The Five Year Plan 2001-2006 (Summary)/External Affairs

[Page 97]

lll EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

UILDING UPON 'l'lll‘: lilil:()l{ili5

of previous decades and especially

those of the Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, a comprehensive global strategy For the external affairs work of the Bahá’í Faith was put into place by the Universal House of Justice in 1994. That strategy was designed to promote two primary objectives: to influence the processes advancing the world toward peace and to defend the Faith. During the Five Year Plan, external affairs activities at the international, national, and local levels continued to be guided by this general Framework. The success of these endeavours is reflected in the statement by the House of Justice in its Riḍván 2006 mes sage t0 the Bahá’ís of the world:

The efforts of the Guardian to raise the profile of the Faith in international Circles have developed into an extensive external affairs system, capable of both defending the interests of the Faith and proclaiming its universal message. The respect the Faith enjoys in international fora, whenever its representatives speak, is a most noteworthy accomplishment.

Part of the 1994 strategy was to provide training for selected believers in the effective promotion of the Faith in diplomatic, governmental, and non-governmental circles. The resulting cadre of believers with expertise in external affairs combined with the goodwill of people of influence, so patiently and steadily won prior to the Five Year Plan, would prove valuable as the Faith

was presented with ner opportunities to promote its message as well as with challenges from countries where the Faith is opposed. Ideas promulgated by Bahá’u’lláh for the unification and reordering Of the world were presented to prominent people and the general public in increasingly effective ways during the Plan and began to influence the thinking and at times the statements of government officials and others in Civil society.

What follows is a summary of some of the most notable achievements in external affairs.

Activities of the Bahá’í International Community

Influencing t/ae Procmes

Towards W/orld Peace

Following decades ofsystematie work by representatives of the Bahá’í International Community, the profile of the Bahá’í Faith at the United Nations (UN) continued to rise as they took active part in promoting the ideals of the Cause from that prominent international platform. Two developments during the Five Year Plan especially highlighted the growing status of the Faith at the UN.

' First, a Bahá’í representative served as Chair of the non-governmental organization Commission on the Status of Women, which is one of the largest non-governmental agencies at the UN. As part of its participation in the Commission, the Bahá’í International

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Bahá’í’s Offer Views on Reform of the United Nations

NB OF THE CRUCIAL ISSUES facing the United Nations has been the reform of that vital organization to better reflect changes in world affairs since its founding at the close of the Second World War. The Bahá’í International Community’s office at the United Nations in New York not only followed closely the documents, dialogues, and debates leading up to the General Assembly’s 2005 World Summit at which reform was a key agenda item, but it also submitted two statements responding to the Secretary—General’s recommendations for reform. In addition, the Bahá’í International Community was among those select agencies asked to participate in the first hearings held by the General Assembly on the subject of UN reform. The response of the Bahá’í International Community’s United Nations Office to the Secretary-General’s report, “In Larger Freedom: Towards Development, Security, and Human Rights for All”, was among those statements from non-governmental organizations that were posted on the UN Non—governmental Liaison Service Web site for several months, and excerpts were included in an overview report published by the Liaison Service. Subjects drawn from the Bahá’í document included its comments about corporate social responsibility, Security Council reform, freedom of religion or belief, and religious extremism. In a signed letter to the UN Office of the Bahá’í International Community, the Secretary—General expressed his “appreciation for the active and constructive involvement of the Bahá’í International Community in [the reform] process”.

Community submitted a statement on the role ofmen and boys in achieving gender equality, thereby assisting that important Commission to articu late that issue for the first time.

' Second, 2005 marked the first year that the Bahá’í International Community was invited to the prestigious Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The principal representative of the Bahá’í' International Community participated in Four events in her capacity

as a “religious leader".

The Bahá’í International Community’s United Nations Office also took part in a number of other important meetings and conferences during this period, and generally prepared a relevant statement for presentation at these gatherings:

' A written statement on gender equality and AIDS was informally circulated at the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AlDS in 2001.

' The Bahá’í community was actively involved in the World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Related Intolerance held in Durban, South Africa, in September 2001.

' A paper entitled “Belief and Tolerance: ‘Lights Amidst the Darkness” was circulated at the International Consultative Conference on School Education in relation with Freedom ofReligion and Belief, Tolerance, and Non-discrimination held in Madrid, Spain, in November 2001.

' In 2002, the Bahá’í International Community actively took part in the UN special session on children, where it circulated 21 compilation of statements on Children, brought a Babe“ youth to speak at a workshop, and participated on a panel about religion

and Children.

' Also in 2002, it actively participated in the World Summit on Sustainable Development in September in Johannesburg, South Africa.

2

' In December 2003, the Bahá’í International Community participated in the first phase of the World Summit on the Information Society in Geneva, Switzerland, and again in 2005.

' Also in 2003, the Bahá’í's co—sponsored a regional conference in New Delhi, India, along with UNICEF, UNESCO, and several other non-governmental

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organizations on Education: The Right of Every Girl and Boy.

' In March 2005, the Bahá’í’ principal representative attended the International Conference on Gender Mainstreaming and Millennium Development Goals in Islamabad, Pakistan, as a guest speaker on the topic ofwomen’s roles in conflict prevention and peace-building.

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' An ad hoc representative of the Baha 1 International Community participated in the fourth session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York in May 2005.

' In June 2005, three Bahá’í’ representatives attended the Conference on Interfaith Cooperation for Peace in New York. The principal representative Of the Bahá’í International Community was one of three speakers from the non-governmental organization community to be invited to address the conference.

Deflnce Oft/Je Babti’z’ Community

The Bahá’ís of Iran continue to face

unrelenting persecution. The Baha 1 International Community maintained

its efforts in the defence of its co religionists at the highest levels of the international community with some success. In 2005, at the urging of the Bahá’í International Community and the Bahá’x’ communities of Canada and the United States, the General Assembly of the United Nations passed a resolution containing stronger language than before condemning the persecution of the Bahá’í community in Iran. Significantly, the resolution passed by the widest margin of any such measure since 1996. Similar resolutions were passed in 2001, 2003, and 2004.

On 20 March 2006, Asma Jahangir, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, distributed a news release stating that she was “highly concerned by information she has received concerning the treatment of members of the Bahá’í community in Iran” and included the text of a secret, internal Iranian document ordering the identification and monitoring of all Bahá’í’s. The news release, which bolstered the credibility of the Bahá’í International Community and lent unequivocal support to claims of the ongoing persecution of the Iranian Bahá’í community, provided a valuable

111: EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

Panelist: ofirer remarks at

the regional conference on education co-spomorm’ by t/ae Ba/aa' ’z’s, UNICEF, UNESCO, and several other non-governmental organization: in New Delhi.

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University Students and Professors Come to the Defence of Iranian Bahá’í’ Students

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“Let the Balm 15 study!

“15116731 lawman being has the rig/at to access knowledge, whatever bit or her origin: may be.

"W/e declare our solidarity with there yaungpeople w/ao are t/yimyfor knowledge. W2 45/? the Iranian government to welcome into the country} univerxitie: allyout/y, without exception, w/ao [742/6 succesfully passed the entrance examination, :0 t/mt cultural segregation may cease at [am ”

HESE WERE THE WORDS ofa group of 15

renowned academics, including Nobel laure ates, contained in a letter of protest published in Le Monde newspaper in France. They typify the voices raised in defence of the Bahá’í youth of Iran, who were systematically denied access to higher education solely because of their religious beliefs. This injustice evoked a strong response from students and university faculties, both Bahá’í and non—Bahá’í', in many parts of the world, causing a number to petition their own governments to protest to the Iranian authorities. Some notable examples of support for the Iranian Bahá’í’ students include the following:

' Chaplains at the University of Newcastle in Australia wrote to government officials, to the secretary—general Of the United Nations, and to leaders in Iran itself.

' In Austria, letters of support came from the University of Vienna, Vienna University of Technology, Catholic University, University of Linz (where an impressive article was published about the situation), University of Graz, and Paracelsus Private Medical University.

' In Brazil, questions regarding the denial of higher education to Bahá’ís were publicly addressed to the president of the Iranian parliament by members of the student union of the University of Brasilia during his Visit in early 2006.

' Fifteen newspaper articles were written by non-Bahá’í students in Canada about the campaign; the University of Winnipeg senate—ehaired by its vice—chancellor, Dr. Lloyd Axworthy, Canada’s former foreign minister—passed a resolution in support of the Bahá’í' students; three letters were written from student unions or councils; several letters were sent from high-ranking university officials; and booths and rallies aimed at generating awareness were organized. Additionally, the president and vice—chancellor of the University of Guelph, Dr. Alastair Summerlee, in his letter to Iranian officials wrote that the university had set aside its potential joint study programme with Iran, in part owing to the situation facing the Bahá’í's in that country.

' In Italy, the faculty of the Department of Architecture at the University of Palermo passed a resolution expressing its dismay and dissent to the Iranian government’s policy towards the education of Bahá’í’s.

I In Norway, an article about the denial of higher education to the Bahá’í’s was published in a magazine for teachers, reaching an audience of over 260,000 and citing quotations about the concern of many prominent figures in Norway regarding the situation of the Bahá’í’ students in Iran.

' Over 35 professors and members of associations at various universities throughout Spain agreed to send letters in support of the Bahá’í’ students in Iran.

' In the United Kingdom, 3 number of academics wrote letters to the foreign secretary, expressing concern about the denial of education to the

Bahá’í’s.

' The president of Princeton University in the United States addressed a letter to the Iranian representative to the United Nations, copying the secretary—general and the high commissioner for human rights.

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[Page 101]opportunity to advance the work in defence of the Faith.

In addition to its actions on behalf of the beleaguered Iranian community, the Bahá’í International Community arose to defend the believers in Egypt and in the few other countries where incidents of persecution where experienced.

In order to strengthen the external affairs efforts of national communities, particularly in defending the Faith, the United Nations Office of the Bahá’í International Community continued to offer annuaI briefings to national representatives at gatherings in Acute, Italy. In 2002, the first seminar on the defence of the Faith for representatives of National Spiritual Assemblies in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean was held in Orlando, Florida, United States. That same year, regional Bahá’í International Community representatives were brought to New York City for systematic training in diplomatic work. And in 2005, the first seminars for African countries were held in Senegal and South Africa, drawing representatives from 31 National Assemblies.

The Bahá’í International Community’s Office of Public Information assisted in the defence of the Faith with the publication ofa 96—page document entitled The Bahá’í' Question: Cultural Cleansing in Iran, which was utilized by National Spiritual Assemblies in their efforts to inform their governments, news media, leaders of thought, and others about the situation. This document, also available on the Internet, details the history of the persecution of the Faith, documents its official character, and recounts international responses to past and present campaigns to eliminate the Iranian Bahá’í community. The publication was not only widely distributed, but also translated in whole or in part into French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, and other languages.

A special effort was made to highlight the denial of higher education to

Iranian Bahá’í students. The campaign to publicize this human rights violation was carried out by selected National Spiritual Assemblies with the involvement ofsupporters in the academic world. Particular emphasis was given to raising awareness of this travesty within academic circles. A background document, Closed Doors: 177m} Campaign to Den}! Higher Education to Baha’ 75, prepared by the Bahá’í International Community’s Office of Public Information, was widely disseminated, including on the Web.

Bahá’í International Community’s Office of

Public Information

Proclaiming the Faith t0 the General Puhlic

The Office of Public Information began the Five Year Plan with an unprecedented opportunity to garner interest in the Faith from the media and the general puinc—the official opening of the Terraces of the Shrine of the Báb. This historic occasion gave an impetus to the work of that Office that extended throughout the Plan. As the Plan drew to a close, the enhanced sophistication of the Office of Public Information’s publications and the increased professionalism of its operations, particularly in media relations, were the result of successfully meeting the challenges of such a major event and in responding to opportunities as the Faith gained greater recognition in the world.

Contact with Broadcast and Print Media at the Opening Ofthe Terrace:

The gardens above and below the Shrine of the Báb began to attract publicity even before their completion. Thus, when they were formally inaugurated in May 2001, the general public took a keen interest, especially in Israel where the

III: EXTERNAL AFFAI RS

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[Page 102]77% Five Year Plan 2001—2006: Summary ofAc/az'evememx and Learning

ceremony was broadcast live on radio and television. It was rebroadcast shortly thereafter by public demand. The international press coverage was generally positive and accurate. Satellite technology enabled people around the world to witness the events as they happened. The Office of Public Information, among other activities to promote the opening of the Terraces, created a Web site with streaming video of the programme, held a news conference for international media, and assisted national and international Bahá’í agencies to promote coverage of the event. To inform the Israeli public about the historical background and significance to the Bahá’í’s of the Terraces and other newly constructed edifices on the Are,

the Office of Public Information saw to the production of an attractively illustrated booklet in Hebrew which was placed in an insert in nationally distributed newspapers.

Among the prestigious media covering the occasion were: ANSA Italian News Agency, the Associated Press, the Associated Press Television Network (APTV), BBC, CNN, European Broadcast Union, International Herald Tribune, ITN, Le Nouvel Observateur, London Times, Los Angeles Times, Le Monde, National Geographic Traveler, The New York Times, PTI Indian News Agency, RAl TV, Reuters, Star Channel, Sky News, Sunday Telegraph, TF1, Voice of America, Washington Post, and World Faith News.

The Embrace of New Technology Helps Take the Message to the World

AHA’i‘s, ESPECIALLY YOUTH, have found B myriad ways to use burgeoning communi cation technology to spread the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh. While use of the Internet as a medium of presenting information about the Faith was not new, during the Five Year Plan the volume of this usage was little short of an explosion. In February 2006, the widely used search engine Google yielded 1,199 results when given the words “Bahá’í Faith”. A Web site that serves as an index to direct interested people to other Bahá’í Web sites, <http://bahaindex.com>, went from 235,000 page views in 2001 to over 2,776,000 in 2006, nearly a 12—fold increase. By 2006, that site alone provided links to 2,600 regular Bahá’í’ WI; sites.

In addition to the official Bahá’í Web sites created by the Bahá’í World Centre and National and Local Spiritual Assemblies, a growing number of Web sites were created through individual initiative to meet a variety of interests. For example, there were sites focusing on Bahá’í youth and some that presented material for teachers of children’s classes

or for holding devotional meetings. Still others shared photographs of Bahá’í-telated subjects or provided online access to published Bahá’í literature. One believer in France developed an interreligious, multimedia Web site, <http://www.religate.org>, which contains 88 Holy Books from seven religions, including an extensive section on the Bahá’í Faith with over 400 books and materials, 6,500 photographs, and audio and video libraries. And these are merely a sampling.

Some of the Web sites hosted forums or chat rooms through which dialogues could be carried out between users. One webmaster for the popular site <http://bahai—library.com> recounted that he thought contributions to that site’s forum had changed during the Plan. The postings by the end of the Plan reflected more of an outward orientation and fewer obscure questions of limited interest. There also seemed to be many more members of the wider community actively taking part and even assisting the Bahá’í’s with moderating the discussions.

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[Page 103]Publications

The newsletter of the Bahá’í International Community, 0716 Country, continued to play an integral role in the external affairs outreach efforts by informing prominent people around the world of the activities of the international Bahá’í community. On average, 50,000 copies of each printed edition were distributed to public officials, academics, journalists, leaders of thought, and representatives of other non—govetnmental organizations. Produced in six languages, its English edition was also available on the World Wide Web at <http://www.onecountry. org>. The newsletter not only stimulated many enquiries about the Faith or Bahá’í projects, but also won numerous awards

during the Five Year Plan, including an Award of Excellence from the Religion Communicators Council.

In addition to One Country, the publication Of 7715 Ballad? VVMM volumes continued to provide an annual record of Bahá’í activities and perspectives aimed at both Bahá’í readers and the general public. During the Five Year Plan, The Bahá’í' “70er reported on the initiatives in the systematic training of human resources by local and national Bahá’í communities. It also carried accounts of 50th anniversary celebrations in Bahá’í communities in Africa, Europe, and the South Pacific. Feature essays correlated the Bahá’í teachings with topics of global significance, notably gender equality, HIV/AIDS, domestic violence, science and

1H: EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

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In addition, a number of friends established W26 logs (blogs), which are usually more personal than other Web sites. Many contain postings that say, in

Cellphone technology has also been a boon to the work of the Faith by making telephone communication possible in remote areas. Furthermore, text

messaging, that is, sending a written message by cellphone, is being used in a variety of ways. For example, when a snow storm threatened the success of

effect, “My religion is one of the most important parts of my life. I am a Bahá’í. I would be happy to explain what that is or answer any questions.” There are blogs the first expansion phase of an intensive programme of growth in Turkey, the Cluster coordinator was able to quickly send a text message to the teaching teams with the change of plans. In the Democratic

on which the authors recount inspiring stories of their service to the Faith, especially as pioneers.

One of the newest developments has been the increased use ofpodmsts. This technology allows a Republic of the Congo, a country of immense receptivity to the Bahá’í Faith but where after years of civil

user to download audio or video materials. There are now podcasts of music by Bahá’ís. For example, youth in Bangalore, India, developed a weekly pod— war the communications infrastructure was poor or

nonexistent, cellphone technology has made it possible for the institutions and agencies of the Faith

cast that explores topics such as marriage, science and religion, the equality of men and women, and other topics from a Bahá’í perspective. to function more efficiently than ever before. Now friends from one region of the country can converse with those from other regions, enabling informa tion, learning, and guidance to be communicated

The use of the Internet, augmented by satellite technology, has enabled Bahá’í resources to reach into areas that are geographically isolated. It has also allowed the dissemination of information about the in an immediate and widespread manner, a development that significantly enhanced the teaching work

and the advancement of the clusters during the Plan.

Faith in a variety of languages into countries where Bahá’í books and other printed materials are not readily available. The Internet is carrying the Message of Bahá’u’lláh to places where the Bahá’ís are often

Text messages, for example, were sent to invite friends to reflection meetings and have been used by those unable to teach the Faith themselves because of cer— involved with the institute to send Cluster statistics

tain restrictions. to one another.

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‘» . . An updated edition of “7796 Baba’ ’z’s”pub[z'altion is released in 2005.

morality, and global governance.

A booklet entitled T/ae Babd’z’s was redesigned and reissued in 2005. This colourful, engaging, and accessible presentation of the Faith was widely used to inform journalists, officials, and seekers of the aims, teachings, and activities of the Faith. By the end of the Plan, it had been translated into Bulgarian, Chinese, French, German, Greek, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, and Spanish.

II!

Development OfBa/m z

International Community

W5 Sites

Just as the use of the Internet increased dramatically during the Five Year Plan, so too did the Bahá’í presence on the World Wide Web. During this period, the redesign of the official international Bahá’í Web site as a portal, <http://www. bahai.org>, was completed. By the end of the Plan, this and other official Bahá’í International Community sites were receiving almost 150,000 Visits a month.* These sites are as follows:

' The Bahá’ís <http://Www.bahai.org>: Serving as the first point of contact with the general public, it ranks as the first result for all search engines for the terms “Bahá’í” and “BaháH’ Faith” and averages over 51,000 Visits a month. Additionally, between 200 and 300 people a month contact the Web site to ask for more information, contact details for the Bahá’í’s i their countries, or how to become a Bahá’í.

' Bahá’íTopics <http://inf0.bahai.org>: This site, averaging over 26,000 Visits a month, includes hundreds of articles on various subjects in English, as well as Arabic, French, Persian, Portuguese,

and Spanish.

• A visit is distinct from a "hit”. A visit

represents a reader spending several minutes at the site, on average 5 to 15 minutes.

' Bahá’í World News Service <http:// news.bahai.org>: Reporting on Bahá’í activities worldwide; the site averages 33,000 Visits a month.*

' Bahá’í Reference Library <http://reference.bahai.org>: Launched in 2003, the Reference Library allows users to search, view, and download the Bahá’í Writings. The Web site averages 19,000 visits a month. In the Spring of 2006, the power of the Internet to spread the Message of Bahá’u’lláh was dramatically demonstrated whenbecause ofincreasing coverage of the court case in Egypt—thousands of people from Egypt and other parts of the Arab world downloaded Arabic language books from the site.

' Bahá’í Media Bank <http://media. bahai.0rg>: The most recent of the Bahá’í International Community Web sites, Media Bank Was launched in April 2006 and offers over 2,500 high quality photographs on various Bahá’í subjects such as Holy Places, conferences, and development projects. During its initial three months, nearly 2,000 people registered to use the site, downloading over 30,000 images.

Web sites for national communities are also on the rise. At Rielvan 2006, over 80 national communities had official Web sites and <http://Www.bahai.org> was in the process of completing a project that will give every national community a page on the Bahá’í International Community’s official site. This project, begun during the Five Year Plan, will make it far easier for seekers and interested persons to find information 011 the Faith and their local Bahá’í community in every corner of the globe.

Although exact numbers are not available, there has also been a marked increase in the creation of Web sites, Web logs (blogs), and other creative uses of the Internet by individual Bahá’í’s during the Plan.

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[Page 105]Institute for Studies in

Global Prosperity

Several months prior to the opening of the Five Year Plan, the Institute for Studies in Global Prosperity sponsored its first major event in New Delhi, India: a colloquium on the theme of science, religion and development. The Institute was established by the Universal House of Justice in the late 19905 to provide a forum for the exploration of concepts and the analysis of programmes of action that address the generation and application of knowledge and the development of appropriate social structures to achieve positive and enduring change. To this end, it engages in research, produces publications, and sponsors events on issues relevant to the processes that shape an ever-advancing civilization in search of global peace and prosperity.

The colloquium in India, devoted to the discussion of integrating religious values and scientific methods in development work, brought together some 150 representatives of non-governmental organizations from all regions of India and set in motion a consultative process that continued to gather momentum during the Plan. Encouraged by the results, the Institute decided to extend the discourse on science, religion and development to several other countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. In each, a core group ofindividuals has begun to emerge that is seeking through various means to influence development policies and practices in order to create conditions conducive to the well—being of people and their communities. The experience in Uganda offers the most striking example to date of what can be achieved.

Like other countries in Africa, Uganda is searching for its own path to development, one that does not necessarily follow the course set by the industrialized nations of the world, which, while

materially prosperous, are beset with alarming social problems. So when members of a task force appointed by the National Spiritual Assembly of Uganda began to approach their professional colleagues, academics, government officials, and development practitioners to open up a dialogue on alternative approaches to development informed by science and religion as two sources of knowledge, the response was immediate. A highly dynamic group is now driving forward the discourse, which is garnering more and more participants. With the assistance of the Institute, the group produced a documentary describing their views on the possibilities for their nation and aspirations for their people. They believe, as does the Institute, that it is possible to change the direction of the development process, at least in part, by raising collective consciousness and by providing a channel for the flow of knowledge. “The whole discourse on science, religion and development can change the way things are going,” one participant has said, “that is, if more

people are involved, if more policymakers are brought on board, if more academics

III: EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

Particzpants in a meeting on science, religion, and

development in Uganda.

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are brought on board, researchers and, then, the ordinary people, if they are brought on board, because when you leave out the people and you empower those who are already powerful, then the whole picture will remain distorted.”

The Institute for Studies in Global Prosperity intends to foster such a discourse in a growing number of countries with the hope that it will eventually reach global proportions.

Other Notable External Affairs Efforts

World Faiths Development Dialogue

The Faith has been actively involved in the prestigious World Faiths Development Dialogue (\X/FDD) from its inception in 1998. The Dialogue was inaugurated and has been supported in part by the World Bank. During the Five Year Plan, the Faith was officially represented at the 2002 gathering of WFDD in the United Kingdom and at its subsequent meeting in Ireland in 2005. This organization works to foster collaboration between development institutions and leaders of religious communities in order to address global poverty and inequity.

Parliament of #76 World} Religion:

The Bahá’í International Community was officially represented at the Parliament of the World’s Religions held in Barcelona, Spain, in 2004. Bahá’í representatives made presentations and participated in both the plenary sessions and other related activities. In addition, there was an information booth and exhibition of

photographs about the Faith.

Exhibition at the European Parliament

Twice during the Five Year Plan, exhibits about the Faith were displayed at sessions of the European Parliament; first in 2003 in Brussels, Belgium, sponsored by parliamentarian Mrs. Jean Lambert, and then in 2004 in Strasbourg, France, under the sponsorship of parliamentarian Baroness Sarah Ludford. In conjunction with the two exhibits, there were a number of receptions and presentations by prominent persons and Bahá’í’s. In Strasbourg, 30 members of the European Parliament, observers from the new countries of the European Union, members of the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights, and locally prominent people attended the reception.

Golden juéilee Celebration:

In 1953, at the beginning ofa worldwide global plan for the expansion of the Faith, the Guardian called upon the believers to arise and establish the Bahá’í Faith in a large number of countries where no Bahá’í’s had as yet settled. The introduction of the Faith to many countries, therefore, dates to 1953 and 1954, when the greatest waves of these pioneers left their home countries and travelled to distant parts of the globe. During the Five Year Plan, over 120 countries and territories marked the 50th anniversary Of the establishment of their Bahá’í communities. Many of these national communities celebrated this milestone by hosting events to which the news media and prominent people were invited, often paying special tribute to the sacrifices of the dedicated individuals who arose to open these countries to the Faith.