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[Page 1]THE AMERICAN BAHÁ’Í Mulk B.E. 152 / February 7, 1996

To the Bahá’ís of the world

Dearly loved Friends,

In the wake of the dynamic spirit animating the six-day-long Counselors’ Conference at the World Center, now in its final session as we address you, we take the occasion to announce our decision which has been the subject of their deliberations: At Ridván 1996 a global plan of expansion and consolidation will be launched, to end four years later at Ridván 2000.

It is this anticipation that has focused the thoughts of the seventy-eight Counselors from the five continents, who have been conferring together in the presence of the Hands of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum, ‘Alí-Akbar Furútan and ‘Alí-Muhammad Varqá, the members of the Universal House of Justice and the Counselor members of the International Teaching Center. Their consultations on the challenges and prospects facing the Bahá’í world community have been of such caliber and content as to have emboldened our expectations of a mighty thrust in the growth and development of that community during the crucial years immediately ahead.

The whole Plan will be announced at Ridván. However, we wish you to have some information about it now within the measure of the discussions which have been taking place at the Counselors’ Conference.

The Four Year Plan will aim at one major accomplishment: a significant advance in the process of entry by troops. This is to be achieved through marked progress in the activity and development of the individual believer, of the institutions, and of the local community. Keen attention to all three will ensure a greatly expanded, visibly united, vibrant and cohesive international community by the end of the twentieth century. The basic requisites can be summarized as follows.

The first calls for a vitality of the faith of each believer that is expressed through personal initiative and constancy in teaching the Cause to others, and through conscientious, individual effort to provide energy and resources to upbuild the community, to uphold the authority of its institutions, and to support local and regional plans and teaching projects.

The second requires that local and national Bahá’í institutions evolve more rapidly into a proper exercise of their responsibilities as channels of guidance.

At left, former Universal House of Justice member David Hofman gently sets down the Award of Excellence given him by the Rabbani Charitable Trust. Above, Auxiliary Board member Kevin Locke performs a hoop dance. (Photos by Tom Mennillo)

‘Paths to Peace’ explored

By TOM MENNILLO

For four days, participants in the third North American Bahá’í Conference on Social and Economic Development in Orlando, Florida, were led down the “Paths to Peace.” What glorious paths they were: “Global Prosperity Through the Advancement of Women, Human Rights and Moral Development.”

What shining examples the Rabbani Charitable Trust chose to illumine the way: former Universal House of Justice member Hugh E. Chance and his wife, Margaret; former Universal House of Justice member David Hofman and his late wife, Marion; and Brazilian Federal Deputy Luiz Gushiken.

And what intrepid tour guides were provided for the journey: former Universal House of Justice member David Newkirk of Canada, and Secretary-General Hugh C. Adamson of the United Kingdom; Mr. Gushiken; Mary S. Power, director of the Office for the Advancement of Women at the Bahá’í International Community; an all-star cast of performers including Kevin Locke, Jack Lenz, Nancy Ward, Jeff Jones, Shokouh Rezai, Manoo-chehr Vahman and Ed Vanden Dool; and dozens of working group leaders and facilitators who themselves are leaders in their fields.

Where we are

The staging area for our weekend trek was a Thursday night program that assessed the current state of Bahá’í and world affairs.

Joel S. Nizin read a letter from Jeffrey Mondschein, chief financial officer at the Bahá’í World Center, who was unable to attend because of illness. Mr. Mondschein reminded us that the new Plan in the works synchronizes with the final stages in the Arc Projects, the completion of which will be of such caliber and content as to have emboldened our expectations of a mighty thrust in the growth and development of that community during the crucial years immediately ahead.

Dallas conference fuels already-energized youth

The dark horizon faced by a world which has failed to recognize the Promised One, the Source of its salvation, acutely affects the outlook of the younger generations; their distressing lack of hope and their indulgence in desperate but futile and even dangerous solutions make a direct claim on the remedial attention of Bahá’í youth, who, through their knowledge of that Source and the bright vision with which they have thus been endowed, cannot hesitate to impart to their despairing fellow youth the restorative joy, the constructive hope, the radiant assurances of Bahá’u’lláh’s stupendous Revelation.—The Universal House of Justice, May 8, 1985

By TOM MENNILLO

All one can say in the wake of the National Bahá’í Youth Conference held December 28-31 in Dallas, Texas, is: you had to be there.

The National Spiritual Assembly was there, expressing through words and deeds the value it places on youth and its awareness of the role youth will play in bringing about entry by troops.

So were a couple hundred adults who saw mirrored in our young people’s faces the transforming power of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation. One was Texas state Rep. Fred Hill, representing Gov. George W. Bush. Others, from the news media, lavished public attention on the event. Then there were the parents and an army of volunteers mustered by the local Spiritual Assembly of Dallas.

Most important, more than 2,000 youth were there, as outstanding plenary speakers, performers, workshop facilitators and just plain participants. They came from all corners of the land, and in their great diversity went far toward forging a Bahá’í identity that transcends cultural or ethnic limitations. At least four souls were moved during the conference to declare their belief in Bahá’u’lláh.

The National Teaching Committee’s hope was that the conference would fuel the marvelous acceleration of youth activity that we have already seen during the Three Year Plan—activity captured so vividly in the video Coming of Age: Youth in Service which premiered at the conference.

The next phase will involve more intensive training of youth through a series of programs aimed at various youth audiences: a national task force for Bahá’í Youth Workshops; an ongoing series of regional college club symposia, which has already begun; another national youth conference this summer in Chicago, which will focus on training in teaching and service; refinement and augmentation of the Army of Light youth teaching campaign; further development of the Bahá’í Youth Service Corps program; and, last but not least, the formation of a national youth committee so that youth themselves will have a high level of input in all of these programs.

If the spirit of love and service pervading this gathering is any indication, Bahá’í youth are ready for any and all challenges that come their way.

You had to be there. But for those who weren’t (and those who were), complete coverage begins on page 15. [Page 2]

A call for victory in Three Year Plan

To the Bahá’ís of the United States

Dearly loved friends,

In its message to the Bahá’ís of the world dated December 31, 1995, the Universal House of Justice called upon the believers everywhere to concentrate on winning the goals of the Three Year Plan in its remaining months.

"An auspicious beginning for the new Plan," wrote the House of Justice, "will largely depend on the results of the current one, which will end in just a few months. The adequacy of these results will owe much to the degree to which the local Spiritual Assemblies and the friends carry out the directions of their National Spiritual Assemblies, the generals of every Plan. Time is slipping away. This reality should prod us all to maximum action."

There is already much to be grateful for in terms of the strides forward in teaching which the American Bahá’í community has made since the beginning of the Plan. Not only has the level of activity increased dramatically, but the quality of teaching efforts has also increased. The Universal House of Justice observed in this year's Ridván message that there were "evidences of a qualitative change in the response of believers everywhere to the call to teach."

Some examples of forward movement in the U.S include:

• A near ten-fold increase in youth teaching projects, from 25 in the summer of 1993 to nearly 250 last summer.

• A magnificent response to the call for traveling teachers, homefront pioneers and international pioneers in which thousands of individuals have arisen to teach.

• A dramatic increase in the number of local communities that have formulated and implemented teaching plans. During this Plan 867 communities have submitted teaching plans to the National Teaching Committee, nearly tripling the highest record of any previous Plan.

• More attention to minority teaching. For example, the number of projects aimed at reaching Latin Americans has increased from about two dozen known projects in 1993 to nearly 150 today. In some cases there has also been a noticeable increase in teaching activity on the part of Bahá’ís who are themselves members of minority groups.

• A surge in intercommunity projects aimed at bringing about entry by troops. These are mostly in metropolitan areas. There are about 30 known projects either under way or soon to be launched, with news of others coming in at a steady rate.

• A noticeable increase in the use of the compilation "Promoting Entry by Troops" as the basis for creating and evaluating teaching plans.

These are among the most noteworthy achievements to date. At the same time, we have yet to achieve victory on the homefront in two important areas:

1. The numerical goal for the establishment of local Spiritual Assemblies in cities with populations of 50,000 or more has not been won, although most of them have been adopted as extension teaching goals by existing Assemblies. Of the 147 goal localities originally listed, 137 remain as of this writing.

2. The goal of "massive expansion" called for by the Universal House of Justice at the beginning of the Plan has not been realized. The rate of growth in the U.S. has remained steady for the past several years at about 2,000 annually.

In spite of the undeniable increase in teaching activity and the clear resolve of Bahá’ís everywhere to expand the number of believers, a real breakthrough in growth would appear to be no closer now than before.

What does this mean for our activities during the remaining months of the Three Year Plan?

First, we must not lose confidence that victory is achievable.

In its letter of May 19, 1994, to our National Spiritual Assembly, the Universal House of Justice assured us that we "will not be denied a triumphant expansion" if we "remain constant and confident" in our teaching activities.

The House of Justice reminded us of the words of Shoghi Effendi, that "every bearer of the Message of Bahá’u’lláh should consider it not only an obligation but a privilege to scatter far and wide the seeds of His Faith, and to rest content in the abiding knowledge that whatever be the immediate response to that Message, and however inadequate the vehicle that conveyed it, the power of its Author will, as He sees fit, enable those seeds to germinate, and in circumstances which no one can foresee enrich the harvest which the labor of His followers will gather."

Second, we must accelerate the momentum of teaching activity.

All plans or projects, whether on the part of individuals or communities, must be pursued with increased vigor. There must especially be a great increase in the number of individual believers who are actively and effectively conveying the Message of Bahá’u’lláh to others and inviting them to join the Faith. Local Assemblies can play a crucial role in fostering universal participation in teaching.

Third, we must strive to teach not only as much as possible, but also as well as possible.

Teaching is essentially a spiritual process. It begins in the heart of each individual believer, wherein the spark of love for the Blessed Beauty is ignited. The spark is fanned into a flame through the process of spiritual transformation as manifested in prayer, deepening and action, endowing the believer with increasing capacity to enkindle others.

It acquires the collective power of a blaze when the friends act together with true love and unity, fostering the development of spiritually dynamic communities that can offer light and warmth to the spiritually thirsting masses.

To sum up, we must, at a time in human history that we know to be so critical, make greater efforts than ever before to invite "people of every sort and gift to the banquet table of the Lord of Hosts." The more the Cause grows, the greater will be its positive influence on humanity.

In closing, we can do no better than to repeat the words of the House of Justice that "in preparation for what beckons us on the near horizon, we cannot, we must not, hesitate to expend every energy to bring the Three Year Plan to a successful conclusion."

With warmest Bahá’í love,

The National Teaching Committee January 1996

'Race Unity: Prescription for Healing' is theme of Bahá’í conference set for February 22-25 in Charleston, SC

"Race Unity: A Prescription for the Healing of the Nation" is the theme of a Race Unity Conference to be held February 22-25 in Charleston, South Carolina.

The conference will give participants an opportunity to hear some of the country's most original thinkers address the challenge of healing America's racial wounds. Workshops, panel discussions and informal gatherings will enable them to share their experiences, ideas, victories and challenges and to examine new plans for closing the racial divide.

A part of the conference will be devoted to an assessment of the life of the Hand of the Cause of God Louis G. Gregory who devoted himself to the goal of racial unity and equality.

Speakers and panelists will include Dr. Elsie Austin, Charles Bullock, Dr. Wilma Ellis, Tod Ewing, Dr. Jane Faily, Dr. Paul Herron, Dr. C. Eric Lincoln, Wilma Mankiller, Jack McCants, Dr. William Roberts and Nat Rutstein.

For conference information, please phone 803-727-0691.

Published every 38 days (plus one special issue) for a total of 10 a year by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201. Second class postage paid at Evanston, IL and additional mailing offices. ISSN Number: 1062-1113 Executive Editor: Jack Bowers Associate Editor: Tom Mennillo

The American Bahá’í welcomes news, letters and other items of interest from individuals and the various institutions of the Bahá’í Faith. Articles should be clear and concise; color or black-and-white glossy photographs should be included whenever possible. Please address all correspondence and other materials to The Editor, The American Bahá’í, 415 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091. Send address changes to Management Information Services, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201. Copyright 1996 by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. World rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.

Local Assemblies: bedrock of the Bahá’í community

As mentioned in the letter on this page, we need to achieve victory in the area of establishing Spiritual Assemblies in cities with populations of 50,000 or more. Strong Spiritual Assemblies are the bedrock of of our community and are essential for accepting "entry by troops." If we do not have a strong foundation we will not be able to accommodate large numbers of people entering the Faith. How will we look after the spiritual well-being of thousands of Bahá’ís? How will we deepen people, conduct marriages, run schools, hold Feasts? How will we even keep track of our membership if we don't have a strong Assembly?

While teaching in all areas of the country is imperative, large cities are of particular importance at this time. They hold a concentration of resources that we so desperately need, both human and financial. Raising Spiritual Assemblies in large cities is a huge step toward being prepared for "entry by troops."

We ask you to consider helping the friends in the cities listed below to form Spiritual Assemblies by Ridván so that we may achieve this important goal.

Cities of 50,000+ without Spiritual Assemblies

ALABAMA: Dothan

ARKANSAS: Fort Smith, Pine Bluff

CALIFORNIA: Alhambra, Baldwin Park, Bellflower, Buena Park, Carson, Cerritos, Chino, Compton, Daly City, El Monte, Fontana, Huntington Park, Lodi, Lynwood, Montebello, Monterey Park, Napa, National City, Norwalk, Pico Rivera, Redding, Rosemead, Salinas, South Gate, South San Francisco, West Covina, Westminster

COLORADO: Greeley

CONNECTICUT: Bristol, New Britain, Waterbury, West Haven

FLORIDA: Cape Coral, Hialeah, Miami Beach, West Palm Beach

ILLINOIS: Cicero, Des Plaines, Mount Prospect, Oak Lawn, Schaumburg

INDIANA: Anderson, Evansville, Hammond, Terre Haute

IOWA: Waterloo

KANSAS: Olathe

KENTUCKY: Owensboro

LOUISIANA: Bossier City, Kenner, Lafayette, Lake Charles

MASSACHUSETTS: Brockton, Chicopee, Haverhill, Lawrence, Lynn, New Bedford, Waltham

MICHIGAN: Battle Creek, Dearborn Heights, Livonia, Pontiac, Rochester Hills, Roseville, St. Clair Shores, Taylor, Troy, Warren, Westland, Wyoming

MINNESOTA: Brooklyn Park [Page 3]

Youth and the Three Year Plan

In this year's Ridván message, the Universal House of Justice noted that during the second year of the Three Year Plan there were "evidences of a qualitative change in the response of believers everywhere to the call to teach." Among the several factors attesting to this was "the vigor of the youth in initiating teaching projects and engaging in a range of other Bahá’í activities."

The Bahá’í youth of the United States have surely been among the most active anywhere, as the following examples demonstrate:

Army of Light

In the summer of 1993, three youth who were veterans of the European Routes teaching campaign proposed that a similar campaign be held in the U.S. As a result, the National Teaching Committee announced the "Army of Light" teaching campaign, which began the following summer.

The Teaching Committee called upon youth to arise as teachers of the Cause, and also asked that local Spiritual Assemblies organize local teaching projects for youth to take part in. As support for the campaign the committee organized a national network of coordinators who provided communication and training services.

In the first summer of the campaign there were 114 youth projects of various durations and descriptions, a vast increase from the mere 25 known projects the year before. In the summer of 1995 the number increased yet again to nearly 250, involving some 3,000 Bahá’í youth.

Assembly goals

MISSOURI: Florissant, St. Joseph NEW JERSEY: Bayonne, Camden, East Orange, Elizabeth, Irvington, Newark, Paterson, Union City, Vineland NEW YORK: Binghamton, New Rochelle, Niagara Falls, Schenectady, Syracuse, Troy, Utica NORTH CAROLINA: Fayetteville OHIO: Canton, Elyria, Hamilton, Lakewood, Lorain, Parma, Springfield, Warren, Youngstown OKLAHOMA: Broken Arrow, Lawton PENNSYLVANIA: Allentown, Altoona, Erie, Reading, Scranton RHODE ISLAND: Cranston, East Providence, Pawtucket TENNESSEE: Clarksville, Jackson TEXAS: Abilene, Baytown, Killeen, Laredo, Longview, Odessa, Port Arthur, San Angelo UTAH: Orem, Provo VIRGINIA: Chesapeake, Danville, Hampton, Lynchburg, Portsmouth, Suffolk WEST VIRGINIA: Huntington WISCONSIN: Kenosha, LaCrosse, Racine, West Allis WYOMING: Cheyenne

Bahá’í Youth Workshops

The earliest highlight of youth teaching in the Three Year Plan took place in the summer of 1993 when members of a dozen Bahá’í Youth Workshops gathered in Atlanta for a metropolitan teaching campaign called "Fruit of the Holy Year."

That project, which resulted in more than 70 enrollments and generated outstanding proclamation opportunities, showcased the capacity of youth as teachers. It also demonstrated the value of the Bahá’í Youth Workshop concept as a means of introducing the Faith to the public while also providing Bahá’í training for youth.

Since then the number of Bahá’í Youth Workshops in the U.S. has increased from 40 to 78, with more being formed every month. The number of workshops in other countries has also increased significantly.

Bahá’í Youth Service Corps

Youth have played key roles in local service and teaching projects by becoming full-time volunteers for periods of several months to more than a year. Bahá’í Youth Service Corps volunteers serve at international and domestic posts. In the U.S. these posts include the permanent Bahá’í schools and institutes as well as a number of projects sponsored by local Assemblies. The number of domestic volunteers has tripled since the beginning of the Plan.

Local communities, appreciating the value of these volunteers, are busily opening up new posts, so that demand now greatly outstrips the current supply.

It is clear that the involvement of youth as teachers and in other capacities of service has greatly increased since the beginning of the Plan. As we move toward Ridván, the youth will surely play their part in bringing the Plan to a successful conclusion.

Meanwhile, the National Spiritual Assembly is planning a number of programs to stimulate youth activity still further, and also to provide quality training. Some are already under way, while others will soon be launched:

• A national task force for Bahá’í Youth Workshops will be appointed to provide training programs on a regular basis in all parts of the country and to develop materials for local use.

• An ongoing series of regional college club symposia has already begun. These provide opportunities for discussing priorities for teaching on college campuses, sharing successful techniques, and learning about how to formulate and implement teaching plans.

•Special youth seminars and academies will be held at the permanent Bahá’í schools and institutes.

•The Wilmette Institute, a program of intensive study designed to train teachers of the Faith, has already begun its first correspondence phase and is scheduled to hold its first residence session this summer.

•Training materials and regional coordination for the Army of Light program will be refined and augmented, to improve both the quantity and quality of local youth teaching efforts.

•The Bahá’í Youth Service Corps program will be further expanded.

• Another national youth conference may be held this summer on Chicago. This will be the third major youth conference since December 1994. These events have served to stimulate youth activity while also developing a sense of vision on the part of youth as to their potential role in advancing the Cause. The upcoming conference will focus on training in teaching and service.

Also, the National Spiritual Assembly will appoint a National Youth Committee for the next Plan, so that youth themselves will have a high level of input in program development and the mobilization of their peers.

From metropolitan areas such as Chicago and Salt Lake City to rural communities such as Hemingway, South Carolina, and Belle Glade, Florida; in large public proclamations in Atlanta and Indianapolis; and in small teaching teams in the pueblos of New Mexico and the suburbs of Houston, youth have made their presence as spiritual warriors felt.

The Universal House of Justice has characterized Bahá’í youth as "potent instruments" for the execution of teaching projects, adding that through their distinctive qualities "they can become the spearhead of any enterprise, and the driving force of any undertaking, whether local or national."

There can be no doubt that the continuing engagement of youth in the teaching work will hasten the growth and maturation of our community.

Bahá’í Group of Ventnor, NJ, marks 21st year at NJEA Convention

The Bahá’í Group of Ventnor, New Jersey, took part for the 21st year last November 9-10 in the annual Convention of the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) in Atlantic City.

The Bahá’ís distributed 8,614 pieces of literature during the two-day event, making it their second busiest Convention ever. Included were 5,205 copies of a new four-color, two-sided poster, "Teach This Generation to Be Prejudice-Free," produced by the Bahá’ís of New Jersey; 1,161 copies of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Prayer for America, and 560 copies of "The Vision of Race Unity."

Ninety-eight people completed interest cards asking for more information about the Faith including 16 who asked to attend Bahá’í meetings and 21 who asked for Bahá’í speakers for their classrooms.

Also, four teachers responded to a letter that was mailed before the Convention and asked for information, raising the total number of inquirers to a record 102.

The friends also mailed 100 information packets containing copies of the magazine "The Bahá’ís" and the pamphlet "Bahá’u’lláh, God’s Messenger."

As in past years, many of the educators from throughout the state told the Bahá’ís they had visited the House of Worship in Wilmette and/or the World Center in Haifa.

The Bahá’ís of Ventnor received contributions of $4,210 from 23 individuals and families and a dozen Assemblies and Groups to underwrite their expenses of $3,726.

Teach this Generation to be Prejudice-Free! the Bahá’ís of New Jersey

The Bahá’í Group of Ventnor, New Jersey, sponsored this booth last November 9-10 at the annual Convention of the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) in Atlantic City.

First Bahá’í Conference for Pacific Islanders set

The first National Bahá’í Pacific Islander Conference will be held May 10-12 at the Bosch Bahá’í School in Santa Cruz, California.

All Fijian, Samoan, Tongan and other Pacific Islanders are invited to attend, as well as those who are interested in teaching the Faith to Pacific Islanders. It is hoped that Counselor Moli Chang Afemata will be among those attending.

For information, please contact George or Daska Halaholo, 415-596-9635. Special discounted weekend: $85 for adults, $40 for children ages 3-17. First child and fourth or more children free. A children's program will be offered.

Register directly by writing to the Bosch Bahá’í School, 500 Comstock Lane, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 (phone 408-423-3387, fax 408-423-7564, e-mail). [Page 4]

Bahá’ís from U.S. spend month teaching in Grenada

The following excerpts from a traveling teaching report reflect a successful effort made by local Bahá’ís with the support of traveling teachers:

We were first transferred to our respective goal towns. Every morning we started with dawn prayers. We prayed for Bahá’u’lláh’s divine confirmations and for the fulfillment of the goals. We did not look at our shortcomings. We trusted in God and in Bahá’u’lláh. The singing of "Alláh-u-Abhá" attracted people walking by the Center. After breakfast each group went to its assigned area to spread the healing Message of Bahá’u’lláh by talking to people and handing out Bahá’í materials. Our contacts were invited to our evening gatherings at the Bahá’í Center.

Pictured are participants and seekers in last summer's Muhájir Teaching Project in Grenada. Holding her sleeping baby in her arms is Miss Becky (right), one of those who declared their belief in Bahá’u’lláh during the campaign.

In general, the villagers were very receptive. They all knew something about the Faith. They were friendly, courteous, and hospitable. We had a program every night featuring speakers, songs and films and invited local Bahá’í youth to speak. Three people declared themselves Bahá’ís. Classes for Bahá’í and non-Bahá’í children, held in the villages and in the Bahá’í Center, were attended in large numbers. The mothers of many of these children attended the evening meetings and left the Bahá’í Center with great joy and happiness and took Bahá’í literature with them. This was one of the highlights of our activities.

Six members of the team were interviewed on Grenada television. The Auxiliary Board member conducted the interview, which explored Bahá’í principles and the purpose of our visit.

Another highlight was when the National Youth Committee and the visiting Bahá’í youth met with the deputy Governor General of Grenada and presented him with the book A Crown of Beauty. He was receptive and knowledgeable about the Faith and surprised the group by quoting Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

Through prayer, a spirit of unity and of love, constancy and courage, the group reached all strata of society with the Message of Bahá’u’lláh and tapped new potentialities within each member.

Please report all overseas trips to Office of Pioneering, and trips within U.S. for teaching purposes to National Teaching Committee

Every year thousands of Bahá’ís in the United States travel internationally and on the homefront for a wide variety of purposes. Responding to the following exhortation of Shoghi Effendi, the lovers of Bahá’u’lláh cannot cease from mentioning His name and are scattering the fragrances of His Revelation at every moment, in every place they find themselves.

"Upon every participator in this concerted effort, unprecedented in the annals of the American Bahá’í community, rests the spiritual obligation to make the mandate of teaching, so vitally binding upon all, the all-pervading concern of his life. In his daily activities and contacts, in all his journeys, whether for business or otherwise, on his holidays and outings, and on any mission he may be called upon to undertake, every bearer of the Message of Bahá’u’lláh should consider it not only an obligation but a privilege to scatter far and wide the seeds of His Faith, and to rest content in the abiding knowledge that whatever be the immediate response to that Message, and however inadequate the vehicle that conveyed it, the power of its Author will, as He sees fit, enable those seeds to germinate, and in circumstances which no one can foresee enrich the harvest which the labor of His followers will gather." (Shoghi Effendi, The Advent of Divine Justice, p. 53)

To record the history of the development of the Cause and monitor the contributions made by the U.S. believers, we are asked to report on all trips undertaken by the friends. If traveling internationally please report trips of any nature. Business trips and projects, vacation trips, conferences, meetings, and teaching projects are all important. Please let the Office of Pioneering know about any travels undertaken in the Three Year Plan (since May 1, 1993).

Remember that any effort you may make to share the news of Bahá’u’lláh’s coming, even mentioning His name or saying prayers, can potentially bring the spirit of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh to the people. Bahá’u’lláh revealed to us that "The movement itself from place to place, when undertaken for the sake of God, hath always exerted, and can now exert, its influence in the World." (Bahá’u’lláh, quoted in The Advent of Divine Justice, p. 70)

To make this easier for you, simply fill out and send us the short report form below, or tell us by fax, phone or e-mail 24 hours a day. For travel on the homefront, please report to the National Teaching Office (phone 847-733-3494; fax 847-733-3502; e-mail ).

Report international travel to the Office of Pioneering (phone 847-733-3511; fax 847-733-3509; e-mail ). We look forward to hearing from you.

If you have traveled internationally, please return this form to: Office of Pioneering, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091. If you have traveled to teach within the United States, please return this form to: National Teaching Office, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091.

Name: ID #: Street: City/State/Zip: Date: from to Where did you go? Comments:

Sensitive International Teaching Areas (SITA)

Sensitive International Teaching Areas (SITA) programs—coordinated by the Office of Pioneering are now available on a regional/local basis in many areas of the country.

What is a SITA? Why should you know about SITA programs and deepenings?

For answers to these and other questions, contact the Office of Pioneering, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette IL 60091 (phone 708-733-3506; e-mail ).

Two-part video cassette, ‘Huqúqu’lláh... source of prosperity and blessing,’ is now available

A two-part video cassette, "Huqúqu’lláh...source of prosperity and blessing," prepared under the auspices of the Huqúqu’lláh Trust, is available from Badiyan Distribution.

The video, whose running time is almost three hours, includes historical pictures and segments filmed in the Holy Land with the participation of the Hand of the Cause of God and Trustee of Huqúqu’lláh Ali Muhammad Varqa and the Hand of the Cause of God Ali-Akbar Furútan.

Part 1 sets the background for Law of Huqúqu’lláh, first proclaimed in the Book of Aqdas, and traces its development since the time of Bahá’u’lláh.

Part 2 comments on similar laws in other religious dispensations and focuses on the principles, calculations and spiritual dimensions of Huqúqu’lláh as gleaned from the Bahá’í writings, ending with observations on the impact of this mighty Law of Bahá’u’lláh.

The price in the U.S. is $27 plus $3 for shipping. Orders should be made to Badiyan Distribution, 720 W. 94th St., Minneapolis, MN 55420, with a check made payable to Badiyan Distribution.

Bahá’í Youth Service Corps Resource Network

A network of "Bahá’í Youth Service Corps Resource Persons" is being developed to help raise and prepare an increasing number of youth for homefront and international service. In early January a letter was sent to all known "veterans" of homefront and international Bahá’í Youth Service Corps (formerly Youth Year of Service). If you have served the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh in this way and did not receive this letter, or would like to serve in this way, please contact the Office of Pioneering, Bahá’í National Center, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201-1611. Phone 847-733-3511, fax 847-733-3509, or e-mail.

Notice

The National Spiritual Assembly would like to remind the Bahá’ís that it is necessary to obtain permission from the Universal House of Justice before traveling to Israel, whether for personal reasons or to visit the Bahá’í Holy Places. [Page 5]

Youth a Compilation

$3.95 SC (YC)

Extracts from the writings of Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi about the role, responsibilities, challenges and destiny of youth.

5-3/8"x8-1/4", 32 pp., Index Bahá’í Publications Australia

The Pupil of the Eye

African Americans In the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh compiled by Bonnie J. Taylor $12.00 HC (PE)

The Pupil of the Eye presents a compilation of Bahá’í scriptures and extracted passages from other Bahá’í sources about the important role of people of African descent to the progress of the Cause. Topics include quotations about the nature of people of African descent, the need for race unity and the danger of racism, the contributions of African Americans to the Bahá’í Faith, and the destiny of African peoples. This book is certain to enkindle the fire of love and dedication to service in every believer of African descent and in those who have arisen to teach this receptive population. It can also attract the hearts of those individuals of African descent who are investigating the truth of Bahá’u’lláh’s mission.

5-3/4"x8-3/4", 194 pp. Palabra Publications

Fire and Gold

compiled by Brian Kurzius $20.95 SC (FG)

A thoughtfully selected compilation of quotations from the Bahá’í scriptures and other Bahá’í writings on the purpose and source of of the tests that may come to us and our society and how we can overcome them.

Brian Kurzius has delved deeply into the literature of the Bahá’í Faith including works long out of print or difficult to come by, to find words that bring comfort, inner peace and spiritual upliftment to those facing the many challenges of life.

5"x8-1/2", 368 pp., Index George Ronald Publishers

Bahá’u’lláh: The Great Announcement of the Qur’an

by Muhammad Mustafa $6.00 SC (BGAQ)

This book was prepared to assit English-speaking Bahá’ís to acquire a basic understanding of issue frequently raised by Muslims with regard to the Qur’an and the Bahá’í Faith. It was originally written in 1959 when the writer was asked to undertake such a task by Bahá’ís in Liberia, during his visit to that country. Recently rewritten and expanded, it addresses many subjects of particular interest to Muslims.

4"x7", 115 pp. Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Bangladesh

The Odyssey of the Soul

by Artemus Lamb $11.95 SC (OSS)

Our soul comes into being at the moment of conception and begins an eternal journey throughout the worlds of God. Where are we going? When will we arrive at our destination? What will it be like? What experiences will happen to us on the way? What possible perils will we encounter on our road and what can we do to avoid them or, at least, soften them? What preparations can we make for our journey? Drawing on the literature of the Bahá’í Faith, Artemus Lamb answers these age-old questions simply and directly. He charts the progress of the soul from birth, through the physical world and to the end of its odyssey in the world of the spirit.

5-1/4"x7-3/4", 96 pp. George Ronald Publications

Face the East

Chris and Lynn Rosser CD $15.95 (FECD),CS $10.95 (FECS)

This professionally produced recording blends exceptional vocal harmonies with elements of folk, pop, and world music to create an inspiring new sound. Face the East includes original award-winning songs, and incorporates Bahá’í themes and writings into a contemporary acoustic setting. Their heartfelt music was described by the national music magazine Dirty Linen as "refreshingly original" and "lovely homages to the experience of being alive and human." With its strong arrangements and diverse styles, this album should have wide appeal for Bahá’ís and seekers of all ages.

Hollow Reed Arts

Mount Carmel Whatever Is Happening?

Jacqueline Mehrabi $6.95 SC (MCWIH)

An important addition to libraries of Bahá’í institutions and families, addressing for children and youth the significance and importance of one of the greatest undertakings of the Bahá’í community at the close of this century. Jacqueline Mehrabi writes in a way that is appealing to everyone, but especially children. She highlights how the origin of the buildings on Mount Carmel is rooted in the writings and history of the Bahá’í Faith, and explains their significance and importance to the future of humanity in a way that can only increase the readers love for the Central Figures of the Faith and the Universal House of Justice.

8-1/4"x11-3/4", 16 pp. Brilliant Books

Moments with Bahá’u’lláh

Memoirs of the Hand of the Cause of God Tarázu’lláh Samandarl translated by Mehdi Samandari and Marzieh Gall $14.95 HC (MWB)

The Hand of the Cause of God Tarázu’lláh Samandari, while still a teenager, undertook his first pilgrimage. On many occasions he was in the presence of Bahá’u’lláh. He afterwards recounted the stories of this pilgrimage hundreds of times, to the delight and astonishment of believers around the world. Here, for the first time, his stories are presented in written form. Mr. Samandari was in the Holy Land during the last months of Bahá’u’lláh’s life. He was present during His revelation of Tablets and verses, accompanied Bahá’u’lláh on visits to the Garden of Ridván, and he was present at the time of Bahá’u’lláh’s Ascension. Discover these and other sweet and bitter stories in this charming and inspirational book.

5-1/4"x7-1/4", 76 pp. Kallmat Press

Prayers of Shoghi Effendi

Persian $7.95 (PPSE) [Page 6]

Bahá’í Administration

Selected Messages 1922-1932 Shoghi Effendi $5.95 (BA)

A complation of messages from Shoghi Effendi to the American Bahá’í community defining the essential principles on which the local and national institutions of the Bahá’í Faith are based. Written during the first ten years of the Formatibe Age of the Faith, the messages also offer insight into the Faith's growth and illlustrate poignantly the great burden Shoghi Effendi shouldered as Guardian of the Cause of God while guiding the fledgling Bahá’í community. This is important reading for every Bahá’í concerned with hastening the maturation of the institutions Shoghi Effendi labored so tirelessly to establish.

Messages to the Bahá’í World

1950-1957 Shoghi Efgendi $5.95 (MBW)

This compilation brings together major communication Shoghi Effendi addressed to the Bahá’í world during the last seven and a half years of his life. The messages outline and celebrate many of the goals so dramatically attained during the Ten Year Crusade (1953-63). They rebeal a shift in emphasis from the needs of national Bahá’í bodies to the activities of a matauring Bahá’í world community, documenting a period of unprecedented expansion and achievement. As part of the primary literature of the Bahá’í Faith, these powerful writings offer inspiration while reminding us of the pressing need to "blazon the Name of Bahá’u’lláh across the globe."

Citadel of Faith

Messages to America, 1947-1957 Shoghi Effendi $5.95 (CFS)

The letters and cables in this collection will acquaint readers with the concerns of the American and the worldwide Bahá’í communities between 1947 and 1957. Shoghi Effendi provides a unique perspective on events. He illumines and elucidates the goals and objectibes of the Bahá’í community as well as the procedures and methods of achieving them. While the Bahá’í community has grown by leaps and bounds, it still confronts, and will continue to confront, the awesome task of building the world order of Bahá’u’lláh. Citadel of Faith provides guidance and inspiration for all who are engaged in this great enterprise.

SCHOLARSHIP

Scholarship compiled by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice SC $3.95 (SCOMP)

Designed to stimulate and guide the further development of Bahá’í scholarship, this compilation clarifies the unique features of this vital aspect of Bahá’í activity. The Universal House of Justice calls upon all the members of the community of the Greatest Name "to strive to develop and offer to humanity a new model of scholarly activity".

5-3/8" x 8-1/4", 64 pp. Bahá’í Publications Australla

Reunion

by Bridges CS $10.95 (RCAS)

Bridges' second recording, Reunion, recreates the feel and flavor of the group's teaching trip to the Ukraine. Original songs and detailed liner notes provide a chronicle of sharing the message of Bahá’u’lláh with the Ukrainian people. You'll meet Sergei - the cynic who opened his heart, Hayden-a Bahá’í child whose wish and sacrifice inspired the teachers, and a little gray dove whose appearance turned thoughts to peace. From the joyous lines of "Twin Birds" celebrating the coming of Bahá’u’lláh and the Báb, to the hopes for peace for all children in "Charcoal", the music on this album reminds the listener of the urgency of arising to teach the people of the former Soviet Republics.

39 minutes CCA Records

Bahá’í Burial and the Bahá’í Funeral Service

compiled by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice SC $2.95 (BBFS)

A compilation which answers all of the questions related to Bahá’í burial and the funeral service. Recently up-dated to include extracts from the Kitáb-i-Aqdas.

5-3/8"x8-1/2", 16 pp. Bahá’í Publications Australla

The Life and Poetry of Varqá: The Martyr

CS $10.95 (VC)

Shokouh Rezai lends her voice to classical modes (dastgah) of Persian music, joined by the sweet strains of the violin of Manoochehr Vahman and the rythm of the tombak performed by Roozbeh Rahimpour. Performed and chanted in the traditional Persian style, this album preserves for future generations this classic sound and art form.

Live Unity Productions

The Promulgation of Universal Peace

$13.00 (PUP)

A compilation of many of the talks given by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá during His bisit to the United States and Canada, talks that expounded the principles of the Bahá’í Faith as promulgated by Bahá’u’lláh. He spoke of the equality of men and women, the harmony of science and religion, the need for universal education and a universal language, the oneness of God and the oneness of man.

Bahá’í Publishing Trust [Page 7]

Two Titles in Persian

The Kitáb-I-Aqdas Proceedings of the first two conferences of Friends of Persian Culture Association

Writen in both Persian and English, papers on various aspects of Iranian culture, numerous black-and-white and color reproductions of calligraphy by Mishkin Qalam, many heretofore unpublished. Look for this very special book to be available very soon!

So Great An Honor

Becoming a Bahá’í prepared by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States SC $6.95 (SGH)

Designed primarily as a welcoming guidebook for new believers, So Great an Honor familiarizes readers with essential truths of the Bahá’í Faith and with its Central Figures. It also gives a glimpse of Bahá’í history, discusses the Covenants of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and outlines the Bahá’í Administrative Order. This book is intended to help readers enrich their spiritual journey and find the true happiness that comes from responding to God's call and arising to play their own part in advancing His cause. An excellent resource for deepening and consolidation programs.

6"x9", 81 pp. Bahá’í Publishing Trust

Contentment

Jewels from the Words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá ‘Abdu’l-Bahá SC $5.95 (C)

This, the fourth booklet in the Jewels series, attractively presents extracts from writings and utterances of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on the theme of contentment. Filled with wisdom and compassion, it offers words of comfort and consolation and reveals the spiritual reality of true contentment.

6"x6", 46 pp. Bahá’í Publishing Trust - United Kingdom

Multifaith Weekly Planner

CA $9.95 (MWP)

The aim of the Multifaith Weekly Planner is to increase awareness and promote understanding of the major festivals of various world religions. It can be useful to anyone, but will be particularly valuable to administrators, educators, and caregivers who plan events and meetings and need to understand religious diversity. Religious observances for eleven world religions are noted, and an explanation of the religious significance of each holy day, festival, fasting period, or celebration is given.

4-3/4"x8" Unity Arts

Happiness

Jewels from the Words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá ‘Abdu’l-Bahá SC $5.95 (H)

This booklet, the third in the Jewels series, attractively presents extracts from writings and utterances of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on the theme of happiness. The wisdom and compassion embodied in the Master's words reveal the spiritual reality of true happiness, which is attained through the life of the spirit, self sacrifice, and service to humanity.

6"x6", 46 pp. Bahá’í Publishing Trust - United Kingdom

Hello World!

Red Grammer CS $10.00 (HWCS), CD $15.00 (HWCD)

An upbeat, inspired collection of twelve songs full of hope and delight that will charm and move the hearts of adults and children alike. For those awaiting a follow-up to Teaching Peace, this is it! Includes ten new songs as well as a heart-stopping rendition of "Over the Rainbow" and a lovely adaptation of the rhyme "Starlight, Star Bright." A recording that kids, parents, and teachers will love.

35 minutes Red Note Records

Symbol and Secret

Qur'an Commentary In Bahá’u’lláh’s Kitáb-l-iqán Studles In Bábí and Bahá’í Rellglons, Volume Seven Christopher Buck SC $32.50 (SSS), HC $42.50 (SSH)

The first full volume in English to be devoted to a study of the Kitáb-i-fqán, a book designated by Shoghi Effendi as "foremost among the priceless treasures cast forth from the billowing ocean of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation." The author, a Bahá’í and scholar of Islamic Studies, examines Bahá’u’lláh’s explanations of the symbolic verses in the Qur'an and the Gospels. Through the Kitáb-i-Íqán Bahá’u’lláh has created new meanings for these verses and laid the foundation of a new religion. The author offers his research into the revelation of the Kitáb-i-Íqán and the early history of its publication, answers attacks non-Bahá’í critics have directed against it, analyzes Bahá’u’lláh’s rhetorical techniques, and illumines how the Kitáb-i-fqán forms a bridge to a new Revelation. A masterful piece of scholarship and a "must read" for serious students of Bahá’í scripture.

6"x9", 326 pp., table of contents, bibliography Kallmát Press

Created Rich

How Spiritual Attitudes and Material Means Work Together to Achieve Prosperity Patrick Barker SC $9.95 (CR)

Created Rich teaches both the spiritual and practical principles of wealth acquisition. Although the book is written primarily for Bahá’ís and frequently quotes the Bahá’í writings, it is suitable for anyone wishing to become financially independent. According to the author, almost anyone can achieve financial freedom in a reasonable amount of time by following its guidance, as everyone has the capacity to prosper. Those who have acquired no more than a bare subsistence have either failed to learn the principles governing the acquisition of wealth or failed to observe them. This book explains these principles and tells how to implement them.

5-1/2"x8-1/2", 207 pp. Naturegraph Publishers

Arising to Serve

by the Ruhi Institute SC $5.00 (AS)

The long-anticipated follow-up to the basic Ruhi courses, published for the first time in English! This book is an essential component of any large-scale-growth teaching campaign. The courses prepare teachers of the Faith for more effectively participating in expansion and consolidation activities and addresses the ingredient most often overlooked in teaching projects: how to follow up with new believers. Second in the Ruhi series, this volume includes the courses "The Joy of Teaching," "Deepening Themes," and "Introducing Bahá’í Beliefs."

8-1/2"x11", 80 pp. Palabra Publications

SHIP TO DAYTIME TELEPHONE ( L PAYMENT METHOD -CHECK -CHARGE ($10.00 MINIMUM-VISA, MASTER, AMEX) ITEM SHIPPING CHARGES AUS TENNESSEE RESIDENTS PLEASE ADD 7.75% SALES TAX QUANTITY COST TOTAL FOR ORDERS SHIPPED OUTSIDE THE U.S., PLEASE ADD 15% (MIN. $3.00) SHIPPING CHARGES WITHIN CONTINENTAL U.S. ADD 10% ($2.00 MIN., $10.00 MAX.) EXPIRATION DATE.

Bahá’í Distribution Service 5397 Wilbanks Dr., Chattanooga, TN 37343 1-800-999-9019 Fax: 1-423-843-0836 Internet: [Page 8]

UNITY BINGO

from the pages of Brilliant Star. by Alonzo Coleman ©1995

The future of the American continent is very promising. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said, “it will lead all nations spiritually.” — ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Tablets of the Divine Plan, p. 87

Below is a list of actions we can take to help America achieve its destiny. Perhaps you can think of more actions to add to the list.

Copy the blank bingo card below. Make a copy for each player. Choose 24 words or phrases from the action list and write one in each square on your bingo card. Be sure that each card has the words written in a different order. Each card should be unique because each person’s spiritual destiny is unique.

Copy each word or phrase onto a small scrap of paper. Put these scraps into a box. Choose someone to draw one word at a time from the box and read it aloud.

On your own card, find the word that was read. Cover it with a marker. When you have five words covered in a row, call out “UNITY!”

Remember, we reach the goal when everyone has unity. ★

Reprinted from Brilliant Star, Special Edition 1995

love	teach
care	hope
give	study
obey	meditate
pray	serve
sacrifice	travel
teach	honor
trust	speak out
create	play
share	help
practice	unite
dream	respect
consult	appreciate
act	be patient

“Fellowship, fellowship! Love, love! Unity, unity...” — ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Tablets of the Divine Plan, p. 53

New 1992-95 Index for Parents and Teachers, FREE! Send a stamped self-addressed 9"x 12" envelope with $.55 postage to Brilliant Star at the Bahá’í National Center.

Order Now for Ayyám-i-Há!

Purchase a Subscription from Bahá’í Subscriber Service:

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Brilliant Star GAME KIT

Come to Feast Signs of the Covenant Progressive Revelation Game A Birthday Gift for the Báb The Race Unity Game The Assembly Game The Peace Process The Same Game Arise!

Nine Games — Ready to Assemble and Play Family Fun! Feast Fun! Deepening Fun! Teaching Fun!

New! Brilliant Star Game Kit — $19.95 Order directly from BDS 1-800-999-9019 [Page 9]

TOTAL ENROLLMENTS

December ...................... 141

Year to date ............... 1,516

THE FUND

(As of December 31, 1995)

	YTD Goal	YTD Actual
National Bahá’í Fund	$8,333,333	$7,910,243
All International Funds	$19,900,000	$19,009,093

	Dec 94	Dec 95
National Bahá’í Fund	$1,215,638	$1,040,957
International Bahá’í Fund	$51,592	$42,369
Arc Projects Fund	$874,165	$1,664,420
Continental Bahá’í Fund	$23,144	$27,685
Other Earmarked	$57,013	$31,500
Subtotal/Int’l Funds	$1,005,914	$1,765,974
Total/All Funds	$2,221,552	$2,806,931

National Bahá’í Fund: Goal & Actual

Where we are: $7,910,243

Where we need to be: $8,333,333

All International Funds: Goal & Actual

Where we are: $19,009,093

Where we need to be: $19,900,000

Arc Projects Fund

Where we are: $17,303,153

Where we were last year: $3,657,953

International Bahá’í Fund

Where we are: $1,159,870

Where we were last year: $333,386

Continental Bahá’í Fund

Where we are: $177,142

Where we were last year: $144,631

Hand of Cause Rúhíyyih Khánum keynote speaker at Maryland’s fourth International Dialogue on Transition to Global Society

The Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum was the keynote speaker at the fourth International Dialogue on the Transition to Global Society held last October 14-17 at the University of Maryland in College Park.

The Dialogue, held under the auspices of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), was organized on behalf of the university’s Center for International Development and Conflict Management (CIDCM) and Landegg Academy in Wienacht, Switzerland, by the Bahá’í Chair for World Peace and the Department of History at the University of Maryland.

Its over-all theme was “Divisive Barbarity or Global Civilization: The Ethical Dimensions of Science, Art, Religion and Politics.”

The Hand of the Cause, whose address was entitled “Our Global Future: An Ever-Advancing Civilization,” looked at the future of humankind from a Bahá’í perspective, quoting liberally from the writings of Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi to lend power and authority to her remarks.

Her address—and those of other speakers—was heard by an audience of 600 invited guests from diplomatic and university circles, government and non-governmental agencies, and members of the Bahá’í community from the Washington area.

The speakers at the opening session, each of whom was introduced by Dr. William E. Kirwan, president of the University of Maryland, included His Excellency President Amine Gemayel of Lebanon; Prof. Ervin Laszlo, president of the Club of Budapest; Dr. Bertrand Schneider, secretary-general of the Club of Rome; His Excellency Dr. Karan Singh, director of the Auroville Foundation; and His Excellency President Amata Kabua of the Marshall Islands.

On Saturday evening, prior to the official opening of the Dialogue, Ambassador Paul-Marc Henry of France had spoken on “The World Today: Reflections” to more than 100 guests at the welcoming dinner.

An evening concert following Sunday’s opening session included performances by a number of Bahá’ís including Jack Lenz, James Moody, Mike Longo, Kevin Locke, Nancy Ward, Van Gilmer, Shokouh Rezai and Manoochehr Vahman.

The remainder of the Dialogue was devoted to plenary sessions and workshops on its four main topics—science, art, religion and politics—as well as the role of youth in a global society and recent global summits and conferences.

On Monday and Tuesday, nearly 200 participants, inspired by the opening session, pursued the main program of the Dialogue as individual presenters explored the ethical dimensions of science, art, religion and politics in successive plenary sessions and workshops.

In addition to scholars and interested professionals from around the world, undergraduate students from the University Honors Seminar on the Transition to Global Society and UMCP graduate students took part in the Dialogue and were joined by others from academic institutions in the Washington area as well as from Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Pennsylvania and Tufts universities and the University of Guelph in Canada.

Bahá’í Race Unity Committee of Long Island’s eighth International Dinner Festival celebrates UN, diversity

The eighth International Dinner Festival sponsored by the Bahá’í Race Unity Committee of Long Island was held October 28 at St. Peter’s Church in Bay Shore.

The event, which drew an audience of about 200, combined a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the United Nations with the Bahá’í concepts of multiculturalism and unity in diversity.

Keynote speaker Marc Hensen of the Race Unity Committee, introduced by master of ceremonies James Hopkins, chairman of the Spiritual Assembly of Babylon Town, spoke on “The Significance of the United Nations.”

Also speaking on the program was James Banks, an educator and coordinator of multicultural activities and special programs at Suffolk Community College, whose topic was “The Value of Multiculturalism.”

Everyone was asked to stand and learn by heart the words to two phrases that were the keys to his talk: “Love is the answer” and “It’s what’s inside that counts and that makes you go up.”

Entertainment included Ecuadorean folk songs by the Borja Family Singers; dancing by the An Rince Mor School of Irish Dance and the Haitian Community Association of New York; and a percussion performance by the Poong Mul-Nari Company, also of New York.

Mr. Hopkins ended the program with the hope that someday mankind could “learn to relax with our cultural diversity—in our schools and places of work.”

The gathering then enjoyed a plentiful banquet of ethnic foods.

These members of the Korean percussion group, Poong Mul-Nari Company of New York, were among the entertainers last October at the Bahá’í-sponsored 8th annual International Dinner Festival in Bay Shore, Long Island.

California communities gather to hold workshop on healing of racism

On Race Unity Day last summer the Bahá’í communities of Goleta, Santa Barbara, Montecito and Carpinteria, California, came together for a workshop on the healing of racism centered around the 90-minute documentary film, “The Color of Fear,” which presents views of racism in America as seen through the eyes of eight men of African, Asian, European and Latino descent.

The spirit of the workshop was manifested in facilitated discussions that encouraged participants to share emotions that were enkindled by the film, while the format of sharing established a safe environment in which issues were brought out in the open in a frank and loving way.

About 35 people attended the workshop, held at the University of California-Santa Barbara.

“The Color of Fear” and “Stolen Ground,” a film about racism toward Asian-American men, are available from Stir Fry Productions (phone 510-419-3930). [Page 10]

87th Bahá’í National Convention Convention Seating Registration

April 25-28, 1996 Rosemont, Illinois

Last Name: ____________________ First Name: ____________________ Middle Initial: __________ Bahá’í I.D. #: ____________________

Mailing Address: ______________________________________________________________________

Street: ______________________________________________________________________

City: ______________________________ State: __________ Zip: ____________________

Will you be staying at the Holiday Inn O’Hare? Yes No

Hotel Reservations must be made directly with the Holiday Inn O’Hare, 708/671-6350, 5440 N. River Road, Rosemont, IL. Make sure you ask for the Bahá’í National Convention rate.

Visitors welcome at 87th Convention

In anticipation of the celebration of victories from the Three Year Plan and the introduction of a new Plan by the Universal House of Justice, the National Spiritual Assembly has provided for a larger number of Bahá’í visitors to attend the upcoming 87th National Convention.

An additional 1,800 believers will be able to take part in this extremely important event, which will be held near Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, convenient to air travelers and those arriving by car.

All Bahá’ís in good standing are warmly invited to join the National Spiritual Assembly and delegates next April 25-28 at the Holiday Inn-O’Hare, 5440 N. River Road in Rosemont (see form for registration and hotel information).

What do visitors do?

Non-delegate visitors will have a chance to observe, although they do not take part in consultation between the delegates and the National Spiritual Assembly. They will learn about the current state of the American Bahá’í community and see the consultation developing from the release of the next global Plan from the Universal House of Justice. Several agencies of the Bahá’í National Center will be on hand to greet everyone and to answer questions. The nearby Bahá’í House of Worship will be open daily to visitors.

What goes on at the National Convention?

The Convention opens (Thursday evening) with the seating of delegates and election of the Convention officers. The National Spiritual Assembly then presents its annual report to the community. Most of the sessions before and after the election of the National Spiritual Assembly (on Saturday morning) are devoted to consultation between the delegates and National Spiritual Assembly. Convention attendees will also see the formal unveiling of the upcoming Plan from the Universal House of Justice. The Convention closes at noon on Sunday.

What do the delegates do?

The 171 delegates were elected at District Conventions last October. Their responsibilities are to elect the new National Assembly and to consult with it on matters of importance to the Faith.

What happens in the election?

The Guardian instructed that the election of the National Spiritual Assembly is to be held at a point midway through the Convention to give the incoming National Assembly an opportunity to consult with delegates and to present to them the broad outlines of its plans for the coming year. The National Spiritual Assembly is elected by plurality vote; the nine people who receive the highest number of votes cast by the delegates are elected.

Who can consult?

Besides the delegates, members of the National Spiritual Assembly are free to take part in Convention deliberations and may offer suggestions or recommendations; however, only National Assembly members who are delegates may vote on issues or be elected to serve as Convention officers. All non-delegate attendees may observe the consultation, but only delegates can take part in discussions taking place on the Convention floor.

What happens to decisions?

The deliberations and decisions of the Convention are advisory. The Guardian explained that the National Convention is a temporary gathering whose status “is limited in time to the convention sessions, the functions of consultation at all other times being vested in the entire body of believers through the local Spiritual Assemblies.” When the delegates return home, they are asked to report to their fellow-believers in their District on the accomplishments, decisions and aspirations of the Convention.

Room Rates are $79 per room, double occupancy. Rollaways are $10 a day. Cribs are free. We ask that you make your hotel reservations at the Holiday Inn O’Hare. Staying at the Holiday Inn helps reduce the National Center’s over-all administrative costs for the Convention. Free Shuttles to and from O’Hare Airport are offered by the Holiday Inn O’Hare. Children: We strongly encourage you not to bring children to the Convention unless they are old enough to listen attentively in the visitor sections with their parents. There will be no provisions for children’s classes or child care. The sessions are long—three full 13-hour days and two half-days—and it is difficult to provide meaningful programs for children for such a long period of time. We regret that the National Center does not have the financial or human resources to sponsor a quality program for children. Also keep in mind that while some security will be present, a large urban hotel is not the safest environment for children. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation. Sharing Rooms: Individuals seeking roommates must make their own arrangements. Neither the National Center nor the hotel can offer such help.

Mail Form to: National Convention Seating Registration Bahá’í National Center Wilmette, IL 60091

Gender equality topic at ‘Wings of Eagle’ conference in Louisville

Gender equality, a vital requisite to a just and peaceful world, will be explored May 24-27 at a major conference titled Wings of the Eagle in Louisville, Kentucky.

A broad range of issues related to both men and women will be examined in plenary and breakout sessions, as well as through dramatic and musical performances and in activities for children and pre-youth.

The conference’s main goals are:

• To promote awareness and understanding of issues that affect the advancement of equality.
• To explore the necessary means for personal growth and transformation.
• To identify action strategies that can be implemented to advance equality both within and outside the Bahá’í community.

In short, the mission is for participants—whether Bahá’í or non-Bahá’í, men or women, young or old—to feel the sense of excitement and urgency that surrounds the issue of equality, especially as it relates to the spiritual destiny of America, and to view themselves as catalysts for change.

Featured speakers will include Juana Conrad, Fafar and Jack Guillebeaux, Hoda Mahmoudi, Billie Mayo, Rebecca Getahoun Murphy, Joyce Olinga, Michael Penn, Mary K. Radpour, and Jane and Curtis Russell.

Registration prior to April 19 is $90 for adults and youth, $75 for older children and pre-youth (ages 6 through 13), and $50 for children through age 5. A late fee of $20 applies to each registration form postmarked after April 19.

The registration fee includes three continental breakfasts and two lunches. Vegetarian meals are available upon request for adults and youth only.

Please make checks payable to Gender Equality Conference and mail forms to: Gender Equality Conference, P.O. Box 227, LaGrange, KY 40031. For more information, call Nancy Ordaz at 502-241-8790 (e-mail ).

Special hotel room rates of $87 per night (up to four people) are available from the Hurstbourne Hotel and Conference Center. Call 800-289-1009 and mention the Bahá’í Gender Equality Conference. Airfare discounts also are available, through All Points Travel, 800-627-6468. Ask for the Bahá’í Gender Equality Conference discount.

More than 350 present as Los Angeles Bahá’ís honor seven educators

More than 350 people attended a celebration last July 15 at the Los Angeles Bahá’í Center honoring seven educators for their contributions to society in Southern California.

The event was part of the “Preparing the Family for the New ‎Millenium Millennium‎ and the Woman for a New Era” Latin Conference held ‎at on‎ July 14-16 at the Center.

The celebration began with a reception for the honorees at 7:30 p.m., followed by entertainment and the awards presentation.

Entertainers included the Bahá’í Gospel Choir, the Taller Mona from Ensenada, Mexico, and a colorful presentation of various Mexican dances. [Page 11]

Paths

Continued from page 1

not be an end but a beginning. And he expressed hope that the conference will be a jumping-off point for endeavors that will be reported on at future meetings as a spur to even greater action.

Mr. Harris expanded that focus on the Arc. Someday, he said, people will wonder about those who built the Arc. “Traces of what we do in this era will live forever and inspire those who come after us.”

A perfect example of such inspirational action is the Office for the Advancement of Women.

Participation in planning for and execution of the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing by 500 to 600 Bahá’ís representing OAW, six other Bahá’í entities and many more non-governmental organizations was especially rewarding, said Ms. Power.

But the office also was involved, she said, in supporting the external affairs efforts of National Spiritual Assemblies such as at the Social Development Summit in Copenhagen and during the 50th anniversary of the UN.

Dr. Deas continued the evening of introspection with a look at “How America Is Doing,” pronouncing 1995 a “wonderful year for the Faith” in the United States.

The U.S. community, she said, sent 227 pioneers and 737 international traveling teachers between May and December.

Believers also gave more than ever before to the Funds, though challenges remain in fulfilling Arc pledges and in meeting material needs of the National Spiritual Assembly.

Work is almost completed on the statement on women, which Dr. Deas said will solidify our community on the issue—just as The Vision of Race Unity has galvanized the believers into action and spurred non-Bahá’í leaders of thought into “talking and acting with our words and principles.”

Similarly, steadfast external affairs efforts have led others to turn to the Bahá’ís and their message.

In the teaching work, great strides also have been made, said Dr. Deas. In particular, the Amatu’l-Bahá Teaching Crusade in greater Houston has inspired local Spiritual Assemblies elsewhere to band together to make an impact.

Brief comments also were made Thursday night by Mr. Gushiken, the Brazilian legislator who in 1992 had called for the solemn session of the Chamber of Deputies commemorating the centenary of the Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh.

Mr. Gushiken labeled himself “both a Bahá’í and a non-Bahá’í”: a Bahá’í, because the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh and the example of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá guide his life, and a non-Bahá’í because he continues to operate in the political arena.

Then the stage belonged to Mr. Lenz and fellow performers for a night of entertainment that was always inspirational and, with the dry wit of Mrs. Ward, often humorous.

Prosperity and rights

Friday’s focus was placed on global prosperity and human rights.

Mr. Newkirk defined the issue, noting that humankind has long pursued prosperity for the few while Bahá’u’lláh has given a new impetus, force and spirit to the pursuit of prosperity for all. These teachings, he said, address poverty of the heart as well as poverty of means.

Mrs. Shoaie outlined the Bahá’í perspective on global prosperity.

“We don’t have a road map and have never been there, but the teachings give us landmarks that show us when we’re on track,” she said, referring to themes in Prosperity of Humankind—search, unity, justice, consultation, knowledge, social order, and a new understanding of power and authority—as guideposts.

Mr. Adamson then looked at human rights, subtitling his talk “God Given or by Human Consent?”

Bahá’ís, he said, have a unique perspective on the state of the world and what must be done. Others see things solely through the lens of secular institutions, while the Bahá’í teachings help us modulate that view with the vision of a new World Order.

Friday afternoon was devoted to workshops on global prosperity and human rights. Participants examined the Bahá’í perspective on aspects of each topic and, just as important, explored how it applies to the grassroots projects in which they are engaged.

That evening, conference attendees were free to network. They also could visit hospitality suites for such entities as Health for Humanity, the European Bahá’í Business Forum, Peace Education Now, Live Unity Productions, and Núr University.

Women and morality

Saturday morning the spotlight turned to the advancement of women and moral development.

Ms. Power, after recognizing those in the audience who had taken part in the Fourth World Conference on Women and its NGO Forum, expanded on her previous observations of Beijing and its impact.

Important relationships forged with national governments have promoted the Bahá’í perspective and enhanced the Faith’s reputation, said Ms. Power and Kit Cosby, deputy director of external affairs for the National Spiritual Assembly.

Brazilian Federal Deputy Luiz Gushiken

Next up Saturday morning was the eagerly awaited talk by Mr. Gushiken on ethics and morals.

Mr. Gushiken presented an overview of “a world in convulsion, lost in a multiplicity of false and wayward paths, a world of disharmony, violence, of outrageous wealth and degrading misery, a world illuminated by science, but at the same time shadowed by darkness of spirit.”

So what shall we do? Mr. Gushiken asked. The key, he said, is in the quest for a “new unity plateau” beyond the scope of nation-states.

In this and all other attempts to solve society’s ills, moral development must be at the root, he emphasized. “To put in a few words the vital need in this troubled world, I would say the human being needs to become a homo spiritual, a man with a new moral foundation.”

He concluded: “I believe the Bahá’ís do have a proposal that can address this need. Spread it all over. The world is receptive.”

Expressions of thanks

After an afternoon of workshops on advancement of women and moral development, conference attendees gathered Saturday night to honor the Hofmans and Chances for their lifelong contributions to humankind.

Mr. Lenz set the stage with a song dedicated to the honorees.

Next, Dr. Ruhe spoke about “what happens to a person who is elected to a House of Justice.” That person, he said, loses all power and profession. Moreover, he is not necessarily one who wants it but one who would be a servant.

It was time to honor Mr. Hofman with the Award of Excellence of the Eshraghieh and Mahmoud Rabbani Charitable Trust. He listened with head bowed to the award citation, accepted the elegant carved eagle emblematic of the award, then spoke.

But very little Mr. Hofman said was about himself. Instead, he wanted to talk about his beloved Marion, who died December 5.

The thespian-turned-publisher spoke of how they met while serving the Faith in California.

How they served on the National Spiritual Assembly of the United Kingdom while simultaneously operating the publishing firm of George Ronald, and how, after his election to the Universal House of Justice, she carried on with the publishing work.

Finally, how in the past couple of years the health of this woman, his “equal intellectually and in all other respects,” ebbed.

The evening’s second tribute was to Mr. and Mrs. Chance, who could not attend because of ill health.

Dr. Ruhe colorfully narrated a slide show showing the couple as children, as young adults at Cornell College in Iowa, and in a wedded life that took them from his law practice in Iowa to his service on the National Spiritual Assembly and, finally, the Universal House of Justice.

Mr. Hofman lauded his colleague as longtime chief of the Secretariat of the Bahá’í World Center, the “engine room of the whole institution.” And he declared: “I don’t think anyone made a greater contribution to the growth and development of the Universal House of Justice than Hugh Chance.”

A delightful evening of entertainment was highlighted by a presentation of Mr. Lenz’s song The Greatest Moments and by Mr. Locke’s hoop dancing.

Where to?

The conference’s final session represented a look ahead to future service.

It began, appropriately, with an emotional tribute to Mr. Gushiken featuring messages from nine National Spiritual Assemblies and was topped off with talks by Mr. Hofman and Dr. Ruhe.

“True theocracy is the rule of God,” said Mr. Hofman, and must not be confused with any past or present form of government. It must be divinely given and based on divine teachings.

“Without Bahá’u’lláh that’s an impossibility,” he said. Bahá’u’lláh has freed humanity from all scourges past and present. All past attitudes have to disappear and a new race of men be created by God.

That led perfectly into Dr. Ruhe’s talk.

The Faith has emerged from obscurity, he said. There are many signs, but one is that great leaders are catching up with our ideas. So for the Bahá’ís to have a continuing impact, we must advance the Teachings on moral terms.

This is especially critical as humanity teeters on the edge of a great crisis, he said.

“This is our day, our hour, our time of fulfillment,” he said. “How it is achieved is partly up to us, partly up to the energy unleashed by Bahá’u’lláh.”

“We are the saviors of mankind,” he said simply.

About the Rabbani Trust

The 1995 North American Bahá’í Conference on Social and Economic Development was the third such annual event sponsored by the Eshraghieh and Mahmoud Rabbani Charitable Trust to advance the Three Year Plan goal of developing the Faith’s human resources.

The Trust, an independent non-profit entity based in Florida, was created in 1993 to carry on the charitable work of Dr. Mahmoud Rabbani and his wife, Eshraghieh.

The first Rabbani conference, on The Bahá’í Faith in Action: Sustainable Development for a New World, was held in December 1993. A year later, the conference had as its theme The Bahá’í Family in the Time of the Lesser Peace.

This year’s conference focused on Paths to Peace: Global Prosperity Through the Advancement of Women, Human Rights and Moral Development.

Each conference has combined talks by those who engage in Bahá’í social and economic development efforts with workshops in which participants can discuss how to apply what they’ve learned at the grassroots level.

As the Office of Social and Economic Development of the Bahá’í World Center wrote on August 28, 1994: “Bahá’í social and economic development focuses on increasing the capacity of the friends to make decisions about the spiritual and material progress of their communities and then implement them.” [Page 12]

'Bold new steps' are needed to strengthen UN

The following article about the Bahá’í International Community's statement calling on world leaders to take steps to strengthen the United Nations' capacity for global coordination is reprinted from the July-September 1995 issue of One Country, the newsletter of the Bahá’í International Community.

NEW YORK—Declaring that the United Nations needs to be redefined and restructured to better meet the challenges facing the post-Cold War world, the Bahá’í International Community has issued a major statement calling on world leaders to take bold new steps to strengthen the UN's capacity for global coordination.

Issued for the 50th anniversary of the United Nations, the statement urges leaders to convene a world summit on global governance before the end of the century. Such a summit, the statement says, should have as its goal a broad-based examination of how international political order can be restructured to meet the needs of an increasingly interdependent and integrated global society.

"The Bahá’í International Community regards the current world confusion and the calamitous condition of human affairs as a natural phase in an organic process leading ultimately and irresistibly to the unification of the human race in a single social order whose boundaries are those of the planet," says the 22-page statement, titled "Turning Point for All Nations," issued in September in advance of the UN 50th anniversary celebrations planned here in October.

"Historically, this process has been accelerated by sudden and catastrophic events," the statement continues. "It was the devastation of World Wars I and II that gave birth to the League of Nations and the United Nations, respectively.

"Whether future accomplishments are also to be reached after similarly unimaginable horrors or embraced through an act of consultative will, is the choice before all who inhabit the earth. Failure to take decisive action would be unconscionably irresponsible."

The statement suggests a number of immediate steps which world leaders could take to reinvigorate the UN—such as limiting the "veto power" in the Security Council and giving the "force of law" to some resolutions of the General Assembly—while at the same time urging an "evolutionary" approach in considering how the international order might be revamped in the long run.

The statement also asks leaders to make special efforts to involve average women and men everywhere in this process. "[D]iscussions about the future of the international order must involve and excite the generality of humankind," the statement says. "It cannot be confined to leaders—be they in government, business, the academic community, religion, or organizations of civil society.

"On the contrary, this conversation must engage women and men at the grassroots level. Broad participation will make the process self-reinforcing by raising awareness of world citizenship and increasing support for an expanded international order."

In the coming months, the statement will be distributed to government officials, organizations of civil society, educational institutions and prominent people by a worldwide network of some 172 national-level Bahá’í communities, said Techeste Ahderom, the main representative of the Bahá’í International Community to the United Nations.

"Our goal in seeking to make a widespread distribution of this document is to encourage a broad-based discussion of not only the need for changes in the international order, and the structures by which such changes might be effected, but also about the values which a new world order and especially its leaders must necessarily embrace," said Mr. Ahderom.

"While there are many contemporary calls and proposals for the reform and restructuring of the United Nations in this 50th year of its existence," Mr. Ahderom continued, "you cannot really consider the means and structures for global governance unless you have set in motion the processes that will truly bring the generality of humankind into the discussion.

"Without broad and enlightened participation, you risk replicating on the international level the hollow and too-often-corrupt structure found presently at the national and regional levels."

As initial steps in strengthening the capacity of the United Nations, the Community suggests that world leaders might quickly adopt the following measures:

• Change the voting structure of the General Assembly so that it more accurately represents the people of the world and give its resolutions the "force of law," with provisions for both enforcement and sanctions, with a "limited domain" of issues.
• Establish limitations on the exercise of the veto power among the Permanent Members of the UN Security Council such that it can be used only for its original purposes: to prevent the Council from authorizing military actions against a Permanent Member or requiring the use of its forces against its will.
• Create an independent but "fully armed" international force, responsible to the Security Council, but under the command and control of the UN Secretary General, to give support to peace-keeping operations.
• Extend the jurisdiction of the World Court, looking toward a time when Court rulings will be binding and enforceable on states. A first step would be to allow other organs of the UN, and not merely member states, to bring cases before the Court.
• Establish a Commission to study borders and frontiers, so that national boundaries can be firmly fixed and outstanding irredentist claims cease to be a cause of war and conflict.
• Commit to the acceptance of a universal auxiliary language, both as a means of improving communication and saving money as the process of global coordination moves forward.
• Launch a determined campaign to implement Agenda 21 (the global environmental pact forged at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio) and the resolutions of the Social Summit, held earlier this year in Copenhagen. In part, this campaign should be given strength through a "wholesale re-examination" of the Bretton Woods financial institutions, as a means to begin to address deep issues of global economic security.

Such changes are necessary, the statement says, because "twin processes of collapse and renewal"—processes which can be seen in the spread of social disorder on the one hand and the rising hope for universal peace on the other—have lent "a new urgency to the need for global coordination.

"Although the United Nations has surely played a role in preventing a third world war, the last half decade has nevertheless been marked by numerous local, national and regional conflicts costing millions of lives," says the statement.

"No sooner had improved relations between the superpowers removed the ideological motivation for such conflicts, than long-smoldering ethnic and sectarian passions surfaced as a new source of conflagration."

With respect to social issues, the statement continues, grave problems persist. "The alarming spread of militant racialism and religious fanaticism, the cancerous growth of materialism, the epidemic rise of crime and organized criminality, the widespread increase in mindless violence, the ever-deepening disparity between rich and poor, the continuing inequities faced by women, the intergenerational damage caused by the pervasive breakdown of family life, the immoral excesses of unbridled capitalism and the growth of political corruption—all speak to this point."

The statement calls for any re-examination of the United Nations to take a long-term, evolutionary point of view.

"Judged in isolation from the reality within which it operates," the statement says, "the United Nations will always seem inefficient and ineffective. However, if it is viewed as one element of a larger process of development in systems of international order, the bright light of analysis would shift from the UN's shortcomings and failures to shine on its victories and accomplishments.

"With an evolutionary mindset, the early experience of the United Nations offers us a rich source of learnings about its future role within the international regime."

Measures to strengthen the UN and the international order could be discussed and, it is hoped, ultimately adopted at a "convocation" of world leaders, the statement suggests.

With the possible title "World Summit on Global Governance," such a meeting should be held before the end of the century.

To engage the generality of humanity around the world, leaders might focus on four major themes as a means of unleashing the "latent power in all people" to participate in the process of building a new international order, the statement suggests. These issue areas are identified as "promoting economic development, protecting human rights, advancing the status of women, and emphasizing moral development."

"The tasks entailed in the development of a global society call for levels of capacity far beyond anything the human race has so far been able to muster," the statement says. "Reaching these levels will require an enormous expansion in access to knowledge on the part of every individual."

The Bahá’í International Community is an international non-governmental organization that represents and encompasses the five million members of the Bahá’í Faith.

This membership represents a cross-section of humanity, including men and women from virtually every religious background, nation, class, profession and ethnic group.

Bahá’ís reside in more than 116,000 localities around the world, and the Bahá’í Faith is established in more than 232 countries and territories—making it the second-most widespread religion after Christianity.

Green Acre Fellowship Café open

The Green Acre Bahá’í School's Fellowship Café, featuring live music, specialty coffees and desserts, and a bookstore is now open on selected Saturday evenings at Fellowship House, Route 103, Eliot, Maine, starting at 7 p.m. Admission is free and everyone is welcome to attend.

For more information, phone 207-439-7200. [Page 13]

YOUTH ARE REALLY MAKIN’ MOVES ACROSS THE COUNTRY!

WHAT YOU SAID! (ABOUT DALLAS)

“We felt on fire, because the youth really showed that they can move the world; it was amazing to see youth our age facilitating the workshops. The spiritual connections we all made will last a lifetime.”

“The musical aspect was quite exceptional and very diverse.”

“It was an emotional and spiritual revival with an emphasis on the pressing issues of unity and fellowship among Bahá’í youth.”

“The Bahá’í youth are ready to step up to a new level and raise the banner of Bahá’u’lláh. The glory of this Conference was evident.”

“As an older Bahá’í youth, going to Dallas made me realize that this next generation is unstoppable.”

JOIN THE ARMY OF LIGHT call your regional coordinator!

• ME, NH, VT, RI, MA: Carl Pabst (207) 773-3170
• CT: Norene Robinson (203) 747-2918
• NY, PA, NJ: Christopher Ruhe (914) 831-7567
• DE: Koorosh Motahar (302) 453-0833
• MD, VA, WV, DC: Saghi Nabili (301) 990-6993
• NC: NC STC, Robert Tansik (919) 544-3895
• SC: SC Crd. Com., Debbie H. Jackson (803) 558-9289
• GA: Walter Canady (404) 758-2524
• KY: Mahyar Mofidi (502) 245-9192
• TN: Andrea Seals/ Alison McGee (615) 395-7452
• FL: FL STC, Sue Blythe (904) 376-0642
• WI, MI-upper: Sandra Fair (414) 871-9919
• MN: Jason Chirko/ Alison Milston (612) 633-9609
• IA: Susan Calimeri (319) 337-0658
• ND, SD: Shiva & Farzad Ziai (605) 945-2625
• KS, MO: Marcelle LaVine (913) 831-3239
• NE: Melissa Cleaver (402) 553-7583
• TX: Andreanea King (409) 886-4853
• AZ: May Movafagh (602) 963-4798
• MT: Llewellyn Drong (406) 587-1739
• ID: Chris Ragland (208) 381-0373
• UT: Marva Davis (801) 967-6680
• CA, S: Jennifer Morris/ Diedre Merrill (619)-748-2788
• CA, N: Bob Clune/ Joy Wiezorek (510) 229-9515
• OR: OR STC, Rachel Greco (503) 623-8035
• WA: WA STC, Aaron Lewis (206) 277-8326

National Coordinator: NTC Office, Bahá’í National Center 1233 Central Street, Evanston, Illinois 60201 Phone: (847) 733-3499, Fax: (708) 733-3502, e mail:

70% PARTICIPATION IN DALLAS

$30,516.18 - That’s over 3 Arc Units!

In a thrilling demonstration of the power to “move the world,” youth at the National Youth conference held in Dallas last week responded sacrificially and unitedly to the needs of Arc Project Fund.

Before the conference, a group of youth requested that a goal be set for the conference to raise money for the Arc Fund. Instead of focusing on a monetary goal, 100% participation was the target, emphasizing the spirit of universal participation and sacrificial giving.

As the conference progressed so did the enthusiasm and excitement towards achieving the goal. Participation doubled, tripled and continued to increase —reaching a level of nearly 70% participation from the 2500 people attending! The youth raised an incredible total of $30,516.18, clearly demonstrating their commitment, sacrifice, and consecration to the Cause, as well as the power of universal participation!

News of your success will be sent to the Universal House of Justice.

Over ten years ago, the House of Justice addressed the crucial role of youth in the progress of the Faith and the world “Undoubtedly, it is within your power to contribute significantly to shaping the societies of the coming century; youth can move the world.”

The youth’s dynamic example at the Dallas conference can only inspire each and all to fuller participation in the support and progress of the Faith!

CONFERENCE REPORT

by Shiva Martin and Saba Rohani

Any youth who entered through the doors of the Hyatt Regency to attend the Army of Light Conference in Dallas, Texas felt the overwhelming sense of enthusiasm and excitement in the air. Looking around, one could see the great diversity of this dynamic generation. A true feeling of Bahá’í unity was present throughout the entire Conference. The programs consisted of many sessions given, led, and performed by youth; with one very special night of questions and answers with the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States.

We were blessed to have had been addressed ‎bythe by the‎ Secretary of the NSA of Russia, who is a young adult himself. The youth got an idea of how their peers across the U.S.A. have been spreading the Word of the Blessed Beauty. Through Bahá’í Youth Workshops, musical groups, ethnic dancing, and many other forms of teaching we saw the youth of this generation show what energy and love they have for advancing this beautiful Faith.

Congratulations and thanks go to the National Teaching Committee and the National Spiritual Assembly for the effort they put into organizing this very successful Conference. We received the bounty of prayers from the Holy Land from the Universal House of Justice. Now that all of us are back home in our communities, we must carry the emotions that overwhelmed us, and turn those emotions into actions....TEACH, TEACH, TEACH...and we will see you all in Chicago!!

MORE OF WHAT YOU SAID...

“The Standards of the Army of Light Dallas Conference were so high that it exemplified the ‎expectaitions expectations‎ set forth in the Writings concerning youth throughout the world.”

“It was an inspiration to see the “Coming of Age” of a new group of junior youth.”

“An exhilarating event that made me want to run to everyone and share this glorious gift.”

Untitled

By Michael Mohajeri

A sacred place, a special face Oneness of the Human Race Somewhere in time there is a sign of which we find the truth to be Equality Our unity A man — he stands in a land where we can be One family A lady who walks and yearns to talk about the equality of which we will all see Lost we are — searching for a place so far wishing on a beautiful star The Almighty sees his creations in need and so he leads A prophet is blessed with the test of teaching the rest Every morn we are born and the burden is worn Of this new day and this sun ray we shall say “Allah-u-Abha”

The spirit and power of Bahá’í youth, so praised by Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and Shoghi Effendi, was alive with an intensity I have never felt before! I felt inspired, uplifted and most importantly I felt part of a tremendous effort to ‎rejuvinate rejuvenate‎ the American Community. I could see the potential and destiny of the American Bahá’í Youth foretold by Shoghi Effendi in the Advent of Divine Justice alive in full force! [Page 14]

Four Year Plan

planners of the teaching work, developers of human resources, builders of communities, and loving shepherds of the multitudes.

The third, the flourishing of the community especially at the local level, demands a significant enhancement in patterns of behavior by which the collective expression of the virtues of the individual members and the functioning of the Spiritual Assembly is manifest in the unity and fellowship of the community and the dynamism of its activity and growth.

Toward these ends, the work of the Continental Counselors must assume new dimensions. Thus, at their conference, they have been deliberating on such matters as:

• Developments in the mode of the functioning of the Continental Boards of Counselors.

• The process for the elaboration of the Plan through the formulation of derivative plans and strategies at the national, regional and local levels. Joint consultations between the Continental Counselors and National Spiritual Assemblies will begin immediately after Ridván, and the planning process will move quickly to the regional level, involving Auxiliary Board members, local Spiritual Assemblies and committees.

• The development of human resources to meet the needs of a rapidly expanding community. Large-scale growth necessitates sustained measures of consolidation. The urgent requirement is for formally conducted programs of training through institutes and other centers of learning, in the establishment and operation of which the Counselors and Auxiliary Board members will become more intimately involved.

• Effective approaches to the raising up and consolidation of local Spiritual Assemblies. In accordance with the objectives of fostering the maturation of these Assemblies, a greater effort is required to uphold a vital principle, which is that the life, the observance of the Nineteen Day Feasts and Holy Days, the holding of children's classes, the fostering of youth activities.

The seven objectives specified in previous Plans describe essential, interacting directions that must advance simultaneously into the foreseeable future.

The Four Year Plan's aim at accelerating the process of entry by troops identifies a necessity at this stage in the progress of the Cause and in the state of human society.

With this perspective, the three inseparable participants in the evolution of the new World Order—the individual, the institutions, and the community—must now demonstrate more tangibly than ever before their capacity and willingness to embrace masses of new adherents, to effect the spiritual and administrative transformation of thousands upon thousands, and, above all, to multiply the army of knowledgeable, consecrated teachers of a Faith whose emergence from obscurity must be registered on the consciousness of countless multitudes throughout the earth.

These are among the detailed considerations that have occupied the deliberations of the Continental Counselors, who, upon their return home and in the course of their work, will have occasion to share the results of their conference with the friends.

An auspicious beginning for the new Plan will depend largely on the results of the current one, which will end in just a few months.

The adequacy of these results will owe much to the degree to which the local Spiritual Assemblies and the friends carry out the directions of their National Spiritual Assemblies, the generals of every Plan.

Time is slipping away. This reality should prod us all to maximum action. Hence, in preparation for what beckons us on the near horizon, we cannot, we must not, hesitate to expend every energy to bring the Three Year Plan to a successful conclusion.

The responsibility for electing a local Spiritual Assembly rests primarily on the Bahá’ís in the locality. The Auxiliary Board members and their assistants are to increase their efforts to improve the general understanding of this principle and will devote more attention to assisting the development of local Assemblies. As of Ridván 1997, all local Spiritual Assemblies throughout the world will have to be elected on the first Day of Ridván.

• Further means for the development of local Bahá’í communities. The needs in this respect will be met in part by an immediate increase in the membership of the Auxiliary Boards for Protection to equal that of the Auxiliary Boards for Propagation, so that Protection Board members can directly and systematically assist on a wide scale the fundamental activities of the community, such as the spiritual nurturing of individual believers, the participation of women in all aspects of community life, the observance of the Nineteen Day Feasts and Holy Days, the holding of children's classes, the fostering of youth activities.

The urgency which intensifies our desire for such an outcome is not merely pride of victory, gratifying as that may be. There are divine deadlines to be met.

Our work is intended not only to increase the size and consolidate the foundations of our community, but more particularly to exert a positive influence on the affairs of the entire human race. At so crucial a moment in world affairs, we must not fail in our duty to take timely action on the goals set before us in the Three Year Plan.

With the full fervor of our expectant hearts, we call upon you all, individually and collectively, to arise to the summons of the Lord of Hosts to teach His Cause. Do so with love, faith and courage, and the doors of heaven will open wide to pour forth benedictions upon your efforts.

With loving Bahá’í greetings,

The Universal House of Justice December 31, 1995

Performers from the Native American Bahá’í Institute and the Louis G. Gregory Bahá’í Institute join in a song.

Louis Gregory Institute, NABI performers combine strengths

Representatives of the Native American Bahá’í Institute and the Louis G. Gregory Bahá’í Institute were able recently to proclaim the Faith to about 300 non-Bahá’ís in the NABI area over a three-day period.

The Faith was presented through traditional music respective to the two institutes. One such visit was at an all-Navajo Catholic Church; another was at a local U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs high school.

NABI has been busy on many other fronts, as well, in recent months.

A trip to California by the performing group iinda included visits to six public schools comprising nearly 3,000 non-Bahá’í students, faculty and staff. The California visit also resulted in cable television interviews and a taping, and in firesides and other talks through which about 500 people were reached.

Altogether, not counting its many Bahá’í activities, NABI reached approximately 4,500 non-Bahá’ís in proclamation work this fall.

NABI has begun a dialogue with the University of the United Nations in Japan on indigenous social and economic development work.

The institute is expecting the arrival of another three youth—for a total of six—by January 1996. There is also the possibility that an English Bahá’í who is a student at Cambridge University will serve at NABI. Youth are always needed to exemplify and serve through the NABI model.

NABI also is attracting non-Bahá’í youth to the campus.

A new shop building at NABI, to be completed in January, will allow a total of 35 individuals from three universities to be at NABI for a spring break service project.

Twenty students from Bradley University will be at NABI in May for a three-credit-hour course that will include comparative religion.

Arizona State University at Tempe has listed NABI as a resource for one of its programs after two service projects there in September and November.

Washington program focuses on Sunday school development

All 16 Bahá’í schools in Washington state were represented at a statewide conference last December 16 in Mukilteo that was convened to strengthen and develop Sunday school programs.

"We got together to connect, to consult, to raise our vision," said conference organizer Mahnaz Javid. "We are convinced that Bahá’í Sunday schools not only provide for the spiritual education of children, but consolidate the community as well."

Her sentiments were echoed by conference speaker Kurt Hein, interim principal of the Maxwell Bahá’í School in British Columbia, Canada.

"We need human resources," he said, "and this [area] is one of the richest seed beds in the Bahá’í world. As part of this emerging unified school district, you are world leaders in education—and the lessons you learn here will apply globally."

Workshops at the conference ranged from integrating art into the curriculum and 101 ways to teach the oneness of mankind to a popular class on reaching young people.

Progress was also made toward another goal as the Day Star North Cafe, managed by Darlene Colson and colleagues, provided meals for attendees that raised $767.47 for the Arc.

Terry Kneisler, National Education and Schools coordinator, told the group the lessons they learn in Bahá’í schools can also apply in public schools.

"I think we have some answers that people in the public sector deserve," he said. "Mind you, some of them are in the formative stages, but we are starting to gain insights as to how we might educate morally or in terms of values."

Video tapes of the talks by Mr. Hein and Mr. Kneisler are available for $5 each from Mrs. Javid. Phone 206-742-9216. [Page 15]

National Bahá’í Youth Conference

December 25, 1995

To the friends gathered at the National Bahá’í Youth Conference in Dallas, Texas

Dear Friends,

We send you our warmest greetings and deepest love.

Your conference coincides with the Counselors' Conference, which has drawn 78 Counselors from the five continents to the Holy Land for discussions with the International Teaching Center concerning the provisions of the next global teaching and consolidation plan to be launched at Ridván 1996. You may well draw inspiration from this coincidence as you take advantage of your togetherness to contemplate during the next few days the opportunities available to the Bahá’í youth both to bend their efforts toward great achievements in the teaching field during the remaining months of the Three Year Plan and to ensure through such achievements a fitting initiation for the new Plan, which will be in operation during the closing years of the unique Twentieth Century.

The threat of disintegration and chaos, on the one hand, and the promise of unity and peace, on the other, flash intermittently as prospects at this time of great transition for the entire human race. Unity and peace will triumph, we know; but until then humanity will surely experience trials and turmoil. Amid these can be found the countless opportunities to teach those, especially among your peers, who seek understanding and hope. The perspective which enables us to see clearly during this time of great perplexity is provided in the Sacred Writings of our Faith and in the life and deeds of our true Exemplar, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá; these are abundant resources to which the followers of the Blessed Beauty, young and old alike, can turn time and time again for knowledge, inspiration and assurance.

May your collective and individual capacity for action increase as you take occasions such as this conference both to obtain a deeper understanding of your purpose and goal in life and to mobilize your efforts, in word and deed, to spread the glad tidings and demonstrate the revolutionizing effects of the appearance of the Lord of Hosts. Being among the ones who will increasingly be shouldering the responsibilities for the evolution of the Order of Bahá’u’lláh, the very pattern of future society, you, like the Bahá’í youth in every other land, can do no less than consider seriously what each and all of you will do now toward victoriously meeting the challenges and opportunities of these troubled but dynamic times.

We shall continue to pray ardently in the Holy Shrines for your success in every respect.

The Universal House of Justice

Opening Remarks and Greetings

James F. Nelson, chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly, in his opening remarks: "It's about coming of age: the coming of age of the human race and the coming of age of people. Those of you who are still young know how difficult that task can be. Well, in the next few days we're going to make it seem like a walk in the park. Because coming of age to Bahá’ís means being of service to our fellow men, and that's what we're going to be doing here....We're not about anything except spreading light. That's why you're called the Army of Light."

Sergei Poselski, secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of Russia: "It won't be an exaggeration to say that in the history of the Bahá’í Faith in Russia over these past six years, the name of the Bahá’í youth from North America is written in golden letters. ...From the bottom of my heart, I wish all of you who came here to acquire new spiritual strength, deep inspiration, and a vision of the work which lies ahead of us."

State Rep. Fred Hill: "We find ourselves facing a society that is increasingly becoming divided. As Bahá’ís, you have the advantage of already having accepted racial harmony as a solution to many of the problems of the world. Now, your challenge is how to bring this message to the rest of the world....I know of no more worthy cause than the one you are about to undertake these next few days. My challenge to you is to get in the arena, join the debate, make sure your voice is heard."

Presentations and Plenary Speakers

The Bay Area Bahá’í Youth Workshop performs Martyrs' Step as photos of martyrs of all colors and creeds are flashed on giant screens at the sides of the meeting room. (All photos by Tom Mennillo)

Ruben Kyle portrays the Hand of the Cause Louis G. Gregory in a dramatic monologue taken from a letter Mr. Gregory wrote to his wife, Louisa.

Youth plenary speaker Ramine Yazhari on Race Unity: "We inspire through words, but we lead through action....Our National Assembly is yearning for our community to be leaders for race unity, to be spiritual leaders. The National Assembly have sacrificed their time to be with us at this conference so we may have that vision further clarified for us and that, in commingling with us and speaking with us and answering our questions, they may inspire us. So they have provided us with the vision, they are helping us to achieve the inspiration at this conference. What I'd like for us to do right now is to answer the call that the National Assembly has given to us...that we are that new race of men and women who will stand in the face of hatred and meet it with love, who will view the problems of the world and will be optimistic, but will feel an urgency, who will be confident because we know that our love for God is the one solvent that will heal this divided world."

Youth plenary speaker Martha Villa Gomez on Youth in the Vanguard: "This is what Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the beloved Guardian and the Universal House of Justice have called upon us to do: to refine and purify our character, to arm ourselves with an excellent education, and, as the beloved Guardian said regarding teaching, let us make it 'the dominating passion of our life.' ...The Cause at present does not need martyrs who would die for the Faith, but servants who desire to teach and establish the Cause throughout the world. To live to teach in the present day is like being martyred in those early days. It is the spirit that moves us that counts, and that spirit is to serve the Cause of God with our hearts and souls....Let us be like the apostles of Christ who loved Jesus so much they went out and changed the world. Let us be like the early apostles of Bahá’u’lláh who played their part.

Let us make a commitment to arise and fulfill ‘Abdu’l-Bahá's wish to become apostles of Bahá’u’lláh and change the world. Let the love of Bahá’u’lláh muster every organ, part and limb of our bodies, that we may go out and fulfill our mission, so that we may play our part in establishing the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh and the oneness of mankind." [Page 16]

DAY TWO

Excellence in All Things

Youth-led workshops explore the topics of race unity and living the Bahá’í life.

Jamal Lally and Artemus Stover rap on Bahá’í themes.

Robert C. Henderson, secretary-general of the National Spiritual Assembly, addresses adults on Bahá’í Parenting: “Shoghi Effendi said that the Bahá’í Faith would be measured by the effect it had on its youth. He said that if the youth were not touched and transformed by the spirit of the Faith, then by what standard would we measure the efficacy of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation. And we see it is true. ...What we see at these youth conferences is the gradual emergence of that new race: children who have been touched by that spirit, who have been brought up in the loving embrace of all youth, and who feel daily the shaping influence of your hopes for them, your aspirations for the training of their minds and the filling up of their hearts, and for the discipline of their lives as they go about praying, reading the Writings, and talking to each other about the important issues. It’s just such a joy to see all of them in their marvelous diversity.”

IN ALL THINGS

In all things there lies a beauty deep inside that shines through if you look.

Do you see the beauty inside the dark night? Let the shadows comfort you, instead of bring you fright.

Beauty can be seen with a loving eye so look at things this way, all of the time.

Look upon all things with your eye of beauty for all to see and let the love within you shine for you and for me.

In all things there is a cry that they do cry out: Ya Bahá’u’l-Abhá! they cry; Ya Bahá’u’l-Abhá!

This is the beauty, the excellence in all things, the Glory of God, the Light and the Love of all, the All-Merciful, the Almighty, the All-Exalted! Ya Bahá’u’l-Abhá! Ya Bahá’u’l-Abhá! —Poem by Toni Robison-May, 13, of Edmond, OK

National Spiritual Assembly members Patricia Locke and Robert C. Henderson and dozens of youth join in a round dance led by Auxiliary Board member Kevin Locke.

Valentin Cantú performs songs in Spanish.

DAY THREE

Teaching

Youth plenary speaker Kimi Locke on Youth and Teaching: “How important it is for us to seize every chance we have to teach every person that we meet? Imagine you are standing in front of a soul of God who does not know his true destiny. It is your responsibility to inform them of their true destiny as servants of God. ...Think about it: All you have to do is utter the name of Bahá’u’lláh, and you have the assistance of Bahá’u’lláh and the entire Concourse on High. That’s a lot of help! All you have to do is open yourself up and become a channel. ...Bahá’u’lláh has given us so much, but the greatest gift is teaching.”

National Spiritual Assembly Chairman James F. Nelson chats with some youth before the morning’s session. He took every opportunity to tell the gathered youth: ‘You are wonderful.’

Amanda Provost portrays Martha Root in a dramatic monologue.

The versatile Mona Bahá’í Youth Workshop members from Mexico sing and play guitar, then perform a dance from indigenous culture. [Page 17]

NATIONAL YOUTH CONFERENCE

DAY THREE Teaching

Saturday night’s concert provides a wealth of young Bahá’í talent from a violin duet to African dance.

The Chicago Bahá’í Youth Workshop goes acrobatic in performing its popular How Ya Livin’? rap.

DAY FOUR Youth Serving Humanity

December 30, 1995

To our beloved Universal House of Justice,

Dearly honored members of the Supreme Institution, our hearts are filled with gratitude for your loving message to all of us gathered in Dallas, Texas, for the National Bahá’í Youth Conference. Over 2,500 participants are honored by the presence and participation of the National Spiritual Assembly and members of the Auxiliary Board and distinguished guest Sergei Poselski, the secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the Russian Federation. We are enveloped by the support and guidance provided by our institutions and feel added purpose and inspiration knowing that our efforts here coincide with the Counselors’ Conference as they consult with you about the next worldwide Plan. This conference is blessed with participants from 49 states and nine other countries.

We feel privileged to be in each ‎others’ other’s‎ presence. This unique gathering featured unprecedented involvement on the part of youth as speakers, performers and workshop facilitators. Each day’s program, rich in artistic and cultural diversity, offered a deeper understanding of our sacred writings and our role as spiritual warriors. The parallel processes of disintegration and renewal are evident in our lives, and we desire to be a part of the energetic, systematic response to this challenging period of transition. We are encouraged by your faith in our ability to develop a singular Bahá’í purpose in life as we struggled for spiritual distinction.

As we rapidly approach the end of the Three Year Plan and the inauguration of the next Plan, we pledge our commitment to deepen our understanding of the sacred writings, to refine our characters, and to make teaching the dominating passion of our lives. We recognize our responsibilities as spiritual descendants of the Dawn-breakers and our role in the future Order. We draw inspiration and strength from your assurance of continued prayers on our behalf at the Sacred Threshold.

With loving Bahá’í greetings,

The participants in the 1995 National Bahá’í Youth Conference

Youth plenary speaker Bahia Cross on Youth Serving the Cause: “It was the sacrifice of the early believers that allowed us to be here today. We are standing on their shoulders to serve this Cause. I think about the…Africans who died during the middle passage of slavery that allowed me to be here right now. They all sacrificed everything for the generations that were yet unborn. ...In this day, we have been asked to be living martyrs and to sacrifice every day of our lives. All of us in this room know we needn’t go farther than this room to see evidences of great sacrifice. ...But each of us can testify to someone in our personal lives who reflects such service and sacrifice. ...At this point, I would like for anyone in this audience who wants to recognize and say thank you to someone in their lives who has given them inspiration because of their sacrifice to stand. This is evidence that we all have examples of heroes and heroines in our personal lives and in our thoughts and our prayers. They demonstrated how to serve. ...We have no excuse. Let us arise and teach.”

A youth places her contribution into the Arc Projects Fund box. Nearly 70 percent of attendees gave during the conference, with contributions totaling $30,516.18.

Patricia Locke of the National Spiritual Assembly with closing remarks, after showing slides of indigenous peoples in 80 countries: “I hope in your dreams tonight you will place yourself in some of those sites you saw on the screen. ...The Lakota word for children is sacred beings...so think of yourselves in that way. Think of others you meet in that way, and that will help you in your teaching work. ...I thought your message to the Universal House of Justice was wonderful, and so did my fellow members of the National Spiritual Assembly. And those thoughts and words echo our sentiments. We are so proud of you for such a wonderful meeting, and I want you to know that every one of us loves you; we really love you. You are our hope for the future, and I want you to know that we are your servants. We’ll see you next summer!”

The group Divine Inspiration sings gospel.

An exquisite Persian dance by the Texas A&M Dance Troupe stands in vivid contrast to group’s earlier performance of a Texas swing.

A sign soliciting teachers beckons the youth as they leave the final session. Intensive teaching went on in the Dallas area before, during and after the conference. [Page 18]

Bahá’í Publications gears up to face challenges of next Plan

Bahá’í Publications has one over-riding goal: to support the teaching and consolidation work of the Faith. Every one of Bahá’í Publications’ 23 employees works in some way to achieve this mission.

Under the newly created banner of Bahá’í Publications, this small group is responsible for publishing and distributing the sacred writings, authoritative texts, teaching literature, introductory works, historical accounts, literature for children and youth, audio and video materials, pamphlets, magazines, a newspaper and a short encyclopedia of the Bahá’í Faith. It also provides production services for audio, video and print communications as needed by the National Spiritual Assembly and the departments of the National Center.

The past three years have been a time of building and reorganization. The Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Bahá’í Distribution Service, Media Services, Subscriber Services, Brilliant Star magazine, World Order magazine, The American Bahá’í and the Encyclopedia project have been placed within a single operating structure for better communication and coordination.

Bahá’í Publications has directly or indirectly supported many of the National Spiritual Assembly’s 13 goals of the Three Year Plan. This article will examine the accomplishments and challenges of Bahá’í Publications as they relate to goals outlined in the Three Year Plan.

Sacred Writings

The first goal of the Three Year Plan is “to intensify study of the Sacred Writings as a means of fostering spiritual strength and transformation.” The Publishing Trust is dedicated to having in print and available in English all of the major works of Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi. This goal will be achieved. The most recent works to be reprinted are Bahá’í Administration, Citadel of Faith and Messages to the Bahá’í World. These three volumes by Shoghi Effendi will soon be joined by an expanded version of Messages to America. Together they will make an excellent reference set for new and seasoned Bahá’ís and for all administrative bodies.

In addition, the Bahá’í Distribution Service has a wide range of compilations, commentaries and study guides on the sacred writings for deepening and inspiration.

Race unity

Bahá’í Publications, in conjunction with the National Teaching Office, published the pamphlet “Louis Gregory, Champion of Racial Harmony.” This work supports the Three Year Plan’s goal “to become leaders in the movement for race unity and to make Bahá’í communities models of unity.”

It also printed models of Race Unity I and II, documenting positive examples of racial cooperation in Chicago and Atlanta. A children’s book on the life of Louis Gregory, entitled Like Pure Gold—The Story of Louis Gregory, has been contracted and will be published in 1996. World Order magazine, the National Spiritual Assembly’s journal for the publication of a broad range of articles by accomplished authors, devoted an issue in 1995 to race unity. One of its articles was reprinted by the Michigan Chronicle, a large African-American newspaper.

Education and family life

Another national goal is “to expand programs of education for Bahá’í children, youth and adults and for the strengthening of Bahá’í family life.” The National Education and Schools Office worked with Bahá’í Publications to publish “Foundations for a Spiritual Education,” a compilation to aid Core Curriculum educators, parents and teachers in understanding the nature, purpose and process of spiritual education.

Brilliant Star magazine continues to be a prime source for the spiritual education of Bahá’í children. The variety of articles in each issue of this bi-monthly publication also provides an excellent foundation for basic teachings on the Central Figures, Bahá’í principles, and virtues. Brilliant Star is now developing a selection of stand-alone items taken from past Brilliant Star issues. Reformatted and updated, they will be available for all those who may have missed them when they were first published—perfect for teaching, self study or gifts.

Another publication that is especially helpful in educating youth and adults is So Great an Honor: Becoming a Bahá’í. This new book, released last August, was written and published by Bahá’í Publications staff in collaboration with a number of agencies at the National Center. For new Bahá’ís this book provides a first introduction. It will be used as the reference book in the new believers’ course created by the National Education Committee. For all others, the book is an inspiring description of the essential truths of the Faith, the history, the Central Figures, their covenants, history and the administrative order.

The advancement of women

The goal “to promote the advancement of women and to publish a statement on women” has Bahá’í Publications poised to design, print and distribute the National Spiritual Assembly’s soon-to-be-released statement on gender equality. World Order magazine dedicated two issues in 1995 to the advancement of women. Five articles by Bahá’í scholars and educators explored many aspects of this crucial and complex topic. One article was reprinted by the American Bar Association for a session at its 1995 annual meeting on violence against women.

Development

To support the National Assembly’s goal of “the development of spiritual assemblies, the refinement of the Feast and the operation of the Funds,” the Media Services arm of Bahá’í Publications continued to produce the Bahá’í Newsreel, audio-taped Feast messages, and special communications for the National Spiritual Assembly. The video tape, For Love of His Beauty, documented the visit of Universal House of Justice member ‘Alí Nakhjavání to the United States, as he explained the spiritual nature of giving and the progress of the construction of the Arc at the World Center.

The staff at Media Services is producing two other videos that will contribute to the development of the Bahá’í community—one, the visit to the U.S. of the Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum speaking to a Bahá’í audience in Washington D.C.; and two, a lively video production for the Youth Conference in Dallas entitled Coming of Age, Youth in Service. Media Services is being called upon ever more frequently to document historic events taking place around the world. This agency is working to support the many requests by local and National Spiritual Assemblies, the Bahá’í Office of Public Information and commercial broadcasting organizations for clips and images stored in the media library. Media Services is reorganizing and categorizing the 3,000 taped and filmed documents in a systematic and automated way to provide safe storage and easy access when needed.

Challenges that lie ahead

Growth and decentralization

Among the challenges to Bahá’í Publications is the development of a wider range of literature for seekers and non-English speaking friends. It will be important to continue to increase the capacity of the entire publishing operation with the anticipated growth in the demand for information about the Faith as the turn of the century approaches.

During the Three Year Plan, the Bahá’í Distribution Service was expanded and moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee, the reorganization plan for the Bahá’í Publishing Trust came to fruition, and a coordinator was hired in January 1995.

The next steps in the reorganization process will be the most challenging. First, editorial boards are being appointed to utilize the strengths associated with management by consultative groups, to broaden the number of people involved in key decision-making in the publishing process, and to open up the publishing process to allow for the participation of a larger and more diverse group of people.

The first three boards will develop a range of publications for authoritative texts, teaching and education, and children and youth. Second, the Publications and Communications Conference scheduled for June 1996 will discuss the publishing agenda. As soon as the publishing agenda is approved by the National Spiritual Assembly it will be made known to the friends. This will increasingly enable authors and other Bahá’í publishers to work independently to complement the Trust’s publishing efforts that support the teaching and deepening efforts of the Faith.

The Bahá’í Encyclopedia project is another challenging undertaking. It has recently been reorganized to move forward with the publication of a one-volume encyclopedia of the Bahá’í Faith. With added resources and a clear mandate, the project will move to completion.

At least three other new titles will be released by the end of the current plan. Mahmúd’s Diary is an account by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s secretary, Mírzá Mahmúd-i-Zarqání, of the Master’s visit to North America in 1912; A Pilgrimage to Haifa is the compelling story of a 12-year-old girl’s visit to Haifa in 1919, complete with 20 never-before-published photos of life at the World Center at the time taken by the author, Bahiyyih Winckler, with her Brownie box camera; and Welcome to the Bahá’í Faith is a booklet that will be placed in a newly designed new believers’ packet to be given as a gift to every new member of the Faith.

A welcome reprint is From Copper to Gold, by Dorothy Freeman Gilstrap, a title acquired from another publisher. William Sears’ Release the Sun was reprinted earlier this year with an exciting new cover and became an instant best seller.

Strengthening our financial position

A goal of the Three Year Plan is to strengthen the National Center’s financial position. This continues to be yet another challenge for Bahá’í Publications. During 1995, in response to the budget concerns of the National Spiritual Assembly, The American Bahá’í reduced the number of issues printed per year from 19 to 10. Since the primary method of communicating with the Bahá’í public is through The American Bahá’í, this drop in frequency reduced the amount of exposure to the prime publication buying audience by nearly 50 percent. Sales of books and other materials have obviously been affected.

The Publishing Trust and Distribution Service have a goal for self-sufficiency. It is tied to Bahá’í Publications’ first challenge—to increase the capacity and broaden the appeal of books published by the Trust and distributed by the Distribution Service.

Greater sales and an increased range of products are needed to support the overhead of publishing. This challenge will be met by improving efficiency, productivity and marketing. Project planning, financial management and subscriber service systems are being designed to allow Bahá’í Publications to operate more effectively and efficiently.

Even with the challenge of financial self-sufficiency, it will be important to develop a series of low-cost teaching materials. In this way everyone will be able to obtain support materials when he or she is teaching the Faith. These materials will come in many forms—print, audio tape and video tape.

The accomplishments of the past three years and the challenges to be faced in the next Plan are only the beginning of the growth and opportunity to come. The staff of Bahá’í Publications is unified and dedicated to meeting the challenges and to ensuring that everything that each member of Bahá’í Publications does supports our common mission. [Page 19]

National Assembly pursues defense of Bahá’ís in Iran

The measures summarized below were undertaken during the Three Year Plan in the defense of the Bahá’ís in Iran by the National Spiritual Assembly’s Secretariat for External Affairs in Washington, D.C.

Under the direction of the Universal House of Justice, the National Spiritual Assembly has continued during the Three Year Plan the task of defending the human rights of the Iranian Bahá’í community.

While the situation of individual Bahá’ís in the Cradle of the Faith has improved over the last three years, the Bahá’í community as a whole is still repressed and will continue to be endangered as long as it is not accorded legitimacy by the government of Iran.

Bahá’í institutions worldwide will therefore continue their efforts to work with the United Nations and with national governments to achieve the eventual emancipation of the Iranian Bahá’í community.

The National Assembly’s secretary for external affairs has visited Washington regularly to inform congressional and administration officials about the situation of the Bahá’ís in Iran.

Among her several areas of service Marjorie Sonnenfeld, now in her 15th year as public relations consultant to the National Spiritual Assembly, set up appointments with top officials who were kept informed of the situation in Iran so that the administration could support UN and congressional resolutions on the Iranian Bahá’ís and take appropriate action at the UN General Assembly.

On April 22, 1993, President Clinton mentioned the plight of the Iranian Bahá’ís as an example of human rights violations when he spoke at the dedication of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington. Before an audience of several hundred, he criticized the “abusive treatment of the Bahá’ís in Iran.”

In July 1993, the National Spiritual Assembly learned that the Tehran municipal government had begun to dig up graves at the Bahá’í Cemetery there. The State Department protested the action, and The New York Times printed an editorial condemning the desecration of the confiscated Bahá’í cemetery.

On November 22 and 29, 1993, the National Spiritual Assembly placed in The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times statements entitled “An Appeal to the Conscience of Humankind.” Forty-nine prominent persons including two Nobel laureates, three former Secretaries of State, academics, civil rights leaders, and former government officials signed the appeal urging the world’s leaders and the UN to “continue to speak out against Iran’s plan to destroy the Bahá’ís.”

During 1993 copies of several verdicts of courts in Iran reached the National Spiritual Assembly including the death sentences of two Bahá’ís in Karaj who were condemned in part because of their communication with the United Nations about their incarceration.

The verdicts became widely known as that year’s UN General Assembly was meeting to vote on the Iranian human rights resolution. The National Spiritual Assembly provided the U.S. government with the information, and on December 20 U.S. UN Ambassador Victor Marrero delivered a speech to the General Assembly criticizing Iran for continuing to “flaunt the human rights of its own citizens, unrelentingly persecuting some simply because of their religious beliefs.”

On December 31, The New York Times ran an editorial alerting the world to the decision of the Iranian government.

In November 1993, the U.S. Senate passed Concurrent Resolution 31, saying in part that “the Congress holds the government of Iran responsible for upholding the rights of all of its nationals, including members of the Bahá’í Faith, Iran’s largest religious minority,” and, as in the resolution of 1992, urging “the government of Iran to emancipate the Bahá’í community.”

On April 19, 1994, by a vote of 414-0, the House of Representatives approved Senate Concurrent Resolution 31 which had been passed by the Senate in November 1993. It was the sixth congressional resolution since 1982 on the Iranian Bahá’í situation and urged “the government of Iran to emancipate the Bahá’í community by granting those rights guaranteed by...the international covenants on human rights.”

Because congressional resolutions remain one of the most potent instruments the U.S. government has in which to express its concern for the Iranian Bahá’í community and its displeasure with the Islamic Republic of Iran for its mistreatment of Bahá’ís, in August 1995 the seventh congressional resolution, House Concurrent Resolution 102, was introduced in the House of Representatives. Co-sponsors are being gathered for this most recent resolution.

In Wilmette, the U.S. Bahá’í Refugee Office has continued to help U.S.-bound refugees and to obtain humanitarian parole for urgent medical cases. The office communicated regularly with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the State Department’s Refugee Bureau, and the Immigration and Naturalization Service in Washington, D.C., to help those Bahá’ís whose circumstances required such assistance.

The office also kept in touch with the National Spiritual Assemblies of Turkey and Pakistan, countries that received the majority of the Bahá’í refugees. The director of the Refugee Office attended meetings to learn the most recent refugee policies and regulations to better help the Bahá’ís entering the U.S., and continued to take part in the Illinois Social Service Consortium and the Chicago Coalition of Immigrant and Refugee Protection.

In May 1995, the National Spiritual Assembly hosted an exhibit, “Defending Religious Liberty,” and a reception for more than 200 guests at the Cannon House Office Building in Washington. It represented the culmination of nearly 15 years of painstaking work to inform political and human rights leaders in the U.S. about the persecution of the Iranian Bahá’í community and the nature of the Bahá’í community’s activities and fundamental beliefs. The exhibit was displayed for two weeks in the Cannon rotunda.

The exhibit, which documented America’s and other countries’ responses to Iran’s repression of the Bahá’í community, was sponsored by earlier recipients of the Bahá’í Humanitarian Award, Reps. John Edward Porter of Illinois and Tom Lantos of California, who are co-chairmen of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus.

The exhibit consisted of eight large panels, each 12 by 18 feet, set between 18 Corinthian marble columns that frame the circular rotunda.

Rep. Porter asked the National Assembly to display the exhibit for an additional week. A security guard at the rotunda remarked that it was the most beautifully mounted exhibit in her 19 years there.

At the reception on May 2, the National Spiritual Assembly presented the Bahá’í Humanitarian Awards to Reps. Ben Gilman of New York and Lee Hamilton of Indiana.

The National Spiritual Assembly also hosted a reception at the House of Worship in Wilmette on November 18 featuring the exhibit, which is now on display in Foundation Hall.

Need to deepen friends in U.S., around the world leads to creation of Tsavo West Institute, Deepen magazine

In the spring of 1993 a group of Bahá’ís—including a librarian, a receptionist and the editor of a local Bahá’í newsletter—came together in pursuit of a common goal.

Recognizing the need for a greater degree of deepening and teaching across the country, they pooled their resources to see how they could address those needs.

Setting their sights on publishing, they examined the various Bahá’í periodicals published in the U.S. and decided that what was needed was a magazine dedicated to providing a steady source of deepening and teaching materials for the rank and file.

They felt that such a magazine should be presented in a way that was entertaining, informative and pertinent to the needs of the Bahá’í community.

The result of their deliberations was the Tsavo West Bahá’í Institute and the creation of Deepen magazine, a high-quality non-profit periodical specifically designed to promote deepening and teaching on a large-scale basis.

During its two-year history Deepen has drawn the interest of believers from as far away as Estonia, Kenya and Hong Kong, yet its readership remains quite small.

The Institute itself has produced materials in English, Spanish and Kiswahili.

The over-all concept of Tsavo West, says Trey Yancy, senior editor of Deepen, is to tie into the process of decentralization by addressing the needs of local Bahá’ís and providing the services needed to address those needs.

“While there are many things that the believers can do under the direction of their local Spiritual Assemblies,” he says, “there are also many needs common throughout the country that require a broad-based approach. This is exactly the thing that institutes such as Tsavo West are designed to do.”

For example, he points out, one of the goals of Tsavo West is to donate a series of thematic collections of posters, pamphlets and reprints of articles to every local Assembly in the country.

“As a non-profit group,” Mr. Yancy says, “there are obvious limitations on our ability to obtain adequate funding for such projects. But there are many things that can be accomplished, and we are confident that with the support of the friends we will succeed.”

The key elements in the institute’s success, he says, are “faith and perseverance—and faith is the translation of one’s belief into action. The friends have a wealth of opportunities before them, and if they pool their talents and do that which is required of them, success is inevitable.”

For information, the friends are welcome to contact the Tsavo West Bahá’í Institute, P.O. Box 6081, Wilmette, IL 60091 (phone 847-251-6103).

March meeting is set at Louhelen to plan integrated media campaign

Producers of audio, video, print and display materials are being invited to meet at Louhelen Bahá’í School the weekend of March 15-17.

They will begin producing an integrated media campaign of advertising, proclamation, and teaching materials for Bahá’í communities.

Bahá’í teachers also are encouraged to attend to add their thoughts on what types of materials need to be developed and how they could be used.

In preparation for the meeting, attendees are asked to write down any information they wish to share with others so it can be copied and distributed the first night. (Those who cannot attend can send in information for distribution to participants; the address is Warren, MI 48092.)

At that 7 p.m. Friday session, participants will identify what is being produced, what is needed, and equipment to which they have access.

The rest of the weekend, they will work in smaller groups to begin working on materials on specific themes and to set dates for future meetings.

To make the gathering as productive as possible, a local Bahá’í-owned company has donated computers and software. Participants are encouraged to bring their laptop computers.

Conference questions and requests for transportation from Detroit Metro Airport can be directed to Paula Reid at 810-442-2525 (work), 810-574-1605 (home) or 810-442-2651 (fax).

Registration must be made directly with Louhelen Bahá’í School, 810-653-5033—by February 10, if possible.

Cost for all weekend expenses is $100, along with an anticipated photocopying charge of about $10. Child care is available upon request. [Page 20]

STATISTICS OF THE BAHÁ’Í WORLD COMMUNITY

Produced on July 19, 1995, by the Bahá’í World Center’s Department of Statistics

	World Total	Africa	Americas	Asia	Australasia	Europe
National Spiritual Assemblies	173	44	43	37	17	32
Local Spiritual Assemblies	17,867	5,158	4,711	6,260	891	847
Countries where the Faith is established:
• independent countries	189	53	35	45	13	43
• dependent territories or overseas departments	46	5	17	3	13	8
Localities where Bahá’ís reside	119,949	33,059	27,565	49,776	4,068	4,981
Continental Counselors*	81	19	19	18	11	14
Auxiliary Board members	846	207	198	252	90	99
Indigenous tribes, races, ethnic groups	2,112	1,250	340	250	250	22
Languages into which Bahá’í literature has been translated	802	266	172	174	110	80
Publishing Trusts	30	4	3	9	2	12

Notes: (1) The statistics for local Spiritual Assemblies, localities, and countries and territories come primarily from the 1994 statistical reports from National Spiritual Assemblies, which contained information as of May 2, 1994, in most cases. (2) Between 1986 and 1988, a numerical decrease of 11,000 local Spiritual Assemblies and 6,100 localities took place in India due to revised civil areas of jurisdiction; similar changes occurred in other countries. (3) Turkey is included as part of Asia for these statistics. (4) Information on National Spiritual Assemblies, Auxiliary Board members and Publishing Trusts is as of Ridván 1995. (5) The figures for indigenous tribes, races and ethnic groups, and for languages into which Bahá’í literature is translated were last updated in 1986.

• The numbers of Continental Counselors worldwide and in the various continents are as of the most recent appointments on November 26, 1995.

Non-Bahá’í student prepares lesson plan on Faith as part of master’s education course

Randie Gottlieb, a Bahá’í from Yakima, Washington, recently taught a master’s level course at the local college on multicultural education for teachers.

As the final course assignment, Mrs. Gottlieb asked students to produce a lesson plan that would promote greater understanding and unity among the community’s various racial, ethnic and religious groups.

To her surprise, one of the students asked if he could develop a lesson plan on the Bahá’í Faith, which he had heard about a week earlier at the Bahá’ís’ state fair booth and concluded that the Faith’s message seemed to fit in with what was learned in class.

The program was approved, and on the final day of classes the student loaded an original program onto the school lab’s 15 computers and invited his colleagues to see “An Introduction to the Bahá’í Faith: the Religion of Unity for Today.”

It proved to be an accurate and well-conceived account of the Bahá’í teachings, complete with graphics and sound. The student said he had collected most of the information from the Internet.

Afterward, he distributed copies of the program on diskette to everyone in the class for “future reference.” Since then two students have asked to attend firesides.

Seven Bahá’ís take part in Philadelphia meetings of AAR, SBL

Seven Bahá’ís were among the 8,000 people who took part November 18-22 in the annual meeting of the American Academy of Religion (AAR) and Society of Biblical Literature (SBL) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The meeting, attended by professors and graduate students in religious studies, clergy, and some interested non-scholars, included more than a thousand talks on religion and the Bible.

A Bahá’í program, held Saturday morning, included four talks and was attended by 11 people. Presenting papers were:

• Dr. Michael McMullen, “Creating Unity in Diversity: Empirical Evidence from the Bahá’í Faith.”
• Dr. Robert Stockman, “The North American Visits of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Swami ‎Vivekenanda Vivekananda‎: Some Comparisons.”
• Richard Hollinger, “The Portrait of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Pilgrim’s Notes.”
• Christopher Buck, “A Symbol Profile of the Bahá’í Faith.”

In addition to the Bahá’í Studies program, Dr. Linda Walbridge, who teaches in the Department of Religious Studies at Indiana University, spoke on “War and Sacred Performance,” a presentation about Shi’ite preachers and their reactions to the Gulf War.

The Institute for Bahá’í Studies had a prominent display about the Faith, Bahá’í Studies, and Bahá’í literature in the exhibition hall, where 150 publishers and other groups rented booth space.

The Bahá’í display was visited by thousands; more than a hundred stopped to talk or to accept literature.

The Institute for Bahá’í Studies plans an even larger presence at this year’s AAR/SBL meeting, to be held November 23-26 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Those who are interested in attending or presenting a paper on some aspect of the Faith are asked to contact Robert Stockman at the Bahá’í National Center, 847-733-3425 (e-mail ).

The Religious Education Association and the Association of Professors and Researchers in Religious Education will meet at the same time in New Orleans; Bahá’ís who are interested in attending or presenting a paper on the Faith as it relates to education should contact Dr. Iraj Ayman, 847-733-3501 (e-mail ).

Bahá’ís (left to right) Robert Stockman, Grace Cali and Christopher Buck are pictured at the Bahá’í booth last November during the annual meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, of the American Academy of Religion (AAR) and the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL). [Page 21]

New believers number 900-2,000 in Bangladeshi village

The Poschima tribe of the Rangpur District of Bangladesh includes almost 20,000 people who live in some 100 villages. The tribal area was opened to the Faith recently when several people were enrolled. Then last August, nine villages came under the banner of Bahá’u’lláh. The number of adults who declared their belief was more than 900, “but once we register the names of children and junior youth the number will be more than 2,000,” according to a report received from the Counselors in Asia. A team of young Bahá’ís is already working in the villages to deepen the new believers with three three-day courses planned for the first two weeks in September.

Last July, Auxiliary Board members Payam Shoghi and R.B. Tripathi undertook an intensive teaching campaign in a six-village “cluster” in the Chambal area of Madhya Pradesh, India, holding public meetings in each village. As a result of their efforts, 273 people embraced the Cause of God. Mr. Tripathi had been working in the area for some time, and the six villages chosen for the campaign already had local Spiritual Assemblies with whom the Board members met to consult about increasing local activities and deepening the new believers.

More than 150 Bahá’ís attended last summer’s Bahá’í school at Lake ‎Balatron Balaton‎, Hungary, including Counselor Ilhan Sezgin and friends from a dozen countries. The theme was entry by troops, “a state toward which the Hungarian Bahá’í community is moving closer and closer,” according to a message from the school. “We are excited to further inform you that up to 100 more friends have embraced our beloved Cause in the Szolnok region, raising the number of Bahá’ís in Hungary to 640.”

The National Teaching Committee of Papua New Guinea reports that during a recent two-week visit by traveling teachers to Bali Island, West New Britain, 94 people declared their faith in Bahá’u’lláh while many others expressed an interest in the Faith. Consolidation plans are under way including a visit by a traditional leader from Karkar Island.

Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum keynote speaker at 4th Dialogue on Transition to Global Society

The Hand of the Cause of God Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum was the keynote speaker last October at the fourth International Dialogue on the Transition to a Global Society, held at the University of Maryland in College Park.

The Dialogue was held under the auspices of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and organized by the university’s Bahá’í Chair for World Peace and Department of History on behalf of the University of Maryland’s Center for International Development and Conflict Management and Switzerland’s Landegg Academy.

The theme of this year’s Dialogue was “Divisive Barbarity or Global Civilization: the Ethical Dimensions of Science, Art, Religion and Politics.”

Its goals were to find answers to the challenge of building a global civilization, and to inspire action by leaders in all realms of society to realize the proposed solutions.

Among those attending were the President of the Republic of the Marshall Islands; a former President of Lebanon; France’s Ambassador-at-Large; Princess Rahma bint El Hassan of Jordan; a former Ambassador from India to the U.S. who now heads India’s Auroville Foundation; the director of Egypt’s National Center for Middle Eastern Studies; Lily Boeykens, former President of the International Council of Women and now Commissioner of Belgium to the UN Commission on the Status of Women; the President of the Club of Budapest, and the Secretary-General of the Club of Rome.

Mrs. Joan Guriras (center), president of Namibia’s National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, meets with a group of American Bahá’í women who were traveling in Africa last year as part of a Sister-to-Sister teaching project.

Under the auspices of the European Bahá’í Youth Council, and with the support of the Counselors in Europe and the National Spiritual Assembly of Austria, 55 people from 12 countries gathered last August in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to take part in the Anis Teaching Campaign. Drawing on such resources and programs as the well-organized and inspiring preparatory seminars, the proclamation work done by the Vienna Bahá’í Dance Workshop, and the diversity and dynamism of the entire group, the teachers made many contacts among the “friendly, open-minded and receptive” Macedonians. As a result of these activities, 64 people were enrolled in the Faith. In addition, the friends in Debar, Ohrid, Prilep, Skopje and Struga attended deepening classes held by the teams.

More than 50 Bahá’ís from North and South Cyprus, Germany, Ghana, Luxembourg, the United Kingdom and the U.S. gathered last July in Girne, Cyprus, to attend summer school. During teaching efforts associated with the school, 27 people embraced the Faith.

Ninety Bahá’ís took part last July in the Bahá’í summer school at Qaraqum, Tajikistan, during which 15 new believers were enrolled in the Faith. At the end of the program, 30 Bahá’ís volunteered to travel and teach. They were placed in eight groups and sent to various centers for service projects of a month or longer.

Following the success last July of Paraguay’s National Bahá’í Week, when intensive media proclamation and teaching led to the enrollment of at least 10 people, the National Spiritual Assembly called for a Day of Teaching to be held September 17. The friends in many communities responded to the call, holding firesides in their homes or traveling to teach. As a result, at least eight more people were enrolled in the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh.

An estimated 20,000 people were exposed to the teachings of the Faith during a week-long series of Bahá’í Information Week activities last July in Frankfurt, Germany. A group of young Bahá’ís from the U.S., the Diversity Dance Workshop, drew people’s attention, then invited them to attend meetings at the local Bahá’í Center. As a result of these efforts, eight people embraced the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh.

The first Bahá’í Youth Camp in Kyrgyzstan was held last August 10-16 at Lehachov Camp, Bishkek, with 27 young people taking part including friends from Bangladesh, the Philippines and Tajikistan. The daily program included dawn prayers, open consultation, classes on various aspects of the Faith, music, arts and sports. By the end of the camp the friends felt “renewed zeal and enthusiasm...while giving pledges to teach the Cause. ...” Six of those who had not been Bahá’ís declared their belief in Bahá’u’lláh.

During recent heavy flooding in India’s Haryana State, hundreds of villagers fled to the city of Jind where Bahá’í volunteers were waiting with flour, bread, biscuits, fruit and candles. Also offered were prayer books and pamphlets about the Faith. The friends hired a three-wheeled rickshaw to distribute the supplies, placing a banner on its front which read “Bahá’í Bhawan.” The friends received wide publicity for their humanitarian outreach, and the villagers “showered their blessings on the friends for their good gesture.”

Last August, 15 young Bahá’ís taking part in the Owen Battrick Project contacted 42 ministers in New Zealand and spoke to them about the Faith, presenting gifts that included the Statement on Bahá’u’lláh, His Tablet to the Christians, and a letter from the Spiritual Assembly of Auckland. The responses ranged from cordial to surprised, with one minister saying he would meditate for two weeks on the Tablet to the Christians and pray for guidance from God and another, visibly shaken by the news that Christ had returned, expressing his great interest in pursuing the matter further.

Radio Transkei recently broadcast 10 programs about the Faith in the Xhosa language. Each was 15 minutes long and based on the book The New Garden. The programs were quite successful and generated considerable interest in the Faith.

As of 1996, the Faith will be included in the Faculty of Theology’s curriculum at Fort Hare University in Ciskei. “According to the vice-dean of the faculty, this has already been approved by the University Senate,” says a report, “and the Faith, along with Islam and the traditional religion, will be included in the curriculum. Fort Hare is one of the oldest black universities in Africa, and many leaders of African countries received their tertiary education there. ...”

The Bahá’í community played a leading role in organizing the World Peace Day observance last September in Brazzaville, Congo Republic. In the large audience were representatives of many of the non-governmental agencies working in social development in the Republic. A Bahá’í, who represented all of the religious communities at the event, was the first speaker. Between each speech a Bahá’í sang songs of peace based on the Bahá’í Writings. These were well received, and every speaker mentioned the Faith in his remarks.

About 1,300 students from six boys’ schools took part in a Peace Walk last September organized by the Education Committee of the Spiritual Assembly of Quetta, Pakistan. A large banner was hung at the gate of the hotel where the walk began, and 2,000 gas-filled balloons were released into the air at the Hazíratu’l-Quds, where the walk ended. After refreshments, Dr. Nasir Nake Akhtar spoke to the walkers about universal peace. Full coverage of the walk was given during local television news programs and in the Daily Jhang newspaper. [Page 22]

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 NATIONAL Spiritual Assembly is seeking candidates for the position of coordinator of support services at the Bahá’í National Center. Should have at least 10 years management experience or equivalent supervisory history. The National Assembly is looking for the candidate who would see this position as one essentially of service, encouragement and facilitation of its plans. Several departments including purchasing, meetings and travel, and others will report to the coordinator. Experience working in a diverse environment is a plus, as is ability to train and motivate personnel to balance their strengths and skills with the needs of the National Assembly. Requires strong communication and interpersonal skills; must be a team player, a unifier who understands Bahá’í administration. Applicants should submit a letter of interest to the Department of Human Resources, c/o Gwen Clayborne, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091.

YEAR OF SERVICE in the nation’s capital. Are you a motivated, enthusiastic couple or individual eager to spend a year or more serving the Faith in one of the world’s most beautiful and exciting cities? If so, the Bahá’ís of Washington, D.C., would like to hear from you about living in and managing their Bahá’í Center, which serves as a focal point for activities in the metropolitan area. Responsibilities include being a loving and gracious host(ess) to all who visit the Center; coordinating scheduling and space allocations for Center events; responding to mail and telephone inquiries; distributing literature to seekers and maintaining the Center’s phone information lines; purchasing refreshments and supplies for certain events; physically setting up for events, and opening and closing the Center as needed; and monitoring and coordinating (but not necessarily carrying out) internal and external maintenance and upkeep. The position is unpaid, but a small furnished apartment is available at the Center for no cost. Please write to the Washington Bahá’í Center, 5713 16th St. N.W., Washington, DC 20011, or phone 202-291-5532, ext. 5.

EXCITING overseas opportunities. English teaching positions available in Haikou, Hainan; Jiangxi; Jinzhou, Jilin; Jiangmen, Guangdong; Shangdong; Shanghai, China. For more information, please contact Ms. Gwili Posey (phone 847-733-3512, fax 847-733-3509, or e-mail ).

THE NATIONAL Treasurer’s Office has openings for an accountant and accounts receivable cashier. Both are full-time salaried positions. Candidates for accountant should have a bachelor’s degree in the field or 3-5 years relevant experience. Audit work is preferable; CPA is a plus. Must have advanced knowledge of Excel or other spreadsheet software programs and have good skills in communication and organization. The accounts receivable cashier should be a high school graduate or equivalent including courses in bookkeeping plus 3-5 years experience in cashiering or accounts receivable. Should have good number sequencing skills and the ability to work well with calculators and PCs. For information or an application, write to the Department of Human Resources, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091 (phone 847-733-3429).

THE NATIVE American Bahá’í Institute (NABI) is seeking an administrative assistant. The successful candidate will lead program initiatives through planning, coordination and implementation. Should have excellent administrative and communication skills and the ability to work and consult with those of diverse ages and ethnic backgrounds. Knowledge of Native American cultures or desire to integrate is a plus. Please send a resumé and application to NABI, P.O. Box 3167, Houck, AZ 86506 (e-mail ).

THE GREEN ACRE Bahá’í School has an opening for a full-time administrative assistant. Responsibilities include registration, reception, telephone, sorting mail, updating mailing lists and sending out mailings, receiving time sheets, benefits information, filing, bookkeeping, processing insurance claims, backing up bookstore clerk. Profile: organized, works well with the public and in teams; word processing skills in general, filing and bookkeeping skills, service-oriented self-starter with minimum 2-3 years experience in an office environment. Able to work overtime if necessary; training in quality management desirable. For information, contact the Office of Human Resources, Bahá’í National Center, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201, or phone 847-733-3429.

CARETAKER position available at the Bellemont Bahá’í School in Flagstaff, Arizona. The position is non-salaried but living quarters and utilities are provided in exchange for service to the Faith. The school is located in a ponderous pine forest in northern Arizona and is easily accessible from a major four-lane highway. If interested, please send a resumé to the Bellemont Bahá’í School, P.O. Box 2533, Flagstaff, AZ 86003-2533.

PIONEERING (OVERSEAS)

EMPLOYMENT opportunities overseas. AFRICA: Tanzania—urgent need for English teachers. AMERICAS: Ecuador—ESL teachers for new secondary school. Haiti—project manager needed by CARE for productive infrastructure programs. Honduras—volunteer dorm mother for home for abandoned girls, caretaker couple for the Ahmadiyyeh Bahá’í Institute. Puerto Rico—caretaker for the Amoz Gibson/Gordon Laite Bahá’í Institute. ASIA: Kazakhstan—economist to teach economics at the graduate level in the MA/Economics program at the Kazakhstan Institute of Management, Economics and Strategic Research. Korea—English teachers. Kyrgyzstan—project officers needed by FINCA International, a non-profit organization working in microenterprise credit for women in developing countries. Macau—teachers. Urgent need for pioneer coordinator at the Bahá’í International Community. Sakhalin—teachers. Siberia, Russia—trainers for project that teaches social/psychological intervention skills reducing chemical dependency. Taiwan—general manager for Bahá’í Office of the Environment; immediate need for English teachers. AUSTRALASIA: Marshall Islands—The College of the Marshall Islands needs qualified pediatric nurse and obstetric nurse as instructors. Samoa—needs caretaker couple for the House of Worship, Montessori teacher. Solomon Islands—lawyer, counselor for abused women, beautician. Vanuatu—voluntary primary school teachers. EUROPE: Georgia—industrial manager needed for industrial reactivation project, accounting/finance specialist. Switzerland—volunteer needed for a P.C. network/secretarial support position for the Bahá’í International Community United Nations Office in Geneva. Urgent need for teaching and consolidation in Francophone areas. There is a particular need in French Polynesia, but traveling teachers and pioneers who speak French would constitute a precious resource in any of the French-speaking communities spread throughout Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific. Urgent need for pioneers to settle in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. For more information, please contact the Office of Pioneering, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette IL 60091 (phone 847-733-3512, fax 847-733-3509, or e-mail ).

PIONEERING (HOMEFRONT)

RETIRED believers who are self-sufficient can help with teaching on Indian Reservations by relocating to homefront pioneer. For more information, please contact Ada James at the National Teaching Committee Office, 847-869-9039, ext. 361.

COME to the heartland. We are a small Group trying to re-establish an Assembly in Salina, Kansas, a city of 48,000 and a Kansas goal area. We have two universities (Kansas Wesleyan and Kansas State University-Salina) that specialize in business, technology, nursing/medical and education but also provide a liberal arts education. There are limited opportunities for room and board for young Bahá’ís who would like to attend either school. Salina is a racially diverse community with employment opportunities in business, industry, counseling, education and construction. For information, please write to Kitty Brown, Salina, KS 67401, or phone 913-823-0661.

WHY NOT leave the larger cities, as the Guardian directed? Forego your high-priced lifestyle (it’s called sacrifice) and move to a small, lovely, friendly town to teach the Faith (it’s called homefront pioneering). Alpine, Texas, desperately needs dedicated Bahá’ís who love the Faith and long to share it with others. For more information, write to Antoinette Isaac, Alpine, TX 79830, or phone 915-837-5916.

THE BAHÁ’Í community of Lisle, Illinois, 25 miles west of the Bahá’í House of Worship and a half hour from Chicago, will establish a Spiritual Assembly by Ridván 1996 with your help. Only three adult Bahá’ís are needed to round out our active Group. Lisle is a multicultural community of more than 19,000 offering a variety of housing in all price ranges. Five colleges and the headquarters of many Fortune 500 companies are within a five- to 15-minute drive. Surrounding Bahá’í communities in DuPage County provide nurturing love with a firmly established Bahá’í Sunday school, monthly meetings of area community representatives, and a Bahá’í-sponsored event almost every evening. Phone Bill or Stacey Hall, 708-968-2958, or e-mail s-

HELP RAISE a Spiritual Assembly in Oldsmar, Florida—a community of four Bahá’í adults and five children that is close to Tampa, Clearwater and St. Petersburg. Write to Sandy Caputo, Oldsmar, FL 34677, or phone 813-854-1466.

WASHINGTON state’s King County Inter-Assembly Council for Teaching No. 4 (I-ACT No. 4) invites you to join the Amatu’l-Bahá Teaching Crusade. Full- and part-time teachers are needed; housing and a stipend will be provided for full-time teachers. Youth are encouraged to take part, and the time may be added to one’s year of service. You’ll be teaching for the first six months at Redmond’s new Bahá’í Center. Details for the next six months are being worked out. The local Assemblies/Groups of I-ACT No. 4 are dedicated to helping you with logistics, transportation, materials, coordination, guiding new believers, etc. For information, contact Regan Doyle, P.O. Box 1507, Duvall, WA 98019-1507 (phone 206-788-2897; e-mail ) or Rick Schaut, Redmond, WA 98052-1190 (phone 206-881-8595; e-mail ).

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: Claudia Coles Aldridge, Patricia Alexander (died Miami, FL, ca. 1957), Brunhilde Allen, D. Lewis Allen, Raymond K. Allen, and Faith Amberg. Anyone knowing family members or relatives who might have these letters from the Guardian is asked to contact the National Bahá’í Archives, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201-1611, or to phone 847-869-9039.

THE NATIONAL Bahá’í Archives has prepared a series of biographical sketches of prominent African-American, Native American, Hispanic and Asian Bahá’ís for the use of local communities for Black History Month, Race Unity Day and other special events. Any local community that would like to obtain a set of these sketches is asked to send a request with a mailing address to the National Bahá’í Archives, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201-1611 (phone 847-869-9039).

WANTED

FOR HISTORICAL reasons I am trying to document the locations of the following book: The Dawn-Breakers, special limited edition of 150 copies, specially bound and signed and numbered by the Guardian. If you have one of these volumes, or know someone who does, please contact me. All I need is the number and location of the particular book. Payam Afsharian, Los Angeles, CA 90024 (phone 310-441-0413; fax 213-383-9417; e-mail ).

WANTED: race unity materials developed for schools or other organizations, Bahá’í or non-Bahá’í. We are compiling, synthesizing and developing race unity materials for regional use and compilation/book. Any and all materials will be welcomed and properly credited. Please write to Scott Antilla, North Oaks, MN 55127, or phone/fax 612-490-5008.

WANTED: Stories for a book about youth while on their Year of Service or pioneering. The book will include both

TEACHING

THE SPIRITUAL Assemblies of Arvada, Aurora, Lafayette and Pueblo invite you to become a part of Colorado’s Amatu’l-Bahá Teaching Crusade. Full-time and part-time teachers are needed with a stipend and housing provided for those who can teach full-time. An excellent opportunity for those who plan a year of service, especially youth or retirees. We’re looking for Bahá’ís who are willing and able to teach for at least a couple of months. Owing to our diverse communities, bilingual teachers (Spanish or Hmong as a second language) would be a great plus (but is not a requirement). The crusade is ongoing and will be launched as soon as it is staffed. For information about present or future possibilities, please contact Marsha Robichaux, Lafayette, CO 80026 (phone 303-665-3808) or e-mail Larry Peterson ( ). [Page 23]

ADS

contemporary and earlier accounts of youth, written by youth themselves, arising to serve in unique and remarkable ways. If you or someone you know has a story to share, please contact Ladan Cockshut-Miller, Evanston, IL 60201 (phone 847-492-8863; fax 847-251-3652; e-mail ).

EAGER to locate spare copies of The Dawn-Breakers to be used for work on the production of a major feature film. Will gladly purchase extra editions. Please write to Ruth Rosenwald, Malibu, CA 90265-4182 (phone 310-457-5336; fax 310-457-9893).

THE RESEARCH Office at the Bahá’í National Center is compiling a list of Bahá’ís (1) with expertise relevant to Bahá’í scholarship and research; (2) able to serve as mentors for Bahá’í college students; and/or (3) able to serve as faculty and mentors for the Wilmette Institute and its four-year program, “Spiritual Foundations for a Global Civilization.” Bahá’ís who teach full- or part-time at colleges or universities are particularly invited to apply. Please send your name, address and field/subject to Robert Stockman, Research Office, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091 (phone 847-733-3425; fax 847-733-3563; e-mail ).

I AM COMPILING stories for a book about how God works mysteriously in our lives through prayer, dreams, visions, miracles, healing, etc.—the kind of stories that raise goosebumps or send a tingle along the spine. Please submit your stories to Kim Mennillo, Red Bank, TN 37415; e-mail ).

On November 26, the San Diego (California) Vietnamese Teaching Institute held a picnic in a local park. The Institute, initiated by Vietnamese Bahá’ís, is led by Mr. Phap Le, assisted by Mr. Nhon Mai and Mr. Quang Nguyen. The picnic was a great success with many Vietnamese, Hispanic, Persian, African-American and other American friends taking part in what it is hoped will be the first of a number of similar events.

Youth Activities

THE LOUHELEN Bahá’í School invites applications from mature youth and adults for its year-of-service program. While all skills and interests are invited for consideration, there is an immediate and continuing need for volunteer help in the following areas: office support and front desk, food service, housekeeping, bookstore and library. There is also an anticipated need for a group recreation leader for June-August 1996. Inquiries may be sent c/o Mrs. Penny Schmicker, volunteer services, Louhelen Bahá’í School, 3208 S. State Road, Davison, MI 48423 (phone 810-653-5033; fax 810-653-7181; e-mail ).

THE WORK/STUDY program at the Native American Bahá’í Institute (NABI) presents a unique youth service opportunity. Young people who are interested in pursuing Bahá’í service work with college or vocational studies are encouraged to apply to the Institute. Youth at NABI will be guided through a program that includes course work, the arts, travel, and community and Institute service. Join us at NABI and prepare for a lifetime of service to humanity. Write to NABI, P.O. Box 3167, Houck, AZ 86506, or e-mail

INTERNATIONAL Bahá’í Youth Service Corps opportunities: The enthusiastic services of Bahá’í youth are needed all over the U.S. and the world. The wide range of needs and opportunities include such arenas as reaching the masses with the message of Bahá’u’lláh, deepening new believers, conducting children’s classes for children and youth and carrying out other educational activities, assisting the administrative work of Bahá’í institutions, hands-on work with a variety of social and economic development projects, proclaiming the Faith through the arts, mobilizing the youth of a region or even a country, teaching fellow students and teachers, and more. In the most recent pioneer call from the Universal House of Justice, 97 countries listed specific needs and opportunities for youth pioneers, including many university study options. In addition, many National Spiritual Assemblies have written to our national community to advise of the following opportunities. AFRICA—The Gambia (English): Two arenas of service: help with the brand new urban pre-school opening in September or with a rural education center at the Bwiam Regional Bahá’í Center. Senegal (French): “Olinga Teaching Project” near Dakar needs French-speaking youth to help with teaching, children’s classes, activities for women and for youth. Abilities in drama welcome. AMÉRICAS—Alaska (English and indigenous languages): Nome youth service project, working with Eskimos, and Norton Sound Project. Honduras (Spanish): volunteers with experience in printing needed to help develop a social and economic development project focused on the production of Bahá’í literature in La Ceiba. At Project Bayan youth are needed who have studied Spanish for at least two years and can stay for 6-12 months, or medical students who have completed their first two years of medical school for 4-month periods (one at a time). Jamaica (English): Youth in Kingston area have begun to rise up and become active. They would very much benefit from working with youth from other countries. Venezuela (Spanish): Three “entry by troops projects” and an ongoing year of service program supported by local youth, incorporating proclamation, teaching, consolidation, theater, music and other aspects are in need of 6-10 youth at a time for at least six months service. Knowledge of Spanish a must. Low living costs. ASIA—urgent needs. Contact the Office of Pioneering as soon as possible. India (English): New Era Development Institute, “an exciting place to work [which] offers a unique opportunity to learn about social and economic development in a Bahá’í context,” is looking for one or two deepened Bahá’ís who enjoy working closely with other youth to come for anywhere from four months to a year, preferably arriving in June. Thailand (Thai and English): The Santitham School, a social and economic development project of the National Spiritual Assembly of Thailand and “a landmark of the Bahá’í Faith in the North-East of Thailand,” whose contributions to society have been appreciated by the provincial government, needs dedicated volunteers for periods of at least six months. AUSTRALASIA—Australia (English): Seven arenas of service: children’s classes, firesides and hospitality, House of Worship guiding, gardening and janitorial and National Bahá’í Office work, for several youth from anywhere in the world. Accommodations on House of Worship property provided. EUROPE—Albania (Albanian): “...one or more devoted and capable youths... [to be] accompanied by an Albanian youth... who could be in charge of driving a van and directing the Mobile Institute. ...” Driving experience important. France (French): The Office of Public Information of the Bahá’í International Community in Paris needs a bilingual (French/English) assistant for duties such as office administration and secretarial work, follow-up on publications, and participation in public relations projects. If you can arise to meet one of these needs, please contact your local Spiritual Assembly for initial consultation and information and to receive a copy of the Pioneer/Bahá’í Youth Service Corps Volunteer Form. As you work toward your goal, the Office of Pioneering will help you to do as the Universal House of Justice advises: “Through prayer and consultation, and after considering his own experience, inclinations and possibilities, he can choose his goal area and, confidently relying on the confirming power of Bahá’u’lláh, set out to serve the Cause of his Lord. ...”

45 Bahá’í researchers take part in eighth Irfán Colloquium at Newcastle-upon-Tyne

Newcastle-upon-Tyne, birthplace of the Irfán Colloquium, was the site of the joint gathering of the eighth Irfán Colloquium and the semi-annual meeting of the Religious Studies Seminar of the Association for Bahá’í Studies of English-speaking Europe. The Irfán Colloquium is sponsored by the Haj Mehdi Arjmand Memorial Fund and the Institute for Bahá’í Studies.

The colloquium took place December 8-10 at the Department of Religious Studies of Newcastle University. Forty-five researchers and others interested in the academic study of religion and scripture took part in the joint meeting whose theme was attacks on and criticisms of the Bahá’í Faith and ways of responding to them.

The colloquium was opened by Dr. Iraj Ayman who briefly described the aims and objectives of the Irfán Colloquium and then presented a biographical sketch of Haj Mehdi Arjmand, a well-known scholar-teacher of the Bahá’í Faith. He also summarized the contents of a few of the tablets of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and the letters of Shoghi Effendi to Haj Mehdi Arjmand.

Dr. Robert Stockman then spoke on “The Limits of Discourse in the Bahá’í Community and their Consequences,” focusing on the need of any community to define boundaries of internal discourse to preserve its unity.

Saturday morning Dr. Udo Schaefer spoke about “Anti-Bahá’í Polemic in German-speaking Countries,” focusing primarily on a lengthy attack on the Faith by a Covenant-breaker, Francesco Ficicchia, published in 1981; the work’s gradual acceptance by academics, journalists, and ecclesiastics as an impartial scholarly treatment; the failure of a policy of ignoring the work; and the lengthy rebuttal by himself and two other German Bahá’ís published by a scholarly press.

Dr. Moojan Momen offered a basis for persecution of the Faith under Islamic law by describing various Islamic legal categories (such as believer, unbeliever, people of the book, and heretic) and noting how those categories had been used by Muslims and Bahá’ís in actual court cases.

The first of Saturday afternoon’s four presentations was by Dr. Margit Warburg, a professor of the sociology of religion at the University of Copenhagen who devotes much of her research to the sociology of the Bahá’í community. She spoke on “Religious Definitions and Religious Polemics: Bahá’í in Popular Handbooks of Religion.”

Dr. Kamran Ekbal then spoke on “Taqíyih and Kitmán: Reflections on the Practice of Dissimulation in the Bábí and Bahá’í Religions,” and Dr. Nichola Towfiq presented a paper on “E.G. Browne’s Misconceptions.” The paper noted various misinformations Browne presented about various misinformations such as the statement that the Báb appointed him his valí (successor) when in fact no such appointment was made, and described various Azalí interpretations of the Báb’s allusions to a future Manifestation of God as referring to the advent of the next Manifestation in 1,501 or 2,001 years.

The afternoon closed with Dr. Khazeh Fananapazir’s “Mírzá Abu’l-Fadl’s Contribution to Bahá’í Polemic and Replies to Anti-Bahá’í Polemic.” The paper described arguments made in the Brilliant Proof and the Fará’id.

Stephen Lambden presented a paper Sunday morning on “the Position of Mírzá Yahyá ‎Sub-i-Azal Subh-i-Azal‎: Some Aspects of Azalí Anti-Bahá’í Polemic and Bahá’í Apologetics,” and the session ended with Lil Abdo’s “Possible Criticisms of the Bahá’í Faith from a Feminist Perspective.”

During the lunch period many attendees visited the cemetery where Edward G. Browne is buried. Afterward, a short business meeting was held to ‎discussion discuss‎ possible themes for future conferences. The theme tentatively selected for 1996-97 is “The Bahá’í Faith and Christianity.”

Next year’s Irfán Colloquium in Europe will be held in late autumn at the Acuto Bahá’í School in Italy.

The abstract booklet for the colloquium is available for $3 from the Institute for Bahá’í Studies, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201-1612, as are booklets of many previous conferences. [Page 24]

THE ARC

Above, this photograph shows the Center for the Study of the Texts as it is emerging in its final form.

At right, final landscaping is done on Terrace Nine below the Shrine of the Báb. The terrace has since been completed and is open for visitors to enjoy.

Vineyard of the Lord, part 12

Center for Study of the Texts

With the major part of the structure of the Center for the Study of the Texts complete, the interior spaces within the building are becoming definable, and work has begun on the partition walls.

A contract has been signed with a Canadian company to erect gypsum drywall partitions, precast gypsum molded ceilings and suspended tiled ceilings. Orders have also been placed for wooden doors and frames for the building, and skylights have been fabricated in the U.S. and are being shipped.

A cantilever ring beam—a completely free-spanning structure—has been constructed above the entrance portico. Visitors to the library, to be located in the basement, will have a view of the patio at the center of the entrance portico, which will be landscaped and will hold a large fountain in the middle.

Another double ring beam will be built above the portico on top of the marble columns, holding the roof in position. A visitor entering the portico will see precast vaulted panels of Piastrone marble lining the ceiling. The first shipment of marble is expected to arrive shortly.

“Uni Marbres,” a prestigious French company which has done the stone work for projects such as the “Pyramid of Louvre” in Paris, has been contracted to install all external marble in both the Center for the Study of the Texts and the International Teaching Center.

Concreting of the roof of the building above level 7 has begun, as well as work on level 8. Due to the shape of the mountain above and the complexity of the building, the roof of the Center for the Study of the Texts does not stand at a uniform level. The various slopes and angles to which the roof must conform has proved to be a challenge for the contractor; nevertheless, work is being carried out under strict quality control.

From the roof above level 7 all the way down to level 4, two lightwells have been created, open to the sky, to bring natural light into the lower levels of the building.

At the site of the International Teaching Center, a section of the second level has been cast, the access ramp is being removed, and the remaining rock anchors are being installed.

Teaching Center

Excavations for removal of the access ramp and installation of the remaining rock anchors and additional micropiles are simultaneously being carried out at the site of the International Teaching Center.

The ramp is being removed in six stages; in the first three stages a depth of 8 meters (26.4 feet) has been excavated, out of a total of 18 meters (59.4 feet), and three rows of anchors installed. With work proceeding to the next three stages, as more earth is being removed, the additional micropiles for the foundations are being installed.

Such a sequence of work not only ensures safety during the excavation work, but also helps achieve the final terraced profile of the foundations. The excavated material is being stockpiled for future use in backfilling the external areas of the building.

About 40 percent of the floor slab of level 1 (ground floor) has been cast, and more than half the work on trenches has been completed with mechanical pipes laid in place.

The Teaching Center has six patios to enable natural light to come into the building which, like the Center for the Study of the Texts, is being built into the mountain. Three of these patios, which will later be landscaped, have been built.

The Teaching Center has large areas with curved walls. To achieve a high-quality profile for these walls, and to speed up construction, a special system-formwork from Germany is being used.

Major goal is accomplished

Bulk excavations have begun at the site of Terrace 11 adjacent to Hatzionut Avenue, above the Shrine of the Báb. With this, one of the major goals of the Three Year Plan—to initiate all phases of construction of the Mount Carmel Projects during the Plan—has been accomplished.

Within a time frame of three months, approximately 28,000 cubic meters of rock will be excavated from this site. At times, work is being carried out around the clock, under spotlight during the night.

Working drawings for the bridge over Hatzionut Avenue, as well as for the road over which it will be built, are now complete. Plans for lowering Hatzionut Avenue have received approval from the various municipal departments such as traffic, road, water, sewer, street lighting, telephone and electric, culminating in approval of the building permit by the Municipality of Haifa.

The contract documents for the building to be constructed under Terrace 11, which will house a Public Information Center and Office of Security, are also complete.

Information, Security Centers

To serve the many people who will visit the Bahá’í gardens around the Shrine of the Báb, a landscaped courtyard will be located at the Hatzionut Avenue level, providing access to the bridge to be built over it to connect the Main Terrace to the Upper Terraces.

The courtyard will also provide ‎accesss access‎ to a Public Information Center, where visitors and dignitaries may

See VINEYARD page 25 [Page 25]

Magazine features Terraces

A prestigious Israeli magazine, Architecture of Israel, included in its most recent issue a 14-page article with lovely color photographs on the Terraces project, based on an interview with Architect Fariburz Sahba.

Interspersed with details of the project was information about the history of the Faith. Following are excerpts from the article, extracted from the Hebrew and English text:

“The eternal shine of the dome of the Bahá’í Shrine is one of the best known features of Haifa. In the past few years the construction of the ‘Hanging Gardens’ has begun—a garden strip of 400 meters (1,320 feet) width, its foot in the German Colony in lower downtown, and its head at the Panorama Towers on Carmel.

“With the completion of this project in about four years, these gardens will not only be one of Haifa’s most significant urban projects but also the most protected ‘green lung’ in the country. There shall be no picnic at the gardens; they will be open to the public so that they can move about ‘freely’ organized, and with the conditions of preserving the rules of the place whose purpose is pilgrimage and meditation.

“The gardens are at the heart of Haifa, owned by the Bahá’ís, designed, built, budgeted and maintained on their account, without the help of the government...”

Question: One of the relevant questions in architecture today is in which way can architecture be regarded an art. Due to the fact that both the Lotus [Temple] and the Terraces are very artistic, what is your stand on this issue?

Answer: I take this as a compliment that you see these projects as art. I am an “old-fashioned” architect who has always regarded architecture as an art, no matter how much it is made practical or technical. Architecture, more than any other kind of art, communicates with the public. This is the most satisfying aspect of our profession. The other aspects are only means to achieve the goal. ...

Q: As an architect, you often emphasize your dedication to your faith. Would you be able to function outside the Bahá’í “green house”?

A: I am convinced that every architect does his best in every design, and his faith is part of him. The Bahá’í Faith is not only a network of rules which tells a person what he is allowed to do and what not. It is a way of life which is a natural and inseparable part of you. I design as a Bahá’í also when I design a house. This does not mean that my religion dictates the way I design. None of my projects were designed solely for the Bahá’ís. In fact, my biggest challenge is to build something suitable for the general public, without any connection to faith, origin or belonging. My loyalty is to the location. ...

Q: Does the Bahá’í religion allow you sufficient freedom for self-expression?

A: You might as well ask if a kite is any freer without its string. The Bahá’í believer acts according to his personal conscience, and according to his understanding of the Bahá’í teachings. Self-expression and freedom of expression is one of the important principles of the faith, and a person cannot force his opinion and desires on others. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that the philosophy and faith of a believer will be reflected in his art, thoughts and way of life. The blossom of the tree comes from within the tree, it cannot be glued to it from outside. Freedom of expression, nevertheless, does not mean that you live only for yourself. As in a game, every player is important; the result comes from the quality of teamwork.

Stories about the Arc Projects Fund

• “In early June, three members of our family were privileged to hear the moving message on the urgent needs of the Arc Projects Fund delivered by Mr. ‘Alí Nakhjavání in Vancouver [Canada].

“It was a powerful and moving exhortation. We didn’t fill out any pledge forms or make any immediate contributions. We wanted to consult together as a family to determine how we could best respond.

“We agreed that we wanted to contribute a full unit (U.S. $9,000). We didn’t have much to sell and we didn’t have much savings. However, I did have a retirement account that was created when I worked...in the late 1970s. ...

“When we went pioneering, the payments stopped; I was given the small amount I had contributed and the rest reverted to the general pension fund. Several years later the pension plan was discontinued and the law required that the share deposited...in my name, about $3,000, be sent to me. I put it in a retirement account.

“Over the years, the value of the account increased to about $5,000. A few years ago, we converted it from a money market account to a mutual fund. When we made the decision to withdraw the funds, it was worth about $8,500.

“We decided to close the account and figure out a way to make up the balance needed for a full unit (including the tax that would be due on withdrawal).

“It took about two weeks to receive and return the necessary forms. During this period, the stock market rose to a record high. Today a check came in the mail for $9,842! It will allow us to contribute one unit and cover the taxes!

“...we feel that we have been privileged to be the trustees for this money...until now. Where better to invest it for our future security than in the Mountain of the Lord? Never have we seen a more obvious example of the truth that all we have comes from God and unto Him shall all return.” (from a communication received at the World Center)

• “We would like to convey our thanks and appreciation to your office for producing such a wonderful publication, ‘Vineyard of the Lord.’

“Whenever friends receive the update of this project, their hearts are exhilarated to learn about the rapid progress of the construction work on the Arc, and the united, wholehearted support of the Bahá’í communities throughout the world, which is the unique privilege of this generation.

“Our thoughts went back to remember our parents who have passed away. No doubt from the realm on high, they too are wishing that at this moment they could be present to have a share in this Divine Enterprise. We have offered a contribution on their behalf to this project, as a token of their participation.

“We would like to suggest, if it is acceptable, that you share the idea in your publication that perhaps some other friends would like to make it possible for their loved ones who have passed away to have a token share in building the Vineyard of the Lord.” (from a communication received by the Project Manager’s office)

• One of the local Spiritual Assemblies sponsored an Arc meeting and invited those who attended to sign a message to ‎sthe the‎ Universal House of Justice, which is reproduced here:

“On this day, as [we] gather to rededicate ourselves to the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh, we give thanks to God. ...

“Through our recognition of His Messenger for this day, our lives have been transformed, our vision has been re-oriented, and we have been given the unique opportunity to contribute to the building of the long-awaited Kingdom of God on earth.

“We also take this opportunity to remember our beloved believers in Iran who, through their sacrifices, have given us a glimpse of the glorious future that awaits humanity.”

Vineyard

Continued from page 24

...be received, and the Central Office of Security for the Bahá’í World Center, which will provide the necessary security arrangements for the Arc buildings and the Terraces of the Shrine of the Báb.

Although technically one building, the area (2,400 square meters) it will comprise will be divided into two parts; an east wing will house the Office of Security, and a west wing the Public Information Center.

Designed as an underground building under Terrace 11, part of its roof will be linked with the bridge, and will also connect with the Arc path. Skylights in strategic places, along with small landscaped patios at the two ends of the northern side of the building, will provide natural light.

From the courtyard as one enters the west wing, there is a main lobby that leads to a reception area at one end and a visitors’ center at the other with exhibition area, an auditorium, and an area for receiving dignitaries.

The auditorium, with a seating capacity of about 164, is aligned with the center line of the Terraces. It may be used for audio-visual presentations or briefings. The rest of the area will be assigned to the Office of Public Information.

Of primary concern is the beauty of the Terraces and the bridge, and their harmony with the existing gardens; meticulous care is therefore being given to the construction details of this building under Terrace 11 to assure the lasting beauty of these areas.

A glimpse of the Terraces

To the thrill and excitement of the friends in the Holy Land, Terrace 9 below the Shrine of the Báb was opened briefly to Bahá’í visitors on October 1, 1995, marking the celebration of the Declaration of the Báb according to the lunar calendar.

Members of the Mount Carmel Projects team worked hard and fast to complete the inner landscaping and put the finishing touches to make the visit possible. There was a tangible sense of elation among the friends as they thronged to the Terrace, walking along its tile paths and admiring the beauty around them. [Page 26]

The Fertile Teaching Ground at LGBI

green, n. 1. the color of growing plants; a color composed of blue and yellow rays, which, mixed in different proportions, exhibit a variety of shades; 2. [pl] green leafy vegetables, as kale, spinach, etc.; *3. a teaching tool used in entry by troops

In Hemingway, South Carolina, entry by troops is gaining a new weapon in the battle for the spiritual conquest of the planet. Greens! Yes, in its many forms, Greens are becoming an ever-increasing tool used in working toward entry by troops.

Many people driving by the Louis G. Gregory Bahá’í Institute are attracted to the social and economic development program, the Sustainable Agriculture Experimental Garden. A large sign advertising Greens for sale assists in drawing in the masses. When someone stops to make a purchase a conversation usually begins. Many times it is about the garden, the weather, the family. But, from these informal chats, a conversation inevitably begins to develop about the Louis G. Gregory Bahá’í Institute and the Bahá’í Faith.

One such occurrence began with a gentleman from Conway stopping to buy Greens. After about 45 minutes of questions and answers about the Faith, he shared that the night before he had been praying that Jesus would show him the Truth. He felt that his visit to the garden was not just a coincidence and announced that he would be going back to Conway to contact the local Bahá’í community to further investigate the Faith.

There has been much speculation about the role Greens may play in drawing seekers to the Faith. Some have attributed it to the fact that the color green is associated with the Báb and therefore a renewed age of teaching is being ushered in by the Louis G. Gregory Greens. Others are more pragmatic, saying that if people are hungry they will buy Greens. Of course, these same people have no explanation as to why the Greens offered in the local grocery do not produce the same phenomenon.

Needless to say, extensive studies have begun to understand this wonderful event. Anyone interested in participating in this study should contact the Louis G. Gregory Bahá’í Institute at their earliest convenience. All are welcome! And, Greens enough for all. *suggested addition to common definitions

Brilliant Star Index Available

Brilliant Star now has a Four Year Index of Brilliant Star issues from 1992-1995 which includes all the back issues that are still available through the Bahá’í Distribution Service. Indexing is done by theme to the Core Curriculum strands and by topics. Teachers and parents will also find many useful references to teaching and race unity.

The index is free to anyone who would like it by sending a stamped, self-addressed legal-size envelope with 55 cents postage to Brilliant Star Index, Bahá’í National Center, 1233 Central Street, Evanston, IL 60201.

WLGI Says “Thanks!”

The friends at WLGI Radio Bahá’í want to offer a huge “Thank You” to all of the communities around the country who are sending them their newsletters. It is wonderful for the Bahá’ís in South Carolina to be able to see how much is happening in our family across the United States!

However, the focus of the news program on WLGI is what has already happened, not what is going to happen. So, now that WLGI knows what you’re going to be doing, they need to hear the results. In other words, what were the effects of the Youth Workshop Performance and how did the deepening class you held on the Kitáb-i-Aqdas change the quality of Bahá’í life in your community? Think about how the news is reported on your favorite radio station and adapt your community “happenings” to that format.

Radio Bahá’í is looking forward to hearing all the juicy details! You can send them your news articles to Radio Bahá’í,

Hemingway, SC 29554. They also have a fax machine at 803/558-9114.

Winter School at Louhelen

One of the friends leaving the Winter School session at Louhelen wrote the following comment, “Excellent is really an understatement to describe the spiritual and loving atmosphere produced here.”

Over two hundred adults, youth, and children gathered for study focused on The Life and Writings of the Báb, conducted by Mr. Habib Riazati. This lively and challenging session led the participants to a better understanding of the relationship between the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh and motivated the friends to deeper study and appreciation for the honor of recognizing and serving the Cause of God.

A dedicated and tireless team of teachers also sustained a wonderful program for the children, transforming each classroom into a colorful, intriguing environment with prayer and learning activity centers. The children studied the life of the Báb through devotions, memorization of the Writings, puppet shows, plays, music, and games.

Spring Programs at Louhelen

March 22-24: Islam. This concentrated examination of Islam will include the history of Muhammad, the Scripture of Islam, leadership within Islam, and the Bahá’í Writings about Islamic scripture. This study, led by Dr. Ahang Rabbani, will foster increased understanding of progressive revelation and will strengthen our ability to explain the Bahá’í teachings to Muslims. A special treat that weekend will be Louhelen’s annual celebration of Naw-Rúz.

April 5-7: Marriage and Childrearing, A Course for Youth. Created for youth at the request of the National Spiritual Assembly, this course is designed to reinforce the foundations of marriage and rearing of children. This session is based on the Sacred Writings and incorporates a variety of activities. Some of the topics covered include: Identifying a Partner, Requesting Parental Consent, Consultation and Communication, and God’s Purpose for Humanity.

April 26-28: Junior Youth Institute. This weekend of study is geared toward youth ages 11-15. Along with study, be prepared for fellowship, recreation, consultation, and participation in hands-on activities designed to foster service to the Cause of God.

Service Opportunities at LGBI

“We are building the Kingdom of God, laying the foundations for a spiritual world, holding fast to the Covenant of the All-Mighty One . . . and nothing can stop us now!” As the momentum of the teaching effort increases, the Louis G. Gregory Bahá’í Institute finds itself in need of human resources. Pioneering to the South offers the unique opportunity to fulfill several goals of the Three Year Plan.

Currently, a paid position for a part-time cook is available at the Institute. To apply for this position, contact the Department of Human Resources at the Bahá’í National Center, 847/869-9039. Anyone interested in pioneering to South Carolina should contact the LGBI at 803/558-5093 for additional information.

Spiritual Foundations for a Global Civilization—Update

“A Lamp of Thy knowledge among Thy creatures” is the motto of the Wilmette Institute taken from a prayer revealed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to Thornton Chase, the first American Bahá’í. This motto surrounds the figure of a lamp in the logo of the Institute. A fuller description of this logo appears in the first issue of The Lamp, a newsletter published by the Wilmette Institute for its Spiritual Foundations for a Global Civilization program. The Lamp contains program updates, students’ observations, information on upcoming conferences of ‎interests interest‎ to the faculty and students, messages from the faculty and some feature articles. In addition to The Lamp, students from time to time receive copies of specially selected documents as part of an ever-growing collection of informational and reference materials.

When you join this program you become a participant in an international fellowship of serious students of the Bahá’í Faith and can benefit from collective and cooperative scholarship activity. For information on the Wilmette Institute and its programs or to receive a complimentary copy of The Lamp contact Phyllis Medrano at 847/733-3492. [Page 27]

Brazilian Official Encourages Bahá’ís to be More Involved in the Life of Society

The Winter School session at Green Acre Bahá’í School included history-in-the-making when the Honorable Federal Deputy Luiz Gushiken and his wife, Elisabeth Ferreira Gushiken, of Brazil visited the school December 30.

Following the North American Bahá’í Conference on Social and Economic Development in Orlando, Florida, where he was honored by the Rabbani Trust for his visionary action on behalf of the Faith, Mr. Gushiken traveled to Green Acre to address guests and visitors, including members of the local press. His moving presentation described his determination to acquaint others, particularly government and world leaders with the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh as the most potent remedy for the ills that afflict humanity.

In 1992, during the Holy Year, Mr. Gushiken introduced a resolution in the Brazilian congress that resulted in a Solemn Session in the congressional chambers to honor the 100th Anniversary of the Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh. In 1993, he mobilized 150 members of the Brazilian congress in protest against the secret policy of the Iranian government to eradicate the Bahá’í Community in Iran and throughout the world.

Mr. Gushiken has visited the Bahá’í World Center twice, where he met with members of the Universal House of Justice. He also serves as a member of the Latin-American Parliament, where he has affirmed such Bahá’í principles as the promotion of world citizenship and the need to establish a supranational body for world government.

In his talk at Green Acre, Mr. Gushiken said that although he has not become a Bahá’í himself, owing to the fact that he is currently a politician, he has taught the Faith to several members of his family, who have become Bahá’ís. Mr. Gushiken emphasized the great need for believers to share the message of the Faith as widely as possible, and in particular, to share the name and station of Bahá’u’lláh with others. He stated his firm belief that humankind’s suffering will be prolonged if this does not happen, as the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh constitute the remedy the world requires to effect its unity and global peace. He encouraged Bahá’ís to be more vocal, more visible, more involved in the life of society in order to propagate Bahá’u’lláh’s transforming principles.

Mr. Gushiken also described legislation he has proposed that would introduce into Brazilian schools a curriculum based on the teachings of the Founders of the world’s major religions, including the Bahá’í Revelation, that would emphasize the virtues and values common to all faiths, and demonstrate their essential oneness. Mr. and Mrs. Gushiken expressed their interest in pursuing the Bahá’í education of their three children, hoping to see them perform a youth year of service in a setting such as Green Acre in the future.

From left to right, at Green Acre Bahá’í School, December 30, 1995, Dr. James Sacco (member of Green Acre Administrative Team), Federal Deputy Luiz Gushiken from ‎Brazilia Brasilia‎ (holding a cap presented to him by Senator William Cohen), and Ms. Claudia Martins (from the Office of External Affairs in ‎Brazilia Brasilia‎). Ms. Martins served as Mr. Gushiken’s translator during his visit.

Bosch Hosts First National Pacific Islander Conference

The first National Pacific Islander Conference will be held at Bosch Bahá’í School this spring, May 10-12, 1996. All Fijian, Samoan, Tongan and other Pacific Islanders are invited to attend. Also, all those interested in teaching Pacific Islander peoples are welcome. Come and enjoy presentations of cultures, discussion of teaching activities, and learning about the needs of families, children, and communities of Pacific Islanders. We hope that Counselor Moli Chang Afemata can also be in attendance. Please contact George or Daska Halaholo at 415/596-9635 for further information. A special discounted price has been assigned for this weekend; $85 for adults, $40 for children. The first child attends free, as does the fourth or more. You may register to attend by contacting Bosch Bahá’í School at 408/423-3387.

Service Opportunities at Green Acre

“Service to the friends is service to the Kingdom of God.”- ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Green Acre Bahá’í School invites you to join us in service to the Kingdom of God this summer, to help fulfill the school’s mission as a center for Bahá’í learning and fellowship.

Summer Volunteers are offered opportunities for service in the following areas: Program Activities (children’s class teachers and recreation leaders); Food Service (dishwashers, kitchen and dining room assistants); and Maintenance (housekeeping, groundskeeping, gardening and general cleaning). While priority is given to applicants who can commit to a period of service from mid-June through August, offers for shorter periods of service will also be considered. To receive an application for summer volunteer service at Green Acre, please write Green Acre Bahá’í School, 188 Main St., Eliot, ME 03903, phone 207/439-7200 or email

Upcoming at Green Acre

Feb. 9-11—“Each One Bring One” spiritual enrichment weekend for seekers led by Auxiliary Board Member Dr. Eugene Andrews.

Feb. 10-11 & 17-18—Core Curriculum Training.

Feb. 23-25—Special weekend with Dr. David Ruhe focussing on Bahá’u’lláh’s life in Persia and Iraq and Mrs. Margaret Ruhe reflecting on happiness, marriage and family life, and life at the World Center. Chris and Janet Ruhe will also present an evening of music.

March 8-10—Special Spiritual Retreat Weekend for the Fast.

Green Acre’s Fellowship Cafe, featuring live music, specialty coffees and desserts, and a bookstore is now open on selected Saturday evenings at Fellowship House, Route 103, Eliot, Maine, beginning at 7 p.m. Admission is free and all are welcome to attend. For further information, call (207) 439-7200.

Seeking Expertise to Assist Schools and Institutes

The National Education and Schools Office is currently seeking assistance from individuals in the American Bahá’í community who have expertise in the areas of Marketing, Meeting and Planning Professionals, and individuals who have been involved in surveying the public. It is the sincere desire of the National Spiritual Assembly that the permanent schools and institutes become financially self-sufficient. In order to be able to accomplish this, it is felt that expert help and consultation is needed in the following areas:

Survey Professionals—We would like to survey individuals who have attended the permanent schools and institutes and those who live within close proximity to them. Our goal is to be able to better serve and address the needs of the Bahá’í community and we feel a professional survey would be of great benefit to the school and institute administrators as they plan future activities. It is our hope that Survey Professionals will be able to help us design a survey that would address these issues.

Marketing Specialists—One area that has not been explored in detail is the marketability of the permanent schools’ and institutes’ facilities. We have been presented with the opportunity to advertise the availability of our facilities in national directories and would like the assistance of someone who is working in the field of marketing as we begin to develop these advertisements. The goal would be to have individuals who are not yet Bahá’ís using the facilities when other programs aren’t being held, working toward full-capacity attendance at all times.

Meeting and Planning Professionals—In our on-going effort to assist the schools and institutes to become financially self-sufficient, it is felt that guidance from professionals in this field would be valuable. Professionals may be able to address issues for each of the schools and institutes that will not only enable them to better serve the friends, but also save money. Meeting and Planning Professionals may also be able to assist in creating advertisements for national marketing publications.

If you are interested, or know of someone who could assist in these areas, please contact the National Education and Schools Office at the Bahá’í National Center, 1233 Central Street, Evanston, IL 60201 or phone 847/733-3492. [Page 28]شیوع اضطراب آور تعصبات نژادی و دینی، رشد سرطان آسای مادی گرائی، شیوع جنایت و جنایات سازمان دار، افزایش و گسترش خشونت بی‌دلیل، شکاف و جدائی روزافزون میان درویش و توانگر، بی‌عدالتی‌هائی که پیوسته زنان با آن روبرو می‌شوند، صدمه‌ای که به علت انحطاط وضع خانواده وارد آمده، زیاده روی‌های غیراخلاقی سرمایه داری زمام گسیخته، رشد فساد سیاسی.

در بیانیۀ مذکور آمده است که اگر سازمان ملل جدا از میدان واقعیتی که در آن عمل می کند بررسی شود، کاستی‌های بسیاری در آن می تواند دید اما اگر آن را بخشی از ایجاد یک نظام جهانی تلقی کنیم، نمی توان منکر دستاوردهایش شد.

اقدامات لازم برای تقویت امکانات سازمان ملل را می توان - و امید است بتوان - با یک کنفرانس سران دول جهان مورد بررسی قرار داد و آن را "ملاقات سران جهان برای حکومت جهانی" نامید و آن را پیش از پایان قرن حاضر برگزار نمود.

چهار موضوع اصلی برای چنین ملاقاتی می توان در نظر گرفت تا قوائی که در همه افراد بشر نهفته است مجالی برای بروز یابد و در ایجاد یک نظم جهانی همگان را سهیم سازد.

این چهار موضوع اصلی عبارت است از: گسترش عمران اقتصادی، حفظ و حرمت حقوق بشر، پیشبرد وضع زنان، تاکید بر رشد و تربیت اخلاقی.

ایجاد و گسترش یک جامعۀ جهانی مستلزم امکانات و قوانینی است که عالم بشری تاکنون نتوانسته است بسیج کند. دستیابی به این امکانات مستلزم آن است که برای هر فردی تحول گسترده‌ای در دسترسی به منابع دانش فراهم آید.

اقدامات محفل ملی برای دفاع از بهائیان ایران

IN DEFENSE OF BAHA’IS OF IRAN

به اشارۀ بیت‌العدل اعظم الهی دفتر امور خارجی محفل روحانی ملی بهائیان ایالات متحده در خلال نقشۀ سه ساله اقداماتی در دفاع از حقوق انسانی بهائیان به عمل آورده است. شرح کوتاهی از این اقدامات در زیر درج می گردد.

در عین حالی که وضع افراد بهائی در ایران در سه سال گذشته بهبود یافته جامعۀ ‎بهانی بهائی‎ هنوز تحت فشار است و تا هنگامی که دولت ایران حقوقی برای آن قائل نشود، در معرض خطر خواهد بود.

تشکیلات بهائی در سراسر دنیا با همکاری سازمان ملل به مساعی خود ادامه خواهند داد تا امکانات رهاسازی جامعۀ بهائی را در ایران فراهم سازند.

منشی امور خارجی محفل روحانی ملی ایالات متحده مرتب با واشنگتن در ارتباط بوده و اولیای امور را در مورد وضع بهائیان ایران آگاه ساخته است.

روز ۲۲ اپریل سال ۱۹۹۳ جناب بیل کلینتن، رئیس جمهور ایالات متحده در ضمن سخنانی که در مراسم افتتاح موزه‌ای در واشنگتن ایراد نمود، به اوضاع بهائیان و سوء رفتار دولت ایران با آنان اشاره کرد.

در ماه جولای همان سال محفل روحانی ملی خبر یافت که شهرداری طهران به تخریب گلستان جاوید پرداخته است. وزارت امور خارجه ایالات متحده به این عمل اعتراض کرد و روزنامه نیویورک تایمز سرمقاله‌ای در شماتت اقدامات شهرداری به چاپ رساند.

در روزهای ۲۲ و ۲۹ نومبر سال ۱۹۹۳ محفل روحانی ملی بیانیه‌ای در روزنامۀ نیویورک تایمز و لوس انجلس تایمز با عنوان "بیانیۀ مشترک از وجدان نوع انسان" درج نمود. بیانیۀ مذکور به امضای ۴۹ نفر از افراد برجسته، از جمله ۲ برندۀ جایزۀ نوبل و سه تن از وزرای پیشین امور خارجه آمریکا رسیده بود.

در سال ۱۹۹۳ نسخه‌هائی از احکام دادگاه‌های ایران به دست محفل روحانی ملی رسید که حاوی حکم اعدام دو تن از احبای کرج بود که به جرم ایجاد ارتباط و تماس با نمایندۀ سازمان ملل متحد صادر شده بود.

حکم اعدام مذکور مورد بررسی مجمع عمومی سازمان ملل قرار گرفت و نمایندۀ آمریکا در طی سخنان خود از دولت ایران برای نقض حقوق بشر انتقاد کرد.

روز ۳۱ دیسمبر روزنامه نیویورک تایمز مقاله‌ای برای آگاه ساختن جهانیان از تصمیمات دولت ایران چاپ کرد.

در ماه نومبر مجلس سنای ایالات متحده در قطعنامه‌ای دولت ایران را مسؤول حقوق همۀ شهروندانش، از جمله بهائیان دانست. در ۱۹ اپریل سال ۱۹۹۴ مجلس نمایندگان ایالات متحده با رأی ۴۱۲ به صفر قطعنامۀ مذکور مجلس سنا را تصویب کرد. از سال ۱۹۸۲ ششمین باری بود که کنگرۀ آمریکا از دولت ایران می‌خواست که حقوق بهائیان را محترم دارد.

از آنجا که قطعنامه‌های کنگرۀ آمریکا از جمله مهم‌ترین وسائطی است که دولت آمریکا برای اظهار نگرانی از اوضاع بهائیان ایران در دست دارد، در ماه آگست سال ۱۹۹۵ هفتمین قطعنامه مربوط به اوضاع بهائیان ایران در کنگره آمریکا مطرح شد.

در ویلمت نیز دفتر امور پناهندگان همچنان به کمک به احبائی که راهی ایالات متحده هستند، ادامه داده و با سرپرست کل پناهندگان سازمان ملل متحد در ارتباط بوده است.

دفتر مذکور همچنین با محفل روحانی ملی پاکستان و ترکیه، دو کشوری که پناهندگان بهائی در آن به سر می برند، در ارتباط بوده است.

مسؤول دفتر پناهندگان در جلسات مخصوصی شرکت کرده است تا از قوانین و مقرراتی که برای پناهندگان وضع شده آگاهی یابد و بدین ترتیب بتواند بهتر به پناهندگان بهائی کمک کند.

در ماه می سال ۱۹۹۵ محفل روحانی ملی نمایشگاهی با عنوان "دفاع از آزادی دینی" در واشنگتن ترتیب داد. بیش از ۲۰۰ نفر در مراسم افتتاح نمایشگاه شرکت کردند. در نمایشگاه مذکور مدارکی به نمایش گذاشته شده بود که نمودار خدمات و پیگیری‌هائی بود که افراد مختلف در دفاع از حقوق بهائیان ایران به ظهور رسانده‌اند. همچنین محفل ملی در این سه سال جوائزی به نمایندگانی که در حمایت از اهل بهاء اقداماتی به عمل رسانده‌اند اهداء نموده است.

چهارمین گفت و شنود بین المللی

Fourth International Dialogue

ایادی امرالله امة‌البهاء روحیه خانم ناطق اصلی چهارمین گفت و شنود بین‌المللی با عنوان Dialogue بودند که در اکتبر سال گذشته در دانشگاه مریلند تشکیل شد. موضوع کنفرانس مذکور "سبعیت تفرقه افکن یا تمدن جهانی: ابعاد اخلاقی علم، هنر، دین و سیاست" بود.

هدف از تشکیل این کنفرانس حل مشکلات ناشی از ایجاد یک تمدن جهانی و الهام بخشیدن به سران جهان جهت فعلیت بخشیدن به راه‌حل‌های پیشنهاد شده بود.

افراد مشخصی در کنفرانس شرکت داشتند از جمله رئیس جمهور جزائر مارشال و رئیس جمهور سابق لبنان و سفیر فرانسه و یکی از شاهزادگان اردن یکی از سفیران پیشین هندوستان در آمریکا و رئیس مرکز مطالعات خاورمیانه مصر و رئیس پیشین شورای بین‌المللی زنان و دبیر کل کلوپ رُم.

مهاجرت، سفر تبلیغی، تشویقی

Teaching, Pioneering

هر ساله هزاران نفر از احبای ایالات متحده به دلائل گوناگون به خارج از آمریکا یا در داخل آن سفر می کنند.

برای نگارش تاریخ پیشرفت امر مبارک و ثبت خدمات احبای ایالات متحده مناسب است که گزارش سفرهای یاران در دسترس دفتر محفل ملی باشد.

بدین منظور از همۀ دوستانی که به هر علتی به خارج از آمریکا یا در داخل آن سفر کنند تقاضا می شود خبر آن را به آگاهی دفاتر مسؤول برسانند. از مسافران در داخل ایالات متحده تقاضا می شود با دفتر لجنه ملی نشر نفحات National Teaching Office تماس حاصل نمایند.

تلفن: ۳۴۹۴-۷۳۳ (۸۴۷) فکس ۳۵۰۲-۷۳۳ (۸۴۷)

e-mail ntc@usbnc.org

از مسافران به خارج از ایالات متحده تقاضا می شود با دفتر امور مهاجرت تماس حاصل نمایند.

تلفن: ۳۵۱۱-۷۳۳ (۸۴۷) فکس ۳۵۰۹-۷۳۳ (۸۴۷)

e-mail pioneer@usbnc.org

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. Armin Banani Santa Monica, CA. 90402

Dr. Daryush Haghighi Rocky River, OH. 44116

Dr. Elsie Austin 9039 Sligo Creek Parkway, #612 Silver Spring, MD. 20901 [Page 29]

ترجمه پیام تلگرافی بیت‌العدل اعظم

خطاب به محفل روحانی ملی انگلستان به مناسبت صعود امة‌الله ماریون هافمان ۵ دسامبر ۱۹۹۵

Message of the Universal House of Justice dated Dec. 5, 1995 to the National Spiritual Assembly of United Kingdom

فقدان کنیز عزیز و پرشهامت و ستوده خصال حضرت بهاءالله متصاعدهٔ الی‌الله ماریون هافمان سبب تأسف شدید گردید. جامعهٔ اسم اعظم یکی از مروّجان خستگی ناپذیرش را که انتصاراتش مورد تحسین و تمجید حضرت ولی عزیز امرالله بود، از دست داده است. خدمات آن متصاعدهٔ الی‌الله در لجنهٔ ملی تبلیغ در آمریکا در طی نقشه هفت‌ساله اول و سپس در محفل روحانی ملی انگلستان و عضویت در اولین هیأت معاونت در اروپا و نیز در مرکز جهانی بهائی با مهر و عطوفت مخصوص یاد می‌شود. مساعی ایشان در راه تقدم امر تبلیغ و مهاجرت در انگلستان، سهم برجسته‌ای که در غنی ساختن مطبوعات امری داشت، ایمان راسخ و پایبندی تزلزل ناپذیرش به عهد و میثاق الهی همراه با طبیعت مهرپرور و شور و شوق بی‌پایان و روحی پرفروغ در پیشرفت امر الهی سهمی بسزا داشت. اطمینان داریم که مجاهدات ممتازش به مدت شصت سنه در آمریکا و انگلستان الهام‌بخش نسل‌های کنونی و آینده بهائی در تأسی به نمونه درخشان حیات روحانی او خواهد بود. به تقدیم دعا در اعتاب مقدسه علیا جهت ارتقاء روح شریفش اطمینان می‌دهیم. مراتب همدردی این هیئت را به اعضاء خانواده‌اش ابلاغ نمائید. توصیه می‌شود محافل تذکر شایسته‌ای به افتخارش در سراسر انگلستان منعقد گردد.

این اعلامیه به فارسی ترجمه گردید تا احبای عزیز ایرانی تحت اشراف آن محفل به آسانی از این امر مطلع شوند.

با تقدیم تحیات از طرف دارالانشاء، بیت‌العدل اعظم

بیت‌العدل اعظم

ترجمه پیام مؤرخ ۲۸ دسامبر ۱۹۹۵ دارالانشاء بیت‌العدل اعظم الهی خطاب به محافل مقدسه روحانیه ملیه

Persian ‎Trasnlation Translation‎ of the Message dated Dec. 28, 1995 of the Department of Secretariat

بیت‌العدل اعظم با کمال مسرت اعلان می‌دارند که انشاءالله نسخه کتاب مستطاب اقدس با حواشی فارسی در اواسط ماه ژانویه ۱۹۹۶ در دسترس یاران قرار خواهد گرفت.

متن کتاب مستطاب اقدس که به لسان عربی است با خط نسخ توسط خوشنویس ماهری خطاطی شده و در نهایت ظرافت تذهیب گردیده است. سایر آثار مبارکه‌ای که در این جلد آمده نیز به لسان نزولی عربی و فارسی است اما یادداشت‌ها و مواد سائره که در نسخه انگلیسی این کتاب مبارک درج شده به فارسی ترجمه گردیده است.

سی هزار نسخه از این کتاب مستطاب به فارسی توسط مرکز جهانی بهائی طبع گردیده و توزیع آن به عهدهٔ مؤسسه مطبوعات آلمان است. سوادی از فرم مخصوص برای سفارش کتاب و قیمت آن به ضمیمه ارسال می‌گردد.

لطفاً احبای عزیز آن جامعه را از چاپ و انتشار قریب‌الوقوع این سفر جلیل مطلع فرمائید. متن این اعلامیه به فارسی ترجمه گردید تا احبای عزیز ایرانی تحت اشراف آن محفل به آسانی از این امر مطلع شوند.

بیانیه جامعه جهانی بهائی

TURNING POINT FOR ALL NATIONS

جامعه جهانی Bahá’í International Community (BIC) به تازگی بیانیه‌ای صادر نموده و در آن اعلام کرده که باید اهداف سازمان ملل متحد از نو معین شود تا بتواند حوائج و مشکلاتی را که جهان با آن روبرو است برطرف سازد.

در این بیانیه که به مناسبت پنجاهمین سال تأسیس سازمان ملل متحد صادر گردیده از رهبران جهان خواسته شده است که اقدامات دلیرانه‌ای برای تقویت امکانات سازمان ملل متحد برای ایجاد هماهنگی جهانی به عمل آورند. بدین منظور از رهبران جهان دعوت شده که تا پیش از پایان قرن حاضر در مجمعی گرد هم آیند و به مشورت پردازند.

قرار است این بیانیه در ماه‌های آینده در میان رؤسای دولتی و سازمان‌های اجتماعی و مؤسسات آموزشی و افراد برجسته توزیع شود.

در بیانیه جامعه بهائی آمده است که در مجمع مذکور باید به بررسی نظام سیاست بین‌المللی پرداخت و در پی آن بود که چگونه می‌توان نظام مذکور را چنان تنظیم کرد که نیازهای جامعه جهانی را که هر روزه بر پیوستگی عناصر سازنده‌اش افزوده می‌شود، رفع نماید.

بیانیه جامعه جهانی بهائی "نقطهٔ عطفی برای همهٔ ملل" نام دارد و در سپتامبر سال ۱۹۹۵ پیش از برگزاری مراسم پنجاهمین سال تأسیس سازمان ملل متحد منتشر شد. خلاصه‌ای از مفاد این بیانیه در زیر نقل می‌شود.

جامعهٔ جهانی بهائی آشفتگی اوضاع جهان و شرایط اسفناک مردمان را مرحله‌ای از مراحل سیر تکامل بشری تلقی می‌کند که سرانجام به یگانگی نژاد بشر منجر خواهد شد.

به شهادت تاریخ بشر این جریان تکاملی را رویدادهای ناگهانی و فاجعه‌آمیز تسریع کرده است. خرابی‌ها و مصیبت‌های جنگ جهانی اول و دوم بود که عامل تأسیس جامعه ملل League of Nations و سازمان ملل متحد شد.

پیشرفت‌های آینده جامعه بشری را می‌توان یا از طریق وحشت و نزاع حاصل کرد یا با اقداماتی بر مبنای اراده و مشورت. بر عهدهٔ ساکنان کره زمین است که یکی از این دو راه را پیش گیرند. هر گونه کوتاهی در مورد اقدامات لازم ناشی از فرار از مسؤولیت خواهد بود.

از جمله اقدامات مقدماتی که در بیانیه مذکور برای دمیدن روح تازه‌ای در کالبد سازمان ملل ذکر شده است یکی محدود کردن "حق وتو" در شورای امنیت است. اقدام دیگر دادن ضمانت اجرائی به برخی از قطعنامه‌های مجمع عمومی سازمان ملل است. دیگر بررسی این مسأله است که نظم جهانی را به چه صورت می‌توان در درازمدت بازسازی کرد.

از رهبران جهان خواسته شده است که مردم عادی را در سراسر جهان در این جریان سهیم سازند. مذاکرات مربوط به آیندهٔ نظم جهان باید کل عالم انسانی را در بر گیرد و منحصر به رهبران نباشد.

به عنوان اقدامات اولیه برای تقویت امکانات سازمان ملل پیشنهاد شده است که رهبران جهان موارد زیر را بررسی نمایند و به عمل آورند:

• در جریان رأی‌گیری مجمع عمومی تغییراتی دهند که به نحوی دقیق‌تر نمودار خواست مردم جهان باشد. همچنین قطعنامه‌های مجمع عمومی به صورت قانون‌هائی در آید که امکانات تنفیذ و تحریم داشته باشد.
• برای اعضای دائمی شورای امنیت سازمان ملل محدودیت‌هائی در استفاده از "حق وتو" قائل شوند به نحوی که از آن فقط در مواردی استفاده شود که منظور اصلی از اعطای "حق وتو" بوده است یعنی جلوگیری از اقدامات جنگی علیه یکی از اعضای دائمی یا الزام به استفاده از نیروی نظامی علیه ارادهٔ آن عضو.
• یک نیروی مستقل و کاملاً مسلح برای تأمین عملیات مربوط به حفظ صلح ایجاد کنند که در قبال شورای امنیت مسؤولیت داشته باشد اما تحت اوامر دبیرکل سازمان ملل عمل کند.
• صلاحیت و حوزهٔ قضائی دادگاه جهانی را گسترش دهند بدین منظور که در آینده احکام دادگاه جهانی در مورد حکومت‌ها قابلیت اجرائی داشته باشد. یکی از اقدامات اولیه این است که علاوه بر کشورهای عضو به همهٔ نهادهای سازمان ملل اجازه داده شود دعاوی خود را در دادگاه جهانی اقامه کنند.
• هیأتی برای بررسی مرزهای کشورها تعیین نمایند که حدود کشورها دقیقاً و قطعاً معین شود و ادعای کشورهای گوناگون باعث نزاع و جنگ نشود.
• تعهد نمایند که یک زبان بین‌المللی را به منظور بهبود ارتباطات و صرفه‌جوئی در مخارج بپذیرند.
• یک برنامهٔ قطعی برای اجرای مادهٔ ۲۱ صورت مجلس (پیمان حفاظت محیط زیست) طرح نمایند.

این تغییرات با در نظر گرفتن دو جریان بی‌نظمی در حیات اجتماعی از یک سو، و امید به گسترش صلح در سراسر زمین از سوی دیگر، لازمهٔ ایجاد هماهنگی جهانی است.

هر چند سازمان ملل متحد یقیناً در جلوگیری از یک جنگ جهانی سوم سهم داشته است، نیمه دوم دهه کنونی شاهد چندین برخورد محلی و ملی و منطقه‌ای بوده که به کشتار میلیون‌ها نفر انجامیده است.

درست در زمانی که بهبود روابط در میان دو ابرقدرت جهان انگیزه‌های عقیدتی را برای درگیری و نزاع آنان از میان می‌برد، احساسات تند قومی و مذهبی چهره نمود و عامل ویرانی شد.

در مورد مسائل اجتماعی مشکلات همچنان باقی است و علائم آن در این امور به چشم می‌خورد: [Page 30]

"ای پسران دانش، چشم سر را پلک به آن نازکی از جهان و آنچه در اوست بی‌بهره نماید، دیگر اگر پرده آز بر چشم دل فرود آید چه خواهد نمود؟" حضرت بهاءالله

ترجمه پیام بیت‌العدل اعظم الهی

خطاب به بهائیان سراسر عالم ۳۱ دسامبر ۱۹۹۵

Message of the Universal House of Justice dated Dec. 31, 1995 to the Bahá’ís of the World

یاران عزیز الهی،

به برکت روح نباضی که کنفرانس شش روزه مشاورین در مرکز جهانی بهائی را قرین شور و انجذاب ساخته در این هنگام که آخرین جلسه اجتماع مزبور در جریان است فرصت را مغتنم شمرده با ارسال این پیام تصمیمی را که موضوع مشاورات این کنفرانس بوده است اعلام می‌داریم: در رضوان سال ۱۹۹۶ نقشه‌ای جهانی جهت اتساع نطاق و استحکام بنیان امر اعظم الهی آغاز می‌گردد که چهار سال بعد در رضوان سال ۲۰۰۰ خاتمه خواهد یافت.

پیش‌بینی این نقشه موجب تمرکز افکار هفتاد و هشت نفر از مشاورین پنج قاره جهان گردید که با حضور حضرات ایادی امرالله امة‌البهاء روحیه خانم و جنابان علی‌اکبر فروتن و علی‌محمد ورقا، و اعضای بیت‌العدل اعظم و اعضای عضو دارالتبلیغ بین‌المللی به مشاوره پرداخته‌اند. مشاورات این جمع درباره مشکلات و امکاناتی که جامعه جهانی بهائی با آن مواجه است حائز چنان محتوی و کیفیتی است که انتظار این مشتاقان را برای اقدامی عظیم جهت رشد و توسعه جامعه جهانی بهائی در سالهای بحرانی که بلافاصله در پیش است تشدید می‌نماید.

نقشه چهارساله بطور کامل در رضوان آینده اعلان می‌شود، ولکن در حدود مذاکراتی که در کنفرانس مشاورین انجام گرفته مایلیم که یاران عزیز الهی فعلاً در باره نقشه مزبور اطلاعاتی در اختیار داشته باشند.

اقدام عمده‌ای که هدف اصلی نقشه چهارساله است پیشرفت محسوس در هدایت افواج مؤمنین به شریعة حضرت رب‌العالمین است. حصول این مقصود موکول به ازدیاد چشمگیر اقدامات و پیشرفت‌های افراد مؤمنین و مؤسسات و جوامع محلی است. بذل توجه دقیق به این سه امر وسیله تضمین توسعه بیشتر، وحدتی قابل مشاهده، و تحرک و به هم پیوستگی جامعه جهانی بهائی در آخر قرن بیستم خواهد شد. شرایط لازم برای حصول این مقصود را می‌توان به نحو ذیل خلاصه نمود.

نخستین شرط تقویت نیروی ایمانی هر فرد از افراد مؤمنین است که به صورت ابتکارات شخصی و مداومت در تبلیغ امرالله و سعی و کوشش وجدانی در ایجاد قوا و منابعی که برای ارتقاء جامعه و تأمین قدرت و اختیار مؤسسات امری و حمایت و پشتیبانی از نقشه‌های محلی و منطقه‌ای و اقدامات تبلیغی ضروری است مشهود می‌گردد. شرط ثانی آنست که مؤسسات محلی و ملی بهائی با سرعت بیشتری تکامل یابند تا بتوانند مسؤولیت‌های خود را به نحو احسن انجام دهند یعنی وسائط هدایت، طراح اقدامات تبلیغی، پرورش دهنده منابع انسانی، سازندگان جامعه و شبانان مهربان برای عموم یاران گردند. شرط ثالث که شکفتگی و برومندی جامعه مخصوصاً در سطح محلی است تعالی بارز شیوة رفتار و عمل احباء را ایجاب می‌نماید و بدین ترتیب تخلق عموم افراد به این فضائل و حسن جریان امور محفل روحانی به صورت وحدت و یگانگی و رشد جامعه و شور و نشاط فعالیت‌های آن جلوه‌گر می‌شود.

برای حصول این مقاصد اقدامات مشاورین باید ابعادی تازه بیابد. بنا بر این در این کنفرانس در باره مسائلی از قبیل آنچه ذیلاً می‌آید مذاکره می‌شود:

• تحولاتی که باید در نحوه فعالیت هیأت‌های مشاورین قاره‌ای بوجود آید
• طرز تنظیم نقشه چهار ساله از طریق تهیه نقشه‌های فرعی در سطوح ملی و ناحیه‌ای و محلی. مشورت بین مشاورین قاره‌ای و محافل ملی بلافاصله بعد از رضوان آغاز خواهد شد و این مشورت با مشارکت اعضاء هیأت‌های معاونت و محافل محلی و لجنات بسرعت به سطح ناحیه‌ای منتقل خواهد گردید.
• افزایش و پرورش منابع انسانی برای رفع نیازمندیهای روزافزون جامعه‌ای که با سرعت توسعه می‌یابد. رشد و توسعه چشمگیر جامعه نیازمند اقدامات مستمر جهت تقویت و تحکیم است. آنچه مورد احتیاج فوری است اجرای برنامه‌های آموزشی توسط مؤسسات و مراکز تعلیماتی بهائی است که مشاورین و اعضای هیأت‌های معاونت در تأسیس و اداره آنها بیش از پیش شرکت خواهند نمود.
• اتخاذ طرق مؤثر برای ارتقاء مقام و تحکیم بنیان محافل روحانی محلی. برای وصول به هدف تقویت و بلوغ محافل روحانی لازم است که اصل ضروری انتخاب محافل مزبور رعایت گردد زیرا مسؤولیت انتخاب محافل اصولاً بر عهده احبای محلی است. اعضای هیأت‌های معاونت و مساعدینشان باید مساعی خود را به منظور آشنا ساختن عموم یاران با اصول انتخابات بهائی افزایش دهند و به بلوغ و تکامل محفل روحانی محلی توجه بیشتری مبذول دارند. از رضوان ۱۹۹۷ به بعد عموم محافل روحانی محلی در سراسر عالم باید در روز اول عید رضوان انتخاب شوند.
• موجبات بیشتر برای توسعه و پیشرفت جوامع محلی بهائی. قسمتی از آنچه برای حصول این منظور مورد نیاز است با ازدیاد اعضای هیأت‌های معاونت برای صیانت به میزانی مساوی با تعداد اعضای هیأت‌های معاونت برای تبلیغ تأمین خواهد شد تا اعضای هیأت‌های معاونت برای صیانت مستقیماً و منظماً به فعالیت‌های اساسی در جامعه مساعدت نمایند، و در نتیجه فعالیت‌هایی از قبیل رشد و پرورش روحانی افراد احباء، مشارکت نسوان در جمیع جهات زندگانی جامعه، انعقاد مرتب ضیافات نوزده روزه و مراعات ایام متبرکه، تأسیس کلاسهای تربیت امری برای اطفال و توسعه و تقویت فعالیت‌های جوانان توسعه یابد.

هفت هدفی که در نقشه‌های قبلی تعیین شده بود جهات اصلی اقدامات بعدی را در آینده نزدیک نیز مشخص می‌نماید، اقداماتی که در یکدیگر تأثیر متقابل دارد و باید همزمان اجراء شود. هدف نقشه چهارساله برای تسریع جریان دخول افواج مؤمنین حاکی از ضرورت زمان در این مرحله از پیشرفت امر و در وضع جامعة بشری است. با در نظر گرفتن چنین دورنمائی حال باید سه عامل ضروری برای تکامل نظم نوین جهانی یعنی افراد و مؤسسات و جامعه به نحوی محسوس‌تر و مشهودتر از گذشته استعداد و علاقه مندی خود را برای پذیرفتن تعداد کثیری از مقبلین جدید به منصة ظهور رسانند و سبب تقلیب روحانی و تحول اداری هزاران هزار از نفوس گردند و گذشته از این سپاه مبلغین مخلص و دانشمند امر نازنین را به مراتب افزایش بخشند، امری که خروجش از مرحله مجهولیت باید مورد توجه و جالب انتظار تعدادی بی‌شمار از مردم در سراسر جهان قرار گیرد. نکات فوق از جمله مسائلی است که در مشاورات اعضای هیأت‌های مشاورین قاره‌ای به تفصیل مورد بحث قرار گرفته تا پس از مراجعتشان از مرکز جهانی و در جریان خدماتشان از فرصتهائی که پیش می‌آید استفاده نموده نتایج حاصله از این کنفرانس را با یاران الهی در میان گذارند.

فرخندگی آغاز نقشه جدید منوط به نتایج حاصله از اجرای نقشه کنونی است که تا چند ماه دیگر به پایان می‌رسد. کفایت این نتایج مدیون نحوه و میزان اجرای قرارها و دستورات محفل روحانی ملی از طرف محافل روحانی محلی و افراد احباء خواهد بود زیرا محافل روحانی ملی فرماندهان نقشه محسوب می‌گردند. فرصت به سرعت رو به انتهاست. این واقعیت باید ما را بر آن دارد که حد اکثر کوشش را مبذول داریم. بنا بر این برای آماده شدن جهت آنچه در افق نزدیک نمودار شده است نمی‌توانیم و نباید تردید به خود راه دهیم و از صرف تمامی قوای لازم برای اکمال موفقیت‌آمیز اهداف نقشه سه‌ساله خود داری کنیم. فوریتی که علاقه ما را برای حصول چنین اقدامی تشدید می‌کند فقط فخر و مباهات از پیروزی که به جای خود بسیار مایه خوشوقتی است نمی‌باشد، بلکه فرا رسیدن زمان مواعید الهی است که باید به موقع تحقق یابد. مقصود از این اقدامات فقط اتساع نطاق و تحکیم مبانی جامعه بهائی نبوده، بلکه منظور به نحو اخص ایجاد تأثیر مطلوب در امور همة جامعه بشری است. در لحظاتی چنین بحرانی در امور جهانی نباید در انجام وظایف خود در اقدام به موقع برای حصول اهدافی که در نقشه سه‌ساله تعیین شده قصور ورزیم.

با اشتیاق قلبی تام از عموم یاران تقاضا می‌کنیم منفرداً و مجتمعاً برای پاسخ به ندای رب الجنود قیام نمایند، قیامی که با عشق و ایمان و رشاد توأم باشد، تا ابواب ملکوت مفتوح گردد و مجهودات مبذوله مشمول الطاف الهیه شود.

با تحیات ابدع ابهی بیت‌العدل اعظم [Page 31]

Maury Willows’ passing ends half century of service

The passing last December 19 of Maurice Willows Jr. of Los Angeles brings to an end nearly a half century of selfless service to the Cause, to the Bahá’í communities in which he lived and the institutions on which he served.

Mr. Willows, known as “Maury,” belonged to that generation of Bahá’ís who came to the Faith after World War II. He served with distinction during the war years, entering the Navy as an enlisted man and leaving active duty as a lieutenant commander. His six promotions in three years made him the Navy’s fastest-rising officer.

He was already an experienced sailor by the war’s outbreak. At the age of 21 he had embarked on a series of scientific expeditions with banking heir Templeton Crocker aboard the luxury schooner Zaca. They made seven voyages in all, each of six months duration, exploring Central and South America and the islands of the South Pacific.

After the war, Mr. Willows worked in the entertainment business, in film and on stage, with many of the luminaries of his day. The year 1946 also brought him to the Faith, through Virginia Foster.

His Bahá’í experiences paralleled the growth of the Faith from the 1940s to the present. When he made his declaration the L.A. Bahá’í Center was in a house. By the time of his death the Center at Rodeo Road and La Cienega had become home to the largest Bahá’í community in the U.S.

In 1957, Mr. ‎Willow Willows‎ and his wife, Lois, whom he had married in 1953, moved to Blythe, California, as homefront pioneers. They moved to Honolulu three years later, and both served for many years on that community’s Spiritual Assembly. They returned to Los Angeles in 1967; again, both served on the Assembly for many years.

And then there are the well-known firesides, which have gone on nearly non-stop on a weekly basis since they started in Mr. Willows’s Westwood apartment nearly 50 years ago. These firesides have brought legions of new recruits to the Army of Bahá’u’lláh, and many of these have themselves been successful in bringing in even more friends in service to the Blessed Beauty.

During the Holy Year, Mr. Willows was chosen as one of 19 Bahá’ís in the U.S. to take part in the Centenary observance of the Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh in the Holy Land.

Last August, Mr. and Mrs. Willows were recognized by the L.A. community for their great service, in an event that was well attended and included faxed messages from the Universal House of Justice, the National Spiritual Assembly, and many individuals.

In lieu of flowers, Mr. Willows had asked that upon his death contributions be made to the L.A. Bahá’í Fund, earmarked for the “mortgage fund.”

DEEPLY SYMPATHIZE LOSS TO AMERICAN BAHÁ’Í COMMUNITY MAURY WILLOWS, FAITHFUL SERVANT BAHÁ’U’LLÁH WHOSE CONSTANCY IN TEACHING WORK OVER SEVERAL DECADES HAS LEFT WORTHY EXAMPLE DEVOTION CAUSE GOD. HIS SERVICES AS PIONEER HAWAIIAN ISLANDS INDELIBLY ETCHED ANNALS FAITH. EXTEND LOVING SYMPATHY MEMBERS HIS FAMILY. ASSURE ARDENT PRAYERS HOLY SHRINES PROGRESS HIS SOUL THROUGHOUT DIVINE WORLDS.

THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE DECEMBER 22, 1995

THE LOVING SPIRIT OF MAURY WILLOWS WILL LONG EMBRACE THOSE WHO HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING WITH HIM IN SERVICE TO HIS LORD. ALTHOUGH WE MOURN THE PASSING OF THIS INDEFATIGABLE SERVANT OF THE BLESSED BEAUTY, THE EXAMPLE SET BY MAURY WILLOWS AS A TEACHER OF THE CAUSE OF GOD WILL BE EVERLASTING AND WILL REMAIN THE INSPIRATION FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. OUR PRAYERS SURROUND HIM AS WE BESEECH THE ALMIGHTY TO GIVE THIS NEWLY WELCOMED ONE HIS FULL SHARE OF DIVINE BLESSINGS AS HE PROGRESSES THROUGH ALL THE WORLDS OF GOD WE OFFER OUR SINCERE SYMPATHY TO HIS DEVOTED LOIS AND HIS CHILDREN WHOSE LOSS WE SHARE. A LOSS FELT BY ALL THOSE WHOSE HEARTS WERE TOUCHED BY THE MESSAGE OF BAHÁ’U’LLÁH THROUGH SUCH A HOLLOW REED.

NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY OF THE BAHÁ’ÍS OF THE UNITED STATES DECEMBER 20, 1995

Bahieh Mozaffari Aflatooni, one of the first women to have been elected to a local Spiritual Assembly in Iran, died October 30 in Reno, Nevada. She was elected in 1951 to serve on the Spiritual Assembly of Kirman, Iran, and also served on Iran’s National Youth Committee, National Women’s Committee, and National Publishing Committee. Mrs. Aflatooni and her husband, Houshang, held weekly firesides at their Reno home from 1979-85 at which some 30 people declared their belief in Bahá’u’lláh.

Stalwart teacher, pioneer Marion Hofman dead

PROFOUNDLY LAMENT LOSS DEARLY LOVED, HIGHLY ADMIRED, STALWART HANDMAIDEN BAHÁ’U’LLÁH MARION HOFMAN NOW GATHERED GLORY ABHÁ KINGDOM. COMMUNITY MOST GREAT NAME ROBBED OF ‎ONE ITS ONE OF ITS‎ TIRELESS PROMOTERS WHOSE ACCOMPLISHMENTS WERE PRAISED BELOVED GUARDIAN. HER SERVICE NATIONAL TEACHING COMMITTEE UNITED STATES DURING FIRST SEVEN YEAR PLAN, NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY BRITISH ISLES, FIRST AUXILIARY BOARD EUROPE, AND AT WORLD CENTER FAITH LOVINGLY REMEMBERED. HER PROMOTION TEACHING PIONEERING PLANS THROUGHOUT BRITISH COMMUNITY, HER NOTABLE CONTRIBUTION ENRICHMENT BAHÁ’Í LITERATURE, HER INDOMITABLE FAITH, UNSWERVING DEVOTION COVENANT, COUPLED WITH HER LOVING NATURE, UNFLAGGING ZEAL AND RADIANT SPIRIT, GREATLY AIDED ADVANCEMENT CAUSE GOD. CONFIDENT HER DISTINGUISHED LABORS EXTENDING OVER PERIOD SIX DECADES BRITISH ISLES, UNITED STATES WILL INSPIRE PRESENT FUTURE GENERATIONS BAHÁ’ÍS EMULATE SHINING EXAMPLE HER LIFE. ASSURE FERVENT PRAYERS HOLY SHRINES PROGRESS HER NOBLE SOUL. CONVEY OUR LOVING SYMPATHY MEMBERS HER FAMILY. ADVISE HOLD BEFITTING MEMORIAL MEETINGS HER HONOR THROUGHOUT BRITISH ISLES.

The Universal House of Justice December 5, 1995

Helen Marinello, Bahá’í for almost 75 years, dies at age 101

Helen Marinello, a Bahá’í for almost 75 years, died November 27 at her home in Maywood, Illinois, five days before her 102nd birthday.

Mrs. Marinello helped establish the Maywood Bahá’í community in the early ’30s and traveled to teach throughout the Midwest with Nettie Tobin and Ruth Moffett in the ’30s and ’40s.

She began holding regular firesides in her home on the second Tuesday of each month and continued to do so for more than 60 years until illness forced her to end them last summer.

Mrs. Marinello embraced the Faith in 1921 and was a member of one of the first Chicago-area youth groups which included Leroy and Monroe Ioas, Marjorie McCormick, Zia Bagdadi, Marjorie Ullrich, Lillian Dobbins and Sophie Loeding.

Her marriage in 1928 to Theodore Marinello was one of the first marriage ceremonies ever held at the Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois.

Mrs. Marinello’s parents, William and Charlotte Barrick, were among the earliest Bahá’ís in the U.S., having joined the Faith in 1908 and welcomed ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on His visit to America in 1912.

Helen Marinello in a picture taken on her 101st birthday in 1994.

IN MEMORIAM

Esmaeil Agahi Phoenix, AZ November 1, 1995	Alice Hazeltine Green Valley, AZ November 20, 1995	Marvin Kedalo Goldendale, WA June 16, 1995	Marc L. Stoddard Tucson, AZ November 17, 1995
Elliott Countiss Chicago, IL September 14, 1995	Yadullah Ighani Baku, Azerbaijan August 1, 1995	Helen Marinello Maywood, IL November 25, 1995	DeSlois Sutherland North Bend, OR November 26, 1995
Daniel Defender McLaughlin, SD December 3, 1995	Jawaher Islami Riverside, CA November 9, 1995	Moses R. McClain Bethesda, MD December 1, 1995	Betty Ulius Encinitas, CA November 25, 1995
Wilfred Eagle Bear Allen, SD September 14, 1995	Paul B. Johnson Asheville, NC December 22, 1994	Howard G. Smith Georgetown, CA September 12, 1995	Maurice Willows Beverly Hills, CA December 19, 1995
Heshmat Farhoumand Vienna, VA November 8, 1995	Ruth Johnson Asheville, NC October 27, 1995	Ruth Somerhalder Santa Cruz, CA November 26, 1995	Farzin Zargarzadeh Richmond, CA December 4, 1995
Ellyas Foruzan Citrus Heights, CA November 17, 1995	Fannie Jupnik Montclair, NJ December 5, 1995

[Page 32]

CALENDAR

In October, the Bahá’ís of Yakima, Washington, sponsored this booth, whose theme was ‘A Call to Unity,’ at the annual Central Washington State Fair. The booth was staffed by 27 volunteers over a 10-day period. Several thousand pamphlets and posters were given away, hundreds of children colored the ‘World Citizen ‎Pass-ports Passports‎,’ dozens of impromptu firesides were held, and 19 people filled out interest cards asking for more information about the Faith. Pictured at the booth (left to right) are new believer Kristy Young, Kalisa Fulton, Ben Tamburro and Jama Reneau.

MOVING? TELL US YOUR NEW ADDRESS.

To avoid unnecessary delays in receiving The American Bahá’í, send all family members’ names, new address and mailing label to: Management Information Services, Bahá’í National Center, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201-1611. If acquiring a Post Office box, your residence address (c) must be filled in. Please allow 3 weeks for processing. (This also updates National’s data base.)

A. NAME(S): 1. ________________________________________________________________ I.D. # ____________ Title ____________ 2. ________________________________________________________________ I.D. # ____________ Title ____________ 3. ________________________________________________________________ I.D. # ____________ Title ____________ 4. ________________________________________________________________ I.D. # ____________ Title ____________

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

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

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

E. HOME TELEPHONE NUMBER: ____________ ______________________ _______________________________ Area code Phone number Name

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

____________ ______________________ _______________________________ Area code Phone number Name

G. WE RECEIVE EXTRA COPIES BECAUSE: [ ] we do not have the same last name. We do not want extra copies, so please cancel the copy for the person(s) and I.D. number(s) listed above. [ ] the last names and addresses on our address labels do not match. We have listed above the full names of all family members as they should appear on the national records, their I.D. numbers, and the corrections so that we will receive only one copy.

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

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

FEBRUARY

9-11: “Each One Bring One,” seekers’ enrichment weekend, Green Acre Bahá’í School. For information, phone 207-439-7200 or fax 207-439-7202.

9-11: Renewing the Spirit of the “Fortress for Well-Being,” marriage counseling session, Bosch Bahá’í School. Also, PIO Rep training facilitated by Trish Swanson, director of the National Office of Public Information. For information, phone 408-423-3387, fax 408-423-7564, or e-mail

10: 10th annual David Kellum Award program, youth leadership award, Bahá’í House of Worship, Wilmette, Illinois. Speaker: Robert C. Henderson, secretary-general of the National Spiritual Assembly. Recipients: Young Peoples Network—Kennedy College, and Cabrini Connections—Teacher/Mentor program (both in Chicago). For information, phone 847-853-2300. This is a teaching event and is open to the public.

10-11: Core Curriculum training session, Green Acre Bahá’í School. For information, phone 207-439-7200 or fax 207-439-7202.

16-18: Bahá’í Video/Stage National Conference, Bahá’í Center, San Francisco, California. To encourage and inspire Bahá’ís to use video and stage for teaching and consolidation even when they have few resources. For information or to register, phone the San Francisco Bahá’í Center, 415-431-9990 (or fax 415-431-9991).

16-18: “Celebrating Marriage,” with Dr. Khalil Khavari and Mrs. Sue Khavari, Louhelen Bahá’í School. For information, phone 810-653-5033, fax 810-653-7181, or e-mail

16-19: Black History Celebration, Bosch Bahá’í School. For information, phone 408-423-3387, fax 408-423-7564, or e-mail

17-18: Core Curriculum training session, Green Acre Bahá’í School. For information, phone 207-439-7200 or fax 207-439-7202.

22-25: “Race Unity: A Prescription for the Healing of the Nation,” a conference sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Charleston, South Carolina. Conference hotel: The Sheraton Charleston (800-968-3569, mention Bahá’í Race Unity Conference). For conference information, phone 803-727-0691.

23-25: Mystical Conference, Bosch Bahá’í School. Also, CORE parent or race unity training. For information, phone 408-423-3387, fax 408-423-7564, or e-mail

23-25: Special weekend with Dr. David Ruhe (Bahá’u’lláh’s life in Persia and Iraq) and Margaret Ruhe (happiness, marriage and family life, life at the World Center), Green Acre Bahá’í School. For information, phone 207-439-7200 or fax 207-439-7202.

23-25: Bahá’í Conference for Women, Barberville, Florida. Theme: “Developing Our Reality.” Principal speaker: Rebequa Murphy, United Nations Office for the Advancement of Women. Cost: $90 before January 23, $110 afterward. Registrar: Ana Marcial, ____________, Deland, FL 32720. Make checks payable to WINGS. For information, phone Effie Weir, 407-645-3379.

24: Concert celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Spiritual Assembly of Somerville, Massachusetts, Somerville High School. Tickets $15 in advance, $18 at the door. Donations will also be accepted for the Arc Fund and Boston area Bahá’í Center. Concert to feature singer Narges Fani, the Boston Area Bahá’í Youth Workshop, and others. Send checks payable to “LSA Somerville—Concert” to Haleh Nadji, ____________, Somerville, MA 02145.

MARCH

1-3: Rebuilding the Fortress, marriage counseling session, Bosch Bahá’í School. Also, computer session facilitated by Carl Fravel. For information, phone 408-423-3387, fax 408-423-7564, or e-mail

8-10: Assistants to Khavari/Gilpatrick training session, facilitated by Counselor Stephen Birkland, Bosch Bahá’í School. For information, phone 408-423-3387, fax 408-423-7564, or e-mail

8-10: Special Spiritual Retreat Weekend for the Fast, Green Acre Bahá’í School. For information, phone 207-439-7200 or fax 207-439-7202.

15-17: International Women’s Writing Guild, Bosch Bahá’í School. For information, phone 408-423-3387, fax 408-423-7564, or e-mail

22-24: “Islam,” Dr. Ahang Rabbani, Louhelen Bahá’í School. For information, phone 810-653-5033, fax 810-653-7181, or e-mail

22-24: Youth Deepening Weekend, Bosch Bahá’í School. For information, phone 408-423-3387, fax 408-423-7564, or e-mail

26-28: Ninth “Irfán Colloquium” sponsored by the Haj Mehdi Arjmand Memorial Fund and the Institute for Bahá’í Studies, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091. For information, phone 847-733-3425, fax 847-733-3563, or e-mail

29-31: Irfan Colloquium, sponsored by the Haj Mehdi Arjmand Memorial Fund, Bahá’í National Center, Evanston, Illinois. Focusing on criticisms of and attacks on the Faith and how to respond to them. For information, phone Lynnea Yancy, 847-733-3548, fax 847-733-3563, or e-mail

30: Annual conference of the Association for Bahá’í Studies Mid-Atlantic Group, American University, Washington, D.C. Theme—“A Call to World Order: The Turning Point for All Nations.” For registration information, please contact Janet Richards, ____________, Yardville, NJ 08620, or phone 609-585-6120.

30-April 2: Children’s Academy I, Bosch Bahá’í School. For information, phone 408-423-3387, fax 408-423-7564, or e-mail

APRIL

5-7: Eagle Institute: A Weekend Youth Workshop, Louhelen Bahá’í School. For information, phone 810-653-5033, fax 810-653-7181, or e-mail

8-11: Children’s Academy II, Bosch Bahá’í School. For information, phone 408-423-3387, fax 408-423-7564, or e-mail

12-14: Women in the Arts and Course on Meditation, Bosch Bahá’í School. For information, phone 408-423-3387, fax 408-423-7564, or e-mail

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

MULK B.E. 152 / FEBRUARY 7, 1996