++ Contents Universal House of Justice Appointment of International Counsellors Eighth International Baha'i Convention Counsellors Conference Institution of Huququ'llah MOUNT CARMEL PROJECTS National Spiritual Assembly National Convention COMMITTEES & DEPARTMENTS Report from a Year of Service British Association of Baha'i Esperantists Association of Baha'i Women Women's Days in Cornwall Connecting through the media "The Baha'is A Profile of the Baha'i Faith and its Worldwide Community" - Interactive CD, UK COMMUNITY NEWS Waveney float wins prize at Tonbridge Carnival Londonderry Baha'i Faith Thought for the day Princess visits Guardian's Resting Place Iganga town officials visit Brixworth Baha'is Junior Youth weekend in Wales Stratford launches Centenary Celebrations WORLD NEWS 50th Anniversary of the first Baha'i Assembly in Ireland ++ UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE + Appointment of International Counsellors WITH JOYFUL HEARTS WE ANNOUNCE APPOINTMENT COUNSELLOR MEMBERS INTERNATIONAL TEACHING CENTRE FOR FIVE-YEAR TERM BEGINNING 23 MAY 1998: KISER BARNES, ROLF VON CZEKUS, HARTMUT GROSSMANN, VIOLETTE HAAKE, FIRAYDOUN JAVAHERI, LAURETTA KING, JOAN LINCOLN, PAYMAN MOHAJER AND PENNY WALKER. PROFOUNDLY GRATEFUL SHAPOOR MONADJEM, DONALD ROGERS, FRED SCHECHTER, KIMIKO SCHWERIN AND JOY STEVENSON, FOR RECORD DISTINGUISHED SELF SACRIFICING LABOURS THIS VITAL INSTITUTION. THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE + Eighth International Baha'i Convention Special report from the Baha'i International News Service On 23rd April members of National Spiritual Assemblies began to arrive in Haifa and register at the recently completed Haifa International Convention Centre, a far more spacious facility than the previously used Haifa Auditorium, which was proving inadequate for the increased number of delegates. This time 985 were able to attend. These together with the Continental Counsellors raised the number of participants to over one thousand. In preparation for their sacred duty of electing the members of the Universal House of Justice, the delegates spent their first few days in Haifa in prayer in the Holy Shrines and in visiting the Mansion of Baha'u'llah in Bahji, His Cell in the fortress of 'Akka, the House of Abud, where the Kitab-i-Aqdas was revealed, the Garden of Ridvan, the International Baha'i Archives, the House of the Master, the Seat of the Universal House of Justice, the Centre for the Study of the Texts, and those Terraces of the Shrine of the Bab which were completed, or nearing completion. The Twin Holy Birthdays are celebrated in the Holy Land on their anniversaries in the lunar calendar and, this year, they fell on 28th and 29th April. Thus the final action of all participants before the opening of the Convention was to celebrate the Anniversary of the Birth of the Bab in the gardens surrounding His Shrine in Haifa. The following morning, 29th April, the delegates assembled in the convention Hall, together with the Counsellors from around the world and many friends serving at the Baha'i World Centre. They were welcomed by the Hand of the Cause of God Amatu'l-Baha Ruhiyyih Khanum and were profoundly moved by a message from the friends in Iran, who had presented a bouquet of 95 red roses, which stood in front of the stage throughout the Convention. They were also greatly encouraged, at a subsequent point in the programme, by the reading of a message from His Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II, the Head of State of Western Samoa. After prayers in four languages, the delegates quietly and prayerfully filled in their ballots for the election of the Universal House of Justice. When they were finished, the names of the twenty-one tellers were announced, and the Chief Tellers were called to the stage to supervise the casting of the ballots. One by one, in alphabetical order of National Assemblies and their personal names, the delegtes were called to the stage - men and women, young and old, representing an ever-widening range of ethnic origins, testifying to the power of Baha'u'llah to unite humanity. The mailed-in ballots of absent delegates were cast by one of the Chief Tellers as their names were called out. Among the National Assemblies represented were 14 which had come into being since the Seventh International Convention - a cause of great joy to the assembled friends. When all ballots had been cast, the remaining Tellers were called to the stage and the session closed with a prayer. The Tellers departed with the ballot-box to count the votes, while all the other friends had lunch and left for Bahji for the joint celebration of the Ninth Day of Ridv n and the Anniversary of the Birth of Baha'u'llah. Thursday 30th April, the second day of the Convention, opened with the reading of the House of Justice's Ridv n Message to the Baha'is of the World. The Hands of the cause of God Ali-Akbar Furutan and Ali-Muhammad Varqa then addressed the assembled friends. Their talks were followed by a specially made video entitled "Creating a Culture of Growth". This surveyed developments in each of the eight regions to which supplementary messages had been addressed by the Universal House of Justice at the time the Four year Plan was launched. The information it contained was complemented by a series of displays, exhibitions and other materials which were open for the delegates throughout the Convention. Following the showing of the video and a period of general consultation, the Head Chief Teller was called to the stage at noon to announce the results of the election. Out of a possible total of 1,575 ballots from the members of the 175 National Spiritual Assemblies, 1,556 valid ballots had been cast, comprising 13,967 valid votes, out of which 10,388 were for the nine men who were elected to the Universe House of Justice. On the afternoon of 30th April, during 1st May, and during the morning of 2nd May, the delegates consulted on a wide range of subjects related to the work of the Cause and the achievement of the Four year Plan. On the evening of 30th April, the members of National Spiritual Assemblies divided into five separate continental meetings with the Counsellors of each continent, while on the evening of 1st May an inspiring presentation on the Mount Carmel Projects was given by Architects Hossein Amanat and Fariborz Sahba. The Convention closed at noon on 2nd May with the reading of a special message addressed to the delegates by the Universal House of Justice. All participants then went to Bahji for the celebration of the Twelth Day of Ridvan. Following the prayers and readings, as on each of the Holy Days, the Tablet of Visitation was read, and the entire company of believers reverently circumambulated the Holy Shrine. + Counsellors Conference After the Convention, as the members of National Assemblies returned to their homelands, the Counsellors remained in Haifa for a Conference held under the aegis of the International Teaching Centre and attended by the members of the Universal House of Justice. The sessions of this conference were held in the Seat of the Universal House of Justice and were informed by the spirit generated by the Convention, enabling the Counsellors for all continents to consult together on the interests of the Cause of God and the progress of the Four Year Plan in all parts of the world. Message to the National Spiritual Assembly: Our hearts were uplifted by the spirit of love, dedication and resolve conveyed in the message from your seventy-sixth National Convention. We remember with pride the valiant and historic record of service of the dear friends in the United Kingdom, which stretches as far back as the closing years of the nineteenth century, in a land twice blessed by visits from the Master and whose soil holds the precious remains of the Guardian. It is our ardent hope that each individual believer in the United Kingdom will once again respond with selfless and sacrificial service to the urgent call to action in the present day, and will intensify efforts to promote the maturation of the institutions of the Faith, to increase human resources, and to advance the process of entry by troops. We offer ardent prayers at the Sacred Threshold on behalf of the dearly loved friends in the United Kingdom, that they may arise with renewed enthusiasm and clarity of vision to achieve glorious victories in the critical remaining years of the Four Year Plan. The Universal House of Justice + Institution of Huququ'llah Stories about Huququ'llah I am aware that you (one of the deputies of Huququ'llah) note the stories of people who are paying the Huquq for the first time. My wife and I have no story of earth-shaking awareness or blinding insight that reversed our lives in an instant. But we have experienced, over two years or more, a quietly deepening awareness of the truth of the Right of God. There has been a gradual nurturing of faith and courage, which waxed by small increments, as we strove to go beyond mere intellectual understanding. This is a new territory of faith, a place unexplored by us as it is for many. I would describe it as being like one's original declaration of faith. Uncompelled as it is by any force outside of one's own conscience, it is another bond between the spiritual and material worlds. Like prayer, the Fast, its benefits will not be understood by speculating, but only by doing. Our reading about it is merely our study of a map of that territory. Only by taking material stock of ourselves, seeking that perfect level of sincerity, and actually surrendering God's fair share to its proper Owner does it become a real journey. By this first payment (and subsequent payments), we pray that our understanding will deepen, our sincerity will become greater, our faith will grow stronger, our teaching will expand in influence, our service will be ever truer, and our capacities will be brought ever closer to meeting the needs of the Faith. (From a report by a Representative of Huququ'llah) If you have any touching stories about Huququ'llah please send them to: Andrew Goodwin, 9 Davidson Crescent, Alford, Aberdeenshire AB33 8TP + MOUNT CARMEL PROJECTS Upon thee, O Queen of Carmel, be the purest, the most tender salutations, the fairest, the most gracious blessings! Glorified is He Whose footsteps have ennobled the spot whereon thou standest, Who ordained thy Seat, and Who extolled thee in His Tablet and Book. How great is the potency of thy might, a might which has bewildered the souls of the favoured ones of God and His Messengers. Methinks I behold thee in my dreams established upon thy glorious throne, attired in thy white raiment, crowned with thy golden crown, resplendent with the lights shining within thee and around thee, calling aloud in ringing tones and raising thy voice between earth and heaven. Methinks I perceive the souls of the holy ones and of the dwellers of the realms above hastening toward thee with utmost joy, eagerness and ecstasy, pointing to thee, circling round thee, inhaling the perfume of thy flowers and roses, seeking blessing from the earth of thy precincts, bowing their foreheads to the ground before thee in recognition of the majesty and glory which surround the Holy Dust reposing within thee, the Pearl which is enshrined in thy bosom. Blessed, immeasurably blessed is the person who visits thee and circles around thee, who serves at thy threshold, waters thy flowers, inhales the fragrance of holiness from thy roses, celebrates thy praise and glorifies thy station for the love of God, thy Creator, in this hallowed and radiant, this great, august and wondrous age. From a letter of Shoghi Effendi dated Naw-Ruz 1955, taken from Zikrullah Khadem, "The Itinerant Hand of the Cause of God", pp 285-286. Taken from Vineyard of the Lord, Jam l 155 BE/May 1998. Time is short Undaunted by the immensity of the tasks still at hand, keenly aware of the propensity of time to disappear in a twinkling of an eye, and with less than three years separating us from the end of the millennium we continue our labours in God's Vineyard, as do our fellow-Baha'is around the world, in anticipation of Ridvan 2000, that juncture in time when we can all look back in appreciation at the extraordinary developments and dazzling achievements that will have distinguished the annals of the Cause of Baha'u'llah during that eventful period . Mount Carmel Projects Office of the Project Manager ++ National Spiritual Assembly + National Convention National Convention 155 BE from Friday 22nd - Sunday 24th May, the Theatre Complex and Floral Hall in the seaside resort of Southport, Merseyside was a buzzing hive of activity as National Convention was attended by over six hundred Baha'is from all over the United Kingdom. A small delegation was invited to the Mayor's Parlour on Friday morning and welcomed by the Mayor and Mayoress. They were National Spiritual Assembly members; Barney Leith, Wendi Momen and Iain Palin and local Baha'i Sylvia Miley. Flowers were presented, together with the book "Crown of Beauty". Among the subjects talked about, the possibility of placing a time capsule in the gardens in front of the Town Hall commemorating the UK Baha'i Centenary was discussed. Convention was chaired by Barney Leith, with Hugh Adamson serving as secretary. The Ridv n Message 155 BE was read after the election of officers,, setting themes, focus and points of reference for consultation throughout the next three days. Delegates each received a copy of the comprehensive and inspiring 74th Annual Report (1997-98) from the National Spiritual Assembly, which contains within 200 pages a clear overview of activities, agencies, policies, goals and vision. This important document is of essential value to all local communities and Spiritual Assemblies. It can help each establish a clear perspective of the development and progress of Baha'u'llah's Cause through- out the UK, and the part they must play in supporting the goals of the National Spiritual Assembly. Among many interesting themes in the Annual Report are points raised during consultation sessions between the National Assembly and Counsellor Patrick O'Mara. The presence of Counsellor Patrick O'Mara throughout Convention provided enormous benefit and inspiration. He brought the joy and heartfelt love of the Continental Board of Counsellors, who had met in Haifa at International Convention, and who wished "... to convey to all of the friends their deepest love and admiration." He spoke of the bold and challenging forces at play as the Plan of God unfolds of which Baha'u'llah is Author, and in which the theatre is none other than the planet itself. All present were encouraged to remain positive and confident in the vision that everything ultimately serves the mighty Plan of God. We were reminded of the need to systematically deepen in the Covenant. Only by developing this deep knowledge can we cultivate a fearlessness to any enemies of the Faith and to any opposition that may arise in the future. It was considered a reflection of the maturity of our community that all delegates throughout the UK voted. There were 92 delegates present and a further 3 votes were received by post. There was no change in the membership. The National Spiritual Assembly elected and announced the officers on Sunday, with the result that Barney Leith is to serve as Secretary. There was no other change in the role of officers: Wendi Momen - Chairman, Iain Palin - Vice Chairman, Carolyn Wade - Treasurer. Following the announcement of the election, a birthday cake was carried onto the stage. Everyone broke into vibrant song to mark 75 years of the National Spiritual Assembly in the United Kingdom. Past members; Philip Hainsworth, John Wade, Jo Foster, Keith Munro and Betty Sabri came up to share the applause and Philip was called upon to blow out the candles. Throughout Convention we enjoyed many informative presentations on behalf of the NSA. Hugh Adamson's theme of the Four Year Plan was of particular interest. The video from International Convention - "Creating a Culture of Growth" stirred hearts and Lewis's millennium proclamation campaign provided food for thought. The National Treasurer, Mrs Carolyn Wade, thanked all the UK believers from the bottom of her heart for their sacrificial donations to the Fund. During the Saturday afternoon break a group of youth provided an impromptu busking session in the Floral Hall and collected the final amount of money needed to pay off the loan from the Universal House of Justice. At the beginning of Convention £6000 had remained owing for the refurbishment of the National Centre at 27 Rutland Gate. National Convention is essentially a time for delegates to present recommendations and elect the National Spiritual Assembly. Throughout the weekend many delegates presented a wide range of resolutions for consideration, but time was always racing on, with some delegates feeling that the quality and spirit of true Baha'i consultation was hampered. It would present a positive challenge to explore methods for consultation at future conventions which would invite fuller participation. From the letters of Shoghi Effendi we are reminded of the "...necessity of adopting for future conventions the essential method of a full, frank, and unhampered consultation between the National Assembly and the assembled delegates. A primary function of the Convention is to consider collectively the interests, needs and requirements of the Cause, in such manner that both incoming and outgoing assemblies are able ... to consult more fully with the assembled delegates, to exchange fully and frankly with them their views..." (1) It wasn't all down to business. There was live music, song and laughter on Saturday evening when Steve Day, Kingsley and Suzanne Swan and the One World Rhythm Choir performed in celebration of the Declaration of the Bab. Those who wanted a quiet moment for prayer and reflection anytime, could escape into a wonderful room, featuring special lighting, fragrant flower arrangements and the mystical touch of candlelight constantly aglow beside photographs of 'Abdu'l-Baha. The Floral Hall provided a meeting point for breaks, catching up with friends, refuelling at the snack bar and visiting the exhibition stands of the various Regional Councils, committees and agencies represented. The book shop drew a lot of attention offering a wide selection of books from the Baha'i Publishing Trust. On the final day over fifteen loving and heartfelt messages were sent from those gathered at the Convention, including letters to the Universal House of Justice, the Hands of the Cause of God, and to our Beloved brethren in Iran. Although comprehensive information can be found in the Annual Report regarding their activity and development, disappointment was expressed during consultation that delegates would not receive an address from the Regional Baha'i Councils. A Resolution was passed that this would be given due consideration for Convention next year. Enthusiasm and appreciation of programmes and special courses developed by the Training Institutes was clearly evident. With less than two years to the end of the Four Year Plan, Training Institute programmes are now in place and ready to involve a far wider proportion of individuals, institutions and communities. Now is the time for all individuals, communities and supporting institutions, particularly the local Spiritual Assemblies to arise and participate fully, thereby swiftly encouraging the process of entry by troops. ++ COMMITTEES & DEPARTMENTS + Report from a Year of Service Daniel Tully and Helena Vickers spent their Year of Service in South Africa. Here are some extracts from letters written to the folks back home by Daniel: We arrived in Joberg after a fifteen hour flight. A tall black woman named Umpoo met us at the airport holding up a sign with both of our names written in large print. Umpoo is a member of the youth committee and took us to the Baha'i Centre where we were to stay with the lovely caretaker, Uncle Sam. We were soon visited by local youth who, for the next four days, looked after our needs and made us feel at home. Had they been preparing us for what was to come? On the Sunday Helena and I took a junior youth class and then made a journey to Pretoria, the appartheid capital, or so the blacks call it. People refer to each other as black and white here. We then received one of the biggest shocks of our lifetime in the experience of visiting both the first and third world in the space of twenty minutes. I thought we would be staying in the plush extremely expensive home of a pioneer family, but instead we were driven to Mamabodi where we met a group of friendly black youth and Amos who was the only Baha'i member of the family where we were to stay. We began living with this extremely poor and humble family. I shared the floor with Amos, and Helena slept in the bed with some of his sisters. Nine of us lived in that tiny brick house. It was amazing to see the obedience of the children. There was no running water or air conditioning and the temperature was so high! The neighbours were surprised to see us two white westerners living in such unlikely conditions. It was a big test but I felt that we were really living for Baha'u'llah. Five funny and cool youth living in the township became our instant friends. They were so in love with Baha'u'llah it was truly incredible. We deepened the believers and taught the Faith and performed. I had to dance. We had such glorious days. Five people became Baha'is at our fireside. Later... We were supposed to go out teaching this afternoon but everyone fell asleep. This was partly due to the fact that we d already been teaching in the morning and that the heat is so hot! I get so super paranoid these days after the run-in with the bum biting Rotweiler. There are so many dogs in this area. We ve been going into a local township roughly 10 km away from Howich. Today was our fifth and final day of going in alone. Steve (Wendi Momen's brother) drove us in and we ve been teaching intensively. So far a total of sixteen people have declared. We organised a Feast and a deepening. Yesterday we entered a house and spent an hour teaching the five middle aged women who lived there. They all embraced the Faith as did their children. I was blown away! Steve and his wife have been in Howich for about a year. There weren't any Baha'is there when they arrived, now there are about forty. + British Association of Baha'i Esperantists Transformation I began life as a caterpillar, but with grand ideals. I went on climbing through the tree of life, nibbling the leaves of one language then another, but my hunger was never appeased. Then one day I saw a leaf that seemed a bit different, as if it held a special secret. I began to nibble at it and then found that I could not eat it fast enough. After three weeks of feasting I found myself in the magic cocoon of the Universal Esperanto Congress in Adelaide. What a world I discovered there! Fellow believers in world communication, friends, people with the same ideals, the same view of life! From that cocoon I emerged as a butterfly with new wings - the wings of Esperanto. Debra Zapata, recently enrolled member of Baha'i Esperanto League, Australia (translated from Esperanto) In another article Debra Zapata elaborates on the joy of her newly-found freedom still further, writing as follows: Can you imagine learning a language in just three weeks, then being able to understand people from more than 50 countries? This was my experience recently when I attended the 82nd International Esperanto Congress in Adelaide, the first to be held on Australian soil. Although my ability to speak Esperanto was still limited, I found I had no trouble understanding 80 per cent of the conversation. Would this be possible in any other language? Studies in Europe have shown that children who learn Esperanto for only one year are more successful when they study other languages. Perhaps we should be teaching our children at the primary level, as it is easy to learn, encouraging a positive attitude to language learning, and would give them an increased ability to succeed in other languages at high school. If the Ministry of Education is serious about promoting languages other than English in schools to the extent of making it compulsory, I think it would be negligent to overlook the benefits of starting with Esperanto. In this connection, an interesting experiment is in process in Australia to establish whether an apprenticeship course in Esperanto does similarly enhance the performance of students moving on later to the learning of oriental languages. For information please contact: Irene Bennett, Rossignol, Glaitness Road, St Ola, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1TW Tel: 01856 875033 or Jon Atkinson, 12 Boythorpe Crescent, Boythorpe, Chesterfield S40 2NX Tel: 01246 211753. + Association of Baha'i Women Here are some extracts from the statement on Equality from the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States of America, issued 1997. Comments please! Two Wings of a Bird: the Equality of Women and Men The emancipation of women, the achievement of full equality between the sexes is essential to human progress and the transformation of society. The achievement of full equality requires a new understanding of who we are, what is our purpose in life, and how we relate to one another, understanding that will compel us to reshape our lives and thereby our society. We stand at the threshold of a new century and a new millennium. The challenges are already upon us, influencing our families, our lifestyles, our nation, our world. In the process of human evolution, the ages of infancy and childhood are past. The turbulence of adolescence is slowly and painfully preparing us for the age of maturity, when prejudice and exploitation will be abolished and unity established. The elements necessary to unify peoples and nations are precisely those needed to bring about equality of the sexes and to improve relationships between women and men. The effort to overcome the history of inequality requires the full participation of every man, woman, youth, and child. Thus the Baha'i vision of equality between the sexes rests on the central spiritual principle of the oneness of humankind. The principle of oneness requires that we regard humanity as a single individual, and one s own self as a member of that corporeal form, (1) and that we foster an unshakeable consciousness that if pain or injury afflicts a member of that body, it must inevitably result in suffering for all the rest (2) Men have an inescapable duty to promote the equality of women. The presumption of superiority by men thwarts the ambition of women and inhibits the creation of an environment in which equality may reign. The destructive effects of inequality prevent men from maturing and developing the qualities necessary to meet the challenges of the new millennium. As long as women are prevented from attaining their highest possibilities, the Baha'i Writings state, so long will men be unable to achieve the greatness which might be theirs. (3) It is essential that men engage in a careful, deliberate examination of attitudes, feelings, and behaviour deeply rooted in cultural habit, that block the equal participation of women and stifle the growth of men. The willingness of men to take responsibility for equality will create an optimum environment for progress: When men own the equality of women there will be no need for them to struggle for their rights! (4) (1) Baha'u'llah, Compilation no. 54 on Women (2) 'Abdu'l-Baha, Secret of Divine Civilization, p39 (3) 'Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, p133 (4) 'Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, p163 + Women's Days in Cornwall We are continuing to have successful events in Cornwall, roughly every three months. The last Women's Day, in March, was devoted to Creativity. The nine women who attended (three were not Baha'i) spent the morning discussing the nature of creativity and we had a really wonderfully diverse and valuable consultation. After pot-luck lunch, one of our guests who is an Art Therapist and is practising Buddhism, gave a talk on her work and guided us through two practical activities. One was an artistic round robin passing pieces of paper round and contributing our own doodles until we had nine pictures which caused a lot of laughter! We have decided to encourage our friends outside the Faith who come to these gatherings to present a talk/workshop thus lessening the burden of organisation for us and opening up these events to the wider community. With love from Michaela Smith Ed's note: Michaela, Geoff, Rosie, Jordan, Bonnie and Mica are off to Canada for a year. Have a great time folks, we'll miss you! + Connecting through the media The Association of Baha'i Women can be a useful label for contacting the local paper. We enclose an extract from Chris Abbas own statement to her Editor referring to contending political parties. Not only did she make use of ABW, but also the Centenary. Good idea! I should like to see us go forward into the new century as a more developed species and suggest there is a model we can refer to if we are tired of the present situation. I recall that Baha'u'llah over a century ago said: "The well-being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable, unless, and until, its unity is firmly established." In other words, not until we care deeply about the needs of others and take on board the concept that humanity is one, can we ever hope to see peace. And peace, in this context, is not only cessation of war but well being and security, which encompass the whole of our lives, our health, education, job prospects, etc. We will have to do whatever it takes to create this peace, it will not float down miraculously from heaven. Isn t it time to stop sparring and earnestly seek to find a way forward with a united purpose? CM Abbas, Association of Baha'i Women ++ "The Baha'is - A Profile of the Baha'i Faith and its Worldwide Community" - Interactive CD Some gloomy commentators have said that we live in a "post-literate" society. While this may be taking things too far, there is no doubt that the printed word as a means of communication now faces challenges. The average reading age in Britain is going down, and the rate of functional illiteracy - the ability to read, but not to understand documents beyond the fairly simple - is going up. The dreadful phrase dumbing down has been coined to describe the process whereby the media, printed and otherwise, simplify things and avoid complex issues or taxing the public with difficult expressions or thoughts. Various factors have been blamed for this, from the rise of the popular press, through radio, films, television, and home video, to the now almost ubiquitous home computer. However as Baha'is we should remember that My calamity is My providence , and that these new means of communication also stand ready to serve the Faith alongside the printed word, which remains in huge demand. Baha'is who have used a home computer for the Faith have found that it offers many new ways to serve. Apart from being used - perhaps paradoxically - to produce more, better, and locally-suited printed materials, it can also enhance study of the Writings and those of the Guardian with its ability to store vast amounts of information and access them quickly and appropriately through programs such as Refer. A link to the Internet brings into the home access to information and resources on an almost incredible scale, as well as the means of rapid communication via e-mail. However one growing area has until recently been devoid of Baha'i resources, namely the interactive CD. Such a disc contains information (whether text or pictures) but it also presents it in a way no book can, while also storing and presenting speech, music, even video clips. The range of such CDs is growing, and they are being seen as a natural part of the learning process. "The Baha'is" is essentially the excellent and widely used teaching booklet of that name transferred to CD and with added material that makes use of the medium. Thus, while it uses the same basic approach, it is laid out in a way that gives the user a variety of options for actually using it, and contains speech files, and short video items of Baha'i activity. The colour pictures that were one of the strengths of the booklet can be expanded to full-screen size at will, though not, it seems, then easily saved separately for printing or other use. This CD is bound to make an impact, being the first serious Baha'i entrant into the field. Its strengths will be obvious to any computer user, and take it far beyond what the booklet offered. There are many who will want to use it for their own personal and their community's deepening - the amount of material it contains makes this feasible - and for teaching. After all, a committed home computer user (often described as a nerd, geek, or similar name when out of earshot, but most likely a reasonably normal person) will happily read amounts of text on a computer screen that he would disdain were they presented on old-fashioned printed paper. Its price is not excessive for this sort of item, but it does have some shortcomings. Someone new to computers may find the installation routine daunting in the absence of a printed instruction sheet, although in fact the program can be run entirely from the CD, and will do so in an acceptable manner. It may take time to realise the full potential of the interface in the absence of these instructions, and use of the on-screen hinting/help is recommended. The ability to print out pictures would have been useful, and it may be that this facility is disabled for copyright reasons, but the experienced user will have no difficulty going into the CD to find the higher quality picture files and extracting them for personal use anyway. The content also needs a little updating, which one hopes will be done for the next release. Since it is based on a booklet now several years old, it suffers from one of the annoyances of the modern world, not keeping up with the renaming, or even disappearance of countries. As the CD was produced in 1997 it is understandable that it should refer to Zaire, but countries such as Czechoslovakia and Bophutatswana ceased to exist several years before: their inclusion combined with the fact that so much key material relates to early 1990s, and 1992 in particular, to give the whole package a slightly dated feel. That said, "The Baha'is" is a worthy representative of the Faith into the world of interactive CD, hopefully the first of many. I have bought it, and recommend it to all my fellow computer users, none of whom, of course are nerds or geeks, and all of whom will put it to good use for the Faith. Technical information: minimum system requirements are a 486-DX33 PC with 8 MB of RAM running Windows 95 or Windows 3.1; multimedia setup is needed to get the best from the package. It looks as though Mac users are left out in the cold. Available from the Baha'i Publishing Trust, £29.95 Iain S Palin ++ UK COMMUNITY NEWS Waveney float wins prize at Tonbridge Carnival The magnificent float brought down to Tonbridge for the Carnival parade by the Waveney Baha'is and supported by friends from many communities won First Prize in the Carnival parade on Sunday, 17th May. A lady manning the Lions float (Lions organise the Carnival) said the Baha'i float was "what floats ought to be like". The silver shield, awarded each year for the best float, will now be engraved with the name "Baha'i". Baha'is came from all over Kent to help with the float and with the stand on the Castle Green. Lots of literature was handed out and taken and a number of enquiries answered. Helpers were fed after the event at the Yourtchi's home. + Londonderry During the Spring term the Londonderry LSA ran a competition for local primary schools on the theme "What Does It Mean To Be A World Citizen?". Prizes were offered for children of different age groups as well as to the winning school. The judges included BBC Radio Foyle presenter Frank Galligan, and the prizes were presented "on air" on his programme, with the winning children, and In a Cantrell for the LSA, having the chance to say what the competition was about and what being a world citizen could mean. + Baha'i Faith Thought for the day Following two Baha'i advertising campaigns on the local commercial radio station for west Kent and east Sussex, Radio KFM, we received a letter from the station's managing director asking if there was any other way he could help us. Not being one to look a gift horse in the mouth, loaded with literature, I went in to the station to see what options there were: Not too many as it turned out: Radio KFM is a commercial radio station broadcasting "hits and memories" 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with an audience of 124,000, or 26% of the total adult population in its area. Each listener listens for an average of 17.5 hours a week, so when we do get on the radio, there are a lot of people listening .... No chance of it playing Baha'i records unless they were on the "broadcast list". However, I was referred to the station's programme director to see if we could contribute to their "religious programming". "We don't do much religious broadcasting," he said, we only do a "thought for the day" on Sunday mornings and evenings. "A couple of C of E vicars have a monopoly at the moment," he went on (his words, not mine), "and I don't see any reason why they should keep that. I can see no reason why you can't become a regular contributor ...." The upshot was that I was to send him some sample scripts. These had to be "non-preachy", written to speak directly to the listener, and not too high brow. Scripts were duly sent in, and to my surprise, he said they were just right: the right length and the right tone. It was arranged for me to go in and record four KFM Reflections , as they were to be called. He helped me to get the right pace and tone, and fiddled with the recording levels so that my voice didn't sound dreadful. "I'll give you a call when we want to do the next lot, I'll probably ask you for another half dozen," he said. On the morning of Sunday, 31st May, KFM were as good as their word: After the KFM news, an ad for Renault cars ("oh, papa, oh Nicholle..." ), and a crescendo "And now, KFM Reflections!!" came: "from Andrew Gash of the Baha'i Faith in West Kent"..... and the piece I based on the passing of Baha'u'llah, with very "nice" background music added. Lord knows who was listening at 7am on a Sunday morning but, as the Guardian wrote over fifty years ago: "In connection with the radio work ... he would suggest that the main consideration is to bring to the attention of the public the fact that the Faith exists, .... Every kind of broadcast .... should be used. The people need to hear the word `Baha'i' so that they can, if receptive, respond and seek the Cause out. The primary duty of the friends everywhere in the world is to let the people know such a Revelation is in existence; their next duty is to teach it." (From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer, July 24th, 1943). On my first visit to the radio station I took The Baha'is magazine, one of the Centenary papers, and a copy of the government paper on Celebrating the Millenium in a Multi Faith Context. Text of broadcast: Last Friday, I joined Baha'is around the world in marking the 106th anniversary of the passing of Baha'u'llah, prophet founder of the Baha'i Faith - Baha'i means follower of Baha'u'llah. For His teachings, Baha'u'llah was tortured, imprisoned and banished, but despite every attempt to snuff it out, today His faith, though the youngest, is the second most widely spread of the world's major religions. This year, is 100 years of the Baha'i Faith in Britain. What did Baha'u'llah say? ... that people should investigate truth for themselves, .... that the foundation of all the religions of God was one, and that religion should be a cause of unity, not conflict. One way of cutting down on all the aggro in the world, Baha'u'llah suggested, was to concentrate on people's good points and forget the bad. "Magnify not the faults of others that your own faults may not appear great," he said. Concentrating on people's faults achieves nothing. Stressing their good qualities, however, can help us like them, and them to like us. Worth a try! ! + Princess visits Guardian's Resting Place On Tuesday 5th May Her Royal Highness Princess Tooa Tosi Maliotoa, the daughter of His Highness Naliotoa II, the Head of State of Samoa, visited the Guardian's Resting Place to pay homage. The Princess was returning from the Holy Land where she attended the 8th International Baha'i Convention. Arriving at the cemetery at 11.30am, Her Highness was met by local and visiting Baha'is who presented her with a garland of flowers. She visited the graveside and after prayers left the flower garland on the grave as a symbol of her love and respect for the late Guardian of her Faith. Mr. Barry Evans, General Manager of New Southgate Cemetery introduced Princess Tooa to Reverend Raymond Taylor of the Anglican Church and Rabbi Kotz of the Jewish Community and staff of the cemetery. He then took her on an extensive tour of the cemetery and told her the details of Shoghi Effendi's funeral. He mentioned that he regarded his cemetery as a symbol of "unity in diversity". Mr Evans gave Her Highness a book called "World Religions"as a gift from the staff. Princess Tooa was also presented with gifts from the Baha'i community of Barnet. + Iganga town officials visit Brixworth Baha'is On May 1st the Town Clerk for Iganga, Uganda, Steven Tusubira and the Chairman of the Town Council, Ismail Kyeyago, accompanied by Daventry District Council's Corporate Director, Richard Scott-Herridge attended the regular Friday evening meeting of the Brixworth Baha'i group. The visit came about because of the involvement of the Spiritual Assembly of Daventry District with Agenda 21. Iganga is an Agenda 21 project of the District Council. Steven Tusubira talked about the developments in Iganga after two decades of turmoil since the early days of Idi Amin. Problems still exist in the north of Uganda which are connected with the civil war in Sudan, but in most of Uganda the new government is promoting the establishment of democracy, particularly at local level and has a new constitution in which, for example, a third of local councillors must be women. Links such as education and public health can be improved and business encouraged. Steven talked about the talent and enthusiasm of people if only the opportunity for development can be initiated. They also mentioned that Ismail being a Muslim and Steven a Christian demonstrated the religious diversity of Iganga and the need for religious tolerance and harmony in the development of their town. Iganga's Inspector of Schools is a Baha'i and an Auxiliary Board member, and through the Daventry link the Spiritual Assembly have been able to correspond with him. The Assembly is now hoping to assist a Baha'i youth to spend a year of service in Iganga. Richard Scott-Herridge gave a short history of the link and what had been achieved so far. The main thrust of Daventry s initial support had been in addressing issues of the towns finances and system for dealing with them and public health. He said that other towns in Uganda have become interested in what has been happening in Iganga and have sent people to investigate with a view to adopting the new systems in their towns. One major material project was to provide a refuse truck to encourage a more efficient refuse collection service. He was pleased to announce that the truck had arrived in Iganga just before Ismail and Steven left for England and that all its contents which included medical equipment, tools and books (many from local Baha'is) were in the truck unscathed. Considering the length of its journey across Africa this was very encouraging. The grant for the project, provided by the European Union has come to an end and alternative financial support is sought. This project showed the potential for towns like Iganga to go forward in a democratic and peaceful way given only a little advice, encouragement and moral support from a people who are often unaware of the privileged life they lead. + Junior Youth weekend in Wales On 9th-10th May a happy band of Junior Youth spent the weekend at Port Eynon, staying in a Youth Hostel beside the beach. It was a superb time organised by Richard and Sheila Swann. The youth explored rocks and caves and collected wood for a camp fire. Activities included archery, a scavenger hunt, craft session and a consultation game with eggs! Writings on the soul were discussed. At nightfall the youth toasted marshmallows over the beach camp fire as they listened to the story of Baha'u'llah's arrival at Akka. They were asked to imagine that Port Eynon was the bay at Akka. Another weekend is planned for October. It'll be brilliant so don't miss it! + Stratford launches Centenary Celebrations The Spiritual Assembly of Stratford, which has dedicated all its teaching and proclamation activities to Dr Abbas Afnan, launched the local Centenary Celebrations in style. The Chair of Stratford District Council, councillior Mrs Jean Holder and her husband Bill received a delegation of Baha'is from Stratford and spent over an hour discussing a wide range of topics including the history of the Faith in Stratford and the significance of the Centenary Celebration. The event was reported in the local press. The District Council arranged for the community to take part in a radio broadcast and one of the friends gave an interview which went out on the supper time news. The Stratford Assembly are planning an open day at the Thomas Breakwell school, a Centenary concert with the One World Rhythm choir and the World Citizenship Project. The Spiritual Assembly of Stratford invites anyone who wishes to join in the teaching projects, and particularly those who knew Dr Abbas Afnan, to get in touch with Mrs Shomas Afnan, tel: 01789 731587. ++ WORLD NEWS 50th Anniversary of the first Baha'i Assembly in Ireland Reception to mark the occasion at St Patrick's Hall, Dublin Castle, 22nd April, Guest of Honour, President of Ireland, Mary McAleese This reception was a significant recognition of the Baha'i Faith in Ireland as it was attended and addressed by the President of Ireland, Mary McAleese. This is the first time that an Irish Head of State has attended a Baha'i event and in fact is probably something not so common in the entire Baha'i world. President McAleese's speech reflected the fact that much research had been done by her and her staff. Apart from the obvious references to the Faith which she had gleaned from the information sent directly to her office, and on request, to the Department of Foreign Affairs, President McAleese made reference to The Promise of World Peace which had been presented to a predecessor. President McAleese not only referred to this statement but from her references it was quite obvious that she had read and studied it. "I am delighted to have this opportunity to join with the Baha'i community of Dublin - and to celebrate with you the fiftieth anniversary of the founding in Dublin of the first local Spiritual Assembly in Ireland." "In 1918, when George Townshend - the Church of Ireland clergyman - declared his belief in the Baha'i Faith - Ireland was a vastly different place than it is now. At the end of the First World War Ireland had a very strong Christian ethos - but with the different denominations keeping very much to themselves - it was before the turmoil of the Treaty and the Civil War and the deep religious divisions that ensued. It was essentially a rural society - a place where deviation from the norm would have met with a certain degree of suspicion and intolerance..." "Since then the Baha'i religion has increased its following in Ireland - as it has done elsewhere throughout the world. Being a very new religion - it has attracted followers of other persuasions to its fold - and has become enriched in the process. From very small beginnings in Ireland there are over one thousand members of the community spread over some 40 localities around Ireland. Most people who know little of the faith and basis of the Baha'i religion would have become aware of their plight in places where they are not welcome - and where they have been persecuted. Ireland has consistently sought to ensure that the difficulties encountered by Baha'is are given full prominence at both the UN General Assembly and the UN Commission on Human Rights. I am aware that one of my predecessors, Dr Patrick Hillery in 1986 received the statement "The Promise of World Peace" - which was presented to many world leaders - and which set out the Baha'i principles for the establishment of peace and prosperity - one of which was the eradication of prejudices based on race, creed, class or nationality." "At this time in Ireland - such a principle has a profound significance as we all hope and pray for the resolution of a conflict that has polarised communities - which has meant so much suffering and grief to so many - and which causes us all to look towards our own religious ethos - whatever that might be - to guide us to opening up our hearts and minds to others who hold different viewpoints and different beliefs. We must realise that the peace we strive for starts with the individual act of respect and generosity for the other." "In order to flourish, peace needs an environment in which there is respect at all levels for other people. Creating that environment means equipping people with the mindset to recognise and accommodate the otherness of others. It involves an acceptance that we are all, to some extent, blinkered by perceptions, prejudices, beliefs - and sometimes, plain misinformation. The task is to condition minds and hearts - to move towards a generous, sharing Ireland that encompasses many traditions and cultures - that creates a space for all of its people - where the richness of diversity is not just a virtue, but a profound necessity." "A healthy society is one which celebrates diversity rather than suppresses it; where cultures, creeds and traditions draw on each other rather than try to bury each other. As we acknowledge this great reality of diversity, and demand our space in it - we also need to acknowledge in our deepest being, the right of all others to their space too. It behoves all of us to look at what we say - at what we practice - at what we profess. Surely the real place for all religions is as wagers of peace - of removers of barriers and divisions. Each of us on this island should look firstly to ourselves - and then to our religion - to see if change is required - and how we might make that change." "Part of our learning experience is the building up of a capacity to change - to reach out and co-operate with others - to take full advantage of opportunities offered - to make new friendships - and to establish new links. As we approach a new millennium - as we are on the brink of a new set of relationships between the people of these islands - it is timely for all of us to find a place in our hearts for others - for those with different views and opinions - for those whom we have been told are "not on our side"." "In fifty years time, when the Baha'i community gather to celebrate the centenary of the founding of the first local Spiritual Assembly in Ireland, it will be a new millennium. My great hope is that discrimination and division - based on religious practice and belief - will be a thing of the past for all believers and all religions." These are excerpts from the President's prepared speech, but her actual delivery was double this length because she added many personal ideas and comments on delivery. ++ End of document ??