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THE AMERICAN BAHÁ’Í

MARCH 2, 1999 ‘ALÁ/LOFTINESS BAHÁ/SPLENDOR BAHÁ’Í ERA 155/156

VOLUME 30, NO. 2

When they seek, we must be found

The 800-22-UNITE phone line is a marvelous tool for channeling the interest of people attracted by our television broadcasts. But our National Spiritual Assembly reminds us: “...every community must make arrangements to answer these waiting souls within a day, two at the most.”

See complete message along with news about the 800-22-UNITE system on page 6.

Connecticut effort:

From outpouring of love amid sadness comes a sustained campaign of service

FROM THE NATIONAL TEACHING COMMITTEE OFFICE INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY TAMMY RANDALL-WOOD

A monthly fireside in Farmington, Connecticut, which has resulted in 15 enrollments over the past two years and sparked formation of a thriving local training institute, began as a way to express joy and love in the midst of a personal tragedy.

“Noble is our watchword concerning everything attached to this event,” says Ruthie Gammons, a member of the Farmington Bahá’í community.

In 1992, when David and Tammy Wood and their son Daniel (then 5 years old) moved to Farmington from Los Angeles, they were the only Bahá’ís in town.

Anxious to help form an Assembly, they were determined to become a beacon of activity and attraction in their new home.

Soon the numbers grew, with the declaration of a friend and with veteran believers from all over the world relocating to that small but potent spot.

In March 1996, Farmington was only one believer away from forming a Local Spiritual Assembly. Ann Randall (Tammy’s mother), a believer for more than 35 years, seized the moment and moved from Northern California.

“We had the great honor of forming the first Local Spiritual Assembly that Farmington, Connecticut, a town that just celebrated its 350th anniversary, has ever had. Mama, along with the Holy Spirit, made it happen,” Tammy Wood said.

The following month, they were all hit with crushing news: Ann was diagnosed with inoperable cancer.

They decided there was only one thing to do—teach.

SEE CONNECTICUT, PAGE 7

Closer to Home:

the decentralization movement

Since their creation a little over a year ago, the four Regional Bahá’í Councils in the United States have begun dynamic action to bring Assemblies and individual Bahá’ís into the process of entry by troops.

Under the guidance of the Universal House of Justice, the Councils are taking charge of much of the organization of Bahá’í teaching and development that had been done by the National Spiritual Assembly and its agencies, so that the national focus can gradually shift to advice and research.

A special section in this issue shares a few glimpses of how this decentralization process is working on the regional level. See pages 15-18.

NATIONAL TEACHING PLAN

CARRY THE MESSAGE OF BAHÁ’U’LLÁH TO THE AMERICAN NATION

• National Media Initiative
• Regional and Local Initiatives
• Individual Initiatives

DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF ACTIVE BELIEVERS

• Training Institutes
• Devotional Gatherings
• Daily Prayer
• Core Curriculum/Fundamental Verities
• Ruhi Institutes

FOSTER THE MATURITY OF THE INSTITUTIONS AND COMMUNITY

• Promote Race Unity
• Promote Equality of Women and Men
• Social and Economic Development

Diana Fox, Cassie Qualls, Daniel Fox and Sahar Tai-Seale relax before performing with the Bloomington, Indiana, Bahá’í Children’s Choir during the local Martin Luther King Day celebration. Stories, pages 13 and 16. Photo by Millard Qualls, Bloomington, IN

I · N · S · I · D · E

• FOCUSING KIDS’ VISION PAGE 12
• CENTERS OF LEARNING PAGES 22-23
• INTERNATIONAL NEWS PAGE 24
• KID’S CORNER · 4
• CARTA A LOS AMIGOS · 14
• YOUTH · 25
• CLASSIFIED · 26-27
• PERSIAN PAGES · 28-30
• IN MEMORIAM · 31

THE NATIONAL FUND

Between May 1 and January 31, 1998

$20,250,000 Goal/All Funds

$14,089,532 Received/All Funds

See page 3 for details

E · X · C · E · R · P · T · S

“The path to guidance is one of love and compassion, not of force and coercion. This hath been God’s method in the past, and shall continue to be in the future!” —The Báb [Page 2]

The Nineteen-Day Fast

Season of restraint

• Observed from sunset March 1 through sunset March 20
• Work is not suspended

In the Bahá’í month of ‘Alá, believers in sufficient health between the ages of 15 and 70 are to abstain from food and drink between sunrise and sunset.

“The traveler, the ailing, those who are with child or giving suck, are not bound by the Fast; they have been exempted by God as a token of His grace. He, verily, is the Almighty, the Most Generous.” —Bahá’u’lláh, Kitáb-i-Aqdas, para. 16

“It is essentially a period of meditation and prayer, of spiritual recuperation. ... Its significance and purpose are, therefore, fundamentally spiritual in character. Fasting is symbolic, and a reminder of abstinence from selfish and carnal desires.” —Shoghi Effendi, quoted in Directives from the Guardian, p. 28

Naw-Rúz

A Bahá’í Holy Day

• Observed between sunset March 20 and sunset March 21
• Work is to be suspended

Rooted in an ancient Persian new year festival, Naw-Rúz was ordained by the Báb as the first day of the year in what is now the Bahá’í calendar, and adopted by Bahá’u’lláh as a Holy Day. Bahá’ís in the Western world observe Naw-Rúz on March 21, though eventually it will always be observed on the day of the spring equinox. The Guardian directed that the Feast of Naw-Rúz be celebrated separately from the administrative Feast for the month of Bahá.

“As it is a blessed day it should not be neglected, nor deprived of results by making it a day devoted to the pursuit of mere pleasure. During such days institutions should be founded that may be of permanent benefit and value to the people.” —‘Abdu’l-Bahá, quoted in Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era, p. 182

Festival of Ridván

Bahá’í Festival and Holy Days

• Observed sunset April 20 through sunset May 2
• First Day of Ridván observed sunset April 20 through sunset April 21; devotional gatherings should be 4 p.m. daylight time April 21 (3 p.m. where standard time is in effect)
• Ninth Day of Ridván observed sunset April 28 through sunset April 29
• Twelfth Day of Ridván observed sunset May 1 through sunset May 2
• Work is to be suspended on each of the three Holy Days within the 12-day Festival of Ridván

Bahá’u’lláh has called Ridván the “King of festivals.” The word Ridván means paradise. During this period, Bahá’ís celebrate the 12 days in 1863 when Bahá’u’lláh resided in a garden in Baghdad—later called the Garden of Ridván—and in that time proclaimed His mission as God’s Messenger.

“Verily, all created things were immersed in the sea of purification when, on that first day of Ridván, We shed upon the whole of creation the splendors of Our most excellent Names and most exalted Attributes.” —Bahá’u’lláh, Kitáb-i-Aqdas, para. 75

The Universal House of Justice is elected every five years during the Festival of Ridván; the latest such election was in 1998 (B.E. 155). National Spiritual Assemblies are elected each year, usually during Ridván, though during years of House of Justice elections the National Assembly elections are moved to late May. Local Spiritual Assemblies are chosen by the friends each year at election meetings held during the First Day of Ridván.

Some significant dates in Bahá’í history

March and early April

March 19, 1856: Bahá’u’lláh, still concealing His full station, returned to the Bábí colony in Baghdad after a two-year retreat in the mountains of Kurdistan. He began the process of educating the believers in the principles of the Faith.

March 1889: Edward G. Browne delivered the first lecture on the Bahá’í Faith in the West, to a private audience in Newcastle, England.

March 16, 1900: The Chicago Bahá’í community reorganized and in effect rejected a challenge to the leadership of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

March–April 1916 and February–March 1917: The beloved Master revealed the Tablets of the Divine Plan, eight in 1916 and six in 1917. Addressed variously to the Bahá’ís of the United States, Canada, Greenland and each of four regions in the continental U.S., they were unveiled in 1919 and formed the basis of what the Guardian termed a “laborious and tremendously long process” of spreading the Bahá’í Faith and its Administrative Order to all countries and territories on earth.

March–April 1922: Shoghi Effendi for the first time directed the formation of National Spiritual Assemblies and established conditions for forming Local Spiritual Assemblies. He then entrusted the worldwide affairs of the Faith to the Greatest Holy Leaf and withdrew to Europe before returning to fully take the reins of the Guardianship.

April 1948: The name Bahá’í International Community was first used for the global non-governmental organization involving, at that time, eight National Spiritual Assemblies.

March 31, 1966: Eduardo Duarte Vieira, after months of harassment and several beatings because of his faith, died in prison in Portuguese Guinea (now Guinea-Bissau) and was designated the first African martyr.

March 21, 1990: Bahá’ís in Cluj, Romania, formed the first Local Spiritual Assembly in Eastern Europe since World War II.

March 1993: The English translation of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas was published.

Facts in this section compiled from A Basic Bahá’í Chronology

Upcoming Holy Days

• May 23: Anniversary of the Declaration of the Báb
• May 29: Anniversary of the Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh
• July 9: Anniversary of the Martyrdom of the Báb ♦

EXCELLENCE IN ALL THINGS

CASSIE CALL, a Bahá’í from Healdsburg, California, was honored as Ambassador of the Year for 1988 by the local Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau. The bank employee was recognized for her work in recruiting new members and service at Chamber of Commerce events.

PHILIP E. JOHNSON, a Bahá’í in Tampa, Florida, was honored as Pharmacist of the Year by the Florida Society of Health-System Pharmacists, in recognition of his service to his profession and to pharmacy education. He was also the first pharmacist appointed to the multidisciplinary Florida School Health and Education Consortium.

CLARE ROCHA, a 16-year-old Bahá’í in Palisade, Colorado, was selected as Palisade High School’s delegate to the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Conference this year in Denver. The seminar was organized to seek and develop leadership potential in high school sophomores in the United States and beyond.

DAVID RHODES, 16, and AARON RHODES, 17, Bahá’ís from Alexander City, Alabama, took second and third place respectively at the regional level of the Veterans of Foreign Wars “Voice of Democracy” contest. Each had been the winner within a VFW post in the contest, which judges each entrant’s viewpoints on the citizenship rights and responsibilities of students. The regional contest comprised 14 posts from that area of Alabama. ♦

CORRECTION

The e-mail address for the U.S. Bahá’í United Nations office was incorrectly reported in an article in the Dec. 31, 1998, issue of The American Bahá’í (the correct e-mail address is usbnc-uno@bic.org). The article sought contact from Bahá’ís, Assemblies and groups who are members of or affiliated with the United Nations Association, to help the national office build a contact list. ♦

THE AMERICAN BAHÁ’Í

1233 Central St. Evanston, IL 60201 Tel/ 847.853.2352 Fax/ 847.256.1372 E-mail/ http://tab.usbnc.org

PUBLISHED BY THE NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY OF THE BAHÁ’ÍS OF THE UNITED STATES

Bahá’í National Center 847.869.9039

Managing Editor / Editorial Content James Humphrey

Managing Editor / Art Director Amethel Parel-Sewell

Associate Editor Tom Mennillo

Associate Editor Ramzia Duszynski

Facilities Manager Artis Mebane

Contributors Zelalem and Gail Amare, Allegra Bosio, Aaron Cederquist, Kandra Crute, Ken Harper, Heidi Greengus, Susan Nossa, Cindy Pacileo, Barbara Qualls, Millard Qualls, Tammy Randall-Wood, Soroush Shakib, Lex Spahr, Lee Steinmetz, Lori Tharps, Bob Wilson, Firaydoun Zarghami

PUBLISHED ONCE EVERY 38 DAYS (plus one special issue) for a total of 10 issues per year by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201-1611. Periodical postage paid at Evanston, IL and additional mailing offices.

SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO Office of Information Services, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201-1611.

ISSN NUMBER: 1062-1113

SUBMITTING ARTICLES AND PHOTOS

The American Bahá’í welcomes news, letters or other items of interest from individuals and the various institutions of the Bahá’í Faith.

• ARTICLES should be clear and concise. Stories may be edited for length.
• PHOTOGRAPHS may be color or black-and-white prints or slides. Please submit photos that are well composed and in focus and identify people in photos when possible. If you wish photos returned, include a self-addressed envelope.
• DEADLINES for upcoming issues:

April 2 for the issue dated May 17 May 14 for the issue dated June 24

PLEASE ADDRESS ALL ITEMS for possible publication to Managing Editors, The American Bahá’í, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201-1611 (e-mail usbnc-tab@usbnc.org).

©1999 by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. World rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. [Page 3]

‘A new state of mind...’

Upcoming local elections provide opportunity to grow in our understanding

The momentous occasion of the election of Local Spiritual Assemblies is approaching. On April 21 Bahá’ís around the world will have the privilege of selecting the membership of the sacred body responsible for administering the affairs of the Cause in their community for the coming year.

In the act of voting—the culmination of a year’s worth of careful thought and consideration—the individual can have a tremendous impact on the composition and maturation of the local Institution.

To best prepare for this important role, believers are deepening on the nature of the Administrative Order, the station of the Local Spiritual Assembly, the qualities necessary for membership and the roles of officers.

New and veteran Bahá’ís are responding to the direction of the Universal House of Justice to ponder these topics anew: “The evolution of local and national Bahá’í Assemblies at this time calls for a new state of mind on the part of their members as well as on the part of those who elect them....” (from the Ridván 153 message to the Bahá’ís of the world)

Implications of this quotation:

• The importance of reading “old” quotes with new eyes to find fresh insights in familiar passages.

This new state of mind is not a one-time shift in our thinking or understanding. It is a continuing process of reorienting our minds from our current expectations about the functioning of our Assemblies to the possibilities envisioned and described in the Writings and Ridván messages.

• The vital role individuals have in the maturation of their institutions: “The friends are called upon to give their wholehearted support and cooperation to the Local Spiritual Assembly, first by voting for the membership and then by energetically pursuing its plans and programmes, ... by praying for its success and taking delight in its rise to influence and honour. This great prize, this gift of God within each community must be cherished, nurtured, loved, assisted, obeyed and prayed for.” (from message dated Naw-Rúz 1974, quoted in Messages from the Universal House of Justice, p. 265)

One reason for study is that not everyone is ideally suited to serve on this sacred Institution. The Writings contain criteria for the selection of members. By keeping these criteria in mind all year, praying, and observing the nature and quality of service that community members offer, the voter can prepare to select the people best qualified to help the Institution arise and fulfill its glorious roles and responsibilities.

In turn, once Assembly members are elected, it is crucial they understand the skills and qualities needed for each office as they select officers.

STUDY MATERIALS FOR ELECTION PREPARATION

In addition to the video workshop A Miracle of Governance and the booklet Electing Bahá’í Assemblies (explained in the accompanying article), valuable study resources in preparation for upcoming local Annual Elections include:

• Bahá’í Elections, compiled by the Universal House of Justice.
• The Local Spiritual Assembly, compiled by the Universal House of Justice.
• Developing Distinctive Bahá’í Communities: Guidelines for Spiritual Assemblies (revised version available).
• A Sense of Partnership: The Individual and The Local Spiritual Assembly, an Assembly Development Module Workshop.
• The Bahá’í Electoral Process, part of the Comprehensive Deepening Program.

All these materials are available from the Bahá’í Distribution Service (phone orders: 800-999-9019).

The Local Spiritual Assembly of Chino, California, was one of several Assemblies nationwide elected for the first time last Ridván.

WHERE TO GAIN THE INSIGHTS

A number of materials are available to help Bahá’ís prepare for the weighty responsibility of selecting the membership of their Assembly. One of the most useful has been A Miracle of Governance: The Local Spiritual Assembly. This video workshop has been particularly successful in helping Local Spiritual Assemblies educate themselves and the believers in their community about the station of the Assembly, its duties and its relationship to the community. The workshop includes a workbook with exercises for Assemblies and community members to deepen their understanding of the material.

More than one-third of Local Spiritual Assemblies in the United States have participated in the workshop and give it high ratings for effectiveness.

“Our Assembly found the video and the workbook exercises extremely useful because it led us to alter our Assembly process so as to be more spiritually focused and creative in our work,” one Assembly reported back. “It also led us to a deeper reflection on our purpose as a Local Spiritual Assembly....”

Another deepening resource is the 16-page booklet Electing Bahá’í Assemblies. This attractive, informative, inexpensive booklet was developed to educate the friends on the nature and station of the Local Spiritual Assembly.

Many Local Spiritual Assemblies buy this booklet in bulk to give to new believers and youth who are coming of age to vote for and serve on Local Spiritual Assemblies. The basic overview provided is useful to those who are not very familiar with the Administrative Order. Among its topics are Assemblies as channels of God’s guidance, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as the defender of Assemblies, the divine nature of the Institutions, election procedures, Assembly functioning, the role of the Assembly in Bahá’í community life, and the individual’s role. ♦

Enrollments

January 1998	93
Since May 1, 1998	1,133

THE FUND

May 1, 1998–January 31, 1999

Contributions received by National Treasurer

Received since May 1, 1998:	Goal for entire year:
$14,089,532	$27,000,000

• 52% of year’s goal was met
• 75% of fiscal year has passed
• April 30, 1999

Allocations to other funds

Arc Projects Fund	$1,749,391
International Bahá’í Fund	$953,240

The two amounts above add up to 19% of contributions received by National Assembly (goal is 26%)

Continental Bahá’í Fund

$276,529

2.0% of contributions received by National Assembly (goal is 2%)

Other contributions: $527,745

Total revenues and expenses at Bahá’í National Center May 1–Dec. 31, 1998 (Latest available)

$14,005,880	Revenues
$13,678,257	Expenses

To avoid additional borrowing, some critical projects have been deferred, resulting in revenues temporarily exceeding expenses.

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

90th Bahá’í National Convention

The National Spiritual Assembly looks forward to greeting the elected delegates at the 90th Bahá’í National Convention at the Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois. The Convention will open Thursday evening, April 22, and close midday Sunday, April 25.

Due to the limited seating capacity of Foundation Hall, all seats have already been reserved. We are sorry that we are unable to accommodate everyone who would like to attend. ♦

Huqúqu’lláh network expands

The Board of Trustees of Huqúqu’lláh is pleased to announce an increase in the numbers of representatives of the Board across the country. New representatives are:

• Benjamin Levy, Lake Mary, Florida.
• Dr. Rhett Diessner, Lewiston, Idaho.
• Dr. Lynette Frieden, West Monroe, Louisiana.
• Afaf Stevens, Watertown, Massachusetts.
• Billie Kay Bodie, Burchard, Nebraska.
• Melville Thomason, Asheville, North Carolina.
• Dru Waren, Cameron, Oklahoma.
• Kevin Locke, Mobridge, South Dakota.
• Shiva Khadem Ziai, Pierre, South Dakota. ♦

[Page 4]

Because of Love

Liang wants to share a special story about Bahá’u’lláh’s daughter, Bahíyyih Khánum. This story reminds us of the great love and care Bahíyyih Khánum had for others! After the story, Liang has an activity for you. Have fun!

Bahíyyih Khánum lived in the House of ‘Abbúd in ‘Akká with Bahá’u’lláh and His family. Many Bahá’ís would visit them. There was never enough room in the house for everyone. Once, as many as thirteen people slept in one of the rooms. It was so overcrowded that one of the ladies had to sleep on a shelf high up near the ceiling!

They later moved to a bigger house, but even that became very crowded. Out of her love for Bahá’u’lláh, Bahíyyih Khánum gave up her bed for pilgrims who visited. Nobody, especially Bahíyyih Khánum, minded or complained, for they all felt a great love for each other. (From Stories of the Greatest Holy Leaf.)

Bahíyyih Khánum gave up her comforts so others could be comfortable and happy. She did this because she loved Bahá’u’lláh and humanity. During the Bahá’í Fast, what would you give up so that another could be comfortable and happy? Would you give up your seat on the bus or subway? Would you give up watching your favorite TV show to either do the dishes or help a friend do homework? How about giving up your favorite treats or maybe your bed, like Bahíyyih Khánum, for a houseguest?

In the sketch of the House of ‘Abbúd, SHARE WITH US what you will give up during the Fast so that someone else can be comfortable and happy. You may use words or draw pictures!

Activity by Treasurer’s Office • Illustration by Heidi Greengus

“When the heart of man is aglow with the flame of love, he is ready to sacrifice all...” —‘Abdu’l-Bahá

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[Page 5]

Bahá’í Choir rings out the Word in nation’s capital

The Word of God as revealed by Bahá’u’lláh rang out through the Western Hemisphere’s largest Roman Catholic church Nov. 17 as the Metropolitan Washington Bahá’í Chorale participated in the 19th annual concert of the Interfaith Conference in the nation’s capital.

The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception reverberated with applause from the audience of 4,000 after the Bahá’í Chorale had the honor of providing the finale among performances representing nine major faith communities in the Washington area.

No planning in this Bahá’í community had ever led to so much widespread publicity and proclamation—right down to the printed program, which described the chorale’s songs in detail and mentioned the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh.

More than 50 Washington-area Bahá’ís and their friends had practiced hard for months for this event. Choir members ranged from age 11 through 84; they were of black, white, Asian, Hispanic and American Indian backgrounds.

As the members strode across the polished marble to perform, wearing bright-colored sashes over black clothing, one Bahá’í who attended said she and another nearby burst into tears at the thought that the chorale would sing the words of Bahá’u’lláh for all to hear.

In consultation with its director, Van Gilmer, the chorale had decided to perform two very different pieces to help further define its diversity:

• “God Is Sufficient Unto Me,” a song with European/Mideastern flavor to be sung in Arabic and English as it was heard at the second Bahá’í World Congress in New York. It was introduced with the mystical sound of the santour and accompanied dramatically by a group including piano and trumpet.

• “Cause Me to Taste,” sung in the African-American gospel style, with piano accompaniment and the rhythmic swaying of the energized singers.

Planning began in April, when the Interfaith Conference’s director invited Gilmer to put the group into consideration for the November performance. Audition tapes were submitted, and out of 30 performing groups, the Bahá’í Chorale was one of only nine invited for the conference.

An appeal then was made for additional singers and the chorale grew from about 35 to 57.

In the two months of rehearsal:

• Members paid the greatest attention to each note and each word. They talked about the meaning of the words and how to shape their singing so the audience could feel their deepest meaning.

The chorale wanted to chant “God Is Sufficient Unto Me” with the fervor of the prisoners during those nights long ago in the pestilential Black Pit of Tehran.

The second song would show Bahá’í joy by emphasizing the “divine sweetness” of God, to Whom we all turn for refuge and protection.

• Chorale members went to the National Shrine to rehearse their entrance, exit and posture, and to better understand how the music would sound in the vast marble sanctuary. The Sikh Kirtani Jatha group relinquished some of its rehearsal time to the Bahá’í group, and even the rehearsals drew applause from those who happened to be present.

Bahá’ís bought so many tickets for themselves and their friends that the chorale gained the distinction of selling more tickets than any other participating choir in the 19-year history of the IFC concerts.

In Powerful Company

Presentations that preceded the Metropolitan Washington Bahá’í Chorale at the Interfaith Conference Nov. 17 include:

• The sacred Islamic call to prayer.
• The music of the three grand organs in the Great Upper Church.
• A 250-voice group combined from all choirs.
• Combined choirs from two Catholic churches.
• The sweet harmonies of Colors of the Flame singing Jewish liturgy.
• Hindu dancing from Abhinaya School of dance.
• The powerful voice of Felecia Stovall singing Negro spirituals and accompanied by flute and harp.
• The beautiful songs of combined Methodist Church choirs.
• The exotic chanting of the Sikh choir.
• The unquestioned strength of the Mormon choir, the largest on the program.
• A Qur’ánic recitation and translation of Islamic Holy Scripture.

California Bahá’ís greet thousands as part of nationwide ‘First Night’

First Night, a non-alcoholic arts festival on New Year’s Eve that began in Boston, has spread to many areas of the country and is supported by Bahá’í communities in a number of locales.

In Monterey, California, Bahá’ís from several communities were among more than 30,000 people joining in the multicultural celebration.

The cooperating Bahá’í communities sponsored a hat-making booth, where more than 1,000 visitors—children and adults—took paper hats the friends had made and decorated them with glitter, beads, ribbon, paper etc. Many also added Bahá’í-inspired stickers reading “There is no room in my heart for prejudice” while others preferred the pre-printed “I Am a Noble Soul” Crown of Virtues.

Others accepted information cards with the Bahá’í principles and local phone number.

In addition to the booth, Bahá’ís joined in a procession through downtown streets, carrying a Bahá’í Faith banner that was seen by thousands.

Submitted by Lee Steinmetz, Monterey, CA

Joel and Cory Steinmetz lead the Bahá’í procession as part of the First Night parade through downtown Monterey, California. Bahá’ís participated from the communities of Monterey, Prunedale, Pacific Grove—and the Faroe Islands.

JOIN OR HOST A STEWARDSHIP SEMINAR NEAR YOU

Join your fellow community members at a scheduled Stewardship and Development Seminar near you, or consider hosting a seminar in your area.

Together, we’ll learn more about how we can change the world through our systematic efforts to support our Faith. Together, we’ll learn to put spiritual principles into action in preparation for entry by troops.

To receive an up-to-date list of planned seminars, or to find out more about the Stewardship and Development program or materials, please contact Jennifer Torrence in the Office of the Treasurer, 1233 Central Street, Evanston, IL 60201 (phone 847-733-3421, fax 847-733-3471, e-mail ).

HELP WANTED: PIONEERS

Combining to such a degree the essential qualities of audacity of consecration of tenacity of self-renunciation and unstinted devotion that will prompt them to abandon their homes, and forsake their all, and scatter over the surface of the globe, and hoist in its uttermost corners the triumphant banner of Bahá’u’lláh

(Requirements from The Advent of Divine Justice)

Office of Pioneering 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201 Northeast or Central States: phone 847-733-3511, e-mail Southern States: phone 847-733-3507, e-mail Western States: phone 847-733-3512, e-mail [Page 6]

IMPORTANT APPEAL FROM OUR NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

Below is the letter from the National Spiritual Assembly to the Bahá’ís of the United States for the Feast of Mulk. It is reprinted here in the hopes that local Bahá’í communities take increasingly better advantage of the systems that have been set up to make it easy for seekers to contact us about the Bahá’í Faith.

Dear Bahá’í Friends,

In response to broadcasts of the media campaign videos, twelve thousand people telephoned our 800 number wanting to learn more about the Bahá’í Faith. An even greater number attended Bahá’í meetings sponsored by local communities. Their replies demonstrate the increasing spiritual receptivity of our nation, as described by the Universal House of Justice: “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.”

Of those who telephoned and received a response, a large number attended Bahá’í meetings. However, 45% of the callers, almost half, were not called back. Perhaps because this system is new, we are not yet prepared to respond quickly. Nevertheless, every community must make arrangements to answer these waiting souls within a day, two at the most. We are sending you materials that will assist your efforts.

As you proceed with your preparations, bear in mind these reflections of Shoghi Effendi: “Consider what source of joy and gratification it should be to you to see people, who have been for years seeking for the truth and craving to obtain it, who look upon the prevailing conditions of the world with distress and earnestly pray for salvation, find through you the object of their quest and attain the peace, tranquillity and spiritual life which they have longed for. The accomplishment of the task and the resulting success will be an ample reward for all your strivings.”

You are ever in our prayers and in our hearts.

With loving Bahá’í greetings, Robert C. Henderson Secretary-General

Advancing the Process OF ENTRY BY TROOPS

“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.” —Universal House of Justice, Riḍván 153 message to the Bahá’ís of North America

NOTES AND NEWS FOR 800-22-UNITE USERS

If your community is subscribing to the toll-free phone line for seekers responding to broadcasts and the public Web site (www.us.bahai.org), you may already have received an important mailing from the National Teaching Committee with a bright yellow sticker that says:

1-800-22-UNITE Voicemail Box Information Enclosed

If so, please keep the information for your reference. If not yet, here are some vital steps in using the system:

HOW TO ACCESS YOUR VOICEMAIL BOX AND RETRIEVE MESSAGES FROM SEEKERS

1. Dial 1-800-22-UNITE (1-800-228-6483) 2. Listen for greeting then press “7” 3. Enter your box number (you’ll receive this in the mail) 4. Enter your password (you’ll also receive this in the mail) 5. Press “1” to listen to your messages 6. Press “1” for new messages 7. Listen to your message • Press “1” any time during the message to return to the beginning of that message. • Prompts guide you to either save or delete messages.

IF YOU DON’T YET HAVE your box number and password, please e-mail us for an application ( ) or contact Gwen Ellis (phone 847-733-3493).

YOU MAY BE GETTING A REFUND!

The 800-22-UNITE service has ended its affiliation with AT&T. The service now operates without any charge to local communities, so you won’t have to pay any bills. Refunds have been promised for communities that paid their monthly bills after September.

If you have questions, please call the National Teaching Committee office (847-733-3493). Please don’t call AT&T directly.

Unity is our watchword. But it’s not our phone number.

In the year since the 800-22-UNITE phone message system was activated, occasionally someone will dial that number with a “Y” at the end instead of an “E.”

The trouble is, when that happens it reaches a voice mail system for a private business.

People on both ends of the call get confused and frustrated. Messages get lost. Seekers stay out of contact.

And the private business gets billed for a call that should have been our responsibility.

SO: Please, friends, be careful in dialing, in advertising, in giving that number out. If it’s possible to unite the world one phone call at a time, let’s spell it with an “E.”

ARE YOU A PRINT PRODUCTION OR GRAPHIC DESIGN PROFESSIONAL?

Now is the time to put your valuable skills directly to work for His Cause and His Servants!

The Bahá’í National Center urgently seeks a Print Production Specialist to assist with The American Bahá’í and Brilliant Star.

See page 26 for details. [Page 7]

Teaching trip gives lesson in service

BY AARON CEDERQUIST

During this past winter break, Brent Falconer and I—two youths from Virginia—decided to go traveling teaching in Oklahoma, hoping to learn from veteran traveling teacher Alice Ferro.

I had been looking for an opportunity to serve this way alongside someone who has a lot of experience with, and understanding about, teaching.

When I met Alice Ferro last summer at the Wilmette Institute this desire became reality. Alice has been serving the Faith as an isolated Bahá’í in northeastern Oklahoma for 15 years, constantly engaged in traveling teaching, sometimes under great difficulties.

We joined her in traveling to some of the 30 towns she serves. We visited homes of Bahá’ís and others with whom she had made friends. Many people in that area are American Indian, mostly Cherokee. We had many wonderful visits with such families, some of which are large enough to make up Assemblies in their own right.

During that week we visited at least 70 people in several towns, driving more than 1,000 miles during our 10 days there (not including a 300-mile round trip to Oklahoma City).

That Saturday, as she does each month, Alice prepared dinner for 80 people and invited everyone she could. These dinners help to build a sense of community and a comfortable environment for teaching and socializing.

Brent and I helped with the preparations—cooking 20 chickens, picking up a few people who didn’t have cars, and taking care of a few other odds and ends.

In addition, Alice prepared spaghetti and roasts, bought bread and pies, and cleaned a lot.

Forty-five people came, only a third of whom were Bahá’ís.

That evening many of the youth went outside and played soccer. Parents were impressed by the sight of Indian and white youths playing together, something normally unheard of.

I learned several things from this experience:

• It showed the importance of ‎Bahá’í’s Bahá’ís‎ working together. Alice constantly reminded us that her teaching activities were made possible by three Local Spiritual Assemblies and a number of individuals.
• It pointed out the importance of youth. We found the mere presence of a couple of youths made many people take the Faith more seriously and brought people to dinner who might not have come otherwise.
• Perhaps most important, it emphasized how much of teaching is making contacts, developing friendships, and following through with devotion and perseverance. ♦

One of the Bahá’í gatherings in northeastern Oklahoma that have gained momentum in recent months. Photo courtesy of Aaron Cederquist, Charlottesville, VA

In a personal footnote about the teaching trip by Cederquist and Falconer, Alice Ferro emphasizes that the Bahá’í communities of Chouteau, Sapulpa, Tulsa and others made it a success. She also mentioned Nancy Turner and Jeff and Flora Kayfan-Choron, “who have supported our teaching efforts each in their own way, as well as the many other unnamed Bahá’ís that have helped our area grow.” This underscores the Wilmette Institute’s role as a catalyst for service, as Ferro, Cederquist and Turner all have been students in the institute’s Spiritual Foundations program.

Newspaper trumpets opening of center

The Bahá’í community spirit in northeastern Oklahoma has caught the attention of at least one local newspaper, The Grove Sun, which devoted a top-of-the-page feature article to the dedication of the Afton/Grove Bahá’í Center in the rural area near Missouri.

A three-column photo showed a gathering of diverse cultures and all ages. But the caption acknowledged the photo showed only a fraction of the 70 people who eventually showed up for the event.

“They are simply striving to bring back humanity and love to the world,” the article said, “where people of all economic and social classes, all races and nationalities, and all religions can mingle as equals, just as God intended.” ♦

CONNECTICUT, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

“It was the only place of refuge for all of us,” Tammy said.

In October, Ann invited dear friends Tommy and Farahnaz Kavelin from Puerto Rico for what was to be a last visit.

“While Tommy and Farah were here,” Tammy related, “we decided to hold a huge fireside for them to speak at. We had over 50 guests and served dinner before the presentation.

“It was breathtaking. The spirit in the room was overwhelming,” she said. “In the face of such illness and seeming tragedy, which could have become our main preoccupation, we were teaching, we were loving, we were happy.”

The lesson for Tammy was indelible: The physical condition is only temporary and has nothing to do with our everlasting spiritual realities.

Ann passed away Jan. 29, 1997. But her youngest daughter, Alice Randall, moved to Farmington from California to preserve the Assembly.

The monthly fireside in Farmington has continued uninterrupted since. The format, which has become formula, has only become more systematized as the popularity of the event grows.

Formal invitations are sent out two weeks before the fireside, which falls on every third Friday of the month, announcing the speaker and subject of the presentation.

“The invitations are on beautiful stationery and always contain a quotation from the Holy Text which pertains to the subject of the month’s presentation,” Tammy said. “The guest list is added to every month, follow-up calls made after invitations are sent out, and attendance is tracked. It takes two people two days to clean, cook, and prepare for our most looked-forward-to four hours a month.

“Most of the outlying communities think that Farmington has a large Bahá’í community because of our high profile, but we only have 11 people. Our monthly fireside is truly a community effort.”

In the warmer months, the gardens of the Wood home are manicured and tables set up outside in preparation to receive their most honored guests. The array of outstanding presenters has included Eric Dozier, Albert Cheung, Dorothy Marcic and Sherlock Graham Haynes.

Since the fireside began, there have been 15 declarations from guests who live all over the country and the world, with a recent declarant now serving on the Local Spiritual Assembly of Istanbul, Turkey.

After the 40 to 50 people have a wonderful meal together, the main presentation is given, introduced by a brief statement of the history and principles of the Faith.

“We always close with the encouragement to investigate, saying that this Revelation is a bold claim worthy of attention and that Bahá’u’lláh in this Most Great Day has invited the whole world to this Cause,” Tammy said.

She emphasized that the closing is designed to be “bold, but loving and unthreatening” so the guests will always be at ease.

The success of Farmington’s teaching effort has posed a new dynamic, the need for consolidation of new believers in town and surrounding areas.

So the Local Spiritual Assembly’s teaching plan, created in consultation with their area’s Auxiliary Board member for propagation, led to creation of a new training institute.

It’s named the Ann Randall Training Institute. The Assembly was happy to report “all seats filled” at recent sessions. ♦

A few members of the Farmington, Connecticut, Bahá’í community pictured from left: Tammy Wood, Roseanne Torres, David Wood, Alice Ferris, Phil Gammons and Ruthie Gammons. [Page 8]“The resources at the disposal of the community must, as a result of its expansion, be continually augmented and carefully extended.” —Shoghi Effendi, Unfolding Destiny, p. 215

PLANNED GIVING: Extend your options FOR FUNDING THE WORK OF THE CAUSE

WHAT IS PLANNED GIVING?

Planned giving means any type of giving other than outright cash gifts. It encompasses a variety of means and methods used to make larger gifts, often to charity. Many of these approaches can be used to make gifts to the Bahá’í Faith.

Cash gifts are the primary source of support for the Bahá’í Funds, and planned giving should not be considered a substitute or replacement for the gifts of cash that are essential to the financial health of the Faith. Nevertheless, for us as Bahá’ís, planned giving can serve as an additional material manifestation of our relationship with Bahá’u’lláh, to the last minute of our lives here on earth and beyond.

Planned giving often is an element of estate planning, particularly when the gift is made as a bequest—that is, conveyed through one’s will after death. For Bahá’ís, planned giving can be as simple as giving a gift of cash, real estate or other property to the Faith in one’s will, naming the Fund as beneficiary of a life insurance policy, or establishing a charitable gift annuity.

There are also more complex planned giving arrangements, such as various types of trusts, which usually require the expertise of professional estate planners or attorneys.

WHY ARE WE HEARING ABOUT PLANNED GIVING NOW?

An increasing number of Bahá’ís have been reading and hearing about these widely accepted ways of giving, and some are already using these methods to benefit their favorite charities.

Some of these methods have been available to Bahá’ís for a long time as an additional way of supporting the Faith, while others have been less available but are now being encouraged as our ability to access them increases.

Bequests, or gifts made through one’s will, have always been a way for every believer to give, while gift annuities have been accepted by the National Spiritual Assembly only in the past few years. With the greater awareness of financial affairs among Americans in general, and in anticipation of entry by troops, now is a good time for those of us who can avail ourselves of planned giving arrangements, to do so for the good of the Cause.

WHAT PLANNED GIVING ARRANGEMENT WOULD WORK BEST FOR ME?

The answer is not the same for every person. Some believers may find that the best, and perhaps the only, planned giving option they have is to make a bequest. If every believer simply did this, the material resources available for the work of the Faith would increase tremendously. However, it is best for each person to examine his or her own financial situation to determine the charitable giving vehicle or vehicles to best serve that person’s goals.

To get started, refer to the examples on this page that describe and illustrate two of the more common planned giving options. There are other planned giving methods as well.

WHERE CAN I GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT PLANNED GIVING?

To receive a packet of information about planned giving to the Bahá’í Funds, please complete the form on this page and mail it to the Development Department in the Office of the Treasurer at the Bahá’í National Center.

If you would like to contact someone immediately about planned giving, you can reach Rebecca Wilson (phone 847-733-3476, e-mail ). ♦

Two of the Ways it Works

Actual cases—not their real names

CHARITABLE GIFT ANNUITY

• Ms. Jones has been contributing regularly to the Funds of the Faith through gifts of cash. At the same time, she supports other charitable organizations with goals she feels are similar to those she has as a Bahá’í.

She can support these organizations because they encouraged her to give in ways that she never considered giving to the Faith. For instance, one charity encouraged her to establish a charitable gift annuity. Thus she could make a larger gift to the charity than she might have been able to make otherwise, it gave her a significant tax deduction, and it provided her with an income for life, part of which is also tax-deductible.

Ms. Jones was so delighted with her charitable gift annuity for that organization, she contacted the Bahá’í National Center to find out if she could do the same thing for the Bahá’í Funds. Told a charitable gift annuity was possible, she made a substantial gift to the National Fund, part of which was deductible from her taxes immediately. From the annuity set up with this money, she receives a quarterly payment to help with her living expenses.

Best of all, the Fund will receive the remainder of this gift at her passing. She feels very fortunate that, although she is retired, her planned gift made it possible for her to do something extra for the Fund that she might not have afforded to do otherwise.

‎GIFS GIFTS‎ OF SECURITIES

• John and Jane Smith bought stock at low cost in a growing business some years ago. Over the years they watched the value of the stock increase significantly, but the dividend payments were relatively low and did not contribute substantially to their annual income. The Smiths knew that if they sold their stock, they would be responsible for a large tax payment on the difference between their original cost and the amount they received when they sold the stock (their capital gain).

Since they did not need to sell the stock for living expenses, they decided the best use of it would be as a gift to the Bahá’í Faith. By making a gift of the stock rather than selling it, they incurred no additional taxes. In fact, they were eligible for a tax deduction equal to the full market value of the stock on the day the National Assembly received it. The Smiths were delighted that giving the stock helped them make a much larger gift than they could have made from their available cash.

BELIEVER: makes gift ↓ ANNUITY FUND: invests gift ↙ ↘ BELIEVER: gains income BAHÁ’Í FUND: receives remainder

Annuities are not paid from the Bahá’í National Fund, but from investment proceeds of the annuities fund.

BELIEVER: orders transfer of stock ownership to National Spiritual Assembly ↓ BAHÁ’Í FUND: sells the securities immediately to benefit the Faith

CLIP OR COPY THIS FORM

I/we would like more information about the planned giving techniques described here and about other ways to contribute to the Bahá’í Faith through planned giving. I am particularly interested in:

____ Providing for the Bahá’í Faith in my will
____ Making a gift of securities
____ Making a gift of real estate
____ Making a gift through life insurance
____ Receiving income from my gift:
______ Charitable Gift Annuities
______ Charitable Remainder Trusts

Name __________________________

Spouse’s Name (if Bahá’í) ________

Address ________________________

City ___________________________

State ________ Zip _____________

Telephone ______________________

E-mail _________________________

____ I prefer that someone contact me by telephone.

Return form to:
Development Department,
Office of the Treasurer,
Bahá’í National Center, 1233
Central St., Evanston, IL 60201 [Page 9]

BAHÁ’Í DISTRIBUTION SERVICE

CALL 1-800-999-9019

Uniting the Human Family

(UHF)	1-5 copies	$2.50
	6-99 copies	2.00
	100 and up	1.50

An exciting new introduction to the Bahá’í Faith is now available! This brochure combines image and word to create a truly unique experience for the seeker. Designed to instill a positive feeling, as well as thoughts, about the Faith and its principles. This beautiful full-color presentation can be utilized in a full range of teaching activities.

11" x 8 1/2", 32 pp.

Valuing Spirituality in Development

Initial Considerations Regarding the Creation of Spiritually Based Indicators for Development by the Bahá’í International Community $4.95 SC (VSD)

This concept paper focuses on the importance of creating measures to assess development progress through the perspective of spiritual principles. Outlining a Bahá’í perspective on development, the paper then introduces the concept of spiritually based indicators for development. Also discussed are the five spiritual principles crucial to development and the five policy areas in which these principles might be applied. Brief examples are given to illustrate the development and use of indicators and finally the formation of a mechanism to continue a collaboration on this initiative is suggested.

6 1/2" x 8 1/2", 36 pp.

Written in Light

‘Abdu’l-Bahá and the American Bahá’í Community by R. Jackson Armstrong-Ingram $35.00 HC (WLH)

Discover this stunning pictorial history of the early days of the Bahá’í Faith in America. Most of the photos of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi have never been published until now. The pictures are accompanied by informed commentary giving meaning and depth to this truly outstanding collection of history.

10 1/2" x 8 1/4", 133 pp.

Exploring the Historical and Spiritual Significance of Being a Person of African Descent in the Bahá’í Faith

A Workshop Manual compiled by Richard Thomas $8.00 SC (PAD)

Based on the idea that Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation has transformed the historical and spiritual significance of people of African descent, this manual explores a variety of topics including: people of African descent in the Bahá’í writings, spiritual qualities of outstanding Bahá’ís of African descent, a history of Bahá’í women of African descent, and great teachers of African descent. It contains brief biographies of several African-American Bahá’ís prominent in the Faith from the early 1900s to the present as well as study questions and exercises. It is an invaluable tool for teaching, deepening, firesides, workshops and conferences.

8 1/2" x 11", 62 pp.

The Life of Thomas Breakwell

by Rajwantee Lakshman-Lepain $9.95 SC (LTB)

Thomas Breakwell died in relative obscurity in a poor quarter of Paris, his brief life surrounded by an aura of mystery. Described by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as “a lamp amid the angels of high Heaven,” Thomas Breakwell enjoys a unique rank and station among the early followers of the Bahá’í Faith. The fire of his love of God and his deep devotion exemplify that profound mystical relationship which unites the lover with his Beloved. Sacrificing all for the promotion of the divine teachings of universal brotherhood, he showed a bright and pure faith that will continue to illuminate the hopes of many future generations.

4" x 6 1/2", 88 pp. [Page 10]A world in which naught can be perceived save strife, quarrels and corruption is bound to become the seat of the throne, the very metropolis, of Satan. —Bahá’u’lláh

The Metropolis of Satan

Evil and the Devil in Bahá’í/Christian Dialog by Gary L. Matthews $4.95 SC (METS)

In Metropolis Gary Matthews argues that “we have too quickly dismissed traditional ideas about evil and the devil. ... This is not to say that Bahá’ís can believe in a ‘personal devil’ in the same way we believe in a personal God: Obviously, we do not. Just the same, Bahá’ís have as much to learn from traditional Christians as they can learn from us.” With honesty and humor, Matthews explores the astonishing landscape of common ground that emerges from a fresh look at Christian and Bahá’í sacred teachings. 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", 67 pp. • Stonehaven Press

This Is Faith

Lucy Shropshire $15.00 CD (TIFCD)

A vibrant and inspirational collection of original gospel and contemporary music by one of the most outstanding vocalists of our time. This is the soul-stirring music your heart has been waiting for!

Dynamics of Team-Building in Bahá’í Institutions

A Training Manual for Bahá’í Administrators Foundation for Advancement of Science $14.95 SC (DTBBI)

Dynamics raises many of the issues that administrators of the Faith face relative to building vision and integrity with adequate managerial and leadership skills. Creating and nurturing effective institutions will be a primary goal for years to come with the ever-expanding responsibilities being placed on those institutions, both administrative and humanitarian. 8 1/2" x 11", 143 pp. • Bahá’í Publishing Trust of India

Quickeners of Mankind

Pioneering in a World Community $9.95 SC (QMS)

This compilation brings together a number of quotations on the important subject of pioneering. It is hoped that this compilation will serve to inspire and encourage others to follow in the footsteps of the vanguard of teachers who have left their homeland for the love of God and their fellowman. 160 pp., 5" x 8" • Bahá’í Publishing Trust, U.S.

‎Sprirtual Spiritual‎ Foundations for an Ecologically Sustainable Society

by Robert A. White $2.50 SC (SFESS)

Taking a broad macroevolutionary approach to our changing relationship to nature in light of the teachings of the Bahá’í Faith, this book delves into the phenomenon that finds humanity in the process of evolving consciousness leading to the development of a new planetary culture based on spiritual principles. While humanity is commonly perceived as a species ecologically out of control, the author presents a broader vision of our spiritual and social evolution and the momentous transformation to which we are heading. The author also links, quite clearly, basic Bahá’í principles to the emergence of this new and ecologically sustainable society. 6" x 9", 27 pp.

Unlocking the Gate of the Heart

by Lasse Thoresen $22.95 SC (UGHS)

The greatest need of our time is to restore dignity and honor to the human race. A spiritual revival of the individual and society is the greatest challenge facing humanity. Through an examination of the Bahá’í writings and suggestions for spiritual exercises based on them, the author helps readers gain an understanding of their place in creation, learn how to change their attitudes and lifestyles, and discover the methods to use in their search for ‎grteater greater‎ perfection. 5 1/2" x 8 1/4", 336 pp. • George Ronald, Publisher

A Companion to the Study of the Kitáb-i-Íqán

by Hooper C. Dunbar $18.95 SC (CSKIS)

The materials gathered together in this study companion are intended to stimulate study of Bahá’u’lláh’s Book of Certitude.

With repeated use in classes they have evolved over a number of years into their present form, which may be used for individual and group study. It is intended that these notes will help the student acquire a broader vision of the fundamental themes and truths in the Book of Certitude and prove a convenient point of reference for explanations not always on hand. 5 1/2" x 8 1/4", 291 pp. • George Ronald, Publisher

Do They Hear You When You Cry

by Fauziya Kassindja and Layli Miller Bashir $24.95 HC (DTHWCH)

This book chronicles the harrowing story of a young girl from Togo who seeks asylum in the United States to escape a polygamous marriage and genital mutilation. Instead of gaining asylum and putting her life back together after arriving in the U.S., she is stripped, shackled, and locked up in various INS detention facilities for 16 months. It is then that a young Bahá’í law student takes up the challenge of defending this young girl’s right to asylum because of gender-based persecution and wins a landmark decision that has given hope to many who face the same circumstances. 6" x 9", 518 pp. • Delacorte Press [Page 11]

New and Revised Development Modules Available!

The Office of Assembly Development has completed the broadest revision yet of six of the Assembly Development Modules, and these are now available from the Bahá’í Distribution Service. The Module workshops utilize the Bahá’í writings as the basis of experiential learning exercises that help participants understand the concepts, apply them to their communities, and develop personal action steps to help cement the learning.

The latest in adult learning theory, along with the Core Curriculum model of instruction, have been utilized to ensure that the experience is a practical step in the Assembly’s development.

The modules are designed for individual Assemblies but can be used for groups of Assemblies or full communities. For more information on their use or to contact a facilitator in your area, check the Administrative Web Site (www.usbnc.org) or contact the Office of Assembly Development, 1233 Central Street, Evanston, IL 60201 (phone 847-733-3490, e-mail ).

The following modules are available:

• A Sense of Partnership: The Individual and the Spiritual Assembly (Order Codes: Facilitator’s Guide-DMFILSA, Handouts-DMPILSA)
• Loving Shepherds of the Multitudes: Applying Spiritual and Administrative Principles (Order Codes: Facilitator’s Guide-DMFASAP, Handouts-DMPASAP)
• Builders of Communities: Stress Management and The Bahá’í Community (Order Codes: Facilitator’s Guide-DMFSMBC, Handouts-DMPSMBC)
• Channels of Divine Guidance: The Spiritual Nature of the Local Spiritual Assembly (Order Codes: Facilitator’s Guide-DMFSNLA, Handouts-DMPSNLA)
• Channels of Divine Guidance: Consultation Part One: Developing the Requisites of Consultation (Order Codes: Facilitator’s Guide-DMFC1DRC, Handouts-DMPC2CRC)
• Channels of Divine Guidance: Consultation Part Two: Consulting in Unity and Harmony (Order Codes: Facilitator’s Guide-DMFC2CUH, Handouts-DMFC2DUH)

Materials for each Module are comprised of a Facilitator’s Guide ($30.00 each Module) and ‎a sets sets‎ of handouts (10 sets for $15.00). Additionally, a combined set of Facilitator’s Guides, including all the above Modules, will be available soon ($90.00 for the set). Each Facilitator’s Guide or set of guides comes in its own binder.

NOW IN STOCK

Bahá’í Prayers Leather Edition (Really! We mean it this time!)

A special leather edition of Bahá’í Prayers has been delivered from the printer. This edition is a beautiful eggplant (deep bluish-purple) color with silver gilded edges and a ribbon. The rosette on the front is in silver foil. The price is $12.95. [Order code: BPLE]

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Bahá’í Distribution Service • 4703 Fulton Industrial Blvd. • Atlanta, GA 30336 [Page 12]

New vision in Harlem

One of the photos by young students of Roya Movafegh is captioned “A piece from the people on my block, photo taken by Kandra Crute, 10 years old.” This was shown in a Manhattan exhibition titled “The Art of Change.”

BY LORI THARPS

Roya Movafegh knows children are our future, and is doing something about it.

This past summer, the New York City Bahá’í approached the Community Vision center, an affiliate of the Abyssinian Baptist Church, with the idea of organizing a photography workshop for young children in Harlem.

The center was interested, so Movafegh got to work and created a two-month program for six children ages 5 through 14.

Movafegh thought her students’ pictures were so good that she displayed their final photos in the style of a formal exhibition.

Apparently, she wasn’t the only one who recognized untapped talent. A curator from the Times Square Hotel asked to include the photos in a Manhattan show titled “The Art of Change.”

Movafegh’s students were the only children represented in a program with 60 professional artists, but they won second place in the category of photography. The winning photographs remained on display until late fall.

But the story doesn’t end there. After the success of the photography workshop, it was decided that more arts-oriented activities should be arranged for the children of Harlem. Movafegh wanted to do something with digital photography. Her neighbor wanted to organize dramatic skits.

Unfortunately, they hit a roadblock: illiteracy. A lot of the kids couldn’t read and, therefore, couldn’t participate in the proposed activities.

Rather than give up, Movafegh and others decided to focus their efforts on creating an after-school literacy program that uses the arts.

“We are going to try to incorporate new ways of attacking this problem,” she said.

Already, Movafegh has called on the Bahá’í community to lend a hand and volunteer—particularly looking to involve African-American men.

To her delight, many Bahá’ís have heeded the call and are heading to Harlem to help the children prepare for the future.

Lori Tharps is a Bahá’í in New York City. ◆

March is the month to share Two Wings message widely

March is Women’s History Month. All Local Spiritual Assemblies, registered groups and campus Bahá’í associations have been called on to help distribute the National Spiritual Assembly’s statement Two Wings of a Bird: The Equality of Women and Men.

Packets of materials have been prepared by the National Committee for the Equality of Women and Men (NCEWM).

• For Assemblies and groups: Packets contain a sample letter for mayors and city councils, an activities list, a sample letter for newspaper use and a resource list.
• For campus Bahá’í associations: Similar materials have been developed to help you disseminate the statement among faculty, student organizations and women’s studies programs.

Part of the National Assembly’s campaign focused on gender equality, these activities are designed to complement race unity initiatives under way.

Energized by the spiritual blessings conferred during the sacred season of the Fast, seize the opportunities offered during Women’s History Month and make a difference in the life of this nation.

To obtain these materials, call the NCEWM (phone 202-833-8990) and ask for the gender equality campaign material. ◆

WOMEN’S RIGHTS ACTION

March 8, International Women’s Day, opens an opportunity to urge U.S. ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

To work with like-minded local organizations, or to plan an event promoting ratification of CEDAW, contact the National Spiritual Assembly’s Office of the Secretary for External Affairs (phone 202-833-8990, e-mail ). ◆

Beijing symposium explores religious culture

More than 70 scholars from 10 countries met in Beijing, China, for the International Symposium on Religious Culture and Ethics Nov. 16–19. Scholarly papers were presented on Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Taoism, Confucianism and the Bahá’í Faith.

Co-organized by the Institute of World Religions of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the U.S.-based Pacific Rim Institute for Development and Education (PRIDE), the symposium also fostered discussion on the influence of religious culture and ethics on the development of society.

It was the first large-scale international multireligious, cross-cultural symposium in China’s history, and was covered on national television and radio, as well as several major newspapers.

According to the Bahá’í who attended, the watchword of the symposium was “unity in diversity.” Many views were fully expressed, and inspirations for deepening the understanding of the role in society of humanity, religion, culture and ethics were shared.

Scholars from East and West expressed their appreciation for the symposium, with special note of the warm spirit of love and friendship.

Participants agreed to carry forward the momentum by developing relationships across borders, expanding to the grassroots level, and planning future symposia together regularly. ◆

Joining the ‘Bold Journey’

Jacquelyn Miles (from left), Gwen Cooper, Jodie McCullough, Lona Oostema and Angella Seesaran staff the Bahá’í literature and display table at the “Women’s Bold Journeys” public women’s conference in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, last fall, attended by 1,800. [Page 13]

KING DAY: Bahá’ís’ invitation attracts 1,400 in Carolina

NORTH CAROLINA

BY CINDY PACILEO

How do you get 1,400 people in a rural college town to participate in a race unity celebration?

You invite them!

In an effort to infuse the power of race unity into their mostly white mountain community, the Bahá’ís of Watauga County, Ashe County and Boone, North Carolina, conceived and helped to form the I-Have-A-Dream Task Force.

It, in turn, invited local churches, organizations and individuals to create a week-long series of programs inspired by Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream of racial harmony.

Who responded to the invitation? African-Americans, Hispanics, Asians, American Indians, whites, Bahá’ís, Quakers, Methodists, Baptists, Unitarians, university professors, elementary and high school teachers, respected elders, young children, service-minded youth, community leaders, business people, professionals, county commissioners, mayors, the arts council and the university chancellor. Together they created 11 programs honoring Dr. King and his dream, including:

• A Diversity and Trust-Building Workshop for high school students.
• A Musical Unity Service sponsored by five local churches.
• A program of stories and songs inspiring all to “walk their talk” about creating peace and unity.
• Appalachian State University’s annual Martin Luther King Commemoration focusing on the relevance of the civil rights movement to today’s youth.
• Essay contests in two county school systems.
• A Dream Quilt art project involved seven high school art classes.
• Public library projects including a story-telling series for pre-schoolers.
• A local volunteer outreach program encouraging all to “Serve Like A King.”
• A one-hour radio program, “Music Fit for a King,” with inspirational music, Dr. King’s words and interviews with many local folks who are actively following his dream.

Capping the week were two events sponsored by Bahá’ís, infused with Bahá’u’lláh’s writings and full of radiant faces of all colors.

The third annual Ashe County Martin Luther King Celebration delighted and educated all with a lively program of African music and folk tales by Obakunle Akinlana.

The Bahá’í spirit was also very much in evidence at an all-day family-oriented Unity Festival at a local mall.

“I’m so happy here,” said one attendee. “I want to be around good people. It doesn’t matter what color they are.”

Another commented, “You Bahá’ís really live your faith. It’s good to have you in our community.”

Countless others were inspired to focus sermons, classes and programs on Dr. King’s life of service to humanity.

No race unity program had received such attention in the community since 1992. That year the Ku Klux Klan marched in Boone, and in response the Bahá’í community acted as a catalyst, encouraging 1,300 people to create and support a “Unity Week” of activities focused on building unity.

Since then the Bahá’ís continued to sponsor Race Unity Day picnics, Friendship Days, Dialogues for Healing Racism, etc., but could never generate much community interest.

But last March the “Power of Race Unity” media initiative inspired the friends to redouble their efforts and rebuild the momentum.

The goal was not only to create a task force and a Martin Luther King celebration, but to cement the bonds of interracial fellowship and shared vision necessary to sustain real race unity work.

The Bahá’í Children’s Choir in Bloomington, Indiana, performs at the local Martin Luther King Day observance: from left, Seaon Shin, Hayon Shin, Sahar Tai-Seale, Josh Scroggins, Diana Fox, Daniel Fox, Cassie Qualls and Christian Scroggins. Photo by Millard Qualls, Bloomington, IN

PEN ARGYL, PA

On the surface, the Bahá’í-sponsored Martin Luther King Day celebration in this eastern Pennsylvania town was nothing special.

In icy rain, eight people huddled around the “Children of the World” playground sculpture in a park. A candle was lighted with some difficulty, candies were distributed, a few words were spoken, and songs sung. Scrolls containing quotes from Dr. King and the Bahá’í Writings and original poetry were passed out.

But among those few in attendance was a reporter/columnist for the Express-Times in nearby Bangor. And he found warm things to write about the humble event instigated by Walter Heath and Bahereh Khodadoost, a Bahá’í couple who had created the children’s sculpture.

“Everything they did spoke of hope,” wrote Tony Nauroth, “against the winter elements, against racial ignorance that still snaps at our heels more than 30 years after a sniper’s bullet failed to stop hope in Memphis, even against the vandals who ripped a small tree from its place in the Children of the World sculpture the two helped build in the park.”

Heath spoke about his experiences during the tense period in Memphis that led to Dr. King’s assassination, and three children did much of the singing.

“We are planting seeds of tolerance in our children,” Nauroth quoted Heath as saying.

Saxophonist Rick Simpson accompanies the Gospel Choraliers, a group with several Bahá’í members, at the Martin Luther King Jr. Interfaith Observance in Olean, New York. Photo courtesy of Brenda Snyder, Olean, NY

BLOOMINGTON, IN

SUBMITTED BY BARBARA S. QUALLS

When the Bloomington Bahá’í Children’s Choir performed for the city’s King Day celebration, it was remarkable for several reasons.

Although area Bahá’ís have been on the Martin Luther King Jr. commission for several years, this was the first time the Bahá’ís were chosen to participate in such a visible way.

The audience sang “Building Bridges” and “Good Neighbors” along with the eight children, ages 4 through 9—complete with hand gestures. The children all later got to speak, two of them quoting from the Bahá’í writings on the principle of unity.

At the end of the program, a local pastor included in his closing prayer the hope that all present learn to build “bridges out of the walls that keep us apart,” a quotation from the song “Building Bridges.”

Another remarkable thing about the performance? All members of the children’s choir are regular students at local weekly Bahá’í children’s classes, but only two are enrolled as Bahá’ís.

SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA

SUBMITTED BY FIRAYDUN ZARGHAMI

The Bahá’í World Choir and San Jose Bahá’í youth Paymon Zarghami were among many participants at the 14th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. birthday celebration, which drew more than 600 participants to two events.

The choir performed at the religious night, and its performance was videotaped and broadcast at the Good Neighbors Award Breakfast.

Zarghami’s electrifying presentation about the life and assassination of Medgar Evers, a giant in the civil rights movement, drew a standing ovation.

The choir has already received two invitations to participate in Black History Month celebrations. State Assemblywoman Elaine Alquist has asked Zarghami to participate in her youth and related programs.

Later, the Good Neighbors Award ceremony honored 16 recipients. One was Jean Quinn, a Bahá’í who has developed and implemented a choral program at Reed Elementary School, organized and helped provide meals and housekeeping aid for seriously ill people, and arranged seed money for artistic projects.

Three members of the Dr. Martin Luther King Association are Bahá’ís, and the association recognizes the San Jose community’s commitment to the cause of race unity.

Bahá’ís also participated in the 14th annual Freedom Train Ride. ♦ [Page 14]

Letter to the friends from the Latin-American Task Force

Dear and Esteemed Friends in the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh:

For some months now we have been requesting your collaboration with our national “census” of Hispanic Bahá’ís. We have received relatively few responses, but persist due to the importance which this “census” represents for the future of Latino teaching in the United States.

With this simple exercise we seek to prepare an inventory of our human resources, for their full utilization in the development of active teaching and consolidation plans. These plans will soon pass into the hands of the Regional Bahá’í Councils, a new institution that now forms part of the plan of decentralization at the national level. How and why did these institutions come into being?

The enormous weight of the multiple responsibilities placed upon the shoulders of our beloved National Spiritual Assembly, the increase in the Bahá’í national community, as well as the complexity of the matters that necessarily demand its attention and energy, made necessary the creation, according to the wise resolution of our Universal House of Justice, of the Regional Bahá’í Councils.

Elected by the Local Spiritual Assemblies Nov. 11–12, 1997, these new administrative organisms operate under the aegis of the National Spiritual Assembly and are responsible for many of the tasks previously carried out by the National Spiritual Assembly or its committees. There is a Council for each of the regions delineated by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in the Tablets of the Divine Plan. One of the most important responsibilities given to each Council is creation and execution of teaching plans at the regional level, including the plans directed to minority peoples.

All this is part of the plan for decentralizing the administrative and teaching tasks, initiated some time ago by our National Spiritual Assembly. We have reached a stage at which the activities necessary for teaching the Faith cannot all be planned and carried out efficiently at the national level. In addition, the individual characteristics of each region require that institutions, plans and programs be more in line with the needs peculiar to each region.

It is imperative for the success of their labors that the Regional Bahá’í Councils have available the largest possible number of capable believers willing to lend a helping hand to the great task that is approaching. Soon, according to the Universal House of Justice, the multitudes will be at our doors. In some areas of the country, these multitudes will be predominantly Latinos: how many teachers do we have? How many believers have responded to the call of the National Spiritual Assembly, saying “Here I am,” and answered the census? We still do not know with any certainty how many Latino Bahá’ís live in the United States, where they are, and what service they could render the Faith according to their biographical data.

Bahá’í friend: Could you take a few minutes and send us not only your own data but also the names and addresses of other Latino believers in your area? Could you speak of this at the Nineteen Day Feasts, in your Local Spiritual Assembly, at the local Bahá’í school? We are like an army, the army of Bahá’u’lláh, and each believer, whether woman, man or child, must join this supreme effort for advancing the Cause of God. The Four Year Plan is moving toward its end, and the opportunities that are lost now will be lost forever. We await your information.

With a most affectionate embrace from 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:

Hace ya algunos meses que hemos venido solicitando su colaboración con nuestro “censo” nacional de los Bahá’ís hispanos. Hemos recibido relativamente pocas respuestas, pero continuamos insistiendo debido a la importancia que este “censo” representa para el futuro de la enseñanza latina en los Estados Unidos.

Con este sencillo ejercicio buscamos hacer un inventario de nuestros recursos humanos con miras a su plena utilización en el desenvolvimiento de planes activos de enseñanza y consolidación. Estos planes pasarán en un futuro cercano a manos de los Concilios Regionales Bahá’ís, una nueva institución que ahora entra a formar parte del plan de descentralización a nivel nacional. ¿Cómo y por qué nacieron estas instituciones?

El enorme peso de las múltiples responsabilidades colocadas sobre los hombros de nuestra querida Asamblea Espiritual Nacional, el acrecentamiento de la comunidad nacional Bahá’í, así como la complejidad de los asuntos que necesariamente demandan su atención y energía, hicieron necesaria la creación, según la sabia disposición de nuestra Casa Universal de Justicia, de los Concilios Regionales Bahá’ís.

Elegidos por las Asambleas Espirituales Locales los 11 y 12 de noviembre de 1997, estos nuevos organismos administrativos operan bajo la ‎egida égida‎ de la Asamblea Espiritual Nacional y son ahora responsables por muchas de las tareas que antes le correspondían a ésta o a sus comités. Existe un Concilio Regional Bahá’í en cada una de las regiones delineadas por ‘Abdu’l-Bahá en las Tablas del Plan Divino. Una de las responsabilidades de más importancia que ahora corresponde a cada Concilio, es la creación y ejecución de planes de enseñanza a nivel de cada región, incluyendo los planes de enseñanza dirigidos a las gentes minorías.

Todo esto es parte del plan de descentralización de las tareas administrativas y de enseñanza, puesto en marcha hace algún tiempo por nuestra Asamblea Espiritual Nacional. Ya hemos alcanzado una etapa en la cual las actividades que son necesarias para la enseñanza de la Fe no pueden ser todas planeadas y manejadas de forma eficiente a nivel nacional. Es más, las características propias de cada región demandan que instituciones, planes y programas estén más a tono con las necesidades peculiares de cada región.

Es imperativo para el éxito de sus labores, que los Concilios Regionales Bahá’ís cuenten con el mayor número posible de creyentes capacitados y dispuestos a dar una mano de ayuda en la gran tarea que se avecina. Pronto, según la Casa Universal de Justicia, llegarán las multitudes a nuestras puertas. En algunas áreas del país, estas multitudes serán predominantemente latinas: ¿con cuántos maestros contamos? ¿Cuántos creyentes se han hecho presentes al llamado de la Asamblea Espiritual Nacional y han dicho “¡Presente!” y han respondido al censo? No sabemos aún a ciencia cierta ‎cuantos cuántos‎ Bahá’ís latinos hay actualmente en los Estados Unidos, en dónde se encuentran y qué servicio podrían prestar a la Fe según sus datos biográficos.

Amigo Bahá’í: ¿querrías tomar unos momentos y enviarnos no solamente tus datos sino también los nombres y direcciones de otros amigos latinos en tu área? ¿Puedes correr la voz en la Fiestas de los Diez y Nueve Días, en tu Asamblea Espiritual Local, en la escuela local bahá’í? Somos como un ejército, el ejército de Bahá’u’lláh, y cada creyente, ya sea mujer, hombre o niño, ha de sumarse a este esfuerzo supremo por el avance de la ‎Casa Causa‎ de Dios. El Plan de los Cuatro Años toca a su fin, y las oportunidades perdidas ahora estarán perdidas para siempre.

Esperamos tus noticias.

Un abrazo muy afectuoso de parte de 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. __________________________________________________	¿Ud. es o ha sido miembro de ... ? / Are you or have you been a member of ... ?
Dirección / Address _____________________________________________________________	Cuerpo de Consejeros Continentales / Continental Board of Counselors _____
Ciudad / City ____________________ Estado / State ____________________ Código postal / ZIP code ____________________	Cuerpo Auxiliar / Auxiliary Board _____
Número telefónico / Telephone ( ) ____________________ Número de fax / Fax ( ) ____________________	Asamblea Espiritual Local / Local Spiritual Assembly _____
Dirección de correo electrónico / E-mail address __________________________________________________	Asistente a un miembro del Cuerpo Auxiliar / Assistant to Auxiliary Board member _____ ¿A quién? / To whom? ____________________
País de origen / Country of origin ____________________	Comité nacional / National committee _____
¿En ‎donde dónde‎ Ud. se hizo bahá’í? / Where did you become a Bahá’í? ____________________	Comité local / Local committee _____
¿Cuántos miembros de su comunidad bahá’í son latinos? / How many members of your Bahá’í community are Latinos? __________
¿Cuántos en su Asamblea Espiritual? / How many on your Spiritual Assembly? __________
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: LATFORCE

[Page 15]

Closer to Home

The decentralization movement in the U.S. Bahá’í community

Decentralization is a potentially sterile-sounding term for an effort to move some of the coordination of the Cause from the national level closer to home.

Yet in that process, links between communities are being forged, Local Spiritual Assemblies are being galvanized, the friends are offering sacrificial efforts, and the prestige of the Cause is being advanced in every region of the United States.

In this four-page section are a few glimpses of how this process is changing the reality of the American Bahá’í community.

This issue’s articles deal mainly with initiatives by the four Regional Bahá’í Councils to help communities and clusters of communities advance the process of entry by troops, in alignment with the National Teaching Plan. In an upcoming issue of The American Bahá’í, we will deal more fully with how committees and agencies of the National Spiritual Assembly are helping the friends empower themselves regionally and locally, while increasing their own capacity to advise and research. ◆

WEST: APPEAL FOR HOMEFRONT PIONEERS AND TRAVELING TEACHERS

FROM THE NATIONAL TEACHING COMMITTEE OFFICE INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY LEX SPAHR & BOB WILSON

A power outage, a deep freeze of 20 below, and the Christmas holiday did not prevent a Seattle-area contingent of 10, mostly youths, from arising to share the Teachings with more than 100 people in Wyoming during their winter break.

This heroic effort was mounted by youths Lex Spahr, Tom Teal, Ala Moshiri, Samah Sohrab, Alex Rockwell, Kokou Fiamor, Amelia Waite and Darcy Atkinson, with Larry Gallagher and Darcy’s mother, Ellen. They were joined during the trip by Shane O’Brian and Omid Ghaemmagamhi of San Diego, California.

They traveled to Wyoming Dec. 22–Jan. 1 in direct response to the call raised by the Regional Bahá’í Council of the Western States to travel and teach in Wyoming, which recently lost all its Assemblies.

The Wyoming Bahá’ís opened their doors and hearts to the young traveling teachers, hosting six firesides and a youth retreat during the Christmas holiday.

Dru Hanich, state coordinator for traveling teaching and homefront pioneering in Wyoming, said, “This trip was very beneficial, and we learned from it. When one relies upon Bahá’u’lláh, all things come out right.”

Before leaving Seattle the group deepened on the Writings, met with Auxiliary Board member Todd Kutches, and studied mass teaching techniques with Bob Wilson.

Spahr shares a few things she learned about the state she was visiting: “Wyoming is the least populated state in the country. It was the first state to give women the right to vote, and it has three malls. The tallest building in the state, a dorm at the University of Wyoming, is 12 stories tall. They also mine cat litter and baking soda in Wyoming.”

The traveling teachers spent much of their mornings in prayer, followed by consultation on their day’s agenda. They had the support with logistics from Ellen Atkinson, who traveled as the representative of the Local Spiritual Assembly of Seattle.

The group set off from the Seattle area on a two-day drive with a stop in Idaho. “We stayed in Green River at the home of the Wolfe family and gave a fireside. It was wonderful!” Spahr said. “A seeker attended and we felt our goal (of teaching the Faith to at least one person) had been met, so we all felt very good about it. Our hopes were never dashed by a low attendance in seekers.”

Before the group left Green River, they circled the city in prayer. This inspired a local believer, Pam Wolfe, to consider something she could do regularly.

The next few days were based in Laramie, where Gallagher gave a slide presentation of his recent pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Some of the youths set up an information booth at a local supermarket, inviting dozens of people to a fireside. The eldest member of the Laramie community sat with the youths and provided a familiar face to the townspeople.

Traveling teachers from the Seattle, Washington, area and San Diego, California, join young Bahá’ís and friends for a youth retreat at Rawlins, Wyoming, during the winter holiday break. The visiting youth contingent traveled through Wyoming in response to a call by the Regional Bahá’í Council for homefront pioneers and traveling teachers throughout the West. Photo courtesy of Rachel Wolfe, Pocatello, ID

Another group spent the day volunteering with the Laramie Family Services Department, wrapping gifts for needy children and teaching everyone about the Bahá’í Faith. The youths also helped prepare a Christmas dinner, with invitations extended to neighbors of the Bahá’ís.

The following day some of the traveling teachers went to Cheyenne to visit two Bahá’ís and present them with flowers. Another group traveled to Casper and offered prayers for Bahá’ís buried at the cemeteries in Casper and Glen Rock.

The retreat, at Rawlins, attracted 70% of the Bahá’í youth in Wyoming. Ghaemmagamhi prepared and facilitated deepenings incorporating the Ruhi method and led unity-building activities. The youths studied A Distinctive Bahá’í Life and learned the importance of deepening daily.

The group also attended an Assembly of God service and circled the city in prayer.

In Rock Springs the group gave a fireside at the home of the O’Jack family, then went to Star Valley to stay with the Hanich family. Nine seekers attended a Star Valley fireside, including the mother of the newest local Bahá’í. As she was leaving, she asked for a visit by a Bahá’í to answer more of her questions.

On the return trip, the youths gave another fireside in Idaho Falls, Idaho, with several seekers attending.

“The prayers which were said throughout the region for the teaching trip certainly protected the travelers,” Hanich said. “We had fairly good roads to travel on and everyone arrived home safely.”

The youths had a wonderful time and made many friends in Wyoming. They plan to return in the summer. ◆

SUBMITTED BY THE REGIONAL BAHÁ’Í COUNCIL FOR THE WESTERN STATES

Homefront pioneering and traveling teaching in the continental U.S. is now under the coordination of the four Regional Bahá’í Councils.

In the West, the Council used the Unit Conventions to launch “a massive homefront pioneering effort to restore Assemblies,” with special attention for Wyoming—which has lost all its Assemblies—with its next pri- ‎oroties priorities‎ being New Mexico, Montana, Idaho, Utah, Arizona and Nevada as mentioned in the Tablets of the Divine Plan.

More than 150 of the lovers of Bahá’u’lláh in the West volunteered at the Conventions to pioneer in the home front. A number are looking for employment in Wyoming, and dear friends across the region are being helped to fill goal communities by 13 homefront pioneering coordinators. These and other holy souls, responding to call of the Master in the Tablets of the Divine Plan, are still being encouraged to arise and fulfill ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s wish.

The Council also encouraged the Bahá’ís of the Western States “to arise to the call for a vast upsurge in travel teaching throughout the Region,” as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá envisioned. The friends were asked either to be a traveling teacher, to deputize traveling teachers, and/or to offer to host traveling teachers within their own communities.

More than 500 Bahá’ís have responded to this call, and a new level of traveling teaching is occurring in the Western region, far exceeding all past records of achievement. ◆

SEE PAGE 18 FOR COORDINATORS IN EACH REGION [Page 16]

NORTHEAST: RACE UNITY DIALOGUE FORGES BONDS, PROVIDES RESOURCE

INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE REGIONAL BAHÁ’Í COUNCIL FOR THE NORTHEASTERN STATES AND BAHÁ’Í MEDIA SERVICES.

Leonard Zakim (from left), Jessica Henderson Daniel, William Smith and Ray Hammond were on the panel at Boston’s race unity dialogue. Photo by Soroush Shabak

The scene was America’s oldest black church building. The chairs were set up for a town meeting. The vision was to bring in a variety of achievers to consult on the next steps toward a greater unity among the races.

And in Boston on Jan. 15, the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., the weather wasn’t fit for man, woman, child or beast. Any sensible person would have stayed home instead of sallying out into a snow and ice storm that covered all of New England.

Yet there they were at the African Meeting House: some 100 leaders from greater Boston’s business, religious, civic, educational, political, media and social services communities—“In Pursuit of a United America,” as the printed program stated.

At the head of the room were seven people who are in the thick of the battle to keep racial, religious and cultural division from destroying America. The ideas they exchanged were provocative, heartfelt, often practical, and channeled toward opening avenues between estranged hearts.

For Bahá’ís, a special potency was at work. This Consultation and Dialogue on Race Unity, offered as a public service, showed how a localized group of believers can organize people to put the principles of Bahá’u’lláh to work for all their neighbors.

And the meeting was a flesh-and-blood product of the huge step in decentralization that produced the Regional Bahá’í Councils.

“The race unity dialogue was a source of great unity and pride for the Boston-area Bahá’ís,” said William Smith, moderator of the panel discussion and a member of the Regional Bahá’í Council for the Northeastern States. “They are energized and many are planning local town dialogues modeled on the African Meeting House event. They are also planning increased neighborhood dialogues on race unity using the Handbook for Neighborhood Dialogues on Race Unity [produced at the instigation of the Regional Council].”

Supported by the National Teaching Committee and the Council’s own Boston-area coordinating team, the Council co-sponsored the event with the African American Federation of Greater Boston and the Urban League chapters in Eastern and Western Massachusetts.

One fruit of the Boston event will be a videotape, professionally produced for airing or distribution to people interested in future race unity dialogues.

The gathering was a “watershed” in relationships between the Boston-area Bahá’ís and like-minded organizations, Smith said.

“It has been a step to bring the Bahá’ís en masse to the community circle of association which will ... allow examination of the Bahá’í principles and teachings, a key ingredient in advancing the process of entry by troops,” he said.

Already, more than 50 Bahá’ís were invited to an Urban League-sponsored special lecture by a prominent author on race issues.

At the Jan. 15 forum—begun with a message of welcome from the Regional Council and a stunning performance of “Amazing Grace,” a hymn written by a man who turned away from the slave trade and toward the Gospel—discussion followed three paths:

• Superiority and Suspicion: Walls that Divide Us.
• The Role of Education in Eliminating Race Prejudice.
• Visioning Race Unity: America in the Year 2020.

The ideas followed a number of currents within those topics. For example:

• Transformation. Jessica Henderson Daniel, a children’s psychologist, shared a story of a black woman she had met in South Carolina who had avoided racial bitterness by learning to discriminate—not by race, but by the behavior and attitude of everyone she met. “If you discriminate [in this sense] it’s hard to paint a brush of hatred or paint a brush of good about any group,” she said.

Robert C. Henderson, secretary-general of the National Spiritual Assembly, described the Bahá’í Youth Workshop model in the light of a group setting out to mend the members’ ways and attitudes, then to share the result. “The moment we begin to take intentional steps to identify ourselves as a part of a larger humanity ... that’s not a repudiation of our basic individual identity,” he said. “It is a part of that transcendent transformation that every human being has an opportunity to do.”

• Positive individual identity. Peggy McIntosh, an educator and women’s studies researcher, said a program she co-directs called SEED (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity), emphasizes that every individual has a “multicultural self”: “a whole lot of different allegiances, attachments, group identities, thoughts, feelings and associations. ...”

Elizabeth Bagdon, a federal civil rights attorney, said her work and volunteering has shown her how essential it is that children grow up feeling valued. But among poor people, “that happens all too seldom. ... We are people who write each other off” too easily because of surface things such as race, she said.

• Positive group identity. Ray A. Hammond II, a prominent African-American pastor and physician, called for a spiritual base for any unity effort. Though acknowledging that religion has in cases reinforced America’s racial divide, he affirmed, “You can’t really tell the history of the civil rights movement apart from the role that the churches played.”

Orlando Patterson, a Harvard University sociologist, said that while a positive racial image can be helpful, “it’s important that we don’t identify all the problems African-Americans face as black problems.” Maintaining our racial identity above all else, he warned, can fan the flames of violence.

• Fear as a barrier. Leonard P. Zakim, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, said, “Let’s face it—race scars us as a society and it scares a lot of people.” That fear, he said, has muted the nation’s public dialogue, and it won’t improve unless many people take action in their own lives and friendships to help the healing.

A vigorous question-and-answer session followed, and several participants were still in line to speak when time ran out.

SOUTH: TRAINING INSTITUTES EMERGE AS A KEY TO RALLYING COMMUNITIES

BY SUSAN NOSSA

Continental Counselors, Auxiliary Board members and Regional Council members gather with board members from all eight regional training institutes for a training session Jan. 15-17 in North Carolina.

“Now we have the resources, in the form of institutes,” said Counselor Tod Ewing, “to have mass consolidation in the South.”

The Southern Regional Council provided a springboard for this step toward galvanizing the Bahá’í community with a loving, inspiring and spirited conference Jan. 15-17 in Raleigh, North Carolina, for training of regional training institute (RTI) boards of directors in the South.

The conference was aimed at expanding the institutes’ vision as agencies of the National Spiritual Assembly and raising their level of service to the friends—by training teachers of the Faith and preparing other facilitators to carry out that training.

Planning and consultation on topics for the conference began in June.

The program was conducted in an atmosphere of shared learning led by Ewing and Counselor Alejandra Miller. Both used interactive and participatory methods to convey the importance of vision and of initiating and sustaining the systematic development of human resources.

Miller guided the institute process in a thorough and loving manner. She presented a formula for evaluating training efforts and emphasized the need for clear goals in capacities to be gained through any training efforts.

Represented at the gathering were boards of all eight Southern RTIs—South Carolina, North Carolina, Aguila Del Cielo (Central Texas), North Texas, Mathew Kaszab (South Texas), Magdalene Carney (Florida), Virginia/Metro DC and Atlanta—and one local institute, Houston.

The host Regional Bahá’í Council of the Southern States also welcomed a representative of the National Spiritual Assembly’s Office of Assembly Development, members of the Western Council, nine Auxiliary Board members, and representatives of the Boston RTI.

The Southern Council set the tone of the conference with praise for the marked progress of the RTI boards in the past year. They reinforced their resolve with a passage from the Ridván 153 letter of the Universal House of Justice: “What the friends throughout the world are now being asked to do is to commit themselves, their material resources, their abilities and their time to the development of a network of institutes on a scale never before attempted.”

The gathering was a turning point for many of the RTI boards, as they developed a greater understanding of the the vital necessity of recruiting and preparing able facilitators to carry out needed training. As pointed out in an April 1998 document prepared for the Universal House of Justice:

“Crucial to the success of the institute’s endeavors will be the effectiveness of its tutors. They themselves must require training, both in how to facilitate the courses and maintain the cohesion of the groups studying in the towns and villages across the country. The institute will need to make concerted effort, therefore, to build its own capacity to supervise a growing number of tutors and train them, thereby continuously improving the quality of their teaching.”

Energy and progress were evident as participants mingled, shared experiences and ideas, and made plans for more specific training. They talked about their use of study circles, a process utilized with great success by many experienced institutes across the globe. And they offered to help each other out and keep the exchange going.

Two reasons were cited for the growth of RTIs in the Southern States:

• Continuing guidance and orientation by the Regional Council for new boards of directors, based on guidance from the Supreme Body and the International Teaching Center.
• The loving embrace of the Institution of the Learned, who nurture and assist the institute process in order to fulfill the primary goal of the Four Year Plan: advancing the process of entry by troops.

“The urgency of the time mandates us (Southern Council) to work harder than ever to support and encourage the institute process,” said Mahyar Mofidi, assistant secretary of the Southern Council. “This is truly God’s work.”

Susan Nossa is RTI coordinator for the Southern Region

CENTRAL: DEVELOPMENT OF LOCAL ASSEMBLIES BECOMES A TOP PRIORITY

Richard Thomas (Central) and William Smith (Northeast) confer at a December meeting in Wilmette that helped Regional Councils compare and galvanize their plans. Photo by Ken Duszynski

SUBMITTED BY THE REGIONAL BAHÁ’Í COUNCIL FOR THE CENTRAL STATES

The Regional Council of the Central States saw its immediate task to be the establishment of a warm and loving relationship with the Assemblies within its region that would, in turn, support a collaborative spirit in pursuing the goals of the national and regional teaching plans. Within this context, the Council adopted the following strategic steps:

• All the goals of the regional teaching plan issued in August 1998 require that Local Assemblies make ever-increasing progress in developing their consultative, planning, goal-setting and resource management skills. In particular, the establishment of expansion and consolidation projects aimed at selected populations (goal #1 of the plan), and greater participation in the national media initiative (goal #3) require that the Assemblies develop new ways and means of advancing their administrative functioning.
• As part of the regional plan, the Regional Council identified 10 “target areas” in the Central region. The Council weighed several factors, including their perceived potential to make significant progress in advancing the process of entry by troops, the historical receptivity of the population, the Bahá’í population in the area, and geographic location.

Over the past year the Council has been visiting and consulting with Local Assemblies, and the Bahá’ís in general, within these target areas. On these visits the Council has explained the regional and national plans, encouraged the support of the Assemblies and believers, and above all sought their willing collaboration in the focused development of the Faith. All these visits have witnessed an overwhelming positive response from the believers and local institutions. By Ridván each target location will have been visited.

Bigger plans are in the works for two of the targeted sites. The Council will be collaborating with the National Teaching Committee on a focused media outreach project for those two areas. This will include television broadcasts and other media activities, as well as essential elements relating to community building and the role of the individual.

• The region’s four regional training institutes are being developed, with an emphasis on training the believers in skills to support the plans of Local Spiritual Assemblies. Creation of several new regional institutes is being contemplated, in line with the focus on the 10 target areas.
• The Council has consulted with the National Office of Assembly Development on two key issues: First, how best to promote the use of the Assembly Development Modules, particularly in remote areas of the Central region where many Bahá’í development plans are not well-established; and second, the Council’s possible development of a plan for encouraging Local Assemblies to visit the Bahá’í National Center.

Publishing Within the Region

Publishing materials to fit the needs and strengths of a region is one of the duties given the Regional Bahá’í Councils by the Universal House of Justice. Two of the U.S. Regional Councils already have this work well under way:

SOUTH

• “Walking the Talk,” a carefully and carefully worded pamphlet prepared in cooperation with the Council’s Race Unity Committee. It addresses the issues of race unity from the perspective of people of color and features quotations that describe the unique role of the African-American culture in establishing the kingdom of God.
• “Uniting the Human Family,” a teaching booklet developed as a tool to introduce the Faith to seekers. Field testing indicated “a very enthusiastic response from seekers—it is sure to become a best seller,” the Council enthuses.

The Southern region is distinguished for its love of God and reliance on prayer, coupled with a sense of simplicity and warm hospitality. “Uniting the Human Family” features vivid graphics and photographs that depict the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh and emphasize the global nature of the Faith. Its text is clear and direct and targets the heart of the seeker.

NORTHEAST

• North Star, a regional bimonthly newsletter edited by Elizabeth Knaplund. Features include articles of personal success in teaching, regional events, announcements, inspirational stories, a youth column etc. A Persian-American page is in the works.
• An audiocassette was created and distributed on the spiritual significance of regional training institutes.
• A booklet produced by the National Teaching Committee, The Power of Race Unity—Handbook for Neighborhood Race Unity Dialogues, was coordinated by a member of the Northeastern Council.

[Page 17]

Computer communication will help pave Assemblies’ path

BY TOM MENNILLO

Local Spiritual Assembly Integration (LSAI) has been a long time in the works. But once here, the software system for updating membership and other community records will stay with users through thick and thin—literally.

First will come the Thin Client, computerese for a basic set of Web access-based tools Assemblies can wield to add new believers to the rolls, post address changes and transfers, and track seekers.

An Assembly secretary or other authorized community member will submit these changes via a secure Web site. The form that’s generated then will be used by Membership and Records personnel at the Bahá’í National Center to update the master database.

In the future, communities may be able to post directly to the database—subject to review by Membership and Records. Further down the road, the master records themselves may reside in the community, with updates simply copied to the national office.

John Fletcher, who is spearheading LSAI for the Information Services Department of the Bahá’í National Center, said he hopes final testing of the Thin Client can be finished by National Convention.

Five Assemblies in the Western States have been consulting with the LSAI team to develop these tools. Fletcher estimates that 60 to 70 percent of what was on their wish list of features can be implemented in the Thin Client, and options are under study for other functions.

After these five partners have concluded testing, each will introduce the package to five other Assemblies. From there, presuming no need for further testing, the Thin Client will go national.

Also being developed is a Thick Client, an enhanced set of tools to which a community can progress from the Thin Client.

The Thick Client will reside on a password-secure computer in the community. It will include a wider range of secretarial functions, plus a treasurer module. Updates will be transmitted to the National Center automatically via dialup at set intervals.

So what’s driving the LSAI process?

The original impetus was a recognition, fueled by guidance from the Universal House of Justice, that some aspects of Bahá’í administration need to be decentralized so the National Spiritual Assembly and its agencies can focus on strategy, rather than tactics.

Since then, the birth of the Regional Bahá’í Councils and the success of the national media initiative have brought further opportunities—and, with them, challenges.

Using LSAI’s tools, Regional Councils will be able to generate various mailing lists. Local Assemblies will be able to keep track of seekers, including those who call the 800-22-UNITE line in response to The Power of Race Unity and other videos slated for national broadcast.

Within Information Services itself, functions are being restructured to keep up with rapid change. In fact, approval has just been given for several new positions in IS. Some require specific skills and others a basic skill set that can be augmented with training (see Classified, page 26).

Add burgeoning technology to the mix and you’ve got an extremely fluid situation.

The advent of the Web and new commercial products means LSAI can utilize off-the-shelf software that’s already familiar to users and programmers. These include Web browsers, such as Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator, and e-mail systems.

But Fletcher relishes this ever-evolving landscape and looks forward to addressing the challenges. “These changes all come from good things,” he said recently. ◆

The evolving work of the Regional Bahá’í Councils

SUBMITTED BY THE REGIONAL BAHÁ’Í COUNCILS FOR EACH OF THE FOUR REGIONS IN THE UNITED STATES

ASSEMBLY DEVELOPMENT

Regional Councils are employing both the Assembly Development Modules, offered by the National Office of Assembly Development, and the regional training institutes under their supervision to help communities build stronger Assemblies. All have also fostered an atmosphere of intimacy and respect by meeting personally with numbers of Assemblies and individuals across their regions. Other efforts include:

• South: “We hope to build relationships with each Assembly that are true partnerships of love and trust,” the Council states.

The Southern Council has directed its state teaching committees and coordinating teams in key metro areas to engage in significant ground-level work to turn jeopardized Assemblies and groups into functioning Assemblies.

• Northeast: This Council’s multipronged approach includes:

Acknowledging many meritorious deeds by the friends. Letters of encouragement have been sent to children, youth, communities, groups and Spiritual Assemblies for this fundamental purpose. Imagine, for example, 8-year-old Haley Robbins in Wilbraham, Massachusetts, receiving a sweet letter of praise and encouragement for a humanitarian project she initiated.

A series of “love letters,” including a Ridván message asking individuals to prioritize their busy lives. Other letters have been addressed to our precious youth and to the Persian believers. Another letter devoted to individual teaching was widely distributed with excellent reception.

Encouraging local race unity dialogues, facilitated by the use of a Handbook for ‎Neighborbood Neighborhood‎ Race Unity Dialogues published by the National Teaching Committee with the help of the Northeastern Council.

• West: This Council is developing guidelines for inter-community collaboration, in an effort to foster Local Assemblies as stronger focal centers of Bahá’í activity. The Council terms its first “‎inter-active interactive‎ document,” because of the valued input offered by experienced Assemblies.

In one response to its encouragement of the Assembly Development Module use, about one-fifth of all adult Bahá’ís in Montana gathered in November for an intensive weekend session on four of the modules, synchronized at three sites across the state. All Montana Bahá’ís were invited to these gatherings—planned in coordination with Counselor Jacqueline Left Hand Bull, Auxiliary Board members serving Montana and the National Office of Assembly Development—and four facilitators flew into Montana to serve the friends.

UNIT CONVENTIONS

Last fall saw the first Unit Conventions organized by the Regional Councils. Here are some of the measures they have taken:

• Central: To better understand what constitutes a model Unit Convention, the Regional Council selected four electoral units to participate in a project—the two units with the highest voting percentages and the two with the lowest voting percentages at Unit Conventions in 1997. Evaluation forms were distributed at the latest conventions for these units, containing questions on the choice of site, the surroundings, the quality of consultation, programming, etc. The results of these are providing valuable information and suggestions for improvements to be implemented in subsequent years.

• Northeast: A newly appointed Unit Convention Task Force has the following mandates:
  • Devising ways to encourage and guide an increasing number of believers to be aware of and participate in this pivotal activity.
  • Producing a “how-to” workbook for host Spiritual Assemblies and their Unit Convention committees, to be available by Ridván.
  • Encouraging selected Spiritual Assemblies to appoint Unit Convention committees before May 23.
  • Sponsoring a June weekend conference for the 17 Unit Convention committees in the Northeast.
  • Continuing to improve children’s and youth activities during the Unit Convention.

• South: The Southern Council found “a tremendous sense of maturity and encouragement at the grass roots that resonated ‘We can handle this!’” the Council’s assistant secretary reported.

The Unit Convention Planning Committee helped the Council infuse “a sense of purpose and spirit into the convention hosts that kept them going through many a test,” he added.

Auxiliary Board members and their assistants were on hand to provide leadership and insight to improve the conventions this year. ◆

ARISING TO TRAVEL FOR THE FAITH
The decentralization process means a new view of coordinating the work of those who wish to pioneer or travel to teach the Faith—at home or abroad. Here is a list of people you should contact ahead of time.	HOMEFRONT PIONEERING	TEACHING WITHIN THE U.S.	INTERNATIONAL PIONEERING AND TRAVELING TEACHING
	Central States: Lynn Wieties (phone 573-364-9618, e-mail ________)	Central States: Marilyn Ray (phone 785-628-1919, e-mail ________)	IF YOU LIVE IN:
	Northeastern States: Joel Nizin (phone 201-652-6385, e-mail ________)	Northeastern States: Diana Kaufman (phone 908-709-1228, e-mail ________)	Northeastern or Central States: Alex Blakeson (phone 847-733-3511, e-mail ________)
	Southern States: Anne Jalali (phone 912-825-3542, e-mail ________)	Southern States: Anne Jalali (phone 912-825-3542, e-mail ________)	Southern States: Sherdeana Jordan (phone 847-733-3507, e-mail ________)
	Western States: Flor Toloui (phone 925-672-6686, e-mail ________)	Western States: Gloria Allen (phone 702-365-1538, e-mail ________)	Western States: Aurore Ragston (phone 847-733-3512, e-mail ________)

[Page 18]

DC Ethiopians, Eritreans focus on unity work

SUBMITTED BY ZELALEM & GAIL AMARE WASHINGTON, DC

Tore than 50 Ethiopian and MEritrean Bahá’ís living in North America gathered at the Bahá’í Center in Washington, DC, Jan. 7-10 for the second Ethiopian and Eritrean Bahá’í Gathering, sponsored by the Spiritual Assembly of Washington.

In recent years nearly 100 Ethiopian and Eritrean Bahá’ís have emigrated from their home- lands to the United States and Canada. This gathering was to discuss their role, as new North American Bahá’ís, in winning the goals of their National Spiritual Assemblies.

Recognizing that racial unity is the most vital and challenging issue, they dedicated most of the gathering to understanding how they, as African immigrants, could join hands with African- Americans in leading this nation in fulfilling its spiritual destiny.

All ages were a joyful part of the second annual Ethiopian and Eritrean Bahá’í Gathering in Washington, DC, in January. Photo courtesy of Zelalem and Gail Amare, Washington, DC

In this they benefited immense- ly from their invited guests, Van Gilmer, Dean Mohr and Knight of Bahá’u’lláh Elsie Austin, who helped them understand the experience of African-Americans. And they studied the words of the beloved Guardian in The Advent of Divine Justice where he explained the contributions that both blacks and whites must make toward resolving this issue.

Attendees also dedicated a spe- cial time to pray for a speedy end to the conflict afflicting their home countries. The loving gath- ering of Ethiopians and Eritreans under one roof was a significant event in itself that drew attention from the local Ethiopian and Eritrean population.

At the close of the weekend, one man who had participated throughout the program stood up and declared his belief in Bahá’u’lláh.

The program ended with a public talk given by Rebequa Murphy of Rochester, New York.

Special visits provide a 'spiritual oasis'

You are invited to participate in the 1999 Special Visit Program at the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár. These visits offer the friends who live far from the Mother Temple a spiri- tual oasis in which to relish a memorable experience with this sacred place.

Two visits will be held this summer if enough people enroll in advance. The designated weekends are June 24 June 27 (register by May 24) and July 15-July 18 (register by June 15). Each visit program will run from 6 p.m. Thursday through 2 p.m. Sunday. Highlights of the program include:

• Tours of the Bahá’í Home, Publishing Trust, Media Services, Archives, Bahá’í House of Worship and National Center.
• Presentations on properties and House of Worship conservation.
• Audiovisual and film programs.
• Bahá’í Bookstore shopping.
• Enrichment sessions from the offices of Pioneering and National Teaching Committee, Wilmette Institute and House of Worship.
• Garden teaching and guiding opportunities.
• Option to read in daily devotional programs in the Auditorium.
• Classes and activities for children (ages 5-11) and youth.
• Group photo, lakeshore park with beach and other free time.

Bahá’ís may bring friends and family who are not enrolled Bahá’ís. But please understand some activities may require supplementary explanation for these visitors.

To register, please use the form on page 20. Please direct other inquiries to the House of Worship Activities Office (phone 847-853-2326, e-mail).

SACRED JUSTICE Uniting the Human Family

Association for Bahá’í Studies 23rd Annual Conference June 17-20, 1999, Tempe, Arizona Conference Web site: www.bahai-studies.ca/~absnam/news/conferences/1999.html

Featuring:

• Thursday evening, the first ever ABS town meeting circle with community leaders.
• Annual Balyuzi Lecture by Dr. Richard Thomas.
• Celebration of Southwestern, Indian and Hispanic arts, culture and music.
• Beautifully set amid palm trees, cactus, shaded gardens, fountains.
• Adjacent to Arizona State University in thriving downtown Tempe.
• Annual Members' Luncheon: Tickets $25 per person.
• Youth Program: Special program for youth.
• Children's Conference: Full-day program for 5- to 12-year-olds. Also sessions and outing for ages 12-15.

Send proposed papers, programs or artistic presentations to: Dr. Nanci Aiken and Dr. Steven Gonzales, Convenors P.O. Box 412532 Tucson, AZ, USA 85717-1532 Phone 520-620-1943 Fax 520-621-8522 E-mail Deadline: March 15, 1999

Registration: Please register for EACH person attending the conference by fax (613-233-3644), by phone (613-233-1903) or by mail to Association for Bahá’í Studies, 34 Copernicus Street, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada KIN 7K4.

Registering by mail: Use the coupon on page 20 (lower right). Separate copy for each person or couple registering. Add spe- cial information: In which country do you live? Is registrant is a member of ABS? A life member? If child, what age?

Fees: Individual by April 1: member $80, non-member $120; couple by April 1: member $140, non-member $190. Pre-regis- tering April 2-May 1: add $10 per person. Child/youth (must pre-register by June 1): $30. Higher rates if registering on site.

Conference Hotel: Tempe Mission Palms, 60 E. 5th St., 10 minutes from airport. Reserve rooms directly: 800-547-8705 or 602-894- 1400. Special rates for attendees who mention the ABS conference when reserving rooms. Hotel provides trans- portation to and from airport.

Airline: Special rates with United Airlines, Meeting ID# 525YT, and Air Canada, Event #CV991019.

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 inter- ests 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 com- bined with a trip for business, holi- day, family, study or otherwise.

Just contact the Office of Pioneering, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201 (phone 847-733-3508, fax 847-733- 3509, e-mail).

Use the form on page 20 (lower right) to respond by mail.

Special information:

• Names and ID numbers of all Bahá’ís on each trip.
• Names of each country visited, plus the one or two main localities, and date(s) of visit(s).
• Main purpose of your travel.
• Did you arise to meet the call of the Universal House of Justice for:
• Native Americans to teach in the circumpolar areas?
• Hispanic believers to teach in Latin America?
• African-Americans to teach in Africa?

Use a separate sheet as needed. ♦

Two images above depict the Hopi Rain Bird Spirit bringing life to the world. The serpent border near the bottom symbolizes the path the water takes on earth. [Page 19]

BAHÁ’Í SUBSCRIBER SERVICE

800-999-9019

World Order

Your window to teaching, deepening, and external affairs

Fall 1998 issue: The Millennium Two articles designed to add to your understanding of Year 2000 discussions:

• Youli Iannesyan explores the concept of “the end” by looking at linguistic issues behind the claim of some Bible students that the Bible predicts the end of the world, demonstrating that the Bible is closer to Bahá’í scriptures than most of us have thought.
• Bill Collins, in the first of a two-part article, explores the Millerite movement and the Bahá’í interpretation of biblical time-prophecy and their importance to the American Bahá’í community and to the world.

Also, Ahang Rabbani’s translation of notes by two prominent Persians who met ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Paris in 1911 make available documents of historical and psychological importance, while revealing yet another glimpse of effect of the Perfect Exemplar on those around Him.

It’s not too late to order copies of the Summer 1998 issue devoted to the equality of women and men!

Subscription type/fee: U.S. ($19 / 1 year, $36 / 2 years) Outside U.S. surface mail ($19 / 1 year, $36 / 2 years) Outside U.S. air mail ($24 / 1 year, $46 / 2 years) Single copies available on phone orders for $5 plus shipping/handling

One Country

Published quarterly by the Bahá’í International Community Subscription type/fee: U.S. ($12 / 1 year, $22 / 2 years) Outside U.S. surface mail ($16 / 1 year, $30 / 2 years) Outside U.S. air mail ($20 / 1 year, $36 / 2 years)

Herald of the South

Quarterly magazine published by the Bahá’ís of Australia and New Zealand Subscription fee: U.S. ($28 / 1 year, $50 / 2 years)

The American Bahá’í

10 times a year, available by subscription outside continental U.S. Subscription type/fee: Surface mail ($24 / 1 year, $45 / 2 years) Air mail ($32 / 1 year, $60 / 2 years)

For Brilliant Star subscription information, please see page 4

Use a separate copy of this form for each subscription

Which publication? ___________________________________________________________

Send to: ____________________________________________________________________ Address _____________________________________________________________________ City _________________________________________ State, ZIP ____________________ Country __________________ Daytime phone or e-mail ___________________________

Sold to (if different from recipient): ________________________________________ Address _____________________________________________________________________ City _________________________________________ State, ZIP ____________________ Country __________________ Is this a gift subscription? (Circle one) Y N Home phone __________________ Fax ___________________________________________ Work phone __________________ E-mail ________________________________________

• If enclosing payment by check or money order, must be in U.S. dollars payable to Bahá’í Distribution Service
• If paying by credit card, circle one: Visa MC Discover Amex

Credit card number _____________________________ Exp. date ____________________

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Phone orders: 800-999-9019 • E-mail orders: Mail orders: Bahá’í Subscriber Service, 4703 Fulton Industrial Blvd., Atlanta, GA 30336 TAB 3/2/99

YOUNG AT HEART CAMPAIGN

Association of American Bahá’ís 50 years and older Organized by a task force under the auspices of the National Teaching Committee

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.

Please return form to: Virginia Harden St. Paul, KS 66771 (phone 316-449-8955, e-mail )

Use the form below to respond by mail. Special information: Indicate your area(s) of strength or experience: teaching, pioneering, administrative service, race unity, social/economic projects, escorted traveling teaching, advancement of women, youth tutoring, fireside/public speaking or other.

A SPIRITUAL OASIS

Bahá’í House of Worship SPECIAL VISIT REGISTRATION FORM

Please clip or copy this coupon along with the form below to register for a special visit to the Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois, this summer.

• Some youth-oriented activities will be included if a sufficient number register.
• A complete program for children is planned.
• Infant and toddler care is not provided.
• All registrants will receive Chicago transportation information and an itinerary of program activities by mail with their confirmation from this office. International visitors’ fees need to be sent by cashier’s check in U.S. dollars.

Please see more details on page 19.

Select the weekend for your visit: ___ June 24–27 (register by May 24) ___ July 15–18 (register by June 15) Family name of your travel group: _____________________________________________ Number in your party _________________________________________________________ Add special information below (use additional sheets as needed): Your work phone number(s) and fax number, if applicable. Name(s) and Bahá’í ID numbers of all registrants. Ages of any children/youth (ages 4 and up may register). Registration fees: Adult $25, Youth (12–20) $20, Child (4–10) $10. 1. Please make checks payable to the Bahá’í Services Fund. 2. Send the fees with the registration form.

CLIP OR COPY THIS FORM AS NEEDED

For which event or activity? _________________________________________________

Name ________________________________________________________________________

Address _____________________________________________________________________

City _________________________________________ State, ZIP ____________________

Phone ________________________________________ E-mail _______________________

Special information: _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ TAB 3/2/99 [Page 20]

Hmong video deals with gender equality

Lao Chue Cha (right) speaks on equality of women and men at last summer’s Southeast Asian Community Builders Roundtable Conference at Bosch Bahá’í School. His daughter Mai Thao translates the talk into English. Photo courtesy of U.S. Bahá’í Refugee Office

A new videotape on “The Equality of Men and Women,” presented in Hmong with translation into English, is available to the friends through the U.S. Bahá’í Refugee Office.

The program is from a talk given at last summer’s Southeast Asian Community Builders Roundtable Conference by Lao Chue Cha in his native language, Hmong, and translated into English by his daughter Mai Thao.

The talk focuses on teachings of Bahá’u’lláh regarding the equality of men and women, shared responsibilities within marriage, consultation, and the importance of education of women.

In response to high demand by participants in this conference, the tape is available for $2 each plus shipping and handling. Please send your order to: U.S. Bahá’í Refugee Office, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201 (fax 847-733-3545, e-mail ).

For more information about the work of the Refugee Office, please call 847-733-3525. ◆

Wilmette Institute opens enrollment for ‘Spiritual Foundations’ program

1999–2000 courses put emphasis on social teachings of the Bahá’í Faith

Aaron Cederquist of Virginia, Amy McGehee and Perla Talebi of Arkansas put their heads together during group study at a previous residential session of the ‘Spiritual Foundations’ program of the Wilmette Institute.

Enrollment is open for the fourth year of the Wilmette Institute’s Spiritual Foundations for a Global Civilization program. The 1999–2000 theme is “Carrying Forward an Ever-Advancing Civilization.”

The yearlong course will examine Bahá’u’lláh’s social teachings, interpreted and elaborated by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi. Since about 1980 the Universal House of Justice and its agencies have elucidated and applied the Bahá’í social teachings through a series of statements, including The Promise of World Peace. In addition, the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States has issued The Vision of Race Unity (1991) and Two Wings of a Bird: The Equality of Women and Men (1997). Collectively, the statements identify a series of issues facing humanity, emphasize their mutually reinforcing and overlapping natures, and outline spiritual principles necessary to resolve them. Other issues examined in the course will be science, agriculture and the environment.

In addition, the program will cover the history of the Bahá’í Faith from 1957 to the present, Bahá’í writings on global civilization (the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, The Secret of Divine Civilization, The Advent of Divine Justice, The Promised Day Is Come, and various messages by the Universal House of Justice, its agencies, and our National Spiritual Assembly), conflict resolution skills, public relations and media work.

The year’s course of study includes:

• Beginning May 1, 2 1/2 months of reading assignments and home study exercises.
• The residential session July 17–Aug. 6 in Wilmette. Students will explore the year’s topics through lectures, discussion, and group work. Also includes field trips, service opportunities at the House of Worship and at the Bahá’í National Center, homework and community-forming activities.
• Home study/correspondence work Sept. 1, 1999–March 31, 2000. Students will have further reading assignments, discuss issues on the course listserver, and complete projects (firesides, deepenings, papers, artistic projects etc.).

Registration closes March 30 (this month) or when maximum enrollment has been reached.

DISTANCE-EDUCATION COURSES ON JUDAISM, KITÁB-I-ÍQÁN

The Wilmette Institute course “Judaism for Dialogue and Deepening” began March 1, but registration may stay open through March 10 unless the enrollment limit has been reached. The two-month course costs $100 ($80 if you are registering as a member of a local study group of three or more). If you wish to take the course, contact the Wilmette Institute immediately.

Registration has begun for “The Kitáb-i-Íqán and Related Texts,” a six-month course beginning April 1. The course will use Hooper Dunbar’s new A Companion to the Study of the Kitáb-i-Íqán, an excellent commentary on the Book of Certitude. Tuition is $225 ($180 each for members of a local study group of three or more).

All distance-education courses include e-mail listservers for students and faculty, regular conference calls, systematic lesson plans and a wide variety of learning projects.

For further information, contact the Wilmette Institute, 536 Sheridan Road, Wilmette, IL 60091 (phone 847-733-3415, fax 847-733-3563, e-mail , Web site www.usbnc.org/wilmette). ◆

Persian Culture conference in May to deal with home and family life

“Home and Family Life in Persian Culture” will be the theme of the ninth annual Conference of the Friends of Persian Culture Association, May 27–31 at the Holiday Inn O’Hare near Chicago.

A number of presentations will be devoted to topics such as Marriage in Iranian Culture, Bicultural Challenges and their Effect on Raising Children, The Role of Women in Iranian Families, and Iranian Houses in Urban and Rural Settings.

Friends of the Faith as well as Bahá’ís will be among presenters and participants. Concurrent sessions will be held in Persian and English.

Among other highlights will be:

• A variety of musical, dramatic and dance performances.
• Special classes for children 3–12 years old.

Last year the conference attracted some 1,200 participants from around the U.S. and several other countries in North America, Europe and Asia. A similar level of participation is expected this year.

Registration fee for adults is $35 if pre-registered by April 1, or $40 after that date. Registration fee for children’s classes is $50 per child for the duration of the conference or $20 per day per child.

The special conference rate at the Holiday Inn is $81 per room (1 to 4 people) plus tax. Call 847-671-6350 for reservations; you must make your reservation for “Bahá’í Arts Festival” to obtain the special rate. Parking will be $5 per day for conference participants.

Free shuttle service is available from Chicago O’Hare International Airport to the hotel.

For more information please contact the Persian-American Affairs Office (phone 847-733-3528). ◆ [Page 21]

Winter session examines community-building

Green Acre Bahá’í School 188 Main Street • Eliot, ME 03903 207-439-7200 www.greenacre.org

During its first program of the winter season, Green Acre Bahá’í School welcomed new believers and their families and friends, as well as about a dozen seekers, to a retreat weekend led by Auxiliary Board Member Mary K. Makoski.

In a companion program, facilitator Peter Oldziey led participants in an exploration of “Building A Better Magnet”—identifying the patterns of behavior that transform Bahá’í communities into spiritual magnets. Among its activities, the class designed and carried out a unity feast rich with the arts and Creative Word, offered as a gift to the seekers and new believers. It also devised a unique model of community as magnet for receptive souls.

In an artistic representation of this model, the class constructed a “kaleidoscope” whose outer cylinder represents the community and the “virtual Mashriqu’l-Adhkár,” which is first built by the community spiritually. Inside the cylinder is a triangular bar representing a magnet, each side of which depicts the individual, the family or the institutions, referring to the definition of community in the Riḍván 153 message. The magnet symbolizes at its negative pole the attributes that all aspire to attain, which are expressed in the station of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. This end is also the kaleidoscope’s “viewfinder.” The positive pole of the magnet represents the perfection of all the attributes of God as expressed by the Manifestations of God. As one looks through a small hole in the negative-charged end, the attributes of God are visible at the opposite, positive-charged end. A very small hole in the center of the positive end also allows viewers to see a glimpse of God, represented by a colorful poster of a brilliant sun. The magnet turns inside the cylinder, representing the movement required to create the charge that attracts spiritual power and confirmation.

Participants in Green Acre’s recent program “Building a Better Magnet” produce an artistic representation of the concept of the community as a magnet for receptive souls. Photo courtesy of Green Acre

SPRING SCHEDULE

Upcoming courses to be offered at Green Acre include:

• March 26–28: “Establishing Training Institutes,” led by Farah Rosenberg.
• March 26–28: Institute for Junior Youth ages 12–15, facilitated by Joycelyn Jolly and Clyde Herring.
• April 9–11: “Citadel of Faith,” presented by Habib Riazati: an examination of the world-regenerating mission conferred upon the American Bahá’í Community in Shoghi Effendi’s letters.
• April 9–11: Core Curriculum Teacher Training for the spiritual education of children. This two-weekend session will conclude April 16–18.
• April 16–18: “Work as Worship: Bahá’í Principles at Work,” presented by business owner/consultant Chet Makoski: an investigation of the Bahá’í teachings that affect and guide business managers and employees.
• April 30–May 2: “Spiritual Values and Development,” a weekend study intensive led by Mona Grieser. The session discusses how to actively apply spiritual values in a variety of fields.
• May 28–30: “The Spirit of Children,” Second Annual Conference on Children’s Literature and Art. Representatives from the Bahá’í Publishing Trust and Brilliant Star magazine will be on hand for this interactive conference. Participants can explore and share materials that stimulate children’s spiritual development. They will network and brainstorm about the spiritual needs of children, plus Bahá’í and non-Bahá’í publishing opportunities.
• May 28–30: Assembly Development Forum offered by the Office of Community Administration, with workshops that address the Local Spiritual Assembly’s role in building unity in the community.
• June 4–6: “The Nature and Dynamics of Love,” a Landegg Academy course presented by lecturer/author Hossein Danesh: an examination of the spiritual, psychological and interpersonal dimensions of love.

Ask about special discounts of 20 percent for those who register at least 30 days before a program and 50 percent for those who have not attended a Green Acre program since June 1994. ♦

Mild weather graces session at Bosch focusing on the Guardian

Bosch Bahá’í School 500 Comstock Lane Santa Cruz, CA 95060 831-423-3387 www.bosch.org

Imagine warm, sunny days—shirt-sleeve weather in December! Participants at Winter School at Bosch, Dec. 30–Jan. 3, particularly those from the frozen East Coast and Midwest, could scarcely believe their good fortune!

The glorious weather was surpassed only by the warmth and love of the presentation by Amin and Sheila Banani in “Glimpses of the Guardian,” their personal reminiscences of Shoghi Effendi and Mount Carmel on their early pilgrimages, his encouragement of the Bananis during their difficult times pioneering as Knights of Bahá’u’lláh in Greece, and the wonderful stories of the believers in the Los Angeles area where Sheila grew up and of Amin’s father, the Hand of the Cause of God Músá Banání, and the friends in Iran. Jerry Sinclair continued the focus on Shoghi Effendi through a hands-on study of The Advent of Divine Justice and the San Francisco Bahá’í Youth Workshop added inspiration through a drama/dance presentation that they take on the road to teach the Faith.

The Grassroots Education Conference, Dec. 27–Jan. 1, brought together Bahá’í educators of many backgrounds from across the U.S., Canada, China and Japan to consult on the role of education, to develop Bahá’í-inspired curricula, and to share insights and stories from their educational experiences to learn what is useful and what works!

Rather than fostering private Bahá’í schools in the United States, they felt as educators that it is important to become more involved in training institutes as called for by the Universal House of Justice. The group will network via e-mail throughout the year, and plans to meet again Dec. 26–30 at Bosch.

Also planned is a workshop on Bahá’í-inspired curricula with Michael and Marilyn Higgins, Aug. 7–12, so educators, mark your calendars for these two sessions!

Bosch in spring offers some special programs for children, youth and women.

• March 30–April 3: The Spring Children’s Academy, for fourth-through sixth-graders, provides a balanced program of study, service, exercise, prayer and moral training, all based on the Sacred Writings and taught using Core Curriculum methods. The theme for this session will be “‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Example in Teaching.” Children are supervised at all times by cabin counselors or teachers. They make new friends, have a great time and deepen their knowledge of the Faith and its meaning in their lives.
• April 23–25: “Creating 21st Century Badí‘s,” a special study weekend for youth ages 15 and up, will focus on the Covenant as a protection for a lifetime of service. There will be ample opportunity for discussion of those issues that are challenging our youth in today’s world.
• April 16–18: A retreat for women will explore “The Spiritual Purpose of Women: Women’s Role in Advancing the Most Great Peace.” In a world so confused about this topic, we will turn to the Writings and through workshops and discussions discover Bahá’u’lláh’s vision for women in the family, community and their personal growth and development. There will be time for meditation and reflection on the application of the Writings in our personal lives and discussion on achieving balance in our demanding multiple roles.

This is a great time for both physical and spiritual rejuvenation in the beauty of the redwood forest and in a loving Bahá’í environment. ♦ [Page 22]

Louhelen puts professional development in the light of the Bahá’í teachings

Development of human resources, to serve the Cause and address the needs of humanity, is a major goal of the Four Year Plan. Ever-growing contingents of believers must be endowed with the spiritual insights, knowledge and skills needed to carry out the many tasks of accelerated growth and consolidation, as well as to improve the capacity of Bahá’ís to play an ever-widening role in society.

Of several upcoming programs at Louhelen Bahá’í School dedicated to helping develop resources, two will focus on professional growth in education and medicine.

March 26–28: “Ethics and Spirituality in Medicine,” with Dr. David Ruhe, Margaret Ruhe and Dr. Beth Bowen. Sponsored by Health for Humanity, this health professionals’ forum explores contemporary ethical dilemmas in the health fields, the relationship between health and spirituality, and the ways that the great spiritual principles of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation can more effectively influence current and future health practices.

This weekend session strives to combine elements of spiritualization—prayer, devotions and personal reflection—with presentations, community arts and a special session for medical students.

July 16–21: International Dialogue on Education, professional development conference for Bahá’í educators. Theme: “Spiritual Hunger and Moral Dissatisfaction with Society: A Golden Opportunity for New Educational Approaches.” A second gathering of people from various nations interested in advancing the collaboration and development of Bahá’í educators, the event is intended for:

• Bahá’í educators involved in Bahá’í-inspired education projects.
• Bahá’ís involved in public or private education as a profession.
• Bahá’í faculty members in college or university education departments.
• Any practicing educators interested in infusing Bahá’í principles into educational processes or institutions.

Sessions will be structured to benefit both well-established and younger educators. The conference will explore potential improvement of education theory, practice and processes through Bahá’í principles and Bahá’í-inspired approaches, and how all educational institutions may be improved from within through the work of Bahá’í-inspired educators and ideas.

Louhelen invites proposals for presentations or workshops that relate current educational issues, theories, practices and pedagogical approaches to this general theme. Proposals may be submitted to Dr. Rick Johnson c/o Louhelen Bahá’í School.

Courses at Louhelen in upcoming ‎montbs months‎ are listed in the Calendar on page 32 of The American Bahá’í. Contact Louhelen for registration details on the above or any courses.

Participants show their focus at a previous session of Louhelen Bahá’í School’s International Dialogue on Education. The conference, with its next session in July, explores how Bahá’í ideas can improve educational systems. Photo by Jim Cheek

Louhelen Bahá’í School

3208 S. State Road, Davison, MI 48423 810-653-5033 www.louhelen.org

SUMMER SERVICE POSTS AT THE PERMANENT BAHÁ’Í SCHOOLS

GREEN ACRE

When? June 18 through August (or a full year).

Who? Any Bahá’í in good standing, age 18 or older.

How? Request and submit application as soon as possible.

What do we need?

• Food service: assistant cooks, dishwashers, general help.
• Maintenance: gardening, grounds keeping, cleaning, repairs.
• Housekeeping: care for sleeping and meeting facilities.
• Children’s classes: teachers and assistants (Core Curriculum training highly desirable).
• Recreation leaders, librarians, office assistants, bookstore/cafe assistants etc.

People with little or no experience as well as skilled professionals are encouraged to apply to Jeannine Sacco, Green Acre Bahá’í School, 188 Main St., Eliot, ME 03903 (phone 207-439-7200, fax 207-438-9940, e-mail )

LOUHELEN

Louhelen Bahá’í School invites applications from mature youth and adults for the following service positions. Service includes 40+ hours per week of hard work, deepening and personal growth opportunities. Board and room is provided during the term of service.

• Office, registration and bookstore assistant: Office tasks, guest welcome and registration.
• Hospitality assistant: Food preparation, dishwashing, cleaning.
• Education assistant: Support and facilitation of excellent education programs.
• Recreation assistant: Organization of child and youth recreation, recreation room staffing.
• Maintenance and grounds assistant: General maintenance and grounds tasks.

Apply to Rick Johnson, Louhelen Bahá’í School, 3208 S. State Road, Davison, MI 48423 (phone 810-653-5033, e-mail ).

BOSCH

Applicants must be at least age 18, and show their love for the Faith and Bahá’u’lláh through their behavior and spirit of friendliness and hospitality.

• Teachers for toddlers and preyouth summer classes. Training will be provided, but experience is preferred.
• Recreation Director. Lifeguard and CPR certificates required; basic first aid training helpful.

Interested youths need to be able to work at Bosch June 16–Sept. 9. Please contact Linda Bedford, co-administrator at Bosch (phone 831-423-3387, e-mail ).

“[A] development of even greater moment to the Bahá’í community is that a massive number people are searching for spiritual truth. ... The ideologies that dominated the larger part of this century have been exhausted; at their waning in the century’s closing years, a hunger for meaning, a yearning of the soul, is on the rise. “This spiritual hunger is characterized by a restlessness, by a swelling dissatisfaction with the moral state of society....”” —Universal House of Justice, Riḍván 155 message to the Bahá’ís of the World

Intensive Persian courses to be offered this summer

The Persian-American Affairs Office, in collaboration with the Wilmette Institute, is planning once again to conduct intensive Persian language courses during summer 1999.

Courses offered this year will be at the beginning and intermediate levels. If there is enough interest, there may also be a course on studying Bahá’í writings in Persian. The students will be in class five hours a day, five days a week. Cultural activities will support and enhance the class work.

The classes will be held July 17–Aug. 6. Students may take advantage of dormitory arrangements available for the Wilmette Institute’s Spiritual Foundations for a Global Civilization summer residential session, which will run at the same time.

Tuition and study materials cost for each three-week Persian course is $450. Dormitory costs are about $20 per night, meals not included.

To register please complete the form on page 20 (lower right) and send it with a check for the appropriate amount, to Persian-American Affairs Office, Bahá’í National Center, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201. For more information call 847-733-3526. [Page 23]

Thousands in Paris celebrate European centenary of Bahá’í Faith

The centenary of the establishment of the Bahá’í Faith in Europe drew more than 2,000 people to Paris Nov. 27–29.

The celebration was kicked off with a photo session involving more than 1,000 people gathered under the Eiffel Tower, where the beloved Master had his picture taken on his visit to the city in 1911.

The centenary’s opening session at Espace Austerlitz drew the largest number of participants, with 2,000 people including 200 contacts and 600 guests from abroad.

“The variety and quality of the elements constituting the program, the intensive use of all artistic means of expression, the very novel approach to the concept of a ‘conference’ ... all contributed to creating a wonderful spiritual atmosphere of true love, companionship and harmony,” a report from the National Spiritual Assembly of France stated.

The commemoration of the Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá included a showing of the motion picture of the Master, provided by the Bahá’í World Center.

Distinguished guests included David Hofman, former member of the Universal House of Justice; six Counselors, 30 representatives of National Spiritual Assemblies, representatives of the Bahá’í International Community, and several prominent Bahá’í artists from Europe. The National Assembly received congratulatory messages from the Universal House and from a number of its fellow National Assemblies. “The letters from [the Hand of the Cause of God] Amatu’l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum and from the Francophone Counselors particularly moved us,” the report said.

The next day at a reception, 150 non-Bahá’í dignitaries, officials and journalists heard an address by the chairman of the National Assembly and saw a specially produced short film on Hippolyte Dreyfus, the first native Frenchman to become a Bahá’í. Following was a public concert titled “The Night of Hope,” which featured almost all Bahá’í performers and was termed an “astounding success.”

Another highlight was an afternoon reception in the apartment at 4 avenue de Camoëns where the Master stayed, officially dedicated as a property of the Assembly. “The feelings of joy and happiness and the particular atmosphere of spirituality were overwhelming,” the National Assembly reported.

Media attention was on an unprecedented scale, with coverage by a major television station, a dozen radio programs and coverage in Le Monde and several other newspapers.

The centenary was also the occasion for publication of several books, booklets and articles, most notably a book on the Master’s visit titled Sur le pas de ‘Abdu’l-Bahá à Paris. ◆

About 1,000 people pose before the Eiffel Tower during a celebration of the centenary of the Faith in Europe Nov. 27. The spot was where a photo of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was taken in 1911 during His visit to Paris. Bahá’í International News Service

A ‘CLEAN’ SONG

Bahá’í children in Port Vila, Vanuatu, perform an “action song” about cleanliness during the Betha Dobbins Award ceremony last fall. More than 150 people gathered for the October event at the South Pacific island country’s Bahá’í National Center. Bahá’í International News Service

EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

• Thailand: Her Royal Highness Princess Soamswali ceremonially opened the new National Bahá’í Center in Bangkok in a formal celebration Nov. 26.

“It was the greatest proclamation event in the 50-year history of the Faith in Thailand, as six television channels carried news of the opening and some of the teachings of the Faith,” a National Spiritual Assembly report said.

Numerous officials were invited, including the prime minister and several Cabinet members. Counselor Zena Sorabjee was a guest of honor, and the National Assemblies of Japan, Malaysia and Singapore sent representatives.

Welcomed with a gift of flowers from the National Assembly, the princess was presented during the program with several books of Bahá’í Writings. She then pressed a button to unveil the sign on the center, and walked in as the first official guest. The princess also viewed an exhibition on the Faith, asked several questions, and watched children’s performances.

• Botswana: The president of this country praised Bahá’í ideals of “peace, love and respect for humanity” at a gathering of 300, including numerous international dignitaries, at a United Nations Day ceremony Oct. 23 in Gaborone. President Festus Mogae noted the diversity of the gathering and said, “It is not by coincidence that the U.N. agencies here and the ‎Bahá’í’s Bahá’ís‎ combined efforts to celebrate United Nations Day.” He concluded by quoting from a Hidden Word: “O brethren! Let deeds, not words, be your adorning.” ◆

TEACHING

• New Caledonia and the Loyalty Islands: Teaching reached a new level in this south-western Pacific island group, with more than 50 declarations of faith from August through December. The National Spiritual Assembly reported that much of this result was due to about two years’ perseverance by a believer who worked “to overcome the reticence of the inhabitants of the commune of Thio, which has been a national goal area since the Three Year Plan.” The Assembly also cited the widely supported participation of women and youth.

• Mongolia: U.S. Bahá’í and jazz pianist Bob Bellows supported the ‎Bahá’í’s Bahá’ís‎ in three cities during a monthlong concert and educational tour. Public ‎performacnes performances‎ in Sainshand, Baganur and Ulanbataar were accompanied by radio interviews and firesides. Several people declared their faith in Bahá’u’lláh and a number of others expressed interest. Bellows also lectured on jazz to music students, and played and sang with about 50 children at an orphanage.

• Puerto Rico: A newspaper item headlined “Bahá’í Prayers Saved Life During Hurricane” was a “huge proclamation of the Faith in all the island,” the Continental Board of Counselors reported. The story told of a Bahá’í family in San Juan that was saying prayers as Hurricane George was destroying thousands of homes. They remembered to include a single neighbor in their prayers, and at that moment they heard a huge noise from the neighbor’s home. Later, their neighbor “told them that just before the noise she had been closing a window, and when she took two steps backwards, a huge piece of cement fell down in the veranda and she was miraculously saved.” She was extremely grateful when told the family had been praying for her, and she mentioned the prayers in newspaper and television interviews. ◆

DEVELOPMENT

• El Salvador: The Bahá’í community provided materials for a high-level workshop on the issues of poverty and social exclusion, as part of consultation toward a “Plan for the Nation” ordered by the president. On government invitation, two members of the National Spiritual Assembly attended and contributed to a second workshop, on “effort, honesty, quality and excellence,” and has contributed books to a study being done by the National Secretariat for the Family. ◆

EDUCATION

• Samoa: More than 150 educators at a national government seminar on early childhood education Nov. 3–4 visited the Bahá’í Montessori School in Apia, where the curriculum, particularly the Virtues Program, was demonstrated. Some participants commented they felt the Bahá’í school was the best pre-school in Samoa. ◆

More news from the Bahá’í International News Service is available through the national Administrative Web Site (www.usbnc.org). You will need your U.S. Bahá’í ID number to log in to this site. [Page 24]“So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth.” —Bahá’u’lláh, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p.14

TRUE WEALTH

TRUSTWORTHINESS: THE PRIME REQUISITE

What is an essential requirement for a treasurer?

Although having some knowledge and experience in finance and accounting is helpful to one’s service as a treasurer, the Universal House of Justice has clearly stated that a prime requisite in those who care for the Bahá’í Funds is trustworthiness. Bahá’u’lláh explains why trustworthiness is so important:

“Trustworthiness is the greatest portal leading unto the tranquillity and security of the people. In truth the stability of every affair hath depended and doth depend upon it. All the domains of power, of grandeur and of wealth are illumined by its light.” (Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 37)

Also, the Universal House of Justice explains the relationship of a treasurer’s trustworthiness to our contributions to the Funds of the Faith:

“A primary requisite for all who have responsibility for the care of the funds of the Faith is trustworthiness. This, as Bahá’u’lláh has stressed, is one of the most basic and vital of all human virtues, and its exercise has a direct and profound influence on the willingness of the believers to contribute to the Fund.” (From a Memorandum of Comments and Suggestions attached to a letter to all National Spiritual Assemblies, Aug. 7, 1985)

So, being trustworthy is vital to the growth and maturation of the Bahá’í Faith, because this virtue when manifested in the treasurer strengthens our relationship to the Funds.

• Why is it important for youth to know the prime requisite for a treasurer since some of us might not be old enough yet to serve on an Assembly?
• Why is it important to know even if we don’t serve on an Assembly?

500 FIRESIDE CAMPAIGN

THE GOAL IS STILL AHEAD OF US

A big thank you goes out to all those who reported on the firesides held last semester. To date, a total of 195 have been reported to the National Youth Committee. This is a wonderful accomplishment, and all those who held a fireside are to be thanked. However, we must also recognize that this was far short of our goal of 500.

We are certain many firesides were not reported, and want to use this opportunity to encourage each Bahá’í Campus Association to keep us informed about your activities (this means you!).

Furthermore, we would like to encourage each individual and club to consider setting a personal fireside goal for this spring semester, and then arise to meet and even surpass this goal.

REPORTED CAMPUS FIRESIDES

NORTHEAST (37) Connecticut College, New London (2) Cornell University, Ithaca, NY (15) Northeastern University, Boston, MA (1) Pennsylvania State University, State College (16) Yale University, New Haven, CT (3)	SOUTH (105) James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA (1) Mary Washington College, Fredericksburg, VA (5) Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro (19) Rice University, Houston, TX (13) University of Arizona, Tucson (4) University of Texas-Austin (32) University of Virginia, Charlottesville (16) Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN (15)
WEST (31) University of California-Davis (3) UC-Irvine (3) UC-Los Angeles (5) UC-San Diego (9) UC-Santa Cruz (3) University of Southern California, Los Angeles (8)	CENTRAL (22) Millikin University, Decatur, IL (5) University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (17)

‘Reflections’ still shine the light

Spotlighted over a year ago in The American Bahá’í, the Reflections of Diversity Utah Bahá’í Youth Workshop continues to travel and serve regularly. In December, they performed in seven venues, including a detention center, a church, a children’s hospital and several schools. Go youth!!

DO YOU WANT TO BE ON THE YOUTH PAGE?

If you have articles or pictures you want published on this page, please send them to the National Youth Committee!

We are looking for exciting and informative material to help all Bahá’í youth arise to serve the Faith.

National Youth Committee c/o Bahá’í National Center 1233 Central St. Evanston, IL 60201 phone 847-733-3499 e-mail

‘HEROIC DEEDS OF SERVICE’ NATIONAL YOUTH CAMPAIGN: THE DEADLINE APPROACHETH!

Time is running out!

Dear friends,

With a little over a year left in the Four Year Plan, pledges of heroism are funneling through our office. We have already received 195 pledges from American Bahá’í youth of all ages!

Our beloved Universal House of Justice has asked the North 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.” As lovers of Bahá’u’lláh, what choice have we but to show obedience and love, and to demonstrate in the most tangible way possible that we have risen to the call! What a bounty to be able to give a gift to the House of Justice!

A gift of service, of sacrifice, of heroism ... to show our beloved institution that we, the Bahá’í youth of North America, won’t linger or hesitate for one moment to do our part in fulfilling the goals of the Four Year Plan.

At Ridván 156, in just over one month, the National Youth Committee will send the pledges we receive to the Universal House of Justice. Although we would be overjoyed to receive more pledges after April, we encourage you to send in your pledge sheet by then so it will be part of the gift to the Universal House of Justice.

We would be overjoyed to receive a letter or e-mail from you with this information:

1. What heroic deed of service to the Cause will you perform? If your heroic deed is of a private nature, you may describe it in a general way that conveys the spirit of your efforts without including 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 heroic deed of service to the Cause.

Those who send in pledge sheets 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. [Page 25]

IMMEDIATE NEEDS

Bahá’í Media Services, Wilmette: Print Production Specialist. 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 environment; experience with Illustrator and Freehand; skill in verbal and written communication; ability to work with minimum supervision.

Bahá’í Media Services, Wilmette: Administrative Assistant. Supports day-to-day operations in the office; combines office work with unorthodox and unexpected requests to provide support for Media Services projects and personnel; responsible for procurement of and payment for goods and services; maintains budget; directs all incoming communications including faxes, e-mail, phone calls and mail to the staff; assists Media Archives library.

Office of the Treasurer, Evanston: Controller. Responsible for financial operations of the National Spiritual Assembly, including budget and cash management, reporting and control. Directly responsible for accounting systems/methods and all personnel issues of the Accounting Department of the Office of the Treasurer. Reports to the Chief Financial Officer and, on matters affecting operational or financial integrity, directly to the National Spiritual Assembly, its treasurer and its secretary-general. Maintains relationships with all department coordinators/managers. Qualifications: High degree of honesty and integrity; five years’ experience as controller of a mid-sized corporation or not-for-profit entity; bachelor’s degree in accounting (CPA preferred but not required); exceptional math and financial analysis skills. Must be organized, have good communication and people skills, and be able to function consultatively in a fast-moving environment.

Office of the Treasurer, Evanston: Accountant. Needs strong interpersonal and analytical skills and familiarity with integrated PC-based accounting software. Experience in implementing internal control procedures is highly desirable. Must have degree in accounting or equivalent accounting experience. Some travel required. Must be able to maintain a sense of humor while working in a fast-paced, flexible environment. Appreciation for the importance of confidentiality essential.

If interested, contact the Office of Human Resources, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201 (phone 847-733-3427, fax 847-733-3430).

PAID SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES AT THE BAHÁ’Í NATIONAL OFFICES

YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED

to submit your résumé for one of these paid positions at the Bahá’í National Center and other agencies of the National Spiritual Assembly. These are full-time positions (unless otherwise indicated) with very good medical and dental benefits.

We look forward to hearing from you.

AT THE BAHÁ’Í NATIONAL CENTER EVANSTON, ILLINOIS

Administrative Assistant, Education and Schools Office. A key position in the administrative functioning of the Education and Schools Organization (ESO), this person is the contact point both internally and externally. Responsible for administrative support of the office, the Education and Schools Coordinator, the Education Task Force, permanent schools and administrators and Institute for Bahá’í Studies. Must be able to produce error-free documents; word processing 55-60 wpm. Must be able to organize the workload and establish priorities; strong organizational skills, strong database management and desktop publishing skills. Needs excellent verbal and written communication skills; we prefer familiarity with professional education vocabulary and procedures, and familiarity with Bahá’í Sacred Writings on education.

Program Assistant, Persian/American Affairs Office. Assists the manager of the Persian/American Affairs Office or the Program Coordinator in following up on the execution of programs and projects. Performs general office functions and related work. Monitors various related projects; handles incoming and outgoing correspondence in Persian and English; translates documents and letters as needed into and from Persian; handles records management. Needs written and oral communication skills in Persian and English; knowledge of Bahá’í administrative practices; familiarity with Iranian culture; English and Persian typing of at least 30 wpm; good knowledge of general office practices; ability to perform detailed work with frequent interruptions.

Administrative Assistants. Several openings possible. Will initiate and coordinate clerical and secretarial functions required to implement administrative needs effectively. Must be deepened Bahá’í well-grounded in the spiritual principles and administration of the Bahá’í Faith. Must perform administrative duties in a mature, efficient and professional manner; must be familiar with computer word processing applications (Windows 95, Word, e-mail and various databases extremely helpful); good communicator, highly organized, confident and capable of working steadily, often on many things at once. Must be able to speak, read and write English.

If interested in any of these positions, contact the Office of Human Resources, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201 (phone 847-733-3427, fax 847-733-3430).

AT WLGI RADIO BAHÁ’Í HEMINGWAY, SOUTH CAROLINA

Radio Coordinator to manage operation of the Bahá’í radio station. Will help formulate and implement plans for development of station operations, facilities and services; evaluate the station’s performance, especially in relation to its audience; supervise, recruit and evaluate personnel; formulate a budget; oversee communications within and outside the Bahá’í community; ensure compliance with laws and regulations; promote Bahá’í standards among station staff, volunteers and members of the community; and assume on-air shifts and other tasks. Required: 3 years radio management experience or 5 years related management experience, including financial; Bahá’í administrative experience; record of human relations and communications skills. Desired: Master’s degree in radio broadcasting or equivalent experience; wide-ranging knowledge/experience in all aspects of radio station operations; training in principles of Bahá’í Radio. If interested, contact the Office of Human Resources, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201 (phone 847-733-3427, fax 847-733-3430).

OFFICE OF INFORMATION SERVICES BAHÁ’Í NATIONAL CENTER

Systems and support manager. Responsible for management of operations group, technical support team, applications group and help desk. Assigns work orders to staff and tracks their timely completion.

Applications developer. Provides high-level analysis, design and implementation of information systems. Familiar with a variety of technologies including Visual tools, database tools, and Web tools.

Network administrator/engineer. Responsible for configuration, maintenance and security of all computer networking infrastructure (LAN and WAN) including servers, cabling, routers, switches and NIC’s. Maintains documentation of the network and servers setup and structure.

Telephone administrator. Responsible for all phone systems including change/add orders, triage, vendor relationship, basic wiring. Planning for new phone system installation, including system selection (in consultation with others).

Help desk. Coordinates all requests for assistance with computer issues. Prioritizes and logs requests, triages problems and assigns to technicians. Acts as telephone support for standard desktop issues.

LSAI Support. Coordinates support activities for LSAI project. Provides training and support for LSAI. Handles initial requests for support, escalates support issues to support team when necessary (LSAI help desk). Develops training related communications materials. Assists promotion and education on the LSAI project.

Database administrator. Coordinates all database development. Responsible for Enterprise SQL server including security rights, table design, normalization. Responsible for design and implementation of user and departmental applications as front ends to SQL using MS Access, VB, or other tools as determined.

Internet developer. Assists the Internet Systems Development team in development of Web sites and Internet applications. Strong graphics design skills desired. Will coordinate appearance and production of Web sites.

Data entry clerk, Membership Office. Will transcribe contact information from the 800-22-UNITE voice-mail system. Needs transcription experience; will cooperate with National Teaching Committee office.

If interested in any of these positions, contact the Office of Human Resources, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201 (phone 847-733-3427, fax 847-733-3430).

AT BAHÁ’Í MEDIA SERVICES, WILMETTE

Associate Editor, Brilliant Star, part-time. Works with Managing Editor to coordinate and execute all phases of magazine development. Will compile, evaluate and edit assigned or submitted content; help contributors develop their work; help edit and proofread manuscript, proofs and layout; network with authors and artists to encourage and acquire content; conduct research for manuscript and art; respond to correspondence; assist with marketing and promotion. Needs excellent editing skills/judgment in children’s publishing (age range 6–12) plus strong command of written and content development; minimum 1-2 years’ experience in writing, publishing and/or print production in children’s or educational publishing; excellent verbal and written communication skills; ability to work with minimum of supervision under deadline pressure. Should be located within 100 miles of Evanston/Wilmette. If interested, contact the Office of Human Resources, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201 (phone 847-733-3427, fax 847-733-3430).

AT BAHÁ’Í TRADE PUBLISHING FULTON COUNTY, GEORGIA

Publisher, Bahá’í Trade Publishing. General manager and chief operating officer; public and legal spokesperson. Responsible for the product quality and financial results of the enterprise. Oversees general directions, policies, interdepartmental collaboration and business in a manner that achieves the wish of the National Spiritual Assembly to develop a presence for Bahá’í literature in retail bookstores and libraries. Qualifications: Excellent written and oral communication skills; excellent presentation, negotiation and problem-solving skills; expertise in publishing and business management, including financial, personnel and marketing management; extensive knowledge of literature and Bahá’í principles; at least bachelor’s degree with related work experience; knowledge of or experience in distribution and/or publishing business; service on Bahá’í administrative institutions in various capacities.

Office Manager, Bahá’í Trade Publishing. Supervises day-to-day operations of Bahá’í Trade Publishing with special focus on acquisitions, editorial and administrative functions. Helps the publisher develop and manage this new enterprise. Develops and maintains office management systems for smooth administration. Qualifications: Excellent written and oral communication skills; expertise in publishing and business management; high level of organizational skills and ability to meet deadlines; at least bachelor’s degree with related work experience; expertise with spreadsheets, word processing, database management and other business software; knowledge of or experience in distribution and publishing business; knowledge of literature and Bahá’í principles.

If interested in either position, contact the Office of Human Resources, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201 (phone 847-733-3427, fax 847-733-3430).

AT BAHÁ’Í DISTRIBUTION SERVICE FULTON COUNTY, GEORGIA

Assistant Manager: Supervises day-to-day operations of BDS with special focus on marketing and customer service. Promotes sale of Bahá’í books, music, periodicals and special materials through the Bahá’í Distribution Service and Subscriber Service. Qualifications: Ability to represent the National Spiritual Assembly and the Bahá’í Faith in a consistent and dignified manner in all communications; ability to apply Bahá’í principles and management skills to lead and develop people; varied expertise in communication: business reporting, correspondence, negotiating, consultation and facilitation; bachelor’s degree with related work experience; familiarity with content and usage of Bahá’í literature; high degree of computer literacy with special focus on developing and maintaining Web sites; financial and business management experience; retail sales and marketing experience in a similar industry.

Shipping/Receiving Clerk. Responsibilities include pulling, picking and packing orders, inventory receipts and returns, warehouse organization and inventory disposition. Should have warehouse experience and knowledge of various shipping methods and regulations (primarily domestic). Should be detail-oriented and in good health.

If interested in either position, please contact the Office of Human Resources, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201 (phone 847-733-3427, fax 847-733-3430) or Ford Bowers (phone 800-999-9019 ext. 111). [Page 26]Classified notices in The American Bahá’í are published free of charge to the Bahá’í community. Because of this, 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

At Bosch Bahá’í School Children’s teacher, energetic and vibrant, for a permanent, full-time position. Needs experience teaching children of various ages, either professionally or extensively for a Bahá’í school (Core Curriculum training preferred, will be provided if necessary); willingness to adapt teaching styles to new visions for spiritual education as directed by the National Education Task Force and the National Spiritual Assembly; spiritual maturity and attitudes consistent with serving and living in a full-time Bahá’í community: love for the friends and for children, service, exemplary behavior, friendliness and hospitality, perseverance, flexibility, strong work ethic. Full benefits; on-campus housing may be available. For information or to submit a ‎rèsumé résumé‎, please contact Linda Bedford, Co-Administrator, Bosch Bahá’í School, 500 Comstock Lane, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 (phone 831-423-3387, fax 831-423-7564, e-mail ).

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. We need a resourceful person dedicated to courtesy, meticulous attention to detail. Minorities, women encouraged to apply. 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 ).

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

SOMETHING NEW! The Office of Pioneering has consulted on the best way to help the friends considering international service, given our limited resources. After evaluating the current situation and estimating the future needs of the friends, a few months ago we changed the jobs listings. All positions received from Bahá’í Institutions will be listed. In addition, a compilation of Web site and e-mail addresses for job searches will soon be a standard feature. It is our hope that this change will give you greater flexibility and resources.

Urgent need in CANADA: Principal for Maxwell International Bahá’í School, grades 7-12. Educates, prepares diverse students for lifetime of service to humanity. Deadline to apply: March 19.

BAHAMAS: Self-supporting couple to serve as caretakers for the National Center.

BELIZE: Couple or individual to serve as caretaker for Bahá’í Center in Belmopan, national capital.

COSTA RICA: Full-time service for 6-12 months for Spanish-speaking, self-supporting (preferred) youth to work with Bahá’í Youth Workshop.

EASTERN CAROLINE ISLANDS: Custodian/Caretakers (independent means).

SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES AT THE BAHÁ’Í WORLD CENTER The MOUNT CARMEL PROJECTS, constructing the buildings and terraces of the Arc in Haifa, Israel, have the following opportunities for service: Gardeners/horticulturists. Needed at all levels of practical knowledge, from basic maintenance skills to advanced professional experience. Industrial/commercial plumber. Needs experience in all aspects of the trade, including drainage, fittings, etc. To apply, please mail or fax résumé to Mount Carmel Projects, Project Manager’s Office, P.O. Box 155, 31 001 Haifa, Israel (phone 972 (4) 835-8237, fax 972 (4) 835-8437, e-mail ). OPPORTUNITIES FOR SKILLED WORKERS AT THE BAHÁ’Í WORLD CENTER in Haifa, Israel, in the following areas: Archives • Bahá’í administration • Building trades Cleaning maintenance • Finance/accounting • Guard duties • Horticulture Information systems • Library science • Management • Museum science Personnel services • Purchasing • Research • Records management Secretarial services • Social and Economic Development To send your résumé or CV to inquire about a position, contact: Office of Personnel, Bahá’í World Center, P.O. Box 155, 31 001 Haifa, ISRAEL (fax 972 (4) 835 8325, e-mail )

GAMBIA: Permanent Institute manager.

HONDURAS: Elementary and secondary school teachers.

MACAU: The School of Nations needs qualified kindergarten, primary and secondary teachers.

SAMOA: Full-time caretakers for House of Worship with extensive practical skills (e.g. building maintenance, gardening, etc.); prefer those with independent means.

SOLOMON ISLANDS: Self-supporting couple to serve as custodians of the Bahá’í Center in Honiara. Volunteer to train National Center office staff.

THAILAND: Volunteers needed in various areas of the country to help keep local centers open, assist with administrative tasks at the National Center, teach within hill tribe communities, etc. These opportunities are open to youth.

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, medical records officer.

VENEZUELA: Self-supporting couple (preferable) to serve as caretakers of the Bahá’í National Center and assistants to the National Assembly secretary. Pioneers are urgently needed in Mérida, a beautiful location in the Andes.

WESTERN CAROLINE ISLANDS: Custodian/caretakers (independent means). For additional information regarding jobs and study abroad, please contact the Office of Pioneering, Bahá’í National Center, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201 If you live in:

• Northeast or Central States, call Alex Blakeson (847-733-3511).
• Southern States, call Sherdeana Jordan (847-733-3507).
• Western States, call Aurore Ragston (phone 847-733-3512).

Or contact the Office of Pioneering (phone 847-733-3508, e-mail ).

PIONEERING / HOMEFRONT

Eau Claire in northwestern Wisconsin needs college-age Bahá’ís! Our city of 55,000 is home to the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, a nationally recognized university. We are looking for students to lead the teaching charge—both to revitalize the Bahá’í Campus Club, which is in jeopardy of losing its university affiliation, and to work ‎with with with‎ other youth in the community. Please contact the Spiritual Assembly of Eau Claire (phone 715-834-0427, e-mail ).

Hall County, Georgia, is a small community of active teachers. Our Assembly may be jeopardized this year and we need more minority and Spanish-speaking Bahá’ís. About an hour northeast of Atlanta, Gainesville/Hall County has jobs in construction, medical, office, manufacturing, retail and service, plus two colleges. Teaching opportunities in English and Spanish abound. We work with friends nearby on teaching, deepening and media projects. Please contact the Spiritual Assembly of Hall County c/o Vida Monajem (phone 770-534-6330) or the Neiheisels (e-mail ).

Help rescue the jeopardized 25-year-old Spiritual Assembly of Bisbee, Arizona, the only Assembly in Cochise County. A charming former mining town, this resort community of 6,200 has a low cost of living and a dynamic art community: galleries, craft shops, live theater. Nestled on the slopes of the Mule Mountains southeast of Tucson, Bisbee is blessed with a mild, sunny climate. Employment in town or within 25 miles includes government, hospitals and medical/nursing, education including charter schools and three colleges. Also ideal for self-employed or retired. Spanish-speaking believers would be a plus. Please contact the Assembly of Bisbee, P.O. Box 1813, Bisbee, AZ 85603 (phone 520-432-3426 or 520-432-4654, e-mail ).

Jamestown, New York, is a small, hardworking community not far from Buffalo, NY, and Erie, PA. We are involved in a communitywide racial dialogue that is beginning to impact local education, employment and government policies. We participated in a project for the world-renowned Chautauqua Institution. And our Bahá’í community only has five active adults! Help us raise an Assembly in this city of 30,000 in a county of 145,000. The job market is somewhat limited but we feel Bahá’u’lláh will provide appropriate opportunities. For inquiries, please contact Esther and William DeTally, Jamestown, NY 14701 (phone 716-484-7698, e-mail ).

Jeddito (“Antelope Water”) on the Navajo Indian Reservation, which will have only one Bahá’í next school year, has a real need for homefront pioneers. Also, the Hopi Reservation nearby currently has no Bahá’í community. At the school in Jeddito, Navajo, Hopi and Tewa Indian students and staff set aside their differences to study and work together. There are many openings every year in the teaching and medical fields. Please contact Penny Boivin (phone 520-738-5424, e-mail ).

Help raise a Spiritual Assembly in Cheyenne, Wyoming. This capital city of 52,000 has clean air, unusual/fun weather and no state income tax. State, county, city and medical jobs are available as well as miscellaneous others. A packet of information is available from the Cheyenne Bahá’í community, P.O. Box 20763, Cheyenne, WY 82003 (phone 307-638-4445, e-mail ).

PROJECTS WITHIN U.S.

Unique project: Teaching and fun in the Midwest! For the past 25 years the Gus Macker 3-on-3 street basketball tournaments have taken place without representation from the Bahá’í Faith. We plan to organize at least one 3- to 4-person team at several of the games as the tournament travels around the central region. We are looking for boys and girls, ages 11-16, to compete in T-shirts proclaiming the principles of the Faith to many of the 1.7 million spectators, and to mingle and invite interested people to Bahá’í youth gatherings in various cities. We also need adult chaperones and coordinators. What a great way to spend the summer! Please contact the Spiritual Assembly ‎of-Eagan of Eagan‎, Minnesota, in care of Nancy Murphy (phone 651-686-8859, e-mail ).

WANTED

Help the Green Lake Bahá’í Conference compile its history for the 40th annual conference, Aug. 27–29. The conference committee is seeking any memories, personal stories, pictures, videotapes, programs or other memorabilia you may have tucked away. Did you, family members, or friends declare at Green Lake? Serve the conference in some way? Have a transforming experience or realization there? Share your most outstanding memories. Contact Lori Block, secretary, at , Green Bay, WI 54301 (phone 920-432-7110, e-mail ).

The Spiritual Assembly of Stillwater, Oklahoma, is seeking information about the early Bahá’ís and community of Stillwater, for the dedication of its new Bahá’í center on May 2. For information, contact the Assembly secretary (phone 405-624-3225, e-mail ) or write to Bonnie Milby, St., Stillwater, OK 74075-7909.

ARCHIVES

The National Bahá’í Archives is seeking, at the request of the Universal House of Justice, original letters written on behalf of the Guardian to the following individuals: Carrick C. Cloud, Grace R. Cody, Mary E. Coffin, Adeline P. Cole, Betty G. Cole, Dale S. Cole, Katharine P. Cole, Ina Coleman and L.F. Coles. 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 (phone 847-869-9039).

The National Bahá’í Archives is seeking copies of the following books by Bahá’u’lláh in good or excellent condition: The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh (paper, 1933, 1970, 1971, 1979), The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh (cloth, 1943, 1949, 1980) and The Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys (cloth and paper, 1957). Anyone with copies they could donate is asked to send them to the National Bahá’í Archives, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201-1611. [Page 27]خورشید در طلیعه اعتدال بهار می آید و نه تنها تیغه‌های زرین نورش را بر پهندشت ایران می تابد بلکه بر همهٔ کشورهای جهان در هر کجا که حتی یک نفر بهائی وجود دارد، پرتوی زرین می اندازد. به دلیل آنکه قلم اعلی نوروز را جشن آغاز سال قرار دادند و با قبول حضرت بهاءالله این روز فرخنده به عنوان آغاز سال بهائی برگزیده شد، عید باستانی نوروز با سرافرازی از فرهنگ ایرانی به فرهنگ جهانی بهائی راه یافت و با همه زیبایی از سرزمین‌های قطبی تا مناطق گرمسیری و از شرق تا غرب عالم در بین ملل گوناگون و نژادهای مختلف گسترده شد.

اگر نوروز در ایران تنها جشن رستاخیز طبیعت و دمیدن روح حیات در جملهٔ کائنات بود، با طلوع شمس حقیقت از آن مشرق آریائی اشعهٔ تابناکش حیات جاودان به کالبد مردهٔ جهان و جهانیان بخشید و جشن نوروز بازگوی نمادین رستاخیز روحانی، قیامت معنوی و بازگشت مردگان به زندگانی ابدی شد.

و گر چه در آئین زردشت، دین باستانی ایران نوروز جشن آفرینش نژادها بود، این عید فرخنده در آئین جهانی بهائی به جشن آفرینندگی وحدت نوع انسان و همبستگی نژادها بدل گشت. در این بهار روحانی نوروز روزی است نو که همراه و همراز با بیداری و سرسبزی طبیعت دگرگونی معنوی برای انسان به ارمغان می‌آورد. گیتی را به بوستان خرمی بدل می‌سازد که در آن سیاه و سرخ و زرد و سپید جلوه‌ای همسان می‌یابند. غنچه‌های سربستهٔ نابرابری‌های خرد و کلان در کنار گل‌های شکفته و شکوفه‌های نورسته هموار می‌شوند. در این اعتدال ورجاوند در پرتو دلنواز آفتاب عالمتاب کینه‌ها و دشمنی‌ها از میان می رود. قلب‌ها رنگ الفت و مهر می‌پذیرد. کدورت‌ها و بدبینی‌ها از جان‌ها زدوده می‌شود و زوایای تاریک و سرد نفرت‌ها گرمی دوستی می‌یابد. جای هر زشتی را زیبائی و هر تاریکی را روشنائی می‌گیرد. نوروز در فرهنگ بهائی بشارت‌گر توسعهٔ صلح است و امنیت، تفاهم است و رفاه عمومی، رافع پریشانی‌هاست و پراکننده دل‌ها. مدافع حرمت انسانی است و اصالت تمدن بشری.

باری نوروز هزاران هزار سال است به پای ایستاده و سیلاب زمان تنها غبار سالیان را از چهره‌اش زدوده است. شگفتا که سیمای دلپذیر این پیر سرسپید در هر زمان و به هر مکان رنگی دیگر دارد و رد پا و قدمگاهش در مسیر تاریخ با جلوه‌هائی دیگرگون هویدا و نمایان است.

در تاریخ دیانت مقدس بهائی نیز از آغاز سحرگاه سیمین آن، یعنی ظهور مبشر یگانه‌اش حضرت رب اعلی و سپس در زمان شکفتن خورشید من یظهره‌الله آن جمال بی‌همتا حضرت بهاءالله و در دور میثاق آن عصارهٔ مهر و مظهر وفا حضرت عبدالبهاء، و در عصر آن دردانه گوهر یکتا، مبین دانا و توانا حضرت ولی‌محبوب امرالله تا زمان حال جشن نوروزی پیوسته با شکوهی تمام در نقش‌هائی دلکش لیکن متفاوت برگزار شده است.

هر چند زردشت در آئین مقدس خویش اعتدال ربیعی را به نام اهورا مزدا منسوب کرد، اما قلم اعلی آن را مخصوص من یظهره الله "بهاء" نامیده و می‌فرمایند: بهاء کل شهور در آن شهر است. و در کتاب بیان فارسی، باب ۱۴ از واحد ۶، می فرمایند: خداوند عالم در میان ایام یومی را منسوب به خود فرموده و آن را يوم‌الله خوانده و آن یومی است که شمس منتقل می‌گردد از برج حوت به حمل. حضرت بهاءالله در کتاب مستطاب اقدس می‌فرمایند: و جعلنا النیروز عیداً لکم. و حضرت عبدالبهاء دربارهٔ برگزاری جشن نوروز در ایران می‌فرمایند: فی‌الحقیقه در ایران خوب عید می‌گیرند. معلوم است که عید می‌گیرند. به صورت تنها نیست. اوقاتی که من در ایران بودم چه قیامتی می‌کردند. خصوصاً دردهات جمیع اسباب سرور را فراهم می‌آوردند. (ایام تسعه، صص ‎۳۴۸-۳۴۷ ۳۴۷-۳۴۸‎)

ما بهائیان ایران که اکنون سال‌هاست خارج از کشور زندگی می‌کنیم در هر کجا که ساکن هستیم شایسته است نوروز را با تمام سنت‌های کهن و همیشه پایدار آن جشن بگیریم و با شرکت دادن دوستان غیربهائی خود در مراسم بزرگداشت این عید فرخنده عظمت و شکوه باستانی و هویت دینی آن را در دیدگاه جهانیان بگذاریم. باید کوشا باشیم تا دل و جان ما چون بهاران تازه و پربار باشد و جامعه ما از این خرمی به جنبش و پویائی در آید. در قلب‌ها بهاری ایجاد کنیم که جاودان باشد و خزانی به همراه نیاورد.

این خطابه گرانقدر حضرت عبدالبهاء، بازتابی از فلسفه حیات بهائی است که فرموده‌اند: در آن روز نهایت سرور و نهایت حبور و نهایت شادمانی ظاهر کنند. دیدن یکدیگر نمایند و اگر چنانچه بین نفوس کدورتی حاصل، در آن روز آشتی کنند و آن اغبرار و آن دل‌شکستگی زائل شود. دوباره به الفت و محبت پردازند. (مجموعهٔ خطابات، چاپ آلمان، ص ۷۷۷)

چه زیباست که در هر نوروز بیان گهربار مولای مهربان خود را در خطابه بالا به یاد آوریم که فرموده‌اند احبای الهی در چنین روزی البته باید یک آثار خیریه صوریه یا آثار خیریه معنویه بگذارند که آن آثار خیریه شمول بر جمیع نوع انسانی داشته باشد. (حضرت عبدالبهاء، نوروز ۱۳۳۰ ه ق، مأخذ بالا، ص ۷۷۹)

عید نوروز و طلیعهٔ بهار بر همهٔ جهانیان به ویژه ایرانیان عزیز خجسته باد.

آگهی

چون دفتری دربارهٔ ماجراهای تاریخی، داستان‌های شنیدنی و آئین‌های ویژهٔ نوروزی در عالم بهائی در دست نگارش دارم، دست یاری به سوی خوانندگان نشریه "آمریکن بهائی" دراز می‌کنم و تمنا دارم تا هر کس خاطره‌ای شیرین و داستانی شنیدنی از برگزاری مراسم نوروز در پیشگاه طلعات قدسیه یا بزرگان عالم بهائی دارد، در این رهگذر مرا مدد نماید.

سیمین شیبانی (شکوهی) ۳۳۴-۶۹۵۱ (۹۷۳)

Dr. S. Sheybani Lincoln Park, NJ 07035

برگ نام نویسی نهمین کنفرانس سالانه

انجمن دوستداران فرهنگ ایرانی

۲۷-۳۱ می ۱۹۹۹

REGISTRATION FORM NINTH ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE FRIENDS OF PERSIAN CULTURE May 27-31, 1999

نام و نام خانوادگی _____________________________

نشانی _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________

شماره تلفن _____________________________

نام و نام خانوادگی همراهان _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________

شماره چک _____________________________ یا کارت اعتبار (ویزا __) یا (مسترکارت __) شماره کارت اعتبار _____________________________ تاریخ انقضاء کارت اعتبار _____________________________

مبلغ پرداختی (۳۵ دلار برای هر نفر): ____________ در وجه : Bahá’í Services Fund

• دیدار از اماکن تاریخی امری شیکاگو با اتوبوس شنبه صبح ۲۹ ‎می(چنانچه می (چنانچه‎ علاقه‌مند باشید که در این دیدار شرکت کنید لطفاً ۱۵ دلار خرج کرایه اتوبوس را برای دیدار پنج ساعته به مبلغ نام‌نویسی اضافه کنید).

لطفاً این برگ را همراه با وجه پرداختی به نشانی زیر ارسال فرمائید:

Persian/American Affairs Office Bahá’í National Center 1233 Central Street Evanston, IL 60201

برای اطلاعات بیشتر با دفتر امور احبای ایرانی/آمریکایی به شماره‌های زیر تماس بگیرید: ۸۴۷-۷۳۳-۳۵۲۸ و ۸۴۷-۷۳۳-۳۵۳۱

کنفرانس حیات بهائی

BAHÁ’Í LIFE CONFERENCE

هیأت ناحیه‌ای امور احبای ایرانی/آمریکائی با کمال مسرت تشکیل نخستین کنفرانس حیات بهائی را به استادی جناب دکتر ریاض قدیمی در مرکز بهائی شهر سان فرانسیسکو در روزهای یکشنبه و دوشنبه ۳۰ و ۳۱ می امسال به اطلاع یاران الهی می‌رساند. برای اطلاعات بیشتر با شماره ۸۳۱-۴۲۱-۹۹۲۹ (بهیه فرخی) تماس بگیرید. [Page 28]برنامه‌ای درباره زندگی مدگار اورز Medgar Evers یکی از رهبران نهضت آزادی و حقوق سیاه‌پوستان اجرا کرد که در پایان آن شرکت‌کنندگان کف‌زنان به پا خاستند. از گروه کُر دعوت شده است که در دو جلسهٔ دیگر برنامه اجرا کنند. سه تن از اعضای سازمان مارتین لوتر کینگ را احیاء، تشکیل می‌دهند و سازمان مذکور از همکاری جامعه امری سن‌هوزه اظهار قدردانی کرده است.

سمپوزیوم پکن

BEIJING SYMPOSIUM

از ۱۶ تا ۱۹ ماه نوامبر سال ۱۹۹۸ یک سمپوزیوم بین‌المللی دربارهٔ فرهنگ دینی و اخلاق در پکن برگزار شد. در این سمپوزیوم بیش از ۷۰ عالم از ۱۰ کشور شرکت کردند و مقالاتی دربارهٔ دیانت بودائی و مسیحیت و اسلام و آئین کنفوسیوس و تائو و امر بهائی اقامه نمودند.

در این گردهم‌آئی تاثیر فرهنگ دینی و اخلاق بر اجتماع مورد بررسی قرار گرفت و آراء گوناگونی به صراحت مطرح شد. فضلای شرقی و غربی از برگزاری این مجمع اظهار قدردانی و سپاسگزاری کردند و از محبت و برادری که در آن احساس می‌شد اظهار رضایت نمودند و قرار گذاشتند که روابط خود را تحکیم نمایند و سمپوزیوم‌های مشابهی در آینده تشکیل دهند. در تاریخ کشور چین نخستین بار بود که کنفرانسی چندفرهنگی و مختلف‌الادیان تشکیل می‌شد. گزارش این کنفرانس در رسانه‌های عمومی و جراید درج شد.

اطلاعیه مجمع عرفان

’IRFÁN COLLOQUIA

از امسال بنا به تقاضای بسیاری از دوستان و بمنظور تسهیل شرکت در جلسات مجمع عرفان، این جلسات سالی دو بار، یک‌بار به زبان فارسی و یک‌بار به زبان انگلیسی بطور همزمان اما در جلسات جداگانه از ۸ تا ۱۱ اکتبر در مدرسهٔ بهائی لوهلن در میشیگان و از ۲۶ تا ۲۸ نوامبر در مدرسهٔ بهائی بوش در کالیفرنیا تشکیل می‌گردد.

مجمع عرفان در مدرسهٔ بهائی لوهلن اختصاص به آثار قلم اعلیٰ در دورهٔ اول عکّا (از ۱۸۶۸ تا ۱۸۸۴) و در مدرسهٔ بهائی بوش اختصاص به مطالعهٔ آثار قلم اعلیٰ در دورهٔ طهران-بغداد (از ۱۸۵۳ تا ۱۸۶۳) دارد. بعلاوه در جلساتی که به زبان انگلیسی تشکیل می‌گردد مقالات تحقیقی دربارهٔ ارتباط امر بهائی با سایر ادیان و همچنین اصول الهیّات بهائی نیز ارائه می‌شود.

ثبت نام و ذخیره جا مستقیماً توسط مدرسهٔ بهائی که محل تشکیل جلسات است انجام می‌گیرد. دوستانی که مایل به ارائه مطالعات تحقیقی خود در مجمع عرفان هستند لطفاً با دفتر ‎امور احبای امور احبای امور احبای‎ ایرانی تماس بگیرید.

دیدار از مشرق‌الاذکار

A SPECIAL VISIT TO THE HOUSE OF WORSHIP

دفتر امور مشرق‌الاذکار برنامه‌ ویژه‌ای برای دوستانی که در فاصله هائی دور از ام‌المعابد غرب زندگی می‌کنند تهیه دیده است که از برکت آن این عزیزان تجربه روحانی بی‌نظیری بیندوزند و جان و روان و وجدان روحانی خود را بهره‌مند سازند.

این برنامه شامل دیدار سه روزه‌ای از مشرق‌الاذکار ویلمت است که یکی از ۲۴ تا ۲۷ جون و دیگری از ۱۵ تا ۱۸ جولای سال جاری صورت خواهد گرفت. مهلت نام‌نویسی برای برنامه اول ۲۴ می و برای برنامه دوم ۱۵ جون سال جاری است. هر یک از این برنامه‌ها از ساعت ۶ بعد از ظهر روز پنجشنبه آغاز می‌شود و ساعت ۲ بعد از ظهر روز یکشنبه پایان می‌پذیرد. برخی از بخش‌های مهم این برنامه‌ها عبارت است از:

• دیدار از مشرق‌الاذکار و دارالآثار آن و دفتر محفل روحانی ملی و خانه سالمندان بهائی و مؤسسه مطبوعات امری و مؤسسه خدمات رسانه‌ها.
• شرکت در برنامه‌های ویژهٔ دفتر مهاجرت و لجنة ملی نشر نفحات و مؤسسه ویلمت.
• فرصت برای تلاوت آثار مبارکه در سالن مشرق‌الاذکار.
• استفاده از کتاب‌فروشی مشرق‌الاذکار.
• استفاده از برنامه‌های سمعی-بصری.

دوستان می‌توانند برای شرکت در این برنامهٔ ویژهٔ دیدار از مشرق‌الاذکار یا برای دریافت اطلاعات بیشتر با دفتر امور مشرق‌الاذکار تماس حاصل نمایند. شماره تلفن: ۲۳۲۶-۸۵۳ (۸۴۷) e-mail

کلاس‌های فشرده فارسی

INTENSIVE PERSIAN COURSE

دفتر امور احبای ایرانی/آمریکایی با همکاری مؤسسه ویلمت در نظر دارد که بار دیگر کلاس‌های فشرده‌ای برای آموزش زبان فارسی ترتیب دهد. کلاس‌های مذکور در سطح مقدماتی و متوسط خواهد بود. در صورتی که علاقه مندان تمایلی نشان دهند، یک کلاس نیز برای مطالعه آثار مبارکه به زبان فارسی تشکیل خواهد شد. این کلاس‌ها هفته‌ای پنج روز و روزانه پنج ساعت دائر خواهد بود. فعالیت‌های فرهنگی نیز برای تأثیربخشی بیشتر افزوده خواهد شد.

کلاس‌های مذکور از ۱۷ جولای تا ۶ آگست سال جاری دائر خواهد بود. شاگردان خواهند توانست از خوابگاه‌های ویژه استفاده نمایند. هزینه نام‌نویسی و مواد درسی برای هر یک از کلاس‌های سه هفته‌ای ۴۵۰ دلار و هزینه خوابگاه شبی ۲۰ دلار است. مخارج خورد و خوراک اضافه بر مبالغ بالا خواهد بود. علاقه مندان می‌توانند برای نام‌نویسی در این کلاس‌ها یا برای دریافت اطلاعات بیشتر با دفتر امور احبای ایرانی/آمریکایی تماس حاصل نمایند. شماره تلفن: ۳۵۲۶-۷۳۳ (۸۴۷)

نوروزتان مبارک باد!

یکی از خوانندگان عزیز ما دکتر سیمین شیبانی، مقاله‌ای به مناسب نوروز نگاشته و به دفتر هیئت تحریریه ارسال داشته‌اند. مناسب دیدیم که متن مقاله در این زمان که سال نو فرا می‌رسد در صفحات فارسی درج شود. و اینک مقالهٔ ایشان:

نوروز فرخ روز

به عموم جهانیان یا رب مقدم سال نو مبارک باد

ایرانیان هزاران سال است که این یادگار فرخنده را که نوروز فرخ‌روز می‌نامند، گرامی می‌دارند و بر آن ارج می‌نهند. نوروز در ایران پیش از آنکه جشنی موکول به زمان و مکان باشد، جشن طبیعت این سرزمین است. زمین از زیر پوشش سپید برف و نفس سرد زمستان بیرون می‌آید و جامه‌ای زمردین بر تن می‌کند. در نوروز خورشید به اعتدال بهاری باز می‌آید و نور آفتاب ملایم و دلنواز می‌شود.

دمید باد دلاویز و بوی جان آورد نوید کوکبهٔ گل به گلستان آورد رسید موسم نوروز و یمن مقدم او به سوی هر دلی از خرمی نشان آورد (عبید زاکانی)

با اینکه انتظار نوروز هر سال در قلب‌ها هست، لیکن چشم به راهی فردای آن چنان عمیق است که گوئی انتظار همهٔ جان‌هاست. و این مژدهٔ فردای نوروز که تارهای دل‌ها را می‌لرزاند شکوه شکفتن است و جلوهٔ رستن. لطافت وزیدن است و نمایش بار گرفتن. طراوت شکوفه‌های بهاری است و بوی روح‌پرور گل‌های صحرائی. پرواز زنبورهای عسل است و گردش مدام پروانگان رنگین‌پر. نغمهٔ دل‌انگیز مرغان خوش الحان است و ترنم ریزش باران. عطر خاک است و رائحهٔ سبزه زاران. شگفتی باغ است و تقدس کشتزاران.

این جشن نیکو و انسانی بزرگترین حلقهٔ پیوستگی فرهنگ ایرانی است. در آئین زرتشت دین باستانی ایران اعتقاد بر این است که اهورا مزدا جهان مادی را در شش بار آفرید که "شش گاهان بار" گویند و باید که مردم آن را جشن بگیرند و خدا را ستایش کنند. ششمین یا آخرین "گاهان بار" نامیده می‌شود. گویند که در این گاهان بار انسان آفریده شد و چون آفرینش انسان به پایان آمد اعتدال ربیعی بود و آن روز نوروز نامیده شد که به نام اهورا مزدا منسوب می‌شود.

به هر تقدیر و هر اعتقاد نوروز جشن شروع گردش طبیعت است و "سر سال" و "پیشانی سال نو" که می‌توان گفت "از آن زمان که ایرانیان گردش سال را و گردش طبیعت را یافتند نوروز را در آغاز آن نهادند. خیام این کشف را از جمشید می‌داند. ایرانیان هر آغازی را جشن می‌گیرند و نوروز که بزرگ‌ترین آغاز است بزرگ‌ترین جشن است با اصیل‌ترین سنت‌ها و مراسم جاودانه."

پایدار آن بنا که بنهادش دست جمشید فر خجسته نهاد بعد چندین هزار سال هنوز سر هر سال نو کند بنیاد (شهریار)

اما امروز به یمن آئین مقدس بهائی نوروز از مرزهای سنتی خود بیرون آمده و برای بهائیان به جشنی جهانی بدل شده است. نوروز هر سال با ارابهٔ طلائی [Page 29]

ترجمهٔ فارسی پیام محفل مقدس روحانی ملی خطاب به جامعهٔ بهائی آمریکا بتاريخ ۶ فبروری ۱۹۹۹ برای ضیافت شهر الملک ۱۵۵

Persian Translation of the Message of the National Spiritual Assembly to the American Bahá’í Community dated February 6, 1999 for the Feast of Mulk 155 B.E.

احبای عزیز... در نتیجه برنامه تبلیغات تلویزیونی بهائی با نمایش ویدئوی نیروی وحدت نژادی، دوازده هزار نفر از مردم آمریکا به شمارهٔ مجانی ۸۰۰ محفل روحانی ملّی تلفن کردند و درخواست اطلاعات بیشتر در بارهٔ دیانت بهائی نمودند. عدهٔ بیشتری در جلسات بهائی که جوامع محلی امری تشکیل داده بودند شرکت نمودند. پاسخ این اشخاص به دعوت بهائی نشان دهندهٔ افزایش آمادگی روحانی ملّت ما است. همان‌گونه که بیت العدل اعظم تصریح فرموده‌اند "در امریکای شمالی برای پیشرفت جریان دخول افواج مبلغین امکاناتی وجود دارد که در حال حاضر نظیر آن در هیچ منطقهٔ دیگری در جهان موجود نیست."

عدهٔ زیادی از کسانی که تلفن کردند و برای آنان اطلاعات امری فرستاده شد در جلسات بهائی شرکت نمودند. ولی به ۲۵ درصد این تلفن‌ها، یعنی تقریباً نیمی از همهٔ آنها، پاسخ داده نشده است. شاید از آن جهت که ترتیب تماس تلفنی برای ما تازگی دارد هنوز آمادگی پاسخ فوری را نداریم. با این حال، هر جامعهٔ امری باید قرار و ترتیبی دهد که به این نفوس منتظر در فاصلهٔ یک یا حد اکثر دو روز پاسخ داده شود. برای هر یک از جوامع امری جزوات و اطلاعاتی می‌فرستیم که در این کار شما را یاری نماید.

ضمن آماده شدن برای پاسخ به متحریان حقیقت، به بیان حضرت ولی محبوب امرالله توجه داشته باشید که مضمون آن بفارسی چنین است: در نظر آورید که چه منبع نشاط و شادکامی برای شما خواهد بود که ببینید مردمانی که سال‌ها در پی حقیقت و خواهان دریافت آن بوده‌اند، و به شرایط کنونی جهان با پریشان‌حالی می‌نگرند و صمیمانه برای نجات دعا می‌کنند، بوسیلهٔ شما به هدف خود برسند و به آرامش، آسایش و حیات روحانی که آرزویش را می‌کرده‌اند دست یابند. انجام دادن این وظیفه و موفقیتی که در اثر آن حاصل می‌گردد پاداشی وافر برای همهٔ کوششهای شما خواهد بود.

شما عزیزان همواره در قلب ما جا دارید و برایتان دعا می‌کنیم.

با اشواق گرم بهائی رابرت سی. هندرسون (منشی)

انتخابات محافل روحانی محلی

MATURATION OF LOCAL INSTITUTIONS

خوانندگان عزیز آگاهند که روز ۲۱ اپریل مصادف است با روز انتخاب اعضای محافل روحانی محلی. با انتخاب این محافل اعضای جامعه بهائی مسؤولان اداری جامعه محلی را بر می‌گزینند.

البته رأی دادن و انتخاب کردن باید نتیجهٔ یک سال تأمل دربارهٔ افرادی باشد که به عقیدهٔ فرد رأی‌دهنده صلاحیت عضویت در محفل روحانی محلی را داشته باشند. در این صورت است که رأی دادن تأثیر شدیدی در کارکرد محفل و بلوغ و کارآئی آن خواهد نهاد.

مطالعه دربارهٔ نظم اداری و مقام محافل روحانی محلی و شرایط لازم برای اعضای آن یاران را یاری می‌دهد که با آگاهی بیشتری ابراز رأی کنند. انتخاباتی که با آگاهی بیشتر صورت بگیرد سبب می‌شود که افرادی که به راستی سلیم و مؤمن و فعالند تمشیت امور محلی را بر عهده گیرند. بدین ترتیب بلوغ نسبی محافل و دیگر تشکیلات محلی که تحت اشراف محفل محلند بیشتر حاصل می‌شود.

بیت العدل اعظم الهی در پیام رضوان سال ۱۵۳ بدیع بیانی بدین مضمون فرموده‌اند که تحول و تکامل محافل محلی و ملی مستلزم این است که اعضای جامعه دربارهٔ آن دو بازاندیشی و تأمل کنند. بیان معهد اعلی را می‌توان چنین تعبیر کرد که نصوص راجع به انتخابات را با دیدی تازه مطالعه کنیم.

البته مطالعهٔ نصوص مبارکه با دید و برداشتی تازه کاری نیست که فقط یک بار بدان یازیم، بلکه کوشش برای یافتن مفاهیم تازه در آثار مبارک باید همواره وجههٔ همت ما باشد.

تعبیر دیگری که می‌توان از کلام بیت العدل اعظم کرد این است که افراد احباء با ابداء رأی تأثیری مهم و جدی در جریان بلوغ و تکامل محافل دارند و در صورتی که خود به عضویت محافل انتخاب شوند با فداکاری بیشتری در آن خدمت خواهند کرد.

باید دانست که در آثار بهائی برای عضویت و خدمت در محافل روحانی شرایط معینی قید گردیده است. بیان معروف حضرت ولی امرالله را که فرموده‌اند باید نفوس سلیمهٔ مؤمنهٔ فعاله را انتخاب نمود را اغلب ما بخاطر داریم. البته شرایط مذکور در آثار بهائی منحصر به بیان فوق نیست و مطالعه و بررسی آثار مبارکه دربارهٔ انتخابات و دقت و تأمل در انتخاب اعضای محفل معیارهای اصلی را برای شرایط اعضاء به دست می‌دهد.

برای آشنائی بیشتر با انتخابات بهائی اخیراً یک برنامهٔ ویدیوئی نیز با عنوان "معجزهٔ تمشیت امور" A Miracle of Governance تهیه شده است که در آن دکتر فیروز کاظم‌زاده به تشریح جنبه‌های متنوع نظم اداری بهائی پرداخته‌اند. دیدن این ویدئو و مذاکره در بارهٔ مطالبی که در آن مطرح گردیده است بسیار سودمند است. همچنین جزواتی در دست است که صورت آن در صفحات انگلیسی درج شده است.

بزرگداشت روز مارتین لوتر کینگ

MARTIN LUTHER KING’S DAY

چنان که خوانندگان عزیز آگاهی دارند روز مارتین لوتر کینگ در اکثر قریب به اتفاق ایالت‌های آمریکا تعطیل رسمی دولتی است. احباء نیز از فرصت استفاده می‌کنند و به سهم خود در مراسم بزرگداشت آن رهبر احقاق حقوق اقلیت‌های نژادی شرکت می‌نمایند.

امسال نیز از سال‌های گذشته مستثنی نبود و احباء در نقاط گوناگون ایالات متحده در مراسم بزرگداشت مارتین لوتر کینگ شرکت داشتند که مختصری از فعالیت‌هایشان در زیر درج خواهد شد.

کارولینای شمالی احبای سه کانتی در ایالت کارولینای شمالی همت کردند و یک هیئت اجرائی برای بزرگداشت روز مارتین لوتر کینگ تشکیل دادند. هیئت مذکور از کلیساهای محل و سازمان‌های گوناگون و افراد مختلف دعوت کرد برنامه‌هائی با الهام از خدمات دکتر کینگ تهیه نمایند.

بدین ترتیب عدهٔ بسیاری شامل سیاهپوستان و سفیدپوستان و سرخپوستان و زردپوستان و افراد اسپانیائی زبان و بهائیان و مسیحیان از فرقه‌های گوناگون و استادان دانشگاه و دبیران و معلمان مدارس و رهبران اجتماعی و اهل حرفه و فن و شهرداران و زن و مرد و جوان و پیر گرد هم آمدند و ۱۱ برنامه برای بزرگداشت دکتر کینگ تهیه کردند.

این برنامه‌ها شامل سخنرانی و موسیقی و هنری و کارگاه‌های گوناگون بود. همچنین دو برنامه اجرا شد که در آن آثار حضرت بهاءالله تلاوت شد.

حدود ۱۴۰۰ نفر در این مراسم بزرگداشت شرکت کردند و بسیاری اظهار رضایت کردند که هیئت اجرائی چنین مراسمی را برگزار کرده بود. گفتنی است که برگزاری این مراسم تنها هدف هیئت مذکور نبود، بلکه تقویت روابط بین نژادی هدف اصلی این خدمات بوده است.

پنسیلوانیا در ظاهر بزرگداشت روز مارتین لوتر کینگ در Pen Argyl مراسم چشمگیری نبود. در یک روز سرد و بارانی ۸ نفر در پارکی گرد هم آمدند. با دشواری شمعی روشن کردند و مقداری آب نبات و شیرینی به این و آن دادند و چند کلمه صحبت کردند.

خبرنگار یکی از روزنامه‌های محلی نیز در میان این عده معدود بود و گرمی جمع طوری او را جذب کرد که مطالبی در روزنامهٔ مذکور دربارهٔ آن مراسم نوشت؛ از جمله "هر چه بهائیان می‌گفتند سخن از امید بود."

ایندیانا گروه کُر کودکان بهائی در شهر بلومینگتون Bloomington در مراسم بزرگداشت روز مارتین لوتر کینگ برنامه‌ای اجرا کردند. هر چند از قبل نیز بهائیان در مراسم بزرگداشت روز دکتر کینگ شرکت کرده بودند اما امسال اولین باری بود که برای اجرای برنامهٔ خاصی دعوت و انتخاب شده بودند. گروه کُر شامل ۸ کودک از ۴ تا ۸ ساله بود. دو تن از این نونهالان نصوصی دربارهٔ اتحاد نیز تلاوت کردند.

کالیفرنیا در مراسمی که در سن هوزه با حضور بیش از ۶۰۰ نفر برگزار شد گروه کُر جهانی بهائی همراه آقای پیمان زرقامی برنامه‌ای اجرا کردند. آقای زرقامی [Page 30]

Dorothy Treadwell ventured twice into Latin America as a pioneer

Our National Spiritual Assembly received the following e-mail from the Bahá’í World Center on Nov. 6, 1998:

We share your deep sorrow in the loss of Dorothy Brown Treadwell, dearly loved, stalwart handmaiden of Bahá’u’lláh. The traces of her unflagging devotion to the Cause of God, as reflected in her varied services over a long period, have been indelibly etched in the annals of the Faith. Her achievements as a pioneer to Peru for some eight years will particularly be remembered. Rest assured of our ardent prayers at the Holy Threshold for the progress of her illumined soul throughout the divine worlds and for the consolation of the hearts of her loved ones. —The Universal House of Justice

In 1973 Dorothy Treadwell settled in Peru and served there with dedication until illness compelled her to seek medical attention in the United States in 1981. She returned to the pioneer field in 1997 to be with some of her family serving in Nicaragua. Dorothy returned to the States in July 1998 and departed this earth Nov. 3, 1998.

Her indomitable spirit shines forth in an extract from one of her letters, written in 1979, when she was 61 years old:

“A sense of humor should be near the top of the list of requisites for pioneers. Otherwise some of us would certainly flee.

... Try struggling up a mountain in the rain at 4:00A.M. to reach the roadway where the one daily truck passes at 5:00A.M. My flashlight was broken and my pack was heavy with another pioneer’s blanket because she had forgotten the plastic for it. Amidst constant ‘Removers,’ I pleaded, “‘Abdu’l-Bahá, You said You would help us. I need help!’ and promptly fell, splat, in the mud. All I could think, as I lay, so exhausted I couldn’t raise myself, was, ‘This is help?’ But in a few minutes, off I went again. All I really needed was a little rest!”

Mrs. Treadwell’s children and grandchildren are serving the Cause throughout the world. ♦

Frank Esposito gave Bermuda music, service

Frank Esposito ascended to the Abhá Kingdom on Nov. 11, 1998, just weeks short of his 68th birthday. He had moved to Oxnard, California, in 1996, about a year after completing a 15-year pioneering stint in Bermuda.

An accomplished jazz musician on the string bass, he played in clubs from New York to San Francisco, and in Reno where he provided backup for visiting stars such as Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett and Sarah Vaughan. He embraced the Bahá’í Faith in 1969 and, according to friends, immersed himself in the Writings immediately.

In 1980, he and his wife, Barbara, pioneered to Bermuda. Here, too, he found employment for a number of years, either in the music business or as a U.S. government employee.

Frank was elected to Bermuda’s first National Spiritual Assembly in April 1981 and served on that institution until they had to return to the States in 1995. At their departure, the Bermuda Bahá’í News noted, “Frank will be missed as a fountain of knowledge on Bahá’í procedure and scriptures. ...”

After a memorial service, Barbara was quoted in their local newspaper: “The night before he passed away, we were preparing for a spiritual celebration, the birth of Bahá’u’lláh, the founder of the Bahá’í Faith. He (Frank) spent the evening making lasagna for us. ... The next day he was gone.” ♦

Frank Esposito performed on jazz bass a number of times during the Louis G. Gregory Bahá’í Institute’s annual Peace Fest. File photo by Tom Mennillo

Esther Young served in Alaska, Hawaii

From the day of her declaration in 1962 until the time of her passing, Esther Young served Bahá’u’lláh with distinction.

After her husband, Ed, declared his faith in 1964, the Youngs traveled and pioneered extensively for the Faith. Most of their years of service were in Alaska and Hawaii. When Ed passed in 1989 in Laupahoehoe, Hawaii, Esther, determined to remain at this post, spent nine more years there in spite of numerous difficulties.

Illness forced her to seek medical attention in 1998, and she moved to Alaska closer to her family. She entered the Petersburg Medical Center-Long Center facility, where she taught the Faith continuously even when she could barely speak. There were many favorable comments about the atmosphere in Esther’s room, “about the wonderful support group of family and friends she had, about her beautiful courteous self...”

Esther Young ascended to the Abhá Kingdom Dec. 23, 1998, at age 78. ♦

Thomas Simmons arose during Ten Year Crusade

We were saddened to learn from the National Spiritual Assembly of Colombia of the passing of Thomas Simmons on Nov. 18, 1998, following some months of illness. He was 94 years old.

Mr. Simmons had learned of the Faith through Joy Earl. He arose during the Ten Year Crusade and went to Colombia in November 1959. The following year, he met and married a longtime Bahá’í of the Bogotá community who was also one of the first Bahá’ís in the country.

The Simmonses eventually settled in the small goal town of Jamundi, where Tom established himself as a teacher in the public school system. He and his wife, Inés, later donated land and resources to build a Bahá’í center in Jamundi. This center later evolved into one of the first Bahá’í schools in Colombia. The school now offers kindergarten and primary classes to over 100 children and is a respected institution in the community.

Tom Simmons is buried next to his wife, who passed away earlier in the year. ♦

IN MEMORIAM
Rouhangis Akhavan New York, NY January 10, 1999	Carolyn E. Danielson Pocatello, ID November 16, 1998	Abbie E. Hocke Eugene, OR December 28, 1998	Betty R. Patterson Clarksville, TN December 26, 1998
Adrian E. Allen Idaho Falls, ID December 15, 1998	John R. De Witt Springvale, ME January 6, 1999	Kenneth P. Howell Sedro Woolley, WA January 13, 1999	Nosratollah Rezvani Gaithersburg, MD June 3, 1998
Mehdi Armian Newton, MA January 12, 1999	Missaghiyeh Etemadi Los Angeles, CA January 9, 1999	James R. Lanier Largo, FL January 18, 1999	Allene Squires Midlothian, TX January 18, 1999
Peter M. Campbell Hull, MA January 10, 1999	Robert Hagler Boone, NC January 5, 1999	Phillip C. McPherson Rialto, CA December 20, 1998	Genevieve Willoya Los Angeles, CA December 1998
	Mary Kuebler Hemet, CA December 28, 1998	Rowena Moore Omaha, NE December 28, 1998

[Page 31]

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. Numbers and e-mail addresses for the permanent Bahá’í schools and institutes are: Bosch Bahá’í School, phone 831-423-3387; fax 831-423-7564; 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 .

MARCH

19-21: “Bahá’u’lláh: The Ancient Beauty” at Louhelen.

20-21: Regional Naw-Rúz/Vernal Equinox gathering sponsored by National American Indian Teaching Committee, Raven Rock State Park near Stanton, NC. All Indian Nations invited to share their traditions and prayers. Contact Carlos or Audrey Velazquez (phone 919-462-6652).

26-28: “Fundamental Verities of the Bahá’í Faith,” training course at Bosch. Participants must be referred by an institution; must also attend sessions April 16-18 and May 7-9.

26-28: Two programs at Green Acre: “Establishing Training Institutes: Teaching the Cause”; Junior Youth Institute, ages 12-15 (enrollment limited).

26-28: “Ethics and Spirituality in Medicine” at Louhelen.

30-April 3: Spring Children’s Academy for grades 4-6 at Bosch. ◆

To find out about SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES at the Bahá’í World Center and the Bahá’í National Center, see pages 26-27.

APRIL

2-4: Youth Eagle Institute for ages 15 and up at Louhelen.

9-11: Persian language training at Louhelen.

9-11: “Citadel of Faith” at Green Acre.

9-11: Core Curriculum Teacher Training at Green Acre; continued April 16-18.

9-11: Virtues Project workshop at Bosch.

16-18: “The Spiritual Purpose of Women: Women’s Role in Advancing the Most Great Peace” at Bosch.

16-18: “Work as Worship: Bahá’í Principles at Work” at Green Acre.

16-18: Oklahoma Bahá’í School, “Becoming a World Citizen: Practicing What We Preach,” near Stillwater, OK. Registrar: Dennis Rhine, Tulsa, OK 74128 (phone 918-437-5644, e-mail ).

16-18: Kansas Bahá’í School, “The Role of Community in Advancing the Process of Entry by Troops,” near Junction City, KS. Registrar: Gray Bishop, Derby, KS 67037 (phone 316-788-5378). Pre-register by March 23.

23-24: Youth Study Weekend: “Creating 21st Century Badi’s” at Bosch. For youth ages 15 and up.

30-May 2: “Spiritual Values and Development” at Green Acre.

30-May 2: Two programs at Louhelen: Spiritual Empowerment Institute for ages 12-15 and Institute for Local Spiritual Assemblies. ◆

MAY

7-9: Royal Falcon Bahá’í School, “The Role of the Community in Advancing the Process of Entry by Troops.” Camp McDowell, ‎Nauvavoo Nauvoo‎, AL. Registrar: Aliyah Lombard, Dothan, AL 36301 (phone 334-678-7463, e-mail ). Web site (bahai.home.mindspring.com).

7-9: Parent-Child Weekend at Louhelen.

8-9: Duluth (Minnesota) Conference, theme: “An Irresistible Movement Toward Global Unity and Peace”; co-sponsored by Spiritual Assembly of Duluth and William Sears Teaching Institute. Call 218-254-3101 (e-mail ).

13-16: Pioneering/Bahá’í Youth Service Corps/SITA training in Wilmette, Illinois. Contact Office of Pioneering (847-733-3508).

20-23: Wellness conference at Louhelen, sponsored by Bahá’í Network on AIDS, Sexuality, Addictions and Abuse.

21-23: “Young at Heart,” on older Bahá’ís in community and family life, at Louhelen.

28-30: “The Spirit of Children” Conference on Children’s Literature and Art at Green Acre.

28-30: Assembly Team Development at Green Acre. Call registrar if your Assembly is interested in participating.

28-30: Conference of Núr: “Achieving Your Heart’s Desire,” on teaching, transformation and the Lesser Peace; Elizabethtown College, Elizabethtown, PA. Sponsored by Spiritual Assembly of Harrisburg. Contact Mark Dunmire, Harrisburg, PA 17104 (phone 717-234-0916, e-mail ).

28-31: Utah Bahá’í School, “Advancing the Process of Entry by Troops with Emphasis on the Institutions,” near Zion National Park. Registrar: Shokouh Imani, Layton, UT 84040 (phone 801-771-0586).

28-31: “Health Topics for a New Millennium: Combining Traditional and Alternative Care” at Bosch.

28-31: “Love, Power and Justice: A Workshop on Moral Authenticity” at Louhelen. ◆

JUNE

4-6: “The Nature and Dynamics of Love,” Landegg course at Green Acre.

4-6: Southeast Asian Leadership Roundtable and Teaching Conference at Bosch.

11-16: Trainer training for Pioneering Institutes at Louhelen. Contact Office of Pioneering (847-733-3508). ◆

Appointment of a Bahá’í youth committee for the Northeast region is just one of the results of decentralization of the U.S. Bahá’í administration. See a special report on pages 15-18.

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 Street Address ________________________________________________ Apartment # (if applicable) __________________________________ City __________________________________________________________ State __________________________ Zip code ____________________	C. NEW MAILING ADDRESS Street Address ________________________________________________ Apartment # (if applicable) __________________________________ City __________________________________________________________ State __________________________ Zip code ____________________
D. NEW COMMUNITY Name of new Bahá’í Community ___________ Moving Date ___________	E. HOME TELEPHONE NUMBER Area Code Phone Number ___________ Name _______________________
F. WORK TELEPHONE NUMBER(S) Area Code Phone Number ___________ Name _______________________ Area Code Phone Number ___________ Name _______________________
G. WE RECEIVE EXTRA COPIES BECAUSE: ☐ we do not have the same last name. We do not want extra copies, so please cancel the copy for the person(s) and 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.	H. I WOULD LIKE A COPY ☐ Our household receives only one copy of The American Bahá’í. I wish to receive my own copy. I have listed my name, ID number and address above.

BAHÁ’Í NATIONAL CENTER
112 LINDEN AVE
WILMETTE, IL 60091-2849

MARCH 2, 1999
‘ALÁ, BAHÁ • B.E. 155-156