There are now four Associations of Bahá’í Women - Wales, Scotland, England, and Northern Ireland, which will all be working closely with the Office for the Advancement of Women in endeavours to "raise the profile of the Faith" one of our two main goals. Our other goal is "releasing potential" - and we figure that these two goals will interweave nicely with each other. All four Associations and the OAW met up in Warrington in January, and it was great - truly energising, focused - and fun. (As serious as this all is, the ABW England decided that we wanted to have fun this year!)

So with joyful anticipation of a wonderful year, we reach out to all the Friends, all over the UK, via the Bahá’í Journal, our Regional Councils, and Regional Training Institutes, our Board Members and their assistants, our fledgling networks, and hope to encourage us all to:

Get together. Find out who you are and where you’d like to go. Tell us how we can help you. Form a study circle. The Universal House of Justice has actually asked that we study the compilation on Women, and any study of the Writings that "give us wings" is wonderful. Acknowledge that YOUR community of women is a local branch of the ABW UK. This is our tool for reaching out to specifically half of the population with a huge amount of clout - after all, the ABW UK is a 2000-member organisation! Let’s help each other! We are compiling a Resource Bank. Help us fill it - with names of people; people, for instance, who can:

write, talk, are knowledgeable on certain subjects (like law, healing, assertiveness training, conflict resolution, time management anything!), have artistic ability in music, visual arts, crafts, etc. are good facilitators, are good with children, are good cooks, can travel 30 minutes to visit an isolated person, wouldn’t mind being part of a phone network, can call an isolated person on a regular basis, can do a deepening course on family life, marriage, have set up a tranquillity room, can read a stance paper and briefly review it, can design a poster, ....

The list is as long as our potentials. What else is out there? How about good venues for seminars, retreats, and other events?

So... let’s get in touch! Questions, comments welcome! The contact name and telephone number of the Association of Bahá’í Women in your region is listed below.

ABW Scotland - c/o Shelagh Goodmanson, Tel: 01241 870101

ABW Northern Ireland - c/o Collette Rodgers, Tel: 01266 881484

What is the relationship between the social and economic development initiatives of Bahá’ís and teaching the Faith? In the message from the Universal House of Justice, dated 20 October 1983 outlining the Bahá’í approach to social and economic development, this question is clearly addressed -

"Now, after all the years of constant teaching activity, the community of the Greatest Name has grown to the stage at which the processes of this development must be incorporated into its regular pursuits; particularly its action compelled by the expansion of the Faith in Third World countries where the vast majority of its adherents reside... Our engagement in the technical aspects of development should, however, not be allowed to supplant the essentials of teaching... Rather should our increased activities in the development field be viewed as a reinforcement of the teaching work, as a greater manifestation of faith in action."

Our work in social and economic activities is not a substitute for teaching and proclamation activities, but a complement to these initiatives. As the above message indicates, social and economic development efforts are a means to consolidate and reinforce the teaching activities in which we engage. The two are therefore not substitutes, nor are they one and the same. It is clear that our work in these areas is a not a "teaching" activity but a concrete way to apply the principles of the Faith in society at large.

The Bahá’í approach to development is unique because by our definition of "development" there is no distinction between "Third World" and "First World" or "North" and "South". While we recognize the need for material stability, true wealth and development are the acquisition of spiritual qualities and the knowledge and love of God. Thus, Bahá’í work in the development field is not simply attempting to raise the poor out of material poverty, it also aims to raise all individuals, regardless of their material wealth, out of spiritual poverty. The spiritual teachings of the Faith are essential to social and economic progress, and development endeavours to promote and establish these principles in society. As one Bahá’í scholar comments, "from a Bahá’í perspective, social and economic development is the Faith itself." (1)

While it is possible that our efforts in this field may incidentally bring believers into the Faith, this outcome should not be the motivating force behind our social and economic activities. As the October 1983 message from the House of Justice quoted above mentions, these activities are an expression of Faith in action. Service to mankind must be our motivation. Bahá’u’lláh proclaims that "the purpose for which mortal men have, from utter nothingness, stepped into the realm of being, is that they may work for the betterment of the world and live together in concord and harmony." (2)

In doing so, we are not only contributing to the upliftment of society, but are also engaged in worship, as we cannot truly worship God without serving mankind. As the Guardian has written:

Bahá’í worship, however exalted in its conception, however passionate in its fervour, can never hope to achieve beyond the meagre and often transitory results produced by the contemplations of the ascetic or the communion of the passive worshipper. It cannot afford lasting satisfaction and benefit to the worshipper himself, much less to humanity in general, unless and until translated and transfused into that dynamic and disinterested service to the cause of humanity. (3)

Just as prayer, fasting, and teaching are spiritual injunctions, so are service to humanity and the application of Bahá’u’lláh’s revelation in society. Indeed, in a 1994 message from the Office of Social and Economic Development in Haifa to BASED-UK the House of Justice is quoted: "Baha’i Development means … the application of profound spiritual principles in communities throughout the world for the transformation of society; as we know it, the application of the Revelation of God for the building of His new World Order." It is not enough to believe in our spiritual and social principles, we must actively work for their promotion and establishment. As ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has so beautifully articulated, our work in social and economic development will not only benefit society, but also our own individual spiritual growth.

"The honour and distinction of the individual consists in this, that he among all the world’s multitudes should become a source of social good… Is there any larger bounty conceivable than this, that an individual, looking within himself, should find that by the confirming grace of God he has become the cause of peace and well-being, of happiness and advantage of his fellow creatures? No, by the one true God, there is no greater bliss, no more complete delight." (4)

Vick, Holly Hanson.

1) World Order, Fall-Winter 1988-1989, p8.

2) Trustworthiness. A compilation of the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice. London: BPT, 1987, p5.

3) Shoghi Effendi, Bahá’í Administration: Selected Messages 1922-1932. Wilmette, Illinois: BPT, 1955, p.186.

4) ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Secret of Divine Civilization, Wilmette, Illinois: BPT, 1975, pp2-3.

ESSENTIAL THAT YOUTH THROUGH PROLONGED SYSTEMATIC STUDY WRITINGS BELOVED GUARDIAN ACQUIRE PROFOUND UNDERSTANDING OPERATION OF FORCES OF DECLINE AND GROWTH CREATING UNIVERSAL FERMENT IN WORLD TODAY AND LEADING MANKIND FORWARD TO GLORIOUS DESTINY. - Universal House of Justice, 1987

The Bahá’í Youth Committee for England is interested in promoting the study of the life and writings of the Beloved Guardian. We would like to invite and encourage youth and junior youth to contact the BYCE if they are interested in writing articles or short stories about the life of Shoghi Effendi to be used by the BYCE in this initiative. The BYCE plans to use these articles/stories over the upcoming months in Bahá’í Journal UK, the BYCE newsletter, and Phoenix. We hope that these articles/stories will help to inspire youth and junior youth to study the writings of Shoghi Effendi, will be used to compliment study classes/deepenings, and will be a valuable resource for Bahá’í youth and junior youth throughout England and the United Kingdom. If you would like to be involved or require further information please contact Samantha Maingay at the address above.

Pioneer call - extract from a letter sent to the National Spiritual Assembly of the UK

Dear friends,

The third Local Spiritual Assembly in the Faroe Islands is in danger of lapsing this coming Ridván. The Local Spiritual Assembly of Runavik was formed in 1998 as a result of great sacrifice and dedication from a group of pioneers moving from Norway and Iceland to join the only Faroese couple then in the Faith. These friends have struggled to maintain the Assembly in the face of great difficulties. Some of the individuals involved have not been able to secure employment and unfortunately one of the Faroese couple have withdrawn from the Faith.

A Bahá’í family will unfortunately have to return to Norway at the end of May, and although they will be able to participate in the reformation of the Assembly, they will need to be replaced as members of the new Assembly. They will be greatly missed as they had been unusually successful in integrating into the small community they were part of and were greatly respected and appear to have been very able to openly teach and make friends for the Faith. Their hearts are in the Faroes and they are very saddened in the face of their return to Norway, but they leave behind them many open doors which please God the friends, under the guidance of the Local Spiritual Assembly (should it be possible to reform it) will continue to strengthen and support.

With warmest greetings and gratitude, The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Iceland