# The Baha'i World: Volume 34 (2005-2006)

*Exported from [Holy-Writings.com](https://www.holy-writings.com/) on 2026-06-18 — 1 clipping.*

---

> 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 34 (2005-2006), Haifa: Bahá’í World Centre, 2007, bahai-library.com.
> ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
> 
> THE BAHA 1 WORLD
> 
> 2005- 2006
> 
> 162 0 F THE BAHA'f ERA
> THE
> B~1
> WORLD
> 
> 2005 - 2006
> AN INTERNATIONAL RECORD
> 
> BAHA'f WORLD CENTRE
> HAIFA
> ©2007 World Centre Publications
> 
> Order department:
> Baha'i Distribution Service
> 4703 Fulton Industrial Blvd.
> Atlanta, GA 30336-2017
> USA
> E-mail: bds@usbnc.org
> Web: http://www.bahaibookstore.com/
> 
> Senior editor: Robert Weinberg
> Assistant editor: Anjali Pala
> 
> Photo credits: pp. 22, 36, 132, 212, 236, courtesy of and ©Jens von Krogh;
> pp. 46, 201, 204-5, Ryan Lash; p. 49 ©Chris Jones/Young People Now;
> p. 54, Sahba Rouhani; p. 64, courtesy of and ©Scottish Parliamentary
> Corporate Body 2005; p. 71, Courosh Mehanian; p. 75, Mike Relph; p.
> 80, courtesy of Universal Studios; p. 86 (top), Alexander Schramm; p. 198,
> Kristina Gillis; pp. 207, 210, CORDE and uniED. All others courtesy of the
> Audio-Visual Department of the Baha'i World Centre.
> C ONTENTS
> 
> 7    Introduction to the Baha'i Community
> 
> Writings and Messages
> 
> 23   Baha'i Sacred Writings
> 37   Highlights of Messages
> from the Universal House of Justice
> 
> Events 2005-2006
> 
> 47   The Year in Review
> 89   New Translations of Baha'u'llah's Writings
> 93   Baha'i International Community Activities
> n5   Update on the Situation of the Baha'is in Iran
> and Egypt
> Essays, Statements, and Profiles
> 
> 133   Western Liberal Democracy as New World Order?
> by Dr. Michael Karlberg
> 157   Climate Change and its Ethical Challenges
> by Dr. Arthur Lyon Dahl
> 173   World Watch: Identity
> by Matthew Weinberg
> 199   Profile: CORDE and uniED, Cambodia
> 
> Statements by the Baha' { International Community
> 213   The Search for Values in an Age of Transition
> 229   A New Framework for Global Prosperity
> 
> Information and Resources
> 
> 237   Obituaries
> 249   Statistics
> 251   Directory
> 259   Web site Directory
> 261   Selected New Publications in English
> 267   A Basic Baha' 1 Reading List
> 271   Glossary
> 279   Index
> Introduction to the
> Baha'i Community
> 
> n the United States of America, scores of volunteers organize
> 
> I    support to areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina. In Cambodia,
> literacy and community banking skills are taught to villagers,
> assisting them to manage their own small businesses. Government
> officials join religious representatives in Cuba for a gathering promoting interfaith understanding. In Alaska, performers from diverse
> indigenous tribes provide the inspirational opening to a conference
> on the provision of essential services to children from low-income
> families. Young teenagers in Colombia dedicate their spare time to
> planting trees, visiting the elderly, and teaching children. In Russia,
> visual artists contribute to a popular exhibition exploring the themes
> of spiritual search. In Tajikistan, children from the Roma community are empowered to become active participants in the progress of
> their society. Hundreds in the Gambia benefit from free lessons in
> basic computing skills to assist them in finding employment. Young
> Malaysians sing about gender equality and peace to an audience of
> influential citizens. Improving the legal and political responses to
> genocide is debated at a conference in the United Kingdom. Islanders
> off Australia's northern coast participate in lively radio discussions
> on the meaning and purpose of life.
> 
> 8              THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> Although all these activities are being carried out in far-flung
> areas of the planet and their participants come from diverse backgrounds, they are all initiatives of the Baha'i community, rooted in
> a united, optimistic view of the world and its future.
> The Baha'i International Community, comprising members of
> the Baha'i Faith from all over the globe, now numbers more than 5
> million souls. Its members represent 2,I12 ethnic and tribal groups
> who live in thousands of localities in 191 independent countries
> and 45 dependent territories. What was once regarded by some as a
> small, obscure sect was reported by the Britannica Book of the Year
> 2005 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 world governing council,
> known as the Universal House of Justice, are located in the Holy
> Land, in Haifa, Israel.
> This article offers a brief introduction to the Baha'i community,
> its history, its spiritual teachings, and its aims and objectives.
> 
> Origins
> In 1844, a young Persian merchant named Siyyid 'Ali-Mu~ammad
> declared Himself to be the Promised Qa'im awaited by Shia Muslims.
> He adopted the tide "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. Many thousands of Babis were persecuted,
> tortured, and killed in the following years, but the growth of the
> new religion continued even after the Bab Himself was imprisoned
> and later executed in July 1850. The horrific treatment of the Bab!s
> 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. "I ... sympathize with Bablism with all my heart,'' wrote
> the Russian novelist Count Leo Tolstoy in 1903, "inasmuch as it
> teaches people brotherhood and equality and sacrifice of material
> life for service of God."
> THE BAHA'I COMMUNITY                           9
> 
> The Babi religion sprang from Islam in much the same manner
> that Christianity sprang from Judaism or Buddhism did from
> Hinduism. That is to say, it was apparent early in the Bab's ministry
> that the religion established by Him was not merely a sect or a
> movement within Islam but 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 past
> religious dispensations.
> Mirza I:Iusayn-'.Ali was one of the leading adherents of the Babi
> Faith Who was arrested and imprisoned because of his allegiance
> to the Bab. Because of pressure on the Persian shah from European
> diplomats, He was spared from execution but was banished from
> Persia to Baghdad, Constantinople, Adrianople, and finally 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 initial 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 tide "Baha'u'llah," which means
> "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
> near Acre in May 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
> Baha'u'llah revealed the equivalent of more than rno volumes of
> writings, consisting of the laws and ordinances of His dispensation,
> letters to the kings and rulers of the East and the West, mystical
> teachings, and other divinely inspired writings. "The teachings of
> the Babis ... "Tolstoy further commented in 1908, "have through
> Baha'u'llah's teachings been gradually developed and now present us
> with the highest and purest form of religious teaching." In 1914, the
> eminent British biblical scholar the Reverend T.K. Cheyne wrote,
> "If there has been any prophet in recent times, it is to Baha'u'llah
> we must go. Character is the final judge. Baha'u'llah was a man of
> IO              THE BAHA'I WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> the highest class-that of prophets." A leading Oxford academic,
> Professor Benjamin Jowett declared, "This Baha'i Movement is the
> greatest light that has come into the world since the time of Jesus
> Christ. You must watch it and never let it out of your sight. It is too
> great and too near for this generation to comprehend. The future
> alone can reveal its import."
> In His Will and Testament, Baha'u'llah appointed His eldest
> son, '.Abbas Effendi, Who adopted the title "'.Abdu'l-Baha" ("Servant
> of Baha"), as His successor and the sole authoritative interpreter of
> His teachings. '.Abdu'l-Baha had shared His Father's long exile and
> imprisonment and was 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 l9II to 1913, 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 outbreak of World War I in 1914, '.Abdu'l-Baha had returned
> to His home in Haifa, just across the bay from Acre, and devoted
> Himself to caring for the local people, fending off famine by feeding
> them from stores of grain He had safeguarded for such an emergency. '.Abdu'l-Baha's humanitarian services and His promotion of
> intercultural harmony were recognized by the British government,
> which, at the end of the war, conferred upon Him a knighthood-a
> tide He acknowledged but declined to use. "One more eloquent of
> speech, more ready of argument, more apt of illustration, more intimately acquainted with the sacred books of the Jews, the Christians,
> and the Muhammadans, could, I should think, be scarcely found
> even amongst the eloquent and subtle race to which ['.Abdu'l-Baha]
> belongs," commented the distinguished Cambridge orientalist
> Professor Edward G. Browne, "These qualities, combined with a
> bearing at once majestic and genial, made me cease to wonder at the
> influence and esteem which he enjoyed even beyond the circle of his
> father's followers. About the greatness of this man and his power no
> one who had seen him could entertain a doubt."
> '.Abdu'l-Baha passed away in 1921 and is buried on Mount Carmel
> in a vault near the spot where He had interred the remains of the Bab
> some years before. Among the legacies that '.Abdu'l-Baha bequeathed
> to history is a series of letters called the Tablets of the Divine Plan,
> I) I
> THE BAHA I COMMUNITY                              II
> 
> which He had addressed to the Baha'is of North America during the
> years of World War r. These 14 letters directed the recipients to scatter
> to countries on all continents and share with their populations the
> teachings ofBaha'u'llah-a mandate that led to the global expansion
> of the Baha'i community. In the following decades, the Baha'i teachings were spread throughout the world and attracted people from
> all walks of life. "It is a wondrous Message that Baha'u'llah and his
> son 'Abdu'l-Baha have given us," wrote the dowager Queen Marie
> of Romania in 1926. "Their writings are a great cry toward peace,
> reaching beyond all limits of frontiers, above all dissension about rites
> and dogmas . . . It teaches that all hatreds, intrigues, suspicions, evil
> words, all aggressive patriotism even, are outside the one essential law
> of God . . . If ever the name ofBaha'u'llah or 'Abdu'l-Baha comes to
> your attention, do not put their writings from you. Search out their
> Books, and let their glorious, peace-bringing, love-creating words
> and lessons sink into your hearts as they have into mine."
> Another legacy of 'Abdu'l-Baha is His Will and Testament, which
> Baha' is regard as the charter of the administrative order conceived
> by Baha'u'llah. This document appointed 'Abdu'l-Baha's eldest
> grandson, Shoghi Effendi, as Guardian of the Baha'i Faith and
> authorized interpreter of its teachings. Successorship to the Founders
> of the Baha'i Faith would be shared by the Guardian and an elected
> Universal House ofJustice, whose complementary role would be to
> create legislation regarding the application of the Faith's laws.
> During the period of his Guardianship, from 1921to1957, Shoghi
> Effendi concentrated on four main areas: the development of the
> Baha'i World Centre in the environs of Haifa; the translation and
> interpretation of the Baha'i sacred writings; the rise and consolidation of the institutions of the Baha'i administrative order; 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 spot designated by Baha'u'llah on
> Mount Carmel. 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 and initiated construction of the International Baha'i Archives building to
> 12              THE BAHA'I WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> house the original Baha'i scriptures and artifacts from the early days
> of the Baha'i Faith. This building, the first on the arc-shaped path on
> the site designated as the world administrative center of the Baha'i
> community, was completed in 1957· Shoghi Effendi's actions laid the
> foundations, literally and figuratively, for the further development
> of the Baha'i World Centre.
> Shoghi Effendi was also instrumental in interpreting the writings
> of Baha'u'llah and 'Abdu'l-Baha and in translating them from the
> original Persian and Arabic into English. The Guardian had served
> as secretary to 'Abdu'l-Baha for a number of years and was a student
> at Oxford University at the time of his Grandfather's passing. Shoghi
> Effendi's mastery of Persian, Arabic, and English, coupled with the
> authority conferred upon him as the appointed interpreter of the
> Baha'i writings, made him uniquely qualified to undertake their
> translation. He also translated The Dawn-Breakers, a history of the
> Bibi Faith; authored God Passes By, a history of the first century of
> the Baha'i Faith; and wrote thousands ofletters to communities and
> individuals around the world, elucidating passages from the Baha'i
> writings and giving direction and impetus to Baha'i communities.
> Under Shoghi Effendi's leadership, the Baha'i Faith significantly evolved from its obscure roots in nineteenth-century Persia
> to its current status as an independent global religious community.
> Dr. Eduard Bend, who became President of Czechoslovakia in 1935,
> described the Baha'i Faith as "one of the great moral and social forces
> in all the world ... Such a movement as the Baha'i Cause which
> paves the way for universal organization of peace is necessary." The
> British diplomat and founder of the World Congress of Faiths,
> Sir Francis Younghusband noted, "Its roots go deep down into
> the past and yet it looks far forward into the future. It realizes and
> preaches the oneness of mankind. And I have noticed how ardently
> its followers work for the furtherance of peace and for the general
> welfare of mankind."
> 
> 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
> THE BAHA",I COMMUNITY                            13
> 
> 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 of varying duration, during which 12 National Spiritual Assemblies were elected.
> 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 of Ric;lvan in Baghdad-the goal was
> to open 132 new countries and major territories to the Faith and to
> expand existing communities in 120 countries and territories that
> had previously been opened. These ambitious targets were in certain
> instances 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 as
> to whether an individual could be named who met the demanding
> spiritual qualifications specified by 'Abdu'l-Baha. Shoghi Effendi
> had no children and died without designating such a Guardian to
> follow him. He had, however, taken steps towards the election of
> the Universal House of Justice, the supreme governing body of the
> Baha'i Faith. 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 protecting
> the unity of the Faith and collaborating with National Spiritual
> Assemblies around the world to ensure that the goals of the Ten Year
> Crusade were won. Upon Shoghi Effendi's passing, these men and
> women guided the Baha'i community to complete the plan initiated by the Guardian and to hold the first election of the Universal
> House of Justice in 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 initial 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
> 14             THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> members coming from four continents and representing a variety
> of religious and ethnic backgrounds.
> Based on the authority conferred on it by the Founder of the
> Faith, the Universal House ofJustice is now elected every five years.
> It stands as the acknowledged central authority in the worldwide
> Baha'i community and has, during the past 43 years, launched eight
> global plans for the advancement of the Faith. From a worldwide
> population of 408 ,000 in 1963, the Baha'i community has grown
> to more than 5 million members, and the number of National and
> Regional Spiritual Assemblies has grown from 56 to 179.
> 
> Spiritual and Moral Teachings
> and Baha'i Community Life
> The force that unites this diverse body of people is the vision
> achieved through their 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 world's great religions have been established by
> Messengers or Manifestations of this Divine Reality-Abraham,
> Krishna, Moses, Buddha, Zoroaster, Jesus, and Muhammad-Who
> have been sent throughout history to deliver a divine message
> commensurate with humanity's stage of development. Though the
> religions' social teachings change through this process of progressive
> revelation, the spiritual essence of all the major religions remains
> the same: humanity has been created to know and to worship God.
> The Baha'i perspective sees 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 the divine Messengers.
> At this stage of humanity's development, the unity of the human
> race must be recognized, the equality of women and men must be
> established, the extremes of wealth and poverty must be eliminated,
> and the age-old promise of universal peace must be realized. Likening the development of the human race to that of an individual, the
> Baha'i writings say that we have passed through stages analogous to
> infancy and childhood and are now in the midst of a tumultuous
> THE BAHA",I COMMUNITY
> 
> adolescence, standing 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 are binding on Baha'is. Central to these is daily obligatory
> prayer. Study of and meditation upon the Baha'i sacred writings each
> morning and evening are also enjoined. Baha'.fs between the ages of
> 15 and 70, with certain exceptions, observe an annual 19-day, dawnto-dusk fast. 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 of Baha'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'.fs to be honest and
> trustworthy, to render service to humanity with an abundance of
> deeds rather than mere words, to be chaste, and to avoid gossip and
> backbiting. He enjoined a high standard of personal morality and
> decency upon His followers . 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. Pending the further development of
> Baha'i communities, these meetings often occur in rented facilities,
> people's homes, or in local Baha'i centers. The Baha'i writings call
> for the erection in each community of a beautifully designed House
> of Worship, surrounded by gardens and functioning as a spiritual
> center of activity. A variety of social and humanitarian institutions
> are also to be established around it. Seven Baha'i Houses ofWorship
> presently exist- in Australia, Germany, India, Panama, Samoa,
> Uganda, and the United States. Plans have been launched for the
> construction of an eighth House ofWorship in Chile, and sites have
> 16             THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> been purchased around the world for the erection of many more.
> The Houses of Worship 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 faiths with
> music by an a capella choir. This preserves 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, coinciding with
> 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 to establish 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, a nongovernmental organization (NGO) that represents the collective voice of national Baha'i communities around
> the world, enjoys special 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 the Office of the Environment
> and the Office for the Advancement of Women, collaborate with
> National Spiritual Assemblies around the world. The Baha'i International Community's activities 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 the major world summits and NGO forums sponsored
> by the United Nations during the past decades.
> ,, ,
> THE BAHA I COMMUNITY                             17
> 
> 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, ultimately control the entire resources of
> all the component nations, and will 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. 1
> Shoghi Effendi went on to describe the tremendous benefits to
> humaniry 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. 2
> To make its aims and objectives widely known and to promote
> its perspective on various issues, the Baha'i International Communiry
> 18              THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> not only collaborates with like-minded organizations within and outside of the United Nations, but it also engages in public information
> efforts to bring the spiritual and social principles of the Faith to the
> attention of people everywhere. The persecution of the Baha'fs in
> Iran since the 1979 Iranian revolution has prompted wide dissemination of information about the Baha'i Faith in the international news
> media. More than 200 members of the Faith have been executed
> for their belief, which is considered as heresy by the regime, and
> thousands more have been imprisoned, fired from their jobs, or had
> their homes confiscated or their pensions cut off as a result of government orders. Baha'fs around the world have responded in unity to
> this ongoing persecution in Iran-the land in which their religion
> was born-by petitioning their governments to take action against
> this injustice. It is, to some degree, as a result of these efforts that
> the persecutions have not been more extreme, although Iran's Baha'fs
> still face the possibility of arbitrary imprisonment and execution, and
> are still denied fundamental rights and freedoms. 3
> The Baha'f community has also taken a proactive approach
> to promulgating its views. The statement on peace issued by the
> Universal House of Justice in 1985, entitled The Promise of World
> Peace, sparked a worldwide campaign of presentations and public
> awareness programs throughout the International Year of Peace and
> since, aimed at government figures, leaders of thought, and the
> general population. The centenary of Baha'u'llah's passing in 1992
> was commemorated, in part, with the publication of a statement
> detailing His life, teachings, and mission, designed to increase
> knowledge of the Baha'i Faith among members of the public. A
> statement presenting the Baha'f perspective on social development,
> The Prosperity ofHumankind, was disseminated at the World Summit
> for Social Development in Copenhagen in March 1995, and later
> that year a statement entitled Turning Point for All Nations was released as a contribution to discussions on the future of the United
> Nations during its 5oth anniversary. In 1999, the Baha'f International
> Community released Who Is Writing the Future? Reflections on the
> Twentieth Century. Most recently, in 2002, the Universal House of
> Justice addressed a message to the world's religious leaders. 4
> The Baha'f community has also been continually engaged in a
> series of international teaching plans. It has seen rapid expansion in
> different parts of the world, perhaps most notably in Eastern Europe
> ,, ,
> THE BAHA I COMMUNITY                            19
> 
> and the former Soviet Union, where national Baha'i communities
> have been established in recent years following the collapse of longstanding political barriers. New national governing bodies are also
> being formed elsewhere, as the Universal House of Justice deems
> communities to have reached a sufficient level of maturity.
> In just over 160 years, the Baha'i community has succeeded in
> establishing a pattern of community life that promotes the spiritual
> development of the individual and channels the collective energies
> of its members towards the spiritual and material revival of society.
> It has acquired the capacity to reach large populations with its
> teachings. It has learned to translate the principle of consultation,
> promoted by Baha'u'llah, into an effective tool for collective decision
> making and to educate its members in its use. It has devised programs
> for the spiritual and moral education of its younger members and
> has extended them not only to its own children and junior youth
> but also to those of the wider community. It has created a rich body
> of literature which includes volumes in scores of languages that
> address both its own needs and the interest of the general public. It
> has become increasingly involved in the affairs of society at large,
> undertaking a host of social and economic development projects.
> Particularly since 2001, it has systematically educated thousands of
> its members through a worldwide program of training to develop the
> skills, insights, and knowledge needed to build a new and prosperous society that draws upon the talents and contribution of every
> member.
> The work of the Baha'i community increasingly attracts the
> attention and admiration of influential people concerned with
> humanity's future direction. At celebrations in 2005 marking the
> centenary of the establishment of the Baha'i Faith in Germany,
> Gabriele Mueller-Trimbusch, Stuttgart's deputy-mayor for social
> affairs, remarked, "The respect you pay to other world religions,
> your openness for people who have different opinions, your message
> of peace for the world we live in, makes you a greatly appreciated
> partner for us. Stuttgart highly values the activities of the Baha'i
> community, because it participates in the social life of our city in
> an exemplary manner."
> The mayor of Kingston, Jamaica, Desmond McKenzie recently
> commented, "The Baha'is have applied their Faith to many of our
> social problems, including social prejudices, economic deprivation,
> 20               THE BAHA'I WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> and physical disadvantages, and, in so doing, they have contributed
> immensely to reducing tensions in these areas."
> "In many ways, Baha'is embody the spirit of community cohesion that is so important to our society," wrote Tony Blair, prime
> minister of the United Kingdom, in March 2005, "The Baha'i
> community, in its outlook on life, and in its proactive work in the
> interfaith, cohesion, and antidiscrimination fields, shows how much
> faith-based bodies can contribute to wider society."
> The existence and growth of the Baha'i community offer irrefutable evidence that humanity, in all its diversity, can learn to live and
> work together in harmony. While Baha' is are aware of the turmoil
> in the world surrounding them, their view is succinctly expressed 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. 5
> The source of this faith and resolve is the message offered by
> the teachings of Baha'u'llah, a message that deserves the thoughtful
> consideration of all those who yearn for peace and justice in the
> world.
> 
> NOTES
> 
> Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Baha'u'llah: Selected Letters, 2nd rev.
> ed. (Wilmette, IL: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1991), p. 203 .
> Ibid., p. 204.
> See pp. 41-42, n5-27 for further information on the continuing persecution
> oflran's Baha'i community.
> For the full text of this message and a report on its presentation around the
> world, see The Baha'i World 2002- 2003 (Haifa: World Centre Publications,
> 2004), pp. 79-87 and 89-98.
> 5 Baha'i International Community Office of Public Information, The Pros-
> 
> perity of Humankind (1995). See The Baha'i World I994-95 (Haifa, World
> Centre Publications, 1996), pp. 273-296, for the complete text of this statement.
> WRITINGS
> AND MESSAGES
> •
> Baha' f. Sacred Writings
> A compilation from the writings of
> Bahd 'u'lldh and 'Abdu'l-Bahd on the
> subject of identity.
> 
> From the Writings of Baha'u'llah
> All praise and glory be to God Who, through the power of His
> might, hath delivered His creation from the nakedness of nonexistence, and clothed it with the mantle of life. From among all
> created things He hath singled out for His special favor the pure,
> the gem-like reality of man, and invested it with a unique capacity
> of knowing Him and of reflecting the greatness of His glory. This
> twofold distinction conferred upon him hath cleansed away from
> his heart the rust of every vain desire, and made him worthy of the
> vesture with which his Creator hath deigned to clothe him. It hath
> served to rescue his soul from the wretchedness of ignorance.
> This robe with which the body and soul of man hath been
> adorned is the very foundation of his well-being and development.
> Oh, how blessed the day when, aided by the grace and might of
> the one true God, man will have freed himself from the bondage
> and corruption of the world and all that is therein, and will have
> attained unto true and abiding rest beneath the shadow of the Tree
> of Knowledge! 1
> 24             THE BAHA'I WORLD 2005- 2006
> 
> The most glorious fruit of the tree of knowledge is this exalted word:
> Of one tree are all ye the fruit, and of one bough the leaves. Let not
> man glory in this that he loveth his country, let him rather glory in
> this that he loveth his kind.2
> 
> Great is the station of man. Great must also be his endeavors for
> the rehabilitation of the world and the well-being of nations. I
> beseech the One true God to graciously confirm thee in that which
> beseemeth man's station.3
> 
> The incomparable Creator hath created all men from one same substance, and hath exalted their reality above the rest of His creatures.
> Success or failure, gain or loss, must, therefore, depend upon man's
> own exertions. The more he striveth, the greater will be his progress.
> We fain would hope that the vernal showers of the bounty of God
> may cause the flowers of true understanding to spring from the soil
> of men's hearts, and may wash them from all earthly defilements. 4
> 
> 0 contending peoples and kindreds of the earth! Set your faces
> towards unity, and let the radiance of its light shine upon you. Gather
> ye together, and for the sake of God resolve to root out whatever is
> the source of contention amongst you. Then will the effulgence of
> the world's great Luminary envelop the whole earth, and its inhabitants become the citizens of one city, and the occupants of one and
> the same throne. This wronged One hath, ever since the early days
> of His life, cherished none other desire but this, and will continue to
> entertain no wish except this wish. 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. Arise and,
> armed with the power of faith, shatter to pieces the gods of your
> SACRED WRITINGS                               25
> 
> vain imaginings, the sowers of dissension amongst you. Cleave unto
> that which draweth you together and uniteth you. This, verily, is
> the most exalted Word which the Mother Book hath sent down and
> revealed unto you. To this beareth witness the Tongue of Grandeur
> from His habitation of glory.5
> 
> qf0
> 
> The first utterance of Him Who is the All-Wise is this: 0 children
> of dust! Turn your faces from the darkness of estrangement to the
> effulgent light of the daystar of unity. This is that which above all
> else will benefit the peoples of the earth. 0 friend! Upon the tree
> of utterance there hath never been, nor shall there ever be, a fairer
> lea£ and beneath the ocean of knowledge no pearl more wondrous
> can ever be found.
> 0 children of understanding! If the eyelid, however delicate,
> can deprive man's outer eye from beholding the world and all
> that is therein, consider then what would be wrought if the veil of
> covetousness were to descend upon his inner eye. Say: 0 people!
> The darkness of greed and envy becloudeth the radiance of the soul
> even as the clouds obstruct the light of the sun. Should anyone
> hearken unto this utterance with a discerning ear, he will unfurl
> the wings of detachment and soar effortlessly in the atmosphere of
> true understanding.6
> 
> From the Writings and Utterances of 'Abdu'l-Baha
> God says in the Qur'fo: "Take ye hold of the Cord of God, all of
> you, and become ye not disunited."7
> In the contingent world there are many collective centers which
> are conducive to association and unity between the children of
> men. For example, patriotism is a collective center; nationalism is a
> collective center; identity of interests is a collective center; political
> alliance is a collective center; the union of ideals is a collective center,
> and the prosperity of the world of humanity is dependent upon the
> organization and promotion of the collective centers. Nevertheless,
> all the above institutions are, in reality, the matter and not the substance, accidental and not eternal-temporary and not everlasting.
> With the appearance of great revolutions and upheavals, all these
> THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> collective centers are swept away. But the Collective Center of the
> Kingdom, embodying the institutions and divine teachings, is the
> eternal Collective Center. It establishes relationship between the East
> and the West, organizes the oneness of the world of humanity, and
> destroys the foundation of differences . It overcomes and includes all
> the other collective centers. Like unto the ray of the sun, it dispels
> entirely the darkness encompassing all the regions, bestows ideal life,
> and causes the effulgence of divine illumination. Through the breaths
> of the Holy Spirit it performs miracles; the Orient and the Occident
> embrace each other, the North and South become intimates and
> associates, conflicting and contending opinions disappear, antagonistic aims are brushed aside, the law of the struggle for existence is
> abrogated, and the canopy of the oneness of the world of humanity
> is raised on the apex of the globe, casting its shade over all the races
> of men. Consequently, the real Collective Center is the body of the
> divine teachings, which include all the degrees and embrace all the
> universal relations and necessary laws of humanity.
> Consider the flowers of a garden. Though differing in kind, color,
> form, and shape, yet, inasmuch as they are refreshed by the waters
> of one spring, revived by the breath of one wind, invigorated by the
> rays of one sun, this diversity increaseth their charm, and addeth
> unto their beauty. How unpleasing to the eye if all the flowers and
> plants, the leaves and blossoms, the fruits, the branches and the
> trees of that garden were all of the same shape and color! Diversity
> of hues, form, and shape, enricheth and adorneth the garden, and
> heighteneth the effect thereof In like manner, when divers shades
> of thought, temperament, and character are brought together under
> the power and influence of one central agency, the beauty and glory
> of human perfection will be revealed and made manifest. Naught
> but the celestial potency of the Word of God, which ruleth and
> transcendeth the realities of all things, is capable of harmonizing
> the divergent thoughts, sentiments, ideas, and convictions of the
> children of men. 8
> 
> q0
> 
> 0 peoples of the world! The Sun of Truth hath risen to illumine the
> whole earth, and to spiritualize the community of man. Laudable
> are the results and the fruits thereof, abundant the holy evidences
> SACRED WRITINGS
> 
> deriving from this grace. This is mercy unalloyed and purest bounty;
> it is light for the world and all its peoples; it is harmony and fellowship, and love and solidarity; indeed it is compassion and unity, and
> the end of foreignness; it is the being at one, in complete dignity
> and freedom, with all on earth.
> The Blessed Beauty saith: "Ye are all the fruits of one tree, the
> leaves of one branch." Thus hath He likened this world of being
> to a single tree, and all its peoples to the leaves thereof, and the
> blossoms and fruits. It is needful for the bough to blossom, and leaf
> and fruit to flourish, and upon the interconnection of all parts of
> the world-tree, dependeth the flourishing of leaf and blossom, and
> the sweetness of the fruit.
> For this reason must all human beings powerfully sustain one
> another and seek for everlasting life; and for this reason must the
> lovers of God in this contingent world become the mercies and the
> blessings sent forth by that clement King of the seen and unseen
> realms. Let them purify their sight and behold all humankind as
> leaves and blossoms and fruits of the tree of being. Let them at
> all times concern themselves with doing a kindly thing for one of
> their fellows, offering to someone love, consideration, thoughtful
> help. Let them see no one as their enemy, or as wishing them ill,
> but think of all humankind as their friends; regarding the alien as
> an intimate, the stranger as a companion, staying free of prejudice,
> drawing no lines.9
> 
> Qualities of the spirit are the basic and divine foundation, and
> adorn the true essence of man; and knowledge is the cause of human
> progress. The beloved of God must attach great importance to this
> matter, and carry it forward with enthusiasm and zeal. 10
> 
> Cd(J
> 
> I hope that in this nether world thou shalt attain unto heavenly
> light, thou wilt free the souls from the gloom of nature, which is
> the animal kingdom, and cause them to reach lofty stations in the
> human kingdom. Today all people are immersed in the world of
> nature. That is why thou dost see jealousy, greed, the struggle for
> survival, deception, hypocrisy, tyranny, oppression, disputes, strife,
> THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005- 2006
> 
> bloodshed, looting, and pillaging, which all emanate from the world
> of nature. Few are those who have been freed from this darkness,
> who have ascended from the world of nature to the world of man,
> who have followed the divine Teachings, have served the world of
> humanity, are resplendent, merciful, illumined and like unto a rose
> garden. Strive thine utmost to become godlike, characterized with
> His attributes, illumined and merciful, that thou mayest be freed
> from every bond and become attached at heart to the Kingdom of
> the incomparable Lord. This is Baha'i bounty, and this is heavenly
> light. 11
> 
> ~
> 
> The mass of the people are occupied with self and worldly desire,
> are immersed in the ocean of the nether world and are captives of
> the world of nature, save those souls who have been freed from the
> chains and fetters of the material world and, like unto swift-flying
> birds, are soaring in this unbounded realm. They are awake and
> vigilant, they shun the obscurity of the world of nature, their highest
> wish centereth on the eradication from among men of the struggle
> for existence, the shining forth of the spirituality and the love of the
> realm on high, the exercise of utmost kindness among peoples, the
> realization of an intimate and close connection between religions
> and the practice of the ideal of self-sacrifice. Then will the world of
> humanity be transformed into the Kingdom of God. 12
> 
> ~
> 
> The Almighty hath not created in man the claws and teeth of
> ferocious animals, nay rather hath the human form been fashioned
> and set with the most comely attributes and adorned with the most
> perfect virtues. The honor of this creation and the worthiness of
> this garment therefore require man to have love and affinity for his
> own kind, nay rather, to act towards all living creatures with justice
> and equity. 13
> 
> ~
> 
> And among the teachings of Baha'u'llah is the oneness of the world
> of humanity; that all human beings are the sheep of God and He is
> the kind Shepherd. This Shepherd is kind to all the sheep, because
> SACRED WRITINGS                             29
> 
> He created them all, trained them, provided for them and protected
> them. There is no doubt that the Shepherd is kind to all the sheep
> and should there be among these sheep ignorant ones, they must be
> educated; if there be children, they must be trained until they reach
> maturity; if there be sick ones, they must be cured. There must be
> no hatred and enmity, for as by a kind physician these ignorant, sick
> ones should be treated.
> And among the teachings of Baha'u'llah is that religious, racial,
> political, economic, and patriotic prejudices destroy the edifice of
> humanity. As long as these prejudices prevail, the world of humanity will not have rest. For a period of 6,ooo years history informs us
> about the world of humanity. During these 6,ooo years the world
> of humanity has not been free from war, strife, murder, and bloodthirstiness. In every period war has been waged in one country or
> another and that war was due to either religious prejudice, racial
> prejudice, political prejudice, or patriotic prejudice. It has therefore
> been ascertained and proved that all prejudices are destructive of the
> human edifice. As long as these prejudices persist, the struggle for
> existence must remain dominant, and bloodthirstiness and rapacity
> continue. Therefore, even as was the case in the past, the world of
> humanity cannot be saved from the darkness of nature and cannot
> attain illumination except through the abandonment of prejudices
> and the acquisition of the morals of the Kingdom.
> If this prejudice and enmity are on account of religion consider
> that religion should be the cause of fellowship, otherwise it is
> fruitless. And if this prejudice be the prejudice of nationality consider
> that all mankind are of one nation; all have sprung from the tree
> of Adam, and Adam is the root of the tree. That tree is one and all
> these nations are like branches, while the individuals of humanity
> are like leaves, blossoms, and fruits thereof. Then the establishment of various nations and the consequent shedding of blood and
> destruction of the edifice of humanity result from human ignorance
> and selfish motives.
> As to the patriotic prejudice, this is also due to absolute ignorance, for the surface of the earth is one native land. Every one can
> live in any spot on the terrestrial globe. Therefore all the world is
> man's birthplace. These boundaries and outlets have been devised
> by man. In the creation, such boundaries and outlets were not
> 30              THE BAHA'I WORLD 2005- 2006
> 
> assigned. Europe is one continent, Asia is one continent, Africa is
> one continent, Australia is one continent, but some of the souls,
> from personal motives and selfish interests, have divided each one of
> these continents and considered a certain part as their own country.
> God has set up no frontier between France and Germany; they are
> continuous. Yet, in the first centuries, selfish souls, for the promotion of their own interests, have assigned boundaries and outlets and
> have, day by day, attached more importance to these, until this led to
> intense enmity, bloodshed, and rapacity in subsequent centuries. In
> the same way this will continue indefinitely, and if this conception
> of patriotism remains limited within a certain circle, it will be the
> primary cause of the world's destruction. No wise and just person will
> acknowledge these imaginary distinctions. Every limited area which
> we call our native country we regard as our motherland, whereas the
> terrestrial globe is the motherland of all, and not any restricted area.
> In short, for a few days we live on this earth and eventually we are
> buried in it, it is our eternal tomb. Is it worthwhile that we should
> engage in bloodshed and tear one another to pieces for this eternal
> tomb? Nay, far from it, neither is God pleased with such conduct
> nor would any sane man approve of it.
> Regarding the economic prejudice, it is apparent that whenever
> the ties between nations become strengthened and the exchange of
> commodities accelerated, and any economic principle is established
> in one country, it will ultimately affect the other countries and
> universal benefits will result. Then why this prejudice?
> As to the political prejudice, the policy of God must be followed
> and it is indisputable that the policy of God is greater than human
> policy. We must follow the Divine policy and that applies alike to
> all individuals. He treats all individuals alike: no distinction is made,
> and that is the foundation of the Divine Religions. 14
> 
> qfiJ
> 
> 0 ye Cohorts of God! If you observe that a soul has turned his face
> completely toward the Cause of God, his intention is centralized
> upon the penetration of the Word of God, he is serving the Cause
> day and night with the utmost fidelity, no scent of selfishness is
> inhaled from his manners and deeds, and no trace of egotism or
> prejudice is seen in his personality-nay rather is he a wanderer in
> SACRED WRITINGS                               31
> 
> the wilderness of the love of God, and one intoxicated with the wine
> of the knowledge of God, occupied wholly with the diffusion of the
> fragrances of God, and attracted to the signs of the Kingdom of God;
> know ye of a certainty that he is confirmed with the powers of the
> Kingdom, assisted by the heaven of Might; and he will shine, gleam,
> and sparkle like unto the morning star with the utmost brilliancy
> and splendor from the horizon of the everlasting gift. If he is alloyed
> with the slightest trace of passion, desire, ostentation, or self-interest,
> it is certain that the results of all efforts will prove fruitless, and he
> will become deprived and hopeless. 15
> 
> ~
> 
> 0 ye friends of God! Through the Appearance of the Blessed Perfection the theories are abrogated and the facts are established. The time
> of superficiality is gone by and the cycle of reality hath appeared. One
> must become the incarnation of Servitude, the personification of
> Love, the embodiment of Spirituality, and the mirror of Mercy. 16
> 
> The word of truth, no matter which tongue utters it, must be sanctioned. Absolute verities, no matter in what book they be recorded,
> must be accepted. If we harbor prejudice, it will be the cause of
> deprivation and ignorance. 17
> 
> Man is degraded in becoming the captive of his own illusions and
> suppositions. The earth is one earth, and the same atmosphere
> surrounds it. No difference or preference has been made by God
> for its human inhabitants; but man has laid the foundation of
> prejudice, hatred, and discord with his fellowman by considering
> nationalities separate in importance and races different in rights
> and privileges. 18
> 
> ~
> 
> Be kind to all people, love humanity, consider all mankind as your
> relations and servants of the most high God. Strive day and night
> that animosity and contention may pass away from the hearts of
> men, that all religions shall become reconciled and the nations love
> 32             THE BAHA'I WORLD 2 00 5-200 6
> 
> each other so that no racial, religious, or political prejudice may
> remain and the world of humanity behold God as the beginning
> and end of all existence. God has created all, and all return to God.
> Therefore, love humanity with all your heart and soul. If you meet
> a poor man, assist him; if you see the sick, heal him; reassure the
> affrighted one, render the cowardly noble and courageous, educate
> the ignorant, associate with the stranger. Emulate God. Consider
> how kindly, how lovingly He deals with all, and follow His example.
> You must treat people in accordance with the divine precepts-in
> other words, treat them as kindly as God treats them, for this is the
> greatest attainment possible for the world of humanity. 19
> 
> cif0
> 
> Consider the prejudice of patriotism. This is one globe, one land, one
> country. God did not divide it into national boundaries. He created
> all the continents without national divisions. Why should we make
> such division ourselves? These are but imaginary lines and boundaries. Europe is a continent; it is not naturally divided; man has drawn
> the lines and established the limits of kingdoms and empires. Man
> declares a river to be a boundary line between two countries, calling
> this side French and the other side German, whereas the river was
> created for both and is a natural artery for all. Is it not imagination
> and ignorance which impels man to violate the divine intention
> and make the very bounties of God the cause of war, bloodshed,
> and destruction? Therefore, all prejudices between man and man
> are falsehoods and violations of the will of God. God desires unity
> and love; He commands harmony and fellowship. Enmity is human
> disobedience; God Himself is love.20
> 
> Prejudice-whether it be religious, racial, patriotic, or political in
> its origin and aspect- is the destroyer of human foundations and
> opposed to the commands of God. God has sent forth His Prophets
> for the sole purpose of creating love and unity in the world of human
> hearts. All the heavenly Books are the written word of love. If they
> prove to be the cause of prejudice and human estrangement, they
> have become fruitless . Therefore, religious prejudice is especially
> opposed to the will and command of God. Racial and national
> SACRED WRITINGS                              33
> 
> prejudices which separate mankind into groups and branches, likewise, have a false and unjustifiable foundation, for all men are the
> children of Adam and essentially of one family. There should be
> no racial alienation or national division among humankind. Such
> distinctions as French, German, Persian, Anglo-Saxon are human and
> artificial; they have neither significance nor recognition in the estimation of God. In His estimate all are one, the children of one family;
> and God is equally kind to them. The earth has one surface. God has
> not divided this surface by boundaries and barriers to separate races
> and peoples. Man has set up and established these imaginary lines,
> giving to each restricted area a name and the limitation of a native
> land or nationhood. By this division and separation into groups
> and branches of mankind, prejudice is engendered which becomes
> a fruitful source of war and strife. Impelled by this prejudice, races
> and nations declare war against each other; the blood of the innocent
> is poured out, and the earth torn by violence. Therefore, it has been
> decreed by God in this day that these prejudices and differences shall
> be laid aside. All are commanded to seek the good pleasure of the
> Lord of unity, to follow His command and obey His will; in this
> way the world of humanity shall become illumined with the reality
> of love and reconciliation. 2 1
> 
> q0
> 
> The great question appertaining to humanity is religion. The first
> condition is that man must intelligently investigate its foundations.
> The second condition is that he must admit and acknowledge the
> oneness of the world of humanity. By this means the attainment
> of true fellowship among mankind is assured, and the alienation
> of races and individuals is prevented. All must be considered the
> servants of God; all must recognize God as the one kind Protector
> and Creator. In proportion to the acknowledgment of the oneness
> and solidarity of mankind, fellowship is possible, misunderstandings
> will be removed and reality become apparent. Then will the light of
> reality shine forth, and when reality illumines the world, the happiness of humankind will become a verity. Man must spiritually
> perceive that religion has been intended by God to be the means of
> grace, the source of life and cause of agreement. If it becomes the
> cause of discord, enmity, and hatred, it is better that man should be
> 34                THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005- 2006
> 
> without it. For in its teachings we seek the spirit of charity and love
> to bind the hearts of men together. If, on the contrary, we find it
> alienates and embitters human hearts, we are justified in casting it
> aside. Therefore, when man through sincere investigation discovers
> the fundamental reality of religion, his former prejudices disappear,
> and his new condition of enlightenment is conducive to the development of the world of humanity. 22
> 
> This is a new cycle of human power. All the horizons of the world
> are luminous, and the world will become indeed as a garden and
> a paradise. It is the hour of unity of the sons of men and of the
> drawing together of all races and all classes. You are loosed from
> ancient superstitions which have kept men ignorant, destroying the
> foundation of true humanity.
> In the days of old an instinct for warfare was developed in the
> struggle with wild animals; this is no longer necessary; nay, rather,
> co-operation and mutual understanding are seen to produce the
> greatest welfare of mankind. Enmity is now the result of prejudice
> only. 23
> 
> NOTES
> 
> Baha'u'llih, Gleanings .from the Writings ofBahd'u'lldh (Wilmette, IL: Baha'i
> Publishing Trust, I982), section XX.XIV.
> Baha'u'llih, Tablets ofBahd'u'lldh revealed after the Kitdb-i-Aqdas (Wilmette,
> IL: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 2006), pp. 127-28.
> Ibid., p. 17 4.
> Baha'u'llih, Gleanings .from the Writings of Bahd'u'lldh, section XX.XIV.
> 5 Ibid., section cxr.
> Baha'u'llih, The Tabernacle of Unity (Haifa: World Centre Publications,
> 2006), sections r.ro-rr.
> Qu'ran po3.
> 'Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of the Divine Plan (Wilmette, IL: Baha'i Publishing
> Trust, 1993), sections 14.2-3, and I4·5·
> 9 'Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahd (Wilmette, IL:
> 
> Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1996), sections r.r-3.
> Ibid., section In.8.
> Ibid., section 180.r.
> Ibid., section 223.r.
> Ibid., section 225.12.
> SACRED WRITINGS                                 35
> 
> Ibid., sections 227.8, 227.n-13, and 227.15-16.
> Tablets of'Abdu'l-BahdAbbas, vol. I (New York: Baha'i Publishing Committee, 1930), p. 42.
> Ibid., vo l. n (New York: Baha'i Publishing Committee, 1940), pp. 430-
> 3r.
> The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by 'Abdu'l-Bahd during
> His Visit to the United States and Canada in I9I2, rev. ed. (Wilmette, IL:
> Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1995) , pp. 151-52.
> Ibid., p. 232.
> Ibid., p. 29r.
> Ibid., pp. 299-300.
> Ibid., p. 316.
> Ibid., pp. 327-28 .
> 'Abdu'l-Bahd in London: Addresses and Notes ofConversations (London: Baha'i
> Publishing Trust, 1987) , pp. 19-20.
> Highlights of Messages from the
> Universal House of Justice
> 
> nique among the world's religious communities, the mem-
> 
> U         bers of the Baha'i Faith maintain a complete unity of purpose
> and vision, inspired and preserved by their adhering to the
> sacred writings of Baha'u'llah, and their turning to His appointed
> successors: the authorized interpreters of these writings, 'Abdu'l-Baha
> and Shoghi Effendi; and the institution designated to administer
> the laws of the Faith.
> This clear center of authority, now embodied in the institution
> of the Universal House of]ustice-the community's elected international governing council- was conceived by Baha'u'llah to protect
> His Faith from factionalism and to provide the world with a model
> framework for the practical establishment of unity.
> Since its first election in 1963, the Universal House of Justice
> has guided the growth and development of the Baha'i community.
> Consequently, the Faith's integrity has been preserved, its unity
> maintained, and its expansion around the world directed and
> sustained.
> The Universal House of Justice is the sole institution of the
> Baha'i Faith that is empowered to enact further application of
> Baha'u'llah's laws. While it cannot annul or modify any directive
> explicitly given by Baha'u'llah in His writings, it does have rhe
> 
> THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005- 2006
> 
> authority to decide on matters not specified in the texts, and performs a number of specific functions "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." 1
> Through its communications, the Universal House of Justice
> provides vision and direction to the worldwide community. On
> occasion, it addresses the wider community, setting forth the Baha'i
> perspective on issues that are of particular concern to the well-being
> of the peoples of the world, the purpose being to inspire constructive
> action in relation to them.
> In the year under review, a number of significant communications from the Universal House of Justice offered guidance to the
> Baha'i community.
> 
> Worldwide growth and development of the Baha' { Faith
> One of the most important of the regular communications of the
> Universal House of Justice is the message released each year during
> the Festival of Ric;lvin (21 April-2 May). As the Baha'i world
> community embarked on the fourth year of its current five-year plan
> of growth and development, the message of the Universal House of
> Justice written at Ric;lvin 2005 presented an upbeat assessment of the
> community's ongoing efforts to strengthen the skills and capacities of
> its members through the use of training institutes employing course
> materials developed by the Ruhi Institute in Colombia, which has
> given a sense of global coherence to the process of learning in which
> the Baha'i community is engaged. The Universal House of Justice
> noted that more than 200,000 people worldwide had completed
> Book 1 of the Ruhi Institute and that some rn,ooo Baha'fs were now
> qualified to act as tutors for the courses through "study circles." There
> were now sizeable groups of trained Baha'is in some 150 geographical locations, known as "clusters," experimenting with, or ready to
> initiate, intensive programs designed to develop the community and
> extend its activities and influence. The experiences being garnered
> in these locations were being systematically analyzed and shared to
> assist the efforts of Bahi' is all over the world.
> The Universal House of Justice celebrated the "continual
> enhancement of the spiritual life of Baha'i communities every-
> FROM THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE                      39
> 
> The members of the Universal House ofJustice, 2005-2006.
> 
> where," contrasting the growing solidarity within the Faith with
> the evidences of the decline in society, the "breakdown in which a
> demoralized world is entrapped." As Baha' is focused on devotional
> meetings, children's classes, and study circles, a renewed spiritual
> vitality could be discerned in the community, accounting for the
> growing participation of people of diverse backgrounds from the
> wider community, many of whom chose to join the Faith.
> On 30 October 2005, a letter to the Baha'is of the world announced
> the names of 81 individuals appointed to a new five-year term as
> members of the Continental Boards of Counsellors for the Protection and Propagation of the Baha'i Faith. Five Continental Boards
> of Counsellors have the responsibility of educating, encouraging,
> and motivating Baha'i communities through their interaction with
> National Spiritual Assemblies and with 990 Auxiliary Board members
> who work at the regional and local level. The new contingent of
> Counsellors were invited to the Baha'i World Centre for a conference
> from 27 to 31 December to deliberate on the features of the next fiveyear plan of growth and development to be launched at Ric;lvan 2006.
> A seminal letter from the Universal House of]ustice addressed to the
> conference of the Continental Board of Counsellors, dated 27 December 2005, and widely circulated to Baha'is throughout the world,
> provided analysis of the activities of the community over the previous
> THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005- 2006
> 
> Gathered on the steps of the Seat of the Universal House ofjustice on Mount
> Carmel, Haifa, Israel, are members of the Continental Boards of Counsellors
> together with, at front, center, the Hand of the Cause of God Dr. 'Ali-
> Mu&ammad Varqd, members of the Universal House ofjustice, and the
> International Teaching Centre.
> 
> five years, and gave clear direction for its future evolution. The letter
> emphasized the need for individual believers, communities, and
> institutions to continue developing their capacities and maintaining
> their focus. The Universal House of Justice highlighted the importance of cultivating a "pattern of behavior" in community life that
> attracts people: "A nurturing environment is being cultivated in
> which each individual is encouraged to progress at his or her own
> pace without the pressure of unreasonable expectations. At the heart
> of such developments is a growing awareness of the implications of
> the universality and comprehensiveness of the Faith."
> A letter from the Universal House of Justice addressed to
> all National Spiritual Assemblies on 28 December 2005 offered
> FROM THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE                     41
> 
> further guidance on the curriculum of training institute programs.
> Assemblies everywhere were encouraged to adopt the books of the
> Ruhi Institute as the main sequence of courses for institutes. The
> message also explored the idea of the development of other courses
> branching out from the main sequence, addressing areas of action
> specific to a particular culture or population.
> As the gathering in the Holy Land of the Continental Counsellors drew to a close, the Universal House of Justice addressed a
> message to the Baha' ls of the world, dated 31 December 2005 :
> We are moved to share with you the feelings of joy, triumph, and
> confidence which have characterized several days of focused deliberation on the present Five Year Plan and on the global enterprise
> that will succeed it. Persistent questions of how to sustain the
> process of growth, of how to achieve a balance between expansion
> and consolidation, that have engaged the Baha'i community
> for nearly half a century found clear answers in the experiences
> shared from diverse clusters on all continents.
> The Universal House of Justice expressed its interest at the
> sharing in the conference of "accounts of obstacles surmounted, fresh
> learning acquired, and creative insights discovered."
> 
> The situation of the Baha' is in Iran
> Several letters during the year detailed specific events related to
> the persecution of Iran's long-suffering Baha'i community. On 29
> September 2005, the Universal House of Justice confirmed chat
> Baha'i students in Iran had once again been denied access to higher
> education:
> The Iranian government had publicly announced that applicants
> of the national university entrance examination would no longer
> be asked to state their religion on the application form. Their
> hopes thus being raised, the students took their exams without
> having to list their religion. However when the test results were
> made known, reference to the applicant's religion remained on
> the form and the religion of the Baha'i applicants was registered
> as Islam. Appeals to the governmental agency overseeing the
> examination process went unanswered. The Baha' ls, as a matter
> 42               THE BAHA'I WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> of principle, would not deny their Faith, so they could not accept
> or use the exam cards to apply for admission into either public
> or private institutions of higher education.
> On 20 December 2005, a message of condolence was sent to
> the Baha'!s in Iran following the death in a prison in Yazd of
> Mr. Dhab!hu'llah Mahram{, "his sacrifice once again demonstrating
> to the world that Baha'!s- who harbor no intention or desire save
> service to the world of humanity, the fostering of fellowship and
> friendship, and the establishment of universal peace-rather than
> being intimidated ... embrace with meekness the persecution that
> is meted out to them through ignorant prejudice."
> In a further message, sent on the same day to National Spiritual
> Assemblies, the Universal House of Justice noted that it was
> particularly poignant that on the very day Mr. Mahraml's body
> was being laid to rest, a resolution on the human rights situation
> in Iran was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly
> ... In addition to expressing the General Assembly's serious
> concern at 'the continuing discrimination, and other human
> rights violations against persons belonging to ethnic and religious
> minorities,' including the Baha'ls, the Resolution notes explicitly
> 'the escalation and increased frequency of discrimination and
> other human rights violations against the Baha'![s], including
> cases of arbitrary arrest and detention, the denial of freedom
> of religion or of publicly carrying out communal affairs, the
> disregard of property rights, the destruction of sites of religious
> importance, the suspension of social, educational and community-related activities and the denial of access to higher education,
> employment, pensions, adequate housing, and other benefits.' 2
> 
> The release of The Tabernacle of Unity
> On 20 April 2006, the Universal House of Justice announced to
> all National Spiritual Assemblies the completion of a volume of
> newly translated writings from Baha'u'llah, entitled The Tabernacle
> of Unity. The main feature of this small book is Baha'u'llah's Tablet
> to Manikch! ~al).ib, a prominent Zoroastrian. The Universal House
> of Justice wrote that the contents of the book "offer a glimpse of
> FROM THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE                          43
> 
> Ian Semple, a former member of the Universal House ofjustice, at the
> centenary celebration of the German Bahd 'i community, held in Stuttgart.
> 
> Baha'u'llah's relationship with the followers of a religion that had
> arisen, many centuries before, in the same land that witnessed the
> birth of His own Faith." 3
> 
> Baha' { Internet Agency
> The rise of computer technology has greatly increased opportunities to make known to society at large the activities of the Baha'i
> community. On 16 June 2005, the Universal House of Justice
> announced to all National Spiritual Assemblies its decision to create
> an international Baha'i Internet Agency to assist Baha'i institutions
> in addressing issues as they pertain to the Internet.
> 
> The Centenary of the Baha'i Faith in Germany
> On IO September 2005, the Universal House of Justice addressed a
> special message to those gathered at celebrations for the centenary of
> the establishment of the Baha'i Faith in Germany. "This is a moment
> for reflection, profound reflection," it wrote, "one that recounts the
> highlights in contrast to the dark aspects punctuating the history
> 44                 THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> of crisis and victory that depicts the evolution of the German community ... No other community in the Western world can claim
> to have demonstrated a greater resilience in the face of formidable
> obstacles that threatened to rob you of the shining triumph, the
> potent prospects, signalized by your very meeting on so auspicious
> .   ,,
> an occas10n.
> The message reviewed the outstanding achievements of the
> community throughout its 100-year history and encouraged the
> Baha'is in Germany to "seize the opportunities open to them to move
> resolutely to the next chapter of their destiny, which is unfolding
> so brilliantly." 4
> 
> NOTES
> 
> The Constitution of the Universal House ofJustice (Haifa: Baha'i World
> Centre, 1972), pp. 3-4.
> For further details on the ongoing persecutions in Iran's Baha'i community,
> see pp. u5-27 of this volume.
> For further information on The Tabernacle of Unity, see pp. 89-92 of this
> volume.
> For further details on the celebrations of the centenary of the Baha'f Faith
> in Germany, see pp. 85-88 of this volume.
> EVENTS
> 2005- 2006
> The Year in Review
> 
> S
> ince the turn of the twenty-first century, Baha'is the world over
> have been engaged in a systematic process designed to foster
> the quantitative and qualitative growth of their worldwide
> community. In the year under review, there has been an impressive proliferation of activities aimed at fostering spiritual and social
> development, inspired by training programs which have galvanized
> individuals and communities. "Core activities," comprising children's
> classes, study circles, and devotional meetings, are being carried
> out worldwide with increasing skill, enthusiasm, and effectiveness.
> The momentum generated by these endeavors is reflected in Baha'i
> contributions to many diverse areas, including education, racial
> unity, social and economic development, gender equality, the arts,
> and interfaith dialogue.
> Though capturing all of the events of the year 2005-2006 would
> be impossible to attempt, the highlights included here should provide
> a salient glimpse of the character of the Baha'i community and its
> efforts to uplift the whole of humanity as it moves through a period
> of turbulent transition to embrace unity and a lasting peace.
> 
> THE BAHA'f WORLD 2 0 05-2006
> 
> Education of children, junior youth, and youth
> In calling for the building of a new global civilization, Baha'u'llah
> requests that particular attention be paid to education: "We prescribe
> unto all men that which will lead to the exaltation of the Word of
> God amongst His servants, and likewise, to the advancement of the
> world of being and the uplift of souls. To this end, the greatest means
> is education of the child."' '.Abdu'l-Baha described the education and
> training of children as being among "the greatest of all services that
> can possibly be rendered by man to Almighty God."2
> In light of the paramount importance attached to education in
> the Baha'i writings, it is not surprising that children's classes have
> been a vital concern of the Baha'i community since its earliest days.
> The Universal House of Justice has given them high priority by
> designating them as one of the "core activities" of present-day Baha'i
> community life. Indeed, in many parts of the world, children's classes
> are the first activity in a process of community building which give
> rise to other developments, including the education of junior youth
> (n-14 year olds), parents and the extended family, and the spiritual
> and material development of the wider community. Stories from
> around the world attest to the commitment that individuals and
> communities in the past year have made to the education of the
> young in spiritual and moral values.
> Junior youth in Colombia joined Baha'i-inspired groups with
> great enthusiasm, resulting in the establishment of strong friendships
> and a sense of belonging. Their confidence in contributing to the
> betterment of society has increased as they have carried out service
> projects including tree planting, visiting the elderly, and helping
> children's class teachers. Also in Colombia, a Bahi' i mother planning
> a class invited a group of children she had noticed playing in the
> common area of their high-rise apartment buildings. More than a
> dozen of them attended for many months every Saturday morning.
> Their parents proved to be receptive to the idea of spiritual education
> for their children and supported the teacher's efforts. In Texas, USA,
> a Baha'i schoolteacher launched a similar program in an apartment
> complex largely inhabited by Spanish-speaking immigrants. More
> than 20 children attended the classes while their mothers enthusiastically invited more young people from the neighborhood.
> YEAR IN REVIEW                            49
> 
> Participants in the Youth Empowerment Program in Swindon, UK
> 
> In Tajikistan, a Baha'i began classes with young people from the
> Roma community, who are generally shunned by the local Tajik and
> Uzbek populations. Many illiterate Roma children, aged between 5
> and 17, attended the classes three times a week. Among their activities was a visit to see a dentist at work. He was so inspired by their
> teacher's dedication that he explained to the Roma children about
> their history and the importance of education. He appealed to them
> to become the generation that changes the fortunes of their people
> and grow to be outstanding servants to the community. The students
> said they wished to become educated and subsequently registered
> their younger siblings for children's classes.
> In Swindon, United Kingdom, the Baha'i-inspired Youth
> Empowerment Program entered its fifth year with IO learning mentors from six schools completing a facilitator course and establishing
> the program in their respective schools. The program addresses the
> theme of spirit as a motivating force in the development of yo ung
> people. Two education courses, entitled "Tranquility Zone" and
> "Discovery Zone," have been developed for young people. Role
> playing, games, and activities help the youth internalize insights they
> gain about their potential and capacities. Three factors are being
> used to measure the success of the program: young people feeling
> THE BAHA'I WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> better about themselves and appreciating their self-worth, improved
> behavior at school and at home, and willingness to engage in learning and community service.
> The Baha'i community of the Caribbean islands of St. Kitts and
> Nevis facilitated moral empowerment classes as a pilot project in
> selected local secondary schools, with the cooperation and blessing
> of the national Ministry of Education . The program included
> the study of materials about virtues and activities involving their
> practical application. At the conclusion of a workshop and training
> in September 2005, the islands' minister of education presented the
> certificates, generating media interest.
> A Sunday morning Family Virtues Breakfast in Manitoba,
> Canada, attracted as many as 80 children and their parents each
> week. The program-which is held in one of Winnipeg's most
> socially deprived suburbs-placed an emphasis on helping children
> build positive moral capacities. Virtues were taught using crafts,
> drawing, reading, and participative games. Organizations were keen
> to make donations towards food, craft supplies, and equipment.
> Other social service groups began to inquire about the project's
> successful approach.
> A four-day seminar on "Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment"
> was held in New Delhi, India, in December 2005, organized by the
> Foundation for Advancement of Science, Bhopal. More than 90
> participants attended from 15 countries. Those attending the seminar
> heard how in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal, where junior
> youth programs were initiated three years previously, the young
> participants had become the most active and enthusiastic members
> of their communities, keen to apply their skills to the teaching of
> younger children and other junior youth. In Lucknow, a Baha'i youth
> association, "The Peacemakers," conducted spiritual empowerment
> programs in two government schools with 84 students. The junior
> youth attended classes in which moral dilemmas were acted out and
> discussion was encouraged about creative solutions to problems. On
> r August 2005, the Baha'i community of Panchgani and the New
> Era High School celebrated the school's 6oth anniversary. Among
> the presentations was a performance depicting the early history of
> the school by secondary students.
> YEAR IN REVIEW                               51
> 
> A group ofparticipants at the Norwegian Bahd 'i summer school takes part
> in a Io-hour hike across the Besseggen mountain range. More than 430
> Bahd 'is from I2 countries attend the summer school.
> 
> During a period of great civil unrest and soul searching in Paris,
> France, a group of Baha'is was able to initiate a children's class. A
> large educational center showed interest in providing them with
> a venue. Initially, the center asked the Baha'is to work only with
> children. However, after seeing the positive effects on the attendees,
> the center arranged for a group of 12 junior youth also to begin a
> program. In Australia, a psychology student, in the course of being
> interviewed for a volunteer counseling position at a multicultural
> center, mentioned her training in Baha'i junior youth programs.
> Her interviewer was very interested and inquired about the possibility of starring a program at the center, aimed particularly at young
> people who had recently immigrated to Australia. A successful bid
> for government funding resulted in a 20-week pilot project.
> In California, USA, the Baha'i-inspired organization known
> as the Children's Enrichment Program (CEP), underwent several
> major changes as it evolved into the Leadership Enrichment & Arts
> 52              THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> Program (LEAP) this year. Over a 12-year period, the Baha'i-inspired
> organization and its staff developed a new curriculum for the afterschool program. Marketed as Full-Circle Learning, the curriculum has
> been made adaptable for in-school, after-school, summer, weekend,
> and home-school programs. It also has won honors such as the John
> Anson Ford Human Relations Award, which lauded CEP for "infusing
> character education, conflict resolution, and community service into
> academic and arts enrichment." The program is supervised by the
> Multicultural Organization for Neighborhood Arts (MONA), a nonprofit Baha'i-inspired organization established to provide programs
> for social good and promote the oneness of humanity through the
> arts, classes, and job skills training for young people.
> A Baha'i'. in Taiwan established a moral education class at her
> child's elementary school. The mother of one participant expressed
> an interest to learn more and joined a training institute program
> along with some of her friends . As a result of the training, these
> women established five new children's classes for almost 30 children.
> When they observed the positive effect that the classes were having on their younger children, they also formed a group for junior
> youth. A weekly class started by a 12 year old in Nicaragua continued
> into its fourth year. Initially, II neighborhood children attended and
> liked the class so much that during their vacations they went to the
> class daily. Speaking with the children's parents, this young Baha'i'.
> learned that they valued the lessons that were helping their children
> to understand and practice spiritual qualities in their daily lives. In
> Romania, the Mayflower Kindergarten in Covasna offers a full-day
> program as well as English lessons in the afternoons. The school,
> which began in 2001, has renovated three classrooms for the use of
> its kindergarten pupils.
> In Mongolia, a camp was organized to train teachers to work
> with junior youth. Fifty-eight participants attended and plans were
> made for volunteers to spend their summer holidays in villages and
> then to visit them regularly during the year in order to maintain
> contact with the junior youth there. Each of the volunteers pledged
> to work with one urban and one rural group. A junior youth program
> in Cameroon has been started by the Baha'i-inspired nongovernmental organization (NGO) Emergence- Foundation for Education
> and Development. After about 18 months of concerted effort, 21
> YEAR IN REVIEW                             53
> 
> junior youth groups with 418 participants had been established in
> six areas. In March 2005, a junior youth program was launched in
> Nepal in Morang, Sunsari, Kathmandu, and Lalitpur. Receptivity
> to the program has been high, not only among the estimated 600
> participants but also among other members of the wider community,
> who encouraged junior youth to join the program.
> Baha'i-inspired organizations that work with older youth have
> discovered that junior youth programs can be a natural extension of
> their activities. In Guyana, the Varqa Foundation has incorporated
> a junior youth component into its larger effort, entitled Youth Can
> Move the World (YCMTW). The YCMTW program provides youth with
> instruction that strengthens their identity as agents of personal and
> community transformation. After receiving training that prepares
> them as YCMTW facilitators, they return to their home communities
> and initiate youth activities with their peers and with junior youth
> groups. In Kosovo, a Baha'i-inspired social and economic development project, Global Perspective Development Centre (GPDC), has
> been working with youth for several years. In 2005 , a junior youth
> program was integrated into the existing Global Motion project of
> GPDC, which uses the arts as a tool for personal and social transformation. Of the roo or so participants in the project, a number of key
> individuals were chosen to work further with other groups.
> In Florida, USA, the annual Project Badi summer program offers
> reading circles to improve the literacy skills of young people. The
> project has been carried out in four predominantly African-American
> and Caribbean neighborhoods in the Broward, Tampa, and Palm
> Beach areas. Some 40 young Baha'is carried out daily, two-hour-long
> reading circles for dozens of "at-risk" junior youth in neighborhoods.
> The reading circles have served as a launch pad for local Baha' is to
> offer ongoing character development classes to children and junior
> youth. Families of the reading circle students are also engaged in
> monthly gatherings which incorporate presentations prepared by
> the junior youth. Some parents have shown an interest in a Spiritual
> Parenting course. A columnist from the Tampa Tribune wrote, on
> 23 July 2005, that the program gave "hope in a world that seems so
> fractured and self-centered. "
> The new government syllabus for religious and moral education
> in Botswana, aimed at the senior primary level, now includes the
> 54              THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> Chloe Maclean,
> a pupil from a
> Sydney primary
> school, reads a
> prayer at the
> service held in the
> House of Worship
> on Universal
> Children's Day.
> 
> Baha'i Faith as one of the religions that can be taught. The syllabus
> adopts a theme-based approach by which teachers can select different religions to illustrate the themes. Baha'is in Lusaka, Zambia,
> sponsored an essay competition for young people on the theme,
> "The role of family in bringing peace." The entrants from a number
> of secondary schools explored themes of "gender inequality" and
> "decline in moral leadership" in their essays.
> Some 6,ooo primary school children in Australia are attending
> Baha'i classes in more than 300 state-run schools. Offered to provide
> religious instruction to children from the Baha'i community, the
> classes are also attracting many other children. In April 2005, Baha'is
> launched monthly workshops in Brisbane designed to create a new
> generation of peacemakers. The junior youth who attend develop
> insights and skills to realize their role in the establishment of peace
> in the world. On 8 December 2005, some 800 people attended a
> devotional service held in the Baha'i House of Worship in Sydney,
> Australia, to celebrate Universal Children's Day. An unaccompanied
> choir-with members aged between 5 and 12 years old-provided the
> music while other children read from the world's religious scriptures.
> After the service, a variety of activities were offered including
> YEAR IN REVIEW                              55
> 
> performances by dance and music groups, face painting, storytelling,
> and a display of children's art on the theme of the environment, and
> respect for people of different races, cultures, and religions.
> 
> Advancement of women
> Speaking in Chicago in 1912, 'Abdu'l-Baha told the Federation of
> Women's Clubs, "Until the reality of equality between man and
> woman is fully established and attained, the highest social development of mankind is not possible." 3 Activities undertaken around the
> globe, particularly the widespread education of women and girls in
> developing countries, demonstrate the Baha'i community's continued
> commitment to this ideal.
> The Baha'i International Community gives priority to promoting this fundamental Baha'i principle at the international,
> diplomatic level. Some 21 Baha'is participated in the United Nations'
> Commission on the Status of Women (csw) held in New York from
> 27 February to IO March 2006. Celebrating its 5oth anniversary, the
> Commission has become a global rallying point for those concerned
> about, and dedicated to, the advancement of women. Representatives
> attended from more than 400 organizations. The two main themes
> under discussion at this year's Commission were the "enhanced
> participation of women in development" and the "equal participation of women and men in decision-making processes at all levels."
> Baha'i delegates, from as far afield as Brazil, Japan, Switzerland,
> and Togo, addressed the themes in various ways. One of them,
> Ms. Zarin Hainsworth from the United Kingdom, facilitated three
> NGO workshops during the Commission: the first explored positive
> values learned from influential women; a second looked at how issues
> of international trade affect women; and the third addressed the plight
> of widows. On 28 February, the Baha'i International Community
> hosted a luncheon at its New York offices for South Africa's First Lady,
> Mrs. Zanele Mbeki, who spoke about her new program-South
> African Women in Dialogue (sAWID).
> Baha'is in New Delhi participated in a two-day consultation to
> discuss the declining male-female ratio. The meeting at the India
> Habitat Centre brought together policy makers, members of international and religious organizations, as well as representatives of civil
> THE BAHA'I WORLD 2005-200 6
> 
> Some 2I Bahd'is from IO countries participate in the 2006 United Nations'
> Commission on the Status of Women ( CSw,), an annual meeting on women's
> issues.
> 
> society. Concern was expressed at the ongoing decline in the ratio
> of women to men, which dropped from 945 women to every 1,000
> men in 1990, to 927 to every 1,000 in the year 2001. Sex selection is
> common in Indian families that have more than two children where,
> if the first child is a female and the next child is desired to be male,
> the female fetus is terminated. Participants discussed the need for a
> more comprehensive framework to deal with the problem, including
> addressing legal issues, reviewing policy, and providing a blueprint
> for future planning.
> A production entitled For the Love ofPeace was organized by the
> Baha'i Office for the Advancement of Women in Kuala Lumpur,
> Malaysia, in May 2005. Six young singers from the Baha'i Unity
> School and Junior Youth Empowerment Program performed in front
> of a full house in a presentation about peace and gender equality.
> Multimedia programs presented perspectives on Malaysia's economy,
> security, and health in relation to the rest of the world, and the
> message of the oneness of humanity and the beauty of diversity.
> The audience included many officials from the National Council of
> Women's Organizations, members of NGOs, interfaith representatives,
> YEAR IN REVIEW                             57
> 
> and the general public. Australia's Baha'i community made a submission to the Inquiry into Balancing Work and Family by the House
> of Representatives Standing Committee on Family and Human
> Services. The submission recognized that balancing work and family
> responsibilities is an increasing challenge for many families and
> suggested that a wide range of measures are needed to assist families
> to fully meet this challenge. The Australian Baha'i community is also
> represented on a working group for the International Day for the
> Elimination of Violence Against Women (rnEVAW).
> More than 600 people attended a Baha'i-organized film festival
> in Australia in October 2005 which had "Woman" as its theme.
> Entries to the Harmony Film Festival in Sydney were submitted
> from 25 filmmakers of diverse religious and cultural backgrounds,
> and from countries including Australia, Japan, Russia, Spain, and the
> United States. A film from a child's perspective about the equality
> of the sexes won the Best Film award. The Australian-made movie
> The Arm, by Los Angeles-based filmmaker Bita Haidarian, tells the
> story of an eight-year-old girl whose father refuses to let her swap
> her household chores with her brother's because lawn mowing is "for
> boys." The girl takes matters into her own hands and ends up with
> a humorous and telling result. The judges, from the film industry,
> included documentary filmmakers Peter Butt and Mitzi Goldman,
> movie director Mojgan Khadem, film and television journalist Sandy
> George, and actor Nick Tate. Shideh Faramand's six-minute comedy
> In Time won both the Audience Choice and Achievement awards.
> The film takes a humorous look at the social pressures on single
> women to get married and start a family. The award for the Most
> Original Concept went to Anis Fanaeian for Remember Tomorrow,
> a film about a professional woman who chooses motherhood over
> a successful career.
> Ms. Frarn;:oise Barsacq, the president of France's Baha'i Association of Women (ABF), was elected secretary-general of the National
> Council of French Women during its general assembly in September
> 2005. Ms. Barsacq works with members of the Executive Committee
> of the Council, alongside the vice-president of the French Parliament.
> Her appointment has increased the scope of ABF to work with all
> French associations.
> THE BAHA'I WORLD 2005- 2006
> 
> Efforts to protect immigrant women and girls from violence were
> boosted by a $300,000 grant from the United States government.
> The Baha'i-inspired Tahirih Justice Center, based in Washington,
> DC, was the recipient of an Edward Byrne Grant, as part of the
> Science, State, Justice, and Commerce Appropriations Bill signed
> into law by President George W Bush. Grant proceeds are spread
> over a number of years and will be used to "strategically increase
> Tahirih's institutional capacity to enable it to respond to a 400
> percent increase in demand for its services," said executive director
> Layli Miller-Muro. The office, which receives up to 50 calls a day
> for help, serves immigrant women and their families through legal
> representation, social service referrals, and access to its network of
> pro bono attorneys and physicians. The center's annual fundraising
> benefit, held on 27 September 2005, was attended by more than
> 400 guests and supporters, including Queen Noor of Jordan, who
> is renowned for her global efforts on behalf of women and children.
> The benefit, which included the recital of prayers from the Buddhist,
> Christian, Jewish, and Muslim traditions, concluded with a Baha'i
> prayer for unity.
> 
> Involvement in the life of society
> As an international nongovernmental organization, the Baha'i
> International Community involves itself in wide-ranging activities to
> advance the welfare of society, including consultative work with the
> United Nations, participation in dialogues with leaders of thought,
> and interactions with the wider public. Baha'i communities at the national and local levels are often very effective at mobilizing resources
> in response to extraordinary circumstances, as was the case this year
> in the American Baha'ls' contribution to assisting those affected
> by Hurricane Katrina. Throughout the world, countless individual
> Baha' is also dedicate themselves to the service of society, many of
> them excelling in their professional and volunteer activities.
> In August and September 2005, Baha'is in the USA were mobilized
> into extraordinary action in response to the devastation caused by
> Hurricane Katrina along much of the north-central Gulf Coast of the
> country, most notably in New Orleans and coastal Mississippi. The
> National Spiritual Assembly was quick to allocate money from the
> YEAR IN REVIEW                             59
> 
> Baha'i National Humanitarian Fund to meet the needs of evacuees
> of all faith communities. The Assembly's Office of Development
> established links with local Baha'is and other partners to determine
> how the community's resources could be placed to greatest advantage.
> At the local level, Baha'is joined in relief efforts, many taking into
> their homes those who had lost much of their property. Local Spiritual Assemblies provided volunteers and material assistance, some
> organizing the delivery of truckloads of supplies to the disaster area,
> others establishing communications centers or informational Web
> sites. In Houston, as many as 200 Baha'is joined volunteers trained
> by the Second Baptist Church, inflating air mattresses, setting up
> showers and health facilities, sorting food, clothing and bedding, and
> welcoming exhausted evacuees on their arrival. Some 20 Baha'is from
> Harris and Galveston counties focused their care on children. With
> the approval of the Houston Parks and Recreation Department and
> guidance from Baha'i institutions, the Baha' is offered crafts, cooperative games, music, and supervision in a designated play space.
> The annual Baha'i Conference on Social and Economic Development for the Americas, held in Orlando, Florida, 15-18 December
> 2005, was told that the Baha'is were able to respond quickly and
> efficiently to Hurricane Katrina because of the decentralized structure
> of Baha'i communities, and the Faith's emphasis on individual
> initiative. Mr. William Davis, Chairman of the National Spiritual
> Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States, told the conference,
> "The Baha'is responded in a remarkable way. No one asked, 'how
> many of us are we?' and 'can we can do this?' They simply said, 'this
> is a need, we must do it, that's who we are as Baha'is, we respond
> to the human needs."'
> Around the world, Baha'i communities gathered to pray for
> the victims and survivors of the hurricane. In Malaysia, a prayer
> session united people of various faiths . Ms. June Loh, secretary of
> the Spiritual Assembly of Malaysia, said that the sympathy and aid
> that went to New Orleans from across the world showed humanity's
> ability to come together in moments of crisis.
> In July 2005, the devastating floods in Maharashtra state, India,
> led students of a Baha'i educational establishment in Satara- the
> Mona School-to assist people in afflicted villages. Pupils surveyed
> the area and identified families that needed immediate help. Kits
> 60              THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005- 2006
> 
> containing basic household items were distributed to no families in
> eight villages. They also helped two schools in Hood-affected areas by
> raising money to replace school uniforms and books. Students also
> prayed with people in the affected areas for their successful recovery
> from the difficulties caused by the Hooding.
> School children in the Pacific nation of Kiribati were the recipients of books donated by Australian Baha'is. The Baha'i communities
> of Logan City and Redlands, in conjunction with community groups
> in South East Queensland, collected old and new books to be donated to Kiribati's schools, which are chronically underresourced.
> The Baha'i-inspired Nancy Campbell Collegiate Institute in
> London, Ontario, Canada, hosted a presentation on helping excombatant children from Colombia reintegrate into civilian life.
> The Colombian Ambassador to Canada, Jorge Visbal Marcelo, was
> present at the event as was the staff of the International Organization
> for Migration, based in Colombia. A 17 year old told the audience
> of her experience as an armed combatant in Colombia, when she
> became involved with an illegal guerilla group at the age of 12.
> "Lack of family support led me to join an armed group," she said,
> "I joined willingly and thought I was fighting for our country to
> obtain peace. I later realized I had given up my youth for a cause I
> no longer could support."
> The National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'ls of the United
> Kingdom hosted a reception in London in January 2006 for Canadian
> senator General Romeo Dallaire, the force commander of the United
> Nations mission to Rwanda, who exposed humanity's failure to stop
> the genocide in that country. General Dallaire shared many of his
> painful experiences in Rwanda with members of the Assembly and
> their guests, and candidly expressed his views about the essential
> oneness of humanity and the need to develop new attitudes to stave
> off conflict and contention in the world. The practical application
> of Baha'i principles in post-conflict societies was further explored in
> a conference in November 2005 of the Baha'i'. International Politics
> and Law Special Interest Group in Cambridge, England, entitled
> "Countering evil through law and policy." The presentations, given
> at the Lauterpacht Research Centre for International Law, ranged
> from the religious and theoretical analysis of the problem of evil, to
> discussions of legal and political responses on how to counter war
> YEAR IN REVIEW                              61
> 
> Some graduates of the advanced computer class offered by the Bahd 'i
> community of the Gambia.
> 
> or genocide. The scrutiny of evil led to reflection on issues such as
> human rights abuse, terrorism, and hatred.
> In Banjul, the Gambia, 56 students received graduation certificates
> on completing classes to gain computer skills, offered free of charge
> by the Baha'is. Since 1998, more than 900 students have benefited
> from the classes, which are designed to help those who cannot
> otherwise obtain computer skills to get a job. Students have ranged
> from teenagers to the middle-aged, and include both men and
> women. The courses, offered at basic and advanced levels, usually
> involve two sessions of two hours per week for three months and
> are held in a specially designed room in the new national Baha'i
> center. The teachers are Gambian Baha'is and youth volunteers from
> Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
> Participants at a European conference on law, held in the Netherlands in December 2005, heard how the challenges that terrorism
> throws at governments can only be countered by global governance
> deeply grounded in unity. The Baha'i keynote speaker, Dr. Wendi
> Mo men, told the audience of law professionals that the challenges to
> THE BAHA'I WORLD 2 0 05- 2 0 06
> 
> the law terrorism poses are not only in the area of balancing safety
> with human liberty, but also in the creation of new laws to fit a new
> system of governance that is better adapted to the present globalized
> world. The conference attracted participants from seven countries.
> In December 2005, a Baha'i from Alberta, Canada, received one
> of France's most prestigious awards. Pierre-Yves Mocquais, professor
> and former dean of humanities at the University of Calgary, was
> named Chevalier clans l'Ordre des Palmes Academiques in recognition of his extensive contribution to the study of French-Canadian
> literature and culture. Dr. Mocquais's work examines the identity
> and culture of Francophones as a minority group and, most recently,
> of French immigrants who settled in Saskatchewan early in the
> twentieth century without having spent time in Quebec.
> In Germany, a doctor who developed psychotherapeutic techniques based on the Baha'i teachings was presented with the Cross
> of Merit ribbon of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of
> Germany. Dr. Nossrat Peseschkian was honored on 23 January
> 2006 "in recognition for extraordinary services to the nation and its
> people." He received the award in the office of the prime minister of
> the state of Hesse. Dr. Peseschkian founded the German Society for
> Positive Psychotherapy and the Wiesbaden Further Education Circle
> for Psycho- and Family-Therapy. His methods involve using stories
> and innovative transcultural methods, through which the patient is
> able to see himself and his personal problems in a holistic context.
> The theme of "Japanese Traditions and Moral Education" was
> explored at a conference hosted by the Association of Baha'i Studies
> Japan in Yokohama, from 16 to 18 September 2005. Participants
> consulted upon a wide range of historical topics and modern issues .
> A member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Japan,
> Shannon Higgins, reflected on the current moral crisis in Japanese
> education and the experiences of children who struggle to find
> meaning and identity amidst disconnected social settings, bullying,
> classroom breakdown, and a disintegrated curriculum devoid of vision and spiritual direction .
> The Japanese Ambassador to the United States told a gathering
> at Green Acre Baha'i School in Eliot, Maine, that he had "deep
> admiration" for the effort Baha' is have made in "attending to world
> peace and human harmony." Taking the theme of "Peace in the 21st
> YEAR IN REVIEW
> 
> Century," the Honorable Ryozo Kato spoke on 4 September 2005
> about Japan's growing role in peacekeeping and peacebuilding efforts
> around the world. His speech capped off a week-long celebration
> of the role played 100 years ago by Green Acre's founder, prominent American Baha'i Sarah Farmer, in promoting activities that
> supported negotiations that ended the Russo-Japanese War.
> Diplomats, academics, and media representatives were among
> the prominent people at the official opening of the national
> Baha'i center in Warsaw, Poland on 21 March 2006. Guest speaker
> Mr. Jacek Santorski, a business psychologist, spoke about building
> bridges between world religions by recognizing their essential oneness. The guests included embassy staff, professors of ethics and
> religious studies, publishers, and journalists from the press and
> radio.
> The Austrian Baha'i community celebrated the 5oth anniversary
> of their national center, the Baha'i-Haus in Vienna, in November
> 2005. Religious and government officials were among the numerous
> dignitaries who joined the first day of celebrations. The three-day
> event climaxed with a gathering in Vienna of some 120 Baha'is from
> around Austria.
> An elegant Baha'i center in Edinburgh, Scotland, was purchased
> in May 2005 after a united effort by the local and national Baha'i
> communities. The center is in the historic Georgian New Town
> area of the city, within a building conservation zone and close to
> Edinburgh's central business and shopping district. The four-story
> building has many spacious rooms suitable for the reception of
> distinguished visitors and for meetings of the Baha'i Council for
> Scotland, the Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Edinburgh, and
> the Baha'i community in general.
> Representatives of the Scottish Baha'i community were invited
> to address Scotland's Parliament as part of its weekly proceeding
> that allows people from different faiths to share their perspectives on
> the challenges facing the country. It was the first time an invitation
> had come to the Baha' is from a member of the Scottish Parliament
> (MSP). Carrie Varjavandi, a Baha'i from Dundee, addressed the body
> on 18 January 2006. Ms. Varjavandi invited Parliament members
> to consider the current world situation: "The world today faces
> apparently intractable problems, which governments and peoples are
> THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> The presiding officer of the Scottish Parliament, the Right Honorable
> George Reid MSP, left, listens to Carrie Varjavandi ofthe Scottish Baha'i
> community give her "Time for Reflection" address on 18 January 2006
> 
> striving courageously to solve: climate change, poverty, and religious
> fanaticism, to name but a few," she said. She then suggested that
> the spiritual teachings of Baha'u'llah not only identified disunity as
> the underlying cause of these problems, but also offered a solution.
> Commenting on the address, Presiding Officer George Reid MSP
> made a direct connection between the fundamental principles of
> the Baha'i Faith and the words of Scotland's national poet, Robert
> Burns, saying, "the Baha'i belief in the unity of mankind matches
> our commitment to build an inclusive society in Scotland."
> Two Baha'is joined representatives of religions, leaders of thought
> and politics at the Silver Jubilee celebration of Her Majesty Queen
> Beatrix of the Netherlands. The event took place at the cathedral
> in Utrecht on r December 2005 . The program, broadcast live on
> television, included speeches, music, cultural dances, and excerpts
> from the writings of various religions and philosophies.
> On 6 December 2005, a former British parliamentarian,
> Sir Sydney Chapman, received the inaugural Blomfield Award for
> Human Rights at a ceremony organized by the National Spiritual
> Assembly of the Baha'fs of the United Kingdom and the Baha'fs of
> YEAR IN REVIEW
> 
> the London borough of Barnet. The Blomfield Award is named after
> Sara Louisa, Lady Blomfield, a prominent early British Baha'i and
> philanthropist. It is presented to individuals in British public life who
> have offered consistent and exceptional support towards the defense
> of Baha'is in countries where they are persecuted for their religious
> faith, notably in Iran. Sir Sydney- who retired in 2005 after 26 years
> as Member of Parliament for Barnet-was honored for his defense of
> the human rights of the Baha'ls by raising parliamentary questions
> and motions and speaking in debates. Sir Sydney said he attached
> great importance to the struggle for human rights and to efforts to
> reduce the damage to the earth's natural environment.
> The challenge of establishing unity in diversity was among
> the topics explored at a conference held in Dublin, Ireland, to
> examine the impact of the Baha'i teachings on a wide range of contemporary issues. Addressing the conference, held 2-3 July 2005,
> Dr. larfhlaith Watson, a lecturer in sociology at University College,
> Dublin, said sociologists have been looking at this issue since their
> discipline began. ''As humanity experiences its collective coming of
> age, the challenge is to find a way of holding people together," said
> Dr. Watson, "not so tightly that pathological consequences ensue nor
> too loosely that they become lost." He concluded that allegiance to
> a higher cause-such as one common faith- could provide people
> with a shared value system that allows order to be maintained, but
> provides the freedom for diversity to be protected and flourish.
> The First Lady of Fiji, Leba Qarase, visited the Baha'i House of
> Worship in New Delhi, India, on IO October 2005. A prayer service,
> held specially for the occasion, included chants in both Hindi and
> English of prayers from the Baha'i, Christian, and Hindu scriptures.
> Mrs. Qarase then visited the Information Center, where she viewed
> panels on Baha' I history and those displaying socioeconomic development projects. In the visitors' book, Mrs. Qarase wrote: "I already
> feel at peace. Glory be to God! It is a great experience going through
> the temple. May God Almighty bless the Baha'i Faith!"
> Six hundred children from 60 countries gathered in Aichi, Japan,
> for the 2005 Children's World Summit for the Environment. Four
> Baha'i children from the United States, ranging in age from IO to
> 14 years old, were selected as part of a small children's delegation
> for the Summit, held 26 to 29 July. His Imperial Highness Prince
> 66             THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005- 2006
> 
> Akishino of]apan was the summit's honorary president. The children
> enjoyed discussions about water conservation and consumption, and
> its environmental and social implications.
> In Malaysia, the National Colloquium on Science, Religion, and
> Development attracted 120 participants, representing universities,
> colleges, interfaith groups, NGOs, and corporate organizations from
> Cambodia, India, Sabah, Sarawal{, Singapore, and the United States.
> The event was the culmination of a series of five discourses on the
> subject held in Kuala Lumpur, Kora Kinabalu, and Kuching. Several
> workshop sessions on good governance, education, science and
> technology, and business and economics helped stimulate interesting
> discussions. There was a unanimous call at the end of the event for
> such dialogues to be held on a regular basis to encourage further
> exchange of ideas on the subject.
> The Baha'fs of Marquette, Michigan, USA, were among the
> participants of the second annual Earth Keeper Clean Sweep, which
> took place in April 2006. The effort collected more than 300 tons of
> "e-waste"-electronic equipment that is not easily recycled, including television sets, computers, and VCRs- from various sites across
> Michigan's Upper Peninsula, a sparsely populated region north of
> Lake Michigan. More than 350 volunteers from some 120 faith
> communities participated in the project. Dr. Rodney Clarken, a
> Baha'i and one of the original signers of the Earth Keeper Covenant,
> said that such projects can help "break down the artificial barriers
> we have constructed between religions, nations, cultures, and the
> world in which we live. May these efforts reinforce a hundredfold
> our work toward creating a world in which all people can live in
> peace and prosperity."
> Presentations on mv/ AIDS, nutrition, the impact of trauma and
> injustice on moral development, and racial disparities in medical
> research were among numerous themes discussed at the 29th Annual
> Conference of North America's Association for Baha'i Studies held
> in Cambridge, Massachusetts, from II to 14 September 2005. Almost
> 140 people made individual or team contributions on the theme
> of the conference, "Science, Religion and Social Transformation."
> The role of inspiration in scientific endeavors was explored by
> Professor Redwan Moqbel from Edmonton, Canada. Dr. Faraneh
> YEAR IN REVIEW
> 
> Pointing to a united
> future, dancers in the
> Singaporean Baha'i
> junior youth dance
> troupe perform at
> an event far youth
> organized by the World
> Bank.
> 
> Vargha-Khadem from London, England, reviewed the continued
> public debate over religion and science in society, and expanded on
> the implications of current research in her own discipline of cogni-
> .          .
> trve neuroscience.
> 
> Race unity
> The worldwide Baha'i community is among the most diverse bodies
> of people on earth. This diversity extends to the local and national
> levels, as Baha'i communities comprise people from a wide variety of
> religious and racial backgrounds, ages, professions, and educational
> levels. However, far from being a source of conflict or contention,
> Baha'is believe that such diversity is a cause of unity. "The garden
> which is pleasing to the eye and which makes the heart glad, is the
> 68             THE   BAHA'I WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> garden in which are growing side by side flowers of every hue, form
> and perfume, and the joyous contrast of colour is what makes for
> charm and beauty," observed 'Abdu'l-Baha. "Thus should it be among
> the children of men! The diversity in the human family 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. "4
> In Singapore, Baha'i junior youth from European, Chinese,
> Indian, and Persian backgrounds entertained more than 500 young
> people at an event at the Anglo-Chinese Junior College on 1 June
> 2005, organized by the World Bank. The event aimed to increase
> the awareness of development issues among young Singaporeans
> and to inspire them to volunteer to assist local nongovernmental
> organizations. The young Baha'is performed dances portraying the
> need for unity among the peoples of the world and the vital necessity
> to eliminate prejudice of all kinds.
> In the Republic of Ireland, the Baha'is of Cork hosted a multicultural celebration as their contribution to the city's tenure
> as European Capital of Culture. Around 200 people from 16
> different countries attended the event on 30 April 2005, which
> included contributions from China, the Czech Republic, France,
> Mexico, and Poland. A Dublin-based Baha'i choir traveled to Cork
> to perform at the event. "It was a tangible evidence of unity in
> diversity with so many people from different countries and cultures
> coming together and having good fun," said one of the organizers,
> Ms. Sabina Nagle.
> In Alaska, the Baha'i intertribal group Drums of Light opened
> the statewide Head Start conference. Head Start provides education,
> health, nutrition, and parent-involvement services to children from
> low-income families . The creative devotional program featured the
> words of Baha'u'llah in a harmonious chorus of voices accompanied
> by a handheld drum. Performers wore traditional regalia representing
> Athabascan, lnupiaq, Tlingit, and Tsimshian tribal groups, and verses
> in the songs were offered in native languages.
> The second New Zealand Diversity Forum, on the theme "The
> Challenges of Cultural Diversity," was held at Te Papa on 23 August
> 2005. The event was attended by more than 400 people from around
> the country. The forum's sessions considered issues and actions
> YEAR IN REVIEW
> 
> concerning community dialogue, refugee and migrant settlement
> programs, public policy, and cultural diversity in schools. The further
> development of a national interfaith network was also supported
> with leaders from seven faiths present, emphasizing the importance
> of interfaith cooperation and dialogue. Meanwhile, Dr. Jeanne Cazel,
> a race relations specialist from Michigan State University in the
> United States, visited New Zealand in October 2005, as a guest of
> the national Baha'i community. During her stay, she presented the
> fifth annual Margaret Stevenson Memorial Lecture and visited cities
> in the North and South Islands. Dr. Gazel's talk, "Truth, Justice and
> Reconciliation: Achieving Unity through Diversity," highlighted the
> work of the Multi-Racial Unity Living Experience (MRULE) program
> that she cofounded in 1996 in response to a request from university
> officials to help resolve the problem of increasing social tension and
> segregat10n on campus.
> A high school student won the 2005 Race Unity Speech Award,
> organized by the New Zealand Baha'i community, by calling for
> the protection of diversity. The talk by 17-year-old Georgina Rood,
> which was broadcast on New Zealand's national radio, celebrated the
> varied cultural and racial characteristics that "make humanity more
> interesting." "Celebrating those differences as a force for unity and
> common good-rather than using them as a source of division- is
> the challenge we face , and have always faced," said Ms. Rood, a
> student at Sacred Heart College in Wellington. "Our generation
> can be the turning point- we have opportunities that our parents
> never had," she added. The topic of the speeches by the six finalists
> was a famous quotation from Baha'u'llah: "The earth is but one
> country, and mankind its citizens." The competition, which is open
> to all students in the last three years of high school in New Zealand,
> attracted 100 entrants from 10 regions.
> Foods from many cultures, dancing, music, face painting, and
> a wide variety of children's activities were the main attractions at
> an international dinner held in June 2005 in South Australia. More
> than 200 people from the Mount Gambier area attended. Cultural
> symbols of some of the cultures represented at the dinner were displayed. Costumes, everyday items of hospitality, and colorful regional
> maps all illustrated the area's rich diversity.
> 70              THE BAH.ff WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> Interfaith
> The essential unity of religions is one of the fundamental principles
> of the Baha'i Faith. Baha'ls believe that "all the great religions of the
> world are divine in origin, that their basic principles are in complete
> harmony, that their aims and purposes are one and the same" and
> that they "represent successive stages in the spiritual evolution of
> human society."5 Baha'ls worldwide are engaged in community
> interfaith activities and seek to foster friendship and understanding
> among members of different religions.
> Representatives of nine religious communities came together in
> a united forum to offer prayers on the International Day of Peace at
> a gathering organized by the Baha'i community of Tanzania. "This
> is an historic day," said keynote speaker United Nations representative Eshila Maravanyika, who expressed her delight at witnessing the
> various religious denominations coming together in a united forum
> to offer prayers for peace on 21 September 2005. Baha'i spokesperson
> Mitra Deliri Sabet said that "the purpose of the gathering was to
> provide a common ground where various religious organizations can
> come together and pray for a common goal-peace."
> A panel of experts stressed the importance of upholding the right
> to freedom of religion and belief at a symposium organized by the
> Baha'i International Community in New York on 25 October 2005.
> Ms . Bani Dugal, the principal representative of the Baha'i International Community to the United Nations, chaired the symposium
> entitled "Freedom to Believe: Upholding the Standard of the
> Universal Declaration of Human Rights ." The event was organized
> to stimulate discussion and thinking about the implementation and
> protection of the right to freedom of religion and belief "Perhaps
> now more than ever in our lifetimes, religious ideas and religious
> actors are asserting themselves at all levels of society," Ms. Dugal said.
> "Against the backdrop of accelerating processes of globalization, the
> search for meaning, rootedness, and community is manifesting itself
> in diverse expressions of worship and belief" Among the conclusions
> reached by the panel was a call for governments to tackle increased
> religious intolerance by promoting discussion both within and
> between religious groups, and by ensuring that women and political
> leaders are involved in the talks. The panel included Piet de Klerk,
> Netherlands Ambassador at Large for Human Rights; Asma Jahangir,
> YEAR IN REVIEW                                71
> 
> Professor Suheil Bushrui speaks at an interfaith seminar on "Faith and
> Social Responsibility. "
> 
> the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or
> Belief; and Felice Gaer, Director of the Jacob Blaustein Institute for
> the Advancement of Human Rights.
> Professor Suheil Bushrui, who was the holder of the Baha' f Chair
> for World Peace at the University of Maryland until December 2005,
> participated in a seminar on "Faith and Social Responsibility" with
> His Royal Highness the Prince ofWales on 3 November 2005. Held
> at Georgetown University, the seminar brought together 40 senior
> religious leaders and scholars from various faiths. The purpose of the
> event was for faith leaders to discuss best practices for faith-based
> practical initiatives on employment, education, and community
> regeneration. The seminar featured a round-table discussion in the
> presence of the Prince, who was visiting the United States. Within
> the framework of unity in diversity, Professor Bushrui described
> religions as different spiritual paths representing an outward expression of underlying unity. He also emphasized that faith is more than
> just belief; it also entails a way of life that includes social responsibility and action in the world. Professor Bushrui further noted that
> believers of all faiths have a duty to lay aside theology and ideology
> in favor of developing a unity of vision and a spirit of cooperation.
> 72               THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> ChiefMatange (second from right) and other members ofan African
> traditional religion during prayers at the International Day ofPeace
> gathering organized by the Bahd'i community of Tanzania.
> 
> Only in this way can religion and faith serve the best interests of
> humanity as a whole. Professor Bushrui retired from his position as
> holder of the Baha'i Chair for World Peace on 31 December 2005.
> John Grayzel, an international development specialist, is the current
> holder of the Chair.
> Senior government officials and representatives of diverse religious groups in Cuba gathered with Baha'is for an interfaith event
> in the newly reconstructed Baha'i center in central Havana on 23
> May 2005. The secretary of the Local Spiritual Assembly of Havana,
> Ernesto Santirso, welcomed the guests, saying that the gathering's
> purpose was to open the center to the other religious communities.
> Caridad Diego Bello, the chief of religious affairs in the Cuban government, and two other officials from her office, joined Baha'is and
> representatives from Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and African Yoruba
> religious communities at the gathering. Ms. Diego expressed her
> gratitude to the Baha'i community of Cuba for bringing together
> the diverse group, and then spoke about interfaith harmony and
> the major social principles of the Baha'i Faith. "These are principles
> YEAR IN REVIEW                            73
> 
> that even I as a nonfollower of any religion would agree with," said
> Ms . Diego, who is a member of the Central Committee of the
> Communist Party of Cuba.
> In Canada, a crowd of almost 200 gathered at Pare de la Paix in
> the Saint-Laurent district of Montreal, Quebec, to mark the International Day of Peace. The deputy mayor of Montreal, Alain de Sousa,
> acknowledged the continuous support of the Baha'i community to
> celebrate this day since its inception by the United Nations in 1982.
> Representatives from various religious organizations attended the
> event.
> In Australia, an interfaith devotional meeting tided "Prayers for
> Peace" was hosted by the Baha'i community of Palmerston, Northern
> Territory, on 21 September 2005, also to celebrate the International
> Day of Peace. There were prayers from all of the major faiths, as
> well as representation from the Larrakia nation, the Indonesian
> Consulate, and the Department of Immigration and Multicultural
> and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA). Fitting with the evening's theme,
> there was also a mini-exhibition of peace-themed artworks. This
> event coincided with the launch of the Palmerston City Interfaith
> Network, an advocacy group composed of representatives of local
> multicultural and faith organizations, whose main objective is to
> promote interfaith dialogue and understanding, and address issues
> of racism and religious intolerance.
> A meeting on IO March 2006 demonstrated increasing interest in interfaith affairs in Norway. The gathering brought together
> government officials with members of the Council for Religious
> and Life Stance Communities in Norway. The aim of the Council,
> established in 1996, is to work towards equality and promote mutual
> understanding and respect between different religious and life
> stances. Norway's Department of Foreign Affairs called the meeting
> with the Minister of Church and Culture and the newly established
> Department of Integration.
> From 21 to 23 October 2005, six Baha'i representatives from
> France rook part in a conference about interfaith education, hosted
> by the Global Network of Religions for Children (GNRC). The conference, focusing on the promotion of ethical education, was organized
> in collaboration with the Baha'i International Community's Office
> of Public Information in Paris. Six religions were represented at the
> conference, with the goal of exchanging experiences and ideas. The
> 74              THE BAHA'I WORLD 2005- 2006
> 
> participants comprised a range of children, youth, and adults. On
> Saturday 22 October, more than 40 participants attended an evening reception, hosted at the national Baha'i center and featuring
> performances by the Diversity Dance Workshop.
> Young members of the Baha'i community in Singapore supported
> a national interfaith project aimed at bringing Singaporeans of all
> races and religions together. Some 40 youth gathered at Singapore's
> Baha'i center on 15 April 2006 to fold paper lotuses as part of the
> Project Million Lotus 2006, which was sponsored by the Singapore
> Buddhist Federation. The purpose was to encourage young people of
> all races and religions to make a million paper lotuses as symbols of
> purity and harmony. In addition to the 15 April event, Baha'i study
> circles in the city also folded lotuses for the project. The project has
> received support from Singapore's President S.R. Nathan. The lotuses
> were displayed at the Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza as the highlight
> of the "Growing Compassion, Harvesting Harmony" Singapore
> celebration of the Vesak Festival.
> Baha'i representatives joined more than 50 religious and spiritual
> leaders from 18 countries in an International Interfaith Dialogue
> on the theme "The Inner Voice of Peace," hosted by the Brahma
> Kumaris World Spiritual University at New Delhi and Mount Abu
> from 12 to 15 October 2005. Participants shared their vision, insights,
> and experiences on their efforts to create societies of peace and dignity. The President of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, initiated the
> dialogue inviting constructive recommendations from the group on
> promoting a culture of peace.
> World Religion Day, initiated in 1950 by the National Spiritual
> Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States, has now been adopted
> by many countries and communities around the world. In France,
> an intercultural and interfaith event with music and prayers was
> organized at the Baha'i center in Nice for World Religion Day.
> Representatives attended from the five principal religions on the
> Cote d'Azur. Prayers from various faiths, including selections from
> the Baha'i writings, were recited. California's fourth annual World
> Religion Day was held on 16 January 2006. A procession of faiths
> included children carrying each faith's holy book and reverently
> placing it on a table. Baha'is in South Bend, Indiana, USA, transformed their regular weekly devotional gathering at the Baha'i
> center into a World Religion Day celebration. Readings from the
> YEAR IN REVIEW                            75
> 
> Drummers send out energy and inspiration during a Hush Harbor
> devotional meeting at the New York Baha'i Center.
> 
> major world religions emphasized the "three onenesses" of God, of
> humanity, and of religion. In Portsmouth, New Hampshire, the
> Baha'f communities of southern Maine and coastal New Hampshire
> sponsored a combined Martin Luther King Jr. Day and World Religion Day celebration. Presentations by youth included singing and
> drumming. More than 200 people attended an interfaith concert
> spearheaded by a Baha'f in Fostoria, Ohio, that benefited a local
> nonprofit organization and raised awareness of the area's religious
> traditions. Local civic and religious leaders praised the event for its
> warm spirit and celebration of diversity.
> 
> The arts
> Baha'fs throughout the world make extensive use of the arts to enrich
> community life, enhance activities and events, and convey the Faith's
> message to audiences. From the use of role playing in study circles
> to traveling youth performance troupes, the arts offer a powerful
> means to combine the teachings of Baha'u'llah with an appreciation
> of cultural diversity. Additionally, a number of individual Baha'fs
> working in the arts have, in the past year, excelled in their fields
> and been lauded for their contributions to society and culture. The
> THE BAHA'I WORLD 2005- 2006
> 
> world-renowned Voices of Baha choir carried out its first major
> Caribbean tour in June and July 2005. The tour included concerts
> in the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Trinidad, Venezuela, and ended in Coral Springs, Florida, where an audience of 600
> enjoyed its final performance. The choir, which has performed at
> fund-raising concerts for numerous charitable organizations including UNESCO and UNICEF, contributed to local charities throughout
> the tour, including a fund in Jamaica set up to assist the families
> of policemen slain in the line of dury. The choir, which has now
> performed in more than 30 countries, includes a variery of sryles of
> choral music in its repertoire, including African-American gospel,
> folk, and western classical. On its Caribbean tour, the choir included
> songs by Carlos Santana (performed by Grammy Award-winning
> Baha'i musician K.C. Porter), calypso-sryle numbers composed and
> performed by the London-based singer and steel drummer Kiskadee,
> gospel songs, jazz, and a barbershop quartet.
> In December 2005, two Baha'i musicians received nominations in the prestigious Grammy Awards, the American recording
> industry's most coveted honor. Singer-songwriter Red Grammer
> received a nomination in the Musical Album for Children category
> for his CD, BeBop Your Best. Jazz singer Tierney Sutton received a
> nomination in the Jazz Vocal Album category for I'm With the Band.
> Mr. Grammer said the nomination was personally significant because
> "it reflects recognition of excellence by the music industry ... It
> isn't a nomination by your listeners, it is a nomination by your
> colleagues." Ms. Sutton said she was deeply gratified to be nominated for the award: "The way we arrange our music is based on the
> principle of consultation, and our band is very much run on Baha'i
> principles. So there is very much a sense with everybody in the band
> that what we do is essentially a spiritual thing." Earlier, in June 2005,
> Ms. Sutton won}azzWeek's Vocalist of the Year award.
> A major theatrical production telling the story of Tahirih, the
> nineteenth-century Persian poetess and heroine of early Baha'i history enthralled audiences during a five-week run in Athens, Greece in
> the early summer of 2005. The play, entitled Pure, by British writer
> Annabel Knight, was performed by Shirin Youssefian-Maanian in
> a 140-seat tented arena at the prestigious Athinais Cultural Centre.
> The production was sponsored by five major companies including
> Greece's main dairy producer and a famous supermarket chain. The
> YEAR IN REVIEW                               77
> 
> Tierney Sutton and Red Grammer, two Bahd 'i musicians nominated for
> 2006 Grammy Awards.
> 
> executive producer, as well as the lighting designer, of the opening and closing ceremonies of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games
> contributed their skills to the production. Numerous prominent
> people including many well-known politicians, actors, directors,
> and ambassadors attended performances. The play was featured on
> Athens International Radio and the BBC World Service, leading to
> the final two weeks of the run being completely sold out.
> Some 2,000 people saw another historical figure from Baha'i
> history come to life on the stage in a theatrical tour of Singapore and
> Malaysia during the summer of 2005. Australian actor Phillip Hinton
> performed Portals to Freedom in which he played Howard Colby Ives,
> a former Unitarian minister who encountered 'Abdu'l-Baha on His
> 1912 journey to the United States and became a devoted follower and
> chronicler of His visit. Mr. Hinton played to two packed houses in
> Singapore's Actor's Den studio theater. He also held five workshops
> in collaboration with his wife, Ann, and professional storyteller
> Donna Jacobs Sife. Groups of around 25 participants were tal<en on a
> journey of discovery to assist them in becoming effective storytellers.
> In Malaysia, performances of Portals to Freedom were held in Johur
> Baru, Malacca, lpoh, Penang, and Kuala Lumpur, where four per-
> THE BAHA'I WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> formances and two workshops were held in six days. Meanwhile,
> 48 Baha' is from around Malaysia took part in a training session in
> Balakong in May 2005, covering fresh approaches to storytelling,
> creative dramatics, and arts and crafts.
> The annual "Somerfest" at the European Baha'i House of
> Worship in Langenhain, Germany on 26 June 2005 attracted some
> 3,000 visitors, including a record number of international guests
> from as far away as Alaska and Samoa. The cultural program included
> presentations by an Italian choir and a Filipino women's dance group.
> A diverse array of music and international foods were also offered.
> New York City's Baha'i center commenced weekly jazz performances on Tuesday evenings in its John Birks Gillespie Auditorium,
> dedicated to the late jazz great- and Baha'i-Dizzy Gillespie.
> Gillespie's former pianist and musical director, Mike Longo, presents
> the popular series of concerts which showcase some of the city's most
> skilled musicians. Meanwhile, American jazz saxophonist Jay Corre,
> who has worked with such legends as Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie,
> and Frank Sinatra, toured Portugal in May 2005. In between
> numerous appearances at clubs, he shared his approach to music and
> the Baha'i teachings with young people at the Lisbon Baha'i center
> and with university students in the north of the country.
> Conrad Lambert, professionally known as Merz, a Baha'i musician based in the west of England, released his second CD, Loveheart,
> to widespread critical acclaim. The Daily Telegraph called it "an album
> of rare musical intelligence, illuminated by intriguing arrangements."
> The Guardian newspaper praised it as "eerie and hypnotic, with
> exquisite melodies."
> An international youth performance troupe, Lights of Unity,
> enjoyed great success and acclaim as it toured venues throughout
> Northern Ireland and other parts of the United Kingdom. Within
> a few weeks of its formation and first rehearsals, it performed at an
> Indian Community Mela Festival in Belfast's Botanic Gardens to
> an audience of some 2,000 people. Over several months, further
> performances to enthusiastic audiences at community centers,
> schools and youth clubs resulted in cast members leading discussions
> and workshops with young people, and media coverage on radio and
> in newspapers. Among the group's many significant achievements
> were a church-sponsored performance at a rare Protestant-Catholic
> sharing event in Moneymore, and the initiation of friendships and
> YEAR IN REVIEW                            79
> 
> workshops with junior youth in Short Strand, a small Catholic
> enclave in the predominantly Protestant eastern part of Belfast.
> Some 700 visitors attended an exhibition in Moscow of contemporary art inspired by one of Baha'u'llah's best-loved mystical
> works, The Seven Valleys, from 18 January to 12 February 2006.
> The exhibition explored the themes of spiritual search and growth
> through graphic art, mosaic work, porcelain miniatures, installations, multimedia, paintings, and performances of live music. The
> exhibition was organized by the Baha' is of Russia's Office of Public
> Information, in association with WERLD, a youth art project which
> aims to assist in the development of young people, utilizing the arts
> and technology to promote humanitarian and cultural values.
> The Seven Valleys was also the inspiration for Wendy and Marty
> Quinn, veteran stage performers from Lee, New Hampshire, USA.
> Their production, honed over eight years, combines around 80
> percent of Baha'u'llah's text with song, innovative dance, drumming, and beautiful, versatile props such as colorful silk "doors"
> representing portals through which two lovers enter a valley on their
> spiritual search. The play toured many states, including Georgia and
> Tennessee, and then moved on to Quebec, Canada.
> A vibrant performance by American Kevin Locke provided a
> fitting end to the celebration of World Peace Day organized by the
> Baha'i community in Malaysia. More than 300 people, comprising
> mostly youth, were dazzled by the 52-year-old Native American folk
> dancer's energetic hoop dance performance at the event in Kuala
> Lumpur. Mr. Locke also showed his musical talent by playing the
> Lakota tribe's Eagle song on the indigenous flute.
> "Light Upon Light" was the theme of the UK National Baha'i
> Festival held in Scarborough from 5 to 7 November 2005. More
> than 1,500 people attended the numerous presentations, workshops,
> performances, and art installations. Among the highlights were
> performances by the Lights of Unity group, the premiere of a new
> video documentary about Baha'u'llah's letters to the kings and rulers
> of His time, a physical theater group made up of Baha'i youth from
> the west of England enacting episodes from the life of Baha' u'llah,
> and a mirrored installation space hung with fiber-optic light cables,
> giving the illusion of chains of light being endlessly reflected, as
> quotations from the Baha'i sacred writings on the theme of light
> played on a recorded soundtrack.
> 80              THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-20 06
> 
> Earl Cameron, font, acts in the movie The Interpreter as president ofan
> African country.
> 
> Baha'i filmmakers Suzanne Kay and Mark Bamford won a prestigious award for their feature-length theatrical film Cape of Good
> Hope from the Religion Communicators Council. The "Wilbur"
> award was presented on r April 2006 in a ceremony honoring work
> in the secular media that highlights moral or religious themes. Set
> in South Africa, Cape of Good Hope interweaves a number of story
> lines, all revolving around a Cape Town animal rescue shelter. It has
> won numerous other awards around the world, including a jury prize
> for best film from the Starz Denver Pan African film festival .
> Veteran movie actor Earl Cameron-a Baha'i since 1963-received
> high praise for his role in the political thriller The Interpreter, in
> which he appeared alongside Sean Penn and Nicole Kidman. Oscarwinning director Sydney Pollack cast Mr. Cameron as Edmund
> Zuwanie-the unsavory president of a fictional African country-in
> the story about a United Nations translator, played by Ms. Kidman,
> who overhears a plot to assassinate Mr. Zuwanie as he addresses
> the UN General Assembly. The Interpreter was the first film ever to
> be shot inside the United Nations building in New York. Critics
> unanimously praised Mr. Cameron's performance. The Baltimore
> Sun wrote, "Earl Cameron is magnificent as the slimy old fraud of
> YEAR IN REVIEW                             81
> 
> a dictator." Rolling Stone described Mr. Cameron's appearance as
> "subtle and menacing. "
> Earl Cameron was also a guest of honor at the popular Baha'i
> Academy for the Arts, held each summer at Sidcot School near
> Bristol in the United Kingdom . In August 2005, a record number
> of almost 300 participants chose from 18 courses on offer-ranging
> from Tiny Hands for 3-4 year olds, to numerous junior youth and
> adult courses, including photography, tribal drumming, ceramics,
> sculpture, and choral singing. Another special guest this year was
> the distinguished Canadian architect Mr. Hossein Amanat, who
> conducted discussion groups with students and practitioners of architecture, as well as lecturing on his design work at the Baha'i World
> Centre in Haifa, Israel, and other projects around the world.
> An international Baha'i-inspired magazine exploring the relationship between art and spirituality was launched to widespread acclaim
> in the winter of 2005. Tabula Rasa's first issue included features
> on American photographer Mark Sadan, Canadian painter Garry
> Berteig, an exploration of the use of music in the training institute
> process in Suriname, and original poetry and photography.
> 
> Media and public information
> The deteriorating situation of the Baha'i community in Iran dominated media coverage of the Baha'i Faith in the past year. A Reuters
> news agency report on 19 December 2005, recounting the death
> of 59-year-old Mr. Dhablhu'llah Mahraml in his Yazd prison cell,
> was widely circulated and taken up by the world's media. Articles
> appeared in such publications as The Times ofIndia, The Irish Times,
> and Busqueda in Uruguay. On 23 December, the Hindustan Times
> reported the United States deputy State Department spokesman
> Adam Ereli's comments that the Baha' Is "are systematically denied the
> right to assemble, maintain administrative institutions, or worship
> freely. " Mr. Ereli's statement was also reported on "Voice of America,"
> and in The New York Times on 24 December. The Saipan Tribune in
> Northern Mariana Islands, Micronesia, published an opinion piece
> about Mr. Mahramf's death on 23 December 2005 which concluded,
> "Religious persecution of many faiths and of many forms continues
> in many places around the world. By shining a spotlight on such
> cases, we can let the perpetrators know that the world is watch-
> 82             THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> ing them." Two articles appeared in the Chicago Tribune. Under
> the heading "Baha'i faithful honor martyr, sound alarm on Iran"
> on 8 January 2006, the Tribune interviewed Baha'is gathered at a
> memorial meeting for Mr. Mahramf held at the Baha' { House of
> Worship in Wilmette, Illinois.
> The release in March 2006 by the United Nations Special
> Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, Asma Jahangir, of a
> letter from Iran's Supreme Leader calling for the identification and
> monitoring of Baha'fs also resulted in significant press coverage.
> Ms. Jahangir's concerns were reported in, among other newspapers,
> EL Heraldo of Mexico, The Guardian in the United Kingdom, the
> Samoa Observer, The Express in South Africa, and EL Caribe in the
> Dominican Republic. Seven eminent academics in human rights
> and international law from universities in England signed a letter
> published in The Independent newspaper on 14 April 2006. Their
> letter concluded, "Given the existing level of discrimination and
> persecution experienced by the Baha'fs in Iran, we can only have considerable fear about what the new measure will mean in practice."
> Six prominent Brazilian journalists and three media organizations received "world citizenship awards" at a Baha'i-sponsored
> event in Brasilia. The awards for media coverage promoting human
> rights were presented at a ceremony at the Ministry of Justice on 13
> December 2005. The award was for acknowledging the media that
> paid close attention to vulnerable sectors of society and highlighted
> the challenges facing civil society. Award winners were selected
> from among hundreds of candidates. In his acceptance speech,
> award recipient Marcelo Canellas of "TV Globa," Brazil's biggest
> broadcaster, said that receiving the award reinforced for him the
> importance of the humane side of journalism. "It confirms for me
> that journalism is a vocation, " Mr. Canellas said. Another winner,
> Gilberto Dimenstein, a columnist for the newspaper Folha de Sao
> Paulo, said that the award showed that the media's role is much
> more than just reporting bad news. The nine-person jury comprised
> representatives of human rights and legal groups and two members
> of the Brazilian Baha'i community.
> Baha'i media professionals won a total of 12 awards from the
> United States Religion Communicators Council for excellence and
> merit in the production of various informational materials. The
> awards for professional religion communicators were presented on
> YEAR IN REVIEW
> 
> Janelle Gebadi (left) and Ina Aiputa present their weekly Bahd '£-inspired
> radio program.
> 
> 30 March 2006 as part of the council's annual national convention.
> Known as the DeRose-Hinkhouse Memorial Awards, they are presented to members of the council who demonstrate excellence in
> religious communications and public relations, and are given in a
> wide variety of categories, from writing to Web site design. Baha'i
> professional religion communicators won seven Awards of Excellence for the production of magazines, booklets, books, special
> issue publications, CD illustration, and Web site design. Mr. Brad
> Pokorny, the editor of One Country, the newsletter of the Baha'i
> International Community, won two awards this year. He won an
> Award of Excellence in the category for "public relations materials,
> booklets" for The Bahd'i Question, a booklet about the human rights
> situation of the Baha'is in Iran, which was published by the Office
> of Public Information of the Baha'i International Community. He
> also won a Certificate of Merit for an editorial in One Country tided
> "The Challenge of Extreme Poverty. "
> A weekly radio program aimed at providing a service to the Baha' I
> communities scattered across more than roo islands of the Torres
> Strait in the far north of Australia attracted participation by many
> of the majority Christian population. The program uses a talkback
> format and function s as an on-air "study circle. " The program is
> THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> broadcast on the Thursday Island community radio station 4Mw,
> which is listened to by some 85 percent of Torres Strait residents.
> Titled "Baha-Bi-Buiya,'' which means "Light-Light-Light" in the
> two main dialects of the Torres Strait and in Arabic, the program has
> been broadcast for more than a year. The presenters read passages
> from the Baha'i writings before the audience participates in often
> lively discussions.
> More than 70 participants from 33 European countries took part
> in a Public Information Management Seminar in Sofia, Bulgaria,
> hosted by the Baha'i International Community's Office of Public
> Information in Paris and the National Spiritual Assembly of Bulgaria,
> 30 June to 3 July 2005. Workshops dealt with such themes as media
> relations, Web sites, and the role of the arts in public information activities. A reception organized for the second evening of
> the seminar gave the participants an opportunity to meet a range
> of invited Bulgarian personalities. A well-known group of young,
> hearing-impaired dancers, Jestim, performed a series of cultural
> dances at the reception.
> The death of former member of the Universal House of Justice,
> Dr. David Ruhe, was reported on the obituaries page of The Guardian newspaper in the United Kingdom on 26 September 2005.
> Alongside a color photograph of Dr. Ruhe, the article reported his
> achievements as a medical filmmaker and his distinction as a "leading member of the Baha'i Faith. "
> A Baha'i was interviewed on a popular Hungarian national
> television evening program, "Kulrurhaz." The 13-minure interview
> in December 2005 included a report on a socio-economic project
> with Roma mothers. Additionally, in January 2006, a devotional
> meeting at a Baha'i home was filmed and broadcast on "Kulrurhaz."
> A Baha'i new year event was also covered in the news section of a
> weekly national television program that discusses topical issues.
> The auction of almost l,ooo items from the estate of the late jazz
> legend-and Baha'i-Dizzy Gillespie was widely reported on Internet news sites. The items came from the house he shared with his
> wife of 53 years, Lorraine, who passed away in 2004. The sale in New
> Jersey, USA, lasted 13 hours, raised around us$500,ooo, and included
> several rare Baha'i books and memorabilia. One report mentioned
> YEAR IN REVIEW
> 
> 'Abdu'L-Bahd (font, center) on His visit to Germany in I9IJ, with Bahd'is
> and guests.
> 
> how a "religious medallion that Gillespie wore around his neck to
> celebrate his allegiance to the Baha'i Faith" sold for us$3,500.
> Baha'i participation at the opening of the new Welsh Assembly
> in Cardiff was reported in the Gwent Gazette on 23 March 2006.
> Mrs. Christine Abbas of Blaina was quoted as saying, "In all religions
> the teachings are the same about how we should behave towards one
> another, our families and our creator. No teachings tell us to kill one
> another, that is something mankind adds in ignorance."
> 
> Centenary of the founding of the
> Baha'i community of Germany
> More than 1,800 people gathered in Stuttgart on IO September 2005,
> to celebrate the centenary of the establishment of the Baha'i Faith
> in Germany. Participants traveled from every region of the country
> and at least 25 other nations for the event at the Stuttgart Congress
> Center which commemorated a history both "dark" with crisis and
> "highlighted" by achievement.
> Stuttgart was selected as the host city because German Baha'i
> history had its beginning there. Dr. Edwin Fischer, a dentist, had
> emigrated in 1878 from Germany to New York, became a Baha'i
> 86               THE BAHA'I WORLD 2005- 2006
> 
> Inside the Baha'i House of Worship at Langenhain during the centenary
> celebrations of the Bahd 'i community of Germany.
> 
> A local Bahd 'i children's class from the Anna Koest!in Schu!e performs a
> dance routine at the jubilee.
> YEAR IN REVIEW
> 
> there, and then returned to his home country to promote the Baha' I
> teachings.
> A series of presentations, highlighted with archival film clips
> and photographs, depicted historical events, including the arrival
> of Dr. Fischer in 1905, the visit of 'Abdu'l-Baha to Germany eight
> years later, and the consecration of the first European Baha'i House
> of Worship in Langenhain in 196+ The program also took note of
> the period when the Faith was banned under Nazism. A dramatic
> performance showed the interrogation of a Baha'i at a police station
> by a Nazi official.
> One of the speakers at the event was Mr. Ian Semple, a former
> member of the Universal House of Justice, who represented the
> Baha'i Faith's international governing body at the occasion and read
> a message from it that referred to the arrival of the Baha'i Faith in
> Germany and its subsequent expansion. "The spark lit in 1905,'' the
> message said, "has burgeoned into a conflagration." The Universal
> House of Justice added "this is a moment for reflection, profound
> reflection-one that recounts the highlights in contrast to the dark
> aspects punctuating the history of crisis and victory that depicts the
> evolution of the German [Baha'i] community."
> Mr. Semple also delivered two talks which quoted from the
> writings of 'Abdu'l-Baha and Shoghi Effendi about the destiny of
> the German Baha'i community. He said that the central task for
> the German Baha'i community today lies in its contribution to the
> "vital task" of building a new, just, and peaceful global society. "In
> this age all the specific destinies are linked in the one enormous task
> of unifying the world and attaining the maturity of human society,"
> said Mr. Semple.
> Another speaker, Stuttgart's deputy mayor for social affairs,
> Gabriele Mueller-Trimbusch, thanked Baha'ls for their initiative in
> starting World Religion Day. "The respect you pay to other world
> religions, your openness for people who have different opinions,
> your message of peace for the world we live in, makes you a greatly
> appreciated partner for us," she said. "Stuttgart highly values the
> activities of the Baha'i community, because it participates in the
> social life of our city in an exemplary manner."
> The National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'ls of Germany
> also addressed the gathering, as did a guest, the chairman of the
> National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, William E. Davis,
> 88                  THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005- 2006
> 
> who emphasized the "chain of deep and abiding love that binds our
> two commun1t1es."
> After World War II, the American Baha'is sent money, food, and
> literature to German Baha'is, and helped them rebuild their comm unity and administrative structures. A former us soldier stationed
> in occupied postwar Germany, Mr. John Eichenauer, who helped the
> German Baha'i community at that time, was a featured guest. He
> spoke about his experiences during the first days of the reconvening
> of the German Baha'i community.
> The commemoration followed other events, held in April and
> May 2005, to celebrate Germany's Baha'i centenary. On 22 April
> 2005, more than 150 specially invited guests attended a reception
> held at the national Baha'i center in Hofheim-Langenhain. Among
> those attending were dignitaries representing the cities of Hofheim
> and of Wiesbaden, as well as representatives of the government of
> the federal state of Hesse, of the federal and the European Parliaments and of different political parties. Mr. Teuto Rocholl, the
> architect of the first European Baha'i House of Worship, was also
> present. Professor Dr. Joachim-Felix Leonard, the state secretary
> from the Ministry for Science and Art, conveyed the greetings of
> the government and described the Baha'i message as "cosmopolitan,
> global, and modern." Following a reception, the guests were invited
> to attend a special devotional service in the House of Worship.
> Ms. Gisela Stang, the mayor of Hofheim, praised the Baha'ls saying they "provide an important impulse for the city and for society.
> They enrich our city."
> 
> NOTES
> 
> Baha'u'llah, in A Compilation on Baha'i Education (London: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1976), p. 2.
> 2    'Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu 'l-Bahd (Wilmette, IL:
> Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1996), section 106.r.
> 3    'Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by
> 'Abdu'l-Bahd During His Visit to the Un ited States and Canada in I9I2, rev.
> ed. (Wilmette, IL: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1995), p. 76.
> Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Tal!?s: Addresses Given by 'Abdu'l-Bahd in Paris in I9II-I9I2
> (London: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1972) , pp. 52-53.
> Shoghi Effendi, "The Faith of Baha'u'llah" in World Order, vol. 7, no. 2
> (Winter 1972-73), p. 7.
> New Translations
> of Baha'u'llah's Writings
> 
> "The All-Knowing Physician hath His finger on the pulse of mankind.
> He perceiveth the disease, and prescribeth, in His unerring wisdom, the
> remedy. Every age hath its own problem, and every soul its particular
> aspiration. The remedy the world needeth in its present-day afjlictions
> can never be the same as that which a subsequent age may require. "1
> 
> aha'u'llah's writings elucidate virtually every aspect of existence,
> 
> B       including subjects as varied as science, philosophy, laws of
> human conduct, the spiritual nature of existence, and the
> future of humanity. These divinely inspired writings are the foundation of the Baha'i Faith, but their intended application is universal.
> Baha'u'llah wrote not to a select group of followers, but to the whole
> of humanity. The texts are the charter for a new world, and no soul
> is beyond the rejuvenating influence of Baha'u'llah's revelation.
> In 2006, a volume of newly translated writings by Baha'u'llah,
> entitled The Tabernacle of Unity, was published in English. This
> latest volume from World Centre Publications contains five letters
> or "Tablets" written by Baha'u'llah to individuals of Zoroastrian
> background during the 1870s and 188os. The volume provides
> important new insights into the fundamental Baha'i principles of
> the unity of religion and the relativiry of religious truth.
> The two Tablets comprising the centerpiece of the volume
> were both revealed in answer to questions posed to Baha'u'llah by
> Manikchi ~aJ:iib, an ambassador of Parsee background who became
> 90               THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> well-known for his diplomatic and humanitarian work on behalf of
> the Persian Zoroastrian community. Manikchi ~a}:iib, who had met
> Baha'u'llah in person and who was both a friend and admirer, posed
> a series of nine questions to Baha'u'llah covering topics as wide-ranging as the nature of the relationship between God and creation, the
> apparently irreconcilable differences between the religions of the
> world, and the role of reason in the formulation of religious law.
> 
> '1 am the royal Falcon on the arm of the Almighty.
> I unfold the drooping wings of every broken bird
> and start it on its flight. "
> -BAH.A ' u 'LLAH , TABLET TO MANIKCHI $AHIB
> 
> The translation of the volume was prepared by the Research
> Department of the Universal House of Justice on the basis of
> authentic manuscripts held in the International Baha'i Archives.
> It is the result of the combined efforts of a number of translators
> and follows the style established by Shoghi Effendi, Guardian of
> the Baha'i Faith and its authorized interpreter from 1921 until his
> death in 1957· Readers familiar with the writings of Baha' u'llah will
> recognize several well-known passages translated by Shoghi Effendi
> and appearing for the first time in their original setting, including
> the popular quotation "Ye are the fruits of one tree and the leaves
> of one branch."
> At the time of The Tabernacle of Unity's publication, Steven
> Phelps, a translator working in the Research Department, commented:
> The nominal thread that unites these five Tablets is that they were
> all revealed over a century ago to individuals of Zoroastrian background. However, too much of a focus on this angle might make
> the volume seem backward looking and irrelevant when in fact
> its message is very much for the here and now. While restating
> some of the central tenets of the Faith, such as the organic unity
> of the human race, the progressive character of divine revelation,
> and the world-embracing nature of Baha'u'llah's prophetic claim,
> the volume also opens new vistas to the Baha'i teachings with its
> NEW TRANSLATIONS                                91
> 
> discussion of the boundary between the absolute and the relative
> in religious truth. Perhaps most importantly of all, the volume
> speaks eloquently to the urgent need for religion to reclaim its
> place as a world-unifying, world-transforming force.
> 
> NOTES
> 
> Baha'u'llih , The Tabernacle of Unity (Haifa: World Centre Publications,
> 2006), section r+
> Baha'i International Community
> ACTIVITIES
> 
> B
> aha' is throughout the world are working for the establishment
> of a united, peaceful, global civilization, built on Baha'u'llah's
> vision of human oneness and collective security. The United
> Nations Office (uNo) of the Baha'i International Community (BIC)
> gives voice to the vision and concerns of the Baha'i community
> at the United Nations. Within the context of the UN, the Baha'i
> International Community is an international nongovernmental
> organization (NGO) with affiliates in more than 200 independent
> countries and dependent territories. As an international NGO, the
> Baha'i International Community interacts and cooperates with the
> UN and its specialized agencies, with governments, as well as with
> intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations, seeking to
> promote and apply Baha'i principles to the resolution of challenges
> facing humanity. The work of the Baha'i International Community
> predominately focuses on the promotion of a universal standard for
> human rights, the advancement of women, and the promotion of
> just and equitable means of global prosperity.
> The Baha'i International Community's engagement with the
> United Nations dates back to the founding of the UN in 1945,
> and prior to that, to its work with the League of Nations through
> the International Baha'i Bureau. The BIC has special consultative
> 
> 94             THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> status with the UN Economic and Social Council (Ecosoc), the UN
> Children's Fund (UNICEF), the UN Development Fund for Women
> (UNIFEM), as well as formal working relations with the World Health
> Organization (WHO).
> The reputation for expertise and professionalism that the BIC UNO
> has developed over nearly six decades of consistent and principlebased contributions to UN fora continued to grow in the year
> under review. Not only was the BIC UNO represented at a number
> of high-level events, the Office also received an increasing number
> of requests from the UN and Permanent Missions for participation,
> input, and recommendations from Baha'i International Community
> representatives. In a year marked by lengthy deliberations concerning widespread UN reforms, the BIC UNO directed its efforts towards
> enriching the deliberative process itself and through both concrete
> and conceptual recommendations in areas of socioeconomic development, the advancement of women, and human rights. Furthermore,
> the refurbishment and expansion of BIC UNO conference facilities
> enabled the Office to play a greater convening role in the UN and
> NGO community-over 300 UN officials, ambassadors, dignitaries,
> and NGO representatives were hosted by the Office throughout the
> year.
> To support its growing body of work, the BIC UNO has increasingly called upon experts and volunteers in the worldwide Baha'i
> community to assist in the representation, research, administrative,
> and technical needs of the Office. Baha'i experrs in relevant fields,
> alongside BIC UNO representatives, effectively represented the Baha'i
> International Community at the World Summit on the Information
> Society; the UN Commissions on Social Development, Sustainable
> Development, and the Status of Women; the UN Permanent Forum
> on Indigenous Issues (PFir); the General Assembly interactive
> hearings; and the International Criminal Court Assembly of States
> Parties-thereby significantly increasing the contributions of the
> BIC UNO at the UN and generating a rich body of insights and
> recommendations for further action.
> 
> Reform agenda at the United Nations
> The year was dominated by extensive debates about widespread and
> urgently needed reforms at the United Nations. Throughout his
> ,, ,
> BAHA I INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY                            95
> 
> two terms in office, Secretary-General Kofi Annan has spearheaded
> a reform agenda that encompassed areas of development, security,
> human rights, as well as management-in an effort to bring the
> agenda and the working methods of the UN in line with global
> challenges and conditions of the twenty-first century.
> Much of the year was spent in preparation for the long-anticipated
> General Assembly 2005 World Summit that saw an unprecedented
> number of world leaders come together to make bold decisions in the
> areas of development, security, human rights, and UN management
> reform. The Summit agenda was based on a set of concrete proposals
> outlined in the Secretary-General's seminal report, tided "In Larger
> Freedom: Towards Development, Security, and Human Rights for
> All." Its cross cutting theme reiterated the paradigm of interconnectedness and indivisibility of development, security, and human
> rights.
> The proposals contained in the report were divided into four
> thematic areas which, in turn, defined the structure and content
> of deliberations at the World Summit. The first, "Freedom from
> Want," included proposals for breakthroughs in debt relief, trade
> liberalization, and increases in financial aid to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. The section tided "Freedom from Fear"
> addressed security concerns and included proposals for initiatives
> to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and
> the spread of terrorism, as well as proposals for the establishment
> of a Peacebuilding Commission to support countries in transition from armed conflict. Thirdly, "Freedom to Live in Dignity"
> covered proposals to strengthen the UN human rights machinery,
> including strengthening the office of the High Commissioner for
> Human Rights, the creation of the Human Rights Council to replace
> the Human Rights Commission, and a review of rules governing
> humanitarian intervention. The fourth section dealt with management proposals intended to streamline the internal operations of the
> UN in order to enable it to fulfill its goals in the areas of development,
> security, and human rights.
> With such a comprehensive agenda before rhe international
> community, the deliberations leading up to the Summit were
> equally involved, providing many opportunities for NGOs to offer
> feedback and input to the proposals at hand. The UN Office of the
> High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), for example,
> THE BAHA'I WORLD 2005- 2006
> 
> requested input from NGOs regarding means of strengthening the
> work of her Office. In its statement responding to the request of the
> High Commissioner, the Baha'i International Community recommended, among other things, that the Office strengthen its field
> presence at the country level; that the work of special procedures
> (i.e. independent human rights experts) receive adequate budgetary
> and administrative support; that NGOs continue to be engaged in
> assisting the work of the Office; that the public information section
> of the Office be developed in order to allow the resolutions and observations of human rights bodies and mechanisms to be accorded
> greater prominence in the media. "We wish to see the Office of the
> High Commissioner," stated the Baha'i International Community,
> "bolstered by the requisite moral, intellectual, and material resources-become the standard-bearer in the field of human rights,"
> concluding that "the consciousness of a common humanity and the
> understanding that the suffering of one is the suffering of all underlie
> the spirit that can translate the proposals into reality."
> The Bal1a'i International Community also joined other NGOs in
> offering comments on proposals contained in the above-mentioned
> Secretary-General's report, tided "In Larger Freedom." While the
> Baha'i International Community's comments addressed specific areas
> of the report, such as the Millennium Development Goals, terrorism, the Security Council, and means of strengthening democracy
> and human rights, it also included issues for consideration at the
> upcoming World Summit which had not been raised in the report.
> Most important perhaps was the Baha'i International Community's
> emphasis on the freedom of religion or belief- a challenging issue
> shaping inter- and intra-state relations and yet one rarely addressed
> at the United Nations. It is interesting to note that the structure of
> the Secretary-General's report which centered on fundamental freedoms-echoing the "four freedoms" famously articulated by United
> States President Franklin D. Roosevelt in his State of the Union
> Address in 1941-failed to include Roosevelt's second point, which
> was "Freedom of every person to worship God in his own way."
> In response to its comments, the Baha'i International Community
> received a signed a letter from the Secretary-General, expressing his
> "appreciation for the active and constructive involvement of the
> Baha'i International Community in the [reform] process."
> BAHA'I INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY                             97
> 
> The Bahd 'i International Community's principal representative to the
> United Nations, Bani Dugal, addresses the interfaith conference.
> 
> The lead-up to the September Summit offered two further
> seminal opportunities for NGO input to the Summit process. The
> first, spearheaded by the Missions of Indonesia, Pakistan, and the
> Philippines was a Conference on Interfaith Cooperation for Peace, in
> which a tripartite group consisting of governments, UN agencies, and
> NGOs worked together to convene this substantive interfaith event
> at the UN. Ms. Bani Dugal, Principal Representative of the Baha'f
> International Community to the United Nations, as one of three
> speakers from the NGO community invited to address the conference,
> stressed that the "essential unity of religion, across the tremendous
> diversity of history, culture, tradition, philosophy, and practice ...
> should now become the operating principle of religious discourse."
> The event was unique in that, rather than originating from the NGOs
> or even the UN, it was driven by the concerns of Member States which
> were themselves putting forward the idea that the most effective
> solution to religious extremism was the encouragement of dialogue
> between diverse constituencies and religions.
> The second major opportunity for input was presented by the
> General Assembly's interactive hearings with NGOs, civil society
> THE BAHA'I WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> organizations and the private sector-marking the first time that the
> General Assembly as a body held a meeting solely for the purpose
> of hearing directly from civil society organizations on such a wide
> range of issues. Approximately 200 participants were selected from
> a wide pool of applicants to speak directly to one of the four issue
> areas in the Secretary-General's above-mentioned report. Representing the Baha'i International Community, Mr. Roberto Eghrari
> from Brazil was one of five NGO speakers to comment on the theme
> of "Strengthening the United Nations" while Ms. Diane Ala'i, the
> Baha'i International Community's Representative in Geneva, was
> invited to participate in the discussions on the theme of human
> rights. Although the hearings were criticized for occurring too late
> in the pre-Summit process to have sufficient impact on government
> negotiations, it was widely recognized that this new mode of government-civil society interaction was an important development for
> the UN as a whole.
> 
> 2005 World Summit
> 
> The outcome of the General Assembly's World Summit-the
> culmination of months of intra- and intergovernmental debate on the
> most pressing global issues and means for addressing them through
> the United Nations-was met with mixed emotions. To great disappointment, Member States failed to reach agreement on the critical
> issues of disarmament and the proliferation of nuclear weapons as
> well as the ever-contentious questions of Security Council reform.
> Undeniably, however, progress on three fronts-the creation of the
> Human Rights Council, the establishment of the Peacebuilding
> Commission, and the adoption of the principle of the "responsibility
> to protect"- gave the global community reason to celebrate.
> The decision to dissolve the discredited Human Rights Commission and to establish a Human Rights Council, now elevated to
> the status of a principal organ of the UN (described in more detail
> below) provided hope that the UN human rights machinery, which
> had given the world the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
> would once again be invested with the legitimacy and authority to
> carry out its critical mandate. The adoption of a resolution to create
> a standing Peacebuilding Commission focused attention on the needs
> BAHA'I INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY                           99
> 
> of countries emerging from conflict or those at risk of relapsing into
> conflict. With the recognition that nearly half of all countries relapse
> into conflict after the signing of peace agreements, the purpose of
> the new body will be to bring together relevant actors to marshal
> resources, and advise and propose strategies for postconflict peacebuilding and recovery.
> The World Summit, however, may be remembered most for
> taking the extraordinary step of endorsing the new international
> policy known as "responsibility to protect," which some referred to
> as a "revolution in consciousness in international affairs." While the
> United Nations was founded on the seemingly immutable principle
> of territorial sovereignty, i.e. every country's right to manage affairs
> within its borders, the "responsibility to protect" redefines sovereignty
> in terms of the country's responsibilities in the domestic as well as
> international arena. It states that in the event that a state is unwilling
> or unable to protect its citizens from gross violations of human rights,
> such as genocide, the international community has the responsibility
> to intervene. "The new security consensus," commented Dr. Anne
> Marie Slaughter, Dean of the Woodrow Wilson School of International Affairs, "rests more on solidarity than on self-defense." The
> adoption of the principle of "responsibility to protect" comes in
> the wake of the horrors of the genocides of the twentieth and the
> early twenty-first century and holds the promise of a more mature
> conception of sovereignty as a responsibility for the protection of
> human life within one's jurisdiction and the obligation to protect it,
> in solidarity with other nations, outside of one's borders as well.
> Given the propitious moment represented by the World Summit and the world's attention to the development, security, and
> human rights challenges of our time, the Baha'i International
> Community- on the occasion of the 6oth anniversary of the United
> Nations-offered a Baha'i perspective on these pressing questions.
> The statement tided The Search for Values in an Age of Transition, 1
> distributed to government Missions at the UN as well as to National
> Spiritual Assemblies around the world, considers the state of current
> global challenges from an evolutionary perspective, raises the complex issue of the role of religion in the public sphere, and discusses
> the principle of the "oneness of humankind" as both the direction
> and the operating principle of the emerging global order. Rooted
> 100             THE BAHA'I WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> in this vision, the second section of the statement presents concrete
> recommendations for improving the work of the United Nations in
> the areas of human rights and rule oflaw, development, democracy,
> and collective security.
> 
> Reforming the human rights machinery
> One of the highlights of the intense reform negotiations at the United
> Nations involved the restructuring of the Organization's human
> rights mechanism, namely the Human Rights Commission. Over the
> years, the Commission's admission of gross human rights violators to
> its membership, its flagrant politicization, and its inability to address
> human rights violations around the globe promptly and effectively
> had irreparably discredited this important body, which in its early
> years gave the world the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
> In his recommendations to the General Assembly (contained in the
> aforementioned report, "In Larger Freedom"), the Secretary-General
> proposed the creation of a new Human Rights Council-with the
> status, function, membership, and working methods necessary for
> it to carry out its mandate.
> Given the centrality of human rights to the work of the Baha'i
> International Community, BIC representatives, both in New York
> and in Geneva, were particularly active in following the negotiations
> surrounding the proposed human rights body and giving their input
> to the process. In an ongoing series of meetings and telephone calls
> with NGO representatives of human rights organizations, Ms. Bani
> Dugal and Ms. Diane Ala'i discussed and coordinated positions and
> lobbying efforts related to the establishment of a strong Human
> Rights Council.
> Throughout the year, Baha'i International Community representatives met with UN officials from more than 20 countries to
> lobby for the implementation of the Council and to prepare for its
> establishment. The Baha'i International Community's written input
> to the human rights reform negotiations included joint statements
> with other human rights NGOs outlining concrete recommendations
> for the structure and function of the proposed Council, as well as a
> statement, in response to an open request from the High Commissioner for Human Rights, outlining the B1c's recommendations for
> , ,,
> BAHA I INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY                       IOI
> 
> strengthening the Office of the High Commissioner. At a meeting
> about the Human Rights Council, Mr. Luvuyo Ndimeni, First
> Secretary of the Mission of South Africa-speaking on behalf of the
> South African Ambassador who serves as Co-Chair of the Task Force
> for the Human Rights Council-publicly recognized the contributions made by the Baha'is to the human rights reform process.
> On 15 March 2006, the General Assembly passed a resolution
> establishing the Human Rights Council. The new body has a
> significantly higher institutional standing, moving from its former
> position as an organ of the Economic and Social Council to one of
> the subsidiary bodies of the General Assembly, alongside the Security
> Council and the Economic and Social Council, thereby facilitating
> the long-discussed goal of mainstreaming human rights in the UN
> system. To become members of the Council, Member States will now
> need 96 positive votes (representing an absolute majority of General
> Assembly members), replacing the former, less stringent, voting
> criteria. Also, the new Council will enable more timely interventions by establishing a year-round presence rather than the isolated
> six-week meeting period. Finally, each member of the Council will
> be subject to a universal periodic review of its human rights record
> by Council members, thereby introducing a much-needed measure
> of accountability and scrutiny.
> Concluding its work with the former human rights body, the
> Baha'i International Community was represented by Ms. Diane Ala'i
> at the 62nd and final session of the UN Commission on Human
> Rights.
> 
> Other human rights work
> One of the focal areas of human rights work for the Baha'i International Community was the right to freedom of religion or belief- a
> right long denied to the Baha'i community in Iran and to numerous
> religious minorities around the world. The release of the UN Development Programme's (uNDP) 2005 Human Development Report
> on the theme of "cultural liberty in today's diverse world" provided
> a unique opportunity for the Baha'i International Community to
> engage with the UN on the subject of religious freedom. In its formal
> response to the UNDP's report, the Baha'i International Community
> 102              THE BAHA'I WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> The panel at the 2005 symposium on "Freedom to Believe: Upholding the
> Standard of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. " (Left to right)
> Asma ]ahangir, Piet de Klerk, and Felice Gaer.
> 
> noted the report's failure to adequately address the right to freedom
> of religion, stating that it represented one of the most contested
> and neglected human rights, and provided concrete recommendations to the UN for improving the status and implementation of this
> right. Given that this response represented the Baha'i International
> Community's first engagement of this kind, the Office was delighted
> to receive a formal letter from Mr. Kevin Watkins, Director of the
> uN's Human Development Report Office, which noted "the very
> helpful recommendations in the [Bic's] Response" and commended
> its "substantive depth" and "intellectual engagement."
> In an effort to stimulate greater awareness and promotion of
> the right to freedom of religion or belief-as provided for in the
> Universal Declaration of Human Rights-the Baha'{ International
> Community developed a formal position statement on this theme
> and used it as a basis for a symposium held in New York bearing
> the same tide: "Freedom to Believe: Upholding the Standard of
> the Universal Declaration of Human Rights." Invited panelistsaddressing the status of this right in international law-included His
> Excellency Piet de Klerk, Ambassador at Large for Human Rights at
> the Durch Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Ms. Asma Jahangir, United
> BAHA",I INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY                      ro3
> 
> Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief; and
> Ms. Felice Gaer, Director of the Jacob Blaustein Institute for the
> Advancement of Human Rights. In his remarks, Ambassador de
> Klerk noted that, "the degree to which freedom of religion or belief
> is upheld reflects the general human rights situation in a particular
> country." Reinforcing the work of the New York Baha'i International
> Community Office in this area, Ms. Diane Ala'i continued in her role
> as chair of the NGO Committee on Freedom of Religion, Conscience
> and Belief in Geneva.
> In the arena of promoting the human rights of the Baha'i
> community in Iran, the Baha'i International Community's United
> Nations Office expanded its diplomatic training seminars for
> External Affairs representatives and reaped the fruits of its hard-won
> labor. Alongside the rnth annual training seminar in Acuto, Italy, for
> selected National Spiritual Assemblies from Europe and other countries, the BIC UNO organized the first seminar for African National
> Spiritual Assemblies-held in English and French, and attracting 39
> representatives from 31 National Spiritual Assemblies to seminars in
> Dakar, Senegal, and Johannesburg, South Africa. As a direct result of
> these seminars, including those for Latin American and Caribbean
> National Spiritual Assemblies in previous years, BIC UNO representatives noted a significant increase in the capacity of external affairs
> representatives to deal effectively with their governments and to
> respond promptly to BIC UNO requests and directives.
> This year, extensive and coordinated lobbying by the BIC UNO,
> supported in New York by External Affairs representatives from
> Canada and the United States, and reinforced by national representatives acting domestically, assisted with the passage of a General
> Assembly resolution condemning the human rights situation in
> Iran. Not only did the resolution contain stronger language referring
> to the persecution of Baha'is than it had in previous years, it also
> passed with the largest margin since 1996, with 75 votes in favor, 50
> against, and 43 abstentions.
> In a year dominated by discussions about the failure of the international community to respond effectively to the most egregious
> human rights violations, including the genocide crisis in Darfur,
> Sudan, the Baha'i International Community also continued its
> engagement with other NGOs in advocating for an effective and just
> THE   BAHA'I WORLD 2005- 2006
> 
> International Criminal Court. Mr. Jeffrey Huffines, Representative
> of the Baha'is of the United States to the UN, representing the Baha'i
> International Community, was re-elected to the position of Co-Chair
> of the Faith and Ethics Network for the International Criminal
> Court-a coalition of religious and interfaith NGOs that examine the
> moral, ethical, and religious considerations surrounding the International Criminal Court. The Network worked to raise awareness
> about the Court at the grassroots level by disseminating information
> to numerous religious, ecumenical, and ethical communities.
> In his capacity as Co-Chair, Mr. Huffines represented the Baha'i
> International Community at the Fourth Session of the International
> Criminal Court Assembly of States Parties in the Hague. There, he
> moderated a lunch meeting featuring two senior Ugandan religious
> leaders to discuss the publication of a training manual on advancing
> justice and reconciliation in relation to the International Criminal
> Court for African faith-based communities. Mr. Huffines helped
> to organize a launch of the training manual at the United Nations,
> while the Network made plans to launch the training manual in
> Kampala, Uganda, in late April at an event to be attended by senior
> religious leaders of that country.
> 
> Advancement of women
> The work of the Baha'i International Community in the area of
> the advancement of women, one of its core programmatic areas,
> continued with full vigor. As Chair of the NGO Committee on the
> Status of Women, one of the largest NGO Committees at the UN,
> Ms. Bani Dugal played a central role in organizing the participation
> of over 2,700 civil society representatives from several hundred NGOs
> at this year's Commission on the Status ofWomen. Ms. Dugal's role
> included organizing the annual NGO Consultation Day, preceding the
> Commission, as well as leading daily morning briefings for NGOS.
> Marking its 6oth year, this year's Commission considered the
> themes of women's participation in development as well as the
> equal participation of women and men in decision-making processes at all levels. The latter was particularly significant, occurring
> in a year marked by the election of three women as heads of state:
> Ms. Angela Merkel as Germany's first woman Chancellor; Ms. Ellen
> , ,
> )
> 
> BAHA I INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY                         ro5
> 
> Johnson-Sirleaf as President of Liberia and Africa's first elected female
> head of state; and Dr. Michelle Bachelet as President of Chile and
> the first woman to hold the position in her country.
> The Baha'i International Community's delegation to the Commission included representatives from all five continents-representing
> National Spiritual Assemblies of Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany,
> Hawaii, Japan, Sweden, Togo, the United Kingdom, and the United
> States. During the Commission, Ms. Dugal convened and moderated
> a high-level roundtable discussion on the theme of "equal participation of women and men in decision-making processes at all levels."
> Invited speal<ers included His Excellency E. Johan L0vald, Ambassador to the Permanent Mission of Norway to the United Nations;
> Anne Marie Goetz, the Chief Advisor on Governance, Peace and
> Security, UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM); and Amrita
> Basu, a Professor in the Department of Women's and Gender Studies and Political Science, Amherst College. Ms. Zarin Hainsworth,
> a Baha'i delegate from the United Kingdom, conducted three programs entitled "The Role Models of Women in Decision Malcing, "
> "Widows' Rights International" and, in conjunction with the (uK)
> National Alliance ofWomen's Organizations, "A Dramatic Presentation-Women in Decision Malcing in Trade Negotiations."
> The Commission on the Status of Women concluded its 6oth
> session, having taken decisions concerning Palestinian women; women
> and girls in Afghanistan; the release of women and children taken
> hostage; women, the girl child and mv/ AIDS; and the advisability of
> a special rapporteur on laws that discriminate against women.
> Ms. Dugal's expertise in the area of the advancement of women
> was increasingly recognized as both UN officials and permanent
> representatives sought her input on relevant matters. In preparation
> for Austria's assumption of the presidency of the European Union
> in January 2006, the First Secretary of the Permanent Mission of
> Austria to the United Nations, Ms. Gerda Vogl, and the Head of the
> Human Rights Section of the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
> Counselor Elisabeth Kogler, invited Ms. Dugal's recommendations
> regarding ways in which the European Union could strengthen the
> work of the Commission on the Status of Women. Ms. Dugal was
> also invited to attend a consultation regarding gender mainstreaming
> with Mr. Adnan Amin, Executive Director of the Secretary-General's
> 106             THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> High-level Panel on UN System-wide Coherence; Mr. Koen Davidse,
> Head of Economic and Social Affairs at the Mission of the Netherlands to the UN; Ms. Zazie Schafer, the manager of the UN Task
> Force on Gender Mainstreaming; and Mr. Paulo Galli, from the
> Executive Office of the Secretary-General. At the meeting, invited
> experts and NGO representatives raised concerns regarding the declining representation of women at the highest level of the UN system
> and the inadequacy of current mechanisms for promoting gender
> equality at the UN and nationally.
> During the Commission, the Offices held a luncheon for
> Mrs. Zanele Mbeki, the First Lady of South Africa, organized an
> afternoon tea for the 20-member delegation of Taiwanese NGOs to
> the Commission on the Status of Women, and hosted a film festival titled "Snapshots of Change," featuring an international series
> of short films on women's rights, marking the 10th anniversary of
> the Beijing Fourth World Conference on Women. The BIC also
> hosted a reception to honor Ms. Ruth Bamela Engo-Tjega on her
> retirement after 20 years of service at the UN, most recently as Senior
> Economic Affairs Officer in the Office of the Special Coordinator
> for African and the Least Developed Countries. Ms. Engo-Tjega had
> worked alongside Baha'i International Community representatives
> for many years and, in her speech at the reception, described the
> atmosphere of the Baha'i International Community affectionately
> as "her mother's hearth."
> 
> Social development
> The Baha'i International Community continued its active engagement with the functional commissions of the United Nations, the
> Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, and the World Summit on
> the Information Society.
> This year's Commission on Social Development concluded the
> first UN Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (1997-2006) and
> examined progress made towards the goal of poverty eradication. The
> proposal for the Decade originated at the World Summit for Social
> Development in Copenhagen in 1995 with the aim of eradicating
> absolute poverty and substantially reducing overall poverty through
> ,, ,
> BAHA I INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY                       107
> 
> the full implementation of commitments and recommendations
> generated by the major UN conferences of the preceding decades.
> While the Commission reiterated the need for a comprehensive
> vision of poverty and development-addressing economic and social
> exclusion and the denial of human rights-it was Ms. Clare Short,
> invited speaker and a Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom,
> who issued a clarion call for action to the members and observers at
> the Commission. "We are at a major turning point in human history.
> For the first time ever, we are capable of removing abject poverty,
> illiteracy, and the diseases of poverty from the human condition,"
> she said, making explicit the connection between improvements in
> technology and communication and the emergence of a global ethic.
> "What this means," she concluded, "is that within the next 30 to mo
> years, we must create a new civilization. It will be a more moral and
> decent way to live. It is effectively what the Universal Declaration of
> Human Rights calls for and has been the dream of religious leaders
> and moral philosophers throughout the ages."
> In its contribution to the debates about the eradication of
> poverty, the Baha'i International Community prepared a statement
> titled A New Framework for Global Prosperity, 2 outlining the Baha'i
> perspective on poverty and putting forward recommendations for
> the establishment of more equitable conditions within and between
> nations. The statement pointed out that "any definition of poverty and course for its elimination is shaped by prevailing notions
> about the nature and purpose of the development process," and
> as such described the purpose of development as "contributing to
> the foundation for a new social and international order, capable of
> creating and sustaining conditions in which human beings can advance morally, culturally, and intellectually." From this perspective,
> it defined poverty as "the absence of resources- physical, social,
> and ethical-necessary for the establishment of conditions which
> promote the moral, material, and creative capacities of individuals,
> communities, and institutions."
> One of the harbingers of the above-mentioned "turning point
> in human history" and catalyst of the "emerging global ethic" has
> undoubtedly been the phenomenal rise of Internet technology. In
> November 2005, nearly 20,000 participants representing governments, NGOs, media, and the private sector gathered in Tunis,
> 108            THE BAHA'I WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> Tunisia, for the World Summit on the Information Society to articulate a set of principles for governing and providing equitable access
> to the benefits of the information age. Recognizing the ubiquity of
> the globalized Internet, many participants in the Summit process
> recognized that a preeminent role for any single government was no
> longer acceptable or sustainable. In response, the Tunis Summit committed to create a new "Internet Governance Forum" to be convened
> by the UN Secretary-General and to provide a much-needed forum
> for coordination and consultation on cross cutting Internet issues.
> The Baha'i International Community has closely followed the
> work of the Summit since its first meeting in Geneva in December
> 2003. This year, during the second of two phases of the Summit,
> Ms. Laina Raveendran Greene, an Internet entrepreneur representing
> the Baha'i International Community, played an active role in the
> Values and Ethics Caucus, helping to draft a statement on behalf of
> the Caucus and coordinating an event addressing "The Role of the
> Information Society in Building a Culture of Peace." Ms . Greene's
> recommendations for further Baha'i International Community work
> in this area included: contributing Baha'i principles to the global
> dialogue on new forms of cooperation, engaging Baha'i youth in
> related future events, and giving greater publicity to relevant Baha'i
> socioeconomic development projects. The Summit's outcome document unequivocally recognized "that freedom of expression and the
> free flow of information, ideas, and knowledge, are essential for the
> Information Society and beneficial to development."
> In order to expand its participation in UN fora, the Baha'i International Community continued to call on experts within the
> worldwide Baha'i community to represent it at various events. John
> Sargeant, a Canadian Aboriginal from the Six Nations, was invited
> to attend and observe the proceedings of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. The 16-member Permanent
> Forum, established in 2000, is a unique advisory body and subsidiary
> organ of the United Nations Economic and Social Council, with a
> mandate to discuss indigenous issues related to economic and social
> development, culture, the environment, education, health, and human rights. Given the history of Baha'i involvement in community
> development work with indigenous populations, the annual meetings
> I) I
> BAHA I INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY                        109
> 
> of the PFII present an important opportunity to learn more about
> the central issues of concern from indigenous people themselves.
> At this year's meetings of the UN Commission on Sustainable
> Development, Mr. Peter Adriance, invited representative of the Baha'i
> International Community, continued his work of previous years at
> the Commission, facilitating the involvement of faith communities
> in the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-
> 2014). The Decade, spearheaded by the UN Educational, Scientific,
> and Cultural Organization, grew out of the recognition that education is the foundation of sustainable development-specifically,
> education that emphasizes a holistic and interdisciplinary approach
> to developing the knowledge and skills required to ensure an environmentally and economically sustainable future. In collaboration
> with the Education Caucus, Mr. Adriance organized two side events
> at the Commission tided "The Role of Faith Communities in Education for Sustainable Development: Water, Sanitation and Human
> Settlements" and "Engaging Faith Communities in the Decade of
> Education for Sustainable Development."
> BIC Representative Ms. Bahiyyih Chaffers continued to serve
> in her role as Secretary of the NGO Committee on Social Development, coordinating the administration of the 22-member Committee
> and managing relations with UN staff on behalf of the Committee.
> Ms. Chaffers also coordinated the Committee's drafting task force,
> which produced a response to the Secretary-General's report for
> the 2006 Session of the Commission for Social Development. The
> Baha'i involvement in work on social development at the UN was
> also expanded through Ms. Chaffers's role as Vice-President of the
> NGO Committee Against Racism and Racial Discrimination.
> With a view to supporting the increasing number of activities
> and roles of the BIC UNO, the Office undertook a major renovation
> project, which significantly expanded its conference room facilities .
> The completion of the renovation ahead of schedule in June 2005 was
> particularly timely as the UN , shortly thereafter, released its Capital
> Master Plan, in which the UN Secretariat building is scheduled to
> close for renovation in 2007 for a period of five to ten years, depending on the renovation budget and strategy yet to be approved. As the
> United Nations has absorbed the majority of remaining office space
> IIO             THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> in the UN Plaza area to accommodate its transition needs, the BIC
> UNO is strategically well positioned to become one of the primary
> venues for UN and NGO program activities in the coming years.
> 
> Public information
> Based at the Baha'i World Centre in Haifa, Israel, with a branch
> office in Paris, the Baha'i International Community's Office of Public
> Information (OPI) oversees and organizes public information activities
> throughout the worldwide Baha'i community in conjunction with a
> network of National Public Information Officers (NPIOs) who carry
> out the external affairs and public information work of National
> Spiritual Assemblies.
> The Haifa Office receives dignitaries and other important visitors
> to the Baha'i World Centre. On 1 December 2005, the president of
> the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Mr. Kessai Note, and his wife,
> Mrs. Mary Note, paid an official visit to the Baha'i World Centre,
> while on a state visit to Israel. The president and first lady were
> welcomed by a member of the Universal House ofJustice, Dr. Peter
> Khan, and his wife, Dr. Janet Khan. Among those in the presidential
> entourage were the minister of foreign affairs of the Marshall Islands,
> Mr. Gerald Zackios, Mrs. Zackios, Bikini Atoll senator Tomaki Juda,
> and Mrs. Juda. At a reception in the Seat of the Universal House of
> Justice, Dr. Khan discussed with President Nore the history of the
> Baha'i community in the Marshall Islands and the contributions the
> Baha'is have made to development in that country. President Nore
> and his party then visited the Shrine of the Bab and its surrounding terraces. Ir was the second visit to the Baha'i World Centre by
> a head of state of the Marshall Islands, the first being in 1990 by
> President Amata Kabua.
> From 21 April 2005 to 20 April 2006, the Office arranged 327
> special visits for some 3,576 dignitaries, leaders of thought, and
> prominent people from 70 countries. Visitors included diplomats,
> religious leaders, physicians, professors, parliamentarians, researchers,
> military officials, educators, students, journalists, tour guides,
> business people, and members of civil society and nongovernmental
> orgamzations.
> /)I
> BAHA I INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY                               III
> 
> President Kessai Note of the Marshall Islands, right, and the deputy
> secretary-general of the Bahd 'i International Community, Murray Smith,
> near the Shrine of the Bdb.
> 
> The Office received II ambassadors from II countries as well
> as other government ministers and officials, including those from
> Belgium, China, Eritrea, India, Israel, Japan, Tibet, Turkey, and
> Uzbekistan.
> The Office of Public Information's Paris branch contributes to
> the work of the Baha'i International Community by assisting with
> public information initiatives and training in Europe and the francophone world. The Office's ongoing efforts to support national
> Baha'i communities in their public information efforts included
> organizing the 12th annual European Public Information Management Seminar in Sofia, Bulgaria, from 30 June to 3 July 2005. More
> than 70 participants representing 33 European countries heard presentations and took part in workshops on the principal themes of
> interreligious dialogue, media relations, and the role of the arts in
> public information activities.
> The Office lent extensive support to the National Spiritual
> Assembly of France in all aspects of a campaign to raise awareness
> of the restrictions faced by Baha'i students wishing to enter higher
> II2            THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005- 2006
> 
> education in Iran. It also oversaw the production and publication
> of the French edition of One Country magazine, as well as six issues
> of the European Public Information Bulletin. It collaborated with
> Librairie Baha'le of France on the translation of new texts and the
> new design for the upcoming revised French version of The Bahd'fs
> magazine. Ninety-five documents from the official Baha'i Web
> site were translated and finalized by the Office and offered to the
> National Spiritual Assembly of France for insertion on the French
> national Web site. The Office was also represented at numerous press
> conferences at the Centre d'Accueil de la Presse Etrangere (Foreign
> Press Centre), conferences, and seminars at UNESCO-Paris. As part
> of its partnership with UNESCO for the International Decade for a
> Culture of Peace, the Office encouraged European National Spiritual
> Assemblies and Baha'i-inspired associations to post their respective
> projects on the dedicated UNESCO Web site. Collaboration was
> also started between the Office and the European Centre for Peace
> and Development (ECPD) in Belgrade, Serbia, and with the Global
> Network of Religions for Children.
> The Office of Public Information's publications, both in print
> and Web-based, are intended to provide news and information about
> the activities of the Baha'i International Community. The official
> Web site of the Baha'i International Community is the flagship
> site of the Baha'i presence on the Web and receives an average of
> 51,000 visitors and 250,000 page views per month: The site contains
> excerpts from the Baha'i writings, information about the history and
> teachings of the Baha'i Faith, and perspectives of the community
> on issues facing humanity. Links to Web sites of national Baha'i
> communities are also available.
> The other Web sites of the Baha'i International Community,
> which include the Baha'i World News Service, the Baha'i Media
> Bank, the Baha'i Reference Library, Baha'i Topics, and the Baha'i
> International Community Statement Library, receive approximately
> 100,000 visits and nearly 500,000 page views per month.
> The Baha'i World News Service posted around 60 articles on
> its Web site during the year under review, including major breaking
> stories concerning the persecution of the Baha' Is in Iran. Among the
> numerous communities whose activities were reported were Barbados, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cuba, Fiji, Scotland, Senegal, and Tanzania.
> /)I
> 
> BAHA I INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY                        n3
> 
> The Web site is increasingly being used as an accurate and reliable
> source of news about the Baha'i community by journalists and media
> organizations around the world.
> One Country, the official newsletter of the Baha'i International
> Community, entered its 17th year of publication. Published quarterly
> in English, Chinese, French, German, Russian, and Spanish, it
> reached more than 50,000 readers in at least 180 countries. The
> English edition, in particular, had some 40,{69 individuals on its
> mailing list at the year's end. During the year, One Country also
> maintained a presence on the World Wide Web.5
> One Country won several awards for issues produced during
> 2005-2006. It won two APEX 2006 Awards for Publication Excellence.
> The first was for a perspective piece on "The Challenge of Extreme
> Poverty,'' in issue 16+ The other was for overall newsletter excellence
> for 17.1. One Country also won a Certificate of Merit award from
> the Religious Communicators Council (Rec) for the editorial on
> extreme poverty.
> During the year, One Country's stories covered a wide range of
> topics. The July-September 2005 issue (17.2) featured an extended
> story on the Youth Can Move the World leadership training project
> in Guyana. The October-December 2005 (17.3) issue reported on
> how faith groups around the world are gearing up to promote Education for Sustainable Development, a UN initiative. During the year,
> it also carried book reviews of Thomas L. Friedman's The World is
> Flat, Leigh Eric Schmidt's Restless Souls, and Mark L. Perry's The
> Last Wtir.
> Throughout the year, One Country continued to report on the
> worsening situation of the Baha'is in Iran. The July-September issue
> noted the increase in arbitrary arrests, the October-December issue
> reported on the prison death of Dhabihu'llah Mahrami, and the
> January- March 2006 (17.4) issue reported on the UN's discovery of
> a secret 29 October 2005 letter from the Iranian military command
> ordering the identification and monitoring of Baha'is.
> Perspective editorials during the year discussed Baha'i approaches
> to "Education for Sustainable Development" and "The Search for
> Values in an Age ofTransition,'' which was based on a Baha'i International Community statement of the same tide.
> Il4                THE BAHA'I WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> NOTES
> 
> For the full text of this statement, see pp. 213-28 of this volum e.
> For the full text of this statement, see pp. 229-34 of this volume.
> 3   The site can be fo und at http:/ /www.bahai.org/.
> A directory of official Baha'i Web sites can be fo und on pp. 261-62 of this
> volume.
> 5   The site can be found at http://www.onecountry.org/.
> Update on the Situation of the
> Baha' is in Iran and Egypt
> 
> S
> ince the earliest years of their existence, Baha'is in Iran and
> Egypt have built for themselves a vibrant community life,
> excelling in the education of their co-religionists and others,
> eager to make a distinctive contribution to the spiritual, social, and
> material advancement of their nations. The outlook of the Baha'is in
> both countries has always been, and remains to this day, optimistic
> despite the fact that they are denied fundamental human rights .
> 
> The situation of the Baha' is in Iran
> In Iran, Baha'is have endured persecution throughout the community's 162-year history, including executions, imprisonments, torture,
> confiscation of property, denial of the right to operate as a peaceful,
> law-abiding religious community, and violations of their rights.
> While persecution of the Baha'i community in Iran dates back to
> the origins of the Faith in the 1840s, it was following the 1979 Islamic
> Revolution that Baha'{s came under renewed attack, intimidation,
> and discrimination at the hands of fanatical elements in the clergy
> and the government, solely on account of their religious beliefs.
> They have repeatedly been offered relief from persecution if they
> 
> Il5
> II6             THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> were prepared to recant their Faith. More than 200 Baha'is have
> been killed; 15 others have disappeared and are presumed dead. The
> extent and systematic nature of the persecution-and the fact that it
> constitutes deliberate government policy- have been documented in
> reports issued by United Nations Special Representatives. The civil,
> political, social, economic, and cultural rights oflranian Baha'is are
> systematically violated.
> An Iranian government document, obtained and published by
> one of the Special Representatives of the Commission on Human
> Rights in 1993, has served as a blueprint for the gradual elimination
> of the Baha'i community. Produced by Iran's Supreme Revolutionary
> Cultural Council and approved by the Supreme Leader, this document sets down guidelines for dealing with "the Baha'i question" so
> that Baha'i "progress and development shall be blocked." The policy
> is clearly still in effect during the year under review. 1
> The Baha'i community in Iran is not aligned with any government, ideology, or opposition movement. It does not engage in any
> acts of sedition or threaten the authorities. The principles of the Faith
> require Baha'is to be obedient to the law of the land and to avoid
> partisan political involvement, subversive activity, and all forms of
> violence. Iranian Baha'is seek no special privileges but ask only for
> their rights under the International Bill of Human Rights (to which
> Iran is party), in particular the right to life, liberty, and security of
> person, the right to profess and practice their religion, and the right
> to education and work.
> The Iranian Constitution has been crafted in such a way as to
> serve the ends of those fanatical elements that wish to eradicate the
> Baha'i presence from their country. Article 13 of the constitution
> stipulates that Zoroastrian, Jewish, and Christian Iranians are the
> only recognized religious minorities. The country's largest religious
> minority remains "unrecognized," and therefore some 300,000
> Baha'is cannot benefit from government initiatives in favor of
> minorities . The Islamic regime refers to the Baha'i Faith as a heresy
> and a conspiracy, and-classified as "unprotected infidels"- Iranian
> Baha' is have no legal recourse. The fact that the largest religious
> minority in the country is not recognized leads to laws that violate
> the social and civil rights of Baha'is. Violence against Baha'is and
> ,, ,
> BAHA IS IN IRAN AND EGYPT                        II7
> 
> the violation of their rights have
> become a fundamental element in
> the governance of Iran.
> In addition, the recent rise in
> influence in Iranian governmental
> circles of the anti-Baha'i society
> Hojjatieh, an organization committed to the destruction of the Baha'i
> Faith, is now heightening the beleaguered community's fears. Founded
> in 1953 by a Shiite Muslim cleric,
> Hojjatieh actively pursued its objectives against the Baha'i community
> prior to the 1979 Revolution. It has     Mr. Dhabihu'fldh Mahrami
> today re-emerged in Iran as an influential if secretive faction that has been linked in news articles and
> Web logs with the current Iranian administration.
> During the year under review, the Baha' is in Iran have faced
> an increase in the number of arbitrary arrests and detentions in
> comparison to the preceding decade.
> 
> The death of Mr. Dhabihu'llah Mahrami
> On 15 December 2005, the Baha'i International Community was informed of the death of a 59-year-old Iranian Baha'i, Mr. Dhabihu'llah
> Mahrami, in his prison cell in the city of Yazd. He had no known
> health concerns and the cause of his death is not known. During
> the IO years that he had been arbitrarily incarcerated for his beliefs,
> Mr. Mahrami received numerous death threats and was forced to
> perform arduous physical labor.
> Mr. Mahrami was first called before the Islamic Revolutionary
> Court in Yazd in 1995 and questioned about his adherence to the
> Baha'i Faith. Several meetings were held in an effort to persuade him
> to renounce his beliefs, but he refused. Mr. Mahrami was among
> the countless number oflranian Baha'is summarily fired from their
> jobs for no reason other than their adherence to the Baha'i Faith.
> He had previously worked in the civil service but, at the time of his
> arrest, was earning a livelihood installing venetian blinds.
> n8              THE BAHA'I WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> Despite assertions by Iranian officials chat Mr. Mahrami had been
> convicted of spying for Israel, court records incontrovertibly indicate
> char he was cried and sentenced solely on the grounds of being an
> "apostate" for believing in the Baha'i Faith. It should be noted chat,
> in an unwise attempt to prevent Mr. Mahrami from losing his job in
> the civil service, a colleague-who was not a Baha'i-had submitted
> Mr. Mahramf's photograph to a newspaper with a false announcement chat he had recanted his faith. When it became clear co the
> amhoricies in lacer years that Mr. Mahrami was unquestionably a
> member of the Baha'i community and had never recanted his beliefs,
> they accused him of converting from Islam co the Baha'i Faith. Consequently, he was arrested and, on 2 January 1996, the Revolutionary
> Court sentenced him to death. Since his heirs are not Muslims bur
> Baha'is, his properties and assets were confiscated.
> After his lawyer had appealed to the Supreme Court, Iranian
> officials announced that the Court had rejected the verdict of the
> Revolutionary Court and referred the case to a civil court. However,
> in 1997 his relatives were informed orally char-despite urgent and
> diligent action around the world co protest through governments and
> thereby pressure the Iranian authorities co discharge Mr. Mahrami
> without penalty-the Supreme Court had confirmed his death sentence. The authorities never publicly bowed to international pressure
> calling for his release, but in December 1999, on the anniversary of
> the birch of the Prophet Muhammad, they declared an amnesty and
> commuted his sentence co life imprisonment.
> About three years prior co Mr. Mahramf's death, the Public
> Prosecutor of Yazd at the rime threatened him with death on a
> number of occasions. The last rime Mr. Mahrami had received such
> a threat was two months before he died, when, in Yazd prison, a
> judge cold him: "Even if you are released from prison, we will get
> rid of you in a [car] accident."
> 
> Increased harassment of Baha' is in Iran
> Throughout the period under review, Baha' is across Iran have
> experienced an escalation in aces of personal harassment against
> chem, in comparison to the preceding decade. One tactic appears to
> have been the targeting of Baha'i households, which began receiving
> notes, cos, and tracts, all of which were aimed at refuting the claims
> ",
> BAHA IS IN IRAN AND EGYPT                       II9
> 
> of the Baha'i Faith. Some of these communications were in the form
> of documents allegedly written by Baha'ls who had "recanted their
> Faith." Many Baha'ls have also begun to receive provocative SMS text
> messages on their cell phones.
> Having executed or abducted scores of Baha'i administrators in
> the years immediately following the 1979 Revolution, the Iranian
> government seems to be showing renewed determination to initiate
> summary arrests and imprisonments, without charge, of the few
> Baha'ls who manage the affairs of the community in an ad hoc
> fashion at the national and local levels. This activity was ominously
> foretold by an agent of the Iranian intelligence service. While
> interrogating one of the Baha'ls arrested in 2005, the agent stated,
> "We have learned how to confront [the Baha'ls] . We no longer pursue
> ordinary [Baha'ls]; we will paralyze your inner core." Four of those
> engaged in administrative work in Tehran were summoned to meet
> with the authorities there on 7 November 2005 and subsequently
> released, following interrogation.
> Six community members were arrested on 8 November 2005 in
> the city of Karaj or its environs. Some of them had been involved
> in managing the affairs of the community and others in supervising
> the training ofBaha'ls through systematic study of the basic tenets of
> the Faith. They were released a month later, on 7 December. Each of
> them was required to produce property valued at IO million Iranian
> tumans (approximately us$rr,or3) as collateral for release. It is not
> known whether any charges have been laid in these cases.
> On the same day, officials searched two homes in Karaj belonging to Baha'ls. Both men were ordered to report to the court on IO
> November, where they were questioned but not detained. Six others,
> previously imprisoned, were released on bail. In all of these cases,
> the individuals concerned were required to use property as collateral
> for their release. It is not known whether any charges have been laid
> against them.
> Another Baha' I arrested in Babol Sar on 14 September was
> released on bail three days later with properties used as collateral.
> Two Baha'ls from Sari were arrested in that city on 20 and 28 August
> 2005, respectively, and released on 19 September.
> Mr. Behrooz Tavakkoli was imprisoned on 26 July 2005. He and
> a Baha'i colleague had traveled by bus from Tehran to meet with
> Baha'ls in Mashhad and attend to administrative business. Upon
> 120             THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005- 2006
> 
> arrival in Mashhad, they were arrested at the bus terminal. That
> same day in the evening, some IO agents of the Iranian intelligence
> service went to Mr. Tavakkoli's home, searched his house, and confiscated books, notes, and other belongings. Mr. Tavakkoli has been
> doing Baha'i administrative work at the national level and is very
> well known to the Iranian authorities. His traveling companion was
> a member of a coordinating group that supervises course work for
> Baha' is throughout the country who wish to engage in systematic
> study of the basic tenets of their Faith. She had previously been
> arrested on 25 May 2005 and released on bail on 28 June.
> Mr Tavakkoli was finally released on 15 November. He was
> required to produce as collateral property valued at 50 million Iranian
> rumans (approximately us $ 55,200). After having been arrested with
> a fellow Baha'i in Mashhad, Mr. Tavak.koli was transferred to Tehran.
> First, the Baha' is were told that his release had been delayed because
> it had not been coordinated with the Ministry of Intelligence. Then,
> the authorities promised to release him on IO November, but kept
> him in prison for five more days on the grounds that the activities
> of the Baha'is had increased in Isfahan and in other Iranian cities.
> His fellow Baha'i also arrested at that time had been released on 19
> September 2005.
> Many more arrests were carried out during the first week of
> August 2005 in the city of Ghaem Shahr and in Mashhad. A number
> ofBaha'is who had received training to promote the moral education
> of young Baha'is in Iran were arrested in Karaj. On 5 September, the
> court in Karaj sentenced four Baha'is to IO months of imprisonment
> on the charge of opposition to the Islamic Republic of Iran. This
> charge was verbally conveyed to them, and when they asked for a
> written document, the court refused to issue one.
> Among numerous arrests carried out during the year under
> review, some 37 Baha'is were arrested and taken into custody
> between March and May 2005. Those imprisoned included prominent members of the community, residents of Tehran, whose houses
> were ransacked; the authorities film ed some of these searches and
> confiscated a large quantity of documents, printed materials, books,
> copying equipment, and other possessions. Six Baha'is in Shiraz
> were also arrested, nine more in the city of Semnan, and nine Baha'i
> farmers whose homes and land had previously been confiscated in
> the village of Kata.
> /)I
> BAHA IS IN IRAN AND EGYPT                         121
> 
> Statement of the UN Special Rapporteur
> on Freedom of Religion or Belief
> On 20 March 2006, the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of
> Religion or Belief, Ms. Asma Jahangir, released a statement announcing that she was "highly concerned" about the following:
> A confidential letter sent on 29 October 2005 by the Chairman of the Command Headquarters of the Armed Forces in
> Iran to a number of governmental agencies has been brought
> to the attention of the Special Rapporteur. The letter, which
> is addressed to the Ministry of Information, the Revolutionary
> Guard and the Police Force, states that the Supreme Leader,
> Ayatollah Khamenei, had instructed the Command Headquarters
> to identify persons who adhere to the Baha'i Faith and monitor
> their activities. The letter goes on to request the recipients to,
> in a highly confidential manner, collect any and all information
> about members of the Baha'i Faith.2
> The Special Rapporteur further stated, "this latest development
> indicates that the situation with regard to religious minorities in Iran
> is, in fact, deteriorating" and called on "the Government of Iran to
> refrain from categorizing individuals according to their religion and
> to ensure that members of all religious minorities are free to hold
> and practice their religious beliefs, without discrimination or fear."
> In parallel to Ms. Jahangir's announcement, the Baha'i International Community learned that the Iranian Association of Chambers
> of Commerce had been compiling a list of Baha'ls in every type
> of trade and employment, and that problems were being created
> for members of the community in various trades throughout the
> country.
> 
> Attacks in the media
> The distressing new measures were implemented concurrently with
> a campaign of media attacks on the Baha'i Faith, which in the past
> have preceded government-instigated assaults on the Baha'!s in
> Iran. The Kayhan newspaper, one of the official daily organs of the
> conservative hardliners in Iran, published more than three dozen
> 122             THE BAHA'I WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> calumnious articles from October 2005 to March 2006. The articles
> engage in a deliberate distortion of history, make use of fake historical
> documents, and falsely describe Baha'i moral principles in a manner
> that would be offensive to Muslims.
> During the same period, Iranian radio and television broadcasts
> regularly condemned the Bahffs and their beliefs, as well. For example, in a series of weekly programs on Ma' arif, a national radio
> network.
> One of the later articles in Kayhan demonstrated the depths to
> which the Iranian media are willing to go in efforts to inflame the
> public against the Baha'is. This article, published on 23 February
> 2006, said that Baha'ls would gather on a Muslim holy day to "consume alcohol, dance, and sacrifice a Muslim child." The same article
> recalls an incident when a number of people were to be executed after
> murdering a group of Baha'ls and, to save these Muslims, Ayatollah
> Khomeini visited the shah and told him to free the murderers-an
> order which the shah obeyed.
> 
> Denial of the right to organize
> as a peaceful religious community
> Since 1983, the Baha'i community in Iran has been denied both the
> right to assemble officially and the right to maintain its institutions.
> In other countries, these democratically elected governing bodies
> organize and administer the religious activities of the community.
> The Baha'i Faith has no clergy; its institutions perform many
> of the functions reserved to clergy in other religions and are the
> foundational element of Baha'i community life, but in Iran they
> continue to be banned.
> Already in 2004, the authorities had intensified their pressure on
> the community (in ways that included threatening individual believers) and had ordered the Baha'ls to suspend all social, educational,
> and community-related activities-in other words, all activities that
> went beyond the individual observance of religious obligations.
> Moreover, the Baha'ls were clearly informed that they would face
> the government's withdrawal of protection if they did not ban all
> collective activities. The officials stated that the most compassionate
> act of the Islamic Republic had been to establish laws that protect
> ,, ,
> BAHA IS IN IRAN AND EGYPT                          123
> 
> the Baha' {s from the people of Iran, who might otherwise take the
> law into their own hands and "follow the dictates of their Islamic
> sentiments." The implication was that the Baha'!s could be subjected
> to mob attacks without protection from the government.
> 
> Denial of access to education
> Documented evidence shows that, despite their claims to the contrary, the Iranian authorities once again blocked access to university
> for the Baha' is in the past year.
> A large number of Baha' {students passed the national university
> entrance examinations in June/July 2005, many with very high scores.
> Ir was not necessary to declare a religious affiliation in order to take
> the exam. However, when they received their results in August, they
> saw that they had been falsely recorded as Muslims on the official
> form. The students wrote back to the officials concerned, indicating
> that the registration form for the exam did not ask for a declaration
> of religious affiliation and therefore they did not understand why
> their religion was stated as Islam on the results form, when in fact
> they were Baha' is. They never received any reply.
> Barring Baha' { students from access to higher education has been
> a long-standing policy of the Islamic Republic. The 1991 memorandum from the Iranian Supreme Revolutionary Council (published
> by the former UN Special Representative) stated, "They [Baha'!s]
> must be expelled from universities, either in the admission process
> or during the course of their studies, once it becomes known that
> they are Baha'!s." A statement posted on Ayatollah Safi's official
> Web site in Iran also refers to this policy. In response to a question
> about registering Baha'!s in educational institutions, the Ayatollah
> responded: "Their registration as Baha'!s, which is an anti-Islamic intelligence organization, is not allowed and is contrary to the interests
> of Islam and the principles and values of the Islamic Revolution."
> In the late 1980s, the Iranian Baha'!s sought to mitigate the effects
> of the ban by establishing their own institution of higher education.
> Known as the Baha'i Institute of Higher Education (BIHE), the
> Institute offered classes in private homes throughout the country,
> augmented by a scattering of specialized classrooms, laboratories,
> 124             THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005- 2006
> 
> and libraries. By 1996, several hundred students were enrolled and
> II had graduated with the equivalent of a bachelor's degree. 3
> In the early morning hours of 15 August 2005, four intelligence
> agents entered an apartment where Mr. Sina Vahdati, the administrative head of the BIHE responsible for academic affairs, was residing.
> The agents confiscated certain institute documents, of which
> they appeared to have had prior knowledge, and left after having
> questioned him for a few hours. Later, Mr. Vahdati was directed to
> go to the local intelligence office in Tehran. When he arrived there
> on 16 August, he was dismissed and informed that he would need
> to return at a later date.
> The Baha'i Faith places a high value on education. Being denied
> access to university-level studies is demoralizing, and any erosion
> in educational levels inevitably leads to impoverishment. The
> Baha'i International Community has placed particular emphasis
> on this point over the past few years, with strong support from the
> international community.
> For several years, Iranian officials generated hope that Baha'i
> students would finally be able to attend universities in their homeland without having to renounce their religion. Not only did this give
> the impression that the authorities were acting with new liberality,
> but allowing the students to pass the exam and then blocking their
> admission may also have served other purposes. Clearly, it demoralized the students, creating a frustration that officials may believe will
> induce Baha'i youth to leave the country. Moreover, it achieved an
> objective that the authorities have long sought to attain: identifying
> by name the young Iranian Baha'is who demonstrate outstanding
> ability and may play a significant role in their community in the
> future.
> 
> Confiscation of properties
> belonging to individual Baha' is
> Baha'i homes continue to be searched and documents and possessions seized. On 5 September 2005, the homes of nine Baha'is in
> the city ofYazd were searched, and their Baha'i and other literature
> confiscated, along with their computers, tapes, videos, and CDs.
> ,, ,
> BAHA IS IN IRAN AND EGYPT                          125
> 
> The authorities also continue to act in accordance with their longstanding policy of confiscating Baha'i homes.
> 
> Denial of employment, pensions, and other benefits
> Confiscating homes and property is not the only means that
> the authorities use to weaken the economic base of the Baha'i
> community. In the 1980s, over rn,ooo Baha'is were dismissed from
> positions in governmental and educational institutions. Many remain
> unemployed and receive no unemployment benefits. The pensions
> of Baha'is dismissed on religious grounds were terminated. Some
> members of the community have even been required to return
> salaries paid to them before they were dismissed.
> 
> Denial of civil rights and liberties
> Under Iranian law, Baha'is have no legal protection and thus
> their rights can be ignored with impunity. Harassment continues
> unabated. The application of some laws was modified, for example,
> measures taken by the government in 2000 enabled married Baha'i
> couples to register as husband and wife and to register their children.
> But the relevant law was not changed, so Baha'i marriages and divorces are still not legally recognized. The right of Baha' is to inherit
> is also denied.
> 
> United Nations expresses "serious concern"
> For the 18th time since 1985, the UN General Assembly passed a
> resolution on 16 December 2005 expressing "serious concern" over
> the human rights situation in Iran. The resolution was put forward
> by Canada and co-sponsored by 46 countries including Australia,
> members of the European Union, and the United States. Among
> other things, it called on Iran to
> eliminate, in law or in practice, all forms of discrimination based
> on religious, ethnic or linguistic grounds, and other human rights
> violations against minorities, including Arabs, Kurds, Baluchi,
> Christians, Jews, Sunni Muslims, and the Baha'i. .. ,
> 126              THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> and also to
> implement the 1996 report of the Special Rapporteur of the
> Commission on Human Rights on religious intolerance, which
> recommended ways the Islamic Republic of Iran could emancipate the Baha'i community.
> The resolution specifically mentioned the upsurge in persecution
> against Iran's Baha'i community, noting the
> escalation and increased frequency of discrimination and other
> human rights violations against the Baha'i, including cases of
> arbitrary arrest and detention, the denial of freedom of religion
> or of publicly carrying out communal affairs, the disregard of
> property rights, the destruction of sites of religious importance,
> the suspension of social, educational and community-related
> activities and the denial of access to higher education, employment, pensions, adequate housing and other benefits.
> The resolution also encouraged various agencies of the United
> Nations Commission on Human Rights to continue to work to
> improve the human rights situation in Iran and, at the same time,
> called upon the government oflran to cooperate with these agencies.
> The Principal Representative of the Baha'i International Community
> to the United Nations, Ms. Bani Dugal, said, "It has been a year
> when human rights violations against Baha'l[s] and other groups
> in Iran have strikingly worsened, and the scrutiny and support of
> the international community remains virtually the only tool for the
> protection of innocent people in Iran."
> The current situation of the Baha'fs in Iran reflects the nature
> of the persecution against the community and its historical context.
> Factions struggling for political ascendancy in Iran have repeatedly
> used the Baha'is as a scapegoat, based on hostility and prejudice
> generated by ecclesiastical propaganda. For more than 150 years,
> from the pulpit, press, radio, television, and even from scholarly
> publications, the Iranian public has received a grossly false image of
> the Baha' 1s and their beliefs that incites hatred and contempt. The
> Baha' 1s have never been allowed to communicate the facts that would
> expose the lies and calumnies, which have come from those to whom
> the people of Iran look for guidance in spiritual matters.
> I) I
> 
> BAHA IS IN IRAN AND EGYPT                          127
> 
> Nevertheless, the organized campaign to destroy the community
> has failed. The Iranian Baha'fs have steadfastly refused to compromise their Faith. They are dedicated to building united, supportive
> communities characterized by an enthusiastic and optimistic outlook and are keen to offer their insights and skills to the progress
> and development of their country. The persecution against them
> has become an established issue in the ongoing indictment by the
> international community- the United Nations, intergovernmental
> bodies, and civil society- of the Iranian government for its violation
> of universally accepted standards in human rights.
> 
> The situation of the Baha' is in Egypt
> Once among the most vibrant and active minority religious
> communities in the Middle East, the Baha'ls of Egypt are now
> facing an upsurge of religious persecution and hatred from fanatical
> elements in the clergy and the government that aims to eradicate the
> community as a coherent entity. Of particular concern in the year
> under review was the implementation of a government decision to
> computerize the national identity card system in a way that excluded
> Baha'ls.
> More broadly, the Baha'i community of Egypt has been deprived
> of virtually all rights as an organized religious community since
> r960, when a sweeping presidential decree dismantled their religious
> institutions, banned Baha'i activities, and enjoined the confiscation
> of all Baha'i properties. No explanation for this official act was given.
> Since that time, the Baha'i community of Egypt has been battered
> by periodic arrests, detentions, and imprisonments.
> 
> The identity card crisis
> Egypt's national identity card system, which is in the process of being
> computerized, has been set up to exclude Baha'ls, depriving them
> of valid ID cards, making them virtual noncitizens without access
> to employment, schooling, and all government services, including
> hospital care.
> All Egyptian citizens must carry an ID card, which must be
> presented not only for any type of government service, such as
> 128             THE BAHA'I WORLD 2005- 2 0 06
> 
> medical care in a public hospital or processing for a property tide or
> deed, but also to obtain employment, education, banking services,
> and many other important private transactions. ID cards are also
> required to pass through police checkpoints, and individuals without
> such cards are accordingly deprived of freedom of movement.
> In Egypt, applications for ID cards require the applicant to state
> his or her religious affiliation. Moreover, the system allows for one
> of only three recognized religions of Egypt-Islam, Christianity, or
> Judaism-to be entered. Baha'ls have long refused, as a matter of
> principle, to falsely list themselves as Muslim, Christian, or Jew. Not
> only would such a step constitute committing fraud against the state,
> but such a denial of faith would effectively play into the hands of
> those who seek to eliminate the Baha'ls in Egypt.
> In the 1990s, the government announced it would be upgrading
> its identification card system by issuing computerized cards that
> would be less susceptible to forgery. This, the government indicated,
> would help to combat militant Islamic unrest, and improve data
> collection and access. The government indicated the shift to the
> new system would be gradual, but set January 2005 as the deadline
> for everyone to have a new card-a deadline which was extended
> to 2006.
> As a result of modifications to the new computerized system,
> Baha'ls found that only one of the three recognized religions can be
> entered. If the field is left blank, the computer refuses to issue the
> card. The Baha'i community of Egypt has approached the government on numerous occasions to plead for a simple change in the
> programming, if not the law, so that they could be issued valid ID
> cards under the new system. Such pleas, however, have been met
> with rejection and refusal. Given the government's refusal to make
> what would be the simplest of programming changes, it can only be
> concluded that the ID card situation is in reality an attempt to further
> marginalize and eliminate the Baha'i community of Egypt.
> A number of Baha'ls have had their old identification cards- on
> which the space for religion is either blank or correctly identifies
> them as Baha'{s- confiscated by government officials. Individuals
> without proper ID face detention. Likewise, yo ung people without
> ID cards are denied entrance and continuing enrolment in colleges
> and universities, as well as service in the armed forces.
> , ,,
> BAHA IS IN IRAN AND EGYPT                        129
> 
> At one point, government officials offered Baha' Is the possibility of using passports in lieu of ID cards-a ploy that would set the
> Baha'fs apart or even drive them from their homeland. There is
> concern, as well, that refusing to list Baha' I in any kind of national
> identification database enables the government to officially proclaim
> that there are no Baha'ls in the country.
> On 4 April 2006, a lower administrative court ruled in favor of
> an Egyptian Baha'i couple who sought not to have their religion
> falsely identified on government documents. Husam lzzat Musa and
> Ranya Enayat Rushdy had their identification cards and passports
> confiscated after they applied to have their daughters added to their
> passports, which listed the Baha'i Faith as their religion. The court
> ruled that the government should issue identity cards and birth
> certificates that correctly stated their professed religion as members
> of the Baha' I Faith. The ruling said that, even if the government
> did not recognize the Baha'i Faith, adherents should still have their
> religious status properly stated on official documents. Elements of
> Egyptian society, particularly Al-Azhar University and the Muslim
> Brotherhood, raised an outcry in the wake of the decision, objecting
> to any kind of recognition of the Baha'i Faith as a religious belief.
> The Egyptian government subsequently appealed the decision, taking
> it before the Supreme Administrative Court. The initial ruling and
> appeal attracted widespread media attention in Egypt and the Arab
> world. 4
> 
> Excerpts from recent human rights reports
> In spring 2005, the us Commission on International Religious Freedom reported how interlocutors visiting Egypt in 2004 cited "an
> increased tendency by Muslim clerics to view Baha' Is as a heretical
> sect oflslam rather than an independent religious movement. When
> asked why in practice the right to freedom of religion of the Baha'i
> community is not protected under the Egyptian constitution, government officials said that Islam recognizes only one Islam, Christianity,
> and Judaism. Nevertheless, Egyptian officials claimed that Baha'ls
> are free to practice their religion in private. Various Egyptian religious leaders and government officials made spurious claims to the
> Commission, without any evidence, that Baha'fs have engaged in
> 130                THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> political activity against the Egyptian government in the past and
> the community practices immoral acts, such as 'wife-swapping.' The
> absence of facts to support such authoritative denunciations apparently made no difference to the officials who made the slanderous
> statements."
> In her 2005 report, UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of
> Religion or Belief, Asma Jahangir, noted that, in Egypt, Baha'is
> were not allowed to indicate their religion on the birth certificates of
> their children. Moreover, she noted a fatwa issued by the Al-Azhar
> Islamic Research Academy allegedly declared the Baha' is apostates.
> The Special Rapporteur encouraged the Egyptian government to take
> all necessary measures to ensure freedom of religion to all without
> discrimination.
> The Baha'i International Community hopes that international
> attention and diplomatic efforts can be mobilized to convince the
> Egyptian government to act in keeping with the various documents
> of international human rights law to which it is a parry-and thereby
> to end the long history of unjust repression inflicted upon Egypt's.
> Baha'i community.
> 
> NOTES
> 
> See Baha'i International Community, The Baha'i Question: Cultural
> Cleansing in Iran (2005), pp. 16-21, for a more complete discussion
> of this document and its implications for the Baha'fs in Iran , or visit
> http:/ /question.bahai.org/.
> The full text of the 29 Ocrober letter from the chairman of the Command
> Headquarters of the Armed Forces in Iran ro a number of governmental
> agencies was released in July 2006. It stares rhat the Command Headquarters
> of the Armed Forces "has been given the mission to acquire a comprehensive
> and complete repo rt of all the activities of these sects (including political,
> economic, social and cultural) for the purpose of identifying all the individuals of these misguided sects. Therefore we request that you convey ro
> relevant authorities to, in a highly confidential manner, collect any and all
> information about the above-mentioned activities of these individuals and
> report it to this Command Headquarters. "
> 3   For further information on the denial of education to the Baha'fs in Iran ,
> visit http://denial.bahai.org/.
> Egypt's Supreme Administrative Co urt subsequently ruled against the
> right of Baha'is to be properly identified on government documents on
> 16 December 2006. For the latest developments, visit www.bahai .org/
> persecution/ egypt.
> ESSAYS9 STATEMENTS9
> AND PROFILES
> Western Liberal Democracy as
> New World Order?
> In an age of increasing global interdependence, Dr. Michael Kar/berg asks whether
> the Western mode! ofdemocracy is the
> natural and inevitable way to organize free
> and enlightened societies.
> 
> T
> he triumph of the Western social order was widely heralded
> in the closing decades of the twentieth century. "The end
> of ideology" was proclaimed and an age of global prosperity anticipated, driven by the twinned forces of global free-market
> capitalism and liberal democracy. 1 In the ensuing years, the vacuum
> left by the collapse of the Soviet Union, along with new tensions created by a perceived "clash of civilizations," 2 has propelled advocates
> of free-market capitalism and Western liberal democracy to step up
> their efforts to export or impose these models around the world in
> former Communist states, Muslim nations, and elsewhere.
> To date, the global free-market capitalism aspect of this project
> has been the subject of considerable critique in both the popular
> and academic press. 3 It has also spawned a network of global justice
> organizations and activists who have become ever more visible and
> vocal through various strategies, including mass protests and Internet
> organizing. Concerns have been raised about the increasing global
> disparities of wealth and poverty, the absence of environmental
> and labor standards and enforcement mechanisms in the global
> marketplace, the devastating impacts of currency speculation and
> transnational capital flight, the rising and largely unregulated power
> 
> 134             THE BAHA'I WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> of multinational corporations, the undemocratic nature of global
> financial institutions and trade organizations, and a host of other
> issues.
> Significantly, these critiques of the global free-market capitalism project have frequently come from authors and activists within
> the Western world itself. The same cannot be said, however, of the
> project to export liberal democracy. Throughout the West, it is still
> generally assumed that the Western democratic model is the natural
> and inevitable way to organize free and enlightened societies.
> Bur there is an alternative perspective. Could it be said that
> Western liberal democracy-or what might more accurately be
> called competitive democracy-has become anachronistic, unjust, and
> unsustainable in an age of increasing global interdependence?4 "The
> signs of impending convulsions and chaos can now be discerned,"
> wrote Baha'u'llah, "inasmuch as the prevailing order appeareth to
> be lamentably defective." 5
> 
> Competitive democracy
> Western liberal democracy, at its core, is based on the premise that
> democratic governance requires individuals and groups to compete
> for political power. The most recognizable form that this takes is
> the party system. Political competition also occurs without formal
> political parties in many local elections, and when independent
> candidates run in provincial (or state) and national elections. In
> all of these cases, however, the underlying competitive structure
> is the same, and it is this underlying structure that has become
> anachronistic, unjust, and unsustainable.
> Granted, competitive democracy represents a significant and
> valuable historical accomplishment. It has proven a more just form of
> government than the aristocratic, authoritarian, or sacerdotal forms
> of governance it has generally replaced. It also represents a reasonable adaptation to the social and ecological conditions prevailing at
> the time of its emergence. But the theory and practice of political
> competition emerged in the earliest days of the West's industrial
> revolution, when human populations were still relatively small and
> isolated. It predates the invention of electricity, the internal combustion engine, air travel, broadcast media, computers, the Internet,
> WESTERN LIBERAL DEMOCRACY                          135
> 
> weapons of mass destruction, appetites of mass consumption, and
> global free-market capitalism. In the past three centuries, our success
> as a species has transformed the conditions of our existence in these
> and many other ways.
> Competitive democracies, for reasons that will be discussed
> here, appear to be incapable of dealing with these new realities. Yet
> Western populations are, by and large, living in a state of denial
> regarding the anachronistic nature of competitive political systems.
> When concerns are raised about the condition of these systems, they
> tend to focus on surface expressions rather than underlying structural
> causes. For instance, in many Western countries it has become commonplace to bemoan the increased negativity of partisan political
> rhetoric. Political discourse, some commentators suggest, is suffering
> from a breakdown in civility and a rise of mean-spiritedness. As a
> result, politicians are mired in a gridlock and cannot address the
> complex issues that face them.6 Even many elected politicians have
> raised these concerns. In a collection of essays by retiring us senators
> at the close of the twentieth century, one was moved to "lament the
> increasing level of vituperation and partisanship that has permeated the atmosphere and debate in the Senate." 7 One observed that
> "bipartisanship ... has been abandoned for quick fixes, sound bites,
> and, most harmfully, the frequent demonization of those with whom
> we disagree. "8 Another claimed that "there is much more partisanship than when I came to Washington two decades ago, and most
> of it serves the nation poorly." 9 Yet another wrote that "our political process must be re-civilized" due to the "ever-increasing vicious
> polarization of the electorate, the us-against-them mentality" that
> "has all but swept aside the former preponderance of reasonable
> discussion. " 10
> Statements such as these raise legitimate concerns about the state
> of partisan discourse, but they obscure the underlying problem of
> political competition. According to these views, political competition and political parties are the natural, normal, and inevitable
> way to organize democratic governance; the problem arises only
> when partisan rhetoric becomes too adversarial or mean-spirited.
> As the sociolinguist Deborah Tannen states, ''A kind of agonistic
> inflation has set in whereby opposition has become more extreme,
> and the adversarial nature of the system is routinely being abused."''
> THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005- 2006
> 
> Tannen attributes this "more general atmosphere of contention," or
> this "new mood" in partisan politics, to a wider combative culture
> that is corrupting the partisan system and socializing politicians
> into more conflictual patterns of interaction, resulting in gridlock,
> the spread of corruption, and the breakdown of unwritten rules of
> civility, cooperation, and compromise. 12
> 
> The seeds of competitive democracy
> The breakdown in civility, the rise of mean-spiritedness, the problem of gridlock, and the spread of political corruption-assuming
> these things have indeed deteriorated over time- are not abuses
> or corruptions of the partisan system. Such developments are the
> culmination- the "perfection"-of a system that political scientist
> Jane Mansbridge refers to as "adversary democracy." 13 They are the
> sour fruit inherent in the seeds of competitive democracy. "No two
> men can be found who may be said to be outwardly and inwardly
> united," wro te Baha'u'llah. 14
> These seeds, to be more precise, are the deepest assumptions about
> human nature and social order that underlie political competition.
> The first of these assumptions is that human nature is essentially selfish and competitive. The second assumption is that different groups
> of people will naturally develop different interests, needs, values,
> and desires, and these interests will invariably conflict. The third
> assumption is that, given a selfish human nature and the problem
> of conflicting interests, the fairest and most efficient way to govern
> a society is to harness these dynamics through an open process of
> mterest-group competmon.
> Based on these assumptions, it should come as no surprise that
> the fruits of competitive democracy include the aforementioned
> breakdown in civility, rise of mean-spiritedness, problem of gridlock
> and spread of political corruption. These are to be expected if we
> accept, and enact, such assumptions. In fact, this is the reason why
> some competitive democracies have set up complex systems of
> checks and balances in an effort to limit the excessive accumulation
> of power in the hands of any given interest group. It is also why
> some competitive democracies have tried to cultivate, within their
> political systems, codes of civility and ethics intended to restrain the
> WESTERN LIBERAL DEMOCRACY                           137
> 
> basest expressions of political cdmpetition. And this is the reason that
> most competitive democracies struggle, to this day, to reign in the
> worst excesses of political competition by experimenting with term
> limits, campaign finance reforms, and other stopgap measures. Yet
> none of these efforts fundamentally changes the nature or the fruit
> of the system, because the fruit is inherent in the system's internal
> assumptions-its seeds.
> To grasp this inherent relationship, consider the market metaphor
> that is often invoked as a model for political competition. Competitive democracy is generally conceived as a political marketplace
> within which political entrepreneurs and the parties they incorporate
> try to advance their interests through open competition. 15 The "invisible hand" of the market allegedly works to direct this competition
> toward the maximum public benefit. As Lyon explains,
> Supporters of party government argue that if one looks at the
> larger picture and sees the "political market" in which several
> parties, the media, interest groups, and individuals all interact,
> democratic needs are served in a kind of mysterious way ... [as
> though] another "invisible hand" is at work. ' 6
> Within this market model, political parties incorporate around
> aggregated sets of interests in order to pool their political capital.
> Contests then determine leadership and control within and between
> parties-as politicians and parties organize to fight and win elections.
> The logic of competitive elections, however, ensures that the goal of
> winning trumps all other values. As Held explains,
> Parties may aim to realize a programme of "ideal" political
> principles, but unless their activities are based on systematic
> strategies for achieving electoral success they will be doomed to
> insignificance. Accordingly, parties become transformed, above
> all else, into means for fighting and winning elections. 17
> Once political leadership and control is determined through
> electoral contests, processes of public decision making are structured
> in a similar manner. Decision making is organized as an oppositional
> process of debate. In theory, political debate functions as an open
> "marketplace of ideas" in which the best ideas prevail-again through
> the operation of some hypothetical invisible hand. In practice, the
> THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> logic of the competitive system transforms debate into a struggle
> over political capital. Victory results in a gain of political capital,
> defeat results in a loss. Debate thus becomes an extension of the
> electoral process itself, providing a stage for "permanent campaigns,"
> or neverending contests over political capital, in anticipation of the
> next round of elections. 18
> Much political decision making also occurs outside of formal
> public debates. Indeed, these debates often serve as little more than a
> dramatic veneer on complex behind-the-scenes processes of political
> bargaining and negotiation. Yet these behind-the-scenes processes
> tend to be characterized by similar competitive dynamics. 19 These
> processes involve not only elected officials but also lobbyists, think
> tanks, media strategists, and numerous species of political action
> groups-all of which are vying with one another to pressure politicians, shape media coverage, and influence public opinion in ways
> that advance their own agendas and interests.
> 
> The fruit of competitive democracy
> Interest-group competition has no necessary relationship to the goals
> of social justice and environmental sustainability. On the contrary,
> the track record of competitive democracy is clear. It is a record of
> growing disparities between rich and poor. 20 It is also a record of
> accelerating ecological destruction. 21 Therefore, the problems of competitive democracy, a few of which are discussed here, go well beyond
> the breakdown of civility and the rise of mean-spiritedness.
> 
> THE CORRUPTING INFLUENCE OF MONEY
> In theory, when there are excesses and deficiencies in the operation
> of the market economy, a democratic government should be able
> to regulate and remedy them. The practice of political competition,
> however, makes this virtually impossible. The reasons for this are
> not difficult to understand. Political competition is an expensive
> activity-and growing more expensive with every generation.
> Successful campaigns are waged by those who have the financial
> support, both direct and indirect, of the most affluent market actors
> (i.e. those who have profited the most from market excesses and
> deficiencies).
> WESTERN LIBERAL DEMOCRACY                          139
> 
> The problem of money in politics is widely recognized and it
> largely explains the cynicism and apathy reflected in low voter turnout at the polls. The underlying cause of this problem, however, is
> seldom examined and never seriously addressed. We hear occasional
> calls for campaign finance reform and similar regulatory measures.
> Yet the root of the problem is political competition itself From the
> moment we structure elections as contests, which inevitably require
> money to win, we invert the proper relationship between government and the market. Rather than our market existing within the
> envelope of responsible government regulation, our government is
> held captive within the envelope of market regulation.
> As long as governance is organized in a competitive manner,
> this relationship cannot be fully corrected. Any scheme to tweal<: the
> rules here and there will merely cause money to flow through new
> paths. This is what occurs, for instance, with attempts to reform
> campaign financing. New forms of contribution merely eclipse the
> old. Even if societies could eliminate campaign financing entirely,
> money would simply flow through other points of political influence
> such as the constantly evolving species of political action groups
> that exert strategic influences over media coverage of issues, public
> opinion formation, electoral outcomes, and many other political
> processes. In a competitive political system, where candidates are
> vying for favorable coverage, public opinion and votes, money will
> always flow to the most effective points of political influence just
> as water always flows to the point of lowest elevation. We can alter
> the path of that flow, but we cannot stop it.
> This problem is a primary cause of the growing disparities of
> wealth and poverty that are now witnessed throughout the world,
> including within the Western world. The expanding income gap is
> not simply a result of the market economy itself. It is a result of the
> competitive political economy that is coupled with it. Through this
> political economy, the wealthiest market actors define the market
> framework within which they accumulate wealth. This framework
> comprises systems of property law, contract law, labor law, tax law,
> and all other forms of legislation, public infrastructure, and public
> subsidies that shape market outcomes. In competitive democracies,
> this framework is defined, over time, by the wealthiest market actors,
> owing to the influence of money on political competition. The result
> THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> is a political-economy feedback loop that serves the swelling interests
> of the wealthiest segments of society.
> The subordination of governance to market forces also has
> implications for the environment. In unregulated markets, production and consumption decisions are based solely on the internal costs
> of manufacturing, which include labor, materials, manufacturing
> equipment, and energy. These internal costs determine the retail
> prices that consumers pay for products, which influences how much
> people consume. These costs do not, however, always reflect the true
> social or ecological costs of a product. Many industries generate
> external costs, or externalities, that are never factored into the price
> of a product because they are not actual production costs. 22 For
> instance, industries that pollute the environment create substantial
> public health and environmental remediation costs that are seldom
> factored into the actual costs of production. Rather, these costs are
> borne by the entire society, by future generations, and even by other
> species. Because an unregulated market does not account for these
> external costs, the prices of products with high external costs are
> kept artificially low. These artificially low prices inflate consumption
> of the most socially and ecologically damaging products. For these
> reasons, market economies are ecologically unsustainable unless
> carefully regulated by governments that factor such costs back into
> the prices of goods through "green taxes" and other means. 23 As
> discussed above, however, markets are not responsibly regulated
> within a competitive political system because the system subordinates
> political decision making to market influences. Markets regulate
> competitive democracies rather than the other way around.
> Finally, the social and environmental costs of political competition
> converge in the case of "environmental racism" and related environmental injustices. 24 The poor, ethnic minorities, and women tend
> to suffer the most from the effects of environmental deterioration
> because they are more likely to live or work in areas of increased
> environmental health risks and degradation. These segments of
> the population are least able to influence political decision making
> because of their economic disenfranchisement. As a result, environmental practices that are seldom tolerated in the backyards of more
> affluent groups are displaced onto groups that are politically and
> economically marginalized. These are the people who pay most of
> the costs of such environmental externalities.
> WESTERN LIBERAL DEMOCRACY                           141
> 
> PERSPECTIVE EXCLUSION AND ISSUE REDUCTION
> In addition to the problem of money, political competition does not
> provide an effective way to understand and solve complex problems
> because it reduces the diversity of perspectives and voices in decision-making processes. There are a number of reasons for this. First,
> political competition yields an adversarial model of debate which
> generally defaults to the premise that if one perspective is right then
> another perspective must be wrong. In theory, the most enlightened
> or informed perspective prevails. This assumes that complex issues
> can be adequately understood from a single perspective. However,
> an adequate grasp of most complex issues requires consideration of
> multiple, often complementary, perspectives. Complex issues tend
> to be multifaceted-like many-sided objects that must be viewed
> from different angles in order to be fully seen and understood. Different perspectives therefore reveal different facets of complex issues.
> Maximum understanding emerges through the careful consideration
> of as many facets as possible.
> Political competition militates against this process because it assumes the oppositional rather than the potentially complementary
> character of diverse views. One cannot gain political capital at the
> expense of one's opponent unless there is a winner and a loser. As
> a result, political competition reduces complex issues into binary
> oppositions in which only one perspective can prevail. This is what
> Blonde! calls "the curse of oversimplification. "25
> This problem is exacerbated by the hyper-commercialized media
> sectors that are emerging in most Western societies-products of the
> political economy discussed above. These are driven by the logic of
> manufacturing mass audiences in order to sell them to advertisers.
> The cheapest, and therefore most profitable, way to manufacture a
> mass audience is through the construction of spectacle- including
> partisan political spectacle. Political coverage is thus reduced to a
> formula of sound-bite politics in which emotionally charged sloganeering becomes the ticket into the public sphere. As a result,
> simplistic political mantras echo throughout the public sphere,
> distorting the complex nature of the issues at hand, constraining
> public perceptions, and aggravating partisan divisions. In such a
> climate, it is virtually impossible to solve complex, multidimensional
> social and environmental problems.
> THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> A closely related consequence of this competitive model is the
> exclusion and inhibition of diverse voices who avoid or withdraw
> from the arena of public service because of its simplistic and hostile
> atmosphere. Such an atmosphere does not attract individuals
> who, by nature or nurture or some combination of the two, are
> neither inclined toward, nor comfortable with, simplistic adversarial
> debate- even though they may have important contributions to
> offer. Partisan mudslinging aside, adversarial debate does not elicit
> the best reasoning even among the most confident individuals. Such
> conditions can entirely silence less confident and less aggressive-or
> simply more thoughtful and caring-individuals.
> By extension, adversarial contests also tend to privilege males
> who, again by nature or nurture or some combination of the two,
> tend to be more aggressive than women and thus gain the advantage
> within an adversarial arena.26 The resulting disadvantage experienced
> by many women may also be experienced by some minority groups
> which, in order to survive, have learned to adopt cautious and
> guarded postures in relation to dominant social groups. Moreover,
> women and minorities may be further disadvantaged because even
> though male or dominant-group expressions of aggression are often
> considered natural and appropriate, the same kinds of expressions,
> when employed by women or subordinated minorities, are often
> viewed as unnatural and inappropriate. Thus, the same rewards
> do not necessarily accrue to women and mino rities for the same
> adversarial behaviors. 27 By inhibiting and excluding various social
> groups in these ways, political competition and adversarial debate
> tend to impoverish public discourse and undermine the resolution
> of complex problems.
> 
> THE TIME-SPACE PROBLEM
> Partisan politics is also inherently incapable of addressing problems
> across time and space. Complex social and environmental issues
> generally require long-term planning and commitment. Competitive
> political systems, however, are inherently constrained by short-term
> planning horizons. In order to gain and maintain power, political entrepreneurs must cater to the immediate interests of their constituents
> so that visible results can be realized within relatively frequent election cycles. Even when long-term political commitments are made
> WESTERN LIBERAL DEMOCRACY                           143
> 
> out of principle by one candidate or party, continuity is often
> compromised by succeeding candidates or parties who dismantle
> or fail to enforce the programs of their predecessors in order to
> distance themselves from policies they were previously compelled
> to oppose on the campaign trail or as the voice of opposition. The
> focus of campaigns and political parties on constiruencies-in-thepresent therefore undermines commitment to the interests of future
> generations. Prominent among the interests of future generations is
> environmental sustainability. As we degrade our environment today,
> we impoverish future generations.
> Many social problems, from poverty to crime to drug dependency
> to domestic abuse, also require long-term strategies and commitments. Sustained investments in education, the strengthening of
> families, the creation of economic opportunities, the cultivation
> of ethical codes and moral values, and other approaches that yield
> results across generations, are required. Yet the competitive pressure
> to demonstrate visible actions within frequent election cycles tends
> to lead instead toward investments in things like new prisons and
> detention centers to hide the growing social underclass in many
> countries, new mega-schools to warehouse increasingly alienated and
> anonymous children and youth, and new shopping malls to distract
> citizens with short-term material enticements.
> Furthermore, just as competitive political systems are responsive
> to constituents-in-the-present to the exclusion of future generations,
> they are also responsive to the interests of constituents-withinelectoral-boundaries to the exclusion of others. This is the problem
> of space-or territoriality-which is especially the case at the level
> of the nation state owing to the absence of an effective system of
> global governance. Again, this has significant social and ecological
> implications. The supranational nature of modern environmental
> issues-such as ozone depletion, global warming, acid rain, water
> pollution, and the management of migratory species-signals the
> need for unprecedented levels of global cooperation and coordination. 28 Competitive notions of national sovereignty, however, render
> the existing international system incapable of responding to these
> ecological imperatives. Today, cross-border coordination is sacrificed
> to the pursuit of national self-interests because political entrepreneurs
> have no choice but to cater to the interests of their own voting
> 144             THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> citizens. The consequence is an anarchic system of nation states
> vying with one another in their rush to convert long-term ecological
> capital into short-term political capital.
> The problem of territoriality is equally significant when it comes
> to social issues. Challenges such as poverty, crime, the exploitation of
> women and children, human trafficking, terrorism, ethnic conflict,
> illegal immigration, and refugee flows do not respect national boundaries any more than most ecological problems do. These problems
> cannot be solved by national governments alone. Yet political competition within nation states undermines effective commitment and
> coordination between them. Political competitors are responsive to
> the interests of voting constituents-within-electoral-boundaries to
> the exclusion of nonvoters outside of those boundaries. This creates
> an irresistible incentive for political competitors in wealthy nations
> to externalize the worst manifestations of these social problems on
> poorer nations. Consequently, in the long run all of these problems
> tend to fester and spread until they again threaten the interests of
> the wealthiest nations. Competitive politics is not about planning
> for the long term; it is about securing electoral victories in the short
> term. Hence, the problem of space is inseparable from the problem
> of time in competitive democracies.
> 
> THE SPIRITUAL PROBLEM
> Other challenges associated with competitive politics are less tangible,
> but no less important. These are the spiritual costs of partisanship
> and political competition. Again, these problems stem directly from
> the assumptions that underlie the model: that human nature is essentially selfish and competitive; that different people tend to develop
> conflicting interests; and that the best way to organize democratic
> governance is therefore through a process of interest-group competition. By organizing human affairs according to these assumptions, we
> are institutionally cultivating our basest instincts. In the process, we
> become what we expect of ourselves. The Universal House of Justice
> has observed that "it is in the glorification of material pursuits, at
> once the progenitor and common feature of all such ideologies, that
> we find the roots which nourish the falsehood that human beings are
> incorrigibly selfish and aggressive. It is here that the ground must be
> cleared for the building of a new world fir for our descendants." 29
> WESTERN LIBERAL DEMOCRACY                           145
> 
> These culturally formed expectations, however, have no solid
> basis in the social and behavioral sciences. In these fields, the
> emerging new consensus is that human beings have the developmental potential for both egoism and altruism, competition and
> cooperation- and which of these potentials is more fully realized
> is a function of our cultural environment.30 This insight is also
> familiar to many of the world's philosophical and religious traditions.
> Metaphors that allude to humanity's "lower" and "higher" nature,
> or "material" and "spiritual" nature, convey this insight, as does the
> Eastern concept of"enlightenment." However, contrary to the theory
> and practice of political competition, the primary impulse behind
> these philosophical and religious traditions has been to cultivate these
> more cooperative and altruistic dimensions of human nature.
> The uncivil nature of much partisan discourse, alluded to at the
> beginning of this essay, is an inevitable outgrowth of this inversion
> of material and spiritual priorities. When the pursuit of self-interest
> comes to be understood as a virtue, and selflessness is dismissed as
> na'ive idealism, it is not surprising that politics becomes an uncivil
> arena. In this regard, the reality of partisan politics is better captured
> by war metaphors than by the market metaphors discussed earlier.
> A campaign, after all, is a military term, not a market term. Like
> military campaigns, political campaigns are expensive. Candidates
> amass "campaign war chests" as they prepare to "fight" election
> "battles." In an age of mass-media spectacle and sound-bite politics,
> this translates into an escalating cycle of negative advertising, insults,
> and mudslinging, as political campaigns and debates become a "war
> of words" conducted from "entrenched positions. "
> In the abstract, debate is about ideas rather than people. In
> practice, however, the competitive structure of the system erases the
> line between ideas and people, because if your ideas do not prevail,
> neither does your political career. Hence, political debate slides easily
> into the quagmire of egoism and incivility. On the sidelines, meanwhile, the public grows increasingly cynical and disaffected- yet
> another spiritual cost of this system.
> Finally, competitive democracies exact high costs as they divide
> rather than unite susceptible segments of the public. Any process
> that routinely produces winners and losers within a population
> will be divisive. When governance is structured as a process of
> THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> interest-group competition, the pursuit of material interests becomes
> more important than the cultivation of mutualistic social relationships. Furthermore, the formation of political parties, which requires
> the arbitrary aggregation of distinct and widely varied interests,
> results in the artificial construction of oppositional identity camps
> that become increasingly entrenched-and reified-over time.
> Consider, for instance, the American two-party system with its "left
> vs. right" or "liberal vs. conservative" camps. In reality, American
> collective life is characterized by co untless complex issues, each
> of which may be viewed from multiple perspectives. However, to
> construct a manageable political contest, the two dominant political parties reduce all possible issues to simple binary conflicts and
> then aggregate conflicting positions on every different issue into
> two opposing super-camps. Over ti.me, this artificial aggregation
> has begun to appear natural to many people. Moreover, segments
> of the population that initially identified strongly with one or two
> salient positions in any given camp have begun to embrace other
> aggregated positions through simple association. The result is that
> diverse people, who do not naturally fall into simple oppositional
> camps, come over time to separate themselves into such camps-a
> process that can be accelerated by astute politicians who make emotionally charged "wedge issues" the centerpieces of their campaigns in
> an effort to create and enforce partisan loyalties. The social divisions
> that result are further spiritual costs of competitive democracy.
> 
> An alternative to political competition
> Winston Churchill once stated that "democracy is the worst form of
> government-except for all the other forms that have been tried. "31
> More accurately, this statement describes competitive democracy
> because this is the only form of democracy that has been tried, to
> date, as a model of state governance. In keeping with Churchill's
> sentiment, apologists defend the prevailing system with the argument
> that it is the most rational alternative to political tyranny or anarchy.
> The problems inherent in the system of political competition are
> simply accepted as "necessary evils." All systems of government are
> imperfect, the argument goes, and competitive democracy is the
> best we can do.
> WESTERN LIBERAL DEMOCRACY                         147
> 
> This argument is premised, however, on the faulty assumption
> that processes of social innovation have come to an end. According to this "end of history" thesis, the social experiments that
> have characterized so much of human history have finally played
> themselves out and Western liberal models have emerged as the only
> viable models of social organization. 32 Yet this is an entirely unsupportable thesis. Indeed, it would be more plausible to say that the
> history of humankind as a single, interdependent species, inhabiting
> a common homeland, is just beginning. Under conditions of increasing global interdependence, brought on by our reproductive and
> technological success as a species, we have barely begun to experiment
> with just and sustainable models of social organization.
> Processes of social innovation have clearly not come to an end.
> The example of the international Baha'i community suffices to
> illustrate this point. The Baha'i community is a vast social laboratory within which a new model of social organization is emerging.
> With a current membership of over five million people, drawn
> from over 2,000 ethnic backgrounds and residing in virtually every
> nation on the planet, the community is a microcosm of the entire
> human race. This diverse community has constructed a unique
> system of democratically elected assemblies that govern Baha'i affairs
> internationally, nationally, and locally in thousands of communities
> throughout the planet. 33 Significantly, in many parts of the world,
> the first exercises in democratic activity have occurred within these
> Baha'i communities.
> The Baha'i electoral system is entirely nonpartisan and noncompetitive. In brief, all adult community members are eligible
> for election and every member has the reciprocal duty to serve if
> elected. At the same time, nominations, campaigning, and all forms
> of solicitation are prohibited. Voters are guided only by their own
> conscience as they exercise real freedom of choice in voting for those
> they believe best embody the qualities of recognized ability, mature
> experience, and selfless service to others. Through a plurality count,
> the nine individuals who receive the most votes are called to serve
> as members of the governing assembly.34
> Because no one seeks election, elections are not a pathway to
> power and privilege. On the contrary, elections are a call to service
> and the elected sacrifice their time and energy, and often their
> THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005- 2006
> 
> career aspirations, at the bidding of the community. fu a matter
> of principle, and also because there is no incentive, no one calls
> attention to themselves or solicits votes in any way. In fact, Baha'is
> interpret solicitation of votes as an indicator of egoism and a lack
> of fitness to serve.
> All decision making within these assemblies is, in turn, guided by
> consultative principles that enable decision making to be a unifying
> rather than a divisive process. These principles include striving to
> enter the process with no preconceived positions or platforms;
> regarding diversity as an asset, and soliciting the perspectives,
> concerns, and expertise of others; striving to transcend the limitations
> of one's own ego and perspective; striving to express oneself with care
> and moderation; striving to raise the context of decision making to
> the level of principle; and striving for consensus but settling for a
> majority when necessary. 35
> Unlike competitive systems in which decision makers must
> continually negotiate the demands of constituents, campaign contributors, lobbyists, and activists, the Baha'i system is shielded from
> external lobbying and other pressures to influence decisions. This is
> accomplished in two ways. First, as discussed above, those who are
> elected to assemblies do not seek election and they have no interest
> in re-election. Elected members are not political entrepreneurs
> seeking to build or retain political capital, and campaign financing
> opportunities do not exist because there are no campaigns. Second,
> elected members decide matters through the application of principle,
> according to the promptings of their own conscience (one of the
> primary qualities for which they were elected), and not according
> to the dictates or pressures of competing interest groups. In this
> regard, elected members are expected to weigh all of their decisions
> in a principled manner, even if this means forgoing immediate local
> or short-term benefits out of consideration for the welfare of distant
> peoples or future generations. 36
> In all of these ways, the Baha'i electoral system embodies neither
> a contest nor the pursuit of power. Since no one seeks election,
> there is no concept of "winning." At the same time, the electoral
> process remains eminently democratic. This model has been used
> for more than three-quarters of a century within the Baha'i community, which, as it grows in capacity and prominence, is increasingly
> attracting the attention of outside observers.37
> WESTERN LIBERAL DEMOCRACY                         149
> 
> Beyond the hegemony of political competition
> As the example of the Baha'i community illustrates, processes of
> social innovation have clearly not come to an end. Given the problems inherent in partisan systems, along with their rising social and
> ecological costs, why are democratic populations not actively searching for alternatives to political competition? To answer this question,
> some historical context is helpful. Current forms of competitive
> democracy arose from the thinking of emerging political classes at
> the dawn of the industrial revolution. These emerging political classes
> were trying to wrestle absolute power away from the aristocracy.
> Competitive democracy advanced the interests of these classes
> because it ended absolute rule while, at the same time, it continued
> to privilege those exercising wealth and power. This opened the arena
> of governance to merchants and lesser landowners and other people
> of means, while limiting the influence of the underclasses.
> Although the transition to competitive democracy was marked
> by violent revolution and the threat of revolution in many countries,
> the force of ideas played a powerful role in fomenting these transitions, and an even more powerful role in buttressing and sustaining
> systems of political competition once they were established. This
> was possible because the same political classes who benefited most
> from the contest model were increasingly occupying positions of
> cultural leadership-as statesmen, writers, philosophers, educators,
> and so forth-through which, either consciously or unconsciously,
> they were able to cultivate and sustain assumptions regarding human
> nature and social organization that underlie the contest model.
> The Italian theorist Antonio Gramsci described this form of
> cultural influence with remarkable insight in the first half of the
> twentieth century. 38 His concept of hegemony has since entered the
> lexicon of cultural theorists around the world and it provides a useful
> framework for understanding the emergence and perpetuation of
> these contest models. In brie£ Gramsci borrowed the term hegemony,
> which traditionally referred to the geopolitical dominance of some
> states over others, and he reworked it to refer to the cultural dominance of some social classes over others. Gramsci pointed out that
> geopolitical hegemony, which is achieved and maintained largely
> by force, is an obvious focus of resistance by oppressed populations
> and is therefore relatively difficult to maintain over time. Cultural
> THE BAHA'I WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> hegemony, on the other hand, is achieved and maintained through
> the cultivation of "common sense" belief systems which are less
> visible and which therefore generate less resistance. In other words,
> if privileged social groups can naturalize the existing social order
> in the minds of subordinate groups, the latter will unconsciously
> consent to their own subordination.
> An example of this can be seen in the traditional exclusion of
> women from many arenas of public life. This exclusion was reinforced
> by the cultivation of "common sense" notions regarding the "appropriate" role of women in society. Of course, not all women accepted
> these notions and many struggled against them. Yet, remarkably,
> many women did accept these notions, as demonstrated by women
> who organized in opposition to women's suffrage movements on the
> "common sense" conviction (among others) that the moral purity
> of women would be compromised by their entrance into public life
> and that the entire social fabric would thereby be weakened. 39
> The theory of cultural hegemony is also useful in explaining
> the widespread consent given to prevailing systems of competitive
> democracy. Consider again the assumptions that this system rests
> upon: that human nature is essentially selfish and competitive; that
> different people develop conflicting interests; and that the best way
> to organize democratic governance is through a process of interestgroup competition. These cultivated "common sense" assumptions
> have become part of the popular worldview-even though they
> do not serve the interests of most people. These assumptions are
> cultivated in civics classes and political science courses within our
> educational systems; they are cultivated in our mass media systems;
> and they are cultivated through institutionalized forms of competitive
> behavior that structure activity in our political, legal, and economic
> systems. All of these systems, however, are cultural constructs that
> embody the values, interests, and beliefs of the privileged political
> classes which constructed them.
> This is not to suggest a conscious conspiracy on the part of those
> who benefit from the existing social order. This order often appears
> natural and inevitable to those who benefit from it because people
> tend to have an unconscious affinity for ideas that promote their own
> interests. 40 When these people also happen to be from educated and
> affluent social groups who control the means of cultural production
> WESTERN LIBERAL DEMOCRACY
> 
> (i.e. education, media, and other social institutions), it is quite
> natural that they end up cultivating, within the wider population,
> beliefs for which they themselves have a natural and unconscious
> affinity. Indeed, members of these influential social groups may be
> acting out of the most sincere motives while contributing to this
> process of cultivation, because they may have come to believe that
> the existing social order benefits everyone in the same way it benefits
> themselves. The result, whether intentional or not, is a powerful
> form of cultural hegemony.
> How then does a population transcend the constraints of its
> culturally-structured consciousness? Furthermore, how can this
> occur in a manner that does not result in further conflict-which
> would only reinforce the assumptions about human nature and social
> order that underlie and buttress the prevailing system of political
> competition? The metaphor of a game can be helpful to answer these
> questions. Cultural institutions-like our system of competitive
> democracy- can be understood as "games" that operate according
> to specific sets of "rules. "41 The rules of competitive democracy
> ensure not only that there will be winners and losers, but that the
> most powerful players are most likely to win. When less powerful
> players agree to join in this game they are consenting to play by
> rules that tend to promote their own defeat. Adversarial strategies
> of social change are consistent with these competitive rules. They
> simultaneously legitimize the old game while they ensure that the
> most powerful players continue to prevail within it.42
> There is, however, another strategy. That strategy is to withdraw
> time and energy from the old game in order to construct a new
> one. The only thing perpetuating the old game is the fact that the
> majority of the people consent to the rules. If an alternative game
> becomes more attractive (i.e. it demonstrates increased social justice
> and environmental sustainability), then it will begin to draw increasing numbers of people to it (i.e. the majority of the people whose
> interests and values are not well served by the old game) . If enough
> people stop playing by the old rules and start playing by new ones,
> the old game will come to an end not through protest and conflict,
> but through attrition.
> This strategy is one of construction, attraction, and attrition. It is
> entirely nonadversarial and it reconciles the means of social change
> THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005- 2 0 06
> 
> with the ends of a peaceful, just, and sustainable social order. Social
> change does not require defeating oppressors or attacking those who
> profit most from the old rules. Rather, it requires that we recognize
> the hegemonic nature of the old game, withdraw our time and
> energy from it, and invest that time and energy in the construction
> of a new one.
> Increasing numbers of people are beginning to intuitively
> recognize this. Nonpartisan electoral and decision-making models
> are beginning to emerge in many sectors, through constructive
> experiments with social change. Most of these experiments are still
> below the radar of many political observers because nongovernmental
> organizations, rather than states, have taken the lead in this regard.
> Yet these emerging models constitute important sociopolitical
> experiments.
> Again, the example of the international Baha'i community
> is instructive. Baha' {s believe that partisan models of governance
> have become anachronistic and problematic in an age of increasing
> global interdependence. Yet Baha'ls do not protest or attack existing partisan systems. On the contrary, Baha'{s express loyalty and
> obedience to whatever governmental systems they live within and
> they may exercise their civic responsibilities to vote in those societies
> that afford the opportunity to do so. At the same time, Baha'!s avoid
> active participation in partisan politics in order to focus their energy
> instead on the construction of an alternative system of governance
> which they offer as a model for others to study. Experiences such
> as these provide naturally occurring experiments that we would do
> well to monitor and learn from-if not participate in.
> 
> Conclusion
> The prevailing system of competitive democracy is proving itself
> unjust and unsustainable in an age of increasing global interdependence. Yet this system is not repairable because its problems lie in its
> deepest internal assumptions. The corrupting influence of money, the
> exclusion of diverse perspectives, the inability to solve complex issues,
> the short-term planning horizons, the lack of cross-boundary coordination, the rise of incivility and mean-spiritedness, the aggravation of
> social divisions, the cultivation of public cynicism and disaffection,
> WESTERN LIBERAL DEMOCRACY                                  153
> 
> and the generally corrosive effect on the human spirit-these are the
> culmination of this system, the sour fruit inherent in its seeds.
> "How long will humanity persist in its waywardness?" asks
> Baha'u'llah. "How long will injustice continue? How long is chaos
> and confusion to reign amongst men? How long will discord agitate
> the face of society? ... The winds of despair are, alas, blowing from
> every direction, and the strife that divideth and afflicteth the human
> race is daily increasing." 43
> Competitive democracy has now become a costly anachronism.
> How long will the populations who bear these costs continue
> to live in a state of denial? It is time to move on. History is just
> beginning.
> 
> NOTES
> 
> Daniel Bell, The End ofIdeology (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press,
> 1988).
> Samuel Huntington, The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking a/World
> Order (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1996).
> Refer, for instance, to Joseph Stiglitz, Globalization and its Discontents (New
> York: WW Norton, 2002); Jeffry Frieden, Global Capitalism (New York:
> WW Norton, 2006); John Cavanagh, Alternatives to Economic Globalization
> (San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler, 2002); Naomi Klein, No Logo (New York:
> Picador, 2002); David Konen, When Corporations Rule the World (West
> Hartford, CT: Kumarian Press, 1995).
> This essay derives in part from the author's previously published book,
> Beyond the Culture of Contest: From Adversarialism to Mutualism in an Age
> of Interdependence (Oxford: George Ronald, 2004). Permission has been
> granted, by the publisher, to extract and adapt sections of that book for
> the purpose of this essay.
> 5 Baha' u'llah, Gleanings.from the WritingsofBahd'u'Lldh (Wilmette, IL: Baha'i
> 
> Publishing Trust, 2005), section ex.
> Refer, for example, to Deborah Tannen, The Argument Culture (New York:
> Random House, 1998).
> Norman Orstein, "Introduction," in Lessons and Legacies: Farewell Addresses
> from the Senate (Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1997), p. xi.
> Howell Heflin, "Farewell Address," in Lessons and Legacies, p. 79 .
> 9 Paul Simon, "Farewell Address," in Lessons and Legacies, p. 172.
> James Exon, "Farewell Address," in Lessons and Legacies, p. 57.
> Tannen, p. 96.
> Ibid., pp. 96-100.
> 154                THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> Jane Mansb ridge, Beyond Adversary Democracy (Chicago: The University of
> Chicago Press, 1980).
> Baha' u'llah, Gleanings, section cxrr.
> Refer to discussions of this theme in Joseph Sch um peter, Capitalism,
> Socialism and Democracy (New York: Harper, 1976) and Anthony Downs,
> An Economic Theory ofDemocracy (New York: Harper and Row, 1965).
> Vaughan Lyon, "Green Poli tics: Parties, Elections, and Environmental
> Policy, " Canadian Environmental Policy: Ecosystems, Politics, and Process, ed.
> Robert Boardman (Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1992), p. 129.
> David Held, Models of Democracy, 2nd ed. (Stanford: Stanford University
> Press, 1996), p. 170.
> Sydney Blumenthal, The Permanent Campaign (Boston: Beacon, 1980).
> Refer, for example, to Eleanor Clift and Tom Brazairis, \:llar without Bloodshed: The Art ofPolitics (New York: Touchstone, 1997).
> ° Frank Ackerman, The Political Economy of Inequality (Washington, oc:
> Island Press, 2000); Isaac Shapiro and Robert Greenstein, The Widening
> Income Gulf (Washington, oc: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities,
> 1999); Albert Fishlow and Karen Parker, Growing Apart: The Causes and
> Consequences of Global \:I/age Inequality (New York: Council on Foreign
> Relations Press, 1999); Stephen Haseler, The Super Rich: The Unjust New
> World of Global Capitalism (New York: St. Martin's Press, 1999).
> Lester Brown, Christopher Flavin and Hilary French, eds., State ofthe World
> 2000: A Worldwatch Institute Report on Progress toward a Sustainable Society
> (New York: WW Norton & Company, 2000); David Suzuki and Holly
> Jewell D ressel, From Naked Ape to Superspecies: Humanity and the Global Eco-
> Crisis (Vancouver: Greystone Books, 2004); Lester Brown, Michael Renner,
> Linda Starke and Brain Halweil, eds., Vital Signs 2000: The Environmental
> Trends That Are Shaping Our Future (New York: Norton, 2000).
> For an overview of the problem of externalities, refer to James A. Caporaso
> and David P Levine, Theories ofPolitical Economy (Cambridge: Cambridge
> Un iversity Press, 1992), pp. 89-92.
> Refer, for instance, to proposals in Henk Folmer, ed., Frontiers ofEnvironmental Economics (Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar, 2001); Thomas Aronsson
> and Karl-Gustaf Lofgren, Green Accounting and Green Taxes in the Global
> Economy (Umea: Univers ity of Umea, 1997); and Robert Repetto, Green
> Fees: How a Tax Shift Can Work for the Environment and the Economy
> (Washington, oc: World Resources Institute, 1992).
> Refer, for instance, to Michael Heiman, Race, Waste and Class (Oxford:
> Blackwell, 1996); Joan Nordquist, Environmental Racism and the Environmental justice Movement: A Bibliography (Santa Cruz, CA: Reference
> and Research Services, 1995); Jonathan Petri kin, Environmental Justice
> (San D iego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 1995); Robert Bullard, ed., Confronting
> WESTERN LIBERAL DEMOCRACY                                 155
> 
> Environmental Racism: voices from the Grassroots (Bosto n, MA: South End
> Press, 1993).
> Jean Blonde!, Political Parties: A Genuine Case for Discontent? (London:
> Wildwood House, 1978), pp. 19-21.
> Janice Moulton, "A Paradigm of Philosophy: The Adversary Method," in
> Discovering Reality: Feminist Perspectives on Epistemology, Metaphysics, Methodology, and Philosophy of Science, Sandra Harding and Merrill Hintikka,
> eds., (Boston, MA: Kluwer Boston, 1983); Robin Lakoff, Language and
> Womans Place (New York: Harper & Row, 1975).
> Moulton, ''Adversary Method"; Lakoff, Language and Womans Place.
> World Commission on Environment and Development, Our Common
> Future (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1987).
> T he Universal House of Justice, The Promise oJWorld Peace (Haifa: Baha'i
> World Centre, 1985) , p. 7.
> For a joint declaration of this consensus by an international assembly of
> social and behavioral scientists, refer to Seville "Statement on Violence, May
> 16, 1986," in Medicine and Wtzr 3 (1987). Refer also to discussions in Signe
> Howell and Roy Willis, "Introduction," in Societies at Peace: Anthropological Perspectives, Signe Howell and Roy Willis, eds., (London: Routledge,
> 1989); Richard Leakey and Roger Lewin , Origins: What New Discoveries
> Reveal About the Emergence of Our Species (London: MacDonald & Jane's,
> 1977); Gary Becker, ''Altruism, Ego ism, and Genetic Fitness: Economics and
> Sociobiology," journal ofEconomic Literature 14.3 (1976); Howard Margolis,
> Selfishness, Altruism, and Rationality (Cambridge: Cambridge University
> Press, 1982); Stefano Zamagni, ed., The Economics ofAltruism (Aldershot,
> England: Edward Elgar Publishing, 1995); Teresa Lunati, "On Altruism and
> Cooperation ," in Methodus 4, (December 1992); Robert Axelrod, The Evolution ofCooperation (New York: Basic Books, 1984); Theodore Bergstrom and
> Oded Stark, "How Altruism Can Prevail in an Evolutionary Environment,"
> in American Economic Review, Papers, and Proceedings 83.2 (1993); Steven
> Rose, R.C. Lewontin, and Leon Kamin, Not in Our Genes: Biology, Ideology,
> and Human Nature (New York: Penguin, 1987); John Casti, "Cooperation:
> The Ghost in the Machinery of Evolution," in Cooperation and Conflict in
> General Evolutionary Processes, John Casti and Anders Karlqvist, eds., (New
> York: John Wiley and Sons, 1994); Alfie Kohn, The Brighter Side ofHuman
> Nature: Altruism and Empathy in Everyday Life (New York: Basic Books,
> 1990).
> Winston Churchill, House of Commons, II November 1947·
> Francis Fukuyama, The End ofHistory and the Last Man (New York: Avon
> Books, 1993).
> Baha'i World Centre, The Baha'i World 1996-97 (Haifa: World Centre
> Publications, 1998).
> THE BAHA'I WORLD 2005- 2006
> 
> For further details regarding Baha'i electoral principles and practices, refer to
> Baha'i Elections: A Compilation (London: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1990).
> For details regarding Baha'i consultative principles and practices, refer
> to Consultation: A Compilation (Wilmette, IL: Baha'i Publishing Trust,
> 1980).
> Refer, for insrance, to discussions of these themes in the Baha'i International
> Community United Nations Office, Prosperity-an Oral Statement Presented
> to the Plenary of the United Nations World Summit for Social Development
> (Copenhagen, Denmark: 1995); see also the BlC UNO, Statement on Nature
> (New York: 1988).
> United Nations Institute for Namibia, Comparative Electoral Systems &
> Political Consequences: Options for Namibia, Namibia Studies Series no. 14,
> N.K. Duggal, ed., (Lusaka, Zambia: United Nations, 1989), pp. 6-7.
> Antonio Gramsci, Selections from the Prison Notebooks ofAntonio Gramsci,
> Quinton Hoare and Geoffrey N. Smith, eds., (New York: International
> Publishers, 1971).
> Robert Cholmeley, The Womens Anti-Suffrage Movement (London : National
> Union of Women's Suffrage Societies, 1970); Jane Adams, "Better Citizens
> without the Bailor: American Anti-Suffrage Women and Their Rationale
> During the Progressive Era," in One Woman, One Vote: Rediscovering the
> Woman Suffrage Movement, Marjorie Wheeler, ed., (Troutledge, OR: New-
> Sage Press, 1995).
> Refer, for instance, to the concept of elective affinity articulated in Max Weber, From Max Weber: Essays in Sociology, H.H. Girth and C. Wright Mills,
> trans., (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1946), pp. 62-63 and 284-85. See
> also W Clement, The Canadian Corporate Elite: An Analysis of Economic
> Power (Ottawa: McClelland and Stewart, 1975), pp. 92 and 283-84.
> Refer, for example, to Ludwick Wittgenstein, Philosophical Investigations,
> G. Anscombe, trans., (Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1974); Raymond Cohen,
> International Politics: The Rules ofthe Game (London: Longman, 1981); J .S.
> Ganz, Rules: A Systematic Study (Paris: Mouton, 1971).
> For a more in-depth discussion of this problem, refer to Michael Karlberg,
> "The Paradox of Protest in a Culture of Contest," in Peace & Change, 28
> (2003), pp. 329-5r.
> Baha'u'llih, Gleanings, section ex.
> Climate Change and its
> Ethical Challenges
> Dr. Arthur Lyon Dahl examines the science of
> climate change and the ethical and spiritual
> solutions required to com bat global warming.
> 
> n recent decades, scientific and technological discoveries have
> 
> I    rapidly accelerated the dissolution of the traditional obstacles
> that long separated the nations and peoples of the world. At the
> same time, with the erosion of cultural barriers, society is undergoing
> a spiritual transition. The impact of improved educational standards
> and information technologies is increasing global awareness, and
> the fundamental unity of the human race is becoming increasingly
> apparent.
> Baha'u'llah clearly anticipated these changes and provided an
> ethical framework in which to address them, but this has largely
> been ignored until now. However, as climate change accelerates and
> its implications for the future of humanity become clearer, it may
> become a driving force for unity since a massive world undertaking
> is now necessary to mitigate further global warming and to adapt
> to the climate change that is already underway.
> What, then, are the ethical concepts and spiritual principles that
> are now necessary to transform society in order to make solutions
> to global warming possible?
> 
> THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> The science of climate change
> For some time, science has predicted that the planet is vulnerable to
> global warming caused by rising levels of carbon dioxide and other
> greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Those that live in cold regions
> might feel that a little global warming would be desirable, but
> any significant change in our climate will result in losers as well as
> winners. The regions which may benefit often have few inhabitants
> while many heavily populated and highly developed areas will suffer.
> Some may become completely uninhabitable. Change on this scale
> will be extremely stressful and expensive. 1
> The problem has its origins in the way life evolved on earth.
> The conditions necessary for life in the biosphere are the result of
> a complex set of delicately balanced systems which are still poorly
> understood. The atmospheric composition that permits life to exist
> was itself created in part by the action of the first living things. The
> earliest plants removed carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and
> added oxygen, making animal life possible. 'Abdu'l-Baha, writing
> early in the twentieth century, referred to this interdependence of
> the vegetable and animal kingdoms: "Each of these two maketh use
> of certain elements in the air on which its own life dependeth, while
> each increaseth the quantity of such elements as are essential for the
> life of the other."2 Dead plants, both the remains of marine plankton
> and terrestrial vegetation, were buried and their energy-containing
> carbon compounds fossilized to produce coal, oil, and gas, while their
> carbonate skeletons became layers of limestone, locking a significant
> part of the earth's carbon away in geological formations .
> Carbon cycles through the biosphere, as plants take up carbon
> dioxide to make organic matter, while animals and decomposers
> oxidize organic compounds and return the carbon dioxide to the
> oceans and atmosphere. Today, the long-standing global balance
> between these processes has been upset by the extraction and
> combustion of fossil fuels-coal, oil, and gas-over the last 150
> years, returning carbon to the atmosphere and oceans that has long
> been out of circulation.
> The significance of this for the climate is that carbon dioxide,
> along with another carbon compound, methane, is among the most
> important greenhouse gases, trapping heat in the atmosphere in the
> CLIMATE CHANGE                             159
> 
> same way as the glass in a greenhouse lets in light but prevents heat
> from escaping.
> The climate has changed in past geological epochs, with both
> ice ages and much warmer periods associated with rises and falls in
> plant cover and carbon dioxide levels. These changes over hundreds
> of millions of years were due, in part, to the earth's orientation with
> respect to the sun, and to the changing positions of the continents,
> which affect the way the linked ocean-atmosphere system redistributes heat around the world. With the present configuration of
> continents, a global "conveyor belt" of ocean currents sees cold,
> salty water flow along the bottom from the North Atlantic down to
> the Antarctic, looping through the Indian and Pacific Oceans and
> returning as a warm, shallow current to the North Atlantic, where
> the freezing of Arctic ice in winter turns it back to cold water. The
> sinking of this water draws up the warm current from the Caribbean known as the Gulf Stream, which maintains the relatively mild
> climate of northern Europe. Recent research has shown that these
> currents can alter quite quickly in correlation with abrupt changes
> between warm and cold climatic periods.
> Since the beginning of the industrial revolution powered by
> fossil fuels, the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide has
> risen from 290 to 370 parts per million (ppm), and it could easily
> reach 550 ppm or more in mid-century. Every ton of fuel oil burned
> produces 2.9 tons of carbon dioxide (co 2), while extracting the same
> energy from coal produces 3.8 tons of co 2 • Deforestation and the
> loss of humus from degrading soils also release significant quantities
> of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, representing one-third of the
> increase.
> While the rising levels of greenhouse gases will trap more heat
> and change the air circulation patterns and climate, the effects will be
> highly variable around the world and are not easy to predict. Using
> various computer models of the global climate system, more than
> a thousand scientists contributing to the Intergovernmental Panel
> on Climate Change have confirmed a significant human effect on
> the climate through global warming, and more is expected. While
> powerful political and economic interests have questioned the reality
> of any link between fossil fuel consumption and climate change,
> none of their arguments has withstood closer scientific scrutiny.
> 160             THE BAHA'I WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> The evidence for accelerating global warming is accumulating
> rapidly. The global average surface temperature has risen markedly
> since the late 1970s. Nine of the ten warmest years on record have
> occurred since 1995· The models project an even faster rise in global
> temperature over the next century as greenhouse gas emissions
> continue. The greatest temperature changes are expected in polar
> areas. A rise of more than 2°c in the mean global temperature could
> trigger positive feedbacks that would make major climate change
> irreversible, and we could reach that point by 2035 if we continue
> business as usual, with a rise of up to 5°c possible by the end of the
> century. This is change at a speed and scale for which there is no
> planetary precedent.
> The effects are already apparent. Many species in temperate areas
> are shifting their distributions, with cold-adapted forms retreating
> toward the poles, to be replaced by species from warmer climates.
> Similar shifts in altitude are occurring among mountain species.
> Arctic species, like polar bears, that are dependent on the ice are in
> great difficulty. Coral reefs around the world have bleached and died
> from unusually high water temperatures. The number of the most
> intense cyclones (hurricanes) has increased in all oceans over the last
> 30 years, driven by greater heat energy in tropical ocean waters.
> Climate change on the predicted scale will profoundly affect
> the environment and human activity in many fundamental ways.
> Food insecurity will increase and many regions will experience water
> shortages as rainfall patterns shift and mountain glaciers disappear.
> Rich countries can probably afford to adapt their agriculture with
> changed crop varieties and new technology, but all scenarios show
> a severe decline in food production in developing countries. The
> greatest human impact of climate change will be on the poor, who
> are especially vulnerable to the predicted increase in extreme weather
> events such as floods, cyclones, and droughts-the latter particularly
> pertaining to Africa. Ocean fisheries will also be affected. Already,
> fish stocks in the North Sea are shifting to other areas. As populations are displaced there will be increasing Bows of environmental
> refugees, possibly reaching tens or hundreds of millions, and the
> related social disintegration could lead to increasing anarchy and
> terrorism. Natural, economic, and social disasters will become more
> common and more severe.
> CLIMATE CHANGE                             161
> 
> Ecological systems and species will be severely impacted, greatly
> accelerating the loss of biodiversity. American scientists have calculated that climate change would cause conditions appropriate for the
> beech forests of the southeastern United States to move to northeastern Canada. Thus, whole ecosystems will shift over long distances
> if they can move fast enough. In the past, such changes happened
> more gradually. Birds can fly, but trees cannot get up and move to
> find a better temperature, and human transformations have blocked
> migration paths. We may have to replant the forests ourselves.
> One effect of global warming is a rise in sea level, due both to
> the thermal expansion of water and to the melting of glaciers and ice
> caps. Sea level rise will flood low-lying areas and islands, including
> many port cities, creating millions of refugees. The projections for
> Bangladesh show that a r. 5 meter rise will displace 17 million people
> from 16 percent of the country's area. If the Greenland ice sheet is
> destabilized-which now appears to be likely- it will raise the sea
> level by more than six meters. Already, some low-lying islands and
> coastal areas are being abandoned.
> The costs of mitigation and adaptation will be enormous,
> but the cost of doing nothing is already very high and could rise
> astronomically. The insurance industry estimated a few years ago that
> the economic impact of natural disasters linked to global warming
> would reach an annual cost of us$130 billion within IO years, but
> hurricanes Katrina and Rita in the USA in 2005 alone caused damage
> reaching us$204 billion. A recent report commissioned by the UK
> government estimated the annual cost of climate change if no action
> is taken at over us$6oo billion, or the equivalent of both World
> Wars and the Great Depression, while mitigating action would only
> amount to l percent of global GDP. 3 Immediate action will be very
> cost effective, and any delay will raise the cost significantly.
> The latest scientific evidence suggests that the worst predictions
> about climate change may be realized. The Gulf Stream has recently
> slowed by 30 percent. If the Gulf Stream stops, the temperature could
> decrease by seven degrees in northern Europe, limiting agriculture
> and raising energy consumption. Half of the permafrost in the Arctic
> is expected to melt by 2050 and 90 percent before 2rno, releasing
> methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Major parts of the Arctic Ocean
> were ice-free in the summer of 2005 after 14 percent of the permanent
> 162             THE BAHA'i WORLD 2005- 2006
> 
> sea ice was lost in one year, and oil companies are already planning
> for the drilling they can do in an ice-free polar sea in the future.
> Greenland glaciers have doubled their rate of Row in the last three
> years. The rate of sea level rise had already doubled over the last 150
> years to 2 mm per year, and melting of the West Antarctic ice sheet
> is now adding another 4 mm per year and Greenland o.6 mm per
> year. We may be approaching a tipping point within a decade where
> runaway climate change would be catastrophic.
> 
> The energy challenge
> Global warming is driven by the human race's exploitation of
> low-cost fossil energy. Industrial economies were built on cheap
> energy, mostly derived from fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas.
> The consumer lifestyle-involving transportation, communications, trade, agriculture, heating, and cooling-has increased the
> demand on shrinking energy sources. The energy challenge needs
> to be addressed urgently. But, given the enormous investment in the
> present infrastructure, adaptation will be extremely expensive-an
> estimated us$7 trillion.
> Some governments have decided to control greenhouse gases. The
> UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, signed at the Rio
> Earth Summit in 1992, established the framework for international
> action. The Kyoto Protocol on reduction of greenhouse gases set a
> first target to return emissions to 1990 levels by 2012, a limited reduction of 5 percent when at least 60-80 percent is necessary. However,
> co 2 emissions rose 4.5 percent in 2004 to 27.5 billion tonnes, 26
> percent higher than 1990. China and India have doubled co 2 production since 1990, while the us has increased by 20 percent and
> Australia by 40 percent. The us released 5.8, China 4.5, Europe 3.3,
> and India I.I billion tons of co 2 in 2004. Despite its good intentions,
> humanity is rapidly going in the wrong direction.
> Fossil energy consumption is still growing. World oil use is rising
> at I.I percent per year, with Latin America increasing 2.8 percent,
> India 5-4 percent, and China 7.5 percent. From 2001-2020, world oil
> consumption is expected to rise 56 percent, with OPEC production
> doubling; non-OPEC production has already peal(ed. Oil provides 40
> percent of the world's primary energy. Two-thirds of future energy
> demand will come from developing countries, where 1.6 billion
> CLIMATE CHANGE
> 
> people have no electricity. Energy demand and global warming are
> on a collision course.
> The end of the fossil fuel era is coming anyway. At present
> consumption rates, reserves of oil are estimated to last about 40 years,
> gas 67 years, and coal 164 years. Geologists estimate the recoverable
> oil reserve at 2,000 Bb (billion barrels). Past production over the last
> 100 years has already consumed 980 Bb, while the known reserves
> total 827 Bb and another 153 Bb have yet to be found, so almost half
> the expected reserve has already been consumed. Production peaks
> and starts to decline at half of the recoverable resource, because we
> use the most accessible oil first, and it becomes harder and harder
> to get the remainder. We could reach peak production within the
> next decade, after which production will fall at about 2 . 7 percent
> per year, dropping 75 percent in 30 years. The heavy oil/tar reserves
> in Canada and Venezuela (600 Bb) equal only 22 years of current
> consumption. Even without global warming, energy sources and
> consumption patterns must soon be changed.
> Coal also has a significant impact on global warming. The
> major coal producing and consuming countries (Australia, China,
> India, Japan, South Korea, and the United States) formed the Asia-
> Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate in July
> 2005. Together they have 45 percent of the world's population; they
> consume 45 percent of world energy and produce 52 percent of the
> co 2 , with both expected to double by 2025. They have agreed to
> develop and share clean and more efficient technologies, especially
> for carbon sequestration, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and
> to provide secure energy supplies. However, these goals may appear
> contradictory when China is planning to build 560 new coalfired power plants and India 213, although India's coal reserves are
> expected to be exhausted in 40 years. Today, one-quarter of global
> co 2 emissions come from coal-fired power stations.
> Some hopes have been placed on nuclear power but, at least
> with present technologies, it is not a long-term option. Uranium
> reserves are expected to be exhausted in about 40 years. Economically and ethically, the technology is also doubtful. The research
> costs and development of nuclear technology have been highly
> subsidized, particularly for military uses. There is a high energy
> input in nuclear plant construction and fuel fabrication, so it is
> not entirely carbon free. The risks of accidents are so high as to be
> THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> uninsurable. Decommissioning costs of old plants are not usually
> included in cost comparisons; decommissioning the Three Mile
> Island plant in the USA after a minor accident was estimated to cost
> us$3-4 billion. The UK was unable to privatize its nuclear power
> industry, suggesting it is uneconomic without heavy government
> subsidies. No country has yet completed a safe long-term disposal
> site for high-level nuclear wastes, which must be secure for at least
> 10,000 years, so the high continuing waste disposal costs are being
> imposed on future generations, which is unethical. While research
> continues, generating electricity from nuclear fusion is still "40 years"
> away, as it has been for many years.
> Our globalized world has become overly dependent on fossil
> fuels for road transport, shipping, aviation, tourism, and therefore
> global trade. The energy and raw materials for industrial production,
> including chemical feed-stocks, plastics, and synthetics, come largely
> from oil, gas, and coal. Most electricity generation for lighting,
> heating, and cooling is similarly dependent, as are modern cities
> and the suburban lifestyle. Fossil energy is behind our mechanized
> agriculture, fertilizers, and pesticides, and the whole system of food
> processing and distribution. What happens when these become
> much more expensive? The business community is so concerned
> that the Carbon Disclosure Project, representing more than half the
> world's invested assets, has invited 2,100 companies to disclose their
> greenhouse gas emissions.
> More worrisome, the world's population has increased sixfold,
> exactly in parallel with oil production. Can we maintain such a high
> world population without the subsidy represented by cheap fossil
> energy? What will happen if we cannot?
> There is also the question that energy planners never ask: even
> if we could exploit every fossil fuel reserve, can we really afford to
> cause so much global warming? Burning all extractable fossil fuels
> would raise co 2 in the atmosphere to well over 750 ppm. The ethical
> challenges of this situation are profound. On the one hand, the selfish
> desire of a minority of the world population to maintain a materially excessive civilization despite the enormous damage it is causing
> and the threat this represents for future generations is contrary to
> basic principles of justice and equity. The poor have every right to
> demand the same standard of living as the rich, but the planet cannot
> CLIMATE CHANGE
> 
> support present consumption, not to mention any increase. On the
> other hand, a reduction in fossil fuel availability and use causing food
> production and distribution to collapse or become unaffordable,
> pushing many to starvation, is equally unthinkable.
> Energy is so fundamental to human welfare and civilization
> that we clearly cannot do without it, but there could be much
> more moderation and efficiency in its utilization. Shoghi Effendi,
> the Guardian of the Baha'f Faith, wrote in 1936 that the world
> federal system anticipated in the Baha' f teachings will, "consist
> of a world legislature, whose members will, as the trustees of the
> whole of mankind, ultimately control the entire resources of all the
> component nations ... . The economic resources of the world will
> be organized, its sources of raw materials will be tapped and fully
> utilized." This system will exploit "all the available sources of energy
> on the surface of the planer." 4 It will clearly be an aim of such a
> civilization to develop forms of renewable energy, in environmentally
> appropriate ways. These energy sources are mostly low density and
> widely distributed, which wo uld suggest that future communities will
> be smaller and more widespread, unlike the urban concentrations of
> today. Given the moral unacceptability of the alternatives, the only
> responsible approach to the energy challenge is to replace fossil fuels
> with alternative renewable energy sources as rapidly as is humanly
> possible. The United Kingdom's Meteorological Office has said that
> "the biggest obstacles to the take-up of technologies such as renewable sources of energy and 'clean coal' lie in vested interests, cultural
> barriers to change and simple lack of awareness." 5
> With the present size of the global population, the consequences
> of going back to the world as it was before fossil fuels are unacceptable.
> The urgent challenge is to rethink civilization in a new and more
> sustainable way, and to begin the transition as rapidly as possible.
> This is where the principles of the Baha'i Faith can suggest some
> ways forward.
> 
> The ethical implications of climate change
> The world's present institutions have failed to address adequately the
> threat of climate change. No politician has been willing to sacrifice
> the short-term economic welfare of his or her country, even while
> 166             THE BAH.ff WORLD 2005- 2006
> 
> agreeing that sustainability is essential in the long term. Furthermore,
> the deep social, economic, and political divisions within societies and
> between countries prevent united action in the common interest.
> Global warming is just one symptom of the fundamental imbalances
> in our world and of the failure of our systems of governance to resolve
> the most critical challenges of our age.
> We must recognize the failure of our present economic system
> to address global long-term issues like global warming. Economic
> thinking is challenged by the environmental crisis-including global
> warming. The belief that there is no limit to nature's capacity to
> fulfill any demand made on it is demonstrably false. A culture which
> attaches absolute value to expansion, to acquisition, and to the
> satisfaction of people's wants must recognize that such goals are not,
> by themselves, realistic guides to policy. Economic decision-making
> tools cannot deal with the fact that most of the major challenges
> are global. 6
> Climate change is a consequence of the present self-centered
> materialism of our economic paradigm. The materialistic view
> became the dominant interpretation of reality in the early twentieth
> century. Through rational experimentation and discourse, humanity
> thought it had solved all issues related to human governance and
> development. Dogmatic materialism captured all significant centers
> of power and information at the global level, ensuring that no
> competing voices could challenge projects of worldwide economic
> exploitation. Yet not even the most idealistic motives can correct
> materialism's fundamental flaws. Since World War II, development
> has been our largest collective undertaking, with a humanitarian
> motivation matched by enormous material and technological investment. While it has brought impressive benefits, it has nevertheless
> failed to narrow the gap between the small segment of modern
> society and the vast populations of the poor. The gap has widened
> into an abyss.
> Consumerism drives much of the emission of greenhouse gases.
> Materialism's gospel of human betterment has produced today's
> consumer culture in pursuit of ephemeral goals. For the small
> minority of people who can afford them, the benefits it offers are
> immediate, and the rationale unapologetic. The breakdown of
> traditional morality has led to the triumph of animal impulse, as
> CLIMATE CHANGE
> 
> instinctive and blind as appetite. Selfishness has become a prized
> commercial resource; falsehood reinvents itself as public information; greed, lust, indolence, pride-even violence- acquire not
> merely broad acceptance but social and economic value. Yet material
> comforts and acquisitions have been drained of meaning. In the us,
> the indicators of human welfare and satisfaction have been diminishing since the 1960s. The economy may be richer, but people are
> not happier. This self-centered, hedonistic culture of the rich, now
> spreading around the world, refuses to acknowledge its primary
> responsibility for global warming. The challenge, then, is fundamentally a spiritual one, necessitating a change in the understanding of
> humanity's nature and purpose.
> What role can religion play in the challenges of today, including global warming? We used to be relatively content living within
> the limited perspective of our own communities, but now we can
> closely observe developments all around the world. We know about
> the extreme differences and injustices and we can no longer tolerate
> them. This progressive globalizing of human experience increases the
> stresses of modern life. There is a loss of faith in the certainties of
> materialism as its negative impacts become apparent. At the same
> time, there is a lack of faith in traditional religion and a failure to
> find guidance within it for living with modernity. Yet, it would
> appear that it is an inherent characteristic of the human experience
> to understand the purpose of existence. This has led to an unexpected
> resurgence of religion, built upon a groundswell of anxiety and
> discontent with spiritual emptiness. People lacking in hope are
> readily attracted to radical, intolerant, fanatical movements. As a
> result, the world is in the grip of irreconcilable religious antipathies,
> a situation which paralyzes our ability to address global challenges,
> including climate change.
> Humanity can choose to conduct "business as usual" in its
> materialistic way, ignoring the future. The consequences, however,
> will soon catch up with us. We can retreat into a fortress of old
> values, but the pressures of globalization will make this untenable.
> The alternative is to make the effort to transition towards a unified
> world civilization based on equity and sustainability, drawing on
> the complementary strengths of both science and religion. This is
> 168               THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> the approach that the Baha'i Faith has championed for more than
> a hundred years.
> Unity is the essential prerequisite for action to remove the
> barriers to collaboration on global warming. In its 1995 statement,
> The Prosperity ofHumankind, the Baha'i International Community,
> United Nations, observed,
> The bedrock of a strategy that can engage the world's population
> in assuming responsibility for its collective destiny must be the
> consciousness of the oneness of humankind. Deceptively simple
> in popular discourse, the concept that humanity constitutes a
> single people presents fundamental challenges to the way that
> most of the institutions of contemporary society carry out their
> functions. Whether in the form of the adversarial structure
> of civil government, the advocacy principle informing most
> of civil law, a glorification of the struggle between classes and
> other social groups, or the competitive spirit dominating so
> much of modern life, conflict is accepted as the mainspring of
> human interaction. It represents yet another expression in social
> organization of the materialistic interpretation of life that has
> progressively consolidated itself over the past two centuries . . ..
> Only so fundamental a reorientation can protect them, too, from
> the age-old demons of ethnic and religious strife. Only through
> the dawning consciousness that they constitute a single people
> will the inhabitants of the planet be enabled to turn away from
> the patterns of conflict that have dominated social organization
> in the past and begin to learn the ways of collaboration and
> conciliation. "The well-being of mankind," Baha'u'llah writes,
> "its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity
> is firmly established." 7
> Only by agreeing that we are a single human race and live on
> one planet can we create the ethical and moral basis for addressing
> a challenge such as climate change.
> Some governments have already agreed to this. They promote the
> concept of sustainable development as one that meets the needs of
> the present generation without compromising the ability of future
> generations to meet their needs. 8 The nations of the world have
> CLIMATE CHANGE
> 
> repeatedly accepted this as a goal and priority. This is precisely the
> challenge of climate change. With high fossil energy consumption
> and greenhouse gas emissions, we are precipitating damage to our
> planetary system that will compromise future generations. Governments have agreed they have to act but, faced with a paralysis of
> will, they do not.
> Expressed by the Baha'i International Community, sustainability
> is fundamentally an ethical concept. We, the human race, are trustees, or stewards, of the planet's vast resources and biological diversity.
> We must learn to make use of the earth's natural resources, both
> renewable and nonrenewable, in a manner that ensures sustainability
> and equity into the distant reaches of time . This requires full
> consideration of the potential environmental consequences of all
> development activities. We must temper our actions with moderation
> and humility, and recognize that the true value of nature cannot be
> expressed in economic terms. This requires a deep understanding of
> the natural world and its role in humanity's collective development,
> both material and spiritual. Sustainable environmental management
> is not a discretionary commitment we can weigh against other
> competing interests. It is a fundamental responsibility that must be
> shouldered, a prerequisite for spiritual development as well as for
> our physical survival. 9
> Sustainability requires the rethinking of economics. The present
> economic system is unsustainable and not meeting human needs
> or able to respond adequately to global warming. Fifty years of
> economic development, despite some progress, has failed to meet
> its objectives. The global economic system lacks the supranational
> governance necessary to address such global issues. It is not the
> mechanisms of economics that are at fault, but its values. Economics
> has ignored the broader context of humanity's social and spiritual
> existence, resulting in corrosive materialism in the world's more
> economically advantaged regions (driving global warming), and
> persistent conditions of deprivation among the masses of the world's
> peoples. Economics should serve people's needs; societies should
> not be expected to reformulate themselves to fit economic models.
> The ultimate function of economic systems should be to equip the
> peoples and institutions of the world with the means to achieve the
> 170             THE BAHA'I WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> real purpose of development: that is, the cultivation of the limitless
> potentialities latent in human consciousness.
> What values do we need for an economic system able to accept
> responsibility for and address global warming? The goal of wealth
> creation should be to make everyone wealthy. Society needs new,
> value-based economic models that aim to create a dynamic, just,
> and thriving social order which should be strongly altruistic and
> cooperative in nature. It should provide meaningful employment
> and help to eradicate poverty in the world.
> All religions teach the "Golden Rule,'' namely, to do unto others
> as you would have others do unto you. Should a minority of high
> energy consumers have the right to cause such damage to others and
> to future generations? Many faith-based organizations are drawing
> increasing attention to the ethical implications of excessive consumerism and one of its impacts, climate change.
> Justice and equity will be essential to achieve unity of action
> at the global level. It is unjust to sacrifice the well-being of the
> generality of humankind-and even of the planet itself-to the
> advantages which technological breakthroughs can make available to
> privileged minorities. Only development programs that are perceived
> as meeting their needs and as being just and equitable in objective
> can hope to engage the commitment of the masses of humanity,
> upon whom implementation depends. The same is true of action
> to reduce global warming.
> Solidarity is another essential value in times of rapid change,
> when many will become victims of climate perturbations and natural
> disasters. The poor are the most vulnerable to climate change and the
> least able to protect themselves. We should consider every human
> being as a trust of the whole, and recognize that both governments
> and individuals share this responsibility. Voluntary giving is more
> meaningful and effective than forced redistribution.
> Trustworthiness will also become increasingly important. Trust
> is the basis for all economic and social interaction. Public opinion
> surveys show little trust in politicians and business, key actors
> in this area. The repeated failure of governments to respect the
> commitments that they have made has not helped. Re-establishing
> trust will have to be part of the solution to global warming, a solution
> in which everyone will have to make sacrifices.
> CLIMATE CHANGE                              171
> 
> Conclusion
> Since our extreme energy demands are the driving force for global
> warming, the human race now has to learn to moderate material
> civilization. Baha'u'llah wrote more than a century ago: "The civilization, so often vaunted by the learned exponents of arts and sciences,
> will, if allowed to overleap the bounds of moderation, bring great
> evil upon men .... The day is approaching when its flame will devour the cities." 10 Global warming is a perfect illustration of this. To
> moderate our lifestyles, we need to cultivate human contentment. All
> faiths have taught the spiritual value of a simple life and detachment
> from material things: "Be content with little, and be freed from all
> inordinate desire." 11 This simple principle has fundamental implications for the consumer society and its energy consumption.
> From a Baha'i perspective, a motivating impulse for the human
> race must be the carrying forward of an ever-advancing civilization, based on unity in diversity-a unity that acknowledges the
> fundamental spiritual reality inherent in humanity. It should aim for
> a better balance of material and spiritual development, measuring
> progress not with economic measures-such as GDP-but through its
> capacity to develop, utilize and sustain all available human potential.
> Its sustainable environmental management, including stabilization
> of the climate, must ensure the welfare of the biosphere and its
> inhabitants into the distant reaches of time.
> Recent scientific evidence of accelerating climate change, together
> with our growing understanding of its implications for human
> society, are creating pressures with the potential to force a significant
> transformation in the way governments collaborate. Faced with a
> common threat resulting from our own behavior, the human race
> must close ranks and work to combat it. The Baha'i teachings call
> for a world federal system with the necessary institutions to regulate
> the life, satisfy the needs, and adjust the relationships of all races
> and peoples. This would be a logical expression of the principles
> of cooperation and reciprocity which are essential properties of all
> natural and human systems. It would be a natural consequence of
> increasing globalization in all aspects of human affairs, not only providing the means to find solutions to global warming, but helping
> us to solve other major threats to our well-being and survival.
> 172              THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005- 2006
> 
> Climate change is also an issue on which all religions can find
> common ground. Each of them shares a common commitment to
> justice, solidarity, altruism, respect, trust, moderation, and service.
> Religion can strengthen the ethical framework for action on climate
> change. It can educate about values and global responsib ility. It can
> create motivation for change, and encourage the necessary sacrifices
> to enact changes. Global warming and the resulting climate changes
> challenge our generation in fundamental ways. Science alone cannot
> solve the problem.
> 
> NOTES
> 
> For a comprehensive resource on climate change and other environmental
> top ics, the author recommends the World Resources Institute Web site at
> http://www.wri.org/climate/. Further information can be found at the Web
> site of the International Environment Forum, a Baha'i-inspired organization
> addressing the environment and sustainable development, http://www.bcca
> .org/ief/.
> 'Abdu'l-Baha, from a Tablet translated from Persian, quoted in a memorandum on "Gaia and Nature," to the Universal House of Justice from its
> Research Department of the Baha'i World Centre, 8 June 1992.
> Nicho las Stern, "The Economics of Climate Change," http://www
> . h m-treasury.gov. uk/i ndependen t_reviews/ stern_review_economics
> _climate_ change/ stern_review_report.cfm (2006).
> Shoghi Effendi, The World Order ofBahd'u'Lldh: Selected Letters (Wilmette,
> IL: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1991), pp. 203-4.
> See UK Meteorological Office, Avoiding Dangerous Climate Change
> (2005). Quoted in UNEP Finance Initiative Bulletin 47, (February 2006),
> http://www.unepfi .org/ ebulletin .
> See Baha'i International Community, Office of Public Information, The
> Prosperity of Humankind (Haifa: Baha'i World Centre, 1995).
> Ibid., pp. 4-5.
> See World Commission on Environment and Development (Brundtland
> Commission), Our Common Future (Oxford: Oxford University Press,
> 1987).
> Baha'i International Community, Valuing Spirituality in Development:
> A Concept Paper Written for the World Faiths and Development Dialogue
> (Lambeth Palace, London: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 18-19 February 1998).
> 10 Bal1a'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings ofBahd'u'Lldh (Wilmette, IL: Baha'i
> 
> Publishing Trust, 1990), section CLXII.
> Bal1a'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqfo (Wilmette, IL: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 2003),
> pp. 178-79.
> World Watch
> As processes ofchange in the world accelerate,
> Matthew Weinberg asks what future "identity" has
> in defining individuals, groups, and communities
> in an increasingly global civilization.
> 
> A
> t the heart of human experience lies an essential yearning
> for self-definition and self-understanding. Developing a
> conception of who we are, for what purpose we exist, and
> how we should live our lives is a basic impulse of human consciousness . This project-of defining the self and its place in the social
> order-expresses both a desire for meaning and an aspiration for
> belonging. It is a quest informed by ever-evolving and interacting
> narratives of identity.
> Today, as the sheer intensity and velocity of change challenges
> our assumptions about the nature and structure of social reality, a set
> of vital questions confront us. These include: What is the source of
> our identity? Where should our attachments and loyalties lie? If our
> identity or identities so impel us, how-and with whom- should
> we come together? And what is the nature of the bonds that bring
> us together?
> The organization and direction of human affairs are inextricably
> connected to the future evolution of our identity. For it is from
> our identity that intention, action, and social development flow.
> Identity determines how we see ourselves and conceive our position
> in the world, how others see or classify us, and how we choose to
> 
> 174             THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> engage with those around us. "Knowing who we are," the sociologist
> Philip Selznick observes, "helps us to appreciate the reach as well as
> the limits of our attachments." 1 Such attachments play a vital role
> in shaping our "authentic selves" and in determining our attitudes
> toward those within and outside the circle of our social relationships.
> Acting on the commitments implied by these attachments serves to
> amplify the powers of individuals in effecting societal well-being
> and advancement. Notions of personal and collective identity can
> thus exert considerable influence over the norms and practices of a
> rapidly integrating global community.
> As we have many associational linkages, identity comes in a
> variety of forms. At times, we identify ourselves by our family,
> ethnicity, nationality, religion, mother tongue, race, gender, class,
> culture, or profession. At other times, our locale, the enterprises
> and institutions we work for, our loyalty to sports teams, affinity for
> certain types of music and cuisine, attachment to particular causes,
> and educational affiliations provide definitional aspects to who we
> are. The sources of identification which animate and ground human
> beings are immensely diverse. In short, there are multiple demands
> ofloyalty placed upon us, and consequently, our identities, as Nobel
> laureate Amartya Sen has noted, are "inescapably plural." 2
> But which identity or identities are most important? Can divergent identities be reconciled? And do these identities enhance
> or limit our understanding of, and engagement with, the world?
> Each of us on a daily basis, both consciously and unconsciously,
> draws upon, expresses, and mediates between our multiple senses of
> identity. And as our sphere of social interaction expands, we tend to
> subsume portions of how we define ourselves and seek to integrate
> into a wider domain of human experience. This often requires us
> to scrutinize and even resist particular interpretations of allegiance
> that may have a claim on us. We therefore tend to prioritize which
> identities matter most to us. As the theorist Iris Marion Young
> stresses, "Individuals are agents: we constitute our own identities, and
> each person's identity is unique ... A person's identity is not some
> sum of her gender, racial, class, and national affinities. She is only
> her identity, which she herself has made by the way that she deals
> with and acts in relation to others." 3 The matrix of our associations
> surely influences how we understand and interpret the world, but
> cannot fully account for how we think, act, or what values we hold.
> WORLD WATCH                               175
> 
> That a particular identity represents a wellspring of meaning to an
> individual need not diminish the significance of other attachments or
> eclipse our moral intuition or use of reason. Affirming affinity with
> a specific group as a component of one's personal identity should
> not limit how one views one's place in society or the possibilities of
> how one might live.
> While it is undoubtedly simplistic to reduce human identity to
> specific contextual categories such as nationality or culture, such
> categories do provide a strong narrative contribution to an individual's sense of being. ''Around the world," the philosopher Kwame
> Anthony Appiah writes, "it matters to people that they can tell a story
> of their lives that meshes with larger narratives. This may involve rites
> of passage into womanhood and manhood; or a sense of national
> identity that fits into a larger saga. Such collective identification can
> also confer significance upon very individual achievements." 4 Social,
> cultural, and other narratives directly impact who we are. They
> provide context and structure for our lives, allowing us to link what
> we wish to become to a wider human inheritance, thereby providing
> a basis for meaningful collective life. Various narratives of identity
> serve as vehicles of unity, bringing coherence and direction to the
> disparate experiences of individuals.
> In the wake of extraordinary advances in human knowledge,
> which have deepened global interchange and contracted the planet,
> we now find ourselves defined by overlapping identities that encompass a complex array of social forces, relations, and networks. The
> same person, for instance, can be a Canadian citizen of African origin
> who descends from two major tribes, fluent in several languages,
> an engineer, an admirer of Italian opera, an alumnus of a major
> American university, a race-car enthusiast, a practitioner of yoga, an
> aficionado of oriental cuisine, a proponent of a conservative political
> philosophy, and an adherent of agnosticism who nevertheless draws
> on insights found in the spiritual traditions of his forebears. One
> can simultaneously be a committed participant in local community
> affairs such as improving elementary-level education and an ardent
> supporter of transnational causes like human rights and environmental stewardship. Such juxtapositions of identity illustrate how
> individuals increasingly belong to multiple "communities of fate"
> in which long-existing spatial boundaries are being entirely redrawn
> and reconceptualized. 5 Modernity has transformed identity in such
> THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> a way that we must view ourselves as being not only in a condition
> of dependence or independence but also interdependence.
> The recasting of long-standing narratives of identification and
> affiliation is giving rise to widespread anxiety, grievance, and perplexity. In the eyes of many, the circumstances of daily life lie beyond their
> control. In particular, "the nation-state ... that preeminent validator
> of social identity-no longer assures well-being," the anthropologist
> Charles Carnegie avers. 6 Other established sources of social cohesion
> and expressions of collective intention are similarly diminished in
> their efficacy to ground the actions of populations around the planet,
> resulting in a sense of disconnection and alienation. The philosopher
> Charles Taylor attributes such disruption of customary social patterns
> to the "massive subjective turn of modern culture," involving an
> overly atomistic and instrumental view of individual identity.7 This
> exaggerated individualism accompanies the dislocation from historic
> centers of collectivity that is a repercussion of the centrifugal stresses
> of globalization. Against this kaleidoscope of change, including the
> major migrations of peoples, the international nature of economic
> production, and the formation of communities of participation
> across territorial borders through the means of modern communications, the concept of citizenship, as membership in a confined
> geographic polity, is in need of reformulation.
> Our connections to others now transcend traditional bounds of
> culture, nation, and community. The unprecedented nature of these
> connections is radically reshaping human organization and the scale
> and impact of human exchange. But globalization has been with us a
> long time; the movement of peoples, goods, and ideas is an inherent
> feature of human history and development. Virtually every culture
> is linked to others by myriad ties. 8
> Culture is neither static nor homogeneous. Anthropological and
> sociological research reveals that cultures cannot be seen as fixed,
> indivisible wholes. The various manifestations of "social belonging"
> exhibit a "constructed and pliable nature." 9 Cultural resiliency has
> much to do with heterogeneity, assimilation of outside ideas, and
> the capacity to adapt. "We should view human cultures as constant
> creations, recreations, and negotiations of imaginary boundaries
> between 'we' and the 'other(s)'," the political scientist Seyla Benhabib emphasizes. 10 The multifarious processes of integration now at
> WORLD WATCH                               177
> 
> work are serving to accentuate and accelerate such social, economic,
> and cultural interchange. Under these conditions, Benhabib adds,
> presumed lines of cultural demarcation are increasingly "fluid, porous
> and contested." 11 To perceive cultures, then, as objects of stasis,
> immune from the complex dialogues and interactions of human
> existence, is a fundamental epistemological and empirical error. As
> Appiah maintains, "Societies without change aren't authentic; they're
> just dead." 12
> Often, the insistence that the essence of cultural distinctiveness
> is its putative immutability emerges from a sincere desire to preserve
> and honor the power of an existing collective narrative. What is at
> issue here is a legitimate fear that valued identities may be lost or
> overwhelmed by unfamiliar external forces. Although an advocate
> of cultural rights designed to prevent such unwanted change, the
> theorist Will Kymlicka notes that "most indigenous peoples understand that the nature of their cultural identity is dynamic." 13 From
> this vantage point, Kymlicka believes that globalization "provides
> new and valued options by which nations can promote their interests and identities. " 14 This suggests that a balance must be sought
> between the requirements of self-determination and the possibility
> of defining an aspect of self-determination as participation in the
> construction of a broader collectivity. Participation of this kind by a
> diverse array of cultures and peoples offers the promise of enriching
> the entire fabric of civilized life.
> Recognition of the reality of globalization, however, does not
> mean that the current inequities associated with the process- how
> resources, opportunities, and power are distributed- should go unchallenged. And perhaps more important, the exhausted ideologies
> and intellectual frameworks that allow such inequities to persist must
> also be directly confronted. 15 It is here where the insights provided
> by diverse human traditions and value systems can engage with the
> constructive phenomena of contemporary change to open new frontiers of identiry-frontiers offering a peaceful and just future .
> In 1945, aware of the imminent test of the first atomic weapon,
> Franklin D. Roosevelt warned, "Today we are faced with the preeminent fact that, if civilization is to survive, we must cultivate the
> science of human relationships-the ability of all peoples, of all kinds,
> to live together and work together in the same world, at peace. " 16
> THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> Clearly, the perceptions that human beings hold of themselves and
> each other matter. In a world convulsed by contention and conflict,
> conceptions of identity that feed the forces of prejudice and mistrust
> must be closely examined. Assertions that certain populations can be
> neatly partitioned into oppositional categories of affiliation deserve
> particular scrutiny. The notion of civilizational identity as the
> predominant expression of human allegiance is one such problematic
> example. 17 For Amartya Sen, such thinking leads to "conceptual
> disarray" that can undermine international stability.
> To view the relationships between different human beings as mere
> reflections of the relations between civilizations is questionable on
> both logical and pragmatic grounds. First, civilizations themselves
> are not monolithic in character; indeed, their vast internal diversity
> is among their distinguishing features. Second, as we have seen,
> reducing personhood to a "singular affiliation" denies the essential
> variety and complexity of human experience. 18 Of most concern,
> argues Sen, is the danger that assigning "one preeminent categorization" to human beings will exacerbate and harden conceptions of
> difference between peoples. 19 This presumption of a "unique and
> choiceless identity," that people are what they are because they have
> been born into a certain ethnic, cultural, or religious inheritance,
> is an "illusion" that underlies many of the "conflicts and barbarities
> in the world." 20 "Reasoned choice," Sen believes, must be used to
> examine the intrinsic merit of our antecedent associations as well as
> the broader social ramifications of identity. 2 1
> ''A tenable global ethics," Kwame Anthony Appiah concurs, "has
> to temper a respect for difference with a respect for the freedom of
> actual human beings to make their own choices." 22 For this reason,
> there exists an intimate relationship between cultural diversity
> and liberty. A sustainable and authentic expression of collective
> development must be a freely chosen path pursued by the members
> composing the group in question; current generations cannot
> impose their vision of what a desirable form of life is upon future
> generations. Existing mores, practices, and institutions can inform,
> validate, and even ennoble the human condition, but cannot or
> should not foreclose new moral or social directions for individuals
> and communities. Indeed, collective learning and adjustment are
> defining characteristics of social evolution. Because our perceptions
> WORLD WATCH                               179
> 
> and experiences change, our understanding of reality necessarily
> undergoes change. So too, then, do our identities change. "The
> contours of identity are profoundly real," Appiah states, "and yet no
> more imperishable, unchanging, or transcendent than other things
> that men and women make." 23 At the same time, "if we create a
> society that our descendants will want to hold on to, our personal
> and political values will survive in them." 24
> Significant portions of the world's peoples, we know though,
> are deprived of the autonomy necessary to develop a plan of life or
> a corresponding identity that can inspire and assist them to realize
> life goals. The widespread subordinate social position of women and
> minorities restricts the latitude of their self-determination; members
> of these groups are frequently denied, in a systematic way, the chance
> to fully explore their individual potential and to contribute to the
> processes of cultural, social, and moral advancement. Constructions
> of identity can therefore be quite tenuous for marginalized groups
> or individuals whose personal characteristics fall outside received
> categories of classification. This can be especially true for persons
> of mixed ethnic, racial, or religious descent. Concepts of race and
> nation can serve as powerful instruments and symbols of unity, bur
> can also lead to the isolation, dispossession, and "symbolic dismemberment" of minorities. 25 In this regard, Charles Carnegie's call for
> a "new consciousness of belonging" seems vital. 26
> The prevalent stance that identity is about difference is untenable.
> Perceiving identity through the relativistic lens of separation or
> cultural preservation ignores compelling evidence of our common
> humanity and can only aggravate the forces of discord and disagreement now so pervasive in the world. The only alternative to this path
> of fragmentation and disunity is to nurture effective relationships
> across lines of ethnicity, creed, territory, and color-relationships that
> can serve as the warp and woof of a new social framework of universal
> solidarity and mutual respect. A one-dimensional understanding of
> human beings must be rejected. As Amartya Sen underscores, "The
> hope of harmony in the contemporary world lies to a great extent
> in a clearer understanding of the pluralities of human identity, and
> in the appreciation that they cut across each other and work against
> a sharp separation along one single hardened line of impenetrable
> division. " 27 This is an appeal for imagination in creating new ways of
> 180              THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> being and living; for a new vision of human nature and society- one
> that recognizes the unmistakable shared destiny of all peoples. The
> resolution of the problems now engulfing the planet demands a more
> expansive sense of human identity. fu articulated by Baha'u'llah more
> than a century ago: "The earth is but one country, and mankind
> its citizens." 28
> The crucial need of the present hour is to determine the conceptual and practical steps that will lay the foundations of an equitable
> and harmonious global order. Effectively addressing the crises now
> disrupting human affairs will require new models of social transformation that recognize the deep interrelationships between the
> material, ethical, and transcendent dimensions of life. It is evident
> that such models can emerge only from a fundamental change in
> consciousness about who we are, how we regard others who enter
> our ambit-no matter how near or distant-and how we collectively
> design the structures and processes of social life, whether local or
> global.
> Such observations lead to yet more questions. In a world
> of pluralistic identities and rapidly shifting cultural and moral
> boundaries, is a common understanding of human purpose and
> action possible? Can a genuine cosmopolitan ethic, one that fully
> embraces human diversity, emerge from the multiple experiences
> and perceptions of modernity?
> A basis of an affirmative Baha'i response to these questions can
> be found in Baha'u'llah's exhortations to the world's peoples to
> "[s]et your faces towards unity, and let the radiance of its light shine
> upon you," and to "let your vision be world-embracing, rather than
> confined to your own self." For Baha'is, though, such a perspective is
> not simply a matter of belief or hopeful aspiration, but is grounded
> in experience.29
> A conviction of the practicality of world unity and peace, coupled
> with an unwavering dedication to work toward this goal is, perhaps,
> the single most distinguishing characteristic of the Baha'i community. That this community is now representative of the diversity of
> the entire human race, encompassing virtually every national, ethnic,
> and racial group on the planet, is an achievement that cannot be
> casually dismissed. The worldwide Baha'i community, as an organic
> whole, eschews dichotomies prevalent in public discourse today, such
> as "N ort h" an d "S out h ," an d "d eve lope d" an d "un d erd eve lope d ."
> WORLD WATCH                              181
> 
> Baha'is everywhere, irrespective of the degree of material well-being
> of their nations, are striving to apply the teachings of Baha'u'llah
> to the process of building unified patterns of collective life. In this
> undertaking, every member of the community is a valued participant.
> In this respect, the roots of Baha'i motivation and the formation of
> Baha'i identity have a long history.
> In the early part of the twentieth century, 'Abdu'l-Baha-
> Baha'u'llah's Son and appointed Successor- urged the some 160
> Baha'i inhabitants of a small village in a remote part oflran who were
> experiencing persecution to "regard every ill-wisher as a well-wisher
> ... That is, they must associate with a foe as befitteth a friend, and
> deal with an oppressor as beseemeth a kind companion. They should
> not gaze upon the faults and transgressions of their foes, nor pay
> heed to their enmity, inequity or oppression." 30 And further, they
> should "show forth love and affection, wisdom and compassion,
> faithfulness and unity towards all, without any discrimination." 3 1
> But apart from enjoining upon them an attitude of remarkable
> forbearance and amity, 'Abdu'l-Baha did not address these followers as simple, rural people with narrow, parochial concerns. Rather,
> He affirmed their innate dignity by speaking to them as citizens of
> the world who had the capacity and the power to contribute to the
> advancement of civilization:
> 0 ye beloved of the Lord! With the utmost joy and gladness,
> serve ye the human world, and love ye the human race. Turn your
> eyes away from limitations, and free yourselves from restrictions,
> for . . . freedom therefrom brings about divine blessings and
> bestowals .. . .
> 
> Therefore, so long as there be a trace of life in one's veins,
> one must strive and labor, and seek to lay a foundation that the
> passing of centuries and cycles may not undermine, and rear an
> edifice which the rolling of ages and aeons cannot overthrow-an
> edifice that shall prove eternal and everlasting, so that the sovereignty of heart and soul may be established and secure in both
> worlds. 32
> In short, the perceptions, preferences, and assumptions of the
> denizens of this small, isolated village were radically transformed.
> Their identity had been remade. They no longer were concerned
> 182             THE BAHA'I WORLD 2005- 2006
> 
> just with local matters, and even though they were far removed
> from the mainstream of intellectual and cultural exchange, they
> regarded themselves as "servants" of the "entire human race," and
> as protagonists in the building of a new way of life. They understood their "ultimate sphere of work as the globe itself." 33 That the
> broader Iranian Baha'i community achieved, over the course of
> three generations, levels of educational advancement and prosperity well beyond the general population, even under conditions of
> severe religious discrimination, underscores the capacities that can
> be released when the moral and spiritual dimensions of human
> consciousness are awakened and purposively channeled.34 For those
> interested in apprehending the sources and mechanisms of individual
> and community empowerment, it would be difficult to find a more
> compelling example of social transformation than the case of the
> Iranian Baha'!s.
> In response to Baha'u'llah's call for the creation of a universal
> culture of collaboration and conciliation, Baha'!s drawn from almost
> every cultural and religious tradition "have achieved a sense of
> identity as members of a single human race, an identity that shapes
> the purpose of their lives and that, clearly, is not the expression of
> any intrinsic moral superiority on their own part." 35 It is an accomplishment "that can properly be described only as spiritual-capable
> of eliciting extraordinary feats of sacrifice and understanding from
> ordinary people of every background. "36
> So it is clear that, from a Baha'i perspective, a universal identity is a vital precursor to action that is universal in its effects-to
> the "emergence of a world community, the consciousness of world
> citizenship, the founding of a world civilization and culture. "37 In
> emphasizing our global identity, Baha'u'llah presents a conception
> of life that insists upon a redefinition of all human relationshipsbetween individuals, between human society and the natural world,
> between the individual and the community, and between individual
> citizens and their governing institutions. 38 Humanity has arrived at
> the dawn of its maturity, when its "innate excellence" and latent
> creative capacities can at last find complete expression. 39 Accordingly,
> new social forms and ethical precepts are enunciated in the Baha'f
> teachings so that human consciousness can be freed from patterns
> of response set by tradition, and the foundations of a global society
> can be erected.
> WORLD WATCH
> 
> Baha'u'llah thus speaks to the reshaping and redirection of social
> reality. That all individual action and social arrangements must be
> informed by the principle of the oneness of human relationships,
> gives rise to a concept of moral and social order that safeguards
> personal dignity while deepening human solidarity. In recognition of
> this central insight, the Universal House of]ustice, the international
> governing body of the Baha'i community, urges all to "embrace the
> implications of the oneness of humankind, not only as the inevitable
> next step in the advancement of civilization, but as the fulfilment
> of lesser identities of every kind that our race brings to this critical
> moment in our collective history." 40
> From the basic principle of the unity of the world's peoples are
> derived virtually all notions concerning human welfare and liberty. If
> the human race is one, any assertion that a particular racial, ethnic,
> or national group is in some way superior to the rest of humanity
> must be dismissed; society must reorganize its life to give practical
> expression to the principle of equality for all its members regardless
> of race, creed, or gender; 4 1 each and every person must be enabled
> to "look into all things with a searching eye" so that truth can be
> independently ascertained; 42 and all individuals must be given the
> opportunity to realize their inherent capabilities and thereby foster
> "the elevation, the advancement, the education, the protection and
> the regeneration of the peoples of the earth. " 43
> In the Baha'i view, social origin, position, or rank are of no
> account in the sight of God. As Baha'u'llah confirms, "man's
> glory lieth in his knowledge, his upright conduct, his praiseworthy
> character, his wisdom, and not in his nationality or rank." 44 This
> emphatic declaration of the essential moral and spiritual worth
> of every human being is echoed in an epistle of Baha'u'llah's to a
> devoted follower: "Verily, before the one true God, they who are the
> rulers and lords of men and they that are their subjects and vassals
> are equal and the same. The ranks of all men are dependent on their
> potential and capacity. Witness unto this truth are the words, 'In
> truth, they are most honored before God who are most righteous."' 45
> Hence, embedded in the Baha'i understanding of human identity
> is a fundamental expectation of justice and equality of opportunity,
> as well as an imperative of striving for greater moral awareness and
> responsibility.
> THE BAHA'I WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> It must be stressed that the "watchword" of the Baha'i community
> is "unity in diversity." 46 Oneness and diversity are complementary
> and inseparable: "That human consciousness necessarily operates
> through an infinite diversity of individual minds and motivations
> detracts in no way from its essential unity. Indeed, it is precisely
> an inhering diversity that distinguishes unity from homogeneity or
> uniformity." 47 Just as integration of the differentiated components
> of the human body makes possible the higher function of human
> consciousness, so too is global well-being dependent on the willing
> give and take, and ultimate collaboration, of humanity's diverse
> populations. 48 Acceptance of the concept of unity in diversity implies the development of a global consciousness, a sense of global
> citizenship, and a love for all of humanity. It induces every individual
> to realize that, "since the body of humankind is one and indivisible,"
> each member of the human race is "born into the world as a trust of
> the whole" and has a responsibility to the whole. 49 It further suggests
> that if a peaceful international community is to emerge, then the
> complex and varied cultural expressions of humanity must be allowed
> to develop and flourish , as well as to interact with one another in
> ever-changing forms of civilization. "The diversity in the human
> family," the Baha'i writings emphasize, "should be the cause of love
> and harmony, as it is in music where many different notes blend
> together in the making of a perfect chord." 50 More than creating a
> culture of tolerance, the notion of unity in diversity entails vanquishing corrosive divisions along lines of race, class, gender, nationality,
> and belief, and erecting a dynamic and cooperative social ethos that
> reflects the oneness of human nature.
> The ideology of difference so ubiquitous in contemporary
> discourse militates against the possibility of social progress. It provides
> no basis whereby communities defined by specific backgrounds,
> customs, or creeds can bridge their divergent perspectives and
> resolve social tensions. The value of variety and difference cannot
> be minimized, and neither can the necessity for coexistence, order,
> and mutual effort. "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 and accomplishment in all the planes
> of human activity." 51 Diversity by itself cannot be regarded as an
> "ultimate good." 52
> WORLD WATCH
> 
> Unity, in contrast, "is a phenomenon of creative power." 53 To
> foster a global identity, to affirm that we are members of one human
> family, is a deceptively simple but powerful idea. While traditional
> loyalties and identities must be appreciated and recognized, they
> are inadequate for addressing the predicament of modernity, and
> consequently, a higher loyalty, one that speaks to the common
> destiny of all the earth's inhabitants, is necessary. And so, in our quest
> for solutions to the problems that collectively confront us, a first
> step must involve relinquishing our attachment to lesser loyalties.
> Yet, while Baha'u'llah is saying that at this moment in human social
> evolution a global identity is vital, an inherent aspect of such a
> universal identity is recognition of the spiritual reality that animates
> our inner selves. 54 To be sure, a global identity grounded in awareness
> of our common humanness marks a great step forward from where
> humanity has been, but a strictly secular or material formulation
> of global identity is unlikely to provide a sufficient motivational
> basis for overcoming historic prejudices and engendering universal
> moral action. Establishing a global milieu of peace, prosperity, and
> fairness is ultimately a matter of the heart; it involves a change in
> basic attitudes and values that can only come from recognizing the
> normative and spiritual nature of the challenges before us. This is
> especially so given that the vast majority of the world's peoples do
> not view themselves simply as material beings responding to material exigencies and circumstances, but rather as beings endowed with
> spiritual sensibility and purpose.
> In light of ongoing social turmoil and the upheavals of the last
> century, it is simply no longer possible to maintain the belief that
> human well-being can arise from a narrow, materialistic conception of life. The persistence of widespread human deprivation and
> despair speaks to the shortcomings of prevailing social theories and
> policies. Fresh approaches are required. A just social polity, Baha'fs
> believe, will emerge only when human relations and social arrangements are infused with spiritual intent, an intent characterized by
> an all-embracing standard of equity, unconditional love, and an
> ethos of service to others. Addressing practical challenges through a
> spiritual lens is no easy task, but it is to this objective that Baha'fs
> are firmly committed. Through recognition of the centrality of
> spiritual values and the deeds they inspire, "Minds, hearts and all
> human forces are reformed, perfections are quickened, sciences,
> 186             THE BAHA'I WORLD 2005- 2006
> 
> discoveries, and investigations are stimulated afresh, and everything
> appertaining to the virtues of the human world is revitalized." 55
> The power of a spiritually-actuated identity in furthering human
> betterment cannot be overestimated, for those "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." 56
> It is still regrettable that the identity of certain individuals or
> groups emerges from a shared experience of oppression-from being
> the victims of systematic discrimination or injustice. In addressing
> this dimension of human identity, Baha' u'llah speaks forcefully and
> repeatedly about the rights and dignity of all human beings, and the
> indispensability of creating mechanisms of social justice, but He also
> explains that spiritual oppression is the most serious of all: "What
> 'oppression' is more grievous than that a soul seeking the truth ...
> should know not where to go for it and from whom to seek it?" 57
> From this standpoint, it is in the displacement of a transcendent
> understanding of life by an ascendant materialism that we find the
> source of the disaffection, anomie, and uncertainty that so pervades
> modern existence. All forms of oppression ultimately find their
> genesis in the denial of our essential spiritual identity. As Baha'u'llah
> earnestly counsels us: "Deny not My servant should he ask anything
> from thee, for his face is My face; be then abashed before Me." 58
> These words tell us that we must choose who we wish to be;
> we must "see" with our "own eyes and not through the eyes of
> others." 59 We must create our own sense of self and belonging. To
> have such power of choice affirms human nobility and is a sign of
> divine grace. Our different senses of identity consequently become
> fully realized through the development of our spiritual identity; they
> each provide a means for achieving our basic existential purpose-the
> recognition and refinement of the spiritual capacities latent within
> us. Through the tangible expression of such capacities-compassion,
> trustworthiness, humility, courage, forbearance, and willingness to
> sacrifice for the common good-we define a path of spiritual growth.
> In the end, though, whether we have attained our spiritual potential
> is enshrouded in mystery: "The inner being, the underlying reality
> or intrinsic identity, is still beyond the ken and perception of our
> human powers." 60
> WORLD WATCH
> 
> Connected with the idea of spiritual identity, then, is the
> inalienable sanctity of every human soul: that a unique destiny
> has been bestowed upon each of us by an all-loving Creator-a
> destiny which unfolds in accordance with the free exercise of our
> rational and moral powers. As Baha'u'llah indicates, "How lofty is
> the station which man, if he but choose to fulfill his high destiny,
> can attain!"6 1 This promise of new vistas of accomplishment for
> both the individual and society is, for Baha' is, a source of enduring
> confidence and optimism. The forces now buffeting and recasting
> human life, Baha'u'llah attests, will serve to release the "potentialities inherent in the station of man,'' thereby giving impetus to "an
> ever-advancing civilization. "6l
> The Baha'i belief in the spiritual nature of reality, and its
> underlying unity, sheds new light on the question of religious identity. In stressing 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,"6 3 Baha'u'llah is confirming a basic
> intuition that the truth underpinning the world's great religions is
> in essence one. This explicit rejection of exclusivity and superiority, which have so dominated religious thinking and behavior, and
> suppressed impulses to reconciliation and unity, clears the ground
> for a new ethos of mutual understanding. For indeed, to believe that
> one's system of belief is somehow superior or unique has only led
> humankind to misery, despair, and ruin. In warning His followers
> never to assume what their own spiritual end might be, Baha'u'llah
> plants the seeds of humility and spiritual maturity so necessary for
> the creation of a world of tolerance and tranquility. In recognizing
> the divine origin of the world's great religions, and that they have
> each served to unlock a wider range of capacities within human
> consciousness and society, the Baha'i Faith does not and cannot
> make any claim of religious finality, but rather a claim of paramount
> relevance to humanity's current spiritual and social plight. Its role
> as a reconciler and unifier of religions is clearly anticipated by
> Baha'u'llah: ''A different Cause ... hath appeared in this day and a
> different discourse is required. "64
> Baha'u'llah clarifies that a moral logic pervades the fabric of
> human life, and that it is through observance of spiritual principles
> that the individual can realize the divinely intended goal of his or
> her existence. As beings capable of spiritual and moral development,
> 188             THE BAHA'I WORLD 2005- 2006
> 
> our autonomy and welfare are not only determined by the laws and
> constraints of the natural world, but also by an objective spiritual
> world that is integrally related to it. To follow a moral path is not
> only to carry out the duties that we have to those around us, but is
> the only means for realizing true happiness and contentment. Our
> obligations to God, our inner selves, our family, and the wider community give definition to who we are and what our aims should be.
> For Baha'is, fulfillment of these obligations to the Divine will and
> to our fellow human beings ensures the emergence of a stable and
> progressive society. Moreover, by honoring such responsibilities, the
> nobility and rights of others are protected. In this sense, it is the
> requirement of individuals' being able to meet primary spiritual and
> moral obligations that safeguards human rights. 65
> The Baha'i teachings explain that moral insight is both transcendentally and dialogically derived. The values and ideals that bind
> human beings together, and give tangible direction and meaning to
> life, find their origins in the guidance provided by the Founders of the
> world's great religious systems. At the same time, it is human action
> in response to such guidance that gives real shape to social reality.
> Baha'u'llah makes clear that all such action must be consultatively
> inspired and directed. Given that human life has a "fundamentally
> dialogical character," it is through interchange that individuals and
> the communities they compose are able to give definition to their
> identities and their long-term goals. 66 Consultation can lead to the
> creation of new social meanings and social forms that reflect what
> is reasonable and fair for society to achieve. But any such process
> of collective deliberation and decision making, the Baha'i writings
> insist, must be devoid of adversarial posturing as well as dispassionate and fully participatory in spirit. It is through discourse which
> is inclusive and unifying that the religious impulse finds expression
> in the modern age.
> Clearly, there can never be an absolutely objective or static understanding of what constitutes concepts such as social equity, human
> security, power, "the common good," democracy, or community.
> There is an evolutionary aspect to social development-a dynamic
> process of learning, dialogue, and praxis in which social challenges
> and solutions are constantly redefined and reassessed. There are always
> multiple understandings of particular social questions and these
> WORLD WATCH
> 
> diverse perspectives each typically contain some measure of validity.
> By building a broader framework of analysis that encompasses not
> only material and technical variables but the normative and spiritual
> dimensions of various social issues, new insights can emerge that
> enrich dialogues previously locked into narrow conceptual boundaries. A unifying sense of identity can obviously play an important
> role in facilitating and sustaining such a consultative path.
> In many ways, the struggle to understand our identity is tied up
> with the question of meaning in modern life. Increasingly, calls are
> being made for rooting meaning and identity in community, but
> when the community is religiously, morally, and culturally pluralistic in character it is challenging for diverse voices to find common
> ground. It is here where the Baha'i concepts of unity in diversity
> and non-adversarial dialogue and decision making can offer a potent
> alternative vision of social advancement. Engaging in a cooperative
> search for truth will no doubt lead to the discovery and implementation of shared perspectives and values. Such open moral dialogue
> within and among variegated communities can lead to a process of
> action, reflection, and adjustment resulting in genuine social learning and progress.67 As Baha'u'llah emphasizes, "No welfare and no
> well-being can be attained except through consultation." 68
> Meaning emerges from an independent search for truth and a
> chosen freedom grounded in social experience and social participation-a participation that leads to the enlargement of the self
> Participation creates new identities and new solidarities. In Baha'i
> communities around the globe, patterns of fellowship, knowledge
> building, and collaboration among diverse peoples are giving rise
> to a new human culture. Baha' is have found that encouraging new
> modalities of association and participation is key to promoting
> meaningful social development and effective local governance that is
> democratic in spirit and method. Hence, Baha'u'llah's statement that
> fellowship and sincere association "are conducive to the maintenance
> of order in the world and to the regeneration of nations." 69
> Human beings are social beings. The self, therefore, cannot evolve
> outside of human relationships. Indeed, the self develops principally
> through endeavors that are participatory in nature. Virtues such
> as generosity, loyalty, mercy, and self-abnegation cannot be manifested in isolation from others. The Baha'i teachings affirm that the
> THE BAHA'I WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> essential arena of moral choice is the autonomous person. But this
> autonomy is exercised within a broader social context, as well as an
> all-encompassing spiritual reality that informs the nature of that
> social context. The Baha'i teachings thus offer a social conception
> of human identity in which the inner aspirations of the self are
> aligned with the goals of a just and creative global polity. In this
> way, the Baha'i community is able to reconcile "the right" with "the
> good." 70
> Individual well-being is intimately tied to the flourishing of
> the whole. It is a reciprocated benevolence, founded on the ideals
> of service 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." 7 1 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 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 of spontaneity, initiative and diversity that ensure
> the viability of society."73
> Given the social matrix of human reality, the quest for true selfdetermination and true identity involves finding one's place within
> a moral order, not outside it. But in the Baha'i view, such "ordered
> liberty" concerns the awakening of the soul to the capacities of
> integrity, kindness, and sincerity that lie within it. And spiritual
> growth of this kind must be fostered by the community in which the
> individual is embedded. Any conception of"the good"-an equitable
> society promoting the development of individual potential-must
> recognize the necessity of imbuing the concept of duty into society's
> members. In this respect, laws and ethical standards are intended
> not to constrain bur to liberate human consciousness so that a moral
> ethos can come into being. To a great degree, then, the emergence
> of the citizen devoted to a moral praxis results from the collective
> voice of the community. Although a path of social virtue and service
> must be freely chosen, the community must strive to cultivate and
> WORLD WATCH
> 
> empower this voice. 74 The ultimate expression of this spiritually motivated moral voice is a culture where action flows not from externally
> imposed duties and rights but from the spontaneous love that each
> member of the community has for one another. From our shared
> recognition that we are all sheltered under the love of the same God,
> comes both humility and the means for true social cohesion.
> This spiritually based conception of social life goes beyond
> notions of mutual advantage and prudence associated with the idea
> of the social contract. While the principle of self-interested, rational
> exchange implied by the social contract indisputably represents an
> advance over coercion as a basis for social existence, there surely exists
> a step beyond exchange. As the philosopher Martha Nussbaum states,
> the pursuit of "individual ends" must "include shared ends." 75 Social
> cooperation, as manifested through a "global society of peoples," she
> argues, cannot be based on seeking mutual advantage, but can only
> result from recognizing that "a central part of our good is to live in
> a world that is morally decent, a world in which all human beings
> have what they need to live a life with dignity."76 Yet Nussbaum's
> thoughtful critique of current social forms falls short in outlining a
> pathway for mediating among divergent identities and value systems
> so that unity on a global scale becomes a realistic possibility. For
> witho ut a genuine, transcending love emanating from the heart of
> human consciousness and motivation, it is unlikely that contending
> peoples and cultures can come together to form a harmonious and
> interdependent whole. Under the pluralism of the social contract,
> however enlightened that pluralism may be, disunity reigns. 77
> Baha'u'llih instead offers a covenant of universal fellowship, a
> spiritually empowered ethic of deep and abiding commitment, as
> the basis for collective life. As a result of this covenant of oneness,
> in the deprivation and suffering of others we see ourselves. Such a
> frame of reference opens the door to critical reflection and real social
> transformation. In the words of'Abdu'l-Baha: "Let all be set free from
> the multiple identities that were born of passion and desire, and in
> the oneness of their love for God find a new way of life. "78
> The Baha'i concept of an inhering human diversity leading to
> higher forms of unity suggests that we can and must move beyond
> a liberal construction of pluralism that is unable to provide an overarching vision of human development. But rather than engaging in a
> quixotic quest to overcome the innumerable evils at work in society,
> THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> or right the "countless wrongs afflicting a desperate age," Baha'is
> are devoting their energy to building the world anew. 79 As we have
> seen, recognizing the essential spiritual character of our identity is
> a defining feature of this project. Further, at this moment in our
> collective evolution, the appropriate locus for action is the globe in its
> entirety, where all members of the human family are joined together
> in a common enterprise of promoting justice and social integration.
> Here, it should be noted that the Baha'i teachings envision social and
> political development unfolding in two directions: upward beyond
> the nation-state and downward to the grassroots of society. Both are
> vital and interlinked. In this regard, the Baha'i community offers its
> own unique system of governance as a model for study. 80
> Baha'u'llah provides us with a potent new moral grammar that
> allows us to appreciate and nurture human diversity while expanding our horizons beyond the parochial to a solidarity encompassing
> the boundaries of the planet itself. By extending human identity
> outward to embrace the totality of human experience, Baha'u'llah
> offers a vision of a comprehensive good that recognizes and values
> the particular while promoting an integrating framework of global
> learning and cooperation. His summons to unity articulates an
> entirely new set of ethics and way of life-one that flows from a
> spiritual understanding of human history, purpose, and development.
> He also gives us new tools that allow us to negotiate among our diverse
> perceptions and construct unified modes ofliving without resorting
> to adversarial means and the culture of protest that heretofore have
> characterized even the most advanced democratic polities. He exhorts
> us to "flee" from "dissension and strife, contention, estrangement
> and apathy." 81
> By redefining human identity, the Baha'i teachings anticipate
> the moral reconstruction of all human practices-a process that
> involves the remaking of individual behavior and the reformulation
> of institutional structures. It entails the internalization of spiritual
> concepts so that the theory, assessment, and reformation of social
> affairs reflect the ideals of altruism, moderation, reciprocity, and
> justice. When society draws upon the spiritual mainspring of human
> identity and purpose, truly constructive avenues of social change
> can be pursued. "Among the results of the manifestation of spiritual
> forces,'' 'Abdu'l-Baha confirms, "will be that the human world will
> WORLD WATCH                                   193
> 
> adapt itself to a new social form ... and human equality will be
> universally established. "82
> In our very longing for a world free from violence and injustice
> lie the seeds of hope. But such hope can only be sustained by the
> certitude conferred by faith. As the Universal House ofJustice assures
> us: "The turmoil and crises of our time underlie a momentous transition in human affairs .... That our Earth has contracted into a
> neighborhood, no one can seriously deny. The world is being made
> new. Death pangs are yielding to birth pangs. The pain shall pass
> when members of the human race act upon the common recognition
> of their essential oneness. There is a light at the end of this tunnel
> of change beckoning humanity to the goal destined for it according
> to the testimonies recorded in all the Holy Books. "83
> 
> NOTES
> 
> Philip Selznick, "Civility and Piety as Foundations of Community," in The
> journal ofBahd'i Studies, vol. 14, March-June 2004. Also see Philip Selznick,
> The Moral Commonwealth: Social Theory and the Promise of Community
> (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1992), pp. 388-89.
> Amartya Sen, Identity and Violence- The Illusion of Destiny (New York:
> W.W Norton, 2006), p. xm.
> Iris Marion Young, Inclusion and Democracy (Oxford: Oxford University
> Press, 2000), pp. 101-2.
> Kwame Anthony Appiah , The Ethics of Identity (Princeton: Princeton
> University Press, 2005), p. 68 .
> 5   David Held and Anthony McGrew, Globalization/Anti-Globalization (Cambridge: Polity Press, 2002), p. 9r.
> Charles Carnegie, Postnationalism Pre.figured: Caribbean Borderlands (New
> Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2003), p. r.
> Charles Taylor, The Ethics of Authenticity (Cambridge, MA: Harvard
> University Press, 2003), p. 26.
> For example, many important concepts in modern science and mathematics
> find their genesis in the work of Chinese and Indian thinkers, some of which
> were later elaborated and transmitted to the West by Muslim innovators.
> Asian culture and architecture were greatly influenced by the movements of
> the Mughals and Mongols. The Bantu migrations spread ironworking and
> new agricultural methods across Africa. The great distances covered across
> oceans by the Vikings and the Polynesians, the movements and engineering
> achievements of indigenous societies in the Americas, the existence of Ming
> china in Swahili graves, and the spread of the tomato and the chili from
> 194               THE BAHA'I WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> the Americas to Europe and Asia illustrate the extent of human migration
> and interchange throughout the ages.
> Carnegie, Postnationalism Prefigured, p. 9.
> Seyla Benhabib, The Claims of Culture: Equality and Diversity in the Global
> Era (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2002), p. 8.
> Ibid ., p. 184.
> Kwame Anthony Appiah, "The Case for Contamination," in The New York
> Times Magazine (1 January 2006).
> Wi ll Kymlicka, cited in Appiah, The Ethics ofIdentity, p. 1}2.
> Will Kymlicka, Politics in the Vernacular: Nationalism, Multiculturalism, and
> Citizenship (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001), p. 323.
> For an in-depth exploration of this point, see the Baha'i International
> Community statements, The Prosperity of Humankind (1995), and Who Is
> Writing the Future? (1999).
> These were among the last words penned by Roosevelt which, due to his
> death, were not delivered. See http://www.ibiblio.org/pha/policy/J945/
> 450413b.html
> Sam uel Huntington, in his seminal article "The Clash of Civilizations?",
> posits that global stability will be determined by the interactions among
> what he calls Western, Hindu, Islamic, Sinic, African, Latin American,
> Buddhist, and Orthodox Christian civilizations. Huntington writes, "The
> clash of civilizations will dominate global politics. The fau lt lines between
> civilizations will be the battle lines of the future." See Samuel Huntington,
> "The Clash of Civilizations?," in Foreign Affeirs (Summer 1993).
> Sen, Identity and Violence, p. 20.
> Ibid., p. 16.
> Ibid., p. xv.
> Ibid., p. 8.
> Appiah, "The Case for Contamination. "
> Appiah, The Ethics ofIdentity, p. n3.
> Ib id., p. 137·
> Carnegie, Postnationalism Prefigured, p. 17.
> Ibid., p. 9.
> 27 Sen, Identity and Violence, p. XIV.
> 28 Baha'u'llih, Gleanings from the Writings ofBahd'u'lldh (Wi lmette, IL: Baha'i
> 
> Publishing Trust, 1990), section cxvrr.
> 29 Ibid., sections CXI and XLIII .
> cited in Century ofLight, (Haifa: Baha'i World Centre, 2001), p. 9.
> Ibid, p. 9.
> Ibid., pp. 9-10.
> Ibid., P· IO.
> Through adherence to, and active implementation of, spiritual precepts,
> the Iranian Baha'i community effectively eliminated poverty and achieved
> universal literacy over the span of six to seven decades. Commitment to the
> principles of human equality and nobility, moral rectitude, collaborative
> WORLD WATCH                                    195
> 
> decision making, education-particularly of girls-of the exalted station
> of work, cleanliness and good hygiene, and respect for scientific knowledge
> as applied to agriculture, commerce and other avenues of human endeavor
> constituted the basis of a spiritually inspired process of social advancement.
> For additional perspective on the Baha'i approach to social and economic
> progress see Baha'i International Community, For the Betterment of the
> World (2002); and In Service to the Common Good: The American Bahd'i
> Community's Commitment to Social Change, (Wilmette, IL: National Spiritual
> Assembly of the Bahi'is of the United States, 2004).
> 35 One Common Faith, (Haifa: Baha'i World Centre, 2005), p. 44.
> Ibid.
> Shoghi Effendi, The World Order ofBahd'u'lldh: Selected Letters (Wilmette,
> IL: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1991), p. 163.
> Baha'i International Community, The Prosperity ofHumankind (I995).
> 39 Bahi'u'llah, Gleanings, section CLXII.
> Universal House of Justice, To the World's Religious Leaders, (Haifa: Baha'i
> World Centre, 2002), p. 5.
> Bahi'u'llih 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. Women: Extracts from the Writings ofBahd 'u'lldh, 'Abdu'l-Bahd,
> Shoghi Effendi and the Universal House ofjustice (Thornhill, Ontario: Baha'i
> Canada Publications, 1986), no. 54. Concerning racial equality, Bahi'u'llah
> counsels, "Close your eyes to racial differences, and welcome all with the
> light of oneness," cited in Shoghi Effendi, The Advent of Divine justice
> (Wilmette, IL: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1990), p. 37.
> Bahi'u'llih, Tablets ofBahd'u'lldh Revealed after the Kitdb-i-Aqdas (Wilmette,
> IL: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1988) p. 157.
> Ibid., p. 130.
> Ibid., p. 68. It should be noted, however, that the Baha'i teachings recognize
> the need for authority and rank for the purpose of ensuring various functions in the pursuit of community goals. In this regard, all decision-making
> authority in the Baha'i administrative system rests not with individuals but
> with elected corporate bodies. A distinction is thus made between the moral
> and spiritual equality of all human beings and the differentiation that may
> exist in how individuals serve society.
> Baha'u'llih, provisional translation, courtesy of the Research Department
> of the Universal House of Justice.
> Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahd'u'lldh, p. 42.
> Baha'i International Community, The Prosperity of Humankind, p. 4.
> The sociologist Emile Durkheim referred to such coordinated interaction among society's diverse elements as "organic solidarity"-a solidarity
> governed by the "law of cooperation." See Philip Selznick, The Moral Commonwealth, pp. 142-43.
> THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005- 2006
> 
> Baha'i International Community, The Prosperity ofHumankind, p 7.
> 'Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, (London: Baha'i Publishing Trust, i972), p. 53.
> 'Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by
> 'Abdu'l-Bahd during His Visit to the United States and Canada in I9I2, rev.
> ed. (Wilmette, IL: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1995), p. 338.
> Appiah, The Ethics ofIdentity, p. 153.
> Universal House of Justice, Century of light, p. 4r.
> It should be noted that for one who does not arrive at a spiritual understanding of existence, Baha'u'llah urges that individual to "at least conduct
> himself with reason and justice." Baha'u'llah, Summons ofthe Lord ofHosts:
> Tablets of Bahd 'u'lldh (Haifa: Baha'i World Centre, 2002), p i68.
> 55 'Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 278.
> Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahd'u'Lldh, p. 197-98.
> 57 Baha'u'llah, Kitab-i-fqan (Wilmette, IL: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 2003),
> 
> P· 29.
> 58 Baha'u'llah, The Hidden Words, Arabic no. 30 (Wilmette, IL: Baha'i Publishing Trust, i985).
> Ibid., Arabic no. 2 .
> 'Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 42r.
> Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahd'u'Lldh, p. 206.
> Ibid., pp. 340 and 215.
> Ibid., p. 217.
> Baha'u'llah, The Tabernacle of Unity (Haifa: Baha'i World Centre, 2006),
> para. 2.n.
> This is not to suggest that duties prevail over or precede rights, but that
> the recognition and exercise of such duries provide the very framework for
> actualizing human rights. There is a complementary relationship between
> rights and duties. That individuals have specific entitlements or needs, informs us of particular duties that attach to other individuals or the broader
> society.
> Taylor, The Ethics ofAuthenticity, p. 33.
> The evolving international human rights discourse is one significant example
> of such cross-cultural moral exchange.
> 68 Baha'u'llah, cited in Consultation: A Compilation (Wilmette, IL: Baha'i
> 
> Publishing Trust, 1980), p. 3.
> Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Bahd'u'Lldh, p. 36.
> In the vocabulary of moral philosophy, "the good" refers to a vision of happiness, human well-being, or a speci fi c way oflife. Thus , many conceptions
> of "the good" are possible. "The right" refers to types of principled or just
> action-binding duties, codes, and standards that regulate and guide how
> individuals pursue their particular notions of "the good." Modern liberal
> thought, going back to Immanuel Kant, places emphasis on "the right"
> over "the good." Communitarians have critiqued this view, arguing that it
> has led to the exaggerated individualism of Western society.
> 'Abdu'l-Baha, The Secret of Divine Civilization (Wilmette, IL: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1990), p. 2.
> WORLD WATCH                                   197
> 
> Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahd'u'lldh, p. 203.
> Universal House of Justice, Individual Rights and Freedoms in the World
> Order of Bahd'u'Lfdh (Wilmette, IL: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1989), p. 20.
> For more on this point, see Amitai Etzioni, The Monochrome Society
> (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2001), pp. 221-45.
> Martha Nussbaum, Frontiers ofjustice: Disability, Nationality, Species Membership (Cambridge, MA: Belknap and Harvard University Press, 2006),
> pp. 90-95.
> Ibid.
> To acknowledge the limitations of pluralism, however, is not to deny the
> centrality of individual and group autonomy, civil rights, and democratic
> values to human well-being. What is being critiqued here is a pluralism
> that is unable to foster a definite vision of the common good.
> 'Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahd (Wilmette, IL:
> Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1982), p. 76.
> Universal House of Justice, letter dated 24 May 2oor.
> Baha'is attach great importance to cooperative decision making and assign
> organizational responsibility for community affairs to freely elected governing councils at the local, national, and international levels. Baha'u'Ilah
> designated these governing councils "Houses ofJustice." This administrative
> system devolves decision making to the lowest practicable level-thereby
> instituting a unique vehicle for grassroots participation in governancewhile at the same time providing a level of coordination and authority that
> makes possible collaboration and unity on a global scale. A unique feature
> of the Baha'i electoral process is the maximum freedom of choice given
> to the electorate through the prohibition of nominations, candidature,
> and solicitation. Election to Baha'i administrative bodies is based not on
> personal ambition but rather on recognized ability, mature experience, and
> a commitment to service. Because the Baha'i system does not allow the
> imposition of the arbitrary will or leadership of individuals, it cannot be
> used as a pathway to power. Decision-making authority rests only with the
> elected bodies themselves. All members of the Baha'i community, no matter
> what position they may temporarily occupy in the administrative structure,
> are expected to regard themselves as involved in a learning process, as they
> strive to understand and implement the laws and principles of their Faith.
> Significantly, in many parts of the world, the first exercises in democratic
> activity have occurred within the Baha'i community. Baha'fs believe that
> this consultatively based administrative system offers a useful example 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 Bahd'u'Lfdh, pp. 143-57.
> Baha'u'llah, Gleanings, section v.
> 'Abdu'l-Baha, Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. lJ2.
> Universal House of Justice, On the Occasion of the Official Opening of the
> Terraces of the Shrine of the Bdb (22 May 2001) .
> PROFILE:
> CORDE and UniED, Cambodia
> 
> T
> he fundamental Baha'i principle of the oneness of humanity
> implies the development of a dynamic coherence between
> the spiritual and practical requirements of life. Enshrined
> in the Baha'i teachings is the goal of reconstructing society through
> the application of spiritual values . "[I]s there any deed in the world
> that would be nobler than service to the common good?" asked
> 'Abdu'l-Baha. "Is there any greater blessing conceivable for a man,
> than that he should become the cause of education, the development,
> the prosperity and honor of his fellow creatures?" 1 In recognition
> of His own efforts to avert a famine in Palestine during the years
> of World War 1, 'Abdu'l-Baha was awarded a knighthood by the
> British government. More recently, in many countries and regions
> ravaged by war and instability, Baha'is are endeavoring to carry out
> programs designed to alleviate people's suffering and assist them to
> contribute to the rebuilding of their societies through the acquisition
> of knowledge and skills.
> In 1993, after decades of turbulence in Cambodia, elections were
> held and a multi-party, free-market democracy under a constitutional
> monarchy established. The new constitution guaranteed the right
> to freedom of religious belief and practice and, in October of that
> year, the Baha'i Faith was officially registered with the Ministry of
> 
> 200            THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> Religion. The history of the Baha'i community in Cambodia dates
> back to the mid-195os but, as was the case with many other religious
> communities, Baha'!s were scattered during the political upheavals
> of the 1970s. Many Cambodians, while living in refugee camps in
> Thailand, came into contact with Baha'i development workers and
> encountered principles that they believed would help their nation
> rebuild itself In April 1994, the first National Spiritual Assembly of
> the Baha' fs of Cambodia was elected in Phnom Penh.
> The most pressing concern in the mid-199os was the lot of
> Cambodia's young people, many of whom were unable to attend
> school because of poverty and an education system in need of
> major reform. At that time, it was recognized that more than half
> of the country's population was under the age of 15. Access to health
> care-particularly oral hygiene-was woefully inadequate. The war
> had also stripped Cambodia's landscape of its vegetation. Mines had
> destroyed the fertility of its soil and made cultivation dangerous.
> People, unconvinced they would live long enough to see their own
> harvests, had lost the motivation to cultivate the land. This pitiful
> situation led a number of Baha'fs to propose solutions whereby
> they could apply their Faith's principles and their own skills to the
> redevelopment of the countryll
> Around the time that the United Nations Transitional Authority arrived in Cambodia to oversee its move towards democracy, a
> Baha'i educational initiative got underway in Phnom Penh. Stamford
> College's main objective was to contribute towards Cambodia's
> reconstruction through training its students to gain the confidence
> and practical ability to contribute to social and material progress.
> Numerous Baha'fs from outside of Cambodia offered their skills to
> the education of these young people and built strong mentoring
> relationships with them. Two years later, three Baha'ls- one from
> Thailand and two from the Philippines-settled in the Battambang
> province in the northwestern part of Cambodia, where they opened a
> branch of Stamford College-the Stamford Learning Center-which
> subsequently evolved into the University for Education and Development (uniED). The province, which comprises more than 300
> villages scattered around 3,188 square kilometers, has a population
> of almost half a million people. The principal town of Battambang
> CORDE AND UNIED                             201
> 
> The influence of CORDE's educational programs on young women is
> particularly notable.
> 
> is the seat of provincial government departments, schools, centers of
> learning, and the offices of many nongovernmental organizations.
> A further group of seven Baha'is launched another development agency in Cambodia in 1994-the Cambodian Organization
> for Research, Development, and Education (CORDE). Under this
> program, they committed themselves to further utilizing knowledge
> they had acquired at refugee camps along the Cambodian-Thai
> border. In its original mission statement, CORDE was described as
> "a private, non-profit, and non-political voluntary development
> organization involved in the process of social and economic transformation and of upraising the quality of human life and well-being
> of individuals, families and communities, upholding the principles
> of human honor and dignity through the provision of viable and
> sustainable projects that will enhance their capacities and capabilities,
> thereby increasing the level of participation resulting in empowerment for a long-term sustained impact." CORDE's stated aim was to
> assist Cambodia to evolve into a creative, productive, and confident
> society. CORDE was registered with the Ministry of Social Welfare
> and Community Development and became the first local NGO to
> be registered with the Ministry of Health.
> 202            THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> In its initial years, the activities of CORDE were largely focused
> on building wells in villages and promoting oral and dental health
> education for children, drawing on the resources of three of its
> founding members who were dental aides trained by the UN at a
> refugee camp. In 1994, there were only nine dental clinics for a
> population of nine million people in the whole country. Authorities
> were able to present dental health as part of hygiene education in
> schools but had no means to provide toothbrushes for children or
> youth. Visiting Baha'f dentists complemented the resources provided
> by government dentists.
> Efforts to assist Cambodia's agricultural regeneration were also
> initiated. A small nursery was developed where young people were
> trained to grow seedlings. Some 500 saplings of fruit trees were
> distributed to villagers as a gift from the Baha'i community, with
> the understanding that the villagers would grow these trees and their
> fruit would be fed to their children to improve their nutrition. As
> the trees grew, previously dispirited individuals saw their sense of
> hope for a peaceful future increase.
> It soon became apparent, however, that these populations needed
> access to additional provision for education. Decades of warfare
> had left in their wake increasing suspicion, lawlessness, and crime.
> Family solidarity and moral behavior had been weakened. CORDE
> began to introduce moral concepts into its educational programs,
> as well as literacy and language training. One of CORDE's founders
> organized a pool of teachers to offer informal classes in rural areas,
> with particular attention being paid to women and early-teenage
> youth. Occasional educational activity soon evolved into more formal
> tutorial classes, each day offering two hours of supplementary and
> complementary education. For a large percentage of the children
> from poor families, the classes given by CORDE were the only education they were receiving.
> CORDE recognized that more tutorial schools could be started
> throughout the country if assistance for materials, books, and
> blackboards could be provided and extensions built onto the houses
> of teachers and students who were willing to open their homes for
> children in their neighborhoods to come and study. Owing to the
> smallness of these homes, classes were held in extension buildings
> built into the yard, or even beneath those houses constructed on
> stilts. It was also noted that, while literacy and basic education was
> CORDE AND UNIED                            203
> 
> the most fundamental need, delivering it required an approach
> that went beyond reading and writing. Participants had to learn to
> express their own ideas with clarity. Using the resources of Stamford
> College, seminars and modular courses were arranged on teachertraining methodology and educational principles. Teenage high
> school students were recruited and trained to offer literacy classes
> in their own communities. By 1995, there were some 20 classes with
> volunteer teachers receiving financial assistance for transport, oil for
> lamps, and stationery for students. Two years later, the number of
> classes had increased to 35, with more than 500 children participating in Battambang province alone. Another group of weekly classes,
> in the Saang region, multiplied and evolved into a daily fixture. By
> 2004, CORDE's tutorial classes were reaching some 1,000 students in
> Battambang.
> Many tutorial classes continued to be held under trees and in
> the homes of teachers, lighted mostly with a candle or lamp. They
> lacked chairs and tables suitable for the different ages of children.
> To overcome the difficulties posed by the lack of proper facilities,
> CORDE embarked on a plan to build Centers of Community Learning
> (ccLs). By 2005, there were five such facilities: three in Battambang,
> one in Poipet and one in Stung Meanchey. While a tutorial class
> with a teacher can cater to only 20 students, well-scheduled programs
> coordinated by a director of a CCL can serve the needs of well over
> 200 children and junior youth. The young students at CCLs study
> moral education and English. Among the principal materials they
> use is a junior youth spiritual empowerment program developed by
> Baha'i-inspired agencies in various parts of the world. Other classes
> for adults include family health and basic agriculture. In addition, as
> more youth and adults are systematically helped through educational
> programs training them to contribute ta the development of their
> communities, CCLs offer the needed space for them to volunteer
> their services.
> Students' testimonials bear witness to the profound impact these
> programs have on their participants: "Before studying, my attitude
> was so childish," said one 15 year old, "but now I am more mature
> and I help in doing house work." A 17 year old decided, "I want to
> be a teacher because I can impart good values ta children." A participant who originally went to the CORDE CCL only to learn English
> found her ideas changing: "When I learned many stories from the
> 204             THE BAHA'I WORLD 2005- 2006
> 
> '1 am trying my best to educate children and youth
> because they will become leaders in the fature. They will be
> good human resources for a better society. "
> -MOEURNG CHANTHA, TEACHER
> CORDE AND UNIED                            205
> 
> "This training brings us love, friendship, respect, and
> service. It also shows a way of life. "
> -PONLUK 5IDEN, STUDENT
> 206            THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> Moral Teaching Text Book 1-3, my motivation changed. Now I am
> teaching CORDE class in my house and I sometimes help to teach
> small kids at the ccL."
> The influence on young women has been especially notable.
> "The effect on the girls who were participating was great," reported
> one participant, "They changed from shy, quiet people to bright,
> excited, dynamic ones who had so much to say and long to travel
> and serve." Rong Molyka, a young woman who has been trained
> by CORDE and is now teaching for the organization, says, "Since
> I joined CORDE, I have improved my knowledge and my English
> skills. I used to be quick-tempered. Now I am more patient and
> more conscious of my conduct." Her mother soon noticed changes
> in her daughter's attitude: "She is now more respectful. I am very
> happy that my daughter is teaching in CORDE and I hope all my
> children will join and become good teachers for the community's
> development in the future."
> In 1997, Stamford College relocated from Phnom Penh to Battambang to contribute to development in the province. While it
> functioned mainly as a language center, the content of Stamford
> College's courses imbued its students with a desire to contribute
> to the community's development. After five years of active involvement in the growth and development in Battambang, the college's
> Board of Directors was convinced that it should provide a coherent
> framework for development to collaborate with the population and
> organizations working in the region. It decided to offer higher-level
> courses to build individual and institutional capacity with the objective that specific populations of Battambang would learn about their
> own path of development. The learning could then be applied to
> the rest of Cambodia, especially semi-urban and rural areas. Efforts
> began in 2002 to re-engineer Stamford into a University. In February
> 2003, Cambodia's Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth upgraded
> Stamford College to become the University for Education and
> Development (uniED), a nonprofit learning organization dedicated
> to the generation and application of knowledge to build capacities
> in individuals, institutions, and communities to take responsibility
> for the material, social, and spiritual well-being of society, based on
> Baha'i concepts of the oneness and nobility of humanity.
> uniED began to offer an undergraduate program in education
> and development subjects in 2002. In its first intalce, there were
> CORDE AND UNIED                           20 7
> 
> UniED courses include environmental education, agriculture, and
> agribusiness.
> 
> 35 students, most of whom were already serving with CORDE. In
> order to take responsibility for their own learning, the whole uniED
> student community was divided into four "families"-Helping
> Family, Compassionate Family, Justice Family, and Friendship
> Family. These families were created to promote understanding of
> core values within the student community and help the weaker
> members in their studies, practicing Baha'i principles of consultation
> and decision making.
> uniED has now devoted several years to developing curricula
> for each of the four years of its undergraduate program. Faculty
> members, considering the characteristic situations of the region,
> identified educational needs, consulted on them, developed the
> content, and introduced practical applications for fieldwork. Courses
> have evolved to include economics, financial management, and community banking, the management of CCLs, environmental education,
> agriculture and agribusiness. As part of the community banking
> program, students operate a practice bank which provides loans for
> income-generating projects. The loans are repaid and some profit is
> made. By December 2004, participants were thought to have gained
> 208             THE BAliA.'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> enough experience to start banking activities in the villages in which
> CCLs had been established by CORDE. The participants gained skills
> as well as insights into the qualities necessary to generate material
> wealth on a personal and collective level.
> uniEo's faculty and staff collaborate closely with CORDE. Some
> CORDE teachers become trained at uniED. In addition, students
> at uniED take an administrative class and it is expected that some
> of the qualified graduates will go on to become directors of CCLs.
> uniED graduates are encouraged to use their newly acquired skills
> at the local level to carry out community-building activities. Each
> of the 13 first intake students, who completed their undergraduate
> coursework moved back to develop their home communities, not
> only in various parts of Battambang but as far afield as the Saang
> region and Sabah, Malaysia.
> Central to the activities of both CORDE and uniED has been a
> vision of service to the needs of wider society. In one noteworthy
> example, the acting director of the Vocational Training Center (VTc)
> in Battambang noted that of his 200 students, most were from very
> poor, landless, and guardianless families. Consequently, most of
> these students had been excluded or dropped out from secondary
> schools. The initiative of a Baha'i teacher offering a Literacy and
> Empowerment Course for second-year students at the VTC led to
> CORDE creating a formal relationship with the Center. u niED thirdyear students taught a program focusing on raising awareness of the
> importance of moral education in students' lives, improving their
> powers of expression, teaching the virtues of work and the application of values to their daily lives. fu a result, 90 percent of students
> felt the program had helped them increase their power of expression.
> All students felt they had more awareness of the importance of moral
> education and 75 percent of them expressed a wish to continue with
> moral education courses if offered.
> By 2005, the first two contingents of uniED students had completed their studies, the syllabus had been developed further, and
> a positive reputation of uniED's programs was spreading. CORDE,
> meanwhile, had established 47 tutorial classes reaching more than
> 1,200 children and youth in Battambang by March 2005. A graduate
> from uniED in Saang began three classes with 85 children and junior
> youth around the community. CORDE began providing basic english
> for children age 4-6, moral education for 6-n year olds, and a Junior
> CORDE AND UNIED                            209
> 
> Youth Spiritual Empowerment Program in the Khmer language for
> 12-14 year olds. CORDE's teacher training programs now extend to
> CCLs in new areas, including Poipet and Phnom Penh.
> Miss Moeurng Chantha, a CORDE graduate, began a class with
> a small number of children in her neighborhood and moved on to
> establish many classes. "I am teaching children and junior youth,
> hoping that when they grow up they will become good leaders for
> society," she says. She is now director of the second CORDE Center
> of Learning in Autok. Some of her junior youth class participants
> have also become CORDE teachers.
> uniED's aims continue to include strengthening and improving
> its academic programs and the community service components of its
> courses. Its commitment to diversity involves providing admissions
> to students from neighboring areas and countries, as well as welcoming volunteer teachers and staff from abroad. Stronger collaboration
> is constantly being built between CORDE and its CCLs around the
> wider region. uniED now offers a six-month certificate, a one-year
> diploma, an associate degree, and undergraduate degree programs
> in Education for Development, Community Development, and
> Human Resource Development. The Education for Development
> Program is designed to put into practice educational curricula for
> preschool, primary, secondary, and tertiary levels. The Community
> Development Program is directed towards encouraging and training
> the participants to discover systematically their culture, traditions,
> and economy, as well as developing spiritual and political knowledge.
> The Human Resource Development Program aims to train professionals in moral leadership as well as the concept of selfless service.
> Critical factors in the success in Battambang have included the
> organizations' understanding of the vital role of basic education
> for poverty reduction and the strength of its grassroots commitment to expanding access to education. Its influence is also being
> felt farther afield. In the Reangkesay locality, for example, a public
> school principal requested CORDE to conduct morals classes for the
> students once a week, which soon grew into two days a week. In
> another locality, a uniED student began a children's class. Because of
> his service, religious leaders requested to start a class and decided to
> build a grass-roofed school. Through the Baha'i-inspired curricula
> offered in classes and the dedication of the teachers, the attitudes
> 210              THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> UniED graduates gain the confidence and practical skills needed to contribute
> to the material and social progress of Cambodia.
> 
> of the children clearly change and parents and community leaders
> request CORDE to open more classes.
> Cambodia has enthusiastically embarked on a process of growth
> and development with great determination, assisted by numerous governments and organizations. With as much as 39 percent
> of the population living below the poverty line, the government's
> highest priority has been to promote economic progress and social
> development. While there are many NGOs working in the area of
> micro-credit, for example, current developments are largely driven
> by the conviction that economic activities are central to human
> well-being. The role of CORDE and uniED in Battambang has been
> crucial to developing the capacity of individuals and communities to
> commit themselves not only to economic to but to educational and
> moral progress. One of Cambodia's principal challenges has been to
> find a committed group of young workers who are willing to stay in
> their home districts to serve the needs of their fellow human beings,
> and not migrate to work in major cities. Through the training given
> by CORDE and uniED, and the provision of a small allowance, these
> CORDE AND UNIED                             2II
> 
> workers have stayed and formed a core group dedicated to serving
> the needs of the community.
> A remarkable feature has been that individuals who are themselves living in poverty are being motivated to give generously of their
> time and skills to uplift the lives of their countrymen. At the time of
> writing, CORDE and uniED between them have engaged more than
> 6,500 individuals in processes of education that empower them to
> further enhance the development of their communities. The Baha'is
> in Cambodia have evolved a development process that is sustainable.
> Over the years, CORDE's informal classes have grown from 2 to more
> than 50 reaching around 1,000 students. Volunteer teachers are now
> serving more than another 1,000 through the CCLS.
> Battambang- a vital center of the country-has yet to gain a
> significant share of the development efforts accorded to other parts
> of Cambodia. The creation of wealth and its equitable distribution are indispensable to "integral development," meaning the
> necessary development of all participants in the society to play their
> part in influencing its material and social prosperity. uniED and
> CORDE have discovered that central to this conceptual framework
> of integral development is the involvement of the local population
> in discovering their own process of development. They have also
> learned, however, that it is necessary to add to this involvement the
> recognition of the fundamental nobility of a human being and a
> respect for human honor. These agencies are attempting to apply the
> teachings of the Baha'i Faith to building the necessary capacities in
> individuals, institutions and communities so that they can effectively
> participate in an integral process of material and social prosperity.
> Their challenge has been to shift the inclination of participants
> who previously were driven solely by material motivations. As such,
> they offer themselves as a social laboratory for learning, engaging
> the people of Battambang in the generation and application of
> knowledge for education and development. Through these means, it
> is now being seen that their community can progress both materially
> and socially.
> 
> NOTES
> 'Abdu'l-Baha, The Secret of Divine Civilization (Wilmette, IL: Baha'i
> Publishing Trust, 1990) , p. 103.
> The Search for Values in an
> Age of Transition
> A statement of the Bahd 'i International Community
> on the occasion of the 6oth anniversary of the United
> Nations, October 2005.
> 
> n 1945, the founding of the United Nations gave a war-weary
> 
> I    world a vision of what was possible in the arena of international
> cooperation and set a new standard by which to guide diverse
> peoples and nations towards a peaceful coexistence. Against the
> backdrop of the most calamitous war in human history, the creation
> of a world organization for the protection of the dignity, equal
> rights, and security of all peoples and nations was an extraordinary
> feat of statecraft. Sixty years later, the questions that fuelled the San
> Francisco Conference assert themselves anew: Why have the current
> systems of governance failed to provide for the security, prosperity, and well-being of the world's people? What responsibilities
> do nations have towards their neighbors and their citizens? What
> fundamental values should guide relationships between and within
> nations to secure a peaceful future?
> In the collective effort to find answers to these questions, a new
> paradigm is taking hold-that of the interconnected nature of our
> challenges and our prosperity. Whether the issue is poverty, the
> proliferation of weapons, the role of women, mv/ AIDS, global trade,
> religion, environmental sustainability, the well-being of children,
> corruption, or the rights of minority populations, it is clear that
> 
> 214             THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> none of the problems facing humanity can be adequately addressed
> in isolation from one another. The blurring of national boundaries in
> the face of global crises has shown, beyond a doubt, that the body of
> humankind represents one organic whole. 1 The practical implications
> of this emergent paradigm for the reform of the United Nations are
> the focus of the Baha'i International Community's contribution on
> the 6oth anniversary of this august body. 2
> The processes of United Nations reform must be understood as
> part of a broader evolutionary course, starting with early forms of
> international cooperation such as the League of Nations and leading
> to increasing levels of coherence in the administration of human affairs, facilitated by the creation of the United Nations, the Universal
> Declaration of Human Rights, the growing body of international
> law, the emergence and integration of newly independent states, and
> mechanisms for regional and global cooperation. The last 15 years
> alone have seen the establishment of the World Trade Organization,
> the International Criminal Court, the African Union, the significant
> expansion of the European Union, the global coordination of civil
> society campaigns, and the articulation of the Millennium Development Goals-an unprecedented global development framework
> aimed at the eradication of poverty worldwide. In the course of these
> developments, the definition of state sovereignty-a cornerstone of
> the modern system of international relations and a foundational
> principle of the United Nations Charter- has itself emerged as the
> object of vigorous debate: What are the limits of traditional notions
> of sovereignty? What responsibilities do states have towards their
> citizens and towards each other? How should such responsibilities be
> enforced? 3 Although uneven and fraught with setbacks, the emergent
> institutions, movements, and discourse evidence an increasing drive
> towards unity in world affairs and constitute one of the pervasive
> features of social organization at the end of the twentieth century
> and in the first years of the new millennium.
> Why, then, given the dramatic increase of mechanisms and fora
> for cooperation is the world so deeply divided against itself? Why the
> universal affliction, which assails relations between those of different
> cultures, creeds, religions, political affiliations, economic status, and
> gender? To answer these questions, we must examine dispassionately
> the legal standards, political and economic theories, values and
> THE SEARCH FOR VALUES                           215
> 
> religious formulae, which have ceased to promote the welfare of
> humankind. The advancement of men and boys at the expense of
> women and girls has sorely limited the creative and material capacities
> of communities to develop and address their problems; the neglect
> of cultural and religious minorities has intensified ancient prejudices setting peoples and nations against one another; an unbridled
> nationalism has trampled the rights and opportunities of citizens in
> other nations; weak states have erupted in conflict, lawlessness, and
> massive refugee flows; narrow economic agendas exalting material
> prosperity have often suffocated the social and moral development
> required for the equitable and beneficent use of wealth. Such crises
> have laid bare the limits of traditional approaches to governance and
> put before the United Nations the inescapable question of values:
> Which values are capable of guiding the nations and peoples of the
> world out of the chaos of competing interests and ideologies towards
> a world community capable of inculcating the principles of justice
> and equity at all levels of human society?
> The question of values and their inextricable link to systems of
> religion and belief has emerged on the world stage as a subject of
> consuming global importance, which the United Nations cannot
> afford to ignore. While the General Assembly has passed a number
> of resolutions addressing the role of religion in the promotion of
> peace and calling for the elimination of religious intolerance, 4 it
> struggles to grasp fully both the constructive role that religion can
> play in creating a peaceful global order and the destructive impact
> that religious fanaticism can have on the stability and progress of the
> world. A growing number of leaders and deliberative bodies acknowledge that such considerations must move from the periphery to the
> center of debate- recognizing that the full impact of religion-related
> variables 5 on governance, diplomacy, human rights, development,
> notions of justice, and collective security must be better understood. 6
> Neither political leaders nor academics foresaw such a widespread
> re-emergence of religion in the public sphere, nor did the practice
> of international relations develop the conceptual tools to address
> religion in a meaningful way. 7 Our inherited notions of religion as an
> irrelevant and obstructionist voice in the international public sphere
> offer no help in resolving the complex problems before the leaders
> 216             THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> of the world's nations. In fact, the appropriate role of religion in the
> public sphere is one of the most pressing issues of our time.
> That religions have been manipulated and used for the accomplishment of narrow ends cannot be denied. Yet, a careful historical
> analysis reveals that the periods of greatest advancement in human
> civilization have been those where both faith and reason were
> permitted to work together, drawing on the resources of the totality
> of human insight and experience. For example, during the height of
> Muslim civilization, sciences, philosophy, and the arts flourished; a
> vibrant culture of learning propelled the human imagination to new
> heights, providing, among others, the mathematical basis for many
> of today's technological innovations. Among humanity's diverse
> civilizations, religion has provided the framework for new moral
> codes and legal standards, which have transformed vast regions of
> the globe from brutish and often anarchical systems to more sophisticated forms of governance. The existing debate about religion in the
> public sphere, however, has been driven by the voices and actions of
> extreme proponents on both sides-those who impose their religious
> ideology by force, whose most visible expression is terrorism-and
> those who deny any place for expressions of faith or belief in the
> public sphere. Yet, neither extreme is representative of the majority
> of humankind and neither promotes a sustainable peace.
> At this juncture of our evolution as a global community, the search
> for shared values-beyond the clash of extremes-is paramount for
> effective action. A concern with exclusively material considerations
> will fail to appreciate the degree to which religious, ideological,
> and cultural variables shape diplomacy and decision-making. In an
> effort to move beyond a community of nations bound by primarily
> economic relationships to one with shared responsibilities for one
> another's well-being and security, the question of values must take
> a central place in deliberations, be articulated, and made explicit.
> While the United Nations has repeatedly emphasized the need for
> multilateralism, such efforts alone, while a step in the right direction, will not provide a sufficient basis for community building
> between nations; collaboration alone does not confer legitimacy or
> ensure benevolent outcomes for the greater good. In order to fulfill
> the promises of the United Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and subsequent treaties and resolutions, we
> THE SEARCH FOR VALUES                           217
> 
> can no longer be content with a passive tolerance of each other's
> world views; what is required is an active search for those common
> values and moral principles which will lift up the condition of every
> woman, man, and child, regardless of race, class, religion, or political
> opm10n.
> We assert that the emerging global order, and the processes of
> globalization that define it, must be founded on the principle of the
> oneness of humankind. This principle, accepted and affirmed as a
> common understanding, provides the practical basis for the organization of relationships between all states and nations. The increasingly
> apparent interconnectedness of development, security, and human
> rights on a global scale confirms that peace and prosperity are
> indivisible-that no sustainable benefit can be conferred on a nation
> or community if the welfare of the nations as a whole is ignored
> or neglected. The principle of the oneness of humankind does not
> seek to undermine national autonomy or suppress the cultural
> and intellectual diversity of the peoples and nations of the world.
> Rather, it seeks to broaden the basis of the existing foundations of
> society by calling for a wider loyalty, a greater aspiration than any
> that has animated the human race. Indeed, it provides the moral
> impetus needed to remold the institutions of governance in a manner
> consistent with the needs of an ever-changing world.
> From the teachings of the Baha'i Faith, we offer the following
> vision, in the realization of which the members of the worldwide
> Baha'i community across 191 nations are engaged:
> 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 citizenships. 8
> 218               THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005- 2006
> 
> In light of the foregoing analysis and the areas currently under
> consideration by the United Nations, we offer the following recommendations as concrete steps towards the realization of a more just
> and effective United Nations system. Our recommendations address
> human rights and the rule of law, development, democracy, and
> collective security.
> 
> Human rights and the rule of law
> No effective and peaceful international order can be founded and
> sustained unless it is firmly grounded in the principles of justice
> and the rule of law. An adherence to such principles provides the
> requisite stability and legitimacy required to gain the support of
> peoples and nations that the system aims to serve. We offer the
> following recommendations:
> •     The grave threats posed by religious extremism, intolerance, and
> discrimination require the United Nations to address this issue
> openly and earnestly. We call on the United Nations to affirm
> unequivocally an individual's right to change his or her religion
> under international law. The General Assembly may request the
> International Court of Justice, under Article 96 of the United
> Nations Charter, to issue an advisory opinion on the issue of
> freedom of religion or belief. Specifically, the Court could be
> asked whether the principle of freedom of religion or belief has
> attained the status ofjus cogens, customary international law, or is
> merely left to the interpretation of each state. Such a clarification
> would help to remove fallacious interpretations of this right and
> lend moral force to the condemnation of policies and practices
> that violate the principle of non-discrimination in matters of
> religion or belief.9
> 
> •     Beyond the ongoing structural and functional reforms of the
> United Nations human rights machinery, the legitimacy of this
> machinery must be restored through its consistent adherence to
> the highest principles of justice, including those elaborated in
> the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration
> THE SEARCH FOR VALUES                         219
> 
> of Human Rights. Only in this way, will it secure the legitimacy
> and trust of Member States and their citizens required for it to
> exercise its mandate.
> 
> •   The General Assembly should consider setting a timeline for the
> universal ratification of international human rights treaties.
> 
> •   The Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights,
> bolstered by the requisite moral, intellectual, and material
> resources, must now become the standard-bearer in the field of
> human rights and an effective tool in alleviating the suffering of
> individuals and groups whose rights are denied.
> 
> •   As one of the most effective instruments for the protection of
> human rights, Special Procedures should receive adequate budgetary and administrative support. Government cooperation
> with Special Procedures should not only be limited to access to
> the country in question but, equally important, should include
> full consideration of subsequent recommendations. These should
> be reflected in the interactive dialogues between the Rapporteur
> and Member States.
> 
> •   The Public Information section of the Office of the High Commissioner should be developed in order to allow resolutions of
> the Commission on Human Rights/Human Rights Council,
> recommendations of the Special Procedures, and concluding
> observations of the treaty monitoring bodies to be accorded
> more prominence in the media. This could include, for example,
> the translation of documents into relevant national languages in
> order to generate more publicity.
> 
> •   The Office of the High Commissioner, along with the Council,
> should continue its productive engagement with nongovernmental organizations, which, since its inception, has contributed
> positively both to the work of the Office and to the development
> of nongovernmental organizations' capacity to interact meaningfully in this context.
> 220               THE BAHA'I WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> Development
> At the heart of human development must be the understanding
> that people are irreplaceable resources in a self-sustaining process of
> change. The challenge is to find methods that allow them to fully
> express this potential in all its dimensions. Development defined
> in terms of certain patterns of "modernization," however, seems
> to refer exactly to those processes which promote the domination
> of people's material ambitions over their spiritual goals. While the
> search of a scientific and technologically modern society is a central
> goal of human development, it muse base its educational, economic,
> political, and cultural structures on the concept of the spiritual nature
> of the human being and not only on his or her material needs. We
> offer the following recommendations:
> •     The capacity of people to participate in the generation and
> application of knowledge is an essential component of human
> development. As such, priority must be given to the education of
> girls and boys, women and men in order to enable them to set the
> path of their own development and to apply their knowledge in
> the service of the greater community. The United Nations should
> consider that in terms of economic investment, the education of
> girls may well yield the highest return of all investments available
> in developing countries considering both private benefits, as well
> as returns to family members and the greater community. 10
> 
> •     We submit for the consideration of the United Nations five
> spiritual principles, which may serve as a basis for the creation
> of indicators of human development, to be used alongside existing measures of development. These principles include: unity in
> diversity, equity and justice, equality of the sexes, trustworthiness
> and moral leadership, and the freedom of conscience, thought,
> and religion. 11
> 
> •     The rich countries of the world have a moral obligation to
> remove export and trade-distorting measures that bar the entry
> of countries struggling to participate in the global market.
> The Monterrey Consensus, which recognizes the importance
> of creating a "more open, rule-based, non-discriminatory and
> equitable" system of trade is a step in the right direction. 12
> THE SEARCH FOR VALUES                          22!
> 
> •   Alongside reform in systems of trade, countries must facilitate the
> flow of labor and address the dehumanizing impact of trafficking in persons, which leads to widespread economic and sexual
> exploitation of people seeking a better life.
> 
> Democracy
> We commend the international community for its commitment to
> democracy and to a freely elected government as a universal value.
> However, the standard of deliberation and truth-seeking required
> for the realization of goals set by the United Nations needs to go far
> beyond the patterns of partisanship, protest, and compromise that
> tend to characterize present-day discussions of human affairs. What
> is needed is a consultative process-at all levels of governance- in
> which individual participants strive to transcend their respective
> points of view, in order to function as members of one body with its
> own interests and goals. Through participation and unity of purpose,
> consultation becomes the operating expression of justice in human
> affairs. Without this principled anchor, democracy falls prey to the
> excesses of individualism and nationalism, which tear at the fabric
> of the community-both nationally and globally.
> Beyond the administration of material affairs, governance is a
> moral exercise. It is the expression of a trusteeship-a responsibility
> to protect and to serve the members of the social polity. Indeed, the
> exercise of democracy will succeed to the extent that it is governed by
> the moral principles that are in harmony with the evolving interests
> of a rapidly maturing human race. These include: trustworthiness
> and integrity needed to win the respect and support of the governed;
> transparency; consultation with those affected by decisions being
> arrived at; objective assessment of needs and aspirations of communities being served; and the appropriate use of scientific and moral
> resources. 13 We offer the following recommendations:
> •   To secure the legitimacy, confidence, and support needed for the
> realization of its goals, the United Nations needs to address the
> democratic deficits in its own agencies and deliberations.
> 
> •   Thorough deliberation of the pressing issues of the day requires
> the United Nations to develop modes for constructive and
> 222               THE BAHA'I WORLD 2005- 2006
> 
> systematic engagement with organizations of civil society (including businesses and religious organizations) as well as members
> of national parliaments. The relationship between civil society
> organizations, parliamentarians and the traditional diplomatic
> processes of the United Nations need not be one of competition but rather complementarity, rooted in the recognition that
> the relative strengths of all three constituencies are necessary for
> effective decision-making and subsequent implementation. 14
> We urge the United Nations to give serious consideration to
> the proposals put forth in the Report of the Panel of Eminent
> Persons on UN-Civil Society Relationships. 15
> 
> •     A healthy democracy must be founded on the principle of the
> equality of men and women and equal recognition of their
> contribution to the establishment of a just society. In its efforts
> to promote democracy, the Member States of the United Nations
> must vigilantly work for the inclusion of women in all facets of
> governance in their respective countries. This is not a privilege
> but a practical necessity for the achievement of the high-minded
> and complex goals before the Organization today.
> 
> •     The meaningful integration of minority groups in democratic
> processes is of critical importance-both to shield minorities
> from the abuses of the past and to encourage their participation
> and responsibility for the well-being of society. We urge Member
> States, in their work to promote democracy, to strive for the
> full inclusion of minorities-belonging to any faith, race, or
> class- in the processes of goal-setting and deliberation. As the
> cultural make-up of states becomes increasingly fluid and diverse,
> no one cultural or religious group can lay claim to an adequate
> definition of the national interest.
> 
> Collective security
> We welcome the United Nations' efforts to articulate a more comprehensive vision of collective security, based on the understanding that
> in our interconnected world, a threat to one is a threat to all. The
> Baha'i Faith envisions a system of collective security within a framework of a global federation, a federation in which national borders
> THE SEARCH FOR VALUES                         223
> 
> have been conclusively defined, and in whose favor all the nations of
> the world will have willingly ceded all rights to maintain armaments
> except for purposes of maintaining internal order. 16 While cognizant
> of the grave shortfalls of the current system of collective security,
> we commend the Security Council for its landmark Resolution on
> "Women, Peace, and Security," 17 recognizing for the first time in its
> history the needs of women and girls in conflict and post-conflict
> situations 18 and their enduring role in the promotion of peace. We
> offer the following recommendations:
> 
> •   To address the democracy deficit and relentless politicization of
> the Security Council, the United Nations must in due course
> move towards adopting a procedure for eventually eliminating
> permanent membership and veto power. 19 Alongside procedural
> reforms, a critical change in attitude and conduct are needed.
> Member States must recognize that in holding seats on the
> Security Council, and as signatories to the Charter of the United
> Nations, they have a solemn moral and legal obligation to act as
> trustees for the entire community of nations, not as advocates of
> their national interests.20
> 
> •   A definition of terrorism must be adopted. We agree with the
> Secretary-General's characterization of terrorism as any action,
> "intended to cause death or serious bodily harm to civilians or
> noncombatants with the purpose of intimidating a population or
> compelling a government or an international organization to do
> or abstain from doing any act." Moreover, it is imperative that
> problems such as terrorism be consistently addressed within the
> context of other issues that disrupt and destabilize society.21
> 
> •   We urge the United Nations to take the necessary steps to increase
> the participation of women at all levels of decision-making in
> conflict resolution and peace processes, locally, nationally, and
> internationally, including the Department of Peacekeeping
> Operations.
> We believe the task of establishing a peaceful world is now in the
> hands of the leaders of the nations of the world, by virtue of the
> tremendous responsibilities with which they have been entrusted.
> Their challenge now is to restore the trust and confidence of their
> 224                 THE BAHA'I WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> citizens in themselves, their government, and the institutions of the
> international order through a record of personal integrity, sincerity
> of purpose, and unwavering commitment to the highest principles
> of justice and the imperatives of a world hungering for unity. The
> great peace long envisioned by the peoples and nations of the world
> is well within our grasp. 22
> 
> NOTES
> 
> While the United Nations has begun ro formally recognize the interdependence of human rights, development, and collective securiry, such a holistic
> perspective has been echoed throughout the contributions of civil sociery
> organizations ro the work of the United Nations, as, for example, at the
> global United Nations conferences including the Conference on Environment and Development (1992), the World Conference on Human Rights
> (1993), the World Conference on Population and Development (1994),
> the Fourth World Conference on Women (1995), the World Summit for
> Social Development (1995), and the United Nations Conference on Human
> Settlements (1996).
> The Baha'f International Communiry, in its capaciry as an international,
> nongovernmental organization, has been actively involved with the United
> Nations since its founding conference in 1945· On the occasion of the
> United Nations' rnth anniversary, the Baha'i International Communiry
> submitted its proposals for Charter Revision to the Secretary-General based
> on the recognition that "real sovereignty is no longer vested in the institutions of the national state because the nations have become interdependent;
> that the existing crisis is moral and spiritual as well as political; and that the
> existing crisis can only be surmounted by the achievement of a world order
> representative of the peoples as well as the nations of mankind." (Baha'f
> International Community, "Proposals for Charter Revision Submitted ro the
> United Nations by the Baha'i International Community (1955]," The Baha'i
> World r954-r963 (Vail-Ballou Press, Inc., Binghamron, New York, 1970). In
> 1995, the Bal1a'f International Community released a statement on the 5oth
> anniversary of the United Nations, which highlighted the trend roward the
> ever-increasing interdependence of humanity and presented proposals for
> the resuscitation of the General Assembly, development of the executive
> function, strengthening the world court, promoting economic and moral
> development, human rights and the advancemem of women (Bah a' f International Community, Turning Point for All Nations, Baha'f International
> Community's United Nations Office, New York, 1995.) Throughout its
> hisrory of association with the United Nations, the Baha'f International
> Communiry has contributed its vision and experience through submissions
> THE SEARCH FOR VALUES                                225
> 
> dealing with the advancement of women, human rights, the environment,
> global prosperity, and economic development, among others.
> In 2000, in response to the alarming failure of the international community
> to intervene, or to intervene effectively, in massive crises such as Somalia,
> Bosnia, Kosovo, and Rwanda, the Canadian government established a
> commission to address questions about the legal, moral, operational, and
> political dimensions of humanitarian intervention. The resulting International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty released its
> findings and central principles in a 2001 report titled, Responsibility to
> Protect. Repeated failure to intervene effectively in the crisis in Darfur,
> Sudan, has lent even greater urgency to the definition of legal standards
> and operational norms for intervention.
> For example, "Promotion of interreligious dialogue" (A/REs/59/23), the
> "Promotion of religious and cultural understanding, harmony and cooperation" (AIREs/59/r42), the "Global Agenda for Dialogue Among Civilizations"
> (AIREs/56/6), the "Elimination of all forms of religious intolerance" (Al
> RES/59/r99), and the UNESCO Director-General's report (A/59/201) to the 59th
> Session of the UN General Assembly "Promotion of religious and cultural
> understanding, harmony and cooperation" (AIREs/58/128).
> These include, among others, religious teachings and interpretation, followers of religions, religious leaders, and institutions.
> While a detailed description is beyond the scope of this statement, examples
> of the resurgence of religion as a matter of urgent political importance
> include: widespread violence in the name of religion; spread of religious
> fundamentalism and its impact on political regimes; increasing tension
> between religion and States' policies; challenges in the design of national
> and regional governing structures capable of satisfying demands for fair
> representation from different religious groups; social, political, and economic integration of religious minorities; clashes between religious and civil
> law; impact of religion in international policy forums (i.e. International
> Conference on Population and Development, Cairo, 1994; Fourth World
> Conference on Women, Beijing, 1995); and violation of human rights in
> the name of religion including the right to change one's religion. Such
> developments are set against the increased efforts at interfaith dialogue and
> cooperation· between religious leaders and their communities; the impressive global networks of religiously inspired charitable and humanitarian
> organizations and movements calling attention to the ethical dimensions of
> global economic integration; the intellectual and moral legacy of religions
> in the articulation of moral principles (e.g. just war ethic); the capacity of
> religions to move individuals and groups towards selflessness, nonviolence,
> and reconciliation.
> Several factors have contributed to the near complete rejection of religion
> in concepts of international relations. First, the social sciences were based
> 226               THE BAHA'I WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> upon the work of those who believed that religion was giving way to rational
> and scientific modes of thought which would crush what they saw as the
> ignorance and superstition caused by religion, thereby ushering in a period
> of modernity. Second, "not only was international relations theory (like
> other social sciences) founded upon the belief that religion was receding
> from the world as an important factor, it can be argued that the modern
> context for the relations between states was founded on intentionally secular
> principles. The modern concept for the territorial state, the basis for modern
> international relations, was articulated by the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648,"
> which, "was designed to end the Thirty Years' War between Protestant and
> Catholic States. In doing so, it developed a format for relations between
> states which did not include religion." (Jonathan Fox and Shmuel Sandler
> (2005) , "The Question of Religion and World Politics," Terrorism and
> Political Violence, IT 296-98).
> Shoghi Effendi, "The Goal of a New World Order" [1931], The World Order
> ofBahd 'u'lldh (Wilmette, IL: Bal1a' i Publishing Trust, 1991).
> Baha'i International Community, Freedom to Believe (Baha'i International
> Community's United Nations Office, New York, 2005).
> According to the World Bank, in addition to being more productive in
> market work, educated women have smaller families, fewer of their children die in infancy, and the children who survive are healthier and better
> educated. Educated women are also better equipped to enter the paid
> labor force, which is critical to the survival of the many female-headed
> households in developing countries. Nations with higher levels of female
> school enrollment show higher levels of economic productivity, lower fertility, lower infant and maternal mortality, and longer life expectancy than
> countries that have not achieved as high enrollment levels for girls. (World
> Bank, "The Benefits of Education for Women" (1993), www.worldbank
> .org/html/ extdr/hnp/hddflash/hcnote/hrnoo2.h tml).
> For a detailed discussion see: Baha'i International Community, Valuing
> Spirituality in Development: Initial Considerations Regarding the Creation of
> Spiritually Based Indicators for Development, a concept paper written for the
> World Faiths Development Dialogue, Lambeth Palace, London (London:
> Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1998).
> The Monterrey Consensus (AICONF.198/u).
> In the 1980s and 1990s the world made dramatic progress in opening up
> political systems and expanding political freedoms. Over 80 countries took
> significant steps towards democracy, and today 140 of the world's nearly
> 200 countries hold multiparty elections-more than ever before. Despite
> these positive developments, Gallup International's Millennium Survey
> (1999) found that of the 50,000 people surveyed in 60 countries, less than
> a third felt that their country was governed by the will of the people. Only
> THE SEARCH FOR VALUES                                  227
> 
> r in IO respondents said that their government responded to the people's
> will.
> Over the last five years, the United Nations has generated numerous examples of innovative governance: In 2000, the United Nations Economic
> and Social Council established a Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
> to serve as an advisory body to the Council on indigenous issues relating
> to economic and social development, culture, the environment, education, and health and human rights, culminating a decades-long struggle
> of indigenous peoples to regain standing within the global community;
> in June 2005, the General Assembly- for the first time-held interactive
> hearings with civil society and the private sector, in which some 200 nongovernmental organizations presented their views on United Nations reform
> for consideration by Member States in preparation for the 2005 United
> Nations World Summit; also in June 2005 , a tripartite convening group
> composed of a core group of Member States (Argentina, Bangladesh, Ecuador, Gambia, Germany, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Morocco,
> Pakistan, Philippines, Senegal, Spain, Thailand, and Tunisia), civil society,
> the United Nations Educational, Social, and Cultural Organization and the
> Department of Economic and Social Affairs organized a conference titled
> "Interfaith Cooperation for Peace," which aimed to provide input to the
> 2005 World Summit regarding strategies to promote interfaith cooperation
> for peace. It was the first time that a Member-State-initiated conference
> had been co-organized and led by Member States, civil society, and United
> Nations agencies working alongside on another. Given the challenging
> nature of the subject matter, the organizational approach provided a useful
> template for similar endeavors in the future. Also worthy of note is that,
> in 2002, the International Parliamentary Union was granted permanent
> observer status in the General Assemb ly of the United Nations, setting in
> motion new forms of cooperation.
> Panel of Eminent Persons on UN-Civil Society Relationships, We the Peoples:
> Civil Society, the UN and Global Governance (United Nations: New York,
> 2004).
> For the system to be successful, unity, strength, elasticity, and public opinion
> are essential: unity of thought and purpose among the permanent members, strength involving the use of adequate force to ensure the efficacy of
> the system, elasticity to enable the system to meet the legitimate needs of
> its afflicted upholders, and universal public opinion-that of women and
> men-to secure collective action.
> Security Council Resolution 1325 (s/REslr325 (2000)).
> Typically wars and conflicts have drawn little distinction between militants
> and civilians, and between adults and children. Yet armed conflicts affect
> women and girls differently from men and boys. For example, rape and
> sexual violence perpetrated by the armed forces, whether governmental or
> 228               THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> other actors, including peacekeeping personnel, increase the spread of HIV/
> AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. Most of the HIV/ AIDS victims
> in developing countries are women and girls. That disease leaves millions
> of orphans who, in most cases, are cared for by older wom en .
> While the veto has often served as an important safeguard against the
> oppressive majoritarian ism, it has also obstructed effective action against
> countries that pose a threat to their neighbors. An interim m easure may
> include not using veto power when voting on questions of genocide or
> other gross threats to international peace and security.
> The United Nations Charter states that, "In order to ensure prompt and
> effective action by the United Nations, its Members confer on the Security
> Council primary responsibility for the maintenance of peace and security,
> and agree that in carrying out its duties under this responsibility the Security
> Council acts on their behalf," (Article 24).
> Such disruptive and destabilizing factors include, among others: governments' failure to meaningfully integrate religious and ethnic minorities;
> increased access to weapons; the destabilization and collapse of governments;
> and a general sense of social, political, economic, cultural crisis-all of
> which combine to create an environment that could invite violent radical
> ideologies to take hold and flouri sh.
> T his requires the implementation of the Secretary-General's strategic plan
> of action (A/49/587), which calls for an increase in the participation of
> women at decision-making levels in conflict resolution and peace processes.
> Member States need to follow through with their commitments under international law including the United Nations Security Council Resolution
> 1325 (2000) .
> A New Framework for
> Global Prosperity
> The Bahd 'i International Community's submission
> to the 200~ Commission on Social Development on
> the review of the First United Nations Decade for
> the Eradication ofPoverty, January 2006.
> 
> A
> ny definition of poverty and course for its elimination is
> shaped by prevailing notions about the nature and purpose
> of the development process. The combined efforts of the
> United Nations and civil society have significantly expanded the
> understanding of poverty and development. The recognition of the
> interrelatedness of development, human rights, and human security;
> the increased awareness of the interactions between the market and
> the legal, social, cultural, and physical environment in which it
> operates; 1 the acknowledgement of human well-being as the goal
> of development; efforts to introduce more equity into systems of
> global trade and finance; and the emphasis on human solidarity
> as the basis for sustainable development-these have generated a
> worldwide momentum in the drive to find enduring solutions to
> the scourge of poverty.
> Despite these advances, however, the underlying materialistic
> assumptions driving poverty eradication efforts remain virtually
> unchallenged: it is generally accepted that an increase in material
> resources will eradicate this condition from human life. The Millennium Development Goals, while effective in catalyzing poverty
> alleviation efforts, have also framed development primarily in terms
> 
> THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> of the improvement of material conditions. 2 Yet the most persistent
> ills obstructing the peaceful development of peoples and nations-the
> marginalization of girls and women, failing states, the lack of political
> freedoms, the spread of HIV/ AIDS, the proliferation of weapons and
> violent conflict, inter-ethnic and racial tensions, religious intolerance
> and extremism, lawlessness, and growing unemployment-cannot
> be alleviated by material means alone. These social ills evidence a
> different kind of poverty-one rooted in the values and attitudes that
> shape relationships between individuals, communities, and nations,
> as well as between the governors and the governed.
> The Baha'i International Community views the purpose of
> development as contributing to the foundation for a new social
> and international order, capable of creating and sustaining conditions in which human beings can advance morally, culturally, and
> intellecrually. 3 This purpose is rooted in the understanding that
> the transformation of society will involve profound changes in the
> individual as well as the deliberate and systematic re-creation of
> social structures. From this perspective, poverty can be defined as
> the absence of resources-physical, social, and ethical-necessary for
> the establishment of conditions which promote the moral, material,
> and creative capacities of individuals, communities, and institutions.
> Guided by this definition and the belief in the inherent goodness
> and essential spiritual nature of every human being, we submit the
> following recommendations to the United Nations on the occasion
> of its review of the United Nations Decade for the Eradication of
> Poverty.
> 
> Overcome the limitations of particularistic mindsets
> The eradication of poverty will require a fundamental paradigm
> shift on the part of nations and individuals. Our particularistic
> frames of reference-defined by ethnic or religious community,
> nation, "North" and "South,'' "developed" and "developing," or
> regional alliances-must gradually give way to an emerging sense of
> global solidarity and responsibility. Facilitated by efforts to integrate
> human rights into development and security frameworks, initiatives
> to create more just systems of trade and finance, evolving concepts
> GLOBAL PROSPERITY                              231
> 
> of sovereignty, a growing body of international law, and a dramatic
> increase in travel and communication technology, such a shift is
> already well underway. We must now strive to enlarge our notions
> of responsibility and citizenship until we come to understand the
> struggles and progress of other peoples and nations as our own. Such
> a paradigm shift represents a practical response to the recognition
> that peace and prosperity are indivisible and that no sustainable
> benefit can be conferred on a nation or community if the welfare
> of the nations as a whole is ignored or neglected.
> 
> Enhance local deliberative and problem-solving capacity
> Often the target populations of poverty eradication projects are
> perceived as masses of undernourished people, overwhelmed by
> their circumstances and needs rather than capable agents of change
> in their communities. The challenge for development efforts is to
> find methods that allow individuals and communities to solve their
> own problems; the ability of a community to take on more complex
> social issues is a key indicator of progress. One of the essential skills
> involved is that of group decision-making-bringing together diverse
> views, searching for the best solution, and generating commitment
> and solidarity to carry the decision through.
> 
> Implement gender-based budgeting
> Many studies confirm that female poverty cannot be conceptualized
> the same way as male poverty, given that women's social and cultural
> roles and their relationship to systems of power and authority differ
> from those of men. 4 These differences, however, are rarely reflected
> in official poverty statistics and, consequently, do not inform
> resource allocation at local, national, and regional levels. 5 In order for
> governments to fulfill their commitments to gender equality, public
> expenditures must include a gender analysis-involving women in
> budget decision-making and assessing the impact of fiscal measures
> on the status of women in the community.
> As women hold approximately 15 percent of elected parliamentary seats globally, the power to legislate and effect change at the
> 232            THE BAHA'I WORLD 2005- 2006
> 
> national and global levels rests primarily with men. It is equally
> their responsibility to push for the unconditional ratification of the
> Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
> Against Women by member states and to put in place accountability
> mechanisms when commitments are not followed through. The
> extension of opportunities to women and the emergence of new
> forms of partnership between men and women have the potential
> to revolutionize every institution of society from the family to the
> government-creating the very conditions that make progress and
> prosperity possible.
> 
> Create rural centers of technology training and research
> While the adoption of new technologies is integral to development,
> too often-under the guise of "modernization"- these have been
> inappropriate to the culture and community into which they were
> introduced. Alongside Millennium Development Goals calling for
> the sharing of information and communication technologies, equally
> important is the creation of local institutions, such as rural centers
> of technology training and research, constructively blending modern
> scientific methods with indigenous practices and thereby directly
> engaging local populations in the generation and implementation of
> new ideas. True development consists of the creation of indigenous
> capacity to participate in the generation of technologies for the
> benefit of the broader community.
> 
> Expand development indicators
> to assess ethical and moral capacities
> The measures and indicators used to assess poverty and human
> development, such as the gross national product and the Human
> Development Index, largely determine what is valued and, as such,
> shape development policy and priorities. The progress of communities and nations requires not only material inputs and legal measures
> to secure order, but the development of moral capabilities to govern
> behavior and decision-making by individuals and institutions.
> In an effort to advance the methods for assessing development at the community level from a moral perspective, the Baha'i
> GLOBAL PROSPERITY                            233
> 
> International Community has proposed the following set of principles as a basis for the construction of ethically based development
> indicators: unity in diversity (the extent to which all members of
> a community are integrated into community life); equity and justice (to ensure that opportunity and access to material and social
> resources are fairly distributed); gender equality; trustworthiness;
> and freedom of thought, conscience and belief. 6 These principles
> could be applied in the areas of economic development, education,
> environmental stewardship, and governance, for example, to generate
> development goals and construct new indicators to measure progress
> towards these goals.
> 
> Eliminate extremes of wealth
> Extremes of poverty are linked to extremes of wealth. Given the
> interconnectedness of the global economic system, one extreme
> cannot be abolished while the other is allowed to exist. In this regard,
> efforts to eradicate poverty must include an earnest re-evaluation
> of global systems and processes-including governance, trade, and
> private transactions-that perpetuate the growing extremes of wealth
> and poverty. Greater corporate accountability should not be restricted
> to the environment and labor standards but also take into account
> the full panoply of human rights. The legitimacy and social benefit
> of one's material resources depend on the means by which they are
> acquired and the end to which they are used.
> While the Millennium Development Goals have focused the
> world's development agenda for the next IO years, the United
> Nations must not limit its attention to this relatively short span of
> time- which confines it to a primarily reactive mode. Alongside
> short-term goals, the United Nations, with academia and civil society,
> needs to consider longer-term scenarios and desired outcomes. Such
> an orientation would allow it to examine a wider range of policy
> and programmatic options and to cultivate a diversity of intellectual
> contributions, thereby enriching the visioning process. Let us not
> be content with minimum standards, narrow material goals, and
> compromise positions but rather cast a vision of prosperity that can
> inspire the masses of humanity to work towards its realization in a
> deliberate act of global solidarity.
> 234               THE BAHA'I WORLD 2005- 2006
> 
> NOTES
> 
> Jeffrey Sachs, "Clinical Economics," in The End of Poverty: Economic
> Possibilities for Our Time (New York: The Penguin Press, 2005).
> While the Millennium Development Goals set out to promote gender
> equal ity, education, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability,
> they focus primarily on people's material needs, including income poverty,
> hunger, disease, and provision of shelter.
> This is consistent with Article 28 of the Universal Declaration of Human
> Rights, which states that, "Everyone is entitled to a social and international
> order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be
> fully realized. "
> Social Watch Report 2005: Roars and Whispers: Gender and Poverty, Promises
> vs. Action, http:/ /www.socialwatch.org/ en/informelmpreso/informe2005
> .htm.
> Karen Judd, ed., Gender Budget Initiatives: Strategies, Concepts, and Experiences (New York: The United Nations Development Fund for Women,
> 2002).
> Baha'i International Community, Valuing Spirituality in Development:
> Initial Considerations Regarding the Creation of Spiritually Based Indicators
> for Development, a concept paper written for the World Faiths Development Dialogue, Lambeth Palace, London (London: Baha'i Publishing Trust,
> 1998) .
> INFORMATION
> AND RESOURCES
> Obituaries
> 
> DAVID S. RUHE
> On 6 September 2005, in Newburgh, New York, USA.
> David S. Ruhe, born on 3 January 1913, was a medical doctor, an accomplished
> filmmaker, a Baha'i administrator, a painter, and an author. A Bal1fi for
> more than six decades, he served on the Faith's supreme governing body-the
> Universal House of Justice-for 25 years.
> After graduating from the Temple University School of Medicine in 1941,
> Dr. Ruhe began his medical career during World War 11 as a malaria researcher
> with the United States Public Health Service. In 1954, he was named the first
> professor of Medical Communications at the University of Kansas Medical
> School. Among the innovations he introduced at the university were the use
> of optical fibers for endoscopic cinematography, the projection of high-definition images in surgical theaters, and the videotaping of psychiatric sessions
> for peer review. He made scores of medical films, winning the Golden Reel
> award, the Venice Film Festival award, and the Royal Photographic Society of
> Great Britain award for his productions. In the course of his work in medical
> education, he was appointed director of the Medical Film Institute for the
> Association of American Medical Colleges.
> Dr. Ruhe enthusiastically embraced the Baha'i Faith in Philadelphia in
> 1941 and developed an extensive and profound knowledge of its writings and
> teachings. He served on numerous Local Spiritual Assemblies and national
> committees. Elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'fs of the
> 
> THE BAHA'I WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> United States in 1959, he served
> as its secretary from 1963 until
> 1968, when he was elected to the
> Universal House of Justice, on
> which he served for five terms
> of five years each, until 1993·
> A prolific writer, Dr. Ruhe
> authored many papers and
> rwo books on aspects of medicine and medical audiovisual
> communication. Gifted with a
> capaciry to nurture dedication
> in others, Dr. Ruhe also contributed to the educational work
> of medical institutions in Haifa
> during his years at the Baha'i
> World Centre.
> While serving on the              Dr. David Ruhe
> Universal House of Justice,
> Dr. Ruhe developed a passionate interest in the history and archaeology of the
> Holy Land and wrote Door of Hope, a detailed history of Baha'i holy places
> in Israel, published in 1983. Later, he authored Robe of Light, an historical
> account of Baha'u'llih's early years, published in 1994· During their vacations,
> he and his wife Margaret enjoyed visiting and supporting fledgling Baha'i
> schools, universities, and radio stations around the world-from Thailand
> to Chile. Upon his 1993 retirement from the Universal House of Justice,
> Dr. Ruhe and his wife returned to New York State, where he produced a series
> of documentary TV programs about the Baha'i Faith.
> The Universal House of Justice wrote that Dr. Ruhe's passing deprived the
> world communiry of a "steadfast, tireless, long standing servant." Ir praised his
> "humanitarian spirit and strength of will" and called for memorial gatherings
> to be held everyv.rhere, including commemorative services in his honor in all
> the Baha'i Houses of Worship.
> 
> JOYCE DAHL
> On r6 March 2006, in Monterey, California, USA.
> Born Joyce Lyon in Burlingame, California, on 14 August 1908, Joyce Dahl
> first heard of the Baha'i Faith while studying at Stanford University and
> joined the Baha'i communiry in 1931 after a year in which she attended meetings in Paris, France. From the late 1930s through the 1950s, she served the
> United States Baha'i communiry as a member of various committees. She was
> OBITUARIES                                  239
> 
> also a founding member of the Local Spiritual Assemblies of Palo Alto and
> Monterey Carmel Judicial District. She married Arthur Ludwig Dahl in 1936
> and raised four sons. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'fs of the
> United States described Mrs. Dahl as "one of the most knowledgeable, capable,
> faithful and persevering Baha'ls of her generation or any other." She was an
> enthusiastic international traveling teacher who made numerous journeys to,
> among other places, Barbados, the Falkland Islands, the Windward Islands,
> St. Lucia, the French Antilles, Haiti, French Guiana, and Hawaii. She served
> as an Auxiliary Board member in California from 1977 to 1986. Articles written by Mrs. Dahl were published in Baha'i Magazine and previous volumes
> of The Baha'i World.
> 
> MOHAMMAD-ALI DJALALI
> On 22 April 2006, in Fuengirola, Spain.
> Mohammad-Ali Djalali, born in the early years of the twentieth century,
> was serving as a Muslim cleric in Iran when a Baha'i, after hearing one of
> Mr. Djalali's sermons criticizing the Baha'i Faith, invited him to his house.
> Examining a book of Baha'u'llah's writings in his host's home led Mr. Djalali
> to further investigation and eventual acceptance of the Faith. Possessed of an
> intrepid and independent spirit, Mr. Djalali dedicated himself to promoting
> the Baha'i teachings in Iran, and further afield in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Responding to the 1953 call of Shoghi Effendi for the Faith to be taken
> to many countries of the world where it had not yet been established, Mr.
> Djalali was among the first Baha'ls to reside in Morocco, for which Shoghi
> Effendi gave him the title "Knight ofBaha'u'llah." From Morocco, Mr. Djalali
> moved on to Algeria, the Canary Islands, and settled finally in Spain, from
> where he continued to travel widely throughout the African continent, visiting Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, Nigeria, and Mauritania. In
> the early 1990s, as opportunities for teaching the Baha'i Faith opened in the
> republics of the former Soviet Union, Mr. Djalali traveled under arduous
> conditions, and despite his advanced age, to Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The
> Universal House of Justice praised his "dedicated and selfless spirit as evinced
> in his tireless and historic teaching activities on several continents."
> 
> MERE FOX
> On IJ July 2005, in Whangerei, New Zealand.
> Born in the Bay of Islands, New Zealand, on 25 November 1907, Mere Fox
> hailed from a distinguished tribal ancestry. After becoming a Baha'i, she
> served on the first Local Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'ls ofTaupo, formed
> in the early 1970s, and continued this service for many years. She was also
> appointed an assistant to the Auxiliary Board member. "Aunty Mere," as she
> THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> was affectionately known, devoted several decades to teaching the Baha'i Faith
> among the Maori people, promoting its teachings at marae (tribal gathering
> places) around the country. In the mid-198os, at the request of the National
> Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of New Zealand, she was part of an ope
> (traveling team) that visited prominent Maori dignitaries and government
> departments. She became well known throughout the Baha'i world when
> she appeared, at the age of 8), on a satellite television broadcast, performing
> with other Baha'is from New Zealand at the Second Baha'i World Congress
> in New York City in 1992. The Universal House of Justice described her as "a
> staunch and devoted maidservant of Baha'u'llah for several decades, known
> for her dedication to the promotion of His Cause."
> 
> "WILLIAMS.HATCHER
> On 27 November 2005, in Stratford, Ontario, Canada.
> William S. Hatcher was born in C harlotte, North Carolina, USA, on
> 20 September 1935· He received his BA and MA degrees from Vanderbilt
> University in Nashville, Tennessee, and his doctorate in mathematical logic
> from the University of Neuchatel in Switzerland. After serving three years
> as associate professor of mathematics at the University of Toledo, Ohio,
> Dr. Hatcher settled with his wife, Judith, in Canada in 1968, where he worked
> as a professor of mathematics at the Universite Laval in Quebec City until 1995·
> Dr. Hatcher was preparing to enter the Christian ministry after undergraduate school when he encountered the Baha'i Faith in a comparative religions
> course. He joined the Baha'i community in 1957, forgoing a scholarship to
> Yale Divinity School.
> Throughout his life as a Baha'i, Dr. Hatcher served on numerous
> administrative bodies at the local and national levels. He was a member of the
> National Spiritual Assembly of Switzerland (1962-65), the National Spiritual
> Assembly of Canada (1983-91), and the National Spiritual Assembly of the
> Russian Federation (1996). He played a vital role in promoting the academic
> study of the Baha'i Faith through helping to found the Association for Baha'i
> Studies of North America.
> Dr. Hatcher's specializations included mathematical logic, philosophy,
> and the philosophical interpretation of science, religion, and ethics. He wrote
> more than 50 articles, books, and monographs, infused with a characteristic
> clarity of expression, humor, and warmth. These included Logic and Logos:
> Essays on Science, Religion and Philosophy (1990) and Love, Power, and Justice:
> The Dynamics ofAuthentic Morality (1998). The Baha'i Faith: The Emerging
> Global Religion (1985), co-authored with Douglas Martin, was named by
> Encyclopedia Britannica in 1986 as book of the year in religion. On learning
> of Dr. Hatcher's passing, the Universal House of]ustice wrote that the "Baha'i
> OBITUARIES
> 
> world has lost one of its brightest minds, one of its most prolific pens," and
> that he would long be remembered for his "stalwart faith, forceful exposition,
> and penetrating insights which characterized nearly half a century of ceaseless
> services."
> 
> LAGILAGI SEREVI KEAN
> On 28 September 2005, in Nasinu, Fiji.
> Lagilagi Serevi Kean was born on 27 December 1963, the eldest child in a
> Baha'i family. Her parents served the Faith with distinction in Fiji before
> moving to the Marshall Islands. One of Fiji's first well-educated Baha'i women,
> Mrs. Kean was devoted to education, assisting in the development of
> kindergartens and encouraging youth to become well educated. She served as
> a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Fiji. As chief
> officer for external affairs, she was actively engaged with the dissemination
> to the prominem people of Fiji of The Promise ofWorld Peace, a statement by
> the Universal House of Justice prepared for the United Nations International
> Year of Peace in 1985. In March 2002, she spearheaded a public event for the
> release of the National Spiritual Assembly's document Multicultural Harmony
> in Fiji: Pathway to a Prosperous and Peaceful Future. She was the chief translator
> of documents from the Universal House ofJustice and served as a representative for the Institution of l:Iuququ'llah. In recent years, she was an active and
> enthusiastic supporter of the training institute process.
> Professionally, Mrs. Kean worked in the finance section of the Ministry
> of Education, handling sensitive financial matters. Shortly before her passing,
> she had been promoted to a newly created position in which she traveled
> throughout the country to assist schools in developing financial accountability.
> Mrs. Kean worked conscientiously to bring indigenous Fijians, Indians, and
> other races together. The Universal House of Justice remarked on her "notable
> contribution to the promotion of multicultural harmony in Fiji," and wrote
> that she "will long be remembered for the dedication with which she carried
> out the duties of Chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer of the National Spiritual
> Assembly at various times over a period of some twelve years of distinguished
> service on the national body."
> 
> BETTYKOYL
> On 2I April 2006, in Lillehammer, Norway.
> Born on 14 January 1917, Betty Koy! spent her early years as a Baha'i in New
> York City and Chicago. In the 1940s and 1950s, in the face of threats to her
> safety, she carried out extensive travels to the Southern states of the United
> States of America, promoting concepts of the oneness of humanity in racially
> segregated places such as Little Rock, Arkansas, and Winston-Salem, North
> THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> Carolina. In 1960, she moved to Norway to help establish Local Spiritual
> Assemblies in towns on the southwest coast and later, in the east interior. From
> the mid-197os she remained in Lillehammer, where she continued to serve
> the Baha'i community with selfless devotion and warm humor. The National
> Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'ls of the United States wrote, "we recall with
> admiration and deepest appreciation her 46 years of patient, wise and indefatigable efforts, in several different localities in her adopted Norwegian home
> ... to form and maintain Local Spiritual Assemblies, those precious points of
> light in a Europe darkened by immorality and indifference to religion."
> 
> MARIJKE (MARIA JOHANNA) VAN LITH-BOXMAN
> On Io January 2006, in Leiderdorp, the Netherlands.
> Born in Bandung, Indonesia, on 16 January 1924, Marijke van Lith-Boxman
> moved with her family to the Netherlands when she was a young girl.
> She married Jacobus Eduard "Bob" van Lith in 1950. The couple lived in
> Amsterdam, where they were introduced to the Baha'i Faith in 1951, joining the community the following year. They had seven children. Mrs. van
> Lith devoted her energies to her large family, as well as to publishing and
> translations into Dutch of Baha'i literature. She also served on the Spiritual
> Assembly of the Baha'is of Haarlem. In 1976, Mr. and Mrs. van Lith moved
> to Suriname, settling in Paramaribo. They both served on the first National
> Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Suriname, formed in 1977· Mrs. van Lith
> was soon afterwards appointed as an Auxiliary Board member for Suriname
> and French Guiana. She traveled widely throughout South America and the
> Caribbean for the next 17 years. In 1982, she went to Colombia to receive
> training at the Ruhi Institute and enthusiastically promoted its educational
> activities on her return. Following her husband's passing in 1983, Mrs. van Lith
> continued traveling, teaching, and assisting Baha'i communities in Suriname.
> She was instrumental in establishing the Surinamese World Religions Day
> Foundation along with prominent leaders of the Hindu, Muslim, Christian,
> and Baha'i communities. She traveled to some 40 countries promoting the
> Baha'i teachings, including Russia, Indonesia, and New Zealand. Following
> her return to the Netherlands in 1994, Mrs. van Lith dedicated herself to her
> family and attending conferences as a representative of the Baha'i International
> Community. These included the Beijing Women's Conference in 1995, Habitat
> II in Istanbul in 1996, and the Parliament of World Religions in Cape Town in
> 1999· A passionate advocate for women's rights, she met and conversed about
> the Baha'i teachings with HRH Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands at an event
> called "Women and Labour 1898-1998." Mrs. van Lith served on the Local
> Spiritual Assembly of the Bahfls ofLeiderdorp from 1994 until her passing on
> the morning of her 82nd birthday. On hearing of her passing, the Universal
> OBITUARIES                                   243
> 
> House of Justice wrote that her "longstanding dedication to the promotion
> of the Cause is recalled with gratitude and admiration."
> 
> FREDERICK PALMER LOCKE
> On I9 January 2006, in Limbe, Malawi.
> Frederick Palmer Locke was born in Port Said, Egypt, on 20 March 1921. His
> early years were plagued by a congenital heart condition and, after his family
> sought a better climate by moving to California, USA, he was often confined
> to bed for months at a rime. He enrolled in college several rimes but always
> had to drop our because of his health. Mr. Locke had known about the Baha'i
> Faith since the 1940s when his sister Isobel (Sabri) embraced its teachings. He
> registered himself as a Baha'f in 1967, after his first marriage ended in divorce,
> and dedicated himself completely to the service of the Faith. He remarried
> in 1970 and served on the first Local Spiritual Assembly of Grass Valley,
> California. In February 1975, he and his family moved to Malawi. Mr. Locke
> served the Faith in many capacities in Malawi, as a member of the National
> Spiritual Assembly, attending six International Conventions as a delegate,
> as treasurer of the Local Spiritual Assemb ly of Blantyre, and on numerous
> national committees. Mr. Locke was deeply respected and admired by many
> people, including numerous friends of Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, and Christian
> origins, who delivered words of love and respect at his funeral.
> 
> JOHN MCHENRY III
> On I8 January 2006, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.
> John McHenry III, who was born on 22 November 1932 in Evanston, Illinois,
> was serving as an Army private stationed in Japan when he began to travel
> to Korea in the company of several other Baha'f servicemen to promote the
> Baha'f teachings. Despite a history of Baha'i visitors daring back to the 1920s,
> no Baha'fs had settled in Korea before 1953· The country elected its first Local
> Spiritual Assemblies in 1956 and, with the encouragement of Shoghi Effendi,
> Guardian of the Baha'i Faith, Mr. McHenry was able to establish permanent
> residence there in 1957· He settled in Kwangju and joined the teaching faculty
> at Chosun University. Mr. McHenry traveled throughout South Korea giving
> public talks about the Baha'f Faith. In January 1963, he was appointed as an
> Auxiliary Board member. In 1964, Mr. McHenry married Ok-Sun Pak, with
> whom he raised three children. That same year, Korea's first National Spiritual Assembly was formed, by which rime the Baha'f community numbered
> several thousand. The McHenrys returned to the United States in 1966 but
> stayed determined to contribute to the development of the Baha'f community
> in Korea. They moved back in 1969 and stayed until the mid-197os. During
> this time, South Korea's Baha'i population doubled, and Baha'f marriage and
> holy days gained official recognition. Mr. McHenry also served as the first
> 244               THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> Continental Counsellor to reside in Korea. On his return to the United States,
> Mr. McHenry worked for many years as a computer specialist in Washington,
> DC, and Denver, Colorado. He and his wife moved to Albuquerque in 1987.
> There, he served at various rimes as secretary or treasurer on the Local Spiritual
> Assembly. He maintained his great passion for teaching the Baha'f Faith and
> held study classes. He passed away after a long and courageous battle with
> cancer. The Universal House of Justice, on learning of his passing, praised his
> "eagerness and reliability" and "staunchness of faith worthy of emulation."
> 
> RUTH KATHARINE MEYER
> On 29 March 2006, in Linderos, Chile.
> Born on 17 January 1908, Ruth Katharine Meyer was a conservatory-trained
> pianist who, with a degree in business administration and economics, worked
> as an economic analyst for the us government in Washington DC, where she
> became a Baha'i in 1945· Despite being unfamiliar with Spanish, she volunteered to move to Larin America in 1947 after Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian
> of the Baha'i Faith, wrote about the great need for Baha'fs to settle there.
> She arrived in Caracas, Venezuela, after traveling through several Caribbean
> islands teaching the Baha'i Faith. Funding her travels through school-teaching,
> office work, and other jobs, she visited Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, and Argentina.
> In 1953, she opened the Venezuelan island of Margarita to the Baha'i Faith
> and was honored by the Guardian with the title "Knight of Bal1a'u'llih. " For
> II years, she assisted in the building of Baha'i communities in several locali-
> 
> ties, before moving on to St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands. She was elected
> to the inaugural National Spiritual Assembly of the Leeward, Windward,
> and Virgin Islands and served as its secretary. She participated in a number
> of projects in Venezuela and the Caribbean, taking the Baha'i teachings to
> indigenous people. In 1969, Ms. Meyer moved to southern Chile. The following year, she was appointed as an Auxiliary Board member and spent more
> than a decade traveling across Chile and to several islands, as well as parts of
> Argentina and Bolivia. In 1979, she published a book in English and Spanish
> describing the Baha' i Faith's development in Latin America. She was an independent and energetic woman, and the Universal House of Justice wrote that
> Ms. Meyer's "many services to the Cause, including her pioneering in Chile
> over several decades and her dedicated work in the Mapuche region will long
> be remembered."
> 
> 'IZZATU'LLAH RASIKH
> On 7 April 2006, in Rockville, Maryland, USA.
> The fourth of eight children born into a Baha' i family in Tehran, Iran,
> Dr. Rasikh began his career as a physician in 1943 in Khoramshar. He pursued
> a specialty degree in chest medicine at the University of Paris in France, serving
> OBITUARIES                                  245
> 
> as a member of the Local Spiritual Assembly of Paris during his studies. On
> his way back to Iran in 1952, he joined the first group of pilgrims after the
> 1948 Arab-Israeli War to visit the Baha'i World Centre in Haifa. There he
> had the opportunity to meet Shoghi Effendi, Guardian of the Baha'i Faith.
> In Tehran, Dr. Rasikh was appointed medical director of a chest hospital
> operated by Iran's social services system, but he gave up the position four years
> later to answer a call for Baha'ls to settle in Indonesia. From 1956 to 1958, he
> served as professor of medicine at the University of Indonesia in Jakarta. In
> 1957, he was elected to the first National Spiritual Assembly of South East Asia.
> Health concerns forced him to leave in 1958. He went to the University of
> Mississippi, USA, for advanced studies in cardiology, and then went into private
> practice in Tehran in 1960. In 1968, he moved to the United States, beginning
> with a residency in psychiatry in Memphis, Tennessee. For 12 years, he was an
> attend ing psychiatrist at a hospital in Raleigh, North Carolina. On his retirement in 1984, he resided in Maryland and Florida before settling in McLean,
> Virginia. He continued to devote considerable time to Baha'i activities. In
> 1985, at the request of the Universal House of Justice, he traveled to Pakistan
> to counsel Baha'i refugees who had fled Iran after the 1979 Revolution. He also
> supported the launch of Payam-e-Doost, a program of the Baha'i International
> Radio Service, and wrote numerous articles for the Persian-language periodical
> Payam-e Baha'i. In his 70s, he made an extended visit to Albania to promote
> the Baha' i teachings. Dr. Rasikh passed away at the age of 88 after a long
> illness. On hearing of his passing, the Universal House of Justice described
> him as a "steadfast, stalwart servant ofBaha'u'llah, who has left an exemplary
> record of Baha'i service spanning more than half a century. His courage as a
> pioneer to Indonesia ... his humanitarian endeavors in several countries as
> a medical expert, and his constant study of the Writings and authorship and
> translation of articles are outstanding."
> 
> GERTRUDE SCHMELZLE
> On 24 July 2005, in Caloundra, Queensland, Australia.
> Born on 9 March 1922 in Datteln, Westphalia, Germany, Gertrude Schmelzle
> served the Australian Baha'i community with great distinction. She and
> her husband became Baha'is in 1962, eight years after they had moved to
> Australia. Mr. Schmelzle's mother had been raised in the German Templar
> colony in Haifa, Israel, and had, as a child, encountered 'Abdu'l-Bal1a. From
> the time of their joining the Baha'i community, Mr. and Mrs. Schmelzle
> hosted countless gatherings, open to people from diverse cultural backgrounds
> and walks of life. Their home was always welcoming and many relied on
> Mrs. Schmelzle for counsel and kindness. For more than four decades, she
> served the community in various capacities, as a member of Local Spiritual
> Assemblies and regional committees, and as an assistant to me Auxiliary Board.
> THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> Mrs. Schmelzle greatly respected, and was devoted ro, the indigenous population of Australia. She enjoyed close friendships with Aboriginal elders and their
> extended families. Her numerous visits rook her ro remote areas including
> Woorabinda, Alice Springs, along the Murray River, and from Cairns through
> the bush to aboriginal communities. Other travels included attending the
> One Tribe Institute in North Queensland, the opening of the Baha'i House
> of Worship in Western Samoa, and a Health Conference in India. As a natural health practitioner, she was dedicated to a holistic approach combining
> scientific knowledge and an acute diagnostic skill. Her expertise was sought by
> many, including three Hands of the Cause of God-'Amatu'l-Baha Ru}:ilyyih
> Khanum, Mr. John Robarts, and Mr. Abu'l-Qasim Faizi. With her husband's
> support, Mrs. Schmelzle also carried out invaluable historical research about
> Haifa's German Templar community, gathering photographs and interviews
> with its members. One interviewee, a 96-year-old woman, recalled sitting on
> the lap of Baha'u'llah when He sojourned briefly at her family's home. On
> learning of her passing, the Universal House of Justice praised Mrs. Schmelzle's
> "great devotion" and "fidelity for many decades, during which time she made
> a distinctive contribution to the advancement of the Cause."
> 
> SATANAM SINGARAVADIVELU
> On 6 July 2005, in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.
> Satanam Singaravadivelu was born on 15 October 1940 in Seremban, Malaysia.
> His parents were ethnic Jaffna Tamils and devoted Hindus who had migrated
> to Malaysia from Ceylon. Mr. Satanam became a Baha'i in April 1960 and
> devoted his energy to youth activities and widely promoting the Baha'i teachings-including ro the Asli people and Tamil-speaking populations, sometimes
> traveling hundreds of miles by motorcycle. He made extensive visits ro Sabah,
> Sarawak, Burma, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sikkim, India, Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu,
> and Thailand. Mr. Satanam served on Local Spiritual Assemblies in Seremban,
> Jelebu, Port Dickson, and Rantau. He was a keen children's class teacher, his
> warm and loving nature being a natural magnet for young people. He was
> appointed as an Auxiliary Board member in 1979. He served in this capacity
> until 1993, when he moved to Cambodia. He was also appointed as the first
> representative of the Institution ofl:luququ'llah for West Malaysia. He served
> again as an Auxiliary Board member in Cambodia and played a key role in the
> re-formation of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahfls of Cambodia
> following decades of civil war. Mr. Satanam and his wife moved to Indonesia
> in 1996, settling in a remote and difficult locality where their home became
> a haven and refuge for a sorely persecuted community. He encouraged and
> assisted the Bahffs to start small, sustainable socioeconomic projects. In
> 1999, after another move, he was appointed an Auxiliary Board member for
> OBITUARIES                                  247
> 
> Laos. From December 2003 until his passing, Mr. Saranam barded cancer
> but continued to visit Baha'i communities and promote the training institute
> process. In its message of condolence, the Universal House of Justice wrote
> that Mr. Satanam's life was "distinguished by over forry years of service to the
> Faith" and that his "contributions to the development of the Cause in many
> countries in Asia, including Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, and Malaysia, and
> his distinguished service as a member of the institutions in those areas are
> recalled with deep appreciation."
> Statistics
> 
> General Statistics
> 
> More than 5 million people are members of the Baha'i'. Faith. As
> of Ri4van 2006, the Baha'i'. community had 179 National Spiritual
> Assemblies and thousands of Local Spiritual Assemblies around the
> world. The Baha'i'. Faith is established in 191 independent countries
> and 45 dependent territories or overseas departments. There are 2,112
> indigenous tribes, races, and ethnic groups represented within the
> worldwide Baha'i'. community.
> 
> Social and Economic Development
> 
> Baha'i'. development activities are initiated either by individuals
> or groups of believers, or by Baha'i'. administrative institutions.
> Together, these activities contribute to a global process of learning
> about a Baha'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'i'.s around the world
> 
> I) I
> 
> THE BAHA I WORLD 2004-2005
> 
> 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 represent responses to invitations from other organizations. It is estimated that in 2005-2006
> there were several thousand endeavors of this kind, including cleanup projects, health camps and the provision of various other types of
> services, workshops and seminars on such themes as race unity and
> the advancement of women, and short-term training courses.
> 
> SUSTAINED PROJECTS
> The second category of Baha'i social and economic development
> activity consists of approximately 600 ongoing projects. The vast
> majority are academic and tutorial schools, while others focus on
> areas such as literacy, basic health care, moral education, child care,
> agriculture, the environment, and 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 evolved into 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 institutionsespecially large schools-which, although focusing only on one field,
> have the potential to make a significant impact. In this category there
> are currently 45 such organizations.
> Directory
> 
> Baha'i International
> Community
> Haifa Offices:                        Geneva Office:
> • Secretariat                         • Un ited Nations Office
> • Office of Public Information          Route des Morillons 15
> PO Box 155                            CH-1218 Grand-Saconnex
> 31 001 Haifa                          Geneva
> Israel                                Switzerland
> E-mail: opi@bwc.org                   E-mail: bic@geneva.bic.org
> Web: http://www.bahai.org/
> Paris Office:
> New York Offices:                     • Office of Public Information
> • Un ited Nations Office                45 rue Pergolese
> • Office for the Advancement of         F-75n6 Paris
> Women                               France
> • Office of the Environment             E-mail: opiparis@club-interner.fr
> 866 United Nations Plaza
> Suite 120                           Agencies and Baha'i-
> New York, NY 10017-1822
> inspired organizations
> USA
> E-mail: bic-nyc@bic.org
> Asociacion Bayan
> Web: http://statements. bahai.org/
> Bo. Bella Vista, 5ta. Ave. 24 calle
> Arras de Tania Suite
> THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> Apartado Postal 320                   Attn: Don Davis
> La Ceiba, Atlfotida                   5 Ravenscroft Drive
> Honduras                              Asheville, NC 28801
> E-mail: bayan@tropicohn.com           USA
> Web: http://www.bayan-hn.org          E-mail: bcca-cc@bcca.org
> Web: http://www.bcca.org/
> Associai;:ao para o Desenvolvimento
> Coesivo da Amazonia (ADCAM)           Baha'i Internet Agency
> Rua Leonora Armstrong No. 9           PO Box 63n36
> Sao Jose Iv                           Highlands Ranch, co 80163-2136
> CEP69084-598                          USA
> Mana us/Amasonas                      E-mail: programdirecror@bia. bal1ai
> Brazil                                  .org
> E-mail: adcam@adcam.org. br
> Web: http://www.adcam.o rg.br         Baha'i Justice Society
> Baha'i National Center
> Badi Foundation                     1233 Central Street
> · Rua Luis Gomes                      Evanston, IL 60201
> Edif Lei San, 4 Andar               USA
> Macau (via Hong Kong)               E-mail: info@bahaijusticesociety.org
> E-mail: badiadm@macau.ctm.net       Web: http://www.bahaijustice.org/
> 
> Bahaa Esperanto-Ligo (BEL)            Baha'i Office of the Environment
> Eppsteiner Strage 89                  for Taiwan
> D-65719 Hofheim                       149-13 Hsin Sheng South Road
> Germany                               Section l Taipei 10626
> E-mail: bahaaeligo@bahai.de           Taiwan
> Web: http://www.bahai.de/             E-mail: tranboet@asiaonline.net.tw
> bahaaeligo/
> European Baha'i Business Forum
> Baha'i Agency for Social and          E-mail: ebbf@ebbf.org
> Economic Development (BASED-UK)       Web: http://www.ebbf.org/
> 22 East Saint Helen's Street
> Abingdon                              Health for Humanity
> Oxfordshire                           415 Linden Avenue, Suite B
> OXI4 5EB                              Wilmette, IL 60091-2886
> United Kingdom                        USA
> E-mail: secretariat@baseduk.org. uk   E-mail: health@usbnc.org
> Web: hrrp://www.baseduk.org.uk/       Web: http://www.healthfor
> humanity.org/
> Baha'i Business Forum of America
> E-mail: info@bbfa.org                 Hong Kong Baha'i Professional
> Web: http://www.bbfa.org              Forum
> c-6, nth Floor, Hankow Center
> Baha'i Computer and                  1-C Middle Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
> Communications Association           Kowloon
> c/o New Era Communications           Hong Kong
> DIRECTORY                               253
> 
> Institute for Studies in Global        Australia
> Prosperity                             Baha'i Publications Australia
> 866 United Nations Plaza               PO Box 300
> Suite 120                              Bundoora
> New York, NY 10017-1822                VIC 3083
> USA                                    Australia
> E-mail: info@globalprosperity.org      E-mail: bds@bahai.org.au
> Web: http://www.globalprosperity       Web: hrrp://www.bahaibooks.com/
> .org/
> Belgium
> International Environment Forum        Maison d'Edirions Baha'les
> clo Sylvia Karlsson                    205 rue du Trone
> Sigmund FreudstraEe 36                 B-1050 Brussels
> D-53127 Bonn                           Belgium
> Germany                                E-mail: meb@swing.be
> E-mail: ief@bcca.org
> Web: http://www.bcca.org/ief/          Brazil
> Editora Baha'i do Brasil
> New Era Foundation                     Caixa Postal 1085
> PO Box 95                              Mogi Mirim, SP
> Panchgani 412 805                      13800-973
> Maharashtra                            Brazil
> India                                  E-mail: secrerariar@editorabahai
> Email: nettc.omid@gmail.com              brasil.com.br
> Web: http://www.edirorabahaibrasil
> William Mmutle Masetlha                  .com.br/
> Foundation
> PO Box 50467                           Cameroon
> Ridgeway                               Baha'i Publishing Agency
> Lusaka                                 BP 2032
> Zambia                                 Douala
> E-mail: wmmf@zamnet.zm                 Cameroon
> E-mail: niazbushrui@globalner2.net
> Publishers and Literature              Cote d'Ivoire
> Distributors                           Maison d'Edirions Nur
> 08 BP 879
> Argentina                              Abidjan 08
> Editorial Baha'i Indolatinoamericana   Core d'Ivoire
> (EBILA)                              E-mail: asnci@aviso.ci
> Oramendi 217
> 1405 Buenos Aires                      Fiji Islands
> Argentina                              Baha'i Publishing Trust
> E-mail: info@ebila.org                 PO Box 639
> Web: http://www.ebila.org/             Suva
> Fiji Islands
> 254                THE BAHA'I WORLD 2005- 2006
> 
> South Pacific                          PO Box 47562
> E-mail: nsafiji@connect.com.fj         00100 Nairobi
> Kenya
> Germany                                E-mail: bpakenya@alphanet.co.ke
> Baha'i-Verlag
> Eppsteiner Strage 89                   Mauritius
> 0-65719 Hofheim                        Publication Baha'ie Maurice
> Germany                                40, Volcy Pougnet Street
> E-mail: office@bahai-verlag.de         Port Louis
> Mauritius
> Hong Kong                              Email: pbmmru@intnet.mu
> Baha'i Publishing Trust
> c-6, nth Floor, Hankow Center          The Netherlands
> r-c M iddle Road, Tsim Sha Tsui        Stichting Baha'i Literatuur
> Kowloon                                Riouwstraat 27
> Hong Kong                              NL-2585 GR, The Hague
> E-mail: secretaria t@hk. bahai. o rg   The Netherlands
> E-mail: sbl@bahai.nl
> India
> Baha'i Publishing Trust                Niger
> F-3/6, Okhla Industrial Area           Maison d'Editions Fada'il
> Phase-I                                BP 12858
> New Delhi no 020                       Niamey
> India                                  Niger
> E-mail: bptindia@del3.vsnl. net.in     E-mail: mef@intnet.ne
> Web: http://www.bahaibooksindia
> .com/                                Nigeria
> Baha'i Publishing Trust
> Italy                                  PO Box 2029
> Casa Editrice Baha'i                   101001 Marina, Lagos
> Via Filippo Turati, 9                  N igeria
> 1-00040 Ariccia (Rome)                 E-mail: bpmigeria@yahoo.com
> Iraly
> E-mail : ceb@bahai.it                  Norway
> Web: http:/ lit. bahai-books.org/      Baha'i Forlag
> Drammensveien no-A
> Japan                                  N-0273 Oslo
> Baha'i Publishing Trust                Norway
> 7-2-13 Shinjuku                        E-mail: bahaiforlag@c2i.net
> Shinjuku-ku
> Tokyo 160-0022                         Philippines
> Japan                                  Baha'i Publishing Trust
> E-mail: nsajp@bahaijp.org              PO Box 4323
> 1099 Manila
> Kenya                                  Philippines
> Baha'i Publishing Agency               E-mail: nsaphil@greendot.com.ph
> DIRECTORY                              255
> 
> Poland                                 Terrassa
> Wiara Baha'i w Polsce                  ES-08224 Barcelona
> UL.Lanciego 13 LOK UZYTK.NR 6          Spain
> 02-792 Wars2awa                        E-mail: edirorialbahai@com-bahai
> Poland                                   .es
> E-mail: nsa@bahai.org.pl
> Sweden
> Portugal                               Baha'fforlaget ab
> Editora Baha'i de Portugal             Solhagavagen n
> Avenida Ventura Terra, no. l           SE-163 52
> 1600-780 Lisboa                        Spanga
> Portugal                               Sweden
> E- mail: aen@bahai .pt                 E-mail: forlaget@bahai .se
> 
> Romania                                Taiwan
> Casa de Edirura ~i Tipografia Baha'i   Baha'i Publishing Trust
> CP 124 OP l                            3/F, #149-13 Hsin Sheng South
> 3400 Cluj-Napoca                         Road
> Romania                                Section l, Taipei 10626
> E-mail: bahai@mail.soroscj.ro          Taiwan
> ROC
> Russian Federation
> Unity Baha'i Publishing Trust          Uganda
> PO Box 55                              Baha'i Publishing Trust
> 129 515 Moscow                         PO Box 2662
> Russia                                 Kampala
> E-mail: secretariat@bahai.ru           Uganda
> E-mail: bpt-uga@ieazy.com
> South Africa
> Baha'i Publishing Trust                United Kingdom
> PO Box 902                             Baha'i Books UK
> Worcester 6849                         4 Station Approach
> South Africa                           Oakham
> E- mail: bpt@bahai.org.za              Rutland LE15 6Qw
> United Kingdom
> South Korea                            E-mail: bpt.enquiries@bahai .org.uk
> Baha'i Publishing Trust                Web: http://www.bahai-publishing
> 249-36 Huam-Dong                         -trust.co. uk/
> Yongsan-gu
> Seoul 140-902                          United States
> Korea                                  Baha'i Publishing Trust
> E-mail: nsakorea@nuri.net              415 Linden Avenue
> Wilmette, IL 60091
> Spain                                  USA
> Arca Editorial, s.L.                   E-mail: bpt@usbnc.org
> Macroni, 250                           Web: http://www.bahaibookstore
> .com/
> THE BAHA'I WORLD 2 005-2006
> 
> Associations for Baha'i               Ecuador
> Asociacion de Estudios Baha'is
> Studies
> clo Asamblea Esp iritual Nacional de
> los Baha'is de! Ecuador
> Argentina
> Apartado 869-A
> Centro de Estudios Baha'is
> Quito
> Otamendi 215
> Ecuador
> 1405 Buenos Aires
> E-mail: ecua9nsa@uio.satnet.net
> Argentina
> E-mail: secretaria@bahai. org.ar      Francophone Europe
> Association d'Etudes baha'ies
> Australia
> 45 rue Pergolese
> Association for Baha'i Studies
> F-75n6 Paris
> clo PO Box 319
> France
> Rosebury, NSW 2018
> E-mail: afeeb@afeeb.o rg
> Australia
> E-mail: abs@bahai.org.au              German-Speaking Europe
> Gesellschaft ftir Baha'i Studien
> Bermuda
> c/o Hedye Fuchs
> clo National Spiritual Assem bly of
> SchwarzwaldstraBe l
> the Baha' is of Bermuda
> D-63477 Mainral
> PO Box 742
> Germany
> Hamilton, HM ex
> E-mail: gbs@bahai.de
> Bermuda
> Web: http://www.bahai-studen.de/
> E-mail: nsabda@northrock.bm
> Ghana
> Cameroon
> Association for Baha'i Studies
> Association for Baha'i Studies
> PO Box AN 7098
> Yaounde, BP 4230
> Accra-North
> Republic of Cameroon
> Ghana
> E-mail: enochtanyi@yahoo.fr
> India
> Chile
> E-mail: abs@bahaindia.org
> Asociacion de Estudios Baha'fs
> clo Asamblea Espiritual Nacional de   Ireland
> los Baha' is de Chile               Association for Baha'i Studies
> Casilla 3731                          cl o Eamonn Moane
> Santiago l                            51 T he Drive
> Chile                                 Boden Park
> E-mail: secretaria@bahai.cl           Rathfarnham
> Dublin 16
> Colombia
> E-mail: eamonnmoane@eircom.net
> Asociacion de Estudios Baha'fs
> Apartado Aereo 51387                  Italy
> Sanra Fe de Bogota de                 clo Centro Srudi Baha'i
> Colombia                              Hotel La Panoramica Via
> E-mail: bahaicol@colomb ianer. net      Capodimonre
> DIRECTORY                                  257
> 
> 49 03010 Acuro (FR)                       Dundas, Ontario L9H 6v6
> Italy                                     Canada
> E-mail: acuro@bahai.it                    E-mail: pibs@bellnet.ca
> Web: http://www.abs p.org/
> Japan
> Association for Baha'i Studies            Russia
> c/o Tokyo Baha'i Center                   Association for Baha'i Studies
> 7-2-13 Shinjuku                           National Baha'i Centre Russia
> Shinjuku-ku                               l-Ostankinskaya St. 37/39, KV.23
> Tokyo 160-0022                            Moscow 129515
> Japan                                     Russia
> E-mail: sforos@gol.com
> Web: http://www2.gol.com/users/           Southern Africa
> sforos/                                 c/o National Spiritual Assembly of
> the Baha'is of South Africa
> Malaysia                                  PO Box 932
> Association for Baha'i Studies            Banbury Cross
> clo Spiritual Assembly of the Bahi'is     2164 South Africa
> of Malaysia                             E-mail: abs@bahai.org.za
> 4 Lorong Titiwangsa 5                     Web: http:/ /www.bahaistudies.org
> Setapak 53000                               .za/
> Kuala Lumpur
> Malaysia                                  Spain
> E-mail: nsa-sec@nsam.po.my                Asociaci6n de Estudios Bahi'is
> c/o Asamblea Espiritual Nacional de
> New Zealand                                 los Bahi'is de Espana
> Association for Baha'i Studies            Marias Turrion 32
> clo Paul Friedman, Secretary              ES-28043 Madrid
> 5 Chelsea Court                           Spain
> Tauranga                                  E-mail: aen.secretaria@bahai.es
> New Zealand
> E-mail: paul.friedman@xtra.co.nz          United Kingdom
> Web: http://www.bci.o rg/                 Association for Baha'i Studies UK
> kapi ricoasrbahai/ absnz/ collateral/   27 Rutland Gare
> Londo n sw7 lPD
> North America                             United Kingdom
> Association for Baha'i Studies            E-mail: abs@bahai. org.uk
> 34 Copernicus Street                      Web: http://www.bahai-studies.org/
> Ottawa, Ontario KJN 71<4
> Canada                                    West Africa
> E-mail: abs-na@bahai-studies.ca           Association for Baha'i Studies
> Web: http: //www. bahai-studies.ca/       clo National Spiritual Assembly
> of rhe Bahi' is of Nigeria
> Persian                                   PO Box 2029
> Associatio n for Baha'i Studies in        101001 Marina, Lagos
> Persian                                 Nigeria
> PO Box 65619                              E-mai l: ngrbahai@hyperia.com
> Web site Directory
> 
> http://www.bahai.org/
> The official Web site of the Baha'i International Comm unity, offering
> information about the Baha'i Faith and its worldwide community to the
> general public, as well as to journalists, academics, and researchers.
> 
> http://info.bahai.org/
> Baha'i Topics, an information reso urce including a brief introduction to the
> Bal1a'i Faith, its teachings, history, and community activities, in English,
> French, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Persian, and Arabic.
> 
> http://reference.bahai.org/
> The Baha'i Reference Library, containing downloadable versions of all of the
> authoritative texts of the Baha'i Faith in English, Persian, and Arabic.
> 
> http://news.bahai.org/
> The Baha'i World News Service, reporting on news, activities, and developments around the world.
> 
> http://media.bahai.org/
> The Baha'i Media Bank, a collection of more than 2,500 usable, high-resolution images of historical figures, holy places and buildings, and contemporary
> community activities.
> 
> THE BAHA'f WORLD 2 0 05- 2 0 06
> 
> http://library.bahai .org/
> The official Web sire of the International Baha'i Library in Haifa, Israel. The
> site contains information about the library's catalog and collections, policies,
> and services.
> 
> http ://statements.bahai.org/
> Statements offering the Baha'i perspective on contemporary issues and themes,
> issued by the Baha'i International Community to United Nations agencies
> and conferences.
> 
> http: //www.onecountry.org/
> One Country is the online newsletter of the Baha'i International Community.
> T he site contains numerous in-depth feature stories on the United Nations,
> noteworthy social and economic development projects, environmental efforts,
> and educational programs.
> 
> http://denial.bahai.org/
> An official Web site of the Baha'i International Community exploring Iran's
> campaign to deny higher education to the Baha'is.
> 
> http ://question.bahai.org/
> A derai led survey of "the Baha'i question," exploring Iran's campaign of
> "cultural cleansing" against the Baha'is, the current situation, the historical
> background, and the international response.
> 
> http ://terraces.bahai.org/
> The h istory and purpose of, and usefu l v1s1ror information about, the
> magnificent garden terraces at the Baha'i World Centre in Haifa, Israel.
> Selected New Publications
> in English
> 
> Baha'i Sacred Writings
> The Tabernacle of Unity: Baha'u'llah's Responses to Manikchi ~~ib
> and other Writings
> Haifa: World Centre Publications, 2006. 80 pp.
> This small book contains Baha' u'llah's Tablet to Manikchf S<ilfib, a prominent
> Zoroastrian, and a companion Tablet addressed to Mirza Abu'l-Fac,11, the
> secretary to Manikchf S<ilfib at that time. These, together with three shorter,
> inspirational Tablets, offer a glimpse of Baha'u'llah's relationship with the
> followers of a religion that had arisen, many centuries before, in the same
> land that witnessed the birth of His own Faith.
> 
> Other Publications
> 
> Baha'i Parenting Perspectives
> Negin and Nima Anvar. Oxford: George Ronald, 2006. I94 pp.
> Focusing on the spiritual upbringing of children, this book brings together
> the insights of 30 couples as they answer 50 questions about parenting from
> their own perspective, using the Baha'i writings as a guide. A variety of
> approaches and issues are explored to assist readers to develop their own
> parenting style.
> THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> Baha' { Pilgrimage
> Denny Allen and Lesley Taherzadeh. Oxford: George Ronald, 2005. I97 pp.
> A photographic record of pilgrimage to the holy places at the Baha'i World
> Centre in northern Israel, intended for those who have been on pilgrimage and
> for those who have not yet been or who are unable to go. The guided pictorial
> journey, with more than 350 full-color illustrations, invites meditation and
> reflection, and provides a wealth of historical information and detail.
> 
> Divine Educators
> Farnaz and Bijan Ma'sumidn. Oxford: George Ronald, 20os. I6I pp.
> Despite diverse, sometimes conflicting, cultural expressions and human
> interpretations, all the great religious traditions share a common foundation
> that fosters love, unity, and brotherhood. This book provides scriptural and
> historical evidence for commonalities in the lives, characters, and teachings of
> the central figures of seven world religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and the Baha'i Faith, from the scriptural
> sources of each religious tradition.
> 
> The Essence of the Covenant: Features, History, and Implications
> Shahin Vafai. West Palm Beach, FL: Palabra Publications, 2oos. 296 pp.
> This book aims to assist readers to gain a deeper understanding of the features,
> history, and implications of the Baha' i Covenant, designed for the unification
> and pacification of all nations and peoples. Containing detailed explanations,
> quotations for reflection, illustrations, and study questions, the text explores
> such themes as the purpose of the Covenant, the station and function of the
> successive leaders of the Baha'i Faith, and the individual's relationship to the
> Covenant.
> 
> Exiles of the City of Love: A Touching Tale of a Woman's Suffering,
> Determination, and Courage
> Compiled and edited by Mahintdj f zadi. New Delhi: Royal Falcon Books, 2oos.
> 94PP·
> The story of two people who, during the Second World War, along with the
> Baha'is of Ashkhabad, were imprisoned, persecuted, and banished to Siberia.
> Compiled by a woman who was born in Ashkhabad and later deported to
> Iran, it is a story of love, sacrifice, and determination to live according to belief
> and moral principle even under extreme hardship.
> NEW PUBLICATIONS
> 
> Faith, Physics, and Psychology: Rethinking Society
> and the Human Spirit
> john Fitzgerald Medina. Wilmette, IL: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 2006. 537 pp.
> This book asks why, despite the progress of Western civilization in economic,
> scientific, and other areas, there has been a lack of corresponding progress
> with respect to spiritual life, which has left much of society feeling disoriented
> and unbalanced. The author sheds light on ways to address this imbalance.
> The ultimate goal of the examination is to present a path toward a prosperous global civilization that fulfills humanity's physical, psychological, and
> spiritual needs.
> 
> Healing the Wounded Soul
> Phy!Lis K Peterson. Wilmette, IL: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 2005. I95 pp.
> A survivor of childhood sexual abuse, the author recounts in clear and helpful
> detail the source of her shame, the difficulties she encountered in developing as
> a human being, and the healing roles of faith and her own search for truth in
> achieving a lasting positive self-image and the capacity to help others. The book
> outlines a remarkable journey of recovery accompanied by traumatic events,
> therapy, misdiagnoses, and an evolving personal philosophy based on spiritual
> insights gleaned from performing as an artist, her experiences with Baha'ls and
> Baha'i teachings, and intensive study of anger and codependency.
> 
> I'll Have the Fruit and Grains, Please!
> Victoria Leith. Oxford: George Ronald, 2005. I76 pp.
> The author investigates different ways to improve health, drawing on Baha'i
> perspectives about keeping a healthy body and mind. Aimed particularly at
> young people, this book is about making healthy choices pertaining to food,
> sleep, simplicity, and moderation. The book includes a selection of recipe
> suggestions for family meals, snacks, and entertaining.
> 
> The Journey of the Soul: Life, Death, and Immortality
> Compiled by Terrill G. Hayes, Betty j. Fisher, Richard A. Hill, and
> Terry Cassiday. Wilmette, IL: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 2006. ISO pp.
> A collection of profound readings, meditations, and prayers from the Baha'i
> writings, this book explores life's weightiest questions: What is the purpose of
> life? What is death? How do we attain true happiness? What is the soul and
> how does it develop? What is the nature of the afterlife?
> THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> The Last War: Racism, Spirituality, and the Future of Civilization
> Mark L. Perry. Oxford: George Ronald, 2005. 352 pp.
> An exploration of the methods by which humanity can lay the groundwork
> for a new civilization, using the analogy of an archaeological dig to survey the
> historical roots of racism and the despiritualization of society.
> 
> Lights of the Spirit: Historical Portraits of Black Baha'is in North
> America, 1898- 2000
> Edited by Gwendolyn Etter-Lewis and Richard Thomas. Wilmette, IL: Baha'i
> Publishing Trust, 2006. 308 pp.
> A groundbreaking resource that uncovers the role played by black people in
> the emergence of the Baha'i Faith in North America. Drawing on a wide range
> of sources including personal essays, letters, and journals, the book explores
> the lives of a diverse group of people-including lawyer Louis Gregory, poet
> Robert Hayden, jazz trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, Broadway actress Dorothy
> Champ, and Canadian singer Eddie Elliot.
> 
> Living in the Half-Light: Sketches of a Baha'i Family
> Jean Gould. Wilmette, IL: Baha 'i Publishing Trust, 2006. I79 pp.
> Through 30 short vignettes, each introduced with a selection from the Baha'i
> writings, the author recalls the struggles and triumphs oflife in a Baha'i family
> at the end of the twentieth century. This book contains numerous examples of
> how the teachings of the Baha'i Faith can be applied to daily family life.
> 
> 0 My Brother
> Madeline Hellaby. Oxford: George Ronald, 20os. I76 pp.
> This book particularly appeals to students of the Baha'i Faith from Christian
> denominations. The author presents a thoughtful and challenging account
> of how she and her husband-both long-time members of the Unitarian church-investigated and embraced the Baha'i Faith. William Hellaby
> was a minister in the church whose growing commitment to the teachings
> of Baha'u'llah brought with it moral decisions and the loss of the family's
> livelihood.
> 
> Partners in Spirit: What Couples Say About Marriages That Work
> Heather Cardin. Wilmette, IL: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 2006. 273 pp.
> More than 20 married couples share what has worked to strengthen their
> relationships during their years together. Their stories and advice incorporate
> Baha'i perspectives on marriage, involving an equal partnership in the spiritual
> development of both husband and wife.
> NEW PUBLICATIONS
> 
> The Power of Prayer: Make a Joyful Noise
> Pamela Brode. Wilmette, IL: Bahd'i Publishing Trust, 2006. 270 pp.
> For readers interested in the practical application of prayer, meditation, and
> spirituality, the author, inspired by her own experiences with prayer, has
> collected stories from others who have had firsthand experience with the
> transformative power of prayer.
> 
> A Privilege So Priceless: Becoming a Better Teacher of the Baha'i
> Faith
> Dale W Eng. Be/Leview, WA : Exir Publishing, 2005. 253 pp.
> A derailed look at teaching the Baha'i Faith. Among topics covered are: why
> teaching is so important, the individual's role in teaching, the crucial need for
> wisdom in teaching, the process and psychology of teaching, and systematic
> teaching as part of the organic growth of the Baha'i Faith. The book contains
> inspiring historical examples of several renowned teachers of the Baha'i Faith
> and aspects of how they taught.
> 
> Prophet's Daughter: The Life and Legacy of Bahiyyih Khanum,
> Outstanding Heroine of the Baha'i Faith
> Janet A. Khan. Wilmette, IL: Bahd'i Publishing Trust, 2005. 359 pp.
> A biography of the eldest daughter ofBaha'u'llah who faithfully served her family and the early fo llowers of a then completely new faith through nearly seven
> decades of extreme hardship. The author explores the example of Bahiyyih
> Khfoum's life and her remarkable personal qualities, and demonstrates their
> special relevance to issues confronting society today.
> 
> The Reality of Man
> Compiled by Terry Cassiday, Christopher Martin, and Bahhaj Taherzadeh.
> Wilmette, IL: Bahd'i Publishing Trust, 2005. r73 pp.
> A collection of Baha'i writings on the spiritual nature of human beings. Topics
> include God's love for humanity; the purpose of life, our spiritual reality, the
> nature of the soul, how human beings develop spiritually, and immortality and
> life hereafter. The writings are from Baha'u'llah and His appointed successor,
> 'Abdu'l-Baha.
> 
> Responding: 101 Questions Often Asked of Baha'is
> Dale W Eng. Belleview, WA: Exir Publishing, 2005. I,OJI pp.
> Intended as an aid to reaching the Baha'i Faith, this book considers questions
> often asked of Baha'is-wirh each answer written as if given in direct response
> 266              THE BAHA'I WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> to a questioner. The book also provides extensive Baha'i references for each
> topic so readers learn exactly what the teachings say on a subject.
> 
> The Spirit of Agriculture
> Edited by Paul Hanley. Oxford: George Ronald, 2005. 240 pp.
> A collection of essays looking at the importance of agriculture from a Baha'i
> perspective. The book includes an overview of agriculture in the world's
> religions, Baha'i approaches to food and genetic crop modification, and
> contains case studies of social and economic development projects around
> the world.
> A Basic Baha'i Reading List
> 
> The following list has been prepared to provide a sampling ofworks conveying the
> spiritual truths, social principles, and history ofthe Bahd '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 Bab! and Baha'i Faiths, 1844-1985, compiled
> by William P Collins (Oxford: George Ronald, r990). Most of the books listed
> below have been published by various Bahd'i Publishing Trusts in a wide range
> of languages, and are available from bookshops, libraries, online bookstores, or
> directly from the Trusts. Please see the Directory on pp. 253-55 for addresses.
> 
> Selected Writings of Baha'u'llah
> 
> The Kitab-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-fqan
> 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.
> 268               THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005- 2006
> 
> The Hidden Words
> 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 Bah:i'u'llah revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas
> A compilation of Tablets revealed between 1873 and 1892 which enunciate
> important principles of Baha' u'llih'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 Kicab-i-
> Aqdas.
> 
> Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah
> A selection of Baha'u'llih'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 which He
> explains 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-Baha
> 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 on the evolution of
> , ,,
> BAHA I READING LIST
> 
> humanity, the Baha'i perspective on Christian doctrine, and the powers and
> conditions of the Manifestations of God.
> 
> Selected Writings of Shoghi Effendi
> God Passes By
> A detailed history of the first 100 years of the Baha'i Faith.
> 
> The Promised Day Is Come
> A commentary on Baha'u'llih's letters to the kings and rulers of the world.
> 
> The World Order of Baha'u'llih: 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'llih, in the form
> of a series of letters from the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith to the Baha'ls of
> the West between 1929 and 1936.
> 
> Introductory Works
> Baha'u'llah
> Bahd 'i International Community, Office ofPublic Information, I99I.
> A brief statement derailing Baha'u'llih's life and work, issued on the occasion
> of the centenary of His passing.
> 
> Baha'u'llah and the New Era
> John Esslemont. sth rev. paper ed. Wilmette, IL: Baha'i Publishing Trust, I980.
> 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
> Wiffiam S. Hatcher and]. Douglas Martin. rev. ed. Wilmette, IL: Bahd 'i
> Publishing Trust, I998.
> A textbook providing an overview of Baha'i history, teachings, administrative
> structure, and community life.
> 
> The Baha'i Faith: A Short History
> Peter Smith. Oxford: Oneworld Publications, I999·
> A comprehensive study of the history of the Baha'i Faith, from its origins in
> mid-nineteenth-century Iran to the spiritual and social concerns of the present
> day, covering key people, places, and events.
> Glossary
> 
> 'Abdu'l-Baha: (1844-1921) Son ofBaha'u'llah, designated as 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 tides 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, international, national, and local, in which are invested
> legislative, executive, and judicial powers over the Baha'i comm unity, and,
> on the other hand, of eminent and devoted Baha'is appointed for the specific
> purposes of the propagation and protection of the Faith under the guidance
> of the head of that Faith, the Universal House of Justice.
> 
> 'Amatu'l-Baha R~iyyih Khanum: (1910-2000) Mary Sutherland Maxwell,
> an eminent North American Baha'i who became the wife of Shoghi Effendi
> Rabbani, Guardian of the Baha' i Faith, in 1937, after which she was known as
> RuJ:i.iyyih Khanum Rabbani. ('Amatu'l-Baha is a tide meaning "Handmaiden
> ofBaha'u'llah.") She served as the Guardian's secretary during his lifetime and
> was appointed a Hand of the Cause of God in 1952· After Shoghi Effendi's
> passing in 1957, she traveled extensively to teach the Baha'i Faith, consolidate
> 
> 272               THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> Baha'i communities, and serve as a representative of the Universal House of
> Justice at major events.
> 
> Arc, the: An arc cut into Mount Carmel in H aifa, Israel, along which the
> international administrative buildings of the Baha'i Fai th have been 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 es tablished 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~ammad,
> Who was the Prophet-Fo under of the Bibi Faith and the Forerunner of
> Baha'u'llah. Born on 20 October 1819, the Bab proclaimed Himself to be
> the Promised One of Islam and an nounced 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
> of Na~iri'd-Din Shah on 9 July 1850.
> 
> Baha'i Era (BE): T he period of the Baha'i, calendar beginning with the
> D eclaration of the Bab on 23 May 1844 and expected to last until the next
> appearance of a Manifestation of God after the expiration of at least l,ooo
> years. See also Calendar, Bahd 'i.
> 
> 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 Comm unity
> 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 with
> a branch in Paris, and an Office fo r the Advancement of Women.
> 
> Baha'i World Centre: T he spiritual and administrative center of the Baha'i
> Faith, comprising the holy places in the Haifa-Acre area and the Arc of
> administrative buildings on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel.
> 
> Baha'u'llah: The title, meaning "Glory of God," assumed by Mirza I:Iusayn-
> 'Alf, 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.
> GLOSSARY                                  273
> 
> Bahji: Arabic for "delight." Located near Acre, it is a place of pilgrimage for
> Baha'fs which comprises the Shrine ofBaha'u'llih, the mansion which was His
> last residence, and the surrounding gardens that serve tO beautify the site.
> 
> Calendar, Baha'i: Year consisting of 19 months of 19 days each, with the
> addition of certain "intercalary days" (four in ordinary and five in leap years)
> between the 18th and 19th months in order tO adjust the calendar tO the solar
> year. Naw-Ruz, the Baha'f new year, is astronomically fixed, commencing at
> the vernal equinox (21 March). The Baha'i era (BE) begins with the year of
> the Bab's declaration (1844 CE). See also Baha'i Era.
> 
> Children's Classes: One of the core activities. The provision of educatio n
> for children, whether Baha'i or not, in a locality, often focusing o n the
> development of essential capacities and a strong moral framework that assists
> children ta achieve excellence in material, intellectual, and spiritual aspects
> of life.
> 
> Clusters: Geographical areas within a country, designated by national or
> regional Baha'i institutions, ta help facilitate grass-roots planning for the
> growth and development of Baha'f communities on a manageable scale.
> 
> 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'l-Baha.
> 
> Continental Boards of Counsellors: An institution created in 1968 by the
> Universal House of Justice to extend inro 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 ofShoghi Effendi, the Guardian
> of the Baha'f 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'f community and
> for the purpose, respectively, of electing delegates ta a National Convention,
> electing members of a National Spiritual Assembly, or electing members of
> the Universal House of Justice.
> 274               THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> Core Activities: Children's classes, devotional meetings, and study circles have
> been designated by the Universal House of Justice as the core activities that
> every Baha'i community should try to provide as fundamental building blocks
> of com muni ty life, open to all people living within a locali ty.
> 
> Counsellor: See Continental Boards of Counsellors
> 
> Devotional Meetings: One of the core activities. T he regular gathering together
> of individuals in a locality for prayer and worship, considered an essential
> practice for the spiritual health and well-being of a community.
> 
> Hands of the Cause of God: Individuals appointed by Baha' u'llah, and later
> by Shoghi Effendi, who were charged with the specific duties of protecting
> and propagating the Faith. (Four individuals were recognized posthumously
> as Hands of the Cause by 'Abdu'l-Baha.) With the passing of Shoghi Effendi,
> there was 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.
> 
> J: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 of
> one's personal income after one's essential expenses have been covered. Funds
> generated by the payment of f: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
> co-ordinating, stimulating, and directing the activities of the Continental
> Boards of Counsellors and acting as liaison berween them and the Universal
> House of Justice. The membership of the Teaching Centre comprises the
> surviving Hand of the Cause and also nine Counsellors appointed by the
> Universal House of Justice. T he seat of the International Teaching Centre is
> located at the Baha'i World Centre in Haifa, Israel.
> GLOSSARY                                   275
> 
> Knight ofBaha'u'llah: Title initially given by Shoghi Effendi to those Baha'ls
> who arose to open specified new territories to the Faith during the first year
> of the Ten Year Crusade (1953-1963) and subsequently applied to those who
> first reached the remaining unopened territories on the list at a later date.
> 
> Lesser Peace: A political peace to be established by the nations of the 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 and the wife of Baha'u'llah, His son who died in prison
> in Acre, and 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 Bahi'ls within its jurisdiction. The members of
> National Spiritual Assemblies throughout the world constitute the electoral
> college for the Universal House of Justice. At Ri<;lvin 2006, there were
> 179 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" describes those who move to areas within their own country that
> THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> have yet to be exposed to the Baha'i Faith or where the Baha'i community
> needs strengthening.
> 
> Regional Baha'i Council: An element of Baha'i administration berween
> the local and national levels, established at the discretion of the Universal
> House of Justice in countries where the condition and size of the Baha'i
> community warrant. A means of decentralizing the work of the National
> Spiritual Assembly, a Regional Council may be formed either by election or
> by appointment, depending on local requirements and the condition of the
> Baha'i community. It provides for a level of autonomous decision making on
> both teaching and administrative matters. In some countries, State Baha'i
> Councils perform these tasks within specific civic jurisdictions.
> 
> 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.
> 
> Ri<;lvau: Arabic for "Paradise." 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 Ri~vfo in Baghdad.
> 
> Ruhi Institute: A Baha'i training institute in Co lombia. Its programs of
> systematic and sustained education, particularly courses delivered through
> study circles, have been widely adopted by Baha'i communities throughout
> the world.
> 
> Shoghi Effendi Rabbaui: (1897-1957) The G uardian 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 Baha'i writings and as Head of the Faith.
> 
> Shrine of Baha'u'llah: The resting place ofBaha'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.
> 
> State Baha'i Council: See Regional Baha'i Council.
> 
> Study Circles: One of the core activities. A delivery system for training institute
> courses, consisting of small groups of people, regardless of their ideas or beliefs,
> GLOSSARY                                 277
> 
> meeting on a regular basis in a locality with a trained tutor or facilitator.
> Materials developed by the Ruhi Institute are studied and active participation
> in a learning process is engendered, supplemented by artistic, service, and
> social activities.
> 
> Tablet: Divinely revealed scripture. In Baha'i scripture, the term is used to
> denote writings revealed by Baha'u'llah, the Bab, or 'Abdu'l-Baha.
> 
> Ten Year Crusade: (1953-1963) Ten Year Plan initiated by Shoghi Effendi for
> teaching the Baha'i Faith, which culminated in the election of the Universal
> House of Justice during the centenary of the declaration of Bal1a'u'llah. The
> objectives of the Crusade were the development of the institutions at the
> World Centre, the consolidation of the communities of the participating
> National Spiritual Assemblies, and the spread of the Faith to new regions.
> See also Knight of Bahd 'u'lldh.
> 
> Training Institute: A systematic approach to learning aimed at imparting
> knowledge, skills, and spiritual insights into fundamental aspects of the
> teachings and practices of the Baha'i Faith. The program of the training
> institute consists of a sequence of courses offered at a central location or
> through study circles at the local level.
> 
> Universal House of Justice: Head of the Baha'i Faith after the passing of
> Shoghi Effendi, and the supreme administrative body ordained by Baha'u'llah
> in the Kirab-i-Aqdas, His book of laws. The Universal House of Justice is
> elected every five years by the members of all National Spiritual Assemblies,
> who gather at an International Convention. The House of Justice was elected
> for the first time in 1963. It occupied its permanent seat on Mount Carmel
> in 1983.
> 
> Some entries adapted from A Basic Bahd'i Dictionary, Wendi Momen, ed.
> (Oxford: George Ronald, 1989).
> Index
> Note: Numbers in italics
> refer to photographs.
> 
> A                                                 A rc 275
> Argent ina 227, 244, 253, 256
> 'Abd u'l- Baha I0-13 , 37, 67-68, 85, 85, 87,     arrs 68, 75-81
> 184, 190-93, 271, 273                             at German Bah a' i centenary 86, 87
> knighthood of IO, 199                             Bah a' I cho irs 68, 78
> li fe of IO
> Voices of Bah a 76
> pass ing of ro
> drama 76-79
> ti d es of 271
> fi lm 57, 237
> W ill and Testament of II, 13, 276
> Cape of Good Hope 80
> writings and utterances of IO-Il,
> Harmo ny Fil m Fes tival 57
> 25-34, 36, 48, 55, 67-68, 181, 184,             Interpreter, The 80, 80-81
> 192-93, 268,                                  music 68, 76, 78
> Abraham 14
> visual ans 79, 81
> Abbas, C h ristine 85                                 youth dance workshops 67, 68
> Ad riance, Peter I09                                    D iversiry Dance Workshop 74
> Aiputa, Ina 83
> Lights ofUn iry 78-79
> Ala'i Diane 98, 100--l
> Asociaci6n Bayan 251
> Al ban ia 245
> Associac;:ao para o Dese nvolvimento
> Allen, Denny 262
> Coes ivo da An1az6 nia (ADCAM) 252
> 'Amaru' l- Baha Ru):ifyyih Khanum
> Associations for Baha'i Studies 256-57
> See Hands of the Cause of God
> Japan 62
> Am in, Adnan 105
> No rth Am eri ca 66-67, 240
> Annan , Kofi 95
> Australia 7, 15, 51, 54 , 54-55, 57, 60, 69,
> Anvar, Negin an d N ima 261
> 73, 83, 83, 105, n5, 162-63, 245, 253, 256
> Appiah, Kwame Anthony 175, 177-79,
> Austr ia 63, 105
> r93-94, r96
> Aux ili ary Boards 39, 272-73
> 
> 280                  THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005- 2006
> 
> B                                                     Paris Branch 73-74, 84, m-12, 251
> statements of 213-34
> Bab, rhe 8-9, 272, 277                            United Nations Office 16, 93-w4, 251,
> birth of 272                                        272
> declaration of 8, 272-73                        Web sires 251, 259- 60
> life of 8                                     Bah a'f Internet Agency 43, 252
> martyrdo m of 8, 272                          Baha'f Justice Society 252
> Shrine of 11, uo, III, 275-76                 Baha'f Office of the E nvironment for
> writings of 268                                 Taiwan 252
> Babf religion 8-9, 12                           Bahd'i Parenting Perspectives 261
> Bachelet, Michell e !05                         Bahd'i Pilgrimage 262
> Badi Foundation 252                             Baha'i Publishing Trusts 253-55
> Baha'f Agency for Social and Economic           Baha'i Question, The 83
> Develop men t (BASED-UK) 252                  Baha'f Wo rld Centre u - 12, 39, 110, III,
> Baha'f Association of Women (ABF) 57
> 238, 272-77
> Baha' f Business Forum of America 252           Baha'i World News Service u2-13, 259
> Baha' f Computer and Comm unications
> Bah a'u'll ah 9-11, 13, 14, 17-18, 37, 132,
> Association (sec) 252
> 134, 136, 153-54, 156, 180-83, 185-89,
> Baha'f comm uni ty 7-20, 271
> 191-92, 194-98, 271-72, 274-77
> anniversar ies of 19, 43-44, 85-88              birth of 272
> development of 12-14                            declarat io n of 272
> expan sio n and conso lid ation of 12-14,       laws of 15
> 38-41                                         li fe of 9
> introduction to 7-20                            passing of 9, 272
> involvement in the life of society 58-67        Shrine of 273, 276
> Baha'f Counci l, Regional                         teach ings of 14-15
> See Regional Baha'f Council 276                 W ill and Testament of (Kirab- i-Ahd)
> Baha'f Era 272-73                                     10
> Baha' f Esperanto League 252                      writings of 9, 22-25, 37, 42-43, 46, 48,
> Baha'i Faith                                           69, 89-91, 153, 171, 183, 186, 212, 236,
> adm inistrative order of 11-13, 271,                 267-68, 272
> 273-74, 277                               Bahjl 273
> aims of 16                                    Mansion of 273
> ho ly days 274, 276                           Baltimore Sun So
> laws and moral teachings 15                   Bamford, Mark 80
> prayer and fasring in 15                      Banglades h 161, 22 7, 239, 246
> spiritual reachin gs of 14-15                 Barsacq, Franc;:oise 57
> Baha' i funds 274                               Basic Bahd'i Dictionary, A 277
> Baha'i Institute of Higher Education            Basu, Amrita 105
> (BIHE) 123-24
> Belgium m, 253
> Baha' f International Commun ity 8,             Bello, Car id ad Di ego 72-73
> 16- 17, 55, 58, 70, 93- II 4, 126, 251, 272   Bend, Edua rd 12
> Geneva Office 251                             Benhabib, Seyla 176-77
> Office fo r the Ad va ncement of Women        Bermuda 256
> 16, 104- 6, 251, 272                       Be rteig, Garry 81
> Office of the Env ironment 16, 251            Blair, Tony 20
> Office of Public Information (o r1) 16,       Blomfield , Lady Sara Louisa 64-65
> 83, II0-13, 251, 272                       Bolivia 244
> INDEX
> 
> Borswana 53-54                               C hin a 68, III, 161-63
> Braz il 55, 81, 98, 105, Ill, 144, 153       Christianiry 8-10, 128-19, 161
> Brode, Pamela 165                            Church ill, Winsron 146
> Browne, Edward G . IO                        C larken, Rodn ey 66
> Buddha 14                                    climate ch ange 157-71
> Buddh ism 9, 74                                  as a co nsequence of marerial ism 166
> Bulgaria 84, lll-lll                             co nventions and proroco ls 161, 169
> Bushrui , Suheil 7I, 71-71                       energy consumption and so urces
> Busqueda 81                                         158-59, 161-65
> Burr, Perer 57                                   eco nomi c and fin ancial implicati ons of
> 158, 160-61, 164- 70
> c                                                environmen ral impact of 158-61
> rel igion and 167-68, qo-71
> Cambod ia 7, 66, I98, l99-2ll, 201, 204-5,       science of 158-61, 171
> 207, 2IO, 146-47                               sustainabili ry and 167-69
> Camero n, Ea rl 80, 80-81                    cl usrers 38, 41, l 73
> Cameroon 51, 153, 156                        Co lombia 7, 38, 48, 60, 141, 156, 176
> Can ada 50, 60-61, 66, 73, 79, 103, 105,     co nsulrarion 19, 55, 76, 188-89, 207, 111,
> 125, 161 , 163, 195-96, 140, 157               173, 175
> Canary Islands (Spain) 139                   Co nrin ental Boards of C ounsellors 39-41,
> Canellas, Marcelo 81                             40, 171-74
> Cape a/Good Hope                                 creatio n of 174
> See arcs                                   convention, Baha'i 173, 177
> Cardin, H earher 164                         CORDE 199-lll
> Caribe, EL (Dominican Republic) 82           co re acriviries 39, 47-48, 173-74, 276
> Carmel, Mounr                                Co te d'Ivo ire 153
> See Mounr Ca rmel                          C uba 7, 71-73, n1
> Carn egie, C harles 176, 179                 Czechoslovakia 12
> Cassiday, Terry 163, 165                     Czech Republic 68
> C haffers, Bahi yyih 109
> Chanrha, Moeurng 204, 109
> D
> C hapman, Sir Sydney 64-65
> Cheyne, T.K. 9                               Daily Telegraph (London) 78
> Chicago Tribune 81                           Dahl, Arrhur Lyon 157-71
> children and yo urh                          Dahl, Joyce 138-39
> sp irirual educarion of 48-55              Dallaire, Romeo 60
> yourh programs, Baha'i- insp ired          Davidse, Koen 106
> Emerge nce-Foundario n for Ed ucari on   Davis, W illi am 59, 87-88
> and Developmenr 51-53               Dawn-Breakers, The 12
> Leaders hip Enrichmenr & Ans             democracy 133-56, 111-11
> Program (LEAP) 51-51                 alternatives to comperitive 146-53
> Proj ecr Badi 53                           Baha'i model 147-48, 151-51
> Yourh Ca n Move rhe Wo rld (YCMTW)         comperirive 134-53
> 53                                    debare and decision-m aking 137,
> Yourh Em powermenr Program 49, 49            141-41
> Children's World Su mmir fo r rhe              environmenral issues 133, 138, 140,
> Environmenr 65-66                              141-43
> C hil e 15, 105, 138, 144, 156                 finance 137-38
> THE BAHA'f WORLD 2 005-2006
> 
> hegemony 149-50                              European Union (Eu) 105, 125, 214
> hum an nature 136, 144-45                    Exiles of the City ofLove: A Touching Tale
> media 141                                      ofa Womans Suffering, Determination,
> national sovereign ty 143-44                      and Courage 262
> partisanship 146
> po litical eco nomy 139
> F
> social problems 133, 143-44
> wes tern liberal dem ocracy as New           Faith, Physics, and Psychology: Rethinking
> World Order 133-56                           Society and the Human Spirit 262
> women 142, 150                               Fan ae ian , An is 57
> Denmark r8                                     Faramand, Shideh 57
> development of Baha'i comm unities 275         Fa rmer, Sarah 63
> devotio nal meet ings 39, 47, 54, 73-75, 84,   Fiji 65, m, 241, 253-54
> 274                                          Fischer, Edwin 85, 87
> Divine Educators 262                           Fisher, Betty J. 263
> Djalali, Mo hammad-Al i 239                    Fitzgerald , Ella 78
> Dom inican Rep u blic 76, 82                   Five Year P la n 41
> Door of Hope 238                               FoLha de Sao Paulo 82
> Dugal, Ban i 70, 97, 97, 100, 104-5, 126       Fox, Mere 239-40
> France 30, 51, 57, 62, 68, 73-74, lII-12,
> E                                                 238, 244, 251, 256
> Friedman , Thomas L. u3
> Earth Summ it 162
> Ecuador 227, 244, 256
> G
> education 15, 199-211
> of children a nd yo uth 48-54, 199-211,    Gaer, Felice 71, I02, 103
> 273                                         Galli , Paulo 106
> European Centre for Peace and                  Gambia, the 7, 6I, 61
> Development (ECPD) 1!2                      Cazel, Jean ne 69
> Eghrari , Roberto 98                           Gebadi, Janell e 83
> Egypt u5, 243                                  George, Sandy 57
> human ri ghts situation in 129-30           Germany 15, 30, 62, 78, 85, 104-5, 245,
> situati on of Baha'i comm unity in            252-54, 256
> 127-30                                     centenary of Baha'i co mmuni ty of 19,
> E ichenauer, Jo hn 88                                43-44, 85, 86, 87-88
> Encyclopedia Britannica 8, 240                 G han a 256
> Eng, D ale W. 265                              G illesp ie, Dizzy 78, 84-85
> Engo-Tjega, Ruth Bamela 106                    G lobal Network of Religions for Chi ldren
> Equarorial Guinea 239                             (GNRC) 73-74
> Eritrea ru                                     G loba l Perspective Development Centre
> Essence ofthe Covenant: Features, History         (Groc) 53
> and Implications 262                         global warming
> Ethics ofAuthenticity, The 193                    See climate c hange
> Ethiop ia 46                                   glossary of Bal1a'i terms 271-77
> Ette r-Lewis, Gwendo lyn 264                   God Passes By 11
> European Baha'i Business Forum (EBBF)          Goetz, Anne Marie 105
> 252                                          Go ldman, M itzi 57
> European Publi c Informat io n                 Gou ld, Jean 264
> Management Seminar 84, 111                   Grammer, Red 76, 77
> INDEX
> 
> Grammy Awards 76- 77                      Hungary 84
> Gramsci, Antonio I49                      l:luququ'll:ih 274
> Grayzel, John 72                          Hurricane Katrina 7, 58-60
> Greece 76-77
> Green Acre Bah:i'f School 62              I
> Greene, Laina Raveendran I08
> Greenland I6I-62                          I'll Have the Fruit and Grains, Please! 163
> Guardianship 11- I3                       id entity I73-97
> Guardian of the Baha'i Faith                 and Baha ' i belief 180-93
> See Shoghi Effend i                         Bah:i' f sacred writings on 23-35
> Guardian (London) 78, 82, 84                 consultation and discourse 188
> Guyana 53, 113                               culture and I76-79
> Gwent Gazette 85                              future of 173-97
> globalization and 177
> laws and ethics 190
> H
> meaning and I8 9-90
> Haidarian, Bita 57                           sp iritual values 185-93
> H ain swo rth , Zarin 55, I05                 types of I74-79
> Hands of the Cause of God I3, 272, 274        unity and I8o, I83-84, I9 I-92
> Abu'l-Qasim Faizi 246                  i ndependent (London) 82
> 'Ali-Muryammad Varqa 40                i nterpreter, The
> 'Amaru'l-Baha Rury iyyih Khfoum 246,       See arts
> 27I-72,                             India 15, 50, 55-56, 59-60, 65-66, 74,
> John Robarrs 246                            81, 89, III, 162-63, 239, 246, 253-54,
> H anley, Paul 266                             256, 262
> H armony Film Fes tival                   Indon esia 73 , 97, 242, 245-47
> See arts                               Institute for Studies in G lobal Prosperity
> Hatch er, William S. 240-4I                  253
> H ayes, Terrill G. 263                    interfaith 69-75
> H ealing the Wounded Soul 263             International Baha' f Archives 11
> H ealth for Humanity 252                  International Environment Forum (IEF)
> Held, David I37                              253
> Hellaby, Madeline 264                     Internatio nal Teaching Cen tre 40, 274
> Hera/do de Mexico, El 82                     es tablishment of 274
> Higgins, Shannon 62                          sear of 274
> Hill, Ri chard A. 263                     Iran 9, 44, 65, 8I-83, I03, 112-1 3, 115-27,
> Hinduism 9, 262                              18I, 227, 239, 244, 260, 262
> H industan Times 8I                          attacks and arrests of Baha' is in II5-20
> Hinton , Phillip 77-78                       Baha'i community's response to
> Hrv/AIDS 66, I05, 2I3, 228, 230                  persecution in 42, IOI, I03, u 3, l2I
> Hong Kong 25 2, 254                          denial of university entrance to Bah:i'is
> Hong Kong Baha' f Profess ion al Forum           41-42, 123-24
> 252                                      human rights situation in IOI, 116, 125
> Houses of Worship 15-I6, 78, 86-87, 238      media campaign again st 121-22
> in Au stralia 54, 54-55                     situation of Baha' f comm uni ty in 18,
> in Germany 78, 86, 87-88                        113, 4I-42, 115-27
> in Indi a 65, IJ2                           Supreme Revolutionary C ultural
> in Panama 22, 236                               Co uncil u6
> in United States 82, 2 I 2               Iraq 9, I3
> THE BAHA'f WORLD 2005-2006
> 
> Ireland 65, 6S, 7S, 257                          Ko rea, So uth
> Irish Times S1                                     See So uth Ko rea
> Isaiah                                           Kosovo 53, 22 5
> proph ecies of 275                            Koy!, Betty 241- 42
> Islam S-9, 41, II5-1S, 123, l2S-30, 262          Krishna 14
> [srael S, 40, S1, IIO-II , u S, 23S, 245, 251,   Kymli cka, W ill 177
> 260, 262, 272, 274, 276
> Italy I03, 254, 256-57                           L
> Ives, H owa rd Co lby 77
> fzadi, Mahfncaj 262                              Lambert, Co nrad 7S
> Laos 247
> Last Wtzr, The: Racism, Spirituality, and the
> J                                                  Future of Civilization 264
> Jahangir, Asma 70 , S2, 10 2, !02, 121, 130      law 5S, 61-62
> Jama ica 19, 76                                  Leith, Victo ri a 263
> Japan 55, 57, 62-63, 65-66, I05, !I I, 163,      Leo nard, Joachi m-Felix SS
> 243, 254, 257                                 Liberia !05
> Jesus 10, 14                                     Lights of the Spirit: Historical Portraits of
> Jo hnso n-S irl eaf, Ell en 104-5                   Black Bahd'is in North America,
> journey of the Soul: Life, Death, and               1898-2000 264
> Immortality 263                               literarure, Bah a' i
> Jowe n , Be nj amin ro                              See pu bli cati o ns, new Baha' i books
> Ju da, To maki IIO                                  See read ing list of Baha'i books
> Juda ism 9, 12S-29 , 262                         Lith-Boxma n, Marij ke van 242-43
> Living in the Half Light: Sketches of a
> K                                                  Bahd'f Family 264
> Locke, Frederick Palmer 243
> Kab ua, Am ata IIO                               Locke, Kev in 79
> Kalam, A.P.J. Abdul 74                           Logic and Logos: Essays on Science, Religion,
> Ka rlberg, M ichael 133- 56                        and Philosophy 240
> Karo, Ryozo 63                                   Lo h, Ju ne 59
> Kay, Suzann e 80                                 Lo ngo , M ike 7S
> Kayhan (Tehran) 121-22                           L0vald, Johan 105
> Kazakhstan 227                                   Love, Power, and j ustice: The Dynamics of
> Kea n, Lagil agi Serevi 241                        Authentic Morality 240
> Kenya 254                                        Lyon, Vaughan 137
> Kh adem , Mojga n 57
> Kh amenei, Ayatollah 121
> M
> Kh an, Janet A. IIO, 265
> Kh an, Peter IIO                                 Mahram i, Dhabihu' llah 42, 81-S2, n 3,
> Kid m an, N icole So                              lf7, u7-1S
> Kiri bati 60                                     Ma law i 243
> Kitab-i-Aqdas 15, 267-68 , 274-75, 277           Malays ia 7, 56, 59, 66, 77-79, 208, 246,
> Ki tab-i-fqan 26 7                                257
> Kle rk, Piet de 70, 102, !02-3                   Mani festat ions of God 14
> Kn ight, Ann abel 76                             Man ikchi ~al).ib 42, S9- 90, 261
> Kn ights of Bal1a' u'llah 239, 244, 275          Ma nsbridge, Jane 136
> Kogler, Elisabeth 105                            Ma rava nyika, Es hil a 70
> INDEX
> 
> Marie of Romani a (Queen of Romani a) 11      N in etee n D ay Feas t 15, 275
> Marshall Islands !IO, I II                    N orway fI, 73, I05, 241-42, 254
> Marrel o, Jo rge Visbal 60                    Note, Kessai ll O, I II
> Martin , C hri stop her 265                   N ussbaum , M artha 191
> M a'sumian, Fa rnaz and Bij an 262
> Matange (Ch ief) 72                           0
> Mauri tius 254
> M beki , Za nele 55, ro6                      One Country 83, 112-13, 260
> M cHenry III, John 243-44                     Oxfo rd U nive rsiry 12
> McKenz ie, D es mond 19                       0 My Brother 264
> M edina, Jo hn Fitzgerald 263
> Merkel, Angela !04                            p
> Merz
> See Lambert, Co nrad                        Pakistan 97, 227, 239, 245
> Mexico 68, 82, 243                            Panama 15
> Meyer, Ru th Katharin e 244                   Partners in Spirit: What Couples Say about
> M icron es ia 81                                Marriages that Work 164
> Miller-M uro , Layli 58                       peace 18
> M frza Ab u ' l-Fa ~l 261                        Lesse r Peace 275
> M ocqu ais, Pierre-Yves 62                       M ost G reat Peace 275
> Mo men, Wendi 61                              Penn , Sean 80
> Mo ngolia 52                                  Perry, Ma rk L. 113, 264
> Mo numenr Gardens 275                         Peru 244
> Moqbel, Redwan 66                             Peseschki an , Noss rat 62
> Mo rocco 227, 239                             Peterso n, Phyllis K. 263
> Moses 14                                      Phelps, Steve n 90
> Mo unt Carmel IO-II , 40, 272, 275- 77        Ph il ippi nes, the 97, 200, 227, 254
> Muell er-Trirnb usch, Gabriele 19, 87         pilgrimage, Baha' i II, 262, 273, 276
> M uh ammad 14                                 pioneer 275-76
> M ul ti-Racial U ni ry Living Expe rience     Poko rny, Brad 83
> (M RU LE) 69                                Po land 63, 68, 255
> M usa, Husarn lzzat 129                       po litics
> See democracy
> Po llack, Sydney 80
> N                                             Portals to Freedom 77-78
> Nagle, Sab in a 68                            Porter, K.C. 76
> Na~ i r i 'd-D f n Shah
> 272                       Portugal 78, 255
> National Pu blic Info rmatio n Office rs      Power ofPrayei; The: Make a Joy.fit! Noise
> (NP!O S)   IIO                                265
> N dim eni , Luvuyo IOI                        Privilege So Priceless, A: Becoming a Better
> Nepal 53                                         Teacher ofthe Bahd'f Faith 265
> Neth erlands, the 61, 64, 70, I06, 242, 254   Promise of World Peace, The 18, 155, 241
> New Era Fo undatio n 253                      Prophet's Daughter: The Life and Legacy of
> New York Times 8r                               Bahiyyih Khdnum 265
> New Zealand 68- 69, 239-40, 242, 257          Prosperity of Humankind, The 18, 20, 168,
> N icaragua 52                                   172, 194-95
> N ige r 254                                   pub lications, new Bal1 a'f 261-66
> N ige ria 239, 254, 257                       Puerta Ri co 76
> Pure 76
> 286                 THE BAHA'f WORLD 2 0 05-200 6
> 
> Q                                          Selzn ick, Philip 174
> Semple, Ian 43, 87
> Qarase, Leba 65
> Se n, Amarrya 174, 178-79
> Senegal ro3, 239
> R                                          Seven Valleys, The 79
> Serbia II 2
> race unity 67-69
> Shoghi Effend i 1I-I3, 37, 87, 90, 165,
> Rasikh, 'Izzatu'llah 244-45
> 27 1-77
> read ing lisr of Baha'i books 267-69
> passing of 13, 274, 277
> Reality ofMan, The 265
> writings of 17, 269
> Reid, Geo rge 64
> Sho rt, Clare 107
> religion
> Siden, Pon luk 204
> origin of 14
> Sife, Donna Jacobs 77
> purpose of 14
> Sinarra, Frank 78
> Responding: IOI Questions Often Asked of
> Si ngapore 66-68, 67, 74, 77
> Bahd'is 265-66
> Singa ravadivelu, Sa tanam 246-47
> Risf v:in 276
> Slaughter, Anne M arie 99
> Robe ofLight 238
> Smith, Murray m
> Rocholl, Teuro 88
> social and econo mic developmem 59-61,
> Rolling Stone 81
> 66, 199-211, 220-21, 249-50
> Roma 7, 49, 84
> So uth Africa 55, 80, 82, JOI, w 3, !06, 255,
> Romania II, 52, 255
> Rood , Georgina 69
> So uth African Women in Dialogue
> Roosevelr, Franklin D. 96, 177
> (SAWJ D) 55
> Ruh e, David S. 84, 237-38, 238
> So uth Korea 163, 243-44, 255
> Ruhi Insritute 38, 41, 242, 276-77
> Spain 57, 227, 239, 255, 257
> Rushdy, Rayna Enayat 129
> Spiritual Assemblies
> Russia 7, 57, 79, 240, 242, 255, 257
> el ection of 2 73
> Rwanda 60, 225
> Local 13, 275
> National 13-r4, 16, 39, 272- 73, 275-77
> s                                             Regional 276
> Spirit ofAgriculture, The 266
> Sabah 66, 208, 246
> Sri Lanka 246
> Sabet, Mitra Deliri 70
> Stang, Gisela 88
> Sadan, M ark 81
> Sud an !03
> Saipan Tribune 81
> Suriname 81, 242
> Samoa 15, 78, 82, 246
> Sutron , Ti ern ey 76, 77
> San tirso, Ernesto 72
> Sweden w5, 255
> Santorski, Jacek 63
> Swirze rland 55 , 240, 251
> Sarawak 66, 246
> Sargeant, John ro8
> Schafer, Zazie ro6                         T
> Schmelzle, Gertrude 245-46
> Tabernacle of Unity, The 42-43, 89-91,
> Schmidt, Leigh Eri c u3
> schoo ls, Baha'i and Baha'i-inspired
> Tablet 277
> Mona Schoo l 59
> Tablets ofthe Divine Plan 10-11
> Nancy Cam pbell Co llegiate Institute,
> Tabula Rasa 81
> Taherzadeh , Bahhaj 265
> New Era Hi gh School 50
> Tah erzad eh, Lesley 262
> INDEX                                      287
> 
> Tahirih 76-77                                   Declararion of Human Rights 70, 98,
> Tahirih Justice Cemer 58                           IOO, 102, 107, 214, 2I6, 218-19, 234
> Taiwan 52, 252, 255                             Development Fund for Women
> Tajikistan 7, 49, 239                              (UN IFEM) 94, 105, 234
> Tampa Tribune 53                               Developmenr Programme (UNDP) IOI
> Tannen, Deborah 135-36                         Econom ic and Social Council (Ecosoc)
> Tanza nia 70, 72, n2                               I6, 94, IOI, 108, 227
> Tavakkoli, Behrooz II9-20                      Educational, Sciemific, and Cultural
> Tate, Nick 57                                      Organization (UNESCO) 76, II2, 225
> Taylor, Cha rl es 176                          Fourch World Conference on Women
> teaching th e Baha'i Faith I8                      106, 224-25
> Ten Year Crusade 13, 275, 277                  Framework Convemion on C limate
> Thail and 200, 227, 238, 246                       Change 162
> T homas, Richard 264                           Human Rights Counci l 98, IOI
> Tibet m                                        lnrernational Day for the El imination
> Togo 55, 105                                      of Violence Aga inst Women
> Tolstoy, Leo 8-9                                   (IDEVAW) 57
> train ing institute 8I, 276-77                 Im ernational Day of Peace 70, 72, 73
> Tranquiliry Zones 49                           Imernational Year of Peace 16, 24I
> Trin idad 76                                   Mi ll enni um Developmenr Goals
> Turkey 9, m                                        (MDGS) 95-96, 214, 229 232-233
> Ti1rning Point for ALL Nations 18, 224         NGO Comm ittee Aga inst Racism and
> Racial Discrimination 109
> NGO Committee for Social
> u                                                 D evelopmem I09
> Uganda 15, 104, 255                            O ffi ce of the H igh Com mi ssio ner fo r
> UNIED I99-2II                                     Human Rights (OHCHR) 95
> Un ited Ki ngdom 7, 20, 49, 49, 55, 6o-6I,     Peacebuild ing Commiss io n 98-99
> 63, 64, 64, 67, 78, 79, 8I-82, 84, I05,      Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
> I07, II2, 165, 252, 255, 257                    (rm) 94, 106
> Un ited Nations 16, 92, 97, I02                reform processes at 94-98, 213-28
> 5orh ann iversary of 18                      Securiry Council 96, 98, 101 , 223,
> actions on behalf of Baha'fs in Iran            227-28
> 125-27                                    Special Rapporreur on Freedom of
> Ch ildren's Fund (UNICEF) 76, 94                Religion or Belief
> Commission on Human Rights u6,                  See Jahangir, Asma
> 126, 219                                  World Conference on Human Rights
> Commission on Social D evelopmem                224
> 94, 109, 229-34                           World Health Organization (WHO) 94
> Commiss ion on the Status of Women           Wo rl d Summ it for Social Development
> 55, 56, 94, I04-6                            18, I06, 156
> Commission on Sustainable                    Wo rld Summ it on the In fo rmat ion
> Developmem 94, I09                           Sociery 94, I06, I08
> Conference on Environmem and               Un ited States 7, 10-11, r5, 48, 51, 53, 57,
> Developmem 224                            58-59, 61-62, 65-66, 69, 71, 74-76, 75,
> Decade for a Culture of Peace 112            77, 78-79, 81-82, 88, 96, 103-5, 125, i61,
> D ecade of Education for Sustainable         237-38, 241 , 243, 245, 252, 255, 257
> Developmem I09, II3                     Un iversal Ch il dren's Day 54-55
> Unive rsal Ho use of] ustice 8, II, 13-14,
> 288                   THE BAHA'f WO RLD 2 005-2 006
> 
> 16, r9, 190, r93, 237, 271-74, 277         Wo rld War r ro-u , 199
> au tho ri ty of 13, 37-38                  Wo rl d Wa r rr 88, r66, 237, 262
> electio n of 13, 273, 275, 277
> letter ro wo rld's rel igious leaders 18   y
> members of 39, 40
> messages of 18, 37-44                      Youn g, Iris M ario n 174, 193
> Seat of 36, 40, 277                        Yo unghusband, Francis 11
> U ruguay 81                                   Young Tu rk moveme nt ro
> Uzbekistan m , 239                            Youssefian-Maanian, Shiri n 76-77
> 
> v                                             z
> Yafa i, Shah in 262                           Zackios, Geral d u o
> Vah dati , Sin a 114                          Zamb ia 54, 156
> Vargha-Khadem, Faraneh 66-67                  Zoroaster 14
> Varjava ndi , Ca rrie 63-64, 64               Zoroas tri ans 89-90
> Va rqa Fo und ation 53
> Varqa, 'Al f-M u~ am m ad
> See H ands of the Cause of God
> Venezuela 76, 163, 244
> V irgin Islands 244
> Vogl, Gerda 105
> Voi ces of Ba ba choir
> See arts
> 
> w
> Watkin s, Kevin 102
> Warso n, Iarfh lairh 65
> Web sires of Bah a'i Internat ion al
> Commun ity u2-13, 259-60
> Bahd 'f Media Bank 259
> Bahd'f Reference Library 259
> Bahd'f Statement Library 260
> Bahd'i Topics: An Information
> Resource 259
> Bahd'i World News Service 112-13 ,
> International Bahd'i Library 260
> One Country u 3, 260
> Weinberg, Ma tthew 173-97
> Who ls Writing the Future? 18
> Wi lliam Mm ude Masedh a Foundation
> wom en
> advanceme n t of 55-58, 56, 104-6
> Wo rld Bank 67, 68, 226
> World Peace Day 79
> World Religion Day 74-75, 87
>
> — *The Baha'i World: Volume 34 (2005-2006) (Used by permission of the curator)*