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[Page 1]

Guidance on fund-raising appeals for projects abroad

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States

Dear Bahá’í friends,

During your meetings with the Universal House of Justice in the Holy Land, you raised a question about the propriety of Bahá’ís from abroad appealing to believers in the United States to contribute funds to specific projects.

The general principles governing such matters were conveyed to your Assembly in the letter we wrote on behalf of the Universal House of Justice on April 26, 1993. The particularly relevant passage in that letter was as follows:

“The House of Justice is not insensible to your concern about fund-raising activities in the United States intended to support educational establishments and other social and economic development projects abroad. As you know, knowledge about particularly worthy projects is communicated by a myriad informal ways, and individuals in your community may thus be moved to contribute toward them. There is nothing that can be done about this beyond your keeping the community fully informed about its financial priorities as a guide to the actions of

See RESPONDING page 2

Asmá’ B.E. 151 / AUGUST 20, 1994 VOLUME 25, NUMBER 12

The American Bahá’í

Army of Light: a ‘snapshot’

By Tom Mennillo

(Editor’s note: More than 100 “Army of Light” youth teaching teams have taken to the field to conquer hearts in the name of Bahá’u’lláh. In an upcoming issue of The American Bahá’í, we’ll take a detailed look back at the first summer of the campaign. For now, let this one teaching event impart some of the flavor of an important and exciting initiative.)

Perhaps it symbolized new beginnings when the caravan of 13 Nashville-area teens rolled into Red Clay Historic Area that broiling July afternoon.

Not only were these Bahá’í youth entering grounds where the Cherokee nation last held council before embarking on its Trail of Tears march westward in the early years of the 19th century—they were about to make history.

For no such team had ever visited this religiously conservative hill country.

Moreover, these youth had never as a unit rallied into the sometimes intimidating arena of direct teaching.

But a couple of things weren’t new as they prepared to touch souls in Bradley County, Tennessee: youthful enthusiasm and an unshakeable

See ARMY page 5

(Above) Taking time out for a pose are Negar Sharifi, Ferraby Lizarraga, Aria Radpour, and Saba Homayoon.

(Left) The teens enjoy a banner lunch at Red Clay Historic Area.

10 State Teaching Committees appointed

By Tom Mennillo

A strong link between grassroots teaching efforts and the National Teaching Committee has been forged with the appointment of State Teaching Committees in 10 regions of the country.

“Think of them as entry by troops committees,” said Ken Bowers, National Teaching Committee secretary. “Their overriding goal is to help promote rapid growth by supporting local activities.”

The committees’ emergence comes at a time when the American Bahá’í community is poised for a new level of achievement in the second half of the Three Year Plan.

It also furthers a decentralization of administration encouraged by the

See NEW page 14

Nicholas Brothers awarded Vision of Dance honors

By Teresa Langness

“Like the cinema, dance is an art form that is largely appreciated through the gift of sight. The Nicholas Brothers—Fayard and Harold—have been presenting audiences with a veritable ‘feast for the eyes’ for decades. ...”

So began the written tribute to Bahá’í Fayard Nicholas and his younger brother, Harold, at the 1994 Vision Award banquet, a benefit for Retina Pigmentosa International (RPI) to raise funds for eye research and education.

The Nicholas Brothers received the Vision of Dance award on June 18 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles, where they also performed for the gathering of celebrities.

They were in good company: the award recipients for writers, commentators and filmmakers included Steven Spielberg, Chick Hearn, Oliver Stone, Penny Marshall, Barry Levinson, Joel Silver, Robert Zemeckis, Sherry Lansing, Richard Donner, Deborah ‎Bonnan Baron‎ Schwartz and Tim Burton.

The Nicholas Brothers’ unique style set the pace for modern dance in this century, combining tap, jazz, acrobatics and ballet in what the award-givers described as “rhythmic brilliance.”

Since the splashy musicals of the 1930s and ’40s—(“Stormy Weather,” “Down Argentine Way,” “The Pirate,” “Sun Valley Serenade” to mention only a few)—their memorable performances have brought countless audiences—as well as dancers—to their feet.

RPI honored them “in recognition of their tremendous contributions to their art form, and with hopes that the visually challenged will some day be able to not only hear the taps on their shoes, but see their phenomenal footwork on film.”

In December 1991, the Nicholas Brothers received the Kennedy Center Honor in Washington, D.C., honoring their lifetime of achievements in the arts.

Fayard Nicholas and his wife, Barbara, have traveled extensively, teaching by example the value of excellence in the arts and sharing the Faith with fans throughout the world.

Actress Jane Withers remembers the Nicholas Brothers as her childhood favorites. When presenting them with the 1994 Vision of Dance award, recalled her days on the MGM set with Shirley Temple, with whom she appeared in a number of movies, when she would sneak off to watch Harold (left) and Fayard rehearse. [Page 2]

Responding to fund-raising appeals from overseas

individuals. However, institutions and individuals outside your jurisdiction should not mount fund-raising activities in the United States without your explicit approval."

The House of Justice asks us to say that this policy should not be taken to extremes. It is important to foster in every Bahá’í the understanding that he (or she) belongs to a local, a national and an international community and should have a world-wide vision of the Faith and his responsibilities toward it.

It is natural for a believer who is visiting a foreign country, or for a pioneer or traveling teacher who returns home, to speak to his fellow believers about the accomplishments, needs and problems of the areas from which he has come. This can arouse in the hearts of the friends the desire to assist, in person, with funds or in some other way, the work in that land. Such informal international collaboration should in no way be discouraged. It may reduce to some degree the amount that the believers are able to contribute to their own local or national funds, but the House of Justice feels that the over-all negative effect is not large enough to be a cause of concern, whereas the positive effects are highly beneficial for the Bahá’í community as a whole.

Such informal connections are not what the House of Justice had in mind when referring, in the letter of April 26, 1993, to mounting "fund-raising activities." Fund-raising activities which would require your Assembly's approval are more formal endeavors, such as a mailing of appeal letters to a number of believers who have no direct relationship to the matter in question, or undertaking a tour of communities specifically to speak of the financial needs of a particular project.

A part of the worldwide consciousness of the friends should be their awareness of their multiple personal responsibilities to give financial support not only to their local funds, but also directly to the national, continental and international funds as well as to such international work as is supported by the Arc Projects Fund, the International Deputization Fund, and the Persian Relief Fund. It may be fiscally sensible, for taxation or currency control purposes, to channel such contributions through their local or National Assemblies, and this course is entirely in order, but some friends prefer to remit their contributions directly, and this they are free to do.

The House of Justice trusts that these comments will assist in alleviating your concern in this regard.

The Universal House of Justice Department of the Secretariat May 8, 1994

Bahá’ís in Richmond give presentation to local Interfaith Council

Last December, Bahá’ís from the Richmond, Virginia, area gave a presentation on the Faith to 83 members of the Interfaith Council of Greater Richmond as part of an ongoing program in which the Council highlights each year two of its member religions and presents information about their beliefs, holy places, holy days and traditions.

After an introductory talk on the Bahá’í teachings, Martha Dick, who recently returned from pilgrimage, presented slides of the World Center and Bahá’í Holy Places. The presentation ended with the reading of a passage from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh.

Bahá’ís have been members for more than 20 years of the Interfaith Council, which was established in 1929 to bring people of diverse beliefs together. Mrs. Midge Falconer, a Bahá’í, is second vice-president of the Council, and in two years will serve as its president.

NATIONAL YOUTH CONFERENCE

We want you in Phoenix December 23-26

For more information, watch for The Banner in the next edition of The American Bahá’í or call 1-800-DWN-BRKR [Page 3]

MISSION 19 (3 MONTHS TO GO!)

Three Year Plan

U.S. Bahá’í Community Current Goals and Status • Asmá’ 151 • August 20, 1994

‘Know thou the value of these days. ... Beg thou God to make thee a lighted candle...’

The Bahá’í Faith is on the move, and we need ever-increasing numbers of Bahá’ís to carry it forward.

Whether you are traveling or moving to a new home, a student or retired, a Bahá’í for many years or recently declared, call the National Teaching Office at 708-733-3494 to find out where you can be of the most service.

Help light unlit candles

You are only one free phone call away from your National Youth Task Force

1-800-DWN-BRKR

ISN'T FREE WONDERFUL?

THE FUND

(Preliminary, July 31, 1994)

FOUR MAJOR FUNDS

Goal for 151 B.E.	$25,000,000
Contributions to Date	$3,577,277

FUND	From Nat’l Bahá’í Fund	Earmarked Dollars	Total Contributions
NATIONAL FUND	—	—	$3,067,435
INTERNATIONAL FUND	$54,484	$58,207	$112,691
ARC PROJECTS FUND	$757,765	$424,618	$1,182,383
CONTINENTAL FUND	$30,000	$27,017	$57,017

LEVEL OF TEACHING EXCITEMENT BUILDS

“A humble man without learning, but filled with the Holy Spirit, is more powerful than the most profound scholar without that inspiration.” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Throughout the nation we are seeing more and more indications of the friends arising to serve the Faith with a new spirit, both in individual initiative and community enthusiasm. The innovative activities that are being presented show a new level of awareness, a heightened sense of dedication and a continued commitment to spreading the Divine Message. The following examples are a sampling from the many exciting letters we have received in the National Teaching Office.

• “Read God Loves Laughter aloud at a nursing home.”
• Thirty Dallas-area youth have arisen to teach the Faith in their state-wide goal areas throughout July and August.
• In Minnetonka, Minnesota, firesides have focused on people from different countries. One had 12 countries represented.
• Stamford, Connecticut, Bahá’ís coordinated a “Mini World Cup” with soccer games played for unity, not competition.
• New Rochelle and White Plains, New York, Bahá’ís planned two weeks of street teaching with nightly firesides.
• “All of us in Oklahoma are quite excited. There is a tingle of excitement, quite contagious, feeling something very good will happen one of these days soon.”
• In Birmingham, Alabama, the community formed Friends of Greenwood Cemetery to help restore the cemetery where three young girls killed in the 1963 bombing of a black church are buried.
• The Time for Transformation youth group initiated traveling teaching in four county communities throughout Colorado.
• The Illinois Peacemakers toured South Dakota for 10 days, visiting four Reservations. One tribal leader was so impressed with the Bahá’ís that he has arranged for the Minneapolis group to perform for the Tribal Council.
• Monthly Unity Feasts are the heart of the Memphis, Tennessee, community’s teaching plan. They are spiritual in nature with a theme, music and a brief presentation.
• The Bahá’í Campus Club at the University of Alabama sponsored a “Seeker’s Hour” every Sunday for nine months.
• “We do indeed wish to show, as the excerpt from the Universal House of Justice iterates, ‘a measure of our determination to respond to the immense opportunities at this critical moment in the social evolution of the planet.’ With the help of Bahá’u’lláh and the Heavenly Concourse, we shall do so.”
• Five people enrolled in the Faith during five days of unity and education at the Heartland Bahá’í School.
• In Florida, seven youth workshops are traveling teaching and performing around the state. About 250 youth attended a summer school earlier this summer.
• In Kenosha, Wisconsin, the simple questions “What would you do if you heard Christ had returned?” “What if it was proven to you?” and “What would constitute a proof for you?” have resulted in a lot of interest in the Faith.
• Believers from New Mexico, Colorado, Texas and Arizona all, of their own accord, travel taught in Mexico.
• Vancouver, Washington — A family of nine declared their faith in Bahá’u’lláh during a fund-raising barbecue.
• “There is a fire moving up the mountain in Franklin County, Massachusetts, and it is destined to grow and spread until it touches every corner of the earth! Ya! Bahá’u’l-Abhá!”

TOTAL ENROLLMENTS

July	Year to date
163	584

[Page 4]

Categories for pioneering abroad during plan

On June 27, 1993, the Universal House of Justice defined the international needs of the Faith by four categories. These are goals that the world Bahá’í community must achieve in the Three Year Plan. Information on the specific needs of many of these countries is available from the Office of Pioneering at the Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette IL 60091 (telephone 708-733-3508, fax 708-733-3509).

CATEGORY 1: The following are countries and territories where there are now especially fertile opportunities for the rapid spread of the Faith that must be urgently met.

Africa—Benin, Congo Republic, Djibouti (Ethiopia), Equatorial Guinea*+, Guinea, Guinea Bissau

Americas—Nicaragua

Asia—Asiatic Russia including Sakhalin, Azerbaijan, ‎Cambodia) Cambodia‎*, Georgia, Kazakhstan*, ‎Kirgystan Kyrgyzstan‎*, Mongolia, Turkmenistan*, Uzbekistan*

Europe—Albania*, Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Macedonia, Moldova, Poland+, Russia*, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Ukraine

CATEGORY 2: The following are countries and territories where the Faith is established, but pioneers are needed to stimulate the process of growth and to help open new centers.

Africa—Bophuthatswana, Botswana+, Burkina, Burundi, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Ciskei, Gabon, The Gambia, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi*+, Mali, Namibia, Niger, Réunion, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal+, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, St. Helena*, Tanzania, Transkei, Uganda, Venda

Americas—Argentina, Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao, Bahamas, Bermuda, Chile, Dominica*, East Leeward Islands, Falkland Islands, French Guiana, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe+, Guatemala*, Jamaica including the Cayman Islands, Martinique+, Mexico, Paraguay+, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, West Leeward Islands+

Asia—Andaman and Nicobar Islands, South Korea+, Sri Lanka, Thailand

Australasia—Cook Islands+, Eastern Caroline Islands*+, Fiji Islands, Kiribati, Mariana Islands, Marshall Islands+, Nauru, New Caledonia and the Loyalty Islands+, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Western Caroline Islands

Europe—Andorra, Azores, Belgium+, Channel Islands, Corsica, Cyprus, Denmark, Elba, Estonia*, Faroe Islands, Finland, Gibraltar, Greece*+, Latvia*, Liechtenstein, Lithuania*, Madeira, Malta, Monaco, Portugal+, Sardinia, Spitzbergen

CATEGORY 3: The following are countries and territories where the process of expansion and consolidation has a significant momentum, but there is a need for pioneers who can undertake specific tasks, such as arousing the interest of prominent people, strengthening the communities in certain areas, or helping with projects of social and economic development.

Africa—Cameroon, Chad*, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Nigeria, South Africa, Swaziland+, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Americas—Barbados, Belize+, Bolivia+, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica+, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guyana, Haiti+, Honduras, Panama+, Peru, Suriname*, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Venezuela

Asia—Bangladesh, Hong Kong+, India*, Japan*, Macau+, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Taiwan

Australasia—Papua New Guinea+, Samoa*

Europe—Canary Islands+, Iceland, Romania*

CATEGORY 4: The following are countries and territories where pioneers are greatly needed, but entry is difficult because of restrictions on Bahá’í activity, lack of security, or other circumstances. These conditions present a need for believers who will resourcefully seek out opportunities for pioneering.

Africa—Angola, Comoros, Liberia, Mauritania, Mozambique, Somalia, Togo+, Zaire

Americas—Cuba

Asia—Afghanistan, Armenia, Bhutan, Brunei, Indonesia, North Korea, Laos, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Tadzhikistan*, Vietnam

Australasia—French Polynesia*, Wallis and Fortuna

• Need for traveling teachers specified, to date.

+ Opportunities for youth

The Bahá’í communities of Shreveport and Bossier City, Louisiana, recently took part in Shreveport’s third annual community service project, ‘Paint Your Heart Out, Shreveport.’ Bahá’ís comprised one of 100 teams that painted and cleaned houses for the elderly, poor and disabled, using paint and materials supplied by local businesses. The Bahá’ís, wearing ‘Racism, Just Undo It’ T-shirts, spent four hours painting the home of a 90-year-old woman, cleaned and beautified the surrounding area, and ended the project with a picnic lunch at a local park.

Working with the United Nations

(Excerpted from “International Employment Hotline”, June 1994.)

If you’re looking for a professional or skilled general service level job with the UN, you should take a four-pronged approach. Securing one of these jobs takes not only expertise in your field, but a diligent effort to track down openings and meet application deadlines.

The sources for your search should be the State Department’s UN Employment Assistance Division (UNEAD); the United Nations itself; the UN agency you are targeting, and the equivalent U.S. government agency.

Send your resume to UNEAD, which serves as a liaison between the State Department and Americans seeking employment with UN agencies, and then write or, preferably, visit the hiring office of your chosen UN agency for information on its latest openings. The U.S. government department or agency that specializes in your field is also a good source to check out.

For a copy of the complete article, please contact the Office of Pioneering, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette IL 60091. Telephone 708-733-3512 or fax 708-733-3509.

Overseas Opportunities and events

In progress-Sept. 15—CROATIA AND SLOVENIA’S “Istria Sunshine Project” under the auspices of the regional teaching committee for Croatia and Slovenia.

September—Next contingent of traveling teachers and/or short-term pioneers needed in Grenada during the next 6-12 months to follow up on a recent teaching campaign. Experience in consolidation of new believers from rural areas, especially using Ruhi Institute procedures, is helpful. Minimum stay of two weeks is desired.

Sept. 21-24—Sixth International Research Conference on Housing in Beijing, CHINA. Sponsored by the Urban Studies Institute of China. Themes: Housing and Public Policies, Housing and Quality of Life, Sociology of Housing, and more. Papers requested.

Sept. 19-21—International Symposium on “Family Beyond the Year 2000” in Moscow, RUSSIA. Sponsored by 10 Russian institutions including the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Russia in recognition of the United Nations Year of the Family. The symposium is depending on the international participation of “Bahá’í family experts.” Summaries of papers for short presentations on various subjects needed immediately. Traveling teaching before and/or after the symposium encouraged.

Sept. 29-Oct. 3—First International Women’s Conference in Kishinev, MOLDOVA. Theme: “Women, Spirituality and Family.” Conference languages: English, Romanian, Russian, French.

Oct. 10-15—Seminar entitled “International Year of the Family: Families, Women and Children” in Tianjin, CHINA.

Oct. 16-19—International Symposium on Miao (Hmong) Culture, Economy, Trade, Communication and Cooperation, Jishou, CHINA.

Oct. 13-15—International Conference on “Violence in the Family,” Amsterdam, NETHERLANDS. Organized by the Task Force on Violence in the Family of the Free University of Amsterdam in collaboration with the International Council of Women (ICW) during the International Year of the Family.

Sept. 4-15, 1995—United Nations fourth World Conference on Women: Action for Equality, Development, Peace. Beijing, CHINA.

National Assembly, local communities have fiscal year from May 1-April 30

Please note that the fiscal year for the National Spiritual Assembly and for local Bahá’í communities is May 1-April 30.

You will probably find that there are still some treasurer’s materials, such as the manual “Accounting Procedures for Bahá’í Treasurers,” budget sheets and audit forms that refer to the cutoff dates of April 28-April 27 which were used for some time as the Bahá’í fiscal year.

It will be helpful for local Spiritual Assemblies and Groups to make note of the correct dates and to change all materials accordingly. Any questions should be directed to the Office of the Treasurer at the Bahá’í National Center (708-869-9039; fax 708-869-0247). [Page 5]

Army of Light team passes its initial test

Continued from page 1

reliance on Bahá’u’lláh.

And, because of that, the impact of this weekend trip is likely to ripple for years to come in southeastern Tennessee and wherever they teach.

How do you measure success?

That is not to say the July 23-24 venture would be judged a success by everyone’s standards.

No one was enrolled in the Faith that weekend. No one even showed up for the two public meetings to which the youth invited Bradley Countians.

Many people, though, now know of the Bahá’í Faith for the first time. Lots of good will also was spread in visits to area churches.

Most important, the teens’ own spiritual maturation was fostered by the team-building experience.

Auxiliary Board member Mary K. Radpour foreshadowed these developments in welcoming the young people—the 13 Nashville teens, their leader, Mehran Baheri, and a Hamilton County teen—on Saturday.

Tonight, she told the group, “you’ll have no idea whether what you did was successful. But there is something about you that serves God’s purpose, and He has made you His instruments.”

Mrs. Radpour urged the teens to become responsive to their intuitions in ways we’re not accustomed to in our society.

It isn’t so important, she said, that we impart an encyclopedic knowledge of the Faith to seekers. Instead, she urged them to convey what Bahá’ís have that the world sadly lacks today: mutual love and acceptance.

God, she said, will take it from there.

The teens then were asked in turn to tell what they thought they could bring to the weekend’s teaching. Few had much teaching experience. Some said they meet people easily, though, and others said they listen well to others. All agreed they would rely on Bahá’u’lláh.

On that note, it was time to teach. Judge the results yourself from the evidence.

‎ExhIbit Exhibit‎ A: weathering opposition

Frustration met the group almost at the entrance to Tinsley Recreation Center in Cleveland, the seat of Bradley County.

Most park-goers, it seems, were there to attend a baseball tournament. They would be taking off for home right after the games and would not be around for the public meeting.

Others in the park reacted angrily to the teens’ message.

One party of older couples enjoying a country band told the teens flat out that their God is Jesus, and anyone who doesn’t accept Him as personal savior is going to burn.

Another man the youth met turned out to be a minister. He wasn’t so much hostile as firm in quoting Bible chapter and verse to press his points.

This encounter was pivotal for the group. The approach had been made by Laura Nance, a Bahá’í from Soddy Daisy in nearby Hamilton County. She knew many of the Nashville teens, having been a youth herself not so long ago. Now she is married with two children, one of whom was along for the ride on her back.

So the youth watched her closely as she stood face to face with the worked-up preacher. They noted how she kept her cool and refused to be drawn into an argument. They saw her make observations, quietly but with conviction, that might lead the man to look at things differently.

Later, at the first public meeting that wasn’t to be, the group had a chance to ponder how best to approach conservative Christians. They agreed that a good approach would be to draw on shared values to achieve a rapport, then introduce the Bahá’í perspective.

Still, Mrs. Nance, for one, must have been a bit discouraged by the afternoon’s events. Until, that is, she got home and received a call from a seeker out of the blue. Ya Bahá’u’l-Abhá!

‎ExhIbIt Exhibit‎ B: spreading good will

It was with some trepidation—besides having to dress up—that the teens set out Sunday morning for Cleveland. Many had never been to a church before, let alone talked about their faith in one.

But set out they did. After breakfast with their host, Lois Osborne, Red Clay Park manager and the lone Bahá’í in Bradley County, they piled into a van driven by David Sperry, himself the only Bahá’í in Cleveland.

Mr. Sperry had sent letters to the churches advising them that Bahá’í youth would be in town and might attend their Sunday school that day. But having received no response, he was now dropping off the Bahá’í teens to fend for themselves.

At the first church, Broad Street United Methodist, the teens found a youth class and took seats. What ensued was an unfocused session centering on projects and jokes.

No one seemed to particularly want to be there, and no one even asked the Bahá’í teens who they were! It wasn’t until after class that they were able to introduce themselves to anyone.

The second church, Wesley United Methodist, was a somewhat different story, thanks to Mr. Sperry’s mother, a church member.

The Bahá’í teens were ushered into an adult study class, where they first heard a talk on Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People. Then, as time ran down, they were introduced by Mrs. Sperry and were able to tell about the Bahá’í Faith, with emphasis on progressive revelation.

The third and last church was a new experience altogether for the teens.

This was St. James Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America, a predominately African-American congregation led by an effervescent Rev. Mitchell M. Walker Sr.

Fortunately, the Rev. Walker was outside the church when the van pulled up. Mr. Sperry greeted him by name and told him the teens would be attending the service.

That was all the pastor needed to hear. He took the group under his wing and whisked them in. They filed into two pews at the front and were soon filling out guest cards in between hugs from welcoming church members.

As soon as the service started, the group again was welcomed, and there were more hugs. An hour and a half later, the young Bahá’ís had gotten a real view of faith in action, a congregation so attuned to what God can do for them that they surrendered themselves wholly to His will.

When the teens talked later of their experiences, those who went to the first two churches said they immediately had picked up on that difference. The people in those congregations, they felt, did not really know—and seemed not to care—why they were there.

It was a good lesson in commitment, and, all in all, a positive morning of sharing.

‎ExhIbIt Exhibit‎ C: building ‘teamness’

What difference does a day make? Plenty, even for teens who thought they knew each other pretty well.

Saturday afternoon, listening to Mrs. Radpour, they probably weren’t sure what kind of instruments of God they were.

How would they react to having to talk about their faith with total strangers? What would they do if someone rejected them out of hand? How could they express themselves to overcome suspicion or, simply, lack of interest?

It was a test for them, but one punctuated with opportunities to bond, whether in preparing meals, learning how to “hacky sack,” or lending moral support.

Their consultation also grew stronger and more confident as time went on. What works? What doesn’t? What makes others tick? And the most important: Where can we teach next?

It was a weekend to build on.

The Rev. Mitchell M. Walker Sr. (third from left) greets the Army of Light crew outside the St. James Cumberland Presbyterian Church.

Lois Osborne and David Sperry map out possible teaching sites in Bradley County. [Page 6]

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by Jennifer Lemon Illustrated by Mariya Daliri Beale SC $5.00 / CODE—S

Through this children’s story about seven little kangaroos and their difficulty in keeping a secret, parents and teachers are provided with an opportunity to introduce such concepts as confidentiality, secrecy, the dangers of gossiping and backbiting, and merits of independent investigation and truth. Suitable for ages 3–7 years.

10" x 8-1/4", 11pp. Bahá’í Publications Australia

The Psychology of Spirituality

by H.B. Danesh, M.D. SC $14.95 / CODE—PS

What is Love? What is the Secret of Human Happiness? Do We Have a Free Will? What is the Purpose of Human Life? These questions and many more are addressed in The Psychology of Spirituality, a new book by Dr. Hossain Danesh. Through case histories, in-depth analysis, and practical examples, Dr. Danesh offers new ways of addressing these important questions. Dr. Danesh helps us look at ourselves, our relationships, our problems, and our world in a totally new way. Life can in fact be good, happy, and fruitful.

6" x 9", 270pp., ‎tabel table‎ of contents, preface, notes, ‎blbliography bibliography‎, index, about the author Nine Pines Publishing

Calling All Colors

VT $14.95

A thought provoking look at the efforts of children and youth to address the challenge of racial unity. Calling All Colors features highlights of the national award-winning race unity conferences of the same name, including frank discussions with students. It has proven highly effective for sparking discussions about racism and cultural sensitivity with all ages, and is also useful for those who wish to plan similar conferences. In the words of Calling All Colors founder, Anisa Kintz, age 10 “We are the next generation and soon we will be leading the world, and we have to respect everyone’s ideas and not worry about racial differences.”

30 minutes The Center for Education and Community of Coastal Carolina University

BACK IN STOCK

The Advent of Divine Justice, PS	$3.00#
The Bahá’ís (magazine), SC	$1.25#
Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, PS	$3.00#
The Hidden Words, HC	$11.00#
The Hidden Words, SC	$3.00#
The Secret of Divine Civilizations, PS	$3.00#
Some Answered Questions, PS	$3.00#
Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, HC	$11.00#
The Vision of Race Unity (10 and 100 packs), PA	$3.50 / $25.00
The Word of God, SC	$3.00#
Youth Can Move the World, SC	$3.00#

The Vision of Shoghi Effendi

Proceedings of the Association for Bahá’í Studies 9th Annual Conference SC $22.50 / CODE—VSES

A collection of proceedings from the Ninth Annual Conference of the Association for Bahá’í Studies. The volume contains nineteen articles by esteemed international scholars, including Hands of the Cause of God A. A. Furútan, Dhikru’lláh Khádem, John A. Robarts, and A. M. Varqá and former member of the Universal House of Justice David Hofman.

5-7/8" x 9", 234pp., contents, preface, ‎blbliography bibliography‎, ‎blbliographical bibliographical‎ notes Association for Bahá’í Studies

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Bahá’í Distribution Service · 5397 Wilbanks Dr., Hixson, TN 37343 · 1-800-999-9019 · Fax: 1-615-843-0836 · Internet: [blank] [Page 8]

Classifieds

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

SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES

THE GREEN ACRE Bahá’í School has an immediate opening for a full-time maintenance person. This person will be responsible for general maintenance and upkeep of the facility and grounds on a year-round basis. Candidates should have a good working knowledge of plumbing, electrical and mechanical systems, preventive maintenance, basic carpentry and small engines. Three or more years experience in a similar position is required. Please send a letter of interest and résumé to the administrator, Green Acre Bahá’í School, 188 Main St., Eliot, ME 03903 or phone 207-439-7200.

THE LOUHELEN Bahá’í School is seeking applicants to fill an anticipated vacancy for coordinator of property improvement. This is a regular, full-time permanent staff position, with salary and benefits appropriate to the core supervisory role it offers. The coordinator of property improvement oversees Louhelen’s maintenance and grounds department and is responsible for coordinating and assuring the maintenance, upkeep and over-all physical improvement of the school’s equipment, facilities and grounds. It is anticipated that the position will be available beginning December 1, 1994. ‎Interest Interested‎ persons may ask for more information and application materials from Dr. Rick Johnson, administrator, Louhelen Bahá’í School, 3208 S. State Road, Davison, MI 48423, or phone 810-653-5033 (fax 810-653-7181).

PIONEERING (OVERSEAS)

EMPLOYMENT opportunities overseas. AFRICA: Tanzania—secondary school English teacher, volunteer librarian/secretary. Zambia—urgent need for math, physics, chemistry, French and geography teachers. ASIA: Macau—urgent need for teachers. Mongolia—English language teachers. EUROPE: Czech Republic—teachers of science, math, English, history and social sciences, foreign languages, Bahá’í studies. Latvia—Secretariat, manager of the office of the Regional Spiritual Assembly of the Baltic States. For more information, please contact the Office of Pioneering, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette IL 60091 (phone 708-733-3512 or fax 708-733-3509).

PIONEERING (HOMEFRONT)

HOMEFRONT pioneers are wanted on the Pottawatami Indian Reservation in Kansas, 17 miles northeast of Topeka. Many forms of employment in the area: health services, nursing, mechanics, construction and food services. Also good for a retired couple (preferably Persian). For more information, contact Mike Moss, P.O. Box 4704, Topeka, KS 66604 (phone 913-232-2653).

COME to sunny Sierra Vista, Arizona (about 75 miles southeast of Tucson), and help us rebuild the Assembly. Sierra Vista, a mile high and surrounded by mountains, has average temperatures between 50 and 75 degrees. Fort Huachuca, an Army post, is a part of the city and is the largest employer in southern Arizona. Sierra Vista isn’t the county seat but is the county’s economic and shopping center. The Bahá’í community is small but active, having sponsored public meetings for the past two years on topics important to family and community life, and hosting an annual Race Unity Day picnic for the past 20 years. Come and enjoy our good weather and many activities.

QUINCY, a tree-lined suburb of Boston, is a homefront goal for Massachusetts. Quincy has cheaper rental apartments than Boston proper and is on the subway line. If you are thinking about college, greater Boston has many reputable educational institutions and active Bahá’í youth. For more information, please contact Nancy Long or Wanjiku Kagira, P.O. Box 690252, Quincy, MA 02169 (phone 617-472-5991).

HOMEFRONT pioneers: artists, craftsmen, photographers, writers, weavers, potters—anyone in the arts—come help us start an artists’ colony in the lovely rolling farmlands of central Illinois. Housing in Rushville is extremely reasonable, schools are excellent, a university is only 30 minutes away, and there are many recreational facilities, a little theatre group, a community band and choir, an arts club, galleries, and community playhouse—remarkable for a town of 3,200—and there are only two Bahá’ís. We are willing to help you settle here. Call us! Dick or Sara Hatch, 800-840-4540.

BAHÁ’ÍS are needed in Altamonte Springs, Florida (in the greater Orlando area), one of the nicest places in the state in which to live. There are many opportunities for employment, schools are good, and there are a number of hospitals and shopping malls. If interested, please phone Pearl Fleischhacker, 407-260-9073.

BOZEMAN, Montana: the last best place. A cultural center in a rural state. The Bahá’ís of Bozeman would like to increase their diversity, and ask that you consider what you can do to help. For college students and teachers, there is Montana State University with diverse programs such as engineering, liberal arts, music, nursing and more. For businessmen and women, there are the growing resources of the Gallatin Valley, the interstate highway system, the state’s second busiest airport, and an active financial community. For families, there are an exceptional school system, safe neighborhoods, many parks and recreational programs. For fun-lovers, there are world-class facilities for skiing and easy access to Yellowstone National Park. For those in the arts, there are five theatre groups, the Intermountain Opera Company, a symphony orchestra and choir, a multi-purpose arts center and more. If you can bring ethnic diversity to the Bahá’í community, you are especially welcome. Please phone 406-587-1739 and ask for Mr. or Mrs. Drong, or write to P.O. Box 3848, Bozeman, MT 59715.

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: Harry Taylor, Mrs. E.R. Tegen, Rose B. Tesmer, Ayliffe Thayer, Carrie D. Thomas, Olive Logan Thomasson (died Los Angeles, 1948), Emma Thompson (died Eliot, ME, 1951), Ethel Thompson (died Mill Valley, CA, 1960) and Juliet Thompson (died New York City, 1956). 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 photographs of local Spiritual Assembly meetings and Nineteen Day Feasts for its photograph collection. Please identify the photographs if possible with name of locality and date. Anyone having photographs they could donate is asked to send them to the National Bahá’í Archives, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091.

HELP WANTED in the NATIONAL TEACHING OFFICE

The office of the National Teaching Committee has undergone a recent restructuring in light of the present needs of the Faith. As a result, applications are being accepted for the following full-time positions:

National Projects Administrator

Responsible for executing projects sponsored by the National Teaching Committee. Some duties include:

• Manages national support of teaching throughout the U.S.
• Monitors nationally appointed task forces and national initiatives.
• Coordinates special activities and events.

Experience: Proven project management skills; excellent verbal ability; strong analytical and management capacity; superior interpersonal skills; experience in teaching and familiarity with the principles of Bahá’í administration.

Communications and Development Administrator

Responsible for the communications and development agenda of the National Teaching Committee. Some duties include:

• Develops news and messages to the American Bahá’í community for use in print and audio/visual media.
• Facilitates the production of teaching and deepening materials.
• Gathers and analyzes information related to the teaching work.

Experience: Professional background in writing and production for the media; superior writing skills; comprehensive knowledge of the Bahá’í Writings; proven ability in research and data analysis; ability to coordinate the work of volunteer task forces; excellent interpersonal skills.

For more information or to apply, please write to the Office of Human Resources, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091 (phone 708-733-3427).

BOOKS, PERIODICALS

YOUTH! Here’s an exciting opportunity to communicate with young people around the world. Be Magazine (an international magazine for Bahá’í youth) is seeking written and visual materials. Be is currently available on computer networks as “Be On-Line.” Please send in your articles about youth year of service or pioneering, creative writing, poetry, photography (camera-ready halftones, if possible), or art work. Send to Be Magazine, 5100 Silver Ave. SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106. For information, phone 505-256-7734.

ITEMS AVAILABLE

SOFTWARE available. I have brand new, still in shrink wrap copies of the word processing programs WORDSTAR Professional 5.0 and WORDSTAR 6.0 and the database program REFLEX 2.0 which I am offering free to any Bahá’í institution or to any individual in return for a contribution to any Bahá’í Fund. If you are interested in any of these programs, please contact Marilyn Boesch, 2469 Old Stage Road, Medford, OR 97501, or phone 503-772-5502.

WANTED

SINGERS and musicians are needed for what might be the largest-scale Bahá’í musical program since the second World Congress. The Rabbani Charitable Trust is planning a significant role for music at its second annual North American Bahá’í Conference, to be held December 8-11 in Orlando, Florida. The theme of this year’s conference is “Bahá’í Family: For the Time of the Lesser Peace.” Tom Price, who conducted the World Congress choir and orchestra, will organize and lead the Orlando groups. Anyone who took part in the music at World Congress is automatically eligible. Others are encouraged to audition. Choir and orchestra members will receive a discounted rate on conference registration. They will be responsible for their own travel and accommodations, but a conference rate is available at the host hotel, the Buena Vista Palace adjacent to Disney World. For information on musical participation, write to North American Bahá’í Conference Music, 212 Shady Oak Drive, Hendersonville, TN 37075.

WANTED: papers, correspondence, recollections, stories, photographs, tapes, newspaper clippings, notes of talks, programs, compilations etc., relating to the Hand of the Cause of God Roy C. Wilhelm for use in producing a biography. Any expenses you incur will be reimbursed. Please send to Diane Iverson, P.O. Box 112, Eliot, ME 03903-1825 (phone 207-439-8532).

MISCELLANEOUS

MONTESSORI teacher training is offered in Virginia Beach, Virginia, with full or partial scholarships available to Bahá’ís. This is a 27-semester-credit, one-year (graduate or undergraduate) certificate. The method is compatible with Bahá’í principles, offers a hands-on, action-oriented approach to learning, and provides training skills that are easily applied to the Faith. Certification can provide opportunities to serve the underprivileged in public or private schools, in socio-economic projects, and increase skills as one pioneers and teaches the Faith. Classes begin in September and January. Candidates must meet requirements. For information, contact Judy Amick-Becerra, 3112 Brooklane Dr., Virginia Beach, VA 23464 (phone 804-467-1644).

BAHÁ’ÍS who plan to attend the Rosebud Days Pow-wow and Rodeo August 26-27 in Rosebud, South Dakota, are invited to a Bahá’í social and barbecue at the Indian Health Service compound House No. 54 in Rosebud from 3-5 p.m. Friday, August 26. House No. 54 is within walking distance of the rodeo and camping area. For information, phone 605-747-2166 or 605-856-4571 (those who speak Lakota may phone 605-856-4043 and ask for Velma). [Page 9]

Bangladesh enrolls 10,000 in mass teaching campaign

Responding to the Universal House of Justice’s call for entry by troops, the Bahá’ís in Bangladesh began a mass teaching campaign that resulted in the enrollment of more than 10,000 new Bahá’ís in the last few months. According to a report, the foundations of the campaign were established during consultation among the National Spiritual Assembly, the Counselors and Auxiliary Board members on forming a Three Year Plan for Bangladesh, consultation that “resulted in a bold and visionary plan for the community.” Among the factors contributing to its success are regular deepening classes to inspire the friends to rededicate themselves to teaching, and a regular flow of traveling teachers from abroad.

Fourteen Bahá’ís including an Auxiliary Board member and a representative of the National Spiritual Assembly took part in a teaching campaign in May in Nigeria’s Akwa Ibom State during which 19 new believers were enrolled in the Faith and a new Bahá’í community was established in Iboko Offot village. More than 600 other people heard about the Faith during the campaign.

Last August, the Spiritual Assembly of Santa Cruz, Bolivia, began the A.Q. Faizí Teaching Campaign in the city’s Villa lo de Mayo neighborhood with the aim of initiating the process of entry by troops. The campaign, which is to last through the Three Year Plan, has to date seen the enrollment of between 300 and 400 new believers. It is spearheaded by a team composed of Bolivians and friends from other countries who are offering anywhere from one month to one year of service to the campaign. Encouraged by the success of this permanent teaching team, the National Teaching Committee has moved to establish a second permanent team in the area around Radio Bahá’í in Caracollo, supported by teachers from the campaign in Santa Cruz.

In Kenya, more than 120 women, men and youth attended a Bahá’í women’s conference in April at the Bahá’í Center in Jeboreni, after which many of the participants visited about 30 homes in various nearby localities to inform residents about the Faith. As a result, five people declared their belief in Bahá’u’lláh.

On May 4, the Constitution Drafting Commission of Ethiopia officially received a three-member delegation from that country’s National Spiritual Assembly to discuss the future Constitution. Present were a majority of the Commission’s members as well as representatives from the Ethiopian News Agency and radio and television reporters. The chairman of the Commission warmly welcomed the Bahá’ís, assuring them that the new Constitution would accommodate the concept of the separation of “state” and “religion” and ensure the freedom of citizens to worship as they choose. In reply, the Bahá’ís explained that they were not there to ask for special status for the Faith but to offer a document containing ideas based on Bahá’í teachings that would be of benefit to the entire country. They then gave the chairman 19 copies of the document.

At Ridván, the Bahá’ís of Tirana, Albania, hosted a celebration for Albanian authorities to introduce the most important Bahá’í feast to the public. About 140 people took part including Pjeter Arbnori, president of the Albanian Parliament, and representatives from the Bulgarian and Romanian Embassies. At the end of the program, which was mentioned on all news programs on national television, Mr. Arbnori spoke on freedom of religion and the importance of love and harmony among the various religious communities. Mr. Arbnori mentioned privately to the secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly that he has a special respect and sympathy for the Bahá’í Faith, and spoke of his desire to see the Bahá’í Holy Places at the World Center.

A Bahá’í architectural exhibit, organized and sponsored last April by the Spiritual Assembly of Debrecen, Hungary, was visited by about 1,500 people. “New Architecture for a New World” consisted of 24 frame panels set up as a nine-pointed star, which included photographs and posters of the Bahá’í Houses of Worship around the world and the Holy Places at the Bahá’í World Center. The opening was broadcast that same day on local television.

About 250 women and five men, among whom only 50 were Bahá’ís, took part April 8-10 in an international women’s conference sponsored by the Bahá’í community of Brest, Belarus. The conference was supported by the United Nations office in Belarus and the International SOROS Fund, and was held at the Brest State Pedagogical Institute. The Bahá’ís of Brest concluded the weekend with a public meeting at the Gorky Museum at which many Belarusians heard Wendy Momen, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United Kingdom, speak about the Faith.

On May 23, more than 260 people observed the 150th anniversary of the Declaration of the Báb at a sit-down dinner in Brisbane, Australia, attended by the Governor of the State of Queensland, Leneen Forde. Other guests included a member of the State Parliament; a representative of the Lord Mayor of Brisbane; mayors of two nearby cities; the Consul of the Solomon Islands; and representatives of government departments, the University of Queensland, the United Nations, and the media. Also attending were a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Papua New Guinea, and two Auxiliary Board members. In addressing the gathering, Gov. Forde commented on Bahá’í work at the United Nations, cited various Bahá’í teachings, and quoted from the Universal House of Justice’s statement, “The Promise of World Peace.”

The Bahá’ís of Argentina once again took part in this year’s Book Fair in Buenos Aires, one of the largest of its kind in the world with more than two million visitors. Thousands visited the Bahá’í booth, where videos on the Faith were shown and Bahá’í literature was displayed. This year’s book sales were greater than previous years.

In March, about 250 non-Bahá’ís were among the 300 or so people who took part in a Festival for International Understanding, organized by the Bahá’í community of Altenkirchen, Germany. The program included folk dancing and a painting competition for students entitled “Mankind—One Organism,” prizes for which were donated by the mayor, District Councillor, 20 banks, other firms and individuals.

Sarah René, First Lady of the Seychelles, presented a talk on training and educating children at a conference April 27 planned by the Bahá’í Women’s Committee of the Seychelles to observe the United Nations Year of the Family. The conference was entitled “A Family Is a Nation in Miniature.”

In April, the Bahá’í Youth Workshop of Majuro, Marshall Islands, gave its first performance at a college-sponsored variety night program. The performance, seen by about 300 people, included dances about the search of the soul, the equality of men and women, and the glorification of Bahá’u’lláh. According to a report, the Workshop was highly praised by attendees and organizers of the event.

In February, the Bahá’ís of the Falkland Islands celebrated the 40th anniversary of the introduction of the Faith in the islands with a reception at the Upland Goose Hotel. Special guests were Claudio Vera of Chile (seated center), the Auxiliary Board member for the Falklands, and Philip Hainsworth (seated right), a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United Kingdom, who spoke about changes in the world during the past 40 years and how the Faith has provided an impetus for them. The reception was attended by local Bahá’ís and 26 invited guests. The Faith was brought to the Falklands on February 10, 1954, by Knight of Bahá’u’lláh John Leonard (seated left). Others in the picture (standing left to right) are Des O’Shea, Elizabeth Monti, Joan Bound, Sharon Middleton, Margaret Leonard, Michael Smallwood, Margo Smallwood and Cynthia O’Shea.

Romanian, Russian Gypsies given Bahá’í statement

Fifty Romanian and Russian Gypsies from Moldova, who were visiting Reno, Nevada, recently to perform at a local hotel were given copies of the International Teaching Center’s monograph, “Bahá’u’lláh,” by Joseph Galata, secretary of the Spiritual Assembly of Reno, and his nine-year-old daughter, Shayda, who themselves are Romani.

With the permission of the hotel management and the group’s artistic director and choreographer, Mr. Galata was given permission to video tape the performance and interview dancers and musicians. The 51-minute video has been shown on Nevada television and nominated for two national television awards for excellence in cultural arts. [Page 10]

Make a Teaching Goal

from the pages of Brilliant Star.

Are you old enough to be a traveling teacher? Yes!

You can travel and teach no matter how old or young you are. Here are some things traveling teachers do.

• Travel from your community to another community.
• Say special prayers for teaching.
• Tell people about Bahá’u’lláh.

If you travel and do these things, you are a traveling teacher. You will need to travel with someone who is older. Ask your family if they would please help you with your plan.

“Let him put his whole trust in God, as the best provision for his journey.” Bahá’u’lláh

[Text within bus maze: START; SAY PRAYERS; PASS OUT LITERATURE; TRAVEL ALONE; SING SONGS; ARGUE ABOUT RELIGION; DO A SERVICE PROJECT; TELL ABOUT BAHÁ’U’LLÁH; MARCH IN A PARADE; VISIT A FRIEND; FORGET TO ASK FOR DIVINE ASSISTANCE; GIVE A FIRESIDE; HELP ANOTHER TRAVELING TEACHER; HOME]

Here is a maze to help you on your journey.

On the right path, you will pass through 9 good ways to travel and teach before safely returning home. Watch out for the dead ends. These are not things you do when you go traveling teaching. Turn around and return to the right path to complete the maze.

Reprinted from Brilliant Star, My Part of the Plan, Nov-Dec 1993

The Five-Pointed Star

“The five-pointed star is the symbol of our Faith, as used by the Báb and explained by Him.” Shoghi Effendi, Directives of the Guardian, p. 53-54

How many five-pointed stars can you find in this picture? Color each star a different color.

Reprinted from Brilliant Star, Starship, July-Aug 1994

Order Now! The current issue is Starship July-August 1994 Brilliant Star Special Features include: The Title of "Starship" Timeline Cards on the Life of the Báb The Bádí’ Calendar Purchase a Subscription from Bahá’í Subscriber Service: Please enter my subscription for (check box) ☐ $15 United States, one year (six issues) ☐ $28 United States, two years ☐ $15 All other countries, surface mail, one year ☐ $28 All other countries, surface mail, two years ☐ $26 Airmail, one year ☐ $50 Airmail, two years Bahá’í ID # ______________________________________ Name ____________________________________________ Street ___________________________________________ City & State _____________________________________ Zip/Postal code __________________________________ Payment must be enclosed. Canadian/International orders enclose international money order or bank cheque drawn on a U. S. bank in U. S. dollars. To charge your VISA/MC account, give number, expiration date, and name on account. Telephone orders accepted. VISA/MC # ________________________________________ Exp. Date ________ Name __________________________ Mail to: Bahá’í Subscriber Service Bahá’í National Center Wilmette, IL 60091 1-708-733-3453

Purchase Single Issues, Back Issues, Special Editions and Bulk Orders from Bahá’í Distribution Service: Five or more copies of any issue cost $2.00 each. One to four copies cost $3.00 each. Back issues available in limited quantities. Call: 1-800-999-9019 You may add your single or bulk issue order to the BDS order form on another page in this newspaper.

[Page 11]

SAN DIEGO, CA

Centennial Fair combines with race unity celebration

Events of the decade 1954 to 1963 are displayed in a booth.

It was no ordinary commemoration when the Bahá’ís of San Diego County, California, gathered to mark Race Unity Day and the centenary of the Bahá’í Faith in America.

It was a party, a celebration, a family festival.

Participants from the 16 Bahá’í communities in the area and their guests “danced in the streets” to ragtime jazz, big bands and rock & roll.

Following suggestions in The American Bahá’í and Brilliant Star, the Nightingale Teaching Project also coordinated a Centennial Fair.

The exhibit took participants through the history of the Faith, addressed the issue of race unity, and presented the prospects for raising the first prejudice-free generation—all at the same time.

Teams of four to eight people each took a decade of history to present, drawing on the resources printed in Brilliant Star.

Personal and local touches were added, with newspaper headlines, items of local Bahá’í history, photographs, etc.

Together, the teams’ booths represented a century full of stories and images of the progress the Faith has made in America.

Children from the public speaking program explain principles of the Faith.

In addition, the Bahá’ís organized a refreshment booth, a game arcade for children, book sales and public information.

The commemorative issues of World Order and Brilliant Star magazines were available for sale. Two authors of articles in those issues also were on hand for the celebration.

Robert Stockman, research director at the Bahá’í National Center, spoke briefly.

“I find it fascinating how all the booths were displaying the various parts of our history,” he said. “I was proud to have contributed. I look forward to telling everyone at the Bahá’í National Center how successful this event was. History is just the story of us all.”

The other author, five-year-old Nura Adlparvar, tells her touching story in the Brilliant Star centenary issue.

NEW YORK, NY

High-profile events show Faith’s unity in diversity

After three months of intensive planning and outreach, Bahá’ís and their guests from in and around the City of the Covenant came together June 12 in a powerful show of unity in diversity to celebrate Race Unity Day.

In March, the local Spiritual Assembly decided to sponsor a high-profile event promoting racial harmony in New York City and reaching out to people of capacity and prominence. To that end, it appointed a task force representing various teaching institutes and other groups.

Weeks of intensive consultation and fact-finding led to a plan to organize three distinctive events for Race Unity Day: a sunrise prayer gathering, an afternoon children’s march and rally, and a unity celebration and awards ceremony at Columbia University’s Earl Hall, where ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had spoken in 1912.

School children proclaim the goal of a prejudice-free New York City.

This decision set in motion an unprecedented planning process. Permits were obtained from the Police Department and the Department of Parks and Recreation. Special insurance certificates were secured. Letters, invitations and fliers were mailed to more than 2,000 groups and individuals, and were followed by phone calls.

What resulted was an uplifting day and a foundation for further outreach.

It started at 4 a.m. with a radio interview that included a public service announcement recorded by Nabil Jurney and a lively introduction to the upcoming events.

Dawn was ushered in with a moving prayer gathering. A small but hardy group braved early-morning rains to take part in the program of music, song and prayers for healing racial tensions in the city. Refreshments and fellowship followed at the Bahá’í Center.

That afternoon, a few hundred people from the city and beyond gathered at the edge of Central Park for a two-mile children’s march for race unity. Public schools, churches and even a Civil Air Patrol squadron were represented, as well as Bahá’í children.

The march ended in a festive rally. Children were given balloons, blew bubbles, had cold drinks and received “Racism Free Zone” stickers while a disc jockey played pop music. After welcoming remarks that highlighted the significance of the day and created a greater awareness of who the Bahá’ís are, there was time for socializing, teaching and all-around fun. Several Bahá’ís and leaders of other organizations shared their groups’ ideals.

The evening program at Earl Hall began with the spirited music of the United Ensemble and the Children’s Aid Society Choir. Auxiliary Board member Eugene Andrews told the audience of mostly youth that all three of the “false gods” of the Old World Order referred to by Shoghi Effendi—communism, nationalism and racism—are losing their destructive grip on the world.

“We’ve seen the fall of communism, we are seeing the fall of nationalism, and we will see the fall of racism,” he said.

A performing ensemble from the City Kids Foundation, which received a Race Unity Day award, completed the evening with an intense program of song, dance and drama that attested to a belief in universal brotherhood. Other Race Unity Day awards went to AT&T’s “Don’t Hate ... Communicate” program and to the One World Club at Franklin K. Lane High School.

EUREKA, CA

300 people of all backgrounds enjoy music, food of different cultures

Black, white, Hispanic, Hmong, Laotian.

Three hundred strong, they enjoyed an afternoon of music and food June 12 at the Race Unity Day picnic at Sequoia Park in Eureka, California.

The entertainment was as diverse as the audience. Included were a rock band, a Hmong pop band, Hmong traditional dancers, a Hmong khene (flute) player, the Fargas Family Band from Nicaragua, the Arcata Community West African dance troupe, the female blues trio B.B. Queen, an African-American multicultural dance troupe, and a reggae band called Mix Tribe. It turned out that the drummer for Mix Tribe is a Bahá’í from a neighboring community.

One person who attended is the director of a multicultural group in Arcata. He said he was amazed to see that so many cultures could come together in peace. [Page 12]

Race Unity Day ’94

FLINT, MI

Bahá’ís, city cooperate on dual program

Race Unity Day in Flint, Michigan, was observed with a two-part program consisting of a “lock-in” on June 10 for pre-youth grades 5-8 and a Race Unity Fair on June 12.

Co-sponsoring the events with the Spiritual Assembly of Flint were the Louhelen Bahá’í School, the Flint Human Relations Commission, Flint Youth Commission, WFLT-AM radio, Flint community schools, the YWCA, and the International Institute.

Two local businesses donated drinks for both occasions, and various community-based individuals contributed time and talent including free entertainment.

The lock-in began at 7 p.m. on June 10 and ended at 7 a.m. the next day. The YWCA gymnasium and pool were provided without charge so the 32 youngsters and seven chaperones could enjoy swimming, games, pizza and a showing of “Calling All Colors,” followed by skits inspired by the video.

The Race Unity Fair was held for four hours in a park-like area behind the Flint city hall. About 50 people attended. African-American, East Indian, and One World booths were staffed, as well as an exhibit of T-shirts printed with spiritual attributes. Games were played, followed by entertainment and fellowship.

The Flint Assembly’s cooperation with the city through the Human Relations Commission began three years ago when the Assembly presented the mayor with a “Mankind Is One” T-shirt and asked for a Race Unity Day proclamation. The mayor then suggested that the occasion be a cooperative one with the city.

LARGO, FL

Gospel fills the air

Nearly 300 people enjoyed a Race Unity Gospel Fest co-sponsored by the Bahá’ís and the Pinellas County Urban League on June 12 to celebrate Race Unity Day.

The Florida Bahá’í Gospel Choir and three local church choirs shared beautiful music.

The Florida Bahá’í Youth Workshop gathered everyone in a mass-participation “unity dance.”

A potluck supper was enjoyed and workshops held.

EVANSTON & WILMETTE, IL

(Above) A long column of marchers, many carrying colorful signs, winds past the Bahá’í House of Worship during the fifth annual Walk for Race Unity on June 12. The march, sponsored by the North Shore Race Unity Task Force, started at Northwestern University in Evanston and ended at Gillson Park in Wilmette.

A program of fun and entertainment following the walk featured the Chicago Bahá’í Youth Workshop (above) and bubble-popping (left).

MOUNT VERNON, VA

Bahá’ís join in service to share message

On June 12, Race Unity Day, the Bahá’ís of Mount Vernon, Virginia, joined the congregation of the Woodlawn United Methodist Church at its Sunday morning service to share thoughts on racial harmony.

W. DuBois Johnson, a member of the Bahá’í community of Mt. Vernon, helped the Rev. John Barr plan a successful program. The Rev. Barr, pastor of the historically African-American church, has known of the Bahá’í Faith since his days in seminary training and extended a warm welcome on behalf of his congregation.

The Bahá’í speaker was Vaughn Loudenback of Great Falls, Virginia, who presented the divine requirement of racial harmony through a slide presentation. He made it clear to the audience that America does not have a “race problem,” it has a “oneness problem.”

Humanity always was, is now, and always will be one family, Mr. Loudenback said. He spoke of the evolution of the human family through ever greater unities, from family unity to world unity.

Spiritual unity also was highlighted in the slide presentation by showing the names of the Manifestations of God including Muhammad, Christ and Bahá’u’lláh.

The Rev. John Barr and Bahá’ís outside Woodlawn United Methodist Church.

The Rev. Barr’s sermon, “When Things Get Out of Whack,” epitomized the message that the road to harmony to which the Bible calls us is not solely an individual responsibility but a question of change and adjustment. All must play their part, but need not believe that they alone as individuals are to blame for all the harmful things that might happen to them.

About 30 Bahá’ís joined other visitors and members of the congregation for the informal, participatory service filled with joyful music. The Bahá’ís were warmly received and were invited to return any time. [Page 13]

ADA COUNTY, ID

Month of activities capped by first race unity workshop

The first in a series of “hands-on” Race Unity Workshops capped a month of race unity activities by the Bahá’ís of southwestern Idaho.

At the workshop, held at the Ada County Public Library, seven-year-old Bahá’í Ruhia Crumbaugh presented a speech on the oneness of humanity, another child offered a humorous reading, and several other Bahá’í children and youth supervised activity centers.

The Bahá’ís hope to build on the success of the initial workshop and are working toward getting the workshops into area schools.

Earlier in the month, the Bahá’ís staffed a booth for the first time at Eagle Fun Days, an annual local festival. Hands-on activities such as “unity ribbons” attracted children of all ages to the booth. Many adults commented on the wonderful spirit of the Bahá’ís and the need to promote the principle of race unity, and some expressed an interest in learning more about the Faith.

Also during June, a month-long race unity book and picture exhibit was displayed at the library. Bahá’ís gained access to the display case when an individual believer offered to create a display for Black History Month. That display was so well received that the library staff eagerly allowed the Bahá’ís to promote Race Unity Day with literature including The Power of Unity, Brilliant Star magazine, and To Be One. Pamphlets such as “The Vision of Race Unity” were made available to library patrons. Bookmarks with quotations from the writings of Bahá’u’lláh also were available and proved quite popular.

All of the month’s events shared these characteristics:

• They were started with individual initiative that developed into intercommunity action.
• Each event focused on children as well as adults as teachers and receptive souls.
• All provided increased opportunities for individual teaching outside the confines of the specific event.
• The level of unity, spiritual energy and excitement engendered raised the spirit among area Bahá’ís to new heights.

Bahá’ís of southwestern Idaho staff a booth at Eagle Fun Days. Adults (left to right) are John Badostain, Donna Lungren, Chris Badostain, Pam Shultz, Louard Crumbaugh III and Jane Crumbaugh. Children (left to right) are Louard Crumbaugh IV, Brett Badostain, Lindsay Badostain, Amber Badostain and Ruhia Crumbaugh.

MARIN, CA

Program aids healing effort

In an area rife with conflict over the issue of immigration, the Bahá’ís of Marin County, California, extended a healing hand June 11 with a Race Unity Day program that brought together people and community groups of many backgrounds.

Unity in diversity was the message of the day, and theme colors were red, white, black and yellow, the American Indian healing colors.

Native costumes and multicolor clothing made for a vivid sight as Latin Americans, Vietnamese, African-Americans, Chinese, American Indians, and North Americans took part in a unity parade, accompanied by the Samba do Coracao drummers and dancers.

An art station was set up in Pickleweed Park which allowed children, inspired by the day, to illustrate their ideas about unity in diversity.

Live music, cultural dance performances, storytelling and food from around the world continued all day as the children worked on their murals and drawings. The art work is scheduled to be displayed at libraries, banks and civic buildings through November.

The Race Unity Day event and art exhibits were co-sponsored by the Arete Foundation.

KANSAS CITY, KS

Leon Brady (left) and Lillian Battaye (center) are honored on Race Unity Day by the Bahá’ís of Kansas City, Kansas, represented by Loree Foroughi-Gross, for their contributions to youth.

CLARKDALE, AZ

Event for 500 leads to firesides

The Bahá’ís of Clarkdale, Arizona, are busy holding firesides in the wake of a successful Race Unity Day picnic attended by more than 500 people—about three-fourths of cultures other than Caucasian.

Of course, it was because the Bahá’ís got busy in the first place that so many people came out for the fourth annual event.

They personally handed invitations to every household on the three Indian Reservations in the Verde Valley and in the town of Clarkdale. Advance stories in local newspapers and frequent spots on the radio helped, too, as did a banner that stretched across the main street for nine days.

The picnic included lots of free food, along with balloons and carnival games for children. Slim Chance and his band, Combo Deluxe, provided songs interspersed with remarks about the Faith.

The Bahá’í booth also was popular, with many pamphlets taken, questions answered, and invitations to upcoming firesides handed out.

LEE COUNTY, VA

Small community draws 400 to picnic

Race Unity Day in Lee County, Virginia, is proof positive that a small Bahá’í community can do big things.

In only its second year, the Race Unity Day picnic and program drew about 400 people of diverse races and backgrounds to Cumberland Bowl Park in Jonesville.

All this in a community with four adult Bahá’ís and two Bahá’í youth—and many friends of the Faith who pitched in to make the day successful, including the Appalachian African-American Historical Culture and Community Development Center, the Lee County School Board, and area churches and businesses.

Prior to the event, two proclamations were signed making June 12 Race Unity Day, one by the county board of supervisors and the other by the mayors of three towns in the county.

The picnic featured singing by Children of Race Unity, a group organized especially for the occasion, and by church choirs and a number of soloists. Passages from the Bahá’í writings were read, with the backdrop a banner proclaiming “Only One Race—The Human Race.”

The guest speaker was James Williams of Roanoke, a Bahá’í who said he drove 232 miles to be at the celebration because of its importance in showing that unity that ‎can achieved can be achieved‎ in a community.

“Let the record show,” Mr. Williams was quoted as saying by the Powell Valley News, “that there are both black and white here and the whites outnumber the blacks. That, in itself, is highly significant.

“Let the record show that the African-Americans, Caucasians, Persians and others unknown are observing race unity not far from battlefields where a divided nation fought a war over slavery,” he said.

“And let the record show that this is not a religious meeting, but God was mentioned and praised here.” [Page 14]

MISSION, SD

The Bahá’í community of Rosebud Indian Reservation, South Dakota, with traveling teachers Fred, Elizabeth and David Jenner.

Traveling teachers join twin celebration

The Bahá’í communities of Mission and Rosebud, South Dakota, celebrated Race Unity Day and the centenary of the introduction of the Faith in North America with a picnic in Mission City Park on Saturday, May 28.

Thirty local Bahá’ís and traveling teachers Fred, Elizabeth and David Jenner shared an afternoon of Indian tacos, Bahá’í songs, and celebrating the unity of humankind.

The event was covered by the Todd County Tribune.

On a previous visit to the Rosebud Indian Reservation, the Jenners and Essan and Rezvan Tebyanifard met with local Bahá’ís and attended Feast in Mission.

Quake couldn’t wipe out parade

L.A. Bahá’ís show up in force for the Kingdom Day Parade.

It wasn’t an earthquake, but the Bahá’ís moved people all along the route of the Kingdom Day Parade in Los Angeles, California, honoring Martin Luther King Jr.

The April 23 parade was rescheduled from January 17—the day L.A. shook.

Bahá’ís from all over the city showed up to carry a brand new banner and signs conveying the message of Bahá’u’lláh.

The Los Angeles Bahá’í Youth Workshop, wearing its traditional “One Planet, One People ... Please” T-shirts, performed tirelessly at every intersection along the three-mile parade route down Martin Luther King Boulevard.

They were met with cheers from the crowd as they danced and chanted “unity in diversity.”

Comments from onlookers ranged from “That’s the best group I’ve seen yet!” to “One Planet, One People—that’s the answer!”

One woman was so moved by the banner, which proclaims “One Race ...The Human Race,” that she begged a hug from Bahá’í Christina Johnson.

Needless to say, Christina was more than happy to oblige.

A dedicated group of Bahá’ís of all ages marched behind the Workshop, carrying signs and singing “We Shall Overcome,” joined by many of the spectators.

If spreading the word of Bahá’u’lláh wasn’t bountiful enough, as icing on the cake the Workshop received first-place honors in the Dance Group competition.

ST. LOUIS, MO

Proclamations proclaim Race Unity Week in area

Armed with proclamations from the city and county, St. Louis-area Bahá’ís celebrated Race Unity Day with a picnic at Forest Park in the heart of St. Louis. Many non-Bahá’ís attended the event.

Bahá’í representatives had met June 3 with County Executive George (Buzz) Westfall. A copy of the “The Vision of Race Unity” was presented to Mr. Westfall, and he proclaimed June 5-11 Race Unity Week. At the ceremony, Mr. Westfall asked the Bahá’ís to support his hate-crime bill.

On June 5, Mayor Freeman R. Bosley Jr. of St. Louis proclaimed the same period as Race Unity Week.

DUNCAN, OK

Picnic garners coverage

Duncan, Oklahoma, a town of 20,000 with no Bahá’ís, was the site of the third annual Race Unity Picnic sponsored by the Bahá’ís of southern Oklahoma.

More than 30 Bahá’ís traveled from all over Oklahoma and from Dallas and Ft. Worth, Texas, to make the June 25 event successful.

Newspaper ads were placed in advance, and the local newspaper published an article the day before the picnic. The day after, the newspaper carried a picture and front-page story.

New State Teaching Committees to provide a helping hand, vision

Continued from page 1

Universal House of Justice when the Supreme Body wrote, in its May 19 letter to the National Spiritual Assembly, about fostering “the involvement of individuals in the work of the community at the grassroots.”

The recently formed committees cover Washington state, Oregon, northern California, southern California, Arizona, Texas, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina and North Carolina. Each committee has five to seven members, each appointed for a one-year term.

State Teaching Committees will be named in other regions as circumstances warrant.

The first 10 states were chosen “after long, thoughtful consultation among the Continental Board of Counselors, the National Spiritual Assembly and the National Teaching Committee,” said Mr. Bowers.

In each of these areas, he said, it was deemed that “the level and complexity of teaching work had reached a point at which this means of coordination was needed.” Combined, these states average 60 to 65 percent of the annual growth of the Faith in the U.S. and comprise about 70 percent of the country’s Bahá’í population and local Spiritual Assemblies.

State committees will operate much like the National Teaching Committee, but on a statewide level. This includes offering expert analysis of the teaching work; lending strategic advice to National Teaching Committee and the National Spiritual Assembly; and taking the lead in executing the teaching work.

The committees will provide local projects material assistance, vision and coordination, and will work to further National Teaching Committee initiatives such as the HEAT Wave. In addition, they will keep the believers in their area informed of progress in teaching through newsletters and other means.

Consultation has begun between the committees and local Spiritual Assemblies, individuals and Auxiliary Board members and assistants within their state. Through these relationships, the committees hope to identify areas where they can foster the emergence of areas of effective teaching.

All local Spiritual Assemblies in the 10 states have received letters informing them of the makeup of their state committee and urging them to avail themselves of its support.

The committees’ relationship with the Auxiliary Board is seen as critical, since they can reinforce one another in supporting local initiatives. In most areas, the committee and Board members have already begun meeting.

Formation of the State Teaching Committees is “a product of the degree to which American Bahá’ís have arisen to teach during the Three Year Plan,” said Mr. Bowers.

At the Plan’s outset, the National Spiritual Assembly took a fresh look at the level of teaching activity in the American community, he said.

The National Teaching Committee was reorganized and re-formed. Likewise, the 85 District Teaching Committees were disbanded, except for a few involved in critical projects.

“Although the District Teaching Committees were performing a highly valued function and performing it well, the National Spiritual Assembly felt it important at that point to deal directly with local Spiritual Assemblies and individuals to motivate them to a new level of action,” said Mr. Bowers.

Now, many regions have become active to a degree not seen in many years, and a streamlined mechanism—the State Teaching Committees—is being put in place to support that activity, he said.

One can only imagine the results that are possible. [Page 15]

More than 100 at S.E. Asian Roundtable

More than 80 adults and 20 youth and children from Cambodian, Chinese, Hmong, Japanese, Persian, Vietnamese and American cultures gathered May 20-22 at the Bosch Bahá’í School in Santa Cruz, California, for the third annual Southeast Asian Community Builders Roundtable Discussion.

Participants traveled from all over the country to the lovely Santa Cruz mountain area to devise strategies to further help in the development of Southeast Asian Bahá’í communities.

Three important sessions were held: “Empowering Southeast Asian Bahá’í Women,” with a Cambodian, a Hmong and a Vietnamese taking part; “Reaching Out and Teaching Other Southeast Asians in the United States,” introduced by a prominent Hmong leader from the San Diego area; and “The Importance of Bahá’í Funds,” at which time $601.10 was raised for the Arc Projects.

Unique to this event were concurrent sessions in which the youth and children took part in a separate program led by Michael and Joclyn Baral of Stockton, Michelle Brown of Davis, and Brian Genung of Arcata.

The themes presented in these programs were teaching, heroes of the Faith, Bahá’í identity, Bahá’í service, marriage, and education. The information introduced was informative, but the real gift of this program was the opportunity to meet, consult and have fellowship with other youth.

A musical and cultural talent show proved to be a spectacular event, bringing together art forms from each ethnic background at the conference: songs, dances, poetry and prayers from many parts of the world.

On the final day, a plan of action was developed setting specific goals to be worked toward by each individual and/or community.

The sharing and flow of ideas left everyone with an overwhelmingly positive feeling and commitment to continue the development of the Southeast Asian communities.

Pictured are participants in the third annual Southeast Asian Community Builders Roundtable held May 20-22 at the Bosch Bahá’í School in Santa Cruz, California.

New Center galvanizes proclamation activity in San Antonio, Texas

Since January the Bahá’ís of San Antonio, Texas, have made good use of their new Bahá’í Center, which was opened last October, as activities planned by an inter-community Proclamation Committee established by Spiritual Assemblies in the area have begun to materialize.

To celebrate Martin Luther King Week in January, the Bahá’ís initiated “A Call to Eliminate Racism” which began with a meeting with the mayor and city council at which Carrie Paige Smith, a Bahá’í from the Dallas area, was the spokesperson. The following day, Ms. Smith was interviewed on WOAI radio.

Several local Bahá’ís served on the planning committee for the eighth annual Memorial Service for Dr. King, and the program included a Bahá’í reading. The King Week parade, in which a large group of Bahá’ís marched with banners and distributed 4,500 flyers with information about the Faith, was followed that evening by a public meeting at the Bahá’í Center. The response was good, with one declaration within the week.

In February, the Bahá’í Club at the University of Texas-San Antonio arranged for a university professor to speak at the Center on “Women Rulers.”

In April several Bahá’ís took part in an Earth Day celebration at a local park, and on April 30 the Bahá’í Center was the scene of an all-day seminar, “Deepening on Wills,” conducted by Kalil and Valerie Dana of ‎Edmund Edmond‎, Oklahoma.

News briefs

Shreveport incorporates

In February, the Spiritual Assembly of Shreveport, Louisiana, completed the requirements for its incorporation by the state.

Three members of the Assembly were members when it was formed in 1959: Grace Bulboaca, Everett (Red) Hubbart and D. Barbara Hubbart.

On June 12, the Assembly held an open house at its newly leased Bahá’í Center, inviting several hundred people. Having the Center has helped re-energize the Shreveport community through a number of well-attended events that have drawn wide community support.

Bahá’í is speaker

On May 2, John Knowlton Brown, a Bahá’í from Mt. Vernon, Virginia, gave a four-hour presentation at the second annual International Conference on Conflict Resolution held in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Mr. Knowlton’s presentation, “Conflict Resolution Methods in Islam, Buddhism and the Bahá’í Faith: Toward a Holistic Approach,” emphasized the ways in which Bahá’í consultation and principles enhance the insights of other world religions and help provide a more holistic approach to resolving conflicts and other human problems.

Six hundred people from around the world attended the conference, which is sponsored by the Harmony Institute for Psychotherapy in St. Petersburg and the Common Bond Institute in the U.S.

Bullet buried in Bahá’í book

There’s nothing like a bullet to bring home the point of the Bahá’í writings.

Recently, someone sought out a copy of Bahá’í World Faith at the Bahá’í Books and Information Center (BBIC) in Seattle, Washington.

The researcher was expecting selected writings of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

But he or she found something else as well upon pulling the book from the shelf: a hole in the cover and a bullet embedded within the pages!

Upon examination, a bullet hole could be seen in the back of the bookcase and in the exterior wall of the BBIC.

The police were extremely interested. It seems a shooting had taken place across the street a few weeks earlier, and an extensive search for the bullet had yielded nothing.

The bullet found at the BBIC, it turns out, matches the trajectory of the shot.

So now there is a copy of Bahá’í World Faith in a Seattle police station with a bullet lodged within—stopped at the section of the book titled “This Radiant Century.”

The Bahá’ís of Carson City, Nevada, with help from friends from other northern Nevada Bahá’í communities, built and entered this prize-winning float in the annual Nevada Day parade in Carson City. The parade, which drew more than ‎20,00 20,000‎ spectators along its two-mile route, had more than 250 separate entries. As the float passed by each of several announcing stands, the announcer offered a brief description of the Faith including mention of Bahá’u’lláh. Later, the friends were pleasantly surprised to learn that the float, the first ever built by the Carson City Bahá’ís, won first place among religious entries in the parade. [Page 16]

Vineyard of the Lord, part 4

Looming on the skyline halfway up Mount Carmel, a tower crane can be seen in action. Located in the middle of the site of the Center for the Study of the Texts, the crane is 40 meters (132 feet) tall with an operational range of 45 meters (about 149 feet). Another crane is being assembled for another 45-meter radius, adjacent to the site of the parking building and car tunnel.

Lifting formworks, reinforcement steel, mechanical equipment, pouring concrete, etc., they will cover between them the entire range of operations on the site comprising about 4,000 square meters (13,200 square feet). Installation of the 18-meter-long steel sleeves, with a diameter of a little under one meter, to hold the steel pistons for the hydraulic elevators for the Center for the Study of the Texts has been successfully undertaken. It may be recalled that the Center for the Study of the Texts is designed to be a nine-story building.

One can also see on-site a full-scale mockup of an exposed concrete wall. This has been built to determine whether the proposed formwork will produce the desired standard of quality of concrete finish; to experiment about various details such as cold-joints and expansion joints; and to check the visual impact of the finish so that no air bubbles, segregation of aggregates, etc., show up.

To monitor construction at the site of the Center for the Study of the Texts, a program has been created, establishing what is known as critical path activities. This program has identified 4,500 operations on the shell structure alone of the Center for the Study of the Texts. A full-time planning engineer, backed by a professional project management team, is responsible for monitoring the execution of these critical path activities by preparing work schedules, materials ordering, etc. The purpose of this exercise is to see that every lead activity is appropriately undertaken with a timely supply of materials, thus ensuring that work on the project is moving forward on schedule.

A concrete mixer pours a foundation for the Archive Building’s extension, while a massive crane lowers the steel sleeve for the elevator shaft of the Center for the Study of the Texts.

Filtration system

When the excavation for the Archives’ extension was begun, the close proximity of the site to the existing Archives Building became a source of concern, as heavy excavation work could expose the building to extreme dust and pollution. A feasible option was to close the Archives for the period of construction at the adjacent site; but this would deprive the pilgrims of the bounty of visiting this precious building.

One solution was to seal the openings of the Archives Building, pressurize the exhibition area, and install a state-of-the-art filtration system, which would protect the Holy Texts, relics and historic documents, and also create a meticulously clean environment for the pilgrims. It was decided to install a cost- and energy-saving filtration system known as a deep bed scrubber.

The air circulating inside the building is purified by this system through various filter media. The incoming air is filtered in the first stage by a pre-filter which catches dust and larger particles; this is then passed through another medium which has two chemical beds—activated carbon and potassium permanganate. This helps to purify the air from chemical pollution. Finally, the air passes through a fine filter which catches any remaining minute particles.

The air that is finally circulated in the exhibition area is considered to be as pollution-free as the air circulated in a surgical operating theatre. The system is now fully operational, and even with construction speeding up at the site of the Center for the Study of the Texts/Archives extension, the International Archives Building is clean and protected to a degree much higher than before the construction work began.

Work on the Lower Terraces

Earthwork on Terraces 3 and 4 below the Shrine of the Báb is now complete. The underground mechanical rooms have been built, and grading of the inner zone is finished. The installation of the drainage pipes is under way, and aqua drains will soon be installed. Interestingly, the aqua drains not only serve a drainage purpose but also form the geometric curves, securing the shape of the

Prime minister signs plan for Terraces

On May 10, the mayor of Haifa informed the Mount Carmel Bahá’í Projects Office that Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who is also acting Minister of the Interior, had signed the Town Planning Scheme submitted by the Bahá’í World Center.

With this final stamp of authority, approval of the Town Planning Scheme was completed, paving the way for the uninterrupted implementation of the design of the Terraces encircling the Sepulcher of the Báb and Arc buildings.

The approval fulfills the fondest wishes of the beloved Guardian, who expressed his total dissatisfaction with the old Town Planning Scheme of the Haifa Municipality, which was passed during his time and has been in force ever since.

The approval brings with it not only protection for our Holy Shrines and recognition by the government of Israel of the extraordinary significance of the gardens surrounding the Shrine of the Báb and the Mount Carmel Projects, but reinforces as well the recognition of special status conceded by the government to all Bahá’í Holy Places.

Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin (second from left) is given a brief description of the Arc Project on Mount Carmel by architect Fariburz Sahba as he views models of the design at the Pilgrim House in Haifa. The prime minister, accompanied by the mayor of Haifa and several other dignitaries, visited the World Center on June 13 and was escorted to Terrace 9 below the Shrine of the Báb, which provides a perfect perspective of the lower Terraces down to the Templar Colony avenue, whose restoration is a major project of the City of Haifa. The prime minister was especially interested to learn of the linking of these projects, which together form the Kings’ Pathway. [Page 17]

The Arc

Terraces. What gives the Terraces the appearance, from a distance, of a shallow bowl are the concrete blocks of the aqua drains, 40 centimeters (1.32 feet) long, 30 centimeters (1 foot) high and 20 centimeters (8 inches) ‎wide) wide‎.

Further up the mountain, on the bridge on ‘Abbás Street that links Terraces 4 and 5, masonry work on the south wing of the retaining walls of the bridge has been completed, and work on the north wall is in an advanced stage. Waterproofing is under way, and soon after its completion stone work on the bridge will be taken up.

On the west side of Terrace 5, work on the irrigation is in the final stages, while on Terraces 6 and 7, with the irrigation pipes in place, the ground is being prepared to take the grass cover as topsoil is laid on the outer rings of these Terraces.

The distinctive concrete outline of the fountain pools on Terraces 6, 7, 8 and 9 is now visible as they await their lovely mantle of Sajur stone. The stone has been cut and shaped in Noufi’s Factory at Nazareth, undergoing the final touches. A visit to the factory reveals that the entire premises of 10,000 square meters (33,000 square feet) with its 10 working sheds is strewn with stone for the projects, and workers are engaged in accomplishing the work of the Mount Carmel projects. Noufi proudly acknowledges that three generations of his family have been serving the Bahá’ís, and that his own association began with their work for the Hand of the Cause of God William Sutherland Maxwell.

(Left) An artist’s rendering of one of the upper Terraces on Mount Carmel.

(Below) The first consignment of cut and curved Sajur stone for the fountain pools on Terrace nine below the Shrine of the Báb has been received at the site.

Mountain slope a challenge

It is a challenging task to shape Terraces 15, 16, 17 and 18 above the Shrine of the Báb. The slope of the mountain as it approaches its higher elevation makes accessibility to the site difficult and dangerous. Access to Terrace 11 is available through Hatzionut Street, Terraces 11, 12 and 13 through Crusader Road, and the uppermost Terrace, No. 19, through Yefe Nof Street. It is the intermediary Terraces which have no direct access. Nevertheless, work is progressing well on them.

Earthworks for the inner zone and concrete stairs have been constructed. The stairs sit atop underground rubble concrete walls going down to a maximum depth of 12 meters (39.6 feet). The walls of the mechanical room on Terraces 16 and 17 have been cast, while the excavation for the mechanical room on Terrace 18 is complete.

This is the only Terrace where this utility is situated on the east side.

Underpinning a retaining wall adjacent to the Seat of the Universal House of Justice to connect the Arc Service Tunnel to the Seat.

One of the buildings to be erected on the Arc on Mount Carmel is the International Bahá’í Library. In a letter dated August 31, 1987, the Universal House of Justice explained to the Bahá’ís of the world that “[t]his Library is the central depository of all literature published on the Faith, and is an essential source of information for the institutions of the World Center on all subjects relating to the Cause of God and the conditions of mankind. ...” Significantly, construction of this institution is not scheduled to begin during the Three Year Plan, nor to be completed by the turn of the century.

In one of his messages to the Bahá’í world, the beloved Guardian prophesied that the raising of the edifice ‎off of‎ the International Bahá’í Archives “will herald the construction of several other structures which will serve as the administrative seats of such divinely appointed institutions as the Guardianship, the Hands of the Cause, and the Universal House of Justice. ...This vast and irresistible process...will synchronize with two no less significant developments—the establishment of the Lesser Peace and the evolution of Bahá’í national and local institutions. ...” (Messages to the Bahá’í World, p. 74)

In a letter dated May 31, 1987, to the project manager of the Mount Carmel Projects, the Universal House of Justice indicated that “[h]ere we should point out that the institutions mentioned by the beloved Guardian in the passage in which he spoke of the completion of the Arc being contemporaneous with the establishment of the Lesser Peace did not include the Library. And there is no reason in principle why it should not be constructed at a later date.”

The scale of the projects of the Arc and Terraces is vast, their size extending over a kilometer on Mount Carmel. The exclusion of construction of the International Bahá’í Library at the present time not only makes the projects more manageable but also provides an opportunity to accumulate the necessary funds. Another practical reason for the phasing of this project is to avoid the problem of access to the Seat of the Universal House of Justice, which also houses its Secretariat. If major building operations for the International Teaching Center and the International Bahá’í Library, which are to stand adjacent to one another, were to be undertaken simultaneously, it would greatly hamper the functioning of the Secretariat.

The aforementioned not only provides a valid basis for delaying construction of the International Bahá’í Library, but also provides the much-needed time to acquire the remaining properties on which it is to be located. Whenever this institution is raised, it will undoubtedly play a great and significant role, as foreseen by the Universal House of Justice: “In future decades its [the International Bahá’í Library’s] functions must grow, it will serve as an active center for knowledge in all fields, and it will become the kernel of great institutions of scientific investigation and discovery.” (Letter dated August 31, 1987) [Page 18]

EXCELLENCE IN ALL THINGS . . .

On May 28, Kean T. Oh, a 23-year-old Bahá’í from Poland, Ohio, received his doctorate in medicine as valedictorian of the class of 1994 at the Northeastern Ohio University College of Medicine. Kean, a national merit scholar while at Poland Seminary High School, earned his bachelor of science degree at Kent State University, graduating summa cum laude. At this year’s commencement ceremonies he received the William H. Falor Research Award, the Douglas M. Evans Award for outstanding clinical work in surgery, and the first Outstanding Achievement Award sponsored by Marion Merrell Dow. He will intern at Aultman Hospital in Canton, Ohio, before taking up a residency in ophthalmology at the University of Iowa in Iowa City.

KEAN T. OH

Dr. Judith Jennrich, a Bahá’í from Park Ridge, Illinois, who is assistant professor of Medical-Surgical Nursing at Loyola University Hospital in Chicago, has been named a Fulbright Scholar for 1994-95 by the J. William Fulbright Foundation, a federally-funded international exchange program administered by the U.S. Information Agency. Dr. Jennrich, who received a lecturing award, traveled to Belize this spring to lecture on critical care education.

Sheila Mohajer Hofert, a Bahá’í who attends the University of Florida College of Medicine in Gainesville, has received the Academic Award for second-year students from the University of Florida Medical Guild. She is ranked first in her class of 123 students.

Mohi Sobhani, a Bahá’í from Encino, California, has been granted 35 patents from the U.S. Government Patent Office in the past two years for his work in electronics. Dr. Sobhani was also asked to lecture this year at the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) on electronic interconnections.

David Nawi, a 16-year-old Bahá’í from Norwood, New Jersey, was chosen for this year’s S.M.A.R.T. competition among high school students and won a computer for his school and a $24,000 scholarship to Stevens Institute of Technology for posting the highest combined score in math and chemistry. He also received the Rensselaer Medal for excellence and a $20,000 scholarship. In the prestigious Merck State Science Day, David won fourth place in biology in New Jersey as a freshman, was first in Chemistry I as a sophomore, and first in Physics I in this, his junior year. He has won National Honor status for three years on the American High School Mathematics Examination and the National Science Olympiad in biology and chemistry, and placed second in the region in the American Chemical Society competition. As a singer, he was chosen for the 1992 All-State Chorus in New Jersey, and performs with the New Jersey Bahá’í Youth Workshop.

Three young Bahá’ís from Cedarburg, Wisconsin, were recently honored for academic achievement by the state’s largest daily newspaper, the Milwaukee Journal. Eighth grader Aaron Arfman was recognized in the “highest grade-point average” category, while David Hinterthuer (seventh grade) and Natalie Zaffke (eighth grade) were identified as being “most improved.”

Marjan Andre, an 11-year-old Bahá’í from Ontario, California, has been named Outstanding Student of the Year for 1994 at Edison Elementary School. An honor roll student, she served as student body president two years ago and again this year. The Girls Club soccer team on which she plays won last year’s California State Cup. And this year, Marjan represented the Spiritual Assembly of Ontario by reading a prayer to open a meeting of the city council.

MARJAN ANDRE

Jeannie Denniston, a 43-year-old Bahá’í from Little Rock, Arkansas, was graduated in May with honors from the University of Arkansas-Little Rock School of Law and was to take the state bar examination in July.

Robert A. Landry, a 13-year-old Bahá’í from Lumberton, Texas, has been inducted into the National Junior Honor Society for demonstrating outstanding qualities of leadership, service, character and citizenship. He was a member this year of the track team and math/science team, and his art work was displayed on the cover of Lumberton Middle School’s 1993-94 yearbook.

Suzanne Ament, a Bahá’í who is a doctoral student in Russian history at the University of Indiana, has won this year’s Campus Life Divisional Award in the student category. The awards recognize outstanding contributions by students, faculty, staff and community members to the goals of the Campus Life division.

Two Bahá’í architects in New York honored by city, trade associations

Two New York City Bahá’ís who are architects have recently won honors for their work.

On May 9, Noushin E. Bryan received the Asian/Pacific Business Achievement Award from Mayor Giuliani for her contributions in the business community “for the betterment of our city.”

She founded Accessible Architecture PC in 1985 with a vision of bringing architecture down from its lofty towers to serve the needs of the public—in accordance with her Faith’s teaching that work performed in the spirit of service is exalted as the worship of God.

Bashir Zivari is garnering outstanding publicity and acclaim for Kin-der-Link, his patented bent-plywood furniture system that was designed especially for children.

“The main problem with most children’s furniture is that it’s just a shrunken-down version of adult furniture,” says Mr. Zivari. “But children are more informal and open for experimentation.”

Kin-der-Link furniture can be used as chairs, tables and/or benches. The individual pieces also can be linked in a variety of shapes such as circles and snakes for multiple seating.

The innovative design has been chosen for display in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Cooper-Hewitt Museum, and the Montreal Museum of Decorative Arts.

Honors also have come from the Industrial Design Society of America, which recently bestowed on Mr. Zivari its Gold Award for Consumer Products, and from I.D. magazine, the Japanese International Furniture Design Fair, the Chicago Athenaeum, and Early Childhood News.

Articles about Kin-der-Link have appeared in Business Week, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Chicago Tribune, Elle Decor, Progressive Architecture, and many trade publications.

Correction

On page 1 of the June 24 issue of The American Bahá’í (Vol. 25, No. 9), the statement is made that the portrait of the Báb was “last publicly viewed in 1944 when the Bahá’í Era entered its second century.” The portrait also was displayed in 1950 on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Martyrdom of the Báb. We regret the error.

21st Conference of Nur draws capacity audience to see, hear Dr. Ruhe, Counselor Ellis, others

On May 27-29, a capacity audience was present to take part in the 21st annual Conference of Nur at Elizabethtown (Pennsylvania) College.

The yearly event is co-sponsored by the Spiritual Assemblies of Harrisburg and Lancaster.

This year’s conference was blessed by the presence of Dr. David Ruhe, retired member of the Universal House of Justice; Counselor Wilma Ellis, administrator-general of the Bahá’í International Community; and Auxiliary Board member Tahereh Ahdieh.

The friends were moved by presentations on “Firmness in the Covenant,” “Promoting Love, Unity and Fellowship,” and “Beginning to Build the Kingdom of God on Earth.” Each talk was followed by nine separate workshops for adults and youth, with special programs for the children.

An afghan, made by local Bahá’í Lillian Leonard, was auctioned and raised more than $9,000 for the Arc Fund.

A number of Bahá’í musicians—the Gilmer family, Fereydoon and Fereshteh Aryani, Ethel Harwood, Virginia Schawacker, Kathy Tomarelli, David Welliver and Dale Root—added greatly to the spirit of the conference.

Dr. Ruhe led the friends in chanting the words and promise of Bahá’u’lláh: “Soon will all that dwell on earth be enlisted under His banner.”

There were two declarations during the conference.

Connecticut Tree Association establishes Research Fund to honor Bahá’í Oscar Stone

OSCAR P. STONE

At the annual meeting of the Connecticut Tree Protective Association last January, the Board of Directors announced the establishment of the Oscar P. Stone Research Trust Fund whose purpose is to stimulate research on important problems confronting the tree care industry.

Named in honor of a Bahá’í, Oscar P. Stone, the Fund acknowledges his many contributions in educating arborists and promoting arboriculture, not only in Connecticut but throughout the U.S.

To commemorate the honor, an oak tree was planted June 1 at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station.

Donations to the Oscar P. Stone Research Trust Fund are greatly appreciated and may be sent to the Connecticut Tree Protective Association Inc., Rocky Hill, CT 06067-1527. [Page 19]

Hudson, New Hampshire, sponsors ‘Arc Building’ weekend of fund-raisers

In June, the Spiritual Assembly of Hudson, New Hampshire, sponsored a weekend of ‘Arc Building’ with a series of fund-raising events, a public meeting and a fireside.

Dr. David Ruhe, retired member of the Universal House of Justice, and his wife, Margaret, were honored guests, sharing with the friends some of their experiences during 25 years of service in the Holy Land.

The weekend began with a half-hour radio interview and an informal reception as a thank you to those communities and individuals in New Hampshire who had helped Hudson organize and carry out these events.

Saturday was fund-raising day with a brunch, pizza party and silent auction, and a talk by Dr. and Mrs. Ruhe about “building the Arc” on the slopes of Mount Carmel. Music and entertainment was provided by Marty and Wendy Quinn of Lee, New Hampshire.

During the program, news was received that Halina Mantel, a devoted Bahá’í from Concord, was close to death, and a friend donated for auction a piece of Mrs. Mantel’s unique pottery. Thanks to this act of love, and the generosity of the friends, more than $6,000 was raised, and after deducting expenses, $4,400 was sent to the Universal House of Justice to support construction of the Arc.

On Sunday morning, 34 Bahá’ís from New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts and Vermont shared breakfast with the Ruhes, and that afternoon more than 150 Bahá’ís from all over New England gathered to enjoy a jazz concert by Charlie Jennison and Friends; poetry by Thelma Khelghati, and Dr. and Mrs. Ruhe’s insights on “Bahá’u’lláh’s Promise of Peace.”

The weekend closed with a Sunday evening fireside hosted by the Bahá’ís of Nashua and attended by more than 50 Bahá’ís and their guests.

HUQUQU’LLÁH

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

• Dr. Elsie Austin, 9039 Sligo Creek Parkway, Unit 612, Silver Spring, MD 20901 (telephone 301-589-8481)
• Dr. Amin Banani, Santa Monica, CA 90402 (telephone 310-394-5449)
• Dr. Daryush Haghighi, Rocky River, OH 44116 (telephone 216-333-1506)

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

Firesides by phone bring together Bahá’ís, seekers anywhere in world

By Tom Mennillo

Imagine linking the roomful of seekers in your home to Bahá’ís in other states and countries who have interesting stories to tell or expertise on a particular topic.

Imagine reaching out to isolated Bahá’ís eager for contact with other believers.

Imagine providing a tool whereby National Spiritual Assemblies and even the Universal House of Justice can speak to many communities at once.

Katherine and Rick Christiansen dared to imagine—and to act. The Scottsdale, Arizona, Bahá’ís have teamed up with Canadian Bahá’ís Chris and Safieh Anderson of Red Deer, Alberta, to facilitate what they call “teleconference firesides.”

They use the power of something everyone has: a telephone. Each participant pays a nominal service fee for connection to the conference call, plus any long-distance charges incurred.

Several such teaching events have been held since May 28.

The initial fireside connected 20 to 25 people at the Christiansens’ home with about 15 people at the Andersons’ and a Bahá’í who called in from a pay phone in Calgary.

The Christiansens sandwiched a potluck dinner, conversation, and entertainment by the Roses of Love Bahá’í Choir around the half-hour conference call.

Four declarations—two in the United States and two in Canada—were attributed to that initial fireside and the teaching energy flowing from it.

The telephonic gatherings have since grown in number of lines conferenced at one time, bringing together Bahá’ís and seekers in such far-flung localities as Alaska, Hawaii, Arizona, Philadelphia, and Alberta.

How is a tele-fireside set up?

Interested participants first contact the Andersons at 403-346-9999 (fax: 403-343-7077) or the Christiansens at 602-483-7923 (fax: 602-483-7248) to obtain the telephone number used in the conference call. At that time they say whether they wish to just listen to the call or be a speaker.

They also must send a check for $10 right away to the Christiansens at Scottsdale, AZ 85254 to cover the cost of the company whose service is used to link everyone.

Then, at the appointed hour, participants call in two to five minutes before the starting time. When the operator answers, they give their name and ask for the “Bahá’í fireside conference call” so they can be connected to the host.

How do participants keep from talking over each other?

That’s where the host’s role is critical. After an opening prayer, the host gives an overview of the Faith, then calls on each speaker in turn.

When someone isn’t speaking, he or she must keep the “mute” button on to eliminate background noise.

After each conference call, the operator gives the host a list of who called.

The Christiansens and Andersons also appreciate feedback from participants as to how many people—Bahá’ís and non-Bahá’ís—were in attendance, whether there were declarations, and any suggestions or comments.

What’s down the line?

One possibility is a publicly advertised “listening line” that anyone can call to hear the conference call.

Another is an “800” number where people can phone in and use their touch-tone keypad to receive information on various aspects of the Faith.

A telecommunications user’s guide also is being prepared to explain how Bahá’ís can tap into available technology to spread the Cause.

And the ultimate: video teleconferencing in which participants can see as well as hear one another.

Artists invited to enter fund-raising ‘Art for Arc’ poster project

Artists in the American Bahá’í community are invited to submit an entry in a fund-raising project entitled “Art for the Arc” sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Nizhoni Galleries.

The gallery will choose one image to be printed as a limited-edition art poster, with a planned release date at Ridván, April 22, 1995. The artist will be flown to Albuquerque for a signing event on the release date.

All proceeds from poster sales will be donated to the Arc Projects Fund.

Ownership of the original art work will be retained by the artist following use of the art for publication. The artist also will receive 50 “artist proofs” of the poster for personal use and possible publicity in his or her home community.

“Our most important criterion is that the art reflect the ideals or principles of the Bahá’í Faith,” says Nizhoni Galleries owner Lynda Habermann. “We are open to any art medium that can be reproduced in a poster format.”

To receive an “Art for the Arc” entry form, please send a self-addressed stamped envelope to Nizhoni Galleries, 323 Romero NW, Apt. 2, Albuquerque, NM 87104. Completed entry forms and color slides of entries to be considered will be accepted through October 31. [Page 20]

خدمات تبلیغی یاران

TEACHING ACTIVITIES

به تازگی شاهد موفقیت‌های تبلیغی دوستان ایرانی در جنوب کالیفرنیا بوده‌ایم. یکی از دوستان گزارشی از اینگونه خدمات به دفتر امور احبای ایرانی/امریکایی فرستاده‌اند که بخش‌هایی از آن در زیر درج می‌شود:

مایلم به اطلاع دوستان عزیز بهائی برسانم که تشکیل جلسات تبلیغی مداوم و منظم، هر مقدار که کوچک و ناچیز هم باشد، به یاری و الطاف جمال مبارک به تدریج نتائج عظیمی در بر خواهد داشت. این جلسات یکی از راه‌های تبلیغ است که به سهم خود در تحقق "یدخلون فی دین الله افواجاً" تأثیرات عمیق دارد. مقصود این است که تا ما از سلامتی و رفاه نسبی در زندگی برخورداریم فرصت را نباید از دست بدهیم. به فرموده حضرت عبدالبهاء "در این زمان اگر کف نزنی، دف نزنی و آواز نخوانی، دیگر در چه زمان مخمور و مست گردی؟" به مصداق "ای که دستت می‌رسد کاری بکن" باید قدمی در پیشرفت این امر اعظم که یگانه راه نجات فردی و اجتماعی است برداریم.

با توجه به این نکات امسال از اول ژانویه ۱۹۹۴ در شهر بسیار کوچک خود به نام Diamond Bar واقع در جنوب کالیفرنیا جلسه تبلیغی ماهیانه مرتباً در منزل محقر ما بر قرار شده است و تا به حال ۴ نفر از افراد مهم و روشنفکر تصدیق امر مبارک را نموده‌اند....

یکی از آنان پروفسور روانشناس که اصلاً اتریشی و تبعه امریکا است، می‌باشد که در آمریکا نیز مقام بلندی دارد. ایشان اغلب به جلسه تبلیغی ما می‌آیند که بیشتر مشتمل است بر گردهم‌آیی بسیار دوستانه که در آن میهمان‌نوازی خاص ایرانی و روحانیت حکم‌فرما است. فقط به مبتدیان می‌گوییم که ما بهائی هستیم که ریشه آن از ایران است. بعد مناجات کوچکی تلاوت می‌شود و پس از آن موسیقی و آهنگ‌های روح‌افزا نواخته می‌شود. گاهی هم بچه‌های بهائی اشعار امری دسته‌جمعی را با صدای خوش می‌خوانند. در خلال این برنامه‌ها به اقتضای مطلب ذکری از تاریخ امر می‌شود که مورد توجه همگان قرار می‌گیرد.

از جمله شبی از تاریخ اسلام ذکری شد که ابتدا با تعرض بسیار شدید پروفسور روانشناس روبرو شد. او که اصلاً کاتولیک است گفت اسلام دین نیست، بلکه یک گروه تروریستی است که در هر جا جز خرابکاری و دشمنی و تعصب کار دیگری ندارد و هر جا که اسلام است فساد و عقب‌گرائی به چشم می‌خورد و از علم و هنر و تمدن گذشته‌اش خبری نیست. وی حتی قویاً به ما پیشنهاد می‌نمود که در محافل خودتان هرگز اسمی از اسلام نبرید.

به نظر رسید که لازم است این جناب از حقایق اسلام بیشتر باخبر شود. از اینرو از یکی از دوستان که در شناخت اسلام تبحری دارد دعوت شد که در جلسه تبلیغ ما شرکت نماید. در نتیجه حدود یک ساعت جناب پروفسور با دوست بهائی به مکالمه پرداخت و در آخر کار به حقانیت اسلام اعتراف نمود و همان جلسه ایمان کامل خود را به دیانت مقدس بهائی و حضرت بهاءالله اعتراف نمود.

شخص دیگر که اعتراف به مظهریت حضرت بهاءالله نمود خانمی است میان‌سال از سرخپوستان بومی امریکا. او به صرف اینکه خیلی دیر این آئین جهانی و احکام آن را شناخته است، با شوق زیاد در صدد آن شده است که همه اقوام و فامیل خودش را آگاه نماید و نیز سعی بر این دارد که دوستان و همکاران اداریش را از حقایق امرالله باخبر کند.

هر دوی این اشخاص عزیز و بهائیان تازه‌تصدیق که هر یک در مراتب علمی و خدمات اجتماعی دارای قدر و مقامند، با شوق زیادی در انتشار کلمه جامعه الهی پرداخته‌اند و تجارب خود را از برخوردشان با آئین آسمانی با دیگران مطرح می‌نمایند.

آثار مبارکه حضرت نقطه اولی

WRITINGS OF THE BAB

نوشته دکتر آهنگ ربانی (ادامه از شماره قبل)

۳- دلائل سبعه

دلائل سبعه از عظیم‌ترین آثار استدلالیه حضرت نقطه اولی جل کبریائه است که شارح هفت دلیل در اثبات حقانیت مظاهر مقدسه الهیه و عظمت آیات متعالیه رحمانیه است.

دلائل سبعه در ایام اقامت نه ماهه هیکل مبارک در جبل ماکو عز نزول یافته که اقامت هیکل مبارک در قلعه مذکور از شعبان ۱۲۶۳ تا جمادی‌الاول ۱۲۶۴ طول کشید.

نزول این سفر جلیل را باید مقارن و همزمان با نزول کتاب مستطاب بیان دانست، چه که دقیقاً معلوم و مسلم نیست که نزول کدام یک از آنها مقدم بوده است. قسمتی از این سفر کریم به عربی و مابقی آن به زبان فارسی است که به اسلوبی بدیع و سبکی شیرین و دلنشین هفت دلیل بر حقانیت مطالع امر حضرت یزدان ارائه فرموده‌اند.

محض تبرک و تیمن و استحضار یاران آیاتی از آن لوح مبارک نقل می‌شود، قوله العزیز الفرید:

"تصور نکنی که این امری است سهل که این خلقی است اعجب از خلق سموات و ارض و ما بینهما."

"حال نظر کن که علمای نصاری عالم شدند از برای آنکه امت عیسی را نجات دهند... خلق را ممنوع نمودند از ایمان و هدایت. حال باز برو عالم شو! کل امت عیسی اطاعت علمای خود می‌نمودند برای آنکه نجات یابند در روز قیامت و حال آنکه همین اتباع ایشان را داخل در نار نمود در یوم ظهور رسول الله.... حال برو متبع عالم شو! نه، والله نه عالم شو و نه متبع...."

این سفر کریم از نظر استدلال بسیار شبیه به کتاب مستطاب ایقان است که اصول استدلال در این دو اثر امنع اعلی احتجاج به آیات الهی و تشریح دلائل متقنه مظاهر قدس رحمانی است. دلائل مبارکه که مفصلاً بیان گشته‌اند درباره حجیت و دلیلیت آیات رحمانی است.

(ادامه در شماره آینده)

اعتذار
در یکی از شماره‌های پیشین نشریه "امریکن بهائی" در گزارش مختصری که از چهارمین کنفرانس انجمن دوستداران فرهنگ ایرانی درج شده بود، نام دکتر ایرج خادمی و شرح سخنرانیشان درباره موسیقی ایرانی از قلم افتاده بود. بدین ترتیب به اصلاح آن می‌پردازیم و از نسیان قلم پوزش می‌خواهیم.

خدمات نوجوانان

EXEMPLARY SERVICE BY THE YOUTH

منا پارسا نوجوان بهائی ۱۲ ساله ساکن آلیسو ویه‌هو Aliso Viejo در ایالت کالیفرنیا است.

در یکی از کلاس‌های مدرسه از شاگردان خواستند که ۱۰ خصوصیت از صفات منحصر به فرد خود را ذکر کنند. اولین خصوصیتی که منا برای خود برشمرد این بود که بهائی است.

معلم منا که تحت تأثیر رفتار نمونه او قرار گرفته بود بعد از ساعات مدرسه از منا خواست که اطلاعات بیشتری درباره امر بهائی به او بدهد. منا گفت که جزواتی راجع به امر مبارک برای معلم خواهد آورد و هفته بعد نیز از معلمش دعوت کرد که در جلسه تبلیغی که در خانه‌اش تشکیل می‌شود شرکت کند.

یکی دیگر از معلمان منا نیز وقتی که دید منا پیراهنی (T-Shirt) به تن کرده که روی آن شعار One Planet, One People... Please نوشته شده بود، اظهار کرد که علاقه دارد راجع به امر مبارک اطلاعاتی حاصل کند.

منا و خانواده‌اش در نظر دارند جلسات تبلیغی ماهانه‌ای برای معلمان و همشاگردانش تشکیل دهند.

برای منای عزیز آرزوی موفقیت بیشتر می‌کنیم و به خانواده‌اش تبریک می‌گوییم.

کلاس فشرده تزئید معلومات

DR. GHADIMI'S COURSE

محفل روحانی شهر یونیورسیتی پارک در ایالت تگزاس از یاران عزیز دعوت می‌نماید در کلاس سه روزه تزئید معلوماتی جناب دکتر ریاض قدیمی که از ۳ تا ۵ سپتامبر سال جاری در مرکز بهائی آرلینگتون تشکیل می‌شود، شرکت نمایند.

علاقه‌مندان می‌توانند برای کسب اطلاعات بیشتر با مسؤولان تشکیل کلاس مذکور تماس حاصل نمایند. ۹۳۶۶-۳۶۱ (۲۱۴) یا ۳۲۶۷-۵۷۲ (۸۱۷)

حقوق الله
از دوستان عزیز مستدعی است تقدیمی‌های حقوق الله را در وجه Bahá’í Huququ’lláh Trust به نشانی یکی از امنای حقوق الله ارسال فرمایند. Dr. Amin Banani Santa Monica, CA. 90402 Dr. Daryush Haghighi Rocky River, OH. 44116 Dr. Elsie Austin 9039 Sligo Creek Parkway, #612 Silver Spring, MD. 20901

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لجنات ایالتی نشر نفحات

STATE TEACHING COMMITTEES

با انتصاب "لجنات ایالتی نشر نفحات" (State Teaching Committees) در ۹ ایالت از ایالات متحده پیوند بین فعالیت‌های تبلیغی احباء با مساعی و اهداف لجنه ملی نشر نفحات تحکیم بیشتری یافته است.

این لجنات ایالتی را می‌توان بعنوان "لجنات تحقق یدخلون فی دین الله افواجاً" تلقی کرد که هدف اصلی آنها کمک به پیشرفت و گسترش سریع امر مبارک در جوامع محلی است.

تأسیس لجنات مذکور در زمانی صورت می‌گیرد که جامعه بهائی امریکا در نیمه دوم نقشه سه‌ساله در آستانه موفقیت‌های شایانی قرار گرفته است.

همچنین تشکیل این لجنات گامی در راه عدم تمرکز تشکیلات بهائی در یک نقطه است که بیت‌العدل اعظم الهی در دستخط مورخ ۱۹ می سال جاری محفل روحانی ملی را تشویق به تحقق آن فرموده‌اند.

در حال حاضر لجنات ایالتی نشر نفحات در واشنگتن، ارگان، کرولاینای شمالی، کرولاینای جنوبی، جنوب و شمال کالیفرنیا، آریزونا، تگزاس، جورجیا و فلوریدا تأسیس شده است و هر یک از آنها ۵ تا هفت نفر عضو دارد که به مدت یک سال در آن لجنات عضویت خواهند داشت.

در صورتی که لازم باشد لجنات دیگری در نقاط دیگر نیز تأسیس خواهد شد.

تشکیل این ده لجنه پس از مشاورات طولانی مشاورین قاره‌ای و محفل روحانی ملی و لجنه ملی نشر نفحات صورت گرفت.

پیچیدگی فعالیت‌های تبلیغی در هر یک از این ایالات به حدی رسیده بود که تشکیل این لجنات لازم دیده می‌شد. حدود ۶۰ تا ۶۵ درصد رشد و گسترش سالانه امر مبارک در ایالات مذکور صورت می‌گیرد و شامل حدود ۷۰ در صد احباء و محفل روحانی محلی است.

وظائف و عملکرد لجنات ایالتی همانند لجنه ملی نشر نفحات است جز اینکه لجنات ایالتی در سطح ایالات خدمت می‌کنند. از جمله این وظائف تجزیه و تحلیل امور تبلیغی و گزارش چگونگی آن امور به لجنه ملی نشر نفحات و محفل روحانی ملی و رهبری فعالیت‌های تبلیغی است.

همچنین این لجنات برنامه‌های تبلیغی را تنظیم خواهند کرد و اقدامات لجنه ملی را گسترش خواهند داد. علاوه بر این احبای منطقه از طریق متحدالمال‌ها و غیر آن از پیشرفت فعالیت‌های تبلیغی آگاه خواهند ساخت.

در حال حاضر مشاورات بین لجنات مذکور و محفل روحانی محلی و اعضای هیئت معاونت و مساعدانشان آغاز گردیده است. امید است این روابط سبب شود که لجنات ایالتی نقاطی را که تبلیغ امر مبارک در آن موفقیت دارد شناسائی کنند.

همه محافل محلی ایالات برگزیده شده نامه‌هائی دریافت داشته و از کم و کیف لجنات ایالتی آگاهی یافته‌اند. به محافل مذکور توصیه شده است که حمایت خود را از آن لجنات دریغ ندارند.

روابط بین لجنات مذکور و هیئت معاونت از اهمیت ویژه‌ای برخوردار است زیرا با همکاری این مؤسسات می‌توان اقدامات تبلیغی را تقویت نمود. در حال حاضر در بسیاری از نقاط جلسات مشترکی تشکیل شده است.

تأسیس لجنات ایالتی نتیجه قیام یاران امریکا به خدمات تبلیغی در خلال نقشه سه‌ساله است.

محفل روحانی ملی در ابتدای نقشه فعالیت‌های تبلیغی جامعه امریکا را بررسی کرد. لجنه ملی نشر نفحات با سازمانی جدید از نو تشکیل شد و لجنات ناحیه‌ای تبلیغ District Teaching Committees سوای چند لجنه همگی منحل گردید.

هر چند لجنات ناحیه‌ای خدمات پرارزشی می‌کردند، اما محفل روحانی ملی مصلحت را در آن می‌دید که مستقیماً با محافل روحانی محلی و افراد در ارتباط باشد و آنان را به خدمات امری برانگیزد.

حال در بسیاری از نواحی فعالیت‌های یاران به حدی رسیده که در چند سال گذشته بی‌سابقه بوده است. در نتیجه لازم بود این فعالیت‌ها از حمایت بیشتری برخوردار شود و ترتیب بهتری یابد و بدین منظور بود که لجنات ایالتی تأسیس یافت.

بزرگداشت روز وحدت نژاد

RACE UNITY DAY

گزارش‌های رسیده از ۱۰ ایالت از این حکایت دارد که بزرگداشت روز وحدت نژاد - ۱۲ جون - با موفقیت برگزار گردیده است.

عده شرکت‌کنندگان در نقاط گوناگون متفاوت ولی تنوع و کثرت آنان یکسان بوده است؛ بدین معنی که زن و مرد و جوان و بزرگسال و سالمند از همه نژادها و پیشینه‌هائی که ترکیب جامعه بهائی را تشکیل می‌دهد در آن مراسم شرکت نموده بودند.

از دوستان عزیز تقاضا می‌شود شرح جزئیات برنامه‌های جوامع امری را همراه با عکسهائی از آن مراسم در صفحات انگلیسی از نظر بگذرانند.

تجلیل از دو معمار بهائی

TWO BAHÁ’Í ARCHITECTS HONORED IN NEW YORK

روز ۹ می سال جاری آقای جولیانی Giuliani شهردار نیویورک جایزه‌ای از جانب بنیاد بازرگانی آسیا و اقیانوس کبیر به خانم نوشین برایان Bryan اهداء کرد.

خانم برایان در سال ۱۹۸۵ مؤسسه‌ای تشکیل داد بدین منظور که فن معماری را در راه برآوردن نیازهای مردم در اختیار همگان قرار دهد.

آقای بشیر زبوری نیز طرح خاصی برای ساختن میز و صندلی خردسالان بوسیله خم کردن تخته چندلای ابداع نموده و آن را به نام کیندرلینک Kin-der-Link به ثبت رسانده است.

طرح آقای زبوری برای نمایش در چند نمایشگاه امریکا و کانادا برگزیده شده و چند بنیاد معماری داخلی جوائزی برای طرح مذکور در نظر گرفته‌اند.

موفقیت این عزیزان را تبریک می‌گوئیم و در انتظار پیشرفت بیشتر آنان و دیگر یاران هستیم.

تصحیح و اعتذار

CORRECTION

در شماره ۱۱ از سال ۲۵ "امریکن بهائی" مورخ اول آگست ۱۹۹۴ متأسفانه شماره فکس و نشانی پست الکترونیک مربوط به تقاضای اجازه تشرف اشتباه چاپ شده است. شماره‌های صحیح چنین است:

تلفن: (۵۰۷-۳۵۸-۹۷۲۰)

(Internet address: )

همچنین شماره تلفن مؤسسه مطالعات بهائی در کانادا چنین است: ۳۰۴۰-۶۲۸ (۹۰۵)

توزیع کتاب‌های امری بوسیله سازمان پنگوئن

PENGUIN BOOKS DISTRIBUTES BAHÁ’Í PUBLICATIONS

مؤسسه انتشاراتی وان ورلد One-world Publications در انگلستان اعلام کرد که از ژانویه سال آینده سازمان معروف پنگوئن Penguin Books توزیع کتاب‌های امری آن مؤسسه را در ایالات متحده و کانادا بر عهده خواهد گرفت.

در جون سال جاری سازمان پنگوئن توزیع انتشارات وان ورلد را در اروپا و آسیا و افریقا و امریکای جنوبی آغاز کرد.

تأسیس مؤسسه وان ورلد بدین جهت بوده است که آثار بهائی و کتاب‌های مربوط به امر مبارک در دسترس ‎ازار بازار‎ کتاب قرار گیرد. انتظار می‌رود که توزیع این آثار توسط سازمان پنگوئن نشریات بهائی را در دسترس گروه بیشتر از مردم قرار دهد.

کنفرانس سالانه نور

21st ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF NUR

بیست و یکمین کنفرانس سالانه نور از ۲۷ تا ۲۹ می سال جاری در کالج الیزابت‌تاون Elizabethtown ایالت پنسیلوانیا تشکیل شد.

در کنفرانس امسال جناب دکتر دیوید روح، عضو سابق بیت‌العدل اعظم و خانم ویلما الیس، مشاور قاره‌ای و دبیر کل جامعه جهانی بهائی و خانم طاهرة عهدیه، عضو هیئت معاونت شرکت داشتند.

سخنرانان محترم درباره موضوع‌هایی چون "وفاداری به عهد و پیمان" و "گسترش محبت و وحدت و الفت" و "آغاز تأسیس ملکوت الهی در زمین" به ایراد نطق پرداختند و شوری در حاضران برانگیختند.

پس از هر سخنرانی ۹ کارگاه workshop برای جوانان و بزرگسالان تشکیل می‌شد و برای خردسالان نیز برنامه‌های ویژه‌ای در نظر گرفته ‎شد بود شده بود‎.

گروهی از هنرمندان بهائی نیز در کنفرانس شرکت داشتند و به اجرای برنامه‌های موسیقی و آوازهای دسته‌جمعی پرداختند.

در یکی از جلسات که جهت تقدیم تبرعات به صندوق ساختمان‌های قوس تشکیل می‌شد، بیش از ۹۰۰۰ دلار جمع‌آوری شد.

و گفتنی است که در طی این کنفرانس ۲ نفر به امر مبارک اقبال کردند. [Page 22]

ترجمه مرقومه دارالانشاء بیت‌العدل اعظم الهی

MESSAGE FROM THE BAHÁ’Í WORLD CENTRE خطاب به محفل روحانی ملی بهائیان ایالات متحده مورخ ۸ می ۱۹۹۴

یاران عزیز روحانی،

در جریان ملاقات آن محفل با بیت‌العدل اعظم در ارض اقدس این سؤال را مطرح نمودید که آیا صحیح و مناسب است که بعضی از یاران مقیم کشورهای دیگر برای برنامه‌هائی خاص از احبای امریکا تقاضای کمک مالی نمایند؟

اصول کلی حاکم بر این امور طی نامۀ مورخ ۲۶ اپریل ۱۹۹۳ که از طرف بیت‌العدل اعظم مرقوم شده به آن محفل ابلاغ گردیده است. بخشی از آن نامه که بخصوص مربوط به این موضوع است، ذیلاً نقل می‌شود:

"بیت‌العدل اعظم نگرانی آن محفل را در مورد جمع‌آوری تبرعات در امریکا برای کمک به مؤسسات تربیتی و برنامه‌های توسعۀ اقتصادی و اجتماعی خارج از امریکا کاملاً احساس می‌نمایند. چنان که می‌دانید اطلاعات مربوط به طرح‌ها و برنامه‌هائی که از ارزش خاص برخوردار است از راه‌های مختلف غیررسمی منتشر می‌شود و در نتیجه اعضاء جامعه ممکن است علاقه‌مند شوند که به آن طرح‌ها کمک کنند. در این موارد کاری نمی‌توان کرد جز آنکه باید دائماً کوشید تا جامعۀ بهائی امریکا از اولویت مسئولیت‌های مالی خود کاملاً آگاه گردد و این آگاهی راهنمائی برای اقدامات آنان باشد. ولکن تشکیلات امری و افراد احباء که خارج از حوزۀ حاکمیت شما هستند نباید بدون موافقت صریح آن محفل در ایالات متحده اقدام به جمع‌آوری تبرعات نمایند."

بیت‌العدل اعظم تصریح این نکته را مقرر فرموده‌اند که در تنفیذ این خط‌مشی نباید راه افراط پیمود. بسیار مهم است که هر فرد بهائی این معنی را دریابد که به جامعه‌ای محلی، ملی و جهانی تعلق دارد و باید دید او از امرالله و وظائف خود در قبال آن جهانی باشد.

طبیعی است که افراد بهائی که به کشور دیگری سفر می‌کنند یا مبلغین سیار و مهاجرین که به کشور خود باز می‌گردند، موفقیت‌ها، نیازها و مشکلات مناطقی را که بازدید کرده‌اند با سایر احباء در میان می‌گذارند. این امر ممکن است شوق کمک مالی یا کمک‌های دیگر برای تقدم و پیشرفت امرالله در آن مناطق را در قلوب یاران ایجاد نماید. گر چه این امر ممکن است تا حدودی باعث کاهش کمک یاران الهی به صندوق‌های محلی و ملی کشور خود شود، اما به هیچ وجه نباید از چنین همکاری بین‌المللی غیررسمی ممانعت نمود، زیرا بیت‌العدل اعظم احساس می‌نمایند که روی‌هم‌رفته تأثیر منفی این امر به آن میزان نیست که مایۀ نگرانی شود، در حالی که نتایج مثبت آن برای جامعۀ بهائی بسیار نافع است.

در مکتوب مورخ ۲۶ اپریل ۱۹۹۳ که ذکر لزوم موافقت محفل برای "اقدام به جمع‌آوری تبرعات" شده بود، این قبیل ارتباطات غیررسمی مورد نظر بیت‌العدل اعظم نبوده است. اقدامات و فعالیت‌های مربوط به جمع‌آوری تبرعات که مستلزم تصویب آن محفل است، بیشتر شامل اقدامات رسمی و منظم است، مانند فرستادن نامه برای تقاضای تبرعات به عده‌ای از احباء که ارتباط مستقیمی با موضوع ندارند، یا سفر به جوامع مختلف امری به منظور سخنرانی دربارۀ طرح‌ها و برنامه‌های معینی که نیاز به مساعدت مالی دارند.

جزئی از جهان‌بینی یاران باید شامل آگاهی آنان نسبت به مسؤولیت‌های فردی متعددی باشد که نه فقط در قبال کمک به صندوق محلی، بلکه مستقیماً نسبت به صندوق ملی، صندوق قاره‌ای و صندوق بین‌المللی و همچنین سایر مشروعات بین‌المللی چون صندوق ابنیۀ قوس کوه کرمل، صندوق توکیل بین‌المللی و صندوق ملوفین ایران دارند. با توجه به مقررات مالیاتی و کنترل ارز ممکن است صلاح در این باشد که احباء این نوع تبرعات را از طریق محافل محلی و ملی ارسال دارند که البته روشی صحیح است. ولی برخی از یاران ترجیح می‌دهند که تبرعات خود را مستقیماً تقدیم نمایند و طبیعةً مختارند به این ترتیب نیز عمل نمایند.

بیت‌العدل اعظم امیدوارند که این توضیحات در تخفیف نگرانی موجود در این موارد مؤثر باشد.

با تقدیم تحیات بهائی از طرف دارالانشاء بیت‌العدل اعظم

پیشرفت ساختمان بناهای قوس

PROGRESS OF THE ARC PROJECTS

روز ۱۰ می سال جاری شهردار حیفا به دفتر مشروعات بهائی کوه کرمل خبر داد که آقای اسحق رابین Yitzhak Rabin، نخست وزیر اسرائیل که در حال حاضر سِمت وزیر داخلی آن کشور را نیز بر عهده دارد، طرحی را که مرکز جهانی بهائی برای برنامه‌ریزی شهری تسلیم نموده بود، تصویب و امضاء کرده است.

بدین ترتیب مراحل تصویب طرح شهرسازی با مهر جواز مذکور اکمال یافت و در نتیجه راه را برای تکمیل بدون وقفۀ طرح طبقات پیرامون مقام حضرت اعلی و ساختمان‌های قوس هموار ساخت.

حضرت ولی امرالله از طرح شهرسازی قدیمی شهرداری حیفا که در زمان حیات مبارک تصویب شده بود و تا زمان حاضر تنفیذ می‌شد اظهار ناخشنودی فرموده بودند و تصویب طرح جدید را می‌توان به منزلۀ کسب رضایت مولای توانا تلقی کرد.

تصویب طرح جدید موجب حفاظت اعتاب مقدسه امر مبارک و حاکی از اذعان دولت اسرائیل به اهمیت ویژۀ باغ‌های پیرامون مقام اعلی و ساختمان‌های کوه کرمل است و در عین حال رسمیت و اهمیت خاصی را که دولت اسرائیل برای اماکن متبرکۀ بهائی قائل است، نمودار می‌سازد.

روز ۱۳ جون سال جاری آقای اسحق رابین به همراه شهردار حیفا و چند تن از افراد عالی‌رتبه از مرکز جهانی بهائی دیدار کرد. نخست وزیر اسرائیل طبقه نهم از طبقات مقام اعلی را که منظره کاملی از طبقات زیرین و خیابان Templar Colony دارد، بازدید کرد. بازسازی و تعمیر خیابان مذکور یکی از برنامه‌های اصلی شهرداری حیفا است.

مهندس فریبرز صهباء در طی دیدار نخست وزیر درباره مشروعات کوه کرمل توضیحاتی به مشارالیه داد.

شرح تفصیلی پیشرفت عملیات ساختمانی و عکس‌های بدیعی از آن در بخش انگلیسی این شماره درج شده است. از خوانندگان عزیز دعوت می‌شود به صفحات انگلیسی رجوع فرمایند.

کتابخانه بین‌المللی بهائی

INTERNATIONAL BAHÁ’Í LIBRARY

یکی از ساختمان‌های قوس حول مرقد مطهره کتابخانه بین‌المللی بهائی است. بیت‌العدل اعظم الهی در دستخط مورخ ۳۱ آگست سال ۱۹۸۷ اشاره فرمودند که کتابخانۀ مذکور گنجینه‌ای از همه آثاری خواهد بود که دربارۀ امرالله انتشار یافته و منبع مهمی برای استفادۀ دوائر امری در مرکز جهانی خواهد بود. قابل توجه است که بنای این ساختمان در طی نقشۀ سه‌ساله آغاز نخواهد شد و تا آخر سدۀ حاضر نیز اتمام نخواهد یافت.

حضرت ولی امرالله فرموده‌اند که ساختن بنای دارالآثار بین‌المللی سرآغاز ساختمان چند بنای دیگر خواهد بود که مقر ادارۀ مؤسسۀ ولایت امر الهی و مؤسسۀ ایادی امرالله و بیت‌العدل اعظم الهی خواهد بود. به فرمودۀ مبارک این جریان با دو تحول مهم دیگر مقارنت خواهد داشت که یکی تأسیس صلح اصغر و دیگری تکامل تشکیلات محلی و ملی بهائی است.

در دستخط دیگری از معهد اعلی به تاریخ ۳۱ می سال ۱۹۸۷ خطاب به مدیر مشروعات کوه کرمل بیانی به این مضمون آمده است که مؤسساتی که حضرت ولی امرالله اتمامش را همزمان با تأسیس صلح اصغر ذکر فرموده‌اند، شامل کتابخانه نمی‌شود و دلیلی نیست که بنای ساختمان مذکور در زمان دیگری ساخته نشود.

دامنۀ مشروعات قوس و طبقات مقام اعلی بسیار گسترده و شامل بیش از یک کیلومتر بر کوه کرمل است. صرف نظر کردن از بنای ساختمان کتابخانۀ بین‌المللی بهائی در زمان حاضر تکمیل مشروعات مذکور را آسان‌تر می‌سازد و امکان جمع‌آوری وجوه لازم را فراهم می‌آورد. دلیل دیگر تأخیر بنای آن ساختمان جلوگیری از دشواری‌های مربوط به دسترسی به مقر بیت‌العدل اعظم است که همچنین محل دفتر دارالانشاء معهد اعلی نیز هست. در صورتی که عملیات ساختمانی دارالتبلیغ بین‌المللی و کتابخانۀ مذکور همزمان صورت گیرد، کار دارالانشاء به میزان قابل ملاحظه‌ای مختل خواهد شد.

دلائلی که در بالا ذکر شد تأخیر در بنای ساختمان کتابخانه بین‌المللی بهائی را موجه می‌سازد و در عین حال فرصت لازم را برای تحصیل زمین‌های باقیمانده‌ای که قرار است ساختمان مذکور بر روی آن بنا شود، فراهم می‌سازد. شکی نیست هنگامی که کتابخانۀ بین‌المللی بهائی ساخته شود، به تشکیلات و دوائر مرکز جهانی بهائی کمک بسیاری خواهد کرد. [Page 23]On June 11, Auxiliary Board members and their assistants from Arizona, New Mexico, west Texas and Matamoros, Mexico, gathered at the newly acquired Bahá’í Center in El Paso, Texas, to discuss a wide range of topics including the growth of the Faith with Counselor Arturo Serrano (front row, right of center, in white shirt and glasses). Remodeling of the Center continued until the morning of the meeting to assure comfort and pleasant surroundings for those attending.

Peace conference in Minneapolis may interest Bahá’ís

From time to time, the National Spiritual Assembly receives notices of conferences and other events that may be of interest to the Bahá’í community. One such event is the National Conference on Peacemaking and Conflict Resolution (NCPCR), to be held next May 26-30 in Minneapolis.

Conference organizers have asked that proposals for the conference be submitted to them by October 1.

The conference theme is "Working It Out: Creating Inclusive Social Structures."

It will offer tracks and mini-conferences for people in particular fields such as community mediation, religion, the environment, or education.

Interested persons may organize a workshop or short course, present a paper, request/organize a track, present a performance, convene a caucus or interest group, etc.

Those submitting proposals that mention the Faith are encouraged to inform the National Spiritual Assembly’s Research Office at the Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091 (phone 708-733-3425; fax 708-869-0247). Any questions of a Bahá’í nature about proposals may also be referred to that office.

More information about submitting proposals can be obtained from Linda Baron, executive director, NCPCR, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030 (phone 703-934-5140; fax 703-934-5142; lbaron@gmu.edu).

University of Louisville Bahá’í Club caps remarkable year with Interfaith Dialogue

A truly remarkable year for the University of Louisville (Kentucky) Bahá’í Club culminated April 16 in an equally remarkable Interfaith Discussion on Racism.

The club had won respect as the campus’s "voice of justice" through events it sponsored this past year including the Human Rights Symposia, Bosnian relief efforts and a panel discussion on Bosnia, special programs for Black History Month and Women’s History Month, and appearances by Auxiliary Board member and Lakota performer Kevin Locke.

Now a three-person panel and a mostly African-American audience of 120 people—about 100 of whom were non-Bahá’ís—were gathered to confront America’s "most challenging issue."

Representing the Bahá’ís was Auxiliary Board member Jack Guillebeaux. The two non-Bahá’í speakers were Kevin Cosby, the oft-profiled pastor of Kentucky’s largest African-American church, and Minister Jerald X of the Nation of Islam, a frequent lecturer at universities, high schools and prisons. Both are figures with whom the Bahá’ís have established positive relations.

The moderator was Katherine Amos, the university’s assistant vice president for student development, who proclaimed the Bahá’í Club as the "voice of justice on this campus" and who afterward said that in her heart, she "is a Bahá’í."

The introduction by a member of the Bahá’í Club set a tone of unity, fellowship, love and harmony for the evening.

Dr. Cosby then spoke, thanking the Bahá’ís for "being true to their Faith in holding a forum such as this which examines multiculturalism." He added that "I am with Dr. King when he said that it is either coexistence or nonexistence," and related this quotation to the activities of the Bahá’í Club.

In his talk, Minister Jerald X also was appreciative of the efforts of the Bahá’í Club. At one point he exclaimed, "We are here for unity and to come to a common understanding," reflecting the atmosphere the Bahá’í Club prayed would exist.

Mr. Guillebeaux concluded the formal session, capturing the audience’s attention and curiosity while holding fast to the all-embracing teachings of Bahá’u’lláh. His application of the Faith’s teachings as directly applicable to the dire conditions that exist in the African-American community was well received.

A question-and-answer session followed, centering on such issues as redemption, self-hatred, violence, and collective economics.

After the presentation, many people approached the Bahá’ís to ask for literature.

The forum was featured at 11 o’clock that evening in a two-minute story on local television that the news anchor ended by saying, "This event was sponsored by the Bahá’í Faith, which believes in love, justice, unity, brotherhood, and the establishment of world peace." The Louisville Defender, a newspaper serving Louisville’s black community, published a photo essay on the event.

Wisconsin Bahá’í praised in newspaper for work in preserving history, environment

Connie Conrader, a Bahá’í from Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, was profiled last December 8 in a feature article in the local newspaper, the Oconomowoc Enterprise.

Mrs. Conrader, a historian, artist and author, was praised by the writer, Muriel Anderson, for her involvement in helping to preserve the history of the Oconomowoc area and for her involvement in environmental issues.

The article points out Mrs. Conrader’s Bahá’í affiliation and beliefs, mentions her collaboration with her photographer husband, Jay, on the coffee table book, Tokens from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, and details her authorship of the pamphlet "Women: Attaining Their Birthright," which was used in 1975 at the International Women’s Year conference in Mexico.

Mrs. Conrader, who has worked as a staff member and volunteer at the local library since 1947, also wrote and illustrated a book of fiction for children, Blue Wampum, based on the story of Winnebago Indian Chief Red Bird.

IN MEMORIAM

Joe W. Bitsuie Kayenta, AZ March 21, 1994	Dennis C. Neil Duluth, MN June 23, 1994
Jordan B. Brown Duluth, MN April 10, 1994	Edna Norvell Bridgeport, CT June 9, 1994
Dale L. Forest Missoula, MT June 16, 1994	Marjorie Reynolds Grand Rapids, MI January 29, 1994
Mary Louise Garcia St. Louis, MO June 12, 1994	Janet N. Ward Santa Clara, CA July 20, 1994
Olivia Kelly-Hodge El Cajon, CA July 1, 1994	Merlin L. Young Pendleton, OR May 21, 1994

[Page 24]

Calendar of events

On May 14, the Bahá’ís of Downey, California, manned an information booth at the first ‘Downey Street Faire.’ The all-day event was attended by more than 5,000 people, many of whom paused at the colorful Bahá’í display to read and refresh themselves with cold water handed out by the friends. More than 100 people asked questions and accepted Bahá’í literature.

MOVING? TELL US YOUR NEW ADDRESS.

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

A. NAME(S): B. NEW RESIDENCE ADDRESS: C. NEW MAILING ADDRESS: D. NEW COMMUNITY: E. HOME TELEPHONE NUMBER: F. WORK TELEPHONE NUMBER(S): G. WE RECEIVE EXTRA COPIES BECAUSE: H. I WOULD LIKE A COPY:

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

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

AUGUST

26-28: Massanetta Springs (Virginia) Bahá’í Conference. Theme: “The Destiny of America.” Speakers to include Auxiliary Board members Tahereh Ahdieh and Jim Sturdivant. Registrar: Brenner Pugh, 1351 W. Laburnum Ave., Richmond, VA 23221 (phone 804-353-0873).

27-September 1: General Session, “The Destiny of America,” Bosch Bahá’í School. For information, phone 408-423-3387; fax 408-423-7564.

30-September 5: Summer Institute, “The Family in Perspective,” Landegg Academy, Wienacht, Switzerland.

SEPTEMBER

1-4: Program for Sensitive International Teaching Areas (SITA), Louis Gregory Bahá’í Institute, Hemingway, South Carolina. Attendance is by invitation.

1-6: Bahá’í Youth Service Corps/Pioneer Training Institute, Louis G. Gregory Bahá’í Institute, Hemingway, South Carolina. Attendance is by invitation.

2-5: Homecoming, Louhelen Bahá’í School. For information, phone 810-653-5033.

2-5: Appreciation of the Arts and Film Colloquium with presentations and workshops, Bosch Bahá’í School. For information, phone 408-423-3387; fax 408-423-7564.

2-5: Tennessee Bahá’í Institute, Monteagle. Theme: “The Destiny of America: Critical Moment in Evolution.” Registrar: Kaihan Strain, 5716 S. Dent Rd., Hixson, TN 37343 (phone 615-842-1720).

3-5: Kentucky Bahá’í School, Lake Cumberland. Registrar: Chris Hamilton, 1324 S. Lee St., Bowling Green, KY 42101 (502-782-9060).

3-5: Persian deepening class for Dallas/Fort Worth area conducted by Dr. Riaz Ghadimi, Arlington, Texas, Bahá’í Center. For information, phone 214-361-9366 or 817-572-3269.

16-18: Chinese Weekend and Conference with Auxiliary Board members under Stephen Birkland, Bosch Bahá’í School. For information or to register, phone 408-423-3387; fax 408-423-7564.

16-18: “Take Wings and Fly,” annual commemoration of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s visit to Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Program includes Dr. and Mrs. David Ruhe, Marguerite Sears, Louise Matthias, variety of workshops, performances by the Metro Denver Bahá’í Choir, singer/songwriter Yvonne Varner. Special program for youth conducted by Oscar DeGruy. Children’s classes, nursery available. For information, phone 303-928-0543.

16-18: Green Lake (Wisconsin) Bahá’í Conference. For housing and meal registration, contact the Green Lake Conference Center, American Baptist Assembly, Green Lake, WI 54941 (800-558-8898 or 414-294-3323). For program-related information, contact Salma Mughrabi-Howard, secretary, Green Lake Committee, 333 Des Plaines Road, DePere, WI 54115 (414-337-1844).

16-18: Annual meeting of the European Bahá’í Business Forum, Landegg Academy, Wienacht, Switzerland.

22-25: The Creative Resolution of Conflict: A Conference for European Youth Organizations, Landegg Academy, Wienacht, Switzerland.

23-25: LSA Team Building Weekend, Bosch Bahá’í School. For information, phone 408-423-3387; fax 408-423-7564.

25-October 1: Elderhostel, Bosch Bahá’í School. Phone 408-423-3387.

30-October 5: Annual meeting of the Association for Bahá’í Studies (German-Speaking), Landegg Academy, Wienacht, Switzerland.

OCTOBER

2: Conference to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the birth of Mohandas K. Gandhi, University of Maryland, College Park. Co-sponsored by the university’s Bahá’í Chair for World Peace, Center for International Development and Conflict Management. For information about the conference, contact the Gandhi Institute in Memphis, Tennessee (phone 901-725-0815; fax 901-725-0846).

7-9: National Latino Conference, Bosch Bahá’í School. For information, phone 408-423-3387; fax 408-423-7564.

14-16: Annual meeting of the Bahá’í Justice Society, Tempe, Arizona.

14-16: Third Haj Mehdi Arjmand Scripture Conference (conducted in Persian), Green Acre Bahá’í School, Eliot, Maine. For information, phone Robert H. Stockman, 708-733-3425.

14-16: Urban LSA Conference IV, Bosch Bahá’í School. For information, phone 408-423-3387; fax 408-423-7564.

20-23: Training program for Sensitive International Teaching Areas (SITA), Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL. Attendance by invitation.

20-23: Bahá’í Youth Service Corps/Pioneer Training Institute, Bahá’í National Center, Evanston, Illinois. Attendance by invitation.

21-23: Kansas Bahá’í School, White Memorial Camp, Council Grove. Contact: Joyce Stohr, 5326 S.W. 22nd St., Topeka, KS 66601.

28-November 2: Annual meeting of the International Society of Agriculture and Rural Development, Landegg Academy, Wienacht, Switzerland.

NOVEMBER

4-6: Wisconsin Family Weekend, Byron Center. Contact Lisa Reimer, 2038 S. Main St., West Bend, WI 53095 (phone 414-338-3023).

4-6: Fourth Haj Mehdi Arjmand Scripture Conference, De Poort, the Netherlands, with focus on the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. For information, phone Robert H. Stockman, 708-733-3425.

18-22: Music Forum, Landegg Academy, Wienacht, Switzerland. Theme: “The Role of Music in a Changing World.” ‎Worskhops Workshops‎ conducted in English and German. For information, please contact Landegg Academy, CH-9405, Wienacht/AR, Switzerland.

ASMA’ B.E. 151 / AUGUST 20, 1994