The American Bahá’í/Volume 29/Issue 6/Text

←Previous

The American Bahá’í Volume 29, Issue 6

Next→

Return to PDF view Proofread once

[Page 1]

THE AMERICAN BAHÁ’Í

AUGUST 1, 1998 KAMÁL/PERFECTION BAHÁ’Í ERA 155 VOLUME 29, NO. 6

Bahá’í prisoner executed in Iran

The execution of a Bahá’í in Mashhad, Iran, prompted swift statements from the United Nations, the United States and several other countries condemning the action and appealing for the safety of the Bahá’ís in Iran.

The National Spiritual Assembly learned the distressing news on July 22 that Ruhollah Rowhani, 52, had been executed on July 21. It was the first government-sponsored execution of a Bahá’í in Iran since that of Bahman Samandari in 1992.

Mr. Rowhani, a medical supplies salesman and father of four, had been imprisoned in solitary confinement in Mashhad since September 1997. He had been charged with converting a Muslim woman to the Bahá’í Faith, but no known legal process had taken place nor had a sentence been announced.

The woman whom he was accused of converting refuted the accusation, stating she had been raised as a Bahá’í.

The National Spiritual Assembly later learned that three other Bahá’ís—Ataullah Hamid Nasirizadeh, Sirus Zabihi-Moghaddam and Hedayat Kashefi Najafabadi—also in prison in Mashhad have been sentenced to death. Of the 15 Bahá’ís currently in prison in Iran, seven are on death row.

The night before the execution, the Iranian Intelligence Office told Bahá’ís that Mr. Rowhani was to be executed the following day. The statement was not taken seriously because authorities have often made similar threats without carrying them out, to harass the Bahá’í community.

Mr. Rowhani’s family learned he had been executed when they were called to pick up the body. They were given only one hour to bury him, despite their appeal for more time to enable other family members to attend the funeral.

SEE EXECUTION, PAGE 15

A letter from Rúhíyyih Khánum

Hand of the Cause exhorts us to arise, fulfill our heritage

The National Spiritual Assembly is sharing this letter to the Assembly from the Hand of the Cause of God Rúhíyyih Khánum, dated July 6, 1998. “May her words of confidence and urgency,” the National Assembly wrote, “inspire our efforts to fulfill our divine obligation ‘towards every other one who is not yet aware of the call of God’s latest Manifestation.’”

Very dear Bahá’í Friends,

I was so happy to note in the May 17, 1998 issue of The American Bahá’í the results and activities associated with the National Teaching Plan and the broadcasts of the video The Power of Race Unity, which is being so widely shown across the country. I think that this is a landmark in the proclamation of the Bahá’í Faith on the American continent and am so happy that I can be a witness to such inspiring developments in the spread of our beloved Faith. After all, the American and Canadian (originally one national community) Bahá’í communities have been, ever since the lifetime of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, not only outstanding promoters of the spread of the Faith but instrumental in the development of the Administrative Order, and it is only right and befitting that they should have such victories as are now taking place. When we remember how truly extraordinary have been the...

SEE LETTER, PAGE 45

Report on human rights

Firuz Kazemzadeh (left), secretary for external affairs of the National Spiritual Assembly, testified June 16 before a U.S. House subcommittee about the situation of the Bahá’ís in Iran. Among his co-panelists were (left to right) Parhat Yasin, a Muslim from the ‎Xinjian Xinjiang‎ Uyghur Region of China, and Gyaltsen Wongmo, a Tibetan Buddhist nun. See story on page 15. Photo courtesy Office of the Secretary for External Affairs

Teaching Plan reaches up to 63,000

A message from the National Teaching Committee to the believers in the United States

Dearly loved friends:

The two broadcasts of The Power of Race Unity on Black Entertainment Television on June 7 and 14 resulted in 3,400 telephone and Web responses during June. These were complemented by teaching activities in hundreds of communities across the country which generated about 10,000 attendees at Bahá’í teaching events of various kinds.

Since the national campaign began, some 63,000 people have either inquired about the Bahá’í Faith or attended a Bahá’í meeting at the invitation of the believers. A number of other local campaigns were conducted independently of the national initiative, adding to this total.

A second random survey of local Bahá’í communities, conducted in June, indicated that 78% of local communities had developed and implemented teaching activities in conjunction with the national campaign.

At the conclusion of two years of systematic experimentation with targeting...

SEE TEACHING PLAN, PAGE 37

I•N•S•I•D•E

• DRAMA OF RIDVÁN PAGE 7
• NEW YORK CENTENARY PAGE 40
• TRIBUTE TO A FRIEND PAGE 46
• YOUTH NEWS • 6
• 1998 UNIT CONVENTIONS • 12–15
• KID’S CORNER • 16
• ANNUAL REPORT • 17–36
• CARTA A LOS AMIGOS • 43
• PERSIAN PAGES • 48–50

THE NATIONAL FUND

Between May 1 and June 30, 1998

$4,500,000 Goal/All Funds

$2,343,458 Received/All Funds

See page 3 for details

•E•X•C•E•R•P•T•S•

“... may all your intentions center in the welfare of humanity, and may you seek to sacrifice yourselves in the pathway of devotion to mankind.”

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá [Page 2]

FROM THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

Message to all National Spiritual Assemblies, July 2, 1998

Dearly loved Friends,

Twenty-five years have now elapsed since the establishment of the International Teaching Centre announced in our message of 5 June 1973. These years have seen the progressive unfoldment of the duties of this cardinal institution of the Cause of God, and the development of its close interaction with the Universal House of Justice on the one hand and the Continental Boards of Counsellors on the other.

During the five years just completed, it exercised increased responsibility in relation to the protection of the Faith. It stimulated pioneering and travel-teaching, as well as the production and distribution of literature and audiovisual aids and, after the launching of the Four Year Plan, it imparted a fundamental impetus to the establishment and sound functioning of training institutes. Suffusing all these activities has been its continuous interaction with the Continental Boards of Counsellors, through whom its influence and encouragement have reached all levels and every area of the Bahá’í world community.

On 23 May 1998 the International Teaching Centre entered upon a five-year period full of promise for the speedy advancement of the process of entry by troops into the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh. On the morning of Saturday 13 June, the newly appointed members having arrived from their far-flung homelands, all the Counsellor members of the Teaching Centre met in Bahjí with the Hands of the Cause of God ‘Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum and ‘Alí Akbar Furútan, and the members of the Universal House of Justice, for prayer at the Sacred Threshold of the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh. There followed a week of intense consultation and preparation for the next phase of their work, focused on the prosecution of the second half of the Four Year Plan.

It is our ardent prayer in the Holy Shrines that as the edifices which are the Seats of the Institutions of the Faith at its World Centre rise before the public gaze on the slope of Mount Carmel, and the influence of the institutions of its Administrative Order becomes more potent in every land, so the ears of mankind will become attuned to the glorious Message which the devoted followers of Bahá’u’lláh are proclaiming and, on every side, the spiritually thirsty masses will rally to His Banner.

With loving Bahá’í greetings, The Universal House of Justice

To all National Spiritual Assemblies, June 8, 1998

DEEPLY GRIEVED PASSING PETER VUYIYA NOBLE-HEARTED, SPIRITUALLY MOTIVATED, DEDICATED SERVANT BAHÁ’U’LLÁH. HIS SEVERAL DECADES LOYAL SERVICE, INCLUDING MEMBERSHIP SUCCESSIVELY NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY KENYA, BOARD OF COUNSELLORS AFRICA, AND INTERNATIONAL TEACHING CENTRE HOLY LAND, BEAR ELOQUENT TESTIMONY STERLING QUALITIES WHICH CHARACTERIZED HIGHLY VALUED EFFORTS THIS DISTINGUISHED PROMOTER FAITH BLESSED BEAUTY. PRAYING HOLY SHRINES PROGRESS HIS RADIANT SOUL ABHÁ KINGDOM.

URGE ALL NATIONAL COMMUNITIES AFRICA HOLD MEMORIAL GATHERINGS HIS HONOUR. NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY UGANDA CALLED UPON HOLD MEMORIAL SERVICE IN HOUSE OF WORSHIP. MAY AFRICAN BAHÁ’Í YOUTH EMULATE EXAMPLE HIS SELFLESS SERVICES BELOVED CAUSE.

-Universal House of Justice

To all National Spiritual Assemblies, June 17, 1998

JOYFULLY ANNOUNCE APPOINTMENT FOLLOWING CONTINENTAL COUNSELLORS TO FILL VACANCIES CREATED BY RECENT APPOINTMENTS TO INTERNATIONAL TEACHING CENTRE: IN AFRICA GARTH POLLOCK, IN THE AMERICAS ANTONIO GABRIEL MARQUES FILHO, IN ASIA NIDAVANUR BASKARAN, IN AUSTRALASIA MANIJEH REYHANI.

-Universal House of Justice

The Bahá’ís of Madison, Wisconsin, recently learned that Diane Yamamoto posthumously was awarded a patent for a significant discovery in her work as a chemist at Abbott Laboratories.

Dr. Yamamoto died Aug. 16, 1996. A year later her parents, Shinji and Hifume Yamamoto of Gurnee, Illinois, received a plaque from the U.S. Patent Office and a letter of praise from Duane Burnham, chairman and CEO of Abbott Labs.

Wrote Burnham, "Diane's life has touched many in a positive way.... Diane's legacy continues here at Abbott by virtue of her effort and dedication as an inventor and patent liaison. The results of her work continue to play a significant role in Abbott's future success."

Her discovery relates to bicyclic substituted hexahydrabenz[e]isoindole alpha-1 adrenergic antagonists.

Dr. Yamamoto was a third-generation Bahá’í. Her grandfather, Kanichi Yamamoto, was the first Bahá’í of Japanese descent in the world.

EXCELLENCE IN ALL THINGS

JESSICA DAUGHERTY, a 12-year-old Bahá’í from San Clemente, California, recently won the Drug Abuse Resistance Education essay contest at San Onofre School. She was surprised with the award at the sixth-grade DARE graduation ceremony, where she was asked to come forward and read the winning essay aloud.

MANUCHER J. JAVID, a Bahá’í and chairman emeritus of the Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Wisconsin Center for Health Sciences, has been honored with an endowed professorship in his name at the medical school. His successor, Dr. Robert Dempsey, is the first Manucher J. Javid Professor of Neurological Surgery. In a ceremony July 10 honoring his career, Dr. Javid was honored by his colleagues as "one of the giants of neurosurgery in the 20th century" whose work on controlling brain edema was of "Nobel quality."

RUSSELL MAXCY, a Bahá’í in Lewiston, Idaho, recently earned the highest graduating test score for any student in the history of Lewis-Clark State College on the Psychology Area Concentration Achievement Test.

ALEX ROCKWELL, a Bahá’í student from Juanita, Washington, scored a perfect 800 on the math portion of the Scholastic Aptitude Test. He was awarded a four-year Washington NASA Space Grant. In addition, he is a finalist in the Westinghouse Pacific Northwest Regional Science Talent Search, and the local Eastside Journal newspaper named him outstanding student of the year.

MARSHA SMILEY, a Bahá’í from Fort Wayne, Indiana, was recently recognized at the Allen County United Way's Doing Good Works Banquet as an outstanding volunteer for the Fort Wayne Urban League.

PAYMON ZARGHAMI, a 15-year-old Bahá’í in San Jose, California, received a California Legislature Certificate of Appreciation in a countywide "Salute to Youth" awards program in March. He was honored for his commitment to race unity and the elimination of prejudice; he has delivered an address at the annual Martin Luther King Day celebration each of the last four years. [Page 3]

Dr. Ghadirian on hand for U.N. drug conference

BY VERONICA SHOFFSTALL

Abdu’l-Missagh Ghadirian says Bahá’ís can offer their personal example as well as education to battle the drug problem.

UNITED NATIONS—When leaders from 150 countries gathered at U.N. headquarters to discuss global drug issues, the Bahá’í International Community had an observer in Abdu’l-Missagh Ghadirian, a psychiatrist and founding member of the Bahá’í International Health Agency.

The Special Session of the U.N. General Assembly on the World Drug Problem, June 8–10 in New York, was held to assess the problem and find ways to reduce supply and demand for illicit drugs by 2008.

“The fact that heads of state were present to debate the matter at the request of the U.N. shows that the problem is a global problem,” Dr. Ghadirian said in an interview after the gathering.

He stressed his belief that education is the most lasting solution to the drug problem: making people aware of the effect of drugs “on their mind, on their body and on their soul.”

Bahá’ís have a lot to offer in solving the problem, he said—first, the example of our behavior and attitude. The world is looking for “a model which can be happy without the use of illicit drugs and pleasuristic behavior of that kind,” he said.

We also could offer educational programs inspired by the Bahá’í writings, which have “very strong teachings about the human mind and human understanding as the greatest gift from God,” he said.

These teachings redefine happiness, freedom and human nobility. For example, the Writings show true happiness as a profound spiritual condition, rather than as a “commodity” to be gained from taking drink or drugs.

A growing movement for looser restrictions on drugs—supported at the June meeting by a number of recognizable people—points up the need for this type of education. Dr. Ghadirian noted that while legalization will reduce pressures on law enforcement, it won’t erase the harmful effect of drugs on society—witness the widespread use of alcohol and its effects.

“Often [people] feel that as long as they don’t hurt anybody, they should be free to do what they want with their mind and their body,” he said. “But in the Bahá’í Faith we are taught that true freedom is the emancipation from the captivity of self and nature. True freedom is in obedience to the ordinances of the divine educator and God.”

By contrast, an increasingly self-centered world seeks satisfaction and escape from the harsh realities of life, Dr. Ghadirian said. With that goes an epidemic of dissatisfaction and discouragement—fed by the anxiety of an old world order collapsing.

“Until this attitude is changed through the revelation of Bahá’u’lláh and Bahá’í education, the drug problem is a symptom of a greater illness that will continue, like violence, like diseases of different kinds: alcoholism, AIDS, and many other

SEE DRUG ISSUES, PAGE 51

Regional Councils meet with National Assembly

All four Regional Bahá’í Councils in the United States now have responsibility for overseeing regional training institutes, members of the Councils learned at a joint meeting June 12–14 in the Chicago area.

The meeting was called for consultation on each Council’s development of its regional plan for advancing the process of entry by troops.

Members of all the Councils said they were energized and inspired by consultation among the National Assembly and the Councils.

“A [great] depth of love, unity, understanding and connection was achieved during that meeting,” said a statement from the Regional Bahá’í Council for the Southern States. “The Council members learned a lot from one another during their formal and informal associations.”

The Council for the Western States added that the meeting was valuable for “one-to-one exchanges of thoughts and challenges between individual Council members” and “networking of Council secretaries to share methodologies, challenges and solutions.”

Among the Councils’ duties within their respective regions are to foster teaching of the Cause, strengthen Local Spiritual Assemblies, oversee planning of Unit Conventions, and handle external affairs on the state and regional levels.

Reports from the four Councils on how the regional plans are unfolding will be published in the next issue of The American Bahá’í. ◆

L.A. conference a living example of service across racial lines

The theme was “Uplifting the African-American Community.” But the Vanguard of the Dawning Conference June 19–21 in Los Angeles brought together the energies of planners, volunteers and attendees of many races to “lift the hearts of all who participated,” the conference’s planning committee reports.

Three people declared their belief in Bahá’u’lláh during the weekend event, which was sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Los Angeles and held at the Bahá’í Center.

In a powerful symbol of the unifying spirit of the conference, a trail of rose petals led people to a rose-bedecked portrait of the beloved Guardian, to whom the conference was dedicated.

On a more practical level—and still quite powerful—the lion’s share of the food preparation and hospitality was provided with love by Persian and Latino believers. People of many cultures participated in every phase of the program.

Other expressions of the conference’s spirit came through an exhibition of the work of local artists and the music imbued in every part of the gathering. Coordinated by John Barnes Jr. and Chris Bridges, the musical programs brought in the Jeffrey Barnes Memorial Gospel Choir as well as other performers of varied styles. The singing of chants throughout the weekend added to the unifying force.

“We are extremely grateful for all the prayer and support that many of the friends have made for us to come together as one family in the Los Angeles Bahá’í community,” the planning committee’s report says.

Highlights from the talks, dozens of workshops and events throughout the conference included:

• An overview by Counselor Wilma Ellis of contributions to American social justice from people of African descent. She appealed to all to take a greater role in working for racial harmony.
• A tribute to women of African descent by Counselor Tod Ewing, which moved people of all races to tears and a standing ovation. He talked of the love for black people contained in the Bahá’í teachings, and asserted that the African-American population could not have survived the tribulations of its history without the nurturing, love and sacrifices of the women.
• An affectionate profile of Elsie Austin and her contributions to the Bahá’í Faith by Robert Henderson, secretary-general of the National Spiritual Assembly. He reminded the group that regardless of tests and obstacles, Bahá’ís are destined to witness the unfoldment of the Plan of God as we move into the next century if we play our part.
• A dynamic talk by Jerry Sinclair exhorting the friends to teach with love and respect for seekers, and to remember that sharing our struggles and spiritual solutions can help people recognize our common humanity.
• A plea by Auxiliary Board member Marsha Gilpatrick for Bahá’ís of all ethnic groups to support activities centered around race unity.
• “Daughters of the Diaspora,” by Gloria Haithman, tracing the suffering and achievements of women of African descent throughout the world.
• A joint workshop on “Overcoming

SEE VANGUARD, PAGE 51

Enrollments

June 1998	138
Since May 1, 1998	293

THE FUND

May 1, 1998–June 30, 1998
Contributions received by National Treasurer
Received since May 1, 1998:	Goal for entire year:
$2,343,458	$27,000,000
8.7% of year’s goal was met
17% of fiscal year has passed
April 30, 1999

Allocations to other funds

Arc Projects Fund $257,153

International Bahá’í Fund $143,324

The two amounts above add up to 17% of contributions received by National Assembly (goal is 26%)

Continental Bahá’í Fund $33,150

1.4 % of contributions received by National Assembly (goal is 2%)

Other contributions: $46,110

Total revenues and expenses at Bahá’í National Center
May 1–31, 1998
(latest available figures)

$1,600,462

Revenues ◆

$1,502,083

Expenses ▼

◆ Includes contributions plus revenues from Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Bahá’í Home, permanent schools, etc. ▼ Operating and capital expenses, not including depreciation.

Mail contributions to: National Bahá’í Fund 112 Linden Avenue Wilmette, IL 60091-2800 Please write Bahá’í ID # on check [Page 4]

Survey shows most Assemblies working to improve

Most Local Spiritual Assemblies in the United States have undergone at least some training so they can be of better service to the friends, according to an extensive nationwide survey of Assemblies.

The survey was sent in August 1997 by the National Spiritual Assembly through its Office of Assembly Development, to help it develop programs and materials for the needs of Local Assemblies.

A total of 625 Assemblies responded, giving a response rate of 53%—one of the highest rates for any survey sent from the Bahá’í National Center. A summary of key results is provided here in hopes it will help the planning of Local Spiritual Assemblies and other members of the community.

STATISTICS

BAHÁ’Í COMMUNITIES Number of adult Bahá’ís in community:

• 25 or fewer: 70%
• 26–100: 25%
• 100 or more: 5%

Note: numbers of youth show similar proportions.

Number of children:

• 0–5 children: 52%
• 6–15 children: 32%
• 16+ children: 8%

POPULATION OF LOCALITY SERVED:

• Cities/towns/localities of under 50,000: 40%
• 50,000–100,000: 26%
• Over 100,000: 22%

OFFICERS

• 98% of Assemblies report having a chairperson. Other officers:
• Treasurer: 96%
• Vice chair: 92% (Percentages are lower for secretaries, as a secretariat can take varied forms.)
• General secretary: 46%
• Corresponding secretary: 54%
• Recording secretary: 52%

Some Assemblies have broken up their secretariat even further to distribute the workload.

ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES

DELEGATING TASKS WITHIN AN ASSEMBLY

• 58% of Assemblies use subcommittees, defined as “a subgroup of Local Spiritual Assembly members which investigate and consult on an issue and then make a recommendation or report to the Assembly.”

WHO DEALS WITH PERSONAL STATUS CASES? Many Assemblies gave multiple answers.

• The entire Assembly investigates: 75%
• Part of the Assembly investigates: 52%
• A task force or committee investigates: 12% Note: Assemblies serving larger communities were more likely to use the third approach.

STANDING COMMITTEES

• 85% of Assemblies report using committees or task forces. Stable Assemblies and those serving larger communities are more likely to use committees; those not trained are less likely.

Types of committees used most often:

• Publicity or External Affairs: 38%
• Feast/Holy Day: 32%
• Librarian/bookstore: 31%
• Teaching committee or something similar: 30%

TRAINING NEW MEMBERS

• 80% of Assemblies use some method of training newly elected members.

Methods used most:

• “On-the-job”: 20%
• Study of Developing Distinctive Bahá’í Communities or other materials at meetings: 13%
• Verbal briefing: 11%
• Providing reading materials: A Miracle of Governance, Electing Bahá’í Assemblies et al: 11%
• One-on-one training as needed: 7%
• All members are experienced and do not need training: 13%

TRAINING COMMITTEES

• 82% of Assemblies train committee members.

Methods used most:

• Providing a mandate, vision statement or objectives: 20%
• “On-the-job”: 10%
• Assembly and committee meet together: 7%
• Only experienced members selected: 5%
• An Assembly member serves on each committee: 4%

TRACKING COMMITTEES Methods used most:

• Assemblies ask for reports of committee meetings: 30%
• The Assembly member on the committee makes the reports: 15%
• Formal written reports are expected: 10%
• Committees’ Feast reports are used to track progress: 11%

ASSEMBLY TRAINING

WHO PARTICIPATES?

• 61% of Assemblies took part in Assembly development training in the past year. Assemblies in larger Bahá’í communities, older and more stable Assemblies are more likely to have received training.

WHY DID SOME NOT UNDERGO TRAINING? Most common reasons:

• No time: 38%
• Not aware of nearby training programs: 27%
• Had participated in a training previously: 23%
• Felt no need: 15%

SOURCES OF TRAINING Assemblies that were trained drew on:

• Assembly Development representatives: 22%
• Auxiliary Board members or assistants: 37%
• Others: 40%

Materials used most:

• A Miracle of Governance video/workbook: 32%
• Stewardship and Development seminars: 14%
• Personalized consultation/training: 13%
• Assembly Development Forum (held in four metropolitan areas): 8% of all Assemblies
• Assembly Development Module: 20%

USEFULNESS RATINGS On a scale of 1–5:

• Personalized training was the most preferred method, rated 4.17
• Lowest-rated: “That East and West May Embrace”; rating of 3.60

Methods top-rated by the most Assemblies:

• Sessions/consultation tailored to needs of Assembly: 21%
• Reference materials: 12%
• Training classes and workshops: 10%
• Tapes of lectures: 9%
• Books/workbooks: 4%

SEE SURVEY, PAGE 51

Simple formula helps in figuring obligations from everyday spending

The act of conscience that requires us in our expenditures to distinguish between what is “needful” and what is not, in other words between what we need and what we want, not only is a source of spiritual growth but also can bring about innovative improvements in the way we manage our resources and live our lives. At a recent gathering for deepening in the law of Huqúqu’lláh a friend came up with a wonderful insight and a simple formula for observing the law. She said that we have learned that after we distinguish between needs and wants, our non-needful expenditures are to come out of the 81% of our wealth that has been “purified” by payment of Huqúqu’lláh.

But many of us do not have “purified” savings to use for non-needful expenditures. Our only asset may be a monthly salary that we spend in its entirety. We end up the year without the minimum accumulated wealth of one unit of Huqúq (the value of 19 mithqals or 2.2 ounces of gold; about $660 today) and it appears that we do not qualify for payment of Huqúqu’lláh.

Yet if we conscientiously reflect upon our spending we may find that throughout the year we are spending on what we would prefer to call “wants” instead of “needs.” If we keep track of these expenditures we might find that they add up to a substantial amount. For those of us in this situation who want the privilege of observing the Right of God, here is a way:

Any expenditure that we feel should have come out of our money (the 81%) and not God’s (the 19%) we divide by .81 and then multiply by .19 to get the amount that we return to God. For example, we buy a birthday or wedding gift for $50 and we want that to come out of our money (the 81%). Dividing $50 by .81 we find that $50 is 81% of $61.73; and 19% of $61.73 is $11.73—the amount owed as Huqúqu’lláh. We can keep the $11.73 in a special safe place and keep adding to it in this manner throughout the year until we periodically add it up and send a check to one of the Trustees of Huqúqu’lláh. ♦

HUQÚQU’LLÁH	THE RIGHT OF GOD
Payments to Huqúqu’lláh should be made to “The Bahá’í Huqúqu’lláh Trust” (please write your Bahá’í identification number on your check) and sent to one of the Trustees:
* Dr. Amin Banani, (phone 310-394-5449)	Santa Monica, CA 90402
* Mr. Stephen Birkland, (phone 612-484-9518)	Arden Hills, MN 55112
* Dr. Daryush Haghighi, (phone 216-333-1506)	Rocky River, OH 44116
Inquiries about Huqúqu’lláh should be referred to one of the Trustees or to the Office of the Secretariat, Bahá’í Huqúqu’lláh Trust, Rocky River, OH 44116.

Dr. Elsie Austin, due to ill health, and Mrs. Thelma Khelghati, who has chosen to pioneer in Africa, have recently retired their membership in the Board of Trustees of Huqúqu’lláh. The Trustees would like to take this opportunity to express their deepest gratitude for the most valuable and precious services these two have rendered to the Institution of Huqúqu’lláh. Dr. Austin has been a member of the Board since its establishment in 1984. Mrs. Khelghati’s participation in the activities of the Board during the past two years will always be appreciated. [Page 5]

Stewardship seminars provide window on spiritual, practical Fund handling

More than 80 facilitators will be ready by mid-August to fan out across the country and present the updated Stewardship and Development seminar to Local Spiritual Assemblies, their treasurers and community members.

This will be the second year the National Spiritual Assembly’s Office of the Treasurer has offered the seminar program, which this year has been expanded to include more details about getting local Bahá’í centers and planned giving opportunities and options for the friends.

Seminars will begin in the fall, so watch your mail for details about one near you.

The all-day seminar is designed to refresh memories and share new information with Local Assemblies and community members, all of whom share with the treasurer the responsibility for stewardship of the local Bahá’í Fund.

What does a conscientious Assembly member need to know? What should community members expect of their treasurer? What are the various Funds and what do they do? How about earmarking—is it OK? When should we get a local center, and how do we go about it? How are teaching and giving related, spiritually and practically?

Those are among questions addressed in the section titled “First Principles,” on the basic spiritual foundations that set the Bahá’í Fund apart from every other financial institution.

Other seminar elements include:

• “The Treasurer’s Job Description,” exploring how forward-looking treasurers are finding new ways of serving their communities and bringing new concepts into the local dialogue on everything from investing and business opportunities to wills and bequests.
• “Accounting Matters,” which includes answers every Bahá’í should know about taxes, contribution receipts, earmarking and planned giving.

Seminar facilitators will have been trained during four regional training sessions beginning in early July.

Last year, the innovative seminars opened to rave reviews. The core of the seminar was Stewardship and Development, the new “desktop reference” for Local Assemblies and treasurers—the first manual of its kind to be published in the U.S. since 1979.

Since its release, Assemblies and individuals across and outside the country have found the materials helpful.

One National Spiritual Assembly ordered copies for its full membership, and is considering sending them as gifts to all its Local Spiritual Assemblies.

Also, the treasurer of a Local Assembly in the South reports participation and giving levels are up 100% in his community. He credits this to his regular use of quotations and suggested activities from the manual, at Feast and other occasions.

A second edition, with many more references from the Writings and a new “local center acquisition checklist,” will be available for this round of seminars.

Written responses from past seminar participants:

• “I learned something in almost every aspect of the presentation.”
• From a newly elected treasurer: “When I was elected treasurer I was given a checkbook & a receipt book and (some) past statements. ... This seminar has been a godsend!”
• From Michigan: “I appreciate the spiritual foundation that is established throughout.”
• From Texas: “After many years in the Faith I found this very informative and feel, with our present increases in numbers, to be a much-needed annual affair.”

Seminar sponsors are being recruited now. If you want to be sure a Stewardship and Development seminar will be offered in your area, ask your Local Spiritual Assembly to volunteer to host a seminar in your community. An Assembly that wishes to host the seminar may contact the Office of the Treasurer at the Bahá’í National Center, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201 (phone 847-733-3421, e-mail ). ♦

THE TREASURER’S CORNER

The Treasurer’s Corner is devoted to helping local treasurers, and others who have special interest in development of the Funds, by offering suggestions and ideas that might be helpful in this work. If you would like to offer stories or ideas that have increased your community’s understanding of and participation in the Fund, you are invited to share them with other communities through this column. Contact the Office of the Treasurer (phone 847-733-3472, e-mail ).

COMMUNITIES CONSIDERING A LOCAL BAHÁ’Í CENTER

Has your community recently consulted about acquiring a local Hazíratu’l-Quds, or Bahá’í center? With so many factors to consider, a new chapter in the Stewardship and Development manual serves as a great resource for your consultation, as it includes an in-depth look at this complex issue. The 1998 additions will be available in September. Contact the Bahá’í Distribution Service at 800-999-9019 to get your copy!

TREASURER’S CORRESPONDENCE

Friends have requested that National Treasurer’s Office correspondence be sent directly to the local treasurer’s mailing address, which may be separate from the one for the Local Spiritual Assembly. Although it may seem more practical, Assembly materials, whether they are Treasurer’s correspondence or otherwise, are generally mailed to the Local Spiritual Assembly’s official address. The Bahá’í Information System is set up this way to ensure that the entire Local Assembly is fully informed of all communications and guidance from the National Assembly, and also for internal control within each Assembly. The one exception is the letter from the national treasurer to local treasurers; these letters are sent 5–6 times yearly.

NOT BORROWING MONEY TO GIVE

The Guardian discouraged our incurring debts in order to give to the Funds: “Even though Shoghi Effendi would urge every believer to sacrifice as much as possible for the sake of contributing towards the fund of the National Spiritual Assembly, yet he would discourage the friends to incur debts for that purpose. We are asked to give what we have, not what we do not possess, especially if such an act causes suffering to others. In such matters we should use judgement and wisdom and take into our confidence other devoted Bahá’ís.” Letter on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, May 4, 1932.

WESTSIDE BAHÁ’Í SCHOOL SENDS LOVE

The Westside Bahá’í School, sponsored by the Farmington Hills Spiritual Assembly in Michigan, made a contribution to the National Bahá’í Fund. The gift was made by the students, ranging in age from 3 to 13. Along with making their own fund boxes and learning about the spiritual principles of giving, each student learned the practical aspects of handling the Bahá’í Funds by acting as the treasurer. Each Sunday, a different student had an opportunity to collect the funds and write receipts for the donations. Such activities provide excellent opportunities for children and youth to gain a deeper understanding on the issues of confidentiality and trustworthiness associated with the sacred privilege of giving. (See photos in Kid’s Corner, page 16)

“O My Servant! The best of men are they that earn a livelihood by their calling and spend upon themselves and upon their kindred for the love of God, the Lord of all worlds.” —Bahá’u’lláh, Persian Hidden Words No. 82 ♦

STEWARDSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT SEMINAR

PRE-REGISTRATION FORM • FALL-WINTER 1998

Be a part of the new Stewardship and Development Seminars in your area! Complete and send this form, and we will contact you soon with more details.

Name: _________________________________ Bahá’í ID #: ____________

Address: ___________________________________________________________

City: _________________________ State: ______ ZIP: __________

Phone (W): ____________________ Phone (H): ____________________

Fax: __________________________ E-mail: ______________________

____ I wish to attend a Stewardship and Development Seminar in my area. ____ Our Local Spiritual Assembly may wish to host an area seminar:

LSA Name and BLC #: _________________________________________________

Secretary’s Name: _________________________________________________

Address: ___________________________________________________________

City: _________________________ State: ______ ZIP: __________

Phone (W): ____________________ Phone (H): ____________________

Fax: __________________________ E-mail: ______________________

OFFICE OF THE TREASURER, ATTN: JENNIFER TORRENCE 1233 CENTRAL ST., EVANSTON, ILLINOIS 60201 [Page 6]

Our role as Bahá’ís in this day: a living martyrdom

BY FITZGERALD DICK

As Bahá’í youth we hear a lot about the Dawn-Breakers and we are always compared to them. This is a source of great honor for many of us, to be known as the spiritual descendants of the Dawn-Breakers. When we read the stories about Mullá Husayn, Quddús, Táhirih, Hájí Mírzá Sulayman Khán and others we get chills and are inspired to arise with even greater efforts to serve this Cause.

We can scarcely imagine going through the torture that many of them did so joyously for this Cause. We all hope that we would just as eagerly arise and give our lives for this glorious Faith if the need ever arose, but we are beset by doubts about our worth, and whether or not we can make such a sacrifice.

We are called upon as the youth of today to make an even greater sacrifice than the martyrdom which was the Crown of Glory for those champions of the Cause of God. We are called to be living martyrs for the Cause of God. We are asked to make the living sacrifice. We are asked to live the life. How simple and yet how difficult.

Commentary

We are the examples for the peoples of the world. When they say that the equality of women and men cannot be achieved, we must demonstrate it for them. When they say that people will always be racist and that unity will never be achieved, we will invite them to look at our example. When they cry that the peoples of different nations will always vie with one another for supremacy, we will point out how Bahá’ís of every nation make sacrifices for each other and consider themselves all citizens of one nation, the nation of Humankind.

The world is a hopeless place. Many believe that we human beings are ignoble and prone to war and conflict. We must demonstrate the loftiness of our nobility, the intense fire of our love, the indestructible foundation of our unity and the undying, ceaseless, stoic, passionate, tireless commitment to the establishment of peace on earth.

They will say we are idealists and we will say, yes, we are. But we also have the realistic solutions for a tired and weary world. The counsels of Bahá’u’lláh provide us with the blueprint to create the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in Heaven.

None of us start out as Royal Falcons, but most of us start out as gnats! If we desire to fulfill this glorious destiny we simply have to arise. The blessings of the Ancient Beauty shall strengthen our wings, lift our hearts and guide our flight. We are the chosen of God. We have been given the choice wine, which for eons all of the Holy Ones and the beloved of God on this earth have yearned to sip. They have prayed to live in this time that they may serve the Blessed Beauty.

It is my most ardent hope that the youth will cast aside all reluctance and cut all the cords which seek to hinder them from attaining their true station. The choice is ours, to embrace our destiny wherein lies all glory and honor, or to shy away from it because of our feelings of inadequacy. Truly we are all unworthy but for one thing: that Bahá’u’lláh has deemed us worthy. He has allowed us to recognize Himself and holds a seat for us at the banquet table. Hasten ye unto it! Hasten ye, hasten ye.

Fitzgerald Dick is a young Bahá’í adult from Sunrise, Florida. ◆

‘One Family’ in New York

The One World Club of Martin Van Buren High School and members of the New York City Queens Youth Workshop perform a Unity Dance to the tune of Red Grammer’s “One Family” at the Pathmark Multicultural Arts Festival in May at Central Park in New York City, attended by 5,000 people. The club is grounded in Bahá’í principles, especially unity in diversity. It was one of only seven student groups invited to perform at the festival. Photo by Monika Bergenthal/Jalili, New York

UPCOMING EVENTS

S.E. ASIAN ROUNDTABLE CONFERENCE

The National Youth Committee encourages youth from all backgrounds to participate in the ninth annual Southeast Asian Community Roundtable Discussion conference Aug. 28–30. For more information, please see page 42.

COLLEGE CLUB WEEKENDS

Get your Bahá’í College Club off to a productive start! Kick off the school year with a fun and informative College Club Weekend. Learn, consult, network and mingle with other students striving to make a difference. Presented by the National Youth Committee, this program will explore the role college clubs can play as leaders in social activism and in sharing the Bahá’í perspective on any number of controversial campus topics. Scheduled programs:

• Green Acre Bahá’í School, Eliot, Maine, Sept. 25–27
• Louhelen Bahá’í School, Davison, Michigan, Sept. 25–27
• Bosch Bahá’í School, Santa Cruz, California, Oct. 16–18

Contact the school nearest you for registration information and details (see Calendar, page 52, for phone numbers and other contact information). ◆

Update: Heroic Deeds of Service

Youth around the country are deepening on the spirit of heroism and sending in pledges for the Heroic Deeds of Service to the Cause campaign, officially launched at the National Convention in May. The National Youth Committee hopes to collect thousands of pledges to send to the Universal House of Justice as a gift from the Bahá’í youth of the United States.

“We look to the members of the Bahá’í community in the United States, to perform, during the Four Year Plan, heroic deeds of service to the Cause, which will astonish and inspire their fellow-believers throughout the world.” —Universal House of Justice, Ridván 153 B.E. message to North America

A diverse range of pledges has already arrived. Some examples:

• “I want to spend more time reading the Writings and educating myself so I will be able to quote certain parts and bring them into my conversations. ... Not only is this an excellent teaching method, but it will help me learn more about the Faith.”
• “[I will] set out to actively teach the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh on my college campus by presenting the head of my school and many of my professors and teaching fellows the statement on the equality of women and men, and by rising to the call of the National Spiritual Assembly to begin dialogues on race unity as a means of teaching as well as being a catalyst for the achievement of race unity. This deed to me is heroic because it calls for the abandonment of my fears of failure, rejection and challenge. It also calls for strong faith in the powers of Bahá’u’lláh and the Concourse on High, since I know that this is not something I, or any human, can ‘properly’ do without Divine assistance.”

To participate in this campaign, send a letter or e-mail to the National Youth Committee. Please include the following:

1. What heroic deed of service to the Cause will you perform? If it is of a private nature, you may describe it in a general way that conveys the spirit without details. 2. Why is this heroic for you? 3. What other thoughts or quotes do you have related to heroism? 4. Your name, age, address, e-mail, phone number. 5. The date by which you expect to complete your deed of service.

Heroic Deeds information can be found at the Bahá’í Administrative Web Site (http://www.usbnc.org).

People who send in pledges will be contacted later to see what was easy or difficult about converting their pledges into action (not to check up on them). Please send this information to the National Youth Committee c/o Bahá’í National Center, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL, 60201 (e-mail ).

Youth doing good

• Flint, Michigan: Every first Friday of the month, two youths host “Friendship Fridays” at their home where young friends of the Bahá’ís come together to say prayers, sing Bahá’í songs and eat multicultural food. Their home has become known for being peaceful, and for setting very high standards of non-violence in speech and behavior. Former gang leaders are their most staunch supporters! For more information, e-mail
• Los Angeles, California: On the first and third Saturdays of each month, the Los Angeles Youth and Young Adult Committee hosts “Midnite Sunshine” at the L.A. Bahá’í Center, which invites people to an evening of live music, munchies, discussion and dance until midnight! For more information, e-mail ◆

[Page 7]

SPREADING THE TEACHINGS

File:Dumet sisters.jpg

Diana and Paola Dumet of Ecuador have been mainstays of the Pereira-Abbassi Project.

Sisters help N.C. project serve friends

Two youth volunteers in Charlotte, North Carolina, have helped the community progress toward consolidating 80 Latino believers who entered the community over the past two years.

Before the arrival last August of Diana and Paola Dumet, 18-year-old sisters from Quito, Ecuador, consolidation efforts were hampered because of the language barrier.

But since they settled in the twins have been visiting four to six Latino families a day, helping new believers learn English, and holding classes on social and moral development. They also have found opportunities to teach and serve with the Latin American Coalition, the Latin Resource Center, and Crisis Assistance Ministries.

Now it’s time for Diana and Paola to return to Ecuador. To continue the progress, Charlotte is looking for other Bahá’í youth to arise and join the Pereira-Abbassi Project, named in honor of two heroines of the Faith dear to the Charlotte community.

One need be only age 18 or older and have a driver’s license, a working knowledge of Spanish and a desire to serve. If interested, contact the Local Assembly secretary (phone 704-567-9767, e-mail ).

The Charlotte Bahá’í community is active and diverse, with 200 members from all over the world. An energetic Bahá’í Youth Workshop sponsors soccer games involving numerous seekers each Sunday after Bahá’í school. Several new believers have been enrolled.

“Giving a year of service in Charlotte has been a wonderful experience,” Diana said. “This is something that has changed my life and my vision of being a Bahá’í. I will never forget these precious moments of teaching and sacrifice.” —Submitted by the Charlotte Bahá’í community

Collaboration brings Ridván to life

An individual initiative grew into a project involving 19 Bahá’í communities in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex to celebrate the 12th Day of Ridván through the arts.

More than 700 people (including around 70 non-Bahá’ís) attended the May 1 program, “In the Garden of the Beloved,” at a Southern Methodist University ballroom. The program wove music, dance, and drama into the story of Bahá’u’lláh’s Declaration.

“It was an incredible project, involving almost a year of preparation and many helpers,” said initiator and artistic director Anne Gordon Perry. The SMU College Club and its home community, University Park, teamed with three other Assemblies to take on primary responsibility. A total of 19 Assemblies offered contributions and participation in the formal program and reception.

David Ruhe, a former Universal House of Justice member, gave an introductory talk, and dramatic readings set the context for performances.

Musicians contributing original pieces included Gwendolyn Watson, a cellist from Rome, Georgia; Joanna Gipson, a singer/songwriter from Houston, Texas; Larry Magee, a singer/songwriter from San Antonio, Texas; Nelson LeDuc, a singer/composer from Salt Lake City, Utah; and Parviz Mohajer-Jasbi, a singer from Scottsdale, Arizona. They were joined by a choir directed by Roya Bauman of Rochester, New York, and Persian instrumentalists from the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

“Two non-Bahá’ís participated in the choreography and the dancing,” Perry said. “One dance involved traditional Turkish music and movement. With the colorful costumes and lighting, the movement was a highlight against the tent and Baghdad set.”

Several Bahá’í video professionals taped the performance and some interviews.

Material and labor contributed by area Bahá’ís helped provide:

• Catering for the reception.
• Printing and design of banners, fliers, programs and napkins.
• Historical displays.
• Ushering and parking service.
• Floral arrangements, which included more than 400 roses de-thorned by hand.

The roles of Nabíl and other historic figures were filled by audition. Volunteers built sets in the Perrys’ garage.

“The lending library of the Dallas Bahá’í Center was turned into a sewing factory, and for weeks volunteers came to sew and iron the costumes in the midst of firesides and other events,” Perry said.

How did it all begin?

“For the last two years the Dallas Bahá’í community has celebrated Ridván with three Holy Day programs featuring music, dance, drama, poetry, scenic backdrops, a tent, costumes, and visual and sound effects,” Perry said. “This year we extended it to include the whole metroplex.”

The Arts Afire Institute, involving Perry and her husband, Tim, had sponsored a music contest with the theme of Ridván. Some of the winning composers were among the 45 performers of all ages. Rather than charging at the door, the organizers raised funds in advance.

That posed some hurdles.

“The communities we invited [to contribute] were not sure why there was a $4,000 budget for a Holy Day program,” Perry said. But university policy required that the event be professionally catered, and campus police had to be hired.

Organizers showed they had worked to cut costs. “The whole cost, had people not donated services and items, would have been closer to $6,000,” she said.

Artistic challenges abounded, including too little rehearsal time in the performance space—where the stage was a foot shorter than they had been told.

“But by the grace of God, the program went well,” Perry said.

Perry, a doctoral student in aesthetic studies, believes the future will hold even more spectacular observances of Ridván.

“Ridván is the King of Festivals, the most great time to celebrate the Lord of Hosts. As time passes we will learn more about its significance, which will be conveyed in various developed art forms. The details we know about Ridván are excellent fodder for poetry, music, and drama.” —Submitted by Arts Afire

File:Ridvan performance.jpg

Performers take a curtain call after the performance of “In the Garden of the Beloved” on the 12th Day of Ridván. Photo by Anne Gordon Perry, Dallas, Texas

News coverage results from seized opportunities

Two newspaper stories about the struggles of American Bahá’ís from Iran typify the kind of media coverage Bahá’í communities everywhere can generate in response to recent remarks by the new president of Iran.

After President Mohammad Khatami was interviewed on CNN, the National Spiritual Assembly placed an open letter in major U.S. newspapers, calling on Khatami to extend to Bahá’ís the rights he promised Iranian citizens.

At the National Assembly’s urging, many communities publicized that event by telling media outlets the stories of believers who came to these shores as refugees. Two such stories are those of Daisireh Rowhanian in Mesa, Arizona, and Ataolah Modrek and Vajihe Khalighi in Grand Junction, Colorado.

Rowhanian was profiled during March in The Arizona Republic, a statewide newspaper, by Barbara Yost, a reporter who frequented her nail salon in Tempe.

Yost used the information Rowhanian gave her along with material from the Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette.

“Since the article has been out, I’ve been recognized by people in public places such as ‎the-mall the mall‎ and grocery stores,” Rowhanian said.

“I work with more than 30 people. They all read the article and most of them spoke about it with their clients. I believe it turned out to be a great article with no cost. You know how much it costs to put a little ad in the paper.”

The Daily Sentinel of Grand Junction article on Modrek and Khalighi told how they fled Iran 13 years ago on camel and on foot. It also spoke of how a job relocation forced them to move again from Los Angeles to western Colorado, leaving their grown children behind, but how their faith has sustained them. [Page 8]

People to call at the Office of Pioneering

The Office of Pioneering at the Bahá’í National Center has reorganized in recent months to more efficiently handle inquiries from various regions of the United States. If you wish to ask about pioneering or international teaching, contact the consultant for your region:

NORTHEAST AND CENTRAL REGIONS: Alex Blakeson (phone 847-733-3511, e-mail )

SOUTHERN REGION: Sherdeana Jordan (phone 847-733-3507, e-mail )

WESTERN REGION: Aurore Ragston (phone 847-733-3512, e-mail )

OR YOU MAY CONTACT THE OFFICE OF PIONEERING AT: 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201 phone 847-733-3508, fax 847-733-3509, e-mail

Cyprus thanks U.S. Bahá’ís for 20 years’ teaching help

This year marks the 20th year of the establishment of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Cyprus. In a letter to our National Assembly dated May 23, 1998, the National Assembly of Cyprus wrote:

“Also, we take this opportunity to thank you for the pioneers which the American community has sent in the past. Please tell the friends in America how much we appreciate the pioneers who have come from that vast land over a period of many years. Remind them that we still have a great need for pioneers with means to support themselves. Without this flow of pioneers from America, it is difficult to sustain the advances we make and gain headway in these days of unique and priceless opportunity. Tell them the chance to pioneer may not always exist, and they are very welcome in Cyprus.”

All interested in responding to this call, please contact the Office of Pioneering, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201 (phone 847-733-3508, fax 847-733-3509, e-mail )

“Wherefore must the loved ones of God, laboriously, with the waters of their striving, tend and nourish and foster this tree of hope. In whatsoever land they dwell, let them with a whole heart befriend and be companions to those who are either close to them, or far removed. Let them, with qualities like unto those of heaven, promote the institutions and the religion of God. Let them never lose heart, never be despondent, never feel afflicted. ... Such is the spirit which will become the life of the world, such is the spreading light at its heart.”

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, pp. 257–258

System helps office help teachers

Bahá’ís across the country are arising to fulfill the unprecedented goals of 4,500 traveling teachers and 1,200 pioneers abroad during the Four Year Plan. A reorganized approach by the Office of Pioneering is systematically helping the friends achieve their dreams of serving internationally.

The new approach put into effect late last year assigned international consultants to serve prospective international teachers from each region of the United States as defined in the Tablets of the Divine Plan. A consultant was also assigned responsibility for the sensitive international teaching areas (SITA).

All consultants are working with the friends on every type of international service: traveling teaching, pioneering, and Bahá’í Youth Service Corps.

When contacting the Office of Pioneering by phone, fax or e-mail, please mention where you live so that you may be connected to the consultant for your region (listed in box above). ◆

A tale of finding waiting souls

This teaching anecdote was shared by the Office of Pioneering with permission from Alloysia Haynes from Rochester, New York:

I recently returned from Trinidad and on my way back to the U.S., I spent six hours in Barbados. I called a friend who was very surprised to hear that I was in Barbados and told me she wanted me to meet someone with whom she had shared some teachings of the Faith. After being introduced to the individual I asked her what she knew about the Bahá’í Faith and what she would like to know.

My friend had to return to work and so the woman and I talked at length about the basic teachings of the Faith. I read from the Hidden Words and shared some prayers. She was particularly interested in life after death and most of all the Bahá’í Fund. Since that was my favorite subject, we talked about it at length. This went on from 10 a.m.–2:30 p.m. when I had to leave. This is what the woman said to me: “You know, hearing you read from the Writings and listening to you talk about the Fund, I don’t feel hungry and I usually have lunch at 12, but I feel like I can fly, I am so happy. I want to know more. Lord, Lord, You sent me a teacher!”

When my friend returned she said “Girl, you just got to get me some more to read. This Bahá’í Faith is just what everyone needs. Lord, Lord, I am so full I could soar.”

I plan to keep in touch with my friend and with this woman. ◆

Teaching Skills Exercise #5: Using memorized passages

Memorizing the Writings is one of the activities of effective teachers. Bahá’u’lláh has written, “From the texts of the wondrous, heavenly Scriptures they should memorize phrases and passages bearing on various instances, so that in the course of their speech they may recite divine verses whenever the occasion demandeth it, inasmuch as these holy verses are the most potent elixir, the greatest and mightiest talisman.” (Tablets of ‎Babá’u’lláh Bahá’u’lláh‎, p. 200)

Moreover, the Guardian has stated that the teacher should “commit to memory certain” of the Faith’s “exhortations and prayers.” (The Advent of Divine Justice, p. 49)

In places where memorization is emphasized and practiced, it is not uncommon to find ordinary people who have memorized whole volumes. And we know that Bahá’u’lláh would not have exhorted us to memorize if we lacked the capacity.

Therefore, the question is how we can improve our skill of memorization. Like anything else, this skill will improve the more we exercise it.

Additionally, each person has to arrive at effective memorization techniques. Not everyone can use the same technique.

Here are a few techniques that may be used in memorizing the Writings:

• Repeat the quotation a number of times.
• Write out the quotation by hand a number of times.
• Set the quotation to music.
• Study the quotation and reflect deeply on key words.
• Visualize the words—e.g. for the passage “Immerse yourselves in the ocean of My words. ...” one can visualize himself being immersed in an ocean of words.
• Link visual images to a familiar location, such as one’s home—e.g. for the phrase “radiance of spirit, detachment from all else save God, attraction to His Divine Fragrances,” one can visualize a “radiant” sun in one’s own living room. Then, as one enters the hall, one sees the door “detached” from the hinges. Next, one is attracted to the “Fragrances” coming from the kitchen.

Like anything else, the skill of memorization will improve the more we exercise it.

• Use mnemonic devices, such as creating a word out of the first letters of phrases—e.g. the five factors contributing to growth, identified in the statement “Promoting Entry by Troops,” may be memorized using the word “BLUES,” referring to key words in these phrases: 1) Bahá’í community as a model, 2) Love and unity, 3) Universal participation, 4) balance between Expansion and consolidation, 5) commitment to Spiritual transformation.
• Use note cards.
• Record quotations on a cassette and listen to them at home or in the car.
• Do memory work with family or friends (e.g. alternating, with family members, the repetition of verses).

One practical step to improve the effectiveness of our teaching is to systematically memorize brief passages related to the subjects that arise most often in discussions. For example, a teacher’s experience is that the topic of the afterlife comes up very often in his conversations. If he has memorized quotations on this subject, then he can give seekers the Word of God in its pure form, rather than just his own interpretation of the Teachings.

In order to prepare himself, he finds a passage on this theme: “Thy Paradise is My love; thy heavenly home, reunion with Me.” (Arabic Hidden Words No. 6) He thinks about how he can incorporate this passage into his explanation of the Bahá’í view of life after death. The next time he is asked about the subject, he is prepared to give a response like this:

“We, as Bahá’ís, do not believe that heaven and hell are locations, but rather we believe they are states or conditions. If a person is close to God, then he is in a state of heaven; if he is far away from God, then he is in a state of hell. Bahá’u’lláh has said, ‘Thy Paradise is My love; thy heavenly home, reunion with Me.’ As we come to love God and draw closer to Him, then we will be in a state of heaven.”

How can you incorporate memorized passages into your teaching work?

Extract from Raising the Call: The Individual and Effective Teaching (Palabra Publications, 1998). Used by permission of the author. ◆ [Page 9]Reliance Ben Koen and the Unity Ensemble $15.95 CD (RCD)

Reliance, a dynamic journey of jazz saxophone including soulful vocals of two Hidden Words, follows Dizzy Gillespie’s footsteps creating unity in diversity in the music, band and listeners. Powerful and compelling, Koen’s “music speaks for itself—it promises to make an impact on the jazz world and contribute to the history of the music.” “Ben ... produces warm tones from his saxophone much like the magic flowers found in the tone world; his sound is full of the cry of hope, peace and joy.” 52 minutes

NEW MUSIC

Bird Susan Lewis Wright $15.95 CD (BCD), $10.95 CS (BCS)

“Bird,” about the soul taking its flight to the next world, is the title song on the brand-new release from nationally acclaimed singer-songwriter Susan Lewis Wright. Regarding Down In Mexico, her first album, Recording Magazine wrote, “Judy Collins has nothing on Susan. Neither does Joan Baez for that matter.” 51 minutes

Walking from Jerusalem to Mecca Dirk Anderson and Jerry York $15.00 CD (WJMCD), $10.00 CS (WJMCS)

A blend of smooth harmonies and exotic instruments breathe life into heartfelt compositions that journey through jazz, pop, and world music sounds. Features guest vocals by Lynn Rosser and Mary Davis. Produced by Chris Rosser. 39 minutes

Dash Crofts Today Dash Crofts $15.95 CD (DCT)

You may think you know Dash Crofts’ music, but your experience won’t be complete until you add this one to your collection! Yes, those same distinctive vocals are there, though the music has changed to reflect a jazzier approach to life. 39 minutes

The Magic Bird Quinn Arts $15.95 CD (MBCD)

This album is the Quinns’ uniquely beautiful soundtrack of this world-renowned travel teaching production. Fourteen songs that capture a portion of the drama of events associated with the birth of the Bahá’í Faith. 73 minutes

Love, Power, and Justice The Dynamics of Authentic Morality by William S. Hatcher $11.95 SC (LPJ)

What is authentic morality? How do we know that we are being true to an authentic, and not self-conceived, moral standard? The purpose of this book is to facilitate the understanding of how a person can reach these critical conclusions and come closer to the truth, about the value of their convictions and the worth of those convictions relative to a higher authority. Using precepts and arguments from three disciplines with something to say on the subject of morality, namely philosophy, science and religion, Dr. Hatcher explores with fascinating insight an ages old problem with freshness and vigor, bringing into this mix the considerable force of the arguments provided by the Bahá’í revelation itself. A truly groundbreaking effort into one of the more intractable debates of our time, a time when so many factions and individuals claim to speak with “authentic morality”. 5 1/2"x8 1/2", 155 pp. Bahá’í Publishing Trust

Walking the Talk Bahá’ís and Racial Unity $2.00 / 10 pack (WT10)

Walking the Talk has been carefully written and designed to appeal to the target audience for the video The Power of Race Unity. This pamphlet addresses succinctly a number of issues related to the African-American experience and racial unity. Regional Bahá’í Council for the Southern States

The Brilliant Proof by Mírzá Abu’l-Fadl $14.95 HC (BRP)

In 1911 Mírzá Abu’l-Fadl penned this response to an attack on the Bahá’í Faith written by Peter Z. Easton and printed in Evangelical Christendom. This illuminating rebuttal displays the learning and style of its author and was given the name “The Brilliant Proof” by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. This edition also contains the original article that provoked the response. 5"x7 1/4", 80 pp. Kalimát Press [Page 10]

The Bahá’í World, 1996-1997

$25.95 HC (BW97H) $13.95 SC (BW97S)

The Bahá’í World series provides both non-Bahá’ís and Bahá’ís with valuable information about the activities and concerns of the Bahá’í world community and is suitable for presentation to dignitaries, researchers, and others. This latest installment includes a retrospective essay on Shoghi Effendi, an essay on contemporary human rights discourse, a report on Bahá’í participation in Habitat II, a profile of five moral development activities undertaken by Bahá’ís in different parts of the world, and other significant articles.

346 pp. World Centre Publications

The Light of Unity

Healing Racism

(LU) bulk priced as follows:

1 copy	$1.25
2-9 copies	$1.00 each
10-99 copies	$.85 each
100-499 copies	$.65 each
500-999 copies	$.50 each
1000 copies and up	$.40 each

This is a full-color booklet containing extracts from the Bahá’í writings on the subject of racial unity. Although specifically developed as a follow-up piece to the national media initiative, this collection will have a broad appeal due to the general nature of the quotations and attractive format.

32 pp. Bahá’í Publishing Trust, U.S.

Stewardship and Development

A Desktop Reference for Spiritual Assemblies and Treasurers

$8.95 (SAD)

The first publication of its kind in the U.S. since the late 1970s, this valuable booklet includes a deepening on the fundamental spiritual principles of the Fund with several passages never before published, as well as in-depth guidance for local treasury management. In addition, extensive appendices include passages from the Writings and sample forms for use in managing the local funds. Comprehensive references to such topics as accurate accounting for contributions, earmarking, proper receipting, tax deductibility and fund raising make this expandable document a must-have resource for Local Spiritual Assemblies and individuals alike.

145 pp. Office of the Treasurer, Bahá’í National Center

The Three Year Plan, 1993-1996

Summary of Achievements

$5.00 SC (TYP)

This record of achievements by the world-wide Bahá’í community during the Three Year Plan was compiled by the Research Department at the Bahá’í World Center. The number of activities represented in their respective goal areas demonstrates the international scope and full range of Bahá’í activity around the world. An impressive reference work and an equally impressive reflection of the efforts of the Bahá’í world community.

178 pp. World Centre Publications

Toward Oneness

A Compilation on Racial and Cultural Issues

compiled by Tod Ewing

$4.00 (TO)

A selection from the Bahá’í writings specifically designed to foster a greater understanding of the goals of the Cause regarding unity and equality and the process by which these goals can be achieved. Includes sections on Principles Regarding Race and Culture, The Significance and Effects of Prejudice, How to Address Issues of Prejudice, and How to Eliminate Racial Prejudice.

69 pp. Palabra Publications

Teaching the Cause

Ruhi Institute Book 6

$6.00 (TC6)

Book six in the Ruhi series is designed to train effective teachers. The three parts cover the following: The Spiritual Nature of Teaching explores the spiritual dimensions of teaching, The Qualities and Attitudes of the Teacher helps to develop humility, courage, wisdom, and other qualities and attitudes of a capable teacher, and The Act of Teaching examines how to teach, building skills necessary for individual teaching and participation in organized projects.

149 pp. Palabra Publications

Developing Distinctive Bahá’í Communities

Office of Assembly Development

$24.00 PC (DDBC)

The long-awaited revision to this Local Spiritual Assembly manual is now completed. Originally created in 1989, this manual has become a standard reference used by Assemblies to facilitate their consultations and their efforts to apply spiritual and administrative principles to the situations before them. An extensive revision process brings the contents up to date with the latest guidance from the Universal House of Justice and the National Spiritual Assembly.

Office of Assembly Development 585 pp.

Mahmúd’s Diary

translated by Mohi Sobhani with Shirley Macias

$39.95 HC (MD)

The long-awaited translation of the famous account of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s journey across America.

George Ronald, Publisher

The Servant, the General, and Armageddon

by Roderick and Derwent Maude

$11.95 SC (SGA)

The intriguing story of a battle foretold in the Hebrew Bible that linked the lives of two men who shaped history in very different ways: General Allenby and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

Published to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Armageddon.

George Ronald, Publisher [Page 11]

BAHÁ’Í DISTRIBUTION SERVICE

The Ayyám-i-Há Surprise

by Stacey Coverstone illustrated by Anja Shanmugampillai $5.95 AHS

The Santos family is busy getting ready for Ayyám-i-Há. They’re baking cookies, wrapping presents, and decorating the house. Lisa and her grandfather are working hard on a special surprise. Come and join the Santos family as they celebrate these days of Ayyám-i-Há.

Brilliant Books

Mariana and the Mountain of God

by Stacey Coverstone illustrated by Mary Firman $6.25 (MMG)

After watching a videotape about the Arc on Mount Carmel, Mariana is inspired to do all she can to help. But how can she help build the Mountain of God with an empty piggy bank?

Brilliant Books

For Children!

I Can Teach

by Shidan Toloui-Wallace illustrated by Salka Holtz $4.00 (ICT)

Black and white illustrations and a simple text that encourages young children to become teachers of the Faith. Also suitable as a coloring book.

28 pp.

Palabra Publications

A Bahá’í Alphabet Book

by Anne Breneman illustrated by Barbara Casterline $6.95 (BAB)

“A” is for ‘Abdu’l-Bahá ... and airplane, animals, and Africa. An ABC for Bahá’í children, through Deeds, Kindness, and Prayer, all the way to Zeal. With a few ducks and kangaroos and pandas and zebras too!

Brilliant Books

Bahá’ís and the Bible

by Gary Matthews see pricing information below (BB)

A frank examination of the Bible as sacred scripture and of its position in the Bahá’í Faith: Are the Old and New Testaments divinely inspired? How reliable and authentic are the manuscripts we possess? To what extent should we take the Bible literally? Does the Bible itself claim to be God’s “last and only” revelation? An essential deepening tool for Bahá’ís and Christians alike.

Stonehaven Press

The Glory of Christ

A Bahá’í Testimony by Gary Matthews see pricing information below (GOC)

If progressive revelation is true, why did Jesus Christ call Himself the only way to God? This pamphlet shows from the Bible that the “Christ” who makes this claim is not the historical Jesus, but that universal divine Spirit which speaks through all the Manifestations. The reader is challenged to investigate the claim that this same eternal Voice speaks today through Bahá’u’lláh.

Stonehaven Press

Christianity and the Bahá’í Faith

Frequently Asked Questions by Gary Matthews see pricing information below (CBF)

Who was Jesus Christ? What do Bahá’ís believe about the Incarnation, the Trinity, the Bible, the Resurrection, Satan, Heaven and Hell? Using traditional Christian language, and emphasizing common ground, this pamphlet offers brief but challenging answers to these and other questions.

Stonehaven Press

Secret of the Second Coming

Christ’s Glorious Return by Gary Matthews see pricing information below (SSC)

This pamphlet explains that Bahá’u’lláh satisfies biblical conditions for the Second Coming of Christ, in the same way that Jesus Himself fulfilled Old Testament promises of the coming of the Messiah. A challenging introduction to the claims and station of Bahá’u’lláh.

Stonehaven Press

PRICING ON PAMPHLETS FROM STONEHAVEN PRESS

10 copies	$.35 each
100 copies	$.25 each
1000 copies	$.18 each

SHIP TO ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________
CODE	TITLE	QUANTITY	COST EACH	TOTAL
DAYTIME TELEPHONE # (     ) ____________________________________________________
PAYMENT METHOD [ ] CHECK OR MONEY ORDER ENCLOSED [ ] CREDIT CARD     [ ] VISA   [ ] MASTERCARD   [ ] AMER EXP   [ ] DISCOVER CREDIT CARD # _____________________________________________________________ EXP DATE ___________ SIGNATURE _____________________________________________			SUBTOTAL
			SHIPPING
			SALES TAX
			TOTAL

SHIPPING CHARGES/SALES TAX

UNITED STATES: ADD 10% (MIN. $2.00, MAX. $10.00)

CANADA: ADD 15% (MIN. $3.00)

INTERNATIONAL: ADD 40% (MIN. $5.00, VIA AIR MAIL ONLY)

SALES TAX: SHIPMENT TO TENNESSEE ADDRESS ADD 8.25%

Bahá’í Distribution Service • 5397 Wilbanks Drive • Chattanooga, TN 37343 [Page 12]

1998 ELECTORAL UNIT CONVENTIONS

Here is the latest information available on Electoral Unit conventions, which will be held across the country in early October.

• This is the first year the Conventions are being overseen by Regional Bahá’í Councils. Your Electoral Unit is listed here under one of the four regions.
• If you don’t know your Electoral Unit (EU) number, it will be printed on the envelope in which you will receive your ballot in a few weeks. If you have Internet access, you can find out your Electoral Unit number on the National Spiritual Assembly’s Administrative Web Site (www.usbnc.org). You will need your U.S. Bahá’í ID number to log into this site.
• If information here is incomplete, the contact number or the Local Assembly hosting your Convention may be reached for further details.

For children's programs to be held at Unit Convention: See Kid's Corner (page 16) for information on enhancing your curriculum with the Special Edition of Brilliant Star magazine and the accompanying music tape.

NORTHEASTERN STATES

EU001: Green Acre Bahá’í School, 195 Main St., Eliot ME; Sunday, Oct. 4, 9 a.m.–1:15 p.m. (Register 8 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Portland, P.O. Box 674, Portland, ME 04104–0674. Phone: 207-797-9068

EU002: Hartford High School, Highland Ave., White River Junction, VT; Sunday, Oct. 4, 9:30 a.m.–4 p.m. (Register 8:30 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Rochester Town, P.O. Box 24, Rochester, VT 05767–0024. Phone: 603-448-2297

EU003: Host Assembly TBA.

EU004: Chelmsford Community Center, 1A Noah Rd., Chelmsford, MA; Sunday, Oct. 4, 9:30 a.m.–4 p.m. (Register 8:30 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Chelmsford, P.O. Box 544, Chelmsford, MA 01824–0544. Phone: 508-970-0646

EU005: Site, time TBA; Sunday, Oct. 4. Mail ballots to LSA of Wilbraham, Wilbraham, MA 01095–1426. Phone: 413-596-9487

EU006: Site, time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA of Providence, P.O. Box 41001, Providence, RI 02940–1001. Phone: 401-943-3013

EU007: Tunxis Community College, 271 Scott Swamp Rd., Farmington, CT; Sunday, Oct. 4, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. (Register 8:15 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Farmington, Unionville, CT 06085–1164. Phone: 860-677-4460

EU008: Site, time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA of Cortlandt Town, P.O. Box 547, Crugers, NY 10521–0547. Phone: 914-737-6224

EU009: Waldorf School, Cambridge Ave., Garden City, NY; Sunday, Oct. 4. (Register 8:30 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Brookhaven Town, East Patchogue, NY 11772–6137. Phone: 516-289-2006

EU010: Site, time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA of New York City, New York City, NY 10003–4601. Phone: 718-729-7577

EU011: Rutgers University, Busch Campus Center, Bartholomew, Piscataway, NJ; Sunday, Oct. 4, 10 a.m.–3:30 p.m. (Register 9:30 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Piscataway, P.O. Box 1406, Piscataway, NJ 08855–1406. Phone: 732-699-0240

EU012: Site, time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA of Montclair, P.O. Box 3407, Memorial Sta., Montclair, NJ 07043–3407. Phone: 201-509-9695

EU013: Site, time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA of Schenectady, Schenectady, NY 12304–3107. Phone: 518-346-2731

EU014: Rochester Bahá’í Center, Corner of Oxford and East Ave., Rochester, NY; Sunday, Oct. 4, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. (Register 9 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Pittsford c/o Mitra Dianat, Pittsford, NY 14534–1077. Phone: 716/264-1180

EU015: Gettysburg Middle School ‎Gettysburg, PA Gettysburg, PA‎; Saturday, Oct. 3, 1–5 p.m. (Register 10:30 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Frederick County, Frederick, MD 21702–3406. Phone: 301-694-6439

EU016: Philadelphia Regional Bahá’í Center, 2462 Bryn Mawr Ave., Philadelphia, PA; Sunday, Oct. 4; time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA of Lower Merion Township c/o Melanie B. Etemad, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010. Phone: 610-527-1928

EU048: St. Bonaventure University, St. Bonaventure, NY; Sunday, Oct. 11, 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. (Register 9 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Olean, P.O. Box 9, Olean, NY 14760–0009. Phone: 716-372-3663

CENTRAL STATES

EU049: Baker Hall, CWRU, 10950 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH; Sunday, Oct. 4, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. (Register 9 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Cleveland, Cleveland, OH 44102–3337. Phone: 216-752-4679

EU050: Site, time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA of Upper Arlington, P.O. Box 21166, Upper Arlington, OH 43221–0166. Phone: 614-326-0009

EU051: Site, time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA of Yellow Springs, P.O. Box 93, Yellow Springs, OH 45387–0093. Phone: 513-767-1678

EU073: C.K. Newsome Center; time TBA. Mail ballots to Glen Peirce, Evansville, IN 47711. Phone: 812-421-0667

EU074: Teachers College, Ball State University, McKinley Ave, Muncie, IN; Sunday, Oct. 4, 9:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. (Register 8:30 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Muncie, P.O. Box 586, Muncie, IN 47308–0586. Phone: 765-284-5656

EU075: Charles Martin Youth Center, 802 Lincolnway West, South Bend, IN 46616; Sunday, Oct. 4, 9:30 a.m.–4 p.m. (Register 8:30 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Mishawaka, P.O. Box 42, Mishawaka, IN 46546–0042. Phone: 219-255-9186

EU076: John Grace Recreation Center, 21030 Indian Rd., Southfield, MI; Sunday, Oct. 4, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. (Register 8:30 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Southfield, Southfield, MI 48075–1733. Phone: 313-353-2939

EU077: Louhelen Bahá’í School, 3208 S. State Road, Davison, MI; Sunday, Oct. 4, 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m. (Register 8:30 a.m.). Mail ballots to LSA of Ann Arbor, P.O. Box 6021, Ann Arbor, MI 48106-6021. Phone: 734-761-1290

EU078: Central Michigan University, 100 Grawn Hall, Mt. Pleasant, MI; Sunday, Oct. 4, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. (Register 9 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Saginaw, Saginaw, MI 48602–2711. Phone: 517-792-8999

EU079: Thompson Community Center, 832 W. College Ave., Appleton, WI; Saturday, Oct. 3, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. (Register 10:45 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Appleton, Appleton, WI 54911–2747. Phone: 920-731-7724

EU080: Wilson Town Hall, 5933 S. Business Dr., Hwys. O&K South, Sheboygan, WI; Sunday, Oct. 4, 1–4 p.m. (Register 12 noon) Mail ballots to LSA of Cedarburg, Cedarburg, WI 53012–2125. Phone: 414-377-5877

EU081: 4-H Building, ‎Olmstead Olmsted‎ County Fairgrounds, 310 14th St. S.E., Rochester, MN; Sunday, Oct. 4, Noon–4 p.m. (Register 11 a.m.) Mail ballots to Pauline McFarlin, Rochester, MN 55904. Phone: 507-289-4682

EU082: Holiday Inn of Greater Beloit, 200 Dearborn Ave., South Beloit, IL 61080; Sunday, Oct. 4, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. (Register 9 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Beloit, P.O. Box 1278, Beloit, WI 53512–1278. Phone: 608-365-7879

EU083: Arlington Park Hilton, 3400 W. Euclid Ave., Arlington Heights, IL 60005; Sunday, Oct. 4, 9:30 a.m.–1 p.m. (Register 8:30 a.m.) Mail ballots to Susan Peterson, Highland Park, IL 60035–4422. Phone: 847-432-1765

EU084: Bahá’í House of Worship, Linden Ave., and Sheridan Rd., Wilmette, IL; Sunday, Oct. 4, 9 a.m. (Register 8:15 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Park Ridge, Park Ridge, IL 60068–2246. Phone: 847-827-9462

EU085: Chicago Bahá’í Center, 3321 S. Calumet Ave., Chicago, IL; Sunday, Oct. 4, 1–5 p.m. (Register 12:30 p.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Chicago, 3321 S. Calumet Ave., Chicago, IL 60616–3933. Phone: 312-482-1772

EU086: Georgetown Clubhouse, 301 S. Prospect St., Wood Dale, IL; Sunday, Oct. 4, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Mail ballots to LSA of Naperville, P.O. Box 851, Naperville, IL 60566-0851. Phone: 630-416-8189

EU087: Levis Faculty Ctr., 919 W. Illinois, Urbana, IL; Sunday, Oct. 4, 9:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. (Register 8:45 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Champaign, Champaign, IL 61821–5836. Phone: 217-356-9654

EU088: Willkie House, 900 17th St., Des Moines, IA; Sunday, Oct. 4, 9:30 a.m.–4 p.m. (Register 9 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Des Moines, Des Moines, IA 50310–5267. Phone: 515-279-1730

EU089: McNutt Hall, 2nd floor, University of Missouri-Rolla, Rolla, MO; Sunday, Oct. 4, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. (Register 8:30 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Phelps County, P.O. Box 446, Rolla, MO 65402–0446. Phone: 573-364-0845

EU090: Creve Coeur Community Center, 300 N. New Ballas, Creve Coeur, MO; Sat. Oct. 4, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. (Register 8:30 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of University City, P.O. Box 3121, St. Louis, MO 63130–0521. Phone: 314-997-5864

EU106: Student Union, Hutchinson Community College, 1300 N. Plum, Hutchinson, KS; Sunday, Oct. 4, 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. (Register 9 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Hutchinson, P.O. Box 1332, Hutchinson, KS 67504–1332. Phone: 316-662-4680

EU107: Kansas Union, University of Kansas, 1321 Oread Ave., Lawrence, KS; Sunday, Oct. 4, 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. (Register 9 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Lawrence, P.O. Box 3518, Lawrence, KS 66046-0518. Phone: 785-749-5151

EU108: Nebraska City High School Auditorium, 141 Steinhart Park Rd., Nebraska City, NE; Sunday, Oct. 4, 9:30 a.m.–4 p.m. (Register 8:30 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Lincoln c/o Terry L. Johnson, P.O. Box 80601, Lincoln, NE 68501–0601. Phone: 402-464-0452

EU109: Minnetonka Community Center, 14600 Minnetonka Blvd., Minnetonka, MN; Sunday, Oct. 4, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. (Register 8:30 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Plymouth, P.O. Box 41068, Plymouth, MN 55441–0068. Phone: 612-476-9530

EU110: Radisson Hotel, Viking Room, 505 W. Superior St. Duluth, MN; Sunday, Oct. 4, Noon–4 p.m. (Register 11:30 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Duluth, Duluth, MN 55802–2555. Phone: 218-722-3818

EU111: Jamestown Civic Arena, 212 3rd St. N.E., Jamestown, ND; Sunday, Oct. 4, 9:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. (Register 9 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Minot, Minot, ND 58703–2216. Phone: 701-839-4072

EU112: Treehaven Institute, Kyle, SD; Sunday, Oct. 11, 12:30–4:30 p.m. (Register 11 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Custer, P.O. Box 502, Custer, SD 57730–0502. Phone: 605-673-2380 [Page 13]

SOUTHERN STATES

EU017: Ramada Inn, 348 N. Dupont Hwy., U.S. Hwy. 13 S., Dover, DE; Sunday, Oct. 4, time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA of Salisbury c/o George Stroop, Salisbury, MD 21801–4229. Phone: 410-742-7739

EU018: Burleigh Manor Middle School, 4200 Centennial Lane, Ellicott City, MD; Sunday, Oct. 4, time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA of Howard County, P.O. Box 488, Columbia, MD 21045. Phone: 410-531-5073

EU019: Rock Terrace School, Rockville, MD; Sunday, Oct. 4, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Mail ballots to LSA of Rockville, Rockville, MD 20849. Phone: 301-762-7956

EU020: Greenbelt Community Center, 15 Crescent Rd., Greenbelt, MD; Sunday, Oct. 4; 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Mail ballots to LSA of Greenbelt, P.O. Box 245, Greenbelt, MD 20770. Phone: 301-474-4090

EU021: Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale Campus, 8333 Little River Turnpike, Annandale, VA; Sunday, Oct. 4; 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Mail ballots to LSA of Fairfax County E., P.O. Box 1325, Falls Church, VA 22041-0325. Phone: 703-931-6146

EU022: George Mason ‎Uniersity University‎, Student Union Bldg. #2, 4400 University Dr., Fairfax, VA; Sunday, Oct. 4; time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA of Mount Vernon, P.O. Box 6398, Alexandria, VA 22306. Phone: 703-922-0561

EU023: Site TBA; Sunday, Oct. 4, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Mail ballots to LSA of Loudoun County, P.O. Box 291, Sterling, VA 20167–0291. Phone: 703-406-2988

EU024: Girl Scout Camp, Williamsburg, VA; Sunday, Oct. 4; 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Mail ballots to LSA of Chesapeake, Chesapeake, VA 23321. Phone: 757-483-6971

EU025: Site, time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA of Wilmington, Wilmington, NC 28401–4724. Phone: 910-762-0354

EU026: Inter-community Bahá’í Center, 5103 Revere Rd., Durham, NC; Sunday, Oct. 4, time TBA; Mail ballots to LSA of Durham County, P.O. Box 12324, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2324. Phone: 919-309-9900

EU027: Coastal Carolina University, Admissions Bldg., Room 003, Conway, SC; time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA of Conway, P.O. Box 348, Conway, SC 29528–0348. Phone: 803-248-6224

EU028: Site, time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA of Williams Hill, Hemingway, SC 29554-4017. Phone: 803-558-9494, ask for Ernest Hilton

EU029: Felix Davis Community Center, 4800 Park Cir., North Charleston, SC; time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA of Mount Pleasant, P.O. Box 1389, Mount Pleasant, SC 29465–1389. Phone: 803-881-9599

EU030: Host Assembly TBA.

EU031: Site, time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA of St. Helena Island, P.O. Box 977, St. Helena Island, SC 29920–0977. Contact: Laura Smalls. Phone: 803-838-1139

EU032: North Family Community School, 616 Main St., North, SC; Sunday, Oct. 4, 9:30 a.m. Mail ballots to LSA of Lexington County North, P.O. Box 8501, Columbia, SC 29202–8501. Phone: 803-772-6757

EU033: Earlwood Park, Columbia, SC; Sunday, Oct. 4, 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Mail ballots to LSA of Richland County North, P.O. Box 210351, Columbia, SC 29221–0351. Phone: 803-798-7116

EU034: Site, time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA of Kingstree, P.O. Box 26, Kingstree, SC 29556–0026. Phone: 803-354-5339

EU035: Site, time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA of Donnelly, P.O. Box 915, Hemingway, SC 29554–0915. Phone: 803-558-9289

EU036: Site, time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA of Johnsonville, P.O. Box 1012, Johnsonville, SC 29555–1012. Contact person: Jenni Green.

EU037: Florence Bahá’í Center, 541 W. Evans St., Florence, SC; Sunday, Oct. 3, 2 p.m.–6 p.m. Mail ballots to LSA of Florence, Florence, SC 29501–3407. Phone: 803-667-1540

EU039: Host Assembly TBA.

EU040: Host Assembly TBA.

EU041: Host Assembly TBA.

EU042: Home of Elizabeth Martin, Winnsboro, SC; Sunday, Oct. 4, 10 a.m. Mail ballots to Elizabeth Martin, P.O. Box 178, Winnsboro, SC 29180–0178. Phone: 803-635-9602

EU043: Peachtree Apt. Clubhouse, Ft. Mills, SC; time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA of Rock Hill, Rock Hill, SC 29730–5311. Phone: 803-328-8395

EU044: Greenville Bahá’í Center, 132 Greenacre Road, Greenville, SC 29604; Sunday, Oct. 4, 9 a.m. Mail ballots to LSA of Greenville, P.O. Box 8026, Greenville, SC 29604. Phone: 864-242-6506

EU045: Alexander Graham School, 1800 Runnymeade Lane, Charlotte, NC; Sunday, Oct. 4, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. (Register 9 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Charlotte c/o Dell Campbell, Charlotte, NC 28227–1155. Phone: 704-344-3501

EU046: Site, time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA of Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27514-2330. Phone: 919-932-3554

EU047: Avanti Restaurant, 119 E. Washington St., Charles Town, WV; Sunday, Oct 4; 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Mail ballots to LSA of Jefferson County, Harpers Ferry, WV 25424. Phone: 304-876-3995

EU052: College of Law Courtroom, University of Kentucky, Limestone St., Lexington, KY; Sunday, Oct. 4; 8:30 a.m. Mail ballots to LSA of Lexington, P.O. Box 22102, Lexington, KY 40522–2102. Phone: 606-263-1820

EU053: Hardin Park Elementary School, 361 Jefferson Rd., Hwy. 194, Boone, NC; Sunday, Oct 4, time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA of ‎Wataugua Watauga‎ County, P.O. Box 1406, Boone, NC 28607. Phone: 828-264-2297

EU054: Cherokee County Rec. Center, 7545 N. Main St., Woodstock, GA; Saturday, Oct. 10, 8:30 a.m.–4 p.m. Mail ballots to LSA of Cherokee County, P.O. Box 283, Woodstock, GA 30188-0283. Phone: 770-928-2483

EU055: Bahá’í Unity Center, 2370 Wesley Chapel Rd., Decatur, GA; Sunday, Oct. 4, 12:30–5:30 p.m. Mail ballots to LSA of DeKalb County North, P.O. Box 942131, Atlanta, GA 31141–2131. Contact: Linda Lindsay, 770-496-1565

EU056: East Roswell Park, 9000 Fouts Road, Roswell, GA; Sunday, Oct. 4, 1–5 p.m. Mail ballots to LSA of Fulton County Central, Dr., Duluth, GA 30097–1730. Contact: Carla Fanaian, 770-360-1363

EU057: 1320 Johnson Ferry Road, Marietta, GA; Sunday, Oct. 4; 11:30 a.m.–6 p.m. (Register 10:30 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Cobb County West, Marietta, GA 30064–5020. Phone: 770-919-1919

EU058: University Hospital Medical Center, Columbia County, 4106 Columbia Rd., Martinez, GA; Sunday, Oct. 4, 9 a.m. Mail ballots to LSA of Augusta, P.O. Box 14031, Augusta, GA 30919–0031. Phone: 706-738-3104 or 706-833-2515

EU059: Riverview Park Golf Course Auditorium, next to clubhouse off Hwy. 19, Dublin, GA; Sunday, Oct. 4, 10 a.m. Mail ballots to LSA of Peach County, P.O. Box 5136, Fort Valley, GA 31030–0600. Phone: 912-825-3542

EU060: Dunkan House, Midland, GA; Saturday, Oct. 3, 1–5 p.m. Mail ballots to Dunkan House, Midland, GA 31820. Phone: 706-568-0108

EU061: Jacksonville Bahá’í Center, 2140 St. John’s Bluff Rd. S., Jacksonville, FL; Sunday, Oct. 4, time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA of Jacksonville, Jacksonville, FL 32246. Phone: 904-730-8963

EU062: Brevard Community College, Melbourne Campus, 3865 N. Wickham Rd., Bldg. NM114, Melbourne, FL; Sunday, Oct. 4, 12 noon. Mail ballots to LSA of Brevard County c/o Laen Dalpak, Melbourne, FL 32935. Phone: 407-242-4959

EU063: Magdalene Carney Bahá’í Institute, 130 S.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Belle Glade, FL; time TBA. Mail ballots to Eleanor Walker, Belle Glade, FL 33430. Phone: 561-993-0607

EU064: Palm Beach County Bahá’í Center, 420 U.S. Hwy. 1, North Palm Beach, FL; Sunday, Oct. 4, 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. (Registration 8:30 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Palm Beach County South, Boca Raton, FL 33498–1659. Contact: Iris Tarafdar 407-488-1949

EU065: Sawgrass Springs Middle School, Sawgrass Expressway at Sample Rd., Coral Springs, FL; Sunday, Oct. 4, 9 a.m. Mail ballots to LSA of Coral Springs, P.O. Box 9746, Coral Springs, FL 33075–9746. Phone: 954-757-1957

EU066: Edison Community College, Collier County Campus, 7007 Lely Cultural Pkwy., Naples, FL; Sunday, Oct. 4; 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Mail ballots to LSA of Collier County, P.O. Box 3081, Naples, FL 34106–3081. Phone: 941-495-6154

EU067: Holiday Inn Express, 400 East Bearss Ave. and I-275, Tampa, FL; Sunday, Oct 4, 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Mail ballots to LSA of Hillsborough County NW c/o Nancy Rykwalder, Tampa, FL 33618–3710. Phone: 813-933-9329

EU068: St. Petersburg Bahá’í Center, 676 2nd Ave. S., St. Petersburg, FL; Sunday, Oct. 4, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Mail ballots to LSA of St. Petersburg, P.O. Box 15343, St. Petersburg, FL 33733–5343. Phone: 813-866-3220

EU069: Tallahassee Bahá’í Center, 1310 Cross Creek Cir., Suite D, Tallahassee, FL; Sunday, Oct. 4, 9 a.m. Mail ballots to LSA of Tallahassee c/o Florence Reed, Tallahassee, FL 32303. Phone: 850-671-6684

EU070: Catholic Service Center; Sunday, Oct. 4, 9 a.m. Mail ballots to LSA of Montgomery, P.O. Box 1131, Montgomery, AL 36101–1131. Phone: 334-270-0589

EU071: Site, time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA of Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35222–3465. Contact: Keitha Hudson, 205-595-9905

EU072: James E. Ward Agricultural & Community Center, 945 Baddour Pkwy. (off I-40 at exit 239), Lebanon, TN; Sunday, Oct. 11, 9 a.m. Mail ballots to LSA of Wilson County c/o Joyce Maneck, Mt. Juliet, TN 37122. Phone: 615-758-3336

EU091: Site, time TBA; Sat., Oct. 3. Mail ballots to LSA of Memphis c/o Janice Peterson, Memphis, TN 38107. Phone: 901-276-4106

EU092: Site, time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA of Vicksburg, Vicksburg, MS 39180–5249. Phone: 601-636-8628

EU093: Baton Rouge, LA, Bahá’í Center; Sunday, Oct. 4, 9:30 a.m. (Register 8:30 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of New Orleans c/o Cheryl Johnson, New Orleans, LA 70131. Phone: 504-433-2621

EU094: Site, time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA of Edinburg, Edinburg, TX 78539–7313. Contact: Wilson Ballard, 210-383-3189

EU095: Barrington Place Community Center, 13318 Rosstown Ct., Sugar Land, TX; Sunday, Oct. 4; 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Mail ballots to LSA of Sugar Land, P.O. Box 2103, Sugar Land, TX 77487–2103. Phone: 281-491-6806

EU096: Houston, TX, Bahá’í Center; Saturday, Oct. 3; 6 p.m. Mail ballots to LSA of Houston, P.O. Box 301190, Houston, TX 77230–1190. Phone: 281-531-0975 [Page 14]

SOUTHERN STATES

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

EU097: Austin Bahá’í Center, 2215 E.M. Franklin Ave., Austin, TX; Sunday, Oct. 4, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Mail ballots to LSA of Austin, 2215 E.M. Franklin Ave., Austin, TX 78723. Phone: 512-467-0645

EU098: Texas A&M University, Rudder Tower, College Station, TX; Sunday, Oct. 4, 9:30 a.m. Mail ballots to LSA of Round Rock, P.O. Box 433, Round Rock, TX 78680-0433. Phone: 512-863-6328

EU099: Tyler Bahá’í Center, 406 NNW Loop 323, Tyler, TX; time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA of Tyler, Tyler, TX 75707-1600. Phone: 903-566-8058

EU100: Southern Methodist University, Hughes-Trigg, Student Center, University Park, TX; Sunday, Oct. 4, 9 a.m. Mail ballots to LSA of Irving, P.O. Box 154636, Irving, TX 75015-4636. Phone: 214-529-5802

EU101: Site, time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA of Richardson c/o Linda Jenson, Richardson, TX 75081. Phone: 974-437-4604

EU102: Tarrant County Bahá’í Center, 723 E. Border, Arlington, TX; Sunday, Oct. 4, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. (Dawn prayers 6:30 a.m., register 8:30 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Bedford, P.O. Box 211482, Bedford, TX 76095-8482. Phone: 817-498-5026

EU103: El Paso Bahá’í Center, 9931 McCombs St., El Paso, TX; Sunday, Oct. 4, 9:30 a.m. Mail ballots to Mrs. Patricia Lang, El Paso, TX 79912-1950. Phone: 915-565-2211

EU104: University of Tulsa, Keplinger Hall, Tulsa, OK, off Harvard Ave. between 4th and 5th Pl.; Sunday, Oct. 11, time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA of Tulsa, P.O. Box 251, Tulsa, OK 74101-0251. Phone: 918-749-2859

EU105: Oklahoma City Bahá’í Center, 1201 S. Blackwelder, Oklahoma City, OK; Sunday, Oct. 4; time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA of Edmond, P.O. Box 1178, Edmond, OK 73083-1178. Phone: 919-383-1198

Are you a print design professional? Do you want an opportunity to serve on The American Bahá’í and Brilliant Star? See page 44 for details.

WESTERN STATES

EU113: Site, time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA of Fort Collins, P.O. Box 1118, Fort Collins, CO 80522-1118. Phone: 970-229-5962.

EU114: Metro Denver Bahá’í Center, 225 E. Bayaud Ave., Denver, CO; time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA of Denver c/o Leota Malleck, Denver, CO 80209-1706. Phone: 303-221-1077

EU115: Beech Street Kindergarten, 510 N. Beech, Cortez, CO; Sunday, Oct. 4, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. (Register 9 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Cortez, P.O. Box 165, Cortez, CO 81321. Phone: 970-565-2632

EU116: College of Santa Fe, 1600 St. Michael’s Drive, Santa Fe, NM; Sunday, Oct. 11; 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. (Register 8:30 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Santa Fe, P.O. Box 22907, Santa Fe, NM 87505. Phone: 505-983-8740

EU117: Albuquerque Bahá’í Center, 202 Harvard S.E., Albuquerque, NM; Sunday, Oct. 4, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. (Register 9 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Albuquerque c/o Jenni Beory, P.O. Box 21517, Albuquerque, NM 87154. Phone: 505-255-8639

EU118: NM School for the Visually Handicapped, Reese Hall, 1900 N. White Sands Blvd., Alamogordo, NM; Sunday, Oct. 4, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (Register 9 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Alamogordo, P.O. Box 1461, Alamogordo, NM 88311-1461. Phone: 505-434-4192

EU119: Site, time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA of Oro Valley, P.O. Box 36771, Tucson, AZ 85740-6771. Phone: 520-742-4656

EU120: Site, time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA of Mesa, P.O. Box 5487, Mesa, AZ 85211-5487. Phone: 602-981-6172

EU121: Phoenix, AZ, Bahá’í Center, 944 E. Mountain View; time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA of Phoenix, P.O. Box 9961, Phoenix, AZ 85068-0961. Phone: 602-997-2826

EU122: Dysart Union High School Dist. Off., 530 E. Riley, Avondale, AZ; Sunday, Oct. 4, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. (Register 8:30 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Avondale c/o Susan Cunningham, P.O. Box 507, Avondale, AZ 85323. Phone: 602-925-0989

EU123: Arizona State University, Pima Room-Memorial Union, Apache Blvd., Tempe, AZ; Sunday, Oct 4, 1-5 p.m. (Register 12 noon) Mail ballots to LSA of Tempe, P.O. Box 504, Tempe, AZ 85280-0504. Phone: 602-839-1963

EU124: Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 510 N. Leroux, Flagstaff, AZ; Saturday, Oct. 3, time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA of Flagstaff, P.O. Box 2533, Flagstaff, AZ 86003-2533. Phone: 520-526-4801

EU125: (Tentative) Native American Bahá’í Institute, Houck, AZ; Sunday, Oct. 4, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. (Register 9 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Gallup, P.O. Box 1822, Gallup, NM 87305. Phone: 505-722-0039

EU126: Site, time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA of Salt Lake County, P.O. Box 57775, Salt Lake City, UT 84757-0775. Phone: 801-967-6680

EU127: Best Western Colonial Hotel, 2301 Colonial Dr., Helena, MT 59601; 9 a.m.-3 p.m. (Register 8 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Helena c/o Sandi Marisdotter, Helena, MT 59601-3202. Phone: 406-442-7526

EU128: West Valley High School, 8301 E. Buckeye, Spokane, WA; Sunday, Oct. 4, 9:30 a.m. (Register 9 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Spokane CCD #2 c/o David Simmons, Veradale, WA 99037-9001. Phone: 509-255-9926

EU129: Site, time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA of Toppenish, Toppenish, WA 98948-1037. Phone: 509-865-5062

EU130: Winnemucca Convention Center, 50 W. Winnemucca Ave, Winnemucca, NV; Saturday, Oct. 3, time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA of Sparks c/o Nancy Jeppson, P.O. Box 505, Sparks, NV 89432. Phone: 702-626-5454

EU131: Las Vegas Bahá’í Center, 7035 West Oakey Blvd., Las Vegas, NV; Sunday, Oct. 4, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. (Register 8:30 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Clark County West, Las Vegas, NV 89103. Phone: 702-873-3318

EU132: Helix High School cafeteria, 7323 University Ave., La Mesa, CA; Sunday, Oct. 4, 9 a.m. (Register 8:30 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of La Mesa c/o Jim Schechter, P.O. Box 1113, LaMesa, CA 91944-1113. Phone: 619-464-6761

EU133: San Diego Bahá’í Center; 6545 Alcala Knolls Dr., San Diego, CA; Sunday, Oct. 4, 2-5 p.m. (Register 1:30 p.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of San Diego, 6545 Alcala Knolls Dr., San Diego, CA 92111. Phone: 619-262-8462

EU134: Carlsbad Senior Center, 799 Pine Ave., Carlsbad, CA; Sunday, Oct. 4, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. (Register 8:30 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Escondido c/o Unit Convention Ballot, P.O. Box 300691, Escondido, CA 92030. Phone: 760-744-6228

EU135: Harris Department Store, 3635 Riverside Plaza, Central Ave., Riverside, CA; Sunday, Oct. 4. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (Register 9 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Riverside c/o Riverside Bahá’í Center, Riverside, CA 92501. Phone: 909-683-6515

EU136: Bahá’í Center, 3316 Ave. Del Presidente, San Clemente, CA; Sunday, Oct. 11, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (Register 9 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Laguna Niguel, P.O. Box 7776, Laguna Niguel, CA 92607. Phone: 714-831-1609

EU137: Tustin Community Room, 300 Centennial Way, Tustin, CA; Sunday, Oct. 4, 1-5 p.m. Mail ballots to LSA of Tustin, P.O. Box 681, Tustin, CA 92781. Phone: 714-838-2011

EU138: Fullerton Senior Center, 340 West Commonwealth Ave., Fullerton, CA; Sunday, Oct. 4, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. (Register 9 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Orange c/o Jean Gruber, P.O. Box 5441, Orange, CA 92613-5441. Phone: 714-633-3435

EU139: Furman Park, 10419 Rives Ave., Downey, CA; Sunday, Oct. 4, 1:30-5 p.m. (Register 1 p.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Long Beach c/o Travis Williams, P.O. Box 4150, Long Beach, CA 90804-0150. Phone: 562-425-4676

EU140: Culver City Veterans Memorial Bldg., 4117 Overland Ave., Culver City, CA; Sunday, Oct. 4, 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. (Register 10 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Santa Monica, P.O. Box 1066, Santa Monica, CA 90406. Phone: 310-829-9625

EU141: Arcadia Community Center, 365 Campus Drive, Arcadia, CA; Sunday, Oct. 4, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (Register 8:30 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Monrovia c/o Joanie Yuille, P.O. Box 346, Monrovia, CA 91017-0857. Phone: 626-358-8254

EU142: Los Angeles Bahá’í Center, 5755 Rodeo Rd., Los Angeles, CA; time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA of Los Angeles, 5755 Rodeo Rd., Los Angeles, CA 90016-5013. Phone: 818-908-1020

EU143: Canyon Country Park, 17615 Soledad Canyon Rd., Canyon Country, CA; Sunday, Oct. 4, 9:45 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (Register 9 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Newhall JD c/o Mojgan Tabrizi, Castaic, CA 91384. Phone: 805-257-4398

EU144: Rancho Santa Susana Community Center, 5005 Los Angeles Ave., Simi Valley, CA; Sunday, Oct. 4, 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. (Register 9 a.m.) Mail ballots to H. Rastegar, Agoura Hills, CA 91301. Phone: 818-991-3512

EU145: Nine Oaks Bahá’í Institute, 1201 Old Oak Park Rd., Arroyo Grande, CA; Sunday, Oct. 4, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (Register 9 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Bakersfield, P.O. Box 9002, Bakersfield, CA 93389-9002. Phone: 805-398-6203

EU146: Site TBA; Sunday, Oct. 4, 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (Register 9 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Toro and Laguna Seca, P.O. Box 422, Salinas, CA 93902. Phone: 408-484-9351

EU147: Fresno Bahá’í Center, 2240 E. Angus Ave., Fresno, CA; Sunday, Oct. 4, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (Register 9 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Clovis c/o Pattie Lacefield, P.O. Box 462, Clovis, CA 93613. Phone: 209-297-7137

EU148: Regional Bahá’í Center, 995 Willow St., San Jose, CA; Sunday, Oct. 4, 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. (Register 9 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of San Jose c/o Don Burt Jr., P.O. Box 6381, San Jose, CA 95150. Phone: 408-997-2621

EU149: Bosch Bahá’í School, Santa Cruz, CA; Sunday, Oct. 4, time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA of Mountain View, P.O. Box 1223, Mountain View, CA 94042-1223. Phone: 650-961-3374

EU150: Kiwanis Community Center, 1017 Cedar St., San Carlos, CA; Sunday, Oct. 4, 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. (Register 9 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of San Carlos c/o Mehran Bashiri, San Carlos, CA 94070. Phone: 650-596-9635 [Page 15]

Congress hears update on the plight of Bahá’ís in the cradle of the Faith

ahá’ís in Iran continue to be subjected to a ban continue to be tions, confiscation of properties, denial of access to higher education and other forms of pressure to recant their faith, a spokesman for the U.S. Bahá’í community said June 16 at a congressional hearing on religious persecution abroad.

Firuz Kazemzadeh, National Spiritual Assembly secretary for external affairs, testified before the House International Relations Subcommittee on International Operations and Human Rights.

The hearing focused on victims of religious persecution around the world. Others who testified included a Christian woman from Pakistan, a Muslim man from the Xinijan Uyghur region of China, a Tibetan Buddhist nun and a Cuban religious leader.

Dr. Kazemzadeh said that there has been no sign of change toward the Bahá’ís, and that in some ways the pressure against the Bahá’í community has intensified this year.

"To a Western mind it is difficult to understand why a regime which is gradually permitting a degree of pluralism in political and social life should be bent on suppressing an apolitical minority which poses no threat," Dr. Kazemzadeh said. "The explanation lies in the sinister interaction of political opportunism and unexamined religious prejudice determining all aspects of the matter. Whenever political leaders have felt a need to divert public attention from some economic, social, or political issue, they have found the Bahá’í community an easy target because of the senseless hostility and prejudice inculcated in the public by generations of ecclesiastical propaganda," he said.

Dr. Kazemzadeh cited the case of a Bahá’í children’s class that was held at the home of a Bahá’í family in Mashhad. On May 1, armed guards surrounded the house and took the teacher, the owner of the house, and 12 students aged 15 and 16 into custody.

The Bahá’ís were not allowed to contact a lawyer and no official charges were filed, but after a hasty trial the two adults were sentenced to three years' imprisonment. The youths were given a suspended sentence of five years' imprisonment to be activated if they were ever caught attending a Bahá’í class again.

Dr. Kazemzadeh also reported that two Bahá’ís in Birjand last year were sentenced without charges to two years' imprisonment and confiscation of their property. The Court of Appeals later confirmed the sentence in an "extraordinary verdict... [stating] that 'Bahá’ísm is recognized as an illegal organization,' thus making a mockery of the Iranian government's claim that Bahá’ís retain their right to the observance of their religious beliefs."

The appeals court decision stated the defendants were regularly holding meetings on "Bahá’í Life." The court cited this as evidence of criminal behavior, including espionage for the state of Israel, Dr. Kazemzadeh said.

"It is startling that the court judgment accepts as evidence of illegal activity such actions as holding classes for Bahá’í youth in the English language, science, and technology," he said.

Some 10,000 Iranian Bahá’ís have taken refuge in the U.S. since 1979.

Up-to-date news releases on the situation of Bahá’ís in Iran have been sent to public information representatives for Bahá’í communities across the country. These, along with the full text of the June 16 testimony before the congressional panel, can be found on the National Spiritual Assembly's Administrative Web site (www.usbnc.org) or the public Web site (www.us.bahai.org).

STATUS OF THE BAHÁ’Í COMMUNITY IN IRAN

This information is drawn from a "current situation" report released July 22 by the National Spiritual Assembly:

• The Bahá’í Faith is not recognized as a legitimate religion; as "unprotected infidels," Bahá’ís have no legal rights.
• More than 200 Bahá’ís have been executed since 1979, solely on account of religion. Four are under death sentence, two of these for apostasy. Fifteen Bahá’ís are in prison, compared with nearly 750 in 1986.
• Bahá’ís are denied jobs and pensions, and barred from universities. Bahá’í marriages and divorces are not recognized. The right to inherit is denied.
• U.S. and world response: Congress has adopted seven resolutions condemning Iran's persecution of Bahá’ís and urging religious rights for the community. The 1997 U.N. General Assembly Resolution (A/RES/52/142) calls for emancipating the Bahá’í community.

WESTERN STATES

EU151: Chabat College, 25555 Hesperian Blvd., Hayward, CA; Sunday, Oct. 4, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. (Register 9 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Fremont c/o Farzaneh Sani, P.O. Box 3531, Fremont, CA 94539. Phone: 510-657-7777

EU152: Bancroft Elementary School, 2200 Parish Dr., Walnut Creek, CA; Sunday, Oct. 4, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. (Register 8:30 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Orinda, P.O. Box, Orinda, CA 94563-0064. Phone: 925-253-0412

EU153: Site, time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA of Vacaville, P.O. Box 2101, Vacaville, CA 95696-8101. Phone: 707-447-3609

EU154: Roseville High School, 601 Tahoe Ave., Roseville, CA; Sunday, Oct. 4, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. (Register 8:30 a.m.) c/o Sandra Moline, Roseville, CA 95678. Phone: 916-774-9392

EU155: Gold Run Elementary School, 470 Searls Ave., Nevada City, CA; Sunday, Oct. 4, 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. (Register 9 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Nevada County Central, P.O. Box 1092, Nevada City, CA 95959–1092. Phone: 530-477-1351

EU156: Petaluma Community Center, 320 N. McDowell Blvd., Petaluma, CA; Saturday, Oct. 3, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. (Register 9:30 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Petaluma, P.O. Box 23, Petaluma, CA 94953-0023. Phone: 707-769-1591

EU157: Ashland Community Center, 59 Winburn Way, Ashland, OR; Sunday, Oct. 4, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (Register 9 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Medford, P.O. Box 534, Medford, OR 97501-0036. Phone: 541-770-9128

EU158: Umpqua Community College, 1140 College Rd., Roseburg, OR; Sunday, Oct. 4, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (Register 9 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Douglas County, P.O. Box 212, Winchester, OR 97495-0212. Phone: 541-459-9763

EU159: LaSells Stewart Center, 26th at Western S.W., Corvallis, OR; Sunday, Oct. 4, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (Register 9 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Corvallis c/o Melissa Putzke, P.O. Box 309, Corvallis, OR 97339-0309. Phone: 541-752-7066

EU160: Portland Bahá’í Center, 8720 N. Ivanhoe, Portland, OR; Saturday, Oct. 3, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (Register 9 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Milwaukie, P.O. Box 22517, Milwaukie, OR 97269-2517. Phone: 503-652-9319

EU161: Portland Bahá’í Center, 8720 N. Ivanhoe St., Portland, OR; Sunday, Oct. 4, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. (Register 9 a.m.) Mail ballots to LSA of Portland, P.O. Box 83297, Portland, OR 97283-0297. Phone: 503-736-9388

EU162: Tigard Senior Center, 8813 O'Mara St., Tigard, OR; Sunday, Oct. 4, 1-5 p.m. (Register 12 noon) Mail ballots to LSA of Beaverton c/o Mary Steiger, Beaverton, OR 97008-6032. Phone: 503-644-6751

EU163: Site, time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA of King County East Central, P.O. Box 722, Issaquah, WA 98027-0027. Phone: 425-396-8253

EU164: Carco Theatre, 1717 Maple Valley Hwy., Renton, WA; Sunday, Oct. 11, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Mail ballots to LSA of Kirkland c/o Patt Savage, P.O. Box 128, Kirkland, WA 98083-0128. Phone: 425-823-1349

EU165: Site, time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA of Burien, P.O. Box 373, Seahurst, WA 98062-0373. Phone: 206-244-3757

EU166: Site, time TBA. Mail ballots to LSA of Everett, P.O. Box 2001, Everett, WA 98203-0001. Phone: 425-259-0993

EU167: Bremerton High School, 1500 13th St., Bremerton, WA; Sunday, Oct. 4; 1-4:30 p.m. (Register 12 noon) Mail ballots to LSA of Bremerton c/o Pat Sloan, Bremerton, WA 98310-6201. Phone: 360-377-1977

EXECUTION

Ruhollah Rowhani, 52, was a medical supplies salesman and a father of four.

relatives to attend the funeral. Rope marks on his neck appeared to indicate Mr. Rowhani was executed by hanging.

A July 23 statement from the White House press secretary, on behalf of President Clinton, said: "The United States condemns this action, which violates the most basic international norms and universal standards of human rights. ... Furthermore, the United States deplores the gravely flawed process by which Mr. Rowhani was charged and executed." The President offered his condolences to the Rowhani family.

On the same day the State Department condemned the execution and added, "We have also called for the release of all those serving sentences for the peaceful expression of their religious or political beliefs. ... The President and Secretary [of State Madeleine] Albright have made it clear that the issue of freedom of conscience and belief is a central component of our human rights policy in Iran and around the world."

That same week the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and other governments around the world, such as Canada, Germany and Australia, also made condemnatory statements appealing to Iran to guarantee the safety of the other Bahá’í prisoners. [Page 16]

Rich & Noble, too

Rich & Noble, too is about the Bahá’í Funds. Kids can and do give to the Funds and help the world tremendously by doing so!

The Universal House of Justice has said that we must act, act now, and continue to act! LIANG the LION wanted to know what it means to “act.” LIANG looked in the dictionary and found the meaning of the word “act” to be “a thing done or a deed.” Excellent! So, as Bahá’ís we have lots we can do to “act.” We can serve others, be kind to others, share the Faith with our friends, love and say prayers for our families and Spiritual Assemblies, give to the Fund, and lots more! LIANG reminds us that whatever we do, big or small, all of it is very important. How do we know it is the right thing to do? LIANG says that if we do it for the love of Bahá’u’lláh and follow the Covenant, then we know it is right. (To learn more about the Covenant, see the new May/June color issue of BRILLIANT STAR. It talks about the power of the Covenant.) Meanwhile, here’s a puzzle from LIANG…

Activity by the Office of the Treasurer

Complete the word puzzle with the words underlined in the sentence below. It is a special sentence by the Universal House of Justice because it reminds us that each one of us has an important role in serving Bahá’u’lláh! LIANG helped you start the puzzle with the letters in the word “ACT.” Have fun!

Not all believers can give PUBLIC TALKS, not all are called upon to SERVE on administrative institutions. But all can PRAY, fight their own SPIRITUAL BATTLES, and CONTRIBUTE to the FUND.

Do you want to be a PEN PAL? Do you have something to submit to BRILLIANT STAR like photographs, stories, poems, or drawings? Tell us what you are doing lately in your Bahá’í community!

Our upcoming themes:

• Force of Transformation
• Dynamics of Prayer
• Study of the Holy Texts
• Inspired to Teach

Send mail to: Brilliant Star (Submissions) Managing Editor BRILLIANT STAR c/o Bahá’í Media Services 1233 Central St. · Evanston, IL 60201 tel/847.853.2355 · fax/847.256.1372

Brilliant Star in Color!

ATTENTION UNIT CONVENTION CHILDREN’S PROGRAM COORDINATORS: Use the new color Special Edition of BRILLIANT STAR and accompanying tape (with music from Red and Kathy Grammer) for your children’s programs.

Order from the Bahá’í Distribution Service (1.800.999.9019). Or for information, contact the Education and Schools Office at (847) 733-3492 or at their e-mail address ( )

LIANG has made new friends and wants you to meet them! LIANG’s friends sent in a special gift! They gave a contribution to the National Bahá’í Fund! They “acted”! These special friends go to the Westside Bahá’í School in Michigan. Every Sunday they pray together and memorize Bahá’u’lláh’s words. LIANG is so proud of them! Hooray for the children and pre-youth at Westside Bahá’í School! If you have stories or ideas about the Bahá’í Funds, contact LIANG at the Office of the Treasurer (mail: 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201-1611 / e-mail: )

SUBSCRIPTION FORM

Please enclose payment. Canadian/International orders enclose international money order or bank cheque drawn on a U.S. bank in U.S. dollars. To charge your credit card account, give number, expiration date and name.

Name ___________________________________________	VISA/MC#/AMEX __________________________________
Bahá’í ID # ______________________________________	Exp. Date _______________________________________
Street __________________________________________	Name on Account _________________________________
City & State _____________________ Zip __________	Signature required for credit card orders
Phone ____________________ E-mail _______________	Total enclosed __________________________________

MARK YOUR SUBSCRIPTION

• $18 United States, one year (six issues)
• $32 United States, two years
• $18 All other countries, surface mail, one year
• $32 All other countries, surface mail, two years
• $28 Air mail, one year
• $52 Air mail, two years

Mail to: Bahá’í Subscriber Service 5397 Wilbanks Drive • Chattanooga, TN 37343 Fax: 423-843-0836 E-mail: _________________________________________ [Page 17]At the beginning of the Four Year Plan the Universal House of Justice declared that “in North America there are opportunities for the advancement of the process of entry by troops, the like of which presently exist in no other place on earth.” To exploit these opportunities it directed our attention to the urgent need to intensify our efforts in building “the Bahá’í System,” which it explained would “attract the confirmations of Bahá’u’lláh,” “invoke a spiritual atmosphere,” “stimulate the release of pent-up forces,” and bring about both the growth of the Bahá’í community and a “change in the direction of human affairs throughout the planet.” Moreover, the Supreme Body issued a call to action urging us to mount and sustain a teaching effort in which everyone is enthusiastically involved, develop institutes for training the friends, and support the completion of the Mount Carmel projects.

At the Plan’s midpoint we pause to assess our progress in carrying out our Divine mandate and to set our agenda for the remaining two years.

BUILDING THE BAHÁ’Í SYSTEM

The historic decision of the Universal House of Justice to establish Regional Bahá’í Councils in the four regions ‘Abdu’l-Bahá addressed in His Tablets of the Divine Plan was in itself an unprecedented leap in the development of the Bahá’í System. The Councils are sure to increase greatly our capacity to carry out the teaching plan and to create strong local spiritual assemblies. The spiritual quality and broad participation in the electoral process exemplified the discipline and devotion in evidence among the friends and local spiritual assemblies. The election of the new institution, held the first and only time on the day commemorating the birth of Bahá’u’lláh, galvanized the community.

The Universal House of Justice set the standard for the Council’s work in its initial message to the newly formed institutions saying, “we take this opportunity to express our heartfelt, best wishes and particularly to urge the members of the Regional Councils to press forward quickly in effecting sound action that will boost the thrust in the expansion and consolidation of the community, so that there will be no slackening of the momentum already achieved, but rather a greater upsurge in activity than has yet been evident.” Inspired with a sense of urgency, the Regional Councils immediately began making their plans and meeting with the friends.

MOUNTING AND SUSTAINING A CAMPAIGN

At the beginning of the Four Year Plan the National Spiritual Assembly saw the process of entry by troops as having three phases:

1. Start-Up, during which the Plan’s elements were studied, strategies formulated, infrastructure built, and the national community mobilized.

2. Concerted Action, during which the Plan is vigorously pursued on all fronts, our understanding grows, and refinements are made.

3. Harvest, during which we will see an acceleration of growth resulting from our struggle to sustain vigorous teaching efforts.

The March 28, 1998, national broadcast of The Power of Race Unity signaled the launch of the second stage of advancing the process of entry by troops—concerted action. The National Teaching Plan using the media, carefully designed by the National Teaching Committee, focuses on strengthening the community’s ability to proclaim the Bahá’í Faith to a large audience in a way that elicits a positive response. The Plan seeks to integrate adults, youth, and children in spiritual, social, educational, and administrative activities and to stimulate their involvement in local teaching and development plans. The strategy is the product of the analysis of a large body of social science research that indicates that tens of millions of Americans are now searching for a new religion that has the teachings and characteristics of the Bahá’í Faith and that, to reach this population with the Bahá’í message, we must employ mass communications in concert with local proclamation and teaching efforts.

The National Teaching Plan was announced in the fall of 1997 in successive editions of the American Bahá’í, a special video message, and letters to the Nineteen Day Feasts. Its core elements are a broadcast-quality video on race unity that was tested in a series of focus groups followed by pilot broadcasts in conjunction with a multifaceted teaching campaign. The video was produced by SIDCorp (a grass-roots video production project) with the assistance of the National Assembly’s Media Services Department. After pilot testing in Atlanta, Georgia, followed by more analysis and refinement, the National Assembly determined that the time had come to launch a large-scale teaching initiative with a series of national broadcasts.

Response to the plan has exceeded all past efforts. Over 1,100 local spiritual assemblies have asked to participate and have designed local plans comprising firesides, devotional meetings, service projects, and local proclamations that include cable access broadcasts of the video. In addition, the video broadcasts are supported by a new Web site for inquirers, radio broadcasts, and a national 1-800 telephone service that sends the call directly to the locality of the inquirer. Regional Bahá’í Councils are also making plans to advance the National Teaching Plan. Public information representatives are distributing copies of The Power of Race Unity and information about its broadcast times and public meetings. Two examples from very different communities serve to illustrate the friends’ enthusiasm and the kinds of activities underway.

In Boston, Massachusetts, the Boston Coordinating Task Force invited all area public information representatives to a planning meeting to prepare for the media initiative. Their plan, which is now under way, calls for 7 airings of The Power of Race Unity on a local television station that reaches 2.2 million households; 50 newspaper ads over four weeks; advertising spots on CNN, Lifetime, and the Arts and Entertainment channels; advertising slides on 300 movie screens at 15 area General Cinema and Sony theaters; 100 spots on the Global African Independent Television Network; 25 preview screenings with elected officials and leaders of thought; and radio spots on classical and urban contemporary stations.

In Charleston, West Virginia, Bahá’í public information representatives sent The Power of Race Unity to a local television station with materials describing the national race unity campaign. Portions were aired in the lead story of the eleven o’clock news to counterbalance a report on the attempts of white supremacists to organize a whites-only church in West Virginia. In summary the anchor said, “the Bahá’ís are hoping to begin a serious dialogue on solving the problem of racism.” The co-anchor added, “Yes, and I understand the Bahá’ís believe the problem is best solved by doing this unity work.”

The March broadcasts on the Odyssey Interfaith Network will be followed by another series of broadcasts beginning Race Unity Day on Black Entertainment Television, a national network with tens of millions of viewers. The National Teaching Plan using the media is succeeding beyond our expectations. In the first week over 3,000 viewers called our 800 number for literature and meeting information while thousands more explored our Web site. Surveys of the Bahá’í community during the same week indicated that 38 percent of the community had activities in support of the campaign, attracting an additional 3,000 people to meetings, while another 46 percent made plans to be carried out in the immediate future. Bahá’í communities across the country reported a sharp increase in public response to their teaching efforts. We are now completely confident that the media initiative can produce tens of thousands of seekers.

Talks are proceeding with other television networks to allow us universal access to all households in the United States. The Plan requires prolonged, systematic national and local broadcasts of the video to heighten public awareness of the Bahá’í message. After reviewing The Power of Race Unity, officials at the Odyssey Interfaith Network stated that the video set a standard for religious programming.

The success of the National Teaching Plan will come only with long-term persistence of our proclamation and teaching efforts. Months and years of repeated airings of this and other videos will gradually result in a swelling audience of people interested in learning about the Bahá’í Faith. Growing public interest must be nurtured by a wide range of continuous teaching and devotional activities. Bahá’í communities must cultivate among seekers a deep inner recognition that they have found their true spiritual family. To the extent that Bahá’í communities can demonstrate the qualities of indiscriminate love and unity lacking in society at large, we will succeed in hastening the moment of large-scale growth. Local and regional institutes will be employed to help deepen and consecrate seekers and new believers.

SIGNS OF READINESS

In its letter of May 19, 1994, the Universal House of Justice reiterated the following instruction of Shoghi Effendi:

“The opportunities which the turmoil of the present age presents, with all the sorrows which it evokes, the fears which it excites, the disillusionment which it produces, the perplexities which it creates, the indignation which it arouses, the revolt which it provokes, the grievances it engenders, the spirit of restless search which it awakens, must,” he asserted, “be exploited for the purpose of spreading far and wide the knowledge of the redemptive power of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, and for enlisting fresh recruits in the ever-swelling army of His followers.”

Bearing Shoghi Effendi’s instructions in mind, the National Spiritual Assembly designated race unity and gender equality as the twin foci of the Four Year Plan. In concert with the main theme of the National Teaching Plan, and in response to President Clinton’s call for a national dialogue on race, the National Assembly asked the Bahá’í community to initiate thousands of dialogues on race unity from December 1997 through Race Unity Day, June 14, 1998. In a statement calling for leadership in race unity, the Assembly emphasized that Bahá’ís have a central role in the nation’s struggle for racial justice and unity. Here the destiny of America and of the Bahá’í Faith are tightly intertwined. Although it is too soon at this writing to estimate the number of such meetings held, surveys indicate that almost 70 percent of Bahá’í communities regularly sponsor race unity activities.

The National Spiritual Assembly is deeply grateful to the Continental Counselors for their leadership in this arena by training all of their Auxiliary Board members earlier this year on the ‎most vital and challenging issue and issues most vital and challenging issue and issues‎ of cultural unity. The meeting focused on the spiritual principles involved in addressing issues of race and [Page 18]...diversity, the relationship of these issues to teaching the Cause of God, the role of individuals and institutions in bringing about racial harmony, and how the Board members can help local spiritual assemblies and communities make freedom from racial prejudice their watchword. We anticipate with great appreciation the lasting effects of these important efforts.

THE ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN

To coordinate the rapidly growing range of activities for the advancement of women, the National Spiritual Assembly established the Office of Women’s Affairs and appointed as its director Mrs. Juana Conrad, Assistant Secretary of the National Assembly. The Office has been given the task of working closely with the Office of the Secretary for External Affairs, the National Committee for the Advancement of Women, Regional Bahá’í Councils, local spiritual assemblies, and other agencies of the Faith.

A small sampling of the year’s work includes the following highlights. The National Assembly’s external affairs coordinator and Amnesty International USA’s chief counsel continued to cochair the “Working Group on Ratification of the United Nations Convention to Eliminate Discrimination Against Women” (CEDAW).

In January 1998 the working group, composed of more than 100 non-governmental organizations, launched a “Campaign for Commitment” to encourage uncommitted U.S. senators to pledge their support for ratification of the treaty by generating thousands of letters from constituents. The more than 5,000 letters generated by the ‎Bahá’í’s Bahá’ís‎ accounted for nearly half of the letters received from all of the participating organizations. The National Assembly’s Washington, D.C., staff was instrumental in setting up and taking part in meetings to deliver the letters to the offices of the target senators.

The National Assembly’s representative attended a commemoration of International Women’s Day at the White House on March 11, 1998 at which both the President and Mrs. Clinton were present. The President took the opportunity to announce a major initiative by his administration to work with the Senate to insure ratification of CEDAW during the current session of Congress. The Bahá’í representative had the opportunity to speak with the First Lady about the CEDAW campaign and about the role of the Bahá’ís in this effort.

The newly appointed National Committee for the Advancement of Women has been active on several fronts. Their main task has been encouraging distribution, understanding, and action on the statement Two Wings of a Bird: The Equality of Women and Men. Already over 100,000 copies have been distributed. Other efforts include overseeing the translation of the statement into Chinese, Persian, and Spanish; conducting workshops and presentations on gender equality at Bahá’í Schools, institutes, and conferences; working directly with local spiritual assemblies; conducting interviews with the media; and holding a training conference to develop public speaking and group facilitation skills for use in gender equality activities.

In May 1998 the National Spiritual Assembly’s Secretary-General will present a plenary address based on Two Wings to the International Conference on the Education of Girls, chaired by Hillary Rodham Clinton.

EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

In its Ridván 153 message the Universal House of Justice said that “in the arena of eternal affairs, efforts will be aimed at influencing the processes toward world peace, particularly through the community’s involvement in the promotion of human rights, the status of women, global prosperity, and moral development.” The National Assembly’s external affairs offices concluded a vibrant year, the activities of which included regular consultations with the United States Government and with like-minded nongovernmental organizations on issues such as the defense of the Bahá’ís in Iran and their eventual emancipation and religious persecution in other countries; participation in the President’s Initiative on Race; encouraging the U.S. Government to pay its arrears and current dues to the United Nations; leadership in urging U.S. ratification of the U.N. treaty to eliminate discrimination against women; defense of the rights of women in countries where severe violations occur; and promoting race unity.

The presence of a Bahá’í, Dr. Wilma Ellis, on the State Department’s Advisory Committee on Religious Freedom Abroad, her role as co-chair of a subgroup on religious persecution, and the issuance of the Committee’s first report to the President and the Secretary of State were highlights of an appointment that has increased greatly the prestige of the Bahá’í Faith in the nation’s capital.

The National Spiritual Assembly, responding to the Iranian President’s address to the American people, sent him a letter that the Assembly also published in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times. Numerous local Bahá’í communities also published the letter to President Khatami in newspapers in cities and towns across the country.

BAHÁ’Í COMMUNITY LIFE

The foundation of the building of the Bahá’í System lies in the transformation of the spiritual qualities of individual and Bahá’í community life. The Universal House of Justice emphasized that spiritualizing our lives is “fundamentally important” to ensuring the success of our efforts to advance the process of entry by troops. It explained that, “It is not enough to proclaim the Bahá’í message, essential as that is, it is not enough to expand the rolls of Bahá’í membership, vital as that is. Souls must be transformed, communities thereby consolidated, new models of life, thus attained. Transformation is the essential purpose of the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh, but it lies in the will and effort of the individual to achieve it in obedience to the Covenant.”

To assist the friends in their efforts to attain the goal of spiritual transformation, part three of the three-part course on the fundamental verities of the Faith, a segment of the Core Curriculum, was completed and made available to all training institutes and to others through the Bahá’í Distribution Service. Core Curriculum trainers in the United States now number 501, of which 63 were trained in presenting the Marriage and Family Life program, 38 as Parent Facilitators, 43 as Race Unity Trainers, and there are 32 teacher trainers in 15 states.

Recently, a National Task Force for Family and Community Life was appointed to help the community fulfill another major objective—“a firmer and worldwide demonstration of the Bahá’í way of life requiring special consideration of the Bahá’í education of children and youth, the strengthening of Bahá’í family life and attention to universal participation and the spiritual enrichment of individual life.” The Task Force is charged with making a comprehensive review of the Bahá’í teachings on family and community life, collecting and evaluating models of family and community development within the American Bahá’í community, and the planning of programs and courses on these subjects at the Bahá’í schools and institutes.

Since the Holy Year there has been a marked increase in the number of Bahá’ís, Bahá’í communities and local spiritual assemblies engaged in a conscious struggle to raise the spiritual quality of Bahá’í life. The dramatic rise in enthusiasm generated by the National Teaching Plan, prompting more than 1,100 spiritual assemblies to enlist their communities in its support, and the rapidly growing number of teaching projects are encouraging signs of the community’s growing spiritual maturity. Moreover, surveys of the Bahá’í community conducted before the Holy Year and again recently show extraordinary progress in the numbers of Bahá’ís praying daily, reading the sacred writings, teaching the Faith weekly to friends and acquaintances, and feeling good about being Bahá’í. Likewise, growing numbers of Bahá’ís are participating in race unity and gender equality efforts, giving to the Funds, and taking an active role in organized teaching activities.

Response to the call for pioneers and traveling teachers is another measure of the friends’ growing vigor in the pursuit of Bahá’í life. Thus far 537 souls have arisen to pioneer, including 103 to China, 19 of African descent to Africa, and 97 to the Bahá’í Youth Service Corps. International traveling teaching trips numbered 3,260, including 145 to China. Forty-five Bahá’ís of African descent have made teaching trips to Africa this year, making a total of 97 thus far in the Plan.

Following the instruction of the Universal House of Justice to stimulate participation of Bahá’ís of Iranian background in all aspects of Bahá’í life, especially the teaching work, the National Persian-American Affairs Task Force has devised a strategy. It involves establishing a national system of Area Persian-American Affairs Task Forces. Thus far, task forces have been established in 14 locations.

Bahá’í youth across our nation are taking to heart the message sent on behalf of Shoghi Effendi on August 8, 1957, to the Bahá’í Youth of Denver, Colorado, encouraging “the Youth of America to raise the Banner of the Faith to ever higher and more glorious heights. The Youth should become severed from all things of the world and filled with the dynamic power of the Holy Spirit, arise to spread the Message and quicken the hearts.” Approximately 65 young believers are serving in the Bahá’í Youth Service Corps in posts overseas and across the United States. Over 200 Bahá’í youth workshops are operating nationwide and some of them have assisted in founding workshops in 60 other countries. Formed a year ago February, “Reflections of Diversity,” a Bahá’í youth workshop in Utah, made 90 presentations about the Faith at events that included the Young Women’s Christian Association’s Week Without Violence and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s State Convention. To celebrate its one year anniversary, the workshop hosted a benefit concert for the Young Men’s Christian Association’s (YMCA) homeless and battered women and children’s fund. On December 6, 1997, over a dozen workshop participants came together to celebrate their successes while honoring “JEDI Women” (Justice, Economic Dignity, and Independence for Women) for their work with low-income single women. The University of North Carolina at Asheville Bahá’í Club, one of the 225 Bahá’í clubs nationwide, was named by the University as last year’s “Outstanding Student Organization of the year.”

Youth activities suffered a setback when the National Youth Conference scheduled to be held in Knoxville, Tennessee, was canceled due to low registration. Through the Knoxville Local Spiritual Assembly’s heroic efforts, a training conference was held in its stead, serving a small gathering of youth and adults.

More than 75 percent of all Spiritual Assemblies participated in training and development activities this year. A Miracle of Governance, the Stewardship Seminars, and the Spiritual Assembly Development Modules were the most frequently used methods of training. The compilation Developing Distinctive Bahá’í Communities: Guidelines for Spiritual Assemblies has been revised to assist those efforts. It includes guidance received from the Universal House of Justice during the last decade. Customized Assembly training is a rapidly growing and highly rated approach. Awareness of the need for systematic training and development is well entrenched among most Assemblies. Concurrently, the complexity of the Assemblies’ undertakings is growing fast. The staples of Spiritual Assembly work, such as teaching institutes, children and youth classes, and teaching and service initiatives, are increasingly becoming external affairs activities, race unity and gender equality efforts, and joint ventures with like-minded [Page 19]organizations in the larger community.

Another important measure of the progress of our struggle for spiritual growth is the steady increase of contributions to the Bahá’í Funds, which rose 20 percent from last year’s total to $19.9 million. An additional $3.1 million in earmarked and other contributions was processed at the National Center, bringing total contributions received by the National Spiritual Assembly to some $23 million. Of that sum $9.6 million was sent to the Universal House of Justice, to the Mount Carmel Projects Fund, and to the Continental Fund. Additional contributions were made to international goals assigned to this community by the House of Justice.

Notwithstanding the increase in contributions, the National Bahá’í Fund did not reach its goal and incurred a deficit of $2.2 million. The National Assembly is concerned that a continued deficit would sharply limit its ability to sustain the marked increase in the teaching work, community development, and the repair of the House of Worship. At the same time, the Assembly is confident that the strong spirit of devotion evident throughout the community will inspire the friends to provide the full measure of funds needed to sustain the march toward entry by troops.

SPECIAL NOTES

The new format and editorial style of The American Bahá’í has received high marks from its readers, including the Universal House of Justice, which wrote to “express its pleasure at the new style and content, and to request you to assure the editorial staff of its prayers on their behalf in the Holy Shrines, that they may be blessed by divine confirmations in their endeavors.” The periodical will continue to add new features in future months. Efforts are now underway to study changes in the content, format, and distribution of Brilliant Star and World Order magazines.

With the restoration work completed, care of the House of Worship has entered the Conservation Phase, during which replacement of the stairs, pylon caps, and certain parts of the dome will be done. These and other projects will ever be necessary to protect the priceless trust of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár. Costs for the project are estimated to be up to $10 million over the next five years.

Radio Bahá’í WLGI moved recently from its original home in a trailer into a new facility, concluding a vigorous year of proclamation, community service, and entertainment broadcasting. Programming included broadcasts of the Nineteen Day Feasts, Holy Day commemorations, hourly prayers, and topical segments on the station and personage of Bahá’u’lláh, gender equality, race unity, prayer and fasting, consultation, and so on. In collaboration with state agencies, colleges, and area churches the station aired social and economic development programs, community calendars, remote broadcasts of area events, and musical entertainment.

A survey of the listening audience concluded that Radio Bahá’í may be reaching 25 percent of area households and that about 75 percent of the listening audience understands the basic tenets of Bahá’í belief. Moreover, the survey also indicates that WLGI is reaching its primary target population—rural African Americans.

Local and regional institutes for training the friends in the fundamental verities and in teaching and administering the Cause are growing rapidly, as is the number of Bahá’ís attending their programs. To date, 350 local institutes and 18 regional institutes have been established. Many institutes are using the fundamental verities curriculum, with over 900 believers having ‎complete completed‎ at least one course.

Advances were made this year to facilitate the National Spiritual Assembly’s communications to the community through the Internet and Intranet. Highlights include the launching of an Administrative Web site for Bahá’ís which offers Feast messages, news, announcements, and so on; a public Web site to support the National Teaching Plan using the media; and Intranet (Unity Net), an internal ‎web-technolology-based web-technology-based‎ private community system to facilitate communications between and among the National Spiritual Assembly and its agencies, the Regional Bahá’í Councils, and the Continental Board of Counselors and their Auxiliary Board. The Local Spiritual Assembly Automation and Integration project is progressing to the next stage with the implementation in May of the membership module.

CHALLENGES

Individual Spiritual Discipline. The essential requirements of the success of the Four Year Plan are bound up in our own individual and inner lives. Shoghi Effendi specified high standards of moral conduct, holiness and chastity, genuine love, and interracial unity as the “spiritual prerequisites” on which the success of every teaching project, financial plan, and community depend. Each one of us must set aside our doubts, strengthen our firmness in the Covenant, and redouble our efforts to live the Bahá’í life and teach God’s Cause, remembering that “the glory of our Faith is not that people with unique abilities do the work of the Cause, but that it is done by the sacrifice of loving and devoted souls who arise selflessly to undertake work they feel themselves incompetent, sometimes, to achieve. God works through them and endows them with gifts they did not dream they could ever possess.”

Loving, Nurturing, and United Bahá’í Communities. Our hopes for rapid growth and winning the wholehearted allegiance of seekers and new declarants alike rest largely in the success of our efforts to foster loving and united Bahá’í communities. As the Guardian noted, people crave love, not a “compromise but the embodiment of a high and shining ideal.” He emphasized that, “if the friends will forget all personal differences and open their hearts to a great love for each other for the sake of Bahá’u’lláh, they will find that their powers are vastly increased; they will attract the heart of the public and will witness a rapid growth of the Holy Faith.”

Maturation of Institutions. The swift maturation of the Regional Bahá’í Councils and local spiritual assemblies is essential to advancing the process of entry by troops. Loving and wise institutions are needed to serve as facilitators of “the emergence and maintenance of community life in a wholly new mode, and in catering to the requirements of the spiritual relationships which flow from love and unity among the friends.” Rapid progress in the development of the Regional Bahá’í Councils is largely dependent upon the cooperation and support they receive from the local spiritual assemblies. Urgent attention should be given by institutions and their individual members, to the critical need to deepen our understanding of the Sacred Writings and authoritative guidance, and to refining our ability to apply wisely the Bahá’í principles in every situation.

CONCLUSION

On the eve of the launch of the National Teaching Plan, the Universal House of Justice sent a message of loving encouragement and instruction to our community: “Our prayers surround the American Bahá’í Community as it embarks on the ambitious, nationwide teaching initiative you have described. May its individual members arise with fresh resolve and characteristic vigor to seize readily available teaching opportunities, which are certain now to multiply; and may the magnificent results that can be achieved from such confident effort lead, in turn, to an acceleration in the systematic development of human resources that will advance the process of entry by troops in the United States.”

Our challenge is two-fold. First, we must persevere. The teaching plan will bear fruit with patient persistent effort. Second, we must bear in mind that it is “not enough to expand the rolls of Bahá’í membership....” “Transformation is the essential purpose of the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh....” Our task is not complete until we have embraced new members of the Bahá’í family and infused in their hearts the spirit of Bahá’í love, devotion to Bahá’u’lláh’s Teachings, and firmness in His Covenant.

“Above all,” the House of Justice emboldens us, “in every aspect of teaching the Message, the friends should have confidence in the regenerative power of the Word of God, seek strength from the host of divine assistance, and anticipate the bounties that will continually be showered upon them. To build a new world is no easy task. The road is stony and filled with obstacles, but the journey is infinitely rewarding.” ◆

EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

In its Ridván 1996 letter to the Bahá’ís of the World the Universal House of Justice referred to the Bahá’í community’s direct collaboration “with the forces leading towards the establishment of order in the world,” and to the influence Bahá’ís will have on “the processes towards world peace, particularly through the community’s involvement in the promotion of human rights, the status of women, global prosperity, and moral development.” These four issues formed the emphases of the House of Justice’s global external affairs strategy presented to National Spiritual Assemblies in October 1994. During the past year the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly continued to be deeply involved in several aspects of these processes.

The National Assembly’s paramount effort remained the defense of the Bahá’í community in Iran and other countries. In the ‎1996 Rid.ván 1996 Ridván‎ message the House of Justice explained that “increased efforts to emancipate the Faith in [Iran] and other countries where it is proscribed will constitute a vital part of our dealings with governments and other non-governmental organizations.” Representatives of the National Assembly continued to provide information on the status and condition of the Iranian Bahá’í community to the various branches of the U.S. Government.

In November 1996 President Clinton appointed an Advisory Committee on Religious Freedom Abroad to inform and advise him and the Secretary of State on matters of religious persecution. Dr. Wilma Ellis, a member of the Continental Board of Counselors, was appointed by the Secretary of State, Mr. Warren Christopher, to serve as the Bahá’í representative, a further sign of the Faith’s growing prestige and recognition at highest levels of the U.S. government. In 1997 she was made co-chair of the Committee’s subgroup on religious persecution, which focused on issues that affect the ability of the U.S. government to integrate effectively the defense and promotion of religious freedom into its policy making and policy implementation. The Advisory Committee issued its first interim report to the President and the Secretary of State in January 1998.

The National Spiritual Assembly continued to develop its ties to the United Nations and to collaborate with networks of like-minded organizations on issues such as the development and implementation of international human rights law, UN reform, and United States obligations to and participation in the UN. It also continued its national leadership role in the effort for U.S. ratification of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women by organizing with Amnesty International USA a grassroots campaign to reach U.S. senators whose [Page 20]position on ratification was unknown.

The National Spiritual Assembly undertook a systematic effort to support the President’s call for a national dialogue on race. A formal letter of introduction and materials about Bahá’í efforts toward race unity were sent to the President’s Advisory Board on Race and to several individual members of the Board. Efforts were made to have Bahá’í representatives at each of the public meetings of the Advisory Board, and the National Spiritual Assembly called on the Bahá’í community to take a leadership role in promoting the dialogue on race.

The National Spiritual Assembly continued to educate the Bahá’í community in the area of external affairs. In harmony with the wishes of the Universal House of Justice the National Assembly encouraged local Spiritual Assemblies to “rise to a new stage in the exercise of their responsibilities.” There were several outstanding examples of the growing maturity of local Assemblies in the arena of external affairs.

On May 30, 1997, the Universal House of Justice announced the creation of a new element of Bahá’í administration: the Regional Bahá’í Councils, which were given the mandate of “conducting, on behalf of the National Assembly, the external affairs of the Faith at the level of the region, representing the Bahá’ís of the region in relation to the civil authorities of that region.” The National Spiritual Assembly has decided that the Regional Councils will have jurisdiction over the external affairs at the state level.

HIGHLIGHTS OF ACTIVITIES, 1997–98

DEFENSE OF BAHÁ’ÍS IN IRAN

The paramount concern of the National Spiritual Assembly in external affairs continued to be the defense of the Bahá’ís in Iran and some other Muslim countries. The National Spiritual Assembly’s secretary for external affairs, Mr. Firuz Kazemzadeh, visited Washington, D.C. regularly. He kept government officials in the White House, the State Department, and the Congress informed of developments in the situation of the Iranian Bahá’í community. On these visits he was accompanied by the coordinator for external affairs, Ms. Kit Cosby, and the National Assembly’s public relations consultant, Mrs. Marjorie Sonnenfeldt. The National Assembly’s Representative to the UN, Mr. Jeffry Huffines, joined Mr. Kazemzadeh and Ms. Cosby on a visit to the U.S. UN Mission and attended several briefings and receptions at the Mission, where he was able to raise the issue of the persecutions in Iran.

In January 1998 the UN Special Rapporteur on Religious Intolerance, Professor Abdelfattah Amor, made an official visit to the United States. During his visit the National Spiritual Assembly hosted a dinner for Professor Amor, which included distinguished scholars and NGO colleagues in the field of religious tolerance. Professor Amor’s conclusions and recommendations to the UN Commission on Human Rights became the basis for the strongest resolution yet on human rights in Iran by the UN General Assembly, passed in December 1997, specifically mentioning the demand for the emancipation of the Bahá’ís in Iran.

Mr. Kazemzadeh was invited by the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum to give a public lecture on “The Slow Strangulation of the Bahá’í Community in Iran” on March 31, 1998.

After serving with distinction as the National Spiritual Assembly’s public relations consultant for sixteen years, Mrs. Sonnenfeldt retired in February 1998. The National Assembly commended her excellent work, which has been recognized by the Universal House of Justice.

LETTER TO PRESIDENT KHATAMI

In January 1998 the President of Iran, Mohammad Khatami, addressed the people of the United States through a televised interview in which he stated that “religiosity, liberty and justice” were “the aspirations of the Islamic Revolution.” In response to his comments the National Spiritual Assembly wrote to President Khatami to express the hope of the American Bahá’í community that these aspirations would include the Iranian Bahá’í community and that his government would honor the 1997 UN General Assembly resolution that calls for the emancipation of the Iranian Bahá’ís. The National Spiritual Assembly published the letter in the New York Times on January 17, 1998, in the Washington Post on January 20, and in the Los Angeles Times on January 21. It was also published by local Assemblies in newspapers throughout the country and generated numerous letters to the editor and feature stories about the persecutions in Iran.

DIPLOMATIC WORK

In January 1998 the National Assembly’s secretary and the coordinator for external affairs, together with representatives from several other National Spiritual Assemblies and the Bahá’í International Community’s UN offices, participated at the Bahá’í World Center in Haifa in detailed discussions about the conduct of the diplomatic work, particularly aspects related to the defense of the Bahá’ís in Iran.

Together with representatives from twenty-eight other National Spiritual Assemblies, they also participated in the Second Diplomatic Training Seminar convened by the Bahá’í International Community in Acuto, Italy, in September 1997. The meeting focused on fostering greater integration and coordination of the Faith’s diplomatic efforts internationally. The National Assembly’s secretary for external affairs gave a keynote presentation on the philosophical and historical underpinnings of Bahá’í external affairs work, and the coordinator for external affairs presented a workshop on working with coalitions of human rights nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).

ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM ABROAD

Dr. Wilma Ellis, a member of the Continental Board of Counselors in the Americas, continued to serve as one of twenty prominent religious leaders and scholars on the State Department’s Advisory Committee on Religious Freedom Abroad. Dr. Ellis was co-chair of its subcommittee on religious persecution. The Committee issued its first interim report to the Secretary of State and the President in January 1998. On March 12, 1998, Dr. Ellis was appointed team leader for the religious outreach group that, in preparation for the Committee’s final report, will explore the religious communities’ efforts at conflict resolution and cooperation.

The staff of the National Spiritual Assembly’s offices in New York and Washington, D.C., attended several high-level meetings and consultations on behalf of Dr. Ellis. It is notable that Mr. Dwight Bashir of the Washington office staff attended a meeting with the Dalai Lama and the Secretary of State in May and that Mr. Huffines attended a U.S. UN Mission reception hosted by Secretary Madeleine Albright and Ambassador to the UN Bill Richardson in honor of the new UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mrs. Mary Robinson. As a result of the Bahá’í presence on the Advisory Committee, the National Spiritual Assembly’s representatives were invited to take part in a number of meetings and conferences on religious liberty organized by Empower America, the American Jewish Committee and the Center for Jewish and Christian Values.

UNITED NATIONS ACTIVITIES

Support for selected UN activities and collaboration with other nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that participate in UN fora has proven to be the greatest avenue for Bahá’í entree into external affairs activities at the national level. Since its initial support in 1985 for U.S. ratification of the UN Convention on Genocide, the National Assembly has expanded its activities by working on the preparation for the UN conferences on the environment and development, human rights, social development, women, and human settlements. In recent years its staff has held positions of leadership within networks and committees that promote international issues and UN activities. The U.S. National Assembly supports and reinforces the Bahá’í International Community’s (BIC) activities in the international arena, and the BIC and the NSA collaborate with many of the same organizations.

Support for international issues such as the status of women, the environment, and the ratification of international treaties allows the National Assembly not only to promote principles that are fundamental in Bahá’í teachings but also to exemplify by word and deed Bahá’í concepts such as unity, consultation, and partnership between women and men.

U.S. RATIFICATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF UN HUMAN RIGHTS TREATIES

For the past several years the National Assembly’s coordinator for external affairs has been the co-chair of the General Human Rights Working Group, which has organized NGO efforts to ratify UN human rights treaties since the mid-1980s. Current treaties under consideration include the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the American Convention on Human Rights, and the Covenant on Economic, Cultural and Social Rights.

CONVENTION ON THE ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN (CEDAW)

The National Assembly’s coordinator for external affairs and Amnesty International USA’s chief legislative counsel continued to co-chair the “Working Group on Ratification of the UN Convention to Eliminate Discrimination Against Women,” a group of more than 100 national NGOs engaged in outreach and education to achieve ratification by the U.S. of the UN treaty which bans discrimination against women.

In December 1997 the Working Group launched a “Campaign for Commitment” to encourage uncommitted U.S. senators to pledge support for ratification of the treaty. The aim of the campaign was to produce thousands of letters from constituents by March 8, International Women’s Day.

More than 5,000 signed form letters were sent in by the Bahá’ís and their contacts, accounting for nearly half of the letters received from all the participating organizations. At the local level the campaign provided an excellent venue for Bahá’ís to develop relations with other like-minded individuals and organizations with whom they cosponsored a number of International Women’s Day commemorations.

Ms. Cosby attended a commemoration of International Women’s Day at the White House on March 11 at which the President, the Secretary General of the UN, the First Lady, the Secretary of State, and the Attorney General were present. The President announced that ratification of CEDAW was a top administration priority for this session of Congress. The Bahá’í representative spoke with the First Lady about the CEDAW campaign.

The coordinator for external affairs was invited to participate in workshops and to make presentations on CEDAW ratification at several national and regional conferences, including the National Women’s Conference in Washington, D.C., and at the University of Texas at Dallas conference on “Advancing Women Through Global Policy,” sponsored by local organizations including the Dallas chapter of the United Nations Association and the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Dallas.

UNITED NATIONS ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES

The National Spiritual Assembly continued to play a prominent role as member of the Council of Organizations of the United Nations Association (UNA) in Washington and New York. The National Assembly’s Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Liaison, Mr. Peter Adriance, as immediate past chairman of the Council in Washington, [Page 21]served ex officio on its executive committee, working with other organizations to plan programs on UN issues. He participated in periodic UN Advocacy Coalition meetings and represented the Council in monthly meetings with Washington-based UN representatives. He also chaired the UNA Convention Advisory Committee, which organized the UNA National Convention in Washington in June 1997. The Convention adopted critical by-laws changes recommended by the UNA Strategic Planning Committee of which Mr. Adriance was also a member. Bahá’í representatives attended the annual UNA-USA convention in Washington, D.C., in June 1997 where Ms. Cosby, who is a member of the UNA’s National Council, participated in a panel on human rights.

In June the National Assembly’s UN Representative was elected to a two-year term to the Executive Committee of the UNA New York Council of Organizations. The Bahá’í U.S. UN Office collaborated with UNA-USA in the promotion of UN Day on October 24 by sending a joint letter and the UN program manual, “Building A Sustainable Future,” to selected local assemblies and agencies of the National Assembly, including the permanent schools.

UNITED NATIONS FUNDING

The National Spiritual Assembly continued to cooperate with other organizations in advocating full and on-time payment of all U.S. financial obligations to the United Nations.

The NGO Liaison worked closely with other NGO representatives on the funding issue. He participated in activities of the Internationalism Working Group composed of representatives from some thirty organizations and coalitions of NGOs, including the Emergency Coalition for U.S. Financial Support of the UN and the United Nations Association. The group launched a grassroots project on UN funding in ten key Congressional districts.

As part of the Internationalism Working Group’s efforts, on three separate occasions, the National Spiritual Assembly wrote letters to the President, to all members of Congress, and to the U.S. Ambassador to the UN, indicating the National Assembly’s support for full payment of U.S. obligations to the UN.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Mr. Adriance continued his involvement on the National Steering Committee of the Citizens Network for Sustainable Development. The Network, in existence since 1990, is made up of organizations and individuals interested in advancing the concept and practice of sustainable development locally, nationally and internationally. It planned NGO activities for the 1998 session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development and worked to improve efforts to achieve sustainable development nationally.

The National Spiritual Assembly continued its involvement with the Alliance for UN Sustainable Development Programs. The Alliance monitors and evaluates the work of UN agencies in advancing sustainable development, undertakes activities to broaden public understanding of sustainable development, and expresses its concerns and views on UN sustainable development initiatives to policy makers in Washington. As a founder of the Alliance and a member of its National Steering Committee, the National Assembly’s NGO Liaison helped plan and carry out several programs including a National Press Club luncheon featuring the U.S. Ambassador to the UN.

In February 1998 the NGO Liaison was appointed by the President’s Council on Sustainable Development to its National Planning Committee charged with organizing a National Summit on Sustainable Development to be held in Detroit in May 1999. Anticipating the involvement of thousands of Americans in related activities, the Summit’s goal is to “mainstream” the concept of sustainable development in America.

THE EARTH CHARTER

For several years the NGO Liaison has worked with other organizations to promulgate the idea of an Earth Charter. Currently being developed through an international consultative process, the Earth Charter is expected to become a commonly accepted ethical framework for decision making in all matters of environment and development.

In October the NGO Liaison helped to plan and conduct a Washington strategy meeting to promote among NGO, academic, professional, and governmental leaders an awareness of and involvement in the Earth Charter development process. The meeting was one of more than seventy such meetings around the world.

In December the NGO Liaison was invited to join the newly established Earth Charter National Committee of the USA responsible for promoting the idea of the Earth Charter in the U.S. He was elected chairman of the Religious and Spiritual Sector Working Group of the Earth Charter National Committee. The Working Group plans to hold an interreligious symposium on the Earth Charter in October 1998.

FOLLOW-UP TO THE FOURTH WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN

The National Spiritual Assembly, primarily through its offices in Washington and New York, engaged in activities to implement the Platform for Action, the official document adopted at the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing. The Platform for Action calls upon governments, the international community, and civil society to take action in twelve critical areas. The National Assembly encouraged Bahá’í’s to join with other organizations throughout the country to implement the Platform for Action on the local level.

In Washington the coordinator for external affairs met regularly with state Department and White House staff on the President’s Interagency Council on Women, the government agency created to ensure that the commitments made by the U.S. at the Fourth World Conference on Women are acted upon by the various government departments. She continued to participate in efforts to create a national NGO mechanism, U.S. Women Connect, which will permit women and women’s organizations to communicate with the U.S. government agencies responsible for implementing the Platform for Action.

50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE UN DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS (UDHR50)

The National Spiritual Assembly’s UN Representative served on the National Coordinating Committee for the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR50) being commemorated in 1998. Organized by the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute, the Committee has three objectives: to foster a wider appreciation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to enhance legal regimes by encouraging U.S. ratification of UN human rights treaties, and to strengthen international institutions.

OFFICE OF THE BAHÁ’Í US UN REPRESENTATIVE

The UN Representative and Mr. Carl Murrell of the New York office staff, attended weekly Department of Public Information briefings at the UN and occasional briefings at the U.S. UN Mission on topics such as human rights, UN reform, sustainable development, and the advancement of women. The UN Representative’s UN office handled daily requests for information and guidance from the Bahá’í community and the public. The U.S. UN Office collaborated closely with the Bahá’í International Community on issues that dealt with the advancement of women, sustainable development, human rights education, and the Model UN program.

In May the UN Representative attended the Religion and World Order Symposium sponsored by Global Education Associates. In June he attended meetings of the Earth Summit + 5, a special meeting of the General Assembly that reviewed the implementation of agreements made at the Earth Summit in 1992. In December he participated in UN Human Rights Day celebrations that featured President Clinton at the Museum of Jewish Heritage and Mrs. Clinton at the U.S. UN Mission.

The UN Representative was elected treasurer of the Committee of Religious NGOs at the UN and also served on the Executive Council of the U.S. chapter of the World Conference on Religion and Peace.

Mr. Huffines conducted seminars at Green Acre Bahá’í School and at Bosch Bahá’í School. In November he spoke on U.S. ratification of human rights treaties to students from the State University of New York at New Paltz College.

Mr. Murrell attended regular UN meetings of the UN Environment Program Interfaith Partnership, the NGO Committee on Youth, and the recently established Values Caucus. He served on the planning committee of the annual NGO Department of Public Information conference, “Building Partnerships,” held at the UN in September 1997. The National Assembly’s NGO Liaison and the UN Representative attended the conference. This year Mr. Murrell serves as a vice-chair of the planning committee for the 1998 NGO/DPI conference. The National Spiritual Assembly cosponsored a commemoration at the UN of the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi on January 30, 1998.

HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE STATUS OF WOMEN WORKING GROUP ON HUMAN RIGHTS OF WOMEN

The Working Group on the Human Rights of Women, founded and chaired by the National Assembly’s coordinator for external affairs, continued to work closely with the President’s Interagency Council on Women for the implementation of the Platform for Action, including the U.S. human rights commitments announced at the Fourth World Conference on Women.

The Working Group members frequently met with and wrote to State Department officials at the Bureaus of the Human Rights and South Asian Affairs as well as with the Senior Coordinator for International Women’s Affairs particularly to encourage a strong U.S. position on the violations of the rights of women in Afghanistan.

HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCACY

In July 1997 Mr. Dwight Bashir of the Washington office staff participated in the National Strategic Planning Conference for Human Rights USA, an initiative sponsored by the Ford Foundation and the Stanley Foundation to increase awareness about the scope, relevance, and meaning of human rights in the U.S.

The Bahá’í staff in Washington regularly attended the meetings of the Washington Coalition for Human Rights. In collaboration with the UNA, the Coalition organized a luncheon for Human Rights Day to launch the year-long commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

PRESIDENT’S INITIATIVE ON RACE

In June 1997 President Clinton announced a year-long Initiative on Race aimed at stimulating a dialogue on race relations throughout the country. The President appointed an Advisory Board, which held a series of public meetings on issues such as affirmative action in higher education, school vouchers, race and poverty, and race and stereotypes. The President hosted a town meeting in Akron, Ohio.

Because these Advisory Board town meetings were being organized by the federal government and were receiving national press coverage, Mr. Glen Fullmer of the Washington office staff coordinated the Bahá’í’s presence at the events in Akron, Phoenix, San Jose, and Denver by contacting the relevant local Assemblies before each of the meetings, appointing principal spokespersons, and providing guidance and training to them.

The coordinator for external affairs met at the White House with the Outreach Director of the President’s Race Initiative to discuss how to involve faith communities in efforts toward race unity. [Page 22]unity. On February 6, 1998, she attended a “Conversation with Women Leaders on Race” at the White House and throughout the year continued to participate in a series of national dialogues on race sponsored by the YWCA.

NATIONAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN

Last summer in Atlanta the National Teaching Committee broadcast The Power of Race Unity video on local cable channels. To complement the broadcasts the Bahá’í community conducted supporting public-relations events that heightened awareness of the video and the presence of the Bahá’í Faith in the metro-Atlanta community. The Office of Public Information (OPI) worked closely with the National Teaching Committee. Together with public relations advisors and the Atlanta-area media committee, the OPI produced and distributed press releases and advisories to the media encouraging them to view the video and attend related events. In addition the OPI’s director, Ms. Pamela Zivari, and a local Bahá’í representative met with the Atlanta Journal Constitution religion editor who subsequently covered the Race Unity Day celebrations. OPI’s director discussed the Bahá’í view of race unity on a local half-hour cable interfaith show.

At present OPI is working with the National Teaching Committee, Media Services, Information Services, and the radio station WLGI to coordinate a campaign that will be a national version of the Atlanta initiative. To assist in the effort OPI convened a group of public-relations advisors that has developed a resource package of supporting public-information materials for distribution to Bahá’í communities. OPI also compiled a list of public-relations advisors throughout the country who will assist Bahá’í communities to plan public relations activities related to the national broadcast of The Power of Race Unity.

OTHER ACTIVITIES

The National Spiritual Assembly assisted the Association for Bahá’í Studies in its annual conference, held in Washington, D.C., in November 1997. Through its contacts in Washington, the National Spiritual Assembly was instrumental in securing nineteen of the twenty-three non-Bahá’í panelists and six of the ten plenary speakers.

The coordinator for external affairs served on the Advisory Board of the International Development Conference, one of the premier international conferences for development agencies and professionals, which are held biennially. The next one will be in January 1999 in Washington on the theme of “The Global Meeting of Generations: Vision and Action for Development in the 21st Century.” The National Assembly provided information about the conference to Bahá’í individuals and institutions around the world.

The National Spiritual Assembly appointed several individuals to be its representatives to other national organizations such as the North American Interfaith Network, the AIDS National Interfaith Network, and the National Council of Women.

PUBLIC INFORMATION MEDIA

The Office of Public Information (OPI) was approached for assistance by a wide range of media. For example the New York Times Magazine sought information for a story about religions in America; ABC News wanted a Bahá’í response to the passing of Mother ‎Theresa Teresa‎, and Odyssey Cable Channel’s News Odyssey program requested information on Bahá’í Holy Days and broadcast a brief story on the Birth of the Báb. In addition to national news reporters, several reporters from across the country called to request information, interviews and statistics on various aspects of the Faith.

OPI strengthened relationships with national media, including the new national Public Broadcast Service television show Religion and Ethics Newsweekly. Over the past six months OPI regularly contacted Religion and Ethics Newsweekly staff, supplying them with background information, with support for distribution of their outreach materials and with feedback. Ms. Zivari attended an invitation-only focus group session to assess the show’s strengths and weaknesses and to brainstorm about the future direction for the program. As a result of regular contact with Religion and Ethics Newsweekly, the Bahá’ís were listed in the show’s nationally distributed viewers’ guide.

OPI helped develop a radio story on the Bahá’í Faith to be produced by New Dimensions radio, a California-based production company that focuses on issues of spirituality and global development. It has a worldwide audience that numbers in the millions and distributes a catalogue of past shows to a large mailing list. Listeners who miss the original broadcast will be able to order the segment on the Bahá’í Faith.

NETWORK OF PUBLIC INFORMATION REPRESENTATIVES

In addition to distributing PI News, the bimonthly newsletter, OPI continued to assist public information representatives to receive and distribute materials to the media. Press releases from the Public Information Handbook were posted on the U.S. Bahá’í administrative Web site, making downloading and modification by public information representatives faster and more convenient. OPI sent press releases electronically one month in advance of each Bahá’í Holy Day or special event day to each public information representative who had access to e-mail.

The 100 most active public information representatives continue to receive copies of World Order magazine, which they shared with appropriate organizations.

OTHER PUBLIC INFORMATION ACTIVITIES

OPI received and responded to information requests from public information representatives and others. Over the past nine months Ms. Tonya Homan of the New York office staff responded to more than 1,000 telephone calls and e-mails requesting information.

OPI continued to collaborate with the Washington, D.C., office in the distribution of more than 300 copies of World Order magazine to colleagues and organizations with whom the National Assembly’s staff has established relations. OPI encouraged public information representatives to develop their own databases and to offer or solicit subscriptions for World Order.

The director of OPI was active in the Religious Public Relations Council and joined the Public Relations Society of America.

U.S. BAHÁ’Í REFUGEE OFFICE

IRANIAN REFUGEES

In Wilmette the Bahá’í Refugee Office (USBRO), under its director, Mrs. Puran Stevens, continued to assist Bahá’ís seeking refugee and other non-immigrant status to enter the United States. She also worked to obtain humanitarian parole for Bahá’ís with urgent medical cases. The USBRO also represented the Bahá’í community to state and national government agencies that deal with refugee matters, shared information on Bahá’í refugees with individual Bahá’ís and Bahá’í institutions and communities, introduced Iranian Bahá’í refugees to American Bahá’í communities, and continued to seek sponsors for refugees without family ties in the U.S.

It is estimated that more than 500 Iranian Bahá’í refugees resettled in the U.S. between January 1997 and January 1998. This figure surpasses the number reached during the peak of refugee resettlement in the 1980s. Approximately 120 Iranian Bahá’í refugees were resettled in the U.S. from Pakistan, approximately 130 came from Turkey, and 278 were resettled in the U.S. through Austria.

A major achievement for USBRO was the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ (UNHCR) decision to review its policy toward Iranian Bahá’í refugees awaiting resettlement in Pakistan and Turkey. In previous years UNHCR had rejected at the rate of 50 to 99 percent claims by Iranian Bahá’ís for refugee protection in Turkey and Pakistan. As a result of meetings in mid-1997 at the UNHCR and the Department of State, the UNHCR announced that it would re-interview all Iranian Bahá’ís who had been previously rejected. Subsequent reports indicate that the approval rate for Iranian Bahá’ís seeking refugee status rose to 95 percent. The Universal House of Justice commended USBRO for this accomplishment.

Also as a result of consistent diplomatic efforts with the UNHCR and the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) made a special Circuit Rider visit to Pakistan to interview Iranian Bahá’í refugees. In the fall of 1997, 175 individuals were accepted by the INS for resettlement in the U.S.

The USBRO continued its close collaboration with the voluntary agency, Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS), which resettles Iranian refugees through Austria. Approximately 130 such cases were pending at the end of 1997. Through the intervention of USBRO the same voluntary agency managed to resettle a few Iranian Bahá’ís in Canada.

Many Iranian Bahá’í refugees continued to be threatened with violence during their flight from Iran or with deportation to Iran from bordering countries, particularly Turkey. The USBRO cooperated with the fact-finding and advocacy efforts of several non-Bahá’í international organizations such as the U.S. Committee for Refugees, the International Federation on Iranian Refugees and Immigrants Councils, the Iranian Refugees Alliance, and HIAS. In a recent case involving four Iranian Bahá’í refugees who were shot by a border guard as they attempted to cross into Turkey, these organizations appealed strongly in behalf of the Bahá’ís to the Turkish Interior Department and the UNHCR.

To keep abreast of the new U.S. laws and regulations the director of the USBRO and Ms. Yvonne Dawson of the Wilmette office attended major annual events in Washington, D.C., including the Office of Refugee Resettlement conference sponsored by the Department of State and the National Legal Conference on Immigration and Refugee Policy sponsored by the Center for Migration Studies. The USBRO’s director also attended a meeting in Washington, D.C., on expedited removal and asylum issues sponsored by the Committee to Preserve Asylum.

At the request of Amnesty International USA, the USBRO provided a keynote speaker for Amnesty International’s regional conference on human rights violations and refugee issues.

TEACHING AND CONSOLIDATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN BAHÁ’Í REFUGEES

The U.S. Bahá’í Refugee Office continued to work with its volunteer Southeast Asian helpers in locating Southeast Asian Bahá’ís and in integrating, consolidating, and expanding Southeast Asian Bahá’í communities. The USBRO sponsored efforts by traveling teachers to areas with large populations of Southeast Asian Bahá’ís.

The USBRO director visited several locations with a large number of Southeast Asian Bahá’ís, including Chamblee, Georgia; San Diego, Sacramento, Stockton, Merced, and Fresno, California; Seattle and Tacoma, Washington; and St. Paul, Minnesota, to consult with the local spiritual assemblies’ representatives, to work with the Southeast Asian helpers, and to visit the homes of the Southeast Asian Bahá’ís. Among the activities in the communities were the Homework Center for Hmong children in San Diego where several Bahá’í women and children volunteered their time. The Spiritual Assembly of San Diego made great efforts to include Vietnamese and Hmong Bahá’ís in community activities. In Fresno helpers and volunteers provided Saturday morning classes for Southeast Asian youth which included Hmong literacy and culture instruction and sports activities.

The USBRO published quarterly issues of the Southeast Asian Helpers [Page 23]Bulletin, which brought news and stories about teaching and consolidation to 425 subscribers. The eighth Annual Southeast Asian Community Builders Roundtable Discussion was held at the Bosch Bahá’í School. The conference focused on training and preparing Southeast Asian Bahá’ís as teachers in their own communities with emphasis on the fundamental verities of the Faith. A separate conference on the station and purpose of Bahá’u’lláh and the essential meaning of the Covenant was held for Southeast Asian youth.

As part of the endeavor to continue the distribution of teaching materials to the Southeast Asian Bahá’ís, the USBRO produced and distributed materials in Southeast Asian languages in both printed and audiovisual format. The USBRO consulted regularly with other offices at the National Center about the best approaches to teaching Southeast Asians.

The Illinois Governor’s office displayed an exhibit in the James R. Thompson Center during Refugee Week on Southeast Asian Bahá’ís.

TREASURY

CONTRIBUTIONS

Contributions to the National Bahá’í Fund rose 20 percent from last year’s total, to $19.9 million, as community members responded to the National Spiritual Assembly’s suggestion that earmarking be reduced. Some earmarked contributions to the various international funds were also received, but the $2.4 million total was 38 percent less than last year.

The National Spiritual Assembly had undertaken to allocate 26 percent out of its contribution receipts to the International and Arc Funds—7 percent and 19 percent respectively. In part due to a fundraising initiative for the Bahá’í International Fund, undertaken during the first quarter at the instruction of the Universal House of Justice, a total of 31 percent of receipts or $6.2 million was actually sent to the House of Justice. A portion of these Funds was allocated to the Arc Projects, but the bulk was given without restriction to the House of Justice.

Two percent of receipts were to be allocated to the Continental Bahá’í Fund. At the end of the year some $226,000 or 1.1 percent of general contributions had been remitted. This support is in addition to the $179,000 provided by the friends via earmarked contributions, bringing the total from the American Bahá’í community to the Continental Fund to $405,000.

A total of $792,500 was contributed to the National Bahá’í Fund by donors who requested that the National Spiritual Assembly consider apportioning these amounts to such overseas projects as the purchase of national centers in various countries, support for international travel-teaching, and so on. The National Assembly was pleased to comply with all such wishes, raising the amount of general contributions it allocated to international purposes to $7.2 million.

Adding together the National Assembly’s allocations and the friends’ earmarked contributions, the various international and continental funds received $9.6 million from the American Bahá’í community this past year, up from $9.1 million in 1997.

THE DEFICIT

Before capital expenditures and debt payments, the National Bahá’í Fund showed a surplus of $1.1 million on basic operations. Expenses included operating subsidies to the three permanent schools. National Fund support totaling about $800,000 helped hold down the tuition and fees paid by users. There were also three advances during the year that had to be accommodated: the intensification of activity by Regional Bahá’í Committees, the creation and election of the Regional Bahá’í Councils, and the launching of the National Teaching Plan using the mass media.

The deficit was due primarily to two factors: consistently low contributions in relation to seasonal expenditures and higher than expected capital expenses. The National Assembly regularly finds itself compelled to postpone necessary maintenance activities on all the national properties. Such postponements have limits, however; money eventually must be spent to make repairs, often at higher rates than would have been the case if the maintenance had been done on schedule. At the Louhelen Bahá’í School, for example, the driveways and parking lots had become unsightly and even dangerous since the original fifteen-year-old paving had deteriorated completely. New paving was installed this year, as were carpets in the dorm and classroom areas, which also dated to the school’s reconstruction in the early 1980s. Twenty-four-year-old upholstery and thirty-year-old carpeting in the House of Worship’s Foundation Hall both were replaced this year, at a total cost of over $200,000. A fire sprinkler system at the Bahá’í Home for the Aged, which was not required when the building was opened in 1958, is now essential for safety and code compliance; that project will be nearly finished this year at a cost of some $70,000. Other capital expenses mainly were related to support systems considered essential by the National Spiritual Assembly in preparing for entry by troops, such as new computer hardware and software, as well as certain development costs for the local spiritual assembly automation initiative, a program that will provide direct benefits to local institutions nationwide. The effect of these capital outlays and of debt repayment totaling $1.1 million was to raise the cash deficit for the year to $2.3 million.

Monthly giving for the National Fund was the best in three years. As Figure 2 (page 24) indicates, however, contributions lagged behind expenses for all but four of the first ten Gregorian months, beginning with shortfalls that were never fully recovered during the crucial summer months. The friends have aided the National Spiritual Assembly by not allowing summer giving to drop as much in recent years but the “summer swoon” still happens: necessary expenses outpace income in those critical good-weather months. This area of the Bahá’í community’s participation needs constant attention so as to break this destructive pattern. One way for the friends to respond to this issue is the Automatic Contributions System (ACS) that insures a more steady flow of the Faith’s lifeblood.

Financing for the deficit has come mainly from the Bahá’ís themselves; our debt to banks is virtually zero.

Figure 1: The U.S. community’s overall contributions

Year	NBF (in thousands)	INTL (in thousands)
1996	~22,500	~9,000
1997	~16,583	9,100
1998	19,900	9,600

SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

The Office of the Treasurer has been the liaison between the National Spiritual Assembly and two of its development agencies, Health for Humanity (HH) and Mottahedeh Development Services (MDS).

Health for Humanity, during its six years of operation, has continued on a path of exponential growth during this past year. Members and supporters now number over 1,500 in 56 countries. HH regional networks are evolving in 9 areas in the U.S., conducting development programs that range from strengthening marriage and family life to aiding young mothers and tutoring minority youth. HH worked with projects in Albania, Belize, Bolivia, China, Guyana, Honduras, India, Romania, and Uganda. Responding to an appeal from the World Health Organization (WHO), HH initiated projects to combat river blindness in Cameroon, the Central African Republic, and Ethiopia in collaboration with like-minded agencies in those countries. Thirty-three thousand dollars in literacy and in River Blindness grants have been received, complementing Health for Humanity’s own fundraising efforts that have yielded $77,740 this year to meet project and administrative costs. This agency has averaged nine dollars of services provided for every dollar received in cash contributions. HH was recognized for its contributions to the international dialogue on development in the WHO publication: “A New Global Health Policy for the 21st Century: An NGO Perspective.”

Mottahedeh Development Services also has had an active year. Its collaboration with the Family Unity Center and its sponsoring Local Spiritual Assembly, South DeKalb County, Georgia, continued and featured the award of several grants for tutoring and other service and educational programs held there. Production of a two-part development curriculum for local communities was well underway, as MDS tested the new materials with selected local spiritual assemblies. These booklets and study materials will support and expand training activities already in progress since early 1997. Two training sessions have already been held for more than 20 individual Bahá’ís with experience in Bahá’í development. These friends, in turn, have obtained commitments from local spiritual assemblies in their respective areas to pilot the new interactive, product-oriented programs. These activities have benefited from the support and participation of members of the Continental Board of Counselors for the Americas and offer great potential for the course of social and economic development in local communities in the United States.

The National Spiritual Assembly has provided a subsidy of $60,000 yearly for MDS, an amount that will be reduced by twenty percent in the coming year in line with overall budget reductions mandated by the National Assembly.

THE ROLE OF THE FINANCIAL ADVISORY GROUP

The National Spiritual Assembly and its Office of the Treasurer have had the practice for more than fifteen years of soliciting the advice and volunteer assistance of advisors in the areas of financial management and development. These friends have provided valuable assistance to the National Spiritual Assembly by reviewing accounting and financial management procedures, controls, and methods; banking relationship management; fund development; and communications. This year the group reviewed the investment and banking policy guidelines of the National Spiritual Assembly, with the important addition of guidelines for managing the endowments and long-term investments vital to the planned giving program that is taking shape. One working group recommended certain modifications in the presentation of the National Spiritual Assem- [Page 24]

HUQÚQU’LLÁH

Huqúqu’lláh (Right of God) is a law revealed by Bahá’u’lláh in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. Obeying the law of Huqúqu’lláh purifies the material wealth we acquire throughout our lifetime by giving back to the Cause of God a portion of that which came from our Creator.

Payments of Huqúqu’lláh are deductible for federal income and estate tax purposes. Checks for Huqúqu’lláh should be made payable to “Bahá’í Huqúqu’lláh Trust” and sent directly to one of the following Trustees:

Dr. Amin Banani Santa Monica, CA 90402

Dr. Stephen Birkland Arden Hills, MN 55112

Dr. Daryush Haghighi Rocky River, OH 44116

Note: The Trustees of the Bahá’í Huqúqu’lláh Trust have directed the Office of the Treasurer to return to the sender any checks it receives for Huqúqu’lláh.

THE DISTINCTIVE FEATURES OF THE BAHÁ’Í FUND

Sacred obligation. Contributing to the Bahá’í Fund on a regular basis is the sacred obligation and an integral part of the devotional life of every sincere believer.

Voluntary nature. The amount given is voluntary and rests entirely with the individual—yet the amount is important. Every contribution is valued by the degree of sacrifice involved.

Privilege. Support of the Fund is a privilege reserved only for those who have declared their belief in Bahá’u’lláh.

Regular and sacrificial. Regular and sacrificial giving is a measure of a believer’s devotion to Bahá’u’lláh and a cause of spiritual growth.

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS APRIL 30, 1998 AND 1997

OPERATIONS AND ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States (the Assembly) was established in 1927 as a voluntary trust and subsequently incorporated in October 1994 as an Illinois not-for-profit corporation to administer, teach, and further the Bahá’í Faith in the United States.

The accounts of the Assembly are maintained on the accrual basis. The financial statements of the Assembly include the assets, liabilities, fund balances, and financial activities of the National Bahá’í Fund, the Bahá’í Publishing Trust, and the Bahá’í Home.

The principal accounting policies used by the Assembly are as follows:

Contributions. Contributions from members of the Faith, unless specifically restricted by the donor, are considered to be available for unrestricted use and are recorded as received. Contributions in kind are recorded at an amount representing the estimated fair value of goods and services received during the year. Items received of artistic or religious significance for which no value can be readily determined and which are not anticipated to be sold are recorded at nominal value.

Contributions from nonmembers may not be used to support the Faith and, accordingly, such amounts received are distributed for other humanitarian causes. Contributions restricted by the donor for particular programs and projects, or for property and equipment acquisitions, are earned and reported as revenues when the Assembly has incurred expenses for the purpose specified by the donor. Such amounts received, by not yet earned, are reported as restricted deferred amounts. Estate bequests are recorded when the funds are received.

Tax Exempt Status. The U.S. Treasury Department has held that the National Spiritual Assembly and all subordinate local spiritual assemblies are exempt from Federal income tax as organizations described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (I.R.C.) of 1986. Accordingly, contributions made to the National Spiritual Assembly and all of its subordinate local spiritual assemblies are deductible by the donors for Federal income tax purposes as provided by I.R.C. Section 170.

Bequests, legacies, devises, transfers, or gifts to the National Spiritual Assembly or its subordinate local spiritual assemblies are deductible for Federal estate and gift tax purposes as provided by I.R.C. Sections 2055, 2106, and 2522.

Inventories. Inventories of books and special materials are valued at average cost.

Investments. Investments are recorded at market value.

Property and Equipment. Property and equipment are stated at cost. The Assembly computes depreciation of fixed assets over their estimated useful lives using the straight line method. The estimated lives used in computing depreciation are as follows:

For furniture and equipment, an asset life of 5-10 years; buildings and improvements, 20-40 years; Bahá’í House of Worship, 75 years.

OFFICE OF COMMUNITY ADMINISTRATION AND DEVELOPMENT

Goal: The office consists of two sections: Community Administration and the Office of Assembly Development. Community Administration provides administrative support to the National Spiritual Assembly by monitoring the development of Bahá’í communities; offering guidance to local spiritual assemblies related to their formation, organization and functioning; dealing with violations of Bahá’í law, problems of disunity and disputes, personal status issues, withdrawals and reinstatements of Bahá’í membership; and maintaining files of correspondence received from the Universal House of Justice. Trustworthiness and confidentiality are the watchwords of Community Administration.

The Office of Assembly Development provides training for the development of local spiritual assemblies and serves as a resource for assemblies, regional committees, and Centers of Learning in the training of Bahá’ís in the principles and processes of Bahá’í administration. Central to its work is the creation of a deep understanding among assemblies and individual believers of what the process of entry by troops entails and the awareness of the local spiritual assembly’s role as “a channel of God’s grace not only for the Bahá’ís but for the entire village, town or city in which it serves.”

ACTIVITIES

COMMUNITY ADMINISTRATION

• Received and processed approximately 2,700 letters, 4,500 e-mails, and 8,000 telephone calls.
• Prepared 71 personal status cases for the National Spiritual Assembly’s consideration. A total of 326 requests for withdrawal were granted and 36 people were reinstated after having withdrawn from Bahá’í membership. [Note: The withdrawals do not necessarily reflect a dissatisfaction with the Faith. Whenever the National Center sends out a mass mailing, it receives a number of mail returns from people who have not been active in the Faith for many years and who often did not understand what membership in the Faith entailed when they enrolled. They had not considered themselves Bahá’ís over the years but had taken no steps to inform anyone of this until they received the particular mass mailing.]

OFFICE OF ASSEMBLY DEVELOPMENT

• Published a revised version of the Local Spiritual Assembly Development manual titled Developing Distinctive Bahá’í Communities: Guidelines for Spiritual Assemblies, which includes additional references from the Universal House of Justice, clarifies direction from the National Spiritual Assembly, reflects new emphases and directions of agencies and offices of the National Spiritual Assembly, and includes an improved index and divider tabs to facilitate location of pertinent guidance.
• Trained 29 additional individuals from around the country to be Local Spiritual Assembly Development representatives from 46 states. Representatives respond to requests received by the Office of Assembly Development for training programs, make presentations

Figure 2: Monthly revenue, expenses and deficit for 10 months ended February 1998 (in thousands) [Page 25]

SECRETARIAT

at permanent and regional schools, and represent the National Spiritual Assembly in situations where an assembly or community needs direct assistance. So far the representatives have provided training to almost 1,000 individuals and about 100 assemblies.

• Held two Local Spiritual Assembly Development Forums—one for the Northeastern region at Green Acre and the other for assemblies in the Dallas, Texas, area—that brought assemblies together to consult about common concerns and provided a variety of workshops on topics essential to efficient assembly functioning. More than 165 individuals and almost 60 assemblies participated during the year.

• Sent special letters to 12 newly formed assemblies with instructions on holding a “Recognition Ceremony” and copies of Developing Distinctive Bahá’í Communities, A Miracle of Governance video and workbook, Electing Bahá’í Assemblies booklet, The Local Spiritual Assembly compilation and various other resource materials. Also sent recognition letters and similar materials to 35 assemblies that reformed after a lapse of two or more years.

• Analyzed data from the 1997 Assembly Formation forms to determine the demographic makeup of local spiritual assemblies and reported findings to the National Spiritual Assembly; coordinated a multi-departmental survey of local spiritual assemblies, prepared the Office of Assembly Development and demographic sections of the survey, and analyzed the results from the 625 surveys returned; developed a packet for local spiritual assemblies and large registered groups in cooperation with the Information Services department of resources available from the Bahá’í Distribution Service to assist in the election process and a question-and-answer sheet on assembly formation; and wrote articles regularly for The American Bahá’í about issues related to assembly development.

• Coordinated monthly meetings of the Local Spiritual Assembly Development Working Group, composed of representatives from the National Teaching Committee office, the Office of the Treasurer and the National Education and Schools Office, to help ensure the coordination of assembly development efforts among the various National Center offices and developed with the National Education and Schools Office a working group on adult training to coordinate the efforts of various departments involved in such training.

• Distributed a “Self Assessment Tool” for assemblies that asks them to rate themselves on the basis of the roles and responsibilities outlined in the Rid-ván 153 message from the Universal House of Justice and received 36 responses.

• Hired a training specialist to revise existing Local Spiritual Assembly Development modules and to develop new ones; prepared a Spanish language translation of Electing Bahá’í Assemblies; and developed a compilation on specific guidance for registered groups.

• Prepared materials to assist assemblies and their members in the election process for the Regional Bahá’í Councils; staffed phone lines to respond to inquiries on the election night; and provided information to the Regional Bahá’í Councils to assist their functioning.

Cooperated with the Office of the Treasurer in hosting three special visits for Local Spiritual Assemblies as part of the Weekend Visit program. Seventy-five members of ten assemblies participated from the Spiritual Assemblies of Columbia County, Missouri; Dallas, Texas; Highland Park, Illinois; Indianapolis, Indiana; Kansas City, Missouri; King County Northeast, Washington; Naperville, Illinois; Oak Park, Illinois; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Pinellas County, Florida. Promoted attendance for future weekend visits for Local Spiritual Assemblies by placing an article and a classified ad in The American Bahá’í and assisted with a weekend visit for Regional Bahá’í Committees and one for individuals.

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY—CONVENTIONS

Goal: To plan, coordinate and direct the implementation of the national and electoral unit conventions; to maintain a review process of the number of eligible voters in each electoral unit and prepare recommendations for boundary changes to ensure equitable apportionment of delegates as well as educating the American Bahá’í community on the purpose and principles of reapportionment; to carry out the inaugural election of Regional Bahá’í Councils; to coordinate planning and implementation of an orientation meeting for all members of the newly elected Regional Bahá’í Councils; to orient the Regional Bahá’í Councils in the management of unit conventions; and to serve as liaison to Regional Bahá’í Councils.

ACTIVITIES

• Coordinated the appointment and support of host assemblies for unit conventions, processed all forms received, and conveyed unit convention recommendations to the National Spiritual Assembly as adopted by vote at the 167 unit conventions held.

• Coordinated the work of the Redistricting Task Force as it compiled data about the distribution of the Bahá’í population and made recommendations to the National Spiritual Assembly regarding electoral unit boundaries.

• Coordinated the election of the Regional Bahá’í Councils, including preparing educational and balloting materials; appointing and supporting tellers; and conveying the results of the election to the American Bahá’í community. The office planned and coordinated the December 12–14, 1997, orientation meeting for Regional Bahá’í Councils attended by 7 Continental Counselors, the National Spiritual Assembly, and all 36 Regional Bahá’í Council members; prepared and presented training to assist the Regional Bahá’í Councils to assume the management of unit conventions; organized incoming and outgoing communications with the Regional Bahá’í Councils and prepared monthly reports for the National Spiritual Assembly regarding Regional Bahá’í Councils’ communications.

• Planned and coordinated the 1998 Bahá’í National Convention to accommodate 171 delegates and up to 2,000 visitors.

• Prepared articles for The American Bahá’í and the Administrative Web page about the election of the Regional Bahá’í Councils, the national convention, and unit conventions.

NATIONAL PERSIAN-AMERICAN AFFAIRS OFFICE

Goal: To further the integration of Persian-speaking Bahá’ís in collaboration with local spiritual assemblies, groups, and individuals; to further the development and distribution of integration programs and materials that can be used also by other agencies; and to act as liaison to regional Persian media task forces appointed by the National Spiritual Assembly to monitor and respond to misrepresentations of the Faith in Persian media.

ACTIVITIES

• Supervised the activities of the Persian Media Task Forces, including the Regional Persian Media Task Force for the Washington, D.C., area, which continued to broadcast Bahá’í programs in Persian as well as weekly programs in English and that in Atlanta, Georgia, Mr. Ghodratollah Naderi, a Bahá’í who owns a Persian-language radio station, broadcast special programs on all Bahá’í holy days and arranged prayers and tablets to be chanted at dawn and at dusk throughout the month of ‘Alá (the Fast).

• Coordinated the work of the Persian Reviewing Panel. By March 1, 1997, 38 new titles were received, and 37 reviews were completed.

• Coordinated the collection of subscription fees for Payám-i-Bahá’í, totaling $38,039, and sold $492.40 worth of a number of new publications in Persian not available from the Bahá’í Distribution Service.

• Revised and prepared for reprinting several publications in Persian: An Introduction to the Bahá’í Faith, Perspectives on Spiritual Integration, and Response to the So-called Memoirs of Knyas Dolgorouki; continued work on the translation of Individual Rights and Freedoms in the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh; translated the National Spiritual Assembly’s statement Two Wings of a Bird: The Equality of Women and Men, and prepared it in camera-ready form for publication; continued work on a 200-page commemorative publication in honor of the Hand of the Cause of God Abu’l-Qásím Faizi; prepared the Persian pages of The American Bahá’í, at least 3 pages per issue; translated into Persian the messages of the National Spiritual Assembly for the Nineteen Day Feasts and mailed copies to some 600 communities; and published four issues of Tabernacle of Unity, a bilingual quarterly publication dealing with issues of integration, mailing them to more than 500 individuals, including members of the Board of Counselors and members of the Auxiliary Boards.

• Held meetings of the National Persian-American Affairs Task Force in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Dallas for the Persian friends in each area to encourage them to be more involved in the life and work of the community. Special meetings also were organized with members of spiritual assemblies in each area to consult about ways in which the believers of Iranian origin could be helped to become more active. Counselor Ghadirian and Mr. Firuz Kazemzadeh addressed those gatherings. Similar meetings were scheduled for Phoenix, Arizona, to be held in April 1998.

• Mailed to all Persian households a special message, in Persian and English, emphasizing the important role they can play in the achievement of the goals of the U.S. Bahá’í community.

• Published the message of the Universal House of Justice to Iranian Bahá’ís throughout the world, dated Bahá 154, in a bilingual (Persian-English) edition; distributed more than 400 copies of the message to communities where large numbers of Iranian Bahá’ís reside; sent another 200 copies to communities that planned to have deepenings on the message; organized similar deepenings in Persian and English at the Bahá’í National Center; and held a deepening in Persian on the message at the Grand Canyon Bahá’í Conference.

• Helped translate into Persian the Rid-ván message of the Universal House of Justice and ten other messages from the Bahá’í World Center, making the translations available to selected National Spiritual Assemblies.

• Provided a staff member to serve on the executive boards of the Institute for Bahá’í Studies and the Wilmette Institute to assist in conducting the summer-residential and home-study sessions of the “Foundations for a Global Civilization” program and to serve on the Race and Gender Unity Task Force at the Bahá’í National Center.

• Prepared a display and organized a workshop in Persian on the Rid-ván 153 message of the Universal House of Justice at the 1997 National Convention.

• Helped hold the Persian language session of the ‘Irfán Colloquium at the Louhelen Bahá’í School, attended by more than 200 people from the U.S. and Canada and from a number of other countries.

• Collaborated with the Friends of Persian Culture Association to hold the seventh annual conference of the Association, held May 23–26, 1997 in Chicago, which was attended by some 800 people, several dozen of whom were non-Bahá’í friends and relatives of Bahá’í participants. Met four times, as part of the Executive Board of the Friends of Persian Culture Association, to review the

[Page 26]plans for the eighth annual conference, which will be held in Chicago September 3–7, 1998 and will honor the life and services of the Greatest Holy Leaf, Bahíyyih Khánum.

OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND REVIEW

Goal: To perform research, writing, scholarship, literature review, and special materials review functions for the National Spiritual Assembly.

ACTIVITIES

• Handled 5,535 outgoing written communications (a 54 percent increase over last year) and 8,300 incoming written communications about research, literature review, special materials review, the Institute for Bahá’í Studies, the Wilmette Institute, the Association for Bahá’í Studies, and the Haj Mehdi Arjmand Memorial Fund. Over three-quarters of the outgoing communications were by e-mail, underlining the importance of electronic communication to the office’s functioning.

• Completed 161 literature reviews (10 percent fewer than last year) and 387 reviews of special materials (a 10 percent increase over last year); researched and prepared the Annual Report of Agencies of the National Spiritual Assembly and an annual compilation of statistical information for the Universal House of Justice; and revised and formally published 1,000 copies of A Resource Guide for the Bahá’í Faith (formerly titled A Curriculum Guide), a 225-page book describing ways to create university courses on the Bahá’í Faith and providing an extensive annotated topical bibliography on the Faith.

• Responded to errors in five books and articles about the Bahá’í Faith written by non-Bahá’ís; drafted an article on the “Americas” for the Bahá’í encyclopedia project and an article on “Bahá’í Concepts of Social Concord and Discord” for a volume of papers on concepts of social concord and discord in the world’s religions; and coordinated the preparation of eight In Memoriam articles for The Bahá’í World.

• Collaborated with World Order magazine, the Bahá’í Encyclopedia project, the Association for Bahá’í Studies, and the Journal of Bahá’í Studies, which involved attending committee meetings; setting up or participating in conference calls; critiquing manuscripts; and helping to plan conferences. The office devoted considerable resources to the Wilmette Institute, the Institute for Bahá’í Studies, and the Haj Mehdi Arjmand Memorial Fund, which were largely run through the Research Office.

• Participated in the activities of the advisory board of “The Pluralism Project,” a project based at Harvard University that studies world religions in the United States, and served as the Bahá’í representative to the Cooperative Congregational Studies Project, a project to survey tens of thousands of religious congregations in the United States during the government decennial census (January–April, 2000).

• Communicated with dozens of Bahá’í and non-Bahá’í university students and faculty, assisting them with research, giving suggestions about scholarly matters, and helping network them with others having similar interests; assisted a non-Bahá’í scholar with an article on the Bahá’í Faith and a Bahá’í with an article on world religions for children; provided Bahá’í statistical information to the revised World Christian Encyclopedia; and maintained a list of more than 400 Bahá’ís interested in scholarly matters.

• Sponsored a Bahá’í exhibit and a panel of Bahá’í talks at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Religion and Society of Biblical Literature, via the Institute for Bahá’í Studies, seen by some 8,000 scholars of religious studies from across North America; coordinated the “Religious Studies Seminar” at the Association for Bahá’í Studies annual conference in Washington, D.C.; and visited Núr University in Bolivia to discuss creation of Bahá’í-inspired curricula.

• Assisted the Haj Mehdi Arjmand Memorial Fund to sponsor two conferences on the study of Bahá’í writings in Persian, one at Acuto Bahá’í School in Italy in June 1997 and one at Louhelen Bahá’í School in October 1997; and two in English on the Bahá’í Faith and World Religions, in Manchester, U.K. (July 1997) and in Wilmette (August 1997). Initiated planning for colloquia on the Bahá’í Faith and World Religions to be held in London in August 1998 and at Louhelen in early November 1998.

NATIONAL TEACHING COMMITTEE

Goal: To support and guide teaching efforts across the country; to administer the teaching work on behalf of the National Spiritual Assembly; and to develop, promote and execute the National Teaching Plan using the media.

INTRODUCTION

The National Teaching Plan is designed to achieve a significant advance in the process of entry by troops, the elements of which have been established by the Universal House of Justice. The strategies to be implemented in this country apply those elements in a manner befitting our circumstances and opportunities.

The second year of the Four Year Plan featured a range of very significant developments at the local, regional, and national levels. Among these were the establishment of the Regional Bahá’í Councils called for by the Universal House of Justice; a threefold increase in the number of regional training institutes; the organization of campaigns of teaching in a large number of local communities; and the development of a national teaching initiative featuring media usage.

A series of broadcasts on a local inter-faith cable channel, coinciding with Race Unity Day and supported by a range of local teaching activities, yielded significant results. Subsequent tests in the same area, together with the ongoing teaching campaign, have provided a rich learning experience. Some important points learned have been (1) that audiences for the Bahá’í message exist in large numbers, (2) that audiences can be successfully reached through a systematic process of testing and experimentation, and (3) that the effectiveness of outreach can be continuously enhanced through such a process.

The communities in metropolitan Atlanta have continued the campaign and are gradually learning how better to prosecute the overall effort. The number and variety of teaching efforts have expanded during the course of the year, and there has been a 50 percent increase in enrollments over last year, which is directly attributable to the media outreach and other elements of the campaign. In addition, the regional training institute is offering programs that have received high praise from individual attendees.

The Atlanta campaign is in many respects a modest beginning. The communities there still face great challenges. Yet it is also unprecedented in several respects, most important in the degree to which all of the necessary elements to advance the process of entry by troops have been systematically and continuously pursued.

The third year of the Plan will see unprecedented levels of national and local proclamation of the Faith, in conjunction with local teaching efforts and regional programs to develop human resources.

ACTIVITIES

• Developed a national media plan, the overarching goal of which is to combine the use of high-quality, response-generating media programs with systematic local teaching efforts that should address all of the elements necessary for advancing the process of entry by troops.

• Completed a series of focus group tests on an experimental broadcast video, The Power of Race Unity, in March of last year and prepared it for a test in a real broadcast. The video was produced by the Satellite Initiative Development Corporation (SIDCorp), an independent group of Bahá’ís with expertise in media. Meanwhile, the National Teaching Committee, in collaboration with local institutions and the National Assembly’s Office of Public Information, organized a teaching campaign in the test area, metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia. The Bahá’í community of metro Atlanta includes some twenty-four local assemblies and about 1,000 enrolled believers. The campaign included the establishment of a regional training institute, regular devotional meetings, a fireside network, neighborhood “street teaching” focusing on specific ethnic groups, coordinated approaches to the press, instituted a local Internet site and telephone number, and a system for follow up with seekers.

The success of the tests in Atlanta convinced the National Spiritual Assembly that the next step should be a series of national broadcasts in conjunction with local teaching efforts in every community. In collaboration with the Office of Public Information, WLGI Radio Bahá’í, Bahá’í Media Services, Bahá’í Publications, Information Services, other agencies, and a host of individual volunteers with expertise in media, the National Teaching Committee organized a national approach that includes the following elements:

1. A series of broadcasts of The Power of Race Unity on the Odyssey Channel, a national cable television network with 1,200 outlets in the U.S. The tape was aired six times in late March and early April.
2. A national 1-800 telephone system that allows for tracking and follow-up of response.
3. A Web site for seekers.
4. A public relations resource packet that includes sample ads, press releases, radio spots, and so on for local use, together with hints on dealing with media.
5. A network of professionals in media and public relations who offer counsel to local communities on request.

Local communities were asked to develop their own local teaching efforts in conjunction with the national program, to include such activities as: [Page 27]

TEACHING

1. Local proclamation and use of The Power of Race Unity in all areas, whether or not they receive the Odyssey Channel 2. Firesides 3. Devotional meetings 4. Development of human resources 5. Service projects, especially centering on race unity

The community was kept informed of the campaign regularly in The American Bahá’í and in one video produced for this purpose.

Communities were asked to contact the National Teaching Committee’s office to obtain details about the campaign and how to get involved. As of mid-March 1998, just over 1,100 communities contacted the office, making this, by a wide margin, the greatest response to a national teaching initiative in the history of the country.

In a number of cases local communities have undertaken very ambitious campaigns of proclamation and teaching. For example, in greater Boston, Massachusetts, the friends have purchased time for airing The Power of Race Unity on a major television station that reaches nearly two million households and have developed a range of local teaching activities and other proclamation efforts. Impressive efforts are under way in communities large and small, such as Houston, Texas; Springfield, Illinois; Denver, Colorado; Skokie, Illinois; greater Portland, Oregon; Boise, Idaho; and many more.

Results of the first series of national broadcasts will be published in The American Bahá’í. In the third year of the Plan the effort will continue. A second series of broadcasts will be aired in the summer and more will follow later in the year. The Committee has obtained approval to air The Power of Race Unity on Black Entertainment Television (BET) and is working with other networks. In addition, it hopes to have other programs tested and made available for national and local use.

It also is expected that the quantity and quality of local teaching activities will increase during the course of the year.

TRAINING INSTITUTES

• Increased the number of regional training institutes from 5 to 18 during the course of the year. It is probable that more will be established in the third year of the Plan, through a process of consultation with the Institution of the Learned and the Regional Bahá’í Councils. About 920 individuals have attended at least one training program at a regional institute. In addition, there are about 300 local training institutes operating under the sponsorship of Local Spiritual Assemblies. A series of conferences for the boards of directors of the regional training institutes are planned for April 1998 to achieve unity of vision as to their role and functioning, to share experiences, and to set expectations for the coming year.

RESEARCH

• Conducted a general survey of the Bahá’í community that indicated levels of individual teaching, giving to the Funds, involvement in community life, and general satisfaction greater than was indicated in a similar survey conducted in 1992; a telephone survey of Bahá’í communities confirmed that nearly 60 percent sponsor race unity activities; a survey on Bahá’í Newsreel usage (in collaboration with Media Services) confirmed that the videos are normally shown in their entirety in more than 70 percent of local communities and are seen by more than half of the believers; an audience survey for WLGI Radio Bahá’í showed impressive penetration of non-Bahá’í households and broad understanding of principles of the Faith on the part of non-Bahá’í listeners; a survey of regional training institutes demonstrated widespread use of curricula and training resources provided by the National Spiritual Assembly; a survey of communities showed that some 30 percent have initiated local training programs and focus group tests for another promotional video, The Power of Prayer, now in production by the Satellite Initiative Development Corporation. In addition, the committee undertook extensive study of research conducted by Bahá’ís and non-Bahá’ís who have dealt with issues relevant to the teaching work.

REGIONAL TEACHING

• Supervised, for the first half of the year, the operations of four Regional Committees, one for each of the regions delineated by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in the Tablets of the Divine Plan. The committees paved the way for the election of Regional Bahá’í Councils by organizing teaching campaigns in several key areas of the country; helping to establish regional training institutes; identifying successful local activities and opportunities for growth; creating greater regional unity of vision about teaching; assessing thoroughly their respective areas of service; and submitting detailed information and strategic suggestions to the incoming Councils.

EVOLVING ROLE OF THE NATIONAL TEACHING COMMITTEE

The Universal House of Justice set new terms of reference for the National Teaching Committee that describe the committee’s relationship with the Regional Bahá’í Councils and its own responsibilities:

1. To study developments in the Bahá’í community that pertain to the general challenge of growth. 2. To monitor and analyze teaching activity across the nation. 3. To identify successful teaching approaches and new opportunities for teaching. 4. To assist in the execution of teaching plans. 5. To offer advice and support to the National Spiritual Assembly and Regional Bahá’í Councils. 6. To communicate plans, opportunities, and developments to the institutions and to the friends in general.

With these points in mind the National Teaching Committee has begun working to increase its capacity to obtain detailed, up-to-date information on a variety of issues that pertain to teaching. In the general population, American social trends and their implications for teaching opportunities are being studied. In particular, the Committee is interested in studying the impact of immigrant populations on this society, as well as the possible receptivity of these peoples to the Faith.

• Continued to learn how to reach specific audiences in such a way as to elicit tangible and measurable interest in the Faith and formulated a plan for an evolving set of efforts embracing the development of literature, Internet proclamation and teaching, public relations, and audiovisual materials. A system to help local communities formulate their own proclamation and teaching efforts has been established and will be enhanced.
• Worked with the Bahá’í Office of Public Information to enhance public relations efforts. The Atlanta experience showed that there are significant opportunities to proclaim Bahá’í principles through such media, which will add to the prestige of the Faith in ways that “paid” proclamation efforts cannot.

ARTS

The National Arts Task Force had the responsibility of developing and implementing strategies to promote the use of the arts in teaching and community life. The task force undertook the following activities:

Published twice an insert, “Art,” in The American Bahá’í devoted to promotion of the arts in teaching and community life; held one regional arts conference in Atlanta, Georgia, focused on spirituality and transformation through the arts; conducted an assessment of usage of the arts in local communities; began planning for a national arts conference, the details of which will be publicized later; and compiled a database of Bahá’í artists.

MINORITY TEACHING COMMITTEES

NATIONAL AFRICAN AMERICAN TEACHING COMMITTEE

Goal: To initiate expansion of the Faith through advancing the process of entry by troops among African Americans of every stratum of society and to study and develop effective strategies for bringing them into and keeping them in the Faith.

ACTIVITIES

• Conducted a series of well-attended workshops at the 1997 National Convention and similar workshops at the Association of Bahá’í studies meeting in Washington, D.C. These gatherings generated an enthusiastic response and were followed by direct contact with friends in many communities such as Los Angeles, California; Washington, D.C.; Detroit, Michigan; Tacoma, Washington; St. Louis, Missouri; Chicago, Illinois, and elsewhere.
• Met with the National Youth Committee and College Clubs to create collaborative efforts in promoting the teaching work among African Americans.

NATIONAL AMERICAN INDIAN TEACHING COMMITTEE

Goal: To encourage and support the efforts of individuals and communities to advance the process of entry by troops among American Indians in cities, rural areas, and reservations; to assist and support the work of regional American Indian teaching committees to promote these goals; to initiate and support the development of programs to foster the spiritual education of indigenous and non-indigenous believers; and to foster the recognition that teaching American Indians is of great and urgent importance.

ACTIVITIES

• Completed guidelines for teaching American Indians in the U.S. which were reviewed by a number of American Indian Bahá’ís and were shared with the friends at the Rabbani Trust conference for social and economic development in December. The Committee also conducted a workshop on teaching American Indians at the Conference.
• Continued advising the regional American Indian teaching committees in different regions and reappointed the committees for the current year.
• Worked on developing the Tree of Life Institute, a training program for Indian believers and for those interested in teaching this population.

NATIONAL CHINESE TASK FORCE

Goal: To encourage and support the efforts of individual believers and communities to reach Chinese people currently residing in this country, whether permanently or temporarily, with the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh.

ACTIVITIES

• Participated in Chinese teaching activities in several communities in conjunction with scheduled meetings of the Task Force in New York City, Chicago, Gainesville, Atlanta, and San Francisco; conducted a workshop at the 1997 National Convention; and planned and facilitated a conference in the Bay area for the Western States, implementing and promoting the institute study process for teaching and consolidation, with both Bahá’ís and seekers.
• Promoted arrangements establishing the Bahá’í Distribution Service as the central source for books and other materials in simplified Chinese; distributed a packet about Chinese teaching to all Bahá’í College Clubs participating in the College Weekend sessions at the

[Page 28]permanent schools; established a communications network, by regions, with friends involved in Chinese teaching; promoted seminars on the Bahá’í Faith and Chinese Culture in Los Angeles and in Chicago; and met with two members of the Western Regional Bahá’í Council to consult on regional efforts for Chinese teaching.

NATIONAL LATIN AMERICAN TASK FORCE

Goal: To encourage and support the efforts of the individual believers and communities to advance the process of entry by troops through teaching Latin American people currently residing in this country, whether permanently or temporarily, and to cultivate, build, and maintain teaching and consolidation projects and activities among Latin American people.

ACTIVITIES

Held three separate consultations in Florida and named a regional committee to work under one Local Spiritual Assembly and in close collaboration with a member of the Auxiliary Board. Under the guidance of the Task Force the work expanded to other areas in Florida, such as Tampa, Naples, Miami, Belle Glade, and Gainesville where traveling teaching, children’s classes, and a very active fireside and deepening program are maintained. Their use of radio includes a thirty-minute program on Saturday evening on a well-known commercial radio station broadcasting from Orlando that reaches the Caribbean and Cuba. The program, usually live, is broadcast in Spanish and is tied in with firesides.

• Held a well-attended conference at the Magdalene Carney Institute to introduce the regional Latino committee for Southern Florida to the friends and to consult about teaching in the region. A second conference, held at the Institute on February 28, 1998, was entirely carried out by the regional Latino committee.
• Met twice during the year with Bahá’ís and local spiritual assemblies in the Chicago area where there is a local Latino teaching committee.
• Met with local groups of believers in California who were engaged in teaching, with the Auxiliary Board members, some of their assistants, and the directors of the Regional Training Institute. Also met at Bosch Bahá’í School with representatives of the National Teaching Committee and others interested in Latino teaching. Out of that consultation came a refocusing on a new teaching strategy to reach the Latino population in key areas in the U.S.
• Compiled statistics, maps and other data into a Latino Data Handbook and presented it to the National Teaching Committee and to the Regional Bahá’í Councils. A slide presentation of the plan was given at a meeting of the Continental Board of Counselors with their Auxiliary Board members in Dallas, Texas, in January.
• Published regular articles in Spanish and English in The American Bahá’í, made presentations to college clubs, and met with representatives of the Regional Bahá’í Council for the Southern States.
• Assisted Bahá’í Publications with materials, translations, and so on, and answered many other requests for information and materials from individuals and institutions around the country.

NATIONAL YOUTH COMMITTEE

Goal: To conduct expert study and provide strategic advice to the National Spiritual Assembly in matters pertaining to youth; to rally Bahá’í youth in support of the goals and directives of the National Spiritual Assembly; to help define, address and remove barriers to youths’ wholehearted leadership in advancing the process of entry by troops; to expand and develop a national architecture for youth that will help to foster united action; to stimulate activity at the local level; and to help increase each individual youth’s capacity to serve the Cause.

ACTIVITIES

• Developed the infrastructure of the Committee to provide information and support to the National Spiritual Assembly and to youth activities and initiatives across the United States and maintained the National Youth Office at the Bahá’í National Center, providing a youth presence there and expanding the responsibilities of the Youth Office staff person to provide a wider range of services and information to youth across the country.
• Served as a clearing-house for information related to local, regional, and national youth activities, responding to the needs and inquiries of Regional Committees and then Regional Bahá’í Councils, local Youth Committees, Bahá’í Youth Workshops, College Clubs, Bahá’í Youth Service Corps applicants, and individual youths and adults across the country. As part of this informational mission, the National Youth Committee received and responded to an average of 500 letters per month.
• Organized a series of college club weekends at the permanent Bahá’í schools, held during the fall at the Bosch, Green Acre, and Louhelen Bahá’í schools, to connect Bahá’ís on campus with national goals and with each other and to inspire and focus students for service upon their return to campus. An additional spring semester weekend was held at Green Acre that focused more in depth on particular campus teaching plans, inter-campus collaboration, race unity, and heroic deeds of service.
• Developed an updated database of contact information for Bahá’ís on campuses around the country to communicate more effectively with Bahá’í youth on college campuses, and revised and updated the Bahá’í campus club information and registration packet, disseminating them to approximately 350 Bahá’í campus clubs.
• Developed Fertile Fields, the Bahá’í college club newsletter, to foster communication and ideas between college clubs and provide activity reports from clubs across the country and messages from the National Youth Committee to college students. Newsletters were sent on a monthly basis to more than 300 subscribers.
• Co-sponsored the National Committee for the Advancement of Women’s One Voice Campaign, which was designed to promote Bahá’í perspectives on gender equality and to disseminate the statement Two Wings of A Bird: The Equality of Women and Men to campus administrators and students.
• Assumed responsibility from the National Teaching Office for administering the domestic portion of the Bahá’í Youth Service Corps (BYSC) program, redesigning the program to refine the process of placing youth at posts, increasing the number and diversity of posts at which youth can serve, and making the program accessible to as wide a range of youth as possible.
• Developed new Bahá’í Youth Service Corps brochures and application materials and helped place BYSC volunteers at the permanent schools and institutes and at local posts in several states.
• Encouraged and supported youth leadership in local, regional, and national race unity initiatives including the college campus race dialogue campaign and the national broadcast of The Power of Race Unity video. Also encouraged youth deepening and study of Bahá’í texts related to race unity and focused attention on the December 17, 1997, letter from the National Spiritual Assembly on the subject of race unity initiatives in the Bahá’í community.
• Initiated the Heroic Deeds of Service campaign in response to the Universal House of Justice’s call for American Bahá’ís “to perform, during the Four Year Plan, heroic deeds of service to the Cause which will astonish and inspire their fellow-believers throughout the world.” The campaign’s intent was to mobilize Bahá’í youth of all backgrounds and talents to perform deeds that, after prayer and reflection about their lives and in their circumstances, they would consider to be heroic.
• Worked with the staff of One magazine, a Bahá’í youth publication, to develop the monthly Youth Page in The American Bahá’í, placing national, regional and local news and announcements on the Youth Page and highlighting individual initiatives and national programs.
• Collected information for a comprehensive, accurate, worldwide database of Bahá’í youth workshops, receiving contact and program information from over 200 Bahá’í youth workshops across the United States. Workshops in the U.S. continued to assist in founding workshops abroad, as evidenced by information received from Bahá’í youth workshops in 60 other countries.
• Initiated the Love Project, an effort intended to foster love, support, and unity through connecting with individual believers by sending special cards to individuals across the country and by praying for individuals, groups and institutions all over the country and world each month at the Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette.
• Consulted with the National Teaching Committee about youth involvement in supporting the national teaching plan and its initiatives; sought input from representatives of the Regional Councils, the Education Task Force, the Children and Youth Editorial Board, the Office of the Treasurer, the Office of Pioneering and other Bahá’í agencies; and consulted with the African American Teaching Committee to explore ways to attract more African American youth to the Bahá’í community, particularly in localities with historically black colleges and universities.
• Encouraged youth to use the Fundamental Verities Course curriculum created by the National Education Task Force, especially Volume II, entitled “Every Believer is a Teacher”; encouraged youth to participate in local training institutes; and provided consultative support regarding youth involvement in the Wilmette Institute’s “Spiritual Foundations for a Global Civilization” program and encouraging youth participation.
• Participated in youth teaching projects and conferences throughout the country and sent letters of support and encouragement to a variety of local and regional youth gatherings and conferences, including the North American Interfaith Network (NAIN) conference held in Columbia, South Carolina; sent several subscriptions to One magazine to isolated youth across the country, to the National Youth Committees of Bulgaria and Ethiopia, and to youth in Monterrey, Mexico; and contacted and exchanged information with the European Bahá’í Youth Council and the National Youth Committees of Brazil and Chile.

OFFICE OF PIONEERING

Goal: To send 5,700 pioneers and traveling teachers abroad in the Four Year Plan in response to the call of the ‎Universal House Justice Universal House of Justice‎, with specific needs identified as: “descendants of the early inhabitants of your continent ... should be ever mindful of the vital contribution they can make to the work of the Faith throughout the American continent, in circumpolar areas and in the Asian region of the Russian Federation. ... We direct the believers of African descent ... to the pressing needs for pioneers, who will contribute to the further development of the Cause in distant areas, including the continent of Africa for which they were assigned a special responsibility by the Guardian. ... [T]he [Page 29]

TEACHING

friends of Hispanic background have fertile fields before them throughout Latin America. Let all believers consider the extent to which they can use familial and ethnic ties to other regions of the world for the fulfillment of the global mission conferred upon the recipients of the Tablets of the Divine Plan.

ACTIVITIES

Assisted 263 pioneers to settle abroad from May 1, 1997, to March 1, 1998. During the same period, 1,270 traveling teaching trips were undertaken; 44 youths served internationally through the Bahá’í Youth Service Corps program; 19 believers of African descent arose to pioneer and approximately 45 undertook traveling teaching trips in Africa. To date for the Four Year Plan, the total number of pioneers settled is 537 and 3,376 traveling teachers completed teaching trips abroad.

• Restructured the Office of Pioneering to have International Consultants serving each of the four regions of the country represented by the Regional Bahá’í Councils. Early statistics regarding the number of inquiries for international service shows that the community is responding positively to the change. For example, from October to February the Northeastern region had 24 inquiries, the Central region had 31, the Southern region had 88, and the Western region had 64.

• Held four regularly scheduled Institutes for Pioneering, Bahá’í Youth Service Corps, and Sensitive International Teaching Areas, which were attended by 102 prospective pioneers. Several other pioneers were trained locally by Resource Network volunteers.

BAHÁ’Í HOUSE OF WORSHIP OFFICES

Goal: To proclaim the Name and the Healing Message of Bahá’u’lláh far and wide; to serve and work with Bahá’í communities to meet the needs of the Bahá’í House of Worship and to teach the Faith; to involve larger numbers of people from greater distances in all the activities held in the House of Worship; to initiate and maintain a Bahá’í Choir; to increase services and activities which foster community development.

ACTIVITIES

• Welcomed 244,641 visitors from 117 countries, representing a 22 percent increase and an 8 percent increase, respectively, over last year; conducted over 185 scheduled tours for more than 7,287 people; drew an additional 257 visitors with garden teaching; and conducted interviews with students preparing class papers on religion from many area colleges, universities, and high schools. Among special visitors greeted were 100 Cantors from across the United States and Canada who chanted in the auditorium, and 150 photographers from all over the country.

• Provided several interviews, including one with the Chicago Tribune for a Web Page for “Virtual Tour,” one for a Northwestern University article for World Religion Day; and one for the Daily Herald concerning the Story Festival.

• Supervised the activities of more than 400 volunteers (60 of whom are regularly scheduled guides) who gave over 14,795 hours of service (representing a 7 percent increase over last year), as guides, tour leaders, discussion leaders, choir members, readers, ushers/hosts, office aides, program or hospitality coordinators, and flower arrangers.

• Supervised the activities of several committees and task forces, including the Ascension Holy Day Task Force, the Devotions Committee, the Children’s Program Committee, the Committee for the Celebration of Humanity, Garden Teaching Committee, Hospitality Committee, Music Committee, Youth Speakers Forum Founding Mentors, Program Planning Committees from six local spiritual assemblies, and Project Coordinators.

• Coordinated instructional and consultative meetings for the Training Workshop and Appreciation Program for Volunteers, the North Shore Race Unity Task Force, the Ascension Holy Day Task Force, the Children’s Committee, the National Education Committee, and the Corinne True Institute.

• Held the fourteenth annual David Kellum Awards. Recipients were Juliette Whittaker, a Bahá’í from Peoria, Illinois, noted for her work in diversity appreciation and as an educator and theater director; and Mary Adams Trujillo, of Evanston, Illinois, a specialist in conflict resolution, training, and consulting. The event, attended by 250 people, including James Kellum, the son of David Kellum for whom the award was named, allowed for substantial networking and effective teaching amongst Bahá’ís and visitors.

• Created the Story Festivals program, featuring animated story presentations and music for children; held twice-monthly firesides, one in English and one in Spanish; and sponsored a weekly introductory class series on the Faith.

• Held devotions Monday through Saturday at 12:15 P.M. and on Sunday at 1:15 P.M., attended by 10,790 individuals during the year, representing a 5 percent increase over last year; continued devotions and dawn prayers as part of all Holy Day celebrations; and maintained a list of prayer requests used by staff for daily morning prayers.

• Commemorated all Holy Days and provided special programs for children—total attendance at Holy Days was 3,700, with the largest attendance being more than 500 at the Declaration of the Báb celebration, and held open meetings to honor Universal Children’s Day, United Nations Day, United Nations Human Rights Day, International Day of Peace, and World Religion Day; held a twenty-four hour Prayer Vigil for the success of the Race Unity Day walk; and conducted two Special Visit Program attended by 53 participants.

• Supervised the operation of the Bahá’í House of Worship Book Shop, which realized sales of $269,553, representing an increase of 6 percent over last year, and improved service by sending out new titles announcements via e-mail and quarterly mailings and by opening the book shop at the close of Holy Day programs.

• Assisted in hosting the Office of the Treasurer’s Special Visit programs, 5 memorial services, and 17 weddings; developed the Bahá’í Choir, whose membership numbers 20 singers; responded to 920 interest cards, representing a 24 percent increase over last year, with 823 from the United States and 97 from other countries; informed more than 360 local spiritual assemblies of interest inquiries; and witnessed 28 declarations at the House of Worship, representing a 154 percent increase over last year.

• Provided free materials in 38 languages, including a comprehensive brochure about the Faith, two prayer sheets in English, one for adults and one for children, a prayer sheet in Spanish, a copy of the Statement by the Universal House of Justice on peace, and a visit card (sent to hotels, airports, tourist stops and individuals); published a lively and informative quarterly newsletter for volunteers for a fourth year; sent out three quarterly mailings about House of Worship activities to local Bahá’í communities; and submitted articles about volunteers to The American Bahá’í.

• Held membership in the American Booksellers Association; the Association of Volunteer Administrators; the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau; and the North Shore Race Unity Task Force; and attended several conferences as a way of building relationships.

NATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN

Goal: To advance the Bahá’í principle of the equality of women and men; to encourage rapid dissemination and broad discussion of the statement Two Wings of a Bird: The Equality of Women and Men, both inside and outside the Bahá’í community; to transform attitudes, assumptions, and behaviors of men and women; to raise up a new generation committed to gender equality; and to promote the development, well-being, and prosperity of women.

ACTIVITIES

• Assisted in the distribution of the statement Two Wings of a Bird: The Equality of Women and Men to local spiritual assemblies and registered groups; collaborated with the Persian American Affairs office and Bahá’í Publications to have a Persian translation of the statement published in The American Bahá’í and encouraged the development of a Spanish translation for similar publication; and coordinated with a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Taiwan a Chinese translation of the statement Two Wings, which was given to many of the Counselors in Asia who took copies to their respective countries for distribution to the believers and presentation to prominent people.

• Collaborated with the National Spiritual Assembly’s Secretariat for External Affairs in promoting the ratification of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW); wrote letters of support to designated Senators and encouraged others to do so; participated in events related to International Women’s Day in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and in Colleyville and Dallas, Texas; and wrote a guest column about CEDAW titled “Women Around the World Need Their Own Bill of Rights,” which was printed in the Religion Section of the Dallas Morning News. The event at the Philadelphia Regional Bahá’í Center received wide media attention (three TV networks, three radio shows, and various newspapers) and prompted the Pennsylvania and New Jersey State Senates to draft documents endorsing CEDAW.

• Met with representatives of local spiritual assemblies in three major metropolitan areas—Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Georgia, and San Francisco/San Jose, California—to identify the needs of the communities around gender equality issues, introduce the goals and objectives of the National Committee for the Advancement of Women, discuss common linkages and major initiatives, encourage communities to take individual and collective action, and to call upon the Committee as a resource.

• Hosted a national training seminar at the Bahá’í National Center to help Bahá’ís develop public speaking and group facilitation skills for use with gender equality activities, which was attended by 42 participants, four members of the Committee, two trainers, and the editor of The American Bahá’í.

• Collaborated with the National Youth Committee and launched the One Voice project, a nationwide effort among Bahá’í college clubs focused on promoting the equality of women and men and raising awareness about the Bahá’í Faith’s commitment to that agenda. A week-long campaign (March 2–6, 1998) encouraged all members of college clubs to recite a selected prayer each day during the campaign, to present the statement Two Wings of a Bird: The Equality of Women and Men to the heads of colleges or universities, and to publish the statement in campus newspapers. Project efforts were coordinated through the Bahá’í Club of the University of North Carolina-Asheville (UNCA), which gathered reports of activities via a special email account. Preliminary reports indicated a surge of activities across the nation, including unified action in prayer, presentations of the statement to presidents and chancellors, publication of the statement, in whole or in part, in campus newspapers,

[Page 30]

TEACHING

talks and other events which focused attention on the Bahá’í perspective on gender equality.

• Supported a member of the Committee who founded the Tahirih Justice Center, a not-for-profit center for the promotion of human rights and the protection of immigrant women, and who participated in a book tour about Fauziya Kassindja’s case entitled Do They Hear You When You Cry?
• Presented workshops at the National Convention, at permanent and regional Bahá’í schools and institutes, and at national conferences; served as keynote speaker at a program at the Bahá’í House of Worship and at the San Jose, California, Human Rights Awards dinner; and sent representatives to the “Vanguard of the Dawning” Conference in Birmingham, Alabama, a United Nations conference in New York, and the “Black Heritage” weekend at Bosch Bahá’í School.
• Gave presentations on the equality of women and men in local communities in California, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and the District of Columbia; conducted activities on college campuses ‎included including‎ a lecture to a class at Michigan State University Medical School and a panel discussion at the University of California, Los Angeles; and appeared as featured guests on radio interview programs, including the Sister Circle Program on Morgan State University radio (Baltimore, Maryland), WUSD (Washington, D.C.), KSCO talk radio (Central coast California counties), Today’s Woman (Taipei, Taiwan), and WXPN (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania).
• Conducted for men only workshops focused on the equality of women and men; arranged for publication in The American Bahá’í an article about a men’s support group; placed particular attention on the role of men in addressing and resolving gender equality issues; presented a program titled “The Role of Men in Promoting the Equality of Women and Men” in Atlanta, Georgia; and tried to have male and female presenters as often as possible and encouraged local communities to follow that partnership model.

ASSOCIATION FOR BAHÁ’Í STUDIES

Goal: To foster scholarship on the Bahá’í Faith, thereby creating deepened believers capable of sustaining entry by troops. The Association operates under an Executive Committee whose members represent the National Spiritual Assemblies of Alaska, Canada and the United States.

ACTIVITIES

• Held an annual conference on “Fostering Human Rights: Developing Pathways to Peace” in Washington, D.C., November 14–16, 1997, attended by more than 700 people, including several prominent non-Bahá’í thinkers and politicians.
• Reorganized regional ABS committees in the Midwest, New England, and Texas and continued to support regional committees in the Mid-Atlantic states and northern California.
• Published 4 issues of a membership Bulletin and 4 issues of the Journal of Bahá’í Studies, received by almost 1,000 members in the United States and another 1,000 in Canada and overseas.
• Furthered plans for annual conferences in Montreal (1998) and Phoenix (1999).
• Established a Web site, produced a new brochure, and sent a mailing to all local spiritual assemblies and groups in the United States encouraging additional membership.

EDUCATION AND SCHOOLS OFFICE AND EDUCATION TASK FORCE

Goal: To oversee the five permanent schools and institutes and the 38 Regional Bahá’í Schools committees; to supervise and provide support to the Education Task Force; and to create various curricula as designated by the National Spiritual Assembly, including emphasis on the goals of the Four Year Plan.

ACTIVITIES

• Disseminated to the Continental Board of Counselors, Auxiliary Board members, Regional Bahá’í Councils, and Boards of Directors for Regional Bahá’í Institutes a resource manual, providing a list of names of trained facilitators in Race Unity, Marriage and Family Life, Core Curriculum Teachers, and Parenting Workshops.
• Mailed 72 information packets of materials about the permanent schools and institutes to new believers upon request; responded to 20 requests for curriculum materials; consulted in-depth with individual institutions and training institutes in the United States and in other countries about the implementation and varied application of programs developed at the request of the National Spiritual Assembly; and provided support to communities seeking assistance in presenting a Bahá’í approach to moral and values education to the public.
• Created a Web site on Bahá’í education for the United States Bahá’ís to post materials, disseminate news, and answer questions about education, and to assist in the development of a resource data bank of Bahá’í educators.

EDUCATION

• Increased collaboration with the Office of Assembly Development and made a presentation about the Core Curriculum to its Assembly Development training program; continued collaborative work with the Office of the Treasurer in training programs and with the National Teaching Committee in devising standards for research, designing supplementary materials for The Power of Race Unity video and training for Regional Training Institutes; and coordinated training efforts among various departments at the Bahá’í National Center and began production of a training program for trainers.
• Surveyed the Bahá’í Regional School committees and initiated an effort toward more frequent and constant communications; held two weekend-long regional schools committee gatherings promoting exchange and communication between committees and solidifying the relationship between the regional schools committees and the National Education and Schools Office; revised the Regional School Manual; initiated the creation of a list server to facilitate communication and exchange between the Regional Schools committees; produced a document on the annual theme designated by the National Spiritual Assembly, “The Role of the Individual in Advancing the Process of Entry By Troops,” to support the Regional Schools’ curriculum; and provided content and development support to Brilliant Star magazine, particularly for the first special color edition, “It’s Up To Me.”
• Set up a three-site assessment of the impact of Core Curriculum programs on the Bahá’í community by an independent assessment team to identify strengths and areas for growth in the teacher training.
• Collaborated with the Regional Committee for the Central States regarding Race Unity Training and with the Northeastern Regional Bahá’í Council and the National Teaching Committee to produce a handbook for neighborhood dialogues on race unity.
• Completed development of an activity booklet on the life and teachings of the Báb to be used in conjunction with the Core Curriculum; produced the third of a three-part course on the “Fundamental Verities of the Faith,” available to all training institutes and interested individuals through the Bahá’í Distribution Service; and collaborated with Auxiliary Board members to provide specialized training for assistants who have been asked by their Board members to offer training programs in their localities.
• Continued on-going development of all training programs, refining training manuals for Teacher Training, Parenting, Race Unity, and Marriage and Family Life, and developed Tool Kits for Parenting and Race Unity Trainers to extend their service both within the Bahá’í community and the community at large.
• Held Core Curriculum Trainings at the National Teacher Training Center, including Teacher Training, Parent Facilitator Training, Race Unity Training and Marriage and Family Life Training. The total number of Core Curriculum trainers in the United States is 501. From Ridván 1997 to present, 63 additional trainers were trained in Marriage and Family Life in 21 states, 38 Parent Facilitators in 17 states, 43 Race Unity Trainers in 15 states, and 32 Teacher Trainers in 15 states.
• Provided updated information about trainer resources and held the first International Teacher Training, conducted by the National Teacher Training Center. It was attended by 21 participants from or pioneering to 11 countries, including Alaska, the Bahamas, Canada, Eritrea, Germany, the Hawaiian Islands, India, Italy, Kuwait, Norway, and Spain.
• Added a new National Task Force for Family and Community Life that has been charged with a comprehensive review of the Bahá’í teachings on family and community life, the collection and evaluation of models of family and community development within the Bahá’í community, and the planning of programs and courses on these subjects at the Bahá’í Schools and Institutes.

BOSCH BAHÁ’Í SCHOOL

Goal: To provide for the spiritual and intellectual growth of the American Bahá’í community and the realization of a significant advance in the process of entry by troops by incorporating the triple themes of the Four Year Plan—Consecration of the Individual, Flourishing of Bahá’í Communities, and Maturation of the Institutions—in programs offered at Bosch, while striving to create an environment that encourages participants to internalize and put into action the moral and spiritual principles of the Faith, thereby facilitating individual transformation and the accomplishment of the goals of the National Spiritual Assembly.

ACTIVITIES

• Created opportunities for individuals to learn practical skills as teachers of the Cause, in collaboration with the Auxiliary Board, the National Teaching Committee, and the Office of Pioneering, by offering sessions on “Teachers on the March,” a Teacher Training Institute, a Pioneering Institute, Youth Service Corps and Sensitive International Teaching Areas trainings, and a Winter School session on Teaching the Faith.
• Offered two sessions geared specifically for seekers, with an emphasis on intensive study of the sacred texts. Bahá’ís were encouraged to bring seekers to all general sessions; nearly 80 seekers attended and more than 20 declared their belief in Bahá’u’lláh.
• Offered a summer College Institute, Youth Institute, 2 Junior Youth Institutes, 3 Children’s Academy sessions, 1 College Club Weekend, and 2 Youth Training Conferences using the Core Curriculum

[Page 31]

EDUCATION

Marriage and Family Life module.

• Hosted a regional Association for Bahá’í Studies Conference, in collaboration with the California Regional ABS Committee; the third annual Mysticism Conference; and four study retreat weekends on the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, the Kitáb-i-Íqán, The Seven Valleys, and one on Islam.

• Offered a World Religions Mini-Series, in collaboration with the Wilmette Institute. Four weekend sessions covered Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and the Old and New Testaments.

• Offered a special spiritual retreat during the Fast called “Rendezvous of the Soul,” with a short course on The Four Valleys, and focused summer sessions on prayer, spiritual transformation, and compassion.

• Offered an Arts and Teaching session and a Youth and the Arts deepening weekend; hosted several meetings of the GWEn Art Council (Gwen Wakeling Endowment for the Arts); and housed visiting artists as part of the program for all summer and winter sessions.

• Hosted the third annual intensive, six-day Choral Training session, focused on using Bahá’í Scripture and prayer in choral music writing and performance, concurrent with the first annual Children’s Music Camp, culminating the session with an intergenerational public proclamation performance.

• Hosted several teaching conferences: a Latino Teaching Conference, a Southeast Asian Leadership Conference, and a Pacific Islander Teaching Conference; hosted a Black Heritage Celebration weekend and a Persian Women’s Conference with a focus on Bahá’í family life.

• Offered focused summer sessions on “Bridges from the Bible,” “The True Spirit of Teaching,” Maturation of the Institutions, and the Kitáb-i-Íqán; an annual Marriage Enrichment Retreat; a new two-weekend session for married couples called “Turning on the Light,” which blended spiritual and psychological principles for creating and sustaining strong marriages; a Singles and Relationship Workshop session; a Core Curriculum Parent Training session; and a Winter School session on “Marriage and Family Life.” Comprehensive children’s classes were offered at every general and intensive session, with a curriculum that paralleled the adult program.

• Hosted a conference on Two Wings of a Bird: The Equality of Women and Men; a conference on “Business Ethics and the Bahá’í Faith;” a pilot session devoted to exploring Transformative Mediation in the context of Bahá’í community life; a Social and Economic Development Conference, with the objective of instituting local social and economic development projects; and a Winter School session on “The Bahá’í Faith and the United Nations.”

• Hosted four meetings of the newly elected Regional Bahá’í Council of the Western States; one meeting of the LSAI (LSA Integration and Automation) working groups, in collaboration with the Bahá’í National Center Information Services office; conducted a training session for over 120 assistants to two area Auxiliary Board members (Protection and Propagation), using the new Fundamental Verities Course developed by the National Education Task Force; and one LSA Team Development weekend for three local spiritual assemblies, an intensive session held with Assemblies participating in a series of trust-building activities, with time provided for consultation across local spiritual assembly groupings and within the local spiritual assembly as an institution.

• Expanded the program calendar for greater facility use with sessions offered year round, including 36 separate weekend sessions, a nine-week summer schedule, one six-day winter session, and one four-day spring session. Many weekends included two or more programs running concurrently to increase overall attendance and facility use. In addition, the number of outside rentals was up significantly from last year, including 24 non-Bahá’í and 11 Bahá’í-sponsored rentals.

• Attendance at Bahá’í sessions was down approximately 8 percent from last year, with projected attendance of nearly 2,800 for 1997–98. Bahá’í program fees are up approximately 8 percent year-to-date, and are projected to be more than $295,000. Outside rental fees were about level year-to-date at $29,000 and likely to exceed $40,000. Year-to-date revenues from the Bookshop/Café were $148,000, up 22 percent from last year-to-date.

• Expanded and renovated two staff cabins; relocated the staff lounge; installed a used walk-in refrigerator; remodeled the kitchen with new wall and floor coverings, shelving, and storage enhancements; constructed a ramp to provide full handicapped access to the new Seminar Rooms; and made interim repairs to several critical sections of roadway on campus.

• Conducted book sales at the Green Lake conference in September 1997, generating over $36,000 in sales.

• Organized the contribution of over 23,500 volunteer hours during the year with more than twenty Youth Service Corps volunteers serving along with five long-term volunteers.

• Supported community outreach by hosting a Teacher Appreciation Dinner for teachers at the local elementary school and two end-of-school-year swim parties; an annual Labor Day Picnic, Swim and BBQ open to the local Bonny Doon community; and staff serving on the Bonny Doon School Foundation Board and the Rural Bonny Doon Association Executive Board.

GREEN ACRE BAHÁ’Í SCHOOL

Goal: To prepare increasing numbers of Bahá’ís of all ages to achieve a significant advance in the process of entry by troops through a variety of quality programs focused on developing the capacity of individuals, institutions, and communities.

ACTIVITIES

• Offered 27 weekend programs and 14 week-long courses including the topics of Advancing the Process of Entry by Troops, Applying Bahá’í Principles, the Core Curriculum for the Training of Teachers, Education, Gender Equality, Local Spiritual Assembly and Community Development, Marriage and Family Life, Race Unity, Spiritual Transformation, Study of the Sacred Text, and special Institutes for Children and Youth. In addition, programs by various agencies of the Faith offered special focus on such topics as Working with the UN, Pioneering, the work of College Clubs, and Issues of AIDS, Sexuality, Addiction and Abuse.

• Saw a 10 percent increase in program enrollment. A focus on increasing the number of people of diverse background resulted in a 7 percent increase in enrollments of racial/ethnic minority students and an 18 percent increase in Persian believers. In addition, classes and institutes for children, pre-youth, youth, and college students were offered and served some 576 young people. Staff training in the use of Core Curriculum techniques increased the quality of the children’s programs and there was an increase in intergenerational arts and recreational activities.

• Emphasized participatory learning by incorporating lecture-style sessions with a variety of seminar- and group-work activities and workshops that often integrated understanding of the Creative Word with the arts. Concerts, picnics, and open-houses attracted large numbers of Bahá’ís and non-Bahá’ís, as did public-forum discussions on the application of Bahá’í principles to contemporary issues.

• Promoted race unity throughout the year by offering courses on the subject, a retreat, and outreach activities in a number of schools and organizations on the seacoast, and numerous performances by the interracial Northeast Regional Bahá’í Gospel Choir. A course on the topic of the Advancement of Women resulted in the creation of a network of active scholar/activists, and in memory of Green Acre founder Sarah Jane Farmer, a public meeting in honor of her birthday was held in July, two significant contributions were made to the Eliot, Maine, Library Building Fund, and a lecture on her contributions to world peace was given to the University of New Hampshire President’s Commission on the Status of Women.

• Incorporated the arts into programming through performances by visiting dance groups from a variety of cultural backgrounds, inspiring concerts by several Bahá’í gospel choir groups, the taping of an hour of original music composed and performed by artists expressing their special love for Green Acre, group-singing by guests using the newly revised “Green Acre Song Book,” and periodic art and historical expositions displayed in the Sarah Farmer Inn.

• Conducted a regular program of deepening, prayers and study with Green Acre’s Youth Service Corps volunteers during their periods of service, involving some 15 youth from the United States, Canada, Europe, and South America.

• Offered seasonal discounts for local spiritual assembly retreats that resulted in participation by five local assemblies. Members of three Bahá’í communities gathered to celebrate the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh and for those local spiritual assemblies to cast their ballots in the election of the Northeastern Regional Bahá’í Council.

• Realized a 46 percent increase in the number of non-Bahá’í and Bahá’í rentals, a 26 percent increase in total revenues, greater diversification of course content and methodology, greater racial diversity in the student body, the installation of new campus telephone and fire-alarm monitoring systems, and the installation of a new computer network system.

LOUHELEN BAHÁ’Í SCHOOL

Goal: To support the education goals of the Four Year Plan, emphasizing “a significant advance in the process of entry by troops”; “systematic attention ... to devising methods of educating large numbers of believers in the fundamental verities of the Faith”; “well-organized, formally conducted programs of training on a regular schedule,” and “fostering the maturation and development of local and national institutions.”

ACTIVITIES

• Welcomed more than 10,000 Bahá’ís who attended programs relating to the overall themes of the education goals of the Four Year Plan. In addition, more than 2,000 non-Bahá’í guests benefited from Louhelen service during the past year. This is a primary avenue of proclaiming the Cause and regularly results in requests for presentations about the Faith to visiting groups, and has resulted in guests later attending firesides.

• Offered well-organized, formally conducted courses on a regular schedule for families, youth, adults, and children relating to goals of the Four Year Plan such as studying the fundamental verities of the Faith, assisting individual believers to arise to teach and serve, promoting the maturation of assemblies, and fostering firmness in the Covenant. Courses for Bahá’ís emphasized central underlying principles of Bahá’í belief and living such as advancing the work for race unity, promoting the true partnership of women and men, strengthening Bahá’í families and marriages, assisting Bahá’í youth to respond to the troubling issues they face in current society, deepening individual and community spiritual life, and fostering the raising up of the first prejudice-free generation.

• Served as the home base of the National Teacher Training Center and supported the rapidly increasing training programs offered through the auspices of

[Page 32]

EDUCATION

LOUHELEN CONT. FROM 31

the NTTC.

• Provided Youth Year-of-Service posts that fostered spiritual deepening, practical training of capacity for Bahá’í service, and development of human resources toward wider paths of action and service.
• Offered one Local Spiritual Assembly Development workshop in collaboration with the Auxiliary Board to foster the development of these institutions.
• Increased non-Bahá’í rental use of Louhelen facilities to foster the greater financial self-reliance of the School.
• Received more than 15,000 hours of volunteer service in the operations of Louhelen; completed major properties improvement projects to enhance the safety and comfort of guests; provided for long-term preventative maintenance; and attracted expanded use of the facility.

LOUIS G. GREGORY BAHÁ’Í INSTITUTE AND WLGI RADIO

Goal: To serve as a resource center for the training of Bahá’ís to enable them to become more actively involved in the promotion of the Faith and the development of strong local spiritual assemblies and communities in South Carolina; to serve as a center for socio-economic development; to collaborate with and support the local community in areas of community and human resource development; and to provide radio programming that will help deepen Bahá’ís, provide support for teaching efforts, and assist in the upliftment of local communities.

ACTIVITIES

• Held the thirteenth annual Peace Fest; the Black Men’s Gathering; the second Black Women’s Bahá’í Gathering; and co-sponsored, with the South Carolina Department of Mental Health, the sixth annual “Enabling and Supporting the Black Male” Conference.
• Hosted summer and winter schools with the Regional Schools Committee; conducted a Pioneering Workshop and Youth Service Corp Training; held regular Sunday Unity Worship Services, Ayyám-i-Há and Naw-Rúz celebrations, weekly Children’s Classes, Youth, Junior Youth, and Children’s Summer Academies, and Local Spiritual Assembly Development training; and maintained an ongoing sustainable agricultural project and conducted a food preparation workshop with Clemson University extension and a youth apprenticeship (agricultural) weekend.
• Fostered the spiritual growth and development, as well as providing hands-on training of three year-of-service volunteers and a host of summer volunteers, and trained a full-time volunteer committed to serving for one year in facilitating administrative correspondence, accounting, bookkeeping, and financial reporting.
• Cultivated and maintained a sustainable agricultural project that models spiritual principles and consultative processes promoting the Bahá’í teachings on agriculture; planted and managed two organic gardens that provided produce for meals for programs throughout the summer and supplemented food to households in the local area and to families; and sold produce to local markets and a health food store, with all proceeds being used to replenish the garden.
• Participated in the Rabbani Trust Conference presentations for social and economic development in the areas of agriculture, broadcast media, and the environment.
• Broadcast 5,678 hours, 15 hours per day Sunday through Thursday and 18 hours per day Friday and Saturday, receiving more than 3,900 hours of volunteer service from about 45 volunteers for on-air, production, and support. Fourteen new volunteers completed on-air or production training, one staff person left, and a full-time station engineer was hired. Two staff attended the nine-day Radio Bahá’í seminar in Ecuador, and the Radio Bahá’í Web page logged 7,790 visitors in the year.
• Deepening and teaching support programs included airing daily devotions each morning and evening, nineteen Feast programs, eleven Holy Day programs, daily live on-air announcer programs, 158 mini-programs/spots, and prayers each hour. Topics for the programs included Bahá’u’lláh, the equality of women and men, race unity, Feast, prayer, fasting, the Bahá’í calendar, the Fund, spiritual assemblies, unit conventions, spiritual attributes, and consultation. Special emphasis was placed on music that reflects Bahá’í principles, such as racial harmony, reliance on God, the need of prayer, and chastity. More than 1,000 new CDs were screened for possible airing.
• Aired 149 social, economic, and cultural development feature programs and eight series of SED mini-programs/spots highlighting the achievements of African-Americans, giving basic health and nutrition information, focusing on women, and providing science, nutrition and nature facts. A daily community calendar of events and activities was broadcast with 704 announcements from 28 schools and colleges, 90 churches, 100 community organizations and agencies, and 10 Bahá’í institutions.
• Offered community outreach to many local organizations and media outlets through 23 remote broadcasts, 15 events where recording and sound reinforcement were provided, and service on various committees and boards. Organizations served included MADD, Healthy Start, Department of Health, Coastal Carolina University, and various grassroots community organizations.
• Completed renovation of the new Radio Bahá’í facility, which put the offices and studios under one roof, increasing its area by about 60 percent, providing improved studios and significantly enhanced station operations that reflect the dignity of the Faith.
• Arranged for an audience survey, conducted by a professional research company, that showed that the station may be reaching 25 percent of the total households within the listening area, and that about 75 percent of them know that Bahá’ís believe in God, in the oneness of mankind, in race unity, in serving humankind, in the equality of men and women, and in the power of prayer. Feedback from traveling teachers and Bahá’ís in the area indicate that the station has created an interest in investigating the Faith and is deepening the Faith of many Bahá’ís in the area.

NATIVE AMERICAN BAHÁ’Í INSTITUTE

Goal: To develop teaching and proclamation projects through the integration of the Bahá’í writings and indigenous cultural characteristics of the Southwestern United States.

ACTIVITIES

• Hosted the fourth annual Unity Gathering, a teaching and proclamation event, with traditional Native American dance and song for more than 500 participants, most of whom were not Bahá’ís.
• Held the first annual youth conference, attended by 33 youth, while 30 children participated in a Children as Peacemakers workshop.
• Continued developing curricula for teaching, deepening, training, and social and economic project models to reach communities on the reservation, organizations, colleges, and indigenous peoples agencies; collaborated with local members of indigenous groups in a training on consultation; and participated in a committee to develop health reforms on the reservation.
• Hosted an alternative spring break service learning program for two universities at which 35 non-Bahá’í students participated and were introduced to the Bahá’í Faith.
• Offered monthly children’s classes that integrated Navajo culture with the principles of the Bahá’í Faith and hosted a two-week children’s science camp for more than 20 indigenous children who also learned Bahá’í principles and prayers.
• Served over 500 people through NABI outreach programs at local schools, universities, and agencies on the reservation, teaching the Faith through artistic performances and training seminars on consultation, community development, and social and economic development.
• Held a weekly support group for men focused on using Bahá’í principles and prayers to find spiritual solutions to community and family issues as well as Feasts, unity feasts, and Holy Day observances at NABI for the local community.
• Hosted monthly community development dinner programs on various topics such as Bahá’í Administration, the lives of Bahá’u’lláh and of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and the importance of prayer. More than 200 people attended the programs. A result of the teaching efforts at the Institute was the formation of the Local Spiritual Assembly of Houck, Arizona, during Ridván 1997. This is the sole functioning Assembly on the Navajo reservation.
• Completed the new Administration headquarters in January 1998, securing important classroom space.

WILMETTE INSTITUTE

Goal: To offer courses on aspects of the Bahá’í Faith that will raise up articulate and capable teachers and administrators for the Bahá’í Faith, thereby fostering the process of entry by troops and strengthening the Faith’s ability to respond to attacks.

ACTIVITIES

• Completed the first year of the “Spiritual Foundations for a Global Civilization” program—a four-year program involving a three-week residential session in Wilmette and ten months of home study each year—on the year’s themes of world religions, philosophy, and Bahá’í theology; completed plans for the second year and held the second summer session, attended by 28 students, and conducted the second year’s home study session on the year’s theme of the transformation of the individual and the creation of strong marriages and families; and planned the third year of the program, beginning on May 1, 1998, focused on community and governance.
• Planned and initiated a series of “minicourses” at Bosch Bahá’í School on world religions, philosophy, and Bahá’í theology, based on material developed for the Spiritual Foundations program. Four minicourses were held this administrative year; three more will be held in late 1998. Each course lasts a weekend, includes four weeks of follow-up home study, and is equivalent to a quarter of a university semester course.
• Planned and initiated the Institute’s first correspondence courses on the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh. The first course, covering the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh before His exile to Akka, began December 28, 1997, and will end June 26, 1998; a second course, covering the Akka period, will run from July 3 to December 27, 1998; and a course on the Kitáb-i-Aqdas is being planned for September through December 1998.
• Set up sophisticated software for tracking the Wilmette Institute’s income and expenses; established a publicity plan; sent fliers and posters to local spiritual assemblies across the United States and to individuals and communities in Canada; reorganized and streamlined the Institute’s files and its registration procedures; hired a permanent full-time support person; published the Institute’s first catalog; and inaugurated a Wilmette Institute Web site.
• Explored collaborative relationships with the National Teaching Committee; the National Youth Committee; the three permanent schools; the Minnesota Bahá’í Institute; the Pakistan National Bahá’í Training Institute; Núr University in Bolivia; and the Bahá’í Chair at Indore University.

[Page 33]

HOUSE OF WORSHIP CONSERVATION

Goal: To adopt, initiate and sustain a well-defined, phased program for the physical conservation of the Mother Temple of the West for the next one thousand years and to provide consultation on development and repairs of other Bahá’í properties.

ACTIVITIES

• The National Spiritual Assembly adopted and initiated a fourteen-year plan for the initial preservation phase of the conservation of the Bahá’í House of Worship that addresses five challenging areas: repair of the monumental stairs, terraces, and gardens; repair of the eroded surfaces of the ornamental concrete dome panels; sustaining the conservation program of inspection and maintenance; repair of sculptural ornamentation on the exterior concrete; and renewal of aging components in the heating, plumbing, electrical, roofing, and waterproofing systems of the building. In addition, over the next five years, the monumental stairs, terraces, fountains, and many parts of the gardens need replacement. Preliminary estimates of the costs are in excess of $7 million. This year existing conditions were investigated by surveying and inventorying the trees, plants and man-made materials in the seven acres of gardens, and plans were developed for restoring landscaping consistent with the original design. The retaining wall structures also were inspected and their concrete and the underlying soils were tested.

• Created molds for repairs to the ornamental concrete of the first story pylon caps, the cornice, and the monumental stairs, and evaluated new sources of quartz aggregate since the quarry previously used is now completely mined out.

• Performed additional research on extending the life of the 396 massive concrete panels in the dome and ribs, an area of the building where deterioration is accelerating because of its exposure to the wet and freezing weather. To extend the life of the original panels and postpone their replacement, plans have been made to conserve the remaining concrete and restore the eroded surfaces.

• Employed eighteen youth during the summer to assist with cleaning, concrete repairs, documentation and bird-prevention tasks. The youth rinsed the exterior dome panels, cast new coping stones for the fountains, washed the interior steel framework of the dome, and repaired original architectural drawings for the archives. They also performed inspections, built molds, and organized, labeled, and packaged more than 500 material samples from the Temple restoration project.

• Completed reupholstering the auditorium chairs; repainted the interior walls and ceilings of the Temple on all four floor levels; and performed seasonal inspections and preventative maintenance on the building’s waterproofing systems.

• Continued to provide technical assistance for the development and maintenance of local, national, and international Bahá’í properties, schools and institutes.

BAHÁ’Í PROPERTIES OFFICE

Goal: To oversee the maintenance and development of all nationally owned Bahá’í Properties in the United States and to advise and consult with the National Spiritual Assembly on the acquisition and disposition of other properties and also to provide similar support to local assemblies on property development and/or acquisition.

ACTIVITIES

• Monitored the approximately 90 properties owned by the National Spiritual Assembly, a portfolio valued at nearly $50 million, maintaining them with the highest standards of workmanship, maintenance, repair, and expansion.

• Oversaw the routine maintenance of properties as follows: The custodial staff cleaned and resupplied all buildings daily at the Bahá’í National Center; cleaned all the carpets 12 times; stripped and waxed all hard surface floors; washed 4 times the 300-plus windows, inside and out; and spent 520 hours setting up meeting and activity rooms at the local properties. The grounds staff planted 50,000 tulips and 11,600 annual plants, in addition to mowing, raking, weeding, trimming, cleaning, watering, and nurturing all grounds at the House of Worship, the Hazíratu’l-Quds, the Bahá’í National Center, the Bahá’í Home, and the Linden Avenue and garden properties. The maintenance staff successfully completed 1,039 work orders consisting of electrical, plumbing, carpentry, painting, locksmithing, and light replacement tasks plus maintenance and repair to hundreds of equipment and stationary items.

• Replaced the aged cross ties dividing the sidewalk section in the front of 110 Linden with bricks matching those leading to the rear of 112 Linden; rebuilt the retaining wall between 110 and 112 Linden Avenue; repaired the masonry surfaces, repointed the cap stones, installed ‎epox epoxy‎ coating, waterproofed, and installed a new pump on the outside pool/fountain at the National Center; and managed the contract for the repairing, resurfacing, and re-striping of the parking lot at the House of Worship.

• Contracted with Northern Weathermakers to install a new furnace and air conditioner; with Ludwig Concrete, Inc., to replace a broken sidewalk section and install new steps at the 121 Linden property; with Tsarpalas Enterprises, Inc., and Resource Consulting, Inc., to remove the underground fuel storage tank at the Bahá’í Home and test soil samples for contamination; with Clark Roofing for roof repairs at the Hazíratu’l-Quds; and with Birkenheir to reseal and paint all exterior walls.

• Removed and replaced 117 juniper trees from the House of Worship gardens; the new trees will be kept at ten- to twelve-foot heights to allow visitors a better view of the House of Worship. Also renovated the prayer garden at the corner of Linden Avenue and Sheridan Road by installing mounds, sod, tulips and annual plants.

• Installed new lighting, electric service, shelving and room dividers, and modified the heating and air conditioning system to convert a studio in Media Services into office space for The American Bahá’í; installed new lighting, carpeting, and a staging floor and refinished the walls in Media Service’s Video Production Studio B; and, at the Bahá’í Home, converted an office into a resident room and the old nurse’s station into an office, and built a new nurse’s station in the front lobby.

• Repaired and upgraded the fire alarm systems, installed a status reporting system for central monitoring, and assisted in the installation of a new Toshiba phone system in all buildings at the Green Acre Bahá’í School; coordinated, with WLGI management, an agreement with a building contractor for the completion of the WLGI radio station building at the Louis G. Gregory Bahá’í Institute; and consulted with Schools and Institute Administrators regarding five-year capital projects projections and their 1998–99 annual budgets.

• Conducted property inspections at Wilson House in Massachusetts; Wilhelm Properties; the Louis G. Gregory and Native American Bahá’í Institutes; the Green Acre, Louhelen and Bosch Bahá’í Schools; and gift properties in Kentucky, Wisconsin, and Connecticut.

BAHÁ’Í PUBLICATIONS

Goal: To support the teaching and consolidation work of the Bahá’í Faith in the United States through the publication and distribution of the Sacred Writings, Authoritative Texts, teaching literature, introductory works, historical accounts, literature for children and youth, audio and video materials, pamphlets, magazines, and a newspaper for the National Spiritual Assembly; and to provide production and support services for audio, video, and print communications as needed by the National Spiritual Assembly and its agencies. Bahá’í Publications includes within its aegis the Bahá’í Publishing Trust, the Bahá’í Distribution Service, Media Services, Subscriber Services, The American Bahá’í, and Brilliant Star and World Order magazines.

ACTIVITIES

PUBLISHING TRUST

• Continued the development of publishing and communications operations to improve productivity and responsiveness to the needs of the National Spiritual Assembly by creating a publishing agenda to guide new title acquisitions, the merging of The American Bahá’í and Brilliant Star magazine into the Media Services operation, and the installation of a new distribution/customer service information system.

• Completed 34 major projects during the year, including 19 new titles and 15 reprints; completed two collaborative interagency projects; hosted the annual Publishing Conference in June 1997; and defined a publishing agenda reflecting the goals of the Four Year Plan.

• Published Memorials of the Faithful; Bahá’í Marriage and Family Life; Bahá’í Prayers; A Guide to Studying Messages from the Universal House of Justice; Love, Power, and Justice; Divine Art of Revelation; The Station and Claims of Bahá’u’lláh; Influencing the Life of Society; Advancement of Women: A Bahá’í Perspective; Two Wings of a Bird: The Equality of Women and Men; The Bahá’í Faith: The Emerging Global Religion; The Light of Unity (booklet); The Straight Path; Helping Joe Strong; A Prayer for Fluffy; Ali’s Dream; Bahá’í Wall Calendar; and Bahá’í Datebook.

DISTRIBUTION

• Achieved, as of March 1, 1998, year-to-date net sales of $1,295,232, representing a decrease of 10 percent as compared to the same ten-month period last year. Total revenues for the financial year ending April 30, 1998, are projected to be approximately $1,576,000, compared to $1,903,433 last year. The downturn in projected sales may be attributed to a general decline in the purchasing patterns of the Bahá’í community; the cancellation of the National Bahá’í Youth Conference; the scheduling of the 1998 national Bahá’í convention in May (i.e., the next fiscal year).

DISTRIBUTION CONT. ON 34

The Four Year Plan [Page 34]

PUBLISHING

DISTRIBUTION CONT. FROM 33

rather than in April; and the elimination of the National Spiritual Assembly’s subsidy for the production of the Master Key series of low-priced authoritative texts. New title sales accounted for 26 percent of total sales, 4 percent higher than last fiscal year. Sales of titles published by the Bahá’í Publishing Trust comprised 27 percent of total sales, compared to 34 percent last year. This may be attributed to a lack of new titles that would sell as strongly as The Dawn-Breakers and Messages of the Universal House of Justice, 1963–1986 did during the previous fiscal year.

• Calculated inventory value at the Bahá’í Distribution Service at $550,903, up from $541,852 last year. It is expected to increase further by the end of the fiscal year owing to a marked influx of new titles from the Bahá’í Publishing Trust in the last quarter. The Bahá’í Distribution Service filled 10,350 orders and shipped 236,253 units, a 20 percent and 37 percent decrease, respectively, since last year.
• Converted the Bahá’í Distribution Service to a new operating system, CIS Publisher’s Open, a fully integrated order entry, inventory management, accounts receivable/payable, general ledger, and sales software package.
• Restructured discounts to domestic and international resellers and adjusted prices on high-demand teaching materials to cover more equitably the cost of distribution and to offer lower prices directly to retail customers buying in high volume.
• Published and mailed to more than 50,000 households The Bahá’í Reader, the BDS newsletter, reinstating a communications vehicle for the Bahá’í Distribution Service.

MEDIA SERVICES

• Began the year with the historic first National Convention Telecast broadcast from Chicago to more than 40 sites scattered throughout the United States and released it subsequently to the entire American Bahá’í community on videotape.
• Transferred the direction and management of The American Bahá’í and Brilliant Star to Media Services, which is also responsible for The Bahá’í Newsreel, Audiovisual Archives and Library Services, and Audiovisual Services.
• Participated in developing the thirty-minute broadcast titled The Power of Race Unity, a proclamation campaign of the National Teaching Plan to be broadcast nationally in over 1,000 localities during the latter part of the fiscal year.
• Distributed three editions of The Bahá’í Newsreel free of charge to over 3,000 local spiritual assemblies, groups, and individuals and made available Spanish, Persian, and French translations of earlier versions of the newsreel.
• Produced a video bringing to life the challenges of the ten-year program to restore the Bahá’í House of Worship; fulfilled many audiovisual requests for materials supporting local media events and/or firesides; produced the fifteen audio messages to the Nineteen Day Feasts; recorded and distributed talks by members of the Universal House of Justice Glenford Mitchell and Adib Taherzadeh and by Counselor Stephen Birkland; supported multimedia facilities geared toward introducing the Faith to the nearly 225,000 visitors expected to visit the Mother Temple of the West each year.
• Collaborated with the Treasurer’s Office to create a Fund development series, including the video On Consecration, featuring member of the Universal House of Justice ‘Alí Nakhjavání. Five audiotapes were produced to share the inspirational stories of Curtis Kelsey, Corinne True, Sylvia Parmelee, Eunice Braun, and Mildred Mottahedeh.

THE AMERICAN BAHÁ’Í

• Designed and produced a special compilation of prayers extracted from the Tablets of the Divine Plan, titled “Diffusing the Divine Fragrances,” to commemorate the establishment by the Universal House of Justice of the Regional Bahá’í Councils and included it as a special insert to The American Bahá’í.
• Created a new design for The American Bahá’í that includes the use of color and created an on-line Web site in an effort to increase the penetration of this communications organ.
• Included regular pullout sections supporting the national teaching initiative and providing detailed information about every aspect of the campaign; reported on the establishment of these Regional Bahá’í Councils as well as the demands of the Four Year Plan; and bid a fond farewell to Jack Bowers after 20 years of dedicated service as the paper’s editor.

BRILLIANT STAR

• Published six regular issues this year: Bahá’í Beliefs, Honoring Life, Global Teaching, Art From the Heart, Building the Future, and Love for Bahá’u’lláh.
• Published Our Bahá’í Institutions, Special Edition 1997, for the Education and Schools Office for use at permanent and regular schools last summer, and developed the Special Edition 1998 titled “It’s Up To Me” to complement the 1998 summer school theme focusing on the individual.
• Produced the Activities page for The American Bahá’í, using reprints from the magazine.
• Relocated the production offices of Brilliant Star from Dover, Delaware, to join resources with The American Bahá’í staff located in Media Services at the Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois, and developed materials in collaboration with the Education and Schools Office, the Education Task Force, the National Teaching Committee, and other agencies of the National Spiritual Assembly.

WORLD ORDER

• Published the Spring 1997 issue, which included the National Spiritual Assembly’s statement on gender equality titled Two Wings of a Bird: The Equality of Women and Men and the articles “Children, Moral Development, and Global Transformation,” “Freedom of Religion in the U.S. Bill of Rights: A Bahá’í Perspective,” and “The Story of Joseph in Five Religious Traditions.”
• Published the Summer 1997 issue, featuring an editorial on spiritualizing political and social discourse, the articles “Post-Cold War Reflections on Collective Security” and “The Role of Religion in Eradicating Child Sexual Abuse,” and a review of Riane Eisler’s book Sacred Pleasure.
• Published the Fall 1997 issue, marking the one-hundredth anniversary of the birth of Shoghi Effendi and the fortieth anniversary of his passing. The issue contained a long editorial on Shoghi Effendi (“Shoghi Effendi: After a Hundred Years”), the articles “Shoghi Effendi and the American Dream” and “The Guardianship,” a review of God Passes By, and a review of six books about Shoghi Effendi.
• Published the Winter 1997–98 issue, which included “The Spiritual Dimension of Justice: Personal Experiences,” the second installment of the story of Joseph in five major religions (“The Story of Joseph in the Bábí and Bahá’í Faiths”), an account of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s meeting with two prominent Iranians, and a review of Giuseppe Robiati’s Faith and Economy.
• Relocated the editorial office of World Order magazine to Charlotte, North Carolina.

SUBSCRIBER SERVICES

• Relocated Subscriber Services to the Bahá’í Distribution Service in Chattanooga, Tennessee, converting subscription sales to a new integrated computer system that enables customer service representatives to take subscription orders over the telephone. Subscriber Services is now an integrated function within Bahá’í Distribution Service.

BAHÁ’Í ENCYCLOPEDIA PROJECT

Goal: To publish A Short Encyclopedia of the Bahá’í Faith, a comprehensive, authoritative, and easy-to-use reference work on the Bahá’í Faith for Bahá’ís, the media, students, scholars, diplomats, and others.

ACTIVITIES

• Held Editorial Board meetings in May 1997 and January 1998, and conference calls in July and October 1997; editorial team meetings and conference calls; and consulted frequently by e-mail.
• Continued reassessing articles in hand at the rate of about 25,000 words per month with the goal of bringing a spectrum of articles to editorial conclusion; commissioned authors for many gaps identified in the reassessment process; and began editing a representative selection of articles.
• Sent a letter to contributors (approximately 750), updating them on the status of the project and continued updating contributors’ addresses, incorporating them into an expanded database. The database facilitates mass mailings, provides an overview of the contents of the encyclopedia according to various categories, and gives a clear indication of the progress made on each article.
• Disseminated information about the project by distributing an information sheet at a booth at the National Bahá’í Convention, making presentations on the encyclopedia project to visitors to the Bahá’í National Center, and participating in the annual conference of the Association for Bahá’í Studies.
• Provided human resource support to the Wilmette Institute, including attending committee meetings, assisting with production of its publication The Lamp, and tending to tasks associated with the summer residential session.

NATIONAL BAHÁ’Í ARCHIVES

Goal: To acquire, arrange, store and preserve National Bahá’í Archives collections, including sacred writings and relics, letters written by or on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, National Spiritual Assembly records, and other archival collections; to provide references and services to the National Spiritual Assembly and its agencies, other Bahá’í institutions, local communities and individual researchers; and to maintain and develop the National Bahá’í Library and improve access to its holdings by Bahá’í National Center offices and scholars.

ACTIVITIES

• Acquired one original letter written on behalf of the Guardian; received a total of 308 accessions, including 97 boxes of Bahá’í National Center records, 24 new collections of personal papers, and 33 additions to existing collections; made 30 inquiries concerning potential acquisition of archival materials; and processed 52 boxes of Bahá’í National Center records, 221 historical photographs, 115 audiotapes, 82 videotapes, 2 motion picture films, and 5 relics and artifacts.
• Arranged and opened for research 12 collections of personal papers and added material to 16 existing collections, including the papers of Thelma Jackson, Ahmad Sohrab, Winston Evans, Bertha Hyde Kirkpatrick, Laura Smithson, Mildred Nichols, Charles Mason Remey and Albert Killius. Significant collections received were the papers of Velma Sherrill, Lorraine M. Landau-Vader, Christine Griner, and additions to the papers

[Page 35]of Albert Windust, Vedad Jurney, Thelma Jackson, Soo Fouts, Lawrence Hautz, Lucile Hoke Buffin, Mildred Mottahedeh, Elizabeth Johnson, and Racine, Wisconsin, community records.

• Microfilmed, as part of the Archives preservation program, Local Spiritual Assembly Election Forms, 1940-1947, 1973-1977; had a professional paper conservator disbind eight volumes of documents from the Ahmad Sohrab Papers; and photocopied on acid-free paper 150 pages of newspaper clippings.

• Answered 354 research requests (88 from the National Assembly and its agencies, 41 from other Bahá’í institutions and 225 from individuals), 93 percent of which were answered within ten business days, providing 13,439 photocopies of documents and 249 copies of photographs.

• Prepared computer indexes for 28 manuscript collections with total entries now at 27,455.

• Provided advice to the Canadian National Bahá’í Archives and information about local records and archives to 12 local communities in 10 states.

• Welcomed 27 researchers and Bahá’í National Center staff from 8 offices who researched topics such as Shoghi Effendi, Marzieh Gail, Keith Ransom Kehler, Robert Hayden, Long Island Bahá’ís, and Amelia Collins.

• Conducted tours of the Archives for attendees at the National Convention, for 12 groups, and for numerous individuals with total attendance of 836.

Supplied 19 local communities with a set of biographical sketches of noteworthy African-American, Asian, Hispanic and Native American Bahá’ís for use in their proclamation and teaching activities.

• Increased the National Bahá’í Library collections by 3,263 items to a total of 69,143 items, and monitored the circulation of the National Bahá’í Library. Bound sixteen volumes of Association for Bahá’í Studies Journal, World Order, One Country, Light of the Pacific, Herald of the South, and Alaska Bahá’í News.

BAHÁ’Í SERVICE FOR THE BLIND

Goal: To provide the literature of the Faith in formats such as Braille, cassette recordings, and large print, for purchase and/or loan, for those unable to use standard print.

ACTIVITIES

• Used computer-generated Braille technology for producing materials; maintained a lending library of materials in Braille and on tape; provided The American Bahá’í on cassette tape to believers; and provided introductory information on tape or in Braille free-of-charge to seekers from around the world.

• Began creating a Web site for the Bahá’í Service for the Blind that will give a catalog of available materials

HUMAN RESOURCES

Goal: To attend to the human resource needs of the National Spiritual Assembly and its employees, including serving current staff and attracting new staff who bring a spirit of service as well as the necessary skills to carry out the work of the National Assembly.

ACTIVITIES

Received hundreds of applications for service to the National Spiritual Assembly. Fifty-six new employees were hired to serve at the National Center and its satellite locations and 49 staff completed their services to the National Assembly, resulting in a net gain of 7 new staff. In addition, many volunteers, both youth and adults, provided invaluable service resulting in enormous savings to the National Fund.

• Created the Loving Friends Fellowship program and brochure to assist new staff with their transition to the Bahá’í National Center; provided opportunities for staff to attend seminars and training that enabled them to better serve the National Assembly; promoted cross-departmental cooperation that provided greater cross-training for a number of staff; and provided countless hours of personal counseling with staff and consultation with managers regarding personnel issues.

• Assisted with advertising and promoting service opportunities at the World Center.

• Negotiated over $90,000 in savings to our medical benefits plan during this fiscal year and conducted an employee survey that showed a very high degree of satisfaction with the medical plan provided by the National Assembly.

• Produced in-house telephone directories.

MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SERVICES

Goal: To provide services for office automation, network services, Internet, document management, and administrative systems to support the operation of Bahá’í National Center departments, agencies, and Bahá’í Regional Councils; to assist in improved productivity of offices and individuals through computer and information technologies; and to assist in the decentralization of administration activities from the national to the local level by developing information systems and a communication infrastructure that will serve the process of entry by troops by electronically connecting local spiritual assemblies to each other, to Bahá’í Regional Councils, national spiritual assemblies, and to the Institution of the Learned.

ACTIVITIES

Processed 25,271 address changes; 1,073 name changes; 528 administrative corrections; 1,088 transfers into and 515 transfers out of the American Bahá’í community; verified and processed local spiritual assembly formations; processed 2,199 enrollments; and recorded 695 deaths. One million pieces of incoming and outgoing mail were processed at the Bahá’í National Center during the year.

• Completed storing all local spiritual assembly files and began work on national spiritual assembly files using imaging technology and CD-ROM storage devices that allow faster and cheaper online access to files already on the system.

• Developed and launched an Administrative Web site (www.usbnc.org) at Ridván 154, featuring log-in security that limits access to registered American Bahá’ís in good standing. Announcements and correspondence, including Feast messages, news, and audio features are available. Web-based applications have enabled Bahá’ís to register for upcoming events and to find Auxiliary Board members and Unit Conventions by clicking on maps or filling out on-line forms. Additional web services were launched including The American Bahá’í Online and the Louhelen Bahá’í School, as well as an upcoming public web site in conjunction with the National Teaching Committee. Visits to the site averaged around 2,300 per month for the year.

• Developed server and infrastructure capacity to handle messaging and web-based information dissemination from the national offices to serve the needs of the National Spiritual Assembly, its offices and agencies, and the Regional Bahá’í Councils, the Continental Board of Counselors, and the Auxiliary Boards.

• Developed and installed Intranet (Unity Net), an internal Web technology-based private communication system for the National Assembly, its offices and agencies, the Regional Bahá’í Councils, the Counselors, and the Auxiliary Boards. The new infrastructure will be the foundation for new reporting and collaboration systems planned for the coming year.

• Continued work on the pilot project to decentralize functions now centralized at the Bahá’í National Center by empowering local spiritual assemblies to assume a consequential role in the administration of the Faith through the aid of automation and to develop their abilities to regulate the affairs of their local communities. The first step, involving five local spiritual assemblies in the Western Region, identified the information needs of the local communities and assembly functions that could benefit from automation and determined the best means to link the pilot assemblies electronically. The communication module was implemented and is being tested by the assemblies; the membership module is planned for implementation by May 1998.

MEETING PLANNING AND TRAVEL SERVICES

Goal: To provide the National Spiritual Assembly and its committees and agencies with meeting and travel planning services to insure cost effective quality.

ACTIVITIES

• Provided full support regularly (air and land transportation, hotel accommodations, and meals) for meetings of the National Spiritual Assembly; the Regional Councils; the National Teaching Committee; the National Committee for the Advancement of Women; the National Youth Committee; the Publishing Trust Editorial Boards; Pioneering Institutes; all Regional Committees; the Latin, Chinese, Education, Native American, Art, African American, and Persian Integration Task Forces; the Treasurer's Office weekend special visits; the House of Worship special visit; the School administrators; the LSA automation groups; the Financial Advisory group; and the Encyclopedia project. Arranged site contract and on-site coordination for the National Convention, the annual Persian Arts Festival, the election and orientation of the Regional Councils, and a meeting of the Counselors with Auxiliary Board members.

PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICE

Goal: To provide for the safety and security of the National Spiritual Assembly and its staff, visitors, and all properties, including the Bahá’í House of Worship, the Bahá’í National Center Offices, Bahá’í Publications, the Bahá’í Home, the Hazíratu’l-Quds, and other properties owned by the National Spiritual Assembly.

ACTIVITIES

• Provided approximately 16,800 on-foot security rounds at the Bahá’í House of Worship, checking both the interior and exterior of the building and inviting approximately 1,800 late-night visitors to return during the House of Worship's open hours; provided approximately 7,500 vehicular and on-foot rounds to all Bahá’í properties, including the Hazíratu’l-Quds, Bahá’í Publications, the Bahá’í Home, the Bahá’í National Center, and local residential properties; responded to and investigated all incidents on Bahá’í properties; and responded to approximately 2,000 calls for service, including transportation of staff and/or materials, lock-outs of autos, traffic direction, personal injury accidents, and so on.

Monitored and maintained the access control to buildings, alarms, and video systems for all Bahá’í properties and managed the Bahá’í paging center, sending approximately 7,000 alpha-numeric pages to Bahá’í employees.

Provided security service for all special events and meetings held on Bahá’í properties, including assisting in setting up for meetings, traffic direction, and parking lot control, and arranged and provided transportation for the members of the National Spiritual Assembly for all of its meetings. [Page 36]

CENTRAL STATES

The Regional Bahá’í Council for the Central States began its first meeting with a study of the Charter Documents that direct the function of the Council. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá reminds us in the Tablets of the Divine Plan that “These Twelve Central States of the United States are like unto the heart of America” and advises us all to work together in such a way that “... association, love, unity and agreement be obtained between the hearts, all the aims may be merged into one aim, all the songs become one song and the power of the Holy Spirit may become so overwhelmingly victorious as to overcome all the forces of the world of nature.” We envision all individuals, communities and institutions of the Central States dedicated to working together, as one heart, in service to our Beloved, thus “providing the basis of a growth-producing milieu.” In doing so, the atmosphere of love and unity will transform the region of the Central States, strengthening the foundation of our expansion and consolidation plans and advance the process of entry by troops.

In addition to establishing an office and Articles of Incorporation in the State of Illinois, the Council established a regular meeting schedule at sites throughout the region. The Council also met with members of the Auxiliary Boards about regional assessment, with local spiritual assemblies to assist with the process of devising and implementing a regional plan, and with the National Teaching Committee to seek expert advice in the development of an expansion and consolidation plan. Representatives of the Council participated in the Regional Youth Conference in Madison, Wisconsin; the North Dakota Winter School; and a meeting hosted by the National Latin Task Force.

The Council maintained open communication with local spiritual assemblies and individuals in the region. At the suggestion of one individual, the Council asked the Local Spiritual Assembly of Springfield, Illinois, to appoint a delegation to meet with Governor Jim Edgar to present the statement Two Wings of a Bird: The Equality of Women and Men.

The Council is guided by the dimensions of the process contained in the compilation Promoting Entry by Troops. We believe the heart of that process consists of two interlocking and sustained activities, (1) “working towards embracing masses of new believers” and (2) “setting in motion the means for effecting their spiritual and administrative training and development.” Following the suggestion by Stephen Birkland of the Continental Board of Counselors, the Council is focusing the Bahá’ís on local expansion and consolidation projects to which the entire community is committed. The plan envisions an accelerating advancement of the process of entry by troops throughout the Central States for the remainder of the Four Year Plan. It will be like prairie fire. ♦

NORTHEASTERN STATES

The Regional Bahá’í Council for the Northeastern States lovingly desires to energize the Northeast region to “press forward quickly” with our teaching duties, so that there will be “no slackening of the momentum already achieved.” This is truly a new day for teaching the Faith in the United States, and we are honored and excited to be a part. The beloved Master, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá specified this region as “these nine blessed states” in the Tablets of the Divine Plan.

As a means of fulfilling an initial goal to be intimate with the assemblies, communities and individual believers in every part of the region, seeking their input and assistance, we held monthly Saturday night inspirational meetings in different locales, characterized by dialogue and loving guidance. Another goal was in response to our inaugural correspondence received from a youth gathering in Washington, D.C. Each Friday night of the monthly meetings is reserved solely for the youth and this includes sharing of food in a spiritual atmosphere, studying the Word of God, devising plans, and implementing those plans. These monthly meetings provide a clear focus to the region to make substantial progress in advancing the process of entry by troops; help to create a tender atmosphere of mutual trust, admiration and love; and assist in identifying and effectively utilizing the diverse skills available in the Northeast.

Already the Regional Bahá’í Council has become incorporated and established traveling teacher coordination teams and resource groups for children and youth. It is in the process of establishing two more Regional Training Institutes; agencies for the Advancement of Women, the Arts, and Race Unity; participation in the National Media Campaign; focused teaching campaigns and a regional teaching strategy.

Working together in the time remaining in the Four Year Plan, we can present to the Universal House of Justice a complete and total victory at Ridván 2000. ♦

SOUTHERN STATES

The message of the Universal House of Justice to the newly elected Councils has clearly set the pace and tone of our Council’s agenda and activities. Our deliberations have been measured carefully by the standard of addressing “...the acute urgency of advancing the process of entry by troops.” This all-embracing standard has propelled our Council forward with rapidity and also served as a central theme for our consultations with the community as well as with the Counselors.

“[The urgent need] to press forward quickly in effecting sound action to boost the thrust in the expansion and consolidation of the community ...” The Southern Council took early steps to engage the local institutions in a collaborative discussion of the challenges that we face in advancing the process of entry by troops in this region. Having identified five such overall challenges, the Council asked each local spiritual assembly to consult and share its concerns with the Council. The responses to date have affirmed the Council’s findings and also allowed the Council to identify other issues, some unique to this region, that must be addressed.

“[The importance of allowing] no slackening of the momentum ...” The Council moved quickly to assume the sponsorship and responsibility for a number of initiatives launched by the previous Regional Committee. These included an established network of sixteen state teaching committees, five existing large-scale growth campaigns, and a regional Race Unity Committee. It also took immediate steps to take on the supervision of the Atlanta Teaching Project previously sponsored ‎buy by‎ the National Teaching Committee.

Since its formation, the Council also has sought and received permission from the National Spiritual Assembly to assume responsibility for the external affairs programs in the region as well as to coordinate and manage the six existing regional training institutes. These steps were all taken in a proactive approach toward increasing the momentum that has been building in the region since the onset of the Four Year Plan.

The Council has begun to engage the talents of the friends at the local level through the appointment of some thirty-four committees and task forces for all of these initiatives. In addition to those mentioned, a task force for planning and managing unity conventions has begun its work, a committee has been appointed to publish new teaching and deepening materials, and a regional coordinator for electronic communications has begun to establish the communications network that will allow for efficient and speedy contact with all parts of the region.

“[The appeal] not to spend too much time formulating new procedures or refining the mechanics of their operations ...” In its first three months, the Council took steps to streamline its deliberations so that the work of the region could move forward efficiently and effectively. The primary focus of the Council has been to “get on with [its] vital tasks without any delay” by quickly organizing its affairs and setting up systems that allow for a quick response to fresh opportunities. This is serving to allow the Council to focus on issues of planning and the development of strategies that allow for “a greater upsurge in activity.” ♦

WESTERN STATES

The Regional Bahá’í Council for the Western States has consecrated itself “to press forward quickly in effecting sound action that will boost the thrust in the expansion and consolidation of the community” as called upon by the Supreme Institution in its December 12, 1997, message conveyed to this nascent institution by our beloved National Spiritual Assembly under the dome of the holiest House of Worship. At that same loving inaugural meeting, the Council was reminded that the particular wish of the Master for the Western region is that it might become the “secret cause of the illumination of the hearts of humanity, breathing the breath of life upon the spirits.”

The Council is eager to do all within its power to reach out to the dear friends and institutions in the eleven Western states upon whom the ultimate successful conclusion of the Four Year Plan in the Western region depends. To further this desire, the Council has embarked on area meetings throughout the region in order to explore all the possibilities and to accelerate the momentum in progress.

In consultation with members of the Continental Board of Counselors, plans are being made for hosting fifty-five joyous, well-attended unit conventions; creating strong local spiritual assemblies which will be the focal centers of Bahá’í activity; enhancing the participation of youth in all aspects of expansion and consolidation; establishing and enhancing the regional training institutes to develop human resources to foster and facilitate the process of entry by troops; and connecting the hearts of the souls who inhabit this portion of the planet to their Lord. Laboring with love, the Council is expectant that “praiseworthy results may become conducive to the glory and exaltation of humankind throughout all eternity.” ♦ [Page 37]

TEACHING PLAN

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

defined audiences we are more hopeful than ever about our immediate prospects and very optimistic about our capacity to produce results.

We have clearly crossed a threshold. Here are some indicators:

• The tempo of teaching has accelerated.
• National and local approaches to teaching are more systematic and complementary.
• We have widened the range of patterns that are “seeker-friendly.”
• Local efforts at community building are lending vitality to this accelerating process. This is shown in recent surveys of the community.

We have also learned a great deal about our audience and our mission:

• There are seekers and we are finding them. Vast opportunities are within our grasp.
• We have begun a systematic dialogue with defined audiences. This process requires intensive study to understand the needs of seekers, and realistic efforts to address those needs. If we do it right, people will respond.
• Different audiences have different needs and require different information. One size cannot fit all. Research is our method for learning to differentiate.

The national media effort is designed to create new teaching opportunities for the friends, who have so amply demonstrated their willingness to teach in this initiative, by finding ways of attracting more and more people whose interest can then be nurtured.

In the coming months the National Teaching Committee, with the help of various agencies of the national Spiritual Assembly and other experts, will reach out nationally in several ways:

• We will refine our message and continue our systematic public outreach throughout this Plan.
• We will improve our public relations. There is a revolution under way in media coverage of faith and values, and it favors a community like ours for the first time.
• We will focus more closely on the spiritual needs of women, and become more effective at addressing their concerns. The implications for growth are astonishing.
• We will labor to extend the range of our appeal. We must continue to address African-Americans and expand to cover other minority populations.

Our outreach process must expand bit by bit as we learn more.

MEDIA IN THE CONTEXT OF THE FOUR YEAR PLAN

In the Ridván 153 message, the House of Justice presents us with two challenges:

• To “mount a campaign of teaching in which the broad membership of our community is enthusiastically, systematically and personally engaged, and in which the activation of an extensive training program will ensure the development of a mass of human resources....”
• To “complete the construction projects on Mount Carmel....”

The National Teaching Plan consists of a group of interlocking strategies that have emerged as the essential elements of our national campaign of teaching. They will continue guiding and informing our local, regional and national programs for the rest of the Plan. The gradual implementation of these strategies, and their emergence as a national campaign of teaching, have taken us through two distinct phases:

• A two-year building phase with national broadcasts gradually implemented and organization of activities to support growth. This has led to:
• A performance phase, which will bring all of these elements into a more systematic way of advancing the process of growth in the rest of the Plan.

The national teaching campaign, begun in Atlanta one year ago with the first broadcast of The Power of Race Unity, and which later spread to selected metropolitan areas, is now being vigorously implemented in over 1,100 local communities across the nation, with different local adaptations. From these sterling initiatives will spring the long-awaited breakthroughs.

In successive waves over the next two years, this teaching campaign will impact the fundamental dynamics of community development and activism. It will create upwelling response from specified audiences and generate a new surge in awareness of the Faith among our fellow Americans. It will continue to stimulate an array of activities that over time will emerge as more permanent patterns of community action.

SEE GROWTH PATTERNS, PAGE 38

WHAT HAPPENED IN THE 2-YEAR BUILDING PHASE?

• National broadcasts, linked to local teaching, were gradually implemented.
• 18 regional training institutes were established.
• Intensive expert study defined particular needs and opportunities.
• Audience-testing process launched a new generation of proclamation and teaching materials.
• A national Bahá’í Web site and an automated system for collecting seeker responses were developed.
• The public information outreach gained emphasis.
• Interracial unity became a defining theme for the American Bahá’í community to concentrate its activity.
• Participation and enthusiasm for teaching efforts grew at every level.

RACE UNITY DAY 1998

Dozens of race unity marchers gather at a plaza on the grounds of the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield, just before the community’s rally was held in the building’s rotunda.

SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS

Nearly 200 people from across the state—only half of them Bahá’ís—gathered in support of racial unity at a June 14 rally in the State Capitol rotunda, on the theme “Racism: Not in our Town; Not in Our State; Not in Our Nation.”

A multi-racial march by about 50 people leading to the rally was shown on television stations across the state thanks to a satellite link purchased by the Bahá’í community. The Chicago Tribune and other newspapers also covered the event, in which marchers carried colorful signs saying “Mankind is One,” “Visualize Race Unity” and “Color Me Human.”

Howard Peters, head of the state Department of Human Services, thanked the Spiritual Assembly of Springfield—on behalf of his children—for sponsoring the event, and presented a proclamation by Gov. Jim Edgar designating Race Unity Day. The proclamation said, in part, that “the sacred writings of the Bahá’í Faith ... provide hope that a unified humanity will be a precursor to world peace....”

Other speakers included representatives of the mayor’s office and area churches, National Spiritual Assembly member Jack McCants, and three members of the Regional Bahá’í Council for the Central States. A letter of support from U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin also was read.

Dr. McCants’ “heartfelt, downhome” remarks, the Assembly reports, drew nods of approval from the crowd and the speaker’s table, especially when he shared the Bahá’í teaching that “words are the property of all; but the essence of faith is fewness of words and abundance of deeds.”

SANTA CRUZ AREA, CALIFORNIA

A gathering of 150 was attracted when area Bahá’ís, including the communities of Boulder Creek and Ben Lomond, joined forces with like-minded groups to make a public statement against racism.

Held in a park north of Santa Cruz, the June 5 “Speak Out Against Racism” rally drew on the resources of the local NAACP; a Jewish congregation; the Valley Unity Action Group (VUAG), which was formed in response to racial incidents at a high school in Boulder Creek; Bosch Bahá’í School volunteers; and the local Bahá’í communities.

Several organizations including the Bahá’ís provided speakers, and a prayer from the Writings was on the program. Forty-five copies of The Vision of Race Unity were distributed at the rally. The event was covered by newspapers and television stations.

Planning began when the Boulder Creek community was looking for ways to participate in the national “Power of Race Unity” proclamation. A local woman, whose interest in the Faith was sparked by a public showing of The Power of Race Unity video in Santa Cruz, was invited to take part in a meeting between several Bahá’ís and a VUAG representative.

Meanwhile, the local NAACP had just held a rally in May to counter a white supremacist event. They joined the organizing group for the June 5 rally.

The event was so successful, plans immediately started for a similar one in a community east of Santa Cruz.

“I had the bounty of sharing the resources the Bahá’í community has to offer and I found an incredible teaching opportunity, which seemed to fall into my lap,” reported Carrie P. Stevens of Boulder Creek. [Page 38]

GROWTH PATTERNS

(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 37)

To gauge future opportunity we must fairly analyze current performance—the real level of accomplishment in the normal course.

Between May 1996 and May 1997, 2,345 individuals enrolled as Bahá’ís. This range has been constant for more than a decade.

There is good news in this number:

• The effort involved. This outcome is the tip of an iceberg. Our research suggests a fireside conversion rate of about 10%. This means 20,000 or more seekers may be attending firesides in any given year. In turn, perhaps as many as 100 times that number are invited, according to existing research. And if 2 million invitations are issued, then each Bahá’í on average invites 25 people a year.
• We are drawing our membership naturally from the segment of the population most actively engaged in search for spiritual alternatives.

Our surveys show those 2,345 people correspond statistically with the Bahá’í community as a whole, and much of the same profile fits those who responded to the national broadcasts (see box).

The new enrollees also are socially progressive, interested in reform and regeneration.

These facts are important because independent studies show that progressive Baby Boomers constitute the largest segment of unchurched seekers, and Baby Boomers have a large presence in high-growth religions. Also, women are the most active converts in all alternative faith communities.

• More younger people were among the 2,345 enrollees. One reason might be the changing climate on college campuses. Women in particular are more liberal and socially engaged. College women, for example, feel working for racial harmony is very important.

SOURCE OF OUR NUMBERS

National Teaching Committee surveys found these facts are true of BOTH the Bahá’í community as a whole AND the 2,345 Bahá’ís who enrolled between May 1996 and May 1997: 1) Two-thirds are women. 2) Two-thirds attended college. 3) More than half are Baby Boomers. 4) They are disproportionately urban and suburban. 5) There is a concentration in caring professions. 6) They are mainly in the Southern and Western regions. Of those who responded to the national broadcasts of The Power of Race Unity, at least facts 1, 4 and 6 above apply. A high proportion of those are African-American.

The children’s voice

This is one of 280 posters submitted by schoolchildren from nine schools in Chandler, Arizona, for a race unity poster contest organized by that city’s Bahá’í community leading to a mayoral proclamation of End Racism Week in May. Nine posters including this one were prize-winners, and all 280 were displayed May 14 at City Hall. Poster by Hailey Peep, third grade

RACE UNITY DAY 1998

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

Three articles in the San Antonio Express-News tell of a Bahá’í community leading the way toward race unity in the South Texas city, publicly as well as quietly:

• An article the day before Race Unity Day tied the celebration to current events—the racially motivated killing of an African-American who was dragged behind a vehicle in East Texas, even as President Clinton was aiming a spotlight on race dialogue.

"Race issues are not easy issues to discuss, but differences and misconceptions need to be aired publicly in order for them to be resolved," Winifred Barnum-Newman, a Bahá’í and a coordinator of the event, was quoted as saying.

Mayor Howard Peak was quoted as praising "our blend of heritages" that makes San Antonio "unique and strong."

• That blend was central to another article the same day about Bahá’í-sponsored race dialogues at the N’Awlins Creole Kitchen restaurant.

Twice a month, people of all backgrounds gather to "talk over crawfish étouffée, shrimp Creole and hot jambalaya... about race relations in San Antonio and across the country," the article said.

William and Alice Harper, the restaurant owners who are friends of the Bahá’ís, told the newspaper the prejudice they and other African-Americans experienced growing up in New Orleans left its mark on them.

But the couple said they now have friends of many backgrounds, and Alice Harper said forgiveness was essential. "How can we say we love God, then look at a brother or sister that’s a different race and immediately experience hate?" she said.

• Two days later the Express-News reported on the Race Unity Day event itself, a festival of speakers, food, and dance that drew about 75 people to Milam Park on a 105-degree afternoon June 14.

The Rev. Claude Black, a longtime civil rights champion, said in a keynote speech that even the East Texas dragging killers were victims of racism, because their skin color was too much a part of their sense of self-worth.

"Race unity will allow us to value our worth by our place in the world," he was quoted as saying. "There’s something in the human spirit that will not allow us to sustain hatred for people we know."

TEACHING PATTERNS

It is often said that relatively low enrollment figures in recent years are evidence we don’t teach the Faith. Our own studies suggest a more complex and hopeful reality. In a recent study of Bahá’í activism, we found that:

• 71% of the rank-and-file say they speak of the Faith to a non-Bahá’í at least once per week.
• 82% pray at least daily.
• 90% contribute to the Funds.
• 88% read the Writings regularly.
• 40% bring people to firesides.

Nearly a third also participate in other community organizations with compatible goals. And the rates for teaching and Fund contributions actually increased between 1992 and 1997.

Enthusiasm, activism and engagement appear not to be insurmountable obstacles. Training that addresses skills, and not only motivation, would appear to be in order. But we also must dare to reach beyond familiar boundaries and established categories to engage seekers in their millions on their own terms.

An interesting discovery along the way is the possibility that general awareness of the Faith is actually very low. Among focus group respondents it was about 15%. This may not be surprising, considering that our primary form of outreach has been word-of-mouth, within friendship and kinship circles. We believe that greater awareness of the Faith will lead to more teaching opportunities, and result in higher growth.

A low proportion of our current membership learned of the Faith through some public outreach effort. The process in which the NTC and others have engaged is teaching us how to be better at this important aspect of teaching.

A SERIES OF INTERRELATED CHALLENGES

No single factor is sufficient for victory in the Four Year Plan. The stream of seekers will accelerate. Meeting their expectations, however, will require broader engagement by all of us in the individual, community and institutional development objectives of this Plan.

• First and foremost is the need to swell the ranks of seekers and to provide for them the gift of teaching. The scale of this labor and its new complexity requires development of human resources on a scale never before anticipated. We must align our training programs more closely with national, regional and local objectives, so that the friends can effectively apply their unparalleled enthusiasm.

During the second half of this plan we will begin to harvest the fruits of the glowing labors of our regional training institutes and to see the value of their stunning mission as defined by the Universal House of Justice. We imagine that even more institutes will be established so that no area is inadequately served. This indispensable task will be pursued by the Regional Bahá’í Councils.

• Community development and the strengthening of Local Assemblies are prerequisites for sustainable growth. It is the need for enrichment from community that drives the quest of seekers. This need cannot be neglected if we hope to prosper. Discipline in this sphere will be an enduring gift to our countrymen, to ourselves, and to our loved ones. Community is the melody that will swell the mighty chorus of allegiance.
• The consolidation of new believers cannot be left to chance. The mechanisms for consolidation must be aggressively and thoughtfully pursued. Many of the people who have become Bahá’ís in our lifetime have subsequently not become participants in community life. We must do everything possible to mitigate this problem.

[Page 39]

RACE UNITY, GENDER EQUALITY

The Faith’s dedication to interracial unity has been the centerpiece of the North American Four Year Plan. A sustained effort has been made to bring our views on racial harmony before a wider audience, and much more will be done in the years ahead. Special educational programs have been launched by many institutions to heighten sensitivity. Most Bahá’í communities regularly demonstrate their commitment to unity by organizing programs and events that invite consideration of new perspectives on the nation’s most challenging issue. The first stages of the national media campaign have been designed to showcase the Bahá’í stand against racism and our devotion to oneness.

Notwithstanding, in the United States all minorities remain underrepresented within our active Bahá’í family. At this moment every racial minority is present within our active core in a smaller proportion than in the population at large.

This deficiency cannot be allowed to persist, for it strikes at the heart of our credibility as a community. It must be vigorously addressed in the remainder of this Plan and beyond.

The National Teaching Committee has established task forces to help devise strategies and implement programs to reach four of the most significant ethnic populations in the country: African-Americans, Chinese, American Indians and Latin Americans. In the second half of the Plan the Regional Councils will undertake direct responsibility for organizing teaching projects in the field. The national task forces will aid in that work and will also help the teaching committee analyze issues and identify potentially successful approaches.

Historical racial balances in America are rapidly changing. California just about now is becoming the first mainland U.S. state in which minorities become the majority. In the near term at least five more states will follow suit. In the time of the beloved Guardian almost 90% of Americans were of European ancestry. By about 2050—within the lifetime of our children—whites in the population will be a bare majority, if a majority at all.

Vast new streams of hopeful humanity are arriving in the U.S. in near record numbers, primarily from Asia and Latin America. We cannot fail to embrace these new friends in their time of passage or act to shield them from the onslaught of unprincipled nativism.

The vitality of our Bahá’í community is linked to its ability to influence the nation’s trajectory on race relations in a time of transition. We must provide the model that will offer a signal of hope.

An integral part of this heightened focus on social justice is the campaign launched by the National Spiritual Assembly to emphasize gender equality. The centrality of women in any campaign for growth cannot be overstated. Nowhere is this more apparent than on university campuses. Women are also the key decision-makers for families in matters of faith.

Women are the majority of our active membership. They are the majority of seekers. They are the majority of respondents. They are the majority of new believers.

UPCOMING PLANS

• More broadcasts of The Power of Race Unity this fall
• New video programs on women’s issues and on prayer

LOCAL RESPONSES NEEDED

• Firesides, direct teaching
• Service projects
• Devotional meetings
• Youth and children’s programs
• Artistic expression of the Teachings
• And more ...

PERSPECTIVE AND PROSPECTS

The remarkable growth of the American Bahá’í community within this very century bespeaks a divine and mysterious process at work. By any measure the Bahá’í Faith here has been a high-growth religion. Since the beginning of the beloved Guardian’s ministry we have grown 50-fold in America.

Even in disappointment we must remember that we have registered growth even in periods when the mainstream liberal religions of the majority have lost up to a quarter of their membership. And we cannot doubt the accumulating evidence for the insight of the Universal House of Justice that opportunities for growth in North America are greater than any place on earth.

The challenge before us is wholesome. We cannot permit frustration to undermine our solidarity. At least eight times in the Tablets of the Divine Plan the beloved Master urged upon us to be generous in forgiving.

“Upraise your magnanimity,” said the Master. “Should they show forth such a magnanimity, it is assured that they will obtain universal divine confirmations, the heavenly cohorts will reinforce them uninterruptedly, and a most great victory will be obtained.”

We must press on together to spread this Faith with fearlessness and audacity. In His Tablet to the World, revealed in the final year of His earthly life, Bahá’u’lláh asked: “Wherefore fear ye, O My well-beloved ones? Who is it that can dismay you?”

We implore Bahá’u’lláh that in the year 2000, by the end of this Four Year Plan, we may achieve His good-pleasure as expressed through His gentle and affectionate last words to those around Him: “I am well pleased with all of you. You have rendered many services and been assiduous in your labors ... may God assist you to remain united. May He aid you to exalt the Cause of the Lord of Being.” ◆

RACE UNITY DAY 1998

Mayor Floyd Adams Jr. presents the Bahá’ís of Savannah, Georgia, with a proclamation of Race Unity Day at the annual picnic June 14. Photo courtesy of Savannah Morning News

SAVANNAH, GEORGIA

Of course the diversity was remarkable at the Race Unity Day picnic in Savannah. Mayor Floyd Adams Jr. noted that over the last 10 years the event has helped improve the atmosphere between the races in the coastal Georgia city.

“Because of outings like this, Savannah is in peace right now,” the mayor was quoted as saying in the June 15 Savannah Morning News. “Ten years ago, things like this wouldn’t have happened.”

But what evidently struck the reporter for that paper first about the picnic on Lake Mayer Community Park was the hospitality. Specifically, the cookout that was enjoyed by hundreds of guests.

“The aroma of cooking pork, chicken, steaks, fish and, of course, the hot dogs and hamburgers was overwhelming,” the report read.

The all-day event featured jazz music by Phil Morrison, Doc Holladay, Teddy Adams, Keith Williams, and others, plus dance performances by the local Bahá’í Youth Workshop.

The Morning News helped publicize the event with a substantial article and an “If you go” info box on the front page of its “Accent” section June 13. The article included several paragraphs of background on Bahá’í teachings and activities supporting race unity.

The paper’s article the day after the June 14 event quoted several picnic-goers, guests as well as Bahá’ís. An accompanying photo showed Ray Rudolph, a Bahá’í surgeon from Chatham County, serving food at a park pavilion with a variety of people in the background. The article quoted him as saying, “This is the way it (life) should be ... the natural everyday occurrence.” ◆

SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI

A city bus carried the Bahá’í message of unity to all parts of the city from Ridván through June 30 in a campaign to promote Race Unity Day.

The ad, showing the photo “Children of the Universe”—used by permission of the photographer, Harlan Scheffler—and the caption “There is no room in their future for prejudice,” ran on the side of the bus as well as a newspaper advertisement June 13 announcing a Race Unity Day picnic the next day.

The ads have prompted several people to call the prominently displayed local Bahá’í phone number. ◆

DALLAS, TEXAS

An exceptional Race Unity Day observance with keynote talks by Police Chief Bennie R. Click, state Rep. Fred Hill and Southern Regional Council member Jack Guillebeaux was enjoyed by 150 to 200 people.

The Dallas Bahá’í Youth workshop and an African drum and dance group performed.

Three television stations—the NBC, CBS, and Fox affiliates—sent crews to cover the event and showed highlights on the 5:30 p.m. news. The Dallas Morning News, a Spanish newspaper and Dallas Peace Time also covered the event.

Two television reports focused on Guillebeaux’s comment that “we should commit to make Dallas a prejudice-free zone.” ◆

More reports on local Race Unity Day activities in the next issue of The American Bahá’í [Page 40]

Bahá’ís in N.Y. honor century of community

BY ERIC KREITZER

The New York City Bahá’í community celebrated the 100th anniversary of its founding June 19–21. Coincidentally, the city itself was celebrating the centennial of its consolidation from five boroughs.

This fortuitous timing helped the Bahá’ís get their celebration in the city’s official event calendar as well as the Sunday Daily News and Time Out New York.

Much of the New York City Bahá’í Center was converted into a gallery for the main event Friday, June 19. Extensive, detailed displays showed decades of photographs and other archival material, including declaration forms. Also shown were contemporary translations of letters from the Master and letters written in the hand of the Guardian.

The formal program consisted of a multimedia presentation of drama, dance, slides and recorded reminiscences of elders of the community. Several former members of the Local Spiritual Assembly, going back half a century, were honored.

The presentation was followed by a reception attended by more than 200 people, about 50 of whom were not enrolled Bahá’ís.

Saturday afternoon the doors of the Center were open for casual visitors. Classical music wafted onto the street, and Bahá’í youth invited passers-by to step in out of the heat, view the photo exhibit and enjoy refreshments.

On Sunday, the regular 2 p.m. public meeting was incorporated into the celebration. Vickie Nizin, a member of the Northeast Regional Bahá’í Council, gave a presentation titled “One Hundred Years of Race Amity in New York City: A Bahá’í Perspective.” From the audience of 50, one seeker declared immediately afterward.

Several visitors, including professional artists, commented that the presentations and displays were very professional-looking and interesting. The weekend was a good example of how effective a proclamation event can be when a diverse and talented community pulls together and pools the skills of its members.

In June 1898, the 141 Bahá’ís in New York City elected a Board of Council whose direct descendant is the Local Spiritual Assembly of today. And according to the diary of Juliet Thompson, June 19 was the date ‘Abdu’l-Bahá designated New York the City of the Covenant during His historic visit in 1912.

Eric Kreitzer is a member of the New York City Bahá’í community. ♦

People attending the 100th anniversary of the founding of New York’s Bahá’í community look over archival documents and photos on display.

“YOUNG AT HEART CAMPAIGN”

“The plan of the United States is set, its early results promising, its prospects high. Nothing must distract the members of this community now: for this is the time, the right time, for their preparation and their effort to yield magnificent fruit. Be confident, too, that the unfailing assistance of the Divine Concourse is accessible to any individual who will arise to serve the major aim of the Four Year Plan. Forward, then, to new frontiers of achievement!” —Universal House of Justice, May 31, 1998, to the delegates to the Bahá’í National Convention of the United States

Association of American Bahá’ís 50 years and older

OUR MISSION: To facilitate seasoned Bahá’ís to utilize their life and professional experiences, talents and resources, knowledge and skills in continued service to Bahá’u’lláh.

PARTICIPATION FORM

Name _______________________________________________________

Address _____________________________________________________

City/State/ZIP Code __________________________________________

Phone ________________________ E-mail _______________________

Please circle your areas of service:

Teaching     Pioneering     Administrative service     Race Unity

Social/economical projects     Escorted traveling teaching

Advancement of women     Youth tutoring     Public speaking

Other _______________________________________________________

In the aftermath of this year’s Bahá’í National Convention, a task force under the auspices of the National Teaching Committee created this association to offer opportunities of service for those who are young at heart and are anxious to continue serving the Cause of God. We seek your support and participation.

Please return this form to: Deanna McCollum, Houston, TX 77006 (phone 713-527-9124)

Green Acre blends practical, spiritual

Space is still available in some of the August summer sessions at Green Acre Bahá’í School in Eliot, Maine.

The session scheduled for Aug. 14–19 will feature Habib Riazati presenting “The Secret of Divine Civilization” and Susie Clay and Deborah Deas-Nesmith offering the course, “Creating Patterns of Bahá’í Social and Economic Development.”

The week of Aug. 21–26, John Woodall will give the course “‘My Powerlessness and Thy Might’: The Gift of the Obligatory Prayers,” and Linda Meccouri will present “The Transforming Power of Love.”

A special weekend session Aug. 28–30 presented by Larry Miller will address “Applying Bahá’í Principles in Business.”

Rounding out the summer season on the Labor Day weekend of Sept. 4–7 will be National Spiritual Assembly member Jack McCants’ course “Heroic Deeds of Service.” This program will examine the role of individual initiative in the process of entry by troops, and the heroic deeds that result when spiritual transformation releases our personal capacity. The course will end midday Monday, Sept. 7.

Green Acre’s fall programming begins Sept. 25–27 with a College Club Weekend hosted by the National Youth Committee.

“The Bahá’í Faith and the State of Humankind” will be offered by National Spiritual Assembly member William Davis and Constance Davis Oct. 9–12. The presenters will discuss themes relevant to the advancement of the Cause of God in the world, including family life, professional life, applying spiritual principles to race unity and the equality of women and men, and the escalating growth of the Bahá’í community. This weekend program will conclude at midday Monday, Oct. 12.

A special U.N. Day weekend program will be offered Oct. 23–25, with presenter to be announced.

Green Acre will host three programs the weekend of Oct. 30–Nov. 1. Peter Oldziey offers “Don’t Yell At Your Watchman: Seeing the End in the Beginning,” an exploration of how changing the way we view our tests can alter our environment, and our response to the challenges we meet.

Also featured that Oct. 30–Nov. 1 weekend will be a Junior Youth Institute for those in grades 6-8.

A Pioneering/BYSC/SITA institute hosted by the Office of Pioneering will take place at Green Acre Oct. 29–Nov. 1 (beginning on a Thursday).

An Institute for High School Youth will be offered the weekend of Nov. 6–8 for those in grades 9-12.

Counselor Tod Ewing will present a three-day course, “The Most Vital and Challenging Issue: Meeting the Challenge With Honor,” the weekend after Thanksgiving, Nov. 27–29. This text-based study will explore how to create vibrant models of unity in our communities, with applications for “deliberately cultivating” freedom from racial prejudice.

The course will draw on the recently published compilation, Toward Oneness. Please note that this three-day program will begin at noon Friday, Nov. 27.

For further information or a program brochure, please contact Green Acre, 188 Main St., Eliot, ME 03903 (phone 207-439-7200, e-mail ___________). ♦ [Page 41]

LOUHELEN BAHÁ’Í SCHOOL

67 years and growing

In 1930, soon after he became a Bahá’í, L.W. (Lou) Eggleston bought a farm near Davison, Michigan, intending to use the grounds and farm buildings for a Bahá’í summer school. That year, he and Helen Whitney were married and together made plans to start the school the very next summer.

After consulting with the Guardian and the National Spiritual Assembly, Lou and Helen Eggleston chose the first nine days of August 1931 for the opening of the new Louhelen School. In a letter from Lou Eggleston inviting Bahá’ís in the Central States region to the first session, he said the motto of their plans would be “God helps those who help others,” and he asked all the Bahá’ís in the region to join together spiritually to help the endeavor grow.

Altogether, 35 Bahá’ís and friends from six states attended this first session as full-time participants, while about 50 came as day students. The sessions were held that first year in a wooded area sloping down to a lovely stream, using a log lodge on the hillside or an open-air clearing nearby. The inspirational atmosphere touched the hearts of all who attended.

Many things have changed in the nearly 67 years since that first session. Today Louhelen Bahá’í School is a permanent, year-round national center of Bahá’í education serving more than 15,000 people each year. During summer 1998 alone, 22 sessions are to be held, with attendance of more than 7,000.

The facilities today are as large, comfortable and modern as one would expect from a quality hotel, and the food draws rave reviews.

But what remains the same across the years is the inspirational spirit of Bahá’í learning, fellowship and community life that draws Bahá’ís and their friends from every state and an increasing number of foreign countries to attend Louhelen sessions.

The spirit of Louhelen is expressed in varied forms. Notable is the unbroken progression of distinguished teachers who have influenced the minds and hearts of Louhelen students over the years, including several elevated to the rank of Hands of the Cause of God: Corinne True, Horace Holley, Amelia Collins, Dorothy Baker, Louis Gregory, Leroy Ioas, Agnes Alexander, Zikrullah Khadem, ‘Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum. The spirit of these illumined faculty lingers in the compelling courses offered nearly every week at Louhelen.

Louhelen offers a series of vibrant programs as the administrative center of the National Teacher Training Center, the agency which develops the Core Curriculum training projects of the National Spiritual Assembly.

These systematic training programs span a wide range of educational and training activities designed to foster stronger, more loving Bahá’í communities and families; raise up ever more illumined and active children and youth; and train workers who will continually work toward a society free of prejudice.

Rapidly growing programs in teacher training, race unity, marriage and family life, and parenting provide the foundation for an expanding network of capable human resources at the local level that every community can draw upon.

New courses on the fundamental verities of the Faith are also being used by many regional and local training institutes. “The idea is to foster a spirit of collaboration in which the resources of Louhelen as a permanent national training center can be systematically extended to benefit each and every community on the local level,” said Barbara Johnson, coordinator of the National Teacher Training Center.

“I like to think that these training programs would make the Guardian happy,” Dr. Johnson said, “because the Guardian called upon Louhelen to use its programs to encourage ‘daily deeds of constructive spiritual living’ and I truly believe that is what we are trying to do!”

To many people across the country, perhaps the spirit of Louhelen is best summed up by its family, youth, and children’s programs. These heavily attended programs are noted for the high quality of the teachers for all ages, the exceptional quality of the courses; and the amazing spirit of “Bahá’í family” that unites diverse ages and backgrounds into a community of loving and happy fellowship. “The end of these sessions always bring tears,” said Rick Johnson, Louhelen co-administrator. “It is just so hard to say good-bye to these precious friends that you share such an experience with—there really is a ‘Louhelen family’ that knows no boundaries.”

—Submitted by Louhelen Bahá’í School ♦

Excerpts from messages by the Guardian to guide, encourage, instruct and inspire development of Louhelen:

• A growing center of education and culture:

“...this institution ... is fair to develop into one of the leading and most promising cultural centers of the Cause throughout the United States.” [June 24, 1937]

“...its development into that ideal Bahá’í University of the future...” [July 29, 1939]

• A dynamic center of study to stimulate action:

“He was very pleased to see courses on character training included. When the world sees the Bahá’ís united, loving towards each other, and exemplifying the teachings in their daily lives, it will begin to really turn towards the Faith.” [March 13, 1945]

“He was also particularly pleased to notice that believers of different racial backgrounds were represented, and that the attendants had come from so many distant points to derive instruction from the School sessions.”

• A living center of Bahá’í community life and oneness:

“He was particularly pleased to hear that a profound spirit of love and unity pervaded the school and its attendants. The world not only desperately needs the organization for world order brought by Bahá’u’lláh, but above all the living example of Community love and inner oneness without which the other is merely a perfect shell, devoid of spirit.” [Aug. 8, 1944]

UPCOMING LOUHELEN PROGRAMS LISTED IN CALENDAR, PAGE 52

LOUHELEN BAHÁ’Í SCHOOL 3208 S. State Road • Davison, MI 48423 • 810-653-5033 [Page 42]

Conferences at Bosch focus on preparation

The fall program at Bosch Bahá’í School, Santa Cruz, California, offers a diverse lineup of conferences beginning with the Regional Training Seminar sponsored by the National Committee for the Advancement of Women (NCAW), Sept. 17–20.

Professional workshop leaders Randa Wilbur and Larry Miller will conduct seminars on improving public speaking and building facilitation and consultation skills. In addition, members of the NCAW will lead a focused study and discussion on the National Spiritual Assembly statement Two Wings of a Bird: The Equality of Women and Men. The NCAW requests that participants be sponsored by Local Spiritual Assemblies in the Western region. Space is limited, so contact your Assembly soon if you are interested.

As the Institutions of the Faith are called on to deal with problems common to our society, we need to develop a better understanding of those problems. The Bahá’í Network on AIDS, Sexuality, Addiction and Abuse (formerly IASA) is hosting a conference Sept. 24–27 with Counselor Wilma Ellis as main speaker. Workshops addressing related topics will allow frank, supportive discussion and networking.

The College Club Weekend Conference Oct. 16–18, sponsored by the National Youth Committee, brings together youth from various college campuses to discuss topics of mutual interest, plan activities for the coming year, network and just get to know one another and have fun! A reduced conference rate makes it more affordable.

A mystical viewpoint on the station of women in the Writings is presented in “Healing and Integrating Women’s and Men’s Hearts: A Fuller Understanding of Bahá’í Mystical Theology,” Nov. 13–15, with Terry Culhane and Magdalene Rose.

Author Michael Sours will present a study course on his book The Station and Claims of Bahá’u’lláh Oct. 30–Nov. 1. Sours is well-known for his work in presenting the Bahá’í Faith to Christians.

Three Wilmette Institute Mini-Courses will be offered:

• “Philosophy and the Bahá’í Faith.” with Behrooz Sabet Sept. 11–13.
• “Bahá’í Theology” with John Hatcher Oct. 30–Nov. 1.
• “Islam” with Muin Afnani and Brian Miller Dec. 18–20 (rescheduled).

Two general summer sessions remain:

• Aug. 15–20 with Gene Andrews’ workshop on “Unlocking the Power of the Individual”; Kathy Penn, member of the National Education Task Force, presenting “The Spiritual Transformation Process”; and Derek Cockshut, member of the Regional Bahá’í Council for the Western States and resident staff member at Bosch, discussing “Building Community: Pastoral Care.”
• August 22–27 with Mary Kay Radpour presenting “The Destiny of the Soul,” Muin Afnani deepening on “‘Abdu’l-Bahá: His Life and Writings,” and David Young offering “Teaching Bible Based Christians.”

The Bay Area Bahá’í Social Group Retreat Sept. 4–7 will be a weekend of fun, recreation and socializing. It was a sellout last year, so reserve your spot!

Contact Bosch Bahá’í School, 500 Comstock Lane, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 (phone 408-423-3387, e-mail _______________). ◆

SOUTHEAST ASIAN ROUNDTABLE CONFERENCE

The U.S. Bahá’í Refugee Office will sponsor the Southeast Asian Community Builders Roundtable Discussion Conference Aug. 28–30 at Bosch. The conference and concurrent youth program will follow the general theme of the Four Year Plan: “The Process of Entry by Troops.”

Speakers from various ethnic backgrounds—Cambodian, Hmong, Laotian and Vietnamese—and USBRO helpers will address such topics as “We Must Teach the Faith,” “Moral Development” and “The Importance of Education” to help Southeast Asian Bahá’í newcomers acclimate to the American Bahá’í community.

Tuition is $110 for adults and $60 for youth, and scholarships are available. Local Assemblies that sponsor attendees receive a 20 percent discount. For information contact Bosch (phone 408-423-3387) or the USBRO (847-733-3547).

Wilmette Institute at-home courses

Introduction to the Kitáb-i-Aqdas and Related Texts, Sept. 4, 1998–Feb. 28, 1999

The student will read the Kitáb-i-Aqdas and supplemental texts from beginning to end, then will explore the text by topic. Developed for the Wilmette Institute by Habib Riazati and other distinguished faculty, the study questions and other learning projects will help students build an understanding of Bahá’u’lláh’s Most Holy Book. The course has been lengthened to accommodate more material.

The Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, 1868–92, Oct. 3, 1998–March 31, 1999

The student will study some of Bahá’u’lláh’s most important works; many of His tablets to kings and rulers, the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, tablets revealed after the Aqdas, and the Epistle to the Son of the Wolf. This is a second offering of this course; a session began in July.

• Who can take the courses: Anyone 18 or older. These are designed for anyone wishing to study the Writings systematically—not just scholars.
• Tuition for either course: $200, or $160 per person if registering as part of a study group of three or more. Financial aid may be available.
• Deadline for applying: Two weeks before the course begins.
• Home study: Participation in either course is completely from home, by e-mail or mail and telephone.
• If you have e-mail: Students can focus assignments with each other through a special e-mail discussion group. If you don’t: You will be mailed a digest of e-mails twice a month.
• Conference calls: Provided for those who wish to talk with other students.
• Homework: Courses are divided into study units. Each includes a learning project related to the assigned text: for example, giving a fireside or deepening, writing an essay, completing an outline of a subject, expressing the material artistically. A mentor will review and comment on the learning projects.
• University credit: There may be ways the courses can be taken for credit through your university.
• To register/more information: Phone 847-733-3415, fax 847-733-3563, e-mail _______________ ◆

Bahá’í students play major part in organizing Cultural Fair with Asian flair at high school

The Florin High School Bahá’í Club was a co-sponsor of the school’s eighth annual Cultural Fair in April, which featured about 100 Hmong, Vietnamese and Japanese students performing traditional and modern dance and music.

The Bahá’í Club at the school in South Sacramento, California, has 47 members of Hmong and Vietnamese backgrounds, 17 of whom are Bahá’ís.

A diverse audience enthusiastically applauded the performances. In addition to performing, youth served as masters of ceremonies and set designers for the event, which was attended by staff of the U.S. Bahá’í Refugee Office.

For more information on the work of the Refugee Office, call 847-733-3547. ◆

INFORMATION ON YOUR INTERNATIONAL TEACHING TRIP

To record achievement of traveling teaching goals, the Office of Pioneering needs information on all international trips undertaken for the sake of promoting the interests of the Faith. This information is important whatever the level or amount of service and regardless of whether your trip was exclusively for service to the Faith or was combined with a trip for business, holiday, family, study or otherwise.

Just fill out and send this form to the Office of Pioneering, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201 (phone 847-733-3511, fax 847-733-3509, e-mail _______________). Please include the names of all Bahá’ís traveling, the names of each country and the one or two main localities visited, the dates of your trip and the main purpose of your travel.

Name(s): _________________________________________________ I.D. #(s): _______________________

Name(s): _________________________________________________ I.D. #(s): _______________________

Street: __________________________________________________________________________________

City, State, Zip: __________________________________________________________________________

Did you arise in response to the call of the Universal House of Justice to particular ethnic groups in the Ridván B.E. 153 message to North America? If so, please indicate your background:

____ American Indian ____ African descent ____ Hispanic ____ Other __________________________

Countries/Localities	From (dates) To	Main Purpose

Please attach any comments.

Bahá’í Ring on Internet moves

Web surfers may want to note that The Bahá’í Ring has a new home site. Those who want to browse the Ring, or add their own pages with Bahá’í content, should link to the new address (www.bcca.org/~cvoogt/ring.html).

The Bahá’í Ring, one of a number of Web Rings on the Internet, was started in 1996 for the enjoyment of people wishing to sample pages from around the world containing information on the Bahá’í Faith. About 160 sites are included, most developed by individuals and local Bahá’í institutions, with a few sites by national Bahá’í institutions. ◆ [Page 43]

LATIN AMERICAN TEACHING

Letter to the friends from the Latin-American Task Force Dear and Esteemed Friends in the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh: We who have been granted the unparalleled privilege of recognizing Bahá’u’lláh are blessed with so many bounties unique to this Most Great Revelation. There is the understanding of the oneness of God’s messengers that enables us to be in harmony with the followers of all religions; there is the fact that we have the written Word of God, as revealed by His Supreme Manifestation, preserved in its original form, along with so many authentic items associated with the lives of the Central Figures of the Faith; there is the divinely-ordained Administrative Order of the Faith destined to evolve into the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, the Kingdom of God on earth, and directing in successive steps the growth and development of the Faith in accordance with God’s will. The Four Year Plan, which has passed its midway point, is but the latest stage in the progressive unfoldment of this divinely ordained Plan. When the Tablets of the Divine Plan were revealed more than 80 years ago, there existed only the rudiments of the Bahá’í Administrative Order. A few totally dedicated souls arose to carry out ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s mandate, relying solely upon God. The beloved Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, from the time of his appointment in 1921 through the next 16 years, lovingly, firmly and oh-so-patiently guided and trained us in building and working through our Spiritual Assemblies. Then in 1937, he gave us the Seven Year Plan, the first organized stage in the execution of the ‎Plan Divino Divine Plan‎, delineated carefully laying out all the specific goals we needed to achieve. In the Second Seven-Year Plan, launched in 1946, the goals and areas were broadened to include Europe and the establishment of the first National Spiritual Assemblies in Latin America. As soon as this plan was completed in 1953, he launched the World Crusade, with more of the responsibility for planning placed upon the National Spiritual Assemblies. With each plan thereafter, under the infallible guidance of the Universal House of Justice, more responsibility for setting goals and planning has been delegated, first to the National Spiritual Assemblies and then increasingly to the Local Spiritual Assemblies. Now, in its Ridván 155 message to the Bahá’ís of the world, the Universal House of Justice tells us the time has come for each of us to make our own plans and, in carrying them out, to be “clear-headed, methodical, efficient, constant, balanced and harmonious.” So, dear friends, what personal teaching goals will each of us set, what methods will we use to reach them? Please share your plans and ideas with us, friends, and we in turn will keep you informed of our plans and goals and our progress in reaching them. One of our goals is the completion of the national census of Hispanic believers. If you have not already done so, please fill out the form below and return it to us with any additional information you may wish to share. The data generated by this census will aid our National Spiritual Assembly and our Regional Bahá’í Councils in achieving their own teaching goals. In closing, we again quote the Universal House of Justice: “[E]ach individual, too, must make a conscious decision as to what he or she will do to serve the Plan, and as to how, where and when to do it. This determination enables the individual to check the progress of his actions and, if necessary, to modify the steps being taken. Becoming accustomed to such a procedure of systematic striving lends meaning and fulfillment to the life of any Bahá’í.” With loving greetings to you all, The Latin-American Task Force ◆

Carta a los amigos de la Comisión de Trabajo Latinoamericana Queridos y Estimados Amigos en la Causa de Bahá’u’lláh: Los que hemos recibido el privilegio sin igual de reconocer a Bahá’u’lláh, hemos sido bendecidos con incontables gracias de carácter singular y único a esta la Más Grande Revelación. Consideremos por ejemplo: el conocimiento de la unicidad de los mensajeros de Dios que nos permite estar en armonía con los seguidores de todas las religiones; el hecho de que poseemos la Palabra escrita de Dios, como fue revelada por Su Manifestación Suprema, preservada en su forma original, junto con auténticos y numerosos objetos asociados con la vida de las Figuras Centrales de la Fe; el Orden Administrativo de la Fe, divinamente ordenado y destinado a evolucionar en el Orden Mundial de Bahá’u’lláh, el Reino de Dios sobre la tierra, y dirigiendo en etapas sucesivas el crecimiento y desarrollo de la Fe guiado según la Voluntad de Dios. El Plan de Cuatro Años cuyo curso ha corrido ya más de la mitad, es apenas la etapa más reciente en el desenvolvimiento progresivo de este Plan divinamente ordenado. Cuando las Tablas del Plan Divino fueron reveladas por ‘Abdu’l-Bahá hace más de 80 años, existían solo los rudimentos del Orden Administrativo Bahá’í. Unas pocas almas absolutamente consagradas se levantaron a poner en marcha el mandato de ‘Abdu’l-Bahá confiando solamente en Dios. El amado Guardián, Shoghi Effendi, desde el momento de su nombramiento en 1921 y por los siguientes 16 años, amorosa, firme y cuán pacientemente nos guió y entrenó en formar y en trabajar a través de las Asambleas Espirituales. Luego, en 1937, nos dio el Plan de Siete Años, la primera etapa organizada en la ejecución del Plan Divino, delineando cuidadosamente cada meta específica que era necesario alcanzar. En el segundo Plan de Siete Años, lanzado en 1946, tanto las metas como las áreas fueron ampliadas para incluir Europa y el establecimiento de las primeras Asambleas Espirituales Nacionales en América Latina. Al completarse este Plan en 1953, el Guardián lanzó la Cruzada Mundial con más de la responsabilidad de planear en las Asambleas Nacionales. Con cada plan de ahí en adelante, bajo la guía infalible de la Casa Universal de Justicia, la responsabilidad de fijar metas y de elaborar planes se ha ido delegando más y más, primero en las Asambleas Espirituales Nacionales y luego, en forma creciente, en las Asambleas Espirituales Locales. Hoy día, en su mensaje de Ridván 155 a los Bahá’ís del mundo, la Casa Universal de Justicia nos dice que ha llegado el momento para cada uno de nosotros como individuos de elaborar nuestros propios planes, y de ejecutarlos “con la mente clara” y mostrándonos “metódicos, eficientes, constantes, equilibrados y armonizados.” ¿Cuáles serán pues, queridos amigos, nuestras metas personales de enseñanza, y cuáles los métodos para lograrlas? Por favor, compartan con nosotros sus planes e ideas. Nosotros haremos igual. Una de nuestras metas presentes ‎en la es la‎ culminación del censo nacional de creyentes hispanos. Si aún no lo ha hecho, querido lector, sírvase llenar el formulario abajo y envíenoslo junto con cualquier información adicional que desee compartir. Los datos así generados ayudarán a la Asamblea Espiritual Nacional y a los Concilios Regionales Bahá’ís a alcanzar sus propias metas de enseñanza. Para finalizar, nuevamente citamos a la Casa Universal de Justicia: “[C]ada persona debe asimismo tomar una decisión consciente sobre qué es lo que va a hacer para servir al Plan, y sobre el cómo, donde y cuándo. Esta decisión capacita a la persona para comprobar el progreso de sus actos y, caso de ser necesario, modificar los pasos que viene dando. Acostumbrarse a este procedimiento de esfuerzos sistemáticos realiza y llena de sentido la vida de todo bahá’í.” Con cariñosos saludos a todos La Comisión de Trabajo Latinoamericana ◆

Para el Censo de los Bahá’ís hispanos en los Estados Unidos

(For the Census of Hispanic Bahá’ís in the United States)

Srta. / Sra. / Sr. Miss / Mrs. / Ms. / Mr. ____________________________________________________________________

Dirección/ Address _________________________________________________________________________________

Ciudad/                                           Estado/ City ___________________________________________ State __________________ ZIP Code __________

Número Telefónico/ Telephone Number _________________________________________________________________________

Enviar a la Comisión de Trabajo Latinoamericana Send to Latin-American Task Force

• por correo a/by mail to:

Vera Breton,

Vienna, Virginia 22181

• por fax a/by fax to:

Larry Kramer, (773) 509-0466

• por e-mail a/by e-mail to:

[ ]

[Page 44]Classified notices in The American Bahá’í are published free of charge to the Bahá’í community. Because of these, notices are limited to items relating to the Faith; no personal or commercial ads are accepted. Some of the opportunities have not been approved by the National Spiritual Assembly; the friends should exercise judgment and care in responding.

SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES

Administrator, the Bahá’í Home, Wilmette, Illinois. Provides for management and supervision of all aspects of operations of the Bahá’í Home, a licensed, sheltered care home for the aged. Provides quality of service to the residents and ensures supportive cooperation among all employees in accordance with the principles of the Bahá’í Faith. Ensures employees work as a team, particularly in delivery and continuity of quality resident care. Supervises a staff of about 20 full-time, part-time and time-as-reported employees. Responsible for awareness and compliance with federal, state, local and departmental regulations, policies and procedures. Must be a member of the Bahá’í Faith in good standing; a high school graduate; experience and education in health care administration and application and training in gerontology preferred; supervisory experience desired. Knowledge and experience with basic financial accounting procedures desired; should be able to work holidays, weekends and extended hours as required. Proficiency in IBM-compatible computers preferred. Oral and written proficiency in the English language required. If interested, contact the Office of Human Resources, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201 (phone 847-733-3427, fax 847-733-3430).

AT THE BAHÁ’Í NATIONAL CENTER

Project manager, Bahá’í National Center Properties Office. Coordinates repair, improvement and development projects for Bahá’í properties at the National Center and other locations in the U.S. Provides technical information and guidance to facility management staff and local Bahá’í communities. Qualifications: Eight years’ responsible experience in the development and project management field. Proven as an effective administrator. Professional training and previous positions in planning, design, architecture, engineering, construction and/or project management with private developers, corporations or government agencies is desirable.

On-site meeting and travel specialist experienced in hospitality supervision with strong organizational skills, good understanding of hotel business, site research, contract negotiation, meeting room arrangements, food functions and accommodations. Should know travel industry; Appollo or other travel system experience helpful. Will reconcile bills and claims. Must be able to work under pressure and handle several meetings at the same time. Work schedule flexible, considerable weekend work required.

If interested in one of the above positions, contact the Office of Human Resources, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201 (phone 847-733-3427, fax 847-733-3430).

AT THE WILMETTE INSTITUTE

Office Manager. Can be a paid position or youth volunteer post. Will write letters and respond to e-mails, explain the Wilmette Institute’s programs on the phone, manage financial information in Quickbooks, and maintain files. Depending on skills, the person may also be asked to grade homework assignments or write/edit curricular and publicity materials. Must have excellent organizational and telephone skills. Should be able to work independently but also work well in a team environment. If interested, contact Robert Stockman at 847-733-3425, Heather Gorman at 847-733-3415, or the Office of Human Resources at 847-733-3427.

THE AMERICAN BAHÁ’Í & BRILLIANT STAR MAGAZINE

Print Production Specialist for Bahá’í Media Services. Provides production support for The American Bahá’í and Brilliant Star magazine. Assists in design and layout of both publications. Works with printers and outside vendors to ensure smooth production of each issue; with freelance authors, illustrators, writers and designers to acquire content for both publications. Qualifications include a strong command of all phases of digital print production, including design, layout, photo editing, copy editing, production, and digital prepress; a minimum of two years’ experience with Quark Xpress and Adobe Photoshop in a newspaper, magazine or other print production environment; experience with Illustrator and Freehand; skill in verbal and written communication; ability to work with minimum supervision. If interested, contact the Office of Human Resources, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201 (phone 847-733-3427, fax 847-733-3430).

AT GREEN ACRE BAHÁ’Í SCHOOL

Maintenance worker. Enthusiastic, industrious, spiritually motivated. General knowledge of custodial duties, building maintenance and repair, grounds work, and mechanical systems helpful. High skill in interior/exterior painting a plus. Work environment requires a resourceful person dedicated to courtesy, meticulous attention to detail. Minorities, women encouraged to apply. Professional training available. Contact James M. Sacco, Co-Administrator, Green Acre Bahá’í School, 188 Main St., Eliot, ME 03903-1800 (phone 207-439-7200, fax 207-438-9940, e-mail ).

AT BOSCH BAHÁ’Í SCHOOL

Assistant facilities manager sought for Bosch Bahá’í School. Responsible for maintenance of buildings, grounds, equipment and vehicles for Bosch; helps direct the work of volunteers. Responsible for creating and maintaining operating procedures and system documentation. Works on all renovation, repair, restoration and new construction. Must have knowledge and skills in building and equipment maintenance, plumbing, electrical, carpentry, roofing, painting, masonry, etc. Strongly prefer applicant with five years’ experience in facility management (hotel, motel, school, condo, light industrial, etc.), with at least 3 years supervising 3 or more workers. Basic computer literacy (database, spreadsheet, word processing) is necessary; CAD experience desirable. Organization/consultation skills, flexibility and enthusiasm are essential. Contractor experience very desirable. Vehicle maintenance skills desirable. Contact Mark J. Bedford, Co-Administrator, Bosch Bahá’í School, 500 Comstock Lane, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 (phone 408-423-3387, fax 408-423-7564, e-mail ).

AT THE WILHELM PROPERTY

Caretakers needed at the Wilhelm Property in Teaneck, New Jersey. Mature person(s) to perform custodial and maintenance duties for the buildings and grounds of this historic property. Includes coordination with the Local Spiritual Assembly of Teaneck and other Assemblies in the area for regional Sunday school and other programs on the property. About 20 hours of service each week is necessary for proper upkeep. An apartment including utilities is provided on the second floor of the Wilhelm House. For more information and to discuss your qualifications, please contact Sam Conrad, Properties Department, Bahá’í National Center (phone 847-853-2314).

Wanted: Bahá’í center coordinator. If you want to live in the City with “the best climate in the world,” come to San Clemente, California. We need a person or persons to coordinate the activities of the 1-year-old Bahá’í Center of South Orange County. A talent for fixing things and/or bilingual aptitude would be pluses. This is a volunteer position; we will provide housing and utilities, and will consider financial support if needed. Please contact the Assembly c/o Betty Tangler (phone 800-293-2722, e-mail ); more information on our Web site (www.bahaicenter.com).

INTERNATIONAL

China: Numerous openings for English teachers and professionals willing to travel for service in this rapidly developing country. For more information contact Susan Senchuk (phone 847-733-3506, fax 847-733-3509, e-mail ).

PIONEERING / OVERSEAS

Although the Office of Pioneering tries to help by providing information on employment opportunities that come to its attention, it does not have the resources for actual job placement.

AFRICA

Angola—Construction Engineer/Water Specialist. Botswana—Chief executive officer Botswana Export Development and Investment Authority. Burundi—Site manager/construction rehab manager. Shelter manager. Central African Republic—Population development (UNFPA). Cameroon—World Bank financial management specialist. Côte d’Ivoire—Finance manager. Gambia—Manager for Permanent Institute. Ghana—Executive director National Development Planning/Poverty Reduction/Social Investment Fund. Kenya—Program coordinator (IRC). Liberia—Field project manager. Mali—USAID team leader information and communication. Mozambique—Senior auditor. Swaziland—Senior special education adviser. Zambia—Teachers, basic education adviser. Zimbabwe—Project development coordinator, disaster mitigation and preparedness coordinator, Africa monetization technical adviser.

AMERICAS

Bahamas—Self-supporting couple to caretake National Center. Bermuda—Coordinator of 50th Anniversary activities in July. Bolivia—Child Survival Project manager. El Salvador—Teachers, tutors, traveling teachers for SED Projects. Guyana—Volunteer trainers for literacy project. Haiti—Area representative. Honduras—Teachers. Jamaica—Environmental program manager, environmental specialist, project coordinator. Mexico—Community Service Program (AFSC), area representative, Teachers Universidad de Quintana Roo. Nicaragua—Basic Educational and Training Program (AID). Suriname—Clinical specialists. Turks & Caicos—Government doctors. Venezuela—Caretakers for National Institute.

ASIA

Afghanistan—Field Coordinator (IRC), gender adviser/director level (UNOPS). Armenia—Environmental law liaison, country director (OSI). Azerbaijan—Shelter manager (IRC). Bangladesh—Director, International Center for Diarhoeal Disease Research. Burma—Senior projects director. Cambodia—Prosthetist, orthotist lecturer, reproductive health adviser. Georgia—Human rights field officer (U.N.). India—Program manager, alliance representative. Japan—ESL teachers, engineering manager, R&D mechanical engineer. Kazakhstan—Engineering manager, R&D mechanical engineer, Au-Pair/teacher. Korea—University ESL teacher. Malaysia—Principal adviser, senior specialists, senior advisers (UNOPS). Philippines—Librarian Asian Development Bank. Singapore—Fitness membership salesperson. South Asia—Development managers. Thailand—Volunteer physician. Taiwan—Teachers. Ukraine—Environmental law liaison. Vietnam—National data management consultant (UNDP), field project manager, (Vietnam and Southeast Asia) industry consultants.

AUSTRALASIA

Australia—Natural resource economist tropical agriculture. Postdoctoral fellowship/research fellowship in international relations. Fiji—Director Pacific Regional Rights Resource Team Project. Kiribati—Printing set-up/train for National Assembly. Solomon Islands—Custodians at the Bahá’í Center. Western Caroline Islands—Self-supporting assistant to the National Assembly Secretary.

EUROPE

Austria—Technical writer (IAEA), treasurer (IAEA), legal officer (IAEA), director Division of Conference and Document Services (IAEA), personnel officer, Head-Office of Internal Audit and Evaluation support, senior auditor. Belgium—SME and economic reform advisers. Bosnia—Physical therapy educator, occupational therapy educator, orthotist (Project Hope), program manager, senior media professional. Czech Republic—Primary and secondary teachers in mathematics, science, humanities, Spanish, English as a second language, Montessori teacher. Germany—Postdoctoral fellows in Center for Economic Studies U. of Munich, manager of information support (UNFCCC), economists. Hungary—University lecturers and professors for CEP, head of office (IOM). Ireland—Research post for Northern Ireland Economic Research Centre. Moldova—Commercial law adviser. NIS-economic program adviser. Poland—Junior lecturer in public policy. Portugal—Consultants in agricultural and rural development. Romania—Junior lecturer in political science. Russia—Economic research expert, international finance, economic development/regional investment specialist, facility protection officers, agricultural lending/credit specialist, international finance, women’s issues legal specialist. Slovakia—Teachers and English teachers. Sweden—Assistant professor total quality management, project manager, professor in project management, associate professor in project management, Chalmers U. of Technology. Switzerland—International corporate editor, business development analyst, head of media relations, assistant corporate editor. Ukraine—Senior adviser (IRF), program director (economics education), economic reform program adviser, commercial law adviser. United Kingdom—Program officers, consultants, program assistants, director of sales, professorship in the Agricultural Extension and Rural Development Dept. U. of Reading. Yugoslavia (former)—Program managers.

MULTI-REGIONAL

Highway engineers and specialists in Francophone West Africa. Microfinance professional, Africa. Agribusiness consultants worldwide, project managers, social development consultants, international management consultancies, consultants for private, public, and social sector development, intermediate technology consultants. University faculty to teach on military bases in Russia (Irkutsk and Vladivostok), Europe and Asia. International Research and [Page 45]Exchanges Board (IREX), teaching for economists in Central and Eastern Europe and former Soviet Union. American Refugee Committee. Breast Cancer Treatment/Prevention Central Europe; consultants in Eastern and Central Europe. English teaching fellows (ETF). Teachers in International Training in Women's and Development Projects, international sales and marketing. Entrepreneurial agricultural marketing specialist for Latin America. Senior judicial and legal reform advisers for Central and South America (ARD). Staff public finance specialist (ARD). Senior sales manager South America. Director of operations, regional communications coordinator for WWF in Latin America and Caribbean. Educational Services Institute (ESI) is recruiting instructors. FMS contract administrator, training specialist, supply management analyst. Multi-disciplinary team for WRI (World Resources Institute). Country representatives for Africare. Area representatives for Mainland Southeast Asia and Central American (World Neighbors) CEO for Central Asian-American Enterprise Fund. Managers and specialists for SAC International. Economists for Latin America and Asia (EIU). Clinical legal specialists for Albania, Romania, Bulgaria and Ukraine, Central and Eastern Europe, NIS. Associate liaisons for Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kazakhstan, Ukraine. Civic educators and organizers for Eastern Europe (NDI). Peace Corps: foresters, parks and wildlife, environmental education and awareness. Water and sanitation engineers, Agronomists for Action Against Hunger. Global Classroom Inc. offers free placement assistance to English as a second/foreign language (ESL/EFL) professionals seeking overseas employment. All positions require a minimum of an ESL/EFL certificate or one year ESL/EFL teaching experience. Internships (some paid positions) reproductive health program, rural self-help, HIV/AIDS education.

URGENT NEEDS

BAHAMAS Self-supporting couple to serve as caretakers for the National Center.

HONDURAS Elementary and secondary school teachers.

MACAU The School of Nations needs qualified kindergarten, primary and secondary teachers.

SOLOMON ISLANDS Self-supporting couple to serve as custodians of the Bahá’í Center in Honiara. Volunteer to train National Center office staff.

TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS Great need for medical personnel including family physicians with a variety of specialties: internist, obstetrician, health care service manager, clerical officer, biomedical technician and medical records officer.

For additional information, please contact the Office of Pioneering, Bahá’í National Center, Wilmette IL 60091 (phone 847-733-3508, fax 847-733-3509, e-mail >

PIONEERING/HOMEFRONT

Citrus County, a growing semirural community in west-central Florida, invites homefront pioneers to help us strengthen our community of nine adults. All are welcome; families and youth are much needed. Citrus County boasts a moderate climate with some seasonal change, plus exotic and traditional vegetation and wildlife. Job opportunities are primarily in the medical field, with the nuclear power plant, or in the service industry, as well as a current teacher's aide position at the Montessori school. A little over an hour's drive from Gainesville, Orlando or Tampa/St. Petersburg, Citrus County has a remarkably low crime rate. Please contact the Assembly of Citrus County c/o J. Cooper, 3020 S. Davis Lake Dr., Inverness, FL 34450 (phone or message 352-344-2835, e-mail

CLASSIFIED

Wanted: Students to help save our college club. The University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, will lose its Bahá’í college club unless two more Bahá’ís enroll by fall 1998. Oshkosh has had an Assembly since 1967, and there are some exciting events in town, including an annual Race Unity Social that was started by the Bahá’í community. Many contacts with university staff and students have resulted, and continuing the college club is very important. Contact the Assembly c/o Joan Suhm, Secretary, Oshkosh, WI 54901 (phone 920-233-4667 or 920-231-2547).

WESTWARD... HO! Head 'em up and move 'em on out to Cheyenne, Wyoming! This county seat is a goal city. There are no Assemblies in all of Wyoming. We eagerly waiting to hear from any families or homefront pioneers wishing to relocate to a wholesome city on the Plains which is near lakes, skiing and ranches. For an "Old West Trail Explorer Adventure Guide and Wyoming Vacation Planner" phone 800-530-5714. To contact Cheyenne Bahá’ís, phone 307-638-4445 or e-mail

WANTED

Help the Tulsa Bahá’í community bring the world and its diversity to the children of Eastern Oklahoma. Share with us your favorite stories, games, books, toys, traditional dress (pictures or actual), songs, candies, etc. by Oct. 15 and we will display them in our booth at "Kid's World," a multicultural festival Nov. 19-22, expected to attract more than 40,000 people. Please indicate if you would like your contribution returned or if it can become part of our permanent collection; don't send any irreplaceable items. Contact Dennis or Frances Rhine, Tulsa, OK 74128-2824 (home phone 918-437-5644, community phone 918-234-1473, fax 918-838-3331, e-mail).

Have you ever served on the Loveland, Colorado, Local Spiritual Assembly? Have you ever been part of the Loveland Bahá’í community? We will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of the formation of this Assembly at a special event Aug. 23 at a city park on the south side of Lake Loveland. If you cannot attend, please send your memories of Loveland for display at the event. Please contact the Bahá’ís of Loveland, P.O. Box 323, Loveland, CO 80538 (e-mail).

ARCHIVES

The National Bahá’í Archives is seeking original letters written on behalf of the Guardian to the following: Frances Carre, Inglis J. Carre, Daniel Carrick, Edris Rice-Wray Carson, Lynn Carson, Charles Carter, Eleanor Crane Carter, Lillian Carter, May Burlingame Carter, Rouan Ella Carter, Mirza A. Cassim, Louise Caswell and Peter Caswell. Anyone knowing family members or relatives who might have these Guardian's letters is asked to contact the National Bahá’í Archives, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201-1611 or phone 847-869-9039.

The National Bahá’í Archives is maintaining a mailing list of those who would like to receive copies of its duplicate book mail auction catalogs. The Archives conducts one or two mail auctions of duplicate books each year. If you would like to be on the mailing list, send your name, address and Bahá’í ID number to the National Bahá’í Archives, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201-1611.

Persian Culture event has English programs

The eighth annual Conference of the Friends of Persian Culture, Sept. 3-6 at the Holiday Inn O'Hare in Rosemont, Illinois, will have a number of programs presented in English, 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. during the Friday through Sunday sessions. The overall theme is "Women in Persian Culture."

Giving English-language presentations will be Baharieh Maani, Juana Conrad, Javidukht Khadem, Dr. Roya Ayman, Kambiz Rafraf, Dr. Farzáneh Miláni, Dr. Shapur Rasekh, Zhaleh Khadem, Dr. Mona Mahmoudi Sana, Mehrnaz Saeed Vafa, Dr. Firouzeh Motamedi, Mansour Taeed and Dr. Norma Moruzzi. Ezat Gooshehgeer will present a short play.

The conference will also feature:

• Talks and presentations in Persian. Evening programs which will be mainly entertainment, with music, theater, dance, poetry and more (mainly in Persian).
• Children's program, 9 a.m.-10:30 p.m. every day.

For information call 847-733-3528.

YOUTH

Springfield, Oregon Bahá’ís are starting a Bahá’í Youth Workshop. The sponsoring Spiritual Assembly of Springfield is looking for videotaped performances of BYWs that we may use to get started. Please contact Lynne Annis Christy (phone 541-746-7731, e-mail

LETTER, CONTINUED FROM PAGE I

bounties of God bestowed upon the American continent since the early days of our Faith, we must surely thank God that old believers such as myself have lived to see with our own eyes such prestige and triumphs that our beloved Faith is increasingly winning all over the world.

I hope that the American Bahá’ís, particularly those who have recently enrolled under the Banner of Bahá’u’lláh, will be made aware of their spiritual heritage and that each and every one of them is privileged to arise, teach the Faith and increase the image of the Bahá’í community, wherever it may be, in the eyes of a public that, world-wide, is increasingly aware of what is going on in other countries and areas. To me it is very important that the National Body should shower a great deal of encouragement on the new Bahá’ís, and on the importance of enrolling new Bahá’ís in the Faith. As the Blessed Beauty says in the Hidden Words: "Seize thy chance, for it will come to thee no more." How much must these words be taken to heart and acted upon by such an outstanding and distinguished community as that of the believers in North America.

In my long privilege of being a Bahá’í I sometimes think we get too fussy about the concept of "entry by troops." After all, anybody that knows English should understand what that means. It is not a minute sifting process; it is a gigantic enrolment process. Bahá’u’lláh did not appear for the privileged few and their relatives; He appeared for the entire human race, who are truly all the children of God and have a right to hear about the Faith and to embrace and serve it.

The rapid development of the terraces on Mt. Carmel approaching and above the Shrine of the Báb becomes more impressive as the months go by. We do not have to publicize anything, so to speak; the "publicizing" is all there in front of the eyes of anybody that visits Haifa. Incidentally, I hope that the Bahá’ís profit by the video tapes and photographs showing the development on Mt. Carmel of the World Centre of the Bahá’í Faith by sharing them more with the general public through meetings, publications, etc.

The services of the American believers all over the world and the guidance and the stimulation provided by the National Spiritual Assembly are a source of great pride to me, and I hope that the National Assembly will continually encourage the Bahá’ís to bring into the Faith more followers of Bahá’u’lláh, and that what you might almost call "primacy in the mass spread of the Faith all over the world," which the American Bahá’ís have had for so long, may ever be maintained and their achievements and eminence in service ever increase.

With warmest Bahá’í love, Rúbiyyib

Corinne True Justice Center

BASIC MEDIATION TRAINING Sept. 3-7, 1998

Fundamentals of mediation; basic training and certification in bargaining and negotiating skills, legal and court-annexed procedures, conflict resolution theory/practice

Faculty includes: Trip Barthel, business arbitrator/ community mediator Stephanie Fielding, mediator Steven Gonzales, attorney, Landegg professor/conflict resolution J'Lein Liese, conflict resolution/ race unity specialist Nancy Rank, attorney, community mediator, race unity specialist

Registration fee: $350 Fee covers tuition and materials only.

Classes held at: Metro Denver Bahá’í Center 225 East Bayaud, Denver, CO

For registration contact: Registrar 9404 West Ontario Drive Littleton, Co. 80128-4034

For other information: Phone 303-933-2854 E-mail [Page 46]

High-schoolers taking the lead in race initiative

BY CAMILLE COLLINS

It’s already in the hearts of many young people: the desire to live in a world where the races live in harmony.

In a growing effort within the Chicago area, the National Spiritual Assembly is helping high school students discover ways of bringing that ideal into reality.

Putting Race Unity Into Practice is a forum that brings students, teachers and administrators to the House of Worship for a dialogue on race unity and for recognition of each school’s work in that area.

Initiated in 1997 as an annual event, the forums have become so successful that participating high schools will now meet four times a year.

“There is youth leadership,” said a beaming Lorelei McClure, a public information officer for the National Spiritual Assembly, who has played an integral role in organizing the PRUIP forums. “So much is published and thought about youth that is negative. The youth benefit from coming together and sharing their problems and knowing they aren’t alone. High school students have had enough life experience to begin to question some of the experiences they’ve had.”

INTERNET INFORMATION RELATED TO THE PUTTING RACE UNITY INTO PRACTICE PROJECT: President’s Initiative on Race Web page: www.whitehouse.gov/Initiatives/OneAmerica/america.html Chicago Tribune article on the project: communities.chicago.digitalcity.com/evanston/today/story/l,,4683_l,00.html For information on the developing PRUIP Web page or other information on the project, call Lorelei McClure at the Bahá’í National Center (847-733-3469).

McClure is quick to add that while the discussions at the forums are frank and honest, they are also tactful and loving. “It’s a unifying experience, not a confrontational one at all. No one is there to bring guilt or shame to any other,” she said.

In its first year the forum presented awards to five high schools in Chicago and its suburbs. Since that inaugural meeting in February 1997, the forums have grown to include 17 area high schools.

The achievements are even more exciting in the light of the fact that none of the students participating so far have been Bahá’ís. This fits the vision of the conferences as McClure explained it: “the opportunity to influence and help shape the thinking of young people.”

Kristian Strom graduated from suburban Deerfield High School in May, and plans to use the knowledge he gained from the forum when he attends Wake Forest University in North Carolina.

“This year the theme [for campus activities] will be Unity and Diversity, and it’s not a very diverse campus,” Strom said. “I think what I’ve learned will come in handy and will motivate me to take initiative on this issue.”

In Chicago, students from Kelvyn Park High School were inspired to start a club and a school newspaper called Erase (Eliminating Racial Anguish in Society Effectively) after participating in the forum. More unique ideas for the future have begun to emerge from the interaction among this diverse group of youth.

An exchange program between city and suburban youth is being considered, as is a program where older youth would educate and guide children on the principle of race unity.

In fact, the desire of the youth to remain in contact and share ideas between forums was so great that a Putting Race Unity Into Practice Web page is under construction to facilitate this wish.

Even at lunch breaks the atmosphere at forums is “so exciting,” McClure said. “Schools invite other schools to programs, teachers share information with other teachers and students invite one another to social events. It’s a heart change that occurs through close association.”

Other unique developments:

• On Race Unity Day, participating students and teachers joined the Bahá’ís for the ninth annual Walk for Race Unity, where signs and banners promoting the principle of oneness were carried aloft throughout the streets of Chicago.
• Some of the schools have begun to assemble blocks for a quilt that will creatively illustrate race unity in action. There are plans for the quilt to travel to museums and conferences.
• The President’s Initiative on Race has included PRUIP on its list of promising practices—local initiatives that are successful in bridging racial divides across America. ♦

University president honored for work with Bahá’í Chair

The Bahá’ís expressed their thanks and best wishes to departing University of Maryland President William E. Kirwin and his wife, Patricia, at a banquet May 15 sponsored by the Friends of the Bahá’í Chair for World Peace.

Dr. Kirwin took office July 1 as president of Ohio State University.

The Bahá’í Chair at Maryland was established in 1992 as part of the Center for International Development and Conflict Management. Suheil Bushrui, a renowned authority on Kahlil Gibran and Irish literature and a leading speaker on the spiritual foundation of human rights, is the Chair’s first holder.

The banquet was preceded by the fourth annual Bahá’í Chair Lecture, given by Dwight Allen, eminent professor of educational reform at Old Dominion University in Virginia.

This year’s lecture was jointly organized by the Bahá’í Chair and the University of Maryland’s Center for Teaching Excellence.

Dr. Allen spoke on the theme of “Education, Values and Human Prosperity,” and his address served as a fitting prelude to the forthcoming education summit titled “Teaching for Diversity, Unity, and Human Values” to be held at the University of Maryland in September.

Dr. Kirwin is recognized as a pioneer in multicultural education. He and his wife have been stout supporters of the Bahá’í Chair as advisers, fund-raisers, participants and international ambassadors.

In 1996, Dr. Kirwin undertook an overwhelmingly successful visit to the Bahá’í World Center and established many critical and lasting contacts between the university and the Bahá’í International Community.

At the banquet, Dorothy W. Nelson presented Dr. Kirwin with a commemorative crystal engraving bearing the image of the Bahá’í House of Worship, on behalf of the National Spiritual Assembly. She spoke about the Assembly’s years of fruitful work with the university president.

Other highlights included the reading of a laudatory message from U.S. Rep. Robert W. Ney of Ohio and comments by Ehsan Moayyad, representative of the Friends of the Bahá’í Chair, and Louis Ma’ani, spokesman for the Muhammad Ali Faizi Memorial Fund.

Responding to the overwhelming show of support for his tenure at Maryland and to the personal affection he enjoys among Bahá’ís, Dr. Kirwin hailed the Bahá’í community in general and the Bahá’í Chair in particular for their contributions to education, cultural reconciliation and interreligious dialogue.

The culmination of the ceremony came when the Society of the Friends of the Bahá’í Chair presented President Kirwin with a special plaque emblazoned with seven quotations from different religious traditions that together constitute the Golden Rule. ♦

William Kirwin (left), outgoing president of the University of Maryland, is joined by Suheil Bushrui, holder of the Bahá’í Chair at that university, and Dorothy Nelson of the National Spiritual Assembly at a banquet in Dr. Kirwin’s honor.

ADDRESS IN IRELAND

Suheil Bushrui was a featured speaker when the Bahá’ís of Ireland celebrated the 50th anniversary of their first Spiritual Assembly with a reception at Dublin Castle.

Dr. Bushrui, holder of the Bahá’í Chair for World Peace at the University of Maryland, gave the response to the keynote address by Irish President Mary McAleese.

In his talk, the eminent authority on Irish literature lauded the president on her role as a defender of justice and builder of bridges among faith communities.

He quoted early Bahá’í leader George Townshend about the capacity of his fellow Irish for spiritual attainment and leadership, and he drew parallels between the president’s ideals and the principles of the Bahá’í Faith. ♦ [Page 47]

Recognizing virtue in youth

Eleven high school students in La Crescenta, California, were recognized in April with the Bahá’í community’s fifth presentation of “Virtue Awards” in two years. Award winners were nominated by students and faculty for unselfish acts of kindness in and out of school. Lili Moghbel (standing at right) represented the Bahá’í community of La Crescenta. Standing at left is Assistant Principal Linda Evans.

R.I. holds ‘milestone’ gathering

“Realizing the Vision of Race Unity,” a conference April 4 at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, is viewed as a milestone by the friends in the Ocean State.

The gathering of 75, sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Providence, was supported by Bahá’í communities throughout Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts.

Rhett Jones, professor of Afro-American Studies at Brown and a friend of the Faith, set the tone in a remarkable introductory speech that was quoted from often during the conference.

Workshops on “White Privilege,” “Interracial Marriage,” “Spiritual Roots” and “How to Work in Your Community for Race Unity” initiated lively discussion.

Keynote speaker Nathan Rutstein challenged the audience to take sustained action for the healing of racism.

The Northeast Regional Bahá’í Choir, directed by Eric Dozier, created an atmosphere of enthusiasm and spirituality.

Probably the most widely publicized Bahá’í event ever in Rhode Island, the conference was covered by two television stations. In advance, four radio interviews announced the event and informed about the Faith and its teachings on the oneness of humanity.

In the weeks after the conference, the Bahá’í-run weekly radio show “Many People One Planet” broadcast two key speeches in their entirety and excerpts from the workshops and the gospel performance.

Since then, the new Institute for the Healing of Racism has met regularly. —Submitted by the Bahá’ís of Providence

NGO conference offers close look at history, scope of U.N. human rights work

The U.S. Bahá’í United Nations Office invites U.S. Bahá’í adults to attend the 51st annual United Nations Department of Public Information and Non-Governmental Organization Conference, set for Sept. 14–16 at U.N. Headquarters in New York City.

Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and with the theme “From Words to Deeds,” the conference is organized by the U.N. Department of Public Information and the executive committee of non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

The Bahá’í International Community has been recognized as an NGO working with the U.N. since 1947.

The conference will focus on the Declaration of Human Rights, its impact on societies around the world, and how the Declaration and other human rights treaties can be put into practice more effectively on the local, national and international levels.

The theme of the 50th anniversary, “All human rights for all,” emphasizes the universality, indivisibility and interrelationship of human rights.

Nongovernmental organizations have played a more crucial international role in human rights than in any other field, helping focus the attention of governments, intergovernmental organizations, and the public on the issue.

Major discussions and themes for talks and panels will include:

• An overview of human rights issues and the universality of human rights.
• The impact of globalization on development.
• Economic, sustainable-development issues and cross-border issues.
• The building and strengthening of human rights institutions.
• The relationship between human rights and peace.
• Human rights education.

Registration is free, but all participants must pre-register for the conference and arrange for their own travel and lodging.

For a registration form (there is no online registration), please contact the US/UN Bahá’í Office, 866 United Nations Plaza, Suite 120, New York, NY 10017-1822 (phone 212-803-2500, fax 212-803-2573, e-mail ).

Marian Lawyer pioneered, taught in Southeast Asia

Marian Davis Lawyer departed this life March 16, 1998, three days after her 72nd birthday. In summer 1997 Dr. Lawyer became ill at her pioneering post in Laos and was greatly assisted by the friends there. Marian wanted to remain at her post, but her loving family brought her to the United States after three months’ hospitalization.

Dr. Lawyer first heard of the Bahá’í Faith while a student at the University of Illinois. As an English teacher in Istanbul, Turkey, in the early 1960s, she became involved again in the Faith and enrolled.

Returning to Victorville, California, in 1965, she immediately became an active community member and was described by her local Assembly as “truly a servant to the Faith,” “a walking fireside,” “a rock of the community” and a “well-deepened Bahá’í.” During this time she also served in the Southern Bahá’í School Committee and taught on a nearby Indian reservation and at firesides. She also found the time to earn master’s and doctoral degrees in education, while raising her children singlehandedly.

Although she responded to an advertised need for pioneers in 1973, it wasn’t until 1982 that she realized the dream. She studied in India on a Fulbright grant in summer 1981, and visited Thailand before returning. The next year Marian was offered a contract to teach at a university in Thailand.

After 11 years in that country, she relocated to Laos in 1991, where she served as the first headmistress of the Vientiane International School. In 1994, she left that position to establish the Daystar School-Center for Early Childhood Education, a Montessori pre-school, in Vientiane.

Her travels for the Faith over the years covered the globe, with destinations including Myanmar, Nepal, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Tonga and Australia.

Several times while visiting her family in the U.S., Dr. Lawyer attended the annual Southeast Asian Roundtable Discussion Conference as one of the helpers and guests of the U.S. Bahá’í Refugee Office.

Marian told friends that her children wanted her to come home and be a grandmother. Her response was that some grandmothers stay home, bake cookies and play with their grandchildren, but she desired to help all the children of the world.

Dr. Lawyer is survived by her five children, their spouses, her grandchildren and a brother and sister-in-law, most of whom have established warm relationships with the Bahá’í community.

IN MEMORIAM

Margaret L. Androwsky Barstow, CA June 19, 1998	Jean Herting Lewisville, TX March 10, 1998	Sterling E. Rogers Atlanta, GA May 3, 1998
N. Louise Baker Pontiac, MI May 22, 1998	Esfandyar Jiveh Tigard, OR October 20, 1997	Ghodsieh R. Saadat Santa Monica, CA June 18, 1998
Virginia C. Bascom Milwaukee, WI May 7, 1998	Mike Johnson Wichita, KS April 21, 1998	Ann Schoonmaker Ann Arbor, MI June 18, 1998
Bahereh Berjis Los Angeles, CA May 7, 1998	Alicia McBride Bakersfield, CA May 29, 1998	Diane Stocker Aurora, IL June 13, 1998
Marie S. Bruce Vicksburg, MS May 22, 1998	Beatrice Meese Wilmington, DE February 17, 1998	Donald Wallace Solvang, CA January 17, 1998
Edwina Shaw Cargill Fort Lauderdale, FL March 1998	Marjorie Perry New London, CT June 19, 1998	Pauline E. Whitney Tucson, AZ May 7, 1998
Frank C. Dickerson Jackson, MI March 18, 1998	Joyan W. Peterson Duluth, MN May 26, 1998	Harold F. Wilkinson Orem, UT May 10, 1998
Donald E. Erby Sacramento, CA April 2, 1998		Robert K. Winters Arcola, IL June 4, 1998

[Page 48]...اصلی آن به اختصار در زیر درج می‌گردد. • دوستان عزیز باید از شرایط مساعد برای مهاجرت یا مبادرت به سفرهای تبلیغی در جزائر اقیانوس آرام از جمله جزائر کوک آگاه باشند. • هوای جزیره در تمام طول سال ملایم است. • زبان اهالی انگلیسی و نیز زبان محلی مائوری Maori است. • مخارج ماهانه برای زندگی ساده و تقریباً مرفه ۲۵۰ دلار است که شامل کرایه خانه و خوراک و برق و غیره می‌شود. • اجازه اقامت برای مدت ۶ ماه صادر می‌شود. پس از آن باید جزیره را ترک کرد و دوباره باز گشت. • جزیره محفل روحانی ملی دارد که بر پایۀ ۳ محفل روحانی محلی برپاست. تعداد بهائیان بومی ۳۰ نفر است که یک سوم آنها افراد مطلعی هستند. • معهد اعلی در نقشۀ چهارساله جزیرۀ مذکور را جزء اهداف مهم تعیین فرموده اند که به وسیلۀ مهاجران دائمی یا کوتاه مدت و مبلغان سیار و کمک‌های مالی احباء تقویت شوند. • دوستان می‌توانند برای دریافت اطلاعات بیشتر با دفتر امور مهاجرت تماس حاصل نمایند. شماره تلفن: ۳۵۱۱-۷۳۳ (۸۴۷)

حقوق الله

HUQUQU’LLAH

یکی از نتائج ادای حقوق الله تربیت وجدانی و اخلاق افراد است. اهل بهاء موظفند پس از کسر مایحتاج خود هر آنچه باقی ماند، ۱۹ درصد آن را به عنوان حقوق الله تقدیم مرکز امر کنند. اما تشخیص "مایحتاج" یعنی آنچه فرد بدان نیاز دارد از چیزی که "می‌خواهد" اما بدان احتیاج ندارد، کار آسا‌نی نیست.

تمیز "خواست‌ها" از "نیازها" و قائل شدن به تفاوت در میان آنها فرد مؤمن را به ورطه شک و تأمل می‌اندازد. به راستی چگونه می‌توان گفت که مثلاً خرید هدیه‌ای برای روز تولد یک دوست نیاز است یا خواست؟ یا به عنوان مثال در صورت حساب تلفن که معمولاً ماهانه به افراد فرستاده می‌شود، چه مقدار از مخارج تلفن‌ها ناشی از نیاز است و چه مقدار حاصل خواست؟

سعی در حل این مشکل و ریاضتی که از این سعی حاصل می‌شود می‌تواند به رشد روحانی و روانی فرد بهائی کمک کند. جدال میان خواست و نیاز و تلاش اهل ایمان برای داوری عاری از خودفریبی، تمرینی برای تسلط بر نفس می‌تواند بود و این همه خود موجبی برای پیشرفت روحانی و بلوغ انسانی.

حقوق الله

از دوستان عزیز مستدعی است تقدیمی‌های حقوق الله را در وجه Bahá’í Huququ’llah Trust و به نشانی یکی از امنای حقوق الله ارسال فرمایند.

Dr. Amin Banani Santa Monica, CA 90402-3154

Mr. Stephen Birkland Arden Hills, MN. 5511-3756

Dr. Darvush Haghighi Rocky River, OH 44116-1124

سازمان بهداشت بشر

HEALTH FOR HUMANITY WINS GRANT

چنانکه خوانندگان عزیز آگاهی دارند "بهداشت بشر" یک سازمان عمرانی و خدماتی است که تحت اشراف محفل روحانی ملی ایفای وظیفه می‌کند.

اخیراً سازمان مذکور بیش از ۱۲ هزار دلار بعنوان کمک برای اشاعۀ یک برنامۀ سوادآموزی به اطفال کردستانی در غرب شیکاگو دریافت کرده است.

این کمک مالی از جانب W.K. Kellogg Foundation اعطاء شد. مدیر پروژۀ مذکور اظهار داشت که این کمک مالی را می‌توان صرف خرید کتاب برای کودکان و استخدام یک نفر مسؤول ادارۀ برنامه و غیره کرد.

برنامۀ مذکور منشعب از برنامه‌ای است با عنوان Reach out and Read که از سال ۱۹۸۹ از ایالت ماساچوست سرچشمه گرفته و هدف آن تهیۀ کتاب برای کودکان خانواده‌های فقیر است.

سازمان بهداشت بشر با ۱۳۰۰ نفر عضو فعال در سراسر جهان برنامه‌هائی در کشورهای آلبانی، بولیوی، کامرون، هندوراس و شهرهای لوس انجلس و آتلانتا به موقع اجرا گذاشته است.

علاقه مندان می‌توانند برای دریافت اطلاعات بیشتر با سازمان مذکور تماس حاصل نمایند. شماره تلفن: ۵۰۸۸-۸۳۵ (۸۴۷)

نوروز در پورتلند و حومه

PORTLAND AREA NAW-RUZ

برگزاری جلسۀ نوروز امسال در پورتلند و حومه آن به صورت بزرگ‌ترین جلسه‌ای در آمد که تا کنون در آن ناحیه تشکیل شده بود.

بیش از ۳۵۰ نفر از احباء و دوستانشان در لیک آسویگو Lake Oswego در حومۀ پورتلند برای افطار و برگزاری نوروز گرد هم آمدند و از حضور هم لذت بردند و موسیقی آمریکائی و ایرانی شنیدند و رقص‌های بومی چینی و تونگانی دیدند.

یکی از بخش‌های جالب این جلسه دعا و...

رقصی در ستایش سال نو بود که یکی از بهائیان سرخپوست لیک آسویگو آن را اجرا کرد. این بهائی عزیز همچنین رهبری یک رقص سنتی را هم بر عهده گرفت.

به گفتۀ دوستی که گزارش این جلسه را تهیه کرده "احباء در وسط این رقص گروهی در حالی که گیج و ویج شده بودند، از ته دل می خندیدند."

محفل روحانی لیک آسویگو گزارش داده است که به علت توفیقی که جلسه نوروز داشته، قرار است این گردهم آئی رویدادی سالانه شود.

برگ نام نویسی

Registration Form

انجمن دوستداران فرهنگ ایرانی Friends of Persian Culture Association

هشتمین کنفرانس سالانه Eighth Annual Conference ۳ تا ۶ سپتامبر ۱۹۹۸ September 3-6, 1998

Last Name........................................................... First Name.......................................................... Address.............................................................. City.......................... State................................ Zip Code.................. Country.......................... Telephone..........................................................

حق نام نویسی تا ۱۵ آگست برای هر نفر ۳۵ دلار و بعد از آن تاریخ ۴۵ دلار خواهد بود.

Registration fee until August 15, 1998 is US$35 per person. After that date it will be $45.

Number of Participants.................................... Amount of check $........................................... Check No. ........................................................ Make check payable to لطفاً چک را در وجه “Bahá’í Services Fund” بنویسید و به نشانی زیر ارسال فرمائید.

and mail to: Persian/American Affairs Office Bahá’í National Center 1233 Central St. Evanston, IL 60201 USA

---

CHILDREN’S REGISTRATION

Child’s Name ___________________________ Last Name ______________________________ Age --------- Parents’ Name __________________________ Address ________________________________ Phone No. ______________________________ Check No. ----------- Amount : ---------- Children’s registration is $50.00 per child, or $20.00 daily.

حق نام نویسی کودکان برای سه روز کنفرانس نفری ۵۰ دلار است، یا ۲۰ دلار روزانه. لطفاً این برگه را تا قبل از ۱۵ آگست به نشانی دفتر امور احبای ایرانی/آمریکائی ارسال فرمائید. [Page 49]

تجلیل از جناب حسن افنان

HONORING MR. HASAN AFNAN

(برگزیده از نامه‌ی هیأت امور احبای ایرانی-امریکایی در ناحیه‌ی سن دیگو، کالیفرنیا)

به همت هیأت امور احبای ایرانی-امریکایی و یک هیئت اجرایی دیگر روز ۲۳ ماه می سال جاری، سالروز اظهار امر حضرت اعلی و ولادت حضرت عبدالبهاء، جلسه‌ای به مناسبت بزرگداشت خدمات جناب حسن افنان در حظيرة‌القدس سن دیگو برگزار شد.

دوستان بسیاری از سراسر ایالات متحده به منظور شرکت در این جلسه بزرگداشت در سن دیگو گرد آمده بودند. سالن حظيرة‌القدس با گل‌های زیبا آراسته شده و الواح مبارکۀ خطاب به خانوادۀ افنان و نیز هدایا و یادگارهای خانوادگی آن را آراسته بود.

فرزندان و نواده‌های جناب افنان مناجات‌هایی از حضرت اعلی و حضرت عبدالبهاء، تلاوت کردند. ناظم جلسه ضمن خوش‌آمد به حاضران توضیحاتی دربارۀ تشکیل گردهم‌آیی ایراد کرد و در مورد لقب "افنان" که از قلم حضرت بهاءالله اختصاصاً به بستگان حضرت باب عنایت شده، مطالبی ‎به بیان کرد بیان کرد‎. وی همچنین دربارۀ احترامی که اهل بهاء، به فرمان حضرت بهاءالله نسبت به خاندان افنان باید مرعی دارند، بیاناتی به آگاهی حاضران رساند.

دختران جناب افنان الهام خانم و ندا خانم قسمتی از لوح دنیا را که به افتخار جناب میرزا نورالدین پدر پدربزرگ جناب افنان نزول یافته، به فارسی و انگلیسی تلاوت کردند.

همچنین لوحی از حضرت عبدالبهاء، تلاوت شد که به مناسبت ولادت جناب حسن افنان و به افتخار ایشان و برادر محترمشان جناب ابوالقاسم افنان (که در حال حاضر در آکسفورد انگلستان سکونت دارند) نازل شده است.

هنرمندان و نیز گروه کُر سن دیگو برنامه‌های جالبی اجرا کردند و طنین یا بهاءالابهی و یا علی‌الاعلی ‎فضا سالن فضای سالن‎ را پر کرد.

سپس خاطراتی از دوران طفولیت جناب افنان هنگامی که میس ‎مارشاروت مارتا روت‎ به شیراز رفته بودند به سمع شرکت‌کنندگان رسید.

پس از این یک سبد گل سرخ به همراه پلاک اسم اعظم از طرف محفل روحانی سن دیگو به جناب حسن افنان تقدیم شد. روی پلاک نوشته شده بود: "تقدیم به خادم حقیقی امرالله، جناب حسن افنان به مناسبت عشق و محبت و خدمت به جامعه‌ی بهائی".

در این جلسه علاوه بر احبای ایرانی‌الاصل و امریکایی بسیاری از دوستان غیربهائی نیز شرکت داشتند و هر یک در تقدیم و بیان احساسات خود نسبت به جناب افنان با خواندن شعر پیشدستی می‌کرد.

مختصری از شرح حال جناب حسن افنان

جناب حسن افنان در شیراز چشم به جهان گشودند. ایشان دومین فرزند از شش فرزند جناب حبیب‌الله و خانم آغا بیگم افنانند. از طرف پدر نوۀ جناب میرزا آقا نورالدین، خواهرزادۀ حرم مبارک حضرت اعلی و از طرف مادر نتیجۀ جناب وکیل‌الدوله، حاج میرزا محمد تقی هستند. حاجی وکیل‌الدوله پسر دائی (پسر خال اکبر) حضرت باب بودند و بانی مشرق‌الاذکار عشق آباد.

جناب حبیب‌الله افنان، پدر جناب حسن افنان تولیت بیت مبارک شیراز را بر عهده داشتند و پس از درگذشت ایشان تولیت بیت مبارک بر عهدۀ فرزند ارشد خانواده، جناب ابوالقاسم افنان نهاده شد. جناب حسن افنان نیز در تولیت بیت مبارک با برادر مهتر همکاری می‌کردند.

پس از صدور توقیع نوروز ۱۱۰ و نوروز ۱۱۱ از قلم حضرت ولی امرالله و ابلاغ مفاد آن به احبای ایران عده‌ای از خانوادۀ افنان از جمله جناب حسن افنان قصد مهاجرت به نقاط گوناگون کردند، ولی به دستور حضرت ولی امرالله جناب حسن افنان در شیراز ماندند تا در خدمات مربوط به تولیت بیت مبارک به برادرشان کمک کنند.

جناب افنان سال‌ها عضو محفل روحانی شیراز و لجنات امری بودند و نیز به تدریس در کلاس‌های تزیید معلومات اشتغال داشتند. به مدت ۹ سال مهاجر شهر گرگان بودند. در آنجا نیز علاوه بر عضویت در محفل روحانی تدریس کلاس‌های تزیید معلومات را بر عهده داشتند.

ایشان در سال ۱۹۸۰ با خانوادۀ خود به ایالات متحده آمدند و در سن دیگو مسکن گزیدند. از آن زمان تا به حال مصدر خدمات بسیار بوده‌اند و تدریس در کلاس‌های گوناگون تزیید معلومات از جمله تدریس کتاب اقدس و کتاب ایقان و الواح مبارکه را بر عهده داشته‌اند.

در پایان نامۀ هیأت امور احبای ایرانی-امریکایی آمده است: "نهایت افتخار جامعۀ بهائی شهر سن دیگو است که از حضور جناب افنان و سرکار مهین خانم افنان، همسر گرامیشان... استفاده ببریم...."

جناب حسن افنان در حین دریافت پلاک اسم اعظم

به یاد دوست

NEW PUBLICATION

انجمن دوستداران فرهنگی ایرانی با کمال خوشوقتی به آگاهی دوستان عزیز می‌رساند که یادنامۀ ایادی امرالله جناب ابوالقاسم فیضی با عنوان "به یاد دوست" در ۲۲۴ صفحه انتشار یافت.

اثر مذکور شامل زندگینامۀ جناب فیضی به قلم همسر ایشان خانم گلوریا فیضی و حاوی خاطرات بحرین به قلم دکتر حشمت مؤید و متضمن داستان‌هایی است که جناب فیضی در ایران در مجموعۀ "داستان دوستان" و "زمانه" منتشر ساخته بودند.

کتاب "به یاد دوست" شامل جزوۀ "چهار سال و نیم در نجف آباد" است. این جزوه نخستین بار است که به چاپ می‌رسد. علاوه بر این عکس‌هایی از مرکز جهانی و دیگر منابع تهیه و در کتاب "به یاد دوست" درج شده که تا به حال در جای دیگری منتشر نگردیده است.

از همۀ افراد و خانواده‌های بهائی دعوت می‌شود که نسخه‌ای از کتاب "به یاد دوست" را تهیه فرمایند و بخوانند زیرا کتاب مذکور علاوه بر تجلیل از جناب فیضی و شرح خدمات و فعالیت‌های ایشان سرشار از داستان‌های الهام‌بخش است.

علاقه‌مندان می‌توانند برای تهیۀ کتاب و دریافت اطلاعات بیشتر با دفتر امور احبای ایرانی/امریکایی تماس حاصل فرمایند. شماره تلفن: ۳۵۲۶-۷۳۳ (۸۴۷)

تسلیم

NEW PUBLICATION

به آگاهی دوستان می‌رساند که اخیراً مجموعه‌ای از اشعار دکتر ایرج خادمی با نام "تسلیم" حاوی ۴۸ سروده در قالب‌های گوناگون در ۱۹۳ صفحه به چاپ رسیده است.

سراینده در پیشگفتار مجموعه نوشته است: "من ادعا ندارم که شاعرم، اما شعر می‌گویم، و این کار را به خاطر آن نمی‌کنم که به رقابت با کسی برخیزم... هر گاه به سر شوق می‌آیم یا دلم از اندوهی پر می‌شود به سرودن شعر می‌پردازم و فکر می‌کنم این قشنگ‌ترین پاسخی است که می‌توان به ضربان درون داد."

از علاقه‌مندان تقاضا می‌شود برای تهیۀ این مجموعه با مؤسسۀ Images International تماس حاصل فرمایند. شمارۀ تلفن: ۴۵۲۵-۸۷۰ (۴۲۳)

از نامۀ یک مهاجر

PIONEERING

دکتر حشمت‌الله تأیید، مهاجر محترم یکی از جزائر اقیانوس آرام (Cook Islands) در طی نامه‌ای مطالبی به آگاهی یاران عزیز رسانده‌اند که نکات [Page 50]

ترجمه پیام بیت العدل اعظم

مورخ ۱۷ جون ۱۹۹۸ که با وسائط الکترونیکی مخابره شده است

با کمال مسرت انتصاب مشاورین قاره‌ای ذیل را بجای مشاورینی که اخیراً به عضویت دارالتبلیغ منصوب شده‌اند اعلام می‌داریم: در آفریقا گارت پولاک Garth Pollock در قارات آمریکا آنتونیو گابریل مارکز فیلهو Antonio Gabriel Marques Filho در آسیا نیداوانور باسکاران Nidavanur Baskaran در اقیانوسیه منیژه ریحانی.

بیت العدل اعظم

اعدام یک بهائی در ایران

Execution of a Bahá’í in Iran

اعدام یکی از احباء در ایران موجب شد که سازمان ملل متحد، دولت ایالات متحده و چند دولت دیگر فوراً این اقدام را محکوم کنند و سلامت و امنیت بهائیان ایران را خواستار شوند.

محفل روحانی ملی بهائیان آمریکا اطلاع یافتند که در روز بیست و یکم جولای مقامات جمهوری اسلامی یک بهائی ایرانی را به اتهام وادار کردن یک مسلمان به ترک دین و گرویدن به آئین بهائی، اعدام کرده‌اند. از سال ۱۹۹۲ یعنی زمان اعدام جناب بهمن سمندری تاکنون بهائی دیگری اعدام نشده بود.

آقای روح‌الله روحانی که ۵۲ سال داشت، فروشنده وسائل پزشکی و دارای ۴ فرزند بود. وی از ماه سپتامبر سال ۱۹۹۷، تا زمان اعدام در سلول انفرادی نگاه داشته میشد. شواهدی در دست نیست که نشان دهد مراحل قانونی درباره رسیدگی به اتهام ایشان طی شده یا حکم اعدام صادر شده باشد.

زنی که آقای روحانی متهم به تبلیغ او به آئین بهائی است این اتهام را مردود دانسته و می‌گوید در یک خانواده بهائی پرورش یافته و از پیش به آئین بهائی معتقد بوده است.

در حال حاضر ۱۵ بهائی به اتهامات گوناگون ناشی از باورهای مذهبی‌شان، در زندان بسر میبرند. محفل روحانی ملی اطلاع یافت که سه تن دیگر از بهائیانی که در مشهد زندانی هستند (آقایان عطاء‌الله حمید نصیری زاده، سیروس ذبیحی مقدم و هدایت کاشفی نجف آبادی) به مرگ محکوم شده‌اند.

شب قبل از اعدام آقای روحانی از سوی اداره اطلاعات ایران به بهائیان اطلاع داده شد که او قرار است روز بعد اعدام شود. این خبر جدی تلقی نشد زیرا در گذشته نیز مقامات کراراً تهدیدهای مشابهی را که صحت نداشت، صرفاً برای آزار بهائیان، بعمل آورده بودند. بستگان آقای روحانی هنگامی از اعدام او آگاه شدند که از آنها خواسته شد جسد را تحویل بگیرند. تنها یک ساعت برای دفن جسد به آنها وقت داده شد. از آثار طناب بر گردن آقای روحانی چنین برمیاید که وی به دار آویخته شده است.

روز ۲۳ جولای اعلامیه‌ای از طرف سخنگوی مطبوعاتی کاخ سفید بنمایندگی از جانب آقای کلینتون رئیس جمهور صادر شد که در آن گفته شده: "دولت آمریکا این اقدام را که مغایر با اساسی ترین ضوابط بین المللی و معیارهای حقوق بشر است محکوم می‌کند. ... ایالات متحده آمریکا همچنین روش قضائی را که در مورد ایراد اتهام به آقای روحانی و سپس اعدام او بکار گرفته شده اسف‌انگیز می‌داند." همان روز وزارت خارجه آمریکا این اعدام را محکوم کرد و افزود "ما همچنین آزادی همه کسانی را که بدلیل اعتقادات دینی و سیاسی محکوم شده‌اند خواستاریم. ... آقای رئیس جمهور و وزیر خارجه تأکید نموده‌اند که آزادی عقیده و مرام بخشی اساسی از خط مشی ما در زمینه حقوق بشر در ایران و در سراسر دنیا است."

در همان هفته دفتر کمیسر عالی حقوق بشر سازمان ملل متحده و دول دیگر جهان از جمله کانادا، آلمان و اطریش بیانیه‌هائی در محکومیت این اقدام و طلب اطمینان از سلامت و امنیت سایر زندانیان بهائی ایران صادر نمودند.

اظهارات نمایندة محفل روحانی ملی در جلسة دادرسی کنگره

CONGRESS TESTIMONY

نماینده محفل روحانی ملی روز ۱۶ جون سال جاری در جلسة دادرسی (hearing) یکی از کمیسیون‌های فرعی کنگره اظهار داشت که تضییقات بهائیان ایران همچنان ادامه دارد.

دکتر فیروز کاظم زاده منشی امور خارجی محفل روحانی ملی در یکی از کمیسیون‌های فرعی مجلس نمایندگان کمیسیون فرعی عملیات جهانی و حقوق بشر حضور یافت.

در این جلسه وضع کسانی که در کشورها؛ جهان از لحاظ دینی تحت فشار و اذیت قرار گرفته‌اند بررسی می‌شد. دیگر کسانی که در جلسه مذکور شرکت داشتند عبارت بودند از یک خانم مسیحی پاکستانی مردی مسلمان از ناحیة ‎Xinjian Xinjiang‎ Uyghur در چین و یک راهبة بودائی از تبت و یکی از رؤسای دینی کویا.

دکتر کاظم‌زاده اظهار داشت که بهبودی در رفتار با بهائیان یا نحوه برخورد با آنان مشاهده نشده است و از پاره‌ای جهات فشار بر روی جامعه بهائی ایران در سال اخیر شدت یافته است.

ایشان افزودند برای اهل غرب فهمیدن این مطلب دشوار است که دولتی که مجال می‌دهد که چندگانگی و کثرت‌گرائی به تدریج در حیات سیاسی و اجتماعی راه یابد، چگونه است که عزم خود را جزم کرده که چنین سرسختانه یک گروه غیرسیاسی را که تهدیدی برای احدی ایجاد نمی‌کند سرکوب کند و آزار دهد.

دکتر کاظم‌زاده حادثه‌ای را که در اول ماه می در مشهد اتفاق افتاده بود شاهد آورد. در روز مذکور عده‌ای مأمور مسلح خانه یکی از احباء را که در آن کلاس امری دائر شده بود محاصره کردند و سپس معلم و صاحب خانه و ۱۲ شاگرد کلاس را که نوجوانان ۱۵ و ۱۶ ساله بودند دستگیر کردند. به هیچ‌یک اجازه ندادند که با وکیلی تماس بگیرند و رسماً هم هیچ اتهامی علیه شان وارد نشد.

پس از یک محاکمه عجولانه دو بزرگسال به ۳ سال زندان محکوم شدند. هر یک از شاگردان هم به ۵ سال زندان محکوم شدند ولی محکومیت‌شان معلق است و به اجرا در نیامده و در صورتی که دیگر در کلاس‌های امری شرکت نکنند به اجرا در نخواهد آمد.

دکتر کاظم‌زاده همچنین اظهار داشت که سال گذشته دو بهائی در بیرجند بدون هیچ اتهامی به دو سال زندان محکوم شدند و اموالشان نیز تصاحب شد. حتی دادگاه استیناف نیز حکم مذکور را را ابرام کرد و در ادامه نظر خود گفت "بهائیت یک سازمان غیرقانونی است." باید توجه داشت که عبارت اخیر که امر بهائی را سازمانی غیرقانونی اعلام می‌دارد ادعای دولت جمهوری اسلامی را مبنی بر اینکه دولت مذکور به بهائیان حق اجرای مراسم دینشان را اعطاء کرده است، نقض می‌کند.

همچنین دادگاه مذکور در رأی خود اظهار داشته بود که متهمان جلساتی در منزلشان درباره "حیات بهائی" ترتیب می‌داده‌اند و این خود شاهدی برای رفتار غیرقانونی آنان از جمله جاسوسی برای دولت اسرائیل ذکر شده بود.

دکتر کاظم‌زاده گفت که باعث تحیر است که رأی دادگاه اموری چون ترتیب دادن کلاس برای جوانان بهائی و تدریس زبان انگلیسی و علوم و فنون را از جمله شواهد رفتار و فعالیت‌های غیرمجاز و غیرقانونی پذیرفته است.

بیانیه‌هائی شامل آخرین اطلاعات در باره وضع بهائیان ایران برای درج در جراید و استفاده رسانه‌های همگانی تهیه شده است. آن بیانیه‌ها و متن کامل اظهارات دکتر کاظم زاده را می‌توان از طریق کامپیوتر در web site محفل روحانی ملی www.usbnc.org یا www.us.bahai.org از نظر گذراند. [Page 51]

‘Voices’ carry music, teachings across Europe

It was traveling teaching, a spiritual but not invasive way to carry forth the word of Bahá’u’lláh to as many as 800 people at a time.

It was a flood of prestige for the Cause, as people of capacity in several parts of Europe were acquainted with the teachings of the Faith and moved by the music.

And it was an exercise in unity and inspiration, from the local ‎Bahá’í’s Bahá’ís‎ organizing concerts in eight cities to the members of the touring Voices of Bahá choir who have brought home the energy from this spring’s six-nation tour to fuel their own teaching and service.

On March 26 the Voices of Bahá, with director Tom Price, congregated in London, England, for the kickoff concert. The 68 choir members of all ages and races had traveled from 17 countries—some from as far away as the United States and New Zealand. Soloists included Dash Crofts, Adrienne Roush, Van Gilmer, Paul Seaforth, Lucie Dubé and others.

Singing Bahá’í writings or songs inspired by Scripture, the choir drew audiences of hundreds at each venue. Always a highlight was the singing of “O God, my God,” an invocation from the Báb, in the native language of each country. At several concerts, choir members mingled with the audience and answered many questions about the Bahá’í Faith.

The choir performed in London; Braga and Lisbon, Portugal; Zaragoza and Barcelona, Spain; Nice, France; Rome, Italy; and Athens, Greece. Several performances publicly benefited such charities as UNICEF, the United Nations children’s fund, and local organizations that help refugees, the medically needy, and victims of forced child labor.

—From a report on behalf of the Voices of Bahá choir by Jane Everson ◆

VANGUARD, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

the Barriers to Racial Peace” and “Post-Traumatic Slavery Syndrome” by LeNise Jackson-Gaertner and Joy DeGruy Leary, which was characterized by frankness and love.

• A workshop on family life with Eugene and Renee Dixon. This workshop was seen to have set a tone for a sense of family among the believers that was maintained throughout the conference.
• A reminder of the spiritual importance of the arts in Bahá’í activities by Nekesa Brooks, who created the highly praised main stage design.
• Lessons learned from pioneering by Burrell Bullock, an Auxiliary Board member.
• Reflections on the history of the Vanguard Conference by Leilani Tellez and Julia Doris, who originated the event three years previously.
• A tribute to the Guardian presented by Fernando Huerta.
• The thoughtful and inclusive conduct of devotional sessions by Martine Helwig.

Dr. Haithman, the Assembly’s chairperson, and Randolph Dobbs, its secretary, welcomed the participants to the Los Angeles Bahá’í Center. Mr. Dobbs drew particular praise in his role as coordinator of the center for taking “great care in making sure that everyone felt appreciated and loved.”

Registration fees were kept affordable for families, and meals were provided for all participants. However, the planning committee pointed out, the conference went without debt or financial problems.

Information submitted by the Vanguard Conference Planning Committee ◆

DRUG ISSUES, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

things,” he said.

But as consciences and souls awaken, and people become confident that lasting peace, justice and security are in their future, he said, fewer people will feel the need to escape reality with intoxication.

In turn, demand for drugs will gradually drop, and the economic power of the drug trade will deflate.

“I think that history shows not only money power and political power can change the destiny of humanity, but also individuals,” Dr. Ghadirian said.

Cross-border efforts to fight the drug trade became a pointed issue at the session, as President Ernesto Zedillo of Mexico—in response to remarks by President Clinton—said national sovereignty must be respected so that “no one feels entitled to violate other countries’ laws for the sake of enforcing its own.”

Dr. Ghadirian said only cooperative international action can thoroughly address the problem, as different countries assume different roles in the drug trade—as mainly consumers, producers, or supply corridors for illegal substances.

“The problem of one country can become the problem of many,” he said. “For that purpose the U.N. needs to see if international or global collaboration can be established.”

Prevention, he added, is “one of the deprived areas of drug control because governments just don’t give sufficient financial support to it.” But neglect has its costs, he noted: Treatment and rehabilitation absorb over $100 billion a year in the United States alone.

Dr. Ghadirian has been a consultant to the Bahá’í International Community since 1976. Among his books are In Search of Nirvana: A New Perspective on Alcohol and Drug Dependency and the upcoming Substance Abuse: A Bahá’í Perspective.

He has participated in several U.N. conferences on drug and alcohol dependency in the past quarter-century.

In that time, global statistics show, substance abuse patterns haven’t improved. But a few promising international developments are addressing the problem through individuals and families, he said.

As examples, Dr. Ghadirian cited the international “Youth to Youth” project encouraging cooperation between youth and parents, an organization called PRIDE created by concerned parents, and the “Just Say No” movement.

In the U.N. arena, non-governmental organizations (NGOs)—especially religious organizations—are becoming active on the issue in more parts of the world.

“At the 1994 World Forum of the U.N. held in Bangkok, there were a lot of religious NGOs working hard to see what they can do to solve the problem of drugs,” he said. “Many were involved in rehabilitation and treatment. The Bahá’í point of view about prevention became very popular.” ◆

SURVEY, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

EDUCATING BELIEVERS ON THE SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY’S STATION

• 82% of Assemblies educate their community on the station of the Spiritual Assembly. Half of the rest say they don’t need to because the Assembly constitutes all or almost all of the community.

Methods of education on this issue:

• Annual election call: 21%
• Feast, Bahá’í school: 17%
• Annual election meeting: 16%
• A Miracle of Governance: 15%
• Other deepenings: 14%

STUDY OF FOUR YEAR PLAN RIḌVÁN MESSAGE

• Assembly studied the message thoroughly: 32%
• Assembly studied the message somewhat: 50%
• Assembly had not yet studied the message: 15%

USE OF ‘ELECTING BAHÁ’Í ASSEMBLIES’ BOOKLET We found a variety of responses on what use Assemblies had made of Electing Bahá’í Assemblies:

• Assembly bought copies, made them available: 49%
• Used it to help educate youth: 29%
• Used it to educate new believers: 8%
• Read it and made the community aware it exists: 9%
• Used it to help other otherwise-dependent communities with nine or more Bahá’ís elect Assemblies on their own: 2%

PAID STAFF

• 1% of Assemblies report using paid staff. They tended to be Assemblies serving larger communities. ◆

Association for Bahá’í Studies 22nd Annual Conference

Sept. 24–27, 1998 • Hôtel du Parc • Montréal, Québec, Canada

The Covenant of the oneness of humanity

LECTURES, PANELS, ARTS PRESENTATIONS, SEMINARS AND WORKSHOPS ON:

• History/significance of the concept of “covenant” in world religions
• The concept of “covenant” in the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh
• Covenant and law: international, civic, personal, spiritual
• Covenant, world order and global governance
• Expressions of covenant in personal, family, and community life
• Hasan M. Balyuzi Memorial Lecture: “Love, Power and Justice,” by Dr. William S. Hatcher

OTHER EVENTS:

• Authors’ Corner: Authors meet with participants and sign books (authors contact Barry Brown at ABS by Aug. 31)
• Children’s conference: Full-day program for 5- to 12-year-olds. Also sessions and outings for pre-youth ages 12 to 15
• Association for Bahá’í Studies Annual Meeting/Members’ Luncheon

FOR REGISTRATION FORMS:

• Phone: call 613-233-1903 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Eastern time Monday through Friday to have a registration form faxed or mailed to you.
• Mail: 34 Copernicus Street, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1N 7K4.

HOTEL RESERVATIONS/RATES: Phone 800-363-0735, fax 514-288-2469, e-mail

AIR TRAVEL: For discounts on air tickets, use Air Canada and quote Event Number CV982322 to book air travel. To reserve a flight, call 800-361-7585

For more info: www.bahai-studies.ca/~absnam

Fees in Canadian dollars (for 4 days’ participation):	by Aug. 31	on site
Individual (ABS member):	$90 by Aug. 31	$100 on site
Individual (non-member):	$130 by Aug. 31	$140 on site
Couple (member):	$160 by Aug. 31	$180 on site
Couple (non-member):	$210 by Aug. 31	$230 on site
Senior/student (member):	$70 by Aug. 31	$80 on site
Senior/student (non-member):	$95 by Aug. 31	$105 on site

Four-day non-member registration includes a year’s ABS membership and subscription to the Journal of Bahá’í Studies.

Ask about per-day rates, rates for children/pre-youth (must pre-register by Aug. 31), financial assistance. [Page 52]

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

FOR INFORMATION ABOUT EVENTS sponsored by the National Spiritual Assembly or its agencies at the Bahá’í National Center, please phone 847-869-9039 and ask for the relevant department. The numbers for the permanent Bahá’í schools and institutes are as follows: Bosch Bahá’í School, phone 408-423-3387; fax 408-423-7564; e-mail Green Acre Bahá’í School, phone 207-439-7200; fax 207-438-9940; e-mail Louhelen Bahá’í School, phone 810-653-5033; fax 810-653-7181; e-mail Louis G. Gregory Bahá’í Institute, phone 803-558-5093; fax 803-558-9136; e-mail Native American Bahá’í Institute, phone 520-587-7599; fax 520-521-1063; e-mail

AUGUST

7–9: Ethlyn Lindstrom Family Retreat, Camp Kiwanilong, Warrenton, Oregon. Contact Astoria Assembly c/o OR 97103 (phone 503-325-7595).

7–12: Two programs at Green Acre: “The Destiny of the Soul”/“Servant Leadership” and Youth Institute.

7–12: “Journeying Into Oneness: The Individual, the Institutions, and the Four Year Plan” at Louhelen.

8–13: Junior Youth Institute at Bosch. For students entering seventh through ninth grades in the fall.

14–19: “Creating a Just and Substance-Free Society” at Louhelen.

14–19: “The Secret of Divine Civilization/Bahá’í Development” at Green Acre.

15–20: “Unlocking the Power of the Individual”/“The Spiritual Transformation Process”/“Building Community: Pastoral Care” at Bosch.

21–26: “My Powerlessness and Thy Might”/“The Transforming Power of Love” at Green Acre.

21–26: “Music: A Ladder for the Soul” at Louhelen.

22–27: “The Destiny of the Soul/‎Abdu’l-Bahá ‘Abdu’l-Bahá‎: His Life and Writings/A Rewarding Approach to Teaching Bible-Based Christians” at Bosch.

28–30: Southeast Asian Community Builders Round Table Discussion Conference at Bosch, with concurrent youth conference. Special invitation to Vietnamese, Cambodian and Laotian individuals as well as any others interested. Sponsored by U.S. Bahá’í Refugee Office.

28–30: “Applying Bahá’í Principles to Business” at Green Acre.

28–30: “Charters of the Bahá’í Administrative Order” at Louhelen.

28–30: Massanetta Springs Bahá’í School near ‎Stauton Staunton‎, Virginia. To inquire, register or volunteer for coordinating duties, contact Mehrtash Olson, Norfolk, VA 23508 (phone 757-489-1212, e-mail ).

4–7: Homecoming Weekend at Louhelen, with Marguerite Sears, Dr. June Thomas, Dr. Richard Thomas.

4–7: “Heroic Deeds of Service” at Green Acre.

4–7: Bay Area Bahá’í Social Group at Bosch.

4–7: Pioneering/BYSC/SITA Institutes at Louis Gregory Institute. Contact National Office of Pioneering.

4–7: Kentucky Bahá’í School, Faubush, KY. Phone 502-362-4228, e-mail

4–7: Tennessee Bahá’í Institute, Monteagle, TN. Phone 423-842-1750.

5–7: Helen S. Goodall Bahá’í School, near Red Bluff, CA. Phone 916-529-5856, e-mail

6: Concert-Picnic at Green Acre: performers TBA.

11–13: Wilmette Institute course on “Philosophy and the Bahá’í Faith” at Bosch.

12–13: Peace Fest at Louis Gregory Institute. Includes daylong festival of the arts and Sunday unity worship service geared toward the awareness of unity and peace.

17–20: National Committee for the Advancement of Women Regional Training Seminar at Bosch.

18–22: Race Unity Trainer Training at Louhelen. Trainees will meet for a second session Dec. 4–6.

18–20: Green Lake Bahá’í Conference, Green Lake, WI. Contact Lori Block, Green Bay, WI 54301 (phone 920-432-7110).

19–20: “The Bahá’í Faith and Chinese Culture,” conference at Texas A&M University, co-sponsored by National Chinese Task Force. Contact 409-775-6338 (e-mail ).

24–27: Conference on AIDS, Sexuality and Addiction at Bosch. Sponsored by BNASAA.

24–27: Association for Bahá’í Studies 22nd annual conference at Hôtel du Parc, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Theme: “The Covenant: The Pivot of the Oneness of Humanity.” Details, page 51.

SEPTEMBER

25–27: College Club Weekend at Louhelen.

25–27: College Club Weekend at Green Acre.

25–27: Youth Leadership Weekend at Louis Gregory Institute.

25–27: Oklahoma Regional Bahá’í School, near Stillwater, OK. Classes for adults, youth, children 3-up. Contact Dennis Rhine, Tulsa, OK 74128 (phone 918-437-5644, e-mail ).

25–28: Marriage and Family Life Trainer Training at Louhelen. Trainees will meet for a second session Dec. 4–6.

27: Thornton Chase Memorial Service, Inglewood, CA. Phone 310-519-1811 or 310-419-0643.

OCTOBER

9–12: ‘Irfán Colloquium (Persian language) at Louhelen.

9–12: “The Bahá’í Faith and the State of Humankind” at Green Acre.

16–18: College Club Weekend at Bosch.

16–19: Teacher Trainer Training at Louhelen. Trainees will meet for a second session Jan. 29–31.

23–25: U.N. Day Weekend at Green Acre.

23–25: Black Rose Conference at Louhelen.

18–22: Parent Facilitator Training at Louhelen. Trainees will meet for a second session Jan. 29–31.

29–Nov. 1: Pioneering/BYSC/SITA Institutes at Green Acre. Contact National Office of Pioneering.

30–Nov. 1: Two sessions at Bosch: Wilmette Institute course on “Bahá’í Theology”; “The Station and Claim of Bahá’u’lláh.”

30–Nov. 1: “Don’t Yell at Your Watchman: Seeing the End in the Beginning” at Green Acre. ♦

This poster by Lindsay Marrinan-Levy was one of 280 submitted by children from schools across Chandler, Arizona, as part of that Bahá’í community’s race unity poster contest. At the culmination of the event, the mayor declared May 10–16 End Racism Week.

CHANGE OF ADDRESS

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

A. NAME(S)
1. ____________________	ID# ____________________
2. ____________________	ID# ____________________
3. ____________________	ID# ____________________
4. ____________________	ID# ____________________

B. NEW RESIDENCE ADDRESS	C. NEW MAILING ADDRESS
Street Address ________________________________________	Street Address ________________________________________
Apartment # (if applicable) ________________________________________	Apartment # (if applicable) ________________________________________
City ________________________________________	City ________________________________________
State       Zip code ____________________ __________	State       Zip code ____________________ __________

D. NEW COMMUNITY	E. HOME TELEPHONE NUMBER
Name of new Bahá’í Community    Moving Date ____________________    __________	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:	H. I WOULD LIKE A COPY
[ ] we do not have the same last name. We do not want extra copies, so please cancel the copy for the person(s) and ID number(s) listed above. [ ] the last names and addresses on our address labels do not match. We have listed above the full names of family members as they should appear on the national records, their ID numbers, and the corrections so that we will receive only one copy.	[ ] Our household receives only one copy of The American Bahá’í. I wish to receive my own copy. I have listed my name, ID number and address above.

BAHÁ’Í NATIONAL CENTER 112 LINDEN AVE WILMETTE, IL 60091-2849

AUGUST 1, 1998 KAMÁL/PERFECTION • B.E. 155

THE AMERICAN BAHÁ’Í