Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Universal House of Justice, The Baha'i World: Volume 25 (1996-1997), Haifa: Bahá’í World Centre, 1998, bahai-library.com.
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THE,,,,
EAHAI
WORLD
1996 °97
AN
INTERNATIONAL RECORD

BAHA'I WORLD CENTRE
HAIFA
©1998 World Centre Publications

Order department: 46 High Street
Kidlington
Oxford OX5 2DN
England

Photo credits: p. 62 (top), p. 65 (top and middle), p. 94 (middle and bottom),
p. 162-Francisco Gonzalez Perez; p. 94 (top)-Della Marcus;
p. 96-courtesy the White House; p. 130-courtesy One Country;
p. 141- Judith Griffin; p. 143- Isik Celme; p. 232-courtesy One Country
(Russian ed.); p. 235- courtesy Nur University; p. 237-Brian and Pamela
O'Toole. Other photos provided by the Audio-Visual Department of the
Baha'i World Centre.

ISBN 0-85398-986-9 (Hardcover)
ISBN 0-85398-987-7 (Softcover)

A Cataloguing-in-Publication number
is available from the British Library.

ETHE,,
AHXI
WORLD
1996 á, 97

Printed and bound in Great Britain by
Biddies, Ltd., Guildford and King's Lynn
CONTENTS
Introduction to the volume 1
Introduction to the Baha' i Community 3

WRITINGS AND MESSAGES
Baha'i Sacred Writings 19
From the Universal House of Justice 27

EVENTS 1996-97
Two New National Spiritual Assemblies 41
Brazil: Celebrating 7 5 Years of Community Growth 47
The Year in Review 55
Mount Carmel Projects: Progress 1996-97 115
The Baha'i International Community: Activities 1996-97 125
Baha'is at Habitat II 137
Update: The Situation of the Baha'is in Iran 147
The Bahri 'i World on the World Wide Web 157

ESSAYS, STATEMENTS, AND PROFILES
Shoghi Effendi: Guide for a New Millennium,
by Glenford E. Mitchell 163
World Watch, by Ann Boyles 197
Profile:
The William Masetlha Foundation, Zambia 221
New Virtues, New Moral Standards, New Capacities:
Moral Development Activities in
the Baha'i World Community 227
The Human Rights Discourse: A Baha'i Perspective,
by Matthew Weinberg 24 7
Statements by the Baha'i International Community:
Sustainable Communities in an Integrating World 275
United Nations Decade for Human Rights
Education 283
Convention on the Rights of the Child 287
Two Baha' i International Community Projects:
Cameroon and Zambia 293

INFORMATION AND RESOURCES
Obituaries 305
Statistics 313
Directory 317
Selected New Publications 325
A Basic Baha'i Reading List 329
Glossary 333

Index 339
INTRODUCTION

T he year 1997 marks the hundredth anniversary of the birth of
Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith from 1921
to 1957. The occasion provides an opportunity for The Baha 'i
World to take up the theme of community, since it was through the
leadership of Shoghi Effendi that the Baha'i Faith grew to embrace
the wide cross-section of humanity that it counts among its members
today. This volume thus includes a retrospective essay, "Shoghi
Effendi: Guide for a New Millennium,'' by Gl~nford E. Mitchell.
It reviews Shoghi Effendi's inspired work as the builder of a unified
global community, as interpreter and translator of Baha'i sacred
scriptures, as aesthete, and as a thinker who combined a broad,
incisive grasp of history with a keen vision of the future.
The selection of excerpts from the Baha'i sacred writings also
focuses on the theme of community, and "World Watch" takes a
critical look at some contemporary challenges facing community
and the response to them found in the Baha'i Faith. An account of
Amatu'l-Baha Rul:llyyih Khanum's visit to Brazil to mark the 75th
anniversary of the establishment of the Faith there, a report on a

THE BAHA'I WORLD

social and economic development project in Zambia, and an article
profiling five moral development activities around the world all
provide further glimpses into the life and concerns of the Baha'i
community. Matthew Weinberg's essay on the contemporary human
rights discourse presents the Baha'i perspective on a related topic of
central concern. A report on the Baha'i presence at Habitat II provides a window on the Baha'i commitment to creating sustainable
communities. Finally, a short article on the Baha'i International
Community's launch of its official site on the World Wide Web
tells how the Faith is using the new information technologies to
acquaint the peoples of the world with its message, in a medium
where the truth of Baha'u'llah's statement "the earth is but one
country, and mankind its citizens" is abundantly clear.
The Baha'i World 1996-97 is the fifth in the new annual series
of volumes that provides a public record of the Baha'i community's
activities and achievements-a chronicle inaugurated in 1925
with the publication of the original Baha'i World series. Readers
will find it a useful source of accurate information. In addition to
featuring the theme of community, the current volume contains a
number ofregular elements: highlights from major messages written during the year by the Universal House of Justice; "the Year in
Review"- a chronology of the activities of Baha'is around the
world throughout the year; an update on the situation oflran's persecuted Baha'i community; an account of the work of the Baha'i
International Community and a selection of statements made by it
in United Nations fora over the year; a report on progress made on
the Mount Carmel Baha'i Projects at the world center of the Faith in
Haifa, Israel; an introduction to the Baha'i Faith and its community;
and the usual selection of resource materials: statistics, a directory
of Baha'i agencies, an annotated list of selected new publications;
a basic reading list, and a glossary of Baha'i terms.

INTRODUCTI9N
TO THE BAHA'I
COMMUNITY

A group of Greek and Turkish Cypriots gather joyously
together for a Holy Day feast, their obvious delight in each
other's company contrasting with the ethnic tensions on that
divided island. Young people in Angola, unable to attend school
because of the war, participate in a workshop that gives them a
vision of the important role they have to play in society. A princess
from Western Samoa travels to Fiji in order to offer tribal chiefs
and elders a document outlining a process of development that
respects the dignity of all peoples. Women and men gather in
Garoua Boulai, a rural region of eastern Cameroon, to discuss
how they can work together to alleviate some of the burdens placed
on the women with regard to child care. A young Mongolian
woman who has never before left her province walks 70 kilometers
in the snow, then travels by truck, and finally catches a plane to
Ulaan Baatar, where she participates in the election of her religion's
national administrative body. A youth group performs a dance about
the terrible consequences of racism to a rapt audience of children
in a school auditorium on Vancouver Island, Canada. In Colombia,
South America, a conga musical group imbues its traditional Latin

rhythms with a spiritual message about the unity of humankind,
to the delight of listeners in open-air venues. After two weeks of
training in basic health care, a woman in Zambia returns to her
village and shares what she has learned with her neighbors. These
people, though they have in all probability never met one another,
share a united view of the world and its future, as well as their own
role in shaping that future. They are members of the Baha'i international community.
The Baha'i international community, comprising members
of the Baha'i Faith from all over the globe, now numbers some
five million souls. They represent 2,112 ethnic and tribal groups
and live in over 121,000 localities in 190 independent countries and
45 dependent territories or overseas departments. What was once
regarded by some as an obscure, tiny sect is now reported by the
Encyclopedia Britannica to be the second-most widely spread
independent religion in the world, after Christianity. Its membership
cuts across all boundaries of class and race, governing itself through
the establishment of local and national elected bodies known as
Spiritual Assemblies. Its international center and the seat of its worldgoverning council, known as the Universal House of Justice, are
located in the Holy Land, in Haifa, Israel.
From what source do the members of the Baha'i Faith draw
their spiritual strength and their organizational structure? What
are the tenets of faith that can so attract and unify such a diverse
group of people? How do they see the future? This brief introduction to the Baha'i community, its history, its spiritual teachings,
its aims, and its objectives, provides information in response to
these questions.
Origins
In 1844 in Persia, a young siyyid (descendant of the Prophet
Mul).ammad) named Mirza 'Ali-Mul).ammad declared Himself to
be the Promised Qa'im awaited by Shi'ih Muslims. He adopted
the title "the Bab," which means "the Gate," and His teachings
quickly attracted a large following. Alarmed by the growing
numbers of "Babis," as His followers were known, the Muslim
clergy allied themselves with ministers of the Shah in an effort
to destroy the infant Faith. Several thousand Babis were
persecuted, tortured, and killed over the next number of years,

THE B A I-IA'i C OMMUNITY

but the growth of this new religion continued, even after the Bab
Himself was imprisoned and subsequently publicly executed by
a firing squad in July 1850. The horrific treatment of the Babis at
the hands of the secular and religious authorities was recorded by
a number of Western diplomats, scholars, and travelers, who
expressed their admiration for the character and fortitude of the
victims of the persecution.
The Babi Faith sprang from Islam in the same manner that
Christianity sprang from Judaism or Buddhism from Hinduism. It
was apparent from early in the Bab's ministry that the religion
established by Hirn represented not merely a sect or a movement
within Islam but possessed the character of an independent Faith.
Furthermore, one of the main tenets of Babi belief was the Bab's
statement that He had been sent by God to prepare the way for One
greater than Himself, who would inaugurate an era of peace and
righteousness throughout the world, representing the culmination
of all the religious dispensations of the past.
Mirza I:Iusayn-' Ali, known to history as Baha'u'llah, was one
of the leading adherents of the Babi Faith who was arrested and
imprisoned during the tumultuous years of the Bab's brief ministry. He was spared from execution but was banished from Persia
to Baghdad, thence to Constantinople, Adrianople, and finally to
the penal colony of Acre in Palestine. Thus, the Persian government, which had secured the support of the rulers of the rival
Ottoman empire in suppressing the new movement, expected that
His sphere of influence would be severely limited. During His
imprisonment Mirza I:Iusayn- 'Ali had received the first divine
intimations that He was the Promised One of whom the Bab had
spoken. He adopted the title Baha'u'llah, which means "the Glory
of God," and publicly declared His mission on the eve of His
exile from Baghdad, in April 1863 .
Baha' u ' llah was still nominally a prisoner when He passed
away some forty years later in Acre, in November 1892, although
the authorities had gradually loosened their restrictions as they
became acquainted with Him and the nature of His teachings.
During the long years of His exile and imprisonment, Baha'u'llah
revealed the equivalent of over 100 volumes of writings, consisting of the laws and ordinances of His dispensation, letters to

THE BAHA'f WORLD

the kings and rulers of the East and the West, mystical teachings,
and other divinely inspired writings.
In His Will and Testament, Baha'u'llah appointed His eldest
son, 'Abbas Effendi, who adopted the title 'Abdu'l-Baha (the
Servant of Baha), as His successor and sole authoritative interpreter of His teachings. ' Abdu' I-Baba had shared the long years
of exile and imprisonment of His Father, being freed only after a
new regime was installed by the "Young Turk" movement in
1908. Shortly thereafter, at an advanced age, He embarked on an
arduous journey to Europe and America where, from 1911to1913,
He proclaimed Baha'u'llah's message of universal brotherhood
and peace to large audiences, consolidated fledgling Baha'i communities, and warned of the potential catastrophe looming on
Europe ' s darkening horizon. By the time World War I erupted
in 1914, 'Abdu'l-Baha had returned to His home in Haifa, just
across the bay from Acre in Palestine, and devoted Himself to
caring for the people of that city, fending off famine by feeding
them from stores of grain He had safeguarded for just such an
eventuality. ' Abdu ' l-Baha's humanitarian services and promotion of intercultural harmony were recognized by the British
government, which, at the end of the war, conferred upon Him a
knighthood, a title He acknowledged, although He declined to
use it. He passed away in 1921 and is buried on Mount Carmel in
a vault near where the remains of the Bab were interred by Him
some years before.
Among the significant legacies bequeathed to history by
'Abdu'l-Baha was a series of letters, called the Tablets of the
Divine Plan, addressed to the Baha'is of North America during
the years of World War I. These fourteen letters directed the
recipients to scatter to countries on all continents and share with
their populations the teachings of Baha'u'llah- a mandate that
led to the global expansion of the Baha'i community.
Another legacy of 'Abdu'l-Baha was His Will and Testament,
which Baha' is regard as the charter of the administrative order
conceived by Baha'u'llah. In this document, 'Abdu'l-Baha appointed His eldest grandson, Shoghi Effendi, to succeed Him
after His passing as Guardian of the Baha' i Faith and authorized
interpreter of its teachings.

THE B AHA'I C OMMUNITY

During the period of his Guardianship, from 1921 to 1957,
Shoghi Effendi concentrated his attention on four main areas: the
development of the Baha'i World Centre in the environs of Haifa,
Israel; the translation and interpretation of the Baha'i sacred
writings; the rise and consolidation of the institutions of the administrative order of the Baha' i Faith; and the implementation
of 'Abdu'l-Baha's plan for the propagation of the Baha'i Faith
around the world.
At the Baha'i World Centre, Shoghi Effendi effected the construction of a superstructure for the mausoleum containing the
remains of the Bab, which had been brought secretly from Persia
and interred by 'Abdu ' l-Baha in a tomb on Mount Carmel in a
spot designated by Baha'u'llah. Shoghi Effendi beautified and
expanded the simple native stone structure, which is today a site of
pilgrimage for Baha'is from all over the world. He enhanced the
Baha'i properties, particularly the site of Baha'u'llah's grave at
Bahji, with gardens of striking beauty, and he initiated the construction of the International Baha'i Archives building to house
and preserve artifacts from the early days of the Baha'i Faith. The
International Archives building was the first structure built on the
arc-shaped path on the site designated as the world administrative center of the Baha'i community. It was completed in 1957.
In concert with the actions he took to develop the Baha'i
World Centre and lay the foundations, literally and figuratively,
for the further course of that development, Shoghi Effendi was
also instrumental in interpreting the writings of Baha'u'llah and
'Abdu '1-Baha and translating them from the original Persian and
Arabic into English. The Guardian had served as secretary for a
number of years to ' Abdu'l-Baha and at the time of the latter' s
passing was a student at Oxford University. His mastery of Persian,
Arabic, and English, coupled with the authority conferred upon
him by 'Abdu' l-Baha as the appointed interpreter of those writings,
made him uniquely qualified to undertake their translation. He
also translated a history of the Babi Faith, authored a history of
the first century of the Baha'i Faith, called God Passes By , and
wrote thousands of letters to communities and individuals around
the world, elucidating passages from the writings, and thus giving
direction and impetus to Baha'i activities.

THE BAHA'I WORLD

Development of the Administrative Order
Shoghi Effendi's work in developing the Baha'i administrative
order is one of the most dramatic legacies of his years as Guardian.
The first step in this development was to encourage the organized,
planned expansion of Baha'i communities in places where local and
national Baha'i councils, known as Spiritual Assemblies, would
eventually be established. The Guardian effected this global
expansion of Baha'i communities through a series of international plans that ran for varying numbers of years and during
which twelve National Spiritual Assemblies were founded.
At the time of Shoghi Effendi's sudden passing in 1957, the
Baha'i community was in the middle of a global plan of expansion
and consolidation called "The Ten Year Crusade." During this
period, which concluded in 1963- the centenary ofBaha' u'llah's
declaration of His mission in the Garden ofRi<;ivan in Baghdadthe goal was to open 132 new countries and major territories to
the Faith and expand existing communities in 120 countries and
territories previously opened to the Faith. These ambitious targets
were actually exceeded by the end of the plan, in spite of the difficulties posed by the Guardian's death.
'Abdu'l-Baha, in His Will and Testament, had authorized the
continuation of the Guardianship through the appointment by
the Guardian of a successor from among his own sons, should
he have them, or other direct descendants of Baha' u' llah. Such
a designation was dependent upon the decision of Shoghi
Effendi whether an individual could be named who met the
demanding spiritual qualifications specified by Baha'u'llah and
'Abdu'l-Baha. Shoghi Effendi had no children and died without
designating such a Guardian to follow him. He had, however,
taken steps toward the election of the Universal House of Justice,
the supreme governing body of the Baha'i Faith which was to
function , with him, as one of the two authorized successors
provided for in the writings of Baha'u'llah and 'Abdu ' l-Baha.
He had also appointed a number of individual Baha'is to an
auxiliary institution of the Guardianship called "Hands of the
Cause of God." These individuals had been charged with the duty
of protecting the unity of the faith and collaborating with the
National Spiritual Assemblies around the world to ensure that

THE B AHA'I C OMMUNITY

the goals of the Ten Year Crusade were won. Upon the passing of
Shoghi Effendi, these persons gathered together to guide the
Baha'i community to the completion of the plan initiated by the
Guardian and towards the first election of the Universal House of
Justice, which took place in April 1963 .
Conceived by Baha'u'llah Himself, the institution of the Universal House of Justice is established on principles laid down in
the Baha'i sacred writings. Its election, by the members of the 56
National Spiritual Assemblies that existed in April 1963, clearly
demonstrated the principle of unity so central to the Baha'i Faith,
with the nine elected members coming from four continents and
representing a variety ofreligious and ethnic backgrounds.
Basing itself on the authority conferred on it by the Founder of
the Faith, the Universal House of Justice has stood as the acknowledged central authority in the worldwide Baha'i community since
1963. During the last 32 years, the Universal House of Justice has
launched six global plans for the advancement of the Faith. From
a worldwide population of 408,000 in 1963, the Baha'i community
has grown to approximately five million members; the number of
National and Regional Spiritual Assemblies has grown from 56 to
174; and the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies has increased
from 3,555 to some 16,000. Baha' is live in some 235 countries
and territories around the planet.
Spiritual and Moral Teachings and Baha'i Community Life
The force that unites this widely diverse body of people is a unity
of vision gained from belief in Baha'u'llah as a Manifestation of
God, in the social and administrative structures He established,
and in the spiritual and moral teachings He propagated. Central
to these spiritual teachings is the concept that there is only one God
and that the major religions of the world have been established by
Messengers or Manifestations of this one Divine Reality: Abraham,
Krishna, Moses, Buddha, Zoroaster, Jesus, and Mul).ammad, who
have been sent by the Creator progressively throughout history to
deliver a divine message commensurate with humanity's stage of
development. The spiritual essence of all the major religions, in the
Baha'i view, is the same: that humanity has been created to know
and to worship God. Only the religions' social teachings change
through this process of progressive revelation. The Baha'i

THE BAHA'I WORLD

perspective is optimistic, seeing the cumulative benefits of progressively revealed religions as fundamental to an "ever-advancing
civilization." What divides various religious communities, Baha'is
believe, comes not from God but from humanity and its accretions to the essential religious teachings brought by each divine
Messenger.
In this new stage of humanity's development, the time has
come for the recognition of the unity of the human race, for the
establishment of the equality of women and men, for the elimination of the extremes of wealth and poverty, and for the
realization of the age-old promise of universal peace. Likening
the development of the human race to that of a child, the Baha'i
writings say that we have passed through the stages analogous
to infancy and childhood and are now enduring a tumultuous
adolescence, on the threshold of maturity. Baha'u'llah taught
that humanity is destined to come of age, but the course it takes
to achieve that goal is entirely in its own hands.
To promote the development of a society in which Baha'i
ideals can be fully realized, Baha'u'llah established laws and
moral teachings that Baha'is are called upon to follow . Central
to these is daily obligatory prayer. Study and meditation upon
the Baha'i sacred writings is also enjoined upon believers each
morning and evening. Baha'is between the ages of 15 and 70, with
the exception of women who are pregnant or menstruating, as
well as nursing mothers and the sick, observe a nineteen-day,
dawn-to-dusk fast each year. Baha'u'llah referred to prayer and
fasting as the "twin pillars" of faith, an indication of their importance and the benefits to be gained from them. He also raised
work to the level of worship. The main repository ofBaha'u'llah's
laws is a volume entitled the Kitab-i-Aqdas, or the Most Holy
Book.
There are no dietary restrictions in the Baha'i Faith, but the
consumption of alcohol and the use of narcotic and hallucinogenic
drugs are forbidden, as they affect the mind and interfere with
spiritual growth. Baha'u'llah counseled Baha'is to be honest and
trustworthy, to render service to humanity with an abundance of
deeds rather than mere words, to be chaste in their relationships
with others, and to avoid gossip and backbiting. He forbade

THE B AHA'f COMMUNITY

lying, stealing, adultery, sodomy, and promiscuity. The importance
of the family is central to Baha'i community life, as is the moral
and spiritual education of children.
Baha'is often gather together in their communities to study the
sacred writings of their faith and to pray, but a central feature in
Baha'i community life is a meeting called "the Nineteen Day Feast,''
at which all members join in worship, consult about community
affairs, and socialize. For the time being, pending the further
development of Baha'i communities, these meetings often occur
in rented facilities, people's homes, or, in some locations, in the
local Baha'i center. The Baha'i writings call for the erection in
each community of a beautifully designed House of Worship, set in
exquisite gardens and functioning as a spiritual center of activity.
A variety of social and humanitarian institutions are also to be
established around it. A Baha'i House of Worship presently exists
on each continent, and sites have been purchased around the world
for construction of many more in the future. They are open to
people of all faiths-or those professing no particular faith-for
prayer and meditation. Services are nondenominational. There are
no sermons, only readings and prayers from the Baha'i writings
and scriptures of other world faiths and music by an a capella choir.
This preserves for worshippers the sacredness of the experience of
hearing and meditating upon the Holy Word without the interference of man-made concepts.
Aims, Objectives, and Activities
As the Universal House of Justice stated in a message addressed to
the peoples of the world, written in October 1985 on the eve of the
United Nations International Year of Peace, "Acceptance of the
oneness of mankind is the first fundamental prerequisite for reorganization and administration of the world as one country, the
home of humankind." The ultimate aim of the Baha'i Faith is the
establishment of unity among all the peoples of the world, and it
is because of its orientation towards unity on an international
scale that the Baha'i community has been active at the United
Nations since that organization's inception. Today the Baha'i
International Community, an extremely active non-governmental
organization (NGO) which represents the collective voice of the
national Baha'i communities around the world, enjoys consultative

status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). It is
particularly involved in addressing human rights issues, the needs
of women and children, and environmental concerns, as well as
pursuing sound sustainable development policies. To coordinate
its international efforts in these areas, the Baha'i International Community's United Nations Office and Office of Public Information,
as well as Offices of the Environment and for the Advancement
of Women, collaborate with National Spiritual Assemblies around
the world in various projects and representations at international
gatherings.
The activities of the Baha'i International Community at the
United Nations have earned it a reputation as one of the most
effective religious NGOs in the UN system. Its national and international representatives have taken active roles in major international
events such as the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992, the
United Nations World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna
in June 1993, the World Summit for Social Development in
Copenhagen in March 1995, and the Fourth World Conference on
Women in Beijing in September 1995.
Beyond the scope of the United Nations, Baha'is look towards
a day when a new international order will be established, a commonwealth to which all the nations of the world will belong. As Shoghi
Effendi wrote in 1936,
The unity of the human race, as envisaged by Baha'u'llah,
implies the establishment of a world commonwealth in which
all nations, races, creeds and classes are closely and permanently united, and in which the autonomy of its state members
and the personal freedom and initiative of the individuals that
compose them are definitely and completely safeguarded. This
commonwealth must, as far as we can visualize it, consist of
a world legislature, whose members will, as the trustees of
the whole of mankind,. .. enact such laws as shall be required
to regulate the life, satisfy the needs and adjust the relationships of all races and peoples. A world executive, backed by an
international Force, will carry out the decisions arrived at, and
apply the laws enacted by, this world legislature, and will
safeguard the organic unity of the whole commonwealth. A
world tribunal will adjudicate and deliver its compulsory and
final verdict in all and any disputes that may arise between the
various elements constituting this universal system.

THE B AHA'I C OMM UNITY

Shoghi Effendi went on to describe the tremendous benefits
to humanity resulting from such a world order:

The enormous energy dissipated and wasted on war, whether
economic or political, will be consecrated to such ends as will
extend the range of human inventions and technical development, to the increase of the productivity of mankind, to the
extermination of disease, to the extension of scientific research,
to the raising of the standard of physical health, to the sharpening and refinement of the human brain, to the exploitation
of the unused and unsuspected resources of the planet, to the
prolongation of human life, and to the furtherance of any other
agency that can stimulate the intellectual, the moral, and spiritual
life of the entire human race. 1

To make its aims and objectives widely known and to promote
its perspective on various issues, the Baha'i International Community
has been active not only in collaborating with like-minded organizations in and out of the United Nations but has also been
engaged in public relations efforts designed to bring spiritual and
social principles of the Faith to the attention of the generality of
humankind. Information about the Baha'i Faith became much more
widely disseminated than it had been as international news media
reported the persecution of the Baha'is oflran which came in the
wake of the 1979 Iranian revolution. More than 200 members of the
Faith were executed for their belief, considered as heresy by the
regime, and thousands more were imprisoned, fired from their jobs,
or had their homes confiscated or their pensions cut off as a result of
government orders. Baha'is around the world responded in unity
to the situation in Iran- the land in which their religion was
born- by petitioning their governments to take action against this
treatment; and it is, to some degree, as a result of these efforts that
the persecutions were not more extreme. Executions have ceased,
although Iran's Baha' is are still denied fundamental rights and
freedoms.
The Baha'i community has also taken a proactive approach in
promulgating its views. The statement on peace issued by the

1. Shoghi Effendi, Th e World Order of Baha 'u '!!ah: Selected Letters, 2d rev.
ed. (Wilmette: Baha' i Publishing Trust, 1974), pp. 203- 04.

THE BAHA'f WORLD

Universal House of Justice in 1985, entitled The Promise of World
Peace, sparked a worldwide campaign of presentations and
public education projects that lasted throughout the International
Year of Peace and beyond and encompassed government figures
and leaders of thought, as well as the general population. To mark
the centenary ofBaha'u'llah's passing in 1992, the Baha'i International Community's Office of Public Information published
Bahri 'u '!!ah, a statement about the Faith's Founder, detailing His
life, His teachings, and His mission. Events of the year itself,
notably the commemoration in the Holy Land in May 1992 of the
centenary of the passing ofBaha'u'llah, involving some 3,000
participants from all over the world, and the Baha'i World Congress held in New York City in November 1992, which attracted
some 27,000 Baha' is from around the globe, brought much
publicity to the Faith. In January 1995, the Office of Public
Information released another major statement on social development, Th e Prosperity of Humankind. Widely disseminated at the
World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen in March
1995, the statement promises to lead to further engagement of the
Baha'i community with leaders of thought in this field. In
October 1995, a statement entitled Turning Point for All Nations was
released to contribute to the discussions on the future of the United
Nations that marked the organization' s fiftieth anniversary.
Aside from large-scale public relations activities and the publication of statements on different themes, the Baha'i community
has been continually engaged in a series of international teaching
plans, and it has seen rapid expansion in different parts of the world,
most notably in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, where
national Baha'i communities have been established in recent
years following the collapse of long-standing political barriers.
Baha'i communities governed by National Spiritual Assemblies
now exist in Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, the Baltic States,
Belarus, Georgia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Poland,
Romania, Russia, the Ukraine, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and
Uzbekistan. The Czech and Slovak Republics, and Slovenia and
Croatia have Regional Spiritual Assemblies. Elsewhere in the
world, National Spiritual Assemblies have recently come into
existence in Cambodia, Eritrea, Mongolia, and Sicily. In April

THE B AHA.'I C OMMUNITY

1996, two more National Spiritual Assemblies were established, in
Moldova and in Sao Tome and Principe.
The existence and growth of the Baha'i community offers
irrefutable evidence that humanity, in all its diversity, can learn
to live and work together in harmony. While Baha'is are not
unaware of the turmoil in the world surrounding them, their view
is succinctly depicted in the following words, taken from The
Prosperity of Humankind:

A world is passing away and a new one is struggling to be
born. The habits, attitudes, and institutions that have accumulated over the centuries are being subjected to tests that are as
necessary to human development as they are inescapable.
What is required of the peoples of the world is a measure of
faith and resolve to match the enormous energies with which
the Creator of all things has endowed this spiritual springtime
of the race.2

The source of this faith and resolve is the message of hope
offered to humanity by the teachings ofBaha'u'llah. It is a message
that deserves the thoughtful consideration of all those who yearn
for peace and justice in the world.

2. See Th e Baha 'i World 1994- 95, pp. 273- 96, for the complete text of this
statement.

BAHA f 1

SACRED
WRITINGS

Writings of Baha'u'llah
T he utterance of God is a lamp, whose light is these words: Ye
are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch. Deal
ye one with another with the utmost love and harmony, with friendliness and fellowship. He Who is the Day Star of Truth beareth
Me witness! So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate
the whole earth. The one true God, He Who knoweth all things,
Himself testifieth to the truth of these words.
Exert yourselves that ye may attain this transcendent and most
sublime station, the station that can ensure the protection and
security of all mankind. This goal excelleth every other goal, and
this aspiration is the monarch of all aspirations.

The light of men is Justice. Quench it not with the contrary
winds of oppression and tyranny. The purpose of justice is the
appearance of unity among men. The ocean of divine wisdom
surgeth within this exalted word, while the books of the world

cannot contain its inner significance. Were mankind to be
adorned with this raiment, they would behold the day-star of
utterance, ' On that day God will satisfy everyone out of His
abundance,' shining resplendent above the horizon of the world.
Appreciate ye the value of this utterance; it is a noble fruit that
the Tree of the Pen of Glory hath yielded. Happy is the man that
giveth ear unto it and observeth its precepts. Verily I say,
whatever is sent down from the heaven of the Will of God is the
means for the establishment of order in the world and the
instrument for promoting unity and fellowship among its
peoples. Thus hath the Tongue of this Wronged One spoken
from His Most Great Prison.

In one of the Tablets these words have been revealed: 0 people
of God! Do not busy yourselves in your own concerns; let your
thoughts be fixed upon that which will rehabilitate the fortunes of
mankind and sanctify the hearts and souls of men. This can best
be achieved through pure and holy deeds, through a virtuous life
and a goodly behavior. Valiant acts will ensure the triumph of this
Cause, and a saintly character will reinforce its power. Cleave unto
righteousness, 0 people of Baha! This, verily, is the commandment
which this Wronged One hath given unto you, and the first choice
of His unrestrained Will for every one of you . ...
It is incumbent upon every man, in this Day, to hold fast unto
whatsoever will promote the interests, and exalt the station of all
nations and just governments. Through each and every one of the
verses which the Pen of the Most High hath revealed, the doors
of love and unity have been unlocked and flung open to the face of
men. We have erewhile declared- and Our Word is the truth- :
"Consort with the followers of all religions in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship. " Whatsoever hath led the children of men to
shun one another, and hath caused dissensions and divisions
amongst them, hath, through the revelation of these words, been
nullified and abolished. From the heaven of God's Will, and for the
purpose of ennobling the world of being and of elevating the minds
and souls of men, hath been sent down that which is the most
effective instrument for the education of the whole human race. The

BAHA'I S ACRED WRITINGS

highest essence and most perfect expression of whatsoever the
peoples of old have either said or written hath, through this most
potent Revelation, been sent down from the heaven of the Will of
the All-Possessing, the Ever-Abiding God. Of old it hath been
revealed: "Love of one's country is an element of the Faith of
God." The Tongue of Grandeur hath, however, in the day of His
manifestation proclaimed: "It is not his to boast who loveth his
country, but it is his who loveth the world." Through the power
released by these exalted words He hath lent a fresh impulse and
set a new direction to the birds of men' s hearts, and hath obliterated
every trace of restriction and limitation from God's holy Book. ...
In formulating the principles and laws a part hath been devoted
to penalties which form an effective instrument for the security
and protection of men. However, dread of the penalties maketh
people desist only outwardly from committing vile and contemptible deeds, while that which guardeth and restraineth man both
outwardly and inwardly hath been and still is the fear of God. It is
man's true protector and his spiritual guardian. It behoveth him to
cleave tenaciously unto that which will lead to the appearance of
this supreme bounty. Well is it with him who giveth ear unto
whatsoever My Pen of Glory hath proclaimed and observeth that
whereunto he is bidden by the Ordainer, the Ancient of Days ... .
0 ye that dwell on earth! The distinguishing feature that marketh
the pre-eminent character of this Supreme Revelation consisteth in
that We have, on the one hand, blotted out from the pages of God's
holy Book whatsoever hath been the cause of strife, of malice
and mischief amongst the children of men, and have, on the other,
laid down the essential prerequisites of concord, of understanding,
of complete and enduring unity. Well is it with them that keep My
statutes.

Were men to gaze with the eye of the heart, they would know
for a surety that whatsoever hath descended from the Source of Command containeth naught but pure benefit for all the peoples of the
world. All must become as wings to bear one another onward. Man's
true honor lieth in wisdom, understanding and an upright character,
not in amassing earthly ornaments , in vainglory and conceit. All

were created out of dust, and unto dust shall they return. 0 people
of Baha! Man's true adornment consisteth not in the trappings of
this world, but rather in recognition of the one true God-magnified
be His might!-and in sciences, crafts and upright conduct.
Ye are the pearls of the Sea of Oneness! Consider ye the pearl:
its purity and fineness are qualities inherent in itself. Were one to
wrap it in the finest silks, they would but hide from view its
delicacy and lustre. Its beauty is within itself. Strive, then, to acquire
this beauty, and grieve not at lacking this world's material benefits.
0 ye trees of the celestial paradise! Deprive not yourselves of the
vernal breezes of God's loving-kindness, nor withhold from
yourselves the sweet savors of His holy words of wisdom. Such is
the measure of His gracious providence that, notwithstanding the
heedlessness of all and this most great affliction in the Prison of
'Akka, He hath yet caused to flow from the Pen of the All-Glorious
that which profiteth His creatures. He, verily, is the Ever-Forgiving,
the Most Merciful.

They that are endued with sincerity and faithfulness should associate with all the peoples and kindreds of the earth with joy and
radiance, inasmuch as consorting with people hath promoted and
will continue to promote unity and concord, which in tum are
conducive to the maintenance of order in the world and to the
regeneration of nations. Blessed are such as hold fast to the cord of
kindliness and tender mercy and are free from animosity and hatred.
This Wronged One exhorteth the peoples of the world to observe
tolerance and righteousness, which are two lights amidst the darkness
of the world and two educators for the edification of mankind. Happy
are they who have attained thereto and woe betide the heedless.

Writings of 'Abdu'l-Baha
In every dispensation, there hath been the commandment of
fellowship and love, but it was a commandment limited to the community of those in mutual agreement, not to the dissident foe. In this
wondrous age, however, praised be God, the commandments of
God are not delimited, not restricted to any one group of people,

BAHA'f SACRED WJSITI NGS

rather have all the friends been commanded to show forth fellowship and love, consideration and generosity and loving-kindness to
every community on earth. Now must the lovers of God arise to
carry out these instructions of His: let them be kindly fathers to the
children of the human race, and compassionate brothers to the
youth, and self-denying offspring to those bent with years. The
meaning of this is that ye must show forth tenderness and love to
every human being, even to your enemies, and welcome them all
with unalloyed friendship, good cheer, and loving-kindness. When
ye meet with cruelty and persecution at another's hands, keep faith
with him; when malevolence is directed your way, respond with a
friendly heart. To the spears and arrows rained upon you, expose
your breasts for a target mirror-bright; and in return for curses,
taunts and wounding words, show forth abounding love. Thus will
all peoples witness the power of the Most Great Name, and every
nation acknowledge the might of the Ancient Beauty, and see how
He hath toppled down the walls of discord, and how surely He
hath guided all the peoples of the earth to oneness; how He hath lit
man's world, and made this earth of dust to send forth streams of
light.

Note ye how easily, where unity existeth in a given family, the
affairs of that family are conducted; what progress the members
of that family make, how they prosper in the world. Their
concerns are in order, they enjoy comfort and tranquility, they
are secure, their position is assured, they come to be envied by
all. Such a family but addeth to its stature and its lasting honor,
as day succeedeth day. And if we widen out the sphere of unity a
little to include the inhabitants of a village who seek to be loving
and united, who associate with and are kind to one another, what
great advances they will be seen to make, how secure and
protected they will be. Then let us widen out the sphere a little
more, let us take the inhabitants of a city, all of them together: if
they establish the strongest bonds of unity among themselves,
how far they will progress, even in a brief period and what power
they will exert. And if the sphere of unity be still further widened
out, that is, if the inhabitants of a whole country develop

peaceable hearts, and if with all their hearts and souls they yearn
to cooperate with one another and to live in unity, and if they
become kind and loving to one another, that country will achieve
undying joy and lasting glory. Peace will it have, and plenty, and
vast wealth.

Universal benefits derive from the grace of the Divine
religions, for they lead their true followers to sincerity of intent,
to high purpose, to purity and spotless honor, to surpassing
kindness and compassion, to the keeping of their covenants
when they have covenanted, to concern for the rights of others,
to liberality, to justice in every aspect of life, to humanity and
philanthropy, to valor and to unflagging efforts in the service of
mankind. It is religion, to sum up, which produces all human
virtues, and it is these virtues which are the bright candles of civilization. If a man is not characterized by these excellent
qualities , it is certain that he has never attained to so much as a
drop out of the fathomless river of the waters of life that flows
through the teachings of the Holy Books, nor caught the faintest
breath of the fragrant breezes that blow from the gardens of God;
for nothing on earth can be demonstrated by words alone, and
every level of existence is known by its signs and symbols, and
every degree in man's development has its identifying mark.
The purpose of these statements is to make it abundantly clear
that the Divine religions , the holy precepts, the heavenly
teachings, are the unassailable basis of human happiness, and
that the peoples of the world can hope for no real relief or
deliverance without this one great remedy. This panacea must,
however, be administered by a wise and skilled physician, for in
the hands of an incompetent all the cures that the Lord of men
has ever created to heal men's ills could produce no health, and
would on the contrary only destroy the helpless and burden the
hearts of the already afflicted .. ..
When, through the Divine bestowals, three things appear on
earth, this world of dust will come alive, and stand forth wondrously adorned and full of grace. These are first, the fruitful
winds of spring; second, the welling plenty of spring clouds; and

B AHA: f S ACRED WRITINGS

third, the heat of the bright sun. When, out of the endless bounty
of God, these three have been vouchsafed, then slowly, by His
leave, dry trees and branches tum fresh and green again, and
array themselves with many kinds of blossoms and fruits. It is
the same when the pure intentions and the justice of the ruler, the
wisdom and consummate skill and statecraft of the governing
authorities, and the determination and unstinted efforts of the
people, are all combined; then day by day the effects of the
advancement, of the far-reaching reforms, of the pride and
prosperity of government and people alike, will become clearly
manifest.

Today nothing but the power of the Word of God which
encompasses the realities of things can bring the thoughts , the
minds, the hearts and the spirits under the shade of one Tree. He
is the Potent in all things, the Vivifier of souls, the Preserver and
the Controller of the world of mankind. Praise be to God, in this
day the light of the Word of God has shone forth upon all
regions, and from all sects, communities, nations, tribes, peoples,
religions and denominations, souls have gathered under the
shadow of the Word of Oneness and have in the most intimate
fellowship united and harmonized!

FROM THE
UNIVERSAL
HOUSEoF
JUSTICE

T he Universal House of Justice, the international governing
council of the Baha'i world community, derives its authority
directly from Baha'u'llah, the Founder of the Baha'i Faith-"the
Revealer of God's Word in this Day," "the Source of Authority," and
"the Inspirer and Founder of a world civilization," as the opening of
the Constitution of the Universal House of Justice states. That same
document continues on to outline clearly the devolution of authority
from Baha'u'llah to the House of Justice:

To direct and canalize the forces released by His Revelation
He instituted His Covenant, whose power has preserved the
integrity of His Faith, maintained its unity and stimulated its
world-wide expansion throughout the successive ministries of
'Abdu'l-Baha and Shoghi Effendi. It continues to fulfill its
life-giving purpose through the agency of the Universal House
of Justice whose fundamental object, as one of the twin successors of Baha 'u' llah and 'Ab du' 1-Baha, is to ensure the
continuity of that divinely-appointed authority which flows from
the Source of the Faith, to safeguard the unity of its followers,
and to maintain the integrity and flexibility of its teachings.

THE BAHA'I WORLD

Thus charged with responsibility, the Universal House of Justice
seeks to educate, inform, direct, encourage, and inspire the global
Baha'i community, a task it undertakes mainly through its voluminous
correspondence with Baha'i institutions and individuals around the
world.
Ri«;fvan Messages (153 B.E.)
The Baha'i Faith has systematically expanded and consolidated
its ranks through the operation of successive plans of varying
duration. This year saw the launching of a new Four Year Plan,
and this subject formed the substance of the 1996 "Ri(,ivan
message" of the Universal House of Justice to the Baha'is of the
world, released each year between 21 April and 2 May, the period
that marks Baha'u'llah's declaration of His mission in the Garden
ofRic;lvan (Paradise) in Baghdad in 1863. This year, in addition to
its general letter, the House of Justice addressed eight separate
letters to the Baha'is in various regions of the globe, reflecting on
the history of those communities, the current situations they face,
and their prospects for the future.
The general letter to the Baha'is of the world begins by reviewing
the global accomplishments of the Three Year Plan ( 1993-1996)
just completed, with the House of Justice noting that the period
resulted in a "more consolidated, more resilient, more mature, and
more confident"-in short, "a qualitatively enriched"-community.
Among the accomplishments noted are the following:
• the progress made in the construction of the projects at the Baha'i World
Centre on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel;
• an increase in social and economic development activities around the world;
• expansion of external affairs work;
• the formation of twelve new National Spiritual Assemblies;
• a surge of pioneering and travel-teaching;
• the implementation of systematic approaches to collective teaching activities;
• well-focused long-term teaching projects;
• numerous achievements of the institution of the International Teaching
Centre, both in the evolution of its own functioning and in its attention to
the educational needs of the community;
• the asswnption by indigenous believers around the world of more responsibility

THE U NIVE RSAL H O USE O F J USTICE

for teaching and consolidation work in their own communities;
• the continued functioning of Baha ' i communities in such troubled countries
as Angola, Cambodia, Liberia, and Sie1Ta Leone ;
• the rapid maturation of Baha'i institutions in the countries of the former
Eastern Bloc in Europe;
• island Baha'i communities ' inclusion of diverse populations in their membership;
• the enthusiastic service of youth, including their pursuit of music and the arts
(particularly dance and drama workshops), their participation in external
affairs activities, their commitment to a year of service, and their achievements of academic, professional, and vocational excellence;
• the Baha ' i community 's greater involvement in social and economic development, particularly in the field of education, including the community ' s
adoption of the management of seven public schools in one country; the
development of farming, leading communities towards self-sufficiency,
particularly in Africa; efforts to advance the status of women, including the
establishment of the Baha ' i International Community's Office for the
Advancement of Women; and involvement in health and literacy projects in
various countries;
• effects of expansion in external affairs work, in both small and large communities, as evidenced by increasing numbers of invitations to Baha ' i
communities from high public officials, by the community ' s efforts to
influence government action, by the establishment of Baha' i academic
programs in colleges and universities, and the development of curricular
materials for public schools;
• the Baha' i International Community ' s participation in the World Summit for
Social Development, held in Copenhagen in March 1995 , with the concurrent release of the statement Th e Prosperity of Humankind by the Baha ' i
International Community ' s Office of Public Information; participation in
September 1995 in the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing;
contributions to the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations, and the
release of the statement Turning Point for All Nations ; the attendance of
Hand of the Cause of God Amatu ' l-Baha Rul).iyyih Khanum at both the
Summit on the Alliance between Religions and Conservation and the Fourth
International Dialogue on the Transition to a Global Society;
• the publication of the Persian edition of Baha 'u ' llah ' s Most Holy Book,
the Kitab-i-Aqdas ;
• the increasing rootedness of the law ofl:fuququ ' llah in the Baha ' i community.
The House of Justice moves on from this review to an analysis of
current events, looking at the integrating and disruptive processes at
work during this turbulent period "of accelerating transition."

The disruptive forces are evident in the disarray of human affairs
presented through news media, while the integrating forces can
been seen, for example, in the efforts by world leaders to take
collective action on various issues , to attend global meetings, to
engage in collective efforts to respond to crises, and in the calls
for global governance proliferating throughout the world.
In this context, the House of Justice states, the Baha'is' efforts
to build their unique system will invoke a spiritual atmosphere
and lead to a quickening of the processes towards world peace.
Baha'i communities around the world are thus called upon to
focus on one major aim during the coming four years : movement
towards ensuring sustained large-scale growth of their numbers
and an accelerated program of consolidation, referred to as "a
significant advance in the process of entry by troops," a process
that involves individuals, institutions, and local communities.
Standing "at the very crux of any progress to be made" in this
process, the individual has the responsibility to teach the Faith to
others , to exercise his or her capacities, to study and allow the
trans formative forces of that act to exert their influence, and to
draw on his or her love for Baha'u ' llah, the power of the Covenant of Baha'u'llah, and prayer.
In tum, heightened functioning of the institutions in the Baha'i
community enhances individuals' capacity to serve and fosters
unified action. Such an evolution requires a new state of mind on
the part of the members of those institutions and on the part of
those they serve. The means through which Spiritual Assemblies
can rise to this new level of functioning include improving the
use of consultation among the members themselves and with
community members; fostering a spirit of service in the community;
collaborating with the Continental Boards of Counsellors and
their Auxiliary Board members; and cultivating external relations.
At the level of the community, which is defined as comprising
individuals, families, and institutions that are the originators of
systems- in short, a "comprehensive unit of civilization"-the
Universal House of Justice stresses the need for a "significant
enhancement in patterns of behavior," achieved through the integration of adults, youth, and children in the community's spiritual,
social, educational, and administrative activities, as well as in

THE U NIVE RSAL H OUSE OF J USTICE

teaching and development activities, and through the practice of the
collective worship of God.
To develop human resources within the community, systematic
attention must be given to educating large numbers of Baha'is in
the fundamental verities of the Faith and to training them, an
effort that requires collaboration between the Continental Boards
of Counsellors and the National Spiritual Assemblies to establish
organized, formal, regular programs of training, particularly institutes, that will evolve as centers of learning.
Extending the network of national governing councils around
the world, two new National Spiritual Assemblies, of Moldova and
of Sao Tome and Principe, are to form at Ric;lvan 1996. Unfortunately, the National Assemblies of Burundi and Rwanda are not able
to re-form owing to political turmoil in those countries, leaving
the total number of National Spiritual Assemblies at 174.
Efforts already in progress should not lose momentum during
the coming four years: for example, work in the field of social and
economic development will continue; so, too, will external affairs
activities focusing on the defense of the Baha'i community in
Iran, and on the themes of global prosperity, the advancement of
women, moral development, and human rights; encouragement
is given to further use of the arts in the proclamation, expansion,
and consolidation work of the Faith.
As Baha'i communities around the world strive to accomplish
the aims detailed above, so the Baha'i World Centre will pursue
a number of specific goals. The most important of these is the
completion of the current projects on Mount Carmel, following
which, at Ric;lvan 2000, a major event will be held. Other goals
include provision of further directives to the Baha'i world regarding
the application of additional laws of the Kitab-i-Aqdas; the translation and release of another volume of the writings ofBaha'u'llah;
the further development of the institution of the International
Teaching Centre; and allowance for an increase in the number of
pilgrims and visitors to the World Centre.
Accomplishing the two main challenges that lie before the
Baha'i community at this juncture in history- namely, teaching
the Faith and completing the projects undertaken on Mount Carmel- will, in the words of the Universal House of Justice, "foster

THE BAHA'I WORLD

conditions towards the release of pent-up forces that will forge a
change in the direction of human affairs throughout the planet."
This Plan, set "at one of the most critical times in the life of the
planet," will prepare the Baha'i community to cope with accelerating changes in the world, enable it to withstand accompanying
tests and challenges, and make visible its distinctive pattern of
functioning. Assigning this Plan "a special place in the scheme of
Baha'i and world history," occurring as it does during "a time so
charged with potentialities and hope for all humanity," the House of
Justice closes this weighty message with the expressed hope that
the worldwide Baha'i community will "arise to seize the tasks of
this crucial moment."
In addition to this general letter to the Baha'is of the world,
separate letters address the opportunities and challenges facing
countries in eight different regions, namely, Africa, Australasia,
Europe, the countries and islands in the region of the Indian subcontinent, Latin America and the Caribbean, North America,
Southeast Asia, and Wes tern and Central Asia.
Many of these letters stress common themes also found in the
general letter, in addition to dealing with the particularities of each
region. All, for example, mention the importance of advancing
the process of entry by troops; all encourage teaching so as to
increase the numbers of Baha' is from all walks of life and from
"every stratum of society,'' with the goal of building "a vibrant
model of unity in diversity"; and all encourage individual believers
to take initiative.
Social and economic development is highlighted in different
ways throughout the eight letters. Particular stress is laid upon
the encouragement of the advancement of women-with men's
active support, as the letter to Africa states. Literacy and the development of moral education programs also receive mention in a
number of the letters, and where social and economic development
activities are already flourishing, communities are urged to sustain
and expand them as feasible.
Again, the development of human resources within the Baha'i
community is stressed, through the repeated mention of the
importance of the development of "systematic," "consistent," and
"widespread" training institutes and institute programs. Indeed,

THE U NIVE RSAL HOUSE OF J USTICE

the word "systematic" occurs many times throughout the letters,
reflecting the importance the House of Justice places on the wellplanned expansion and consolidation of the Baha'i community,
accomplished through individual teaching as well as organized
teaching campaigns promoted by the institutions of the Faith and
with the community's full participation.
As in the general letter, the consolidation of the Baha'i community is emphasized. Several of the letters specifically mention the
enhancement of the trust and confidence, or "organic unity,"
between the individuals and the institutions, stressing that improving
the functioning of Local Spiritual Assemblies and developing "a
distinctive community life" go together. Included in the latter
aspect are, for example, specific mention of the improvement in
the Nineteen Day Feast, support of the Baha'i Funds, and communities' assumption of the full responsibility for the election of their
own Local Spiritual Assemblies. Planning is another aspect of this
evolution of functioning. With the commencement of the Six Year
Plan ( 1986-1992), Baha'i communities around the world began to
develop their own plans for the expansion and consolidation of
their communities; as this plan begins, they are urged to continue
and improve upon that process.
And again, as in the general letter, stress is placed upon the idea
that combined efforts in systematic expansion and consolidation
will firmly establish "the patterns of Baha'i community life." The
Baha'i education of children, the teaching and spiritual enrichment of entire families , and the collective practice of the worship
of God as other aspects of this development are also emphasized.
Encouragement of the use of the arts, particularly music and
drama, in the proclamation, expansion, and consolidation work is
a recurring theme in several of the letters, adding emphasis to
similar points made in the general letter. Emphasis on external
affairs work is also reinforced; where it has already been undertaken, it is praised, and its inauguration is urged in places where
it has, as yet, been untried.
Pioneering and travel-teaching form yet another common thread
running through the regional letters. Particular appeals to indigenous believers, those of African descent, Iranian Baha'is, French
Canadians, believers from Hispanic backgrounds, and those from

THE BAHA:f WORLD

Arctic and sub-Arctic regions to travel and teach others from
their own language or ethnic backgrounds are made in the letter
to North America. Indigenous believers in Australasia are urged
to study, to teach locally, and to participate internationally in the
Ocean of Light programs throughout the Pacific region. Baha'is in
Papua New Guinea and in the Indian subcontinent region are
also asked to assist the development of Baha'i communities in
other countries. Noting that the Latin American and Caribbean
Baha'i communities are comprised of "a harmonious blend of
groups from various ethnic and cultural backgrounds," the House
of Justice urges mobilization of people from these populations
not only in their local communities but elsewhere as pioneers
and traveling teachers.
Specific direction regarding future administrative developments can be found in two letters. The House of Justice writes to
the Australasian region that it must take steps to establish a strong
Baha'i community in French Polynesia, in preparation for the
election of a National Spiritual Assembly there; likewise, Europe
is advised to raise up National Spiritual Assemblies "in certain
of those independent countries and major islands, such as the
Farnes, which have not yet attained them."
In addition to the many overlapping themes and the particular
directions given to different communities, the letters contain specific references to the spiritual heritage of the various regions of
the world. Western and Central Asia, for example, are extolled
as "the home of the oldest and most venerable Baha'i communities." It is recalled that India was mentioned in the first of the
Bab's writings and that Baha'u'llah Himself "selected and dispatched emissaries to propagate His Faith in India." In the letter
to North America, mention of the Tablets of the Divine Plan, a
series of letters by 'Abdu'l-Baha written in the early years of the
twentieth century, urging Baha'is in North America to arise,
teach the Faith, and settle in farflung locations, is made: "In the
eight decades since you received this mandate, your prodigious
exertions have carried the message of Baha'u 'llah to all parts of
your continent, and throughout the length and breadth of the
planet. You have played a critical role in the establishment of
the framework of the Administrative Order and in the sustained

THE U NIVERSAL H OUSE OF J USTICE

proclamation of the Faith." To the Baha'is of Australasia, the
House of Justice recalls a promise ofBaha'u'llah connecting their
efforts to the persecuted Baha'i community in Iran, in which He
wrote, "Should they attempt to conceal His light on the continent,
He will assuredly rear His head in the midmost part of the ocean
and, raising His voice proclaim: 'I am the life giver of the world."'
Africa's "extraordinary history of achievement" is mentioned in
the letter addressed to the Baha'is of that continent, with particular note of the beginnings of the African Baha'i community in
Egypt during the time of Baha'u' llah, the remarkable opening of
sixteen territories in the two-year period of 1951-53, and then
the opening of a further 33 territories between 1953 and 1963.
"During the course of these rapid developments,'' the House of
Justice observes, "the African believers themselves, through sacrificial effort as teachers and pioneers, arose to champion the
Cause of God, manifesting the profundity of their response to the
Message of the New Day."
The letters also note the particular characteristics of the regions ;
for example, to the Baha'is in Southeast Asia, the House of Justice
remarks, "Among your peoples, the majority of whom have been
influenced by noble and high-minded teachings of Buddhism, are
many who possess a profound sense of spirituality, which is
reflected in the practices of their daily lives and in the quality of
their relationships with one another, with nature, and with their
social institutions. They have a keen understanding of the need
for coherence between the material and the spiritual." Likewise,
the receptivity of the peoples in the region of the Indian subcontinent to the message of Baha'u'llah is noted.
Achievements of Baha'i communities in the various regions
are also noted and praised. The Latin American and Caribbean
Baha'i communities' activities in wider society, their work in social
and economic development (particularly in education), their "discourse on issues such as the preservation of the environment and
the organization of social action," and their interactions with leaders
of thought all prompt the House of Justice to remark on their "keen
understanding of the needs and aspirations" of the peoples of that
region, which has enabled the Baha'is "to present the Faith to a wide
range of interests." The contributions of the Baha'i communities in

Europe are noted, including the pioneers they have sent out to
serve in Africa, the Pacific, the Caribbean, and Greenland; contributions made by its institutions to the external affairs work; the
outstanding scholars, musicians, artists, scientists, and those
"concerned with the application of Baha'i Teachings to economics
and business" the continent has produced; the efforts made in the
advancement of women and the strengthening of family life; and
the work of the European Baha'i Youth Council. Given all these
accomplishments, the House of Justice urges them, "Now is the
time to build on these achievements, clearly focusing all efforts
on the central purpose of taking the Message of Baha'u'llah to a
spiritually famished population."
Offering a balance of historical perspective, current analysis,
and future vision, as well as both encouragement and direction,
these weighty and detailed letters clearly set the course for the
Baha'i community's progress over the next four crucial years.

Amatu'l-Baha RU.J:Iiyyih Khanum's Trip to Brazil
A letter from the Universal House of Justice to all National
Spiritual Assemblies, dated 22 August 1996, reported an historic
event in Brazil, during which Hand of the Cause of God
Amatu'l-Baha Rul:iiyyih Khanum was the honored guest at a
special session of the Brazilian Federal Chamber of Deputies,
held to mark the seventy-fifth anniversary of the introduction of
the Baha'i Faith to that country. Attended by ninety Federal
Deputies, of whom fourteen spoke in recognition of the principles
of the Faith "and the benefits that their application has already
brought to many localities," the session was reported in the press
and broadcast media. 1
In closing, the House of Justice commented, "This momentous acknowledgment of the transforming power of the Faith, so
generously expressed by the governing institutions of one of the
world's major nations, demonstrates both the calibre of the Brazilian believers and the growing receptivity of the world to the
Message of the Cause."

1. See pp. 49- 51 for a full report of this event.

THE U NIVE RSAL H OUSE OF JU STJ CE

Pioneering
On 15 September, 1996, the Universal House of Justice reported
to the Baha'is of the world that during the Three Year Plan,
completed at Riq van 1996, some 10,600 Baha ' is, including a
substantial number of youth, had arisen to serve the Faith as
pioneers outside their own home countries . With the launch of
the Four Year Plan, also at Ric;ivan 1996, the House of Justice
called upon the Baha'i community once again to respond enthusiastically and win the goals set by National Spiritual Assemblies
around the world. In conclusion, the House of Justice noted:

The prospect before us as the Plan unfolds is one to thrill
every Baha ' i heart: the need of our fellow human beings for
the Message of Baba 'u ' llah becomes more urgent day by day;
ardent, willing and capable servants of the Cause are required
in many lands and for many functions. That His eager followers in every community will arise with devotion, audacity and
determination to advance His Cause in the longing of our hearts
and the object of our fervent prayers at the Sacred Threshold.

Acquisition of 4, A venue de Camoens
The National and Regional Spiritual Assemblies in Europe were
notified in a letter dated 28 October 1996 of the acquisition of the
apartment at 4, Avenue de Camoens in Paris, in which 'Abdu'l-
Baha stayed during His visit to the city. The House of Justice
noted:

This marks the first step in the acquisition of sites sanctified
by the residence of the Master in the cities of Europe during
the three visits He made to that continent, between 1911 and 1913,
for the purpose of spreading the Message of Bah a 'u ' llah, sites
which are second only in holiness to those places in Istanbul
and Edirne where the Manifestation of God Himself blessed
the soil of the European continent.

EVENTS
1996-97
This article describes the formation
in April 1996 of two new
National Spiritual Assemblies.

TWO NEW
N ATIONAL SPIRITUAL
A SSEMBLIES

T he Baha'i communities of Sao Tome and Principe and of
Moldova had more than the usual reason to be joyous at the
1996 Ric;lvan festival. In addition to commemorating the 133rd anniversary of the Declaration by Baha'u 'llah, the Founder of the
Baha'i Faith, of His prophetic mission, delegates throughout both
countries gathered together at inaugural conventions to elect their
first National Spiritual Assemblies.
The purpose of the 174 National Assemblies currently in existence
around the world 1 is to stimulate, unify, and coordinate by frequent
personal consultations the activities of the Baha'is and the local
administrative units under their jurisdiction, initiating measures and
directing in general the affairs of the Faith in their respective terri -
tories. They also maintain regular contact with the Baha'i World
Centre in Haifa, Israel. The manifold functions of a National Assembly

1. Two previously existing National Spiritual Assemblies, of Rwanda and
Burundi, were unable to re-fo1m at Ric:Jvan 1996 owing to political and social
turmoil in those counháies.

include the publication of Baha'i literature, formulation of national
teaching plans, and representation of the Baha'is in relation to the civil
authorities. The members of all National Assemblies constitute the
electorate in the election, every five years, of the supreme administrative body of the Baha'i Faith, the Universal House of Justice.
National Assemblies are themselves elected according to the
principle of proportional representation, whereby adult members in
hamlets, villages, towns, and cities gather in unit conventions to
elect their delegates to National Conventions, at which the delegates elect the nine members of the National Spiritual Assembly.
This was the procedure followed for the birth of the Baha'i world
community's two newest national institutions.
The National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Moldova 2
About 100 Baha'is from Moldova, Bulgaria, Romania, Russia,
Turkey , Ukraine, and the United States gathered together in
Chisinau from 27 to 28 April 1996 to witness the election of the
first National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Moldova. Representing the Universal House of Justice was Dr. Ilhan Sezgin, a
member of the Continental Board of Counsellors in Europe, who
read the statement of the House of Justice addressed to those
attending the country's inaugural convention. The message declared,
"Only through the healing Message ofBaha'u'llah can the age-long
rivalries and prejudices between races and peoples be overcome.
It is your duty and high privilege to work towards the fulfillment of
such a noble goal by spreading the life-giving Teachings to your
fellow countrymen, by demonstrating through your own personal
lives the transforming power of the Faith and by creating, in cities,
towns and villages of your country, a network of sound and harmonious Baha'i communities which can radiate the light of unity to all
regions." Among those present at this gathering was Annemarie
Kriiger, Knight ofBaha'u'llah for Moldova, who has witnessed the
development of the Baha'i community in that country from its
inception to the election of its first National Assembly.

2. With the formation of the National Spiritual Assembly of Moldova, the
Regional Spiritual Assembly of the Ukraine and Moldova became the
National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the Ukraine.

N EW N ATIONAL SPIRITUAL A SS EM BLIES

The
first
National
Spiritual
Assembly of
the Bahti 'is of
Moldova.

It was Shoghi Effendi who initially called for the introduction of
the Baha'i Faith into the territory of Moldova at the launching of
the Ten Year Plan3 in 1953. The first Baha'i who visited Moldova
with this goal in mind was Mrs. Kruger in 197 4. As a result of
her repeated trips and constant correspondence, the first Moldovan
embraced the Baha'i Faith in Chisinau in 1984. Later, with the easing of restrictions and changed political conditions, Baha'is from
different parts of the world were able to settle as pioneers or visit
Moldova as traveling teachers. In 1991, the first Local Spiritual
Assembly of Moldova was formed and placed under the jurisdiction
of the National Spiritual Assembly of what was then the Union of
Soviet Socialist Republics. The following Ric;lvan, there were 26
Baha'is and the administrative duties of this infant community
were placed under the Regional Assembly of the Baha' is of the
Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova. It was not, however, until the Three
Year Plan (1993-1996) that the numbers of Baha'is expanded rapidly-from 66 in June 1994 to 173 a year and a half later-allowing
for the formation of the country's own National Assembly.

3. In 1953 the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith, Shoghi Effendi, launched a
ten-year teaching plan, among the goals of which were to bring the Baha'i
Faith to the main unopened territories of the world and to consolidate
communities in territories where there were already Baha'is. During this
period the number of National Spiritual Assemblies increased from 12 to
47. Those who arose at that time or later to open territories named as goals
of the Ten Year Plan were named Knights ofBaha'u'llah.

THE BAHA'f WORLD

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Sao Tome
and Principe
At the time of the launching of the Ten Year Plan in 1953 Shoghi
Effendi also called for the Faith to be taken to the islands of Sao
Tome and Principe, off the coast of West Africa. In response to his
appeal, Elise Schreiber arrived in 1954 as a pioneer from the United
States, thereby becoming a Knight ofBaha'u'llah for those islands.
A small number of people was attracted to the Faith, despite severe
trials and hardships, and a Local Spiritual Assembly was formed.
For many years, because of local circumstances, there were
no Baha'i visitors from outside the island. Then in 1984, under the
sponsorship of the National Spiritual Assembly of Nigeria, efforts
were intensified to reestablish the community, supported by collaboration with the Baha'is of Brazil, Cape Verde, Gabon, Guinea
Bissau, Nigeria, Portugal, and the United States. Traveling teachers
from Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, Portugal, and the United
States came to assist in teaching and consolidation. By 1988 a
Local Assembly was established in the capital city of Sao Tome
and three groups were formed in other cities. Kobina Fynn, a member of the Continental Board of Counsellors for the Baha'i Faith in
Africa, traveled frequently to the islands, encouraging and training
the Baha'is; during a three-week visit in 1994 eighty persons
accepted the Faith of Baha'u'llah. By that time there were twelve
Local Spiritual Assemblies, with at least one in each of the seven

The first
National
Spiritual
Assembly of
the Bahci 'is
ofSifo Tome
and Principe.

NEW NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES

administrative districts. In July 1994 the National Teaching and
Administrative Committee of Sao Tome and Principe was appointed
to spearhead the community's efforts to achieve that country's
Three Year Plan goals. The community was further strengthened
the following year through the efforts of traveling teachers from
Angola and Brazil.
Whereas the first Baha'is on those islands had experienced
intimidation and even imprisonment, on 7 October 1995 the Sao
Tome and Principe National Radio broadcast a detailed introduction to the Faith including mention of its status as an independent
religion. By November of that year there were 17 Local Spiritual
Assemblies in the islands, with two in Principe.
The first National Spiritual Assembly was established at Ric)van
1996 with Fred Schechter, Counsellor member of the International
Teaching Centre, representing the Universal House of Justice. The
preparations, both material and spiritual, for the birth of this new
institution were made by its mother Assembly, the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Nigeria.

This article reports on the activities held
to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the
founding of the Bahil 'i community of
Brazil, and, in particular, the visit ofHand
of the Cause of God Amatu 'l-Baha
Ru~iyyih Khanum to that country.

Amatu'l-Baha Ru41yyih Khanum in Brazil:

CELEBRATING 75
Y EARS of COMMUNITY
GROWTH

T he first Baha'i pioneer to settle permanently in Brazil, and
indeed in all of Latin America, arrived in Rio de Janeiro
at dawn on 1 February 1921. Leonora Stirling Holsapple (later
Armstrong) was a single woman of 26; in her purse was barely
enough money to support her for two weeks; she had no job and
spoke no Portuguese. She knew no one in the city. Yet the arrival
of this lone woman signaled the establishment of the Brazilian
Baha'i community. And the results of her tireless efforts are clear
today: by 1996 the stature of the Baha'i Faith had grown in Brazil to such an extent that whereas Leonora Holsapple Armstrong
had arrived alone and friendless, a visit paid by Hand of the Cause
of God Amatu'l-Baha RuQ.iyyih Khanum in August, to participate in the celebrations of the Brazilian Baha'i community's 75th
anniversary, garnered a reception in the highest offices of the
land.
The history of the Baha'i Faith in Brazil had begun two years
before Mrs. Armstrong's arrival with the visit in 1919 of Martha
Root, the most outstanding Baha'i teacher to arise in America,

who was identified as a Hand of the Cause of God by Shoghi
Effendi upon her passing in 1939. Miss Root had determined to
visit every country in the world to spread the Baha'i message
and went to Brazil as part of her trip to the major cities of South
America. Though she spoke no Portuguese and had no literature
in that language, she succeeded in attracting the attention of a
group of Brazilians who undertook to translate a Baha'i booklet
into Portuguese. These same people assisted Mrs. Armstrong
when she took up residence in Bahia.

I Amatu 'l-Baha
Ruhiyyih Khanum
and International
Counsellor
~~"-.=-"-"'......., Shapoor Monadjem in the Brazilian
Chamber of
Deputies during
the Solemn Session
held in honor ofthe
Baha'i Faith on
16 August 1996.

Despite the patient and courageous work of Mrs. Armstrong
and others, progress was slow in the beginning; there were only
three Local Spiritual Assemblies in Brazil by 194 7, when special
efforts were undertaken to assist the Latin American Baha'is to
assume responsibility for the functioning of their communities.
But from that time, the Brazilian community's growth gathered
momentum. In 1951 the National Spiritual Assembly of South
America was elected, followed in 1957 by the election of the
Regional National Spiritual Assembly of Brazil, Peru, Colombia,
Ecuador, and Venezuela, and in 1961 by the first election of the
National Spiritual Assembly of Brazil. During the Ten Year Plan
(1953-1963) a total of 13 new Local Spiritual Assemblies were
established in Brazil (twice the goal of six called for in the Plan),
including in 1962 the first all-Indian Local Assembly in the Kiriri Indian community of Lagoa Grande, Bahia. 1

1. As of Ric;lvan 1996, 198 Local Spiritual Assemblies had been established
in Brazil.

B RAZ IL'S 75 TH A NN IVE RSARY

The years from 1968 to 1977 saw the Brazilian community
moving from strength to strength, assisted and inspired by many
visits from various Hands of the Cause, including Amatu ' 1-Baha
Ru}_liyyih Khanum. By 1977 the features of today's vigorous
Brazilian Baha'i community life had emerged: involvement in
public efforts to promote the status of women; the broadcasting
of radio programs; participation in book fairs ; the use of the
arts; and a colorful community life punctuated by conferences,
summer and winter schools, and continuing efforts to share the
Baha'i Faith with the Brazilian people of all social conditions and
ethnic backgrounds.
It is in the context of such a vibrant community life that the
75th anniversary activities were carried out. The most significant
of these was the special Solemn Session held on 14 August 1996
by the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies, which Rul)iyyih Khanum
attended as a representative of the Baha'i World Centre.
"This special session," remarked Deputy Wilson Campos
(PSDB , Perambuco ), who was presiding, " .. .is intended not only
to serve as a moment ofreflection on the teachings of the Baha'i
Faith and to receive one of its most notable leaders, but primarily
to provide an occasion for the Brazilian people, who we represent, to manifest their gratitude for the magnificent work begun
among us 75 years ago by Leonora Armstrong."
More than 90 representatives of the Chamber of Deputies-
Brazil' s main legislative body-were present for the two-hour
session. Representing the full range of that country's political
parties, 14 deputies spoke, honoring Amatu'l-Baha as a defender
of the environment, a promoter of world peace and unity, and a
protector of the rights of indigenous peoples. Some 70 deputies,
from all of the different parties and regions of Brazil, had signed
the declaration calling for the session.
Among her other accomplishments, Rul_iiyyih Khanum was
honored for her six-month "Green Light Expedition" through
the Amazon basin to survey the impact of development on the
environment and on indigenous cultures. Motivated by her deep
concern for the environment and indigenous peoples, the expedition was a ground-breaking effort to highlight the importance of
indigenous cultures and the need to preserve them.

THE BAI-IA'f WORLD

Tribute was also paid during the session to Mrs. Armstrong,
who labored valiantly for almost 60 years to foster the growth
and development of the Brazilian community; for the last seven
years of her life she also served as a member of the Continental
Board of Counsellors in the Americas. Deputy Alzira Ewerton
(PPB Block, Amazon) commented, "In 1921, the young Leonora
Armstrong, sent to Brazil to spread the teachings of Baha'u'llah,
made a long journey through the North and Northeast of Brazil,
and went to Manaus, before settling in Bahia. One can only imagine what this must have meant, taking into consideration not only
the isolation of the Amazon, but also the fact that it was a woman
who made this trip, which must certainly have been surprising at
a time when women simply did not do things of this nature."
The speeches by the deputies covered a wide range of other
topics related to the presence and activities of the Baha'i Faith in
Brazil, from its involvement in social and economic development
projects to the efforts of the Brazilian Baha'i community to promote unity and tolerance.
"In many cities," remarked Deputy Flavio Ams (Brazilian
Social Democratic Party, Parana), " in addition to the spiritual
and moral development work, Baha'is also carry out projects
in the economic and educational fields , such the School of the
Nations in Brasilia; the Monte Carmelo Association in Sao Paulo;
the Educational Center of Salvaterra, in Salvaterra, Para; and the
rural Polytechnical Institute in Iranduba, Amazonas."
Both Alzira Ewerton (PPB Block, Amazon) and Maria Yadao
(Liberal Front Party, Goias) , praised the Baha'i Faith for its promotion of the principle of the equality of women and men. "The
Faith of Baha'u'llah did not merely foresee equality in theory
but, above all, presented a concrete model of how equality should
become real in society," said Ms. Valadao.
"I believe that only the bringing together of the spiritual
forces of all origins-and this is where I see that the Baha'i Faith
is a very strong example of tolerance for other beliefs-will
make us move forward," said Deputy Tilden Santiago (Labor
Party, Minas Gerais) . "Certainly, it is a very strong spiritual
force that is needed to face the world of conflict and contradiction in which we live."

BRAZIL'S 75 TH ANNIVERSARY

At the close of the session there was a call for a Baha'i prayer,
and as one ofBaha'u'llah's prayers for unity was recited the entire
company stood in reverent silence.
That evening, Ru}:liyyih Khanum was the honored guest at a
dinner party attended by authorities and prominent people in the
capital, including the Minister of State for Administration and
Senators, Federal Deputies, Ambassadors, and members of some
international organizations.
Ru}:liyyih Khanum's itinerary included visits with a number of
other dignitaries. The day following the Solemn Session, she met
with President Fernando Henrique Cardoso at the presidential palace.

Amatu 'l-Baha
Ru~iyyih Khanum
at the First Latin
American
Conference on
World
Citizenship,
in Bahia,
August 1996.

They spoke together about the environment, global governance, and
the development of the Baha'i Faith in Brazil. In addition, she was
received on 8 August by the Acting Governor of Bahia, Dr. Otto
R. Mendorn;:a de Alencar, at which time she granted an interview
to the press. That evening, a reception offered in her honor brought
together city council members, artists, intellectuals, and other
figures in Bahian society. On 15 August she received, in Brasilia,
Yaacov Keinan, the Israeli Ambassador to Brazil, who paid a formal visit.
For a total of one month, Amatu'l-Baha traveled throughout
Brazil, inspiring Baha'i communities , meeting dignitaries, and
participating in conferences. She also granted a number of interviews with newspaper and television reporters.

THE B AHA.'f W ORLD

Among her other activities, Amatu'l-Baha attended, along
with some 250 participants from 13 countries, "The First Latin
American Conference on World Citizenship-Practicing Unity
in Diversity," held on 22 and 23 August at the Permanent Seat
of the Latin American Parliament in Sao Paulo. The conference,
the first of its kind in the region, brought together a wide range
of elected officials, representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs ), and social activists. It resulted in a 10-point
declaration on world citizenship, for presentation to heads of
state at the Sustainable Development Summit for the Americas,
in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia.
The statement declared that "the establishment and promotion
of world citizenship" is "the greatest means for achieving peace,
security and prosperity" in the world. It also called for all states to
join into "some sort of world federation," saying it was "the best
form of sociopolitical organization for the present-day world."
The conference was organized by Instituto Para a Cidadania
Mundial (Institute for World Citizenship), an NGO whose founders include the Local Spiritual Assembly of Sao Paulo, and it
featured speeches by a wide range of regional and international
figures. Among them were Amatu ' l-Baha, Professor Ervin Laszlo of the Club of Budapest; the Brazilian Minister of Culture,
Francisco Weffort; the Brazilian Minister of Administration, Luis
Carlos Bresser Pereira; Brazilian Federal Deputy Luiz Gushiken;
Maria Terezinha Godinho , Sao Paulo State Secretary for Childhood, Family, and Social Well-Being; and Pierre Weil, President
of the City of Peace Foundation.
During the event, tribute was paid to Amatu'l-Baha as a living example of a world citizen. A video about her life was shown
and transmitted via satellite to a large audience and she offered a
brief speech after the tribute.
A world citizenship award ceremony was also held during the
conference by the National Assembly of Brazil. Sixteen women
of prominence, representing different races and social classes, all
of whom are actively involved in the betterment of society, were
honored.
A highlight of Rul}iyyih Khanum's visit to Brazil was her
return to the Amazon to commemorate the 20th anniversary of

BRAZIL'S 7STH ANNIVERSARY

Children gathered
at Manaus
International
Airport to receive
Amatu 'l-Baha,
August 1996.

the Green Light Expedition. On 17 August, Rul).iyyih Khanum
traveled to Iranduba, making part of the journey on a boat placed
at her disposal by the Amazonas State authorities in recognition
of her expedition 20 years before. In Iranduba, she visited the
Djalal Eghrari Rural Institute of the Amazon, where a Baha'i
conference was held at which she spoke on the destiny of the
indigenous peoples and the power they have to influence the evolution of humanity.
On 18 August, the Mayor of Manaus offered the use of his boat
to RuQ.iyyih Khanum for a one-day trip in the Amazon, also in
honor of the 20th anniversary of her expedition. Amatu'l-Baha
was accompanied by state and municipal officials concerned with
the environment and five of the expedition's original seven members.
The Manaus Municipal Theater saw another event to commemorate her trip on the evening of 19 August. Amatu'l-Baha
spoke before a crowd of over 400 people, including governmental
authorities and other leaders of thought, about the elimination of
prejudice, the equality of all humanity, and the important international role of the Amazon and its people. The program also
included folk dances, music, a showing of the video on the life of
Rul).iyyih Khanum, and a film on the Green Light Expedition.
Concurrent with these activities, on 16 August, the Legislative
Assembly of the State of the Amazon passed a law recognizing
Naw-Ruz as a Baha'i Holy Day.
Brazilian Baha'i communities were delighted by the chance to
have Rul)_iyyih Khanum amongst them in their gatherings. From

THE BAHA'f WORLD

9 to 11 August she attended the Second National Integration
Conference in Bahia. Distinguished by the participation of many
indigenous Baha'is from the area and by the use of the arts in its
program, the conference gathered some 400 people from nine
countries, five indigenous nations, 19 states, and 42 communities. Amatu'l-Baha spoke at the opening and at the closing of the
conference and participated in a special youth meeting during
the event. A discussion was held on the evening of 9 August
with a panel of two city council members, a former university
president, and the founder of a non-governmental project for the
defence of children and youth. All the speakers addressed the
theme "Baha'u'llah and the New World Order." The next day a
devotional meeting was held in memory of Leonora Armstrong.
From 28 August to 1 September, Amatu'l-Baha was in Foz do
Igua9u, where, upon her arrival, she was greeted at the airport by
the mayor's brass band and was warmly welcomed by his special
deputy. While in the area, she visited Itaipu Binacional, the largest hydroelectric dam in the world, and was received with the
highest respect and dignity by the dam's personnel. Invited to
plant a tree in a grove planted by visiting heads of state, she carried out the task with characteristic joy and expertise, dispensing
with any assistance and commenting on the great number of trees
she has planted over the years.
The culmination of her trip to Brazil was a two-day conference
organized by the National Spiritual Assemblies of Brazil and Paraguay, attended by some 650 people from nine countries, with
many Indian tribes represented. During her remarks, Rul).iyyih
Khanum pointed out the importance of the education of children
in the formation of their character and emphasized the special destiny of indigenous peoples described in the Baha'i writings.
This event represented a suitable end to a memorable journey,
rich in opportunities for reflection on past achievements and new
resolutions for future progress.

-v.;THE
iEARrN
REVIEW

T he advent of Ri<;lvan 1997 brought to a close an eventful
year for Baha'i communities around the world. At Ri<:Ivan
1996 Baha'is everywhere embarked on a Four Year Plan, constituting the latest in a series of plans initiated by the Baha'i World
Centre and designed to systematize and stimulate the growth and
development of the worldwide Baha' i community. 1 The inception of the Four Year Plan was distinguished by a vigorous and
rapid planning process, engaging the attention of the community
at all levels, beginning with joint consultations of the Continental
Counsellors and National Spiritual Assemblies and extending to
Auxiliary Board members and Local Spiritual Assemblies. Numerous Baha'i communities focused more intently than ever before
on establishing training institutes. In many parts of the world,
Baha'i involvement in the life of society took the form of special
efforts to address the need for race unity. The year was also notable
for the number of individual Baha'is who arose to promote the

1. See also pp. 27-37 .

teachings of their Faith through travel to distant regions and
countries. This article seeks to highlight some of the specific
events associated with these and other developments in the Baha'i
community this year.
Certain events of particular note will not be covered in this summary but are chronicled in more detail in separate articles: The
election of two new National Spiritual Assemblies; the solemn
session of the Federal Chamber of Deputies in Brazil held to mark
the 75th anniversary of the introduction of the Baha'i Faith into
that country, at which Amatu'l-Baha Ruhiyyih Khanum was the
honored guest; and an update on the progress of the construction
projects on Mount Carmel.
The material in this survey is organized under the following
categories: community building; landmark occasions; youth;
women; race unity; peace; interfaith activities; social and economic
development; involvement in the life of society; moral education;
contact with prominent people; recognition; sharing the message of
Baha'u'llah; institutes and other training activities; scholarship;
and the arts.
Community Building
A major task occupying Baha'i individuals and institutions is
that of building the community itself. The vision of what Baha'i
communities are to be has been articulated by the Universal House
of Justice as "a composition of diverse, interacting participants
that are achieving unity in an unremitting quest for spiritual and
social progress." Within this context, a wide array of activities
and endeavors can be described as "community building."

The influx of
Cameroonian students
into the Baha'i
community of Mogilov,
Belarus, made possible
the formation
of the community's
Local Spiritual
Assembly in
April 1996.

The observance of Baha'i Holy Days is one of the first matters to
occupy the attention of new Baha'i communities, and these events
are the source of spiritual refreshment and inspiration. The efforts of
the following two communities merit particular mention, due to the
social upheaval afflicting their countries. The Freetown, Sierra
Leone, Baha'i community celebrated the Birthday of Baha'u'llah at
the National Baha'i Center on 12 November 1996. Forty-five people
attended the event. On 20 October 1996, Baha'is in Rwanda gathered in the National Baha'i Center to observe the Birthday of the
Bab, which was announced on the Rwandan radio station. About 50
Baha'is attended the event, at which the children recited poems and
Baha'i writings from memory, to the delight of the attendees.
Then on 27 October, Rwandan Baha'is visited the land reserved
for the construction of a House of Worship in that country, once
again listening to the children read prayers and poems and sharing a
meal together. In the Central African Republic, drning the disturbances
that took place there in May 1996, the Baha'is organized themselves
in such a way as to protect each other and to guard Baha'i property.
The Baha'i principle of unity in diversity was expressed by various communities in significant ways. From 21to23 February 1997,
a Baha'i Native Council was held in Panama, during which representatives from a number of communities gathered together. Some
800 people participated each day, representing six countries, three
indigenous groups within Panama, and thirty local communities. The
final evening drew a crowd of about 2,000. Over the three days three
doctors, one nurse, two assistants and a dietician from San Felix
hospital offered urgent and simple assistance, including medications;

THE BAlli\'f WORLD

on the last day all the children were vaccinated and some adults
given tetanus shots. In Belarus, an influx of Cameroonian students
into the Baha'i community made possible the formation of the Local
Spiritual Assembly of Mogilov at Ric;lvan 1996 and the establishment
of a diverse community. In July 1996, the Tenth Annual Black
Men's Gathering was held in Hemingway, South Carolina, at the
Louis Gregory Institute. Attended by over 100 Black Baha'i men
from the United States, the Caribbean, Canada, and Africa, the event
aimed at deepening the participants' understanding of the history and
role of the peoples of African descent. As a result of the gathering,
more than 45 attendees pledged to visit Africa over the following
three years to share Baha'u'llah's message with the people there.
The gathering was highly praised by the Universal House of Justice for simultaneously meeting the particular needs of a certain
population while maintaining a universal spirit.
Conferences are regularly held in Baha'i communities in order
to allow people to gather from far-flung areas to create bonds and
consult. The Baha'is of Freeport in the Bahamas held a conference

A group of
musicians
performed at
the National
Pacific
Island
Conference
in South
Auckland,
New
Zealand.

on Baha'i life from 27 to 29 September 1996. The Baha'is of Costa
Rica held two simultaneous conferences in the autumn of 1996 to
launch the Four Year Plan-one in San Jose and one in the indigenous area of Talamanca. In Equatorial Guinea a conference was
held in the village ofNtobo this year, attended by over 50 Baha'is
from various communities in the region.
A regional congress was held in the amphitheater of the Local
Baha'i Center in Mo'issala, Chad, from 25 to 28 November 1996,

attended by about 380 people. The purpose of the gathering was to
assess the community's strengths and weaknesses and consult on
the possibilities for the future. News of the conference was reported
in the national press of N'Djamena and on Sarh Radio.
Members of many of the Baha'i communities in the Mediterranean region gathered near Palermo, Sicily, in September 1996 for
a friendship meeting which was also attended by the Hand of the
Cause 'Ali-Mul).ammad Varqa. About 200 people participated.
A regional conference was held on 22 and 23 February 1997 in
Ngardmau, Palau, Western Caroline Islands. The attendees consulted
on the role of Baha'is in society, what Baha'i culture is, and how
a Baha'i can be distinguished from other individuals.
Over 220 Baha'is from all parts of Zimbabwe gathered in Harare
in September 1996 for a National Baha'i Congress. The event began
with a women's conference, which was attended by 35 women and
featured a music and drama competition.
A key element of Baha'i community life is the seasonal school,
during which Baha'is from widely scattered areas can gather, study
the Faith together, enjoy fellowship, and immerse themselves in an
Baha 'is in
Cochabamba,
Bolivia,
gathered in
September
1996/or a
course on
the Local
Spiritual
Assembly.

environment in which Baha'i principles are being scrupulously
followed. Such events forge bonds of unity and love among people
who would otherwise rarely, if ever, meet. These schools are held
in every part of the globe; the following are a representative sampling of summer, winter, and spring schools held this year.
The first joint Baha'i summer school for the communities of
Japan and Korea was held in Kyongju, South Korea, from 16 to 18
August 1996. There were 61 participants from Japan, 120 from

Korea, and 10 from other countries. After the summer school, two
teams made up of Japanese, Korean and Taiwanese participants
arose to convey to others the message of Baha'u'llah through the
use of the arts.
The fifth Bulgarian Baha'i summer school, held near the city of
Stara Zagora from 29 August to 1 September 1996, was attended
by 41 participants, including eight members of the National Spiritual Assembly. Baha'is attended from Bulgaria, Germany, India,
the Netherlands, Nigeria and the United Kingdom. In July 1996,
a summer school was held in Equatorial Guinea, attended by 150
people, both Baha'is and others. A Baha'i summer school held
in Marianao, Cuba, in August 1996 covered a variety of topics, including consultation, sharing the message of Baha'u 'llah with
others, and Baha'i administration.
In Greece, the weekend of 31 May to 3 June 1996 saw a spring
school for Baha'i children, dedicated to the discovery of a true
Baha'i identity through the sharing of experiences, the offering of
service, and the release of creativity and love. The school program
interwove service activities with creative exercises.
The winter school held in Minsk, Belarus, in February 1997 was
attended by some 90 people representing the countries of Belarus,
Cameroon, Moldova, the Ukraine, and the United States. It in -
cluded workshops on Baha'i marriage and family life, teaching
moral values to children, and the effects of alcohol on the family. A
winter school was held in the Khartoum, Sudan, Baha'i Center from
24 to 26 January 1997 and attended by Baha'is from various parts
of the country. Baha'i Spring Schools were also held in the Virgin
Islands and in Wales.
The effort to build communities includes special attention to
the needs of families and to the effectiveness of group endeavors.
In Dioral, Senegal, the Baha'is have acquired a community field
in which they work together, with the proceeds from the harvest
going to their local fund, as well as other development projects.
On 13 July 1996, Baha' is in the Mariana Islands and their fanulies
gathered at Tagachang Beach in Yona for an island-wide family
camp, which included an observance of the Nineteen Day Feast, in
addition to socializing and relaxation. From 22 to 26 August,
"Camp Badi' 2" was held in Mayaro, by the Baha'is of Trinidad

and Tobago. The camp was an opportunity for families to gather for
consultation, study, games, and relaxation in order to enhance unity
of thought in the community.
The Baha'i World Centre in Haifa, Israel, plays a vital role in Baha'i
community life by providing both a spiritual and an administrative
center for Baha'is all over the world. Guidance and inspiration flow out
from the World Centre through the correspondence of the Universal
House of Justice, while pilgrims and visitors flock to Haifa, bringing
their news and enthusiasm. While in Haifa, pilgrims form bonds
with other visitors from far-flung areas, further knitting together the
hearts of the members of all humanity. Hand of the Cause of God
'Ali-Akbar Furlitan plays a special role in this process of building an
international community. Both through his correspondence and
through his daily meetings with pilgrims and visitors, during
which he shares his wisdom and experiences, he provides others with a
clearer picture of the society Baha'is are bringing into being.
Landmark Occasions
Two of this year's landmark occasions have to do with making the
Baha'i writings more widely available to people the world over: the
first French edition of the Kitab-i-Aqdas- the Most Holy Book of
the Baha'i Faith- was published in Belgium in November 1996;
and a booklet of Baha'i prayers in the ChiKalanga language was
published in Botswana. It is the first Baha'i booklet to be printed in
this language, which is dominant in the northeast of the country.
More than 2,500 Baha' is from 48 countries and 26 states in
India thronged the Baha' i House of Worship in New Delhi on 23
December 1996 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of its dedication.
A special prayer service began the celebration, during which
Baha'i prayers and other writings were recited in Hindi, Urdu, and
English and a 95-voice a cape/la choir sang. After the prayer service, attendees visited the Indian National Baha'i Archives, which
contain some sacred relics related to the Central Figures of the
Faith- the Bab, Baha' u ' llah, and 'Abdu'l-Baha- and to its early
history. The government television network aired a 30-minute program on the House of Worship, "The Jewel in the Lotus," during
prime time on the same day. The next two days of the celebration
were held in the Sirifort Auditorium in South Delhi and included

THE BAHA'I W ORLD

This year marked the
10th anniversary of the
dedication of the
Bahri 'i House of
Worship in
New Delhi, India .
More than 2,500
Bahri 'is from around
the world attended the
celebration.

A special
cultural program,
including dan ce
and song
presentations,
was held to
commemorate the
10th anniversary
of the Indian
House of Worship.

a special cultural program of singing and dancing, which was
attended by various dignitaries, as well as a wide variety of talks
and other presentations. The Temple attracted over 28 million
visitors during the ten years from its dedication to the celebration; as many as 150,000 people a day have passed through its
portals, making it one of the most visited edifices in the world,
and it has been mentioned or featured in numerous architectural
and engineering journals for its innovative design and exquisite
beauty. It was dedicated in December 1986 to "the Unity of God,
the Unity of His Prophets, and the Unity of Mankind."
A new Baha'i center was opened in Imafin, in the middle
bush area of Tanna Island in Vanuatu, at the end of November
1996. About 500 Baha'is attended the ceremony, which included a
feast with singing and dancing and whose highlight was the placing
of a copy of the Kitab-i-Aqdas in the new center. The volume,
which had been laid on a bed of flowers and taken to the top of
a mountain "to be closer to God," was carried down by four local

YEAR IN REVIEW

chiefs. Customary gifts were exchanged, and the Aqdas was set in
its place of honor.
On 11November1996 the Baha'i center in Inari, Finland, was
inaugurated with a program which included the participation of
two members of the Sarni Parliament and a member of the Inari
municipality. The speakers emphasized the significance of the center
as a promoter of fellowship, peace, harmony, and unity within
the area. The Inari Local Spiritual Assembly, which operates in the
heart of Lapland, makes the facility available as a regional center
for the Sarni people. Additionally, a Regional Baha'i Council has
been established for the whole Sarni area, which includes parts of
Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia.
Didibuna is a tiny village inside an abandoned rubber plantation,
one hundred kilometers west of Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
On 31November1996, 372 people gathered there for the opening of
the ~ommunity's new Baha'i center. Some Baha'is traveled hundreds of kilometers to attend the event, while others from nearby
coastal villages brought contributions of food. Youth song and
dance groups came, and their string bands played through the night
until dawn.
The Baha'is of Caacupe, Paraguay, placed the cornerstone of
their future Baha'i center in October 1996. The community's
financial resources are so limited that the Ministry of Health has no
facilities to use for its vaccination campaigns. The Baha'is wish
to offer their center for this and other community needs.
Members of the Baha'i community of Cyprus rejoiced this year
that for the first time they were able to celebrate Naw-Ruz together
as a united community of Greek and Turkish Cypriots. Nearly 60
Baha'is from all parts of Cyprus gathered in the Ledra Palace for a
program of readings, socializing, music, and refreshments in an
atmosphere of love and unity.
On 7 September 1996, Amatu'l-Baha Ru}:liyyih Khanum, accompanied by Violette Na.!shjavani, participated in a conference in
Lisbon, Portugal, held to commemorate the 50th anniversary of
the establishment of the Baha'i Faith in that country. Some 300
people gathered, including Baha'is from Spain, Ireland, the
United States, France, and Bulgaria. During her visit, Rul}iyyih
Khanum was interviewed by a daily newspaper, which published

TH13 BAI-L\'f WORLD

an article on the event the following Sunday, and by a television
crew, whose station aired a 30-minute program about the history of
the Baha'i Faith in Portugal on national television on 10 November.
On 29 and 30 June 1996 four National Spiritual Assemblies in
the Americas--Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, and Surinamemet together for the first time, in Paramaribo, Suriname, to discuss
cooperative efforts and other subjects of mutual concern.
The National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the Philippines,
together with the country's Islamic Directorate, was presented
with the Gawad Ugnay Award during the Eighth National Trisectoral
Congress of the National Social Action Council (NASAC) on 26 July
1996. NASAC is composed of members from the government,
religious, and business sectors of society, and the conference's
theme was "Regeneration of Values: the Role of Family for the
Twenty-First Century." In further recognition of the Baha'i community's involvement with the activities of the council, the Baha'i
Faith is now represented on its Executive Board.
Australian Baha'i Cathy Freeman took the silver medal at the
1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta in the 400-meter track and
field final; in so doing she became the first Australian Aborigine to
win an Olympic medal. Her time was 48.63 seconds.
Youth
Baha'is participated in the first National Youth Congress of El
Salvador, held in San Salvador on 17 September 1996. Focused
on finding solutions for problems facing Salvadoran youth, the
conference was attended by representatives of governmental and
private agencies in addition to more than 1,400 young people. Three
of the 15 Baha'is present were selected by their peers to be members of the National Commission of Salvadoran Youth, which
was sworn in by Salvadoran President Armando Calderon Sol at
the end of the Congress. A Baha'i was also selected to be one of
ten alternate members for the Commission. The event was covered by news media.
A conference on "Youth and Global Governance" was held at
the Landegg Academy in Wienacht, Switzerland, from 11 to 15
September 1996 . About 107 individuals from 25 countries
attended the event, including representatives of various youth

Youth from diverse backgrounds posed for a picture
at the Baha'i House of Worship in Sydney, Australia.

In Western Samoa,
adults, youth, and children
sing at a Baha'i
Nin eteen Day Feast,
held in November 1996.

Jn December 1996,
' youth from Nagaland, India, attended
a Baha'i conference
in New Delhi, which
was immediately
followed by the tenth
anniversmy
1 celebrations of the
Bahit 'i House
of Worship.

Baha'i youth
in Ireland
discuss the
relationship
of man to
God at a
workshop
held in
August 1996.

organizations from diverse countries. Organized by the European Baha'i Youth Council, the proceedings benefited from the
active contribution of two members of the Commission on Global
Governance, Madame Anna Balletbo and Lord Frank Judd.
The European Baha'i Youth Council participated in the United
Nations Youth Summit held in Vienna, Austria, from 25 to 30
November 1996. Over 350 non-governmental organizations were
represented, and 12 working groups were designated to discuss
issues such as drug abuse, employment, education, and tolerance.
The European Baha'i Youth Council's representatives participated
in two of the twelve working groups- "Y outh Participation and
Youth Rights" and "Youth and Human Settlements."
The first Baha'i youth conference of Kyrgyzstan, held from
26 to 28 July in Bishke)<, was attended by some 400 Baha'is from
19 countries. Conference topics included the responsibility of youth
and the role of Baha'i women at this time in history.
Malawi's annual Baha'i youth conference was held at the
Amaika Baha'i Institute from 30 November to 1 December
1996. Participants came from Amalika, Nkaombe, Kankhomba,
Chimeta, Nankwakwala, Blantyre, and Chiradzulo.
The third Southeast Asian Baha'i Youth Conference was held
in Nongkhai, Thailand, from 6 to 9 December 1996 and was attended by over 250 youth of various ethnicities from 15 countries. The
conference focused on the arts.
A Baha'i youth conference in Lima, Peru, held from 9 to 12
January 1997, was characterized by the use of th~ arts in encouraging and stimulating youth. The event was regarded by many as

Som e of the
235 participants
of a training
institute in
Cote d'Ivoire.

a step forward in the consolidation of the Latin American Baha'i
youth movement that has started to emerge over the past couple
of years.
The Manzini Regional Baha'i Center in Swaziland was the
scene of a Baha'i youth conference from 3 to 12 May 1996. The
first four days focused on how to tell others about Baha'u'llah's
message; the next six days were spen( actually teaching those in
rural areas about the Baha'i Faith and its principles. About 25
Baha'i youth attended another conference held from 1 to 3 November 1996 at the same center.
From 24 to 28 December 1996, a youth conference was held
at the National Baha'i Center in Kampala, Uganda. The 78 participants came from Alaska, Burundi, Canada, Chad, Kenya, New
Zealand, Spain, Tanzania, Uganda, the United States, and Zambia.
A national youth conference was held in Ebo Iowa, Cameroon,
from 11 to 14 July 1996. The theme of the Conference was "Transformation," and all of the topics were presented by youth. During
the conference, two adults and two youth were interviewed for
a radio program which was broadcast later. On 17 and 18 August 1996, 65 Baha'i youth gathered for a youth conference in
Phnom Penh, Cambodia, which was fully organized by the
Baha'i youth of that city. Both of the main speakers were Khmer
youth, and about 20 percent of the participants were young
women.
The second Baha'i National Youth Conference in Hungary
was held in Bekescsaba on 23 November 1996, featuring the first
performance of the Hungarian Dance Workshop, various talks,

TI-IE B AHA'I W ORLD

and workshops on the role of youth today and in the future. From
5 to 8 April 1997, the National Youth and Pre-Youth Conference
was held in Oulu, Finland, giving impetus to the enhancement of
local youth group activities.
With their youth unable to attend school and left idle because
of the war in that country, Baha'is in Angola offered a workshop
from 1 to 5 May 1996 to help the young people understand
Baha'u'llah's vision of the world and the important role they can
play in society. A camp was held at the Baha'i institute in Mahalapye, Botswana, for the youth who were on holiday. It provided
opportunities for fellowship, as well as classes on the Baha'i Faith,
music, and drama. A youth camp was also held in Belize in July
1996.
From 29 April to 2 May 1996, a spring school for Baha'i youth
and junior youth took place on the island of Crete in Greece with
approximately 20 participants. The young people studied the
Baha'i writings and discussed topics such as the power of divine
assistance, consultation, and offering a period of service to the
community. On 14 and 15 December, the Baha'i community of
Argentina held a celebration to mark the culmination of its
"Future Society" course, which has for five years been providing
youth with an opportunity to deeply study the Baha'i Faith.
Salonika, Greece, saw a four-day seminar this year in which
themes such as transformation, the love of Baha'u 'llah, and the
Four Year Plan were discussed. Other opportunities for youth to
study the Baha'i writings were offered by the Baha'i communities of Plovdiv, Bulgaria, and Coverden, Guyana.

Ocean Wa ves
Dance Workshop
of South Korea
performs f or a
senior citizen group
in Kyoung Ju City
in Aug ust 1996.

Baha'i youth in Tenerife, Canary Islands, engaged in a variety
of activities to serve the community for nineteen days beginning
27 August 1996. They visited a center for people with mental disabilities and a hospital, they offered a talk and discussion on drug
dependency, and visited a home for the aged in Puerto de la Cruz,
helping the elderly people during their meal time and taking
them to visit a zoological amusement park.
On 25 August 1996 the third "Full Color Festival" was held in
Emmen, the Netherlands, to let people from different cultures in the
region get to know each other better. Baha'i participation included
a stand of literature and three dynamic performances of the Baha'i
youth workshop "Awake."
Baha'i youth in Singapore participated in three major activities
in June 1996: a 24-hour prayer vigil held on 15 June; a musical
introductory meeting on 22 June; and a youth carnival on 29 and
30 June. At the 22 June meeting, the Singapore Baha'i Youth
Workshop gave its first public performance at the Hilton Hotel.
Baha'i youth year of service volunteers at the Native American Baha'i Institute in Houck, Arizona, in the United States, took
part in a monthly youth development program that aims to raise
their awareness of their own special talents and their confidence to
play a part in the development of their own communities, and to
develop in them the skills necessary for offering the Baha'i message to others.
A special project in Belgium, carried out in August 1996, succeeded in attracting positive attention to the Baha'i Faith on the
part of people of various backgrounds in Brussels. Sixty youth
from 18 countries participated, including Panacea, a workshop
composed of youth serving at the Baha'i World Centre, which
contributed to the success of the project.
On 25 July 1996, Sparks of Peace, composed of some 20 youth
from eleven countries in the Caribbean, premiered their program
of drama, dance, music, and puppetry at Mapps College, St. Philip,
Barbados. In preparation for their dispersal in teams throughout
the Caribbean, they produced a cassette of stories, designed and
printed a teaching pamphlet. recorded a cassette of original songs,
and wrote scripts to teach the principles of the Baha'i Faith
through dramatic performances. Five went to Statia, in the West

Leeward Islands, from 27 July to 11 August, performing skits
about the equality of men and women, conducting children's
classes, and sharing the Baha'i message with others.
On 12 and 13 October, an Ecuadoran radio station sponsored
an art contest among schools in the city of Bahia de Caraquez.
The organizers invited a Baha'i Youth Workshop to open and
close the program with performances of music and dance. About
1,200 people attended the event, which was held in a coliseum.
The Youth Workshop performed seven artistic pieces conveying the
message of the need for unity. The following day the youth also
performed in the central park.
On 22 May 1996, the Maui Baha'i Youth Workshop in Hawaii
performed at the Maui Memorial Stadium to.all of the fifth grade
classes in the county. The performance, which was sponsored
by the Maui County Police Drug Awareness Resistance Education
(DARE) program, centered on the destructive and damaging
effects of drug addiction. The DARE program officers had called
the Baha' i Youth Workshop "the most important tool" at their
disposal "in reaching the youth of Maui County with this important message."
The Maui Baha'i Youth Workshop completed a seven-week
tour of the islands in the Central Pacific on 26 July 1996. In Kiribati, over 6,000 people attended their shows, including the President,
Vice-President, Cabinet members and high-ranking government
officials. The Kiribati Youth Song and Drama Team, which was
performing throughout the islands, joined the Hawaiian youth. In
Tuvalu, about 2,000 people, representing almost a quarter of the
country' s population, attended the performances. In the Marshall
Islands, the youth offered four performances and carried out community service, including painting several schools.
Sixteen youth who formed a song and dance workshop called
Ocean Waves visited eight cities in South Korea in two weeks during the summer. The group was made up of one youth each from
Germany and Guam, five from Japan, four from South Korea,
and five from Taiwan.
In June 1996, a three-week project was arranged in Poland in
conjunction with the visit of a Baha'i youth theater and dance
group from Canada during whichBaha'i classes were conducted in

many communities of the country. The Canadian youth group was on
a "World Citizenship Tour/Service Project." The effort was covered
in the newspaper and on the radio.
Baha'i youth in St. Martin, West Leeward Islands, formed a
youth dance group this year, offering their first public performance
of a dance on unity on 17 October 1996 at the Grand Case Community Center as part of the Baha'i contribution to an ecumenical
service.
Members of Europe's Diversity Dance Workshop-youth of
diverse cultural backgrounds from about seven countries in at least
four continents-took a year from their studies to tour Europe,
with a goal of using dance to promote the principles and teachings
of the Baha'i Faith. The group's itinerary included Germany,
France, Macedonia, Albania, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, Spain, Belgium, and Denmark.
Other Baha'i youth workshops were active this year in Alaska,
Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Mariana Islands, the
Netherlands, Russia, and Singapore. Additionally, groups traveled
in West Africa and East Africa, and dozens of workshops were
busy all across the United States.
Women
The urgent need to raise the status and improve the living conditions of women the world over occupied the attention of the
Baha'i community once again this year. The Baha'is' endeavors
took the form of both awareness-raising activities and special
projects.
A representative of the Baha'i Agency for Social and Economic
Development (BASED) of Cameroon took part in the seventh International Forum of the Association for Women in Development,
held in Washington D.C., in the United States, in September
139'6. The BASED representative offered a presentation on the
role of males in achieving gender equity in the family, based on
the experience of the "Traditional Media as Change Agent"
project.
An event to celebrate International Women's Day was held on
á 8 March 1997 by the National Women's Development Center, an organization of the Kiribati government. Baha' i women provided,

at the request of the organizers, devotions in Kiribati and English
at the beginning of the event. Attendees included the Honorable
Teburoro Tito, the President of Kiribati, and his wife, Nei Keina
Tito, as well as several ministers and senior government officials,
Bishop Paul Mea and other religious leaders, the Australian High
Commissioner and other diplomatic representatives, and representatives of several non-governmental organizations.
A seminar in honor
of International
Women 's Day was
held at India's
National Institution
of Women on the
topic of "Towards a
Violence-Free
Family."

Diane Starcher was invited as a representative of the European
Baha'i Business Forum to give a presentation on "Women Entrepreneurs: Catalysts for Transformation" at the Seventh Annual Trade
Fair for Women Entrepreneurs held in Madrid, Spain, from 7 to
10 November 1996. The fair aimed at giving women entrepreneurs the opportunity to rent stands to make themselves and their
products or services known.
The third Women's Seminar, organized by the Baha'i Association
of Women in the Canary Islands, took place from 31 May to 2 June
1996. The event was held in Grand Canary and was attended by
39 people. On 20 February 1997, a public program entitled "Empowering Women" was held in Gaborone, Botswana. Additionally,
a conference on women's and children's education was held at
the Baha'i Center in Gaborone on 23 March.
The tenth annual National Women's Conference in Kenya,
with a theme of"Women, The First Educators of Mankind," was
held at the Nakuru Baha'i Center from 14 to 18 August 1996.
The conference included workshops where participants could learn
how to make various handicrafts. Attendees from the central and
western parts of the country offered traditional dances and songs,
and an evening of entertainment was presented by the Baha' i youth,
who sang, danced, and performed plays. On 2 June 1996, the

Delta State chapter of Nigeria's Baha'i Office for the Advancement of Women held a conference for women. Men who had
helped set up were observers at the event, during which talks
were delivered on various topics relating to women.
The Malaysian Baha'i community engaged this year in an
array of activities to address the need to raise the status of women.
Baha'is in Tangkak helped organize a public forum, held on 28
September 1996, for sharing experiences of the Fourth World
Conference on Women in Beijing; a family workshop focusing on
women's and men's differing needs was held in August 1996;
and Baha'i women took part in State Women' s Day on 28 September 1996.
A three-day course on empowering women was held in July
1996 by Baha' is in Cape Town, South Africa. Attended by older
women who had habitually served behind the scenes of various
activities without putting themselves forward, the event was seen
by many as a profound and moving experience that offered them a
precious opportunity to express themselves freely without feeling
ashamed for not being well educated.
Two events in Australia this year highlighted the role of women
as peacemakers: more than 100 people participated in a one-day
conference held in Fremantle, Western Australia, entitled "Achieving Peace: A Dream of the Past and a Reality of Today"; and over
250 people attended the Clara and Hyde Dunn Memorial Dinner
and Lecture in Melbourne, held this year on 16 November 1996,
which featured Wilma Ellis, a member of the Continental Board
of Counsellors in the Americas, speaking on the theme "Women:
Peacemakers, Reformers, Leaders." Also in Australia, a visit by
Patricia Locke, a Lakota Sioux from South Dakota who serves on the
U.S . National Spiritual Assembly, to an indigenous women's meeting in Mt. Morgan created new bonds and moved many of those
present. Mrs. Locke, who is the executor of an international institute
dealing with Native American language issues, was the first Native
Arne1ican woman to win a MacArthur Fellowship. 2
The Baha'i community of India kept up a steady stream of
events designed to address issues of concern to women and raise

2. See Th e Baha 'f World 1995- 96, p. 86.

their status in that country. A seminar hosted by the Indian
Baha'i Office for the Advancement of Women this year focused
on the empowerment of women as a key to the alleviation of
poverty. That office, in collaboration with other organizations, also
hosted a seminar on 25 April 1996 on "Creating Violence-Free
Families." The chief guest was Padma Seth, a member of the National Commission for Women. The states of Madhya Pradesh,
Punjab, and Manipur also saw special gatherings for women
organized by the Baha'i community, in conjunction with literacy
classes and discussions on the role of women in development.
Vocational training for women was offered by Baha' is in Bihar
and West Bengal.
In August 1996, phase II of the "Traditional Media as Change
Agent" project was presented in five villages of the Kadei Division
of Cameroon. Sponsored by the United Nations Development Fund
for Women (UNIFEM) and by the Baha'i International Community,
the project uses dramatic sketches, songs, dances, and stories to
identify problems in the communities such as lack of education,
inequality between men and women, and attachment to obsolete
customs. At the end of the presentations, men and women from
the villages were selected to discuss the implications of the problems and to make recommendations about how they could be
solved. As a result of these consultations, four of the communities
created farming cooperatives, two purchased com mills to lessen
the strain of the women's work, and one dug a well for drinking
water with the assistance of an American Peace Corps volunteer.
Literacy and health classes for women were offered in various
communities in the Gambia. One community included a lesson in
sesame brittle production, to assist the women in generating
income. In Sweden, a Baha'i woman has begun holding regular
meetings for young girls aimed at strengthening their identities
and opening up a dialogue with them on the deep questions of life.
The Baha'i Frauen Forum (Baha'i Women's Forum) was established in Germany in June 1996 with a meeting at the Baha'i
National Center. To demonstrate the Baha'i community's commitment to the principle of the equality of men and women, the forum
welcomes the membership of men as well as women and it elected
one of the male participants as a member of its board of directors.

Race Unity
Representatives of the Welsh Baha'i community attended a reception
held by the Commission for Racial Equality in St. David's Hall,
Cardi ff, this year. The reception launched the "Roots of the
Future" project, a large exhibition that features photographs and
images showing that ethnic diversity is nothing new in Britain.
The first Annual General Meeting of the Northern Ireland Council
for Ethnic Equality took place in Belfast on 11 May 1996. Nooshin
Proudman, a Baha'i from Derry who had chaired the body during
its first year of existence, was reappointed as its chairman. The
council has responsibility for fostering good race relations in
Northern Ireland.
On 12 June 1996, the Baha'is of East London, South Africa,
invited the public to join them in celebrating Race Unity Day. About
400 people gathered to mark the occasion, including the mayor,
who was the keynote speaker. The Italian Consul in East London
also spoke at the event. A number of choirs and dancers performed, including an Afrikaans primary school choir, an Indian
dance group, African choir and dance groups, and Philippine dancers.
Baha'is all over Australia vigorously tackled issues of racial
unity and Aboriginal reconciliation this year, mounting a number of
short- and long-term initiatives. The National Spiritual Assembly of
Australia published a statement on racism and offered a submission to the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islanders Children. In addition, a special service
was held at the Australian House of Worship on 8 December 1996
in honor of Human Rights Day, and at the reception held at the
National Center beforehand Chris Sidoti, the Australian Human
Rights Commissioner, spoke about the continuing problem of racism. The Baha' i Committee for the Advancement of Women
hosted a meeting on 10 December 1996 at which Annette Peardon,
the State Secretary of the Tasmanian Aboriginal Center, spoke of
her experience of being taken from her family at the age of seven
under government separation policies and being placed in a girls'
home. On the local level , Baha'is organized or participated in
celebrations of cultural diversity in Sydney, Warringah, and Wollongong. The Baha'i community of Rockdale organized a "Week

THE BAHA'I WORLD

of Prayer for Aboriginal Reconciliation" which was attended by
Robert McClelland, the Federal Member of Parliament for Barton
and George Thompson, the State Member of Parliament for
Rockdale. Mr. Thompson' s report on the event was published in
the Hansard Proof for 11 June 1996.
The Canadian Baha'i community's National Race Unity Award
was presented this year on 22 March 1997 to Vision TV at a
ceremony in Toronto. Accepting the award were Vision TV's
President, Fil Fraser, and Rita Deverell, Vice President of Production and Presentation. Members of Parliament Jean Augustine
and Gurbax Malhi attended the event along with other dignitaries
and representatives of many faith groups and organizations. Vision
TV, known as Canada's Faith Network, was selected for the award
in recognition of its unique national role in promoting racial unity.
Many of its programs uncompromisingly examine and celebrate
race, religion, and culture and clarify misconceptions in an effort
to eliminate stereotypical attitudes and racial bigotry.
Also in Canada, over 30 local Baha'i communities participated
in Unity in Diversity week, an initiative of the National Spiritual
Assembly, often observed in collaboration with likeminded organizations and featuring proclamations by mayors and city councils,
festivals, conferences, and public service projects. The intent of
Unity in Diversity week is to celebrate diversity as a source of
strength and beauty in the community.
Rajen Prasad, New Zealand's Race Relations Conciliator, met
with members of the Baha'i community on 24 June 1996, seeking
to establish a working relationship in addressing questions of
race relations. The Baha' is presented Dr. Prasad with a number
of documents pertaining to the subject, including The Prosperity
of Humankind, The Promise of World Peace, and several books
written by Baha' is on race unity and cultural diversity.
Baha'i communities in the United States responded to a series
of burnings of black and multiracial churches by taking part in
inter-faith services and through a statement issued by the National
Spiritual Assembly of the United States. The statement said, in part,
" . .. these acts are directed at all humanity, for humanity is one."
"Racism: Just Undo It," a non-profit group which began as an
effort of the Baha'is ofNew York City, recently took its third annual

Show of Solutions campaign into New York City schools, aiming
to help children learn to problem-solve and contribute to the building of a world free from racial prejudice. Baha'is also sponsored
or took part in a number of conferences dedicated to eradicating
racial prejudice. Once again this year, Baha'i communities participated, and often took a leadership role, in local observances of
Martin Luther King Jr. Day in January 1997 throughout the United
States. In Wenatchee, Washington, the Baha'is initiated a multiethnic event called "Celebration of Unity," which was attended
by over 200 people. Localities where Baha'is marched in King Day
parades and hosted and attended services and commemorations of
the day included San Jose, and Los Angeles, California; Olean,
New York; Colorado Springs, Denver, and East Boulder County,
Colorado; Sun Prairie, Wisconsin; Sanford, Florida; Greenbelt,
Maryland; Carrollton, Houston, and Plano, Texas; and Gallup,
New Mexico.
Baha'i communities in the United States also drew attention
to the evils of racial prejudice through organizing observances of
Race Unity Day in June 1996. A commemoration sponsored by
the Baha'i community of Marquette, Michigan, featured a tree
planting near the grave of Native American Chief Kawbawgam.
An interracial Baha'i couple involved with the event returned
home from the celebration to find a Race Unity Day flier marked
up with racial epithets, a swastika, and a Ku Klux Klan symbol.
This garnered significant media attention to the efforts to promote
racial unity. Many other Baha'i communities held celebrations of
the day, including the Baha'is of the Central California coast;
New York, New York; Fort Wayne, Indiana; Clarkdale, Arizona;
Woodbridge, Virginia; Inverness, Florida; Lansing, Michigan;
Lexington, Kentucky; Chicago, Illinois; Kansas City, Kansas;
Aberdeen/Raymond, Washington; and Austin, Texas.
Peace
The Local Spiritual Assembly of Puerto de la Cruz on the island of
Tenerife, in the Canary Islands, collaborated with the city government in organizing an observance of UN World Peace Day on 22
September 1996. The event featured a series of activities held
from nine in the morning until midnight in the city's central square,

Plaza del Charco, including a children's art and handicraft contest, a
"Peace Concert," and the presentation of a work of art to the mayor.
Over 1,000 people attended the celebration, two regional newspapers
published articles announcing it, and two television channels
interviewed Baha'is.
During social upheavals in the Central African Republic in
spring 1996, the Baha'is offered a prayer for peace on the radio and
then subsequently organized a concert for peace, held on 25 July,
which featured a musical group of youth known as "Les Jardiniers de Dieu." Nearly 1,000 people attended the concert and a
crew from the national television station was present. The Baha'is
also presented programs on Central African television dealing
with "peace and development" and "peace and justice."
The third Baha'i Peace Relay was held in Japan on 6 August 1996,
running under the slogan "Peace- Pass It On." Leaving Hiroshima,
Japan, at 8:15 a.m. on 6 August 1996, and arriving in Nagasaki
at 11 :02 a.m. on 9 August, the 30 runners in this year' s relay team
represented eight different countries and a variety of ages. Nippon
Hoso Kyokai (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) broadcast the last
part of the Peace Run on Nagasaki TV news, and one of the NHK
reporters was inspired to join a team and run the last few meters.
The Baha'is of Sri Lanka held an observance of United Nations
World Peace Day at the National Center on 21 September 1996.
About 60 people attended the event, for which the guest speaker
was Jehan Perera of the National Peace Council.
A reception was held on 26 April 1996 in Chisinau, Moldova,
to mark the contribution of a sample of Moldovan soil to the Baha'i

Th e second
International Native
Council was held
from 21 to
23 February 1997
at the Guaymi
Cultural Center in
Soloy, Panama.

community, to be added to the Peace Monument in Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil in 1997. The soil was taken from the foot of the oak tree
under which King Stephen the Great was reputed to have enjoyed resting, in the forest near the Capriana Monastery. Various
government departments, state agencies, and non-governmental
organizations sent representatives to the ceremony.
In all the Peace Monument received soil from nine countries this
year.3
Interfaith
Baha'u'llah exhorted His followers to "consort with the followers
of all religions in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship."
Accordingly, Baha'is eagerly take up opportunities to work hand
in hand with other religious groups and people of other faiths.
The Baha'i community of Tallinn, Estonia, held a panel discussion on 12 January 1997, on the occasion of World Religion
Day, with the attendance of the Director of Religious Affairs of
the Estonian Government, Mr. Au, as the guest of honor. The
crew of the national television station filmed the event and interviewed a member of the Regional Spiritual Assembly of the
Baltic States. A report was broadcast the same evening during
the prime time news and current events program.
Abdullah Tarmugi, Singapore' s Minister for Community Development, offered the keynote address during the World Religion
Day commemoration held on 19 January 1997. This third annual
observance of the Day was cosponsored by the Inter-Religious
Organization of Singapore and the Baha'i community, and was
attended by about 1,000 people. The event was covered by television, and reports were published in newspapers.
On 27 November 1996, two Baha'i representatives participated
with the Hong Kong Network on Religion and Peace on a visit to
the Kowloon Mosque. The visitors were given a tour and were
invited to observe an evening prayer session.
In Orissa, India, Baha'is assisted in the organization of the
World Religion Day observance, whose theme this year was
"Communal Harmony," a topic welcomed by both local government

3. Seep. 129 of this volume for further details.

THE B AHA'I W ORLD

officials and the general public. A Baha'i representative spoke at
the event, which was attended by some 120 people of diverse backgrounds. The "Communal Harmony Run" held on 20 August
1996 in Orissa also featured the participation of a number of Baha'i
youth.
The Ministry of Education of Botswana called for workshops
in Kanye and Gaborone to discuss the expanded syllabus for religious
education with the junior secondary schools. A representative of
the Baha'i Faith responded by making a well-received presentation to forty teachers from private and government schools and
providing source materials.
A member of the Baha'i community of Mauritius made a presentation on the human soul at a two-day conference on life after
death, which was organized by a group that promotes unity among
religions . The event took place on 6 and 7 February 1997 at the
University of Mauritius and involved the collaboration of a number of other religious groups.
A Baha' i interfaith conference on "Women, Equality and Religion" was held at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, on 22 June
1996. It was organized by the Local Spiritual Assembly oflbadan

Various religions were represented at the Singapore Saha 'i community's third
observance of World Religion Day on 19 January 1997.

Th e Local Spiritual Assembly of Ibadan sponsored an inte1faith conference
on " Wom en, Equality, and Relig ion " on 22 Jun e.

and featured representatives of the Baha'i, Christian, Hindu, and
Islamic religions. After each presentation, the floor was opened
for questions for one hour.
A Baha'i participated in a seminar on religious minorities held
from 18 to 20 July 1996 in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, and organized by
the Chiistian Study Center. Thirty-five representatives of minority
religions attended the event, at which the Baha'i participant spoke
and distributed a paper on collaboration among religious minorities.
Involvement in the Life of Society
More than ever before, Baha'i communities and individuals made
strenuous efforts to contribute solutions to the problems vexing
society, confronting such issues as the environment, health care,
human rights, and the need for world government.
On 5 June 1996, the International Day of the Environment, the
Baha'i community of El Salvador sponsored a seminar entitled
"Let Us Protect Our Planet," which included the participation of
the president of the Legislative Assembly Commission for Protection
of Environment and Public Health, a USAID official for Environment,
and a representative of the Green Project. Baha'is distributed a

paper at the event on the subject of "The Spiritual Dimension of
the Ecological Problems."
The Baha'i-sponsored Children's Environmental Art Exhibition
took place in Hong Kong from 1 to 4 October 1996 at the Visual
Arts Center in Hong Kong Park. May Ng of the Friends of the
Earth officiated at the opening ceremony, and the exhibition was
covered by one English and two Chinese newspapers.
In Trinidad and Tobago, an interfaith service, environmental
walk and brunch took place simultaneously in Port of Spain, San
Fernando, and Tobago, on 2 June 1996. During the interfaith
service, which was held at the Wild Flower Park, Baha'i prayers
and writings were read.
This year an Albanian association dedicated to assisting
children with mental retardation held a seminar at the Baha'i
Cultural Center in Tirana. A Baha'i psychologist, Farhad Sobhani,
offered the presentation on the topic. In Bangladesh, the third
Rural Health Workers Training Course was completed in spring of
1996. The two-month course sought to imbue participants with the
spirit of service to humanity, and to impart knowledge that will
enable them to contribute to the health of their communities.
The fourth European Baha'i Health Conference took place in
Budapest, Hungary, from 18 to 20 October 1996. Organized by the
Tahirih Institute of the Netherlands, in cooperation with a committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of Hungary, the gathering
brought together 58 delegates from 16 countries. The main themes
discussed were the health effects of family disruption; violence
within the family; racism in the health-care profession, and discrimination in health provision; science and its effects at international,
national, and local levels; and other topics related to health, in the
light ofthe Baha'i teachings.
Baha'i communities around the world frequently held special
observances for various United Nations Days and other related
events. About 60 people gathered at the Baha'i Regional Center
in Bamenda, Cameroon, to celebrate the UN International Day of
the Family on 15 May 1996. Two speakers addressed the audience
on the theme "The Family and the Fight against Poverty." On 27
August 1996, an official delegation of the National Spiritual
Assembly of Luxembourg and other members of the Luxembourg

Baha'i community attended the World Congress of the World
Federation of United Nations Associations held there. In Guyana,
the Baha'is held observances of United Nations Charter Day, on
26 June 1996, and International Day of Peace, on 17 September.
The Baha'is in the Philippines celebrated United Nations Day with
a meeting held in Manila on 27 October 1996 on the theme of
"World Citizenship, a Global Ethic for Sustainable Development."
Among the speakers were the mayor ofMakati City, who gave the
welcoming remarks, and the United Nations representative. In the

The singing group
"Nighingales "
from north Malaita,
Solomon Islands,
walked for two days
to get to Tiriuna to
participate in the
"Ocean of Light"
Teaching project,
held in November
1996.

audience were ambassadors, representatives of the government,
the business sector, and religious groups.
On 15 July 1996, Baha'is in Uruguay held an event to pay tribute
to the United Nations in the Feast Room of the Uruguayan Parliament- the first time in the history of that body that a religious
minority held an official act there. The advisor to the Uruguayan
Vice-President attended the event, and messages were received
from the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the President
of Uruguay, and various other governmental officials and members
of Parliament.
On the 51 st anniversary of the founding of the United Nations,
the Albanian Baha'i community, in collaboration with the Albanian
Forum of Non-governmental Organizations, held a commemorative
event at the Baha'i Cultural Center in Tirana which was attended by
over fifty guests, most of them members of various Albanian NGOs.
Baha'is in Albania also held round-table discussions at the Baha'i
Cultural Center on the occasions of International Volunteers' Day for

Social and Economic Development, on 5 December 1996, and
Human Rights Day, on 10 December. The Baha'is of Bangladesh
observed UN Human Rights Day on 10 December 1996 by holding
public events in Rajshahi, Khulna, Chittagong, and Dhaka.
Concern for human rights sparked other Baha'i community
efforts this year. The National Spiritual Assembly of Cyprus sponsored a gathering in Nicosia on 22 January 1997 whose featured
address was "Global Human Rights: Vision and Reality." The talk
was delivered by Ambassador Andreas Mavrommatis, a member
of the United Nations Human Rights Committee at the Center for
Human Rights in Geneva. He formerly served as Ambassador and
Permanent Representative of the Republic of Cyprus to the United
Nations in New York.
At the invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade,
Baha'i representatives in New Zealand attended two fora on international human rights, in Wellington and in Auckland. Topics
discussed included the Rights of the Child; the Convention for
the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women; and the establishment of a network of national human rights institutions in the
Asia-Pacific Region.
On 23 January 1997, the Romanian Institute for Human Rights
held a reception in connection with the publication of Reference
Points for a Human Rights Philosophy, by Irina Moroianu Zlatescu
and Victor Dan Zlatescu, the last chapter of which is entirely devoted
to the Baha'i Faith. At the reception the Baha'i delegation had the
opportunity to meet a number of government officials.
A group of Baha'is attended the First National Conference of
Human Rights at the Nereu Ramos auditorium of the Brazilian
House of Representatives on 26 and 27 April 1996. Proposals for
the National Plan for Human Rights were formulated at the event
and submitted to President Fernando Henrique Cardoso and Minister of Justice Nelson Jobim.
On 11 October 1996, the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs
invited all the human rights non-governmental organizations,
including the Baha'i community, to a meeting in preparation for the
53rd Session of the Commission on Human Rights. The Ministry
asked the non-governmental organizations for their input on what
subjects should be raised at the Commission.

The questions of international cooperation and global governance
also demanded the attention of Baha'i communities this year.
Baha'is in the United Kingdom collaborated with the Commission
on Global Governance and the United Nations Association in organizing a conference on "Governance in the Global Neighborhood."
The event took place on 2 November 1996 at the International
Students' House in London and was attended by over 90 people
from 10 countries.
The first National Conference on Global Governance in Costa
Rica was held on 22 and 24 October 1996 in the Ex-President's
Hall of the National Legislative Assembly. Initiated by the Baha'i
community and cosponsored by the United Nations Development
Program, the National Legislative Assembly, the Ministry for
External Affairs, the Arias Foundation for Peace, the University
for Peace, the University of Costa Rica, and the National University,
the event focused on discussion of the report of the International
Commission on Global Governance, Our Global Neighborhood.
The Fifth International Dialogue on the Transition to a Global
Society was held in Budapest, Hungary, from 25 to 27 October 1996,
on the theme "A Planetary Consciousness for an Ever-Advancing
Civilization." It was organized by the Club of Budapest, Landegg
Academy, and the Center for International Development and Conflict
Management at the University of Maryland. Messages were received
from Amatu'l-Baha Ruhiyyih Khanum and from the Vice-President
of the United States, Al Gore. Sir Yehudi Menuhin, 1992 Goodwill
Ambassador of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and
Cultural Organi zation, Gertrude Mongella from the United
Nations Development Program, and Vigdis Finnbogadottir,
former President oficeland, gave keynote speeches. A concert was
given on the second evening by the Hungarian State Symphony
Orchestra, conducted by Ken-Ichiro Kobayashi, and the Club of
Budapest "First Planetary Consciousness Prizes" were awarded
to Vaclav Havel, President of the Czech Republic, and to a group
of folk dancers and choreographers. Sir Yehudi Menuhin and Sir
Peter Ustinov presided over the awards ceremony.
From 2 to 16 September 1996, four conferences were held in
Mexico City by the Baha'is of Mexico, all of which had the theme
"A New World Order." The second annual Baha'i Conference on

THE BAHA'I WORLD

"Law and International Order" was held at the De Poort Conference
Centre in Groesbeek, the Netherlands, from 19 to 22 September
1996. The gathering featured Mohsen Enayat's Dr. Aziz Navidi
Memorial Lecture on "The Evolution of the World Order" and
focused on the statement Turning Point for All Nations and on
the challenge of global governance.
The Baha'is of Altenkirchen, Germany, held the Fifth Festival for International Understanding on 2 June 1996 under the
patronage of the Minister of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate,
Walter Zuber. About 600 people attended the festival, which featured the participation of a number of district and city officials. The
Baha'is also collaborated with the World Federalist Movement
and Terra One World Network in the organization of a panel
discussion on the topic of "Globalization-A Challenge to the
Nations." This event was held at the University Club in Bonn on
9 December 1996.
A panel discussion on ''The Role and Involvement of the Worldwide Community: A Turning Point for All Nations" was held at
Sala dello Stenditoio of the Ministry for Cultural Endowments and
Environment in Rome, Italy, on 6 December 1996. Organized by
the Baha'i community in cooperation with Ecole Instrument de
Paix (EIP), the event had the goal of opening a dialogue between
the institutional and academic worlds and non-governmental
organizations in the search for a common strategy to help solve
worldwide problems.
Baha'i communities made other efforts to address a wide variety of social issues. Drums of Light, a group composed of native
Alaskan Baha'is, assisted in the planning and organization of
Celebration '96 in Juneau, Alaska. The event took place from 6 to 8
June 1996 and brought over four thousand people together to celebrate their native heritage.
Baha'is in Florida, Uruguay, organized a meeting in November
1996 that focused on the role of women in the establishment of
peace and included the participation of various professionals and
people of capacity. A reporter from a local journal interviewed the
Baha'is and the next day an article was published. A second event
focused on "The Planet: Our Home" and featured an exhibition of
local art. The next day an article was published in the newspaper

El Hera/do and an interview with the Baha'is was broadcast during
a local television station's news bulletin.
In late November 1996, the Baha' is of Nepal organized a
number of activities to promote education. A public talk by a Baha'i
who is an educator was held in Kathmandu and attended by 70
people, including the former Nepalese Ambassador to the United
Nations; a luncheon and forum was cosponsored by the Baha'i
community and the United Nations Development Program Resident
Representative; and a presentation was made to 15 leading educators and various other dignitaries on the topic of "Educational
Reform and Development." News of the public talk in Kathmandu
was published in the government's newspaper, and an interview
with the speaker, Dwight Allen, was aired on Nepalese television.
On 17 October 1996, a Baha'i joined representatives of several
religions in a half-hour prayer and meditation session at the Trocadero esplanade in Paris, France. The prayer session formed
part of the event organized by the French humanitarian association
ATD Quart Monde to mark the "World Day of Refusal of Extreme
Poverty" and opened with some comments by the Baha'i representative and with a reading of a passage from Baha'u'llah's writings
that begins "Be generous in prosperity and thankful in adversity."
From 6 to 13 July 1996 a series of public lectures and seminars
was held during the Finnish Baha'i summer school in Rovaniemi.
Based on the themes "The Necessity of a New View of Man,"
"Human Relations in a New Cultural Environment," "Turning Point
For All Nations," and "The Future of Ethnic Cultures," the meetings featured the participation of experts in various fields and the
chairman of the Sarni Parliament. In January 1997, the Baha'is of
Chile received a formal invitation to offer their views to a session of
the Senate Committee deliberating on the text of a legal framework
ensuring religious freedom and equality before law in that
country.
Twenty-five members of the Baha'i Esperanto League attended
the 81 st International Esperanto Congress, held in Prague, Czech
Republic, from 20 to 27 July 1996. Associated events included a
Baha'i presentation entitled "Carrying Forward an Ever-Advancing
Civilization," which was attended by 80 participants, and a Baha'i
public meeting held at the Congress Center and attended by about

THE BAHA'I WORLD

60 people. Throughout the Congress, the Baha'i Esperanto League
members maintained a display and information booth.
The European Baha'i Business Forum (EBBF) held its fourth
annual conference in Sofia, Bulgaria, from 18 to 20 October 1996.
The theme of the event was "Moral and Ethical Principles in a Social
Market Economy," and it was sponsored by the Bulgarian Association
of the Club of Rome; the Institute for Sustainable Development;
the Federation of Consumers; the College of Management, Trade
and Marketing; the National Museum "Man and Earth"; the
International Association of Architecture; and the National Spiritual
Assembly of the Baha'is of Bulgaria. About 60 people attended the
gathering. EBBF also sent a delegation to the World Food Summit's
parallel NGO Forum from 11to17November1996 in Rome, Italy.
In Hong Kong, the Baha'is presented their third Baha'i Award
for Service to Humanity at a luncheon on 12 November 1996-the
Birthday of Baha'u'llah. The recipient of the award was Sansan
Ching, a leading educationalist in Hong Kong who has served
the community in this field for over 24 years. More than 160 people
attended the luncheon.
On 10 August 1996, the Baha'is of Jamaica hosted a media
conference at the Pegasus Hotel. Sponsored by the Baha' i International Community's Office of Public Information and WETV
(the first global access television network), the purpose of the gathering was to explore how to use television effectively- giving
expression to positive actions, strengthening cultural identity and
diversity, and further enhancing social and economic development. About 35 of the country's key decision-makers and
independent producers attended the conference, including the
Managing Director of JBC-TV, the Director of CPTC, two representatives from the Prime Minister' s office, and representatives
from UNESCO, CARIMAC, and CVM-TV.
Three Baha' i communications professionals from Canada who
participated in the conference held a three-day workshop on how
to produce video programs, training local Baha'is in filming
techniques and low cost production methods for various uses ,
including community development work.
Two Baha'is in the Cook Islands have been visiting the inmates
at the prison in Arorangi each week to offer music, talks on spiritual

Y EAR IN R EVIE\Xl

matters, and fellowship. The aim of the visits is to give the
inmates an opportunity to rethink their attitude towards life and
help them acquire a positive outlook. Baha'i youth from Greece,
Cyprus, Turkey, and Switzerland participated in a social service
project in Crete from 1 to 8 August 1996. Activities included cleaning Lindo beach, donating blood, visiting sick children at the
hospital, visiting the residents of a home for the aged, and distributing leaflets on protecting the environment. In San Diego,
California, in the United States, Baha' is are playing a large role
in the running of the Hmong Homework Center for Children.
This after-school service is held in a public library and offers
assistance with homework and reading skills to Hmong children.
Young Hmong and Vietnamese women and men from San Diego
high schools, colleges, and universities offer their assistance
whenever they can and stand as role models for the children.
Of particular concern to Baha'is everywhere is the promotion of
universal education, with an emphasis on the acquisition of knowledge and skills for the purpose of serving humanity. This focus
on service and education is evoking a response from the wider
society. This year the National University of Bangladesh established a College of Law named after Jab bar Eidelkhani, a member of
the Continental Board of Counsellors in Asia residing in Bangladesh,
in recognition of his services as a promoter of education and knowledge throughout Asia, particularly in Bangladesh itself. Nikhilesh
Dutta, the Deputy Attorney General of Bangladesh, attended the
inaugural ceremony, as did members of the Supreme Court.
On 8 June 1996, at the request of the teachers and students
and with the approval of the authorities, a public primary school
in Rende, Italy, was dedicated to Giuseppe Stancati, a 12-year-old
Baha'i who had died a few years before. In a ceremony attended by
civil, religious, and cultural authorities, the school was dedicated
to the child in memory of the attitude he showed towards other
people' s difficulties in spite of his own serious cardiac illness. The
boy ultimately donated his eyes to two people in need, so that
they would be able to see "the beautiful things of the world."
The emphasis in Baha'i communities on social and economic
development derives from a fundamental belief in the need for "a
dynamic coherence between the spiritual and practical requirements

THE B AHA:f W ORLD

of life on earth": spiritual attainment cannot occur in isolation from
the promotion of justice and the advancement of civilization. The
efforts ofBaha' is in the field of development and human prosperity
reflect this link between the spiritual and the material. The following
are a few examples of the ways Baha'i individuals and communities
are putting spiritual principles to work for the bettennent of humanity.
" On the Wings of Words," the Baha'i project to promote literacy
an1ong 10 to 16 year olds of Guyana, was publicly launched on 27
May 1996 at the National Cultural Center. In the first months of the
project's operation, 250 people were trained as facilitators and classes
for children were established in communities throughout Guyana.
The Baha' i community participated in a seminar organized in
Dada, Burkina, by the Provincial Direction for Basic Education and
Literacy, from 26 to 27 August 1996. Baha' i literacy efforts in
Burkina were described at the event.
The Local Spiritual Assembly of Zomba in Malawi started literacy classes for some 18 students, while the Malaysian Baha'i
community' s task force for adult literacy held a series of teacher
training courses to provide needed resources for running adult literacy classes. Literacy training was also carried out in Togo for 26
participants, with four rising up to be literacy trainers and the remaining 21 prepared to be literacy teachers.
Baha'is in the Netherlands helped organize a conference held by
the National Commission on Sustainable Development (NCDO) on
13 December 1996 which was designed to reflect the role that organized religion and ideological movements could play in sustainable
development. The gathering was attended by 1,200 participants, of
whom more than 60 were Baha'is. A Baha'i sat on two interreligious
panel discussions on sustainable development, and the Baha'i community of Rotterdam created a prayer room at the event which was
open to the participants for silent meditation throughout the day.
On 24 July 1996 in Uganda, a delegation of two Baha' is met
with Professor Buhatunde Thomas, the local representative of the
United Nations Development Program. Mr. Thomas was presented
with Turning Point For All Nations, Call To Th e Nations , Th e
Prosperity of Humankind and Th e Baha 'is. He was informed of
ways the Baha'i community is involved in the promotion of the
equality of men and women and in health and literacy programs.

The involvement of the Baha'i community of India in efforts
to promote social and economic development took many forms this
year. A number of medical camps made free medical care available
to thousands of people in Jammu, Karnataka, and Bihar. Baha'is
also participated in a conference on cancer prevention held on 22
September 1996 in Delhi. In Delhi, both the "Perfect Health Mela"
in October 1996 and the "Social Development Fair" in April 1997
saw intense activity at the sites of the Baha'i stalls.
Under the sponsorship of the International Association of Baha'i
Publishers, a Baha'i exhibit was mounted at the Sixth International
Beijing Book Fair in China in November 1996. The collection ofliterature reflected the theme "Fostering the Prosperity of Humankind."
News coverage of the fair by the national English-language television
station CCTV (China Central Television) included an interview
with one of the Baha'i exhibit staff.
The Townshend International Secondary School in Hluboka
nad Vltavou, in the Czech Republic, a Baha'i-inspired educational
institution, held its first graduation ceremony on 29 June 1996.
Graduating students received praise from the state official who had
overseen their exit examinations; their oral performance, respect for
the teachers, spirit, and high potential received particular comment.
The Banani International Secondary School in Zambia, a school
for girls established in 1993 by the Baha' i community of Zambia
in memory of Hand of the Cause of God Ml'.1sa Banani, was officially inaugurated on 18 May 1996 by the Minister of Education in
conjunction with the Baha' i community. The inaugural speeches
were interspersed with presentations by the school ' s choir, drama
group, and dance workshop. The inauguration was broadcast on
national radio and television and was covered in the newspapers.
Moral Education
Baha'i communities are increasingly turning their attention to the
need for moral education in society at large, and now more than
ever before Baha'i initiatives in this field are gaining the attention
of leaders of society who are searching for new ways to address a
general decline in morality.
The School of the Nations in Macau, which is owned and directed
by a foundation whose purpose is to provide education inspired

THE BAHA'I WORLD

by Baha'i principles and concepts, won first prize for innovative
secondary curriculum in a contest organized by the Macau education department. The prize-winning curriculum has as an integral
feature a character development program that strives to strengthen
the spirit of service in the students.
The National Spiritual Assembly of Thailand, in collaboration
with Assumption University, the National Research Council of Thailand, and the National Institute of Development Administration
of Thailand, held an Asian Baha'i Moral Education Seminar at
Assumption University in Bangkok on 21 and 22 June 1996. Speakers included the Vice-President of the university, Brother Banta
Saenghiran, and the Director of the National Institute for Development
Administration of Thailand, Dr. Duangduen Bhanthumnavin.
On 2 August 1996, seventy-one individuals gathered for a lecture
on "Values and Social Development" held in Baguio City, the Philippines, under the auspices of the local Baha'i community. Fifty-three
of the participants were teachers of values education from Baguio
City National High School and Pines City National High School.
A series of Baha'i moral education classes began on 19 January
1997 in Hong Kong. The classes aim to teach the concepts of virtues, such as trustworthiness, courtesy, and cleanliness, through
talks, storytelling, discussions, and games.
On 16 March 1997, a meeting was held to introduce to a group
in Kiribati the material of the Virtues Project, a program initiated
by three Baha'is and aiming to help families and individuals to
live by their deepest values. Subsequently, a group of Baha'is in
Bikenibeu met weekly to study the material.
Representatives of the Baha'i community of St. Vincent and
the Grenadines met with the Minister of Education, John Hom,
to discuss issues concerning the improvement of education in St.
Vincent. He subsequently arranged for a Baha'i delegation to
speak on moral education to some 300 students and 20 staff
members of Union Island High School. The Baha'is also conducted
two classes on moral education, presented books on education to
a number of primary schools and to the National Library, and
held several public meetings on the topic.
The Baha' i community oflndia' s Office for the Advancement
of Women, in collaboration with UNICEF, on 27 November 1996

In th e Philippines,
a group of
children
participate
in the closing
ceremonies of a
Bahri 'i tutorial
school.

Teachers
at the Tender
Kiddies Foundation
School in Nigeria
discuss raising
children as
peacemakers.

held a seminar in New Delhi entitled "A New Framework for Values
Education." Participants, representing various non-governmental
organizations, engaged in discussion of matters relating to moral
education, listened to talks by eminent educators, and attended
workshops. On 10 and 11 February 1997, a workshop on moral
education was held by the Association for Baha'i Studies, India,
in collaboration wi th the Chair for Baha'i Studies, Indore. The
workshop was held for primary school teachers.
William S. Hatcher, a professor living in Russia who is a Baha'i,
was invited to deliver a short course on ethics based on the
Baha'i-inspired Moral Education Project materials at St. Petersburg
State University. The course was very well received. Dr. Hatcher
also delivered the material as a regular course at the St. Petersburg Electrotechnical University in the fall of 1996 and was
subsequently able to present a paper on that topic at an international
conference on pedagogical issues in university education.

THE B AI--IA:f WORLD

left: Children participating in the first
Romanian Bahci 'i social and
economic development project in
Bucharest, which hopes to turn an
abandoned lot into a
children 's playground.

Right:
Mothers bringing their
children to the
Baha 'i Tutorial School
in Kungu, Uganda.

left: In Western
Samoa,
children
participate
in a Montessori
school program
sponsored by
Baha 'is.

Contact with Prominent People
The Baha' i World Centre continues to draw visits from a succession of dignitaries and people of prominence from all over the
world . Sultan Ibrahim Mbombo Njoya, the Sultan from Foumban, West Cameroon, came in November 1996, along with a retinue
including Madame Bardica Rosette Mbombo Njoya, his wife; El
Hadj Amadou Pokasa Nsangou, Imam and Chairman of the
World Islamic Council of the Organization of Mosques in the Noun
area; Reverend Abraham Ngoumoun , head of the Evangelist
Church of Cameroon and Chairman of the Religious Commission of
the Noun area; and two representatives of the Israeli Ministry of
Foreign Affairs .
Ambassadors to Israel from the following countries were also
received at the World Centre: Australia, Belgium, Ethiopia,
Greece, Hungary, India, Rwanda, Slovakia, and South Africa.
U Kyaw Zeya, Charged' Affaires of the Embassy of the Union of
Myanmar, paid a call, along with two other diplomats from the
embassy. In addition, visits were received from officials from the
embassies in Israel of China, Hungary, Ireland, and Japan. Adelegation of government officials from Guinea-Bissau, including
the Minister of Rural Development and Agriculture, came, as did
Christian Ponce let, member of the French Senate and President
of its Finance Commission, along with officials of the Marseilles
Municipality. Moshe Katsav, Minister of Tourism in Israel; Yossi
Beilin of the Prime Minister's Office in Israel; and members of
the Knesset paid a visit to the World Centre. Annette Lantos, the
wife of Congressman Tom Lantos of the United States, also
visited.
Visiting academics and scholars included William E. Kirwan,
President of the University of Maryland, U.S.A., along with other
university administrators; Andre Chouraqui, former professor at
the Sorbonne and the Academy of Moral and Political Science in
Paris, France, and Vice-Mayor of Jerusalem; Fu Youde, Deputy
Head of the Philosophy Department, and Director of the Institute
of Jewish Culture at Shandong University, China.
Elsewhere in the world, two Baha'is from Britain attended
Sweden's Royal 50th Birthday celebrations organized by the

THE B AHA'I WORLD

Wilma El /is, a member
of the Continental
Board of Co unsellors,
meets with Un ited
States President
Bill Clinton
at an Ecumenical
Breakfast in the White
House.

World Scout Foundation, held from 9 to 11May1996. On 10 May,
they were granted a private audience with King Carl XVI Gustaf
and Queen Sylvia in Drottningholm Palace. At the conclusion, the
King and the Queen were each given four Baha'i books in Swedish,
as well as a synopsis of the history of the Swedish Baha'i community.
In Lesotho, His Majesty, King Letsie III and Queen Mamobato, the Queen Mother, attended a banquet hosted by Baha'is at
the Lesotho Sun Hotel in honor of the Continental Board of Counsellors in Africa, which was holding a meeting in Maseru from 24
to 29 December 1996. The event was also attended by over 70
other dignitaries, including the High Commissioners of China and
South Africa and senior officials of various government departments.
Baha'is participated in an audience with President Ange Felix
Patasse of the Central African Republic on 31 May 1996, during
which he received the representatives of various religious groups,
in the presence of other high-ranking officials, to explain the
nature of the upheavals that country had recently experienced
and to outline the proposal for the nomination of the future
Prime Minister. The Baha'is read from the statement Turning
Point for All Nations and, at Mr. Patasse's request, recited a prayer
for peace at the end of the meeting.
Over 250 people gathered at the National Baha'i Center in
Port Vila, Vanuatu, on 17 October to celebrate "Bertha Dobbins
Day," marking the 43rd anniversary of the day in 1953 when
Mrs. Dobbins, a Knight of Baha'u'llah, arrived in Port Vila and
brought the Baha'i Faith to Vanuatu. Present at the occasion
were the President Jean-Marie Leye Lenelgau; the Minister of

On I October 1996,
Seema Nek Akhtar
presented the --- .-...
President of Pakistan,
Faro oq Ahmad laghari,
with Baha 'i literature
on behalf of the
Baha 'i community
of Pakistan.

Justice, Culture and Religion, Hilda Lini; and the Chiefs of Erakor and Pango villages; as well as former students ofNur School,
which Mrs. Dobbins established. The President, who had himself
learned English from Mrs. Dobbins, urged everyone to reflect on
the significance of her courageous life and sacrifices. Radio Vanuatu
broadcast several news items and announcements about the day
and aired a 10-minute interview with some of the Baha'is present.
There was a report on the event in the newspaper Vanuatu Weekly.
In Islamabad, Pakistan, a Baha'i delegation met with President Farooq Ahmad Laghari on 1 October, presenting him with a
set of three statements: The Promise of World Peace, The Prosperity of Humankind, and Turning Point for All Nations. On 8
December 1996, three members of the Baha'i community of
Bangladesh had an audience with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The Baha'is took the opportunity to present her with various
materials on the Baha'i Faith and to explain the law-abiding,
peace-loving attitude of Baha'is towards government and society.
Firuz Kazemzadeh and Kit Cosby represented the United States
Baha'i community at a White House commemoration of Human
Rights Day on 10 December. Both were able to greet President
Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Ms. Cosby
spoke with Mrs. Clinton about the effort to obtain U.S. ratification of
the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women. Ms. Cosby, in her capacity as the deputy
director of the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly' s office of external
affairs , was listed by Mrs. Clinton in a mailing to some 100
women on the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing as a

THJi B AHA'f WORLD

resource and a point of contact for the effort to have the Convention
ratified by the US.
Homa Mungapen, a Baha'i in Mauritius, has been nominated by
the Mauritian President as a member of the President's Advisory
Council for a period of three years. The council is composed of nine
members, four of whom are representatives of religious institutions.
In November 1996, Wilma Ellis, a member of the Continental
Board of Counsellors in the Americas, was appointed by United
States Secretary of State Warren Christopher to a Special Advisory Committee on Religious Freedom Abroad. She is one of 20
prominent religious leaders and scholars who will serve on the committee, whose purposes are to foster greater dialogue between
religious communities and the United States government. Dr. Ellis
also acted as the Baha'i representative who greeted the President
and First Lady on behalf of the Baha'i community at the White
House during this year's ecumenical breakfast on 6 January 1997.
On 20 May 1996 a reception and buffet were held in London at
the National Baha'i Centre of the United Kingdom in honor of Wally
N'Dow, the Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on

At a public audience in th e Vatican, Feridun Mazlum, a Baha 'ifrom Switzer-
/and, presented Pope John Paul If with a copy of The Hidden Words of
Baha ' u ' llah.

Y EAR IN RE VIEW

His Majesty
King l etsie Ill
of Lesotho
was greeted by
Shanta Basin, a
pioneer to th e
country, on
27 December 1996.

Human Settlements (Habitat
II). Also in attendance were
Borg Olivier, the Director of
the United Nations' United
Kingdom Office; A. F. M.
Yusuf, High Commissioner,
Bangladesh ; Gendengin
Nyamdoo, the Ambassador of
Mongolia; and other United
Nations and embassy representatives in London. Dr. On I March 199 7, Prim e Minister
Chaova/it Yong Chaiy ut
N'Dow was presented with
of Thailand received a copy of
the Baha'i International Comthe Kitab-i-Aqdas.
munity statements Sustainable
Communities in an Integrating World and Recommended Changes
to the Draft Habitat Agenda, which were warmly received.
In Bermuda, a dinner party to celebrate Ayyam-i-Ha, held on
26 February 1997 by the Baha'i community in the parish of Hamilton,
was attended by His Excellency Lord Waddington, the Governor.
Baha'is in the Eastern Caroline Islands were received on separate
occasions by the Governor of Pohnpei State, Del Pangelinan, and by
the Australian Ambassador to the Federated States of Micronesia.
Both officials were presented with Turning Point for All Nations.
On 17 May 1996, a delegation of Baha' is in the Falkland
Islands met with the Governor, Richard Ralph, to welcome him to
the islands and present him with The Prosperity of Humankind.
Zambia's Deputy Minister of the Desk of Reli gious Affairs visited
the Baha'i National Center on 5 January 1997 and had a cordial
meeting with the National Spiritual Assembly of Zambia.

THE BAHA'f W ORLD

Recognition
Ongoing efforts to achieve official recognition of Baha' i communities saw some progress this year in several countries. The State
Legislative Chamber of Amazonas, Brazil, on 16 August 1996
passed a law which was subsequently approved by the Governor
that recognizes 21 March as a Baha'i Holy Day- Naw-Ruz, the
Baha'i New Year.
In Latvia, authorities have accepted the by-laws of the Baha'i
community of Riga as in accordance with the new laws of that
country, and a new registration certificate was issued to the Baha'i
community. On 12 December 1996, the Armenian State Council on
Religious Affairs officially registered the Baha' i community of
Armenia. On 12 September 1996, the chief constable of the Faroe
Islands made an announcement in the national press that the Local
Spiritual Assembly ofT6rshavn is now an incorporated body.
In response to a request by Baha'i youth in Belgium for permission to hold public dance performances in Ixelles, the police of
that town sought information from the Brussels police department.
The Brussels chief of police replied on 26 July 1996, asserting the
validity of the Baha'i community as a religious association and citing
information gathered from the United Nations, among other sources.

The Head of State
' of Bermuda,
Lord Waddington,
attended an lntercalary
Day celebration
hosted by the
Hamilton Parish
Baha'i community.

Sharing the Message of Baha'u 'llah
Heedful of exhortations in the Baha'i writings to scatter far and
wide to share Baha'u'llah's message with all of humanity, once
again this year Baha' is the world over left the comforts of their

homes behind and undertook Jong and at times arduous journeys
to foreign lands and remote locales.
A group of youth from France, accompanied by a Ukrainian
youth, visited Danane, Cote d'Ivoire, from 15 July to 30 August
1996 to participate in an intensive effort to inform the people of
that area about the Baha'i teachings. Assistance was also given
by Baha'is from Burkina-Faso, Mali and Guinea.
In late 1996, two Baha'is in Azerbaijan traveled from Baku to a
small town called Guba where there were no Baha'is. There they
visited two officials of the Department of Cultural Affairs and
spoke with them about the Baha'i Faith for about half an hour. The
Baha'is could only stay in Guba for one day, and then they returned
to Baku. After their departure, one of the council members went to
the local television station and spoke about the Faith for half an
hour on an evening program, inviting all who were interested in
learning more to come to a certain park the next day. Over 500
people came to the park, of whom 149 became Baha'is.
During the summer school held on the island of Saaremaa, in
Estonia, Baha'is engaged in activities to teach the local population about Baha'u'llah, resulting in favorable coverage on the
school in local newspapers and radio. About 70 local people

The Sultan
of Cameroon
visited th e
Baha'i Holy Places
in Isra el on
6 November 1996.

attended evening sessions of the school and some 30 local youth
attended a special introductory class arranged for them.
In the Gambia, monthly visits were carried out by teams of
Baha' is to various local conununities. Similarly, five Baha'is from
Port Blair in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands traveled to Little

Andaman in January 1997, offering courses on the Baha'i Faith
and accompanying local Baha'is on courtesy calls on the community's chiefs and other dignitaries. Visits were made in the
Telugu-, Bengali-, and Hindi-speaking areas.
The Sister to Sister project, involving the efforts of African-
American Baha'i women to reach the people of Africa with the
message of Baha'u'llah, continued this year, with a tiip to Nairobi,
Kenya in January 1997. The Baha'is were interviewed on a local
television station's current affairs program, and an article about them
was published in the Nation newspaper.
From 11 to 28 January 1997, nine African-American Baha'i
men- participants in the yearly Black Men's Gathering at the
Louis Gregory Institute in South Carolina- traveled to Namibia
to talk to the people about Baha'u'llah's message. Their itinerary
consisted of audiences with government ministers, television and
radio interviews, and travel to many regions of the country for
the purpose of sharing the Baha'i Faith. An official audience with
the speaker of Namibia's Legislative Assembly, Mose Tjitendero,
was aired on the television news broadcast on 13 January. That
meeting featured the presentation by a member of the Baha'i delegation of the Kitab-i-Aqdas- Baha'u 'llah's Book of Laws- to
Dr. Tjitendero, who gave him a copy of the Laws of Namibia, that
country's constitution. One of the American Baha'is also presented a
racial-healing seminar to the Windhoek community.
Five Baha'is from Ibadan, Nigeria, went to Osogbo to teach
others about the Baha'i Faith on 30 June 1996. A local Baha'i
artist arranged for drummers and dancers to perform, more than 200
people gathered, and over 60 children were taught songs and prayers.
This year, several Baha'is visited Gomal Altaisk, Russia, for
six weeks to inform people about the Baha'i Faith. The inhabitants
are the traditional Altai people and Russians who are Buddhists,
Christians, and Muslims, all living together in hannony. The visit
resulted in a television interview and the airing of the Baha'i video
"Temple on My Way" during prime time.
A group of Baha'i youth traveled to Embekelweni, Swaziland, for
a week in September 1996 to hold introductory meetings, children's
classes, and study classes. They also visited many homesteads to
talk about the Baha'i Faith.

Baha'is in the Ukraine went to Lugansk City for six days in July
to present the Baha'i message to others. There they visited the
mayor's office, meeting about 16 key people, including members
of the media, social workers, and the dean of the university. The
dean asked the Baha'is to set up Baha'i courses as he believed
they would be helpful to the students. In addition, they were asked
to provide speakers on topics such as family life, consultation, conflict resolution, and violence.
Over the past few years, efforts have been made by Baha'is to
promote a dialogue between indigenous peoples of North America
and New Zealand. Groups of Maori Baha'is from New Zealand
have visited native Canadian communities, making special connections and sharing Baha'u'llah's message with people everywhere
they have gone. In May 1996, Canada reciprocated by sending a
group of First Nation Baha'is to New Zealand, where they met
with students in schools, attended traditional gatherings, held public
meetings, and were interviewed by the media. Another group of
Native Canadian Baha'is visited New Zealand in April 1997.
The Baha'i theater group "Lwniere de l'Unite" continued traveling and performing in francophone Africa this year as part of its
ongoing effort to spread the Baha'i teachings. The group visited
Guinea, Senegal, and Mali in September, October, and November
1996. Their visit to Guinea coincided with the rainy season and
as the roads were impassable, for the whole three weeks of their
visit the group traveled almost exclusively on foot.
Special projects have been carried out in localities around the
world to make the Baha'i principles known. The Baha'is of Angola
initiated such a project in Sambizanga, Luanda, naming it "Project
Paz" or "Peace." In the Bahamas, Baha'is are reaching out to the
people of Little Abaco with Baha'u'llah's message. The Baha'i
communities of Mogoditshane and Tlokweng, Botswana, mounted
nine-day projects to share the message of Baha'u'llah with the
people of their areas this year.
During the month of July, a project was undertaken in Moanda,
Gabon, to tell the people of the area about the Baha'i Faith. The
campaign consisted of the distribution of pamphlets, and the
holding of exhibitions, film and slide presentations, and public
talks.

THE B AHA:f WORLD

A special campaign in Georgia which ran from 1 November
to 15 December 1996 resulted in the formation of 12 new Local
Spiritual Assemblies in several areas of that republic, including
Tschinvali in the autonomous region of South Ossetia; in an Azeri
area of Georgia; and in a village inhabited by Russian expatriates.
A project was held throughout Mongolia from 22 July to 15
August 1996 with the goal of informing people about the Baha' i
Faith. It was preceded by a training course in Baganuur from 17
to 21 July. The 50 participants attended classes and then traveled to
different areas of the country, visiting 10 provinces and 15 towns
and holding children's classes. As a result of their efforts, 133 people
became Baha'is and four Local Spiritual Assemblies were formed.
A project to offer the Baha'i teachings to the people of Reunion
took place from 19 to 25 August 1996, with the participation of
Baha'is from Madagascar, Mauritius, and the Seychelles. Four
public conferences were organized as part of the endeavor, and
Baha' is reached out to people in seven communities.

Helen Reissenweber
presented the book
, she authored,
Fire and Water,
to the President of
Vanuatu, Jean-Marie
Leye Lenelgau,
on 1 7 October 1996.

In June 1996, a course for the training of teachers of the Baha'i
Faith was held in Sierra Leone, in Makeni and Magbenteh and
their environs, as part of a large-scale effort to share the Baha'i
teachings with the people of the area.
An "Ocean of Light" project was held in East Malaita, Solomon
Islands, in the last weekend in November 1996. 4 A Baha' i group
introduced 15 local chiefs in the bush communities of the region to

4. See also The S aha 'i Wo rld 1994- 95 , p. 86.

In Andhra
Pradesh, India,
participants of a
Bahri 'i cycle rally
in August 1996
pose happily f or
a photograph.

the Baha'i Faith, along with over 650 people who gathered in Tariuna, a Baha'i village, where they spent the next two days singing and
dancing as the Baha'i Faith was presented. The chiefs expressed
their joy at hearing about a belief that honored their customs and
culture.
Projects to teach people about Baha'u'llah' s message were
mounted in Kegalle and Matale, Sri Lanka, this year, and teams also
visited various Baha'i communities to assist and encourage them to
establish essential features of community life such as Nineteen Day
Feasts, children' s classes, and training courses. Special projects to
teach others about the Baha' i Faith were also undertaken throughout Lithuania, in Kaunas, Vilnius, Ukmerge, Plunge, and Jelgava.
A four-day Baha' i class for new Baha'is in Rajshahi, Bangladesh, changed its character when incessant rains prevented the
attendance of all but three invitees. The three who came turned
out to be members of a Hindu religious order from an area that is
difficult to reach and that no Baha'is had previously visited; the
invitations to the meeting were sent to them in error. The three men,
with the encouragement of prominent members of their community, had come to the class to find out what the Baha'i Faith was and
then report back to the others. After four days of thorough study
of Baha'i teachings the men became Baha'is and eagerly set out
for home to report on what they had learned.
The Baha' is of Zimbabwe had an exhibit at the International
Book Fair held in the Harare Gardens from 29 July to 2 August
1996. The Baha' i stand was very popular, and during the event a
television news piece was aired from the booth.
Efforts to tell others about the Baha' i teachings were reinforced by a host of "teaching conferences" the world over, held

for the purpose of consulting on the tasks associated with these
endeavors.
The Sixth Albanian National Teaching Conference took place
in Tirana from 8 to 10 November 1996 and was attended by more
than 60 people. An all-Ireland teaching conference was held in
Derrygonnelly, Northern Ireland, on 22 and 23 February 1997. The
gathering was the first of its kind since the establishment of the
National Spiritual Assembly of the Republic oflreland in 1972.
More than 250 Baha'is from all parts of the island gathered for
the meeting, whose theme was "Our Shared Spiritual Destiny."
On 29 April 1996, a Baha'i conference was held at Nualei,
Tonga, to deliberate on ways of sharing the Baha'i Faith with others.
Another such conference, along with a training session, was held in
Arusha, Tanzania, from 24 to 29 July 1996. Fifty people from Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and the United Kingdom attended the event,
which was hosted by the Local Spiritual Assembly of Arusha. Similar
teaching conferences were held in France, Malawi, and Uruguay.

Institutes and Other Training Activities
A systematic effort has been set in motion in Baha'i communities
throughout the world to assist Baha'is to attain a more profound
understanding of the principles of the Faith and to arise to carry out
the myriad tasks and duties confronting their ever-expanding communities. This endeavor has taken the form of the creation of
training institutes, nearly 200 of which were established in this year
alone. Baha'i training institutes, rather than simply imparting
information, aim to develop in the participants spiritual knowledge
and to provide them with skills necessary for serving humanity.
These agencies are being established in all parts of the world; the
following are just a few examples of the efforts being made. Some
other training activities are also mentioned.
From 30 September to 3 October 1996, the Ruhi Institute in
Puerto Tejada, Colombia, saw the convening of the first continental
meeting of consultants on the training institute process in Latin
America. Participants with expertise in establishing and operating
Baha'i training institutes gathered from nine countries: Bolivia, Brazil,
Colombia, Costa Rica, the Domimcan Republic, Haiti, Honduras,
Mexico, and the United States.

A number of communities
have drawn upon the materials
produced by the Ruhi Institute
in the design of their curricula.
Courses of the Ruhi Institute
were offered in Anchorage and -
Juneau, Alaska, in January 1996,
representing the beginning of
that community's efforts to make
the program available to Baha'is
throughout the country . The
Baha'is of Belize have also begun offering courses of the Ruhi
Institute, with several being held
in May, October, and November
1996. Over 250 people gathered together
f or a Baha'i institute in
A nine-day training course
Danane, Cote d 'Ivoire.
was held in Kamina, Zaire, for
participants to study the first book of the Ruhi Institute's materials. A two-hour summary of the activities of the Baha'is during
the nine-day course and the conference for members of the public that followed was broadcast on television.
A training program employing the courses of the Ruhi Institute
was launched in Asmara, Eritrea, this year. Baha'i communities
in six towns and villages in Georgia sent individuals to undertake
formal study of the Baha'i Faith at the Baha'i institute facility
near Tbilisi from 28 January to 2 February 1997.
Twenty-five participants and four tutors were involved in a
session on the Ruhi Institute materials held in the Solomon Islands
from 2 to 30 December 1996. From this group, Baha'is were to
be sent throughout the country to hold children's classes and to
help others gain a deeper understanding of the Baha'i Faith.
In addition to the Ruhi Institute's materials, a wide variety of
approaches and topics were included in the many institute courses
offered this year. The Vivian Wesson Institute in Togo offered
carefully developed programs of study in which the institute
coordinator and teachers followed the courses up by visiting the
Local Spiritual Assemblies which had sent participants. A Baha'i

THE B AHA'I WORLD

training course under the auspices of the Local Assembly of Puka-
Puka, Chuquisaca, Bolivia, was held on 6 and 8 September 1996.
The themes were the glorious destiny of the indigenous people
of the Americas and the duties of the Local Spiritual Assembly.
The Virgin Islands Baha' i community's Permanent Training
Institute began functioning this year, offering systematic and
ongoing courses in St. Croix, St. Thomas, and Tortola, while the
Baha' i community of Greenland saw the appointment of a board
of directors for its national training institute. The seventh course
of the Fozdar Permanent Teaching Institute of the Andaman and
Nicobar Islands was held in January 1997 on Little Andaman. In
Angola, the Baha' i community inaugurated its first institute in
early 1997. Also this year, the first course of the newly formed
Dr. Muhajir Institute of Bangladesh was attended by a group of
assistants to Auxiliary Board members who gathered for a conference in Rajshahi. The Musa Banani Institute in Benin opened
its doors on 8 July 1996; on 18 August the first seven trainees
left the institute, having completed its first course.
The training of teachers received particular attention from a
number of communities this year. In Wels, Austria, the first
teacher training course was held from 28 February to 2 March
1997, while the first Trans-Caucasian Teacher Training Institute
ran from 7 to 28 August 1996 in Georgia. Twenty-six Baha'is from
Azerbaijan, 19 from Armenia, and 40 from Georgia, as well as 22
children enrolled for the course, which included discussion of
curricula for children's training and for moral class teachers.
A training activity was held this year in Mogoditshane, Botswana,
aimed at adapting the Core Curriculum materials developed by the
United States Baha'i community to improve the standard of Baha'i
education in Botswana. It was followed by a weekend course to train
teachers for Baha'i classes on 1 and 2 February 1997.
Two one-day teacher training courses were offered in Sa' ang
village, Cambodia, in August and September 1996. Participants
were trained how to conduct children's classes and how to use the
materials that are available. A teacher-training activity was held
in Bamako, Mali, in early 1997.
The first training session for children' s class teachers in Chad
took place from 7 to 21 January 1997 at the Samandari Institute.

Eleven people participated, including one woman. The Aziz Navidi
Institute in the Congo opened this year by offering two sessions
of a training course for children's class teachers, one from 4 to 16
June 1996 and another from 6 to 20 August. A children's class
seminar was held at the Baha'i National Center in Spain on 7 and
8 November 1996. More than 50 teachers and other Baha'is from
different areas of Spain and the Canary Islands attended the
event. The program consisted mainly of workshops conducted by
the National Education Committee.

Scholarship
A special issue of the monthly journal Dialogue and Universalism ,
entitled "The Baha'i Faith- Universalism in Praxis," was launched
during a reception hosted by the Baha'i community in Warsaw,
Poland, on 21 January
1997. The journal is produced by the International
Society for Universalism
based at the University of
Warsaw. This special
issue was a joint venture
between the Universalists and the Association
for Baha'i Studies, Ottawa,
Canada. A trainee at a teacher training institute,
Associations for the held in Nepal, tells a Bahri 'i story
study of the Baha'i Faith to a group of children.
were very active over the
year, sponsoring conferences and seminars on an array of topics.
A few of the larger events are outlined here.
The 20th Annual Conference of the Association for Baha'i
Studies of North America was held on the theme "Anarchy into
Order: Crafting Better Governance" in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, from 26 to 29 September 1996. Over 600 people participated,
while some 130 children and youth attended a parallel conference on moral leadership. A special interest group on aboriginal
spirituality included a visit to an addictions treatment facility to
participate in a sweat lodge hosted by the Nechi Institute, during

THE B AHA'f WORLD

which discussions were held on prayer, the spiritual power of women,
closeness to nature, and respect for elders and for oral tradition.
The prosperity of humankind was the topic of the annual conference of the Association for Baha'i Studies of German-Speaking
Europe, which was held at Landegg Academy in Switzerland
from 11 to 13 October 1996. The first annual meeting of the
Association for Baha'i Studies of Venezuela was held on 20 and
21July1996. Over 145 people attended the annual conference of
the Association for Baha'i Studies of English-Speaking Europe
on 16 and 17 November 1996 in Oxford, England. The conference's
theme was "Millennium and Apocalypse: The Baha'i Vision of
the Future."
In January 1997, the Third Conference of the Association for
Baha'i Studies of the Russian Federation took place. In Japan,
the Fifth Annual Conference of the Association for Baha'i Studies
for that country was held from 22 to 24 November 1996 in a hostel
halfway up the central peaks of Kyushu's Aso volcanic caldera.
The theme of the meeting was education, with moral education
being the focus of three conference sessions. Fifty-five people
from Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore attended the Third Annual
Conference of the Association for Baha'i Studies of Malaysia,
held in Jahore Bahru.
In Kenya, the Fourth Baha'i Studies Symposium was held on
9 and 10 November 1996 at the Baha'i Center in Nairobi. Its
theme was "Human Relationships and the Unity of Mankind,"
which attracted papers from seven speakers, including two professors and a senior lecturer from area universities.
The Twelfth Irfan Colloquium was held from 6 to 8 December
1996 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom, sponsored by
the Haj Mehdi Arjmand Memorial Fund and the Religious Studies
Seminar of the Association for Baha'i Studies of English-Speaking Europe.
In the United States, the Wilmette Institute's first annual residential session of its Spiritual Foundations for a Global Civilization
program was held at National-Louis University in Wilmette, Illinois, from 7 July to 3 August 1996. The faculty came from North
America, Europe, and the Middle East to deliver four weeks of
classes and workshops and to conduct discussion groups.

YEAR l N REVIEW

The Arts
On 30 July 1996, over 500 people attended a concert in Paris by the
"Voices ofBaha" choir, which toured Europe during the summer,
involving about 90 singers from 18 countries. On 1 August, the
choir performed in a famous old cathedral, the Domkerk, in Utrecht,
the Netherlands, before a capacity audience of 800, including senior
officers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, mayors, members of the
municipal council, dignitaries from several strata of society. The
choir also performed in England, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria,
Hungary, Romania, Moldova, and Russia.
In the parish of St. John, Barbados, the Baha'i community
hosted an evening of musical entertainment on 15 September 1996
to which the community was invited. A second concert, held on
28 November at the prestigious Frank Collymore Hall, was
offered to the people of Barbados as a gift oflove from the Baha'is
on the occasion of Barbados's 30th anniversary of independence.
This year at the Bergen Music Festival in Norway, which began
on 22 May 1996, Lasse Thoresen, a Norwegian Baha'i, was the
"Festival Composer"; the festival consisted of 130 concerts, 8 of
which were the responsibility of Mr. Thoresen. At the opening ceremony, which took place before King Harald V and an audience
of 1,500 people, the program included two prayers revealed by
Baha'u'llah, set to music by Mr. Thoresen. The main concert of
the festival was held on 25 May in the Hakonshallen in a 13th century monastery. All of the pieces were Baha'i prayers set to music
by Mr. Thoresen, sung by a choir or performed by solo artists. About
500 people were present; before the concert, about 250 people
attended a talk by Mr. Thoresen during which he presented the
main content of the prayers and introduced the themes derived from
the Baha'i Faith as inspiration for his music.
In cooperation with the Cultural Department of the Municipal
Government, an exhibition of the paintings of the Baha'i Holy
Places by Parvin Hattam was held in Skopje, Austria. The theme
of the display, which opened on 1September1996 and lasted for
ten days, was "Unity, Love, and Peace."
An exhibition of art by mentally handicapped children was

THE B AHA'f WORLD

held on 6 June 1996 by the
Baha'i community of Klaipeda,
Lithuania, in cooperation with the
Cultural Department of the city.
The local television station broadcast a report about the exhibition
during its news program.
George Fleming, a Baha'i artist,
opened a three-month exhibition
of his paintings on 6 February
1997 in Dundalk, Ireland. Entitled
"All God's Children,'' the exhibition dealt with the seven major
religions found in Northern Ireland.
On 15 January 1997, a Baha'i in
The "Voices of Baha" choir
Romania, Ardeshir V ahidi, opened
performed on I August 1996 in
a two-week exhibition of his art- Utrecht, the Netherlands.
work in Targu Mure~ which was
covered by local press and local and national television. Also this
year, Otto Donald Rogers, a Counsellor member of the International Teaching Centre and a renowned Canadian artist, visited
Romania and was the featured guest at a gathering that included
two representatives of the Ministry of Culture, several senators and
deputies, art critics, and other art lovers. Mr. Rogers shared his
conception of the connection between art and faith, with a special
emphasis on the Baha'i Faith.
The Seven Candles of Peace, a Baha'i children's drama group

1i'i'. -á
" á á ~ A Baha'i singing
group performed at
the Second Annual
International
Children 's Art
Exhibition on the
Environment and
Animals. held
on J August 1996 in
Mexico City, Mexico.

Y EAR IN R EVIEW

in Singapore, was invited to perform the play "For the Love of
Peace" at the Srilankaramaya Buddhist Temple on 9 April 1997
for their annual prize-giving day. This was the second public performance by the group.
A group of youth in the Chaco region of Argentina mounted a
production of an adaptation of "The Drama of the Kingdom," a play
whose outline was created by 'Abdu' l-Baha. The first performance
in Chaco was given at a primary school in a Toba neighborhood.
After attending and performing at the Habitat II conference in
Turkey, Kevin Locke, a native American Baha'i who is an expert
hoop dancer, and his daughter Kimimila offered several performances for the public. A performance in Adana on 19 June 1996,
which benefited a local retirement home, was attended by some
600 people, while another in Tarsus City on 20 June, held in the
open air, was attended by more than 2,000.

One of the eight Ionic capitals for the portico of the Centre
for the Study of the Texts being positioned, June 1996.
MOUNT
CARMEL
PROJECTS:
Progress 1996-97

T he energies released in the Baha'i world through the completion
of the Three Year Plan in April 1996 were also visible in the
increased pace of work on the building projects on Mount Carmel
between Ric;lvan 1996 and Ric;lvan 1997. Great progress was made in
every aspect of work on the Arc and the terraces, with the goal of
fulfilling the expectations of the Universal House of Justice that the
projects will be finished at the end of the century.
With the completion of the structure of the Centre for the Study
of the Texts, exterior finishing work began. Eight Ionic marble colurnns, each weighing at least 15 tonnes and comprising six sections,
were erected in a semicircle around the entrance portico. Lifted into
place piece by piece with the help of a crane, they were pinned
together by marble specialists from France. Next, sixteen windows
on the semicircular wall on the two levels of the entrance portico
were fitted with marble frames . Eighteen precast marble panels,
each weighing seven tonnes, forming the soffit between the inner
and outer entablatures, were also installed. It was not until December 1996, however, that the portico of the Centre for the Study of the

THE BAHA'I W ORLD

Texts was shorn of all scaffolding
and its classic beauty unveiled.
All that remained to be done was
the marble work on the floor and
radial stairs leading to the portico.
As the facade of the building
neared completion, interior finishing work speeded up. Turkish
masons commenced local stone
work on different levels of the
three patios that will provide
natural light to several areas of
the Centre for the Study of the
Texts and the Archives extension.
Installation of ceramic tile on the
walls and floors, terrazzo tile in
Aerial view ofthe Centre for the Study service areas and along the Arc serof the Texts, March 1997. vice tunnel, and internal marble
work and drywall partitions transformed the interior of the building.
During the summer of 1996 work was completed on a network of
drainage pipes to facilitate the irrigation of the planned roof garden
on the Archives extension. Topsoil was added and temporary lawns
developed to prevent runoff during the winter rains. By Ric;ivan
1997, marble work inside the Archives extension had progressed
along the corridors and lobbies; most of the utility stairs had been
covered by quarry tiles, and aluminum windows had been installed
in the patios. The vault door for the strong room, which will preserve the sacred texts and relics, had also been installed.
The building that will house the International Teaching Centre is a
large nine-story complex comprising the main Teaching Centre, the
parking building, and the "common area," with a total floor space of
approximately 19,000 square meters. As work commenced in all
areas of the site, the full extent of the Teaching Centre became easily
discernible. By March 1997 work had advanced to level six of the
building, while major efforts were also going into the construction
of levels four and five-the most complicated floors in terms of
design and execution. Featuring a 400-seat auditorium and a large
kitchen, the facilities there require many openings and changes in

M OUNT CARMEL PROJECTS

One of the 7-tonne
marble-clad,
precast panels
being maneuvered
into position
between two
entablatures of the
entrance portico of
the Centre for the
Study of the Texts.

Turkish masons
install local stone
on the external
walls of the Centre
for the Study of the
Texts.

levels in the floor slabs and walls above. Intensive coordination
among the various disciplines and careful monitoring during construction are thus imperative.
Part of the complexity of the Teaching Centre is the need to allow
for its future connection to the International Baha'i Library when
that building is constructed. The external walls along the east and
southeast perimeter will form the boundary between the two structures and must be built so that many large openings may be cut in
the future. However, before the International Baha' i Library is constructed, these walls have to support large building loads, retain
about ten to twenty meters of soil for the gardens, and resist lateral
forces from backfill and earthquake loads. Meeting these requirements and achieving optimum flexibility entail special structural
design incorporating a strong diagonal steel band rising from the
foundations to the walls up to level five . With the completion of

these special walls, work proceeded to level six of the Teaching
Centre, the floor area of which covers nearly the full extent of the
building. The main vehicular ramp leading from the street to level
six of the building was completed and construction of the entrance
plaza commenced.
While work continued on the structure of the Teaching Centre,
several initiatives were taken for its interior finishing. Contracts for
marble, wood millwork, metal doors, local stone, drywall partitions,
and for the supply and installation of catwalks in the mechanical
service areas and in the space above the stage in the auditorium
were al so signed. By March 1997 several of the finishing items
began to arrive on site. One delivery entailed the unloading of seven
huge pieces of airconditioning equipment, the largest weighing
12.2 tonnes. A large 40-tonne crane lifted these units, manufactured
in the United States, into the building through temporary four-meter
by four-meter openings in the floor slab directly above the fan room.
Three of the five elevator cabins that will serve the building arrived
from Canada. Guide rails and hydraulic pistons were installed, along
with one of the elevator cabins.
Soon after the contracts for the supply and installation of local
stone for the building were signed, stone work began on three patios
along the eastern external walls of the common area . Concreting
progressed at the building's higher levels, while mechanical and
electrical work was carried out at levels one to three.
'Abdu ' l-Baha is reported to have shared with pilgrims the following vision: "The entire harbor from 'Akka to Haifa will be one

Intense activity
on th e structure of the
International
Teaching
Centre.

M OU T C ARMEL PROJECTS

path of illumination. Powerful searchlights will be placed
on both sides of Mount Carmel to guide the steamers.
Mount Carmel itself, from top
to bottom, will be submerged in
a sea of light. ... " 1 On another
occasion He prophesied: "The
day will come when this mountain will be resplendent with ~
light- lights from top to bottom. "2 On the evening of 16
October 1996 Haifa residents
were briefly dazzled by a display of lights on the terraces,
from a test conducted by the
Mount Carmel Projects' electrical team to detennine the type
and amount of lighting equip- Work progresses on the sixth level of
the International Teaching Centre.
ment necessary to illuminate
the beautiful balustrades and stone work on the contour walls.
The lighting of the terraces of the Shrine of the Bab forms a
very significant component of the terraces' overall design, placing
lights in strategic locations to highlight details on the terraces
while keeping the exquisite structure of the Shrine of the Bab the
focus of attention. Lights flanking the central stairway have been
placed in a manner that strongly accentuate the "Kings' Pathway,"
while maintaining the primacy of the Shrine itself. The arcs of
cypress trees in the outer areas on both sides of each terrace have
between them bronze lanterns with hanging globes of light that
highlight the geometric curves. Both sides of the main section of
each terrace have ornate lampposts, and the fountain pools on each
terrace have soft lights that tum the water into liquid gold.
With the completion of the landscaping of the terraces below
the Shrine of the Bab, and advancement of the construction of

l. ' Abdu'l-Baha, quoted in Star of the West, Volume XXIV , p. 302.
2. Ibid.

THE BAHA'f WORLD

the buildings of the Arc, the project manager's office began to
put together maintenance teams for the gardens as well as for
the mechanical, electrical, electronic, and irrigation work, with
ongoing training of personnel so that experienced teams will
already be in place when the projects are completed.

A glimpse of
'Abdu '/-Baha 's
vision that the
day will come
when Mount Carmel will be
resplendent with
light- lights
from top to
bottom.

An exciting development for the terraces below the Shrine took
place on 7 March 1997: the last building obstructing the construction of the first two terraces was demolished, clearing the site "for
the monumental entrance to the majestic path leading from the
southern end of Ben Gurion A venue up to the central edifice of the
Shrine and beyond to the crest of God's Holy Mountain ." 3 This
was accomplished as a result of over four years of delicate negotiations with the tenants of the building and the Haifa Municipality.
While these negotiations were under way, an application for the
modification of the town planning scheme, to cancel that portion
of Ben Gurion Avenue extending into the Baha'i property, was
submitted to and approved by the local committee in Haifa and the
District Committee of Galilee.
Intense activity, both structural and architectural, occurred on
the terraces above the Shrine. The completion of the structure of
terrace nineteen enabled stone work to commence; and by Ri<;ivan
1997 almost fifty percent had been completed. One of the major

3. Message from the Universal House of Justice, transmitted electronically
to all National Spiritual Assemblies, dated 4 April 1995.

MOUNT CARMEL PROJECTS

Structural and
architectural details \~á~, á
on the terraces above ;. ) 1
. •.
the Shnne of the ... .:
Bab, presaging the ,.
extension of beauty to
the crest of Mount
Carmel.

architectural features of this terrace is seventeen arches of varying
sizes and proportions. Installation of stone on four of them was finished and work began on the central and largest arch. The structure
of the concrete pools on this terrace was completed, and work
began to cover them with stone. At the end of the period under
review terrace nineteen was ready to receive balustrades carved for
it in Italy.
Hatzionut A venue remained a critical area of work during the
year. As one of the main thoroughfares connecting downtown
Haifa with Central and Upper Carmel, this street sees continuous
vehicular and pedestrian traffic. Work on such a busy street presents challenges as it interfaces with traffic and major municipal
services such as sewage, water, electricity, telephone, and cable
T.V. As work moved to the second and third phases of lowering
the road, traffic and underground services had to be relocated to
enable excavation to proceed. A 300-meter retaining wall was

THE BAHA:f WORLD

Members of the Universal
House ofJustice are seen
visiting the terraces below
the Shrine of the Bab soon
after they were opened to
Bahti 'i visitors and
pilgrims.

a_,_ ~-.. -.......
built to strengthen the mountain face, and fifty-two anchors were
installed behind the building housing the information center and
security office, located on Hatzionut Avenue under terrace eleven.
As this structure began to rise, contracts were signed for finishing
work such as drywall partitions, tiling, and the installation of steel
doors. By the end of March 1997, the configuration of Hatzionut
A venue had changed dramatically, with traffic moving at the new
elevation on the south side and most of the municipal services
connected to the new system. Work also commenced on the north
side of the road, and a temporary pedestrian walkway was created
within the Baha' i property.
During this period massive excavations were carried out at
the site of terraces thirteen and fourteen above the Sirrine of the
Bab. A seven-meter-high rubble concrete wall on the east side of
terrace thirteen was constructed, over which the curved stairs
leading up to terrace fourteen will be built. Much of the excavated material was used as backfill behind the collar wall at the
back of the Crusader Road tunnel to close the gap between the
tunnel and the east side of terrace fifteen .
Behind all the progress visible on the Arc buildings and the
terraces of the Shrine of the Bab has been much groundwork.
Negotiations with agencies of the Government oflsrael have been
pursued throughout, covering applications for building permits,
permits to import materials and equipment from around the world,
modifications of town planning schemes in areas adjacent to the
Projects, and permits to bring workers into Israel from Romania,
Turkey , France, and Canada. Negotiations with and coordination
of work between the large number of contractors employed in the

M OUNT CARMEL P ROJECTS

projects are ongoing. The Mount Carmel Projects Office also undertook to procure materials directly from suppliers both within and
outside Israel at considerable discounts, thereby saving millions of
dollars.
As the Mount Carmel Baha'i Projects progressed rapidly, the
restoration and development of the historic German Templer Colony
by the government authorities in Haifa also picked up momentum.
This project is of great interest to the Baha'i World Centre as
it conjoins the site of the entrance plaza of the terraces of the
Shrine of the Bab. The colony of distinctive red-roofed houses was
founded in 1868 by the members of the Templer Society from
Wurttemberg in southern Germany whose founder, Christoph
Hoffmann, was convinced that according to the prophecies of the
Old and New Testaments, the return of Jesus Christ was imminent
in the Holy Land. In his book The Babi and Bahri 'i Religions,
1844-1944 Moojan Momen notes , "It is interesting that both the
Templars [sic), who came to Palestine fired by the desire to witness
the imminent return of Christ, and Baha'u'llah, Who claimed to be
that return, arrived in the Haifa-'Akka area within a few months of
each other . . . Believing the
second coming of Christ
to be so near, ... Hoffmann
with his principal lieutenant Georg David Hardegg
landed in Haifa on 30
October 1868. Hardegg remained in Haifa as the head
of the colony ... [which]
became the largest and
most important of the Templar colonies in Palestine."
'Abdu'l-Baha had foreshadowed the conversion of
the main avenue through Moshe Katsav, Israel's MinisterofTourism,
this colony into "the High- was received at the World Centre on 15
way of the Kings and Rulers December 1996 by arc_hitect Fariborz
f h W orld ,,, startmg
0 t e
. J:.
1rom
Sahba, left, and Albert L111coln, n ght, Sec-
G -r h B h á , á á l
. retary - enera 1 o1 t e a a 1 1nternatwna
the sea and reachmg up to Community.

the Shrine of the Bab and beyond to the crest of Mount Carmel.
Now the task ofrestoring this area has been taken up by the Israeli
authorities.
The year saw several dignitaries and official delegations from
Israel and elsewhere visit the Projects. There were also a number of
television crews and photographers from Hungary, Canada, Israel,
Jordan, and Korea. The Mayor of Haifa visited several times, accompanying a Minister from the Prime Minister's Office, managers of
municipalities in Israel, members of the Knesset Economic Affairs
and Finance Committees, and the Minister of Tourism. Officials of
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Israel escorted members of the
Science and Technology Commission of China.
As it faces the many tasks that remain to be accomplished on
the Arc and terraces projects before the end of the century, the Mount
Carmel Projects team gratefully acknowledges the prayers and
encouragement of the Universal House of Justice and the worldwide Baha'i community. In tribute to the universal participation of
Baha'is in this endeavor, the Universal House of Justice wrote in its
Ric;ivan Message of 153 BE: "The physical reality of the progress
[of the Projects] thus far so marvelously realized is proof of an
even more profound achievement, namely, the unity of purpose
effected throughout our global community in the pursuit of this
gigantic, collective enterprise. The intensity of the interest and
support it has evoked has expressed itself in an unprecedented
outpouring of contributions, reflecting a level of sacrifice that
bespeaks the quality of faith and generosity of heart ofBaha'u'llah's
lovers throughout the planet. ... " 4

4. The Universal House of Justice, Ri<;lvan 153 B.E. ( 1996).

THEBAHA'f
l NTERNATIONAL
COMMUNITY
Activities 1996-97

F or almost fifty years the Baha'i International Community has
represented the worldwide membership of the Baha'i Faith at
the United Nations (UN), supporting UN programs, sharing Baha'i
perspectives on global issues at UN meetings and conferences, and
working with other non-governmental organizations (NGOs),
primarily in New York and Geneva. National Baha'i communities,
for their part, have supported the UN by observing special UN
days, years and decades, and by cooperating in UN initiatives. An
important trend during the last decade, however, has been the
increasing involvement of national Baha'i communities in the
work of the UN and with issues of global significance. The growing
capacity and commitment of national Baha'i institutions to work
with their governments and with other organizations for social
progress became evident during preparations for the 1992 Earth
Summit in Rio and has gathered strength, in part, through participation in the global conferences held throughout the decade.
The Baha'i International Community, which both encompasses
and represents the worldwide membership of the Baha'i Faith, was
granted consultative status as an international non-governmental

organization with the United Nations Economic and Social Council
(ECOSOC) in 1970, and with the United Nations Children's Fund
(UNICEF) in 1976. This status has allowed the community to offer
Baha'i perspectives on the work of the UN and its agencies and to
work with other N GOs in consultative status to support UN efforts
to promote unity, peace, justice, and prosperity in the world. Over
the years, the Baha'i International Community has established a
record of dependability and consistency in support of such critical
issues as the advancement of women, human rights and responsibilities, universal education, and sustainable development.
The Community represents over 5 million people in at least
235 countries and dependent territories and has 174 national and
regional affiliates around the world. It maintains United Nations
offices in New York and Geneva, and representations to United
Nations regional commissions in Addis Ababa, Bangkok, and
Santiago, and to UN offices in Nairobi, Rome, and Vienna. In
recent years an Office of the Environment and an Office for the
Advancement of Women have been established as sections of its
United Nations Office.
Apart from its United Nations activities, the Community is
represented internationally by an Office of Public Information,
based at the Baha'i World Centre in Haifa, Israel, and with a branch
in Paris, which disseminates information about the Baha'i Faith
around the world and oversees the production of an award-winning
quarterly newsletter, One Country.
United Nations
Human Rights
The Baha'i commitment to human rights involves both protecting
the right of Baha'is to practice their Faith and promoting respect
for a broad range of human rights and responsibilities, which
Baha'is see as a prerequisite for peace and order in the world.
Safeguarding the religious freedom of Baha'is in various parts
of the world has been a significant aspect of the work of the Baha'i
International Community offices in both New York and Geneva for
almost twenty years. The extraordinary responsiveness of the UN
system to the plight of the Baha'is in Iran has been due, in large
measure, to the coordinated efforts of national Baha'i communities
around the world. National Spiritual Assemblies have appealed

BAHA'I I NTERNATIONAL C OMMUN ITY

regularly and directly to their national governments to intercede on
behalf of their Baha'i brothers and sisters in Iran.
In August 1996, the Baha'i International Community's United
Nations Office held its first seminar for National Spiritual Assemblies on the diplomatic work related to the defense of the Baha'i
community. Held at Landegg Academy, Switzerland, the event
brought together 37 participants including representatives of 21
National and Regional Spiritual Assemblies, the Baha'i International Community's United Nations Office, the Office of Public
Information in Haifa, and the Baha'i World Centre. The National
Spiritual Assemblies invited were those whose governments have
consistently cosponsored UN Resolutions condemning the violations
of human rights in Iran. 1
Statements promoting human rights were presented this year at
both the Commission on Human Rights and the Sub-Commission
on the Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities.
Support for the Decade for Human Rights Education was offered
in a Baha'i International Community written statement to the
Commission on Human Rights. 2 A joint written statement on the
status of the Convention on the Rights of the Child authored by the
Baha'i International Community was signed by 34 other NGOs. 3
Other joint statements signed by the Community addressed racism
and racial discrimination, commented on the work of the Commission
on Human Rights, and encouraged the drafting of a declaration on
the right and responsibility of individuals and organizations to promote and protect human rights. At the Sub-Commission, the Baha'i
International Community read a joint statement on human rights
and youth on behalf of eight NGOs.
The Baha'i International Community was also an active participant in NGO activities aimed at educating people about human
rights, encouraging respect for both rights and responsibilities,
and helping to develop and apply human rights standards in the
form of covenants and conventions.

l. Developments regarding the human rights situation of the Baha'is in Iran
are treated at length in a separate article on pp. 147- 56 of this volume.
2. See pp. 283- 86 for the text of this statement.
3. See pp. 287- 91 for the text of this statement.

THE BAHA'f WORLD

Environment, Development, and Global Prosperity
One and a half years of preparatory activities by the Community's
Office of the Environment culminated in June 1996 with the World
Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) in Istanbul. 4 In
December, in Geneva, the Community also took part in an International Conference on Globalization and Citizenship-the first in a
series initiated by the United Nations Research Institute for Social
Development (UNRISD) as a follow-up to the Social Summit.
The conference was a colloquium consisting of a two-day closed
meeting for interchange among some 25 political scientists, sociologists, and experts, followed by a one-day public meeting attended
by the experts and some one hundred and twenty NGO and UN
representatives. The Baha'i International Community was honored
to be one of very few NGOs representing civil society invited to
participate as an expert in all three days of the colloquium.
The Rio+ 5 Forum, held 13-19 March 1997 in Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil, was one of a number of events marking the fifth anniversary
of the Earth Summit, the first in the decade-long series of global
conferences on critical issues facing the world community in the
1990s. Emerging from the Rio + 5 Forum, an international gathering of some 500 NGOs and UN leaders, was a draft Earth Charter,
whose preamble boldly asserts, "In the midst of our diversity, we
are one humanity and one Earth community." Emphasizing human
oneness, the Charter challenges the world to make a "fundamental
change of course" toward sustainable development. Backers of the
Charter, who believe it can provide a critically important moral
guide for building a sustainable world civilization, plan to hold
year-long, worldwide consultations on this draft. The goal is to produce an Earth Charter in late 1998 for submission to the UN General
Assembly around the year 2000.
Organized and coordinated by the Earth Council, an international NGO based in Costa Rica, the Rio + 5 Forum was by
invitation only. The Baha'i International Community representative
assisted in the process of drafting the Earth Charter. Among the
leading activists and specialists in environment and development

4. For a full report see pp. 137-46. The statement presented by the Baha'i
International Community at Habitat II can be found on pp. 275-81.

B AHA'f I NTERNATIONAL C OMMUN ITY

taking part in Rio + 5 were Maurice F. Strong, Secretary-General
of the Earth Summit and President of the Earth Council; Juan
Somavia, chairman of the World Summit for Social Development;
Wally N'Dow, Secretary-General of the Second UN Conference on
Human Settlements (Habitat II); Bella Abzug, President of the
Women's Environment and Development Organization (WEDO);
and former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, now President of
Green Cross International.
Again this year, the Peace Monument in downtown Rio de
Janeiro , a gift to the people of Brazil from the Baha'i International Community and the Brazilian Baha'i community on the
occasion of the Earth Summit in 1992, moved closer to realizing
the vision behind its creation. Five meters high and shaped like
an hourglass, the Peace Monument was designed to be filled with
1 kilogram of soil from each nation on earth. At the Summit, soil
from some 40 nations was deposited in the monument. Each year
more soil, often from historically significant sites, is received,
and added to the monument on World Environment Day. The
nine nations that donated soil in 1996 were Cambodia, Ecuador,
Jamaica, Lesotho, the Federated States of Micronesia, Nicaragua,
Peru, Sierra Leone and Slovenia, bringing the total number of
contributing countries and territories to 93.
The World Food Summit, sponsored by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations , was held in Rome in
November, 1996. The Office of the Environment represented the
Baha'i International Community at the Summit and at the parallel
NGO Forum. For the Baha'i International Community, it was an
opportunity to network with other NGOs and to support the work of
the Advocates for African Food Security: Lessening the Burden for
Women. The Advocates, a coalition of NGOs, governmental and
intergovernmental organizations, has been convened by the Baha'i
International Community since the coalition's founding in 1988.
The United Nations is encouraging youth to become involved in
its activities, and Baha'i youth have responded, becoming involved
both in Habitat II and in the biennial UN World Youth Forum. The
Baha' i International Community participated in the Planning Committee for the Second Biennial World Youth Forum of the United
Nations System, attending two of its meetings and the Forum itself

THE BAHA'I WORLD

Baha'i International
Community
representatives
Giovanni Ballerio,
Betty Mosley, and
Beth Bowen at the
United Nations
World Food Summit
and parallel NGO
Forum in Rome,
November 1996.

in Vienna in November 1996. More than 400 youth were present at
the Forum, including seven Baha'i youth from five countries.
Advancement of Women
The Baha'i International Community was pleased to be one of ten
NGOs invited to present model development projects for consideration by participants in the Midterm Review of the United
Nations New Agenda for Development in Africa in the 1990's
(UN-NADAF). 5 The Baha'i projects presented represent two
different strategies for improving the life of the community by
raising the status of women. The Traditional Media as Change
Agent Project in Cameroon, which was funded by the UN
Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), focuses on changing
women's status by changing the attitudes of men. The Banani
International Secondary School for girls in Zambia focuses on
educating rural girls, providing an internationally recognized
certificate of graduation with an emphasis in science and agriculture. A report on the two Baha'i projects was published by the UN
in a background document distributed to all governments and UN
agencies participating in the mid-term review.
Efforts by national Baha'i communities to involve men in
implementing the principle of the equality of women and men are
gaining international recognition. Tiati a Zock, a member of the
Continental Board of Counsellors of the Baha'i Faith in Africa and
director of the Traditional Media project in Cameroon since its

5. See pp. 293- 302 for the text of this statement.

B AHA'I J NTERNATlONAL C OMMUNITY

inception in 1991, was invited by UNICEF Cameroon to present the
project at the annual Association for Women in Development
(AWID) Conference in Washington, D.C. The seminar on "Gender
Equity in the Family, the Role of the Male," in which Mr. a Zock
participated, was the only workshop (of approximately 700) at the
conference in which men took part. While in the U.S. Mr. a Zock
also consulted with the UNICEF Task Force on Men in the Family
and the president of the Confederation ofYMCAs for Latin America
and the Caribbean, who expressed interest in the project's potential
for lowering the level of machismo in young males, a matter of
great concern in Latin America. Attending the UN-NADAF midterm review in New York as the Baha'i International Community
representative, Mr. aZock reported to an NGO panel on food security
that, in some of the Baha'i communities participating in the Traditional Media Project, men broke with tradition and began helping
their wives in the fields. As a result, food production increased
markedly. Participants were astounded that a single behavioral
change should have such a profound positive effect on domestic
food production.
An encouraging development during 1996--97 has been the establishment of some 30 national offices and committees to promote
the advancement of women. Along with the Community's Office
for the Advancement of Women, they have been involved in the
processes leading up to and following the Fourth World Conference
on Women 6 which brought Baha'is the world over into relationship with other NGOs. For example, since Beijing the Australian
Office for the Advancement of Women, founded in 1993, has
worked closely with CAP OW, a coalition of national women's
organizations, to support task forces on "Women and Peace" and
"Women in Decision-Making," focusing on two of the twelve
critical issues identified in the Beijing Platform for Action. The
National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States is
co-chair of an NGO working group composed of more than 100
organizations working to win US government ratification of the UN
Convention on Women. The Assembly has appointed a National
Committee for the Advancement of Women and recently issued

6. See article in The Bahil 'i World 1995- 96, pp. 145- 58.

THE BAHA'f W ORLD

a statement on women, to stimulate discussion on equality issues.
In Germany, the Baha'i Women's Forum, founded a year ago,
now has some 130 members in ten regions of the country. In June,
the Forum held a major conference on the development of a "violence-free culture" in conjunction with its annual meeting. In
France, the Association of Baha'i Women for Development, Peace
and Unity, founded in 1989, now has eight regional branches.
The Baha'i Community of Equatorial Guinea sponsored a
functional literacy course for women in Malabo and Bata from
November 1996 to April 1997. Working with the Ministry of
Women and Social Affairs , the Community also used Baha'i
Centers in those cities for courses in reproductive health, nutrition,
and basic mathematics. In Ghana, the Baha'i National Women's
Committee has focused on programs aimed at promoting healthy
families and helping women to realize their full potential. Austria's
national Task Force on Women has organized a nationwide series of
seminars on the themes "Encouragement," "Change," and "Service."
Singapore, where a Baha'i Women's Committee has been in
existence since 1972, has seen a gradual transformation of attitudes of both women and men in the community itself, with more
women now being elected to the administrative bodies of the
Faith and men and women working side by side on committees
and at Baha'i events and in other aspects of community life. In
Denmark, the Danish Baha'i Association of Women, formed in
January 1996, has organized a series of meetings in Copenhagen
on such topics as "Women and AIDS," "Female Genital Mutilation," and "Families Who Have Been Subject to Torture." In the
future, they hope to work with immigrant women.
The Baha'i National Women' s Committee in the United Kingdom, in addition to following issues from the Beijing conference,
has worked with other religious groups to support the passage of
legislation that would bring to justice UK citizens who have been
involved in the exploitation of children overseas. The Committee
gathered nearly 10,000 signatures from 159 cities and towns in
support of the legislation, which was approved by Parliament on
21March1997.
The commercial sexual exploitation of children was also
addressed by the Baha'i International Community this year. At the

B AHA'I I NTERNATIONAL C OMM UNITY

invitation of the World Conference on Religion and Peace (WCRP)
and UNICEF, the Baha'i International Community participated in a
multireligious consultation on this issue, whose goal was to prepare
a statement for the World Conference against the Commercial Sexual
Exploitation of Children, held in Stockholm in August 1996, and to
ascertain how the various religious communities in the world view
the problem. The Baha'i contribution to this consultation, entitled
"Moral and Ethical Concerns of the Baha'i International Community
in the Face of the Widespread Sexual Exploitation of Children,"
was published by WCRP for circulation at the Conference.

Meetings
Meetings and UN sessions monitored by the Baha'i International
Community during 1996- 97 , other than those already discussed,
include the Commission on Sustainable Development, both the
Intersessional meeting (February) and the Fifth session (April) in
New York; the Commission for Social Development in New York;
the Commission on the Status of Women in New York; the World
Food Summit in Rome; the Commission on Narcotic Drugs in
Vienna; the Economic Commission for Latin America and the
Caribbean, in San Jose, Costa Rica; the Commission on Human
Settlements in Nairobi; the Commission on Crime Prevention and
Criminal Justice in Vienna; the Governing Council of the UN
Environment Program (UNEP) in Nairobi; the Substantive
Session of the United Nations Economic and Social Council; the
meeting of the UNICEF Executive Board in New York; and the
Second Biennial Session of the Youth Forum of the United Nations
System in Vienna. The Baha'i International Community also
attended the 36th session of the South Pacific Commission held in
the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Much of the work ofNGOs in consultative status with the UN is
carried out through NGO committees and task forces that address
specific issues. During this last year, the Baha'i International Community held the chairmanships of the New York NGO Committee
on the Family, the New York NGO Committee on Human Rights,
and the New York CONGO (Committee ofNGOs in Consultative
Status with ECOSOC) NGO Task Force. As part of the ongoing
discussion of UN reform, the CONGO NGO Task Force organized

an all-day consultation on increasing access to the UN General
Assembly, its main committees, and all areas of the work of the UN.
The consultation, chaired by a Baha'i International Community
representative, brought together representatives of governments,
high-ranking UN officials, and leaders of over forty of the most
active NGOs at the UN. The Baha'i International Community was
also represented on the Planning Committee for the Second Biennial
Session of the Youth Forum of the UN System.

Public Information
The major initiative of the Office of Public Information during 1996--
97 was the launch in July 1996 of its site on the World Wide Web,
The Baha 'i World, which was further developed throughout the
remainder of the year.
The Haifa office continued to host an increasing number of special visitors to the Baha'i World Centre. During 1996--97 some 3,473
dignitaries, media representatives, and other special visitors from 82
countries were received in 220 separate visits. Film crews came
from Korea, Jordan, Dubai, Turkey, Yugoslavia, Israel, Spain,
Hungary, and the United States.
Baha' i International Community representative Guilda Walker
officially participated in the launch of "Forests for Life," the
World Wildlife Fund's Global Forest Campaign, at a gathering
held 26 February 1997 in London. The event, which took the
form of a diplomatic dinner, brought together 46 ambassadors,
high commissioners, charges d' affaires, and minister counsellors
representing European, African, North American, Latin American,
and Asian countries, as well as a number of high-ranking government officials. Speeches by Claude Martin, Director-General
of WWF International and by H.R.H. Prince Philip, the Duke of
Edinburgh, both paid tribute to the efforts of the Baha'i International Community for its strong support of the Forests for Life
campaign. In his remarks, the Duke of Edinburgh recalled that
the Baha'i International Community was the agency that had initiated the process of a forestry campaign at a 1994 gathering at
St. James' Palace. At the 1997 event, a commemorative brochure
carried a message from the Universal House of Justice, along
with the text of the addresses given by the Duke of Edinburgh

BAJ-lA.'I I NTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

and Dr. Martin and statements from governments of countries
that had committed to implement the forest protected areas target
established by the World Wildlife Fund. The message from the
House of Justice stated, in part:
It will be only through deliberate and considered action that
forest ecosystems-the repositories of so much of the world's
genetic heritage-can be safeguarded from further devastation. The protagonists in this enterprise must be both national
governments and the peoples of the world, acting through the
host of non-governmental organizations they have created.
For its part, the Baha'i International Community will continue
to do all in its power to safeguard the common interests of the
human family.

Another project being undertaken through the Office of Public
Information involves the Baha'i community's collaboration with
WETV, a new global television network, with which the office
held a number of conferences and training seminars in Kenya, India,
Jamaica, and Brazil. The object of this initiative is to empower
people from various parts of the world to acquire the means and
skills to tell the world their own stories about their own communities.
The Paris branch of the Office of Public Information was also
involved in a variety of activities. A representative cosigned, with
other major religions, an appeal by the international NGO ATD
Quart Monde and participated in a ceremony to commemorate the
United Nations' International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.
The office was also represented at the Fifth International Dialogue
on the Transition to a Global Society in Budapest in October 1996,
and a conference on Global Governance in London the following
month.
Other collaborative efforts included work with the international
media and public information activities before and during Habitat
II in June 1996, the coordination of a number of artistic presentations and projects throughout the year, and collaboration with the
Continental Board of Counsellors of the Baha'i Faith in Europe
and the European Baha'i Task Force for Women on issues related
to women throughout that continent. The Office prepared materials
in various languages, and organized public information training
seminars in several European Baha'i communities.

THE BAHA'I WORLD

One Country, the Office of Public Information's newsletter,
which has been published for eight years and now appears in six
languages with a circulation of over 30,000 in some 170 countries,
brought out four issues during 1996-97, again winning an award
for the excellence of its design and content. Coverage this year
included stories on Habitat II, the World Food Summit, the Microcredit Summit in Washington, D.C., and the recognition of the
seventy-fifth anniversary of the establishment of the Baha'i Faith
in Brazil. A hospital in Honduras that seeks to empower its rural
clients, microcredit in Colombia, and the development of a stonebreaking machine in South Africa were among the development
features. The Baha'i community of Russia was profiled, as were
two individual Baha'is: Kevin Locke, a Native American hoop
dancer who promotes the vision of world citizenship in his international travels, and Omid Djalili, an actor and stand-up comic
from Iranian background whose mission is as much to educate
and elevate as it is to entertain. Another report outlined the current
situation and international concern raised over the death sentences
passed on two Baha'is in Iran.
Conclusion
Work at local, national, and international levels was carried out by
the Baha'i International Community's various offices throughout
the year, focusing mainly on the advancement of women, human
rights, sustainable communities, and the environment. At all levels
the community spoke with one voice, supported by its various publications, advocating the perspective enunciated by Baha'u'llah over
a century ago and captured succinctly in His own exhortation, "Let
your vision be world-embracing."

Some 150 Baha 'is, including
representatives of the Bahri 'i International
Community, gathered in Istanbul, Turkey,
to participate in activities associated with
Habitat II.

BAHA'fSAT
HABITAT II
The United Nations Conference on Human Settlements
and NGO Forum

A s a full moon rose over the Acik Hava Tiyatrosu open-air
theater in Istanbul, Turkey, on 29 May 1996, a moving
musical and dance production was presented to the diverse
audience assembled for the opening ceremonies of Habitat II, the
United Nations Conference on Human Settlements. It portrayed
Turkey, and Istanbul in particular, as a place "striving for unity
with the world, with the other, with God ... where opposites meet:
the East and the West, the old and the new." "Do they meet to
clash and destroy?" it asked, "Or do they clash to be reborn in
harmony yet unseen?" The finale asserted, to the stirring melody
of Beethoven's Ode to Joy, that "Uniting what custom divides,
they make the city Love's home." Inspiring delegates with spirit
and vision, the ceremonies set the tone for a conference aimed at
further developing a conceptual and programmatic framework for
peace, harmony, and justice in the world's myriad communities.
Habitat II, which took place in Istanbul from 30 May to 14 June
1996, along with the parallel NGO Forum (for non-governmental
organizations) from 3 June to 14 June, brought together thousands

of government representatives and members of civil society to discuss issues central to the well-being of the world community. Indeed,
a banner displayed in the main conference building, which read,
"Respecting Human Rights-Men and Women Working Together
as Equal Partners-Becoming Citizens of the World," challenged
delegates to consider the idea of"community" in a new light.
The Baha'i International Community was represented at both
Habitat II and the NGO Forum, having the largest delegation of
any of the NGOs at the official conference and quite possibly the
largest contingent of representatives of a non-governmental organization at the Forum. For Baha'is, the venue was particularly
significant because Baha'u'llah, the Founder of the Baha'i Faith,
spent over five years in Turkey during His long exile at the hands
of the Persian and Ottoman authorities. During those years, He
wrote many Tablets-some addressed to the leaders of the world.
He said that in this land He had "deposited beneath every tree and
every stone a trust, which God," He promised, would "erelong
bring forth through the power of Truth."
Baha'is, then, saw Habitat II as a fitting venue for the global
community to gather to discuss ways in which humanity can
build prosperous, just, and united communities. They also used
the occasion to bring Baha'u'llah's message to the attention of
the peoples of Turkey and of the world, distributing over 50,000
copies of Baha'i statements and other materials in over a dozen
languages both at the conference and the NGO Forum, including
The Prosperity of Humankind; World Citizenship: A Global
Ethic for Sustainable Development; Turning Point for All
Nations; and Sustainable Communities in an Integrating World,
the statement written for the conference.
A campaign to promote the concept of world citizenship, sponsored by the Turkish Baha'i community, attracted much interest, and
thousands of NGO representatives, UN and government officials,
conference volunteers, and others-including the Secretary-General
of Habitat II, Wally N'Dow, and the President of the Turkish
Republic, Suleyman Demirel-sported world citizenship buttons
distributed by the Baha'is, which read, "The earth is but one country,
and mankind its citizens; I am a world citizen; Habitat II-Istanbul
'96" and "One World, One Home; Habitat II, Istanbul '96; Baha'i."

HABITAT II

As at previous United Nations conferences held this decade,
the Baha'i International Community sponsored several cultural
events during the evenings, which proved very popular.

Habitat II
At least 15,000 people took part in Habitat II, including government
officials, representatives of intergovernmental organizations, parliamentarians and local authorities, NGO representatives, members
of the media, staff, and other participants. Some twenty heads of
state or government, numerous deputy prime ministers and vicepresidents, and scores of ministers also attended. The very strong
interconnection between Habitat II and the NGO and other Forums
was evident in the number of NGO representatives who were
involved in Habitat and in the large number of UN and government
officials who took some part in or visited the NGO Forum.
The Baha'i International Community as a whole was represented
at the conference, as were components of it, including the European
Baha'i Youth Council; the National Spiritual Assemblies of Brazil,
Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Malaysia, the Netherlands,
Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States;
the European Baha'i Business Forum; l' Association baha'ie de
I' Architecture et de l'Urbanisme; and Health for Humanity. A
business founded on Baha' i principles was also accredited, and
Baha'is served as official representatives on two government delegations and for various organizations. In all, some 50 Baha'is were
present during the conference.
Baha'i representatives distributed materials to most government
delegations, gave press kits to journalists, and advocated text
changes to draft documents so as to have Baha'i concepts included
in the final draft of the Habitat Agenda, the global action plan for
human settlements that was negotiated by Habitat II. They also
made contact with their national NGO and government representatives, met their national media, and discussed issues with many
people. On several occasions, Wally N'Dow publicly acknowledged
the contributions made by Baha'is to the Habitat process, especially
the Baha'i position that spiritual principles and priorities must
drive community development processes- a position that Dr.
N'Dow himself advocated vigorously.

THE BAHA'I WORLD

In the formulation of the Habitat documents, text was offered
by Baha'i representatives from the floor as part of the official
intergovernmental negotiating process, and the Baha'i International Community was one of ten organizations to provide text
revisions to the Habitat Agenda, resulting in a composite NGO
document that was taken by the UN Secretariat and made into an
official UN negotiating document-the first time in UN history
that this has happened. Baha'i representatives also served as "floor
managers" for NGOs wishing to comment on paragraphs of text as
they were being negotiated by the governments. By the end of the
conference, it was widely evident that the Baha'i efforts towards
this unprecedented process had been constructive and unifying.
On the fifth day of the conference, the Baha'i International
Community was one of five NGOs to read a statement to the Plenary.
A shortened adaptation of the statement Sustainable Communities
in an Integrating World 1 was read by a member of the National
Spiritual Assembly of Turkey, after which over 300 copies were
given directly by the UN Secretariat to government and UN officials
and press.
A reception hosted by the Baha'i International Community and
the National Spiritual Assembly of Turkey was held toward the
end of the conference for UN and government officials, NGO and
press representatives, and others.
NGO Forum
The NGO Forum began four days before Habitat II and lasted
sixteen days, attracting representatives from over 2,400 NGOs,
thousands of government and UN officials, a large press contingent, and "day pass" visitors exceeding 22,000. Over 150 Baha'is
from some thirty countries participated in many of the 2,500
workshops, meetings, symposia, and cultural events.
The official opening ceremonies commenced with a Baha'i
singing a verse in English about the contribution of women to
peace, which was then sung in turn in various languages by several
women. At the end of those same ceremonies, a youth addressed the
gathering on behalf of the Youth Caucus, reading a vision statement

1. For the full text of this statement, see pp. 275- 81 of this volume.

HABITAT II

Some of the
Baha'is
attending
Habitat II at
the Baha'i
International
Community 's
booth at the
NGO Forum .

that two of the Baha'i youth present had helped to draft. The statement said, in part, that to build "our global home," we will need
"values common to all humanity: truth, justice, equity, understanding and cooperation .. .inclusion, unity, a sense of belonging and
collective responsibility ... economic and social justice ... racial and
gender equality ... world citizenship . .. and a sense of belonging, of
community and security." The speaker's words were met with a
standing ovation.
Baha'i institutions and agencies, including the Baha'i International Community, the National Spiritual Assemblies of Turkey
and the United States of America, the European Baha'i Family
Task Force, the European Baha'i Business Forum, the European
Baha'i Youth Council, Health for Humanity, and the Baha'i Institute for the Built Environment, held more than 35 workshops and
symposia, with topics as varied as "Shelter: Individual Rights
or Community Responsibility," "Service-Oriented Leadership,"
"Encouraging Entrepreneurship in Women," "Youth and Global
Governance," "Tomorrow Belongs to the Children," and "Community
Relations and Conflict Resolution."
Individual Baha'is held numerous workshops in their professional capacities, and others were invited as speakers, panelists,
and presenters at several dozen workshops , symposia, and other
events held by organizations including UNESCO, Peace Child
International, and GROOTS. Baha'is also participated in a number
of Issue Caucuses, often introducing Baha'i principles into their
discussions and influencing the language of the Caucuses' final

THE B AHA' I W ORLD

declarations and statements. Baha'i women were, as with almost
all the other major UN conference processes of this decade, at the
forefront of Baha'i activities. And as with previous conferences,
the Baha'i participants became known for their ability to chair
meetings in a manner that would foster a consultative, unifying
spirit, resulting in greater cooperation and understanding.
Attractive exhibitions, sponsored by the Baha'i International
Community, the National Spiritual Assembly of Turkey, the European Baha'i Youth Council , and the European Baha'i Business
Forum, were visited by thousands . For those who wished to learn
more about the Baha'i Faith itself, evening meetings were held
throughout the course of Habitat.
The World Business Forum
The World Business Forum, which was part of the overall activities
associated with Habitat II, brought together over 320 leaders of corporations, networks, and NGOs to discuss the responsibilities and
contributions of the private sector to the goals of Habitat II. The
European Baha'i Business Forum (EBBF) was a cosponsor and active
participant in the World Business Forum, held from 29 May to 2 June
in Istanbul. Fifteen members of the EBBF, which was recognized
as one of the leading networks of progressive business leaders,
attended, chairing or serving as panelists at a number of events.
The EBBF's intensive involvement in the Forum was a result
of the organization's relationship with the World Business Forum's
Chairman, Marcello Palazzi, who had met Baha'is at a number of
previous conferences and was so impressed with the EBBF' s aims
that he became an honorary member. The Secretary-General of
the EBBF participated in drafting the final document produced by
the World Business Forum and was one of the six presenters of the
conclusions of the Forum to the United Nations Habitat II Partnership Committee, composed of governmental delegates to the UN
system; he also chaired the closing Plenary Session of the World
Business Forum, on the theme "The Leaders' Panel-Governance,
Leadership, and Participation."
Youth Activities
Youth for Habitat II, an informal coalition of youth and youthserving organizations working at all levels on human settlement

HABITAT II

issues, served as the umbrella group for youth organizations and
activities at the event; a Baha'i youth was one of the coalition's
founders. Other Baha'i youth involvement, spearheaded by the
youth of Turkey and supported by volunteers and the European
Baha'i Youth Council, resulted in Baha'i youth acting as principal
players in numerous activities, including workshops, consultations and the Youth Round table, the Youth Caucus, the Youth
Cafe, and the drafting of the Youth Vision Statement, "Building
Our Global Home."
The European Baha'i Youth Council was officially accredited
to the conference, and, as an international NGO, it was able to send
five representatives, although most of the Baha'i youth's efforts
were focussed on the NGO Forum. The Council sponsored a wellattended workshop on "Youth and Global Citizenship" at the
Forum, addressing such issues as global consciousness and unity
and diversity from a Baha'i perspective.
The Youth Caucus, which was considered by many to be the
most active, energetic, and visible section of the NGO community
participating in Habitat II, met daily and was open to all youth
NGO representatives and individuals interested in youth issues.
The final text of the Youth Vision Statement, adopted by the
entire Youth Caucus, incorporated many Baha'i ideals and concepts
and was presented at the opening plenary of the NGO Forum,
where, as previously mentioned, it received the only standing ovation of the session.
The European Baha'i Youth Council also played a leadership
role in the International Youth Consultation on Habitat II, a smaller,
On Youth Day, these
youth- some of them
Baha 'is- carried
this banner to the
pavilion where they
presented the youth
vision statement in
dramatic form and
then gave the document to Habitat II
Secretary-General
Wally N'Dow.

THE BAHA'I WORLD

more formal event initiated by the World Assembly of Youth,
with which the Council had previously collaborated in organizing
the International Youth Consultation on Social Development at
the World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen in March
1995. The event at Habitat II, held from 3 to 6 June, brought together
some fifty representatives of international youth NGO's and national
youth councils.
Throughout all of the youth activities at Habitat II, the Baha'i
youth demonstrated their readiness to serve and facilitate for others, and to bring to the proceedings vision and a spirit of unity
and cooperation.
Other Activities
Wisdom Keepers II, which met from 5 to 7 June as an official
concurrent event of Habitat II, brought together spiritual leaders,
indigenous peoples, scientists, youth, and activists "with decades of
experience in grassroots organizing based on mobilizing human
spirit." Convened to consider "the moral, ethical, and spiritual aspects
of Habitat," the gathering addressed themes complementary to those
of the main conference. A Turkish
member of the Continental Board of
Counsellors for Europe represented
the Baha'i Faith at the sessions.
Baha'is attended and contributed
to other activities, including the
Forum on Human Solidarity and the
series of daylong "Dialogues," focusing on issues such as citizenship
and democracy in the twenty-first
century, communications and the
media, health, finance, energy,
transport, and employment.
Press coverage at both the NGO
Forum and Habitat II was coordi-
Habitat II Secretary-General Wally nated by the Baha'i International
N'Dow, left, with United Kingdom Community ' s Office of Public
National Spiritual Assembly mem- Information.
ber Hugh Adamson at a reception Prior to Habitat II, a dinner
in London, 20 May 1996. reception was organized in honor

HABITAT II

of the conference's Secretary-General, Wally N'Dow. Held at the
National Baha'i Center in London, England, on 20 May, the event
was attended by some thirty dignitaries. A press conference facilitated by the Baha'i community was held the following day.
The Lead-up Process
The Baha'i International Community participated in the first Habitat
conference, held in 1976 in Vancouver, Canada, at which a Baha'i
statement, Building a Unified Community, was issued. While the
first Habitat conference was mostly technical in its focus, Habitat II
was more "people-centered," like the other major UN conferences
held recently, and had as a central theme the promotion of equality
between women and men in human settlements. It concentrated on
social and economic issues.
The Baha'i community was involved at the local, national, and
international levels in the lead-up process to Habitat IL Throughout
the year prior to the conference, the National Spiritual Assembly
of Turkey worked closely with the Baha'i International Community's United Nations and Public Information Offices with a shared
vision and common goals. Several national Baha'i communities
also participated in their national and local Habitat consultations,
which involved government agencies, NGOs, and NGO networks
and coalitions, and they worked at drafting national statements and
reports.
The Baha'i International Community offices sent representatives
to the three UN PrepCom sessions, the third of which was also
attended by several National Spiritual Assemblies and Baha'i agencies. There, the Baha'i International Community offices presented
to NGOs and governments a paper entitled Recommended Changes
to the Draft Habitat Agenda. In several instances, text supplied by
the Baha'i International Community's offices was debated among
NGOs and government representatives, and , in several places,
Baha'i recommendations (phrases) were incorporated into the final
Habitat Agenda through contributions made at this PrepCom and
at the conference itself.
Important Themes
During the course of Habitat II, the NGO Forum, and related
activities in Istanbul, several important themes and ideas arose:

THE B AHA'I W ORLD

recognition that spiritual values must be at the heart of and must
drive the community-building process; that prosperity for communities and nations will not come by withdrawing from the world
community but by becoming actively engaged in it; that interdependence is a reality; and that the rights and responsibilities of
citizenship must be extended to all of the earth's inhabitants.
Many calls were heard for conferences, gatherings, and other
initiatives around the year 2000 to chart a new direction for
humanity towards an age of peace, justice, and prosperity. There
was much discussion about the nature of NGOs- who they
represent, their accountability and transparency, and whether they
are democratic. NGOs consulted about the next step in civil
society's participation in the UN system, whether taken through a
UN Assembly of civil society representatives or the establishment
of something more far-reaching and more representative of the
peoples of the world.
In all of these themes, ideas , and discussions, the Baha'is saw
reflected Baha'u'llah's assertion that "consorting with people hath
promoted and will continue to promote unity and concord, which
in tum are conducive to the maintenance of order in the world and
to the regeneration of nations" and 'Abdu'l-Baha's promise that
"when the pure intentions and the justice of the ruler, the wisdom
and consummate skill and statecraft of the governing authorities,
and the determination and unstinted efforts of the people, are all
combined; then day by day the effects of the advancement, of the
far-reaching reforms, of the pride and prosperity of government
and people alike, will become clearly manifest."

Update: The Situation of
THEBAHA'fS
IN IRAN

T he situation of the Baha'i community in Iran remained
grave during 1996-97. Coping in a difficult and hostile
environment since the installation of the Islamic Revolutionary
Government in 1979, the Baha'is, whose approximately 300,000
members compose Iran's largest religious minority, still find
themselves without any legal or civil recourse-regarded as
"unprotected infidels" under the country's Islamic constitution.
Although the executions of Baha'is have ceased, harassment
continues. Between 1993 and 1997, some 200 Baha'is were arrested
and detained for periods ranging from 48 hours to 6 months. As
of March 1997, fourteen Baha'is were still being held in Iranian
prisons solely because of their religious beliefs. Four of these are
under sentence of death.
Concern about these death sentences is very real. Since 1979 more
than 200 Baha'is have been killed, while another 15 have disappeared
and are presumed dead. A secret government document, written and
approved by Iran's most senior clerical and civil authorities and
adopted by Iran's Supreme Revolutionary Cultural Council in

THE BAHA'f WORLD

1991, outlines specific guidelines aimed at suppressing the minority
community in a fashion calculated to elicit minimal international
attention.
The obstacles placed before the Iranian Baha'i community are
numerous and serve to impede them in fundamental ways.
First, with regard to employment, Baha'is are prevented from
entering a large number of professions. More than 10,000 government employees who were members of the Baha'i Faith were
dismissed from their positions in the early days of the Revolution
and were, in some cases, forced to repay wages and pensions.
Many remain unemployed and receive no social benefits. Baha'i
farmers are denied admission to farmers' cooperatives, which
are often the only sources of credit, seeds, pesticide, and fertilizer.
The stores owned by Baha'is in one city have been closed for
more than twelve years now, and there is no sign than they will
be reopened, in spite of continual requests to the authorities.
Pharmacies owned by Baha'is in two other cities were closed
down and sealed by the authorities, for no apparent reason. Other
Baha'is have been bullied and intimidated into abandoning their
professions. One medical doctor, for example, was arrested, beaten,
slandered, and forced to cooperate with the Islamic security guards.
Baha'i youth have been denied access to higher education for
some seventeen years now, and an entire generation is suffering
from this deprivation. A recent change in the secondary educational structure of the country has created even further hardship
for the Baha'i community. Previously the public high school
program was four years in length, but now the government has
shortened it to three years, making the fourth a pre-university
year, from which Baha'is are barred, thus closing access to postsecondary education. To counteract this repression on the part of
the government, the Baha' i community established, in 1987, its
own higher education program, or open university, to offer a
program to its youth. By 1996, several hundred students were
enrolled and eleven had graduated with the equivalent of a bachelor's degree. Recently, however, government officials raided
the office where records of all the Baha'i students were kept.
The information secured by the government through this action
may well be used against the community.

B-
AHAáfs
-- IN I -RAN

A third means of oppression with which the Iranian Baha'i
community must deal is the deprivation of civil rights and liberties.
Baha' i marriages and divorces are not recognized in Iran, nor is
the right of Baha'is to inherit. Recently the Ministry of Justice,
Tehran Civil Court, deprived a Baha'i woman of the right to inherit
her rightful share following the death of her daughter, stating that
the only heir of the deceased is her husband, a Muslim, "because
the other inheritors are Baha'is." Since Baha'is are strictly prevented from seeking probate, according to a government ruling
passed in 1996, they now have no recourse in the matter. The freedom ofBaha'is to travel outside and inside Iran is often impeded or
even denied. Baba' is seeking passports must complete application
forms which require declaration of affiliation with a "recognized
religion"; a declaration of faith by Baha'i applicants is used to
pressure them to recant their belief. Another manner in which
individual members of the Baha'i community are harassed is the
practice, in a number of communities, of summoning Baha'is to
the security offices, where they are insulted and belittled with the
object of creating fear in their families and weakening their spirits.
On a collective level, Baha'is have been denied the right, since
1983 , to assemble and to maintain their democratically elected
administrative institutions. Since the Baha'i Faith has no clergy,
and these institutions direct many functions of Baha'i community life, their dissolution is a direct threat to the existence of this
religious community. Another manner in which the community
as a whole has been deeply affected is through the confiscation
of Baha'i cemeteries, holy places, historical sites, administrative
centers, and other assets shortly after the 1979 revolution. They have
never been returned; many, in fact, have been destroyed. In 1993,
approximately 15,000 graves were desecrated when bulldozers
excavated a section of the Baha'i cemetery in Tehran to construct
an Islamic cultural center. Throughout the country, seizure of
Baha'i cemeteries has left Baha'is access only to areas of waste
land designated by the government for their use, where they are
not permitted to mark the graves of those they bury.
Confiscation of property owned by individual Baha'is is also
widespread. Private and business properties, homes, and farms,
have all been arbitrarily seized, thus contributing further to the

THE BAHA'I W ORLD

erosion of the community's economic base. A few examples will
serve to illustrate the arbitrary nature of the actions taken by the
government. In Kashan, a mosque was built on land confiscated
from Baha'is, in spite of complaints made through official channels.
In Yazd, the majority of Baha'is are prohibited from conducting
any business transactions, and over 150 cases related to the confiscation of belongings occurred in only one year, 1995. One of the
Baha'is who was ejected from her home, over the protests of
her neighbors, was a blind woman, whose belongings were also
confiscated, along with those of some sixty other Baha'i families.
In Kirman and Mashhad, government authorities " inspected"
numerous Baha'i homes, confiscating belongings such as computers , a video recorder, a television, a piano, and other musical
equipment. Baha'is were also arrested and detained for one month
in Kirman.
The situation of those Baha' is currently imprisoned is of the
utmost seriousness, particularly those languishing under sentence
of death. Kayvan Khalajabadi and Bihnam Mithaqi were first
imprisoned in 1989 solely on the basis of their faith. An original
sentence of eight years' imprisonment was, through a process of
appeals, first commuted to three years plus fifty lashes, and then
overturned in favor of the death sentence, first passed in 1991.
The latest appeal resulted in the confirmation of the death sentence by the Supreme Court of Iran on 18 February 1996.
Musa Talibi was sentenced to death for apostasy on 18 August
1996, after being imprisoned in Isfahan since June 1994. While
he was originally sentenced to ten years' imprisonment for sharing
the tenets of his faith with others, an appeal reduced the sentence
to eighteen months. A further appeal by the prosecutors resulted
in imposition of the death sentence, which was confirmed by the
Supreme Court oflran in January 1997. News of this decision was
conveyed orally to Mr. Talibi ' s relatives; no written verdict has
been given. Recently Mr. Talibi was transferred from Isfahan to
the notorious Evin Prison in Tehran.
Dhabil::m'llah MaJ:rrami, charged with apostasy, was sentenced
to death in January 1996, and his properties and assets were all
confiscated, since his heirs are all Baha'is. After a lengthy appeal
process, confirmation of the death sentence was received from

BAHA:f s IN I RAN

the Supreme Court of Iran in January 1997. Again, this news was
conveyed orally to Mr. Mal_irami's relatives, and he was moved
from the prison of the Revolutionary Court in Y azd to that of the
Security Information Department.
A fifth Baha'i, Ramic;lan-'Ali Dhulfaqan, although released from
prison in 1994, is still under sentence of death for apostasy.
During 1996, other members of the Baha'i Faith were arrested
on various pretexts. Two men in Mashhad, for example, were
arrested in February while conducting a Baha'i children's class.
Charges against them include being active in the Baha'i community,
gathering for Baha'i meetings in a private house, and working
against the country's security by organizing a children's art exhibit.
Six Baha'is arrested for infringement of business law were given
prison sentences of between six months and one year and were
fined 500,000 tumans (equivalent to a year's rent for a two- or
three-bedroom apartment in Tehran), although none of them had
done anything illegal and they provided the court with evidence
proving their innocence. Two were released in late 1996, but the
other four were still imprisoned as of March 1997. And two other
Baha'is, arrested with several Muslims early in 1996 on charges of
misconduct, were sentenced to eight years' imprisonment after
being told that they must recant their faith in order to be freed.
They refused. All the Muslims arrested with them have been
released.
Government Action
Around the world, governments again this year spoke up in defense
of the Baha'is in Iran. Statements were made by government representatives in the European Parliament, which adopted a resolution
on Iran mentioning the situation of the Baha'i community on 20
February 1997. Statements were also made in the German
Bundestag and the French Parliament, and many other governments
instructed their delegations to the United Nations to support actions
taken on behalf of the Baha'is in that forum.
In the United States, Senators John Edward Porter and Tom
Lantos wrote directly to the Iranian Ambassador to the United
Nations expressing their concern about the persecution of religious minorities in Iran and specifically mentioned the death
sentence passed against Mr. Talibi for apostasy , calling on the

THE BAHA'I WORLD

government to commute the sentence and to "permit the free
exercise of religion for all its citizens and end the persecution of
religious minorities." Again this year the U.S. Senate and House of
Representatives unanimously approved a resolution-the seventh
congressional appeal in support of the Iranian Baha'i community
adopted since 1982- condemning Iran's continuing repressive
actions against the community and urging the regime to grant
religious rights to the Baha' is.
Media Coverage and Scholarly Articles
The year also saw significant media coverage of the plight of
Iran's Baha'is. Following the confirmation of the death sentences
on Mr. Talibi and Mr. MaI:irami at the end of January , both the
Reuters and the UPI news services reported on the statement by
State Department spokesman Nicholas Burns which said, "The
United States government strongly condemns this action and calls
on the government of Iran to release these men. We urge the
government of Iran to free all prisoners of conscience and to ensure
freedom of religion."
Amnesty International, in its 30 January International Urgent
Action Bulletin, also reported on the confirmation of the death
sentences against Talibi and Malp-ami, stating that the organization " is extremely concerned" that the men "may be at risk of
imminent execution." The bulletin provided details as to the cases
of both men and stated, "Amnesty International believes both men
are prisoners of conscience, currently held solely on account of
their religious beliefs. It is calling for the death sentences against
them to be lifted and for them to be released immediately and
unconditionally."
The International Labor Organization noted in a June press
release , following the 83rd International Labor Conference in
Geneva, that there are "serious problems" in Iran "with respect
to employment policy toward members of the Baha'i community
and members of other religious communities." The ILO's Committee on the Application of Standards urged the Iranian government
to adopt a non-discriminatory policy "particularly with regard to
posts within the judiciary system, election to Islamic Labor Councils and access to university education."

B AHA'fS IN I RAN

In Australia, in March 1997, the SBS , the second national
broadcast network in the country and the one that addresses the
needs of Australia's ethnic communities, aired an item on the
case of Mr. Talibi on its "World News" program. An interview
with a Baha' i spokesperson regarding Mr. Talibi and the general
situation of the Baha'is in Iran was also broadcast on a national
SBS radio program.
Mention of the situation of Iran's Baha' i community also received
scholarly attention. The Emory International Law Review, in its
Spring 1996 volume , on the theme "Religious Human Rights
in the World Today," contained an article by Donna E. Arzt on
"Religious Human Rights in Muslim States of the Middle East
and Africa," which contained references to the history and the
current situation of the Baha'i community in Iran, noting that
"The 1979 Iranian constitution formally recognizes Jews, Christians , and Zorastrians [sic] but makes no mention of Baha'is,
who constitute Iran's largest religious minority, even though, as
a scriptural monotheism, the Baha'i faith should be entitled to
dhimma status. There is little doubt, however, that Baha'is are
the most persecuted minority in Iran."
At the United Nations
A resolution expressing "concern at the continuation of violations of
human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran," noting in particular
the situation of the Baha'is, "whose existence as a viable religious
community in the Islamic Republic of Iran is threatened," and
calling upon the government of that country "to implement fully the
conclusions and recommendations of the Special Rapporteur on
religious intolerance relating to the Baha' is and to other minority
religious groups" 1 was passed on 24 April 1996 at the 52nd Session
of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. This strong
resolution, which included a request that the UN's Special Representative on Iran "submit an interim report to the General Assembly
at its fifty-first session on the situation of human rights in the Islamic
Republic of Iran, including the situation of minority groups such
as the Baha' is, and to report to the Commission at its fifty-third

1. See The Bahci 'i Wo rld 1995-96, pp. 142-43 for more on this report.

session," kept the persecution of Iran's Baha'is before the gaze of
the international community.
In August 1996, in another United Nations forum, a representative of the Baha'i International Community made a statement to the
Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of
Minorities, detailing the continued persecution of the Iranian Baha'i
community, expressing its hope that the Subcommission would
continue to monitor the case, condemn the violation of the Baha'is'
human rights, and request that the Islamic Republic of Iran guarantee
religious freedom to the Baha'is of that country. A resolution of the
Subcommission urged the Iranian government "to implement fully
the conclusions and the recommendations of the Special Rapporteur
on religious intolerance relating to the Baha'is and to other minority
religious groups, including Christians, until they are completely
emancipated."
The reports of the Special Rapporteur on religious intolerance
and the Special Representative on Iran, detailed in The Baha 'i
World 1995-96, were followed up by interim reports. The Special
Representative, Maurice Danby Copithome, submitted his written
interim report in October 1996, including mention of the situation of
the Baha'i community in seven of the report's seventeen paragraphs.
Noting a description in the Iranian press of the Baha'i Faith as "an
organized espionage ring" rather than a religion, the Special Representative concluded that "the situation for the Baha'is in the Islamic
Republic can improve only if there is a significant change in attitude
towards them on the part of the Iranian authorities" and further
noted that "the condition of human rights in the Islamic Republic of
Iran may well have deteriorated since [the Representative's] report
earlier this year to the Commission on Human Rights."
The points raised by Professor Amor in his interim report, based
on conclusions and recommendations included in his previous
report to the Commission on Human Rights, present the case of
the Baha'is to the Iranian authorities and require their response.
The following areas are those in which the Special Rapporteur has
called for change by the Iranian government: that the ban on Baha'i
organizations be lifted; that confiscated properties be returned and
destroyed places of worship either be rebuilt or compensation be
offered; that Baha'is be free to bury and honor their dead; that the

BAHA:fs IN IRAN

question of religion be deleted from passport applications to provide
Baha'is with greater freedom of movement; that Baha'is be given
access to institutions of higher education and to the justice system;
and that death sentences pronounced against Baha'is be set aside.
In his interim report, Professor Amor made specific mention of the
three cases of apostasy pending against Baha'is in Iran.
On 12 December 1996, the Plenary of the fifty-first session of
the United Nations General Assembly adopted a strongly worded
resolution on the human rights situation in Iran, with 79 voting in
favor, 30 against, and 54 abstentions. The resolution made specific mention of the Baha'is in three operative paragraphs and
was identical to the resolution adopted by the Third Committee
on 29 November.
One of these paragraphs states that the United Nations "expresses
its concern at grave breaches of human rights of the Baha' is in the
Islamic Republic of Iran and of situations of discrimination against
the members of this religious community ... " Another, in the same
wording as the Human Rights Sub-Commission's resolution, calls
for the Iranian Government to implement the conclusions and recommendations of the Special Rapporteur on religious intolerance.
The third operative paragraph states that the United Nations will
"continue examination of the situation of human rights in the Islamic
Republic of Iran including the situation of minority groups, such as
the Baha'is, during its fifty-second session under the item entitled,
'Human rights questions' on the basis of the report of the Special
Representative and in the light of additional elements provided by
the Commission on Human Rights and the Economic and Social
Council." The following April, in 1997, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights again expressed "grave concern" at the
breaches of human rights and other situations of discrimination
against Iran's Baha'is and again called upon the government "to
implement fully the recommendations of the Special Representative
and relevant recommendations of the Special Rapporteurs on religious intolerance and on freedom of opinion and expression, in
particular the recommendations relating to the Baha'is, Christians,
Sunni, and other minority religious groups." Finally, the Commission
decided "to continue the examination of the situation of human rights
in the Islamic Republic of Iran, including the situation of minority

THE B AHA'I WORLD

groups such as the Baha' is during its 54th session under the agenda
item 'question of the violations of human rights and fundamental
freedoms in any part of the world."'
Mr. Copithome' s report on the situation in Iran to the 53rd Session of the Commission on Human Rights, submitted on 1 April
1997, outlined further cases of persecution against the Baha'is,
updated the cases previously treated, and again urged that "urgent
attention" be paid to the October 1996 recommendations of the
Special Rapporteur on religious intolerance, Abdelfattah Amor. By
the year' s end, however, none of these issues had been addressed,
and the situation of Iran's Baha'i community remained perilous.

The Baha'f World
on the
World Wide Web

0 n 7 August 1996 the Baha'i International Community's
Office of Public Information announced to the public the
launch of its site on the World Wide Web, appropriately named
The Baha'i World. The site, located at <www.bahai.org>, conveys the unified and global nature of the Baha'i community. With
a visually appealing home page and stories and comments from
Baha'is around the world, the site reflects the cultural and geographic diversity of the Faith's five million members, as well as their
common understanding of and approach to issues currently facing
humanity.
Aside from featuring the global Baha'i community, the site
offers a wealth of information about the history and teachings of
the Baha'i Faith. Visitors to the site can choose whether to view
a brief introduction or a more detailed explanation of the central
figures and institutions of the Faith, which contains main articles on
Baha'u'll:ih, the Bab, 'Abdu'l-Baha, Shoghi Effendi, the Universal
House of Justice, the Covenant of Baha'u'llah, and the historical
context of the Babi and Baha'i Faiths. Supplementary materials

THE BAHA'f WORLD

such as the Constitution of the Universal House of Justice, excerpts
from the Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Baha, a statement on
the protection of diversity in the Baha'i community, an account
written by the English scholar Edward Granville Browne of his
encounter with Baha' u'llah, and a description of two early
Baha'i heroines are some of the other available materials.
Another main section of the site deals with theological subjects such as the Baha'i concept of God; life, death, and the soul;
prayer, meditation, and fasting; the purpose of life; the oneness
of religion; and the Prophets or Manifestations of God.
The fourth major section outlines the Baha'i Faith's vision of
humanity's future and features a statement by the Universal House
of Justice addressed to the peoples of the world on the occasion of
the United Nations International Year of Peace in 1986. Other
statements by the Baha'i International Community can be found
here, including Th e Prosperity of Humankind, which was first
released at the UN World Summit for Social Development in
Copenhagen in March 1995; Turning Point for All Nations, which
was contributed by the Baha' i International Community to discussions of UN reform during the 50th anniversary of the United
Nations; and a number of documents and statements regarding the
role of women, some of which were published and distributed at
the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995. Visitors can also access a library of other official statements on a range
of topics made by the Baha'i International Community in various
United Nations fora.
The web site launch was the culmination of many months of
intense work by the Baha'i International Community's Office of
Public Information, which saw to the design, content development,
and coordination of technical work. The hard work paid off, as the
site has attracted a steady stream of visitors during its first nine
months- some 55,000 visitors from approximately 90 countries
and territories, including places as far flung as Greenland, the
Faroe Islands, Micronesia, Namibia, Liechtenstein, Swaziland, Sri
Lanka, and Papua New Guinea.
Taking its teachings to the World Wide Web is a natural progression for a Faith that espouses the oneness of humankind. And
as early as 1936 the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith, Shoghi Effendi,

WORLD WIDE WEB

The Baha' i World web site, launched in August 1996, welcomed more than
55, 000 visitors during its first nine months of existence.
anticipated the development of a global communications network
like the Internet, stating in one instance that "A mechanism of
world inter-communication will be devised, embracing the whole
planet, freed from national hindrances and restrictions, and functioning with marvelous swiftness and perfect regularity." 1
The site has received favorable publicity since its launch,
most notably a notice in the 22 August 1996 edition of USA
Today, a national daily newspaper in the United States with a circulation of more than 1.5 million.
In view of the diverse nature of the Baha'i community and its
commitment to world unity, the site has been developed with the
capability of being expanded to include many languages. Materials
were originally available in English, with some French and Spanish, and plans are under way for expansion to include Portuguese
and other languages.
Future developments include plans for links between the
Baha'i International Community's web site and those of national

1. Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Baha 'u 'llah: Selected l etters, 2d rev.
ed. (Wilmette: Baha 'i Publishing Trust, 1974), p. 203.

Baha'i communities around the world. National Spiritual
Assemblies in some countries have already set up their own sites
to provide details about the history of and current happenings in
their communities. Such web sites also provide a means for people to get in touch electronically with the Baha'is in their own
country or region of the world.
The Baha 'i World web site itself is dynamic, with plans
scheduled for a section on Baha'i activities in the arena of social
and economic development, perspective features on current global
trends, and an expansion of selections from the Baha'i sacred
writings, among other new features.

EssAYS,
STATEMENTS,
PR0ANF11Es
Th e resting place of Shoghi Effendi, Guardian of the Baha 'i Faith,
in London, England.
Glenford E. Mitchell profiles Shoghi
Effendi, the Guardian of the Baha 'f Faith
from 1921to1957, highlighting his roles
as community builder, interpreter, and
visionary.

SHOGHI EFFENDI:
GUIDE FORA

NEW MILLENNIUM

S hoghi Effendi, Guardian of the Baha'i Faith, who was born one
hundred years ago in Ottoman Palestine, occupies a unique
position in the annals of religion. What made him indispensable
to the emergence of a worldwide community has also ensured for
him a place in twentieth century history as a towering figure of
enduring significance. Through thirty-six years of prodigious
activity, he carried out his designated responsibility, both in
literary and practical terms, as interpreter of the vision of world
unity advanced by Baha'u'llah, Founder of the Faith. The potential
of the incomparably diverse but united global community he raised
up is to become a pattern for future society. Anyone acquainted
with its workings will be impressed by the spirit that induces its
coherence. The community's burgeoning along the lines traced
by Shoghi Effendi strongly suggests that the demonstrated
efficacy of his guidance and its salience for social reconstruction
of the planet are bound increasingly to impress themselves upon
public consciousness and inevi ably to influence the shaping of a
millennium.

No celebration will mark the centennial of Shoghi Effendi's
birth: such an observance would violate his clear instruction
against the commemoration of his birthday or any other event
associated with his life. Remembrance of his monumental achievements is, nevertheless, irrepressible and begs for expression at
every opportunity. This anniversary offers a welcome incentive,
then, for reflection on the nature of his work and the relevance of
his thought to contemporary concern about the state and direction of human society, especially as the century about which he
offered such illuminating and proven analyses draws to a close. The
sheer volume and efficiency of his output in any one of his vocations, as exegete, author, translator, administrator, commentator
on world trends, master planner, organizer of global undertakings, aesthete, is astounding, but it is the rarity of his inspired
insight that lent a singular quality to his varied occupations and that
remains as an exceptional and potent legacy.
Shoghi Effendi was born into a politically precarious environment
at a time of rising global fermentation. His life encompassed the
closing years of Ottoman rule, the entire span of the British Mandate,
and virtually a decade of the independent State oflsrael-altogether
a period marked by social turmoil exacerbated by the upheavals
of two world wars. The experience of his own family was as a
barometer of the times. Almost half a century before his birth his
great-grandfather, Baha'u'llah, had been officially banished from
His native Persia as a consequence of charges imputed to His
leadership role in a new religion; before that, Baha'u'llah's Forerunner, the Bab, had been put to death in dramatic circumstances.
Baha'u'llah's exile took Him to Iraq and Turkey, where, in both
countries, He was confined as a prisoner for a number of years. It
was during these years that He announced His mission as the
bearer of a new revelation from God. Ultimately, Baha'u'llah
was imprisoned in Acre, Palestine, arriving there with His family
in August 1868. He was released from strict confinement after a
few years but remained under detention in that area, where He
passed away in 1892. His eldest son, 'Abdu'l-Baha, who had shared
in His Father's exile and imprisonment, succeeded Baha'u'llah as
head of the Faith and the appointed interpreter and exemplar of
His teachings. The firstborn of 'Abdu'l-Baha's eldest daughter,

SHOGHI EFFE NDI

Shoghi Effendi grew up under the sheltering eye of his
beloved grandfather. Except
for his sojourns abroad as a
student and other occasional
travels, this scion of a historic
family of Persian exiles lived
and worked in the land of his
birth.
'Abdu'l-Baha's death in
November 1921 marked the
beginning of an unusual career
for Shoghi Effendi. Nothing
had prepared the Baha'is,
then scattered among some
35 countries, for the preeminent part he was destined to
play in the making of their
community-not the fact that Shoghi Effendi, before his appointment as
he was a member of a family Guardian, at his small typewriter on th e
of primary distinction, nor that balcony of the room he occupied next to
he had for some time acted that of 'A bdu '/-Bahri.
as ' Abdu'l-Baha's secretary in Persian and English. Nor was there
any indication of ambition on his part. Consonant with his total
dedication to the service of his grandfather, Shoghi Effendi's great
aspiration had been to become a perfect English translator of the
Baha'i writings . His letter of 11June1920, applying for admission to Oxford University, made this intention clear: "My sole
aim," he wrote, "is to perfect my English, to acquire the literary
ability to write it well, speak it well and translate correctly and
eloquently from Persian and Arabic into English." His innocence
of any expectation beyond such aspiration was shattered by the
shock he sustained upon learning from 'Abdu'l-Baha's Will and
Testament of his appointment as interpreter and Guardian. He
was then only 25 and still a student at Oxford. His sudden awareness of this new responsibility overwhelmed him, so much so that
he absented himself from the Holy Land for some time to collect
his strength for the tasks ahead.

THE B AHA'I W ORLD

Shoghi Effendi as Community Builder
The young Guardian began his ministry in the unsettled aftermath
of World War I. He was faced with the daunting challenge of
rallying the forces and concentrating the efforts of loosely
connected groups and isolated individuals who were for the
most part unschooled in the details of the beliefs and practices of
their new religion. If he were to succeed, he had not only to win
their adherence to the fundamentals but, as well, to imbue them
with a vision that would penetrate and transcend the gloom of
the times . The matrix in which the Guardian must function was
set by Baha'u'llah Himself, Who declared the oneness of humankind to be the central principle of His Revelation. If Baha'u'llah
was the author of this world-embracing concept, His immediate
successor, 'Abdu'l-Baha, was the architect of the System that
must realize it, and Shoghi Effendi, the latter's successor, would be
the builder of the structure that would enable that System to operate.
The Guardian summarizes Baha'u'llah's intention in these words:

For Baha 'u'llah, we should readily recognize, has not only
imbued mankind with a new and regenerating Spirit. He has
not merely enunciated certain universal principles, or propounded a particular philosophy, however potent, sound and
universal these may be. In addition to these, He, as well as
'Abdu'l-Baha after Him, has, unlike the Dispensations of the
past, clearly and specifically laid down a set of Laws, established definite institutions, and provided for the essentials of a
Divine Economy. These are destined to be a pattern for future
society, a supreme instrument for the establishment of the
Most Great Peace, and the one agency for the unification of
the world, and the proclamation of the reign of righteousness
and justice upon the earth. 1

Shoghi Effendi set about his tasks with unbounded and efficient
energy. There was a divine Plan to be pursued. It required the raising up of new institutions, the execution of worldwide teaching
programs, the development of local and national components of a
world community, the protection of this nascent Faith from attack

1. Shoghi Effendi, The World Order ofBahri 'u '!Lah: Selected Letters (Wilmette:
Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1991), p. 19.

SHOGHI EFFENDI

of its adversaries-all a part of the process of building the new
World Order proclaimed by Baha'u'llah. Thus Shoghi Effendi
must do more than explain the sacred texts: he must direct and
guide his trust through the permutations of individual and social
transformation; he must forge a Baha'i community. His exegetic
works were made to serve these essential purposes.
At the outset, Shoghi Effendi devoted paramount attention to
building the local and national institutions called for in the writings of Baha'u'llah and 'Abdu'l-Baha. For a community without
a clergy, these democratically elected bodies were essential to
every other development. Thus in a letter to the Baha'is in North
America, dated 23 March 1923 , he wrote:

And, now that this all-important Work may suffer no neglect,
but rather function vigorously and continuously in every part
of the Baha'i world; that the unity of the Cause of Baha'u'llah
may remain secure and inviolate, it is of the utmost importance
that in accordance with the explicit text of the Kitab-Aqdas,
the Most Holy Book, in every locality, be it city or hamlet, where
the number of adult (21 years and above) declared believers
exceeds nine, a local "Spiritual Assembly" be forthwith established. To it all local matters pertaining to the Cause must be
directly and immediately referred for full consultation and
decision. The importance, nay the absolute necessity of these
local Assemblies is manifest when we realize that in the days
to come they will evolve into the local House of Justice, and at
present provide the firm foundation on which the structure of
the Master's Will is to be reared in future.2

In that same letter, he issued a similar call for the formation of
National Spiritual Assemblies under which the local ones would
function.
In the West, particularly in North America, where 'Abdu'l-
Baha's visit in 1912 had stimulated great interest in the Baha'i
teachings and had drawn many to acceptance of the Faith, these
words had a revolutionary effect. A course was now set for the formation of a different kind of community with its own laws and

2. Shoghi Effendi, Baha 'i Administration : Selected Messages 1922- 1932
(Wilmette: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1974), p. 37.

THE BAHA'I WORLD

procedures-a community dependent for its existence on voluntary
effort and individual initiative. Through successive elaborations of
the processes initiated-calling for elections without campaigning
and nominations, for consultation as a basis of decision-making, and
for the establishment of a fund supported by voluntary contributions
for which receipts must be issued-Shoghi Effendi urged and
guided the creation of Local and National Spiritual Assemblies. It
was an effort that changed the character of thought and behavior in
the management of the spiritual and practical affairs of a clergyless,
religious community. The measures of this transformation continually
evolved to levels of complexity with the growth of the community
and are initiated anew with every neophyte community, local or
national. It is a mark of the dynamism of Shoghi Effendi's stewardship that, despite the disruptions of the Second World War and
subsequent regional catastrophes, at the time of his death in 1957,
there existed 26 National Spiritual Assemblies and more than one
thousand Local Spiritual Assemblies throughout the world.
With the necessary organization in place, he then focused the
energies of the Baha'is on the systematic expansion and consolidation of their numbers. Sixteen years passed before the North
American Baha'is, at the urging of their Guardian, embarked in
1937 on a teaching scheme known as the Seven Year Plan. This was
the first organized attempt to respond to the series of fourteen letters,
"Tablets of the Divine Plan," addressed to the North Americans by
'Abdu'l-Baha. Herein are guidelines for the global expansion of the
Faith and also the assignment of special responsibility to the Baha' is
of that continent for initiating such an undertaking.
The Tablets of the Divine Plan, described by Shoghi Effendi
as the charter of teaching, had been penned by 'Abdu'l-Baha over
the period of a year, from March 1916 to March 191 7, during the
course of the First World War. Because of conditions at that time
only five had been delivered before the end of the war. In a conference known as the "Convention of the Covenant" and held at
Hotel McAlpin in New York 26-30 April 1919, all fourteen tablets
were displayed and discussed . This marked a historic moment
for the North American Baha'is, but as the implications of these
communications were not yet fully understood, only a few individuals responded, mostly on their own initiative, to the call to

SHOO HI EFFENDI

travel to other countries and teach the new Faith. It remained for
Shoghi Effendi years later to set in place the instruments and to
prime the processes that would guarantee a systematic and sustained response.
Through an approach that was typical of his method of evoking
action, Shoghi Effendi gradually trained the Baha'is to recognize
and accept the necessity for such a response. The instrument of
his approach was his untiring pen. Through it were conveyed his
aptness of timing, his grasp of opportunity, his sense of history,
his vision of future possibilities, and his appeal to wellsprings
of the believers' faith and devotion; add to these the force and
credibility of his logic, the candor of his argument, and his frequent, genuine commendations of the work of individuals and
institutions-all expressed in a language of rhetorical excellencies
that engaged the mind and enchanted the heart. He conveyed
most of what he had to say in letters but found communicating by
cablegram an expeditious means of dealing with the demands of
a rapidly developing community. The latter medium suited his
purpose in other ways, serving to accentuate the urgency of so
many of his messages. He honed his prose to this abbreviated
form of communication with extraordinary success, evolving a
colorful, elliptical style that lent a sense of surprise, of drama, and
of excitement to his announcements, as well as a depth of profundity to a vocabulary intensified by the stripping away of minor
elements of speech.
It took a series of letters and cablegrams sent over a period of
about two years to bring the North American Baha'is to the
degree of action hoped for by the Guardian. The beginning and
fruition of that extended effort can be gleaned from the following
excerpts of some of these messages:
April 29, 1935. "APPEAL ASSEMBLED DELEGATES AND
INCOMING NATIONAL ASSEMBLY EARNESTLY DELIBERATE
MEASURES REQUIRED STIMULATE ALL LOCAL COMMUNI-
TIES GROUPS LEND IMMEDIATE UNPRECEDENTED IMPETUS
TEACHING ACTIVITIES THROUGHOUT STATES CANADA.
SUSTAINED CONCENTRATION THIS PARAMOUNT ISSUE CAN
ALONE REVEAL POTENTIALITIES BELOVED TEMPLE AND
ENABLE SUPERB SELF-SACRIFICE ASSOCIATED WITH IT

THE BAHA'I WORLD

YIELD ITS FAIREST FRUIT." A vital element in the organization of
the Baha'i community is the National Convention held annually
at which delegates elected by the Baha'is throughout a country
gather for two essential purposes: to elect the National Spiritual
Assembly and to offer advice and recommendations to that body
through a process of consultation among the delegates and between
them and the outgoing and incoming members of the Assembly.
Shoghi Effendi used such occasions to guide the community. In
this instance, the Baha'is of Canada and the United States, who
functioned under a combined National Spiritual Assembly at that
time, were engaged in individual teaching activities in parts of
these countries and had at the same time been struggling to build
the first Baha'i House of Worship of the Western hemisphere,
near Chicago.
October 26, 1935. The Guardian reinforces his previous message to which there has not been an adequate response, by
asserting: "A NEW HOUR HAS STRUCK IN HISTORY OUR
BELOVED CAUSE CALLING FOR NATION-WIDE, SYSTEM-
ATIC, SUSTAINED EFFORT IN TEACHING FIELD ENABLING
THEREBY THESE FORCES TO BE DIRECTED INTO SUCH
CHANNELS AS SHALL REDOUND TO GLORY OF OUR FAITH
AND HONOR OF ITS INSTITUTIONS ."
January 10, 1936. In an amplification of the previous messages
that takes cognizance of the ominous state of world conditions, he
writes: "This new stage in the gradual unfoldment of the Formative
Period of our Faith into which we have just entered- the phase
of concentrated teaching activity-synchronizes with a period
of deepening gloom, of universal impotence, of ever-increasing
destitution and widespread disillusionment in the fortunes of a
declining age." Furthermore, in indicating the state of readiness of
the elected Baha'i institutions, he reasons, "Now that the administrative Organs of a firmly-established Faith are vigorously and
harmoniously functioning, and now that the Symbol [i.e., the House
of Worship in the United States] of its invincible might is lending
unprecedented impetus to its spread, an effort unexampled in its
scope and sustained vitality is urgently required so that the moving
spirit of its Founder may permeate and transform the lives of the
countless multitudes that hunger for its teachings."

SHOGHI EFFENDI

May 1, 1936. His cabled appeal to the next National Convention,
calling attention to a historic moment, sets the sights of the delegates on 1944, the centenary of their religion: "FIRST CENTURY
BAHA'I ERA DRAWING TO A CLOSE. HUMANITY ENTERING
OUTER FRINGES MOST PERILOUS ST AGE ITS EXISTENCE.
OPPORTUNITIES PRESENT HOUR UNIMAGINABLY PRECIOUS.
WOULD TO GOD EVERY STATE WITHIN AMERICAN REPUBLIC
AND EVERY REPUBLIC IN AMERICAN CONTINENT MIGHT
ERE TERMINATION THIS GLORIOUS CENTURY EMBRACE
LIGHT FAITH BAHA'U'LLAH AND ESTABLISH STRUCTURAL
BASIS OF HIS WORLD ORDER." At this convention, together with
decisions related to the ongoing construction of the House of
Worship, a campaign of teaching is definitely adopted, but its focus
is primarily on the home front.
May 30, 1936. He reiterates in a letter his original call for
action on a broadened scale: "A systematic, carefully conceived,
and well-established plan should be devised, vigorously pursued
and continuously extended .... Its supreme immediate objective
should be the permanent establishment of at least one center in
every state of the American Republic and in every Republic of
the American continent not yet enlisted under the banner of His
Faith. Its ramifications should gradually be extended to the European continent. ... " He is more specific and more elaborate here.
Through successive messages up until now he is attempting to
increase the North Americans' apprehension of the global magnitude of their spiritual obligation to spread the Baha'i teachings .
Having previously suggested a time frame for the hoped-for plan
by mentioning the forthcoming Baha'i centennial, he registers a
heightened feeling of urgency: "The field is immense, the task
gigantic , the privilege immeasurably precious. Time is short, and
the obligation sacred, paramount and urgent."
November 14, 1936. "The promulgation of the Divine Plan,
unveiled by our departed Master ['Abdu'l-Baha] in the darkest days
of one of the severest ordeals which humanity has ever experi -
enced, is the Key which Providence has placed in the hands of
the American believers whereby to unlock the doors leading them
to fulfill their unimaginably glorious Destiny." Here is a reminder
that Shoghi Effendi's repeated calls for a far -reaching teaching

THE BAHA.'f WORLD

plan are based on the charter addressed to them by 'Abdu'l-Baha
as far back as the time of the First World War.
March 22, 1937. In yet another letter, he persists in urging on the
North American Baha'is: "The progress of the teaching campaign
is most remarkable and reassuring. The uninterrupted prosecution
of this holy enterprise and its extension to the South American
continent and the islands of the Pacific will no doubt attract unimaginable blessings and must entail far-reaching consequences. In the
course of this year, when the American believers are commemorating the 25th anniversary of 'Abdu'l-Baha's visit to America, a
mighty impetus should be lent to this campaign which you have
so splendidly initiated."
May 1, 1937. It is the time for the National Convention again.
Shoghi Effendi's cablegram now brings matters to a decisive
point: "ADVISE PROLONGATION CONVENTION SESSIONS
ENABLE DELEGATES CONSULT NATIONAL ASSEMBLY TO
FORMULA TE FEASIBLE SEVEN YEAR PLAN .... " The impact of
this message on the Convention is electrifying. A sense of mission galvanizes the consultations and a Plan is born.
The Guardian could and did issue directives as occasions
demanded. But he preferred to see the Baha' is take action on the
basis of initiative induced by internalized knowledge of the Baha'i
teachings and of consultation among themselves. The foregoing
excerpts from his messages show how through an alternation of
letters and cablegrams, Shoghi Effendi persevered patiently and
persistently in instructing, appealing to, and nudging the Baha'is to
take actions that would form a pattern of their functioning. He also
had the practice of expatiating on important actions once they had
been set in motion, so as to fix that pattern, and so that in the process
of carrying out a task or function the believers could adequately
appreciate the significance of what they were doing. And so it was
in the case of the implementation of the Seven Year Plan. A year
and a half after its adoption, Shoghi Effendi penned one of the
lengthiest letters of his ministry, which was published as a book
entitled The Advent of Divine Justice. In it he amplified the meaning of 'Abdu ' l-Baha' s Tablets of the Divine Plan, producing a
seminal work of interpretation and practical advice that galvanized
efforts during the Seven Year Plan. That letter continues to be a

SHOGHI EFFENDI

major source of inspiration and guidance for Baha'is.
That first teaching plan encompassed the Western Hemisphere,
operating for the most part during World War II. It was launched at
a time when there were about sixty-five Local Spiritual Assemblies
in the United States and Canada. Three objectives were specified:
1) opening all unopened provinces of Canada and states of the
United States to the Faith by establishing at least one Local Spiritual Assembly in each of them; 2) taking the Faith to other countries
in the hemisphere; and 3) completing the exterior ornamentation
of the House of Worship, which at that time was being built in
Wilmette, to the north of Chicago. By the end, April 1944, all
objectives had been achieved, and this Plan set the pattern for more
extensive teaching and consolidation programs. A second Seven
Year Plan was launched by the North American Baha'is in April
1946, which, together with plans of shorter duration undertaken by
national communities elsewhere, ensured the penetration of the
Faith into countries on other continents.
This second enterprise preceded the ambitious Ten Year International Teaching Plan initiated by Shoghi Effendi in 1953, at which
time there were 12 National Spiritual Assemblies and 250 Local
Spiritual Assemblies in the world. He died at the midpoint of the
latter Plan in 1957 when the Faith had already been established in
200 countries and dependencies and the numbers of National and
Local Spiritual Assemblies had increased to 26 and more than 1,000,
respectively. The execution of that Plan involved the dispatch to
territories all over the globe of large numbers of Baha'i teachers,
known as pioneers, the stories of whose exploits chronicle an astonishing record of human adventure and endurance worthy of the
acts of the apostles of Jesus Christ, but magnified manyfold. That
Shoghi Effendi was able to inspire such a movement of scores of
volunteers who were unschooled in missionary work, and whose
sole qualification was their profound devotion to the Cause of
Baha'u 'llah, is an impressive index of the dynamism of his Guardianship. By the end of the Ten Year Plan in April 1963 , the
centennial anniversary of the declaration of Baha'u'llah's mission
in Baghdad, His Faith had actuall y become a world reli gion :
its reach had spread to virtually every country except those under
the direct influence of communism. At that time, too, a major

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The Guardian 'sjinal map, drawn in November 1957, showing progress made by the midpoint of the Ten Year Plan (1953-1963).
SHOGHI EFFE NDI

expectation of the Baha'is was fulfilled: the Universal House of
Justice, the international governing institution of the Faith which it
was one of the main objectives of Shoghi Effendi to establish, was
brought into existence at the first International Baha'i Convention,
through an election in which all members of the then 56 National
Spiritual Assemblies participated. At the writing of this article, the
number of these Assemblies stands at 174.
Shoghi Effendi as Interpreter
As indicated in the above-cited examples of his calls for the
formation of Baha'i elected institutions and for the adoption of an
extensive teaching plan, Shoghi Effendi's interpretations were
largely oriented to action. There was a synthesis between instruction
and interpretation: in advising the community to form Spiritual
Assemblies, he asserted the practical meaning of texts in the Kitabi-Aqdas and the Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Baha; in calling for
a systematic plan of expansion, he breathed life into the Tablets of
the Divine Plan. The timing of such developments was another
matter, falling within the discretion of his authority as appointed
guide. To a great extent his interpretations were responses to the
expressed or demonstrated need of the community. He seemed
completely to avoid gratuitous random interpretations of the
sacred texts; the questions and needs of the community outlined the
course and output of his exegesis. In a Jetter written on 12 May
1925, for example, he responded to communications dated 4 and
18 April 1925 from the National Spiritual Assembly of the United
States and Canada that prompted him to explain further the manner
of election for National Spiritual Assemblies:

Regarding the method to be adopted for the election of the
National Spiritual Assemblies, it is clear that the text of the
Beloved's Testament gives us no indication as to the manner in
which these Assemblies are to be elected. In one of His earliest
Tablets, however, addressed to a friend in Persia, the following
is expressly recorded: "At whatever time all the beloved of
God in each country appoint their delegates, and these in turn
elect their representatives, and these representatives elect a
body, that body shall be regarded as the Supreme Baytu'l-'Adl
(Universal House of Justice)."
These words clearly indicate that a three-stage election
has been provided by 'Abdu'l-Baha for the formation of the

THE BAI-fA'f WORLD

International House of Justice, and as it is explicitly provided in
His Will and Testament that the "Secondary House of Justice
(i.e., National Assemblies) must elect the members of the Universal One," it is obvious that the members of the National
Spiritual Assemblies will have to be indirectly elected by the
body of the believers in their respective provinces. In view of
these complementary instructions the principle, set forth in my
letter of March 12th, 1923, has been established requiring the
believers (the beloved of God) in every country to elect a certain
number of delegates who, in tum, will elect their national representatives (Secondary House of Justice or National Spiritual
Assembly) whose sacred obligation and privilege will be to elect
in time God's Universal House of Justice. 3

Here then is a glimpse of the progressive stages of exegesis as
they relate to the growth and actions of the community. It is thus
possible to trace and gauge the development of the Baha'i community by reading Shoghi Effendi's writings chronologically. This
possibility is increased by the fact that anniversaries and activity
reports provided occasions for outpourings from his interpretative
pen. The opening statements of two letters are illustrative of the
effects of these stimuli on the Guardian's work:
April 21, 1933. "Fellow-laborers in the Divine Vineyard: On
the 23rd of May of this auspicious year the Baha'i world will
celebrate the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Faith of
Baha'u'llah. We, who at this hour find ourselves standing on the
threshold of the last decade of the first century of the Baha'i era,
might well pause to reflect upon the mysterious dispensations of so
august, so momentous a Revelation." This is the introduction to a
letter addressed "To the beloved of God and the handmaids of the
Merciful throughout the West," an exegetic work of a significance
that makes it indispensable to understanding the nature and purpose of the Central Figures of the Faith, the meaning of the Covenant
established by Baha'u' llah to preserve the unity of His Faith, and
the Administrative Order, which is the offspring of that Covenant.
Among its unique contents is a penetrating exposition of the functions of the twin successors ofBaha'u'llah and' Abdu'l-Baha, namely
the Guardianship and the Universal House of Justice, and their

3. Shoghi Effendi, Baha 'i Administration, p. 84.

SHOGHI E FFENDI

relationship to each other. This letter has been published under the
title "The Dispensation ofBaha'u'llah." 4
March 31, 1930. "Dearly-beloved co-workers: Amid the reports
that have of late reached the Holy Land, most of which witness
to the triumphant march of the Cause, a few seem to betray acertain apprehension regarding the validity of the institutions which
stand inseparably associated with the Faith of Baha'u'llah." This
develops into another indispensable statement on the philosophy
of Baha'i administration addressed to the Baha'is in the West
and published under the title: "The World Order of Baha'u'llah:
Some Further Considerations." 5
These examples of the Guardian's work serve also to underscore another significant fact. The interpretations given by him are
not limited to time; they both satisfy and transcend the need of the
moment and thus serve the future as well as the present. A relevant
comment conveyed to an individual by Shoghi Effendi's secretary
on his behalf made it clear that the interpretations of the Guardian
cannot be abrogated, "as this would imply not only a lack of guidance
but mistakes in making them." A "ruling laid down as a temporary
necessity" could, however, be changed at a later time; and the Guardian made certain to identify such rulings. 6
Shoghi Effendi's thirst for information was insatiable; he sought
it relentlessly and classified it meticulously. "I am eagerly awaiting the news of the progress of the activities initiated to promote
the teaching work within, and beyond, the confines the American
continent," said one of his cablegrams to the National Spiritual
Assembly of the United States and Canada in a typical request for
information. 7 His eagerness in this respect is borne out by what
Rul:iiyyih Rabbani, his widow, has stated in her biography of him:
" he did not always wait until official channels corroborated the
arrival of a pioneer at his post or some other piece of good news
which had been conveyed to him through a personal letter or by a

4. Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Baha 'u 'llah, p. 97.
5. Ibid., p. 15.
6. From a letter written on behalfofShoghi Effendi, dated 19 February 1947.
7. Shoghi Effendi, Messages to America: Selected Letters and Cablegrams
(Wilmette: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1937), p. 7.

THE BAHA'f WORLD

pilgrim ... This practice of his should not, however, mislead us into
thinking that he was not extraordinarily thorough. The exactitude
with which he compiled statistics, sought out historic facts, worked
on every minute detail of his maps and plans was astonishing." 8
Shoghi Effendi also sought news of the world from the various newspapers and magazines to which he subscribed. Rul:llyyih Khanum
writes that, "He assiduously kept abreast of the political news and
trends of the world, through his Times, The Jerusalem Post and
sometimes the well-known European dailies Journal de Geneve
and the Paris edition of the New York Herald Tribune." 9 Indeed his
communications reflected an acute awareness of world affairs. The
news and reports he received were undoubtedly put to various
uses, but it is evident that the springs of interpretation were often
activated by the influx of information.
The interpretive powers of the Guardian were, it is important to
reiterate, not self-arrogated but were conferred upon him through an
act of appointment deriving from a source authorized by Baha'u' llah,
Who Baha'is believe to be a Messenger of God come to establish
an independent dispensation. It is rare in religious history for an
individual to have been assigned such a role by the Founder of
a faith. In a statement on the office of interpreter, Baha'u'llah had
written that the hearts of those who are the "appointed interpreters"
of the Word of God are the "repositories of its secrets" and are the
"only ones who can comprehend its manifold wisdom." 10 Thus,
in this context, Shoghi Effendi's treatment of every issue the
Baha'is might bring to his attention regarding their development as
individuals and as members of institutions and of communities
was inextricably linked to his designated role as "expounder" of
the Word.
Interpretation of holy scriptures has, of course, been fundamental to the existence of religious communities throughout the ages.
In the past, each community has dealt with the need according to

8. Rul)iyyih Rabbani, The Priceless Pearl (London : Baha' i Publishing Trust,
1969), pp. 127-28.
9. Ibid., p. 201.
10.Baha ' u ' llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha 'u 'l/ah (Wilmette:
Baha ' i Publishing Trust, 1983), p. 175.

SHOGHI EFFENDI

{:~ c. i&.~,-: !('~.If,_;;,;,»! ..:.1 V.:1 ~)1 •
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0 my loving friends! After the passing away of this
wronged one, it is incumbent upon the Agb~an (Branches), the
Afnan (Twigs) of the Sacred Lote-Tree, the Hands (pillars) of
the Cause of God and the loved ones of the Abha Beauty to
turn unto Shoghi Effendi-the youthful branch branched from
the two hallowed and sacred Lote-T rees and the fruit grown
from the union of the two offshoots of the Tree of Holiness,-
as he is the sign of God, the chosen branch, the guardian of the
Cause of God, he unto whom all the Agh~an, the Afnan, the
Hands of the Cause of God and His loved ones must turn. He
is the expounder of the words of God and after him will succeed
the first-born of his lineal descendents.

One of the excerpts from the Will and Testament of 'Abdu 'l-Baha, in the
original Persian and in English translation, explicitly appointing
Shoghi Effendi as Guardian of the Saha 'i Faith.

its particular circumstances, but the outcome has been disastrously
contrary to the intention of every revealed religion to create a unified community. In the absence of any explicit directives in these
texts for the administration of their derivative communities and for
interpretation, individuals who assumed the role of interpreter
were not able to silence the protests that arose over their offerings.
The schismatic consequences have bedeviled society throughout
history. It is therefore of crucial importance that the Founder of a
religion principally concerned with achieving the unity of the whole
human race should have made specific arrangements to secure it
against the divisiveness of conflicting, unauthorized interpretations

THE BAHA'I WORLD

of its sacred Jaws and ordinances. In the light of past experience,
the explicit, authoritative appointment of ' Abdu'l-Baha, and
then Shoghi Effendi, as interpreter, stands as a distinguishing feature of the Baha'i Faith.
It is important, too, to recognize that his function as interpreter was inseparable from his designation as Guardian. The
absorption of the two into an indivisible whole ensured both
explication of the theory and actualization of the practice of the
new Faith. His interpretive work must be seen within the context
of his broad responsibilities as the successor of 'Abdu'l-Baha:
"For he is, after 'Abdu'l-Baha," the Will and Testament states,
"the guardian of the Cause of God ... and the beloved of the Lord
must obey him and tum unto him." 11
The Guardian, as experience showed and the specifications in
his appointment as interpreter or expounder indicated, not only
interpreted specific utterances ofBaha'u'llah and 'Abdu'l-Baha but
also expounded the teachings of the Faith. However, it is noteworthy that the appointed interpreter was not required to interpret
everything in Baha'i scripture. His interpretations obviously provided for a unity of understanding, a unity without which it would
be impossible to establish and ensure the unity of the community.
There must, of course, exist a wide latitude for individual understanding of scripture. "I have no objection to your interpretations
and inferences so long as they are represented as your own personal
observations and reflections," Shoghi Effendi wrote in his own
hand to an individual, reasoning that, "no one has the right to
impose his view or opinion and require his listeners to believe in his
particular interpretation of the sacred and prophetic writings." 12
The Universal House of Justice , in replying to an individual's
inquiry , thus clarified the difference between authoritative interpretation and individual understanding of the Baha'i sacred
writings:

11. ' Abdu'l-Baha, Will and Testam ent of 'Abdu 'l-Baha (Wilmette : Baha'i
Publi shing Trust, 1968), p. 25 .
12. Shoghi Effendi, letter to an individual, dated 6 April 1928. Unfolding Destiny:
The Messages from the Guardian ofthe Baha 'i Faith to the Baha 'i Community
ofthe British Isles (London: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1981), p. 423.

SHOGHI EFFE NDI

A clear distinction is made in our Faith between authoritative
interpretation and the interpretation or understanding that
each individual arrives at for himself from his study of its
teachings. While the former is confined to the Guardian, the
latter, according to the guidance given to us by the Guardian
himself, should by no means be suppressed. In fact such individual interpretation is considered the fruit of man's rational
power and conducive to a better understanding of the teachings, provided that no disputes or arguments arise among the
friends and the individual himself understands and makes it
clear that his views are merely his own. Individual interpretations continually change as one grows in comprehension of
the teachings. 13

The Guardian was as a telescope with a clear lens through which
others might see Baha'u'llah's purpose in bold relief. In a sense,
he made himself transparent so that recipients of his explanations
and guidance could fix their sight on Baha'u'llah as the source of
their motivations and on 'Abdu'l-Baha as their exemplar. In a
critical sentence, Shoghi Effendi clarified his attitude in this respect:
"The fact that the Guardian has been specifically endowed with
such power as he may need to reveal the purport and disclose the
implications of the utterances ofBaha'u'llah and of 'Abdu'l-
Baha does not necessarily confer upon him a station co -equal
with those Whose words he is called upon to interpret." 14 He was
vigilant in avoiding an imposition of his personality that might in
any way dim the pre-eminence of the Central Figures of the
Faith. Although he met and talked with the many individuals
who went to the world center of the Faith as pilgrims, he did not
visit Baha'i communities and did not allow photographs of himself
to be circulated. His instruction to the Baha'is not to commemorate events associated with his life is an impressive example of the
self-effacement that characterize his deferential relationship to
these Figures. Besides, the styles of address he used in his letters
to the Baha'is show clearly his desire not to be seen in a similar
light to his grandfather, despite the high rank of his office as

13 . Messages from the Universal House ofJustice, 1963- 1986: The Third Epoch
of the Formative Age (Wilmette: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1996), p. 88.
14. Shoghi Effendi, The World Order ofBaha 'u '!!ah, p. 151.

~~~ B~\!&~,
~c;l... , ~~~ ~\.ti.~ ,
~Le._ Gt .\:\u, S~9'.tn ~
Postscript to
"\-- ~\dQ~ ~~~ ~. ~.,á '
a letter addressed
to an individual,
~,cu.~ ~'1--~ ­
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in the Guardian 's
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handwriting.
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Guardian. "Fellow-laborers in the Divine Vineyard," "Dearlybeloved co-workers," "Friends and fellow-promoters of the Faith of
God," "My dear fellow-worker"-all such salutations reflect the
genuineness of his humility and the sincerity of his fraternal sentiments, which are even more deeply felt in his complimentary close
and signature: "Your true brother, Shoghi."
The writings of Shoghi Effendi, for the most part, comprise
an estimated 36,000 letters and messages addressed to institutions, national and local communities, the world community, and
individuals. He conducted a vast correspondence with individuals,
who wrote to him freely about their particular concerns regarding the work of the Faith, for personal advice as to how best they
might serve it, and for answers to questions about the Baha'i
teachings. This correspondence produced an immense treasury of
guidance on a remarkably wide range of subjects. While he had
to rely on the assistance of secretaries to convey his responses to
letters, he managed almost invariably to append to each reply a
postscript in his own hand, signifying that what had been written
by his secretary had been reviewed by him and was therefore
authentic. Some of the Guardian's letters and messages were
voluminous enough to be published separately as books; others
have been drawn together in published anthologies. He wrote a
stupendous history of the first hundred years of the Baha'i Faith,
published under the title God Passes By. The versatility of his

SHOGHI EFFEN DI

narrative style is richly displayed in this work of outstanding
literary merit.
In addition to his writings , he provided translations of major
works of Baha'u'llah and ' Abdu'l-Baha. Gifted with a masterly
grasp of the rich vocabulary and subtle nuances of English and
endowed with the power of unerring perception, he turned any
such translation into a thing of wonder and delight. One of his
most celebrated translations is The Dawn-Breakers, Nabil's narrative of the heroic happenings during the days of Baha'u' llah' s
Forerunner, the Bab . It is said by those who know the original
Persian text of the narrative that Shoghi Effendi did more than
translate it. He performed the rare feat of creating a translation
more splendid than the original yet unfailing in fidelity to its
source. His English translations became the basis for the translation of Baha'i literature into many other languages.
The Baha'is understand from the literature of interpretation
how to believe, how to act, and how to grow spiritually. These in
a broad, practical sense mean, among other things: how to manifest justice in their deeds and relationships; how to acquire the
virtues of a chaste and holy life; how to eliminate racial and other
forms of prejudice; how to translate the inherent equality of men
and women into social practice; how to preserve the salutary
essentials of politics; how to be loyal citizens without indulging
in partisanship; how to cultivate a sense of civic responsibility ;
how to appreciate diversity in the human family, to be servants to
their fellow humans of whatever background, to uplift the victims
Messages
written by
Shoghi Effendi to
various Baha 'i
communities
have been
collected into a
number of
volumes, shown
here with his
c
history of the
Faith,
God Passes By.

THE BAHA: f W ORLD

of oppression; how to develop a world-embracing vision, to appreciate the basic oneness of the revealed religions , and to acquire
the virtues of world citizenship.
If, through his writings , Shoghi Effendi has made indelible
impressions on minds and hearts, he also has left ineradicable
marks on the ground: superb evidences of his aesthetic acuity. His
close, personal attention to the physical development of the Baha'i
World Centre, which is situated in the twin cities of Acre and
Haifa, actuated his creative energies. The buildings designed and
erected at his initiative, his direct involvement in their interior
decoration, the extensive gardens he himself designed to provide a
proper ambience for the holiest sites of the Faith, have all ensured
a legacy of beauty for generations to come. These efforts, too,
were avenues of his interpretation of the will of Baha'u'llah,
Whose "Tablet of Carmel" and specific indication of the spot on
Mount Carmel for the tomb of His Forerunner, the Bab, foreshadowed the establishment of the world headquarters of His Faith.
In addition to completing the edifice for the Shrine of the Bab,
which 'Abdu'l-Baha had commenced at the instruction of His
Father, Shoghi Effendi traced in the form of an arc the path along
which the buildings for the administrative institutions of the Faith
would be erected. He himself approved the design for the first of
these, the International Archives Building, the construction of
which he supervised. It set the style for the other buildings, which
even at this writing, are being constructed on that historic mountain.
Moreover, in Shoghi Effendi's meticulous attention to the design

An aerial shot of
th e Shrin e of
Baha 'u 'llah,
circa 1954,
showing the
extensive gardens laid out by
Shoghi Effendi
to beautify the
resting place of
the Founder of
the Baha 'i Faith .

SHOGHI EFFE NDI

Aerial shot of current construction
on the Bahri 'i
__ properties in
-- ' ~~ Haifa, showing
á ~ the arc-shaped
path delineated
by Shoghi Effendi,
along which the
administrative
buildings are
situated.

and beautification of the holy sites there was a means of educating
the community; for through it he demonstrated modes by which
physical arrangements can reflect reverence for the sacred.
The Vision of Shoghi Effendi
Shoghi Effendi's labors revolved around explicating and actualizing
the pivotal Baha'i principle, the oneness of humankind. The global
community he raised up is meant to embody that all-embracing code.
But this core principle enunciated by Baha'u'llah more than a century
ago is not simply the motto of a religious congregation. Its implications extend toward certain ultimate realities. It puts the peoples
of earth on notice that human evolution has reached a wholly new
stage, the stage of consummation; and it identifies the goal towards
which all meaningful effort on the planet must now be oriented.
Early on, Shoghi Effendi dismissed the notion that the unity of
mankind could be regarded as a "mere outburst of ignorant emotionalism," or that it should merely be identified with a "reawakening of
the spirit of brotherhood." Though its message applies to the individual, he elaborated, it is primarily concerned with the "nature of
those essential relationships that must bind all the states and nations
as members of one human family ." The result it seeks, therefore, is
a "world organically unified in all the essential aspects of its life,
its political machinery, its spiritual aspiration, its trade and finance,
its script and language, and yet infinite in the diversity of the national characteristics of its federated units." 15

15. Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahri 'u 'flrih , p. 43 .

THE BAHA'I WORLD

But he is wary of any misgivings as to the animating purpose
of this central principle, explaining that,

Far from aiming at the subversion of the existing foundations
of society, it seeks to broaden its basis, to remold its institutions
in a manner consonant with the needs of an ever-changing
world. It can conflict with no legitimate allegiances, nor can it
undermine essential loyalties. Its purpose is neither to stifle the
flame of a sane and intelligent patriotism in men's hearts, nor
to abolish the system of national autonomy so essential if the
evils of excessive centralization are to be avoided. It does not
ignore, nor does it attempt to suppress, the diversity of ethnical
origins, of climate, of history, of language and tradition, of
thought and habit, that differentiate the peoples and nations of
the world. It calls for a wider loyalty, for a larger aspiration than
any that has animated the human race. It insists upon the subordination of national impulses and interests to the imperative
claims of a unified world. It repudiates excessive centralization
on the one hand, and disclaims all attempts at uniformity on the
other. Its watchword is unity in diversity .... 16

Commenting more than sixty-five years ago on the chaotic state
of a world oblivious to the remedial possibilities of this principle,
Shoghi Effendi exclaimed: "How pathetic indeed are the efforts
of those leaders of human institutions who, in utter disregard of
the spirit of the age, are striving to adjust national processes,
suited to the ancient days of self-contained nations, to an age
which must either achieve the unity of the world, as adumbrated
by Baha'u'llah, or perish." 17 In the same vein, he observed, "No
scheme which the calculations of the highest statesmanship may
yet devise; no doctrine which the most distinguished exponents of
economic theory may hope to advance; no principle which the
most ardent of moralists may strive to inculcate, can provide, in the
last resort, adequate foundations upon which the future of a distracted world can be built." 18 Elaborating further, he continued:
No appeal for mutual tolerance which the worldly-wise might
raise, however compelling and insistent, can calm its passions

16. Shoghi Effendi, Th e World Order of Baha 'u 'flah, pp. 41-42.
17. Ibid., p. 36.
18. Ibid., p. 34.

SHOGHI EFFENDI

or help restore its vigor. Nor would any general scheme of
mere organized international cooperation, in whatever sphere
of human activity, however ingenious in conception, or extensive in scope, succeed in removing the root cause of the evil
that has so rudely upset the equilibrium of present-day society.
Not even, I venture to assert, would the very act of devising
the machinery required for the political and economic unification of the world-a principle that has been increasingly
advocated in recent times-provide in itself the antidote against
the poison that is steadily undermining the vigor of organized
peoples and nations. 19

His thought then concluded emphatically: "It is towards this goalthe goal of a new World Order, Divine in origin, all-embracing in
scope, equitable in principle, challenging in its features-that a
harassed humanity must strive." 20
In the years since the Guardian penned those lines, the concept of
globalization has seized the imagination and propelled the efforts of
nations to deal with one another increasingly freely, at least at the
level of trade and finance. Advances in communications technology
have accelerated this trend. Indeed, the entire world is involved in
the implied processes of the unifying principle at the very heart of
Baha'u'llah's Revelation, whereas attainment to a united world
seemed exceedingly remote at the time of His appearance. Ambitious nations were then occupied with competing with one another
in empire building while the majority of human beings seemed fit
only for the role of oppressed minorities. But since then a sudden
change has occurred in the social and political character of the
world's peoples. The astonishing speed with which new nations
have been born, especially since World War II, and the swiftness,
indeed the sense of inevitability, with which the idea of globalization
is being embraced are for the post-modem world an unconscious
accession to the irresistible wisdom and timeliness ofBaha'u'llah's
foresight.
While the perilous conditions of humanity make a compelling
case for world unity, the evident, new potentialities of the human
race indicate that it is not only necessary but inevitable. Taken

19. Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Baha 'u 'llah, p. 34.
20. Ibid., p. 34.

THE BAHA'I WORLD

together, the unprecedented advances in science, technology,
and the arts during this century alone lend substance to the burgeoning of these inherent human powers. It is a burgeoning that
Baha'u 'llah associated with the coming of age of humanity in the
new Day He came to usher in. Every created thing, He averred,
has been endowed with "all the potentialities it can carry. " 21 The
many new discoveries of intellectual and natural resources appear
to affirm it; and it seems demonstrable, for example, in as basic a
material as sand when one considers its use in the manufacture of
the computer microchip. In this connection, too, Shoghi Effendi's
enumeration of the implications of the oneness of mankind anticipates such developments as the "sharpening and refinement of
the human brain" and the "prolongation of human life," 22 about
both of which medical scientists have had much to report that
is positive. As to communications, Shoghi Effendi in this same
context wrote: "A mechanism of world inter-communication will be
devised, embracing the whole planet, freed from national hindrances
and restrictions, and functioning with marvelous swiftness and
perfect regularity." 23 Perhaps it has yet to be achieved fully, but
when he penned this expectation sixty years ago, there was no
way of appreciating the prospective cyberworld of the Internet.
An outstanding effect of Shoghi Effendi's writings is the meaning they give to history and the prospect they assign to the future .
The future, or, in other words, the destiny of humankind, is the
dominant theme of his work, as might well be expected from the
fact that the oneness of mankind is as much a goal to be achieved
as a principle to be lived. From his treatment of these matters we
gather a hitherto unformulated understanding of the past and the
present. His vision derives from fundamental propositions in
Baha'u'llah's teachings. These hold, for example, that God, the
Creator of all existence, is an Unknowable Essence, immeasurably
exalted above anything that any person can conceive, unapproachably glorious in the loftiness of His own Self. Since this Supreme
Being cannot reveal Himself directly to any of His creatures, He

21 . Shoghi Effendi, Th e World Order of Baha 'u 'llah, p. 169.
22. Ibid., p. 204.
23. Ibid., p. 203 .

SHOGHI EFFENDI

makes Himself known to humanity through His Messengers or
Manifestations. These Manifestations appear from time to time as
the bearers of God's message. As all come from the same Source,
Their messages are essentially the same except in certain details
that vary to suit the times of Their appearance. Truth is relative to
time and conditions, and as the human race evolves, its need for
spiritual and social renewal is inevitable. The progress of civilization
is linked to the successive appearances of these Suns of Truth,
ensuring a progressive revelation of God's purpose for humanity.
Human beings have been created to "carry forward an ever-advancing
civilization,"24 of which the Revelations brought by the Manifestations are the fountainheads. For example, Moses, Zoroaster, Christ,
and Muhammad are among the Manifestations of God that inaugurated dispensations during which civilizations were born and
flourished.
Against such a background of basic Baha'i teachings, Shoghi
Effendi explains that the Faith ofBaha'u'llah should not be regarded
"as the culmination of a cycle, the final stage in a series of successive, of preliminary and progressive revelations. These, beginning
with Adam and ending with the Bab, have paved the way and anticipated with an ever-increasing emphasis the advent of that Day of
Days in which He Who is the Promise of All Ages [Baha'u'llah]
should be made manifest." 25
The factor of time looms large in such explanations, taking on
unusual, historic dimensions and meanings. We find in Shoghi
Effendi's messages a variety of treatments and contexts. The Baha'i
cycle, he tells us, will last for 5,000 centuries, a far, far longer
period that the 6,000-year Adamic cycle. Throughout this vast
stretch of time many Manifestations will appear-Baha'u'llah
states explicitly that the next one will come after at least a thousand
years. Shoghi Effendi also shows the dispensation of Baha'u'llah
as comprising three ages: the Heroic Age, the period from the
announcement of the Bab's mission to the passing of 'Abdu'l-
Baha; the Formative Age, the period in which the Administrative
Order brought by Baha'u'llah will develop; and the Golden Age,

24. Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha 'u '!!ah, p. 215.
25. Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahci 'u 'llah, p. 103.

the time when that Order will have been established and unity
and peace will give rise to a new civilization functioning in accordance with the laws and ordinances of Baha'u'llah. Then again
his writings present us with a concept of humanity's spiritual
history divided into ten parts, representing, as he describes it,
"the majestic process, set in motion at the dawn of the Adamic
cycle," which will attain its consummation in the Golden Age of
the Baha'i era. 26
The contemplation of such perspectives opens the mind to an
entirely different appreciation of time and history. We have here
access to a new paradigm that enables us to see history not simply as a sequence of haphazard events and potentially deadly
conditions leading to the ultimate extinction of all civilization.
We are offered instead an assurance of renewal in the continuity
of an intelligent evolution of human society with all its inevitable snares and pitfalls. A future is possible. The awareness of an
ever-advancing flow of history provides the basis for a fresh
understanding of progress, decline, and decadence, which are
inherent in the evolutionary processes of life in this world.
The relevance of such conceptions of time and history is
underscored by Shoghi Effendi's projection, as follows, of a
mind-stretching exposition of the world-shaping prospects of
Baha'u'llah's Revelation:

The Revelation of Baba 'u' llah, whose supreme mission is
none other but the achievement of this organic and spiritual
unity of the whole body ofnations, should, if we be faithful to
its implications, be regarded as signalizing through its advent
the coming of age of the entire human race. It should be
viewed not merely as yet another spiritual revival in the everchanging fortunes of mankind, not only as a further stage in a
chain of progressive Revelations, nor even as the culmination
of one of a series of recurrent prophetic cycles, but rather as
marking the last and highest stage in the stupendous evolution
of man's collective life on this planet. The emergence of a
world community, the consciousness of world citizenship, the
founding of a world civilization and culture-all of which must
synchronize with the initial stages in the unfoldment of the

26. Shoghi Effendi, Messages to the Baha'i World, p. 153.

SHOGHI EFFE NDI

Golden Age of the Baha'i Era-should, by their very nature,
be regarded, as far as this planetary life is concerned, as the
furthermost limits in the organization of human society, though
man, as an individual, will, nay must indeed as a result of
such a consummation, continue indefinitely to progress and
develop.27

This goes far beyond even the most hopeful views of future
society being expressed by our foremost thinkers. It validates in
an unusual sense the proposition that history is progress.
In the context of the goal of world unity, the twentieth century must be viewed as a critical part of a period of transition to a
wholly new state of society, a period in which the ground is being
laid for a coming Golden Age for the entire planet. The tumultuous
dynamics of this transition are being played out through a twofold
process, "each tending, in its own way and with an accelerated
momentum," Shoghi Effendi writes, "to bring to a climax the
forces that are transforming the face of the planet. The first is
essentially an intefating process, while the second is fundamentally disruptive." 2 The integrating process itself comprises two
parts which though basically related are outwardly separate, both
leading to the same bright prospect: world peace. One is to lead to
a preliminary stage, the other is to consummate the peace in which
a new civilization will emerge and flourish.
Baha'i literature refers to the two parts of this integrating process
as the "Lesser Peace" and the "Most Great Peace." The former is
to be achieved through the reaction of political leaders to the
painful consequences of a twentieth century world shrunken into
a neighborhood by the advances of science but morally and socially
deranged by its spiritual disorientation. The actions of world leaders
that brought about the League of Nations and subsequently the
United Nations offer hints as to the nature of the course to be
taken. The latter, the Most Great Peace, is to be attained through
the eventual spiritualization of the planet, a much more protracted
and profound undertaking involving the inner transformation of
the individual inhabitants of the earth through their voluntary

27. Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Baha 'u 'llah, p. 163.
28. Ibid., p. 170.

THE BAHA:f WORLD

acceptance of the principles enunciated by the latest divine Messenger. The progress of the Baha'is in spreading their message to
millions in all parts of the world who are committed to the way of
Baha'u'llah is indicative of the possibilities for this ultimate goal.
For Baha'is this transition, with all its accompanying horrors
and frustrations, is the natural consequence on a global scale of
evolving to adulthood from adolescence-a period when the
struggle and rebelliousness of youth must, with the onset of maturity, eventually yield to a resolution of conflicting tendencies or
else the individual will suffer the recurrent crises of a disoriented
personality. The processes involved in the experience of the individual are reflected in those of a society at the threshold of its
coming of age. Humanity as a whole is as yet reluctant to yield to
the new situation; hence, it remains ill-prepared to extricate itself
from the strife and confusion in which it is enmeshed.
Referring to the revolutionary dimensions of the transition in
train, Shoghi Effendi remarked on the improbability of its being
achieved through the ordinary processes of diplomacy and education. "We have but to turn our gaze to humanity's blood-stained
history to realize that nothing short of intense mental as well as
physical agony has been able to precipitate those epoch-making
changes that constitute the greatest landmarks in the history of
human civilization." 29 The second World War had yet to be fought
when he made this observation. He devoted much attention to
explaining the paradoxes of the "simultaneous processes of rise
and of fall, of integration and of disintegration, of order and chaos,
with their continuous and reciprocal reactions on each other" 30 -
paradoxes that characterize a time of transition when the death
pangs of the old order and the birth pangs of the new embrace. The
concurrently destructive and constructive manifestations of this
historic phenomenon have been conspicuous in the world-shaking
happenings of the twentieth century. In an Age of Transition precedent to the new civilization promised by the advent of the Baha'i
dispensation, this century could be seen as the paramount century

29. Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahci 'u 'llah, p. 45.
30. Shoghi Effendi, The Advent ofDivine Justice (Wilmette: Baha'i Publishing
Trust, 1971), p. 61.

SHOGHI EFFENDI

of that Age. A Baha'i view of it may well find expression in a
Dickensian description: it has been the worst of centuries and the
best of centuries.
So much attention has been focused on the ills of a century
regarded, in the words of Isaiah Berlin, as "the most terrible century
in Western history," that it is not necessary here to enumerate them.
Suffice it to acknowledge that its excesses in acts of perversity and
destruction have given rise to the gravest crises in the history of the
race, and to a state of cynicism, confusion, and pessimism that casts
doubt as to the future of civilization. Shoghi Effendi commented
extensively on what he described in 1941 as the "triple gods of
Nationalism, Racialism and Communism, at whose altars governments and peoples, whether democratic or totalitarian, at peace or at
war, of the East or of the West, Christian or Islamic, are, in various
forms and in different degrees, now worshiping." 31 His indictment
of those who followed such theories and policies was thunderous.
These, he said, are "the dark, the false, and crooked doctrines for
which any man or people who believes in them, or acts upon them,
must, sooner or later, incur the wrath and chastisement of God." 32
He saw this "triple curse that oppresses the soul of mankind in this
day" as the offspring of irreligion; he attributed "other evils and
vices" to the "weakening of the pillars of religion." Even so, he
unfailingly held out a vision of hope.
Search for feasible instruments of global governance is among
the stirrings that excite expectations in a world rapidly approaching
the end of the twentieth century. The system of World Order adumbrated by Baha'u'llah and amplified by Shoghi Effendi offers a
concept of governance unique to human experience. While validating
salutary features of established forms of government, it at the
same time excludes objectionable aspects without being a mere
synthesis of these forms or becoming simply a replica of any one
of them. "The world's equilibrium hath been upset through the vibrating influence of this most great, this new World Order," 33 is

31. Shoghi Effendi, The Promised Day Is Come (Wilmette: Baha'i Publishing
Trust, 1980), p. 113.
32. Ibid., pp. 113- 14.
33. Ba ha 'u 'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas: Th e Most Holy Book (Wilmette: Baha'i
Publishing Trust, 1992), p. 84, para. 181.

THE BAHA'I WORLD

Baha'u'llah's own pronouncement on the system He has
introduced. He adds in a further reference to it: "Mankind's
ordered life hath been revolutionized through the agency
of this unique, this wondrous
System-the like of which -~~
mortal eyes have never wit- The eagle adorning the top of the
nessed." 34 The disequilibrium monument at the resting place ofShoghi
in world affairs appears in this Effendi, in London, England.
sense, then, to be simultaneously negative and positive manifestations of a deeper truth than mere historical analysis can uncover.
Conclusion
Historians and social scientists pondering the twentieth century
might well pause to examine Shoghi Effendi's commentaries on
the ills and portents of this "Age of Extremes," as one historian has
called the period. 35 Thinkers interested in sorting out the questions
posed by the bewildered state of so-called "post-Communist" or
"post-Capitalist" society will encounter much in his writings to
stimulate and challenge their outlook. They will be treated to
unusual perspectives in his explanations of' Abdu'l-Baha's thoughtawakening metaphors that designate the twentieth century as the
"century of the revelation of reality and, therefore, the greatest of
all centuries,''36 as the "sun of previous centuries, the effulgence of
which shall last forever,"37 and as the "century oflight." 38
They will discover, too, in his majestic and evocative prose a
source of intellectual and spiritual refreshment. For he was, indeed,
a master writer who succeeded in distilling the virtues of language,

34. Baha'u ' llah, Th e Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 84, para. 181.
35 . Eric Hobsbawm, Age of Extremes: Th e Short Twentieth Century (1914-
1991) (London: Little, Brown and Company, 1994).
36. 'Abdu ' l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by
'A bdu 'l-Baha during His Visit to the United States and Canada in 1912
rev. ed. (Wilmette: Baha ' i Publishing Trust, 1982), p. 140.
37. Ibid., pp. 125- 26.
38. Shoghi Effendi, Th e World Order of Baha 'u 'llah, p. 39.

SHOGHI E FFENDI

making it reflect the spirit
and wholesomeness of truth.
But he went beyond this. He
achieved far more than his
wish to translate from the
language of Revelation into
English. As appointed interpreter and guide , he also
translated words into deeds.
Galvanized by the energy of
his messages and the vision
they inspired , the Baha'is
embarked successfully on the
vast enterprise of erecting the
banner of Baha'u'llah's Faith
in countries throughout the
world. This engaged people
from the widest range of eth- Th e final portrait of the Guardian, taken a
nic and cultural backgrounds f ew months before his passing in 195 7.
in efforts by which a renewal of civilization might be effected.
This was, and continues to be so , because the effects of these
efforts by Baha'is go beyond the internal objectives of the Baha'i
community to provide vital benefits to society as a whole. For one
thing, Baha' i principles and practices aim at strengthening the
social fabric by instilling a high sense of civic responsibility. In a
world inclined increasingly towards democratic ways of conducting its affairs, it is significant that the rank and file of the Baha'is
everywhere are required to participate in the administration of their
community at all levels. For instance, they are continually learning
and applying the art of consultation as the means of problem-solving and decision-making for individuals, groups and institutions;
they also engage in a method of electing their institutions by secret
ballot without electioneering or nominations. An outstanding fact in
the latter regard is that in scores of countries Baha'is, lettered and
unlettered, were the first among native populations to experience,
through the operation of their communities, any form of election.
An emergent community has sprung up. It claims members in
every country and dependent territory, drawn from some 2,000 ethnic

THE BAHA'I WORLD

groups; and selections from its literature have been translated into
more than 800 languages. At the same time that the Baha'is benefited practically from the community-building instructions Shoghi
Effendi's writings offered, they were enabled to see through his
inspired views beyond the topsy-turvy state of society to the
peace-fashioning goal of their Faith. They were invited into a
realm of thought by which they could achieve a soul-satisfying
transcendence while attending to the practical circumstances of
life in a time of cataclysmic disturbances. The Baha'i community
is a global laboratory in which an unprecedented transformation
in individual and collective behavior is progressing towards the
realization of that world-shaping principle around which it revolves.
In such a community can be discerned, thanks to the indispensable
ministry of Shoghi Effendi, the glimmerings of a new World Order.
That such a figure as Shoghi Effendi lived in the twentieth century ensures to the annals of the period a dimension that cannot
long be ignored. Two points become clear. The first is that Shoghi
Effendi's Guardianship was not merely a significant transitional
episode in the development of a religious community. The second
is that any interpretation of contemporary events that overlooks
the emergence of the world-embracing community he raised up,
and which fails to appreciate the central principle that motivates
and sustains its existence, lacks a guide to the future. If the claims
ofBaha'u'llah are to be understood aright, Shoghi Effendi's legacy
bodes well to be increasingly regarded as a wellspring of authentic
guidance from which the forces of civilization will draw renewed
virtue for at least a full millennium.

Ann Boyles offers a perspective
on the meaning of "community, "
its condition today,
and what it will look like
in the next millennium.

WTWORLD
WATCH

I t was Aristotle who first defined the word "co'inmunity" as a
group established by men having shared values. That initial
definition has been refined and expanded through the years. We have
come, for example, to recognize that people can belong to a number
of different "communities" simultaneously-communities of place;
cultural communities; communities of memory, in which people
who may be strangers share "a morally significant history"; and
psychological communities "of face-to-face personal interaction
governed by sentiments of trust, co-operation, and altruism." 1
The world, we are repeatedly reminded, has contracted into a
"global village." One effect of this contraction is the bringing
together of hitherto isolated peoples, allowing for the development
of new patterns of civilization-but also creating new tensions .
Thus, challenges now confront communities at local, national,
and global levels. For example, new information technologies
have created "networks" and "cybercommunities" in the world

1. Daniel Bell, Communitarianism and its Critics (Oxford: Clarendon Press,
1993), p. 14.

THE BAHA'I WORLD

of the Internet that link individuals and organizations around the
globe without regard for national boundaries; small communities
around the planet are affected by urban migration or by degradation
of the natural and built environment; the existence of national
communities- nation states- is under threat from assaults by ethnic
or tribal enclaves. Ironically, while the emergence of a global community wielding effective power is seen by many as a necessity in
order to combat the ill effects of unfettered market economics, the
whole idea that a real global community can ever come into existence
is met with deep misgivings or complete skepticism by others. How,
then, can we understand "community" at the end of the twentieth
century-and what will its future be in the next millennium?
A number of significant challenges to community have arisen
from developments in global information technologies. While
pundits ponder whether or not Internet users form any kind of
viable community as they sit at their computers in farflung corners of the world, a deeper and more serious issue is the manner
in which the entire structure of computer networks undermines
more traditional kinds of community organization.
As Jessica Mathews points out in her essay "Power Shift,"
which appeared in a recent issue of Foreign Affairs, these new
information technologies have challenged established societal
hierarchies . They have empowered civil society, which in turn
has allowed the world's peoples generally to be more involved
than previously in issues that were once the sole province of
states and to forge new links between democracy, human rights,
and international security. Yet, the technologies themselves are
not always used to achieve constructive ends. They have , for
example, also promoted the spread of global organized crime,
and they have enabled individuals to cross borders easily to subvert governments and, at times , create new societal divisions.
The future of the state, in her view, is therefore uncertain.
Information technologies , she points out "disrupt hierarchies ,
spreading power among more people and groups." She continues,

In drastically lowering the costs of communication, consultation, and coordination, they favor decentralized networks
over other modes of organization. In a network, individuals or

groups link for joint action without building a physical or formal
institutional presence. Networks have no person at the top and
no center. Instead, they have multiple nodes where collections of
individuals or groups interact for different purposes. Businesses,
citizens organizations, ethnic groups, and crime cartels have all
readily adopted the network model. Governments, on the other
hand, are quintessential hierarchies, wedded to an organizational form incompatible with all that the new technologies
make possible. 2

The technologies, she concludes, weaken community by empowering individuals, and her article contains this dire prediction:

The prophets of an intemetted world in which national identities
gradually fade, proclaim its revolutionary nature and yet believe
the changes will be wholly benign. They won't be. The shift
from national to some other political allegiance, if it comes,
will be an emotional, cultural, and political earthquake. 3

Mathews raises important questions: What kind of community
can be forged in an intemetted world, where the structure of the
technology promotes anarchy, with its emphasis on complete freedom of expression and lack of regard for authority? Does this spell
the end of the nation-state and, if so, what other kind of political
entity might arise in its stead? The challenges posed by the new
information technologies may generate significant crises felt
throughout the world, but such a development looms on the horizon.
There are, however, a number of current crises facing community.
Loss of the sense of community based on "place" is a worldwide
phenomenon. Millions of people all over the planet are being displaced from their homes. Some are refugees fleeing escalating
political strife. Others are forced from their homes by economic
necessity, such as farmers from rural China who are migrating to
cities in vast numbers, searching for factory work. Such movement
destroys families, undermines the traditional sense of trust found
in community, increases feelings of isolation and dislocation,
and creates a host of social problems.

2. Jessica T. Mathews, "Power Shift," Foreign Affairs (January- February
1997), p. 52.
3. Ibid., p. 65.

THE BAHA'f WORLD

Even where people still maintain their homes, there are challenges to the sense of place. A case in point is America, where
planners are in revolt against the manner in which the built environment of communities has been shaped in the latter part of the
twentieth century. A movement widely known by the name "new
urbanism" protests against the "fantastic, awesome, stupefying
ugliness" of "the gruesome, tragic suburban boulevards of commerce" so common in American towns and cities, contending
that "this ugliness is the surface expression of deeper problems"
and contributes substantially to the widely expressed sense of
"loss of community" felt throughout the society. 4
The new urbanists posit that going back to the planning and design
principles that shaped the traditional neighborhoods of America
is a way ofrecapturing this lost sense of place and community, of
reversing a pattern of development they see as "economically
catastrophic, an environmental calamity, socially devastating, and
spiritually degrading." Discarding the zoning laws that segregate
various activities, they seek to create neighborhoods (or hamlets
or villages) of manageable size which, when clustered together,
become towns and cities. Each neighborhood is constructed on a
"human scale"; it contains both residential and commercial property and provides housing for people of different levels of income.
The proposal is not fantastic. Many traditional European towns,
for example, have preserved this element of "human design." But
to make such a change, citizens everywhere must take an active
role in decisions regarding the environment in which they live:

Human settlements are like living organisms. They must grow,
and they will change. But we can decide on the nature of that
growth-on the quality and the character of it-and where it
ought to go. We don't have to scatter the building blocks of
our civic life all over the countryside, destroying our towns and
ruining farmland .. .. It is within our power to create places that
are worthy of our affection. 5

4. James Howard Kunstler, "Home From Nowhere," Atlantic Monthly (September 1996), p. 43 .
5. Ibid., p. 66.

Such loss of "community of place" can also bring loss of communities of memory and communities governed by trust. In the
late nineteenth century Ferdinand Tonnies theorized that in the
development of systems of culture, communities invariably move
from a period of Gemeinschaft, where shared experience and
likeness are most important, toward a period of Gesellschaft,
where individuals exist in isolation from each other, there is a
strong sense of competition, relationships are contractual, and
monetary values prevail. Such a progression has been noted by
others as well. In this century, Pitirim A. Sorokin, for example,
saw societies moving through ideational, idealistic, and sensate
stages, away from spiritual truth and values towards self-indulgence and material values. But is such a progression inevitable?
If we again take the case of America and look at it in Tonnies'
terms, we see that the society is in a period of Gesellschaft. William
Leach, in his insightful 1993 volume Land of Desire, analyses the
forces that have shaped modem America as "a distinct culture,
unconnected to traditional family or community values, to religion
in any conventional sense, or to political democracy .... The cardinal
features of this culture were acquisition and consumption as the
means of achieving happiness; the cult of the new; the democratization of desire; and money value as the predominant measure
of all value in society." 6 As this culture grew, Leach writes,
"Increasingly, the worth of everything-even beauty, friendship,
religion, the moral life-was being determined by what it could
bring in the market.'' 7
Leach characterizes the dominant mode of interaction in twentieth century life as an amoral "brokering style,'' the features of which
are "repressing one's own convictions and withholding judgment
in the interest of forging profitable relationships." Contending
that it "occupies a preeminence in today's political and moral
economy,'' he writes, "Brokers are now busy in nearly every sphere
of activity, and they have helped inject into American culture a
new amoralism essentially indifferent to virtue and hospitable to

6. William Leach, Land of Desire: Merchants, Power, and the Rise of a New
American Culture (New York: Random House, 1993), p. 3.
7. Ibid., p. 8.

THE BAHA'I WORLD

the ongoing inflation of desire." 8 Because America, with the collapse
of communism, is now the world's undisputed single superpower,
its role as the leading exponent of Western capitalist valueswhich have been exported throughout the entire world-is crucial.
Indeed, some writers have gone so far as to characterize the
current devotion to those values as a worldwide "religious" phenomenon. David Loy writes:

.. .our present economic system should also be understood as
our religion, because it has come to fulfill a religious function
for us. The discipline of economics is less a science than the
theology of that religion, and its god, the Market, has become
a vicious circle of ever-increasing production and consumption by pretending to offer a secular salvation. The collapse of
communism-best understood as a capitalist "heresy"-makes
it more apparent that the market is becoming the first truly
world religion, binding all comers of the globe more and more
tightly into a world view and set of values whose religious role
we overlook only because we insist on seeing them as "secular. "9

George Soros shares this view, stating, "What used to be a
medium of exchange has usurped the place of fundamental values .... The cult of success has replaced a belief in principles .
Society has lost its anchor." 1o Concluding that "there is something wrong with making the survival of the fittest a guiding
principle of civilized society," he proposes an "open society" as
the antidote to the havoc that laissez-faire capitalism and market
values are wreaking in democratic society, where the guiding
principles of "nonmarket values" are eclipsed by the influence of
market values. Current confidence that "the unhampered pursuit
of self-interest will bring about an eventual international equilibrium" is, in his view, "misplaced." An "open society" would
promote institutions that allow people to live together in peace,
in spite of their different views, interests, and beliefs concerning

8. Leach, p. 11 .
9. David R . Loy, "The Religion of the Market," Journal of the American
Academy of Religion 62.2 (Summer 1997), p. 275.
10. George Soros, 'The Capitalist Threat" in The Atlantic Monthly (February
1997), pp. 45- 58.

what is true. He concludes, however, that there is currently no
willingness to establish the means to preserve a global open society.
Another commentator, William Greider, in his book One World,
Ready or Not: The Manic Logic of Global Capitalism, also contends
that the widespread adoption of market economics does not and will
not bring social and political stability, which have often been
touted as long-term benefits. In fact, he says, the spread of market economics destroys the fabric of traditional societies and
provides ideal conditions for contending political forces to fight
each other for control.
In a response to Greider' s book in The Atlantic Monthly, Lester
Thurow concurs, saying, "Capitalism is myopic and cannot make
the long-term social investments in education, infrastructure, and
research and development that it needs for its own future survival.
It needs government help to make those investments, but its own
ideology won't allow it either to recognize the need for those
investments or to request government help. That is the ideological
paradox of our time." 11
According to Greider, we stand at a watershed in history: "A revolutionary principle is embedded in the global economic system,
awaiting broader recognition: Human dignity is indivisible. Across
the distances of culture and nations, across vast gulfs of wealth and
poverty, even the least among us are entitled to dignity, and no justification exists for brutalizing them in the pursuit of commerce." 12
He continues, "any prospect of developing a common global social
consciousness will inevitably force people to reexamine themselves
first and come to terms with their own national contradictions and
hypocrisies. And just as Americans cannot claim a higher morality
while benefiting from inhumane exploitation, neither can developing countries pretend to become modem 'one world' producers and
expect exemption from the world's social values." 13

11. Lester Thurow, "The Revolution Upon Us" The Atlantic Monthly (March
1997), pp. 97- 100.
12. William Greider, excerpted from One World: Ready or Not and published
under the title "Planet of Pirates" in Th e Utne Reader (May- June 1997),
pp. 72- 73.
13. Ibid., p. 102.

THE BAHA'I WORLD

While there is, as yet, no set of social values generally accepted
by the world, attempts have recently been made to introduce an
internationally accepted "Charter of Human Responsibilities." This
document would "provide a broader ethical context to the principles
inherent within the Universal Declaration of Human Rights" to
"accentuate those positive obligations each individual should assume
in the service to humanity and the rest of creation." 14 The charter has
not yet gained wide acceptance, but its formulation is a hopeful sign.
Values are also a main concern of Philip Selznick, a communitarian philosopher who contends not only that social justice must
be the foundation of community but that it is the responsibility of
both individuals and the collective. Thus, the communitarian
concept of community is a "unity of unities"-a sort of "federal"
unity that preserves the integrity of the parts by emphasizing
individual moral autonomy as well as the moral bonds of civility,
which are seen to be interdependence and reciprocity. 15 The concept
of"stewardship" in governance further binds social power to moral
ideals. 16 It is a concept that looks outward rather than inward-or,
as Selznick puts it, moves towards "the 'we' of humanity." 17 In
this concept of community the balance of particularism and universalism is regarded as crucial, respecting diversity "without allowing
its claims to override those of basic humanity andjustice." 18
It is not surprising that movements such as the communitarians
have arisen to revisit the roots of Western society and to reexamine
the values underpinning its culture. Their response to "the weakening of institutions, the blurred line between liberty and license,
the widespread preference for short-run gains," is to prescribe "more
extensive responsibility in ever; aspect of personal experience
and social life" as the antidote. 1

14. Taken from the Core Initiatives of"The State of the World Forum'95."
15. Philip Selznick, "Social Justice: A Communitarian Perspective," in The
Responsive Community 6.4 (Fall 1996), p. 15. For further discussion, see also
Philip Selznick, The Moral Commonwealth: Social Theory and the Promise
of Community (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1992), pp. 367- 71 .
16. Ibid., p. 22.
17. Ibid., p. 23 .
18. Ibid., p. 24.
19. Ibid., p. 13.

Two other communitarians have offered some valuable insights
into a community-friendly, sustainable system of economics. In
their book For the Common Good, Herman E. Daly and John B.
Cobb, Jr., make a distinction between two different paradigms of
economic behavior: chrematistics and oikonomia. Chrematistics,
they say, "can be defined as the branch of political economy
relating to the manipulation of property and wealth so as to maximize short-term monetary exchange value to the owner"-a model
that conforms to Leach's, Soros' and Greider's view of capitalism,
as epitomized by the American system. In contrast, oikonomia "is
the management of the household so as to increase its use value to
all members of the household over the long run." They continue, "If
we expand the scope of household to include the larger community
of the land, of shared values, resources, biomes, institutions, language, and history, then we have a good definition of 'economics
for community. "' 20
The concept of oikonomia seems quite close to Selznick's
" stewardship." Cobb and Daly's assertion that "True economics
concerns itself with the long-term welfare of the whole community"21 posits a conception of humans as something quite different
from mere consumers-and of community as something much
different from a mere marketplace. They argue that seeing people
only as beings "bent on optimizin3 utility or satisfaction through
procuring unlimited commodities," 2 which is the view underlying
current economic theory, leads to "policies that weaken existing
patterns of social relationships." 23 They advocate, instead, that
"economics should be refounded on the basis of a new concept of
Homo economicus as person-in-community," 24 recognizing that

the well-being of a community as a whole is constitutive of
each person's welfare ... because each human being is constituted

20. Herman E. Daly and John B. Cobb, Jr. , For th e Common Good: Redirecting the Economy Toward Community, the Environment, and a Sustainable
Future (Boston: Beacon Press, 1989), p. 138.
21. Ibid., p. 159.
22. Ibid. , p. 159.
23 . Ibid., p. 163 .
24. Ibid., p. 164.

THE BAHA'f W ORLD

by relationships to others, and this pattern of relationships is at
least as important as the possession of commodities. These
relationships cannot be exchanged in a market. They can, nevertheless, be affected by the market, and when the market grows
out of the control of a community, the effects are almost always
destructive. Hence this model of person-in-community calls
not only for provision of goods and services to individuals, but
also for an economic order that supports thefattem of personal
relationships that make up the community.2

Daly and Cobb argue strongly for a conscious movement towards
the adoption of social behavior and values that will enhance "the
common good" and build the foundations of a community that
will protect the environment and promote ways of living that
provide for a sustainable future. Such an approach addresses some
of the key challenges facing community.
At the broadest level of discussion, many contemporary thinkers,
such as Daly and Cobb, see the global nature of environmental
crises and the interconnectedness of national economies, for
example, as leading inexorably towards the establishment of a
global community of some sort. Others, however, see the whole idea
as an utter impossibility. Some of the most provocative pieces to
appear in print on this topic during the past several years have
been authored by Samuel P. Huntington, whose essay "The Clash
of Civilizations?" in Foreign Affairs sparked a firestorm of debate
on his thesis that the emergence of a global civilization is a utopian
fantasy. Huntington later expanded his position to a full-length
book, notably dropping the question mark at the end of the title to
read The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order.
The phrase "world community" "has become the euphemistic
collective noun (replacing 'the Free World' ) to give global legitimacy to actions reflecting the interests of the United States and
other Western powers," 26 he contends. The West, whose system
of liberal democracy has recently been touted as the pinnacle of
social evolution and achievement, is not, in his view , a universal

25.Daly and Cobb, pp. 164--165.
26. Samuel P. Huntington, Th e Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of
World Order (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1996), p. 184.

W ORLD W ATCH

civilization. "What is universalism to the West is imperialism to
the rest," he states. 27
While Huntington focuses on "civilization," which he defines
as "the highest cultural grouping of people and the broadest level
of cultural identity people have short of that which distinguishes
humans from other species," the elements he sees as shaping civilizations are quite similar to those generally accepted as characteristics
of community: "common objective elements, such as language,
history, religion, customs, institutions" and "the subjective selfidentification of people. " 28
He is extremely skeptical that any kind of unified global civilization can ever develop. At the individual level, he asserts that there
must always be "the civilizational 'us' and the extracivilizational
'them"' because we fear and distrust people who are different; we
experience difficulty in communicating with them; and we are
unfamiliar with what motivates them, how they conduct social
relationships, and so on. 29 In opposition to Daly and Cobb, he states
that "it is human to hate"; "for self-definition and motivation people
need enemies: competition in business, rivals in achievement, opponents in politics. They naturally distrust and see as threats those
who are different and have the capability to harm them." 30 This
rivalry extends to the sphere of religion. As Huntington says, "Whatever universalist goals they may have, religions give people identity
by positing a basic distinction between believers and nonbelievers,
between a superior in-group and a different and inferior out-group."31
Further, "if a universal civilization is emerging," he asserts, "there
should be signs of a universal language and a universal relifion
developing." He concludes, "Nothing of the sort is occurring." 2
Andrew Bard Schmookler, while also identifying "intersocietal
anarchy" as "the overarching context of civilized life," is somewhat
more optimistic than Huntington about the development of a united

27. Ibid., p. 184.
28. Ibid., p. 43.
29. Ibid., p. 129.
30. Ibid. , p. 130.
31. Ibid., p. 97.
32. Samuel P. Huntington, "The Many Faces of the Future," The Utne Reader
(May- June 1997), pp. 75- 77.

THE BAHA:f WORLD

global civilization. "As long as the human cultural system was
fragmented into a multiplicity of separate units," he asserts, "the
problem of power remained insoluble." 33 He contends that now "an
escape from this fragmented system is beginning to emerge,"
although dangers still remain:

For the first time, the world is becoming a single interdependent system in which all the world's peoples are in contact.
Meanwhile, the age-old struggle for power goes on and may
annihilate us before we can create an order that controls power.
But the centuries ahead give us the opportunity to place all
human action within a structure that for the first time makes
truly free human choice possible. Even so, it is far from clear
how to get from here to there, or even what kind of world order
"there" should be. 34

Malaysia's deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim advances one
possible path for humanity to tread. In his forthcoming book The
Asian Renaissance, he criticizes Huntington's approach as "nothing
more than Orientalism in a new garb," a view he characterizes as
"false and dangerous":

It is false because it implies an inherent impermeability of
cultures, an inability to absorb each other's characteristics,
and presupposes the existence of a "Great Wall" separating the
civilizations of the world. It is dangerous because it generates
paranoia and breeds animosity and suspicion and may, therefore, become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Thus, the question is
not whether civilizations will clash, but whether civilizations
ought to clash. 35

To avoid such conflict, he asserts that if we reflect on "higher ideals,"

we will discover that there is less difference between East and
West than is often made out to be ... .The challenge at hand is
to conceive a common vision of the future which goes beyond

33. Andrew Bard Schmookler, The Parable ofthe Tribes: The Problem ofPower
in Social Evolution (Boston: Houghton Miffiin Co., 1984), p. 33.
34. Ibid., pp. 33- 34.
35. Anwar Ibrahim, "A Global Convivencia vs. The Clash of Civilizations,"
excerpted in New Perspectives Quarterly (Summer 1997), p. 41.

our current concerns and preoccupations, advancing toward
the creation of a global community, dominated neither by the
East nor the West, but dedicated to the ideals of both. 36

He advocates a "civilizational dialogue," undertaken with the goal
of achieving a "global convivencia-a harmonious and enriching
experience of living together among people of diverse religions
and cultures." 37
The uncertain hope expressed by Schmookler, the pessimism
of Huntington, the fundamental structural changes described by
Mathews , the ills outlined by Leach, Greider, Soros, and others,
and the prescriptions advanced by Daly, Cobb, Selznick, and
Ibrahim all provide differing perspectives on the strenuous debate
currently taking place around the subject of community. Where
the world will go from here remains uncertain. Various individuals
and organizations have attempted to address the ills of society,
which are generally perceived to be worldwide in scope, but, as
Soros comments rather bitterly, no will exists to establish institutions and mechanisms that would effectively govern a global
community. And certainly there is no wide agreement about what
exactly the fundamental values of such a community should be.
It is clear from the number and variety of problems confronting
humanity at this stage in its history that community development
must be pursued at all levels, from the local to the global. Religion
is one powerful means to address these problems, since it has traditionally been concerned with two broad questions: the purpose
of existence and the nature of the community. In fact, the word
"religion" itself is derived from religio, meaning "to bind together."
Members of the world ' s youngest independent religion, the
Baha'i Faith, who now number some five million souls from more
than 2,000 tribes, races, and ethnic groups, have forged a united,
dynamic community that is flourishing at the local, national, and
global levels. The vision that unites this diverse group comes
from Baha'u'llah, the Founder of the Baha'i Faith. He taught that
all people worship one God, Who has guided the development of

36. Ibrahim, p. 41 .
37. Ibid., p. 42.

THE BAHA'f WORLD

humanity through successive Messengers Who have founded the
world's major religions. The human race, Baha'u'llah said, now
stands at the threshold of maturity, and the time has come for the
uniting of all peoples into a peaceful and integrated global society. His prescriptions for humanity all lead toward that end.
Baha'is are, therefore, deeply concerned with the process of
community building. To help them advance in their understanding
of this issue, the Universal House of Justice, the Faith's international
governing council, has offered a definition of "community," which
it characterizes as "more than the sum of its membership":

it is a comprehensive unit of civilization composed of individuals, families and institutions that are originators and
encouragers of systems, agencies and organizations working
together with a common purpose for the welfare of people
both within and beyond its own borders; it is a composition of
diverse, interacting participants that are achieving unity in an
unremitting quest for spiritual and social progress. 38

Because spiritual values have the power to simultaneously unite
peoples and transform political order into a moral community, the
Baha'i Faith has tremendous capacities to promulgate the model
of a healthy, dynamic community. Indeed, Shoghi Effendi, the
Guardian of the Faith, writing about the Baha'is, once referred to
"the society-building power which their Faith possesses." 39
The principle that has enabled the Baha'i Faith to achieve an
unprecedented level of unity as a world community and yet preserve local communities' and individuals' unique identities is that
of "unity in diversity," about which Shoghi Effendi offers this
commentary:

The Faith of Baha'u'llah has assimilated, by virtue of its creative, its regulative and ennobling energies, the varied races,
nationalities, creeds and classes that have sought its shadow,
and have pledged unswerving fealty to its cause. It has changed

38 . The Universal House of Justice, Riqvan Jetter to the Baha' is of the world,
B.E. 153 (April 1996).
39. Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Baha 'u 'llah: Selected Letters (Wilmette: Baha' i Publishing Trust, 1991), p. 195.

WORLD WATCH

the hearts of its adherents, burned away their prejudices, stilled
their passions, exalted their conceptions, ennobled their
motives, coordinated their efforts, and transformed their outlook. While preserving their patriotism and safeguarding their
lesser loyalties, it has made them lovers of mankind, and the
determined upholders of its best and truest interests. While
maintaining intact their belief in the Divine origin of their
respective religions, it has enabled them to visualize the underlying purpose of these religions, to discover their merits, to
recognize their sequence, their interdependence, their wholeness
and unity, and to acknowledge the bond that vitally links them to
itself. This universal, this transcending love which the followers
of the Baha'i Faith feel for their fellow-men, of whatever race,
creed, class or nation, is neither mysterious nor can it be said
to have been artificially stimulated. It is both spontaneous and
genuine. They whose hearts are warmed by the energizing
influence of God's creative love cherish His creatures for His
sake, and recognize in every human face a sign of His reflected
glory.40

This sense of spiritual unity that provides the basis of community
structure pervades all aspects of Baha'i community life. As one
writer puts it,

...the meaning of Community is a meaning which can only be
gradually unfolded as our experience in living the ideals of
Community grows and evolves. Beyond our sense of friendship and fellowship and social interaction there is the reality
of spiritual unity ....
...unity is the essence of the Baha' i Faith, because it is the
principle of spiritual unity applied at a social level, a spiritual
unity which has never before been realized in any community,
a spiritual unity which flows from the communion of the individual soul with God and from the vision of God revealed in
the soul of every other believer in that Community.41

True civilization does not arise from material progress, but
rather is founded on the transcendent values that hold society

40. Shoghi Effendi, Th e World Order of Baha 'u 'llah, pp. 197- 98.
41. John Davidson, A Baha'i Approach to Community: Process and Promise,
Vol. 1, Baha'i Studies in Australasia: Baha'i Community and Institutions
(Association for Baha'i Studies- Australia, 1993), p. 36.

THE BAHA'f WORLD

together. Baha'is believe that the theories and practices that promote
self-indulgence and disrupt the connections among individuals
must be directly challenged. Service to humanity and a commitment to a deeper level of engagement with each other and the
problems of society are key motivating forces behind the Baha'i
community. As Baha'u'llah has written:

That one indeed is a man who, today, dedicateth himself to
the service of the entire human race .... Blessed and happy is
he that ariseth to promote the best interests of the peoples and
kindreds of the earth .... It is not for him to pride himself who
loveth his own country, but rather for him who loveth the
whole world. The earth is but one country, and mankind its
citizens. 42

Such service is the hallmark of true religion. In the words of
'Abdu'l-Baha, son ofBaha'u'llah:

Universal benefits derive from the grace of the Divine religions, for they lead their true followers to sincerity of intent,
to high purpose, to purity and spotless honor, to surpassing
kindness and compassion, to the keeping of their covenants
when they have covenanted, to concern for the rights of others,
to liberality, to justice in every aspect of life, to humanity and
philanthropy, to valor and to unflagging efforts in the service
of mankind. It is religion, to sum up , which produces all
human virtues, and it is these virtues which are the bright candles of civilization. 43

To support the spiritual unity and desire to serve humanity
that form the basis of community in Baha'u'llah's teachings, a
structure to guard that unity and to promote acts of service is also
explicitly laid out in the Faith's sacred writings. As the eminent
Baha'i writer Horace Holley comments:

42. Baha ' u ' llah, Gleanings from th e Writings of Bah a 'u 'llah (Wilmette:
Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1983), p. 250.
43 . 'Abdu 'l-Baha, The Secret ofDivine Civilization (Wilmette: Baha' i Publishing
Trust, 1994), p. 98.

WORLD WATCH

Faith alone, no matter how wholehearted and sincere, affords
no basis on which the organic unity of a religious fellowship
can endure ...
The Baha'i teaching has this vital distinction, that it extends
from the realm of conscience and faith to the realm of social
action. It confirms the substance of faith not merely as a source
of individual development but as a definitely ordered relationship to the community. 44

He goes on to discuss the nature of the authority to which Baha'is
commit themselves:

Sovereignty, in the Baha'i community, is attributed to the Divine
prophet, and the elected representatives of the believers in their
administrative function look to the teachings ofBaha'u'llah for
their guidance, having faith that the application of His universal
principles is the source of order throughout the community.
Every Baha'i administrative body feels itself a trustee, and in
this capacity stands above the plane of dissension and is free
of that pressure exerted by factional groups. 45

Here one finds an application of the concept of "stewardship,"
as mentioned by Selznick. Indeed, as Holley says, the Local Spiritual Assembly, the council that is elected annually, "represents
the collective conscience of the community with respect to Baha'i
activities." 46 In short,

Spiritual Assemblies, local and national, combine an executive,
a legislative and a judicial function, all within the limits set by
the Baha'i teachings .... They are primarily responsible for the
maintenance of unity within the Baha'i community and for
the release of its collective power in service to the Cause. 47

The administrative model conceived by Baha'u'llah promotes
a concept of leadership embodying trustworthiness, wisdom, and
willingness to sacrifice for the common good, and whose highest

44. Horace Holley, "Aims and Purposes of the Baha ' i Faith," The BahQ 'i
World, Vol. XII (1950- 54), p. 8.
45. Ibid., p. 9.
46. Ibid.
47. Ibid.

THE BAHA'I WORLD

expression is service to the community. It also fosters collective
decision making and collective action through a process called
"consultation." Conducted in a spirit of unity, its purpose is to
search out the truth. Those engaged in the process are enjoined
to express their views with "all freedom," but at the same time
"with the utmost devotion, courtesy, dignity, care, and moderation."48 In this way, participants can avoid antagonism and conflict,
and all can freely express their views without fear of displeasing
or alienating anyone. Here, one sees how the "right" of freedom of
speech is balanced by the "responsibility" of moderate expression.
Indeed, Baha'u'llah states that "Human utterance is an essence
which aspireth to exert its influence and needeth moderation."
Its influence, He says, "is conditional upon refinement which in
tum is dependent upon hearts which are detached and pure," and
its moderation should be "combined with tact and wisdom. " 49
Because the Baha'i community-just a century and a half
old-is only "at the very beginning of the process of community
building," the House of Justice also provides, in its Ric;lvan 1996
letter, guidance regarding the elements necessary for healthy community growth. To facilitate the healthy growth of communities
that can engage in an "unremitting quest for spiritual and social
progress," the House of Justice emphasizes that they must promote
patterns of behavior "by which the collective expression of the
virtues of the individual members and the functioning of the Spiritual
Assembly are manifest in the unity and fellowship of the community
and the dynamism of its activity and growth." These patterns
include the integration and inclusion of all the adults, youth, and
children in "spiritual, social, educational and administrative activities," as well as "local plans of teaching and development." Another
distinctive pattern of behavior is seen in the "collective will and
sense of purpose" to establish and maintain Baha'i administrative
institutions, particularly evident in the annual election of Spiritual
Assemblies in communities around the world . A final pattern

48. 'Abdu' l-Baha, cited in Consultation: A Compilation (Wilmette: Baha ' i
Publishing Trust, 1980), # 10, p. 6.
49. Baha ' u ' llah, Tablets of Baha 'u 'llah Revealed after th e Kitab-i-Aqdas
(Wilmette: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1995), p. 143.

involves "the practice of collective worship of God" through regular
devotional meetings, seen as "essential to the spiritual life of the
community."
And indeed, the spirit of unity underlying their communities
and the structures that govern them are not only for Baha'is, who
believe that through time a unified global community will be forged,
whether "reached only after unimaginable horrors precipitated
by humanity's stubborn clinging to old patterns of behavior" or
"embraced now by an act of consultative will." 50 As Shoghi Effendi
wrote,

Unification of the whole of mankind is the hall-mark of the stage
which human society is now approaching. Unity of family, of
tribe, of city-state, and nation have been successively attempted
and fully established. World unity is the goal towards which a
harassed humanity is striving. Nation-building has come to
an end. The anarchy inherent in state sovereignty is moving
towards a climax. A world, growing to maturity, must abandon
this fetish, recognize the oneness and wholeness of human
relationships, and establish once for all the machinef( that can
best incarnate this fundamental principle of its life. 5

Shoghi Effendi describes the global society promised in the Baha'i
sacred writings as follows:

A world community in which all economic barriers will have
been permanently demolished and the interdependence of Capital and Labor definitely recognized; in which the clamor of
religious fanaticism and strife will have been forever stilled;
in which the flame of racial animosity will have been finally
extinguished; in which a single code of international law-the
product of the considered judgment of the world's federated
representatives-shall have as its sanction the instant and
coercive intervention of the combined forces of the federated
units; and finally a world community in which the fury of a
capricious and militant nationalism will have been transmuted
into an abiding consciousness of world citizenship-such
indeed, appears, in its broadest outline, the Order anticipated

50. The Universal House of Justice, The Promise of World Peace (Haifa:
Baha'i World Centre, 1985), p. 1.
51. Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahri 'u 'llah, p. 202.

THE B AHA'I WORLD

by Baha'u ' llah, an Order that shall come to be regarded as the
fairest fruit of a slowly maturing age.52

In the Baha' i view, such a development is not a utopian vision; it is
the next and highest step in the development of "an ever-advancing
civilization," "the furthermost limits in the organization of human
society." 53
A response to Huntington' s objection that there can be no global
civilization because no universal religion or language is emerging
is found within the Baha'i Faith. First, it is a universal religion.
As Baha'u ' llah wrote over one hundred years ago,

There can be no doubt whatever that the peoples of the world,
of whatever race or religion, derive their inspiration from one
heavenly Source, and are the subjects of one God. The difference between the ordinances under which they abide should
be attributed to the varying requirements and exigencies of
the age in which they were revealed. All of them, except a few
which are the outcome of human perversity, were ordained of
God, and are a reflection of His Will and Purpose. 54

Further, He states,

Verily I say, this is the Day in which mankind can behold the
Face, and hear the Voice, of the Promised One .... Great indeed
is this Day! The allusions made to it in all the sacred Scriptures as the Day of God attest its greatness . The soul of every
Prophet of God, of every Divine Messenger, hath thirsted for
this wondrous Day. All the divers kindreds of the earth have,
likewise, yearned to attain it. 55

With regard to the choice or development of a single language,
Baha'u'llah says in His book oflaws:

0 members of parliaments throughout the world! Select ye a
single language for the use of all on earth, and adopt ye likewise a common script ... . This will be the cause of unity,

52. Shoghi Effendi, Th e World Order of Bahci 'u 'llah , p. 41.
53 . Ibid., p. 163.
54. Baha'u ' llah, Gleanings, p. 217.
55.Ibid., pp. 10-11.

WORLD W ATCH

could ye but comprehend it, and the greatest instrument for
promoting harmony and civilization, would that ye might
understand! 56

While all the elements necessary for the establishing of a global
society are present in the Baha'i sacred writings, the forging of a
world community will, in the words of Shoghi Effendi, be a "gradual
process." The first step towards it will be the establishment of what
Baha'is call "the Lesser Peace," a political union reached by the
nations of the world:

This momentous and historic step, involving the reconstruction of mankind, as the result of the universal recognition of
its oneness and wholeness, will bring in its wake the spiritualization of the masses, consequently to the recognition of the
character, and the acknowledgment of the claims, of the Faith
of Baha'u'llah-the essential condition to that ultimate fusion
of all races, creeds, classes, and nations which must signalize
the emergence of His New World Order. 57

"Then," Shoghi Effendi continues, "will the coming of age of
the entire human race be proclaimed and celebrated by all the
peoples and nations of the earth." The "Most Great Peace" will
be established with the universal recognition of the message of
unity brought by Baha'u'llah, following which "a world civilization [will] be born, flourish, and perpetuate itself, a civilization with
a fullness of life such as the world has never seen nor can as yet
conceive." 58
The establishment of a world civilization, promoting an unimaginable "fullness of life," is assured. With confidence in the eventual
achievement of this aim, Baha'is face the uncertainty of the transition period in which we are now living.
While others are not so confident, even the more pessimistic
express some vague hope that a peaceful world community will

56. Baha 'u 'llah, Th e Kitab-i-Aqdas: Th e Most Holy Book (Wilmette: Baha'i
Publishing Trust, 1993), p. 87, paragraph 189.
57. Shoghi Effendi, The Promised Day Is Come (Wilmette: Baha' i Publishing
Trust, 1980), p. 123 .
58. Ibid., pp. 123- 24.

somehow arrive. At the end of his book The Ends of the Earth: A
Journey at the Dawn of the 21st Century, Robert Kaplan asks a
crucial question: "As a species, we can imagine justice and harmony. But how can justice and harmony be possible for much of
humanity, given the evidence of history, plus the inflammatory
potential of a fourfold increase in population since the nineteenth
century, with antennas rising from mudhuts to allow the poor to see
how the rich live?" 59 Kaplan has no answer to this question, but
he closes his book with a quotation from the poem "Addressed to
Haydon" by the visionary English poet John Keats:

And other spirits ... are standing apart
Upon the forehead of the age to come;
These, these will give the world another heart,
And other pulses. Hear ye not the hum
Of mighty workings?-
Listen awhile ye nations, and be dumb.

Baha'u'llah delivered His message to humanity short years after
Keats penned these lines. "The world's equilibrium," He stated,
"hath been upset by the vibrating influence of this most great,
this new World Order. Mankind's ordered life hath been revolutionized through the agency of this unique, this wondrous System-the
like of which mortal eyes have never witnessed." 60 Baha'u'llah
called the peoples of the world together in unity; He delineated
the structure of a community that can function unitedly on the
local, national, and global levels to promote justice and build a
peaceful world. When considering the challenges facing communities at the end of the twentieth century, thinking people would
do well to study the model that has brought together, in some 153
years, more than five million people from extremely diverse backgrounds and has enabled them to establish a single, united global
community that both nourishes the individual and safeguards the
good of the whole. These are indeed, in Keats' words, "mighty
workings": here is a model that can benefit all the inhabitants of
the planet.

59. Robert D. Kaplan, The Ends of the Earth: A Journey at th e Dawn of the
21st Century (New York: Random Books, 1996), p. 437.
60. Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 84, para. 181.

At the Habitat II conference in Istanbul, in June 1996, the Baha'i
International Community shared its vision of communities of the
future-a vision that addresses many of the challenges facing us at
the end of this turbulent century:

Communities that thrive and prosper in the new millennium
will do so because they acknowledge the spiritual dimension of
human nature and make the moral, emotional, and intellectual
development of the individual a central priority. They will
guarantee freedom of religion and encourage the establishment
of places of worship. Their centers of learning will seek to
cultivate the limitless potentialities latent in human consciousness and will pursue as a major goal the participation of all
peoples in generating and applying knowledge. Remembering
at all times that the interests of the individual and of society
are inseparable, these communities will promote respect for
both rights and responsibilities, will foster the equality and
partnership of women and men, and will protect and nurture
families. They will promote beauty, natural, and man-made,
and incorporate into their design principles of environmental
preservation and rehabilitation. Guided by the concept of
unity in diversity, they will support wide-spread participation
in the affairs of society, and will increasingly turn to leaders
who are motivated by the desire to serve. In these communities the fruits of science and technology will benefit the whole
society, and work will be available for all.
Communities such as these will prove to be the pillars of
a world civilization-a civilization which will be the logical
culmination of humanity's community-building efforts over
vast stretches of time and geography. Baha'u'llah's statement
that all people are "born to carry forward an ever-advancing
civilization," implies that every person has both the right and
the responsibility to contribute to this historic and far-reaching,
collective enterprise whose goal is nothing less than the peace,
prosperity, and unity of the entire human family. 61

61. The Baha'i International Community, Sustainable Communities in an Integrating World, a concept paper shared at the Second United Nations Conference
on Human Settlements (Habitat II), Istanbul, Turkey, 3- 14 June 1996. See
pp. 27 5- 281 for the full text of this statement.

PROFILE:
TH~WrLLlAM
MASETLHA
FOUNDATION,
ZAMBIA

"B anani has taught me to be true to myself" "Spending my last
three years of school here has changed me quite a lot. I
appreciate the virtues I have been taught and the good days I had
here." "One thing I like about Banani is that I found out who I
really am and what I want to become ... I'm sure if given the chance
I will be able to help change the world to make it a better place to
live in." "'Let your vision be world embracing."'
These comments, written in the school's first yearbook by members of the 1996 graduating class of the Banani International
Secondary School in the Chisamba district of Zambia, clearly
reflect the ideals of the institution, which opened in 1993 to provide
secondary education for young women.
The Banani School forms one part of the William Mmutle
Masetlha Foundation, a Baha'i agency founded in 1995 under
the direction of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of
Zambia, which aims to deepen individuals' knowledge of spiritual
principles and to provide training in health, literacy, and a range of
practical skills and trades. In addition to overseeing the operations
of the Banani School, the Foundation has responsibility for the

direction of the William Mmutle Masetlha Institute, dedicated to
the development of human resources in Zambia.
The development of the Masetlha Foundation shows how the
expansion of grassroots development activities leads to a natural
evolution of established structures, governed by the needs and
priorities of the people they serve. The Baha'i approach to social
and economic development is distinctive, in that it promotes a
dynamic coherence between the spiritual and practical elements of
life. People learn to apply spiritual principles, to behave uprightly,
and to practice the art of Baha'i consultation so that they can
become increasingly self-sufficient and self-reliant. Further,
projects arise from an expressed need from people at the grassroots level rather than being imposed from the top. The basic
principle is that all people, regardless of their circumstances or
resources, can participate in this joint enterprise of increasing the
systematic application of the principles of the Baha'i Faith to
improving the quality of human life.
This approach recognizes that as people develop their capacity
to make decisions about their spiritual and material progress and
then to implement those decisions, the level at which they operate
will become increasingly complex. The growth in complexity,
however, is not imposed from without but arises naturally from
the growth in capacity of those participating in the projects. 1

The William Masetlha Institute
This kind of growth can clearly be seen in the development of the
Masetlha Foundation, which has its roots in the founding of the
William Masetlha Institute in 1983. The Institute was originally
established to work towards the betterment of life among the
50,000 people that constitute the rural population in the Kabwe
district, eighty kilometers north of Zambia's capital, Lusaka. The
Institute sought to develop human resources through combining a
study program in the Baha'i teachings and service to the Baha'i
Faith with vocational training in rural technology, farming, food
production, arts and crafts, health and hygiene, and other practical

1. See also pp . 293- 302 for further a report on two Baha'i social and economic development projects, including the William Masetlha Foundation.

THE "WJLLIAM M ASETLHA F OUNDATI ON

skills. In this way, the people would be able to see the spiritual
principles involved in their work.
In accordance with the Baha'i teachings, the promotion of the
advancement of women has occupied the Masetlha Institute since its
early days. In 1987, a program for women was created which included components on spiritual enrichment, literacy and numeracy,
mothering skills, and agricultural training. More recently, the establishment of the Banani Secondary School for girls has reinforced
the Baha'i commitment to the spiritual principle of equality.
An important element in the success of any program is reinforcement of learned information and behavior. One effective way in
which such reinforcement is achieved is through the publication
of a newsletter which was begun by the Institute so that former
participants in the programs could continue to stay in contact
with each other and develop effective networks to reinforce their
newly acquired skills and knowledge.
Surveying the conditions of the area, the Institute eventually
developed two main projects, the first addressing an illiteracy rate
that runs as high as sixty percent and the second with the goal of
improving grassroots knowledge about health care in the villages
of the area. Thus, the Baha'i Literacy Campaign and the Baha'i
Primary Health Care Project were born.

The Baha'i Literacy Campaign
The Baha'i Literacy Campaign is another example of how a simple
project begun at the grassroots level can evolve to become more
complex. The first stage in this process was a Baha'i literacy project,
which was begun by the Masetlha Institute in the early 1990s. Its
object was to train some 200 tutors who would then each hold literacy
classes for approximately twenty students. After the conclusion of the
initial effort, the Zambian Baha'i community became part of a
Baha'i Literacy Campaign coordinated by the Office of Social and
Economic Development at the Baha'i World Centre in 1996.
The Campaign had begun as a pilot project in three countries-
Cambodia, the Central African Republic, and Guyana- in 1994.
By 1996, enough had been learned from the pilot project for its
expansion into seven additional countries: Colombia, Ethiopia,
Ghana, Malaysia, Panama, Thailand, and Zambia.

The twin objectives of the campaign are to improve literacy
standards within the Zambian Baha'i community and to endow
participants with the power to communicate in such a way that they
can shape their own destiny. This is achieved not merely through
functional literacy but by giving people access to the Word of God
and means to apply that Word in their lives. Thus, while focusing
particularly on women and youth, the literacy project seeks to educate entire villages in concert with efforts to improve their social
conditions. The first, year-long phase of the campaign includes
the development of a core curriculum, the training of facilitators
and trainers of facilitators, and the establishment of a number of
literacy classes throughout the region. In line with the approach
to development described above, subsequent developments built
upon results and findings from this initial phase.

The Primary Health Care Project
Intended to assist the Government of Zambia in its campaign to
achieve "Health for All by the Year 2000," the Baha'i Primary Health
Care Project began in August 1993 . Its goals are to identify and
train over a hundred Community Health Care Workers to actively
promote preventive health education methods in their own communities. On a broader level, the project provides a health education
training model that can be made available to other development
agencies. Other goals include an increase of ten percent in the
level of immunization coverage in targeted areas and an increase in
knowledge of primary health care, with an emphasis on AIDS and
malaria prevention. The key to achieving this final goal is the
integration of primary health care into a broad range of developmentrelated training programs. By 1995, more than 70 of 93 trained
community health workers had conducted health education
activities; by the end of 1996, 149 had been trained.
The encouraging results of the training program are seen in the
following comments of Kate Bwalya, a public health nurse for
Zambia's Ministry of Health. She notes that health workers "willingly volunteer to get trained, but they are not wholeheartedly
prepared to serve. They need something to sustain their zeal.
They don't seem to know who they are really serving. But the
Baha'i-trained health educators know that they are serving. And

THE"'WJLLIAM M ASETLHA F OUNDATION

from what I see, the difference .. .is the spiritual stand." Indeed, the
emphasis on service is a prime objective of the program.
The future development of the primary health care project is currently under consideration, but certainly consolidation of gains made
is one priority. Refresher courses for workers already trained, as
well as courses for new workers to replace those who are no longer
active, community education, and the training of village health
committees are ways in which the project may evolve.
The Banani International Secondary School
Since its opening in January 1993, the Banani School has undergone
steady growth and progress. In 1996, for example, a new library,
computer lab and swimming pool were opened, and the academic
success of the school was reflected in the fact that all of the members
of the senior class earned their International General Certificate of
Secondary Education (I GCSE) according to the standards of the
University of Cambridge Examinations Syndicate, while the grade
nine class rated second in the district for its passing rate.
In 1994, more than 90 students attended the school, while that
number expanded to some 116 girls in the five grades during 1996.
From an academic staff of eleven hailing from six countries in
1994, Banani grew to some seventeen teachers and administrators, as well as other support staff, in 1996.
Subjects offered include English as a second language, French,
mathematics, geography, history, English literature, agriculture,
biology, chemistry, and physics. Courses on world religions and
character development have been developed by the school, and a
community service program is a key element in the moral training
received by students. In this program, students work in groups,
with a teacher advisor, and offer different forms of social service
to the school and the surrounding community. Scholarships for
deserving students have been offered since 1993.
Conclusion
The genesis, evolution, and future prospects of the Masetlha Foundation have been dictated by the needs of the people in the area it
serves. The challenge taken up by this Baha'i agency is to channel
energy into the most effective means of meeting those needs. As
people gain experience and expertise in the process of applying

THE B AHA'I WORLD

Parents,
students, and
guests celebrate the
inauguration
of the
Banani
School for
Girls.

A dance by
a group of
students,
featured
in the
opening

Banani
School.
-- ......-
spiritual principles to promote their own social well-being, there
is no doubt that the Foundation will evolve further, guided by the
belief that "the training that can make it possible for the earth's
inhabitants to participate in the production of wealth will advance
the aims of development only to the extent that such an impulse
is illumined by the spiritual insight that service to humankind is
the purpose of both individual life and social organizations."2 Only
through this kind of training can development efforts succeed in
"equipping people and institutions with the means through which
they can achieve the real purpose of development: that is, laying
foundations for a new social order than can cultivate the limitless
potentialities latent in human consciousness." 3

2. From a statement of the Baha'i International Community's Office of Public Information, The Prosperity of Humankind, originally prepared for the
United Nations World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen,
March 1995, pp. 12- 13 . See also Th e Bahri 'i World 1994-95, pp. 273- 296
for the full text of this statement.
3. Ibid., p. 13.

This article describes five
Bahri '£-initiated moral training programs
operating around the world.

NEW ViRTUE s'
NEW MORAL STANDARDS,
NEW CAPACITIES:
Moral Development Activities
in the Baha'i World Community

All created things have their degree or stage of maturity. The period
of maturity in the life of a tree is the time of its fruit-bearing ... The
animal attains a state of full growth and completeness, and in the
human kingdom man reaches his maturity when the light of his intelligence attains its greatest power and development. .. Similarly there
are periods and stages in the collective life of humanity. At one time it
was passing through its stage of childhood, at another its period of
youth, but now it has entered its long-predicted phase of maturity, the
evidences of which are everywhere apparent... That which was applicable to human needs during the early history of the race can neither
meet nor satisfy the demands of this day, this period of newness and
consummation. Humanity has emerged from its former state of limitation and preliminary training. Man must now become imbued with
new virtues and powers, new moral standards, new capacities. New
bounties, perfect bestowals, are awaiting and already descending
upon him. The gifts and blessings of the period of youth, although
timely and sufficient during the adolescence of mankind, are now
incapable of meeting the requirements of its maturity. 1

l. 'Abdu'l-Baha, cited in The World Order of Baha 'u '!!ah: Selected Letters
(Wilmette: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1991), pp. 163-65.

This passage from the Baha'i writings summarizes the Faith's
basic approach to the development of humankind. Baha'is see the
unfolding of history as the path of an "ever-advancing civilization,"
the progress of which is dependent upon humanity's moral as well
as material development. We stand now at the threshold of maturity,
for which we must acquire new virtues, new moral standards, and
new capacities in order to reap the benefits of the age. Elsewhere
in the writings of 'Abdu'l-Baha, the Son of the Founder of the
Baha'i Faith, this theme has been elucidated as follows:

Two calls to success and prosperity are being raised from the heights
of the happiness of mankind, awakening the slumbering, granting
sight to the blind, causing the heedless to become mindful, bestowing hearing upon the deaf, unloosing the tongue of the mute and
resuscitating the dead.
The one is the call of civilization, of the progress of the material
world. This pertaineth to the world of phenomena, promoteth the
principles of material achievement, and is the trainer for the physical
accomplishments of mankind. It compriseth the laws, regulations,
arts and sciences through which the world of humanity hath developed; laws and regulations which are the outcome of lofty ideals and
the result of sound minds, and which have stepped forth into the
arena of existence through the efforts of the wise and cultured in past
and subsequent ages. The propagator and executive power of this call
is just government.
The other is the soul-stirring call of God, Whose spiritual teachings are safeguards of the everlasting glory, the eternal happiness
and illumination of the world of humanity, and cause attributes of
mercy to be revealed in the human world and the life beyond.
This second call is founded upon the instructions and exhortations
of the Lord and the admonitions and altruistic emotions belonging
to the realm of morality which, like unto a brilliant light, brighten and
illumine the lamp of the realities of mankind. Its penetrative power is
the Word of God.
However, until material achievements, physical accomplishments
and human virtues are reinforced by spiritual perfections, luminous
qualities and characteristics of mercy, no fruit or result shall issue
therefrom, nor will the happiness of the world of humanity, which is
the ultimate aim, be attained.2

2. 'Abdu ' l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of 'A bdu 'l-Baha (Haifa: Baha' i
World Centre, 1982), sec. 225, pp. 283- 84.

M ORAL D EVE LOPMENT A CTIVITIES

'Abdu'l-Baha's statement outlines the basic approach of the
Baha'i community around the world in the activities it has undertaken with regard to moral development. Material progress is
desirable, but it should be accompanied by spiritual growthboth individual and collective. During a talk given in America in
April 1912, 'Abdu'l-Baha compared these two elements or powers to the wings of a bird, saying, "Both must be developed, for
flight is impossible with one wing." 3
While the Baha'i Faith is still a relatively young religion, it has
made a number of efforts throughout the world to develop programs
that will promote both the material and the spiritual progress not
only of its members but of the wider communities in which they
live. Many of these activities fall under the broad heading of social
and economic development-health care and literacy training, the
establishment of schools, income-generating projects- but some
have a distinct focus on moral training. This article will survey
five such projects and programs around the world: "ZIPOPO," or
"The Happy Hippo Show," a television program in Russia that
promotes awareness and discussion of moral issues among youthful
viewers; the moral leadership training program at Nur University
in Bolivia; the "On the Wings of Words" literacy project in Guyana; the School of the Nations in Macau; and the Moral Education
Project in St. Petersburg, Russia.
"ZIPOPO" or "The Happy Hippo Show"
This television show was first developed by Shamil Fattakhov, a
journalist from Kazan, to promote consultation in youth groups
on situations centered around themes connected to moral education.
The name of the program, "ZIPOPO," is taken from the first letters
of the words "Zaochniy institut pozitivnovo povedeniya," which
translates as "The Academy of Positive Behavior." In English the
program is called "The Happy Hippo Show," a title inspired by a
story related about ' Abdu' l-Baha, who, during His trip to America
in 1911- 12, is reported to have said to a crying child, "Don't be sad,
be a happy hippopotamus! "

3. 'Abdu ' l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by
'A bdu 'l-Baha during His Visit to the United States and Canada in 1912, rev.
ed. (Wilmette: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1982), p. 60.

THE B AHA' I W ORLD

The concept underlying "ZIPOPO" is to present viewers with
an opportunity to look at moral or ethical issues and to provide
them with the means to approach life problems and find positive
solutions through specific dramatic examples. As Mr. Fattakhov
has noted, the power of positive example has a long and distinguished history in Russia. He cites the instance where, following
the publication in the late nineteenth century of Leo Tolstoy's
novel The Resurrection, about a man who forfeits his wealth and
prominent position in society to repent for an evil deed he committed
in his youth, many readers of the popular work radically changed
their lives , confessing to crimes they had committed, donating
their possessions to charity, and performing good works.
"ZIPOPO," which runs weekly in a number of cities in Russia
and is about 40 minutes in length, features a dramatic skit performed
by actors, a live audience of between eighty and a hundred people-mostly youth-and hosts who facilitate the discussion. The
hosts begin by warming up the audience and introducing the topic
for the show, after which the first scene of a situation based on the
topic is acted out. The drama freezes at a crucial point of tension,
and audience discussion opens up, facilitated by the hosts who,
from time to time, interject relevant points or perhaps quote brief
passages from various literary or religious sources to further fuel the
exchange of viewpoints. Sometimes an expert on the topic is present
to contribute ideas as well. Following the discussion, which always
focuses on finding positive solutions to the situation, the dramatic
sketch resumes and one possible solution to the particular moral
dilemma is presented. A second round of audience discussion following the dramatic conclusion helps those present to recognize a
pattern of response to the problem, based on moral principles.
Many of the scripts have been developed by Mr. Fattakhov, but
he welcomes other authors and encourages youth to submit their
ideas for future programs; one scenario was written by a seventeen-year-old high school student. Well over two hundred such
sketches have now been written and performed, including ones on
topics such as how to avoid drug addiction, suicide, the difference
between sex and love, youth and the police, stealing, unemployment, racial conflict, divorce, running away from home, how to find
the right partner to establish a healthy family life, how to develop

M ORAL D EVELOPMENT A CTIVITIES

virtues, and so on. In one sketch, for example, a girl and her boyfriend are sitting on a park bench talking about how much they
love each other. He begins to pressure her to have sex; she says she
wants to wait until they are married. "But everybody does it," he
argues, and besides, they should "test each other out" before marriage. Finally he delivers an ultimatum: if she doesn't prove that
she loves him by sleeping with him tonight, their relationship is
over. At this point the action freezes. Should she give in or not?
The audience discusses the issue before the sketch resumes to
present one possible resolution to the situation.
The program has become very popular, not only with youth but
with entire families , because it features ordinary people exploring
moral solutions to common dilemmas that are often not addressed
in society. Viewers, then, see how they can practically apply moral
principles in their own lives. Mr. Fattakhov describes the goal of the
program as "the healing and education of society through regular
collective deepening in moral aspects, based on the highest moral
principles proclaimed by prophets of all world religions, by outstanding philosophers and prominent people, accumulated by the
wisdom of the whole of mankind."
The use of drama makes the problem more emotionally immediate and provides the opportunity for different social and age groups
to share a common experience. The discussion allows youth to
broaden their knowledge of life and experience consultation in a
supportive atmosphere where collective thinking is used in search
of positive solutions to life's problems. Positive actions and behavior
are thus legitimized in the minds of young viewers; individuals can
become responsible for their own moral choices, make positive
decisions, and take action. Families, too, can consult in their own
homes on topics introduced in the shows.
Audience bases for "ZIPOPO" are expanding. Host training
workshops have been held since 1994, and as a result the show is
now established in a number of Russian cities, including Chi ta,
Khabarovsk, Izhevsk, Ulan-Ude, Kazan, Leninogorsk, and Perm.
It has also been introduced into India, China, Sweden, Finland,
Norway, Italy, Moldova, Latvia, and the Ukraine. And while
"ZIPOPO" began as a program primarily directed at youth, different variations of the show have been developed, aimed at children,

THE BAHA'f WORLD

ZIPOPO's
host-originator
Shami! Fattakhov •
with young
participants at an
outdoor summer
camp in the far
east city of
Khabarovsk,
in July 1994.

women, families, and social groups such as teachers, businessmen,
journalists, and so on. Because the format of the show is flexible
and portable, it can be (and has been) done in locations as varied
as kindergartens, youth camps, schools, colleges and universities,
and on mass media, including radio, television, and newspapers.
In the city of Khabarovsk eighteen-year-old Tanya Maros, who
had been trained as a host, was galvanized to start up a radio version of the show, which she produced and hosted herself. Another
young host, Leonid Osokin, hosted a live TV program called the
"Orange Show," modeled on "ZIPOPO," for some two years in his
home city of Ulan-Ude. The popular show, which ran biweekly,
reached some one million people and was discontinued only when
Mr. Osokin left to pursue a doctoral degree in morality and ethics.
Recently , Mr. Fattakhov has adapted the basic format of
"ZIPOPO" for different audiences. For example, he has offered
seminars to businessmen on subjects such as ethics in business-an
issue of real concern in Russian society. The dramatic sketch presented at one such seminar opens with a businessman advising his
wife over the telephone not to buy fruit or vegetables from a particular
vendor who uses chemical sprays that could endanger the health of
their family. Immediately following this conversation two people
are ushered into the man's office, the first complaining about the
pollution released by the businessman's factory and its effects on
her child. The second, who is meanwhile quietly sobbing and obviously carrying something bulky under her coat, suddenly throws
aside her wrap and deposits a dead dog on the businessman's desk,

M ORAL D EVELOPMENT A CTIVITIE S

crying that this was her beloved pet that was poisoned by drinking
from the stream next to the man's factory. At that point the action
freezes and the seminar participants are invited to discuss what has
happened, identify the moral principles involved in the situation,
and devise a positive solution. According to Mr. Fattakhov, the
businessmen at the seminar were galvanized by the sketch and
engaged in a very energetic discussion of ethics in business practices- something they claimed they had not done previously.
Responses such as those of the businessmen- as well as the
popular reception of "ZIPOPO" on the television and radio in
various cities-underscore people's hunger for presentations and
programs that address in a substantive, participatory way the issues
of morality and ethics that are central to their lives. And the format
developed by Mr. Fattakhov also shows that addressing such issues
is far from a dull, dry exercise.
Moral Leadership Training Program at Nur University,
Bolivia
Universidad Nur, which celebrated its tenth anniversary in 1996, is
a private educational institution in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, founded
by a number ofBaha'is who were concerned with the lack of higher
educational opportunities for Bolivians and were motivated by the
need for trained professionals who could contribute to the development
of the country.
Nur's mission statement is "to contribute to an educational process that facilitates individual and social transformation through the
development of human capabilities, fostering a dynamic coherence
between the intellectual, spiritual, and physical dimensions, for the
establishment of a just, peaceful, and harmonious global society."
Nur began its first academic year in April 1985 with 97 students; it
currently has 2,600 undergraduate, 500 graduate, and more than
2,000 continuing education students; women compose 43% of the
student body.
Underlying Nur' s approach to education is the belief that the
mere transfer of information and knowledge will not raise up people
who can bring about a personal and collective transformation in
service to the common good. Therefore, the university emphasizes
ethical and moral education ; courses also look at the integrative
and disintegrative forces at work in the world that will eventually

THE BAHA'f WORLD

lead to the establishment of peace and the acceptance of the
concept of world citizenship. Latin American nations are still consolidating stable forms of democratic government, which many
leaders of thought in the region believe must be rooted in moral
leadership. Nur hopes that its programs will help create such
leaders.
Nur has identified eighteen specific moral leadership capabilities that it seeks to develop, including the following: to participate
effectively in consultation; to act with rectitude of conduct based
on ethical and moral principles; to evaluate one's own strengths
and weaknesses without involving the ego; to take initiative in a
creative, disciplined form; to learn from systematic reflection on
action within a consistent and evolutionary conceptual framework;
to commit to empowering educational activities; to create a vision
of a desired future based on shared values and principles, and to
articulate it clearly and simply so that it inspires others to work for
its fulfillment; to understand relationships based on dominance and
to contribute towards their transformation into relationships based
on interconnectedness, reciprocity, and service; to contribute to the
establishment of justice.
Emphasis in the moral leadership program is placed on the
individual ' s moral responsibility to search for and recognize truth,
and then to apply that truth in all aspects of his or her life. Students
are encouraged to find principles that can serve as the basis of
their lives and then to base decisions and actions on them, while
remaining open to the investigation of new principles so as to allow
for continuing growth. Students thus develop a principle-based
vision of the desired future of their community and examine different points of view and facts in order to investigate the truth.
A framework for teaching moral leadership has been incorporated into Nur' s core curriculum. Since 1990, all undergraduate
students have been required to complete 120 hours of community
service as a requirement for graduation. Almost 1,000 students have
now participated in more than 200 projects, some taking the initiative
to offer leadership workshops to local high schools as part of their
service.
Other programs also contain moral leadership components. A
pilot project, carried out from May 1993 to October 1995 in the

MORAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES

Participatory
learning at Nur
University in
Bolivia.

departments of Santa Cruz and Tarija, sought to empower 460 rural
teachers to become community development agents. Emphasis was
placed on the role that rural teachers can play in aiding communities to pursue their own path of development by analyzing their
own needs, establishing their order of priority, and managing their
own projects. Rural teachers, acting as facilitators, can serve as a
source of initiative, knowledge, and guidance in community organization, in the empowerment of grassroots organizations, and in the
management of their projects.
Training for the project was carried out by means of a threesemester degree course for the teachers, conducted through distance
education. Spiritual principles, which are seen as an essential part
of life and the development process, formed a central aspect of the
course through an emphasis on moral leadership. The five elements
underlying this component of the course are that leadership should
be oriented towards service and should not be an exercise of power;
that the aim of development is an active engagement in the process
of individual and collective transformation; that participants commit
to the fundamental moral responsibilities of searching for truth, of
recognizing truth, and of applying truth in all aspects of their lives;
that moral leadership is based on eternal values and a commitment
to service and the process of personal and collective transformation; and that emphasis should be placed on the development of
personal, interpersonal, and societal capabilities of leadership.
Another program seeks to strengthen women's leadership role
in the field of community health, emphasizing moral leadership

THE BAHA'I WORLD

capabilities that increase women's ability to take initiative in
improving health in their communities. Components of the program include study of moral leadership for social transformation
and consultation as a method of group decision-making, learning
how to form a collective vision and how to learn from reflecting
on experience, how to take creative initiative, and how participatory
evaluation aids in collective learning. The National Public Health
System of Bolivia, women from a number of rural communities who
belong to a Rural Women's Center, and the 35 member organizations of the Santa Cruz branch of the National Confederation of
Women's Organizations have also received moral leadership training.
Several Bolivian NGOs active in the fields of women's rights,
children's education, child survival, literacy, the protection of the
environment, and the improvement of agricultural production have
had their management and field staff trained in moral leadership
by Nur, as have the National Secretariat for Popular Participation,
the state government of Santa Cruz, and several municipal governments. Members of the Baha'i community, including members
of the institution of the Auxiliary Boards and their assistants and
Baha'i rural school teachers, have also received training.
Further extension of these activities is planned. Nur is developing
a strategy to apply moral leadership training to environmental issues.
It is seeking funding for a project focusing on the health of female
adolescents, addressing problems such as venereal disease, AIDS,
and abortions resulting from unwanted pregnancies by educating
adolescents in these health risks, emphasizing the importance of
moral responsibility and developing participants' capacity to prevent problems before they occur. Collaborating with the Harvard
Institute for International Development, Nur is also working to
design a comprehensive program to provide training in moral
leadership, public administration, and concepts of just governance
to civic authorities in 46 Bolivian municipalities.
"On the Wings of Words," Guyana
In 1994, pilot literacy projects were undertaken by the Baha'i
communities in three countries-Guyana, Cambodia, and the Central
African Republic-at the invitation of the Office of Social and
Economic Development at the Baha'i World Centre as the initial
part of a proposed global literacy campaign. The literacy projects

MORAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES

seek to address the concern of the Universal House of Justice,
which prompted it to call, in 1989, for systematic efforts toward the
eventual elimination of illiteracy in the Baha'i community.
The campaign is based on a concept of literacy achieved through
a combination of study of the Baha'i writings on education, the
experience of some Baha'is in the field, the application of the work
of Paulo Freire, and guidance received from the Baha'i World Centre.
In this view, literacy is seen as more than skills in basic reading,
writing, and numeracy. The project combines spiritual and moral
themes with the mechanics of writing, an approach that acknowledges each individual's need for direct access to the Word of God.
"On the Wings of Words," as the literacy project is called in
Guyana, operates under the guidance of the Varqa Foundation, a
Baha'i-inspired agency. The program was initially offered in ten
Baha'i communities, and approximately thirty Baha'i facilitators
received intensive training in how to use the materials that had
been developed, how to structure a literacy class, and how to use
the generative themes to encourage development of the moral
and spiritual aspects of the program.
Five of the ten initial areas began to flourish, as groups of up
to 25 youth between ages ten and sixteen gathered weekly. The
task force that had originated the project supplied study workbooks, which were supplemented by materials from local Baha'i
community libraries.
By the end of the first year, the project was strengthened when it
was opened up to the involvement of the wider public. Concern

Members of the
Literacy Task
Force conduct
one ofthe training
sessions for
facilitators of the
"On the Wings of
Words" literacy
project in
Guyana.

THE BAHA'I WORLD

about Guyana's declining literacy rate created a greater receptivity
for the program among the country's leaders of thought and educators. Indeed, one leading columnist wrote, "I can think of no more
important initiative under way in Guyana now." The Institute of Adult
and Continuing Education, the extramural arm of the University of
Guyana, became a partner of the Baha'i community in the endeavor
and offered a certificate to facilitators who received training and
participated in the program.
In May 1996, the project's new phase was launched at Guyana's
National Cultural Center, attracting over 200 people from all over
the country. The launching was listed among events celebrating
the thirtieth anniversary of Guyana's independence and received
attention on both radio and television. The country's Senior Minister
of Education, Dale Bisnauth, lauded the Baha'is for their initiative
and mentioned that he was particularly pleased that the program
focused not only on the mechanics of reading and writing but on
moral aspects as well. The Director of the Institute of Adult and
Continuing Education and a member of the Baha'i Literacy Task
Force also addressed the meeting.
A follow-up session a month later brought together 200 participants who learned more about the vision of the program and
the materials to be used. They also consulted about how to popularize the program in their home communities. The next step was
the holding in Georgetown of a five-day training program for the
facilitators , who comprised a diverse group from different parts of
the country, different religious backgrounds, different ages, and
different levels of qualification. One indication of the success of
the training sessions was that there were no dropouts; in fact,
additional people appeared each day until the organizers regretfully
had to tum away more prospective participants.
Some of the topics covered were the vision ofliteracy underlying
the project, the concept of generative themes, the mechanics of
reading, testing for baseline data, planning, memorization, logistics,
aids and games, teaching styles and methodologies, and singing.
The overall themes of the project-"We are noble beings," "We
have control over our actions," and "Our actions affect others"-
were al so addressed. Additional training sessions were held in
remote areas for people who wished to become facilitators but

M ORAL D EVE LOPMENT A CTIVITIE S

could not afford to attend the session in Georgetown. Organizers
afterwards commented on the spirit of active participation throughout the initial training session and on the proactive approach of the
facilitators in getting support from their communities when they
began to set up classes.
In all, 33 literacy classes for over 1,200 children were held over
the summer in the regions of Essequibo, Demerara, and Berbice,
with a high level of interest and enthusiasm on the part of both
facilitators and students. In the fall, after the rainy season, eight
regions of the interior Rupununi region also held classes, which
were attended by an additional 300 children. Support for the project
was received from the Guyana Book Foundation, which provided
$3 ,800 in funding, offered one set of free books to each community group that requested one, and made other books available on
the same nominal terms on which they are provided to schools.
An evaluative meeting held at the end of the summer looked at
the challenges encountered, and materials for new modules were
introduced. Facilitators commented on the positive attitudinal changes
they saw in the youth who had participated, and the spiritual aspect
of the program came in for high praise from those present. Guyana
TV covered the event and broadcast highlights. Throughout the
following months further meetings provided continued training and
support to the facilitators and helped them look back and evaluate
the progress of the program. Weekend and vacation-time sessions
with students also continued the education process throughout the
year, and a newsletter on the groups' activities was started to provide
students with reinforcement and encouragement. Other training
programs are being planned for the future.
The Project has also arranged a "Festival of Words" in each
area where literacy classes have been held, during which the students present to the public a selection of songs, poems, and stories.
In July 1997, a national Festival of Words, with youth representing
each village, sub-region, and region, will be held in Georgetown.
School of the Nations, Macau
Founded in 1988, the School of the Nations has pioneered the
development of a moral education component in the country's school
curriculum. Generally, in Macau formal education is geared to academic subjects. Moral development, while a concern of teachers, is

II
'HE NATIONS *
1111111111 I I I I
~ ESCOLA DAS
II

Students and
teachers of
the School
of the
Nations in
Macau.

handled by them on an individual basis or by the parents of the
student. Societal changes and pressures, however, have indicated
an increasing need for a more formal program of moral education.
The Badi Foundation, which runs the School of the Nations, is a
private non-governmental organization whose purpose is to develop
human resources for the social and economic progress of the region.
All of the Foundation's programs include elements for the development of moral or spiritual values, qualities, and capabilities.
International in character, the School of the Nations has approximately 500 students from 36 different countries and runs from
kindergarten through Form 6 or 12th grade. Some 70 percent of
the students are from Macau, Hong Kong, and China.
The school has committed itself to concerted experimentation in
curriculum development in the area of moral education, focusing on
the development of moral capabilities-particularly at the kindergarten and secondary levels. The activities and the qualities,
attitudes, skills, abilities, and concepts promoted are geared to the
children's level.
In kindergarten, the development of moral capabilities forms part
of every subject-from math to science to languages-in the belief
that not to include moral questions is to say that they are irrelevant.
The concept fundamental to the development of any moral
capability is seen to be the oneness of humankind, which is reinforced throughout the curriculum. In science class, for example,
the students study the scientific concept of "system" by looking

MORAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES

at the family, the elements that compose it, and the behaviors and
virtues that can be found in it; from here, they move on to look at
the ways different families in their community interact; and finally,
they expand their investigation to all the families in the world-the
family of humankind. In mathematics, a similar approach is taken
to teaching sets, where students look at concrete sets-sets of
children who are happy or who want to be obedient, sets of children in their class , the set of children in Macau, and the set of
children in the world.
The concept that each of us chooses his or her own behavior-and can choose to change-is also taught in various ways.
In the science class for five-year-olds, for example, after learning
the names of parts of their bodies, students discuss what the parts
do. A mouth eats and sings, but it also speaks. Does the mouth
decide what it will say? Do the feet decide where they will walk?
By answering such questions, students become aware that there
are decisions to be made and that they themselves-their spirits
or souls-are what decides. This concept is, again, reinforced across
the curriculum.
At the secondary level, the focus is on the development of five
moral capabilities: creating a healthy family ; empowering others;
bringing joy to others; preserving and rationally using the environment; and consultation. All activities are organized around the
core concept of service. Elements of the program include two hours
weekly in moral education class, either doing service projects in
the community or in the classroom, where students are asked to
reflect on activities they have completed or to plan future activities . Consultation with teachers, with other students, and with the
population they are serving, as well as the writing of journals and
other assignments, all lead the students towards deep reflection
and discussion on the capability they are exploring so that they
can relate their experiences to the rest of their lives.
The Form 1(Grade8) students' program centers around working
with the kindergarten students in the school and studying elements
of child development and education. Students also reflect on their
own families ' values and values they have adopted for themselves.
The following year students undertake service to promote environmental conservation and beautification of the environment, outside

THE BAHA'I WORLD

the school. In Form 3, cooperation with the Cultural Institute of
Macau is the focus. Students have assisted in recording the history
of Macau and have worked with social service organizations, seeing
how a society takes care of its members and their own role in that
process. During their final two years at the school, students work
at homes for the elderly or with programs for the homebound
and at a home for the mentally handicapped, receiving special
training from professional social service workers. By the end of
the program, the students have learned how to make others comfortable, how to listen and encourage others, and how to be more
courageous, compassionate, and humble.
The moral capabilities program at the School of the Nations is
continually being developed. It does not claim to tum out students who are perfect models of moral behavior, because it sees
the development of moral capabilities as a lifelong process, but it
does give students a start along the path of their own spiritual
growth, encountering challenging life situations and seeing the
reality of applying moral values in society-a process involving
difficulties and ambiguities as well as rewards and triumphs . For
its efforts in this area, the School of the Nations recently won an
award from the Department of Education as Macau ' s top moral
education program and was awarded third place in an international competition for moral education programs.
Moral Education Project, St. Petersburg, Russia
Begun in 1995, the Moral Education Project based in St. Petersburg
aims to promote the development of a course on moral education
for youth, to present lectures on religion and science at the university
level, and to prepare materials on moral education for publication in English and Russian. In these endeavors, the Baha'is who
spearhead the project seek to collaborate with Russian intellectuals
and academics working in this field.
In 1996, the project sponsored a regular full-semester course
in moral education at the St. Petersburg Electrotechnical University, in which 38 third-year public relations students enrolled.
Given the positive response to this initial offering, it appears likely
that the course will be repeated. William S. Hatcher, the project
founder, also presented a paper at the plenary session of an international conference on pedagogical issues in university education,

M ORAL D EVELOPMENT A CTIVITIES

held at the Electrotechnical University, using materials from the
project.
At the request of the head of the ethics department of St. Petersburg
State University, a short course on ethics based on the materials from
the Moral Education Project was given, and future collaboration
between the project and the university in the formulation of a new
fundamental course in ethics, required for all philosophy students,
is likely.
A monograph on moral education, generated by the project, is
soon to be published in English in St. Petersburg, after which it
will be released in Russian. This material will then form the basis
of an annual course in moral education in the Master's program at
Landegg Academy, Switzerland. Project materials have also formed
the basis of lectures at the university in Minsk, in Brest, Belarus,
and in Finland.
Publications include two booklets, containing some twelve
lectures on various themes related to the Baha'i Faith; a booklet
compiling statements of philosophers, scientists, and artists concerning the existence and nature of God; a Russian translation of
an article entitled Economics and Moral Values; and basic course
materials for the project's program, entitled "A Non-Ideological
Approach to the Moral Education of Youth and Young Adults."
The approach taken by the Moral Education Project is simply
this: that moral development is a process that leads to the development of each individual as an independent human being who
is able to attain true well-being. Project members call this model
"non-ideological" because it is founded on the premise that the
source of moral behavior comes from an individual's understanding of what they refer to as "the moral law of cause and effect"
rather than through inculcation of a moral credo or a set of rules for
moral behavior. The program, in fact, views religious fanaticism
and sectarianism as moral evils because they lead to dependence on
a restrictive moral credo rather than to authentic knowledge of moral
law; they also contribute to various antisocial attitudes undermining one's own and others' spiritual well-being.
Moral development, then, is a process by which the individual
learns how to generate and sustain positive encounters with the law
of cause and effect embedded in every aspect ofreality. According

to our reading of these encounters, we construct our own individual
"value paradigm," which is the system-albeit largely unarticulated-by which we make our value choices. The Moral Education
Project sees the essential challenge of moral education as the understanding of this moral law of cause and effect and, as a result, the
development of a correct value paradigm. To develop this paradigm
we reflect upon and strive to understand the fundamental moral
principles underlying our encounters with reality. The curriculum
the project has developed for youth identifies and elaborates these
fundamental principles. It also leads them towards experiencing
"transformative interactions" and allows students to see for themselves the operation of the moral law of cause and effect in various
contexts.
There are a number of categories of these interactions with
reality on which the program focuses , including, notably, the self
(which refers to the individual soul or spirit, as defined in the
Baha'i writings) with the Divine; the self with the self, the self
with other humans, with social groups, and with objects and collections of objects.
Through developing an understanding of the dynamics of value
choice in these various categories, the project pursues the goal of
developing a scientifically based, Baha'i-inspired curriculum
for youth and young adults. Project founders identify scientific
ideas or theories as "Baha'i-inspired" insofar as they have been
examined in light of the Baha'i writings and fit with the basic
spiritual conception of the human being that is found there. Since
Baha'u'llah has taught that science and religion agree, the process is seen as both scientific and Baha'i in nature.
If the goal of spiritual education is seen as producing genuinely
happy and autonomous human beings, then training young people
to recognize and evaluate their own experiences of the world-and
to acquire the motivation to make moral choices that will bring
about their own spiritual well-being-is an important contribution
to that end. It rests on the belief that people's capacities of mind,
will, and heart, when properly developed, will enable them to recognize the truth about reality, to pursue goodness, and to love and be
faithful to beauty. The program of moral education conceived by the
project begins this development with an examination of the origin

MORAL DE VE LOPME NT A CTIVITIES

of the most common notions about human value. The curriculum
takes students through a critical examination of the concept of
human value found in collectivism and individualism and then
moves on to look at the spiritual conception of human value as an
alternative to these two extremes. In the latter system, it is posited
that the soul, which has inherent capacities not determined by
external forces as in the other two systems, is directly created by
God and thus possesses instrinsic universal value. Acting in accordance with this spiritual conception of human value gives meaning
to individual life and also creates social harmony-without sacrifice
of the quality and meaning of individual life nor the overall good of
the collectivity.
One exercise that reinforces the spiritual conception of human
value and assists students to learn to make moral choices has
them compile a list of all their possessions, following which they
are asked to determine which ones cannot be taken away by circumstances of life beyond their control. Through this exercise
students learn that, in fact, there are no material possessions that
cannot be taken away and that the proper relationship between
the self and material objects is not "possession"-which is largely
illusory-but rather "legitimate use." Knowing this, individuals
can reevaluate their relationship to material things, which, of course,
are not ends in themselves. Students can also formulate from this
exercise a general moral principle concerning their interactions:
that a higher or more valuable thing should never be sacrificed or
made a means to obtain a lesser or less valuable thing.
Through the means developed by the project, students can experience spiritual growth, the true purpose of moral education, as a
process of creative discovery.
Conclusion
While the five efforts surveyed in this article represent a wide
range of undertakings to promote moral education and training in
different parts of the world, they hold several common tenets of
belief: first, that each human being is a noble creation-a "mine
rich in gems of inestimable value," in the words of Baha'u'llah,
which education alone can bring to the surface; second, that the
individual, who must take responsibility for his or her own actions,
can be trained in how to make decisions that will foster spiritual

growth; and third, that the individual, his or her family, and society as a whole will benefit from such training. The moral person
is a social actor who, having effected change in himself or herself, also has responsibility to contribute to the transformation of
the social order.
At a talk He gave in Paris in 1912 'Abdu'l-Baha spoke of the
"patient lives of active service" through which "the elect of God"
have "brought light into the world." He exhorted His listeners,

Therefore strive that your actions day by day may be beautiful
prayers. Tum towards God, and seek always to do that which is
right and noble. Enrich the poor, raise the fallen, comfort the
sorrowful, bring healing to the sick, reassure the fearful, rescue
the oppressed, bring hope to the hopeless, shelter the destitute!
This is the work of a true Baha'i, and this is what is
expected of him. If we strive to do all this, then are we true
Baha'is, but if we neglect it, we are not followers of the Light,
and we have no right to the name.
God, who sees all hearts, knows how far our lives are the
fulfillment of our words. 4

With this high ideal in mind, Baha'is strive to promote moral as
well as material development of the peoples of the world.

4. 'Abdu '1-Baha, Paris Talks : Addresses Given by 'Abdu 'l-Baha in Paris in
1911-1912 (London: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1995), pp. 80-81.

In this essay, Matthew Weinberg looks at
contemporary discourse on the subject of
human rights through the eyes of the teachings of the Baha'i Faith.

THE
HUMAN RIGHTS
DISCOURSE:
A Baha f Perspective

I n 1912, in anticipation of an awakening aspiration of the
world's peoples, 'Abdu'l-Baha, the head of the Baha'i Faith
from 1892 to 1921, envisioned the approach of the day when "there
shall be an equality of rights and prerogatives for all mankind." 1
Tragically, the first substantive steps toward the realization of
this vision occurred only after two global conflagrations had
produced levels of death and suffering never before experienced
in human history. Moral and practical impetus was given to the
creation of a universal code of human rights by the appalling
extermination of entire groups and populations. The emergence
of a comprehensive system of international human rights law
has profoundly altered international relations and the manner in
which nations treat their own citizens. Indeed, the evolution of
the international human rights regime, particularly the adoption

l. 'Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by
'Abdu 'l-Baha during His Visit to the United States and Canada in 1912
rev. ed. (Wilmette: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1982), p. 3 18.

THE BAHA'f WORLD

of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, and of
subsequent Covenants and Conventions elucidating and extending the provisions of that Declaration, has been the chief
determinant in shaping a normative international moral order.
In the process of setting human rights standards, a moral ethos
with global ramifications has been progressively articulated. This
remarkable development, clearly foreseen in the Baha'i writings,
attests to the period of collective maturity which humanity is now
entering. Human beings, 'Abdu'l-Baha states, "must now become
imbued with new virtues and powers, new moral standards, new
capacities." 2
As humanity comes to terms with the reality of an interdependent world and new avenues of rational inquiry and perception,
many of the entrenched social inequities of the past are, for the
first time, being systematically and directly confronted. On the eve
of the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights, the creation of an international community bound by legal
and moral norms can no longer be regarded as a passing idealistic
exercise. The Declaration's promulgation of basic civil, political,
economic, social, and cultural rights for "all members of the
human family" has firmly established "a common standard of
achievement for all peoples and nations." 3 The efflorescence of
the human rights movement portends a fundamental reshaping of
human relations and suggests that "human beings have a substantial capacity for moral understanding and progress."4
The unfolding human rights discourse is a vast subject with
many different dimensions: legal, political, philosophical, and
moral. What follows here is a modest sketch of the salient features
of this discourse and an exploration of the unique perspectives
that the Baha'i teachings offer concerning the foundations of
human rights and their future evolution. It is surely significant

2. Cited in Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Baha 'u 'llah: Selected Letters (Wilmette: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1991), p. 165.
3. Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted and proclaimed by the
United Nations General Assembly on 10 December 1948.
4. James W. Nickel, Making Sense of Human Rights: Philosophical Reflections on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Berkeley: University
of California Press, 1987), p. 41.

HTJMAN RIGHTS DISCOURSE

that, concurrent with the development of a universal human rights
regime, a religious community animated by a commitment to justice
in all aspects of life has spread throughout the globe. Observers
will be struck by a strong congruence between the contemporary
conception of human rights and the view of human nature advanced
in the Baha'i writings.
The seeds of present human rights thinking can be traced back
to the egalitarian philosophies of antiquity, but it is only in the
past few centuries that a clear formulation of human rights has
emerged. 5 In recent decades this formulation has been further
refined and delineated. The central tenets of modem human rights
law can be summarized as follows:
• Every human being has certain rights that are inherent. Such rights
can be enumerated or deduced; they are not earned or acquired but
inhere in all people by virtue of their humanity alone.
• Every human being's basic rights are indefeasible or inalienablethat is, such rights can never be annulled or denied by outside parties or even by the affected individuals themselves.
• Conflicts between different rights must be resolved in accordance
with just and impartial laws and procedures. 6
Although the idea of universal human rights is being increasingly accepted on practical grounds, from a theoretical point of
view there is not a universally shared justification for such rights.
The ratification of international instruments, while significant, does
not establish that there is a universal concept of human rights.
A review of the literature quickly reveals that the philosophical
foundations of human rights remain highly contested. The major

5. For example, citizens of certain ancient Greek city-states enjoyed rights of
equal freedom of speech and equality before the law. Subsequently, the
Stoic philosophers developed the concept of "natural rights" which belonged
to all human beings at all times. Such rights, the Stoics argued, could be
derived from reason alone. In medieval Christendom, such natural rights
were viewed as an expression of the law of God. Thus the idea of natural
law as a universal moral law has pervaded Western thought for more than
2,000 years. See Maurice Cranston, What Are Human Rights? (London:
William Clowes and Sons, Ltd., 1973), pp. 10- 11.
6. P. Sieghart, The International Law of Human Rights (Oxford: Clarendon
Press, 1983 ), p. 8.

THE BAHA'f WORLD

international human rights documents ratified by the nations of the
world during the past fifty years do not address underlying philosophical issues. These documents have in some sense bypassed
the philosophical debate by simply establishing a set of positive
legal norms. 7
Because human rights proponents are confronted with a variety of obstacles in their efforts to preserve individual freedoms,
including claims of state sovereignty, cultural autonomy, and
collective rights, to have a clear theoretical foundation for
human rights would be extremely helpful in overcoming such
obstacles and implementing concrete legal instruments. Moreover, as the theorist Michael Freeman observes, "rights without
reasons are vulnerable to denial and abuse. The human rights struggle is certainly motivated by passion, but it is also influenced by
argument." 8 For the moment anyway, regardless of the diverse
and sometimes inconsistent reasons put forward for upholding certain human rights, the international community has been able to
sustain a consensus on some basic rights and the commitment to
safeguard them.
In general, philosophers tend to identify the following sources
for human rights: divine authority, natural law, or considerations
concerning human nature. As can well be imagined, the possibility
of an objective, transcendent Source for human rights is readily
dismissed by secular theorists. None of the major international
human rights documents refers to God, presumably because the
existence of a supernatural authority is not subject to objective
proof. 9 But interestingly, natural law-the system of moral imperatives allegedly accessible by human reason alone and championed
by Enlightenment thinkers-is also dismissed by many human

7. Nickel, p. 38.
8. Michael Freeman, "The Philosophical Foundations of Human Rights,"
Human Rights Quarterly, Vol. 16, 1994, pp. 491 - 514.
9. A traditional "foundationalist" argument for human rights attributes their
existence to a supernatural authority. John Locke, for instance, locates the
source of rights with God and not with nature as is sometimes supposed.
However, since the existence of God is apparently not universally verifiable,
secular theorists have attempted to develop non-theistic foundationalist
arguments for human rights.

HUMAN RIGHTS DISCOURSE

rights theorists. The use of reason, and particularly the methods of
deduction and induction, it is argued, cannot escape the influence
of particular cultural codes. Thus, natural law is generally regarded
as a "nebulous" source that cannot ground any particular set of
human rights, let alone a universal ensemble of rights. 10
The last major justification for human rights essentially relies
on intuition-that is, it is demonstrably apparent that certain
actions are wrong because of widespread anthropological evidence
that human beings have an aversion to violations of well-being. 11
Considerations of prudence lead rational individuals to embrace
standards and social arrangements that promote their autonomy,
security, and dignity. As purposive or volitional agents, human
beings are entitled to certain minimum levels of physical and psychological well-being as well as freedom of action. Hence, Ronald
Dworkin sets forth the principle that each person has the right to
"equal concern and respect." 12 This, however, is simply an axiomalbeit a compelling moral axiom-that cannot be logically derived,
and therefore, critics contend, it is subject to change depending on
social, historical, and cultural context. Equality and dignity, for
example, are highly elastic concepts. It becomes clear, then, that
moral and cultural relativism have decisively affected the human
rights discourse on the philosophical level.
The challenge that relativism presents to the human rights
movement is not only theoretical, but political and practical. It
has been nearly fifty years since the American Anthropological
Association issued its now famous and emphatic rejection of "the
applicability of any Declaration of Human Rights to mankind as

10. Alison Dundes Renteln, "The Unanswered Challenge of Relativism and
the Consequences for Human Rights," Human Rights Quarterly, 7.4, pp.
514--40.
11. That concepts of rights and justice generally must at some point appeal to
intuition is accepted by many philosophers. John Rawls, for examp le,
refers to justice as a "mental capacity" whose import and application is
dependent on a process of rigorous examination or "reflective equilibrium ." Rawls asserts that "any conception of justice will have to rely on
intuition to some degree." John Rawls, A Th eory of Justice (Cambridge,
Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1971), pp. 41 - 51.
12.Freeman, p. 513.

THE BAHA'I WORLD

a whole." 13 However, the contention "that other people's truths are
contained in their own classifications and understanding," and that
no one culture offers a "self-evidently privileged standard of verity"
is now undergoing serious revision. 14 The anthropologist Alison
Dundes Renteln, for example, asserts that "relativism in no way
precludes the possibility of cross-cultural universals discovered
through empirical research," and that the "requirement of relativism
that diversity be recognized in no way destroys the possibility of
an international moral community." 15
Contemporary anthropological research is revisitirig the evidence
supporting moral universalism. Richard Beis has identified some
twenty moral precepts that appear to be transcultural. These include
"the prohibition of murder or maiming without justification; economic justice; reciprocity and restitution; provision for the poor;
the right to own property; and priority for immaterial goods [such
as freedom]." 16 The essence of the story here is that when researchers want to look for differences they will find differences, and if
they search for cross-cultural similarities these can also be readily
discovered.
Robert Edgerton in his work Sick Societies: Challenging the
Myth ofPrimitive Harmony has offered compelling evidence refuting
the anthropological dogma that distinct cultural practices and
beliefs represent an inviolable set of diverse truths and consequently
are immune to outside criticism. His research demonstrates that
entire societies can be sick-a reference to the systematic and
unjust treatment of certain of its members such as women-and
that such dysfunctional societi~s inevitably perish. More often
than not, their social and decision-making structures serve no
other purpose than to institutionalize inequality and injustice.
Thus, the mere fact that differences across cultures exist does not
mean that all variations in social and cultural practices are right

13. Ann-Belinda S. Preis, "Human Rights as Cultural Practice: An Anthropological Critique," Human Rights Quarterly, Vol. 18, pp. 286-315.
14. Ibid.
15. Renteln, p. 540.
16. Donald J. Puchala, "The Ethics of Globalism," The 1995 John W Holmes
Memorial Lecture: Reports and Papers, No. 3 (Academic Council on the
United Nations System, 1995).

INMAN RIGHTS DISCOURSE

or acceptable. 17 On these grounds, relativism itself has been critiqued as immoral. 18
The relativist position is now being subjected to a number of
other criticisms. Perhaps most importantly, relativism itself has to
look beyond itself for its philosophical justification. In particular,
the very claim of a right to difference, whether cultural or moral,
implicitly appeals to the idea of universal principle. Moral relativism
can be an accurate description of social reality only if notions such
as mutual tolerance and noninterference are universally accepted. 19
On a more practical level, even proponents of relativism condemn
the morally egregious-slavery, genocide, torture, human sacrifice,
ritualistic mutilation, and various forms of collective discrimination.
That the relativist challenge to human rights is ultimately not plausible is affirmed by the 1993 Vienna Declaration-a consensus
statement adopted by 171 nations: "Human rights and fundamental
freedoms are the birthright of all human beings; their protection
and promotion is the first responsibility of Governments ... regardless
of their political, economic and cultural systems." "The universal
nature of these rights and freedoms is beyond question ... " 20
Despite this recognition, relativism is still employed as a political
device. For example, in the Bangkok Declaration of 1993, a coalition of Asian governments declared that human rights instruments
must take account of "the significance of national and regional
particularities and various historical, cultural and religious backgrounds."21 On the surface, this is a reasonable appeal in favor of
pluralism-that there cannot be a single understanding of human
well-being or only one code of moral truth in a diverse world. In

17. Robert B. Edgerton, Sick Societies: Challenging the Myth of Primitive
Harmony (New York: The Free Press, 1992).
18. Puchala.
19. Ibid.
20. Vienna Declaration, World Conference on Human Rights, Vienna, 14-25
June 1993, U.N. Document A/Conf. 157/24 Part I.
21. Cited in Adamantia Pollis, "Cultural Relativism: Through a State Prism,"
Human Rights Quarterly, Vol. 18, 1996, pp. 316-44. This language was
also incorporated into the Vienna Declaration, indicating that although a
consensus statement was agreed to by the world ' s nations, differences of
understanding concerning human rights persist.

THE B AHA'I WORLD

reality, such statements are often intended to insulate governments
from international criticism regarding the treatment of their citizens.
There is no real justification to the contention that the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights is in conflict with Asian value systems. As the Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has noted, the
Buddhist concept of authority entails very specific obligations:
"The Ten Duties of Kings are liberality, morality, self-sacrifice,
integrity, kindness, austerity, non-anger, nonviolence, forbearance
and non-opposition to the will of the people." 22
Although existing international human rights instruments have
an unmistakable Western imprint-both in terms of origin and
methodology of implementation-this does not in any way invalidate the moral content that they embody. W ole Soyinka, the Nigerian
writer and Nobel laureate, has rejected the assertion that Western
human rights standards are inapplicable to other parts of the world:
"Any suggestion that freedom of expression is a luxury of the West
insults the historic struggles of individuals and communities ... We
are all agreed what torture is. What rape means. What child prostitution is . What genocide entails. Then let us not pretend not to
know what human rights truly represent." 23
Yet it is important to acknowledge, as the German scholar
Heiner Bielefeldt has emphasized, that human rights cannot be
considered "a self-evident expression of Occidental culture" or
modernity alone. 24 Comparable concepts of human respect, dignity , and duty can be found in all parts of the world. The right
to resist oppression can be found in the traditions of many cultures in Africa and Asia.25 The widespread cultural pattern of
offering hospitality to strangers is perhaps evidence of a broad moral

22. New York Tim es, December 10, 1995. A recognition of the dignity of human
life, as expressed by an emphasis on the cultivation and development of the
human person , is also central to Confucian thought. In the Confucian
v iew, human beings are independent moral actors who have basic rights as
we ll as responsibilities. See Anwar Ibrahim, "The Asian Renaissance,"
New P erspectives Quarterly (Summer 1997), pp. 31-43.
23. Obinna Anyadika, "Soyinka: Power- Freedom Gulf," Terra Viva, June 18, 1993.
24. Heiner Bielefeldt, "Human Rights in a Multicultural World," paper delivered
to the Law Faculty of the University of Toronto, Spring 1994.
25. Ibid.

}{llMAN RIGHTS DISCOURSE

imperative in which outsiders are viewed as being equally human.
Some societies may in fact possess the concept of rights without
having an explicit vocabulary that expresses or codifies it. 26 In addition, the principle of the golden rule is common to the scriptures
of all the major world religions and hence is given expression in
many cultures. The injunction of Buddha to "act in a such a way,
as if it were happening to yourself" 27 and the oral statement of
Muhammad that "kindness is a mark of faith, whoever hath not
kindness hath not faith" are clear ethical precursors of modern
human rights thinking. 28
In short, human rights are not arbitrary in nature because they are
grounded in the universal realities of human ex~erience and embody
values presupposed by a wide range of cultures. 9 As the philosopher
Martha Nussbaum observes, there are "features of humanness that
lie beneath all local traditions and are there to be seen whether or
not they are in fact recognized in local traditions."30 Such "humanness" includes a set of potentialities, not wholly determinable, that
are actualized differently by every human being. The logical extension of this point is that all human beings are entitled to flourish, if
not as a claim on God or nature, then as a claim on each other. This
implies a universal obligation to promote collective well-being and
suggests that human morality itself must be universal. 31 Human
rights can then be regarded as a vehicle for shaping social conditions "so as to realize the possibilities of human nature." 32

26. Damien Keown, "Are There Human Rights in Buddhism?" Journal of
Buddhist Ethics 2, 1995.
27. Cited in Udo Schaefer, The Light Shineth in Darkness (Oxford: George
Ronald, 1979), p. 149.
28. Cited in Marzieh Gail, Six Lessons on Islam (Wilmette: Baha'i Publishing
Trust, 1976), p. 21.
29. Although it is logically possible to reject the idea that human rights have
philosophical foundations, in light of widespread anthropological realities and
a deepening global political consensus it cannot be plausibly argued that the
concept of universal human rights is an arbitrary construct. Freeman, p. 514.
30. Cited in Michael J. Perry, "Are Human Rights Universal?" Human Rights
Quarterly 19, 1997, pp. 461 - 509.
31 . Puchala.
32. Jack Donnelly, Universal Human Rights: In Theory and Practice (Ithaca,
N.Y. : Cornell University Press, 1989, fourth printing 1996).

The human rights discourse over the past five decades has produced a gradual elaboration and expansion of the initial list of rights
enumerated in the 1948 Universal Declaration. The European
jurist Karel Vasak has provided one framework for describing this
process with his notion of "three generations of human rights." 33
The first generation pertains to civil and political rights-those
rights as found in Articles 2-21 of the Universal Declaration that
address questions of liberty: the right to life, freedom of thought,
expression, conscience, religion, and movement; the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association; the security of person;
freedom from slavery, torture, and cruel or degrading punishment;
the right to own property; the right to full equality and fair treatment
before the law. These rights generally reflect the philosophical
doctrines of liberal political theory which place primacy on the
individual and seek to limit the powers of a minimalist state.
The second generation pertains to economic, social, and cultural
rights-those rights concerned with issues of equality that are promulgated in Articles 22-27 of the Universal Declaration and more
specifically in the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and
Cultural Rights of 1966: the right to social security; the right to work
and to protection against unemployment; the right to rest and leisure;
the right to a standard of living adequate for health and well-being
of self and family; the right to education; the right to protection of
one's scientific, literary, and artistic production. While some theorists consider such rights as inseparable from rights relating to
basic freedoms, others do not regard economic, social, and cultural
rights as fundamental because they demand positive duties on the
part of governments rather than straightforward duties of restraint.
The third generation pertains to the area of collective or solidarity rights . This category of rights was adumbrated in general
terms in Article 28 of the Universal Declaration which declared:
"Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which
the rights set forth in the Declaration can be fully realized." At
present, third generation rights include the following: the right to
political, economic, social, and cultural self-determination; the
right to economic and social development; the right to participate

33. Ibid., pp. 143-44.

H UMAN RIGHTS DISCOU RSE

in and benefit from the "common heritage of mankind"-for
example, the resources of earth and space; and scientific, technical, and other products of human progress; the right to peace; the
right to a vital and healthy environment; the right to humanitarian
assistance in times of emergency. Such collective rights reflect
the idea that political, economic, and social rights are indivisible
and are each integral aspects of development. They also imply a
need for new forms of international collaboration.
These "three generations" of rights represent the varying perspectives of Western and non-Western countries, of developed
and developing societies, and of democratic and non-democratic
regimes. They reflect underlying tensions between those who
place primacy on the rights of the individual versus those of the
community. In many respects, the task of understanding the foundations of human rights and of developing and applying human
rights standards is just beginning.
In a very real sense the international human rights regime is
the fruit of an ongoing process of moral dialogue among diverse
nations and peoples. More than establishing normative standards,
the human rights discourse provides a mechanism for people of
divergent convictions to learn about each other, resolve particular
disagreements, and arrive at new understandings of what is possible for human beings. This cross-cultural enterprise, as evidenced
by the increasing interaction among governments and organizations of civil society, has gradually given rise to a new ethos of
human solidarity and collective responsibility. It has led to the
adoption of new legal instruments that explicitly address the rights
of women, children, and racial and religious minorities. Yet, if this
global dialogue is to produce a "compelling core of shared values"
and a further refined set of universally accepted moral norms, the
"cooperative search for truth," as the philosopher Jurgen Habermas
calls it, must be intensified. 34 The establishment of peaceful and

34. Amitai Etzioni, "The End of Cross-Cultural Relativism," Alternatives, 22. 2
(April-June 1997); Jurgen Habermas cited in George Ritzer, Sociological
Theory, 4th ed. (New York: McGraw Hill, 1996), p. 295. Some concrete
examples of how transcultural discourse can lead to new understandings
concerning long-held beliefs and practices are highlighted in Perry, "Are
Human Rights Universal?"

progressive patterns of living throughout the world will inevitably
depend upon an open and sincere consultative process among all
peoples. In the words ofBaha'u'llah, Founder of the Baha'i Faith,
"No welfare and no well-being can be attained except through
consultation. " 35
However important the human rights discourse has been to
securing basic human freedoms, if that discourse is to remain
relevant to a world experiencing unprecedented political, social,
and economic turmoil, it must respond to the deep-seated spiritual inclinations that guide and inspire its inhabitants. The basic
processes of civilization can be reordered to embrace justice only
if the spiritual dimension of human existence is fully recognized.
For the vast majority of humankind, the perception that human
reality is fundamentally spiritual in nature is a self-evident truth
that finds expression in all spheres of life. To the extent that this
understanding of human identity becomes a central feature of the
discourse concerning human rights and social development, the
upheavals now deranging human affairs will give way to new
vistas of freedom and opportunity.
More than a century ago, Baha'u'llah not only anticipated the
rise of the human rights movement, but provided an underlying
moral and spiritual framework upon which to view human rights in
the modem age-a period He described as the "stage of human
maturity."36 His vision of a unified global community gives central
consideration to the safeguarding and enhancement of the rights
of all human beings.

35. Baha ' u ' llah, in Consultation: A Compilation (Wilmette: Baha ' i Publishing Trust, 1980), p. 3.
36. Baha 'u 'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha 'u 'llah (Wilmette:
Baha' i Publishing Trust, 1983), p.77. Humanity has moved through stages
in its collectiv e development which are analogous to the periods of
infancy, childhood, and adolescence in the lives of its individual members. It is now entering the period of its collective maturity. The principal
challenge of maturity is for the peoples of the world to recognize their
interdependence as a single human family whose homeland is the earth
itself. "O contending peoples and kindreds of the earth," Baha'u'llah
urges, "Set your faces towards unity, and let the radiance of its light shine
upon you." Ibid., p. 217.

H UMAN RIGHTS DISCOURSE

In addressing the world's rulers Baha'u 'llah warns: "If ye stay
not the hand of the oppressor, if ye fail to safeguard the rights of
the down-trodden, what right have ye then to vaunt yourselves
among men?" 37 And : "They that perpetrate tyranny in the world
have usurped the rights of the peoples and kindreds of the earth
and are sedulously pursuing their selfish inclinations." 38
He further elucidates the essential requirements ofjust governance:

It behoveth every ruler to weigh his own being every day in the
balance of equity and justice and then to judge between men
and counsel them to do that which would direct their steps
unto the path of wisdom and understanding. This is the cornerstone of statesmanship and the essence thereof. From these
words every enlightened man of wisdom will readily perceive
that which will foster such aims as the welfare, security and
protection of mankind and the safety of human lives. 39

In exhorting His followers to the path ofjustice, Baha'u'llah declares:

Thou must show forth that which will ensure the peace and
the well-being of the miserable and the down-trodden. Gird
up the loins of thine endeavor, that perchance thou mayest
release the captive from his chains, and enable him to attain
unto true liberty.
Justice is, in this day, bewailing its plight, and Equity
groaneth beneath the yoke of oppression. The thick clouds of
tyranny have darkened the face of the earth, and enveloped its
peoples.40

Baha'u'llah not only addresses human rights issues in general
terms, but condemns and prohibits specific practices such as slavery.
His strong censure of two great European powers for the persecution
of their Jewish populations, represented, in a sense, an early example of the principle of external intervention into the affairs of a
sovereign state, a concept that has received considerable currency

37. Baha' u'llah, Th e Proclamation of Baha 'u 'llah (Haifa: Baha'i World Centre, 1967), p. 10.
38. Baha ' u' llah, Tablets of Baha 'u '!!ah Revealed after th e Kitab-i-Aqdas
(Wilmette: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1978), p. 85.
39. Ibid., pp. 166-67.
40. Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings ofBahci 'u '!!ah , p. 92.

only recently. 41 Indeed, all of His epistles and pronouncements to
the governors of human society could be regarded as such.
In the writings of Baha'u' llah the voice of the Creator speaks
to the fundamental equality of all: "Know ye not why We created
you all from the same dust? That no one should exalt himself over
the other."42 And: "Ever since the seeking of preference and distinction came into play, the world has been laid waste. It hath
become desolate ... Indeed, man is noble, inasmuch as each one
is a repository of the sign of God. Nevertheless, to regard oneself
as superior in knowledge, in learning or virtue, or to exalt oneself
or seek preference, is a grievous transgression." 43
So in 'Abdu'l-Baha's words: "Baha'u'llah taught that an equal
standard of human rights must be recognized and adopted. In the
estimation of God all men are equal; there is no distinction or r,referment for any soul in the dominion of His justice and equity." 4
That the standard of justice established by Baha'u'llah is
applicable to all members of the human race is made abundantly
clear by Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith, in a letter to members of the Baha'i community in 1925:

[Baha'is] should have the most scrupulous regard to safeguarding the legitimate personal and civil rights of all individuals,
whatever may be their chosen career or station in life, and irrespective of their racial, religious or ideological backgrounds. It is
not permissible in matters related to such rights to make distinctions and discriminations or show preferences. In all transactions
and dealings that affect basic human rights, the standard required
of the chosen supporters of Baha'u'llah-a standard that must
claim their unhesitating and unreserved acceptance, and which
they must meticulously and assiduously uphold-is that they
should not make the slightest distinction between friend and
stranger, believer and unbeliever, supporter and antagonist. 45

41. Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Bahci 'u 'llah, p. 170.
42. Baha'u'llah, The Hidden Words (Wilmette: Baha'i Publishing Trust,
1985), Arabic #68, p. 20.
43. Baha 'u 'llah, cited in a letter of the Universal House of Justice dated 27
March 1978.
44. 'Abdu '1-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 182.
45. Translation of a letter from Shoghi Effendi to the Baha'is of Iran, July
1925: courtesy of Research Department of the Universal House of Justice.

}1l2MAN RIGHTS DISCOURSE

The Baha'i commitment to justice is an essential and tangible
expression of faith. In contrast to the secular liberal theory that
gave rise to the present human rights regime, the Baha'i teachings
ground human rights in what is regarded as the objective spiritual
nature of the human person. "I knew My love for thee," is the
Divine assurance, "therefore I created thee, have engraved on thee
Mine image and revealed to thee My beauty." 46 A loving Creator
exists Who is the Source of all that is. 47 It is not simply because
human beings have the capacity for rational choice that they deserve
moral protection, as modem philosophic liberalism would claim,
but that they are spiritual beings who have the capacity to reflect
Divine attributes such as love, creativity, and charity. As the 1947
statement of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of
the United States and Canada eloquently affirmed: "The source of
human rights is the endowment of qualities, virtues and powers
which God has bestowed upon mankind without discrimination
of sex, race, creed or nation. To fulfill the possibilities of this divine
endowment is the purpose of existence."48 In short, human beings
must be free in order to discover and know God: " ... to ascend unto
the station conferred upon their own inmost being, the station of
the knowledge of their own selves."49 This process of spiritual discovery and development is the essence of life itself. The innate and
fundamental aspiration to investigate reality is thus not only the
right but the obligation of every human being. And it is for this
very reason that 'Ab du' 1-Baha states that the "conscience of man
is sacred and to be respected ... " 50

46. Baha'u'llah, The Hidden Words, Arabic #3, p. 4.
47. For Baha'is, Baha'u'llah's claim to be the Messenger of God for this age reaffirms traditional foundationalist arguments that human rights ultimately derive
from an objective and transcendent Supreme Being. In referring to His own
Revelation and to the standard ofjustice it creates, Baha'u'llah declares: "Weigh
not the Book of God with such standards and sciences as are current amongst you,
for the Book itself is the unerring Balance established amongst men." Baha'u'llah,
The Kitilb-i-Aqdas (Wilmette: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1993), p. 56, para 99.
48. Submitted to the first session of the United Nations Commission on Human
Rights, February 1947.
49. Baha'u 'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha 'u 'llah, p. 5.
50. 'Abdu'l-Baha, A Traveller 's Narrative (Wilmette: Baha'i Publishing Trust,
1980), p. 91.

THE BAHA'f WORLD

That human rights are ultimately grounded in the successive
Revelations of God's will to humanity is explicitly affirmed by
'Ab du' 1-Baha:
Universal benefits derive from the grace of the Divine religions,
for they lead their true followers to sincerity of intent, to high
purpose, to purity and spotless honor, to surpassing kindness
and compassion, to the keeping of their covenants when they
have covenanted, to concern for the rights of others, to liberality,
to justice in every aspect of life, to humanity and philanthropy,
to valor and to unflagging efforts in the service of mankind. It
is religion, to sum up, which produces all human virtues, and it is
these virtues which are the bright candles of civilization. 51
As repeatedly emphasized throughout Baha'u'llah's writings, the
primary purpose of God in revealing His will through His Messengers is to effect a transformation in the spiritual and material life of
society. The transformation called for by Baha'u'llah is directed to
the inner life and character of every human being and to the organization of human affairs itself-a transformation that engenders
cooperation, compassion, rectitude of conduct, and justice. The
establishment of justice is contingent upon a fundamental reformulation of all human relationships- among individuals themselves,
between human society and the natural world, between the individual
and the community, and between individual citizens and their governing institutions. 52 It implies a basic reconceptualization of social
reality; a reality that in spirit and practice reflects the principle of the
oneness of humankind. To accept that "the body of humankind is
one and indivisible" is to recognize that every human being is "born
into the world as a trust of the whole." 53
From this basic principle of the unity of the human family is
derived virtually all other concepts concerning human rights and
freedoms. If the human race is one, any notion that a particular
racial or ethnic group is in some way superior to the rest of humanity must be dismissed; society must reorganize its life to give

51. Abdu ' 1-Baha, The Secret ofDivine Civilization (Wilmette: Baba ' i Publishing
Trust, 1970), p. 98.
52. For a detailed discussion of this point see the Baha'i International Community
statement, The Prosperity of Humankind, reprinted in Th e Bahil 'i World
1994-95,pp.273-96.
53 . Ibid., p. 281.

HUMAN RIGHTS DISCOURSE

practical expression to the principle of equality between women
and men; 54 each and every person must be enabled to "look into all
things with a searching eye" so that truth can be independently
ascertained; 55 and all individuals must be given the opportunity
to realize their inherent potential and thereby contribute to "an
ever-advancing civilization." 56
Even some of the more challenging rights claims such as the
right to development, shelter, food, employment, and basic health
services are subsumed by the principle of the oneness of humanity.
As 'Abdu'l-Baha states, "Every human being has the right to live;
they have a right to rest, and to a certain amount of well-being ...
Nobody should die of hunger; everybody should have sufficient
clothing; one man should not live in excess while another has no
possible means of existence." 57 If liberty truly involves a genuine
opportunity to determine a way of life, then the set of rights necessary
to achieve that way of life cannot be restricted to civil or political
rights alone. Social and economic imperatives cannot be segregated from basic civil and political protections. "Justice is not
limited," 'Abdu'l-Baha emphasizes, "it is a universal quality." 58
Under conditions of true justice, "all mankind will find comfort
and enjoyment in life .. .In the future there will be no very rich nor
extremely poor. There will be an equilibrium of interests, and a
condition will be established which will make both rich and poor
comfortable and content." 59 While affirming private property rights
and the value of individual economic initiative, the Baha'i teachings
"advocate voluntary sharing, and this is a greater thing than the

54. Baha'u'llah emphatically states that "Women and men have been and will
always be equal in the sight of God." He insists upon the emancipation of
women from long-entrenched patterns of subordination and calls for the
full participation of women in the social, economic, and political realms of
civilized life. Wom en: Extracts from the Writings of Bahti 'u 'llah, 'Abdu 'l-
Bahti, Shoghi Effendi and th e Universal House of Justice (Thornhill,
Ontario: Baha'i Canada Publications, 1986), No. 54.
55. Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha 'u '!!ah, p. 157.
56. Baha 'u 'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha 'u 'lla.h, p. 215.
57. 'Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks: Addresses given by 'Abdu'l-Baha in Paris in
1911- 1912 (London: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1972), pp. 131- 32.
58. Ibid., p. 159.
59. 'Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 132.

THE BAHA:f WORLD

equalization of wealth. For equalization must be imposed from
without, while sharing is a matter of free choice."60 Reciprocity and
altruism are then integral features of the Baha'i vision of a just social
polity. As Baha'u'llah counsels, "if thine eyes be turned towards justice,
choose thou for thy neighbor that which thou choosest for thyself. " 61
The imperative of preserving cultural diversity is also implied by
the Baha'i ~rinciple of"the oneness and wholeness of human relationships." 2 If a peaceful international order is to emerge, then the
complex and infinitely varied cultural expressions of humankind
must be allowed to develop and flourish, as well to "interact with
one another in ever-changing patterns of civilization." 63 That there
must be a cross-cultural basis for human rights is fully recognized
by the Baha'i teachings. The very diversity of the human race is,
in fact, a means for creating a world based on unity rather than
uniformity. "The diversity in the human family," 'Abdu'l-Baha
states, "should be the cause oflove and harmony, as it is in music
where many different notes blend together in the making of a perfect
chord." 64 Ultimately, the recognition of the unity of the human
race suggests that the principle of unrestricted state sovereignty
must give way to a true global system of law and order. 65 The

60. 'Abdu '1-Baha, Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu 'l-Bahil (Wilmette:
Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1982), sec. 79, p. 115.
61. Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Bahil 'u 'llah, p. 64.
62. Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Baha 'u 'llah, p. 202.
63. The Prosperity ofHumankind, p. 282.
64. 'Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 53.
65. Baha'u'llah outlined a number of steps that would lead to permanent stability in international relations. At the heart of His vision was a set of new
institutional mechanisms based on participation and consultation among the
world ' s peoples. The main institutions envisaged include a freely elected
world legislature with genuine representation and authority, an international
court having final jurisdiction in all disputes between nations, and an international executive empowered to carry out the decisions of these legislative
and judicial bodies. These institutions would have the means to ensure and
maintain a general disarmament by applying principles of collective security. They would neither usurp nor suppress the basic autonomy of nations,
and would safeguard the personal freedom and initiative of individuals. The
system of governance propounded by Baha'u'llah emphasizes the importance of grassroots decision-making, but also provides mechanisms of
coordination and authority that make cooperation possible on a global scale.

H UMAN RIGHTS DISCOURSE

Baha'i concept of the oneness of humanity therefore goes beyond
basic communitarian notions of mutual obligation for it not only
embraces human diversity but anticipates a definite framework of
rights and duties in the context of a global society.
Although, as we have seen, there is considerable convergence
between Baha'i belief and the principal objectives of the unfolding
international human rights discourse, there do exist some rather
substantive differences with the liberal philosophic thought that
underpins that discourse. At the heart of contemporary liberal
philosophy is the notion that personal prerogative defines the
structure of society, and that "as free and independent selves"
individuals are entitled to remain "unencumbered by moral or
civic ties they have not chosen." 66 Consequently, the institutions of
civil society are viewed as necessary only because the separate
interests of individuals inevitably interfere with each other. Government and community are thus regarded as "procedural" imperatives
that must be lived with. 67 There is no moral bond with others
unless individuals choose to concern themselves with the interests
of the community. Furthermore, current conceptions of liberal
thought essentially view rights as being prior to and often unconnected to duties. The rights of individuals are often seen as rights
that provide immunity from communal interests. Even though
Article 29 .1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights specifies that "everyone has duties to the community in which alone
the free and full development of his personality is possible," the
brevity and less than prominent location of this statement hardly
does justice to the notion that rights must correlate with obligations.
In this regard, it is noteworthy that the Most Holy Book of
Baha'u'llah, His Book of Laws, opens by specifying the duties of
all human beings rather than their rights. "The first duty" is "recognition" of the Divine Authority that is the foundation of all

66. Michael J. Sandel, Democracy's Discontent: America in Search of a Public Philosophy (Cambridge: Harvard University Press , 1996), p. 6.
67. A society that "asserts the priority of fair procedures over particular ends" -
ends such as concerning oneself with the welfare of the community- has
been described as "procedural" in nature. Ibid., p. 4.

THE BAHA'f WORLD

law; the second is observance of that law. 68 To exercise these
twin duties "may be regarded as the highest expression of free
will with which every human being is endowed by an all-loving
Creator." 69 From this perspective, the right to exercise freedom
of conscience in the matter of religious belief comes into being
so that one can fulfill the spiritual duty of observing the commandments of God. In short, it is the requirement of individuals'
being able to meet fundamental spiritual and moral obligations
that gives rise to human rights.
The Baha'i Faith teaches that a balance must be struck between
the latitudes of individual freedom and the promotion of the collective good. "True liberty," Baha'u'llah says, can only be achieved
by following the path of moderation. 70 It is by relinquishing a
degree of personal liberty to a commonly accepted set of laws and
collective interests that the individual helps shape a social milieu
that returns far greater benefits in terms of personal freedom than
any sacrifice required. Individual well-being is intimately tied to
the flourishing of the whole. It is thus a reciprocated benevolence
and selflessness, rather than utilitarian self-interest, that underlies
the Baha'i idea of social life. As 'Abdu'l-Baha states, "the honor
and distinction of the individual consist in this, that he among all
the world's multitudes should become a source of social good." 71
While preservation of "personal freedom and initiative" is considered essential, so too must the relational aspect of human existence
be recognized. 72 The "maintenance of civilized life," the Universal
House of Justice-the international governing body of the Baha'i
Faith-explains, "calls for the utmost degree of understanding and
cooperation between society and the individual; and because of
the need to foster a climate in which the untold potentialities of the
individual members of society can develop, this relationship must
allow 'free scope' for 'individuality to assert itself' through modes

68. Baha 'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 21, para. l.
69. Universal House of Justice, Message to the Baha'is of the World, November
26, 1992.
70. Baha' u' llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, pp. 63, para. 122- 25.
71. 'Abdu ' l-Baha, Th e Secret ofDivine Civilization, p. 2.
72. Shoghi Effendi, The World Order ofBaha 'u 'llah , p. 203.

H UMAN RIGHTS DISCOURSE

of spontaneity, initiative and diversity that ensure the viability of
society. " 73
The Baha'i community therefore has much in common with
peoples whose traditional values are more communally oriented
and less individualistic than with those who adhere to the secular
liberal conception of social life. Interestingly, this understanding
of the place of the individual in society strongly resonates with
the original strand of liberal philosophy enunciated by John
Locke. In his Second Treatise of Government, Locke asserts that
"The first and fundamental natural Law, which is to govern even
the Legislative itself, is the preservation of the Society, and (as
far as will consist with the publick good) of every person in it." 74
The individual human being, he further argues, "and all the rest
of Mankind are one Community." 75 Consequently, "the end of
Government (is) the preservation of all,'' and "the end of Law is not
to abolish or restrain, but to preserve and enlarge Freedom." 76
The modem secular tum away from Locke's conception of human
nature is made apparent by his statement that "God having made
Man such a Creature, that, in his own Judgement, it was not good
for him to be alone, put him under strong obligations of Necessity, Convenience and Inclination to drive him into Society, as
well as fitted him with Understanding and Language to continue
and enjoy it." 77 Locke then not only set forth a communitarian
conception of justice but also found the ultimate ground for justice in a transcendent Supreme Being. 78
The creation of an "equilibrium of responsibilities" among all
members of society has been a long sought after and elusive goal. 79

73. Universal House of Justice, Individual Rights and Freedoms in the World
Order ofBahti 'u 'llah (Wilmette: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1989), p. 20.
74. John Locke, cited in Jack Donnelly, Universal Human Rights: In Theory
and Practice, p. 92.
75. Ibid.
76. Ibid., pp. 100-01.
77. Ibid., p. 92.
78. For a detailed discussion of Locke's belief that morality is ultimately
derived from God see Wendy M. Heller, "Covenant and the Foundations
of Civil Society," in Th e Baha'i World 1995-96, pp. 185- 222.
79. Universal House of Justice, Individual Rights and Freedoms in the World
Order ofBaha 'u 'llah, p. 20.

THE BAHA'I WORLD

'Abdu'l-Baha states that the "moderate freedom which guarantees
the welfare of the world of mankind and maintains and preserves
the universal relationships, is found in its fullest power and extension in the teachings of Baha'u'llah." 80 The establishment of laws
and institutions has one primary purpose, the promotion of "human happiness"-happiness that, in the words of 'Abdu'l-Baha,
achieves it fullest expression by drawing "closer to the Threshold of Almighty God, and in securing the peace and well-being
of eve? individual member, high and low alike, of the human
race." 8 In consequence, justice, 'Abdu'l-Baha explains, "means
to have no regard for one's own personal benefits and selfish advantages," and to "consider the welfare of the community as one's
own." 82
In the Baha'i teachings a construction of justice is presented
which views justice not as a static legalistic end or an unapproachable ideal, but as an evolving capacity that individuals,
communities, and institutions must continually seek to develop.
The realization of justice is dependent upon universal participation
and action among all members and agencies of society. In essence,
creating a "universal culture of human rights" is bound up with a
process of moral and spiritual development. 83 As a moral capacity,
justice is a vehicle that bonds the individual to the common weal.
"The purpose of justice," Baha 'u' llah explains, "is the appearance
of unity among men." "No radiance," He continues, "can compare
with that of justice. The organization of the world and the tranquility of mankind depend upon it." 84 Individual rights must then be
interpreted in light of the law of universal fellowship. "The supreme
need of humanity," 'Abdu'l-Baha underscores, "is cooperation
and reciprocity. The stronger the ties of fellowship and solidarity
amongst men, the greater will be the power of constructiveness

80. 'Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu 'l-Baha, sec. 227, p. 305.
81. 'Abdu '1-Baha, The Secret ofDivine Civilization, p. 60.
82. Ibid., p. 39.
83. Office of the United Nations Commissioner for Human Rights, Plan of
Action for the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education,
1995-2004, para. 2 (1995).
84. Baha'u'llah, cited in Shoghi Effendi, The Advent of Divine Justice (Wilmette: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1984), p. 28.

fNMAN RIGHTS DISCOURSE

and accomplishment in all planes of human activity." 85 Only in unity
can human rights be secured and the release of the human spirit
achieved. Unity must be the guiding concept of humanity's attempts
to construct an international community that truly embraces the justice of which Baha'u'llah speaks and for which the peoples of the
earth desperately seek.
Baha'u'llah established specific institutional mechanisms to
ensure the realization of justice in human affairs. The unique and
unprecedented covenantal arrangements of Baha'u'llah's Administrative Order offer a definitive moral and spiritual basis for a
universal system of human rights. 86 The evolution of a social milieu
that promotes the development of individual and collective capacities, and an understanding of our rights and obligations as spiritual
beings, is explicitly provided in the Baha'i dispensation by these
arrangements. 87 This divinely conceived System depends, as the

85. 'Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 338.
86. Baha'u'llah's Covenant with His followers ensures both unity of understanding of His Faith's fundamental doctrines and actualization of that unity
in the Baha'i community's spiritual and social development. In particular,
this Covenant explicitly specifies the structures and principles of the Baha'i
Administrative system. To ensure that power is used as an instrument of justice, and that governance serves humanity's true needs, decision-making
authority, Ba ha 'u' llah insists, must rest with corporate bodies and not be left
in the hands of individuals. Founded on a unique set of electoral and consultative principles that are democratic in spirit and method, the Baha'i
Administrative Order is organized around freely elected governing councils
which operate at the local, national, and international levels. Baha'u'llah
called these governing councils "Houses of Justice." Baha' is believe that this
administrative system offers a model of the institutional structures necessary
for global community life. For more on the underlying principles of the Baha'i
Administrative Order see Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahti 'u 'llah,
pp. 143-57. For more on the covenantal basis of social order see Wendy M.
Heller, "Covenant and the Foundations of Civil Society."
87. The institutions of the Baha'i Administrative Order are charged with protecting
the rights of all persons-Baha'is and non-Baha'is alike. The ultimate guarantor
of these rights is the Universal House ofJustice, whose constitution explicitly
sets out as its responsibilities: "to safeguard the personal rights, freedom and
initiative of individuals; and to give attention to the preservation of human
honor. .. " The Universal House ofJustice, The Constitution of the Universal
House ofJustice (Haifa: Baha'i World Centre, 1972), p. 5.

Universal House of Justice states, "not so much on the force of law,
which admittedly must be respected, as on the recognition of a
mutuality of benefits, and on the spirit of cooperation maintained
by the willingness, the courage, the sense of responsibility, and
the initiative of individuals-these being expressions of their
devotion and submission to the will of God."E 8 In the Order of
Baha'u'llah, the House of Justice continues, "the individual is
not lost in the mass but becomes the focus of primary development, so that he may find his own place in the flow of progress,
and society as a whole may benefit from the accumulated talents
and abilities of the individuals composing it. Such an individual
finds fulfillment of his potential not merely in satisfying his own
wants but in realizing his completeness in being at one with
humanity and with the divinely ordained purpose of creation." 89
Hence, the Baha'i Faith does not simply outline a set of minimal
conditions necessary for the protection of human dignity, as various national and international charters do, but rather offers a
comprehensive vision of the purpose of human life and society.
Embedded in this covenantal or spiritually centered understanding of life is a social ethic of deep commitment that goes far
beyond the idea of a social contract that simply establishes legal
bonds among individuals with disparate interests. Baha'u'llah's
vision of the oneness of humankind involves not just the safeguarding of human rights, the deepening of human solidarity, or
the establishment of an enduring international peace, but rather
"an organic change in the structure of present-day society, a
change such as the world has not yet experienced. " 90 It calls for
a pattern of social interaction that cultivates the moral and creative capacities latent in human nature; it embraces a concept of
prosperity in which material advancement makes possible new
avenues of intellectual endeavor and spiritual expression rather
than being an end in itself; it anticipates the "emergence of a
world community, the consciousness of world citizenship, the
founding of a world civilization and culture ... " 91

88 . Universal House of Justice, Individual Rights and Freedoms in the World
OrderofBaha'u'llah, p. 9.
89. Ibid., p. 21.
90. Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Baha 'u 'llah, p. 43.

INMAN RIGHTS DISCOURSE

In some respects, the covenantal grounding of rights and obligations is not new. As the sociologist Robert Bellah has suggested,
the processes of social breakdown now taking place in America can
be attributed, in great measure, to the displacement of an early
American social order based on religious and moral duty by one
based on individualism and self-interest. 92 At the heart of that covenantal order was a set of concepts that explicitly aclmowledged the
spiritual foundations of human life: "the free and willing recognition
of a binding duty, originating in or guaranteed by a transcendent
source"; the need to act collectively in a purposive manner according
to a commonly accepted set of moral norms; and measures to ensure
individual accountability in fulfilling obligations to the community. 93
The teachings of Baha'u 'llah reaffirm the vision of a deep and
inseparable connection between the spiritual and practical dimensions of human existence. Inherent to such a perspective is the idea
that human rights and freedoms are not only necessary but sacred.
The assurance that every human being is indelibly imprinted with
the image of God affords the ultimate respect that all persons seek.
That each individual has been bestowed with a unique destiny by
God-a destiny which unfolds in accordance with the free exercise
of the choices and opportunities presented in life-lies at the center of Baha'i belief. For the Baha'i community, the protection of
human freedoms is part of a larger spiritual enterprise of fostering
a set of attitudes and practices that truly release human potential.
Genuine social progress, it believes, can only flow from spiritual
awareness and the inculcation of virtue.
Universal recognition of the dignity of every person, without
reference to the spiritual provenance of that dignity, will not guarantee
the protection of basic human freedoms . Without a transcendent
basis for rights-a power that reaches to the heart of human consciousness and motivation-humanity will not be able to develop
an integrating moral framework that will secure the advancement
of all peoples. Human rights founded on materialistic criteria

91. Ibid., p. 163.
92. Robert N. Bellah, The Broken Covenant: American Civil Religion in Time
of Trial (New York: Seabury, 1979).
93 . Heller, "Covenant and the Foundations of Civil Society," pp. 205--06.

alone, no matter how logically compelling, are ultimately limited
in their power to transform-to fuse diverse and contending peoples
into a universal community. Without such a universal identity
there can be no basis for universal moral action. In this regard, the
teachings of Baha'u'llah could be said to embody a new generation of human rights that are based on the belief that humanity is
now entering its long-awaited stage of maturity and collective
awakening . More than urging humankind to free itself from
destructive patterns of behavior and static cultural imperatives,
Baha'u' llah has laid the foundations for a global civilization
wherein the rights and innate capacity of every human being can
be realized. "A new life," Baha'u'llah avers, "is, in this age, stirring
within all the peoples of the earth." 94
A tangential point should be made here. Baha'is certainly recognize that secularism played a pivotal role in freeing humanity
from the shackles of religious fanaticism. The Enlightenment, and
the period of modernity to which it gave birth, can be understood
as part of a larger spiritual and historical process-a process guided
by God Himself. But unfortunately secularism has assumed a dogmatic character just as pernicious as the religious orthodoxies that
preceded it. Much of the confusion of contemporary life can be
traced to the failure to tap in a balanced way the powers of both
reason and faith. In His exhortation to the peoples of the world "to
observe tolerance and righteousness ," Baha'u'llah is affirming
that it is possible to believe in God and to be tolerant. 95 In this
respect, it is important to note that the "very purpose" of the Baha'i
community "is regulated by the twin directing principles of the
worship of God and of service to one's fellow-men." 96
Although the Baha'i understanding of human rights is not well
known, the affirmative response to the Revelation of Baha'u'llah
from within virtually every national, racial, and ethnic group on
the planet cannot be casually dismissed. In its models of unity and

94. Baha'u ' llah, Gleanings from the Writings ofBaha 'u 'llah, p. 196.
95. Baha'u ' llah, Tablets of Bahil 'u 'llah, p. 36.
96. Shoghi Effendi, Messages to America: Selected Letters and Cablegrams
Addressed to the Baha 'is ofNorth America, 1932-1946 (Wilmette: Baha'i
Publishing Committee, 1947), p. 24.

HlZMAN RIGHTS DISCOURSE

justice now being put into practice throughout the world, the
Baha'i community is demonstrating the universal applicability of
the concepts it propounds. The Baha'i perspective on human rights
draws its legitimacy not only from its belief in a benevolent and
omnipotent Source-from the recognition of the spiritual reality
that transcends and pervades all life-but also from the content of
that belief. Whether the precepts, laws, institutions, and provisions
for international order found in the teachings ofBaha'u'llah offer a
distinct and comprehensive approach to the establishment of justice
in world affairs is for humanity itself to decide. From the Baha'i
view, however, it is no coincidence that the principles of human
rights and human well-being enunciated in the Baha'i teachings
have been, and continue to be, at the center of the ongoing human
rights discourse.
It is clear that the Faith of Baha'u'llah is intimately concerned
with the process of liberating the human race from its baneful
heritage of oppression and suffering and guiding it to the path of
"true liberty"-the path of "freedom, well-being, tranquillity,
exaltation, and advancement ... " 97 In the words of the Universal
House of Justice:

Consider what Baha'u'llah has done: He revealed laws and principles to guide the free; He established an Order to channel
the actions of the free; He proclaimed a Covenant to guarantee
the unity of the free.
Thus, we hold to this ultimate perspective: Baha'u'llah
came to set humanity free. His Revelation is, indeed, an invitation to freedom-freedom from want, freedom from war,
freedom to unite, freedom to progress, freedom in peace and
joy.98

97. Baha 'u 'llah, Tablets ofBaha 'u '!!ah, p. 92.
98. Universal House of Justice, Individual Rights and Freedoms in the World
Order ofBahci 'u '!!ah, p. 22.

A concept paper prepared by
the Baha 'i International Community
for the Second United Nations Conference
on Human Settlements (Habitat II)
held 3- 14 June I 996 in Istanbul, Turkey.

SUSTAINABLE
COMMUNITIES IN AN
INTEGRATINGWORLD

W ith the approaching dawn of the twenty-first century,
governments, organizations and peoples are expending
enormous energies to develop communities which are socially
vibrant, united and prosperous. The United Nations Conference on
Human Settlements (Habitat II), which builds on the major global
conferences of this decade, is a milestone in these efforts and portends major advances in community development.
In the long term, however, community-building efforts will
succeed only to the extent that they link material progress to
fundamental spiritual aspirations, respond to the increasing interdependence among the peoples and nations of the planet, and
establish a framework within which all people can become active
participants in the governance of their societies.
It is to these three foundational elements of sustainable communities that the following comments are addressed.
Material Progress Must Reflect
Spiritual Principles and Priorities
Human nature is fundamentally spiritual. Communities are unlikely,
therefore, to prove prosperous and sustainable unless they take into
account the spiritual dimension of human reality and seek to foster

THE BAHA'I WORLD

a culture in which the moral, ethical, emotional and intellectual
development of the individual are of primary concern. It is in such
a milieu that the individual is likely to become a constructively
engaged, service-oriented citizen, working for the material and
spiritual well-being of the community, and that a common vision
and a shared sense of purpose can be effectively developed.
It follows that the material aspects of community developmentenvironrnental, economic and social policies; production, distribution, communication and transportation systems; and political, legal
and scientific processes- must be driven by spiritual principles and
priorities. Today, however, the substance and direction of community development are largely determined by material considerations.
Our challenge, therefore, is to redesign and develop our communities around those universal principles-including love, honesty,
moderation, humility, hospitality, justice and unity- which promote
social cohesion, and without which no community, no matter how
economically prosperous, intellectually endowed or technologically
advanced, can long endure.
Among the considerations and principles that should guide this
undertaking are the following:
• The protection of the family and the promotion of its well-being must
become central to community processes. The family is the primary
institution of society and the principal incubator of values, attitudes,
beliefs and behaviors. When it is spiritually healthy, it contributes
significantly to the development of happy and responsible citizens.
• The physical, social, economic, legal and political designs of our
communities must serve all members of society, not just the privileged. A truly just and equitable society will require a citizenry
which understands that the interests of the individual and of the
community are inextricably linked; that the advancement of human
rights requires full commitment to the corresponding responsibilities; and that when women are welcomed into full partnership with
men in all fields of human endeavor, families, communities and
nations will prosper and advance.
• Work is both a means of livelihood for the individual and a way
of contributing to the prosperity of the community as a whole.
As such, it helps give meaning to one's life. Therefore, community
design must ensure that the creative energies of the individual have a

SUSTAlNABLE COMMUNITIES

channel of useful employment in which they can be expressed. For
his or her part, the individual must assume responsibility in carrying out this trust. Progress in this area will lend great momentum to
the elimination of extremes of wealth and poverty in the world.
"Religion," the Baha'i writings state, "is the greatest of all
means for the establishment of order in the world and for the
peaceful contentment of all that dwell therein." 1 In every community, therefore, freedom of religion must be ensured, including
the right to establish centers of worship. 2 Places of worship provide

1. Although enormous injustices have, throughout history, been perpetrated
in the name of religion, it is impossible to deny the primary role that faith
has played in social progress, motivating individuals to develop spiritual
qualities, empowering them to sacrifice for their fellow human-beings and
to contribute to the betterment of their communities.
2. Centers of worship, and the institutions and activities to which they give
rise, should become a fundamental part of every hamlet, village, town and
city-indeed of all types of human settlements in every nation-but they
must contribute to the community's overall harmony, peace, well-being,
understanding and tolerance. If not, they will only serve to retard the
development of sustainable and prosperous communities, and the people
will eventually abandon them as they come to recognize the divisive and
parochial role they play in society.
Of course, almost any place can serve as a center of worship. One of the
prayers revealed by Baha'u'llah stresses this point: "Blessed is the spot, and
the house, and the place, and the city, and the heart, and the mountain, and the
refuge, and the cave, and the valley, and the land, and the sea, and the island,
and the meadow where mention of God hath been made and His praise
glorified." The importance, however, of physical, community-based centers
for the development and expression of faith cannot be overemphasized.
The Baha'i Mashriqu'l-Adhkar (the Dawning-Place of the Praise of
God) is one such center which, by its very design, integrates worship and
service, or, put another way, expresses the spiritual in practical ways. At
the heart of this complex lies the House of Worship which is open to all
people, regardless of faith. Surrounding the House of Worship, and animated by it, are to be nine dependencies-or institutions----dedicated to
social, administrative, humanitarian, educational and scientific affairs. As
each Mashriqu'l-Adhkar complex develops, these dependencies will
include "a hospital, a drug dispensary, a travelers' hospice, a school for
orphans, and a university for advanced studies." This practical model for
harmonizing the moral and ethical, the physical and environmental, and
the economic and social aspect of human settlements is worthy of study by
those involved in community-building processes.

THE BAHA'I WORLD

a venue for prayer and meditation, acts of devotion through which
the individual can come closer to the Creator, thereby strengthening his or her spiritual capacities for sacrifice and service. As
physical monuments, these buildings also often serve to express
the cultural genius of the society.
• The promotion of beauty, whether natural or man-made, should
become a guiding principle in community planning, for beauty can
touch the heart and inspire the soul to noble sentiments and actions.
• Community development will need to incorporate principles of
environmental preservation and rehabilitation, not only to bring our
current civilization into a sustainable pattern of development, but
also to respond to the human spirit's great need for close contact
with the natural world. The primary role of the farmer in food
and economic security also needs to be carefully considered in
the design of all human settlements.
• The vast forces of science and technology must be harnessed to
serve the material, intellectual, emotional and spiritual needs of
the entire human family. This will require that all peoples be
involved in generating scientific knowledge and determining its
applications. As participation increases, technologies which have
tended to desensitize and alienate, to make satisfying work and
crafts redundant, to destroy the environment, and to cause sickness,
infirmity or death, will, no doubt, be reconsidered, redesigned or
abandoned.
Interdependence among the Peoples and Nations
of the World Will Only Increase in the Years Ahead
The peoples and nations of the planet are being drawn together as
they become more and more dependent upon one another. Settlements worldwide-from hamlets, villages and towns, to cities and
megalopoli-are becoming home to increasingly diverse populations. This growing interdependence and the intensifying interaction
among diverse peoples pose fundamental challenges to old ways of
thinking and acting. How we, as individuals and communities,
respond to these challenges will, to a large degree, determine
whether our communities become nurturing, cohesive and progressive, or inhospitable, divided and unsustainable.
Unity in diversity is at once a vision for the future and a principle
to guide the world community in its response to these challenges.

S USTAINABLE COMMUNITIES

Not only must this principle come to animate relations among the
nations of the planet, but it must also be applied within both local
and national communities if they are to prosper and endure. The unifying, salutary effects of applying this principle to the redesign and
development of communities the world over, would be incalculable,
while the consequences of failing to respond appropriately to the
challenges of an ever-contracting world will surely prove disastrous.
Obviously, humanity must be prepared for the opportunities
and responsibilities that are emerging as a result of this growing
interdependence. People need to develop the knowledge, values,
attitudes and skills necessary to participate confidently and constructively in shaping the world community, on all levels, so that it might
reflect principles of justice, equity and unity. Education will play an
indispensable role here. It must help the individual develop a sense
of place and community-not limited to the local or national level,
but extending out to include the whole world.3 It should cultivate
virtue as the foundation for personal and collective well-being, and
should nurture in individuals a deep commitment to the welfare
of their families, their communities, their countries, indeed, all
mankind. 4 Education should also encourage thinking in terms of
historical process, seeing in history an inexorable movement toward
a world civilization, a movement whose successes are the patrimony
of all peoples and whose challenges we must now, as a single
race, address.
Humanity Must Move toward More Participatory, Knowledge-
Based and Values-Driven Processes of Governance
Top-down models of community development can no longer adequately respond to modem day needs and aspirations. The world
community must move toward more participatory, knowledgebased and values-driven systems of governance in which people

3. In this regard, community might be conceived of as a set of concentric circles, with the local community being the smallest, and the global community
being the largest.
4. The concept of world citizenship helps integrate all levels of community:
being a responsible citizen on the local and national levels is not at odds
with love for all humanity; rather, these multi-layered allegiances and
obligations fonn a tightly woven web, an inseparable whole.

THE BAHA'I WORLD

can assume responsibility for the processes and institutions that
affect their lives. These systems need to be democratic in spirit and
method, and must emerge on all levels of world society, including
the global level. Consultation5-the operating expression of justice
in human affairs-should become their primary mode of decisionmaking.
Naturally, old ways of exercising power and authority must
give way to new forms ofleadership. Our concept ofleadership will
need to be recast to include the ability to foster collective decision
making and collective action. It will find its highest expression in
service to the community as a whole.
Toward a Common Community, a Common Destiny
In conclusion, communities that thrive and prosper in the new
millennium will do so because they acknowledge the spiritual
dimension of human nature and make the moral, emotional and
intellectual development of the individual a central priority. They
will guarantee freedom of religion and encourage the establishment
of places of worship. Their centers of learning will seek to cultivate
the limitless potentialities latent in human consciousness and will
pursue as a major goal the participation of all peoples in generating and applying knowledge. Remembering at all times that the
interests of the individual and of society are inseparable, these
communities will promote respect for both rights and responsibilities, will foster the equality and partnership of women and men,
and will protect and nurture families. They will promote beauty,
natural and man-made, and incorporate into their design principles of
environmental preservation and rehabilitation. Guided by the concept
of unity in diversity, they will support wide-spread participation in
the affairs of society, and will increasingly tum to leaders who

5. In consultation, the individual participants strive to transcend their respective points of view, in order to function as members of a body with its own
interests and goals. In an atmosphere characterized by both candor and
courtesy, ideas belong not to the individual who presents them, but to the
group as a whole, to take up, discard, or revise as seems to best serve the
goal pursued. Consultation succeeds to the extent that all participants support
the decisions arrived at, regardless of the individual opinions with which
they entered the discussion. Under such circumstances an earlier decision
can be readily reconsidered if experience exposes any shortcomings.

S USTAINABLE COMMUNITIES

are motivated by the desire to serve. In these communities the
fruits of science and technology will benefit the whole society,
and work will be available for all.
Communities such as these will prove to be the pillars of a
world civilization-a civilization which will be the logical culmination of humanity's community-building efforts over vast stretches
of time and geography. Baha'u'llah's statement that all people are
"born to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization," implies
that every person has both the right and the responsibility to contribute to this historic and far-reaching, collective enterprise whose
goal is nothing less than the peace, prosperity and unity of the
entire human family. 6

6. It is interesting to note that a number of the concepts in this paper were
also present in the statement that the Baha'i International Community
delivered to the first United Nations Conference on Human Settlements in
1976. More recent Baha'i statements which shed light on the subject of
sustainable communities include Th e Prosperity of Humankind; World
Citizenship: A Global Ethic for Sustainable Development; and Turning
Point for All Nations.

The Bahci 'i International Community
presented this statement to the 53rd session
of the United Nations Commission on
Human Rights in March 1997, in Geneva.

UNITED NATIONS
DECADE FOR
HUMAN RIGHTS
EDUCATION

0 ne of the most striking features of this century is the transformation technical and scientific advances have brought to all
forms of human interaction. Modem means of travel and communications have contracted our planet, and created a global web of
commerce, migration and intellectual and scientific exchange that
has made discussions of global interdependence commonplace.
Despite the overwhelming evidence of our interdependence and
increased contact with diverse people, differences of culture, language and religion are still considered grounds for suspicion and
hostility. Even in countries where people of different faiths and ethnic backgrounds have lived side by side for generations, ancient
rivalries and suspicions lurk just below the surface, ready to erupt
with disastrous consequences for human rights.
To defuse these conflicts and to protect human rights a new foundation of universal understanding-a new framework of values
within which diversity is seen not as a threat but as an aspect of
our common humanity-will be required. Laying this moral and
ethical foundation for what some have referred to as "a universal

culture of human rights" is one of the most important aspects of
human rights education.
In the Baha'i view, the foundation of universal understanding
and, therefore, for human rights education is the oneness of humanity,
a spiritual principle amply confirmed by all the sciences. Anthropology, physiology and psychology recognize only one human
species, albeit infinitely varied. If we see ourselves as members
of one human family, interconnected and interdependent, we will
be unable to violate the rights of another member of that family
without feeling the pain ourselves.
Violations of human rights are sometimes a misguided expression
ofloyalty. Human rights education, by applying the principle of the
oneness of humanity, can help people to see that loyalty to a large
entity does not necessarily conflict with loyalty to a small entity.
We live and work in many social units and institutional environments, often nested one within the other, that are complementary
and often mutually supportive. Love of one's country does not
preclude love of family or community, rather, it enlarges the circle
of relationships.
The enlargement of social organization from clan to nation
state has opened new opportunities for the expression of human
capacity, as it has expanded the circle of those deemed deserving
ofrecognition and respect. For stability in any social organization,
the rights of all, including minorities, need to be respected. Current conflicts in Africa and in Europe involve gross violations of
human rights, some based on ethnicity, others on religious belief,
which are destructive of the foundations of society. The evolution
of ever-larger circles of organic relationships and interactions now
embraces the entire planet. As we educate our children to accept
diversity as part of the human condition and to extend respect and
full human rights to the entire human family, civilization will benefit from an unimaginable wealth of contributions.
In that respect, human rights education could be considered
basic education for life in the modem world. According to the International Commission on Education for the 21st Century, "learning
to live with others," which necessitates respecting their rights, is
"one of the major issues in education today." The Commission
also points out that children and youth are coping with special

:f-IUMAN RIGHTS ED UCATION

tensions that come from living in a contracting and interdependent world. Among them are the tension "between the global and
the local: people need gradually to become world citizens without losing their roots"; the tension "between the universal and the
individual: culture is steadily being globalized, but as yet only
partially"; and the tension "between the spiritual and the material." Human rights education grounded in the principle of the
oneness of humanity, can provide children and youth the tools
and the philosophical framework to enable them to resolve these
tensions for themselves.
Religion has an important role to play in human rights education.
The Plan of Action for the Decade for Human Rights Education
states that "Education should promote understanding, tolerance,
peace and friendly relations between nations and all racial and
religious groups ... " Historically, religion has always shaped the
laws and social values that determine how individuals treat each
other. The Plan of Action also calls for education directed to "the
full development of the human personality and the sense of its
dignity." Religion teaches people who they are and why they are
here and calls them to transcendence and service. "Noble have I
created thee," Baha'u'llah asserts, "yet thou hast abased thyself.
Rise then to that for which thou wast created." Religious convictions
empower individuals to confront their own character defects, to root
out undesirable behavior, and to cultivate such virtues as truthfulness, compassion, trustworthiness, and generosity. These spiritual
qualities taught by all religions are conducive to nobility and to
respect for the rights of others.
The worldwide Baha'i community has historically been a strong
supporter of United Nations human rights programs and activities.
In 1947 Baha'is presented a statement on human obligations and
rights to the newly formed UN Commission on Human Rights. As
soon as the UN established December 10th as Human Rights
Day, national and local Baha'i institutions began planning commemorations. Over the years, Baha'is have circulated widely the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights in a number of languages.
When the United Nations adopted conventions implementing the
various articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
Baha'i communities worldwide disseminated these documents,

held public meetings to explain them, and, in some cases, participated in efforts in their countries to ratify them.
The Baha'i International Community has invited all 174 national
Baha'i councils to lend their support to the Decade for Human
Rights Education.
Finally, it is important to bear in mind that changing attitudes
and values after they are formed is inevitably a difficult and gradual
process. Therefore, human rights education efforts should be
concentrated on reaching children and youth, who are still in the
process of forming the values that will shape their lives. Instilling in our children respect for themselves and others, recognition
of the oneness of humanity, appreciation of unity in diversity,
and a sense of citizenship in a world community will be the best
guarantee of improved protection of human rights in the years to
come.

The Bahiz 'i International Community
presented a joint Non-Governmental
Organization statement to the United
Nations Commission on Human Rights
in Geneva on 23 April 1996 on
Agenda item 20(a): Status of the
Convention on the Rights of the Child.

CONVENTION
RIGHTSONTHE
OF THE HILD
c

T he Baha'i International Community is pleased to offer, on
behalf of 34 non-governmental organizations, comments
under this agenda item on the implementation of the Convention
on the Rights of the Child.
The Vienna Declaration and Program of Action emphasizes the
importance of the implementation of this human rights instrument,
and states that "measures should be taken to achieve universal
ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child." We
therefore welcome the continued attention given to the Convention by the Commission on Human Rights. Persistent attention to
this vital issue, since 1983, by the NGO Group on the Convention and the cooperation evinced among many organizations of
civil society as well are a source of hope and encouragement to
people throughout the world.
The universal ratification and full implementation of the Convention is an essential and compelling task. We believe that ensuring the
well-being of this most important, yet often overlooked, segment of
society is the responsibility of the whole of society. Its neglect has
grave consequences not only for the children themselves and for
THE BAHA'I WORLD

present-day communities, but also for future development and the
fate of generations to come. We therefore believe that full implementation of the Convention is a universal responsibility, the attainment
of which will contribute significantly to the advancement of humanity toward the establishment of justice, peace and order. Rapid and
universal implementation is a task worthy of the concerted efforts
of national institutions and non-governmental organizations alike.
Full implementation of the Convention will also facilitate the
implementation of other UN instruments. Children of future
generations, raised under conditions where their rights are fully
protected, will be better able to take advantage of their rights and
to fulfill their responsibilities towards others. Protection of their
fundamental rights will be a major step toward equipping them
to build a society in which all human rights are respected, and in
which the collective aspirations expressed in numerous United
Nations declarations and instruments become a reality.
Within the Convention, certain articles deserve special consideration. Among these are Articles 28 and 29, which address rights
and responsibilities related to education. Education is a powerful
social force that both transmits and shapes culture and beliefs.
Properly conceived and implemented, education reveals and
develops the potentialities inherent in each individual and prepares
those individuals to contribute to the well-being of themselves,
their families, their communities, and to humankind as a whole.
Indeed, it is only through a well-conceived education that the
child can find a proper balance between his/her own self and society
around him/her. The individual and his environment are profoundly
interconnected. The human relationships, cultural norms and values,
the social structures and processes which compose the child's environment all influence and shape the individual, but the individual,
whether child or adult, in tum moulds and influences that environment. The two act upon one another, and every abiding change in
the life of humankind is the result of their mutual interactions. The
healthy and full development of the child depends on the nature of
this interaction and on the reciprocal relationship between the child
and society around him/her. Without effort and activity on behalf of
others, the individual is unable to develop fully virtues and talents,
but likewise, without individual transformation, lasting social change
is impossible.
Given the complex interactions affecting the relationship between
the individual and society, it is inconceivable that a harmonious
and healthy relationship can be achieved without addressing the
need to develop the spiritual potentials of the child. Although
essential, scholastic education alone, devoid of the aims defined
in Article 29 of the Convention and the basic human values such
as love, humility, kindness, tolerance, and justice, is incapable of
ridding the world of hatred, prejudice, greed and oppression.
Education devoid of these essential concepts and human values
in fact creates in the child greater potential for violence and destructive behavior.
Educational programs that foster the development of moral
qualities and capabilities are one of the strongest forces both to
protect children from destructive behavior and to help create a just
and harmonious society in which the rights of all are upheld.
Moral qualities, sometimes referred to as spiritual qualities or
human values, are the building blocks of human personality. They
are the endowments of every human being and the adornments of
the human spirit. The full power of these fundamental qualities can
be released, however, only when they are acquired in the context
of an understanding of the oneness of humanity and with attention
to their application in action for the betterment of society as a
whole. Indeed, unless applied universally and in action, these
qualities can easily become little more than slogans, at times
degenerating even to become excuses for prejudice and injustice.
However, when learned and applied in conjunction with the
development of skills and abilities, concepts and attitudes, they
empower the individual (child) to transform both himself/herself
and society. Rather than merely longing for a more harmonious
society, the child can become a builder of unity. Rather than
being bound by the unjust and often violent patterns of behavior
learned in a dysfunctional family, the future adult can help to create a loving, harmonious and just family life. Rejecting violence,
the child can become a facilitator of non-violent conflict resolution and a proponent of true consultation. He or she can become
a bringer of joy and an empowerer of others.
Moral education centered on an understanding of the essential
oneness of humankind and applied on a universal basis constitutes an indispensable foundation for the universal respect for
human rights. Development of these essentially human qualities
and capabilities must be integrated into all aspects of formal and
non-formal education. Existing school curricula from kindergarten through secondary and post-secondary education must be
revised so that all elements therein contribute to the moral
development of the child, and so that the moral implications of
personal and social choices are fully recognized. In addition,
training programs for parents, educators, counsellors and others
who serve as role models and mentors for children and youth would
also be essential. These programs would address both the process
of assisting children and youth to build moral capabilities, and
the skills necessary for specific capabilities such as creating a
non-violent and harmonious family, consultation, and building
unity. They would build a practical understanding of the oneness
of humankind, and equip participants with the skills necessary to
promote and actualize that understanding.
Article 17 of the Convention, addressing the role of the media
in enabling the child to fulfill its potential, also requires careful
consideration. The media have a powerful influence on people's
attitudes and perceptions, and that influence is magnified in the
case of children. The media can identify, provide and encourage
examples of high ideals and achievements worthy of human
endeavor, and highlight conditions of injustice with the aim of
educating humanity toward their rectification. Or, they can choose,
instead, to focus on the many examples of conflict, to undermine
faith in human capacity to change, and to reinforce values and patterns of behavior that lead to disunity, injustice, violence: in short,
values and patterns which lead to violations of human rights and
instability in society.
We believe that the mass media and incisive, educational and
scholarly books are ideal vehicles for the cultivating values that
will lead to the protection of human rights and the establishment of
peace. They can provide models for children by exalting people
who have implemented these values and by providing a forum for
impartial examination of issues and solutions. We call on the media
to take up this challenge, and to fulfill their role in promoting the
"social, spiritual and moral well-being and physical and mental
health" of the child. We also call for a broad-based discourse to
examine how this role can most effectively be fulfilled.
In conclusion, we suggest that the Committee on the Rights of
the Child pay concerted attention to the aims of education indicated
in Article 29 of the Convention and to the role of the media and
scholarly books as vehicles for moral education. Specialized agencies, particularly UNESCO and UNICEF have an important role to
play in the promotion of these educational endeavors. We believe
that this would serve greatly "the best interests of the child."
List of Co-Signatory NGOs
I) African Association of Education for Development (AFASED)
2) All India Women's Conference
3) American Association of Jurists
4) Defence for Children International
5) Federation Internationale des Femmes de Carrieres Juridiques
6) Fondation France-Liberte
7) Human Rights Advocates Inc.
8) Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women
and Children (IAC)
9) International Abolitionist Federation
IO) International Alliance of Women
11) International Association of Democratic Lawyers (!AOL)
12) International Association of Educators for World Peace
13) International Association for Religious Freedom
14) International Council of Jewish Women
15) International Council of Women
16) International Educational Development, Inc.
17) International Federation of Social Workers
18) International Federation of University Women (IFUW)
19) International Movement ATD Fourth World
20) International Movement Against all Forms of Discrimination and Racism
21) International Movement for Fraternal Union Among Races and Peoples
22) International Organization for the Development of Freedom of Education (OIDEL)
23) Liberation
24) National Council of German Women's Organizations
25) Susela Dharma International Association
26) Women's International League For Peace and Freedom (WILPF)
27) Women's World Summit Foundation
28) World Association for the School as an Instrument of Peace
29) World Federalist Movement
30) World Federation of Methodist Women
31) World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA)
32) World Movement of Mothers
33) World Vision International
34) Zonta International

This report, submitted by the Baha'i International
Community's Office for the Advancement of Women
in April 1996, appears in The Emerging Role of
NGOs in African Sustainable Development,
published by the United Nations for the Mid-Term
Review of the United Nations New Agenda for the
Development ofAfrica in the 1990 's (UN-NADAF).
New York, 20 June 1996.

Two Baha'i International Community Projects:

CAMEROON & ZAMBIA

T he Baha'i International Community has 44 national affiliates
in Africa with over 5,000 grassroots communities. Baha'is
are committed to improving the collective life of everyone on the
planet. Within this framework, there are both collective (institutional) and individual responsibilities. As Baha'i institutions, the
national and local Baha'i councils are responsible for the wellbeing of the entire community, not just the Baha'is. As individuals,
Baha'is see work done in the spirit of service to the community as
a form of worship. This framework of institutional and individual
responsibility is buttressed by certain principles, e.g., equality of
men and women, necessity of independent investigation of truth,
high station of education, and the importance of agriculture for
society. The Baha'i approach to social and economic development
has at least three major components, which you will see manifested
in both projects presented in this paper: 1) the practice of the art of
consultation; 2) rectitude of conduct individually and collectively;
and 3) the solution of problems through the application of spiritual
principles. The effort of putting these principles into practice, the

THE BAHA'I WORLD

Baha'i writings state, leads to self-sufficiency and self-reliance and
the enhancement of individual and community honor and dignity.
The Baha'i International Community will demonstrate the effectiveness of its approach to development by describing two projects
and sharing lessons learned. The first project, in Cameroon, promotes
changes in community values by teaching participants to use analytic tools like focus groups, interview techniques, and community
surveys to identify problems; consultation as a means to analyze
them; and traditional media presentations as a non-threatening way
to generate dialogue within the entire community which can lead
to solutions. The second project is the Masetlha Foundation in
Zambia which combines spiritual enrichment with training in primary health care, literacy and agriculture, and which has recently
added a secondary school for rural girls which emphasizes science
and agriculture. Both projects emphasize the development of individual human resources and the capacity of institutions to sustain
the development work. Although both projects capitalize on the
institutional infrastructure and commitment of the Baha'i community,
they are open to all and serve the community at large.
Traditional Media as Change Agent, Cameroon
Goal: The goal of the "Traditional Media as Change Agent" project
was to raise the status of women in selected communities through
strategies designed to involve men. Instead of ignoring men
altogether or assuming that men could not or would not change,
this project boldly advanced the premise set forth in the Baha'i
writings that improving the status of women benefits everyone.
Project designers, therefore, set out to effect a shift in community
values (1) by involving men in partnership with women in identifying
community problems associated with women's low status and (2)
by stimulating community discussion of those problems by using
traditional media. The project was designed by the Baha'i International Community and implemented in countries on three continents
with funds from UNIFEM.
Activities: Working through elected local Baha'i governing councils
in self-selected communities in Cameroon, trainers facilitated the
following process:
• Gathering the facts: Project participants were taught how to use

ywo PROJECTS: CAMEROON & ZAMBIA

tools like focus groups, interview techniques, and community
surveys to gather data on the status of women and identify
problems in their own communities related to women's status.
• Analyzing the data: Using consultation as a basis, participants
analyzed the data in light of certain principles such as the
equality of men and women, the power of example, unity of
purpose, commitment, and service to the community.
• Stimulating community-wide discussion: The analysis and recommendations were shared with the community as a whole through
such traditional media as theater, songs, and dance. Messages
communicated in this way are taken very seriously in non-literate
communities, and they provide a non-threatening opening for
dialogue with the whole community.
• Impact on local development: Because the project initially sought
only to increase awareness and develop capacity of local institutions, the results exceeded expectations.
• Information produced: Participants identified the following as
the primary problems faced by women: lack of education; domination by men; uneven distribution of workload between
women and men; and poor management of household finances
by men (who did not consult their wives). These findings were
the same in every project village in Cameroon (in Malaysia and
Bolivia, as well, where this project was also implemented).
• Interaction with beneficiaries: Qualitative evaluation data showed
increases in husband-wife consultation such that men made more
money available to the family and spent less on themselves;
alcohol abuse and domestic violence decreased drastically; in
most project areas the enrollment of girls in schools increased
from 6-7% at the start of the project to near 100%; and evidence
of significant shifts in labor patterns emerged as men began to
take on some of the work women had been handling, both in the
home and in the field.
• Capacity-building: Local communities were able to use skills of
planning, consultation, implementation and evaluation for activities other than the women's program, showing that these skills
are general and can be extended to other issues and sectors.
• Follow-up: Attempts to quantify the results are in process. Data
has been gathered on behavior patterns in three project villages

and three non-project villages. Project participants themselves
interviewed 50 couples in each village, men interviewing men,
women interviewing women. The data gathered is now being
analyzed.
Some lessons learned:
• The concept of a project with no immediate material benefits may be
difficult to grasp at first. However, the initial bewilderment can be
overcome if the project leaders stress the benefits of core skills
training and provide consistent support, including regular visits.
• Communities can be-indeed must be-proactive partners in
change, not just recipients of "aid." The process at the heart of
this project was inherently participatory and collective-the
rethinking of community values, not just modifying activities
or behaviors. Re-examining traditional values together as a
community allowed the community to accept and slowly integrate new values as the norm into their social life.
• New values require a new vision. When communities--especially
men-begin to see that their happiness and welfare depends on
their women's happiness and welfare, real community development can take place. Stated another way, when social norms
shift, change becomes sustainable.
• Participation by women in decision-making increases much more
rapidly when men are involved. The 1995 United Nations Development Report identifies 30% participation by women as the
critical minimum level for women's participation in decisionmaking. At this level there seems to be a fundamental change in
any organization, but the report also mentions that this level is
rarely attained. This project demonstrated that this threshold is
reached more quickly when men are included as partners in unity
to achieve gender equity, than when they are excluded or ignored.
• Change is difficult for everyone, so anticipate resistance from both
women and men. Talk of partnership is fashionable, but many
women have no real interest in working with men, and many
men do not really believe in equality.
• Social norms are more powerful than individual values. Both
projects (Cameroon and Zambia) identified social norms and the
power of group culture as the critical variable in attitudinal and
behavioral change. Both projects noted that changing gender

~o PROJECTS: CAMEROON & Z AMBIA

roles and perceptions at the household level can be extremely
difficult; however, when institutional values favor gender equity,
both women and men are able to practice new behaviors that
eventually lead to attitude and behavior change observable in other
settings. Community institutions/organizations (educational, religious, and legal) which actively promote gender equity may
thus be the key to sustainable behavioral and attitudinal change.
• Development of institutional capacity is critical to sustaining development efforts. It is our expectation that the institutional capacity
within the Cameroon community will progress through the
establishment of a training institute (recently finalized) and the
evolution of the development committee, so that, like the
Masetlha Foundation, it will engage over time in action and
reflection on a wide variety of initiatives that will support the
integration of diverse initiatives for the progress of individuals
and villages in the country. Thus both projects illustrate the elements for sustained activity in the future: human resource
development and institutional capacity development, both
designed to give local people the capacity to participate in and
guide their own development.
William Mmutle Masetlha Foundation, Zambia
Goal: The William Mmutle Masetlha Foundation is a non-profit
charitable organization located in central Zambia. Its purpose is to
support a spiritual approach to social and economic development
which stirs people to develop themselves and achieve self-sufficiency. The Masetlha Foundation was created in 1995 by the
Baha'i governing council of Zambia to oversee the William Mmutle
Masetlha Institute (founded October 1983) and the Banani Secondary
School for rural girls (opened in January 1993). The foundation is
the latest stage in a sustained development process which was
initiated at the grassroots, nurtured at the national level, and funded
both by government agencies and organizations of civil society.
The William Mmutle Maset/ha Institute: The Institute combines
spiritual education with practical training for volunteers in a wide
variety of skills, including agriculture, health education, children's
education, literacy, and numeracy. Spiritual education, which helps
to develop qualities such as enthusiasm, dedication, creativity and

THE BAHA'I WORLD

service, along with the practical skills, leads to self-sufficiency. The
active involvement of women is an important focus in all training
and field work. The Institute offers a wide variety of courses. For
example, one course offered since 1985 is a four-month-long spiritual
development and agricultural training program that includes four
hours of daily lectures and practical work in the villages. Two of
the institute's special projects are the Baha'i Literacy Project and
the Zambia Baha'i Primary Health Care Project.
The Baha'i Literacy Project aims to assist the Baha' is of Zambia
to achieve universal literacy and to strengthen Baha'i communities
by (1) developing a Baha'i approach to literacy education which
achieves both :functional literacy and spiritual empowerment; and by
(2) training volunteer literacy tutors from both the Baha'i community
and the community at large to offer classes in their villages, where
illiteracy may be as high as 60%. The methodology used is conspicuously participatory, as it de-emphasizes the role of facilitators
and empowers people with little education to study in groups and
develop independent thinking.
Zambia Baha'i Primary Health Care Project, launched in August
1993, is intended to help the Zambian Government achieve Health
for All by the Year 2000 through primary health care education by
(1) identifying and training a cadre of volunteer Community Health
Educators (CHEs); (2) assisting CHEs to promote communitybased primary health activities and educate their communities
about basic hygiene, nutrition, and disease prevention (emphasizing
AIDS and malaria); (3) increasing the level of immunization coverage; and (4) integrating primary health care into a broad range of
development-related training programs. The project also provides
training for CHE trainers, holds Village Health Committee workshops, and provides refresher courses for Community Health
Educators. The Institute has also been training Community Health
Care Workers (CHWs) since 1987.
The Banani International Secondary School: The Banani International Secondary School in the Chisamba district, is a residential
school for young women in grades 8 to 12 with an emphasis on
science and agriculture. Established by the Masetlha Institute to
serve rural girls, the school has adopted the University of Cambridge

~o PRO TECTS : CAMEROON & ZAMBIA

Examinations Syndicate curriculum, which provides students with
an International General Certificate of Secondary Education at the
end of grade 12. The University of Cambridge courses currently
offered by the school are English as a second language, French,
mathematics, geography, history, English Literature, agriculture,
biology, chemistry, and physics. Two courses supplement the
Cambridge curriculum: world religions and character development. A key element in the moral training offered by the school is
a community service program. The school has an eleven-member
academic staff drawn from six countries. Scholarships for
deserving students were offered for the first time in 1993.
Impact on local development:
• Information produced. The literacy project has adapted a participatory methodology developed in Colombia. Materials are
being developed and translated into local languages, and one
booklet has been published. Another kind of information is produced by volunteers in the field. For the health project, despite
very little opportunity for follow-up visits (problems of distance
and accessibility), some 75% of trainees are reporting on their
activities. This is evidence of the development of individual
capacity being able to carry out activities out of one's own volition, without someone else needing to push.
• Volunteers trained. Armies of volunteers have been raised up
and trained, many of whom are women. The literacy project has
trained 41 tutors from Care International and DAPP, who are
conducting classes for approximately 20 students each, reaching around 800 learners; and some 40 Baha'i tutors who have
conducted classes, sponsored by local Baha'i communities, for
another 800 people. Baha'is encourage youth to offer a year of
service; from two "youth year of service" training sessions, 50
youth from Southern Africa have arisen to serve throughout
Zambia and the region. More than 150 volunteer primary Health
Care Workers and 93 volunteer Community Health Educators
(CHEs) have been trained; 78 percent of the CHEs have reported
conducting health education activities in their communities.
• Interaction with beneficiaries. Approximately one half of all trainees
are women-no small achievement-many from the community

at large. Women have proven effective in the role of Community
Health Educators and Workers, earning the respect of their
community.
• Capacity-building. Health facilities lack personnel; therefore,
NGO-trained community volunteers have proven to be an important resource in both preventive and curative medical care. A
number of CHEs have attached themselves to their local clinics,
some as volunteers, others as paid employees, and they are
reported to work very well. The girls' school opened in January
1993 with 58 students; in 1994, more than 90 students were
enrolled.
• Relations with development partners. There has been good collaboration with the Zambian Ministries of Health and of Community
Development, who have seconded staff to the Institute. The
training provided at the Institute has been commended by a
number of Ministry of Health, and of Community Development
officials, and recognized by several other NGOs. Ministry people
have said that the "Baha'i" CHEs and Health Instructors are
excellent workers who are extremely conscientious.
• Financial flows. Baha'i development programs tend to have
extremely low overheads as compared to other organizations,
even government. Everyone in the field works voluntarily, and
Institute-based staff work with modest salaries. Because of the
emphasis and value placed on personal integrity, everyone handling money takes care of it, regardless of its source. Institute
programs reach almost every province of Zambia through the
network of Baha'i communities; without this network, the
projects would have to be limited in geographical scope. The
network makes it possible to select and invite trainees, without
high investments of time and money on the part of the Institute.
Letters are mailed to local Baha'i governing councils who
select those who go for training.
Some lessons learned:
• Promoting full participation of women requires patience and persistence. Regular, focused discussions with health educators
and literacy instructors about improving gender equity are
needed because both men and women find that when they

rwo PROJECTS: CAMEROON & ZAMBIA

return to the village, very strong and persistent habits hold them
back and push them to adopt traditional roles.
• Training women as health educators raises their status in the community. Having been selected by the community for training,
and then becoming known as a "Community Health Educator,''
gives many women the confidence and respect to be able to participate in general community events and to begin making
changes in other areas. But it is slow, and not enough women
are empowered in this way.
• Social norms are extremely powerful. We observe that more
progress toward equality is made in the Institute setting than at
home in the village. More needs to be done in the village. Many
women are able to become more confident to speak in public
and participate as equals during the training sessions, and the
men seem willing to practice a more equitable culture in the
Institute setting. One important reason to have people leave the
village for training is that it is possible to create a temporary
new culture at the Institute.
• A service ethic produces superior workers. The willingness of
Baha'is to volunteer and the high quality of Baha'i community
health educators (CHEs) is not surprising, as the training and
the whole of Baha'i community life encourages work and selfless service.
• The interface with donors has been difficult at times. The flow of
money is often irregular, and going through Baha'i institutions
not used to handling grant money is difficult. The Canadian Public Health Association, which is an NGO funded by CIDA to give
grants and assist management of some 30 health/immunization
projects, is doing a reasonable job of this NGO partnership
arrangement. They are holding their annual partners' workshop
on the very topic of partnership. It does pool together a certain
amount of expertise and learning, while retaining the small and
flexible NGO arrangements.
• Consultation with a wide range of people and organizations at all
phases of project development and implementation is essential
There has been a great deal of consultation guiding all the
projects. The notion of human resource development as spiritual
empowerment came out of consultations involving international,

THE BAHA'f WORLD

national and local organizations and people from all over Zambia.
The Core Group for that permanent institute consults regularly
with the Foundation's Board of Directors, and the Baha'i national
governing council. Baha'i national conventions, involving
elected delegates from villages all over Zambia, have always
included consultations about the Institute's programs and how
to improve them.

Notes
1 The following quotes from the Baha'i writings have profoundly shaped both
projects: "The world of humanity has two wings-one is women and the
other men. Not until both wings are fully developed can the bird fly ... "
('Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu 'l-Bahti, p. 302) and
"As long as women are prevented from attaining their highest possibilities,
so long will men be unable to achieve the greatness which might be theirs."
('Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 133.)

2. The agencies that have supported William Mmutle Masetlha Foundation to
date: the Department of Agriculture in Zambia, Zambian Baha'i National
Teaching Committee, Sweden's International Development Agency (SIDA),
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), Canadian Public
Health Association (CPHA), National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of
Canada, CARE, CUSA, Swedish Baha' i Community, Baha'i International
Health Agency (BIHA), Canadian Baha'i International Development Service
(CBIDS), Ettehadieh Foundation, Beit Trust, and the World Community
Foundation. The Ministries of Health and of Community Development in
Zambia have provided staff.

INFORMATION
REsOURcEs
OBITUARIES

Abbas Afnan
On 10 May 1996, in the United King- the Afnans went to England in order
dom. Raised in Shiraz, Iran, Abbas for Dr. Afnan to study preventive
Afnan came from an illustrious medicine and public health. At the
Baha'i family: both his father and request of the National Spiritual Asmother were descendants of uncles of sembly of the British Isles they
the Bab. He graduated from the Fac- remained in England as "homefront"
ulty of Medicine at the University of pioneers, moving to Burnley in 1960
Tehran in 1949, following which he and later to Norfolk. He served as a
pursued postgraduate medical studies member of the National Assembly of
in both Switzerland and France. He the British Isles, and later of the
married Shomais Ala'i in the early United Kingdom, for 12 years. In
1950s. Dr. Afnan's early services to 1975, the Afnans moved to Canada,
the Baha'i community included settling in Grand Falls, Newfoundassisting the development and invig- land, but returned to England in
oration of the Baha'i community of 1988, and then moved to Ljubljana,
Yazd, which was under pressure in the former Yugoslavia. Eventually,
from fanatical elements. In March Dr. Afnan was invited to lecture on
1954, Dr. Afnan joined his wife at the Baha'i Faith for the comparative
their pioneer post in Ethiopia, where religion course in the University of
he worked in several hospitals, train- Ljubljana. After some time, a decline
ing medical students in a United in his health necessitated their return
Nations' project in Gondar. In 1958, to England, where he passed away.

THE BAHA'I WORLD

Hushang Ahdieh Iran in 1936, living in various towns
On 6 February 1997 in Canada. Born in the provinces until 1952. During
in Ramadan, Iran, into a Baha'i fam- that time he attained a position as the
ily in August 1929, Hushang Ahdieh Director-General of that country's
graduated in 1954 from the dental sugar factories and donated a school
faculty of Tehran University. In 1955, to one of the towns . He spent 1952
he departed for Asmara, Eritrea, in France, pursuing another diploma,
where he lived for 23 years. He mar- and returned to Iran in 1953, where
ried Nahid Ettehadieh and together he worked as an Advisory Engineer
they raised two children. Dr. Ahdieh for France and bought and installed a
was elected as a member of the Local sugar factory in the south. By 1954
Spiritual Assembly of Asmara from he was back in France, where in
1956 through the 1960s, and he also 1958 he was elected to the National
served for many years on the Re- Spiritual Assembly of France at its
gional Spiritual Assembly of North inaugural convention. He married
East Africa. In 1978, the Ahdiehs
Arlette Barbanson that same year.
moved to the Central African Repub-
Mr. 'Ala'i served on that National
lic, where they lived for many years.
Assembly for many years. He was
He was appointed a member of the
the director of the House of Iran in
Auxiliary Board in 1968 and served
Paris from 1966 to 1980 and in 1975
in that capacity until 1973, when he
he was given the medal of the
was appointed to the Continental
Board of Counsellors in Central and "Legion d'honneur" of Iran. He and
East Africa, and later to the Board of Mrs. 'Ala'i raised one daughter.
Counsellors in Africa, serving as the Sergio Resende Couto
trustee of its funds for over 20 years. On 26 July 1996 in Brazil. Born in
In 1987, he was also appointed by the Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil, on 8 May
Trustee of I:Iuququ 'llah, Hand of the 1942, Mr. Couto became a Baha'i at
Cause Dr. 'Ali-MuJ:iammad Varqa, to the age of 15. In February 1962, he
be the Deputy of I:Iuququ'llah for and another Baha'i youth took the
Central and East Africa, a duty which Baha' i teachings to the Indian vilhe carried out until 1996. lages in the northeast of Brazil for
Chahabedine 'Ala 'i the first time. He married Ann Brew
in 1970 and they moved to Rio de
On 4 November 1996 in France.
Janeiro, where they participated in
Born in 1911 in Tehran, Iran, Mr. Brazil's first efforts to teach the
'Ala'i was raised in a Baha' i family. Baha'i Faith to large numbers of
He received his diploma from the people. Mr. Couto served as a mem-
School of Agriculture in Tehran in ber of the Auxiliary Board and in
1930, and that same year he moved 1975 moved to the Baha'i institute in
to France to continue his studies and Bahia, where he coordinated highly
to promote the development of the successful large-scale efforts to
Baha'i Faith. Mr. 'Ala'i returned to teach others about the Baha'i Faith,

OBITUARIE S

while also translating Baha'i litera- a very active career as a painter,
ture into Portuguese and developing mural designer, decorator, and art
new materials to help others gain a teacher. She was the first woman to
deeper knowledge of the Baha'i become a member of the National
teachings. His efforts earned him Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of
renown as the "father" of Brazil's Pakistan. After returning to Dentraining institutes. Mr. Couto was a mark, she served on the National
psychotherapist by profession, dedi- Spiritual Assembly and on various
cating his life to helping those committees and started evening
dependent on drugs or with family or courses for adults on comparative
marital problems. He and his wife religion, moving with her family 18
raised one daughter. times to different places to serve the
Tove Deleuran needs of the Danish Baha'i community. Mrs. Deleuran passed away in
On 16 December 1996, in France.
France, where she and her husband
The only child of Protestant parents,
had eventually moved due to health
Tove Larsen was born and raised in
considerations.
Denmark. She graduated from an
academy of fine arts and began her David M. Earl
career in the film industry as the first On 23 August 1996, in the United
woman in Denmark to do animated States. Born in 1911 in Missouri, in
drawing. Later she worked for a the United States, David Earl spent
fashion designer. In 1944 she mar- his youth in Punjab, India, where his
ried Jean Pierre Louis Deleuran and father was employed. He graduated
together they raised one daughter. from college in the United States and
After the Deleurans became Baha'is, married Joy Hill in 1933. In 1938, he
Mrs. Deleuran started the first Dan- enrolled in the Baha'i Faith and
ish Baha'i children's class. They actively served on Local Assemblies
participated in the formation of the and regional committees. The Earls
first Local Assembly in Denmark in pioneered to Japan in 1952, assisting
1949. In December 1953 they pio- with some of the early translations of
neered to Majorca in the Belearic Baha' i texts into Japanese. From
Islands and were designated Knights 1958 to 1964 he was a member of
ofBaha'u'llah for their efforts. They the National Spiritual Assembly of
assisted in the formation of the first Northeast Asia. Dr. Earl served on
Local Assembly of Majorca in 1956. the faculties of two universities in
Mrs. Deleuran was among the first Japan while pursuing his doctorate
Auxiliary Board members appointed in Far Eastern Studies, which he
in Europe and traveled all over Spain earned in 1957. From 1963 to 1965
and Portugal in the path of her ser- the Earls pioneered to Korea where
vice. In 1957 the Deleurans moved Dr. Earl was a member of the
to Dhaka (Bangladesh) in what was National Assembly for a year.
then Pakistan to promote the Baha'i Through his position as head of the
Faith, and Mrs. Deleuran engaged in University of Maryland's program in

THE BAHA:f WORLD

Korea, he was able to travel and center for community activity in the
serve in Asia, Europe, and North city. Mrs. George had a special love
America. In 1965, due to Mrs. Earl's for the Indians of Honduras, particuill health, the family returned to larly the Jicaque tribe, and she traveled
Michigan in the United States, indefatigably, often by horse or
where Dr. Earl served on Local mule, to the most remote comers of
Assemblies and was appointed to the country to teach the people the
other committees. Five years after Baha' i Faith. In spite of the fact that
Joy Earl's death in 1972, Dr. Earl her health was permanently impaired
responded to an appeal for pioneers from injuries she received during an
to the Pacific islands and set out for airplane crash while en route to the
Palau, in the Caroline Islands. He International Baba' i Convention in
was elected to the new National 1968, and her family ' s urging that
Spiritual Assembly of the Caroline she live a more comfortable life in
Islands in 1978 and moved to Guam California, Mrs. George returned to
in 1979, where he served on the Honduras in 1969, where she contin-
National Spiritual Assembly of the ued to serve the community to the
Mariana Islands from 1980 until his extent of her strength. In 1986 ill
appointment to the Auxiliary Board health forced her to return to Califorin 1982. In June 1986 Dr. Earl nia, where she passed away.
returned to the United States due to
Elena Hernandez Tartabu
his weakened health.
On 22 July 1996 in Venezuela. Born
Wanita George 17 February 1928, Elena Hernandez
On 22 March 1997 m the United became a Baha'i in 1961, earning
States. Edith Wanita Montgomery distinction as the first Baha'i of her
was born 30 June 1906 in Kansas, native Margarita Island. Her efforts
U.S.A. She married Lynn Craig to share the Baha' i Faith with others
George in 1930. Professionally, she have born the fruit of several Local
earned a master's degree in child Spiritual Assemblies on the Island.
psychology and worked as a school
teacher in Redondo Beach, Califor- Hector Alexander (Lex) Meerburg
nia, for some twenty years. The On 9 July 1996 in the Netherlands.
Georges divorced before she became Lex Meerburg became a Baha'i in
a Baha' i in 1957. In 1959 she left her 1954, two years after his wife, Elly.
teaching job and pioneered to Teg- The Meerburgs were designated
ucigalpa, Honduras, with her daughter Knights of Baha'u'llah for pioneer-
Maralynn, where she worked for ing to Dutch New Guinea (now a
many years at the American school. province of Indonesia), where they
She was a member of the first lived for several years. After their
National Spiritual Assembly of Hon- return to the Netherlands they both
duras, serving on that body for a served as members of the Local
number of years. Together with Spiritual Assembly of Amsterdam
Maralynn, she held weekly Baha'i before settling in Zaanstad. The
meetings in her home, providing a Meerburgs raised one daughter.

OBITUARIES

Jeffrey Mondschein services as a translator and served as a
On 8 December 1996 in Israel. Jef- member of the National Spiritual Asfrey Mondschein was born in the sembly of Transkei from 1980 until
United States on 9 February 1952. 1992, when the Transkei area was
He graduated with honors from placed under the jurisdiction of the
Amherst College in 1974 and in National Assembly of South Africa.
1977 earned his master's degree in Fritz Semle
business administration with distinc- On 2 May 1996 in Switzerland. Born
tion at New York University. In 27 October 1896 in Niirnberg, Ger-
1982, he married Pamela Mathers. many, Friedrich Semle trained as a
Over the years, Mr. Mondschein pastry chef in his youth, but his life
held various financial management was changed by the outbreak of
positions and also served as a World War I. Though the Semle
Trustee of the Wilmette Housing family was living in Switzerland at
Commission. He was elected to the that time, Mr. Semle was still a Ger-
Local Spiritual Assemblies of West- man citizen and was conscripted into
port, Connecticut, and Wilmette, the German army at the age of 19.
Illinois. Placing his expertise at the His experience of the brutality of
disposal of the Baha'i community, combat and four years as a prisoner
he served as a financial consultant of war convinced him of the need for
for the National Assembly of the universal peace. Around 1920 he
United States from 1987 to 1992, discovered the Baha'i Faith while on
and as the Chief Financial Officer at a visit to Germany and enrolled
the Baha'i World Centre from 1992 almost immediately, becoming upon
until his death. At the time of his his return to Switzerland the first
passing he was also an Alumni Baha'i living in the German-speak-
Admissions Advisor for Amherst ing region of that country. He took a
College and a member of the Union job as the manager of a toy factory
League Club of Chicago, Illinois. and in 1924 married Ella Itin, who
The Mondscheins have two children. also became a Baha'i. By 1943 there
Julia Nodada was a small group of Baha'is in
On 2 September 1996 in South Switzerland. He was elected to the
Africa. Born in Dangwane, Transkei, National Spiritual Assembly of Italy
South Africa, Mrs. Nodada became a and Switzerland upon its formation
Baha'i in the late 1960s. Despite her in 1953 and to that of Switzerland
isolation and the difficulties she faced when it was first elected in 1962.
in learning more about the Baha'i The Semles had two children and
Faith because there were no Baha'is also raised a foster daughter. Mrs.
living near her, she remained stead- Semle passed away in 1967 and Mr.
fast in her belief. Eventually, through Semle married Lotti Habig in 1970.
her efforts, a Local Assembly was Mohamad Shaikhzadeh
formed in Dangwane, after which the On 31 October 1996 in Brazil. Born
Baha'i message was taken to other in Zavareh, Iran, on 23 March 1931,
communities nearby. She rendered Muhammad Shaikhzadeh lost both

his parents when he was 9 years old, of the United States in 1961, she
and his eldest sister raised him as a served on both institutions until
Baha'i. As a young man he served as 1964, when she resigned from the
a "homefront" pioneer in Abadan, National Spiritual Assembly to conespecially focusing on promoting tinue serving as an Auxiliary Board
Baha'i youth activities. He studied member. Named in 1967 as execuchemical engineering at university tive assistant to Hand of the Cause of
and began working in a petroleum God Dhikru 'llah Khadem, Mrs.
company after his graduation. In Sherrill was appointed a member of
1960, the Shaikhzadeh family moved the Continental Board of Counselto Brazil as pioneers, settling in the lors for the Americas in 1973, a
state of Sao Paulo, where Mr. position she held until 1985. During
Shaikhzadeh lived for the rest of his the last 10 years of her life she was
life. In 1961 the Shaikhzadehs moved an enthusiastic supporter of the St.
from Sao Caetano do Sul to Santo Louis Dialogue Group of the World's
Andre, where Mr. Shaikhzadeh was Religions and Philosophies.
elected to the first Local Spiritual Richard T. Suhm
Assembly, serving on that institution
On 7 September 1996 in the United
until his death. He also served for
States. Born 17 April 1926 in the
periods of time on the National
United States, Richard Suhm was
Assembly of Brazil and its commitfive years old when his parents
tees. In 1984, with the establishment
accepted the Baha'i Faith; his was
of the Soltanieh Baha'i Educational
one of the first Baha'i families in
Center, Mr. Shaikhzadeh rendered
Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He attended
distinguished services in fostering its
the University of Wisconsin for a
growth, organization, and in coordiyear but was then inducted into the
nating programs.
army, serving as a medical techni-
Velma L. Sherrill cian in the Philippines and in Korea.
On 17 May 1996 in the United He graduated from the University of
States. Born in Wallace County, Wisconsin in 1951 with a degree in
Kansas, in the United States, on 27 economics and finance, after which
June 1911, Velma Sherrill graduated he obtained a job with the Standard
from high school at the age of 15. Register Company. In 1952, Mr.
She moved to Kansas City, Mis- Suhm married Mary Louise Kelsey
souri, where she embraced the and the two moved to Whitefish Bay
Baha'i Faith around 1935. From when they learned that two more
1953 to 1963 Mrs. Sherrill served as Baha'is were needed there in order
secretary of the National Teaching to form a Local Spiritual Assembly.
Committee. She and her husband, In 1954, the Suhms pioneered to
Lloyd, helped form the first Spiritual Tangier, Morocco, arriving shortly
Assembly in Webster Groves, Mis- before Riqvan with their threesouri, in 1957. Appointed to the month-old son. Mr. and Mrs. Suhm
Auxiliary Board in 1957 and elected thus became Knights of Baha'u'llah
to the National Spiritual Assembly and with seven other pioneers were

OBITUARIES

able to form the first Local Spiritual islands and island groups in the
Assembly in the country. After some Pacific, including Fiji, the Mariana
time, Mrs. Suhm contracted polio Islands, Samoa, Tonga, and the
and the family returned to the United Solomon Islands. At the request of
States in 1956, settling in Hacken- Hand of the Cause of God Collis
sack, New Jersey, where they were Featherstone, he relocated to Sydable to form a Local Assembly. ney, Australia, in 1967, but in 1969
Later they moved to the town of he developed a respiratory illness
Ramapo, New York, where, after and had to return to California. In
many years of patient effort, a Local 1979, Mr. Towers and his wife,
Assembly was formed in that town Florence, moved to the United States
as well. Mr. Suhm moved to Texas Virgin Islands; he served on that
in the 1970s and eventually settled in National Spiritual Assembly for 13
Dallas. From 1992 to 1996 he served years. They moved back to the contion the Board of Directors of the Dal- nental United States in 1994.
las Chapter of the United Nations Wilhelmina Willems
Association, which created a Baha'i
On 13 May 1996 in Chile. Born in
chair especially for him, although no
Canada on 4 December 1906, Wilother religions were represented.
helmina Hird was still a child when
The Suhms raised three children.
she arrived with her parents in Punta
Marc Towers Arenas, Chile, where she lived for
On 29 April 1996 in the United most of her life. She pursued studies
States. Born 23 January 1927 in in the arts in England as a young
New York, Marc Towers attended woman, married, and bore three chil-
Columbia University in his youth to dren, whom she was left to raise
study writing and acting. In 1955, he alone upon her husband's early
moved to Southern California to pur- death. She became a Baha'i in 1945,
sue his acting career, where he and over the years her home was
enrolled in the Baha'i community in open for Baha'i meetings and was a
August 1958. During his life as a constant center of activity. One of
Baha'i he served on various Local the first Baha'is in Punta Arenas,
Spiritual Assemblies and avidly Mrs. Willems labored unceasingly to
shared the Baha'i message with oth- ensure that the Local Spiritual
ers. In 1962 the Hands of the Cause Assembly in that community never
of God appointed him an Auxiliary lapsed, even though, as a port com-
Board member. He was asked to munity, its residents were often only
travel to Hawaii to assist in the for- living there temporarily. In 1992 she
mation of that National Spiritual moved to Santiago to be with her
Assembly and he eventually moved son, and from 1993 to 1996 she lived
to Honolulu, where he was able to in Guayaquil, Ecuador, to be near
obtain employment at a local radio her grandchildren, but in early 1996
station. While based in Hawaii, Mr. she returned to Chile where she
Towers made many trips to the other passed away.

STATISTICS

General Statistics

Worldwide Baha'i population More than 5 million

Countries/dependent territories where 190 countries/
the Baha'i Faith is established 45 territories
Continental Counsellors 81
Auxiliary Board members serving
throughout the world
National/Regional Spiritual Assemblies 174
Local Spiritual Assemblies 15,798
Localities where Baha'is reside 126,904
Tribes, races and ethnic groups
2,112
represented in the Baha'i community
Languages into which Baha'u'llah's
writings have been translated
Baha'i Publishing Trusts 30

Geographic distribution of Local Spiritual Assemblies
by continent

.Am.ericas 4,050 -~- Europe 998
:::;._-~---;

Australasia 952

Growth in the number of localities where Baha' is reside

li 'Jl11)!)!)

1nnnnn

Hnnnn

6.llilG(1

.1.llllOI)

?f)llO I)

0 rnmoutrn~~u~ 197(1
195.J. 1960 1965 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995

STATISTICS

Growth in the number of National and
Regional Spiritual Assemblies

17'1

I"

1936 1946 1956 1966 1976 1986 ] CJC)()

Social and Economic Development
Bahii 'i development activities are initiated either by Bahii 'i administrative institutions or by individuals or groups. Together, these activities
contribute to a global process of learning about a Bahii 'i approach to
social and economic development. They presently fall into three general categories.

Activities of Fixed Duration
Most Baha'i social and economic development efforts are fairly
simple activities of fixed duration in which Baha' is in villages and
towns around the world address the problems and challenges
faced by their localities through the application of spiritual
principles. These activities either originate in the Baha'i communities themselves or are a response to the invitation of other
organizations. It is estimated that in 1996-97 there were some
1,450 endeavors of this kind, including tree-planting and cleanup projects, health camps, workshops and seminars on such
themes as race unity and the advancement of women, and
short-term training courses.

THE BAHA'I WORLD

Sustained Projects
The second category of Baha'i social and economic development consists of approximately 225 ongoing projects. The vast
majority are academic schools, while others focus on areas
such as literacy, basic health care, immunization, substance
abuse, child care, agriculture, the environment, or microenterprise. Some of these projects are administered by nascent
development organizations which have the potential to grow in
complexity and in their range of influence.

Organizations with Capacity to Undertake Complex Action
Certain Baha'i development efforts have achieved the stature
of development organizations with relatively complex programmatic structures and significant spheres of influence.
They systematically train human resources and manage a number of lines of action to address problems of local communities
and regions in a coordinated, interdisciplinary manner. Also
included in this category are several institutions-especially
large schools-which, although focusing only on one field,
have the potential to make a significant impact. In this category
there are currently 31 such organizations, which are located in
all continents of the globe.

DIRECTORY

Association for Baha'i BRAZIL
Studies Caixa Postal No. 11019
80.421 Curitiba-Pararni
Brazil
ARGENTINA CAMEROON
Otamendi 215 c/o Mr. Enoch Tanyi
1405 Buenos Aires, C.F. B.P.4230-Yaounde
Argentina Cameroon

CHILE
AUSTRALIA
c/o Casilla 3731
c/o Colin Dibdin, secretary
Santiago 1
P.O. Box 319
Chile
Rosebery, NSW 2018
Australia E-mail: uninet@chilepac.net
E-mail: abs@bahai.org.au
COLOMBIA
BERMUDA c/o Asamblea Espiritual Nacional de
46 Cut Road los Baha'is de Colombia
"Channel View" Apartado Aereo 51387
St. George ' s G. E. 04 Santa Fe de Bogota 12
Bermuda Colombia
E-mail: bahaicol@colombianet.net

THE BAHA'I W ORLD

EAST, CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN HAWAII
AFRICA c/o Robert McClelland
c/o C. Rouhani, secretary 1414 Komo Mai Drive
P.O. Box 82549 Pearl City
Mombasa Hawaii 96782-2244
Kenya U.S. A.

ECUADOR INDIA
Asamblea Espiritual Nacional C-12, Vidyanagari
de los Baha'is de! Ecuador Mumbai University
P.O. Box 869-A Santacruz (east)
Quito Mumbai - 400 098
Ecuador India

ENGLISH-SPEAKING EUROPE ITALY
Roger Kingdon, secretary c/o Assemblea Spirituale Nazionale
c/o 27 Rutland Gate dei Baha'i d'ltalia
London Via della Fontanella 4
SW7 lPD 1-00187 Rome
England Italy
E-mail: roger.kingdon@aeat.co.uk
JAPAN
FRANCOPHONE EUROPE c/o Tokyo Baha'i Center
c/o Centre Baha' i 7-2-13 Shinjuku
24 route de Malagnou Shinjuku-ku
CH-1208 Geneva Tokyo 160
Switzerland Japan
Email: dalai@geneva.bic E-mail: sfotos@gol.com

GERMANY MALAYSIA
Wirichsbongardstr. 40 c/o The Spiritual Assembly of
D-52062 Aachen the Baha' is of Malaysia
Germany 4 Lorong Titiwangsa 5
E-mail : mediger@axpgr. Setapak
physik.rwth-aachen.de 53000 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
GHANA
c/o The National Spiritual Assembly NEW ZEALAND
of the Baha'is of Ghana c/o The National Spiritual Assembly
P.O. Box 7098 of the Baha'is of New Zealand
Accra-North P.O. Box 21-551
Ghana Henderson, Auckland
New Zealand
E-mail: b.mclellan@auckland.ac.nz

DIRECTORY

NORTH AMERICA WEST AFRICA
34 Copernicus Street c/o Farhang Tahzib, secretary
Ottawa, Ontario KIN 7K4 P.O. Box 2029
Canada Marina-Lagos
E-mail: as929@freenet.carleton.ca Nigeria

PUERTO RICO Association Medicale BaM'ie
c/o Cesar Reyes, secretary c/o Mirabelle Weck
Chemistry Dept., University of 26 rue de Paris
Puerto Rico F-78560 Paris
Mayaguez, Puerto Rico 00708 France
U.S.A.
Bahaa Esperanto-Ligo (BEL)
RUSSIA P.O. Kesto 500133
Uralskaya St. 6-1-66 D-60391 Frankfurt
Moscow 107207 Germany
Russia E-mail: bahaaeligo@aol.com
E-mail: ackerman@glasnet.ru
Baha'i Association for Arts
SINGAPORE Dintel 20
c/o Dr. Anjam Khursheed 7333 MC
B, #09-02, Kentbale Apeldoom
105 Clementin Road Netherlands
Singapore 129789
Baha'i Computer and
SPAIN Communications Association
c/o Rima Sheeromohamadi-Motlaq c/o OneWorld Enterprises
cl Padilla 312 2 2 203 Bellevue Way N.E. Suite 314
08025 Barcelona Bellevue, WA 98004
Spain U.S.A.
E-mail: du7202@cc.uab.es E-mail: bcca-cc@bcca.org

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO Baha'i Health Agency
c/o The National Spiritual Assembly c/o 27 Rutland Gate
of the Baha'is of Trinidad and London
Tobago SW7 lPD
3 Petra St. United Kingdom
Woodbrook
Trinidad, West Indies Baha'i International Community,
E-mail: hfarabi@carib-link.net Haifa Offices:
• Office of the Secretary-General
VENEZUELA • Office of Public Information
c/o Donald R. Witzel P.O. Box 155
Apartado 934 31 001 Haifa
Barquisimeto, Edo. Lara Israel
3001-A E-mail: opi@bwc.org
Venezuela
E-mail: dwitzel@sa.omnes.net

THE BAHA'I WORLD

Baha'i International Community, Baha'i Office of the Environment
New York Offices: for Taiwan
•United Nations Office 149-13 Hsin Sheng South Road
• Office for the Advancement of Section 1
Women Taipei 10626
•Office of the Environment Taiwan
866 United Nations Plaza, Suite 120 ROC
New York, NY 10017-1822 E-mail: tranboet@asiaonline.net.tw
U.S.A.
E-Mail: bic-nyc@bic.org European Baha'i Business Forum
c/o George Starcher, secretary
Baha'i International Community, 35 avenue Jean-Jaures
Geneva Office: F-73000 Chambery
•United Nations Office France
Route des Morillons 15 E-mail: GS l 2@calva.net
CH-1218 Grand-Saconnex, Geneva
Switzerland European Baha'i Youth Council
E-Mail: bic@geneva.bic.org 27 Hampstead Hill Gardens
London
Baha'i International Community, NW3 2PJ
Paris Office: United Kingdom
•Office of Public Information E-mail: ebyc@dawn.joensuu.fi
45 rue Pergolese
F-75116Paris Health for Humanity
France 467 Jackson Street
E-Mail: opiparis@club-intemet.fr Glencoe, IL 60022
USA
Baha'i International Health E-mail: health@USBNC.org
Agency
P.O. Box 510 Hong Kong Baha'i Professional
Westmount, Quebec H3Z 2T6 Society
Canada C-6, 11th Floor, Hankow Centre
Middle Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Baha'i Justice Society Kowloon
c/o The National Spiritual Assembly Hong Kong
of the Baha'is of the United States.
536 Sheridan Road International Association of
Wilmette, IL 60091 Baha'i Publishers and
U.S.A. Distributors
c/o Baha'i Publishing Trust
Baha'i Medical Association of 6 Mount Pleasant
Canada Oakham
931 Beaufort Ave Leicestershire
Halifax, Nova Scotia LE15 6HU
B3H 3X8 United Kingdom
Canada
E-mail: joanne.langley@dal.ca

DIRECTORY

Landegg Academy BRAZIL
CH-9405 Wienacht/AR Editora Baha'i do Brasil
Switzerland Rua Conego Eugenio Leite, 350
E-mail: info@landegg.org 05414 - Sao Paulo - SP
E-mail: dean@landegg.org Brazil
E-mail: nsabr@bahai.org.br
Mottahedeh Development
Services CAMEROON
750 Hammond Drive, Bldg. 12, Baha'i Publishing Agency of
Suite 300 Cameroon
Atlanta, Georgia 30328 P.O. Box 2032
USA Douala
E-mail: mdssed@msn.com Cameroon
E-Mail: bushrui@cyberkoki.net
World Community Foundation
315 West 70th Street, COTED 'IVOIRE
Suite 9B Maison d'Editions Baha'ies
New York, NY 10023 08 B.P. 879
USA Abidjan 08
Cote d'Ivoire
Baha'i Publishing Trusts
FIJI ISLANDS
ARGENTINA Baha'i Publishing Trust
Editorial Baha'i Indolatino- P.O. Box 2007
americana Government Buildings
Otamendi 215 Suva
1405 Buenos Aires, C.F. Fiji Islands
Argentina
E-mail: bahaiargentina@ GERMANY
ciudad.com.ar Baha'i-Verlag
Eppsteiner Strasse 89
AUSTRALIA D-65719 Hofheim
Baha'i Publications Australia Germany
P.O. Box 285 E-mail: nsagermany@aol.com
Mona Vale NSW 2103
Australia HONGKONG
E-mail: bahaipub l @peg.apc.org Baha'i Publishing Trust
C-6, 11th Floor, Hankow Centre
BELGIUM Middle Road, Tsimshatsui
Maison d'Editions Baha'ies Kowloon
205 rue du Trone Hong Kong
B-1050 Brussels E-mail: bahaihk@asiaonline.net
Belgium
E-Mail : centre.bahai@skynet.be

INDIA NETHERLANDS
Baha'i Publishing Trust Stichting Baha'i Literatuur
P.O. Box 19 Riouwstraat 27
New Delhi 110 001 2585 GR The Hague
India Netherlands
E-mail: nsaindia@ E-mail: nsaneth@tref.nl
giasdlO l.vsnl.net.in
NIGERIA
ITALY Baha'i Publishing Trust
Casa Editrice Baha' i P.O. Box 2029
Via Filippo Turati, 9 Marina-Lagos
1-00040 Ariccia (Rome) Nigeria
Italy E-mail: FMottahed@aol.com
E-Mail: ceb.italia@pcg.it
NORWAY
JAPAN Baha'i Forlag
Baha' i Publishing Trust Drammensveien 110 A
7-2-13 Shinjuku N-0273 Oslo
Shinjuku-ku Norway
Tokyo 160 E-mail: nsanor@bahai.no
Japan
E-mail: PXQ01044@ PAKISTAN*
niftyserve.or.jp
PHILIPPINES
KENYA Baha' i Publishing Trust
Baha'i Publishing Agency P.O. Box 4323
P.O. Box 47562 1099 Manila
Nairobi Philippines
Kenya E-mail: nsaphil@misa.irf.ph.net
E-mail: wbahai@users.AfricaOn-
POLAND
line.co.ke
Baha'i Publishing Trust
KOREA ul. Nowogrodzka 18A/4
Baha' i Publishing Trust P0-00-511 Warsaw
C.P.O. Box 991 Poland
Seoul 100-609 E-mail: bahainsa@medianet.com.pl
Korea
PORTUGAL
E-mail: nsakorea@nuri .net
Editora Baha'i de Portugal
LEBANON* Avenida Ventura Terra, No. 1
1600 Lisbon
MALA YSIA* Portugal
E-mail: aenbahaipo@mail. telepac. pt

* Address communications to Baha'i World Centre, P.O. Box 155, 31 001
Haifa, Israel.

DIRECTORY

ROMANIA TAIWAN
Casa de Editura si Tipografia Baha'i Publishing Trust
Baha'i Ta Hsueh Road, Lane 18, No. 26
C.P. 124 O.P. 1 Tainan, 701
3400 Cluj-Napoca Taiwan R.O.C.
Romania E-mail: bahaiptt@pristine.com.tw
E-mail: bahai@mail.soroscj.ro
UGANDA
RUSSIAN FEDERATION Baha'i Publishing Trust
Unity Baha'i Publishing Trust P.O. Box 2662
Bolshaya Morskaya Str. 53-17 Kampala
St. Petersburg Uganda
Russia E-mail: bahai@starcom.co.ug
E-mail: unity@glas.apc.org E-mail : olinga@starcom.co.ug

SPAIN UNITED KINGDOM
Editorial Baha'i de Espana Baha'i Publishing Trust
Bonaventura Castellet 17 6 Mount Pleasant
ES-08222 Terrassa Oakham
Spain Leicestershire
E-mail: edibahai@arrakis.es LEIS 6HU
United Kingdom
SWEDEN E-mail: sales@bahaibooks.co.uk
Baha'i FOrlaget AB
Box 468 UNITED STATES
S-194 04 Upplands Vasby Baha'i Publishing Trust
Sweden 415 Linden Avenue
Wilmette, IL 60091
U.S. A.
E-mail: bpt@usbnc.org

Selected NEW
PUBLICATIONS

Baha'u'llah's Teachings on Spiritual Reality
Compiled by Paul Lample. Florida, U.S.A: Palabra Publications, 1996. 256 pp.
Second in a planned series of books for those investigating the Baha'i Faith, this
volume explores Baha'u ' llah's teachings on topics such as the quest for spirituality, the spiritual life, material and spiritual reality, the progress of the soul in this
world and the next, and humanity's spiritual education.

A Basic Baha'i Chronology
Glenn Cameron with Wendi Momen. Oxford: George Ronald Publisher, 1996.
560 pp.
A companion volume to A Basic Baha 'i Dictionary, this comprehensive guide to
Baha ' i history is helpful for use in classes to study the Baha'i Faith, talks for summer school, media interviews, or simply to satisfy individual curiosity. Thousands
of facts about the Babi and Baha ' i Faiths are presented and are illustrated with over
300 photographs.

Crystallizations: 20 Works by Baha'i Artists
Edited by Ross Woodman. Ottawa: Association for Baha'i Studies, 1996. 301 pp.
Twenty works by Baha'i artists- including poems, short stories, calligraphy, and
paintings-are presented in a volume published under the auspices of the Association for Baha'i Studies.

THE BAHA'I WORLD

The Eco Principle---Ecology and Economics in Symbiosis
Arthur Lyon Dahl. Oxford: George Ronald Publisher, 1996. 192 pp.
The teachings of Baha' u'llah and scientific thought are brought together to produce an analysis of the world situation .

Healing Racism in America: A Prescription for the Disease
Nathan Rutstein. U.S.A.: Whitcomb Publishing, 1997. 184 pp.
The author focuses on the pathology of the disease of racism and how it has
plagued Americans since the founding of their nation-infecting or affecting most
Americans along the way. Rutstein introduces the Institutes for the Healing of
Racism and tells how this grassroots movement is spreading throughout the United
States.

He Cometh With Clouds-A Baha'i View of Christ's Return
Gary L. Matthews. Oxford: George Ronald Publisher, 1996. 416 pp.
Gary L. Matthews investigates the Bible's teachings about the Second Coming of
Christ and explores the relationship between Christ and Baha' u'llah .

Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1963-1986: The Third
Epoch of the Formative Age
Compiled by Geoffrey W. Marks. Wilmette: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1996. 815 pp.
Composed of major communications from the Universal House of Justice covering the third epoch of the Formative Age of the Baha' i Faith.

The Ocean of His Words: A Reader's Guide to the Art ofBaha'u'llah
John Hatcher. Wilmette: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1997. 388 pp.
John Hatcher presents a literary interpretation of the Writings of Baha' u ' llah.

The Origins of the Baha'i Community of Canada, 1898-1948
Will C. van den Hoonaard. Waterloo, Ontario : Wilfrid Laurier University
Press, 1996. 384 pp.
Using diaries, memoirs, official reports, private correspondence, newspapers,
archives and interviews, Will C. van den Hoonaard has created the first historical
account of the Baha' is in Canada.

Le Plus Saint Livre
Baha'u'llah. Bruxelles: Maison d'Editions Baha'ies, 1996. 328 pp.
The Kitab-i-Aqdas, the Most Holy Book, is Baha' u' llah's charter for a new world
civilization. Written in Arabic in 1873, this is the volume ' s first authorized French
translation .

Poems of the Passing
Rui)iyyih Rabbani . Oxford: George Ronald Publisher, 1996. 136 pp.
The sudden passing in 1957 of Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith,
occasioned this poetic expression of grief by his widow, Amatu ' 1-Baha Ru~iyyih
Khanum, which is now published for the first time.

NEW P UBLICATIO NS

A Short Introduction to the Baha'i Faith
Moojan Momen. Oxford: Oneworld, 1997. 150 pp.
This introduction covers subjects ranging from teachings on the spiritual development of the individual to the Baha'i belief in the oneness of all religions and the
need for world peace. Chapters explore Baha' i teachings on the individual, family
and society, laws, and spiritual issues, as well as history, organization, and community life.

The Twin Manifestations
The Ruhi Institute. Riviera Beach, Florida: Palabra Publications, 1996. 128 pp.
Fourth in the series of Ruhi books, this one presents the basic history of the Faith
and prepares teachers to present it to others. Includes the courses "The Greatness of
this Day", "The Life of the Bab", and "The Life ofBaha'u ' llah".

Understanding Biblical Prophecy (Vol. 3 of the "Preparing for a Baha'i/Christian
Dialogue" series)
Michael Sours. Oxford: Oneworld, 1997. 242 pp.
The final volume of a three-volume study program designed to help Baha' is familiarize themselves with the Bible and Christian beliefs.

Unveiling the Hidden Words (Baha'i Studies Volume II)
Diana Malouf. Oxford: George Ronald Publisher, 1997. 230 pp.
This book is a study of Shoghi Effendi 's translation of the Arabic verses of the
Hidden Words. Shoghi Effendi, designated the ' interpreter' of the Baha'i teachings,
was uniquely placed to render the words of Baha' u' llah , his Great-Grandfather,
into English of outstanding beauty and charm.

William Henry Randall
Bahiyyih Randall-Winckler/ M. R. Garis. Oxford: Oneworld, 1996. 276 pp.
Drawing on the previously unpublished dail y diaries of two early pilgrimages
(1 9 19 and 1922), this book provides unique glimpses into the life of' Abdu ' l-Baha
and His family. It also offers an intimate portrait of the history of the Faith in
America and the challenges that faced the early Western Baha' is.

Women: Peacemakers, Reformers, Leaders
Wilma Ellis. Mona Vale, N.S.W.: Baha'i Publications Australia, 1997. 14 pp.
The emancipation of women is changing the social, economic, and moral structures of the nations of the world. In this essay Wilma Ellis points to a "revolution"
in values taking place around the world and explores some of the issues associated
with these changes.

A Basic BAHA' f
READING List

The following list has been prepared to provide a sampling of works
conveying the spiritual truths, social principles, and history of the Baha'i
Faith. It is by no means exhaustive. For a more complete record of Baha'i
literature, see Bibliography of English-language Works on the Babi a nd
Baha'i Faiths, 1844-1985, compiled by William P. Collins (Oxford:
George Ronald, 1990).

SELECTED WRITINGS OF BAHA'U'LL4H

The K.itab-i-Aqdas
The Most Holy Book, Baha'u' llah 's charter for a new world civilization. Written
in Arabic in 1873, the volume's first authorized English translation was released
in 1993.

The Kitab-i-iqan
The Book of Certitude was written prior to Baha'u'llah's declaration of His
mission as an explanation of progressive revelation and a proof of the station of
the Bab.

The Hidden Words ofBahli'u'llah
Written in the form of a compilation of moral aphorisms, these brief verses
distill the spiritual guidance of all the Divine Revelations of the past.

Tablets of Bahli'u'llah revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas
A compilation of tablets revealed between 1873 and 1892 which enunciate
important principles of Baha'u'llah's Revelation, reaffirm truths He previously
proclaimed, elaborate on some of His laws, reveal further prophecies, and
establish subsidiary ordinances to supplement the provisions of the Kitab-i-
Aqdas.

Gleanings from the Writings ofBahli'u'llah
A selection of Baha'u'llah's sacred writings translated and compiled by the
Guardian of the Baha'i Faith to convey the spirit of Baha'u'llah's life and
teachings.

WRITINGS OF THE BAB

Selections from the Writings of the Bab
The first compilation of the Bab's writings to be translated into English.

SELECTED WRITINGS OF 'ABDU'L-BAHA

Paris Talks: Addresses given by' Abdu'l-Baha in Paris in 1911-1912
Addresses given by ' Abdu'l-Baha to a wide variety of audiences in Paris in
1911 - 1912, explaining the basic principles of the Baha'i Faith.

The Secret of Divine Civilization
A message addressed to the rulers and people of Persia in 1875 illuminating the
causes of the fall and rise of civilization and elucidating the spiritual character
of true civilization.

Selections from the Writings of'Abdu'l-Bahli
A compilation of selected letters from 'Abdu'l-Baha 's extensive correspondence
on a wide variety of topics, including the purpose of life, the nature of love, and
the development of character.

Some Answered Questions
A translation of 'Abdu' l-Baha's answers to a series of questions posed to Him
during interviews with Laura Clifford Barney between 1904 and 1906. The
topics covered include the influence of the Prophets in the evolution of
humanity, the Baha' i perspective on Christian doctrine, and the powers and
conditions of the Manifestations of God.

BAHA'I READING UST

SELECTED WRITINGS OF SHOGHI EFFENDI

God Passes By
A detailed history of the first one hundred years of the Baha'i Faith.

The Promised Day Is Come
A commentary on Baha'u'llah's letters to the kings and rulers of the world.

The World Order ofBah:i'u'll:ih: Selected Letters
An exposition on the relation between the Baha'i community and the entire
process of social evolution under the dispensation of Baha ' u' llah, in the form of
a series of letters from the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith to the Baha'is of the
West between 1929 and 1936.

INTRODUCTORY WORKS

Bah:i'u'll:ih
Baha ' i International Community, Office of Public Information, 1991.
A brief statement detailing Baha'u'llah's life and work issued on the occasion of
the centenary of His passing.

Bah:i'u'll:ih and the New Era
John Esslemont. 5th rev. paper ed. Wilmette: Baha'i Publishing Trust,
1990.
The first comprehensive account of the Baha'i Faith, written in 1923 and
updated for subsequent editions.

The Baha'i Faith: The Emerging Global Religion
William S. Hatcher and J. Douglas Martin. San Francisco: Harper & Row,
Publishers, 1985.
Textbook providing an overview of Baha'i history, teachings, administrative
structures, and community life.

All Things Made New
John Ferraby. 2d rev. ed. London: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1987.
A comprehensive outline of the Baha'i Faith.

Most of the books listed above have been published by various Baha'i
Publishing Trusts and are available in bookshops, libraries, or from
the Trusts. Please see the Directory for addresses.

GLOSSARY

'Abdu'l-Baha: (1844-1921) Son of Baha ' u ' llah, designated His
successor and authorized interpreter of His writings. Named 'Abbas
after His grandfather, 'Abdu'l-Baha was known to the general public as ' Abbas Effendi. Baha'u ' llah gave Him such titles as "the
Most Great Branch," "the Mystery of God," and "the Master." After
Baha'u' llah' s passing, He chose the name 'Abdu 'l-Baha, meaning
"Servant of Baha'u' llah."

Administrative Order: The system of administration as conceived by
Baha ' u' llah, formally established by 'Abdu ' l-Baha, and realized
during the Guardianship of Shoghi Effendi. It consists, on the one
hand, of a series of elected councils, universal, national and local, in
which are invested legislative, executive, and judicial powers over
the Baha'i community, and, on the other hand, of eminent and
devoted Baha'is appointed for the specific purpose of propagation
and protection of the Faith under the guidance of the Head of that
Faith, the Universal House of Justice.

Amatu'l-Baha RU.I!iyyih Khanum: Mary Sutherland Maxwell, an
eminent North American Baha' i who became the wife of Shoghi

THE BAlLA..'f WORLD

Effendi Rabbani, Guardian of the Baha ' i Faith, in 1937, after which
she became known as Ru~iyyih Khanum Rabbani. (Amatu ' l-Baha
is a title meaning "Handmaiden of Baha'u' llah.") She served as the
Guardian ' s secretary during his lifetime and was appointed a Hand
of the Cause of God in 1952. She is the most prominent dignitary of
the Baha'i community.

Arc: An arc cut into Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel; along this pathway the international administrative buildings of the Baha 'i Faith
are being built.

Auxiliary Boards: An institution created by Shoghi Effendi in 1954 to
assist the Hands of the Cause of God. When the institution of the
Continental Boards of Counsellors was established in 1968 by the
Universal House of Justice, the Auxiliary Boards were placed
under its direction.

Bab, the: The title, meaning "Gate,'' assumed by Siyyid 'Ali-Mu~am­
mad, the Prophet-Founder of the Babi Faith and the Forerunner of
Baha 'u'llah. Born 20 October 1819, the Bab proclaimed Himself to
be the Promised One of Islam and announced that His mission was
to alert the people to the imminent advent of "Him Whom God
shall make manifest," namely, Baha ' u ' llah. Because of these
claims, the Bab was executed by order ofNa~iri ' d-Din Shah on 9
July 1850.

Baha'i Era: The period of the Baha ' i calendar beginning with the
Declaration of the Bab on 23 May 1844, and expected to last until
the next appearance of a Manifestation (Prophet) of God after the
expiration of at least one thousand years.

Baha'i International Community: A name used generally in reference
to the worldwide Baha 'i community and officially in that community' s external relations. In the latter context, the Baha'i International
Community is an association of the National Spiritual Assemblies
throughout the world and functions as an international nongovernmental organization. Its offices include its Secretariat at the Baha'i
World Centre, a United Nations Office in New York with a branch
in Geneva, an Office of Public Information, an Office of the Environment, and an Office for the Advancement of Women.

GLOSSARY

Baha'i World Centre: The spiritual and administrative center of the
Baha'i Faith, located in the twin cities of Acre and Haifa, in Israel.

Baha'u'llah: Title assumed by Mirza I:Iusayn-'Ali, Founder of the
Baha'i Faith. Born on 12 November 1817, He declared His mission
as the Promised One of all Ages in April 1863 and passed away in
Acre, Palestine, on 29 May 1892 after 40 years of imprisonment,
banishment, and house arrest. Baha'u'llah's writings are considered
by Baha'is to be direct revelation from God.

Consultation: A form of discussion between individuals and within
groups which requires the subjugation of egotism so that all ideas
can be shared and evaluated with frankness, courtesy, and openness
of mind, and decisions arrived at can be wholeheartedly supported.
Its guiding principles were elaborated by 'Abdu 'I-Baba.

Continental Boards of Counsellors: An institution created in 1968 by
the Universal House of Justice to extend into the future the work of
the institution of the Hands of the Cause of God, particularly its
appointed functions of protection and propagation. With the passing
of Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith, there was no
way for additional Hands of the Cause to be appointed. The duties
of the Counsellors include directing the Auxiliary Boards in their
respective areas, advising and collaborating with National Spiritual
Assemblies, and keeping the Universal House of Justice informed
concerning the conditions of the Faith in their areas. Counsellors
are appointed for terms of five years.

Convention: A gathering called at a regional, national, or international level for consultation on matters affecting the welfare of the
Baha'i community and for the purpose, respectively, of electing
delegates to a National Convention, electing the members of a National Spiritual Assembly, or electing the members of the Universal
House of Justice.

German Templer Colony: Group of houses with red-tiled roofs at the
foot of Mount Carmel that once housed members of the Society of
the Temple, founded in Germany in the mid-l 800s. Templers foregathered in Haifa in 1863 to await the second coming of Christ.

THE BAHA'I WORLD

Hands of the Cause of God: Individuals appointed first by Baha 'u 'llah,
and others named later by Shoghi Effendi, who were charged with
the specific duties of protecting and propagating the Faith. With the
passing of Shoghi Effendi there is no further possibility for appointing Hands of the Cause; hence, in order to extend into the future the
important functions of propagation and protection, the Universal
House of Justice in 1968 created Continental Boards of Counsellors
and in 1973 established the International Teaching Centre which
coordinates their work.

Holy Days: Eleven days commemorating significant Baha'i anniversaries, on nine of which work is suspended.

I;Iuququ'llah: Arabic for "the Right of God." As instituted in the
Kitab-i-Aqdas, payment to "the Authority in the Cause to whom all
must turn" (at present, the Universal House of Justice) of 19 percent
of what remains to one's personal income after one 's essential
expenses have been covered. Funds generated by the payment of
I:Iuququ ' llah are used for the promotion of the Faith and for the
welfare of society.

International Teaching Centre: An institution established in 1973 by
the Universal House of Justice to bring to fruition the work of the
Hands of the Cause of God in the Holy Land and to provide for its
extension into the future. The duties of the International Teaching
Centre include coordinating, stimulating, and directing the activities of the Continental Boards of Counsellors and acting as liaison
between them and the Universal House of Justice. The membership
of the Teaching Centre comprises all the surviving Hands of the
Cause and also nine Counsellors appointed by the Universal House
of Justice. The seat of the International Teaching Centre is located
at the Baha' i World Centre in Haifa, Israel.

Knight of Baha'u'llah: Title initially given by Shoghi Effendi to
those Baha' is who arose to open new territories to the Faith during
the first year of the Ten Year Crusade (1953-1963) and subsequently applied to those who first reached those remaining unopened
territories at a later date.

Lesser Peace: A political peace to be established by the nations of the

GLOSSARY

world in order to bring about an end to war. Its establishment will
prepare the way for the Most Great Peace, a condition of permanent
peace and world unity to be founded on the spiritual principles and
institutions of the World Order of Baha ' u ' llah and signalizing
humanity' s coming of age.

Local Spiritual Assembly: The local administrative body in the
Baha'i Faith, ordained in the Kitab-i-Aqdas. The nine members are
directly elected by secret ballot each year at Ri<;lvan from among the
adult believers in a community.

Monument Gardens: Beautifully landscaped gardens at the heart of
the Arc on Mount Carmel where befitting monuments have been
erected over the graves of the daughter, wife, and youngest son of
Baha'u'llah, and also the wife of 'Abdu'l-Baha.

Mount Carmel: The mountain spoken of by Isaiah as the "mountain
of the Lord. " Site of the Baha ' i World Centre including several
Baha'i holy places, the most important of which are the Shrine of
the Bab and the Monument Gardens.

National Spiritual Assembly: The national administrative body in the
Baha 'i Faith, ordained in the Baha'i sacred writings, with authority
over all activities and affairs of the Baha'i Faith throughout its area.
Among its duties are to stimulate, unify, and coordinate the manifold
activities of Local Spiritual Assemblies and of individual Baha'is
within its jurisdiction. The members of National Spiritual Assemblies
throughout the world constitute the electoral college for the Universal House of Justice. At Ri<;tvan 1996, there were 174 National or
Regional Spiritual Assemblies. See also Regional Spiritual Assembly.

Nineteen Day Feast: The principal gathering in each local Baha'i
community, every Baha'i month, for the threefold purpose of worship, consultation, and fellowship .

Pioneer: Any Baha' i who arises and leaves his or her home to journey
to another country for the purpose of teaching the Baha'i Faith.
"Homefront pioneer" is used to describe those who move to areas
within their own country that have yet to be exposed to the Baha'i
Faith or where the Baha'i community needs strengthening.

THE BAHA.'f WORLD

Regional Spiritual Assembly: An institution identical in function to
the National Spiritual Assembly but including a number of countries
or regions in its jurisdiction, often established as a precursor to the
formation of a National Spiritual Assembly in each of the countries
it encompasses.

Ric.Ivan: Arabic for "Paradise." The twelve-day festival (from 21 April
through 2 May) commemorating Baha'u'llah ' s declaration of His
mission to His companions in 1863 in the Garden of Ric.Ivan in
Baghdad.

Shoghi Effendi Rabbani: (1897-1957) The Guardian of the Baha'i
Faith after the passing of 'Abdu'l-Baha in 1921 , designated in His
Will and Testament as His successor in interpreting the Baba 'i
writings and as Head of the Faith.

Shrine of Baha'u'llah: The resting place of Baha'u'llah's mortal
remains, located near the city of Acre, Israel. The Shrine is the holiest spot on earth to Baha'is and a place of pilgrimage.

Shrine of the Bab: The resting place of the Bab's mortal remains, located on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel, a sacred site to Baha'is, and a
place of pilgrimage.

Tablet: Divinely revealed scripture . In Baha'i scripture, the term is
used to denote writings revealed by Baha ' u' llah, the Bab, and
'Abdu'l-Baha.

Universal House of Justice: Head of the Baha ' i Faith after the passing of Shoghi Effendi, supreme administrative body ordained by
Baha'u ' llah in the Kitab-i-Aqdas, His Book of Laws. The Universal House of Justice is elected every five years by the members of
the National Spiritual Assemblies who gather at an International
Convention. The House of Justice was elected for the first time in
1963 and occupied its permanent Seat on Mount Carmel in 1983.

Adapted from A Basic Baha 'i Dictionary, Wendi Momen, ed.
(Oxford: George Ronald, 1989).

I NDEX

A Baha'i Esperanto League 87, 88, 319
aZock, Tiati 130, 131 Baha' i Faith
'Abdu'l-Baha 6, 27, 37, 61 , 113, 118- 119, administrative order of 8- 9
120, 123, 146, 15 7, 164, 166, aims of 11 - 15
194, 212, 227- 229, 246, 247, hi story of 4-9
260, 262,264,266, 268 spiritual and moral teachings 9- 11
Will and Testament of 165, 179, 180 principles of 195
writings of22- 25, 34, 168, 302, 330 Baha'i Frauen Forum (Baha'i Women's Fo-
Abzug, Bella 129 rum) 74
Adamson, Hugh 144 Baha' i Health Agency 319
Advocates for African Food Security 129 Baha'i Institute for the Built Environment
Afnan, Abbas 305 141
Africa 33 , 35, 58, 7 1, 102, 103, 284, 293 Baha'i International Community 2, 4, 12-
Ahdieh, Hushang 306 13 , 74, 99, 125- 136, 138- 140,
'Ala'i, Chahabedine 306 141, 142, 145, 154, 157, 158,
Alaska 67, 71 , 86, 107 159, 219, 286, 293 , 294
Albania 15, 71, 82, 83, 106 Geneva Office 320
A ma tu '1-Baha Ru~iyyih Khan um 1, 29, 36, Office for the Advancement of Wom-
47- 54, 56, 63, 85 , 177, 178 en 12, 29, 126, 131 , 320
Amnesty International 152 Office of Public Information 88, 126,
Andaman and Nicobar Islands I 0 I, I 08 127, 134-136, 144, 145,
Angola 3, 29, 68, I 03 157, 3 19,320
Argentina 68, 113, 317, 321 Office of the Environment 12, 126,
Armenia 15, 100, 108 128, 129, 320
Armstrong, Leonora Holsapple 47, 49, 50, Office of the Secretary-General 319
54 offices and representations in 126
arts31,33,49, 54,56, 66, 103, lll - 113 United Nations Office 12, 126- 134,
Association baha'ie de I' Architecture et de 145, 320
l ' Urbanisme 139 Bahit 'i International Health Agency 302,
Association for Baha'i Studies 109- 110 320
directory of 317- 319 Baha'i Justice Society 320
Association for Women in Development Baha'i Medical Association of Canada 320
(AWID) 71, 131 Baha'i Office of the Environment for Tai-
Association medicale baha' ie 319 wan 320
Australasia 34 Baha'i Peace Relay 78
Australia 64, 71 , 72, 73, 75, 95, 131 , 153, Baha'i Publishing Trusts, directory of321 -
317, 321 323
Austria 66, 108, 111, 126, 130, 132, 133 Baha'i World Centre 4, 7, 31 , 41 , 61 , 126,
Azerbaijan 15, I 01, 108 184
Office of Social and Economic Devel-
B
opment 236
Bab, the 4, 7, 61 , 15 7, 164, 330
Baha'i World Centre, visitors to 134
Shrineofll9, 121, 122, 123
Baha 'i WorldWebsite 134, 15 7- 160
writings of 34
Baha'u' llah 5- 14, 27, 34, 35, 61, 88 , 111 ,
Badi Foundation 240
123, 138, 146, 15 7, 164, 166,
Baha ' i Agency for Social and Economic
178, 209, 210, 212, 216, 218,
Development (BASED) 71
219, 245 , 258, 259, 260, 262,
Baha' i Association for Arts 319
264, 265 , 266, 268, 269, 272,
Baha'i Computer and Communications As-
277, 281,285
sociation 319
Revelation of 190
Baha'i Conference on Law and Internationteachings of 188
al Order 85

World Order of 54, 167, 171 , 177, Chad 58, 67, 108
187, 193- 194, 196 Chair for Baha'i Studies, Indore 93
writings of 19- 22, 31 , 329- 330 Chaovalit Yong Chaiyut, Prime Minister of
Bahamas 58, l 03 Thailand 99
Baltic States 15, 79 children 30, 60, 82, 93, 94, 105, 107, 111,
Bangkok Declaration 253 112, 141,257, 284,286
Bangladesh 82, 84, 89, 97, 99, I 05, I 08 education of 33
Barbados 69, 111 exploitation of 132, 133
Belarus 15, 43 , 57, 58, 243 rights of84, 287- 291
Belgium 61 , 69, 71 , 95, 100, 321 Chile 87, 317
Belize 68, I 07 China91,95, 158, 199, 231,240
Benin 108 Christ, return of 123
Bergen Music Festival 111 Christopher, Warren, United States Secre-
Berlin, Isaiah 193 tary of State 98
Bermuda 99, I 00, 317 Clinton, Bill, President of the United States
Bertha Dobbins Day 96 96,97,98
Black Men's Gathering 58, I 02 Clinton, Hillary Rodham , First Lady of the
Bolivia 59, l 06, I 08, 233- 236, 295 United States 97, 98
Botswana 61 , 68, 72, 80, l 03 , 108 Club ofBudapest 52, 85
Boyles, Ann 197 Colombia 3, 48, I 06, 136, 299, 317
Brazil I, 36, 44, 47- 54, 56, 64, 79, 84, 100, Commission on Global Governance 66, 85
106, 128, 129, 135, 136, 139, community I, 30, 33, 56- 61 , 105, 197- 219
317,321 development of 275- 281
Federal Chamber of Deputies 36, 48, community life, Baha'i 11
49- 51,56 conflict resolution 141
Buddhism 35 Congo 109
Bulgaria 42, 60, 63 , 68, 88 consultation 280
Burkina-Faso 90, I 01 Continental Board of Counsellors 42, 44
Burundi 3 I, 67 Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women 97
c
Calderon Sol , Armando, President of El Convention on the Rights of the Child,
statement on 287- 291
Salvador 64
Cambodia 15, 29, 67, 108, 129, 236 Cook Islands 88
Cameroon3, 57,58,67, 71 , 74,82,95, IOI , Costa Rica 58, 85, I 06, 133
130, 294--297, 317,321 C6ted'Ivoire67, 101 , 107,321
Canada 3, 33, 58, 67, 70, 71, 76, 88, I 03, Couto, Sergio Resende 306
Covenant ofBaha'u ' llah 157, 269
109, 112, 118, 122, 124, 139,
Croatia 15, 71
261,302,319,320
Canadian Baha'i International Develop- Cyprus 3, 63, 84, 89
ment Service (CBIDS) 302 Czech Republic 15, 85, 87, 91
Canary Islands 69, 72, 77, 109 D
Cape Verde 44 Deleuran, Tove 307
Cardoso, Fernando Henrique, President of Demirel , Suleyman, President of the Turk-
Brazil 51, 84 ish Republic 138
Caribbean region 34, 35, 58, 69, 131 Denmark 71, 84, 132, 139, 158
Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden 96 development. See social and economic de-
Center for International Development and velopment
Conflict Management, Universi- Dialogue and Universalism 109
ty of Maryland 85 directory of Baha'i agencies 317- 323
Central African Republic 57, 78, 96, 236 Ojala! Eghrari Rural Institute of the Ama-
Centre for the Study of the Texts 114 zon 53

Djalili, Omid 136 G
Dominican Republic, the 106 Gabon 44, I 03
Dubai 134 Gambia, the 74, I 0 I
George, Wanita 308
E Georgia 15, 104, 107, 108
Earl , David M. 307 German Templer Colony 123
Earth Charter 128 Germany 70, 71, 74, 86, 111, 132, 139, 151 ,
Eastern Caroline Islands 99 318 , 319, 321
Ecole Instrument de Paix (EIP) 86 Ghana 132, 318
Ecuador48, 70, 129, 318 global civilization 215 , 216
education 29, 30, 50, 54, 66, 72, 89, 148, global governance 51 , 64, 85, 135, 141 , 264
279, 285,288 glossary of Baha'i terms 333- 338
schools, Baha'i academic 91 Gorbachev, Mikhai l 129
Egypt35 Gore, Al , Vice-President of the United
Eidelkhani, Jabbar 89 States 85
El Salvador 64, 81 governance, participatory 279
Ellis, Wilma 73, 96, 98 Greece 68 , 89, 95
Encyclopedia Britannica 4 Green Light Expedition 49, 52- 53
environment 35, 49, 51, 81 - 82, 112, 128- Greenland 36, I 08, 158
129, 133, 134, 219 GROOTS 141
See also Baha'i International Commu- Guardian of the Baha'i Faith. See Shoghi
nity, Office of the Environment Effendi
Equatorial Guinea 58 , 60, 132 Guardianship 8
Eritrea 15, 107 Guinea 101, 103
Estonia 79, I 0 I Guinea-Bissau 44, 95
Ethiopia 95, 106, 126 Guyana 64, 68, 83 , 90, 236--239
Ettehadieh Foundation 302
Europe 34, 36, 37, 284 H
European Baha'i Business Forum 72, 88 , Haiti 106
139, 141 , 142, 320 Hands of the Cause of God 9
European Baha' i Family Task Force 141 Harald V, King of Norway 111
European Baha'i Task Force for Women 135 Havel , Vaclav, President of the Czech Re-
European Baha'i Youth Council 36, 66, public 85
139, 141 , 142, 143, 320 Hawaii 70, 318
health 29, 74, 82, 91, 263
F Health for Humanity 139, 141, 320
Falkland Islands 99 Holley, Horace 212, 213
Faroe Islands 34, l 00, 158 Honduras 106, 136
Federated States of Micronesia 129, 158 Hong Kong 79, 82, 88, 92, 240, 320, 321
Fifth International Dialogue on the Transi- Hong Kong Baha'i Professional Society 320
tion to a Global Society 85, 135 Houses of Worship 11, 57, 61- 62
Fiji 3, 321 Australia 65 , 7 5
Finland 63, 68, 87, 231, 243 India 61-62, 65
Finnbogadottir, Vigdis 85 United States 173
France 37, 63 , 71 , 87, 95, IOI , 106, 111 , human rights 12, 31 , 84, 97, 126--127, 138,
122, 126, 132, 135, 139, 151 , 247- 273 , 283- 286, 287- 291
319, 320 Hungary 15, 67, 82, 85, 95, 111, 124, 134, 135
Freire, Paolo 237
French Guiana 64
French Polynesia 34 Iceland 85
Furutan, 'Ali-Akbar 61 India 34, 35, 61-62, 65, 72, 73- 74, 79, 91 ,
Fynn, Kobina 44 92- 93, 95, 105, 135, 231 , 318, 322

indigenous peoples 28, 33, 34, 48, 49, 53, Lenelgau, Jean-Marie Leye, President of
54,57,63,69, 73, 75, 76, 78,86, Vanuatu 96, 104
102, 103, 113 Lesotho 96, 99, 129
institutes, Baha'i 31 , 32, 56, 67, 82, I 06-109 Letsie Ill, King of Lesotho 96, 99
interfaith activities 56, 79- 81, 90 Liberia 29
International Association of Baha'i Pub- Liechtenstein 158
lishers and Distributors 91 , 320 literacy 29, 32, 74, 90, 132, 236-239
International Baha'i Archives Building 7 Lithuania I 05 , 112
International Commission on Education for Locke, John 267
the 21st Century 284 Locke, Kevin 113, 136
International Forum of the Association for Locke, Patricia 73
Women in Development 71 Lord Waddington, Governor of Bermuda
International Labor Organization 152 99, 100
International Teaching Centre 28, 31, 45, Louis Gregory Institute 58, 102
116, 118 Lumiere de !'Unite theater group 103
involvement in the life of society 55- 56, Luxembourg 82, 111
81 - 91
M
Iran 33
Macau 91, 239- 242
Baha'i community of 2, 13, 31, 35,
Macedonia 71
126, 136, 147- 156
Madagascar 104
Iraq 164 Malawi 66, 90, I 06
Ireland 63, 66, 75, 95, I 06, 112
Malaysia 73, 90, 110, 139, 208, 295, 318,
lrfan Colloquium 110
Israel 2, 4, 61 , 95, 101 , 122, 123, 124, 126,
Mali 101 , 103, 108
134, 164, 319
Mamobato, Queen Mother of Lesotho 96
Italy 71,86,88,89, 126, 129, 130, 133,231, Manifestations of God 10, 37, 158, 189
318,322 Mariana Islands 60, 70, 71, 133
Marshall Islands 70
Jamaica 88, 129, 135 Martin Luther King Jr. Day 77
Japan 59, 60, 70, 78, 95, 110, 318, 322 Ma~iqu'l-Adhkar 277
Jordan 124, 134 Mauritius 80, 98, I 04
Meerburg, Hector Alexander (Lex) 308
K
Menuhin, Sir Yehudi 85
Kazakhstan 15
Mexico 85, I 06, 112
Kenya 67, 72, 102, 106, 110, 126, 133, 135,
Microcredit Summit 136
318,322
Mirza 'Ali-Mul:Jammad. See the Bab
Kiribati 70, 71 - 72, 92
Mirza J:Iusayn-'Ali. See Baha'u'llah
Knights ofBaha'u ' llah 44, 96
Mitchell, Glenford E. I, 163
Korea 60, 124, 134, 322
Moldova 15, 31 , 41 , 42-43, 78, 111,231
Kriiger, Annemarie 42, 43
Monadjem, Shapoor 48
Kyrgyzstan 15, 66
Mondschein, Jeffrey 308
L Mongella, Gertrude 85
Laghari, Farooq Ahmad, President of Paki- Mongolia3, 15 , 99, 104
stan 97 moral development 31, 32, 50, 56, 91 - 93,
Landegg Academy 64, 85, 110, 127, 243, 227- 246,289, 290
321 Moral Education Project, St. Petersburg,
landmark occasions 56, 61-64 Russia 93 , 242- 245
Laszlo, Ervin 52 Mottahedeh Development Services 321
Latin America 34, 35, I 06, 131 Mount Carmel Projects 2, 28, 31 , 56, 115-
Latvia I 00, 231 124
Lebanon 322 Myanmar 95

N prosperity, global 31 , 90, 128- 129, 270
N'Dow, Wally, Secretary-General of Habi- publications, selected new Baha'i 325- 327
tat II 98- 99, 129, 138, 139, 143, Puerto Rico 319
144, 145
Namibia 102, 158 R
National Spiritual Assembly 41-45 race unity 55, 56, 75- 77, 262
Native American Baha' i Institute 69 Race Unity Day 77
Nepal 87 racism 127
Netherlands 69, 71, 82, 86, 90, 111 , 112, radio 49, 59, 70
139, 319, 322 reading list of basic Baha'i books 329- 331
New Zealand 58, 67, 76, 84, I 03 , 318 recognition 56, 100
Nicaragua 129 Reunion 104
Nigeria 44, 45, 73 , 80, 81, 93, 102, 319, 322 Richard Ralph , Governor of the Falkland
Nodada, Julia 309 Islands 99
Norway 63, 111, 231, 322 Ric;Ivan 41 , 43
Nur University Rogers, Otto Donald 112
moral leadership training program Romania 15, 42, 84, 94, 111, 112, 122, 323
233- 236 Root, Martha 47, 48
Ruhi Institute, Colombia I 06, I 07
0 Russia 15, 42, 63 , 71, 93, 102, 110, 111,
Ocean of Light project 34, 83, 104 136, 229- 233, 242- 245, 319,
On the Wings of Words literacy project 90, 323
236--239 Rwanda 31 , 57, 95
One Country 126, 135- 136
s
p Sao Tome and Principe 31, 41, 44-45
Pacific region 34, 36 Schechter, Fred 45
Pakistan 81, 97, 322 scholarship 56, 109- 110
Palazzi, Marcello, Chairman of World School of the Nations, Macau 91 , 239- 242
Business Forum at Habitat II 142 schools
Panama 57, 78 spring 60, 68
Papua New Guinea 34, 63 , 158 summer 59, 60
Paraguay 54, 63 winter 60
Patasse, Ange Felix, President of the Cen- Schreiber, Elise 44
tral African Republic 96 Semle, Fritz 309
peace 5, 14, 56, 63 , 77- 79, 86, 103, 113, Senegal 60, I 03
132, 270 Seychelles I 04
Lesser Peace 191 Sezgin, llhan 42
Most Great Peace 166, 191 Shaikhzadeh, Mohamad 309
Peace Child International 141 Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bang-
Peace Monument, Brazil 79, 129 ladesh 97
Peru 48, 66, 129 Sherrill, Velma L. 310
Philip, Prince (the Duke of Edinburgh) 134 Shoghi Effendi 1, 7, 8, 12, 27, 43 , 44, 48,
Philippines 64, 83, 92, 93, 322 157, 158, 163- 196, 210, 215,
pioneering 37 217,260
Poland 15, 70, 109, 322 community builder 166- 175
Pope John Paul II 98 interpreter 175- 185
Portugal44,63 , 64,322 vision of 185- 194
prominent people 56, 95- 99 writings of 331
Promise of World Peace, The 14, 76, 97 Sicily 15, 59
Prosperity of Humankind, The 15, 29, 76, Sierra Leone 29, 57, 104, 129
90, 97, 99, 138, 281 Singapore 69, 71 , 79, 80, 110, 112, 132, 319

Sister to Sister project I 02 Turkey 42, 89, 113, 116, 117, 122, 128,
Slovak Republic 15, 95 134, 137- 146, 164
Slovenia 15, 71, 129 Turkmenistan 15
social and economic development 28, 29, Turning Point for All Nations 14, 86, 90, 97,
31,32, 35,50,56,60, 71, 74,89- 138, 281
91, 94, 128- 129, 130, 132, 136, u
160,263,293-302 Uganda 67, 90, 94, 323
statistics 315- 316 Ukraine 15 , 42, 43 , 101 , 103, 231
Solomon Islands 83, I 04, I 07 United Kingdom 85, 95, 99, 106, 110, 111,
Somavia, Juan 129 132, 134, 135, 139, 144, 145,
South Africa 73, 75, 95, 136 318,319,320, 323
South Korea 59, 60, 68, 70 Northern Ireland I 06, 112
Southeast Asia 35 Wales 75
Spain 63 , 67, 71, 72, 109, 134, 319, 323 United Nations 12, 66, 83, 100, 125- 136,
Sparks of Peace 69 151, 153, 191, 285
Sri Lanka 78, 105, 158 Children's Fund (UNICEF) 92, 126,
St. Vincent and the Grenadines 92 130, 131 , 133, 291
statistics of the Baha 'i world community Commission for Social Development
313- 316 133
Strong, Maurice F. 129 Commission on Crime Prevention and
Sudan 60 Criminal Justice 133
Suhrn, Richard T. 310 Commission on Human Rights 84,
Sultan Ibrahim Mbombo Njoya, Foumban, 127, 153, 155, 156, 285
West Cameroon 95, IOI Commission on Human Settlements
Suriname 64 133
Sustainable Communities in an Integrating Commission on Narcotic Drugs 133
World 99, 138, 140, 275- 281 Commission on Sustainable Develop-
Swaziland 67, 102, 158 ment 133
Sweden 63 , 74, 95 , 96, l 33, 231, 302, 323 Commission on the Status of Women
Switzerland 64, 84, 89, 98, l 10, 125, 126, 133
127, 128, 139, 243, 318, 320, 321 Conference on Environment and De-
Sylvia, Queen of Sweden 96 velopment (Earth Summit)
T 12, 125, 128, 129
Taiwan 60, 70, 320, 323 Conference on Human Settlements
Tajikistan 15 (Habitat II) 2, 99, 113, 128,
Tanzania 67, I 06 129, 135, 136, 137- 146,
Tartabu, Elena Hernandez 308 219, 275
teaching the Baha'i Faith 14, 100- 106 Convention on the Rights of the Child
Ten Year Plan 43, 44 127
Thailand 66, 92, 99, 110, 126 Convention on Women 131
Thoresen, Lasse 111 Decade for Human Rights Education
Three Year Plan 45 127, 283- 286
Tito, Teburoro, President of Kiribati 72 Development Fund for Women
Togo 90, 107 (UNIFEM) 74, 130
Tonga 106 Development Program (UNDP) 85,
Towers, Marc 311 87,90
Townshend International Secondary School Economic and Social Council
91 (ECOSOC) 126, 133, 155
Traditional Media as Change Agent project Economic Commission for Latin Amer-
71, 74, 130, 131,294- 297 ica and the Caribbean 133
Trinidad and Tobago 60, 82, 319 Educational, Scientific, and Cultural

I NDEX

Organization (UNESCO) United States 42, 44, 58, 63, 67, 69, 71, 76,
85, 88, 141, 291 7~ 89,95, 9~ 9~98 , 102, IO~
fiftieth anniversary of 14, 29, 158 108,110, 125,126,131 , 133, 134,
Fourth World Conference on Women 139, 141 , 151, 152,200-206, 261 ,
12,29,73, 97, 131, 132, 158 271 , 319, 320,321,323
General Assembly 128, 155 Unity in Diversity week 76
Human Rights Committee 84 Universal House of Justice 2, 4, 8, 9, 27- 37,
Human Rights Day 75, 84, 97, 285 42, 45 , 61 , 115, 122, 124, 134,
Human Rights Sub-Commission 155 135, 157, 175, 210, 237, 266,
International Conference on Global- 269, 270, 273
ization and Citizenship 128 Uruguay 83, 86, I 06
International Covenant on Economic, USA Today 159
Social, and Cultural Rights Ustinov, Sir Peter 85
256 Uzbekistan 15
International Day for the Eradication
of Poverty 135
v
Vanuatu 62, 96, 104
International Day of Peace 83
Varqa Foundation 237
International Day of the Family 82
Varqa, Dr. ' Ali-MuJ:iammad 59
International Volunteers' Day for
Venezuela 48, 110, 319
Social and Economic De-
Virgin Islands 60, 108
velopment 83
Vision TV 76
International Women's Day 71, 72
Vivian Wesson Institute 107
International Year of Peace 158
Voices of Bah:! choir I 11, I 12
New Agenda for Development in
Africa in the I 990's (UN- w
NADAF) 130, 131 Wales 60
Research Institute for Social Develop- Walker, Guilda 134
ment (UNRISD) 128 Weinberg, Matthew 2
Rio + 5 Forum 128 West Leeward Islands 69, 71
Special Rapporteur on religious intol- Western and Central Asia 34
erance 153, 154, 155, 156 Western Caroline Islands 59
Special Representative on lran 153, Western Samoa 3, 65 , 94
154, 155 WETV 88
Sub-Commission on the Prevention of Willems, Wilhelmina 311
Discrimination and the William Mmutle Masetlha Foundation 294,
Protection of Minorities 297- 302
127, 154 Banani International Secondary School
United Nations Development Fund for 91, 130, 297, 298- 299
Women (UNIFEM) 294 literacy project 298, 299
Universal Declaration of Human primary health care project 298 , 299
Rights 204, 248, 251 , 254, William Mmutle Masetlha Institute
256,265,285 297- 298
Vienna Declaration 253, 287 Wilmette Institute 110
World Conference on Human Rights 12 women 3, 31, 50, 52, 56, 66, 71 - 74, 75, 80,
World Food Summit 88, 129, 130, 81 , 84, 86, 92, 135, 138, 141,
133, 136 142, 158,257,263,280
World Peace Day 77, 78 advancement of 29, 32, 36, 49, 130-
World Summit for Social Develop- 133, 294-297, 299- 301 , 302
ment 12, 14, 29, 128, 129, See also Baha'i International Commu-
144, 158 nity, Office for the Advancement of
World Youth Forum 129, 133, 134 Women

world citizenship 83, 138, 279, 281 113, 129, 133, 140, 141 , 142- 144,
World Community Foundation 302, 321 148, 284, 286,290,299
World Conference on Religion and Peace workshops 3, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71
(WCRP) 132, 133 Yugoslavia 134
World Day of Refusal of Extreme Poverty
z
Zaire 107
World Religion Day 79, 80
Zambia 2, 4, 67 , 91 , 99, 130, 294, 297-
World Wide Web 2, 134
World Wildlife Fund 134
Zimbabwe 59, 105
y ZIPOPO or The Happy Hippo Show 229-
youth 29, 30, 56, 64-71 , 72, 89, 100- 102, 233

THE BAI-IA'f WORLD
1996-97

153 OF THE BAHA'I ERA
n just over one hundred years, the Baha'i Faith has grown from
I an obscure movement in the Middle East to the second-'most
widespread of the independent world religions. Embracing
people from more than 2, 100 ethnic, racial, and tribal groups, it
is quite likely the most diverse organized body of people on the
planet today. Its unity challenges prevailing theory about human
nature and the prospects for our common future.
The Faith's central message is that of unity. Its Founder,
Baha'u'llah, teaches that there is only one God, that there is only
one human race, and that all the world's religions have been
stages in the revelation of God's purpose for humankind. Today,
humanity has collectively come of age: "The earth is but one
country," Baha'u'llah asserts, "and mankind its citizens." The
emergence of the Baha'i community offers persuasive evidence
that the human race, in all its diversity, can learn to live and work
as a single people in its planetary homeland.
The Baha'i World is the principal public record of the community's growth and development. The volumes reproduce major
documents and provide statistical data and other detailed information on the Baha'i Faith's wide-ranging program of activities,
which are illustrated by many photographs and charts. In-depth
articles focus on major areas of Baha'i concern.
For the serious researcher and the general student alike, the
dramatic growth of the Baha'i Faith raises new and interesting
issues about the role of religion in social development. The
Baha'i World series has been redesigned primarily to meet these
needs.

ISBN 0-85398-986-9 (hardcover)