BERMUDA First Teaching Conference of Seven Year Plan
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Baha'i News Baha'i Year 137 No. 599 Contents Counsellors 2 House of Justice revises zones, names 63 to serve 5-year terms .. ..... Women's Conference 4 Nearly 300 attend Latin American gathering at Brasilia, Brazil. ........... .. Tonga 6 Teaching campaign honors the Hand of the Cause Dr. Muhajir ........... Page 5 Leonora Armstrong 7 'Spiritual Mother of South America' dies after a long illness ..... ............ Bermuda 8 Teaching Conference tackles remaining Seven Year Pl an goals ......... Terah 1Q Some personal reminiscences from stalwart long-time believer ....... Around the world 13 News from Baha'i communities in every corner of the globe ........... Page 9 Cover Nearly 300 women, Baha'fs and non-Baha'fs, from 14 countries in North and South America were present last October 16-19 at the historic first Latin American Baha'i Women's Conference held at the Palacio das Convenc;Oes in Brasilia, Brazi l. Among those attending was Dr. Sarah M. Pereira, a Continental Counsellor for the Americas who delivered the keynote address, 'The Challenge to Women for the Spiritual Education of Humanity,' in Portuguese. A complete re port of the conference begins on Page 4. Page 15 Change of address should be reported directly to Office of Membership and Records, Baha'i National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091 , U.S.A. Please attach mailing label. Subscription rates: one year, U.S. SB ; two years, U.S. $15. Second class postage paid at Wilmette, IL 60091 . Copyright 0 1981 , Nat!Onal Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States, World Rights Reserved. Printed 1n the U.S.A. Baha'i News is published monthly by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States, as a news organ (I SSN 0195-9212) reporting current activities of the Saha" world community. Manuscripts submitted should be typewritten and double spaced throughout; any footnotes should appear at the end. The contributor should keep a carbon copy. Send materials to: Baha'i (U SPS 040-140) News Editorial Office, Baha'i National Center, Wilmette, IL 60091 , U.S.A. COUNSELLORS Universal House of Justice revises zones, names Counsellors to serve five-year terms To the Bahti'is of the World nent. In accordance with this decision, the zones of the Dearly-loved Friends, Continental Boards of Counsellors will, from the Day of the Covenant of the year 137 (26 ovember 1980), be One of the greatest sources of consolation for the as follows: Universal House of Justice amid the tribulations of the 1. Africa, comprising the areas of the four present past twelve years, has been the establishment and zones of that continent. growth of the Continental Boards of Counsellors, and 2. The Americas, comprising the present zones of the assistance that this institution has been rendering, orth, Central and South America . in ever-increasing measure, to the sound develop 3. Asia, comprising the present zones of Western, ment of the worldwide Baha'i community. We cannot South Central and South-eastern Asia, together pay too high a tribute to the indefatigable labours of with the present zone of North-eastern Asia the devoted souls who have been called upon to without the Hawaiian Islands and Micronesia. shoulder this onerous responsibility, and who have 4. Australasia, comprising the present zone of Aus followed with such fidelity the path of self-sacrificing tralasia plus the Hawaiian Islands and Mic service that has been blazed for them by the beloved ronesia. Hands of the Cause of God. 5. Europe. In June 1979 we were moved to announce that the Those who are now appointed as Counsellors to duration of the terms of office of Continental Counsel serve on these Continental Boards for the next five lors would be five years, to start on the Day of the years are: Covenant of this year. As this date approaches, we Africa: Dr. Hushang Ahdieh (Trustee of the Conti have decided that the time is ripe for a further step in nental Fund), Mr. l:fusayn Ardekani, Mr. Friday the development of the institution itself that will, at Ekpe, Mr. Oloro Epyeru, Mr. Shidan Fat' he one and the same time, accord greater discretion and Aazam, Mr. Zekrollah Kazemi, Mr. Mul)ammad freedom of action to the Continental Boards of Coun Kebdani, Mrs . Thelma Khelghati, Mr. William sellors in the carrying out of their duties, and widen Masehla, Mr. Mul)ammad Mu!:)tafa, Mr. Kolonario the scope of each Board to embrace an entire conti- Oule, Mrs. Isobel Sabri, Mr. Mihdi Samandari, Mr. 2 February 1981 /Bahlt'I News Peter Vuyiya, Mrs. Bahiyyih Winckler. As the Baha'i world experiences the manifold interac tions of these two vital and complementary arms of the The Americas: Dr. Hidayatu'llah Acymadiyyih, Dr. Administrative Order of Baha'u'llah, the unique bene Farzam Arbab, Mrs. Carmen de Burafato, Mr. fits of this divinely ordained System become ever more Athos Costas, Mr. Angus Cowan, Mr. Lloyd Gard apparent. The harmonious interaction and the proper ner (Trustee of the Continental Fund), Mr. Mas'ud discharge of the duties of these institutions repre ~hamsi, Mrs. Lauretta King, Mr. Artemus Lamb, senting the rulers and the learned among the people of Mr. Peter McLaren, Mr. Raul Pavon, Dr. Sarah Baha is the essential basis at this time for the protection Pereira, Mrs. Ruth Pringle, Mr. Fred Schechter, of the Cause of Baha'u'llah and the fulfilment of its Mrs. Velma Sherrill, Mr. Donald Witzel. God-given mandate. Asia: Mr. Burhani'd-Din Afshin, Mrs . Shirin Events of the most profound significance are taking Boman, Dr. Masil:t Farhangi, Dr. John Fozdar, Mr. place in the world. The river of human history is flow Zabll:tu'llah Gulmucyammadi, Mr. Aydin Guney, ing at a bewildering speed. Age-old institutions are Mr. Dipchand Khianra, Mr. Rucyu'llah Mumtazi, collapsing. Traditional ways are being forgotten, and Mr. S. Nagaratnam, Mr. Khudaral:tm Payman newly-born ideologies which were fo ndly expected to (Trustee of the Continental Fund), Mr. Manuchihr take their place, are withering and decaying before the Salmanpur, Mr. Vicente Samaniego, Mrs. Zena eyes of their disillusioned adherents. Amidst this Sorabjee, Dr. Chellie Sundram, Mr. Hideya decay and disruption, assailed from every side by the Suzuki, Mr. Yan Kee Leong. turmoil of the age, the Order of Baha'u'llah, unshake ably founded on the Word of God, protected by the Australasia: Mr. Suhayl 'Ala'i, Mr. Ben Ayala, Mr. shield of the divine Covenant and assisted by the hosts Owen Battrick (Trustee of the Continental Fund), of the Concourse on High, is rising in every part of the Mr. Richard Benson, Mrs. Tinai Hancock, Dr. Peter world. Khan, Mr. Lisiata Maka. Every institution of this divinely created Order is Europe: Mr. Erik Blumenthal, Mrs. Dorothy Fer one more refuge for a distraught populace; every soul raby, Dr. Agnes Ghaznavi, Mr. Hartmut illumined by the light of the sacred Message is one Grossmann, Mr. Louis Henuzet (Trustee of the more link in the oneness of mankind, one more ser Continental Fund), Mrs. Ursula Muhlschlegel, Dr. vant ministering to the needs of an ailing world. Even Leo Niederreiter, Mrs. Betty Reed, Mr. Adib Taher should the Baha'i communities, in the years im zadeh. mediately ahead, be cut off from the World Centre or from one another-as some already have been-the A number of friends who have rendered highly Baha'is will neither halt nor hesitate; they will con valued services as Counsellors are not being reap tinue to pursue their objectives, guided by their pointed for the coming term, and we wish to express Spiritual Assemblies and led by the Counsellors, the here our profound gratitude for the devoted labours members of the Auxiliary Boards and their assistants. they have rendered and are rendering in the path of It is our prayer at the Sacred Threshold that the new the Cause. These dearly-loved believers are: and challenging development now taking place in the evolution of the institution of the Counsellors will Mr. Seewoosumbur-Jeehoba Appa, Dr. Iraj release great energies for the advancement of the Ayman, Mr. Rowland Estall, Mr. Howard Har Cause of God in every land. wood, Miss Violet Hoehnke, Mrs. Salisa Kermani, Mr. Paul Lucas, Miss Elena Marsella, Mr. Alfred The Universal House of Justice Osborne, Miss Thelma Perks, Mr. Hadi Racymani, November 3, 1980 Mr. 'Imad Sabiran, Miss Edna True. Henceforth the Board of Counsellors in each conti nent will have wider discretion to decide such matters as whether to divide its area into zones, and what the boundaries of such zones should be, the number and location of the Board's offices, and the manner in which the members of the Auxiliary Boards will report to and operate under the Counsellors. The principles and policies governing the operation of the Continen tal Boards of Counsellors, however, and their relation ships with the National and Local Spiritual Assemblies and the individual believers will remain unchanged. Baha'i News/February 1981 3 16A19 DE OUTUBRO 80 BRAZIL Nearly 300 attend historic Baha'f Women's Conference Nearly 300 women, Baha'is and where she taught Spanish and Por non-Baha'is, from 14 countries in tuguese. Dr. Pereira spoke on "The North and South America partici Challenge to Women for the pated last October 16-19 in the first Spiritual Education of Humanity." Latin American Baha'i Women's Among the other speakers and Conference held at the Palacio das panelists were Mrs. Gol Aidun of Conven~oes in Brasilia, Brazil. Manitoba, Canada, and Mrs. The historic conference was Elizabeth Thomas of Manhasset, sponsored by the National New York.