Report from Zaire an Architect's Rendering of the Design for the Bahti' I House of Worship in Samoa That Will Be Erected at a Site Near Apia, Western Samoa

Bah8'i News Baha'i Year 135 February 1979

Report from Zaire An architect's rendering of the design for the Bahti' i House of Worship in Samoa that will be erected at a site near Apia, Western Samoa. The Hand of the Cause of God A ma tu' 1-Baha Ruf?,iyyih Khan um represented the Universal House ofJustice at the groundbreaking and cornerstone dedication ceremony January 27-28. The architect is Husayn Amanat, who also designed the building for the permanent Seat of the Universal House of Justice. Initiation of construction of the House of Worship in Samoa is a goal of the Five Year Plan.

Shown here is the architect's model of the design for the Mother Temple of the Indian Subcontinent, to be erected near New Delhi, India. The cornerstone for the building was laid last October 17 by the Hand of the Cause of God Amatu' 1-Baha Rii!Jiyyih Khan um on behalf of the Universal House of Justice. The architect is Fariburz ~ahbd. lnitiation of construction of the House of Worship in India is a goal of the Fire Year Plan. Baha'i News Baha'i Year 135 No. 575 For BaM'is Only

Contents

Report from Zaire A pioneer looks at the growth of the Faith in the Kivu reg ion ..... 2 'I try to lift their spirits' Dorothy Francis awarded membership in Order of Canada 5 'Lights of the world' Page 5 Last of th ree articles on children and learning 6 Around the world Q News from Baha'i communities in every corner of the globe .... 1.

Cover

In spite of hardships and some setbacks, the growth of the Faith in Page 6 the central African country of Zaire has been steady if unspectacu lar. The Zairian Baha'i community is growing stronger and more vibrant thanks to the active involvement of women, children and youth. Our cover photo shows Baha'i women in the Kivu region of Zaire with Baha'i pioneers to the area. Second from left is pioneer Deborah Butler whose report of recent developments in Kivu be gins on Page 2.

Page 10

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2 Bah a'i News/February 1979 Traditionally, the role of women in Ki vu, as in many other areas of Africa, has been one of subservience. Baha'i women, however, are taking an active part in community affairs. 'Fhey frequently are elected to serve on Local Spiritual Assemblies, and nearly every Assembly has a women's committee. Since the start of the Five Year Plan no less than nine women 's conferences have been held in various parts of the Ki vu region under the sponsorship of Local Assemblies or teaching commit tees. Baha'i men encourage the participation of women, sometimes help them to prepare food for conferences, and, since a high percentage of the women are illiterate, the men volunteer to take minutes at women's committee meetings and to send reports of women's activities to the National Spiritual Assembly or Reg ional Teaching Committee. Women are the backbone and heart of Zairian society, and one can already see the vast changes being set in motion by Baha' i women and the impact such changes will have on the family, the culture and the social order as more and more Zairian women

Top, a Baha' I child in Zaire playing the tom-tom.

Above, a young girl grinding maniok, the staple of the Zairian diet. With her is Barhaba-::.i-lraqi-Baha, an assistant to the Aux iliary Board.

l eft, Baha' [women in Kivu, Zaire, with pioneers Deborah Butler (second from left), Parvin Nematollahi (fifth from left), and Linda O'Neil (second from right).

February 1979/Baha'I News 3 realize their potential through the Teachings of Baha'u'llah. Children One direct benefit of the expanding role of Baha' i women in Zaire will be better educated children, as it is the women who care for the children until they are ready to enter school. The Five Year Plan directive that the education of children " .. . must become a firmly-established Baha' i activity during the course of this Plan" is of special importance to the Zairian friends who generally have large families with many children. In Kivu , the largest segment of the Baha'i population is under 15 years of age. In response to the goals of the Five Year Plan for children, institutes are being held in Kivu in which more than 100 Baha' fs have thus far been trained as children' s teachers. Because of the difficulties sometimes faced by Baha' i children who attend mission schools, some Baha' f communities in south ern Kivu have obtained approval from the Universal House of Justice to establish their own schools. Such schools must be accredited by the Zairois Educational Bureau. Youth The integration of youth into Baha' f community life has proven to be one of the more difficult aspects of the Five Year Plan fort he friends in Kivu . One of the reasons for this is the large and steadily widening generation gap in Zaire. Its present-day youth are the first genera tion to have received formal education on a large scale; hence, the differences between them and older members of the community have been greatly magnified as the youth are exposed to new ways of thinking and are influenced by modern technology and con temporary ideas. Borne on the current of western culture, Zairian youth are moving away from tribal customs and traditions more rapidly than their parents, and their ideas, opinions and motives reflect their new way of thinking. Typical of these changes is the young people' s concept of marriage. Whereas most members of the older generation have polygamous marriages, the youth have accepted monogamy as a more stable and beneficial relationship, not to mention more economically feasible . The youth are far more aware of the importance of spiritual love and mutual sharing than their parents, who in most cases merely contracted marriage under social obliga tion for the purpose of bearing children. These new ideas have made such traditional concepts as the dowry far less important to Zairian youth. Progress in the development of its young people has been made by encouraging the presence of younger pioneers in the region and by appointing many youth as assistants to the Auxiliary Board. Younger adults are being elected to serve on Local Spiritual Assemblies, and most Assemblies now have youth committees. Top, an institute in Walungu , Zaire, for tra1111ng Bah{i' i Periodic conferences address themselves to the special con children' s teachers. The man seated in· the center foreground of cerns, interests and problems facing the Baha' f youth. One can the photo is Bakenga, an assistant to the Auxiliary Board. see clearly that it is these friends who are struggling hardest to make the difficult change from traditional ways of life to today' s Middle, some young Bahti' is who attended an institute for train fast-paced, rapidly changing world. ing children's teachers in Uvira, in the southern K ivu region of The Baha'f youth who have taken the opportunity to study the Zaire. In the front row center is Alinote Q . Kibwe, an assistant to Teachings for answers to the unique problems posed by this the Auxiliary Board. transformation have gained an insight and clarity of purpose unequaled by their peers. As these Baha' i youth mature and take Bottom, Bahti' f youth in the Kivu region ofZaire. Secondfrom the their place in the forefront of its administrative institutions, the right is Bashombana, a young Bahti' i who knows more than 10 character of the Faith in Zaire will undergo great changes, as is pravers by heart including the Tabler of Afimad. already beginning to happen in Kivu .-Deborah Butler

4 Baha'i News/February 1979 On April 19, 1978, Mrs. Dorothy Francis, a Baha'i and member of the Saulteaux Indian tribe, was awarded membership in the Order of Canada by Governor General Jules Leger, Chan cellor of the Order, at Government House in Ottawa, Canada. Mrs. Francis was recognized for her outstanding achievement in promoting the understanding of Indian culture throughout Canada. The Order of Canada was created in 1967 to recognize the achievements and merits of Canadians in every major field of endeavor. Roger de C. Nantel , Director of Honor , aid, " It is a way for the country to say ' thank you' to the people who have done more than their share. " Mrs. Francis, first chairman of the ational Indian Arts and Crafts Committee, has served on four Local Spiritual Assemblies in Canada and currently serves as an Indian teaching coordinator for the National Spiritual A embly of Canada. She is a member of the Continental Indigenous Council, which consists of Alaskan, Canadian and American Indian Baha'fs. Mrs. Francis hosted and produced a popular series of programs for CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) radio and TV and traveled throughout the western parts of Canada performing con certs. She collected documents and interpreted the· legends, music , art and philosophy of the Saulteaux, Sioux and As siniboine tribes so that people might understand more full y the Indian culture. As economic development officer and Indian culture worker for the Federation of Saskatchewan Indians, Mrs. Francis in spired artists and craftsmen to use traditional motifs and techni ques in making crafts that are representative of the Indian culture. An accomplished artist and craftsman, she has helped stimulate a renewed interest in Indian art forms. Her work is exhibited at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. Her knowledge and expertise in promoting Indian arts and crafts proved invaluable to the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development where she served on the ational Advis ory Board of the department. Recently , Mrs. Francis has traveled in orthern Ontario help ing communities there to form their own crafts committees and assisting with native Alcoholics Anonymous groups. She has also devoted many hours as a volunteer social worker and counselor to native patients in hospitals and inmate of penitentiaries. " I speak to the Indian people in the prisons, especially the '/ try to lift young men," said Mrs. Francis, " and I try to li ft their spirits. I try to make them feel important, because they are important. " But I also want them to understand that they have a re ponsi bility, too. We tend to bl ame society when rhings don' t go right, but sometimes we create our own problems. People should try to their spirits' better themselves. There are people out there ready to serve and to help you. Every single Indian is responsible for the betterment of his race." Understanding many of the problems that confront native new comers to large cities, Mrs. Francis initiated Friendship Centers and founded Pow Wow Clubs to help many Indians through the difficult period of transition to metropolitan areas. When asked about her effort s to help the Indian people, Mrs. Francis said, " I try to put good thoughts into people's minds. It is important that we learn to work together to fos ter love and unity amongst one another. " As long as Indian people remain divided we will never get anywhere; we need each other so badly. The only way we can really progress is to work together and build from good founda ti ons with good leaders and never fo rget about our Great Spirit. ''

February 1979/Baha'I News 5 (This is the last of three articles on children and learning written by Deborah H. Christensen ofLondon , Ontario, Canada . Mrs . Christensen has a masters degree in education, specializing in early childhood, and has served on the U.S. National Educa tion Committee .- Ed.) • Every day, opportunities present themselves that Baha'i par ents can exploit to help their children learn. These are sometimes referred to as " teachable moments." At these times your child is interested in something, and you use that interest to take him one step further toward understanding. For example, let us say that your three-year-old child is build ing with various colored blocks, and you ask him or her to build a tower using only red blocks. In so doing, you have made a game out of sorting and color recognition. Or perhaps you are reading a story about sacrifice (s uch as Oscar Wilde's The Happy Prince) to your eight-year-old, and you use the opportunity to talk about why sacrifice is pleasing to God. You don' t have to wait until your child finds his own teachable moments; you can plan them yourself. Informal activities like baking bread or special craft and service projects can teach many things. Family excursions can be educational as well as recrea tional . Trips to museums, historic sites, or even a park offer many opportunities for learning. Your interest in your child's learning teaches him that you value education; therefore, he will too. For better or worse, television is a large part of the lives of many children. It certainly has its good points, but it also can be dangerous. One study indicates that by the time a child enters first grade he will have see n between 25,000 and 50,000 acts of violence on the TV screen! The principles that come to mind with respect to TV are moderation and interpretation. We should certainly know what our children are watching and limit the amount of their viewing. Each family has to decide what is acceptable to watch and what is not. It is also of great value to watch TV with your children. Besides sharing entertainment, you can help them interpret what they see by highlighting Baha' i principles and by pointing out godly and ungodly behavior. Again, there is no need to be heavy-handed 'Lights of about this . Such discussions, like many family learning experi ences, should be spontaneous and enjoyable. Children can be excellent teachers of other children. One of the best ways to reinforce what one has learned is to teach it to someone else. An older or more mature child, having just learned the World' something, is often in a better position to explain it to another child-more in tune with the child's perspective than an adult would be. It helps the older child. too. In the words of an African proverb, " He who teaches, learns." Such mutual assistance fosters cooperation and service. Many useful techniques relate to communicarion. Feedback and reinforcement are critical factors in learning. 'Abdu'l-Baha Part 3 used the term "awaken" in reference to education. He was always praisi ng and uplifting people. This is a parent's responsi bility to hi s children: showering them with praise and encourage ment, cheering and sharing in their victories, whether they are learning to walk, ride a bike, control their temper, or show kindness. Stating limits in positive terms ("we walk'· rather than

6 Baha'i News/February 1979 "don't run, " "let's do this" rather than "don't do that") pre serve the child's dignity and addresses his potential. It is also true that children need accurate feedback. They need to know the standard, that they should strive for excellence, and how to measure themselves against it in a constructive way, the difference between a pretty good job and one's very best job. Parents can help children make these distinctions. ("Which of your gymnastics routines was the best? Why?" " What was the nicest thing you did today?'') Children need room to make mistakes and still know that the y can do better next time. Punishment should educate the child. It should always be made clear to him why he is being punished, and parents should work especially hard to di tinguish between the child and hi actions. ("I love you, but I don't like it when you play outside in your good clothes.'') Open communication in a family is critical. Consultation should begin with very young children. They should be given choices, listened to , and reasoned with. This communicates love and respect for the child, and helps teach the techniques of moral reasoning. It does not mean that children have to agree with every parental decision, only that they should see parental authority a just, rather than dictatorial and arbitrary. In the words of the Master: " According to the teachings of Baha' u' l!

February 1979/Baha'I News 7 elephant in my sandbox.·· or waking from a nap screaming, "That monster's gonna eat me! '" Parents need to patientl y help children learn the difference between what is real and what isn 't. Obviously. children need to know this so they can distingui h truth from falsehood. Parents can help by giving children the proper language to express the situation and making the distinction for them . ("' You saw an elephant in your sandbox? Let's pretend there is a whole zoo in there and build cages for them . Can you make believe you are an elephant?"") Parents can also encourage children to talk out their experi ences. (' "You were dreaming about a monster? Tell me about it .... Really?·') The child can then explain what he remembers, and in this way along with verbal and non-verbal support from the parent can master his fear. Two good books about imagination from the child"s point of view are Where rhe Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak, and And To Think Thar I Saw Ir 011 Mulberry Sr. , by Dr. Seuss. As children learn to distinguish what is real from what is not, they can begin to understand truth and falsehood. Parent can keep in mind everal principles to assist their children's learning through play . One basic but not necessarily obvious principle is the importance of order and clarity in the child's world. We want our children to learn to be orderly. It i certainly a Baha'i virtue . Children won't learn it, however, if their surroundings are always chaotic. One simple way to help create order for a child is to provide a separate container for each toy or type of toy , and shelves for convenient, accessible storage. The child can then see individual choices (not just a jumbled mess to dig into), make a selection, and easily return it. Again the parents' example is critical. As in learning any other attribute , the standard, order, must be applied in different ways according to the child's age (i.e., his tage of development) . A toddler, for example, should know that his toys ha ve a proper place, and should observe basic limits ("We draw on paper, not on wall . "')But he can't be expected to put everything away neatly. A four-year-old, on the other hand, usually can. The important thing i to help each child develop orderly (or cooperative, or loving, or confident) habits approp riate to his capacities. Ground rules that everyone follows help a child learn becau e the y provide order in his world. He knows what he can expect and what he is responsible for. For example, rules like picking up and putting toys away after use mean that a child can expect to find what he wants. Rules specifying quiet areas, noisy area , and individual property rights erve the same function . The introduction of novelty is another principle that parent can use. To introduce novelty means to somehow change the envi ronment so that it catches or redirects the child's interest. It can be a new toy , a recycled toy , moving a piece of furniture , inviting a friend over, a special project, etc. Too much change over-stimulates children and too few changes mean a child is bored. The wise parent has only a few ofa child's toys available to him at any one time and the rest put away until he wants a change. Special activities stored away in a parent's mind and closet can prove invaluable on rainy days or when a child is sick. Children benefit from a variety of activities: quiet things to do and times and places to be loud, chances to engage in messy play,

8 Baha'i News/February 1979 opportunities to play with many children, a few children, and by Bibliography: themselves. Beadle, Muriel, A Child's Mind. ew York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., Conclusion 1971. An enlightening survey into research on how children learn from birth to five years-heavier reading than some. To learn means to develop a capacity. Even though these articles have been far too brief for anything more than a few highlights of Brazelton . T. Berry, Doctor and Child. ew York: Delacorte Press, 1976. the learning process and examples of how parents can help it , it Brazelton, T . Berry, /nfanrs and Morhers: Differences in Developmenr. New should be clear by now that we are exploring something that is York: Dell Publi hing Company, Inc., 1969. Brazelton. T . Berry, Toddlers and Parenrs: A Declararion of Independence. complex, challenging, extraordinary, and only partially under New York: Delacorte Press. 1974. Three very helpful and informative books by a stood. It involves every aspect of human nature: phy ical , mental, well-known pediatrician. and spiritual. It begins at conception and continues through all the worlds of God. It is His gift to us and our obligation to Him: Caplan , Frank, ed. , The Firsr Twelve Monrhs of Life . New York: Grosset and Dunlap, 1973 . Month-by-month account of human development-good in com ''O ye beloved of God and The maid-servams of The bination with Brazelton 's !11fa111s and Morhers . Merciful.' Teaching and learning, according To The Dodson , Fitzhugh, How ro Farher. New York: New American Library, 1974. decisive TexTs of The Blessed Beauty, is a duty. Who Dodson, Fitzhugh, How ro Parenr . New York: ew American Library, 1970. ever is indifferem Therein depriveTh himself of the A down-to-earth writing style . a well-informed author, and an excellent resource great bounty." '('Abdu'l-Baha, in Bahti' i World list for choosing toys make these well worth reading. Faith , page 399) Fraiburg. Selma, The Magic Years . New York: Scribner's and Sons, 1959. A Although our understanding of how people learn is still in its classic in handling the problems of early childhood: the author effectively com municates the child's point of view. infancy, parents can, at lea!>t, glean a few basic principles to guide them. We know that learning builds on itself, and that sequence Gino!!, Haim G .. Berwee11 ParemandChild. ew York: Avon Books, 1965. A and timing are important factors. We know that human beings are practical guide to communication kills. born with a desire to learn. We know that one of the most Gordon. Ira J ., Baby Leaming Through Baby Play: A Parenr' s Guide for rhe important keys to learning is active involvement in a rich, varied, Firsr Two Years. ew York: St. Martin's Press, 1970. supportive environment. Gordon, Ira . J ., Guinagh, Barry, and Jester, R. Emile, Child Leaming Through Learning is one part of the larger process known as human Child's Play: Leaming Acri1·iries for Two and Three Year Olds. ew York: St. development. Educators have now learned enough to describe Martin ·s Press, 1972. Excellent idea books for activities to support the young child's learning. roughly many of the developmental stages through which chil dren pass. This, in turn, gives u insight into their growing McDiarmid, Norma, er . al., Lo1·ing and Leaming. ew York: Harcourt Brace capacities: what they can and cannot do, what should and should Javonovich, 1975 . A lovingly written , informative, and practical guide to t~e not be emphasized, and, therefore, how to help them. intellectual and emotional development of the child from birth to three years. Finally, we have looked at a handful of the many techniques Marzollo, Jean , and Lloyd, Janice, Leaming Through Play. New York: Harper available to parents who wish to support their children's learning. and Row, 1972. A good idea book for preschool activities. These include the power of example, developing good habits, the use of analogy, capitalizing on " teachable moments,., using Sharp, Evelyn, Thinking Is Child's Play. ew York: Avon Books, 1969. Excellent. easy-to-read book explaining Piaget's concepts, including good ac television properly, letting children teach other children, com tivities for parents and teachers. municating effectively, and some thoughts on play. Baha' i parents face an overwhelming responsibility to help White. Burton L., The Firs/ Three Years of Life . Englewood Cliffs, ew their children learn. It is placed upon them by the Baha'i Writ Jersey: Prencice-Hall. Inc .. 1975 . A fascinating book based on years of study by the author into the development of learning competence, with good practical ings, confirmed by research showing the importance of a child's suggestions as well as insightful parenting strategies. early year , and amplified by a disintegrating society whose schools are increasingly unable to addres the true potential of a human soul. Faced with such a challenge, parents should certainly deepen themselves in the Teachings of Baha' u 'll

February 1979/Bahi'I News 9 •' Around the World Brazil , which earlier had announced the relatively unsuccessful. Braz il victorious completion of its Five Year Plan Twenty Baha' fs offered to undertake teaching goals, held its fifth National Teaching assignments to remote areas of the country for Conference of the Plan October 20-22 at Pati do periods of a month or more , while several others Alfere , a city near Rio de Janeiro. offered to pioneer on the homefront. Brazil presently has 16 l Local Spiritual The conference also dealt with ways to Assemblies and 427 localities open to the Faith. increase the number of prepared radio programs The goals were 130 Assemblies and 400 available to Baha'fs. Brazil has three centers that localities. The National Spiritual Assembly has are responsible for production of radio materials, adopted supplemental goals of 180 A emblies but more are needed. and 500 localities by Riqvan 1979. The Faith receives wide radio publicity in Among those attending the Teaching Brazil . Many radio station owners or managers Conference were Continental Counsel lors have offered to air programs and interviews Leonora Armstrong and Raul Pavon , six about the Faith. members of the National Spiritual Assembly of Brazil, seven Auxiliary Board members, and representatives of national and regional teaching committees. Consultation focused on expansion of the Faith in those areas of Brazil in which teaching efforts during the Five Year Plan have been

French Antilles

An instirwe sponsored by the Conrinental Board Panama (third from right, back row), Dr. of Counsellors for Central America was held Hidtivatu' I/ah Afimadiyyih of Belize (third from August 20 in Martinique, French Antilles. left, rhird row), and Carmen de Burafato of Hooper Dunbar, one of three Counsellors who Mexico (fourth from left, second row). Among are members of the International Teaching rhe other friends pictured, from the islands of Cenrre in Haifa , is standing ar the lefr in the back Martinique, Guadeloupe and Sr. Martin , are row. The four Counsellors for Central America eight members of the National Spirirual who artended are Artemus Lamb of El Salvador Assembly of the French Amil/es and several (fourth from left, back row), Alfred Osborne of visiting Traveling teachers.

10 Baha'i News/February 1979 The ational Spiritual Assembly of the of Assemblie in the .S. was 1,100. United United States announced November 27 the By ovember 26, thanks largely to a fresh establishment of a total of 1,400 Local Spiritual wave of teaching and con olidation, primarily in Assemblies in that country, marking the swift the southern states, the number had risen to States and dramatic achievement of one of its most 1,400, an astonishing increase of 300 difficult Five Year Plan goals. Assemblies in less than two months. The figure The following cable, re sponding to the report is even more remarkable in view of the fact that of victory, was received from the Universal the net increase in Assemblies formed from House of Justice: Ric,lvan 1977 to Ric,lv~n 1978 was only 49. ··OVERJOYED SUCCESS ATIONWIDE With the Assembly' Goal won, the .S. CAMPAIGN DESIG ED ATTAi LOCAL National Teaching Committee was directed to SPIRIT AL ASSEMBLY GOAL FIVE YEAR focus it attention and resources on winning the PLA . VICTORY EVIDE CES SPIRITUAL goal of establishing 7,000 localities in which PRIMACY CO FERRED BY MASTER ON Baha"fs reside in the U.S. The target date for VALIA T AMERICAN COMMUNITY . BE winning that goal was December 31. ASS RED OF OUR ARDENT PRAYERS In addition. the ational Assembly adopted a BEHALF DEDICATED EFFORTS supplemental goal of establishing a total of ATIONAL TEACH! G COMMITTEE A D 1,550 Local Spiritual Assemblies in the U.S. by FRIE DS THROUGHOUT NATION WI next April :W. the end of the Five Year Plan. A Y EXCEED GOAL LOCALITIES E ABU G ESTABLISHMENT BASES FUTURE LOCAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES ." The total number of Assemblies reported to have been formed in the U.S. by November 26, the Day of the Covenant, stood at exactly 1,400, a goal that a bare two months before had appeared to be almost out of reach. At Ri9van 1978 , the number of recognized Local Spiritual A semblies was 987, only 165 more than the number in exi tence at the outset of the Plan. On October 1, with less than seven months remaining before the end of the Plan , the number

The Baha'fs of Dar es Salaam , Tanzania , Approximately 55 Baha' is, representing all 11i11e Tanzania observed United ations Day October 21 with a of Ta11-::.a11ia' s Regio11al Teaching Committees, public meeting and dance attended by 200 atte11ded a National Teaching Conference held people. Baha"f and United Nations books, September 15-17. Seated in the center of the magazines, pamphlets, and posters were gatheri11g is Cominental Cou11sellor for South displayed October 21-22 in the main hall of the Central Asia Burha11i' d-Df11 Afshf11 who came to National Baha 'f Center. Several films were Ta11-::,ania at the request of the Universal House shown on both days, drawing a total of 450 of Justice. people.

February 1979/Bah& 'I News 11 Seventy guests were present in October at a El United Nations Day observance in San Salvador, El Salvador. Seated in the center of Salvador the photo (wearing a white shirt and dark jacket) is Continental Counsellor Artemus Lamb. Graciela Gonzales of the El Salvador United Nations Organi:ation, who spoke about the history, structure and purpose of the United Nations, is seated third from the right.

Baha'ls in El Salvador were quite active in and 43 children took part in the event. September, October and November with United Nations Day was observed in October teaching, dedication of a local Baha'i Center, in San Salvador with a public meeting attended observance of United Nations Day, and the by 70 people. Graciela Gonzales of the United election of delegates to next year's National Nations Organization in El Salvador spoke about Convention. the history, structure and purpose of the UN. Four teaching teams, accompanied by On November 12 , the anniversary of the Birth Continental Counsellor Artemus Lamb, of Baha'u' llah , the Baha'ls of El Salvador members of the National Spiritual Assembly, elected their delegates to the National and Auxiliary Board member Gabriel Torres, Convention next April. They also observed the visited El Salvador's four districts in September. occasion with a commemorative service and an Eighty-five persons embraced the Faith as a outing at a children's park. result of the teaching trips, and two new localities were opened. The Baha'ls of Caluco, in western El Salvador, dedicated their new Center on September 23. Seventy-three adults and youth

El Salvador, with a Five Year Plan goal of At dawn the baking began. With sufficient acquiring 20 local J:Ja~fratu 'l-Quds, has found tiles for roofing, the villagers then awaited a the going quite slow. government resolution granting them land for Many of the people are extremely poor; few the Center. have land that could be given for use as a Baha'i This was the first community effort to try to Center. build a local Baha'i Center in El Salvador Recently, however, a most exciting without the help of pioneers, and already its development took pl ace in a small village in the repercussions are being felt. mountains. In another town a Baha'i had donated land for Baha'ls in the village are poor, and the land on a Center, but the community wasn 't which they live belongs to the goverrunent, consolidated and no Baha ' f activities were going yet they manage to hold Feasts and Assembly on. meetings and to teach in other villages. For two years nothing happened. Then the These villagers have faith that they will one donor heard that another village had baked tiles day acquire the land on which to build a Center. for a Center without even having land, and was So they began making plans for that day by more determined than ever to have a Center built establishing a building fund. in his town. Then a new Baha' I in the vii !age donated earth A date was set, materials were donated, a to make tiles for the roof of the Center. Others building fund was started. One Sunday at noon, offered to cart the earth; women offered to bring the believer telephoned other Baha'fs from the water and gather weeds for baking the tiles . country phone near his community and And so, without any land, they began. exclaimed, "We did it! We built it! We just Because it was the dry season, fires for baking finished putting up our 'glorieta' (Center) ... had to be carefully planned. it's only four posts and a grass roof, but it 's The villagers made 2,000 tiles by hand, more ours!" than enough to roof a large hut. They wanted to And so on June 25, 1978, the first Center built bake them on a Holy Day-the anniversary of by only a few Baha'fs with some help from two the Declaration of the Ba~but because of high other believers from nearby towns was winds, were unable to do so. completed. It stands by a path in the mountains Soon, however, the day for baking arrived. with a sign painted black with white letters Women and children arose at 2 a.m. to begin reading, "Centro Baha'i" (Baha'i Center). gathering the weeds and twigs needed for the -Jean T. Farrand fire.

12 Baha'i News/February 1979 Two members of the Continental Board of Auxiliary Board . South Counsellors for South Central Asia participated Workshops during the gathering dealt with in a four-state conference August 13-15 to help expansion, consolidation, deepening, the Baha' i Central train assistants to Auxiliary Board members. Fund, and the publication of Baha'i literature. Nine board members and 70 assistants from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Asia Maharashtra states attended. Counsellors Mrs. Salisa Kermani and Prof. Dipchand Khianra spoke on many aspects of the Faith, its teachings and laws, and the work of the

An event of great significance took place member of the Spiritual Assembly of United October 24 at Canterbury Cathedral, the seat of Canterbury. the Anglican Church in England, when a prayer As the Baha' i representative to the United Kingdom by 'Abdu' l-Baha, the song, " Blessed Is the Nations Association, Miss Giddings had helped Spot," and three other readings from Baha'i lay much of the groundwork for the prayer vigil Scriptures were heard as part of an ''Inter-Faith and Inter-Faith Exhibition at the cathedral. Prayer Vigil" held during One World Week. Following her Baha ' I funeral on October 27, Eight members of the Spiritual Assembly of the guests gathered at the Giddings home where the Baha'ls of Canterbury were among those one of the visitors, brought by the Baha'ls of present. Maidstone, declared her belief in Baha' u'llah. For the Baha'ls, the memorable occasion was The declaration assures the re-formation of not without poignancy, since two members of the Spiri tual Assembly of Maidstone--0ne of the community had passed to the Abha Kingdom the goals of the Canterbury community. only one week before. One was Edith Coltham, Canterbury's newest Baha'i, who had declared her faith eight weeks earlier. The other was Joan Giddings, the first Baha' i in Canterbury who as a pioneer had opened the city to the Faith. She was the ninth

More than J ,800 Baha' fs gathered September 24 at Alexandria Place, London, to hearthe Hands of the Cause of God A ma tu' 1-Baha Ruryiyyih Khan um and 'Ali-Akbar Furiitan speak on ways in which to fulfill the remaining goals ofthe Five Year Plan. The meeting generated 100 offers for homefront pioneering, and about $12,000 was donated to the National Fund of the United Kingdpm. It was the largest gathering ofBah6. ' is from the United Kingdom ever held.

February 1979/Baha'f News 13 early 400 Baha'fs from 19 countries were in Republic Yaounde, Cameroon, August 12-14 for the fourth Ba ha' f International Youth Conference to of be held in West Africa. The conference was blessed by the presence of Cameroon four members of the Continental Board of Counsellors: Thelma Khelgati, Friday Ekpe, Zekrollah Kazemi and Mihdi Samandari. Dr. Samandari, who assisted greatly in planning the conference, missed its first two days because of illness, but was well enough by the third day to participate, and to visit with other Counsellors and friends a number of local officials and dignitaries in Yaounde. A large group of the friends from Persia was on hand along with many believers from the Central African Empire and Chad. Inspired by a message from the Universal House of Justice, I 12 Baha'fs offered their services as traveling teachers, while 18 offers to pioneer were made, including five from African believers. As at most youth conferences, songs, dancing and music enlivened the essions. There were special classes for the approximately 40 children who attended. Although the weather in Yaounde was pleasant, many teaching teams later braved the torrential rains that prevail at this season, and their devoted efforts resulted in the formation of 30 Local Spiritual Assemblies in only 15 days.

14 Baha'i News/February 1979 Fifteen women and 20 childrenfrom the states of Mexico Colima and Michoacan gathered in Coli111a, Mexico , in October for the first Regional Women' s Institute e1 •er to be held there. Though it is not the custom to gather in a resident's home, the Coli ma community makes efforts to do this. People frequently attend firesides and deepening classes in the area.

The Spiritual Assembly of andaime, a small agriculture and nutrition by a young Baha'i, Nicaragua town in the Department of Grandad, Nicaragua, Srta. Rosadela Miranda. collaborated with the National Women' Despite adverse travel conditions, six Baha'i Committee to host a recent Baha'i Regional communities were represented at the Women's Conference. conference. Lunch was prepared by several of About40 Baha'ls, halfofwhom were women, the participant and a variety of dishes sold, with attended the day-long series of classes on such proceeds going to the National Baha' i Fund. themes as "Early Baha'i Women,., " The The second in the eries of conferences Education of Children," "Courtship and designed to deepen the Baha'i community on the Marriage," "Prayer,'' and '·The Role of significance of family unity and the importance Women in Achieving World Unity." of the woman·s role in the search for world unity Of special interest was a presentation on was to be held August 26-27 . -Louis Bergner

Participants at a recent Baha' i Regional Women' s Conference at Nandaime, icaragua, included several families who brought their children. Also attending were pioneers Jaime Cortez from Colombia, Joye Lucas and her daughter, Mary, and Lou and Lorna Bergner and their four children from the United States; and Farideh Fletcher and Neydah Bahremand from Iran.

The Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Cultural Centre Suriname. Surinam Paramaribo, Surinam, recently completed a goal Then, on August 9, co pie of the same books of placing Baha'i books in all public and chool were presented to the Ministry of Education for libraries in Surinam. distribution to school libraries. The Honorable Copies of The New Garden and The Bahe/ i Minister R. Yenetiaan accepted the books on Faith: An Introduction were presented to all behalf of the Ministry of Education. He showed public libraries through their central office, the a keen interest in the Faith and its activities, and wa pleased to receive the books for the school libraries.

Doolarie Veira (left) and Marijke van Lith (right), on behalfof the Spiritual Assembly ofthe Baha' is of Paramaribo, Surinam, presented the books The New Garden and The Baha'i Faith: An Introduction to the Honorable Minister of Education, Dr. R. Venetiaan.

February 1979/Baha'I News 15 Completion of its Five Year Plan goals for National Children·s Committee, and the Portugal establishing Local Spiritual Assemblies wa children presented a skit and songs at the announced by the National Spiritual Assembly conference's closing session. of the Baha' ls of Portugal at a teaching A call for traveling teachers and pioneers conference September 14-15 in Lisbon. produced nine Baha'ls who joined teaching Fi ve other localities ha ve been designated as teams already at work in Portugal , and two youth supplemental Assembly goals to be raised before who arose to fill Portugal's pioneering goals in the end of the Plan. Africa. The teaching conference, attended by 110 Baha'fs and their children, was one of several regional conferences scheduled in Portugal during the remaining months of the Pl an. Talks on teaching and consolidation were presented by Auxiliary Board members Ana Costa and Fedross Imani , and a public meeting, held in conjunction with the conference, was attended Some of the 110 participants at the Ba ha' f by many non-Baha·ls . regional teaching conference held in Lisbon, Children's classes were organized by the Portugal, September 14-15 .

On July 21, the Baha' i youth and children of organizations that are dedicated to helping the Samoa Pago Pago, American Samoa, presented a check handicapped or tho e less fortunate in our for $200 to the Western Samoa Association for society. the Blind. " The Baha'i Faith recognizes the good work The $200 had been awarded to the Baha'i of your organization and we are happy to have youth and children who took part in this year's the opportunity to help in this tangible way." Samoan Arts Festival. In a letter advising the Association for the Blind of the donation, the ational Spiritual Assembly of Samoa wrote: "Such monies received in this manner are donated to the humanitarian and welfare

Sh own here is the children's class of Costa Desamparados, Costa Rica. The class tra veled an hour by bus recently to visit the children of Pa vas. Th e 25 children in attendance expressed Rica their desire to visit together again soon.

16 Baha'i News/February 1979 The Hand of the Cause of God H. Collis answered many questions about the House of Australia Featherstone served as official .. guide .. last Worship and the Faith. A prayer, read in the September for a ew Zealand radio producer House of Worship, was included in the program . who was preparing a half-hour documentary The producer. Errol Pike, who wo rks for the program on the Baha'i House of Worship in Religious Programming Department of Radio Sydney, Australia. New Zealand. produced two earlier programs on Mr. Featherstone. who was in Sydney the Faith. including one that covered the 1977 attending a ational Teaching Conference, International Baha ' i Conference at Auckland. He is planning another abou t the Martyrdom of the Bab . Mr. Pike hopes to make the program on the House of Worship available to the Australian Broadcasting Commission afte r it ha s been aired 10 ew Zealand.

Errol Pike (righr) , a producer in rhe Religious Broadcasring Deparrme11r of Radio Ne\\' Zealand, i11rerl'ieil's rhe Hand of rhe Cause of God Collis Fearhersro11e for a half-hour radio program 011 rhe Ba ha· i House of Worship in Swl11er.

More th an 200 Baha ·is attended Australia· s of each new Assembly. final ati onal Teaching Conference of the Fi ve The conference also featured workshop Year Pl an held September 2-3 at Land Cove sessions on how to teach yo uth. Aborigines. National Park near Sydney. The conference, Chinese. and Greeks. Children ·s ac tivities which marked the last mighty push to ac hi eve all included a mini -conference and outings on .the the goa ls of the Five Year Plan, was attended by park's paddle steamer and to the zoo. The Baha'is from alm ost every region of Australia. evenings were filled wit h music, dancing and The meeting was blessed by the presence of songs by a Persian choir. One person declared the Hand of the Cause of God Collis his belief in Baha' u' ll ah. Featherstone and Mrs. Feat herstone. as well as The conference ended with a renewed Counsellors Thelma Perks and Peter Khan, six assurance that all of Australia's goals woul d be Auxiliary Board members and five National won. Spiritual Assembly members. A highlight of the conference occurred More rhan 200 Bah6' is emended Ausrralia' sfinal when the National Spiritual Assembly and Narional Teaching Conference of rhe Five Year National Goals Committee informed the Plan Sepremher 2-3 ar Land Cove Narional Park friends that seven of the 15 remaining Local near Srdney. This phoro was raken ar a special Spiritual Assembly goals had been won. The \\'Orsh ip sen•ice ar rhe Bahci' i House of Worship national conference had been set as the target in Sydney folloH ·i11g rhe conference. Artending date for these seven new Assembly formati ons. H'ere rhe Hand of rhe Cause of God H. Collis Ninety- two of the I 00 Five Year Pl an goals we re Fearhersro11e and fll'O members of rhe accompli shed. The spirit mounted as Comi11e11ral Board of Counsellors for enthusiastic applause greeted the announcement Aus1ralasia, Thelma Perks and Dr. Pe1er Khan.

February 1979/Baha 'f News 17