Universal House of Justice

Australasian Baha'ls "vanguard of the Army of Light"

To the Friends assembled at the International Teaching Confer­ was frequently expressed m glowing terms in his letters to the ence in Auckl and, Assemblies and friends in Australasia. Dear friends, we have now passed the mid-point of the Five Dearly- loved Friends, year Plan. You are met in the beautiful city of Auckland to take With hearts full of love and admiration for the followers of the stock and to make pl ans for attaining the victories which will Most Great Name in Australas ia we send our warmest greetings to surely be yours. all assembled in this histori c gathering in the heart of the An­ The National Spiritual Assemblies of the New Hebrides and of tipodes. the Marshall Islands are to be raised up next Riqvan; plans for the How great is your pl ace in Baha' i hi story! How bright are the soon-to-be-erected Mashriqu'l-Adhkar of Samoa are in process; prospects for the future of the Cause so lovingly nurtured fo r more but although the goal of establishing Baha'i centers totalling than half-a-century by hundreds of stalwart steadfast believers, 2, 188 is within easy reach, the Local Assembly Goal s assigned to spiritual he irs of Hyde and Clara Dunn, who in direct response to each nati onal community, totall y 6 13, need prompt and decisive the Tabl ets of the Di vine Pl an forsook the ir home and went to attention. The di vine assistance spoken of by the beloved Guar­ oioneer in Australia, and whose names Shoghi Effendi wrote, dian in 1951 has ever been avail able, and is still " ready to be were" graven in letters of gold " upon hi s heart. In March 195 l , poured forth in astonishing abundance''. It is within your power when in the entire Pacific area there was but one National Spiritual during the coming year to win all assigned teaching goals, leaving Assembly, the beloved Guardian predicted th at " The prizes de­ the fin al year of the Plan for consolidation and the winning of stined for the heroic warriors, battling fo r the Cause for supplementary victories. Baha'u' ll fth throughout the Southern Hemisphere, and particu­ This will be achieved, not by resting on laurels, but by man­ larly Australas ia, are glorious beyond compare. The assistance to ifesting those qualities of faith , judgment, vision, loyalty, cour­ be vouchsafed to them from on high in the ir struggle fo r its age and self-sacrifi ce which earned the Guardian's praise so establi shment, its recognition and triumph is ready to be poured frequently in past decades . Let the valiant Australasian Baha'i forth in astonishing abundance." communities vie once more w ith the ir siste r. communities Now, twenty-five years later, the achievements are trul y as­ throughout the world for the palm of victory and maintain their tounding. Beginning with the establishment of the Nati onal position in the vanguard of the Army of Light. Spiritual Assembly of the Baha' fs of New Zealand at Riqvan Pioneers, travelling teachers and a fresh outpouring of funds 1957, the number of National Assemblies has increased eleven­ are essential ingredients to the onward march of the Cause fold; the Mashriqu' l-Adhkar of the Antipodes has been erected th roughout Australi a, New Zealand and the islands of the South near Sydney; Hi s Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II of Western Pac ific. Let those who can offer their val ued services to the Samoa has become the fi rst reigning monarch to embrace the teaching work arise without delay; let those who cannot travel or Cause of Baha' u' ll fth; the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies pioneer deputize those who can go in their stead. now stands at over 360; and the number of localities where We cherish the highest hopes for the success of your en­ Baha'fs reside in this vast oceanic area covering well-nigh one­ deavours and it is our constant prayer that Baha'u'llah will eighth of the earth 's surface is more than 1,800. These accomp­ shower His richest blessings an confirmations upon you. lishments doubtless have been a source of great joy to the immor­ tal soul of Shoghi Effendi , whose esteem and affection for the The Universal House of Justice foll owers of Baha'u' ll ah labouring for Hi s Cause in the Antipodes January, 1977

Call for dedicated effort

To the Followers of Baha'u' llah gathered at the Internati onal revelation of 'Abdu ' l-Baha's Tabl ets of the Di vine Plan in which Teaching Conference in Bahi a, Brazil the beloved Mas ter stressed the importance of the Republics of the South Ameri can Continent. Dearly-l oved Friends, The first believer to respond to 'A bdu ' l-Baha's di vine call was W ith joyous hearts we hail the convocati on of this first of the that star- servant of the Cause of Baha ' u ' ll ah, valiant, indomitable twin Latin -Ameri can Confe rences cl os ing the series of eight Martha Root, who in 19 19 visited many important cities in South Intern ational Baha'i Conferences held during the midway peri od Ameri ca. Two years later Leonora Holsapple Armstrong, mother of the Five Year Plan. of the Baha'is of Brazil , settled in Bahia. The teaching work in the The ringing call of Baha' u' llfth in His Most Holy Book to the continent progressed steadily to the point where, in 1937, the Rul ers of Ameri ca and the Presidents of the Republics therein was beloved Guardian launched his fi rst Seven Year Pl an paving the followed after an interval of more than four decades by the way for the rai sing in subsequent Pl ans of the institutions of Baha' u' llah's Administrati ve Order in every one of its republics Baha'i youth must be applied in the fi elds of pioneering and travel and in its islands. It was in the course of that firs t Seven Year Plan teaching. A far wider disseminati on of Baha'i li terature must be that 'Abdu' l-Baha's beloved handmaid, May Maxwell , in 1940 accompanied by a conti nuous programme of translation of the won a martyr's crown when she laid down her life in Argentina, Sacred Text into the major indigenous languages of the continent. thereby adding fu rther lustre to the spiritual history of South T he continental goals for South America of 8,670 centers and America. 2,293 Local Spiritual Assemblies must be won, and may even be How truly fitt ing, then, that this auspicious Conference have its surpassed, for every country must achieve the goals assigned to it. venue in the city of Bahi a, singled out for special mention by T hi s call s fo r the dedicated effort of every Nati onal Spiritual 'Abdu ' l-Baha in His Tablets of the Di vine Pl an. And how timely it Assembly, every Local Spiri tual Assembl y and indeed every is at this crucial point in the Five Year Plan that the friends believer. All the di vinely ordained instruments of the Admini stra­ gathered in Bahia from many lands prayerfull y consider, and ti ve Order of Baha'u' ll ah must now unite in executing a sym­ ari se to prosecute expeditiously all measures ai med at achieving phony of victory in all the un fi nished goals of the Five Year Plan, glorious victory in all goals of the Plan . winning thereby the good pleasure of the Bl essed Beauty. Noteworthy progress has been achieved in many fie lds of Beloved friends, go forward with complete assurance that a se rvice throughout the South Ameri can Baha'i community, par­ continent so ri ch in spiritual promi se, so di verse in its peoples and ticul arly in attracting to the Cause large numbers of its indigenous races, so ferti le for the planting of the seeds of Baha' u ' ll ah 's Faith peoples. But myriads of pure-hearted soul s have not yet heard the will yield a bri lliant harvest fo r all who labor in that Divine cl arion call of Baha' u' ll ah and hungril y await the sp iritual Vineyard. nourishment that onl y His foll owers can give t hem. It is our fervent loving prayer at the Sacred Threshold that Steps must be taken to attract members of every stratum of Baha' u' ll ah's bountifu l confi rmati ons and ri chest blessings may society to the di vi ne circle of the Faith th rough effecti ve procla­ be showered upon you. mati on and teaching . Greater utili zati on of radio broadcasts is necessary, not onl y to reach all levels of society but also to deepen The Unive rsal House of Justi ce the believers themselves. The valu able and dynamic services of January 1977

Wholehearted support of Plan needed

To the Followers of Baha' u' llah gathered at the In te rn ati onal in the capital ci ty of a state that was once an importa nt part of a Teaching Conference in Merida; Mexico great Indian empire, provides a unique opportunity to initiate what may well become the widespread reawakening of a people whose ancestors more than l ,200 years ago developed one of the W ith joyous hearts and eager anticipati on we send warmest most brilliant pre-Columbian civilizations known to modem man. greetings to you the participants in the last of the e ight great These present-day descendants, many of whom have al ready em­ Internatio nal Teaching Conferences marking the halfway point of braced th e Faith of Baha' u'll ah and who consider the Yucatan the Five Year Pl an. Peninsul a and the seacoast lowlands and ru gged spine of moun­ The convening of this Conference in the Republi c of Mexico, tains joining North and South America to be their homeland, are

Baha'i Year 134 No. 551 Baha'i News February 1977 For Baha'is Only Cover photo:

In this issue . .... Selections from the Writings of the Bab, available from the Baha'i Messages from The Universal House of Justice ...... inside cover New Books ...... 2 Publishing Trusts in the United Construction of The Universal House of Justice Seat ...... 3 Kingdom and the United States, International Teaching Conferences ...... 6 fulfills one of the goals of the Five Auckland , New Zealand ...... 7 Year Plan for the World Center. Story Bahia, Brazil ...... 7 page 2. Merida, Mexico ...... 11 Around the world ...... 13 Photo Credits: Baha'i News is published mon thly for ci rculation among Change of address should be reported directl y to OHice ot BaM'is only by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Membership and Records. National Baha'i Center. 112 Lin­ Baha 'is of the United States. as a news organ reporting den Avenue, Wi lmette. IL 60091 . U.S.A. Please attach mail­ Photographs which have appeared current activities of the Bahc3. 'iworld commu nity. Manuscripts ing label. in Baha'i News of the International submitt ed should be typewritten a1 ,d double spaced Subscription rates : one year, US $8; two years. US $15. throughout; any footnotes should appear at the end. The Second class postage paid at Wi lmette. Il linois 60091. Teaching Conference in Paris, contributor should keep a carbon copy. Send materials to : Copyright@ 1977. National Spiritual Assembly of the Nairobi and Merida are by Paul Baha'i News Editorial Ottice. 112 Linden Avenue. Wilmette . Baha'isofthe United States. World Rights Reserved. Printed IL 60091, U.S.A. in thP. U.S.A. Slaughter.

February 1977/Baha'i News Universal House of Justice among the very people mentioned by 'Abdu 'l-Baha in His Tablets must be added to those already existing in the mainland and island of the Divine Plan as having a great destiny once they have nations of Middle America! To accomplish this challenging accepted His Father's Cause. Here too, and throughout Middle task, intensive effort to attract new believers, be they black, America, are those whose forefathers came from the Iberian brown , red or white, from all strata of society , mu st be exerted. Peninsula, Africa and the Far East linking the Old with the New Hand in hand with this endeavour, particularly in local com­ World. munities, goes the development of the di stinctive character of Conscious of 'Abdu'l-Baha's impassioned plea to promulgate Baha'i Life. Prompt attention must also be given to the acquisi­ the oneness of mankind to a spirituall y impoverished humanity, a ti on of Local f:I a~fra tu ' l-Qud s and endowments, and the transla­ handful of itinerant Baha' i teachers set forth four decades ago, ti on and publication of Baha'i literature, especially in indigenous traversed the land bridge connecting the two continents of the languages, must be accelerated. Western Hemisphere and carried the healing Me.ssage of Dear friends, if at the close of the Five Year Plan we are to Baha'u' ll ah to the Spanish-American Republics. Their dedicated witness the ensigns of victory lifted high, the wholehearted sup­ efforts were rewarded when, in 1938, the first Local Spiritual port of the followers of Baha' u' llah must be enlisted now and Assembly in Latin Ameri ca was formed in Mexico City. This their energies systematically channeled into areas most in need. initial triumph at the inception of the first of the teaching pl ans We cherish the hope that at this final Conference the friends will formulated by Shoghi Effendi spearheaded other victories leading arise with enthusiasm and determination not only to win the to the formation of two, then of four Regional Spiritual Assemb­ remaining goals of the Plan but to carry out Shoghi Effendi ' s lies and ultimately to the establishment of National Spiritual injunction to win the allegiance of members of the various tribes Assemblies in each of the republics of Latin America and in the of American Indians to the Cause, thereby hastening the period islands of the Caribbean. prophesied by the Master when the Indian peopl es of America Praiseworthy indeed were these ac hievements but the Baha'i would become a source of spiritual illumination to the world . communities of Central America and the West Indies mu st not be Our hearts, our hopes and our prayers will be with you during content to rest on these laurels. The beloved Guardian during the all the days of your deliberations. May Baha' u ' llah inspire each last months of his precious life continually urged the friends of and every one of you. Latin America to pursue what he described as " the paramount task" , the teaching work. How much more does that injunction The Universal House of Ju sti ce appl y today! In less than thir ty months, approximately 900 groups February 1977 and isolated centers and over 400 Local Spiritual Assemblies

New Books

Goal of World Center won

The Uni versal House of Justice has re­ " Him Who will be made manifest" , leased a volume of Writings of the Bab Mu~arnmed Shah, the first Letter of the fulfilling one of its goals for the Five Year Living, the Sherif of Mecca and Muslim Plan. Divines. The book includes excerpts from Selections f rom the Writings of the Bab the PersianBayan, the Quayyumu'l-Asma, is the first comprehensive selection from the Dala'il-Sab' ih (The Seven Proofs), the the Writings of the Bab to be published in Kitab-i-Asma (The Book of Names) and English. Previously, Shoghi Effendi trans­ other Writings. The final section of the lated passages from the Writings of the book is devoted to prayers and medita­ Bab, which are to be found in God Passes tions. By, The World Order of Bahd' u' llah, and Selections from the Writings of the Bab the Epistle to the Son of the Wolf. Two was compiled by the Research Department prayers were also translated previously. of The Universal House of Justi ce and Arranged in seven sections, the new translated by Habib Taherzadeh. book begins with tablets and addresses to

2 Baha'i News/February 1977 Address by Hand of the Cause Paul During both the earl y and later years of Haney to the Bah a'i Internati onal His ministry, Shoghi Effendi gradually Meaning of Teaching Conference in Merida, discl osed to the belie vers the future evolu­ Mexico, February 4-6. ti on of the World Center and the glory of constructing The destiny of the Holy Land in relation the divinely ordained Institutions which to our Faith , as every Baha' i knows, has would be established there. In these suc­ bee n foretold in the sacred Writings of the cessive and majesti c messages the beloved Seat of prophets of old, in Tablets revealed by Guardian described the relationship of Baha' u' ll ah and 'A bdu' l-Baha and in the these Institutions to the Shrines and Holy writings of Shoghi Effendi. Places whic h had long comprised the Supreme The fulfillment of these prophecies and world spiritual center of the Faith . Of these allusions began with the bani shment of the Shrine of the Bab on Mount Carmel Institution Baha' u' ll ah and His arri val in 'Akka in stands preemine nt , surpassed o nl y by the 1868. Since that hi storic event the spiritual Tomb of Baha' u' ll ah in Bahji. The Guar­ heart and the nerve center of the Baha' i dian referred to the resting-place of the world have been located in the Holy Land , Bab as "a focal cente r of di vine illumina­ first in 'Akka, and then in both Haifa and tion and power" which would, as the in­ 'Akka; fo ll owing the transfer of the re­ stitutions comprising the World Adminis­ main s of the Bab to Mount Carmel and trati ve Cente r of the future Baha' i Com­ the ir inte rment in the bosom of that Holy monwealth became established, continue Mountain. to fl ourish and expand " until the full From the Holy Land , the world spiritual measure of its splend or w ill have been cente r of the Faith s ince 1868, the Master, disclosed before the eyes of all mankind." and late r the Guardian, as the di vinely­ In referring to the Inte rnational Arc­ appointed Centers of Baha' u' ll ah's Co­ hi ves building, standing in the shadow of The Seat of The Universal House of venant, foste red and directed the spiritual the Shrine of the Bab, Shoghi Effendi told Justice, as rendered by f!usaynAmtinat, and administrative developme nt of the us that the completi on of this edifice would the architect. Cause thro ughout the Baha' i world. in turn herald the constructi on of several

February 1977/Baha'f News 3 other structures whi ch would se rve as the will attain its final consumm ati on in th e House of Ju sti ce, Shog hi Effendi stated administra ti ve seats of the div inely or­ Golden Age , " th ro ugh the ra ising of the th at: dained in stitutions of the Faith at its World stand ard of the Most Great Peace and the " In this great Tabl et (o f Carmel) Center. He stated that these edifices would emerge nce in the pl enitude of its power whi ch un ve il s di vine mys te ri es and be in the shape of a fa r-flun g arc and wo uld and glory of the foca l center of the age n­ he ralds the establishm ent of two surro und the resting-pl aces of the Greatest cies constituting th e World Ord er of mi ghty , majes ti c and momentous un­ Holy Leaf, the Purest Branch and the Holy Baha'u' ll ah. The fin al es tablishment of dertakin gs . . . the Spiritual and Ad­ Mo ther, and that their compl etion wo uld this seat of the future Baha'i World Com­ mini strati ve World Centers of the Faith mark the culminat ion of the development monwealth will ," he told us, " signali ze at . . . Baha' u' ll ah refers to an 'Ark,' of the world- wid e, di vinely-appointed once the proclamati on of the sovereignty whose dwe ll ers are the men of the Sup­ administrative order of the Faith , and of the Founder of the Faith and the adven t reme House of Ju sti ce, which in co n­ would fulfill the glad tidings and pro mi ses of the Kin gdom of the Father .. . " Thus it fo rmity with the ex act provi sions of the revealed by Baha' u' ll ah in the Tablet of was the Tablet of Ca1mel which is the Will and Testament of the Center of the Carmel. charter fo r the development of the institu­ Mighty Covenant is the body which It was the Tabl et of Carmel which gen­ ti ons of the Faith at its Worl d Center, in­ should legislate on laws not ex plicitl y erated the spiritual impul se fo r the ri se and cluding the establi shment of the supreme reveal ed in the Tex t. In this di spensa ­ establi shment of the Baha'i Intern ati onal ed ifi ce of The Uni ve rsal House of Ju sti ce. ti on, these laws are destined to flow institutions in the Holy Land , a process Let us attempt to understand, th ro ugh from this Holy Mountain , even as in the whi ch Shoghi Effendi told us " may be these majestic words of our beloved Guar­ Mosa ic Di spensa ti on, the law of God traced as fa r bac k as the co ncluding years di an, the ex tent of the bl essing confe 1Ted was pro mul gated from Zion. The 'sail ­ of the Heroic Ageofthe Faith ," and which upon the entire wo rld through the es tab­ ing of the Ark ' of Hi s laws is a reference li shment of The Uni versal House of Ju s­ to th e establi shment of the Uni versal ti ce , and particul arl y the significance of House of Ju stice, . . . " the seat of th at mighty in stitution whi ch In another message the Guardi an refer­ The completion of the excavation the Baha' is of the world are now call ed red to the Supreme Body of the House of work on Mount Carmel for the Seat of upon to bui ld. In ex pl ainin g the signifi­ Ju sti ce as " the dome of the Edifi ce " (of The Universal House of Justice was cance of the Tablet of Carmel as the char­ the Administrati ve Order of the Faith) th at announced at Ridytin , 1976 te r fo r the establi shment of the Uni ve rsal would have to be ra ised "on its prescribed

4 Baha'i News/February 1977 site o n the slopes of the di vine Vineyard , turn a nd the foca l point which w ill mir­ the promised land and the scales of jus­ the " Mountain of the Lord , to adorn the ror forth the efful gent splendors of the ti ce be raised on hi gh. Then w ill the in stitutions of God's New Order w ith this Kingdom of God, th e Almighty, upon banner of the independence of the Faith crown of high di stinction." all regions. It is the fo unta inhead of be un furl ed , and Hi s Most Great Law be Therefore the construction of the build­ divine c ivilizati on, the fa irest, the nob­ unve il ed and ri vers of laws and ordi­ in g which will be the seat of the Ho use of lest fruit of the Baha' i Revelati o n-a nances stream fo rth from this snow­ Justice on Mount Carmel is really an in­ civilization whose effects will , during white spo t with all-conque ring power struction, a command, from our beloved the third, the Golden Age of the Baha' i and awe- in spiring majesty, the like of Guardian, as well as from the House of Dispensation and in the course of the which pas t ages have never seen. Then Justice, to which all of us, the Baha'is of future Di spensati o ns, become cl earl y will appear th e truth of what was re­ the world, must respond, and in so doing manifest, and whose bountiful o utpour­ vealed by the Tongue of Grandeur. haste n th e dawn of that glori ous era so ings w ill , like unto a torrential fl ood, ' Call out to Z ion, 0 Carmel, and an­ clearl y foreshadowed in these majesti c burst fo rth upon all mankind ." nounce the joyful tidings: He that was passages from the writings of Shoghi Ef­ And in other messages refen-ing to th e hidden from mortal eyes is come. His fendi : time whe n the Supreme In stituti on of the all-conquering sovereignty is manifest. " This W orld Administrative Center House of Justi ce would be establi shed and Hi s all-e ncompassing splendor is re­ of the Baba' i community constitutes the function from the Holy Land , Shoghi Ef­ vealed ... 0 Carmel ... well is it w ith pivot of the New World Order of Him fendi told us that: him th at circleth around thee, th at proc­ Who is the Vivifier of moulde ring "Through it the pillars of the Faith on laimeth th e reve lation of thy glory , and bones and the Source of infinite grace this earth will be firmly establi shed and recounteth that which the bounty of the and bounty. It stands as the emblem its hidden powers be revealed, its signs Lord, thy God, hath showered upon symbolizing the basic unity of all na­ shine forth , its banners be unfurled and thee.'." tions, governments and peopl es, and as its I ight be shed upo n all peoples . . the seat of sovere ig nty and the Then will be un ve il ed before our eyes dawning-place of bo th spiritual and the inauguratio n of an era the like of te mporal power. It is the supreme which has never been witnessed in past Crates of marble for The Universal Center to which the follower of His ages .... The n will the throne of House ofJustice Seat arrived in Haifa in most sublime and glori ous Faith must Baha'u'llah's sovereignty be fo unded in January.

February 1977/Baha'i News 5 Nearly 4,500 people attended the last The island of Singapore also finished its International three International Teaching Conferences initial plan given by The Universal House that were held in New Zealand, Brazil and of Justice. This Assembly now wishes to Conferences Mexico. There was a total attendance of teach 500,000 Chinese people before the more than 16,000 in the series of eight end of the Plan. teaching conferences. Hawaii has completed its goals, it was attract A report on the worldwide progress of reported. the goals of the Five Year Plan was given In addition, it was reported that the Na­ 16,000 at the last conference. Some of the tional Spiritual Assembly of Ecuador has achievements were: 64 percent of the as­ received a license to operate the first believers signed pioneer goals have been filled; 54 Baha'i radio station in the world. percent of the anticipated Local Spiritual Assemblies have been formed; and 73 per­ cent of the anticipated localities have been opened. The Southeast Asian nation of Malaysia completed all of its goals given by The Universal House of Justice. It was re­ ported at the last conference that the Na­ tional Spiritual Assembly of Malaysia has asked for an additional assignment of goals. left: Roberto Santos, the governor of Bahia, addressed the BaM'fs. Top, left to right: Hand of the Cause Enoch Olinga, left, spoke with the Carib Indian Chief from Surinam, right. Indigenous Bolivian believers arrive at the Bahia Conference. Bottom: Believers met outdoors under a large orange tent at the Merida Conference. Auckland: The Sixth International Teaching Con­ unteers to fill 28 posts. Fifty-one Baha'fs fe rence was held January 19-22, in Auck­ volunteered to teach in countries other gathering forces land, New Zealand. Twelve hundred than their own. Over $6,000 was contri­ in the Pacific Baha' fs from 27 countries, including buted to the Fund. Baha'fs of Melanesian, Micronesi.an and S in gers and dancers from Iran , Polynesian ancestry, attended. Malaysia, New Hebrides, Samoa and Hands of the Cause A. Q. Faizf, rep­ Tonga performed at the conference. resentative of The Universal House of Jus­ In pre-conference ac tivities, the believ­ tice , and H. Collis Featherstone were pre­ ers met at a Unity Feast, where prayers and sent. readings were shared in eleven languages. The training of children and youth was emphasized at the conference , as was the idea that South Seas Islanders should teach their own peopl e. The call for pioneers resulted in 49 vol-

Bahia: In 191 9, Martha Root visited Bahia, were called to " unite all the divinely or­ Brazil. She· was the first Bah a' f to do so . dained instruments of the Administrative call for dedicated effort Fifty-eight years later, o n January Order of Baha' u' llah in executing a sym­ 28-30, 1977 , thirtee n hundred Baha'fs phony of victory in all the unfinished goals from all over the world visited Bahia to of the Five Year Plan." The importance of attend the seventh Baha'i Internationl "attracting to the Cause large numbers of Teaching Conference. Some 5600 people indigenous peoples'' as well as ''members declared their belief in Baha'u' ll ah during of every stratum of society," the "greater pre-conference teaching activities. Sixty utilization of radio broadcast." the " in­ more declarations were obtained during crease of the number of pioneers and the conference. travelling teachers" and the "wider dis­ In the message to the confere nce from se mination of Baha'i literature" were also The Universal House of Justice, as read by stressed. its representative Hand of the Cause Enoch Indian teaching was reviewed exten­ Olinga, the Baha'fs of South America sively during the program. Hundreds of

February 1977/Baha'f News 7 Left: Site of the International Teaching Top, left to right: Hand of the Cause Conference in Bahia. Enoch Olinga represented The Universal House of Justice at the International Conference in Bahia; th e governor of Bahia, Roberto Santos , seated right, welcomed the Baha'fs to the conference; Contin ental Counsellor Leonora Hol sapple Armstrong, the fi rst pioneer to Brazil. Bottom: 111 believers vo lunteered to trave l to teach the Faith .

new Indian believers are being enrolled in sed to the Maidservant of God Leonora Assemblies and indi genous believers, Ecuador, where regul ar Baha'i broadcasts Stirling Holsapple. Under the guidance of coordin ated by Counsellor Masu'd in Quechua, an Indian dialect, are heard. Shoghi Effendi, Mrs. Armstrong was the Khamsi . The communities in Boli via , The Mapuche Indians of Argentina have first to translate Baha' i literature into Por­ Chile, Colombia, and Paraguay have won been reached for the first time as well. tuguese and Spanish. The tra nslations their locality goals. During the conference, representatives of were used throughout South America, A call for pioneers and Baha'is to travel the 17 tribes present were called to the confirming the G uardian's word s that and teach the Faith resulted in 111 vo lun­ stage to tell their experiences in the Faith " Bahia will become a li ght-house which teers, some of whom would fill goals im ­ and sing native songs. wil l illumine all these regions ." Mrs. mediately after the conference. The first pioneer to Bahia, Leonora Arm strong is presentl y a member of the The remarkabl e sum of $290,000 was Holsapple Armstrong, was presented to Continental Board of Counsel lors for contributed to the Baha'i Fund by the be­ the friends gathered at the confere nce by South America. lievers present, and 465 contributions Hand of the Cause Mr. Olinga. Then a An account of the accoh1pli shments of were made for the construction of the Seat letter was read. The letter was written by the goals of the Five Year Plan was pre­ of The Uni versal House of Justice. 'Abdu ' l-Baha in June , 1921 , and addres- se nted by a panel of 11 National Spiritual In addition to Mr. Olinga, Hands of the

8 Baha'i News/February 1977 Left: Hand of the Cause Paul Haney annoints indigenous be li evers in Bah ia with atta r of rose. Top right: Th e rol e of Baha'i women was the topic of a ta lk by Mercedes Sanches, Auxiliary Boa rd member from Peru . Bottom right: Bolivian believers sang for the confe rence.

Cause Paul Haney and Ra~matu'llah Members of National Assemblies address public meeting Muhajir were present at the conference. Six Continental Counsell ors and represen- tatives of 47 National Spiritual Assemblies atte nded the conference. A public meeting, the subj ect of which Baha'i International Community at the was " God's Plan for Mankind," was held United Nations. during the International Teaching Confer­ Publicity and coverage for the confer­ ence in Bahia and publicized via radio and ence included seven radio and nine televi­ newspapers. sion programs, and 18 newspaper inter­ Those who attended were addressed by views. representatives of the National Spiritual Assemblies of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil , Colombia , Ecuador and Peru , as well as Victor de Araujo, representative of the

February 1977/Baha'i News 9 /

Top: Thirteen hundred Baha'fs participated in the International Teaching Conference in Bahia. Hands of the Cause Enoch Olinga, Pau l Haney and Rahmatu 'll ah Muhajir are seated in the front row . Bottom: Seventeen indigenous tribes were represented at the conference.

10 Baha'i News/February 1977 Merida: More than 2,000 Baha'is atte nded the represented the Inte rnational Teaching last Baha'i Inte rn ati onal Teaching Confer­ Center at the confe re nce . She was a prelude to expansion e nce held in Merida, Mexico, February membe r of the first National Spiritual As­ 4-6. They represented 44 countries and 32 sembly of Mexico, which formed in 196 1. minorities and Indian tribes, ranging from Four more Continental Counsellors were a three-year-old Mayan child who recited a in atte ndance, as well as six Auxiliary prayer in front of the conference to Board members . 77-year- old Edna Ford, the pioneer who One-third of the Baha' is present were opened Merida to the Faith. indigenous be li e vers, 150 of whom were Hand of the Cause Paul Haney rep­ Mayans. Some had travelled for seven or resented The Universal House of Justice at eight days to atte nd the conference. Others the confere nce. Ha nds of the Cause rode a bus c harte red by the National Rahmatu'llah Muhajir and Enoch O linga Spiritual Assembly of Be li ze which stop­ were also present. Counsel lor Florence ped for Baha' is along the Corozal Road by Mayberry, a resident of the World Center, pre-arrangement.

Above: Hand of the Cause Paul Haney repres ented The Universal House of Justice at the In ternational Teaching Conference in Merida. Right: The governor of the Yucatan, a Mayan Ind ian, welcomed the Baha'is to Merida.

February 1977/Baha'i News 11 For the first time at an inte rnati onal three to nine months were especiall y re­ Child's goals for Plan shared teaching conference, Baha ' fs were permit­ q uested , with concentration on Costa ted to bring family membe rs who are cl ose Rica, G uatemala, Honduras and Mexico. to the Faith , largely because of the close At the same time the call was ra ised for A t the Meri da confere nce, a seven­ family life among many ind igenous peo­ e ight Persians to pio neer to the Antill es year-old Ira nian gi rl 's pe rsonal goals fo ples. and W indward and Leeward Islands. An the Five Year Pl an were shared : The po int of emphasis at the Meri da appeal was made for deputizati on of those I. I w ill say a prayer each morning for Conference was that the Indians sho uld be who woul d travel abroad to teach. the success of the Five Year Plan. taught in all coun tries w here the Faith is More than 200 Baha' is volunteered to 2. I will read my Baha ' i c hil dre n' s represented . T he nati ve beli evers, when pi oneer or teach abroad. Over $ 136,500 magazine each month . deepened , w ill precipitate the entry by was contributed or pledged to the Fund. 3. W he n I finish reading my child re n' s troops, it was said . A boat was donated fo r use in the 80 San magazine, I w ill send it to children of An in siste nt call for 50 beli evers to B las Islands, whe re 2500 C una Indian pioneers in other countries. make teaching trips to Central and South Baha' fs 1i ve. Three buses were donated fo r 4. When I receive my all owance each America was made. T rips lasting from use in G uate mala , Haiti and Mexico. week, I will g ive it to the Fund.

Above : Hand of the Cause Enoch Ol inga greets believe rs at the International Teaching Conference in Merida. Above right: Hand of the Cause Rahmatu'llah Muhajir introd uces Edna Ford, the first pionee r to the Yucatan. Bottom: One-th ird of the Baha'is at the Merida Conference we re ind ige nous be lievers.

12 Baha'i News/February 1977 Around the World

Hand of the Cause A .Q . Faizi spoke to the friends at the Assembly The work ofsculptor JansonJannu, a Baha' [, was exhibited at the Hall, Baha' [Temple grounds, Sydney, during his tour of Au­ Universiry of New South Wa les . Many viewers asked questions stralia in December and January, which took him to Perth about the Faith. Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.

Alaska Wales , Sydney, fro m Janua ry 14-17, at the e ntrance of the campus library. 1977 . Hundreds of pamphlets were distributed to The youth were pri vileged to meet the students over a five week peri od. Hand of the Cause A . Q. Faizi, who ad­ In a second teaching effort, a dozen dressed the conference twice and also at­ Bah a' I books were presented to the univer­ Children host teaching events te nded the c hildren' s program . Counsellor sit y library to add to the small collection Florence Mayberry , membe r of the lnter­ which had been there for several years . In Petersburg, Alaska, Baha ' f children natio 1i al Teaching Center in Ha ifa, spoke A few weeks later the Baha' i Society ages l 0-13 are hosts at a monthly teaching to the youth during the conference, her hosted a display of 22 sculptures in the event at the Baha' i Center. first visit to Australia. Counsellors How­ campus library . The sculptor, Jason Three children prepare for the events ard Harwood , Pe te r Khan and The lma Jannu, is a native of India who became a which are usually attended by at least 25 Parks were present, as well as two mem­ Baha'i in Australia. Many people were children who are not Baha' fs. They are bers of the Nationa l Assembly and two interested in the way the sculptures re­ responsible for in viting the non-Baha'i Auxiliary Board members. flected basic Baha'i princ ipl es. guests, teaching the m and deepening their On Saturday, January 15 , the confer­ friendships with them. ence was opened to the pub! ic and presen­ Chile The parties are supervised by an adult tations included slides of " The Baha' i Baha'i. The children have asked to have Faith in Diverse Cultures," and talks on more than one party per month. morals and building a new civili zati on. The program o n Sunday included a Proclamation results Australia widely-publicized youth service at the in hundreds new believers Baha'i House of Worship and a public lecture by Dr. Khan. In the Santiago, Chile metropolitan area a program for teaching large numbers of Youth Conference attracts people was launched in Aug ust and Sep­ diverse group of Baha'is tember. By October, there were 148 en­ Faith taught rollments in Pudahue l, 100 in Los Condes More than 150 Baha' i youth from Au­ on university campus and 83 in San Migue l. stralia, the United States, Canada, Papua As part of the teaching program , "The New Guinea and the Solomon Islands at­ Three teaching events have bee n he ld re­ Green Li ght Expedition'' was shown at the tended the Eighth Australian Baha' f Youth centl y on the campus of the University of National Library of Chile. T he projector Conference. Organized by the National New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. operator was so impressed by the Baha'ls Youth Committee, the confere nce was In the first event, the Baha'i Society of present and the conte nt of the film that he held at th e University of New South the University displayed Baha'i literature· joined the Faith when th e film concluded.

February 1977/Baha'f News 13 Several regional conferences were held in conjuncti on with the teaching program. At the final confe rence, held in Santiago and attended by many new Baha' fs, 50 believers pl edged to contribute a fi xed monthl y amount to the Fund until Riqvan to support the continuing acti vity of the teaching .program.

Colombia

Children's classes part of teaching project

Four members of the Bogota commun­ ity , in cluding a new Baha'i, vis ited Sogamoso, a city of 60 ,000 in Central Colombia on November 18. Their purpose was to teach and make preparati ons fo r At the Family Life Conference in the men prepared the food, washed the additional teachers who would arrive the Siguatepeque, Honduras, in December, dishes and cared for the children. fo ll owing day. After trying unsuccessfull y to meet with the mayor of Sogamoso, the teaching team Guyana ti onal Spiritual Assembly, foc used o n the went to the teaching area where they enro l­ role and experie nce of women in the led ten new Baha'fs. Baha' i Faith , educati on of children, and Four more teachers a1Ti ved the next day the development of children's cl asses and as expected and a class was held with 34 National Assembly women's clubs. Twenty adults, th irteen children. Many of the mothers came to the incorporated youth and e ight children attended , as did cl ass and talked with the Baha' fs. Auxiliary Board member Edith McLaren By the end of the teaching project 23 Another goal of the Five Year Plan was of Nicaragua. peopl e accepted the Faith . achieved last December when the National Spiritual Assembly of Guyana was incor­ India The Gambia porated by an act of Parli ament. Nearly 60 people attended an evening celebration of the incorporation. Henry Do lphin , Chairman of the N ati o nal Villagers unexpectedly Spiritual Assembly, welcomed the guests respond to Baha'i teachers Goals won among Jola tribe and read a cable from The Universal House of Justi ce which congratul ated the One of the villages visited by Baha' fs Twelve vill ages have been opened to the National Assembly. A brief hi story of the during a vill age teaching project in North­ Faith in The Gambia in the last ten months Baha 'i Faith in Guyana was presented . ern India recentl y was Tababoi. Here they due to vill age believers teaching neighbor­ Edward Widme r, Auxiliary Board went from house to house in viti ng the ing vill agers. member, was among the guests. women to attend a Baha' f meeting. They The vill ages opened have been in the were doubtful that the meeting would be Foni District, where the Jol a peopl e re­ Honduras we ll-attended , however, because the side. The Jola were vi sited by Ruhfyy ih women of Tababoi seldom ve nture from Khanum in 197 1 during the Green Light their homes. Expedition. A few minutes after the meeting was At the recent National Teaching Con­ Family education scheduled to begin , as the Baha' fs were ference 20 vill ages were represented and focus of conference discussing the ir pl ans, a young boy ex­ pledges were made to open at least 20 new citedly approached the m: "Aren' t you villages before Ri9van. A confe rence dedicated to wome n, going to the women' s meeting? Everyone The National Spiritual Assembly has is­ where the men prepared the food, washed is waiting. " sued an appeal for Baha' fs from other the di shes, and cared for the children, was The Baha' f teachers were surpri sed to countries and pioneers to assist in con­ held December 24-26 in Siguatepeque , find a crowd of women waiting for them. solidating the goals won among the Jola Honduras. They listened intentl y to the ta lk about the people. The conference, sponsored by the Na- Faith , and asked many questi ons. Each

14 Baha'i News/February 1977 Around the World person was given a copy of The New Spiritual Assembly of Malawi. The eral colleges and the business district of Garden and a prayer book. They promised Chitonga language is spoken by tribes in Siryab. to meet each week to discuss The New Malawi, Rhodesia and Zambia. The report sa id the goals of the Five Garden. Year Plan have been ac hieved in Baluchis­ tan Province as far as the formation of Pakistan Ireland Local Spiritual Assemblies and the estab­ li shment of Baha'i Centers.

Haziratu' 1-Quds Philippines Winter school attended under construction by 36 Baha'is In a report on the progress of the Faith in Thirty-six Baha'fs from Northern Ire­ Baluchistan Province, Pakistan, the Con­ Rotarians hear talk on Faith land and the Republic oflreland attended a tinental Board of Counsellors said the Baha'i Winter School December 24-28, l:fa~fratu'l-Quds of Siryab is under con­ Three Baha ' fs from Quezon City, held in the Londonderry District of North­ struction. The building is located near sev- Philippines, were invited to speak at an ern Ireland. As a part of the program, the friends India studied The Seven Valleys, and visited the ------­ District of Strabane, a goal area, to say prayers for teaching. Members of the National Spiritual As- semblies of the Republic of Ireland and the Ba ha' f visits Dalai Lama United Kingdom were present at the school.

Leeward and Virgin Islands

Baha'i Center acquired

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Leeward and Virgin Islands, with the as­ sistance of the National Assembly of the United States, recently acquired a three­ story building to serve as the Baha 'f Center for Martinique in accordance with the Five Year Plan . The building, located at 18 Rue Pierre and Marie Curie in the center of town, is a cement structure. The Baha'fs hope to re­ novate the top floor to serve as an apart­ ment for the caretaker. The middle floor will contain offices and conference rooms and the ground floor is to serve as an area for receiving the public.

Malawi

Prayer book translated Jamshed Fozdar, a Baha'i who travelled 22. The meeting was arranged by the Na­ to India to teach the Faith, presented his tional• Spiritual Assembly of India. Mr. An introductory pamphlet to the Faith latest book, Buddha Maitrya-Amitabha Fozdar was accompanied by R. N. Shah, and a prayer book have been translated Has Appeared, to His Eminence the Dalai Secretary of the National Assembly. into Chitonga, reported the National Lama in Dharamsala, India, on January

February 1977/Baha'i News 15 Puerto Rico Rhodesia Inte rnational Rotary Club luncheon in celebration of World Understanding Week September 12- 18. Scott Mc Near, Jim Sloan and Sue Sloan 14 declare during Thirty attend attended seven different meetings and proclamation project Women's Conference spoke about the Faith at each one. They were able to teach Rotarians as well. Ten adults and four youth have become Thirty women from 15 localities met at The club members were so curi ous and Baha'is on the island of Cul ebra, off the the National Haziratu' l-Quds in Salisbury, interested in the Faith that Baha ' is have east coast of Puerto Rico. Rhodesia, December 26-29 fo r a Baha'i been asked to speak at future club mee t­ They were taught the Faith during a International Women's Conference. ings. proclamation project on November 6 and The conference stressed the need fo r 7 , in which 34 Baha'is participated. Baha' i women to set an exampl e by li ving As part of the proclamation project, the the Baha' i life. Baha' is presented three children ' s books The program , introduced by Amos to th e school 1ib ra ry , accepted by the Zauyamakando, Chairman of the N!ttional Mayor of Culebra. Spiritual Assembl y, touched on several

Italy Laos

Baha'i youth of Laos Baha'is sponsor public conference on civilization active for Faith

Sixty-eight non-Baha' is heard a talk on the Italy, at the hall of the Itali an Society fo r Baha' i youth in Laos have adopted Each renewal of civili zation, given by Alessan­ International Organizations. One Bring One as the ir motto. Here they dro Bausani on December 11 in Rome, stud y an album used in the teaching work.

16 Baha'i News/February 1977 Around the World topics. Included were health, hygiene and A number of women travelled for as by being named a Commander of the family planning; teaching children; fam­ long as 12 hours to reach the conferences, Order of the British Empire. ous Baha'i women in both the East and the where discussion centered around histori­ Mr. Bailey has won particular acclaim West; the role of Baha'i women in the cal women in the Baha'i Faith, the equality for his interpretation of Wagnerian roles local community; the emancipation of of men and women, the contribution and was the subject of an interview pub- women; and basic moral laws. Baha'f women can make in teaching and 1ished in the September 1976 issue of the Through demonstrations, the particip­ living the life, and the Nineteen Day Feast. British magazine Hi-Fi News and Record ants learned how to bake a cake, cut a dress Attendance at the three conferences Review. The full-page article, accom­ pattern, make a turban-style hat, and sew a ranged from 12 to 86. panied by photographs, stated in part that long wrap-around skirt. through his work in the United Kingdom, The International Women' s Conference Tonga in Europe and particularly in Germany, Committee expects that the women will Mr. Bailey has laid " secure foundations return to their homes and with their new for what has become a brilliant interna­ knowledge begin Baha' i women' s ac­ tional career' '. The article added that he is tivities, helping to fulfill one of the goals Faith proclaimed a "religious man; both he and his wife of the Five Year Plan. at agricultural show have been members of the Baha' i Faith for over 20 years and for him music is essen­ Sierra Leone An opportunity for proclamation of the tially a spiritual experience." Faith in Tonga which occurs annually is the Agricultural Show each October. Last United States October the National Spiritual Assembly Baha'i teachings broadcast and the Local Spiritual Assembly of in five languages Kolomotu'a worked together to build a booth to display Baha'i posters and mater­ The National Spiritual Assembly of ials at the show. Chinese taught in New York Sierra Leone reported that media coverage The Agricultural Show is a popular of the Faith has increased during the past event in the islands and is always attended Efforts to reach the Chinese in New year. by the King of Tonga and other dig­ York City are being moderately success­ During the National Teaching Confer­ nitaries, the National Assembly reported. ful. ence in October, six Baha' fs taped radio A number of believers there are actively interviews in five languages: English, engaged in teaching the Faith in Chinese Trinidad and Tobago Krio, Limba, Mende and Tenne. The in­ neighborhoods , and regular weekly terviews were broadcast at least twice firesides are underway. Three Chinese within the period of a month. youth have declared since April. Another set of interviews were con­ Particularly active in the teaching ef­ ducted with members of the American Increase in Local Assemblies forts has been Ahmad Sobhani, a Persian Baha'f singing group "Sounds of Light" youth studying in the United States. during their visit to Sierra Leone after the In Trinidad and Tobago, three new In the fall of 1975 he went to a park in a International Teaching Conference in Local Spiritual Assemblies were formed in Chinese neighborhood of the city and Nairobi in October. The interviews were November and December, bringing to 91 struck up a conversation with a Chinese broadcast on both radio and television. the total number of Local Assemblies youth. In time he invited him to his home under the jurisdiction of the National As­ for a Persian meal. The young man came sembly. The goal for the Five Year Plan is with three friends, which began a regular Solomon Islands 120 Local Assemblies. Tuesday fireside in the Sobhani home. Four Carib Indian believers have been Recently, when the Local Spiritual As­ enrolled recently as well. The Continental sembly learned that a certain Chinese cou­ Board of Counsellors reports that these ple planned to marry, they offered the Women's conferences held believers are thought to be the first Carib Baha'i Center as a location for the en­ Indians to become Baha'is in Trinidad. gagement party. Seventy-five Chinese at­ Three conferences for Baha'i women tended and Baha'i prayers were read. were held recently in the Solomon Islands. Approximately 90 Chinese attended a United Kingdom Each conference was hosted by a commun­ farewell party at the Baha'f Center in ity with a strong Local Spiritual Assem­ March for a departing teacher from a local bly, and Baha' is from surrounding com­ Chinese school. On that occasion the vis­ munities attended. The host Local As­ Renowned baritone itors presented a banner to the Baha' is, semblies received guidelines for the con­ recognized by Queen which read: " Presented to the Baha'f ferences from the National Assembly; the Center in recognition of their loving ser­ women in each community organized the Internationally renowned baritone vice to the community and to our school.'' conferences. Norman Bailey has recently been honored

February 1977/ Baha'i News 17