the planet.

This process is irresistible, and its manifestations can be seen in every aspect of contemporary history. In provides the context in which Bahá’u’lláh’s creation of the Bahá’í community assumes its proper significance. For Bahá’u’lláh has not merely outlined a theory of social evolution; nor has He contented Himself with the creation of a model. The Bahá’í community, with all its limitations and shortcomings, is itself the nucleus of the emerging "race of men." To the degree that we understand this dimension of the Revelation, to that extent will we be able, in the words of the House of Justice, to "celebrate the achievements of the Covenant, and proclaim its aims and unifying power."

'...the new stage opening before us requires a fundamental re-thinking of our presentation of [Bahá’u’lláh's] teachings.'

Second to a realistic presentation of the Person of Bahá’u’lláh, the new stage opening before us requires a fundamental re-thinking of our presentation of His teachings. The shift that is called for, however simple in nature, is a radical one. We are challenged to move beyond our current discussion of "Bahá’í principle" to an exposition of what Bahá’u’lláh said, what Bahá’u’lláh wrote, what Bahá’u’lláh called for, what He explained, foresaw, cautioned against, proposed, envisioned. We need to share with others how Bahá’u’lláh suggested we look at this or that issue, how He advised us to approach this or that problem.

Programs of public information must focus, for example, on the implications of Bahá’u’lláh’s searching critique of political organization. Interested segments of public opinion must be made aware of His application of the principles of the scientific method to all aspects of human consciousness, including those that are "spiritual." Discussion of the developmental and environmental challenges facing humanity must be related to Bahá’u’lláh’s uncompromising assertion that "women and men are and always have been equal." We will find a wide and enthusiastic audience for a presentation of the approach to group decision-making that He conceived and for which the present-day Bahá’í administration presents an early working model. In short, questions of Faith entirely aside, we are challenged to introduce leaders of thought and the public generally to the Author of a body of writings that propose radically new approaches to the central issues of life.

Third, Bahá’u’lláh’s writings contain an instrument whose impact on the exposition of the Faith's public message cannot yet dimly be imagined. Underlying the body of His principles and concepts, Bahá’u’lláh has created a unified, coherent world view, a universal theory of history, if you like; a comprehensive vision of the nature of man and society. The potentialities of the unique endowment of the Cause are suggested by an examination of the central role which such systems of thought have played in humanity's past. "Where there is no vision," the Bible says simply, "the people perish." There has never been a human society on Earth that has not been founded on a system of belief that gave meaning and purpose to life. When such systems of belief fail, the members of those societies cease to make the required sacrifices to maintain essential social relationships. When this happens a society loses the cohesive power that sustains it, and disintegration sets in.

ON THE ROAD TO NOWHERE

This is the universal condition of our present-day world. A particularly dramatic example is Marxism, both in its political form as the governing authority in certain blocs of nations, and in its intellectual form as an aggressive and dogmatic materialism which, for decades, has imposed itself on academic life everywhere. Its fate was well summed up in a large banner carried through Moscow's Red Square on last year's May Day: "Seventy-three years on the road to nowhere!" The statement is not merely a political one; it reflects an appalled awareness that the foundations of social and intellectual certainty have collapsed. Masses of humanity have awakened to the fact that the fundamental values and concepts of their society, values that systems that preceded it, it embraces not only the entire diversity of the human race, but the entirety of human experience. Nothing that is truly human is alien to it. As we ourselves come to understand this resource more clearly, we will be able to communicate its message to society in general, a society whose search for such a vision will become ever more urgent. The expectation is not that Bahá’u’lláh’s vision will become readily adopted. The expectation is that it will begin to engage serious minds everywhere and, in popular forms of expression, the attention of the general public. Once this process begins, the eventual outcome is as certain as tomorrow's sun.

The forthcoming publication of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas points us to a fourth area in which the historic encounter between Bahá’u’lláh and humankind will take place. It is not merely the prevailing systems of thought that have broken down, but human values themselves. We live in a world that has entirely lost its moral moorings, in which all of the ethical reference points of the past have been entirely swept away. The effect on the masses of humanity, leaders and led alike, has been to create the deepest anxiety of which human beings are capable.

In a famous passage of his writings, the Irish poet W.B. Yeats described our age as one in which "the best lack all conviction, while the worst are filled with passionate intensity." Questions that touch the human heart most deeply, that cry out for reflection and a spirit of consultation, are transformed by battling groups of extremists into rigid formulae and cookie-cutter tests of human decency. In such a world, the majority of society's members withdraw into helplessness and increasingly desperate silence.

Merely to mention this prevailing climate is to make it clear how vital it is that we Bahá’ís do not "get in the way," so to speak, but rather help our fellow human beings to find their own relationship with Bahá’u’lláh and the prescriptions He has brought. He is the Physician of the soul, not we. He knows human nature as intimately as He knew the palm of His own hand. He knows the pattern of habits and attitudes that constitutes true human development, and He understands the inner disciplines and social restraints that conduce to this development. It is in this context, surely, that we must seek to help the institutions of society and the public generally to understand the nature and purpose of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. The Aqdas is not, Bahá’u’lláh explains, "a mere code of laws," a list of do's and don'ts. It is, in His words, "the choice wine of reunion" with God. And it is through that reunion that human souls can ascend to "the station conferred upon their inmost beings, the station of the knowledge of their own selves."

THE COVENANT OF BAHÁ’U’LLÁH

Finally, because we live in an age which seeks objective evidence—and which has "O people of Bahá," Bahá’u’lláh urges, "be not careless of the virtues with which ye have been endowed...." The Bahá’í community, even at its present embryonic stage of development, possesses features that are unique, features that will one day characterize the humanity of our planet's future.

What are they?

The first and most fundamental of them is unity. Unity is the mainspring of humanity's future. Except for the Bahá’í community, there is no association of human beings on the planet, religious, political, racial or social—nor has there ever been one—that possesses this attribute. Ultimately, it alone will exert a compelling power of attraction on a world which is daily coming to realize that disunity is the ultimate source of its dangers and suffering. "So powerful is the light of unity," Bahá’u’lláh asserts, "that it can illumine the whole earth."

Second only to its unity is the universality of the community that Bahá’u’lláh has created. No one is left out, no one takes second place. There is no corner of the earth where the pattern of life taught by Bahá’u’lláh has not taken root; no culture, no people which does not play its full part.

A NEW SYSTEM OF VALUES

Third, the emerging human race must be imbued with an entirely new system of values, a new ethos. It must be guided by an inner ethical orientation relevant to the challenges of the next stage in human development. Such a transformation cannot come from legislation and education alone. "Is it within human power...," Bahá’u’lláh asks, "to effect...so complete a transformation...?" Yet, the evidences of just such a fundamental change are already apparent in the ethos which Bahá’u’lláh has fused into the worldwide Bahá’í community, not as an imposed code, but as a pattern of spontaneous moral response.

Fourth, if it is to assume responsibility for its own destiny, the human race must achieve collective consciousness. It must be able to think and decide collectively. The Administrative Order conceived by Bahá’u’lláh endows the community of His followers with this unique faculty. It exists nowhere else in our world, and is a feature of the Cause that has evoked particularly warm appreciation from our collaborators and well-wishers. From the grassroots level in the most remote corners of the globe, up to the central organ of decision-making which the community has raised up on the slopes of Mount Carmel, a unified pattern of consultation provides an early glimmer of what Bahá’u’lláh intended when He spoke of God cherishing in His heart the desire of beholding the entire human race as "one soul in one body."

The problems confronting the human race highlight the crucial importance of yet another power with which it must somehow become endowed. Nothing has so daunted contemporary efforts to heal and protect our tortured [Page 16]

MRS. SHIRIN FOZDAR PASSED AWAY

خانم شیرین فرزدار یکی از اعضای برجسته جامعه بهائی سنگاپور و یکی از بزرگترین حامیان احقاق حقوق زنان در قارة آسيا روز ۲ فوریهٔ سال جاری در سن ۸۶ سالگی درگذشت.

خانم فرزدار که یکی از پرچمداران حقوق زنان بود در سال ۱۹۵۰ به همراه همسر خود دکتر فوزدار از هندوستان به سنگاپور نقل مکان کرد و نخستین سازمان زنان آن کشور را به وجود آورد و در سال ۱۹۵۲ خود اولین دبیر کل آن سازمان گردید خانم فرزدار در این سمت به تشکیل جلسات و دیدار با سیاستمداران و رؤسای دینی و نگارش مقالاتی در روزنامه ها میپرداخت و توجه عموم را به شرایط ناسازگار و تبعیضات علیه زنان و بدرفتاری نسبت به آنان معطوف میکرد

خانم فرزدار از ابتدای جوانی بعنوان مدافع حقوق و زنان شناخته شده بود در سال ۱۹۲۲ در ۱۷ سالگی نخستین زن شرقی بود که در یک جلسه عمومی که در کراچی مرکز شریعتمداران اسلامی هندوستان تشکیل میشد به ایراد نطق پرداخت

در سال ۱۹۳۱ به عضویت هیئت اجرائی کنفرانس زنان آسیا انتخاب شد و در سال ۱۹۳۴ نماینده آن کنفرانس در مجمع ملل بود League of Nations و از نمایندگان قدرتهای بزرگ آن روزگار میخواست که منشور حقوق زنان را اعلان نمایند. در سال ۱۹۴۱ مهاتما گاندی از خانم فوزدار درخواست کرد که از جانب او به احمد آباد که مرکز نزاعهای اجتماعی شده بود برود و در حضور همگان به ایراد خطابه بپردازد و درباره اصول و تعالیم امری در خصوص یگانگی ادیان و رفع اختلافات مابین هندوان و مسلمانان تاکید نماید و از آنان بخواهد تبعیضات طبقاتی موجود را از میان بردارند خانم فوزدار به رغم خطراتی که او را تهدید میکرد به اجرای این مأموریت پرداخت و آن را با موفقیت انجام داد.

در سالهای دهه ۵۰ خانم فوزدار به همراه همسرش صلای مهاجرت را لبیک گفت و به سنگاپور رفت در سال ۱۹۵۴ به مدت چهار ماه در سایگون در ویتنام به سر برد. در سال ۱۹۵۸ به نمایندگی از جانب سنگاپور در یک کنفرانس آسیائی افریقائی زنان که در سریلانکا تشکیل میشد شرکت کرد و در سال ۱۹۵۹ به توسط یک سازمان زنان در چین به آن کشور دعوت شد. آقای دکتر فوزدار در سال ۱۹۵۸ در گذشت خانم فرزدار سه سال پس از درگذشت همسرش به تایلند مهاجرت کرد و ۱۰ سال در آن کشور به سر برد و سپس به سنگاپور بازگشت و به فعالیتهای مربوط به جنبشهای زنان و نیز خدمات امری پرداخت و سرانجام پس از گذران حیات پرافتخارش جهان را به درود گفت.

دستخطی از ساخت رفیع بیت العدل اعظم الهی به مناسبت صعود خانم فوزدار خطاب به محفل روحانی ملی بهائیان سنگاپور به تاریخ ۲ فوریه سال ۱۹۹۲ صادر شد که ترجمه آن در ستون بعدی درج می گردد

از صعود خادمة مخلصة امر جمال قدم شیرین فوزدار متأثریم روح خستگی ناپذیر خلوص پایدار جرئت مصرانه و خدمات خستگی ناپذیرش به امر محبوب الهی در میادین اعلان امر الله و نشر نفحات الله و امور اداری و تربیتی که متجاوز از هفتاد سنه کشورهای متعددی به ویژه در شبه قاره هند و جنوب شرقی آسیا را در بر گرفت مقام شایسته ای برای آن خادمة امر اعظم در بین نفوس جاودانی تاریخ امر در عهد تکوین دور بهائی کسب نموده است.

مجهوداتش در میادین بین المللی مخصوصاً مربوط به مقام نسوان راهگشای وی به طبقات عالیتر اجتماع گردید و تا آخرین نفس زندگانی ارزشمندش با جدیت در خدمت به امر الهی .کوشید به محفل روحانی ملی هند توصیه میشود محفل تذکر شایسته ای در ام المعابد شبه قاره هند منعقد سازند و به محافل ملیه در جنوب شرقی آسیا توصیه میشود برای تجلیل موفقیتهای آن متصاعدة الى الله در آن خطه محافل تذکر مناسبی ترتیب دهند.

همدردی صمیانه این هیئت را به فرزندان و دوستانش ابلاغ نمائید و اطمینان دهید که با ادعیه خالصانه در اعتاب مقدسة عليا شمول الطاف جمال اقدس ابهی را برای آن متصاعده الى الله در عالم بقا ملتمسيم.

بیت العدل اعظم

BIOGRAPHIES OF RECENT MARTYRS

شرح احوال شهیدان اخیر ایران

خانم ماه مهر گلستانه که یکی از هنرمندان نامدار بهائی است به تازگی دست اندر کار تهیه مجموعه ای شامل تصاویری از شهیدان اخیر ایران به همراه مختصری از شرح احوال آنان شده است.

از یاران عزیز به ویژه اعضای خانواده و بستگان و دوستان شهیدان و کسانی که در این اواخر با آن مظاهر فداکاری در ارتباط برده اند تقاضا میشود خاطراتی را که از آنان دارند مرقوم نمایند و برای خانم گلستانه به نشانی دفتر امور احبای ایرانی امریکائی در دفتر محفل روحانی ملی ارسال دارند

از دوستان گرامی درخواست میشود که در شرح خاطرات خود بیشتر از جنبههای اخلاقی و رفتار شهیدان بهائی سخن به میان آورند به طوری که بتوان از خلال نوشته ها به روحیات و شخصیت آن مخلصان جان بر کف نهاده پی برد.

قرار است کتاب خانم گلستانه با کاغذ مرغوب و چاپ رنگی منتشر شود و از این رهگذار یاد و نام شهیدان اخیر ایران جاودانه تر ماند.

CONFERENCE ON AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT

کنفرانس کشاورزی و عمران روستائی

قرار است از تاریخ ۱۴ تا ۲۰ سپتامبر سال جاری کنفرانسی با عنوان کشاورزی و عمران روستائی در آکادمی لندگ در سوئیس تشکیل شود.

نخستین سلسله از این کنفرانسها در ماههای اكتبر و نوامبر سال گذشته منعقد شد علاقه مندان از ۱۹ کشور جهان در آن شرکت کردند و درباره ۱۴ موضوع اساسی جهانی در کشورهای توسعه یافته و در حال توسعه به بحث و مذاکره پرداختند و نظرگاه امر بهائی را در رابطه با موضوع های مذکور ارائه دادند

شرکت کنندگان در کنفرانس گروهی با عنوان انجمن بین المللی کشاورزی و عمران روستانی تشکیل دادند که با متخصصان بهائی در رشته های مربوطه در تماس باشند. بیشتر حاضران به انجمن مذکور پیوستند. عضویت در این انجمن برای همه کسانی که به تشکیل رویکرد بهائی نسبت به امور زراعی علاقه مند باشند آزاد است. دوستان میتوانند جهت کسب اطلاعات بیشتر با منشی انجمن دکتر پوستچی تماس حاصل نمایند

Dr. I. Poostchi, 97 St. Marks Road, Henly-on-Thames RG91LP, United Kingdom.

JEOPARDIZED ASSEMBLIES

محافل در معرض انحلال

تعدادی از محافل روحانی محلی از آن رو که تعداد اعضایشان کمتر از ۹ نفر شده است در معرض انحلال قرار گرفته اند و ممکن است در رضوان امسال تشکیل نشوند صورتی از اسامی محافل مذکور در صفحات انگلیسی درج گردیده است. از یارانی که در بیشتر شهرهای حومه آن محافل زندگی میکنند تقاضا شده است که همتی بنمایند و از هر طریقی که شده خواه با افزایش خدمات تبلیغی یا در صورت امکان نقل مکان به نقاط مذکور عدم تشکیل محافل در معرض انحلال را مانع شوند

WORLD CONGRESS AND THE YOUTH

بخش جوانان

آیا هرگز به این فکر کرده اید که وقتی بزرگ شدید برایتان چه اتفاقاتی خواهد افتاد؟ کجاها خواهید رفت و با چه کسی ازدواج خواهید کرد؟

یکی از خوبیهای جوانی این است که افقی گسترده در برابرمان وجود دارد زندگی ما پر از امید و آرزو و امکانات است چه تصمیمهائی که باید بگیریم و چه جاهایی که باید برویم و چه کسانی که باید ببینیم مثل این است که راهی زیبا و دور و دراز و گاهی پرپیچ و تاب- در پیش داریم و در یک روز دلپذیر تابستانی قدم بر میداریم و می آموزیم و شادی میکنیم و میخندیم

۲۱ اپریل امسال سال مقدس شروع خواهد شد. در این سال دو واقعه مهم رخ خواهد داد. اولی تشکیل یک جلسه بزرگ و تاریخی در ارض اقدس برای بزرگداشت صدمین سال صعود حضرت بهاء الله است. دومی برگزاری دومین کنگره جهانی بهائی از ۲۳ تا ۲۶ نوامبر در نیویورک است

کنگره جهانی جلسۀ بزرگی است که در آن خیلی از بهائیهای دنیا جمع خواهند شد که صدمین سال اعلان عهد و پیمان را جشن بگیرند برنامه های کنگره جهانی با راهنمائی بیت العدل اعظم طرح شده است و خود کنگره جهانی رویدادی است که نه تنها زندگی ما بلکه زندگی همه مردم دنیا را میتواند عرض بکند

یک لحظه تصورش را بکنید هزاران نفر از احباء از همه جای دنیا در نیویورک دور هم جمع خواهند شد با رنگها و لباسهای بومی خودشان با همه تفاوتهای گوناگون خودشان اما با هدفی یکسان و یگانه

هزاران نفر از جوانان بهائی هم در کنگره جهانی شرکت خواهند کرد برنامه های مخصوصی برای آنها در نظر گرفته شده است جلسههائی که در آن جوانان فرصت خواهند داشت که راجع به تجربیاتشان حرف بزنند

امیدواری ما این است که همه شماها بتوانید در این کنگره تاریخی شرکت کنید میپرسید "چرا؟" برای اینکه کنگره جهانی یکی از مهمترین اتفاقاتی است که در طول زندگی ما خواهد افتاد از کسانی که در اولین کنگره جهانی در سال ۱۹۶۳ شرکت کردند بپرسید ببینید چه خاطراتی برایتان تعریف میکنند و شرکت در آن کنفرانس چه اثری در زندگیشان گذاشته است. آنوقت خواهید فهمید که چقدر مهم است که شما هم سهمی در دومین کنگره جهانی داشته باشید

البته شرکت در کنگره جهانی ارزان نیست ولی مگر نمیشود کمی پس انداز کنیم؟ مثلاً میتوانیم چند ساعتی بیشتر کار کنیم یا از بعضی از خرج هایمان بزنیم؛ مثلا یک لباس کمتر بخریم یا برای تعطیلات مدرسه به سفر نرویم کدام مسافرت است که به اهمیت و ارزش رفتن به کنگره جهانی باشد؟

پس بیائید خوشحال باشیم و راجع به کنگره جهانی با همه دوستانمان حرف بزنیم. هر چه باشد این تجربه ای است که هرگز فراموشش نخواهیم کرد. ماه بعد هم چیزهانی راجع به کنگره جهانی برایتان خواهیم نوشت به امید دیدار در کنگره جهانی [Page 17]فرا رسیدن عید مبارک رضوان و حلول سال مقدس را به همه‌ی دوستان عزیز بهائی تبریک می‌گوییم.

طرح رسانه‌های گروهی برای سال مقدس

MEDIA PLAN FOR THE HOLY YEAR

طرحی که برای تماس با رسانه‌های گروهی در ارتباط با کنگره جهانی جهت یادآور ساختن نام حضرت بهاءالله در سراسر جهان ایجاد شده، طبق مذکور قرار است در سال آینده به طور پیوسته توجه مردمان جهان را به این مبارک جلب نمود و با کمال نظم با کنگره جهانی معطوف گردد.

برنامه مربوط به آمریکا که هماهنگ با برنامه جهانی طرح گردیده در برگیرنده دو رویداد اصلی است: ۱. استقرار آستانه‌ی مقدس مربوط به صدمین سال صعود حضرت بهاءالله و تشکیل کنگره جهانی بهائی در نیویورک.

چنانکه دوستان عزیز آگاهی دارند، مراسم صدمین سال صعود حضرت بهاءالله در روزهای ۲۸ و ۲۹ ماه می سال جاری در بهجی و حیفا برگزار خواهد شد و کنگره جهانی از ۲۳ تا ۲۶ نوامبر امسال در نیویورک تشکیل خواهد شد.

تأکید برنامه آمریکا بر امنیت اجرای برنامه‌های همزمان در نقاط مختلف کشور است و تمرکز آن بر انتشار اخبار در سطح محلی و کشوری خواهد بود.

رسالت اصلی این امر مبارک جهانی است که نه تنها آگاهی مردم با سابقه و حوادث جاری را مد نظر داشته باشد، بلکه به این ترتیب ممکن است اصول و تاریخ را مورد غفلت قرار ندهند. به همین جهت موضوعاتی مانند انتشار چشمگیر امر مبارک در جوامع گوناگون بشری با توجه به رویدادهای مناسبی از جانب خبرنگاران تلقی شود.

شبکه روابط عمومی

بنابراین جهت تحقق اهداف سال مقدس انجام فعالیت‌های افراد و جوامع و جمعیت‌های بهائی از اهمیت ویژه‌ای برخوردار است.

شبکه روابط عمومی امر مبارک در طی سال مقدس باید فعال و با تحرک باشد. بنابراین از اهمیت اساسی برخوردار است که خبرنگاران را از اهمیت این واقعه تاریخی آگاه سازند و برقراری ارتباط مداوم با آن‌ها را در اولویت برنامه‌های خود قرار دهند.

توصیه ارباب جراید این است که از رویدادهای مهم باید بر سه چهار نکته ساده و اصلی تمرکز نمود تا مورد توجه مردمان قرار گیرد. به همین جهت اساسی‌ترین وظیفه رسانه‌های گروهی اعلام و انتشار سه واقعیت درباره امر بهائی است: ۱. دیانت بهائی از لحاظ وسعت انتشار دومین دیانت جهانی است. ۲. دیانت بهائی یکی از سریع‌الانتشارترین ادیان مستقل جهان است. ۳. دیانت بهائی جدیدترین دین جهانی در عالم است و به هیچ‌یک از ادیان دیگر مدیون نمی‌باشد.

توصیه می‌شود که از یادآوری این نکته که سال جاری مصادف با صدمین سال صعود حضرت بهاءالله و ۱۲ نوامبر (سالروز ولادت مبارک) و همزمان با روزهای تشکیل کنگره جهانی در نیویورک مراسم ممتاز و قابل توجهی جهت بزرگداشت صدمین سال صعود حضرت بهاءالله برگزار نمایند.

ادای حقوق‌الله و تقدیم تبرعات به صندوق‌های امری

HUQUQU’LLAH AND OTHER BAHÁ’Í FUNDS

یاران عزیز به خوبی آگاهند که ادای حقوق‌الله یکی از وظایف فردی هر یک از اهل بهاست. تا قبل از سال ۱۹۹۲ تنها بهائیان مشرق‌زمین مسؤول ادای این فریضه بودند اما از امسال به بعد حکم حقوق‌الله بر همه‌ی احبای جهان واجب خواهد بود.

در هر یک از ادیان الهی بنا بر احکام حقوق‌الله و به طور کلی تقدیم تبرعات را می‌توان یافت و مانند تمامی احکامی که در ادیان گوناگون وجود دارد، این حکم هم جنبه‌ی صوری و برونی دارد و هم حکمی معنوی و درونی.

ناگفته پیداست که اداره امور تشکیلاتی امر مبارک بدون داشتن یک ذخیره مالی ناممکن است. هر یک از تشکیلات محلی یا ملی یا جهانی صندوق‌هایی مخصوص دارند که احباء به آن تبرع می‌کنند. مخارج مربوط به اداره امور جامعه امری - اعم از محلی و ملی و جهانی - مانند پرداخت حقوق کارکنان مؤسسات امری، تشکیل جلسات و کنفرانس‌های امری از این صندوق‌ها تأمین می‌شود. بدین ترتیب تبرع به صندوق‌های امری همانند سوخت برای به راه انداختن چرخ مؤسسات اداری امر مبارک است. به فرموده حضرت بهاءالله به اسباب امر مرتفع می‌شود.

انجام روحانی تقدیم تبرعات همانا ورزیدگی و رشد و بلوغ روحانی افراد از طریق تمرین فداکاری و از خودگذشتگی است. یکی از اساسی‌ترین اهداف ادیان پرورش روحانی افراد مؤمن است. اگر پیروان یک دین از لحاظ روحانی رشد نکنند و خصایص والای معنوی و اخلاقی را در خود ظاهر نسازند، می‌توان گفت که آن دین در رابطه با هدف اصلی‌اش قصور کرده است. تقدیم تبرعات مالی در وهله اول از فداکاری افراد حکایت می‌کند و نشان از این می‌دهد که فرد مؤمن اعتقادش را در عمل و به صورت تقدیم حاصل تلاش و دسترنج خود به دیگران به ظهور رسانده است.

اطاعت از حکم حقوق‌الله تنها به خاطر انجام وظیفه نیست. ادای حقوق‌الله از جمله امور عبادتی است که بر اهل بهاء واجب آمده است. سخن از استحقاق و تبرک و مبرات نیست که تنها عمل نیک بر مبنای نیک اندیشی و خیرخواهی و خدمت به نوع بشر باشد. تقدیم حقوق‌الله والاترین و بالاترین نشان ابراز ایمان پیروان امر مبارک است زیرا هر یک از احباء که خود را از قلم اهل بهاء واجب شده و سوی دیگر هیچ‌یک از افراد و تشکیلات مجاز به مطالبه آن نیستند. به همین جهت اطاعت از آن مانند ادای نماز و روزه صرفاً بستگی به صفای باطن و تعلق خاطر و تعبدی روحانی به حضرت بهاءالله و امر مبارک دارد. برگزیده‌ای از آثار حضرت بهاءالله درباره‌ی حقوق‌الله در زیر درج می‌شود:

«ادای حقوق‌الله بر کل واجب و نفع آن به انفس عباد راجع ولکن قدر آن معلق است به نوع و رجحان و رضای نفوس عادله عامله.»

«... ادای حقوق‌الله موجب نعمت و برکت و عزت و حفظ بوده و خواهد بود.»

«اس حقوق‌الله به اقبال خود نفوس است. هر مقبلی اگر به کمال روح و ریحان به صرافت طبع خود و اراده خود حقوق الهی را ادا نماید مقبول است، و الا فلا.»

«حق جل جلاله نظر به رحمت سابقه کل را اجابت نموده به آنچه در کتاب فرض فرموده‌اند اکتفا نمود، و الا بسیار بود و نیست.»

حضرت عبدالبهاء می‌فرماید: «ای یاران صمیمی، حقوق‌الله بر عهده‌ی مؤمنین است و بر طبق نص صریح است. چنانچه قلبی به صرافت طبع به این امر قیام نماید فبها، و الا خداوند غنی است و از همه‌ی عالمیان مستغنی.»

و حضرت ولی امرالله در تبیین بیانات حضرت بهاءالله به صرافت طبع فرموده‌اند: «اما در خصوص حقوق‌الله، حقیقتاً حقوق‌الله حقی است الهی راجع به مرکز امر است، و ناگفته پیداست که مرکز امر مبارک در عصر حاضر بیت‌العدل اعظم الهی است. بنا بر فرموده دیوان عدل الهی، بیت‌العدل اعظم بر آن است که این وجوه در وهله اول برای کارهای خیر و منفعت عمومیه صرف گردد و حضرت ولی امرالله در این زمینه می‌فرمایند: که این منبع عظیم بیت‌العدل اعظم آن را در راه ارتقاء معنویت و رفاه عالم انسانی به کار می‌برد و برای نشر تعالیم الهی در سراسر جهان و در خدمت به صلح عمومی مورد استفاده قرار می‌دهد.»

بنابراین احباء و یاران الهی پس از ادای حقوق‌الله در تبرع به صندوق‌های امری تلاش می‌نمایند که عبارت است از: صندوق ملی "The National Bahá’í Fund"، صندوق بین‌المللی بهائی "The Bahá’í International Fund"، صندوق قاره‌ای بهائی "The Continental Bahá’í Fund" و صندوق برای تکمیل ساختمان‌های محفل ملی و بیت‌العدل اعظم.

صندوق قاره‌ای در اختیار هیئت مشاورین قاره‌ای و برای اهداف توسعه و تحکیم و پیشبرد اهداف امری در مناطق مختلف می‌باشد. وجوه این صندوق مصرف فعالیت‌های گوناگون تبلیغی و با احباء و کمک به برنامه‌های تشکیل جلسات و دیدار با احباء و کمک به فعالیت‌های آموزشی و تأمین اعتبارات لازم به زبان‌های مختلف می‌شود. تبرعات به این صندوق در وجه "The Continental Bahá’í Fund" تنظیم شده و می‌توان آن را به صندوق مذکور - به دفتر محفل ملی ارسال داشت.

صندوق بین‌المللی بهائی ذخیره مخارج بین‌المللی بهائی است و تبرعات به آن صندوق مخارج امور بین‌الملل بهائی را تأمین و محفل اعظم الهی به این وجوه برای تأمین مخارج امور بین‌الملل بهائی در سراسر جهان - منجمله کمک به مخارج محافل ملی در کشورهایی که در حال رشد کمک می‌کند. مخارجی چون اداره ایستگاه‌های رادیویی بهائی و پروژه‌های عمران اقتصادی و اجتماعی و امور تبلیغی و نیز نیازمندی‌های ساختمان‌های قوس مربوط می‌شود. احباء می‌توانند تبرعات به صندوق بین‌المللی را از طریق صندوق‌های محلی و یا ملی و یا مستقیماً با ارسال آن را در وجه "Bahá’í International Fund" به ارض اقدس ارسال دارند. باید در نظر داشت که تبرعاتی که مستقیماً به ارض اقدس ارسال شود مشمول معافیت مالیاتی در ایالات متحده نخواهد بود.

صندوق مخصوص ساختمان‌های قوس اختصاص به پیشرفت طرح‌های ساختمانی که در دامنه جبل کرمل در حال بنا شدن است دارد. تبرعات به این صندوق کمک می‌نماید که یاران جهت بنای ساختمان‌های مذکور تبرع نمایند و وجوه آن صرف منابع مربوط به بناهای مذکور می‌شود.

حقوق‌الله از دوستان عزیز تقاضا می‌گردد تبرعات و حقوق‌الله را در وجه "Bahá’í Huqúqu’lláh Trust" تنظیم و به نشانی یکی از یاران که از امنای حقوق‌الله هستند ارسال فرمایند: Dr. Amin Banani Santa Monica, CA. 90402 Dr. Daryush Haghighi Rocky River, OH. 44116 Dr. Elsie Austin P.O. Box 927 Silver Spring, MD. 20910

[Page 18]

SPECIAL VISITS

Programs planned for friends at House of Worship in June, August

From the House of Worship Activities Committee:

It is with great anticipation that we announce the two Special Visit programs to be held at the Bahá’í House of Worship during the Holy Year.

Each year it is our intention to provide the atmosphere that allows the Special Visitor the fullest spiritual experience possible; the following excerpt from a letter of the Universal House of Justice dated April 3, 1991, urges us to hope and plan for an even greater experience for each participant during this year’s Special Visit program.

“Celebration in this connection [Holy Year events] does not mean merely festive activities. It is primarily a spiritual celebration that is called for: occasions for deep reflection on the historic importance, the uniqueness, the meaning and the efficacy of the Covenant established by Bahá’u’lláh, on the outstanding results of its influence in raising up a worldwide community comprising a great diversity of members, and on the triumph of its virtue as a unifying power.”

Highlights of the Special Visit programs include the opening program and reception in the Visitors’ Center; an address to the visitors by the secretary-general of the National Spiritual Assembly; tours of the House of Worship, the National Archives, the Bahá’í Publishing Trust, the Bahá’í Home, and the Bahá’í National Center; a workshop on volunteer service at the House of Worship, with an opportunity to teach and guide visitors from all over the world; an in-depth presentation from the Writings on the importance of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár; and a farewell picnic lunch near Lake Michigan and the Haziratu’l-Quds.

Morning devotions for the Special Visitors and the regular noontime devotions offer chances for all to take part as readers. Many other exciting programs and opportunities for service are part of the visits.

Many of the visitors leave with wonderful comments about their experience. We share some of them with you:

“Words cannot express how meaningful it has been or the thanks I want to convey...especially for the opportunity to teach.”

“I want to take back to share the genuine warmth and willingness/desire to be of service and the calmness in each department in spite of the workload share by so few people. ...”

“Former pioneers and present office staff met at the staff picnic...[and] raised the curtain on pioneering in the Caribbean as my husband and I were timidly looking forth from our new status as retirees. We’ll go!”

“I’ve learned more about my spirituality and my new-found Faith. Many questions were answered. I’m beginning to feel more comfortable about what my life’s priorities should be. Thank you for this wonderful experience.”

We encourage you to consider how a Special Visit to the House of Worship could release such bounties to impact on your spiritual growth, foster your teaching efforts, and allow you to experience the love and unity that permeate the Temple, particularly during this Holy Year.

Dates for this year’s programs are June 25-28 (family visit) and August 20-23 (no children’s program). See application form on this page.

Join us at “the Administration’s mighty bulwark, the symbol of its strength and the sign of its future glory.” (Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 82)

Images International, Visual Services Office enter into distribution agreement

To help meet the needs of Bahá’ís all over the world and to address a goal of the Six Year Plan to “foster the use of Bahá’í literature...supplemented as needed by tape recordings and visual aids,” Images International has begun, on behalf of the World Center’s Visual Services Office, an aggressive marketing and distribution program for videos.

The Universal House of Justice established the Visual Services Office (VSO) in 1990 to stimulate worldwide production and distribution of visual materials. The manager of VSO, Stephen Jackson, reports directly to the International Bahá’í Audio-Visual Center (IBAVC), a field agency of the Universal House of Justice.

To allow VSO to concentrate on the acquisition and preparation of visual materials, VSO and Images International have entered into a distribution agreement under which Images is to offer VSO’s videos in its catalog. Each video retails for $22 (plus $5 for shipping and handling).

Among the VSO titles being offered by Images International are Bahá’u’lláh: A Glimpse of His Life and Teachings (30 min.), Out of God’s Eternal Ocean (32 min.), The Bahá’í Faith: Through the Eyes of Young Bahá’ís (35 min.), Jewel in the Lotus (25 min.), Villages Bahá’í de Kivu (19 min.), and Blessed Is the Spot.

This is a sample of the ever-growing list of VSO titles to be distributed by Images International. To order, or to request a catalog, please write to Images International, P.O. Box 1051, Belchertown, MA 01007, or phone 413-323-5808.

Bahá’í House of Worship Special Visit Program Registration Form

Housing Rates per night at Skokie Howard Johnson (shuttle provided to and from the House of Worship) Single or Double $62.13 More than 2 persons $73.03 (tax included) We can make your reservations; however, you will handle all financial arrangements with the hotel. For those who select to choose their own accommodations, we will give you a list of hotels. All registrants will be sent information regarding transportation and a general schedule of programs. There will be a $7.00 per person registration fee to help defray expenses of the programs. Please make checks payable to the Bahá’í Services Fund. For further information you may contact the Activities Office at (708) 256-4400. Please check program desired: [ ] Regular Special Visit: [ ] June 25-28, 1992 (no separate children’s program) [ ] Family Special Visit: [ ] August 20-23, 1992 Name & Bahá’í ID#: ___________________________________________________________ Address: ____________________________________________________________________ City: _________________________ State: __________ ZIP: _________________________ Telephone (Area Code): (_______) _______________________________________________ List additional names and Bahá’í ID#’s here: (Give ages of children). The August Special Visit will not be a family program. You will be responsible for your children. ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ Make registration fee payable to Bahá’í Services Fund. Check or money order please, no cash. Return with this form to: Bahá’í House of Worship Activities Office, Special Visit Program Wilmette, Illinois 60091

Charlotte Bahá’ís present race unity statement to community relations group

On November 19, a delegation of Bahá’ís representing the Race Unity Committee of the Spiritual Assembly of Charlotte, North Carolina, presented copies of the statement “The Vision of Race Unity—America’s Most Challenging Issue” to the Policy and Planning Subcommittee of the 160-member Community Relations Committee of the City of Charlotte.

The purpose was to use the statement as a catalyst for renewed action to improve race relations in Charlotte and to offer the Bahá’í community as a model of racial amity.

Making the presentation were Bahá’ís Dick Hauck, Dr. Sarah Martin Pereira, Dr. Behruz Sabet and Andrew Farina. The meeting was attended by about 20 prominent residents of Charlotte and chaired by Dr. Billy Wireman, president of Queens College.

The group was asked to study the statement and to consider a Bahá’í proposal for a local educational program on race unity for community use.

On January 16, the Race Unity Committee was notified that the Community Relations Subcommittee had accepted the Bahá’í proposal and would sponsor a seminar for its members in March, adding that some 50-60 copies of “The Vision of Race Unity” had been given to committee members.

‘The more one can give, the better it is...’ National Bahá’í Fund Wilmette, IL 60091

Congress

from page 1

AN INVITATION TO VOLUNTEER

Just as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá served the friends in New York City during His visit in 1912, we can demonstrate our commitment to the Covenant in the City of the Covenant by serving at the second World Congress.

Volunteers, adults and youth, are asked to offer a commitment of at least 16 hours during the Congress week. Service schedules are being arranged so that volunteers may attend the main Congress sessions.

Skills requirements range from secretarial and technical to language fluency and social skills, but the key ingredient is a willingness to serve. Volunteers will be placed in posts where their skills can best meet the needs of the Congress.

Prospective volunteers are asked to complete the “Invitation to Volunteer” form when registering for the Congress, and to mail it as soon as possible. Once the completed form has been received, each prospective volunteer will be contacted by a World Congress representative to determine the best placement for him/her. [Page 19]planet than the awareness of the enormity of the exercise of human will that such efforts will require. To realize this is to gain a new appreciation of the significance of the systematic prosecution of the Divine Plan to which the Bahá’í community has devoted itself. For decades, tens of thousands of ordinary people willingly accepted every type of sacrifice, solely out of love for Bahá’u’lláh. Struggling young institutions diverted their best resources to pursuing distant goals which had no immediate relevance to their own needs. That a community of five million people has today become the most widespread religion on earth, second only to Christianity, is a feat of sheer will unparalleled in human history. No body of people has ever set itself such staggering goals and then systematically achieved them, stage after stage, plan after plan.

Nor is it only obstacles and challenges which lie ahead of a united humanity. As contemporary events show all too clearly, there are in the human ego impulses of perversity and selfishness that will resist to the utmost every effort of the race to change course. The religious literature of all peoples is filled with warnings of the titanic struggle between the forces of Light and Darkness that will result. In such a perspective, the Bahá’í community may well reflect deeply on the power of endurance with which it has met recurrent waves of persecution and suffering.

The experience of the Iranian friends over the past 11 years provides a glimpse into the community’s spiritual reserves in this respect. One thinks of the summer of 1983 when the persecution was reaching its peak. In June of that summer the Iranian authorities paraded the entire national leadership of the Tudeh (communist) Party on national television. The prisoners willingly confessed to every crime charged against them, and begged for their lives. During that same eventful month 10 Bahá’í women and girls were subjected to similar physical and mental abuse in an effort to coerce them to recant their Faith. Their persecutors did not dare to put them on television because these brutalities produced not a vestige of compliance. One thinks of Bahá’u’lláh’s ringing assurance:

"All praise be to God Who hath adorned the world with an ornament, and arrayed it with a vesture, of which it can be despoiled by no earthly power....Say: the springs that sustain the life of these birds are not of this world. Their source is far above the reach and ken of human apprehension. Who is there that can put out the light which the snow-white Hand of God hath lit?"

GREATEST GIFT TO MANKIND

There are several other features of the present-day Bahá’í community that are relevant to humanity’s future, but one is gaining particular respect among our friends. The greatest gift of God to mankind, Bahá’u’lláh says, is reason. Whatever force and faith may have achieved in the earlier stages in the advancement of civilization, rationality is the key to humanity’s future. Bahá’ís have reason to feel proud of the informed and balanced nature of the contributions that their community is making in international forums everywhere. The development of the faculty is a feature of the growing maturation of the Faith’s institutions, a development which the beloved Guardian foresaw as coinciding, in the closing years of this century, with the emergence of the Lesser Peace and the completion of the complex of the structures that constitute the World Center of the Faith.

These capacities do not arise out of any virtue of the constituent elements of the Bahá’í community, much less its individual members. They are purely and simply endowments of Bahá’u’lláh’s Covenant. We manifest them to the extent that we ourselves are within the Covenant, but the Covenant does not belong to us. It is Bahá’u’lláh’s legacy to the whole of humankind: "O people of Bahá! That there are none to rival you is a sign of mercy...."

But, as the work of the Covenant, the community of Bahá’u’lláh represents nothing less than the arrowhead of the evolution of consciousness. One thinks of similar fundamental changes at earlier stages in the evolutionary process. How feeble, how insignificant was the first manifestation of sensate life on this planet. And yet it was the future and everything else had meaning because of it. It was where evolution was going; the trees and mountains, however beautiful and imposing, represented where evolution had come from. The Bahá’í community, with all it signifies, is Bahá’u’lláh’s achievement, the result of His vision, His leadership, His teachings. He is its Creator and Sustainer.

BUILDING BRIDGES

Embarking on the task of "emblazoning the name of Bahá’u’lláh across the planet" will open up opportunities in each of the areas touched on in the foregoing. In all of them we will face a common challenge. Through a century of patient effort on our part, an image of the Cause has emerged as a body of people committed to principles of peace and brotherhood, rational and trustworthy in their undertakings, and working with other people of goodwill in programs for the improvement of the life of humankind. This image is an accurate representation of the Cause and one of which we can be justly proud. Now we about to share with the society around us the motivating power of this phenomenon. But Bahá’u’lláh is not merely a Teacher or Reformer. He is, in the unforgettable words of the Guardian, "the Judge, the Lawgiver, the Redeemer of all mankind."

How do we put this together for our friends? For us, it is all one. Bahá’u’lláh is the Source of all of the expressions of the Cause, and there is no discontinuity in the historical, intellectual or spiritual processes by which they have emerged. But others will not have this background of understanding. How will our public information programs bridge the resulting gap in the public mind?

The answers are as many as the questions. Essentially, however, our challenge is to begin energetically to interpret Bahá’u’lláh’s mission in the vocabulary and concerns of those around us. Certainly there will be the indisposed. We have already had some experience of the storms of opposition that the proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh’s mission will provoke. But a growing majority of those to whom our message is addressed will be people who want to understand, however skeptical, critical or reluctant they may appear.

The challenge is particularly acute for those Bahá’ís who enjoy the advantages of education, opportunity and association. They are called on to relate Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings to the concerns of their colleagues; to communicate His vision to leaders of thought; to focus their skills on building bridges between the insights of their disciplines, on the one hand, and the relevant truths in Bahá’u’lláh’s writings, on the other.

PREOCCUPATION WITH 'CONVERSION'

So far, our efforts in the field of public information have not been able to escape a certain connotation of exclusivity that inevitably arises from our parallel efforts at teaching. Given the history of religion, any effort to present a new Faith raises a preoccupation with the issue of "conversion." To discuss a community and its goals similarly tends to focus attention on membership. We should not be surprised if, in the minds of others, a certain sense of "us and them" intrudes.

To realize this is to understand why we must now make an heroic effort to shed all of our parochial views. It has been essential to establish the credentials of the Faith as an independent religious system. But the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh goes far beyond anything that humanity understands by the word "religion." If the ecclesiastical systems of our world are religion, then the Cause is not; if it is religion, then they really are not. It does a disservice to the mission of Bahá’u’lláh, to the World Order which He has come to establish, to focus our public message in religious categories.

As the Prophet of global transformation, Bahá’u’lláh addresses all of humankind. The principles in His writings, the vision of civilization He propounds, His prescriptions for the moral reformation of society and human nature are a universal legacy, without conditions, without prior commitment. The new Covenant between God and man which He proclaims is not an organization nor an ideology, but a universal reality operating within every soul and between all souls. It is readily accessible to independent investigation and discovery, "the axis of the oneness of the world of humanity." It is reality. Ultimately it will engage the minds and spirits of all people, because the nature of reality is to do so.

John McDonald dies at 70

JOHN B. McDONALD, former pioneer to Chad, passed away February 28, 1992 in Seattle, Washington. He was 70 years old.

Mr. McDonald left Arizona to pioneer to Chad in January 1972, only a few months after embracing the Bahá’í Faith. Among his many services to that country, Mr. McDonald served as a member of the National Spiritual Assembly for four years. After returning to the U.S. in January 1977, he served for a number of years at the Green Acre Bahá’í School.

Salt Lake City Bahá’ís in Peace Vigil

The inspiring words of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. rang throughout the rotunda of the Utah State Capitol building January 20 as the third annual Young People’s Peace Vigil sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Salt Lake City celebrated the oneness of humankind.

About 400 people of all ages and religious and ethnic backgrounds gathered among the spacious marble pillars and majestic stairways as performing artists danced, sang, acted and played music in honor of the slain civil rights leader who devoted his life to the struggle for human unity and dignity.

The theme was "Sharing the Dream," a theme that typifies the spirit of this annual event. Among those taking part were about half the members of the recently formed Martin Luther King Jr. Human Rights Commission of Utah, along with two Utah state representatives.

Media coverage included spots on all three local television stations, and some 500 flyers announcing the event were distributed throughout the Salt Lake City area. The flyers included the words "sponsored by the Bahá’í Faith of Salt Lake City."

Faith’s future seen as bright after changes in Cambodia

For the first time since the dissolution of all Bahá’í administrative bodies in 1975, the Faith is seen to have a promising future in Cambodia.

The re-establishment of the Bahá’í community there is being systematically achieved, and the door is opening for friends from other countries to take part in this all-important work.

Most helpful would be the help of traveling teachers, long- or short-term pioneers of Cambodian background, as there is still a need for wisdom and discretion in the teaching work.

The National Spiritual Assembly of Malaysia is coordinating the re-establishment of the Bahá’í community in Cambodia. The Assembly has asked to be consulted before any Bahá’í visits to Cambodia are scheduled.

If you would like to contribute to the efforts in Cambodia, or would like more information, please contact the Office of Pioneering, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091. Telephone 708-869-9039; Fax 708-869-0247, Attn: Office of Pioneering.

IN MEMORIAM

• Easmat Agahi-Esfahani, Phoenix, AZ, November 1991
• Peter Aquon, Portland, OR, 1991
• Irene Caldwell, Portland, OR, Date Unknown
• Viola Cameron, Sun City, CA, January 9, 1992
• Mary M. Cohen, Memphis, TN, November 14, 1991
• Troy Lee Cooper, Shreveport, LA, Date Unknown
• Sharp Davidson, Columbus, OH, August 1991
• Dorothy Gilkerson, Northborough, MA, January 1992
• Kenneth Gitchell, Hutchinson, KS, November 19, 1991
• Anne Henley, Placerville, CA, Date Unknown
• Charles Holland, Littleton, CO, February 2, 1992
• Alberta Madlock, Memphis, TN, January 2, 1992
• Claudia Musgraves, Alton, IL, February 10, 1992
• Murvarid Payman, Poughkeepsie, NY, December 13, 1991
• Carlos Segundo, Mission, TX, Date Unknown
• Alesandra Rael, Pueblo, CO, October 18, 1991
• Donald A. Thomas, Como, MS, September 16, 1991
• David Tunick, Santa Clara, CA, January 30, 1992
• Mary Ann Wickliffe, Chouteau, OK, May 1986

[Page 20]‘Bahá’u’lláh, the Prince of Peace: An Introduction to His Life and Teachings’ was the title of an audio-visual event in February sponsored by the Bahá’ís of Belchertown, Massachusetts, and produced by Images International at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. The program, which drew an audience of more than 200, included an original slide program, ‘Old Ways/New Ways—Peace Shall Come’; music by jazz vocalist Marion Groves (pictured); and talks on the life and teachings of Bahá’u’lláh by Dr. Jane Faily and Thelma Khelghati.

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.

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.

A. NAME(S): 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 ______

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.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

APRIL

17-19: Youth Symposium on the Holy Year, Louhelen Bahá’í School. For information, phone 313-653-5033.

17-19: 12th annual Touchstone Conference, Camp Young Judea, Wimberley, Texas. Registration at the door, $70; pre-registration by April 7, $60. Sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of San Marcos. Contact Deborah Noble/Solomon Amadon, San Marcos, TX 78666 (phone 512-392-1036).

17-19: Oklahoma Bahá’í School, Vian. Theme: “The Mission of Bahá’u’lláh and the Holy Year.” Cost: $50 for ages 11 and older; $25 for children ages 2-10; family rate, $150. Please pre-register by April 3. Registrar: Liz Wakeham, Bethany, OK 73008 (405-789-2525).

23-26: 83rd Bahá’í National Convention, Foundation Hall, Bahá’í House of Worship, Wilmette, Illinois.

MAY

2: Ridván celebration, Louhelen Bahá’í School. For information, phone 313-653-5033.

2: Intensive Study session, “Bahá’í Law and Principles of Administration,” with Anna Lee Strasburg, Louhelen Bahá’í School. For information, phone 313-653-5033.

22-25: Bahá’í Pacific West Coast Youth Conference, Red Lion Inn, Bellevue, Washington. Sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Seattle. To register, please write to Bahá’í Pacific West Coast Conference, c/o Babak Tashakkor, Bellevue, WA 98006.

22-25: A Spiritual Renewal Retreat for Couples, Bosch Bahá’í School, Santa Cruz, California. Theme: “Love, Marriage, Parenting.” This weekend is for couples committed to working on their relationship. It is not designed to meet the needs of those in a year of Patience. This is a session for adults, but infants in arms can be accommodated. Group I, Newer Married. Group leaders Terry and Carrie Kneisler will lead the newer married or younger couples as they build strong relationships in the marriage and with their children. Group II, Seasoned Couples. Group leaders Jack and Farzaneh Guillebeaux will guide seasoned couples to focus on obstacles, issues and joys of relating as a couple and as parents to older children. For information, phone 408-423-3387.

23: Intensive Study session, “Morality and Personal Conduct,” with Auxiliary Board member Curt Russell, Louhelen Bahá’í School. For information, phone 313-653-5033.

28-29: Commemorative of the Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh, Bosch Bahá’í School, Santa Cruz, California. Special classes by Dr. Nas Rassekh, Dr. Vida Bertrand and the Gilpatricks, new administrators at the school. The commemorative program itself (2:30-3:30 a.m. May 29) will include special readings from the program in Haifa/Bahjí. For information, phone 408-423-3387.

JUNE

5-7: 19th annual Conference of Nur, Elizabethtown (Pennsylvania) College. Sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Theme: “Dawn of the New Age: To Blazon the Name of Bahá’u’lláh Across the Globe.” Pre-registration is required by Friday, May 15. No walk-ins. For more information and/or registration forms, write to Behzad Zandieh, registrar, Harrisburg, PA 17110, or phone 717-232-9163.

18-21: Pioneering Institute, Louhelen Bahá’í School, Davison, Michigan. For information, phone 708-869-9039.

26-29: Southern California Bahá’í School, Arrowhead Ranch, Running Springs. Theme: “Preparation for the Lesser Peace: Are We a Model Yet?” For information, phone 714-987-7129 or 714-628-6877.

27: 80th annual Souvenir of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Teaneck, New Jersey. Picnic at noon, program at 3 p.m., evening devotions at 6 o’clock. For more information, phone 201-652-6385.

29-30: Unity Gathering, Jackson Lake Bahá’í Property, Yukon Territory. Sponsored by the Bahá’í Teaching Committee—Yukon. For information or to register, phone Margo Styan, 403-667-6276.

JULY

4-16: Youth Institute, Bosch Bahá’í School, Santa Cruz, California. For information or to register, contact Angelina Allen, Bosch Institute Director, Cardiff-by-the-Sea, CA 92007 (phone 619-944-6441).

18-30: Youth Institute and Graduate Youth Institute, Bosch Bahá’í School, Santa Cruz, California. For information or to register, contact Angelina Allen at the address or phone number given above.

24-27: Great Plains Bahá’í School, 4-H Camp near Halsey. Theme: “The Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh and the Significance of the Holy Year.” To register, contact Colin Taylor, North Platte, NE 69101 (phone 308-534-4939).

AUGUST

1-6: Junior Youth Institute, Bosch Bahá’í School, Santa Cruz, California. Because of the high demand for this week, we can register only those who have reached their 12th birthday by August 1. For an application packet, send a $100 deposit to the Registrar, Bosch Bahá’í School, 500 Comstock Lane, Santa Cruz, CA 95060.

5-20: “Education for Peace,” an intensive course for junior youth (ages 12-14), Landegg Academy, Switzerland. For information, write to Landegg Academy, Department of Education and Family Life, CH-9405 Wienacht, Switzerland.

8-13: Adult Institute, Bosch Bahá’í School, Santa Cruz, California. Conducted by Auxiliary Board member Miguel Osborne. For information, write to the Registrar, Bosch Bahá’í School, 500 Comstock Lane, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 (phone 408-423-3387).

SEPTEMBER

4-7: Pioneering Institute, Louis G. Gregory Bahá’í Institute, Hemingway, South Carolina. For information, phone 708-869-9039.

OCTOBER

22-25: “The Role of Music in a Changing World,” Landegg Academy, Switzerland.

28-31: Conference on the Role of Women in a United Europe, Landegg Academy, Switzerland.

DECEMBER

27-January 2: Forum ’92, Landegg Academy, Switzerland. Theme: “Ethics for a Global Society.” (In English and German)