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Pacific Coast Bahá’í Youth Conference = commitment

BY TOM MENNILLO

They gave their hearts to Bahá’u’lláh at the Pacific Coast Bahá’í Youth Conference in Bellevue, Washington.

The more than 700 children, youth and adults who took part in the conference May 28-31 wrote on heart-shaped pieces of paper their commitments to winning the goals of the Three Year Plan.

But it was more than their time, energy and talents they were pledging.

“I would like to sacrifice every fiber of my being,” wrote one youth. “Whatever is asked of me, I will do it.”

Wrote another, “My life, my possessions—everything I have—is Bahá’u’lláh’s. My obedience is to Bahá’u’lláh.”

The Three Year Plan commitments highlighted a Memorial Day weekend filled with inspirational speakers, informative teaching workshops, energetic entertainment, and a multitude of service projects.

The Spiritual Assembly of King County Northeast sponsored the conference, with financial support from other Assemblies and from registrations.

The conference’s focus on teaching was the result of consultation among Seattle-area youths who had attended the second Bahá’í World Congress.

Faced with the choice of presenting a youth conference

See PACIFIC page 2

The American Bahá’í

Volume 24, No. 10 ... ‘...knowledge is a veritable treasure for man. ...’—Bahá’u’lláh ... Kalimát B.E. 150 / July 13, 1993

FROM RIO TO THE CAPITOLS: Bahá’í presence helps delineate focus of national conference on environment

BY TOM MENNILLO

The 1,600 people arriving in Louisville, Kentucky, in May for a national conference on sustainable development could be forgiven if they feared the environmental forum might amount to all talk and no action.

Not that the ingredients weren’t present for “From Rio to the Capitols: State Strategies for Sustainable Development” to break new ground.

After all, the conference, held May 25-28, was to be the first large-scale discussion of environmental concerns held since last year’s Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.

It also promised to bring to the table all levels of government along with non-governmental organizations, business leaders, environmental groups and individuals.

But could such disparate constituencies look past their own interests and find a common ground on which to debate the issues?

The Bahá’í contribution to the conference provided a vision of unity by advancing unequivocally the principle of the oneness of humanity.

In two keynote speeches to a workshop panel on “Environmental and Economic Equity,” Robert C. Henderson, secretary-general of the National Spiritual Assembly, reoriented the participants’ consultation by framing economic and environmental issues in terms of social justice and the unity of humankind.

Complementing the points made in Mr. Henderson’s speeches, a Bahá’í exhibit titled “Race Unity: America’s Key to Sustainable Development,” demonstrated that the promotion of race unity must be at the heart of local, state and national strategies for sustainable development if they are to be successful.

FROM RIO TO THE CAPITOLS

The Louisville conference was conceived as a follow-up to the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED)—better known as the Earth Summit.

Dr. Lilialyce Akers, a member of the United Nations Association of Kentucky who had attended UNCED, approached Gov. Brereton Jones with the idea of a conference that would help people understand how they could apply the goals enunciated in the Earth Summit at the local, state and national levels.

He agreed, and plans were laid to hold the meeting in the Ohio River city of Louisville.

The Bahá’ís became involved in recognition that this was to be a “watershed” opportunity to take the Earth Summit’s goals and “make it happen in our communities,” according to Lawrence E. Arturo of the Bahá’í International Community Office of the Environment.

After consultation with Auxiliary Board member Sam McClellan, the National Spiritual Assembly’s office in Washington contacted Bahá’ís in Louisville and Frankfort, Kentucky, who had heard of the conference and were interested in supporting the National Assembly’s involvement.

One Bahá’í, David Rome of the Kentucky Division of Water, was forming a conference panel on environmental and economic equity.

Mr. Henderson was invited to define the issues in keynote addresses opening the two sessions of that panel.

SOCIAL JUSTICE AND DEVELOPMENT

The secretary-general, in his talks, outlined for participants the relationship between race unity and sustainable development.

See ENVIRONMENT page 13

Bahá’ís in N. Carolina use ‘team approach’ to teach concepts of race unity, stimulate progress in resolving ‘most challenging issue’

An idea borrowed from the past has helped the Bahá’ís of North Carolina stimulate race unity activity there.

Bob James, an African-American, and Chuck Egerton, a European-American, have been traveling the state’s highways and byways as a team to work with Bahá’ís and non-Bahá’ís alike toward progress on the “most challenging issue.”

The interracial team approach recalls the teams of race amity workers created by Shoghi Effendi in 1931. Two teams were formed at that time to teach the Cause throughout the South.

One of those teams, comprised of Chauncey Northern and Phillip Marangella, traveled to Washington, D.C., Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. The other, made up of Louis G. Gregory (who was posthumously named a Hand of the Cause of God) and Willard McKay, traveled to Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and Ohio.

The 1930s race amity teams met with great success and reported no incidents of ill treatment, even though they traveled and ate together and they often shared the same room—amidst a hostile racial climate.

Mr. James and Mr. Egerton were appointed in October 1992 to be “co-promoters of race unity” in North Carolina as assistants to Dr. Jean Scales, Auxiliary Board member for propagation.

They were given the responsibility of educating, encouraging and inspiring the more than 80 Bahá’í communities in North Carolina to combat racism and promote race unity. They also have become a resource and adviser to groups outside the Faith.

Explaining the major points they emphasize with Bahá’í communities, Mr. James said, “We must simultaneously work to eliminate any last vestige of unaware racism and prejudice from within the Bahá’í community while at the same time we ‘assail the long-standing evils that have entrenched themselves in the life of the nation’ [Shoghi Effendi, The Advent of Divine Faith].

See RACE UNITY page 2

INSIDE

Community size and giving	5
Office for Women opens in NYC	8
Health for Humanity conference	8
Localities for Assembly status	9-12
Locating S.E. Asian Bahá’ís	13
Gertrude Blum dies at pioneer post	19

Chuck Egerton (left) and Bob James (right) meet with Auxiliary Board members Jean Scales (second from left) and Sam McClellan in Durham at the time of their appointment as ‘co-promoters of race unity’ in North Carolina. [Page 2]

Race unity

from page 1 Justice, p. 34].

"If we can come to really know one another and gain a true spiritual intimacy, we will then be able to increase and maintain people of color in the Faith," he said.

Both Mr. James and Mr. Egerton say they have been amazed at the effects of working as an interracial team, and they encourage Bahá’ís around the country to form similar alliances.

"It has been a wonderful way to educate one another and become aware of subtle and unconscious attitudes of superiority and suspicion within a safe and trusting relationship," said Mr. Egerton. "We hope to embody the fact that race unity is possible and inevitable."

Among the team's accomplishments to date are the conferences it has co-sponsored: one for members of the six Institutes for the Healing of Racism in North Carolina, and one for more than 180 Bahá’ís from three states.

Mr. James and Mr. Egerton frequently travel to advise and help communities with deepenings, planning activities, and finding resources and materials. Most recently, they compiled an extensive report on race unity activities in North Carolina to help communities network and inspire each other.

The two men also are deeply involved with race unity activities in their own communities with both Bahá’ís and non-Bahá’ís.

"The need for informed and prepared Bahá’ís to assist non-Bahá’í groups on this issue increases daily," said Mr. Egerton. "In this climate of increasing racial tension we hope to train Bahá’ís to facilitate discussions and apply the Bahá’í principles of justice and the oneness of humanity with groups outside the Faith."

Mr. James added, "We have taken to heart the call to form a 'national movement' for race unity made in a recent letter from our National Spiritual Assembly.

"As requests from outside groups and agencies increase," he said, "we encourage Bahá’í communities to educate themselves on combating racism and building race unity so that they may be informed and vital resources on this issue, to better dispense the healing and unifying message of Bahá’u’lláh to a hurting humanity.

"We believe that North Carolina is making a significant contribution to the national race unity movement," he said.

North Carolina race unity activities during the Holy Year that were highlighted in their report include:

• An eight-week evening class at Randolph Community College in Asheboro called "Overcoming Racism: A Dialogue" that was based on outlines from the Institute for the Healing of Racism.
• A city-wide meeting in Asheville on "A Vision of Race Unity" sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Buncombe County to create a task force on race unity.
• A Unity Gospel Sing choir in Boone consisting of 70 diverse people, including Bahá’ís, that plans to continue singing throughout the year.
• A plan by Carrboro Bahá’ís to network with other groups in the city.
• An Institute for the Healing of Racism in Charlotte.
• Use of public access cable television in Durham to explain the principles of the Faith and the focus on race unity.
• Participation by Bahá’ís from Cumberland County and Robeson County in the Martin Luther King Jr. Day march in January.
• A "Models of Unity" project in Greensboro.
• Contacts with the African-American community in Hendersonville through the Ministerial Alliance. Plans for a Community Unity Day have resulted from the consultations.
• Promoting race unity and the oneness of humanity at a junior high school in Hillsborough.
• Involvement in the "Life Group" organization for interracial couples in Raleigh.
• A performance by singer/composer Mary Davis at a Martin Luther King Jr. Day banquet in Tarboro that was attended by more than 400 people.
• Dialogues on race unity at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, with participation by students and clergy.

The Spiritual Assembly of Rochester, New York, sponsored this float May 15 in the city's annual Lilac Festival parade. Eight children rode atop the float, whose theme was 'Racism: Just Undo It,' while three Bahá’í youth marched in front with a banner that read 'Mankind Is One! Bahá’u’lláh.' It marked the sixth year in a row in which the Bahá’ís have taken part in the popular week-long festival.

Pacific

from page 1 or engaging in special teaching activities, they decided to do both at one time.

Conference workshops dealt with the themes of teaching the Cause "in 20 seconds to two hours"; becoming active in the Bahá’í community; becoming active in the wider community; starting and running continuous fireside cycles; and the power of teaching through example.

Participants wearing the conference T-shirt became a familiar sight in the vicinity of the headquarters Hyatt Regency Hotel in Bellevue.

The manager of a nearby McDonald's was so impressed by the conduct of the "heavenly angels" who came into the restaurant that they were given discounts good the next day.

Thus fortified, the participants threw themselves into service projects that included feeding the homeless; giving blood; conducting a paper and aluminum drive, with proceeds going to charity; cleaning streets and parks; presenting a free dance performance in a park; and collecting books for prison inmates.

Then came their dramatic response to a call by Dawn Haghighi, a member of the National Teaching Committee, to arise during the Three Year Plan.

Nine young people committed themselves to travel to China. Others said they would teach, pioneer or perform a year of service in such countries as Guyana, Madagascar, Brazil, Russia, Finland, Albania and Syria.

"I have freed the next year of my life to serve the Faith," said one youth.

Homefront pioneering also was high on the agenda. Many young people specified border teaching or pioneering on Indian Reservations or in the Southern states.

Among pledges made by the conferees:

• Start or join youth workshops.
• Take part in the Woodburn (Oregon) or William Sears (Washington state) teaching projects.
• Deepen on the Bahá’í Writings.
• Perform community service projects. "I want to help set the United States ablaze, like the Guardian said youth can," wrote one conferee.
• Take up leadership in race unity activities in the community or on campus.
• Help rear the first generation free of prejudice.
• Work with children such as in Bahá’í classes.
• Form high school and college Bahá’í clubs.
• Achieve "true unity in diversity within the college club."
• Promote the status of women.
• Work with battered women.
• Be a more active volunteers in all ways.
• Contribute more to the Funds. Pledged one youth: "I will give to the National Spiritual Assembly as well as the local Spiritual Assembly monthly." Another youth said he can't join a teaching team because he is working this summer, but "will teach in the community and provide funds for others on the teaching teams."
• Conduct firesides.
• Foster maturation of the Institutions.
• Dedicate a series of paintings to the principles of the Faith.
• Teach through music and dance.
• Teach closest friends.
• Help conduct a marriage conference open to the community at large.
• Work with non-governmental organizations at the United Nations.
• "Give my best wishes and pray."

The massive pile of heartfelt pledges was given to the National Teaching Committee. Wherever a specific teaching location was mentioned, the Assembly in that locality will be notified.

Ms. Haghighi said the National Teaching Committee hopes that the Pacific Coast Bahá’í Youth Conference will be the first in a "wave" of similar conferences and "Calling All Colors" conferences during the Three Year Plan.

If that happens, the wave promises to generate a momentum of gigantic proportions for the Cause.

L.A. Bahá’ís support city’s award to Mayor Bradley

The Spiritual Assembly of Los Angeles was listed as a supporter and occupied one table May 6 as 500 residents of that city gathered at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion for the annual Los Angeles City Human Relations Commission Awards Luncheon whose honorees were Mayor Tom Bradley and Mrs. Bradley.

Mr. Bradley was completing a 20-year term as mayor, during which he made substantial contributions to human rights efforts including a number of programs sponsored by the Bahá’ís.

Most recently, he took part in the Bahá’í-initiated "Vision of a New Los Angeles" project, which was featured on the front page of the human relations newsletter distributed at the event.

The National Spiritual Assembly wishes to warn the Bahá’í community against transacting business of any kind with Mr. Nader Barron Haghighi (I.D. No. 93738). If you encounter this man, kindly contact the Bahá’í National Center to report his whereabouts.

The American Bahá’í is published 19 times a year by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201. Second class postage paid at Evanston, IL, and additional mailing offices. ISSN Number: 1062-1113. Executive editor: Jack Bowers. Associate Editor: Tom Mennillo. The American Bahá’í welcomes news, letters and other items of interest from individuals and the various institutions of the Bahá’í Faith. Articles should be clear and concise; color or black-and-white glossy photographs should be included whenever possible. Please address all materials and correspondence to The Editor, The American Bahá’í, Wilmette, IL 60091. Postmaster: Send address changes to Management Information Systems, Bahá’í National Center, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201. Copyright © 1993 by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. World rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. [Page 3]

TEACHING

NEW ASSEMBLY GOALS Goal: 150 Needed: 150

TRAVELING TEACHING GOALS Goal: 3,000 Needed: 2,938 Completed: 70

HOMEFRONT PIONEER GOALS Goal: 500 Needed: 493

MISSION 19

U.S. Bahá’í Community Current Goals and Status Kalimát 150 July 13, 1993

SUMMER TEACHING AND SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES

Renton, WA—Ongoing William Sears Hearts-a-Fire Project Spiritual Assembly of Renton Aaron Lewis 206/277-8326

Woodburn, OR—Ongoing Woodburn Teaching Project Spiritual Assembly of Clackamas Co. NW Janet House 503/678-5162

Oregon—6/28-8/19 Oregon Teaching Project DTC of Western Oregon Rachel Greco 503/623-8035

San Francisco, CA—6/14-8/22 San Francisco William Sears Project San Francisco Spiritual Assembly Chris Tara-Brown 415/626-4478

Norman, OK—Weekends Norman Teaching Project Spiritual Assembly of Norman Lawrence Hennion 405/321-8000

Chicago, IL—Weekends Rogers Park Teaching Project Spiritual Assembly of Chicago Tom Howe 312/274-4843

Belle Glade, FL—Ongoing Lake Okeechobee Project Magdalene Carney Teaching Institute Eleanor Walker 407/996-0730

Cleveland, OH—Ongoing Northcoast Necklace of Lights: William Sears Teaching Project Spiritual Assembly of Warrensville Heights Lynn Farnsworth 216/247-2135

Torrington, CT—July 10-Sept. 10 Horace Holley Teaching Project Spiritual Assembly of Torrington Kent Johnson, 205/496-7038

Northern Virginia N. Virginia Collaborative Teaching DTC of Northern Virginia Roxanne Brooks 703/591-3202

Conway, SC—Ongoing Jessie Entzminger Project Spiritual Assembly of Conway Margene Nelson-Willis 803/248-5903

Apopka, FL—Ongoing Apopka Teaching Project Spiritual Assembly of West Orange Co. Antoinette Bianchi 407/831-0804

Several communities are involved in large-scale teaching projects this summer and would appreciate the participation of other believers and communities. Listed on the above map are the location of teaching projects reported to the National Teaching Committee, the time-frame in which they occur, the name of the project, the sponsoring institution, and the name and phone number of a contact person who can provide more information about the project. If your community would like to have your teaching project listed in an upcoming issue of The American Bahá’í, please contact the National Teaching Committee Office, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091. Phone: 708/869-9039, ext. 236.

THE FUND

INTERNATIONAL FUND: 27,646 ARC PROJECTS FUND: 62,771 CONTINENTAL FUND: 13,617

NATIONAL FUND Goal for 150 B.E.: 11,500,000 Contributions to Date: From Nat'l Bahá’í Fund: 692,055 Earmarked Dollars: 27,646 Total Contributions: 27,646

THREE YEAR PLAN CHECK LIST

Have you:

• Made plans to become a traveling teacher this summer?
• Investigated the possibility of pioneering either on the homefront or internationally?
• Reviewed the goals of the Three Year Plan and considered other contributions you can make?
• Developed a personal plan for teaching?
• Provided suggestions or recommendations to your Group or Assembly regarding its plan for teaching?
• Assisted with the implementation of local teaching plans?
• Reported your teaching activities to the National Teaching Committee office?
• Supported the Bahá’í Funds this month?

TOTAL ENROLLMENTS May 1993: 47 Year to date: 47

Please stand up and be counted!

Your teaching activities can only be counted as a victory for the Three Year Plan if the National Teaching Committee is informed of them! To assist in our effort to track the progress toward our goals, please complete this simple report form and send it to: National Teaching Committee, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091.

THREE YEAR PLAN TEACHING ACTIVITY REPORT

Name: Address: City/State/Zip: Home Phone: Bahá’í ID #: Work Phone: Activity Completed: Location of Service: Date Service Began: Date Completed: [Page 4]

Opportunities are plentiful for traveling teachers overseas

Ongoing traveling teaching opportunities during the next Bahá’í year

AFRICA: Botswana, Cameroon, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Kenya, Niger, South Africa, Transkei, Uganda, Zambia, West Africa (for Benin, Côte D’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Liberia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo).

ASIA: Bangladesh, India, Korea, Malaysia, Sri Lanka.

AUSTRALASIA: Cook Islands, Eastern Caroline Islands, Fiji, New Caledonia and the Loyalty Islands, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu.

CARIBBEAN: Barbados, East Leeward Islands, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, West Leeward Islands.

EASTERN EUROPE: Albania, Croatia, Hungary, Macedonia, Poland, Ukraine, Yugoslavia.

LATIN AMERICA: Bolivia, Belize, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guyana, Mexico.

WESTERN EUROPE: Canary Islands, Finland, France, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland.

Special international summer traveling teaching projects

BOTSWANA: "Star '93" project for southern Africa; June 23 through August

COLOMBIA: Firesides, proclamation events, deepening new believers, youth and children's classes; July and August

FRANCE: Conferences, meeting members of local organizations, teaching, proclamation; Starting mid-July

GREECE: Proclamation, firesides, media activities, deepenings, children's and youth classes; June 15-August 15

HUNGARY: Focused teaching in five consecutive localities; June 15-August 16. Bahá’í Summer school; August 17-24. Focused teaching in two consecutive areas; August 24-September 9

ICELAND: Reforestation work on Bahá’í endowment land, other teaching activities; June-September

POLAND: Two teams of traveling teachers needed for summer months

ROMANIA: "Moldova Project" encompassing both Romanian Moldova and the Republic of Moldova, June 21-July 18; "mobile institute" consolidation work in villages, June 21-July 31; village teaching campaign aimed at "revolutionizing methods of teaching used in Romania," July 19-August 10; summer school in Curtea de Arges, August 10-15; teaching project on the Black Sea Coast, August 16-September 15

ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES: teaching and consolidation; June and July

TURKEY: "Jinab-i-Munib" Teaching and Consolidation Project, July 15-October 15. Short pilgrimage to the House of Bahá’u’lláh in Edirne, teacher training course, teaching and consolidation work.

"Time of Transformation Youth Tour" to Albania, Macedonia, Turkey (Adrianople), Bulgaria and Romania; July 15-September 1

For more information, please contact the Office of Pioneering, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091. Phone 708-869-9039; fax 708-869-0247.

Pictured are adults and youth who took part May 9 in a Bahá’í Youth Service Corps/Pioneering Institute at the Bahá’í National Center in Wilmette, Illinois. Their destinations include China, Poland, Norway, Guyana, Russia, Zambia, Latin America and the West Indies.

UPCOMING BYSC-PIONEERING INSTITUTES

August 31-September 5: Louis Gregory Bahá’í Institute, Hemingway, South Carolina. January 11-18: Bosch Bahá’í School, Santa Cruz, California.

If you are interested in pioneering, please contact the Office of Pioneering, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091 or telephone (708) 869-9039 or fax (708) 869-0247 for additional information.

Warner Bros. ad to feature multicultural Bahá’í children

When Warner Bros. planned to produce a public service announcement on racial harmony and faced an immediate deadline, the studio turned to the Bahá’ís of Los Angeles for help in finding children of diverse backgrounds.

The Bahá’ís were contacted on Warner Bros. behalf by the city's Children's Services Division. Ten children from the Thornton Chase Bahá’í School were chosen to appear in the announcement, which was to be broadcast on each of the major television network stations in Los Angeles beginning in June.

PIONEERING GOALS FOR THE THREE-YEAR PLAN

COUNTRY	GOAL	COUNTRY	GOAL	COUNTRY	GOAL	COUNTRY	GOAL
**AFRICA**		Bolivia*	3	India	4	**EUROPE**
Angola	1	Brazil	4	Korea	2	Albania	10
Bophuthatswana*	1	Chile*	5	Laos	1	Austria	2
Cameroon	1	Colombia	2	Malaysia*	2	Belgium*	2
Central African Republic	2	Dominica	3	Mongolia	4	Bulgaria*	10
Chad	1	Dominican Republic*	1	Nepal	1	Croatia	1
Ciskei*	2	Ecuador	4	Pakistan		Czech & Slovak Republics*	16
Congo	2	East Leeward Islands*	4	Taiwan*	2	(10 Czech; 6 Slovak)
Côte d'Ivoire		Grenada	2	Thailand*	5	Finland	1
Equatorial Guinea*	2	Guadeloupe	1			France	2
Ethiopia	2	Guatemala	4	**AUSTRALASIA**		Germany*	5
Gabon	1	Guyana	8	Cook Islands	4	Hungary*	3
The Gambia	1	Honduras	6	French Polynesia	3	Ireland*	1
Guinea-Bissau*	2	Jamaica	6	Kiribati	2	Italy*	2
Madagascar	1	Martinique	2	Mariana Islands	2	Norway*	2
Mauritius*	1	Nicaragua	1	Marshall Islands	2	Poland	10
Nigeria	2	Panama	1	New Caledonia & Loyalty Islands	1	Portugal	2
St. Helena	3	Peru*	2	Papua New Guinea	1	Romania	10
Somalia	1	St. Lucia	4	Tonga	1	Russia, Georgia & Armenia*	67
Swaziland		St. Vincent & The Grenadines	4	Vanuatu	1	Slovenia	1
Tanzania		Suriname	2	Western Caroline Islands	4	Switzerland*	2
Transkei	2	Trinidad & Tobago	180			Ukraine, Belorus & Moldova	15
Venda		Turks & Caicos	6			United Kingdom*	1
Uganda	6	Uruguay*	3
Zambia	2	Venezuela	4
Zimbabwe	1	Virgin Islands*	3
		West Leeward Islands	7
**AMERICAS**				**ASIA**
Argentina*	2			Cambodia	2
Bahamas	3			Central Asia Republics	6
Barbados	4			Hong Kong	4
Belize	3
**TOTALS**	41		162		41		110

• Bahá’í Youth Service Corps goal countries

TOTAL: 368 [Page 5]

THE FUNDS

Local goals, giving and community size

Here are a few year-end statistics on how the country’s more than 1,200 local Spiritual Assemblies have fulfilled their commitments to the Bahá’í National Fund: 1. Number of Assemblies meeting or exceeding their goal: 172 2. Number meeting less than 10 percent of their goal: 234 3. Number of Assemblies making no gift to the National Bahá’í Fund: 127 4. Average of goal met: 49 percent 5. Percentage of total contribution revenues from Assemblies: 40 percent

It is important to note that the list of Assemblies meeting 10 percent or less of their goal includes both new Assemblies and some of the nation’s veteran local institutions.

Here are some of the numbers broken down by region of the country: The Northeastern states, with 9 percent of the local Assemblies in the U.S., had about 8 percent of the Assembly contributions to the National Fund. The South has 34 percent of the Assemblies but gave 39 percent of the contributions, the Central States 17 percent and 14 percent, respectively, while the West, with 40 percent of the local institutions, had a 39 percent share of contributions.

Among Assemblies making no contribution to the National Bahá’í Fund, 61 percent are in the Southern states; the next highest percentages were in the Central and Western states, with the Northeast having the lowest percentage of non-contributing local institutions.

The goal information also makes it possible to look at giving by Assemblies in terms of the number of believers in their localities. There appears to be a correlation, or inverse relationship, between giving and community size: Assemblies of larger communities tend to give less per person than Assemblies of smaller communities.

On average, Assemblies whose communities numbered between 10 and 30 people, for example, gave about $205 per person to the National Fund. Where the Bahá’í population exceeded 100 persons, the average gift drops to just $75. This finding, while imprecise, may offer some useful insights, particularly since it echoes a key finding of the 1991 community survey, namely that observable indicators of “Bahá’í identity” appear to drop in intensity as community size grows.

Using local Assembly patterns of giving in this way is a first step in analyzing community conditions; a next step will undoubtedly be to look more closely at the giving of individuals within each community, and to compare that information with Assembly patterns. For the moment, though, let us think a bit about what this year’s analysis might tell us.

There are at least two possible reasons why the amount given per person drops in this way: either local funds in those communities receive insufficient contributions, or those local Assemblies tend to give less to the National Fund.

If the first explanation is true, there are implications for the local Assemblies in terms of strengthening their position as the first point of entry for funds into the Bahá’í economic system. There may also be issues of confidence on the part of the friends in their local institutions’ capacity to manage funds. These factors are discussed at length in the Area Treasurer/Development Seminars now under way.

The data also raise the crucial question of maintaining a close-knit, supportive and active community as the pace of growth accelerates. Unity is a precondition of a healthy financial situation. Social scientists have documented the effects of “dispersion of responsibility,” noting that as the number of people involved increases, their sense of urgency and individual commitment declines.

Given that the Universal House of Justice has pointed to the need to carefully develop the Faith’s human resources, we need to evolve the kind of community life that can actively engage every Bahá’í, and in particular the “troops” we will be receiving shortly into our ranks.

If the second explanation is more accurate, there are issues of the relationship between the local and National Assemblies; the responsibilities of each to the other; and the need for the larger Assemblies to step up to the distinctive role they must play in supporting the National Spiritual Assembly financially.

Is the local Assemblies’ sense of connection with the National Spiritual Assembly deficient? Why? Or is it that the complexity of local affairs preoccupies them to the exclusion of national affairs, a trend that promotes the kind of provincialism our Faith is meant to abolish?

Discussions on these and related questions will certainly be a part of the various kinds of gatherings to be held in the early stages of the new Three Year Plan. Our success as a national community in finding and addressing the answers will bear directly on our success in all the Plan’s goals.

THE AMERICAN BAHÁ’Í
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On May 9, members of the Bahá’í community of Emporia, Kansas, gathered for a formal celebration to mark their reception of Bahá’u’lláh’s Most Holy Book, the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. The program included prayers, an overview of special events in Bahá’í history, and the reading of selected passages from the Kitáb-i-Aqdas.

Age 15 marks significant turning point in spiritual maturity of a young Bahá’í

Fifteen is a significant—and exciting—birthday in the life of a Bahá’í.

As stated in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, it signals the attainment of maturity. The young person can now assume responsibility for obeying Bahá’í laws.

But does a registered Bahá’í child have to declare a belief in Bahá’u’lláh when he or she turns 15?

In spite of what many of the friends understand, the answer is “no.” If the youth was registered as a child, he or she already is considered a member of the Bahá’í community.

A letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly on July 5, 1950, states:

“A baby can be considered a Bahá’í; 15 is merely the age of maturity for fasting, marriage, etc., and in the case of America, a declaration at that age is invited from the youth in order to protect them, at a future date, from being forced to do active military service.”

The practice of declaring one’s belief in Bahá’u’lláh at age 15 is not rooted, then, in any fundamental principle of the Faith.

Further evidence of this is provided in a letter of June 17, 1954, written on behalf of the Guardian to the National Spiritual Assembly of the British Isles:

“Although the children of Bahá’í parents are considered to be Bahá’ís, there is no objection at the present time, for purposes of keeping a correct census, and also ascertaining whether the young people are, sincerely, believers, and willing to do their share in service to the Faith, to asking them to make a declaration of their intention, at the age of 15 or so. Originally the Guardian understands this was adopted in America to enable young Bahá’í men to make certain arrangements in connection with their application for non-combatant status, upon their attaining the age of military service. There is really nothing about it in the Teachings or in the Administration. Your Assembly is free to do as it pleases in this matter.”

In light of that guidance, when the Universal House of Justice expressed concern that there were fewer youth and children in the American Bahá’í community than one would expect to find in relation to that age group in the general population, the National Spiritual Assembly decided to encourage Bahá’í parents to register their children.

The Universal House of Justice indicated that the paramount consideration in developing such a program should be as follows:

“In whatever procedure it adopts a National Spiritual Assembly must wisely steer a course between seeming to doubt the faith of a child who has been brought up as a devout Bahá’í on the one hand, and seeming to compel a child to be a member of the Bahá’í community against his will, on the other.”

Now, when a registered child approaches age 15, the National Spiritual Assembly will send him or her a membership card, along with a letter of welcome that outlines the basic rights and responsibilities of a Bahá’í.

If the child is uncertain, he or she temporarily may continue to attend Bahá’í functions such as the Feast. A decision must be made within a reasonable time after one’s 15th birthday, though, as determined by the local Spiritual Assembly.

On the other hand, if a child or youth, at 15 or any other age, indicates a lack of belief in Bahá’u’lláh, his or her name will be removed from the membership rolls.

But if the card is accepted, the new Bahá’í youth will have received the most marvelous birthday gift possible, and it calls for an expression of great joy in the Bahá’í community. Local Assemblies can time meetings and/or celebrations with the youth to coincide with the arrival of this letter. [Page 6]

The Spiritual Conquest of the Planet

The Spiritual Conquest of the Planet Our Response to Plans by Melanie Smith and Paul Lample SC $8.00

The Spiritual Conquest of the Planet focuses on the mission of the Bahá’í Faith to conquer the world spiritually—and our role in that mission. It provides an overview of more than fifty years of effort to execute ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Divine Plan through a series of national, international, and global plans beginning in 1937. Among the topics covered are common elements conveyed in global plans; the organic unfoldment of the Cause; the pattern of unfoldment found in successive plans in the areas of growth, development, and involvement with society; vision and systematic planning; leadership and participation; and the characteristics of mature action and implementing plans. The Spiritual Conquest of the Planet offers an indispensable perspective for communities, institutions, and individuals in planning and initiating work to win the goals of the new Three Year Plan.

7-1/2" x 10", 96pp., Index Palabra Publications Inlog onl

Thy Kingdom Come

Thy Kingdom Come A Biblical Introduction to the Bahá’í Faith by Thomas Tai-Seale SC $14.95

This startling and original interpretation of Biblical prophecy argues persuasively that three divine calls have been made since the advent of Christ—all clearly foretold in the promise found in the Christian Holy Books. Repeated references to the number three in the New Testament, referring to the warnings and judgments of God, are brought to the reader's attention. The revelations of Muhammad, the Báb, and Bahá’u’lláh give meaning to these words.

5-1/2" x 8-1/2", 250pp., author's note, contents, preface, appendix Kallmát Press Shyo

Live Unity

Live Unity VT $29.95

Live Unity celebrates the diversity of the human family through the universal language of music. Witness captivating performances by an international lineup of artists including Seals and Crofts, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Flora Purim, Airlo, Dan Seals, Kevin Locke, Red Grammer, Douglas Cameron, Lisa Lougheed, Renat Ibragimov, and Nova Bhattacharya. Additional performers share their beliefs about Bahá’u’lláh, the Bahá’í Faith, and the unity of humankind through interviews that are interspersed through the performances. The universal message of this production will open the hearts and minds of seekers around the world.

90 minutes Live Unity Enterprises

National Convention Compilation

National Convention Compilation A statement and compilation of extracts from the Bahá’í Writings prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice SC $1.50

A statement and compilation of extracts about the Bahá’í National Convention, its conduct, and the important functions it serves within the Bahá’í community. The booklet will help readers to appreciate the significance of this unique institution at which the National Spiritual Assembly is elected and will provide a context for discussing the purposes of the Convention and their effective implementation. Readers will also find information on the station of the National Assembly, its relationship to the Bahá’í community, and a number of fundamental administrative principles.

5-3/8" x 8-1/2", 44pp., table of contents, Index Bahá’í Publications Australia

Passages

Passages by Fred Johnson CS $9.95

Eight selections from the writings of Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and the Báb set to music. These a cappella arrangements are beautifully rendered by Fred Johnson. Narges Nouhnejad (Fani) accompanies Mr. Johnson on "O My Brother! Hearken to the delightsome words..." and "My God, my Adored One, my King...." This album is truly original, professionally produced, and sure to be a favorite. Enjoy!

38 minutes Lote Tree Productions

Sustainable Development and the Human Spirit

Bahá’í International Community Sustainable Development and the Human Spirit PA 50/PK-$8.95 PA 10/PK.-$1.95

Sustainable Development and the Human Spirit was one of the sixteen statements to be read by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) at the historic ESarth Summit—and the only one delivered by a religious NGO. This brochure takes the debate over environmental conservation and equitable world development to a higher ground. It focuses on the importance of spiritual values—and especially the principle of the oneness of humanity—in any effort to address our planet's woes.

3-11/16" x 8-1/2", 6-panel brochure Bahá’í International Community

Issues Concerning Community Functioning

Issues Concerning Community Functioning A Memorandum Prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice SC $2.00

This memorandum was prepared because, "a number of questions have recently been raised about how to assist malfunctioning local Bahá’í communities, specifically those communities that have difficulty in responding to the needs and problems of their members, whose Spiritual Assemblies are unable to reach decisions, are unwilling to entertain frank and open consultation and which fail to acknowledge the existence of problems within the community." The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States encourages the Local Spiritual Assemblies "to use this material which could be a powerful tool in readying the growing number of Bahá’ís for the challenges of the Three Year Plan that will be built on the enthusiasm and zeal engendered by the Spirit of the Holy Year."

5-3/8" x 8-1/2", 19pp. Bahá’í Publications Australia

Order now through the Bahá’í Distribution Service 1-800-999-9019 KALIMÁT B.E. 150/JULY 13, 1993 [Page 7]

Back in Stock

The Love of Bahá’u’lláh by Jacqueline Mehrabi Illustrated by Michael Sours HC $15.95

These delightful stories will introduce children to the timeless theme of love in the life and example of Bahá’u’lláh. Including some familiar and some less well-known events, this delightful collection reveals through everyday occurrences the great love of Bahá’u’lláh for all.

Chosen and retold by popular children’s writer Jacqueline Mehrabi and beautifully illustrated by award-winning artist Michael Sours, this treasury of stories from the life of Bahá’u’lláh will be read and cherished for years to come. Written for the 5–12 age group. 6-5/8" x 9-1/8", 64pp. Oneworld Publications

The Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh by Adib Taherzadeh SC $21.95

This book provides material for the study of the Covenant. Mr. Taherzadeh refrained from discussing the Covenant in his series entitled The Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh. Now, we have a wonderful tool for deepening our understanding of the instrument through which God’s will is expressed and His blessings are channeled. 6-1/4" x 9-1/2", 504pp., 35 illustrations, table of contents, ‎forward foreword‎, Introduction, prologue, appendices, bibliography, references, index George Ronald, Publisher

Bahá’í Readings Selections from the Writings of the Báb, Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá for Daily Meditation SC $6.95

THE CANADIAN EDITION IS AVAILABLE AGAIN! This unique compilation of daily readings, with special selections for Holy Days and the Nineteen Day Feast, is an excellent publication. As readers follow the compilation through the cycle of the Bahá’í year, the major themes of the Revelation and the great events of Bahá’í history gradually unfold. This reprint is prayer book-size with a dark blue, gold-stamped cover. 4-1/8" x 6", 390pp. Bahá’í Canada Publications

Peace with Your Partner A Practical Guide to Happy Marriage by Erik Blumenthal SC $10.95

Erik Blumenthal offers a simple and effective guide to self-discovery, conflict-solving, and relationship-building that will change the way you look at yourself, the way you relate to your partner and, ultimately, transform your relationship. Bringing to the challenge of marriage the same encouraging approach that made his other books so popular, he shows how we can all achieve more caring, enriching, and peaceful partnerships. 5" x 7-3/4", 126pp., contents, foreword, notes Oneworld Publications

One Universal Faith PA 50/PK.—$5.75

A pamphlet emphasizing that the ‎prophesies prophecies‎ of the Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, and Zoroastrian Faiths have been fulfilled in the coming of Bahá’u’lláh. 3-7/16" x 5-3/4", 6-panel Reprinted by Erich Reich Enterprises with the permission of the Bahá’í Publishing Trust U.S.

Gems of Guidance Selections from the Scriptures of the World compiled by David Jurney HC $10.95

Religion offers guidance on many aspects of life. By reading the sacred scriptures and meditating upon them we come to understand more fully God’s Will for us.

Here are selections from the teachings of six of the world’s major religions—Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and the Bahá’í Faith—providing inspiration and insight on life’s most enduring themes: creation, unity, meditation, love, prayer, and guidance. 4-3/4" x 6-1/2", 118pp., contents, acknowledgments, references George Ronald, Publisher

Call 1-800-999-9019

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Kalimát B.E. 150 / JULY 13, 1993 [Page 8]

Office for Advancement of Women opens in New York City

On May 26, the Bahá’í International Community opened its Office for the Advancement of Women.

The office, in New York City, will collaborate with international organizations concerned with the rights, status and well-being of women, and will advise national Bahá’í institutions about projects and activities that help promote the realization of the equality of women and men.

“The establishment of this office will help give a distinct voice to our work on the status of women throughout the world,” said Mary Power, the newly appointed director of the office. “It will enable us to connect our local and national efforts to the international network on women’s advancement at the United Nations and in other international arenas.”

The Bahá’í Faith, she said, “is the only independent world religion whose Founder has stated unequivocally that women and men are equal, and Bahá’í communities have worked for more than 100 years to promote the equality of women and men.”

In recent years, the work of the Bahá’í International Community on the advancement of women has grown from simply representing the Bahá’í point of view at the UN to a broad range of international activities and project collaborations.

For example, the BIC is presently engaged in a joint project with the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) in Bolivia, Cameroon and Malaysia aimed at promoting a change in attitudes between women and men through the use of traditional media such as music, dance and theatre.

The BIC has also been active in recent years as a founding member of Advocates for African Food Security, a coalition of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), UN agencies, and intergovernmental organizations that seeks to highlight the concerns of African women farmers who are the main producers of food for domestic use on the continent.

Ms. Power has represented the Bahá’í International Community at the UN in activities to promote the advancement of women since 1975. She served as vice president of the U.S. National Council of Women from 1989-91 and presently serves as chairman of the NGO Committee on the Status of Women.

She is a member of the Global Facilitation Committee coordinating NGO activities related to the UN Fourth World Conference on Women, to be held in Beijing in 1995.

Joining the Office for the Advancement of Women as a consultant is Alasebu Gebre Selassie, a sociologist from Ethiopia who specializes in socio-economic studies on women and children.

Health for Humanity holds its first general conference

On May 23, more than 100 health professionals and other interested persons gathered in Evanston, Illinois, for the first general conference of Health for Humanity, an association sponsored by the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly, to review the accomplishments of the past year and consult about future undertakings.

As each person was introduced to the audience, it became clear that a cadre of professionals with exceptional credentials, experience and spirit was assembled. Participants from as far away as California, Georgia, Massachusetts, Oregon and Texas were joined by a special guest, Dr. Farzin Rahmani from England.

Following a report from the board of directors about accomplishments since Health for Humanity was incorporated in March 1992, and slide presentations by those who had taken part in projects in Albania, Guyana and Honduras, Dr. Rahmani spoke about the concept of linking hospitals in the developed countries with those in areas of great need for their mutual benefit.

Inspired by Dr. Rahmani’s efforts in this area, Health for Humanity has decided to collaborate in future projects, and has called on Tom Gindorff and Susan Peterson to spearhead the initiative, called “Hospital to Hospital.” They presented materials developed for this purpose and discussed the approach Health for Humanity can take to adapt the program to its circumstances.

In the afternoon, four consultation groups, based on individual interests, were assembled:

• The Honduras group heard of the needs of Hospital Bayan from Dr. Bill Gitchell, a frequent visitor to Honduras and long-time supporter of the model hospital in a largely inaccessible Amerindian region. As a response, individuals have begun to secure supplies and equipment and to plan trips to Hospital Bayan.

• The Albania group reviewed progress there and discussed possible initiatives aimed at furthering the work, which holds tremendous potential for development. A group is planning a trip to Albania this fall.

• The work in Guyana, which is proceeding rapidly, was discussed by a large, committed group, among whom were Dr. Alfred Neumann, director of the preventive medicine residency at the UCLA School of Public Health, and Ed Widmer, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Guyana. Mr. Widmer, who has lived in Guyana for many years, provided an understanding of and appreciation for local initiatives in health care. As an outcome of the consultation, a phased plan of community development involving local Bahá’í institutions, with scientific data-gathering and analysis, is anticipated.

• The fourth group consulted about ways in which to address the overwhelming needs of hospitals in the developing world. Building on the ground-breaking work of Dr. Rahmani, the group decided to initiate linkages between three U.S. hospitals and three in Nicaragua as a first step in a learning process designed to improve, in time, the services available at hospitals throughout the world.

Also speaking at the conference were Counselor William Roberts and William Davis, treasurer of the National Spiritual Assembly.

All undertakings of Health for Humanity are based on the organization’s four motivating principles: 1. The nobility of humankind 2. Group consultation 3. Unified service 4. Comprehensive health

Pictured are some of the more than 100 participants in the first general conference of Health for Humanity at which consultation was held on a number of health development projects around the world. The conference was held May 23 in Evanston, Illinois.

Health for Humanity invites you to take part in this noble undertaking. For information about how you can help, write to Health for Humanity, Glencoe, IL 60022, or phone 708-835-5088.

Youth and children’s service opportunities for China

1) Summer English and Chinese programs: The Badi Foundation, a Bahá’í-inspired non-governmental organization in Macau, has been communicating with a number of high schools in mainland China. It has found that especially during the summer there are opportunities to send mature high school and college students to a number of these schools to either help Chinese youth learn English or study Chinese. Participation in programs such as these would allow youth to reach a virtually untouched segment of the population, who may well prove to be among the most receptive to the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh. Tuition and living costs are low, and free in the case of students teaching English. A small group of up to 10 youth is encouraged.

2) International Children’s Arts Festival in Guiyang, August 7-15: The National Chinese Teaching Committee of the Hawaiian Islands has agreed to take part formally in this event and is calling for more children and youth ages 9-15 (7-17 in exceptional cases) representative of Pacific and/or native cultures who have musical, dance, drama or other artistic ability. All costs except for airfare are provided. Help with fund-raising ideas is available.

3) Bahá’í Youth Service Corps posts are still open at the office of the Bahá’í Committee for China, and the School of the Nations, in Macau.

4) Many programs and even scholarships exist for youth to study Chinese in mainland China at a reasonable cost. Start preparing to answer the tremendous call for pioneers during the Three Year Plan. The time to do it is now!

For details on any of these opportunities, please call the Office of Pioneering at the Bahá’í National Center, 708-869-9039, immediately.

Navajo Nation honors memory of Bahá’í Ray Helmick

Last October, members of the late Raymond H. Helmick’s family were invited by the Navajo Tribal Council (the governing body of the Navajo Indian Nation) to join them in their council chambers to honor Mr. Helmick’s memory.

A Consolation Resolution, adopted and passed unanimously by the 88-member Tribal Council and honoring Mr. Helmick’s three decades of service to the Navajo people, was read, and the building housing the Department of Economic Development was renamed the Ray Helmick Building of Economic Development.

Mr. Helmick, a Bahá’í who died September 11, 1992, at age 66, was a former director of the State of Arizona Weights & Measures Department who founded the Navajo Nation Weights & Measures Program in March 1962.

During his 30 years of service to that program, the resolution says, he “donated many hours of his time at no cost to the Navajo Nation repairing and calibrating scales,” and “had a great love for all American Indians and legally adopted a Navajo infant and shared his love with countless other Indian families whom he welcomed into his home and heart...”

Mr. Helmick signed the first and only agreement between the Navajo Nation and the State of Arizona on the joint jurisdiction of weights and measures, an agreement that still stands today. [Page 9]

Localities to raise to Assembly status during the Three Year Plan

Many of the goals of the Three Year Plan intersect in the ways they can be met. By working toward one goal, we often can fulfill another. One of the goals of the Three Year Plan, for example, is to establish 150 new Assemblies in cities with a general population of 50,000 or more (this goal was originally for cities of 75-100,000, but has since been revised). Another goal is to settle at least 500 homefront pioneers on Indian Reservations, in the South, and in other areas of where homefront pioneers are needed. By homefront pioneering to a locality of 50,000 and helping to raise an Assembly there, a family could fulfill both goals.

Other goals are to expand the human resources of the Faith and to foster the maturation of local institutions, which are goals that could simultaneously be reached through the efforts of communities that are helping deepen new believers and consolidate the Faith in a nearby locality through extension teaching. In addition, individuals who travel to participate in the community’s extension teaching activities could be counted toward the goal of raising 3,000 traveling teachers.

The underlying purpose of all these goals is to build up strong Bahá’í communities with stable Spiritual Assemblies. To help focus the efforts of the friends in some of the areas where they are needed, the National Teaching Committee has prepared the list below as communities to raise to Assembly status during the Three Year Plan.

District	Community name	Number of adults Receiving mail	Special Goal Notation
Alabama N.	Green County	12
	Jefferson County	8
	Northport	7
	Triana	7
Alabama S.	Dothan	1	Over 50,000
Florida N.W.	Hunter Station	10
	Monroeville	7
	Prattville	7
	Shorter	13
	Union Springs	29
Arizona N.	Blackwater Dist.	7	Ind. Reserv.
	Cottonwood	7
	Sacaton Dist.	10	Ind. Reserv.
	Salt River Reserv.	7	Ind. Reserv.
	Sun City	7
	Valle Vista	13
Arizona S.	Casa Grande	14
	Pima County East	31
	Safford	7
	Tombstone	9
Arkansas	Cotton Plant	24
	England	13
	Fort Smith	11	Over 50,000
	Hot Springs	9
	Pine Bluff	7	Over 50,000
	Pulaski County	31
	Sweet Home	18
	Washington County	7
California Central 1	Carmel	7
	Castroville	15
	Chualar	13
	Daly City	5	Over 50,000
	Delta	9
	Gonzales	33
	Hollister	12
	King City	25
	North Gonzales	10
	Pajaro Valley S.	11
	San Ardo	9
	San Carlos	9
	San Pablo	9
	Santa Clara County SW	7
	Soledad	118
	South San Francisco	4	Over 50,000
	Walnut Creek Danville JD	7
California Central 2	Atwater	7
	Lodi	3	Over 50,000
	Mariposa County	8
	Tracy	7
	Tulare	9
	Visalia	19	Over 50,000
	Yosemite-El Portal	8
California Northern 1	Auburn	11
	Benicia	7
California Northern 2	Arcata	8
	Healdsburg	8
	‎Nappa Napa‎	8
	Petaluma	7
	San Anselmo	7
	Sebastopol	8
California Southern 1	Azusa	7
	Baldwin Park	2	Over 50,000
	Bellflower	4	Over 50,000
	Carson	6	Over 50,000
	Cerritos	9	Over 50,000
	Chino	6	Over 50,000
	Compton	15	Over 50,000
	Compton JD	8
	El Monte	5	Over 50,000
	Gardena	9
	Glendora	9
	Hacienda Heights	13
	Hawthorne	13	Over 50,000
	Huntington Park	0	Over 50,000
	La Mirada	9
	La Puente	15
	Lawndale	8
	Lynwood	2	Over 50,000
	Montebello	6	Over 50,000
	Monterey Park	2	Over 50,000
	Paramount	7
	Pico Rivera	2	Over 50,000
	Rosemead	4	Over 50,000
	San Fernando	9
	South Gate	5	Over 50,000
	Walnut	7
	West Covina	7	Over 50,000
California Southern 2	Cathedral City	8
	Cypress	9
	Fontana	12	Over 50,000
	Norco	8
	Twenty Nine Palms JD	9
California Southern 3	Carpinteria	8
	Ojai	12
California Southern 4	Brawley	7
	Imperial Beach	7
	National City	6	Over 50,000
Colorado Northeast	Arvada	8	Over 50,000
	Greeley	7	Over 50,000
	Lafayette	9	Over 50,000
	Northglenn	8
	Thornton	7	Over 50,000
Colorado Southeast	Florence	7
Colorado Western	Center	8
	La Jara	8
	Mesa County	8
Connecticut	Bristol	3	Over 50,000
	Danbury	9	Over 50,000
	Ledyard Town	7
	Norwalk	12	Over 50,000
	Waterbury	4	Over 50,000
	West Haven	4	Over 50,000
	Winter Garden	9
DelMarVa	Worcester County, MD	12

(Note: other listings for Maryland and Virginia are listed under Maryland W., Virginia N., Virginia S.E., and ‎Viginia Virginia‎ S.W.) [Page 10]

State/Region	Location	Number	Note
Florida C.	Daytona Beach	13	Over 50,000
	Eatonville	9
	Port Orange	8
	Vero Beach	7
	Winter Garden	16
Florida S.E. Central	Davie	7
	Lauderhill	7
	North Lauderdale	7
Florida S.E. North	Boca Raton	10	Over 50,000
	Boynton Beach	13
Florida S.E. South	Hialeah	3	Over 50,000
	Homestead	8
	N. Miami Beach	14
Florida S.W.	Bradenton	8
	Charlotte County	8
	Fort Myers	8
Georgia N.E.	Crawford	10
	Eatonton	10
	‎Ogelthorpe Oglethorpe‎ County	8
	Washington	13
	Waynesboro	7
Georgia N.W.	Acworth	21
	Carroll County	7
	Carterville	8
	Douglasville	7
	Floyd County	8
	Fulton Co., N.	12
	Fulton Co., S.	7
	Lawrenceville	8
	Lithonia	9
	Meriwether Co.	11
	Norcross	32
	Peachtree City	7
	Senoia	11
	Villa Rica	7
Georgia S.	Buena Vista	7
	Byronville	7
	Byron	7
	Columbus	4	Over 50,000
Idaho N./Washington Eastern	Moses Lake, WA	11
	Pasco, WA	7
	Toppenish, WA	10	Ind. Reserv.
Idaho Southern	Blackfoot	7
	Ft. Hall Reservation	7	Ind. Reserv.
	Nampa	7
Illinois N. 1	Batavia	8
	Carol Stream	7
	De Kalb	7
	Lombard	10
	Moline	9
	Rockford Township	9
	Warrenville	8
Illinois N. 2	Cicero	3	Over 50,000
	Des Plaines	10	Over 50,000
	Forest Park	7
	Hanover Park	8
	Mt. Prospect	9
	Oak Lawn	2	Over 50,000
	Palatine Township	7
	Park Forest	7
Illinois S.	Alorton	9
	Cairo	9
	East St. Louis	8
	Jacksonville	20
Indiana	Anderson	3	Over 50,000
	Elkhart	8
	Evansville	8	Over 50,000
	Hammond	10	Over 50,000
	Richmond	14
	Warsaw	9
Iowa	Council Bluffs	9	Over 50,000
Kansas	Bel Aire	9
	Dodge City	7
	Newton	9
	Olathe	7	Over 50,000
	Prairie Village	7
Kentucky	Lancaster	8
	Owensboro	0	Over 50,000
Louisiana	Bossier City	5	Over 50,000
	Kenner	9	Over 50,000
	Lake Charles	14	Over 50,000
	Metairie	9	Over 50,000
	Monroe	5	Over 50,000
	St. Martinville	11
	St. Tammany Parish SE	10
Maine	Sanford	7
	South Berwick	7
	Yarmouth Town	8
Maryland Western/DC	Anne Arundel Co. West	11
	Columbia	9	Over 50,000
	Harford County	7
	Takoma Park	10
	Westminster	9
Massachusetts	Brockton	11	Over 50,000
	Chicopee	3	Over 50,000
	Easthampton Town	7
	Falmouth Town	8
	Fall River	2	Over 50,000
	Framingham Town	7
	Haverhill	5	Over 50,000
	Lawrence	2	Over 50,000
	Lexington Town	7
	Lynn	7	Over 50,000
	Milford Town	8
	Milton Town	8
	Nantucket	7
	Quincy	5	Over 50,000
	Salem	10
	Shelburne Town	8
	Upton Town	7
	Waltham	15	Over 50,000
	Wellesley Town	10
	Wilbraham Town	7
Michigan Lower Penn.	Adrian	11
	Battle Creek	3	Over 50,000
	Dearborn Heights	5	Over 50,000
	Huntington Woods	9
	Lincoln Park	9
	Livonia	0	Over 50,000
	Ludington	9
	Mt. Pleasant	10
	Pontiac	6	Over 50,000
	Roseville	1	Over 50,000
	Royal Oak	12	Over 50,000
	Saginaw	9	Over 50,000
	Saint Clair Shores	5	Over 50,000
	Sterling Heights	4	Over 50,000
	Taylor	3	Over 50,000
	Warren	4	Over 50,000
	Waterford Township	7
	West. Bloomfield Twp	7
	Westland	4	Over 50,000
	Wyoming	2	Over 50,000
Minnesota Northern	Douglas County	7
	Mille Lacs Reservation	7	Ind. Reserv.
	Ponemah	10	Ind. Reserv.
Minnesota Southern	Arden Hills	9
	Bloomington	6	Over 50,000
	Brooklyn Park	4	Over 50,000
	Burnsville	8	Over 50,000
	Minnetonka	9
	Richfield	8
	Stillwater	7
	Woodbury	8
Mississippi	Madison County	7
	Meridian	8
	Warren County	9
Missouri	Chesterfield	10

[Page 11]

Clayton	7
Florissant	5	Over 50,000
Jefferson City	7	State Capitol
Rock Hill	8
St. Charles	11	Over 50,000
St. Joseph	7	Over 50,000
St. Louis County N.	14
St. Louis County W.	8
Montana
Browning	7	Ind. Reserv.
Crow Agency	20	Ind. Reserv.
Ft. Peck Reservation	12	Ind. Reserv.
Navajo-Hopi
Crownpoint Chapter	11	Ind. Reserv.
Kaibito Chapter	13	Ind. Reserv.
Navajo Mountain Chapt.	9	Ind. Reserv.
Ramah Chapter	8	Ind. Reserv.
Tohatchi Chapter	9	Ind. Reserv.
White Cone Chapter	9	Ind. Reserv.
Nebraska
Grand Island	13
Kearney	7
Nevada N.
Greater Lovelock	8
Nevada S.
Clark County West	19
New Hampshire
Derry Town	8
Laconia	7
Webster Town	7
Woodstock Town	7
New Jersey
Aberdeen Township	8
Bayonne	3	Over 50,000
Camden	9	Over 50,000
Cherry Hill Township	8
Clifton	6	Over 50,000
East Orange	5	Over 50,000
Elizabeth	3	Over 50,000
Newark	8	Over 50,000
Nutley	7
Paterson	9	Over 50,000
Princeton Borough	7
Union City	5	Over 50,000
Vineland	4	Over 50,000
Wyckoff	8
New Mexico Northern
Aztec	7
Jemez Pueblo	7	Ind. Reserv.
Jicarilla Reservation	9	Ind. Reserv.
San Juan County	8
New Mexico S. / Texas W.
Anthony, TX	50
Artesia, NM	8
Clovis, NM	7
Deming, NM	30
‎Fabens, , TX Fabens, TX‎	9
Lovington, NM	14
Portales, NM	16
Ruidoso, NM	11
Sunland Park, NM	19
Van Horn, TX	11
New York E.
Greenwich Town	7
New Castle Town	8
New Rochelle	3	Over 50,000
Peekskill	8
St. Regis Reservation	7	Ind. Reserv.
‎Trov Troy‎	6	Over 50,000
Tabor City	38
Thomasville	9
Yadkinville	7
North Carolina East
Ayden	9
Clayton	8
Farmville	11
Garner	11
Greenville	9
Henderson	22
Mount Olive	12
Roper	33
Wake Forest	7
Washington	10
Zebulon	11
North Carolina West
Black Mountain	7
Boone	9
Gastonia	8	Over 50,000
Hickory	11
Kings Mountain	8
North Dakota
Ft. Totten Reserv.	9	Ind. Reserv.
Ft. Yates	10	Ind. Reserv.
Ft. Berthold	11	Ind. Reserv.
Ohio N.
Akron	9	Over 50,000
Canton	5	Over 50,000
East Cleveland	7
Elyria	1	Over 50,000
Euclid	11
Lakewood	6	Over 50,000
Lima	10
Lorain	1	Over 50,000
Parma	2	Over 50,000
Stow	7
Warren	14	Over 50,000
Youngstown	8	Over 50,000
Ohio S.
Forest Park	7
Green Twp. Hamilton Co.	7
Hamilton	2	Over 50,000
Springfield	2	Over 50,000
Xenia	10
Oklahoma
Delaware County	10
Lawton	6	Over 50,000
Le Flore County	7
Mayes County	10
Midwest City	5	Over 50,000
Wagoner	8

Summer 1993 Schools Calendar

July 21-25, Illinois [Heartland] School, Greenville. Registrar: Carl Clingenpeel, Naperville, IL 60563; (708) 778-0705.

July 25-31, Montana School, near Livingston. Registrar: Linda Wanzenreid, Lewistown, MT 59457; (406) 538-8047.

July 27-31, Oregon (East) School, Weston. Registrar: Karlene Truax, Irrigon, OR 97844; (503) 922-5188.

July 30-August 2, Maryland/Virginia [Dayspring] School, Frostburg. Registrar: BiBi Kearney, Vienna, VA 22180; (703) 938-9261.

August 5-8, Texas School, Bridgeport. Contact: Walter Palmer, Allen, TX 75002; (214) 727-4310.

August 6-8, Georgia School. Contact: Reginald and Natalie Colbert, Atlanta, GA 30342; (404) 239-0357.

August 6-10, Washington (West) School, McKenna. Registrar: Becky Cleere, P.O. Box 67, McKenna, WA 98558; (206) 458-3910.

August 7-9, California (Southern) School, Cherry Valley. Registrar: Susan P. Millett, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730; (909) 987-7129.

August 11-15, Oregon (West) [Badasht] School, near Roseburg. Registrar: Norman Ives, Coos Bay, OR 97060; (503) 267-3157.

August 13-22, New York School, Poughkeepsie. Registrar: Charles and Barbara Clark, Middletown, NY 10940; (314) 342-4082.

August 18-22, Colorado (East) Summer School, near Wetmore. Registrar: Sandra Bolz, Lafayette, CO 80026; (303) 666-9275.

August 18-22, Minnesota School, Onamia. Registrar: Steve Grams, Willmar, MN 56201; (612) 235-6530.

September 3-6, Tennessee School, Monteagle. Contact: Kaihan Strain, Hixson, TN 37343; (615) 842-1750.

September 17-19, Green Lake Conference, Wisconsin. Addresses and workshops will be given by members of the National Assembly. Registration: Green Lake Conference Center, 1-800-558-8898. [Page 12]

Region	Locality	Number	Notes
Oregon E.	La Grande	7
	Ontario	7
	Warm Springs Reserv.	7	Ind. Reserv.
Oregon W.	Coos Bay	10
	Grants Pass	8
	Multnomah County	18
	North Bend	8
	Tualatin	9
Pennsylvania East	Abington Township	8
	Altoona	6	Over 50,000
	Elizabethtown Borough	7
	Reading	5	Over 50,000
	Scranton	1	Over 50,000
	Springfield Township	7
	Swarthmore	7
	West Whiteland Township	8
	York	7
Pennsylvania West	Erie	8	Over 50,000
Rhode Island	Cranston	4	Over 50,000
	East Providence	2	Over 50,000
	Pawtucket	7	Over 50,000
S. Carolina Central	Aiken	8
	Caperstown	7
	Gadsden	7
	Greater Lexington	18
	Greater Swansea	16
	Irmo	9
	Lone Star	8
	South Bishopville	9
	Swansea	9
	Vance	7
S. Carolina East 1	Bakerwoods	11
	Ellerbe Heights	12
	Pageland	7
	Poston	13
S. Carolina East 2	Atlantic Beach	14
	Aynor	11
	Bay Boro	10
	Boggy Swamp	8
	Britton’s Neck	8
	Hebron	11
	North Myrtle Beach	11
S. Carolina North	Blacksburg	10
	Gaffney	8
S. Carolina Southern 2	Varnville	14
	Williams	13
S. Carolina West	Williamston	10
South Dakota	Cherry Creek	7	Ind. Reserv.
	Custer	5 + 2
	Soldier Creek Dist.	7	Ind. Reserv.
	Vermillion	7
	White River	7	Ind. Reserv.
Tennessee Western	Clarksville	1	Over 50,000
	Smyrna	7
	Somerville	9
Texas C.	Bell County	8
	Belton	10
	Cedar Park	9
	Elgin	23
	‎Kileen Killeen‎	8	Over 50,000
	Luling	9
	Manor	14
	Maverick County	8
	Taylor	20
Texas E. 1	Alvarado	11
	Baytown	9	Over 50,000
	Corsicana	13
	Italy	13
	Kaufman	11
	Longview	7	Over 50,000
	Mansfield	7
	Terrell	14
	Texarkana	11
	Waskom	8
	Watauga	7
	Waxahachie	17
Texas E. 2	Baytown	9
	Harris Co. North-Central	8
	West University Place	8
Texas North Central	Abilene	5	Over 50,000
	Graham	12
	Midland, TX	10	Over 50,000
	Olney	11
	Plainview	10
	Vernon	10
Texas Southern	Laredo	8	Over 50,000
Utah	Layton	7
	Orem	4	Over 50,000
	Provo	1	Over 50,000
	West Valley City	6	Over 50,000
Vermont	Burlington	7
Virginia N.	Fairfax County SW	7
	Frederick County	7
Virginia S.E.	Chesapeake	4	Over 50,000
	Farmville	20
	Fredericksburg	10
	Newsoms	27
	South Hill	8
Virginia S.W.	Danville	1	Over 50,000
	Lynchburg	3	Over 50,000
Washington Northwest	Bainbridge Island	9
	King County N. Central	9
	Lacey	8
	Lummi Reservation	27	Ind. Reserv.
	Marysville	7
	Pacific	8
	‎Sedro Wooley Sedro-Woolley‎	7
	Vashon-Maury Island	10
Washington Southwest	Clallam County East	8
	Kelso	8
	Kitsap County N.	8
W. Virginia	Bluefield	7
Wisconsin N. Michigan UP	Wausau, WI	9
Wisconsin S.	Bayside	7
	Delafield Township	7
	Kenosha	5	Over 50,000
	La Crosse	3	Over 50,000
	Oconomowoc	8
	Racine	4	Over 50,000
	Stoughton	7
Wyoming	Casper	2
	Wind River Reservation	7	Ind. Reserv.

[Page 13]

Environment

from page 1

ment.

Recalling the Rio declaration that all states and people should take part fully in achieving sustainable development, he noted that the U.S. ranks sixth in the world according to UN measurements of the quality of life.

But the U.S. would rank first, he said, if African-Americans and Latinos were taken out of the mix.

On the other hand, if only those two populations were counted, he said, this country would rank 35th in the world.

Mr. Henderson used the example that race is the No. 1 indicator in the placement of toxic waste sites.

Sixty percent of people of color live close to uncontrolled dumps, he said, and the reason is that these populations cannot fight back effectively because of poverty, underrepresentation in positions of power, and bureaucratic stonewalling.

Unity, then, is the indispensable requirement for sustainable development, he said. It is important to foster a climate of genuine cooperation and to build models of unity—anchored by the principles of social justice.

He enumerated these principles for the participants: the elimination of all prejudice; establishment of race unity; equality of men and women; elimination of extremes of wealth and poverty; universal education; consultation; and a balance between freedom of the individual and social utility of thought and action.

The ensuing question-and-answer period gave Mr. Henderson a further opportunity to introduce Bahá’í principles into the session.

For example, addressing a participant’s concern that “meetings don’t work,” he talked about true consultation and its role in the midst of what the Universal House of Justice has called a breakdown in human relations.

Participants reacted “as though it were a revelation,” Mr. Henderson said, with the result that a “fundamental shift took place in the orientation of both meetings,” with later speakers building on the foundation of social justice that had been laid.

“The whole idea of unity has eluded people,” he explained. “The power of unity, when presented to people, has real power.”

Mr. Arturo and Peter Adriance of the National Spiritual Assembly’s Washington office witnessed the transformation of conference participants.

“I heard some stunning comments,” said Mr. Arturo.

One person, he said, told him, “I thought I was hearing the Voice of God,” and Mr. Arturo replied that he had: It was the Word of God as revealed by His Prophet, Bahá’u’lláh.

Another participant told Mr. Arturo, “I now realize all my assumptions were wrong.”

Mr. Adriance said Mr. Henderson’s talks “broke new ground” in discussions of the link between social justice and sustainable development, providing “a clear vision of the importance of the principle of the oneness of humanity.”

The Bahá’í display was similarly received, said Mr. Adriance.

“The exhibit shed new light on the discussion of sustainable development,” he said. “The focus on race unity was a fresh contribution, with a message that was unique among the exhibits in the hall.”

During the week, Mr. Adriance was interviewed by a local radio station and spoke at the University of Louisville on “The Spiritual Foundation of Sustainable Development.”

A NEW DIRECTION

Bahá’í participants said the Louisville conference successfully sustained the momentum from Rio.

Mr. Arturo was encouraged by a new atmosphere of dialogue replacing earlier confrontation and said it mirrored changes on the international scene as the Earth Summit approached.

He said participants were striving to put the maxim “think globally, act locally” into practice and then to link action on their level back to the global consciousness.

Mr. Adriance noted that the conference gave participants an opportunity to network with others from their own region and, similarly, widened the network of people working on sustainable development at the local level.

Through a process called integrated decision making, cities are adopting philosophies of sustainable development that plan not only for present needs but also for the needs of future generations, he said.

‎Bahá’í is Bahá’ís‎ can add much to the discussion by bringing the Faith’s principles to the table, Mr. Adriance said. “We can shed tremendous light on the direction we need to go in as communities—even without being environmental experts.”

He said the Bahá’í International Community Office of the Environment and the National Spiritual Assembly’s Washington office will continue to take part in activities related to follow-up of the Earth Summit.

The newly formed UN Commission on Sustainable Development and the promised establishment by President Clinton of a national council to address the same issue are two areas of interest.

The Bahá’í exhibit at the “From Rio to the Capitols” conference

The Bahá’í exhibit at the “From Rio to the Capitols” conference in Louisville, Kentucky, in May drew from two major Earth Summit documents and the National Spiritual Assembly’s statement, “The Vision of Race Unity—America’s Greatest Challenge.”

The following text is taken from the exhibit:

• “The well-being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established.”—Bahá’u’lláh

• “Racism is the most challenging issue confronting America. A nation whose ancestry includes every people on earth, whose motto is E pluribus unum, whose ideals of freedom under law have inspired millions throughout the world, cannot continue to harbor prejudice against any racial or ethnic group without betraying itself. Racism is an affront to human dignity, a cause of hatred and division, a disease that devastates American society.”—The Vision of Race Unity

THE ECONOMY

“All states and all people shall cooperate in the essential task of eradicating poverty as an indispensable requirement for sustainable development.”—Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, Principle 5

“Although poverty afflicts members of all races, its victims tend to be largely people of color. The application of the spiritual principle of the oneness of humanity to the life of the American nation would necessitate and make possible vast changes in the economic status of the non-white segments of the population.”—The Vision of Race Unity

EDUCATION

“Education...should deal with the dynamics of both the physical/biological and socio-economic environment and human (which may include spiritual) development.”—Agenda 21, Chapter 36.3

“A national program of education, based on the principle of the oneness of humanity, emphasizing the values of tolerance, brotherhood, appreciation for cultures other than one’s own, and respect for differences would be a most important step toward the elimination of racism and, as a consequence, the bolstering of the economy.”—The Vision of Race Unity

PEACE

“Peace, development and environmental protection are interdependent and indivisible.”—Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, Principle 25

“America’s peace, prosperity and even her standing in the international community depend on healing the wounds of racism and building a society in which people of diverse backgrounds live as members of one family. America’s example could not fail to have a profound influence on world society, nor could it fail to assist in the establishment of universal peace.”—The Vision of Race Unity

RESPONSIBILITY

“It is important to overcome confrontation and to foster a climate of genuine cooperation and solidarity.”—Agenda 21, Chapter 2.1

“The transformation of a whole nation ultimately depends on the initiative and change of character of the individuals who compose it. All Americans, of whatever background, must look at the racial situation with new eyes and with a new determination to lend effective support to the resolution of a problem that hinders the advance of this great republic toward the full realization of its glorious destiny.”—The Vision of Race Unity

Refugee Office seeks help in locating ‘missing’ Southeast Asian Bahá’ís

The U.S. Bahá’í Refugee Office invites all local Bahá’í communities, in areas where there is a high concentration of Southeast Asian people, to join the search for the remaining “missing” Southeast Asian Bahá’ís.

Six years ago, when it became known that there were more than 8,000 Southeast Asian Bahá’í refugees in the U.S. whose whereabouts was unknown, the U.S. Bahá’í Refugee Office was given the task of locating them, helping them adjust to life in their new country, and deepening them in the Faith.

Although the number of Southeast Asian Bahá’í refugees has grown without our always knowing of their departure from refugee camps, many of them have been found; however, the majority still remain to be found by their American communities.

The Southeast Asian Bahá’í refugees who have entered this country range from those who declared their faith in refugee camps in Thailand and the Philippines to deepened Bahá’ís who had served on local or National Spiritual Assemblies before becoming refugees.

If you have been reading the articles in The American Bahá’í about events taking place in California this past year, you will have some idea of the enrichment the Southeast Asian ‎Bahá’í’s Bahá’ís‎ are bringing to their new communities.

To help the Bahá’í Refugee Office locate these friends, a “helpers” network has been established consisting of people who befriend the Southeast Asian Bahá’ís and help deepen them in the Faith and adjust to life in the U.S.

Won’t you join the growing list of “helpers”? It may seem difficult at first, but the rewards are great, for you as an individual as well as for your Bahá’í community.

Should you decide to become a part of the “helpers” network, the U.S. Bahá’í Refugee Office will be happy to be of service in your efforts to locate our missing Bahá’í friends. You may write to USBRO, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091, or phone 708-869-9039 (fax 708-869-0247).

GUIDELINES FOR REACHING THE SOUTHEAST ASIAN BAHÁ’Í POPULATION

Southeast Asians in the United States—Bahá’ís and non-Bahá’ís alike—are quite approachable if contacts are made with sensitivity to their culture and needs. Here are some guidelines compiled by Dr. Bruce Bliatout, a Hmong Bahá’í from Portland, Oregon:

1. The Southeast Asians have gone through the trauma of leaving their homes, living in a refugee camp and, for some, imprisonment and even torture. More than material assistance, the Southeast Asians need the love and respect of the friends.

2. The newcomers from Southeast Asian cultures have a great respect for family. It is important to establish strong bonds of friendship and trust so they will understand that the local Assembly and Bahá’í community are like a part of their family.

3. For Southeast Asians who have been in the States for a while, the issues of shelter, food and jobs have probably been resolved. Now the problems and challenges are related mainly to their children and youth, such as: loss of respect for parents and the elderly; lack of understanding of the meaning of freedom, which sometimes results in their becoming involved in gangs; lack of interest in studies; lack of understanding of the U.S. educa-

See REFUGEES page 19 [Page 14]

CLASSIFIEDS

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

SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES

THE GREENACRE Bahá’í School is seeking a program coordinator. This is a full-time, year-round position primarily responsible for planning and coordinating educational programs and activities at Green Acre. Qualifications include an in-depth knowledge of the Bahá’í writings and Administrative Order; experience in planning and coordinating instructional services; ability to communicate effectively to large groups and to interact with a wide range of people; proven success in organizing and coordinating multiple tasks over an extended period of time. The position requires a personable, creative, highly motivated person who is a strong self-starter; experience in teaching or direct involvement with Bahá’í educational programs for adults, youth and children is highly desirable. Please send letter of introduction and résumé to the Office of Human Resources, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091.

THE BOSCH Bahá’í School wishes to extend its Youth Service Corps program to include three-month, six-month and one-year terms. If you would be interested in an opportunity to serve the Faith in this capacity, please phone the Bosch school, 408-423-3387, fax 408-423-7564, or write to 500 Comstock Lane, Santa Cruz, CA 95060. These positions are for 40-hour weeks as volunteers in the many areas of service required at a permanent school. A small stipend for food is provided if needed. Past experience has shown that a car is helpful due to the school's remoteness from town. This is a truly unique opportunity not only to be of service but also to develop and grow within a Bahá’í family setting.

THE NATIONAL Spiritual Assembly is seeking a General Manager for the Bahá’í Publishing Trust. This position requires a strong general manager capable of managing large numbers of people, preparing and managing significant budgets, developing plans and strategies for producing desired results. Publishing experience a plus. Please send résumé to the Bahá’í National Center, Department of Human Resources, Wilmette, IL 60091.

THE GREENACRE Bahá’í School is seeking an individual or retired couple to serve as resident caretaker(s). This is a year-round volunteer position primarily responsible for building and grounds security at designated times, opening and closing buildings as needed for functions, helping with light-duty maintenance, responding to emergencies, and greeting visitors to the school. Requires a mature person or couple with proven experience in carrying out these responsibilities. On-campus residence (two-bedroom apartment) will be provided. Applicants may also apply for other openings at the school. Please submit a letter of introduction and résumé with detailed description of your qualifications and background to: Administrator, Green Acre Bahá’í School, 188 Main St., Eliot, ME 03903.

Employment opportunities

BAHÁ’Í NATIONAL CENTER

Support Services: Assistant meeting and travel coordinator. Full-time position to help coordinate travel and meeting arrangements including hotel and airline reservations, ground transportation, room reservations, on-site set-up for meetings, refreshments. Clerical and word processing skills required.

Bahá’í Publishing Trust: Production Department coordinator. Responsible for developing and implementing production strategies under the direction of the executive secretary of the Publications Board to ensure the timely and cost-effective production of authoritative Bahá’í texts, literature, periodicals, video tapes, audio cassettes and other materials in support of the goals of the National Assembly for expansion and consolidation of the U.S. Bahá’í community. Coordinates the work of freelance assistants, desktop publishing operators, production assistants, audio-visual materials librarian, oversees production of various Bahá’í publications.

Persian/American Affairs: Program assistant. Primary responsibility is to help the department manager implement programs and activities of the Persian/ American Affairs Office. Responsibilities include typing correspondence, translating documents and letters into and from Persian, and record-keeping. Good understanding of Persian culture, Bahá’í principles and laws as practiced in Iran and the U.S. is required.

BOSCH BAHÁ’Í SCHOOL

Assistant director. Responsible for helping the school director in all functions related to operating and promoting the school. The assistant director will contact urban Assemblies throughout California, Oregon, Washington and Nevada to apprise them of the programs/possibilities/opportunities existing at Bosch. Also helps with all administrative and personnel activities of the school.

Program coordinator. Primary duty is to develop and coordinate programs at the school to include adults, youth, children and the non-Bahá’í public.

NATIVE AMERICAN BAHÁ’Í INSTITUTE

Program coordinator. Primary duty is to develop and implement programs at the Institute with special emphasis on teaching the Faith, the development of children, and a variety of social and economic development programs. When responding, please include a summary of your experience with Native American cultures, specificially Navajo.

Please submit current résumé including Bahá’í service to Stephanie Gladden or Karen Marcellis, Office of Human Resources, Bahá’í National Center, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201.

PIONEERING: OVERSEAS

EMPLOYMENT opportunities overseas: AMERICAS-Dominica: MDs and/or Ph.Ds to teach on faculty U.S. off-shore medical university; MDs and/or Ph.Ds with expertise in anatomy, biochemistry, histology, physiology, microbiology, pharmacology, neuroscience or behavioral sciences to teach the basic sciences program at its medical university. Paraguay: chiropractic practice for sale. AUSTRALASIA-Guam (Northwest Pacific): retired couple or male to serve as caretakers at local Bahá’í Center; teachers, nurses. Palau (South Pacific): position in clinical setting with responsibilities including prenatal care, deliveries, GYN surgery, etc. Saipan, Mariana Islands: OB/GYN managers, operation room supervisor, psychiatric care coordinator, staff nurses. Yap, Western Caroline Islands: retired couple to serve as caretakers at the National Center. EUROPE-Bosnia/ Croatia: position with program providing services for rape/trauma cases, project director to oversee programs in mental health and public health services. For more information on any of these positions, please contact the Office of Pioneering, 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 individuals: Lillian Pearl Porter, Meda R. Porter, Laura M. Post (died Sault Ste. Marie, MI, 1973), Marion Potter, Cynthia Ruth Powell, Edwinna A. Powell (died Corvallis, OR, 1949), Norman C. Powers, and Agnes P. Prento. 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 (phone 708-869-9039).

THE NATIONAL Bahá’í Archives is seeking copies of local community bulletins or newsletters for the following local communities: Chicago (1935-53); Los Angeles (1934- 53); San Francisco (1935-49); New York City (1930-50). Anyone having bulletins or newsletters they could donate is asked to send them to the National Bahá’í Archives, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091.

PIONEERING: HOMEFRONT

FORT MYERS, Florida, the City of Palms (pop. 45,000), once the home of Thomas Edison, and one of the fastest growing areas of southwest Florida, welcomes all interested Bahá’ís who would like to relocate there and help re-establish an Assembly in the city. Please contact Bea Meese, Fort Myers, FL 33901, or phone 813-334-4377.

THE BAHÁ’Í community of Smyrna, Tennessee, warmly welcomes homefront pioneers. Smyrna, less than 30 minutes by car from Nashville or Murfreesboro, both of which have many fine educational institutions, has eight active adult Bahá’ís, one youth and four children. There is a Nissan Motors plant and other industries. Smyrna lost its Assembly at Ridván and is establishing a teaching institute to begin large-scale expansion and regain Assembly status by Ridván 1994. For information, please write to Susan Hakiman, Smyrna, TN 37167, or phone 615-355-4981.

THE BAHÁ’Í community of Spartanburg, South Carolina, needs homefront pioneers to maintain its Assembly status. For information about the Spartanburg area, please write to the Spiritual Assembly of Spartanburg, P.O. Box 2893, Spartanburg, SC 29304, or phone 803-583-3123.

COUNSELORS are being hired at a drug treatment center in a small prison in Hernando County, Florida, about 40 miles north of Tampa. A degree is required. A local Bahá’í is working at the center and would be happy to furnish additional information about the positions. Hernando County has eight adult Bahá’ís and no local Assembly. For information, please phone the Newells, 904-683-0420, or Ms. Gibson, 904-799-0355.

THE SPIRITUAL Assembly of Syracuse, New York, encourages high school graduates to consider Syracuse University as a place to study and pioneer. The university needs the healing message of Bahá’u’lláh, especially in the area of race relations, and the two Bahá’í students there would appreciate some more eager members in their small campus club. Contact Deborah Winslow, Syracuse, NY 13210 (phone 315-423-0410).

COLUMBIA, the capital city of South Carolina, seeks homefront pioneers. With a functioning but struggling local Assembly, a wonderful spiritual energy radiates in the area. Columbia (pop. 70,000), the seat of state government, has a major university, colleges two-year technical schools as well as a military base. Mountains and beaches are within a two and one-half hour drive. One or two homefront pioneers are needed to settle within the city limits. For an opportunity to serve Bahá’u’lláh in this way, please phone Barbara Sheridan, 803-776-6121, or write to the Spiritual Assembly of Columbia, P.O. Box 5973, Columbia, SC 29250.

WANTED

THE SPIRITUAL Assembly of Davison Township, Michigan, invites three to four single, divorced or widowed women over age 21 to take part in a teaching project to begin in July/August and continue indefinitely. Participants will be housed in a newly renovated farmhouse sponsored in part by the Global Village Institute. Although the scope of the project will be determined in part by the participants, it will focus minimally on the healing and balancing power of the Faith in dealing with inequalities of gender and culture. Participants must be self-sustaining to a degree and must have their own health insurance and transportation. Full-time or part-time employment is possible in the Flint/Davison area with many openings in health care and office/computer work and some others in food and retail sales and education. Participants will be five minutes from the Louhelen Bahá’í School with its many possibilities for service, deepening and fellowship. If interested, please contact Leonie Naylor, P.O. Box 455, Davison, MI 48423, or phone 313-658-3348.

WANTED: Anecdotes and photographs of your experiences with the Hand of the Cause William Sears for a forthcoming book. Please send them to Tony Lease, Portland, OR 97205.

PIONEER to Chile urgently needs books in English for the English Department library at the University of Atacama. Books will be donated in the name of the Faith to the library for use by the department's English students. Any and all books of any kind are welcome: children's literature, American and British literature, psychology, political science, sociology, basic to advanced conversation and composition, dictionaries, histories, education, etc. As customs in Chile can be problematic, please send only two boxes at a time (approx. 20 pounds each) surface mail, "book rate," to Kenton Dunbar, Copiapo, Chile, c/o Universidad de Atacama.

HOMESCHOOLING Bahá’í mother would like to hear from other Bahá’í parents who are homeschooling their children. I need advice, information and moral support. Please write to Randi Nichten, Houston, TX 77035.

VOLUNTEERS are needed to work on a project to outline the Bahá’í Writings in extensive detail. The goal is to combine the various subject outlines into a master "tree of knowledge" that would be made available to the Bahá’í community through computer software. Anyone who is interested in writing and/or editing outlines of Bahá’í topics is asked to contact Lee Nelson, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675 (phone 714-240-2092). Computer is not required.

NEEDED: Spiritual Assemblies interested in hosting a Youth Year of Service volunteer to focus full-time on teaching the Faith. Please contact the National Teaching Committee Office, 708-869-9039, ext. 361.

WANTED: résumés from Bahá’ís who are qualified in the areas of golf course design, construction and maintenance and golf business operations for a job qualification source book. Please send résumés to Kent Alkire, Simi Valley, CA 93063. Phone 805-527-9147; fax 805-527-1247. [Page 15]

World News

The Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum traveled to Budapest, Hungary, on April 2-4 to attend a conference held to commemorate the 80th anniversary of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s visit to that city. About 350 friends from more than 30 countries gathered for the event, which was held in the main hall of Hungary’s National Museum—the very room in which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá spoke in 1913. The conference was opened with a reception attended by dignitaries including an official representative from the office of the Prime Minister. A warm letter of greeting was read from Otto von Hapsburg, president of the Pan-European Movement and member of the Parliament of Europe. After the commemorative meeting on April 4, Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum planted a cypress tree on the grounds of the Museum in memory of the Master, then made a walking tour of sites visited by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Budapest. During her stay in Hungary, the Hand of the Cause spoke at a press conference filmed by cameramen from the National Television Station. From Budapest, she traveled to Bratislava, in the Slovak Republic, where she met with the Bahá’ís in “a particularly joyous and enthusiastic meeting” and paid a courtesy call on the director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who said that “the previous communist states of Europe were in great need of the wise vision and teachings of the Bahá’í Faith.” Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum next visited Prague, where she held a press conference attended by 35 journalists including a reporter from the national television station. The deputy Minister of Culture for the Czech Republic paid a courtesy call on her, and many notables attended a reception hosted by the National Spiritual Assembly. Before returning to the Holy Land on April 9, the Hand of the Cause met with the Regional Spiritual Assembly of the Czech and Slovak Republics, and gave a talk for friends around the country and for some Bahá’ís from Germany and Poland who had gone to Prague for the occasion.

The Bahá’í community of Portimão, Portugal, recently held a handicraft exhibition titled “Unity in Diversity,” displaying handicrafts sent by 70 National Spiritual Assemblies at the request of the organizing committee. More than 3,000 people including the mayor and his wife visited the exhibit. As a result of this proclamation and follow-up efforts supporting it, 26 people were enrolled in the Faith.

Through a relief agency, ADRA, the Bahá’ís of Serbia recently contacted the only Bahá’í in Sarajevo, Bosnia, Miss Ferida Durakovic, and sent several food parcels and letters. They received the following letter in reply: “Dear friends, I was very happy, and pleasantly surprised, when I received your letter. Letters from dear people are like God’s gift to us nowadays. Thank you. Thank you for thinking of me in these horrible days of temptation and evil, for I think that...what we are going through is not just another war—no. I think it is a horrible struggle between Good and evil, and I wonder if I am good enough to deserve help from any good powers. It is hard to express my feelings in English, but I am sure you know what I meant to say. Anyhow, I do believe it will come to an end somehow with the help of God and good people.

“We don’t have a home anymore. It was destroyed in the shelling in June. Now we stay in a friend’s apartment. ...I went through many horrible things. I lost my brother-in-law, many friends were killed or wounded, my brother was badly wounded, my sister has left for Pakistan, and I have no contact with her. ...my parents are alive, some of my friends are alive, I am alive—and that is the only good news about us. There is someone or something that keeps me alive, and I am happy to be sane and alive.”

On March 13, a dozen media professionals attended a conference in Sofia, Bulgaria, hosted by the Bahá’ís of that city to familiarize journalists with Bahá’u’lláh, His life and teachings. The Bahá’í speakers were Rob Weinberg, a correspondent with the British Broadcasting Company; Nickolai Nickolov, secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of Bulgaria; Enayat Rawhani, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada; and Greg Dahl, representative of the International Monetary Fund in Bulgaria. A question-and-answer period followed their remarks.

The first Spiritual Assembly of Krasnodar, in the southern region of Russia, was formed last November 12. Within two months of its formation it held a winter school attended by 30 Bahá’ís and their guests from seven cities. During the school, two people were enrolled in the Faith.

A Highlands Mini Congress was held February 28-March 1 in the Nondigl District of Western Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea. About 500 people attended including these Bahá’ís shown standing alongside the Congress banner.

“Since the celebration of United Nations Day, the Bahá’ís of the Gold Coast and Albert Shire (Queensland, Australia) have been blessed with seven enrollments,” it was recently reported. “The beauty of this group of seven new friends is the diversity of their backgrounds and professions: lawyer, physiotherapist, business woman, language instructor, and property managers. The spirit of the Holy Year, the unity of the friends, regular weekly firesides, and the call for informal teaching groups have been the forces behind these enrollments.”

On April 12, the secretary of the Regional Spiritual Assembly of Russia, Georgia and Armenia was presented with the registered Constitution and Registration Certificate of the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Russia. “Words do not convey the joy of this achievement,” the Regional Assembly reported. “In this country, this event is of great significance for thus the Spiritual Assembly is officially recognized as having been established by the Universal House of Justice, and hence this is a de facto recognition of the Universal House of Justice by the Russian government as the head of the Bahá’í world community. The Assembly is now the center of the Bahá’í Faith in Russia, Georgia and Armenia, and therefore all affairs related to the Faith in Russia, such as local Assembly registration, will be referred to the Assembly and cannot occur without its consent. Until now, such matters had to pass through a commission of the Russian Supreme Soviet. Is it not significant that this has occurred at the close of the Holy Year, after two years of seemingly fruitless endeavor?”

On December 16, a special meeting of the City Council of Waitakere, New Zealand, was opened with a Bahá’í prayer, which marked not only the first time that someone other than a Christian clergyman was asked to perform this duty but also the first time that a woman had read a prayer before a City Council meeting.

The Guyana Bahá’í Office for Social and Economic Development (GOSED) recently received a shipment of 20,000 books from local Spiritual Assemblies in the Toronto, Canada, area. More than half of the books are school texts. With them, 35 village lending libraries have been started.

About 350 Bahá’ís and guests gathered in January in Jwaneng, Botswana, to celebrate the marriage of Tebogo Motshedi Khutsoane and Sean James Hinton. This was the first Bahá’í wedding ceremony ever held in Jwaneng, and one of the guests was so inspired by it that she declared her belief in Bahá’u’lláh.

A 15-day course in primary health care organized by the National Spiritual Assembly of Kenya was held in January in Nairobi. Twenty-eight participants from Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia attended the course, which was conducted by Dr. Ethel Marens of Canada, a physician who specializes in social and preventive medicine. She worked with Natasha Javanmardi, a nutritionist now serving in the Czech Republic who traveled to Kenya to be of help.

In December, the governor of the North-West Frontier Province in Pakistan instructed local officials to authorize one of the friends to solemnize Bahá’í marriages for the entire province. With this accomplishment, the national Bahá’í community now has Bahá’í marriage registrars in all four of the provinces, covering the whole area of the country except for Azad Kashmir.

A study course titled “The Bahá’í Faith—An Introduction to Its History and Teachings” is being offered to students at the Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic. It is taught by Dr. Vahid Behmardi of the Department of Near Eastern and African ‎Studies,and Studies, and‎ is being translated into Czech.

A conference was held last November 25-28 in Ecuador to coincide with the Bahá’í World Congress in New York City. About 100 of the friends gathered in Otavalo, site of Radio Bahá’í Ecuador, to watch all four hours of the direct satellite transmission from the World Congress. [Page 16]یا ابن الانسان اصعد إلی سمائی لکی تری وصالی لتشرب من زلال خمر لا مثال و کوب مجد لا زوال

یادی از دکتر ایرج روحانی

IN MEMORIAM

دکتر ایرج روحانی، از یاران خدوم و صمیمی امر مبارک روز ۴ می سال جاری در محل کار هدف گلوله جوانی شد که به قصد سرقت وارد مغازه ایشان شده بود. تیر کاری بود و به صعود دکتر روحانی منجر شد. مراسم تشییع و تدفین این مؤمن جانباز که با بشهادت حاضران از لحاظ تنوع شرکت کنندگان بی سابقه بود. شرح زیر توسط همسر ایشان خانم نسرین روحانی نگاشته شده است.

دکتر ایرج روحانی فرزند خلیل و زمان روحانی در تاریخ ۱۸ ماه می سال ۱۹۳۸ در نیریز که یکی از شهرستان‌های استان فارس و در فاصله سه ساعتی از شیراز بود، متولد شد. دوران تحصیل ابتدائی را در نیریز گذراند و اغلب از آن زمان حکایت‌ها داشت که چطور به خاطر بهائی بودن حتی از خوردن آب در مدرسه محروم بود و یا چگونه در راه مدرسه مورد اصابت سنگ از طرف سایر بچه‌های محله می‌شده. خودش می‌گفت این سختی‌ها باعث می‌شد که من مقابله مثبت کنم و در راه تحصیل علم و دانش از دیگران سبقت بگیرم؛ و بالاخره هم چنین کرد و با گرفتن درجه دکترا از دانشگاه جورجیا در رشته فیزیولوژی گیاهی به شیراز مراجعت نمود و در دانشگاه پهلوی به تدریس مشغول شد.

با علاقه‌ای که به تدریس و تحقیق داشت موفق شد آزمایشگاه مجهزی برای تحقیق در دانشگاه کشاورزی بر پا نماید و مقاله‌های علمی متعددی در ژورنال‌های معروف علمی منتشر نماید و به سمت رئیس بخش ارتقاء یابد و مراحل استادیاری و دانشیاری را گذرانیده و به مقام استادی برسد.

در زمان انقلاب با ایمان و استقامت هر چه بیشتر به خدمات امری خود ادامه داد و همیشه چون کوه مستقیم بود. به افتخار عضویت محفل مقدس روحانی بهائیان شیراز و سمت مساعدی جناب محمدنژاد نائل شد و همواره مسؤولیت‌های مربوطه را به نحو احسن انجام می‌داد. با آنکه از دانشگاه به علت بهائی بودن و عدم کتمان عقیده پاک‌سازی شده بود، ولی از استقامت و پایداری دست بر نمی‌داشت.

کتابی علمی را که نوشته و آمادهٔ چاپ بود در اختیار دانشگاه گذاشت و در جواب همکارانی که به او گفته بودند که چرا حاصل چندین سال کار و تجربه را در اختیار دانشگاهی که قدر تو را ندانسته و اخراجت کرده می‌گذاری، گفته بود که من این کتاب را برای استفاده مردم و دانشجویان نوشته‌ام و اکنون من به خاطر آن‌ها آن را در اختیار دانشگاه قرار می‌دهم. کتاب او را دانشگاه چاپ و مورد استفاده قرار دادند.

بالاخره در اواخر ماه نوامبر سال ۱۹۸۲ بنا به اصرار و خواهش و التماس من به فاصله چند دقیقه خود را برای خارج نمودن از شیراز آماده نمودیم و پس از گذراندن دو ماه در اصفهان و باز بنا به خواهش و اصرار من، ایران عزیز را ترک نموده وارد پاکستان شدیم.

مدت ۱۸ ماه در کراچی با سخت‌ترین شرایط زندگی روبرو بودیم. روزها را به خدمات باغبانی در حظیرة القدس و تعمیر دفتر محفل ملی پاکستان می‌گذرانید. مثل همیشه از دیگران دلجوئی می‌کرد، نصیحت می‌کرد و به آینده امیدوارشان می‌کرد. این خصلتی بود که در تمام این ۲۷ سالی که افتخار همسری او را داشتم در او می‌دیدم.

شش ماه در اطریش را هم به همین نحو گذرانید. بالاخره وارد آمریکا شدیم و زندگی را از هیچ بنا کردیم. سختی‌ها و زحمات طاقت فرسا را تحمل نمود. مدتی محدود با دانشگاهی که از آن فارغ‌التحصیل شده بود، همکاری داشت ولی چون شغل ثابتی نبود، ناچاراً بایستی به دنبال شغل ثابت و یا کار دیگری می‌رفت.

اجباراً از رشته تدریس و تحقیق و علم گذشته به دنیای بازار و کسب وارد شد. این تغییر برای او خیلی سخت و ناگوار بود، ولی با توکل به فضل و الطاف جمال مبارک با شغل تعمیر و ساخت و فروش طلا و جواهر آشنا شده و مغازه کوچکی را باز نمود.... به علت موفقیت خاص اجتماعی این مملکت و نوع کالائی که داشت، همواره نگران دزدی و از این قبیل بودیم و او از نظر امنیتی آنچه را که امکان داشت فراهم کرده بود. روزها اغلب یکه و تنها در مغازه بود. می‌گفت پس از تعمیرات به کارهای دفتری می‌رسد و سپس به مطالعهٔ کتب امری می‌پرداخت. این کار او هیچوقت ترک نمی‌شد....

گاهی که من ترس و وحشت خودم را از اینکه مورد حمله و دزدی قرار گیرد با او در میان می‌گذاشتم، می‌گفت من از هیچ چیز ترسی ندارم. وقتی صبح‌ها نمازم را می‌خوانم و قبل از خروج از خانه دعای مخصوص را می‌خوانم و می‌گویم: أصبحت یا الهی بفضلک و اخرج من البیت متوکلاً علیک و مفوضاً امری الیک.... دیگر ترسی به خود راه نمی‌دهم، به جمال مبارک توکل می‌کنم و همه کارهایم را به او تفویض می‌نمایم. وقتی که درب مغازه را کلید می‌اندازم که باز کنم می‌گویم "یا علی الاعلی"، چون حضرت اعلی خود بازرگان و تاجر بودند و می‌دانند در دل من چه می‌گذارد؛ و وقتی عصرها می‌خواهم درب مغازه را قفل کنم می‌گویم "یا بهاءالابهی"، چون حضرت بهاءالله حافظ حقیقی هستند. ضمناً می‌گفت من در رابطه با مشتریان سیاهپوستم همیشه فرمایش حضرت عبدالبهاء را به یاد می‌آورم که فرموده اند سیاهان مانند مردمک چشم هستند که تمام انوار را جذب می‌کنند، آنها هم قدرت جذب تمام انوار الهی را دارند و به همین خاطر من مستقیم در چشمان آنها نگاه می‌کنم و این عشق و محبت روحانی خود را به آنها منتقل می‌نمایم....

بالاخره در روز ۴ ماه می ۱۹۹۳ درست دو هفته قبل از تولد ۵۵ سالگی او و در حالی که کلمات صلات کبیر را برایش تلاوت می‌کردم و سرم را روی سینه بی کینه اش گذاشته بودم، به آخرین تپش‌های قلب مهربانش گوش فرا دادم و برایش آرزوی پروازی سریع و بدون درد و رنج نمودم و به یاد مناجاتی که اغلب تلاوت می‌نمود افتادم و از آستانش رجا نمودم که "این بندهٔ پر شور و شیدا را در پناه خود پناهی ده... و این مرغ بی پر و بال را در آشیان رحمانی خود و بر شاخسار روحانی خویش مسکن و مأوائی عطا فرما...."

از او دو یادگار ارزنده که باعث حیرت و افتخار دوستان و آشنایان شده، باقی مانده: پسر ۲۵ ساله اش، آرام که در رشته فوق لیسانس علوم کامپیوتر مشغول تحصیل است و دخترش آرزم، ۲۱ ساله که سال سوم علوم بهداشت محیط زیست را به پایان می‌رساند.

علاوه بر آن مقالات علمی دو کتاب علمی و مقالات متعددی که برای مجلهٔ عندلیب و پیام بهائی و روزنامه ایران تایمز می‌نوشته به یادگار مانده. اخیراً مطالب جالبی برای نوشتن کتاب جدیدی را فراهم کرده بود که آمادهٔ تحریر و تألیف بود که اجل مهلت نداد.

اطلاعیه آکادمی لندگ

ADVANCED COURSE IN BAHA’I STUDIES AT LANDEGG دوره عالی معارف امری

آکادمی لندگ برنامه جدیدی را برای مطالعات و تحقیقات عالی در معارف بهائی آغاز می‌کند. هدف این برنامه تشویق و راهنمائی یاران به مطالعه و تحقیق عمیق و وسیع در آثار مبارکه و معارف امری و بحث و گفتگو دربارهٔ مسائل و مفاهیم اصولی مربوط به تعالیم بهائی است. اولین برنامه این دوره در سال جاری از ۵ تا ۱۱ سپتامبر ۱۹۹۳ به زبان‌های فارسی و انگلیسی اجراء می‌شود.

موضوع این دوره بحث و مطالعه در اطراف مسائلی است که در اثر انتشار کتاب مستطاب اقدس مطرح می‌گردد. برنامه این دوره مشتمل بر ارائه دروس و مباحثه و مذاکره دربارهٔ کلیات و محتوی کتاب مستطاب اقدس است. مدرسین این دوره و دروسی که ارائه می‌نمایند، بدین قرار است:

جناب دکتر فیروز کاظم‌زاده: (۱) نحوه حکومت در جامعه انسانی (۲) ساختار نظم بدیع جهانی جناب دکتر شاپور راسخ: جامعه آینده از منظر کتاب مستطاب اقدس: الف. محیط متمدن ب. محیط اخلاقی جناب دکتر کامران اقبال: (۱) ریشه‌های اسلامی احکام (۲) احکام و حدود بهائی و قوانین عرفی

مدیر برنامه‌ها: دکتر کامران اقبال

از علاقه مندان به شرکت در این برنامه تقاضا می‌شود برای دریافت تقاضانامه نام‌نویسی با دفتر امور احبای ایرانی/آمریکائی تماس حاصل نمایند. تلفن: ۹۰۳۹-۸۶۹ (۷۰۸). [Page 17]۲_ ذکر نود و پنج مرتبه الله ابهی در هر روز (باب ۱۷ از واحد پنجم بیان فارسی).

۳_ چگونگی تقسیم ارث میان هفت طبقهٔ وراث، در صورت نبودن وصیت‌نامه، که با تغییری در کتاب اقدس آمده است (باب ۲ از واحد هشتم بیان عربی و فارسی و باب ۳ از واحد دهم بیان عربی).

۴_ وجوب نوشتن وصیت‌نامه (باب ۱۳ از واحد پنجم بیان فارسی و عربی).

۵_ تعیین بیت نقطه و بیت من یظهره الله به عنوان محل حج (باب ۱۶ از واحد چهارم بیان عربی و فارسی و باب ۱۶ از واحد ششم بیان فارسی).

۶_ حکم قبله (باب ۷ از واحد هشتم بیان عربی).

۷_ تعیین میزان مهریه (باب ۷ از واحد هشتم بیان عربی).

۸_ دفن میت در صندوق بلور یا حجر مصیقل و قرار دادن انگشتر در دست راست میت (باب ۱۲ از واحد پنجم بیان فارسی و باب ۱۱ از واحد پنجم بیان عربی) و کفن میت در پنج ثوب حریر یا قطن (باب ۱۱ از واحد هشتم بیان عربی).

۹_ صلوة میت و حرمت صلوة جماعت الاّ فی صلوة المیت (باب ۱۱ از واحد پنجم بیان فارسی و باب ۹ از واحد نهم بیان عربی).

۱۰_ حقوق الله (باب ۱۶ از واحد هشتم بیان فارسی و عربی).

۱۱_ تلاوت آیات الله در هر روز (باب ۱۴ از واحد هشتم بیان فارسی و باب ۱۸ از واحد پنجم بیان عربی).

۱۲_ عدم جواز صعود بر منابر و امر به جلوس بر کراسی (باب ۱۱ از واحد هفتم بیان فارسی و عربی).

۱۳_ حرمت حمل اسلحه الاّ حین الضرورة (باب ۶ از واحد هفتم بیان فارسی و عربی).

۱۴_ حلیت لباس حریر برای مردان و حلیت استفاده از ظروف ذهب و فضه (باب ۹ از واحد ششم بیان فارسی و عربی).

۱۵_ توبه به ساحت الهی و حرمت استغفار نزد عباد (باب ۱۴ از واحد هفتم بیان فارسی).

۱۶_ وجوب اشتغال به کسب و کار و حرمت تکدی و حرمت پول دادن به متکدی (باب ۱۷ از واحد هشتم بیان عربی).

۱۷_ لزوم تربص یک ساله قبل از تحقق طلاق (باب ۱۲ از واحد ششم بیان عربی و فارسی و باب ۱۵ از واحد هشتم بیان عربی).

۱۸_ عدم جواز قیاس کتاب الله به قواعد و علوم جعلیه بشریه (باب ۱ از واحد دوم بیان فارسی).

۱۹_ حرمت مسکرات و تریاک (باب ۸ از واحد نهم بیان عربی و فارسی).

۲۰_ حرمت ورود به خانه کسی بدون اذن صاحب آن (باب ۱۶ از واحد ششم بیان عربی).

۲۱_ حرمت ظلم به حیوان (باب ۱۵ از واحد دهم بیان عربی و باب ۱۶ از واحد ششم بیان فارسی).

۲۲_ تعیین مثقال از قرار ۱۹ نخود (باب ۱۵ از واحد دهم بیان عربی و باب ۱۶ از واحد ششم بیان عربی).

۲۳_ حکم ضیافت نوزده روزه و لو بالماء (باب ۱۷ از واحد نهم بیان عربی).

۲۴_ عدم اعتراض به نفوس (باب ۱۷ از واحد دهم بیان عربی).

۲۵_ حکم به طهارت ماء نطفه (باب ۱۷ از واحد پنجم بیان عربی و فارسی).

۲۶_ باطل نکردن موی حیوان و استخوان نماز را (باب ۱۴ از واحد پنجم بیان فارسی و باب ۱۲ از واحد نهم بیان عربی).

۲۷_ عدم جواز جزع و فزع به هنگام مرگ کسی از خویشان (باب ۱۸ از واحد نهم بیان عربی).

۲۸_ جواز ربح نقود (باب ۱۸ از واحد پنجم بیان فارسی).

۲۹_ امر به تأهل یا ازدواج (باب ۱۵ از واحد هشتم بیان فارسی).

۳۰_ حکم به تقلیم اظفار (باب ۶ از واحد هشتم بیان فارسی) و استعمال عطر (باب ۲ از واحد ششم بیان فارسی).

۳۱_ حکم قضای نماز فوت شده (باب ۱۰ از واحد هشتم بیان عربی).

۳۲_ تجدید اسباب بیت هر نوزده سال یکبار (باب ۱۴ از واحد نهم بیان عربی).

این حزب در مملکت هر دولتی ساکن شوند، باید به امانت و صدق و صفا با آن دولت رفتار نمایند. حضرت بهاءالله

جمعیت کل بهائیان دنیا دو الی سه برابر خواهد شد.

ابزار و اسباب عملی لازم برای دستیابی به چنین هدفى، حال در چین موجود و بر قرار است: گسترده‌ترین شبکه ارتباطات عمومی و بزرگترین سیستم تبلیغاتی و دستگاه پخش اطلاعات در چین ساخته شده که شگفت‌آور و بی‌نظیر است. در سال ۱۹۸۷ مطابق آمار دائرةالمعارف چین Cambridge Encyclopedia of China ۳۶۶ ایستگاه تلویزیون در چین موجود بوده و در طی همان سال تولید تلویزیون گیرنده ۱۹ میلیون دستگاه بوده، در حالی که مطابق تازه‌ترین آمار در سال ۱۹۸۹ چین دارای ۴۲۲ ایستگاه مستقل تلویزیون دولتی در چهار سطح کشوری (مرکزی) و استانی و شهری و حتی ایستگاه‌های مستقل تلویزیونی در سطح بخشداری بوده در حینی که در سراسر ایران ۲۷ ایستگاه تلویزیون و در تمام هندوستان فقط ۱۷ ایستگاه تلویزیون موجود است.

تعداد دستگاه گیرنده تلویزیون مورد استفاده اعم از سیاه و سفید و رنگی جمعاً ۱۶۳ میلیون، یعنی هشت برابر جمعیت کانادا و سه برابر تمام جمعیت ایران است. با پایه‌گذاری اینچنین سیستم بانفوذی هر پیام آموزشی و تربیتی قادر است بوسیله این ۱۶۳ میلیون تلویزیون و توسط این ۴۲۲ ایستگاه دولتی تلویزیون و با کمک بیش از ۱۹۸۷۶ ایستگاه پخش و تقویت و رله و با استفاده از بالغ بر ۱۰۰ میلیون بلندگوهای مخصوص متصل به سیستم تلویزیونی در میادین شهرها و روستاها و بخش‌های تعاونی زراعی مستقیماً به نهصد میلیون انسان الی یک بیلیون نفوس در سراسر چین برسد. یعنی به عبارتی دیگر تقریباً یک ششم جمعیت کل بشر منحصراً تحت احاطه فکری سیستم تلویزیونی این یک کشورند. چنانچه معروف‌ترین برنامه تلویزیونی یعنی جشن بهارهٔ چین یکباره و همزمان ۷۰۰ الی ۸۰۰ میلیون تماشاچی و بیننده به خود جذب می‌نماید.

جالب است بدانیم معروف‌ترین خواننده بین‌المللی چین خانم جومینگ اینگ که بهائی شده‌اند، هر سال یکبار در همین برنامهٔ جشن بهارهٔ چین برنامه‌های هنری اجراء می‌کنند که توسط هر سه کانال تلویزیون مرکزی پخش می‌شود و ۷۰۰ میلیون چینی، یعنی سه برابر جمعیت تمام امریکای شمالی و یک دهم الی یک هشتم مردم کرهٔ زمین همزمان برنامهٔ ایشان را تماشا می‌کنند.

البته اگر چه هنوز این سیستم انحصاری تحت کنترل دولت چین است و آزادی بیان و اعلان دیانت بهائی هنوز بدان صورت مقدور نیست ولی امکانات قابل تصور آینده هیجان‌آور است. نگارنده اطلاع دارد که حد اقل دو بار اخبار تلویزیون مرکزی چین از دیانت بهائی به جهت بنیان‌گذاری مشرق‌الاذکار هندوستان یاد کرده و در چندین ایستگاه تلویزیونی شهرها فیلم ترجمه شده به زبان چینی گرین لایت اکسپدیشن که فیلم مستند سفرهای تبلیغ حضرت روحیه خانم است، چندین بار پخش شده است.

چین و آینده مبینش در ظل آئین رب العالمین

TEACHING OPPORTUNITY IN CHINA نوشتهٔ آقای فرزام کمال‌آبادی

اغلب چینیانی که مهاجر و مقیم در اقالیم مختلفه دنیایند، رابطه و احساس و علاقه و وابستگی مخصوصی به سرزمین چین وطن اصلی خود دارند، چنانچه با وجود گذشت نسل‌ها که تبعهٔ کشور میزبان شده‌اند، جمعاً هنوز خود را اهل چین می‌شناسند و بسیاری هم از مهاجران چینی این قرن که به قرینهٔ ضرب‌المثل معروف خودشان که "برگ درختان به هنگام خزان افتان به ریشهٔ درختان باز می‌گردند،" ایشان هم در سنین پیری پس از سال‌ها چشیدن درد دوری به سرزمین خود باز می‌گردند تا در همان دیاری که متولد شدند، دوران پیری را سپری نموده، در همان‌جا به خاک سپرده شوند.

این عوامل روحی و روانی و یکپارچگی فرهنگی و زبانی و همبستگی و گروه گرائی و هماهنگی درونی و درون گرائی در طی تاریخ ۵ هزارساله و عادات و تفکرات مخصوص چینی عاقبت این موقعیت را فراهم خواهد آورد که در زمان موعود و مطابق نص قاطع حضرت ولی امر که "چین محتاج این پیام است و هر زمان که آثار و کتب و مبلغ فراهم آید، بدون شک اقبال خواهد جست،" (مضمون بیان مبارک از توقیع مورخ ۵ جولای ۱۹۴۷) در آن زمان که جامعهٔ پیروان حضرت یزدان خود آماده گردند، درب چنین و تبلیغ عالم چینیان هم دفعةً باز شده، هزاران هزار از ایشان گروه گروه به مثابهٔ سیل روان به جامعهٔ بهائیان جهان خواهند پیوست و بیان "یدخلون فی دین الله افواجاً" ثابت و عیان گردد و این نکتهٔ مشروحه قلم ممدوحهٔ حضرت غصن ممتاز در کتاب "حصن ایمان" Citadel of Faith که در آن روز قوای روحانیه و مادیه و حتی تعداد افراد و شمارهٔ

(دنباله دارد) [Page 18]

دفتر پیشرفت موقعیت زنان

OFFICE FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN

در سال‌های اخیر وظائف جامعه جهانی بهائی (BIC) در خصوص زنان رشد سریعی داشته است. جهت پیشبرد وظائف مذکور جامعه جهانی بهائی روز ۲۶ می سال جاری دفتر پیشرفت زنان Office for the Advancement of Women را در نیویورک تأسیس کرد.

این دفتر با سازمان‌های جهانی مربوط به حقوق و مقام و سعادت زنان همکاری خواهد کرد و تشکیلات بهائی را از برنامه‌ها و فعالیت‌هائی که برای تحقق تساوی حقوق زن و مرد صورت می‌گیرد، آگاه خواهد ساخت.

خانم مری پاور Mary Power، مدیر دفتر مذکور اظهار داشت که تأسیس این دفتر ایفای وظائف اهل بهاء را در مورد موقعیت زنان در جهان تسهیل خواهد کرد و امکان خواهد داد کوشش‌های محلی و ملی با شبکه بین‌المللی پیشرفت زنان در سازمان ملل متحد پیوند یابد. ایشان افزود که امر بهائی تنها دیانت مستقل جهانی است که بنیانگذار آن صریحاً مقام و حقوق زنان و مردان را مساوی اعلان کرده است و بهائیان بیش از صد سال است که حامی و پیشرو تساوی حقوق زن و مرد بوده‌اند.

از سال ۱۹۷۵ خانم پاور در فعالیت‌های مربوط به ترقی امور زنان نماینده جامعه جهانی بهائی در سازمان ملل بوده و در سال‌های ۱۹۸۹-۱۹۹۱ در سمت نایب رئیس ”شورای ملی زنان ایالات متحده“ فعالیت داشته است.

الاسبو گبر سلاسی Alasebu Gebre Selassie نیز به عنوان مشاور در دفتر پیشرفت زنان به کار مشغول خواهد بود. ایشان یک جامعه شناس حبشی است و تخصصش مطالعات اجتماعی-اقتصادی درباره زنان و کودکان است.

کنفرانس بهداشت برای بشریت

HEALTH FOR HUMANITY

روز ۲۳ می سال جاری ۱۰۰ نفر از اهل فن در نخستین کنفرانس ”بهداشت برای بشریت“ که در اوانستن Evanston در ایالت ایلینوی به منظور بررسی فعالیت‌های سال گذشته و برنامه‌ریزی برای برنامه‌های سال جاری تشکیل می‌شد، شرکت کردند.

پس از اینکه حاضران معرفی شدند، معلوم شد که هر یک از آنان سوابق و مهارت‌های درخشانی دارند. شرکت‌کنندگان از ایالاتی چون کالیفرنیا و اورگان و ماساچوست و تگزاس گرد هم آمده بودند.

پس از گزارش اقدامات سازمان ”بهداشت برای بشریت“ در سال گذشته برنامه اسلایدی حاوی خدمات اعضاء در آلبانی و گایانا و هندوراس به نمایش گذاشته شد. بعد از ظهر چهار جلسه مذاکرات تشکیل شد.

جناب ویلیام رابرتس عضو هیئت مشاورین قاره‌ای و جناب ویلیام دیویس عضو محفل روحانی ملی نیز در این کنفرانس سخنرانی ایراد کردند.

همه‌ برنامه‌های ”بهداشت برای بشریت“ بر مبنای چهار اصل آن سازمان استوار است. اصول مذکور عبارت است از:

۱- شرف و منقبت نوع انسان،

۲- مشاورات گروهی،

۳- اتحاد در خدمات،

۴- بهداشت همه جانبه.

سازمان ”بهداشت برای بشریت“ از علاقه‌مندان به خدمات تقاضا می‌کند جهت پشتیبانی از فعالیت‌های آنان با سازمان مذکور تماس حاصل نمایند. تلفن ۸۳۵-۵۰۸۸ (۷۰۸).

کنفرانس توسعه و عمران در کنتاکی

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE

از ۲۵ تا ۲۸ می سال جاری کنفرانسى در ایالت کنتاکی تشکیل شد. موضوع این کنفرانس توسعه و عمران و قابلیت ادامه یافتن آن بود. ۱۶۰۰ نفر شامل نمایندگان دولت و سازمان‌های غیردولتی و رهبران بازرگانی و گروه‌های حامی حفاظت محیط زیست در کنفرانس مذکور شرکت داشتند. آیا ممکن بود که شرکت‌کنندگان با افکار گوناگون خود وحدت نظر حاصل کنند؟

دکتر رابرت هندرسن به نمایندگی جامعه بهائی طی دو سخنرانی امکان حصول این وحدت نظر را فراهم ساخت. همچنین در غرفه‌ای که به جامعه امری اختصاص داشت و بر سردرش عنوان ”راه حل آمریکا برای توسعه و عمران قابل دوام“ رقم خورده بود، خاطرنشان شد که وحدت نژادی اصل هر گونه توسعه و عمران پایدار است.

از دکتر هندرسن دعوت شده بود که در پنلی که مشتمل بر دو جلسه و موضوع آن محیط زیست و عدالت اقتصادی بود، سخنران اصلی باشد و با سخنان خود جلسات را آغاز کرد.

دکتر هندرسن سخنان خود را با بحث درباره رابطه وحدت نژادی و عمران آغاز کرد. ایشان گفت که ایالات متحده از لحاظ کیفیت حیات مقام ششم را در جهان داراست، اما اگر از میان مردم آمریکا سیاهپوستان و شهروندان اسپانیولی زبان را حذف کنیم، مقام اول را خواهد داشت. همچنین اگر فقط این دو گروه را به حساب آوریم، ایالات متحده مقام سی و پنجم را حائز خواهد بود.

ایشان اظهار داشت که نژاد اولین شاخص محل‌هائی است که مواد سمی در آن دفن می‌شود. ۶۰ درصد دو گروه مذکور در نزدیکی مخروبه‌های آلوده زندگی می‌کنند و به علت فقر و نداشتن نماینده و ‎موافعی موانعی‎ که بوروکراسی به وجود می‌آورد امکان بهبود اوضاع خود را ندارند. ایشان افزود که وحدت جزء لاینفک عمران است و باید فضائی ایجاد شود که با همکاری صمیمانه و مبتنی بر اصول عدالت اجتماعی نمونه‌هائی از وحدت ایجاد کرد.

سپس دکتر هندرسن اصول امر مبارک را برای حاضران برشمرد: ترک تعصبات، ایجاد وحدت نژادی، تساوی حقوق زن و مرد، تعدیل معیشت، تعلیم و تربیت عمومی، مشورت، و توازن بین آزادی فردی و استفاده اجتماعی نظر و عمل افراد. در بخش سؤال و جواب فرصتی به دست آمد که برخی دیگر از اصول و تعالیم بهائی اقامه شود.

اظهارات جناب هندرسن چنان مؤثر واقع شد که سخنرانان بعدی سخنان خود را بر مبنای مطالبی که ایشان ایراد کرده بود ـ به ویژه عدالت اجتماعی ـ بنا کردند. دو تن از نمایندگان دفتر روابط خارجی از عکس‌العمل حاضران حکایت‌های جالبی نقل می‌کردند. یکی از شرکت‌کنندگان گفته بود ”مثل این بود که صدای خدا را می‌شنیدم.“ نماینده بهائی هم در پاسخ او گفته بود ”چیزی که شنیدید کلام خدا بود که به زبان حضرت بهاءالله، مظهر امر او در این عصر اظهار شده است.“

در طی هفته‌ای که کنفرانس برقرار بود، از نماینده دفتر روابط خارجی محفل روحانی ملی دعوت شد که در یک مصاحبه ‎رادیونی رادیویی‎ و نیز در جلسه مذاکره‌ای که در دانشگاه لونی‌ویل صورت می‌گرفت، شرکت نماید.

کنفرانس جوانان در بل‌ویو

PACIFIC COAST YOUTH CONFERENCE

بیش از ۷۰۰ کودک و جوان و بزرگسال بهائی در کنفرانس جوانان که از ۲۸ تا ۳۱ می سال جاری در بل‌ویو ـ ایالت واشنگتن ـ تشکیل شد، شرکت کردند.

همه‌ شرکت‌کنندگان در کنفرانس تعهد کردند به هر نحوی که ممکن باشد بکوشند که اهداف نقشه سه ساله را متحقق سازند.

کنفرانس به همت محفل روحانی کینگ کانتی تشکیل می‌شد. نخست در نظر بود یا کنفرانسی برای جوانان برگزار شود یا فعالیت‌های تبلیغی صورت گیرد. بعد تصمیم گرفتند که هر دو را صورت دهند.

حاضران در جلسات کوچک‌تر کنفرانس درباره تبلیغ امر مبارک و فعالیت بیشتر در جامعه امری و تشکیل بیوت تبلیغی و تبلیغ از طریق اعمال مشورت می‌کردند. فعالیت‌هائی که شرکت‌کنندگان بدان مبادرت کردند عبارت بود از: اطعام مساکین و تقدیم خون و پاکسازی خیابان‌ها و پارک‌ها و جمع‌آوری کتاب برای زندانیان.

۹ نفر تعهد کردند برای تبلیغ امر الهی به چین سفر کنند. برخی دیگر تصمیم گرفتند برای مهاجرت یا تبلیغ امرالله به گایانا و ماداگاسکار و برزیل و روسیه و فنلاند و آلبانی و سوریه سفر کنند. مهاجرت داخله نیز در مد نظر حاضران بود و بسیاری از آنان تصمیم گرفتند به ایالات جنوب یا نقاط سرخپوست‌نشین سفر کنند.

دیگر تصمیماتی که برای خدمات امری گرفته شد عبارت بود از: تشکیل کارگاه‌های (workshop) جوانان؛ شرکت در برنامه‌های تبلیغی در ایالات اورگان و واشنگتن؛ تزیید معلومات امری؛ شرکت در برنامه‌های خدماتی جوامع؛ رهبری فعالیت‌های مربوط به وحدت نژادی؛ اداره جلسات و کلاس‌های خردسالان؛ تشکیل کلوب‌های بهائی در دبیرستان‌ها و دانشگاه‌ها؛ ارتقای مقام زنان؛ تقدیم تبرعات به صندوق‌های امری؛ تشکیل بیوت تبلیغی؛ تبلیغ از طریق موسیقی؛ تبلیغ دوستان نزدیک؛ کمک به تشکیل کنفرانسى درباره ازدواج برای شرکت همگان، و همکاری با سازمان‌های غیردولتی سازمان ملل متحد.

معرفی مقدماتی کتاب مستطاب اقدس

KITAB-I AQDAS نوشته دکتر آهنگ ربانی

(بقیه از امریکن بهائی شهرالجمال)

تأیید و یا نسخ احکام کتاب مستطاب بیان جمال قدم جل جلاله می‌فرمایند: "حضرت مبشر روح ما سواه فداه احکامی نازل فرمودند ولکن عالم امر معلق بود به قبول. لذا این مظلوم بعضی را اجرا و در کتاب اقدس به عبارات اخری نازل و در بعضی توقف نمودیم. الامر بیده؛ يفعل ما يشاء و يحکم ما يريد و هو العزيز الحميد؛ و بعضی احکام هم بدعاً نازل."

صورت سی و دو فقره از احکام کتاب بیان فارسی و یا عربی که عیناً یا با تغییراتی در کتاب مستطاب اقدس نازل گردیده اند، ذکر می‌شوند:

۱- حکم صوم در نوزده روز آخر هر سال (باب ۱۸ از واحد هشتم بیان فارسی و عربی) و قرار دادن نوروز را عید صیام (باب ۳ از واحد پنجم بیان فارسی و [Page 19]

Gertrude Blum, Knight of Bahá’u’lláh to Solomon Islands, dies

Gertrude Blum, a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh, died June 5 in Honiara, Solomon Islands, her pioneering post of 39 years.

The daughter of Jewish parents who immigrated to New York from Ukraine, Gertrude Gewertz grew up in Brooklyn. She first heard of the Bahá’í Faith in 1929 through lectures presented by Keith Ransom-Kehler at the New York Theosophical Society. Soon afterward, she readily accepted the Faith at age 19.

Gertrude served on the first Bahá’í Youth Committee in the U.S. Only a few years after becoming a Bahá’í, she left New York and traveled to South Carolina, Arkansas, Alabama and South Carolina, opening several communities to the Faith.

These were times in the ’30s when it was socially unacceptable in those areas for blacks and whites to work together or be seen together publicly. Qualities that became a hallmark of Gertrude’s life included her courage and zeal for the Faith.

During her years in Arkansas, Gertrude had met Alvin Blum. They were married at the end of World War II and together began a life devoted to the service of Bahá’u’lláh.

In 1947 they left for New Zealand where Alvin had served as a medic in the Marines. The Faith became well established in New Zealand after their arrival in Auckland with their 6-month-old daughter, Keithie. Both Gertrude and Alvin served on the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia and New Zealand.

In 1953, in answer to the Guardian’s call for pioneers at the outset of the Ten Year Crusade, the Blums volunteered to leave New Zealand and move to the Solomon Islands to open those islands to the Faith. They arrived in the Solomons March 1, 1954, becoming Knights of Bahá’u’lláh.

In the Solomons, the Blums began many new ventures and provided many services to the small community of Honiara. Among these were a taxi service, a dry cleaners, ice cream and ice blocks, and a commercial bakery with cakes in addition to bread. Many bakeries were later established in local villages thanks to skills learned by islanders who worked for Gertrude in her bakery.

Gertrude was always active in many aspects of the country’s community life. She was a founding member of the Red Cross Society, assisted in the practical tasks of occupational therapy with tubercular patients, learned and taught weaving, provided secretarial support for the hospital, offered English-language and dressmaking classes, and supported and worked for the formation of a women’s organization culminating in the establishment of the National Women’s Council of the Solomons.

She also helped establish the United Nations Association in the Solomons, and started the first preschool in the area of Malaita. The Blums’ “hometel” (now the Hibiscus Hotel) was the first-ever accommodation in that area available without restriction as to race or color of the guest.

Gertrude’s services to the Bahá’í community were also tireless. She served as a member of the first Regional Spiritual Assembly of the South Pacific, based in Fiji, then as a member of the first ‎Naitonal National‎ Spiritual Assembly of the South West Pacific Ocean, located in the Solomons. In 1972, the first National Spiritual Assembly of the Solomon Islands was formed. At that time, Mrs. Blum was serving as an Auxiliary Board member.

Hence the name Blum became synonymous with the Faith throughout the Solomons. As Knights of Bahá’u’lláh in the Solomons, Gertrude and Alvin Blum not only established and nurtured a strong, active Bahá’í community of more than 3,000 believers, scattered the length and breadth of the islands, but saw an equally dramatic development of the Faith throughout other Pacific countries. Mr. Blum died in 1968.

In June 1989 Mrs. Blum received the MBE (the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) awarded by the Queen of England and presented by the Governor General of the Solomon Islands “for her long and dedicated services to the community...and the Bahá’í Faith since 1954...along with your husband, the late Alvin Blum.”

In the 83rd year of life, her home continued to be a haven and refuge for all. She remained active, always sharing the message of Bahá’u’lláh and offering her love and wisdom to all who passed through her door.

Knight of Bahá’u’lláh Gertrude Blum (center) is pictured at her pioneering post in Honiara, Solomon Islands, where she died June 5 in her 39th year as a pioneer to the South Pacific. With Mrs. Blum are (left to right) granddaughter Natasha Saunders, son-in-law Bruce Saunders, daughter Keithie Saunders, and granddaughter Monique Saunders.

Refugees

from page 13

tional system and, therefore, their career choices.

4. Local communities can offer Southeast Asian Bahá’ís practical solutions to these problems through the principles and guidance found in the Bahá’í Writings. The Teachings need to be presented, however, in a practical way that they can readily internalize and use. Because of the language barrier, abstract concepts are not well received.

5. Southeast Asian youth long to be accepted and/or belong to a group. Bahá’í youth should reach out and become a “buddy” to steer the Southeast Asian youth toward positive influences and away from undesirable elements.

6. It is extremely important to establish a bond of friendship with the Southeast Asian Bahá’ís before expecting them to attend Nineteen Day Feast or any other community gathering. Be aware that the term and idea of a “meeting” holds fear for most of them. In their homelands it was in meetings that “brainwashing” took place.

7. Hold a Unity Feast in the home of a Southeast Asian Bahá’í. They love to show hospitality to others, so let them plan the event and provide the music, games and food. This will not only allow them to feel more a part of the community, but it will allow their extended family and their friends to meet the Bahá’ís—and perhaps embrace the Faith.

8. If you wish to invite non-Bahá’í Southeast Asians to any type of function, their clan leader must first be approached. The Southeast Asians respect and honor the position of clan leader. Once a clan leader approves of a program, the remainder of the community will follow.

9. Increase the effectiveness of teaching efforts by asking Southeast Asian Bahá’ís to give talks, firesides and deepenings. Provide encouragement, coaching or materials needed to empower them to speak.

10. Parents’ permission should be sought before a child or youth is invited to participate in Bahá’í classes and other activities.

11. When a Southeast Asian family or individual is welcomed into the community, it is better for a family or couple to greet them rather than an individual Bahá’í woman, since this may not be culturally acceptable.

12. The women in Southeast Asian families need friendship to help them feel welcome. Classes in English as a second language (ESL) also would be helpful to them, since better command of English would empower them to participate more in their Bahá’í communities. (Most often, the Southeast Asian men have had the opportunity to learn English, even before coming to the U.S.)

13. The Southeast Asians’ fear of signing anything goes back to their lives under Communist rule. It is permissible to enroll them in the Faith without requiring their signature on the declaration card.

IN MEMORIAM

Marie Barnes Omaha, NE April 21, 1993	Gustavo Garcia Presidio, TX April 17, 1993	Riaz Mahboubi Doylestown, PA April 17, 1993	Ethel Sparks McDonough, GA Date Unknown
John Barrett Jr. Birmingham, AL May 4, 1993	Ivan S. Graham Newark, NJ Date Unknown	Minou Miraftabi San Jose, CA May 23, 1993	Genie B. Stroud McDonough, GA Date Unknown
Muriel Benson Brockport, NY November 11, 1991	Carien Hannah Kingstree, SC Date Unknown	Rashid Mojgani Alexandria, VA May 10, 1993	Henry Thunder Lavern, AZ Date Unknown
Robert Lee Brown McDonough, GA Date Unknown	Bulah Henry Norwalk, CT April 21, 1992	E. Mae Neal San Luis Obispo, CA March 17, 1993	Estelle Thurmon McDonough, GA Date Unknown
Randolph Chute Lemon Grove, CA April 30, 1993	Joe Chris Hill Eatonton, GA Date Unknown	Jeffrey R. Parks Norwalk, CT March 1992	Mrs. Vin Tor Seattle, WA Date Unknown
Carrol Cleveland Morgantown, WV April 18, 1993	Arthur F. Kennedy Norwalk, CT June 7, 1992	Susie Mae Parks College Park, GA Date Unknown	Trinidad Verdugo Tolleson, AZ 1990
Samuel Dadian Glendale, WI January 7, 1993	Julia Laster College Park, GA Date Unknown	Irvin A. Peters Las Vegas, NV May 24, 1993	Arthur Williams Pendleton, SC Date Unknown
Willie H. Dallas Griffin, GA Date Unknown	Johnnie Mae Lewis College Park, GA March 1992	Calvin F. Pritchard Boca Raton, FL March 29, 1993	L.E. Williams Aikenville, SC Date Unknown
Irene Davis Sumter, SC Date Unknown	Rich Lewis Palmetto, GA April 27, 1992	John R. Simms McDonough, GA Date Unknown	Mrs. Siggie Williams Aikenville, SC Date Unknown
Freddie De Gruy Monrovia, CA March 19, 1993	Richard Luplow Albuquerque, NM October 1992	Elting Smalls St. Helena Island, SC December 7, 1992	Josephine Wilson Virginia Beach, VA May 9, 1993
Kenneth Duckett Monrovia, CA 1988	John Lupu Southgate, MI February 4, 1991

[Page 20]Twenty-nine Bahá’ís attended Teacher Training sessions in January and May at the Louhelen Bahá’í School in Michigan. Training was carried out under the auspices of the National Bahá’í Education Task Force with Saba Ayman-Nolley, Keith Boehme and Barbara Johnson as trainers. Students will conduct teacher training sessions in their local areas in the continental U.S. and Alaska based on the core curriculum.

MOVING? TELL US YOUR NEW ADDRESS.

A. NAME(S): 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.

1. Title [ ] I.D. # [ ] 2. Title [ ] I.D. # [ ] 3. Title [ ] I.D. # [ ] 4. Title [ ] I.D. # [ ]

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

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

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

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

E. HOME TELEPHONE NUMBER: Area code Phone number Name

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

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

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

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

BAHÁ’Í NATIONAL CENTER 112 Linden Avenue Wilmette, IL 60091

JULY

4-31: World Order Studies program, Landegg Academy, Switzerland.

18-August 8: Bahá’í Junior Youth Academy, Louis Gregory Bahá’í Institute, Hemingway, South Carolina. For information, phone 803-558-5093.

23-25: Models of Race Unity, Louhelen Bahá’í School. For information, phone 313-653-5033.

23-25: Hemlock Haven Bahá’í Conference, Hungry Mother State Park, Marion, Virginia. Theme: "For the Love of Bahá’u’lláh." Speakers: William Davis, Trudy White. Cost: $86 (adults), $61 (children). Registration information: Judy and Marcus Potts, 703-387-2106; Maggie Hewitt, 703-783-7884.

23-25: Unity of Hearts Teaching Conference, Fountain, Michigan. Focus: How to teach American Indians and ways and means of achieving it. Pre-registration is encouraged. For information, phone Kathy Racki, 715-694-2326, or Payam Nadimi, 312-338-2722.

24-29: "The Bahá’í Concept of Law" and "The Vision of Race Unity: Changing Attitudes and Impelling Action," Bosch Bahá’í School. For information, phone 408-423-3387.

30-August 1: Family and Friends: Session One, Louhelen Bahá’í School. For information, phone 313-653-5033.

31-August 5: Junior Youth Institute, Bosch Bahá’í School. For information, phone 408-423-3387.

AUGUST

6-11: Family and Friends: Session Two, Louhelen Bahá’í School. For information, phone 313-653-5033.

7-12: "The Dynamics of Group and Individual Action" and "Law for a New Age: A Study of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas," Bosch Bahá’í School. For information, phone 408-423-3387.

13-18: Family and Friends: Session Three, Louhelen Bahá’í School. For information, phone 313-653-5033.

14-19: "The Bahá’í Concept of Law: A Study of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas," "The Art of Drama," and "A Time for Poetry," Bosch Bahá’í School. For information, phone 408-423-3387.

20-25: Youth Eagle Institute (ages 14-19), Louhelen Bahá’í School. For information, phone 313-653-5033.

21-26: Advanced Research Institute, Bosch Bahá’í School. Intensive study of the theory and method of Bahá’í scholarship, directed by Habib Riazati. Students who have laptop computers are encouraged to bring them. For information, phone 408-423-3387.

27-29: Eleventh annual Massanetta Springs Conference, Harrisonburg, Virginia, sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Staunton. Theme: "Building the New World Order." Please register by July 15. Two nights, six meals: adults $96, youth $72, children $52. Registrar: Jim Lamb, Staunton, VA 24401 (phone 703-885-6996).

27-29: Young Black Males' Conference (co-sponsored with South Carolina Action Council for Cross-Cultural Mental Health and Human Services), Louis Gregory Bahá’í Institute. For information, phone 803-558-5093.

27-29: Arts Academy, Louhelen Bahá’í School. For information, phone 313-653-5033.

August 28: 30th Anniversary Observance of the March on Washington: Jobs, Justice and Peace Washington, D.C. Bahá’ís who would like to take part should contact the National Spiritual Assembly's Washington office, 202-833-8990.

28-September 4: 1993 Parliament of the World's Religions, Palmer House Hotel, Chicago, Illinois.

29: Annual International Bahá’í Picnic, Canatara Park, Sarnia, Ontario, Canada.

31-September 5: Bahá’í Youth Service Corps Training and Pioneer Training Institute, Louis Gregory Bahá’í Institute. For information, phone the Office of Pioneering, 708-869-9039.

SEPTEMBER

3-6: Homecoming, Louhelen Bahá’í School. For information, phone 313-653-5033.

5-11: "The Three Year Plan and Beyond," Landegg Academy, Switzerland.

10-12: "Faith, Family and the Future," annual commemoration of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s visit to Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Confirmed presenters: Counselor Wilma Ellis, Marguerite Sears, Louise Matthias, Sharon and Carl Ewing. Special program for youth; children's classes, nursery. For information, phone 303-928-0543.

17-19: Green Lake Bahá’í Conference, American Baptist Assembly Conference Grounds, Green Lake, Wisconsin. To make housing reservations, phone 1-800-558-8898. The conference begins at 1:30p.m. Friday and ends at noon Sunday. Special guests: Counselor Wilma Ellis, the National Spiritual Assembly, the National Teaching Committee, Auxiliary Board member Robert Malouf, Morris Taylor.

17-19: "Marriage: The Second Most Challenging Issue," conference for young adults, Hilton Great Valley Conference Center, Malvern, Pennsylvania. Sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Lower Merion. For information, phone 215-527-3114 or 215-664-2127.

24-26: Peace Fest '93 and South Carolina Peace Week, Louis Gregory Bahá’í Institute. For information, phone 803-558-5093.

24-27: Annual meeting of the Association of Bahá’í Studies in German-speaking Europe, Landegg Academy, Switzerland.

26: 81st memorial service for Thornton Chase, Inglewood Park (California) Cemetery.

OCTOBER

8-11: National Hispanic Conference, Bosch Bahá’í School, sponsored by El Ruiseñor magazine. Fees: $60 for ages 11 and older, $25 for ages 1-10. Classes for children included. Participants must register and mail in fees by September 24 to assure their space. To register, phone the Bosch School, 408-423-3387 (credit card only) or write to the Bosch Bahá’í School, 500 Comstock Lane, Santa Cruz, CA 95060.

28-November 1: Annual meeting of the Landegg Music Forum, Landegg Academy, Switzerland.

DECEMBER

24-27: Ninth annual Grand Canyon Bahá’í Conference, Phoenix, Arizona. Keep this date in mind. More information to follow.

30-January 2: South Carolina Bahá’í Winter School, Louis Gregory Bahá’í Institute. For information, phone 803-558-5093.

KALIMÁT B.E. 150 JULY 13, 1993